Sophie stood for thirty seconds doing nothing but stutter and stammer, mouth agape and eyes wide, trying to digest the hallucination in front of her. It must be a hallucination because no men in the twenty-first century dress in blue silk robes with a long pointy hat decorated with elaborate moon and star embroidery. No one realistically has a silver beard that reaches down to their knees. No man in England has hair that long. It must be a wig and a costume of some sort, possibly to amuse the students. As Sophie looked around, however, no students appeared to be showing any great amount of amusement or shock towards this mans appearance.
"Merlin," Sophie pronounced eventually, as this was the name that popped immediately to her mind.
"Oh not quite, young lady, although I find it quite a compliment that you associate me with the greatest wizard of all time," spoke the wizard in a light humorous tone. The strange thing to Sophie was, despite his lack of seriousness toward the issue, his composure suggested that he was telling the truth.
"Sorry," she said apologetically, as this was the only word she could find. The feeling of awe was filling up inside of her and she genuinely felt apologetic for her ignorance.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. In truth, it is I who should apologize to you, as I am the one who has brought you here quite recklessly and unfairly. No doubt you've had a troublesome journey and considering your duties towards being a mother I should have taken much more care with bringing you into our world." He had a cheeky smile on his face and stretched out his hand. Sophie accepted it, shaking it in slow graceful movements, predicting that much wisdom is inside this man. Maggie stirred for the first time and looked in amazement at the wizard, reaching out a little finger to touch his long silver mane. Dumbledore allowed her to do this with a welcoming expression on his face.
"Our world?" Sophie finally questioned. She suddenly felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, a long way from Kansas.
"Yes," he replied, "The Magical world. I am sure you have at some point in your life encountered magic. As a child you do many times, as you can see this little girl is far more trusting of it than you as an adult. Growing older you often lose all traces of magic and come mid-teens you have pushed away its existence and regarded it as myth. I do not blame you for doing this, madam, as many Muggles follow this trend."
"Muggles?" Sophie had heard the term used before.
"Yes, non-magical people. You are either born with the gift to perform magic or you aren't. I'm afraid that you fall under the latter category. Normally the Muggle world is separated from the Magic world, but they do occasionally interact, and sometimes it is necessary for magic to be exposed."
All this was very difficult for Sophie to digest; her head began to spin with the idea of an alternative universe made up of different people doing strange things like turning enemies into toads. She thought of all the children's books she read as a child and wondered, with slight horror, whether some of it was true.
"Please don't burden yourself with the technicalities of magic. Just understand that now this world has been opened up to you it will never again be closed. We haven't yet been properly introduced. I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry, and you are?"
This sudden arrival of formalities threw Sophie off guard. She was unable to keep a grip over herself, her mind still puzzling over the existence of magic. Dumbledore waited patiently.
"Oh-oh. Well I-I'm Sophie Immanuartes and this is my daughter Maggie," she eventually said, after snapping back to the conversation.
"I see," replied Dumbledore with great understanding of her situation, "Well, there is no point in standing at the platform all night. We will take one of these carriages up to the castle where a meal and hot drink will be provided for you both."
Sophie boarded one of the carriages, placing Maggie on her knee. They both waited anxiously for the arrival of a horse but none looked to be in sight. Once Dumbledore had boarded and made himself comfortable the carriage suddenly sprang into motion. The breath left Sophie immediately. How is it moving? She calmed herself down by reminding herself that in modern day such devices can be made using electricity as to not cause harmful pollution or excess noise. Yet she could almost hear the sound of trotting hooves and the carriage bobbing up and down with a horse's rhythm.
"Isn't magic grand?" asked Dumbledore. Sophie turned around to answer but realized that he was in fact addressing Maggie, who was giggling innocently and nodding. Then suddenly she let out a high pitched squeal. Sophie panicked and clutched onto her, wondering what had caused her sudden alarm, fear rising inside. Then she noticed Maggie was pointing at a building, but not just any building, a vastly grand old gothic castle with high-reaching turrets and extravagant stain-glassed windows. It was the largest castle Sophie had ever seen and the architecture greatly amazed her. A wide-reaching lake swept around it, glimmering in beautiful moonlight. Sophie was sure that only such places were imaginary.
