Past, Present...Destiny
The Edges of Two Lives
Great power is given to the one born
On the magic day of the seventh month Born,
seventh of the heaven sent and a terrible beauty...
She will suffer by the hands of those most dear
But she will forgive
And give them courage for the war
She will have opposite powers
To restore or destroy
Passion will come easily
But acceptance will come hard,
As being taken for granted is constant
It was a sunny, brisk, windy afternoon in early July. A quiet cemetery in London, England, was where a little girl stood, with a bouquet of white roses clasped in her hands. The priest was droning on about how her mother was honest, kind, and hardworking. The girl's tears spilled out. The wind whipped around, blowing tangled strands of hair in her face and whirled her dress around her. However, she didn't notice any of this. All she could do was stare at the black, glossy coffin, as memories flashed in her mind like a slideshow.
"Ally! Get down from there!" her mother shouted up at the small 4 year old version of Alana, stuck in a 30 foot tree. "Mommy! I cant get down! Waahhh...!!!" she screamed. One moment she was being chased by a giant dog, the next thing she knew she had been stuck in that tree.
"Don't worry honey! I'm coming to get you!" Her mother's face, hands and overalls were splattered with white and yellow paint. She had been doing work in their new house. Her long, dark hair was in a messy ponytail, and it shined in the sunshine. Before Alana knew it she was carrying her down on her shoulders...
Odd things like these often happened. Alana could never explain them, but they always seemed to happen when she was scared or angry.
The sun was shining in her window, and the breeze wafting in. She woke up. Her mother popped in the doorway. "Good morning darling! Happy birthday!" she said, and started humming 'Happy Birthday to You'. Ally giggled. It was her 5th birthday. "Oh... Look! Someone left a present for you." her mother said softly. She became quiet. Alana saw a package at the foot of your bed, wrapped in a wide silver ribbon and shiny pink paper, her favorite color.
"Ooo... Is it from you mommy?"
"No darling..." she looked up at her mother. She had a dreamy look in her eye.
"Who's it from?"
"Why don't you open it? Maybe there's a card."
She agreed, and ripped the package open with her tiny hands. It looked like a small jewelry box. It was dark blue and had a dome shaped lid. She popped the clasp up and pulled the lid open, which showed a dark spherical glass ball inside, and immediately her whole room turned dark, like the night sky. She looked up and saw what looked like real stars. She gawked at the ceiling.
"Mommy! Look! Stars!" Her mother started crying. Alana looked at her, scared. She (her mother) flung down a piece of paper on her bed and stormed out of the room. Ally picked it up. With a bit of difficulty, she read the note. The thick, neat, spiky handwriting looked familiar.
Happy 5th Birthday, Alana. I hope you like your present. It might help get rid of some of those nightmares.
Every year, on her birthday, she received a beautiful, and what seemed to be magical, gift, along with a short note. They all said the same thing, and were never signed...
"Mommy, what does my name mean?" she asked. Her mom laughed.
"Well... Alana means fair and beautiful. Adiana means angel's beauty. Rowen means slender and fair, and Reynard means pure, honest and incorrupt."
"Incerrupd?" she was 6, and didn't understand . Her mother shook her head.
"I'll tell you when you're older."
"What does your name mean?" Alana had always asked so many random questions at that age. Her mother just smiled. She always answered them, no matter how silly they were.
"Ada means happiness, and Reynard means pure and honest."
"Oh..." she said, munching on a cookie. "How old are you?" Her mother burst out laughing. Ally frowned. It seemed like a perfectly serious question.
Alana's mother's name fit her well. She never lied or cheated anyone, even if it was for the best. And she was almost always happy, no matter what. Even when they had to keep on moving because she was always switching jobs. Even when the doctor diagnosed her with diabetes... Diabetes was not supposed to be deadly, so when Ada's body began to deteriorate, the doctors could not find an explanation.
Alana knelt at her bed. "Are you ok? You look-" she asked, concerned. Her mother looked even sicker then usual.
"Ally..." she said hoarsely. She leaned in closer to hear her.
"Yeah?"
"Please... Forgive him. I have. Tell him that. And ask him to forgive me."
"Tell who? Who? For what?"
"I loved him... Very much. I always have."
She looked at her wildly. "What are you talking about?" She was scared that her mother might be losing her mind, as well as dying.
"Grow up, have a good life..." she coughed. "Always be kind to others. Promise me."
"I promise. I do. Just don't leave..." She started panicking, clinging to her mother’s wasted body.
"I love you Ally... Remember that."
Tears started spilling down her face. "I l-love you too." Ada kissed her on the forehead, and closed her eyes. Alana shook her. "Mom? MOM!" She shook her wildly. "Doctor!!!" she screamed. A balding man rushed in. He put his hand to her neck, and brought it away slowly.
