Bab 11: Hogwarts Letter and Minerva McGonagall
1st July 1991, London
It was already ten years since I arrived in this world and I am now eleven years old. I have an average height for my age and a slim child-like figure. I don't know if I should be happy that my body hasn't started developing yet or not. My feelings are slightly confused in this regard recently.
I am dreading the oncoming puberty. I had enough experience of it in my past life and I don't want to go through it again. Being again influenced both physically and emotionally by my body's hormones. And I would have to go through it as a girl now. Thinking about it, I could only sigh. Good thing that my body didn't change my preferences.
This morning, I had my birthday party organized by Anna and Melissa. If it could even be called a party. It was only a more lively breakfast with a big chocolate cake, some drinks, and congratulations from others and me thanking them. I don't really like social interactions like this, they could be awkward sometimes for me as I am not a social kind of person. Can't they just give me the cake and the gifts and let me go?
My gifts mainly consisted of new clothes. I got a green hoodie, a few black shirts, jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. I was quite happy as they got me things in my favorite colors.
Anne then asked me if I wanted something else and I told her that I wanted to go to the hairdresser. My hair grew quite long over the years and it started to bother me. And I had a certain hairstyle in mind.
Anna accepted my wish and after a short ride by bus, I was sitting on the chair in the hairdressing. Woody was sitting on my lap as I take him everywhere with me. I did not worry that someone will see him because he gained the ability to conceal himself from others like me after he became my Familiar. But to my eyes, he was always visible.
Because of it in the orphanage appeared another rumor about me. This time it's about me having an imaginary friend. It's pretty much my fault since I didn't pay attention to my surroundings sometimes when I played with Woody. But honestly, I don't give a d*mn to what others think about me if they leave me alone and don't bother me.
Woody was currently playing with a few strands of my hair that have been cut off and he was on his way to tangling himself in them if he continued doing what he was doing. Cute.
The hairdresser was a little against the hairstyle I wanted after I described it to her, but my emotionless glare made her comply fast.
After a while, I looked at my new hair in the mirror before me when the hairdresser was done. My red hair was now in a hime-cut. My bangs hair were reaching my eyes and the hair on the sides of my head was chin length. My remaining waist-long hair was kept in a long braid.
I have now the same hairstyle as Suou Pavlichenko. My now body is a copy of her so why not? And I also liked the hairstyle.
Anna wasn't that happy with my new hairstyle. She said something about me being boyish and that it was such a loss as I had beautiful long straight hair. She thought that I wanted something simple like making my hair wavy.
"Well, fortunately, you didn't cut everything." She said as she viewed my new braid not seeing Woody who was currently hanging on its end.
...
It was almost night when I was disturbed from my meditation by a pecking sound on the window of my room. I calmly opened my eyes and directed my gaze to my visitor, a dark long-horned owl that was standing behind the window and was matching her stare with mine.
After a short staring contest, which I won as the owl averted her eyes, I went to the window and opened it to let her in. She hooted at me and flew inside my room where she seated herself on my desk and I noticed an envelope in her claws.
I took the envelope from her and then seated myself on my bed. The envelope was made from some parchment with a purple wax seal with a large H in the middle and some hard to decipher details around it. My name and address were written on the other side of the envelope in green ink.
Agony's head suddenly emerged from my right shoulder and Woody peeked from my left shoulder, moving from his new favorite spot, my braid. The owl still sitting on the table hooted and flapped her wings in fright at the sight of Agony but didn't fly away. Such a brave owl she is.
{So we finally got the letter. What are you waiting for? Open it already. I want to read it too.} Said Agony and I could see Woody nodding with my peripheral vision.
I opened the envelope and from inside pulled the sheets of yellow parchment with the writings done in the same green ink as on the envelope.
[HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Miss Green,
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.
Terms begin on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress]
I looked over the second parchment.
[HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSEBOOKS
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 Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Draughts 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 (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set 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 BROOMSTICK
Yours Sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions]
"Don't worry Woody, although you are not an owl OR a cat OR a toad, I think I can bring you with me," I reassured Woody.
I then looked at the third parchment. It was a letter from McGonagall in which she wrote something about the Hogwarts Orphan Policy. That my schooling will be provided by Hogwarts from some fund for magical orphans so I don't have to worry about the expenses. She also wrote that I have to expect her to visit tomorrow morning and that she will fully explain my situation to me and the orphanage staff.
Anyway, I can write my answer to them right now. The only reason I stayed in this orphanage is so that I can go to Hogwarts without any problems.
I took a clean sheet of paper from the drawer under my table and wrote 'I ACCEPT' on it. Nice and simple. I then made an origami crane from it and gave it to the owl. The owl looked at my original form of a letter and after a while, she took it into her claws and shook her head in what looked like dismay. I think. It's hard to read the expression on the owl's face because of the beak, feathers, and all. She then spread her wings and flew outside into the darkening sky through the window that I closed after her.
I hope tomorrow will be interesting.
...
/Several hours later/
(Minerva McGonagall POV)
After I apparated at my destination, I was greeted by the summer morning sun and the view of the Oak Leaf Orphanage. It was a wide two-story building built from dark red bricks and a few oak trees around it. It looked rather nice and homey for an orphanage.
I walked to the door and knocked using the brass knocker on them. After a minute the door was opened by a bespectacled brown-haired woman.
