Lisa Goes to Hogwarts
For someone who will probably never read this story, but if you do – thank you for everything.
My mother had blonde hair and blue eyes. My father has brown hair and blue eyes. And I have red hair and brown eyes.
It was in May, shortly before my eleventh birthday, that I discovered genetics. My science class learned about Mendel's pea-plant experiments, and our teacher mentioned the fact that two blue-eyed people cannot have a brown-eyed child. I'd never known that, and first I thought my teacher must just be wrong. But I went to the library, and got a book on genetics, and sure enough, she was right. I was shocked, to say the least. All sorts of scenarios kept going through my head, and I wondered which was true. I couldn't just say to my mother, 'am I adopted?' or 'Hey, mom, who is my real dad?'. So I left the genetics book open to the part about eye color and went to my room.
A couple hours later, mom came in. She shut the door and showed me the book.
"I found this downstairs," she said.
"I left it there for you." I said. "Did you read that?"
"Yes."
"So what's the deal?" She looked at me and sighed.
"First of all, you are my daughter. It's just that your father is really your stepfather. When I was very young, only twenty, I married foolishly. I left a month after your birth."
"Why?"
"Because," she hesitated. "Because your father - was evil. He wasn't - there was something wrong with him."
"Was he a criminal?"
"No-o, he never actually did anything that would get him arrested. But I don't want to talk about it." She stood up and tried to leave.
"Mother? What's my real name?"
"Your name is Lisa Smith. That's your legal name." Smith, of course, was my stepfather's name. I wondered who my true father had been, and what he had been that was so bad.
I shared a room with Emily, my sister. She was about nine at the time and very curious. Every night, I'd have to tell her stories to get her to go to sleep. That started when she was about four. By the time she was six, I had run out of stories to tell her. So one day I went to the library and asked for a book of children's stories. I took it home and was reading it when my mother snatched it from me.
"You know our rules!" she yelled. She didn't let me read anything but 'realistic' books. No fantasy, no science fiction, nothing but historical fiction and dumb books about the miseries of third grade. I tried to tell her that these were classic fairy stories that I already knew anyway, but she didn't listen.
Anyway, after that, I decided that whatever she said, I was going to read those books anyway. So every day at school I'd check out a book and read it over lunch. I became a very good reader, but didn't make many friends.
That was the reason that I was late walking home from school that day in late May. I'd stayed to finish 'The Hobbit', a wonderful story that I just couldn't put down. Now it was about four in the afternoon. Mom wouldn't care - she would think I was with friends. As long as I was home for dinner, I'd be fine.
I was crossing an asphalt basketball court when I realized that someone was following me. It was a man, with black hair and eyes. This made me a little nervous. Mom had told all of us kids about people who kidnapped children, and this man might be one of them. He was on the other side of the high fence surrounding the court, though, and there were four or five boys playing. I thought I'd be safe while I was here. So I stood and watched the boys play.
"Lisa?" the man called. I turned. "Yes, it is you! Lisa, I've found you!"
"Who are you?" I asked. I had my book bag in one hand. I was ready to throw it and run at a moment's notice.
"Lisa- it's me. Your father." I gasped. I went closer to the fence.
"You're my father?" I looked at him. He did look a bit like me... he pulled out a locket from his pocket. He tossed it to me. I opened it. There was a photograph of a man -this one, but younger, and a woman, who, I realized, was my mother. She was holding an infant in her arms.
"That's me?" I was, of course, skeptical. Yet something in me seemed to say, yes, yes, this is him!
"Yes." I looked at the picture again. That's funny, I thought. I could have sworn that it was different before.. I closed it and gave it to him.
"Can we go and talk somewhere?" he asked me. I thought for a minute. If he were a kidnapper or some such I wanted people to be around so they could help me. If not… well, I had to hear what he had to say.
"There's a park a few blocks away." There'd be people there. It would be safe enough, I hoped.
We sat on the park bench and looked at ducks on the river. The man –my father? – seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move. Finally, I said,
"If you're my father, why haven't you come before?"
"Because I didn't know where you were, Lisa. Your mother came here- to America - and I was looking in England."
"That's where you live?" He did have an accent, it was true.
"That's where you were born."
"So, what's your name?"
"Your mother hasn't told you?" He looked shocked, then grinned ruefully as if he should have expected no more.
"She won't tell me anything." I didn't mean for my words to be so bitter; they just slipped out.
"My name is Patrick Black."
"So I am Lisa Black," I said slowly. I liked the sound of it. "Why did mother leave?"
"When she found out, she couldn't take it."
"Found out what?" What horrible secret did my father conceal? I knew somehow, without any further proof, that this man was my father. It might have been his smile; I'd seem the same smile looking out of mirrors and lakes at me a thousand times. Or it might have been the conviction his voice held.
"That I'm a wizard. You're one too." The gasp I gave out then shocked even me.
"You're joking, aren't you?" How could this be rel? How could he make such a joke in such a deadpan way?
"No." He pulled out a wand from his pocket, mumbled something, and waved it. An ice cream appeared. He handed it to me. "You like chocolate?"
"Yes," I said, taking it. I bit into it. It really was ice cream. I was convinced – I had always, secretly, believed in magic. "I'm a wizard too?"
"Well, technically, you're a witch. But yes. I have confirmation here." He handed me a letter. I opened it. It was from a wizard school called Hogwarts, inviting me to go.
"Wow," I breathed, reading the letter again and again.
"So, you want to go?" He seemed anxious for me to agree, and there was nothing I'd rather do.
"Yes, of course!" I grinned. Then I thought of something. "But mom won't let me, will she?"
"She's had you for almost eleven years. Don't you think it's my turn?" There was that grin again, a bit mischievous, promising me so much.
"Oh, yes! But, how will you get her to let me go?"
"You could just run away. That might be simplest." I laughed. "What?"
"It's just that - that's kid-logic. I've never heard an adult talk that way."
"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" I liked my dad already.
"Yes. Okay, how about tonight?"
"That's perfect. I know where you live, I'll be by at midnight."
"But what if they hear me?" He handed me a blue pouch of some powder.
