A/N: Yay! Chapter 2! I hope you enjoy this one also. It was just as fun to write as it was for the first one.
Disclaimer: I do now own Harry Potter (J.K Rowling sure is lucky) nor do I own the letter that is used in this chapter. I got it from the first book. The only thing I do own is the name I chose for Harriet and her adoptive family. And the names for some future genderbent characters.
Chapter 2
Harriet yawned as she sat at the dining room table, picking at her small amount of eggs and one piece of bacon. Tina sat across from her, newspaper in hand and Lulu sat next to her, watching her carefully. When her mother wasn't looking, she quickly put an extra piece of bacon on her plate.
"Happy official birthday." She whispered quickly before returning back to her own plate. Harriet smiled, but didn't reply since Tina might catch her.
"Oh, the husband of a rich woman died of a heart attack recently. Terrible isn't it, Lulu?" Tina spoke up, not taking her eyes away from the paper as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Yes, very." Lulu replied without hesitation, looking at her plate.
"What do you think, Harriet?" Harriet blinked, not sure how to answer.
"Answer me, girl."
"Oh um… yes, I think it's tragic." Tina nodded, still looking at the paper. Harriet looked back down at her plate, hoping that Tina wouldn't talk to her again.
Suddenly, a soft clang sounded through the house, signaling that the mail has arrived.
"I'll get it." Lulu quickly stood up, knowing that her mother was going to make Harriet get it, and she didn't think it was right to do that on her birthday.
She made her way to the front door, which had a small stack of envelopes lying in front of it. She picked them up and skimmed through them, slowly making her way back to the dining room. She suddenly stopped as she spotted the name, 'Harriet Pocket' on one of the envelopes. It was a clear white, and had so much paper in it by the way it weighed. There was a purple waxed seal with four animals; a lion, badger, eagle and a snake, all of them surrounding an H. There was no stamp, and the only thing written on it was the address and Harriet's name in green ink.
Ms. H. Pocket
The Basement (It was only one night! Lulu thought)
7 Dobroe Road
Willow Trace
Surrey
Lulu blinked, wondering why the address was so specific, and quickly made her way back into the dining room, hiding Harriet's letter behind her back. She handed the rest of the mail to her mother, who set down her newspaper and started to skim through it, and quietly and quickly handed Harriet her letter.
Harriet was surprised that she actually got mail, since Lulu seemed to be her only friend and no one else would feel or see the need to actually contact her. She figured it was some kind of prank, maybe from some of the boys at school, but then realized that no one else would know where exactly she slept in the house. Why was the address so specific anyways? It's not like there was two of her living in the same house.
She opened the letter as quietly as she could, making sure to keep under the table and away from Tina's sight. Her plan was ruined, however, as Tina quickly managed to snatch it from her hands before she even got to read one word of the letter.
"And what's this? Why would someone want to send mail to you?" She sneered as her eyes went over the words. However, the farther she got in the letter, the more her face paled. Her sneer disappeared and instead was replaced with a shocked expression.
"What does it say mother?" Lulu asked, stuffing a fork full of eggs into her mouth. Harriet didn't speak up, a bit miffed that Tina just snatched her mail away from her like that. She had no business in reading what someone sent to her.
"Nothing." Tina quickly ripped the letter up, much to Harriet's dismay.
"Hey!" She cried, standing up. "What are you doing, that was meant for me!"
"It's nothing of importance!" Tina snapped, getting up to throw away the remains of the ripped letter. She made her way into the kitchen, Harriet quickly following.
"It looked pretty important to me!" She said, glaring at Tina as she crossed her arms.
"How would you know? It was your first and only letter; you wouldn't be able to tell what's important or not." Tina turned and leveled her own stare down at Harriet, and Lulu just sat there awkwardly, watching from the dining room.
Their stare down was interrupted as they heard a knocking sound coming from the kitchen window. The three girls turned to see, much to their surprise, a brown owl resting on the window sill. In its claws was a letter, similar to the one Harriet just got.
Ignoring the odd sight of the owl at their window, Harriet quickly opened it up and grabbed the letter before Tina could get it. This move was futile though, as Tina whacked the bird out the window and grabbed the letter again.
"No!" Harriet cried, jumping up and down to reach the letter that Tina held up in the air.
"This is not for you!" Tina shouted, trying to push Harriet away.
"It has my bloody name on it! Of course it's for me!" Harriet grew angrier by the second, and Lulu was surprised that the house didn't start shaking again.
"Mother, I don't see why she can't just see it." Lulu tried to reason as she stood up from the table and made her way to the kitchen.
"Quiet, Lulu, this is none of your concern." Tina said in a slightly softer voice. Lulu rolled her eyes at her mother's stubbornness.
"Just give me the letter!" Harriet shouted.
"No!" And with that final shout, Tina threw the letter out the window. Harriet watched, shocked as the letter fluttered away, but she jumped again when she heard a loud pounding noise coming from the front door.
They all froze, the house suddenly getting quiet, and turned their heads slowly to the door. The person knocked again, almost sending the door off its hinges when Harriet quickly made her way to open it. Lulu followed behind while Tina stood there, staring at the door still.
As Harriet opened the door, she almost fell down at the sight of a large stomach set in front of her. She stumbled backwards, craning her neck upwards and saw a tall, very tall, man standing there. He had a large black beard that seemed tangled yet free of any dirt. The only thing she was able to make out was two small black eyes and a nose. She could barely see the mouth, but somehow she knew it was there.
"'Ello, 'ope I didn' scare yeh too bad." The giant said. His voice was deep and loud, seeming to come off like a real giant.
