Author's Notes:

Thank you to bei1wolf3 for favouriting, to Silent Ballet and zerefdragneelx791 for following and to my guest reviewer for leaving such a lovely comment. I'm so excited to hear that you're enjoying this story so far!

Thank you to everyone who took a chance and read the first chapter. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story and am looking forward to seeing how it develops.

I hope that you continue to enjoy this next chapter!

~Fiona

Chapter Two – Starting Hogwarts

I was packed and ready to leave well before 9am the next morning. I'd separated out my school robes, wand, journal, a textbook and a couple of cheese sandwiches from the rest of my belongings and stored them in my backpack for quick access. The rest of my school supplies were left haphazardly in my trunk along with all the muggle clothes I owned. I paced my room impatiently, the sooner I got to Hogwarts, the sooner I could talk to Dumbles and get out of this mess.

The Headteacher arrived at 9am sharp and picked up my trunk with ease. He may have looked elderly, but he was apparently much stronger than he looked. I couldn't help but be surprised.
"Are you ready Miss Winters?" he asked.
I nodded in response.
"Very well, let us head out then".
He navigated us through the streets and onto the muggle trains with ease and practice. We were sat on opposite seats when he made conversation.
"I have to admit, your situation is most unusual. Most of the children would do anything to be in your position, so I expect to hear that you have been trying your best".
"Yes, Sir".
My best to wake the fuck up that is.
"Good. Please do bear in mind that you also have the reputation of Reedham Orphanage to uphold. If you misbehave, they could reconsider other children from our institution who find themselves in your situation, so I expect you to act in a way that will not jeopardise that. We are not equipped to deal with children in your situation and could not cope without the special tutelage you are receiving. I know you have had some… difficulties lately and I have turned a blind eye considering that you may have had trouble reconciling yourself with this new knowledge. However, the staff at the new School are unlikely to tolerate such behaviour so I implore you to not ruin this opportunity for yourself and for others".
Why on earth did I feel guilty? None of these people were real!
"Yes, Sir".

We finally arrived at Kings Cross and the Headteacher procured a trolley for my trunk before helping me down to Platforms 9 and 10.
"Well, Miss Winters, I understand that you know what to do from here. Do have a good year and I will see you in July".
"Thank you, Sir".
I had a quick look around and satisfied that nobody was paying me any mind I wheeled my trolley directly towards the barrier separating platforms 9 and 10. My body felt strange for a moment before I broke through onto platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express was pulled up to the side, gleaming red with gold lettering. The faint smell of smoke was in the air. Several families were clustered around chatting before saying their goodbyes. I looked up at the clock, there were twenty minutes until the train left; plenty of time.
This would be fucking magical if it happened when I was eleven and wasn't really just some fucked up coma dream.
I sighed and headed over to the back of the train. Intending to get one of the back carriages. A friendly porter took my trolley once I had lifted my trunk and I thanked him before heading in dragging my trunk behind me.

I found a small compartment at the back of the train with fifteen minutes to spare. I quickly changed into my school robes before the other kids started boarding. Coma dream or not, I didn't want eleven-year olds to see me getting changed and I didn't want to lose my compartment if I decided to go to the bathroom to change. I scribbled in my journal for a bit reflecting on what the Headteacher said. I mean, I couldn't possibly mess it up for others because it wasn't real. But I did want to keep things pleasant, so I guess some social niceties needed to be maintained while I was here. I then retrieved my potions textbook and engrossed myself.

