Professor Malfoy exited the Great Hall after the last lunch before the start of the new school year. He was about to step onto the marble staircase when something caught his eye. In a dark corner of the entrance hall was a lump of something. He cautiously approached the mass and saw that it was a person. He could see blood, twigs, leaves and dirt on the torn clothes. The hair of the girl… he assumed it was a girl… was fanned out around her head. The left arm of the girl was stretched out above her head. That was when he saw it: the tattoo. It stood out vividly against her skin. He knew the tattoo considerably. Everyone in the wizarding world knew that sign. Almost everyone feared it at one time or another. He hated that sign. It was a symbol of his past, his childhood. He was snapped out of his reverie as the girl stirred.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Draco Malfoy called into the Great Hall. Professor Albus Dumbledore came into the entrance hall followed by Professors McGonagall, Snape and Vector. The professors went over to Malfoy and saw the lifeless girl on the ground. Dumbledore recognized her instantly.
"She's come at last," he said to himself. The others looked at him after hearing this.
"You know who she is?" Professor McGonagall asked. Dumbledore nodded.
"Let's get her up to the Hospital Wing and have her rest there. She's come a long way and has been through a horrific ordeal. Note her left arm. She has the mark of a Death Eater on her. But she is not one. The symbol is not finished. She escaped," Dumbledore said. All of his mutterings were more to himself than anyone else. He knew something the other teachers didn't. It was odd as he usually kept them informed of what he knew. Dumbledore conjured a stretcher and Professor Malfoy lifted the girl onto it.
"Please go gather all of the staff and have them meet in the staff room. We will have a meeting about all of this as soon as I see that she is settled in the Hospital Wing. Please also get the head house elf as well; she may be needed later on. Professor Malfoy, please follow me to the Hospital Wing," Professor Dumbledore stated. The rest did as told.
Draco Malfoy followed the headmaster to the Hospital Wing silently. They entered the ward and summoned Madam Pomfrey. She came quickly and saw the poor girl in the stretcher. She beckoned for Dumbledore to follow her to the end of the ward and to the farthest bed from the door. She had them put the girl on the bed and she closed the curtains on the side of the bed facing the rest of the hospital. Draco turned to the headmaster.
"Will she be alright?" he asked.
"She will be in time. We must give her a few days to sleep and let her body heal itself before we do anything," the headmaster explained.
One day later was the start of term for the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At King's Cross Station, many students congregated and reunited with friends and acquaintances. In the middle of it all was that year's Head Boy and his two best friends. They were standing casually in the middle of all the raucous… and avoiding their parents. As seventeen year olds, they wouldn't want to be seen with their parents, even if two of them were perhaps the coolest students Hogwarts had seen. Who would want to be seen with Fred and George Weasley? Well… not Jacob or Andrew Weasley. Jacob, the son of Katie and George Weasley, was the current Head Boy of Hogwarts. He inherited Katie's brown hair, but George's blue eyes. His cousin Andrew, son of Angelina and Fred Weasley, inherited the patented (except for Jacob and a few others) red Weasley hair and Angelina's brown eyes. Their friend, Ryan Connolly, was the son of the famous Beater from the Irish National Quidditch Team and the Kenmare Kestrels. So as their parents talked, the three boys kept their distance. The train wasn't to leave for about 15 minutes, but they could see something unusual: Professors McGonagall and Malfoy were on the platform. Jacob nudged Andrew and pointed out the teachers.
"What the? Aren't they supposed to be at the school?" Andrew asked.
"I think so. Why would they come to the platform?" Ryan said. The boys watched as their professors walked up to their parents and started talking to them in low voices. The war against Lord Voldemort was over. All of the boys' parents had been actively involved in stopping the war, even Ryan's father. He had taken time off from Quidditch to help in the fight. After all, his wife was Muggle-born. The parents kept talking in low voices with the teachers. The three boys decided it was best to get on the train and into a compartment before they were all filled up. As they passed their parents and professors, Jacob caught a few words of what they were saying.
"… the hospital wing… trying to get more strength… couldn't believe it when I saw it," he heard Professor Malfoy say.
"… terrible… looked so awful… dreadful mark on her arm… should be up and around soon though… call you Katie, if we need you to help out… should be okay," Professor McGonagall was saying.
"Of course… me know… be happy to help," Jacob's mother responded.
