The Gift of a World

[minerva rose mcgonagall]

Minerva entered the Three Broomsticks and quickly chose a quiet table in the back corner. She nodded amicably at a few of the tavern regulars. She was familiar with many of the Hogsmeade residents – and no wonder, as she had lived at Hogwarts in some capacity since the age of eleven. Even when you subtracted the summers, which she nearly always spent at home in Orkney, Minerva supposed she had spent enough time in the are, and in this particular pub, to be a regular herself.

She ordered a Gillywater and a slice of pumpkin bread from the passing waitress, who Minerva recognized as a Hufflepuff who had graduated just weeks ago. The girl was particularly sensitive and emotional, and she had never managed to get over the trauma of the last year of war. Hogwarts for her could not be purged of the Carrows, the Cruciatus, and the bodies of the dead lined up in the Great Hall. She had had several emotional breakdowns in the two years since, and Minerva had been both surprised and supremely relieved that she had made it to graduation. The girl looked happier now. Minerva watched her cheerfully greet a middle-aged couple in a booth with satisfaction. It was a relief to see the wounds of war begin to heal.

She took the papers she had prepared for Samson out of the pockets of her cloak. She had selected the names of three children for him to choose from, although she hoped he would volunteer to visit more than one of them. If he took all three, she could even manage to give Filius time off to see his nieces and nephews this summer, a luxury they hadn’t been able to afford since the war ended. She was hopeful – Samson had sounded quite enthusiastic in his letter.

Poppy had assured her that any Muggleborn would be delighted to be asked to help with this particular job, as they would all remember the joy and wonder they had felt when they received their own letters. Minerva was not as optimistic. After all, the receipt of a Hogwarts letter opened a new world to Muggleborn children, but it also closed an old world. New opportunities and gifts cannot always replace the lost dreams of childhood, and Muggleborns had to leave behind their families, friends, and every aspiration they had had for their Muggle futures when they accepted their Hogwarts letters. Under these circumstances, Minerva suspected that not every Muggleborn looked back on the memory of receiving their first Hogwarts letter with delight.

Samson Hall, however, had exhibited delight and fascination with every aspect of the Wizarding World, and his dedication to learning everything he could about magic had made him a valued and respected member of Ravenclaw House. When Filius had recommended him to Minerva for this task, she could not believe she had not already thought of him. He would be perfect to represent the school, if he decided to do it.

The door to the Three Broomsticks jingled, and Minerva looked up to see him approaching.

“Mr. Hall.” She called. “Would you like something to drink?”

word count: 530
tags: Samson

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[samson alexander hall]

It was still half an hour until lunch. Who knew that time could go by so slowing when one was so anxious? Samson was not one who was usually impatient for things to happen; on the whole he was actually a rather calm and collected individual who rarely became overexcited about anything. The young man couldn’t even really pinpoint why he was so eager; it was just lunch with a professor who he hadn’t even seen in two years, after all. A lunch in which he would learn how he could introduce other muggleborns to wizarding society. Yes, he was most certainly excited about that. Still, he was glad that it was Professor McGonagall that he was meeting—she had been one of his favorite professors at Hogwarts and he had always looked up to her. In fact, he could see a lot of her in himself; they both valued education and doing things right the first time; order and fairness were things that they both held in high regard. He had to admit that it was her teaching that made Samson consider becoming a Hogwarts professor himself. It was still something he was considering, though he hadn’t been thinking about it much, what with his thoughts being occupied by his classes at Cambridge as of late.

