This fanfic is based on works by J.K. Rowling.
Paradigm
It was mid-afternoon in late July, and the sun beat down on a long, winding road leading out from London. In all regards, this road was really quite ordinary. You could see fields of wheat, pastures dotted with livestock, orchards stuffed with fruit trees and mice. In the mornings, people took it on their commutes to work, busses rumbled along shepherding off kids to schools, delivery trucks came and went with fresh stocks of milk or eggs. Yes, most days, you'd see exactly what you'd expect, and nothing particularly remarkable ever happened along its length. And there were some people - there always were, of course, wherever you went - who preferred it that way, and would just assume nothing odd ever happened at all. Unfortunately for them, and better or worse for everyone else, there were days every now and then where something unordinary did happen. Today was one of them.
There was a traveller coming along the road - tracing its curves, dropping and rising as it went over the land, whizzing past the farmlands and fallow fields - who, if considering the simple act of their travelling, might not have been that unusual. But because of who this traveller was, and exactly how they were going about it, they were undoubtedly one of the strangest things that had come along the road in quite some time.
What made them unusual was three things: firstly, they were going quite a bit faster than the allotted speed limit (and taking absolutely no notice of the matter); secondly, they had very little idea of where they were, and thirdly; they weren't even watching the road ahead of them. Of course, it would do well to mention that they were thirty feet up in the air, flying on a magical broomstick, and completely invisible.
This traveller's name was Alice McDonnell, and she was a professional witch. Now, if you're picturing a "witch" as someone hunched over in a swampy hut, covered in warts, cackling as they dropped eyeballs and spiders and other gruesome things into a bubbling cauldron, you might be right half the time. However, this was about as far from a description of Alice McDonnell as you could get. She was young, proper, and if you swapped out her pointy hat and broomstick for a briefcase and professor's uniform, she would seem perfectly at place in any ordinary school wherever you went. And as for her profession? Well, it happened to be professoring… only the school she taught at was anything but ordinary. She taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the most ancient and magical schools in all the world, which had survived three terrifying wars in the last two centuries, and much more impressively, generation after generation of hormonal teenagers. Alice was very familiar with this world, and outside of the occasional venture amongst the non-magical people of Britain, she had lived in it her entire life. Which was one of the reasons why she was so lost right now.
This year, she was tasked with letter delivery. It had been almost been two weeks now, and she was dreadfully behind the schedule she'd set for herself. In her defense, this was the first time she'd ever done it, and she really could be doing a lot worse - so she liked to tell herself. In reality, she was getting a wee-bit frustrated (not that she'd ever show it), and the worst part was, even though this was nearly the last letter she'd be delivering, she was still trying to figure out the new Muggle postal system. Mailboxes used to strictly be an American thing, but here they were in Britain, complete with numerical house codes and an alternating counting system that swapped sides of the street whenever you least expected it. She kept thinking she had it figured out, then lost track of it again and had to re-orient herself. In fact, by the time she realized she was at the one she wanted, she'd completely overshot it.
"Whoops!" she cried, heaving at the handle of her broomstick.
The wooden shaft shuddered as she performed a wide arc in the air and whizzed back the way she'd come. Below, the papery tops of the fruit trees zipped by, and she was tempted (as always) to dip herself down and let them brush against the tips of her boots. However, the next second she was over the driveway, and she was back in business-mode. She dropped below the tree-line, swung a leg up to sit sideways on her broom, then hit the ground at a run, whipping out her wand to end her invisibility charm.
Dogs exploded into barking as she shot out from the trees.
"Hey, doggos!" she called, plodding to a stop.
Immediately, she was bulled into by a border-collie and a chocolate lab, who lept at her hands and face to cover her in dog-licks.
"Hey, hey!" she laughed, scratching behind their ears and patting their sides. The dogs were obviously very enthused, and she was glad they were the friendly sort. No sooner had she thought it, however, than the lab made a lunge for the handle of her broomstick, which she quickly hoisted it out of its reach.
Just then, the door to the house banged open.
"Badger! Roady! Get down!" shouted a woman, marching toward them across the yard. She was squat, stern, and had frizzy, graying hair.
"Oh, it's alright, I don't mind!" Alice called, as the dogs continued squirming about her legs.
"Get down, I said!" scolded the woman, coming up and dragging them away by their collars. "Stay! Stay."
They paused, as though considering whether or not to obey orders.
"C'mon, let's get you inside," said the woman. "You're a bit early, but my husband should be home with the kids any minute."
They entered the house, which was thankfully a lot cooler than outside. It was fairly typical for a Muggle home: the windows were in need of a bit of a scrub and there was the slight scent of damp in the air, but the furniture was tidy and the counters were clean. Off to the right it opened up into a living room, where a small, pie-shaped machine as whirring around collecting dust from between the couch and sitting chairs.
