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Witches and Wizards and Trains, Oh My! | ||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:All Genres: Humor, General Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: G Reviews: 10 Summary: Did you ever just want to plop yourself down into the Harry Potter Universe. Strange things can happen if you just believe in yourself. Hitcount: Story Total: 3555 Author's Notes: A/N: Okay, I know that this isweird, but I really wish that it had happened. please leave a review.
Disclaimer: The characters and world are from the very inventive JKR. I am just borrowing them.
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Witches and Wizards and Trains - Oh My! The Muggle, Professor Scroll, sat in front of her computer screen quite bored. Her green eyed, black cat, Jinx, was sprawled behind her along the top of her gray desk chair, with his tail curled around her neck, just as he always was. She had been on pins and needles, expecting something strange to happen, very restless and edgy. You know that feeling; excited, worried and anxious all at the same time. The judges had just announced the winners of the SIYE Dream Adventure Challenge, and because the next few chapters of her other story, Fairy Tales, were mostly written she didn’t have anything pressing to do. Of course, she could clean house, do laundry or any of the other mundane chores that need handled on a daily basis when you couldn’t use magic, but what fun is that. Like the characters in her Dream Adventure submission, many of her dreams had already come true. She was happy with her husband of almost 30 years. Her four children were well-adjusted young adults; she had two adorable granddaughters and a brand new grandson. Nevertheless, something was missing. She had always felt as if she was different from other people. If you knew her, you wouldn’t be surprised. Many other people thought that she was different as well. Her youngest daughter called her a Harry Potter Nerd. Her friends who had read the Harry Potter books would have said that she reminded them of batty Mrs Figg. Petunia Dursley would have said that she was unnatural. Thinking back, she tried to remember when she first noticed that she was odd. She believed it had begun around her eleventh birthday. She loved to read and devoured books. Her husband laughed at her, because she might be in the middle of two or three at once. One was never far from her fingertips. She read while she watched television, she read at the pool, she read in the car. She would even read when she was writing. The worlds created by the authors would come alive for her. She could always insert herself right down into the middle of the action. Mysteries, fantasies, histories and even children’s books, anything in print became a new world for her to explore. For a long time she had walked with Elves and Hobbits, the creatures of Xanth, Rand al’Thor - the Dragon Reborn, and of course the Dragon Riders of Pern. She immersed herself into these worlds, until one day she picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. From that day forward her world changed. She now knew why she had always felt different. She understood why the strange worlds in the books had always seemed more real than did her own. She must be a Witch. She possessed an ability to make the written word come alive for both herself and those to whom she was reading. If the Wizarding world was her true world, then it had been calling to her for years. How could she contact someone in it? She couldn’t just imagine herself into their world. She had already tried that; however, there had to be a way. Professor Scroll had explored their world and learned many of the Charms and Spells, but without a true wand, she couldn’t do magic. She reviewed a section on how to Apparate. Closing her eyes, she made a wish and then she drifted off into a fantasy of what she would do if knowledge and ability were not an issue. She pictured herself seated in a compartment of the Hogwarts express. Professor Scroll began swaying with the imagined motion of the rail car, she heard the metallic clanking sound that the wheels made and she even felt the bump as they rolled over each new section of track. The noisy excitement of the students enjoying themselves while they ran up and down the aisles laughing washed over her. She saw herself amongst them. She heard herself talking with Ginny Weasley. Saw her vibrant red hair, huge brown eyes and quick smile. * * * * A jarring noise, somewhere between a car backfiring and someone blasting off fireworks early, startled her from her reverie. Jinx or one of the dogs must have gotten into something. As she opened her eyes, she expected to see the blank page on the computer that had been taunting her with its emptiness. The change in scenery held her spellbound. Her hand rose to cover her heart that was beating too fast in her chest, as she stared in awe at her surroundings. She saw hard bench seats, upholstered in grey leather. Huge trunks rested in the racks provided, and a large Snowy Owl perched precariously on top of the