A/N - Colin Creevey was my character this time. Hope you like it!
July 1992
"Got it Mum!" Colin called as he raced to the front door. "Then I'm going to meet Kevin."
"All right Colin, be home by dinner," his mother answered from the kitchen. Colin wrenched open the door and froze at the sight of the woman standing on the front step. She was tall, her black hair in a tight bun on her head and she wore square-framed spectacles perched on her nose. Colin gulped nervously.
"Good afternoon," the woman said. "Mr. Creevey, I presume."
"Ye-yes," Colin managed to answer. Something about the formidable woman before him made him want to stand up straight and be sure his hair wasn't mussed. He forgot all about meeting Kevin.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I would like to speak with you and your parents if I may," she said.
"Oh, erm, sure. Come in," Colin said, opening the door a bit wider and ushering the woman inside. He led her into the lounge. "I'll just go and get them, shall I?" She gave him a nod and Colin turned, running directly into his mother who was wiping her hands on a dish towel and coming from the kitchen.
"Colin, who was at the d-, oh, hello," Colin's mother said, noticing the other woman in the room.
"Mrs. Creevey, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am a professor and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School," Professor McGonagall said, holding out her hand to Colin's mother. The two shook hands.
"Hogwarts School?" Mrs. Creevey repeated a confused look on her face. "I don't think that I'm familiar with it."
"No, I don't think that you would be," Professor McGonagall said kindly. "Is your husband at home? I would like to talk to both of you if possible."
"Yes, he's out back," Mrs. Creevey replied. "Colin, go and get your father." Colin had been standing in silence watching the exchange between his mother and the professor.
"Oh, Dad, right," Colin said and walked to the back door, glancing over his shoulder at the professor. There was something about the woman that made him feel different, almost as if there were some kind of power emanating from her.
"Dad!" Colin called as he went into the back garden. His father came out of the shed, wiping his brow with his arm.
"What's up Col?" his dad asked.
"There's a woman here, a professor from a school that wants to talk to you and Mum," Colin said. His younger brother Dennis came out of the shed behind his father.
"School? What school?" his father asked.
"Dunno, Hog-something," Colin replied, furrowing his brow trying to remember. "You'd better just come." Colin turned and hurried inside, followed by his father and younger brother.
"Ah Mr. Creevey, hello," the professor said, standing and shaking his father's hand. "Perhaps we should all sit down." She took the chair behind her, perching on the edge, her back ramrod straight. Colin's parents sat down on the couch, Colin sitting on the arm and Dennis on the floor leaning against his mother's legs.
"As I told your wife, my name is Minerva McGonagall and I am a professor and the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School," she said. "We are interested in having your son Colin attend our school this fall." Colin's mouth dropped open. A school wanted him?
"I'm sorry Mrs. McGonagall, but just where is this Hogwarts School located?" his father said in confusion. "I've never heard of it."
"We are a boarding school located in Scotland," the professor replied.
"I'm not sure I understand," Mr. Creevey said. "Not that my son isn't smart, but he's not top of his class or anything. How exactly did you get his name? Was he referred by his current school?" The professor gave his father a small smile.
"Mr. Creevey, have you ever noticed Colin doing anything unusual, something that you couldn't explain?" she asked. "Something that perhaps seemed impossible or almost…magical?" Colin's parents glanced quickly at each other and Colin stared at the professor. There had been that time that the spinach his mother had been trying to get him to eat had mysteriously disappeared from his plate and no amount of searching caused it to turn up. And then there was the time a few years ago that Colin and his friend Kevin had watched that really scary movie. When his mother had put him to bed that night and turned off his light, it had somehow turned itself back on once she'd left the room. It happened three separate times before his mother just gave up and left it on. When his father had checked the wiring the next morning, he hadn't found anything wrong and it hadn't happened again.
"As I said, I am from Hogwarts School," the professor continued. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your son Colin is a wizard." This statement was met with complete silence. It was his mum that recovered her voice first.