"It's Sleeping Beauty's castle," exclaimed Maggie, referring to her favourite Disney story. Sophie could see through the awestruck expression a tale being created in Maggie's mind, of a beautiful princess trapped in a tower and a noble prince coming to the rescue.
"Wait till you enter, Miss Immanuartes, I'm sure you will find the castle quite amazing," Dumbledore said confidently. Sophie knew that even if it was nothing but bare walls and moth-eaten tapestries inside; the place would nonetheless be perfect. Sophie loved to live in her dreams and in front of her the dream was manifested.
In barely any time at all Sophie found herself dismounting the carriage and climbing up stone steps to the great oak door entrance. She tried to get Maggie to be still but she skipped up and down the steps with great enthusiasm. Sophie, however, walked up sluggishly, her mind apprehensive.
"You mustn't be afraid Sophie. All the students will be in the Great Hall and I will be expected to make an appearance there soon to give my annual welcoming speech. However, at present the deputy headmistress is doing the Sorting Ceremony so I can offer up an hour of my time to run you through the next course of action." With this he opened the great doors.
Sophie didn't know how but the bolts appeared to just pull away. The door crept open majestically. Looking inside Sophie nearly fainted with astonishment. Her mind simply couldn't digest each magical happening that was occurring in front of her eyes. Moving paintings; great sculptures that appeared to occasionally change position; stair cases that randomly changed landings and a strange cackling circular object whizzed over her head, which looked slightly like a demented Frisbee. Maggie simply accepted it all, delighted with every little thing, whereas Sophie continually tried to justify everything logically. After about her fiftieth attempt she had to accept that the only explanations she will find, would be metaphysical.
After what felt like forever winding up and up the many staircases, thankfully all stationary, Dumbledore came to an abrupt halt in front of a great gold sculpture of a bird. Sophie braced herself, expecting the blasted thing to begin squawking. It never did, instead it began to spin around and reveal yet another stupid stairway.
"I guess you lot don't ever have to go to the gym. You have all the exercise you need just trying to get from A to B," Sophie joked whilst rubbing her sore feet. She had to admit that she'd become rather podgy in recent years and the idea of having to travel a mile in the morning just to get down to breakfast didn't sound in the slightest bit appealing.
Dumbledore's office was just as bizarre to Sophie as any other place, yet she expected no less. She sat down on one of the armchairs, Maggie sitting on one another beside her. Dumbledore reached into his desk draw and pulled out a silver tray, on it sat a familiar sight to Sophie – a variety of Basset's Liquorice All Sorts. Dumbledore chuckled and offered the plate to Maggie first, who picked up several with a cheeky smile.
"Ah – she has a sweet tooth like me," said Dumbledore whilst popping not one but ten sweets into his mouth. His expression, once swallowed, suddenly became business like: "Now, regarding your stay here. I would like to offer you a place as a Professor here at Hogwarts and should you accept it you will become a member of our faculty and remain bordered here until the summer, excluding Christmas and Easter holidays. Considering I have only just met you I am placing great trust in the good nature you have already displayed to me. However I would like to know what your plans in life were to be prior to your visit here today?"
Sophie hesitated for a long while, knowing not what to say in response. She hadn't really had any plans other than becoming a teacher and desperately attempting to make ends meet. Eventually she answered honestly: "I want to become a philosophy lecturer eventually but I need some money before I can take my doctorate."
Dumbledore's face formed a smile: "I see. I wondered whether you'd mention philosophy at all. I was hoping you would have an interest in the subject as it is the reason you are here today. You're staying here, if you should choose to accept, is on the condition that you will help me complete a task by using a magical instrument that only a certain type of person can use…"
"I don't think I'll be able to use whatever it is your thinking of. I'm not special in any way." Sophie cut Dumbledore off. She was starting to feel disillusioned, like Dumbledore had chosen the wrong person and is going to send her on her way once he realizes. She wasn't special, she was a mess. Her life was made up of many badly made choices, one of which being this.