uppermost black trunk beside his golden cage. A red haired sprite, dressed in a black robe with a Griffin emblem in scarlet and gold over her heart, was sitting on the seat opposite her. “Oh, sweet Merlin, I can’t believe I’ve finally done it. This is the Hogwarts Express! You have to be Ginny Weasley. Where is everyone else?” Ginny pulled her wand out and pointed it at her. Professor Scroll realised too late that a strangely dressed woman just appearing out of thin air, might frighten Ginny. “Who are you and what do you want?” “Ginny, my name is Professor Scroll and I have been trying for quite some time to reach you. Is there a way to contact Professor Dumbledore from the train?” Still gazing in amazement at her surroundings, she noticed the rain drizzling down the windowpane, making the landscape appear as a watercolour draining from the page. Nodding, Ginny first said, “Petrificus Totalus! ” Professor Scroll went rigid. Then, she pointed her wand towards Hogwarts and whispered something that under the Full Body Bind, Professor Scroll couldn’t hear. Not a minute later, Harry Potter slid open the compartment door, as Hogwarts’ Headmaster Apparated in. Harry quickly took a protective stance in front of Ginny, so reminiscent of his behaviour in the books. Professor Scroll wished she could smile. They were so perfect for each other. The top of Ginny’s vibrant head barely rose to his stubborn chin and his brilliant green eyes flashed a warning as Harry stared at the stranger. Removing the spell, but not lowering his wand, the Headmaster asked in his courtly manner, “May I help you, dear lady.” Earnestly, she began to explain what had just happened. Talking quickly, she said, “Sir, I believe that I’m a Witch. Using the knowledge I gleaned from the Harry Potter books on how to Apparate as a tutorial, I somehow managed to Apparate onto the Hogwarts Express. I was trying to reach Ginny, to see if she could help me. It’s so difficult living in the Muggle world when you know that you belong here.” “Let me see if I understand you correctly. You Apparated onto the Hogwarts Express without any training, by using information you learned from books written about Mr Potter. You don’t have a wand and you have always believed that you were a Muggle.” “Yes, Professor Dumbledore.” “Then you are certainly not a Muggle. Where do you live?” “Atlanta.” “With your consent, I believe a trip to Hogwarts is in order; if you would accompany me?” He turned and muttered to himself. “I have known of no one, except — but that would mean - ” Pausing, he shook his head, and then continued, “Never mind. We must stay focused on the problem at hand. However, this time, instead of Apparating, I think we should use Fawkes, if you don’t mind.” “Mind? I think that would be brilliant.” Before she took Fawkes tail, she turned to Ginny and Harry. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I feel as if I’ve known you since you were children. I neglected to consider how my appearing so suddenly might alarm you. I hope that we have a chance to talk before I go home.” The Headmaster had Fawkes take Professor Scroll directly to the Hospital wing, where Poppy, Minerva and even Severus waited for her. Now all she needed was to find a way to meet Hagrid. She would love to discuss dragons with him, and possibly get to ride a Hippogriff. Nearly overcome with excitement, she was barely able to tolerate the short length of time it took Madam Pomfrey to give her a complete Healing exam. She then began a battery of magical tests. Professor Snape used Occlumency and Legilimens to determine whether or not she was actually a spy. She smiled benevolently at him during the intrusion. Sneering at her, Professor Snape’s voice dripped condescendingly, “Madam, what do you find so amusing?” “You, Severus. You work so hard at being rude. Why?” Haughtily, he replied, “Despite your honorary title of Professor, you are untrained, unschooled and are little better than a Squib.” “However, my dear, Severus.” Professor Scroll stopped. Bristling with indignation, she raised her head higher and took a step nearer. Craning her neck, she looked up at him. “I Apparated here! Untrained - unschooled - and without the benefit of a wand. Besides which, I am many years your senior and expect that you will treat me with the respect which that warrants.” Taken aback, Severus glared down his nose at her. “How dare you!” “Severus, don’t you think that it’s time you grew up. You really must overcome the resentment you’ve developed towards everyone resulting from the abuse you suffered at the hands of your father when you were but a Mageling. You need to put aside your childish angst; James and Sirius are no longer with us. I know how you treat Harry and his friends and find it appalling. We are supposed to be on the same side.” “You, Madam, have no idea of my past! I will inform the Headmaster of my findings.” For a moment, he glared down at her and she back at him, each of them taking the mettle of the other. Pivoting, he began to stride towards the door between the rows of beds. Before he had managed two paces, Professor Scroll asked