AN: When I typed this chapter, I wrote and re-read the lines for McGonagall in Dame Maggie Smith's voice style. Overall, I think I got a good idea of how she sounded dialogue-wise.
Also, to end the guessing game, I meant Slender's alias 'S. Lindermann' was a play off words to make Slindermann and, thus, Slenderman.
Slenderman sat at the kitchen table, nursing a strong cup of tea… laced with a little "extra". Even if his body was virtually immune to the effects of alcohol, it was the sentiment that counted.
Today had been eventful to say the least and downright stressful as an understatement. He had successfully informed the entire mansion of magic. Yes, it was a shock to everyone, but given that they were regularly around inhuman beings and unnatural situations, it wasn't difficult to accept.
Then, he had successfully navigated the communications with Dumbledore of all people. Thankfully, tomorrow morning, they would leave to meet this Professor McGonagall instead of the Headmaster. Though, he knew the eventual confrontation was inevitable. He was just thankful, though suspicious, that his demands were met and he would be able to monitor Harry to ensure nothing happened.
He took a small sip from the cup.
"Oh, my," The entity almost spat the liquid back out in absolute shock. He harshly swallowed the hot tea before turning to find a dark figure lounging in the kitchen chair. The figure's many mouths were forming a half smirk across its body and it gave an amused glance at the cup in Slenderman's hands.
"I always said that this job of yours would drive you to drink. And to think; Darjeeling! You need to slow down, my friend. Stick to Earl Gray or Chamomile." Slender gave a withering glare at the entity (an impressive feat without eyes) before setting the cup back in the saucer.
"Hello, Zalgo. I see you've let yourself in. Would you care for anything?" He offered stiffly.
"Oh, I don't know," The demon replied with feigned innocence. "How about Blood Wine? I love the late B.C. vintages. Or sacrificial virgin blood? Much rarer to come by fresh these days. Oh, I know! How about water from the Seas of Madness?"
"Ah, holy water with a dash of clove and garlic. I'll get right on that." Slender nodded. The unholy spirit of madness scowled and its eyes glowed dangerously red. It took a deep breath, making the red cracks in its skin glow like embers before resuming its mocking smile.
"While I do enjoy playful banter, I hear that things as of late have become rather eventful."
"Yes, of course. It's always hectic regarding my wards, but it's nothing-"
"I meant the rather curious boy you have in your custody. I hear he's adjusted so well to this. And his abilities are remarkable. Almost magical."
Slenderman broke the handle off of the cup in his hands, but didn't look away from the demonic entity lounging in front of him. "What do you want, Zalgo?" He spoke ominously. "Harry is my ward. Ergo, any threats to him… I take rather personally."
"No, no, no, my overprotective friend. I'm just pointing out a simple speculation. Nothing more, nothing less." All seven of his mouths twisted into a Cheshire grin, "I won't tell anyone, of course. 'No need to get the Council involved' is my motto. But I just wanted to tell you a few things before you dive face first into this. Oh, speaking of face first, earlier today there was this skateboarder on a halfpike, so I jammed his wheel and sooo much skin came off-"
"Zalgo." He knew the entity was stalling for suspense.
"Right, right. Well, anyways, I've been keeping an eye on Harry ever since I figured out what that he's been here. Fascinating boy, really. However, I've noticed those pesky owls early on when you first got him. I heard about your ward updates and how it somehow coincided with those owls suddenly stopping. Then, I happen upon the feeling that your wards are breached. Afterwards, you use a Council Shadow Messenger not once, but several times? I admit, I was curious."
"Your concern is, unfortunately, unwarranted and unwelcome. I have everything under control." Slender grit out through clenched mind-teeth (Even Zalgo was confused by his own thoughts, there).
Zalgo grinned, "I know you have everything in hand. You always have everything in order. But… I think you could always use a helping hand. So, I want to make a sort-of deal. No catches or string attached." He raised his hands and feet and showed that not one part of his body was crossed. Slender snorted at the childish approach, but didn't put it against the demon to pull something like it just for laughs.
"I want to have a little fun. And I can't imagine a better way than pulling something over on the Council like this. Plus, that kid seems like a good investment. And so…" One of the mouths on his shoulder opened wide, revealing black gums and red teeth before a long, black, slimy tongue curled out and unfurled. On the end was a golden key that Zalgo picked up and wiped with one of the kitchen table's napkins before setting it in front of him.
Slenderman cautiously picked up the small trinket and observed it under the table lamp. It was a simple design, with a symbol he recognized all-too-easily from the years of experience in dealing with the spirit in front of him. He flipped it over; Gringotts.
The Wizarding bank?
"And just where did you get this, Zalgo?"
"An old investment. It's just been stagnantly sitting in their vaults. Silently gathering dust and tilting their economy by keeping many… what were they called? Some kind of ship… ah, yes, many galleons out of circulation. I figure I've had my fun with that. It gets rather boring after a while. I figure I can reinvest it in some new entertainment. Ehehe! And from this incredulous plan of yours, Ahaha! I suspect I will be entertained for years! Ahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" He broke down in cackles and full gale laughter, but Slender ignored it and turned back to the key in his hand.
Was it worth it?
Taking Zalgo's offering?
It was Zalgo, after all, nothing came without a price, but given his fondness for chaos it seems as though he simply got bored and sees Slender's life as a new television program to entertain himself. So, this would, in effect, be his way of simply paying for some cable service. A small bit of payment for something to watch and amuse oneself with for a set time in the future.
"I'll have you know, we do not intend to let him stay too long." He warned the still-laughing entity.
