Of Magic and Wolves

A Train

The rising sun bathes the world in soft shades of pink and orange and makes the dew stubbornly clinging to bundles of leaves and stalks of grass shimmer and sparkle. From my perch atop the black, stone chimney, the scene looks like the aftermath of a great battle. The light has finally vaporized the enemy shadows and proceeds to claim the spoils of war: the entire universe it seems; every drop of the sky's blood has been lightened to the hue of pink cotton candy - candy floss -- by the glistening tears of the greenery; and the world seems to hold its breath as if afraid of breaking the tranquil silence.
Wait for it...
An obnoxiously yellow bird alights on a thin branch, takes a deep breath, and begins its morning song which is immediately interrupted by my loud whoop. The bird ruffles its feathers indignantly, and I give it a small wave as it flies off in search of a better audience. Then, a wide grin stretching across my face without permission, I hop from my post and walk to the side of the roof that faces away from the sunrise, crouching low to maintain my balance on the steep slope. At the edge, I tip forward and let myself fall, barely grabbing a hold of a windowsill three meters below. I clumsily pull myself up onto the ledge, and I immediately almost fall to my death, though I lean ridiculously far forward and onto my knees to avoid that fate. I try to open the window, but surprisingly, it's latched shut.
The nerve of some people! I let my breath out in a huff and glare at the universe for denying me the right to break into the house. Oh well...Plan B it is.
I retrieve my wand from my bra, where it's safely guarded between my boobs, and I gaze at it in contemplation for a minute or two, beginning to strongly doubt this course of action.
What if I get caught? Sure, I can lie and charm my way out of almost any situation, whether it's dealing with an enraged were or simply getting out of cleaning my room, but I've heard rumors about the Ministry: they're ruthless; they're unforgiving; and they cannot be fooled. It's probably all a load of shit - bollocks -- but I'd like to keep my head firmly on my shoulders, thank you very much.
Maybe if I'm quiet, they won't hear me...
I touch my wand to the lock and whisper, "Alohomora." The window opens with a click, and since I don't immediately burst into flames, I decide that my tiny breach of the law has gone unnoticed. Inside, the room is pitch black except for a tiny sliver of light creeping in through the now-open window, so it takes my eyes a moment to adjust. Once they're used to the dim lighting, I scan the contents of the enormous bedroom for my target.
Couch...desk...wardrobe...table...Ah ha!
I leap from the windowsill onto the blanket-covered lump sprawled across the bed that's pushed carelessly against the far wall of the room. An earsplitting shriek issues from the aforementioned lump, and I find myself tossed from the bed and onto the soft carpet coating the floor. When my brain begins functioning enough to tell my head to look up, I find a wand pointed at my face and a rather angry witch holding it. I give her my most confident smile and say as cheerfully as possible at 6:13 A.M., "Morning, Nyx."
I can almost taste the irritation rolling off of her as she says, "Victoria. Roshan," I wince at both the name and the tone; Nyx only calls me Victoria when she's feeling particularly murderous. "What could you possibly be doing in my room at SIX IN THE BLOODY MORNING?!" she starts shouting at the end of the question, but at least she's put her wand away.
"Actually," I begin cheekily, "it's 6:13. AND," I say loudly, cutting her off before she can yell at me again, "you told me I wasn't allowed to wake you up until the birds were chirping." A few birds helpfully chirp, and I spread my hands in an I rest my case gesture.
Nyx looks ready to eviscerate me as she's threatened to do so many times before, but a furious pounding on the door interrupts her reply. I roll under the bed as the door opens without waiting for Nyx to respond, and two pairs of feet step in. "Ceres," the annoyed voice of her father begins, "what could possibly be the cause of all this racket?"
"Oh, nothing at all, dearest Father," Nyx replies, voice dripping with sarcasm. "There's just this annoying little twit of a bird that. Won't. Shut. Up." I have to cover my mouth to stifle my laughter.
"Well, since you're up, you can take care of the monsters," the silky, sweet voice of Nyx's stepmum says. Nyx makes a small noise of protest, but Ms. Nyx cuts her off. "And no breakfast till you're done," she says, her twinkling laughter fading away as she exits the room.
I watch the feet of Nyx's father turn toward the door, take a step, and stop. "Oh, and please tell Ms. Roshan to go home," he says as if it's an afterthought. With that, he leaves, and the atmosphere of the room lightens immensely.
I crawl out from under the bed, and my wide-eyed expression is reflected in Nyx's eyes. "Busted," I whisper, and after a pause, we dissolve into laughter.
When we finally calm down, Nyx says, wiping tears from her eyes, "You should probably go, June," and I know I'm forgiven because of the nickname.
I rummage around in the pocket of my jeans for a moment before finding the cauldron cake I stuffed in there before leaving my house earlier. I offer it to Nyx with an embarrassed smile. "It's a tad squished..." I say, which is the understatement of the year. The poor thing looks as though it's been run over by a truck -- lorry. Twice.
Nyx takes it hesitantly. "Cheers, twit."
"Bye, prat," I say with one leg out the window. "See you later!"
"CERES!" Mr. Nyx bellows from one of the lower levels of the sprawling mansion, and that's all the incentive I need to make my escape.
~*~
The soft bed of leaves on the forest floor cushions my bare feet as I make my way to the snake-like creek that separates the Nyx's property from my own. As soon as I see the clear, sparkling water of the stream, a deafening roar echoes through the forest. I smile as the creatures around me panic and scramble to find somewhere to hide.
"GOOD MORNING, SOLOMON!!" I shout as loud as I can, and another roar answers my greeting. Solomon is a manticore, one of the many species of rare, magical creatures captured by Mr. Nyx, the most famous -- or infamous, depending on how you look at it - Collector in the Wizard World, and his merry little band of thieves. For Nyx's sake, I hope he's in a good mood today; I've helped her "take care of the monsters" as Ms. Nyx so aptly put it when they were in a bad mood, and I have the scars to prove it.
I take a running leap over the wide creek, but my back foot still lands in the water with a tiny splash. I wipe it off on a strip of moss in disgust. I hate water, I think as I make my way home.
Even though I've only lived here for three months, I can navigate the lush forest blindfolded - in fact, Nyx dared me to do that once, and I did well until I slipped and almost fell into a ravine - so I'm only a little surprised when I look up to find that my feet have found the way to the house while I was lost in thought.
The house - I still find it strange to think of it as mine - is basically a log cabin on steroids. It has four floors, sixty-seven rooms, and at least one hundred and twelve windows (I got bored after counting that many). My room is located to the left of the manor in an ancient oak tree twenty-eight feet off the ground. I have an actual bedroom in the main building, but I made it quite clear to my family that I prefer being alone, and thus, Fort Rumpleshnargin, named after the tiny fort I left behind in Birmingham, Alabama. I climb to my room, using the natural handholds of the tree instead of the winding staircase my older brother, Alex, built, and I've just fallen into the hammock I installed between the two highest branches of the oak when my mom - sorry, mum - vaporizes any hope I had of getting some sleep.
