Chapter 1- The Letter
Anne dragged her travel bag into her room and dropped it by the bed. Seeing the window open, she groaned. No wonder it was so warm in her room! She rushed over to close it before her parents noticed she had left it open during their holiday. The last thing she wanted was for them to have another reason to be angry with her. Even though they didn't say it out loud, she knew they already blamed her for ruining the vacation.
For the whole month, it seemed that everywhere she went, strange things would happen. The first was in a restaurant when the food had suddenly disappeared only to reappear in random places throughout the meal. When Anne had gotten into an argument with her sister, the tap and showerhead in the hotel bathroom exploded, spraying water everywhere. Towards the end of the vacation, nearly everything she touched vanished into thin air. When her mother's pearl necklace disappeared, it was the last straw.
Anne heard low voices from downstairs and knew her parents were discussing how to deal with this new 'power' Anne had developed. She kicked the edge of the bed, frustrated. She had no idea how she was making things disappear.
She flopped down on the bed, but sat up when she felt something scratching at her back. Looking down, she saw a large brown envelope addressed to 'Miss Lacerta Vrell'. She wondered how it had gotten into her room. She supposed it could have flown in through the window, but she didn't recall having any neighbors with the last name 'Vrell'. After looking it over, she finally decided to open it. She broke the old-fashioned red wax seal on the back.
A draft began to blow from her window, even though she was sure she had closed it. Checking it, she found it was indeed closed. A chime sounded, sort of like a bell in the distance. The wind picked up, and suddenly an old man with a long white beard appeared in the middle of her room. Anne's mouth dropped open.
"Hello Miss Vrell," he said cheerfully. "May I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the chair sitting behind her desk.
Anne nodded and rubbed her eyes to see if she were dreaming. She looked around her room frantically, thinking maybe he had come in through a door. The door to her room was closed, however, and she didn't remember hearing it open or close.
Confused, she looked back at the man sitting in her chair and noticed the strange clothing he was wearing. At first glance, his clothes looked like pajamas, but the color and the material told Anne otherwise. The man seemed to be studying her also, taking in her appearance thoughtfully.
When their eyes met, he smiled and introduced himself: "I'm Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he paused for a moment to let the information sink in, "Lacerta, you know that you were adopted, yes?"
She nodded slowly. She had always known she was adopted, first and foremost because she looked nothing like her parents or sister. Her parents always went overboard to prove they loved her as much as their biological daughter, but sometimes Anne had her doubts.
"Wh – Who is Lacerta?" she asked, partly dreading the answer.
"You are," he replied, his eyes twinkling, "and you are a witch."
Anne shook her head. This was all a dream. She must have passed out from the heat.
"Your birth parents were very important wizards. When they died, you were left with Muggles."
Anne stared at the ground, her head whirling. She looked back at Dumbledore to make sure he was still there.
When the scene didn't change, she finally asked dazedly, "Wizards?"
Dumbledore chuckled.
"Yes, Miss Vrell, we do exist. Haven't you noticed any strange things happening recently?"
She nodded, thinking about the elusive dinner and the bursting pipes. Still sensing some disbelief, Dumbledore continued to explain to her who she was and what was going to happen to her.
"Your father was the last of the wizard family Vrell, and your mother was an Italian witch. She was one of the few foreign witches involved in the conflict with Voldemort."
Lacerta shuddered at the name, even though she had no idea who it belonged to.
"Voldemort is an evil wizard with terrible ideas about blood supremacy, which I trust you will soon learn all about," he said, dissuading any questions she had wanted to ask. "You were born only a year before Voldemort's downfall, and I'm sorry but your parents were killed shortly after. You were found by a Muggle family and, in the chaos of the time, no one from the Wizarding world realized you had disappeared. Oddly, and I do apologize for this, it took a long time to locate you. Otherwise I would have told you all of this years ago."
Anne nodded slowly. Her brain was processing the words, but it was taking her some time to understand what they meant. Her mind got stuck at a single unfamiliar and she decided to ask what it meant.
"What are Muggles? I mean, why are you calling my adopted family Muggles?"
"Muggles are non-magical humans," Dumbledore replied, as if this were an everyday conversation.
"Do I have any-any non-muggle family left?" Anne asked nervously. The thought of being alone in this new world scared her.
