Heart of Courage and Fire | Marauders Era [Poems Rewrite]

Chapter Three - Henrietta Price.

Chapter Three

The silence in the Hopkins house on the third day after Adria and Benji received their letters was almost deafening. In the small armchair in the corner sat a very old women in long robes much like Professor Slughorn had on when he visited, though this time the women wore a deep purple colour.

She sipped quietly on her tea. Smiling every so often at anyone she caught eyes with, but she never thought to speak any words. She answered questions here and there, if Judy had spoken from the kitchen that she pretended she wasn't hiding in or if Alina asked one of her "too personal" questions that no one else was brave enough to ask.

Judy had entered soon after with a tray of biscuits and a steaming tea pot for any refills wanted, and when she tried to hurry back to the kitchen Douglas grabbed her and pulled her back down beside him. The pair were not an old married couple, not in the slightest.

They had Alfie when Judy was eighteen and Douglas was twenty. Judy had left high school to get a job working as a receptionist. The same could be said for Douglas, except he went to work for his father. He always recalls the day the pretty new receptionist started at his father's company.

It was always hard for them to believe that they had a son who was fourteen, they still felt too young at times, but they never regretted their decision. They never saw themselves as old, Judy was only thirty-two, and Douglas thirty-four.

They knew that they could easily say they were sixty and their children would believe it.

"There is a reason we called," said Judy, a warm smile on her lips, "I'm so glad you answered."

"I believe I know why you have called, Judy dear," said Henrietta, "now which one is it?"

Silence again.

"Hurry up now, who got their letter?" it seemed almost like another wave of surprise overcame the Hopkins at once. She knew, does that mean she was like that man? Did that mean Adria and Benji were truly as they thought?

"I did," said Adria, soon pointing to her brother, "so did he."

"Twins!" Henrietta exclaimed with a sudden happiness, "oh how wonderful, I take it you're ecstatic to hear the news?!"

"Well, no..." Judy trailed off, "not exactly, we're actually quite unsure what we do now. This is all so unexpected!"

"Well they must learn, yes?" Henrietta seemed shocked that they weren't jumping for joy, her best years of her lives were lived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, "these years at school are most important. The best seven years I've ever had!"

"Seven?!" Adria gasped, "we have to go there for seven years?!"

"Why yes of course!"

"I thought high school was only six years!" Benji exclaimed, a sudden anger taking over him especially when he could see the large smug grin painted over Alfie's lips.

"Muggle high school, yes," said Henrietta, "but Hogwarts is no high school, and it's certainly not a place for muggles. You'll be learning the best subjects, my dear boy, from the best professors the wizarding world has seen!"

"How come it's so hidden?" asked Adria, "we have never learned or known about this world. Magic is for stories."

"That's exactly why. Muggles run the ear, and wizards are few and far between in comparison to the many muggles. They fear the unknown, and they do not take too kindly to change. So, we hide in the shadows, and we learn. We have our own places in this world, hidden to those who do not possess the magical abilities we do. We have our own laws, our own jails. We have many wonderful traditions, jobs, music." Henrietta was beaming now, a twinkle in her eye and Adria could not deny that she adored it.

"I still don't believe it," Alfie scoffed, "how can we all just sit here and listen and think that magic is real? It's just crazy!"

"I do not take too kindly to ignorance," Henrietta simply said, and in a matter of moments, Alfie's tongue started to swell bigger and bigger and bigger. His eyes had widened dramatically, and his hands started to flair frantically, begging to speak but all that came out was muffles.

Judy jumped up with a gasp, as did Douglas. They were panicking amidst their terror, but they knew that no matter what, there was no way to fix it. They had no experience with magic at all and felt slightly helpless as they watched Alfie try with all his might to pull and prod at his tongue that was almost fully covering his nose.

Adria couldn't help but giggle, clasping her hand over her mouth at the site and in a matter of moments the swelling had gone down and she watched Henrietta put her wand away, "sometimes the most incredible things in this world are hidden in plane site. Ignorant people tend not to look."

Alfie was silent after that, slouching and grumbling obscenities under his breath. He was clearly put in his place and no matter the show he put on, he was practically forced to believe that magic was, in fact, real.

It seemed as though the afternoon went in far too quickly for both Adria and Benji. The silence that once filled the room was practically gone in a matter of fifteen minutes. Henrietta had confirmed what Adria hopefully wished were true, and Benji had a slight peace of mind as he watched the way Henrietta spoke of the wizarding world.

It seemed truly wonderful.

The old woman could hardly keep up with the two kids throwing question after question at her but she answered all of them with such an answer it left them wanting more and more. At five past six that evening she finally raised her hand, letting out a cough into her handkerchief and allowing a small laugh to escape her lips.

"I must go now," she said, "but I know that all of the questions you could possibly have will be answered soon enough. When you walk through the doors to the great hall of Hogwarts, I believe you'll truly feel yourself at home."

With that, she bid a farewell to the entire family and Judy walked her to the front door. Adria watched from the window in slight awe. The woman waddled ever so slightly from the front door stairs to the pavement, and with one last wave in Adria's direction she flicked her wand and vanished.