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: This chapter is huge! I just couldn't decide where to stop as it grew and grew, but I'm sure you're all okay with that :) Let me know what you think! And yes, I did play around with some of the characters' ages, but that will make this more fun.
Chapter 7
The sensation of traveling by the Floo network was not something that Avalynn was likely to forget any time soon. As soon as she had finished exclaiming "Diagon Alley!", her vision was blinded by a bright green light. Instantaneously, Ava could feel every nerve in her body come alive and tingle. For the brief second that it took for her to travel from Hogwarts to Diagon Alley, it felt as though her entire body had fallen asleep and she was trying to move, causing a pins and needles sensation to erupt throughout her torso and limbs. Just as quick as the feeling had come, it had gone, leaving Ava standing in a different fireplace with wide eyes as Professor McGonagall looked on in amusement.
"Ready to go purchase your wand?" the older witch asked.
Ava's expression immediately changed from utter bewilderment to happiness and she cautiously stepped out from the hearth to see that they were in a small room that housed four fireplaces that seemed to be for public access to Diagon Alley. Following her aunt out onto the street, Ava steeled her nerves, anticipating being overwhelmed by the sight of various wizarding establishments coming to life. She also quickly realized that this would be her first time in a crowd of people since she arrived in the Shrieking Shack. She took a couple deep breaths and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. Stepping out onto a cobblestone street and blinking rapidly, Ava could slowly discern that they were across from Madame Malkin's and next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Professor McGonagall couldn't help the smile that formed once she took in Ava's look of wonderment as the young girl gazed around the street.
"There it is!" Ava shouted in excitement with a finger pointing at Ollivander's wand shop. She quickly turned around to McGonagall standing next to her and breathlessly asked, "Can we go?"
The professor let out a chuckle and nodded. The street wasn't as crowded as Ava had been anticipating. Nevertheless, she stayed as close to McGonagall as possible. She felt very vulnerable knowing that any person around her could use magic against her at any second and there would be nothing that she could do to stop it. Ava shook her head, You're just being paranoid. Approaching the storefront, Ava looked up at the sign above the door with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that she was about to get a wand. An actual wand. One that could do magic. She bit her lip and let out a little squeal of enthusiasm as she followed her aunt into the store.
The front room of the wand shop was occupied by a wooden countertop with an old-fashioned looking register, and the rest of the space was used for storing what seemed like thousands of wands. Thin boxes were precariously stacked upon one another, most of the columns reaching the twelve-foot ceiling, and Ava could see more wands piled together behind the counter, reaching up to built-in cubby shelves. Hearing a throat clear, Avalynn shook her head and refocused on her Aunt Minerva, who was standing at the counter across from an older man with shoulder-length, wavy, gray hair, who was giving Ava an inquisitive stare. She mustered up her courage and approached the wandmaker and her guardian.
"Your aunt mentioned that you are purchasing your very first wand today, Miss McGonagall?" Ollivander clarified in a voice gruffer than Ava was expecting.
Ava merely nodded, simultaneously too excited and frightened to speak. This conversation made her whole situation seem more real than anything, and she felt like Ollivander was looking straight into her soul with his piercing green eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the wandmaker tilted his head and muttered something unintelligible before walking out from behind the counter and selecting several boxes. He placed the boxes holding wands down on the counter in front of Ava and said, "I'd like you to slowly hold your hand over each box. Hopefully, one will call to you."
Ava glanced at Professor McGonagall, receiving a kind smile in return, and then proceeded to follow Ollivander's instructions. She felt quite silly when absolutely nothing happened at first, but once her hand hovered over the fourth box, she could feel her hand become cold, nearly burning from the icy sensation. Just a second later, the box shot out from underneath her hand and flew across the room. Ava whipped her eyes up to Ollivander's, looking for an explanation of what had just happened.
With slightly wide eyes, he merely informed her, "Well, it's not that one." His hand made a motion for her to continue, so Ava shakily raised her hand and resumed her attempt at locating a matching wand. Two boxes further down the line, Ava's hand began to feel slightly warm and then a gentle caress of air swept against the underside of her hand. Startled, she quickly retracted her hand. Ollivander asked the young girl to describe the feeling and a look of understanding came over his face at Ava's explanation.
"One moment, please," he said, then once more walked around the room, collecting a handful of different wands, indicating that the last wand didn't have enough of a reaction to be "the one."
"Trust Mr. Ollivander, Ava. He'll help you find the perfect wand," McGonagall assured Avalynn while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Ava gave her a small smile and returned her attention to the wandmaker when he set down a few boxes on the counter. He instructed her to actually hold each wand this time, which put Ava on edge. Hopefully none of these have a strong aversion to me, she hoped as she picked up the first wand. Immediately, a stack of boxes across the room toppled over. She sheepishly returned the wand to its box and cautiously grasped the second. At first, there didn't seem to be any reaction from the wand, but suddenly Ava's hand was burning as if she had placed it on a scalding stovetop. With a yelp of pain, she released the wand and cradled her injured hand to her chest, biting her lip to keep from cursing profusely.
Ollivander frowned, then chose a specific wand from the line-up and placed it in front of Ava.
McGonagall tutted and quickly grasped Ava's burned hand in her own and murmured a healing spell, causing the small burn to disappear. "There you go, lass," she told her niece as she gestured to the wand on the counter.
Ava let out a frustrated sigh, but reached for the wand, nonetheless. As her hand closed the distance towards the magical stick, Ava felt a light, warm breeze blow past her face. With a rush of excitement, she quickly grasped the wand and a wave of magic rushed throughout her body. The feeling emanated from her right hand, which was holding the wand, and it was nearly like static electricity, making the hair on her arms stand up on end. With her blue eyes as wide as saucers, Avalynn's gaze flickered back and forth rapidly between Ollivander and McGonagall, looking for reassurance that this was a normal reaction when finding a wand.
