Harry Potter 1. A Letter

Disclaimer: I almost forgot that I have to say none of this is mine. My silly American friend is mine, all else belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling, I am not the genius who created this world. This applies to any further chapters.  
  
AN: Ok so the idea for this story came from OotP where Snape says:  
  
"Only Muggles talk of 'mind reading.' The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many- layered thing, Potter."  
  
I thought, wouldn't it be interesting if he was wrong, what if it was a Muggle that could do it. So here it is, my interpretation of what might happen if a Muggle could read minds and if she got recruited to work at Hogwarts. She's American because I am and I don't think I could write British very well, so forgive me that. I don't know how to do italics so thoughts are in single quotations, just let me know if it's confusing and I will change it.  
  
The Secrets of the Mind  
  
The sky was a brilliant blue, the type you don't typically see on such a hot day in the middle of summer. There were no clouds in sight and the air was tinged with a hint of lilac blossoms. Everything seemed to sparkle with the beautiful day.  
  
Leigh Intinn walked down the streets of the small London suburb towards her modest home. She had a bag slung over one arm and was wearing jeans with a white t-shirt, her honey colored hair pulled back in a sloppy bun.  
  
She approached her home and began digging into her bag for keys; she found them as she trudged up the front walk. She unlocked the door and let herself into the small entrance where she dropped the bag and slumped onto the stairs. She was so tired, it had been a long day, her last day until next school year began.  
  
Leigh was a teacher of history at a large private school near her home and today she had taken down all of her materials and cleaned out all of the closets and such. She felt sweaty and dusty and completely disgusting after working in the heat of the beautiful day without any air conditioning. The people around here weren't used to this warm weather this early in the summer, the school was not air conditioned.  
  
She was trying to collect the energy to go get a nice cool drink when a letter came through the mail slot in the door and landed on the floor in front of her. 'I didn't know the mail came this late'; she thought as she leaned down and looked at the letter.  
  
The address was hand written in bright green ink, the paper was yellowish and old looking, and it was addressed to  
  
Leigh Intinn Knightly  
510 Brighton Way  
South Woodford, Outer East  
United Kingdom.  
  
Suddenly she noticed there was no stamp or a return address and without even touching the letter jumped to her feet and flung the door open. There was nobody there, nor was there anyone outside at all, everyone was inside away from the heat of the sun. She turned and looked at the letter again, she knew that a person had not delivered it, she hadn't heard them nor could she see them now, but the letter had come none the less.  
  
She closed the door and sat on the bottom step contemplating the letter on the floor. She made a concerted decision to pick it up and leaned down and slowly reached out her hand. As soon as her fingers grazed the edge of the thick yellow parchment she knew that an owl had delivered the letter from very far away, she knew nothing of the sender though, which was very strange.  
  
She took the letter up and held it for a moment, but still nothing came of the sender. She flipped the letter over and saw a purple wax seal with a coat of arms of some sort, it had four animals and a large H in the center, she didn't recognize the seal. Curiosity consumed her as she tore open the envelope and found a letter inside written in the same hand as the address and the same emerald green. The parchment, for that is what it was written on, held the letterhead,  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
  
The latter had a list of titles beneath it with silly names such as Order of Merlin and Supreme Mugwump.  
  
She felt herself chuckle a bit as she picked up her bag and carried it and the letter into the kitchen. She was no longer as intrigued by the letter; it seemed it was either a joke or some sort of junk mail, for the moment she forgot the way it arrived. She poured herself a glass of sweet tea; she still had not become accustomed to the English tea and always craved the good old fashioned sweet tea of her childhood.  
  
She sat at the table and pulled the letter towards her again and began to read it, below the letterhead the letter began:  
  
Ms. Knightly,  
  
I am writing to extend to you an offer of employment. The position required is professor at a large private school. The school requires a live-in situation and we are willing to accommodate all of your needs and requests.  
  
As Headmaster of the school I am imploring you to take this as a serious offer. I am willing to pay you twice what you would earn at any other institution and the chance to learn more about the world around you.  
  
