Note: I do not own 'Harry Potter' but do own Neci. Just a warning there is swearing in this chapter. Hope you enjoy the story.
"You got a package. I put it on the table. I won't see you so happy birthday."
"Thanks. Have fun. Don't do anything I'd do," I said.
My roommate left and I felt envious of her. The last two weeks of summer vacation and she's going off to Cancun while I'm staying here doing nothing. I've taken time off from work so I could have some time before my last year of university.
I locked the door behind her and picked up the package. It was a plain brown box so I opened it. Under a layer of tissue paper, there was a book. The title read Hogwarts: A History.
"Ha Ha. I bet Danny did this for my birthday."
I picked up the book to look through it for some kind of note from my friend when I felt something pulling at my navel. I held onto the book and my bag for dear life. When it stopped, I landed on the floor in a heap.
"Ms. Neci Horton, I presume?"
"Were you expecting someone else? Where am I?"
I looked around the room. There were paintings on the wall, a giant red bird on a perch, and an old man with long white hair and beard sitting behind a desk. I stood up and dusted myself off. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and when I looked closer, the paintings were moving.
"Is this some kind of joke? Did Danny put you up to this?"
"It's no joke, Ms. Horton. Please take a seat and I will explain everything. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
I took a seat and looked at the man in front of me. It had to be a joke. Albus Dumbledore is a fictitious character from my favorite book series. I must have hit my head or something.
"I am aware that you have questions but let me explain. In your world, we are not real, part of a book series but here we are alive. What has happened in the books has happened here until earlier this summer. I've spent the rest of the summer finding you. You are needed to help get things back to what they were."
"How have things changed?" I asked, humoring him.
"Our Muggle Studies professor, Chastity Burbage, was killed by Voldemort while on vacation."
"That wasn't supposed to happen for a couple of years. Why do you think I can help you? Surely there is someone who knows more about the books than me. Maybe the author herself."
"It is also because of who you are. The Spencer bloodline is full of powerful witches and wizards. I believe your mother was born here in Britain."
"Yeah but she moved to Canada with my grandparents when she was five. Why? Are you saying that's she's a witch?"
"In this world, a very powerful one. Her family never moved and your mother became an Auror. She was part of the first war against Voldemort."
"What do you mean was? Did he kill her?"
"Not exactly."
"Then how exactly? Either she is alive or dead. Which is it?"
"She's been a patient of St. Mungo's in the same wing as Alice and Frank Longbottom for nearly 21 years."
"What? Who?"
"I believe Voldemort did it himself. He tried to persuade her to join his side because of the amount of power she had. He wanted that power for himself."
"If my mother in this reality is a witch, then why don't you recruit this reality's me?" I asked.
"Because you don't exist in this reality. Since your family never moved to Canada, your mother never met your father. She did leave for a few months before Voldemort caught her. No one but her knows where she went during that time. If you decide to help us, we will use that window to explain your birth."
"But since I'm from another reality, I'm not going to possess the magical power from my family."
"I believe that if you met your mother and the Powers That Be recognize you as her daughter, you'll receive your magical ability."
"But, Professor, I'm going to be missed if I stay here. School starts in two weeks and it's my last year of university."
"Time between our worlds is different. I estimate a year here is equivalent to a day in your time. So there should be no issue there."
I fiddled with my hands while I absorbed what Dumbledore told me. I was far from being a witch. I believe in Wicca but don't practice it and this magic was completely different. I'm a Goth, not that hardcore but still, I'm not a witch. I settled my hazel eyes on the headmaster.
"So if I stay, how can I help? I get the power from the Powers That Be and then what?"
"You know the books and characteristics of the people in this world. You can help prevent anything else from happening out of order. I would like you to become the new Muggle Studies professor."
"You talk about not altering the time line but it already has. Professor Burbage is dead, I'm here, and you want me to teach. The time line is never going to get back on track. It might follow closely to the books or it might completely change. I might not be any use to you."
"Everyone is useful. If you cannot help by knowing what is going to happen, at least by having someone of your blood line will help us immensely," Dumbledore said, offering me a lemon drop.
