Friendship Reunited

Chapter 3

In a little house in a small village in France, a nice family lived. There was Mr. McKinson, Mrs. McKinson, and a small child, barely three years old, named Hope. Plus, there was another young one on the way. Mrs. McKinson was due in three months, the following September. The McKinson family seemed like an ordinary family, even though they had just moved to the village a few years ago, and Mr. McKinson was the only one who knew enough French to go do the shopping and everything else that involved going out into the public. Mrs. McKinson, who only knew how to say 'Bonjour!' and 'Bon Appetite!' (even though that probably wouldn't help her much in an emergency), and a few other odds and ends, was a nice, cheerful woman, around twenty-six years old. Mr. McKinson was a young man, nice, but protective of his family. Even though there was no real reason to believe the McKinson family odd, no one in the village knew anything about them, let alone why they came to that particular village.

The truth was, the McKinsons had been married for about three years when a knock on their front door in London early one morning caused Mrs. McKinson to go answer the door. She found a young child, wrapped in many blankets to keep warm, sitting in a basket on their front step, along with a rather shocking explanation to the child's sudden appearance and past....

The family kept the child called Hope, and treated her as if she were their own. They decided to move to a completely different country in order to keep Hope safe. That was why they moved to the small village in France. The letter explained about who Hope's parents were, what they were, and why her mother had given her daughter up. Mrs. McKinson had had a distant family relative who had been accepted to some wizarding school, so she instantly believed the letter that came along with the baby. It took Mr. McKinson a few days to believe it. It was only a day or two after they found Hope on their doorstep, did Mr. McKinson finally believe. Little Hope was very upset about having to eat her baby food plums, when suddenly, out of nowhere, the baby food on the spoon slipped off the spoon, and no matter how hard Mr. McKinson tried, he could not scoop any more food out of the jar. That was when he agreed, after much thinking, that the child found on his doorstep, was not an ordinary child. He had no excuse whatsoever for her odd behavior, except that she was a witch....

*~*~*~*~*

Fourteen years later....

"Where did you say Hope had gone, Kara, dear?" Mr. McKinson asked his wife. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen reading the morning newspaper and drinking his tea.

"Hope is with her friends from school, Delia and Chrissy," Kara said, pouring herself a cup of tea. "I told you earlier when you woke up that they went to go get some sort of collar for Chrissy's dog."

He nodded and went back to reading his paper. Kara was about to sit down with her husband when they heard a knock at their front door.

"No, don't bother, Don," she said to her husband. "I'll get it." Kara stood back up and walked to the front door. When she opened it, she saw a woman with straight brown hair standing in front of her.

*~*~*~*~*

Mae stood on the front step, waiting for someone to answer her knock. Suddenly, a woman with curly blonde hair going slightly gray, opened the door.

Mae, as nervous as she was, asked, "Mrs. McKinson?"

The woman nodded, answering, "Yes?"

"My name is Mae Julie," she began, "Fourteen years ago, a young child called Hope was left on your doorstep in London. I-" she hesitated, "I was the person who left her daughter on your doorstep...."

Kara was now standing there in the doorway, one hand over her mouth and her other hand clutching the doorknob.

"Kara? Who is it?" Don called, walking out of the kitchen towards the front door. He saw the expression on his wife's face and said, "What's wrong? Who are you?"

Mae started to explain, but Kara said first, "Don, this woman says she is Hope's- Hope's-"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence, but Don caught on to what she had been trying to say.

"Would you care for a cup of tea, Miss..." He asked, stepping aside for Mae to enter.

"Julie. Mae Julie," she said quietly.

Once the three adults had a cup of tea set in front of them at the kitchen table, Mae told her story.

"...I was scared," she said, finishing up. "But Sirius had convinced James and Lily to use Pettigrew at the last minute... And he betrayed Lily and James and were killed... Voldemort tried to kill little Harry, too, but because of his mother's love for her son, he couldn't lay a finger on Harry..." She continued to tell them of the happenings at the Triwizard Tournament, about the Order of the Phoenix, and what her assignment was.

"I need to take Hope to Hogwarts," Mae finished quietly.

Don and Kara were quiet for a moment, then, "But Hope already has a school," Don said. "She has been going to Beauxbatons for the last four years, since she received her first letter."

"Yes," Mae began, pulling out an envelope addressed to Hope. "Yes, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, has already arranged everything with the Beauxbatons Headmistress, Madame Maxime, is it?" Don and Kara nodded a slight 'yes'.

Kara then spoke for the first in a long time, saying, "What does she need to do?" She asked quietly. "What do we need to do?"

Mae then handed the envelope to Kara and said, "This is Hope's letter of acceptance to Hogwarts. Included is also a list of items she will need, as well as a letter explaining what is going on, from Dumbledore himself. I-"

"Mum! We're back! Were are-" A tall girl with very curly black hair had just stepped into the kitchen, followed closely by two other girls and a boy. She stopped, seeing they had company.

