Erin's POV

I was rummaging through my closet, finding things that I could throw out and things I could keep. That was when I came across an old dark brown box, there was a lock on it that seems pretty useless because I could break it with the slightest twist of my wrist. But then I found an old key taped to it. I picked it up delicately, scared of opening the case, because it seemed strange for me to not know or remember what was inside the box.

I twisted the key and heard the click of the lock, I took it off my breath shaky with anticipation. I slowly opened the box and I saw the most abnormal things inside of it, there was a long piece of wood with elegant carvings that looked like vines. There was a small shiny golden ball, and a bunch of books that looked like they were from a school. And strange enough there was a huge broom, but it wasn't a normal one where the bristles were out in a line, it was pointed and carved on the long handle was the words fire bolt the broom was much too big for the box though, it would seem impossible for it to fit.

Then there were a bunch of long black robes and skirts and shirts that looked like a uniform… it seemed like I was missing something from my memory… I blinked a few times, trying to remember, but it seemed like a fog was covering that portion of my mind. I ground my teeth together in frustration, making my head ache from how hard I tried to get through the fog.

Then it hit me, it seemed like I was blacking out but I fell over inside my oversized closet and hit my head hard on the wood causing cracks to form around my head.

(a/n just so you know this is a flash back for Erin, it will be a very long flash back trust me I've been planning it out for a while now so don't get mad if you realize that there's also another part of a story at the end of it, so continue and don't be mad! **Dodges knife** ok, ok jeez no need to get all throwy!)

I looked down into my hands I shivered, it was the beginning of winter and I was in some strange town in London, I didn't know what it was called but I had wondered here in the night. I sat down on a bench my arms wrapped around my legs as I watched the snow fall lightly around me.

I was about to close my eyes and attempt to sleep but then as I looked up towards a hill I saw four shapes run across the hill and down towards me. I narrowed my eyes and I could barely make them out, they were boys I was positive of that. As they walked towards me I prepared myself to spring just incase.

They had apparently seen me so the boys decided to join me on the bench. I unfolded myself and scooted further down on the bench and further away from the boys. The tallest had light brown hair with pale blue eyes, he seemed a little feverish but he was one of the only ones that kept his distance. The one who sat closest to me, was very handsome, he had longer black hair, his eyes brown and alight with happiness. The one next to him had short black hair with brown eyes and round glasses. The one who was also keeping his distance looked a bit like a rat, he had small watery eyes and buck teeth and a small nose.

I watched them carefully and they watched me back. I lifted an eyebrow and said, "What do I have fangs or something?" I laughed inside my head at my ironic joke.

"No… just we've never seen another Hogwarts out here at night…" said the handsome one, "You know I don't think I've ever seen her…" he turned to the others, "Have you guys ever seen her around the castle?"

"No Padfoot, I don't think I have," said the boy with glasses.

"Yes, Prongs I don't realize her at all…" Said the tall one.

"No," squeaked the rat, "Never…"

"Yes that's what I thought." he confirmed, "What's your name?" I think he was called Padfoot.

"Um… no. I won't tell you that till you all introduce yourselves." I said cautiously.

"Fine," he said, "I'm Padfoot."

"Prongs." said the glasses boy.

"Moony," said the brown haired boy more genteelly.

"Wormtail." said the rat.

"No. Not your nicknames. I'm serious." I said stubbornly.

Padfoot laughed and the others groaned, he ignored them and said, "Your not Sirius, I am! Are you really trying to steal my identity?" he said mocking me. I huffed.

"Yes that's Sirius, I'm James," said Prongs glaring at Sirius, "We've been trying to get him to stop using that stupid pun!"

"I'm Remus, and yes that puns been over used." said Moony.

"Peter, Peter Pettigrew." said Wormtail.

I looked at them narrowing my eyes but then thinking, what the hell, they seem trust worthy, "I'm Erin, and no I'm not from here I'm from the U.S. just visiting the U.K. again…" my voice trailed off, I started to think about the real reason I was here again. I shook away the thought and I watched the shock on their faces slowly leave.

"So… you know… nothing, about Hogwarts?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing at all, I just wondered here over night." I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.

"Well…" Remus said he turned to James and whispered, "Do you think we should take her to Dumbledore?" I heard him easily with my vampire hearing.

"I don't know. If she's a witch then yeah, sure, but we don't know that and we can't really ask her without revealing the secret to a muggle." James whispered back.

"Well, I think your plan has failed. Your not very quiet." I said smiling sweetly at them, "And just so you know I have no idea what your talking about with the whole 'witch' and 'muggle' thing your talking about." I looked at them as they looked at each other in shock.

"Well… I would guess you're a muggle… and if not we hope that you're a muggle born, or a half blood or you just don't know about our world." Sirius said, looking quite hopeful.

"I guess I'm either what you call a muggle, or I just have no idea what your talking about." I said, I got up from the bench. I felt the wind brush against my arms, I was only wearing a checker print skirt that went to my knees colored red and black, with a red tank top with a sweat shirt with a broken zipper on.

"Are you not cold?" asked Peter looking at my lack of proper winter clothes.

"No.. not really… I've been out in the cold for some time now." I stated it like it was obvious.

"Yeah well were going to take you to Dumbledore, he'll know what to do with you." James started to get up, Sirius stood up with him, they looked like they could be brothers twins even… but I doubted it because you could see all the differences in their facial features.

"Hey. I'm not going anywhere. At least not till I know what you guy's are talking about with the whole muggle and witch thing. If not, I'm just going to leave and spread the word of whatever your talking about, simple by this time tomorrow everyone I know - and that's a lot of people - will know about witches and muggles." they all exchanged a nervous glance.

"Ok, so we'll tell you about witches and muggles, you just have to promise us that you'll go with Remus, cause we can't be seen… we're not supposed to be outside but he is." James explained in a rush.

"Fine, I promise that I'll come with you to go wherever you want to take me." I promised lightly.

"Ok. Well muggles are non-magical people, so of course there are then magical people, or witches and wizards. We," Remus gestured to the four of them, "Are wizards. You," he pointed to me, "Are a muggle. Or at least we think so, or you could be muggle born, and still be magical, or a half blood, half muggle half witch, and you just didn't know about our world yet." he sighed, "In the wizarding world you can either be a muggle born, a half blood or a pure blood. Peter's a half blood so am I but James and Sirius they're pure bloods, or completely wizard."

I nodded and he continued, "We go to a school called Hogwarts a school for young witches and wizards, we train there and learn how to use our powers."

"So your taking me to Hogwarts? To talk to who?" I asked, my eye brows furrowed.

"Yes we're going to take you to Hogwarts to meet Headmaster Dumbledore, very kind man, even if your not a witch in any way, he'll still probably let you help out or learn at Hogwarts." Sirius added.

"Ok. Fine take me to Hogwarts. And if I can I'll stay there, and if it turns out that I have some magical ability," I paused thinking about my vampire abilities, "I'll still stay at the school." they all smiled and Sirius stood to my right and James off to my left with Lupin next to him and Peter next to Sirius.

When we got to the castle gates, James pulled out a silvery cloth that looked like a cloak and said, "Ok guys," he sighed and looked at Sirius and Peter who groaned, "Time to go under, squeeze in, don't want anyone to see a pair of disembodied feet."

"This has gotten worse each year." Sirius made a disgusted look but then had a quick glance towards me, "But… under different circumstances, I could deal with it,"

"What are you talking about? It's just a cloak." I raised my eye brows.

"I guess no one's taught you about invisibility cloaks!" James said surprised, "It's exactly what it's called!"

"Yeah whatever," I said, he shrugged and threw the cloak around himself and the other two, they instantly vanished, they shifted a little and then their feet vanished as well. I stared awe struck at the place the three boys once stood, "That is just too cool!"

