In a normal suburban house in Las Vegas, America, a man and a woman met. There was nothing said between them for several minutes. The woman was a Muggle and as such wore muggle clothing, while the man wore a heavy hooded cloak that obscured his features as well as his face. There was no sound except for the wind and rain outside. The night was stormy and forbidding. And on this night in her own living room, the woman's life would be forever changed.
"I trust that this will be taken care of." Said the cloaked man. It wasn't a question. His voice was smooth and regal, charming even, the woman allowed herself to think. Judging by his voice, he couldn't be more than 30.
"Don't worry, sir." The woman said reassuringly. But she didn't dare try to peek under the hood. She respected the man's right to his privacy in this matter. It wasn't an easy decision to give up something like this, especially to a stranger, but it did take real courage to do so. In fact, the woman felt a small twinge of pity for the man. And besides, this wasn't the strangest night of her life by far.
The single exchange done, before the woman could ask anything at all, the man turned and left out the front door, his cloak slithering along the floor like a snake. As soon as he was gone, a sudden series of cries caught the woman's attention. The woman sighed and took the small bundle of blankets up in her arms. She stared down at the small face of the baby girl in her arms, mesmerized by the infants incredibly dark, brown eyes that seemed to pull her in...
In the hot summer of Las Vegas, just a few days before July 29th, a few days before Bastila Phoenix turned eleven years old, her whole life changed. And it all started with an old man and a letter. When the front doorbell rang Bastila got up from the couch during a movie with her mother in the living room and went down the hall to the door. She opened it, revealing an old man in a gray suit. The girl looked the man up and down curiously, noting the glasses, the twinkling kind eyes behind them that reminded her of her grandfather, and the very long beard.
He was also carrying an envelope in one hand. The envelope had a glossy golden stamp, a crest of some sort.
"Hello, young lady." The old man said, smiling down at the girl. Bastila somehow felt instantly at ease with him.
"Hi. I'm Bastila, Bastila Phoenix. Are you looking for my mom about something?" She replied, her dark hazel eyes fixed on the envelope.
"Why yes indeed. In fact, I was hoping I could speak to both of you." Though the old man answered kindly, Bastila had a sense that he was examining her somehow. Evaluating her. Bastila shrugged and opened the door wider.
"Come on in then."
The old man gave a "Thank you." and allowed Bastila to lead him down the hall.
"Mum, this old guy is here and he wants to talk to us." Bastila Phoenix told her mother upon re-entering the living room. Her mother, who had been waiting for her on the couch to resume their movie, was now standing and regarding the man with an expression of confusion. But not rudeness or wariness.
"I'm sorry if this is a bit forward, but who are you?" Asked Jennifer Phoenix, a kind smile on her face as she looked at the old man.
Bastila reflected, not for the first time in her life, that she was quite lucky to have a mother like hers, even if she ONLY had a mother. She'd been to other childrens houses before and seen parents who didn't care, or thought their children were an annoyance. Or worse. Parents who were rude and cruel to anyone.
But not HER mother. Bastila's mother was kind and helpful, and gentle to everyone. She was also patient.
"My name is Albus Dumbledore, and if I am to return your forwardness, Miss..."
"Phoenix. Jennifer Phoenix." Bastila's mother said, smiling. "Feel free to sit wherever you like." She added, gesturing to the cushiony armchair that sat beside the TV in the corner of the living room, across from the couch.
"Ah, thank you miss Phoenix." Dumbledore replied, seating himself in the chair as Bastila and her mother sat on the couch opposite him. "Now, to return your forwardness, I must admit I'm quite interested in having your daughter attend my school. I am the Headmaster."
"Headmaster?" Bastila spoke up. "That's pretty much a different word for the principle, but..." She trailed off, her brain in overdrive now. "But Headmasters of schools is mostly a Britain thing, I think."
Dumbledore gave a small chuckle. "Ah, you are a very clever girl miss Bastila. Yes, my school is most certainly in Britain. It is called Hogwarts."
Bastila's usual calm, calculating demeanor broke, and she stuffed her fist in her mouth to stop from giggling.