"Victoria!" she calls, and I can hear the click of her heels on the wooden bridge connecting my room to the rest of the house. "Get up! Now!" she orders. Ok, she might come off as quite severe, but my mom - mum! - is actually quite pleasant. As long as I do my chores, don't antagonize my brothers, and clean my room...Shit! I hold my breath and close my eyes in silent prayer as her footsteps near the entrance to my fort. Don't open the door. Don't open the door. Please don't open the door! My pleas go unheard, and the door opens with a slight squeak which is immediately drowned out by my mum's loud shriek. "VICTORIA ROSHAN!!!"
I sigh and roll out of the comfortable hammock, leaping off the roof of my room and landing softly behind her. The mess really isn't that bad. There're only a few piles of clothes scattered across the wooden floor, but I know which are dirty, which are clean, and which I'm taking with me later today. Otherwise, the only things out of place are a few dirty dishes and my empty suitcase - trunk - which stares guiltily at me from the middle of my neglected bed.
"Isn't cleaning Kala's job?" I ask, referring to our house-elf. Mum jumps a little at the sudden sound of my voice and turns around with a glare pasted on her countenance to cover it up.
"Victoria," gods, I really hate that name, "I told you to clean your room!" she scolds, more disappointed than angry. "If you're to live under my roof, you'll follow my rules."
I don't remind her that the whole point of me living in a tree house is so I don't have to live under her roof; instead, I acquiesce with a nod. "Of course, Mum," I say, finally not calling her Mom, "but let me serve you breakfast first." Her eyes narrow in suspicion - apparently she knows me better than I thought she did - but I halt her imminent questions with a smile. "You do so much for me," I gush, barely restraining my laughter, "so allow me to do something for you before I...before I have to go." I convey my feigned sorrow by lowering my eyes and pretending to blink away tears, and I even throw in a fake sniffle to really sell it.
I can tell the exact moment when she relents - her eyes soften slightly and the frown marring her face lessens just a hair. "Alright, but you'll be cleaning your room as soon as you're done."
It's not really a question, but I agree anyway, forming a fist and placing it over my heart. "Hunter's honor, Mum. Now go to your room and stay there till I'm done," I command.
"Yes ma'am," she replies with a smile as she heads back into the house. I let out a small sigh of relief as I follow after her.
Inside, Mum takes a left and disappears into her room, and I take a right down the stairs and into the massive kitchen that takes up most of the first floor. I stare dubiously at the army of pots and pans arrayed on the granite island in the center of the kitchen for a second before giving them a small wave.
"You guys wanna make breakfast?" I ask, and because this is a magic house, the appliances seem to nod excitedly before taking off. The fridge opens, and several eggs fly out and crack themselves open on a bowl. One hovers over me for a moment before committing suicide on my head. Repulsed, I wipe at the yolk running down my cheek and turn to the sink, but it's busy filling up several jugs that race off to put out a fire on the stove as soon as they're full. I duck as several knives zoom past, points coming dangerously close to my face, and begin angrily chopping vegetables as if the mushrooms and peppers have committed a serious offense. A scream comes from the stove, which is thankfully not on fire, and I watch in fascinated horror as strips of bacon are burned alive. A loud thump directs my attention to the countertop, where the flour and the orange juice have gotten into a fight. The fruit bowl tries to intervene, but it's knocked onto the wooden floor, spilling tiny, weeping apples that are immediately comforted by browning bananas. A carton of milk tries to pour itself into a bowl, but the container grows tired of waiting and zips away before the milk is finished. The carton tips over, spilling its contents onto the floor, and the growing puddle is immediately lapped up by a tiny, black creature.
"Felix!" I greet the kitten who spares me a quick glimpse before returning to his drink. A moment later, the genocide of a whole cabinet of glass cups sends Felix scurrying away.
"Young mistress!" a voice shrieks from my waist, and I jump at the sudden appearance of the house-elf. "What's going on in here?"
"Oh, Kala," I breathe, "thank the gods you're here! I was making breakfast, and..." I spread my arms to indicate the disastrous result. As if to prove my point, a group of thrill-seeking chocolate chips tries to balance on a flying spatula and are promptly dumped on our heads.
Kala peers up at me, wide hazel eyes growing more and more upset until she snaps. "EVERYBODY STOP!!!" she commands, and the entire kitchen - including me - freezes. "Clean yourselves up," Kala orders, notably calmer. Shattered dishes piece themselves together, and spills mop themselves up. As scattered pears guiltily hop back into the bowl of fruit like scolded puppies, Kala turns to me. "And you as well," she says, motioning to the mess in my hair.
I give her my most charming grin and duck into the nearest bathroom - one out of twelve - to quickly rinse out my hair. When I'm pretty sure - like 98% sure - I've gotten the last of the yolk out, I head back into the kitchen and promptly bump into Alex.
"Watch it," my brother snaps, but his harsh tone is softened by the gentle way he catches me. He frowns as he takes in the bags under my eyes from not sleeping the night before and my damp hair. "What're you doing up so early?" he asks.
"Making breakfast," I answer with a smile because I know he won't believe me. Sure enough, he raises a disbelieving eyebrow, and I concede, "Well, trying to make breakfast. Kala's helping. Want some?"
Alex reaches up to pluck something from my hair, and he holds a chocolate chip in front of my nose. "I think I'll pass," he says, smirking as he tosses the candy at me. I glare at him as he turns to head back upstairs, pausing on the top step to look back at me. "Oh, and we're leaving in an hour. Please try to be on time, Tori." With that, he disappears around the corner, and I'm left to fume in solitude.
Bloody brothers, I think crossly to myself, but I grin at the thought. Bloody is such a British word.
When I return to the kitchen, there's no trace of the mess I left, and the only sign that the kitchen has been disturbed is a large tray stacked with plates full of omelets, chocolate chip cauldron cakes, chopped fruit, and bacon (which I instantly steal a piece of). There's also a napkin, silverware, a light-purple flower - wolfsbane probably; Mum grows it by the ton - and a steaming cuppa tea - what's with British people and their tea? I grab the tray, making a mental note to thank Kala profusely later, and make my way to my mum's room on the third floor.
Without bothering to knock, I open the door with my toes - my fingers are much too busy holding the cumbersome tray - and look over the empty sitting room, which consists of an assortment of tables and chairs arrayed in a semicircle around a large fireplace - though whose bright idea it was to put a fireplace in an entirely wooden house I'll never know. Two doors, one on the right and one on the left, lead from the room, and I try the left one first, hoping it'll take me to the bedroom. I open the door - again with my foot - and thank the gods for my superb powers of guessing as I see the large, red bed, white carpet, and wooden furniture of my mum's bedroom. I search through the room and then, the massive adjoining bathroom, but she isn't hiding in the closet or bathtub. With a worried frown, I head back into the sitting room and through the door on the right, which leads to a small study. Mum isn't stuck behind the file cabinet or trapped in the ancient computer, and I'm about to leave when something catches my eye. I turn around again, but after a few minutes of searching the office, I haven't found anything out of the ordinary - well, as ordinary as witches and wizards get. As I turn around to leave again, a noise coming from the far wall stops me in my tracks. The wall is completely covered with cabinets except for a human-sized gap in the corner...
