A/N: Whoa, has it seriously been over a year since I last updated this story? o.o Well, I did put it on hold for an extended period of time, but I'm posting a new chapter now. XD I just discovered a story quite similar to this one, however - The Orphan: Book One by SaphirePhoenix. She even made Harry a prankster too! And she writes way better than I do. I'm posting a new chapter now, but I may discontinue this story; what do you all say? And in the meantime, go check out SaphirePhoenix's stories XP

On with the long overdue chapter! XD

Oh, and sorry for any spelling mistakes; I'm writing this directly in Document Manager on ffnet because my Microsoft Word program is being an arseface. So no spellcheck for me :P

Plan B was not working out too well for the pair of pranksters.

The two of them, Daphne and Harry, had managed to evade Mr. Well and had escaped to their rooms on the far side of the orphanage. Daphne was panting from exertion as she carefully set the cardboard box filled with small harmless black spiders down on the bedside drawer.

However, Mr. Well had glared at them all throughout lunch, and they had no choice but to postpone the prank.

Now most of the children were in the large "recreational center," which was basically just a large, bare room, empty of most things except for a few secondhand books and board games and a broken telly.

The plan was to snatch a board game, fill it with spiders, and then offer to play it with Arianna and Luja, the bratty twins, and perhaps also along with other people as well.

So the two young preteens snatched the box full of spiders again and began tiptoeing down the halls. They were passing the hallway that lead to the much-nicer-than-the-rest-of-the-orphanage visitors room, when it happened.

IT happened.

Daphne dropped the box.

Minerva McGonagall's eyes narrowed as they swept over the run-down orphanage with disdain. She took in every detail - the cracks in the pavement, the weeds choking the few dead flowers in the yellow grass on the front lawn, the cracks in the sides of the building, everything. The place looked like it was about to fall over at any minute.

This is where Harry Potter had been living for about half his life?

She sniffed disdainfully, then checked to make sure she still had the Hogwarts letters with her in the pockets of her robes.

Yes, letters, plural. Surprisingly enough, there was another eleven-year-old orphan here with magic in her blood - a girl named Daphne Greengrass.

Steeling herself, she walked up the sidewalk to the front door of the orphanage and rapped sharply.

After a few moments' pause, the door swung open, and a young blond girl with plain, unattractive features who looked to be in her late teens early twenties peered out at Minerva. "Hello, ma'am; what may I help you with?" she asked, swinging one of her braids around her finger in a nervous habit. She clearly seemed taken aback at the site of the strange woman in glasses and robes, but didn't comment.

"I'm here to see...Mr. Well, the owner of this orphanage," Minerva told the young woman. "It concernts to of the...ah...charges here."

"Right this way, ma'am," she said, leading Minerva down a hall.

Minerva looked around the hallway. The paint on the walls was peeling, and the carpeting lining the floor was shabby. A few electrical lights gave off a dim glow, casting long shadows against the walls.

"Our visitors room is here," the girl continued, gesturing towards a door at the end of the hall. "Mr. Well will be there to greet you shortly." She then gave an awkward little curtsy and departed hastily.

Minerva looked around the room. Here, the paint on the walls was a light shade of blue, glossy and freshly applied. An open window framed with white lace curtains showed off a sunny view of a garden blooming with bright, colorful flowers, clearly much more well cared for than the decrepit excuse for a garden outside the other entrance of the orphanage. The seats were plush, leather upholstered, and soft. It was obvious to Minerva that the owner of the orphanage, this Mr. Well, spent all his available money on making the visitors room appear presentable and comfortable to the few visitors that did visit, and cared little to none about the rest of the orphanage, including the orphans in it.

Even though she had never met the man, Minerva began to feel an intense dislike for him.

She didn't have to wait long. After less than five minutes, an old man hobbled in. His hair was grey, his face lined, a what appeared to be permanent scowl etched into his face. It disappeared, however, when he caught sight of Minerva. There was an almost hungry look in his eyes. Clearly, his orphanage did not get many visitors.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms...?"

"McGonagall. Minerva McGonagall."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. McGonagool." His voice was dripping with honey. Minerva winced slightly. He had pronounced her name horrendously wrong. This and his simpering tone only fueled her dislike for the Muggle man.

"How may I help you?"

Minerva broke out of her quick reverie. "I'm here to speak to you about two of your...charges here."

"Oh? Are you thinking of adopting?" The man was nearly falling over himself in eagerness as he quickly sat into a chair opposite her. He obviously wanted to get rid of some of the children. Less mouths to feed, less money to spend on food. Her dislike increased.

"No, I am deputy headmistress of a private boarding school, and the families of two of the children here have entrusted me with the task of having their children attend - "

Mr. Well's smile was beginning to fade as he interrupted her in the middle of her sentence. "I'm sorry ma'am, but the orphanage cannot afford - won't even think about - paying expensive tuition for two of these...these miscreants to go to a boarding school..."

"Their families have already paid, long ago," Minerva said sharply. "It is a very good school, and we may even find families to take care of them. Otherwise, they will be back only during summers..."

"Well, of course, of course," Mr. Well mused, perking up again. "There is the matter, of course, of a fee...we had to take care of all these children all these years; surely I - that is, the orphanage, gets some...compensation, of some sorts?" He directed an oily smile at Minerva, who frowned.

"Of course," she agreed, though privately she was itching to hex the impertinent Muggle man.

"Well then, that's agreed." Mr. Well nodded to himself and paused a moment before asking a question. "Who are the two children that - "

He was interrupted by a loud crash just outside the door. Immediately, he jumped up from his seat and ran, with surprising agility for a person his old age, to the door that lead to the hallway Minerva had entered from, and wrenched open the door. Mineva followed.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized she recognized one of the faces of the children standing guiltily at the doorway. One was a girl, with long auburn hair, staring down at her feet, where she had accidentally dropped a cardboard box. Small black spiders were streaming from said box as Mr. Well berated the pair.

The second child was a boy. His hair was unruly and messy and black, and crooked glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. However, it was his stunning green emerald eyes that caught Minerva's attention as she answered Mr. Well's previous question.

"Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter," she breathed.

Cliffy! Sorta. Um, review? If I still have any readers of this story, that is XD

Also, I'm American, so I apologize if I get any information - telly? XD I dunno. etc. wrong. Or whatever.

If you tell me if you spot any mistakes, whether they be informational or grammatical or what, I'd appreciate it :)

Remember, I'm writing this in the Documents Manager thing, not Microsoft Word XD

Please read and review!

-xAndromedaBlackx-

(October 6th, 2008: chapter has been edited.)