I will send along a book detailing the school and its history called, Hogwarts, A History. I will also include a book about the world this school and our students are a part of called, A History of Magic.  
  
I will send a colleague of mine and professor at the school to find your answer. I believe five days will be a sufficient amount of time for you to get an idea of what our school is like and to allow a concerted decision to be made. Please expect my colleague at 5:00 on Tuesday.  
  
Yours Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Leigh gaped at the letter unable to think of anything that might make this understandable in the least. She did not know many people who would play this type of trick and she could not think of anyone who would want to do something as silly as this. It was ridiculous to think that someone thought she was gullible enough to believe in this type of thing. But still something bothered her, perhaps the means of transportation of the letter, or perhaps that she didn't even get a glimmer of who the sender might be. 


	2. An Owl Bearing Books

She had decided that someone was just playing a good trick on her when she saw something go by outside the sliding glass door in front of her. She stood up and walked to the window and just as she approached a large package dropped to the deck and a large owl landed on the railing. She stared transfixed, trying to decide if she was hallucinating as the owl stared right back at her. She slowly unlatched the door and slid it opened all the while keeping a wary eye on the owl. It didn't move it just stared at her as she stepped slowly out the door and onto the deck. She looked down at the package at her feet then back up at the placid owl. In an instant she made a decision, she turned and stepped back inside picking up a piece of paper and pen and quickly scrawled a short note.  
  
Headmaster,  
  
I no more believe in witches and wizards than I believe in werewolves and goblins, they are only made up stories for children's enjoyment. Sorry to disappoint, it was quite an elaborate joke and I quite enjoyed it.  
  
Thank you, Leigh Intinn  
  
She quickly folded the piece of paper and stepped back outside where the owl waited patiently. 'No don't be silly owls aren't patient, owls just are', she thought quickly. She slowly approached the owl, expecting it to take flight at any moment.  
  
"Mind if I send a return letter?" she said sarcastically. The owl immediately stuck out its leg as if expecting the letter, her mouth dropped open, she didn't know much about owls but this did not seem to be normal behavior. 'It must be a well trained carrier owl', she surmised quickly. There was a bit of string around the owl's leg so she lightly tied the letter to it then stepped back.  
  
"There you go my friend, take that letter back to that crazy who sent you." She said before thinking 'I am talking to an owl, I'm as loony as he is'. She turned to walk back inside but noticed the package on the deck again. The owl still stood behind her on the railing as if waiting for her to pick up the package. She squatted down and looked the package over; it was rectangular and looked quite heavy. 'It look's, she thought, 'like two large books'.  
  
She reached out and touched the package lightly; she ran her hand along the edge and closed her eyes. The darkness behind her eyelids became lighter as she began to see a large office with many strange gadgets on tables and portraits of sleeping men and women on the walls. A man with a long silvery beard and hair sat behind the large desk. He wore long midnight blue robes with moons and stars scattered on them and a tall pointy hat to match on his head. He was writing with what appeared to be a quill, over his shoulder she could see a beautiful crimson bird on a perch. Then as suddenly as it had come, the image was gone.  
  
'That was unusual', she thought, 'it was as if someone was picking and choosing what I would see'. She was confused, which was not something that usually happened to her. She had seen him writing a letter but the picture just didn't fit. He had looked just like Merlin in the Arthurian Legends she had read, and he had been writing with a quill. And the office itself had been magnificent, with all of the gadgets whirring and spinning, what were they? Then there was that bird, with its beautiful crimson red feathers and the smattering of golden looking feathers it had been positively majestic, she had never seen anything like it before.  
  
How could someone make her see that, there was no way it could be faked, the sender had to be the Merlin looking guy with the fabulous bird and circular room full of sleeping portraits and whirring contraptions. To her knowledge her sight had never been tricked, nor could it be tricked, she saw the history of the objects she touched and this had to be its history, there was no other way.  
  
She realized suddenly that she was still squatting on her deck and that the owl was still behind her. She picked the package up quickly and stepped inside, as she turned to close the door she saw the owl spread its large wings and take flight silently.  
  
