A/N: And now, revelation! I apologize in advance for Julie's bloody incomprehensible subconscious voice, but I couldn't give her perfect grammar there, now, could I? Here you go:
Chapter Four: A Pair of Tests
"Y'know, I always feel kind of silly lying down when everybody else is standing," Julie observed to the kind Professor Granger, who was staying by her side as her husband mixed and boiled two strange potions. The room began to smell of cocoa and oatmeal, the two scents Julie best associated with her fractured childhood. "Is it supposed to smell like that?" she asked her curiously.
"The potion smells like two of the earliest things you remember," the dark-haired Professor Snape explained, bringing an odd-shaped glass over. "To me it just smells like two potions."
"And to me it smells like toothpaste," Professor Granger admitted. "Better drink this off before it gets cold."
"No problem." Julie took the glass and emptied it off like a townsman in a pints contest, very fast and without stopping. "Didn't taste so awf'ly bad, sir," she asserted accusingly, trying desperately to swallow the last drops of the wretched, vile liquid. Professor Granger understood and gave her some water. That, too, she tossed back like a drunkard.
"Alright, now you're going to have to fall asleep naturally," Snape explained, "so I guess we'd better bore you now completely." He picked up a fat and battered sort of textbook. "'Beginner's Divination,' by Sibyll Trelawney," he read somberly, until Hermione stopped him with a withering look. "Did you have a question?"
"I'm sorry, Julie, that was a bit of a running Hogwarts joke. Professor Trelawney used to teach Divination here and it's a class I dropped out of because I thought that it was pointless."
"What is Divination, anyway?" Both teachers answered:
"Pointless."
"Actually, it's figuring out things about the future, which any fool could do by logic, so I found it quite useless. I'm not pressuring you to like Defense Against the Dark Arts, though that is what I teach here- -finally."
"And I've got a feeling you'll like Potions, though it's quite a different teacher than I had." Hermione was so openly affectionate with Severus that Julie felt almost as if she were left out but still included in some partly-hidden secret. She had already taken the Veritaserum, so she decided to attempt to tell a lie.
"When I was a real little kid we had subjects like…math, and Greek mythology. That last one wasn't a class, though, I just liked to read about it. I was going to say something like Flying and Invisibility, 'cause I didn't think either of you'd know about what Muggles take and I wanted to test the Veritaserum."
"That was a very good idea, Julie, except for the somehow perfectly obvious fact that my wife here is Muggle-born."
"I couldn't tell."
"Well, you might have somewhat glaringly when she came in as a first-year, even if she did try to swallow the textbook quite whole."
"Really?" Julie inquired. "How'd you do it?"
"It's a metaphor, dear, he means I was a know-it-all."
"Oh, that way. So am I at school if I'm not busy painting sky."
"Sky?" Snape inquired, but Hermione's face was just as blank.
"It's an expression, means to daydream."
"Oh. Do you like reading?"
"The way you probably like air."
"Something's wrong here. She shouldn't be able to be that sarcastic under Veritaserum at this age." Snape suppressed an unusually merry smirk at Hermione's startled fear.
"I didn't mean to be sarcastic, it's just what I-" Julie yawned, "-usually say under the circumstances when kids ask me if I read."
"As I recall it, you could be just as sarcastic yourself, dear, when you were fifteen."
"Now there's another one. 'As I recall it' 's another expression out of that same album." Both teachers looked entirely blank. "I usually wound up with classic rock because we only got so much allowance and they cost less."
"What the-?"
"I think she means Muggle music, dear."
"Oh."
"You all just live in kind of a world within a world, now, don't you?"
"I suppose that you could say that."
"So do you think that all the 'British eccentrics' are merely wizards who've been noticed by the Muggles?" Julie inquired, a philosophical thought so deep that it was moderately startling to the two of her teachers. "I'm sort of thinking that might be it."
Dumbledore knocked on the hospital wing door, and called for Severus to 'come and have a word for a moment, please.' Reluctantly the darkhaired teacher left the girl with one professor, who in spite of only knowing the child for a matter of some hours was beginning to feel more and more sympathetic to the girl's 'new-wizard' plight. Julie herself was actually starting to notice it too, but she didn't dare say anything lest Professor Granger not like the sentiment and stop it.
"Have you honestly never had a bedtime story in your life?" Hermione asked her.
"Maybe one or two, but they were from the bigger kids. I guess that sorta counts, though, doesn't it?"
"How about I tell you one right now so that you can get to sleep a little faster?" the professor offered nervously.
"I think I'd like that, even if I am nearly sixteen."
"When were you born, then?"
"January…I think."
"Do you not even know your birthday?"
"Nope, but most of the kids I knew didn't. We just celebrated all the January birthdays on the fifteenth, the February ones the next month, and so on. It was really a pretty good system because they had so many kids."
