Chapter 1: The Incident

Monica walked rapidly, looking for Platform 6, with 10 minutes to spare. King's Cross was packed, for of course it was a Friday morning, and many businessmen were running to get to their train before it left.

Her ticket said that the train was due at 11 o'clock, but for some reason she wound up in platform 9 .She looked up, and then at her ticket, and sighed. This is so crazy!!! Every time I take the stairs, I end up somewhere else!! May the hounds of hell eat the cornflakes in these trains!! She saw a ticket inspector person and tapped him on his shoulder. The man, with his bald patch, and his wrinkled nose, turned around and had to look up, for the girl that tapped him was about a foot taller than the rest of the people.

-"Mmm? Yes how may I help you?"

-"Er.I'm sorta lost here.every time I take the stairs I end up here.and not in platform 6." She spoke with a very well practised British accent.

-"Well.there is no train due at 11.are you sure this is a real ticket?" The guy looked suspicious.

-"Ok well they guy at the window told me this was the right time and the right day!" The man looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

-"Don't waste my time girl.there are more things for me to do than act for a hidden camera show!" and he walked away muttering about time-wasting sluts.

Monica muttered about British peeps not knowing how to give away good tickets, when she turned around and saw that the platform number had changed. What?? Ok weird.Maybe me and the short man walked while we were talking.Nah I didn't feel like I was losing grams of fat.This is odd. It read "Platform 10" But that was like 80 feet away from platform 9, where she was absolutely certain she had been. Then, she saw a family, all with flaming red hair, walking towards the middle of platform 9 and 10. The mum was speaking-

-"It's always so full of muggles! No wonder Hermes almost got lost!."

-"Mum, how much time do we have?" said a tall boy, with lots of freckles, and big feet.

-"Oh.about 5 minutes so hurry up you lot!" they all walked away fairly fast.

Monica turned around, heading for the exit sign, when somebody pushed her fairly hard. She stumbled back, and fell between the columns that held the signs with platforms 9 and 10. She shrieked, for she was going to hit the stone column and have a pretty bad gash, but she saw a swirl of red colours, and bricks moving away to let her fall freely. Her bum hit the hard stone floor. She heard the sound of a ready engine.lots of people talking...and owls and cats. Lots of owls and cats. She opened her eyes even wider than naturally, and she saw lots of boys and girls, parents and pets, and a scarlet engine almost ready to take off. The sign read "Platform 9 3/4". Wow, hello.9 and 3/4?? Gimme a break! That didn't even exist!

-"Oh girl! You're going to be late! You will miss the train!" it was the red haired woman, the one that she had seen talking before. She helped Monica up, and shoved her to the train.

-"B-but I don't belong here! This isn't Platform 6!! I'm supposed to go to Surrey!" She looked around and saw the parents waving goodbye to their children.

-"Don't be silly! You got here so you must be in Hogwarts! Now get a move on the train is about to take off without you!" and she pushed Monica to a door, opened for her and pushed her in, rather carelessly.

Monica looked around and saw some red haired boys, about three years older than her, tucking some bags inside a compartment. Then, a black boy joined them. On the other side of the train, a girl, along with her twin, was talking excitedly to a girl with bushy brown hair. From a compartment, a boy with messy black hair came out, greeted the girl with the bushy hair and came her way. Monica felt dizzy. This wasn't funny. She had been stuck into a train with no idea of where it was going and what would happen to her. She moved aside to let the boy pass; he had pretty bright green eyes, glasses, and was about as tall as her. The boy looked at her, and walked faster. Then, one of the other red haired boys (the one with big feet) called the boy-

-"Harry!! Don't forget to get some Chocolate frogs for Hermione!"

-"I won't!"

If she had to ask question she'd better start now. So, she turned toward the bushy haired girl and coughed slightly to call the attention. One of the twins turned around and blinked her eyes, as if saying "what do ya want??"

-"Um, hello.Um where is this train going exactly?" Monica asked, rather embarrassed.

-"Well of course it's going to Hogwarts! Where else? Are you trying to play a joke on us? Do we seriously look that stupid?" asked the twin that looked at her. The bushy haired girl sighed and asked-

-"Yes it's going to Hogwarts. Didn't you know? Aren't you supposed to be here?"

-"Well.not really.some woman just pushed me inside."

-"Really?" she asked, looking worried. "My name is Hermione, these are Patty and Padma Parvatti. What's your name? Are you new?"

-"I'm Monica.new? What do you mean new? I'm supposed to be in a train to Surrey, for crying out loud! May the hounds of Hot Topic eat your pants!!"

The twins and Hermione looked at her oddly. Hermione went inside and took out a heavy book and started reading frantically. The twins glided away, looking at Monica suspiciously and whispering. Monica just went around, looking for a grown up. Just then a girl with red flaming hair bumped into her.

-"Sorry! Er.did you see a boy with red hair too? Kinda tall?.Hey are you new?"

-"Um yeah.not.wait.what?? Is there any adult I can talk to?"

