I. Exposition (Dream Within A Dream)

"All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream."

-Edgar Allan Poe

It was raining; she could see the water pouring down out of the small bedroom window. It was always raining in her dreams. She watched the rain for a while, then grabbed her pyjamas and her notebook off her desk and stuffed them into a small tattered suitcase. Looking around and seeing nothing else of value, she shut the door to her room, turned off the lights, and crawled out the window. As she climbed down the trellis, she lost her footing and started to fall, dreading the moment she hit the ground. That moment never came, because now she was a bird, flying high in the sky. And then with a bang, she hit a window and fell to the ground dead.

Lilith Aislinn Potter sat up and screamed out of habit. Steadying herself, she listened to see if the Whitakers were awake. The Whitakers were Lilith's foster family and they were the busy type. This meant that if they were up, they'd be doing something "constructive." In Mrs. Whitaker's case, she would do laundry, mop, or make elaborate breakfasts. For Mr. Whitaker, the alternatives were mowing the lawn, barbecueing, and washing his car.

Lilith had not taken to the Whitakers. Their fussy habits greatly annoyed her, and after a short period of trying hard to be accepted by them, she had withdrawn. This was not unusual for her; she had not yet found a foster family that suited her, even after eight moves. The truth was, she was quite picky, defying the statement "beggars can't be choosers."

Lilith reached for her ratty notebook and flipped to the back, where she had written the meanings of some common dream symbolism. She ran her finger down the list until she found the symbols from her dream.

Window: Outlook on life, gain of major insight into your life.

Packing: preparing for significant change.

Falling: Anxiety or failure.

Bird: A dead or wounded bird is a warning of forthcoming worries.

Flying: The desire to break free of restrictions.

Lilith didn't need to look up the rain. She'd never had a dream without rain. It meant depressed feelings. Bloody rain. I'm not that depressed! Lilith thought angrily, kicking her bed as hard as she could and stubbing her toe.

Sighing and rubbing her foot tenderly, she turned back to the front and found a clean page to write her dream on before she forgot it. While she was writing, someone knocked on the front door.

Lilith looked suspiciously out of her window, but saw no one. Who would be calling this early?

She stood up, placed her cheap blue pen between her teeth, and went down the stairs. Lilith remembered just in time to jump over the creaky thirteenth step, but slipped anyway and landed on her back with a curse.

Still rubbing her aching back, Lilith opened the door nervously to find an old man with a long white beard and high-heeled boots.

"Ms. Potter!" said the man jovially. Lilith stared at him momentarily. Someone from the agency? Well, if he was, better put on her nicest face.

"I have come to deliver this letter to you." smiled the primeval gentleman, holding out an ancient-looking envelope. Lilith smiled politely before shutting the door.

She glanced down at the address. Ms. Lilith Potter, The Guest Bedroom, 13 Mañana Circle, Liverpool, England. That's a bit scary, she mused. These people know where I live.

Turning it over, Lilith saw a crest with four animals on it. Shrugging, she opened it with her vampire tooth.

Dear Ms. Potter,

I am 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.

You may receive more information by opening the front door.

Yours Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster

Lilith blinked. How could the letter say that about the front door? He'd written it before giving it to her, obviously. And Witchcraft and Wizardry? Hogwarts?! What kind of name was that?

Checking the crest once again to assure that there wasn't a pig on it, Lilith pulled out the equipment list.

Course books:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five by Miranda Goshawk

Advanced Potions, Book II by Albert Toogle

A Study on Muggle Defense Tactics by Srgt. John Croft

Signs (Delving into the Unconcious) by Rochelle Byatt

Advanced Transfiguration by Miranda Goshawk

365 Charms by Elena Nye

Please note that all students will need formal robes.

Obviously, this didn't clear anything up with Lilith, though the "Signs" book sounded interesting, if it wasn't one of those fuzzy tarot card things. So she had no other choice but to open the door.

"Tea?" said the elderly gentleman kindly, who now had a kettle in one hand, two cups in the other, and a tray on his head.

*

My only memory of dreams that night was the faded cover of a battered book. It was wet from the rain.

A/N: Comments please. Character still in development. And don't worry, there is more than one main character. Ooh, and vampire teeth are the ones on top next to your four front teeth. They sometimes stick out and are pointy.

Note: Both Lilith and Harry are somewhat named after their parents (Harry's middle name is James). However, Lilith's name is similiar to her mother's, but has a completely different origin and meaning. Lily is Latin; it means "blossoming flower." Lilith is Arabic; it means "of the night."

Mañana means tomorrow or sometime later in Spanish.