Hey guys, thanks for reading! This chapter is very long, yes. It was originally three chapters, but I decided to combine them to get the story moving!I have the next chapter written, and it will be much shorter.
Also be warned, this will get scary, so those with weak spines should not read. It is rated T, because I am not going to curse and I am a teen, otherwise, I would not be allowed to read it!
I want to thank The Goddess of Darkness, for helping me to continue. I was not going to at first, but thanks to her I now have the whole entire story planned out.
Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter
Chapter 2
A knock sounded on the front door of Amelia's apartment. Melanie rushed to the door to answer it. She opened the door and there stood a man of whom she did not recognize. He was very tall with a long, fair skinned face, blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Hello, my name is Professor Neville Longbottom," he said as he stretched out his hand for a shake. Melanie looked wary of him and slowly took his hand and shook it.
"Is your mother home?" He asked. Melanie nodded her head and called for her mother. Amelia came rushing down the stairs, but slowed to a stop when she saw Neville and looked at him curiously at him and his eccentric wardrobe, which were wizard's robes.
"Hello, do you need something, are you a new neighbor?" Amelia asked.
"No, I am a professor at a school that is interested in your daughter, Melanie," he said.
"I do not remember sending any applications," Amelia said warily.
"We are interested in her because of certain qualities she possesses that are required to come to this school," Neville said.
"What is this school?" Amelia asked.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Both Amelia stood in disbelief looking at the man they believed was crazy, although they both knew that in their hearts it was true.
"Prove it," Melanie said.
"Alright, Wingardium Leviosa," Neville said as he pulled a long stick out of his pocket and suddenly their flower vase was lifted up and flying across the room. "That is a spell that you will learn in your Charms Class this year if you choose to come to Hogwarts."
"Wow!" Melanie exclaimed. She was amazed and jumped, giddy with joy.
"Now here's your letter, if I may can I come to a sitting room so I can explain anything you need to know?" Neville said as he handed Melanie a letter.
"Yes-yes, of course," Amelia said, a bit unsure of herself. They walked inside to a sitting room and Melanie opened up her letter and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
(Order of Merlin, First Class)
Dear Ms. Hawthorne,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await you owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Filius Flitwick
Deputy Headmaster
Then Melanie looked for the enclosed list of school supplies and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or simiar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One)
By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic By Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Oh Mom!" Melanie exclaimed, "This is amazing, it explains so much! Like how I can cause things without meaning too! Why I'm different! Why I can talk with snakes and no one else here can! There are more people like me! This is amazing! Oh Mom, please let me go to Hogwarts! Please!"
"Of course you can go. How can I deny you something like this? You are right, it does explain everything, everything and more," Amelia said while wondering off in thought.
"Wait, did you say you could talk to snakes, Melanie?" Neville asked in a state of shock.
"Oh yes, I have a pet snake named Artemis, and we have the most loveliest of conversations," Melanie answered sweetly.
"Can I talk to your mother alone, Melanie?"
"Um, okay?" Melanie said curiously.
"Go have a conversation with Artemis about you being a witch, dear," Amelia said and Melanie scurried off. After Neville knew Melanie was far gone and locked in her room he began speaking again.
"Ms. Hawthorne, I think it is imperative that you tell me exactly who Melanie's father is."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Talking to snakes is not a good quality to possess. It is normally a sign of a dark wizard. Since you are a muggle, it could not have been you to pass down the trait."
"M-m-muggle?"
"Oh yes, that is the term for people who possess no magical qualities. Are you okay?"
Amelia turned white as a ghost when he said the word muggle. Muggle was what the snake man called her, over and over again. The word never left her, she looked it up everywhere she could, and now she had the answer from a wizard, which could only mean that the snake man was a wizard too.
"No, I'm not, that word reminded me of a terrible night. Now I think that that man was one of you people!" Amelia yelled in fury.
"Please calm down, we are not all evil trust me. If you tell me about that man we can report him to the Ministry of Magic and have him sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison," Neville said as calmly as he could.
"The year was 1997, and the day was Christmas Eve," she started as Neville listened intently, "I was walking in Godric's Hallow and I heard a crash from an old woman's home down the street. Her name was Bathilda Bagshot-" She was interrupted by Neville's gasp. "W-what?" She asked.
"I'm sorry, but Bathilda Bagshot was the greatest magical historian to this day. Her book, A History of Magic is one of your daughter's school books, and she was found dead in her home not long after Christmas Eve that year. Her body showed signs of being tampered with dark magic."
"Oh my!" Amelia exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, please continue your story," Neville said.
