Kaylin Potter woke up with a start. Her heart was beating frantically in
her chest and her nightdress drenched in sweat. She had a bad feeling in
the pit of her stomach. Something had happened. She tried to remember the
dream that she had, but the harder she thought about it, the further it
slipped from her conscious. She took a deep breath and pulled herself out
of bed, creeping down the hall towards where she could hear sobs coming
from the living room.
She looked around the door and noticed her babysitter, Emma, was crying into the arms of Professor McGonagall. She'd met Professor McGonagall at her fourth birthday party just a few months ago. She noticed that Professor Snape was also there. She had met him also, at the same party. They had both come with Professor Dumbledore to see her father because they had some important news about Voldemort.
She crept into the room and saw Professor Snape look up and scowl at her.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked with a sneer.
"Leave the child be Severus" Professor McGonagall scolded, letting Emma go and walking over to Kaylin.
Kaylin took a step back, unsure as to whether she wanted to hear what was about to be said. The feeling in the pit of her stomach increased ten fold and she felt like she was going to be sick. After Professor McGonagall reached the girl, she crouched down so that they were eye level.
"Kaylin, there's something we need to tell you" she said gravely, pausing and obviously trying to think how to word what she had to say to such a small child.
"Maybe we should take the two girls to see Albus" Professor Snape suggested after a lengthy period of silence. Kaylin's heart turned to ice.
"It was Dad wasn't it" she whispered. She looked up and saw tears in Professor McGonagal's eyes.
"I'm afraid so" Professor McGonagall said in a choked voice.
Kaylin nodded slightly. She felt pain well inside her and wanted to cry, but her Dad had told her that if this happened, she had to be brave for her sister.
"I'll go get Julia" she said softly, walking back up the stairs towards the nursery where her 2 year old sister was still asleep.
A few moments later, Kaylin came back out, with a sleepy two year old grasping her hand tightly as she walked slowly down the stairs. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were now alone in the living room.
"Where's Emma?" Kaylin asked.
"We sent her home. Her presence wasn't required" Snape replied dismissively.
"Severus, these girls are too young to take the floo network by themselves. We will have to take one each" Professor McGonagall pointed out. Professor Snape rolled his eyes.
"Very well" he said irritably, picking up Julia in his arms and making his way over to the fireplace. He threw powder over the flames and stepped in, clearly saying "St Mungos" before he and Julia disappeared.
"Come now Kaylin" Professor McGonagall said, holding out her hand to the young girl. Kaylin took her hand and let herself be pulled into the flames as Professor McGonagall called out "St Mungos" and the world began to spin.
They stepped out of the fireplace moments later, to find Professor Snape dusting himself off, and Julia watching in fascination and amusement. After dusting themselves off, Professor McGonagall led the girls through a corridor and into a small, secluded room. There was a man standing by the bed, looking very grave. He looked up as they walked in, and Kaylin recognised him as Professor Dumbledore.
Kaylin saw the sadness in his eyes and felt sick. She had never seen him that sad before. She crept up to the bed and stood on a stool so that she could see the man who lay upon it. She looked at her father, not really sure of how to feel. He looked so different than he had looked earlier that day. He was very pale. She reached out her fingers to touch his face. It was very cold.
"What's wrong with him?" She asked softly.
Professor Dumbledore moved across the room and picked her up, placing her gently into a sitting position on the end of the bed.
"After he fought with Voldemort tonight, the spell backfired. He's in a coma" Dumbledore tried to explain, unsure of how to approach this topic with such a young child.
"What's a coma?" She asked, staring back at her father with vacant eyes.
"It's like he's sleeping. But we can't wake him up" Dumbledore replied, hoping that it would be enough.
"He always wakes up when Julia and me tickle him" Kaylin said hopefully. Dumbledore sighed, looking suddenly very old.
"I'm afraid it will take more than tickling to wake him up this time" he said softly. Kaylin looked back at him and nodded, before looking back at Julia. Julia was holding Professor McGonagall's hand and looking bewildered.
"Will he ever wake up?" Kaylin asked.
"I don't know, child" Dumbledore replied. "I don't know"
The room was silent for a few moments, no one knowing quite what to say. Julia had curled up in a ball on the chair and fallen asleep once again. Kaylin was staring blankly at her father's still form. Professor Dumbledore was staring out the window at the street below, and Snape and McGonagall were sharing meaningful looks, silently debating who was going to bring up the topic that was bothering them both.