Both of the adults had wide smiles on their faces and Ollivander nodded and informed Ava, "That's the one, my dear. It's a very interesting wand, rare wood. I don't have many blackthorn wands anymore. Nine inches, with a phoenix feather core."
Ava frowned in confusion and asked, "Blackthorn?"
The wandmaker nodded as he packaged up the box for the wand and replied, "Yes, it's an unusual wood, but very faithful." He pointed at the wand and then her with raised eyebrows and added, "Once you've had some…worldly experience, you'll have a strong bond with that one, indeed."
Ava wasn't sure what to say, so she just muttered "Thanks" before looking down at her wand. The color was a dark brown, and for the first time, she noticed that there were small points coming off of the stick. Ava held the wand closer to her face to inspect it when Ollivander piped up, "Oh, yes. It does have several small thorns. However, you'll notice that your hand fits perfectly around those thorns, does it not?" She went back to holding her wand properly and saw that the old wizard was right. The thorns were placed just so around the base of her wand that they wouldn't poke her palm or fingers. Ava looked up at McGonagall who appeared just as fascinated as herself, and Ollivander was grinning with his eyes trained on the magical stick.
"That is just further proof that this wand was made for you, Miss McGonagall," he explained.
"It's incredible," Ava softly returned as she continued to look over her first magical possession.
Professor McGonagall purchased the wand and bid the wandmaker a good day. On the way out the door, Ava stopped and turned to Ollivander. "Thank you so much, Mr. Ollivander!" she shouted back to him.
The old wizard waved her off as she continued out of the shop. "I have a feeling that you're going to be needing it, my dear," he grumbled to himself as he restocked the discarded wands.
Back out in Diagon Alley, Ava gleefully bounced on her feet, following her aunt to their next stop. The older witch took a look at her and laughed. Slowing down to walk beside Ava, she leaned over and quietly said, "I know you are extremely pleased with your wand, lass, but it would probably be best for you to put it away for now."
Ava ceased walking with confusion and disappointment written all over her face, causing another laugh to erupt from her aunt. "Dear girl, there's no need to walk around with your wand in your hand, ready to cast at any moment. If you truly cannot stand to part with it yet, you could continue to hold your wand in your robe pocket."
A blush crept onto Ava's cheeks at the obviousness of that solution and the fact that she was already intensely attached to essentially just a thin piece of wood. It's not just wood. It's your wand, Avalynn, she mentally reprimanded herself. It was clear to Ava that she was still struggling coming to terms with her new reality and accepting the fact that she just might actually be a witch.
"Now, would you like to look for a familiar to bring back to Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked.
Ava pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea right now."
Her aunt raised an eyebrow expectantly, so Ava continued, "I just think that it's an extra responsibility that I don't even have the brain power for right now. There's a lot going on since this is all new to me." She gestured up and down the street with one hand as she spoke. "Besides, can't I just use the school owls if I need to send a letter or something?"
With a confirmation from the professor, Ava officially decided to hold off on having a familiar and the two ladies stopped for lunch at The Leaky Cauldron. Even though it was a weekday, the pub was fairly busy, so Ava spent most of the meal people watching. So far, she realized that just about everyone was wearing wizard's or witch's robes and only a couple people had been sporting jeans. Mentally rolling her eyes, Ava hoped that the fashion of the time wasn't as awful as it looked in movies. With that thought, she perked up and leaned closer to McGonagall, quietly asking, "What year is it?"
The professor looked at her with wide eyes before answering. "1977. And I apologize for not informing you sooner."
Ava waved her off. "It's not a big deal. I figured it was around then, but it wasn't at the forefront of my mind." She let out a brief laugh. "I was a bit more preoccupied with realizing I wasn't dreaming and discovering magic to be real." She continued to eat her fish and chips as McGonagall outlined the rest of their errands. Ava would need a full, new wardrobe, so they would stop by Madame Malkin's after lunch to have her fitted for robes. Apparently, there was another clothing store where they could find undergarments and nice blouses, skirts, and pants, which Ava could wear on the weekends. Although, McGonagall recommended just ordering jeans through the owl post once they had Ava's measurements from Madame Malkin's since they would probably not have enough time to run out into Muggle London. The older witch then mentioned buying school supplies and books, causing Ava to pipe up and ask, "Does Hogwarts have any books on soulmates? Or alternate realities?"
The professor's brows furrowed as she replied, "I'm not entirely sure. Those aren't exactly topics that I've had to research before. However, once we find time to, I can escort you to the Restricted Section and we will see what we can find." After a short pause, she continued, "Although, while we're here, we might as well look to see if any of the shops here have books that could be useful." Ava nodded and continued chewing her bite, trying to hide how desperately she wanted to know more about how she arrived in this world and what the hell was going on with her body around Remus.
After finishing lunch, the ladies left for Madame Malkin's and continue about their errands for a couple more hours. Avalynn was getting tired of walking in and out of the bustling stores when they finally found a couple books that Professor McGonagall insisted she buy for Ava. One was titled Soulmates and Other Magical Bonds and the second book was simply titled Other Worlds. After a quick glance at the table of contents, it was apparent that the text covered other dimensions and alternate realities and how they are all connected. Ava practically dragged her feet back to the public Floo fireplaces even though her aunt had shrunk down their packages, so she hadn't been carrying anything. She was physically tired, but mentally and emotionally drained from the day's activities and was looking forward to just laying down on the couch for a while.
One tingly ride through the Floo and a brisk walk uphill through the castle gates later, Ava and Professor McGonagall found themselves outside of their quarters, about to enter when both of their names were shouted down the corridor. Turning to see who was attempting to catch their attention, the witches saw James Potter and Sirius Black hurrying towards them.
