Chapter 1

Nova Unthank stood behind the defensive charm of the reservation, gazing out hesitantly across parent mountains with their snowy white peaks and their children of green rolling valleys before her. Tall, lush, green trees as far as the eye could see covered the land. Just another small step would take her past that invisible wall and reveal openings within the foliage, where enclosures and small villages were nestled.

She had magicked her trunk to about the size of a jewellery box and attached it to the end of her broom, which she held a little too tightly in one hand. It was a Firebolt. She had no need of such a fast broom, but whatever money she had left at the end of each month was spent on ways to make her life easier. The firebolt had taken some saving up for, but she was grateful for its speed and comfort. She reckoned if she was going to be flying longer distances, she might as well have been comfortable doing it.

Nova's other hand flexed open and closed. The skin on her bottom lip was stinging from the amount of biting it, her palms clammy under the fingerless riding gloves. The day was late, and a slow dusk was revealing a dimming of watercolours on the horizon as she scuffed one foot, then the other, against the stony earth of the valley bluff she'd landed on. Half of her actions were subconscious, natural and instinctive, and yet the other half was so over-thought and careful it was if she were tied between two worlds in her head. This see-sawing quality meant she was easily adaptable and quick to learn, changing her colours like a salamander, and there was an ease to her efficiency that belied her nervousness and meant she'd been a credit to her house. However, her endless flitting and ability to adapt was such that she had never landed on anything she had wanted to do, only what others saw in her. This hadn't changed much since her young years, and over time had developed so that every emotion was internalised first and worried over second. Not many people at school had known her truly because of that wall, and fewer still knew of the skills that had brought her to study at Hogwarts.

That was why she was here. Only now, now that You-Know-Who was officially declared returned and war imminent that she was able to make those gifts a priority in her life. Sure, she might have lied a little to the Ministry to get here, but what could you expect from a Slytherin? The Ministry was corrupt enough these days to worry about an employee of her rank jumping ship. The opportunity might not present itself again, and Nova had to be honest with herself. This might have been the last chance. To run. To live a life she deemed worthy.
And so, Nova Unthank was determined in spite of the fear. There was no going back. As she looked over the dusk covered valley, about to step across the border into a new life, it occurred to her that whatever would come, it was a damn sight better than her old job, that was for sure. Still, a feeling similar to nausea was threatening to creep up her throat. She swallowed it down, continuing to flex her hand subconsciously, and tightened the dark green scaled travel cloak around her neck.

Looking across to the setting sun, Nova was grateful she'd chosen to fly from the nearest town she'd apparated to. She could have apparated straight to the gates, but she needed the time and space flying allowed her to prepare. It was just a bonus that the view was beautiful; even if the breeze had been brisk on her skin, the sun had blessed her with its warmth. She was always calmer on her own. She cherished the last two hours of her isolation, before committing to close enclosures of humans and...It made her breath a little shallow. She was about to see, work, maybe even touch a dragon for the first time. Get yourself killed in doing so, maybe? She'd been begging for a transfer out of the Mysteries for years, and even though the Ministry didn't understand why she'd leave her position, she suspected they'd only allowed her to go so that they'd have an "inside woman" at the reservation, despite her not wanting to be a piece in their game of wizards chess.
There had been whispers around the department for years about what had been going on at Hogwarts, but now Fudge finally admitting that He was indeed back, only meant his desire for the reigns to be tightened, and for Cornelius the Sanctuary was just another weapon Dumbledore would try to use. Nova sighed to herself. She had no desire to become a spy for Fudge. Nova hadn't refused, but neither did she have to tell them anything.

Nova made as if to start, but her body didn't move from the spot. The growing worry that she would fail made her breath short and her chest tight, but the desire to achieve more than other peoples' bidding at the Ministry was more motivation than she'd ever needed. She didn't want to go back, but moving forwards was terrifying. She readied herself, chewing her lip, her face hardening. Just one step through, and into somewhere completely different. To somewhere she could breath. Maybe even sit out the war. Maybe make a difference.
At that very moment, her thoughts raced back to a moment of different first step.

It gave her courage.
When everything was made different.

I can do this.

'Ow,'

A small, auburn haired girl was being jostled to and fro on the space between platform 9 and platform 10, holding herself against indifferent Londoners. Busy commuters rushed past, her parents standing behind her, arguing in mutters as if she couldn't hear them.

