A Second Chance

2

Two days had passed since she found herself at Hogwarts.

On the first day, she screamed when she woke up, the realization came crashing in full force when her eyes opened to the tall arched ceiling. Madam Pomfrey came rushing in and urged Bonita to drink a calming draught, all the while fretting over what had happened to make her startle in such a way. The school matron stayed by Bonita's side the entire day until night fell and she fell asleep.

The second day, Bonita woke silently. She just stared at the ceiling as she had the day prior, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to start her morning rounds. She felt calmer today, her mind was clearer and it was easier to think.

She was here, so she needed to figure out what to do next. There was no way she could stay in the castle forever, even if she wanted to. Madam Pomfrey had informed her that she was not to leave the hospital wing for at least another several days, giving Bonita more than enough time to figure some things out.

Bonita was sitting up in bed when Dumbledore came to see her. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since her first night here.

"Good morning, Miss Lunelli." He said as he stood at the end of the bed, placing his hand on the metal rail.

Dumbledore was dressed in dark red robes that flowed outwards around his shoes. Gemstones adorned the edges in vibrant, intricate patterns and colors. His beard was made into a loose braid and hung just below his waist. His glasses sat below his aged eyes, his gaze soft as he smiled at her.

"Hello, Sir." She said.

"It appears you stayed." He stated the obvious.

Bonita couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. "I'm clearly still here, yes."

Dumbledore only smiled. "I realized the other night, I never asked much about yourself. Do you mind if I do so now?"

She tilted her head at his request. She had told him enough about herself already hadn't she? She nodded and gestured for him to sit at the foot of her bed.

"Thank you." He said as he sat down. "How old are you, miss Lunelli? You mentioned a job as well as your own living space."

Bonitas face twisted in confusion. He was serious. As if he couldn't tell she was in her mid twenties.

"I'm twenty-six as of last month." She crossed her arms over her chest matter-of-factly.

Dumbledore scowled slightly, his lips pursing firmly together beneath his grey beard. A heavy, shoulder slouching sigh escaped his lips as he stood up. He walked away for a moment, returning quickly with a tall standing mirror on wheels.

"You're not twenty-five any longer, I'm afraid." He said solemnly as he turned the mirror to face her.

Tik. Tik. Tik. Tik.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Her voice pierced the suspenseful silence.

Her threw the warm quilted blanket to the side and bound out of the bed, ignoring the dull throbbing in her ribs.

She was a girl again! Her hair was no longer a long mess of waves but rather fell just below her jaw, the ends brushing the tops of her shoulders. Her face was at least a decade younger. The freckles she had grown out of in her late teens were back with vigor, dusting the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She was shorter too. She shrunk about six inches, now standing at a measley four foot eleven inches instead of her average five-five.

"I'm...I'm.." her pulled at her cheeks and messed up her hair. "I'm a kid!"

"An eleven year old girl, to be precise." Dumbledore added, regrettably, enthusiastically.