A Ravenclaw, a Slytherin and a Mystery

Nicole threw her books on the kitchen table. They had kicked her out and Mr Franklin wanted to call her dad.

And then her dad would know. She had managed to keep it a secret over the past weeks. Since her dad came home late every night he hadn't seen when the couch had been floating in the air for a solid hour. He had been already gone when she woke up two days ago and found out her hair had changed from blond to green. Nicole skipped school that day. Of course they had called her father at the office. He had been angry, telling her that she was much too young to mess around with hair dye and now she would have to face the consequences. Her hair stayed green.

It had started a month ago. Back then she hadn't studied for a geography test. Nicole studied only the night before a test. She didn't want stellar grades and was happy to just get good enough grades to pass with the least amount of work possible.

Nicole had been sitting in front of the teacher's desk, chewing her pencil, when she had spotted a copy of the test peeking out from the stack of papers Mrs Grant had placed on her desk. Mrs Grant always wrote the answers on a copy of her tests for easy grading. Nicole had starred at the piece of paper longingly. If she could just get a little look ... and the paper had floated over right in front of her nose. The geography teacher choose exactly the same moment to check on Nicole. Before Nicole really knew what was happening Mrs Grant had accused her of cheating and taken her test away, grading it with a big red F. Naturally Mrs Grant informed Nicole's father and he gave her "The speech" again, telling her that she would be a good student if she just decided to work a bit. Nicole didn't tell her dad what really happened. She could hardly belief it herself, but she knew if her suspicion was true it would change everything. Maybe it would go away if she just ignored it.

It didn't go away, it got worse. Things continued to float in thin air, but luckily it only happened when she was alone and never again in school. Not until today. Frank Harrison had started to tease her about her hair again, calling her a freak. Usually she just ignored him, but with the things happening lately his "freak" comment hit a nerve. They had been on the staircase and somehow she had managed to push Frank down the stairs without touching him. Thankfully no one had really seen what happened, but she was dragged to the Headmaster's office. Mr Franklin had looked almost happy when he had told Nicole that she was suspended for the last week of school before the summer holidays and that she should not return next term.

Skipping school several times a year was bad enough, but now she had attacked a fellow student. She could be lucky that he wasn't injured. Nicole was expelled.

She poured herself a glass of milk and drained it in a few gulps, leaving the glass on the table when she went upstairs to her room. The school uniform was thrown into a corner and Nicole dressed in jeans and a shirt. She hoped the others were already at the park, she really needed an outlet for her frustration.

Frank Williams was halfway through the last page of a witness statement when the phone rang.

"There's call for you," Sara, his secretary told him.

He was irritated. "I told you, I don't want to be disturbed...."

"It's your daughter's school; Mr Franklin insists he must speak to you."

Frank inwardly groaned. He got entirely to many calls from school lately. "Put him through."

"Mr Williams?" the familiar voice of the headmaster asked.

"Yes, Mr Franklin. Don't tell me she wasn't in school today again...."

"Eh, it's worse this time ... I don't know how to tell you...."

Worse than missing school? What the hell has she done this time?

"Your daughter attacked another student. To be precise, she threw him down the stairs."

This couldn't be real.... "Is he injured?"

"No, but you have to understand, with your daughter's ongoing disciplinary problems...."

Frank knew what was coming.

"I had to expel her. She's suspended for the last week of school. You see, the boy's parents would not tolerate if I let her stay. She has a record of breaking school rules and now she just crossed the line and detention or a temporary suspension wouldn't be enough...."

Mr Franklin droned on, but Frank simply hung up. He stared at the paperwork on his desk. He knew he wasn't spending enough time with his daughter. And worse, Nicole seemed to always be able to twist him around her finger using his guilt as a tool. After his wife's death he had buried himself in work and somehow along the way his little angel had changed into something he didn't like. She had grown distant, talking with him only when absolutely necessary and hiding in her room, listening to infernal noise she claimed to be music. Maybe things would be different if Igraine was still alive.

He had met Igraine Featherstone at his first job after law school. She was an intern at the same firm. They both had been assigned to research. Soon they went for a drink after work or got coffee together when the insane amount of papers they had to go over got too much. After a month they were a couple and after a year he had asked her to marry him. Her reaction had been not like he had hoped. She had panicked and started to stammer. Then she told him she was a witch. He thought she was joking until she changed the table into a huge mushroom. Igraine had just stood there, watching him fearful as if she expected him to run. He had taken her in his arms and told her he loved her. If she was a witch, he would get used to it. And he did. Soon things like eggs zooming from the fridge and owls dropping letters on their breakfast table were natural for him.

When Nicole was born they both were curious if she had her mother's abilities. Igraine thought the chance was slim; except for her great-grand aunt Meredith everyone in her family was Muggle or a Squib and Frank was sure that there wasn't someone magical among his ancestors. Nicole never showed any signs of magic and Igraine said they had to wait if she got a letter when she turned eleven. Igraine had attended Hogwarts, a famous wizarding school and if Nicole was a witch she would get an invitation.

Nicole was three when Igraine started to feel ill. She was always tired and finally she agreed to see a doctor. She was diagnosed with leukaemia. Frank knew that wizard medicine was more advanced than the muggle version and was shocked when she told them that even wizards couldn't heal cancer. Igraine fought for a year, getting chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and taking healing potions, but she lost and died a few weeks after her daughter's fourth birthday.