'I told you, it's all a big joke. This isn't right. I told you-'

"Carla if you don't be quiet right now, I swear to Jesus-"

"I swear to Jesus to myself, if this is just a big prank it's going to break her heart!" her Mum whispered behind her. Nova felt a heavy hand squeeze her shoulder. There was an interesting feeling in her stomach, one she hadn't felt before. It made her want to cry, vomit, and leap with excitement at the same time. It was like calmness and worry were fighting each other for first place. The weight of her Dad's hand on her shoulder made her feel safe though, until the prospect of leaving them both for four months made her want to turn and run away and chalk it all down to a joke, just like her Mum said. It would hurt, but it would certainly be the easier option.
But what if it wasn't? What if this place, Hogwarts, was real?

"Let's just wait a few more minutes before we ask someone…Maybe somebody will find us."

Another squeeze.

Nova's eyes darted around, looking for a sign, any sign at all. Her parents, in an attempt to be cautious, hadn't bought her any of the school things that they were told to on the letter. It was if by complying it would make it less real somehow. They tried visiting the place, Diagon Alley, but ended up confused and shouting at each other when their directions landed them outside an abandoned tavern. They had gone home, not wanting to ask for fear of sounding "completely mental." Her Dad had tried again, convinced they'd gotten it wrong. Said he had a feeling. Had taken her on a second secret outing, but still to no avail. He had tried to hide his frustration in order to spare her feelings, but Nova had been so disappointed she had cried herself to sleep for seven whole nights. She couldn't bear the not knowing, so it was all she could do to convince them to take her to the station, just to see.

So what if it was real? It had to be. The things on the letter…on both of them! This man, the Headmaster Dumbledore, he knew things about her that only her close family did. Her way with animals, the way things moved on their own when she looked at them, the way she knew what people were thinking sometimes…The time she had seemed to read her uncle's mind, in front of everyone, and explained that, 'no, he didn't like Aunt Billie's fruitcake better than Carla's, it was as dry as their sex life.' She could still remember the confusion, the look of horror on Uncle Victor's face, on everyone else's face. Her Dad had barked a laugh, crumbs of said fruitcake flying out of his mouth like miniature torpedoes.

So it had to be true. She was still young enough that the idea of magic seemed entirely plausible. Her parents had argued about the things they'd seen their daughter do too, her Dad firmly believing she was special, and her Mum worried she'd be bullied for it. Then the letter came. It was like a confirmation of everything she'd felt. And so here they were. Just to see.

"Dad?" she asked with keen but quiet, melodic voice.

"Yes sparky?" he replied, his head bending round to her level. He'd called her that after she started displaying the uncanny ability to turn the lights off when she was in any heightened mood, which was becoming more frequent as she'd gotten older.

"If it is true, if the letter was right…All the things I'd need…I don't have anything!" she panicked, causing a little movement from inside her backpack. She'd brought one just in case filled with her favourite clothes, a drawing pad, a toothbrush (Did they have toothpaste in the wizarding world? Or did they have some kind of spell?) and in the front section curled among bags of raw vegetables, her pet Ferret, Polar. She'd called him that because he was snow white and reminded her of the bear. He didn't mind anyway, he seemed quite fond of being named after a large carnivore. She'd rescued him as a baby from their garden as he'd quivered from a murder of crows, and guessed that the honour of being called a bears name was a rather important one in the animal world.

"All you truly need is what's in here,' he replied as her Mum sighed behind her, his finger pointing to her head. "You've done so many amazing things! Even if you don't have a- a wand, just yet anyway, we'll figure it out. There's nothing that we can't fix. And even if this is all a silly joke from your Uncle, that doesn't change anything. All your power is in here, don't forget that."

Nova smiled up at her Dad, just as an interested noise of approval come immediately from her left, causing her to squeak a little. Before her stood an elderly man with a green velvet jacket and matching trousers, black and white pinstriped shoes, and what looked like a crocodile overcoat with a matching velvet bowler hat. He was the most ridiculous, fun looking Grandpa she'd ever seen. Her eyes must have given her away, because as she looked on in wonder he did a small bow, causing her to blush and look elsewhere. She noticed he was carrying a black cane embossed with silver vines and owls, and behind him a dark haired, grumpy looking young girl about her age lingered, pulling a big trunk with an all black owl sitting in a cage on top.