softly, “Does the Dark Mark still pain you, Severus?” His footsteps faltered, before without acknowledging the question, he strode on. Anything further that they did to her would be worth it. She had already met so many of the people that she had come to think of as friends. Following Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall used a spell to see if she had Transfigured herself, or had her form altered in any way. Lastly, after seating her in a comfortable chair, the Headmaster gave her three drops of Veritaserum and began to question her. “How are you feeling, Professor Scroll?” Sitting calmly in the chair, her facial features relaxed, her hands folded neatly in her lap, she replied in a monotone, “Fine, thank you. I’m so glad to finally be here at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. “Really? You wanted to be at Hogwarts. Are you here to harm someone?” “Of course not. I came to help.” “When was the last time you met with Voldemort?” “Voldemort? Why would I want to meet with him? He’s loathsome.” “Do you know any Death Eaters?” “Of course. I have read all about them in Harry Potter’s biographies. Lucius Malfoy, Nott, Bellatrix Lestrange — someone should have loved that child more when she was younger. Who else? I can’t remember any other names at this time, but you know as many as I do.” “It’s all right, Professor Scroll, just a few more questions. Do you have any idea what Voldemort’s plans might be?” “To learn the entire Prophecy! To kill Harry! To take over the Wizarding World! To make you suffer! He hates you and he knows how you feel about Harry. Killing Harry will hurt you.” “How do you know all of this?” “It’s all in the books. If you dig deep enough, you will find that I’m right.” “What was the purpose of your singling out Ginny Weasley?” “She and Harry need help in understanding their feelings. I thought that we could help each other.” “One last question. What is your favourite flavour of Bernie Bott’s Every Flavoured Beans?” “I can’t see how that will help, but I would have to say chocolate. Anything that has chocolate works for me.” When the Veritaserum wore off, Professor Dumbledore said, “Well, my dear Professor Scroll, I still find it difficult to believe that you Apparated without the benefit of any magical training, but I can now tell you that you are a Witch of great power. I sense also that you are significant to the defeat of Voldemort as well. I don’t know how; but I feel that it is imperative that you stay. I have taken the liberty of contacting Molly Weasley and she has invited you to spend the summer at the Burrow. Would that be acceptable?” Her eyes shining with happiness, she could only nod. She was going to actually get to spend time with Molly Weasley. “I am willing to do whatever might be required, sir.” “During your visit, you will need to come to Hogwarts every day for magical education. First, however, I believe that we should contact your family and let them know that you are well and happy. We will once again use Fawkes. Just whisper your address to him and for a second time, take his tail.” In less time than she had imagined possible, she was standing in her living room in the States and had introduced Professor Dumbledore to her disbelieving family. With their blessing, she packed quickly and returned to Hogwarts with the Headmaster. In his office for the first time, she could only stare around her with awe. “Please sit down. There is one final ritual before you Portkey to the Burrow. All of the students attending Hogwarts must be Sorted and you are not an exception.” Excited and beyond speech, Professor Scroll sat on the three legged stool and Professor Dumbledore settled the ancient, ratty hat on her head. In her head, she heard the Sorting Hat talking to her, “Hmm, you remind me of Merlin. Your magic is strong and powerful, but unlike him, your skills are under-developed. Be that as it may, you still belong in Gryffindor.” Grinning like the Cheshire cat, she whispered, “Thank you.” Dumbledore was smiling and nodding at her, as he removed the hat and put it away. He then handed her a silver frame holding his picture, which she immediately knew was a Portkey. “Normally, you would activate the Portkey with a wand, however, I don’t believe that you will need one. Just lift the frame and speaking clearly say, ‘the Burrow’ or ‘Hogwarts’.” “Is this the same one that the teens used last summer to come to Hogwarts for lessons?” “Yes it is. Now off you go, Molly is expecting you.” After receiving Professor Dumbledore’s short explanation on how to use the Portkey, she uttered the incantation. “The Burrow!” Feeling the anticipated tug behind her navel, she soon found herself tumbling around on the floor of the Weasley’s living room. Almost instantly, Molly was there to welcome her. Helping her to her feet, she invited her into the kitchen for a cup of tea, which Professor Scroll gratefully accepted. There had been so many changes to her life in such a short while that she welcomed the chance to catch her breath. She considered it an honour to spend time with Molly at the Burrow. From where she was