Hi, my name is Jessica Rowling. Name sound familiar? You've probably heard of my mom, Joanne Rowling, although she's better known under her alias, JK Rowling. I always thought it was silly that she had to have an alias to get readers. Personally, I think she could have been just as famous without it. She doesn't need to pretend she's a man in order for people to read her books, it's the 21st century! Well, almost, it was, er- will be? I can't keep track any more.
Anyway, please call me by my real name. Actually, scratch that last, I prefer Jess. Now that that's established, I guess I should explain why i'm doing this. You see, my mother has always been very imaginative, but she always kept that for her stories. Me, I like living in adventure and mystery. I have never really been much of a writer, i'd rather live it than tell it. It's not until now that I finally understand why my mother felt so compelled to share her stories, for I have starred in my own miraculous adventure, one too impossible to keep to myself. Those of you who are reading this have probably heard stories, most of them fiction, but I assure you, this one is written by someone who actually experienced it. The incursion of magical disturbances. Or, to put it simply, the Invasion of Magic.
Yeah, it sounds crazy, but it's true. I'm not just a kid who grew up with too much Harry Potter (like that's possible) or have some mental condition. I assure you, I am completely sane and normal. Just a normal teenage girl living in the UK. What happened, what i'm about to tell you, actually happened. It's real- and so is The Doctor.
Now you're lost, yeah? Who the bloody hell is "The Doctor"? Her psychiatrist? No. He's a man. More than a man, really. He's the most spectacular person i've ever met. He's enthusiastic, melancholy, merciful, protective, nimble, clever, lonely and, most of all, kind. He's also quite tall and handsome. "Foxy" as I like to put it. He always wore a tan overcoat and trainers, no matter what the conditions are. He's wear them to a wedding, even- never mind, i'm going off on a tangent.
So I was headed to The Elephant House with mum when a reporter caught onto us. This was pretty normal, considering she's a famous author, but this woman was by herself. She wasn't much of a threat, just a spindly blonde woman with an annoying voice.
"What are you going to write after Harry Potter?" she asked, pen in bony hand. It was easy not to retort, I had gotten used to it. Reporters were just house flies bussing around my head. If you swat them, they'll just come back, so all you can do is adapt and ignore.
Suddenly, my vision went blurry and, before my eyes, men in dark cloaks appeared. My hand was on mum's arm as I tried to steady myself, feeling a bit lightheaded. Mum's body was suddenly tense and unmoving, as if frozen.
"Mum?" I asked, moving to see her face. Her eyes stared blankly forward without recognition. "Mum, can you hear me? What's going on?" As I struggled to get her attention, the men closed in. I was forced to give them my full attention and realized they were wearing menacing masks similar to death eaters from mum's books. Exactly like them, actually.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I demanded, standing in front of my mum protectively.
"That's none of your concern," the reporter said astutely. She was beginning to remind me of Rita Skeeter. "It would be to your benefit if you left peacefully."
"Why?" I retorted.
"Because you won't have much of a future ahead of you if you stay." I was wrong, she was much more similar to Umbridge.
"Fine," I said, deciding to leave them and their weird cult to their own agenda. I began to move, but realized my mum wasn't following. "Come on, mum, we have to go."
"Oh, she won't be joining you," the woman said, a sly grin on her face. It was then that I realized what was happening. Before I could move toward mum, the men raised their arms. I ducked as flashed of light emitted from their hands. Their attacks forced me to run outside, leaving my mum inside with them.
I stood with my back against the wall to the cafe, breathing heavily as I took in what had just happened. My mum was now hostage to some sort of evil cult organized around her and her books. Crazy obsessed fans, no doubt. Still, that doesn't explain how they managed to create those lights. Lazers, maybe? No, there were definitely wands in their hands. Somehow they had manufactured a new kind of weapon. I need reinforcements.
Luckily, there was a police telephone box right across the street. I ran toward it and was about to open the door, when it suddenly opened before me. I went blasting in, running straight into the man who was on his way out.
"Hello!" he said enthusiastically, as if I hadn't just assaulted him. It took me a moment to realize I was laying on top of him. When I did, I did the only logical thing and scrambled to my feet. Of course, I managed to do it in the most awkward way possible.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I said, offering him a hand. As I did so, I realized where I was. It was no ordinary police telephone box.
"That's alright, i've been through worse," he laughed it off, dusting his coat off. "What's your hurry?"
"It's my mum... she's been... taken hostage," I wasn't sure how else to put it, but my new surroundings were slightly distracting. "This isn't a police telephone box, is it?"
"Well..." he said, clearly having a long explanation. I decided to find out for myself.
