I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything else resembling what J.K Rowling introduced us all to. Just the plot and OC are mine.
Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, followed, or added this story as a favorite! It's so encouraging :) Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4
Avalynn agreed with McGonagall that the discussion about her appearance would be a bit of a doozy, so she said, "I think that's a great idea." James and Sirius looked ready to protest, more than likely being impatient to get answers, so she added, "You guys are coming too, right?"
James nodded vigorously and Sirius looked taken aback, thinking that the girl wouldn't include them. He was still suspicious of her arrival into the Shrieking Shack considering there were wards surrounding the entire building to keep Remus in and humans out.
The professor nodded to them and turned to leave the room, with Ava starting to follow her cautiously. She quickly cleared her throat, drawing McGonagall's attention. "Uh, professor? Could you transfigure me some shoes?" Ava asked as she glanced down at her wiggling toes, painted a soft metallic pink.
McGonagall smiled and replied, "Of course child. I apologize for not considering it before. Any preference?"
"Yeah, um, could I actually have black high-top Converse? Size 7 in men's. Oh, in U.S. sizes," Ava quickly sputtered out, feeling a little silly. McGonagall quickly waved her wand and Ava's feet were socked and covered in the requested footwear in an instant. She broke out into a grin and emphatically said, "Thank you very much Professor McGonagall."
Sirius made a noise of approval, gaining a brief smile from Avalynn before she turned to follow the professor out of the door. James nudged his friend with his elbow to get him moving so they wouldn't get left behind. "Let's go, Padfoot."
The rest of the eerie house was in the same condition as the large room they had been enclosed in. Faded wood and peeling wallpaper everywhere, with the stairs heading up to a second floor missing a few steps. The staircase caused Avalynn to realize they were on the ground floor, and she followed McGonagall down a narrow hall that looked like it led to a small linen closet. However, once the professor had opened the door, it revealed a dark, earthy passage. Ava assumed this would lead to the Whomping Willow, and took a deep breath before stepping into the tunnel after McGonagall. The professor and teenagers trekked through the passageway in silence and near darkness, with the only light sources coming from their wands. Another way that magic is useful, thought Ava as she walked behind Professor McGonagall, keeping close so she could watch her steps in the light from the witch's wand.
After a few minutes, the tunnel began to incline slightly, and soon Ava could see a soft light ahead of the group. With the sun beginning to rise, she could clearly see the massive Whomping Willow frozen in place as she ascended from the ground. Looking around, Ava saw grassy knolls all around them with the willow standing in a sort of alcove from a hill. In the distance, she could see a huge, dark green tree line, so she pointed and asked, "Is that the Forbidden Forest?" Not hearing a response, Ava turned to see if they had heard her question. McGonagall was looking at her curiously with one eyebrow slightly raised, and the boys had their eyes narrowed in suspicion. She threw her hands up and confusedly said, "It's just a question."
The professor smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, that is the Forbidden Forest. I apologize for our reactions, but it is truly odd for someone not attending Hogwarts and claiming to not have magic to know about our school." Then she turned from Ava and headed towards the top of a nearby knoll next to the willow. Ava looked to the boys, rolled her eyes at their judging looks, and exasperatedly said, "I told you. I don't have magic. What I did with James' wand was probably just a fluke." She didn't wait for a response from the boys and trailed after McGonagall. Sirius shared a look with James, but they both shrugged and jogged to catch up to their professor and the strange girl. When Ava caught up to the professor, McGonagall informed her that there was a spell that she could perform for Ava that would allow her to see the castle even though she's a Muggle. Ava smiled in response and continued up the hill.
As the group crested the hill, the immense castle of Hogwarts came into view, causing Avalynn to gasp and softly breathe out, "Holy balls. That is fucking huge." She halted her movement and stared up at the enormous, gray stone structure with wide eyes, taking in the archways and turrets. It was incredible. She had always planned to visit old castles in Europe, but never got around to traveling there. However, she was certain none would be up to par with this giant. Hearing a throat clear, Ava shook her head and looked to the side to see McGonagall, whose lips were pursed but her eyes sparkled with amusement. Next to her, James and Sirius were trying to keep from laughing at Ava's language in front of their stern Head of House, but they were failing dismally. Ava joined in on their laughter and said, "You can't tell me that none of you had that reaction the first time you saw that behemoth looming over you," with her finger pointed at Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall merely shook her head and replied, "Not with the same sort of colorful language you seem to have, young lady." At that comment, James' laugh escaped and he held onto Sirius' arm for support. The professor looked Ava up and down, adding, "I guess you won't need that spell after all. Since you can see the school on your own, you must have some amount of magic in you."
