Chapter one.
She tore a comb through her hair and turned to face her seventh year boyfriend. 'Remus, I will have to leave! I have an exam and if I get found in Griffindor...' 'They will have your guts for garters. Yep. Got it.' He hastily withdrew from the covers and walked to where she stood at the mirror 'Jenny my love, have you thought some more about my proposal?' he kissed her cheek lightly. 'I have but I'm still not sure. I'm only sixteen Remus.' She sank onto his bed and started lacing up her shoes. 'Remus, as a prefect if I get found here...' 'Ok! What time is it?' 'Six thirty.' 'That early? Oh take me back to bed.' He pleaded. 'I need to revise and I need to be in my own house.' She hurried to the door and held it open. 'I'll see you at breakfast?' she said smiling. 'Absolutely. I love you Jenny.' He kissed her on the lips and she hastened down the prefect corridor and out of sight. When she reached her own dorm she shut the door and leant on it. 'I know you do, you silly fool.' She said aloud. But she smiled at the thought of it and sank onto her bed.
Minerva McGonagall was nearing fifty; she had been at the school for twenty- four years – including her year 'Sabbatical'. She no longer harboured feelings for her colleague Albus Dumbledore, but they remained close friends. He had admitted in the early seventies, that he had not expected her or him to be at the school as long as they had been, so taking her to bed had been a slight over sight on his part. And he hoped she was ok with it. It had been then that she realised he was never going to make an honest woman of her and she had to move on. And in the years since that 'little chat', she had. She now sat in her apartments within Hogwarts. She was looking over the list of new students for the next year. Every year more children passed in and out of Hogwarts than she cared to remember. But one student had caught her eye this time six years ago. Jenny Trinity's name shone from the parchment, her Daughter was of age and she had made it into Hogwarts. She remembered that moment with great pride and told herself that it was nature not nurture that had got her on the list. She had thought then that she could get to know her daughter, be her favourite teacher, offer her advise. But the day of the sorting proved her wrong.
'Trinity, Jenny' Minerva called loudly. A small girl with blazing red hair approached the sorting hat. Jenny's mother took the hat and placed it on her head, the two of them both noticed an electric shock that passed between them. After a few moments (the young girl biting her lip furiously) the sorting hat said, loud and triumphant 'Slitherin!' the word hung in the air, like smoke. Minerva recollecting herself pulled the hat from the girl's head. She stared at her dumbly. Nurture then, she told her self. Jenny's face split into a grin, and she joined the other Slitherin's. Minerva was devastated.
Jenny however remembered the situation differently.
Her name was called, and she sat on the stool. Suddenly seeing all the students for the first time, her eyes goggled. The witch who put the sorting hat on her, looked intently into her eyes, Jenny saw sparks in them. She decided she was just nervous and was imagining things. The old hat laughed heartily. 'O!' It said. 'You cannot be serious, you cannot be real.' The voice was rich and plumy and disbelieving. Jenny thought intently of how real she was. The hat continued. 'What would most outrage them both?' the hat mused. 'Two Grffindors with a... SLITHERIN!' The hat bellowed. It cackled. I don't want to be a Slitherin! There bad! She thought, I have good hufflepuf parents. The hat stopped laughing abruptly 'O this is too good' it said 'I have too much fun!' The hat was pulled from her head; she looked up at the witch, McGonagall. McGonagall was giving her an odd look, it was pity. Jenny's eyes welled with tears as she sat at the Slitherin table, she put on a brave smile, but inside she was breaking – what would her parents say?
She tore a comb through her hair and turned to face her seventh year boyfriend. 'Remus, I will have to leave! I have an exam and if I get found in Griffindor...' 'They will have your guts for garters. Yep. Got it.' He hastily withdrew from the covers and walked to where she stood at the mirror 'Jenny my love, have you thought some more about my proposal?' he kissed her cheek lightly. 'I have but I'm still not sure. I'm only sixteen Remus.' She sank onto his bed and started lacing up her shoes. 'Remus, as a prefect if I get found here...' 'Ok! What time is it?' 'Six thirty.' 'That early? Oh take me back to bed.' He pleaded. 'I need to revise and I need to be in my own house.' She hurried to the door and held it open. 'I'll see you at breakfast?' she said smiling. 'Absolutely. I love you Jenny.' He kissed her on the lips and she hastened down the prefect corridor and out of sight. When she reached her own dorm she shut the door and leant on it. 'I know you do, you silly fool.' She said aloud. But she smiled at the thought of it and sank onto her bed.
Minerva McGonagall was nearing fifty; she had been at the school for twenty- four years – including her year 'Sabbatical'. She no longer harboured feelings for her colleague Albus Dumbledore, but they remained close friends. He had admitted in the early seventies, that he had not expected her or him to be at the school as long as they had been, so taking her to bed had been a slight over sight on his part. And he hoped she was ok with it. It had been then that she realised he was never going to make an honest woman of her and she had to move on. And in the years since that 'little chat', she had. She now sat in her apartments within Hogwarts. She was looking over the list of new students for the next year. Every year more children passed in and out of Hogwarts than she cared to remember. But one student had caught her eye this time six years ago. Jenny Trinity's name shone from the parchment, her Daughter was of age and she had made it into Hogwarts. She remembered that moment with great pride and told herself that it was nature not nurture that had got her on the list. She had thought then that she could get to know her daughter, be her favourite teacher, offer her advise. But the day of the sorting proved her wrong.
'Trinity, Jenny' Minerva called loudly. A small girl with blazing red hair approached the sorting hat. Jenny's mother took the hat and placed it on her head, the two of them both noticed an electric shock that passed between them. After a few moments (the young girl biting her lip furiously) the sorting hat said, loud and triumphant 'Slitherin!' the word hung in the air, like smoke. Minerva recollecting herself pulled the hat from the girl's head. She stared at her dumbly. Nurture then, she told her self. Jenny's face split into a grin, and she joined the other Slitherin's. Minerva was devastated.
Jenny however remembered the situation differently.
Her name was called, and she sat on the stool. Suddenly seeing all the students for the first time, her eyes goggled. The witch who put the sorting hat on her, looked intently into her eyes, Jenny saw sparks in them. She decided she was just nervous and was imagining things. The old hat laughed heartily. 'O!' It said. 'You cannot be serious, you cannot be real.' The voice was rich and plumy and disbelieving. Jenny thought intently of how real she was. The hat continued. 'What would most outrage them both?' the hat mused. 'Two Grffindors with a... SLITHERIN!' The hat bellowed. It cackled. I don't want to be a Slitherin! There bad! She thought, I have good hufflepuf parents. The hat stopped laughing abruptly 'O this is too good' it said 'I have too much fun!' The hat was pulled from her head; she looked up at the witch, McGonagall. McGonagall was giving her an odd look, it was pity. Jenny's eyes welled with tears as she sat at the Slitherin table, she put on a brave smile, but inside she was breaking – what would her parents say?