"Bastila." Her mother said mildly, warning her daughter.
Once Bastila regained control of herself she looked right into Dumbledore's eyes. "Sorry Headmaster. That was rude."
"It's quite alright." Albus told her kindly before turning his attention to her mother. "I presume you have questions you would like to ask."
Jennifer nodded, her face still pleasant. "Yes, what sort of school is this, and what has my daughter done to gain the attention of your foreign school?" She glanced sideways at her daughter, smiling still to let her know she hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. "My daughter is INCREDIBLY talented and smart, she's top of her class and is working at several levels above her peers, but how could any of this have gained your attention?"
"I see." Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "Your daughter is indeed extraordinary, but that isn't the extraodinary thing that brought her to Hogwarts' attention."
"What did?" Jennifer asked.
"Magic."
"Magic?"
"Yes. You see miss Phoenix, there is a magical community living around the world, each with their own governments and magical schools, stores, and anything else." Dumbledore paused for a moment. "And forgive me if I appear vain, but Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is the most prestigious in the Magical world."
Bastila's heart and mind had been racing at a thousand miles an hour as she listened to Dumbledore's words, and they both came to the only conclusion they could possibly make. "If any of this is true, can you prove it?" She asked casually.
"Bastila!" Her mother said sharply. "Don't indulge this bull...This delusion." She amended, now eyeing Dumbledore with suspicion and slight fear.
"You don't need to be afraid Miss Phoenix, I assure you this is quite real." Dumbledore said gently, rising from his chair. He looked at Bastila, his eyes twinkling again. "And of course I shall prove it to you, young Bastila."
Albus drew out a long thin piece of wood from out of nowhere and smiled.
"A wand!" Bastila said.
"Very good, yes." He turned again to Bastila's mother. "I assure you no harm will come to you or your daughter, and that I am quite serious."
"Wait." Bastila said, looking between her mother and Dumbledore. Dumbledore waited patiently for her to speak, and her mother looked at her in confusion. "Can you turn the TV into a fluffy white cat?"
Dumbledore smiled indulgently. "If that will prove it to you and your mother, of course."
"Mom, if he actually does this it means it's REAL!" Bastila said excitedly. "If it was a trick and he had something planned out already, nothing will happen. But if he does do this...There's no way he could have had any time to prepare it!"
Jennifer, apparently deciding to humor her daughter and the crazy Headmaster, just smiled lightly. "Alright."
"Okay!" Bastila confirmed, looking to Dumbledore. "On the count of three." The twinkle in Albus's eyes became a little brighter as he said, "That will work quite fine."
"One!" Said Bastila.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, still playing along.
"Two." Bastila leaned forward off the couch, staring hard at Dumbledore, then the TV. "THREE!" She cried.
Dumbledore gave the girl a slight wink as he pointed his wand at the TV. Suddenly there was a flash of blue light that made Bastila blink, and then stare in complete shock at her entertainment stand. Sitting on it wasn't a TV anymore, but a real life white, fluffy cat. It looked around curiously before beginning to pace back and forth on the wooden furniture piece.
"No way!" Bastila squealed, rushing forward and jumping over the little table in front of her in the process. She waved her hand around where the TV had been, touched the wall, and then reached out to the cat. She started to pet it, then picked it up and cradled it in her arms. It started to pur immediately, obviously happy to be with her. Bastila took the cat over to her shell shocked mother and dumped it on her lap. "It's real! It's real it's real it's real!"
Then Bastila looked to Dumbledore. She rushed up to him and promptly hugged him, shocking the Headmaster into a hearty laugh. "I knew there was nothing wrong with me."
Jennifer placed the cat on the TV stand again and went over to the two, placing a hand on Bastila's shoulder and staring at Dumbledore as he waved his wand at the cat, turning it back into a TV.
"What do you mean honey?" Jennifer asked her daughter softly, tearing her eyes away from the Headmaster and the TV finally.
Bastila sighed. "I've been doing weird stuff my whole life. Don't you remember? Like that time I ended up in the tree and-"
"Had no idea how you had gotten up there." Her mother finished in a whisper.
