Prologue
It was in the early hours of the morning that a strange-looking elder man emerged from the mist in the mountains of Matabeleland carrying a child, accompanied by a stiff-looking cat and a hairy, rugged giant of a man. Moonlight reflected from his half-moon glasses and his cloak floated in the wind like a deep-purple shadow.
They hiked through the untamed landscape in a drowning silence, stopping only once they had reached a cliffside, where a dimly lit tent came into view. Looking around quite cautiously the cat glanced at the old man, who nodded in return. Seeming to relax a little, her shoulders untensed and she began to transform. Gradually, she grew taller; slimmer. She began to stand upright and soon took the form of a rather severe-looking woman.
“Are you sure this is the right idea?” she hissed. “Wouldn’t it be better if we brought him to live here as well? Then they would be able to grow up together. Why must we separate them? The boy will likely grow up believing he has no sister!”
“It is safest this way,” the old man replied with a sigh, shaking his head. “She will be a target to all those who know of the prophecy and will put the boy in more danger than he is already.”
“Then why not put him with kinder guardians? When he finds out about her and her life how do you think he will react? With jealousy?” McGonagall shifted slightly as she spoke and primly adjusted her cloak to hide the fact. “Surely you must have considered this possibility Professor Dumbledore.”
“Perhaps,” Dumbledore admitted with a soft shrug. “You may be right Professor McGonagall. But it is what is best for him. And what is best for her. She will not have an easy life, and she will go through it alone. The least we can do is give her a few happy memories to hold onto.”
“s’cuse me Professor Dumbledore, sir,” the giant man hesitantly interjected, fidgeting with his thumbs and turning his gaze away from the Professor. “But I was jus wonderin what part of the prophecy yer were referring ter. I ain’t hear nothing except about young Harry defeating You-Know-Who and little Astrid survivin cause of it.”
“I’m afraid I cannot reveal much more Hagrid, only that she has the ability to either save our future or destroy it.” Taking the baby girl and placing her in the basket he took out from under his cloak, he used the returned silence to expertly switch the subject. “Now I believe it is time for us to say our goodbyes to our young friend.”
One by one, each member of the party bent down to the baby girl to say their goodbyes. Hagrid went first, his rosy face wet and his eyes bloodshot as he bid the girl a teary farewell, giving her a whiskery kiss before he left.
Afterwards came McGonagall, who for all her stiffness seemed to almost break character with her small smile and glassy eyes. It did not last for long though, as once she stood up and straightened her back, her stern demeanour had returned to her and she promptly walked away, the only indicator of her concern being a slight frown. However, those who did not know her well would consider this her natural state.
Finally, was Dumbledore, who walked slowly to the basket with his wand pointed directly at its handle. “Goodbye Astrid Potter,” he said before the basket floated up from the ground and towards the tent at the bottom of the cliff. “I wish you luck.”