Catrin looked around her room with an air of disbelief. Bed, wardrobe, mirror, bathroom...it was all too much to take in at once. On the table in front of her were the remains of the largest slice of chocolate cake she'd ever eaten; as well as a basket of fruit that she hadn't been able to eat. The rucksack of food had been returned to its proper place- McGonagall had warned her stealing wouldn't be tolerated there, and Catrin liked to think that she was clever enough not to mess up this opportunity.

It was incredible to believe that one short meeting could have turned her life around so much.

Immediately after her agreement, McGonagall had gone outside and summoned- out of nowhere- a gleaming purple bus which rocked alarmingly and had almost tipped her off the unstable bed she'd been given several times. Just how she'd managed to arrive in London only ten minutes later was an incredible mystery to her, but no sooner had she tumbled out of the bus than she'd been whisked into a pub. A very strange pub it had been, too: a hazy mist of smoke hung over everything, but she'd managed to make out some mind-boggling things, like a man smoking a sprinkling can, a woman using her stick –wand- to make her tea stir itself. They'd all been wearing the same dress-clothes like McGonagall's, which she'd learnt were called robes.

Then they'd stuffed her with the best food she'd eaten in years- not to mention the most. Catrin had stared disbelievingly for a few seconds, and then started wolfing down the food as though she thought it'd disappear in any second- which she had. She regretted it now, though- the waistband of her trousers felt uncomfortably tight.

Everything she'd seen had made her eyes pop with amazement, and had proved beyond proof- except of drugs- that magic did exist. Though she still thought that it might be some lying dream that she was about to wake up from.

In the meantime though, just in case this was actually happening, she had bombarded McGonagall with hundreds upon thousands of questions about- as it was called- the Wizarding World. To her credit, McGonagall had answered each and every one of these, providing Catrin with scores of information about this new life. The one question she hadn't asked- had been afraid to broach- was why her? What made her special enough? Did they simply pick random people and say that they'd do? Was this magic a mutation? Or were one of her parents magic?
It couldn't have been her mother...she had no recollection whatsoever of her wielding anything like a wand. Her father? She'd never known him, and had been too young to care. Of course, now it was too late...her mother was dead, and she'd never find out. And that was all her fault...

But she pushed that thought away- she was in a hotel! And she'd been stuffed full of more food than she cared to remember. For now, tomorrow could wait.

She sat down cautiously on the bed, and giggled with surprise as she sank into it. It was squidgy! Feathery soft...she lay down on it, and suddenly all the nights of sleeping rough caught up with her, and she was out like a light.

"Miss Jones! Miss Jones!"

Catrin's eyes jerked open- and then snapped shut against the spears of light jabbing at her eyeballs. "Aaargh..." she groaned, rolling over onto her side...then her instinct kicked in and she jerked upright, lashing blindly out at whatever threatened her.

Her arm hit nothing; she overbalanced and crashed onto the hard floor with a creak. For a moment she lay there, stunned, and then her eyes tentatively opened again, admitting one of the most amazing scenes she had ever seen.

A bed...a room...

Catrin gasped as all of her memories flooded back and felt happiness surge in her chest like bubbles. It hadn't been a dream...she was really here! Magic! Wands! Robes! A school!

She grinned widely, then levered herself painfully up onto her feet, touching the bed again. What had woken her? Maybe she should go back to bed...

"Miss Jones!"

"Oy, luv. There's someone wantin' ya. Be a darling and open the door."

Catrin spun round. The voice seemed to have been coming from the mirror.

"Can you...talk?" She asked it hesitantly.

"Of course, chuck. Now, please, open the flamin' door, I'm gettin' an 'eadache."

Goggling at the mirror, Catrin shuffled sideways across the room and turned the handle.

"What's been keeping you?" Asked a very harassed Professor McGonagall. Then- "Goodness, child. Did you sleep in those?"

Catrin stared groggily, first at the immaculate teacher, then down at her rumpled jeans and shirt.

"Um..."

"Never mind, never mind." McGonagall swept into the room, dominating the space despite being less than 20 times its size.

"I won't be accompanying you today, Hagrid will. We'll meet him downstairs...there's a bit of fuss with the Minister for Magic that I have to sort out...something about disappearances..."

She seemed to realise that she was speaking aloud and stopped abruptly.

"Who's the Minister for Magic?"

"Like your...what's he called? Slime Minister."

"The Prime Minister?"

"Slime works just as well, from what I've heard. You'll learn more when you come downstairs. Now, enough! Get ready!"

When McGonagall had done, Catrin stared helplessly around the room. Get ready? How? She glanced towards the bathroom...and shuddered.

"I'd advise havin' a wash, if I were you."

"You're a mirror." She answered, and then cursed.