Zalgo's eyes glowed with barely-contained mirth as he choked back his own laughter and replied, "No, my dear, dear friend, I'm afraid you don't understand everything fully." His many mouths opened in grins saying "I know something that you don't" tauntingly, "That boy's return will make bigger waves than you could ever imagine."
He stood up and the lone kitchen light began to flicker with an unnatural darkness. "All I can say, Slenderman… is 'Good Luck'."
The lamp flickered low and when it returned, nothing remained of the entity's presence. Save for a small key in Slender's hand, a decayed and rotten napkin he used to wipe his own saliva, and the faint smell of sulfur.
Slenderman sat back and tilted the key so the gold glinted in the light. He placed it in his pocket and silently mourned the loss of his cup before throwing away the shattered remains and sitting back down. The meeting was heavy on his mind, but one thought made him both amused and on alert.
"Seven mouths and not one seems capable to tell the whole truth."
The next morning dawned pretty early and Slenderman found several of his wards sitting around the table eagerly talking amongst themselves.
"Harry! If you get a broomstick, can I ride it? Please?" Sally begged. Harry nodded, causing her to squeal in anticipation.
"So, have you decided to logic your way out of this one?" Nick nudged Adrian in the ribs as the older boy rolled his eyes.
"At this point, I'm out of my league until I learn more. But I figure it's science. 'Science beyond the comprehension of current minds is magic'. We just need time." Adrian proposed. Eyeless Jack nodded quietly to him in agreement.
Slender projected a mental noise like clearing his throat.
"Everybody, please, calm down." Slender ordered as he sat at the head of the table. Everyone, even Jeff surprisingly, was awake and already wearing day clothes. He took note of everybody who wanted to come along.
Harry, Adrian, and Nikolaus were, naturally, going with. EJ was eager to test out some theories and learn more about magic in general. Toby, Sally, and BEN were hopping in their seats. Toby and BEN were most likely fantasizing about either dragons or dragon slaying, respectively, while Sally probably thought along the lines of unicorns or the Faye. Jeffery had gone to bed at a decent time to actually get up. While he didn't express it (or, rather, couldn't express it), the feat was a solid indication that he was interested or excited. Smile was at his feet as always.
"Now, I want to tell you a little about what will happen." The chatter died, "I have agreed to meet a woman by the name of Minerva McGonagall at Soho Square Gardens in London, England. It's a tourist destination in the area, but not heavily crowded. We will arrive close to it and meet with her to discuss the Wizarding World, so please ask her questions. We need all of the information we can get.
"Afterwards, I suspect we may be buying the supplies listed in Harry's letter. Be prepared for that as well. We may be entering a 'high magic' region." He turned to BEN and Jeff, or rather, Smile specifically, "When Harry becomes agitated, he releases a sort of magical energy field that I know you two, especially, are somewhat vulnerable to."
BEN nodded, grin fading, while Smile whimpered under Jeff's chair. Slender pressed on, "Which is why we have something we need you to have. Jack, if you will." Eyeless Jack grinned and pulled out a small box from his lap. He unlatched the lid and revealed two small, red gemstone pendants.
"Okay, so we've been planning this for since a few months after Harry arrived. Using Harry's ability plus a small sample of a 'magical' stone, we were able to isolate and neutralize the effects of most ambient magic. These crystals," He gestured to the pendants, "were designed and grown specifically to provide a shield against this by emitting its own, tiny, frequency of 'magic' that cancels the ambient noise out without hurting yourselves. It's a prototype, but it seems to work in high and low magical environments, so it should be okay."
He handed BEN the pendant stone on a string. The gem was placed in the coil of a pewter dragon circling it and the possibly-not-mythological-anymore creature was providing the hook for the string. Definitely not girly, but still incorporating the red gem. BEN put it over his head and started fiddling with it, eagerly.
He handed the other pendant to Jeff who knelt down and started fixing it to Smile's dog collar. The gem was hidden in a simple dog tag design, but held the gem close to the collar instead of dangling.
"Now that that is taken care of; I have arranged for the possibility that Adrian and Nikolaus can also attend." The three friends looked between each other, Adrian giving a silent shrug at Harry's inquisitive glance while Nick just smiled eagerly. "They will likely attend the same classes as you do and will be an alternative source of information as well as provide back up if you need it."
Toby's head cocked to the side, "Uh, Slendy? How's that gonna work? Harry's 11 and Adrian's, like, 16."
"You will see." Slenderman promised, returning to the meeting, "Now, in the event that Nikolaus, Adrian, or both cannot attend, there is a back-up plan for later. They will still be able to attend at Hogwarts, just not as directly."
"How can they do that if they aren't students?" Harry asked.
"That is actually part of a different surprise, the good kind this time," The entity assured Harry as he began to protest. The young ward was still a bit more wary of any more "surprises" being kept from him.
"Now, we will probably have to exchange money… and…" He was reluctant to continue, but reached into his lapel pocket and pulled out a small, golden key. "I was approached by Zalgo, last night."
Gasps and a few growls were heard around the table. Jack was eye-socketing (or rather "eyeing" without eyes) the key with undisguised distrust.
"What did he want?" BEN hesitantly asked.
"Nothing." The wards and proxies looked up in sudden surprise before eyeing the key even more warily; like it was about to come alive and stab them with little, golden pincers. "He has agreed to give us the contents of this vault without any strings attached. It appears he's simply amused by this whole situation and the Council's ignorance and wants to 'invest' in this entertainment before it's stopped prematurely."
"Wait, the Council doesn't know all this?" Jeff asked, surprised.
