Authors Note (a.n.): here is my new story, I've got tons of Harry Potter plots running through my mind, but recently I've been reading marauder stories so I thought I give it a go. I want to clarify that I do not own any of the original Harry Potter characters, those are property of Miss Rowling, however the triplets and their parents are mine. Enjoy!
Chapter One
The day my letter arrived was the day that my life changed for good…
At first I had no clue that anything would be different. Aggy, Ro, and I had been enjoying the small pool in our yard, it was the middle of summer holidays after all, when a rather strange woman seemed to appear out of nowhere at our gate.
We didn't notice her at first, so distracted were we by our splashing, but then she cleared her throat and we froze in surprise. I studied her from head to toe, and the first thought that ran through my mind was that she must be broiling under all the clothes she had on.
"Can we help you ma'am?" I asked being the eldest, and the unofficial leader of our trio.
The woman glanced down at a yellowish envelope in her hand. "Yes, thank you, I am looking for Miss Thalia Grace." We shared a glance between ourselves before I once again addressed the strange woman.
"That would be me, is there anything else you need?" My question was hesitant as I stood in the pool, the water coming up to my waist.
The woman studied me for a moment as if the longer she looked at me the more she would know; then, quite suddenly, she strode forward and handed the envelope out to me.
"Hello Miss Grace, my name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I am the deputy headmistress at a rather private academy in the highlands of Scotland. I am here to give you your acceptance letter and explain things to you. If you would be so kind as to gather your parents we may have our discussion and be on our way to collect your school supplies."
I kept my eyes trained on the odd woman, occasionally glancing at the letter she held out to me. Stepping backwards so that I could hop out at the other end of the pool, the end that was much closer to the entrance of the house, I started to speak.
"Right then, please take a seat at the table over there Professor McGonagall," I requested pointing a finger over to the picnic table dad had built two summers before. "I'll be right out with my mum… would you perhaps like a cup of tea, or maybe a cooler beverage to help with the heat?"
"Tea would be lovely, thank you." She stated taking a seat on one of the benches easily.
With my eyes, using the triplet telepathy we seemed to share I told Aggy and Ro the keep watch of the stranger, then I quickly hopped out of the pool, grabbed a rather large fluffy beach towel from the lawn chair placed near the pool, and wrapped said towel around my shoulders as I quickly neared the house, turning to look back at the woman before only once before I entered and made my way to the kitchen, where I knew I would find mum preparing lunch for us, as well as our birthday cake.
"Mummy?"
Hearing my voice mum turned to answer me. "Yes Thalia dear, is something wrong?" She didn't sound overly concerned, but then again strange things tended to happen loads at our house—for example, just yesterday when our ball was popped by Gerold Henneyson, our rather snot nose neighbor, we went to pick it up where he had abandoned it just beside our drive.
The the three of us stood morosely at the end of our drive looking down at the now ruined ball, and seeing the looks of sadness on Aggy and Ro's face I turned to glare at the little terror riding off on his shiny new bicycle that he had gotten for his birthday three months previous. To my confusion Henneyson seemed to lose control over his bike, and before to long landed in a pile off the road. "Are you alright?" I remember calling out. He was looking at his wheels when I had done this and then he looked back to us. More specifically he was looking at the now perfect ball that stood at our feet.
I did a double take when I saw this, but with a shrug I picked up the ball and walked further into our yard. Aggy and Ro were quick to follow, at a distance of course. It wasn't until I placed the ball on a shelf in our playroom that they joined me at our table to finish our arts project before the terror had started his commotion, urging us to head out of doors, and it was forgotten, never to be mentioned.
I thought about her inquiry for a second before hesitantly shaking my head. "No, not really. It's just, there's a woman waiting out front wanting to talk to you, and me. She said she was a teacher at a private school that I've been accepted to." I explained wrapping the towel closer around myself.
"A teacher? Private school?Accepted?"
Her string of three syllable questions brought a quick grin to my lips.
"Yeah, I told her I would brings some tea out."
She stood with her hands on her hips for a moment, and her lips were pursed. With a sigh she glanced at the half finished cake. "Well alright then, get the tea, and tell her she'll have to wait for a bit so I can finish this up and put it in the icebox," she exclaimed. "And get some clothes on, you'll catch a chill. When you get back out there tell your sisters I said to hop out of the pool and change."
"Alright mum," I stated easily setting the kettle on the stove to be heated. Once that was done I quickly headed to my bedroom, luckily enough we each had our own, and striped out of my suit tossing on the first pair of shorts and tank top that I could get my hands on.
This done I rushed back to the kitchen and finished the tea tray. For good measure I placed a plate of biscuits on the tray and then I was off.
