The Ultimate Power

When the creation was new and all the stars shone in their first
splendor, the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang
'Oh, the picture of perfection! the joy unalloyed!'

But one cried of a sudden
---'It seems that somewhere there is a break in the chain of light
and one of the stars has been lost.'

The golden string of their harp snapped,
their song stopped, and they cried in dismay
---'Yes, that lost star was the best,
she was the glory of all heavens!'

From that day the search is unceasing for her,
and the cry goes on from one to the other
that in her the world has lost its one joy!

Only in the deepest silence of night the stars smile
and whisper among themselves
---'Vain is this seeking! unbroken perfection is over all!'

--Rabindranath Tagore "Lost Star"

Lost Star

June 28, 1997

"I am terribly sorry for calling upon your home at such a late hour, but I have been dreadfully busy today. I do suppose it would be rather rude of me to not introduce myself, even though it would be wise of me to guess that Holli already knows who I am," McGonagall said as she turned her eyes upon Holli with a small, thin lipped smile.

Holli was still standing behind Hope Fallen with her eyes wide and mouth open agape at the sight before her.

McGonagall turned back to Hope and said, "My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is a pleasure to meet you."

McGonagall waited patiently for Hope to say something. When it became clear that she would not, McGonagall sighed and said, "Miss Fallen, I am here to speak with your daughter if that is quite all right."

Seemingly coming to her senses, Hope said, rather rudely, "No! I refused six years ago; my answer has not changed. Now if you do not mind, we are rather busy tonight as well. Goodnight!"

Hope made to shut the door in the woman's face but McGonagall held out her hand to stop it.

"I'm afraid," she said sharply, "that as of a week ago your daughter turned seventeen and by law, this decision is no longer up to you."

McGonagall turned and looked expectantly at Holli. Holli stepped in front of her mother, opened the door wide and said, "Come on in, ma'am."

Hope sputtered something incoherent at this but did not object to being pushed aside. McGonagall stepped through the doorway and past Hope to allow it to be closed.

After doing so, Holli showed the woman into her room and closed her door in her still sputtering mother's face who had followed them upstairs. When she turned she could have sworn she saw the corners of McGonagall's mouth twitch upwards.

"Have a seat, ma'am," she said gesturing to a cushy armchair opposite her bed.

"If you do not mind, Holli, I would like to make sure that we cannot be...overheard," she said motioning towards the door.

"Er...sure. Yeah, go right ahead."

McGonagall removed her cloak and pulled from the pocket of her robes what looked to be an actual wand. She pointed it at the door and gave it a wave. For about a second the cracks and keyhole glowed gold and then went back to normal. When she turned back around she found Holli gaping once again.

"There," she said while slipping her wand back into her robes, "now we can get down to business without any interruptions."

Holli walked over to her bed, mouth still slightly open, as McGonagall took a seat in the chair. Her sharp eyes roamed around the room, taking in the various objects and pictures. Holli noticed that they lingered on her bookcase for a moment longer than anywhere else.

"H-how did you do that?" Holli managed to stutter out. "Make the door glow, I mean?"

McGonagall turned back to gaze at Holli momentarily before answering, "I think you already know the answer to that question, Miss Fallen."

Holli was silent for awhile after that before saying, "Er...well...would you like something to drink?"

"No, no, thank you, Miss Fallen. We have much more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. I assume that you received your letters I sent you?"

"Um, well, yes. To be honest, ma'am, I - well, I thought they were a joke," she said bracingly.

McGonagall nodded and said, "Yes, I thought you would. I've had my traveling cloak ready for a few weeks now."

Holli gave her a small smile and was silent for awhile. McGonagall watched her as she ran the last week's worth of letters through her mind.

"So you're saying that everything in those letters, like Hogwarts, is actually real? That everything from spell books and wands to actually using and learning from them is real?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," McGonagall said simply. She rose from her chair and walked across the room to the bookcase. She studied the titles on the many shelves for quite some time.

Finally she said, her back still to Holli, "Some of these books look old; worn out. Almost as though you've read them more times than you can count."

"I have," was all Holli said.

"And I assume that you know just about all of them by heart."

"Just about."

McGonagall turned back to her with a very serious look on her face. She said, "Holli, what would you say if I told you that everything in these books are true? That all of the people and things that have happened are real? What would you say if I told you that you're a witch?"

