Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Many thanks to JKR for creating such an amazing world.

OO

The owl came while they were eating breakfast. It soared through the open window and dropped a parchment envelope next to the juice jug. Ruffling its feathers importantly, it took off again, wheeled about, and soared gracefully back through the kitchen window.

"What the…?" asked the girl seated at the table, looking from the window to the envelope and back, not noticing the milk splattering the table from her stationary spoon.

Her father, also sitting at the table and reading a newspaper, picked it up and looked at it carefully. "For you, Phae," he said, as casually as if receiving letters by owl was quite a normal occurrence.

Putting down her spoon, Phae brushed back her dark red hair and took it. She narrowed her mismatched blue and green eyes at the official-looking, blood-red seal before opening it.

Dear Ms. Sands,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and supplies.

The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross Station, Platform 9-3/4 at 11:00 a.m. on September 1.

Yours Sincerely,

Deputy Headmistress

Phae's eyes widened and she had to read it over several times. At her father's concerned look, she read it aloud. When she finished, he was inexplicably beaming. "Congratulations," he told her proudly. "We always knew you had it in you."

"Had what?" she asked, very concerned.

He chuckled and replied simply, "Magic."

While she read the letter again, her father had taken out the list and was examining it closely. "Well," he said, "looks like we need to take a trip to Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley?" asked his daughter, puzzled.

"Yep," he replied, "Not a better place to get all this. Well, we could order it by Owl Order, but it's time you learned."

OO

Two train rides and a boat trip later, they had arrived. Diagon Alley, it turned out, was a skinny little street packed with the most amazing of wizarding shops. The only way in was to go into the alley behind a dingy little London pub called the Leaky Cauldron and tap the third brick from the right above the bin.

Her father laughed and tapped her chin, which had fallen slightly open as Phae gazed along the crowded street. "Well," he asked with a wink, "where would you like to start?"

They started at the far end of Diagon Alley where they bought her pewter cauldron, a set of shiny brass scales, and a collapsible telescope. The Apothecary, despite being filled with any number of slimy yet intriguing items, smelled so badly that Phae was glad she hadn't eaten lunch before they came.

Phae wandered into Madame Malkin's: Robes for all Occasions with a relieved sigh – clothing was something she understood. A smiling witch clad in bottle green bounced towards her. "Hogwarts?" she asked.

She nodded. Her father walked in a moment later, and struck up a conversation with a pair of Muggles – non-magic people – who were waiting in a corner and examining an expensive set of gold-embroidered dress robes.

"Good, good," the witch muttered distractedly, "We've got another student being fitted right now." With that, the witch grabbed her arm and dragged her behind a curtain in the back.

A nervous-looking, green-eyed girl was already standing on a stool, half-draped in black fabric.

"Hogwarts too?" asked Phae as the witch pushed her onto a similar stool in front of an ornate mirror.

The girl nodded shyly.

"Me as well. I'm Phae Sands."

"Lily Evans….Do you know anything about Hogwarts?"

Phae shrugged. "Just that my dad thinks I'm really lucky to have gotten in."

"Your parents are magic?"

"No." – She shook her head. – "My dad's a wizard, but my mom was a Muggle."

Lily seemed to relax a bit. "Oh. My parents are both – what did you call them? – Muggles."

"Don't worry," she told Lily with a smile, "all that talk about blood being so important is a load of rubbish. My dad told me there're only a handful of purebloods left."

"Still," – the pensive look returned to Lily's face, - "I'll probably be really behind. Everyone will know so much more than I will."

Phae scoffed. "No you won't. I didn't know anything about this until I got my letter. I've practically been raised by Muggles as well."

Their conversation was halted by Madam Malkin, who had been running about pinning and measuring and cutting, telling Lily she was finished and leading her back to the front.

"See you on the train then," said Lily with a shy smile.

Phae was finished a few minutes later, and she joined her father in the sunshine.

Flourish and Blotts was next. Phae, who would read any book she could get her hands on, was nearly overwhelmed by the number of books crammed inside the tiny store. There were books as thick and broad as paving stones, books the size of a postage stamp, books engraved with weird runes and languages she couldn't read, and some books with no visible writing at all.

"Now for your wand," said her father, checking the list, which was perched precariously on a large stack of books.

He led her into a shabby little store with a sign that read: Ollivanders – Makers of Fine Wands since 382 b.c. A single wand lay on a dusty pillow in the window.

"Good afternoon," said a very dreamy voice as Phae edged her way in. The whole tiny space had a very musty smell to it, like an old library.

"Hello," replied Phae in a very soft voice, the wandmaker's pale eyes were a bit disconcerting.

Mr. Ollivander nodded to her father. "Welcome back, Patrick. Thirteen inches, ebony, and dragon heartstring. Yes?"

Her father smiled. "I'm surprised you remembered me."

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, and the person I sold it to," replied Mr. Ollivander with a crooked wink.

