Swish and Flick

Chapter 1: The Girl Who Lived

Lauren

It has been a month since I received that weird ass Hogwarts letter, and while I have finally decided to accept Dumbledore's offer, my mind still couldn't process that I am, in fact, on my way to the bus station (coz I can only afford the bus), with my dad beside me rapping (or trying) to Dawsin's Breek, as he half-drives and half-dabs (which he proudly calls drabbing, as if he has just invented the coolest word ever known to mankind) -- for some reason, he thinks that's a cool thing to do. I keep on scolding him to keep his focus on the road, but apparently, he's a huge fan of Tryna Swalla Fly, so I let him pretend he's a rapper as I look outside the window trying to act like I'm not a nervous wreck right now.

Because I am so close to having a full-blown panic attack. Who wouldn't be?

I have risked my future for something that I don't know shit about, trusted a guy with a weird name who's running a school with an even weirder name. For all I know, it's a school that trains assassins, or worse, BDSM fanatics. Don't think I haven't tried googling Hogwarts, because I did. There's nothing in there. It's like the school doesn't exist.

I should be scared at that point, right?

But, see, this Dumbledore is a real genius. He knows his target, he knows how to convince people without even showing his product. So his letter, while magic or wizardry or some weird candies he mentioned have definitely made me as curious as a cat, still, that wasn't the main selling point for me. There were words he used that have been echoing inside my brain over and over. He sold me the idea that I could bring a positive change to the world; how I would achieve that, I have no idea, but I'm intensely curious, that's for sure. The minute my eyes have been opened to the injustices happening in this world, I have had no greater dream than to bring about change and be an inspiration to people. That's basically what he was offering me, and a part of me cannot ignore or turn that down. Maybe I have a different path, maybe I wasn't meant to be a doctor or a senator. It's a risk I'm willing to take.

And it's not like I'm jumping into this ship blind. I've made the necessary arrangements with Yale, a back-up plan, in case this Hogwarts thing doesn't work out. I told them I'll be deferring for a year, which they graciously agreed to due to my highly impressive grades and extracurriculars, but with a decrease in my offered scholarship.

So, if I don't find Hogwarts to my liking, I could easily enroll to Yale the next school year.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna be okay.

Unless, the school is just a ploy to kidnap kids and sell them to the black market. Or, maybe it's run by a syndicate and we're gonna be trapped in a whore house and ----

My head slams again the passenger window, the pull of the seatbelt against my chest knocks the wind out of my lungs, and I hear a loud screeching noise and the sound of incessant honking, and my dad muttering obscenities.

I turn towards the driver's side as I rub my temple, and I see that my dad has hit another car. It was nothing serious though, the other driver obviously has better reflex than my dad who I'm pretty sure has been distracted by his rapping.

I see the other guy get out of the car - a tall, salt and pepper gentleman - and my dad steps out as well, a sheepish expression on his face (because he knows my mom's gonna whoop his ass later once she learns that he's been involved in yet another fender bender due to his inability to stay away from hiphop music while driving). I watch them gesticulating and talking, it doesn't look heated so I have no reason to panic (or call my mom) other than I'm at a risk of missing the bus (and I can't be late because then I'll miss the train -- the Hogwarts Express, according to Dumbledore's instructions).