The Muggle Witch

You're A Witch!

Julia had never been somewhere this magical before in her entire life. Unlike the horribly gloomy and eerie dungeons which they had just come from, Dumbledore's office was a perfectly cheery place. The round room was covered from head to toe with old books. Colors of gold and burgundy mingled in her eyes.

She saw old parchments littered on top of the cluttered desk at which sat an old man. She had been nervous up until this point. In fact her guilty conscious almost ate her up over the many lies that brought her here. But this man made her feel safe. He didn't seem angry nor irritated. He seemed kind.

Dumbledore walked out from behind his desk, a smile forming on his wrinkled face. His robed figure glided towards the three of them.

Snape was standing behind Julia with Draco at his side, and now Dumbledore was sitting crouched at her front. His long beard was touching the floor and he smelled faintly of lemon drops.

"Hello Severus.....and you too Malfoy..." the old man said in a flat tone not looking away from the little girl. Snape greeted the professor in return, while Draco just rolled his head back in annoyance.

"Tell me Severus, who this sweet witch is and what she has done that was so terrible, that it led you to pay me a visit?" Dumbledore chuckled whilst getting up.

"That's the problem sir, Draco here claims that this girl is not a witch at all," he replied nasally.

Julia turned her head up to the ceiling and covered her eyes.

"She called herself Granger," Draco snickered, "That's when I knew I hadn't been mistaken. I remember that mud- I mean girl - being put into Gryffindor at today's ceremony."

Dumbledore nodded his head and excused everyone except Julia out of the room.

~~~~

She hadn't wanted to cry. The tears just started to pour out of her eyes. She'd be leaving tomorrow morning. She had found somewhere out of this world, an escape from her horrid life and tomorrow it would be gone. She had told him the truth, she didn't lie and that was how she would be rewarded?

Muggles can't go to Hogwarts. This isn't a place for non wizarding folk. I will call Hagrid and he will take you home next morning. He will cast a charm to remove any memory of this place and you will be at a regular school, with regular kids, just as you are meant to be.

Just as he was motioning the crying girl to stand up the door swung open.

"I DEMAND THIS NONSENSE COME TO A STOP THIS INSTANT ALBUS! I CANNOT HAVE YOU EXPELLING STUDENTS ON THE FIRST DAY WITHOUT MY APPROVAL!"

His hand dropped over his head.

"And fair evening to you aswell Minerva."

The old lady walked over to him threateningly, not afraid to question his authority.

"Filch wakes me up middle of the night screaming about how a bunch of 6th year hufflepuffs are throwing a party in the room of requirement! And when I ask why he couldn't have gone to you, he tells me you're in a meeting with a student! I come here and boom! I hear you try to kick her out of our establishment!?"

"You don't know the whole story...." Dumbledore sighed.

Minerva shook her finger at him, "Cats have great hearing! This girl was able to get onto the platform. Non-magic folks cant do such a thing you know that!"

"Her name wasn't written down by the Quill of Acceptance! That means she wasn't born with magic YOU must know that!"

Minerva trudged around the room her gray hair across her shoulders. "But she has it now does she not?"

"And you know perfectly well what that means," Dumbledore stated with a grimace. A major 360 from his previously sweet persona.

Julia stared at the two arguing figures in confusion. She was no longer crying but her old tears still lingered on her burning cheeks.

At the sight of her, Dumbledore shook off his scorned facial expression and nodded in defeat at the woman who so loyally defended the girl.

As he approached Julia he took a little vial out his pocket. Once again he crouched to be parallel to her height.

"We need one of your tears....do you mind," he motioned the vial towards her left cheek where a sole tear remained parked.

She shrugged and gave him permission to take the tear. A cold shiver passed through her as his hand accidentally grazed her skin.

She didn't like him anymore. Not at all. He seemed two faced and fake. His energy was off to her.

After the tear had fallen into the the glass, Dumbledore motioned her out of the room into a little corridor.

There she saw Snape sitting on a chair, clearly bored and with his hands crossed. Draco was sprawled out right near him, his head leaning against the wall and his eyes closed.

Julia walked towards the two and took the seat near Draco. There was another seat to the left of Snape but something about the man scared her too much to take it. Once Dumbledore saw she was seated, he motioned with a wand which he retrieved from his sleeve.

The doors to his office closed in a loud slam, shaking the corridor as if there were an earthquake. Draco's unconscious body wobbled to the side his head landing comfortably on Julia's shoulder. He slightly stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up.

Scared to move, Julia merely stared at him. Some of his hair had escaped the gel during his fall and now rested across his forehead. She liked him better this way....Well she liked him better sleeping. When he was sleeping he refrained from being rude to her.

~~~~

After what felt like an hour, Minerva and Dumbledore finally left the room.

Minerva was beaming and Dumbledore stared at the ground in defeat.

"Good news dear," the lady said, "We are trying to make contact with your guardians...You will be sorted into your house tomorrow at breakfast, for now I insist you stay in the gryffindor commons..."

"I don't understand...I'm not leaving the school?" Julia questioned.

"Well why would you have to? You're a witch Julia!" Minerva exclaimed smiling at her, "Now get up! Classes start tomorrow and you ought to get a good nights rest."

"Do you mind not contacting my mom? My parents aren't together and I'm sure my father alone will support this much more than she will."

"I suppose so, yes."

Julia shook Draco gently to wake him up. As soon as he realized he was leaning on the girl's shoulder he darted up with a look of disgust. Julia had forgotten how much the boy had infuriated her.

She stood up and took Minerva's hand. With Snape and a sleepy Draco trailing behind them, the two descended down a twisting golden staircase.