IINSY Chapter 10

September 2, 1993

On the first day of classes, Vaughn had a morning of Potions and Charms, and transfiguration after lunch. Now, rumors had been known to circulate around Hogwarts quickly, and Draco being in the hospital wing made itself known to Vaughn less than two minutes into the fifteen minute break between classes. To no one's surprise, Vaughn quickly climbed to the hospital wing on the fourth floor. Draco was in the bed on the end, closest to the windows and was sitting in a way that suggested he was sulking.

"You didn't even make it through the first day of classes." Vaughn said, sitting on the end of the hospital bed despite the chair not two feet away.

"It's not my fault, that brute Hagrid brought hippogriffs into class, and one of them attacked me. I'm lucky to be alive." Draco was frowning, staring at his right arm that was pulled into a sling.

"Sorry," Vaughn said softly, and in response to Draco's confused expression she added, "I think my misfortune with magical creatures has rubbed off on you."

Vaughn was trying to get Draco to smile, because you could hardly blame an animal for attacking him, he probably unknowingly provoked it. However, he still had an angry expression on his face, so Vaughn quickly offered to write to his father about the incident since his arm was broken. Vaughn quickly wrote out the note and promised to send it after History of Magic, and hurried off to class, arriving late, but Professor Binns never seemed to notice.

September 3, 1993

Remus' first day teaching had gone particularly well, and now he was almost dreading what he had been told would be a hard class: second year Gryffindor and Slytherin, and it was a double period. Apparently, there were two girls that never got along in the class, but they hadn't told him who, which had him worried. Class started with a single student missing, a Slytherin by his count. He was about to start class when the door opened a girl with black hair and bright blue eyes walked through the door, "Sorry I'm late Professor."

"What's your name?" Remus asked, recognizing her as the girl who had frozen on the train when she saw the dementors.

"Vaughn Milthorpe, sir." She answered taking the empty seat in the back corner. Remus hesitated, recognizing the name as that of Lynn's sister.

"I'd like you to stay after class," Remus said, and Vaughn nodded in understanding. He started the class, saying that they would be working primarily with creatures this year, as a starting point. Students began laughing, and there was a distinct groan in the classroom. Remus rolled his eyes, "Would anyone like to tell me what's so funny about working with creatures?"

Ginny Weasley raised her hand and was called on to answer, "It's because of Milthorpe, she's terrible with animals, and now she has two magical creatures classes."

"Because I need twice the chance to get attacked by some supposedly docile creature," Vaughn spoke up, not caring that it was out of turn.

Remus quieted the room, "In this class, we will be learning to disarm the creatures, and they will rarely even be close enough to attack you. Now, turn to page twenty-three in your books, we start working with redcaps next week."

Class seemed to drag on, and the Gryffindors seemed to have some sort of vendetta against Vaughn, calling her the Slytherin Princess and a hater of muggleborn hater. Remus was starting to think that this was a different Vaughn Milthorpe, but decided to go through with his plan anyway. After class she remained as her peers rushed off to lunch. She placed her book back in her bag, pocketed her wand and looked at him expectantly, "So, do I have detention or something for being late?"

Remus shook his head, "No, I would actually like to talk to you about a completely unrelated issue. Your name is Vaughn Milthorpe, correct?"

"Yeah," Vaughn answered, now confused.

"For the last few years I've been living next to a couple, and for the summer a friend of theirs moved in. A young lady named Lynn Milthorpe," Remus watched as Vaughn seemed to be affected by the name, "When I said I was going off to teach, she asked me to give her sister a letter if I saw her. I was wondering-"

"The couple, their names were Sable and Ferret, right?" Vaughn asked, an odd look on her face as she spoke.

"Yes, so I can assume you're the sister I was supposed to find?" Remus asked, and Vaughn nodded. Remus pulled the letter from his desk and handed it to Vaughn who opened it immediately, and he knew what she had been sent. We've missed you, we hope you are well, this is our address, you are welcome in our home, get back to us soon. Vaughn's face had gone blank in thought.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" She said in a low voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Obviously you've found out that I'm a muggleborn and have decided to mess with me." Vaughn replied.

"Ms. Milthorpe, I promise this is from your sister. You should recognize her handwriting."

"I haven't seen my sister in five years, and was in no position to see her writing." Vaughn said, "And don't you tell a soul that I'm a muggleborn."

"At least consider sending them a reply," Remus said as she walked through the door. This was going to be harder than he had thought.

September 7, 1993

At lunch, Vaughn came up the stairs to find Draco looking bored to death lying in bed, which is how he had spent much of the last three days, seeing as Vaughn had to write down most of his work for him (the teachers only allowed this because she was a year younger than him). Needless to say, he was surprised to see her at lunch, happy, but surprised. He smiled and sat up a little straighter, "What are you doing here?"

