Chapter 1
Letter in the Guitar
…\~/…
5 years later-
It was so funny how such a busy street could contain so many deaf and blind people. You'd think that at least ten would stop to listen to her play a small tune or something. Logan's case rested in the middle of the sidewalk, waiting for spare change. She needed money for dinner or she would be going home with an empty stomach.
A group of girls walked past, spotting Logan's patched up clothes, ripped jeans, and such. She looked like a homeless person with no parents to help her out. The girls stopped, giggling. "I didn't know the circus was coming early." one said, covering her mouth to hide the obvious giggles and pointed. Another threw about twenty dollars in the case, saying, "Can you dance for us?" they asked, all bursting out laughing.
Logan stopped playing and narrowed one eye.
"You first."
The girl who had put the change in the case gasped and bent down to pick it up, but brought her hand back when Logan snapped the case shut. "Sorry, no refunds." She picked the case up, walking away towards her favorite diner.
…\~/…
Strange people had been littering the town lately. Those people had long, flowing cloaks that drug behind them, probably collecting dirt. Their cloaks were very similar to the one Logan huddled under at night. Theirs came in many different colors though: emeralds, violets, and royal blues. Some wore pointed hats while others wore half-moon spectacles.
Some sat on the other side of the diner where Logan sat, giving her strange looks. The owners of the diner had become friendly with her because she was their best customer. Her appetite was huge compared to others. In one hour, she could eat about twenty dishes with room still left over. In exchange for the food, Logan would play the songs that customers requested which were mainly recent popular tunes that played on the radio over and over again so she played on her guitar, fiddling around with the strings until one hit right and that led to the next and the next, creating the song.
For her performance, she got triple berry cheesecake…four plates of it along with a mug of sweet hot chocolate, the best in town. That's what the strange people were drinking.
The owner, Mr. Hardy, walked up, taking the dirty plates. "How about you go see what those fellows over there like to listen too. Play them a tune or two." he said, giving her a smile and walking away.
Logan stood up, walking over to ask them, but an elderly woman turned. Something about her seemed majestic. She wore a long emerald green robe and wore half-moon spectacles over her beady, yet stern eyes. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a tight bun and she gave Logan a tight-lipped smile.
"We would prefer silence actually."
Logan stared at her before looking at all the others. A small man with white hair that had to sit on a few books in order to be a higher level than the table. He wore a short violet cloak which was clasped tightly around his neck. A plump woman with gray hair sat opposite of the small man. She wore a dark, earth brown cloak and a matching brown, pointed hat that had been patched. Finally, a man with short, greasy black hair with a crooked nose sat opposite of the elderly woman. He stared back Logan and his eyes narrowed as he sipped on his water.
"Okay," Logan said, before turning to the owner and shrugged. He nodded and smiled. "Night Logan."
Logan waved good-bye and left.
….\~/….
"Was that her?" the small man asked, staring at the door that the girl had exited through. The elderly woman nodded, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "Her name's Logan Wolfram, she'll be attending Hogwarts soon."
The plump woman spoke up, "Is she related to Richard and Natalie Wolfram." Again, the elderly woman nodded. "And she's a werewolf." The two gasped, "But Minerva, she would be a danger to the school. The students…"
"Albus has requested that she attend. She has no memories of her real life, nothing whatsoever. Her father had casted the Obliviate spell on her after she had transformed." Minerva told Filius, Pomona, and Severus.
The two teachers exchanged glances, "Well, if Dumbledore says so, I guess we have to escort her." Filius squeaked, taking another sip of his drink. It wasn't as good as his cherry syrup, soda, with ice and an umbrella. The group got quiet when the owner came over, taking the empty cups.
"Would you four like refills?" he asked.
They shook their heads and stayed silent until the man was out of earshot. "You three with be returning to Hogwarts to prepare for the new students. I will be escorting Miss Wolfram to Diagon Alley."
The group quieted down, not quite sure what to say.
"Severus," The man looked up at Minerva slowly. "You will be preparing the Wolfsbane Potion for her, you must know." The dark-haired man nodded, hands curled under his chin.
Minerva McGonagall stood up, her hands lightly touching the table with her old hands. "I believe I should be leaving. I will see you all at Hogwarts."
….\~/….
"Spare change…spare change…?"
Logan stopped a few feet away from a particularly healthy-looking man. He was shaking a cup in the air, trying to get a few people's attention. The pants he wore looked fairly new, probably because of the label on the side he forgot to take off, but he made them look like they had been worn for years. The brown sweater was patched at the elbows, but was also fairly new. Logan couldn't help but smirk at the sight.