"No disrespect or anything, but I would say that you've lost one too many marbles," Holli half laughed.

McGonagall's face softened somewhat and she gave the smallest of smiles.

"It's true," she said.

Holli was still laughing. This woman actually expected her to believe that the books she had read so many times, the books that had become her life since she was eleven years old, were real. Children's fantasy books. Real? It was insane.

"You do not believe me," McGonagall said. It was not a question.

Nevertheless, Holli sobered and shook her head.

"In all due respect, ma'am, they're books. Fantasies in a person's mind. No matter how much I wish that they were, they'll never be real."

"Yet you believe that I am real? That I am not a figment of your imagination? You saw me at your door and you knew who I was?"

"Well, yes and no. I won't deny who I think you look like but the truth is that plenty of people could resemble the Professor McGonagall described in the book and just about everyone can get robes at Halloween," Holli said with a little disappointment in her voice. She wanted it to be true. Oh, how much she wanted it to be true! But she knew in her mind that it could never be.

"I see," McGonagall said.

Holli waited for her to say something else, but she never did. McGonagall stared at Holli for a few moments then turned back to the bookcase. She appeared to be lost in thought. Probably trying to think of a way to convince me that all of this is real, Holli thought. Holli knew that it was only a matter of time before an idea came to the woman, so she waited.

Sure enough, a moment later McGonagall said, "Miss Fallen, have you ever made anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain?"

Holli thought about this for a second and then suddenly started laughing.

McGonagall continued to watch her unfazed.

Eventually, Holli calmed down enough to say, "Well, you see...um - Professor, the thing you have to learn about me is that I'm one of the clumsiest people you'll ever meet. So yeah, I think I've done quite a few things that I can't explain."

"Yes, I know. I believe you have become even more so over the past year, haven't you Miss Fallen," McGonagall said solemnly. "Not only with your physical self, but with your heart as well."

Holli felt as though she had been slapped in the face. She stopped laughing as suddenly as she had started and her smile slid off of her face as one would slip on ice.

"How do you know about that?" she asked, not even bothering to deny the mentioned.

McGonagall gave her a very sad smile and said, "Oh, I know a great deal about you Holli. More than most people. Probably more than even Miss Greene knows."

Holli was shocked into silence. How could this woman know about Janie? How could she know about...well about that? Was it possible...?

"Okay, fine. Let's just say I believe that all of this is real," Holli said, "Which, for the record, I still seriously doubt. Why didn't I get my Hogwarts letter the summer I turned eleven like everyone else? Why am I just now finding out about all of this?"

"You did receive your letter when you were eleven, Miss Fallen," McGonagall said.

"No, I --," Holli started to say but McGonagall held up a hand to stop her.

"Miss Fallen, I know you are confused and that you have a lot of questions. I promise you that I will answer them one by one as they come but first you must let me explain."

Holli nodded and waited as McGonagall seated herself once again in the armchair and made herself comfortable. After a minute or two she looked back up at Holli.

"Well, I suppose that the best place to start is at the beginning. Now, remember, Holli, no matter what I say, please try your best to refrain from interrupting until I'm finished, all right?" McGonagall waited for Holli's nod before she continued. "Yes, well, I believe you know that your mother and father met four years before you were born. They dated for one year before marrying and three years later you were born. Now what you do not know is that your mother and father both are wizards."

Holli's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak but immediately snapped it closed after remembering McGonagall's previous words.

McGonagall granted Holli a small smile before continuing. "Your father is a half-blood. His mother was a pure-blood witch and his father was a Muggle-born wizard. Your mother, however, is a pure-blood witch, both of her parents being pure-blood as well. She, though, is a Squib. She never exhibited any signs of magic as a child and never attended Hogwarts as your father did.

"Now, from what your father has told me - yes, Holli, I know your father. I was one of his professors in school - over the years of their marriage, your mother slowly started to resent your father for the fact that he could perform magic. She didn't understand why, being from a pure-blood family, she could not do magic and your father, being the son of a Muggle-born wizard, could do magic. Though your mother is a Squib, she was raised by pure-blood parents and though she never quite stood firm with their beliefs, those ideals are still present.

