EVERYTHING CONTAINED HENCEFORTH AND WITHIN IS PROPERTY OF J.K. ROWLING AND IS ONLY USED AS ENTERTAINMENT VALUE BY MYSELF ANY HARRY POTTER ORIGINAL CHARACTERS WITHIN ARE NOT OF MY CREATION
Life hangs in the balance and it hangs on the choices of one woman, but what if this woman's not even sure of herself let alone her powers or her own heart and even more this woman's still not fully grown.
The dingy backstreets of London were littered with the trash of societies values. Albus Dumbledore closed his eyes amidst the agony he saw in the faces as he strode purposefully along the street.
The sign was hanging by a single chain link and that was failing even as he looked at it. A glance around and an unmistakable twitch and the sign was newly fitted and swinging heartily in the wind. A small smile touched his lips as he strode to the great oaken door. A rusted knocker announced his arrival as the matron hurried to open the door. Her skirt flapping and her chest heaving with the effort of the run she opens the door, red in the face she beckons the newcomer inside. A slight smile touches her lips as she sits down behind her desk the door slowly swinging closed behind the elderly gentleman.
"I didn't expect to see you ever again as long as I lived", an elderly withered hand brushed her once copper curls out of the way.
"An unexpected surprise lady", Dumbledore smiled.
"Unexpected for some", she allowed herself a small smile at herself. "Now as per your concern she's a very sweet child, quite unlike the other", an obvious look of disdain swept across her care worn face. A tiny flicker of his eyes were all you saw of the change in Albus Dumbledore's demeanor, but the relief at hearing this news was so extreme and inside he was already smiling to himself.
"She's always helping the other children and she's very bright", the matron smiled looking at the wall. An unframed picture of herself and a handful of smiling children was taped there.
"Any strange things like with Tom?" Dumbledore had been wanting to ask this question since first arriving. This child was so important and his knowing so only made her existence even more dangerous.
"All the time, but unlike Tom hers are not so strange, more likened to luck. Like just last week Lucy, one of our other children dropped her precious porcelain doll. As it fell I felt sure that it would break to pieces, we saw it hit and heard the sound of the breaks but Karen picked it up and it wasn't broken at all. In fact it wasn't even damaged.
Dumbledore smiled, his hopes were far being exceeded by every second of this woman's testimony.
"Would you like to meet her?" the matron gestured to the door standing and moving around the room.
"That would be a fine idea". Dumbledore strode from the room following the twitching skirt of the matron till she stopped at the closed door of an obviously female room. Smiling at the tapped pictures of unicorns and dragons the matron knocked softly and called out.
A plain faced girl opened the door and smiled. Dumbledore saw in that face his life saving chance. He sighed, it would all be fine. Her face said it all. The kindness in those eyes would far exceed any pain in the world. The love denied her by the deaths of her parents could be recreated with students and teachers at Hogwarts, though never the same. Her heart could be saved and the power she held nurtured.
"Can I help you Sister", she held her hand out touching the matron ever so lightly on the hand.
"No, my dear", she smiled and patter the child's hand. "This gentleman is here to speak to you about a special school that is interested in you. Do you remember I said he would come?"
"Oh…" a look of complete surprise crossed her young face. "I thought, well I guessed maybe another kid might get in and I'd go to school with all the others".
"Another child?" Dumbledore mumbled to himself and a small laugh rumbled behind his long beard.
"Are you the teacher who wants to talk to me sir".
"Her eyes…" Dumbledore thought to himself as he lent down. "Yes Karen I'm the headmaster of this school", he glanced at the matron and smiled. The matron sensing this was the right time turned heel and walked calmly back to her office and sat silently at her desk.
"My name is Albus Dumbledore and I'm Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I would be honored if you would allow me to extent to you a place at this school", his smile growing ever more broad as he spoke. His eyes crinkling at the corners as his smile grew.
"What about the other children?" her eyes quizzed his.
"I'm sorry Karen, but I'm only here for you", his smile faded as though he looked disappointed at this prospect.
"Oh. Oh well", slowly her face lowered and her eyes went to the floor. "I guess they'll be better off if I'm not here".
"Better off my dear?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. Well without me. There is an extra serving of potatoes or spinach and such. I know that Henry would love to eat my potatoes", she smiled to herself giggling.
"That's a good way to look at it", Dumbledore looked horrified at the prospect of them needing more food. "Now about school…", but as he went to talk she cut him off.
"I'm so sorry sir would you like to sit down", the girl gestured to a small bow legged chair or a neatly made bed.
"Oh. Thank you Karen", Dumbledore took the bed thinking that the chair would buckle under him and it wouldn't look good to have a headmaster while speaking to a prospective student topple onto his bottom.
As Karen took a seat slowly on the chair he smiled.
"Well now as I was saying. There is a place reserved for you at Hogwarts and myself and the other teachers would be very happy if you came to join us. This is not an ordinary school", Karen's head lifted slightly and she looked at Dumbledore, sitting up straighter and listening more attentively she nodded her head.
"Not normal?" her voice inquisitive and unsure.
"Not at all normal", Dumbledore smiled kindly and gave another small laugh. "We teach magic. You see Karen you are a witch. You parents before they were killed were both witches and wizards. Both actually very talented ones at that".
