5th of July 1940
It was a hot summer day, just like all the days before, but when Lea got up that morning, she knew something was about to happen. There was this strange feeling in her stomach she couldn't explain, but she knew it wanted to tell her something. It happened often that she got this feeling and yes, this feeling was always right. Only if someone believed her...
Lea got up and she started the day like any other day. She showered, she put on her daily dress, got some food and after that she went to Lola's room. Not at all realizing that Lola might still be sleeping, Lea knocked on the door. A sleepy voice called her in. With a smile on her face Lea opened the door and walked inside. Like Lea expected, there wasn't a smile on the face of her best friend. On the contrary, Lola looked very grumpy.
Of course Lola wasn't really grumpy. Lea had known Lola her whole life and since the first time they met, they were best friends. At least, that was wat everyone told them here, because Lola and Lea both couldn't remember when they met. But how could they? They both were about one year old.
These two little girls were like sisters to each other. If they hadn't looked so different, everyone would have believed this too. Lea had very dark curls, dark eyes and a very white skin, while Lola's skin was a bit more tan, with blue eyes and blonde hair. Still they thought this didn't really matter. Yes, they both dreamed about being sisters, but they had each other and that was the most important thing, the two girls always said very wisely. These two girls were both eleven years old, but sometimes the nuns couldn't really believe this.
Both girls dreamed about a different life. A life were they both had parents (the same parents of course) and lived somewhere happily. Also they would have three dogs and four cats for them to held company.
Both girls didn't know who their real parents were. They were both left behind on the steps of the orphanage. Lola still had a necklace from her mother and every time she touched this necklace, Lea felt something that others would probably translate with this feeling called jealous. A feeling she would probably deny for the rest of her life.
'What's the matter?' Lola yawned and let her head sink into her pillows again. Suddenly Lea realized she was still in the doorway.
A bit uncomfortable Lea shrugged. 'I'm not feeling well, that's all.' She tried to smile, but failed.
Lola got up almost immediately. A worried look spread across her face. 'Is it...' Lea nodded. There was another reason why these two were best friends. Well, there was another reason Lola was Lea's best friend. Lola was the only one who believed Lea about her feelings, but Lola also knew that Lea could move things with her mind and that she could heal wounded animals...
Maybe because she could do these crazy things, her mother had left het on the steps of this orphanage, Lea sometimes thought. But that thought was everything but comforting.
Lola had promised to keep this a secret, because if anyone would find out...
No, she didn't even know what would happen if someone found out what she was capable of... But she didn't want to risk it either.
Lea didn't understand a thing about her powers and that was why she tried to use them as little as possible. Well, this was hard too, because she often used them when she didn't even wanted to... Like she couldn't control her powers... No, not her powers. They weren't her powers...
'Come sit down, Lea,' Lola said suddenly. Lea didn't know what else to do and she sat next to her best friend on her bed. Lea didn't feel well, like she was about to throw up. Lola seemed to see this. 'Have you used your powers again?' Lea shook her head. 'Well, maybe you're just getting sick.' Lola just sounded like one of the nuns.
Lea's face got an angry expression. 'I'm never sick.' She knew this sounded bizarre, but the last time she was sick she... No, she couldn't even remember when she got sick for the last time. Lea saw her friend rolling with her eyes
'Everyone gets sick. It's human.'
When Lea heard these words, she hesitated. She had wondered this for a long time and without realizing she spoke out the words she's been hiding for a very long time. 'But am I human?' Lea asked quietly. 'Look at everything I can do... That isn't human...'
'Don't be so stupid! You can do certain things, but that doesn't make you...' Lola seemed to search for the right words. 'Unhuman.' Lea started to laugh and so did Lola, but not for long, because her face became very serious again. 'No, I think it makes you special.' Lola was only thirteen years old, two years older than Lea, but she sounded so wise.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door and when the door got open, sister Mary, one of the nuns, stood in the doorway. 'Ah,' she smiled, 'Analea, I thought I could find you here... There's someone downstairs for you. Would you please come with me?' In surprise Lea's eyebrows started to raise. Why would anyone ever come for her? She must've heard sister Mary wrong, but when she looked at her friends face, she knew she'd heard sister Mary just fine.
'It's not possible,' Lea whispered towards sister Mary, like this person who had come for her was just behind sister Mary. 'I don't know anyone and...'
