Chapter 2: An Invitation and A Few Secrets

Megan was stunned as she heard the words, her jaw dropped slightly.

London? Wizard? Hogwarts?

She remembered she had gone to London once when she was around seven and Grandpa Ni escorting her around and introducing his little grandchild to everyone. She still remembered the huge Gringotts Banks building and she and her grandpa went inside and visiting her cousins there, not very related though.

Bringing up the topic wizard made her realize that she finally met another person who knew about magic besides her and her grandpa. She was a witch herself, and her grandpa was a very strong wizard. Since she was born, there were strange and unexplained things happening around her. Soon, as she grew, she learned that those were her powers, growing with her. The Movains had been very famous once, because of their so called talented powers. When Voldemort rose, some of her family had joined his side, and one of them was Megan's father. Thus, Grandpa Ni was furious and disappointed, brought along Megan and moved to this place - Egypt.

Before long, her grandfather found that her powers were growing strong and hard to control. Time to time, new powers appear on her unpredictably, so her grandpa decided not to send her to school and had home tutoring. Now, her beloved grandfather had passed away, she really don't know what and how to do, and this stranger seemed to bring some hope to her.

"Upon your grandfather's request, he wanted me to fetch you to Hogwarts, start your schooling there and keep an eye on you." Megan was speechless. A school offer? "However, it was rather unsafe to stay here and he believes your powers will still grow."

"Unsafe? Why?"

"I'll fill in the details for you later." Dumbledore took out a letter for her from his pocket and gave it to her. She stretched out her hand and took the letter. The letter was heavy and thick and quite yellowish. Upon the envelope, there written:

Miss M. Movain,

The 4th hut,

Third Street,

Covonaign, Egypt.

It was sealed with purple wax, and bearing a coat of arms: a loin, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a letter 'H'. She carefully pulled out the letter and read.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Movain,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts

School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Terms begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Megan reread the letter three times, making sure that all this was real, and she was not dreaming. She had been offer a place at a wizardry school! Can this be any more real?

"So I'm been leaving Egypt?" Megan asked and Dumbledore nodded.

"If you agree to come with me, I suggest you to pack now. I had some other business to attend to and have to leave as soon as possible." Dumbledore said.

"As soon as possible?!" She glanced at the letter, as if all this will vanished and she woke up from her dreams. Everything had happened too fast to her. One minute, she met this man, and the another minute, she had to leave Egypt. She had lived here since she was small, she just can't bear that she had to leave, in such a short time! She had always adored those who are same age with her, and can go to school, meet new friends, and go on vacations. Now, she finally had the chance...

Suddenly, she stared up. "What should I bring along?" Dumbledore was part relieved and part happy with this question.

"Well, everything important, since you will not often come back."

She rushed to her wardrobe and pulling out clothes. Her mind was still reviewing what Dumbledore had said to her. She was thinking of starting a new life at London, Grandpa Ni had left her, and there was also nothing else that held her back. She doesn't know who her mother was and don't know where had her father went. Apparently, someone who cared about her was gone and she belongs to no one now. After she packed her clothes, she turned to her huge piles of books. They were mostly books about magic knowledge and she really couldn't choose which one to bring along.

"Potions, spells, magic creatures..." she mumbled to herself and quickly made her choice. She rushed around and stopped in front a cupboard. The cupboard only had three books. She stared at them.

"You have to bring those." Dumbledore said since he found that Megan was not sure about it. "You will need them and they're important." Said Dumbledore convincing Megan again. Those three books were precious things to her grandfather and was the Movains' property.

"Book of Darkness," she opened the cupboard and took out the first book on the highest shelf. It was leather covered, hard and mysterious. "The History of Magic," she pulled out the second. While this one is a magic book, it will grow time to time and add new happenings into itself. "and The Big Book of Movain" she said. It was really thick and old, a few pages thorn out. This was the book where she learned about some of her powers and their family's history. She looked at the three books on her hands and heave out a sigh.

After putting the books into her trunk, she turned into her wardrobe and took out a box. The box was embroidered with golden carvings. Inside, she took out a wand, twelve-inch long, very smart looking and stuffed it into her pocket. She replaced the box with various types of powders, green, white, beige, red and black, each in a very small box that she had taken out from the drawer in the kitchen. Above the mantelpiece, there was a clock, well, a magical one. It can talk and was guarding something very important in it. She took the sleeping clock and shoved it into her trunk.

Soon, she stood in the middle of the room. She realized that she had nothing to pack anymore. She stared at her fully prepared trunks and noted herself that she will be leaving this house with these two trunks. Her eyes started to sting painfully and she had to blink back her tears. She was sure she will miss this house, and every memory she had with her grandpa. She haven't recovered from her loss of her loved one. But, when she thought about London, Hogwarts, and a starting new life, she felt excited and brave.

"I think that's all." Megan said finally, with a low voice.

"Well," he said. "have you apparate before?"

"I don't apparate," Megan answered shyly. "I orb, it was one of my powers. I mean, to disappear at this place and appear at the other."

