It was the next day. Alice had gotten all the things she needed for Hogwarts and her trunk stood in a corner of the room fully packed. She was holding her wand in her hand, just enjoying the feeling of it. It made her hand tingle, like they had at the World Cup. The door opened and the twins walked inside the room.

"Mum says that you should come down-," began Fred.

"-because Professor Dumbledore will be coming soon," finished George the sentence.

"Okay, I'll be coming down now," said Alice and carefully packed her wand back into the box. George had already left the room, while Fred was still standing in the door frame, watching her.

"You really like it, huh?" he said.

Alice just nodded, she had already said that when she bought it.

"You always wished you were a witch, didn't you?"

Alice turned around and looked at him. Sometimes she was afraid that he could see right through her, that he knew what she was feeling inside, but she guessed this wish was just an obvious one, as she had always been intrigued by the magic world.

"Yes," she said, finally. "But I thought that wish was pointless. I wouldn't have thought in a million years that something like this could happen, Fred. I'm still really happy this happened, even though it was because of such a horrid event...I've dreamt of it tonight...but I couldn't protect Ally in my dream...I failed..."

Her voice suddenly broke. She didn't know why she told him this, but she felt that it would be okay to say it, that he would understand. How she knew that, however, she couldn't say. Fred walked to her and took her face in his hands.

"Don't worry," he said. "That was just a dream, you know? It wasn't real." He looked at her reassuringly and she smiled at him.

"Thanks, you're right. I guess I just needed to tell that to someone, to get it out."

"You can talk to me, whenever you want, Alice. I'm there for you," Fred said and looked her in the eyes.

"Thank you, I'm so glad I can call you and George my friends," said Alice and hugged him.

Then Mrs Weasley called from downstairs and Alice let him go. She smiled and then went into the kitchen. "Ah there you are, dear. Professor Dumbledore will be coming any minute now, he said to Arthur that he would come around One o'clock. Do you want me to sit here, while he talks with you?"

"Yes, that would be nice Mrs Weasley," said Alice, sounding relieved. She had feared that she would have had to sit this conversation out alone.

She sat down at the table just as there was a knock on the door. Mrs Weasley hurried to open it and an old man with a long white beard entered the Burrow. He was looking like he stepped out of a fairytale, he looked just like how a wizard would be described in those: mysterious, wise and old.

"Good afternoon, Molly," he said cheerily. "And good afternoon to you too, Miss McIntire." He looked at her and smiled so Alice smiled back.

"Good Afternoon," she said.

Then he walked into the kitchen and sat down in front of her. "I am, as you might know, Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And you Miss McIntire are now part of this school, even though you were a Muggle just two days ago. It might be better if we get right to the point, as I have to attend some important things for the day, but I did not want to miss meeting you. As far as I know, you are a special case, because I have never heard of anything like it. But I would like to listen to your side of the story. Could you please tell me what happened?"

Alice was at first a bit reluctant, because she didn't want to live through it again, but she, none the less, started recounting all that had happened at the World Cup and also how she had felt while protecting her sister. She felt that it was important to explain herself and she felt that it was okay to say it to Professor Dumbledore. Because, although he might seem like a senile old man, he looked trustworthy and goodhearted and he had that kind of an aura with which you would always trust them.

After she had finished, Professor Dumbledore sat there, brushing through his beard.

"Hmn, this sounds quite interesting and also really like nothing I've ever heard before. I can not tell you right now what I think this might be. There are some ideas I have, though. But before I can not fully say if they are true I rather leave them a secret. You have my apologies if what you wanted to hear was an explanation, but the true reason for my coming is that I want to talk to you about how we will manage your late start of the school. As you know, you won't be joining the first years because you are much too old for that, but you will join the sixth years."

"The sixth years?" Alice said, disbelieve written across her face.

"Yes the sixth years. But don't worry, I've talked to Miss Granger and she gladly accepted that she would help you with your studies and everything. Still, I want you to take a test, a practical and a written one, as you did not have the chance to get your O.W.L.s. It won't be as hard or as much as the O.W.L. tests but for this reason I've asked Miss Granger to help you," he said and looked at her expectantly.

"I have to do a test? And when? I mean I understand why and I'm glad that Hermione will help me, but how much time do I have until the test? I have to learn many things, right? I mean I missed out on first to fifth year..."

"Oh don't you worry Miss McIntire. The test will be before the Christmas holidays and I'm sure you will do just great. But now let's talk about your first day, as we still have to state which house you are in. I want you to come to Hogwarts earlier than the other students, you can do that by floo powder and your friends are gladly welcome too. We will be meeting inside my office, where we will decide your house."

