The headmaster's room was warm, inviting, but unusual to one raised outside the wizarding world, perhaps most shocking were the pictures of pervious headmasters. Most were snoozing, others appeared to be alive and some were missing completely as if they'd gone elsewhere leaving a blank background behind. Another unusual oddity was the exotic, regal crimson bird perched near the Headmasters desk. The Headmaster himself had told his two visitors it was a phoenix named Fawkes.

None of this mattered to the petite redhead sitting silently in a large comfortable chair by the fire. She was thinking her own thoughts, lost in her recent turbulent past. She was so caught up in her own world she barely noticed the conversation taking place beside her, even though she was its main focus.

"I assure you Willow has expelled the Dark Magic she wielded. It was in fact the coven's idea for her to spend a few months here. They felt it would help her heal and introduce her to the wizarding world without it being too much of a shock. They expect her to return to them at the end of the term and remain with them over the summer before she is to return home," Rupert Giles, a dignified, slightly older man with spectacles, who had formally been a watcher of one of the longest lived slayer of all time explained to Headmaster Dumbledore.

Dumbledore, a wise, but certainly older man and wizard with half-moon shaped spectacles regarded Giles silently for a moment before speaking, "Mr. Giles I spoke at length with the coven and agree with them wholeheartedly. Miss Rosenberg you're extremely powerful. We, the other teachers and I, find it amazing that someone with your potential seemed to have been overlooked by our American counterpart."

Willow Rosenberg, the redhead seated by the fire, turned her gaze from that fire to regard the older wizard. In a voice that seemed distant, as though her focus was elsewhere she asked, "What's it called?"

"Jeroboam," Dumbledore replied kindly as he regarded her.

She thought a moment.

"I think I was, though I don't think I realized what it was at the time. Mom asked me once if I'd like to attend a special private school by that name. I told her I'd rather stay with Jesse and Xan..."her voice trailed off as a tear slid down her face. She turned back to the fire.

"Are you all right Willow?" Giles asked concerned.

Still distant she answered that she was fine and for them to decide her fate. Giles sighed watching her with a worried gaze before turning back to Professor Dumbledore.

Before he could speak there came a knock at the door and after being asked to enter Professor Snape stepped inside.

"Ahh, Professor Snape. Nice of you to join us," Professor Dumbledore greeted.

"Professor, Mr. Giles, Ms. Rosenberg," he greeted each in turn, "I have the results of Professor McGonagall's tests on Ms. Rosenberg. It appears that though by some standards she would be considered a first year she tested up to some fifth and sixth year standards."

All turned for Willow's reaction, but she gave none, only continued to stare into the fire. After only a brief moment Professor Snape made his way over to her, "It's nice to finally meet you, Ms. Rosenberg. I believe I speak for all the teachers when I express regrets for your loss."

A look of amazement entered her face as she turned her head upward to look at him. Tears glistened in her eyes. "You're the first since I came to England that has. Thank you Professor."

A brief smile seemed to play at his sharp features before he took her results written on a roll of parchment to Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall took the liberty of putting together a class schedule that should fit Ms. Rosenberg's needs. I understand this was somewhat difficult being that it's near the end of the year. There should be a supply list there as well."

"Excellent, that should save us some time. Now we just have to figure out where Ms. Rosenberg can settle in. We have several spare rooms of course."

"Might I make a suggestion?" Snape inquired.

Both Giles and Dumbledore looked at him questionably, Willow for her part continued to stare at the fire.

"Perhaps Ms. Rosenberg would feel more comfortable in a student dormitory. That way she's not isolated and the children would be there to raise her spirits, if they need raising or if they could for that matter be raised. May I further suggest the Gryffindor house, giving that we don't allow her to earn or lose points. It might help. Many of the students would assume she's a distant relative of the Weasley's. She certainly has the hair for it. We could than evade some questions. To further that rumor I have a suggestion as to whom could show her the grounds. With the proper introduction we might get a confession or two."

"Ahh, play a prank on the tricksters?" Dumbledore inquired his eyes twinkling in merriment.

"Precisely."

"Then it's decided if Ms. Rosenberg has no objections." All three turned once again for her reaction and once again she gave none.

"Then it's settled. Now the other Professors and I feel that Ms. Rosenberg staying here should fulfill your Watcher Council requirement for this decade."

Giles looked taken aback a moment, "She would fulfill our requirement? Your school wouldn't require another student till the next decade?"

At Dumbledore's affirmative Giles spoke in a warning tone, "They'll require more from you. They'll want one of your best, and they'll probably try to pull them from your school as soon as possible. I have the deepest respect for you Professor Dumbledore and I have to tell you the Council asked me to look over your first years."

"I don't doubt that they did and I have an idea of who should fill the requirement. She processes a brilliant mind and has an eager thirst for learning. In fact she was nominated for it by most of the teachers here including Snape who usually chooses to abstain. However the council can wait until she completed her seventh year. I understand if you'll want to meet Ms. Granger and introduce her to your world a bit, but the decision will ultimately be hers to make and we will not ask her to make that decision until her seventh year."

"Of course. I'll be careful with the Council and hopefully they'll leave her undisturbed, though if she's interested I would like to start her training. However I fail to see why your school shouldn't be entitled to another student from the Watcher Council's children."

"Quite simply put, we don't want another. The Council was at one point rather good to us when we requested a student from their ranks. It's difficult to come to a decision some times, you all seem to have a bit of magic in your veins. Yet one year a boy stood out. When we requested the young Mr. Wyndham-Pryce however his father became disgruntled. He wanted his son a watcher and not a wizard. He made sure he was put on the committee that decides which child is sent to us and has remained there ever since."

"Making sure we get nearly a muggle every time," Professor Snape grumbled.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed before continuing," Except of course for the last student we received."

"She's in Gryffindor, which is just as bad."

"And how is she?" Giles asked a smile beginning play at his features.

"Quite well in fact, she's currently a seventh year."

"I haven't seen her in some time. I'll have to visit her the next time I'm here," Giles responded, "Well, if everything settled then, we'll send Willow on her way."

"Professor Snape after Mister Giles has said his goodbye would you deliver Ms. Rosenberg to Hagrid? I believe he's expecting her."

Snape nodded.

Giles moved over to Willow sitting on his heals so as to be face to face with her. Her gaze turned from the fire to him. "I've got a few other errands to run, but I'll be back in a few weeks. Why don't you keep an eye on Ms. Granger, give me your assessment of her. Willow I know you've been through a lot, but try to enjoy yourself. I know I won't be here when you need me, but I expect you to owl me everyday."

"Owl?" she asked in the same distant voice.

"It's the way wizards write to one another. Faster than post actually."

She nodded, stood and followed Professor Snape out of the Headmasters office.

As the door shut behind them Giles spoke sadly, "She wasn't always like that. There use to be such life there. She loved learning."

"And she will learn here my friend. If anyone can put life back into her eyes it'll be the students at Hogworts."

Note:

Jeroboam is a bible name and I won't go into the whole story of it because I chose it for its meaning: May the people be great. I thought that would work for a school name.

As for the exchange program, whilst if might have been confusing in the writing I'm insinuating that every decade the Watcher's Council and Hogworts give each other a student to train. And yes I'm hinting that Wesley once had the chance to study at Hogworts, but of course his father got in the way.

Finally I understand if everyone is tired of these type of fic and wishes me not to continue. So if it's really awful and I'm murdering the characters I need to know so that I can stop now before creating anything further damage. Oh and so everything is less confusing we'll say that Harry's in fifth year and his big bad for the year has already been defeated.

Thanks.