When Phoebe got to the house, she hesitated. She was nervous. She crept around through the side gate and went all the way around to the back of the house. The house was pretty big. There were three levels above ground, and a basement.

There were six rooms (three on the top two levels,) four bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, two laundry rooms, and Mrs. Lordicane's room was on the main level. There were eleven kids at the house, so it was always pretty noisy, and there were often many arguments. Phoebe shared a room with Anista, who was thirteen, and very, very nice.

The only kid who didn't have to share a room was Andrew, he was seventeen and would be leaving when he turned eighteen. The youngest was Toby, he was just about one, and he shared a room with Riley, she was three. Then Lucy and Sophie, who are both five shared a room. Seven-year-old Ryan shares a room with the fourteen-year-old Zeke, Leah's eight and she shares with Marcy who is ten.

The house was always filled with laughter and screams and just noise, but when Phoebe walked the house, it was dead silent. Not a single sound echoed through the house. There weren't any running feet or crying. Not even the wash was going.

Phoebe hesitated before going farther into the kitchen because she saw that there was still jam on the floor and pieces of broken glass. She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where she found the feared Mrs. Lordicane.

Mrs. Lordicane was almost a foot taller than Phoebe and her light brown hair was pulled into a tight bun that was streaked with grey. To Phoebe, Mrs. Lordicane looked like a thin, overgrown rat. Her nose came to a point and her eyes were beady beneath her thick glasses.

For an older woman, she was extremely strict and a huge rule enforcer. Nobody really contradicted her unless of course you were an attendant of Mrs. Lordicane's Home for Children, which Phoebe was.

"Care to explain where you have been?" Mrs. Lordicane demanded stiffly.

"I was at Albus's house," Phoebe muttered. "Where is everyone?"

"That's beside the point. What did you do to the jam jar?" Mrs. Lordicane snapped.

"I don't know. I wanted it to explode, so it did," Phoebe shrugged.

"Yes, but how, you insolent child?"

"I told you! I don't know!"

"Yes you do and if you don't fess up within the next hour, you will be on toilet duty for the rest of the summer," Mrs. Lordicane announced and walked into her room. Phoebe groaned and slowly made her way over to the staircase on the left side of the room and made her way up to the top floor, down the hall, and into her room. When she opened the door, everyone was in there.

Marcy, Leah, Zeke, Ryan and Sophie all sat on Phoebe's bed, and Anista, Andrew, Lucy, Riley, and even Toby was sitting on Anista's bed. Phoebe stared at everyone as they turned to look at her in wonder.

"This came for you, Phoebe. I snatched it out of the mail before Mrs. Lordybutt could see," Anista told Phoebe holding out an envelope. Phoebe smiled when Anista called Mrs. Lordicane, Lordybutt. Everyone at the home did behind her back.

Phoebe stared at the envelope. It was addressed to her alright, it was right there in emerald green ink. It read:

Ms. P. Morelli

Room 5

Mrs. Lordicane's Home for Children

It even said the address! The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment. There was no stamp. Phoebe tuned the envelope over, her hand trembling. She saw a wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

Phoebe walked over an open spot on her bed next to Marcy and Leah and stared at her envelope. Just as she started to open the the envelope, the doorbell rang through the empty house. It echoed up the walls and clanged through the kids' eardrums.

Who was here? Who ever came here? But Phoebe jumped up from the bed, letter in hand and raced out of the room. She stopped at the top of the stairs where she could see the front door.

Zeke, Marcy, Anista and Andrew followed her and they all stared at the guest in the home. The man was taller than Mrs. Lordicane, his brown hair was neatly cut, he had several small scars on his face, and he looked thoroughly excited.

"I'm Professor Neville Longbottom, you must be Mrs. Lordicane!" The man, Prof. Longbottom, exclaimed as he shook Mrs. Lordicane's hand.

"Yes, what do you want?" Mrs. Lordicane sneered, obviously not liking the robes this man was wearing. Phoebe, on the other hand, thought they looked interesting.

"Well I'm looking for a Phoebe Morelli," He smiled. Phoebe's eyes grew wide and she could feel pairs of eyes looking at her.

"What do you want with her?" Mrs. Lordicane snapped.

"Well, I'll explain as soon as Phoebe is with us."

"Why do you want to talk to Phoebe?"

"I want to her to come to a school." Prof. Longbottom announced and Phoebe could have jumped for joy right then and there. Albus wasn't lying! There really was a Hogwarts!

"Let me go and get her," Mrs. Lordicane gave up. She turned around and made eye contact with Phoebe and beckoned her over. Phoebe stood up from her hiding spot behind the banister and made her way down the stairs.

She was adjusting her shabby shirt and worn out jeans as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Phoebe stared at the man and he smiled softly at her. They went outside, away from anyone else listening in and he began to talk.

"I'm Professor Longbottom and I teach Herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. See, Hogwarts is a school. A school of magic and only kids with magical abilities are accepted. I see you got your letter, go on. Open it!" He gestured to the envelope still in Phoebe's hand.

She broke the wax seal and started to unfold the letter. Inside it read:

Dear Ms. Morelli,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Phoebe simply stared at the letter. She was going to Hogwarts?

"Well, there you have it! We can up to Diagon Alley and buy all your school stuff!" Prof. Longbottom interrupted Phoebe's thoughts.

"So there really is a Hogwarts! He didn't lie to me," Phoebe breathed.

"Who didn't lie to you?" He asked.

"My friend, Albus Potter."

"Oh! You know the Potters?"

"Yeah, Albus is my best friend."

"What a small world."

"Do you know them?"

"Yeah, Ginny and Harry are some really good friends of mine."

"Cool."

"Yeah, now how about we go shop?" He suggested and with a word of approval, Phoebe and Prof. Longbottom set off to the Leaky Cauldron.