"It's smaller on the outside!"
"Well, that's a first." He replied, pleasantly surprised.
"Is it some sort of optical illusion? Are you some sort of government agent?" I asked, roaming my new environment. "What's this for?" I asked, coming to the central computer thing, running my hand over the buttons.
"Don't!" He he said, grabbing my hand. "You'd regret pushing that one."
"So are you going to tell me what this thing is or what?" I asked, moving on to other parts of the central computer thing.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he insisted.
"How do you know what I will and won't believe? You have no idea what i'm capable of."
"Then why don't you show me? What's your name?" he challenged.
"If I tell you, will you tell me who you are? What this is?" I bartered.
"Cross my hearts," he replied sincerely.
"Jessica Rowling," I said, extending my hand.
"Oh yes! Brilliant! It's so nice to meet you!" he said, shaking my hand enthusiastically.
"Ahem?" I looked expectantly at him, waiting for my explanation.
"Oh, right, sorry. I'm the Doctor and this is the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space."
"Time and space... So it's a time machine?" he looked shocked that I had caught on without any denial. "Like I said, you have no idea what i'm capable of. I've seen things. Things you could never imagine."
"You have no idea," he chortled with a superior expression, like he's seen weirder things.
"So, if this is a time machine, what does that make you?"
"I'm sure you can work it out," he challenged.
"Well, you're not a wizard. That's obvious."
"What? I could be a wizard!" he said defensively.
"Oh really. Then where's your wand?" I crossed my arms sassily. To my surprise, he wasn't stumped. He actually pulled something out of his pocket.
"Lumos!" he said, pushing a button on the device, the end lighting up blue.
"That's not a wand," I said, snatching it from his hand. I squinted suspiciously, trying to figure out what it was made of. I bit it, discovering it was of high quality metal. I tossed it in the air to test the weight of it, catching it easily. Satisfied, I handed it back to the Doctor, who seemed to be having a heart attack. "You're an alien. This is clearly alien technology. This "TARDIS" is your spaceship. You appear human, but," I put my ear up to his chest to confirm my suspicions, "you have two hearts." I smirked as his jaw dropped, a grin forming across his face.
"Jessica Rowling," he said, looking more proud than my mum when she found out her book was accepted by a publisher. "You're so brilliant I could kiss you!"
"Thanks, but I think you're a bit old for me."
"907 years old, to be exact."
"Blimey," I whistled. "Yep, i'm definitely too young. Maybe in a couple centuries."
"So, about your mother-"
"Oh my god- I completely forgot!" I said, practically ripping out my hair. "What kind of daughter am I? My mother is kidnapped by death eaters and here I am chatting up a bloke 50 times my age!"
"Calm down, it happens to the best of us. Well..."
"Oh shut it, i'm dealing with a crisis here!" I snapped, running my hand through my hair as I paced back and forth.
"You know, i'm pretty good with a crisis."
"A doctor has no business with this kind of crisis."
"I'm not a doctor. i'm the Doctor."
"Do you have any experience fighting dark wizards?"
"No, but i've fought Daleks, Cybermen, The Great Intelligence, the Sycorax, Axos-"
"Ok, I get it, you can come," I sighed as he grinned excitedly. "That "wand" of yours. What can it do?"
"Mostly it opens doors... it's a Sonic Screwdriver." I sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Great! So, what happened with your mum and the death eaters? They are dead eaters, right? Like in the books?"
"Yeah, exactly like in the books," I said, leading him toward the cafe. "Mum and I were just going for a cup at The Elephant House when it happened. This annoying reporter was bugging us when I started to feel a little dizzy. Then, all of the sudden, my mum went stiff and the death eaters appeared. It seemed like that reporter woman was their leader of something. She told me to get out, and they pulled their wands on me, and..."
"It's alright, you did the right thing," he said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Jess. Call me Jess," I smiled thankfully, turning back toward the cafe. "I just hope we can get her out of this... Hey! You look like a death eater!"
"Is that a compliment?"
"No, you look like David Tennant! He plays Barty Crouch Jr! You could impersonate him and infiltrate their forces!" I grinned excitedly. "Give me your jacket."
"But I love this coat! Janis Joplin gave this to me!"
"It's not evil enough. Wear mine instead." I said, taking off my jacket and holding it out.
"But it's a girl's coat!"
"It's a badass black leather jacket. Now wear it."
"Fine," he said, handing his long tan coat to me. I slid it on. It had a surprisingly silky interior. "Don't get too comfortable. You have to give it back," he said authoritatively.
"Sure I do," I winked. He looked a bit flustered.