"Put this in the drinks at dinner – and drink this yourself first." He handed me another packet, this one red. "It's a Sleeping Draught. Everyone in the house will sleep for twelve hours. Nothing will wake them. The other package is an antidote. Just don't mix them up."
"Oh, that's wonderful!"
"You'd better hurry. It's getting late." I hugged him and ran home. I hardly ate any dinner, and I didn't drink anything at all, just to be safe.
It seemed forever before my sisters began to fall asleep, but then suddenly they and my mother and stepfather were all sleeping. I grinned and tiptoed up to my room and put some clothes in a suitcase. Then I got a picture of my family and stuffed that in too. Next, I took a piece of paper and started to write.
Dear Mom,
I'm running away from home to live with my father and become a witch. I looked at what I'd written. A little blunt, but that's what I wanted to say. I love you all very much, but I really want this. I hope to see you again sometime. Until then, I am
Your Daughter,
Lisa Smith Black.
I left it on my bed where she'd see it. Then I started to wait. Finally midnight was only a few minutes away. I went outside and sat on the curb waiting.
At midnight, a car pulled up. I opened the door. Dad grinned at me.
"Get in."
"A bit ordinary of a car for a wizard, don't you think?"
"Maybe, but it'll get us where we need to be. There's more to it than meets the eye."
"Are we taking a plane to England?" I asked.
"No, I've got contacts at the Ministry of Magic who've got contacts at the Bureau of Wizardry here in America. It's all arranged."
Anyway, it was late, and I was tired. I tried to keep my eyes open, but I just kept getting sleepier and sleepier...
"Lisa! Wake up!"
"Huh?" I looked around. I was sitting in the car, which had just stopped outside a huge old house.
"We're home," my father said.
"We live here?" I stared at the mansion. The gates were covered in ivy and it was made of brick and stone.
"Yes." Dad looked at it and sighed. "It's been in our family for years! It may be a little empty with just the two of us, but that's okay." He took me inside and led me upstairs. "This will be your room. We'll go shopping soon to get you things, but you might want to sleep a little more now. I'll have breakfast ready when you come down." He shut the door, and I looked around the room. It was almost as big as the living room of my old house. There was a large four-poster bed with a silk canopy, and a bay window that had a seat that would be perfect for reading in. Big doors opened onto the lawn, and I saw a forest and a lake through them. I lay down on the bed and sighed. I loved it here already.
I awoke to the heavenly smell of bacon and maple syrup. Quickly, I went downstairs to join my father. He gave me a plate and we sat down together. We ate in silence for a while, then he said,
"I'm glad we have a few months before school starts. There's lots of stuff you need to know about us."
"Like what?" I wanted to know everything about my father, about wizards, about –well, about everything.
"Well, there's lots I can tell you, and we have a huge library here. Do you like to read?"
"I love it! But mom never let me read anything interesting." Again a surliness crept into my voice without my meaning it to.
"I think you'll find some of what's here interesting indeed. But we'll do that later. Today - today I'm going to teach you to fly." Dad grinned mischievously. "You'll love it, I promise. It's in our blood."
He led me outside ("Just leave the dishes - we can do them later") to a wide meadow. I breathed in the fresh air. He showed me two brooms that were lying on the ground.
"This is a very good broom, the Nimbus line. You won't be allowed to take it to school this year, of course, but you can learn to use it." He had me stand by one. Then he yelled, 'Up!' and the broom by him leapt into his hand. I tried it, but the broom just lay there. Dad laughed, but kindly. "Try again, and don't be afraid. It won't bite you."
So again I yelled, "Up!" and this time it came.
"Excellent! Now, you get on like this, and you hold it here," he said, showing me. "Then you push off - gently. When you want to come down, point it slightly downward and you'll come down slowly." He demonstrated. "Want to try?" I nodded. I pushed off, rose ten feet in the air, and came down. I grinned at Dad.
"Excellent! Try this." He showed me more. Ten minutes later, I was soaring a hundred feet off the ground, diving and whooping. Flying is like nothing else on earth. When your feet leave the ground, you feel -well, you feel just grand. You can't help but exult in the feeling. It's like Christmas and birthdays and warm cocoa in winter and the day you make your best friend and sunshine and music and your first kiss all rolled up in one. I didn't think I'd ever have enough of it. But Dad called a stop to it after an hour or so.
"Weather's turning nasty. We'd best go in." So I followed him, broom over my shoulder, into the house. He took me on a tour then, showing me all the rooms and things that we had. The last place he took me was the library.
"You can use this as often as you want," he said as he threw the door open. I looked in.
The room was hundreds of feet in every direction. Bookshelves lined the walls, except for where huge windows stood to let in air and light. There were thousands and thousands of books there. Chairs were scattered here and there across the marble floor, and a huge stone fireplace stood at one end. I gaped.
"You might try these first," my dad said, leading me to a shelf. "These are biographies about a very famous wizard. I think you might learn a lot from them." He pointed to a row of books. "The Harry Potter Series: Harry: The Boy Who Lived, Harry at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Harry Faces You-Know-Who, Harry and the Weasleys, Harry: Quidditch Seeker. That's a lot."
"There are more, too. You may see some of our ancestors in there."
"Really?"
"Yes. Actually, you might try Moony, Padfoot and Prongs; Their Story. That's got a lot about our most famous ancestor. Sirius Black was his name. He's famous for being the only person ever to escape Azkaban unassisted. That's wizard prison."
"What did he do?" I was shocked. Dad seemed proud to have such a notorious ancestor.
"Nothing, but they thought he did. Anyway, they got it all straightened out eventually."
"Wow. It sounds like I have a lot to learn." But was I excited to start learning it.
"And you want to get started, right? Well, when you get hungry, come on down to the kitchen and we'll have dinner." Dad seemed to understand me better after one day with me than my mother ever had. I grinned at him.
"Today's been perfect, Dad."
"We've got a lot more days just like it, Lisa." He looked down at me, then bent his knees so his face was on a level with mine. "All your life, I've missed you, Lisa. Now you're here with me – and I couldn't be happier. I promise you your life here will be wonderful."
"It already is."
A week later, I came down to breakfast.
