It was the first snow of the year, and Cait Serban was making her way towards the forests surrounding her school in Bulgaria. She had been one of their American exchange students for a period of over three years, and now, it was the Christmas holidays. She had just achieved her eleventh birthday one month previously, and as the snow fell around her that December of 1983, Cait found that she was, at last, at peace.

Walking through the bare trees around her as the snow continued its pursuit to completely cover the ground, she looked around, and made positively sure that she was alone. When she deduced that she was, she slowly extended her hand towards a particularly deep snowbank, and rolled her fingers this way and that, until she managed to get a snowball into the air. Lifting it flawlessly so that it was eye-level to her, she slowly melted and froze it, over and over again, and let out a slight giggle as she did so.

"That is very impressive, young lady."

Cait let out a gasp then at the unfamiliar voice with the thick accent, stumbling slightly in the snow, the ball freezing up again and falling into the frozen water beneath her. "I... I'm sorry. I don't think you were supposed to..."

"See that?" the man asked, and chuckled, exposing row upon row of brown teeth, which didn't exactly endear him to Cait. "Oh, it's quite all right, my dear. I'm a wizard, and, judging by that little display there, you are a witch."

Cait's dark brown brows knitted together on her milk-white skin then, and she stared at the man as if he'd gone crazy. "I thought that witches were burned to death in a place called Salem in the late-1600's," she said softly.

The man nodded. "Yes, unfortunately we lost a great many American witches that way. The Muggles try and say that witches aren't real, and that is because they are frightened of what we have the capability of doing, you see."

Cait swallowed then, unsure if she should run or listen to the man. "I'm sorry, sir. But who exactly are you?"

"Igor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute," he said, taking the furred cap off from his shoulder-length salt and pepper hair, and swept a deep bow to Cait. "And what is your name, young lady?"

"Catherina Scylla Serban," she replied, doing her best curtsy, and somehow managed not to slip about in the snow beneath them. "I go by 'Cait'."

"You are an American, then?"

Cait gave a slight nod. "So I've been told. I lived there for a time, bouncing around foster homes all over for a good seven years before I decided to make something of myself. That's why I'm here, in Bulgaria," she explained. "Couldn't make it stick."

Karkaroff leaned closer, wanting to catch each word out of Cait's lips. "And why do you think the homes didn't stick, my girl?"

"Strange things would happen," she confessed with a slight shrug.

"Such as?"

"Well, what you just saw, with the snow, certainly didn't help matters," Cait replied with a slight shrug then. "The families they put me with either lived places with snow, or they would travel to places with it, like the mountains. So, I would do it so that they or their children would like me, but they always called me a 'freak', and someone would take me away."

"How old are you, Cait?"

"Eleven, I just celebrated my birthday last month. It's not much of a celebration when you're a scholarship kid who nobody really wants around," she said in a self-deprecating tone of voice, which was not lost on Karkaroff.

"Do you know anything about your family?"

"I was born in Seattle, in one of their hospitals, and my mother abandoned me at birth," she said in a soft voice. "I think her name was Margaret. Anyhow, a nurse named Tammy took me to the King County Social Services that night, and I was just left behind. They tried to place me for a good seven years before I succeeded in getting out of there and into this program. Now, my best hope is to do well until graduation, and then maybe a university will want me..."

"Cait, I'm afraid I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen," Karkaroff interrupted, his tone slightly brusque.

Cait blinked. "I don't understand, sir."

"Then, permit me to assist you," Karkaroff said, and lifted his wand then, and Cait drew back in a moment of fear. "Revelio," he intoned then, and a blue light sparked from the tip of his wand, and dove straight for Cait's heart.

Cait let out a squeak of surprise as the bolt of light came for her, which seemed to temporarily hollow out her chest, permitting Karkaroff to see inside of her body. She let out a gasp then as there appeared to be a golden orb wrapped around her heart, and she felt herself trembling as the man lifted his wand, thus ending their connection. "What...?" Cait breathed, looking from where her insides had been exposed, to Karkaroff, and back again. "What was that?"

"That, my dear girl, was your magical core."

Cait blinked a second time. "My magical core? What are you...?"

"I already explained that you were a witch," he continued. "Your magical core glows a particular color, depending on your Blood Status. If it is bronze, you are a Muggleborn. If it is silver, you are a Half-Blood. And, if it is gold, like yours, you are a Pure-Blood."

