Karen's heart jumped. In a matter of moments she was downstairs, heading for the door. She was about to shout that she'd get it but as she opened her mouth she saw her father turn the corner leading to the front door. She still ran after him, arriving behind him just as he opened the door.
Outside there stood an unfamiliar man. He was wearing a light grey suit of a kind that, in Karen's opinion, would have fit better for an older person. The man only seemed about 30, with chestnut coloured hair and smiling grey eyes. She supposed he was rather handsome, high cheek bones and a nice smile were his main features. He was also wearing a top hat.
"Good afternoon." The man said. "Mr. Makarov, I presume?" Karen's father nodded, shaking the stranger's hand. Karen's heart had sunk as soon as she saw the man. Not her friends, therefore not for her. Still, she was curious what the stranger wanted so she didn't leave just yet.
"My name is Wineca Flitton and I am here on behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. May I come in?" Karen stared wide eyed as her father, slightly confused, invited Mr. Flitton inside. "Ah, and you must be Karen." Flitton said when he spotted her standing in the hallway, staring at him. "I believe your letter reached you safely this morning?"
"Um… is this a joke?" The words were out of Karen's mouth before she could stop them. Flitton blinked, then smiled kindly at her.
"A joke, miss Makarov? Not at all, in fact this matter is very serious."
"But Hogwarts isn't real." Karen stated. This was going way too far for a prank from her friends, getting a stranger to pretend to be from Hogwarts. Maybe she was on some hidden camera show? Well, she was not falling for it. Sure she wanted Hogwarts to be real but she was also very conscious of the fact that it wasn't.
"Of course, the news of a magical school must be quite shocking for you but I assure you, miss Makarov, that Hogwarts is very real, and so are your magical abilities."
"Magical abilities?" Karen's father said, clearly confused by the conversation. "Karen, do you know this man?"
Choosing to ignore her father Karen replied to Mr. Flitton instead. "I think I'd know if I could do magic, I've tried since I was little."
"And you are quite certain nothing has worked?" There was a glint in Mr. Flitton's eyes that made Karen stop. Sure there had been times when she seemed to have succeeded in doing something, but it was all coincidences.
"O… of course. Anyways, it's not the magic that's the point. The point is Hogwarts. I'd know if Hogwarts was real. Someone from the fanbase would have found out if it was."
This seemed to confuse Mr. Flitton. "Fanbase? I'm afraid you've lost me now, miss Makarov. Am I correct in assuming you knew about Hogwarts before your letter arrived?"
"Of course I knew about Hogwarts, everyone does!" Karen was feeling angry now. It wasn't right to make fun of her like this. Harry Potter was a series she cared about and mocking her this way was just cruel. Fortunately her father chose this moment to intervene.
"Now, Mr. Flitton, did you come here just to upset my daughter? I don't know anything about a hog wart or whatever, but this is unacceptable."
"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Makarov, at the moment I am almost as confused as you are. I have come here to explain to miss Makarov and you about her acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your daughter, Mr. Makarov, is a witch. Being a witch, however, does not come with automatic knowledge of the school so I would like to ask, miss Makarov, that you please explain what you mean by 'everyone knows. Mr. Flitton looked intently into Karen's eyes. She felt ridiculous, having to explain something she knew full well he must know.
"I mean that everyone knows. It's a book series. I love it and all but I'm not stupid, I know Hogwarts isn't real so please just stop pretending."
Karen's father seemed to suddenly figure out what they were talking about. "Wait a minute, is this about that book series you love? About Harry Potter?"
"Yes!" Karen was glad that at least her father seemed to be on her side. "Hogwarts is the school from the books, you must have heard me talk about it a million times!"
At this her father's brow furrowed. "Hogwarts…" he said slowly, "the place in the books. What does that have to do with this Hogwarts school this man is talking about?"
Karen stared at her father. "What do you mean, what does it have to do with it? It's the same place, obviously."
Her father was looking at her oddly now. "Hogwarts… and Hogwarts… are the same place?" He exchanged a look with Mr. Flitton that Karen didn't like at all.
"You just said the same name twice, how is that not obvious!" Karen felt angry now. She didn't want to be shouting but she knew she had raised her voice. What the heck was going on?
"I think," Mr. Flitton said, "this may be a result of your daughter's seer abilities."
"Seer?" Karen and her father asked at the same time.
"Perhaps we could take this into the living room?" Mr. Flitton said, making a vague gesture with his hand that somehow pointed out that they were standing in the entrance hall.
~i~i~i~
A few minutes later Karen entered the living room to find the others sitting there, Karen's mother included. Karen had excused herself to the bathroom to compose herself a little before continuing this ridiculous discussion. She still felt thoroughly annoyed and confused. Her dad had to be in on it, that was the only explanation. Because no matter how much the tiny voice inside her grew that told her Hogwarts just might be real after all she refused to listen to it. It was a book series and she would not be caught on camera for some stupid tv show believing it was real.
As she entered Mr. Flitton was explaining about magic to her parents. With heavy steps she walked in, crossed her arms and said"Prove it."
"I'm sorry?"
"Prove that Hogwarts is real. Prove that I'm a witch, or at least that you're a wizard." She stared defiantly at Mr. Flitton. He did not blink.
"Very well." And just like that Mr. Flitton pulled out a wand from his pocket and, with a slight movement of the wrist and a mutter of the words 'wingardium leviosa', made the vase on the living room table float into the air. Her mother's eyes looked like they were about to pop from her head. Her father's mouth opened and closed in disbelief. Karen herself only stared. She wanted this to be real so badly. By now the voice that told her it was real was louder than her logic, yet logic persisted there could be strings tied to the vase. But it was floating, she could see no strings. No, there was only one way she was going to be truly convinced. Mr. Flitton was looking at her, waiting for a reaction.
"Use it on me." She muttered.
"Use what on you, miss Makarov? Magic?" Mr. Flitton's voice was gentle as he lowered the vase back to the table.
"Yes." Karen replied. "Use… use locomotor mortis on me."
Flitton didn't ask how she knew what that was this time, he simply looked her in the eye and then, with a small sigh, performed the curse on her. Karen squealed. Her legs locked together and for the life of her she couldn't move them apart. She almost fell over before he performed the counter curse on her, setting her legs free once more. And then she laughed. It was real! It was all real! It had to be. The vase might have been done by strings but there was no way Flitton could do something like that to her own body without her knowing about it. Karen could have danced with joy. She wanted to jump and shout and cry all at the same time. Hogwarts was real!
A/N: Reviews would be loved)
