April stormed in to the living room carrying the carved wooden box and placed it down on the table in front of her mother and so called father.
"What the hell is going mum?" Veronica looked at her daughter confused and then glanced at the wooden box sitting in front of her. Suddenly she understood.
"Look April, it's not what you think", April just looked at her mother in disgust.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT WHAT I THINK, YOU HAVE BEEN LYING TO ME MY WHOLE LIFE!"
"Don't you dare talk to your mother like that", April turned and glared at the man she had always believed to be her father.
"You're not my father, don't you dare tell me what to do!" He went to open his mouth to retort but Veronica interrupted him.
"No John, its ok. It is about time I told her truth, about everything. Please sit down April." April reluctantly sat down on the edge of the armchair facing her mother across the table with the wooden box sitting in the middle. At the same time John got up and left the room.
"So mum, who the hell am I", Veronica sighed it was time to relive her past and tell her daughter all about the world she belonged to.
"I'm a witch, and I went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I arrived there at the age of 11 it had been my dream since I was born. Both my parents went there and it was my turn. On the first day I met and became best friends with a girl named Lily Evans, who you are named after. We were in the same house and we were both prefects. In seventh year she became head girl, this is also when we both became best friends with the Marauders. These were four boys in our house and year, James Potter who was head boy, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and your father Sirius Black. They were the resident trouble makers at Hogwarts there was rarely a prank that they didn't have a hand in. James had been after Lily since day one of first year and it seemed my best friend was finally coming around to her true feelings, and it seemed I was to. Your father was the resident ladies man at Hogwarts is charming, good looking and he knew it as well. But like Lily couldn't help falling for James, I couldn't help falling for Sirius. When we graduated the six of us remained friends and eventually James and Lily, and me and your father got married. James and Lily were married two weeks before your father and I. In 1980 both Lily and I gave birth to our beautiful children. As you know you were born on the 7th of August and Lily's son Harry was born on the 31st of July. However our lives began to change. There was a dark wizard who had been gathering followers and gaining power. We got word that he was after James and Lily so they went into hiding, however there was a spy among us but out of the six of us no one was sure who it was. As far as we all knew Sirius was their secret keeper. This meant he was the only one who knew were they lived and only he could tell people where it was. However, the dark wizard who was after Lily and James showed up on their door on the 31st of October 1981. That was the day I lost my best friend. He killed Lily and James, and he tried to kill Harry but some how he survived. You have to understand April that I thought your father had handed my best friend over to the dark wizard. He was arrested that night for killing his other friend."
April sat there and stared at her mother.
"Ok fine, but I read the letters, all three of them and still you tell me nothing."
"Look April when your acceptance letter to Hogwarts came, I didn't want you to go. I had left world behind the day Lily and James died and I didn't want you knowing that John wasn't your real father and I still believed that Sirius had sold them out. So I hid the letter from you."
"But I read the second letter he was innocent and he wanted to see me, to get to know me." Veronica closed her eyes and sighed.
"Yes he was innocent, but I had moved on with John and by that stage I was to afraid to tell you the truth, I decided it would be easier to just pretend that the letters never came." April just shook her head at her mother.
"I can never forgive you for keeping me from my father. I may be able to understand why you kept my Hogwarts letter from me, but finding out he was innocent and not telling me about him, that I'll never understand or forgive."
"April please…."
"No mum I can't. I want to know my father I want to write a letter this Albus Dumbledore he seems to know where he is."
"Alright write the letter now and I will send it off as soon as you're done."
April stood up and headed upstairs to her room to write her letter and to finally meet her father.
Dear Albus Dumbledore,
My name is April Lily Black. However until about an hour ago I had no idea who I really was. I never received my Hogwarts acceptance letter and when my mother wrote to you saying I wanted nothing to do with the wizarding world or my father she did that without my knowledge.
I would love to meet my father and get to know him. I would also love to attend Hogwarts and be part of the world I was kept from my whole life.
I'm writing to you because I gathered from all the letters that you have sent that you have contact with my father and can tell him the truth and ask him if he wishes to meet his daughter.
Thank you very much
April Black
April placed the letter in an envelope and went downstairs and handed it to her mother. Without saying another word to her she turned around and walked back upstairs to her room slamming the door.
At about 6:00 that night Veronica and John were having tea in the living room when there was a knock at the door. Veronica rose from her seat curious at who would be calling at this time. She opened the door to reveal Albus Dumbledore standing before her.
"Albus Dumbledore, what a surprise."
"Yes, well I received April's letter and came here to collect her, so may I come in." With out waiting for an answer he stepped over the threshold into the hallway.
"Albus may I ask what mean by collect her."
"Well Veronica, April wrote to me asking to know her father and I intended to take her to him. I assume she is in her room."
"Yes, she has been since she wrote you the letter."
"Well then please point the way."
"Up the stairs, first door on the left", Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement and headed up the stairs.
When he got to April's room he knocked on the door.
"Go away; I don't want to talk to either of you."
"Miss Black, its Albus Dumbledore", April sat up from her bed in shock, she got up and opened the door; standing behind it was a tall thin man, with long grey hair and a long grey beard. He had piercing blue eyes, half moon glasses and a crooked nose as though it had been broken.
"April Black it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Albus Dumbledore." April looked at him and took his outstretched hand and shook it.
"I received your letter April and am here to take you to your father at last." April stood there gaping for a few seconds before responding.
"You are going to take me to be with my father, for how long?" Dumbledore gave her a small smile.
"For as long as you wish."
"You mean I never have to come back here."
"If that is your choice then no you never have to come back." April smiled.
"We will leave in five minutes hopefully that is enough time to pack, I will meet you downstairs. Oh and one more thing muggle electronics do not work in the wizarding world." April looked confused.
"Muggle?" Dumbledore smiled apologetically.
"Muggle is the word that witches and wizards use when talking about non-magical people." April nodded in comprehension and Dumbledore smiled and headed out the door leaving April to pack.
Five minutes later April headed downstairs with her packed duffle bag which included the carved wooden box that had revealed the truth to her. Dumbledore stood up from the armchair he had occupied in the living room as April entered it.
"Ready to go then April?" April just nodded staring at the ground. Dumbledore walked to the front door leaving April, Veronica and John standing in the living room.
"April. I…" April looked up from the ground.
"Goodbye mum, John", and with that she turned and left meeting Dumbledore at the front door and leaving with out looking back.
"Now April because you can not apparate, which means you can appear from one place to another instantly, nor can you do magic we are going to travel by a portkey."
"Umm, what is a portkey?" Dumbledore smiled kindly at April.
"It is an object that has had a spell put on it to transport the holder to their destination." Dumbledore reached into his cloak and pulled out an old black kettle. He pointed his wand at it and muttered "portus" and the kettle glowed blue for just a second.
"Please April place a finger on to the kettle." April obliged and placed her finger next to Dumbledore's upon the kettle. The kettle glowed blue again and April felt an unfamiliar jerk from her navel dragging her forward. April felt like she was being pulled into nothingness and seconds later his feet slammed into concrete as she fell forward her duffle bag falling next to her. Dumbledore helped her up were April saw in front of her was a row of brick houses that jumped from number 11 to number 13.