"Hello? Sarah Beth?"
Her voice was quivering with desolation. "Miss Sarah Beth Cumberland... is how it starts..."
"Huh? How what starts?"
"Just... listen. 'Miss Sarah Beth Cumberland: Due to recent unfolding events, the Ministry for Magic has placed you under unofficial probation as an ambassador into the Muggle World. Your reckless actions, which include the endagerment of Muggle health, conspiracy in harassment of a Muggle, and the running of an unsafe place of business in a non-magical setting, have caused the newly-formed Department of Interworld Residency to place your name and profile in the subject of Class A offenders as upheld by the Bill of Muggle Safety's Article F, Section B, Line 7.
"This means that your position as a magical person living in a setting filled with a minimum of 50% non-magical persons in in the jurisdiction of said non-magical persons in a court setting. Should you be found guilty of the crimes listed in the previous paragraph, your rights to live in a non-magical setting for longer than twenty-four hours in one year and to interact with Muggles shall be terminated immediately as clearly stated in the Rights and Regulations of Wizards' Article C, Section K, Line 1. You will be expected to leave the Muggle World permanently, and any and all persons that you have let known your magical status (whether or not they have been registered as a Trusted Witness) shall be mentally wiped of your presence in their environment.
"Lastly, you will be requireded to pay a fine of 500,000 Galleons to the Department of Inteworld Residency's Protection Service to settle the dispute of your endangering the health of Muggle individuals and perhaps endangering the secrecy of the Wizarding World. A representative will be present at your hearing, and you shall receive further results of your crimes following the verdict.
"The British Ministry for Magic apologizes for any and all inconveniences to you, E.P. Bridewest, Head of the Department of Interworld Residency'."
"So," I said, my head swimming with the words Sarah Beth had spoken, "they're sending an entire department after us?"
"Ashley, they've created an entire department to go after me! They want me out of here, now."
"They can't do that, can they?"
"There are very few things the Ministry cannot do."
"Well, that's not fair! They're demonizing one of their own citizens for-"
"Our law doesn't work exactly like that. The Ministry is a type of government that has near-unlimited power that they can use whenever they want to use it."
"So you just have a bunch of wizards that can make you into a criminal just like that?"
"That's the way it is."
I just didn't know what to think anymore. "I can't-"
Suddenly, a tap on my shoulder startled me. I turned to see Cal. He possessed a look of half-deep thought and half-confusion. He didn't hear anything, did he?
"Listen, Sarah Beth. I have to go, okay? Love you."
"Love you." And she hung up.
I turned around to see Cal standing behind me. How long was he standing there?!"
"How long were you standing there?"
He gave me a stange look. "I just got here, why?"
Whew.
---
I hadn't played my guitar in a week. I was feeling thoroughly pissed off at all of this stuff that was happening to us. I tried to play "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", but everything just sounded loud and furious.