"Sorry about them," the woman said. "They always get excited for visitors! Don't know what we'd do if someone tried to burglarize us. Let me get you a towel - there's a sink in the bathroom if you'd like to wash up, but the one in the kitchen's out of order."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Alice said. She set her broom gingerly against the wall and pulled out her wand, directing it at herself.
"Limpio."
In an instant, the dog saliva vanished from her gloves, the dust disappeared off the skirt of her robes, and the sticky-sweat feeling evaporated from her skin. She was left feeling freshly washed and her clothes newly laundered.
The woman stared at her, eyebrows arched.
"I have got to learn how to do that."
Alice smiled and extended a hand. "I'm Professor McDonnell by the way, but call me Alice if you like. And you're Mrs. Zuwaldt, I presume?"
"Mrs. O'Leary now, actually. And Mandy will do just fine."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mandy."
They shook hands. Mandy led her into the kitchen, giving her a seat at the table, where Alice pulled her long, sweaty riding gloves off to let her skin breathe. She put these and her hat on the kitchen table, her hat sticking upright and rivaling the dried flowers there in height. She sighed contentedly - it was a relief to be sitting after the ride out from London.
"Can I get you some water?" Mandy asked, as Alice set her satchel on the floor. "Lemonade? I'd offer you tea, but it's a bit hot for that."
"Oh man, too hot for tea!"
Mandy let out a bark of laughter.
"Yes, water would be lovely, thank you," said Alice.
Mandy fetched a glass from the cupboard and filled it from a robot-pitcher in the fridge, then set it before Alice. There was the slight smell of chlorine, but she drank it nonetheless.
"So, here to take another one of my children off to school?" said Mandy, sitting across from her.
"Only to deliver the letter!" Alice laughed. "And answer any questions."
"Right. You know, I can't thank you people enough for taking in Douglas. He sends a letter home every so often and really seems to be enjoying himself. He's even gotten an intern position at your Ministry."
"An intern position? That's great to hear! What department?"
"Business, I think."
"And he's still at Hogwarts?"
"Right. This will be his seventh year."
"He sounds quite ambitious!"
"Yes, well, I think part of it is he feels bad for having us put him through his classes. 'Nonsense,' I say, 'it's a parent's job to see their child has a proper education!' but he knows we don't have much to go on. He's already mentioned a few times about sending some money our way (once he has enough to make a living for himself, that is), and I tell him not to worry, but I know he still does."
"Put him through?" asked Alice, concerned.
"Right. But it's all worked out, as far as I can see! But even still, it wasn't easy for him in the early years. Being from a normal family and all that. Or, sorry... non-magical?"
"It's quite alright."
"On his first winter and summer break I felt a lot of resentment from him," Mandy went on, frowning. "I worry that he got teased a lot. But it's good to see he's come around. Hopefully it won't be as bad on Ray, if she's able to go."
"If she's able to go?" Alice caught, concern growing. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the way things are looking, I don't know if we'll be able to put her all the way through -" (there it is again!). "I have a bit saved up, perhaps enough for the first year, but beyond that - I'm not so sure. We're hardly able to support Douglas, you see, and with the economy being what it is - not to mention the loans we've taken out for the farm, and the Child Tax -"
These were things Alice had heard before. Finances were becoming more and more of a concern for Muggles.
"I'm curious, what do you mean by putting them through?"
"Paying for their tuition, of course," said Mandy.
That made alarm bells go off. Digging into her satchel, Above produced a number of pamphlets.
"I'm so glad you mentioned something. I'd thought that with your eldest might have already gotten things taken care of, but that seems not to be the case. These pamphlets have some information regarding organizations that provide assistance for underprivileged families, including the Ministry-sponsored Muggle-born Assistance Program that helps out with tuition. This other organization, additionally - The Potter Foundation - has provided over six billion galleons in the last few decades alone, for equipment and supplies! That's nearly forty billion pounds, I think!"
Mandy leaned toward the pamphlets, eyes rapt with attention.
"I wasn't aware there were options," she said.
Alice frowned. "There certainly are! With your children being from a Muggle family, they definitely qualify for M.A.P. and have a good chance at the other equal opportunity programs. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to get your daughter's entire schooling covered. And, as I mentioned, there are grants and scholarships that can be applied for at any time."
Mandy was focused on the pamphlets, and without hesitation Alice pushed them over. They were designed to be Muggle-friendly, with easy-to-read instructions and non-moving pictures.
"I'm quite surprised, and concerned, that you weren't told of them before," said Alice.
"Yes, these would have been good for Douglas... but there's no sense crying over spilt milk. What's important is we know about them now."
