Tansy focussed on her cereal, ignoring the argument going on around her; it was only the second day of the summer holidays but everyone was already annoyed with each other. That was the problem with Brooklyn House; you couldn't get away from anyone for long. Tiny and white-faced, with long curly black hair and huge dark blue eyes, it should've been easy for her to stay unnoticed, but it wasn't; despite her silence she always seemed to attract negative attention.

She stared down at the rough tabletop which was covered with crumbs and sticky rigs where drinks had been carelessly put down, and concentrated on shovelling down her food before someone started throwing things; mealtimes at Brooklyn inevitably descended into a food-fight. She reached over for the orange squash, but as she did Big Tim knocked her arm and it went everywhere, mostly on Big Tim himself. He was never the most rational of people and he exploded upwards and thumped her hard on the shoulder. Everyone looked up from their breakfasts and a sudden hush fell on the room.

'Stupid clumsy little bitch!' Tansy tried to pull away, but he had hold of her sleeve. She could feel her heart pounding at the unfairness but, as he began to shake her, a sudden throb of energy shivered through her and he jumped backwards, letting her go and screaming as if she had burned him. It was just unlucky that Auntie Leigh chose that moment to walk through the kitchen door.

'She burnt me the little bitch!' Big Tim howled, sucking at his hand which had blistered into shiny red welts. Tansy bit her lip but didn't answer. It was simply her way of dealing with nasty things; silence. In fact, she hadn't a single word for over two years, since... She shook herself mentally to dislodge the painful memories, blushing as everyone in the vicinity turned to look at her. She wasn't at all surprised when she was locked in her bedroom again as punishment.

It was only the second day of the holidays but so far she had spent them both locked in her bedroom. The day before she had accidentally caused little Harry's toys to fly around the room and Uncle Paul had said that she was a 'nasty, bullying girl' and had sent her to her room as a punishment. If she was honest with herself, being locked in definitely had its merits; she could read as much as she wanted to and she didn't have to join in with any of the stupid activities that Uncle and Auntie tried to get the care kids to participate in. She stretched out on her bed, thinking that perhaps it wasn't the worst way to spend a summer.

Three hours later the doorbell rang, but Tansy was too deeply engrossed in The Hobbit to pay much attention; she loved magical books and it felt as though she could just sink through the pages and forget about her own troubling life. In fact, she didn't surface until she heard the sound of voices outside her door and a key turning in the lock.

'You lock her in?' A stern voice asked.

'Have to ma'm, when she's a danger to the other kids tha' is. Only this mornin' she burned another kid bad, wi' boilin water I think it was.' Uncle Paul never got his facts right, Tansy thought bitterly, sitting up apprehensively.

Uncle Paul showed a tall, black-haired woman, wearing a peculiar tartan suit, into the tiny bedroom. Tansy's apprehensions grew and her heart sank; this had to be a new care worker. It seemed to Tansy that she got through care workers like other kids got through sweets. It was never her fault that weird things happened; they just did seem to happen without her meaning them too but she could never explain how.

'Laverstock, this is Professor McGonagall an' she's come to talk to you about a new school for you, not that they'll keep you for long like as not.' He turned to the woman, 'don't expect an answer though; doesn't say much does four-five-six.'

'Four-five-six?' The woman asked, in a reedy voice as Tansy blushed.

'Slightly barbaric but tis the only way tha' we can keep track of all the children. Shall I leave you to it then Prof?' The woman nodded soberly and Uncle Paul left the room.

Professor McGonagall didn't speak for a moment but stood looking soberly at the small, white faced girl in front of her and Tansy felt her anxiety building until she just couldn't stand it any longer. She opened her mouth; she'd been silent for so long now that it was hard to make any sound at all and instead of words, her voice came out as a strangled cough.

'Miss Laverstock is it?' Tansy nodded and swung her legs over the side of the bed; she didn't stand though because she was trembling with nerves and she felt sure that her legs would give up on her, dumping her in an ungainly heap on the floor at this stranger's feet. She coughed again, wrestling with the hand that held her voice box tight in her throat; it was time to step out of the shadows, time to start talking again but it was so hard. He had told her not to talk, not to say a single word. Tansy shuddered again at the memory. A spike of adrenaline thrilled through her veins and her heart thrummed; she had to convince this woman to let her stay at Brooklyn; she couldn't go back to the foster family! Anything was better than that even having to talk…

'I'm sorry I really am!' She blurted out, surprised by the fluency of her words. Her breath came in short gasps and the fear felt tangible and her tongue heavy and too big for her mouth. Even now, it felt weird to disobey him. The woman raised her eyebrows and Tansy felt herself blushing again; she had to explain herself.