I managed to get a couple of chapters in before the compartment door slid open. A shabby, sickly looking boy with tattered navy robes stood nervously at the entrance. Of course, it was Remus fucking Lupin. God forbid that my brain would try to create an interesting original character. I must have been staring as the boy took a step back.
"Oh, um, sorry. I d…didn't see anyone here"
Fuck, I felt bad. Even though he was just a figment of my overactive imagination.
"Oh, sorry, you just look familiar that's all. Come in, I didn't realise the time and got caught up" I said raising my book up in explanation.
"Th…thank you" he said, taking a seat on the other side of the compartment and retrieving his own book.
He then looked at me and must have realised that I was already dressed for school. His eyes widened in momentary panic.
"We…were we sup…p…posed to get changed before the t…train?"
I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"I didn't want to change when the train was busy. The toilets will probably have queues and there's always a chance of someone popping in if I tried to get changed in the compartment" I explained.
A look of horror flittered across his face.
"Don't worry. I'm sure most of the others haven't changed either. How about I step outside and glare at anyone who comes near while you get changed?"
Relief flooded his features.
"Th…thank you".
I stepped outside and heard Lupin draw the blinds. The train must have set off while I was reading. The other compartments looked very busy, kids were hanging out chatting and generally causing quite a bit of noise. I rubbed my temples and took a deep breath. I didn't mind kids when I was in the mood, but I certainly didn't have much patience lately.

Lupin opened the compartment door. I hurried inside, slid the door shut and resumed my seat. His school robes were quite faded and clearly second hand. He looked rather embarrassed. I was debating whether or not to comfort him by saying I lived in a muggle orphanage or keep quiet when he started talking.
"I…I'm Remus L…Lupin. I guess you're a first-year t…too? You d…don't have the crest like m…most of the others" he said gesturing at my robes.
"Yep. Fiona Winters, nice to meet you" I said extending my hand.
A flicker of apprehension crossed his face before he must have decided that he had to shake it otherwise he would look strange. I had forgotten that he was probably still caught up in his self-hatred about his lycanthropy at this point. He gently shook my hand, letting go almost instantly. He seemed really nervous, but I had never been a conversationalist, yet alone when almost forced to speak to someone imaginary.
"Feel free to read. I'm sorry I'm not much of a conversationalist" I smiled and reopened my book. Dream Lupin gave me a small smile and visibly relaxed. He picked up The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One and started reading.

We read in amicable silence. A couple of kids had peered in but clearly decided they had no interest in talking to two kids with their noses shoved in books. We remained undisturbed until the food trolley came, roughly half-way through our journey. I refused, due to not having any money to my name and so did Lupin. My stomach growled and I retrieved my cheese sandwiches. Lupin followed suit. He seemed a bit awkward in my company now that the books were put aside.
"Any idea what house you'll be in?" I asked, genuinely curious to see what dream Lupin would come up with. He was hardly the confident type of boy who would declare himself Gryffindor in an instant. He thought while chewing his sandwich.
"Erm…I'm not sure" he replied. He probably didn't think he fit any of the houses, poor thing.
"I think I'll be in Hufflepuff" I said confidently. It was my Pottermore house after all. I was hardworking and loyal to those I loved. I wasn't ambitious or cunning enough for Slytherin. I didn't love learning for the sake of it and neither was I intelligent enough for Ravenclaw and I was by no means brave or daring enough for Gryffindor.
"Hufflepuff w…would be nice" he smiled.
"I'm sure you'll love whichever house you're picked for. What subject are you most excited about?"
"D…defence against the d…dark arts!" he said, a hint of excitement in his voice. I suppressed a chuckle. Of course, that was what my dumb coma brain decided.
"W…what about you?"
"Transfiguration seems really interesting and charms sounds like it would be a good laugh" I replied, and he nodded.
"I'm trying to read ahead in potions" I continued.
"I'm ok at cooking but have a feeling it will be way more complex. Much more complex than cottage pie at least…"
"I…I got that f…feeling too. I…I've always been t…terrible at cooking though" he said, a little dejected.
"Well, we don't know until we know" I said, popping the last bite of sandwich in my mouth and resuming my reading. Lupin followed suit and we read quietly for the rest of the trip.