"I'm still terribly sorry," she said. "It's been a point of focus among the faculty to help inform Muggle-based families... but I suppose some of the older staff can be forgetful. Was that Professor Byron who came last time?"
"I'm not sure, it was so many years ago."
"He's a squat, portly man, with a mustache... he heads one of the houses, Slytherin..."
"Oh, it might have been. But it's all out with the wash. Thanks for these!"
"Yes, of course... we wouldn't want Ray to miss out on Hogwarts! It's the experience of a lifetime, I guarantee you, there isn't a person I know that doesn't look back on it with the utmost fondness."
"Right. I'm sure. I know she's been trying not to get her hopes up, but after hearing all of Douglas's stories, and discovering she was - you know, like him - I know her heart's been set on it. And with these," she tapped the pamphlets, "things might just go her way."
"I'm certain they will! They really do try to make it accessible, and there are advisers you can talk to if you need assistance with the quillwork."
"That might be good. But I'll have to talk to Douglas about it, he might know his way around well enough."
"Oh, quite right, brilliant idea."
Alice paused and studied Mandy, who was busy reading.
"If finances are a concern," she went on, "there's ways to help out with equipment and books at school, too. Some of the professors carry old texts she can borrow for the year, and I, personally, always have a store of materials on hand for just such instances. And we've got a full library, the biggest archive in magical Britain, outside of the Ministry, perhaps... does Douglas have any old things she can have?"
Mandy sat back in her chair, looking considerably more relaxed.
"There isn't much," she said, "I think I still have his first-year robes and a few other things, but we returned most of them as we went along to help pay for the next year's."
"I understand," said Alice. She couldn't believe Professor Byron. "Well, I'm certain things will come together, one way or another. When Ray arrives, are you okay with me giving her the letter?"
Mandy was silent for a moment, then sighed and looked out the kitchen window.
"I suppose it's best to decide now, as you're here and everything. I've been putting off the decision long enough. It'll be tough not having her around to help, but with the automation out there nowadays it won't be too bad."
"Automation?" Alice asked.
"Yes, the contractors are always trying to get me to rent out their machines... our neighbors already have those drones for sowing and weeding, and then there's the automated feeders... I suppose it's time we followed suit. You've got to keep up, you know, even if you're putting more and more of your livelihood in their hands."
"Sorry... I'm not sure I'm following," she said. "Are you talking about robots?"
Mandy gave a tired smile.
"Yes. Don't you worry. They aren't things I much like to talk about, anyways. So! Ray going off to magic school... yes, I suppose I shouldn't keep her from getting her letter."
Alice's face burst into a smile.
"It's the best thing for her, I can promise you that. She'll be so happy!"
"Oh, I know she will."
They chatted for a little while as they waited. Alice went into full detail concerning the food, medicinal, and housing systems, and soon enough the dogs out front exploded into barking again.
"They must be home!" said Mandy.
Sure enough, a truck was pulling into the driveway. It rumbled into its parking spot, powered off, and the doors popped open. Two kids came clambering out - one a girl with short, curly brown hair, and the other a boy, looking about half her age. Both were instantly piled on by the dogs. Stepping out from the other side was a man, presumably Mandy's husband. He was a bit unshaven, wore a stained shirt, and had hair that was in need of a trim.
"Badger! Roady!" he barked.
The dogs backed off, then moved in again a bit more gently with their tails still wagging at full speed. The three made their way to the house, children at the lead, and the dogs managed to squeeze in as they entered. As the kids busied themselves clambering out of their shoes Alice remembered her witch hat and stuck it on her head for appearances.
"Welcome home!" said Mandy.
"Hey Mum!" said the two kids in unison, along with a "Hello!" from the man. "Nice, er, broom," he said to Alice, spotting it against the wall.
"Thanks! I'm Professor Alice McDonnell," she said, and stuck out a hand.
"Good to meet you, Professor McDonnell," the man repeated, shaking her hand. Alice couldn't help but notice him take in her outfit, but she'd been expecting that. It wasn't every day you saw a witch, after all.
"Sorry if I'm a bit gross, he said. "Just off of work. My name's Frank."
"Nice to meet you, Frank."
Frank went over to Mandy and gave her a peck on the lips.
"Did you talk about the...?" he asked, quietly.
"Yes, yes, and they have the most wonderful assistance programs," she said, voice hushed. "I'll tell you all about it later!"
Alice's attention turned to the girl, who had came up to her, thumbs tucked under her backpack straps. Her eyes were wife and searching.
"Are you a real witch?" she asked.
"Sweetie, that's rude," scolded Mandy.
"No, it's okay," said Alice.
She squatted down to the girl's height and gave her a smile.