Ten minutes later, Catrin made her way down the rickety stairs into the main body of the pub. She stared around helplessly through the crowd, more than a few of which were giving her funny looks, and decided to head for the bar. The landlord, who was called Tom, had scared her at first, but maybe he'd be able to tell her where McGonagall was.

"You alright, love?" She turned to see a middle-aged witch looking down at her. Catrin was reassured to see a kindly face, and grinned back at her.

"Yeah..."

"Goodness me, you're soaking! Are you sure?"

Catrin did not attempt to tell her of the disastrous attempts to handle the bath, and settled for a shrug.

"Let me..." The witch withdrew her wand, and pointed it at Catrin, who backed away. "Don't worry...aridum!" And miraculously, her whole body was suddenly as warm and dry as though she'd been sitting in front of a roaring fire.

Catrin touched her clothes disbelievingly. "Thank you..."

"New to the Wizarding World, are you?" She smiled.

"I don't know...I mean, I must be, yes. I'm going to Hogwarts." She added proudly, and was surprised when the witch laughed. "Everyone does! My own daughter's going there this year, too! I went myself...it's been seventeen years now, but you wouldn't think it to look at me, would you?"

Inspired by a sudden confidence in the witch's friendly manner, Catrin smiled cheekily up at her and replied "No, I thought you were half that age!"

She burst into a surprised laugh, and extended her hand to Catrin, who, hoping that she was going for a handshake and not some strange wizarding ritual, shook it.

"M'name's Hannah, m'dear. Hannah Longbottom."

"Catrin Jones. It's nice to meet you."

"What a lovely name! I run the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade."

"Hogs...meade?"

"Oh! Of course, you wouldn't know." Hannah Longbottom stowed her wand back in her pocket and ran a hand through her salt-and-pepper hair. "It's a village very close to Hogwarts, though you won't be allowed to visit until you're in third year. In fact-"

"Miss Jones- oh, hello, Hannah." Professor McGonagall had appeared behind the witch's elbow, jostling around so she was next to them.

"Minerva! Is this your charge? Such a lovely young lady she is, too."

"Yes- what? Oh yes, this is Catrin Jones. Hagrid will be taking care of her from now- there's been a bit of fuss with Mercus Abbot again..."

"Hagrid?" Catrin interrupted, worried. Who- or more worryingly, what- was Hagrid?

"Hagrid's our gamekeeper. He should be around here somewhere...ah, there he is."

McGonagall hurriedly said goodbye to Hannah- Catrin had the impression that 'hurried' was a state in which McGonagall spent much of her time- and started off through the crowd.

"Bye!" Catrin called to Hannah Longbottom as she ran off after her escort. The witch waved back, and then was swallowed by the mass of people.

It took a solid five minutes to navigate their way to the other corner of the pub, however eventually they arrived in a little corner, where two men were sitting. Well- only one could be considered a man, thought Catrin, shocked, as she surveyed the mountain that seemed to be in the middle of saying something. He was huge, with a beard the size of a dustbin lid.

She hoped with all her heart that he was Hagrid.

"Hagrid, Ronald." McGonagall greeted the two with a wave of her hand, and they looked up, startled. Catrin was intrigued to see that the second man- tall and gangly with a shock of red hair- looked slightly guilty.

"'ello, Minerva." Rumbled the mountain comfortably. "Just been havin' a chat with Ron. Y'know, 'bout the good ol' days."

"Running rampant around Hogwarts." Said Ron with a grin. "Saving people- and Norbert. You know how things go."

"Aah, Norber'." Sighed the mountain. He must be Hagrid, then.

"Yes, well, we have the next generation of Hogwarts students to look after now." Barked McGonagall, who did not seem to approve of idle chatter. Both Hagrid and Ron craned their necks interestedly, and their eyes settled on Catrin. She squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze.

"Aah, you're Catrin Jones." Said Hagrid. "Pleased ter meet yer."

"Same." Ron said with a grin.

"Nice to meet you too." She said quietly.

"Reminds me of 'Arry." Said Hagrid, leaning back in his chair. "Poli' to a faul', he was. At the beginnin' mind you." He chucked again, and Catrin decided that she liked this man- if he was a man, that is.

"Well, better get goin', anyway. Pleasur' as always, Ron."

"Same. Actually, I'd better come too; Hermione'll kill me if I miss the shopping extravaganza. Rose needs clothes, and she's been looking forward to an owl...I'll come with you as far as Flourish and Blotts."

With a great creaking of chairs, he two stood up. McGonagall turned to face her charge.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts." She said. "I've asked Hagrid to accompany you to King's Cross, so don't worry about that. You'll be perfectly safe with him. Until September, then..."

McGonagall smiled, and then disappeared back into the throng with nothing more than a billow of robes, leaving Catrin to stare after her.