"What do you want to do today?" Dad asked me.
"I guess what I've been doing," I said. "Why, did you want to do something special?"
"Well, I thought that since it was your birthday..." He was grinning. It seemed to be the trademark Black grin; in the books I'd read with our ancestors in, most wore that same expression quite often. It was a devilish sort of grin, the sort that makes you feel good and nervous at the same time. The grin of someone who might do almost anything – except something evil. But the impact of his words hit me.
"My birthday! I lost track of the days!"
"I thought we'd go to Diagon Alley. We can get you a wand and maybe an owl, if you'd like one."
"Would I!" I loved petting the mail owls when they came; Dad must have noticed. I was thrilled at the thought of getting my own owl.
We went by Floo Powder. I must say, I prefer broom travel. Diagon Alley was so strange to me. I stared at everything around me. Witches and wizards haggling and talking filled the streets and shops. Strange odors wafted down the street. Cats, rats and the odd toad avoided peoples' feet as best they could. Dad took me to Ollivanders' first.
"Best wand makers in the world, and we Blacks never take second best!" he said. Mr. Ollivander was very peculiar, although I wasn't sure if perhaps I hadn't met enough wizards to make such a judgment.
"Patrick Black, how nice to see you. Let's see, maple and dragon heartstring, 12 inches, right?" Dad nodded. "And this must be your daughter. She has your eyes, I see. Let's try you with the basic, willow and unicorn hair." He handed me a wand. I waved it, but nothing happened. "Oak and phoenix feather," Mr. Ollivander said. I tried it, and still nothing happened. We tried ash and unicorn hair, birch and dragon heartstring, and maple and phoenix feather. Still nothing happened. I started to get worried; what if I wasn't really a witch? Was that why I couldn't use the wands? Now Mr. Ollivander handed me a rowan and phoenix feather wand, ten inches. I waved it. Sparks shot out from one end and singed my father's beard. He laughed, and I grinned in relief. We paid Mr. Ollivander for it, and set off up the street looking for an owl shop.
When we found one, I was startled at all the different kinds. I got a medium-sized owl that was brown all over. We carried her out of the store in the cage.
We had lunch in the Leaky Cauldron. Almost everyone there seemed to know Dad, and he took great pride in introducing me. We ate lunch and then returned to our home by Floo Powder. Dad asked me, as we fed my new owl, what I thought of Diagon Alley.
"It's great!" I said. "Will we go there again?"
"Yes, we'll have to get the rest of your school things," he said. He showed me a few simple spells to try out, and then after the rain stopped, we went outside and played broom tag.
The next morning when I came down for breakfast, the kitchen was empty. There was a note from my father on the table
Lisa- I have some important business to do today. Why don't you visit the village? There's a wizarding family there that you can introduce yourself to if you want. They live at 16 Forsythia Lane. I put down the note and fixed myself breakfast. Then, after cleaning up, I went out and started down the road.
The village was about two miles away, along a nice little road. I walked along, breathing in the sunshine. The village, I saw as I rounded the last bend, wasn't large - three shops and twenty or so houses. It didn't take long to find 16 Forsythia Lane. It was a nice house, though a lot smaller than mine. I walked up and knocked on the door. A pretty woman answered it. She was about my mother's age, but much nicer looking, I thought. She had red hair and brown eyes, like me.
"Hello?" she said politely.
"Hi. I'm Lisa Black, and my father said I should introduce myself."
"Oh, you're Patrick's daughter?"
"Yes, I am."
"Come in. I'm Ellen Potter. Jason! Jason!"
"I'm coming Mother." A boy about my age came downstairs. He had black hair and eyes and was carrying a broom. "I was just about to - oh, a visitor."
"This is Lisa Black."
"Uncle Patrick's daughter?"
"Yes."
"Are we related?" I asked curiously. Mrs. Potter laughed. "No, he just calls your father that. My husband and your father were best friends until he died." A shiver of sorrow crossed her face. "You must call me Aunt Ellie."
"All right," I said.
"I'm glad you visited, dear. Patrick said he'd managed to get you away from your mother. It's about time he did, too. You'll be going to Hogwarts in the fall, I imagine."
"Yes, I will."
"Jason here will be starting too." Mrs. Potter - Aunt Ellie - led the way into the parlor. Jason turned to me as I sat down.
"Play any Quidditch?"
"Not yet, but I want to."
"Jason, remember she's lived with Muggles most of her life," his mother admonished.
"That would be so weird! Did you even know that you were a witch?" Jason looked as if he could hardly believe it could be possible not to know you were a witch.
"No. My mother didn't even tell me that I had a different father than my half- sisters. She made me find that out myself." Aunt Ellie clucked her tongue.
"Such a shame, that. Ah well, you're here now dear." Jason and I were soon having an animated conversation.
"Your dad sometimes lets me use that meadow behind your house to practice flying."
"Well, I hope you come sometime when I'm using it," I said.
"I will."
"Why don't the two of you go now?" Aunt Ellie smiled at us. "I've got some shopping to do, Jason, and unless you want to come along…" He groaned, and we agreed to go flying, so Aunt Ellie made us a picnic lunch and we set off.
Dad got back late that evening. He was exhausted and his robes were sopping. He sat at the table and drank tea while I told him about my day.
"I'm glad you made friends with the Potters. They're quite a nice family. Our families have been friends forever, you know." He looked at me. "I usually have them over for tea and dinner on Saturdays. Would you mind if we did that?"
"Of course not. Jason said that he'd teach me some more Quidditch moves next time we got together. If it rains, I'll get him to play wizard chess."
"Yes, you sure took to that quickly."
"Dad, where did you have to go?"
"Oh, I just had a job for the Ministry." But his air of nonchalance didn't fool me.
"Can't you tell me?"
"Sorry Lisa, but I can't." He looked a bit upset, so I changed the subject.
Saturday rolled around soon enough, and I waited eagerly for the Potters to arrive. When they did, it had begun to rain, so Jason and I played wizard chess in the library. Then he taught me to play gobstones and exploding snap.
By teatime the rain had become a downpour, and by dinner it was a full thunderstorm. Lightning and thunder were everywhere, the wind was shrieking around the windows, and there was hail. Dad looked out in it.