I move closer to investigate and realize that the wall is made of a slightly different type of wood than the other three walls of the study, which is probably what caught my attention in the first place. I run my fingers over the seam where the two walls meet, but no secret passages suddenly appear. I let out a disappointed sigh, but as Nyx says, I'm a stubborn little twit, so it's on to Plan C. I pull out my wand and break the law for the second time today.
"Dissendium," I whisper since being quiet worked the first time.
At first, nothing happens, but then, a few panels of wood slide away to reveal a not-so-secret passageway. Grinning at my success, I grab the tray piled with cooling food and step through the doorway. The hallway is bare and short, and soon, I round the corner and stop dead.
In front of me is a massive room. Each wall is covered in a screen that stretches from wall to wall and floor to ceiling and displays a map of a different part of the world. Three screens appear to be dedicated to America...Or more specifically, the South-Eastern region of the U.S...Right around Alabama...The fourth screen can't seem to decide which part of England it wants to display, and it changes every thirty seconds to show a different city. Certain sections of maps are shaded in varying shades of grey and marked with a number from one to ten. Dozens of tables and short bookshelves are scattered haphazardly throughout the room, and every available surface is covered in stacks of paperwork and yet more maps. Two figures stand in front of the screen to my right; I recognize one as my mum and the other as our neighbor, Malus Argent. As I watch, something buzzes in Argent's pocket, and he pulls out his wand and presses it to his ear.
"Hello?" he greets the caller. He listens for a while, and there's complete silence in the room. Then, "That's wonderful news!" Argent's glee sickens me, and I softly place the tray on the nearest table to prevent myself from throwing it at him. Can't say I never did anything nice for the bloke. "Thank you very much," he concludes and sticks the wand back in his pocket. "Nova," he says - November, I correct him silently, strangely annoyed at hearing him use my mum's nickname -- "they got Epsilon."
I have no idea what this means, but Mum's silhouette relaxes, and her voice is pleased when she says, "Good." She takes her own wand out of her pocket and points it at the screen. Immediately, one of the shaded regions disappears, even though I didn't hear her say a spell, and I can't explain the feeling of loss that coils around my lungs, making it hard to breath.
"Mum, what is all of this?" I gasp, though I have a sinking feeling that I already know the answer.
"Victoria!" she exclaims in surprise as she turns to face me. "I didn't hear you come in." I stay mute until she starts to appear unnerved by my lack of response. "Have you finished packing?" she asks to fill the silence. I continue to stare at her without answering, my message clear: I'll answer your question when you answer mine. My mum sighs in defeat and gestures to the room. "This is my work," she explains. She opens her mouth to say more but closes it a moment later and falls silent.
I wait to see if she will continue, but after a few seconds of silence, I ask, "What do the maps mean? What did you just do?"
My mum gives me a look that says she knows that I know exactly what all of this means, but she answers anyway. "Each shaded region represents a pack. The darker the region, the more monsters in the pack," she says, and I can almost feel her hatred for the weres. "The numbers indicate how dangerous they are. Higher numbers mean more dangerous."
I nod at the confirmation of my guesses. "So...Epsilon is...was a pack?" At my mum's affirming nod, I continue, "You wiped them all out?"
This time, Argent answers. "Well, a different team of hunters did. Put down every last one of them like the dogs they are," he sneers, the mixture of pride, hatred, and contempt in his voice making me want to throw up.
"No one asked you," I snap, and that makes me feel a little better.
Mum gives me a reproachful glare, but Argent, business-like as always, simply plasters on a fake smile and says, "Well, I think I should head home and wake Crys up. That boy could sleep through a were attack." As he turns to Mum, his forced chuckle becomes a sincere smile. "Thanks, Nova." With that, he leaves without bothering to acknowledge me.
Mum's face which had softened at Argent's words hardens again as she turns back to me. She opens her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. "What the Hell, Mom?" I demand, my anger making me forget to call her Mum.
"Don't speak to me that way, Victoria," she says coldly and quietly.
In contrast, my voice is loud and heated with rage. "You told me you were done!" I shout. "Find Dad's murderer, and then, we're done. That's what we agreed on!"
Mum gives me a sad smile. "You don't get it do you? I won't be done until they're dead. Every last one of them."
I gape at her in shock. "You can't just kill all the weres! That...That's just so, so wrong, Mum. And why are you tracking so many?" I ask, gesturing to the screens. "You can't even hunt the ones who haven't killed anyone!" I exclaim, repeating the rule Mum had told me just a few, short months ago.
"My poor, poor Victoria," she whispers, eyes filling with tears. "Every werewolf kills someone. They're all monsters. And it's our job to keep our people safe from monsters."
I blink at her uncomprehendingly. "Did Argent say this?" I ask because surely that's the only logical explanation for this ridiculous behavior.
"Mr. Argent," she corrects me sharply. "And yes, Malus and I share these views. He's an intelligent individual with diverse ideas, and it'd do you good to show him a bit of respect." For the second time today, I resist the urge to vomit at the sales-pitch. "Maybe you and Crys will be in the same House," she suggests, referring to Argent's son.
I shake my head emphatically, repulsed by the idea. "No," I say with certainty. "He's a Slytherin through and through, and I'm gonna be a Gryffindor just like you." I smile at the rhyme, but it's immediately wiped off my face by my mum's next words.
"You don't deserve to be a Gryffindor."
The words sting like a physical blow, and I take a step backwards as if I'd actually been hit. "You're just like Dad," I say, trying to make my voice as cold as possible, but it wavers a bit. Mum's eyes narrow in confusion, but I leave before she can voice her question.
I race upstairs to my deserted bedroom, barely making it before leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor. I draw my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them to control my shaking. Don't cry, don't cry, I think to myself. Abruptly, my dad's voice is in my head telling me, "Hunter's never cry," which makes me want to cry even more.
"Dad," I whisper to the empty room, wondering how I can love and hate a person so much at the same time.
A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts, and I compose myself before opening it. My younger brother, Tobi, stands on the other side of the door wearing Quidditch pajamas and his usual look of deep thought.
"Hey, Tobi!" I say a bit overenthusiastically, and his frown deepens at my forced cheer. Where my relationship with Alex is strained and awkward at best, Tobi seems to know me better than I know myself most of the time and vice versa. Mum and Alex say they've never seen the boy happier than when he first met me a few months ago. "What's up?" I ask in a more normal tone.
Tobi doesn't say anything which doesn't surprise me; I haven't heard him say more than a handful of words at once in the short time I've known him. Instead, he simply holds his hand out in offering. On his palm sits a tiny, silver dragon.
I tilt my head questioningly at Tobi, and he sighs impatiently, grabs my hand, and places the dragon in it. As if woken by the movement, the dragon lifts its head, and I yelp as it crawls to my middle finger, curls its tail around the base of it, and hugs my finger with both sets of limbs. The dragon's delicate wings stretch over my second and fourth fingers almost protectively. I turn my hand so I can see the dragon's face and the two, miniscule rubies that are its eyes, and as I watch, its right eye slowly changes to gold, a pleasant heat filling me as it does.
