Acceptance
Y/N sat at her desk and read to herself, listening to the animals that surrounded the island. It was around 2pm and had been a quite peaceful day for her. Though, she knew very well this would change after her meeting with her parents.
"Miss. L/N!" One of the caretakers called from downstairs before walking up and into her room. Her room lacked a door, so it became a habit for them to call out to her before walking up the stairs as a way of knocking. They also give plenty of time for her to respond in case shes ever busy or wishes to be undisturbed.
Y/N looked back over her shoulder at the caretaker, who was hunched over and resting her hands on her knees. "Is everything alright?" She stood up from her chair and walked over to the caretaker, holding her upright and ensuring she was simply out of breath rather than injured.
"I'm fine, dear." She took a second to catch her breath before stepping out of the way of the staircase and gesturing downstairs with one of her hands, "you have a visitor."
Y/N raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to the top of the stairs and looking down. Sure enough, she spotted the shoes of a figure that certainly didn't beling to anyone on the island. She got halfway down the steps before properly recognizing the person and stopping dead in her tracks, "Mr. Lestrange."
She gave the warmest smile she could muster - given she was beyond confused to see a Ministry worker - and made her way down the rest of the stairs. "Is there something wrong?"
He greeted her by bowing his head slightly, a stern expression on his face. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble, though I do come bearing news." He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope, "I was asked to give this to you on the Ministry's behalf. Happy early birthday, my dear."
Y/N walked closer to him and accepted the envelope, immediately focusing on the wax seal that held it shut - a crest with the letter 'H' printed over it - the Hogwarts seal. She carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the sheets of paper, taking a few seconds to read a small amout of the letter before fully reading it aloud:
"Dear Ms. L/N,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore,
Deputy Headmaster"
She folded up the sheets up paper and tucked them back into the envelope, "I can't say I'm surprised the letter arrived. Though, I don't recall Ministry workers having to be the ones that deliver them."
He let out a raspy chuckle, though it seemed to have no real emotion behind it. "Owls aren't supposed to fly here and there are only two people at Hogwarts with clearance to visit, but both happen to be busy." He straightened himself up and folded his hands behind his back, holding his chin up with more pride than she thought a single person could possibly have, "I was requested to bring this to you on behalf of the school, both as a Misitry worker and as a close friend of your family."
Y/N nodded her head and smiled, "Well, I certainly appreciate the sentiment. Thank you kindly for coming all this way." She turned to the caretaker, "Could you retrieve a quill and envelope from upstairs so I can sign this? They should be on my desk."
The caretaker nodded and rushed upstairs, "You're quick to get this over with, aren't you?" Mr. Lestrange placed a hand to her shoulder, "I certainly hope you know you have time, there's no rush to send confirmation."
"I'm aware." She greatfully accepted the quill and envelope from the caretaker and smiles, "though I'd prefer to have this completed so it can be delivered when either you or one of the caretakers leaves." She reopened the Hogwarts envelope and took out the letter, "Besides, if I don't do it now, there's no saying I'll remember to sign it after speaking with my parents."
She signs the bottom of the letter and refolded it, placing it in the blank envelope she was given and carefully closing it. "I dont suppose you have a seal on you currently?"
Mr. Lestrange smiled and holds his hand out infront of the envelope. "Don't worry, my dear, I can seal it and send it of the moment I return to the mainland." He took the envelope and set it back in the pocket the previous letter resided in. "Though I was hoping I could be there to share the news with your family."
"Really?!- apologies." She cleared her throat and gave a fake cough while toning down her excitement, "I'm actually planning on seeing them soon, but we could go now if you prefer. I don't think my parents would complain if I were to see them a little earlier."
"You never know. Xavier always was a stickler for puncuality." He holds out his arm for her, sporting the first genuine smile he's had the entire time they've spoken so far...though it's a very small one.
"We still shouldn't keep them waiting." She took his arm and walked alongside him as he escorted the two of them out if the small shack they were currently in.
It wasn't until they were out of hearing range if any kind that he began to speak, "can't believe they'd have you live in a place like that, the absolute disrespect!"
Y/N listened to him speak, she knew Lestrange and his family didn't think it fair for her to be living on the island just because of her family. She also knew, however, that his family didn't have a say in the matter either, meaning it truly didn't matter what they thought.
