It was amazing, impossible, and spectacular. She watched him with wide eyes as he beckoned her closer. Shuffling her feet in an attempt to move forward, Dumbledore watched her with a small warm smile across his lips. 'I thought so,' He mused walking around his desk towards her.

'Th… Thought what?' Hail replied in a soft squeaky voice that she was sure she had never experienced before.

'I was wondering just this morning, when I sat down to my crumpets and I'd found there was no more honey left, of course it wasn't much of a predicament but I'd happened to have misplaced my wand. Well I was wondering if you'd be able to see a shadow over me. '

'No…' She almost gasped.

She was in disbelief. Never in her life had she met a person that she couldn't see blood dripping down, or a dark shadow surrounding them. It was the curse her mother had given her. Though, her mother was dead now. She had died giving birth to Hayley in which she had given her this 'gift.' It held a kind of survival mechanism of it; when someone with the gift dies it will go straight away to the closest person, muggle or not.

Hail finally snapped out of it, a small smile crossing her lips, not at all wide enough for anyone to notice. She'd barely noticed Dumbledore walking back behind his desk and making himself comfortable again. He pointed his wand down at an empty tray and two cups flew out of the reflection of the silver.

'Tea?' He offered. 'Please take a seat. This won't take long.'

Hail took her seat and shook her head at the offer. She hated anything hot. The seat was hard and wooden. Not bothering to look down at it, knowing already the bloody puddle she'd just sat in. One of the red drops fell from the roof, about to land across the professor's forehead but instead it became smaller, as it fell through the air and just disappeared.

'Well, since you came two weeks before the end of term we'll let you settle for now and after the holidays you can start your classes. You'll be staying in the Ravenclaw tower, with the other fifth years,' He continued trifling through the papers set messily across his desk.

'Waa... WAIT! My father specifically asked for me to be put in my own room. There is a reason fo-'

'Yes, yes I know. But there really aren't enough rooms, considering we're going to be holding another tri-wizard tournament this year. It really couldn't hurt for you to be treated without special circumstances.'

Hail sighed loudly, knowing nothing but trouble was going to come from this. She stood, turning sharply. 'I'll find my own way to my room,' she muttered annoyed and strode out alone. Dumbledore didn't call her back but replied. 'You will only be moved within reason.'

She mumbled to herself, 'There'll be enough reason, I'm sure.'

She walked back down the eagle stairs and found a short professor wondering over to her. 'Well hello!' He grinned in a high pitched voice. 'I'm professor Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw. And it's very nice to meet you.'

He reached out and shook her hand almost wildly, wild he giggled lightly. 'I'm just going to take you to your room and then I must be off. You came on an especially good day. All your classmates will be at Hogsmeade today, before the holidays,' he laughed again and Hail was starting to get sick of him already. He grabbed her arm and began practically dragging her up through the stair cases, with no idea where she is going and where to get there. But as the teacher went on and on about how she would love the school and make so many great friends and his incredibly annoying laughter with every breath he took, she wanted nothing more than to break free of what she considered the 'grip of death' and throw herself off the staircase to fall five stories down to her own flailing death.

Though her dying wish; to get away from this seemingly optimistic old man she kept on walking. Mostly because she figured the chances of falling to her death surrounded by hundreds of wizards wasn't a very good chance. The professor stopped her at the bottom of a spiral staircase.

'I'm sure you'll be able to find your room from her. Enjoy while you can, before the rest of the students return,' that was all he said before running off. He hobbled slightly as he ran; his short legs making him look somewhat like a dwarf. Turning towards the staircase, Hail assumed she had to climb to the top. With a deep intake of breath and all the time in the world she began her slow walk up the extremely tall spiral staircase. Small pretty windows followed the walls, with a perfect view of the mountains surrounding them. It would have been great to look at if the staircase wasn't so small. She wondered if she took a moment to take a look out one of the small windows if she'd start walking into a wall.

Reaching the top of the staircase she glanced around, only a large bronze door stood across from her, and a small silver table sat next to it, with a small plant sitting on top. Hail walked forward, holding out her hand towards the door. She let it fall carelessly across the smooth surface, seeing as there was no door knob or keyhole; only a single bronze door knocker in the shape of an eagle. She raised her hand and knocked the eagle lightly. She gasped and jumped back. 'Holy crumpet!' She spat staring down at her slightly bleeding hand. Sure she was used to others having blood over them but not herself. She looked back up at the eagle and frowned.

'Child, I doubt you were ever taught the proper way to hold a door knock, I was almost choked to death,' the eagles said in a horrified tone. Hail considered continuing and attempting to finish the job but didn't like her chances of bending metal.

'How do I enter?' She spat, not in a mood for manners. She'd already had a long day, with the four hour train ride here, straight from a plane. She just wanted to find her bed and try to get some sleep before her roommates show up.

'Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot,' the eagle chimed lightly.

'Please and thank you?' Hail groaned wearing a fake smile but letting it drop carelessly away again.

'Well, uh, yes? That's correct!' The eagle threw the door open and Hail jumped back lightly. 'I shouldn't have given you such an easy one.'

'An easy what?' Hail moaned and walked into the common room.

The door swung shut, while the eagle was stilling raving on about the standards of the sorting hat these days. The main room was a wide circular room, large arched windows covered in bronze and blue silk hangings and the ceiling was a high dome, painted with realistic stars. Hail didn't take in much of the room; just the usual, tables, chairs, bookshelves, a large statue of a woman wearing an odd headdress. She sat down in a comfortable chair by an open window. The wind blew lightly across her face and she sunk slowly back into its soft cushions. Her head began to roam and she fell in and out of conciseness.

She woke slightly into her dream world and came to see her mother. She sat in the warm soft arm chair, the dark window open slightly, chills running up and down her spine. She looked forward at the figure watching her. It looked as if it was a ghost, a silver shimmering form of a woman. She guessed she was dreaming of her mother, floating a metre or so above the ground and looking down at her. 'Helena?' Hail said lightly, her voice echoed silently within the empty room of her dream. 'Mother?'

Instead of replying she just floated away, her long dark hair hanging lightly against her back. Hail yawned and spoke quietly, 'Goodbye mother.'

A thought struck her hard, do you usually yawn in dreams?