"That's good. I already wanted to ask how it is going to be decided but if it's in a small circle I'll gladly do so," said Alice. For some reason she had feared that she would have to be sorted in the great hall, like all the first years. She didn't like it when people stared at her, and it was bad enough to become the 'new girl'. Professor Dumbledore smiled knowingly.

"Then I think the only thing missing is your subjects. As you know, there are the ones you can choose from and then ones you have to attend. But after your O.W.L.s there are less subjects because only those with the right grade can go on attending this class. You have not done your O.W.L.s and you have not much experience in using your witchcraft, so I want you to choose subjects, where you don't need any magic," he said and gave a neatly folded piece of paper, where the subjects were written on. She examined the paper thoroughly.

Astronomy

Charms

Defence Against the Dark Arts

Herbology

History of Magic

Muggle Studies

Potions

Transfiguration

Arithmancy

Care of Magical Creatures

Divination

Study of Ancient Runes

Alice pondered about what to take but in the end settled onto Potions, Herbology, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, History of Magic and Defence against the Dark Arts. Professor Dumbledore looked at her choices for a long time.

"Are you sure about Defence against the Dark Arts, Miss McIntire?" he finally asked.

"Yes, I am. I want to learn everything in order to protect my family and friends. I hope I don't ask for too much, but this is the only subject with magic I really want to be a part of. I know I can do it, Professor," she said and looked at him pleadingly.

Professor Dumbledore gave up and nodded. "Okay, if that is what you wish for, I can not say anything against it. And don't worry, I've asked Miss Granger to also give you Transfiguration and Charms lessons, because you will have to know that for the test, too. It will just be better for you, if you work on that privately than in a larger group, because we don't know how good your control of you magical power is." With this he stood up. "There's just one thing I still have to ask of you, Miss McIntire. I strongly advice you to not tell anyone at school about you having been a Muggle up until a few days ago. We don't know who might get to know about you and who would want to harm you. For your own sake we will tell the school that you are from a different school for witches and wizard. I think it will be good if we say that you are from Ilvermorny, a wizarding school in North America. I think it will be the best if everyone just thinks that you are from a different school. Do you understand what I want to tell you with this?"

"I do, Professor. And I will do just as you said. I don't think that it would be too good to tell what really happened, either."

"That's good. Then I have nothing more to say to you. Thank you very much for offering me the time to speak to you, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to meet me at your house, Molly. I'll await you at Hogwarts Miss McIntire. Now good afternoon everyone," he said and disapparated with a plop.

Alice sighed deeply. He had told her so many thingsshe had to know and so many things she had to work on. Still she was lookingforward to her first day and everything. Mrs Weasley clapped in her hands.

"Now,that went rather quick, don't you think dear? Concerning your sorting, I think it might be best if only Fred and George join you? It might be too obvious if too many people are not on the train," she said.

"Yes, I think you're right. I'll have to ask Fred and George if they want to come though. Maybe they want to be with Lee in the train."

"Oh don't be silly dear, they will surely want to join you," said Mrs Weasley reassuringly. Alice smiled and nodded. She felt that the woman was right. Still, she went upstairs and into the room of the twins. "Knock, knock, it's me," she said while entering.

"Oh Alice, how did it go?" asked George.

"Everything went just fine. I'll tell you what he said in a minute. I want to ask you something first. Do you want to come with me to Hogwarts at the first of September a bit earlier than everyone? Like by floo powder? Professor Dumbledore wants me to be sorted inside his office in just a small circle."

"Sure, sounds good to me," said Fred without even thinking about it. George nodded agreeingly.

"We wouldn't want to miss out on your sorting Alice, what do youthink of us?" asked George, looking offended.

"Oh, I know. I still wanted to ask, you know? I wanted to be polite, do you guys know what that means?" she said while laughing.

"Sure we do. We are always polite!" said Fred and together with George they started talking using just the gentlemanliest words they could come up with. Like how Percy had talked after he had become headboy.

As the afternoon went on it was filled with laughter of the three and soon they became tired. Alice still managed to tell them what Professor Dumbledore had said and they agreed that he was right and that they really shouldn't tell anyone what had really happened to Alice. She felt lucky to have such good friends as the two and thought back on Fred hugging her and telling her that he was there for her. She had liked the way he had held her face in his hands but she was still unsure if that meant more or not. She didn't want to lose her friendship to him so she settled on the thought that that was just a gesture of a best friend.

"You guys really are my best friends, I'm glad I met you," she suddenly said and Fred and George looked at her surprised.

"We're glad too," said Fred and George together. Alice smiled.

With that being said, the trio started talking about the different subjects that where taught inside Hogwarts and Alice learned many new things that day.