The Reckoning
Quinn didn’t speak for several days.
After Aunt Kendra took her final breath, Quinn reached into a hidden safe underneath her bed that held emergency magical devices that the Ilvermorny Headmaster had given Aunt Kendra. She used a Cloaking Can to hide the trailer from the eyes of the No-Maj police, who’s sirens rang through Quinn’s ears. She picked up what looked like a No-Maj pager and called in an SOS to the Magical Congress, who swiftly apparated to the scene.
She sat on the steps of the trailer, watching the No-Maj police walk by her with no clue she was sobbing two feet from them. She tucked her knees under her chin and started at the charred trailer park that once was her home. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, watching the No-Maj's pull out body after body, the officers scratching their heads, vomiting when they thought no one was looking. She watched the snake and skull in the sky. It looked like it was laughing at her. Taunting her. She closed her eyes until someone whispered something in her ear, lifting her up and gripping her elbow as they apparated.
They escorted her back to an empty Ilvermorny. Headmaster Dalton gave Quinn an awkward hug and sent her to his office, where Quinn had sat for several hours, going between sobbing and screaming.
They let her sleep in her empty dorm room, the beds of her roommates already collecting dust and her trunk sitting at the edge of her bed. She barely moved from bed, only getting up to go to the bathroom and to grab the food that appeared outside her door.
She never asked where she would go, mostly because she was afraid of the answer.
A week after, a Magical Officer came with a small Urn. Quinn slept with her Aunt's Urn like it was a stuffed animal, fogging the silver with her fast, hot breath.
A month after, Headmaster Dalton escorted her back to the trailer to sort her and Aunt Kendra’s things, not that there was much to begin with. She mindlessly packed everything in boxes that were magically whisked away.
When she and Headmaster Dalton returned to Illvermorny, a wizard with a long white beard and half-moon spectacles stood outside the gates. Quinn knew who he was from the first look, she had read several stories about him over the years, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
Headmaster Dalton, however, seemed extremely star-struck and nearly bowed to the Hogwarts Headmaster.
“Professor Dumbledore! What an honor,” Dalton choked out while aggressively shaking the man’s hand for an extended period of time.
“Good to see you, Phillip. How is our fine American counterpart?” Dumbledore peered down at the Ilvermorny Headmaster.
“Oh, just fine Albus. We were sorry to hear about the accident at the Triwizard Tournament. What a shame about that Diggory boy, according to the reports I read, he was an outstanding student!”
Dumbledore frowned slightly and looked back at the expansive grounds of Illvermorny. “Yes, it is quite a shame. Unfortunately it seems our worst fears have come true. Voldemort has returned.” Dalton raised his eyebrows at the name as Dumbledore turned towards Quinn, as if seeing her for the first time, “But I think you already knew that, Ms. Calloway.”
Quinn, quite frankly, didn’t give a damn about Albus Dumbledore. She still saw Aunt Kendra’s last smile before she went limp in her arms and the last thing she wanted to do was talk to some ancient gargoyle of a man who happened to know her name. So, she just stared right back at him and began to walk towards the school, passing Headmaster Dalton who looked utterly embarrassed.
She made her way into the foyer and started up the stairs when Dalton and Dumbledore entered the large oak doors. She was just about to reach the top of the stairs that led to her dormitory when Headmaster Dalton called after her.
“Quinn, would you come into my office, please?”
Quinn sighed and turned to the two men. “Is that rhetorical?” she asked dryly.
Dalton blushed while Dumbledore simply smiled. “Quinn, please.”
She rolled her eyes and made her way down the stairs and followed the Headmasters into Dalton’s office. Dalton sat behind his desk and Quinn plopped into a chair, slouching her shoulders up to her ears. Dumbledore stood next to Dalton’s desk. Dalton flicked a hand to pour some coffee for his guests.
“Do you have tea?” Dumbledore asked, “I have never quite understood the Americans’ love for coffee.”
Dalton nodded and flicked another hand to pour some hot water for Dumbledore, and a tea bag appeared at the snap of a finger. Dumbledore took a sip of his tea and smiled.
“I am sorry to hear about your Aunt, Ms. Calloway,” Dumbledore said, peering over at Quinn. “I hear she was a very eccentric and caring woman.”
“If you mean extremely weird and the best person I’ve ever known, then thank you,” Quinn mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked over at Dalton who looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat. Quinn looked between the two men. “Ok, what is going on?”
Dalton cleared his throat and leaned forward on his desk, “Professor Dumbledore was listed as your emergency contact,” he looked over at Dumbledore who was calmly sipping his tea, “as it turns out… you have Godparents in the United Kingdom who are willing to take you in.”
Quinn couldn’t help but let her jaw drop. Aunt Kendra had never told her much about her family. All she really knew was that her parents passed when she was an infant and was put in the care of Kendra, who was her mother’s sister. She didn’t even know her parents ever lived in the U.K. Quinn didn’t know what to say so she continued to stare at Headmaster Dalton. Dumbledore put his tea down and stepped forward.
