Just a quick thankyou to ManIACjAcKaL for my first review! Thanx hun ;)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Rachel and the plot-for now. I might put in a few more characters later. All other characters, locations, spells etc. belong to J.K. Rowling
The Task
They all trooped through the door of number 12, Grimmauld Place tired but thankful that Sirius' mother was sound asleep in her frame. Harry paused for a moment as they entered the dining room, not to take in his surroundings, but because Mrs. Weasley was crushing them all in a huge bear hug. "Oh, thank God you're alright!" she cried, "I've been out of my mind with worry! Alastor was telling me about all the risks." "Er, sorry about that Arthur," growled Alastor Moody, stepping out from the kitchen with a cup of tea, his magical eye fixed on Harry, "I didn't mean to upset her." "Never mind Alastor." Mr. Weasley took the cup from Mad-Eye and gave it to his wife, who in turn gave it to Bill. The cup was passed around in this fashion until it came back to Mr. Weasley, who shrugged and started to drink. He put it down and hugged his wife, who was still near hysterics. "Molly, calm down. We're all safe. Besides, you haven't said hello to Harry yet." "Oh I'm sorry dear, it's just.well, never mind eh? -Yes, how are you Harry dear?" "Fine thanks Mrs. Weasley. Er. do you know where Professor Dumbledore is?" "Standing right behind you Mr. Potter." Harry whirled round to see who had spoken. Sure enough, it was Dumbledore himself. "Harry, Ron, come with me. I need to talk to you two." Harry looked sideways at Ron, who returned a questioning look. "Please follow me." Dumbledore smiled and walked out of the room. The two friends followed.
Dumbledore lead them through a door Harry had never seen before, which opened onto a set of stone steps, going deep underground. Down, down, down they went, and all the while not a word passed between the three. Eventually they arrived at a small wooden door. Dumbledore muttered something-Harry didn't quite catch what it was- and the door swung open to reveal a large circular room, at the centre of which was a round table. Sitting at the table reading was. "HERMIONE!" Ron and Harry yelled out the name of their best friend in complete unison. Hermione looked up and smiled, first at Ron, then at Harry. "Hello Ron! Harry! When did you get here?" "The question is," replied Ron, "when did you get here? I've been here for a month now. Mind you, Harry's only just arrived." "I got here about two hours ago. Professor Dumbledore showed me down here while you were off to get Harry. I've been waiting ever since." Hermione stood up and hugged Ron and Harry in turn. "I've really missed you both over the holidays. You don't know how much." "Loathe though I am to break up this happy reunion," said Dumbledore with a smile, "I believe that I must speak with you all." "Yes of course," said Hermione, "sorry professor." "Not at all Hermione."
"Now I must speak. It is a matter of importance, not only to me, but perhaps to you also. Harry, Ron, Hermione, soon I shall introduce you to Rachel Barry, a witch of your age whom I have been personally training for the past two years in secret. She is muggle-born, and her magical talent was discovered only two years ago. Alas, this was too late for her to enrol at Hogwarts-she would have been grossly behind all other students in her year. This is why I took up her training myself. For the past two years, she has been trained in her own home. She shows extreme talent for one so inexperienced and." "Excuse me professor," interrupted Hermione, "But would you mind if I asked you a question?" "Fire away Hermione," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Well, if this 'Rachel' has such talent, why didn't she develop when we did? I mean, surely her talent would have shone through at eleven?" "Hermione, as to that question, even I do not know the answer," replied Dumbledore shaking his head. "However, I must continue." "Rachel has the makings of one of the most powerful aurors that ever lived. Even now, after only a short time in training, she has mastered advanced spells such as the Patronus spell, Protean charm-she can even fight off the Imperius curse." "But," cried Harry, "she's only had two years experience in magic! How could she do all that? It's extremely difficult magic! NEWT standard and above!" "I have always prized my teaching abilities Harry. Besides, when I mentioned Hermione it had the desired affect. Rachel is a competitive girl- she threw herself into her studies whole-heartedly. Her exact words were, 'I've been given this chance-I don't want to lose it because I couldn't be bothered working'." "Blimey, " Ron whispered to Harry, "we've got another Hermione on our hands here." Harry grinned, as did Dumbledore. Hermione frowned. "Anyway," continued Dumbledore, "Now I come to your roles. Rachel, though excellent at magic, has yet to experience life in the wizarding world. She learnt all she knows in the comfort of her own home. I want you three to keep an eye on her-especially Harry and Hermione. You two know how it feels to be thrust into a world you have never experienced. Rachel only knows spells. She has no idea of the past or present of our world. I had no time to tell her-she had to learn first." "So basically professor, you want us to mind this girl-teach her about everything." said Harry. "Yes Harry," replied Dumbledore, "that is correct." "But wait," Ron said with an expression of disbelief etched on his face, "You mean she doesn't even know about You-Know-Who?" "No Ron." Dumbledore looked Ron directly in the eye. "She does not know about Harry and Voldemort." Ron winced as he heard the name that always struck terror into every witch and wizard he knew, except for Harry and Dumbledore. Even Hermione had started using the word... "When will we meet her?" asked Hermione. "Right now."
In perfect timing, the door opened and a strange girl stepped in, followed by the rest of the Weasleys and Remus Lupin.