Perhaps it would be something they could discuss over lunch. When lunch finally came, that is. Sliding his pocket watch back into his pant pocket, Samson glanced sideways at the window he was passing, glancing at his reflection and feeling a bit of relief in the fact that his outfit did seem to look appropriate for the occasion. He had on a well cut white button up, lightweight dark brown slacks; overall, he thought he looked mature and put together. The stifling heat hadn’t managed to make him completely sweat soaked either, so that was a plus. Walking along the streets of muggle London, Samson reminded himself to keep his wand in his pocket—it was odd having it on hand; when he was at home at Cambridge he tended to keep his wand in the house, never taking it with him when he was going to classes or spending time with his muggle friends. He had been wandering around for at least an hour now, looking in shops and waiting for lunch it to finally be time for lunch. His thoughts wandered as his feet did, as he thought about the task ahead of him. Would it be nerve-wracking, having the responsibility of showing this amazing world to children? He was basically making their dreams come true. While pulling them away from the world they’d known all their lives. Nevertheless, he felt more excited than nervous.

Finally, it was time. Pushing though the door into the Leaky Cauldron about five minutes before noon, Samson was pleased to find Professor McGonagall waiting for him. Of course she would be early. Smiling a small, reserved smile, he moved toward the table and took a seat, not paying much attention to the people around him. “Hello Professor! You look well.” He glanced up at the waitress, who had heard Minerva call out and had come over to take his order. He didn’t recognize her but her sweet smile made him smile back. He was in a rather good mood, after all. “Just a Gillywater and… the Cornish pasties, please.” Trying to contain his enthusiasm, Samson turned to his former professor as the waitress walked away. “I truly am honored to be doing this, Professor McGonagall. I can’t wait to hear more about it.”

word count:: 598
tags:: Prof. McGonagall
muse:: good c: … loveee Samson <3
notes:: sorry this took me so damn long. I’ll try to keep up from now on.

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[minerva rose mcgonagall]

Minerva smiled. It was nice to hear such enthusiasm from a student. Even two years after the war had ended, all too many people in the Wizarding World were wary and nervous, haunted by the events of the war, prevented from returning to normalcy by the jarring signs of construction in the Ministry, Diagon Alley, and even Hogwarts. At least now all the rebuilding left to be done could be done quietly, without further impeding ordinary life.


At Hogwarts, something still had to be done about the Chamber of Secrets, for as far as Minerva knew, no one had ever investigated whether the roof caving in nearly ten years ago had created any structural instability, and the passages out of the school were a problem as well. The Weasley twins had revealed the tunnels to Merlin knows how many people when they blockaded them during the final battle, so they would all have to be closed down permanently. Hogwarts must remain a sanctuary. Minerva supposed Ariana’s passage would always be secure, as Ariana could not be forced to let anyone through, but she disliked the idea of having only one escape route from the castle, and a not-so-secret one at that. Perhaps she would speak to George Weasley about it – Molly had said he did better when he was busy.


Minerva pushed those thoughts aside. She would deal with the Secret passages, the Quidditch problems, Madam Pince’s requested leave, and all the other Hogwarts business that was consuming her summer later. Right now she was about to have a nice meal with a wonderful former student, who had agreed out of the goodness of his heart to help with one of the most enjoyable, if difficult tasks the Hogwarts administration performed each year.


“Mr. Hall.” She said, reaching out to shake his hand. “I’m most grateful you feel that way. We really need the help.” She waited until he had seated himself, then opened her papers. “I’ve chosen three possible students for you, and you may visit as many of the three as you wish. Two are boys, as I know you have no sisters, but I also included one girl who, like you, lives in Cambridge. I believe her parents also work at the college. Her mother is a Healer – a nurse, they call it, and her father a – “ Minerva paused frowning. “I do not recall the name of his post, but it has something to do with that Muggle religion.”

word count: 420
tags: Samson

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[samson alexander hall]

It was easy for Samson to explain why he was so excited about his task; in a post-Voldemort society, the world seemed like such a safer place for muggleborns. He had been so happy being a wizard—imagine how much better it would be for someone who would never have to worry about real torment or discrimination! Besides, magic opened up a whole new world of things to learn that no muggle ever got the chance to experience. It was a shame really—Samson understood that it would be terrible for muggles to know that wizards existed, but he still felt that it was a shame for all that knowledge to be kept from the majority of the world. He tried to imagine, for a moment, a world in which everyone knew about magic. Or, more radically, a world in which witches and wizards continued to marry muggles, and eventually the majority of the world consisted of magical people. It was hard to imagine, and it certainly wouldn’t happen any time soon.