"That's just what I told you. I was really thinking about it at the time. I kept thinking I wanted to get up there, and I did. OR what about that time those girls tried to bully me and cut my hair up." Bastila said slowly. "I was really mad about it and I kept wishing...My hair grew back in like a few minutes and you just said maybe they didn't cut it up as much as I thought."
Bastila grinned. "All my wishes come true."
"I remember." Her mother nodded. Looking at Dumbledore she asked, "So my daughter is...A witch?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Quite right. And from the sounds of it she is very powerful. To have such control and strength at her age is extraordinary indeed."
"My moms not a witch. She can't be." Bastila stated airily.
"Oh, why do you think that?" Dumbledore inquired.
"She adopted me." Said Bastila.
"Ah, I see. Then perhaps your biological parents were witch and wizard, or at the least they came from a very strong line of them." Dumbledore explained.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, if it isn't too much trouble, I want to know everything about the Wizarding world. If my daughter and I are going to be involved in it from now on." Jennifer addressed, her face now lit with wonder and curiosity.
Dumbledore offered her a smile. "Indeed. Now, I believe I should begin with the Ministry of Magic, as well as the Statute of Secrecy..."
It was two weeks after the meeting with the Professor Dumbledore when Bastila's mother knocked on the Bastila's bedroom door and spoke the words she had been waiting for. "Bastila. It's time to wake up! Headmaster Dumbledore will be here soon to take us to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies!"
Bastila was up and ready in under a minute. Both of them were waiting in the living room, waiting for the inevitable. Bastila's mother kept looking at the clock every few seconds, as if she didn't think he'd show up, confirming to her that everything was some crazy dream.
As it was, Professor Dumbledore appeared out of thin air in the middle of the living room with an audible rush of air. "Hello Jennifer, you and young Phoenix are ready I assume?"
"We're ready." Jennifer smiled, glancing down at Bastila, who was staring at the Headmaster again.
"Then, if you would both be so kind as to hold onto my arms." Dumbledore said.
"I remember." Jennifer nodded. "Apparition."
"Yes. It is very important that you hold on to me tight, or you might find yourself somewhere different from where we intend to appear." Dumbledore replied. Both mother and daughter linked an arm through each of Dumbledore's, and his eyes twinkled as he said to Jennifer. "On three, Miss Phoenix?"
Bastila smiled, tightening her hold. Her mother nodded at Dumbledore.
"Excellent. One. Two. Three." Bastila felt a great pulling sensation, and then felt as if she were being squeezed through a space too tight for her when just as suddenly it was over. The three were now standing in an old pub in London that was empty except for the owner and a few random strangers.
"Good evening, Tom." Dumbledore inclined his head at the owner as he strode over to a back door, motioning for Bastila and her mother to follow.
"Good evening Dumbledore." The bartender said respectfully. Then he nodded his head at the two girls. "Muggle borns I assume?"
"Indeed they are Tom." The Headmaster replied quietly. He held the door open and allowed Bastila and her mother to go through. They were now faced with a brick wall in a little square area. Dumbledore took his wand out and tapped it against a few bricks, then stood back. The brick wall suddenly changed, the bricks moving apart to form an opening that revealed a huge street full of Wizards and Witches everywhere.
"Amazing." Jennifer breathed as they walked through the packed street. She tried to take in all the different people and outfits, as well as the shops on all sides, but she wasn't able to move her head enough.
"This is awesome!" Exclaimed Bastila, her eyes huge as she looked everywhere.
Dumbledore smiled. "Indeed it is. You have your letter?"
"Right here." Bastila said, pulling the letter with her school supply list out of her pocket. "Mom." Bastila handed her mother the envelope with no prompting. Her mother thanked her. Jennifer read the letter. After a few seconds of patient waiting, Bastila was handed the letter back again.
Bastila smiled as she began reading the letter for the hundredth time.
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set brass scales Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
When Bastila was finished reading the letter, she read it three more times. "Where should we go first?" She asked her mother and the Headmaster.
Her mother looked at her with an amused smile. "Where do you want to go first? After we visit the Gringotts bank, that is."