"Alright, now get in there and figure out what they want with my mum and what they've done with her," I said, shooing him toward the door. I stood discreetly beside the window, popping the collar to hide my face as I spied through the glass.
The Doctor strode up to them and flashed his identification. I was sure he was about to be busted, but for some reason, it worked. They were talking to him as if he were one of them. If only I could hear what they were saying. I needed to move closer. They seemed to be distracted enough, so I snuck in and hid behind the counter.
"The harvest should be complete in 2 hours," one of them said.
"Harvest?" I whispered. What do they mean by harvest? What sick and twisted things are they doing? "I have to put an end to this." I climbed on top of the counter and jumped onto the back of the of the death eaters, my battle cry causing the other to turn immediately. The one I had was caught off guard, the Doctor had been the perfect distraction, but the other had speedy reflexes.
Luckily, the Doctor was quicker, and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver. It made a sound as the end lit up. The Death Eater fell to the floor, unconscious. Unfortunately, my Death Eater had his hands over his ears. I noticed his wand was in his hand, however, and took the chance to slide it out from under his hand.
"Stupefy!" I said, bracing myself. It worked! He fell to the floor and I managed to catch my footing, wand in hand, and feeling powerful. "I just used magic!" I gaped at the wand in my hand.
"That was brilliant, Jess!" he exclaimed as I regained focus and burst through the door. To my surprise, the room only contained more Death Eaters.
"Stupefy!" I shouted, taking them out one by one, the Doctor by my side. Before long, they were on the floor, defeated. "Wow," I breathed. What a rush!
"They must have taken her somewhere when they heard us outside," the Doctor said.
"Where did they take her?" I exclaimed, turning to him.
"I don't know!"
"You were supposed to be infiltrating their forces! Did you find out anything?"
"They're working for Arachnidia," he said.
"That's all fine and dandy, but how do we find them?"
"Where would they retreat to if they were in one of your mother's books?" he asked. A slow grin grew on my face as I realized where they went. No one knew my mom like me, and I knew exactly what she's do.
I grabbed a broom, which was conveniently leaning against the wall. It was no Firebolt, but it would do. I opened the window and mounted the broom, "hop on."
"Can I have my coat back, first?" he asked. I nodded and tossed it over to him. He graciously handed my jacket back to me. It felt good to be back in my own skin again. "Do you know how to fly a broom?" he asked as he swung his leg over.
"Just hold on," I said, aiming for the window. He wrapped his arms around me- just in time, too, because we kicked off at top speed.
"Wahoo!" he shouted as we soared above rooftops.
"People will hear you!" I shouted against the wind.
"Let them!" he replied, before shouting out again. I rolled my eyes. As I did so, I saw him raise his fist in the air. "Let them se us as they want to see us!"
"You've seen The Breakfast Club?"
"Of course! It's a classic!" he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world for an alien to watch 80's movies.
"We're almost there, hold on!" once he put his hand back on my waist, I dove toward the ground.
"You do know how to land this thing," he said, although it sounded more like a question. I didn't think it wise to answer.
We crashed through the treetops, branches clawing at our sides, needles scratching our faces as we made our descent. At last we met the ground, but in the most awkward way possible, as per usual.
"Agh!" I exclaimed as the broom handle split, digging into my leg. We tumbled onto the cold leaf-covered earth. "Stupid broom."
"Don't blame the broom," the Doctor said as he got to his feet.
"Blame the driver, yeah, I got it," I said, getting to my feet.
"You're hurt," he said, his face suddenly overwhelmed by a look of concern.
"I'm fine, it just ripped my jeans," I insisted.
"And your skin." He persisted, referring to the splinters of wood sticking out from my leg.
"It's nothing-"
"Who's the Doctor, you or me?" He raised his eyebrows. I sighed and ripped the hole in my jeans enough to access the whole wound. "Here, sit down," the Doctor said, motioning to a lump on the side of a tree. I eyed it before I sat down, to make sure it seemed big enough to sit on. I decided to go for it, and it didn't collapse or anything, so the Doctor went ahead and began to pull the splinters out of my leg.
"So are you really a doctor?" I asked suspiciously as he tended to my wound.
"Well..." I guess that's a no... "Technically, I did gain a doctorate under Joseph Lister in Glasgow in 1888, but that was over 400 years ago."
"It hasn't been that long," If I was doing my math correctly.
"For you," he clarified as he stood, removing his jacket. "Here."
"What's this for?"
"It'll protect you," he replied, "you know, for the next time you fall."
"Thanks," I smiled, truly grateful. "Take mine. It may be a girl jacket, but it's tough."
"How do I look?" He asked, modeling his new jacket for me.
"Badass," I smirked. "Me?"
