The House on the Bay

Meeting Karen

The train sped along the iron tracks, jumping and hitting bumps every so often as bright green, rolling hills seemed to skip past. The train whistles, expelling smoke from the smoke stack. Its a old style passenger train with with a coal car next to the engine car, and four additional passenger cars attached to the coal car. The train was a glossy red, which shined brightly when hit by the light of the sun.

Sitting in the way back compartment on the left side of the third train car, sat a teenage girl, maybe 16-17 years of age. She was of average height and size, not short, but not exactly tall either. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a pony tail. Her bright blue eyes stared out into the country, filled with excitement and good memories. She wore black jeans, and a black tee shirt. On top of her shirt she wore a fall jacket the was the same bright blue as her eyes, on her feet were simple, black and white sneakers.

She was smiling, even chuckling to her self. She had made it pretty far, especially for someone like her. Her name was Karen Lakeview, of course Lakeview wasn't her real last name, just one she had came up with. She was an orphan since she was born, never knowing who her parents were, or if they were even alive. She grew up in New York City in an orphanage during her younger years, then on the streets as a teenager.

(Flashback time!)

She wasn't a delinquent however, nor was she a drug addict, alcoholic (but she'll admit to having a drink or two, nobody's perfect after all), or any form of "Ghetto", she just did what she had to do to survive. It was a lonely, depressing life. Walking the streets, doing odd jobs here and there, finding shelter for the night, it was by no means a good life. For the longest time, she was depressed, knowing full well the world didn't need her for anything. Even here in the present, there are days were she cries herself to sleep, like she used to all those years ago.

What's more is she was ridiculed by everyone that was kind to her, she was called many things, "cursed", "possessed", even the "Devils Slave". She didn't mean for bad things to happen, honest she didn't. when an elderly couple took her in for a couple of days, the wife died of illness, and the man was chased out of his own home, from a column of smoke, which only seemed to go after him. another time, a man let her stay in his soup kitchen, the other man working there was a, well asshole for lack of a better word. One day he pushed Karen off to the side, making her fall into the hot stove, scalding her arms and back. She was in immense pain, on the floor crying, once again wanting her life to end right there, when suddenly a chill ran up her burnt side, her pain ceased, the burns seemed to heal right in front of her, the only sounds she could hear were a slight ringing, and the rapid healing burn wound, as it shed old, dead skin, then replaced it with new skin almost instantly. The owner came in and after assisting the man and finding out what had happened, kicked her out, screaming and calling her satanic.

She sat on the street, two blocks from the ex home of a kitchen, crying. She sat and cried for what seemed to be hours, thinking she wasn't needed, thinking of the other option. It was almost evening, and yet, she continued to sit on the curb, her eyes red and puffy, while her sobs reduced to pitiful sniffles.

"Are you quite alright ma'am?" A voice becoming to an elderly person inquired.

Oh great, Karen thought to herself, another person I can curse.

"Yes I'm fine," she replies, wiping away the last of her tears, " just got a bit lost is all."

The old man smiled and small, yet heart-warming smile.

"I don't think they will let you back in that soup kitchen, even if you 'find' your way back"

Karen was astonished, how did he...?

"Let's get something for you to eat, shall we?"

At a simple restaurant

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get a good read on this stranger. He was a tall, elderly man with a long grey beard and equally long grey hair, he was wearing a simple grey cloak, and so far, Karen's "curse" hasn't killed, scared, mentally broken, Physically broken, or in any way harmed this man, which was impressive to say the least. He had just ordered tea, stating that he wasn't hungry. She, however ordered a large steak with a large order of fries and TWO drinks (when on the streets, you don't eat regularly, and she wasn't exactly looking to impress those days) all paid for by the mystery man. "Are you sure it's okay I get anything I want? I don't want to be rude" she asked. the man chuckles a little, "your fine my dear, get what you like." The food came, and Karen ate like a beast, clean sweeping the plates.

"Could I hear your story?" The man said calmly, Karen, who usually didn't discuss her problems (mainly because they involved the "curse" and all the misery it brought her), was too busy eating the really good food in front of her to care, so she told him everything, her life, her memories, her "incidents". the old man kept a calm, emotionless face, and listened to every word.

The waitress came up to the table with the mans tea, which he accepted politely. "that's quite some story, it's really is impressive that you survived out here for this long without being able to control your gifts." Karen laughed," gifts?, You mean curse-thats-ruined-my-life right?" She looked up at him with a huff, "Besides what's it to you, your just an old man.

The man smiles, stirs his tea, then folded his hands together, resting them on the table. "Now do you honestly think your the only one with these gifts?" He asks quietly. Karen blanched for a moment and sat there, staring, amazed. Not by the words he said, nor by the delicious food, but at his tea cup.

The spoon was string the tea by itself

Karen stuttered, glancing between the cup and the man across from her, "Did you.... and how....?"

"Like I said my dear," the man said, "You are not the only one with these powers, in fact, there is a whole other world filled with people like yourself" He pulls out a simple white envelope out of, well nowhere and hands it to the awe-struck girl. "As it so happens, I work for a school for youths much like yourself, and we often montior people like you ma'am, who don't have a home or way to get there." Karen studies the envolpe closely, A school for people like me huh? Karen looks up, questionably "what are you saying exactly?" The now really strange old man simles yet again,saying promptly "well to put it simply, I'm offering you a schaolrship, but more importantly, I'm offreing you a home, one free from pursecustion of your powers. So, what do you say?" She was speechless, a new school, a new life? What dream was she in?

The man got up and put on his English style hat,"of course you have time to think it over. How about this, I'll be back hear next tuesday, and if you decide you want to attend I'll take you with me, and if you don't you can prtend we never met. Does that sound reasonable?

Karen once again studied the envolpe, she rasied her head to ask a question, but when she looked, he was gone, leaving her, the envelope, and her thoughts.

(End Flashback!)

Karen cuckled to herself, remebering that day. After that day six years ago her whole lif changed, she went to school, learned about powers beyond imagination, made new friends, and finnaly, after so long, found a home.

And now, for the last time she was going to school, it was senior year and she couldn't wait to see everyone again. Finnaly she was going back to the place she called home for so many years.

Finnaly, she was going back to Hogwarts.