"You wouldn't be here otherwise. I have confidence in you, Sophie, so please have some in yourself. I need you to trust me or else none of this is going to work. I don't want to inform you of the task tonight, as we are both too tired and Maggie is looking impatient." Sophie turned to see Maggie, who had picked up one of the many brass instruments and was banging it against the desk.
"So, what next?" she asked.
"I want you to teach here. I think it will do you some good to teach magical students, as they are more difficult than the average and it will set you in good stead for becoming a lecturer. I will timetable your lessons into their schedule for twice a week, excluding the sixth and seventh years, who it will be optional for."
"Teach?" Sophie uttered, "Teach what exactly?"
"Philosophy, of course! Well unless you want to teach them something mundane about Muggle life. I think philosophy is a discipline useful to both worlds."
"You want me to teach philosophy? What type? Do I have a curriculum?" Sophie asked, still trying to get her head around the idea of being able to fulfill yet another one of her dreams.
"No curriculum. I've just added the subject to the course. I'm sure the Ministry will be none too happy but it will serve them good to compromise. I'm allowing you to teach any topic you feel fit, bearing in mind you'll be teaching age groups from eleven to sixteen, and as long as I see them making reasonable progress I will not intervene in your work."
"Seriously?" Sophie asked; feeling like there must be a contract to sign; a trail period and a supervisor for the first two months with targets to be met on teaching standards each week.
"I am not as harsh with my staff as the Muggle Education Authorities are with new teachers. I don't doubt you will do a good job. I will give you two weeks to plan your lessons for the course of the year, I hope you will use this time wisely, allowing yourself to get accustomed with our way of living."
At this point Sophie looked over to Maggie who was still playing with the instruments. She was making pretend characters out of each and forcing them to interact. It dawned on her that Maggie may have to go home, this isn't a place for a young child and there are no primary schools in the local area. Maybe Dumbledore will suggest Maggie live with her grandparents or move to America with her father. Sophie shook her head bitterly, knowing she would not allow that. She would choose to sacrifice this brilliant career opportunity to stay with her daughter.
"I perfectly understand Sophie that you and Maggie are inseparable," Dumbledore said in nothing more than a whisper. "That is why I am willing to let her stay, although she'll be the youngest here by far. Adjoining your chambers I will set up a nursery for her and assign two of our house-elves to watch over her. You will find the two house-elves very willing to help Maggie and very able in looking after her while you are working. I will instruct them to assign a couple of hours a day toward teaching Maggie basic arithmetic and reading skills. No doubt you'll want to spend time doing that yourself but I want to provide the service so that you do not feel she is missing any part of her education."
Sophie's expression was still one of worry though: "What if she doesn't agree with these… what you call them…. House-elves?"
"I'm very rarely wrong, Sophie, as you will soon discover and I can confidently say that the two house-elves I have in mind will take to Maggie like a duck to water." With this he chuckled slightly and added, "They will soon be best of friends."
He rose up swiftly and picked up a rather complicated device from a shelf that Maggie was about to grab. She gave him a look of annoyance that soon faded when he offered some more Liquorice All Sorts. She took as many as her little hand could grasp.
"Now Sophie, I hope you will understand that my presence is needed elsewhere. Follow me and I will show you to your chamber, which I'm afraid to say is quite a walk away from the Great Hall and breakfast."
"Bu-bu-but I need some clothes and stuff," Sophie stammered, realizing neither she nor Maggie had anything clean.
"Not to worry," Dumbledore dismissed, "Tomorrow I will have one of our Professor's escort you to Diagon Alley."
Sophie didn't want to know what this trip may entail; she was expecting to wake up the next morning discovering it had all been a dream. One thing was becoming apparent though; she realized as she walked down the great corridors and pathways, her life had rapidly changed that day. Somewhere there was someone who had given her a new chance at life.
Chapter 4 is in the making. I hope you are enjoying the fan fiction so far. Please feel free to review.