-Author's Note:
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Who ever was outside, was insistant on getting in. They knocked again, the rapping on the wooden door growing louder and louder.
Daisy jerked awake with such speed that she tumbled off the sofa and landed in a heap on the floor, cocooned in her blankets.
"Where's the cannon?" Dudley said stupidly as he too bolted awake.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you – I'm armed!"
There was a pause. Then –SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
In the doorway stood a tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing a smart burgundy coloured tweed three piece suite and a dark reddish brown coloured traveling cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots.
His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. In his hand was a wooden stick, it was stretched out in front of him. The man held the stick in a similar way that a knight would hold a sword.
The man stepped into the hut, and with a small apologetic he turned to look at the door on the ground. He waved the stick and the door picked itself up and fitted itself easily back into its frame.
The noise of the storm outside dropped a little and he turned to look at them all.
The Dursleys and Jane stared at him in a mixture of awe, amazement, disbelief and confusion (Jane, Dudley and Daisy) and fear, apprehension, worry and barely concealed anger (Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia)
"Couldn't make us a cup of tea, could you, if it's not too much of an imposition. It's not been an easy journey." The man strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Do you mind, budging up a little so I can rest my weary old bones" said the stranger in a kind grandfatherly voice.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon. Daisy too pelted to join her family. Jane on the other hand stayed where she was.
"Ah, Hello Jane. It's been a long time since I last saw you" said the man with a kind smile, Jane looked up into the old smiling creased face and saw that the bright blue eyes were shining brightly..
"The last time I saw you, you were only a baby" said the main continuing. "You looked extrodinarily like your mother, her small, thin build, her pale peaches and cream face, her jewel like eyes, but you definitely have your father's unruly black hair. The Potter hair is cursed you know"
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"My dear man, I do wish you would be quiet" said the man, and he looked at Uncle Vernon with a slightly cold look, with a wave of the stick, the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, jerked out of his grasp and bent itself into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and then threw itself into a corner of the room.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on. Aunt Petunia squeaked and Daisy and Dudley shared a look.
"Now, Jane" said the man, turning his back on the Dursleys,
"I believe it is only appropriate for me to wish you a very happy birthday. I have something for you, here you go, I might have squashed it slightly during the journey but I'm sure it will taste all right." and from an inside pocket of his cloak he pulled a tiny box. He placed it on the sofa and gave it a sharp tap. It expanded in size and the man indicated that Jane should take it.
Jane opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday Jane' written on it in green icing. Jane looked up at the man. She meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what she said instead was,
"Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly.
"True, Very true, here I am a complete stranger, waltzing into this small hut, and I forget all my manors and don't introduced meself" he said in a self berating tone "I'm Professor Albus Dumbeldore, the headmaster of Hogwarts." He held out an cricnkley old hand and shook Jane's hand lightly.
"What about that cup of tea then?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "Mind you I would not say no to something tronger if you offered it" His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled crisp packets in it and he give a soft snort. He looked down over the fireplace; and waved the stick again, a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole
damp hut with flickering light and Jane felt the warmth wash over her as though she'd sunk into a hot bath.
Dumbledore sat back down on the sofa, and began waving the stick about, all sorts of things suddenly appeared out of thin air. There was a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several mugs and a bottle of some amber liquid which he took a swig from before starting to make tea.
Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while he was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley and Daisy fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply,
"Don't touch anything he gives you,"
Dumbledore smiled calmly and fixed his now dull eyes on Uncle Vernon.
"My dear Mr Dursley, I do not think that you need to worry do you. It is obvious by your children's builds that they are well feed and are not in need or extra nourishment. Unlike Jane over here" and he passed the sausages to Jane, who was so hungry that she wolfed them down greedily, burning her tongue as she ate, Jane had never tasted anything so wonderful, once she had finished eating she turned to look at the man, a million questions bouncing around in her brain.
Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, she said, in a small, shy voice
"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are." Professor Dumbledore took a mouthful of tea and wiped his mouth with a white handkerchief that had appeared out of thin air..