Slender sighed, "Yes. I felt it best if they did not know what we were doing at the current time. This is a completely covert operation."
Toby, BEN, and Jeff glanced between each other before slowly singing and gathering speed, "Dun dun duhduh, dun dun duhduh dededahhhhh dededahhhh dededahhh dadah!"
Slender deadpanned, "Yes, because a group of people singing 'Mission Impossible' is entirely covert." The trio stopped and flashed a grin before the entity continued, "Back to Zalgo. We will use his resources, provided that they are legitimate and clean. I will not risk anything so soon and we need as much help as we can get, regardless of the questionable sources."
The entity looked up at the clock and did a quick mental transition from East Coast time to the general time zone of Britain just shy of the Prime Meridian. "We should be leaving soon. However, I think now is a perfect time for Nikolaus and Adrian to demonstrate phase I of the plan."
The two nodded and jumped off of their seats and headed to the Parlor room. Nick walked to the space in front of the fireplace and started doing a bunch of stretches like he'd expect to jog a marathon soon. "Now, EJ can explain this better than I, so…"
Jack walked up to the side of Nick still doing stretches and addressed everyone. "We discovered that Nick can manipulate insects in his body, but what we also found out was that his body was… detachable, so to speak.
"Over the last few months, we've been working on a long-lasting, tangible glamour substitute to allow infiltration for extended periods of time where concentration might not be as easy to maintain, especially surrounded by students. Plus, we need them to be physically changed, too, unlike standard glamours.
"Now, examining Nick, we found that his insects could be used to alter his very body tissue almost on a small scale using hive-minded insects like termites or ants. So, he will use his bugs to deconstruct, reconstruct, and re-glue his body coupled with a few glamour adjustments and, naturally, a bit of 'magic' as well." The audience was wide-eyed and turned to watch Nick anxiously prepping himself. Though, now his expression looked less like he would run a marathon and more like he was prepping for the world's most painful injection with a huge needle to boot.
"I can do this. *Hooo*. I can totally do this." He continued to encourage himself as nervous sweat started to break out. A multitude of tiny, black insects started crawling around his skin, but he didn't pay attention to them. Harry got a bad feeling and closed his eyes.
The audio was enough.
"I can do this. I can do this. Ow! I can do this! I can DO this! Oh God, I CAN'T DO THIS! Why? WHY?! AUUUUGH! MY CHEST! MY ARM! AUUUGH! Oh Christ, why!? WHY?! F*** F*** F*** F***********! AUGH! WHY ARE THERE SO MANY F***ING USELESS TUBES IN THE BODY?! AAAUUUUUUUGGGGHHH! Urk! *huff* *huff*."
The screaming subsided and Harry dared to open his eyes.
A significantly shorter, younger Nick stood shivering and twitching, limbs still slightly awkward as he held them out and adjusted to his sudden proportion change. He wiped some sweat off of his forehead and flashed a smile, awkwardly and tiredly putting up a victory sign.
Slender and the others were alternatively awestruck and, for those that toughed out what Harry didn't see, slightly nauseated. "Er… I suppose it may have helped to have some form of pain killer, yes?"
Nick's triumphant smile dissolved into a scowl. "Ya think?" He put his hands to his back and popped several vertebrae before sitting at the couch. Harry noted how he had to walk slightly awkwardly to accommodate his clothes suddenly not fitting his smaller frame. Slender discretely gave him a duffle bag that Nick accepted.
Adrian looked on impassively.
He walked up to the front of the room and closed his eyes. A quick, silent shift later and he was instantly an exact 11-year-old replica of his former self complete with fitting clothes.
Nick was sputtering indignantly.
"I- I- What?! Huh!" He had trouble getting out words and just stood open mouthed in rage as he gestured repeatedly to the now-younger Adrian standing there. "How come he gets to do that!?"
Adrian shrugs, "I'm dead. Properly dead. Or at least inhuman, so I don't really have a body in the first place."
The blonde-haired boy gave up on his conniptions and stomped up the stairs with the duffle in hand. He came back down in a dark green camouflage hoodie with dark jeans in his size, still grumbling angrily and (when Slender looked away) occasionally flipping the bird to Adrian.
"Now, then, I trust we are ready, yes?" the entity looked around at the wards. Smile and BEN had their pendants on. EJ, Toby, and the others had the items necessary for their glamours. Harry, Adrian, and Nick were comparing their new heights, which proved, to Harry's absolute despair, that the green-eyed wizard was still the shortest of the three.
"Then as of this moment; we are officially entering the Wizarding World."
The door was firmly opened.
No turning back now.
Minerva McGonagall walked from the busy street to a quiet haven inside London. It was a small square of grass with the noteworthy fairytale cabin in its center behind a statue of Charles II. It was extraordinarily peaceful. Very few muggles were about and those that had come to visit were either tourists snapping a few pictures before moving on or laying down and enjoying the small patch of grass in urban muggle London.
She had masterfully transfigured her robes into suitable attire. Her robe became a simple gray women's coat with a long, beige dress skirt covering her legs. She took her hat and made it into a cozy shawl over her shoulders. Overall, she resembled an average older woman simply walking through London. People hardly gave her a second glance.
She carefully made her way to the old structure in the center, glancing around at every person milling around the gardens. She knew James Potter since his first year and if Albus was correct, then young Harry should look just like him but with Lily's eyes. She frowned, wondering how his new guardians had allowed him to behave. She had hoped that at the very least he did not become a Marauder like his father and godfa-
She shook her head lightly and resumed her focus on the small number of people around her. No one was much younger than a couple in their mid-teens canoodling under a tree. If this was Hogwarts, she'd have swooped in and stopped it at once, but she remembered muggles were much more… lenient of such behavior in public.