"Professor! Ava!" James shouted. Sirius arrived at their door first, out of breath, and explained that they had been looking for the two women since lunch. Professor McGonagall ushered the three teenagers inside her quarters and lit the fireplace, then unshrunk the packages and set them on the small, round dining table behind the sofa. Ava bolted for the couch and flopped down, extending herself the entire length. James and the professor had taken their seats in the only other available spots, two comfy armchairs, so Sirius approached the sofa and cleared his throat. Avalynn rolled her eyes as the Black heir gestured for her to move, but relented and bent her legs at the knees to provide room for Sirius to sit down beside her. However, once Sirius was seated, she stretched her legs back out, resting her socked feet on Sirius' lap. He glanced at her questioningly with a raised eyebrow, to which Ava merely shrugged. The Animagus mirrored her gesture and let his arms drape over Ava's shins.
The other occupants of the room, James and Professor McGonagall, had watched this exchange with interest. Sirius was usually physically affectionate with his close friends, but he didn't really know Ava, and no one really knew Avalynn well enough to make conjecture about her behavior. After another beat of silence, the older witch spoke up and asked, "What was it that you boys wanted to speak to myself or Ava about?"
James sat forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and replied, "Well, we, uh, told Peter that Ava was your niece. And we added that she was trying to get to the castle, but ended up in the Shack somehow." He paused and looked back and forth between the professor and Ava. "I hope that's okay." Both of the witches nodded along in agreement to this course of action, thinking it was the most logical explanation anyhow.
Sirius scoffed and grumbled, "It had better be okay. That's what we came up with on the fly because we had to lie. To our friend."
Frowning, Ava told him, "Honestly, Sirius, and James, I'm sorry about you having to lie, but it's really for the best right now." James nodded, even though he looked doubtful, but Sirius was glaring a hole into the carpet. Avalynn used her foot to poke Sirius in the stomach to gain his attention, which she nearly regretted once those stormy gray eyes were penetrating hers, but she pushed aside her nervousness and firmly stated, "It is for the best. Think about it this way, yes, I'm trying to protect myself, but I'm also trying to protect you." She gestured to James and continued, "This kid too. But the oath is also a safeguard for everyone else that I come into contact with. People can't know the truth about me because it's dangerous."
The expression on Sirius' face softened and he mumbled, "I guess."
Ava sighed. "Fine. Bottom line, would you want Voldemort to get his hands on me and my memories of what is going to happen?" Sirius' eyes widened slightly. "Because I do know a lot of events and things that are going to happen, and I know how to defeat him. For good."
Sirius gulped and then nodded, saying "Alright, alright." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he sheepishly stated, "I get it. Obviously, we'll keep in line with the oath, but I can see what you mean."
James piped up with, "Yeah, it's not like we want you or anyone else to get hurt, Ava."
"I know, James," Ava replied. "Anyway, some more people might need to know at some point in the future, and I'll give you permission then. But only then, just not yet."
Sirius gave her legs a gentle squeeze to gain Ava's attention, then waggled his eyebrows. "Oh yeah, like Remus?"
"Pfft. Yeah, right," she muttered in return. Everyone in the room was aware of Ava's doubts about the spell and the way that events were going to play out with her supposed soulmate, but they had no real information to assuage her worries yet.
Professor McGonagall used this moment to speak up. "Mr. Potter, have you owled your parents about the grimoire?"
James nodded. "Yes, professor. They'll be bringing the book tomorrow, but they would, um," and he glanced at Ava before continuing, "They'd like to meet with Ava, and you, to go over the spell."
McGonagall looked to Ava for her thoughts and the young girl nodded. "Very well then, Mr. Potter, please owl your parents tonight and let them know to meet us tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. They will have access to the Floo here, in my quarters, as the Headmaster is not aware of the spell that brought Ava to our world." Sirius and Ava both let out a groan at the mention of the meeting taking place at 10 a.m., causing them to crack a smile at each other. James smiled as well while the older witch just shook her head at the typical teenage behavior.
"So, where were you earlier?" James asked curiously.
Ava let out a loud gasp and stood from the couch as fast as lightning. She frantically dug through her robes and finally clasped her hand around her wand. Once the boys realized that Ava was brandishing her wand to show it off, they chuckled and shook their heads. Still laughing, Sirius said, "You looked like a little firstie. All proud and excited."
Ava huffed and stomped her foot in annoyance. "Well, duh, Sirius. I am a firstie," she said with some pride leaking through her voice. Ava's eyes were roaming over her wand in awe while the three experienced magic practitioners watched her actions with amusement.
Taking a closer look at her wand, Sirius asked, "What kind of wood is that made from?"
"Oh, Mr. Ollivander said it's Blackthorn," she informed him. Ava then held it out, showing the boys how there were small thorns on the handle of her wand. "There's even some thorns too, but my hand fits perfectly around them." She frowned slightly. "Well, I haven't been poked. Yet."
Professor McGonagall tutted. "I highly doubt that you will be Ava. That wand chose you." She stood from her chair and teasingly added, "Surely you know that the wand chooses the wizard." Ava just rolled her eyes in response and tucked her wand away, but left her hand and fingers coiled around it in her pocket.
"It's nearly time for dinner, so I'm going to head down to the Great Hall," the professor told the room. She turned to Ava and asked, "Would you like to eat with everyone else tonight, Ava, or stay here?"
Her niece pulled her hand out of her pocket and began to nervously wring her hands. "Well, I, um, I'm not sure—" she began, but she was cut off by both James and Sirius giving her words of encouragement.
"C'mon, Ava. You'll get to meet everyone," James told her.
"Everyone, but Moony," Sirius confirmed.
