Silent Secrets

Chapter XV

Quick AN to say THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS and @Potterloverxx got a dedication for being my 250TH FOLLOWER!!!! <3 THANK YOU DEAR CHILD!!!

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"That'll be thirteen galleons," Ollivander said.

McGonagall fished about in her pocket, withdrawing a handful if coins and counting them carefully before handing them off to the kind old wizard. "Best of luck at Hogwarts, Miss Hope. You keep an eye on her, Minerva. She's a special one...I can feel it."

"They're all special, Olivander," McGonagall replied tartly, though she looked at me curiously. I had the feeling Olivander's advice was rarely ignored or taken lightly, especially when it was about a person.
"Goodbye, Mr. Olivander! Thank you!" I called as we exited the shop. The door slid shut on his reply, though it sounded like he was calling goodbye as well.

"Well, shall we get you back home, Miss Peters?"

I nodded silently, grasping my wand tightly to my chest. McGonagall took my wrist and warned, "We're going to apparate, are you ready?"

I nodded again, and with a sharp twist the world disappeared around me, replaced by the deep pressure in my skull. My eyes were driven back into my head, my ears filled with an explosive amount of pressure, my gut twisting in me. Seconds later, we appeared in front of my house with a loud crack.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts, then," McGonagall said, handing me the cauldron full of various books and supplies. I nodded my assent, and gave her a little half-wave as she smiled and turned on her heel, vanishing into shadow.

I slowly trod up the familiar, imprisoning stairs, knocking feebly once I got to the door. A loud grunt from inside alerted me to my father's presence, and I hastily stepped back, aware that I no longer had McGonagall to protect me. Looking at the lengthening shadows about me, I knew we had missed our deadline by a good amount of time. I tensed, hugging myself I'm an effort to ready myself for his wrath.
With a click of locks and the sharp creaking sound, the door slid open slightly. I caught sight of a dark figure on the other side of the door, his eyes gleaming in the dimness before receding back into to the house. Unnerved by his silence, I crept forward cautiously, pushing the door open slightly wider so I could slip inside. I was almost to the stairs when he spoke from his chair by the empty fireplace.

"How was it?"

I flinched at the voice, the words taking a moment to penetrate my tense fear. I didn't reply at once, trying to condense my experience into a single, simple sentence. "I-It was..." I struggled to find the right word.

"Magical."

I stared at him, shock pulsing through me. His voice wasn't angry, or sneering, or cruel, or downgrading. It was soft, thoughtful, and almost...wistful? Nostalgic?

"Yeah," I said in the same wondering tone, not even thinking about the damage it could cause. "Magical."
He didn't respond, but stared into the cold, empty fireplace, lost in his thoughts. I quickly scurried up the stairs, a warm glow spreading in my chest.

I felt as though for a moment, my father wasn't a monster. For a moment, he was simply a man, and I merely his daughter.

I sighed. It had been nice, but also eerie. I wondered what it was about McGonagall, and Hogwarts and all this magic that had crashed in on her that had caused such a drastic--if temporary--change in my father?

"Magical," I repeated to myself. Yes, that was exactly the right word for it.

I opened to door to my closet, and saw that my father had slid my Hogwarts acceptance letter and envelope under the door. I smiled quietly to myself, before setting down my cauldron full of supplies and reluctantly setting my wand box beside it. Now, lined up against the wall, were my only treasures in life. I bit my lip, hoping they'd remain safe.