"I'm sorry..."
That had been just a week ago. Ada's insulin had stopped helping; it was something the doctor couldn't explain. Alana thought about how she had to pack up everything at the apartment, and leave that same day. The special services woman said she could choose to go to either a convent or an orphanage. She hadn't decided, but she had to make up her mind today. Ally had no living relatives that she knew of. Her mother had been an orphan, and Alana's father had abandoned her and her mother before she had been born. A fresh wave of tears overtook her.
"Ally?" Alana looked up. The priest was motioning her to the coffin. She walked up, in a simple black dress, black coat and shiny black mary janes, clutching the bouquet of white roses, her mother's favorite. She placed them on the casket silently. Other people gathered and placed flowers on it too, saying their farewells. There weren't that many people though. A few neighbors from the apartments, Ada's boss, a few co-workers... She backed away slowly as the coffin was lowered into the ground, finally landing with a soft thud. Some cemetery workers started shoveling in soil. Alana sank to her knees, sobbing harder and harder as she heard the sound of dirt land on wood.
After the grave was finally filled, people started walking away, murmuring meaningless condolences. It didn't help one bit. Finally, everyone was gone, except for one mysterious man. Alana felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Alana Clavering?" An unfamiliar voice spoke. She looked up. An old man with an abnormally long, silver beard, a long, crooked nose and behind half moon spectacles, he had lightning bright blue eyes. He looked down at her, smiling sadly. She stared at him. Even though he looked extremely out of place, from his black pinstriped suit to his purple tie and shiny polished green bowling shoes, something about him was comforting. "Chocolate?" he offered. Alana took it without question, sniffling as she let the chocolate melt in her mouth. It did warm her up a bit. "My deepest sympathies."
"... Who are you?" she asked quietly.
"Albus Dumbledore. I am a friend of your father's. In fact, that is why I am here... He asked me to come and fetch you."
Her eyes grew wide. "M-my... He's... What?"
He smiled kindly. "I expect he will explain everything to you in due time. Now, would you come with me? Or do you need more time?"
Ally looked back at the gravestone, and he nodded. She sat on the freshly dug soil, cross legged. Tears were still pouring down her face, though less violently. Dumbledore placed a bouquet of white roses on the gravestone. She looked up, surprised. Where did he get those? She swore he hadn't had them the moment before...
"Those were my mother's favorite." she murmured, touching the gray stone.
Ada Morgan Reynard
1939-1971
Loving mother and friend
She glared. "That's ALL they had to say about her?!" she yelled. She buried her head in her hands, infuriated. After a while, she finally got up. Dumbledore was still standing patiently.
"Ready to go?" he asked kindly. She nodded, and he led her to a small black car. She sat in the front seat, and maybe it was just her, but it was abnormally spacious inside compared to the size of the car from the outside... Dumbledore looked even more out of place driving a car. She didn't know why this was so. She looked back at her mother's grave. To Alana's surprise, she saw a silvery wolf sitting in front of it. As she turned around in her seat, she heard a lonely, wailing, warbling howl. Another memory flashed in her mind.
She looked up at a handsome young man with silvery blonde hair and emerald green eyes. He was cradling her in his arms, and she was trying to pinch his nose with her short, chubby fingers. "She's beautiful..." he whispered, tickling her tiny feet. She looked to the side, and saw her mother. She looked younger then Ally remembered her. Her hair was shorter. Tears were streaming down her face.
"I can't go with you Don."
The man wielded on her angrily. "Why not?!"
"You can't just back out of something like that! You made your decision, and I'm making mine." The man started yelling, and Ally started crying. The memory faded...
Alana looked out the window again. They were now on the highway. She shook the flashback out of her head. Then another thought popped up.
"Wait... you called me Alana Clavering. My last name is Reynard."
"Actually, by law your real surname is Clavering... your father's surname." She glowered. I don't want to have the man's last name.
"Why did my father ask you to come and get me?" she asked angrily.
"He heard about your mother." Dumbledore said calmly.
"Why now? Has the guilt finally sunk in?" she spat.
"Actually, I suppose so. But you have nowhere else to go, am I right? Or would you rather go to an orphanage?" Alana didn't answer this. "Believe me, you will be living very comfortably at your father's Essex estate."
"He's rich?" she said, appalled. Why didn't he support me and mum then?? Dumbledore nodded. She sat, fuming in silence. They drove into the more urban part of London.
"Your home is this way?" he asked. She nodded, and was still silent, arms folded over her chest. "Your birthday is next week is it not? On the 7th?" She looked at him, surprised.