I'm too shocked to do anything but stare at the dragon for a few minutes. Eventually, I look up at Tobi, who appears entirely too pleased with himself. "I...This...Thank you, Tobi," I breathe, at a loss for words.
Tobi gives me a wide smile which fills me with more warmth than the dragon did. "Goodbye, June," he says, calling me June for the first time. Actually, he's the only one in my family to ever call me that. Tobi stands awkwardly for a moment before doing something else for the first time: giving me a hug. He pulls away quickly, looking uncomfortable, and leaves.
"Goodbye, Tobi," I whisper to the empty room.
~*~
"You're bringing that?!" I ask in dismay.
"Of course I'm bringing her!" Nyx exclaims as she stokes the creature in question: a massive, midnight-black raven that's perched on her arm. "Morgana goes everywhere with me." Morgana tilts her head smugly and regards me as if I'm prey. Gods I hate that bird!
"It says you're allowed to bring an owl," I whine, "not an over-grown hummingbird!" Morgana ruffles her feathers indignantly and launches herself into the air.
Nyx watches her circle high over our heads with a sigh. "I think you hurt her feelings," she says.
"Good," I snap as I climb into my mum's pristine, silver minivan. Felix, who was watching the exchange with wide, orange eyes, barely manages to move his tail out of the doorway before I slam it closed. He hisses at me in annoyance and slinks off to the backseat to sulk in private. Great, now even the bloody cat's mad at me. On the other side of the car, Nyx shrugs off her black leather jacket that she insists on wearing even though it's like two-hundred degrees out here to reveal a white t-shirt underneath. "Why're you wearing white?" I ask her, curiosity replacing my sour mood. Nyx normally doesn't wear anything lighter than black, or maybe a really, really, really dark grey.
"Hmm?" she asks, looking down at her shirt as she closes the car door. "Oh, I dunno. New beginnings and stuff?"
Mum and Alex finally finish loading the trunk and climb into the front. "Oh, that's so beautiful!" I mock. "Brings a tear to my eye." I sniff and pretend to wipe away a tear, and Nyx smacks me on the arm painfully hard, which actually does make my eyes fill with a couple of tears.
"Shut it, you twat," she says, immediately glancing at my mum who once banned Nyx from the house for a week simply for calling Alex stupid, but Mum doesn't do anything other than start the car. Nyx glances at me, but I shake my head to keep her from commenting on the strange behavior. Probably just to annoy me, she says cheerfully, "Thanks so much for giving me a ride, Ms. Roshan. I can't believe my dad forgot I was leaving today!" The hint of bitterness in her voice tells that she can believe it and had probably been expecting it. I sigh in frustration. Why do parents have to be so shit at parenting?
"Oh, it's quite all right, Ceres," Mum says, voice dripping with false merriment, though I suspect that I'm the only one who notices. "Victoria's always much more pleasant when she's with you, after all." I roll my eyes and give Nyx a see what I have to deal with? look.
In the passenger seat, Alex snorts. "I wasn't aware Tori was ever pleasant."
Nyx gives me a puzzled glance but decides to drop the matter at my pleading look. "So, why're you wearing black, then?" she asks.
"It's the color of my mood," I respond. All my happiness seems to have vanished into the dark abyss of my soul.
Nyx sighs, and I hear her mutter, "This is gonna be a long ride," under her breath. I can't agree more, I think, even though the ride from Birmingham to London is only two hours.
"I'm going to sleep," I announce. "Wake me up when we're almost there?" I ask Nyx as I rest my head on her leg and stretch out across the middle seat.
She nods and runs her fingers through the dyed, red streak in my sea of black hair. "Sweet dreams, June."
~*~
I most definitely do not have sweet dreams, and I'm woken up by Nyx two hours later feeling worse than when I fell asleep.
Nyx notices this as we grab our luggage from the trunk and says rather bluntly, "You look terrible."
I glare at her as I slam the trunk closed. "Cheers, mate."
Nyx winces as she always does when I "try to be British" as she puts it. "You know, it's really rather insulting when you - AHH!" she yelps as Morgana alights on her shoulder.
Damn, I thought we'd left her in Birmingham, I think crossly.
"Hey, Gana," Nyx says, stroking the raven. "How was your flight?" In answer, Morgana drops an object into the hand running over her feathers. Mindful of the bird's sharp beak, I step closer to get a better glimpse of the object, which turns out to be a ring made of a pearl with wings darker than Morgana's and a simple silver band. "You know it's not right to steal, Morgana," Nyx chides, but she slips the ring onto her finger anyway. As soon as she slides the ring on, Nyx gasps as if it burned her, and...her hair turns blond.
I yelp and take a step away from her, and Nyx glances at me in confusion. "Nyx," I gasp, "you're blond!" Suddenly, I can't stop laughing, and Nyx's expression of pure horror is only making matters worse. When I finally calm down enough to breathe normally, I shout joyfully, "You did it!"
You see, Nyx is a half-Metamorphmagus, but her mum, who was a full Metamorphmagus, died before she could teach Nyx how to control it. Since I met her two months ago, Nyx has been trying to change her hair into a color other than vibrant blue and the usual dark brown, but this is the first time she's actually accomplished it.
Nyx grabs a lock of her now-blond, curly hair and holds it in front of her face for a moment before letting out a shrill screech that makes Morgana bite her ear irritably and everyone outside of the crowded train station stare at her with panic.
"Girls," Mum says sharply, appearing from around the front of the car with Alex in tow. "You're bothering the Muggles. Alexander will show you where to go..." she trails off and stares at me for a second, and then, she clears her throat, climbs back into the minivan, and drives away without saying goodbye.
I watch my mum drive away until she disappears around the corner, and I turn to Alex, who's still staring after her with a lost expression on his face. "What'd she say to you?" I ask because surely, they must've been doing something while Nyx was busy discovering her inner blond.
Alex jumps as if he was asleep and pastes on a fake smile. "Nothing. Come on," he says with a jerk of his head as he starts walking into King's Cross Station. My brother leads us through a maze of trains and Muggles until he comes to a stop in front of the brick wall dividing Platforms 9 and 10. Alex looks at Nyx and me expectantly, but when we continue to stare at him blankly, he gestures to the wall and says, "Well? Get on with it."
I glance at Nyx and find my confusion mirrored on her face. "Umm...Get on with what exactly?" I ask.
Alex shakes his head and mumbles something under his breath. "You know what? I'll just show you," he decides, backing away from the wall. Without preamble, Alex races forward like a football - American football - player intent on tackling the wall, pushing his suitcase - Trunk, I think, reminding myself of the British word - in front of him. I wince as he hits the wall, but...he goes right through the wall as if it wasn't there...
"Alex?!" I shout, staring at the spot where my brother vanished, and without thinking, I run after him. I expect to feel pain or at least something when I hit the wall, but there's nothing but the terror and exhilaration of accomplishing the impossible when I find myself unharmed on the other side of the wall.
