Harriet Roswell and the School of Witchcraft

Chapter 1

Harriet Roswell never knew her parents, as far as she could remember she had lived with her godfather Alex White. It was coming up for Harriets lonely 15th birthday, which happened to be on July 13. Alex was a very good Father, and the best friend she could ever ask for, he always tried to makes things better for her. On Harriets 12th birthday Alex hired 20 farm animals to run amok all over the house, which she very much enjoyed despite the smell, and she wasn't at all lonely. On Harriets 13th birthday they had a barbecue on the beach with a very friendly stray dog called Hedwig from the local animal shelter. She spent the day playing catch, then she and Alex used a surf board to get thrown about by waves of the sea, and after that they ate burgers they cooked on their bonfire. Alex wrote a review for the dog they had borrowed and shared some pictures online, and not two days afterwards another family adopted him, and renamed him Mr Barkingtons. Alex had offered to adopt the dog for Harriet if she wanted, but Harriet reasoned she was far too lazy to get up and walk him everyday, especially while she was studying for her big exams. Last year for her 14th birthday they went bowling, ate a lot of chips, teamed up against a group of eight year olds in lazer tag and totally beat their asses. After that they went to an escape room, 5 minutes before the time ran out they pretended to have a fight and knock each other unconscious and when the escape room attendee came to check on them they legged it out the room. After they got back home, Alex surprised her with a cake that said 'Happy Birthday Harriet' on it. It was the first year she had been out as a transgirl, and using her new name Harriet, so it meant a lot to her.

Harriet did not know what Alex was planning this year, she knew it would be great, but she also wanted a nice little party with a few friends, and some of those tubes you blew into make a toot sound. She always saw them on TV. She wanted a slumber party, a day out to a hair saloon, and maybe to get her nails done. She tried learning how to do her nails from youtube, but her hands were awfully shaky, and although Alex could paint any room in just eight hours, its seemed nails were where his skills ran out.

The night before Harriets birthday, just after Alex was saying goodnight he stopped and spoke to her.

"Harriet, I think I have the perfect gift for you." Alex said.

"I always adore your gifts" Harriet said "and it doesn't matter even if you don't get me one."

"That very sweet Hattie, I just don't want to surprise you so I'm going to tell you something now" Alex said taking her hands in his. Harriets eyes went wide, what could Alex have possibly done? Hire a crocodile? Invited the 'Tiger King' to stay? Brought back a velociraptor from the dead? In the moment nothing seemed impossible.

"You know Lukas?" Alex said, referring to a man Harriet had gotten to know very well these past four years.

He had a scar across nose from where a dog bit him and always wore a brown blazer. At the faintest rumble of trouble, or on a particularly peaceful moment he'd pull out a cold slice of chocolate from his inside blazer pocket and hand it to her. It was cold because he always kept icepacks in his pockets. Lukas had once told her he used chocolate to make friends because he found it hard to make friends other ways because connecting to people was hard with his autism. Harriet didn't know how that was possible. Lukas was the coolest person she knew. One time he picked her up from high school, he showed up in a red convertible car, sped around all the busses, flipped of a school teacher while she was getting in the front seat, and then drove over the schools grass to over-take the busses and speed off again. There was no music playing in the car but it felt like there was.

"How was school?" Lukas had yelled over the wind.

"Okay" Harriet had said holding on to her hair "why did you flip of that teacher?"

"Just like ACAB, ATAB" Lukas had said putting on a pair of dark glasses raising his coolness levels well beyond 100%. Harriet didn't know what that meant, but she didn't much care. He handed her a slice of icy cold chocolate.

"Do you like to read?"

"Yes" Harriet said.

"Good, then I know this great place" Lukas said, and it was the last thing he said before driving 30 minutes straight to this little town that Harriet had never been to before. Lukas had brought her a book, and himself, and then they had walked across to a cute little cafe, got a window seat, and they sat eating cake and tea as they read in silence for two hours before Lukas dropped her off home. Alex was Harriets Dad, and in a way, Lukas was Harriets badass father figure.

"Yes, I know Lukas" Harriet said to Alex. Alex took a deep breath.

"Harriet you have always been so brave and honest with me, and it is not that I have been keeping this secret, but I did not want to cause you any undue stress before you knew Lukas. You see Lukas and I are dating."

"Oh?" Harriet said surprised "well of course I already know that."

"What? How could you?"

"Lukas calls you his soulmate, and you kiss each other?"

"We have only kissed during gay pride, to prove gay people exist."

Harriet took a moment to think "how long do you think you have been dating?"

"I know how long I have been dating, exactly two weeks."

"Mmmm."

"I plan to invite Lukas Tomorrow, like we sometimes do go out with him, but I am afraid if I act differently tomorrow with him, you should know why, and as he is now my boyfriend and not just a friend, if you would like me not to invite Lukas, you need say only now."

"Invite Lukas" Harriet said with a smile taking Alex's hands in her own "and I would not care if he was your boyfriend tomorrow as I would not care if you took us all to vegas, for a las vegas themed marriage tomorrow, even though it is my birthday."

Alex grinned "thank you, although I dare say that is moving a little fast."

"I don't think so, but that is up to you, I suppose."

Alex kissed the top of Harriets forehead "get some rest. I've got a long day planned tomorrow."