"Oh! Hello!" she said to Mae. Mae smiled at her.

"Uh, Hope- Hello, Chrissy, Delia. Ajax," Don said, nodding to Hope's friends. "Um, why don't you four go upstairs, Hope."

"Okay," Hope said slowly.

The four made their way up the staircase.

Mae stared at the spot where Hope had stood. Quietly, she asked, "That was Hope?"

Don nodded. "Yes. Hope and some of her best friends from Beauxbatons.

Mae nodded. "Anyway," she said, turning to Don Kara, "I will give you instructions as to how you are to get Hope her school things in Diagon Alley. Hope will need to be at Kings Cross Station in London, on the first of September, and take the Hogwarts Express off of Platform 9 and three-quarters to Hogwarts." She looked around at Don and Kara. "Any questions?"

Don and Kara thought that was quite a stupid question to ask, as they had many questions, but they just shook their heads, 'no'.

"Okay, then," Mae started, "Would you like to explain everything to Hope, or would you like me to?"

"I think it may be better if we do, dear," Kara explained, quietly.

"Okay. I will be leaving then. I will keep in touch with you." And with that said, Mae disapparated.

*****

"I wonder how Mae is doing," Sirius muttered.

Remus, who was sitting nearby, said reassuringly, "I am sure everything is just fine, Padfoot."

"But she has been gone nearly-" Sirius was interrupted by Mae, who had just Apparated directly in front of Sirius.

"Oops!" she said, nearly falling on top of Sirius, as she landed in between his feet and the little table in front of the couch. "Sorry, Sirius!"

"How did it go?" Sirius asked eagerly as he helped her off of his lap and onto the couch beside him.

"I don't know!" she said in an exasperated voice. Sirius and Remus gave her an odd look. "I mean, it went well, I think, it just... I don't know. It was quite awkward..."

"Of course it was, Mae," Remus said quietly. It's not every day a witch shows up on someone's doorstep saying telling them things you told them today."

Ignoring Remus' comment, Sirius asked, "Did they agree to let her go, then?"

"Yes," Mae answered.

After a few moments of silence, Remus asked quietly, "Did you see her?"

Mae nodded her head 'yes' and said, "And she looks just like you, Sirius.

Only she has curly black hair."

"Really?" Remus asked, sounding amused. Sirius smiled. "Sirius' pitch black hair and the infamous Julie curls."

Mae grinned. "She walked in with three of her friends from school as I was talking with Mr. and Mrs. McKinson." She paused for a moment, her grin fading. "I then realized that her life is about to be taken right out from under her and placed at Hogwarts. She has been going to Beauxbatons for the last four years, has made the best friends she'll probably ever know, and has probably just memorized all the different paths she will have to take to get to her classes. Now, she will have to get used to a whole new huge palace, make new friends and still keep her old ones. All because of-"

"Mae!" Remus said suddenly. "I very highly doubt Hope will have any problems making new friends at Hogwarts, if she is anything like you or Sirius. Plus, she is supposed to not know her way around Hogwarts, so that she can get to know Harry and keep an eye out for him and Ron and Hermione. I am quite sure-"

"Oh! I know!" Mae cried in a very frustrated voice.

The three were quiet for a moment longer, then Remus said quietly, "I think, that you are just afraid Hope won't like you. Is that right, Mae?"

Mae closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Remus could always tell what Mae was feeling, and he knew she hated showing any signs that might prove that she had fears just as any other human being did. It took all her strength for her to nod her head 'yes'.

*****

"Wow! Who was that?" Ajax, one of Hope's best friends from Beauxbatons, asked Hope as they reached her bedroom. "She was hot!"

"Ah, shutup Ajax!" Delia said, throwing one of Hope's pillows at his face. "But still, who was she, Hope?"

Hope walked in behind Chrissy, shutting her bedroom door. "I don't know. I've never seen her before."

"You know who she looks like, Hope?" Chrissy said, setting herself down delicately on the floor. "You. She looks kind of like you, Hope."

"Me? She's got straight, hilighted brown hair. She doesn't look anything like me." Hope said defensively.

"No no," Chrissy explained. "Her face. Your eyes are the same shape and color."

"You are way too observant, Chris," Ajax said, sprawling himself on Hope's bed.

"There is nothing wrong with being observant, and how many times do I have to tell you, DON'T CALL ME CHRIS!"

"Whatever," he said, "Chris."

"Will you two knock it off?" Delia said.

Hope hadn't been listening to what was going on in her bedroom. Instead, she had started thinking about what Chrissy had said. Hope had always known that Don and Kara McKinson were not her real parents, as well as known that she was a witch. But she had never thought about her real parents, really. As far as she cared, her real parents would never be her parents, just the people who created her and left her. The McKinsons were her family.