Ava frowned, not believing that particular line of thinking. It was difficult enough for her to accept that she was truly awake in a world where magic exists. "Could it be a side effect of the spell that brought me here?" she asked while casting side glances at James and Sirius.
McGonagall clicked her tongue and tersely replied, "I won't know for sure until I have the opportunity to read over the spell in its entirety." She turned to James. "Mr. Potter, I expect you to contact your parents immediately following our discussion and ask permission for the grimoire to be sent here so that I can examine it." James nodded vehemently.
"Good", McGonagall said as she turned back towards the castle and beckoned Ava to continue following her.
Sirius grumbled to his friend, "We're in for it now, mate. Mum and Dad won't be pleased." James nodded in agreement, knowing that he would have to come clean about the spell in order for their parents to cooperate.
As the group continued the journey through the castle to McGonagall's office, Ava was taking in everything that she possibly could. They passed through an open courtyard with stone benches and flowerbeds sporadically placed around the edge, causing Ava to sigh in disappointment. She had been hoping they would walk through the Entrance Hall. She quickly forgot her displeasure as they stepped through a wide wooden door into the interior of the castle. Avalynn's eyes darted all over the hallway, soaking in the suits of armor and moving portraits, as she tried to keep up with McGonagall. There was so much to look at in the corridors, she kept turning her head this way and that, causing Sirius to huff and say, "Oi, girl. Can you stop scrambling to look at everything? You're making me dizzy. Besides, you've got more important things to worry about right now."
Now if Sirius had just asked politely, Ava would've merely acquiesced in silence, but it seemed that the Black heir just couldn't help himself. She slowed her walking and turned to face Sirius with her eyebrows raised. He didn't notice Ava stop, so he nearly tumbled into her and now stood chest to chest with her. He let out a startled, "What?" and quickly received a poke to the chest from Ava.
"I have a name, Sirius Black. It's Ava. Remember it. Use it," she told him, with another poke to his chest punctuating each sentence. She slowly turned her gaze to James, who was gaping at the scene before him. He quickly flashed her a smile and said, "No problem with me Ava," emphasizing her name while placing his hands up in surrender.
Ava glanced around at portraits reaching up to the ceiling on either side of the corridor and smiled. She softly said, "You both don't understand. You grew up with magic. For this place to be real—it's incredible." Avalynn returned her gaze to the boys and gave Sirius a hard look. "And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, thank you very much," she told him sternly, giving him another firm poke to the chest for good measure. She quickly turned back around to catch up with McGonagall, and as she neared the door leading into the professor's office, she could hear James snickering behind her.
"Seems like you're in the doghouse, Padfoot," James said lightly. Sirius rolled his eyes at Prongs as he rubbed his chest where Ava had prodded him and followed the bossy girl into McGonagall's office.
Ava thought that the witch's office was cozy and inviting, especially once McGonagall had lit the fireplace. The professor's sturdy, wooden desk was placed in front of the wall directly across from the entrance to her office. There were several bookshelves lining the other three walls, only being interrupted by a tall fireplace, with picture frames on the mantel. The professor effortlessly summoned teacups and got the three teenagers settled down into comfy brown leather armchairs. For a minute or so, the only sound in the room was the crackling of logs in the fireplace accompanied by the occasional sipping of tea. Not able to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, Ava took a couple deep breaths before stating, "I promise to tell you all the truth of everything that I know if you swear a Wizard's Oath first." She looked at each of the shocked faces before her as she added, "It's honestly too dangerous to be telling everyone, so the truth needs to be kept secret." She placed down her teacup and shrugged. "I suppose that I do trust all three of you anyway, but still. I'd really feel better knowing that you can't share my story with anyone without my permission or on accident."
Sirius scoffed. "You're kidding, right? What kind of life have you got that makes you so important?"
