Thanks to all who reviewed!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1!

Chapter 3

A Newfound Power

"Oh…" Anddra nodded.

"Thanks," Lavinia, who had wiped her face by now, also nodded. She looked around her carefully. Well, she hadn't expected to land in the middle of a fountain, but at least it looked like the portal had worked this time. "The Ministry of Magic, you say?" she asked.

"Yes," the woman who had valiantly given up the handkerchief, which was now soaking wet, nodded. "And where did you two come from?" she asked curiously. "I'm Madam Chang, by the way, Head of the Department of Magical Transport. Was it a portkey?"

"A what?" Anddra asked curiously.

"A portkey. You know, an object spelled to transport you from one place to another?"

"Um, no, actually… we used a portal. I think," Lavinia said a bit nervously.

"Hmm, you'd better come along to my office," Madam Chang said, looking warily at the crowd that had gathered. Then she looked up to where there was still alight blue swirling vortex. "I'm supposing that's it?" Then she addressed the Ministry workers. "Nobody do anything to that! Go back to your work!" She was clearly a take-charge sort of person. "I'll have some people from my department look at it later," she added.

The two girls followed her to a lift. They rode it down to level 6 ("Department of Magical Transport, incorporating the Floo Network authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center."), where Madam Chang led them out and into a comfortable-looking, brightly lit office.

"Now," she said, settling down into her chair and gesturing for Lavinia and Anddra to sit down also, "You girls had better tell me why you are here."

"Well, we didn't know the portal would lead here, exactly," Anddra explained, immediately taking a liking to this woman. "We just knew it would take us to England. You see, we were supposed to be taken our, um, aunt, but we just found out that she had died, and so now we really don't have anywhere to stay."

"I see. And I'm supposing you two are both witches?" Madam Chang asked.

"Witches?" Lavinia asked, confused.

"That is to say, you have magical powers, yes?"

"Oh, yes, of course. Well, Anddra here more than me, but yes, I also have some," Lavinia answered.

"And I'm also supposing you are not from the United Kingdom?"

"No, ma'am. Latan, to be exact," Anddra said.

"And where is Latan?" Madam Chang asked inquired.

"Faerûn, ma'am," Anddra replied.

"I see," Madam Chang said yet again. "I'll have someone look into that. But you say this relation of yours is dead?" She asked.

"Yes," Lavinia answered firmly.

"Do you have any other family here?"

"Not that we know of, ma'am."

"Well, in that case, I'll have to contact the Minister. Most likely you will become Wards of the Ministry, you poor things." The older woman clucked. "You will have to sent to Hogwarts, of course, to be educated, you know. Do you girls have wands?" she asked.

"Erm, no, ma'am. We're both eleven." Anddra informed her.

"I'm guessing we'll need them to go to, this, Hogwarts place?" Lavinia asked.

"Oh, yes, of course! Well, you'll have to be given some gold, and someone will take you along shopping at Diagon Alley. Term starts next week, you know. Eleven, you say? First years. I remember when I was that age. Now, come along, I must take you to see the Minister."

"What is your name?"

"Calanddra Lia Xiloscient."

"Huh?"

"Cal-lan-dra Lee-a Xye-loe-see-ent."

"Calanddra Xi . . . Xilos . . . um . . . "

"It translates to Goldpetal. You can put that down, uh, mister . . . "

"Weasley. Percy Weasley." the red-haired wizard with the funny glasses replied.

"Huh?"

"Percy Weasley."

"Percy . . . Wee . . . Weez . . . um . . . " Anddra stuttered sarcastically, mimicking the uppity dude, her kender grin on her lips. Behind her, Lina cracked up silently, shoulders shaking.

Mr. Percy Whatever scowled at the quarterbreed girl. "Humans." muttered Anddra to herself.

"And how old are you?"

Anddra reached up and made certain that her hat effectively covered her pointed, elven ears for the 7.1 millionth time. "Eleven. Both Lavinia and I are. Should I say that again? Excuse my impertinence, but you seem to have really bad hearing." Once again that telltale, mocking, mischievous, kenderlike grin twitched her lips.

"You're eleven?" Percy turned to Lavinia, who unfortunately, was only 4 feet tall at the time.

"Yes, I'm 11, and yes, I'm short, get over it. Now, as to you, you might look like a big, strutting teenager, but you seem to have all the wits of a 3 year old toddler." Lavinia gave her sweetest smile. Now it was Anddra's turn to crack up (silently, of course.) This human wasn't nearly as nice as Madam Chang.

"Now see here, you two! I'm the Junior Undersecretary to the Ministry! Show some respect!" Percy scowled at Lavinia and Anddra. "Now, go in," Percy said, pointing into the Minister's office.

The two girls walked in. Neither of them spoke. Lavinia felt that she didn't like this man as soon as she saw the Minister.

He was a portly man with a lime-green bowler hat and a perpetual scowl; at least he seemed that way to Lina. He looked over Peter or Percel or Whoever's notes and frowned at them.

"Hello, Ms. Swiftfeather. Ms…." he paused, his tone curt.

"Goldpetal," Anddra informed him in equally curt tones.

"Ms. Goldpetal. Well, I'm sure Madam Chang has informed you of everything?"

They nodded.

"Well, then, you'll be attending Hogwarts," the Minister scowled at the thought, "Not that I really want you to, but, of course, it's the only public school of wizardry around here."

"Wizardry?" Lavinia said. "We're not wizards."

"You're not?" The minister looked taken aback.

"We're witches," Anddra said mockingly, raising one eyebrow.

"Oh, well, yes, I suppose that's true. Well, in any case, I've sent word to… ah, Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. He'll be along shortly to take you to purchase your required items in Diagon Alley. Well, I suppose that's all. You may leave," Cornelius Fudge dismissed them with a rather, it seemed to Lina, arrogant wave of his hand.

Chapter 3 was written by Atled, for your information.

Chapter 3, and all we have is only 1 review! Jeez, was it really that bad?

Please review, and if you do, we shall be eternally grateful..