Chapter 1: Floor -4
"Come on, Luna. Down we go."
Penelope Silverthorn's feet clicked over the magic-filled halls of MACUSA. A heavy box in her arm almost weighted her down with every step she took as she reached the destined floor, -4, Department of Magical Transportation.
Behind her, a white golden dog, Luna, pawed with its tongue out and a glowing bow wrapped over her ears as she followed her owner above and stood in place at every stop.
Penelope finally reached the front desk, placing the heavy box over it, and took a breath as she waited for the wizarding worker to take notice.
William Felix, the Portkey office receptionist, blinked once in annoyance and cleared his throat at the hasting twenty-six year old in front of him.
"Yeah, any louder? Let the entire floor know you're on your way to solve mystery cases, once again. We get it." His pen clicked repeatedly on the paper.
Penelope rolled her eyes and a confident smirk grew on her at the statement, "Don't fuss, Will. You know without me, your services would be no fun." She spoke in sarcasm.
William Felix let out a scoff toward the young woman's remarks, adjusted to the patterned rivalry between them, and continued to click the pen.
"Without you what? You do realize there are dozens of wizards and witches traveling in the Portkey services every single day, correct?" William reminded.
Penelope Silverthorn and William Felix had this sort of over-complicated friendship. It's been eight years in the works. And eight years of torture to travel. 44 year old William Felix couldn't understand why a young international transferred 18 year old would need a Portkey every other day. He always had to remark something along the way.
"Hm, but not many take the courage to have a decent conversation with you, Will." Penelope smiled sarcastically, placing her elbow on the desk and resting her chin on her hand.
William scoffed, but he knew she was right.
He'd never liked her attitude, but Penelope did have a point. It took someone bold like her to actually engage in conversation with him. Most just ignored.
"Name your destination, Silverthorn." William struggled to maintain his weight as he stood up from the chair and drew his wand.
Penelope blinked for a moment and began to rethink her process of where she would be going.
She spent all night thinking about this. There was no sleep for her. How could one sleep knowing they were about to go back to a place they once mourned, but also missed? It was difficult.
"I need a Portkey to London." Penelope let out softly, eyes fixated on the floor as she spoke. The request was almost too hard to make.
"London?" William said, taking note of the connection, "Is Penelope Silverthorn finally going home once and for all? I wasn't aware of a goodbye. I could've been nicer and brought a cake." He joked.
Penelope closed her eyes, holding in any remark she was about to make to the silly man, and ignored him, "Funny."
William Felix held his wand, "Give me your ticket."
Penelope dug through her box, finding the exported ticket President Rappaport made for her that same morning.
William scanned through the ticket, but raised a brow, letting out a 'hm' before digging back into the enchanted numbered lockers behind him that held thousands of Portkeys for specific locations.
Within a minute, William Felix finally took a turn, taking hold of a glass snow globe. Penelope could barely distinguish the architecture inside the artifact before William began speaking again.
"A Portkey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Penelope's heart began to skip a beat at the specific location, "What? I—" she snatched the ticket she had once given William and read through it, "I thought I was going to be sent to the Ministry of Magic in London? That's where I usually land first in other countries. The local minis—"
"Well, according to Madam Emily Rappaport, you are ordered to specifically land at Hogwarts." William fixed.
Penelope SIlverthorn tried her best to maintain a proper posture at the news. If she knew she'd travel straight to the castle, the plans could've been more different. Well, mental plans. Destination mattered a lot.
"Rules are rules, Miss Silverthorn," William teased at her, "No matter how powerful of a witch you are, these are the orders."
William Felix was enjoying taking advantage of the confusion that took over Penelope Silverthorn for the first time. She's never questioned a travel destination and to see her this frozen seemed to entertain him.
"That's all you're taking to Hogwarts?" William pointed at the box that still sat on the desk.
Within her thoughts, Penelope let out a sigh and nodded, "Y-Yeah, I don't plan on staying there long."
"And no partner too?" He asked again, "How interesting, considering you take your boyfriend with you mostly everywhere."
"Boyfriend?" Penelope furrowed her brows at the word, but then scoffed at the reminder, "Joshua isn't my boyfriend. And that's none of your business. He's my work partner. Besides, I'm not alone, I brought my dog, Luna." She smiled down at the white golden dog.
William leaned forward over the desk, looking down at Luna, the dog wiggling her tail as she sat still and William waved.
"Right..." He pursed his lips and nodded, sliding the fancy snow globe toward Penelope, "Well, you know the basics of Portkey travel. Unless you want me to pull out the 367-page handbook on the uses and dangers of Porkey—"
"No thanks, I think I got it, Will." Penelope took hold of the heavy box again and used her free hand to take hold of the snow globe.
