are you at your gate?
Remember to pee before you get on the plane..
Text me when you take off!
Claudia looked down at her phone to find her over bearing mother doing her usual checkup- this was expected, of corse. Claudia was on her way to a tennis camp in New York while her parents, sister and grandparents vacationed in California. And with her mom being the sport obsessed stage mom she so dearly was, Claudia knew that she would try to live vicariously through her during this trip.
Ignoring her mom's texts, She slipped her phone into her pocket and resumed what she had been doing before her phone interrupted her; stocking up on food for the flight.
She made her way into the nearest Magazine store and scanned the aisles searching for her usual favorites. She ended up picking some Godiva dark chocolate and after paying, it was time to actually find her gate.
C7
Claudia looked up. She could see C7 a few gates down in the distance and thought she might as well go over there since her flight boarded at 6:30 and her watch promptly read 6:15.
As Claudia walked through the airport, she could feel people look up at her as she passed. She knew she was attractive, it wasn't an opinion it was a fact. She wasn't conceited or self centered, in fact, in her own head, she downplayed her beauty.
As a tan, athletic, blonde bombshell, reaching almost 6 feet tall, she had learned from a young age that people were going to stare. A seventeen year old who looked like she was at least twenty- Claudia was used to the stares and now embraced it.
But as she got to her gate and people turned their heads then quickly looked away, she could feel the presence of someone who stared openly and without abandonment. This was rare, and usually it was an attractive young man who believed he could match her intense gaze. But this man in the airpot was neither young nor attractive. He was large in appearance, probably middle aged, with a worn out, wrinkled face and grey slicked back hair. His appearance was vaguely familiar; like a friend's dad she couldn't quite place. And when Claudia turned to face him head on, he smiled at her. Not lecherously, but warm and friendly as a father or relative would.
She quickly looked away. She didn't know this man. Affection like that made her uncomfortable especially since she did not know his intentions.
She tried to find a seat as far away from the man as she possibly could and set her pillow and bag down. The lady at the desk called for group one just as Claudia's bladder acted up.
Claudia let out a sigh. This always happened to her at the most inconvenient times and she did not want to have to get up and use the bathroom on the airplane. She threw on her backpack and made a run for the restroom; she was pretty sure she could leave her pillow in the chair unattended without worry that it would be stolen.
After a quick trip to the ladies room and a light jog out the door, Claudia was taken aback to find that middle aged man waiting for her outside of the bathroom, holding her pillow.
"You don't want to forget this now, don't you." Surprisingly, he was british. The man's smile was casual and probably meant to be endearing but the whole situation was so uncomfortable that Claudia let out a nervous laugh, said thank you, took her pillow and walked a little bit faster then normal back to the gate.
She sat there, nervously, at the gate as the desk lady called group B to board. She could not get her foot to stop tapping as she refused to look up in fear that she might make eye contact with the strange man.
The anticipation was slowly eating away at her. Why can't they board the plane any fucking faster? She thought to herself
Ironically, just as she thought this, group C was called and Claudia stood up and looked around. The man was no where in sight, he must have already boarded the plane. She let out a sigh of relief, she didn't want to have to stand in line with him and make uncomfortable, polite conversation.
The line wasn't too long and soon Claudia had scanned her boarding pass and was walking down the dull gray hallway that led to the airplane. A short, perky, red-haired lady greeted her with a red lipstick smile. "Enjoy your flight" she repeated to Claudia as she had just said to the many passengers in line in front of her.
Claudia got lost in thought as she walked down the aisle. Peering at the sea of faces in front of her she noticed how the emotions varied on all the people; the ones who were sleepy, curled up with a sweatshirt as a pillow; those who were excited for the journey, talking loudly to relatives and friends; and those stone cold faces that seemed terrified.
…
"Why do I have to pee again?" Claudia thought to herself.
She couldn't hold it in any longer. Claudia lifted her tray and as politely as she could, asked the strangers next to her if she could get by, then squeezed through the seats on her way to the restroom.
It was a short trip, Claudia was seated in the back and when she reached the two small bathrooms, both vacant, she picked the left one to squeeze into.
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest
"Good evening Claudia, I've been waiting for you."
It was the british man.
His huge figure seemed so out of place in the compact bathroom.
"Umm.. sorry." Claudia started to back out of the bathroom.
"Stay Claudia, you are not in danger."
For a second, Claudia felt like a cornered animal, ready to run, but then something completely changed. A wave of calm washed over her and she saw in the eyes of this man that he was telling the truth. He was not a sexual predator or a psychopathic killer, he was here for a good reason, a reason she should stick around to figure out.
"I believe you trust me now, is this true" His light eyes twinkled, seeming ridiculously out of place from his awkward slicked back gray hair and business attire.
She nodded. "How do you know my name?" She hoped he had an innocent answer to this question.
"I've been watching you."
Oh shit.
"Well" he added "I've been watching everyone, but you really stood out to me- though probably not in the way you think."
Claudia had so many thoughts in her mind right that everything blended together.
"Excuse me?" Was all that came out.
