Chapter 1: Not So Normal

Melanie was like any other normal girl. She played with dolls when she was younger, and she always tried to copy the older girls. She was an only child, but that never mattered where she lived. She didn't look any less normal than anyone else, and had straight dark brown hair and oceanic-blue eyes. Ever since a young age, she had always been thin, but not so that one would think her to be starved. You see, Melanie was like any other normal girl, except she lived in an orphanage with fifteen other girls and she never knew her last name. She was just Melanie.

Her entire life she never once called anyone 'Mother' or 'Father'. In fact, the only time she had ever said those words was when she was three and plucked up the courage to ask the matron where 'Mama and Papa' were. The matron simply said that they had left and that all she needed was her family at the home. Melanie never asked that question again.

Since she grew up in that orphanage, Melanie had many, many sisters. Fifteen to be exact. Even though they found it difficult at times to get along, they always looked out for each other no matter what. Melanie couldn't say this was the best home, seeing as she had never known anything else, but she did know that she was happy where she was.

Melanie was close with all of the girls, but she really only had two that she could entrust with all of her secrets. One was Faye, a girl her own age, but opposite in comparison. Faye had curly blonde hair and green eyes and was much less outspoken than Melanie. She was Melanie's best friend at the orphanage ever since she could remember and they did everything together. Like Melanie, Faye never knew her parents and was always too reluctant to ask about them. She never seemed to mind though. Faye was always content with what she had.

Another girl Marissa, who was the eldest of the group, was like Melanie's older sister, the one she copied exactly and looked up to. Even though Marissa was five years older than she was, Melanie still tried to do everything like her and understand what she was going through. But she didn't. Marissa's parents both died in the fire that burned down her house while she was being babysat by a neighbor. Marissa was only six when it happened.

The home that Melanie lived in was better off than most orphanages you hear about. All of the girls got a good education and the best clothing and toys the matron could afford. Some, who had expressed such an interest, also got to learn things like art or how to play an instrument. Melanie appreciated what the home had done for her, but she always felt as if something was missing.

When Melanie turned seven years old, the matron Mrs. Danielson threw her a small party with just all the girls. It was nothing too special, like Marissa's twelfth birthday where she invited all of her friends, but Melanie still loved it. She was never a social butterfly anyway. Melanie could remember the chocolate cake that all the girls had helped to make. But what was more special was the 'Happy Birthday Mels!' written in blue icing and the tiny little roses around the edges. It was a beautiful work and Melanie just couldn't wait to try it. It was also the first day that she knew she was different. The first day she knew she was special.

'Alright Melanie, time to make a wish and blow out the candles!' Mrs. Danielson exclaimed with an affectionate smile on her face.

Melanie looked around at the happy faces of the girls around her and closed her eyes. What could she wish for? Anything in the world, but what? Melanie scrunched up her face in thought and heard a few of the younger girls giggle.

'C'mon Mels, hurry up!' Faye cried and Melanie knew that she was bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to eat the cake right then.

Just one wish…

Melanie took a deep breath and was about to blow out the candles when someone sighed.

'Oh dear, out already. I'll light them again, but you must hurry Melanie,' Mrs. Danielson tutted.

Melanie opened up her eyes just a crack and saw that all of the candles had gone out. She scowled down at them, as if it was their fault that they couldn't stay lit long enough. Melanie watched as Mrs. Danielson struck a match and touched it to each of the seven candles once again. This time Melanie kept her eyes open, so she could keep a close eye on those flames.

'Alright dear, go ahead and make a wish,' Mrs. Danielson said.

Melanie once again took a deep breath and was about to let it out when suddenly the tiny fire on each waxy candle vanished. It didn't even appear that they blew out.

As she furrowed her brows in both annoyance and impatience, Mrs. Danielson looked utterly confused.

'Now how on earth…' she muttered as she pulled out another match.

'I don't feel a draft. I have no idea how it keeps happening,' Marissa said while gliding across the room to check that the windows were closed.

Melanie looked around at the group and saw a few different expressions. The younger girls all looked displeased and were staring longingly at the cake, while the older girls were trying to figure out how the candles kept going out. Melanie looked back at Mrs. Danielson, who was having an immense amount of trouble lighting another match. After a while she gave up and looked at Melanie sympathetically.

'I'm sorry. We'll have to skip the candles I suppose,' she informed her regretfully.

Melanie looked down at her feet disappointedly. The one time a year she got to make a wish and it was ruined by a bunch of thoughtless waxy sticks. She looked at the cake through her bangs and wished that it would just explode.

