Chapter 7 – Meeting a Smarty and The Kittens

The changes of having two new students in our house were strange. First, I knew I had to interview them. Dad said that was how you asked people thinks you didn't understand. Lily was sitting by the fire, reading a book with a white cover. I wish I could make out the title. I decided that I should interview her first. I walked over to her. She put down her book and looked at me.

"Oh, hi, Albus! Nice to see you again! Um, what do you want?" I paused. How should I start? I could say, 'Who is this person you brought with you?' or I could simply say 'I'd like an interview, please.' I decided to go with plan B.

"Hi! My name is Albus Severus Potter. What's yours?"

Lily looked completely puzzled, but she just squinted and said, "Lily Luna Potter. And, you still haven't told me what you want."

I glared at Hermione, who was reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. "Oh, her... ask anything. She is pretty shy around everyone but me, so just ask me." I looked at Lily straight in the eye until my eyes started to water. But still, we stared on. All of a sudden, we both burst into laughter. Hermione slammed her book closed and said abruptly, "Can't anyone get a little quiet around here?" She got up and walked upstairs.

I asked Lily, "So, what's her name?" Lily paused in thought for a moment, and then said, "Her old name was Snow Caroline Porters. But we changed it to Hermione Alice Snow Minuet Potter. Easy!" A crossed my eyes. "Who put in the 'Minuet'?" Lily smiled. "Mom said Dad was played a Minuet on the piano when she told him they were going to adopt a child, so one of her middle names is Minuet. The 'Alice' is from Aunt Angelina, and the 'Snow' is from her old first name. I think it's pretty."

In my opinion, I thought the 'snow' part was a little awkward, but I didn't tell Lily.

"And, well, where does she come from? What were her parents like?"

Lily said quietly, "Well, she comes from the village of Wool. Apparently her parents were brought together with a love potion, and then they had her. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father then died in a car crash. Her parents were not a witch and wizard, because a very talented wizard by the name of Cornelius Plough sold it to them, and her parents thought it was some sort of drink. When they first tried it, they instantly fell in love and married. Then they had Snow, or Hermione, and her Mom died giving birth to her. Her father died in a car crash shortly after that, and Hermione, or Snow, was send to Wool's Orphanage."

"So, Hermione wasn't aware that she was a witch then?"

"Hermione never was a witch. But then mom wanted to adopt a child, a girl, and when she saw Snow she fell in love with her. So she adopted Snow. Then we renamed her to Hermione. Hermione realized that there were a lot of odd things in the house. So she asked Mom and Dad, and they told her that they were a wizard family. Hermione was blown away at first, but then Dad told her that we wouldn't hurt her, and with being in a wizard family, she could go to Hogwarts with you and James. Soon after, I got a letter accepting me into Hogwarts, saying that I was too smart for my own good, and they said I could start Hogwarts early."

I shuffled in my seat. Hermione never was a witch? I was so puzzled. What was happening? All of a sudden, we heard a scream from upstairs. "Hermione!" we both shouted. We ran upstairs, and we pushed the door open into the dorms. Hermione was crouched on the bed, and Teabag was in the middle of the floor, writhing around. "Oh, relax," I said to Hermione. "She's just having her babies, that's all." Lily and I shared a smile. 'Her...her babies? But she looked pregnant to me, but...but... Dad said that she wasn't pregnant!"

"Don't worry. Everything is under control. She IS pregnant."

We watched Teabag writher for a while. Then she stopped, and started yowling. A small bright orange blob came out of her. We all got a little closer. Hermione picked her up and said, look at it."

It was breathing small little breaths. It was small and orange, and it had a pink face and bright pink nose. It had small pink paws, with tiny little claws.

Then Teabag yowled again. Another tiny kitten popped out, this one pure white.

Teabag yowled one more time, and red one, as bright as flame came out.

"One for each of us." Hermione took a pure white one and said, "I think I have to name it Snow." Me and Lily shared another quick smile. Lily picked up the orange kitten. "I will name it Hermy, after what I always wanted it to be."

I realized that the red one was the only boy. I picked it up and said, "I'll name you Atlas." All of a sudden, Atlas, Snow, and Hermy glowed.

Hermione gasped. "Hi, said Snow.