"What if your heart doesn't have one?"

"If your heart doesn't have one, then you are a Muggle," Karkaroff said, returning his wand into the sleeves of his fur-lined cloak. "Now, then, it seems as if we are at an impasse."

"How so?"

"You are currently enrolled here, with Muggle students, and I've not detected anyone else on this campus that has a magical core," Karkaroff told her. "So, this means that I will come and collect you next summer, and you will begin your classes at Durmstrang Institute."

Cait nibbled at her lip. "I'm a foster kid, sir," she said, hunching her shoulders. "I cannot afford to attend another school. I only got in here because of the scholarship."

Karkaroff nodded. "There is no tuition for any wizarding school, my dear," he told her. "As for your books, supplies, and uniform, something will be figured out. I will collect you no later than the final day of term in June. Is that agreeable to you?"

"What of Headmaster Penkov?" she asked. "He won't just let a student leave."

"Don't worry. We have a special lecture we give headmasters, headmistresses, and other professors at Muggle schools. There's nothing for you to worry about."

Cait nodded. "Very well, then," she said, and moved to step away. "I suppose I will see you a few months after the snow melts, then."

"Indeed you will, Miss Serban," Karkaroff said with another one of those sardonic grins as he moved away. "Indeed you will."

. . .

Cait did her best to focus accordingly and for the next several months, time seemed to pass not as slowly as she had originally anticipated. The snow melted, and that in itself was a sadness for Cait, as she always delighted in sneaking off towards the forest and playing with the bits of frozen water which littered the ground. Winter had passed completely and when the sun came out again, she sensed giddiness from her fellow students, who were likely envisioning the summer holidays ahead of them, and reunions with their families.

Cait tried to put the whole family reunion thing out of her mind, and yet her mind was dragged in the direction of her past and what she remembered about her family. Like she had told Karkaroff, she knew she was born in a hospital somewhere in Seattle, a city on the larger side in the State of Washington, which was located on the West Coast of the United States. Her mother, she believed, had been called Margaret, and she assumed that she carried her mother's surname, but, as she was still a mere eleven-year-old, she was considered unworthy of knowing such information, due to the fact that she was not yet of age in the Muggle world.

She liked to think that her mother, who had to be named Margaret, as that was the name of a princess in England, was very beautiful, and either very selfish or just merely a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Perhaps her mother hadn't been able to provide for her, and believed that sending her into the foster care system was the best option for everyone involved directly with the situation. If there wasn't money to be had in the family, or only enough for Margaret to take care of herself, then maybe, just maybe, Margaret had been a good person, and had wanted the best life possible for her daughter.

When June arrived, Cait stood for her exams at the end of the year, and it was on the third Monday of the month that Karkaroff arrived on the school grounds for her. Cait had, as per his instructions via the letter she had gotten from him the previous week, packed her belongings and made sure that her lodgings were in adequate condition. Cait then went directly to Headmaster Penkov's office when she had been called, and was relieved to see that Karkaroff was already there waiting for her. There was a tea service set out, along with Headmaster Penkov's personal Turkish coffee, of which he'd offered Karkaroff, and the latter had accepted it.

"Ah, come in, Catherina," said Headmaster Penkov, and Cait did her best to smile at his formality, although she truly detested her long name.

"Thank you, sir," she said softly, and crossed the room, perching in the offered chair and setting her suitcase down beside her.

"It seems as though your Headmaster Penkov has a younger brother who is a wizard," Karkaroff put in, sitting back in his chair and sipping his steaming cup of coffee.

"Half-Blood," Headmaster Penkov informed Cait with a small smile. "Dad and I are the Muggles, but Máyka was a Pure-Blood witch," he explained. "Anton got into Durmstrang Institute when he was eleven, taking after the Monova half of the family. Of course, I took after the Penkov side, and just got a headmaster position at the end of the day."

"Your brother is exceptionally powerful, Stoyan," Karkaroff said, a hint of impatience in his voice as he settled in his chair.

Headmaster Penkov sighed, dragging a hand through his brown hair. "Very well, then," he said, knowing that he couldn't do anything to help the proceedings. He opened a file folder in front of him and looked over the parchment, and then he lifted a pen and signed at the bottom, probably where his name was needed. "Is that it, then?"