On the tracks in front of me sits a massive black train with, like, a million blood-red carriages stretching out behind it. Surrounding the train are dozens of witches and wizards and mothers and fathers and children and their trunks and pets and all the noise created by them. A head of close-cropped, curly black hair disappears onto the train amidst a group of other Third-Years, and I sigh in a mixture of frustration and relief at the sight of my brother.
Suddenly, I pitch forward as I'm hit by a force quite like...well, a train. I land on my hands and knees in front of a sextet of blindingly neon heels. My gaze travels up the legs attached to the central pair - which aren't quite hot pink...more like holy shit I'm boiling pink - past designer jeans, an expensive-looking silk shirt that's (shockingly) pink, and enough jewelry to make a goblin cry, and rests on the make-up-covered face of the blond in front of me. Unlike Nyx, who's turning out to be a carefree and somewhat ditzy brunette-turned-blond, this girl is one of the mean blonds that only exist in movies and high school, and I immediately label her Queen B (B stands for bitch, of course) in my head.
Because I'm appreciative of my amazing lying skills, I sit back on my heels, fix a wide, fake smile on my face, and say cheerfully, "Sorry 'bout that, mate," and I can feel Nyx wince behind me at the word. Mate isn't even British! It's Australian...I think.
"Clumsy much?" the Queen asks, and the smile is wiped off of my face. I notice her posse for the first time when the blond on the right (the one with the green heels that are so bright that they sting my eyes and hair so pale that it seems to be silver in the sunlight) giggles, and the brunette on the left (the one attached to the sky-blue heels and hair that's the same shade as my skin - Hey! We're practically related) elbows her in the ribs.
"Rude much?" I fire back. Queen B rolls her eyes at me almost sympathetically, like I'm a dog that can't understand just how adorably pathetic I am, and turns to Nyx, probably seeking support from her fellow blond.
"Bugger off," my friend says, and the Queen's expression is priceless. She opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by a loud whistle from the train.
Brunette grabs her arm and says, "Come on, Bee. Let's go," and I have to hold back maniacal laughter as the two followers drag their murderous-looking leader onto the train.
"Come on, June," Nyx says, offering a hand to help me up, and I finally look up at her. Nyx looks absolutely terrifying with her unruly curls of honey-colored hair and eyes blacker than tar, but as I watch, her eyes lighten to their normal color that can't decide if it's green or grey or hazel, and a smile brightens her face. I give her an answering smile as I stand up without her help, grab my suitcase which Nyx must've brought through the wall with her, and race towards the train, Nyx, Felix, and Morgana following in my wake.
The train starts moving as soon as we board, leaving us - especially Nyx - to blunder and stumble our way through the infinite row of carriages as we try to find an empty one. Every single bloody compartment is filled with groups of witches and wizards proudly wearing red, green, blue, or yellow, so I guess all the other First-Years are hiding in the back.
Finally, we reach an empty cart towards the rear, and Nyx tosses her luggage carelessly on the floor before sprawling across the bench on the right. I scowl at her as I stack our suitcases - trunks - tidily on the rack above her; despite the state of my room, I'm actually quite a neat person...most of the time. Nyx gives me an unapologetic smile but scoots over to let me have the window seat, twisting her new ring around her finger as she moves.
"Ooh!" I exclaim, the action reminding me of the ring wrapped around my own finger. "I got a ring, too." I hold up my middle finger to show her the dragon and giggle at her glare.
"You can't even flip people off like a British person, you American twat," she mocks, demonstrating how to do it "properly".
"Oi!" I shout just to make her cringe. "I can flip people off just fine."
Nyx's reply is cut off by a voice coming from the seat across from us. "Umm..." it says, and I pinpoint the source to be a tiny girl wearing a dark blue shirt and jeans, which lets her blend in quite well with the navy bench. "If it helps, you flip someone off in Italy like this," she says, holding up the Rock and Roll sign.
"Do Italians not like Rock and Roll?" I ask bewilderedly, saying the first thing that comes to mind as always.
"How could anyone not like Rock and Roll?!" Nyx and the girl shout in unison.
They appraise each other for a moment before Nyx grins and says, "I think I like you. Name's Nyx. Ceres Nyx."
"Shut it, James Bond," I try to say with derision, but the words are turned into gasps by my laughter. When I can finally breathe again, I hold out my hand to the girl who's watching us with extreme confusion and introduce myself. "Hey, I'm June."
"She also answers to Twit," Nyx interjects. I'm about to smack her when I realize that she's startled a laugh out of the girl. The sound is not unlike the twinkling of a thousand tiny bells, and I silently make it my life's goal to hear it again.
The girl looks surprised by her laughter and abruptly cuts it off, and the only trace of her amusement is a small smile. "I'm Liane," she says. "Liane Lup-EEE!!!" The rest of her name is drowned out in a shriek as Morgana flies at her with murder in her beady eyes, and I automatically stand up to defend Liane, relaxing only marginally when I realize that the raven is focused on the cage beside my new friend instead of the girl herself. "Magnus!" she cries, standing in front of the cage protectively. Morgana rakes her claws down Liane's arm, and I move to help her, but Felix gets there first. With a yowl, the tiny kitten leaps onto the large bird, and is promptly thrown onto the (thankfully) padded seat of the bench.
"Felix!" I cry.
"Morgana." The raven freezes at the growl and turns to look at its owner, and the familiar voice and strange tone make me turn to face Nyx too. Her eyes are black again, and her glare is icy enough to freeze Hell. The light shining on her blond hair and white shirt makes her look like an avenging angel, and I have to resist the instinct to back away from her. "Stop. Now," she commands, and I have the sudden urge to drop everything and beg her for forgiveness; Morgana apparently feels the same way because she flits back to Nyx's shoulder and nuzzles her hair, as if searching for mercy in the golden curls.
Liane is so intent on fussing over the creature in the cage that she misses the entire exchange. "Oh, Magnus," she coos, and I lean closer to make out the large, trembling screech owl taking up most of the space in the cage. Liane runs a comforting hand over the owl's head of feathers, but I can tell that he's shaking with rage, not fear.
A tiny head peeks out from behind the cage, and I screech, "Felix!" in a perfect imitation of the owl - Magnus. For once, Felix doesn't struggle as I hold him close to my chest, and I'm surprised by how much the feline's come to mean to me over the past two months. Despite having my family and Nyx - who's just as good as family, if not better - Felix has been my one infallible source of comfort since...since Dad. Sometimes it's easier telling a cat than a person your deepest, darkest secrets; at least cats don't talk back...much. As if listening in on my thoughts, Felix lets out a piteous mew, and I release him from my hold instantly, wary of his sharp claws. The cat slinks away to curl up against Magnus's cage.
I sigh and go sit next to Nyx, who's quietly chastising her raven, and Liane perches on the seat next to the cat and owl. I smile at her, and eager to dissolve the tension, I drawl, making my Southern accent clear, "So, Loopy," she opens her mouth to protest against the nickname, but I cut her off, "tell me about yourself. Other than that you're a protector of owls and quite knowledgeable on the delicate art of flipping people off around the globe."
Loopy - the name kind of suits her - blushes and smiles. "What d'you wanna know?" she asks.
"Everything."
She laughs - mission accomplished - and teases, "Oh, is that all?"
