Mr. and Mrs. Morris had never raised a child before, but there were things about Maria that even inexperienced parents would realize were strange. Mr. Morris didn't mind that his new daughter liked following him around once she became a toddler, but he was a little disturbed when her playful attempts at imitating his household repairs ended up working better than his best work. Mrs. Morris had her own complaints, though she kept quiet about them when speaking with other moms. After all, what would her neighbors say upon hearing that her two-year-old had broken into her uncooked steak dinner, drained the raw meat of all its blood, and then drank it?

By the time Maria turned four, she could beat her mother in both chess and checkers, outrun her father in any race (though she was extraordinarily well-behaved and never took advantage of this), and impress any of her mother's visiting friends with her charm and singing skills. Mr. and Mrs. Morris, though sometimes disturbed by their new child, gradually came to accept her quirks. And Maria reciprocated their love a thousand times over. To her, her parents were the world, and the world was a happy and safe and wonderful place.

And then school started.

"Hey, aren't you the girl who stole all the lollipops?"

Maria stopped skipping rope, searching for the person who had spoken. She focused on one girl with braided hair and a blue dress. She was pretty, though nowhere near as pretty as Maria. The beauty of her face, unfortunately, was marred by a cruel and angry sneer. Maria blinked at the newcomer, confused at why she looked so upset. "What?" she asked innocently.

"In class today, you were the kid who got all the candy the teacher was giving out."

Maria blinked. "They were for anybody who could answer the teacher's questions," she stated. "I guess I just answered everything before anybody else did. Do you want some?" she offered.

"Gross!" the girl sneered. She pushed Maria and the little girl fell. Everyone on the playground laughed. Maria's pale face turned red. The playground monitor was already scolding the bully, but the laughter hadn't stopped.

It would continue, on and off, for the next five years.

Maria threw herself onto her bed and cried. Her parents didn't understand. She couldn't stand up to the bullies. They were tough and cruel and for all her perks, she seemed to have been cursed with a clumsiness that barred her from getting away from them. Nobody understood her. Her life was miserable. Gazing past the model solar system that she had received for her tenth birthday the week before, she watched the real stars. And though it was childish and she was quickly departing from childhood's comforting embrace, Maria Susanna Morris made a wish.

The next day was Saturday. Mr. Morris was staring intently at a piece of paper, writing a letter to an old colleague, and Mrs. Morris was washing dishes in the kitchen. The doorbell rang and Mr. Morris was broken out of his trance. Huffily, he got up and opened the door. An old man with a long, white beard was standing outside. Mr. Morris looked over him, studying his odd choice of apparel. "Well?" he asked.

"Good evening, Mr. Morris," the man smiled kindly. "I have something for your daughter."

"My daughter?" He started to look on edge. "What - Who are you?"

"The headmaster of a rather extraordinary school," the man smiled. "My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"I'm sorry, we're not interested." Mr. Morris started to close the door.

"This never gets easier to do. Or maybe I am just not the right person to do it." Mr. Morris paused. Dumbledore continued, a strange twinkle in his eye. "I would like to offer your daughter admission to my school, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I believe that she is in possession of certain talents that make her an ideal fit for this school. In fact, her talents are so strong, my colleagues and I would like to take her a year early."

Mr. Morris gawked for a moment. "We're not interested." He slammed the door shut and locked it, missing the mischievous glint in the old man's eyes. While Mr. Morris contemplated calling the police to report a possible weirdo stalker terrorizing the neighborhood, Maria turned the page of the book she was reading and saw a letter. She picked it up and was surprised to see that it was addressed to her. Though she had never heard of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she slit it open and started to read. Her violet eyes began to widen. "Dad?" she asked. "Dad, Mom, you might want to read this."

The letter was shoved into Mr. Morris's hands. He opened his mouth to ask what it was, but as he read, his mouth stayed open with no sound coming out. When he finished and Mrs. Morris began exhibiting a similar reaction to the one her husband had given, Mr. Morris suddenly broke out of his trance and threw open the door. Dumbledore turned around, smiling. "You would like an explanation, I presume?"