To: Jump Highly-thank you for pointing out the Harry trauma error. It has been remedied. The double spacing however will not be ceased because I have had too many people that double spaciing makes it easier to read.
Chapter 2
Remus stared up at the gray stone building. It was the coldest most unforgiving place he'd ever seen. The thought of a child living in this
place made his stomach churn. He was already on edge. How was he going to raise a child? He knew very little about children. The short
amount of time he'd spent with Harry did not really qualify him to raise a five year old girl.
"Well at least I won't have to repeat the trauma of diaper changing," he thought to himself a slight shiver running through him as he
remembered that time when he'd volunteered to babysit Harry. He knew he would not be completely alone in this. Dumbledore would
help as would Andromeda. But when it came right down to it, he was the one Meredith would be depending on. How was he going to
teach her about being a witch, about what that would mean? How was he going to teach her to be a good person? The mind of a young
girl was completely foreign to him.
"Well," he thought, "It's now or never." He walked up the dirt path to the door. He rang the doorbell and waited. After a few moments it
opened to reveal a stout woman with gray hair pulled back in a bun. The stern expression on her face reminded him a bit of Professor
McGonagall. If McGonall grew two feet and gained forty pounds.
"May I help ya?" she asked. Her voice was as deep as a man's and she spoke with a slight cockney accent.
"Good day Ma'am," Remus said politely. "My name is Remus Lupin. I'm here to see a Mrs. Clay about an orphan." The woman looked
him over with suspicion.
"You ain't from the board of orphans are ya?"
"No ma'am," he said with a slight smile. The woman gave him a look.
"This way," she said finally. She led Remus down a long corridor. He studied the building as he followed the woman. There was no
evidence of children anywhere. The hall was completely silent and free of color. It was so quiet he could hear the sound of the woman's
birkenstocks echoing on the tile. They stopped outside a door.
"Wait here," the woman told Remus. She went into the office and Remus took a seat. After about ten minutes the office door open and
the same woman came out.
"Mrs. Clay will see you now, sir." Remus stood and went into the office. A woman in her mid-thirties with blonde hair streaked with gray
pulled back in a bun and spectacles perched on the end of her nose sat behind the desk.
"Mr. Lupin," she greeted him. "Welcome to The Stonewall Home for Children. Eunice tells me your here to inquire about an orphan"
"Yes," Remus said. "A Meredith Redding. She would have been brought here as an infant about five years ago. Her mother was a friend
of mine. I'm sad to say that both of her parents died recently and it was her mother's dying wish that I raise their child"
"I see," Mrs. Clay said. "I assume you have documentation of this"
"I do," Remus said reaching into his briefcase. "Let me see. Yes, here we are. Death certificate for her mother, the last will and testament
of one Angela Redding, naming me as guardian." "Let me see," Mrs. Clay said going over to a large cabinet and pulling out a drawer. She
flipped through her files and pulled one out. After flipping through it her eyes widened and she grew rather pale.
"Oh my," Mrs. Clay said.
"Is something wrong?" Remus asked. Mrs. Clay removed her specatacles and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this Mr. Lupin but Meredith Redding is what we've come to refer to as 'a special case"
"Really," Remus said. "How so?" Mrs. Clay exhanged a look with Eunice.
"Let's just say there have been quite a few "incidents" since she was placed in our care. It's rather difficult to explain. I had only just taken
on this position when she was brought to the orphanage. Very strange fellow brought her here. Old man, long silver hair and beard. Wore
the oddest clothes. He told us that the child's name and that her parents had decided to place her in our custody being only teenagers
themselves. Though the man seemed very strange there did not seem to be anything odd about the child. Then last year there was...well
you wouldn't believe me if I told you"
"Try me," Remus said. Mrs. Clay rubbed her eyes.