"And hello to you to," Vaughn smirked at his greeting, "I got a reply back from your father this morning, thought you might want to hear it."

"I can still read on my own," Draco argued.

"Yeah, but can you hold the letter?" Draco's shoulders slumped in defeat, and Vaughn began reading Lucius Malfoy's neat handwriting, adding her own embellishments as she felt necessary, "My dearest son; I am disappointed to hear that the school allowed such a monster onto school grounds without the control to keep the students safe. I have made an inquiry to the ministry to make sure that the beast that attacked is killed, and the half giant punished. You won't have to deal with Hagrid as a teacher much longer. Love always, your dearest Daddy."

Draco glared at her, "That last part didn't sound like him."

"You just hate fun, don't you?" Vaughn asked, and gave the same smile she'd been giving for the last week.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, knowing that the oddness in her smile was probably not a good thing.

"Is it that obvious?" Vaughn asked, and Draco nodded in response, "Well, I'm not entirely sure myself at the moment. I'll tell you later."

"You better, I'm not going to stop bugging you about it until you do." Draco said.

September 9, 1993

Vaughn was walking inside from Care of Magical Creatures, which she had received a few small circle shaped bruises on her hands. She ignored them and started climbing the stairs, passing her friends that were coming from charms, and said there was something she had to do before meeting them in the Great Hall for lunch. She made her way up to the Defense classroom where Remus was just about to leave when she entered the room.

"Can I help you?" Remus asked, looking at the girl standing in the doorway uncomfortably, and closing the door behind her before she spoke.

"I wrote a reply, how do I send a letter to them." Vaughn replied quickly.

"If you give it to me, I can send it to them. Did you explain magic to them?" Vaughn nodded, "From now on, you can send them letters with the school owls then."

Vaughn dug the letter out of her bag, "Thank you,"

"Wait," Remus said looking at her hand, "What are the those bruises?"

"Oh, those," Vaughn grimaced, "Flobberworms, no teeth, so have a dozen just kind of suction-cupped to my hand, leaving these lovely bruises."

"I didn't even know they could do that," Remus said softly.

"Well, I seem to bring out the worst in animals." Vaughn shrugged and left with a wave of her hand.

For the first time in days Vaughn felt better as she went down to the Great Hall and sat next to Draco, it was his first day out of the Hospital Wing and had been telling the story over and over. Vaughn smiled as she settled into the triviality of it all.

September 13, 1993

Sable was a little uncomfortable in their new home, reminding him too much of his childhood home, but the girls had done much to make it more like a larger version of the apartment. Sable flipped through the mail that morning as he walked into the dining room, and stopped as he saw on of the letters.

"Sable, what's wrong?" Ferret asked coming up to him and looking over his shoulder, "Oh…"

Lynn looked at the two of them, "Who's it from?"

Sable snapped out of his shock and handed the letter to Lynn, "It's from your sister."

Lynn took the letter, seeing her name printed clearly on the envelope above their address, and Vaughn's name without a return address. The envelope was torn open and Lynn pulled two folded pieces of paper out, with small, neat handwriting. Lyn smiled and began to read aloud:

Lynn/Lulu,

I suppose this isn't your first attempt to contact me, but the orphanage doesn't allow letters, which made it impossible to contact me before I went to school.

I assume you are all doing well in your new house, I myself, am doing rather well. I am in my second year at a seven year school, and have five friends, all a year older than me. Professor Lupin, who claims to be a friend of yours, gave me your letter, but I think I should explain about the 'special school' I attend.

The school is not for those mentally ill, as my orphanage, but for those born with magical powers. I'm a witch, I do magic with a wand, and I have a unique power to see into the future. We also work with magical creatures, but animals despise me, so I've learned how to treat bites for every one of them. Also, we send letters by owl, I know this came by mail, and maybe later be can send mail by owl. Anyway, Lupin will find a way to get your letter to Hogwarts. That's what my school is called, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The orphanage I go to is Orville's Orphanage for the Mentally Unwell, and if you want me to come live with you, you will need to talk to the director, Ms. Jacobs, about adopting me. I'm sure she would be happy to finally have me out of her hair. They've been trying to prove I have a mental illness for years and have failed, so adopting me shouldn't be much of a problem.

I'd like to hear what you think of this, and I know that being a witch is a little unexpected, but during the summers I'm not even allowed to use magic. Other than writing a couple essays over the summer, it won't even seem like I'm a witch. Also, I would like to know how all of you are.

Please get back to me soon,

Vaughn Milthorpe

Lynn was looking at the letter in disbelief, "What's all this talk about being a witch? There's no such thing as witches."

Sable looked about ready to agree with her when Ferret spoke up, "Actually, there is."

