The next day, Mrs. Wapsdoodle went around, ordering everyone downstairs. In response to people who asked why, she said that some lady was here, possibly to adopt someone. I was sleepy and I knew one thing was sure.
Whoever that lady was, she wasn't going to want to adopt me. So I just sat there in my room, wondering what was going on. Downstairs a very unusual lady walked in the door. She had short pink hair and wore black robes. She surveyed the children but said to Mrs. Wapsdoodle that she wasn't sure that any of the kids were right for her.
Of course, I didn't know what was happening down there at the time. So, just like countless other times, curiosity killed the cat, or in this case, made me come downstairs. I crept down the stairs, peeking out from behind the railing. She looked nice enough, but I heard her say she didn't think that she was going to adopt. Then she saw me.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Who are you?" I asked right back. A flicker of amusement crossed her face, but she replied calmly.
"Tonks."
"Well. That's almost as weird as my name," I said.
"And what might that be?"
"Caretta Hecate McKinley Swant Copernicus Grace." She didn't gasp. She didn't raise her eyebrows. She didn't stare. She just turned to Mrs. Wapsdoodle and said,
"I don't think I'll be adopting."
"Well at least stay for lunch. Maybe you could get to know some of the kids!" Mrs. Wapsdoodle suggested.
"Well… Alright then," said Tonks. So we all had to sit at the dinner table, being polite, while Tonks sat there, making shallow conversation. I sat down beside Tonks and she asked me where I was from, so I told her about the things that had happened in my life the last couple of weeks, except the witch part obviously. We ended up talking and laughing, despite my forced stiffness, I loosened up and we liked each other right away. When dinner was over, Tonks stood up to leave, but Mrs. Wapsdoodle stopped her.
"Are you sure you don't want to adopt? I'm sure you'd like… maybe Caretta?" Mrs. Wapsdoodle coaxed. She had obviously noticed the chemistry between us. It doesn't mean I'm going to get all mushy and abandon my personality and cry or say: "oh! How wonderful it would be for you to be my mother!" or anything stupid like that. I just stood there, pretending that I wasn't listening.
"I really don't think so," said Tonks firmly. Just then she looked back at me and waved, which startled me so much that my hair turned vivid green for a split second. Tonks gasped and, even though nobody else did, noticed.
"Actually, Caretta? Can I see you in private please?" she asked me. So I walked into the hall and wondered what she was going to say.
"Can you? Did you just? What was?" she started sentences but didn't finish them.
"Well, um," I started. Then I decided that I could trust her, and hoped I wasn't making a big mistake by saying,"Yes."
"Oh my gosh. Well, then, I suppose I'll have to show you," she said. By that time, as you can imagine, I was very confused. Then she turned her hair blue. Then red. Then white.
"What? Are you a," I started, "witch?" I whispered the last word. She nodded and asked me when I had found out.
"Well, to make a long story short, my mom was a witch who stopped using her powers, I found out that I was one, and my mom told me about herself being one too," I explained quickly. Tonks said nothing, but merely walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Wapsdoodle.
Before I knew it, I was out on the lawn with Tonks, Mrs. Waosdoodle waving goodbye and setting my suitcase down on the ground outside the door, Fisher chirping as he landed on my stuff.
"Wait! What are you doing?" I cried as Mrs. Wapsdoodle closed the door.
"Adopting you," Tonks said simply. That was it. No beating around the bush. I had a new mom.