Deus Fax Machina

Foreign Affairs

Mother Country 

The flight from Melbourne to London was long, and Sophie was restless the entire way. The onboard food did nothing to settle her stomach, not even binge watching her favourite show, Venus de Vixen, helped.

At long last the plane touched down at Heathrow Airport and after collecting her bags, Sophie made her way to a car that was waiting for her. The driver was a stout man in a bowler's hat and a long magenta coat. If it wasn't so early, more than a few heads would've turned his way.

'Miss Fax, over here,' he waved and motioned to the black cab behind him. Sophie walked over and the driver took her bags. 'To the Leaky Cauldron?' he smiled as he opened the back door for her. Sophie nodded as she climbed inside.

'I don't know how they do it, air-planes, ha! I hardly know cars, so slow! Ahh muggles.' the driver chuckled to himself. The word 'muggles' circled Sophie head then slipped right out again. She yawned as they pulled away from Heathrow Airport.

Sophie watched the grey streets of London slip by, not thinking of much but a warm shower and bed. The black cab pulled to a halt outside a dingy pub with a shabby sign above the door that read 'Leaky Cauldron'. Sophie's heart sank. This dirty old pub would be where she had to stay? Sophie caught herself wishing to be back in her dorm room in Melbourne.

'It's much nicer inside, it just can't be too appealing from the outside, don't want no muggles stumbling in there do we!'

'Muggles?' That word again, Sophie couldn't place it in her foggy mind.

'Non-magic.'

'Oh, wasps.' Sophie's mind turned over slowly.

'Wasps. Don't hear them called that very often!' the driver smiled. 'All right, let's get you inside.'

Once Sophie's belongings were inside and the driver in the bright pink coat had explained to the toothless old barkeep who she was, he returned and shook Sophie's hand.

'Good luck, lass, not an easy thing you're doing, but if Hogwarts wants you there's a good reason!'

Sophie called thanks after the driver as he hurried out the door. Even though jet-lagged and disoriented, Sophie's worst fear had been confirmed; Hogwarts was going to be no walk in the park. She was years older than anyone should be when learning to use a wand for the first time! Old coils of anxiety rose up inside and took hold, squeezing Sophie's chest.

'O'er 'ere, Miss Fax,' The shrivelled-up barkeep waved, Sophie's bags already drifting ahead of him. 'Ye rooms down 'ere. Name's Tom, anything ye need, le' me know.' Sophie had to concentrate twice as hard as usual to understand Tom's thick accent.

They walked down a dimly lit corridor and Tom opened the door to room number thirteen. Sophie smiled; thirteen was her number. The quaint room was nicer than Sophie had been expecting. There was a large, fourposter bed, draped in velvet of deep blue, speckled with silver, and the curtains Tom was pulling closed across the window matched. Aside from the lush velvet of the curtains and bed, the room was modest, there was a fireplace and a chest of draws. Though Sophie only had eyes for the bed. As soon as Tom had lit the fire and left saying he'd return with some breakfast, Sophie climbed into bed without bothering to change. The bed was as soft as it looked and support her tired body almost like...

'Magic.' Sophie muttered as she drifted into a deep sleep.

Hours later Sophie woke to a light knocking. Taking a moment to adjust to her surroundings, she climbed out of bed and opened the door. Tom was standing with a tray of food, though it smelt more like dinner than the breakfast she'd been promised.