sitting, she could see the famous Weasley clock, the hands currently pointing towards work for Arthur, Percy, Bill, Fleur, Charlie and the Twins, travelling for Ginny and Ron, and of course, home for Molly. Molly’s knitting needles were clicking rhythmically in the corner, working on a bright pink jumper. Drinking tea, they chatted for hours about children, magic and cooking. “I can’t believe that you’ve invited me to spend the summer at the Burrow. You know nothing about me.” “Albus thought it was important for you to be close to Ginny and Harry.” Professor Scroll nodded. “I believe that as well. I don’t know why yet, however, I felt it was imperative to meet them.” “Well, you’ll get your chance here. Ginny and Ron will be home this evening. Hermione will be here as soon as she misses Ron enough to tear herself away from her parents, and Harry will be here as soon as possible.” Hermione and Harry were spending time with their respective relatives, so both Ron and Ginny were a little depressed. Ron and Hermione had been going together since the Christmas holiday. However, although Ginny pined for him, Harry had not yet accepted or acknowledged his feelings for her. Their world was a year ahead of the books. Professor Scroll concluded that this would upset many Muggles, because they had all wanted and expected the two teens to get together in the Half Blood Prince, and would be disappointed when circumstances kept them apart. “I understand. I know that he needs to spend time under his Aunts roof to maintain the Blood Protection that his Mum sacrificed herself for.” Molly stood to begin dinner preparation. Professor Scroll said, “Please let me help. I love to cook. The meals you make are amazing. I would love to learn how you do it.” “When you have a proper wand, I’ll show you some shortcuts, but for now, it will be faster if I do it by myself. I’m sure that you must feel drained from all the excitement. Just sit and pour yourself another cup of tea.” She watched as Molly set knives chopping root vegetables. “I’m just going to put a healthy stew together for tonight. It can simmer while I go fetch Ron and Ginny from the train station.” By the time Molly departed to fetch the children from King’s Cross station, they had become fast friends, as they had much in common being Mum’s of large families. The two women had quickly stopped being formal with each other and they were simply Molly and Valerie. The Weasleys were everything that she had envisioned while reading the novels. Arthur was sweet and caring towards his family. When he heard that she had lived as a Muggle for fifty years, he bombarded her with questions. “In America, I understand that your plugs are different.” His eyes wide with wonder, he asked, “Is that true?” “Yes. When I go home, I’ll send you some if you would like.” “That would be brilliant. Thank you.” “You and your family have graciously invited me into your home, it is the least I can do.” Being mechanically challenged, Professor Scroll wasn’t able to answer many of his questions. However, that didn’t even slow Arthur down. He was like a little boy in a sweet shop. Finally, he asked, “How do airbuses fly?” “Do you mean airplanes?” “Is that what you call them?” She knew planes flew because of the rush of the wind under their wings, but couldn’t explain the aerodynamics of it. She tried. Using her hands, she mimed the wind lifting the plane on a cushion of air, with Arthur watching fascinated. Then, she shrugged. “Yes, well, I wish I could describe it better, but I really can’t.” It was Fred and George during the first evening, however that she enjoyed the most. They really did talk as one. “Did you really Apparate onto the Train?” “You didn’t get Splinched?” “Or leave behind your clothes?” “Just to meet our little sister.” “And, of course, Harry.” “Can you tell us why you did it?” By the time they had finished, Professor Scroll was grinning. “Yes, I really did. The thought of getting Splinched didn’t really occur to me, because I didn’t know that I was actually going to Apparate. I was just wishing that I could. I wanted to meet all of you, but with Ginny’s caring and inventive mind, I felt she would help me if I asked. “Ginny?” “Caring?” “Inventive? ” “Do you mean sneaky?” “And nosy?” Professor Scroll was moving her head quickly side to side, as Fred and George traded off. Ron interrupted the Twins’ tennis match of words. “Why didn’t you think of Hermione? She’s the brightest witch of our age.” “I know how brilliant Hermione is Ron, however, I focused on Ginny because of her ability to understand feelings. I felt that she would comprehend how incomplete I felt as a Muggle and that she would go to Hermione for help.” “Oh!” Professor Scroll patted his hand. “It doesn’t matter now, I’m here.” “Professor, would you like dessert?” asked Fred. George was holding a plate of sweets. Molly, who had been filling the kettle for tea, spun around. “George, what do you have there?” “Professor don’t eat any - ” Ginny began. Too late! Although she knew what a Canary Cream would do, she good-naturedly went ahead and quickly popped one into her mouth. The