Ava sighed. "I guess I should just get it over with. And it'll be better to know everyone else once Remus gets out of the Hospital Wing." A look of understanding came over McGonagall's face, but the boys were confused. Ava shifted on her feet and added, "I'm nervous to meet him, guys. Like, super nervous." She nodded firmly to herself. "Yeah, it'll be much better if I'm already comfortable and relaxed with everything else when I meet Remus." Sirius smirked, but Ava anticipated what he was going to say, so she cut him off by holding her hand up and adding, "Yes, yes. I've technically already met him, but that was just Moony, Sirius. And Remus doesn't remember that." Sirius pouted at his joke being ruined, causing James and Ava to exchange a smile. Her smile dropped as she asked her aunt, "Do I need to change into my school uniform?"
The older witch shook her head. "Friday evenings are considered part of the weekend, so your current attire is just fine, lass." Ava looked down at her new, black and garnet colored witches' robes that she wore out of the shop earlier and nodded.
"It's settled then. Let's all go down for dinner," Professor McGonagall announced as she walked towards the door. The teenagers all followed her, with Ava still revealing her anxiety through her body language. Once the boys noticed, they stepped up to either side of Ava gave her their best reassurances that everything would be fine.
"It'll only be weird for the first few minutes and then everyone will move onto the next interesting thing, Ava. You'll be just fine," James informed her.
"Yeah," Sirius chimed in. "You just gotta stop being so fidgety. Especially in front of the Slytherins."
Realizing that she hadn't told the boys which house she was sorted into, Ava decided to tease them a bit. With a grin, she wrapped her arm around Sirius' shoulder and lightly asked, "And how do you know I wasn't placed in the house of snakes, Sirius Black?"
Both Sirius and James pulled a face as if they had tasted something sour, and James pleadingly replied, "Please tell me you're joking, Ava."
Sirius pulled away from Ava slightly with narrowed eyes. "You don't really seem like the slimy, conniving type, Ava."
Professor McGonagall tutted and opened her mouth to admonish Sirius for his prejudiced comment, but Ava beat her to it. "Oh, really? Is that how you'd describe Merlin, Sirius? Slimy and conniving?" she asked nonchalantly. The boys' mouths were gaping open, so Ava added, "Or what about your cousin Andromeda? She does seem quite horrible for marrying a Muggleborn Hufflepuff now that I think about it." McGonagall couldn't help but chuckle at Ava's revelation and the impact it seemed to have on Sirius. He had completely stopped walking in the middle of the corridor and his mouth was opening and closing with no sound coming out.
With a look of confusion on his face, James said, "Well, I suppose those two are alright, but that doesn't mean the rest of the snakes are."
That comment spurred Sirius back into action and he jogged to catch up to the group, adding, "Prongs is right, Ava. I know you think that you know some stuff, but you can't trust a single one of them."
The professor rolled her eyes, but stayed out of the conversation, knowing how stubborn the boys could be. However, Ava wasn't going to relent. She stepped a little closer to the canine Animagus and stage whispered, "But I do know some stuff, Sirius. That kinda the point."
Before he could retort, the corridor opened out into a large room with several stone staircases, causing an awed, "Wow," to escape from Ava's lips. The room was several stories high with portraits of various sizes dotting along the walls, but the most impressive features were the staircases. Ava knew that some of them were able to move, but they were massive and heavy looking. The others were more preoccupied with thoughts of food because she barely had enough time to take it all in before she was being prodded down a set of stairs, towards the Great Hall. As they descended the stairs, Ava could see a ginormous set of wooden doors that were propped open and she caught a glimpse of students sitting at tables before they turned a corner. Blood pumping with adrenaline and anticipation, Ava continued down the stairs at a faster pace, pushing slightly past James and Sirius, and then jumped the last step to the floor. She quickly dodged the several students that were heading into the Great Hall to move to the front and stood like a statue as she took it all in.
It had to be the largest room that Ava had ever seen in her entire life seeing that there were hundreds of students piled around picnic style wooden tables and benches. Her eyes slowly trailed up as she located the house banners above the four long sets of tables, and she couldn't help the soft gasp when she noticed the charmed ceiling. Currently, it was displaying a clear night sky, with numerous stars and celestial bodies, and of course, dozens upon dozens of floating candles. Completely engrossed in the Great Hall, Ava hadn't considered the fact that she was now blocking a portion of the entrance until she was jostled and nearly lost her footing. She grumbled at the interruption and turned to snap at the person disrupting her moment, but smiled slightly when she realized who the gray eyes and aristocratically arched black eyebrow belonged to.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss McGonagall," Regulus Black said politely as he reached out for her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.
Ava could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she laughed lightly and replied, "Yes, it seems we have a habit of bumping into each other."
His eyes flickered over her shoulder and he seemed to deflate a bit as he quietly told her, "I see that you already have company, so I will bid you a good evening," before he quickly strode towards the tables marked by the Slytherin crest. Turning around, Ava could clearly see the reason that Regulus left her side. James and Sirius were standing several feet behind her with their arms crossed and scowls formed on their faces.
Sirius practically stomped over to her and hissed, "How do you know my brother?"
The young girl rolled her eyes and explained, "I bumped into him earlier today. Calm down, it's not that big of a deal."
The Black heir huffed then grabbed Ava's arm and steered her towards the Gryffindor table with James trailing quietly behind them. He knew that Regulus was a sore spot for Padfoot, so he daren't say anything, and he knew that Sirius would calm down on his own in just a few minutes. The three teenagers stopped walking about halfway down the table, causing Ava to tumble a little, not expecting the abrupt stop. Looking at the students Sirius and James had paused in front of, it made sense though. She could clearly tell who Lily Evans was based on her long, fiery red hair and she recognized Peter from the Shrieking Shack, so she assumed the others were friends of the Marauders as well.
"Everyone, may I present to you, Ava McGonagall," Sirius announced dramatically with a flourish of his arms.