Her laughter is infectious, and I choke out, "I've been told that I can be a tad demanding," in between giggles. Beside me, Nyx snorts and receives a punch to the shoulder. "How about we go in a circle?" I suggest. "Nyx'll go first."
Nyx scowls at me, and gives her life story in a flat monotone. "Mum's dead, Dad's a pillock, and Stepmum's a bitch. I'm an only child, a half-Metamorphmagus, and-"
"Sorry, you're a what?" Loopy interrupts.
"Umm...Basically it means I can do this," Nyx says as her hair changes back to its natural brown. Loopy's eyes go wide, and I clap for Nyx, feeling strangely like a proud mum. "Anyway," Nyx continues, pretending that she isn't beaming with pleasure, "my hobbies include listening to music and hating June. Happy?"
I glare at her and smile at Loopy. "What she failed to mention is that she's also a professional prat." I dance away from her fist and sit beside Loopy, relocating Magnus and Felix to the floor and placing my feet in her lap. "Alright. So my life story..." I begin. "Umm...Mum and Dad divorced when I was two so I moved to Birmingham, Alabama with my Dad, and Mum kept my brothers. I moved back Birmingham, England a few months ago after Dad died in a were attack -"
"Wait. A what attack?" Loopy asks, interrupting once more.
"Were, like werewolf," I explain. "Dad was a Hunter, the best there was in fact, and I'm gonna be one too..." I trail off and look at Loopy in concern. "Are you alright, mate?" I ask, and this time, Nyx doesn't correct me. "You look a bit pale."
She gives me a smile and a laugh (which are both fake) and says, "I'm fine. Keep going. It's really interesting."
I kick Loopy to get a real smile out of her. "Don't worry. I'll protect you." I promise, surprised at how much I mean it. "Back to my life...I like reading and eating and sleeping and breaking rules. My favorite color's green, and my favorite food is bacon -"
It's Nyx's turn to interrupt. "I thought your favorite food was Chocolate Frogs."
"Yeah, but everyone likes bacon. It's like the universal favorite food. Right, Loopy?"
"Umm..." she says shyly. "I'm a vegetarian." Nyx howls with laughter, and I throw the closest thing to me - a box of owl treats - at her.
"Well, Miss Vegetarian, tell us about your life," I say once Nyx has calmed down.
"There's not much to tell..." she begins tentatively, but my encouraging smile seems to give her confidence. "It's just me and my little brother...and our uncle," she practically spits the last word out, and I have the abrupt desire to harm whoever could possibly evoke so much hostility from the docile girl. "I like music and reading and umm...writing sometimes...?" she trails off and stares at her feet as if the worn tennis shoes hold the secrets of the universe.
"Favorite color?" I prompt after a few awkward seconds.
Loopy answers quickly. "Purple."
"Favorite food?" Nyx asks.
"Uhh..." she thinks for a moment. "Ooh! I had these things in Diagon Alley called Sherbet Lemons that were really good."
Nyx and I hmm in agreement, though I personally prefer Chocolate Frogs. "What's your brother's name?" I ask.
"Alan. He's a prat," she says fondly.
"More of a prat than me?" Nyx asks incredulously.
"No one's more of a prat than you," I answer, and Nyx gives me another lesson on how to properly flip someone off. "Except...maybe Alex."
"Who's Alex?"
"He's my brother," I say, answering Loopy's question. "My older brother. Tobi, my younger brother, is perfectly sweet."
Loopy smiles softly. "I'd like to meet them."
"Alex is a Third-Year so you might meet him, but be careful what you wish for."
"Anyways," Nyx says, "back to being nosy. What House do you wanna be in, Lia?"
"Umm...what?" Loopy asks, puzzlement written across her face.
Nyx and I gasp. "You don't know about the Houses?!" we exclaim in unison. Loopy gives an apologetic shake of her head in answer.
"Well," I explain when I get over my shock - everyone knows about the Houses! "at Hogwarts we're divided into four Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, Hufflepuffs are like loyal or something, and Slytherin...well, they're snakes. We're gonna be in Gryffindor," I finish proudly, but I'm reminded of my mum's words. You don't deserve to be a Gryffindor.
Loopy's voice shakes me out of my thoughts. "Well, I'd like to be in Gryffindor with you guys, I guess, but I wouldn't mind being in Ravenclaw..." she says (hesitantly, of course). I wonder if she's ever been allowed to have an opinion before without being mocked or scolded or...Gods I want to hurt somebody.
I give her a smile that I hope says it's ok to be yourself. "I'm probably not smart enough." Loopy opens her mouth to say something that's probably sickeningly sweet, but I cut her off with another question. "So, do you have a boyfriend?"
She gapes at me for a moment in shock. "No!" she exclaims vehemently, but I hear the but...in her voice.
Nyx apparently heard it too. "Ooh!" she squeals. "Do tell. Is he hot?"
"And dreamy?"
"And fit?"
"Does he have blue eyes?"
"And blond hair?"
"And a voice that just makes you swoon?"
"I bet he has a manly name."
"Something like...Arthur?"
"Or Edward."
"Brad, maybe?"
"Ew!" Nyx squeals, looking scandalized, but it's nothing compared to the expression of pure horror on Loopy's face. "Not Brad."
"Relax, Loopy," I say soothingly because she really does look rather horrible. "Are you gonna tell us his name now?"
She mumbles something into the hands covering her face.
"Hmm?" Nyx asks, kneeling on the floor in front of Loopy and removing her hands from her face. "I didn't quite catch that."
"Loki," she mutters sullenly.
"Loki..." I repeat.
"Loki," Nyx echoes.
"Did someone say my name?"
I look in surprise from the flame-haired boy who just entered our carriage to Loopy who's trying desperately to blend in with the seat again, and a smile spreads across my face. "Definitely swoon-worthy."
"Shut it, June," Loopy snaps, and for once, I obey and fall silent.
Loki looks between the two of us in confusion, his gaze finally settling on Loopy, who's still valiantly trying to discover her inner chameleon. "Hey, Lia," he says with a smirk, and yep, I most definitely do not like him.
"Hi, Loki," Loopy says with a nervous smile and an awkward wave, finally giving up on hiding. They spend a minute soul-gazing, and I share a disgusted look with Nyx from where she sits on the other side of Loopy; apparently she doesn't like this Loki character either. I'm about to interrupt their moment, but someone else beats me to it.
"Ah, there you are, Loki." My head snaps up at the familiar voice, and I can see Nyx tense out of the corner of my eye. "Oh, and you've found your girl. How sweet."
Loki blushes and glares at Crys Argent, Satan incarnate. "Her name is Liane," he snaps.
"Ooh, Lover Boy's got some balls," I say delightedly, earning a soft chuckle from Nyx and a hard kick from Loopy.
"Victoria!" Crys exclaims with mock glee. "You don't know what a relief it is to see another pure-blood, even if it's you. It's absolutely disgraceful how they let Muggle-borns attend the same school as us."
Beside me, Loopy makes a tiny choked sound of indignation. "I'm a Muggle-born," she says, sounding wounded.