"Dad! Look!" she exclaimed, punching him in the side. She gawped up at her parents' faces, which were hanging with their mouths slightly open. Probably his suit, Nova thought with a small smile, but she couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful owl.

"Good morning! You look like a non-wizarding family, if you don't mind my saying so?" At this, the old man subtly pulled the silver owl head top of his cane up slightly to reveal a straight, black wand attached. "Do you need some assistance?" the old man asked, now resting slightly on his walking stick. Nova's eyes darted at the ground as she looked at the girl again who was smirking. When Nova didn't reply, her Dad did it for her. He was her defender, her guardian, her constant encouragement. With each moment though, the magical reality was dawning on her, and she was terrified. Her Mum, who was really just like her- anxious, shy, not great with others (although she must have learned with age how to interact on a socially superficial level)- must have been too shell-shocked to speak.

Nova could hear the grin in her Dad's voice as he confirmed that, yes, they were non-wizarding, and they had no clue how to find this Platform 9 and 3/4. Nova continued to stare at the floor, every now and again choosing to look at the girls owl, which looked at her intently with hooded eyes. Well, it was daylight after all. He must be exhausted, with all this noise going on around him. While the old man introduced himself as 'Critellus Blackjoy, a pleasure. This is my granddaughter, Nigella, you're both first years…'
Nova only listened slightly as she edged slowly toward the owl, offering a very small, almost imperceptible smile of permission at the girl who watched her curiously before nodding. She reached her finger out to the owl as Nigella warned her, "He likes to bite people-"
Well, Nova knew he would. Sometimes animals had to test whether they could trust the other living thing, and usually that meant they'd lash out in defense first. She had enough bites on her fingers to have learned that. But when he did eventually nip her, as Nigella tutted, the rest of them quietened as Nova remained completely still, even as a droplet of blood spilled from her finger. She didn't scream or pull back, even though it hurt a little. The owl twisted its neck curiously at her, before edging closer and allowing her to stroke him through the bars of his cage. Nigella stood open mouthed and spoke resentfully. "He's never, ever let anyone stroke him like that, apart from me and Grandpa!"

Nova looked up, beaming that she'd made a new friend in the owl, and then looked at Nigella, which diffused her excitement and sucked her finger, casting her eyes down again at her trainers and standing before her parents.

Once Critellus had taught them how to enter the platform, he left them to it to experience on their own, after showing them how to run into the barrier, of course. He warned they'd have until five minutes to eleven, but since they'd arrived in good time, 'as all well prepared folk often do,' they had plenty of time to enjoy it. The irony that they were the least prepared of all those in the station was not lost on her parents, but they smiled on again regardless.

She gazed at the barrier, looking nervously at Nigella before looking out at the other trains, and then watching their backs disappear into the brickwork. Her Mum gasped behind her.

"This is so cool!" she squealed once they were alone again. Her Dad looked down at her with tears in his eyes.

"All my young years, I'd wished I was special. Used to stare at rocks wishing they'd move. I knew I was good for something but it wasn't this. I was good for one thing though, and that was raising you." He grasped Nova by the shoulders, who looked up tearily at her Mother, who was also trying hard not to cry. She bolstered herself against her tears with the courage of her small family as her Dad made the first move. "Shall we do this, then?"

Nova nodded with a grin, grasping the straps of her backpack, which rumbled slightly before a white face poked forcefully out of the zippered front pouch. It climbed up the bag and circled around her neck, resting to face forward with her. It nuzzled her chin gently, comfortingly, sensing her infusion of worry and excitement. Her left hand flexed open, closed, open and closed, before she spoke softly. "Okay, Polar, let's see if we can do this."

The exhilarating rush of walking through a solid brick wall was unlike any other; one minute she was surrounded by the smoke and smog of engines and hollering people, and the next, standing amidst a cataclysm of owl hoots, meowing cats, children her age shouting and laughing, all looking the same mixture of excitement and fear. Some were crying, some were jumping straight on the train. The smell of engine smoke billowing from the front and into the platform hit her full in the face as the sight of trolleys piled high with towering trunks and cages in front of the train.
Oh, the train. It sat majestically in the platform, embossed with gold and seeming to glow a dark red. The doors were slid open and welcoming the students onboard. There was no doubt at all now that it was real. She wandered forward, before hearing a whoosh and her parents exclaiming, "Jesus bloody Christ!" She turned to face them with an enormous grin. She laughed before catching the eye of a bright eyed boy with a widish nose and messy red hair looking at her curiously, surrounded by other red haired children, most of them younger and tugging at his clothes. Her face snapped back to a stony impasse as she turned away and back to her parents.

