Hi guys slight delay but i think i've been quite quick updating so hope you forgive me. In other news i had my first review. I was so excited until I realised that the reviewer hadn't read any of my story other than the description, which you may notice has been changed a little as a result, to allay any other idiot's confusion. (Yes this person was a tad dumb. Sorry I tell it how it is if you're still reading reviewer.) Still i appreciate all reviews immensely. On with the show and I don't own anything.

Jack, Audrey and Cat Edwards, did not know where to look, shock, disbelief and horror at Cat's pronouncement warred with disbelief at the nonsense that McGonagall had just pronounced.

"You know?" Audrey mumbled out past the hand which clasped her mouth, her face had blanched in horror at her worst fear realised. "For how long?"

"Since last year. " she said quietly clasping and unclasping her hands in nervousness at the attention she was receiving.

"Why didn't you say something Cat?" Jack leaned back in his chair looking drained and stroked the stubble on his neck.

"Because it's not important DAD." Cat replied vehemently. It doesn't matter to me so why should it be important to you or Mum? Do you think any less of me because we aren't technically related?" Her words trailed off as she became nervous of their reactions. What if they never told her because they didn't really see her as a proper daughter and were trying to pretend.

Audrey jumped up and grabbed her daughter's hands. "Honey don't ever think that, from the moment McGonagall took us to see you, you belonged to us as much as if I'd carried and given birth to you myself." Audrey was crying as she attempted to save her relationship with her daughter. She felt like she was desperately clinging to a lifeline in a dark sea. "Cat I, we both love you so much and we only didn't want to tell you because you are our daughter and it might seem selfish to keep things from you but we didn't want you to be curious about who your parents our, because we are your parents in every way that matters!"

"So you don't love me less because we aren't related?" Cat looked up clearly still afraid.

"Don't ever think that, you silly girl." Jack came over and grasped her shoulder reassuringly, "you are our daughter and we love you more than anything in the world."

Cat grabbed both her parents in a tight hug and silently let a couple of the tears escape, just a little overcome by the strength of the love she felt from her mother and father.

Hers were not the only tears shed, McGonagall had sat quietly throughout the conversation, momentarily forgotten but still deeply affected by the touching love and bond between the three on the sofa opposite. She had been married twice but had never had children and McGonagall was infinitely jealous of the bond of love in front of her. Remembering her task she knew it was time to try again. Perhaps a little differently. She slipped her wand from her sleeve and waved it at the coffee table.

Cat was the first to notice as the other two who were hugging her were facing towards the wall and away from the amazing but impossible sight in front of her. Where had been an empty mahogany table a cork mat had appeared with a slight pop followed immediately by a silver tea set with another pop. She tapped her parents shoulders and turned their attention to the table as the tea-pot floated in the air and poured out three cups. Jack, Audrey and Cat stared in amazement as the tea set which Audrey was certain was not theirs, floated in the air and headed towards them. The tea cups began to gently nudge them. Jack and Audrey shrank backwards away from them which made them nudge more firmly into their hands.

"It's easier if you take the cups, the saucers can get a little violent."

The three occupants of the room who had taken cups turned to see McGonagall still in her witches hat and robes stirring a floating tea-cup with a spoon and making gentle movements with a long thin stick. Remembering what McGonagall had said just after Cat's shocking announcement.

"How are you doing that?" Cat was watching intently as McGonagall motioned with the stick and a tea-spoon stirred sugar into her cup.

"Magic my dear." McGonagall felt on firmer ground here as looks of disbelief were repeated in triplicate.

"But there's no such thing as magic." Jack blustered, still not taking his eyes of the tea set. Another wave of her wand and the tea set wasn't balanced on a table anymore. A giant tortoise was suddenly moving steadily towards the kitchen door with the tea set balanced precariously on its large mahogany shell before it once again turned into a fashionable table with the tray settling with a clatter.

"Yes Mr Edwards there is such a thing as magic, however we try to keep it a secret, otherwise we'd never have a moment's peace from the muggles who would want us to solve all their problems.

"Who keeps it a secret?" Cat said excitement shining her eyes at the incredible display she'd just seen, she still wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't a trick, a very impressive trick, but a trick none the less.

"Witches and wizards dear, I'm a witch and so my dear are you." Cat's face fell as she realised the mistake.

"I think you've made a mistake Mrs McGonagall, I'm not a witch I can't do magic."