"Yeah, marvel at the invisibility cloak, James had it since he got it for his eighth birthday. We use it all the time." Lupin informed, I nodded still staring, but then I realized they had moved, I saw the foot prints in the snow, "And most of the time we forget to cover our tracks, cause they think I have six feet and I can create all of those foot prints."

"Now you have someone to make another one of their foot prints," I smiled as I started jumping from foot print to foot print.

I could feel the vibrations telling me that Remus was doing the same, enjoying the little game I'd made out of the smart ass comment he made. We had made our way up to the huge doors, Remus quickly pushed them open and showed me the inside of Hogwarts Castle.

I was truly dumb struck. It was beautiful. An amazing old fashion castle, topped off with suits of armor lining along the walls. I looked closely at a painting that looked like it had people sleeping inside it. My face was about 5 inches away from the picture and then the thing that shocked me most, was that the people in the picture stirred and woke up! I jumped back, my eyes widened at the new experience.

"Huh…" I said intelligently, "Tip for the future. Don't put your face close to sleeping paintings." I turned on my heals and continued to follow Lupin down the hall.

"Where did Sirius, James and Peter go?" I asked finally.

"To the Gryffindor common room to wait for me," he said it like that was the most obvious answer, then he turned and looked at my confused look, "There are houses here, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff." he explained.

"What's a Pufflehuff?" I asked looking at him strangely, giving up on my hope of looking smart in this new world of magic and wonder. My vampire mind was just being overloaded with new information that hit me like a boulder.

He chuckled, "Hufflepuff, they're the houses, at the beginning of your first year at Hogwarts you get put into a house judging on your personality, thoughts, and much more. The houses were named after Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, and Rowena Ravenclaw. They used to teach their own students thousands of years ago, but when they died they charmed a hat to put the right students in the right house. Slytherin took the more proud, selfish, values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness and Salazar only wanted pure bloods in his house so he got his wish, but here and there you'll get a half blood. Gryffindor wanted brave courageous, daring, nerve, and chivalry, students blood status didn't matter. Ravenclaw wanted all the smart students and values intelligence, knowledge and wit , and Hufflepuff took all the humble and valuing hard work, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members."

"Ok understandable," I said not lying, but still slightly confused, "So do the different houses have different mascots?" I asked quite interested with this new history.

"Yes they do," Remus continued quite glad to be able to share his knowledge, "Gryffindor a lion, Hufflepuff a badger, Ravenclaw a raven obviously, and Slytherin a snake,"

"What about the founders of the houses? What were they like? I want to know more about Hogwarts history!" I begged my wish to learn more making me desperate.

He laughed again, "If you're a witch I wouldn't be surprised if you got placed into Ravenclaw, but I can explain more later, because right now were here,"

We'd stopped in front of a large Gargoyle, he was snoring, "LEMON DROP!" Remus yelled at the Gargoyle, who immediately opened its eyes and hopped over letting us pass.

"Lemon drop?" I asked amused?

"The password to get to Professor Dumbledore's office." we stepped into a spiral stair case that had started to wind upwards, in a big circle. I looked nervously at Lupin, "Don't worry Erin, it's just Dumbledore, he's a good man, not particularly sane at times, but very good, not bad at all."

"Ok, lets get it over with!" I said, we had just stopped in front of another pair of big doors, not as big as the first ones but still big. Instead of just pushing them open Remus knocked. Not to long afterwards we heard a faint, 'come in,'. I groaned but Remus opened the doors, despite my sound of protest.

My first eye full of the office was just amazing. I would've expected the regular, large wooden desk in the center with a name tag, and a bunch of family photos.

But what I saw was so much cooler! Sure there was still one of those desks in the center, but the room was a big circle with a bunch of silver instruments I had no idea what they did, and I saw so many paintings of people it was madness.

But the man at the desk was a surprise all on its own. I would think it would be a middle aged man in a suit. But there he sat, old and wrinkled, wearing rings on his fingers and a purple robe with shiny gold and silver stars decorating it randomly. He had silver hair and a long beard that was tied at the bottom, he had half moon glasses that sat just on the bridge of his nose and bright striking blue eyes.