"You're fawning over a mudblood?!" Crys asks Loki, who's staring at Loopy with a peculiar amount of confusion, incredulously. Suddenly, Nyx and I are standing protectively in front of Loopy with our wands drawn, and Loki's wand is pointing at Crys.
"Don't call her that," Loki and I growl simultaneously.
"Not you too, Tori!" Crys despairs. "You do know that Muggles are were-lovers right?"
"Shut. Up."
"Your Dad would be so proud," he sneers, and that's the last straw.
"Petrificus Totalus!" I shout, and Crys ducks, barely avoiding my spell.
"Confringo!" he retaliates and I freeze in shock; that's a spell used to kill. Just as I realize that I won't have enough time to move out of the way, a shout comes from behind me.
"Protego!" A shimmering, silver shield appears in front of me, turning gold when Crys's spell hits it. I look behind me at Loopy, who cast the spell, in shock. Her eyes reflect the colors of the shield, making her look otherworldly and dangerous, and I watch the swirls of silver and gold for a few moments, lost in their spiral.
The sound of a door slamming open turns my focus to the girl with raven-black hair and mud-brown eyes that match my own who walks into the carriage. She looks between Crys, who's still on the floor, and Loopy, who's still maintaining her shield. "No magic outside of Hogwarts," she commands, and Loopy releases the spell with a sigh. I glance at her again and her eyes have returned to their normal brown. "You know I'm gonna have to report you two, right?" the older girl - who I assume is a prefect -- asks, looking for confirmation from Crys and Loopy. Crys simply glares at her, and Loopy nods glumly. The prefect gives Loopy a smile and returns Crys's glare. "You and you," she says, pointing to Crys and Loki, "come with me," and with that, she leaves, expecting her orders to be followed.
"Bye Lia," Loki says with concern as he exits the carriage.
Crys stands up to follow him. "It's been a pleasure as always, dearest Victoria." I give a two-fingered salute to his retreating back.
Once they're gone, I slump onto the bench beside Loopy. "Alright?" I ask anxiously; Loopy looks drawn and worryingly pale.
"I'm fine," she snaps. "I don't need you to protect me."
I share a troubled glance with Nyx, and she opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by the arrival of a trolley bearing an assortment of snacks and candies.
"Food!" I shout gleefully, racing towards the cart. My eyes scan the seemingly never-ending array of sweets as the woman pushing the trolley watches me suspiciously.
"What d'ya want, June?" Nyx asks as she comes to stand beside me.
I give her a hopeful smile. "Umm...everything?"
Nyx sighs and mutters, "Of course you do."
I squeal, hug her, and, hiding my lips behind her curls, whisper, "Get some Sherbet Lemons too."
Nyx gives me a quick smile of acknowledgement, and I perch warily on the bench across from Loopy as she orders. For a couple of minutes, the only sound in the carriage is the quiet murmuring of Nyx and the trolley woman, and then, the woman leaves with a noticeably lighter cart, and Nyx sits next to me, laden with treats. "Want some?" I ask, offering a handful of Sherbet Lemons to Loopy.
She stares longingly at them for a moment before shaking her head. "No, thank you. I...I think I'm gonna take a nap."
"Oh, ok..." I say, feeling strangely hurt by the rejection.
Beside me, Nyx says way too brightly, "Night, Lia."
"Night," I echo. Loopy gives us a small but real smile, stretches out across the bench, and closes her eyes. Nyx and I snack in silence until the sound of her deep, even breathing fills the quiet. "Nyx," I whisper, not quite able to put all my thoughts into words.
She understands anyway and places a comforting hand over my own. "I know," she says quietly. "I know."
"Why...What...Ugh!" I groan, frustrated at my inability to speak. Loopy moans and turns over in her sleep at my outburst.
"Reminds me of a certain someone," Nyx says, poking my side. I reflexively scoot away from her, but I lean closer again as I remember the day we met.
Hopelessness...Self-hatred...A mindless walk through the woods...A slippery boulder high above the earth...A rather poor decision...A desperate call...A tackle that sends us both plummeting over the edge...A terrified shriek...The frantic release of pure magic...The shock of ice-cold water...And words as we lay shivering on the bank: "If you jump, I jump."
"Yes," I agree, resting my head on her shoulder, "but she was saved by a certain someone. Who's gonna save Loopy?"
Nyx wraps an arm around me and answers confidently, "We will, obviously." A tiny smile stretches across Loopy's face, but I'm fairly sure she's still asleep.
~*~
The rest of the ride passes in comfortable silence, broken by the occasional request for food or snarky comment on how quiet the other is being. At some point, Alex finds our carriage and attempts to wake Loopy up, but he scurries away with his (hypothetical) tail between his legs after the safety of his manly parts is threatened. As the sun sets, I peer out the window and am surprised to find that we are surrounded by shops and houses rather than fields and cows.
"Nyx!" I exclaim delightedly - even magical train rides are boring - forgetting to be quiet, but Loopy doesn't stir at the noise.
"Hmm?" she asks, looking up from the magazine she mysteriously acquired about an hour ago. Her eyes go wide at the scene outside. "Yay!" she squeals, and this time, Loopy sleepily tells someone called Alan to shut it. "Come on, June," Nyx says much quieter as she packs away her stuff and pulls her trunk down from the rack above the bench. "Time to put our robes on."
I stare distrustfully at the black robe she offers me. "Why do ya have my robe?"
Nyx rolls her eyes at me and tosses it at me. "Cuz I had a feeling you'd forget it, and guess what? I was right," she answers.
I huff and dutifully put on the robe, which turns out to be too long, and Nyx's is too short, so we have to switch. By the time we've righted ourselves, the train has left the town behind.
"We will be rea-" part of the sudden announcement is drowned out by my surprised screech, which wakes up everyone - including the pets - in the carriage. "-warts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."
"What?" Loopy asks groggily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"Loopy!" I shout, and she winces at the noise. "Put your robes on, and leave all your stuff here. We'll meet you outside, 'kay?"
She frowns in contemplation for a moment. "But...how will they get everyone's stuff to the school?" she asks.
I grin and spread my arms wide, and Nyx and I answer in unison. "Magic."
I laugh at the annoyed expression on Loopy's face and start to follow Nyx out of the carriage, but a questioning meow stops me. I look down at Felix, whose fur is flat on one side from sleeping on the floor. "You stay here, buddy. I'll see you later," I reassure the kitten. He looks anything but mollified but stays put as I exit.
Outside, the train is a strange mixture of organized chaos and just plain chaos. Twitchy First-Years watch in fascinated horror as older students toss luggage back and forth and change into their robes in the middle of the train. A half-dressed girl Apparates in front of Nyx and holds out a squirming box. "Would you mind holding this for a min?" she asks, not waiting for a reply before shoving the box in Nyx's hands and disappearing into a group of other Seventh-Years. Nyx stares at the wriggling package for a moment, and then turns her horrified gaze on me.
"It's a squid," she says matter-of-factly.
"What are we supposed to do with a bloody squid?" I ask dubiously, and Nyx doesn't even notice my use of the British word.