"Uh… wha… no…" Harriet stuttered stepping back. The giant seemed to mistake this frightened gesture as a sign to come in, and he did so. As he entered the house (ducking his head a bit so he could actually fit) Harriet seemed to notice for the first time that a boy was right behind him. Compared to the giant, he seemed small, and he looked around the same age as Harriet. His hair was also a dark brown, quite messy, and he had small circular glasses resting over his bright green eyes. He seemed timid, like he had no idea what he was doing here.
"Oh my…" She heard Lulu mutter, and knew that she was staring at the tall man. She didn't hear a sound from Tina, and turned around to see her staring, wide eyed and open mouthed, at the giant. It would have made her laugh had she not been so confused.
"W-who are you?" Harriet asked cautiously.
"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Don' suppose yeh heard o' it, have yeh? Considerin' what I heard o' this place, I doubt yeh even got ter read them letters they sent yeh." The giant casted a glance at Tina, who let out a small yelp and stepped back. Lulu just stared, amazed.
"Um… no I haven't heard of it…" Harriet seemed to be the only one able to talk out of her and her adoptive family. She doubt Tina would even talk to Hagrid if she wasn't shocked; she might look down on him (or up in her case) once she saw his mighty height and messy beard.
"Right, an' I don' suppose yeh knew yeh were a witch, did yeh?" There was a short silence as Harriet took in what he said, and then she blinked.
"A… witch?" She asked slowly. Hagrid sighed, leaning on the pink umbrella that Harriet just realized he was holding.
"Twice in one day, never knew I 'ad the patience fer this." He then turned back to Harriet. "A witch, an' a pretty famous one fer that matter. Not as famous as Harry 'ere o' course," He motioned towards the boy, who fidgeted as everyone looked at him, "but famous non' than less."
"Bu-… famous?" Harriet was this close to asking if this was just one huge prank and threaten to call the cops.
"Let meh guess, yeh never heard of yer parent's, 'ave yeh?"
"Of course I heard of my parents. My father was murdered and my mother killed herself, simple as that." Harriet replied a bit defensively.
"Harriet…" Lulu whispered, looking worried. Harriet never talking about her parent's death so simply like this, so she must have been pretty freaked out.
"Mmmh, not exactly…" Hagrid started, and Harriet blinked again. "Both o' yer parents were pretty famous in the wizardin' world. It's true that yer father was murdered, but yer mother was too. By the worse wizard yeh could ever imagine… I ain't sayin' his name again, already said it once terday, no need ter do it twice."
"Voldemort?" The boy suddenly spoke up, and Hagrid flinched.
"…Yea… him. Anyways, they were both killed by him, an' everyone knew they 'ad a daughter, but once they were killed, no one could fin' her. People lookin' everywhere, all over the streets for yeh, but foun' nothin'." Harriet gulped, not knowing how to handle all of this information.
"So… both of my parents were murdered… by an evil wizard." It wasn't much of a question; it sounded more like a statement.
"Everyone believed yeh were dead, so they gave up shortly after."
"They thought I was dead!" Harriet cried out in shock. She then faltered. "Wait, who is 'everybody'?"
"Why all o' the wizards an' witches o' course!" Hagrid exclaimed. "All o' them, except fer Dumbledore."
"And Dumbledore is…?"
"Why Dumbledore's one o' the greates' wizards ter live! He's the headmaster o' Hogwarts." Harriet nodded slowly.
"And… I'm guessing Hogwarts is some type of school." Hagrid grinned.
"Ah, smart one we got 'ere. Hogwarts is a school fer young witches an' wizards ter learn more about magic an' how ter use it right. 'Ere's yer letter, think yeh deserve ter read it." He handed her another letter, one that looked the same as the other two, and Harriet quickly opened it, thinking Tina might snatch it away again.
"J-just what do you think you're doing!" Tina cried, finally finding her voice as Harriet took out the letter. "She doesn't need to know any of this! Get out of my house this instant!"
Hagrid sighed, "I ain't gonna bother with this one. Still ain't over the shock of Harry not knowin'. It ain't like yeh had any way o' knowin' anyways." Harriet blinked, but dismissed Hagrid's words and then read the letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Pocket.
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at 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.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Harriet panicked as she realized that July 31 was yesterday, today being August 1 (her birthday, of course).
"Yesterday was July 31… how am I-" Hagrid cut her off.
"I already talked ter Dumbledore, an' he said yeh can still come." Harriet sighed, relieved. But wait, she thought, am I actually going? I'll finally be able to get away from here and go to a… wizard school. Is this real?
"Well, what are yeh waitin' fer? Let's get goin'!" Hagrid turned towards the door, and Harry (Harriet was guessing that was his name considering what Hagrid said earlier) made to follow, but Tina spoke up again.
"You can't just take my daughter like this! I demand an explanation!" Hagrid stopped in his tracks and turned to Tina, glaring at her.
"Daughter! Yeh think yeh deserve ter call Harriet yer daughter? She's the daughter of Michael and Louis Pocket, not some Muggle like yeh!" Tina looked horribly offended, and Harriet let out a half smile as she looked at Hagrid.
"Muggle?"
"Non-magic folk, it's what we wizards call 'em."
"Oh…" Harriet nodded, thinking of an idea.
As she turned to leave with Hagrid and Harry, she turned her head back to Lulu, who was smiling encouragingly, and tried to stifle her giggles as she spoke.
"Lulu…"
"Yes?"
"Muggle." And then the two proceeded to giggle hysterically.
"Bye to you too." Lulu managed to get out, and Harriet waved before closing the door behind her.
A/N: Seriously, if I was in Harry's shoes the day he found out he was a wizard, I would have giggled at the word Muggle. But then I'd get used to it. Well, review and tell me what you think!
Ja ne~