Mrs. Isabelle called me to her office. It was Christmas break so most students were gone. Mr. John would be coming over for two weeks before going home. I walked in and sat across from Mrs. Isabelle. She smiled and held a small knife.
"Ready?" I nodded and sat across from her. "You'll take this potion first," she said handing me the potion. "I'll make a small incision and then dip my wand in the blood and cast the spell. Ready?" She asked. I nodded and downed the potion. It was nasty. She lightly cut my skin. My eyes watered and I wanted to pull away but I held firm determined to know. She dipped her wand and cast the spell. We looked up and gasped.
Kaitlyn Pandora Forest 17 years old, 3/27/73
Father-Sirius Orion Black (UK)
Mother-Arabella Selene Forest (D)
Sister-Lyra Arabella Black (12)
Brother-Taurus Regulus Black (12)
Sister-Estella Willow Black (10)
Uncles-Regulus Arcturus Black (D) -John Caster Forest -Griffin Cepheus Forest
Aunts-Isabella Eliana Forest
We stared at the words blankly. She looked at me than the words. I tilted my head.
"My father is Sirius Black? The well-known killer and betrayer of the Potters?" I asked. She nodded.
"Unless you have somebody else's blood running through your veins," we sit in silence as the bold words disappear.
"You're my aunt," it wasn't a question but she nodded. She stood, walked around her desk, and hugged me tightly. I cried into her shoulder. I had a family and it was here. She pulled away wiping her eyes.
"I will always be here for you, I wish I knew," she muttered. She placed a hand on my cheek and tilted her head.
"You weren't told?" I asked. She shook her head.
"They lost touch with us," she said, staring at me. "John will be so happy," she said. I smiled and laughed, remembering my uncle.
"I'm so happy," I laughed, tears spilling from my eyes. She hugged me again laughing softly.
"Me too," she muttered.
——————
I walked around the townhouse with Sage and Nora. The warm spring air circulated the room. The rental lady walked over, smiling.
"Well?" She asked.
"Can we have a minute?" Sage asked. She nodded and left. Sage turned to us smiling. "I love it, three rooms, two full bathrooms and a half. Also living room and full kitchen with appliances," Nora nodded looking around.
"Plus a balcony, lots of windows, and a laundry room downstairs," she said. I nodded.
"Plus a fireplace so I can floo here from school," I said. The townhouse was in North Carolina, not near where any of us grew up. But Nora and Sage coincidentally got jobs in the same area. They nodded and turned to me.
"Do you mind only having a half bath?" Nora asked. I shook my head.
"Of course not! I'll be here for what 5 months probably less if I visit England again," I muttered. It was a sore spot for us. Nora and Sage would be living with each other all year and I'd barely be around even in the off-season. Plus I found my family, this equation was more complicated than when it started.
"Right, well. The question then is do we try to buy or just rent," Sage said. I nodded.
"I think we should buy, your jobs are steady and there are other places here that you could shift to," I reasoned, they seemed to agree. The lady walked in.
"Hope you're done, I'm about to close the open house," she said, closing some windows. Nora and I looked at Sage and nodded.
"We'll take it. You said you'd be willing to sell as well?" She asked. The lady nodded pulling down the blinds.
"Yes, are you interested?" We nodded. She walked over and stood in front of us. "What are you thinking?" She asked. Sage again answered.
"Maybe a five-year plan?" She asked. The lady nodded.
"That works. I'll pull up the paperwork tomorrow," she said and shook our hands. We walked out and high-fived.
——————
It started slow but then it came on in a rush. A memory from a time I didn't remember. Flashes of color and then being ushered out of a house. A loud motor and a wind in my hair. A man with black hair and pale skin. He looked scared. A young girl, maybe three, asked questions I couldn't hear. I bolted up and looked around. I was in my bed.
It was summer and it broke me knowing I wouldn't make it to England, again. Mrs. Weasley sent a few letters, most just summed up Ron's first year and then Ginny's. I got a letter from Ginny and the twins, they asked me to visit next summer since I wasn't visiting this summer and missed last.
I also heard much about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny's best friends. All I could do was say I'd try. I put my feet on the cold wood floor. I yawned and walked downstairs. The warm July weather blew through the many open windows. I walked into the kitchen sighing.
"Morning," I said. Sage and Nora smiled up at me. Nora wore her healer's cloak and Sage had on her fancy clothes.
"Good morning, the coffee pot is full," Sage said, walking to hug me. I hugged her briefly before making a beat line to the coffee. I didn't drink much coffee in England but ever since starting work in America, I was always holding a cup. Nora was flipping pancakes into a small pile.
"The pancakes are done, could you clean the pans and dishes before work this afternoon?" She asked. I nodded and made a pile as she took the plate to the table. After last summer we had a pretty good routine. I sat down with Nora and then Sage joined us. We ate for a while in silence. I looked at Sage.
"Meeting?" I asked, observing her attire. She rolled her eyes.
"Unfortunately. They want to check on the numbers again," she said rolling her eyes. As a muggle-born Sage was able to help with the relationship between NoMags and wizards.