"Oh yes, so I ran to the house and there was a broken window on the second floor. Inside the window were a man and a snake. The man look evil from one glance for he had shiny red eyes, slits for a nose and well he looked just like a snake. He saw me and gracefully swooped down from the window. I ran as fast as I could away, but he sent flashes of light my way and soon I was immobile. He yelled this word I never heard of, um what was it, oh yes, crucio, and I had never experienced pain like that ever in my whole entire life. He wasn't even touching me! I felt like I was being driven insane. He called me a filthy muggle repeatedly, I had never heard that word, but I knew it was meant to be an insult. Then he did the worst thing imaginable. He-he-he-he, inva-va-ded me, and he's Melanie's father," Amelia cried, she burst into tears and Neville put a soothing arm over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, he's dead now, he won't come back. I should know, I saw him die and helped cause his death," Neville said soothingly, but proudly.
"Who was he?" Amelia asked while still crying.
"The most evil man who ever walked the Earth, the darkest wizard ever; he went as bad as you could go. I don't even understand how you survived."
"It seemed as though he got some sort of message that was important and left, I assume he forgot about me," Amelia said, still crying, "What was his name?" She asked.
"Now don't go around saying this name, people still fear it, even after all these years. His name was Voldemort."
"Voldemort what?"
"It wasn't his birth name I assure you. His birth name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. He invented the name."
"How did he die? I hope it was very painful, he deserves it, and I feel that I am not the only one he tortured."
"You are right, you were not. He gathered followers who made it their purpose to kill people like you, so honestly I cannot believe you are alive. Now there was this prophecy about him and my friend, Harry Potter that one would have to kill the other. Neither can live while the other survives. Voldemort tried to kill Harry as a baby, but was destroyed in the process, but he did kill Harry's parents, and Harry was left with a lightning bolt scar. Harry went through a great deal to kill him; he fought him pretty much every year I was at Hogwarts with him. He succeeded at killing him at the Battle of Hogwarts when he was seventeen," Neville said remembering the great victory and how he slayed the snake, Nagini.
"That's amazing, I am so glad he is dead and I'm alive with Melanie. I do feel blessed to have her, but cursed at the same time with the awful memory," Amelia cried, and sobbed more fiercely now.
"Mom, why didn't you tell me?" Melanie said through her overflowing tears. Both Amelia and Neville turned shocked as they realized that Melanie was listening the whole time. She screamed and fell crying on the ground. Amelia ran up to her and hugged her as they cried. She screamed awful words, pain for herself and for the pain her mother had to endure under the man that was sadly her father. She now knew why her middle name was Obscura.
"Honey, please stop crying, you know that I love you," Amelia begged of her daughter. Neville had left an hour ago promising to come back tomorrow, but he had to leave to meet more muggle-borns.
"Mom, I'm crying for you. I-I don't deserve the way you have treated me. You should hate me," Melanie sobbed.
"I will never hate you, you are not that man, that man is evil, you are a sweet girl!" Amelia persisted.
"I'm sorry for everything mom, I'm sorry for ruining your life!" Melanie cried and ran out of the room and locked herself inside.
Amelia sighed, silent tears still streaming down her face. Her clothes were wet from both Melanie and her tears. Everything was ruined, Melanie knew her darkest secret.
Neville came back the next day and took them into London to buy the school supplies. Melanie had calmed down greatly overnight; she realized it was useless to cry. She put on her face of indifference and was able to keep her cool. Amelia had practice lying for years, but now that Melanie knew, it was different.
Neville led them up the streets of London and eventually turned into a place called the Leaky Cauldron.
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, our gateway to Diagon Alley!" Neville exclaimed cheerfully, "Now if you will follow me into the back."
Neville walked on and soon they were outside facing a brick wall. Neville pulled out his wand and tapped the bricks. The bricks began to move out of the way and Neville walked on. Melanie now had a huge grin forming on her face.
Diagon Alley had a street that was not straight, many interesting shops and people dressed eccentrically.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Melanie said giddily. She now forgot all about the issue with her "father".
"I felt the same way coming here for the first time," Neville said with a smile. "Now first we go to Gringotts, the wizard bank. You brought muggle money, right Amelia?"
Amelia nodded her head, and Neville led the way to the end of the Alley. He opened the door and inside was a grand hallway filled with goblins.
"Are those goblins?" Melanie asked excitedly.
"Yes, goblins have been here for, well forever," Neville responded.
Neville led Amelia and Melanie up to a counter and exchanged the muggle money for wizard money. He told them that the gold ones are galleons, the silver ones are sickles and the bronze ones are knuts.
"Now for you wand Melanie, it is the most important thing that you have to buy, and the best place to go, Ollivander's, now c'mon," Neville commanded as he led them down Diagon Alley to Ollivander's.
Ollivander's was a small, low-lighted store full of shelves stuffed with wands. Dust circulated the room and a lowly ladder was placed against the wall.
"Mr. Ollivander!" Neville called out.