When the train stopped, we both started to drag our trunks outside and into the crowds. Neither of us were particularly strong so it took some considerable effort on both our parts. I spotted Hagrid calling over the first years and led Lupin over. The group of first years were excitedly chatting as we were ushered down to the lake front. Thankfully we were allowed to leave our luggage in a pile on the train platform. We hung at the back not too keen on being caught up in conversations with the others. Hagrid directed us into little wooden rowboats. Lupin and I ended up with two other kids I didn't recognise who seemed to already be friends. They sat at the front chatting away happy to ignore our existence, as we were them. As the boats pushed forwards and as we rounded the corner I heard a collective gasp of awe from everyone, even Lupin. I had to admit, the view was pretty spectacular. My brain was amazing. The castle stood tall and proud against the inky black sky. Moonlight filtered down lighting up the stone walls where it made contact. Several windows were aglow with a soft light leaving a beautiful ambient reflection in the dark waters. I turned to look at Lupin whose eyes were wide and mouth slightly agape. I couldn't help but think he was adorable.

When we reached the other side, Hagrid helped us out of the boats. I nearly fell in before he grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, saving me the embarrassment.
"Thanks, Hagrid!" I chuckled.
Of course, I'm just as clumsy as I am in real life. Why wouldn't I be?
We walked across the grounds and up to the impressive castle entrance. It was too dark to see much of the grounds, but I could make out the shadows of the forbidden forest and the lights of Hagrid's house. We congregated in the vast entrance hall under the light of flaming wall sconces. Hagrid waited until McGonagall arrived before shuffling off, presumably to join the staff table.

McGonagall, in green tartan robes this time, explained the procedure to the students, which I tuned out in favour of taking in my surroundings. When I did finally wake up these details would be crucial in any fics I produced. Eventually, the wide double doors swung inwards and we were led through the Great Hall. It looked amazing. The ceiling looked as though it opened up to the heavens and there was a warm glow from the thousands of floating candles. The other students were gawking at us, sizing up their potential new housemates which seemed to make Lupin really nervous.
"Apparently the ceiling is just enchanted to show the sky. It's not really missing. Isn't that amazing?" I whispered.
He seemed to relax a little and nodded.
We all clustered around the front left of the hall. The battered sorting hat sat on the stool at front centre, just in front of the staff table. The brim ripped open and sang a variation of the song I remembered from the books. The other first years looked as though they were drinking in every word while the older students looked on slightly impatiently.

Soon enough, we were called alphabetically to be sorted. It was strange seeing the young dream versions of Sirius and Peter. I had a rough idea of what Severus and Lily would look like from the flashbacks in the films and James looked like a mini Harry, as expected. They were all sorted as without any surprises my end. There was a flicker of shock across Sirius' face when he was sorted before a wide grin appeared. Severus looked pained when Lily was sorted into Gryffindor and she likewise when he was sorted into Slytherin. My turn came last. I sat on the stool facing the students when the hat was dropped on my head covering my eyes.

"Well, what do we have here?" the hat said in my mind.
"I was kind of hoping you could tell me that" I thought back.
"I'm pretty sure I'm in a coma and this is all a crazy dream in which I'm trapped".
"I can see that you do believe that. I can see your thoughts. None of which make any sense to me, but they seem to verify your story. Are you sure you're not mad?"
"Nope, pretty sure I've gone fucking mental" I replied.
It chuckled at me. Chuckled!
"I guess the best I can do is take all your throughs, no matter how strange, and do my best to sort you. I may not understand what a lot of it means but it's your feelings when experiencing these things that are the most important".
"Sure, knock yourself out"
"Well, you're right that Slytherin is out. I don't think you'd be a good fit for Ravenclaw. You certainly are hardworking, but I see something much stronger in you, bravery".
"Gryffindor?" I choked.
"I really don't think I'm a Gryffindor, all the tests I've done are Hufflepuff and everyone agrees" I said, arguing with an imaginary hat forgetting the lunacy of it all for a moment.
"True, you do not seem like the stereotypical Gryffindor, charging into danger for the good of all or to save a friend but you do have a quiet strength to carry on. My dear, your mind has told me all I need to know and your past and it speaks of true bravery to survive and carry on"
"Wha..?" I started to say.
"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted to the hall without waiting for my response. The hat was hoisted off my head and the students came back into view.