She adjusted her shawl and glanced away. No one stood out to her. She did not see the faint flash of emerald green anywhere or a mop of black hair. Everyone was just milling around aimlessly or-
She stopped and noted a small group just arriving from the street.
It seemed like a rather large group of boys and girls headed by one adult with stark white hair who stood over 6 feet tall. The children around him ranged in age from a young girl perhaps around 7 or 8 to a few young men perhaps age 17 or 18 at most.
Her breath hitched as she saw three figures standing amidst the fray. One was a blonde-haired boy around 11 who was already at the stage where he was practically tripping over his own two feet as he moved anywhere. Another was a black-haired young boy also around 11, but with beetle-black eyes similar to Severus's; taking in everything around them and lacking most emotions.
Though, the one who stole the attention for her was a single, young boy with a painfully familiar mop of messy, black hair. She suppressed a sobbing chuckle as she recognized the "Potter Curse" of that one hair tuft that absolutely refused to be tamed sticking up in the back of his head. He turned his head and, just briefly, she saw a glint of green.
She began to raise her hand before realizing what she'd forgotten. She opened her handbag and pulled out a small red flag with gold embroidery. Anyone around her would think it was just an ornate hankerchief, but if she was right…
She cautiously held the hankerchief up just to chest-level and looked towards the white-haired adult. The man's black eyes made contact with the cloth in her hand and locked eyes with her before he nodded discretely. He murmured something to the children around him who all looked towards her as the group walked in her direction.
The tall man approached first, holding out his hand politely, "Professor McGonagall, I presume?" His voice was a rich baritone with a distinct American accent, though with traces of something she couldn't identify. He wore a simple, black suit and black tie that she was willing to bet was tailored to his surprising height. Despite his snow white hair, he could not have been much older than his mid 30s.
"Yes. I presume you are Mr. Solomon Lindermann, the man whom we've had correspondence with." She surmised, shaking the offered hand in muggle custom.
The man nodded, "You are correct. Though, for now, you may refer to me as Solomon or Mr. Lindermann, if you prefer."
She nodded. This man seemed polite enough. She glanced at the large group around him, "I had no idea you would be bringing this many people, Mr. Lindermann."
The man shrugged, "I apologize, but it is difficult to leave them at the home for too long."
"Home?" She asked curiously.
"They live under my roof. Technically, they are my wards and I provide for them, educate them, and keep them safe." Solomon explained. She mentally filed that away, but still felt rather sorry for the large number of children around her whose circumstances led them to become wards.
"Allow me to introduce them," He offered. He gestured to the first boy. His hand held a large black and white Husky dog on a lead.
"This is Jeffery Travis," He was a young man around 15 or 16 with mousy brown hair and a plain white hooded jacket ("hoodie" if she recalled the term correctly) and black jeans. He raised his hand in greeting, but his face was impassive and neutral.
"The dog's name is Smile," Said canine barked at the sound of its name before resuming its silence. She hadn't seen many dogs outside of muggle house visits, but she knew from the border collies that helped the farmhands back in her childhood town that they were rarely silent. This one just stared up at her with unusually blue eyes.
"Edward Jack MacNeacail. We call him EJ on account of another Jack that lives with us, but couldn't make it today." The young man had dark brown hair and was wearing dark sunglasses despite the relative cloudiness of the weather. He wore a black "hoodie" with blue jeans.
The young man took a step forward and stuck his hand out-… just a few inches shy of her direction. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am." He said. Minerva blinked in surprise as she noted the red and white cane looped around his wrist. It brought back memories of her childhood just before Hogwarts when men came back from fighting the War with horrendous scars across their eyes from muggle bomb shrapnel. They had to use long white canes to avoid bumping into things.
This young man was blind.
"Er, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. MacNeacail. If I may say, it's nice to meet a fellow Scottsman, even if you, yourself, are American." She shook his hand politely and he backed up again. She noted the youngest child of the entourage loop her arm around at his elbow prepared to guide him about, a young chestnut-haired girl in a carnation pink dress.
Solomon continued, "The young girl at Jack's arm is Sarah Williams, though she prefers Sally." The girl gave a cheery hello while still holding on to the older boy's arm.
"And this," Mr. Lindermann pointed to a young man around 15 or 16 with a white surgical mask over his mouth, "Is Tobias Richards, though he prefers just Toby." The young man waved enthusiastically before speaking rapidly.
"D-do dragons r-r-really exist?! D-do they really b-breathe f-fire?! How? I mean, do they have g-gasoline in their st-st-stomachs or some k-kind of lighter fluid excreted from a g-gland? Do Unicorns exist? A-are they the girly p-princess-y kind like in S-Sally's c-coloring books or the awesome k-kind that g-gutted people in the stomach like old st-stories? D-does-" Mr. Lindermann rolled his eyes and put a hand on Toby's shoulder, stopping the excited, loud, and fast-paced stream of questions.
"I'm sorry, but Toby has a tic disorder that flares whenever he's excited." Solomon explained.
She smiled back at the adult understandingly. Many siblings to muggleborns, both younger and older, behaved rather energetically when they first ask questions. Additionally, she'd worked with Quirrell long enough to understand his heavy stutter. "Mr. Richards, I believe for a majority of your questions; Dragons do exist, they do breathe fire, I'm not sure how but I'll ask our Care of Magical Creatures Professor later, and Unicorns do prefer females, but are hardly above, as you say, 'gutting people in the stomach'." She answered each flawlessly with the practice of handling thousands of instances just like it.