"Coming, coming!" A voice called back of which Melanie could only assume was Mr. Ollivander. Ollivander came out of a back room. He was a wrinkly old man with stringy white hair, but was still able bodied, but seemingly over a hundred years old.
"Ah, Mr. Longbottom. Cherry, unicorn hair, 13 inches," Mr. Ollivander said.
"Yes, always right of course," Neville said cheerfully, "Now this is Melanie Hawthorne and her mother, Amelia. Melanie is a muggle-born who is in need of a wand, and you are the best."
"Ah, yes, now let me find something." Mr. Ollivander shuffled around and pulled out a case and handed it to her. "Oak, unicorn hair, 12 inches, try it out now, Ms. Hawthorne." Melanie gave Mr. Ollivander a confused look.
"Give it a swish."
She steadily opened the case and took out the wand and swished it. All the lights went out with sparks. Mr. Ollivander took the wand back, and went to look for another. He finally chose one and pulled it out.
"Walnut, dragon heartstring, ten inches."
Melanie gave this one a swing, but again it was a failure. So Mr. Ollivander scurried to find another one.
"Elm, phoenix feather, thirteen inches," Mr. Ollivander said as he tediously handed over the wand. Melanie gave it a swish and everything felt right to her. A glowing sensation came out of the wand, and her eyes were ablaze with shock.
"Perfect, perfect, marvelous, the wand chose you, now that will be ten galleons," Mr. Ollivander said and Neville handed over the money, then they left the shop.
"That was amazing," Amelia complimented. "The wand actually chose her, like it has a mind of its own."
"Well, yes, of course I have never studied wandlore like Mr. Ollivander, but it is really interesting, now to Florish and Blotts, then the Apothecary and last but not least Madam Malkins," Neville announced and continued walking along. They entered Florish and Blotts and bought Melanie all of her needed books; the Apothecary had the needed cauldron and other potions necessities. At Madam Malkin's she was fitted for her robes and got her own hat.
"Professor Longbottom, can you tell me more about Hogwarts?" Melanie asked after all of the shopping was done.
"Well, that would ruin the surprise, but I do have to inform how to get there. On September 1st at 11 o'clock exactly, the train will leave. You must go to Platform Nine and Three Quarters which you will be able to enter through the banister for Platforms 9 and Ten. You must run straight through it. Be sure to remember that and I will see you at Hogwarts."
The rest of the summer passed to slowly for Melanie's liking. She avoided talking with Amelia who persisted on talking with her about the father situation. When Neville said she was a muggle-born to Mr. Ollivander she knew that it was imperative that she shall let no one know who her father actually is, and keep on pretending he is a deceased muggle, like her mother has throughout the years.
She passed her time reading her new school books to Artemis and trying on her robes. Her wand still lay inside its case for Professor Longbottom warned her not to use it until classes, since she had no idea what to do.
At Florish and Blotts she snuck in the purchase of a Hogwarts, A History. She read it three times already and she feels like she knows everything about the school.
She was sadly grief stricken that she was not allowed to take Artemis with her, but figured that Artemis would be fine. She had to reassure that to Artemis many times in the past weeks.
September 1st is on its way and Melanie could not wait until she entered Platform 9 and ¾.
September 1st arrived and Melanie could barely contain her excitement. Her trunk was packed and she said goodbye to Artemis thousands of times already. She felt that she was finally going to a place where she belonged, a place where she could actually make friends.
Amelia drove her to King's Cross Station as Melanie kept blabbering about Hogwarts, for she already knew so much from Hogwarts, A History. Of all the houses she kept going on about Gryffindor, it was the house she desperately wanted to be in. She knew all about the sorting hat, so she was going to convince it to put her in Gryffindor. The name Slytherin was distasteful on her mouth since from the many books she read; she learned that Voldemort was in that house.
"I'm going to miss you mom, I will write many letters, I promise," Melanie said as it was time for her to exit the car.
"I will miss you too, Mel. I love you, always know that," Amelia said as her eyes welled up with tears. She reached over to give Melanie a hug which was returned. "Now go, you remember what to do?"
Melanie nodded and grabbed her stuff then left the car. She waved a final goodbye as she merrily traipsed through the train station.
Melanie had found an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Some compartments were already full.
The door to her compartment opened and then entered a girl with platinum blonde hair, and gorgeous veela type looks.
"Hello, my name is Victoire Weasley. May I ask you name?" The girl who is now Victoire said.
"Oh, of course, my name is Melanie Hawthorne, it's very nice to meet you," Melanie responded.
The girls then began chatting all about Hogwarts and their excitement. Victoire revealed to her that she comes from a huge family and that Harry Potter is her uncle because he married her Aunt Ginny. Melanie was thrilled about that. Melanie worshipped Harry Potter after she found out he killed her you-know what. She stuck with the story that she was a muggle-born and said that her mom worked at a bookstore and she was free to read all of the books she wanted. She never said anything about talking to snakes, for she feared what would happen.