Instead of answering, she shrugs and goes to join a group of First-Years waiting in front of a sliding door. A few minutes later, the train stops, and the whole group is practically pushed out the door by the crowd of impatient students behind them. I wait for the initial rush to die down before attempting to get off the train so I don't get trampled. The other First-Years head left towards a massive lake that reflects the now-black sky and silver stars above, and the older witches and wizards head right towards a row of horse-drawn carriages...except the skeletal creatures that are darker than the sky are definitely not horses.
"Do you see those?" I ask Nyx when I finally locate her at the edge of the lake. She's standing slightly apart from the other First-Years, who are boarding tiny, perilous-looking boats in threes and fours.
"See what?" she murmurs dazedly, barely glancing up from the worryingly motionless box in her hands.
"The big, scary horses with wings!" I nearly shout in exasperation. How can she be so bloody blind?!
Nyx finally looks at me, and her gaze follows the direction of my pointing finger and shifts to one of the skeletal pegasi. "June," she says softly and slowly as if speaking to a wild animal. "There's nothing pulling the carriages."
I blink at her incredulously. This is it, I think to myself despondently. This is the day Nyx finally goes mad.
Before I can say anything, a cheerful, booming voice comes from further down the lake. "'urry up, 'urry up, lasses!"
I turn and look up...and up...and up at the man - sorry, giant - that just spoke. A kind face framed with wild, brown hair and sporting the beginnings of a wispy beard sits on top of a large, tall body. Beside the giant stands a small girl with golden hair and a miniature kitten with golden fur.
"We're waiting on one more!" Nyx calls back, but her voice is drowned out by the whistle of the train.
"Loopy!" I shout as steam begins to rise from the chimney. I'm about to race to the rescue of my friend when a small shape dressed in black robes and crowned with brown hair flies off the train and into the grass. The figure lies still for a moment before getting up and picking its way across the rocks surrounding the lake. "What were you doing, you twat?!" I demand, more relieved than angry, as Loopy is illuminated by the glow of the giant's lantern.
She gives me a sheepish smile. "I wanted to know where the luggage goes."
"You almost gave me a bloody heart attack!"
"But I didn't," she replies cheekily.
I huff and walk over to the giant without responding, and I can hear Nyx fussing over Loopy like a mother hen behind me.
When we're all gathered around him, the giant, who introduces himself as Hagrid, ushers us and the girl, who doesn't look so small when she's not standing by Hagrid, into a large, worn canoe.
"This doesn't seem very safe," the girl says doubtfully, staring at the boat as if afraid that it'll bite her.
I laugh in agreement and help her into the canoe. "Hi, I'm June," I introduce myself once everyone's settled.
"I'm Iris," she says as the boat begins moving on its own. "And this is Isis." The fluffy kitten looks up at the sound of its name.
"You know you could've just left her on the train, right?" I ask over the laughter of Loopy and Nyx, who are talking about magically disappearing luggage.
Iris's eyes go wide at the question. "Oh, no. Isis and I go everywhere together," she says, reminding me of a certain witch and her raven.
I'm about to reply, but I'm distracted by a sudden silence from Loopy and Nyx. I turn to see what could've possibly silenced the witches, and my breath is taken away. A colossal medieval castle perches on the crest of a single small mountain surrounded by a sea of hills. Thousands of lights shine in its windows, and their reflections mingle with the images of the stars in the lake.
"It's beautiful," Loopy breathes, and I smile at the child-like wonder on her face.
"Yeah," Iris agrees distractedly.
For a moment, there's nothing but silence as we take in the splendor of the castle, and then, the silence is broken by a plop. I watch the dark, rather box-like shape that caused the splash sink for a moment before looking at Nyx, who's quite empty-handed.
"Did you just...?" I ask, flabbergasted.
"Yeah..." she answers as a distinctly squid-like creature escapes from the box and disappears into the depths of the lake.
Loopy looks between the two of us in horror. "What was that?" she demands.
"Squid," we answer simultaneously.
Loopy gapes at us and a few choking sounds come out of her mouth, but when she finally manages to speak, she simply mutters, "Idiots."
"Well," Iris speaks up, "I'm sure the squid will be much happier in a lake than in a box."
"Thank you!" Nyx exclaims. "I'm Ceres, by the way." Nyx and Iris proceed to have a lively discussion over the merits of lake-dwelling squid versus sea-dwelling squid as if tossing squids in lakes is a regular activity, but as the boat docks and we disembark, Nyx whispers to me, "This is gonna bite us in the ass later, isn't it?"
"Hey, I didn't throw any squid into any lake. My ass is safe." At Nyx's hurt look, I give her a reassuring smile and pat her cheek. "Don't look so worried, darling. I'll visit you in prison."
Nyx glares at me, but she simply crosses her arms and joins Iris, Isis, and Loopy at the edge of the crowd of waiting First-Years, leaving me alone by the edge of the lake. When Hagrid's boat, which is weighed down so much that only the top few inches - sorry, centimeters - are visible above the waterline, finally reaches the beach and the giant clumsily comes ashore, he leads us along a rocky, winding path up the mountain. By the time we reach the top, half the group looks about ready to die, and most of the other half is panting heavily, but I'm proud to see that Nyx, Iris (and Isis - the two seem to always come together), and Loopy are among the few that aren't winded as I join them at the front of the assembly.
Hagrid knocks thrice on the ornate wooden doors of the castle. "Welcome," he says as the massive doors slowly open, "to Hogwarts."
We let out a collective gasp at the sight of the Entrance Hall. Directly across from the entrance is a wide marble staircase that seems to reach the stars before splitting in two. Two shining suits of armor stand guard at the foot of the stairs. Lining the stone walls are an assortment of pictures - lively, moving, wizard pictures, not still, boring Muggle ones - and a large bulletin board on the left that currently reads: Welcome, New Students! To the left of the doors, two enormous hourglasses, the furthest filled with gleaming emeralds and crowned by a snake and the nearest packed with sparkling diamonds and topped by a badger, stand tall and proud. They're mirrored on the right by an eagle perched on an hourglass teeming with sapphires and an hourglass bursting with glowing rubies. A lion statue sits on top of the last hourglass as if lounging on a throne. Gryffindor...Dearest Loopykins,
So I originally started writing this as a goodbye present for you, and it was just gonna be a short little thing, but then I fell in love with the idea of writing an actual story and having you read it (just you. Don't let anyone else read it L) so here we are! J I hope you can fall in love with it as I have <3 Also, the characters are loosely based off real life people (so like Lia is you, C.J. is Carmen, and you'll meet everyone else later), but not really. Like Carmen isn't that annoying, and you're obviously not a werewolf (or are you?) so don't be offended by anything, alright? It's just a story after all... Any feedback would be absolutely wonderful cuz I'm a horrible writer, and I wanna get better J And I started editing this for grammar mistakes, but then I got bored so sorry about that if you find any! Oh, and you're absolutely forbidden from reading this near me cuz that makes me self-conscious. Ask me if you have any questions, and I'll get the next chapter to you as soon as I can (it took me like a month to write this one, but I was busy with high school so it shouldn't take as long this time). I don't think I'm forgetting anything...I hope. Enjoy!