The next morning, she awoke, and for a moment she gazed at the motes dancing in the sunbeams across her bed before she remembered with a shock what had happened the night before. Could it all have really happened? Maybe. Something's telling me it did. She carefully climbed out of bed, trying not to wake Elaine, pulled some jeans on, and rushed downstairs. She went straight into the dining room, where Trelawney and Landry already sat.

"Good morning!" Landry said brightly, "And how are we feeling this morning, newest member of the world of witchcraft and wizardry?" So it is true.

"Shhh, Mr. Landry," Trelawney said in her foggy voice, "We are not sure if she can manage as a witch." There was a sudden clatter in the kitchen, causing the three of them to look in that direction. "Oh my." Trelawney said softly.

"What is it?" Nora asked, mystified, "Is Remus back?"

Trelawney blinked her bug eyes at Nora. "What? Oh, yes I do suppose he is. Mr. Landry, would you be kind enough to go help Professor Lupin with whatever he has gotten himself into?" Landry nodded, and left the room, clutching at his derby hat rather fearfully.

"What's going on?" Nora demanded. Trelawney blinked again.

"Going on? There's nothing going on that the planets and the moon can't tell us." Nora looked at her in astonishment.

"What kind of answer is that?"

Trelawney sighed. "Ah, I can see you are another one destined for the claws of Professor McGonagall. She's always looking for practical answers, and she calls Divination a rather 'uncertain' field. Well, she wasn't able to predict the rise and fall of You-Know-Who."

"You-Know-Who? What?" Nora asked, this time sitting down across from Trelawney. Trelawney widened her eyes dramatically. "The Dark Lord, the absolute epithemy of evil. About thirteen years ago, the Dark Lord, oh, I shudder to say the name, Lord Vol...Vol..Voldemort (There, now I am never saying it again.) had been at the height of his power. He and his followers were killing and torturing witches and wizards who stood against him, as well as hapless Muggles. Oh it was miserable, very miserable. The only wizard strong enough to stand against You-Know-Who is Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts, where I teach. Then, on All Hallow's Eve, You-Know-Who visited the house of James and Lily Potter, a very strong witch and wizard, and he killed them both. Then he tried to kill their one year-old son, Harry Potter, with a very powerful curse. For some unknown reason, the curse reflected off of poor Harry, and drained You-Know-Who of all his powers. Now he has disappeared. Some say he was killed. Others say that he has hidden away, and is biding his time until one of his followers that was not thrown into Azkaban, our most heavily guarded wizarding jail, comes to search for him, and raise him to power once more. I have had certain trances and premonitions that allow me to believe that the Dark Lord may once again rise." Trelawney broke off dramatically, and Nora found herself leaning forward listening intently.

"Is it true?" Nora asked, reclining back into her chair.

"Every word. Ah, here's breakfast." Instead of Remus, Landry walked in bearing their food.

"Where's Remus?" Nora was concerned.

Landry looked away, saying, "Oh he's not feeling so well, so I sent him upstairs for a lie in." He tried to smile reassuringly at Nora, but she could see the tenseness behind it. There's something they aren't telling me. I'll get them, don't worry, I'll find out what's going on.

She said nothing and started piling food on to her plate. Elaine wandered downstairs, yawning hugely and rubbing her eyes. "'Mornin'." She said sleepily

The other guests (wizards, they're wizards, Nora thought with excitement) walked in, both saying good morning to Nora with little smiles on their faces. Elaine noticed and looked at Nora quizzically. Nora shrugged, mouthing 'I'll tell you later.'

They ate breakfast in silence, with Elaine looking away as Nora poured ketchup on to her eggs.

Diggle broke the silence, asking, "When should we go shopping?"

Elaine looked up in surprise. "Oh, you are going shopping. That's nice." Landry and Figgs looked at each other.

"Well," Landry cautiously began, "Here's the thing. We are taking Nora shopping."

"You're taking Nora shopping?" Elaine asked looking more surprised than before. "Why?"

"It seems," Nora began, then stopped, took a deep breath, continuing, "It seems, Elaine, that I am a...a...a witch." Elaine looked at her hard for a second before breaking into laughter. The others glanced at each other as Nora tried to speak to Elaine. "Please, Elaine, this isn't funny. I broke a door last night, not even using my hands. And, oh come on, stop laughing, I saw that cauldron place that you weren't able to see." At these words, Elaine laughed harder, holding on to her sides.

"Teehee...This isn't...hoohoo...fair, Nora," She gasped, "Making me...hee hee...laugh so hard...ahooohoo...after...hoo...breakfast!" Nora looked to the others for help.

