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BOOK ONE: CHAPTER TWO

Veronica wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn't what she saw. The man in front of her was old, his hair and beard were long and silver, and he was wearing robes similar to those of a priest. Veronica relaxed slightly, knowing that she could easily take him down if she needed to; he looked like he could be knocked over by a strong gust of wind. Either way, she refused to let her guard down for even a minute. Dumbledore shut the door softly and turned to her. For a few minutes, the room was silent as Veronica eyed the strange man in front of her.

"Veronica, my name is Albus Dumbledore, but students refer to me as Professor Dumbledore. I understand your hesitation to trust me. However, I assure you that I mean you no harm. Do you mind if I sit?" Veronica shook her head. "Would you like to sit?" Veronica shook her head. Dumbledore sighed as he examined her room before continuing. "Veronica, have you ever made things happen, strange and unexplainable things, when you were angry or sad?" Veronica's eyes grew wide, and Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "That's because you're a witch."

Veronica instantly choked on her saliva and began to cough violently. As Dumbledore stood with the intention of patting her back, she put out her hand to stop him and glared at him warningly. Veronica finally found her words as her coughs subsided. "A witch!?! Are you crazy!?! You expect me to believe that!?!"

Without so much as a warning, Veronica's bed began to float with Dumbledore still sitting on it. Veronica's jaw dropped as she stared at it in amazement. She couldn't believe her eyes. Could he really be telling the truth? Through her shock, Veronica dropped the baseball bat and cautiously approached the bed. Crouching down slowly, she waved her hand under one of the bed posts and found nothing. Veronica gasped and fell backwards onto her butt: the bed really was floating! As it touched the ground again, Dumbledore extended his hand to her. Veronica stared at it for a second before grabbing hold of it and pulling herself up. Slowly, she sat in her desk chair across from him.

"Is that proof enough for you?" Veronica nodded wordlessly. "Brilliant. Here is your acceptance letter." Dumbledore handed her a white envelope with her name and address on it. Hesitantly, she opened it.

"'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'? That's the name of the school?"

"Yes, but it is most commonly referred to simply as Hogwarts. Inside, you will find a list of all necessary books and equipment. On September 1st at 7 AM, Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, will escort you to Diagon Alley, where you will purchase everything you need. He will also escort you to King's Cross Station by no later than 10:30 AM. The train leaves at 11 AM sharp, so you must not be late. Hagrid will inform you on how to access the platform. Any questions?"

"Well, yes. I don't know if you've noticed, but my parents hate me. They definitely won't give me money to purchase the stuff I need," Veronica sighed as she glanced at the long list of required items.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Your grandparents left everything they had to you when they passed."

"Wait... What? My grandparents were wizards too?"

"Oh yes. They also attended Hogwarts. They were bright students: Ravenclaws, the lot of them. You'll learn about the different houses once you arrive at Hogwarts. I was not the headmaster when they were in school, only a professor, but I grew fond of them over the years. I was devastated to hear of their passing. Perhaps one day, we can share stories of them."

Veronica hadn't realized she was crying until Dumbledore handed her his handkerchief. As she wiped her tears, she smiled at him for the first time since he entered her room. "I would love that."

Dumbledore nodded his head and smiled. "Veronica, there's one more thing we need to discuss. Your parents... I decided not to tell them everything because I wanted you to make that decision. If you want them to know what you are, we can go down there together and tell them. If not, it can be our secret. The decision is yours."

Veronica didn't even hesitate. "I don't want them to know. They'll only make my life more miserable if they find out. I'll keep it a secret until I'm 18, at which point I'll move out and never speak to them again. That's always been my plan; this changes nothing."

Dumbledore nodded softly. "Okay then, we won't tell them." With a sad smile, he stood and made his way over to the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he turned one last time. "Oh, and happy birthday Ms. Singer." With that, he left her room and left the house without speaking another word to her parents.