When a young woman came by, the man vigorously shook his can, causing the woman to stop. She was fairly pretty, with short blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. The man smirked, but before the woman could catch it, he hid it with a hurt, desperate look.
"Please miss, do you have any spare change?"
Ka-ching, he had found a charitable woman. A look of pity spread out her entire face when he gave her a sad look. She smiled, bringing her purse around and shoved her hand in. The man's face turned greedy when she took out her wallet. The man, with quick speed, jumped up and grabbed her purse and wallet, making the woman scream.
Logan set her case down, running towards the man. After so many years of running through the woods, both in human and wolf form, the muscles in her legs had strengthened and she had developed her endurance and agility.
Her fingers brushed against his coat and with a final pounce, Logan had the man pinned to the ground. He gritted his teeth when Logan grabbed the purse and wallet, pushing up on the man, and walking back to the woman.
"Oh thank you! Why can't the world have more people like you?"
The woman caught sight of the patched jeans, worn shoes, and second-hand jacket that wrapped Logan's body. The woman smiled kindly, reaching into her purse. At first, Logan thought that she was going to give her money, ready to reject it, but the woman pulled out a card instead.
"I run a business in downtown. It's a place where homeless children can come and get a decent meal from time to time." Logan opened her mouth to argue, but the woman placed the card in the palm of her hand.
"Please…take it…"
Logan looked down at the card, staring at the gold print. The woman's name was Isabelle Height. Isabelle nodded her head and started to walk away. Logan watched the woman walk, and said, "I wish there was more people like you."
Isabelle stopped, turning half-way. "What do you mean?"
"A lot of people look at my scars first…"
Both females didn't notice the envelope as it fluttered into the pocket of Logan's jacket, containing the letter that would change her life.
….\~/….
Dear Miss Logan Wolfram,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will be gathering your supplies at Diagon Alley the preceding day you receive this letter. You will need the following:
- Wand
-A size-2 cauldron (Potions)
-A telescope. (Astronomy)
-A chart of the moons, stars, and planets. (Astronomy)
-Robes for all occasions and a pointed hat.
-Parchment, quills, and ink
-The Standard Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk
-Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
-One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
- A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
- Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
- A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
- If wanted, either an owl, cat, or toad.
We hope to see you soon,
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
….\~/….
No clue how the letter had appeared in her pocket, it just did. What the hell was Hogwarts? Weren't witches and wizards make-believe? Weren't they just fairytales to entertain small children?
Logan turned on her side, hands shoved beneath her head. The familiar shine from the moon engulfed her, causing the room to glow with an eerie, yet comforting feeling. There were so many questions she wanted answered, but it seemed that no one existed to answer them. But something inside her didn't want to know the answers; that part of her was better off not knowing. She was managing on her own and that part was content.
She guessed that she would have to live with that part of her for a while.
Logan turned on her back, not able to get comfortable. A leak was starting to form from all the rain that had been coming in…she'd have to go up there and fix that…
In the house, something was out of place though. Logan's ear twitched when she heard a soft creak of the seventh floorboard in the living room and the light brush of a cloth or something against the wood. A flowery smell was now present and it definitely wasn't her. Logan swung her legs over the bed, grabbing the bat she kept near her every night. Her feet crossed over one another as she walked cautiously towards the door and swung it open.
Nothing….
"Put the bat down."
Logan spun around, bat still in hand, and came face to face with the woman from the diner. She looked more ancient, wise in the moonlight with every crease on her skin prominently sticking out now. Her cloak was different now-a navy blue, instead of emerald green. Her glasses were still propped at the end of her nose, giving her a stern look.
"Miss Wolfram," the woman said, surprising Logan that she had the knowledge of her name. "Do as I said and put the weapon down." The young girl lowered the bat, but her fingers still clenched tightly around the handle. It was her only source of defense.
"Who are you and why are you in my house?" Logan growled, tightening her grip on her bat. The woman narrowed her eyes, "You will not talk to your elders like that. Now sit down before I bind you to that chair."
Logan narrowed one eye and walked out to the dining room, sitting down at the hand-carved table. The woman had followed close behind, her cloak and robes seeming to float behind her. When she finally sat down, the woman looked up, looking over her spectacles.
"You did get the letter, didn't you?"
Logan nodded, "What's this all about."
The woman stared at the other, truly fascinated and flabbergasted about the girl's cluelessness. It was also sad, seeing how the girl had no remembrance of her past or family. All she knew was that there was something terribly wrong when she transformed into a towering wolf every month under the full moon. How a father could do this to their child she didn't know.
