She was no longer the nine-year-old girl who cried over the loss of a friendship. Alessia had grown - not so much in height, but more in strength and will. At least that's what everyone kept telling her. Her red-blonde wavy hair was pulled back into a ponytail, lightened by the summer sun, although a few loose strands framed her lightly tanned olive-skinned face. Her brown eyes seemed blank as she gazed from her desk by her bedroom window to a spot on the adjacent wall.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap tap. Alessia looked up. An owl. An owl holding an envelope with a Hogwarts seal. She opened the window and retrieved the letter from the bird. It lingered so she gave it a few affectionate strokes before it took off flying again.

"Dear Ms. McKinnon, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the letter read.

"Yes!" Alessia shouted. She ran to her brother's room. He was sitting in his armchair reading as usual. Alessia seized his hand and pulled him with her.

"What the-" Nikos blurted.

They toppled down the stairs, the girl's shrill giggles echoing through the house. Alessia hopped up excitedly without having winced once. Nikos sat up, groaning, and straightened out his Hufflepuff jumper.

"Papa! Mum!" Alessia called.

Atticus put down The Daily Prophet and peered at her over his glasses. Persephone strode into the dining room, noticed her son on the floor and helped him up.

"Look!" Alessia waved her letter and envelope gleefully.

"Dear, I can't read a thing with you thrashing about," her grandfather said, amused.

She handed them to him. "Ah. I see," he said. "You want a trip to Diagon Alley."

"'Want'?" She said. "More like 'need'."

"Always quick to correct me, aren't you?"

Alessia giggled.

Several weeks had passed since Alessia's trip to Diagon Alley. Her excitement was barely contained at first, but it left her as quick as it came. Her family knew life would be different for her being away from home and going to Hogwarts by herself. When the news had reached her ears, Alessia became greatly upset, causing her to withdraw from the world.

Sitting at the dining table with her family, Alessia nibbled on her lip anxiously, knowing she would face challenges she hadn't foreseen when she got her letter. Making new friends was never her strong suit - all of her relationships had been forged through the connections her mum had. Now she was on her own.

"To tell you the truth," Atticus said. "I always wondered what it would've been like to be at Hogwarts."

"You say that every year, Papa," Alessia said, trying to sound more amused than nervous. "Tell me. What House were you in at Ilvermorny?"

"Horned Serpent."

"I wonder what House I'll be sorted into." Alessia's voice wavered slightly.

"Well, I broke the tradition of Slytherins in the family," Nikos said. "At least on Mum's side."

Silently pushing away other nagging thoughts and feelings, "I wonder if I'll see Draco," Alessia thought out loud. She swore she saw her mother flinch at those words.

"You haven't seen him in years," Persephone said, feigning indifference. "I doubt you'll even recognize him." Even she hadn't seen the Malfoys since that day Alessia returned in tears.

Aboard the train, Alessia let her hair hide her face. She had decided to sit by the window so she could watch the passersby. Her attention floated away soon enough.

"-Harry Potter-"

What? Alessia recalled hearing many stories over the years about The Boy Who Lived.

"Did she just say 'Harry Potter'?" Nikos asked from across from her.

"I think so."

Soon they were joined by a round-faced boy and later, a bushy haired girl with large front teeth who was wearing her Hogwarts uniform already.

"I can't believe I lost him," the boy muttered.

"Lost who?" Alessia asked.

"My toad - Trevor."

"Oh," she mumbled, raising a curious eyebrow. It was a wonder to her why anyone would want to find their toad. "I'm Alessia McKinnon, by the way."

"Sorry," the boy said. "Alicia?"

"It's Ah-leh-see-uh. It's Greek. This is my brother Nikos. It's a bit of a tradition in my family to have Greek names," she said with an annoyed roll of her eyes.

The tall but slightly chubby Hufflepuff glanced up from his book and gave an awkward wave, then immediately returned attention to The Catcher in the Rye, his light brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Isn't that a Muggle book, you're reading?" the brunette, bushy-haired girl asked with an air of what sounded like an attempt at sophistication.

"We grew up in a Muggle town," Alessia explained.

"But... McKinnon." She paused. "I've read that name somewhere. Didn't You-Know-Who - um - murder the McKinnons? Are you related?"

Nikos looked up sharply. He gave the girl a stern look, full of grief. He stood up to leave, taking the book with him.

"I'm sorry," the girl said, looking remorseful. "That was a bit harsh, wasn't it? I- I shouldn't have asked."

"I reckon he remembers the day Mum told us like it was yesterday," Alessia said coldly. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to seem less mean. A friend of hers had mentioned that she always sounded angry when she first met people. "What're your names, by the way?"

"Neville Longbottom," the boy said.

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl replied. "I'm sorry. I've just been trying to learn all I can. My parents are Muggles, so they can't tell me anything about this world. I'll have to apologize to your brother later."

"I forgive you," Alessia said a little dismissively. "So I'm sure he will too."

"I'm going to try to find Trevor," Neville said nervously.

"Let us know if you need any help," Alessia tried to sound kind, but from the look on Neville's face, her tone was perceived as forced - an offer of obligation rather than of compassion.

"Thanks."

The silence between the girls remained. A glint of white-blond hair glided by the compartment door.

"Draco?" Alessia whispered as she stood up to look in the corridor for her old friend. She looked hopefully in the direction she swore she saw him, but no one was in the corridor anymore. Her red-blonde waves bounced as she plopped down and huffed frustratedly.

"Who were you looking for?" Hermione asked.

"Nobody," Alessia snapped.

"Erm... I'm going to go find Neville and help him if that's okay."

"Mm," said Alessia noncommittally.

The rest of the train ride went swiftly. After Alessia had put on her robes, Hermione and Neville returned without the toad.

"I met Harry Potter," Hermione exclaimed, forgetting that Alessia might still be in a foul mood.

"I don't suppose you asked him about his dead parents as well," Nikos said from the compartment door.

Hermione flushed bright pink.

"Nikos!" Alessia scolded, turning her irritation towards her brother. "Leave her be. She apologized to me as soon as you left."

"I, um, I do apologize," Hermione added nervously, fidgeting with her hands.

"I'll forgive you then," Nikos accepted.

The first-year students were greeted by a giant of a man. A man Alessia assumed was Rubeus Hagrid judging from the letters Nikos had sent starting two years ago. The newcomers followed Hagrid down a steep and narrow path. Alessia recognized the thicket of trees to be the direction in which returning students went.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Alessia heard Hagrid call, "jus' round this bend here."

"Wow," Alessia breathed to herself.

She and the others took in the scene. The path had led to the edge of a great black lake. Atop the high mountain across the water before them was a vast castle whose windows sparkled and towers shone in the night sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called.

A fleet of boats dotted the edge of the water. Alessia followed a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails onto one of them. She didn't bother seeing who followed her. As they glided across the water, she had assumed she would feel excited or joyful or even hopeful. All she could think about was the fear of disappointing her family and failing to do anything worth mentioning to anyone from home. Her stomach were in knots and her lungs ached from the cold night air.

She didn't even remember how she got to the castle door.