next thing that she knew, she was perched on the back of her chair listening to Molly give the Twins a tongue-lashing. Her fists resting on her hips, she shouted at the Twins. “HOW DARE YOU? How could you feed your pranks to a guest in our home? You have VIOLATED a guest under our roof.” Taking out her wand, she pointed it at the plate in George’s hand and muttered, “ACCIO! ” Before continuing, “When are you going to GROW UP?” She stopped and wiped her hands down the front of her apron. “Oh, Valerie is going to think that you are HOOLIGANS, and that your father and I have no control over you at all. What must she be thinking? She came all this way to meet us and you treat her like this? GO TO YOUR ROOM AT ONCE! ” After moulting and returning to her natural form, she said, “Molly, please. I knew what it was before I ate it. It’s as much my fault as theirs. Now that the Twins have pranked me, I feel as if I really belong. Professor Scroll sounds so stuffy, would you please call me Nana? That’s what my grandchildren call me.” A week into her stay, Nana knocked on Ginny’s bedroom door. When she heard, ‘Come in!’ she pushed it open. “Ginny, do you fancy taking a walk?” Ginny was sitting at her desk writing in her diary. “Sure, Nana. Where do you want to go?” Dressed as she was in yellow shorts and tank top, she looked like a buttercup. “Just to the orchard and the Burrow’s Quidditch Pitch. I would love to see you fly. We haven’t begun that part of my magical education yet.” “I can do that.” Dropping the quill, she capped the inkbottle and closed her diary. She smiled as she stood and walked over to Nana and together they headed for the stairs. “I love to fly almost as much as Harry.” Nana waited until they were outside before her next question. “Ginny, have you ever read the Harry Potter books?” “No! I don’t even think that Hermione has read them. Are they really about my Harry?” Ginny flushed. “I mean the Harry we know.” Nodding, Nana said, “They are about all of you. I have read each of them dozens of times. They are full of insight into yours and Harry’s minds.” Ginny scuffed her sandals as they walked through the orchard. Without looking up, she said, “Really?” “Yes, my dear. I may be an interfering busybody, but you should know that Harry cares very deeply for you.” Heat radiating off he face, Ginny said, “Nana, you’re wrong. He’s just a friend.” Nana pulled her to a stop. “Ginny, I’ll wager you that within a week of Harry arriving at the Burrow this summer, he will have talked to you about his feelings. You just have to be honest about your own when he does.” “I think that you’re wrong, but I’ll agree. If Harry tells me how he feels, I’ll tell him.” “Deal!” Nana said, holding out her hand to seal the agreement. However, she was only halfway there. She didn’t know how long Harry would be staying at the Dursleys, but when he arrived, she would need to move quickly. Unless she Owled him. During her magical testing, her examiners had expressed the belief that she could influence those around her, particularly if she wrote about it. Therefore, an Owl would work perfectly. She made a mental note to look into sending him an Owl after their walk was finished. Ginny mounted her broom and flew into the air while Professor Scroll watched spellbound. Ginny was as graceful as a dove as she soared and dipped above the ground. “You’re the Muggle from the train!” Professor Scroll turned to look behind her. She would recognize that voice anywhere. In front of her, ebony hair mussed, eyes blazing behind his round glasses, his wand out and pointing at her heart, stood Harry. “What are you doing at the Burrow? Mrs Weasley said that Ginny was at the Quidditch pitch with someone named Nana.” “That’s me!” She stepped towards him, and he raised his wand even further, so Professor Scroll stopped. “Harry, I’m a Witch from the States visiting with the Weasleys for the summer holiday. The professors at Hogwarts are testing my magical acumen.” “Where’s Ginny?” Although he asked, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Professor Scroll. She smiled. They really were beautiful eyes. No wonder Ginny was in love with this young man. “She’s flying. She told me that she enjoys flying almost as much as you do. I see that you have your Firebolt. Why don’t you join her?” Harry shook his head. Still alert, he said, “No, I think that I’ll stay down here.” “I’m going to turn around so that I can watch Ginny fly, Harry. That’s why we came outside. I’ve never ridden a broom before. Do you mind if I sit down on the grass?” Harry shook his head again, but didn’t lower his wand. Sitting, Professor Scroll sighed. He really was concerned for Ginny’s safety. How was she going to allay his fears? “Harry, why don’t you sit with me for a spell, and let me explain.” By the time she told him how strange she had always felt around Muggles and that she would mentally escape into other worlds through books, he had sat and lowered his wand. She went on to give him the short version of her stay at the Burrow so far, and requested that he call her Nana just like the Weasleys. Now they were both staring