She quickly set the package on the table and took a seat in front of it; she took a sip of the tea and leaned forward to see the address. Again it was addressed to Leigh Intinn Knightly in bright green ink. She turned the package over, feeling its weight and tore it open where it was taped revealing two large books as she had guessed. She picked up the first and turned it over, it was a beautiful leather bound book with gold embossed lettering that read Hogwarts, A History. She laid this book on the table and picked up the other book which was just as beautifully made with the title A History of Magic embossed in silver.  
  
She stood thoroughly confused by the evening's strange events. Her life was relatively normal, aside from a few concealed differences between herself and the general population, things like this didn't happen to her. She was pacing the kitchen now trying to figure out if this could be true or if not who could be trying to play tricks on her. 'This will at least make the first few days of summer interesting,' she thought as she looked back at the books.  
  
She strode over to the table and picked up the one about the school, she would start with this one, if it was a real school she might find something she recognized in reading this book. She picked up her glass of tea and headed to the couch where she curled up and began reading. 


	3. The Odd Pair

Leigh awoke Tuesday to the morning sun slanting through her room. She rolled out of bed and headed for the shower, she planned on running some errands that she had been neglecting.  
  
She had spent three solid days reading those silly books. They had been very entertaining and after reading them she was convinced that they were nothing more than fiction that was well thought out. Perhaps someone was deluded that this was the way the world really was, two types of people, Muggles and magical folk. After all she had read other fantasy stories that had seemed so realistic that she would almost believe them. She had even considered sending them in to a publisher but had decided against it because that would be suspicious at best.  
  
She had also decided that the meeting this headmaster had promised was most definitely not going to take place. There was no way a professor from a school such as she had read about would show up on her doorstep requesting her help in teaching a bunch of underage witches and wizards. It made her smile just to think about it, she pictured the man in the tall pointy hat standing outside her door asking if she would pretty please come teach, it was absurd.  
  
She dressed in a pair of jeans that hit way below her belly button, the new low rise style, and a light pink tank top. She may have been a teacher, she always reasoned, but that didn't mean she had to dress like one all the time, at least not as long as she had the body of a 22 year old to show off.  
  
She headed out to the grocery store and got some things for the dinner she had planned to make. Then she headed out shopping, buying herself a few end of school presents and some books to read, now that she was done with the magical ones. She stopped by and picked up a movie from a rental place and then headed home again.  
  
Once at home with everything put away she watched a movie and generally loafed around until she got hungry. She decided now was as good a time as any to make her specialty, chicken and dumplings. She had considered doing it the old fashioned way, the way she had been taught, from scratch but when she thought of the time it took she quickly decided on the more modern way. What with all the mixes and ready made things on the market now you didn't have to know how to do anything in the kitchen but follow directions.  
  
She pulled the flour out of the cupboard then a can of biscuits out of the refrigerator. She sprinkled the counter with flour and began rolling out the biscuits, one at a time, each one she sprinkled with some flour and then cut into strips. She placed the first few biscuit dumplings into the water then went back to rolling the biscuits.  
  
As she sprinkled the next biscuit with flour she heard an extremely loud pop from the area of her back yard immediately followed by an identical pop. She jumped spraying herself with flour, cursing she tried in vain to brush the flour from her shirt with her equally flour covered hands.  
  
She walked around the cabinets to the dinning area brushing herself off, when she looked up she let a small screech escape her lips for standing right outside her sliding door were two very strange looking people. It was a man and a woman each wearing what could only be described as robes, odd yes but in this summer heat, incredibly strange.  
  
The woman wore square glasses and had her black hair pulled back into a very tight bun giving her face a distinctly stern look. Her lips were pursed and she looked noticeably tense but completely composed. The man on the other hand looked very sour indeed, his greasy black hair hanging into his ashen face. He looked the definition of frightening to Leigh.  
  
The odd pair stared through the opening where only a screen separated them from Leigh. She stood there eyeing the two strangers, sizing them up, figuring out what they were there for. When the thought occurred to her that she had forgotten about the promised visit from Hogwarts professors she paled. This could not be possible.  
  
Eventually the woman said in a voice as stern as her face, "May we come in, Miss Knightly?" 