"I am Professor Dumbledor" he said, "and as I said earlier I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, you will know all about Hogwarts, of course."
"Er – no," said Jane, and Dumbledore ooked shocked.
"Sorry," Jane said quickly.
"Sorry?" said Dumbledore sternly, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It is them who should be sorry! I knew you ahd not received any of your letters but I never thought you wouldn't even know about Hogwarts! I mean did you never ask? Where you never curious? Did you never wonder where your parents learnt it all?"
"All what?" asked Jane
"ALL WHAT?" Dumbledore thundered, his voice dripping with fury and his eyes turning to icy pools "Now wait just one second!" He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.
"Do you mean to tell me," he growled at the Dursleys,"that Jane, knows nothing about, about ANYTHING?"
Jane thought this was going a bit far. As she had been to school, after all, and her marks weren't that bad.
"I know some things," she said. "I can, you know, do maths and stuff."
But Dumbeldroe simply smiled at Jane and waved his hand and said,
"About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Your parents' world."
"What world?" Jane asked curiosity getting the better of her.
Dumbeldore looked as if he was about to explode.
"DURSLEY!" he boomed.
Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like 'Mimblewimble'. Dumbledore stared incredulously at Jane.
"But you must know about your mum and dad," he said. 'I mean, surely your aunt and uncle told you about them, I mean after all they're famous. You're famous."
"What? My my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?" stammered Jane in confusion,
"You don't know do you. They never told you" said Dumbledore as he ran his fingers through his long hair. He fixed Jane with a bewildered stare. "You don' know who or what you are?' he said finally. Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.
"Stop!"he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the child anything!"
A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Albus Dumbledore now gave him; and when Dumbledore spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage, and his fingers twirled the long stick in his hand.
"You never told her did you? Never told her what was in the letter? I was there, I was the one who wrote it. I was the one who placed it alongside her in the basket. I can not believe it of you. How could you keep it from her all these years. Petunia how could you deny her this knowledge?"
'Kept what from me?' said Jane eagerly.
"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror. Dumbeldore fixed them with a pointed, stern look, the stick in his hand held high. Jane almost laughed at the image of the old professor brandishing a stick like a sword.
"Enough of this, Jane has every right to learn of this truth" Dumbeldore said and he turnd back to Jane. "It is quite simple Jane. You see you are a witch" There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
"I'm a what?" gasped Jane
"You are a witch of course" said Dumbledore with a soft smile, as he sat back down on the sofa, " and i reckon you are going to be a brilliant witch, one you have grown up a bit and received the proper training. With a mum and dad like yours, what else would you be? Now I reckon it's about time you read yer letter."
Jane stretched out her trembling hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to
Miss Jane Potter
The Floor,
Hut-on-the-Rock
The North Sea.
She pulled out the letter and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme
Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss Jane Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books
and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Questions exploded inside Jane's head like fireworks and she couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes she stammered,
"What does it mean, they await my owl?"
"Ah" said Dumbledore "Owls are used to carry letter and parcels throught magical Britian. But as I am here and as I am the headmaster, you need not send an owl at this moment in time. I take it them that you would like to attened Hogwarts"
"Oh yes please" said Jane smilightly hopefully, she then frowned, "Is magic real then?" she asked
"Why certainly magic is real and you have seen me perform various acts of it with my wand. Although I really shouldn't. Strictly speaking we are not allowed to use magic in the muggle world and as you are underage you have the trace in you which allows the ministry to monitor magic around you. But as I told them I would be visiting you I am sure everything will be alright."
Jane realised her mouth was open and closed it quickly. More questions filed her brain and she was just about to ask something else, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.
"He's not going," he said. Dumbledore just stared at him
"You are not in a potion to stop her. Do you honestly think that you, my dear man, as a muggle can top Jane attending if she wishes too" he said coldly.
"A what?" said Jane, interested.
"A Muggle," said Dumbledore . 'It's what we call non-magical folk like Your aunt and Uncle"
"We swore when we took her in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of her!"
At these words Dumbledore lept to his feet, his anger filled the hut and uncle Vernon trembled slightly as the lightless eyes of Dumbledore fixed on his own.
"You knew?" said Jane suddenly, breaking the tense atmsophere. "You knew I'm a – a witch?"
"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that – that school – and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog-spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was – a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"
She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.
"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as – as – abnormal – and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"
Jane had gone very white. As soon as he found her voice she said,
"Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"
"CAR CRASH!" roared Dumbeldore jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily and James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Jane Potter not knowing her own story when every other child in our world knows
her name!"
"But why? What happened?" Jane asked urgently.
The anger faded from Dumbledore's face. He looked suddenly anxious and nervous and unsure.
"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, that you wouldn't know. I am not certain that I am the right person to tell you. But someone has too, it isnt' right that you do not know. And you certainly cant go off to Hogwarts not knowing these things."
He threw an agry look at the Dursleys.
"Well, it's best you know as much as I can tell you – mind, I can't tell you everything at the moment. There will be time later to explain things in more detail." Jane opened her mouth to say something but Dumbeldore stoped her "When you are older and are able to understand more I will tell you these details" He reasured her.
"Now some parts of what happened are still as great mystery" Hestared into the fire for a few seconds and then said,
"It begins, I suppose, with a wizard called Lord Voldemort. About twenty one year ago he appeared as one of the most dark, evil wizards that had ever was as dark a wizard as you could be. He started looking for followers when he came to power and he was able to recruit th'em, too some were afraid, some just wanted a bit of his power. Make no mistake Jane he was getting himself power, all right" Dumbeldore paused and then continued
"They were dark days, Jane. People did not know who to trust, they didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches. Terrible things happened every day. Lord Vodlemort was slowly taking over. Of Course, some stood up to him, and they were all killed, He kmilled anyone that disagreed with him. Horrible deaths they were too.. One of the only safe places left was Hogwarts." Dumbeldore paused again and then fixed Jane with a kind look.
"Now, yout mum and dad were two of the best. I have never had the pleasure of meeting two such light and good people as they were. Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts in their day! I suppose to some it is a mystery as to why Lord Voldemrot never tried recruiting them. But I know that he knew it would do no good. They were too firmly entrenched in the light to consider converting to the dark."
Jane smiled at the information she was being given about her parents.
"Your parents were becoming a problem to Voldemort. Three times before that halloween night your parents, who were both aurors, dark wizard catched, had personaly thwarted Voldemort's plans. On halloween night, when you were just three months old, Voldemort went to the village where you was all living, He attacked the small cottage where you all lived and he…"
Dumbeldore suddenly pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed his tear filled glistening eyes.
"Sorry," he said. "But it is so sad, I knew your mum and dad, and I can honestly say that you couldnt have found nicer people anyway. But Lord Voldemort he killed them. He tried to kill you, he couldn't. Have you never wondered how you got that mark on
your forehead? That is no ordinary cut. That's what you get when a powerful, evil curse touches you. He killed your mother and father, even destroyed the house, but for some reason he couldn't kill you. And that is why you are famous, Jane No one ever lived after he decided to kill them no one except you"
Jane looked started but Dumbeldore continued speaking.
"He'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age – the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts – but you wer only a baby, and you lived."
Something very painful was going on in Jane's mind. As Dumbedlore's story came to a close, she saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than she had ever remembered it before – and she remembered something else, for the first time in her life
– a high, cold, cruel laugh.
Dumbeldore was watching her sadly.
"I Took yout from the ruined house myself, and brought you to live with your Aunt and Uncle" he said sadly
"'Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Jane jumped, she had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Dumbeldore and his fists were clenched.
"Now, you listen here, girl" he snarled. 'I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured" as he spoke these words Dumbledore paled and looked sternly at Uncle Vernon.