Bastila's eyes were inexplicably drawn to a pet shop to her right, and she pointed it out immediately. "Can we go there?"
Bastila looked between her mother and the Headmaster. Dumbledore simply smiled. Jennifer looked at the Headmaster questioningly. "If the Headmaster doesn't mind."
"Of course not my dear. Animals can be some of our best of friends." Dumbledore replied. "Ah, here we are." He added as they walked up the steps of a huge marble building. They entered it to find a row of desks on each side, and a main desk at the far side of the building. All of the seats were filled with, not Human tellers of course, but Goblins.
Bastila could see her mother was trying not to stare, but she knew her mother couldn't help herself. This was fairy tale creatures made real. Bastila had no such troubles. She smiled at the Goblins they passed and smiled at the one at the head desk. Dumbledore waited patiently for the Goblin's attention, and when he had it he gave a slight nod of the head.
"Greetings, Headmaster." Said the Goblin.
"Hello Scarhook, it is good to see you again old friend." Dumbledore replied serenely. "I'm here with a young Muggle born Witch who will be starting Hogwarts in a few short weeks, as well as her mother Miss Phoenix."
"Very well." Said Scarhook. He leaned over the desk to better look at Bastila, surprising her. "What is your name?"
"Greetings, Master Goblin Scarhook. My names Bastila Phoenix." Bastila smiled, gave a deep bow and added firmly, "May your vaults overflow and your enemies cower at your feet!"
Scarhook, Dumbledore, Jennifer, and the nearest Goblins all stopped to stare at the girl. Bastila stared determinedly at Scarhook, hoping she hadn't offended him. Her worry was proven false when Scarhook broke into a grin, and he reached down and shook Bastila's hand. "Well met, young Witch. May your gold flow like a river and your enemies flee before you. You do me and Gringotts a great honor by using the Goblin formal greetings. Few Magical Humans pay us that respect, nor do they even know them. What can I do for you today?"
"We're here to exchange my moms none magic money for Gold and to set up a bank vault. Right Professor?" Bastila looked at Albus briefly, who nodded, his eyes twinkling again. Bastila was pleased with herself that she'd gotten the greeting right, but she felt uneasy at the fact that it had come from inside of her head, from a whispery voice of assistance.
"I will be glad to assist you, as would Griphook." As Scarhook said that, another Goblin appeared out of nowhere.
"Greetings, Master Griphook." Bastila said, bowing to Griphook and repeating the Goblin greeting as she had with Scarhook.
Griphook's face lit up. "I would be most pleased to help the Phoenix family acquire a vault and make the currency exchange."
"Thank you." Bastila answered happily.
"We would most appreciate it." Said Bastila's mother, who had been unusually quiet since entering the bank.
"Indeed. Please follow me." With that, Griphook lead Bastila and her mother, as well as Dumbledore back behind the counters. They were taken to a carnival looking cart with seats and rails. Once they were all settled in and advised to hold on, the cart moved down the track quickly, deep into the caves.
By the end of it, they all climbed out onto solid ground again. With Bastila laughing and her mother looking almost sick. Dumbledore seemed unphased by it. Griphook then took them to an empty vault, sliding his finger down the door and opening it. He then summoned a golden key out of thin air and handed it to Bastila's mother. "This is the key to the Phoenix family vault. Vault 318." He said, pointing to the words engraved above the vault door. "When young Bastila is of age, she will be allowed to acquire her own vault."
"Thank you." Bastila's mother said graciously. Griphook then was given the money Bastila's mother had brought, a large sum of 500 dollars. Griphook made the money vanish, and then the vault was filled with Gold. Gold that had just appeared out of nowhere. "I'll need to get used to this sort of thing." Jennifer sighed in exasperation.
"Your exchange grants you fifty Galleons, Miss Phoenix. However, the program Gringotts has in place for Muggle borns new to the Magical world has given you 300 Galleons to pay for your childs tuition to Hogwarts and school supplies." Griphook informed her.
"500 dollars is only equal to 50 Galleons. How much does a Wand cost?" Bastila's mother asked Dumbledore worriedly.