"How many were there altogether?'
"Something like thirty in each grade level. At one orphanage, though, the really big one, we once had thirty-two kids born in January alone." Hermione was shocked, but Julie smiled. "I guess it was because of all the thunderstorms that they commonly have in late May."
"Did Severus tell you about my getting kidnapped in May of my seventh year here?"
"Yeah, I thought the other parts of the story weren't nearly as good."
"You mean to tell me that you preferred he and my getting back together to the fall of the most evil wizard ever?"
"I wouldn't say that I necessarily preferred it, just that it was the most interesting part. Has he always worn his hair that long, cause I don't blame you for dating a teacher if he has."
"He has for as long as I've known him…though he was thirty-one when I met him."
"How old were you?"
"I was…eleven…a first-year."
"I guess you didn't start dating right off the bat then. About when did you decide that he was dishy?" Julie wavered between nastily sarcastic and politely, curiously inquisitive, a combination the Hermione wound up liking. The professor started on admitting the whole story.
"My sixth-year project was on History of Potions, and somehow things just sort of…started, I guess."
"So you'd been dating secretly for almost two years when you were kidnapped…there's no wonder why he wanted to have you back so badly."
"How could you tell?"
"He remembered how long you were gone right down to the day and the hour. That's striking me as just a tiny wee bit desperate, wouldn't you say so?"
"I never knew he knew it down to the hour."
"More like the minute, I'd say. Can you remember any of while you were gone at all?"
"No, I wouldn't take the potion-memory test because of- -who's interrogating whom here?"
"I was just about to ask that, myself."
"So…do you have anything you'd really wondered about at Hogwarts?"
"Sort of. I was curious as to why Professor Hagrid's so tall-you see, I met him on the boats-but someone told me he's a half-giant, and I was just really wondering where my coat and luggage went."
"Oh, the house-elves took them up to your room, and the ferret and mice are in some cages now."
Julie smiled, all sarcasm gone now.
"Oh, thanks a lot. You can't imagine how fast William and Mary can run, and Anthony's no slack himself. He's the ferret one, y'know."
"I've always liked ferrets myself, but I could never quite get used to rats. Now I just simply abhor them."
"I hate rats, too,"Julie exclaimed quite passionately. "Anthony's well-trained to kill them if ever he sees one, the nasty litle blighters. Are there any kept as pets now here at Hogwarts?"
"Not anymore…they've all been banned."
"Now how did they make that nice little rule?"
Hermione told Julie the story of Wormtail the evil Animagus posing as Scabbers, former pet of her friend Ron, and of Sirius Black's escape on Buckbeak the hippogriff. Contrary to the potion, Julie was now widely awake and asking questions about each aspect of the story.
"So how'd you put up without telling your friends about the Time-Turner all year? I would have used it to make mischief, or at least get in some practice on the ball field."
"What sort of ball do you play?" Hermione inquired, recalling the Gryffindors' need of a Seeker and new Keeper for the House team.
"Bouncy," Julie replied, pulling out a tiny object, smaller than the Snitch, and holding it aloft for her. "See, these little balls cost at the most maybe two bob and a shilling, thought there's bigger ones that go up to a half-crown." As much as she had lost touch with the old Muggle money of her childhood, Hermione could tell that they were far from being very expensive. "All the orph'nage kids buy 'em, and then trade 'em, and we play a game like catch confused with fives and football. I was only good as a goalie, myself, 'cause I can't run, but I can catch it."
Suddenly her teacher was positively humming with excitement. Julie couldn't think why for the life of her. Professor Granger started to tell her about Quidditch, which was sort of interesting but for her fear of heights, and then about how her friend Harry won the House Cup their third year. It was a very interesting story, but by some power in the middle of it, she was neatly asleep by the ending.
"Is she out yet?"
"I believe so." Hermione felt her hand clasped within a much larger one. "Severus, d'you recall that talk we had last month, about…"
"Yes, dear, I remember."
"Well, when you said that we might think about adoption, why not this one? She's got no family and she seems so much like the two of us, I just kind of thought-" Professor Snape silenced her with a quiet kiss.
"I was thinking the same thing, m'love. But let's see how the test goes."
The door opened, and Minister Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and a house-elf who was holding a big pad and pencil came in and sat down.
"Professor 'My-knee!" Dobby cried happily. "Is you knowing about Dobby's new job? Dobby is a- a-"
"Stenographer," the four professors finished.
"Yes, a- a whatsit for great Minister Dumbledore. I write and read now, but mostly I like write."