"You can't go home," he said to Aunt Ellie. "You can spend the night here."
"What about Floo Powder?" she asked.
"You didn't leave your fire on, did you?" She shook her head. "A cold landing's no good, not in this weather. No, just come on into the library."
We had a huge roaring fire. Dad and Aunt Ellie sat in stuffed chairs and talked while Jason and I played endless games of chess. Then the lights went out. Dad laughed and waved his wands. Oil lamps all around the room came on, lighting the place with a gentle glow.
Around eleven, Dad said that Jason and I had to go to bed. We protested, but he insisted, so off we marched. I took him to a guest room. Before turning in, he turned to me and said,
"This evening's been the most fun I've had in a long time. Thanks."
"Thank you," I said. "I've never known any wizard kids before, and you've been a great friend."
"We can still be friends at Hogwarts."
"What if we're in different Houses?"
"Come on! When was the last time a Potter or Black wasn't in Gryffindor?" He rolled his eyes, as if the idea was too fantastic to believe.
"I don't know." Of course, I didn't know that much about my family, or his, really.
"Neither do I, so don't worry."
The next morning, it was still raining. Finally, after lunch, it stopped on and I were in the library playing when an owl fluttered in, dropped a paper, and left.
"Hey, the Daily Prophet! There's a series in there that I want to read!" Jason said. I looked at the front page.
"Mysterious Attacks Continue," I read from the headline. "Death Count Now Twelve." I looked at Jason. "What's this about?"
"I don't know. I hadn't heard anything about this. But I haven't looked at the papers in a few days," he said, frowning. "What else does it say?" I picked up the paper and brought it over.
The attacks have not yet stopped, and the Ministry says it is no closer to finding the perpetrators. Rumors that the V. League is involved have not been substantiated. Eridius Malfoy is calling on the Minister of Magic to do something about the attacks, but Minister Wood says that there's really nothing he can do right now.
"What's the 'V League'?" I asked.
"It must be one of those freak groups that pop up every now and then. They say that the want to bring back Voldemort somehow. The papers still don't print his name, you know. People are still scared of him."
"So they've killed twelve people?"
"That's what it sounds like. Must be a very bad group. Most of them are just talk." Just then, my father came in. He looked at the newspaper that we were reading. His face hardened.
"So it's gotten worse. I was afraid of this."
"What is it, Patrick?" Jason's mother had come in. Dad handed her the paper. Her face went pale. "Those awful people," she said in a whisper. Suddenly, a barn owl flew in through the open window and dropped a letter on Dad's feet. He picked it up, glanced at it, ripped it open, and read the contents. His face went a little pale.
"I have to go up to London immediately, and I won't be back for at least a week," he said.
"Lisa can stay with us," Aunt Ellie said immediately.
"Thank you, Ellen. I really appreciate that."
"Well, you have to go now," she said. "I'll take care of Lisa." Dad nodded, pulled out his wand, and Disapparated.
"All right, dear, get some clothes and we'll go to my house," said Aunt Ellie kindly. "Don't you worry about your father. He's been in much tighter situations and come out fine," she said with a smile. But her eyes looked sad, and I wondered why.
Dad was gone ten days. I got a letter from him on the third that said that he loved me and that there was nothing for me to worry about. On the ninth day, my mother appeared in the village.
I don't know how she found out where I was, but she had her husband with her, and seemed quite ready to pitch a huge fit. The first I knew about it, she was knocking on the Potters' door. Aunt Ellie opened it.
"Hello?" she said.
"I've been told that my daughter is here," mother said.
"Who is your daughter?"
"Lisa." Of course, Aunt Ellie knew who she meant, but I think she was trying to stall for time. I saw my mother walk in. "Lisa!" she called. I was worried. I thought briefly of slipping out the back, but that was no good. Anyway, Aunt Ellie wouldn't let her take me. So I went downstairs. Mother was sitting in the living room, lips pursed, eyes looking at the wizarding stuff disapprovingly.
"There you are," she said. "Lisa, I'm not mad at you for running away. I know that he probably put some sort of spell on you. After all, you're a good girl, and wouldn't want to get your mother angry, would you?"
"Mother, you're treating me as if I were three! Dad didn't put a spell on me. Why didn't you ever tell me he was a wizard, hmm? Were you afraid I'd want to do magic too? Well, I do. And I'm going to Hogwarts in the fall, and I'm going to be a witch." I crossed my arms and sat firmly.
"I'll have him arrested for kidnapping you!"
"Good luck." I looked at her. "Like they could arrest him if he didn't want to be. No, mother, I've made my decision, and I'm going to stay right here." Now my stepfather spoke up.
"Lisa, we just want what's best for you."
"Then let me stay with Dad! I'm happy here, and I'm going to do something I want to do! If I go back with you, then what? I grow up to be an accountant?"
"That's a perfectly good job." He flushed, for that's what he did.
"A perfectly boring job. Anyway, you can't take me. I've read up on wizard law, and it says that if a wizard-Muggle pair splits up, custody of the children automatically goes to the wizard as long as there are no other circumstances. He should have you arrested for kidnapping, not the other way around."
"And where is your precious father now, hmm? The villagers say he's been gone over a week." Now Aunt Ellie spoke up.
"You know, Grace, I don't know what Patrick ever saw in you. You haven't improved a whit in the years you've been gone. Patrick should have left you, not the other way around."
"Oh, I know perfectly well why he married me." Mother looked at Aunt Ellie, who, for some reason, went pink and fell silent.
"Why do you hate wizards so much?" I asked her. I simply could not understand it.
"Because I know what they're like!" Her voice was full of passion. "Nasty and spiteful, all of them! I know you're not like that – she wasn't, you know." I didn't know what she was talking about; she seemed to be speaking to my stepfather. Was she so upset that her words weren't making sense? Perhaps she meant that I wasn't a nasty person before but that they'd make me that way. Her next words seemed to confirm that. "It'll ruin you. You might have good intentions but it's no good. It'll ruin you."
"No, it won't, mother." I stared at her. "I like being a wizard. And Dad and Aunt Ellie and the others I've met – they're not spiteful or wicked. They're just people."