I shrunk back a bit behind Remus, Dumbledore had a gaze that made me think that he could see right through me.

"Ah…" he started, "Mr. Lupin, who have you found and brought to Hogwarts?" he raised an eye brow and looked at me over the glasses.

"Professor Dumbledore, this is Erin Bates, I found her in Hogsmade, we don't know if she's a muggle or a witch. But I would think she would have some kind of magical ability to find Hogsmade on her own." Remus explained.

"Yes…" Dumbledore murmured deep in thought, "I would believe that she would be capable of a magic,"

"Erin!" Remus had such a fast thought I almost lost my balance, "If you're a witch or a muggle born, if you swish my wand, and sparks come out you have magic, but if not you're a muggle!"

"Very smart Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore congratulated, I paused as he held his wand out to me, "Go on ahead Erin," He coaxed, "For the good of experimenting, try it."

I reluctantly took the wand and gave it a swish. Bright red sparks flew from the tip, it startled me so much I dropped the wand and the rug caught on fire.

"Oh my god!" I rushed, wishing I could use my powers to douse the flames quickly, "I'm so sorry!" Dumbledore just calmly stood up and with a tiny movement of his wrist that a normal human would've missed, the flames were gone.

"Not a problem," he said his eyes alight with sparkles, "Problem solved!" his voice took on a cheery note, "You're a witch! Oh how old are you?" he asked cocking his head at me, still smiling. I chuckled he was kind of insane.

"I'm almost sixteen." I said a little nervously.

"Well, I guess the Hogwarts letter is about five years late! Well we would love it if you would become a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Simple answer." I paused, "Yes! Yes! Completely and most true fully yes!" I squealed with delight, smiling so wide I was sure to look like a madwomen. I quickly got myself together, still jittery with happiness Dumbledore continued.

"Then we should see which house you belong in." He walked over and grabbed an old hat, it was brown and worn, I immediately figured out what it was.

"The sorting hat." I said simply, happy that I sounded like I new something. Dumbledore nodded and looked over at Remus who found an interest in his shoes.

"Yes Erin, the sorting hat." he looked at the hat, "You don't have to do the song." the hat didn't even move, "Ok why don't you take a seat." I sat down in one of the chairs facing the desk. He placed the hat on my head, it was so big it fell down into my eyes.

Eronia Twiletta Bates Cullen… a voice mused in my head, I jumped a little shocked, Yes girl I'm a talking hat. Now let's see. What house do you belong in… you've got the remorsefulness of a Slytherin… but the bravery and courage of a Gryffindor. A smart girl… you could do well in Ravenclaw… but you don't show much of an interest for it as most Ravenclaw's do. You seem quite humble, embarrassed at the slightest bit of attention. But you don't like to play by the rules very much do you?

"Hey!" I said out loud, "I play by the rules in rock, paper, scissors!" Really? I never new that if someone tries to beat rock with paper, your supposed to punch them. "Ok, so I don't play by the rules a lot." I muttered. But you are very loyal, and friendly… Hufflepuff maybe? Very cunning though… Slytherin is a possibility, but your not a pure blood, something you'd get picked on for. But you don't seem to care, brave, you stand up to things Gryffindor?

I was starting to get irritated at this inner monologue, hurry up! I thought desperately. Hum… Not patient… yes I know where you belong.

The brim of the hat opened up wide and shouted…!

HAHAHAHAHA you won't figure out for sometime now! :D lol this is funny! Ok what do you think she'll get? Any suggestions? Well too bad I already know what one I'm picking… but you might just might be able to get me to do something else :D there's always a chance, and if you manage to persuade me, I'll tell you at the beginning of the chapter. Promise. Pinky promise? Really? Fine. What? If I lie I lose my pinky! I've already broken it three times and had surgery on it! Jeez you pull a hard bargen. Fine pinky promise. Don't worry I don't go back on my word… sometimes… lol next chapter will be up…. Sometime…. Sooner than later…. I dono well enjoy for now!