Samson blinked, realizing that once again his thoughts had taken him away for a moment. He made a mental note to think about that more later, and listened attentively to his former Professor. He met her hand, shaking it firmly with a smile. He nodded in understanding; everyone who worked at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had a huge task on their hands. He knew from his time at school after the war that things were a mess and it was taking a long time to clean up. The professors were working so hard to get things back to the way they used to be, and Samson felt good to know that he was helping to release at least a little bit of the weight off of their shoulders. ”I would be delighted to speak with and assist all three of them, professor. I only have classes these days, and I have just enough time on my hands. To be honest, I look forward to the experience.”

A small laugh escaped Samson’s mouth as McGonagall tried the girl’s parent’s professions to him. ”You don’t know which religion? There are quite a few, after all. I’m sure I know them, at least by face or name.” Samson thought for a moment about when he had been told that he was a wizard; he was so excited and it had all happened so quickly, that he hardly remembered the details. He had only been eleven, after all. It was a long time ago. He did know that Professor Charity had shown up at his home, with his Hogwarts letter in hand, and had spoken to his father first. Then the two of them had spoken to him together. A few days later, he had been taken to Diagon Alley to buy all the materials he would need. Samson worried about the initial conversation, having no idea what was said and how to one could go about it… delicately. ”Could we discuss the details of the arrangement? I’m not sure how to go about explaining myself, most especially to the parents.”

word count:: 521
tags:: Prof. McGonagall
notes:: yayyyy c:

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[minerva rose mcgonagall]

Minerva laughed. Samson always had been clever, and indeed not five minutes into their conversation he had asked exactly the right question. Convincing the parents of an eleven year old that they should send their child off to a school they cannot see to learn things they had not previously believed were possible, preparing them for a life that would have to be kept secret from everyone they knew seemed a Herculean task.


“The first thing you have to remember, Mr. Hall, is that all children who are invited to attend Hogwarts are talented enough to exhibit accidental magic. This is especially true if they are Muggleborn, as they are much more likely to be frustrated and feel as if they don’t belong in non-magical society. Because of this, their Muggle parents are much more ready to believe in magic than you might expect. You are offering an explanation for something that probably bewildered them in the past. The more accidental magic a child has exhibited, the quicker his or her parents will accept the truth.” Minerva paused a moment for Samson to digest this before continuing.


“The second thing you should remember is no matter how skeptical the parents are at first, you can offer proof of the existence of magic. Please feel free to use whatever spells you feel appropriate during your visit, although I would recommend Transfigurations and Charms, and do not cast any spells that will remain after you leave.” Minerva sipped her Gillywater. She could almost see Samson thinking about what spells he might use.


“After you have achieved some measure of belief in the parents, you should explain how to get to Diagon Alley.” Minerva plucked two sheets of parchment out the bundle she had prepared. “This first map shows where in London to find the Leaky Cauldron. Please remember to tell the parents that only their child will be able to see the entrance until they are inside. In the Leaky Cauldron they should approach the bar and ask Tom or another employee to let them into Diagon Alley. All the employees of the Leaky Cauldron are prepared to do this.” Minerva frowned slightly. “I hope they are, at least…we had an incident a few years ago…Anyway, do not worry. I will check with Tom”


Minerva took out the second sheet of parchment. “This is a map of Diagon Alley, with the stores where first year supplies are found marked clearly. I assume you remember enough about the process of exchanging money at Gringotts to explain that?” Minerva looked up at Samson expectantly.



word count: 436
tags: Samson

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[samson alexander hall]

It only took a few seconds of thinking back before Hogwarts to recall memories of the times that Samson had experienced accidental magic. It had been scary and frustrating; Samson was the type who always liked to understand what was happening to him. He remembered vividly when his father had first noticed the strange behavior, how they had struggled with it together. It was practically a relief for both of them by the time it had come to go to Hogwarts; finally, an explanation and a solution! He knew that his father was a little different from most; he was eccentric and the type of intellectual who wasn’t afraid of the unusual. He only hoped that other parents would be as understanding—as much as McGonagall was reassuring him, Samson was never very good with uncomfortable situations, and explaining magic to scared, protective parents sounded a bit uncomfortable to him.

