Chapter Text
It was supposed to be an ordinary summer holidays, but everything turned into a nightmare in one August evening. My father came home late, as soon as I looked at his face, I knew something was wrong. He’s not a person who talks a lot. To be honest, we don’t talk much, so I was surprised when he sat down on the couch next to me and looked at me. That look meant something was up and he wanted to talk. He didn’t tell me much, just that we were moving to London later this week and that I was to change school. I asked why, but he gave me no specific answer. He said that in a year everything would change. I didn’t understand what he meant. He told me to pack by the end of the week. I knew that if he decides something, I have no right to vote, so I didn’t protest anymore. My father has changed a lot in the last few weeks. I don’t know why, but he became more moody, thoughtful, maybe scared.
On Sunday morning I was in my room and checked if I packed everything. The sight of an empty room made me sad. I don’t know why, I didn’t have any special memories with this room. We’ve moved many times, I spent my early childhood in England, then we lived for a while in Russia, a few months in France, a few years in Germany and finally we moved to Poland. Maybe that’s why I felt sad, because I’ve lived here the longest, I’ve gotten used to this room. But maybe it was something else. This thought in my head that now everything is going to change and I don’t really know what to expect. Before starting school, my father arranged for me to be homeschooled, so I was tutored by various retired professors, but then I stared studying at Durmstrang, spent three whole years there, and suddenly that was about to change.
I glanced at the beautiful racing broom that lay by my trunks. My gaze stayed on it and I began to remember yesterday. At dinner my father handed me a letter from Hogwarts, said that this would be my new school and that he had arranged everything. He said that I should study hard, that I should be the best and show everyone what level our family represents. He always said that, our family level, like it meant anything. At school, I was always fairly diligent student, one of the best in my year, but for my father that wasn’t enough. No, he wanted me to be the best at everything. He gave me this broom and said he hoped I wouldn’t let him down. Well, it’s like him, when he did something wrong, he always gave me expensive gifts. He knew how much I wanted this broom, it’s Firebolt after all. But does it still matter, will I be on the Quidditch team at this new school, why would I need a new broom if I don’t know if I’ll be able to use it regularly. As I thanked my father for the broom, our eyes met. My father never looked me straight in the eye, but when he did, he quickly looked away as if my gaze was burning. But this time it was different, this time he looked me straight in the eyes and said something I didn’t expect “Your mum went to Hogwarts and she always had fond memories of that school” as soon as he finished that sentence, he quickly looked away, got up from the table and went to his office.
He never mentioned my mom. When I stared school, he told me that my mother was ill and died when I was not yet a year old. That’s all I know about her, I’ve never seen a picture of her. I always wondered what she was like. I guess I may be like her because I don’t see any resemblance to my father. His eyes are light blue, mine are dark brown, almost black, he is very tall, I am quite short, probably the only thing that can reveal that I am his daughter is our full lips and how rarely we smile sincerely. I only have one thing left of my mother, her last name. I only broached the subject once with my father, and I was told that it was safer for me stick with her last name.
Suddenly I was pulled out of this race of thoughts by my father’s call from downstairs.
- Georgia!
- I’m coming! - I replied.
I threw on my favorite sweatshirt, took one last look at my room and went downstairs. He was waiting for me in the living room.
- Are you ready? – he asked when I came in.
I just nodded in response.
- Okay, our luggage will be there when we arrive. Due to certain circumstances, we will use Floo Network, I have to run errands on the way and you will wait for me in Diagon Alley, this is shopping area, safe place, no Muggles, you can buy yourself something.
He handed me a pouch of money, I quickly thanked him and put it in my pocket. I knew there was no need to ask what he had to do and how long it would take. We both climbed into the fireplace, my father took my arm.
- Leaky Cauldron – he said.
We were surrounded by green flames and I felt this unpleasant feeling while traveling like this, I closed my eyes and when I felt my feet touch the hard floor again and my father was pulling me forward, I opened my eyes to see inside of some pub.
My father told me to come back in an hour and left me alone. I am alone, in a foreign country, in a foreign place, very comfortable, really. Suddenly I saw a group of teenagers, probably around my age, so I slowly followed them. We went out to the backyard of the pub, they did something to the wall, which suddenly parted and showed me the strangest street I’ve ever seen.
Everything was very colorful here, people dressed so differently, shop windows full of all sorts of magical items. I moved ahead, watching each store with interest, I found that for this hour I will just walk around, because I don’t need to buy anything anyway. My father ordered school supplies for me every year so I didn’t have to buy them myself. I went to a candy store and bought myself a chocolate frog. My father didn’t give me sweets, he thought I had to maintain a proper diet to be at my best at Quidditch practice. But now that he can’t see me and no one knows me around here, I can enjoy the taste of chocolate in peace. Walking and nibbling chocolate I stopped in front of some clothes shop. There were school uniforms, dress robes, travelling cloaks and the like hanging in the widow, and then I remembered. The letter from school that my father gave me yesterday said that every student was to have a dress robe. I figured I’d look around the store and see what these robes look like, I’ve never needed them before. When I entered the store, I saw a small group of girls who were browsing colorful ball gowns and talking excitedly about something. I moved a little closer, supposedly going through the hangers, but really to hear what they were saying, because they clearly looked like Hogwarts students.
- My mum works at the Ministry and she told me - one of the girls said and the rest giggled.
- Thanks for telling us! The others don’t know yet so we’ll choose the prettiest dresses - said the second girl.
- The ball will be wonderful, beautiful dresses, dancing and boys, I hope someone handsome will invite me - laughed the third girl.
