Sabrina stood in the doorway of her new room. For most of her contracts, she'd lived in bedrooms that were more like glorified closets, so the large room in front of her with a desk, a large bed, two bookshelves, and an attached bathroom was a luxury she knew she was going to hate leaving behind when her time was over here.

She shivered under the impact of the most recent compulsion charm she'd been under as she stepped into the room. Her room was leftover from when they used to provide all the upper years with private rooms. It was isolated in the dungeon level of the castle and was so cold she could practically feel the frozen stone floor beneath her through her thick-soled tennis shoes.

Her entrance to Hogwarts had been sudden and silent, even more so than her other contracts. Everything about her start here had been carefully coordinated to make sure she was neither seen nor heard. Alastoria would've hated this which is probably why she was entering as a teacher's aide. She would be assisting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, where she would observe and report back on his skills. She was also told to prepare for the possibility of tutoring him in the subject on the side.

Sabrina didn't mind the isolation, however. She'd never been too fond of other people with Alastoria being the only exception. Sabrina preferred to spend her time studying magic over engaging in social interactions with other people. At the moment she was working on a paper detailing the practical uses of wandless magic in the medical field. It was a part of the remote class she attended from the Institute. The class was self-guided and required no interaction with the other students, making it perfect for her in her mind.

Looking at the empty bookshelves, she mentally listed the books she would fill them with. She ran her hand down the bare wall as she made her way to the bed thinking of how she would decorate them. As she sat on the bed she ran the thick blanket through her fingers, hoping it would keep her warm at night.

She sat her bag down on the bed next to her and pulled out the contract. As she unrolled it she gently touched the dried ink and brushed her fingers across the thick paper. Looking down at the words she soaked up every detail for the second time.

From Monday, 30 August 1993 at midnight

until Monday, 01 July at midnight

Sabrina Elizabeth Young

#A1329

assisted by

Alastoria Anne Gaunt

#B1329

are contracted to the aid and protection of

Harry James Potter

at the location of

The Hogwarts Castle

by order of

The Institute of Gifted Magical Children and Adult Minds

and

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

as witnessed by

Jane Alexandra Mark

#C132

and

Minerva McGonagall

After that, the contract continued on for several pages covering the exact terms of the contract, the 'fine print' so to speak. At the very end were four magically binding signatures, hers first and foremost.

Sabrina set the contract down on the desk. She pulled her feet onto the bed and tucked them underneath her. Leaning lightly against the wall, she let out a shaky breath. This boy, Harry Potter, was the savior of the wizarding world. At least that was what she'd been told. How he could be the savior when he was only a baby at Voldemort's death, was something she couldn't comprehend but she knew better than to say that out loud. She thought it was disgusting that they'd put that label on a child. They'd basically painted a target on his back for all of Voldemort's followers. When she heard Dumbledore was starting negotiations for a contract on Harry's behalf earlier that summer, she had volunteered to take it. Harry was only thirteen and already getting pulled into trouble in the Wizarding World. Sabrina was more than happy to keep him safe for those next three years of his Hogwarts education.

A knock on the door pushed her to her feet and she quickly opened it.

"Sabrina!" Alastoria said with a half-laugh as she pulled the other girl into a hug.

Sabrina smiled softly and hugged her best friend back.

"Took you long enough." Sabrina teased.

Alastoria grinned as she pushed past Sabrina into the room.

"I know, I know. I had to meet with their healer, Madam Pomfrey, and her apprentice, Anna Ollivander."

Sabrina's eyebrows shot up at the last word. "Ollivander? Aren't they notorious for dedicating their lives to wandmaking? There hasn't been an Ollivander born since Garrick himself almost a hundred years ago. You can go back the family tree as far as you want, it's all just a straight line. When Garrick decided not to marry he effectively ended the line."

Alastoria waited, the perfect picture of impatience, for Sabrina to close the door before answering. "Do you remember when we learned about the impact of Grindelwald's war on the prominent pureblood families in Europe at the time?"

"No."

"Well, anyway, all the families were forced to either choose a side or go into hiding. For most of the families, they made the choice in unison but for a few, they split with family members landing on both sides and in hiding."

Sabrina frowned when she realized where this was going. "C'mon Alastoria. She was probably just adopted. That's just a fairytale."

Alastoria shook her head. "I asked her. She is the granddaughter of Marius Ollivander. You remember the story, don't you?"

"When Grindelwald first found power, two powerful pureblood twins had just graduated Hogwarts, the Ollivander twins, Garrick and Marius. Grindelwald tried for years to recruit them both. Eventually they split, Garrick went into hiding with Dumbledore's assistance and Marius left Britain and went to America to fight Grindelwald." Sabrina stopped so Alastoria could finish, just like she always did. Her tone was almost monotonous as if she was reciting a passage from a book she'd quoted a hundred times before.

"At the end of the war Garrick came out of hiding and his brother had been pronounced dead and Garrick was left alone without even a body to bury."

Sabrina shook her head at her best friend's dramatics. "Okay…"

"He fell in love, Sabrina."

"Garrick?"

"No, Marius! He fell in love with Grindelwald's estranged daughter. They had to go into hiding in America after she got pregnant because Grindelwald had threatened them."

"She told you that?"

"That's what took me so long. I had so many questions!"

"Did you at least let her breathe?"

Alastoria chuckled. "This is going to be a great three years."

Sabrina smiled at the thought. Three years of what could only be described as an easy contract was all that stood between her and an eighteen-month break period of pure academic bliss before her advancement. If these next three years did indeed go great, she would be able to choose what she did next.

That night when she took her night potion mix, she looked forward to a night of dreamless rest. She had no idea what was waiting for her and the impact it would have on her next three years.