The student body was clapping as I crossed the room to sit with Lupin who had shuffled over to make room.
Well, is was unexpected. Perhaps my brain couldn't fathom coming up with a barely described location and a bunch of original characters so stuck to what it knows. Typical.
The Headmaster gave a very brief welcome before the tables filled with food.

I leant over to grab myself some beef when Lupin turned to me.
"H…h…Hufflepuff, ey?"
"Hey! I was so sure. I like suck at bravery but am super good at working hard. Who would've guessed? I'll probably end up being the most Hufflepuff Gryffindor there is!".
He looked a little alarmed as if he was worried he'd upset me.
"Well, it looks like you're stuck with me!" I gave him a gentle but playful shove before helping myself to the beef and a mountain of roast potatoes with gravy.
He laughed and joined in, a little heavier on the beef.

The other first years were introducing themselves. I nodded along already knowing most of them. James was already shooting glances at Lily who was clearly a bit uncomfortable. There were two other girls, Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene McKinnon who excitedly joined the conversation. I remembered that they had been a part of the original Order of the Phoenix and had been killed before Harry was born. It makes sense that they were in the same year as Lily. Dorcas was a half-blood and Marlene a pure blood, neither had siblings. Marlene's parents worked in the ministry while Dorcas' mum stayed at home and her father also worked at the ministry but in a different department. When Lily introduced herself as muggleborn a couple of people looked taken aback. I guessed that the attitude was less progressive in the 70s. Lily looked really nervous until Dorcas informed her that her mother was a muggle so she could only imagine how crazy it must be for her. Lily nodded enthusiastically; it had been a big shock. Her older sister was a muggle and it had been difficult for her when she found out that magic was real. Her father held some kind of management position in a muggle company while her mother stayed at home. Though, she would be looking for work now that Lily was away at boarding school. Apparently, her older sister was quite responsible and didn't need her home. James and Sirius introduced themselves confidently, arms practically around one another. They were both purebloods, obviously, and already seemed as close as brothers. James' proudly said that his Dad was a potioneer responsible for inventing Sleekeazy's hair potion, at which point Marlene interrupted
"NO way! My mum loves that stuff!"
His mum helped to run the Potter estate and helped his father with business matters when needed but had mostly tutored him until he was of age to come to Hogwarts. He smiled fondly at the memories. Sirius said he had a younger brother who would be starting next year. He looked a little sad at that. His parents were mostly into politics and investments and maintained the Black estate. Peter introduced himself shyly confirming that he was a pure-blood and also an only child. His dad was muggle but died when he was young. His mother grew her own plants and sold them to apothecaries. Remus was also shy; he was the only half-blood among the boys and also a single child. I doubted that his parents wanted another after he contracted lycanthropy, he was probably a lot of work growing up. His father was an expert in Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions and that they moved around a lot helping people. His mother, a muggle, was a housewife. Once he introduced himself, he turned to me, as did the others.
Fuck, I'm actually supposed to say something.
"Erm… I'm Fiona Winters, muggleborn" I said. Hoping that was enough.
It wasn't. The others continued staring at me waiting for more details.
Fuck.
"I didn't know my parents, I grew up in a muggle orphanage".
And I'm pretty sure I've gone pretty fucking insane and this is all one big crazy coma dream.
The first years were all staring at me either with open mouths or pity. Well, at least Lily was no longer the odd one.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't know anything about magic!" Lily said.
I could hardly explain that in fact, I did know a lot about magic, probably more than they did at this point but I didn't want them to know I was completely loopy.
Thankfully, the chatter regained after I gave Lily a small smile and I resumed eating my mountain of roast potatoes in peace. I felt Lupin's gaze on me, and I turned.
"A…are you okay? I…I'm sorry you h…had to share that" he asked quietly.
I gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, thanks. It would have come out eventually, better now than when they're asking about my plans for Christmas".
I'm losing my mind and really, REALLY hope I'm not still here at Christmas.
I let the chat wash over me while I ate. Luckily, Lupin wasn't too talkative as I was once again feeling rather melancholic.

