Since the beginning | Deamus |

(first year) Ch. 2 Diagon Alley*

Dean's POV:
"Hello, Dean. May I come in?"

I stared at the woman in our doorway for a good few moments, not answering. The fact that this random lady who looked dressed for a renaissance fair knew my name was something that I wasn't entirely prepared for.

"Who's at the door?" Mum got up from the table and came to stand beside me, stopping short when she saw the strange woman.

"Hello." The woman smiled and nodded politely at mum. "Mrs. Thomas I presume? May I please come in? We have much to discuss."

"Oh, um -- of course. Come in, come in." Mum ushered the woman in who politely thanked her.

The strange lady sat down across from mum and I at the table. She was still incredibly tall while sitting and held herself like a court noble.

"So.." mum began, "who exactly are you? You already seem to know my son and I."

"Of course, I apologize for not introducing myself before coming in, I'm afraid that I am on a tight schedule. My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I am a teacher at Hogwarts School of  Witchcraft and Wizardry,"

"Hogwarts..." Mum's eyes went wide with recognition when the name of the school written on the letters came out of the professor's mouth.

"That is correct. Hogwarts is the school that has been mentioned in the letters."

"So you're the one who's been sending the letters!" I exclaimed in excitement.

"Yes. I must apologize for the inconvenience of those letters. I can only imagine how much of a nuisance the consistency of them was. But we do have a policy for--"

"What exactly is this school? I've never heard of it before." Mum interrupted.

The professor didn't seem to mind her interruption. "Hogwarts is a school that teaches students how to harness their magical abilities and put them into use."

"Mag - ic..." Mum pronounced every syllable carefully, like she was trying to make sure what she was hearing was correct.

"Yes, magic." The professor explained patiently. "Magic exists in this world and it is our job as teachers to find students and teach them how to use it."

I spoke up, "Magic as in street magic or as in witches riding brooms?"

The professor smiled at my question. "Witches riding brooms. And in fact, you are a witch."

"A witch." I said skeptically.

"Yes Dean. That is why we have sent you those letters. We wish for you to come to Hogwarts and learn more about magic."

"How do we know that this isn't a scam?" Mum asked. She never was very trustful.

"Well, for starters," the professor raised a stick that she seemed to be keeping in her pocket, "I can do this."

She pointed that stick at the salt shaker sitting on the table, and with a loud pop the shaker was no longer there. In its place was a toad. A toad with big bulging eyes and a pulsing throat. It ribbited and hopped slightly in my direction.