William stepped aside, opening the traveling room door. It was a spacious empty room in the congress dedicated to travel.
"Hope to see you soon." William smiled.
"Oh, how courageous of you to say that." Penelope let out last, placing the box on the floor.
"Good luck down memory lane. I'm sure your old school missed you." William let out before closing the door.
It took Penelope Silverthorn exactly ten long minutes to make use of that Portkey. From debating, to second-guessing, to nearly backing out on the entire plan.
There was nothing to lose, was there? What's the worst that could've happened? All her friends were adults. She'll only risk seeing her old professors perhaps, and certain locations that hold deep memories.
Penelope held her breath as she prepared for the Portkey to activate and transport her. Her knees buckled briefly, but she willed herself to stay steady.
Her thoughts raced, thinking about the destination she was chosen, thinking maybe this was a mistake. But she also felt strangely determined and ready to face whatever was waiting for her on the other side of that Portkey.
As the Portkey's activation sequence came to a close, it spit Penelope out into an unexpected location, slightly outside the castle's entrance.
Penelope's a little disoriented at first, but she soon realizes that the destination is still within the Hogwarts grounds.
The sight of the trees and rocks is strangely comforting, reminding her of the first time she came here, and the long years she spent wandering these grounds. It's a familiar landscape, and it feels good to be back, but also traumatizing for her.
"Alright," Penelope let out a breath of confidence and stood up from the ground, flicking her wand toward the snow globe and vanishing it away as she kept the box in her hand, "Come on, Luna." She motioned to the dog.
Penelope's eyes were maintained on the floor. Yes, on the floor. There was this fear of keeping her guard up and looking at every detail of that castle. Remembering everything at once. She wasn't ready for that yet.
"Is that a pup?"
"Merlin, a dog! Haven't seen one since back home!"
"It's white!"
Penelope's darkening thoughts came to a breeze when she stared up near the entrance and noticed a small group of students approach her with curious looks.
It appeared they had taken notice of Luna, and they were getting closer to get a proper look at the beloved pet in front of them.
"Excuse me miss, can we pet it?" The first year Hufflepuff student asked gently.
Penelope blinked, but gave a slight smile, "Of course."
Penelope glanced at the house robes around the girls surrounding her.
The uniforms had changed, Penelope thought to herself at the stare.
Penelope began to take notice of how the students were intrigued by the animal, so she took a sigh and bent to her dog, petting her head.
"Luna, you know where to find me. You're a showcase today. Be a good girl." Penelope ordered before turning.
The dog was indeed intelligent. I mean, how couldn't it be if the owner was the most powerful witch in existence, let alone, wielded Ancient Magic? Any animal in contact would be thrilled for an owner.
Penelope nearly tripped when older students opened the entrance door, nearly knocking her out, but she sighed again and entered.
There was a combination of fear and nostalgia entering upon. The scent of the castle itself sent a rush of emotions at every step she took inside. It was overwhelming but comforting.
"Ah, there you are! We've anticipated your arrival!"
A strong, raspy voice echoed through the hall in the moment. She's heard the voice in the past. The same voice that guided her since the first day at Hogwarts, and now history repeated itself.
Penelope turned, taking sight of the presence calling out to her.
"Professor Weasley." Penelope spoke, almost in surprise at the sight.
Matilda Weasley was older now. Eight years did make a difference, but it was impossible not to recognize the red hairs and original voice.
"Oh, please," Professor Weasley bowed in a chuckle, "You are no longer a student, Miss Silverthorn. You can call me Matilda, or, Headmistress." She showed off.
Penelope raised her brows at the unexpected news. It shouldn't have been wise news. Matilda Weasley was right under Phineas Black in that role, and Penelope wondered what might've happened within that time gap.
"I...wow," Penelope smiled, "Right, right. Of course. I'm very...proud to hear that Pro—I mean, Headmistress Matilda." She laughed.
Mathilda Weasley gave a wrinkly smile at her now-grown student and guided her, "Come on now, we have loads of information to discuss now. Right at my office."
Penelope took one last breath and followed, "Of course."
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Fun fact: Penelope technically doesn't know what has happened at Hogwarts in the last 8 years. She's been out of the loop.
And before you say, "Wouldn't she see it in the newspapers?"
No, each country/state has its own paper. 🫣🫣🫣
New York actually has one called The New York Ghost 🤣
Anyways, Sebastian cameo next chapter.
If you saw TikTok...well...then....you know. 🥲