After that, the conversation went downhill. Mother finally left, but she said she'd be back tomorrow. I didn't sleep much that night.
The next day I went down to breakfast.
"Dad!" He was sitting at the table, eating toast and reading the newspaper. He looked at me and grinned. "Dad, I'm so glad you're back! I've been really worried about you."
"I'm fine, Lisa. But Ellie tells me there's been some trouble?"
"Oh, yeah. Mom showed up and won't go away. She'll be here soon." I grimaced. Dad started to say something, but the doorbell rang. Of course it was Mother. She walked in and glared at my father.
"Grace," he said evenly.
"How dare you?" she spat. "You know what I think of you and your kind. And then to come and kidnap my daughter-"
"Lisa is my daughter too."
"I didn't want her raised to be one of you! That's why I left!"
"No, Grace, you left because you couldn't stand to face the truth. Lisa's entitled to make some decisions about her own future, and she's made them." I moved over to behind Dad's chair and stared defiantly at my mother.
"I already told you my answer, mother. It hasn't changed." She argued with us for hours, but finally left. We left then too and went home. Over dinner I asked,
"Why didn't you just make her go away?"
"Lisa, we have the power to that, but not the right. She's a person, too, you know, not a puppet to dance to our strings. Remember that, Lisa."
Mother left that afternoon and went back to the USA. The rest of the summer passed quickly. Almost before I realized it, it was September 1.
The Potters traveled to King's Cross with us. It was quite far away; we had to get up very early to get there on time, but we got to the platform in plenty of time. Dad looked at me.
"I'll miss you," he said.
"I'll miss you too, but I'll write lots," I said. "And it'll be Christmas before we know it."
"Right. Send me an owl tomorrow and let me know about your first day," he said. "And have a nice time." Then Jason and I got on the train together. The train set off down the track, and I looked back nervously. It seemed as if I were about to really begin a whole new life. I couldn't wait to get started.
The door slid open and two boys came in. One had red hair; the other had brown. The redhead, who was also taller, said,
"Is there room here?" We nodded. The boys sat down. "I'm Andy Weasley, by the way." We introduced ourselves. The other boy spoke up.
"I'm Philip Lupin," he said. We struck up a lively conversation. Andy and Phil already knew each other, but it was their first year too. Andy was the oldest of six; four boys and two girls.
"Being the oldest isn't always fun," he said. "You have to set an example for your younger siblings, and then any time they do anything earlier than you do, you never hear the end of it! Plus, whenever Mom and Dad have things to do, guess who gets stuck watching the other guys? And the diapers! My youngest sister and brother are both still in diapers, we have to change about twenty every day. I'm really glad to be going to Hogwarts." I asked Phil about his family.
"No siblings, just my parents," he said. "They were both in Gryffindor. I do hope I'm in it too." We all seconded that.
At lunch we bought a lot of candy from off the cart. Andy had a collection of famous witch and wizard cards, so he pulled it out to show us.
"I've even got Harry Potter, and those are really rare! Plus, I have some of my relatives, see, here's Ron Weasley, and this is Percy. Oh, look, here's Remus Lupin! I'd do a lot for a Sirius Black, but I can't seem to find any." We stared at the famous people and talked about them for a while. It was a pleasant way to travel.
The Great Hall was full of people. I stared up at the ceiling. I'd heard that it was enchanted to look like the sky outside, but tonight was cloudy and I couldn't see much of anything. I stood, waiting for my name to be called and hoping it wouldn't be long. Of course, with a last name of Black, it wasn't. In fact, I was the first student to be sorted. I sat on the stool, the hat over my eyes, and waited.
"Let's see, I want to start this year off right. Must be careful with this first selection. Interesting head you've got here. Pride and excitement, a little doubt, don't worry, you'll be fine. You're eager and talented, that's good. Loyal to your friends, I see, that's always nice to see. Determined to live up to your heritage - well, all right, I'll let you be GRYFFINDOR!" I took off the hat and walked to the cheering table. There were quite a few empty chairs. I sat down by two other empty places. I hoped that perhaps Jason would be able to sit in one of them.
I watched a lot of students who I didn't know get sorted, and then it was Phil's turn. The hat made him a Gryffindor too. He took one of the chairs by me. Now there were only six students before Jason. Three were made Hufflepuffs, one Ravenclaw, and two Slytherins. Then Jason took the hat. I crossed my fingers tightly. The hat took a minute to decide, then yelled 'Gryffindor!' to the whole hall. I grinned with relief as he collapsed into the chair next to me.
Andy got in Gryffindor too. He was the last student to be sorted. The Headmistress, whose name was Emily McGonagall, stood up and greeted us all. Then we attacked the piles of food that had magically appeared.
Hogwarts was wonderful. There was so much to do and learn that the days just seemed to fly past. Jason, Andy, Phil and I stuck together mostly. Of course we all had the same classes, so we usually sat together near the front. Except in Transfigurations.
Professor Miranda Snape hated us. I didn't know why, except that she hated me most of all. Any time there was some particularly hard thing to do, she'd call me up to the front of the class and make me try to do it while she stood by and sneered at my efforts. Then she'd take points from Gryffindor when I failed. By the third week at Hogwarts, I was completely fed up with the whole business.
"I can't stand Transfigurations!" I said as I slammed my books down on the table in the common room. "Snape just hates me, and I don't know why."
"Eh, the whole Snape family is that way to everyone in Gryffindor, my dad says," said Andy.
"Yes, but she really hates me! I don't know what I'm going to do next time she calls on me. She doesn't even give us time to practice what we're supposed to have learned before she makes us try it!" Jason was staring into space.
"We've got the book right here," he said. "There's no reason why you couldn't study up ahead of time. In fact, we'll all study two lessons ahead. That way we'll be able to do anything she tells us too!"
It was hard, trying to study without a teacher, but well worth it. The next time she called me to turn a coin into a mirror, I performed the spell perfectly. The expression on Snape's face was priceless.
Unfortunately, Snape was not the only problem we had. One of the others was Malfoy.