After the plates were cleared, Dumbles gave his proper welcome speech about behaviour, the forbidden forest etc. and we were shepherded out of the great hall by the prefects. The detail in the castle was incredible. I was trying to take as much in as possible as we marched through corridors and up staircases. The portrait of the fat lady looked almost identical to the films as did the common room. The prefect briefly explained about curfew and where our dorms were located and pointed us to bed. The dorm room was exactly as I had imagined it, obviously, being very similar to the boys' dorms in the films. The trunks had already been brought up and I went over to my bed which was on the left by the door. Lily, Dorcas and Marlene entered chatting happily. Lily came over, concern in her bright emerald eyes.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"I'm fine, thank you. It's just been a long day".
"Ok, I'm here if you wanted to talk"
"Thank you Lily, you too".

We had a small ensuite bathroom between the four of us. It was divided into two rooms. One with a bath, shower and mirror and the other with a toilet and sink with a mirror. Both doors locked, thankfully. I changed into my black vest top and pyjama shorts, brushed my teeth and headed to bed closing the curtains around me. I wrote in my journal by wandlight for a bit. It was strange to think that I had been stuck in this coma for nearly a month. It was Friday tomorrow so I would have to start classes right away. I decided it would be best to write to Dumbledore and ask him to meet when he was available rather than charging straight up to his office. I didn't want to barge in while he was in the middle of something and be rushed to explain my situation. I needed plenty of time to try and get him to understand.

I was awake pretty early the next day and got ready as quiet as possible. I grabbed by backpack after shoving in my journal, a textbook, parchment, quill and ink, pocketed my wand and headed out. I was one of the first at breakfast and was able to drink a strong tea in peace while drafting my letter.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I would be grateful if we could please meet at your earliest convenience to discuss the unique situation I find myself in. Unfortunately, this is something that I believe requires greater attention than my Head of House and you alone may be able to help.
Kind Regards,
Fiona Winters (Gryffindor, First year)

I cursed as a blotted the page several times. I miss pens already.

I was halfway through my tea when the other first-years started to arrive. Lily bee-lined for me.
"Morning" I greeted.
"You must have been up so early! I wondered where you had gone"
"Early riser, sorry I didn't want to wake you".
"Thank you. I had to practically drag Marlene and Dorcas out of bed. They're both in the bathroom getting ready".
I laughed, imagining the two girls wanting to look their best for their first day of class.
Lupin wished me good morning too when he arrived and tucked into a hearty full English. Everyone else arrived shortly after and sat chatting animatedly while I sipped my tea. Soon enough, McGonagall brought our timetables around.

Monday:
09:00-10:30 – Free
10:30-10:45 – break
10:45-12:15 – Defense Against the Dark Arts
12:15-13:15 – lunch
13:15-14:45 – History of Magic
14:45-15:00 – Break
15:00-16:30 - Free

Tuesday:
09:00-10:30 – Free
10:30-10:45 – break
10:45-12:15 – Free
12:15-13:15 – lunch
13:15-14:45 – Free
14:45-15:00 – Break
15:00-16:30 – Flying (shared with Slytherin)
00:00-01:30 – Astronomy

Wednesday:

09:00-10:30 – Free
10:30-10:45 – break
10:45-12:15 – Free
12:15-13:15 – lunch
13:15-16:30 – Double Potions (shared with Slytherin). A fifteen-minute break will be scheduled during class at an appropriate point at Professor Slughorn's discretion.