He chuckled. "I understand this is an uncomfortable encounter, but there is not really any right way to do this."
Do what?
"I have a problem. A problem for which has no simple solution; but I have come up with many, many ideas on how to fix it. I was just waiting for the right person to carry out my plan. Surprisingly, I believe you are what I have been looking for."
"Sir, I-I don't understand what you are talking about."
"No- no, I am sure you don't. But you will."
Claudia sighed and looked around. She caught her own emerald eyes in the reflection of the mirror which were as startling as ever with flecks of gold.
Right now her hypnotizing eyes seemed alert and her cheeks flushed. But even more startling than her own reflection was the one of the British man. In the mirror, only his light blue eyes were the same. Every other part of him seemed to be from a different world.
Instead of the gray slicked back hair, his hair was long and white and included a beard of the same color that reached down to his waist. Not only his hair had changed but his clothes too. His business suit was now long cloth of dark purple that reached to the floor.
But when Claudia looked away from the mirror and back to the man standing in front of him, his appearance was the same as it had been.
"Who are you?" The words came out slow and assertive and right as she said them she knew the answer would not be a simple one.
"Albus" He reached out his hand for a formal handshake. "Albus Dumbledore."
Claudia shook it and as she did a vision appeared prominent in her mind.
The vision only lasted a second but was one which she would never forget. A huge ancient building, well, not one building but many many different shaped buildings connected by smaller hallways, bridges and tunnels with towers lining the top. Something that could only be described as a castle. It was a gothic and european and breathtaking. And that wasn't even taking in account of the landscape surrounding it. Mountains and green vegetation of forest surrounded the castle with a dangerously dark endless ocean down under one of the castles sides. The sky seemed the reach for miles in enchanting colors of blues and greens a whole scene that could only be described as magic.
Magic. Once this word popped into her head, it seemed fitting. Not childish and distant, but a completely logical explanation for this feeling inside her stomach.
She repeated the word out loud. "Magic." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Very good." Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, what I am dealing with here is magic."
This didn't scared Claudia or confuse her, it excited her. Her heart was racing now with anticipation of what this man would say next.
Dumbledore went on, "Do not overthink what I am about to tell you, accept it as the truth. But first, you need to agree to help me."
"Can I at least know what the plan is before I agree to it?"
"No, I need your full commitment before I reveal anything. Just understand, this is a dangerous job that could have major mental or physical consequences down the line. Though I know you are capable and not weak of heart. I picked you for a reason."
Claudia took a deep breath. Mental and physical consequences.. she just met this man, he could be crazy for all she knew and this job could ruin her life. But deep down Claudia knew he wasn't crazy. And if this man needed her help, she trusted him.
She thought about her family, her friends, her boyfriend. Memories of family dinners and sitting around the living room laughing. Her dad kissing her cheek, her mom cheering for her at her games. Her friends and driving around town, passing notes at school, calling each other, crying, in the middle of the night talking about our problems. She remembered sitting on her boyfriends laugh and cheering for him at his soccer games, the way they went out dancing, his arms wrapped around her as they swayed on the dance floor. All of these things would be put in jeopardy if she agreed to Dumbledore's plan. A plan that she didn't even know yet. A plan that could possibly make her miserable or take her life. But Claudia knew herself, she knew her craving for adventure and the strong will to learn everything she could and conquer any challenges that presented themselves. And she knew what she had to do.
"I'm in." Claudia sighed.
"Its about time." Dumbledore stated, but Claudia knew he was joking to make her feel less uncomfortable, and it worked.
She laughed, a little exasperated at this whole situation and the overwhelming amount of possibilities that lie ahead of her.
"Now that you have made up your mind, lets take this conversation somewhere a little more comfortable."
Before she could completely get out the word "What-" the floor dropped from underneath her.
Not only the floor, but everything else around her was also gone and she was moving at an impossible speed through a dark abyss.
What seemed like a lifetime but in reality was a couple of seconds, Claudia was standing somewhere completely new.
She felt like she was going to throw up, but kept it down. Dumbledore was sitting in a grand chair across from her, behind a very cluttered, dark wooden desk.
He gestured for her to sit at the seat across from him, and she did, struggling to gain her composure.
"Welcome to my office." He made a welcoming gesture and Claudia realized that his appearance had changed again. Not a completely different person like on the plane, but he looked like the man in the mirror, only 40 years younger and instead of gray hair, it was now a light shade of auburn and much shorter than it had been before.
Claudia did not have time to observe the rest of the office because Dumbledore picked up the conversation right where he had left of on the airplane.
"Remember the picture I put in your mind of the castle?"
"Yes.."
"Well, that is currently where you are; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am the transfiguration teacher, Armando Dippet is the headmaster and you are now a student in your sixth year."
He pulled on a pair of round glasses and started to separate papers on his desk. After gathering a few things together, he handed the stack to Claudia.
"In this pile is everything you need. Class schedule, new birth certificate, family history, etc."
Birth certificate..
She sifted through the pile till she found a faded yellowish piece of paper much more ancient looking than her real birth certificate. She looked down to the date."