Mrs. Danielson turned around to pick up the cutting knife when Melanie felt someone put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Marissa smiling at her.

'Who needs them anyway? The cake is still good without them. You just have to-'

She was interrupted by a loud bang and Melanie looked over to see Mrs. Danielson covered in blue and white icing with the knife in one hand ready to cut. The girls who were near her were also covered in cake and they all seemed to have their mouths hanging open in the same emotion of shock. The walls and floor behind her were a complete mess as well. Melanie stared at the platter where the cake had sat moments before and saw nothing but a few straggling pieces of icing.

Nobody said anything, as they were all too shocked to speak, or had their mouths full of cake. It was only when Melanie began to laugh that Mrs. Danielson came to her senses.

'Let's…let's all get cleaned up. Yes…' she said while leaving the room to get the mop and bucket.

At first, Melanie didn't actually believe that the exploding cake had been her fault, there was just no possible way, but from that moment on stranger things began to happen. Things that were so out of the ordinary, that they were impossible to explain.

Melanie was nine years old when Mrs. Danielson took all the girls to a museum in London. She was not very excited to see the old building full of nothing but statues and paintings, but Mrs. Danielson said it would be 'educational' and 'very enjoyable'. So, she took all of the girls downtown with her and led them into the museum.

While most of the girls stared in awe and wonder at the artifacts and whatnot, Melanie lagged behind thinking quietly to herself. Faye had left her quite a while before, knowing that Melanie would not cooperate and follow with enthusiasm and Melanie found herself dragging her feet. She had just finished wondering what they were to have for supper, when she looked up and found herself in a very abandoned hall. Melanie frantically looked around for the group but saw absolutely no one.

Kicking herself for her lack of attention and stubborn behavior, Melanie looked around the hall and saw that there were many paintings of people she had never seen before. She gazed around the chamber until one painting in particular caught her eye. Slowly walking over to the gold framed picture, Melanie noticed that it was one of an ancient looking man with a short white beard and large round spectacles. She couldn't help but snicker at the poor man, but he did look fairly ridiculous. He was wearing a hideous purple suit and lime green necktie, topped off by a green bowler hat.

Melanie turned away to begin her search for the orphanage group when she heard a voice from behind her.

'What is so amusing Miss?'

She turned around, but saw no one standing there. Thinking that she had not really heard anything, Melanie twisted back around and took a few steps towards the exit of the room.

'Excuse me, but I believe I asked you a question.'

This time Melanie was sure she had heard something and quickly turned around. The old man in the painting…was moving. She stumbled backwards and tripped over her feet out of pure shock. Staring up at the painting with her jaw practically on the floor, the man looked down at her with curious, yet smiling eyes.

'Now, now, don't be like that! Pick yourself up!' the man ordered.

Melanie obeyed, but still no words escaped her lips. All she was capable of doing was opening and closing her mouth, but that certainly wasn't helping.

Terrified, she began to slowly back away from the canvas, sure that the man could see the look of utter horror on her face. However the man just smiled and nodded his head in the direction of the exit.

'They went that way. Turn left,' he said.

Melanie nodded her head violently and ran from the room without looking back once.

After that incident and a few more, Melanie was convinced that there was something about her that was different from all of the other girls. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, she was still unsure of.

Two years later, only a few weeks before her eleventh birthday, Melanie was sitting quietly on her bed reading when Faye burst through the door. She skipped over to Melanie's bed and jumped on top of it staring intently at Melanie.

"What is it Faye?" Melanie asked putting her book down on her bedside table.

Faye continued to bounce up and down on the mattress while saying, "There's a man here to see you! He's from some boarding school I think…Danielson is on her way to tell you now!"

Melanie grinned at her friend's impeccable timing and snooping skills and told Faye to get off her bed and look busy, so they didn't seem too suspicious. Faye shot off the bed and ran over to her own on the opposite side of the room. She grabbed her schoolwork and tossed it on the bed while Melanie picked up her book again. Faye had just bent over her work and Melanie had just opened the cover of the book when there was a knock at the door and Mrs. Danielson walked in. The woman, who was getting even more graceful with age, smiled at her two 'studious' children and cleared her throat.

Both girls looked up as if they knew nothing of what was about to happen and smiled sweetly at Mrs. Danielson before politely asking what she wanted.

"Melanie, there is a man here to see you about a school. His name is Dumbledore…I believe he is the Headmaster so please do be respectful. Faye, why don't you follow me?" Mrs. Danielson said before opening the door to allow Faye out of the room.

