A/N: Again, I do not take credit for the works of Lewis Caroll, Tim Burton, Queen JK Rowling, or Ted Dekker.
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Chapter 11
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Hoggy Warty Hogwarts
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Grandma Caroline was knocking frantically at my door. It had been a few days after I met Harry, and I decided to revisit the Harry Potter novels.
"Yes, Grandma?" I said lazily.
She poked her head into the room, her mouth forming a crinkled frown. "Why aren't you dressed yet, Jane?"
"Dressed for what exactly?"
"For what indeed! It's Christmas Eve, my dear!"
"Oh, right," I frowned. "What time is it?"
"Nearly five, now get dressed or we'll be late for church."
I dressed in a warm blue jumper, and hurried downstairs. Grandma ushered me into the cold evening, eager to get to our local parish in time. As I sat next to her half-listening to the preacher, I began to observe Grandma Caroline a little more. Her shoulders were uncharacteristically hunched; her gaze lacked the cheerfulness I had always associated her with; her aura felt hollow.
All the while, I had thought that staying the Christmas break was for her to help me, – for the realm was all she talked about – but now as I watched her under the parish's warm Christmas lights, I realized it was she who needed me.
Despite the façade she wore in an attempt to convince all the relations that she was unaffected by great grandpa's death, she looked positively ill. Her husband was lost to the realm. Her son was emotionally absent because of the Curse. Now, her father who had been her sole companion for so many years had been taken by the same cursed realm.
I shan't tell her about his wicked ways, then. I can't.
Snow began to fall as we made our way out of the church. By the time we ducked into the front door, our ankles were damp from the mile long walk. We brushed the snow off our shoulders and gulped down hot chocolate next to the fire. Grandma's thoughts were far away, probably with Samuel. Her face looked more tired as she heaved a sigh. I held her cold hand in mine, but Grandma was beyond consoling.
Shortly before midnight, Grandma Caroline retired to bed, and so I followed suit, eager to get back to the world of my books.
Almost immediately after I shut my eyes, I woke to the smell of Alice's hash. I rubbed my eyes, forcing sleep away. I glanced at the calendar, hoping I didn't lose track of time. 7th of August.
Downstairs, the breakfast table was covered with plates of food — from quiches to pies to waffles.
"What's all this?" I asked, taking a seat next to a very happy Harry. Alice smiled, taking a seat next to me.
"Happy birthday, Jane!" Harry cheered.
I blinked, and Alice winked at me, handing me a brown envelope. I knew what it contained. The file, my file.
"Thanks," I said to them both before helping myself to apple pie. Harry was beaming with joy. After two days away from the Dursleys, he seemed happier. His cheeks were flushed with a healthy color, for we spent the days in the gardens.
"What are we to do today?" Harry asked after we had finished breakfast.
I sipped my glass of water, pondering the question. "We could try out some spells," I suggested.
"But Hagrid said we weren't allowed to practice magic outside school," Harry's face was full of worry. "Won't we get into trouble?"
"Well," I began. "Wizarding children have got the trace on them until they come of age — that means the Ministry of Magic, the government, knows when we cast spells and such. But they don't interfere if we're nowhere near Muggles, or if there's an adult around."
"Oh," Harry frowned. "It's a real shame I live with Muggles then."
"They are horrid," I said sympathetically.
"I suppose I can't come stay next summer," Harry sighed.
"Of course you can!" I smiled. "As long as it's all right with your Aunt and Uncle."
"You mean it?" Harry beamed.
"Of course I do," I shrugged, trying to place the nagging feeling that Harry really shouldn't be spending summer anywhere else but Privet Drive. I'm sure it's something to do with the books. If only this Curse would allow me to remember!
I took my wand out and inspected it. It was slender like an oversized needle, only broadening slightly before forming a gentle wave, its wood twisting at the shaft, like the scroll of a violin.
"Yours seems easy to handle," Harry peered over my shoulder.
"I suppose," I waved it around, comfortable with the fact that the scroll kept the wand from flinging out of my hand.