"I can't explain it. The children were out on the playground and Meredith was off by herself. It looked as though she were talking to a
toad but it wasn't any kind of language I recognized. Then all of a sudden the toad just kept getting bigger and bigger until it just
exploded"
"Really," Remus said quite interested. It seemed that Meredith was coming into her powers quite early. Most magical children didn't start
displaying magical powers until they were at least eight. Meredith was obviously gifted. Not unexpected considering who her parents
were.
"I know it seems ridiculous," Mrs. Clay said. "But the other children were terrified of her. There have been other incidents such as this
one. Fortunately she's never hurt anyone but you can see why I feel you should be warned before taking custody of the child"
"I understand," Remus said. "However, I knew both of the child's parents and I can not in good conscience deny them their last dying
wish."
"Very well," Mrs. Clay said. "Eunice, please fetch 435"
"Yes'm," Eunice said leaving the office.
"435?" Remus asked. Mrs. Clay sighed.
"Each child is given a number upon their arrival. It's barbaric but it's the only way we can keep track of everyone. Ah, here's the child."
Remus turned as the door opened and Eunice entered followed by a small figure. As Eunices bulk moved aside Remus felt his breath
catch in his throat. The child was a beautiful mix of both her parents. Her hair whcih was braided into two messy pigtails was a mix of
browns and reds, almost the same as Lily's, unlike Angela which had been pure red. The pale complexion, long narrow face, and strong
chin she'd gotten from Angela but those eyes, those amazingly dark eyes that looked at him in wonder but not a hint of fear, were Sirius's
eyes. She wore an ugly gray jumper that hung on her skinny body. Obviously, the child was not being well fed. Once they got out of here
her would have to make that one of his first orders of business. There was a small scar above her left eye that concerned him. He very
much wanted to know where it came from.
"This is Mr. Lupin, Meredith," Mrs. Clay said. "He's going to be your guardian now." Meredith stared at him with big eyes.
"Well say something girl," Eunice snapped. Remus felt a flash of anger as the child trembled under Eunice's glare.
"I don't know him," Meredith whispered. "I don't want to go with him. He could be mean like the others"
"Ungrateful wretch," Eunice snapped at the child. "You should be grateful that anyone would want a little freak like you." Remus stood up
fully prepared to tell this woman off but before he could say a single word the vase on Mrs. Clay's desk suddenly shattered. Mrs. Clay
gave a startled cry and jumped up. Both women were screaming as the windows shattered, and the filing cabinets flew open and all the
files flew around the room. Remus pulled out his wand and rushed over to Mrs. Clay.
"Stupefy," he yelled knocking the women unconscious. Eunice screamed and Remus shot the stunning spell at her. There was a loud
thunk as the large woman landed on the floor. Suddenly everything stopped. He turned to Meredith who had backed up against the wall.
She was staring at him in fear and wonder.
"Meredith," he said gently approaching her very slowly.
"You're like me," she said softly. "You can do things like me." Remus looked at her and felta small sense of reliefthat she understood.
"Yes, my dear," he said. "I think there are some things I need to explain to you. Shall we sit down?" He held out his hand to her and after
giving him an appraising look she took his hand. He felt a sense of warmth spread through him as he folded the little hand in his own. As
he guided her over to the chair he noticed her glancing apprehensively at the two unconscious women on the floor.
"They'll be all right," he assured her. "They are merely stunned. I will revive them shortly but first I think you and I should have a little
chat." He lifted her onto the chair and picked up another which had been upended and took a seat himself. He smiled as he looked at the
little girl whose legs were so small that they stuck out straight in front of her.
"Now Meredith," Remus said. "What just happened here in the office, has anything like that ever happened to you before?" Meredith
looked down at her hands. She didn't say anything for a long time.
"Meredith," he prompted her. She looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm not asposed to talk about it," she said softly. From her words Remus got the impression that these muggles had reacted very badly to
Meredith's powers.
"Meredith," he said gently taking her little hand. "You said that I'm like you. I don't know how others have reacted to your powers in the
past, but please believe me when I say that I understand what it is that's happening to you because I have been through the same thing
myself." She stared at him as though she had never seen anything like him.