"1926!" Claudia caught her breath. "We didn't just teleport, we time traveled?"
Dumbledore nodded informatively. "I was getting to that. Yes, right now we are back in time and I have brought you for a very specific reason that I cannot tell you completely."
"Wait what? You brought me here, away from my family to do something, but you can't tell me that something that I am supposed to do?"
"Exactly."
"What do you mean exactly? What if I do the wrong thing? Or mess up your plan even more? To do the job right I need to know what the job is."
"No, because if I tell you, the person I brought you for would know you are trying to hard and be completely unaffected."
"Brought me for- so I am here to befriend a student?"
Dumbledore paused and contemplated what Claudia had just said. "Befriend is a strong word. This particular student does not exactly have friends."
"If he doesn't have friends- it shouldn't be too hard to manipulate him."
"It's more complicated than that. He makes it seems like he has friends but they are just his followers, at least that is what I predict, he is very disconnected and bright and manipulative."
"So where do I come in."
"Personality." He paused. "I told you I have watched you. I predict you can challenge him and, excuse me if I embarrass you, but are attractive enough to make him uneasy."
Claudia didn't know how to respond.
"Or I could be wrong about everything, he could completely ignore you and this could just be a waste of our time."
Claudia nodded, taking in the information Dumbledore just gave her. She did know her mission- to get close to the target, challenge him, test him, get inside. But then do what? She would just have to cross that bridge when she gets there.
"What's his name and what does he look like?"
"Tom Riddle and you will know him when you see him but I don't want you to seek him out. I put you in as many classes of his that I could but not too many to be suspicious."
Many faces crossed Claudia's mind as she tried to imagine what this boy would look like. Tall or short? Brown blonde or black hair? Skin color? How would she known when she saw him.
"But since this is a wizard school, Claudia, you will need to know how to preform magic. Sixth year students are experienced and you will need a copious amount of knowledge if you want to keep up with Riddle's classes."
Claudia didn't see how it would be possible for her to preform magic.
"You are thinking about how this is impossible?"
She nodded. Could Dumbledore read her mind?
"No, my magical powers does not extend to mind reading. But I will have to give you some false memories and skills. I have spent months combining just the right amount of information, techniques and distinct memories for you to refer to while on your mission." he took out a small glass cylinder with a plug in the top and handed it to Claudia. "Drink up."
She unplugged the cylinder and threw back the clean liquid. She shivered at the bitter taste, but it did not last too long. At the speed of light, a thousand different images and feelings flashed through her mind. Everything from a baby walking for the first time to a man this memory recognized as her dad holding her in his arms to kissing a boy on the cheek in elementary school to receiving a letter in the mail to attending a similar castle-like building although more westernized and learning spells, spells and more spells. Potions, friend, boys, holidays, exams. Everything. The entire lifetime of a 17 year old witch flashed in her mind and Claudia felt the great power of knowledge. Now she knew things, things that an hour ago she would not have even been able to comprehend. The feeling was invigorating.. it was magical.
"Wow." she simply said.
Dumbledore smiled with that signature twinkle in his eye. "Very good, Claudia, I was not completely sure it was going to work."
A smile was glued to Claudia's face, she was on cloud nine. The high she felt from the information and this whole entire situation lifted her spirits high into the sky. She was a witch! She had magical powers and she would now be able to study new subjects and live new adventures.
"Thank you, Dumbledore."
"Don't thank me yet." He chuckled. Take this one day at a time. The information you hold is powerful and can easily be used the wrong way, be extremely careful."
"Yes, sir"
"Now that thats settled, since I have been watching you, I think I have come up with the most compatible group of people for you to be aquatinted with. I am also the head of Gryffindor house so I have put you in my house to keep a better eye on you. This group is also Gryffindor, I have set this whole thing up to ensure your success.
"What house is Tom in?"
"Slytherin."
From the new knowledge in her head, Claudia knew that the Slytherin reputation was ambitious, cunning, prestigious and a little bit dark.
Oh and a lot bit snoody.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in Eleanor."
The door opened and a girl Claudia's age peeked her head inside. "Hello Dumbledore. You sent for me?" The girl had short dark hair in loose, shiny curls. Her skin looked soft and creamy with a slightly foreign skin tone. Her eyebrows were pronounced which drew more attention to her wide chocolate eyes and think lashes. A small freckle above her upper left lip gave her a unique look that Claudia really appreciated.
She slid through the door and Claudia got a better look at her. Although she was small and delicate, this girl stood with confidence.
"Miss Archer meet Claudia Knox. She just transferred here from an academy in America and I would like you to take her under your wing."
"Sir, her wings are much bigger than mine." She wore a kind smile and looked Claudia in the eyes.
"Yes they are." Claudia laughed and walked forward to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Her hands were delicate.
"Show her around, make her feel at home." Dumbledore gave Eleanor a wink. "And Claudia, I will have weekly checkups with you to track your progress, your suitcase is already in your dormitory."
She waved goodbye to Dumbledore as she followed Eleanor out the door. "Goodbye professor."