Thursday:
09:00-12:15 – Double Herbology. A fifteen-minute break will be scheduled during class at an appropriate point at Professor Sprout's discretion.
12:15-13:15 – lunch
13:15-14:45 – Free
14:45-15:00 – Break
15:00-16:30 – Free

Friday:
09:00-10:30 – Transfiguration
10:30-10:45 – break
10:45-12:15 – Charms
12:15-13:15 – lunch
13:15-14:45 – Free
14:45-15:00 – Break
15:00-16:30 – Free

Meal times:

Breakfast – 07:00-09:00
Lunch – 11:45-13:45
Dinner – 17:00-19:00

Curfew – 20:00

An enchanted map accompanied the timetable which had changeable instructions on how to get to each class depending on where you currently were in the castle. It reminded me a bit of a GPS. Apparently, it would also factor in any room changes though we would be located in the same rooms for the majority of the teaching. It could also show us the way to the hospital wing, library, owlery, great hall, nearest bathroom and various staff offices at request. There was also a note that although there were several hours of free periods, we were expected to use that time wisely to complete homework and do independent study in preparation for the classes using the relevant chapters form the compulsory texts. Though, supplementary reading could be requested or self-researched in the library. I was glad that I would have plenty of time to research my situation.

Lily was practically vibrating with excitement. We headed up to the dorms to grab the textbooks needed for the day. Marlene and Dorcas said they would meet us there as they were still eating. We headed to transfiguration which wasn't too far from the Gryffindor common room. We were the first to arrive. The map had been extremely useful. The door had been left open, so we entered cautiously and sat at the front middle of the class. The seating itself was curved and tiered with two rows of six seats with bench tables. The seats were paired with walkways either side so that each student could get up without disturbing anyone and the Professor could easily reach any student to provide support. At the front of the room was a large blackboard and to the side a window that looked out onto the grounds. There was also a large desk with a stack of papers. Sat next to the papers was a tabby cat with black, square markings around its eyes. We took out our books, parchment and ink and sat ready for class to begin.
"This is so exciting!" Lily squealed. She turned and saw the cat. "Oh! Look how cute that cat is. I wonder if it belongs to the Professor?" she asked.
I stifled a laugh, knowing full well that the cat was actually McGonagall.

Everyone arrived on time, except James and Sirius, and took their preferred seats. Most opted for the back row. Marlene and Dorcas sat right behind us. Remus sat on his own to my left. James and Sirius crashed through the door five minutes late.
"Oh good, the Professor isn't even here yet. Why did we bother rushing?" James asked Sirius as he walked over to take a seat in the back row. Sirius shrugged and followed suit. The moment they sat down the cat leapt off the desk and transformed into the stern Professor mid-air. She landed deftly on her feet and waved her wand to close the door. Lily's mouth was agape eyes bulging. I couldn't help but laugh. I nudged her gently.
"Cute ey?"
She turned bright red and I thought I saw a very slight smile on McGonagall's face. The Professor turned her attention to the two boys who were now looking very sheepish.
"Can one of you explain why you were late? Mr Black, Mr Potter?"
"The stairs! They took us completely the wrong way!" James said, Sirius nodding next to him.
"Then perhaps next time a map? Possibly the enchanted one that you were given at breakfast just this morning?"
The boys looked sheepish.
"Sorry, Professor. We forgot" Sirius said giving her what seemed to be his best puppy eyes impression.
She raised her eyebrows in response.
"I had surmised as much, Mr. Black. I will let you off as it is your first lesson. However, I expect you to be punctual for all other classes or you will lose housepoints".
"Yes, Professor" the boys chimed.

She spent the first hour of the class giving us a stern lecture about health and safety before describing some of the basic principles of transfiguration. In the last half hour, she described a specific spell to turn matchsticks into needles before allowing us to attempt it in the last fifteen minutes. I tried with the incantation and wand motion and it didn't work. I tried again this time focusing on the matchstick changing into the needle, similarly to how I did when changing my clothes but with the addition of the incantation and wand movement. It changed straight away. Lily gasped.
"You did it! Well done!" which drew McGonagall's attention.
"Well done indeed, Miss Winters. Five points to Gryffindor".
James and Sirius also managed to get theirs done by the end of the lesson earning five points each. Lily, with my help, got close. Her matchstick was quite pointy and had a silvery quality to it. I pocketed a couple of matchsticks to experiment with. McGonagall gave us a foot of parchment on the principles behind the incantation to complete before the next class along with reading the first chapter of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. She also advised Sirius and James to stick close to their classmates on the way to charms so that they wouldn't get lost on the stairs. This led to a couple of chuckles from the girls.