The aforementioned girl shook her head at his antics and stepped closer to the table and quietly stated, "That's me. Hi," with a little wave. The teens sitting down just looked at her with curious faces, but no one spoke up for a few seconds.
James took pity on Ava and wrapped his arm around her and added, "Yes, she's McGonagall's niece. Yes, she's new to Hogwarts and magic in general. And yes, she's a Gryffindor. So, let's be nice and welcome her, eh?"
Immediately, Lily stood up and reached out her hand for Ava to shake. "I'm Lily Evans, it's nice to meet you."
"Thanks," Ava muttered with a small smile. She released Lily's hand and moved to sit down in between Sirius and James, who hadn't left any room for her. Ava poked their shoulders and gently nudged them apart, indicating what she wanted. The boys hesitated, but nodded at each other and separated, giving Avalynn room to sit on the bench with the Marauders on either side of her. The other occupants of the table gave each other questioning looks. James and Sirius were practically joined at the hip and generally didn't do the bidding of others. Ava didn't notice any of the looks shared between the members of the table because she was too busy letting her eyes rove over the dinner options in front of her. There were multiple large bowls and platters full of different kinds of food, like roast beef, chicken, mashed potatoes, cubed sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and what appeared to be "pigs in a blanket." Ava was thinking about how she'd prefer to have something to drink first and her glass automatically filled up with water. She stared at it with wide eyes before taking a few sips.
A girl with shoulder length brown hair laughed lightly and said, "You'll get used to it." Once she had Ava's attention, she added, "I'm Alice Brown." She then gestured around the table and pointed out Marlene McKinnon, Mary McDonald, Peter, who Ava gave a nod to, and lastly, Frank Longbottom.
Ava tried to give them each a friendly smile that probably gave away her nerves because after the brief introductions, Lily added, "I'm Head Girl and you can come see me if you need anything."
Avalynn breathed out a "Thanks," and began to put some food on her plate since everyone else was already digging in.
After a few moments of silence, Frank cautiously asked, "So, what did James mean when he said that you're 'new to magic'?"
Sirius and James looked at Ava for her response as she finished her bite. "Um, well, I, uh, didn't exactly know that I was a witch until a few days ago," she explained quietly. The others just looked at her with wide eyes and James bumped her shoulder lightly in silent support.
"Wh-What? How?" Lily sputtered with her cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that."
Ava took a deep breath. She needed to get her story straight the first time so that there were no inconsistencies with her background as word spread around the school. "It's alright. Everyone's going to ask anyway. My dad was Aunt Minerva's brother, but he married an American Muggle, so that's where we lived. My dad passed away when I was young, so when my wizarding school letter came, I had no idea that I could have magical blood. I think that my mother was too frightened to send me off to school or something, so she never told me." She paused to let that sink in then continued, "My mother passed away last week and Aunt Minerva is my next of kin, so she's my guardian now. I had no idea about the Wizarding world until she spoke to me about being a witch."
Slowly looking around the table, Ava could see that her story had quite the impact on the other teenagers. Frank, Peter, and Marlene gave her looks of pity, Mary's face had paled and Lily looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Trying to brush off the seriousness of her made-up (and real) situation, Ava shrugged and firmly stated, "I'm here now, and with Aunt Minerva, everything will be fine."
Sirius piped up with, "Absolutely. No worries, Ava." He then pointed his fork at her and added, "And you've got me and Prongs too."
"And me," Lily proclaimed with a stern look on her face with teary eyes. She reached across the table to give Ava's hand a squeeze as she told her, "I can't imagine my life without magic and not knowing that I'm a witch. I know what it's like adjusting to this world, so please, let me know if you need anything."
Ava's heart warmed at Lily's resolute friendliness. "Thank you very much, Lily. I will probably take you up on that offer," she said while giving the red-haired girl's hand a gentle squeeze in return. The group continued their meal in solemn silence for a minute or so before James muttered something about Quidditch, causing Ava and Lily to both roll their eyes, but it broke the awkward, serious quiet and allowed for normal conversation to resume. Avalynn ate her dinner quietly, jumping into the conversation every now and then when a question was directed at her, but it's not like she could add very much when asked "What's your favorite Quidditch team?" or "What's your favorite subject?" Even though Lily moved to reprimand Alice for asking the latter, Ava perked up and said, "Well, I don't have a favorite, but I think that Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts will be fun." This caused the conversation to turn to academics, earning simultaneous groans from James, Sirius, and Peter. Frank smiled and told Ava that she would definitely like Defense because she'll get to actually cast spells and practice magic.
With a frown, Lily asked Ava, "Do you know what classes you'll be taking? If you haven't done magic ever before, then there's no way you could be in seventh year classes with us." Her eyes widened quickly and she apologized, "I didn't mean—"
Ava laughed and waved her off. "I get it. I'm going to do some diagnostic magic with Aunt Minerva this weekend and she'll place me in classes based on that. So, I'm assuming I'll start out in first or second year. Probably first," she grumbled, thinking of the jokes that would probably follow her around since she'd be a sixteen-year-old with a bunch of eleven and twelve-year-old kids. She shrugged and continued, "Well, she said that she'd move me up in classes as my skills progress, so we'll see."