"How did you know?" Actually, she had forgotten herself.
"Your father mentioned it. How old will you be?"
"Eleven." she said proudly with a small smile.
Dumbledore beamed. "It's not everyday that a young girl turns eleven now is it?" he said mysteriously...
They reached Alana's apartment. Inside, mostly everything was in boxes. The TV, the board games, her stuffed animals, her mother's things...
"Everything will be sent to the estate. You can just pack the rest of your belongings in here." Dumbledore raised what seemed to be a wand, and two large, leather rectangular studded chests appeared in front of them both.
Alana gaped at him. "How...??"
He beamed, an expression he seemed to use often. "You should sit down." She sat down right on the spot, eager to hear what he had to say. "Alana... You are a witch." She blushed and stared at him unbelievably. Is this a joke?
"... A what? Witches aren't real!" (credit for this icon: sanguinet_icons)
"Your father is one. Well... he's a wizard technically. But also..." he started pacing the room. "Have you ever done anything extraordinary... Anything at all that you couldn't explain? Especially when you were scared or angry? Hmm?"
Alana frowned. "I... I remember a bunch of rulers and books attacking a bully at my school once. He was pulling my hair and poking me and..." She looked at him wide eyed. He was chuckling. "I couldn't possibly! You can't be serious!" He didn't offer any explanation.
"Just pack up your things and meet me right here." Alana pulled the trunks to her room, considering the possibility a little. It would be cool, to have magical powers...
Her room was small and plain. The bed (now only a mattress on a frame) was in one corner, the dresser and mirror on the side, and an old rug in the middle. She walked up to the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her mousy brown mid back length hair was gnarled from all the wind, and her black headband was askew. Her dress and coat hung loosely on her stick thin figure. She was short, about 4'5" (well she was only [almost] 11). She had delicate features, from her thin but sharp eyebrows to her long soft eyelashes, her dainty nose, hands and feet, and her lips, which were normally a light shade of pink, but were now white because of all the crying. Her pale white ivory skin highlighted the dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes were an emerald green color with a hazel ring around her pupils, with gold flecks and lightning blue swirls in the green. Her eyes were the only thing her liked about herself. Other then that, she felt she was rather plain, if not ugly. In school, she had never really been... one of the pretty girls, or the witty ones or anything special really. She had always done well at school, so she enjoyed it a lot, even though she didn't really have any friends. She had been the smart, quiet, shy type. She would have most likely made lots of friends if she tried to socialize more...
She changed out of her clothes into a black skirt and a lavender blouse. She wanted to dress nice to meet her father for the first time. Alana opened up the chest Dumbledore had given. It was lined with cushiony soft red velvet. She folded her clothes neatly and placed them inside, along with the remaining stuffed animals, books and other belongings. Then she put the mysterious birthday presents she had received over the years in the remaining space in the last trunk. She dragged the chests back out, where Dumbledore was waiting. "Excellent. And... Ahh yes. Here is a letter for you, about your new school." The window in the living room had been opened, and a barn owl swooped in, and stuck out its leg, which had a roll of paper tied on it. Alana stared at it timidly. Dumbledore waved her over, and she took the letter gingerly. She was surprised the owl didn't snap at her. Little Alana didn't think anything would be different at this school, but maybe she would be able to make a fresh new start. The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment. It was addressed to her, in green, scrawling ink.
Ms. A. Clavering Bedroom to the right Apartment 77 Willow Grove Apartments London
She opened the envelope eagerly.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Clavering, 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 your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"You're the headmaster?" she said in awe. Dumbledore nodded. "Hogwarts... That's an odd name for a school isn't it?" She caught yourself. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"
He smiled amusingly, eyes sparkling. "It's quite alright. I thought that myself when I first attended." She looked at him in amazement. He was so cool! "So I assume you will be there."
"I want to, but I don't have any money..."
"Your father will gladly pay for it."
"... If he is... Then I guess I'll go."
"Good." He then took out a piece of parchment, wrote a quick note and sent it off with the owl. "Now, I don't think you're ready to floo-" Didn't he mean fly or something? "Flooing... It's traveling by fireplace. Anyway, we'll be driving to the estate. It might take a while though, even with the Ministry car."
"Ministry?" There's so much I don't know...
"The Ministry of Magic. Our government. Now let's not doddle. We should get going." He flicked his wand again, and the trunks hovered above the ground, floating to the car and packed themselves in. Alana quickly got in, sitting in the front passengers seat. The sun was starting to set, and the sunshine became dimmer and dimmer as time passed. She asked question after question. The great thing about Dumbledore was that he never got annoyed with them, just like her mother...
She learned that non-magic people were called Muggles, Hogwarts was a boarding school, wizards used different money then Muggles, so she’d be getting her money (inherited from her father which grows with interest, and the money that had been given to her by her mothers will, which had been transferred to wizarding money) from a wizarding bank called Gringotts, which was in underground London... There were witches and wizards all over the world including other magical creatures like centaurs, dragons, mermaids, ghosts, leprechauns, vampires... After she couldn’t think of any more questions for a bit, she looked in the envelope again, and took out the supplies list again.
Supplies:
Uniform First year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black)
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. 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 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's 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
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of 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
She looked up, concerned.
"Where am I going to get all this?" She had been all over England with your mother, moving place to place, and had never seen any of these things.
"Diagon Alley." And where's that? she thought. "We're here." he announced.
She looked up. It was sunset. A giant iron gate swung open magically, and the car moved along. The bright orange hues of the sky illuminated silhouettes of great, rolling hills. The trees grew thick all around. They passed over a bridge, which was over a large creek which led to a glistening lake in the distance.
As they drove on, the trees became less and less dense, till she could finally see a French provincial type mansion looming in the distance like a still sentinel. It was made of white brick, with a gray-blue shingled roof, and black paned windows. The house was symmetrical, with two chimneys and balconies on either side. The place was huge. Alana counted eleven windows across on each of the first and second story, and eyebrow dormers for each of the windows of the third story, sticking out of the roof. The first story had palladian windows and a set of giant slate-gray double doors. They were now driving along a yellow brick road that was lined with giant maple trees, whose branches overlapped and intertwined above. Alana's heart beat faster as they got closer to the mansion.
They parked, and she stepped out, got her trunks, and timidly followed Dumbledore along the neatly trimmed path, lined with bushes, small swirling trees, larger willows, and flowers, to the giant front doors. He knocked on them sharply with the lion head knockers. Seconds later, the doors swung wide open...
"Professor Dumbledore sir! And the little miss! Welcome, welcome!" said a little squeaky voice.
Alana looked down, and there was a short, leathery skinned creature about two feet tall beaming up at her. She (it looked like a female) had large, floppy pointed ears, large, watery brown eyes, a short nose, long, skinny fingers, and looked like she was wearing a red checkered pillowcase. She bowed, which startled Alana along with everything else about the place. "Mixie at your service miss!" Alana looked at her, bewildered, then Dumbledore, then back to her again.
"What?" she said, uneasily.
"She's a house elf, Alana. A servant, bound to your family."
"Would you like Mixie to take the miss's things up to her room?"
"Err... sure..."
"You'd better follow her. And I'd best be leaving. Lots to do you know. Your father should be back anytime now... Have a nice evening Alana." Dumbledore said, nodding in goodbye. Ally nodded mutely, and stepped inside. Dumbledore bowed slightly and exited.
Then she gazed through the room. There was a grand ceiling, lined with columns. Two giant connected white marble staircases led to the left and right. She also saw another stair in a doorway, which probably led to the third floor. The floor was also made of white marble. She looked above and saw a crystal chandelier full of candles giving off a bright glow. There were large rooms on her left and right, but before she could explore them Mixie spoke.
"This way Miss Alana." She somehow made the trunks hover in front of her as she made her way up the steps. Mixie made a few turns. Many of the walls were lined with portraits of people. To Alana's amazement, they were all moving around, some nodding or waving, some even talking to each other. She noticed most of the people in the portraits in the third floor had blonde, almost silver, hair. She finally went up a gold and cherry wood spiral staircase, and found herself in a circular hallway, with large French doors. They opened as she approached them.
She stepped in, and gasped. It was a large room, with white painted wooden walls with some intricate gold molding, gold carvings and gold paint details, a giant marble fireplace taller then her, circle bay full length latticed windows with a window seat (she'd always wanted one of those), flowing white curtains, a walk in closet and a private bathroom. The high ceiling was painted in a mural of the sky, with birds and everything, and it had a small iron wrought chandelier in the middle. There was even another Victorian door that led out to a balcony. There was a giant king sized canopy bed with big, fluffy white sheets and pillows, and deep gold embroidered curtain drapes. There was even a big potted (probably enchanted) cherry blossom tree, twinkling softly. She even had her own personal bathroom and walk in closet. It was so much to take in at once. And her mother's death, the funeral... That was all still very fresh in her mind. I'm actually going to live here! It's a palace! she thought.
"Miss?" She lifted her head up, seeing another house elf, wearing a pillow case like Mixie. But this one seemed male, since his voice was slightly deeper, and he had sharper green eyes and a wider, straighter build. "My name is Jippy." he bowed.
"Hello." Ally smiled politely.
"Would Miss like Jippy to unpack her things?"
On the magic day of the seventh month Born,
seventh of the heaven sent and a terrible beauty...
She will suffer by the hands of those most dear
But she will forgive
And give them courage for the war
She will have opposite powers
To restore or destroy
Passion will come easily
But acceptance will come hard,
As being taken for granted is constant
It was a sunny, brisk, windy afternoon in early July. A quiet cemetery in London, England, was where a little girl stood, with a bouquet of white roses clasped in her hands. The priest was droning on about how her mother was honest, kind, and hardworking. The girl's tears spilled out. The wind whipped around, blowing tangled strands of hair in her face and whirled her dress around her. However, she didn't notice any of this. All she could do was stare at the black, glossy coffin, as memories flashed in her mind like a slideshow.
"Ally! Get down from there!" her mother shouted up at the small 4 year old version of Alana, stuck in a 30 foot tree. "Mommy! I cant get down! Waahhh...!!!" she screamed. One moment she was being chased by a giant dog, the next thing she knew she had been stuck in that tree.
"Don't worry honey! I'm coming to get you!" Her mother's face, hands and overalls were splattered with white and yellow paint. She had been doing work in their new house. Her long, dark hair was in a messy ponytail, and it shined in the sunshine. Before Alana knew it she was carrying her down on her shoulders...
Odd things like these often happened. Alana could never explain them, but they always seemed to happen when she was scared or angry.
The sun was shining in her window, and the breeze wafting in. She woke up. Her mother popped in the doorway. "Good morning darling! Happy birthday!" she said, and started humming 'Happy Birthday to You'. Ally giggled. It was her 5th birthday. "Oh... Look! Someone left a present for you." her mother said softly. She became quiet. Alana saw a package at the foot of your bed, wrapped in a wide silver ribbon and shiny pink paper, her favorite color.
"Ooo... Is it from you mommy?"
"No darling..." she looked up at her mother. She had a dreamy look in her eye.
"Who's it from?"
"Why don't you open it? Maybe there's a card."
She agreed, and ripped the package open with her tiny hands. It looked like a small jewelry box. It was dark blue and had a dome shaped lid. She popped the clasp up and pulled the lid open, which showed a dark spherical glass ball inside, and immediately her whole room turned dark, like the night sky. She looked up and saw what looked like real stars. She gawked at the ceiling.
"Mommy! Look! Stars!" Her mother started crying. Alana looked at her, scared. She (her mother) flung down a piece of paper on her bed and stormed out of the room. Ally picked it up. With a bit of difficulty, she read the note. The thick, neat, spiky handwriting looked familiar.
Happy 5th Birthday, Alana. I hope you like your present. It might help get rid of some of those nightmares.
Every year, on her birthday, she received a beautiful, and what seemed to be magical, gift, along with a short note. They all said the same thing, and were never signed...
"Mommy, what does my name mean?" she asked. Her mom laughed.
"Well... Alana means fair and beautiful. Adiana means angel's beauty. Rowen means slender and fair, and Reynard means pure, honest and incorrupt."
"Incerrupd?" she was 6, and didn't understand . Her mother shook her head.
"I'll tell you when you're older."
"What does your name mean?" Alana had always asked so many random questions at that age. Her mother just smiled. She always answered them, no matter how silly they were.
"Ada means happiness, and Reynard means pure and honest."
"Oh..." she said, munching on a cookie. "How old are you?" Her mother burst out laughing. Ally frowned. It seemed like a perfectly serious question.
Alana's mother's name fit her well. She never lied or cheated anyone, even if it was for the best. And she was almost always happy, no matter what. Even when they had to keep on moving because she was always switching jobs. Even when the doctor diagnosed her with diabetes... Diabetes was not supposed to be deadly, so when Ada's body began to deteriorate, the doctors could not find an explanation.
Alana knelt at her bed. "Are you ok? You look-" she asked, concerned. Her mother looked even sicker then usual.
"Ally..." she said hoarsely. She leaned in closer to hear her.
"Yeah?"
"Please... Forgive him. I have. Tell him that. And ask him to forgive me."
"Tell who? Who? For what?"
"I loved him... Very much. I always have."
She looked at her wildly. "What are you talking about?" She was scared that her mother might be losing her mind, as well as dying.
"Grow up, have a good life..." she coughed. "Always be kind to others. Promise me."
"I promise. I do. Just don't leave..." She started panicking, clinging to her mother’s wasted body.
"I love you Ally... Remember that."
Tears started spilling down her face. "I l-love you too." Ada kissed her on the forehead, and closed her eyes. Alana shook her. "Mom? MOM!" She shook her wildly. "Doctor!!!" she screamed. A balding man rushed in. He put his hand to her neck, and brought it away slowly.