"It...it 'appens when I get scared or mad. Eunice made me mad." Remus nodded. This was perfectly normal for a young witch or wizard.
"I don't know why it happens," Meredith said. "I don't want it to. People get mad when it happens"
"People like Eunice?" Remus asked. Meredith nodded. "And Chuck," she said.
"Whose Chuck?" Remus asked. Meredith's lip trembled.
"They made me go with him last year, they said he was gonna be my foster daddy. There was another boy Kenny that lived in Chuck's
house that was being real mean to me. One day I got mad and things just went..." she made a motion with her hands to demonstrate
things exploding.
"Chuck got mad and started yelling, and I got scared. Things started flying and Chuck yelled even more until he got so mad that he..." she
clapped her hands over her mouth as though she were about to let a big secret slip. Remus leaned forward and touched her shoulder.
"You can tell me Meredith," he said. Meredith's eyes got very big and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
"Chuck threw a big book at me. It hit me in the face and I bled. After that it stopped. Chuck brought me back to the orphage and told
them what I did. He said I was a freak. Mrs. Clay and Eunice said I not asposed to talk about it no more." Remus could feel anger
churning in his stomach. How could anyone do this to a child?
"Meredith," he said firmly. "You are not a freak. There's a reason why you were able to do those things. You can do these things because
your magical. A witch."
"I'm not a witch!" she cried indignantly, her eyes flashing. "Witches are old and ugly and they wear pointed hats and ride on brooms."
Remus laughed being well aware of what the muggle image of a witch was.
"That is not entirely true," he said. "Well the part about the brooms and the pointed hats is true. And yes some witches are old but I know
very few that are ugly. I assure you Meredith that you are a witch. Just as your mother was." At this Meredith's attention perked up.
"You knew my mummy?" she asked. Remus smiled.
"Yes I did," he said. "She was one of the most powerful witches of her time. I was with her when she died. Before she died she asked me
to be your guardian"
"Are you going to be my daddy now?" Remus stumbled a bit, for the right words.
"I'm going to be your guardian. I'll be responsible for your care and well being, as well as your education"
"Are you a witch too?" she asked.
"I'm a wizard," Remus corrected. "Wizards are men, women are witches"
"So you're like a boy witch." Remus laughed.
"I guess I am," Remus said.
"Do you have a house?" she asked. "Yes," Remus said. "We will have a house, not a large one but big enough for two people. You'll
have your own room, new clothes, toys, whatever you need. Then when you're eleven, you'll be going to a very special school with other
witches and wizards like you." Meredith nodded, it sounded good to her. "Do you have any other questions?" he asked her.
"What should I call you?" she asked. "You may call me Remus," he said.
"Okay Remus," she said.
"Now," Remus said. "I need to do a bit of magic on these two muggles"
"Muggles?" Meredith asked.
"Non-magic folk," Remus said pulling out his wand. He did a quick repairing spell to take care of the damage Meredith had done to the
room. Meredith was watching with fascination.
"Now Meredith," Remus said. "I'm going to perform a memory charm on these muggles so that they don't remember any of what has just
happened. This is not something that the magical communicate does unless it's absolutely neccessary. Do you understand that?" Meredith
nodded. Remus didn't think she really understood, how could she, but he would trust her for the moment. After he altered both women's
memories he reversed the stunning spell.
"Oh my," Mrs. Clay said sitting up slowly. "I must have fainted. What's going on?"
"I believe you were just about to sign the custody papers releasing Meredith into my care," Remus said.
"Oh yes," Mrs. Clay said. She took a pen from the desk and signed her name to the papers. She gave one copy to Remus and the other
she kept for herself.
"Very good," Remus said. "Now perhaps if Eunice could fetch Meredith's coat"
"She don't got no coat," Eunice said a bit dazed.
"Really," Remus said. "Well we shall have to take care of that won't we. That should be all then. I bid you ladies good day. Say goodbye
Meredith."
"Goodbye," Meredith said. She placed her little hand in Remus's and they walked out of the building.