Lily merely accepted Ava's explanation with a nod and went back to talking with Alice and Marlene about some beauty spells they had read about in Witch's Weekly. Avalynn had been too anxious when she first sat down and began speaking to the Marauders' friends, but now that they seemed to accept her made-up background story, she relaxed. Her eyes began to wander around the Great Hall, taking in the Head Table and the giant thirty to forty-foot window behind it. She made eye contact with Professor McGonagall and flashed her a small smile, earning one in return. Her gaze perused the rest of the humungous room, noting the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin tables. Curious, Ava inspected the older students to see if she'd recognize anyone from the movies or books. Not seeing anyone in particular at the Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw table, Ava swept her eyes over the students with silver and green ties and paused when she recognized Regulus. Looking at the students sitting around him, she could make out another boy with shoulder-length black hair. His wasn't tied back like Regulus' and it was more straight, and she could just barely see his facial features from her spot at the Gryffindor table. Her eyebrows raised as she realized that she was probably looking at Severus Snape. The teen in question turned to the student sitting on the other side of him, who Ava recognized immediately. Lucius Malfoy was the only person who would have that long, incredibly light blonde hair.
The seriousness of the situation hit Ava like a truck. She had gotten too wrapped up in buying her wand and feeling like a giddy child on Christmas today, and she forgot that if that part of magic is real, then so are Death Eaters and Voldemort. Her eyes flickered back over to Regulus and she let out a startled gasp. He was looking directly at her with one brow raised and a smirk. Feeling her cheeks blush, Ava averted her gaze back down to her plate. She refused to look around the room again and essentially had a staring contest with her dinner for the rest of the meal. As students began to filter out of the Great Hall, Ava peeked up at the Head Table and made eye contact with her new guardian. Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows expectantly, seeming to ask if Ava was ready to leave, so she nodded. The older witch then stood, so Ava did as well.
"Where are you going?" James asked.
"I'm heading back to our quarters with Aunt Minerva," she informed the group.
The others nodded in acknowledgement, but Sirius frowned and asked, "You aren't staying in Gryffindor Tower?"
Ava's face adopted a frown as well. "I don't know actually. We haven't talked about it." She shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?" she asked the group, but then gave James and Sirius a pointed look, trying to telepathically remind them of the meeting tomorrow with the Potters and the grimoire. Receiving nods and goodbyes, Ava turned and headed towards the entrance of the Great Hall, seeing that her aunt was already waiting for her. They left the giant room, ascended the same staircase they had used earlier, and turned down the corridor housing the professors' quarters.
"How was your dinner?" Professor McGonagall asked Ava, hoping that the other students hadn't given her a hard time.
"It was good," she replied with a shrug. "I met Lily, Alice, Mary, Marlene, and Frank. Lily seems really nice at least. I told them why I was here now and how I haven't practiced magic before."
McGonagall let out a breath. "And how did that go?" she questioned.
"Uh, okay, I guess? I mean, they believed me, but the looks on their faces weren't that great," Ava told her aunt. "I don't like pity," she pouted.
The older witch tutted. "Ava, you must understand that your story will cause most witches or wizards to feel badly for you. Growing up around magic is what they all know, even the Muggleborns have more experience with magic than you do."
Ava nodded in response. "Yeah, that's true. Whatever," she said flippantly.
Their conversation had lasted until they stepped into the professor's quarters, and Ava immediately set out to organize all of the items they had purchased in Diagon Alley earlier in the day. She couldn't help but feel full of happiness and excitement while getting her school supplies and books all in order. She decided to arrange them by year because her aunt decided to go ahead and buy her the books that every year needed, reasoning that she could donate them to a future student if Ava turned out to not need them. However, she tried to impress upon Ava that she should read over the books. Being a lover of books and reading, she didn't have any problem with this. After straightening out her closet and wardrobe, Ava got ready for bed and laid out on the sofa with the textbook that first years used for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor McGonagall joined her shortly, sitting down in an armchair in front of the fireplace with her own book.
A little while later, Ava remembered her sleeping situation and pulled the professor from her book with a question. "Will I be staying here with you once I start classes?"
The older witch didn't hesitate before asking, "What would you like to do, Ava?"
She thought for a few moments and timidly suggested, "Could I stay with you until I'm more comfortable here? Then I can move up to Gryffindor Tower when I'm ready?"
McGonagall smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear. That's perfectly alright with me." Since both witches had paused in their reading, she decided to let Ava know that after the meeting with the Potters the next day, they would have lunch and then begin her diagnostic testing to discern her abilities and which classes would best suit her. When McGonagall mentioned tutors, Ava immediately suggested Sirius and James, causing her aunt to chuckle. "Maybe in a while, but it would be more useful to have a student help you who is currently working on the same skill set. Besides, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black have their N.E.W.T.S. to worry about this year." Ava pouted and opened her mouth to protest, but the professor cut her off by raising her hand. "I will consider your newfound friends as tutors once you begin to improve your skills up to their level, Ava."
"Thank you. That's all I'm asking," Ava breathed out gratefully. "For now," she added with a grin. Her aunt merely shook her head with the corners of her mouth twitching and resumed her reading. Ava continued to think about her magical education and was trying to plan out who she could ask for help in different subject areas, which led her to think about how she made best friends with the two lovely women she had left back in her world. She had been struggling with math in high school, and decided to ask one of the smarter, nicer girls for some help. Eventually, they became great friends and met their third partner in crime during college. Since then, they did just about everything together, but they grew apart somewhat when it came time for graduating and finding jobs. Ava sighed, missing her close friends. You'll make new friends, Ava, she reminded herself firmly. That thought caused her to bolt upright on the couch and blurt out, "I'm only learning all of this until we can figure out a way for me to leave, right?! To go home?" With her eyes wide in panic, Ava realized that she kept forgetting about returning home. Even though it was a slim possibility, she needed to remember where she came from first and foremost and not give up hope quite yet. They hadn't even gotten started on trying to figure out if traveling back to her world was feasible.
Sighing, McGonagall closed her book and rested it on the arm of her chair. "I truly do not know, my dear girl. We'll need to do more research to see what information we can find. You have those books we bought today, we'll be meeting with the Potters tomorrow, and there's still the Restricted Section. I need to get a good look at the spell that Mr. Potter and Mr. Black cast before I can give you any sort of concrete information."