She saw Landry pull out his wand, and before she could say anything, "Silencio!" Elaine was immediately silenced. She reached up and touched her neck, looking panic-stricken at Nora.

Nora turned on them. "You...you...you had no right to do that to her!" She yelled. "Take it off. Now!" Landry shrugged and waved his wand. Elaine shrieked and ran from the room. Landry shrugged again.

"Just like any other Muggle. We may have to modify her memory."

"You are not doing anything to her memory!" Nora spat. "She's my friend, and I don't care if she is a Muggle. I'm probably a Muggle too, for all you know." Nora ran out of the room and up the stairs. She found Elaine stuffing clothes into her bag. "Elaine, no, please don't do this."

"Oh, and what, stay here and let you and your little friends play jokes on me, jokes that I'm not particularly fond of." Elaine shouted.

"That was no joke, Elaine." Nora said quietly. "That was for real. I really am a witch, or at least, they think so. This is the real thing."

"Sure, I believe you. Just make sure you write while you're with your loony friends here in England. I'm going home."

"How?"

Elaine stopped. "I don't know. I just want to get away from here. Everything's just so damn creepy. I'm frightened because I don't know what's happening to you, Nora." To Nora's horror, she burst into tears. Tentatively, Nora walked over to her and put her arm awkwardly around her shoulders.

"Elaine, I'm scared too. I don't know what's going on, or what will happen. But I think that I need to go along with the flow. I can't always run away from my problems, you know." Elaine nodded miserably.

"So does this mean you're going shopping with them?"

"Yes. I don't know what's going to happen, but I am willing to go into it. I've been thinking a long time about this. Do you want to come too?"

"No...no, I think I'll stay here and catch up on some reading."

"Are you sure?" Nora asked, and Elaine nodded. "All right, just, be here when we get back, okay? I don't want to find out that you've taken the next flight home." Elaine nodded again, and Nora smiled at her. "Thanks."

The six of them walked to the Leaky Cauldron. Nora felt a thrill of excitement as they passed through the doorway, as if she had already been here. It was just as small and dingy on the inside, but they didn't linger. Instead, they went out the back and into the small alleyway. Diggle started counting bricks above the trashcans, then took out his wand, and touched the tip of it to the brick.

Nora gasped in shock as the bricks seemed to swirl, then stretch apart to form an arched doorway. The four others smiled at each other and led Nora through the doorway, which instantly closed behind them. Landry grinned broadly at her, making a wide sweeping motion with his arm. "Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

Nora stared all about her. They were looking at a broad, sunny street, where there were hundreds of people, all wearing cloaks and robes of varying colors, and milling about various stores along the avenue. As they walked down the street, Nora wished she had another pair of eyes to take in everything going on around her. The stores themselves were amazing. There was a bookshop called Flourish and Blott's, with books on display that had moving pictures on their covers. Then there was a cauldron shop, with cauldrons of different sizes and made from all different kinds of materials. Some were large enough to fit a man inside, and others were only large enough to put a drop of liquid inside. There was a store with magical creatures sitting in the window, and one with all manners of sweets Nora had never even heard of, such as Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans (A risk with every mouthful!), and Pepper Imps (Trick your friends and watch them breathe smoke!). There was a joke shop, and a potions shop, a magical plants nursery, and a...

"You fly on brooms?" Nora asked incredulously.

"Oh yes!" Diggle gushed, "Brooms are wonderful for getting around. Not as fast as Apparating of course, but they do serve their purpose. Of course we do use them for Quidditch, the best sport in the wizarding world."

"Quidditch?"

"All in good time dear." Trelawney murmured. "First, we must stop by Gringott's to exchange your Muggle money." Trelawney pointed ahead, and Nora saw a snow white building towering above the small shops. They walked up the marble steps, and were bowed in by...

"Is that a goblin?" Nora whispered. Landry nodded. "Yes. Anyone would have to be mad to rob it then, wouldn't they?" Nora didn't know it that was true, and instead studied the goblin. He was a short, swarthy man, with a pointed goatee, and exceptionally long fingers. They walked inside to see a long counter, behind which perched about a hundred goblins. Landry led Nora to one that was not busy. While he spoke to the goblin, Nora watched the one next to him, who was carefully weighing emeralds the size of chicken eggs.