"Professor McGonagall, and actually miss Catherine you are most definitely a witch, I have in this folder no fewer than thirty-seven incidences of accidental magic, two of which actually required a team of obliviators to deal with your memory and the memory of several witnesses of the events. Tell me Cat did you ever do anything impossible when you were angry or scared, something you couldn't explain like, teleporting out-of-the-way of a train when you fell on the tracks as a three year old, or blowing up your art class room?" Jack was wincing at the memory of when he saw Cat run off the platform after a pigeon.

"Like talking to a snake?" Cat whispered, wide-eyed with the possibility that she could do magic? It was too ridiculous to comprehend.

"Yes that is a magical skill although not a common one." McGonagall stiffened at this and began to wonder at the girls parentage again. She knew Dumbledore was hiding something from her about the girl. It had been easy to see she was Veela as she grew up but a parselmouth that was a very dangerous thought. Oh I and Albus will have words tonight. "It seems that even among magic folk you are special Miss Edwards.

"Back up, so what you're trying to sell is that magic exists and my daughter's a witch…and I suppose the easter bunny and santa claus send their regards from the mad hatters unbirthday party."

"The mad who's what party? Mr Edwards I feel I've been a little side tracked, I am not a social worker, I am in fact a teacher like yourselves, but I teach at a school for magic, your daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." She was unsurprised to see the looks of skepticism from Jack and Audrey. "Listen Jack and Audrey I apologize for lying to you about who I was for over a decade, but the fact is that magic while useful and wonderful is dangerous, we wanted Cat to have a normal life but at the same time we had to keep a close eye on her to keep those around her safe from her magic as well as protecting the integrity of the secrecy of our world. The muggles, I mean non-magic people, cannot know of our existence by law. Seven times Cat has performed magic in the presence of a muggle, twice a ministry team of memory charmers had to be called in to erase the knowledge from the witnesses. Jack, Audrey your daughter has an incredible ability but she needs to learn to control it, by law you must enrol her in a magical institution for a minimum of the five years necessary to achieve ordinary wizarding levels, or owls, in her studies."

"Hang on, why do we have to do this by law?" Jack interrupted, he and Audrey felt like they were floundering under the weight of information.

"Over three hundred years ago the international statute of secrecy was passed unanimously by every magical government in the world. An agreement was made in secret between the muggle rulers and our own, we would not interfere with your world's governments and we would be allowed to disappear, to fade into myth. Imagine if magic was witnessed today, there would be panic, chaos even. Not to mention that magic is dangerous. I was speaking to the parents of one of your future school friends last week. A mister Finnigan, he had successfully blown up his school on two occasions, thankfully nobody was killed in either incidence but there were a few injured. Magic when uncontrolled is volatile and dangerous. That is why all magical children must attend five years of compulsory magical education. Now there are other options for example Beauxbatons school in France has a similarly excellent reputation to Hogwarts however there classes will be taught in French. There is also the option of hiring a ministry approved tutor to home school Catherine however that is a rather expensive option which rarely produces such good results in examinations.

"Examinations?" Audrey asked finally finding her voice amidst the maelström of information being thrown at her.

"Besides normal end of year examinations to ascertain progress at the end of fifth year she will take her OWL's in six core subjects, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions and History of Magic as well as no fewer than two but up to three elective subjects which you can take up in your third year: Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination and muggle studies. You will find more information on the subjects in the prospectus. In her seventh year should she wish to continue on past OWLs, Catherine can choose to take her NEWTS which would enable her to apply for a career in the wizarding world. I know this is a lot to take in so I will leave you with all the information and a single question." She turned to look directly at Cat. "Would you like to learn to do magic? I'll pop back next Saturday at ten to discuss your answer." Turning back to the room as she strode to the door she added, "Oh and Happy Birthday Catherine Edwards."

"Ah Minerva, who did you see today?" Dumbledore confessed himself surprised that his deputy head came barging into his office without knocking with a face like thunder.

"What do you think you are doing Albus? You know who her father is, of course you do and you were just going to what let her waltz in here and start the whole saga off again. I wont let you old man. I wont stand idly by while you let another Dark Lord into this school!" Her voice sounding far more Scottish than normal rose in pitch throughout her tirade until she was practically screaming at the headmaster. "What possible reason can you have for this…this gamble with the lives of those students entrusted into our care. Harry Potter is coming to the school this year and you want to just waltz the spawn of the man who killed his parents in as well." She stared at Dumbledore, her chest heaving and wild-eyed. She knew that they both knew this was an act, McGonagall trusted Dumbledore he had not led the light wrong yet.