The displaced girl nodded in understanding, but then felt guilty at the reminder of why she was supposedly in this world in the first place. Seeing a change overcome her niece's face, McGonagall softly asked, "What is it, Ava?"
She let out a shaky breath before quietly explaining, "I kinda forgot that I'm here because I'm supposed to be Remus' soulmate." She grimaced and wiped her hands down her face. "What kind of soulmate am I? I'm more concerned about returning home and getting away from him when I should be more focused on figuring out what's going on between us."
McGonagall sighed and stood up from her seat, walking over to the couch and shooing off Ava's legs so she could sit beside her niece. The teenage witch sat up and crossed her legs, allowing the professor to sit a little closer and rest her hand reassuringly on Ava's knee. "Child, you need to be easier on yourself. You are in a completely unprecedented situation here. You are allowed to be a little selfish considering what you are going through. Besides, knowing Mr. Lupin as I do, and perhaps as you do as well, I know for a fact that he would not begrudge you for thinking of yourself in this scenario."
Trying to be more logical and compartmentalize her thoughts and emotions, Ava nodded slowly. "That's true, I suppose." The professor patted her knee a couple of times, then rose, returning to her armchair. Okay, priorities, Ava thought. First: Figure out spell that those stupid boys cast. Second: Figure out soulmate stuff and possibly talk to Remus. Third: Since spell will be figured out, maybe that will help find a way home. If not, then figuring out a way home is third. Fourth: Learn magic and prepare to help the Order. Ava nodded resolutely to herself. She just needed to keep her priorities straight and she'd be alright. Taking several slow, deep, calming breaths, Ava considered her order of priorities and what she would be able to accomplish right now, sitting on the couch. Coming to the conclusion that she currently couldn't do anything about the soulmate spell, she set aside the Defense textbook and grabbed the book titled Other Worlds. Opening the hardcovered book with a slight creak, she shook her head, trying to dispel all other thoughts from her head so she could focus on the ideas of alternate realities for the time being.
As Avalynn gained a more in-depth understanding of alternate realities and dimensions, she absentmindedly began to rub at her sternum. It wasn't until she slammed the book closed in frustration at the umpteenth mention by the author that all of the information in the text was conjecture and theoretical that she realized the uncomfortable pressure in her chest was returning. She brushed it off and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Can't anything be normal right now? She complained internally. As she began to reopen the book, the sensation in her chest spiked, causing a pained gasp to escape from her lips.
Professor McGonagall immediately stood and held out her wand as she approached Ava on the sofa. "What's wrong, lass?" she asked worriedly, frowning in concern.
"It's the same feeling as before," Ava grunted out. "But it's worse again," she added as the pressure increased. She was taking shallow, pained breaths with a pinched look on her face. The feeling seemed to plateau, so she told her aunt, "I'll be fine. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." McGonagall pursed her lips in disbelief and opened her mouth to suggest otherwise when Ava let out a strangled yelp and curled into a ball on the couch.
"That is most certainly not fine, Ava. I'll call for Poppy," she informed the young girl. The pain in her chest had spiked suddenly and Ava felt as though her ribs were expanding and about to burst, so she couldn't speak in response and just nodded frantically with her eyes squeezed shut, hoping that Madame Pomfrey would be there soon. She could hear Professor McGonagall quickly cast Expecto Patronum but missed the message because of the sound of blood pounding in her ears. She hadn't ever experienced this level of pain before and was trying desperately not to cry. Her aunt was trying to soothe her by rubbing softly on her back and whispering soft reassurances that the pain would be ending soon.
The Marauders, minus one Remus Lupin, had decided to finish up their own dinners soon after Ava had taken off with McGonagall. The boys wanted a chance to see Remus before visiting hours were over since James and Sirius weren't really feeling up for sneaking around in the Invisibility Cloak tonight. They had a lot on their minds since the meeting with the Potters was tomorrow and it was difficult for them to not speak their minds about Ava, Remus, and the soulmate spell to the other two Marauders. Madame Pomfrey let the teenagers into the Hospital Wing to visit their recovering friend and mentioned that he was awake.
Moving through the privacy curtains, Sirius could see that Remus was indeed awake and was finishing up his dinner. "Hey, Moony," he piped up as he flung himself down in the chair next to Remus' bed just a second before James attempted the same. The Potter heir let out an indignant noise as he collided with Sirius and did not win the only seat besides the bed. Remus chuckled at his friends' actions and greeted them. The boys chatted for a bit about classes and social drama that Remus had missed out on when they heard Professor McGonagall's voice shouting in a panic throughout the Hospital Wing.
"Poppy! Come quickly! Bring a strong pain potion for Ava! Please hurry, it seems to be getting worse!" her voice echoed in the quiet room. The boys had turned towards the direction of McGonagall's voice and could see a blue glow through the white privacy curtains, which disappeared as her message ended.
James and Sirius looked at each other in undisguised concern for their new friend and possible soulmate of their furry one. "Guys? What is it? Who's Ava?" Remus asked hesitantly.
Peter saved the other two boys from answering as he stated, "She's McGonagall's niece. She just got here yesterday." His eyes widened. "She's the one who showed up in the Shack right when you transformed."
"Peter!" James hissed disapprovingly.
Remus had paled and started to slightly tremble. "DidIbiteher?" he breathed out in a rush.
Sirius frowned as he asked, "What?"
"Did. I. Bite. Her?" he grounded out while his fingers alternated between clenching into fists and extending out.
All three of his friends shook their heads vehemently. "No, Moony!" James exclaimed.
"Yeah, mate. You didn't bite her. You know we wouldn't have let that happen," Sirius added, trying to calm his werewolf friend down.