"This is my daughter – Phae," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Finally, Mr. Ollivander seemed to notice her again. "Well, young lady, let's find you your wand." He whipped out a long, silvery measuring tape, which began taking her measurements all on its own while Mr. Ollivander fetched a ladder and pulled a box off the top shelf. "Seven inches, maple and unicorn hair."

He handed her the wand, but before Phae could swish it, yanked it away again. "Nope." Scurrying to another part of the store, he pulled out another box. "Eleven and a half inches, mahogany and dragon heartstring."

The pile of tried wands grew larger and larger. Finally, he pulled out a very dusty box from the far back of the store. "Ten inches, rosewood and phoenix feather."

As soon as she wrapped her fingers around the polished handle, a tingling warmth flowed through her and several blue and bronze sparks shot from its tip.

"Bravo!" said Mr. Ollivander, clapping his hands together.

They paid for her wand and stepped outside. By this time Phae was getting hungry. "One more stop," said her father, "then we'll go to the Leaky Cauldron for supper."

He led her into a store across the way called Magical Menagerie. Inside was dark and cramped and noisy. Every inch of space was crammed with cages and tanks whose inhabitants were squeaking, squawking, and hooting. There was a large turtle with a jewel-encrusted shell, a basket full of humming balls of fur, and a cage of sleek black rats.

When they emerged ten minutes later, Phae was carrying a large cage containing a golden-brown male Great Horned Owl.

"You deserve a reward," explained her father when she asked why he was buying her an owl. "Besides, how else do you expect to keep in contact with your dear old dad," he added with a wink.

OO

The last month of summer passed very quickly. Between packing, perusing her new books, and explaining to her friends that she was going over to England for school, Phae had very little time for anything else. Her moods ranged from giddy excitement at the prospect of being a witch to depression at leaving her father when she was the only person he had since her mother died.

"I'll be fine," he assured her on her last night home. "There's plenty here to keep my busy. You go and make us proud, and don't let me catch you worrying about me."

OO

A scarlet steam engine sat at the platform belching thick clouds of white smoke when Phae passed through the barrier leading onto Platform 9-3/4. The steam was so thick that it threatened to engulf the crowds of people already there. It was the noisiest, most chaotic place she'd ever been. Owls hooted, cats hissed, people shouted – it was almost too much for the girl.

"Come on," said her father, appearing through the barrier pushing a trolley. "Let's find you a seat."

Phae followed closely as he wended their way through the crowd to the very end of the train. She looked around as her father magicked her trunk and owl into place. There were several large groups of older students watching the newcomers with bemused expressions. The other first years were easy to spot: a black-haired boy was blatantly ignoring his formidable mother; a pretty girl was holding court with several older boys; a pale, sandy-blonde boy was patiently enduring a very teary hug from his mother; a vast majority of the new students looked small and scared.

Her things safely stowed, her father turned. "Do us proud, Phae," he told her, placing a hand on the top of her head and mussed her hair.

They laughed as she struggled to smooth her hair flat again.

A whistle blew – the signal that the train was ready to depart. The crowd, which had already gotten thin, was beginning to disperse, and conductors were yelling for students to get onboard.

She kissed her father on the cheek. "Bye. I'll miss you." With a final hug, she ran onboard just as the guards began slamming the doors shut.

OO

She had just settled into an empty compartment and was about to open a thick book – Hogwarts: A History – when the door slid open to reveal two girls.

"Hi," said Lily, the girl she had met in Diagon Alley. "Do you mind?"

Phae shrugged and slid closer to the window.

"This is Becca Cohl," said Lily as they sat down, "Becca, this is Phae."

Becca caught sight of the book Phae was reading and stared. "You're actually reading that thing?" she asked.

"Skimming more like," said Phae. "I wanted to learn more about the school before I got there."

"Your parents didn't come here then?" asked Becca.

Phae shook her head. "My mom was a Muggle. My dad went to Ravenswood."

Becca nodded. Ravenswood Academy was the premier school of witchcraft in Ireland, but it was nothing compared to Hogwarts. "My parents were both Gryffindors, so I was a cert. Do you know what houses you'll be in?"

"I'm hoping for Gryffindor, though I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw," said Phae.

Lily shook her head. "I'll probably be a Hufflepuff."

Becca laughed. "Nothing wrong with that; better Hufflepuff than Slytherin."

The girls continued to talk about their families, the school, and their experiences with the wizarding world until a plump witch pushing a tea cart arrived at about half-two. Pooling their money, they purchased a stack of cauldron cakes and a package of licorice wands.

"Have either of you ever played Exploding Snap?" asked Becca as they ate, producing a deck of what looked to be playing cards.

They shook their heads, looking puzzled.

Quickly she explained. It was a simple enough game, except that the cards were libel to explode at any point, signaling the end of the game. They continued to eat and play as the train sped them always northward through rolling hills and over sprawling valleys.