'I didn't mean to hurt Big Tim but he was shaking me and it hurt and it just came out of me… I didn't mean to… I don't want to be moved on… I only just got here…' She trailed off. 'I suppose you don't believe me either...' She finished, despair leaking into her voice. It was weird, but now that the words had come, she found she had little control over them; they had a life and a mind of their own. This was why it was easier to say nothing; if you said nothing then there was a much smaller chance that you'd inadvertently disclose the secrets.

The woman moved further into the room and sat down on the rickety chair where Tansy hung her clothes at night. She looked sternly down at Tansy through her square rimmed spectacles and Tansy felt her heart sinking even further.

'I believe you.' The woman finally replied, and Tansy felt amazement thrilling through her veins like a burst of electricity. 'The strange things that you cause are made by your emotions when you get scared or angry. They're made by magic.'

Magic. Tansy bit her lip, wondering whether this woman was crazy even though she looked so sane. Anyway, what she was saying seemed so reasonable coming from her and Tansy felt instinctively that she could trust her. Despite having only met her five minutes ago, Tansy had already made more progress with this woman than she had with anyone else for over two years; this woman had got her to speak, something that she'd thought she'd never do again.

'You were born with magic in your blood and these things are a product of this magic.'

Tansy bit her lip again in sheer disbelief because the explanation seemed so far-fetched but also, at the same time, so very convincing because there was no logical explanation for some of the things that she could do: She could make toys fly just by looking at them and she'd exploded a lamp and several other things in her last foster home. She shuddered as she remembered this and turned back to the woman to find her watching her carefully. Tansy's sheer confusion must've been evident on her face because the woman started talking again.

'I know that it must seem a little strange to you but there are, in fact, thousands of witches and wizards living in secret all over Britain and the world. The things that you can do are proof that you have magic in your blood and I am here to offer you a place at our school where you will be taught how to use and control you're magic. The school is called Hogwarts.'

'So can you do magic then? Are you a witch?' Tansy whispered doubtfully, the regression of her speaking volume evident, the more confused she became.

'Yes look…' The Professor answered soberly. She withdrew a piece of stick from her sleeve and pointed it at the mug on Tansy's bedside cabinet which immediately turned into a crystal goblet filled to the brim with grape-fruit juice.

Tansy suddenly wondered if this was some strange dream; maybe Big Tim had knocked her out again and she was in another reality? She surreptitiously pinched herself but probably only succeeded in giving herself another bruise.

'So... so... so I have a place at a magic school?' She stammered, wonder seeping into her voice; if this was a dream then she might as well play along.

'Yes; your name has been down since the day you were born.' Professor McGonagall withdrew a slightly crumpled letter made from thick, yellowish parchment from her pocket and handed it to Tansy. Written in green ink across the front, in a strange loopy hand, were the words;

Miss T Laverstock

Room 15

Brooklyn House

Roath

Cardiff

It seemed a shame to destroy the beautiful red wax seal but Tansy could see that the woman was waiting for her to open it. She slid a finger under the flap and pulled gently, trying to get the seal to come off in one piece so that she could keep it. Sadly, this was impossible but the contents of the envelope soon put her disappointment out of her mind. She read both the letter and then the list of equipment and school supplies in wonder, with her mind reeling; broomsticks… wands… cauldrons… newts and owls and cats… she looked up at the woman her eyes shining with amazement.

'I am Professor McGonagall,' the woman said, unnecessarily. Tansy's eyes flicked down to the bottom of her acceptance letter in disbelief. The deputy head had come in person to offer her a place at this school.

'We're going shopping,' the woman informed her in a brisk, no-nonsense type of voice.

'I… I can't,' Tansy mumbled, her heart sinking. She gestured to the door. 'I have to stay in here with the door locked till tomorrow morning.' The woman's mouth thinned at these words and for a horrible second, Tansy thought that she would take back the letter and the offer of a place at the school and everything.

'Not to worry, Miss Laverstock, I have sorted it out. I'm taking you to London to buy your things this afternoon. Come on; we have a train to catch.'

Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.