"and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion – asked for all they got, getting
mixed up with these wizarding types – just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end –" Uncle Vernon continued, but at that moment, Dumbeldore leapt from the sofa and pointed his wand, for that was what the stick was, Jane realsied, at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said,
"I'm warning you, Dursley –I'm warning you – one more word …"
In danger of being on the end of a magic wand by a very old wizard Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.
Dumbledore sat back down, breathing heavily and turned to look at Jane. Jane, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.
"But what happened to Voldemort?"
"That is a very good question, Jane. He disappeared. Vanished. Same night that he tried to kill you. Makes you even more famous I'm afraid, Some say he died. But, in my opinion, he didnt' have enough humanity left to die. No I reckon he's still out there somewhere but lI think he has ost his powers. That he is too weak to carry on. Something about you finished him, Jane. There was something going on that night he hadn't counted on. I just don't know what it was, no one does. But something about you stumped him.'
Dumbeldore ooked at Jane wiith warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Jane, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. Jane wasn'tspecial or anything, she couldn't be the person Dumbledore was taking about. How could she possibly be?
Jane spent her life being clouted by Dudley and Daisy and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if she was really a witch, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads
every time they'd tried to lock her in her cupboard? If she'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick her around like a football?
"Um Professor Dumbledore Sir" she said quietly, "I think you must have made a
mistake. I don't think I can be a witch"
To her surprise, Dumbledore chuckled.
"Not a witch, my dear girl. You are a witch, Have you never made things happen when you was scared, or angry?"
Jane looked into the fire. Now she came to think about it … every odd thing that had ever made her aunt and uncle furious with her had happened when she, Jane, had been upset or
angry … chased by Dudley's gang, she had somehow found herself out of their reach … dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, she'd managed to make it grow back … and the very last time Dudley had hit her, hadn't she got her revenge, without even realising she was doing it? Hadn't she set a boa constrictor on him?
Jane looked back at Dumbledore, smiling, and saw that Dumbeldore was positively beaming at her.
'See?' said Dumbeldore calmly. "Jane Potter, not a witch– you wait, you'll do brilliantly at Hogwarts."
But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.
"Haven't I told you she's not going?' he hissed. 'She's going to Stonewall High and she'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and she needs all sorts of rubbish – spell books and wands and –"
"'If she wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop her," said Dumbledore sternly 'Stop "It would take more than you, to stop Lily and James' daughter from going to Hogwarts! Her name's been down ever since she was born. No Jane will be attending Hogwarts, which is considered the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and she won't know herself. She will be with youngsters of her own kind, for a change, and.."
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!' yelled Uncle Vernon.
But he had finally gone too far, Dumbeldore brandished his wand and with a great swish, sparks shot out and hit Uncle Vernon in the chest.
Uncle Vernon was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped around his throat, his mouth was moving frantically, his eyes bulging but no sound was escaping. Uncle Vernon seemed to roar silently, and then her began pulling Aunt Petunia, Daisy and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Dumbledore and slammed the door behind them
.
Dumbledore looked down at his wand and stroked his beard.
"I really shouldn't have lost me temper," he said ruefully, He cast a sideways look at Jane,
"I would be most grateful if you didn't mention that to anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "Strictly speaking what i did was illegal. We're not supposed to cast spells like that on muggles."
"Oh no problem sir, I won't tell anyone, I promise" Jane said sincerely "I promise" and Dumbledore smiled kindly at her.
'It's gettin' late and we've have ratheir a lot to do tomorrow," said Dumbledore calmly, "we have to go to London, and get all your school things, and I have a job to do myself" He took off his thick traveling cloak and threw it to Jane.
"Make yourself comfortable on the other sofa, You can use the cloak as a blanket, it will keep you nice and cosy" he said. Jane did as instructed.
Now that the hut was warm and she was sleeping on a soft squishy sofa under the weight of a warm cloak she fell asleep almost instantly. Dumbledore smiled at her before he made himself comfortable on the second sofa. He could hear the Dursleys in the other room, but paid them no attention. The spell he placed on Vernon would wear off in a day or two.
