THE HIDDEN LOVES AND LIES

CHAPTER-4, THE WORLD OF MAGIC, PART TWO

PART TWO

We were right inside the ministry. And it was very huge. After walking a bit on the marble-like floor(which was so shiny that I was able to see my own reflection very clearly on it), we reached somewhere which seemed like it was the center of the whole building. Because there was this huge and very beautiful fountain with marvelous Indian sculptures, and the surrounding of the fountain seemed like a little flower garden of its own, which were of course magical flowers. And one can see a clear sky from above the fountain. The whole building seemed to be in a circular structure. But the flowers at the little fountain garden got my attention. I guess it was the same flower with different colors, but it wasn't. Because it just changed not just its color but the whole type. First it had 4 petals and looked like a poppy flower, although its inside was a little sparkly with the same color of its petals, and the flowers were like dancing on its own. They were twisting and joining with other flowers. But now it has changed into a multi-petal flower just like a marigold. But very different from it. I wasn't able to see more, because we rushed to the left side of the fountain, now walking down a very much same path from which we just arrived. We walked further of course with many more witches and wizards (out of many greeted Mrs. Rathore on the way) and right before what looked like an end, although it wasn't, we took a lift. Mrs. Rathore pressed the 3rd floor button, And in no time we were on the 3rd floor.

We walked a little and then stopped at a door with the title, " Yatra Mantralaya ( Ministry of Travel)" . The door was very huge and open. We went inside and the room inside was its own whole ministry. There were many rooms, desks, people and its own different floor with three staircases around the room to go on the upper floor. We went straight on the present floor and came inside a room which said, " Vidhyarthi Yatra Vibhaag( Students Department For Travels)". And it was also a big room. Was it due to magic or really were the rooms this big? Soon we reached a cabin which said, " Students Magicpass for Abroad". It was written in English. Even its Hindi translation reads the same. We went inside. There were 10 huge desks with 5 people in each in the cabin. We went to the 4th on the right side.
" Mr. Prakash, we want to form a Magicpass for this young lady here."
The man looked at me from his big round glass frames and asked Mrs. Rathore, " For what and to where?"
"For educational purposes and to London."
"London?!?" The man looked shocked. He looked at me and then at Mrs. Rathore. "Not Mussoorie?!"
"Yes. London. And not Mussoorie. She is selected for Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry."
His eyes grew big. And then he muttered something like, "How? Why?" His face transformed into an utterly angry and disgusted look.
"We are in a hurry. So if you can please proceed."
After answering necessary questions and giving the required certificates like the letter from Hogwarts, my birth certificate, my parents voting cards and my earlier school leaving certificate, I got my Magicpass! It was light blue in color, with my picture in it which they clicked during the process of making it, my name, age, enrolled school's name, address of home and country to the place I would be traveling to and other basic things. Although the front of the card was full of information, the other end was empty. Not a single thing written on it.

"Whenever you start your journey make sure you pay attention to the pass, and keep it safe. If it's lost before the trip, it will create a huge problem." Mrs. Rathore said.
"And if it's lost after the trip?"
"You'll need a new one for the next trip. And that would take extra work with extra time. You would get the new one with an owl post at your that-time-current location but with above mentioned conditions."
We started to come back from the same pathway we came from.

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We were walking back to the roads we came from. There was this usual silence between us, but there were so many questions in my mind that I wanted to ask her. And I need answers as well. Like, "Why was that man who gave me the Magicpass ......seemed like he didn't like me...?"
"Well, it's because his children were not able to go to Hogwarts. That's why he envies children who get that chance."
"Why is Hogwarts so good?"
"Why?" She smiled a little. "Because of the atmosphere, professors, magic, adventure, friendships, food also yeah," she huffed a little laugh, "the castle itself and what else should I say. You'll understand once you are there. The aura that school contains is the most heart-warming and soothing feeling you will get. Even in the coldest of days, you will feel warm. And once you are there, you would just wait and count each day to go back there. Hogwarts......" She seemed in her own world right now.
"Were you in Hogwarts?"
"Yes. I was in Hogwarts." she paused a little and then added, "And then there's Dumbledore. He was my ideal at that time, and still is. No wizard can be like him. He has both power and stability which every man tries for. I can never be like him but it's good to have someone to idealize and shape yourself according to, not for becoming like them, but to know our own ideals and depths to cover for."
"You studied with him?"
She laughed a little and then said, "No no. He was recruited as professor of transfiguration at the time I got into my first year. And this year, he became headmaster of the school. Surely, time flies."
"Is he very powerful?"
"Yes. Very. Without him, students like you, whose parents are muggle," (I think I know what 'muggle' means now, someone with no magic maybe), "wouldn't have been given the privilege to study magic. It's all because of him that this ended with positive outcomes."
"Why?"
She sighed , maybe frustrated with my never-ending questions, but I can't help myself with the things I want to know. I love mysteries; and she also understood my question so she said, " Because there was this one wizard named Grindelwald who wanted magic to be learned only by pure-bloods. And Dumbledore fought with him for the opposite things. And he won, with all other members who fought side-by-side with him." She knew what I would ask next so she added with stopping, "Pure-blood means who has magic as a heritage. It means, if all the members in one's family, like from when their family started, have magic, and that one person too has magic, then the person is pure-blood. But if any one of the family members is a muggle and that one person has magic, then he still would be considered as a half-blood. And those whose heritage on both father and mother's side didn't contain magic and still one has got magic, is known as a Muggle-born. Which you are, of course. And yeah one more thing, you will meet students who are pure-blood at school, don't go too close to them. Some pure-bloods have an attitude for them being pure-bloods and consider any half-blood or muggle-born a boon to the magical society. So they can pick up fights. And don't let them say you a 'Mudblood'. Never. And if they do, you are a smart witch."
Well, I don't know about being smart but it's really good that Dumbledore won. I really want to meet him now. I want to know what people who fought for rights look like.
"But then, if you have studied in Hogwarts yourself, why did you say to papa you didn't know where the school was?"
"Because it's meant to be a secret. Muggles should never know the place of magic schools. Which applies to you as well."
She sighed with a smile and muttered, "I think you would end up in Ravenclaw."

Next Chapter:
Diagon Alley