"I'm sorry..."
That had been just a week ago. Ada's insulin had stopped helping; it was something the doctor couldn't explain. Alana thought about how she had to pack up everything at the apartment, and leave that same day. The special services woman said she could choose to go to either a convent or an orphanage. She hadn't decided, but she had to make up her mind today. Ally had no living relatives that she knew of. Her mother had been an orphan, and Alana's father had abandoned her and her mother before she had been born. A fresh wave of tears overtook her.
"Ally?" Alana looked up. The priest was motioning her to the coffin. She walked up, in a simple black dress, black coat and shiny black mary janes, clutching the bouquet of white roses, her mother's favorite. She placed them on the casket silently. Other people gathered and placed flowers on it too, saying their farewells. There weren't that many people though. A few neighbors from the apartments, Ada's boss, a few co-workers... She backed away slowly as the coffin was lowered into the ground, finally landing with a soft thud. Some cemetery workers started shoveling in soil. Alana sank to her knees, sobbing harder and harder as she heard the sound of dirt land on wood.
After the grave was finally filled, people started walking away, murmuring meaningless condolences. It didn't help one bit. Finally, everyone was gone, except for one mysterious man. Alana felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Alana Clavering?" An unfamiliar voice spoke. She looked up. An old man with an abnormally long, silver beard, a long, crooked nose and behind half moon spectacles, he had lightning bright blue eyes. He looked down at her, smiling sadly. She stared at him. Even though he looked extremely out of place, from his black pinstriped suit to his purple tie and shiny polished green bowling shoes, something about him was comforting. "Chocolate?" he offered. Alana took it without question, sniffling as she let the chocolate melt in her mouth. It did warm her up a bit. "My deepest sympathies."
"... Who are you?" she asked quietly.
"Albus Dumbledore. I am a friend of your father's. In fact, that is why I am here... He asked me to come and fetch you."
Her eyes grew wide. "M-my... He's... What?"
He smiled kindly. "I expect he will explain everything to you in due time. Now, would you come with me? Or do you need more time?"
Ally looked back at the gravestone, and he nodded. She sat on the freshly dug soil, cross legged. Tears were still pouring down her face, though less violently. Dumbledore placed a bouquet of white roses on the gravestone. She looked up, surprised. Where did he get those? She swore he hadn't had them the moment before...
"Those were my mother's favorite." she murmured, touching the gray stone.
Ada Morgan Reynard
1939-1971
Loving mother and friend
She glared. "That's ALL they had to say about her?!" she yelled. She buried her head in her hands, infuriated. After a while, she finally got up. Dumbledore was still standing patiently.
"Ready to go?" he asked kindly. She nodded, and he led her to a small black car. She sat in the front seat, and maybe it was just her, but it was abnormally spacious inside compared to the size of the car from the outside... Dumbledore looked even more out of place driving a car. She didn't know why this was so. She looked back at her mother's grave. To Alana's surprise, she saw a silvery wolf sitting in front of it. As she turned around in her seat, she heard a lonely, wailing, warbling howl. Another memory flashed in her mind.
She looked up at a handsome young man with silvery blonde hair and emerald green eyes. He was cradling her in his arms, and she was trying to pinch his nose with her short, chubby fingers. "She's beautiful..." he whispered, tickling her tiny feet. She looked to the side, and saw her mother. She looked younger then Ally remembered her. Her hair was shorter. Tears were streaming down her face.
"I can't go with you Don."
The man wielded on her angrily. "Why not?!"
"You can't just back out of something like that! You made your decision, and I'm making mine." The man started yelling, and Ally started crying. The memory faded...
Alana looked out the window again. They were now on the highway. She shook the flashback out of her head. Then another thought popped up.
"Wait... you called me Alana Clavering. My last name is Reynard."
"Actually, by law your real surname is Clavering... your father's surname." She glowered. I don't want to have the man's last name.
"Why did my father ask you to come and get me?" she asked angrily.
"He heard about your mother." Dumbledore said calmly.
"Why now? Has the guilt finally sunk in?" she spat.
"Actually, I suppose so. But you have nowhere else to go, am I right? Or would you rather go to an orphanage?" Alana didn't answer this. "Believe me, you will be living very comfortably at your father's Essex estate."
"He's rich?" she said, appalled. Why didn't he support me and mum then?? Dumbledore nodded. She sat, fuming in silence. They drove into the more urban part of London.
"Your home is this way?" he asked. She nodded, and was still silent, arms folded over her chest. "Your birthday is next week is it not? On the 7th?" She looked at him, surprised.
"How did you know?" Actually, she had forgotten herself.
