Given

Wanda: I...I'm so sorry. As much as I try to make Writer's Block's apparent invulnerability funny, it really has been a bit of a problem with this story. I know where I want to go, but this first year is proving to be a bit stubborn. I won't give up, though. Even if it takes more time then I planned, I won't give up.

I do not own Harry Potter.

Interlude 1: For In Dreams

I'm standing in darkness. I can hear someone talking. It started as one person, but then another joined them, then another, then another, until it was a legion, all speaking in unison, repeating five phrases like a prophecy or a prayer.

Seven Lives

Seven Worlds

1 Billion Souls

Seven Chances

Seven Replacements

My head would start to hurt. The darkness would surround me. In the distance, I hear a train whistling. It's getting louder and louder every moment...

Seven. Seven. Seven.

For some reason, this was my fear simulation.

Just that handful of phrases, repeated over and over and over until they were burned into my memory.

No, I don't understand it.

It sounds like some kind of fragmented prophecy, which is odd because usually it's Divination that's in charge of those things. I have a sinking feeling that its kind of important.

Anyway, some of the other kids managed to get out of their simulations. Tessie is apparently scared of spiders – hey, that's something she and Ron have in common.

Heather is claustrophobic. Amber is aquaphobic. Lily doesn't like dogs. Atlair arcophobic.

Artemis had to help everyone except Tessie escape their simulations. She was actually pretty nice about it, to my surprise – she said she didn't expect the kids to handle it well the first time, and you had to build up your ability to react under fear and pressure. Then she gave an essay about fear for homework and dismissed us for dinner.

I told my housemates I'd be a bit late and wandered off on my own. I was tired and worried, and I was thinking about the phrases in my 'nightmare'

Seven is generally considered a magic number...seven lives? Seven worlds?

Did magic know that I didn't belong here?

I wanted to laugh at the thought – a somewhat hysterical laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. Of course I didn't belong here. My world had been a world without magic, with another family I don't know if I'll ever see again in this life or the next. Why would I understand magic? Magic wasn't real, neither was Harry Potter...

But I had been here for eleven fucking years, eleven years when this world hadn't changed in the slightest. It was definitely real.

Had I been brought here? JK Rowling's books hadn't given any indication that cross – world or dimension magic was a thing.

The theory of the multiverse was beginning to seem more and more likely to me. The theory being that a single decision causes a completely different world and future to take hold, separating it from the original. We had no way of verifying that before, but now that I'm here...and this world is clearly real... that's another obvious possibility.

I feel like I'm an outsider looking in at the world. It's a heavy, unpleasant feeling. I've never felt so alone ever before.

"Hey...excuse me!"

I'm broken out of my thoughts by a new voice. Starting, I turned around to see a girl my age has walked up behind me. She's a pretty oriental with black hair and brown eyes, and her face looks familiar.

It takes me a second to put my finger on it – this must be a young Cho Chang. I had forgotten that this was her first year at Hogwarts.

"Wha? Sorry, what?" I managed through my surprise.

Cho flushed a bit before saying, "Have you seen Altair? Slytherin first year, a bit taller then me, black hair?"

"Uh, no...why?" I asked curiously. I hadn't spoken to Altair since school began – I had a sneaking feeling she was avoiding me whenever we had a class together.

Cho locked her fingers together, a worried look on her face. "Oh, we've been partnered together in Herbology, and Professor Sprout gave us an enchanted Venus Flytrap to look after. I've been meaning to ask her a few things about keeping it fed, but she hasn't come down to dinner and I haven't seen her since this morning. Since you've been out here a while and everyone else is in the great hall, I was wondering if you'd seen her..."

A seed of worry took hold in my chest. I shook my head. "I haven't seen her, sorry. But, hey – I'm not hungry; I could help you look for her if you want."

Cho brightened visibly. "Thank you! That's very nice of you."

"Okay, what places haven't you checked yet? How about the library?"

So the two of us left the hallway together and headed up the stairs. I hadn't thought much about Cho, to be honest – her main function in the book was being a romantic false lead for Harry, and being a grieving mess after loosing Cedric. They didn't really take time to showcase some of her more positive traits, or those unrelated to the boys in her life.

Speaking of Cedric, I met him in Herbology class. He's really friendly and nice; I think he's one of the few students who's making friends in all four houses. I dutifully added 'keep Cedric alive' to my checklist of Stuff I Need To Do.

That list keeps getting longer.

Either way, the two of us made our way up to the library.

End of Interlude

Altair is back. Her predicament is the catalyst for the year (though how, I'm keeping under wraps for the moment). And yes, I finally remembered this is Cho's first year too. (facepalms) This is what happens when you don't go on Pottermore and you forget these little details.

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