"How did you find out? if you can others may as well and that we must avoid at all costs." Dumbledore deflected her rant, and McGonagall was incensed at having her concerns dismissed with such callousness.

"She's a parselmouth!" She sighed exasperated, "You cannot honestly be serious about this, there have only been three parselmouths this century and they were all related, those with the eyes to see will see her connection to the Gaunt's and through them Riddle."

"Yes McGonagall when viewed that way it is elementary however if you had not known she could speak to snakes could you have known who her father was? Of course you couldn't she looks nothing and more importantly is nothing like Tom, at her age he was already cruel and vindictive."

"She has already used magic against another on two occasions-"

"Yes and both times you will see from the incident reports that she was protecting someone from bullying and didn't intend real harm. That tells me she has a strong moral compass and I for one have no qualms about letting this 'spawn' upon Hogwarts. Come Minerva you have observed her for a decade can you honestly tell me you have ever seen anything which leads you to believe that she is anything but that which her carefully chosen parents made her."

She slumped and sat in one of the chairs across from his desk and hang her head in thought, "No Albus you're right if I didn't know I would have thought her nothing but a nice young girl, I'd even have bet galleons on her being placed among my lions next month. However there is something which her parents did not give her."

"Besides from her abilities?"

"Yes, I spotted that girl a mile away for what she is, and then there's the question of her magical core, she's the most powerful child I have ever seen. She will attract attention Albus, a muggleborn, Veela with more power than any pureblood in several generations is not going to go unnoticed for long and the attention she attracts will be exactly the wrong kind of attention."

"Veela are rare in Britain she may escape notice for a while…but these can be explained away Minerva there is no reason I can see other than being a Parselmouth which would connect her with the Dark Lord. My decision is final, she will attend Hogwarts, and we shall keep an eye on her and help her to become the great witch that we should have helped Riddle."

"So that is what this is about isn't it? This is your second chance for failing the boy. Well then Albus if this goes ill and if people or the girl get hurt then on your head be it."

Audrey Edwards was scrubbing furiously at the lasagna stains on a plate when her husband came down the stairs, he made more than enough coming downstairs but Audrey failed to acknowledge his presence as she reduced her world down to the sink and still stubbornly orange crockery.

"We need to talk Audrey". Jack snaked his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder while breathing in the scent of her. He nuzzled into her neck which elicited a slight moan which he couldn't distinguish for one of pleasure or irritation at his actions.

"What about Jack." She continued scouring and ignored her husband.

"You know what about…Audrey" He stressed her name and she slammed down the plate in the sink and turned round in fury.

"NO Jack, I'm not having it, it's ridiculous I'm not sending our daughter away till Christmas to some bloody castle which we can't even see!"

"Well I don't see what option we have, Cat's abysmal at languages so that rules out the French one and you know we can't afford a private tutor."

"I mean in general!" He knew what she meant and she knew that, and she also knew that she had no choice and that was what made her so angry. The fact that an invisible world which until six days ago she had no idea existed could control the life of her daughter like that made her dig her heels in and resist with all her being. "I'm not sending my daughter away. They can't make us."

"You think I like this? She's the most precious thing in the world to me. Do you think I want to send her off to bloody Scotland so we only see her for four weeks in nine months!" He tightened his grip around her and kissed her forehead, he looked down into her hazel eyes examining the flecks of yellow that he used to love to stare into. He stroked her blonde hair, now flecked with grey in the same way he soothed Cat in a nightmare. "You know they can don't you, they could take her away and erase every memory of her from our minds. It would be like we'd never had her." His wife buried her head in his shoulder as she was wracked with sobs. "We want what's best for her and you and I both knew that something was coming. Ever since you saw Cat do something impossible on the day you brought her home."

"How did you know?" Audrey didn't look up from where her tears were staining his pyjamas.

"The girl got her teddy's to do a dance, I might have dismissed the juice jumping from the table to her hand, but you don't miss a stuffed animal carnival."

"She can do magic." Audrey's whisper was barely inaudible. Jack continued to stroke her hair and rub her back as her crying subsided.

"If we want to keep her then we have to let her go. At least for a little while. You know what they say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"You're so full of bullshit you know that Jack Edwards."

