Chapter5:
Harriet stood, leaning heavily on the two crunches she'd been given at st. Mungoes.
"sit down, I've brought your things" McGonigal said seated behind her desk.
"thank you" Harriet said perching herself nervously on the strait backed wooden chair facing professor McGonigal.
"now considering your fantastic display of magic at st. Mugoes I have spoken to professor Dumbledore and he has allowed me to teach you some before the start of term, what do you say? professor McGonigal asked.
Harriet beamed. She was completely lose for words. McGonigal actually thought she could do magic!
Harriet got up on the morning of the 1st September and pulled on her school robs. She had just grabbed her cane to go down to breakfast when there was a knock on the door.
Professor McGonigal entered followed by Dumbledore who had to bend his head slightly to get through the low door of her room on the second floor.
"now Harriet, concerning your amazing progress over the last month professor McGonagall thinks it is sensible put you strait into second year rather than what we'd originally thought. Do you agree?" Dumbledore said smiling slightly.
Harriet grinned, there was nothing else she could do. This was amazing!
"there are some other things we need to discuss with you" professor McGonagall said.
"yes, what?" Harriet asked hopping it was not what she feared.
It was.
"we need to talk about were you will go over the summer" McGonagall said.
"can't I stay hear?" Harriet asked desperately, knowing the answer.
"no, unfortunately you can't" Dumbledore said.
"why" Harriet asked, she knew it was no good arguing but she still wanted to try. She couldn't bare to think of going back to Marge, back to being treated like a slave.
Dumbledore did not answer Harriet's question but continued instead:
"now there is also the matter of your sorting"
"what about it, I don't want to do it in front of the hole school" Harriet said knowing she would probably do something stupid like knock into something or trip over.
"all right, follow me to my office " Dumbledore said leading the way out of Harriet's room and up to the gargoyle.
"peppermint humbug" he said to the gargoyle, and then to Harriet "mind out the stairs will go up on their own"
Harriet nodded and stepped onto the staircase which travelled smoothly up, till she found herself in his office surrounded by wherein and puffing instruments.
"sit down" said Dumbledore reaching behind his desk and pulling the old and battered sorting hat from its shelf.
Then he brought it over and placed it on Harriet's head where it immediately slipped below her eyes and a small voice said:
"a little early aren't we? But what do I see"
Harriet felt her heart pumping somewhere about her throat. McGonigal had told her about the houses. And about one house in particular. What if she went into slytherin? She didn't want to think about it.
"not slytherin, well I'd say more like ravenclaw or grifindor with your talent and courage. But overall I'd say RAVENCLAW.
Harriet took off the hat grinning. Dumbledore was smiling too, but his seemed slightly fixed.
"now Harriet, I have some thing's to tell you"
Harriet looked up listening to Dumbledore very carefully.
"about your parents"
Harriet gave a little gasp.
"do you know who they were?" she asked eagerly.
"know, I wouldn't say I know who they were but I can certainly guess. And, well my guesses are normally right, considering if you'll forgive me, my excellent brains" Harriet listened carefully trying to spot desecrate, but there was non. She had shown Dumbledore her scare the night she had arrived and he seemed somewhat intrigued by it. Now though he continued:
"when I saw your scare, that was the first piece of evidence, that is no ordinary cut. That is something you get when a powerful curse hits you"
"go on" Harriet urged as Dumbledore hesitated slightly.
"well what I guessed then was that perhaps you had something to do with what happened to Lilly and James Potter. I guessed that perhaps there had been more than one survivor. I have looked at it very carefully. There were hints that Lilly was expecting another child, but we all thought it had dead. We could you see not be in too close contact with them encase Voldemort was watching us"
Harriet frowned, she had been told who Voldemort was. She had also been told what had happened 13 years ago in Godric's Hollow by professor McGonagall. But what did all this have to do with her?
"what I think happened" Dumbledore went on "is that you were born on the 31st October, the very day before the Potters were murdered. This would also be the reason why non of us knew you exist. What I think happened" Dumbledore concluded "is that when Voldemort tried to kill the Potters and Harry some of the killing spell will have hit you, on your hand, why you to weren't killed was probably because she died to save you as well as Harry"
Harriet couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had a brother and had managed to escape from one of the darkest wizard ever known. And now she thought about it the strange memory that had haunted her for years came back, of a blinding light and this time she heard high demonic screeches of laughter.
She shivered, that must have been Voldemort.
"now Harriet, I think it best if this was kept between us. I do not think it wise for Harry to know, he has enough on his plate at the moment. Agreed?"
Harriet nodded. What else could she do?
"well the I think we have spent enough time talking, I believe professor McGonagall showed you an excellent spell to turn writing into brail? Would it be wise to practice?" Dumbledore said.
And taking this as queue to leave Harriet got up and made he way to the door.
"I shall see you at the feast then" Dumbledore said as the door closed behind her. Then he sighed. Had it really been the right thing to tell such a small girl?