Solomon raised an impressed eyebrow as Toby grinned ear-to-ear underneath the surgical mask. The tall man moved on, gesturing to the youngest boy, perhaps a year or so below Hogwarts age. "This is Benjamin Downing. He prefers Ben." The boy was blonde, but it messily sticking out from underneath a green knit cap. Under a gray jacket was a light green shirt with a set of three gold triangles forming a larger triangle with a "blank" in the center. She vaguely recalled another muggleborn with a poster or similar with the same image from a muggle "video game", as they called it.
"And, of course, the three we had discussed as students," He finally gestured behind him to the three Hogwarts-aged boys shuffling behind him. He gestured to the sandy blonde boy in a messy green-and-brown jacket and introduced him as Nikolaus Brahms. The black-haired, black-eyed boy who reminded her somewhat of Severus was named Adrian Thresher. And finally-
"And last, but not least-" Mr. Lindermann gestured to the final boy of the trio.
"Harry Potter?" She whispered, seeing him up close for the first time. It really was painful in a bittersweet way. He looked almost exactly like James when he first walked through the doors of Hogwarts, but his eyes shone with Lily's intelligence. Both of their most noteworthy features rolled into one boy who also marked their legacy.
She hadn't noticed the quiet exchange of glances between the wards. The adult man cleared his throat, "Er, yes, Harry Potter."
McGonagall started as she realized she was still looking at Harry, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry… you see, I taught Mr. Potter's parents. His birth parents, Lily and James. I was actually one of their visitors before they went into hiding, so this is the first time I've seen him since he was a babe." She smiled at the boy, "You look just like your father, but you have your mother's eyes."
"Hiding, Professor?" Mr. Lindermann asked, brows knitted in concern.
"Yes, from You-Know-Who." She glanced around at the confused looks from the group and sighed, "I'll explain it more when we find somewhere more private to talk." She used her eyes to gesture around at the people milling around the gardens.
"I see." He mumbled, glancing around. He turned back to her cheerfully, "Would you please escort us to a more private location, Professor?"
"Of course."
She led the group out of the small gardens and towards Greek Street. From there, it was a short walk to Charing Cross Road.
She had walked down this way before from time to time, but it was always still remarkable to see the hustle and bustle that muggle London offered. Many shops all crammed one after another after another with muggles walking purposefully in a seemingly chaotic place.
She stuck with the path she knew straight from Soho Square to the Leaky Cauldron, just a few minutes of walking.
Sally, meanwhile, was speaking excitedly to Mr. Lindermann, "Are we going to see Buckhingham Palace? Where the Queen lives! Oh, can we hear Big Ben ringing from here? What about that enormous Ferris Wheel! Let's ride that afterwards!" She was hopping in place, but kept hold of Mr. MacNeacail's arm, preventing him from bumping into the occasional signpost or the curb of the street. Despite it, he still tapped his cane in front of him, the sound almost drowned out in muggle London noise.
"It's called the London Eye, Sally, but let's focus on this meeting first." Solomon calmed her ramblings, but she still skipped around eagerly looking around at the large city. "Forgive my wards, Professor, they can be rather excitable at the most normal occasion, let alone now. Most haven't been out of the United States terribly often."
"It's no trouble," She assured him, "I've dealt with quite the number of troublemakers over the years, Mr. Potter, as in your father, certainly qualifies as the one who gave a majority of my gray hairs." She spoke to Harry.
Harry snickered quietly, "I'm sure LJ would've loved to meet him."
"I'm sorry?"
"LJ is the other Jack I spoke about," Solomon explained, "His name is Landon Jack Giullare, but we refer to him as LJ for convenience. He's a resident prankster to explain Harry's statement. Unfortunately, he had a pressing appointment for the next week and was unable to make today."
They continued down the long, winding road. Minerva would occasionally point out some landmarks to help the keep from getting lost and even pointing out some restaurants she and a muggleborn friend from her Hogwarts days would visit from time to time before the Wizarding war.
They approached the Leaky Cauldron. As usual, muggles were passing by it, not caring one whit that there was an entire space between the two clothing shops completely missing in their trek. To be honest, she noted more and more muggles seemed preoccupied with those curious black devices that were apparently much more advanced versions of the simple telephone from her youth.
She turned around to face the large group, "Now, we are approaching the entrance to a place called Diagon Alley. The entryway is a pub known as-"
"The Leaky Cauldron?" Jeffery Travis asked, mouth quirked in a grin.
Minerva was flustered, "Wh- I, well, yes. How did you…?"
He pointed directly towards the large sign outside of the pub. "It's the only place with a picture of a witch and cauldron on the outside. It's also the only building here that sticks out like a sore thumb."
Those around him nodded in agreement or shrugged as if it was rather obvious. McGonagall silently opened and closed her mouth before simply nodding. The Leaky Cauldron was rather conspicuous for its Victorian Pub appearance in comparison to the much more modern shops around it. It also didn't have the cleanliness standards of modern muggle shops, so it had grime and dirt still clinging to the outside.
Though the simple fact that they saw it astonished her. The muggle-repelling charms were strong enough to keep even muggleborn parents who are actively looking for the building away. These people, who claim to be muggles, saw it without trying. Curious.
"A-as I was saying, the entrance to Diagon Alley is the Leaky Cauldron pub. I've reserved a room for us to talk and I've cleared my entire afternoon schedule, so I have no pressing issues to cause concern. Please walk in and just wait for me, I need to ask your guardian something very quickly."