at the sky watching a flame haired angel fly around the pitch. Seeing expressions of adoration, yearning and love cross his features, she decided now would be a good time to interfere. “Harry, why don’t you tell her how you feel?” He didn’t even deny it. “You don’t know what I have ahead of me.” “But I do, Harry.” He was shaking his head, even while his eyes followed Ginny as she flew over the pitch. “I know the Prophecy.” He gasped and turned towards her. That had grabbed his attention, as nothing else would have. “No one but my close friends know that. How do you know about me? I’ve never met you and you said that you have been living as a Muggle.” “I have read all the books about you. At first, I thought that they were fiction, however, now I realise that they are biographies.” “Biographies about me?” “Yes, Harry.” She nodded. At his shocked expression, she smiled. He really was a nice young man. “That is why I know what you have before you. However, that doesn’t preclude a normal life.” “In my case it does. Voldemort would know and Ginny wouldn’t be safe.” Sighing, she said, “Harry, if you chose not to fight Voldemort; if you just left and went away, what would happen?” “He’d go after Professor Dumbledore, the Weasleys and Hermione. He would take over the world.” “So you’re saying that Ginny is already a target. After all, she knew about him even before you did. She already fought him once and with your help, he was defeated.” Harry nodded. “In the Chamber.” “She had trouble fighting him alone. You had to help her.” “Yes, but it wasn’t her fault. She was only eleven.” “And you were only twelve.” She smiled at him. “I’m not impugning her abilities, honey. I’m trying to help you see that you are stronger together than you are apart.” “Oh! That’s what she told me. She said that Hermione, Ron and she would be beside me whether I asked them to be or not.” “She’s very smart.” “She’s wonderful! But that’s another reason. What if I told her and then I failed? If Voldemort killed me, it would be worse for her if she knew how I felt.” “Not to put too much emphasis on you failing, Harry, because I have faith in you; nevertheless, what do you think Voldemort will do if you fall in battle?” “Kill everyone that helped me.” “So she wouldn’t mourn you for long. She wouldn’t have the opportunity. She would die right beside you and then you would be together with your Mum, Dad and Sirius.” It was time to remind him that his life wasn’t only about vanquishing Voldemort. Life was abstract and never one-dimensional. “Harry, do you remember looking in the Mirror of Erised?” He nodded. “What did Professor Dumbledore say to you?” “That men have wasted away before it, so entranced by what they have seen that they forgot to live.” A sweet smile lighting his face, she felt that he was remembering seeing his parents in the mirror. “Don’t you think that you should follow his advice and live your life to the fullest? Not waste it in fear.” “I can’t! Don’t you understand?” Harry was getting agitated, his hands fisting at his sides. “He would know. He always knows who’s important to me. Look at how he used Sirius.” “I know, but you’re stronger now. He can’t use Ginny the same way.” “He will try.” “Probably! However, by not doing something that is this important to you, you will have given Voldemort more power than he deserves.” “I don’t want to give up any more than I already have… My parents and Sirius.” “Then don’t. Have a normal relationship with the person you’re in love with. It’s not the length of time that you love, but the intensity with which you love.” “I see what you mean.” His eyes glowing, he stared up at the sprite whizzing past on her broom. A smile of hope making his dimples appear. Standing, Harry first stooped and kissed her cheek, before he said, “Thank you, Nana. We’ll be back in a few minutes.” She smiled at him as he mounted his broom and sped into the air. When Ginny spied him, she stopped and hovering, she waited for him, just as she always had. Professor Scroll knew that Ginny would wait forever if need be for the messy haired, green-eyed hero. He flew towards here and halted beside her. Professor Scroll couldn’t hear what he was saying but even from the ground, she could feel their love. After a minute, he reached over and took her hand. Ginny was blushing, her face scarlet as she began to talk. Harry stopped her words with a kiss, before he lifted her off her broom and settled her in front of him, pulling her into his embrace. Professor Scroll stood and turned her back on the snogging couple. Her work was complete. She had known… The entire Muggle and Wizarding worlds had known that Harry needed Ginny in his life if he were to be able to defeat Voldemort. Walking back towards the Burrow garden she sat on a bench and waited for the young couple. A little while later, Ginny and Harry walked up. Their fingers entwined and smiles of happiness on their faces. Harry’s eyes were blazing with his love, as he smiled tenderly down at the young woman who bent and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Nana. I know that somehow you helped both of us