	4. Introductions

"My name is Leigh," she said timidly, "Leigh Intinn. I do not go by that name anymore." She stated, more forcefully now.  
  
"I do apologize then, Miss Intinn may we come in?" she repeated patiently.  
  
Leigh looked from the stern but kind looking woman to the sour and frightening looking man. She focused on the woman momentarily and heard or felt in the back of her mind her patience and kindness, 'Dumbledore said she may be confused, she has never before known of our world, and she must be frightened. I do wish Dumbledore had allowed me to come alone, Severus is not helping the situation any looking so disagreeable.' Leigh gave the woman a small smile then turned towards the man, 'this is ridiculous,' she heard and felt loudly in her mind, 'this girl is just a child and she's a Muggle, how can he expect her to have anything to teach, the man is mad.'  
  
She did not like the man but could sense no danger although she didn't know why it mattered. She considered for a moment then whispered, "Alright." She moved towards the door and slid the screen open for them; the man stepped in first followed by the woman.  
  
The man appraised the little dining room and looked into the kitchen, as he did so the woman seemed to notice the kitchen also because she said, "Oh I do apologized for interrupting your meal, I was under the impression that Professor Dumbledore had arranged the meeting for this time." She sounded a bit worried.  
  
"Its alright I didn't really..well..I mean I..I didn't believe." She stuttered slowly eyeing the two again, closer they didn't seem as frightening, 'only two people, that's all,' she thought.  
  
"Yes well I am Professor McGonagall." The woman said, not dwelling on Leigh's previous statement. 'Dumbledore warned us that she may not believe, that is part of the reason we are here,' Leigh heard her remind herself.  
  
Then the man who was standing by the wall spoke, "I am Professor Snape." He said simply in a whispery voice. 'He certainly looks scary enough,' Leigh thought as she walked passed him and into the kitchen. She heard in the back of her head his sneering voice again, 'she isn't too quick, and she is much too young, the students will eat her alive.' She was stirring the dumplings and her eyebrows rose at this thought. This man didn't know a thing about hard to handle kids, no kid could be as troublesome as the upper class rich kids with nothing to lose that she regularly taught.  
  
"I hope ya'll don't mind if I cook while we talk." She said. "If you want I'm sure there will be enough for you both to have some." She added pleasantly.  
  
As quickly as she had said this she felt the man's anger flare, 'a Muggle and an American, this is outrageous, she is going to cause a stir everywhere with those clothes and that idiotic accent.' The woman looked slightly surprised and thought, 'well she is American, that should be a new perspective on things at Hogwarts.' Leigh was used to this sort of reaction, for as long as she had lived in England she had always maintained her accent and was generally disliked for this disgusting attribute.  
  
"I believe that we will be fine thank you, we just came to answer any questions that you might have and to ascertain whether or not you will consent to teaching at Hogwarts." McGonagall said.  
  
Leigh was quite enjoying herself now, "How am I supposed to know that this is all true, how do I know that it isn't some sort of elaborate hoax set up by one of those idiotic TV shows?" She said immediately riling the man, "Or perhaps you are a serial killer who toys with his victims before killing them." she said looking pointedly at Snape. "You certainly look the part in that silly black getup and greasy black hair." She taunted, looking Snape up and down warily. The tension in the room became palpable and it seemed that the room got immediately stuffy and oppressive.  
  
McGonagall's mouth nearly fell open as she thought, 'oh no this girl is poking him and he doesn't even want to be here, this is not going to end well.' Well now Leigh knew that McGonagall was a worrier, she kept going over and over what Snape might do.  
  
On the other hand Snape had turned an even paler shade of grey and had clenched his jaw with his teeth bared beneath his curled lips. 'Who does she think she is? This girl is positively infuriating she will be trouble,' he thought as she looked fixedly at him. She noticed him flick his eyes to meet hers and saw the deep black of utter darkness, their eyes locked and then suddenly she felt it, him in her head. It was not the feeling that she got when she heard someone's thoughts but completely different, it was as if he knew what she was feeling. Immediately she looked down at the flour on the counter and began rolling another biscuit out. 


