Talk with Professor

I was brought out of my reverie by a not so gentle nudge from Matron Mary, who currently wore a serious expression and looked particularly upset. I suddenly realized my predicament.

I had been staring longer than necessary, and judging by the way Professor McGonagall looked even sterner, I would say I'd lost a few years of my life here…

Thinking of a way to get out of this predicament, I quickly bowed in apology and said, "Sorry for my behavior, ma'am. When I received the letter about wizardry, I thought someone was playing a prank on me, but seeing you here and connecting all the strange things that have happened in my life, I was simply stunned and started overthinking things."

Hearing my apology, both women relaxed a little, though Professor McGonagall still looked somewhat stern. As for Matron Mary, she seemed unconvinced. She had raised me for ten years, so of course, she would know if I was lying.

"What do you mean by strange things, Simon?" Matron Mary asked.

"Well, once when I was angry at my drama teacher, all her hair suddenly fell out..." I said remembering the teacher that didn't give me the main role. "Another time, I slipped on the stairs, and then they somehow turned soft and bouncy" I said.

She looked at me skeptically, as if she didn't believe me, so I sighed and paused, deciding whether or not it was wise to reveal more. Finally, I said, "And because of this."

As I spoke, my hair color changed from white to red.

This not only stunned Mary but also the usually stoic McGonagall.

Before Mary could speak, McGonagall, wide-eyed, said, "You're a Metamorphmagus! For centuries, there hasn't been a Metamorphmagus, and now there are two at the same time."

Yes, I knew. The other one is probably Tonks. And while I know I should keep my abilities a secret, I figured it would be more of a hassle to hide my ability entirely, I am just going to hide the other things I could do with that ability. Besides, it might save me from future headaches of having to explain myself.

"Um, if it's such a big deal, could you please not tell anyone else?" I requested, to which she nodded and said, "I understand. I won't tell anyone."

Hearing that, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders—a burden I hadn't even realized I was carrying. But before I could relax, I was pulled into a confrontation with Mary, who was still processing all the information and had become a stuttering mess.

"What?!... How?… Why?!" Seeing her condition, Professor McGonagall took out her wand, aimed it at Mary, and cast a blue-colored spell, which started to calm her down.

Seeing her cast a spell on Mary, I instinctively jumped in front of her to protect her from further harm.

Seeing me in a guarded position, McGonagall gave a wary smile and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Riley; I didn't hurt her. I just cast a calming spell."

Her explanation put me a bit more at ease, though I still remained slightly guarded.

After calming down, Mary turned to me and asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was strange, and I didn't know how to explain it to you. I… I was afraid you might abandon me or something," I replied, and she looked aghast. She suddenly stood, came over, and hugged me tightly.

"You silly boy, you shouldn't hide things from your mother." Hearing her say that put me at ease.

"And you'll be grounded for even thinking I'd abandon you." Ah, what did I expect?

"Ahem!"

Oh, right—we had a third person in the room…

"Normally, I wouldn't interrupt a family reunion, but I'm pressed for time, so I'll have to ask you to please listen to my offer," Professor McGonagall said.

We returned to the topic at hand, wearing slightly awkward smiles.

"My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I'm a professor at Hogwarts. I teach Transfiguration. I'm here to discuss Mr. Riley's status as a wizard. Normally, I would demonstrate a spell to convince a guardian of magic's existence, but given the current circumstances, I believe that won't be necessary," she said, receiving a nod of agreement from us.

"Is Hogwarts the only magic school? And what would happen if the child chooses to follow non-magical studies instead?" Mary asked.

"Well, there are ten other magic schools besides Hogwarts, but they are located in different parts of the world, and there's little to no interaction between them. Students are chosen based on the region they live in. For instance, if you were in France, you would receive a letter from Beauxbatons, which is another school. Since you're here, you received an invitation from Hogwarts," she explained calmly.

"As for your second question, yes, a child can choose not to attend Hogwarts, but I wouldn't recommend it. In that case, both of your memories of magic would be wiped, and the child's magic would be sealed, according to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy," she added, frowning.

Hearing that, Mary's face turned pale. Wizards can wipe out memories!? Without the calming spell, she might have fainted on the spot.

After a few seconds of silence, Mary turned to me and said, "It's your choice, son; do whatever you think is best."

I gave her a nod, then turned to the professor and said, "It would be my honor to attend Hogwarts, Professor."

"Great. Now, we just need to buy your school supplies at Diagon Alley. I have other appointments today, so we'll schedule that for another day if it's okay with you," she said. We both affirmed that it was fine.

"Before I forget, I also need to discuss a sensitive matter regarding Mr. Riley," Professor McGonagall said, turning to Mary.

Mary nodded and then asked me, "Simon, could you wait outside, please?"

I nodded and stepped outside. But, once I closed the door, I heightened my hearing to eavesdrop. I know it's not polite, but it was a conversation about me, so I figured it was fine.

What I heard wasn't especially significant, at least to me. Professor McGonagall asked whether Mary knew anything about my parents, and Mary explained that I had been brought here by the police after they found me abandoned on the street. They hadn't been able to find any family who claimed me. After that, they discussed a small ritual at Gringotts to determine if I had any inheritance to claim from my parents.

It wasn't important to me because, well, I hadn't been born here; I was teleported here. I'd actually be surprised if I had parents in this world.

After the talk proffesor took her exit by a dramatically loud pop sound and blinked out of existence by apparition.

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