Catina Lennox didn't stick to stereotypes. In fact, she despised them more than anything, yes she had Slytherin traits but not those since tarnished by those who turned to evil rather than staying hard-headed and fighting for what they truly believ...
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Deep in the woods where not many dared to wander was a cluster of giant oak trees which trunks' stretched high into the sky, the tops completely covered by thick layers of clouds that rolled by. In amongst this cluster laid a small child, ragged and gaunt with meagre yellow skin that clung to their bones that were nothing more than brittle. The snapped off twigs that covered the wet ground around her dug into her body, scratching and ripping their body up, trickles of scarlet red blood dripping down onto the sodden leaves.
The night was bitter, harsher than the previous few which left the child shivering as all fo their body warmth escaped them. Their eyes stayed alert, darting around, searching for any sense of life which could help them during this cold October night. Howls echoed in the distance, bouncing from tree to tree until they only a mere whisper which was far from comforting for the child who wept for their mother and father. As the wind nipped at their naked form, their cries grew louder and longer, ripping at their throat when they did not give their voice any rest as the night dragged on, painfully slowly.
From a little ways away, twigs snapped as large heavy footsteps trod on them, weaving their way through the mass of foliage to find the source of the banshee-like wails. "Sense anything, Fang?" A deep, gruff voice asked their dog who panted beside him, sniffing the air for any clues.
The abnormally large dog, 'Fang', grumbled in response - nothing- until suddenly he paused, his head whipping to the side a trail of slobber splashing onto a tree trunk beside him. Whining he traipsed forward, ducking under some shrubbery that its owner had to push out of the way to follow on behind him. Fang barked, the crying getting louder in return.
"Eh, eh, eh! Fang! Quiet! What 'ave yer got 'ere then?" Exclaimed the man, pointing the lamp in direction of his dog who sat bolt upright beside a mass of yellow. "Merlin's beard!"
The man crouched down, setting the lamp on the ground to shine and aid warmth to the sight before him. On the ground shook a child, a little girl barely a week old, who yearned for her parents. The man could not believe his eyes, gently her held out his hands, cupping the little girl in his palm and raising her up to his chest. He rocked her softly, hushing her tears as her eyes stared up at him, her blue lips trembling.
"It's okay, little darlin'," he hushed, keeping her close to him to provide her heat. "Yer safe now. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper o' Keys at 'Ogwarts School. And this is Fang, he's a big softy really."
Fang shook his head, slobber flying everywhere as Hagrid bent down to pick up his lamp. He wasted no time in charging back through the trees, still rocking the baby in his arms to keep her calm as he rushed back out of the forest. "Fang, go on off ahead. Get Dumbledore!" Ordered Hagrid, knowing that despite his very long legs, it would take him a good while to get out of the forest.
Fang barked, striding away from his owner who wanted nothing more than to get this child to safety. If it wasn't for him straying from his usual rounds due to a recent discovery of spotted mushrooms he would not have come across the little darling and with the weather that evening there was not a chance that she would have survived the night out there. His heart dropped knowing that there was still a high possibility that she would not survive despite his efforts to help her but he could do no more than try his best.
Thankfully, Hagrid managed to pick up the pace and he soon broke free from the outskirts of the forest, the bright lights on the magnificent castle greeting him with open arms. The girl continued to shake and Hagrid panicked. "I won' make it to the castle!" He muttered, looking down at the baby. Instead, he charged towards his hut, which sat not far from the forest a grand patch of enormous pumpkins stacked around it. Outside of the door, clad in his nightgown stood Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, by his side stood Minerva McGonagall a teacher with high authority and respect. Both unbeknown to the abandoned child, they waited patiently waiting to get out of the cold and into the warmth of the hut.
"Ah, Hagrid what is-?"
Hagrid shook his head, striding straight past the two and hurrying into his home. He gathered a large blanket and bunched it up on the table, carefully placing the girl within it and cocooning her small body amongst the furry material. He then turned to the fire which embers still glowed a bright orange, he placed a few longs above them and lit a match-throwing it into the fireplace igniting the logs and engulfing them in dancing flames.
"Rubeus, please, why have you summoned us?" Asked McGonagall who closed the door behind her, "if it is another creature it could have waited until breakfast."
Hagrid shook his head, wiping his eyes which had tears falling from them. Dumbledore pushed up his half-moon spectacles, peering over at the table and to bundle of blankets on top of it. "Is that a baby?"
Hagrid nodded his heads, "yer 'ave to 'elp 'er." He said blowing his noes, "I don't know 'ow long she has bin out there!"
McGonagall caressed the child's head, "poor little might," she gasped taking in the haggard appearance of the girl. "I will send for Poppy." She went to exit the hut but was stopped by a flash of white beating her to it, as it soared out of the door.
"Patronuses are much quicker, we need all of the time we can if we want to save her, Minerva." Said Dumbledore calmly. The three worked hard to keep the little girl as warm as possible as they waited for Poppy Pomfrey, the school healer to arrive from her quarters and when she did she rushed around like a mad-woman.
"Will she be okay?" Hagrid asked the healer as she tended to the child.
Madam Pomfrey sighed, "she will. You found her just in time, Rubeus, any longer and the little love would have passed. What are you going to do with her Albus? After all, she has been left to natures own device."
The three adults sighed in sheer relief, knowing that the small girl would live and grow up was nothing less than weight from their shoulders. The elder wizard ran his thumb across the girl's cheek as her deep brown eyes stared up at him in bewilderment. "I will find her a place to live but first, she needs a name."
"Rubeus, you found her, you should name her," said McGonagall, turning to the half-giant who was placing his used tissue onto the fire.
Hagrid turned in shock, "oh no, I couldn't. I don't know any good ones."
"It doesn't have to necessarily be 'good', Rubeus, just perfect for the little girl from the forest." Responded Poppy, lifting the babe into her arms, blanket still wrapped around her petite frame. "Anything, dear, absolutely anything."
"Right well, uh, so she is a girl and she was found in the elm trees so erm... oh I know! Catina. Catina Lennox." The half-giant concluded, his lips curling at the edges.
Dumbledore smiled softly, " Catina Lennox, or in other words - a chaste, innocent girl among the elm trees if we were to translate it. How did you know about that?"
"I remember reading it somewhere." Hagrid shrugged.
"Then there we go," said Dumbledore, "welcome to the world, Catina Lennox, you will do great things, I can already tell."