Dumbledore chanced a look at the child sitting before him. She was not a small girl. Her hair, a sweet honeysuckle color, hung around her like a cocoon, it was very long and exceptionally wavy all the way down to her thin waist. She was quite tall from what he had seen before she sat down. Her smile and eyes never lost their warmth though the expressions they portrayed changed. Thos eyes though, the palest blue like the sky after a storm, were so penetrating and deep that one could lose themselves in a glance. Looking more intently at her he noticed her head was down and she was thinking deeply. He gave another familiar twitch under his cloak and saw her anew. Intricate silken threads of woven magic laced her body. This was her parents work. Their last gift to their child. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, the pain sweeping through him cutting anew with forgotten memories.
"Well sir I believe you", she sighed and looked at his face. " I've always known I was different, but magic I always thought was a carnival trick. I thought what I did was just me".
"But my dear it is you", Dumbledore smiled and lent down and lifted Karen's chin. "My dear at Hogwarts you will learn there are hundreds and thousands of other people, witches and wizards just as gifted as you are. You are not an oddity, you are a gifted child" his smile warmed her face and her eyes widened as she listened to him.
"I'm not strange? This is normal", at saying this Karen looked at a glass next to her and it hovered shakily in her vision before settling once again on the desk top.
"That is only a tiny amount of talent one such as you and I can perform", Dumbledore pulled out his wand. Giving the wooden rod a wave the glass disappeared, then after a second's hesitation it reappeared filled to the brim with milk. "Give it a taste", Dumbledore gestured towards the foamy liquid. Karen's eyes sparkled and she laughed.
"No thanks I'm lactose intolerant", her hand grasped the glass and pushed it towards Dumbledore. "You drink it though. I'm sure it's lovely". Dumbledore gave another wave of his wand and the milk disappeared and the glass was empty and clean again. Dumbledore reached inside his robes, his wand once again leaving his hand, a letter instead taking its place.
"This lists all the required books and magical objects you will need for your first year at Hogwarts".
"Sir, I have no money. These books will cost money wont they?" her eyes quizzed Dumbledore's face before her eyes once again became downcast. Her flicker of hope of escaping the orphanage fading once again.
"Yes the books and objects are quite pricey", he began but at seeing her shoulders droop more he quickly proceeded, "but luckily for you your parents had a vault at a bank in the magical community. This vault I have been informed has enough money to cover your entire education and more", Dumbledore's hand procured a small gold key from a pocket inside his robes.
Karen's eyes looked at the tiny key dangling in front of her eyes. She had never hoped to have money or go to an exclusive school. Now all these offers were as easily in reach as was the gold key. A small hand closed around the key and a determined look set upon her face Karen nodded. Then a frown crossed her brow.
"Where exactly do I get these objects sir?"
"At Diagon Alley my dear one", Dumbledore offered an arm standing over her. Grasping the offered arm she stood. "We can get your things now if you'd like".
"That would be wonderful", Karen allowed herself a small smile of joy.
Pressure unlike any other closed about her, a small cry escaped her throat. Her hand clenched around Dumbledore's arm even more tightly. A small flutter in her stomach told her if this continued much longer she would be sick and soon. Mere seconds later the pain eased and the pressure lifted. Foreign smells and sounds wafted around her as she slowly raised her head and cautiously opened her eyes.
A flurry of strange sights met her eyes. Gasping Karen looked about noting the various people, shops and objects on display close to her. Forgetting her fears she walked over to the closest window and pressed her face to it so close her nose squashing against it slightly. A tiny ginger kitten bound over to the window and licked the spot where Karen's nose pressed on the outside. A smile lit up Karen's face, spreading her arms wide and laughing excitedly she span on the spot. Glancing at the spot where Dumbledore still stood she smiled and walked over, grasping his hand she looked up into his eyes.
"I'm ready sir".
"First things first Karen", Dumbledore looked down at her. "Now you have taken the offered position I am now to be referred to as Professor or Professor Dumbledore, and we really must get to your parents vault before the day really begins and your swamped with too many fascinating things I will lose you in the enjoyment of it", his hand took hers and they swept down the street. Dumbledore and the girl child cast a surprising contrast. A tall noble looking gentleman, his robes billowing around him, his silver grey hair waving in the breeze his head staring straight ahead and the little, pale girl clinging to his hand, her head swiveling excitedly from side to side, but striding as purposefully ever forwards.
The great many storied bank of Gringotts cast an eerie shadow over the cobblestones. Inside lit by many candles and fireplaces were hundreds of desks, tables, counters and creatures, so strange looking but so curiously fascinating one could not help but to stare. The explanations of Albus Dumbledore continued in the myriad of questions from the befuddled Karen. The Goblin's watching anxiously as the well known Dumbledore led the newly found witch down the corridor to the head table at the end. The table covered with hundreds of sheaves of parchment and quills stained with ink was inhabited by a burley looking goblin. His head appearing just above the bundles. Dumbledore explaining to the Goblin and Karen what was taking place and that they would like to visit a vault within Gringotts. The goblin reached down and unwillingly Karen handed over her gold key.