This chapter and the next were originally going to be just one, but this turned out to be a bit long. (For my standards anyway!) I PROMISE that you will find out more about Rachel (possibly looks, etc.) in the next chapter. Something very interesting is about to happen. BUT ONLY IF YOU REVIEW!!!! Tell me what you think of Rachel so far.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Rachel and the plot-for now. I might put in a few more characters later. All other characters, locations, spells etc. belong to J.K. Rowling
The Task
They all trooped through the door of number 12, Grimmauld Place tired but thankful that Sirius' mother was sound asleep in her frame. Harry paused for a moment as they entered the dining room, not to take in his surroundings, but because Mrs. Weasley was crushing them all in a huge bear hug. "Oh, thank God you're alright!" she cried, "I've been out of my mind with worry! Alastor was telling me about all the risks." "Er, sorry about that Arthur," growled Alastor Moody, stepping out from the kitchen with a cup of tea, his magical eye fixed on Harry, "I didn't mean to upset her." "Never mind Alastor." Mr. Weasley took the cup from Mad-Eye and gave it to his wife, who in turn gave it to Bill. The cup was passed around in this fashion until it came back to Mr. Weasley, who shrugged and started to drink. He put it down and hugged his wife, who was still near hysterics. "Molly, calm down. We're all safe. Besides, you haven't said hello to Harry yet." "Oh I'm sorry dear, it's just.well, never mind eh? -Yes, how are you Harry dear?" "Fine thanks Mrs. Weasley. Er. do you know where Professor Dumbledore is?" "Standing right behind you Mr. Potter." Harry whirled round to see who had spoken. Sure enough, it was Dumbledore himself. "Harry, Ron, come with me. I need to talk to you two." Harry looked sideways at Ron, who returned a questioning look. "Please follow me." Dumbledore smiled and walked out of the room. The two friends followed.
Dumbledore lead them through a door Harry had never seen before, which opened onto a set of stone steps, going deep underground. Down, down, down they went, and all the while not a word passed between the three. Eventually they arrived at a small wooden door. Dumbledore muttered something-Harry didn't quite catch what it was- and the door swung open to reveal a large circular room, at the centre of which was a round table. Sitting at the table reading was. "HERMIONE!" Ron and Harry yelled out the name of their best friend in complete unison. Hermione looked up and smiled, first at Ron, then at Harry. "Hello Ron! Harry! When did you get here?" "The question is," replied Ron, "when did you get here? I've been here for a month now. Mind you, Harry's only just arrived." "I got here about two hours ago. Professor Dumbledore showed me down here while you were off to get Harry. I've been waiting ever since." Hermione stood up and hugged Ron and Harry in turn. "I've really missed you both over the holidays. You don't know how much." "Loathe though I am to break up this happy reunion," said Dumbledore with a smile, "I believe that I must speak with you all." "Yes of course," said Hermione, "sorry professor." "Not at all Hermione."
"Now I must speak. It is a matter of importance, not only to me, but perhaps to you also. Harry, Ron, Hermione, soon I shall introduce you to Rachel Barry, a witch of your age whom I have been personally training for the past two years in secret. She is muggle-born, and her magical talent was discovered only two years ago. Alas, this was too late for her to enrol at Hogwarts-she would have been grossly behind all other students in her year. This is why I took up her training myself. For the past two years, she has been trained in her own home. She shows extreme talent for one so inexperienced and." "Excuse me professor," interrupted Hermione, "But would you mind if I asked you a question?" "Fire away Hermione," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Well, if this 'Rachel' has such talent, why didn't she develop when we did? I mean, surely her talent would have shone through at eleven?" "Hermione, as to that question, even I do not know the answer," replied Dumbledore shaking his head. "However, I must continue." "Rachel has the makings of one of the most powerful aurors that ever lived. Even now, after only a short time in training, she has mastered advanced spells such as the Patronus spell, Protean charm-she can even fight off the Imperius curse." "But," cried Harry, "she's only had two years experience in magic! How could she do all that? It's extremely difficult magic! NEWT standard and above!" "I have always prized my teaching abilities Harry. Besides, when I mentioned Hermione it had the desired affect. Rachel is a competitive girl- she threw herself into her studies whole-heartedly. Her exact words were, 'I've been given this chance-I don't want to lose it because I couldn't be bothered working'." "Blimey, " Ron whispered to Harry, "we've got another Hermione on our hands here." Harry grinned, as did Dumbledore. Hermione frowned. "Anyway," continued Dumbledore, "Now I come to your roles. Rachel, though excellent at magic, has yet to experience life in the wizarding world. She learnt all she knows in the comfort of her own home. I want you three to keep an eye on her-especially Harry and Hermione. You two know how it feels to be thrust into a world you have never experienced. Rachel only knows spells. She has no idea of the past or present of our world. I had no time to tell her-she had to learn first." "So basically professor, you want us to mind this girl-teach her about everything." said Harry. "Yes Harry," replied Dumbledore, "that is correct." "But wait," Ron said with an expression of disbelief etched on his face, "You mean she doesn't even know about You-Know-Who?" "No Ron." Dumbledore looked Ron directly in the eye. "She does not know about Harry and Voldemort." Ron winced as he heard the name that always struck terror into every witch and wizard he knew, except for Harry and Dumbledore. Even Hermione had started using the word... "When will we meet her?" asked Hermione. "Right now."
In perfect timing, the door opened and a strange girl stepped in, followed by the rest of the Weasleys and Remus Lupin.
This chapter and the next were originally going to be just one, but this turned out to be a bit long. (For my standards anyway!) I PROMISE that you will find out more about Rachel (possibly looks, etc.) in the next chapter. Something very interesting is about to happen. BUT ONLY IF YOU REVIEW!!!! Tell me what you think of Rachel so far.