As promised, here is the next chapter ahead of schedule . As Dumbledore might say, "To our new readers, welcome, and to our old readers, welcome back!"
Thank you to all the reviews (Acro111, Carrot-Bunny, the Yoshinator, and sugar ninjas). I can't say how much these reviews mean to me, and congratulations to those of you who guessed correctly: the visitor is Minerva McGonagall.
Disclaimer: the usual.
Chapter 8: A Letter At Last
Minerva McGonagall glanced down at the parchment in her hand and then up at the sign hanging from the gate in front of her: Ferestael Orphanage. She was in the right place. She glanced down at the parchment once more, reading the name printed just above the address. Nagini Ferestael. It was always interesting to personally deliver the letter to first-years who were Muggle-born or who lived in a Muggle setting. While the children believed her wholeheartedly, the parents generally thought it was some sort of practical joke. In the end, though, they came around; they always did.
She sighed. In some ways, it was easier to give the news to an orphan. The only person McGonagall had to convince was Nagini herself. With the matron, she could make up a few stories about the school and then be on her way. It always pained her, though, to visit the children in the orphanages. While they were not mistreated, they were neglected due to overcrowding and understaffed institutions. The children she came for were generally very lonely, ostracized by the others because they were different. Thank Merlin, she offered them an escape from that, though McGonagall. They were always happier at Hogwarts, surrounded by other children like them.
Just then McGonagall caught herself and shook her head in exasperation. She was wasting time. She needed to sort matters out with the matron, meet Nagini, take her school supply shopping, then get back to Hogwarts and report to Dumbledore before dinner. With that thought, McGonagall took a step forward and was almost run over by a black-haired girl who darted around her and raced around the corner. McGonagall stared after her in bewilderment before turning back to the gate.
At her touch, the gate unlocked with a click and swung open. McGonagall entered the orphanage grounds and strode to the door, allowing the gate to swing shut behind her. When she reached the door, she rapped on it sharply and waited. Presently, the door was opened by a woman with dark brown hair, streaked with gray. She stared out at McGonagall with tired eyes. "Yes?"
"I have an appointment with the matron, Mrs. Cox," McGonagall replied. "She should be expecting me."
The woman's eyes lit up in recognition. "Yes, she did say something about that. Though, she wasn't expecting you 'til later, I thought?" she added, questioningly.
"Yes, well, if she's not busy at the moment, I would really like to see her now, if you don't mind."
"Of course! It's no trouble at all. Right this way." She held the door open, and McGonagall stepped through. The woman led her down the hallway, and McGonagall took the time to look around. While it wasn't a dismal place, it certainly wasn't very cheerful, she concluded. She couldn't imagine this Nagini girl would want to stay her.
The woman stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall, and McGonagall followed suit. The woman knocked gently on the door before peeking inside. "Mrs. Cox, there's a woman here to see you. She says you're expecting her. Would you like me to send her in?"
"Of course, send her in, came the reply. The woman opened the door wider and gestured for McGonagall to enter. McGonagall stepped past her with a nod, and the woman closed the door behind her. McGonagall stood facing a woman with dark brown hair and black eyes. Like the other woman, she had streaks of gray running through her hair, but her eyes still held a determined look in them.
McGonagall stepped forward. "You must be Mrs. Cox," she said. The woman nodded and gestured her to take a seat; McGonagall did so and looked across the desk at the matron.
"And who might you be?" asked Mrs. Cox.
"My name is Professor McGonagall. I am a teacher at Hogwarts, and I've come to offer Nagini Ferestael a place at my school."
"Really? Why her?" asked the matron.
"We believe she has the qualities we look for in our students," replied McGonagall.
"Well, she is quite bright," said Mrs. Cox. "It's just that. . ." she trailed off.
"Yes?" asked McGonagall intrigued.
"Well, how did you find out about her, exactly?"
"Her name has been down since birth," answered McGonagall.