'Just come!' sister Mary said with a smile. 'He says it's urgent and that he's indeed looking for you.' There was an excited look on sister Mary's face. Lea had no idea what was going on. This had to be some sort of joke. Suddenly her temperature started to rise. Never had anyone come for her... Why now? No, this couldn't mean something good. 'Just come!' sister Mary said inpatient. Lea didn't want to come up, but she did and she followed sister Mary downstairs.
Sister Mary's steps were very large. As usual Lea had to run to keep up with her. When they got downstairs a whole group of children was waiting downstairs. This only happened when someone got adopted, because everyone wanted to see the new loving family of this kid... But Lea was to old to get adopted, right? And Lea never knew why, but couples never wanted her, but that was okay, she had Lola.
When Lea got downstairs, everyone turned around to look at her. So the word had spread... Lea never had felt so uncomfortable in her life ever before. She and sister Mary walked through the kids and when they reached sister Mary's office, sister Mary gestured that she had to get in. Apparently sister Mary didn't come in with her. Was that even normal? Lea hesitated. She didn't want to know who was in there or why this person was in there. Lea turned around and she saw Lola standing on the stairs. She looked pale, but smiled towards Lea. 'Just go in, Analea. It's all right.' Lea didn't believe her. She'd never believed sister Mary, but she got in anyway.
But she didn't expect what she saw. There was a man waiting for her, but not a normal man wearing a suit. No, he was wearing some sort of coat.
When he'd heard her open the door, he'd stand up and turned around. A warm smile had welcomed her. 'Analea Craya!' he said excitedly. The man had a long beard, which made him look far more older than he had to be. The man's face was full of life and for some reason that made her feel a bit more comfortable. 'How long I've been waiting to meet you...'
Lea really wanted answers, because she didn't understand anything. How could he have been wanting to meet her? Never in her life anyone had told her that. 'Oh so stupid of me... Let me introduce myself first.' He put his hand out towards Lea and a bit awkward, she shook his hand. 'My name is Albus Dumbledore, professor Transfiguration on Hogwarts.'
She must've heard wrong... It had to be... 'Sir... Professor Dumbledore... Why are you here for me?' A loving smile appeared on her face.
'Sit down, I'll explain.' But Lea didn't want to sit. Professor Dumbledore saw this and smiled. 'What I'm about to tell you, Analea, is top secret. So it's best that, if you decide to keep standing, move a bit away from the door. Some kids are trying to hear what I want to tell you.' She looked back at the door and she made a decision. She came to sit next towards the professor.
'Well... Where should I start? This has always been the hardest part, you know...' The professor seemed to think. For a moment he closed his eyes, but suddenly after a few seconds he opened them again. He struck Lea by surprise. 'Well okay. Have there ever happened things to you you couldn't explain?' The question slapped her in the face. 'Things others of your age can't do?'
Lea wanted to get out of the chair and she wanted to run upstairs towards her room. She wanted to away from this person as far as possible. But for some reason she stayed in her chair.
The professor started to smile again, because this seemed to be some sort of confirmation for him. There had indeed been things she hadn't been able to explain. 'My dear Analea,' he started again, 'you are a witch.'
'How do you mean?'
'You can do magic,' he explained. 'Just like me. I'm teaching at one of the best magical schools in the world, called Hogwarts and you're allowed to go there, Analea. How does that sound?' Professor Dumbledore got something out of his pocket and handed this over to Lea. Her hand was trembling, but she was able to take it with no problems. Her name was on the envelop.
Lea didn't know what to do. She stared to her hands, where the envelop was. All this time she thought she was crazy. All her life she'd wanted to meet people like her and now... Now she was allowed to go to a school full of people like her. Lea didn't know if this man was speaking the truth, but for some reason she believed him.
Still she didn't dare to open the envelop.
'Oh and there's something else.' The expression on the professors face changed. She didn't really know why.
'What is it?'
'Well, this must be very difficult for you. You'll learn about a new world you're part of and soon you'll go to some sort of school here. You ought to know here no one, but I'm sure you'll make some very good friends. Still there's something else I need to tell you about.' The professor seemed to hesitate. 'It's about you mother, to be precise...' The moment she heard him saying about her mother, she was on the edge of her seat, wanting to hear more. Was she a with too? 'Before you were born, a few years earlier, she fell in love with a man who didn't want her. With this person she got another child...'
This information was harder to handle than the information she just got. 'That's not possible...'
'Yes Analea, it is possible. He's at Hogwarts too, you know... And I think he really wants to meet you.'