"As I'm sure you remember, the arguments became more and more frequent and, eventually, your father left and your parents divorced. Now, skip ahead to your eleventh birthday. Your father came and took you out for a bit of a birthday celebration, yes?" McGonagall waited for Holli's nod before continuing.

"While you were out, the owl arrived with your Hogwarts letter. When your father returned with you, she showed the letter to him. Your father was thrilled; both he and your mother knew you had exhibited magical abilities but receiving your letter was the icing on the cake, so to speak. Your mother, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as happy. She refused to let you come to Hogwarts and she and your father argued about it for some time. Your mother had sole custody though and it was her decision in the end."

Holli's gaze was focused on a blank patch of wall to McGonagall's left. She simply couldn't accept it; this was all just too hard to believe. Then something clicked in her head.

"That's why dad sent me the books," Holli gasped out, staring at McGonagall in amazement.

"Indeed it is," McGonagall replied. "After your mother refused to let you attend Hogwarts, your father was determined that you find out about your heritage somehow. A few days after your birthday, he stumbled upon the story of Mr. Potter's first year at a Muggle bookshop and knew that this was the best way for you to learn of our world. Hogwarts is your birthright, Holli and it was never your father's intention to deny you of that right just because you were not allowed to make the decision for yourself.

"Every year since then, your father has given you the newest book within the series, providing you with the smallest bit of information he has been able to give you. Your father does love you, Holli even if he has not been able to be an active part of your life recently. He has always wanted what was best for you and for you to have everything you have ever deserved. Believe me and trust me; I know your father incredibly well, my dear."

Holli felt tears spring to her eyes, but she pushed them back and asked, "What about the books, though? Isn't this an incredible violation of the Secrecy Act?"

"Yes, it is. The books, however, are classified as works of fiction and Muggles believe them to be such just as you did. They simply view them as an imaginative way to spend their spare time. We will discuss this in greater detail later, however. I am sadly pressed for time and I'm sure you have a few more questions you would like to ask and I know that we have more matters to discuss before I depart."

McGonagall looked at Holli expectantly and waited.

"All right, so you're telling me all of this now because I'm seventeen, correct?" Holli waited for McGonagall's confirmation before continuing. "And you're here to offer me a place at Hogwarts even if I am seventeen, an adult and should be in my last year instead of just beginning my studies?" Again the waiting and again the confirmation. "Why? Why do all of this just for me? Even if it is my birthright and my dad really wants be to have a chance to go, why come here yourself and take the time to explain everything? It seems like so much more trouble than it is actually worth. I just can't understand it."

McGonagall provided the smallest of smiles before answering, "You're right, Holli. Oh, yes, we would have offered you a spot no matter what and made exceptions and changes for you to be able to attend. No person should ever be denied access to the place that they truly belong, but it would not have been me who would have come to see you. You see though, Holli, very few people know about you and what you are capable of. And I plan to keep it this way for as long as possible.

"You see, you have an ability that no one in the entire history of the Wizarding world has ever possessed. This ability - untrained as you are and having no control over your magic - could prove to be dangerous and disastrous to you and everyone around you."

Holli just gaped at her.

"Holli, you have the power to perform wandless magic. Now, yes, I know that most wizards have this ability. It is how most families are able to determine whether their children are magical or not, when they exhibit signs of wandless magic in times of high emotion. You, however, will always possess this talent. You will never require the use of a wand even for the most difficult of spells. You will, Holli, have to learn how to use one though, so as you can keep this ability hidden for as long as possible as this knowledge could prove to be dangerous in the wrong hands.

"All you need to do this is a free hand and concentration," McGonagall said as she stuck her hand into her robe pocket and pulled out a single grey feather. She held her hand palm side up in midair and placed the feather in the center.

"Now, Holli, I want you to concentrate on this feather. Think about it floating through the air. Then wave your hand and we'll see what happens."

Holli looked at her like she was mad.

"Go on," McGonagall insisted.

Holli felt absolutely ridiculous but she did as she was told. She concentrated on the feather and pictured it floating. Then she waved her hand vigorously through the air and...

Nothing.

Holli raised an eyebrow at McGonagall as if to say 'Are you sure you're actually not completely mad?'

McGonagall gave her a very Professor-like glare and Holli's face immediately went back to normal.

"Try again, and this time, concentrate."

"I was concentrating," Holli muttered.

"Yes, I know you were, but you must concentrate on nothing else but the feather.

