The first fortnight of Dora's life at Hogwarts flew by. As if the whole wonder of Hogwarts itself wasn't enough, she had classes to worry about too. Often she was so occupied trying to remember all her studies that she found herself walking to class with her shirt back to front or trying to pull her socks onto her head.
Her worries had been proved correct - at first Dora was happy to listen to classes and study as hard as she could, but eventually she would sit back in her seat and look out the window, her eyes alight. Her interest was particularly taken by the forbidden forest, that dark green expanse that seemed to hide so many wonderful secrets.
Dora hardly saw Alexie anymore. Whenever Dora spotted her in the corridors she was surrounded with a group of her newly made friends, chatting and laughing. She didn't seem very friendly with Dora anymore. Dora felt a slight pang at these moments but apart from that she had no time to bother over it.

One fresh and sunny morning Dora came down to the great hall with Albion (he always loved breakfast time - the scraps that were thrown to him rather fondly by other students always made his day) just in time for the owls to arrive. Dora loved the way they all dove in, the swishes and swoops of colour and feathers.
Dora had an owl - Bilbo, a tawny brown owl whom Dora had bought at Eeylop's owl emporium so that her parents could communicate with her. She was surprised, then, when an owl that wasn't Bilbo swooped down and nearly landed in her bowl of cereal. It was very big, with long grey feathers and sharp yellow eyes. It deposited a letter next to her plate and then jumped into the air again. Dora brushed off some feathers and slit open the envelope with her name on it. Inside was a short letter that read:

I would like to see you in my office after breakfast to discuss a few matters. The password to pass the gargoyle is 'Phoenix'.
Headmistress Oshiro

Dora nearly choked on her pumpkin juice. Was she in trouble? What had she done? She strained her mind to think of anything that could have caused the headmistress to want to see her? Well, there was the sorting affair, of course, but that had been two weeks and no punishment had come, so she had thought the matter forgotten. But if it was about that - Dora gulped.

"Phoenix." Dora said quietly, and the gargoyle began to move. Dora quickly jumped onto the steps and the gargoyle wound upwards until it stopped in front of the office door. Dora lifted the knocker, knocking three times.
"Come in." Said a voice.
Dora opened the door and entered. She had come into a very peculiar room. Bookshelves with not just books on them (Dora spotted a sort of compass that was tottering about on spindly metal legs) spanned the walls, and banners in the four house colours hung above them. There was a cabinet that gave off a strange glow, and the chandelier that hung from the ceiling seemed to have little creatures dancing around it. A desk in the back centre of the room was strewn with quills and paper, and at this desk sat Headmistress Oshiro.
"Good morning, Miss Scamander." She said, her mouth curving into a kind smile. "I'm sorry to call you up here so shortly before your classes are due to start, but as you know, I wished a quick word."
"Er, yes, of course - I mean, hello -" Dora blushed slightly. "Hi." She wondered why the Headmistress had addressed her as Miss Scamander - that was not her last name at all.
"Have a seat." Headmistress Oshiro gestured to a cushioned wooden chair in front of her desk. Dora sat.
"Now, before we get to the main things - how are you finding Hogwarts so far?"
Dora thought this an unreasonable question. How could you answer a question for a place so brilliant as Hogwarts? "Oh, it's - it's -" She stumbled for a word - "wonderful!"
Headmistress Oshiro nodded. "I'm glad to hear that." She paused, and then, as if she couldn't resist asking, added with twinkling eyes, "And how is your little dog?"
Dora blushed harder. "He's good - yes, very good." She remembered how, for several days before she had come to Hogwarts, owls had flown back and forth through the open balcony doors at her home with letters - letters that had debated whether or not Dora was allowed to bring Albion to Hogwarts. Dora did not regret this determination to bring her dog. How could you leave your best friend behind? Albion went where she went, that was a plain fact, and she knew he would be terribly upset if he had to leave her alone for a few days, let alone several terms. So finally the Hogwarts Staff had agreed. Now, here she was, in front of the Headmistress, not even acknowledging that they had allowed this!
"Thank you." She said. "Thank you - for letting me bring him."
Headmistress Oshiro sat back in her chair, smiling. "You're very welcome." She said. "I must admit, though a little chaotic your sorting was, I found it very entertaining."
"You did?" Dora was relieved and delighted.
"Indeed.
But now, I'm afraid, we must turn to other matters." She paused. "I think you must be wondering why I addressed you as Miss Scamander a moment ago, are you not?"
Dora nodded. "Yes, I am, actually."
"Well, that is the name of a well known wizarding family. One I believe you are related to."
Dora's mouth dropped opened slightly. "I'm - I'm related to a wizarding family?"
Headmistress Oshiro nodded. "One notable Scamander you may have heard of is Newton Scamander, who is known for his assistance in defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald and for his peculiar but passionate love for animals."
Dora's felt a warm glow spreading through her body, even though she didn't know anything about Newton Scamander despite what Headmistress Oshiro had just told her.
"I believe Newt Scamander is your..." Headmistress Oshiro thought for a moment, "Great grandfather on your mother's side."



IN PROGRESS



IN MAJOR EDITING
v


And then one day that all changed. Dora was hurrying down to charms class when she noticed a blonde head in a corner by the window. Dora frowned and went to investigate. Her suspicions were confirmed - it was Alexie.
"Alexie?" Dora asked.
Alexie turned. Her blonde hair hung rather sadly and her green eyes seemed to have lost their light.
"Oh - hi, Dora." Her tone was cold.
Dora's eyebrows arched downwards suspiciously. "How are you?"
"Fine." Alexie seemed to be avoiding Dora's eye.
This time Dora's eyebrows arched upwards. "O.K." She turned, and was about to continue on her way down the corridor, when the call she had somehow knew was coming, came. "Dora - wait!"
She turned. Alexie beckoned her into an empty classroom.
"Yes?" Dora knew she should be more understanding, but the way Alexie had been acting lately, as if she didn't exist, was still hurting her rather.
Alexie opened her mouth and then closed it again.
Then, completely out of the blue,