"Seven Galleons, my dear. But do not fret. You will not need to exchange your currency if you find a job of your choosing within the Magical world." Dumbledore said gently.
"Oh, alright." Jennifer said simply. Griphook informed them that business was concluded, and Jennifer surprised them by bowing slightly to Griphook and after a whisper from Bastila, gave the Goblin the formal good-bye. Which was followed shortly after by Bastila's own good-bye.
The three went around Diagon Alley, picking up Cauldrons and ingrediants and spellbooks until they arrived at the pet store. It was then that Bastila remembered that she'd been promised coming here FIRST. But she wasn't bothered by that now that she was here! The girl passed owls, toads, cats, and crossed into a section full of snakes.
"Headmaster. Will my daughter be safe?" Jennifer asked as she watched her daughter stare into the snake tanks one by one.
"Oh yes, magical snakes are quite good pets." Dumbledore answered. "They have a seemingly higher intelligence than none-magic ones, as well as the ability to feel emotions."
Jennifer was surprised at that information, but still persisted. "I mean at Hogwarts." She clarified.
Dumbledore looked Jennifer in the eyes for a moment. "Madam, there is no safer place in the Magical world than Hogwarts, I can promise you that."
"She's going to be there all year. She won't come home every day like..None-magic schools." Jennifer said quietly. "It will be very hard to get used to. I don't know what I'll do with myself."
"You will miss her." Dumbledore said gently.
"Yes." Admitted Jennifer.
"Miss Phoenix-" Albus was cut off by the sudden unmistakable sound of parseltongue. He walked briskly into the snake section and found the source to be none other than Bastila Phoenix.
He was quiet and still, and then he said softly. "You possess an extremely rare gift, my dear girl."
Bastila stared at him in confusion. "What gift?" She said in English. "I was just talking to the snake. Can't everyone here do it? If Goblins talk, why not snakes too?"
Jennifer looked at her daughter with worry, then looked to the Headmaster.
Albus sighed heavily. "Parseltongue is an extremely rare gift among magical people. It is the ability to speak to and understand the language of serpents. Do you recall the talk of Salazar Slytherin and his House?" When Jennifer and Bastila both nodded, he continued. "Salazar had the same ability. He was able to speak with snakes."
"Cool!" Bastila grinned. "Does that mean I'll be in Slytherin House? You said before that the Slytherin head of House was a Professor Snake and...That he teaches potions too."
"Professor Snape." Dumbledore corrected, smilling. "And indeed he is. As for your placement in Slytherin, I do not believe that possessing this ability will place you in that House, no."
"I guess we'll see." Bastila said confidently. "But I still like the sound of potions." She added, pulling out her potions textbook from their basket. "I mean look at this." She flipped the pages to a Cheering Potion. "Just imagine if everyone was happy. I'd like to make this. A lot of them." She flipped to a new page and showed it to the two adults. "Or this. Skelegro. It regrows bones. And it's not just the potions, it's making them. It sounds like fun. Like making food almost." When she had finished her ramble, Dumbledore gave her a wide smile.
"My dear, I do believe Professor Snape will get along quite well with you."
"Can I have a Snake?" Bastila asked suddenly, turning her eyes back to a certain pink scaled Snake with purple markings that looked like it could wrap around her arm a few times. It also amazingly had WINGS. Light blue feathery wings, as well as fur on the tail. "I know they aren't on the Hogwarts list, but they're here in the shop and I don't want to leave her..."
"Her? What's wrong with her?" Jennifer's mother asked sympathetically.
"She said she's sick and restless." Bastila said, now sounding worried. "She's a magical snake, but she isn't healthy in here. She uses her magic to fly."
"I do not see why I couldn't make an exception in this case. There have been more than a few made in the past. One Wizarding boy had a dog, for example."
"Is the snake poisonous?" Jennifer asked Dumbledore instantly.
Suddenly the snake hissed, and Bastila hissed back.
*My bite is not lethal.*
*Great! Let's see if I can get you out of here.* Bastila smiled as she looked at her mother. "She says she's not." The girl explained in English.