There was no letter from Hogwarts when Nicole turned eleven. She was a Muggle, just like him.

Nicole had gone to the park to play football with the neighbourhood boys. She had thought they were friends, even if they only played football together, but when she wanted to take her usual spot as keeper, Andy announced hastily the position was already taken by Mark. Mark, a boy who had never played and only watched them had looked surprised. Andy practically had to push him forward.

Everybody kept a safe distance and Nicole spotted two boys from her school. So Frank Harrison must have told others about the strange push and now everybody thought she was crazy. Without a word she had turned and ran home. She had reached her room when her father's car pulled in the driveway; he was home early. Nicole quickly jumped in her bed and pulled the covers up, pretending to be asleep.

Frank called for his daughter when he entered the house, but got no answer. He went upstairs and found her in her bed. He knew that she wasn't really sleeping, but decided they could talk about everything tomorrow and left.

Nicole's heart sank when she saw her father at the breakfast table. She had hoped that he would be at work since he often spent Saturday at the office. Frank kept reading his newspaper until Nicole finished her corn flakes.

"I had a call from your Headmaster. What made you push a boy down the stairs? Have you thought about what could have happened?"

"He was making fun of my hair...."

"Which is entirely your fault. I still don't get what possessed you to dye your hair green...."

Nicole snapped. "I didn't dye it...."

She was interrupted by two owls swooping through the open kitchen window. The large white birds circled over the table before dropping two letters and leaving the way they came.

Frank was surprised; he hadn't gotten owl post since Igraine's death. Hesitantly he picked up the letters. The first one was thin and addressed to:

Mr F. Williams

7 Magnolia Crest

Highgate

London

The second envelop was much thicker and addressed to:

Miss N. Williams

7 Magnolia Crest

Highgate

London

The letter looked exactly like the Hogwarts invitation Igraine had told him about. Frank handed it to Nicole and opened his letter.

Dear Mr Williams,

We have detected several incidents of spontaneous magic at your home and your daughter's school, convincing us that we have been mistaken about her abilities.

According to the International Confederation of Warlock's Statue of Secrecy everyone with magical abilities has to attend an educational institution to learn how to control and use magic. A suitable wizarding school has been informed about the situation and will contact your daughter.

I must remind you that refusing cooperation in this matter will lead to the removal of your daughters ability.

Although the use of magic outside school is strictly prohibited (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875), your daughter's use of magic will not have consequences, since it was involuntary.

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

Improper Use of Magic Office

Ministry of Magic

Nicole looked through the contents of her envelope. Aside from a letter it contained a list of school equipment, a large book list and a sheet of parchment titled "Information for non-wizarding parents". She took up the letter and began to read.

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 Miss Williams,

The Office for Improper Use of Magic had brought to our attention that there was a mistake regarding your invitation.

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Additional lessons will be arranged to help you catch up with your studies. It would be recommended that you get your schoolbooks as soon as possible, so you can read ahead in preparation.

The school has provided an information sheet on where to find suitable shops for school supplies for non-wizarding parents.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl no later than 31 July. Further information regarding transportation to Hogwarts will be provided after we receive your letter.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Her father was smiling happily.

After those letters Nicole knew she couldn't hide it anymore, so she told her dad everything that happened over the last month.

"But that's not going to be a problem now. They will take this magic thing away and I will go to a new school were nobody will know."

"You don't want to go to Hogwarts?"

"I don't want to go to some boarding school, wizarding or not!"

"To be honest I started to think about boarding school when I got the call from Mr Franklin. I can't take care of you like I want to, with all the work at the office. And here is the solution to your school problems. Your mum was in Hogwarts and from what she told me it's the best wizarding school in England. She would be very proud to know that her daughter will be a student there."

"But I don't want to be a witch, I want to be normal!"

"Your mother was a witch, so it's normal for you! And, if I may remind you, missing school whenever you get the opportunity is not normal for a twelve year old girl!"

Nicole glared at her father. "So that's it, you send me away as a punishment!"

"Not as a punishment. Hogwarts is a great opportunity. You can learn so many things there and I'm not going to let you throw this away. Tomorrow we'll go to London and get your school supplies and inform the school that you accept."

Nicole stared at her father in disbelief. He couldn't be serious! He returned her look and it was clear that he meant what he said.

The next morning they drove to London and her father dragged her to a place called "Diagon Alley". It turned out that he had been there before, with her mum. Nicole found the shops fascinating, but she did her best to hide it. They bought a large number of books since she was told to get the books for first and second year students. A lot of them were by the same author, a wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart. Nicole kind of liked the robes that were supposed to be her new school uniform, but she swore to never wear that stupid pointed hat.

They spent a lot of time at a store named "Quality Quidditch Supplies" since as a second year student she had to bring her own broom and her dad needed a lot of help from the shopkeeper to choose one.

Buying a wand was even stranger. They went to a shop called Ollivander's and Mr Ollivander remembered exactly what kind of wand he had sold to her mother. It took an hour until they had found a wand and the fact that she only tried them halfheartedly wasn't helping.

The letter from school had said that she was allowed a pet and her father suggested an owl, but Nicole wanted a cat. At the "Magical Menagerie" she picked out a fluffy black kitten.

Her father decided to go to "Eeylops Owl Emporium" anyway. He bought a huge barn owl for himself and sent it off with a letter to Hogwarts the same day. Nicole watched the owl disappear through the kitchen window and knew there was no way out.