"Since you could barely remember London, you couldn't orb. You had to apparate with me." smiled Dumbledore. "Grab your things."

When Megan had both trunks on her hands, she took a final look around her house. She wanted it to stay in her memory forever.

"Wand?" Dumbledore asked. "Check."

"Trunks?"

"Check."

"Are you ready?" Megan nodded, she was really nervous. Dumbledore put his big arm around her shoulders. "Hold tight, Megan, you don't want your trunks to fly away."

Megan gripped the handle of her trunks. "Bye, Egypt." she whispered. The next ting she knew, everything went black; she was being pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breath, as if there were iron bands tightening around his chest; her eyeballs were being pushed deeper into her skulls. Finally, she gulped in great lungfuls of cold air. They had arrived at the end of a street. There were a few lamplights blinking and a few benches along the deserted street. She took seconds before she found that she had left Egypt and her trunks by her side.

"Are you alright?" asked Dumbledore, looking down at Megan, whom was rubbing her ears. "The sensation does take a time to get used to."

"I'm fine," said Megan. "But I think I might prefer orbing."

Dumbledore smiled, drew his traveling cloak a little more tightly around his neck and said, "This way."

Megan followed at a brisk pace, dragging her heavy trunks. Her trunks made a loud sound and made Dumbledore turned.

"I'm sorry, I'd forgotten." He drew out his wand and pointed towards Megan's trunk and mumbled a Featherweight Charm. Instantly, the heavy trunks turned to be as light as feathers.

"Thank you." Megan grinned. She stole a look at her wrist watch and found that it was nearly half past three in the morning. She was surprised as she was quite awake and not a bit sleepy. "Sir," she caught up beside Dumbledore. "Where are we going?"

Dumbledore kept walking but looked down at Megan. "I believe you knew the Weasleys?"

"Weasleys?" Megan thought for a while and smiled. "Of course. Although the last time I saw them was a few years back, but we still kept in touch."

Besides her grandpa, the other family who cared about her was the Weasleys. There seemed to be a bond between Grandpa Ni and the Weasleys. When she was a toddler, Molly Weasley took care of her before she moved to Egypt. She played with the Weasleys, especially Fred and George, and Ron who was the same age of hers.

Four years ago, the Weasleys had won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. Thus, they came to Egypt to visit Megan and her grandfather and stayed there for a month.

"Are we heading to The Burrow?" asked Megan.

"No, there is something to do first." finished Dumbledore, not giving an answer that satisfied Megan.

They kept on walking without talking. After quite a long time, Megan broke the silence. "Sir, why did you say that Egypt is not a safe place to stay?"

"I assume you know about Voldemort?" Megan frowned, why is there anything to do about Voldemort, the You-know-Who? "He had someone on my tail lately, and he must have found out I had went to Egypt. Then, he will find out I had been seeing you, Megan."

"So...?" Megan asked, urging Dumbledore to continue.

"He will either try to kill you or get you on his side." said Dumbledore.

"Kill me? Why?"

"You know you have very magical and impressive powers in yourself, do you?" Megan listened carefully, catching every word Dumbledore said. "Well, there were not many wizards that know how special the Movains are. But, somehow, Voldemort knows."

"Because there is some of my family on his sides." Megan said, in a cold, heartless voice. "But, why is he trying to kill me?"

"He might, because he knew having such a powerful girl on his side is a big advantage, so he would try to get you. If no, he would kill you so you won't fall to others."

Megan shuddered. Such a thought that she had to serve the Dark Lord or she will be killed was terrifying. She had been dragged into the fight between evil and good even it was only her first hour in London.

They stopped in front of a small and shabby-looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley. Megan found it hard to notice if it wasn't Dumbledore who pointed it out.

For such an important and famous place, it was very dark and grubby. Although it's four in the morning, there were still a few witches and wizards sitting in corners. There were a low buzz of chatter and it stopped as they walked in. They seemed to know Dumbledore and were quite curious what brought Dumbledore up here at such a time.

Dumbledore walked over and talked to the barman. Seconds later he turned to Megan. "Come, you need to settle down first."

They both followed an old, crunched barman, whose name was Tom, and was the innkeeper. They went up a quite handsome-looking staircase and led them to room seven.

"Miss, if there is anything you need, just called me." said Tom.

Tom closed the door behind them and left Dumbledore and Megan alone in the room.

"Since it is quite late and you need some rest, I would make my words short." he paused. "Tomorrow, Hagrid will come and fetch you to buy some of your things. In the mean while, please do not wander around alone. Stay to the crowd, and always be alert." he sighed. "I believe that you're a very clever girl, Megan and somehow, there are still things that I cannot explain to you so soon. Now, I'll leave you to yourself. Have a good night sleep."

Megan waved to Dumbledore and he left. She can't believe that all this was happening to her. Well, approximately in five hours, she moved from Egypt to a so-called Wizarding world in London and was going to attend a Wizard school called Hogwarts.

The sky outside was starting to turn a little light. And without removing his glasses or changing her robes, she fell on to bed and sleep.