The large group began filing through the doorway as she approached Solomon, who was raising an eyebrow in silent questioning, "Mr. Lindermann, I'm rather flustered by this game you're playing."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Your children! They're obviously magical as well."
The older man shook his head, "No, I'm afraid only Adrian, Nikolaus, and Harry have shown signs of any form of proper magic. If I may ask, what prompted this?"
Minerva hesitated. His reaction was genuine, but it didn't answer the questions. "The Leaky Cauldron is protected by several muggle-repelling charms. The very best that can be attained. As such, muggles, as we call nonmagicals, are unable to physically perceive the building, much less point it out."
The tall man looked around and nodded, "I had wondered why no one seemed to notice the pub, especially given its condition and rather conspicuous appearance."
"So you can see my confusion?" She pressed, "You claimed you had knowledge of the magical world, but only presented the three as students. I am curious why you neglected to mention such information earlier."
"Professor," he interjected firmly, "I can assure you, I have no idea if the other children are magical or not. They have presented no signs of the "accidental magic" phenomenon and I haven't encountered magic in one of my wards prior to Harry Potter's arrival. Adrian and Nikolaus joined us within the last year, so I recognized several signs of magic. I can confidently say that none of my other wards have demonstrated the same."
McGonagall was at a loss for words. He seemed absolutely sure, but it didn't explain how every one of his wards was capable of breaking the muggle repelling charms. Still, she sighed in a small amount of shame for accusing him in the first place, "I apologize, Mr. Lindermann. It's just rather surprising, is all. You're sure they are not witch or wizard?"
"Positive." He said absolutely. She schooled her features, but maintained some suspicions or distrust at this point. Either he was lying, which his body language didn't suggest, or somehow muggles could see the Cauldron… perhaps a faulty ward of some sort was throwing off the others?
The Transfiguration professor nodded once in acceptance and walked with him into the pub, his wards were already walking around to explore the pub entryway, but stayed together as a group against the curious eyes of the patrons there. Minerva especially watched a group of creatures in the dimly-lit corner consisting of a hag, a vampire, and a shabby warlock eyeing the younger wards.
She walked past to the bar as Solomon collected the children together. The bar was empty and she called out. "Tom?"
A man came out from the kitchen door, holding a new bottle of something-or-another and setting it on the shelf. He gave a gap-toothed grin at the aged woman, "Ah, Professor McGonagall, I see. Off ter the Alley, I s'pose?"
"No, Tom, I reserved a private room earlier yesterday."
He nodded, "Ah, yeah, jus' through the back." He led them towards the Inn section of the pub before turning at the hallway of rooms and showing them to a door with an iron 3 pegged to it. "Ah, 'ere we are; Private Room 3. Privacy charms are active as soon as the door closes. If ya want, there are menus inside. Just give a tap and we'll bring it out in a few minutes."
He shimmied past the large group lined down the narrow hallway and returned to the bar. They filed into the spacious room with a table and chairs set up for all of them.
Mr. Lindermann took a seat at the head of the table and Minerva took the seat on his right hand side. The wards began taking other seats at random, but still managed to get Harry, Adrian, and Nikolaus on Solomon's other side just across from her. The girl, Sally, took the seat directly next to her and had taken out one of the menus to peruse.
"Mr. Lindermann, I feel as though we may be here for some time. Feel free to order from the menu, I have a tab here supplemented by Hogwarts for such occasions. You see, the pub doesn't take muggle currency, I'm afraid." She assured them.
The guardian nodded appreciatively, "Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I'm afraid we haven't eaten yet, so I believe we will take your offer."
She showed them how to place the order on the magical menu which sent a notification directly to the kitchen of what was ordered, where, and to whom. Within minutes, they had various plates in front of them, a few already tucking in.
"Mmm! What is this?" Sally asked, wiping froth from her lip as she set down a mug of amber drink
"It's a Wizarding drink called butterbeer. It's non-alcoholic." She informed Mr. Lindermann. The older man nodded and returned to his chamomile.
"You know, I've traveled many places and it seems that America can never compare to British teas. Particularly a good blend of chamomile." He said, enjoying the cup.
"Well, I think now is a good time to begin a basic introduction to Hogwarts, don't you?" She set down her cup of gillywater and saw the multitude of eyes waiting.
She began with a basic introduction to magic, itself. Fairly standard for muggleborn or muggle-raised children and their families. She transfigured a napkin into a small butterfly which fluttered about the room a bit before turning back to its paper form on the table. Her younger audience was awestruck and clapped at the end. Mr. Lindermann was much more composed, she noted, but clapped politely with the rest.
She talked about the Leaky Cauldron and explained the term "muggle" and the cause of the schism between the magical world and human world spanning back to the Dark Age's Witch Trials. She explained somewhat about Diagon Alley and mentioned a few offshoots to it, including Knocturne Alley with a heavy warning to Solomon about the dangers it held.
Then, she began to talk in detail about Hogwarts, itself. She explained the basics of how the students arrived by train on September first. Then, she explained the four houses and their respective traits and heads. Solomon was curious about her triple-duty job as Gryffindor Head, Transfigurations Professor, and Deputy Headmistress, but she assured him she had balanced the positions over the last thirty years very well.
She explained the core classes to be taken by first years to fifth year OWLS; Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic. She gave a general overview of what each course entailed along with a quick mention of each professor's name to their respective course.
After the core courses, she talked about the electives offered through Hogwarts for third years and above; Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, and so forth.