"Yes," Karkaroff said with a stiff nod. He finished his coffee and got to his feet, taking the parchment and folder into his hands and held it firmly. "All right. Cait, are you quite ready to leave?" he asked.

Cait nodded, getting to her feet as well and picking up her case. "All ready, sir." She moved to follow Karkaroff then, before she turned back around and regarded Headmaster Penkov. "Thank you very much, headmaster, for everything."

Headmaster Penkov looked surprised at this but gave Cait a nod. "You're welcome."

Cait offered him a smile then before she turned back around and scurried after Karkaroff, who had waited for her out in the hallway. They made their way to the main entrance of the school and stepped out into the sunshine, and Cait was perplexed when they moved towards the forest, and not towards the car park, but she moved to follow anyhow. "Sir? Did you not come here in a car?" she asked.

Karkaroff looked at her as if she'd lost it. "No, dear girl. Wizards don't drive cars."

"Are we hailing a cab to catch a train, then?"

Karkaroff smirked as they talked into the line of trees. "No," he replied, taking out his wand again and pointing it at her suitcase. "Reducio," he said, his wand's tip glowing purple, as her case shrunk so as it fitted into the palm of her hand. "Put it in your pocket."

Cait raised her eyebrows then, but nevertheless pocketed the object and looked up at Karkaroff again. "So, how is transportation done, then?"

"Apparition, my dear girl," Karkaroff replied. "Are you familiar with the term?"

"Not in the magical form, sir, no."

He nodded. "Take my arm," he explained. "You will feel a pull backwards via your navel, and we will vanish from this place and go to the school. All right?"

Cait swallowed. "Yes, I think so, sir." She stepped forward and placed a hand onto his arm and gripped it, anxiety flowing through her. Peeking upwards, Karkaroff didn't seem to mind it and, just a moment later, with a pop, they were gone.

Karkaroff kept a good grip upon Cait as they slammed back down to earth. He then began walking slowly, permitting Cait to get her bearings and look around, if she wished.

Cait looked up upon arrival; they were high up, she guessed, due to the significant change in elevation, plus the whistling mountain winds that flew through her ears and bit at her cheeks. She didn't dawdle, and hurried to catch up with Karkaroff, and, as they rounded a bend, a great, stone castle came into view. No, castle wasn't the right term; fortress, such as a place where royals and soldiers alike in medieval wartimes would station themselves for safety. She saw that it was several floors tall, and shook her head at the notion of all the staircases she would likely have to familiarize herself with in the coming years.

Karkaroff came upon a black, wrought iron gate, and lifted his hand to it, whereupon something passed between the two, and the gates creaked open. Karkaroff stepped in directly, and Cait moved to follow him, as they went up the hill towards the fortress, and the gate closed instantly behind the pair of them. Karkaroff said nothing as the entrance doors swung open for the two of them, and swept inside the place, obviously knowing where he was going, and made his way towards a great staircase in the center of the corridor.

"We are going to my office," he intoned over his shoulder. "There, you will be introduced to two old friends of mine. Please, be polite, Cait."

Cait nodded. "Of course, sir."

Karkaroff gave a curt bow of his head towards her, and they went up two and a half more flights of stairs before they reached his intended destination. He made his way down the corridor as if he owned the place, and Cait said nothing about that as he pushed open an ornately-carved door made of granit-oak, and it squeaked slightly in protest at the movement. "Ah, Vlad, Lina," came Karkaroff's voice, now suddenly warm, as he embraced the man and the woman in turn.

"Igor," said Vlad, while the woman, Lina, looked down at Cait.

"Well, hello, there," she said gently, and Cait was shocked that she was not speaking in a condescending manner towards her. "I trust your journey was all right, Cait?"

Cait blinked. "You called me 'Cait'."

Lina let out a laugh then. "Yes, I suppose I did, didn't I? Well, I'm sorry. Do you prefer Catherina, then?"

Cait shook her head. "No, no, thank you, madam. Not many people call me that, you see. I prefer 'Cait', of course, but many people seem to assume that Catherina is the favored name."

Lina smiled then, and Cait took a moment to look her over; she had dark, auburn hair, and equally dark green eyes. Her skin was pale but very beautiful, and she wore a summer dress and simple pearl necklace, along with shoes which went well with her entire ensemble. "Well, I'm Lina," she said, and put out her hand, and seemed relieved when Cait took it. "Pleased to meet you, Cait."