"Teddy!" Victoire exclaimed as the compartment door opened once again.
In entered a boy about her age with messy brown locks and blue eyes. Victoire shot up and hugged him.
"Hey, Victoire," he said sheepishly. "I was looking for you throughout the whole train." Then he noticed Melanie now sitting silently at his arrival. "Hey, I am Teddy Lupin, you are?"
"Oh that's Melanie Hawthorne," Victoire answered before she had the chance, "She's a muggle-born and we were just talking about, well everything."
Teddy smiled at the both of them and sat down next to Victoire.
"You want to know something ridiculously cool about Teddy!" Victoire exclaimed excitedly. Melanie nodded fervently, "He can change his features at will! Do it Teddy! Please!"
Teddy complied and his hair started changing from blue, to violet, blonde, a tealish blue, to pink, then green and then he settled for his brown hair again. His nose began to change into a duck bill and his eyes became ridiculously huge like a cartoon. He changed back to his normal features and smiled shyly at Melanie.
"He can do that because he is a Metamorphagus! Isn't it cool!" Victoire said giddily.
"Yeah, it's amazing!" Melanie agreed and Teddy looked down shyly once more.
The compartment opened for a last time and entered a small boy with sandy blonde hair. They quickly learned that his name was Euan Morris and that he was a muggle-born. Victoire took a great thrill in that, because both Melanie and Euan were known to be muggle-borns. Melanie learned that both Victoire and Teddy wanted to be Gryffindors too and that Euan did not know much about Hogwarts, so they told him everything he should know. In the end he decided that he wanted to be in Gryffindor too. Melanie still had her suspicions that she may end up in Slytherin, but she would do anything to keep that from happening.
After the train ride all of the first years were led across the lake by a giant man named Rubeus Hagrid. Euan fell in the lake, but was tossed out by the Giant Squid, and he was fairly giddy by being thrown by a squid. Hagrid gave him his overly large coat, and murmured something like, why do yeh firs' years always do this.
The finally reached the glamorous castle and were led inside to wait in a hallway. A small old man the size of the first years, with a large beard came out.
"Hello, my name is Professor Flitwick. Now you will be sorted soon into these four houses, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Depending on how well you do you will earn house points and whichever house has the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. We will call you in once you are all ready," Flitwick announced then retreated back into the hall. The first years then began quietly discussing with each other, Victoire especially. Flitwick came back out soon and led them into the hall.
At the front of the hall there stood a stool, with a dingy old hat on it. Flitwick opened the scroll and announced the first name.
"Abercrombie, Felix."
The boy approached the sorting hat timidly and it was placed on his head, after a few seconds the hat shouted Hufflepuff and the boy retreated to the table that was applauding.
"Davies, Gwendolyn."
The hat shouted Ravenclaw.
"Flint, Maisie."
She rushed to the stool and within a second she became a Slytherin, and walked there with a nasty smirk.
"Flint, Zachary."
He, like his apparent twin, became a Slytherin.
"Hawthorne, Melanie," Flitwick giddily announced. Melanie cautiously approached the stool and sat down. The hat was placed on her head and she began thinking, Gryffindor please.
"Hmmm, curious, very curious, the heir of Slytherin wants to be in Gryffindor. I never thought that I would see the day." The hat said
Melanie froze; she was the heir of Slytherin.
"Of course," the hat continued, "You have more muggle blood than magic. I know the future, past and present. Your father the half-blood was one thing, but an heir that's not even a half-blood. Curious, very curious. Your purpose here is strange, but as time foretells, you cannot be in Slytherin. Your identity of Slytherin's heir must be hidden, in the most unlikely house as your ancestor requests. He foretold of the day, when an heir would come, after a failed heir. So, I have no choice, but to place you in GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table cheered for the heir of Slytherin. Melanie slowly walked to the table and sat down. Her sorting must have been the longest ever, she was so embarrassed. She began thinking about what the hat said that she was the heir of Slytherin and how her identity must be hidden. She told herself that it could not be and watched the rest of the sorting.
Both Teddy and Victoire became Gryffindors like herself. Euan became a Hufflepuff. Teddy and Victoire sat across from her for a boy named Robbie Pearson sat next to her.
Victoire was going on and on about how long Melanie's sorting was, and how short hers was. The hat simply said to her, and she quotes:
"Another Weasley, I know just what to do with you, GRYFFINDOR!"
Victoire asked what the sorting hat said to Melanie that made it take so long and Melanie simply said it was debating between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, which was a lie.
Thank you for reading! Yes it was very very very long! Also, I did make Victoire older, just because I wanted her to be in Melanie's year.
Please review and give me your honest opinion!
Love,
Miss. Caroline Potter