~ The Road To Cuckoo ~

A normal Summer's day in the family sitting room, and suddenly a young witch's life is turned upside down...

Freya stared at her parents, unsure whether or not she had really heard them correctly. Hogwarts? They actually wanted her to attend a School? For as long as she could remember, her mother and father had always pressed that there was nothing she could learn at school, that they couldn't teach her themselves. With her father being an Auror, and her mother a Healer, she had to admit, they pretty much had all corners covered when it came to magical teachings. So why the sudden change of heart?

"You want me to go away to school?" She said, sounding more sceptical than she intended. She glanced curiously between her parents unreadable faces, and her eyebrow arched. "You've changed your tune."

"We just feel," Her mother began carefully "that now you'll be studying for your NEWT's, it might be best if you have an actual establishment behind your schooling. Hogwarts is a wonderful place, Freya. Do well in your exams, and you'll have your pick at careers."

Freya scoffed kindly. "Mum, since when have you worried about me leading a successful lineage? Dad, please, you agree that things are fine as they are, right? I'm happy with you guys teaching me."

Her father smiled, his eyes crinkling lovingly, as he gently tugged a rebellious white lock, that had fallen loose from her plait. "Sorry, love, but this time I agree with your mother. Besides, it'll give you a chance to be around people your own age for a change. Make some new friends."

Freya pursed her lips at this. She didn't like people her own age, or rather, if she cared to admit it, they didn't like her. Her father was being kind when he had said ' make some new friends', she would have had to of had some old ones first.

Her parents seemed to sense her hesitation at this, and sharing a look with her father, her mother quickly summoned a pot of tea from the kitchen. Hot tea makes everything better, you see, and that's a Healer's promise.

"It'll be different at Hogwarts, Freya." Her mother promised, pouring the tea into a cup and saucer. She passed Freya the sugar. "There's all sorts of different Witches and Wizards there, you're bound to get on with someone. You can write to us whenever you want, and we'll send you things, and come visit. I mean, if you really don't like it, and you aren't getting on with the other students, then we can talk about you coming home." Her mother said, but her father gave his wife the oddest of looks, a glance that they both tried to conceal from Freya, but it was already too late, she had seen, and if there had been doubt before that their reasoning for sending her away was sincere, it was down right arguable now.

"Well, we'll see at any rate." Her mother tried to cover awkwardly, spilling her own tea slightly into its saucer. "Your education is important."

"So it appears." Freya muttered flatly, glancing darkly across the sitting room toward the bay window. On the cushioned bench below, she spotted a fat, black cat snoring with the sun on his belly. Rolling her eyes at the sight, she smiled despite herself. "What about Jinx? Can he at least come with me?"

"I can't see why not." Her father said, pulling a copy of 'The Daily Prophet' from the morning's post.

Freya saw the words 'Grindlewald Closing In' flash across the front page, and decided a change of topic was needed. She clearly wasn't going to persuade them to let her just be, but maybe if she just made an effort up until Christmas, she could leave Hogwarts and it's inhabitants behind her by the New Year.

She rested her chin in her hand.

"How comes you haven't been dragged into all this stuff in Europe?" She questioned her father, nodding to the paper in his fingers, and indicating the headline. "Things don't seem to be calming down over there, if anything Grindlewald appears to be getting stronger."

Her father shrugged. "The Ministry know what they're doing, Freya." He answered cryptically. "Why, would you prefer me to be waltzing off all over Europe?"

"No." Freya said defensively. "I just thought the Ministry of Magic would feel that it had a duty of care to involve itself, is all. It is happening right on our doorstep."

"Look, just because the Ministry aren't outwardly seen to be doing something, doesn't mean they aren't, but they don't want to invite war, Freya. You can understand that, surely? These are very delicate times."

"So our Auror Office is involved?"

Her father moved a finger across his mouth. "My lips are sealed."

Well that means yes, She thought, and he looked as though he'd realised his mistake, before he guiltily tried to hide his face behind the morning's headlines.

Freya straightened up. "But then why aren't you –?"

"No more politics, please." Her mother cut in, flicking her wand and abruptly clearing the table. She seemed suddenly very on edge. "All this talk of war is sending me into a tizzy. Freya, why don't you go upstairs and sort out your trunk from the attic? Your school acceptance letter should be arriving in a few days, and we'll be able to go shopping for supplies."

"But –?"

"Now, please. Your father and I need to talk."

Her mother fixed him with a look, and he nodded towards the stairs. "Attic. Trunk."

Freya huffed loudly. "Fine. Merlin forbid you treat me like an adult for a change."

And with that she stormed upstairs. Aware that her little outburst was more than a tad uncalled for – perhaps she could blame it on hormones? Her parents meant well, she knew they did, but they did have a bad habit of being far too overprotective. She was going to be of age soon, and what would they do then? Follow her around the country casting shielding charms wherever she went? The absurdity of it! Then there was all this business with suddenly sending her to Hogwarts, after years of reciting the mantra that home schooling provided as good a standard of magical knowledge, as anything any education institution could provide. She wasn't just suddenly going to accept the notion, that they believed it would be good for her prospects. Her parents weren't like that, they had no real care for ambition, they just wanted her to be happy.

So why Hogwarts, and why now?

Freya shook her head, certain that she wouldn't be finding out anything from them any time soon, especially from the way they shut down after she gently challenged them.

"Bloody pair." She muttered to herself, beginning the well remembered fight with sticky cobwebs on the attic's staircase. Cringing inwardly, she knocked a spider from her shoulder.

Perhaps by September, things would be clearer.

R&R!

Please let me know what you think. I worry about new genres. This is my first Potter Fic, and I have been inspired by Fantastic Beasts, after being a mahooosive fan of the series in general.

Just a little comment in the box below, and all is well :)