Harry took his own wand out of his pant pocket. "What shall we try first?"
"Here," I pointed to the text book. "Let's try the simpler ones."
The day passed us by rather quickly, teaching Harry and me that there was more to magic than muttering words in latin.
"We've got repairo down," Harry said, pointing to his glasses.
"And we've tried flipendo and aguamenti," I passed Harry the potatoes.
"Which got my trainers all wet," Harry frowned. "But the other spells are a bit trickier. They've got instructions on how to hold the wand, and the gestures involved."
"Well, of course," Alice said. "Spells aren't just incantations we do, you see. Mumbling incantations without basis would be absurd… They've all got purpose and meaning — every gesture's got sense behind it."
I was eager to retreat to the solitude of my room after dinner, for my mind was glued to the file Alice handed me at breakfast.
I flipped the cover open, and spread the stack of papers out on my bed.
...
Obscurus Books
Pureblood Inbreeding Archive
Name: Ms Jane Kingsleigh
Date of Birth: 7th August 1980
Blood Status: Pureblood
Father: Mr Eliphas Kingsleigh, suspected death eater
Mother: Mrs Camilla Kingsleigh nee Lowe, Healer
Guardian: Alice Kingsleigh
Notable Experiences:
8th December 1979: Mr Eliphas Kingsleigh announces his wife Mrs Camilla Kingsleigh nee Lowe's pregnancy. Mr Regulus Black was named as the child's godfather, though he did not survive the remainder of the year.
12th April 1980: Rumour of Mr Lucius Malfoy and Mr Eliphas Kingsleigh arranging for their heirs to be betrothed arose. This was dispelled by Eliphas himself, in a secret correspondence between himself and the Longbottoms.
19th May 1980: Eliphas Kingsleigh is murdered by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named after rumour of his betrayal is confirmed by Bellatrix Lestrange when he was allegedly caught meeting with Albus Dumbledore. Other versions state that he was murdered because Eliphas had refused to kill his brother Samuel who married a muggle.
7th August 1980: Ms Jane Kingsleigh is born. Camilla suffers from an unknown disease. She is rendered unconscious after childbirth.
8th August 1980: Camilla dies in her sleep. Her final letter requested Jane to be raised by her fellow healer Miriam Strout. This was not deemed possible due to the request of extant relations.
11th August 1980: custody of Jane Kingsleigh transfered to accused death eater Mr Samuel Kingsleigh and his muggle wife, Beth Kingsleigh.
10th February 1991: Ms Jane Kingsleigh survives Muggle train attack, using magic to prevent the train cart from crushing her. She is unconscious and is sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Attack left traces of dark magic, suspected dark wizards involved. Beth Kingsleigh's body was retrieved from the scene. Mr Samuel's body was not found. He is presumed dead.
15th April 1991: Ms Jane Kingsleigh regains consciousness and is called in as a witness to the ongoing investigation of the Muggle Train Incident of 10th February 1991. Custody is transfered to Ms Alice Kingsleigh, a cousin from France.
...
Obscurus Books
Pureblood Inbreeding Archive
Kingsleigh Family
Although not part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight 1930s "truly pure-blood" British wizarding families, the Kingsleighs, like the Potters, were indeed pure-bloods. Their exclusion from the list is most likely due to their Irish origins, only moving to Britain in the later half of the 1600s.
The Kingsleighs were often said to be a family of black and white. There were either good apples or bad apples — no one was in between. They were known to be uncommonly keen, exceedingly charming, and infinitely devious, thus their family crest depicts a flowing fall with the Irish words "Ritheann uisce domhain go ciúin" inscribed, literally translated as "deep waters run quietly." It is often said that one could not double cross a Kingsleigh for they would either be talked out of it or otherwise perilously hexed. Hogwarts often found Kingsleighs either in Ravenclaw or in Slytherin. Having a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff was unheard of.