"And I'm Vlad," said the man beside her, who sported dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, similar to Cait, as he put out his hand, equally pale. "Lina and I have been married for thirteen years," he explained as Cait shook his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," she replied, smiling up at him.

"Vlad and Lina have two children themselves," Karkaroff explained to Cait, once the initial introductions had finished. "Their daughter, Anna, is about your age, and she'll be starting here at Durmstrang in the autumn. They also have a son, Viktor, who is eight-years-old, and won't be starting for another three years."

"We make our home at Krum Krepost," Vlad explained proudly, and Cait saw that there was a fine line between pride and pompousness, but Vlad never crossed it. "It's in Boyana. Have you heard of it?"

Cait nodded. "Yes, sir. I've heard of it."

"Vlad and Lina are Baron and Baroness Krum," Karkaroff went on with a smile, "and have been so since 1974."

"We always wanted more children after Anna and Viktor but, unfortunately, it never happened for us," Lina explained. "When Igor brought up your situation, about how it would be suitable for you to stay with a family with a child who attends the school, Vlad and I thought that we would be a perfect solution."

Cait felt her brows knitting together then, and she brought her pint-sized trunk out of her pocket then, tapping it with her finger, and it immediately grew to its standard size. "Well, I suppose I would be open to it, madam," she said, and smiled at Lina.

"We'll also make you an appointment with Mykew in Tȗrgovski Tscentȗr at once," Lina said with a smile, and put her arm around Cait. "Igor, would you mind awfully if Cait and I used your Floo?" she asked, and turned around to look at him.

"Not at all," Karkaroff said with a nod.

"I'll catch up with Igor a bit more, darling," Vlad said with a smile, and waved to Cait.

Cait nodded at Vlad and followed Lina towards the massive hearth in his office. "Are you feeling cold?" she asked.

Lina let out a giggle. "On this beautiful day?" she asked, and turned to look at Cait, but her green eyes widened when she figured out that Cait wasn't trying to be funny. "Oh. I suppose you don't know much about our world, then?"

Cait shook her head. "I didn't know I was a witch until last December. While my former school had an excellent library, magical tomes wasn't its forte."

"Oh, dear me," Lina said, and smiled at Cait. "Don't worry—we'll fix everything at once." She took a pot from beside the hearth, which appeared to be filled with something that seemed to be the consistency of sand and garden soil. "Take a handful of this."

Cait blinked. "Is this some kind of new-age ritual?"

Lina's auburn brows went together. "New-age?"

"Hippie... Um, khipi?" she asked, wondering if saying it in Bulgarian would help Lina know what she was talking about.

Lina covered her mouth with her free hand in an effort to smother her laughter. "No, of course it isn't," she said. "Come on. Take the powder into your hand."

Cait swallowed, but nevertheless took some into her hand and held it. "Now what do I do?" she asked Lina.

Lina winked at Cait and got her wand out of her pocket—eleven inches, poplar, unicorn tail hair, supple—and pointed it at the died embers of the fire. "Engorgio," she said, and they suddenly fired to life, causing Cait to step back. "Reducio," she said next, and then the fireplace was as barren as before. "Go in."

Cait did her best to move into the place itself and stand there, case in one hand, and powder in the other. "And now?"

"Say Krum Krepost—very clearly now, dear—and drop the powder."

Cait sighed; this couldn't possibly work, could it? "Krum Krepost!" she shouted then, and let go of the powder, and was suddenly swallowed up by a mass of green flames. Cait was hurled somewhere along a dimly-lit passageway, and her shrieks were immediately swallowed up by the chamber itself. She was pulled this way and that by the tunnel she had found herself in upon being swallowed up, and then, almost as if it had just begun, she was promptly spat out and deposited on a highly-polished, wooden floor, which was partially covered by an expensive-looking, intricately-patterned rug.

"Move!" came a voice then, and a pair of hands grabbed ahold of her and yanked her to her feet, out of the line of sight of the fireplace. "You all right?" came the voice again, and Cait forced herself to focus, laying eyes on the person who had grabbed her.

Cait nodded. "Y-yes. I-I think so."