"That's why you love me Audrey Edwards."

Saturday morning arrived and with it Professor McGonagall, this time she wore a long simple travelling cloak with her favourite crooked black pointy hat, it was a little worn and the pheasant feather was a little ragged but it would still do the job of reminding the muggles that she was a witch. For once she found the Edwards's all dressed and sitting in the living room. She took in the two adults looking nervous on the sofa while the girl was practically bouncing in an armchair with her feet swinging and palpable waves of excitement coming off her. After polite good mornings she got straight to business.

"Have you made a decision about Catherine's magical education?"

"Yes we have." Jack squeezed his wife's hand and glanced at her giving her one last chance to back out.

"- We are going to enroll her in your school." Audrey finished with a stony expression.

Minerva could see that while Catherine was naturally excited her parents were far from thrilled about the idea of sending their daughter away for nine months of the year to teach her something that they hadn't believed in only a few days ago.

"Right then I'll need you Catherine to read this…" She said passing her a cream parchment envelope with a red wax seal. "It's just a formal confirmation of your place at Hogwarts as well as your books and equipment list." Catherine carefully broke the seal and began to read the flowing emerald script. After scanning it once she turned to the second sheet and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Professor McGonagall, I've never heard of these things and I've no idea where to get them, can you mail order them?"

"Let's have a look dear." Audrey said taking the list and staring blankly at the outlandish items.

"Yes Catherine you can order some of these items in but I would generally recommend that you buy them yourself, in the case of wands and robes you'll get a better fit if you buy them in person, and with other items you'll be charged full price whereas in a shop there might be start of term sales on many of these items. With that in mind if you don't mind we should be going." McGonagall stood up abruptly and began to bustle the thoroughly confused Edwards's out of the living room and towards the front door. "We really should get a move on to beat the rush." Most of the school letters went out this week and there'll likely be a lot of your fellow students buying their supplies today."

"Where can we buy these things?" Catherine asked once again staring at the items on the list. "Hey mum it says I can have a pet.

"We're going to Diagon Alley, and yes a first year may own a cat, rat, toad or owl. Personally I'm something of a cat person however I would personally recommend that you purchase an owl. Magical familiars are more intelligent than regular animals and owls are used to deliver mail and parcels in the magical world."

"Aw cool, mummy can I have an owl so I can send letters to you."

"We'll see dear," With the casual telepathy which exists between long married couples she glanced at her husband and saw his carefully schooled calm expression and guessed he was worrying about the cost. She whispered to her husband "her fees are paid for from some 'ministry grant' and we have savings I'm sure this won't be so bad."

Having overheard their conversation McGonagall decided to allay their worries. "A brand new set of equipment for a first year minus an owl would normally come to a sum of around a hundred and fifty galleons for a complete set of equipment, robes and books."

She endeavored to answer their questions but could see that they were if possible becoming more and more confused as they exited Charing Cross station and she lead them towards the Leaky Cauldron. This was one of the most fun bits of her duties with muggleborn families. She lead them with bemused expressions into the dark pub, the parents looked confunded as they were led through a door way that they had the strangest urge to walk past even as they were passing through it.

The pub was all but empty at half past nine in the morning, with most of the breakfast crowd already gone and no one coming in for elevenses yet. Tom glanced up as the little bell chimed their arrival. "Morning Minerva, the usual?" The hunchback asked with a cheeky wink as the professor performed the now familiar ritual of leading muggles wide eyed and staring through his pub. Catherine didn't know what to stare at first taking in the candles and moving paintings of men in robes drinking pints in the pictures, or slumped in their chairs. She could have sworn she could hear them quietly talking or snoring as she passed. Then her gaze was captured by the cleaning witch waving a wand at some chairs which stacked themselves on the table while a mop danced across the floor like a ballet dancer twirling and jumping to an invisible tune directed by the witch waving her wand like a conductors baton.

"I don't know what you mean by the usual Tom." McGonagall replied in a stern voice, but returned the wink as she led them to the back yard. "Book me a table for four to lunch," she called back on an after-thought. The four stepped through into the back yard by some old fashioned tin dustbins and a brown brick wall. After the interesting sights she had been shown in the pub Cat confessed herself disappointed by their current location.

McGonagall with a hint of showman's pride drew her wand from her sleeve and with a flourish ensuring all eyes were on her tapped a brick in the wall.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Please Review. Will update soon as I am ahead by a few chapters.