-"Er.the lunch tray lady.Hi I'm Ginny, you are.?"

-"Monica.when are we getting to wherever we're getting??"



The train had stopped at a little station. It was cold, and they were in Scotland.not very near Surrey. Ginny had told her all about Hogwarts that she knew. She was also going to conduct her to professor MacGonagall, a teacher, to try to help her in her chronicle confusion. They went up some stairs, along with the first years, to find that teacher. When they finally reached her she was almost about to speak.

-"Er excuse me.er Professor McGonagall?" she looked over at Ginny to see if she got it right. She nodded. "Er.I got here by mistake.I don't know how or why but I was supposed to take a train to Surrey, but instead I ended up here and I'm in total confusion here!!" she said, running out of breath. McGonagall looked at her, first with utter annoyance, then she changed to amazement, then to worry.

-"Please come this way Miss Monica." And she dragged her to some big door. "Kids, do not do anything 'til I fetch for somebody to come and pick you up!"

How did she know my name?? She though, but then professor McGonagall opened the great oak doors and Monica gasped. It was the biggest hall she'd ever seen! It was full of floating candles, and on four huge tables, there were the most yummy looking foods she had ever seen! The hall was full of people, probably students, and they were all talking. The ceiling was the open sky! Then, they reached the main table, where a group of weird looking people sat. So these must be the teachers, right? Then McGonagall spoke-

-"Professor Dumbledore, she has arrived! She said she got here by mistake!" she had got closer to Dumbledore to make it secret. Dumbledore, with his bright blue eyes, looked at her, and then at McGonagall. He stood up, and beckoned them to follow him to a door on the back of the big table. They entered it, and Dumbledore closed it magically with a wave of his hand. Then, he turned around, and faced Monica, a serious expression on his face.

-"Hello Monica; I hope you are not scared or confused by finding yourself here, I am the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. This is Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I shall explain everything and I truly hope it is clear enough. We were debating, that is me and the rest of the teachers, if to bring you here or not. You are part witch, indeed, otherwise you wouldn't have been here. Anyway, we doubt you even know that you are the granddaughter of the powerful wizard Grindelwald, which who I had to fight. I hope you don't take that as a personal insult, but he was the mean kind of wizard." His blue eyes tinkled in the dim light of the room. He continued- "We talked about your coming here, for we weren't sure if you had your grandfather reincarnated in you, like he swore when he, er, was defeated. I was the only one to hear he say those words, ever since then I had feared that it might happen. I guess that fate destined you to come, even without you wishing it so. I hope you understand that if you indeed belong here, you better stay here, for it is a sharp turn in your life, I know, but a good one. The magical community is growing fast, and that is good for both worlds. Please do stay for the dinner, and then I beg of you to give us an answer as to staying here. You are more than welcomed."

Professor Dumbledore bowed and walked to the door, opened it and got out. McGonagall looked at Monica, and followed his steps. Then she waited for Monica at the door. She followed, and they both went out. By now, some people had noticed that something was amiss in the way the trio had gone inside the back room. Hermione was talking to the red haired boy and to the black haired boy, also staring at her. Some were inspecting Monica, and some were whispering madly. Ginny waved at her to go sit with them, but McGonagall told her to sit at one of the ends, next to a huge man, with a long mane of hair and beard.

-"Greetings there! My name is Hagrid! I heard that ye were a very special kind o' girl! In anyway, I don't think that ye are a bad girl, an' I 'ope ye have a good time 'ere!" He took a sip of his goblet, and smiled at her. The first welcoming and warm smile she had got in the whole day! She smiled back.

-"I am Monica, and I think you already know that.I really don't know about my grandfather Grindelwald, or what he did, but if it was evil, I'm sure I'm not like him. This is all really confusing for me, so can I ask your opinion?"

-"Sure! I'm here to 'elp!"

-"Should I stay?"

-"Yes! And I mean this, Hogwarts is a great school. Ye will learn things you never though existed, an' you will have a lot o' fun! It'd be very good if ye stayed!" They spent the night talking about the classes and the things around, and by the end of the sorting ceremony, Monica had learned many things, that would have taken a whole year for one of the first year's to learn.

When most of the crowd had gone through the great oak doors, Monica stayed behind. She swallowed her nerves, and walked towards Dumbledore. She gulped-

-"Professor Dumbledore.I have thought about it a lot, and, thanks to Hagrid as well, I am convinced I'd like to try to test my other side of me, the one that is hidden. I'd like to discover some of my past as well. I don't mean to become Grindelwald the second, but to really see if I am worth for something."

Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, and he smiled. He nodded to professor McGonagall, and she brought the Sorting Hat to her. She put it on her head. It moved a little bit, then started talking-

-"Umm.very hard I see.a great mind, and oh my! Lots of strength! But.what is this? Two great forces fighting each other? I can see that a great power is coming to you.I can also see that you are battling them too! Um.but where to put you? You have the odds to become great, there's no doubt about that.Um.but you are also afraid of evil.But you are made from evil! There is only one place to put you: SLYTHERIN!"