They had just changed into their black school robes when the door to their compartment slid open and two boys entered. "Excuse us," said one, the dark-haired boy Phae had seen ignoring his mother on the platform.

"Sorry," muttered the other dark-haired boy, nearly sitting on Lily's lap as he tried to peer out into the corridor.

The first boy suddenly dumped a very wet toad into Phae's lap. She squirmed uncomfortably. "Hold that for a minute, if you'd be so kind," he said belatedly.

Suddenly the other boy ran out of their compartment and sprinted down the corridor. With a muttered curse, a gangly boy with greasy hair who had been wandering down the corridor dashed past the compartment after him.

The other boy scooped up the toad, smiled at them, and saying happily, "Cheers," left, sauntering the opposite way down the corridor.

At this most unusual interruption, the three girls stared at one another for a few minutes before bursting into furious giggles.

Not soon after, the train rounded a bend and Hogwarts came into view. It was a magnificent castle with turrets and towers and bright lights gleaming from each window to be reflected in the still lake at its edge.

OO

Instead of following the older students out to the front of the station, the first years were met by the largest man they had ever seen, calling, "Firs' years! Firs' years, this way!"

Very nervously, they followed him down a winding path to the rocky shore of what looked like a very long, very deep lake. Several dozen small boats were waiting for them. Careful not to get the hems of their black robes wet, the students climbed aboard.

The boats set off all on their own as soon as everyone was seated. Most of the students gazed up in wonder at the splendid castle or at their over-large escort. Several girls screamed as two enormous tentacles rose up out of the mirror-still lake next to their boat. They seemed to wave for a moment before disappearing again.

The huge man chuckled. "Nothing ta worry 'bout," he laughed. "Tha's jus' the giant squid sayin' hello."

By the exchanged looks, a giant squid was something to worry about.

It wasn't long until the boats sailed through a moss net concealing a cavern at the castle's bottom, and beached themselves on another rocky shore.

"Come on, you lot!" shouted the man, his voice echoing on the rocks.

OO

He led them up a curving spiral staircase and across an emerald green lawn to a set of oak doors even larger than himself. A severe-looking woman wearing a pointed hat opened the doors and stepped out to meet them. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, still not taking her eyes off them. "The train was running a bit late, so the Sorting will begin almost immediately. A few items first, however…"

As the teacher – Phae assumed it was Professor McGonagall – spoke to them about how things were done, Phae let her mind slip away. The stunning architecture and magnificent marble staircase of the Entrance Hall was much more fascinating.

Finally they began moving again: through the front doors, across the Entrance Hall, and through another set of oak doors.

Four tables stretched the length of the Great Hall – each nearly full of students. The teachers were seated at another table on a raised dais at the far end so they could watch the students. Thousands of candles floated overhead, and the arched ceiling mimicked the crystal-clear night outside.

Professor McGonagall led them right to the front of the dais, and Phae could feel the whole school's eyes on them. Leaving them, McGonagall stepped onto the dais and unrolled a scroll she had been holding. One by one, she began reading names.

OO

As their names were called, the new student cautiously approached; she would then place a battered old hat on their head, and the hat would announce their House to the school.

Phae watched intently as those before her were sorted. After nearly a minute of deliberation, Sirius Black – the boy with the toad from the train – became the first Gryffindor. Becca followed him to the table a minute later. Lily was the only Gryffindor in the center of a group of Slytherins. Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew also became Gryffindors in short order.

Waiting was the worst part of the Sorting. All manner of bad thoughts came unbidden into Phae's consciousness: What if her name wasn't on the list? What if the hat didn't know where she belonged? She shoved those thoughts out of her head as Professor McGonagall called, "Sands, Phaelon."

"Hmm," said the hat the moment it touched her head. "Bold and daring; a bit of a temper as well; bright, very bright…Gryffindor!"

With a sigh of relief, Phae slid from under the hat and went to join her new friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Good job, Phae!" said Lily as she sat.

Becca slapped her forcefully on the back. "Congratulations!"

To her surprise, the boy next to Becca held out his hand. She shook it. "Welcome," he said, "James Potter. This," he gestured to the other black-haired boy, "is Sirius Black.

Sirius nodded. "Sorry 'bout the toad…you know how those things go."

"The quiet one here," James continued, pointing to a pale, sandy-haired boy, "is Remus Lupin. And that scrawny one down there is Peter Pettigrew."

Phae nodded to each of them, but before the conversation could continue, the Headmaster stood. The room went deathly quiet as each student attentively watched the old man with the long silver hair and beard.

"Bibble. Quark. Snuffles. Jeehosephat," he stated.

The room broke into applause as he sat back down.

Phae shook her head, trying to suppress a smile. This would be very interesting.

OO

Author's Note: Please don't give up hope on me yet…Chapter Two Coming Soon…