Emily Potter - Book 5 - Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 25 - The High Inquisitor

"I don't understand." Emily said, her voice shrinking in confusion, "You want to adopt me?" She asked the woman standing before her. Almost thirty minutes ago, the caretaker of the orphanage introduced her to a strange woman dressed in deep violet robes and a pointed hat. This confused Emily because orphans exceeding the age of five weren't usually noticed, most of the people wanted babies or toddlers not children bordering on adolescence.

The woman took off her hat, revealing a thick bun by the back of her head. Her hair was grey, but Emily saw traces of what used to be a light brown shade. "I can give you a home, Emily. You have so much potential in you, you don't deserve to live out the rest of your life in a place like this," She said looking around in her dull room, "What do you say?"

Emily was never one of the children who stretched their necks to see who was inquiring for a child to adopt down in the main office. She was never the one to wear a pretty dress to catch the attention of a potential parent. She was never the one to pray on her knees and beg for a ticket out of this hell hole. Emily never had the thought of being someone's daughter in her mind due to the simple fact that if she switched places with a parent, she wouldn't think twice before skipping her room and ignoring the odd 10 year-old girl who sat by her window watching the leaves fall from the tree just outside her window.

"You wouldn't want me." She managed to say to the woman, "I'm evil." The woman chuckled, tossing her hat down on her bed, "What makes you say that?"

"I know the caretaker warned you about me, she always warns everyone when it comes to me." Emily said consciously "You know the things I've done. I can't be any good to anyone."

Three years ago, the caretaker's brother vanished after bringing Emily her dinner tray. Emily had no idea what she had done, but she was almost sure that he had died falling out of her bedroom window. A mere seven year old capable of murder, who would want that in their home? No one saw the caretaker's brother since that night.

Another incident was when a few children were out in the yard and spotted a snake. Terrified, they ran to the far corner before it could get to them. There was no escaping the venomous creature, except Emily had done so. She was in the yard during that moment, she was out looking for anything that might peak her interest. She heard the screams of some children and saw the snake. Emily picked it up and it slithered around her arm until it passed her neck and onto her other arm and that was the moment she first smiled. She was only eight years old. The children ran for their lives and called her a freak.

The most recent event was the fire in the kitchen. Emily was getting a glass of water when it had happened. One of the workers in the orphanage began to nag on how she should take more care of her appearance, brush her hair once in a while, go out and walk under the sun to get a bit of color in her cheeks, and more so on. Emily had lost her nerve and screamed for her to shut up, but as she did so the four burners of the stove lit and the fire ranged so high and thick it had scorched most of the wall to a crisp black. The wall was so damaged by the fire that they had to tear it down and build a new one.

"I know of a place where you can control your powers, Emily." The woman said as she was looking out of the window, "It's a school for children like you. You don't have to see yourself as an evil force, because you are not. Take my word for it, dear. It's your choice, stay here and live until you're of age and work on minimum wage or come with me and live your life beyond your wildest dreams."

Emily hesitated for a moment, but in the end she knew what choice to make. She looked at the woman who was now looking at her in deep thought, Emily had a feeling within her that made her sure that she knew the woman somehow. "What's your name?"