Ethereal ━ Newt Scamander

prologue

0 | throughout the ages

DOROTHY JAMES HAD always been a peculiar girl. Her parents had thought for years that she was possessed, seeing as everywhere she went when she was young, something strange happened. When she was small child, merely the age of five, household objects began to disappear and reappear weeks later, causing great distress to Mr. and Mrs. James.

Their young, innocent girl was always their prime suspect when the lights flickered or something didn't work. Young Dorothy, although she sometimes was the cause, hated the punishments she received for being a little different. She found herself scrubbing the floors, even though the James family had a maid, and was often kept inside instead of socializing with the other children. The James family had a great reputation to uphold and they would not let it be tarnished by their odd child.

But Dorothy did not mind being locked inside day and night. This did the exact opposite of what her parents wanted; learning more about her oddness. She learned how to control the weirdness and use it at her advantage, resulting in many unfortunate spills onto her parents when guests were over for drinks. Although, it also meant spending more time locked inside her room without food, but Dorothy didn't mind.

It wasn't until she was eleven that Dorothy understood what she was. Dorothy had received a letter from Ilvermorny explaining why she was so different, and she did not disagree. The James family now had a witch, nothing that her parents liked. They were completely normal people who couldn't stand the thought of their daughter being a witch. Nonetheless, they sent her off to the school just so they could get rid of her, and Dorothy did not disagree.

Eleven-year-old Dorothy had become friends with two people that year, Diana Gordon and Richard Birch. Those were her first friends she ever had. Diana was nice and shy, who often blushed at various things while Richard was confident and strong. Easily, he became the most popular person in their grade. And Dorothy just felt grateful to the school because the little girl had learned so much in one year.

The next year was quite similar to the first. Dorothy stayed friends with Diana and Richard, and the three were closer than ever. Classes were more challenging, and sometimes Dorothy fell behind, but she excelled in some.

Third year was the hardest for the James girl. She was thirteen now, and it became time when people started to notice her, people started noticing everyone. And sadly, she stood out. But that wasn't what mad it unspeakable, it was the fact that girls really began noticing Richard, and soon he had left Dorothy and Diana for popularity.

It was hard because Richard was the goofy eleven-year-old who had welcomed Dorothy to the wizarding world with open arms. He was her first friend, and Diana not far behind. He was the guy that Dorothy told everything to. And he had so easily given up their friendship for attention from girls and many more friends. But at least she had Diana.

Fourth year had been exceptionally hard. Richard paraded around them, loudly speaking about how great life was since he had left them. Diana cried every night and Dorothy had to be strong enough to hold her friend while she cried. But on the inside, Dorothy had been breaking as well.

But that year passed and soon Dorothy was fifteen. It was still her and Diana against the world, but sometimes it felt like she had no one since Diana had gotten a boyfriend. Her friend left her more for the charming boy in their year. Richard began spreading rumors about her, and the only person she had to turn to was getting cozy with some guy she never bothered to learn the name of.

It also become known as the first time she cried since learning she was witch.

Sixth year approached, and Dorothy had dreaded returning to Ilvermorny. Her friends had left her, although sometimes Diana would speak to her. Still, Dorothy held her head high and smiled like her world wasn't ending. She had to try and be happy again, even if she was alone.

Then it was her seventh year. Diana had come back to Dorothy crying because her ex-boyfriend had broken her heart, and Dorothy had let her back in. Even if she was angry with the Gordon girl, she still let her back in like she always would. Because that's who Dorothy was.

Finally, it was time to leave Ilvermorny. Dorothy had one last year in her place of comfort before leaving and facing the world alone, or close to it. She watched everyone around her more carefully that year. She saw Diana fling herself onto any guy that moved and she saw her old friend, Richard, break hearts - just like he broke hers so many years ago.

And then it was time to say goodbye. It was time to go out and get a job and move away from her parents. And the perfect place for her was a one-bedroom apartment located on Grive Street, a five-minute walk from where Diana lived with her boyfriend of the time.

As they grew older, Dorothy noted the months when Diana lived alone after losing a boyfriend before replacing him with another cute guy who passed her. The two remained strong together, Dorothy with a job at a non-mag bookshop and Diana as a clothing clerk. But they didn't care.

Five years passed and Diana had gotten pregnant with a little girl. Nine months later, Margaret Gordon was born and Diana was a single mother looking for a job. She had received one as a waitress across the city, causing her and her child to move far away from Dorothy, leaving her alone.

They visited whenever they could and on holidays the two Gordon girls spent their time at Dorothy's apartment. She watched Margaret grow up, hearing her first words and watching as she walked for the first time. Dorothy also saw the first time she ever used magic.

Two more years had gone by before Dorothy had gotten into her first serious relationship with a man by the man of Henry Banks. He was a gentleman without magic blood, and he knew nothing about hers. Dorothy had liked him very much, but after their third date when he went on a tangent about how he wished slavery still existed, she had gotten rid of him and briefly moved in with Diana and Margaret.

She had also managed to become friends with the Goldstein family after a disagreement with the MACUSA. Because, apparently, it was illegal to use magic in her work space even though no non-mag was around to snitch. After that, Porpentina invited her back to her house for dinner to "refresh her memory of the rules", and the dinner became weekly and she found friendship in Tina and Queenie (but Queenie more since she related to the free spirit more, and she always knew what she was thinking).

And Dorothy had spent her time working in that old non-mag bookstore and living in 237 Grive Street, eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast and constantly rearranging her furniture. She lived the most non-mag life that she could in fear that they would find out she was a witch and have her killed.

But all of that normalness washed away when a certain British wizard stepped foot in New York. A very cute British as well.

•••

dedicated to branwells for your amazing comments and exceeding excitement for this story!

question of the day,
newt or tonks?

answer of the day,
tonks because I still haven't seen the movie (but I'm going to see it this weekend!)