“I assure you the Weasley’s are one of the best wizarding families I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. You are in good hands,” Dumbledore smiled, “And I am sure that you will soon consider Hogwarts your home.”
Quinn was dumbfounded. At another time she might have had to be dragged kicking and screaming, but she was exhausted. She hadn’t realized the emotional and physical toll the past few weeks had taken on her and the news of her new life seemed oddly mundane.
“When do I leave?”
***
Since it wasn’t safe to apparate to England together, Dumbledore and Quinn took a No-Maj airplane.
If she wasn’t so numb, the sight of the white-haired wizard trying to manage airport security might have been humorous. Especially when he gave a toddler who kept staring at him a flower he transfigured from a puke bag. But Quinn felt like she was not in control of her body anymore, her legs moved on their own accord and she sat in complete silence for the entirety of the flight.
Dumbledore, however, never seemed to get the hint that Quinn was not in the mood for a chat. He continued his musings on American No-Maj society and was completely entranced by the flight attendant call button. The flight attendants stopped coming after the Professor asked if they had any chocolate frogs.
When they finally arrived in London, Dumbledore stood outside the airport and stretched his limbs. “Those muggles are certainly creative in the ways they travel.”
“Mhm,” Quinn mumbled, watching the cars coming in and out of the airport. She watched tearful goodbyes and parents hugging their children and sighed. She wished Aunt Kendra was there with her. Quinn wished even more that she had told her more about herself and where she came from.
“It looks like Arthur is here,” Dumbledore chuckled, watching as a run-down blue car slowly made its way up to the odd pair. The cars around it laid on their horns, annoyed at the lack of motor skills of Arthur Weasley.
Mr. Weasley waved enthusiastically through the window as a redheaded teenage girl rolled her eyes in the passenger seat. He pulled his front tires onto the curb and hopped out of the car.
“Professor Dumbledore!” Mr. Weasley exclaimed, giving a quick handshake to the Headmaster before turning to Quinn, “and you must be Quinn Calloway. I’m sorry for the somber circumstances, but it is great to meet you. I have so many questions about American muggles-”
“Dad, give her a minute to breathe!” the teenager said as she climbed out of the car. She approached Quinn and gave her a big hug, “I’m Ginny!”
“I’m Quinn,” she mumbled, uncomfortable with the tight hug she was receiving against her will.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, causing Ginny to release her death grip. “Ms. Weasley, Ms. Calloway. I will see you in a few weeks,” Dumbledore smiled, turning to Quinn, “I hope you adjust well to your new home. Welcome to England.”
And with a blink, Professor Dumbledore was gone.
***
Arthur Weasley was a truly terrible driver.
His eyes kept roaming off the road and over to Quinn to ask her questions about American football and Disneyland. Ginny just kept going on and on about Hogwarts.
“...then there’s Slytherin. They’re kind of scary, honestly, and a lot of them are right foul gits but they’re not all bad, no matter what Harry says,” Ginny mused. That caught Quinn’s attention.
“Harry? You mean Harry Potter? You know him?” Quinn asked to which Ginny grinned.
“He’s a friend of the family. He and my brother Ron have been best friends since their first ride on the Hogwarts express,” Ginny rambled. “I do hope you’re in Gryffindor so we can be roommates. Not to mention we’re the best house.” Quinn nodded along absentmindedly as she continued, “It’s going to be so nice having another girl in the house, brothers are so annoying.”
“How many brothers do you have,” Quinn asked, wondering just how many Weasley’s she’d have to live with.
“Six, but only Ron, Fred and George still live at the Burrow. Bill and Charlie moved out a few years back and bloody Percy is an arse-”
“Ginny!” Arthur exclaimed, “don’t talk about your brother like that.”
“Dad, you can’t deny that he’s become a real arse ever since he got that job at the Ministry,” Ginny whined and turned back to face Quinn. “You get to take Percy’s old room, it felt so chartic to throw Percy’s old clothes out the window.”
Ginny winked at Quinn as Arthur groaned. Quinn gave her a small smile and watched the rolling hills pass.
***
“We’re here!”
Quinn jolted awake. She wiped her eyes to find Arthur opening the door she had just been leaning against. He smiled widely at her.
“Your old Headmaster had your trunk sent to the Burrow,” he reached out his hand to help her out of the car. Quinn grabbed her backpack and stepped out of the car. She looked up to see an oddly shaped house towering above them. She could smell freshly baked cookies wafting from the open kitchen window. Ginny linked her arm in Quinn’s and started walking towards the house. “Welcome home, Quinn,” the redheaded girl smiled. Quinn found herself smiling back.
As Quinn stepped into the Burrow she had the overwhelming feeling that this was the first real home she had ever been in. She had never stayed anywhere that felt so lived in and cozy. Smells of lavender and lemonade wafted into her nostrils as she watched a strange clock with two arrows with Ginny and Arthur’s picture pointing to HOME. She reminded herself not to get too comfortable. Quinn had never lived in one place for very long, she always had to be ready to move at a moment's notice.