"Do you have money on you?" Landry asked. Nora handed him the hundred pounds she had with her, and he turned back to the goblin. In a few minutes he turned and handed her a leather pouch. She opened it to see what kind of money was contained inside. Landry led her away, helpfully pointing out the different coins to her. "The big gold ones are Galleons. The silver ones are Sickles, and it's seventeen Sickles to a Galleon. The small bronze ones are Knuts, and it's 23 knuts to a sickle. See? Easy to remember."

They left the Gringotts bank, and Nora felt a world of possibilities open up to her as the leather pouch dangled from a belt loop. She immediately wanted to go through every single shop there, but they steered her towards a side alley instead. "First stop is Mr. Ollivander's." Figgs explained.

Mr. Ollivander's turned out to be a rather small and unimpressive shop, with a cracked and peeling sign above the window, and in the window there was a single wand placed on a faded purple pillow. A small bell jangled as they entered, and Nora could sense a change in the atmosphere, an almost crackling sensation, like static electricity. She saw dozens of long boxes neatly piled behind the counter. Landry and Diggle sat in two spindly chairs, while Anna looked around in interest.

A soft voice at her shoulder made her jump. "Is there anything I can help you with?" A short man with huge misty eyes gazed up at her from behind thick spectacles. Trelawney spoke up for her. "Ah, Mr. Ollivander. Yes, we are seeking a wand for this young one. It seems she only just discovered her real self, and we knew that you would be the man to help her get started."

"Of course, I will be glad to help. Professor Trelawney, is it? I remember your wand, willow, and 12 inches, very swishy, with the hair from a male unicorn, as far as I can remember. Good for charms. Let's see here," Ollivander pulled out a long tape measure, "Which is your wand hand?"

"Um...I'm a lefty, so I guess...my left hand?" Nora stammered, unsure of what was going to happen.

"Very good, very good, just hold it out then." Nora complied and Ollivander set the tape along her left forearm. "Very well then." He said quickly and turned to the countless boxes, examining them carefully before pulling one down. "Here we go, a fine specimen of a wand...Stop now!" Nora started, only to realize the tape measure which had been measuring between her eyebrows dropped to the ground. "Here we go, 11 inches, ebony, rather stiff, with a dragon heartstring." Nora took the wand and looked at it. "Just raised it above your head, in a sweeping motion." Ollivander urged. Nora did so, only to have it snatched from her hand by Ollivander, who quickly selected another wand.

"13 inches, oak, phoenix feather." Ollivander handed her the second wand, which he took away before she even raised her hand halfway. He chose another wand, and another, until a pile of boxes rose from the floor. Nora was beginning to have doubts. What if I can't even find a wand for me? Maybe I'm really just a Muggle and this has all been for nothing. She picked up another wand, and felt a warm sensation flow through her arm as she lifted it, and blue sparks flew from the tip of it. Diggle clapped his hands in excitement, and Figgs murmured, "Bravo, bravo."

"Very good," Ollivander nodded in approvement, "12 inches, maple, with the single hair from a unicorn's tail. I think it will suit you, wands usually choose their owners, anyhow." Nora beamed around at them all, holding her wand carefully. She paid Mr. Ollivander 12 galleons and 10 sickles for the wand, and they left the shop, Ollivander bowing them out. As soon as they left the shop, Nora felt a lightness sweep through her. I'm a witch. I have a wand, I'm not a Muggle, and now I can do anything! Landry and Diggle congratulated her continuously, and Trelawney suggested their first stop to be an owlery, where Nora could buy her first pet.

"Owls are very good pets." Trelawney explained, "I know it sounds strange for me to be practical, but they don't shed, they're popular, and they are useful."

"Useful? How?" Nora asked, mystified.

"They are used for mail. You write a letter, attach it to their leg, and they deliver it to the receiver, wherever he or she may be. Most times they don't even need an address. We call it owl post." Landry said.

"Wonderful! I've never had a pet before." A sudden thought made her stop short. "Wait a minute. How am I going to tell my parents? How can I possibly explain this?" She hadn't thought about this before. How will they react when I tell them what I am? They'll probably laugh at me or ship me right off to an asylum.

"Send them a letter by owl post." Landry offered. Nora immediately squashed that idea.

"I don't know how much they would like that. I mean, they've never even seen an owl, much less one carrying a letter from their eldest daughter telling them she's a witch. Oh dear, I suppose I had better call them using the telephone." Nora remained pensive until they reached the owlery.

Inside she found herself lost among a ruffle of feathers and soft hooting, with an occasional jeweled eye blinking down at her. They left the owlery, Nora carrying a wicker cage, in which sat a snowy owl, his head tucked under his wing. Nora couldn't help but admire the beautiful bird, which she decided to name Ulysses.

The next stop was the robe shop, where Nora was fitted for some plain black robes. The seamstress next held out a length of rich cornflower blue cloth. Nora loved it instantly. "Can you make a dress out of this?"

"What did you have in mind, dearie?"

"Something long, flowing, not too much on top, and I'm seeing a transparent sash here and there. What do you think?" The seamstress smiled. "I think I have the perfect idea. Wait one minute, and I'll show you several different designs, and you can pick up the dress tomorrow."

Nora left with the robes she had been fitted into, and a receipt for the dress she would pick up the next day.

"Now, for your first book. Perhaps, Basic Spells, Level 1." Figgs offered. They walked into Flourish and Blott's, and Nora found herself having to concentrate very hard on not becoming distracted. It was no easy task, as her passion was books, and her eyes wandered continuously over to a large cage piled with books that kept snapping at each other. A smiling wizard walked up to them. "Welcome, welcome. It's good to see you Mr. Figgs and Mr. Landry, and my, my, Professor Trelawney! Come to pick up a book on foreshadows, or premonitions? How about you, Mr. Diggle? Can I interest you in our latest charms book?"

"As a matter of fact," Landry interrupted, "We need to pick up a Basic Spells book, if you wouldn't mind." The wizard smiled even more broadly. "Of course, of course!"

As the wizard went off in search of the Basic Spells book, Nora started looking at the different shelves of books. There were hundreds of them, on all manner of subjects. She somehow managed to walk into the section on Divination, and was staring at a huge blue book labeled Death Omens: How to be prepared. On the cover, there was a picture of a huge black dog that stared back at her with huge, emerald green eyes that blinked slowly.

Nora shuddered. Who would possibly want to know about their deaths? She had a feeling that Professor Trelawney would. The door jangled as it was pushed open, and a tall thin wizard and a young wizard walked in. They were both blonde, and had similarly pointed, pale faces. The older one had to be in his mid-forties, while the younger one was about 14 years old. They were apparently father and son, for another book shop wizard ran up to them, saying, "Mr. Malfoy! What an honor to have you here! Ah, young Draco! You both look very well!"

"Yes, yes." Said the elder, Mr. Malfoy, dismissively; "We just came to pick up some school books for my son."

"Oh, yes, of course." The wizard said brightly, "What can I do for you?" The young Draco pulled out a parchment of paper and handed it to the wizard. The beaming wizard's smile faded as he read the list. "Oh, dear. The Monster Book of Monsters." He looked fearfully at the cage of snapping books.

"Yes, I shall be running to do a few errands. Draco here will pay you for the books." With that, Malfoy turned and walked out. Draco waited; looking around the store with little interest as the wizard pulled on a pair of thick gloves and approached the large cage cautiously.

Nora watched the boy from between the shelves. She supposed that he attended the school Professor Trelawney taught at, what was it called? Oh yes, Hogwarts. Maybe she should ask.

She stepped out from behind the bookcase and approached Draco carefully.

"Excuse me." Draco looked up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion. Nora felt that this was probably not the best idea, but it was too late now. "Do you attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"Yes, I do." He said shortly. His voice had a drawling, lazy accent, and for some reason, Nora felt an instant disliking for the boy. She decided to press on. "Oh, are you in Hufflepuff by any chance?" Draco stared at her for a moment, a sneer spreading across his face.

"Hufflepuff? Am I in Hufflepuff?" He started laughing coldly. "I don't think so! That group of blunderers and oafs! I would be a disgrace to my name if I were put into that house. I'm a Slytherin, my whole family's been Slytherin."

"What is wrong with Hufflepuff?" Nora asked, trying to make her voice sound as cold as his laughter. He stopped laughing.

"Everyone knows that Hufflepuff is a bit of a joke. No first year would ever want to be sorted into that House. I mean, Hufflepuff never really did get a lot of glory, now did it? Even Gryffindor gets some respect, and they're a load of dunderheads. No, Slytherin is the House to be in."

Nora felt herself growing defensive for some odd reason. She knew nothing about Hogwarts, or its houses, or what went on there, but she felt a dislike of this pointy faced, pale, thin boy, whose smirk was implanted firmly on his face. She tried to keep control, and saying politely, "Possibly. Well, I suppose I'd better go get my books then. It was..." She paused to find the words, "It was nice to meet you, I suppose." Then she turned on her heel and left the smirking Draco Malfoy. Nora decided that if she did end up going to Hogwarts, she would be sure to avoid this obnoxious character.