"What made them think it appropriate to place you in a filthy little shack like that one?!" He scowled a little before clearing his throat and taking a deep breath in and out. "I assure you, I'll speak to the Ministry about this. There's no reason for you to stay here now that you'll be attending Hogwarts."
Y/N smiled and kept her eyes forward as they walked past the two dementors guarding the prison entrance. "I appreciate the gesture, but we both know nothing will change. In the end, I'll still have to return to the island during those longer breaks."
He scoffed and stopped walking to hand over his wand. "It's utterly ridiculous they treat you as an Undesirable." He gave up his wand and nodded before continuing to was, "They can't fault you for something your family did! They acted on the will all of us believed...but to do it so publicly was completely shameful!"
And there it was. Y/N knew he and other purebloods took pride in their status and weren't afraid to admit they disliked muggles. However, her family acts upon that hatred with violence, something none of the other families dare to do because they don't want to risk ruining their image.
There weren't many families who had been caught of ever harming muggles. The obvious being the dark wizard Ekrizdis, who created this hell is the first place to torture and kill muggles. The other being the Gaunt Family - the descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself, though they were arrensted for harming Ministry workers, not muggles.
The two finally made their way through the narrow hallway leading to her parents' cells. It took longer that she had hopped to actually past all those stupid levels. And, as expected, no dementor or real person in sight for this hallway...again.
"Lestrange? What a pleasant surprise." Xavier bowed his head and smiled before stepping back and away from his cell door. "What brings you here on a day like this?"
"Oh, please tell me you have good news!" Kaitlyn jumped up and down, her hair moving with her. "It's been far too long since we've been told anything good as of late."
Y/N cleared her throat, "Mother, Father...I just recieved my acceptance letter from Hogwarts." she looked back and forth between their two cells, a perfect smile forced onto her face. "Mr. Lestrange wished to be by my side when I told you."
Kaitlyn clapped her hands together quickly and jumped up and down again. It was heavily similar to a little kid. Her father, however, was more calm, only having a smile on his face.
"Well done my dear, though that's of no surprise...you showed signs of magic at a very young age." Xavier looked to Lestrange, "were you the one to deliver the letter? I could've sworn only owls and Hogwarts faculty did such a thing."
Mr. Lestrange nodded his head, "yes, none of the available faculty are allowed to visit the island, so they called upon me to deliver it instead." He looked to Kaitlyn, who had calmed down from her moment of joy, "I do hope this was the good news you so desperately needed, Kaitlyn."
"Oh, it very much was. I remember the day I started attending Ilvermorny," she let out a high pitched and dragged out sigh, "it was such a beautiful place."
Xavier clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, "Yes, Kaitlyn tends to forget she attended a lesser school to Hogwarts...nonetheless, that is indeed marvelous news." He looked to his daughter, "I'm very pleased to know we'll have yet another powerful wizard in our family."
"Of course, with your daughter's drive, she's bound to a stong Slytherin.." Lestrange place a hand on her back and pondered for a second, letting out a quiet 'hmm', "Though, I do suppose she has the intelligence and work ethic to fit right in with Ravenclaw."
She refused to show how happy at the realization she might not end up in Slytherin. Not because it was her family's house - it's roughly an even divide between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, actually - but because it means she won't be trapped with the other future first year purebloods she knows for a fact will end up in the cursed house. Not to mention the people already in House Slytherin, Abraxas and a few members of the Black Family almost instantly sticking out in her mind.
Instead, she gave the smallest nod to show she at least acknowledged the elder's comment, "I promise I'll do my best to live up to our family name in whicher house I end up in. I heard our family has developed a reputation at Hogwarts." And in real life.
"Indeed we have. I was prefect and head boy, as were your grandparents...and every member of our family before them" Xavier held his head in pride at that. "Let's not forget we've all been masters with our wands, always excelling in every magic class there was."
She took a moment to appreciate the sight of her father reminiscing, knowing the facade would vanish the moment Lestrange walked away.
Kaitlyn gently shook her cell door in order to shut her husband up from the sudden noise. Her voice started off raised, though not quite yelling, and progessively got quiter and calmer as she continued, "Can't you see we're preventing our friend from doing his job, darling?"
