"Get up and stop being lazy. Your father wants to speak to you in the dining room." she growled before pulling the curtains of my window back and stalking out of my room again.
The morning sun stabbed me in both eyes and even after I got out of bed I was so groggy that I it took me five full minutes to realize I was trying to pull on my jeans like a shirt.
It was a little after nine when I got to the dining room, and when I saw my father sitting at the table, I felt fully awake. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink and was dressed in his best robes and wizard's hat. He hadn't shaved this morning either and his whole appearance looked rather ludicrous.
"So." he said promptly, looking me up and down. "You finally decided to grace us with your presence this morning. Lazy as always. Did you know that Anwyn was up at six this morning, did her chores and is out with her friends? Do you even have any friends? You should be more like your sister."
I said nothing as I sat down and helped myself to toast and butter. I wasn't my sister. She had many friends and was the apple of my father's eye. She excelled at magic and school work. I was pretty smart with school work, a genius even, but without magic or friends I was nothing to my father. I had become accustom to his cruel words.
"You will have to change you cloths. I don't want that woman thinking I don't take care of you. Wear something more decent." he said opening his paper. "And fix your hair, it's all tangled."
I ate quickly and returned to my room where, after a bath, I pulled on clean almost new black jeans, a white t-shirt and a black hooded jacket. I combed my hair and braided it into one long plait which I hung over my shoulder, then regarded myself in the mirror. I couldn't get pass the fact that I looked like a girl in boy's cloths, and the hair didn't help. I liked my hair and blue eyes. Everyone in my family had short hair and my long hair set me apart. It was a small rebellion against the family who hated me. At least they fed me and clothed me. It could be worst.
I waited in my room thinking about what Professor Lovegood was like. Father had told me not to talk. Was he afraid I would reveal how I was treated at home? Was he afraid of his reputation getting stained if the society found out about his squib son? Either way, I was excited to be meeting Professor Lovegood. I had read a great deal about her in 'The Wizard's Way', a magazine that was published monthly. She had been Hogwarts Headmistress for only two years and had been the youngest ever to take the post. She had fought in the one year war when she had only been fourteen, having graduated from Hogwarts four years early. There was no telling how smart someone had to be to graduate at thirteen years old, let alone fight in a wizard's war that had lasted just over a year. She had to be awesome.
I went back downstairs at half past eleven to find my father standing nervously by the fireplace, floo powder jar in hand.
"Should get going, honey. We will be back soon." he was telling my mother. "You know how that woman is."
"Yes dear. Do be careful." mother replied peaking him on the cheek.
"Get over here boy." he growled at me, holding out the floo powder jar. "Get on with it."
I took a pinch of the silver powder and scattered it over the fire in hearth. The fire blazed up taller than a man and turned bright emerald green. Without looking back I stepped into the flames and shouted "Diagon Alley".
A hailstorm of fireplaces later, I spun to a stop in the Golden Cauldron and threw out my arms as I nearly fell flat on my face. The bar was thriving with activity since, I guess, that it was almost lunch time. As I stepped out of the fireplace, I got some unusual looks from several Witches and wizards who were sitting around the room. Maybe it was how I was dressed. I hated wizard cloths on principle and tried not to wear them as much as possible.
They whispered to one another and I strained my ears to hear what was being said, but I had no time to eavesdrop. With a whoosh, my father appeared in the fireplace behind me and stepped into the room. Everyone went silent.
"Come boy." He growled, grabbing me by the hood of my jacket and pulling me towards the exit of the tavern."There is no time to waste."
Outside the tavern the road was almost packed to the sidewalk. Wizards and witches in varying states of odd clothing bumped shoulders as they went about their ways as I was dragged though the throng. I had only been to Diagon Alley once before a long time ago, so I tried to take in as much of it as possible. I got a glimpse of cauldrons stacked twelve high outside a rundown looking shop before I was whisked away. I tried to wiggle out of father's hand but he set his grip to 'vice' and kept moving at a trot. I had to jog to keep up or risk falling over and being dragged face first.
After butting into like fifty people, my father slowed enough to turn and look me sharply in the eyes. I had never seen him look like that. His expression was deadly and his eyes burned with a dark fire.
"Not a word about how you are treated. If you ever disgrace me any more than you already have by being you, I will sit you in a tub of scorpions and to the cruciatus curse on you till you beg me to kill you." He said in a harsh whisper close to my ear. "Do you get my drift?"
I nodded once, my heart in my mouth. He seemed to be dead serious, and father being dead serious meant every word he uttered.
"Good." He said with a hard cold smile. "You don't speak; you don't answer any of her questions. Don't even look into her eyes. I think she is skilled at Legilimency. Just do as I say and don't cause me any trouble or you will regret it."
I nodded again, not bothering to ask what the hell Legilimency was. My father's behavior had me very worried and scared and I wasn't about to get a box upside my ears in the middle of the packed street. So I kept quiet, just like I always do, and when he straightened up and turned and led the way, I followed.
Gringotts white walls shone in the bright sunlight as I climbed the stairs, slightly to the right and behind my father. It was huge and for a moment my eyes hung on its wide arch. When I lowered my eyes, my brain did a double take at what stood halfway up the stairs.
It was a witch, wearing the brightest pink robes I had ever seen and a hat to match. Her hair was white blonde, straight and very long, but her eyes drew all of my attention. They were bright and sparkling like to puddles of molten silver and although I tried to look away, I couldn't, and she was looking at me to.
Father came to stop in front of her and crossed his arms. Her smile was like a knife in silk as she looked him over.
"Well then, Lovegood. I came so that you can make a fool of yourself as usual." My father sneered at her, but the look of arrogant on his face didn't hide the fact that he was sweating. "What rights have you to call me out here on this foolish errand?"
So she was Headmistress Lovegood. I felt a million million questions leap up my throat, but I held my tongue as the tall beautiful woman leaned over me with a genuine smile, warm and sweet like honey, and placed one hand on my head.
"And how are you today, Arouris."
Her voice reminded me of warm hugs and comfort and suddenly I felt as if my heart would burst. This woman was the most unusual person I had ever met. I was actually lost for words, no big surprise.
"Now listen here, Mailuin. I want an explanation as to why you called me out here." My father nearly shouted as her pulled me back by the hood of my jacket.
Professor Lovegood stood up slowly and glared at him. I felt myself wince at the glare and it wasn't directed at me.
"I had no intention of even breathing the same air as you, Anderson, but your son concerns me and I will tolerate you until such time as this meeting is over."
I actually felt my father's hand tremble at her words.
"If," She continued. "You mistreat him in my presence I will see to it that you regret ever having known my. Your son is my only reason for being here because he is special and I believe he deserves to know the truth."
I felt my heart beat faster at the words and curiosity set in like a rabid dog. What in the world could be special about me?