Ari Malfoy was Eridius Malfoy's son, and Eridius was a very wealthy, very influential, very nasty man. I'd heard Dad talking about him, and he never had anything complementary to say about him. Ari lived up to his father's reputation, and more.
We were with the Slytherins in Potions. Ari and his gang of supporters always worked not far from us. We'd often here them sneering about 'that bunch of Gryffindor losers'.
"Oh, yes, they all have good wizarding family names," I heard Ari say one day, "But scratch below the surface, and you'll see Muggle blood. Black was raised as a Muggle, I hear, and Potter's mother was a Mudblood. Not one of them has pure wizarding blood. Not like my family. We haven't even had a half-blood in our line for five hundred years!" He laughed maliciously.
We ignored him, of course, for we knew it didn't matter a bit. A week later, though, we couldn't ignore him.
"Heard about your father, Black," he sneered, eyes glinting with cold delight. "So sorry what happened to him."
"What?" I said.
"Didn't he tell you? It's been all over the Daily Prophet. Look." He pulled an article out of his pocket and handed it to me.
Five Muggles Killed, One Wizard Injured, in Latest V. League Attacks, the headline read. I stared as I read further. V. League operators injured Mr. Patrick Black Friday as he attempted to defend a train full of Muggles that they were attacking. "No question, Black's efforts saved many of these Muggles," Minister Wood said today. "We are very sorry that he was injured, and hope that he makes a quick and complete recovery." We cannot ascertain how badly he was injured, but have been informed that he is in no danger. However, concern about the V. League is mounting in the face of their continued attacks. "We may be facing a serious crisis here," said a Ministry worker who wishes to remain anonymous. "This group is far more dangerous and unpredictable than any of the groups that have cropped up in the hundred and fifty years since the defeat of You-Know-Who." I looked at Malfoy's face, which was still wearing a sneering smile.
"So sorry about your father," he said again. "I do hope he recovers. The V. League can do very nasty things, I've heard. Sometimes nobody even knows until it's too late."
I punched him right in that sneering face of his. The smirk disappeared as a look of horror passed over it. Parkinson and Zabini, his goons, came after me, but Andy and Phil took them on. Jason was trying to pull me off of Malfoy, for I had thrown myself at him and was trying to beat his face in.
"You are a stupid, idiotic, useless, GIT!!!" I yelled. Malfoy couldn't seem to use his hands well, although he did manage to kick me. I was so upset that I hardly noticed. The classroom was in an uproar. Half the students were cheering; the other half was standing on the desks, trying to keep out of the way.
"STOP THIS!" yelled Professor Longbottom. His wand, raised high into the air, shot off sparks and made loud bangs. "Stop this now!" Jason managed to pull me off Malfoy. I felt my nose, which was bleeding. I hadn't even felt it get hit. Andy and Phil straightened their robes sheepishly. "Never in all the time I have been a professor," Longbottom began. He stopped. "Who started this?"
The Slytherins pointed to me. The Gryffindors pointed to Malfoy "Hmm," said Longbottom. "Malfoy, what's your story?"
"She just attacked me!" he said. "Look at me!" He did look a mess. I rather thought that his left eye would be swollen shut in a few minutes. I almost grinned at that thought, but Longbottom was turning to me.
"It wasn't her fault, Professor," Jason began. "She'd just heard about her father, and then Malfoy was taunting her."
"What about your father?" asked Longbottom. I handed him the article, which was now quite crumpled. "I see," he said after reading it. "Malfoy, you knew this?" Malfoy nodded. "Well, good grief! You must be very stupid to pick a fight with someone who just got news like this!" He turned to me. "Fighting is against our rules, and there are really no excuses, but - Do you know how he is?" he asked anxiously. I shook my head no. "Well, go up to the Infirmary and get that taken care of. Then send him an owl and find out, girl! We can't have you going around hitting people because you're worried about him, can we?" I smiled and hurried out.
"That was incredible!" said Andy at dinner. "Malfoy looks awful, and even the Slytherins are teasing him about being beaten up by a girl! And Zabini will think twice before trying to bother me again!"
"I'm just glad I didn't get in trouble," I said. "That was incredibly stupid."
"Did you get your answer?" Jason asked.
"No, but - hey, wait a minute, I think that's Alacrity!"
"Is that what you named your owl?" Phil asked. "I never did know."
"Yes, I thought that would be a good name for her." Alacrity dropped a letter on my plate, fluttered twice around my head, and swooped off. I opened the letter quickly.
"It's from your mum, Jason!"
Lisa,
I know you must be worried about your father. I'm sorry that I forgot to write to you as soon as we found out what happened, but it's been very hectic. First of all, your father will make a complete recovery, don't worry about that. He wasn't very badly injured, and a few days in bed will fix him. I'm here taking care of him, and he'll be fine.
He was aboard a Muggle train when the V League attacked. His courage saved the lives of most of the people on the train, although a few died. They're talking of giving him the Order of Merlin for what he did. Don't worry about the V League either; the Ministry thinks it has a good lead on them and they should be gone soon.
Tell my son he'd better be good, and your father sends his love.
Ellen Potter.
"I'm so relieved," I said after reading the letter. "Your mum will take care of him, Jason."
"What does she mean, be good?" Jason asked. "I'm always good."
"That's not what Malfoy thinks," Andy grinned.
"Who cares what Malfoy thinks, the little git," said Jason. We all agreed.
Soon it was Christmas time, and we got on the train to go home. Phil and Andy were staying on, so Jason and I sat by ourselves on the long ride back.
I saw Dad as soon as I got off the train. He looked well, although he was a bit paler and had lost weight.
"Dad!" I yelled, and hugged him.
"Lisa, it's so good to see you! It's been too long." I pulled out of his arms and looked at him.
"Are you okay, Dad?"
"Yes, Lisa. Ellie has been taking good care of me. I'm fine, just a little tired still." I hugged him again.
"I've got so much to tell you! I've learned so much already, and I've met so many people."
"You can tell us about it on the way home. I was very proud when I heard you were in Gryffindor, dear.
"He was, Lisa," Aunt Ellie said. "I was there when we both got the letters. I'm proud of you both." She smiled.