"But, my things? What should we do?" Her face dropped. The realisation sunk in. All these other kids she saw, some of them had long cloak like dresses on, what she assumed to be the robes she was supposed to have…They had pets, trunks, probably filled with all their books they'd need for learning. And they had wands. One girl with electric blue hair was swishing hers about wildly and causing sparks to fly, her parents chastising her and telling her to put it away before she broke it. One of the parents looked a little out of place, like her own, while her Mother seemed very at ease. The girl laughed at Nova, who blushed, unable to not smile back.
It was magic.

There was a loud hoot from behind her that made her turn her head. Atop the carriage facing her was a barn owl, twisting its neck at her with a package in its feet and a letter in its beak. It looked a little tired, almost a little fed up, but held the package as if it weighed nothing at all. It flew toward her, dropping its bundle at her feet and landing on her shoulder, much to her Mum's scandalised cries and her Dad's bark of laughter. It dropped the letter into her hands, nudged her face and hooted fiercely at Polar, who, upon seeing the incoming bird took refuge in the hood of her sweater and hissed from within it. The owl then promptly spread its magnificent wings and took off down the platform and into the open air.
Unfolding the old looking paper (it certainly wasn't bought at Stationary Box, that she was certain of), she broke a seal that had been on that first letter of acceptance, and read the words that were scrawled across the page.

Miss Unthank,

I am so glad you and your parents decided to see if I wasn't joking. I am rather fond of jokes myself. I am, however, thoroughly delighted to inform you that this world and our school is indeed real, and so I welcome to the other side! Upon hearing that you had not made it to Diagon Alley, I suspected that we at Hogwarts had neglected to give you the proper information as to how to access our infamous street, although I do say it bears no majesty to Oxford Circus. Truly magical, as I'm sure you'll agree.

Anyhow, I apologise wholeheartedly for our oversight. But please do not fret! We have arranged all of your books in a trunk onboard, and one of my owls will have delivered your robes to you with this letter. Consider these things a gift, if you will, to celebrate the start of this wonderful adventure. Yourself and Polar will be joined with everything in your dormitory after Sorting.

I truly look forward to making his acquaintance. I expect he doesn't like sherbet lemons, but I think I will have some carrots lying around. One should never be too far from fresh vegetables.

As for your wand, you can borrow one until you are at leisure to meet your own. This is a very special experience for any young witch or wizard, and I would recommend you do this as soon as you and your family are able.

Enjoy your journey, Miss Unthank. Ah, if only I could do it for the first time all over again!

Yours faithfully,

Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Nova could barely contain herself. Shoving the letter into her parents hands, she ripped open the brown paper package to reveal long black robes with a Hogwarts emblem and a little pointy hat. Polar re-emerged from her hood as the coast became clear, reaching forward to sniff the robes and circle her neck once more. "No hat for you, Polar, but a big hood for you to hide in," she said quietly, scratching the top of his head.

She looked up and found the red haired boy looking at her again, although he seemed to be looking more at Polar than at her, which was a relief of sorts. Her parents were both smiling when she looked back at them, but both had tears careening down their cheeks. Her Dad was doing his best to contain it but failed miserably.

"I wish we knew someone here, so you weren't alone," her Mum said quietly, wiping away tears on Nova's face that she only just realised were on her cheeks. Her Dad nudged Carla with an elbow, seeing his daughters face fall.

"Don't worry, sparks. Look at all these kids, they're all in the same boat. Looks like nobody really knows each other. Plenty of friends to make," he smiled, crouching down on the floor, "And you know, they're all like you. That man there, well, he looks like one of us. A muggle," Jack looked slightly uncertain as he said the word, but so sincere it might have made Nova cry all over again. "Maybe you could talk to their daughter?"

He nodded over to where the girl with the blue hair-wait, it was red now! Nova blinked to confirm that it was the same girl, but her hair had changed colour. How was that possible? The girls Father was ringing a hat in his hands while her Mother laughed at him. Before Nova knew it the girl had crashed into her in half a dance and half tumble.. "Be careful, Nymphadora!"