Lily and I led the way to charms which was a few floors down. We had plenty of time so strolled along at a more leisurely pace. We arrived five minutes early, but this time Professor Flitwick was waiting for us. The room was set up in very much the same way as the transfiguration classroom. There were a few posters illustrating popular charms and wand movements and a mini staircase made out of books at the front. Flitwick welcomed us jovially as Lily and I took seats front centre again. Everyone took pretty much the same spaces as they had in transfiguration except Lupin was invited to sit on the front bench near James and Sirius with Peter leaving the left-hand side of the seats empty.

Professor Flitwick shut the door, climbed up his staircase and welcomed everybody to the class.
"Welcome all to your first charms class. I'm sure we will have lots of fun together and congratulations to Mr Potter and Mr Black. I'm glad you were able to navigate the staircases, it would have been a shame to take points for lateness in your first charms class" he said with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. The class turned to James and Sirius who looked shocked. Flitwick did a quick roll call before proceeding with the lesson. It was similarly structured to the transfiguration class. The part focused on health and safety and basic charms principals and the last half hour was focused on the wand lighting spell.

Once again, I was first to achieve the spell. Though, I had already tried and succeeded several times. It was just too useful.
"Oh well done, Miss Winters!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed "Five points to Gryffindor".
"Well done! Ok, let me try" Lily said. She screwed up her face focusing, muttering imagine it under her breath.
"Lumos" she said, and the tip of her wand started glowing brightly. She beamed just as bright. "I did it!"
"Well done!" I congratulated, smiling.
"Well done too Miss Evans! Another five points to Gryffindor" Professor Flitwick smiled.
There were only a few minutes left of class. He let a few more people try but nobody else was successful. He assigned us a foot of parchment on the theory behind the wand lighting spell and reading the first chapter of Magical Theory before the next lesson.

We headed to lunch as a group and chatted happily about our first classes. Dorcas and Marlene were quick to congratulate me on my wandwork. I just explained the same as I did to Lily, that I tried to will the object to change and imagined it doing so and that seemed to help the magic along more than saying the incantation and doing the movement alone. They nodded deciding to try it out in the next spell class.

The lunch spread was not quite as lavish as the welcome feast but still pretty decadent. I helped myself to a bacon sandwich with plenty of ketchup. Afterwards, when the others were heading off to the common room, I slipped away to send my letter. Lily was chatting to Marlene and Dorcas so I was able to leave without explaining. It took me fifteen minutes to get to the owlery. There were just so many steps. I was breathless by the time I reached the top.
Fucking stairs. If they can make whole staircases move why haven't they made magical escalators?
The view from the tower was breath-taking and I forgot my irritation for a moment. The owls' room was littered with straw and feathers. I picked a soft barn owl perched close enough for me to reach. I gently tied the scroll around its leg and watched it fly out the window.

Once it was sent, I settled down on the floor and took out the matchsticks. I willed my magic to change them without an incantation or movement. It worked exactly as it had done when transforming my clothes. I changed them back and made them bigger and smaller before coming over very tired.
Magical exhaustion maybe? No, that doesn't make much sense. If I can dream myself to be overpowered then surely I can dream myself to not get exhausted. It's something to discuss with Dumbles I guess.
I decided to write my observations in my journal to reflect on later. Halfway through the same owl landed next to me and hooted softly.
Fuck that was quick.
I untied the letter and read:

Dear Miss Winters,
I would be delighted to meet you this afternoon before dinner. I understand you have the afternoon free.
Kind Regards,
Professor Dumbledore
P.S. You will find that I really enjoy Honeydukes.

I headed straight to his office using the enchanted map as a guide. I made it to the imposing gargoyle within about fifteen minutes and muttered honeydukes. It moved aside letting me enter the spiral staircase. Once I reached the top, I knocked on the door and waited. The door swung open and Dumbles, already seated behind his desk motioned for me to sit in front. Once I stepped in, the door closed behind me. His office was just as interesting as in the films. A multitude of portraits adorned the walls and strange whirring objects and papers cluttered every surface. Fawke's perch was off to the side but the bird was nowhere in sight. He gestured for me to take a seat.