Identified by their enchanting blue eyes, with the late Samuel Kingsleigh being the only exception, the members of this family were said to be terrifyingly bewitching. Rumour is that the secret to their enchantment lies within their eyes. Old Irish tales support this, claiming that an ancient family called the Muire had eyes "as blue as the sea that caught hold of any a soul's will."
The Kingsleighs arrived from Ireland in 1650, with Augustus Kingsleigh as the head of the house and Mathias was later was born as the heir. Augustus also had a daughter named Jeniffer. The family rose to social recognition after Augustus joined Edward Bland's expedition to America. He had been a key element to the voyage, for the crew was often plagued by magical creatures out at sea. The voyages had rendered the family quite wealthy and quite respectable.
However, anti-Irish sentiments were still at large in the Muggle world, and thus they were one of the first to push for the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, after years of Muggles harassing the new family due to their origins. This political move spurred them further up social ranks.
The Kingsleighs were known to produce male heirs, and the heirs marry well-bred witches including those from the Black, Prewett, Meliflua and Perks. Augustus himself married a prominent witch named Aubrey Fawley, a family belonging to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Jeniffer married into the Potter family while Mathias married a member of the Rosier family. The female members of the family were also known to have married respectable magic folk.
Though the line has remained pure-blooded, the Kingsleighs did not hold extreme prejudice against muggle-borns. It is likely that due to belonging to elite social circles, they had found their matches whilst mingling with their peers rather than actively pairing their children with pure-bloods.
By the late 20th century, Eliphas and Samuel Kingsleigh were thought to be the sole heirs of the Kingsleigh name and fortune. Eliphas was the favored son, as well as the firstborn. He therefore succeeded the family fortune and business ventures. Eliphas married a pure-blood witch named Camilla Lowe in 1975, while Samuel married a muggle named Beth in 1980. Samuel was disowned by his brother shortly before the later met his death, for deeper reasons than his marriage.
It is said that Samuel was keen on using Dark Magic to his advantage, and married Beth for this particular reason. There are spells rumoured to require a blood sacrifice from Muggle relations or partners that could grant the caster an extended life span, or heightened magical abilities. Whatever it was, Samuel's dealings with dark magic had caused a rift between himself and his brother.
Both brothers were accused of being death eaters. Eliphas, however, was cleared of all charges when Albus Dumbledore revealed him to be a double agent of sorts. Samuel claimed to have been under the Imperius curse, despite having played key roles in many of the Dark Lord's plots. His plea did not explain his subsequent marriage of Beth. He was nevertheless acquitted of all charges.
Eliphas had been close to Regulus Black, whom he named as his daughter Jane's godfather even before she had been born. Neither Eliphas nor Regulus were able to see the child. Shortly after Camilla's death, Samuel was given custody of Jane.
Alice Kingsleigh was discovered to be a lost relation from France. She moved to London in 1990 to work for Obscurus Books.
After the Muggle Train Incident where dark magic destroyed the train, killing Beth Kingsleigh and other civilians, custody of Jane Kingsleigh was transfered to Alice.
Jane Kingsleigh had been confined in St Mungo's for three months, waking up with gaps in her memory. The Ministry suspects foul play, stating that a memory charm had erased important pieces of the puzzle.
Suspicions have been raised on Samuel Kingsleigh with respect to the Muggle Train Incident, speculating that the incident may have been caused by his old comrades in an attempt to punish him for marrying a muggle. Others speculate that he himself had orchestrated the incident to make his wife's murder appear as an accident.
Jane Kingsleigh is the first ever female heir to the fortune.
...
I rubbed my eyes, feeling tired. How very intricate.
The rest of the summer floated by like the wispy afternoon clouds. I had not gone back to my own realm, and for this I was more than grateful.
I was out in the back garden, sitting delicately on the grass, careful not to crease my green dress. I was practicing my spellwork when Harry came out of the house.
"Alice says we'll be leaving for King's Cross Station shortly. She's got a carriage of some sort flying us to London."
I looked up at him, my colovaria charm having successfully turned the white roses red. "A flying carriage?"