"Oh and you could probably manage to tone your wave down a bit, also," she added.

Holli focused on the feather. She cleared her mind of all other thoughts. Then she waved her hand once more and...Nothing. Again.

"Once again," McGonagall said. "You can do this, Holli. I know you can. Just concentrate. This feather is the only thing that exists. Concentrate."

Holli did. She used all of her concentration. She gave her hand a gentle wave upward...and the feather shot into the air.

Holli was so shocked that she lost her concentration and the feather gently floated back down to rest in McGonagall's lap.

McGonagall gave Holli a proud smile and said, "Very good, Miss Fallen. Very good."

For the next half of an hour, McGonagall worked with Holli. They used the feather a couple more times but after awhile Holli started on heavier items. Paper, pens and pencils, pillows, stuffed animals, clothes and books. Holli noticed that the longer she practiced and the bigger the items became the easier it was.

It was while Holli was in the middle of opening and shutting her windows that McGonagall stood to leave.

"I think that you can handle it from here, Holli."

Holli turned away from her windows grinning. She was still shocked beyond reason but she couldn't deny that she was having fun.

"So, do you accept your spot at Hogwarts then?" asked McGonagall.

Holli looked at McGonagall in surprise. In everything that had been said and had happened she had completely forgotten about Hogwarts.

"Of course," she exclaimed.

McGonagall smiled.

"Good," she said.

McGonagall picked up her traveling cloak and wrapped it back around her shoulders while she walked to Holli's bedroom door.

Holli followed her out into the entryway by the front door but stopped when McGonagall turned and said, "Pack everything you would like to bring with you. Be ready to leave in one week at twelve o'clock p.m. I am sending someone to pick you up and take you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school things. You will remain in their company until school starts. Do you understand?"

Holli nodded her head in silent response.

"I can assure you that you will not be disappointed with my decision. This person of who I speak is one of the most pleasant that I have ever had the fortune of meeting in my entire life.

"Now Miss Fallen, I must tell you that you are free to practice your magic as much as you please. You are, of course, seventeen now after all. But there are laws in which you must follow and I believe you know what they are. I should also tell you that you should be careful of who can see you when you are practicing, but you must practice as hard as possible. It is of utter importance that you have your power under control when you enter Hogwarts. Also, do not do too much too soon. Take it slow and easy; pace yourself. Now, I must go."

McGonagall turned and opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. She turned back to Holli again and said softly, "We shall see one another again very soon, Holli."

With that said she turned once again and with a loud 'POP' McGonagall vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One week later, Holli was lying on her bed, starring at the ceiling. Next to her door was a large black trunk full to bursting with clothes, books, pictures and other odds and ends which Holli felt it was necessary to bring.

After McGonagall had left, Holli had confronted her mother and demanded to know why she had never told her daughter that her family was made up of wizards and why she had refused to allow her to attend Hogwarts. Her mother, though, had refused to answer any of her questions and they had not come face to face since then. Holli couldn't for the life of her bring herself to feel sorry about this.

The next day, Holli had gone to visit Janie. She had no idea if she had broken any wizarding laws but Janie was the only one even remotely close to family that Holli had to talk to so she had told Janie everything. After a heartfelt goodbye, promises to write to one another at least once a week and that they would see each other the following summer, Holli had left.

Holli had become an expert at controlling her magic over the past week. She had taken McGonagall's words to heart and so far only practiced in her room with the curtains closed. So far she was able to lift something as heavy as her television, she had managed to pack half of her truck by using her magic and she had, on occasion, made something appear in her palm by simply shutting and opening her hand. And her dog loved to sit on the floor at night and watch things fly through the air.

Holli glance over at the clock. It read twelve o'clock in big glowing green numbers. She was just wondering who McGonagall was sending to pick her up when she heard the doorbell ring.

She got up and walked out of her bedroom. Holli reached the door and opened it to find the second shock in a week's time.

At her door stood a middle-aged man; about thirty-seven she would have guessed. He was tall; standing above average height. He was wearing a much worn looking blue-collared shirt and a pair of wrinkled Khaki trousers. His short, light brown hair was flecked with gray and his face looked tired and exhausted. But his golden-brown eyes were bright and shining as he looked back through the door at Holli.

"Hello," he said, "I'm Remus Lupin."