"But that's, that's preposterous," she spluttered. Professor McGonagall gave her an indulgent smile.
"I assure you Mrs. Creevey that while difficult to believe, it is most certainly true." She pulled what looked like a stick from the sleeve of her dress and directed it at the vase of flowers on the end table. One flick and the vase rose above the table. The professor directed it to the table at the opposite end of the couch, settling it quietly into place. Colin stared at her open-mouthed.
"You mean I can do that?" he asked.
"With a wand and a bit of training, yes," the professor replied. "And, if I'm not mistaken, your younger brother is magical as well." She turned and looked at Dennis. "I would have to check the official roster, of course, but I am confident that I am right. Most unusual, actually, having two wizards from the same muggle family."
"What's a muggle?" Colin asked.
"A muggle is what witches and wizards call non-magical people," Professor McGonagall explained. She reached into the bag that she was carrying and pulled out an envelope. "This is your official invitation to attend Hogwarts, along with your book and supply list. Our term begins on September the first and the Hogwarts Express leaves from platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station." She handed the envelope to Colin who tore it open eagerly.
"Whoa, look at all this stuff," he said excitedly. Dennis had come to peer over his shoulder. "Cauldron, wand, robes. Where do we get all of this?"
"Oh of course, forgive me," Professor McGonagall said. "There is a magical street located in London called Diagon Alley. You can find everything you need there. The entrance is," but Colin's father interrupted her.
"Now wait just a minute," he said. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but you can't just come in here and show us a magic trick and then expect to take our son to Scotland!"
"Mr. and Mrs. Creevey, I understand your hesitation, but I assure you that what I just showed you was not a 'trick' as you say," the professor said. "If you like, I can show you something else, which may serve to convince you." Mr. Creevey nodded sharply and the professor stood from her chair and moved closer to the door to the back garden. A few seconds later a tabby cat sat in her place.
Colin blinked in astonishment and stared at the cat which swished its tail. He could see some markings around the cat's eyes which looked suspiciously like the glasses the professor had been wearing. Seconds later, the cat had disappeared and the professor once again stood before them.
"Wicked," Colin whispered and Dennis nodded in agreement. Colin glanced at his parents who looked dumbstruck.
"Colin, perhaps you and Dennis would give your parents and I a few minutes to speak privately," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile.
"C'mon Dennis," Colin said, grabbing his brother's arm and running upstairs to his bedroom. The two boys shut the door and sat down on Colin's bed, examining the letter and list again.
"Do you think it's true Col?" Dennis asked. Colin shrugged his shoulders.
"Must be, don't you think?" Colin replied. "Otherwise how'd they get my name?"
"But me too?" Dennis asked in awe.
"Sure, you've done stuff too, same as me," Colin said. "Remember that time you got stuck in that tree in the park and by the time I got back with Dad you were back on the ground? You said that you floated down."
"Yeah," Dennis said. "But a magic school Col? That's brilliant!"
"I know," Colin said, eyes shining with excitement. "Wonder what it's like?" The two boys spent the next half hour discussing what Hogwarts could possibly be like. When their parents came into the room, Colin stood from his bed, looking at them expectantly.
"Where's the professor?" he asked.
"She's gone," his father said, unreadable expression on his face. His mum looked like she was going to cry.
"So, can I go then?" Colin finally asked. His dad looked at his mum and then back at his son.
"Yes, Colin, you can go," his dad said, grin breaking over his face. Colin's smile was even wider as he threw his arm around his father's waist. Dennis began jumping on Colin's bed in excitement.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Colin said, then turned and hugged his mother, repeating his thanks.
"One condition though," his father said, gesturing to his mother, who pulled something out from behind his back. It was an old camera that Colin thought had belonged to his great grandfather.
"We want to know all about it," his dad said. Colin's grin was so huge, it took up his entire face. He took the camera from his mother.
"Don't worry Dad, I'll make sure I get pictures of everything," Colin assured him.
