After the War.

Who?

"Adela, what are the plans? I have six weeks off until I start at my new school." Pretending to think she let a finger tap on her chin, eyes moving around the room. The house smelling deeply of cookies and also aftershave.

"Girls. As much as I love to hear all of your plans I would also like to get going. The beach isn't going to come here." I rolled my eyes playfully whilst also looking at the small baby in his arms. A large and open smile was seen on his face as he reacted to me making faces at him. A raspberry was made as he spat a little and so I copied the noise. Only for the door to go. My mind kicking into autopilot as I walked to it and readied to take the post, ready to throw away another acceptance letter to some lame school that didn't exist.

"Good morning." I looked up and saw a very serious looking woman. She seemed to be certain of herself but also kind. Her face was beautiful but she was also so clearly old enough to be Adelaide's age so not for me to befriend. She also didn't carry the common outfit for a postman.

"Sorry, you are?" I blinked once and looked her up and down. A smile had stuck to my face as I was a little too nervous, her hair was dark and her eyes met me with something I rarely saw. She wasn't quite the usual person you expect to see at your door early in the morning.

"I am Katie Bell. Professor Bell to you though. I assume you received the letters but of course you didn't know how to respond." She was so busy rambling that I got lost. Her skin was a little dark just like Adelaide and I smiled weakly. She was feeling as awkward as I felt clueless.

"Sorry, letters? You mean the utter tosh that was left at my door to do with some Filtus?" I stood disbelief had to of been written all over my features as the woman stood looking a little offended.

"Filius Flitwick. He is the deputy headmaster. I am a head of house. I suppose you deserve some description seeing as you were raised by muggles for the most of it." I stood with my arms folded across my chest reluctant to let her in until she gave me a look of determination and so I stood at the side as she walked in. Black dress covering her and her hair was in a plait down her neck meeting her shoulders as she moved steadily.

I soon realised that I wasn't alone with her as the rest of the household had joined me and I felt very uneasy with how well she seemed to carry herself and act. I stood firm in my belief of the letters being a total joke.

"Miss Flint." She stopped there as I interrupted.

"I no longer have that last name. When I was finally adopted it was changed to Austen." She seemed to take a deep breath in before speaking kindly and at me directly. Like she was choosing to block them all out.

"Miss Austen, have you ever done something that you can't explain? I mean, moved something or made something happen?" I felt like the woman was fresh out of the psycho ward as she spoke like what she spoke of was common. Like making things happen was normal.

Just as I went to speak though someone spoke over my disagreement only to answer completely truly,
"Yes she has. Once a boy was picking on me and as he was walking away something happened. He was suddenly growing a tail and whiskers. Like some type of wild cat. Never heard from him again." As she admitted this a smile filled the strange woman's face. Like she had just proven a point and I felt my whole body slump slightly.

"That is known as accidental magic. You see, Miss Austen, I am like you. A witch." I didn't believe her but a part of me was too scared to admit to believing her so I just sat completely still. Acting like nothing was being said and then one of those letters were pulled out. The wax was plastered with the same old seal.

I pondered it and couldn't believe what was really happening as I saw the curved writing before me as my mind seemed to slowly comprehend what was being spoken and what I would need to do. Giving up on my dreams of finally having a normal life and fitting in for once.

"But how? I can't just be magical. Like, I have to have done something to be like this. Right?" I was trying to get to the bottom of the situation as she spoke to me far more clearly.

"Your parents you see. They were magical just like you but unfortunately, they passed. You were left to muggles, non-magical people. They passed after an attack on their family because of something they did before. A lot has happened to be honest. You family are pure in their blood. This means that they have a very long line of magic. A man decided that those who were pure deserved to take control and so a lot of fighting took place. Your father supported him and after the first war they hung with the wrong sort of people." I nodded and scanned the envelope again as I pondered what was being written.

"So these people and you all have magic? Am I going to be in trouble for what my parents did?" She had shaken her head and began to talk some more of the magic world but I didn't listen. Ignoring everything that she had spoken until I had a question, I had very clearly interrupted her and her glare wasn't the nicest thing in the world.
"How will I get there? How will I buy my supplies?" She sighed and stopped what she had been saying to me and replied.

"I am going to take you now. As for school, Kings cross at platform 9 3/4. Just walk through the wall and you will be there. Just remember to be good when getting to the school. Two teachers are on the train at all times for protection. This is our first year back since the second war. Now, we should get going." As she said this her legs were covered by the black dress again. Shoes weren't even visible and I found myself standing as well.

The pair of us walked out and Adela followed with her small family. Not saying much but her face was a little shocked and a hint of fear was seen. No tears or eyes ready to clean. That gleam wasn't in her eyes nor was the gleam of judging. She was going to be all right.

"Right, hold my hand and we will get there quickly. If you are sick don't fret, it is perfectly normal for that on your first aparation to do so." I wasn't sure what she had said and so just nodded and knew I may be sick. Only when she grabbed my hand and we had moved to the side alley, I began to fear if she had pulled the wool over our eyes. As we got out of sight a kind smile met me. Then her arm moved to go under mine.

After a split second I felt myself shrink. My eyes had surely left my skull, arms left my body and my heart was bound to have given in. Doubt of her actions had filled me and I felt tears run down my face. After a second of agonising pain my feet had hit a hard floor. Faint sounds of the people around could be heard and I had to hunch over, trying not to cry or be sick. My hands moved to my face and no tears were felt. Luckily for me.

"Sorry, I didn't realise how bad I was at, whatever it was. Some teleportation thing." I was hunched over still and felt sick slowly rise but it fell after a second and I stood up properly. Taking in the space around me. It looked like it was straight from the seventies or middle ages. Buildings hung over us and people had walked clumped together like nothing was even remotely wrong with it. Like that was normal and in the crowd I stood out. They all wore some old type of clothing just as Bell had and I looked with wide eyes. Trying to absorb all of the space around me like if I looked for long enough something would make some sort of sense. Only it didn't.

"Hurry up." Her hand had clasped mine once again and I was yanked through the crowd to clearly get at something. She kept muttering things and I missed it all as the people spoke loudly and I was taking things in. Barely, but it was all so odd that I couldn't comprehend how my life had changed in under an hour. One moment on the way to the beach and then the next thing I know some woman is marching me through a street that makes me look like I was the crazy one. In white shorts and a pink strap top.