I walked carefully until I reached the table and sat my load on the it's top. With a smile I looked up at the professor.
"Mum said she would be out in a bit, she just has to finish something." I explained as I set about pouring her a cup.
As I placed the cup in front of her I glanced back at my sisters. Remembering the second part of mum's orders I opened my lips to speak.
"Aggy, Ro!" Once I knew I had their attention I smiled. "Mum said to hop out and get changed for lunch." I explained easily. With a final splash each and a cheeky grin at the other they quickly hopped out, grabbed towels and rushed into the house.
That done I quickly turned back to the professor. "Sorry about that, help your self to cream and sugar, also mum makes the best biscuits!" I exclaimed cheerfully taking a seat on the bench opposite her.
"Thank you," she stated easily, "will your father not be joining us?"
With a shake of my head I got my own tea ready. Just a smidgen of cream and two teaspoons of sugar. "No, he's at work. He's a professor as well, teaches English at the university," I explained taking a sip of my warm tea.
We sat together in silence for what seemed ages, but I knew was probably just minutes. Finally unable to handle the silence any longer I glanced at Professor McGonagall. "What subject do you teach ma'am?"
Professor McGonagall glanced at the letter that sat on the table between us. "Perhaps we should wait until you've read your letter, and then I shall be able to answer any questions you or your mother have." McGonagall explained simply setting her teacup down. With a sigh I glanced behind myself, and realizing mum had a foot out of the door I smiled brilliantly.
"Mum!"
When she reached us at the picnic table she sat next to me on the bench and poured herself a cup of tea.
"Hello Mrs. Grace, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Professor Minerva McGonagall," McGonagall stated easily holding out a hand to be shaken.
Mum stared at the hand for only a second before she took it in her own with a nod. "Likewise." Mum quickly took her hand back once formalities had been met. "Now on to business, will you explain Ma'am, this business about private schools, and acceptance letters."
"Perhaps it would be easier for you both to read her letter before you ask anymore questions," McGonagall once again explained holding the envelope out to me once again.
I looked to mum for approval, and once I got her nod I took the envelope and felt the texture of the heavy paper. I smiled as I ran my fingers along it. Being the daughter of an English professor I naturally love the feel of aged paper under my fingers, and so I took my time looking over the envelop. It was sealed with wax, a crest of some sort, perhaps the school emblem. Turning it to the front I read the address with fascination:
Miss T. Grace
The lavender bedroom
Farmer street, Bradmore,
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
It wasn't my name, or that my address was on the front that fascinated me, but the fact that my room was there as well. "How did you know that my bedroom was lavender colored?"
Professor McGonagall offered me a secretive smile and took a sip of her tea before she responded with a single word. "Magic."
Shrugging off her answer I flip the envelope back over and gently pried the wax seal open in a way that would preserve the crest pressed into it. Once it was open I pulled out the folded papers and unfolded them Taking a deep breath I started to read:
Dear Miss Grace
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Sincerely yours,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
It took me a few moments to process the contents of the letter, and the only reason I was jogged out of my thoughts was because mum had made a rather uncharacteristic snort.
"Look here Professor McGonagall, what kind of rubbish is this!" She demanded taking the letter out of my hands and holding it out to the woman who sat across from us.
I reached out to take the letter back from her, afraid that she would crumple it. Once it was once more safely held in my hands I questioned the professor myself.
"This can't be real Professor, after all I'm just a normal girl."
The professor gave me a knowing look. "Nothing strange ever happened to you, when your emotions were elevated? When you were frightened, or upset?" She asked, and I thought back to yesterday when Gerold Henneyson had fallen off his bicycle—when the popped ball was once more inflated.
I knew she saw the realization in my eyes because her smile widened just a fraction.
"You, Miss Grace, are a witch. Those odd things that happened were your magic acting out, and at Hogwarts you will learn to control it." Professor McGonagall explained.
"Now hold on~" mum exclaimed heatedly.
I quickly turned in my seat to face her.
"Mummy, I think she's telling the truth…"
Mum looked down at me is disbelief. Then she turned narrowed eyes toward the woman across from us. "Alright then, if magic exist, and you're a witch, then it won't be terribly hard for you to prove it."
It seemed McGonagall had been prepared for such a demand because the next moment she pulled an intricately carved stick out of her sleeve.
"And what is that?!" Mum asked pointedly.
"This Mrs. Grace is a wand, it is a tool we witches and wizards use to concentrate our magic so that it isn't so sporadic. Your daughter will be getting her own once we go shopping today for her supplies." Her explication complete she pointed her wand at the teapot and it poured itself into McGonagall's empty cup. Once the tea cup was full the pot sat itself back in its place and the cream was the next to rise, then the spoon of sugar.
