THE CHOSEN ONE'S CHOSEN GIRL - BOOK 1 ~ HARRY POTTER

five.

"Hello, sweetheart!" he chirped as he hugged me, and I giggled. "I knew you'd get into Gryffindor. Did you make some new friends?"

I nodded. "I think you know I did, Dad."

"Yes, I do. Two pranksters in their fifth year, so Professor McGonagall tells me." he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him, saying that they were harmless, and he told me that he believed me before offering to take me to the Gryffindor Common Room. I'd frowned at this. I... I couldn't have one more night with him at least six feet away from me? I'd never spent a night away from my dad before. Before we moved to the village, Dad and I slept in the same bed every night, and I'd never felt so protected. We comforted each other after nightmares, and Dad always had a sense of relief when he'd wake up from a nightmare about me and see me sleeping right next to him. Then, we'd moved to the village, and Dad thought we'd be safe enough from the Ministry for the next two years at the very least, so he set up the small office for his bedroom and let me have the bigger bedroom. We were both light sleepers, and our bedrooms were right next to each other. We were at each other's sides at an instant if we thought something wasn't right. But now... I had to be on the other side of a huge castle from him? In a room full of girls who knew each other extremely well and didn't know me at all? I wasn't sure if I was comfortable with that. Dad sighed when we reached the marble staircase that led to a portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress.

"Come here, Dess," he whispered, sitting on the bottom step, and I joined him immediately, closing my eyes when he pulled me into his chest. "I'm not happy about leaving you either. I know this is when you get nightmares."

"Can't I stay with you tonight and go in there tomorrow?" I begged, looking up at him, and he chuckled as he shook his head. "Why?"

"Because you'll ask that question tomorrow night too," he stated, and I sighed, knowing that he knew me too well. "How about a compromise?"

I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched him take something out of his pocket and looked down at his hand to see a long silver chain with a moon pendant hanging from it. I swallowed. Mum's necklace. Dad gave it to her when she fell pregnant with me, and he had to leave her with Lily and James for a month-long mission. He'd charmed it to comfort her with his voice when she needed it. I thought she was wearing it when she died. At my statement, he told me that Mum wanted me to have it once she started going on her own missions after my birth. She wanted me to know I had two parents who loved me unconditionally no matter what happened to them. So, almost immediately after she'd proposed this idea to Dad, they charmed it so both of their voices came out of it. I stared at the moon pendant tearfully. I didn't remember my mother's voice, and I knew I'd never hear it again. But... Dad always said Mum was full of surprises.

"Do you think she knew?" I asked hoarsely, taking the necklace from him.

He sighed. "No-one knew what the future held when you were a baby, sweetheart. We tried to stay positive for you and Harry, but it was hard to know. Now, I think you need to go to bed. Big day tomorrow."

I nodded when he kissed my head, and we both stood up, Dad pulling me along the corridor, as I slipped the necklace on and clutched the pendant. I hadn't expected to felt lighter after this conversation. I was going to hear Mum's voice again. For the first time in twelve years. All I wanted to do now was just get up to bed and listen to it. I'd waited so long and wasted so many nights crying in my bed because I missed her, and now I had a little piece of her again. Dad hugged me tight again when we reached the portrait before he spoke the password Professor McGonagall gave him and told me we'd see each other at breakfast tomorrow. Tentatively walking towards the now-open portrait hole, I looked back at Dad, who gave me a sad smile, and exhaled deeply before climbing through, being greeted with a room bathing in scarlet red. I stared around in wonder and apprehension. This was... Absolutely beautiful. Oddly enough, even though there was nothing here to remind me of home, I felt the exact same way as I did at our cottage. Safe and protected.

Not too sure where I should be going as Fred and George seemed to have gone to bed, I cautiously edged towards the bushy-haired girl I saw sitting with Harry and Ron at dinner as she sat by the dying fire and quietly uttered a greeting, making her look up with a kind smile. I introduced myself, her immediately responding in the same manner and asked if she could help me find the dormitory we were now sharing.

"Of course." she chimed, gathering her books. "None of the other girls are up there yet."

I grinned and followed her up the stairs, seeing a door labelled 'Third Year Girls', as the two of us babbled together to get to know each other. After my fascination of our five four-poster beds and adjoining bathroom, Hermione and I quickly dressed in our pyjamas. We chatted for the next fifteen minutes from our beds before three other girls walked in, bidding me a lukewarm greeting. At this, Hermione told me their names, and I smiled, introducing myself before we let them get changed too.

"So, are you related to the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?" the girl on the bed opposite to mine, Hermione pointed her out to be called Parvati, asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, he's my dad," I said with a smile. "You're going to love him. He's an incredible teacher."

Lavender, the girl who sat on the edge of Parvati's bed, giggled. "Oh, no, Hermione! Looks like you're going to have to compete for Lupin's affection."

Well, that was kind of mean. I looked over at Hermione as she rolled her eyes and grabbed a Muggle book from her trunk, starting to climb back into her bed when Lavender and Parvati started giggling hysterically. My eyes darted to the book in her hands, and I gasped with a huge grin. The Great Gatsby!

"I love that book!" I exclaimed, making Parvati and Lavender go silent, and Hermione looked up at me in slight shock. "Dad loves Muggle literature."

She beckoned me over to her bed, and we'd spent the next forty-five minutes gushing about the book, as well as other Muggle books. Hermione had fiercely recommended several books I'd never heard of, and I told her about the Tales of Beedle the Bard, these tales being how Dad taught me to read as a child, but I couldn't help but notice that we were now the girls to be giggling hysterically and Lavender and Parvati resorted to sulking behind their bed curtains. Then, deeming she was too tired to read now, Hermione placed her book on her bedside table and set her alarm while I sat back on my bed as I slipped my necklace off, watching as the four girls finally fell asleep. Hearing soft snores coming from each bed, I pulled my curtains around and brought my knees to my chest as I tried to work out how to activate the necklace. I jumped when a light and airy voice suddenly came out of the pendant, and I smiled, not realising tears were already falling. Mum.

"Hello, darling!" she trilled softly, and I sniffed. "Mummy here, I love you so much, baby girl, wherever we are. You're beautiful, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

I swallowed, giggling silently and clutching the necklace to my chest, as I laid down and wiped my face with a sniff, waiting for Dad's voice to come up.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Dad whispered, and I smiled wider. "Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, just know that we will always be with you no matter what."

"You can't get rid of us that easily, princess." a third voice proclaimed jauntily, making me grow confused.

Who was this?

"We love you so much, and we'll always keep you safe." the voice continued. "But I think we can all agree that I love you the most."

I stared up at the roof of my bed in shock. How was I supposed to sleep after that? Did Dad know there was another voice on this? Did he know another man was somehow contributing to my raising? Surely he didn't. He would've said. Right? But... If he did...

Why did he never say anything?