We rode home, talking all the way. It was very late by the time we dropped the Potters off at their house and got to ours. I went straight to bed, to tired to talk.
The next day, after breakfast, Dad and I started to decorate. We got a huge tree and put it in the library. It was at least twenty feet high. Dad performed a charm to get little lights to sit on the branches, like stars. I thought it was a whole lot faster and simpler than the Muggle way. After lunch, the Potters came over and helped decorate. Dad had already invited them to spend Christmas with us.
"The more, the merrier," he said. Aunt Ellie agreed. She asked me to come over later that week and help her plan the Christmas dinner.
"We'll go and get holly and ivy that day, Jason," my father said. Everyone thought that the plan was a good one.
Tuesday morning, bright and early, I headed over to the Potters' house. Aunt Ellie let me in. We had a cup of tea and then started to plan the meal.
"Jason tells me you're having a nice time," she said.
"Yes, I like all my teachers - except Professor Snape."
"Miranda?"
"You know her?" I was surprised. Somehow it was hard to think of anyone as nice as Aunt Ellie knowing someone as nasty as Snape.
"I was the same year that she was. I remember her very well."
"Do you know why she hates me?"
"Maybe," she said slowly. "I don't really know if I should be telling you this, but I don't even know if anyone else knows. Oh, well, I suppose you should know. No doubt someone would tall you anyway – there are enough people who know…
"Your father, Patrick, and my husband, Will, were best friends at Hogwarts. Will was very handsome - so was your father - and very talented, both of them. They got into mischief, of course, and made lots of friends and enemies.
"Miranda was attracted to your father, but he didn't care about her. Oh, she was pretty enough, and clever, but he didn't care for her."
"Why not?"
"I didn't really know then, but - well, he had a crush on me. But of course, I was in love with Will, and he with me. I don't know what it must have been like for your father, but he never said a word. He was still the best friend either of us had, and he was best man at our wedding. Then when Will was killed, he was here for me. He's been a surrogate father for Jason. I think that it might have had something to do with the fact that he couldn't locate you.
"He married your mother about four weeks after he met her. She was pretty - even beautiful - and she wasn't a witch. At that point in his life, I think that might have attracted him. But then she left and took you, and it really hurt him for a few years. He's over it now, but he's been through a lot.
"But anyway, Miranda resents you because she once loved and now hates your father. She also didn't think much of me, or Will, so Jason probably isn't her favorite student either."
"You could say that."
"Lisa, I told you these things because you should know them. But I wouldn't ask your father about them if you don't have to. He's got enough on his mind, what with the V League, as it is."
"All right. Are they very bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. And the Ministry's raid only got a few of them - nobody important. They're all in Azkaban, but..." I shivered at the mention of Azkaban. One of the books I'd read had been by Sirius Black, who was of course one of my ancestors. It wasn't actually a book; just a handwritten memoir. It had some chilling passages describing Azkaban. I could remember them still, even though I hadn't read the book in months.
On Christmas, I woke up to find the ground covered in about three inches of new snow. It was lovely. I ran to the kitchen, where Dad and I ate pancakes and sausages and had hot cocoa. We were just washing up when the Potters arrived.
"Happy Christmas!" we all said. There were a few moments' of confused chatter. Then we trooped to the library to open gifts.
I'd seen the library just yesterday, but somehow, even though everything was the same, a magical transformation seemed to have taken place. The tree was decked out in all its' splendor, the fireplace was ablaze with heat, the windows were frosted silver. There were presents sitting in piles near the tree, waiting to be opened. Soon, I knew, the aroma of roasting turkey would drift down the hall from where Aunt Ellie and I had set everything up last night. Magic is so convenient, I reflected. A Muggle might have to actually cook Christmas dinner, but not a wizarding family.
I'd ordered a scarf for Dad that got thicker as the temperature dropped, and lighter as it rose. He seemed to like it, which pleased me. Dad gave me a set of Gobstones, a pair of shoes that would keep your feet from getting tired, and a red scarf to wear to Gryffindor Quidditch matches. I had just unwrapped a box of Chocolate Frogs when Aunt Ellie gave Jason a package.
"Your father would have wanted you to have this," she said, and there was a glint in her eyes that looked like tears. Clearly puzzled, Jason unwrapped it. Out fell a silvery cloak and a very old piece of parchment.
"An Invisibility Cloak?" he breathed. "Wow! And what's this?" My dad grinned.
"When you're at Hogwarts, tap it with your wand and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' It's a map, with every corridor and secret passage at Hogwarts. And it has a few other features too, that may come in handy if you are anything like your dad was."
"Just, do try not to get into trouble, dear," Aunt Ellie said. "Those have been in the family for years. Probably every Potter to go to Hogwarts has used that cloak. I could tell you some stories about your father, but I won't, because it might give you ideas."
After we were done eating, we went outside and had a snowball fight. We only went in after it was too dark to see. This was my best Christmas ever, I thought that night as I drifted off to sleep.
Five days later, we were back on the Hogwarts Express. Jason had his cloak hidden in his bag somewhere, I knew.
"Great holiday," he said to me.
"Best I've ever had. Your mum is so neat."
"Your dad is great too."
"Yeah, well, you know my mum. I wish she was like yours."
"I wish I had a dad."
"You know, wouldn't it be great if-"
"If what?"
"Oh, just a crazy idea."
"Same idea that I have?"
"What's that?"
"That you want my mum, and I want your dad, and the only way to get that..."
"Is if they were to get married."
"Right."
"But how do we just get them to fall in love?"
"We've got until June to come up with a plan. We'll make it good."
And with that, we began to discuss various schemes.
Well, the time flew by, and pretty soon it was Easter. Nobody ever goes home over Easter break; there's too much studying to do. And Quidditch finals would be soon- Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were contending for the Quidditch Cup. I was very busy now, trying to study everything. I was pretty good at everything, but I was especially afraid that Snape would fail me on purpose. Malfoy mostly avoided the four of us, as he was still being taunted for letting me beat him up. The only thing I was worried about now was the V League. Dad said they'd gone quiet, but most people were very worried about whether they'd come back. I felt like I was pretty safe at Hogwarts, but I did worry about my father. They'd already injured him once, and I didn't want him killed. I couldn't bear it if that happened.
