Year 1: A New Beginning

Authors' Note: I'd like to thank every one who reviewed and scold anyone who didn't please review my story thank you. Also the next two chapters are going to be a bit shorter but the fourth will be longer.

CH.2 The real her, Anew world

"Head master what are we going to do now?" hissed Severus Snape as he held a limp Annie Potter in his arms. Having passed out just moments before when her true self was revealed to her. Annie was ivory skinned with jet black hair that fell in waves to her waist and had bright blue eyes. "Don't you think it'd be a little odd carrying an unconscious girl out of the principal's office that looks all but nothing like the girl who came in?"

"Nonsense Severus" his companion Albus Dumbledore replied, "We'll simply revive her surely you could have thought of an easy solution as that." He smiled, his eyes twinkling over his rimmed glasses.

Snape 'simply' scowled at him as he bent to dump his load on the floor. Annie hit the floor with a thunk and Dumbledore scowled at him. Snape merely shrugged and backed up so Dumbledore could have easier access to her.

Dumbledore bent down and pointed his wand at the center of Annie's' chest. "Innervate" he said quietly. Annie's' chest shone for a second before she stirred, then she sat up abruptly.

"What happened?" she mumbled.

"You passed out," Severus snarled.

"No I didn't." she said resoundly.

"Yes you d-"

"NO I didn't." she repeated and stood. "I never pass out." She continued firmly.

Snape rolled his eyes for the thousandth time that day. "Annie we're going to take you to Hogwarts now, we need to go to your house so you can collect your belongings and such but we need to do this quickly."

Annie nodded, she'd come to the conclusion that they weren't kidding about all of this, and then frowned. "Will I be able to say good-bye to any one or even be allowed to tell them where I'll be?" she asked.

Dumbledore sighed, "You see we don't want muggles-non magic people- to know. I suppose you could tell one or two trustworthy friends as long as they understand no one but they can know." He paused and she nodded for him to continue. "The remainder of your peers will be told you are just attending a boarding school in England."

"Why in England?" she asked puzzled.

"It's closest to the truth because that's where Hogwarts is you know." He replied.

"Hogwarts is in England, it'll take us until tomorrow to get there, won't it?"

"No we are traveling by portkey into the school grounds, a portkey is a magical device used for travel." He added at the look on her face.

Snape opened the door to the office and turned to step outside but stopped and found Annie's friends Jacob and Alexa sprawled out on the floor at his feet. They had obviously been snooping. Snape looked them over with disgust and dragged them both up by their collars. "How much did you hear?" he whispered, then dropped them.

Jacob trembled but didn't say anything and left it to Alexa to do the talking. 'Wimp.' In which she did with astonishing calmness.

"All of it." She said and glared right back at Snape.

"Do you realize the trouble you just created for us?" He roared and Alexa just shook her head no. Snape raised his arm to wipe their memories when Annie stepped up and grabbed his arm forcing it down.

"Stop it! Don't do anything to them; they were the ones I was going to tell anyway. It's not a big deal!" She yelled at him before Dumbledore stepped in and separated the four of them.

"Severus, Annie enough," he said. They both shut their mouths simultaneously but, continued to glare at one another. "I trust you two heard the part about being able to keep this a secret; I must stress my point on no one must know." He said turning to Jacob and Alexa.

"Sir um Dumbledore, is Annie really going to live in England?" She stammered glancing form her to Annie.

"I'm afraid so my dear, but don't fret I'm sure she'll write." Dumbledore said smiling.

"Of course I will Lex, oh and I write to you too Jacob, how could I not?" she said reassuring them. Alexa smiled and hugged her; Jacob hugged her timidly and laughed nervously.

"I never knew witches and magic were real." He said speaking for the first time. Jacob then looked her up and down and smiled. "I suppose I have to believe it now."