"…need our help?" his father asked, referring to himself and his twin.
"Possibly," McGonagall said. "Jacob Weasley."
"Yes?" Jacob asked, startled that McGongall had said his name. He, Andrew and Ryan stopped to talk with their parents and professors.
"I will need to meet with you after the feast at school. It's about important matters and I wish that you will keep it close to heart," his Transfiguration professor stated.
"Of course, ma'am," Jacob responded.
"Hurry and get on the train, it will be leaving soon," McGonagall said. Jacob nodded and the boys got on the train with waves to their parents.
The boys slowly started to look for a compartment to occupy during the duration of the train ride to Hogwarts. As soon as they found an empty compartment they closed the door and looked at one another.
"What was all that about?" Ryan asked as he sat down. Andrew shrugged as he sat down across from Ryan. Jacob sat next to his cousin.
"Whatever it is, I think I'm going to find out about it tonight," Jacob said. "I did catch some things that Malfoy and McGonagall were saying. Something about a 'her' in the hospital wing. She's got a mark on her arm. McGonagall called it 'dreadful'. Apparently Malfoy couldn't believe it when he saw it. It must be pretty bad, Professor Malfoy's seen some bad stuff."
"Wait a minute. A mark on her arm? You don't think she's a Death Eater, do you? That's pretty much the only kind of mark on someone's arm that's worth noticing," Andrew said.
"Unless it's a wound. I've seen some pretty dreadful marks on people's arms after some of the Quidditch matches my dad's been in," Ryan stated. After Ryan finished talking a light knock sounded on the door. Andrew pulled open the compartment to admit Professors Malfoy and McGonagall. All three boys stood immediately when the professors stepped inside. Professor Malfoy bade them to sit and they did.
"Professor Malfoy and I have discussed the situation at hand and have decided to inform you of what has happened at the castle, as it affects all of you. You might find that one or more of your elder relatives will be visiting the castle more frequently this coming year. Yesterday afternoon Professor Malfoy found a teenage girl in the entrance hall. She was badly scarred and bruised. She was found with a mark on her arm. A half-finished Dark Mark is on her left forearm. Approximately half of the Hospital Wing will be closed off to help keep her privacy for about the first couple weeks of term. She is very magical but comes from a Muggle family, if there's anything remaining of her family," Professor McGonagall added as an afterthought. The three boys nodded.
"Who is she?" Ryan asked.
"We are not certain, but we believe she is the reincarnation of Morgana," Professor Malfoy explained.
"But how is that possible?" Jacob asked. "She's not supposed to be around for another fifty years and she's supposed to be found somewhere near Australia, not in Britain."
"It's quite simple really," Professor Malfoy explained. "The prophecy is wrong."
"How can it be wrong?" Andrew asked.
"Not everything in this world is for certain, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall told him.
As they entered the Great Hall, Jacob instinctively looked up at the ceiling in the direction of the Hospital Wing. They would be going up there after the feast. They would be seeing her, and if she was awake, possibly talking to and meeting her. McGonagall had said that she would know what was going on or where she was. Throughout the feast Professor Dumbledore said nothing about the girl. Was it all a hoax? Was that really Professor McGonagall and Professor Malfoy on the train? However when they came down the aisle by the Gryffindor table accompanied by Madam Pomfrey and Professors Snape and Dumbledore, they realized this was all for real. The three boys stood as the adults approached and followed them quietly to the Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey entered the ward first and very quietly. The rest followed her in the same manner to the last bed at the end of the deserted ward. As they approached they could see some movement in the bed. They finally reached the bed and saw that the girl was indeed awake. Madam Pomfrey rushed to her side.
"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked her patient.
"Dreadful. I'm sore and tired. I feel like I've been knocked out," the girl said.
"You passed out. Pretty much the same thing," Professor Malfoy said.
"What's this mark on my arm?" she asked curiously, extending her left arm to the nurse. The teenage boys' eyes widened as they looked at the mark left upon her arm. "I've been trying to find out but no one will tell me."
"It is the mark of the membership of a dangerous group of witches and wizards. As the tattoo is not complete you have not joined the ranks of the group. But I am certain that you were going to unwillingly had you not escaped," Professor Dumbledore explained quietly.
"Are they the same people who killed my mother?" the girl asked softly. The group stiffened in surprise.
"When did your mother die?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently.