Ava snapped her eyes to Sirius and glared at him. "Well, it's a life that I haven't got anymore, isn't it? Since I'm here now."
"We're really sorry, Ava," James placated immediately, widening his hazel eyes. "I told you before that we didn't mean to pull you away from your life, but we were just trying to help our friend, Remus." He frowned slightly and asked, "How do you know about a Wizard's Oath anyway?"
She let out a sigh of frustration and replied, "I'll tell you as soon as you swear not to tell anyone else, unless I give you permission to." Ava alternated giving James and Sirius a hard stare when she added, "That includes the other Marauders. And Lily. For now, at least. And definitely Dumbledore."
Sirius was ready to protest again, but McGonagall spoke up first. "I'll take the oath. Boys, if you're unwilling to take the oath, then I suggest you leave."
The best friends looked at each other for a couple tense seconds, then nodded. They turned back to Ava and James said, "We'll do it." They didn't like lying to their friends, but they couldn't help their curiosity. Plus, if this girl was truly somehow matched to Moony, they needed to know more about her.
Avalynn let out a breath. She was grateful that they were at least willing to hear her side of the story. "Thank you," she told them softly. They each nodded in return.
McGonagall held up her wand and said, "I swear on my magic that I will not tell another soul about Ava's truth and any information she may provide, unless she specifically gives me permission to do so."
"Thank you very much, professor," Ava said with a slight smile.
James and Sirius repeated the same oath as McGonagall, but didn't seem quite as sure as they spoke the statement aloud. All three of them looked at Ava expectantly, and she took a deep breath. "I know this is going to sound insane. Like really, really insane. But I think I'm from an alternate reality or something because as far as I'm aware, Hogwarts, magic," she gestured towards each of them with her hands, "and you guys, are all fictional and from a book series." Ava couldn't sit still, so she stood and began pacing as she continued, "One of my favorites actually. You guys are characters in the books. But of course, this is absurd, right?" She glanced at McGonagall then resumed her pacing. "But what other reason is there? I was convinced that I was dreaming because I didn't think that magic and the fucking Wizarding World was real!" She was slightly out of breath and wiped tears from her eyes, then looked up to see McGonagall with one eyebrow raised and the boys trying not to laugh. After a moment, Ava realized why and turned her gaze to the professor with a sigh. "I'm sorry for my language Professor McGonagall, but this is just a lot to handle." The professor merely nodded, so Avalynn continued, "I know things about your world because I learned it by reading the book series. I actually know a lot about your world, and your future. And I definitely can't do magic. Maybe James' wand had some magic leftover in it or something. I don't know how I did that spell. I most certainly don't have magic." Ava let out a hysterical laugh as she stopped pacing. "What the hell am I thinking?! Magic! Magic isn't real. This has gotta be a dream. Just a really compelling dream." Ava nodded once, seeming to have reassured herself that she was still unconscious in her bed, sleeping with her dog Moose beside her.
Jumping at the chance to interject while Ava caught her breath, Professor McGonagall gently asked, "Why must this be a dream? Why can't magic be real?"
Ava's head quickly came up to look at the older witch. "Why? Uh, maybe because that would mean that I'm a long way from home, which I may or may not be able to get back to? Or that my poor dog and my family and my friends are probably waiting for me back in another world?!" she asked sarcastically, throwing her hands in the air. Ava let out a sudden gasp and locked eyes with McGonagall. "Or that fucking Voldemort is real," she added in shocked voice. Ava missed the flinch from Professor McGonagall at the use of You-Know-Who's name and the boys' eyes going wide at the implications behind her statement as she shook her head quickly and muttered, "Nope, not doing it. I'm dreaming." She turned from the professor and the boys, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing the palms of her hands over them.
James and Sirius couldn't seem to do anything besides sit in their seats, absolutely bewildered, with their mouths hanging open. Professor McGonagall had plenty of experience soothing upset teenagers, but it was usually about missing home or a bad breakup. She had certainly never consoled students because of their lives being turned this upside down before, but she was going to try. The older witch rose from her seat and slowly approached Avalynn, quickly deciding how to handle the girl's behavior. Once within reaching distance, she cleared her throat and firmly said, "Now, I understand being upset with your situation, but there's no sense dwelling on whether you are dreaming or not. It may be hard to believe, young lady, but you most certainly are not dreaming. You are awake and you are in the Wizarding World."