Instead of raising her spoon next she simply pointed her wand at her cup, stirring the tea lazily.
"Was this proof enough for you ma'am?"
"Will I be able to do that?" I questioned In turn, awe clear in my tone.
McGonagall gave me another smile and a nod. "Of course, once you have some schooling you'll be able to do this and more. You asked me before what my specialty was, now I will tell you, I teach transfiguration, a magical course where one learns to magical alter one object into being another."
My grin widened at the revelation, and then laughter was heard from behind me. My grin faded away in realization. "What about Aggy and Ro?" I knew in part that professor McGonagall had half expected this question, but at the same she had not truly wished for it to come up.
"They are both muggles~"
"Excuse me, what did you just call my children!" Mum demanded from beside me all set to storm up out of her seat.
"Muggle, it is the British wizarding term for non-magical person, it is to not an offensive term. I assure you I would never use derogatory language when speaking of children." McGonagall explained, her face trained into an assuring mask.
Once that was explained mum was less aggravated and she lifted her China to her lips for a much needed drink. I imagine that she wished she had something stronger than tea at the moment, and then a light went on and she sat her teacup down. "Now hold on, what about her regular lessons, maths, literature, language, science, politics, will she learn any of this at Hogwarts?" She demanded.
"We do not teach any of those subject at Hogwarts, however if you wish you may have her taught those subjects via post, as a sort of homeschooled equivalent to the muggle schooling system." McGonagall explained.
She finished her explanation just as the other two reached the table, and they took their seats on either side of mum or I.
"Mum is lunch ready?" Ro asked her auburn hair tied back into a ponytail. Aggy was in the process of plaiting her brunette locks as she sat next to me.
Mum looked surprised, and it was clear that she had completely forgotten about lunch. Dad would be home any moment to have lunch with us, and on that note a pair of tires sounded against the gravel in the drive. She turned her attention to the professor and sighed.
"Would you care to have lunch with us, I'm afraid I'll have to explain this to my husband after, and he'll have to give you the money for the supplies, I won't be able to go with you seeing as I have these two as well," she explained easily rising from her seat.
"Thank you, I shall accept, perhaps I should help?" She questioned.
"No that's quite all right. Aglaia, Euphrosyne, go and play until I come back out here with lunch,"mum ordered leaving the table.
She did not go straight into the house but to dad's car where she started to talk. I could see the confusion on dads face but he easily nodded and made his way over to the table to introduce himself to the odd woman sitting across from me.
"Hello, Deborah told me your name was Minerva McGonagall, I'm Sean, it's a pleasure." Dad exclaimed holding a hand out for her to shake.
"Like wise," she responded taking my fathers hand easily.
The next thing he did was rather embarrassing as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
"Dad!" I exclaimed.
With a cheeky laugh he then ruffled my strawberry blonde locks and went to play with Aggy and Ro who were on the other side of the yard now playing in the garden.
I studied the professor for a second in silence, and then my questions began to fly from my lips, "what's Hogwarts like, will there be others like me, are there any books I should read before going to school~"
"Miss Grace, I assure you that you will have plenty of time to ask questions during our shopping trip, now for the ones you just asked in order shall we, Hogwarts is spectacular. It's a castle, and if you'd like to know more beyond that I recommend you get a copy of Hogwarts: a history when we get to flourish and blotts.
"Yes, there are other muggleborns, witches and wizards from muggle families, but there is no guarantee that you will all be placed in the same houses~"
"Houses?"
"Yes, houses. The students of Hogwarts are sorted into houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, named so for the four founders of the school.
"Now as for the reading, I recommend your textbooks, of course that is a given for any school."McGonagall explained before taking another sip of her tea.
With a frown at the cold tea she had just consumed she covertly pointed her wand at her tea, and seconds later I watched as steam rose from the now warm cup.
In amazement I grinned, however before I could ask anymore questions mum called out from the door, "Girls come wash and help me carry this food out, you come wash as well Sean, and professor if you'd like you as well."
With a grin I hopped from my seat and rushed to get to the house before my sisters, who were closer then I.
A.N.: please look forward to the next chapter as much as I look forward to writing it. To be honest I had written the beginning of the second chapter without realizing that it was going to bwe a part of the second chapter.
To many who noticed I did not name Thalia Grace after The Percy Jackson character. It was a complete coincidence that their names are the same. I just really liked the name Thalia for the story, and so I did research on it and found that it was the name of a Muse, as well as one of three graces, and so my story developed from there.
Please comment, and ask any question. I look forward to answering them the best I can!