Just as the words left my mouth, a silver coach drawn by two grey winged horses descended from the sky, causing Harry and me to jump back in surprise. The horses landed smoothly outside our gate, and Alice stepped out of the carriage.
"Granian winged horses," she smiled, petting the creatures before turning to us. "They're quite fast, so you shan't be late for your train. Shall we get going then?"
Despite the Granian's speed, we flew over the English country leisurely, the morning sun seeping into the coach. The cities below had just begun stirring, their veins only beginning to flow with hot citizen blood.
Alice parked the coach in front of King's Cross Station, the carriage invisible to muggles.
"I must be off," she said after helping us with our luggage. Alice gave me a hesitant smile. "I wish I could see you off…"
"It's alright," I assured her. "We'll find our way."
Alice knelt down to match my height, her clear blue eyes meeting my stormy ones. "Trust the balance where your heart and your head meet, dear Jane."
I gave her a weak smirk. "Be back before you know it," I whispered, hugging her.
Alice stood next to the coach as Harry and I entered the station. I stole one last glance at Alice before getting lost in the muggle crowd.
Unfortunately, in that moment, Harry had disappeared.
"Harry?" I called out. "Where are you?"
There was no response. I looked about the station, counting the platforms I passed. 7, 8, 9, this should be it… A few young witches and wizards ran straight through the barrier between platform 9 and 10, disappearing into the brick wall like magic.
Why, they're going through the wall!
I gripped my trolley a little tighter and clenched my jaw. I took a deep breath and ran to the brick barrier at full throttle. Instead of feeling the wall ram against my face, I felt nothing. Instead, I passed through the brick wall unscathed and found myself staring at a scarlet steam engine parked next to a platform packed with people. The sign overhead read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. I glanced behind me to find a wrought iron passageway, the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.
I glanced around. Harry was still nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, a cool hand rested on my shoulder, making me jump. I turned around.
"Ms Kingsleigh," Lucius Malfoy's icy voice pierced my warm morning. "What a pleasant surprise."
"Good morning, Mr Malfoy," I sighed. "You gave me quite a fright!"
"Ms Kingsleigh," Narcissa Malfoy appeared with Draco by her side. The young boy had a smug expression. Confidence — no, pride — dripped from his very being.
"Good morning, Mrs Malfoy," I greeted back.
"Draco, don't forget your manners," Narcissa cooed.
Draco's pride waned. I suppose eleven year old boys still thought girls had cooties, or whatever the wizarding equivalent of cooties would be. I decided to help him out. "Good morning," I smiled.
His face paled as if he had seen Medusa. "Good morning," he said curtly.
His greeting seemed to satisfy his mother, who had proceeded in combing back her son's hair.
"I'll be boarding, then," I said, inching away from the Malfoy family. "Don't want to miss the train."
"Very well," Mrs Malfoy smiled tightly. "Have a pleasant journey."
"Thank you. It was a pleasure seeing you all," I called out before pushing my trolley to the train. I grabbed my trunk and slung my messenger bag across my shoulder. Cato was in his cage, protesting as I grabbed it unceremoniously along with my violin.
"Sorry, Cato," I muttered. I ducked into a compartment and settled in, stroking Cato's feathers to calm him down.
"Jane!" Harry slipped into the compartment. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Harry! Thank heavens you've arrived. How did you manage the barrier?"
"Had a little help," he said taking a seat beside me.
"Excuse me," Ron's head popped in. "Do you mind? Oh — Jane! I didn't see you there."
"Hey, Ron," Fred and George popped their heads in.
"Oi, Jane," Fred winked. "Didn't see you there."
"I do seem to be going unnoticed quite often today."
"Harry," George spoke, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," we chimed as they scampered off.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.
Harry nodded.
"And have you really got that…" he pointed at Harry's forehead.
Harry pulled back his fringe to show his lightning scar.
The boys carried on in this manner for quite some time. Ron asked Harry about his scar, Voldemort's attack, living with muggles, while Harry asked Ron about his wizarding family. I barely heard the lot of it, for I had fallen asleep.