"Good to hear it," said the girl with a smile; she had chestnut-brown hair, engaging brown eyes, and a winning smile. "I'm Annie. You must be Cait?"

Cait nodded and took her hand, only to immediately draw it back. "Sorry. I seem to be covered in soot," she said with a laugh.

"No matter," Annie said with a giggle, and brushed off Cait as best she could, when a clatter from behind them saw Lina coming into the living room. "Máyka," she said, greeting her mother warmly with a hug.

"Hello, darling," Lina said, holding Annie for a moment and looking around. "Oh, dear, Cait," she said with a smile, and waved her hand about, whispering, "Tergeo," and Cait was instantly free of the soot upon her. "Better. Now, where has that brother of yours gotten? You were both supposed to be here to greet Cait..."

"What else?" Annie said with a shrug. "Opened the shed again and found the Cleansweep Six that you're so desperate to hide from him."

"It's not desperation, Anna," Lina told her daughter, her voice serious, as she used her full name for the first time as she made her way towards the back of the house, Annie and Cait moving to follow her. "He could fall and hurt himself."

"He's got agility on his side," Annie told her, not sounding particularly caring. "Just because you need him to get the barony... I could do it, you know. I could be the baroness."

"Darling, you know full well that the laws aren't on your side," Lina said gently, and caressed Annie's face briefly for a moment. She threw open the back double doors then and stormed into the yard, glaring up at her son. "Viktor Dragomir Krum, you get down here this instant!" she hollered up at him.

Cait looked up then, and was greeted to the sight of Viktor himself, flying around the expansive yard like a pro, and seemingly annoyed that his mother seemed to want to spoil his fun. She took in his brown hair and eyes, and he was the spitting image of his father, Vlad. Nevertheless, she watched as he zoomed back towards the ground, touching down expertly, and stared at his mother with a blazing look.

"Now then," Lina said, holding out her hand, wandlessly summoning the broom out of her son's own hands, and banishing it to a small building a few yards away, with Cait guessed was the shed it had been found in. She shoved it inside, and moved the door to shut and lock on its own before regarding her son. "No more horseplay, young man. As you can clearly see, it is not to be just the four of us in the house any longer."

Viktor turned then and looked Cait up and down; she could tell by his body frame that he would overtake her in height soon. "Pleasure to meet you," he said, and put out his hand. "You must be Cait?" he asked, his accent thick.

Cait shook Viktor's hand with a nod. "Yes, I'm Cait. Nice to meet you, too, Viktor."

"Máyka said that you could do things," Annie said quickly, jumping in.

Lina sighed. "And I also said that we wouldn't parade Cait around like a circus bear, because she is a member of this family," she said firmly.

Cait smiled. "I wouldn't' mind, if it's all right, Lina," she said softly. "I haven't been able to do anything for a while now..."

Lina smiled indulgently. "Oh, very well, then. I suppose it's all right. We have a few acres of land, and it's private property, so it's not like anyone's allowed her anyway." She leaned down and retrieved Cait's trunk from her hand. "I'll take this upstairs. Annie, love, why don't you show Cait to the pond?"

"Right," Annie said, taking Cait's hand. "It's this way," she told her, and pulled her along the stone path. "You coming, Viktor?" she called over her shoulder.

Viktor grumbled to himself, but nevertheless followed his sister and Cait down the path.

It was a curved and jagged beast of a thing, which wound round and round the grounds of the property, before it stopped just a few feet away from the pond. The pond, as Lina had called it, was circular in shape, and was surrounded by grass and thickets of trees. The water was a clear blue that day, and the sun shimmered brightly on its surface, giving anyone who cared to look that there were diamonds resting upon it.

"What is it you can do, then?" Viktor asked.

Cait smiled at him, and raised her right hand slowly. She spread out her fingers towards the surface of the water, before manipulating them into a wave pattern, whereupon the water rippled almost instantly. Cait was careful, and although Annie and Viktor drew back in a moment combined with fear and utter fascination, a part of her wanted to push herself, just to see what she was truly capable of. Then, the gentleness of her hand movements bored her, and she suddenly stuck out all five fingers in a steady, forward motion, jerking her arm forward just behind it.