"The units been much more successful with you heading it," I said. She sighed and stuffed a pancake piece into her mouth. She swallowed hard.
"I know! There have been no suspicions in the past four months, that a high," she said, loudly. Nora and I nodded. "Sorry, Nora how's work?" She shrugged.
"Sick people, hurt people, crazy people. The usual," she said, but then smiled. "But I'm off early for the fourth," she said. Sage smiled.
"That's awesome, I'm going to try and get out early but we'll see," she said.
Over the years, I sort of understood the Fourth of July. I knew it was a celebration of freedom from England, but I didn't know everything that came with it. Barbecues, fireworks, sparklers, and red, white, and blue everywhere! But I did love it. It felt freeing, in a way.
"The coffee shop closes at 5 so I'll be home around 5:20," I said, sipping my coffee. Nora nodded.
"When do you start again?" She asked. I swallowed.
"Noon," she nodded and cleared her plate.
"Okay, sounds good. I'm getting lunch with Gavin for a lunch break or I would visit," I waved her off.
"Don't worry about it," I said. Sage walked to the sink, sighing.
"That was so good," she said. Nora rolled her eyes, taking Sage's plate. "I may stop by, Mason and I got lunch last week," she said walking to get her bag. I walked to the floo and held out the powder. Sage took a handful and smiled.
"Bye Kait," she said and disappeared. I put the powder back and walked to the door and opened it. Nora slid on her shoes by the door.
"Bye Kait," she said, hugging me and then rushing to the street. A car drove up and Gavin waved to me from the driver's seat. I tried not to cringe at the thought of him driving Nora. They drove off and I shut the door and then locked it. I looked at the dishes and rolled my eyes. With a wave of my wand, the dishes were clean and dripping wet. I walked to the living room and straightened it up a bit, before walking upstairs to write Mrs. Weasley, Aunt Isabelle, and Sophia Ray letters.
——————
The loud noise of excitement made me smile. The students talked a lot. It made me laugh. Three years ago I was just like them. Well, mostly. I smiled and tapped my wand on a book. They stopped talking mostly and I started.
"A wand," I said lifting mine. "Is an extension of a witch or wizard's power. Your power is inside you not inside your wand," I said and then I smiled. "Wands on your table," They set their wands down, "Who can tell me, does a witch or wizard choose their wand?" I asked. They looked around until a girl from Pugwudgy raised her hand. She was also a Quidditch player.
"Does the witch or wizard? I mean we all picked ours?" She sounded uncertain. I pointed to her.
"Did you?" I asked. "By a show of hands how many felt called to pick their wand, you can't describe it but you knew that was your wand," over half the class raised their hands. I nodded. "Wands don't communicate but they connect," I said, setting down Isolt's copy and picking up a wand I made myself with some help from Mr. Olivander via letters.
"Like us, they connect with others better than some," I put it on the desk in front of a girl. "Pick it up," she looked at me oddly. I motioned to it. She picked it up and smiled. "Give it a wave," she waved it and wind swept through the room. A light breeze.
"Wow," she said.
"Pass it on," she passed it to her friend who also waved it. Bubbles came from the tip. She grinned. "Continue passing the wand but please listen to me," they murmured yes and okay. "This wand is special, I made it from pieces that when combined make them a universal wand," I picked up my wand from Olivanders and placed it on the desk again. The girl looked and it and freely waved it. Nothing happened. "That wand is made from the most particular materials you can find, it obeys only me and my family," I said as they continued to pass the two wands around.
"You talk like the wands got a preference," a boy said as he waved the first wand. I smiled as glittering gold mist seeped out of the tip.
"They do," they looked at me oddly. I rolled my eyes. "You're in 12 grade at a school for witches and wizards, why is this so surprising?" I asked. The boy waved my other wand and frowned when nothing happened.
"Let's talk about something you all already know about, wood. Wands are made of woods," they nodded. "Pick up your wand if you've waved both of the wands being passed around. Try to identify the wood. If you're unsure, look up what the wood looks like in your books," I knew all their wands were made of the same wood. Snake wood. As they mostly worked in silence, I thanked whoever was up there looking out for me. I was blessed.
——————
It was dark, a flash of green and an energy explosion that would have killed me. I hid two younger children behind me as everything seemed to crumble. I was looking out the eyes of a younger me. Men dragged my father away kicking and yelling. I looked around and saw two men approaching me. I saw a wand on the ground and picked it up. My tiny hands trembled, holding the dark wood.
"Now dear, calm down," I held it up and pointed at their faces.
"Just take them, she can't use that," said the younger man. I thought of the only spell I'd heard.
"Arvada Kadava!" A green blast shot from the wand and the man ducked, fear in his eyes.
"Aurors! Take that wand, erase her memory, and take her to the adoption center. As for the other two, keep them together but distribute them to the Lestranges," a man took the wand and picked me up. I kicked and screamed like my father. The man dropped me and I ran. I ran dodging spells until one hit me and I fell down. Turning I saw Dumbledore before I blacked out.