This news pleased Professor Granger no end, as she was one of the few who favored universal literacy among magical creatures such as house-elves. Professor Snape just looked a little amused by Dobby's puzzling Ministry uniform, which looked like Sergeant Pepper's castoff clothes heap. He had been learning some things about the Muggle culture with the help of his wife, however sometimes they both got a little confused about it. Consequently, Snape was perfectly convinced of the musical prowess of artists such as Sergeant Pepper and Chris Gaines, who did not in strictest sense really exist. Dumbledore was fully aware of his annoyance with house-elves, and so told Dobby to write very fast what Julie said without any interruption. As Starcatcher fell into a deeper and deeper sleep, the words began to come.
"Julie, can you hear us?" Professor Granger asked at Dumbledore's instruction.
"Yeah, just- sort of blurry. I can remember a man with one glove on, and…"
"And what?" Professor Snape inquired.
"And I was born one dark gray morn with music comin' in my ears-in my ears."
"That's Simon and Garfunkel."
"Could you try to think harder?"
"Yeah, it's a song, but it is true. The first noise that I remember was this really pretty birdsong, like it was trying to enfold me. And then I heard my mother's voice, said something about hawks or docks…"
"Fawkes?" Professor McGonagall inquired.
"Tha's it, I guess so. And then he took me away…the man with one real white glove, mumbled something like said he was the Servant of of Nevermore. Now I saw no ravens, so I guess he said Voldemort, didn' he?" The professors all went white but Snape, who with Julie was the only one calm. "Then I'm supposin', yes, there was the orphanage. I was just a real little kid, then, weren't I?" Julie's polished London accent had faded into something in between John Lennon and Bob Dylan, giving Dobby something of a hard time with the stenography.
"Can you remember anything else about the day you were born?"
"Just little details, smells and noises, I guess."
"Do you remember little crimes at the orphanage?"
"Thousands. I was really one for amusement, then, weren't I?"
"Then all the misdemeanors were amusement? Were they cruelty?"
"Naw, and not all were amusement…some were like, protection, when I carried a switchblade, although that was partly utilitarian, and some were revenge, like when I shoved a kid who picked on Cory. He was a real little kid with a limp that I used to treat like he were my brother, on account of he looked like me. I also ran away a lot after Cory passed away because I didn't want to stay there with the other kids."
"Was anybody mean to you…did you feel you were mistreated?" Dumbledore had taken over all of the questioning now, as tears were streaming down Hermione's face.
"Some kids were mean to me because I can't run so fast, like when we played games, and some teased me because of my looks or knowing the whole book in lit class, but not really ever mistreated, now, no."
"Did you ever feel as if you had a family?"
"Sort of. There was Cory, and after that I knew that I could start my own if I grew up and went to high school, got married, that whole lot stuff. Except I got shipped around so often, it was really hard to keep up with me schoolwork, even if I knew the whole textbook front and around. My school's my family."
"Do you remember when you first did magic?"
"Yeah, an' it were in a game of chess. I was just thinking out a series of moves, concentrating really hard, and then the things just started movin'. It were really really cool."
"Did you ever use magic to do mischief?"
"Well, I accidentally made a pencil levitate jus' an inch or so above me teacher's head cause she were an ornery old baggage."
"Would you like to remain here at Hogwarts?"
"More'n anything."
"Any House in particular?"
"He said that I should be in Gryffindor."
"But what do you think?"
"I'm still quite neutral."
"Very well, then. You can rest and go to sleep."
"Just one more question, Minister!" Snape asked hurriedly. His old Professor gave the nod, and Snape inquired: "Have you ever hoped that you might be adopted?"
"When I were little. But not…anymore." Julie yawned and went quite quickly back to sleep. The Minister of Magic motioned all the professors outside.
"It's just as we had hoped. She seems quite far from being a reprise of Lord Voldemort." There would have been a great sigh of relief except that McGonangall was sniffling and Severus was holding Hermione. "And yet she's not quite Potter either, since not Riddle. I believe that this is indeed a type of child entirely new."
"Will she be allowed to stay at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, short of sobbing. Professor McGonagall looked to Dumbledore, who earnestly nodded his head.
"About that last question of yours, Severus, am I assuming that the girl sparks your interest?" Professor McGonagall glanced at Hermione, and Severus was quick to tell her:
"Not in that way! But she's so like her, and so like me, I guess I kind of thought…"
"We both did." Hermione had almost got emotions controlled. "Even though she's fifteen, d'you suppose we could apply for her?"
"You've only known the girl a matter of hours," Dumbledore reminded quietly. Abruptly Severus went from calm to very angry.
"And how long do you get to know your real kids before you make a choice on them?" Snape asked in close to fury. "How long we've known her doesn't matter, she needs parents!"
Dumbledore grinned, quite convinced by that.
"Well, since wizarding law requires the child's consent, I suppose you could fill out some of the paperwork this evening," Dumbledore conjured a file from the folds of his robe. "I'll need a blood check from each of you as well as from Julie, purely formalities, you understand."