	5. The Answer

The moment seemed to pass and the tension left the room like the deflation of a large balloon. They all seemed to forget the moment and move on.  
  
"Look," Leigh said quickly, "I don't see any reason to believe all of this trash, I mean, where are your magic wands and pointy hats?" She questioned trying to forget the feeling of vulnerability she suddenly had in front of the man.  
  
Professor McGonagall, happy to have a reprieve from worrying about Snape pulled her wand from her robes and held it up. "We do not all wear pointy hats like in story books but the magic must be done with a wand." She explained  
  
She then pointed the wand at a pen on the counter and, with a few quiet words; it was transformed into a plate. Leigh watched bemused at the sudden show of talent, the man stepped forward and touched his wand to the plate creating a wonderful meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn that smelled heavenly.  
  
"I hope it's as good as mammy made back in the trailer park." He sneered with a mock Southern accent.  
  
She smiled sweetly looking deep into his dark eyes, her mind as blank as she could make it and said, "Bite me." With the appropriate attitude that accompanies so pubescent a comeback.  
  
His eyes widened although he was quite amused, thinking, 'she is a child, the stupid girl is trying to make me angry, I can't believe this.'  
  
McGonagall silently looked on as the two of them stared at each other, Snape looking more and more irritated and sour and the girl looking ever calmer.  
  
Leigh was humming to herself, at least in her head, so that all he got was a gentle hum when he tried to get in. She couldn't believe the feeling of vulnerability knowing that he could get inside her head. Suddenly she felt almost guilty for her years of listening in on people's most private thoughts. Just as quickly though she forgot those feelings as she was afraid he might feel them. She continued to hum as she turned back to her cooking and began ladling dumplings out of the broth.  
  
"Miss Intinn, do you have any questions for us." Professor McGonagall finally said.  
  
"Well, yes actually I do." She said slowly, "Why would you want a plain old Muggle teaching your kids, an American Muggle at that?" she said looking pointedly at Snape again, "I mean what have I got to teach a bunch of underage witches and wizards? And not only that but how am I supposed to teach them considering your school is completely hidden from me? At least that's what that book said." She said returning her gaze to the relative safety of McGonagall's stern face.  
  
"Yes all valid questions. I am afraid that I do not know the answer to why other than that Professor Dumbledore thinks it will be a good idea." The woman said quickly, "He has however stretched some of the rules you speak of to allow you to teach, and I must warn you that there are many who do not agree with his decision. It is my opinion however that Dumbledore has never before been wrong and that he has his own reasons for inviting you to teach which I will not question." She said, and as she said it Leigh heard the veiled challenge towards Snape, she was stating her opinion for him not for Leigh.  
  
"Hmm well I do hope he doesn't get into trouble on account of me. I guarantee I'm not worth it." Leigh said again stirring the dumplings and not looking up.  
  
"You will not be the reason he gets into trouble, if ever he does." Came Snape's sneering whisper. Again a veiled threat this time towards McGonagall. 'Stupid woman, always following that man blindly, she should think for herself and realize the consequences if the Ministry were to find out about this, he will get himself into even more trouble than he knows,' he thought angrily. He was bitter but there was also worry in his thoughts, he worried about the man that he seemed to despise.  
  
Leigh was aware of the tension that had now grown between the two strange people. McGonagall pursed her lips and seemed reading to spit poison as she thought, 'he is insufferable, how does Dumbledore continue to trust him, he should know that this man is not to be trusted, one cannot just take back what he did.'  
  
Again Leigh raised an eyebrow at the dumplings, what could it be, what had Snape done that had been so terrible. She looked up from the dumplings at the two who both now looked extremely sour.  
  
She smiled warmly at both of them and asked, "What would I be teaching?"  
  
"Oh yes of course, I'm sorry I had forgotten you weren't told. You would be teaching Muggle studies, about the history of your world and also about the things that you are accustomed to but some of our students know nothing of." McGonagall said trying to bring herself back from her thoughts.  
  
"What sort of normal things? Like the fact that we don't run around in robes and pointy hats and send owls to pick up the mail?" Leigh asked smiling sweetly.  
  