"What will happen to the girl's now?" McGonagall asked, finally relenting as it seemed that Snape would never ask. Professor Dumbledore turned and regarded them both, and Kaylin's head snapped up to catch the following conversation.
"The wizarding world will be in chaos as soon as this news gets out" Dumbledore replied, looking back through the window. "It will be too dangerous to leave them with anyone from our world, so they will have to be hidden in the muggle world"
"But who would take them?" Snape asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"I believe that Harry had a cousin called Dudley Dursley. I will pay Mr. Dursley a visit and hopefully we can come to a compromise" Dumbledore replied.
Kaylin's mind was spinning. She hadn't heard her father speak of any family other than Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. But they had been over earlier that day and had been arguing with him, and their only son was her age, so he couldn't be talking about them. She shook her head, trying to clear the confusion from her sleep-deprived brain and curled up on the edge of the bed. Moments later, she was fast asleep.
The next day had dawned a few hours later, and Julia and Kaylin were awoken by Professor McGonagall. She urged them to get up quickly because they had to go and collect their things before they moved to their new home. Kaylin was extremely nervous about this new home that they were going to, but decided that the Professors were friends, and they surely would not send her somewhere unsafe.
After their things were packed and ready to go, Professor McGonagall made them both hold on to the edge of the old shoe again, which transported them to a small, quiet street called Burklan Street. They arrived at the doorstep of number seven and Professor McGonagall knocked. A large man answered the door. Kaylin took a step back, her eyes wide. She had never seen such a big man before, except for Hagrid of course. Professor McGonagall said something to the man that Kaylin didn't catch and the man stared at her and her sister with a mean look, before standing aside and allowing them entrance. Kaylin saw that Professor Dumbledore was sitting in the living room and immediately felt relieved. She did not like the large man one bit.
After the two professors spoke to the man for a while, they both stood up again.
"Well, we best let you three get acquainted. We will be stopping by to check on the girls regularly of course" Professor Dumbledore said, looking over his glasses at the large man who was still sitting on the couch. Kaylin noticed the large man pale at the words and felt a small smile creep onto her lips. At least they would be coming to visit. Surely the man wouldn't do anything to hurt them if he knew that. With that thought in mind, she waved the two professors off merrily before turning back to the house that was to be her new home.
She looked around the door and noticed her babysitter, Emma, was crying into the arms of Professor McGonagall. She'd met Professor McGonagall at her fourth birthday party just a few months ago. She noticed that Professor Snape was also there. She had met him also, at the same party. They had both come with Professor Dumbledore to see her father because they had some important news about Voldemort.
She crept into the room and saw Professor Snape look up and scowl at her.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked with a sneer.
"Leave the child be Severus" Professor McGonagall scolded, letting Emma go and walking over to Kaylin.
Kaylin took a step back, unsure as to whether she wanted to hear what was about to be said. The feeling in the pit of her stomach increased ten fold and she felt like she was going to be sick. After Professor McGonagall reached the girl, she crouched down so that they were eye level.
"Kaylin, there's something we need to tell you" she said gravely, pausing and obviously trying to think how to word what she had to say to such a small child.
"Maybe we should take the two girls to see Albus" Professor Snape suggested after a lengthy period of silence. Kaylin's heart turned to ice.
"It was Dad wasn't it" she whispered. She looked up and saw tears in Professor McGonagal's eyes.
"I'm afraid so" Professor McGonagall said in a choked voice.
Kaylin nodded slightly. She felt pain well inside her and wanted to cry, but her Dad had told her that if this happened, she had to be brave for her sister.
"I'll go get Julia" she said softly, walking back up the stairs towards the nursery where her 2 year old sister was still asleep.
A few moments later, Kaylin came back out, with a sleepy two year old grasping her hand tightly as she walked slowly down the stairs. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were now alone in the living room.
"Where's Emma?" Kaylin asked.
"We sent her home. Her presence wasn't required" Snape replied dismissively.
"Severus, these girls are too young to take the floo network by themselves. We will have to take one each" Professor McGonagall pointed out. Professor Snape rolled his eyes.
"Very well" he said irritably, picking up Julia in his arms and making his way over to the fireplace. He threw powder over the flames and stepped in, clearly saying "St Mungos" before he and Julia disappeared.