At that point, I decided I didn’t want to hear it anymore and left. The ball, the dances, what were they talking about. I imagine all the students as happy and laughing as these girls, heading to some ball, dressed in elegant clothes, and me, alone, without my friends. My father will definitely not let me not go there, I’ll have to talk to him about it, if I’m going to go there, at lease I have to look good, he’ll have to make an effort to buy me a nice dress. I looked at my watch and realized I only had 10 minutes left so I quickly made my way back to the pub.
Once I was inside, I sat down at one of the empty tables to wait for my father. I kept thinking about that ball, about my friends who stayed in Durmstrang. Yesterday I managed to send letters to my friends to tell them that we will not meet at school this year. I was very sad, I still am as soon as I think about it, I won’t see Kris, my best friend with whom I shared a room in school and spent every free moment, I won’t go to trainings with my friend Viktor, I started to think if other students at Hogwarts would like me, I don’t think it happens very often that someone changes school in the fourth year, I will be a stranger there, I will be an enemy there. Suddenly I heard someone’s cool voice and I snapped out of my thoughts, my eyes fell on a tall blond boy, really handsome boy, who was walking with, I guess, his father, who had the same blond hair and the same gray eyes. I don’t like staring at people so when this boy looked at me, I quickly looked away and hung it on the fireplace on the other side of the room but wow. I have to admit this boy is really handsome, maybe living in London isn’t so bad after all.
After a few seconds, my father was standing next to me.
- Let’s go - was all he said.
We went together to the fireplace and after a while we found ourselves in some living room. Well, in our new living room as I may suspect.
- We can see the house - my father said and began to show me around.
This house is really very nice and big, there is an even bigger garden behind the house, I immediately thought that I would have a place to practice flying. My father must have noticed that I like this house because I noticed a slight smile on his face. He led me upstairs, stopped at the door at the end of the hall.
- You can unpack and rest – he said and opened the door.
I saw a beautiful room, in the middle there was a big double bad, my trunks were already at its feet, on one wall under the window there was a desk and on the other wall a large wardrobe, which will surely fit everything I have.
- Thank you. This room is really nice - he was about to leave but then I remembered - Father, can we talk about something?
- Yes? - his expression was discontented again, full of suspicion, he didn’t like it when I had questions.
- The letter from school said I had to have a dress robe.
- And?
- I overheard some students from Hogwarts talking in Diagon Alley, and there’s supposed to be a ball there this year.
- You’re not going to get away with it, you’ve got to learn to act like a lady eventually, because you’ll never find yourself a worthy husband.
Well, like a lady, my father was always annoyed that I’d rather wear pants and fly on a broomstick all day than act like a typical girl in my age, and he was even more annoyed when he heard that Viktor was my friend and not my boyfriend.
- Yes father of course I will go there, I wanted to ask if you would buy me a suitable dress and shoes for the occasion?
I saw relief on his face.
- Of course, whatever you want.
I heard the door closing and I immediately lay down on the bed to not think about anything for a moment and rest.
The last weeks of August flew by very quickly, mainly on Quidditch training, my father really wanted me to get into the school team, I really wanted it too. One day we went shopping in some elegant store and I chose a dress for the ball, I was surprised that my father did not pay attention to what I choose, but on the other hand I was glad that he had nothing to say about it. He still didn’t tell me anything about Hogwarts, but when I got my new books and supplies, he made it clear that I should get ready for my first classes. I knew from the textbooks that his school would be different. The Transfiguration book is quite difficult, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts book is very simple. My favorite subject is Potions, I’ve already studied the entire textbook and I can’t wait for my first lesson. My previous professor always said that I have a gift for potions and my experiments always impress him, I wonder what my new professor will be like and if he will share this passion.
I got letters from my friends, Kris was devastated when she found out that we would not be together at school anymore, she told me what she was doing during the holidays and promised that next year she would definitely come visit me. Viktor’s letter was shorter, mainly describing his last match in the Quidditch World Cup, I was really mad that I wasn’t there, I always admired him for being the Seeker for the Bulgarian National Quidditch team at the age of eighteen while still at school. He also didn’t like my father’s decision to suddenly move and change schools, but he wrote that maybe I’ll see him sooner than I think, whatever that meant.
Before I knew it, it was the last day of August, I was already packed for school and having dinner with me father in the garden.
- Tomorrow, I will walk you to the train that will take you to school. When you get there, you are to report to Hagrid, he’s probably their caretaker, he will give you further information. Be ready tomorrow at 9.
I wanted to ask him about the train, about school but from the look on his face I knew that I would not get any answers anyway. In the last few weeks in London, he had become even stricter, tired and more and more absent from the house, I knew it had nothing to do with his job. He became even more absent, I wonder what he’s hiding from me this time. We finished dinner in silence and watched the sunset together. After that I took a long bath and went to bed. I felt a huge stress before tomorrow, I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, immersed in terrifying thoughts about what awaits me.
Suddenly my alarm clock woke me up. I must have finally fallen asleep last night, so I slid out of bed and went to get ready. After breakfast, my father deported us to the center of London in some dark alley where no one was there, when we came out of it I saw the great King’s Cross Station, my father quickly led me inside, dragging my trunk with a broom attached to it. When we were between platforms 9 and 10, he took my arm and quickly walked straight to the barrier between the platforms, I guessed that there must be a hidden passage to platform 9¾. As we passed the railing, a long platform appeared to my eyes, conversations and laughter could be heard from every side. My father led me further, put my trunk on the train and turned to me, but before he say anything, I saw that he nodded to someone, I quickly turned around to see who he was greeting, we don’t have any friends in England, probably someone from his new job. I didn’t saw it but opposite my father there was a man with long blond hair who I saw in the Leaky Cauldron, before I could saw him my father turned my head to him.
- Good luck and remember what I told you - he leaned in so only I could hear what he said - You have to be the best and represent our family, this year everything will change.
Without saying anything else he left.