"Well yes but some of the students know nothing of your forms of transportation and communication. They also do not know much of your entertainment or even of your education system or even your native country. I believe that the students stand to learn much from you in these areas." McGonagall said while thinking, 'at least they will learn more than they did under that old bat, thank goodness she left, imagine really completely covering a letter with stamps or a telephone as a weapon.'  
  
Leigh choked back a laugh and asked innocently, "And what happened to the previous professor?"  
  
"She decided to learn more about the Muggle world. It seems she was not as learned in the subject as was befitting a teacher." McGonagall said carefully.  
  
"Ok so if I say yes, then what? Do I just follow ya'll home or take the train from the book? I don't know that I could get onto the platform, the book said Muggle's can't get through." Leigh asked. As she asked this she felt the woman's spirits rise at the thought that she might say yes but from the man she felt no sensations, as if he was veiling himself as she had done.  
  
A little disconcerted by the idea that he could close himself off to her, or that he might know that she knew his thoughts she glared at him briefly before turning to the woman who was saying, "That will all be taken care of by the time you are ready to come, if you do agree. You will not be required to come until the end of July."  
  
"Ok then, I guess whatever ya'll have to do then do it. I think I would like an adventure, I haven't had one in quite some time." Leigh said smiling at the two of them.  
  
"Excellent," McGonagall said, "We will send you an owl about the further arrangements. I would like to be the first to welcome you to the staff of Hogwarts." She said stiffly with an equally stiff smile. 


	6. Secrets and Thoughts

AN: Thank you so much Crookykanks for the great review, you made my day. I am trying not to get bogged down on this like I have a tendency to do and reviews help so keep them coming.  
  
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The man suddenly moved swiftly towards the screen door, his robes billowing around him. At the door he turned and looked at Leigh appraisingly then said briskly, "Good day." Then quite suddenly and with a very loud pop, disappeared.  
  
Before he left Leigh had only caught a glimmer of his emotions and what she had felt was searing hot anger and what she thought was hatred, but who it had been directed at she was not sure. Her gut told her, however, that given his previous thoughts they were probably directed at her.  
  
McGonagall turned away from the spot where he had vanished from and, it seemed to Leigh, rolled her eyes. "I do apologize for him; he is not always so disagreeable. I do hope you know that not everyone at Hogwarts will be so...unpleasant." She said her voice stern but her words friendly. Leigh felt her worry and smiled to show that she understood.  
  
"Its alright, I've been getting it ever since I started working in this country. Nobody here seems to like us Americans." She said, laughing at herself softly.  
  
She felt McGonagall relax in front of her and then she gave Leigh a smile that was almost warm. "Well then if that is all I will be going. I do hope it won't frighten you if I also Disapparate. It is much quicker." She said, again all business.  
  
"Oh of course not, I think it is fascinating. Tell Mr. Dumbledore thank you for thinking of me and I look forward to meeting him. He seems an interesting character." Leigh said cheerily.  
  
"Of course, good day to you." Came her terse response, which was followed very quickly by a loud pop signaling McGonagall's disappearance.  
  
Leigh stared at the place from which the woman had disappeared for a long moment before turning back to the dumplings that she was making.  
  
She began to think about the strangeness of the situation. Why had this Dumbledore guy chosen her? Professor McGonagall had said that she did not know his reasons but trusted him. It seemed strange to Leigh that she should be chosen over so many more qualified people, both Muggle and Magical.  
  
She dwelled on this thought as she finished cooking the dumplings and was still thinking about it when they were finished. She just could not believe that her abilities, powers, gifts, whatever you chose to call them, were merely a coincidence. She had for years believed that there was a proper cause to them but she had yet to figure it out.  
  
Her intuition told her that the Headmaster knew about her abilities, but how? Perhaps he had similar abilities and he had sensed them in her. She had never met the man but maybe he had sensed her or something, at this point it didn't seem too far fetched.  
  
Then again perhaps her abilities made her a witch. But if she was a witch why had she not been told, she had not received a letter from any school as was described in the book she had read. She felt certain that there was a magical school in the States, there had to be. Maybe a witch's ability does not always manifest so early in life, perhaps she was a late bloomer.  
  