"Radiant, and a little intimidating."
"A little?" I raised a brow, crossing my arms.
"Sorry, sorry. I meant very intimidating. Very... badass."
"That's more like it," I nodded, content. I reached into my pocket for my newly acquired wand. "Episkey," I muttered, the wound healing before my eyes. "Tergeo," the blood drying up and disappearing from my skin. "Reparo," I finished, my jeans mending themselves instantly. Growing up on Harry Potter was really coming in handy.
"Allons-y!" the Doctor said, clapping his hands together and turning on his heel.
"Right, Allonzy," I said, marching behind him. The shade from the trees made the forest seem even darker than it was, an almost foggy loom stretching in front of us.
"Stay here," he said as figures came into view. I ignored him and kept moving. "Arachnidia, I presume!" He said, striding into the scene. The fog cleared as we moved closer and I saw her, the spindly blonde reporter, only she was different.
"Who's there," her voice said, almost animalistic in nature.
"Me," the Doctor said, stepping into the clearing.
"And me," I added, stepping beside him.
"What did I tell you?" he said, his voice changing to a whisper directed to me.
"You honestly thought I was going to hide behind some tree?"
"Fair point... Alright Arachnida, this is your chance to-"
"Give my mum back or i'll blast you to bits!" I said, gripping my wand tightly. Arachnida cackled as hair began to grow from her legs. Not just normal leg hair, but long grey icky hair from all of her limbs. Her body began to transform, molding into some misshapen beast, sort of like an alien version of a spider- like Aragog, only bigger, if that's even possible. "Well that's new."
"Arachnida... Please. Just end this and we can all part ways peacefully."
"You're right about one thing, Doctor-"
"Uh, Doctor?" I said nervously, inching closer to him. We were surrounded by Death Eaters. Lots of them.
"I can find you a new realm, a new place to live. You can start a new life."
"The Trickster is done with trifles- he's changing the game."
The Doctor's voice lowered, "then you leave me no choice." He turned his attention to me, my eyes locked dead on that monster. "Now."
Before they had any time to react, my wand was pointed directly at her... it. Whatever it was, it was gone, dead in an instant. With it left the death eaters, the fog, and everything else. Including my mum.
"W-what happened? Why is she gone?" I said, beginning to panic. "Oh my god, i've killed her. I've killed my own mother. I am the worst daughter in history. I'm scum. I'm worse than scum. I'm the scum they scrape off of scum!"
"You're not scum and she's not dead."
"Then where is she?"
"Probably at The Elephant House for her afternoon tea."
"I don't understand."
"As soon as you cast that spell, it never happened."
"Then why am I hear? Why can I remember?"
He turned to me and, for the first time, he didn't look happy at all. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
"What do you mean?" I backed away from him, betrayed by what his words might mean. I broke into a sprint, running back towards town. I didn't know what he meant, but I wanted him to be wrong. I never wanted him to be wrong more than I did at this moment.
When I reached The Elephant House, it was in perfect order. Nothing was broken or out of place. And she was there. My mum. Sitting at the table, sipping a cup of hot coffee and reading newspaper clippings. I grinned, relieved she was alright. My happiness was cut short when someone sat down next to her. My heart shattered as I realized I had been replaced.
"I'm so sorry, Jess. This shouldn't have happened," the Doctor said, appearing behind me. I felt utterly defeated, broken, and empty as I stood outside the window, watching my mother drink coffee with a stranger.
"But she's me... how is she me?" I said, analyzing the girl for any difference she might have, but there was none. She was an exact copy of me.
"She's you, a different you, the you you would have been if none of this happened. You being here- it's impossible. I'm sorry."
"Will you stop apologizing?!" I exclaimed, but I was a bit too loud and they heard me. The Doctor acted swiftly, sweeping me away from sight and holding me in front of him.
"Listen to me, Jess. I know it's not fair- and this isn't your fault- but I can't change it, however..." He dangled a key in front of me.
"What's this?" I asked, my urge to cry muffled by curiosity as I took the key from his hands.
"A key to the TARDIS. Endless opportunities and adventures await. All you have to do is say yes."
"What about her?" I asked, my eyes wandering back to my mum sitting peacefully inside the cafe.
"If she sees you, all of reality will collapse," he said, his eyes apologizing for him when his words could not.
"I understand," I said, eyeing the little silver key lying in my palm.
"I'll be inside," he said, giving me space to decide. I could have been staring at that key for hours before I finally made up my mind. I took a deep breath and walked up to the TARDIS, stepping inside. There he was, waiting for me, with a mischievous grin on his face. I grinned back, knowing I was about to embark on the ultimate adventure.