Peter let out a laughing huff, causing Remus' gaze to whip to his. "What could possibly be funny about me potentially biting another person and giving them this-this curse?" he growled while gesturing up and down his body. "I could have killed her!" he added with a hoarse shout.
"For fuck's sake, Moony. You didn't bite her and you definitely didn't kill her," Sirius repeated while running his hand down his face.
Peter was a little startled at the anger emanating from Remus and squeaked out, "You-you didn't even try to bite her." He gulped and continued to explain when the glare from the werewolf didn't recede. "Moony just kinda sniffed her, then everything was like normal."
Remus looked at James and Sirius in confusion. "Is that what happened? I really didn't bite her? You're not just trying to make me feel better?"
James looked rebuffed and muttered, "Don't you think we would've told you if you had actually bitten someone?"
Remus had the decency to look embarrassed at doubting his friends. Sirius sighed and stood up. "It's true, Moony. You didn't bite her. You really did just sniff her for a bit, growled at me, and then we played like usual. We literally just had dinner with her, she's fine," Sirius reassured the paranoid werewolf.
Remus blinked a few times, adjusting to this new information and then furrowed his brow while asking, "What did she do? While we were playing then? Did you guys get her out of the room just in case?"
The boys hesitated in answering, causing the werewolf to begin to panic once more, so James spoke quickly, "No, actually. I'm not sure that you would've let her leave, but Moony was perfectly fine with her."
"Could she tell that I was a werewolf?" he asked confusedly.
Sirius let out a loud laugh. "Ava thought that you were a 'big puppy'," he told him with a smile.
Remus pulled a face and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He tried to speak once more but merely replied, "I don't even know what to say to that."
James scoffed. "You and us both, mate. It was so strange watching her handle the whole situation."
Sirius chimed in, "And oh boy, she did not disappoint. She's a Gryffindor through and through that one."
Remus finally smiled a little and teasingly said, "You sound almost proud, Padfoot."
Sirius merely smiled in response.
"Well, she's bloody out of her mind either way," the werewolf stated firmly and crossed his arms.
James rolled his eyes but felt the need to defend his new friend considering what she was going to mean to Remus in the future and the fact that she looked as they felt when his transformation back into a human was over. "She's a smart bird, Moony. Nice too. You'll meet her soon enough." Just a few minutes later, the boys left Remus to rest as they would likely see him in the morning, either by visiting him after breakfast or he'd be down in the Great Hall with them.
Once they were out in the corridor, James and Sirius dropped behind Peter a bit. The canine Animagus leaned over to his messy-haired friend and whispered, "Do you know anything about Ava and what McGonagall could be worried about?"
James shook his head and muttered, "No, but whatever it is, it can't be good if it's 'getting worse'." The boys shared a troubled look and followed after Peter up to Gryffindor Tower in a contemplative silence.
Madame Pomfrey sprinted down the corridors to reach Professor McGonagall's quarters as soon as she physically could. She was grasping a vial of the strongest pain potion she kept in her stores in one hand and held her wand in the other, prepared to cast any healing spell at a moment's notice. The door to the professor's quarters was open thankfully, so the healer quickly strode in and assessed the situation. Avalynn was still curled in the fetal position atop the sofa with her arms wrapped around herself, with McGonagall's hand resting on her back. The older witch looked at Pomfrey with wide, frantic eyes, dearly hoping that the healer would be able to help the poor girl. Pomfrey could tell that Ava's face was scrunched in pain as she approached the girl and her anxiously awaiting aunt.
"It's the pain in her chest, like from this morning," McGonagall confirmed for the matron.
Madame Pomfrey nodded and bent down on her knees in front of Ava. She spoke the girl's name firmly, causing Ava's eyes to slowly open. They were full of unshed tears, prompting the healer to open the vial of potion and hold it out for Ava to take. Her hand quickly grasped the vial and she downed the potion as fast as she could. Please work, please work, Ava repeatedly to herself. Slowly, but surely, the piercing pressure behind her ribs diminished, allowing Ava to breathe normally again. Madame Pomfrey patted her shoulder and said, "That's a good girl, deep breaths now."
Ava followed the directions and took several deep breaths before she reached up to wipe away the salty streaks down her face when the unfortunate sensation in her chest vanished. Sitting up slowly and unfurling herself, Ava softly said, "Thank you. Both of you." Looking at the two older witches sharing an intense stare, Ava sighed. "This isn't normal, is it?" she asked in a defeated tone.
"We aren't entirely sure, dear, but it is most concerning that the painful feeling that you are experiencing seems to be progressing at an alarming rate," Madame Pomfrey informed her, confirming Ava and McGonagall's worries.
Once again, Ava sighed. "Whatever," she softly muttered. "I'm fine now. Can I go to bed?" she asked with annoyance lacing her tone. Ava was physically exhausted after that whole ordeal and just wanted the day to be over. Without waiting for a response, she stood up from the couch and headed towards her bedroom that McGonagall had previously added to her quarters.
"Ava," her aunt called. Once the young girl had turned, indicating that she was listening, McGonagall continued, "We will discuss this further tomorrow. Especially after we have had a good look at the Potters' grimoire."
Ava silently nodded then stepped into her bedroom, closely the door behind her.
Pomfrey asked, "I'm assuming that you'll inform me about the spell and any pertinent information regarding her health, magical or otherwise?" There was an edge to her voice that didn't leave any room for argument, but McGonagall was already intending on doing so.
"Of course, Poppy. I only hope that we can garner some useful insight from the grimoire tomorrow," she replied softly, feeling utterly useless in this situation, not having any experience with soulmates.
"I'm sure we'll figure out something, Minerva," the healer tried to reassure both herself and the professor.
Author's Note:
In case you're wondering, I got the idea for Ava's wand just by perusing the Pottermore pages for wand woods and cores and I thought that the description for Blackthorn and Phoenix feather fit her well.