Dumbledore looked down at her sadly, "You have only your godparents, who were chosen by your parents as your guardians should anything happen to them. Now, do you have any questions about what I've just told you?"
Anne shook her head, but only because she couldn't find the words to express her questions.
"Wonderful. If you do, Professor McGonagall will be able to answer them later."
"Professor who?"
Dumbledore thought a moment before speaking. "I have decided it best that you come stay at Hogwarts until the beginning of term. You will have plenty of time to catch up in your classes and become acquainted with the Wizarding world."
Was she just to drop everything and move into this new world? What would happen to her current life? Her whole world was turning upside down with each passing minute.
"What about my family?" asked Anne.
It seemed Dumbledore expected her to leave without question, but she hadn't even considered how to explain the situation to them.
"You may go tell them right now, if you wish. We can leave as soon as you've packed"
Anne opened and closed her mouth a few times, before answering, "I think I'll write them a letter."
She had thought about going down to tell them in person, but she didn't want to scare them. They had been shocked and afraid of the things she had caused on their holiday, and she wasn't sure how they would react to knowing the explanation for her strange powers. She took a piece of paper from her desk and began writing.
Dear Mum, Dad and Kelsey,
I've been contacted by someone who knew my birth parents. He's explained that there's nothing wrong with me and that I'm actually a witch! I know that sounds ridiculous, but doesn't it make sense because of all the things that happened while we were on holiday?
Anyway, there's a special school where I can learn about magic and I've been invited there. I know I have been causing a lot of trouble lately and I think it's best if I go. I'll learn to control myself and become what I was meant be, and your lives will be normal again.
I'll come home for the Christmas holidays and tell you all about the school and what the Wizarding world is like.
I know this isn't much of an explanation, but I don't know much myself. I hope you forgive me for leaving so suddenly, but I think it's for the best.
Love always,
Anne
She re-read the letter, and put it on her bed where it would be easy enough for her parents to see.
"Finished?" asked Dumbledore brightly.
"Yes," replied Anne, determined.
"Good. Now why don't you pack your things into this trunk here," he said, tapping the air near the ground.
A trunk appeared, and the lid popped open. Anne jumped back in surprise, but regained her confidence a moment later and began to look around her room for things to pack.
In truth, she wasn't sure what to take with because she didn't own anything that was of much sentimental value. She went to her closet and pulled out a few sets of clothes. After packing them, she took a family photo off her nightstand and placed it gingerly in the trunk also. She packed a box full of jewelry and a snow globe her friend Katherine had given her for her fifteenth birthday. When she was finished, the trunk still looked empty. She frowned.
"It's charmed to fit almost any amount of things. You probably wont be able to fill it up," said Dumbledore.
"Oh," Anne exclaimed.
It was going to take quite a while for her to get used to this new way of life.
"Now, are you ready to go?" asked Dumbledore.
"I suppose so." Anne sighed, taking one last look around her room. She was torn between excitement, nervousness, and a sense of loss.
Dumbledore tapped the brown envelope with his wand and said, "This is now a portkey. It will transport you to Hogwarts. I'll meet you there." He vanished in a gust of wind along with her trunk.
Anne looked at the envelope skeptically and picked it up. Instantly, she felt a tugging sensation behind her navel.
She was aware of her world spinning about and then landing hard on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the floor in a room that looked much like a cluttered office. She scrambled to stand up, completely disoriented.
Where am I? How did I get here?
A closer look revealed many strange things around the room, including a large orange bird. She got up to look around and saw Dumbledore sitting at a desk. He smiled and gestured for her to sit in one of the comfortable looking chairs near the wall. Feeling dizzy, she gratefully obliged.
An older woman walked into the room and waited to be addressed.
Dumbledore saw her and announced, "Ah! Hello, Minerva! My dear, this is Professor McGonagall. She will take you to a temporary room that you will use until the start of the school year. Then you will be sorted into your house and will move into the dorms with your other housemates. She will also explain to you all about Hogwarts, your classes, show you around the school, and will answer your questions. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Vrell."
She realized this was her cue to leave. The woman nodded at her and gestured for Anne to follow her out of the room. Professor McGonagall walked briskly and Anne scrambled to keep up with her as they walked down some staircases and to the room she was to stay in.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house and transfiguration professor. At Hogwarts, there are four houses into which you will be sorted at the start-of-term banquet. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor…"
Professor McGonagall continued to explain about the houses, and all about the classes she was going to have and how she would catch up in the next few weeks so that she would be prepared for the school year.