A horrible yell woke me. I glanced around the compartment. Harry and Ron seemed to have consumed a mountain full of sweets, and had become best friends since. They were currently standing, facing Draco and two rather bulky boys. One of them threw Ron's rat Scabbers to the window and stormed off, the other boy following him.
"What is going on?" I asked, rather flustered. Draco's eyes flickered at me before disappearing after his friends.
A girl with bushy hair stormed into our compartment, wondering the same thing. Ron and Harry were bent over Scabbers, whispering to themselves. The girl turned to me.
"I haven't introduced myself," she held her hand out. "Hermione Granger. You were asleep when I came by a while back."
I shook her hand. "Jane Kingsleigh."
"Nice to meet you, Jane," she glanced at Ron and Harry. "You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up the front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there. Those two haven't been fighting, have they? They'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
I shook my head. "They've just had too much sweets is all."
"Well, people outside have been behaving rather childishly, racing up and down the corridors," she said in a sniffy voice before turning on her heels and leaving the compartment.
Ron glared at her as she left. "Who does she think she is?" he muttered as himself, Harry and I pulled on our school robes.
A voice rung throughout the train, announcing our arrival. We left the compartment and joined the crowd thronging the corridor. The crowd pushed their way towards the door as the train came to a stop. The chilly night air hit me like a snowball in the winter. We stepped out onto a small dark platform.
Hagrid's voice bellowed into the night. "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry?" He towered over the crowd, a lamp swinging in his hand. We stumbled after Hagrid down a steep narrow path. I lost Harry and Ron again, falling to the back of the pack.
"Kingsleigh," Draco's voice echoed beside me. "Why were you sitting with Potter and Weasley on the train? You could have shared our compartment, you know."
"Well, Malfoy, I would've," I said carefully. "But I didn't think you'd be very keen on having me, seeing as you avoid me like the plague."
Draco seemed at a loss for words, whether because we had turned the corner or because he was working up an insult I was unsure. I gasped at the sight before us. The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. I ended up sharing a boat with Draco and his two friends — apparently named Crabbe and Goyle. Despite Draco's many deficiencies, he was a perfect gentleman, helping me into the boat.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, "Right then – FORWARD!"And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent our heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of under- ground harbour, where we clambered out on to rocks and pebbles. We climbed up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We then walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face that hid a hint of a smile. Hagrid had introduced her as Professor McGonagall. We followed her into the castle until we came to a small chamber off the hall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "The start- of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup …"
I hadn't heard much of the rest of her speech, for Draco was whispering loudly.
"Of course, if all the first years were from wizarding families, she wouldn't have to explain all this," he told Crabbe.
"Of course," his friend muttered in agreement.
We were lead to the Great Hall, and I nervously waited my turn to be sorted. All one had to do was put on the Sorting Hat and be done with it.
I was called shortly after Hermione Granger, who was sorted into Gryffindor. I stepped forward, and sat on the stool, placing the hat on my head.
"Jane Kingsleigh," it said. No one else seemed to hear it speak. "Let's see, then. I see many contradictions within your heart, yes… Brave, yet reluctant … Quick-witted, yet prudent… Mischievous without malice… And yet for the task set in your heart — the task you are destined to accomplish, there is but one place for you —"
"Hold on, how do you know that I can accomplish it? I barely think myself capable…" I whispered.
"Ah, and here is the flaw of your humility — you do not see your own worth. So, where shall I sort you with such a heart? Shall I sort you into Ravenclaw for your keen mind? Yet am I to put you into Ravenclaw when your treasure lies not in your wit alone?"
"Well, I shan't allow myself to be split into four halves if you can't resolve the matter," I thought gamely.
The hat gave a low chuckle. "And maybe your reply does give you away, hmmm?"
"Well, what does that mean?"
"It means for you to trust my sorting."
"Does it, then?"
"Shall I sort you now? Shall you trust my judgement?"
"Yes," I said, setting my jaw.
"If so," the Sorting Hat said this aloud now, before it bellowed, "RAVENCLAW!"