Minutes had two wand-marks on the backs of their hands, as wizards didn't draw blood with a needle. Moving quietly, Albus checked Julie's, the slight sting of which didn't even rouse the girl from her very sound sleep. While the Snapes filled in all the required forms and McGonagall left to find a handkerchief, Dumbledore was stirring the three wands in a glass of clearish liquid. It was turning brilliant crimson.
"Oh, my."
"What does that mean, Professor- I mean, Minister Dumbledore," Hermione asked in curiousity.
"It's a very simple potion called the Proof-of-Blood. It only turns bright red if-"
"-all the samples are true blood relatives," Severus finished with an expression of wonder. "Dear, do you have any cousins?"
"None."
"Neither I. And even so, it wouldn't be quite- -that red." Severus unspoken thought was evident in both of their faces before-
"Yes, you're family." Dumbledore was sort of smiling in a very unlikeable manner. "I think that this lack of knowledge is due to someone else's refusal to take the test that Julie just did." He looked sternly at a shaking Hermione. "And also to the decided misbehavior of one of my teachers." Severus looked just as guilty. "You two were both aware that the anticeptive charm on the grounds only works if both parties don't want a child, weren't you?" He was within a hair of yelling at them, but the smile was growing and refusing to fade. Finally Hermione protested:
"I thought it meant we didn't want one then!"
"Are you both aware of how many good Chasers I have gotten out of 'didn't want one then'? And how many House Cups were won by Gryffindor because of that?"
Suddenly Snape went ashen white.
"You mean to tell me-?"
"I suggest that you tear up those papers, because they aren't legally valid at all. I'll go write up the certificates, Julie Starcatcher's turned a Snape."
***********************************************
"Professor Granger?" Julie asked, her eyes still hazy from the blur of sleep and potions.
"Yes, it's me, dear," she replied, quite nervous suddenly.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Did I pass the test?" Julie sat up excitedly, waiting for an answer, until she noticed just how scared her two professors looked. Her face fell swiftly. "Or am I another Voldemort like you thought, then?"
"No, Julie, you passed the test fine," Professor Snape told her. "It's just- -we kind of ran a second test without your own permission, and the results are quite incriminating, really." Julie blushed furiously.
"You know about the time I rigged the teacher's car?"
"No, actually-"
"The time I set a circus elephant free and rode it to the hospital?"
"No, really, it's just- -what in heavens' name would you want with an elephant?"
"Cory wasn't allowed out to see them, so I took him one. I rode it right past his window- -guess that wasn't bad?"
"No, I believe I might have done that, too, under similar circumstances." Professor Snape was getting as far off the topic as Julie was. Hermione smiled at the way they distracted each other so easily.
"Actually, Julie, I was wondering if you'd look in that mirror there." Obediently Julie got up and walked to the mirror that Dumbledore'd brought. It was a large, stately one with a big golden frame and writing she couldn't understand at all on the top of it.
"It's a pretty one," she observed, not having looked in it. Professor Snape gave up and moved it so she saw herself- -or rather, not herself.
Julie quite abruptly saw a story acted out before her, real as life, with a terrible rat-man who kidnapped a Hogwarts girl. She knew instantly the bushy hair and stack of books, as well as how a scar had been done quite by accident. The main figure in the search for the girl she knew, although Professor Snape had seemed a little leaner then, or was it perhaps because he barely ate until the girl returned? Julie couldn't tell. There were flashes of lightning, a newborn's cry that sounded oddly like she'd heard it before, and the unearthly pretty sound and tune of phoenix song. Then there was a smashed silvery hand struggling madly to reach out of the mirror and lift her, as she realized it had once near sixteen years ago. Then, in the midst of all the horror, she saw the teacher and the student reunited, as well as the two of them sitting cradled in a leather chair- -one she could have sworn she recognized from the dungeon's rooms last night. The two lovers, clearly meeting there in secret, exchanged the tenderest of kisses, and she was back to her own real reflection. Only now it seemed quite different, with features highlighted by unknown knowledge. She glanced back and forth from the professors to her own face, comparing black hair with black hair, brown eyes with brown eyes, bushy ponytail with just as wild bushy hair, straight and almost hooky nose- -it was impossible to believe, but it looked true to her. She held up one hand towards the mirror, and caught a glimpse of Wormtail pointing a wand at her. The scar on her palm burned again as the Dark Lord was failed by his servant's work, leaving her with the mark and name Starcatcher. She didn't know it, but the professors saw the whole thing, too.
"Well?" she asked, turning around at last to face them. "Does this mirror show one's past to one?"
"It's called -the Mirror of Erised," Snape explained, his voice oddly choked as he looked at his half-grown daughter. "It shows only one's heart's greatest desire." Julie looked at them quite hard, then glanced back toward the mirror.
"Funny," she exclaimed, in as cynical and hopeful a voice as either of her parents had ever used, "It looks quite ordinary, mirror-wise, to me, now."