"It's not an issue at all, dear Kaitlyn." Lestrange laughed and looked to Xavier, "It's always an honor to hear Xavier talk of his time at Hogwarts. I wish I was fortunate enough to have been just a few years older so I could've witnessed all of it myself."
That was something that always bugged her about her parents. They always managed to look younger and more put together, no matter the situation. Despite Lestrange being two years younger that her father, he looked far older than him. It was unnerving that Xavier looked as young and well-kept as he did, especially after spending over a decade rotting away in a cell.
"Oh, please, I couldn't possibly keep you. This is no place for a wizard such as yourself." Xavier looked his friend up and down woth his eyes, as is analyzing his every move. "Besides, I think we'd both like a moment with our daughter." His voice was less kind, the mask slipping ever so slightly.
Kaitlyn cleared her throat and held her hand out through the cell. "It was lovely seeing you again. I do wish you come by again soon."
"Always a pleasure, dear Kaitlyn." He too her hand and placed a kiss to it, before bowing his head down at her. "Though, with your daughter no longer on the island as often, I cant say I'll be able to visit much. "
Kaitlyn let out a satisfied hum before pulling her hand back into her cell.
"Thank you, again, for making the trip here. I do hope I can see your family again soon."
He turned to look at the young witch and smiled, "Of course, you're always welcome to visit. I know my son misses you dearly." He gives one last goodbye to the three of them before turning and walking away.
Xavier waited till the echo of steps could no longer be heard before speaking, "Y/N..."
She tensed up at the slightest irritation in her father's voice and carefully turned towards his cell. "Yes, father?"
"Listen here, you little brat." He got closer to his cell door and glared at her, "I haven't spent almost twelve years in this damn cell listening to your brain dead mother for you to become a subpar student."
"Of course not father I-"
"Scilence!" She felt a gentle tug guiding her towards her cell and braced herself to whatever would happen.
"You're going to excell in all of your classes," Xavier stepped closer to his cell door. "You're going to become prefect for whatever unless house you're in," he reached through the door and grabbed her wrists. "You're going to because head girl for that same useless house," he pulled her closer to him and held her wrists against the metal.
She felt a burning feeling in her arms and felt the heat radiate off the metal. She could only assume they were just recently enchanted, they weren't capable of burning her when she visited them two weeks prior.
"And you're going to keep up that image of perfect student!" He pressed her arms further into the metal, his gave devoid of any kind of empathy or care.
She nodded her head and looked at her arms, watching as they grew more and more red. "Yes father.".
"I swear to Merlin if I find out you slipped up in even the slightest way. I will find a way out of this wretched cell, hunt you down, and deal with you myself!" He pushed her arms further into the metal bars, speaking in a tone she never realized he was even capable of, "Do I make myself clear?"
She did her best to keep a neutral expression, though it grew more and more difficult with each passing second of her arms slowly burning right before her very eyes. She hoped to seem confident and certain, but her voice ended up nothing more that a whisper, "crystal."
Xavier smiled and let go of her, taking a few steps backward and brushing himself off, "Splendid! I don't believe I have anything to teach you today, do you dear?"
Kaitlyn thought for a second, "could you come closer dear?"
She stepped towards her mother, not feeling the same heat radiate from the door. So I was right to assume father did something to the metal...
Her mother grabbed on of her burned wrists and pulled her closer. She couldn't stop the hiss she let out from the pain.
"Your posture and manners are simply awful. If you go to Hogwarts acting the way you do, you'll make a fool of us." She kept a firm grip on her daughter's wrist as she kept reaching through the cell and tapping her with her free hand, making a comment each time.
A tap on the shoulder, "keep your shoulders back." A tap to the stomach, "straighten up and engage your core." A tap to the chin "lift your chin up high, with pride." And so on.
Once Kaitlyn was satisfied with the posture lesson, and constantly irritating the burned arms, she let go of her daughter with a satisfied look on her face. "There. Doesn't she look much better, dear?"
Xavier let out nothing more than an acknowledging hum and waved his daughter off. She stepped back so she could see both of her parents and forced a practiced smile. "Thank you, for another helpful lesson." She gave a curtsy, listening to a please hum come from her mother, and walked through the hall.
She will never admit that she walked just a tad bit faster than she normally would as she made her way down those stairs.
She gave them both a curtsy and bowed her head before turning around and walking away at a faster pace than she normally would.