Mr. Lindermann would occasionally ask questions regarding tuition costs, health care, and muggle courses. She assured him that Madame Pomfrey, their live-in nurse, was quite capable, though she had to inform him that muggle courses such as Science or Mathematics were not offered. Mr. Travis interrupted with a pseudo-whispered 'Lucky' towards the three.
She smiled and informed them that Hogwarts is, by no means, slacking in its tuition and while they didn't offer most muggle courses, they were rigorous in their curriculum. Mr. Brahms seemed intimidated while Mr. Thresher seemed almost eager. She could see the dark-haired boy in Ravenclaw and decided to inform Filius about the possibility when she returned.
At the end of her discussion of Hogwarts, she opened the floor to general questions and found herself bombarded with a multitude of questions she'd heard before including fairytale creatures' existences and behaviors, questions on Merlin and Camelot, and questions about potions' effects and spells. She answered them as easily as they came at an almost non-stop pace from the curious foster children at the table. She was more than used to excited or interested parents and siblings asking multitudes of questions in her visits.
She noted Harry was rather quiet through the entire ordeal, preferring to munch quietly on the small plate of chips in front of him with ketchup, of all things. She knew it was an American habit to use the tangy red sauce, but still quirked her mouth at the thought. As questions started tapering off, she asked the three directly if they had any pressing questions about Hogwarts or the Wizarding World in general.
Harry spoke for the first time, "What did you mean when you said my parents were hiding?"
Her heart sank as she was reminded of the earlier promise outside of the pub. She took a sip of her gillywater to clear the lump in her throat before answering, "About 20 years ago, a Dark Wizard terrorized Britain and quite a few of the neighboring countries. We called him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rather than his title due to a belief that he appeared if you said it."
She licked her lips and screwed her courage, "His name was V-Voldemort… but again I strongly discourage you to use that name. People react rather badly to it. Professor Dumbledore is the only person he ever feared and has no issues with saying it freely, but it still makes people rather uncomfortable."
The wards and their guardian nodded curiously, but didn't interrupt. She continued, "Now, at the height of his power, it was discovered that he had come to target the Potter Family. It's not exactly known why, but generally it was believed to have been caused by your mother and father's open rejection of his agenda."
"If I may interrupt you, Professor, what exactly was this man's… agenda?" Solomon spoke.
She sighed sadly, "In our society, there are those who have been born into a family consisting only of magicals traced back at least five generations. They call themselves 'Purebloods' and hold the impression that because they have less nonmagical blood to themselves, they are superior magically or by status. I can assure you neither are true, but it is a belief held by those who followed You-Know-Who.
"Due to this, they look down upon those born to muggle, or nonmagical, parents which we call muggleborns as well as those with nonmagical ancestry within the five generations which they call halfbloods, regardless what percentage of that ancestry is nonmagical. In the eyes of purebloods following You-Know-Who's reign of terror, they believed that muggleborns and halfbloods were unworthy of magic and sought to control them or eradicate them.
"V-Voldemort sought to use this way of thinking to his advantage and built a power structure where he slowly began to take the Wizarding World by storm. Those were dark times. Many died…" She trailed off, glassy-eyed, before shaking herself from memories and continuing.
"Now, regarding Mr. Potter's family, You-Know-Who targeted them for an unknown reason and under Professor Dumbledore's suggestion, they went into hiding, taking Harry with them.
"On October 31st, almost 10 years ago, he tracked them down and killed Lily and James. However, he went to Harry and tried to kill him. He cast a curse called the Killing Curse which, true to its name, kills the victim outright upon contact."
The wards shuffled uneasily and Harry swallowed heavily, "Now, Mr. Potter not only survived the curse, but also reflected it back at You-Know-Who, destroying him and ending his reign. It was a very joyous time as the Death Eaters, the name of his group of followers, slowly disbanded or were arrested without his command.
"Because of this, many in the Wizarding World call Harry 'The Boy Who Lived' referring to how he survived the curse. Not one person in all of history has ever survived a direct hit to the killing curse. All Mr. Potter has from that curse is his famous scar." Harry subconsciously reached up towards his bangs to the spot where the lightning-shaped scar sat on his forehead.
Minerva frowned, "I should warn you now, people still consider Mr. Potter a hero, so expect some unusual or enthusiastic behavior if your identity is determined."
"Thank you, Ms. McGonagall, we will keep that in mind." Solomon promised solemnly. He picked up his tea and sipped it in thought. "May I ask what happened next?"
She nodded, "Of course. After the defeat of V-Voldemort, Harry was taken from the remains of the house. Professor Dumbledore arranged for him to remain with his only remaining blood relatives, the Dursley family."
She noted several of the wards tensed angrily at the name and Harry paled drastically, "The Headmaster assured me that Blood Wards established by your mother would protect you from You-Know-Who's followers who survived the fall."
She hesitated, "I- At first, I objected to it. You see, I watched the family for a few hours prior to the Professor leaving you there, but he was firm in placing you with those muggles. I intended to check up on Mr. Potter, but Professor Dumbledore was adamant that no one contact him and risk revealing his location."
The group was silent, some glaring at her rather accusatorily, others glancing towards Harry who was focusing on his mug of butterbeer, quietly.
Mr. Lindermann cleared his throat, "Professor McGonagall, I believe we would appreciate some privacy to discuss the next steps. Would you please step out for a moment?"
"Certainly," She replied, gathering herself up and her gillywater and walking out of the room. She closed the door behind her and nervously walked to the main pub area, sipping her drink. The entire fate of the Wizarding World rested on Mr. Potter staying at Hogwarts, or so the Headmaster had said.