"You mean her parents put her name down, then?" asked Mrs. Cox, a tad suspiciously.
"Yes," replied McGonagall slowly. "They did."
"Then you know who they are?" demanded Mrs. Cox. "Do you know what happened to them?"
"I'm afraid I do not," answered McGonagall shaking her head, "but, incidentally, how did Nagini come to the orphanage?"
"Oh, well that's an interesting story," began Mrs. Cox.
"I'd love to hear it," said McGonagall smiling at her.
"Well, it was almost ten years ago. A man found her in the park and brought her here. Nagini said her father had left her but promised to return in a few days. And what's more, she said the man who brought her here was taking care of her, but he said he'd never seen the girl before in his life."
She paused to draw breath while McGonagall waited intently. "Well, needless to say, we called in the police to search for her father." She paused dramatically.
"And?" asked McGonagall when it was apparent that the matron was waiting for her reaction.
"And, nothing," Mrs. Cox continued. "There was no trace of her father, either dead or alive. So we took her in and gave her the orphanage's name as a surname as is custom."
"So Ferestael is not her real name?"
Mrs. Cox shook her head. "No, I have no idea what her real name might be. The only clue to her past is a silver locket that she wears constantly. She claimed it was a gift from her father, but it never helped us find him."
"Hmm," said McGonagall thinking. "That is . . . interesting. I wonder whatever happened to him and why she was in the park by herself."
"Don't we all." agreed Mrs. Cox. "Don't we all." They both paused for a moment.
"What kind of school is Hogwarts, exactly?" asked Mrs. Cox suddenly.
"It's a boarding school in Scotland," answered McGonagall swiftly. "A school for gifted children."
Mrs. Cox nodded thoughtfully, and McGonagall took the opportunity to ask another question. "What is Nagini like, if you don't mind my asking?"
Mrs. Cox looked at her sharply, and McGonagall pursed her lips, wondering what the matron could have to say that made her so wary. Mrs. Cox paused before answering, and McGonagall grew ever more curious. "She has a guaranteed spot at your school correct?" McGonagall nodded. "No matter what I say?" She nodded again. Mrs. Cox sighed then and nodded herself. "She seems like a very bright, intelligent young girl. It's just that. . ."
"Yes?" McGonagall prodded her when it became apparent that the matron would not continue.
Mrs. Cox shook her head and looked over at McGonagall. "I must be going crazy, but it seems like the other children are almost afraid of her."
"Afraid of her?" asked McGonagall.
Mrs. Cox nodded. "At the very least, they're not friends with her. Nagini is a very solitary girl, but she doesn't seem to mind."
"Where is she now?" asked McGonagall.
"Outside, I believe. Would you like to meet her?"
"Very much."
"Alright, then," said Mrs. Cox standing up. "No, no, you stay here," she added as McGonagall also stood. "You can meet with her in here. I have things I really should be doing as it is. I'll be right back."
McGonagall settled back in her chair and waited. She was looking forward to meeting Nagini. She wondered how the girl would react to learning she was a witch.
Nagini sat in the maple tree, swinging her legs and playing with her locket. She was watching the door to the orphanage closely. She knew sooner or later someone would come outside to fetch her and tell her that there was someone who wanted to see her. And sure enough, within twenty minutes of Nagini's return, Martha opened the door and called into the courtyard, "Nagini, where are you? Mrs. Cox wants to see you."
Nagini hurried down from her perch in the tree and leapt to the ground, landing softly on her feet. "Coming, Martha," she said and hurried to the door. Mrs. Cox was waiting for Nagini halfway down the hall.
"Oh, there you are," she said looking up. "Thank you, Martha!" she called over Nagini's shoulder. Nagini turned. Martha nodded then disappeared around a corner. She turned back to Mrs. Cox. "There's someone here to see you, Nagini," Mrs. Cox informed her. "She—well, I'll let her explain what she's here for. She's waiting for you in my office," she added pointing down the hall.