She was ripped out of her thoughts when a plump woman came running in from the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley had the most genuine smile on her face as she took in the young woman standing in front of her. She wore a tan dress and an orange apron tied around her waist. She walked right up to Quinn and looked into her eyes. She gasped as her hand shot up to her mouth.
“You look just like Ana,” Mrs. Weasley whispered, her eyes beginning to water. She wrapped her arms around Quinn who was still stuck on what Mrs. Weasley had just said.
Ana.
It occurred to Quinn that she never knew her mother’s name. She had figured out in her first year at Ilvermorny that her Aunt had taken an Unbreakable Vow that prevented her from discussing her late sister or really anything about Quinn’s heritage.
Mrs. Weasley let go of a stift Quinn and grabbed her arms. “Oh sweetheart,” Mrs. Weasley sighed, “I am so sorry about Kendra. She was the loveliest woman.”
“You knew her?” Quinn blurted, feeling comfort in knowing someone else had known her Aunt.
“Of course dear, your mother and aunt lived next door to me growing up,” Mrs. Weasley smiled. “They were my best friends.”
Quinn felt her eyes prick with tears but she swallowed it. Stay composed. “Thank you again for taking me in, Mrs. Weasley.”
Mrs. Weasley batted her arms, “Nonsense, call me Molly. And it is my pleasure. You are my goddaughter,” she grabbed Quinn’s arm and dragged her into the overflowing kitchen. “I made you some food, you must be starving!”
Before Quinn could answer, several pairs of feet bounded down the stairs.
“I’m telling you George, they call them No-Maj’s, not muggles!”
“Hermione, I really don’t care.”
“You reckon she’s gonna be in Slytherin? She was a Horned Serpent at her old school-”
“Ronald, I told you they aren’t equivalent!”
“Blimey, Hermione, do you always have to be such a know-it-all?”
“Well since you don’t know anything, someone has to step up!”
“Thank you, Fred”
“Anytime, ‘Mione”
“Will you all shut it-”
The group came down the stairs and froze, seeing Arthur, Molly, Ginny and Quinn staring at them. One of the tall redheads leaned over to an identical boy.
“You reckon they heard us, Fred?”
The twin nodded, “I think so, Georgie.”
A brunette girl burst through the boys and nearly tackled Quinn in a hug. As soon as she did, the brunette ripped herself back, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have attacked you like that, it’s just nice to have another girl around,” the girl sent an annoyed look to the group of boys behind her. “I’m Hermione!”
“Quinn,” she half-heartedly smiled. She couldn’t remember ever being hugged so many times in one day. Hermione turned and pointed to the boys.
“The twins are Fred and George, that’s Ron and, well, I’m sure you’ve heard of Harry Potter.”
Quinn turned to see Harry Potter himself. She couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. What would the girls at Illvermorny say if they knew she was living under the same roof as Harry fucking Potter? She snapped out of it.
“Sorry,” Quinn mumbled, “a lot of girls have posters of you on their wall… it’s weird seeing you in real life.”
Ron turned to Harry in shock. “You hear that Harry?! Girls are wanking off to your picture!”
Molly smacked Ron over the head with a newspaper as Harry turned completely red. “Oi,” Ron shrieked, “what’d you do that for!”
“This girl just lost her aunt and moved halfway across the world in a matter of weeks, don’t be so daft!”
Ron mumbled an apology but Molly’s words hit Quinn like a ton of bricks.
Now that she was actually here, standing in a kitchen with a bunch of strangers with foreign accents, a wave of anxiety sliced through her. She didn’t hear anything the Weasley’s said as they continued to bicker. Suddenly, Harry was standing in front of her. His face was still red from Ron’s comment but he smiled softly at Quinn.
“I’m sorry about your aunt,” Harry whispered. Even if Quinn hadn’t known his history from the papers, she could tell that he carried the same pain that she did.
“Thank you,” Quinn said softly, looking down at her shoes.
“‘Mione, Ginny, why don’t you show Quinn her room, I’m sure she needs to unpack,” Harry said to the two girls behind them. Hermione and Ginny nodded, Ginny grabbed her hand and led her past Ron, who was getting a long-winded lecture from Molly. Molly turned her attention back to Quinn.
Before Molly could protest, Ginny stepped in, “she just needs to rest, Mum.”
Molly nodded, “if you need anything dear, I’ll be down here.”
Quinn allowed Ginny and Hermione to drag her up the winding staircase. She stopped on the third landing and they came to a door that had PERCY written in perfect penmanship on the door. A small sign that read WELCOME QUINN! was taped over the door.
“Fred and George are across the hall, and ‘Mione and I are just one flight up,” Ginny said as she opened the door. The room was small but a large window overlooked a makeshift quidditch pitch and rolling hills. Quinn’s trunks were tucked neatly under the bed and a stack of used books were sitting on her desk, along with a piece of parchment. “Your Hogwarts letter came last week, Percy still had his books from fifth year so we left them on the desk for you,” Ginny continued as Quinn stepped into the room.
“We’re going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get your robes and such,” Hermione said at the doorway. “Let us know if you need anything.”
They closed the door softly and Quinn waited until she heard their feet reach the bottom of the stairs to cry.