Chapter 9 – Grandfather?

Author's Notes: Come on people what do I need to do for reviews? All you have to do is read and say hello, I'll settle for that. Pleeeeaaassse? Anyway, read this, tell me what you think --

Maddie had never thought people could be so welcoming. When they arrived, a rather large man by the name of 'Hagrid' had pulled her in to a hug, telling her it was truly an honour to have met such an important person other than Harry and Dumbledore himself. What was that all about? But she instantly liked him. Then a woman in a cloak in pointed hat who introduced herself as 'Professor McGonnagal' told them they were to go up to the Headmaster's office immediately. Maddie was about to laugh at what the woman was wearing, fashion being very close to her heart, but one look from her instantly calmed her down. And so she led all four of them up through the huge castle in which Maddie thought they would never get through at all.

"How far is it now?" Maddie whispered to Harry, keeping an eye on the woman in front.

"Just around this corner." he muttered back.

Turning the corner, Maddie could see an entrance, guarded by two gargoyles.

"ma-" said Professor McGonnagal but was interrupted by the instant parting of the gargoyles, as they set eyes on Maddie.

Maddie nearly jumped into Harry's arm it gave her such a fright.

"What the-"

"Hurry on." said the Professor.

She led them up to Dumbledore's office, and knocking on the door, took them inside. Five chairs awaited them and under the order of the man behind his desk, the students sat down.

"Welcome Maddie." said Dumbledore, smiling at her, eyes twinkling.

"Albus right?" she said, amazed at the sight of him. He nodded and looked as if he was waiting for her to say something. Bumping to reality, she stood up.

"W-What do you want with me?" she said.

"Please sit down, I want to explain some parts of your life you were not aware of before."

"Oh no," Maddie replied, refusing to sit, and pacing the floor "I know everything about my past thank you,"

"Like the fact that you're a witch?" said Dumbledore, still calm.

Maddie stopped in her tracks. No.

"Please trust me, and let me explain."

She looked from Harry to Albus. She had trusted Harry, and his friends, that had turned out ok, oh why did her Mum ever agree to let her go? She looked at Harry who was now smiling at her in a bemused way. She hesitantly, sat down.

"Thank you, now, has your father ever talked about his...father?"

"Err... yeah...he died when Dad was fourteen."

"I was afraid of that." Dumbledore replied. "Look, your Grandfather didn't die, he just, left. It was complicated and he was very sorry afterwards."

Maddie sat up in her seat.

"Your father belonged to a magical family and, since his father left because he had to save others from dangerous magic, he resented all magic and refused to use It." he said.

"You're telling me some guy wanted to be a muggle?" said Ron in awe.

"More or less." Dumbledore replied.

Ron looked at him in shock, but regained him self as he received a 'McGonnagal look' from Hermione

"So my Dad was a wizard, and I was a witch, and I wasn't even told?"

"I'm afraid so."

"So is she a half blood?" Harry asked.

"Well, in a way, her great-grandmother was also a witch but had a squib daughter, who also had a squib daughter, her Mum, who then married a wizard."

"DID SHE EVEN KNOW?!" Maddie asked.

"About marrying a wizard or about being a squib?"

"Aargh!" she stood up, this was too frustrating, all the time her Dad had told her she was imagining things, like when she made the Turkey float at Christmas, or how she managed to un-burn her Halloween pumpkin pie, but she had spent all her life living a stupid lie.

"How is she going to catch up on studies?" Hermione said worriedly.

Dumbledore smiled at her, eyes twinkling, he stood up and walked over to a cabinet which held his Pensieve. He lifted it and carried it over to his desk. Maddie looked at it curiously and, forgetting her anger, walked over to the desk.

"What the-"she began, but Harry interrupted, someone shouting at Dumbledore was not something he was used to and didn't want the man to blow a fuse or something.

"It's a Pensieve, it holds the memories of its owner." he said

"Thank you Harry, yes, this was given to me by my headmaster at the start of 1st year and it's helped me with stress ever since."

"How will it teach me?" Maddie asked.

"You will drink it and the memories will become your own..."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, indeed." he replied, smiling at the term used.

"Now?"

"That would be the preferred time." Dumbledore said, smiling again.

"Um ... ok."

Maddie looked at the bowl and the silvery liquid substance inside it. She paused, before slowly and shakily, lifting the bowl to her mouth. Closing her eyes and pretending it was Guinness or Pepsi, she swallowed it whole. Opening her eyes, her world got very dizzy, and Dumbledore's life went round and round in her head, his school life, and his time with his family. Harry stood up and held her by the shoulders to steady her and after a few seconds she regained sight.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"You drank it a bit too quickly, I think, but you'll be ok." Harry said.

"Right, but, if I'm supposed to have lessons here, what's the point if I already know the answers?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I think you'll find it a bit more enjoyable then what you learnt for the past 13 years at muggle school, not that I have a problem with that." said Dumbledore.

"Ok."

"And you'll be put into Gryffindor, as, if I do say so myself, you're a lot like me."

"I am?"

"You are."

The other three led her to the Gryffindor common room and she was taken up to the girls' dorm, to find a group of girls come around her.

"We wondered why there was suddenly an extra bed." said Lavender.

Maddie introduced herself and was relieved to sink to a comfy bed that evening. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.

Maddie was woken the next day by Hermione; she slowly opened her eyes, closing them again at the sudden light.

"Come on, wake up, school you know." said Hermione brightly, like she'd been up for the past hour, which she probably had.

"Eurgh, don't like school, and who the hell are you?" Maddie grumbled.

"Hermione, remember?" she replied rather impatiently. "Come on, no late mornings at Hogwarts."

Maddie suddenly sat up; she rubbed her eyes, yelling;

"What? Where the hell am I?"

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and looked at her. For a while Maddie just sat there taking everything in.

"Oh yeah." she grumbled, she got up and went to have a shower.

"I'll meet you in the common room." Hermione called.

"Right." Maddie replied rather sleepily.

As soon as she hit the shower, Maddie was her usual active self, and ran down the stair 20 minutes later, to see Hermione sitting in an armchair by the fire. Maddie grinned, not realising the Gryffindors staring at her. For someone reason, she felt used to it. The two of them headed towards the Great Hall and took seats next to Harry and Ron. Maddie took a minute to look around the Hall, at all the different tables. Tables she recognised but did not know. She noticed some blonde boy from the Slytherin table look at her and automatically smiled, being the friendly type. He just smirked back at her and continued to talk to some big guy beside him. She could tell that Dumbledore felt sorry for him, but she couldn't think why.

Professor McGonnagal had given her a time table the same as Ron and Harry, instead of Hermione, because Maddie politely explained that there was no way she was taking up anything to do with numbers again.

She thanked the heavens, that her Granddad hadn't mentioned her in his speech thing and looked forward to the next day since she had double Defence against the Dark Arts first which Harry had told her was one of the best subjects.

Author's Notes:

Yay finished! Took ages, but then it's not like no ones reading :(, Review plz people, bear in mind I like to let things flow slowly, I don't just jump into events since in life, it doesn't work like that. So please don't go to me, where's the romance where's the action what's with Ginny and Draco and all that stuff ok? Read and you'll find out.