"They came into my house late at night. I didn't know what was going on. My mother was trying to fend them off, but they kept coming. They pointed something at her and she tried to move and escape. But something wouldn't let her. I was watching and things kept flying throughout the house of their own accord. I was so scared, just watching from the top of the stairs. One of the people shouted something and there was this flash of bright green light. The next thing I saw was my mother lying on the ground, dead. Then they all turned toward me. I didn't know what to do so I just ran. I ran down the stairs as they were all coming up to get me. I ran past them and they all flew backward and out of my way. It was like something pulled them all back so I could leave. I ran out of the door and into the woods near our house. I kept running and running. I tripped over a root and when I looked up I wasn't in the same forest. It was different. Someone grabbed me and dragged me to a clearing where there were more of them. They brought me to a fire in the middle of the circle and some of them gasped. I imagine I looked a fright. They started to make the tattoo on my arm and it hurt so much. It was like they were burning it onto my skin. I couldn't take the pain anymore. The wind picked up and the fire was bigger than before. They were all scared but it didn't affect me. I was confused, and still am. I ran again but they chased me. It was odd though, they stopped when I reached the edge of the forest and a castle. I ran toward the castle and opened the door and stepped inside. That's all I remember." She ended while looking at the foot of the bed, staring off into space.
Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were looking at the girl sadly.
"I do believe that they killed your mother," Professor Dumbledore informed her sadly.
"Why?" was the girl's simple question.
"She was standing in their way of you," Dumbledore explained.
"What do they want with me?" the girl asked.
"You are a very powerful human being," Dumbledore started. "You have powers many would dream of possessing, especially the ones who hurt you and wanted to capture you. You saved yourself. You took control of the objects in your house, the wind, the fire and you pushed back the people who were coming after you." The girl just looked up at Dumbledore.
"I don't want that power. Someone else can have it," she said.
"No one else can have it. You were chosen for a reason, Morgan," Dumbledore stated. The girl jumped at the use of the name. "You were chosen for a reason."
"What was I chosen for?" she asked. "To be captured and tortured? To be utterly confused all of the time? What was I chosen for?" As her voice rose, objects around the bed started to levitate a little. Dumbledore smiled.
"Look around," he told her. She did and took in all of the floating objects: the goblet of water on her bedside table, a towel, Jacob's tie and Dumbledore's hat. "You are the reincarnation of Morgana."
"I can't be! She's not supposed to be around for another fifty years," Morgan said. Jacob watched her with a new interest.
"How do you know of this?" Professor Snape asked.
"My mother. She followed folklore and legends. I would help her with her research and findings. She told me she named me after Morgana because that was her favorite study," Morgan explained.
"Your mother named you Morgan, because you are the reincarnation of Morgana. I contacted her as soon as you were born. I told her what was to become of you and your future," Professor Dumbledore told her. Morgan let this sink in.
"You knew I was coming, didn't you? You knew I would end up here. You knew she would die?" Morgan asked.
"I did know that you would eventually end up here, yes. But I had no idea that your mother would die, Morgan. I want you to know that. I had no idea. And even if I did I would have had no control over it," Dumbledore explained.
"So what's going to happen to me now?" she asked softly after a moment.
"You are welcome to stay here. I would prefer it if you did. I would like to keep watch over you to make sure nothing like this happens again," Dumbledore said. "But, of course, it is entirely your decision."
"What will happen if I stay here?" Morgan asked.
"You will stay in one of the four houses and live like one of the students here. However you will find no need to attend classes unless you feel so. Any teacher here would welcome you into their classroom with open arms. You will be welcome to follow the schedule of a seventh year student if you so please. I think you would find History of Magic a bore as do most of the students. But you do come up often in that class. I also would imagine that you would be a great help in Defense Against The Dark Arts as well."
"She would be," Professor Malfoy said.
"How long can I stay for?" she asked, earning small smiles from the professors and the nurse.
"Until the end of the school year. Then, I feel, you will be ready to enter the world on your own. Or perhaps with someone else," Dumbledore said as he glanced toward the seventh year boys, who were still standing quietly near the foot of the bed.
"What're the four houses you mentioned earlier?" she asked, taking no notice of the glance, unlike the rest of the adults.
"Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin," Dumbledore stated. "Each house has their own characteristics."
"What was the first one? Gryffindor?" Morgan asked. Dumbledore nodded and the boys listened with rapt attention. "I think I'll like that one. I like the sound of the name." Dumbledore nodded.