"Head master we need to be leaving soon." Cut in Snape ruining the moment. Annie just groaned before walking out of the room with her friends, while Dumbledore nodded and turned to follow them. The five of them walked down the silent corridors and passed all of the muffled classrooms. 'Oh my god, I'm never going to see this place again, I'm really leaving. I'm leaving everything behind that Krystal was.' Until they reached the front door the three 11 year olds had a tearful but brief goodbye.

"Now I want you two to go on to class and remember don't tell anyone." Dumbledore said and they turned to leave.

"I'll write when we get to England, good-bye!" Yelled Annie at their retreating backs. She stood their looking at the place where her best friends had been for a few minutes then turned her back on her old school and followed Dumbledore out of the double-doors and into the streets below.

A half an hour later and after much bickering and arguing coming from Severus and Annie they stood in Annie's former room. Their trunks surrounded them. Except for her sixth one which Severus was lugging into the room with much grunting. Dumbledore was down stairs having a cup of tea before they returned to England. 'How in the world anyone who's in their right mind could want a cup of hot tea when it's 87 degrees outside is beyond me.' She thought to herself.

Snape set her last trunk next to the others with a thunk and sighed Annie smiled and said in her sweetest voice, "Not having any trouble now are we Severus?"

He spun around and glared at her, the air around him all but crackled menacingly. "First off you are to refer to me as "Professor Snape" or at the very least "Snape" unless given express permission to use my given name in which you'll never have," he added in a sneer before continuing. "Second, as I am to be your teacher you will drop the cocky attitude and use some respect so that at least the remainder of the time I spend with you won't be pure misery and just unpleasant." He finished with another sneer and went to turn around but was stopped by Annie's hand on his arm.

"All right Professor Snape but that's the funny thing about respect. You have to give some to receive it in return. Since I first met you the only judgment I've gotten of you is that you're an arrogant asshole towards me and I haven't done a damn thing so I'm obviously not the only one who need's to drop their attitude. If you agree to try and act courteous towards me I'll do likewise and we'll both be happier." She said pointedly.

"I'm your elder that's not how things are done," he drawled. "Besides children should be seen and not heard," Snape said smiling nastily.

"Well then it's a good thing I'm not a child damnit, I don't care how you Brit's do things or how you do things but out here everyone has an opinion regardless their age." She said her voice rising as she continued. "If you agree to act civil towards me then I won't make your life a living hell which I would do without hesitation." She added with a very UN lady- like snarl.

Snape opened his mouth, paused, looked from the door back to her, and then finally muttered his agreement before turning his back on her. Annie turned around to see what had held Snape's attention to find Dumbledore standing their with the signature twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Annie liked him a lot already; he was nice and always seemed eager to experience life. Annie smiled sheepishly when he walked in and surveyed her six trunks.

"You seem to own...a lot." He said, laughing while in the process of doing so.

"Ye, but, it's mostly books, music, and clothes- professor." She said, calling people professor was something she'd have to get used to.

"Alright then Severus are you ready?" he asked, Snape nodded and put all the trunks close together next to him. "Right well I'll need both of you to put a hand on this," he held out a small and very old shoe then looked at a watch like thing in his pocket. Snape and Annie both moved closer and put their hands on the shoe. "And, three, two, one..."

As soon as Dumbledore said 'one' Annie began to feel like a hook was propelling her forward just from behind her navel. Everything was a blur of colors and shapes yet she could feel the presence of the others near her. Then the sensation stopped at a dead halt and Annie fell to the ground her head spinning.

"Well that was a fairly un-pleasant trip," she grumbled clambering to her feet.

"Yes, well it couldn't be avoided," Dumbledore said helping her up. "My dear welcome to Hogwarts." He said gesturing around him.

Annie gasped as she finally took in everything around her "It's beautiful," she breathed. There were green rolling hulls with a crystal blue lake nestled in between them, a dark majestic forests to the left that held a light mist in them an amongst it al a towering castle. It truly was a separate world.

Quick note: sorry for not finishing sooner. Review and I'll move faster.