Anne staggered around the halls behind the Professor, stopping occasionally to stare at the moving portraits that hung on the walls. With all the questions clouding her head, one of the few things she managed to decide on was that if she were going to use her new name, it would not be Lacerta, but Lacey.
There. That sounds more like me.
As they walked along the corridors of the school, Lacey couldn't help but marvel at its size. It was truly an amazing place, with shifting staircases and moving paintings. She walked by the Great Hall, where meals were served, she was shown to the different classrooms, and told where she was not allowed to go.
Once they reached her room, McGonagall handed Lacey the letter that had transported her here.
"Now, I'm sure Dumbledore told you that this letter is a portkey. When you open it, it will transport you to your Muggle home, and back to the place of your choice in the Wizarding world. It has a limited number of times for usage and wont work during school term," McGonagall said sternly. "Goodnight, Miss Vrell"
And with those words, she turned and left Lacey alone to contemplate everything she had learned in the past hour. She put the letter on a shelf above the fireplace in the room, sat down on the couch, and became immersed in her own thoughts.
None of this should be real, and yet it feels right. Who are my godparents and why didn't they come to get me? And how did I end up with Muggles in the first place? I wonder what Kelsey is doing right now…
Lacey realized there wasn't much she was going to miss about her Muggle life other than her family and Katherine. She had always been seen as slightly queer and had never had many friends in school. Her life had been getting steadily more routine and boring and she saw Hogwarts as a chance to make it more exciting.
After a few days, Lacey became adjusted to her new surroundings. She woke up early in the morning and ate breakfast in the Great Hall, along with the handful of teachers that had arrived early to start preparing for the school year. McGonagall had explained that each of the four tables in the room belonged to a house. Lacey, who still didn't know which house she was in, sat at each of them in turn. She felt as though each table had a different aura around it, although she couldn't quite place which one she liked best.
She started off classes with only Professor McGonagall, who taught her the basics of magic.
"The basic spell used to summon something is Accio," said McGonagall from behind her desk in the Transfiguration classroom.
Lacey raised her borrowed wand and said, "Accio parchment"
The parchment flew into her hand and she smiled in satisfaction.
"Wonderful progress you're making, Miss Vrell" said McGonagall briskly, "Now the basic levitation spell. Repeat after me: wingardium leviosa"
Lacey pointed her wand at the parchment and said slowly, "Wingardium leviosa"
The parchment lifted into the air and Lacey waved it around, enjoying herself. She then took a minute to look at the wand. It had ben given to her by Professor McGonagall for temporary use until she got her own. The wand was a light brown color, very plain with no markings, and about 8 inches long. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
"Shall we continue then?"
Lacey stopped examining the wand, and the parchment immediately dropped to the ground.
"Yes, Professor," she replied, looking down at the desk as McGonagall began to teach her a new incantation.
Once she had mastered basic spells and skills for each of her subjects, she began having sessions with individual teachers to make sure she would be caught up with the rest of her year. In potions, a quiet, stern man called Professor Snape had her follow multiple recipes to the letter and would make her start over if she got even a single ingredient wrong. She also wrote a few essays for him on the different properties of magical herbs and potion ingredients, which she researched in the extensive Hogwarts library.
Professor Binns gave her long lectures on magical history, which Lacey found particularly interesting in contrast with the Muggle history she had learned in school.
Back with Professor McGonagall they went through simple transfiguration of inanimate and animate objects, as well as switching spells.
She quickly became friends with Hagrid, the groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor. He explained to her all about the Voldemort, better known as 'You-know-who', and how a boy in her year, Harry Potter, had battled him many times. He also told her about other students that were going to be in her year, the good and the bad (in his opinion). Lacey just listened to everything he said, trying to learn as much as she could about her new classmates and the Wizarding world.
She spent many evenings in the library, reading about Wizarding London and looking for any information about her family. All she found about them, however, was that her name was one of the oldest family names in England, dating back to the time of Merlin and the Four Founders of Hogwarts. She was particularly interested to learn about her parents, and asked a few of the professors about them. They didn't seem to know anything, or at least, claimed they didn't.