The pond, in response, suddenly slammed together completely in an upwards cylinder shape, and managed to stay quite tidy, without any droplets falling out of place. The entire piece surged upwards then, the blasting force of Cait's abilities continuing to propel it towards the sky. She heard Annie and Viktor gasp as one on either side of her, almost as if neither one of the siblings could believe what they were seeing. Cait felt her eyes widening; in all her years, she had focused merely on snow, as it was the only kind of water she could possibly get her hands on without anyone around to see it.

There were footsteps behind the trio then, and, due to the fact that they were all otherwise engaged, it was only natural that none of them turned around. Cait then proceeded to loop all five fingers into a wave once more, this time in a downwards motion, and the water she'd held up successfully for a period of several minutes slowly but surely began its decent. Once it hit the surface of the pond and threatened to come up on shore, Cait immediately threw out both hands, palms out, and made sure it stayed within the invisible lines previously drawn out, likely when the pond was formed.

"Cait."

Cait turned around immediately then, and saw Vlad and Lina standing together. "Sir, I—"

"That was wonderful!" Vlad cried out then, and Cait could see just how genuine he was being towards her. "Quite a beautiful display, my dear."

Cait let out a nervous laugh. "Oh. Well, thank you, sir," she said.

"Vlad," he told her with a quick smile.

"And call me 'Lina'," came Lina's voice then. "None of this 'madam' nonsense. It makes me feel like quite the old woman."

"Mayhap we all don't have to grow old just yet," Cait said softly, and felt the smiles of her new family surrounding her then.

. . .

"Not too fast now, girls," Lina said gently as Annie pulled Cait along, showing her all there was to see in the fantastic window displays along the main street of Tȗrgovski Tscentȗr.

"It's all right, Lina," Vlad said to his wife, taking her by the hand and kissing her temple. "Let them have their fun. Besides, I don't think they'll be wandering too far anytime soon. As you can see, we've arrived at Mykew's."

The building was done up in wood, painted purple, with gold lettering in Old English Script proclaiming the establishment to be Wands by Gregorovitch. Vlad stepped forward and opened the massive door, nodding for both Cait and Annie to step inside, then Lina, and finally Vlad went into the shop himself. There was a little golden bell atop the door, which rang charmingly as the door opened, and then shut, and a man with slightly graying hair came out from the back of the shop, and smiled.

"Ah, Baron and Baroness Krum," he said warmly, stepping out from behind the counter and taking them warmly by the hands. He bowed to each of them respectively before he looked at the two new witches standing before him, and bowed first to the one with chestnut brown hair. "Ah, and this must be your Anna."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gregorovitch," Annie said, and curtsied.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Anna," said the wandmaker, before his eyes wandered automatically to Cait, and he smiled genuinely down at her, taking her hands in his. "Ah, Miss Catherina Serban," he said, his voice just as warm as it had been when greeting the members of the Krum family just a moment ago.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gregorovitch," Cait said, and curtsied, just like Annie had.

"Delighted," the man said, squeezing Cait's hands before pulling away from her. "I take it that they are here for their first wands, Vlad?"

"Yes, Mykew," Vlad said, as if speaking to an old friend.

Gregorovitch nodded, and turned to the girls. "My associate in England, Garrick Ollivander, goes through boxes one at a time, until the wand chooses the wizard, or witch, in this case," he told them with a smile. "However, I do things a bit differently. Are either of you aware of the Summoning Charm?"

"Yes," Annie said.

"No," Cait replied at the same time.

"It's quite simple, Miss Cait," Gregorovitch told them. "It's accio."

"Accio," Cait repeated.

"Very good," the wandmaker said with a smile. "Now, ladies, raise your hands upwards, and concentrate as deeply as you can. Envision your wand, see it in your mind's eye. Attempt to sense it as you do so, and then say the charm. Miss Anna?"

Annie gave a fleeting look to Vlad and Lina, who both smiled at her encouragingly, and so she turned back towards the shelves, and lifted up her hand. She focused, just as Gregorovitch had told her to do, and said, "Accio."

There was a shuffling in the back of the store then, and a long, rectangular box came zooming out of the back and into Annie's waiting hands.

"Let us see what we have, shall we?" the wandmaker asked, stepping forward and prying the lid off from the box. "Oh, yes, I see," he went on, lifting the wooden stick upwards and running his hands along it. "Thirteen inches, willow, dragon heartstring," he said softly, and moved to bend the thing, "unyielding."