Ava turned to look at McGonagall with watery, pleading eyes. "What do I do?" she asked in a small voice. James and Sirius looked at each other regretfully. They just wanted to help Moony, and they hadn't meant for it to happen this way.
"Miss—Ava, you say that all you know about magic and the Wizarding World comes from a book series?" the astute professor asked. Ava nodded.
"So in your world, or reality, magic did not exist?" the professor prodded.
Ava nodded and responded, "Right. If there was magic, wouldn't the Ministry have stopped the author from publishing the books for the Statute of Secrecy?"
The older witch nodded in agreement, pleasantly surprised. James and Sirius were once more flabbergasted. James was shaking his head slowly as Sirius irritatingly asked, "How do you know so bloody much about our world?"
"Language, Mr. Black," the professor admonished and his fierce expression softened before he muttered, "Sorry, professor."
Ava sighed and rolled her eyes. "I literally just told you. I'm a big fan of the books." She looked down at the floor with a blush rising to her cheeks as she mumbled, "I'm a really huge fan, actually," thinking of the Deathly Hallows watercolor tattoo on her shoulder blade.
Curiosity peaked, James asked, "Why do you like the books so much?"
Avalynn peeked up to see that even McGonagall was waiting for an answer. "Well, uh, magic, first of all. Magic would be so cool if it was real." She frowned. "If it wasn't real, I mean. Obviously it's real here, for you guys. Every kid wishes they had some sort of superpower or something. And the adventure and storyline are great too." Ava's frown deepened. "But it's not just a story here, is it? It's real." She let out a puff of air and looked at the professor with concern in her blue eyes. "There's a lot that we need to talk about. If this really is real, then there are some serious issues that need to be handled as soon as possible," Ava grumbled, thinking of Voldemort and the First Wizarding World that was just starting. She took a deep breath, knowing that she'd get some resistance for her next statement. "I may not be able to do magic, but I'd like to join the Order."
The professor's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, similar to James. Sirius scoffed and said, "You even admitted it. You can't do real magic. How could you contribute to the cause?"
Ava rolled her eyes. How thick can he be? she thought. "Obviously. I have information, you know, from the books," she replied slowly, not holding back her condescension.
McGonagall nodded knowingly. "We can discuss that further later. At the moment, we should focus on determining how you arrived here, if possible." She then looked to James and asked, "What was the purpose of the spell you cast for Mr. Lupin?"
James gulped and replied, "It was a spell used to match people with their soulmates."
Ava released a shrill, "What?!", causing the boys to flinch.
McGonagall's face bore a look of surprise, but then her expression turned stern. "I have to ask. Did this spell have any malicious intent behind it?"
James shook his head vigorously. As if they would do such a thing. Sirius grimaced and spoke up, "Well, not malicious exactly, but it was sort of gray magic."
Both Ava and McGonagall narrowed their eyes at him. "What do you mean?" Ava asked quickly.
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, feeling the weight of what they had done for the first time. He looked to James quickly and saw that his friend was just as uncomfortable as he was. "The spell had no bad intentions behind it. We actually had to have the best of intentions for Remus, but we had to use some of his blood."
At that confession, Professor McGonagall gasped, causing Ava's head to whip towards her. "Professor?" she asked shakily. The older witch merely shook her head and said, "I need to see the spell book first."
Ava nodded in understanding, then questioned, "So the spell somehow brought me here?"
"It appears to be that way," McGonagall stated. "At what point during the night did you arrive?"
Ava frowned and replied, "I must've been asleep." She nodded slowly and added, "Yeah, I was asleep. James, Sirius, do you guys remember when I showed up?"
The boys both looked at each other in nervousness once more. Sirius looked resolutely around the room while James hung his head and softly told them, "Right when Moony started to transform."
Ava wasn't sure what to do with this information, so she looked to the professor and was startled to see fire in her eyes and her wand hand twitching. McGonagall's tone was harsh when she said, "You boys play around a lot, but you better have learned your lesson this time. I'll not tolerate it again. This poor girl was forced to appear during a full moon and could have lost her life! You may not be Hufflepuffs, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be considerate of others. Did you even hesitate and think of the person that this spell would call upon?"
