I'm very sorry for taking so long! Exams get in the way of everything good. Please, do review and tell me what you think. If I don't know what you like and what you don't, I can't make the story any better!

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Sirius Black and the Weasley twins I would definitely not have time to write fanfiction!

I woke up on Saturday morning when the first few rays of sunshine lightened my room. I had left the purple velvet curtains of my four poster cherry wooden bed opened with the very purpose of being up as soon as the Sun was. I looked at my watch; the Sun was in the first house and Venus on the sixth. It was time.

I pushed the Egyptian cotton sheets and let the velvet curtains caress my arms as I got out of my massive bed. The house elves who prepared my room really went all out looking for disused furniture. They were beautiful. Apart from my bed, I had a big vanity with a great, antique mirror (she had quite an outspoken personality and absolutely adored my metamorphmagus abilities), a magical wardrobe with just enough space for all my clothes and an ample desk with secreter. There was a window that overlooked the beautiful, eternally white mountains and the walls were covered with pale pink fabric. There was also a portrait of Calliope Malfoy, a famous witch of the sixteenth century and a direct ancestor of mine. She was still asleep.

I did my meditation exercises and then took a nice immersion bubble bath in the luxurious bathroom that came with the room. Then I sat in front of my vanity to acquire the looks of Lavinia Smith.

"Can we please do something I like today?" the mirror asked.

"I am not going to go around with a two hundred year old hairstyle, Phaedra" I told it. My reflection wrinkled my nose.

"I told you I don't like that name" it said.

"I don't care" I smiled, as my hair went darker and my locks started forming from the bottom, falling across my back like a cascade.

I put on an emerald green robe, grabbed my backpack and went out to the little living room. A small tray with coffee and cream, toasts, orange juice and eggs with bacon was waiting on the coffee table. I sat on one of the armchairs to enjoy my breakfast. My school things were all over the place but in perfect order, my books rested on the shelves attached to the walls. There was also a small fireplace. Once I finished eating, I lighted it with a snap of my fingers, grabbed some Floo powder and yelled:

"Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts!"

The WADA's theatre was ancient and enormous. It had capacity for a thousand people, and boxes that belonged to the most renowned pureblood families. Behind the stage there were big rooms for rehearsals, dancing practice, choir and orchestra, and more than a hundred dressing rooms. I went straight to mine, and I felt at home.

In order to perform that night, I had to warm up my voice and my muscles, going over all my choreography at least once. A whole week without performing at all felt like forever.

My company mates welcomed me back warmly and assuring me they had missed me. Rosalind Hainsworth, who replaced me as Serena during the week, was particularly enthusiastic, but there was only one person I was truthfully eager to see.

"Vinny!" I heard, as a tall, red cloud embraced me.

"Scarlett!" I yelled, and hugged her back. Scarlett Jones was a twenty two year old feisty redhead and the closest thing to a sister I had. "I've missed you so much!"

"Of course you have! Who could possibly replace me?" she said dramatically, letting me go but still holding my hands. "You are staying in my flat tonight, I won't accept no for an answer."

"Oh, all right" I pretended to accept against my will. I had a matinee show on Sunday.

"C'mon, let's grab some lunch before going down for Costume and Hair & Make-up" she said. "I've got a thousand things to tell you."

That night's performance was a success as usual, and Scarlett and I run away from the WADA to her London flat as fast as we could. I was still wearing Serena's complicated wedding hairdo when we arrived.

"Help me with this" I asked as soon as I put down my backpack near the entrance door. I loved Scarlett's flat. It was in a tenth floor, so we could see great part of the city lights through the windows. It had a nice, comfortable common area, with two settees and a round dinning table, a small kitchen and a big bedroom with an en suite vintage bathroom. Her flat had always represented the freedom I didn't have at home.

"Did you see Rosalind's face when Theseus told you how glad he was to see the real Serena back?" Scarlett laughed, while her wand freed my hair. Theseus Lessing was our director.

"It was epic" I agreed. "Completely worth missing on a week."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"No" I sighed. "But almost."

Scarlett looked at me for some time. No words were needed between us; with that look we had both communicated a thousand feelings to each other.

