When Shadows turn to Darkness

A new beginning

The fog in the alleyways of London had not yet lifted and gripped Luscinia's ankles as she stepped out of the carriage.

Whilst the coachman struggled with her luggage - a large dark leather suitcase and, to his renewed astonishment, a decorated broom - she looked around the alley.

In different shades of the same grey, the individual houses lined up next to each other and seemed to support each other. Her eyes darted to the wooden sign that marked the building directly in front of her as a pub and her lips pressed together in a hard line.

"Are you sure you want to get off here, miss? A young lady alone in this neighbourhood," he looked around uncertainly, the sign and the pub below hidden from his eyes, "that attracts trouble, mark my words!"

Luscinia gave the coachman a polite smile and shook her head, "I'm expected, sir, don't worry about it."

"Expected by whom?" he grumbled sullenly as he placed the suitcase at her feet and accepted his pay. His eyes widened and if Luscinia hadn't been busy strapping her broom around her body, he would have taken her hand and shaken it vigorously.

"Such a fine missus, a real little angel."

Unpleasantly touched, the woman addressed grabbed the rest of her luggage in a hurry and braced herself against the door of the pub.

The 'Leaky cauldron' was empty at this hour. The landlord was cleaning glasses behind the bar for the evening, when the taproom would be filled with witches and wizards; an elderly man sat in front of him, his eyes engrossed in his newspaper.

"I'm looking for a Professor Eleazar Fig."

Luscinia stepped closer to the counter, ignoring the innkeeper's curious gaze, which flicked over her clothes and began to glow with interest when he heard her foreign accent. Before a reply could stumble across his lips, however, the older man had turned his attention from the newspaper to her.

"That must be me, then."

A warm spark flashed in his brown eyes as he took the young lady's hand and shook it. His gaze briefly wandered over the entrance to the pub and the furrows on his forehead deepened.

"Were you not given a companion for the journey?"

"My family was of the firm opinion that a young lady of seventeen should be able to manage the journey on her own."

"Well, we professors also encourage the students at our school to be independent; after all, we are the last academic authority to prepare them for their future lives."

He grabbed her suitcase and motioned for her to follow him.

"And yet it seems important to me to provide a certain amount of guidance and care. Even for the older students, who are already recognised as adults by the law."

They had stepped into the backyard of the pub, a narrow rectangle where the rubbish was dumped, the ground almost as grey as the stone of the wall that surrounded it.

"Count," with a friendly smile, the professor pointed to one of the ash bins on which a small rune had been carved, "three up and two to the side."

Hesitating briefly, Luscinia did as she was told and looked questioningly at the professor as the tip of her index finger paused on one particular brick.

"Now tap it three times with your wand."

Her gaze flitted from the professor to the brick and back again before she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket for the wand.

It was plain, carved from alder wood encasing a dragon heart fibre. Wrapping her hand tightly around the handle of the same wood, Luscinia tapped the stone where her finger had lingered only a moment ago.