recognize our feelings.” “You would have realised them eventually. I just nudged things along, the same way you helped Ron and Hermione over the Christmas holiday.” Professor Scroll spent the next month travelling between Hogwarts and the Burrow. She was finally able to meet Hagrid, and although she didn’t get to ride a Hippogriff, she was able to pet one. The day she and Professor McGonagall Floo’d to Diagon Alley to purchase her wand was one that she would never forget. Not even the wonderfully descriptive passages from the books could compare to the enchanted wonders of the street filled with everything imaginable, and quite a lot that she had never even thought of. Professor McGonagall took her first to Gringotts. After changing Muggle money into Galleons, Professor Scroll walked entranced from one end of Diagon Alley to the other, her neck swivelling in many directions, as she tried to see everything at once. Tired of looking like a Muggle, her second stop had been Madam Malkin’s so that she could purchase a robe. Finally, looking like the Witch that she was, they strolled to Ollivander’s. Sir Ollivander was patient throughout the entire proceeding. Luckily, she didn’t have to try nearly as many wands as Harry had when he purchased his first wand. Nevertheless, the feeling of rightness that came over her from holding her own wand was brilliant. Her wand, eleven inches long, made of wood from an Oak tree, held a single hair from a Unicorn’s mane. Looking thoughtful, Sir Ollivander mused, “I remember when I gathered this piece of Oak from a grove on Pliny. The copse was an ancient Druid site, to which they would repair to heal and perform their devotions.” With her wand tucked into the pocket provided, they moved on. She thought about purchasing an Owl from the Magical Menagerie, but didn’t. She decided that now that she knew where to look, she would get one in the States and they returned to Hogwarts via the Floo Network. One afternoon, at Hogwarts, she met the great Joanne K Rowling herself. She was really a Witch. While they strolled the grounds, Madam Rowling said, “I didn’t like what Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet, and the Ministry were doing to Harry and Professor Dumbledore. To counter their lies, I wrote Harry Potter's biography. It was just prank! I never believed that the Muggle publishing company would publish it.” “Believe me, I’m glad you did. I would never have realised my potential as a Witch without them.” “I never thought that anyone in the Wizarding world would ever know,” Madam Rowling confessed. “You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Many young Muggles have developed a joy of reading because of your books. However did you do it?” “I Magicked a Quick Quotes Quill!” Professor Scroll grimaced. “Really. I didn’t like the one that Rita Skeeter used during the Goblet of Fire. It wrote a pack of lies.” “I magically connected mine to Harry. It helped me develop the story. It wrote down everything that it believed to be pertinent to his biography. I never dreamed that the Wizarding World would become this quite well known; although to most, it is still believed to be nothing more that a fantasy realm, populated by impossibilities.” “I can understand that. Some of the things that I have witnessed this summer fall into the impossibility category, and I lived it.” Madam Rowling nodded. “Although, the Ministry of Magic considered bringing me up on charges for exposing our world to Muggles, I’ve actually helped them. Right now, most Muggles are ignoring much of the day-to-day atrocities perpetrated by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. They just laugh it off, and say, ’Sounds like a scene straight out of Harry Potter!’ Every time some confused Muggle makes that remark, his or her memory is modified and he or she forgets the strange event. Just as Hermione put a charm on the DA sign up sheet, I placed one on each book in the series.” “I think that you are absolutely brilliant!” Exclaimed Professor Scroll. As they had chatted, they had made a complete circuit of the lake and now it was time for Madam Rowling to depart. They said their farewells, and Professor Scroll watched her walk down the path toward Hogsmeade. The remainder of the summer passed comparatively uneventfully. It would soon be time for all of the students, old and new, to return to the school for their new term, and for Professor Scroll to return home. A Time Turner like Hermione’s would really have been handy. She could just rewind time and spend another summer with the Weasleys. Professor Scroll knew that she would never have to return to just being a Muggle. Being a Witch was so much more fun. However, she received one final surprise before she returned to the States. Professor Dumbledore informed her, that he had registered her grandchildren with the school. When they turned eleven, they would receive their Hogwart’s letters inviting them to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because as we all know, grandchildren everywhere are magical. |
| Reviews 10 |
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