"Come now Kaylin" Professor McGonagall said, holding out her hand to the young girl. Kaylin took her hand and let herself be pulled into the flames as Professor McGonagall called out "St Mungos" and the world began to spin.
They stepped out of the fireplace moments later, to find Professor Snape dusting himself off, and Julia watching in fascination and amusement. After dusting themselves off, Professor McGonagall led the girls through a corridor and into a small, secluded room. There was a man standing by the bed, looking very grave. He looked up as they walked in, and Kaylin recognised him as Professor Dumbledore.
Kaylin saw the sadness in his eyes and felt sick. She had never seen him that sad before. She crept up to the bed and stood on a stool so that she could see the man who lay upon it. She looked at her father, not really sure of how to feel. He looked so different than he had looked earlier that day. He was very pale. She reached out her fingers to touch his face. It was very cold.
"What's wrong with him?" She asked softly.
Professor Dumbledore moved across the room and picked her up, placing her gently into a sitting position on the end of the bed.
"After he fought with Voldemort tonight, the spell backfired. He's in a coma" Dumbledore tried to explain, unsure of how to approach this topic with such a young child.
"What's a coma?" She asked, staring back at her father with vacant eyes.
"It's like he's sleeping. But we can't wake him up" Dumbledore replied, hoping that it would be enough.
"He always wakes up when Julia and me tickle him" Kaylin said hopefully. Dumbledore sighed, looking suddenly very old.
"I'm afraid it will take more than tickling to wake him up this time" he said softly. Kaylin looked back at him and nodded, before looking back at Julia. Julia was holding Professor McGonagall's hand and looking bewildered.
"Will he ever wake up?" Kaylin asked.
"I don't know, child" Dumbledore replied. "I don't know"
The room was silent for a few moments, no one knowing quite what to say. Julia had curled up in a ball on the chair and fallen asleep once again. Kaylin was staring blankly at her father's still form. Professor Dumbledore was staring out the window at the street below, and Snape and McGonagall were sharing meaningful looks, silently debating who was going to bring up the topic that was bothering them both.
"What will happen to the girl's now?" McGonagall asked, finally relenting as it seemed that Snape would never ask. Professor Dumbledore turned and regarded them both, and Kaylin's head snapped up to catch the following conversation.
"The wizarding world will be in chaos as soon as this news gets out" Dumbledore replied, looking back through the window. "It will be too dangerous to leave them with anyone from our world, so they will have to be hidden in the muggle world"
"But who would take them?" Snape asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"I believe that Harry had a cousin called Dudley Dursley. I will pay Mr. Dursley a visit and hopefully we can come to a compromise" Dumbledore replied.
Kaylin's mind was spinning. She hadn't heard her father speak of any family other than Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. But they had been over earlier that day and had been arguing with him, and their only son was her age, so he couldn't be talking about them. She shook her head, trying to clear the confusion from her sleep-deprived brain and curled up on the edge of the bed. Moments later, she was fast asleep.
The next day had dawned a few hours later, and Julia and Kaylin were awoken by Professor McGonagall. She urged them to get up quickly because they had to go and collect their things before they moved to their new home. Kaylin was extremely nervous about this new home that they were going to, but decided that the Professors were friends, and they surely would not send her somewhere unsafe.
After their things were packed and ready to go, Professor McGonagall made them both hold on to the edge of the old shoe again, which transported them to a small, quiet street called Burklan Street. They arrived at the doorstep of number seven and Professor McGonagall knocked. A large man answered the door. Kaylin took a step back, her eyes wide. She had never seen such a big man before, except for Hagrid of course. Professor McGonagall said something to the man that Kaylin didn't catch and the man stared at her and her sister with a mean look, before standing aside and allowing them entrance. Kaylin saw that Professor Dumbledore was sitting in the living room and immediately felt relieved. She did not like the large man one bit.
After the two professors spoke to the man for a while, they both stood up again.
"Well, we best let you three get acquainted. We will be stopping by to check on the girls regularly of course" Professor Dumbledore said, looking over his glasses at the large man who was still sitting on the couch. Kaylin noticed the large man pale at the words and felt a small smile creep onto her lips. At least they would be coming to visit. Surely the man wouldn't do anything to hurt them if he knew that. With that thought in mind, she waved the two professors off merrily before turning back to the house that was to be her new home.