'Italicized words with single quotation marks indicate thoughts.'

Chapter 6

Ms. Kitty, a large brown and white tabby, stretched languidly across Willow's lap as she gazed out the train window watching the landscape zipped by. Acres of forest, cow pastures, and an occasional cottage flew by as the train made it way to Hogwarts. The spell book that Willow was studying just a moment ago lay opened and forgotten on the seat beside her. Snape sat quietly across from her reading a large unmarked black book, in which Willow could only guess contained formulas for the most complicated potions. Willow was finally on her way to school and she was scared. Once all the excitement of travel and getting her supplies had died down the ideal that she was in another country-well another world actually-on her way to a new school was beginning to sink in.

In the quiet of the train compartment Willow finally had time to contemplate the strange turn her life had gone. Less than twenty-four hours ago Willow had left her normal life in Sunnydale with her friends to learn how to become a 'real' witch. Willow mentally snorted at her ideal of normal as if the Hellmouth and slaying demons night after night was normal. But just when she thought her life couldn't get any weirder she found out that she was a natural born witch.

Willow had told herself that the decision to leave was a wise one and by learning magic she would be able to help Buffy. Her failure to ensoul Angel in time to save his life never did sit well with her and it was heavy blow to her conscience. Willow was convinced that if she had proper training none of this would ever happen. The way she saw it, it was her inadequacies as a witch that had failed to save Angel in the end; and she was determine to see that nothing like that would ever happen again. Those reasons did play a part in her decision to leave but the real reason was slightly selfish and Willow was beginning to feel guilty about abandoning her friends. The truth was Willow needed to get away. Her break up with Oz had hurt her more than her friends had realized. His rejection had cut her deeply and Willow needed some sort of an escape from the feelings of failure and inadequacy.

Willow tore her gaze from window and focused her attention on the wizard in front of her. Snape was definitely an intimidating looking man with his hard face, black hair, black eyes and black robes. But no more than anything she had encounter on the Hellmouth. He was a lot like Giles and Angel. There was definitely something dark about him she could see it in his eyes. He had the look of a man who seen and done some terrible things in his life and had later come to regret it. He had the look of a man looking to redeemed himself.

But despite it all Willow found herself genuine liking the man and at some level even admired him. Sure he was dark and kind of mean, but what else would you expect from someone with a checkered past. Snape didn't care what other people thought of him and he did what he thought was necessary despite the personal cost. Sometimes Willow wished she didn't worry so much about how people thought of her that she didn't always have play the role that people had resigned her to. She wished that she didn't always had to be the good little girl, the perfect student, the responsible one or the sweet one. Sometimes she just wanted to be Willow without all the stipulations. She wished she was free to cry, to yell and to rage against the world, like she had wanted to do so many times before. She wished she was free to act and say what she wanted without having to analyze every single move she made for fear of doing the wrong thing. Maybe that was another reason why Willow had left Sunnydale to start her life anew and be free to be just Willow, whoever that person maybe.

By the time they reached Hogwarts train station the sun had already set and the night sky was filled with bright twinkling stars. Willow shuttered as the cool crisp air touched her bare cheek causing her to flush. Willow hugged her school robes closer to her body in attempt to stay warm.

A very large man with a scruffy long hair and matching beard, thick eye brows and a brown tweed jacket approached them. His size alone would have made the man appear intimidating if it wasn't for his kind eyes and gentle smile that seemed to soften his features.

"Hullo Professor Snape. I hoped yur trip went well," greeted the half giant.

Snape inclined his head in greeting. "It was satisfactory. Why are you here Hagrid?" asked Snape bluntly.

"The Headmaster would like a word with you in his office while I'll escort Miss Rosenberg to the castle," answered Hagrid.

"Well Ms. Rosenberg it seems that I must take my leave."

"You're leaving me?! W…will I see you again?" asked Willow in near panic. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to part with her traveling companion just yet. They had reached some sort of understanding and Snape constant presence was somewhat a comfort to her. 'But of course the professor was a busy man and he probably have better things to do than to play nursemaid to a little girl,' thought Willow contritely.

Snape's stern features soften just a little as he looked down at the nervous girl; and once again he had the odd desire to comfort the girl. "Not for long and I'm sure we will see each other soon," said Snape reassuredly before he took his leave.

"Er…well we better get going then," stuttered the half giant. Hagrid was slightly taken aback by the Snape's behavior. Sure the professor was a good man but his manners had a lot to be desired. Hagrid had never seen Snape warm up to anyone. It was almost as if he was trying to comfort the girl.