Nagini nodded and walked quickly, but not too quickly, to the door at the end of the hallway. This was it, thought Nagini. She was going to Hogwarts, for whom else would the woman be if not a representative from the school? A grin threatened to break out across Nagini's face. She had known it would happen today!
Nagini paused in front of the door and took a deep breath, composing herself, before she opened the door. When Nagini thought she was ready, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
At the sound of the door opening, McGonagall stood up. She was met by a ten-year old girl with bright green eyes and long black hair braided down her back. She wore a gray skirt and white blouse, which McGonagall supposed was a uniform of sorts, and around her neck hung the silver locket that Mrs. Cox had mentioned. The girl was silent, looking at McGonagall curiously.
When Nagini stepped into the room, she saw a tall woman with light brown hair pulled back tightly in a bun. She wore rectangular spectacles, and her black eyes stared down at Nagini. She pursed her lips, and Nagini shuffled her feet, slightly uncomfortable.
"Good morning, dear," the woman said.
"Morning," Nagini murmured back.
"My name is Professor McGonagall, and you must be Nagini Ferestael."
Nagini nodded, wincing at the sound of her last name. It was the name of all the abandoned orphans. She didn't deserve the name; she had a father, but she still didn't know what her true surname was.
"Well, Ms. Ferestael," continued McGonagall sitting back down and gesturing for Nagini to do the same, "I've come to offer you a place at my school."
"A place at your school?" asked Nagini, playing her part.
"Yes," replied McGonagall. "It's called Hogwarts, and it is a school for—well, for gifted students." Nagini looked at her curiously, not saying anything, and McGonagall continued after taking a deep breath. "Hogwarts is a school of magic."
"Magic?" asked Nagini, pretending to be surprised. "You mean it's magic what I do?"
"And what is it that you can do?" McGonagall asked her.
"Well, whenever I'm very upset or angry," Nagini said, "things happen. The lights flicker, things move around the room without anyone touching them, and it gets really cold." She stopped. Her father had told her to not admit that she had a certain amount of control of her magic. It would only lead to close scrutiny at school, he told her. It's better that they think you can only perform accidental magic. And Nagini trusted him, so she said nothing more even though McGonagall seemed to be waiting.
After a moment, McGonagall nodded. "That is magic," she said. "You can't control your magic yet, but that's what we'll teach you at Hogwarts."
Nagini stared at McGonagall in wonder. She was only partially acting. She was, after all, very excited to go to Hogwarts and learn about magic. "Are there many others like me?" Nagini asked.
"Of course," answered McGonagall. "If you come to Hogwarts, you will live and learn with other young witches and wizards." Nagini's eyes lit up, and her face positively glowed. She bit her lip, but a smile still spread across her face. "I take it that's a yes?" asked McGonagall raising her eyebrows. Nagini nodded enthusiastically.
"In that case," continued McGonagall reaching into her pocket and pulling out an envelope, "here is your acceptance letter and a list of supplies." She handed it to Nagini, who looked down at it. On the front of the envelope, an address was scrawled in green ink: Ms. Nagini Ferestael, 79 Shrivington Road, London, England. Nagini flipped the envelope over. A wax seal held the envelope closed. Nagini looked closer. The seal consisted of a purple "H" surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a beaver, and a snake to represent the four Houses, Nagini thought.
She looked up at McGonagall, who smiled kindly at her, then turned back to the envelope. Nagini broke the seal and pulled out two sheets of parchment.
Well, what do you think? Did I leave you hanging a bit there at the end? Any feedback you have on how I portrayed McGonagall and Nagini during their meeting would be great.
Unfortunately, since I will be going out of town tomorrow, the next update won't be until July 10th. But on the other hand, some good news: I've finished the story through the end of first year and the outline for second, and I just today began actually writing second year! So no worries, you're not getting rid of me and Nagini that easily