"Good choice," Ryan said. Morgan turned her attention to the boys and smiled.
"Morgan, I'd like you to meet three representatives from Gryffindor. They are Ryan Connolly, Andrew Weasley and this year's Head Boy Jacob Weasley," Professor McGonagall introduced the boys. Each of them nodded as they were introduced.
"As they are members of your house, they will be obliged to show you around and take you to some of their classes," Professor Malfoy told her. The boys nodded.
"Are you feeling up for a walk, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Morgan nodded.
"We'll have Messers Weasley and Connolly show you to Gryffindor tower," Dumbledore said. Madam Pomfrey brought over a blanket and had Morgan stand up. After she stood, Madam Pomfrey wrapped the blanket around her. Andrew, Ryan and Jacob stood and went over to Morgan. The four teenagers were watched as they walked to the front of the ward and out of the door.
The four strolled quietly through the castle toward Gryffindor tower. Morgan watched the ground as she walked. Jacob's voice caused her to look up.
"How old are you, Morgan?" Jacob asked.
"Seventeen," Morgan answered.
"So are we," Andrew told her. They reached the Fat Lady and the portrait startled Morgan.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked. Morgan jumped.
"Fire," Jacob told the Fat Lady. She smiled and swung open to admit them. Morgan looked at her companions.
"It's okay. You'll get used to it," Andrew said. Morgan followed him into the common room, closely followed by Ryan and Jacob. There were still some students in the common room when they entered the room.
"Why don't we check out a dormitory then come back down here and talk a little?" Ryan suggested. Andrew, Jacob and Morgan agreed.
"Up to our dormitory!" Andrew announced and led the way to the seventh year boys' dormitory.
They entered the room and saw two other seventh year boys: Hunter Fawcett and Dennis Malter.
"Nice of you three to finally join us," Hunter said from his bed.
"Hunter, you might want to sit up," Dennis told him as he watched Morgan stand near Jacob. Hunter sat up and saw the girl.
"Oh. Hello," Hunter said. "My name is Hunter Fawcett," he said slowly. Morgan looked at him then turned to Jacob.
"Do I look dumb? Or is he talking slow for his own benefit?" Morgan asked. Jacob grinned.
"You're not dumb," Jacob answered. Morgan nodded and turned back to Hunter, who was looking extremely embarrassed.
"So what's with the visit?" Dennis asked.
"She's going to stay in Gryffindor for the year," Jacob explained. "We're showing her a dormitory."
"Why didn't you say so?" Hunter asked. Hunter jumped off his bed and started going around the room pointing out things as if the dorm was in a showcase. "This is the window, kind of drafty but you'll get used to it. The beds are nice, not the most comfortable things in the world but you know."
"Yeah, I'll get used to it," Morgan said.
"That's pretty much it in here," Andrew said. "Back to the common room?"
"Sure," Jacob said. Ryan and Morgan nodded.
"Do you mind if we join you? I mean, the spaz doesn't have to, if you don't want," Dennis asked Morgan. Hunter glared at Dennis.
"Sure, I don't mind. The spaz can come too," Morgan said with a smile. The six teens traipsed down to the common room. It was now empty and they had it completely to themselves. Jacob, Andrew, Morgan and Ryan occupied the couch while Dennis and Hunter took the armchairs. As soon as the teenagers got settled into their spots, the portrait opened and in walked Madam Pomfrey and Professors McGonagall and Malfoy.
"Morgan, dear, it is time that you came back up to the Hospital Wing," Madam Pomfrey said. Morgan nodded and stood. The blanket, still wrapped around her, trailed on the ground as she walked over to Madam Pomfrey and the professors. Jacob watched as the last of the blanket trailed out of the portrait hole as Morgan left.
"Thank you gentlemen," Professor McGonagall said before she and Madam Pomfrey left Gryffindor. The boys watched as Professor Malfoy remained in the common room.
"Don't think for a minute that just because she seems weak and docile that she is not powerful. She is the most powerful person in this castle. No one can surpass her power. And as of now, she does not know how to harness her ability. That could be dangerous," Malfoy told them. He moved to leave, but just before he reached the portrait he turned back to the students. "Gentlemen, if any of you hurt her, you will see that I will murder you, slowly and painfully. Have a good year." And with that final warning he left. All of the boys glanced at each other.