Faye got off her bed and gave Melanie a quick smile before leaving the room with Mrs. Danielson. As soon as they left, a rather elderly man entered the room. He was a very tall and thin man, and whereas Melanie first thought him to be frail he gave off a strong sense of power and deep wisdom. His long silver beard and hair reached past his waist, long enough to tuck into the large belt he was wearing. His clothes were especially strange to Melanie, as he wore a set of long midnight blue robes and a large traveling cloak which both seemed to swish around with each movement he made. Melanie saw sparkling blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles that were perched lightly atop his large crooked nose.

"Good afternoon Melanie. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the Headmaster of a school called Hogwarts. I am here to tell you, that you have been accepted at my school," the man said.

Melanie looked at him unbelievingly. How could she be accepted at a school she never applied to? She had never even heard of this Hogwarts before. None of the older girls had ever talked about it.

"Excuse me sir. But how could I be accepted at a school I never applied to?" Melanie inquired while studying the man.

"You have been on a list since your birth, my dear," Dumbledore said smiling.

Melanie was about to ask who had put her name down, but Dumbledore continued.

"Hogwarts is a school for students with special abilities. A school for magic."

She looked at him with an amused expression. Now he was just fooling with her. Why? "Magic?" Melanie asked with a slight laugh in her voice.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, magic. You, Melanie, are a witch," he said.

Melanie wanted to laugh. A witch?! Honestly, that was preposterous. There was no such thing, only in stories. But then again, it would explain all those weird things that had happened to her…

"Sir, there's no such thing as witches… or magic," Melanie told him, but the way he looked at her with such seriousness made her begin to doubt her own confidence. She no longer knew what to believe.

"How did that cake explode on your seventh birthday? How did that painting start talking to you? All these things and more are things that you have done," Dumbledore stated wisely.

Melanie looked at her hands for a moment before saying, "So if I'm a witch, and I can do magic, why had no one told me before?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes searched the room as if trying to find a place to sit before he answered, "Because no one else you know is a witch or wizard. They are what we call Muggles or non-magic folk. No one would have been able to tell you here."

"And my parents? Were they magic too?" Melanie asked hopefully. She had not brought up this subject since she was three years old and suddenly talking about it now sent a strange feeling through her body.

"Unfortunately, I do not know. But I will promise you that if you come to Hogwarts, I can help you learn about your parents," Dumbledore told her. He was still looking around the room when Melanie offered him a seat on one of the beds.

"That's quite alright," he said brushing her off. He drew a long slender stick from his pocket and she wondered why on earth he would keep such a thing. Melanie watched as he waved the stick and out of nowhere, a plush violet armchair appeared in the middle of the room. Melanie stared at it with wide eyes and Dumbledore chuckled.

"A wand. You'll need one of these as well," he informed her before sitting down in the comfortable chair.

Melanie nodded slightly, still amazed by the fact that a perfectly solid chair had just materialized out of thin air.

"Now Melanie," Dumbledore began, "if you do decide to come to Hogwarts, there are a few things you need to know. Firstly, I will give you a school list of all the information that is necessary for you to know. It has all of the supplies you'll need and the date and time you must be at the train platform. Secondly, Hogwarts is similar to what Muggles would call a boarding school therefore you will need to return here during the summer holidays as well as the Christmas holidays if you wish. And thirdly, you must know that Hogwarts has a strict policy about the use of magic on others. Said use of magic on others will not be tolerated and we will expel any student if need be. Then there is the Ministry of Magic who will have their own laws you must follow."

Melanie nodded throughout all of this, as if she was trying to take mental notes of everything he was saying. However she wasn't doing so well and Dumbledore smiled.

"Don't fret. It's a lot to take in, but in time you will learn all of this. Now," he said while pulling out a large envelope, "this is your letter," he continued handing it to her, "which has everything you need. I'm fairly certain that your matron will not have any wizarding money therefore I will inform you that we have a small student's fund that we can give you to purchase your things. Most will have to be second hand, but the shops are good enough quality. I will have someone meet you there to help you get your things. I have already informed Mrs. Danielson of where to drop you off."

Dumbledore got up from his chair and with another flick of his wand, the chair disappeared. Melanie stood with him still mesmerized as he walked towards the bedroom door. He put one hand on the brass knob of the door before turning around.

"I think it wise that you do not tell anyone the kind of school you will be attending. Some do not take it so well as others," he said before giving her a wink and leaving the room.

Melanie stood completely still with the envelope clutched in one hand. It was a while before she finally forced her body to move and looked down at the fresh parchment.

On the very front of the letter in neat cursive writing it said:

Miss Melanie

Third Bedroom on the Left

6 Moon Crescent

London