"I'll make tea" she said, after a while. "You sit there and turn the telly on."

Scarlett was a very proud muggleborn who refused to leave her parent's world behind. She was a great fan of all things muggle, and specially technology. The sole purpose of having a flat in muggle London was so she could have a working telly.

"I've got a new anime I want you to see" she said from the kitchen. "I'm sure you'll love it."

"All right" I said, used to Scarlett's muggle and Japanese extravaganza. "No one said anything about what'll happen next season. What are you preparing?"

"We'll have Morgana and Circe" she said, handing me a mug.

"You are joking. All female leads, right when I'm gone?" Scarlett smiled apologetically. "Which Circe? Real classic or French wannabe classic?"

"Real classic, and Elizabethan Morgana, not that silly modern adaptation those off-WADA idiots tried to put on last year" she answered. "I just don't get it, Vinny. Why going to school now? This is your best moment, you are right on the spot light, and "

"I know!" I said, unable to contain myself. "It's not like it was my choice "

"I knew it!" she exclaimed in triumph. "Whose then? Your grandmother?"

Scarlett had met my grandmother once. It was a disaster. They now hated each other with passion.

"Sort of, yeah" I lied. "My aunt was involved, too. They thought I would be safer inside the school."

"What would You-Know-Who want with a fifteen-year-old actress? Oh" she suddenly realized "is it your condition?"

Scarlett was the only person I had ever told about it.

"We think he doesn't know, but we are not sure."

"Well, I'm sure this stupid war will be over soon, and you'll be back with us" she said, hugging me. "Now, are you up for some Paradise Kiss?"

"Definitely" I said, and she put it on. "Oh, it looks beautiful" I said, as soon as the first few images appeared on the screen.

"It's all about a group of fashion students. Prepare to see some stunning dresses."

"Oh, she's so cute "

"That's Miwako, and she is kawaii!"

"He looks handsome."

"Of course he does, he's the male lead. And talking about handsome men " she said in a mischievous tone " have you met any at school?"

"No" I lied too quickly, and Scarlett laughed.

"You can't lie to me, love!" she exclaimed. "Who is it, then?"

"No one."

"Don't be like that! You are supposed to tell me, you know, I'm your adopted sister."

"Fine" I sighed. "It's Harry Potter."

"You are kidding me."

"I'm not."

"Harry Potter? Really?"

"Yes, he's nice!" I said. "Nothing like the papers made him out to be. I've been sitting with him and his friends during meals, and they are nice. Hermione is very friendly; she's given me a few tips about the teachers "

"You, my lovely Lavinia, are bonkers" she declared.

"I'm not!"

"Going to school at the worst possible time in your career, falling for Harry the Chosen One Potter "

"I never said I fell for him!"

"You-are-bonkers" she repeated. "Now keep watching, this part's my favourite."

I went back to Hogwarts on Sunday night, exhausted but energized and plain happy. The matinee performance had been as great as ever, and I was ready to go to bed in order to face the early morning Monday classes.

Albus Dumbledore had other plans.

I was summoned to his Tower, and not surprised to see Harry there.

"Miss Smith, how was your weekend?" the Headmaster asked politely.

"It was amazing, sir. Thank you for allowing me to continue working."

"My pleasure" he said. "I have told Mr. Potter here, that I wished for you to train him. There is a wonderful space you will feel comfortable in, I hope. It is known as the Room of Requirement, one of the many, but maybe the greatest, wonders of Hogwarts Castle. Harry will take you there, and show you how to access it. You may go."

"Thanks, sir" Harry said, smiling at me and indicating to follow.

"Thank you, sir. Good night."

We went all the way to the seventh floor in silence, until we reached a painting of Barnabas the Barmy.

"The Room of Requirement is exactly that" Harry explained. "It takes shape according to your wishes. To access it, you need to walk past it three times concentrating on exactly what you want, and a door will appear, unless it's occupied."

"I was wondering why we were pacing in front of ballet trolls" I said. Harry laughed.

"You have in mind what we'll need?" he asked.

"Yeah" I said, and a door appeared in the wall opposite the painting. We entered.