"My name is Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I've been sent from the Headmaster himself to retrieve you and make sure you get all your supplies for the school year."
Logan stared blankly at the woman and Minerva sighed. "You're a witch Logan." She watched as the girl's eyes got wide when she said that and jumped up, basically jumping to the bookshelf across the room. A dozen books or so were thrown to the table and Logan came jumping back.
Minerva caught the girl's studious look and raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like a witch." Logan stated, grabbing a book and flipping through the pages. Logan stopped, flipped back a few pages, and showed Minerva a picture of an unattractive woman with warts on her face and a tricky grin.
"Hansel and Gretel, the witch tries to eat them."
Another book with a fairly similar picture.
"Beauty and the Beast; witch turns the handsome prince into a beast because he was cruel to her."
Another book…
Another book…
And another….
After the last book, Logan slammed her hands into the table, not moving the woman a moment. "You mean to tell me that you come in here, disrupting my life, to tell me that I'm like one of the many witches in these books?"
Minerva stared at the pictures. All these years, tales of hideous woman eating children and doing evil deeds warped her mind. Some witches were like that, but not all. She was definitely not like the witches illustrated.
"No, I'm not. Witches aren't like that at Hogwarts and I, most definitely, am not like that." She stared up at the girl, watching Logan search her face for some kind of grin, smirk, anything, but got nothing. The woman's face was as hard and emotionless as a stone and Logan straightened up, running her fingers through her short, shaggy brown hair.
"Miss Wolfram, all I am saying is true."
Logan looked at Minerva, giving her an unbelievable face. Logan took a step back when Minerva stood up. She dug into her robes and fetched out a carved stick…wait…hold it, hold it…a…a wand! Like in all the fairy tales!
Minerva pointed the tip to the fireplace and three balls of fire came out, igniting the laid out logs, creating a beautiful fire. Minerva sat down on the couch, staring at the flames. "Miss Wolfram, this is not a trick. I know that you have found it hard to trust people due to living on your own with no memory of a past or family, but Logan…you are a witch."
Logan stayed standing, staring at the side of the woman's face. "You're serious, aren't you?"
Minerva turned her head in Logan's direction and nodded. "Logan, I'm here to help you." She noticed the three scars that ran diagonally down the female's face, a signature of what happened five years previous and the things that held all the answers, but Logan didn't know.
"I can't go…I'm too dangerous."
"Not if you have the right tools."
Logan gave a curious look, not looking like she was going to move any time soon. "Like what?" Minerva folded her hands together. "Something like the Wolfsbane Potion. A potion that lets the human keep their mind and thoughts in transformation. It's recently created, but out Potions master will be able to make it."
Logan nodded, "The man that was sitting across from you at the diner?"
Minerva looked up, "How did you know?"
"I guessed!"
Minerva kept a straight face. "Alright, well, we will be departing on the day after tomorrow. I have some things I need to prepare before the leave. I want you to pack up all your most valuable items." Logan liked it when Minerva smiled.
"In the meantime, you must call me Professor McGonagall."
….\~/….
Professor McGonagall had taken over Logan's bed while her hostess huddled up on the couch, unable to sleep. She was too excited, but what would the other kids think of her. As far as she knew, she didn't have any parents. What if kids came up to her, asking her how her parents were. Would she have to lie or tell the downright truth? What would they think of her if she told them she didn't know?
Logan would have to ask the professor later on.
The bad thing was, was that her next transformation was in a week. Wonder how that was going to go…
"You need to sleep."
Logan looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing in the small hallway. Even in the middle of the night she wore her cloak which Logan found funny. She didn't know why, it just was.
"I can't…I have too many questions."
McGonagall nodded her head, "I know you do. Those questions will soon be answered, but in the meantime, you need to sleep. I want to see what you do tomorrow."
Logan smirked, "I go scavenging."
"Scavenging?"
Logan nodded, "Yes ma'am, how do you think I got all this stuff?"
McGonagall scanned the room and took her hand away from the table. Logan laughed. "Don't worry, the guy that fixes everything up for me cleans them as well." For some reason Logan laughed, which made McGonagall give her a strange look.
"Good night Miss Wolfram."
"Night Professor."
When Minerva turned, she already heard the soft snores from the young witch. It made her smile for some reason, and she returned to the sleeping quarters to get some sleep herself, but she couldn't help but think about some answers for the questions that Logan would have for her.
Logan…would be a hand full…she already predicted…