But, who was that lady downstairs, why did she look like her, and why did her parents have that look on their faces? The look that said something was wrong, or something had happened. Could that lady down there really be her mother?

"HOPE!"

Hope looked up quickly. Delia, Chrissy, and Ajax were staring at her.

"What?" she asked them.

"You alright?" Ajax asked.

"Yeah," Chrissy said. "You look kind of pale."

Ajax rolled his eyes.

"Of course! I'm fine." She looked at them and forced herself to smile.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Over the next forty-five minutes, the four friends talked about school, which was coming quickly. They still had a little less than a month until school started up again, but they were starting to get excited. Ajax, not really liking all the girl talk, amused himself by singing some songs quietly to himself, some of which had nasty lyrics. Finally, he said let out an exasperated 'Aaarrrggghhh!!!' when the subject changed to who the girls wanted to be asked to the Welcoming Back Feast Ball, the annual ball on the second night of school, open to fourth years and up.

"I don't know how I ever became friends with a group of girls! I can't believe this!" he cried, burying his face in a pillow. "Can't you talk about something normal, like Quidditch, or something?!"

"Are you saying guys aren't normal?" Chrissy asked.

"Well, they aren't normal, are they?" Hope said.

"Good point."

Ajax started throwing little stuffed animals off of the bed at the girls on the floor. The girls were giggling and laughing. Hope jumped up onto the bed and tackled Ajax. Ajax rolled off the other side of the bed and landed with a thud on the carpeted floor. Just then, a door opened and there stood Mr. McKinson in the doorway, an amused smile playing on his face. Chrissy's long blonde hair was messed up and her glasses slightly crooked. She was sitting huddled in the corner surrounded by stuffed animals. Delia was on her feet with stuffed animals in each hand about ready whip them at Ajax. Hope was on her knees on the bed, about ready to fall on top of Ajax, who was staring up at Mr. McKinson, his curly brown-blonde hair sticking up in spots.

"Why do you put yourself through this torture, Ajax?" Mr. McKinson asked, walking inside the door. Ajax grinned, and sat up. Delia set the stuffed animals down on the floor as Hope plopped down on the bed. Chrissy stood up, moving stuffed animals out of her way, as she tried to retain her dignity. Mr. Mckinson then said, "I think it's time for you three to leave. I need to talk to Hope."

Ajax stood up with Delia and Chrissy and the three said goodbye, heading downstairs. Mr. McKinson waited for them to leave, then shut the bedroom door. He walked over and sat on the bed with Hope. He looked at her. He loved her as if she had been his own ever since they adopted her. He had watched her grow up, and he now had to face the fact that Hope was not his.

"What is it, Dad?" Hope asked him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. When he didn't answer right away, she continued, asking, "Does it have anything to do with that lady that was here earlier?"

He nodded. "Yes. You see, well that lady, her name is Mae Julie. She is a Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Um-" Don didn't want to tell her that Mae Julie was really her mother. What would it do to her relationship with Kara? He decided, he would 'accidentally' leave out that detail. "Well, due to certain things that are going on in the wizarding world, Madame Maxime and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, they have decided it may be best for you to be transferred to Hogwarts this year..." He watched his daughter carefully, awaiting a response.

Finally, she spoke. "WHAT?!" she asked loudly. "I am doing what?"

"Hope, dear. You aren't going to Beauxbatons this year. You will be going to Hogwarts instead."

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Because, well, you know what is going on in the wizarding world. They just seem to think it will be safer for you..."

"But what about the rest of the students?" she asked. "What are they doing? Are they going to Beauxbatons still? Why is Hogwarts any safer than Beauxbatons?"

"You see, dear," he said carefully. "Your real parents were, of course, wizards and, well, they were quite important in the wizarding world. And because of that, you may be in more danger than others..."

Hope nodded slightly, furious. My real parents? They were important in the wizarding world? Were they possibly Aurors, and because of that I would be in danger? How would Voldemort know who I was?

"Are you okay? Hope?"

She nodded her head yes.

"Well, this is your letter of acceptance to Hogwarts. I will leave it here for you to read, if you'd like." He set the envelope on the bed. He had purposely taken out the letter from Dumbledore, because it revealed who her real parents were. There had also been another note from Dumbledore, telling the McKinsons that they did not have to tell Hope who her real parents were, but if she asked, they had to tell her. Mr. McKinson then stood up, and walked out the door, heading downstairs.

Hope stared at the envelope. I still can't believe this, she thought. But she picked up the envelope and pulled out the letter anyway.

Dear Miss McKinson,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

*****

A/N: Hello, again! Do you like? It will hopefully get much better as I start tying more plots together! Hopefully we get to go to Hogwarts next chapter! It'll be up soon!