Hagrid, who took an immediate liking to shy redhead, choose to take Willow across the lake so that she could have the full experience of arriving at Hogwarts for the first time. The castle loomed majestically on top of the cliffs as the stars hung like tiny sparkling diamonds in the sky. The lake mirrored the starry night sky giving the illusion that they were surrounded by bright twinkling stars that seem to go on forever. It was truly a magical sight that left Willow feeling overwhelmed and small among all those stars. Then she suddenly came to realize how truly insignificant she was in the grand scope of things and it was comforting to know that the universe was much bigger than her, that the world did not revolve around her small little town and there was a world beyond the Hellmouth and the dark things that thrived there. The weight of the world no longer seemed to rest on her tiny little shoulders because there just had to be something bigger and greater out there for all this to be.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy," whispered Willow dreamily.

"What's that lass" asked the half giant curiously.

"Oh… that's just a line from a muggle play, but I thought it was kind of fitting, you know," said Willow thoughtfully.

Hagrid looked up into the starry night sky, the same sky he had seen over a hundred times before since he started taking students across the lake to Hogwarts.

"Yes…young lass. I think so," agreed Hagrid solemnly.

Once Willow was settled in her room Hagrid took Willow to the Headmaster's office. It took them a while to get there because Willow kept wandering off, unintentionally of course. She was a curious little thing and often than not something will catch her eye causing the redhead to become so distracted that she would loose track of the half giant as he turned a corner. Willow was simply fascinated by how the paintings were able to move and talk. It was after the fifth time that Hagrid, to his great amusement, found Willow talking adamantly to a portrait that the half giant decided more drastic measures were needed to keep track of the girl.

It was with that decision that Hagrid reached out and grabbed Willow's small dainty hand, much to her annoyance. His large hand seemed to swallow Willow's as his fingers wrapped around her wrist. His grip was surprisingly gentle and Willow stumbled along desperately trying to keep up with Hagrid's huge strides as he pulled her along the hallway by her hand. Willow felt like a toddler being guided along by the hand and her face turned red in embarrassment. She was sixteen years old and perfectly capable of walking by herself. But apparently Hagrid didn't agree. It only took them a few moments to reach the Headmaster's office after that.

The Headmaster's office was large but cozy. A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Every shelf and surface was covered in books and knickknacks, some of which Willow recognized and others she had no clue what they were. An old man with a long white beard and a pointy hat was seated behind an antique oak desk and standing next to him was a stern looking woman.

If Willow had any preconception of what a wizard should look like the man that sat before her was the embodiment of those preconceptions. His long hair and beard had turned white with age and Willow was sure that if the wizard was standing his beard would have touched the floor. He wore dark blue robes with star constellations that seemed to twinkle against the dark fabric. Willow could have sworn that she saw a shooting star shoot across his robes but that was probably her imagination. A tall pointy hat with a crescent moon on the front completed the outfit.

The woman looked old but not as old as the man, maybe around sixty. There was a few grey strands in her dark brown hair that was drawn tightly from her face into a sever bun. She had a very sever face and a pointy nose. She looked like she could be someone's grandmother.

"Please take a seat Ms. Rosenberg. Lemon drop?" offered the wizard with a warm smile on his face.

Willow nervously smoothed the wrinkles from her robes as she lowered herself into the cushion chair. "Thank you," said Willow quietly as she took a piece of candy from the proffered dish.

"I'm delighted to finally meet you. Severus's reports have been most fascinating. Tell me, is it true that you fight along with the Slayer," asked the Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not exactly, Buffy usually do most of the fighting, while we research," answered Willow modesty.

"But wasn't it you that performed the soul restoration spell, a very powerful spell may I add, and than help hunt vampires when the slayer disappeared," argued Dumbledore.

Willow tightened her hands into a fist and took a deep shaky breath, "W…We weren't Buffy…and as for the spell…what good did it do. It still wasn't enough to save Angel," said Willow sadly.

Dumbledore eyes soften in sympathy. The poor girl had been through a lot these past few months. "I'm sorry child. I shouldn't have pushed. Please forgive an old man for his lack of tack," offered the Headmaster as he patted the back of Willow's hand apologetically. Willow nodded and swallowed hard in an effort to rein in her emotions.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and this is Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. Professor McGonagall also teaches transfiguration and she along with Professor Snape will be tutoring you during the remainder of the summer."

It was than that the older woman spoke. "There will be a lot of ground work to complete before the term starts to get you caught up or at least to a proficient level. Now let see what you can do," said Professor McGonagall as she place a small button on desk.

"Try transfiguring that button into a beetle," directed Minerva.

Willow had studied this spell on the train and it seemed simple enough. She pulled out her wand and waved it over the button while saying the proper incantation. Nothing happened. Willow frowned and did the spell again being sure to swish rather than wave her wand. There was a popping noise and the tip of the wand fizzled but the button remained as it was.

"I don't understand. I did everything right," moaned Willow in disappointment.

"Well you just need...more practice dear, remember this is all new to you," encouraged the Professor who mentally sighed with resignation. Judging from what she had seen Willow will need a lot of work if she planned to join the fifth years in the fall.

AN: Next Chapter Willow meets Mafloy.

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