We talked in his office for about another hour. I found out that it was Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts and that Dumbledore had opened a Gringotts vault in my name with an advance on my salary so I may purchase what I need.
"Have you read the books, Professor?"
"No and I do not wish to know what was supposed to happen."
I looked around the room to see the past headmasters looking at me. I wanted to give them some sarcastic, flippant remark about keeping their noses out of other people's business but I bit my tongue.
"We should go visit your mother before it gets too late. I have to be at the Ministry tomorrow. We'll Floo over to St. Mungo's."
"I thought Hogwarts wasn't connected."
"Only outgoing from my office or internal communication."
Dumbledore went first through the fireplace to the hospital. I followed behind, not knowing what to expect. On the other side, I pulled a little mirror from my bag to see if there was any soot on my face. There was none. Soot isn't that noticeable on my dark clothes so I wasn't that worried. Dumbledore led the way to the hospital wing where my mother was.
"Professor Dumbledore, to what do I owe this pleasure?" the nurse asked.
"We are here to visit Tamara Spencer."
The nurse, sorry the healer, looked at me with disgust. I had a feeling she didn't want to let me in.
"Either let me in to see my mother or I'll force my way in. I've come a long way to see her and I will no matter who or what is standing in my way," I said forcibly, putting my hands on my hips.
She looked at me with shock but moved. I pushed past her and followed Dumbledore to my mother's bedside. She was sitting up, just staring out. She looked the same except her hair was longer and it was her natural brown, not the auburn my mother back home dyed it to be. I sat on the edge of her bed.
"Mom?"
It took a second for her to look over. Her eyes looked into mine before smiling. I grabbed her hand and squeezed.
"My daughter. You look just like I imagined," she said, her voice thick and hoarse from non-use.
She grasped my hand tighter. My body felt warm and started to tingle. My mother shuddered and fell back. The tingle started to become more and radiated throughout my body and then it all stopped. It felt like I had been shocked by electricity.
"Mom?"
She didn't move. I let go of her hand and felt her neck. She didn't have a pulse.
"Mom!" I cried.
The healer came in and waved her wand over her body. She looked at me and then at Dumbledore. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry," she said.
I started to cry. The healer left but came back with a small box. She handed it to the headmaster.
"That's everything that Tamara had on her when she was brought in. I didn't know she had a daughter."
"She was left in the care of friends where she would be safe."
Dumbledore tapped my shoulder and I looked at him.
"We should go. I'll take you somewhere you can rest."
He took my arm and apparated out of there. We ended up in a little park across from a long row building.
"Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," he whispered.
The building pulled apart, another house appearing in between #11 and #13. He held open the door for me and I pushed past him. I had been bottling up my anger since the hospital. I didn't care what I looked like at that moment. I was just so angry.
"You knew. You KNEW!"I screamed.
"Ms. Horton. Neci. I didn't know."
"FILTHY HALF-BLOODS. MUDBLOODS IN MY HOUSE. A DISGRACE," someone yelled.
"SHUT UP. NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU THINK. YOU'RE DEAD AND GONE. IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT FUCKING PERMANENT STICKING CHARM, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN KINDLING A LONG TIME AGO. YOUR HOLIER-THAN-THOU PHILOSOPHY ABOUT PUREBLOODS IS BULLSHIT," I yelled back at the painting I knew that was there.
The painting went quiet. A door opened but I didn't pay attention to the people standing there. I turned back to Dumbledore and stared at him.
"How can you not know? You're the all knowing Dumbledore. You knew when Harry found the Mirror of Erised. You suspected Moody last year. You know more about me than me. You know everything. How could you not fucking know what would happen to my mother?" I cried.
"Albus," someone from the doorway said.
"It's alright, Molly. This is Tamara Spencer's daughter. Tamara just died."
"I'm not even here a full day and she's already dead. Fuck. I need a drink."
I went over to the door and tried to open it. I pulled on the knob but it still wouldn't open.
"Open this door."
"No. You need to stay here and rest. We'll talk more tomorrow," he calmly said.
"No wonder Sirius still feels like he's in Azkaban. This place is a prison," I said, slumping to the floor.