The boys looked to Avalynn with shame and regret in their eyes, and James' eyes even looked to be watery from where she was sitting. She sighed internally and decided to speak up on behalf of the boys. "Professor, Remus didn't hurt me or anything. I mean, for a minute there it was touch and go," she said with a slight chuckle before seeing the older witch's unamused look. Ava cleared her throat and continued. "Right, well, um. He didn't bite me. He growled a bit, but I think that was actually directed more at Sirius than myself. Moony actually licked my face and then wanted to play."
McGonagall's severe expression dropped at Ava's information and she slowly asked, "Is that so?"
Ava nodded and replied, "Yes, ma'am. I really don't think James and Sirius knew that I'd show up during a full moon, but no one was hurt anyway. Please don't let them get in any trouble for it. It seems like they know they've screwed up badly enough as it is." She shifted her gaze from the professor to the boys, who were gaping at her with wide eyes. She kept surprising them with her behavior. Sirius assumed that she'd want them torn apart for forcing her from her life somewhere else.
The professor merely made a noise of acknowledgement before adopting a softer expression on her face and announcing, "I believe you have magic in your blood Ava." The girl started to protest, but McGonagall rose her hand and continued quickly, "Whether you believe it or not, you do. Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to cast that shield, or see Hogwarts." She paused, letting the idea settle in Ava's mind. "Now, what I'd like to do is have you run through some diagnostic tests before we determine where to place you."
All three of the teenagers frowned as Ava asked, "Place me? Place me where?"
McGonagall smiled. "Your classes of course. This is a school after all."
Ava's jaw dropped to the floor. "Are you serious?"
"No, I am," Sirius quickly interjected with a charming smile. James rolled his eyes and said, "Not really the time, Pads."
Ava shook her head as she giggled. "I cannot believe that you just said that." The boys returned her grin and Ava looked back to the professor. "Are you telling me that you plan on me staying here? At Hogwarts? And having me learn magic?"
McGonagall nodded with a soft smile.
Ava eyes widened as she let out a breathy, "Holy shit."
"Language, young lady," the professor reprimanded firmly before she continued on, "If you are indeed a witch, then you must learn how to control it. Besides, Hogwarts is open to everyone who needs it."
Ava was excited for the first few moments, but now she was panicking. Reading about a magical world in a book and enjoying the story and characters from afar is much different than actually living it. She began to pace again and started to ramble her thoughts aloud, "But I'll be so far behind because of my age." She paused and shook her head before resuming to wear a hole in the carpet. "Nope, I'm a teenager again. Well, still, not eleven. But what about a wand? And supplies?" She frowned with the realization. "I don't have any money. Or a home. I could just stay at the school I suppose. Well, until summer. And I've got to talk to the Order. And I'll need a job. Wait, what about my blood?" She stopped dead in her tracks and whipped around the face McGonagall and the boys. "My blood status?" she practically shrieked.
"What of it, young lady?" the professor huffed out. James and Sirius both looked defensive, ready to yell at Ava to rip her a new one for being a prejudiced bigot about blood status.
"Let's say I do have magic. If I do, then I'm Muggleborn, right? I can't be right now. I mean, well, I could be, but it's not exactly safe. And with the added bonus that I know what Voldemort's up to, I'd have an even bigger target on my back." Ava thought quickly and gulped, turning to face the professor fully. "Whose last name could I get away with using? Just so I could appear to be a half-blood."
McGonagall pursed her lips and furrowed her brows in concentration.
Ava looked to the boys, but they both shrugged. She sighed and returned her gaze to the professor.
"Young lady, you say that you trust me?" McGonagall asked, piercing Ava with an intense gaze.
Ava nodded vigorously, "With my life."
The older witch looked slightly surprised, as did the boys. She literally just met us several hours ago, thought Sirius.
McGonagall hummed in consideration. "Very well. I will allow you to assume my last name in order to pose as my niece."
All three of the teenagers were shocked once more. Ava started to protest and shake her head. "Professor McGonagall, that's too much to ask for. You don't even know me. You're willing to be responsible for me?"