"You must be Ray!"
Ray nodded, brown curls bouncing.
"It's wonderful to meet you. I'm Professor McDonnell, and yes, I'm a real witch."
The girl's eyes widened.
"And am I a witch too?"
"Yes, you are."
"YES!" she screamed, bursting into joy and taking off down the hallway. The dogs barked excitedly and ran after her. "YES! YES! YES!"
The girl reappeared a moment later, dogs shoving at her with their noses.
"Can you do some magic?!" she asked.
All at once, everyone looked at her. The dogs continued to whine, watching the girl and smacking the walls with their tails.
"Of course!" Alice said, taking stock of her surroundings. "That's what I'm here for. If it's alright?"
Both Mandy and Frank nodded, with the visible hesitancy older Muggles got when magic came up.
"I'd be interested to see it with my own eyes," said Frank.
Spotting the flower vase, she pulled her wand from her robes - twelve and a half inches, oak, dragon heartstring, cherry varnish. All eyes followed it.
"Stand back!" she said, winking at Mandy and Frank. Their expressions didn't change.
Pointing at the dried flowers on the table, she made a few movements and said:
"Augmenus!"
Like sponges soaking up water, the flowers swelled and bloomed. Color glowed out from their cores and flushed all the way to the edges of their petals, the stems hydrating and thickening, and a moment later the bunch returned to full health and color.
The girl laughed maniacally.
"Well, would you look at that," said Frank. "Think you could fix the sink while you're at it?"
"I don't see why not!" said Alice.
"Oh! I was only joking, but if you're willing…"
She went over to the sink and, after a moment's study, cast the Reparo charm. A few clinking sounds came from the cupboard below, and Frank went in to give it a look. He stood and tested the water, watching both the basin and the pipes for a minute, then rested his hands on his hips.
"Well how about that! I think you just saved me an afternoon's work!"
"My pleasure. Now, I think I have a delivery to make!"
Mandy and Frank made room, and Alice went to her satchel to find Ray's letter. Grabbing it out, she spun around to face her, hiding it behind her back.
"Ray," she said. "I have something very important to give you."
The girl's eyes widened again, and she came up to her. Alice pulled the letter into view.
"This is your acceptance letter to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she said. "It has the list of things you'll need for your classes, and instructions on how to prepare. It is very important you don't lose it, okay?"
"Okay."
Ray took the letter, completely entranced by the thick, yellow parchment, the red wax seal, and the bulk of the papers it contained. On the front was written in quick, sapphire-blue ink:
Ms. R. Zuwaldt
The Double Bedroom
5582 Westford Rd.
Dorset
Alice couldn't help but smile as Ray marveled at her invitation to the magical world. This was the moment children from half-families dreamed of - the moment they worried deep in their hearts would never come, that it wasn't real, but here it was, happening.
She spent another hour going over the ins and outs of magical Britain with Mandy and Frank, and checked that Douglas would be up to the task of taking Ray through her school preparations. Mandy assured her that he was, then asked a lot of questions, capitalizing on the chance to learn about the magical world. As they talked, Alice kept glancing into the living room at Ray and the little boy, who had sprawled themselves on the floor. Each page of the acceptance letter was carefully laid out side-by-side so Ray could look at them all at once, and her was brother was sat back on his haunches, watching her read them over again and again, probably wondering what the excitement was all about.
As supper time drew near, Alice worked her way to excusing herself and stood from the table. She gave Mandy and Frank a number to call (telling them the same was listed in Ray's letter) if they had any questions, then pulled on her gloves and hoisted up her satchel. She backed her way through the doorway, followed excitedly by the dogs, and once out in the driveway, mounted her broom and waved to the family.
"Bye!" she called.
"Goodbye!" said Frank and Ray, the dogs barking at their sides.
"Thank you!" said Mandy.
"Of course! See you at Hogwarts, Ray!"
Her face was absolutely beaming.
Alice took out her wand, cast her invisibility charm (the family went "Ooo" as she vanished), then kicked off, rising up into the evening sun. She went back to the road, wind billowing around her, and looked down at the blue lights of the Muggle homes, thinking of the families in them and what kind of lives they must live. The sight gave her an odd feeling - one of mixed pity, perhaps, but one of great affection too. Families were families, whether they were magical or not. She was glad to be spending the night with her own before delivering her last letter tomorrow.
The thought ate away her mood. This last family was different from all the others, if her experiences so far had told her anything. But that was for tomorrow, she told herself, and she shook the thoughts away, trying to ignore them and the creeping anxiety they brought. Tonight, all she had to worry about was getting through some of her professor's work. That wasn't a bad thing at all, particularly if she did it at a pub in Diagon Alley.