Behind it, there was a great bare room, with a high ceiling and stone floor and walls.

"You don't seem to have much imagination" Harry observed.

"This is exactly what we need" I assured him. I walked further in until I was in the centre of the room.

"Magic is about manipulating matter" I explained. "From making water out of air " I manipulated the air between my hands and it turned into a bubble full of water floating in the air, suspended by my fingers. " creating fire" the bubble turned into a small blue ball of fire "or turning light " the fire disappeared, and I raised my hands to the sides, my palms slowly going down " into darkness."

Every light around us was extinguished, and inside my pitch-black spell I felt myself faint, all energy drained from my body.

I lost consciousness.

I woke up to the faint light of a wand, and Harry's preoccupied green eyes. I tried to sit up, and needed his help to raise my back from the floor.

"Are you all right?" he asked, obviously scared.

"Yes, yes, I am, I'm sorry" I apologized. "It happens when I use too much magic or when I'm too tired."

"Really? But are you OK?"

"Yes, really" I assured him. "It's nothing serious, it's my fault, I should know better by now."

I saw his features relax, and I felt better.

"Can you do something about the lights, then?"

"Oh, yes, sorry!" I said, and the light returned to the Room of Requirement.

"You really are going to teach me to do that?" he asked.

"Well, I was hoping to teach you to do things a bit more useful in combat. That was just a demonstration."

"Oh" he said. "How did you do it without a wand?"

"Every wizard can manage a small amount of wandless magic" I explained. "I am a bit different."

"Different how?" he asked, genuinely curious. I realized there wasn't a trace of prejudice in his eyes.

I had known I would have to tell him sooner or later. Lying now would only make it harder in the future.

"I have a condition, Harry" I said. "Well, it's called a condition now. It used to be known as a curse, a sickness, an anomaly. Not that long ago, children born with it were drowned at birth."

"How awful" he frowned.

"It's called magnomagia" I said. "It means I was born with far more magic than a regular wizard. It is very difficult to control it unless you are rigorously trained since infancy. That's why I never came to Hogwarts; it didn't meet my needs."

"It sounds difficult to live with."

"It is" I sighed. "But we can control it nowadays. It's not really that bad."

I smiled, and he returned it.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to do anything else tonight" I apologized. "I need to sleep."

"I understand" he said, raising to his feet, and extending a hand to help me up.

"I'll make it up to you another time. Not after a performance."

"It's fine" he said, as we exited the Room of Requirement.

"Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Lavinia."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, and then I turned and walked away quickly, back to my dormitories, blushing. None of us noticed Calliope Malfoy's blonde looks watching us from behind a ballet troll.

Albus Dumbledore sat comfortably on his favorite chair in his office, a lemon sherbet in his mouth; facing the portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses that so often shared their wisdom and experience with him, even when they weren't asked.

"I was wondering which course of action would be best," he said, as his eyes twinkled. Calliope Malfoy, comfortably leaning against the chair of a great-great nephew, was smiling full of joy.

"Well, he is definitely interested, from what I've just seen," she said. "It's my great-niece I worry about the most."

"I would have thought girls like that knew how to recognize an eligible bachelor and trap him," Phineas Nigellus Black sniffed.

"What do you mean, girls like that?" Calliope snapped, offended.

"Theatre girls, of course."

"You are horrible, Phineas" Antigone Halliday declared. "Actress or not, Lavinia is still a Malfoy and a lady."

"That is not the matter," Dumbledore interrupted, sighing. "The question is: what can we do to ensure that they get together?"

"Oh, give them time to know each other, Professor," Enona Crawford said. "They won't fall in love unless they spend time together."

"So you think I should allow them more than just one encounter every week?"

"That'd be a start," Calliope said. "I have a feeling Lavinia would like Harry to see her acting, surely you would allow an outing to the theatre?"

"We could arrange that. After all, Lavinia spends every weekend in London and misses all Hogsmeade visits."

"There's a good idea," Antigone Halliday said. "You could allow her a Hogsmeade Friday as long as she takes a companion."

"That is a great idea," Dumbledore said, smiling. "We are definitely on the right track."