I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.

Chapter 7

After Devyn got the last of her school supplies, including a trunk with her initials on it, McGonagall informed her that she would have to spend the rest of July at the orphanage.

Although Devyn knew this was coming, it didn't make her any happier about it. It frustrated her to no end that she would have to hide her wand and robes and things from everyone. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops that she was a witch and that she could do magic, but she couldn't, because it would, what was it McGonagall said?

Oh, right, it would "breach the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy". While Devyn did understand that, truly and completely, it still annoyed her.

But then, Devyn had thought about something. McGonagall had said "July", not "July and August". This had come to her attention just before McGonagall was about to leave Devyn's room at the orphanage.

"Professor McGonagall, wait!"

"Yes, Devyn?" she replied.

"You said, 'July'."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said that I would have to spend the rest of July at the orphanage. Not July and August, just…just July."

McGonagall looked at her and allowed a small smile to crack the surface of her otherwise stoic expression.

"I was hoping you'd figure that out."

Devyn was silent, waiting for McGonagall to continue. "I only said July, because you will not, if everything goes smoothly, be returning for August. Or any other month ever again."

"What?"

"Devyn…I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore and he quite agrees with me for once."

"He agrees with you on what?"

"Well, now that your survival is known in Diagon Alley, it will begin to spread. Sooner or later, it will get back to ears of people that once followed You-Know-Who. The whole reason that we brought you to this orphanage was to protect you from You-Know-Who and his followers. Of course, five months later, You-Know-Who was destroyed and most of his followers rounded up. But, now that the Wizarding World, or at least some of them, knows that you're alive, there is no reason for you to be in this orphanage anymore. Especially considering you are not entirely an orphan. You have a legal guardian. He just thinks that you're dead."

"Remus?"

"Yes. Remus, your godfather."

"Wait, does that mean that, after July is over, I can finally meet him?"

"Yes."

The happiness that consumed Devyn's heart nearly brought her to tears. She would finally have a family. Unless – "What if Remus doesn't want me?"

McGonagall placed a hand on the young girl's shoulders. "You didn't see how devastated he was when we told him you were dead. He'll want you. He'll never want to let you go ever again. I know Remus, Devyn. He might a little hesitant at first, for reasons I cannot tell you, but he'll most definitely want you, and love you as though you were his own."

Devyn looked up in hopefulness. "Really?"

"Yes."

"But why can't you tell me why he'd be hesitant?"

"Because it isn't my place to tell you. It's his. He deserves to tell you himself."

"Oh. Okay."

McGonagall nodded and said, "Well, now that that's settled, I will see you on July 31st."

"Is that when I'll meet Remus?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you then, Professor. Goodbye. And thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Devyn. Oh, I hope you realize that while at Hogwarts, I will have to address you as Ms. Murphy?"

Devyn nodded and said, "I know, Professor."

"Good. I shall see you at the end of July. I will bring Remus to you." McGonagall gave Devyn one last smile and then left.

"Okay," Devyn said, barely containing her excitement. But then a tiny little seed of doubt planted itself in her mind.

What if McGonagall's wrong? What if he doesn't want me? Devyn thought. She shook her head and told herself that she wasn't doing herself any good by worrying about that. And so, as Devyn packed her school supplies away for safekeeping, she was torn between being sad about having to hide her abilities and being completely ecstatic at the fact that in less than a month, she may actually have a family for the first time in her waking memory.


I know that this chapter was short. Sorry. But, on the bright side, next chapter is going to be very important for young Devyn. I think you can all guess why…