McGonagall smiled softly. "Yes, Ava. You appear to be truly earnest in learning about magic and aiding in the war effort against You-Know-Who." She frowned and sighed. "I have a feeling we'll be needing all the help we can get."
"We can help, professor," Sirius exclaimed. James agreed with a grin and added, "Yeah, of course we'll help." Ava grinned. Of course they would jump at the chance to help and join the Order. Especially, since she assumed that James' parents were part of the underground group.
But McGonagall just waved them off. "We'll discuss that at a later date. We need to get Miss Ava McGonagall settled in first," she finished with a smile. Ava returned the grin, so she continued, "My brother passed away several years ago, and his American wife recently passed as well."
Ava nodded, understanding where McGonagall was going with this. "It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that I'm under your custody now since my parents can't look after me. We'll have to say that I'm sixteen then, so I'm not of age yet, and it'll be more believable."
The older witch was once again pleasantly surprised with the girl's knowledge and forethought. "Since you have no true understanding of magic, I believe that it would be understandable if your mother raised you as a Muggle once my brother had died, since it was before you turned eleven, and she kept you in Muggle schools." She nodded to herself and added, "And you are only now finding out that you're a witch."
Ava frowned slightly. "Is that a good idea?"
Before the professor could explain, James piped up with, "Well, how else are you gonna explain that you're sixteen and you can only do the magic of a first year?"
"Well, I suppose," Ava said softly, then she huffed and crossed her arms as she sat back down in her chair. "Is Protego a first-year spell then, Sirius?" she asked with a knowing smirk.
The Black heir sputtered and gestured frustratedly with his arms, "Oh yeah? Well, I didn't know that you had magic, Ava," causing James and Ava to laugh at his amusing display of outrage.
McGonagall's lips twitched slightly before she announced, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, off to bed with you. It's still the wee hours of the morning, and if I recall, you both have quidditch practice later this morning. And please remember to not speak of Miss Ava McGonagall and what was said here. Trust me, you won't like the consequences of speaking on this matter without her permission."
Before the boys could even leave their seats, Ava quickly added, "And don't tell Remus anything about the spell either."
Both of the boys groaned. "More secrets?" James griped. Sirius had his eyes narrowed at Ava and seemed to be thinking along the same lines as James.
She shrugged, looking at the ground and timidly said, "Well, what if the spell doesn't do what you said? Or what if it is exactly as you said?"
The boys looked at each other and then back to Ava, who had not once shown herself to be shy since she appeared in the Shrieking Shack. "How do you mean?" Sirius asked hesitantly.
Ava couldn't bear to look at anyone as she voiced her thoughts. "Um, well, I mean, what if—what if I am supposed to be his soulmate, but he doesn't want me or he feels forced because of the spell?" She neglected to raise her eyes at this point, so she missed the desperately remorseful expressions on the boys' faces. They were now fully realizing how little they had thought through the spell for their furry friend. James vowed to get his hands on the Potter family grimoire as soon as possible so that they could figure out exactly what the situation between Remus and Ava meant.
"I'm sure that won't be a problem, Ava. Ol' Moony is gonna love you," Sirius said confidently with a smile. Ava lifted her gaze to give him a soft smile at his attempt to cheer her up as he stood from his chair. James stood to join him and determinedly said, "I'll owl my parents right now."
They turned to Ava to wave goodbye as they walked out the door of McGonagall's office and Sirius said, "I guess we'll see you later." She nodded in agreement and James quickly repeated an apology for the entire situation, receiving another silent nod from Ava.
Once the boys had left for the Owlery and Gryffindor Tower, McGonagall and Ava discussed their plans for the day. Apparently, it was a Friday and the professor only had two classes and would be done teaching by lunch time. After her classes, McGonagall would come collect Ava and take her to Diagon Alley to purchase a wand and school supplies, as well as clothes and other necessities. Again, Ava attempted to protest, but the older witch waved her off with a friendly smile, claiming that she needed someone to spend money on anyway with her having no children or real nieces in her life. Ava returned her smile and thought that she might actually enjoy experiencing Hogwarts as a student with the professor as her pseudo aunt. However, McGonagall thought it would be in everyone's best interests to visit the Headmaster before the day got started.