Still, Bastila's mother looked uneasily at Dumbledore. "Can magical snakes lie?"
Albus took on a thoughtful expression. "Not generally, no. But to be safe, we had best speak with the shop owner."
And so it was that five minutes later they were out in the streets of Diagon Alley once more, with the winged serpent wrapped around Bastila's left arm and hidden under the long sleeve of her shirt. Bastila had decided to name her Nyssa. Nyssa herself was very taken with the name, something that made Bastila very happy.
"All I need now is a wand." Bastila stated as they headed for Olivanders wand shop.
The three entered and the doorbell chimed, alerting Olivander to his customers. The old man appeared out from all the shelves of wands behind a desk, his expression inscrutible. "Miss Phoenix, ah. I wondered when I would be seeing you here."
"You have?" Bastila asked, stepping up to the desk gracefully.
"Professor Dumbledore told me of your meeting. He says you are quite promising. Powerful. But promising." The old Wandmaker whispered oddly.
"I guess so." Bastila said, staring Olivander down. The man was really creepy, she decided. She chanced a look back at her mother and Dumbledore, who were sitting together on an old bench in front of the window.
*He is strange, for a Human.* Nyssa agreed from beneath Bastila's sleeve.
Olivander either didn't notice the hissing or was pretending that he hadn't. He went back to his hundreds of shelves and came back with a long box. He pulled the top off and lifted up a black, thick wand. "Give it a wave." The Wandmaker told Bastila. The girl took it and did just that, causing several other wand cases to fly off the shelves.
Olivander took the wand away and returned with another. This time a thin long brown one. Bastila took it and waved the wand around. She was rewarded with green sparks. Olivander wasn't pleased with this though, as he snatched that wand away too. He muttered to himself as they went through five more wands, and then he suddenly stopped as he looked over all the wand cases. "Ah..." He sighed as he ran his hand along the shelves, stopping it on a wand case on the very end of the shelf.
"It would be most curious...But strange things do seem to be happening in my shop lately...Yes..." The Wandmaker returned to Bastila with a white wand case. He placed it almost reverantly on the desk in front of the girl.
Bastila examined the thin white wand as Olivander held it up in front of her. "13 and 1/2 inches. Moderately flexible. Made of Snakewood with a Thestral hair for a core...Hmmmm..." The Wandmaker held the white, black snake scale patterned wand up to his ear, then placed it in Bastila's open hand.
When Bastila waved it, she left a trail of dark blue, almost black smoke in the air. The smoke twisted into a snake before vanishing.
"Curious. Very curious." Olivander muttered, staring hard at Bastila now.
"I'm sorry but...What's curious?" Bastila asked hesitantly.
"It is interesting that you have been chosen by this wand, for it is told that only those who have seen death may use a wand with a Thestral hair for a core, and only those who have seen death may see Thestrals."
Behind Bastila, her mother let out a gasp. Bastila just sighed as she fingered her wand. "I've seen someone die before." She admitted quietly, looking away from Olivander. "There was this girl two years ago who...We were swimming together in a river and we were dragged under. She was swept away and lost, but not me." Bastila shivered at the memory and forced herself to continue, taking a breath. "I always wondered about it before, but now I don't, because I know it was magic that saved me."
"I wonder why my magic saved me, but not her." Bastila finished after a long silence, voicing what had been on her mind since discovering she was a Witch.
"I am truly sorry my dear child." Olivander whispered. He took a moment to compose himself, then cleared his throat loudly and looked to Bastila's mother. "Miss Phoenix if you wouldn't mind..."
The Galleons exchanged, Dumbledore, Bastila and her mother left the wand shop and headed back to Tom's pub. "That was very brave of you to speak of such a terrible thing." Dumbledore told Bastila gently.
"It helped to talk about it." Bastila said blankly. "I haven't in a long time. I had a counselor, someone who helps you get past tragedies, but I stopped seeing her a while ago. It still bothers me. I didn't think it would."
"Sadly, some wounds never heal." Albus said quietly.