Lynn and Sable looked skeptical at best.

Ferret rolled her eyes, "My mom was a witch, and my dad was a wizard, my aunt, who's also a witch, has seven children, all witches and wizards, my grandparents are magical, annoying as hell, but magical."

"And you?" Sable asked.

"I'm unfortunate enough to be a squib," Ferret grimaced, "It means I have two magical parents, but have never been able to use magic. That's why my grandparents hate me, they're pureblood purists, and a squib in the family is something to look down upon."

"I don't remember my parents being able to do magic." Lynn said sternly.

"Well, I don't imagine they would have," Ferret said, "Just like normal children - called muggles in our world - are born to witches and wizards, witches and wizards can be born to muggles. They're called muggleborns, or by rude pureblood families, mudbloods. But I don't suggest calling Vaughn one."

Lynn seemed to accept it, though looked a little worried about it, but she looked to Ferret again, "What about the whole seeing into the future?"

"It's possible, but extremely rare. It's called being a Seer, and sometimes it's hard to tell if someone's actually a Seer, or just a phony. I'm pretty sure we can assume that Vaughn is telling the truth though." Ferret assured her.

Lynn thought for a moment, and then copied down the address to the orphanage that Vaughn had provided and went to go fetch her coat and picked up the keys to her car. Sable and Ferret watched her, and Sable asked, "So, where are you going?"

Lynn cast a dangerous look at him, "I'm going to go adopt my sister."

Four hours later

Ms. Jacobs was a little confused, it was odd that people came to visit the orphanage, more so that it was a young girl that was perhaps nineteen and had asked for her by name. She walked up to her office, and found the girl waiting in the small sitting room. Tall, long brown hair that had hints of red in it, and blue eyes that seemed all too familiar. Ms. Jacobs put a smile on her face, "Excuse me, I was told there was a young lady who wished to speak with me?"

"That would be me," Lynn said as she stood, and Ms. Jacobs led her into her office. Lynn took a seat directly across from Ms. Jacobs' desk, wearing a very determined look on her face.

"How may I help you this morning Ms…?" Ms. Jacobs realized she didn't know the young lady's name.

"Milthorpe," The lady said, and Ms. Jacobs immediately saw the family resemblance to Vaughn, "And I wish to adopt my younger sister."

I wouldn't have to deal with Vaughn again, Ms. Jacobs thought, but shook it from her head. She looked the girl in the eye, "You are aware that this is an orphanage for the mentally unstable."

"Has my sister ever been diagnosed with a psychosis?" Lynn asked, and from the blank look on Ms. Jacobs' face she knew that Vaughn hadn't, "If that's the case, how is it an issue?"

"Well, you were the one that drug her out to live on the streets, why should I believe that the girl won't end up on the streets again?" Ms. Jacobs said, not believing she was trying to keep Vaughn at the orphanage.

"A couple friends and I live in a two story house with four bedrooms on the edge of London, and we all have jobs. She will be taken care of during the summer when she isn't at Hogwarts." Lynn said quickly.

Ms. Jacobs blanched, "You… you know about Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I am fully aware that my sister is a witch. Do you have any other arguments to me having my sister?" Lynn asked.

Ms. Jacobs gave up, "No, I suppose I should go get the papers we have to sign." She stood and went over to a filing cabinet, pulling out a stack of papers. It took about half an hour to completely fill them out. Ms. Jacobs sighed when they were done, "Follow me."

Lynn followed her to one of the upstairs dorms, and into one where Ms. Jacobs took a key from her pocket and opened the door. It was a small bedroom, bare except for a small picture on the nightstand. Lynn picked it up, it was a photo of the Pack taken when Vaughn was six. Lynn held on to it and looked around the room, "Is that all she has in here?"

Ms. Jacobs nodded, "What little else she has she takes with her to school. On that note, you will have to pick her up at King's Cross on June 18th."

"Thank you for your help, I can find my own way out." Lynn said and walked out with the picture and the small stack of papers that proved that she was Vaughn's guardian.

It was about seven when she got home and Lynn was surprised when she heard a foreign noise coming from the dining room, and walked in to find Sable and Ferret sitting around a cage with an owl in it. Ferret smiled at her, "I went into a magical market and bought this owl, it's a bared owl. Their known for loyalty and not being uppity about blood."

Lynn looked at her, "You bought an owl?"

"For you and Vaughn, yes. The two of you need to communicate each other somehow." Ferret said smiling, "You get to name her."

Lynn sat next to bird, it was a dark brown color with off white spot, and Lynn petted the creature, which made quiet cooing noises in response. She remembered an old book she'd read years ago, where a messenger bird was named Niv, and that's the name the bird got.

-

(A/N: There's chapter 10, please review!)