Witch Daughter
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, though I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates, except for Lillian.
9: April 1999
"Mom, would it be alright for Professor McGonagall to visit during the weekend?" asked Hermione when she was visiting Lillian one evening.
"Of course, dear. You may even invite her to stay overnight. We do have a spare guest room ready."
They arrived seconds apart. Lillian was waiting for them in the backyard, despite the cold wind.
"How should I call you?" she asked the older woman.
"You may call me Minerva" was the answer.
Lillian tried the sound of it. "Aunt Minerva... it sounds too official. May I call you Aunt Minnie?"
This brought a rare smile to the old face. "Yes, you may, but only while we are here. OK? Let's get in now, before we catch a cold."
Mrs. Granger was waiting at the door. "I'm really glad you could come" she told Minerva. "Both Hermione and Lillian seem to have a very good opinion about you."
"I'm really glad to be here, Mrs. Granger..."
"Jane, please..."
"OK – Jane, and I also appreciate them both. Each is a prodigy in her own way."
Jane only smiled widely. Minerva could see in that smile how much she loved both girls.
They all sat in the kitchen. Dave joined them soon, bringing baby Helen along.
"Do you know if she is magical?" asked Minerva.
"Not yet," answered Jane. "Neither Hermione nor Lillian started showing until they had three months."
"I think she is magical," said Lillian.
"How can you know?" asked Minerva.
"Her aura is more like Mom's..."
"Her aura? Can you see her aura?" asked Minerva.
"Sure! Can't you?"
The professor looked shocked. "I'm too old for this kind of surprises" she complained.
"I'm sorry if I said something inappropriate" said Lillian.
"You didn't say anything of that kind. You are simply an incredibly talented little girl, but there is nothing wrong with that," assured her Minerva.
They finished their tea, refraining from mentioning anything even remotely associated with magic.
Lillian showed Minerva to her room. "Dad wanted to put Teddy here first time he brought him, but Teddy is too small, so I said he should stay with me. I still had my baby-bed back then. Now it is Helen's."
"Do you like Teddy?" asked Minerva. Lillian nodded vigorously.
"And do you like Helen?" was the next question.
Lillian hugged the air, as if hugging a baby. "I love her! She is my aunt, Mom says, but she is more like a sister to me."
Hermione was already there as well. She didn't say a word. She was delighted to see her daughter getting along so well with her admired teacher.
"You mentioned seeing people's aura. Can you tell me more?" asked Minerva.
"Everybody has some aura. Yours is golden with some red sparks. Mom's is yellow with thin lines of blue and red. Dad's is darker, with wider bands of red and some green as well. Mine has many shifting colors. Probably because I'm still growing."
"Incredible..." murmured the old witch. "Do mug... non-magical people have auras as well?"
"Yes, but smaller and simpler. Gr'ma and Gr'dad have thin yellow auras and no sparks or bands. My Kindergarten teacher has an even thinner red aura and most kids have just as thin an aura of pale colors."
"And now Helen...?"
"Helen has a yellow aura, but with colorful sparks and only a red band. It changes every day. I think it becomes stronger as well."
"So you are quite sure she is magical."
"Yes, but it may take some time before it shows."
The professor thought a little. "I think I have a book about auras in my office. It is on the back wall, near the portrait with the red beard. Can you bring it here?"
"Sure!" said Lillian. She stood up and noticed it was already dark outside. "But I may not find it if it's dark in your office."
"Can't you make light?"
"I've never tried. I always have some kind of lamp nearby. I only have to press the button."
"There are lamps there as well. They do not use electricity. They use candles for light. Do you know how to light them?"
"I'm not sure. Can you show me?"
Minerva conjured a candle with her wand and gave it to Lillian to hold. She then flicked her wand once and the candle lighted.
"Would you like to try?"
Lillian blew on the candle to put it off and gave it back. She then held her hand straight before her and a new candle appeared in it. She turned her hand, holding the candle upright, looked at it and a flame appeared, shining brightly. "Did I do it right?" she asked in a concerned tone.
"You did excellently! I only expected you to relight this candle. Conjuring a new one was quite beyond expectations."
"I thought you wanted me to do exactly like you, only I didn't have a wand."
"I wonder if you'll ever need one. You are a very talented girl. Now, will you bring that book here?"
A soft "pop" was heard as Lillian disappeared. Hermione and Minerva looked at each other, still unable to comprehend the powerful magic displayed by the girl. A minute later, another "pop" announced Lilly's return. She was holding three books.
"There were two with 'aura' in their name. I wasn't sure which one you wanted, so I brought both."
"And this?" asked Minerva, pointing at the red book.
"Oh, I thought you wouldn't mind if I checked this one against my copy of 'Hogwarts, A History'. Do you?"
"No, not at all."
"Thank you, Aunt Minnie" said Lillian, surprising Minerva with another tight hug.
"May I go now?" she asked after releasing the hug.
"Yes, you may. I'll talk with you later."
The girl ran out of the room, clutching the red book.
"And I was thinking there was nothing that could excite me anymore..." sighed Minerva. "You have a fantastic daughter. I've never heard of such a young witch having so much power and such fine control of it."
"But what kind of magic is it? Nobody is supposed to be able to apparate into or out of Hogwarts, yet she did it. Twice."
"The house-elves can do it as well. She may use a similar kind of magic. I've never heard of anybody seeing auras directly either, yet she does that as well. Do you really have bands in your aura?"
"How could I know? Is there a spell for that?"
"I once heard it. Let me see... no... no... maybe this one?... no... Oh, I think this will do."
She pointed her wand at Hermione and said "revelio aura personale".
Hermione didn't feel anything, but the professor seemed to see something. "Yes, yellow... a bit on the orange side, I'd say... two thin bands, not exactly the same width... red... quite brilliant... blue... somewhat purplish... Fine. Finite Incantatum." She said the last words pointing her wand at Hermione again. "Now, would you mind doing the same to me? Please tell me everything you can see" she asked Hermione.
Hermione cast the spell. "I see a bright golden aura. It pulsates and looks almost alive. There are some sparks – red and a few blue – around it, especially near your head. Nothing else..."
She brought a small mirror for the professor to try and see it herself.
"It looks like she can really see the aura. Not that I doubted her, but children do sometimes let their imagination run wild."
"She does have an active imagination. I've seen her play with friends. She invents all kind of games, and other children seem to like her. She isn't just a book-worm, like I've been."
"You turned out just fine, though..."
"But I've never had the self-confidence she has..."
"Mommy, Mommy, look what I found!" – Lillian came running into the room, holding a heavy book.
"What is it, darling?"
"I found you here, in the last chapter, and Daddy as well!"
"Which book is it?" asked Minerva, thinking she probably knew already.
"The new edition of 'Hogwarts, A History'. It came in yesterday."