Annie took the wand once it was offered back to her, and swished it around. She spotted some coins atop the front counter, and pointed the wand at them. "Accio," she stated, and the coins immediately came flying towards her.

"Very good, Miss Anna," said Gregorovitch. "Are you quite ready, Miss Cait?"

"Yes, I suppose so, sir."

"Go on then."

Cait swallowed, but lifted her hand slowly, unaware that anything remarkable would happen, and stood her ground. She shut her eyes, considering all the wands in the world, finding their magical companion, and then, little by little, the magical population proceeded to shrink from within her mind, going first from well-known individuals, and then to the ones she knew personally. And then, at long last, she thought of herself, and her own wand, and the fantastical things she could one day accomplish with it. Her eyes snapped open then, and she whispered, "Accio," radiating confidence as there was a mighty rumble from several shelves back, and a rectangular box came towards her at top-speed, lying down flat in her arms.

"Let's see," said Gregorovitch, opening the box and looking amazed. "Twelve-and-three-quarter-inches, blackthorn, unicorn tail hair..." He trailed off, and moved to bend the stick as he had done with Annie's. "Unyielding," he declared.

Vlad requested to pay for the items, and the old wandmaker nodded, taking the boxes from the girls but permitting them to hold onto their wands as he made his way towards the counter. He grabbed ahold of a quill, as well as a well of ink, and dipped the writing implement inside, doing his best to tally up the purchases quickly. Once he'd done so, twenty Galleons exchanged hands, and Lina was ushering the girls out the door.

Walking back down the cobblestone street, Lina ushered the girls into a robes shop next, where the helpful witch—who was garbed in a black dress which matched her hair, a purple apron, and bobby pins in her conservative bun—measured both Cait and Annie for their school robes and uniforms. Lina requested that they be summoned to the Krum estate by the night before school was due to begin, and the woman nodded her head in approval. Once they had left the shop, they found Vlad waiting for them, and they immediately proceeded to walk down the road to the bookshop to collect their textbooks and other supplies.

Cait found she had never had such a fun time shopping, and she was quickly told that since she had gone to Muggle schools all her life, naturally her magical core had rejected such things. She merely smiled and absorbed the words, and, once the shopping was finished, Vlad decided that it was time for lunch. Vlad and Lina were still holding hands, and Vlad mentioned an institution called The Rose Valley Saloon, which seemed to be a popular place to eat. They were shown in to the wood-carved restaurant, and made their way towards a table in the back, which was a rounded booth.

"Here," Annie said, handing a menu over to Cait.

Cait opened the menu and looked it over comfortably.

"I never asked how you know the language so well," Annie whispered.

Cait laughed. "Four years in a Bulgarian school does that to you. I wasn't there to make friends, but to learn, and you have to be somewhat aware of the language to learn."

Annie smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're correct."

Cait grinned back before turning back to the menu, looking it up and down.

"Get whatever you want, darling," Lina whispered to her.

"Of course—sky's the limit, girls," Vlad informed them.

Cait and Annie looked at each other for a moment, sharing a smirk before turning back to the text in front of them. Cait ultimately decided on the banitsa, a dish made out of filo dough pastry and filled with eggs, yogurt, and feta. She had a passion for feta, which likely came when she had stayed with a Greek family for three months when she was four-years-old; it was where she learned to cook, learned about her passion for food, and learned how to speak the language. It was the fourth language she mastered, after English, Latin, and French, which she had studied tirelessly from the time she was a child.

Their orders were placed soon thereafter, and each of them had a glass of boza in front of them to sip while they waited. Cait took the opportunity to look around the place then, and recognized the wood that had been on Karkaroff's office door. Vlad had told her that it was granit oak, and was considered the national tree of the area, due to the excess in which it grew.

Cait looked back up a moment later then, listening to the conversations that involved seventy-five-percent of the Krum family, and found herself tickled to be included. She told them all what she remembered about America, but all it really amounted to was her learning four languages and burying her head in her homework, plus other books that caught her fancy. It was in that moment that Cait realized she had hardly lived a fulfilling life, and that she had always played it safe, or, rather, by the book. Now, now that she knew that she was a witch, and was around others who wouldn't shun her for her powers, she knew that, at long last, she had found love and acceptance, and she was not about to just let that go.