Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
── IN WHICH JANE LEARNS
. . .
Jane had been given over a week to think about things. Eight days actually, which wasn't a lot more than the seven a week provided, but when it came to the ninth day, the blissful ease she had been presented with came to a staggering halt.
She had used that time she had wisely, not allowing herself to worry so much when Flora promised that Harry had joined his godfather and friends who were staying at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. She had read books back to front and then back again, asked questions upon questions and looked through photos, been told things by Flora and Angela and recieved a letter from her mother and father that hadn't drawn tears, which surprised her greatly.
The girl felt as though she should be more upset about the death of her parents, but for some reason she just.. didn't. She hadn't known them, and although it wasn't directly their fault, it was because of them. And she certainly wasn't the type of person to bring her life to a standstill just because it was confirmed what she had always known in the pits of her stomach.
Instead, Jane would learn about the world she had been eschewed from since she was young. Jane had lived for the best part of two years before her parents were killed, and as a direct reesult of her parents' death there was no way for her to remember anything of what she had grown up to that point.
So, she would have to learn everything that would come as common knowledge otherwise.
Jane, in a matter of days, had learnt about potions, magical creatures beyond her wildest dreams, that some had the ability to turn a tea cup into a gerbil and back - that was what they called Transfiguration. There were herbs she didn't know doubled as an ingredient of a certain potion, herbs she didn't know existed. Charms, household spells that explained a lot about how Angela managed to produce so much food for the party.
She learnt that vampires existed, as did ghouls and banshees and other things that had filled a lot of the old, gothic novels that began the science fiction craze. Hell, she was almost completely convinced that something in one of these books meant that the story behind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could actually come to life.
That the Ministry of Magic in Britain was one of many and the current 'Primeminster' as such - or Minister of Magic - was named Cornelius Fudge which quite frankly, if she didn't know him to be such a nice man after seeing a singular copy of the Daily Prophet and it's ongoing campaign against Harry and his Headmaster, would be the most wonderful, storybook name she had ever heard.
Jane now knew that the school Harry attended was called Hogwarts and like he had told her, it was far away from here in the Scottish Highlands and taught him all the things she would learn herself. It also told her why Harry didn't seem to know so much as the average 'Muggle' - which was another great name for a non-wizard, in her own humble opinion.
And that was only the beginning of her education into the wizarding world. She had so much more to find out, and it was almost undeniably going to be easier if she was more involved in it.
Her hands languidly tugged against the pages of the book. She was back to reading the book of Magical Creatues again, and it was that which seemed to interest her the most. Of course there was something about Herbology which made so much sense to her, but the thought of there being different sentient beings that she had never heard of was so appealing.
Turning the page from the section on Daraliznof Freaazers - they resembled house-elves, which appeared later on - Jane's eyes landed on the moving ink that depicted a Dementor. Almost on cue, a ripple of goosebumps appeared over her arms, and Jane hurried to reach for the cup of coffee that remained from her breakfast, hands wrapping around the mug which Flora had charmed to stay warm - that was another incredible thing she couldn't quite imagine her life without now that she knew.
The door shut open and on instinct, she slammed the book shut. Looking up, Flora met her eyes before glancing down at the book. She didn't say anything, looking down at the watch circling her wrist and comparing it to the Grandfather clock across the library.
"Jane, darling." The eccentric witch fidgeted with her bracelet. "It's been brought forward - we needed to be there... five minutes ago."
"I thought I had an hour?" Jane's grip on the book tightened, already getting to her feet and replacing it on the shelf behind her. "I thought we had ages."
"So did I, but the owl says different." Flora was hurrying her over, handing her one of her heavier jackets to cover the thin summer dress. "It's cold down there." She added as an explanation. "Now, come on, we'll have to go by Floo."
They were hurrying along the hallway now, Jane tugging her shoes on as they went, making their way into the kitchen. "Which one is that again?" Jane forced the question out, not wanting to make things awkward.
"Fireplace." Flora directed her, reaching to a small pot on the counter, pulling the lid off. "Grab a handful of the powder, we'll go together. Just hold on tight, Jane, and remember everything I told you."
The Everleigh girl could do that with ease - but there was just one problem; things in theory were so much more scary in real life.