But that couldn't explain the other things, if she was a late bloomer she was almost 50 years late. She was old beyond her looks, best she could figure she had stopped aging in her early 20s and, in the 40ish years since then, nothing about her looks seemed to change, her hair and nails grew but she did not age. She had not been sick in years and cuts and scratches healed after a few hours. She was for lack of a better word, immortal.  
  
The visions that came with touch seemed to have started about the same time that she started hearing people's thoughts. Both started gradually, with mere flashes and building up to brightly colored scenes and very real sounds. Through the years people's thoughts became as clear to her as if they were talking; sometimes they were hard to distinguish from real vocalizations. She, at times, slipped up and responded to thoughts surprising people but she always laughed it off. She had been forced to move every few years so as not to raise suspicion about her agelessness. She was beginning to realize the complete loneliness of her life.  
  
"No." She said, startling herself from her reverie. She hated thinking about the past; it only brought tears and heartache. That was why she had changed her name; she could not hear herself called by his name anymore.  
  
"Your going nowhere with this." She told herself, again out loud. She stood from the table and put the food that she had made away, she had thought too much about the past today and needed to stop. She headed upstairs for a long hot bath to clear her head. 


	7. The Summer

A/N: I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. Writer's block and work conspired against any earlier updates. But now I think I might be updating with more frequency. I actually think I know where this story is headed so hopefully it will force its way out of me. Thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming they give me warm fuzzies.  
  
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Leigh's summer carried on much as it had in the past, she volunteered with various organizations and traveled across England. She had saved up quite a bit of money over the years and took short trips over the summer using some of her savings. She enjoyed being able to get out over the summer and see the country that she had come to love so much.  
  
Leigh had been hesitant to tell her school that she was not returning the next year; she enjoyed this school and was really going to regret having to leave it. Unfortunately she had almost outstayed her welcome there. She had worked there for five years and people were beginning to notice that she seemed the same as when she started there. It usually began happening about this time, she had never stayed in one place for more than seven years.  
  
They also had become suspicious about her lack of friends. She tended to avoid becoming close to the other teacher for fear of them finding out things. She found it was easier to be simple acquaintances than to become friends. She feared she might let something slip if she got too close to anyone.  
  
Towards the end of June she received another letter from Hogwarts, again delivered by owl. This one welcomed her as a new teacher and told her that someone would take her shopping in early July and to the train on the day she was to leave. They had worked out an arrangement and she and another teacher would be riding the Hogwarts Express to school with the students.  
  
Leigh felt excitement growing in her as she thought about this train that no Muggle had ever seen. She also grew very excited when she thought of the shopping that had been mentioned in Diagon Alley. She did not know where that was but felt sure it was another mysterious Magical place.  
  
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Leigh awoke to the sun in her eyes, the summer heat already becoming stifling. She lay there thinking about the day ahead of her, she was going shopping in Diagon Alley. This thought brought a smile to her face; this was going to be an exciting day. She didn't know who would be taking her shopping; she was hopeful it would be someone new from the school. She wanted so badly to meet more Magical people.  
  
She got herself ready quickly, putting on conservative black pants and a light blue blouse and pulling her hair back in an easy chignon. She was sitting around waiting for her escort when she suddenly heard a loud knock at the door. She walked quickly to the door, not knowing what to expect. When she opened the door she saw a very normal looking man dressed again in robes. He had bright red hair and his face was very red from the heat of the sun that stood directly overhead.  
  
"Miss Intinn?" He said somewhat timidly. "I am Arthur Weasley."  
  
"Please come in." She said smiling quickly. The man was very anxious and excited. He glanced around the house as he stepped inside and then turned his gaze back to her. "Please sit down Mr. Weasley, would you like something to drink?" She said kindly.  
  
"Oh no thank you, actually we best be on our way." He said staring transfixed at the television just visible from the small entrance.  
  
"Of course. I will get my bag." She turned and grabbed her purse then turned quickly back to him as a thought occurred to her. "Mr. Weasley, how am I too pay for the supplies I will buy today? I am under the impression that you do not use Muggle money."  
  