The girl had bright, mischievous eyes, and they too seemed to change colour in the light. She cast a dark look at her Mother, sighing, "Mum, please can you not call me that! It's so embarrassing!"

Nymphadora kicked the floor while her parents introduced themselves to hers.

"I think-uh, I think that's a cool name, actually," Nova said quietly, her face burning. The girl with the short red hair looked comically at her. Something about this girl frightened her less than Nigella. She was so open and confident and her attitude was infectious; she grinned at Nova.

"Thanks, but you can call me Tonks. I prefer it, anyway! What's your name?" she asked, staring at her with alert eyes.

"Nova Unthank," she replied, more confident than she'd been all day. She got a strong feeling of kindness from Tonks. It made her feel brighter, like bright light through a church window pane, and a little less anxious about leaving her parents behind. She trusted her instinct without understanding it. Tonks seemed unconcerned with being embarrassed, and that strengthened her a little, as though she didn't have to worry with her. Nova had a feeling she'd have to do a lot of that; telling herself to be brave. She didn't see the point in being anything else now, not when she had no idea what the future held. It was the only way forward that she could see.

Tonks' eyes widened at the sound of her name, smiling broadly. "Now that is a cool name! Nova Unthank, huh. Very witchy! So what house are you hoping to be in?"

House? She hadn't thought about houses. She didn't know about any o f them, only that there were four, and she'd be sorted into one with some kind of hat. It was all very bizarre. She felt sick again at how unprepared she was, but when she explained this to Tonks, the girl put her arm around her,"Would you like to sit with me?", and promised to explain everything on the train. Her own Father was a muggle, so she understood a thing or two about how it was to grow up between worlds.

Before she knew it, Nova was standing inside the carriage of the train, tears choking her as she said goodbye to her parents. She didn't want them to see her cry. She knew if they did, they would worry. Of course, she knew she'd see them again; even if she didn't miss them at all, it was only a few months until Christmas.

Even so, it was hard to leave them. Now it was just her.
They promised to write, calling to enjoy herself. Her Dad shouted, "I'm so proud of you!" to many a bemused and sympathetic face on back on the platform. As the train started to pull off, Tonks waved madly at her own family and without further adieu pulled Nova into the crowded corridor of the train without giving her a chance to think. Nova wasn't half looking forward to seeing the school, but she couldn't imagine a life without her parents around. Being-she had to admit it now- magical, made her seem strange to others, she was used to always playing on her own. She was quite happy to, if she was honest. But maybe this time, this time it would be different? The anxiety she once felt about being teased was now transforming into something like pride. Thoughts ricocheted off the walls of her brain just like she bounced off the sides of the carriage, but she held her robes tightly in her hands, Polar sternly and reassuringly looking out and made small hissing noises at anyone that got too close. She'd been so in her head that she didn't notice a different girl smiling brightly back at her, with small blue eyes and black hair.
"Sorry, um, hi, but...where did Tonks go?"

The girl laughed. It was the same laugh, just like Tonks'. Nova must have looked confused.

"I should explain," the girl started, her features changing like water changing the paint on a canvas, back to the pixie-ish ones Nova had just met back in the station. "I'm a metamorphmagus. It's in the family. I can change my appearance, kinda like a chameleon, you know? Those lizards?" Tonks continued to lead her down the passage, Nova trying to accumulate everything she was learning without going into shock. "Well anyway, I'm getting better at controlling it, but Mum tells me I'll keep reflecting my emotions until I do, but I can't! It's too exciting!"

Tonks continued to chirp bits of information over her shoulder at Nova, all the while leading them through crowds of students of different ages who all seemed to glance at the little muggle and her backpack with the ferret round her neck. Nova avoided their eye contact by looking inside a compartment. Two red haired boys were sat amongst a few other students, one of which looked slightly older than the other, a little more handsome with a confidence that made Nova blush. The eldest smiled confidently, making her look sideways at the younger of the two. He was the same boy from the platform, and he looked a little overwhelmed by the company. Nevertheless he beamed at her, or rather at her neck again.

"What are you lot looking at?" Tonks reared belligerently to the students in the corridor. Nova stood quietly and darkly behind her shoulder. "You never seen a witch before?"

Hair turning back to a fiery red, Tonks walked through a gap the students had made as they laughed a little in surprise, doffing imaginary caps to the bold first year and smiling broadly at her quiet new friend.