"Professor," she asked McGonagall one day after they had finished up their transfiguration work, "Why doesn't anyone know anything about my parents?"
"Your parents?" McGonagall echoed, "Well, your mother was Italian and your father was English."
"Yes, I know that, but that's all I know," replied Lacey, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. "Did you know them?"
Professor McGonagall sighed.
"Yes, I taught both of them when they were in school here"
"What were they like? Which house were they in?" she asked, her excitement growing.
"They were both in Slytherin house, and they were both excellent students," replied McGonagall vaguely.
"Does that mean I'm going to be in Slytherin?" asked Lacey nervously. The thought of being in a house because of her heritage troubled her.
"No, of course not, although it is taken into account during the sorting."
"Wha – "
"Enough questions. Miss Vrell, you're going to be late for your next class if you don't leave at once," she scolded, ushering Lacey out of her classroom.
Lacey sighed, left the classroom, and trudged down to the dungeons, disappointed she hadn't learned any more about her parents.
Professor McGonagall watched her go, shaking her head sadly.
It wasn't often that Lucius wanted to see his son, and when he did it was rarely for good reasons. So when the house elf informed Draco of his father's wishes, Draco felt a pit form in his stomach. He walked down to his father's study and paused in front of the door.
He was about to knock when he heard Lucius say, "It seems as if they've found Lacerta. Strange, after all these years. I heard that her magic sent out a signal the day the Dark Lord came back. Very peculiar... I wonder…"
"Lucius, don't worry about that now, thank heavens she's been found! Where is she?" exclaimed Narcissa. Lucius frowned at his wife for the interruption.
"She's been sent to Hogwarts for what Dumbledore called "an introduction to the Wizarding World". I'm astounded that I was not notified. She should have been sent here, of course."
Draco heard his mother, chuckle and ask, "Why in the world would they ask you, dear? You know Dumbledore would like to avoid you at all costs! Besides, it would have been overwhelming for her, not knowing about wizards until now."
Lucius growled and answered: "Being her godfather and therefore one of her only two living relatives, I think I have the right to help with any decision making when it comes to her! She should have been sent here and told about her parents at the very least. Who knows what kind of information Dumbledore will give her!"
"Of course, Lucius, I hadn't thought of that. What are we going to do?" asked Narcissa quietly, barely loud enough for Draco to hear.
"Well, I have already sent for Draco, as he will be in her year at Hogwarts. Also, I'd like you to go see her, tell her of her duties as the heir of an old family. Invite her to spend the Christmas Holidays here, with us. She will adjust soon enough," replied Lucius.
Draco had heard enough. He knocked.
"Ah, here he is. Come in, Draco," Lucius called through the door.
Draco opened the door and walked in, his face expressionless, trying to hide the fact that he'd been listening.
"I trust you heard enough to know what you are here for," Lucius said demandingly.
"Y-Yes father," Draco replied.
Seeing the look in his sons face, Lucius frowned. Although he liked that his son feared him, he did not appreciate when the boy acted like a little girl.
"Sit down, Draco. Leave us, Narcissa, I have things to discuss with my son," Lucius ordered.
Narcissa nodded, and left the room.
Draco sat in one of the chairs in front of his father's desk. He waited for his father to say something. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, his father began to explain why he had called for Draco.
"Now, as you've heard, Lacerta Vrell has been found and sent to Hogwarts to catch up on her schooling. She is in your year, and I expect you to befriend her, before any of those filthy mudbloods or blood traitors do. Is that clear?" Lucius waited for Draco to nod his head before continuing, "You are not to mention her parents, or her godmother, your aunt Bellatrix, under any circumstances. Do you understand? Introduce her to your friends and get her accustomed to her role as a proper witch. I'm sure she will be sorted into Slytherin, since both her parents were. Most importantly, help her forget those Muggles she lived with. They wont be around much longer," he finished.
Draco nodded again and began to wring his hands. He didn't like when his father acted cryptic and mysterious, especially since this behavior had become more common since the Dark Lord returned.
"You may go now," Lucius said, waving his hand in the air to dismiss him.
Draco got up and left. He stopped just outside the door and took a deep breath. He always felt short of it anytime he met with his father privately. Walking up the stairs, Draco began to process the task his father had given him. With his good looks and charm, he was sure he'd have this girl hanging on his every word soon enough.