Now, she wondered if she'd said too much. Mr. Potter and his family seemed perturbed by the story, but she felt it was his right to know such information rather than keep him in the dark. Albus probably wouldn't have agreed, but she had to make the best judgment calls here.
She only hoped she made the correct choice.
When the door closed, Slenderman sensed the privacy wards go back up, but did not drop his glamour as a safety precaution. Seeing that he was still maintaining appearances, the wards kept their glamours as well.
"Now, then, what do we think?"
Jack spoke first, "I'm worried about Harry being in this place if most are idolizing him and the rest are trying to assassinate him. Then take into account reporters, politicians, celebrities (assuming they have them) all probably wanting to get on Harry's good side. More-so if people think he's been missing for so long. It sounds to me like these people were absolutely desperate for a hero when this guy died, so they invented 'Harry the Boy Who Lived' as a miracle child instead of two more martyred parents."
The entity nodded, all were good points. Adrian spoke next, "We haven't heard of any other institutions that teach magic. While I highly doubt this is the only school in the world catering to an entire society of people, we may not get another shot to learn magic."
"Plus, let's not forget the whole 'society of purebloods' out for our heads, right?" Nick commented.
"Well, all of this boils down to Harry, right? It was his invitation first. It's his parents' school. It's him that has to deal with all of this crap." Jeff asked through a half-full mouth of shepard's pie, "Why not ask him?"
They turned to the green-eyed boy who finally looked up from his placemat. "I-I'm not sure how to react to this all. Just yesterday, magic was a myth and now I'm being told I'm a wizard."
"We're with you on that one, Harry." Nick added, smirking and gesturing his head to Adrian as well.
Harry smiled weakly, "But, now on top of that, I'm famous for something I have no idea what happened. People will expect things of me. But, also, I don't want to lose out on this opportunity to learn proper magic."
Slenderman nodded thoughtfully, "So, Harry, what will it be?"
Harry was silent in thought.
He took a breath to respond.
Minerva had finished her gillywater when she was brought out of her nervous thoughts by a bright, high voice next to her. Looking over, she saw Mr. Lindermann's ward, Sally, staring up at her.
"Ms. McGonagall? You can come back to the room, please."
She followed the girl back to Private Room 3 and opened it to find a solemn group around the table. Anxiety mounted as she resumed her spot across from Harry and beside his guardian.
"Professor McGonagall," Mr. Lindermann began, "We have considered everything and given what we've heard and what we know… well…"
He looked to Harry who nodded firmly and spoke.
"We'd like to attend Hogwarts."
Minerva clapped her hands together with a small smile. "An excellent choice, Misters Potter, Thresher, and Brahms. And you, as well, Mr. Lindermann."
He waved his hand dismissively, "No, no, I assure you the final decision was all theirs."
She nodded briefly before focusing on the three soon-to-be-students, "Now, I have cleared my schedule and it's only," She briefly glanced at a small pocketwatch, "12:40, so if you would prefer, I could guide you and your party through Diagon Alley and show you how to access it through the Cauldron entrance. Perhaps even assist you in the school purchases as we have some time."
Solomon gave a faint smile, "That sounds very helpful. Thank you again, Professor, for taking this much time from your schedule to accommodate us." She merely nodded as they hastily finished their meals and stood from the table.
They walked out of the Private Rooms area and she confirmed with Tom that the payments to go to the Hogwarts tab before escorting them through the back area to the pub into a small courtyard with some barrels and crates pushed to the side. She approached the dustbin against a brick wall and turned to ensure everyone in the large party was accommodated with a view.
She showed them the proper bricks to tap and they watched as the brick wall simply melted to the side, revealing, in all of its splendor:
"Welcome, to Diagon Alley!"
AN: Diagon Alley was apparently inspired by Cecil Court in London, so I based the location of the entrance around there as well with Soho Gardens being one of the more notable locations on Google Maps. The alternative was to try Queen Victoria's Memorial (very well known), but I felt that was a bit of a far walk to Charing Cross.
So, I'm not a fan of stories that use too many OCs suddenly introduced in one chapter (or rather, introduced 20-some-odd chapters into a story rather than at the exposition). It throws things through a loop and usually I'm left with a sense of "Wait, who was she? What did he look like? When did he get that metal arm?"
I kept most of the names for convenience's sake and, plus, they're common enough names.
However, I know it's still hard to keep track, so here's a rundown of everyone's aliases.
+Nick, Adrian, and Harry all keep their given names (except Nick, I added an "s" because I liked Brahms' music [and it doesn't autocorrect])
+Slendermann: Solomon Lindermann (S. Lindermann. Get it? That was the letter joke last chapter)
+Sally Williams: Sarah "Sally" Williams (a fairly common name on its own)
+"Eyeless" Jack Nichols: Edward Jack MacNeacail (Keeping "EJ" and the surname MacNeacail is Nichols' Scottish original form)
+Jeff Woods: Jeff Travis (after the serial killer who allegedly had around a 20 body count)
+Smile: Smile (It's a dog… It doesn't need an alias)
+BEN: Ben Downing (established earlier)
+Toby Rogers: Toby Richards (Close enough to his real name in case of a slip-up or a stutter)
+Laughing Jack: Landon Jack Giullare ("Giullare" (Jew-Lar-Ray) meaning "Jester" in Italian. Rolled "r" and emphasized "lar" sound.)
There are others who will appear eventually with aliases, but for now, these are the ones to pay attention to.
Thank you for reading and enjoying my story!
Sincerely,
Crow