After two weeks of pouring over her textbooks, mostly her potions book, it was finally the day. The day Bastila would be going to Hogwarts. She had gathered all of her things, clothes, spellbooks and a few preserved rats for Nyssa and put them into her Hogwarts trunk. She went to the living room when her mother called for her, and Bastila tried her hardest to remain calm.
Bastila and her mother were once again waiting in the living room for Professor Dumbledore to apparate. When he finally appeared, he gave them both a smile. They exchanged greetings and then they were off. Disappearing from the living room and reappearing in the middle of Kings Cross station in London.
Dumbledore showed them to barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, and they both watched in amazement as many Wizards and Witches frequently passed through the pillar as if it wasn't even there.
"Headmaster, will we need to do this every year? Apparating with you." Bastila asked.
"Hmmm. I'm quite certain we can work out a Portkey for the start and end of your years, as well as the Christmas break. It is an enchanted object that works much like apparation. Upon touching the object it will transport you to any pre-set destination." Dumbledore explained as they watched a large redheaded family linger around the barrier. They appeared to be speaking to a young black haired boy with glasses. "I think that the Ministry could work out the arrangements with your mother."
"I'll have to do that as soon as I can." Bastila's mother said with a smile.
The reheaded family disappeared past the barrier, as well as the boy with glasses. "I believe it is your turn now. I must get back to Hogwarts to arrange the welcoming feast and rehearse my speech." Dumbledore gently told the Phoenix family. Bastila's mother nodded, while Bastila gave Dumbledore a little bow that the old wizard surprisingly returned.
With a quick look around and a slight pop of air, Dumbledore was gone.
"Ready?" Bastila's mother asked.
Bastila smiled radiantly. "As I'll ever be." She gripped the handle of her cart carrying her trunk and started walking toward the barrier. Though she stepped through it slowly, she didn't hesitate. The girl grinned as she was greeted by teeming masses of Wizarding families and a long red and black train. The Hogwarts Express!
A moment later Bastila's mother appeared beside her. Together they approached the train, going through the crowd toward the nearest train car. Bastila determinedly grabbed her trunk and heaved it up the steps into the train. She stepped up onto the stairs and turned to her mother, all smiles and joy. "This is it mom." Bastila said.
"It is." Said her mother, looking upset and happy at the same time. Without another word she took Bastila into a long, fierce hug. "I'll miss you so much honey. I love you and I hope you have a wonderful time. This is the world you really belong in."
Bastila drew back, blushing under all the sentiments and trying to keep her eyes cool as she replied. "I'll always love you mom, and I'll miss you just as much. But you belong here as much as I do!"
Bastila's mother smiled and stroked her daughter's face for a few precious moments, pushing black hair strands out of Bastila's face and equally dark eyes. "Have fun." Then she stepped back, disappearing into the crowd to watch the train.
Bastila let out a breath of exasperation as she grabbed her trunk again and started down the train car. Why was her mother always so mushy?
The girl was still heading toward the back of the train when it had pulled out of the station and was well on it's way across grassy fields and plains. Eventually though, Bastila managed to find a compartment with only two other kids in it. It was the black haired boy with glasses, and one of the redhead boys.
"Is it okay if I sit here?" Bastila asked, sliding the compartment door open. "I've been trying to find a free space for...Well, forever." The two boys exchanged looks that Bastila couldn't discern. Then the black haired boy said, "Of course it's okay. Come on in."
Bastila gratefully took a seat next to the redhead who was sitting across from the black hair and smiled at both of them in turn. "I'm Bastila, Bastila Phoenix."
The redhead introduced himself as Ron Weasley, while the black haired boy said "Harry Potter."
What happened in the second after Harry spoke was something incredibly confusing to Bastila. Upon hearing his name the girl felt a massive surge of rage and anger, as well as a large amount of fear. As she sat there struggling to figure out why she was suddenly feeling these things so strongly, Harry put his hand up to his forehead and pressed his palm against a lightning bolt scar and began gasping in pain. As the gasps turned to screams, Bastila felt a surge of sick pleasure at seeing the boy in such agony. Then Bastila's emotions exploded, taking her into dark oblivion.