He tore his gaze away from the television and apologized, "Oh I'm so sorry, Dumbledore has sent along an advance of your wages that should be enough for all that is needed." With that he reached into his robes and pulled a small bag out that jingled with the sound of many coins.  
  
She rewarded his with a brilliant smile, "Thank you." She said sincerely as she placed the small bag into her purse. "Shall we then?" She stepped out the door and saw the car sitting on the road in front of her house.  
  
"We shall be using Muggle transportation to Diagon Alley." He said at her surprised look.  
  
The car was old but ran smoothly and the trip was mostly comprised of Mr. Weasley fighting the urge to berate his Muggle companion with questions and Leigh trying not to laugh at the questions that came to his mind. She liked him, he seemed very nice, he was certainly trying his best to be polite and not interrogate her.  
  
When they arrived in the middle of London, Mr. Weasley parked the car and led Leigh up the street to a place with a dark sign in front that said "The Leaky Cauldron."  
  
"Here we are." Mr. Weasley said as he held the door open for her. 


	8. The Leaky Cauldron

AN: Ok so here's the newest chapter, hope you enjoy. If anyone is out there reading, please review so that I know to keep writing.  
  
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She walked tentatively into the darkness and paused just inside the door allowing her eyes to adjust. The place was shabby and smelled strongly of dust and some sort of smoke. There were very few patrons, there was a group in the corner that consisted of a few very old and very ugly women who were drinking from large mugs, a man in shocking red robes smoking a pipe of some sort, and an incredibly large, hairy man talking to the bald bartender.  
  
Mr. Weasley entered just after her and led her towards the large man at the bar.  
  
Leigh heard the large man's deep laugh then Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and said, "Good afternoon Hagrid."  
  
The large man turned towards them and Leigh noticed that his black eyes glinted kindly out from the nest of hair that covered his face. They crinkled up when he looked at Mr. Weasley and then at her. "Hallo Arthur and you must be Miss Intinn. Pleased to meet ya." He said smiling all the while. Leigh would have thought him a lot like a really large Santa Claus if his hair had been white, he seemed so kind and jolly.  
  
"Miss Intinn, this is Rubeus Hagrid." Mr. Weasley said.  
  
Hagrid stood up and offered his large hand, for a moment Leigh stood stunned by the size of the man and the size of his hand, it looked larger than her head. She quickly recovered and managed to shake hands with him, noticing that her hand disappeared in his large one but that his grip was gentle. "Thank you, it's great to meet you Mr. Hagrid." She said smiling up at him.  
  
"Oh none o' that Mister hogwash, I'm just Hagrid to most." He said quickly and she noticed that he was a bit embarrassed at her label.  
  
Mr. Weasley again cleared his throat and interjected, "I must be going Miss Intinn but I do hope we meet again." He said offering his hand.  
  
Leigh took his hand and smiled at him, "Thank you so much Mr. Weasley. And please both of you, call me Leigh." She said looking back to Hagrid again.  
  
"Goodbye then Leigh." Mr. Weasley said and as he turned to leave Leigh got the distinct impression that he was congratulating himself on not asking her a single question about Muggles.  
  
She then turned back to Hagrid who had turned to pay the bartender, "Well Hagrid where to now?"  
  
He turned and looking down on her with his smiling eyes he said, "To Diagon Alley o' course."  
  
Hagrid turned and began walking toward the back of the bar and led her out into a walled courtyard that looked as if nobody had been there in years. Hagrid then reached into his large black coat and rummaged around for a bit before his hand emerged holding a pink umbrella. He seemed nervous to Leigh as he pointed the umbrella at the wall and counted bricks. After a moment he tapped the wall three times then took a step backward.  
  
He turned to Leigh and watched her as she watched the wall slowly begin to open up. Her eyes grew large as saucers and her mouth stood open as the wall began to transform before her eyes. It began as a small hole and ended in a large archway looking onto a quaint little street with shops all around, the opening was large enough for even Hagrid. She stared as he stepped through the archway onto a street that, not ten seconds ago, had not existed. 


End file.