"How are your classes treating you Miss Winters?"
"Fine, Sir. Thank you" I replied.
"I believe I know why you're here".
Oh thank God. He must have answers then!
"I'm sorry to say that we cannot house children over the summer. Unfortunately, you will need to return to Reedham Orphanage" he continued, sounding genuinely sad.
Fuck. Well, here's to the madness I suppose…
I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"Oh no, Sir. That's not what I wanted to discuss".
He looked at me intrigued.
"I'm sorry for assuming, please do go on".
"Well, I'm pretty sure I've gone insane"
He let out a little chuckle.
"Yes, it's a common feeling among muggleborns" he said knowingly.
"No, Sir" I pressed "I fear I have literally gone insane. I'm not from this world, none of this is real".
"Oh dear, you're not the first muggleborn to struggle to come to terms with a change in situation but I can assure you that this is all very real".
"Sorry, Sir. I mean I am literally from another world. I went to sleep in muggle Essex aged twenty-five in 2020 after a stressful day at work and kissing my fiancée goodnight and woke up aged eleven in 1971 on a trip to Diagon Alley with Professor McGonagall. In the real world, this world is a fictional book and film series" I tried to explain.
"Have you hit your head recently?"
"Not that I remember. Though, something must have happened to put me in this coma. I was hoping that you could help me figure it out, Sir. Erm, I know this probably sounds crazy, could I use your pensive, please? I could show you some memories."
"How did you know about the pensive?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
"As I said this world is a book series, you happen to be a character with quite a large part. The pensive came up a couple of times".
"I see and by that, I mean I don't really see at all but perhaps your memories will help me to understand better". He rummaged in a draw and pulled out a few small vials. I took them and chose a few memories to go inside, one of my recent virtual work meetings which showed me on camera, my trip to EGX with my fiancée and friends and snippets from my last day in the real world. I pulled them out with my wand and secured them inside the vials. We walked over to the pensive and I handed them to Dumbles. He tipped them all inside and we both dunked our heads in.

I provided a running commentary while in the memories explaining various items that hadn't yet been invented pointing out the people while he wandered around looking in fascination as the events played out. When we returned, he retrieved my memories and let them sink back into my head. It was a weird sensation.
"Fascinating. There's no doubt that these memories have not been tampered with and do appear to be your own. What led you to believe that you're in a coma?"
I explained how I came to the conclusion, the weeks of insanity in the orphanage and about how magic seemed to work differently for me. He asked me to demonstrate what I meant about my magic being different. I took out the matchsticks and demonstrated what I had practiced in the owlery before changing his robes green and back for effect. I was visibly tired afterwards and resumed my seat.
"You see, all I have to do is will my magic to act and it appears to obey without any incantation or wand movement".
"Ah, your magic doesn't work differently, it is just more advanced than typical for your age which is why you're getting so tired" he turned his desk blue and back in the same way by way of explanation.
"I see".
"But the memories you showed me are true. I can feel the love you have for your fiancée and your mind is definitely not one of an eleven-year-old, despite your physical appearance. I can see why you would think you were in a coma as other options such as time travel or dimensional travel seem less likely. So that is what we should pursue first".
"Thank you, Sir" I said, feeling relieved. I would have been surprised at how easily he had accepted my situation if I wasn't convinced that it was his role in this dream to help me wake up.
"You are welcome my dear. See what you can find in the library about waking coma patients. I'll check my personal archives and the restricted section. We could meet back here at the same time next week to discuss?" he suggested.
"Thank you so much, Sir. I appreciate your help, even if I'm pretty sure you're a figment of my imagination, albeit the figment most likely to unlock whatever my consciousness needs to wake me up".
I might as well let out the full crazy if anyone can handle it, it's Dumbles.
He simply chuckled in response.
"Perhaps it's best that you keep that between us for now. Just in case".