I'd known my father for less than a year, but I felt very close to him. I loved him a lot too. I hardly ever thought about my mother and half-sisters nowadays. Well, sometimes I missed Emily and Ruth, but my mother had not been exactly friendly the last time we met.
Anyway, time flew by like the golden snitch, and soon it was near my birthday. I didn't even have time to care, as we had so much studying to do for the exams.
"I just don't understand about Switching Spells," Phil moaned.
"That's easy, what about these wizards who we have to memorize in order and what they did?" Andy demanded, holding up the list from History of Magic. "Binns is always going on about how he taught some of the people on this list - bet he bored them to sleep too."
"Yeah, well, it must have been more interesting when some of those guys were at school," Phil retorted. "I mean the most exciting thing that's happened all year was Lisa here pounding Malfoy. Dad always told me stories about our family - about Remus, my great-great-however-many-great-grandfather, and his adventures here. I always thought it would be a lot more fun than it is."
"I don't see how they weren't caught," Andy said. "I mean, was it easier to sneak around at night?"
"They had an Invisibility Cloak," Jason said.
"Oh, well, that explains it. Too bad we don't have it. I can think of some fun we'd have."
"We do - well, I do," he said. "Mum gave it to me for Christmas." He ran off to his room, and back down again. "Actually, I'm about ready to give these things a try," he said, brandishing the Cloak and the map.
"Tonight?" asked Andy, a gleam in his eye.
"Well, we won't all fit," Jason said. " I don't think more than three of us can go."
"The three of us will draw straws," Phil said. "Obviously you have to go, it's your cloak."
"All right, I'll hold the straws," Jason said. So we all grabbed them, and Phil got the short one.
"Well, I'll go next time," he said, hiding his disappointment well.
"Ouch! That was my foot!"
"Sorry, I didn't see it."
"Of course you didn't see it, this is an Invisibility Cloak!"
"Shh! You're going to get us caught!"
We were headed for the room where the Slytherin Quidditch team kept its robes. Twenty minutes later, we were back in bed.
"Can't wait for the match tomorrow," Andy grinned as we got out of the Cloak.
"Yeah! Should be hilarious." Slytherin was playing Ravenclaw. Two weeks from now was the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor game.
"This should be the match of the season," I said with a huge smile.
"And they're off! The teams rise into the air as one! Harris of Ravenclaw has the Quaffle, he's swooping toward the goal- here comes a Bludger - no! Beater Jones has hit it back! Amelia is the first girl in centuries to be a Beater on a Hogwarts team. She's superb - I shouldn't wonder if she doesn't go professional in two years when she graduated. Snell, the Slytherin Seeker, ducks that Bludger - what the-?"
All over the stadium, people were pointing to the Slytherins. The back of their robes began to flash different colors. Suddenly, they showed definite patterns.
No Slytherin is worth his salt, said one. Couldn't catch the Snitch if I ate it, said Snell's robes. I'm bad! I'm rude! was on the back of the Slytherin Captain. People from the other Houses began to howl with laughter. The Slytherins were frantically trying to make their robes stop insulting them. Meanwhile, the Ravenclaws scored six times. Finally the Slytherins gave up and went back to the game. Just as the game ended in a Ravenclaw victory, a final message shot across Snell's back. Moony, Padfoot and Prongs are proud of you, it read.
Back in the common room, we tried to talk over the giggles and 'You should have seen his face!' comments.
"Which of you did that last one?" Phil was asking.
"None of us, that's what I'm trying to tell you," Jason said. "I don't know how that got there!"
"Well, you've got to admit that you guys are a bit like them," I said.
"Oh, yeah? Then who are you, Lily?" Phil laughed.
"Maybe," I said slowly.
"What do you mean?" Andy asked.
"I really don't know," I said. "I'm tired, I'm going to bed."
That night I had a strange dream. I was standing in a dark clearing. The moon was half-full, and starlight streamed in, but it was very dark. There was a girl, sitting on a rock in the middle of it, staring at me. She had red hair and green eyes. She looked as though she were no more than eighteen.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Lily," she said simply. I looked at her.
"Lily Potter? But you've been dead over a hundred years!"
"So has Professor Binns," she said calmly.
"But you aren't a ghost!"
"No, I'm something different. I'm a wraith or a spirit, I really don't know. I cannot go yet; my task is not finished."
"Your task?"
"I cannot leave until the one who killed me is dead."
"You mean Voldemort?"
"Yes."
"But he died years ago!"
"No, he did not," she said simply. "That's why I'm still here. I've been waiting all this time."
"For what?"
"For you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Oh, I didn't know that it would be you in particular, but I knew that someday, when Voldemort was preparing to return, a girl would come who would be enough like me that I could speak to her in this manner. You and I have a lot in common, Lisa; we grew up not knowing about our talents, we have similar friends, we would risk our lives for the people we care enough about. Lisa, I can't do much. You'll have to do a lot, but I'll be hear to help."
"Now?" I asked.
"No. There is time yet. Go; wake up and tell your friends about this dream."
I sat up in bed. Light was streaming in through the window. I went down to breakfast hardly believing that my dream could be anything but random neurons firing in my brain.
"Man, I had a weird dream last night," Andy was saying. The other three of us stared at him intently. I noticed that Jason and Phil were just as eager as I was.
"Go on," Jason encouraged.
"Well, this guy was in it, and he said he was Sirius Black! He said he was still hanging around-"
"Because Voldemort hadn't been killed yet," Phil continued.
"And he needed you to help him," Jason finished grimly.
"You had the same dream?"
"Except I saw James Potter," Jason said.
"I saw Remus," said Phil.
"Lily was in my dream," I whispered. "They must have been real."
"What are we going to do?" Phil asked.
"She said we had time yet," I replied. "I don't think we do anything just yet. I think that we wait and see."
I don't know how I got through finals, but I passed them all and was soon on my way home. None of us had had another of the dreams, but we wondered whether to tell anyone. Finally, we decided not to, but we were all quite uneasy. I wondered just what kind of summer was ahead of us.