"Most powerful person in the castle?" Dennis asked. "What about Dumbledore?" Jacob shook his head. Andrew seemed to be thinking along the same lines as his cousin.
"You didn't see her in the hospital wing," Andrew told Dennis.
"What was going on?" Hunter asked.
"She started to get angry at Dumbledore and things began to float," Ryan recalled. "She was levitating things with her mind."
"It was amazing," Jacob said.
"How?" Dennis asked. Jacob, Andrew and Ryan shared glances. Andrew sighed and nodded at Jacob.
"She's the reincarnation of Morgana," Jacob told Dennis and Hunter.
"But that's impossible!" Dennis started.
"We know!" Jacob, Andrew and Ryan said together.
"We know," Ryan repeated.
Three days later, in Dumbledore's office, he and Draco were discussing the same girl. Draco was pacing around the room as Dumbledore sat at his desk.
"How are we going to insure that she will be safe?" Draco asked.
"Hogwarts is the safest place for her," Dumbledore said calmly. Draco turned sharply toward the headmaster.
"That's not good enough!" he shouted. Dumbledore studied his Defense Against The Dark Arts professor.
"Draco," he began. "I know you care for her like a father or brother. But she is capable of caring for herself. She managed to escape the Death Eaters."
"But she hasn't harnessed her power yet," Draco pointed out as he sat in a chair across from Dumbledore.
"She is learning. She hasn't started shape shifting yet. Madam Pomfrey promised to keep me informed of her progress," Dumbledore said. "Dinner is about to start soon, we shall discuss this later. Come." The headmaster stood and walked with Draco to the office door and down to the Great Hall.
The hall was mostly full when Andrew, Jacob, Ryan, Hunter and Dennis arrived. They sat at the center of the Gryffindor table in their usual spots. However one was missing from their number. Jacob watched as she walked in accompanied by Madam Pomfrey and once again wrapped in a blanket. She went over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Jacob as she yawned widely. She blinked a few times before sighing.
"Tired?" Jacob asked. She nodded and yawned once more.
At the staff table, Draco turned to Dumbledore.
"You said Madam Pomfrey was updating you of her progress. What is her progress?" he asked.
"She has gained control over her ability to control things. She no longer has to rely on emotions to trigger the power. She has discovered that she is a shape-shifter and is learning to control that."
"What emotions trigger the power?" Draco asked.
"Traditionally anger, fright, grief and love. The four most powerful emotions."
"Love?" Draco asked for clarification.
"Passionate love," Dumbledore said and left it at that. Draco got it in one. He glanced over to the Gryffindor table, specifically the center. He watched as Morgan yawned, and upon seeing that Jacob was finished with his food, let her head drop onto his shoulder. He watched as Jacob wrapped an arm around Morgan, letting her rest against him.
"How much do the boys know?" Draco asked, his gaze never wavering from the Gryffindor table.
"I do not know. However much she has told them, I suspect," Dumbledore answered.
"Is she asleep?" Hunter asked as he watched Morgan with her head still on Jacob's shoulder and her eyes closed. Jacob looked down at her.
"Yeah," he said. Soon, the only ones left in the Great Hall were the seventh year Gryffindor boys, Morgan, Professors Malfoy and Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey stood and walked down toward the center of the Gryffindor table. She stopped when she reached the boys and her sleeping patient.
"Make sure she gets back to the Hospital Wing tonight, Mr. Weasley," Madam Pomfrey told Jacob.
"Yes, ma'am," he responded. The nurse nodded and left. Andrew, Hunter, Dennis and Ryan stood.
"We're going back up. We'll see you in the common room later?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah," Jacob said. The boys left, and as they reached the doors to the Great Hall, they glanced back and saw Jacob watching Morgan sleep.
Jacob looked down at Morgan and noted how peaceful she looked. He really didn't intend on waking her, but he knew he needed to. Madam Pomfrey would have his neck if he didn't.
"Morgan," Jacob said as he shook her slightly. She lifted her head and blinked open her eyes. Jacob smiled as she looked up sleepily at him.
"We need to get you to the hospital wing," he told her quietly. She nodded and slowly made her way to her feet. The blanked dragged on the floor as they walked to the doors of the Great Hall and out into the rest of the school. Professor Malfoy watched with a careful eye as the two left the hall.