Samson nodded, listening carefully and taking mental notes of what he was supposed to be doing with each set of parents. He began to mull over what spells he would pull out if necessary. He figured a simple charm would be successful under the circumstances. He decided that when he would get home he would go over a few with his dad to get a muggle perspective on what would be convincing but not frightening. It could be a delicate line, and needed a lot of sensitivity. ”I understand, Professor. I will do everything in my power to make the parents feel comfortable with leaving their children in the care of Hogwart’s school.”

Smiling, Samson recalled his first visit to Diagon Alley—it had been stressful and scary and exciting and… well, magical. He remembered being afraid that he was going to miss something, so he and his father spent hours perusing every store in utter fascination. He nodded again, starting to feel a bit like a bobble head. He reached across the table and picked up the parchment being handed to him. He did indeed remember how to exchange money at Gringotts—he still had to do that on occasion. ”Yes, I believe that I can handle that. Is there anything else that I should cover? It seems that it won’t be as nerve-wracking of a task as I was anticipating.” As he was speaking, a waitress arrived with his food. He felt a little awkward eating while it appeared that Minerva hadn’t ordered anything, but it couldn’t be helped at this point. He carefully began cutting into his food, waiting for his former professor’s response.

word count:: 427
tags:: Prof. McGonagall
notes:: Sorry this is kind of blah, I’m super tired. But it’s a post!

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[minerva rose mcgonagall]

“Most of the other things you might need to deal with are hard to anticipate, as they’ll be different for each family.” Minerva looked through the papers still on her side of the table. “Ah, here we are.” She said, pulling out several and sliding them over to Samson. “This is a list of books the parents might want when they purchase their child’s books – one is written specifically for the purpose of explaining things to Muggleborns and their families. It was written by a recent Ravenclaw graduate not unlike yourself just two years ago, and has already gotten excellent reviews from the families of some of our first and second years as being extremely helpful.”


Minerva smiled fondly, thinking of that particular student, who was now writing a book about the politics of Muggleborn assimilation in Wizarding culture. She had no doubt that it would be brilliant, and Hogwarts would soon have another very famous alum. She returned her attention to Samson. “The second book is a about history. We’ve found that it’s important for the Muggleborns and their families to understand about the war, but we’ve encountered much less panicking when they read about it in a calm and well-explained history text than when we have tried to explain it.”


Minerva winced, thinking of some of the reactions she’d gotten from parents after her first few attempts at stating that Hogwarts was currently under repairs as a result of a cataclysmic battle that had occurred extremely recently. The reactions when parents discovered that the battle had been the end of a war that was mostly about racism directed at people like their children were even worse.


“Anyway, we usually strongly recommend that families purchase those two books. And if you could make yourself available to answer any questions throughout the summer, we would very much appreciate it – oh! Of course, how could I have forgotten! You will have to explain about owls. It’s very important – I’ve found that the inability of Wizards to be reached through Muggle forms of communication is often remarkably difficult for parents to grasp. I am sure you are familiar with the method we use to collect mail from Muggle parents without owls, but just in case, there is a blue sheet somewhere among the pile I have given you explaining it.”


Minerva sipped her Gillywater, thinking about what she might have missed. “There’s King’s Cross, of course…you’ll have to explain about the platform, of course. Tell them that there will be prefects outside the barrier to help, they need only look for students wearing the same uniform they bought for their child, but with a badge…I do believe that’s all the general information you’ll need. I thought we might discuss the specifics the children I’ve given you. Then we can have another meeting to discuss how it went afterwards. How does that sound? Oh, and any questions?” Minerva looked at Samson expectantly. He would have questions – Ravenclaws always did.




word count: 503
tags: Samson

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