"Your father mentioned it. How old will you be?"
"Eleven." she said proudly with a small smile.
Dumbledore beamed. "It's not everyday that a young girl turns eleven now is it?" he said mysteriously...
They reached Alana's apartment. Inside, mostly everything was in boxes. The TV, the board games, her stuffed animals, her mother's things...
"Everything will be sent to the estate. You can just pack the rest of your belongings in here." Dumbledore raised what seemed to be a wand, and two large, leather rectangular studded chests appeared in front of them both.
Alana gaped at him. "How...??"
He beamed, an expression he seemed to use often. "You should sit down." She sat down right on the spot, eager to hear what he had to say. "Alana... You are a witch." She blushed and stared at him unbelievably. Is this a joke?
"... A what? Witches aren't real!" (credit for this icon: sanguinet_icons)
"Your father is one. Well... he's a wizard technically. But also..." he started pacing the room. "Have you ever done anything extraordinary... Anything at all that you couldn't explain? Especially when you were scared or angry? Hmm?"
Alana frowned. "I... I remember a bunch of rulers and books attacking a bully at my school once. He was pulling my hair and poking me and..." She looked at him wide eyed. He was chuckling. "I couldn't possibly! You can't be serious!" He didn't offer any explanation.
"Just pack up your things and meet me right here." Alana pulled the trunks to her room, considering the possibility a little. It would be cool, to have magical powers...
Her room was small and plain. The bed (now only a mattress on a frame) was in one corner, the dresser and mirror on the side, and an old rug in the middle. She walked up to the mirror and looked at her reflection. Her mousy brown mid back length hair was gnarled from all the wind, and her black headband was askew. Her dress and coat hung loosely on her stick thin figure. She was short, about 4'5" (well she was only [almost] 11). She had delicate features, from her thin but sharp eyebrows to her long soft eyelashes, her dainty nose, hands and feet, and her lips, which were normally a light shade of pink, but were now white because of all the crying. Her pale white ivory skin highlighted the dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes were an emerald green color with a hazel ring around her pupils, with gold flecks and lightning blue swirls in the green. Her eyes were the only thing her liked about herself. Other then that, she felt she was rather plain, if not ugly. In school, she had never really been... one of the pretty girls, or the witty ones or anything special really. She had always done well at school, so she enjoyed it a lot, even though she didn't really have any friends. She had been the smart, quiet, shy type. She would have most likely made lots of friends if she tried to socialize more...
She changed out of her clothes into a black skirt and a lavender blouse. She wanted to dress nice to meet her father for the first time. Alana opened up the chest Dumbledore had given. It was lined with cushiony soft red velvet. She folded her clothes neatly and placed them inside, along with the remaining stuffed animals, books and other belongings. Then she put the mysterious birthday presents she had received over the years in the remaining space in the last trunk. She dragged the chests back out, where Dumbledore was waiting. "Excellent. And... Ahh yes. Here is a letter for you, about your new school." The window in the living room had been opened, and a barn owl swooped in, and stuck out its leg, which had a roll of paper tied on it. Alana stared at it timidly. Dumbledore waved her over, and she took the letter gingerly. She was surprised the owl didn't snap at her. Little Alana didn't think anything would be different at this school, but maybe she would be able to make a fresh new start. The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment. It was addressed to her, in green, scrawling ink.
Ms. A. Clavering Bedroom to the right Apartment 77 Willow Grove Apartments London
She opened the envelope eagerly.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Clavering, 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 your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
"You're the headmaster?" she said in awe. Dumbledore nodded. "Hogwarts... That's an odd name for a school isn't it?" She caught yourself. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"
He smiled amusingly, eyes sparkling. "It's quite alright. I thought that myself when I first attended." She looked at him in amazement. He was so cool! "So I assume you will be there."
"I want to, but I don't have any money..."
"Your father will gladly pay for it."
"... If he is... Then I guess I'll go."
"Good." He then took out a piece of parchment, wrote a quick note and sent it off with the owl. "Now, I don't think you're ready to floo-" Didn't he mean fly or something? "Flooing... It's traveling by fireplace. Anyway, we'll be driving to the estate. It might take a while though, even with the Ministry car."
"Ministry?" There's so much I don't know...
"The Ministry of Magic. Our government. Now let's not doddle. We should get going." He flicked his wand again, and the trunks hovered above the ground, floating to the car and packed themselves in. Alana quickly got in, sitting in the front passengers seat. The sun was starting to set, and the sunshine became dimmer and dimmer as time passed. She asked question after question. The great thing about Dumbledore was that he never got annoyed with them, just like her mother...
