Chapter 1 - The Stranger

Chicago, Illinois - July 30th, 1991

"Mom! I don't wanna go!" said a 16 year-old red-headed girl as she walked on the streets of Chicago with her mother and her luggage. "Emaline Patricia Goode, I'm through discussing this with you," her mother said sternly as they walked down the street. "We have until 9 o'clock to make the exchange and we can't be late!" "But my teammates need me! I am the captain of the Thunderbird Quidditch Team!", Emaline protested vehemently. "Listen honey, I think you're gonna love Hogwarts and you will make lots of new friends. Besides, it's just for one year. You'll be fine, Emmy." Emaline snarled sinisterly. She hated it when her mother called her "Emmy."

"Here we are," her mother said. They walked into the brick building labeled "Damen Blue Line".

"Just wait here, Emaline." She took a seat on a nearby bench and put her luggage to one side. "Can I help you?" a voice said coming from behind the counter. It was an elf with a thick Chicago accent and was smoking a cigar. "Yes. I'm here to make a student exchange to Hogwarts for my daughter, Emaline Goode."

"Can I see Ms. Goode's wand and her transfer letter?" the elf said. So she took out her wand and an envelope bearing the Hogwarts seal addressed to her from her pocket:

Ms. Emaline Goode

Thunderbird Common Room

Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry

Mount Greylock, Adams, Massachusetts

United States Of America

and then he opened it. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. Goode,

We are pleased to informed you that you have been transferred from Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry to Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry for the 1991-92 year. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Please be at the portal at the Damen Blue Line station in Chicago by July 31st.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

He put the letter back into the envelope and set it down on the counter. "One minute please, ma'am." The elf gave Emaline her envelope and her wand and jumped off his seat and walked upstairs. Later, a large clunk sound from upstairs filled the lobby. Suddenly, the house elf returned. "We're ready for you, Ms. Goode. Right this way..." said the elf. The elf escorted them up the stairs and standing before them was a portal. The elf said: "Okay, Ms. Goode, we are ready to begin the exchange."

Before Emaline could walk into the portal, Mrs. Goode gave her daughter a big hug and held her tightly. Emaline turned around and hugged her back and began crying. "I love you, Mom. I'm gonna miss Ilvermorny, and my friends."

"I know, sweetheart," said Mom. "I'll miss you. A lot. Now be on your way."

"Right this way, Miss Goode. It's time." the elf said, coughing as he smoked his cigar. Emaline grabbed her belongings, wrapped her purple and silver Thunderbird scarf from school around her neck, turned around and waved to her mother. She waved back. Emaline began to walk towards the portal without saying a word and disappeared. The portal closed. On the other side of the portal were fog and the familiar toll of Big Ben ringing in the distance. She was in London.

The Leaky Cauldron, London, England

July 31st, 1991

Emaline has been to London before with her parents when she was a little girl but never by herself. She spent the night in an old and popular wizarding pub and inn called "The Leaky Cauldron". As she was eating her lunch, a delicious-looking plate of Bangers And Mash, she was going over the list of supplies that she needed for her new school, wearing her purple and silver Thunderbird Quidditch jacket with her jersey number and her last name on the back. An old woman walked up to her with a teapot. "Would you like some more tea, dear?" she said politely. "Yes, please," said Emaline. She gave her cup to the woman who immediately filled it up with tea. "Thank you ma'am," said Emaline. The woman then walked away. She was preparing to head to Diagon Alley to pick up her supplies for school. As she did, she looked forward to Hogwarts and what it would be like. At Ilvermorny, she heard so many great things about it, about how it was similar in many ways to Hogwarts and looked forward to joining the Quidditch team for whichever house she would be sorted into but at the same time, she couldn't stop thinking about her true home, Ilvermorny, about her friends, her Quidditch teammates and her favorite professor, Professor Agilbert Fontaine.

Already, she was getting noticed by everyone in the restaurant. "Who is that young lady over there?" an old man said to a younger man. To his surprise, the younger man was distinctly taken aback. "Don't you know?" he said. "Don't you recognize her? That's Emaline Goode, she comes from one of the most famous wizarding families in the United States. She got transferred from Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry and she's supposed to start school at Hogwarts this year. She's practically American wizarding royalty. Damn good Quidditch player too."

"And she's bloody smart too," an older woman wearing glasses added. "Knows a lot about the planets and the stars."

"Merlin's Beard!" the old man said with surprise. "They have a wizarding school over there in the States?"

"Oh yes." he said. "Ilvermorny is very much like Hogwarts. But I heard somewhere that the school was haunted. Or something like that." Meanwhile, two young girls, one was blonde and the other had black hair and looked younger than Emaline, were looking at her from across the table and were whispering to each other. "I can hear you ladies, over there, you know." Emaline said, looking at a book and eating her food.

