Author name: Michelle Rine.
Author E-Mail: andora@inter.net.il
Rating: Currently PG-13, just to be on the safe side.
Spoilers: Every Harry Potter book to date (1-4).
Disclaimer: All characters, which are not originally my own, and all the situations this story is based upon are the property of J.K. Rolling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. and whoever else now has the rights to them.
I'm not earning anything on this except my own joy at starting something new, and I try to keep as close to canon as I can.
PrologueIt was the first day of the summer vacation, or to be exact, the first morning of said day.
Minerva McGonagall looked up from her breakfast of porridge and toast as she heard the owl door in the roof of the attic floor open and shut, admitting her tawny companion into the house. She carefully moved the morning copy of The Daily Prophet, folding it neatly to save space to allow room for the bird to land on the kitchen table as it flew down the staircase to the ground floor. The owl settled down on the table and shook itself up in a primped fashion, a group of letters tied up by a string clutched in its beak.
"Well now, what have we here today, Rowen?" she said as she wiped her hands on a napkin. She placed the napkin in a waste bin positioned under the table and took the letters from the bird, offering it an owl treat from a small wooden box in the middle of the table, next to the salt and pepper shakers and the napkins holder.
The bird flew back up the stairs to the attic; Minerva never doubting its destination was anything but its cage up near the attic window. She looked at each letter on both sides, placing most of them in a neat pile in the clear space on the table where Rowen had been, and opened the rest, save one, with a simple spell, using her wand – which was always in a holster on her left forearm. She read through them quickly, always sneaking small glances at the last letter, resting in her lap; the bright green ink in a familiar hand drawing her attention almost unbearably.
At last, she had finished and she placed the open letters in the pile already on the table and looked at the last letter. It was from Proffesor Albus Dumbledore, judging by the hand and style, but it did not have the school emblem on the front of the envelope. It wasn't a school matter then, which only meant it was far more important.
Minerva opened it and read through it with unwavering scrutiny, absorbing each word as if it meant her life. But when she had finished a small frown appeared on her face.
The letter read as follows:
Dear Minerva,
It has come to my immediate attention that one Erulan O'Corbin, a girl of fourteen, has been found at last in the Muggle world. As you know, her disappearance some years ago in questionable circumstances, and her parents' death shortly thereafter, has been one of my greatest worries these last three years. She is alone, Minerva, and untrained. We must fetch her at once and bring her safe and sound back to her family, and to Hogwarts.
I am also afraid the Ministry has called a closed debate, dealing with the current grievous affairs, for important members of the Wizarding governments in the United Kingdome, and I must attend it as of today. Once there I cannot be contacted, nor can I contact anyone else but those who will participate in the debate. So I must leave the matter of returning this child to us in your capable hands. I feel I can only trust you in this matter, especially in these dire times. His return is near, and I believe we will need the strength of numbers to aid us this time.
All that is known of the girl's location is disclosed herein.
Please Minerva, find her, and help her with all she will need to integrate her into the upcoming fifth years' classes. I cannot fully explain to you the importance of this matter, but I am sure you will understand.
With Care,
Albus Dumbledore.
Only once before has Dumbledore sent her a letter such as this, fourteen years ago, the day Voldermort fell from power and the infant Harry Potter was to be transferred to the care of his Muggle Aunt and Uncle. But this new letter hardly held the same significance to her as the one before.
Her frown only deepened as she considered the matter further.
Firstly, she wondered why Albus would put so much weight of importance on this one young girl, though the name rang a bell in her mind, it did not ring as anything of any importance at all other than the intermittent interest the Headmaster had expressed in it over the past three years – something which hardly qualified as a "great worry".
Secondly, the information about the girl, written on another piece of parchment, was scarce and hardly offered any concrete clues as to the girl's whereabouts, or her current status, at that. Minerva didn't really know where to begin looking for her.
Thirdly, Albus had said that the girl was untrained, but he had also asked her to make sure she would be able to catch up to a fifth year student's level; something which seemed near to impossible, even if she had had a year to do it in, and not just two months as she currently had – not counting the time it would take to actually find the girl.
It all seemed very strange.
However, life as a Hogwarts teacher never really was ordinary, and neither was being a close friend of one of the most powerful wizards on the continent. She had unwavering trust in said friend, and so, despite her worries she placed both parchments back in the envelope and placed it on the top of the pile, finished her breakfast, and started planning for a way to find one magical girl, in a proverbial Muggle haystack.