She learned that non-magic people were called Muggles, Hogwarts was a boarding school, wizards used different money then Muggles, so she’d be getting her money (inherited from her father which grows with interest, and the money that had been given to her by her mothers will, which had been transferred to wizarding money) from a wizarding bank called Gringotts, which was in underground London... There were witches and wizards all over the world including other magical creatures like centaurs, dragons, mermaids, ghosts, leprechauns, vampires... After she couldn’t think of any more questions for a bit, she looked in the envelope again, and took out the supplies list again.
Supplies:
Uniform First year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black)
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. 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 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's 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
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of 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
She looked up, concerned.
"Where am I going to get all this?" She had been all over England with your mother, moving place to place, and had never seen any of these things.
"Diagon Alley." And where's that? she thought. "We're here." he announced.
She looked up. It was sunset. A giant iron gate swung open magically, and the car moved along. The bright orange hues of the sky illuminated silhouettes of great, rolling hills. The trees grew thick all around. They passed over a bridge, which was over a large creek which led to a glistening lake in the distance.
As they drove on, the trees became less and less dense, till she could finally see a French provincial type mansion looming in the distance like a still sentinel. It was made of white brick, with a gray-blue shingled roof, and black paned windows. The house was symmetrical, with two chimneys and balconies on either side. The place was huge. Alana counted eleven windows across on each of the first and second story, and eyebrow dormers for each of the windows of the third story, sticking out of the roof. The first story had palladian windows and a set of giant slate-gray double doors. They were now driving along a yellow brick road that was lined with giant maple trees, whose branches overlapped and intertwined above. Alana's heart beat faster as they got closer to the mansion.
They parked, and she stepped out, got her trunks, and timidly followed Dumbledore along the neatly trimmed path, lined with bushes, small swirling trees, larger willows, and flowers, to the giant front doors. He knocked on them sharply with the lion head knockers. Seconds later, the doors swung wide open...
"Professor Dumbledore sir! And the little miss! Welcome, welcome!" said a little squeaky voice.
Alana looked down, and there was a short, leathery skinned creature about two feet tall beaming up at her. She (it looked like a female) had large, floppy pointed ears, large, watery brown eyes, a short nose, long, skinny fingers, and looked like she was wearing a red checkered pillowcase. She bowed, which startled Alana along with everything else about the place. "Mixie at your service miss!" Alana looked at her, bewildered, then Dumbledore, then back to her again.
"What?" she said, uneasily.
"She's a house elf, Alana. A servant, bound to your family."
"Would you like Mixie to take the miss's things up to her room?"
"Err... sure..."
"You'd better follow her. And I'd best be leaving. Lots to do you know. Your father should be back anytime now... Have a nice evening Alana." Dumbledore said, nodding in goodbye. Ally nodded mutely, and stepped inside. Dumbledore bowed slightly and exited.
Then she gazed through the room. There was a grand ceiling, lined with columns. Two giant connected white marble staircases led to the left and right. She also saw another stair in a doorway, which probably led to the third floor. The floor was also made of white marble. She looked above and saw a crystal chandelier full of candles giving off a bright glow. There were large rooms on her left and right, but before she could explore them Mixie spoke.
"This way Miss Alana." She somehow made the trunks hover in front of her as she made her way up the steps. Mixie made a few turns. Many of the walls were lined with portraits of people. To Alana's amazement, they were all moving around, some nodding or waving, some even talking to each other. She noticed most of the people in the portraits in the third floor had blonde, almost silver, hair. She finally went up a gold and cherry wood spiral staircase, and found herself in a circular hallway, with large French doors. They opened as she approached them.
She stepped in, and gasped. It was a large room, with white painted wooden walls with some intricate gold molding, gold carvings and gold paint details, a giant marble fireplace taller then her, circle bay full length latticed windows with a window seat (she'd always wanted one of those), flowing white curtains, a walk in closet and a private bathroom. The high ceiling was painted in a mural of the sky, with birds and everything, and it had a small iron wrought chandelier in the middle. There was even another Victorian door that led out to a balcony. There was a giant king sized canopy bed with big, fluffy white sheets and pillows, and deep gold embroidered curtain drapes. There was even a big potted (probably enchanted) cherry blossom tree, twinkling softly. She even had her own personal bathroom and walk in closet. It was so much to take in at once. And her mother's death, the funeral... That was all still very fresh in her mind. I'm actually going to live here! It's a palace! she thought.
"Miss?" She lifted her head up, seeing another house elf, wearing a pillow case like Mixie. But this one seemed male, since his voice was slightly deeper, and he had sharper green eyes and a wider, straighter build. "My name is Jippy." he bowed.
"Hello." Ally smiled politely.
"Would Miss like Jippy to unpack her things?"