Suddenly, the front door opened. In walked a very large, very tall man with a long shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard accompanying a young boy with black hair and green eyes and wore a pair of glasses. They looked to be broken, which explains the piece of tape. He looked 5 years younger than her. Emaline then turned around and her jaw dropped. He was the biggest man that she had ever seen. She got up from her seat and began to walk towards the bar. Then she noticed that everyone was smiling and waving at him. He seemed to be very popular. Then the bartender reached for a glass saying, "Ah, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?"

"No thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business," the giant said. "Just helping young Harry here with buying his school supplies", clapping an enormous hand on the boy's shoulders.

"Good Lord!" the bartender said, peering at the boy, "Is this....can this be....?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly become very still and silent. Emaline stood up from her chair and looked around to see what was going on. She seemed to be very confused. "Bless my soul," the old bartender had whispered. "It's Harry Potter! What an honor!" Emaline could not believe it. She was standing in the presence of the famous Harry Potter. In the United States, the name was just as famous as it was in England. Emaline had a huge smile on her face. The bartender hurried out from behind the bar and rushed towards Harry and seized his hands. There were tears in his eyes. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter. Welcome back." The boy didn't know what to say. Everyone, including Emaline, was looking at Harry. She approached him and was the first to shake his hand. "Hello, Mr. Potter. I'm Emaline Goode." she said. "It's a privilege and an honor to meet you at last." Harry was speechless. Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone at The Leaky Cauldron. Emaline escaped the group of people that were mobbing Harry. Suddenly, she found herself standing next to the giant man. She had a look of shock and disbelief on her face. Suddenly the giant looked below and found Emaline with her mouth wide open looking right at him. "Ya okay there, young lady? Don't worry. I don't bite." the man said politely. Emaline did not say a word. All she did was nod to say "yes". "There's no need ta be 'fraid." he said. "What's your name?" Emaline then thought he didn't seem so bad after all.

"E...Emaline Goode," she said nervously. "I'm a transfer student from Ilvermorny and I'm supposed to start my sixth year at Hogwarts." She reached her hand out to him. The man shook it almost immediately. "A pleasure, Ms. Goode. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper Of Keys an' Grounds at Hogwarts, at yer service." he said. "I look forward ta seeing ya there." He walked away. Emaline finished up her lunch and returned to her room.

An older woman walked up to Harry saying with enthusiasm, "Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, I can't believe I'm meeting you at last." Harry shook hands again and again. Emaline left her room and Hagrid found her walking down the staircase. "Emaline! Come over here!" Hagrid said from across the room. She began to walk towards him. "Would you like to accompany us into Diagon Alley?"

She smiled and said, "I would love to."

Meanwhile, Doris Crockford kept coming back for more. A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. "Harry P-Potter," he said with a stutter. One of his eyes was twitching. "Can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you."

"Hello Professor!" said Hagrid. "Didn't see you there. Harry, Emaline, this is Professor Quirrell. He will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. At Hogwarts."

"Oh, and nice to meet you," Harry said as he reached out his hand.

"Fearfully fascinating subject," said Professor Quirrell with a stutter. "N-n-n-not that you need it, eh? Potter?"

"Well, must get on. Lots to buy. Emaline, Harry-come on," said Hagrid. "Goodbye. See you at school." said Emaline. Hagrid led her and Harry into a small courtyard with a wall, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds. "See Harry? You're famous!" said Hagrid.

"But why am I famous, Hagrid?" said Harry, "All of those back there. How is it they know who I am?"

"Not sure if I'm the right person who should be telling you that, Harry." he said. "Now, where's me umbrella?" Harry looked at Emaline, who was leaning on a wall waiting for something to happen.

"Where are you from, Emaline?" he asked. "Oregon," she replied. Then Harry asked, "What's Ilvermorny like?" She smiled at him and said, "It's only the best wizarding school in the world, Harry! Please come and visit when you get the chance." Harry noticed a golden necklace around her neck and felt curious to ask her about it.

"Nice necklace you have, by the way," Harry added. "Thanks," said Emaline. "It's a Gordian Knot. It's the symbol of my school. I explain it to you later."

"Three up...two across..." Hagrid muttered, "Right, stand back you two!"

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched- it wriggled- in the middle, a small hole appeared and it grew wider and wider - a second later, the three people were facing an archway large enough for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. "Mercy Lewis!" Emaline exclaimed.

"Emaline Goode, Harry Potter, Welcome," said Hagrid, "To Diagon Alley."