"Hello. Who might you be?" She respectfully greeted me but looked a little bewildered by my type of clothes. I don't know what Muggles don't like about proper robes and pointy hats. She recovered from her bewilderment and realization flashed in her eyes.
"So Suou is really a Witch after all." She murmured and it was my time to be confused.
"You know of the Wizarding World? Ah, excuse me, I didn't introduce myself yet. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Anna Drinkwater and yes I am aware of the Wizarding World and the existence of magic. My late father was a Squib." She answered my early question. So it's like this, then this will be easier.
"My condolences for your loss."
"Ah, don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago. Well, let's go inside. Would you like some tea?" Anna said as we crossed the door inside. We were in a hallway and I could see a common room to my left through the opened door. Inside were a few children curiously peeking at me.
"No thank you. Would you please tell me something about Ms. Green before you take me to her room?" I asked her as I was quite curious about that child. It's not very often that we welcome someone from the orphanage at the Hogwarts. Most of them tend to end up in Hufflepuff, but there were some exceptions.
"Well, Suou is a very cute child but she is rather boyish. She is also very intelligent and patient. She can even be quite mischievous sometimes as she makes use of her talent to hide and be sneaky. I think that she can actually turn invisible." She started and I could hear from her voice that she is really fond of her. Hmm, the invisibility is probably her accidental magic. Looks like she will have a talent for concealment charms.
"And how do I say this? She is... an unique child." She said unsurely. "Ok, I will be honest. She was diagnosed with a minor asociality and problems with the expression of her emotions. She doesn't socialize with other children much and is most of the time quiet with a blank look on her face. And we think that she has an imaginary friend. But she is a really kind child and she doesn't make trouble." She said reassuringly while looking directly into my eyes.
A small frown appeared on my face That could be a problem. Magic and an unhealthy mind don't mesh well together. But I shouldn't make early assumptions about the child before seeing her myself.
"Oh, and about the schooling..."
"You don't have to worry." I interrupted her. "Hogwarts has the policy to provide the schooling and the basic necessaries for the orphans."
"That's very generous." She sounded both happy and relieved.
We walked up the stairs to the second floor and continued to the door at the end of the corridor.
"Suou, you have a visitor." Said Anna after she softly knocked on the door.
"You can come in." Was heard from inside soon after.
I asked Anna if she could leave us alone and after she nodded I opened the door and entered. It was a rather small room with the walls painted light blue with a few shelves on them and one window. On the left side of the room under the window was a table with a chair, on the right side of the room was a big cabinet and in the middle was a single bed with a green bad-sheet and blanket. It was quite a plain room if you ignored the paper swans and cranes all over the room. But the child was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello."
I snapped my neck in surprise as there was suddenly a red-haired girl sitting on the bed and looking at me with her pale green eyes. I swear that she wasn't there before.
"Hello to you too ms. Green. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And please don't play pranks on me like that in the future as I will be your professor. I already got your 'letter' last night." I looked at her sharply but she just shrugged her shoulders. From my first impression, she would make a fine Gryffindor.
"Ms. Green, as you read in your Hogwarts acceptance letter, you are a Witch. You have the power to use magic with which you can change the world around you. Hogwarts is there to teach young wizards and witches, like you, how to properly use magic. Like this." I said and pointed my wand at the table that turned into a pig. With another swish of my wand, the pig turned back into the table.
"Do you have any questions?" I asked her. She just stared at me blankly and shook her head. Well, this is the first time that I got a reaction like this. Usually, the Muggle-born children turn excited and shoot me a lot of questions. Some children are frightened and some start to doubt me. One time, a child even accused me of being a Satan's worshiper.
I started to have some doubts. "You already knew that you were a Witch?" Did someone tell her? Anna? But she didn't tell me that Ms. Green already know about the Wizarding World and magic.
She again shook her head. "No, I didn't know. But I knew that I was somehow special. It was that or I had more problems in my head than my psychiatrist told me."
She has a point. But she really is a unique child. I should tell the Headmaster and the other Professors that we should pay attention to her.
"If you don't have any questions then this is all. Except another visit on the 1st August. I will take you with other first-year Muggle-borns to Diagon Alley to get you all the things you will need." I said.
"Oh. There is one question that I have." She said suddenly. "Can I take Woody with me to Hogwarts?"
"Who is Woody?" I hope she doesn't mean her imaginary friend as Anna told me.
She reached with her right hand to the back of her head and from her hair, she took out a Bowtruckle and showed him to me on her outstretched palm.
I was stunned by the surprise. In my mind appeared a silhouette of one of my first students. An eccentric and shy Hufflepuff that later became the most famous Magizoologist.
"That's a Bowtruckle. They are rare and it's also very uncommon for them to be friendly with wizards and witches. I know only two people who could truly befriend Bowtruckles. One of them is the current professor of Care of Magical Creatures."
I have also never seen a Bowtruckle with a red leaves. I thought for a moment and smiled. "I think it's alright to bring him with you. I will talk with the Headmaster and he will surely give you a permission."
"Thank you." She smiled. Her blank face changed for the first time since I came inside her room.
I then said goodbye to her and had another few words with Anna and with the orphanage's Director. After everything was settled I walked out of the orphanage and continued until there was no Muggle in sight. After making sure that I was alone I apparated back to Hogwarts.
...
(Suou POV)
"That went well. Right, Woody?"
He nodded.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone