"Class this year has been a great school year. All of you have done exceedingly well. I am however, sad to say that one of our students will not be joining us again next year." The ten and eleven year old students began to whisper at the news. "Let us all wish Elizabeth Hopestan luck with her new school next year." The teacher motioned for a small girl in the front row to stand. The girl stood, her snow white hair flowed straight down to her waist, and her bright violet eyes stood out against her pale skin. The whispers turned to words of luck and wishing her happiness at her new school.
"I wish I could tell you all about the school I'll be attending, but my parents said it was a surprise." Elizabeth held a small smile on her face. A loud bell rang and the students began to cheer and scream with joy. Everyone walked into the halls of the school, Elizabeth walked up to her locker and was about to manage the lock when she was interrupted by a teary eyed girl with short brown hair and green eyes.
"Ellie why didn't you tell me you were moving?" The girl asked her sadly.
"I'm not moving Rina, I'm just going to a different school. Also what have I told you about crying." Elizabeth made a funny face causing the girl to giggle loudly, which in turn made Elizabeth laugh with her. "I didn't want to make people sad that's why I didn't tell anyone about it. You know it's my job to make everyone smile." She began to open her locker, taking all her belongings and putting them neatly in her backpack.
"If I had known I would have arranged a surprise going away party." She smiled. She knew that Elizabeth loved surprises. A boy with spiky black hair and brown eyes tapped her on the shoulder. Elizabeth turned and smiled when she saw the boy.
"Hey Marcus what's up?" She asked him still smiling.
"Is it true that your moving?" He had a concerned look on his face. Elizabeth frowned at the fact that she had to explain the situation again, but did it anyways. Marcus let out a sigh of relief when she told him. "Thank goodness, because I had something I wanted to ask… in private." He told her eyeing Rina who immediately got the hint and walked a couple feet away, starting up a conversation with some of the other students.
"What is it, is everything okay?" She asked him worried. Marcus began to act a little nervous, he took a deep breath before speaking.
"The thing is Ellie, I've known you since the first day I moved here when I was eight. We became friends really quickly, and I really enjoy being your friend. But-" He started telling her. She had a bad feeling about this, she had heard this from people before. "I like you as more then just a friend, and I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend?" As she had thought she wasn't surprised, she had that kind of effect on people sometimes. However there has yet to be a time where she could reciprocate their feelings. Which in the end made her sad, because they would be sad.
"I'm so sorry Marcus, but I don't feel that way about you, I like you and all but like a brother…" She frowned staring down at her running shoes. "I hope we can still be friends." When she looked up she was surprised that he was smiling.
"It's alright if I can't be there for you as your boyfriend, I'll be there for you as your brother." He held his arms out for a hug. Elizabeth smiled brightly before hugging him lightly. Then he left for his own locker leaving Elizabeth to walk over to Rina.
"Let me guess he asked you out?" Rina smiled at her slyly. Elizabeth frowned and nodded. "By your frown I would say that poor Marcus got rejected."
"Well I don't like him that way." She shrugged.
"You never like anyone that way." Rina laughed lightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You've had twelve love confessions, and you've been asked out twenty-two times since I met you two years ago, and not once have I ever seen you date any of them." She began to grab her own things from her locker.
"Should I be concerned that you've been keeping count?" Elizabeth laughed in return. "I don't know, I've just never felt that way about someone, and I don't want to lead people into thinking that I do. That would be wrong." She had a serious look on her face now.
"You wouldn't have these problems if you weren't so popular. What is the key to popularity anyways?" She closed her locker, and the two of them began to follow the mass of students that were filing out of the school.
"I'm not popular I'm just nice to everyone whether they are nice to me or not." Elizabeth stopped looking both ways before they both crossed the street in front of the school.
"Maybe I should try that sometime, you were able to befriend and melt the heart of the school's biggest bully." Rina giggled walking backwards so that she was facing Elizabeth as she spoke.
"I did not 'melt his heart' I just like making people smile. He was really a nice guy he just had some family issues." She smiled nudging Rina to the left two inches causing her to avoid tripping over a mailbox. "Be careful, or you're going to fall over." Rina stuck her tongue out at her in response.
"Well whatever you did saved everyone from his problems, he's still a Grumpy Gus but he doesn't bully anyone anymore."
"I just hope that one day I can make enough people smile to make up for my past." Elizabeth stopped for a moment, after taking a deep breath she continued walking. Rina sighed softly.
"You know you mention your past a lot, but you never tell anyone what actually happened that you have to make up for." All that could be heard was the whistling of the wind. Elizabeth being uncomfortable with the situation and not wanting to answer the question she changed the subject.
"Isn't your birthday coming up soon?" She gave Rina her most believable smile. Rina knew she wasn't going to answer so she just went along with it.
"Yeah I'll be eleven tomorrow so you better come to the party the day after." She turned so that she was now walking side by side with Elizabeth.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She giggled in response. They both stopped at a small red bricked house with the number seventy-eight written on it. "I'll see you later okay." She waved goodbye to Rina and ran into her house. "Mom, Dad, I'm home." She called.
"Oh Lizard you're home. Finally." A woman with long curly blonde hair, and blue eyes exclaimed with a smile. Elizabeth had many nicknames, her friends called her Ellie, her mom called her Liz or Lizard, and her Dad called her…
"Eliza my little goddess." A man with light brown hair and brown eyes hugged her from behind.
"Dad I'm not a goddess." She huffed escaping his grasp. "Are you guys going to tell me about my school now?"
"Oh yes, yes. Illiana show her the letter." Her father said excitedly to her mother. She happily handed Elizabeth a beige envelope with emerald writing on it. She was surprised that a school could make her parents so happy. They would have a week or two where they would be beyond lovey dovey with each other, but then they would have a whole month of just fighting and arguments. She opened the envelope and began to read it out.
"Dear Ms. Hopestan. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress." Elizabeth froze, she looked up at her parents with confused and disbelieving eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"No Lizard, you're a witch and that's not all either. You have slightly mixed blood, three parts witch one part Veela. Your father is a pureblood and I'm half witch, half Veela." Her mother smiled at her.
"Now I know you're pulling my leg, a Veela is a myth related to the also mythical Siren. I should know I got an A in Mythology." Her mind was having trouble getting around the situation. "Even if it were true, Veela have a hypnotising power, I do not." Her father let out a small sigh.
"Well Eliza, that's why we told you not to sing outside the house. Your power is almost entirely in your voice, if it was there anymore saying a simple sentence would turn people into your slaves. Luckily it's just when you sing." Her father stated.
"You have wizard powers too you know. When you were little you even used them, whenever you had a tantrum things would start flying around the room. Do you remember Hayley?" Her mother added, becoming soft at the mention of the name. Elizabeth knew what her mother was talking about, and her eyes begun to slowly fill with tears at the thought.
"Illiana that's enough we don't need to tell her about that day." Her father crossed his arms against his chest.
"She deserves to know Oliver, no. She NEEDS to know." She retorted angrily. Elizabeth knew that this would end in a fight between the two if she didn't intervene. So she wiped up her tears and stuck it up.
"Tell me." The seriousness of her voice startled her parents. Her father sighed before giving her mother a nod to continue.
"Well before a witch or wizard get their first wand, their powers are very unstable and react based solely emotion. When you and your sister were walking home from school that day, she did something that annoyed you right?" Her mother's voice was gentle. Elizabeth could see flashes of the day in her mind. She had been seven at the time and Hayley was five.
"Elizabeth, I drew you a picture today, look!" A little girl with short blonde hair and brown eyes, was holding up a picture sloppily drawn in crayon.
"Hayley, I'm tired leave me alone." Elizabeth sighed angrily with crossed arms. They were walking home from school, Elizabeth had been up all night sick but wanted to come to school because she was feeling better, however she was still cranky.
"Just look at it." She whined. Elizabeth angrily took the drawing from Hayley and looked at it.
"It's horrible you can't draw at all!" She pushed the drawing back into Hayley's hands. Hayley pouted at her words.
"Well Mommy and Daddy don't want you singing, when we aren't at home because you sing real bad." Hayley had a sense of triumph in her voice at her comeback.
"JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Elizabeth turned around angrily and when she turned around she witnessed the most horrifying thing. Somehow in a split second Hayley had gone from the sidewalk to the middle of the street just in time for a speeding car to hit her.
Elizabeth nodded with tears in her eyes that she remembered. "Well you got angry you used your magic. Now don't think this us saying it's your fault because it's not, we know it was just an accident. Your power brought her to the center of the road, you probably just wanted her away from you, and that's what it did." Her mother was trying to find the right words for the situation but it wasn't working very well. Elizabeth had already known that what had happened was her fault, she just knew how now. She got rid of the tears again and put on a fake smile, if she frowned her parents would stay unhappy, and she wouldn't want that.
"I see well I guess you're going to have to tell me how this works. The whole wizard, witch, whatever thing."
"Well Hogwarts is where your father and I met. He was a Slytherin and I was a Ravenclaw. We both excelled at Transfiguration it was love at first sight." Her mother sighed dreamily.
"Anyone who ever saw your mother felt love at first sight too." Her father laughed. "Though I'm glad her eyes were set on me." His words caused a small blush to form on Illiana's cheeks. Elizabeth, lived for these moments, where they actually looked like a happy family. When they weren't totally sappy and crawling all over each other, or yelling at each other. Perfectly set in the middle where she liked it.
"Wait, what's a Slytherin?" She asked not understanding most of what had been said. Her parents laughed together with large smiles.
"We'll explain everything when we go shopping for school supplies on Sunday." Oliver smiled.
"Sunday as in the day after tomorrow, Sunday?" She asked nervously.
"Yeah why?" He responded concerned.
"That's Rina's birthday party, I can't miss it, I promised I'd be there." She explained calmly.
"Well I'm sorry but that's when we set up our appointment to get you fitted for your robes, we can't miss that." Her father began to pour himself a cup of coffee.
"Well I guess if you guys helped explain the situation to her she'd understand." She smiled pulling her mother's arm lightly in the direction of the door.
"Lizard we can't tell Rina anything about this, she's a muggle. A person without magic is what muggles are, and muggles aren't allowed to know about us. It's a very important rule. We'll call Rina's mom and make up a reason why you can't go, alright?" She assured her. Elizabeth frowned lying is something she hated to do. But, there was nothing she could really do about it. So she just nodded in understanding.
"Alright go wash your hands for dinner." Her father said pointedly. She nodded and left the room to do as she was told.
**Sunday**
"Mom why are we at a pub?" Elizabeth asked confused. She had lived near the area where they were standing all her life yet she had never really noticed the small little pub.
"This is where the secret entrance to Diagon Alley is." Illiana smiled dragging her daughter into the pub.
"Illiana is that you?" The bartender laughed with a large smile as they entered.
"Hey, I can't believe you still work here. Lizard this is Tom he was working here when I was a first year. Tom this is my daughter Elizabeth." She smiled in return.
"Oh my just as beautiful as your mother I see." He took a white cloth and began to dry some glasses that were on the counter. Elizabeth blushed lightly and smiled in return. Suddenly she got a small chill down her spine, she looked around the room and saw a strange man wearing a turban in the corner of the room. He was having a stuttered conversation with an old lady. Elizabeth ignored the feeling and went back to paying attention to her mother. Illiana looked down at her watch and gasped at the time.
"Oh dear, it's nice to see you again tom but if we don't hurry we're going to be late." She didn't even give Tom a chance to say anything back bfore dragging her daughter out the back door of the pub. She smiled once they reached a large brick wall.
"Mom, you do realize this is a wall right?" Elizabeth sighed. "Were you and Dad drunk one night and came up with this whole thing or something?"
"Oh be quiet." Her mom laughed. "I wish your father didn't have to work today he would have loved to see your face when you see Diagon Alley for the first time." She took a long wand-like stick out of her left boot and began to tap it against the bricks in some sort of pattern.
"Is that your wand?" Elizabeth asked amazed.
"Yeah, ten inch Dragonwood with Veela Hair. Your father's is an eleven inch Birchwood with Phoenix feather." She tapped the wall in a couple more spots before the bricks began to move slowly. They opened up to reveal what looked like a whole other world. People of all shapes and sizes, were bustling about moving in and out happily of the various stores. Her mother inhaled deeply and let out a happy sigh. "Refreshing, it's been so long since I was last here."
Elizabeth could understand why her mother loved the place so much. There was a sense of pure power in the air, that startled her slightly. There was so many different aromas in the air it was hard to make out what was what, there was sweet smells, strong smells, and things she never smelled in her entire life. Her mother nudged her slightly with her elbow. "Come now we need to get you some school robes."
Illiana took Elizabeth to a place called Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, where she was measured and given proper robes. As her mother lead her away from the store a loud shrieking noise caught her attention, causing her to stop. She looked over at a shop with a sign that said Magical Menagerie above it. A woman carrying a broom was shooing a black bat out of the store. "Get out of here you filthy bat!" The woman yelled. The bat in a panic flew straight to Elizabeth, she didn't even flinch as the bat stood on her shoulder, and seemed to hide behind her for protection.
"Oh mom, isn't he adorable! Can I keep him?" Her eyes pleaded at her mother. The bat walked down her arm and nuzzled Elizabeth's hand.
"Are you serious? The thing is a flying rat. Why don't I get you a nice fluffy owl instead?" Her mother asked opposing the small creature.
"But I don't want an owl, oh please I'll take good care of it I swear." She pouted.
"I'm not even sure they will even let him into the school, you're allowed pets but it clearly states an owl, cat, or toad, it says nothing about bats." Her mother told her sternly.
"I'm sure they'll let him in he isn't going to cause any trouble." She held her hands together pleading softly. Her mother sighed heavily and tapped her on the nose.
"Fine if that's what you really want." Elizabeth smiled at her mother's reply, she looked down at the tiny bat that was now standing on her index finger.
"I'm going to name you Zephyr." The bat shrieked happily in response. Elizabeth moved her hand up to her shoulder, where Zephyr moved and hid himself in the crevice, between her shoulder and neck.
"Alright I'll go buy some supplies for… Zephyr. While I do that you can go get your wand." Her mother pointed at a store with a large sign that said Olivander's. Elizabeth nodded in agreement and walked into the store. The store was dark and dusty, and every shelf was stacked to the brim with long thin boxes. Not a single person was in sight.
"Hello, anybody here?" She announced stepping towards the counter. An old man with curly grey hair appeared from within the rows of shelves.
"Oh, hello there." The man smiled walking into the main part of the room. "I know who you are." The man said pointedly. "You are Illiana and Oliver's daughter Elizabeth. You look a lot like your mother you know. Who's your friend? " He asked as he began to shuffle around.
"This is my bat Zephyr." She smiled.
"Well isn't that nice." Quickly grabbing a box he took out the wand inside and handed it to her. She looked at it a moment before fulfilling the urge to wave it around, as soon as she did the wand went flying across the room piercing through an old painting like a dart.
"I'm so sorry." She said shocked.
"Oh it's alright believe it or not that happens a lot. The wand chooses the wizard my dear, and that wand just wasn't for you." He tapped his chin in thought for a moment. "I think I know what you need, I'll be right back feel free to wander around." He quickly disappeared into the back leaving Elizabeth alone in the store. Zephyr took the opportunity to fly around the store and spread his wings. She sighed lightly wandering through the rows of shelves, the dust was soft to the touch. She wondered why they were so dusty.
"Are wands like wine or something?" She asked herself examining them carefully. A strange feeling in her stomach caused her to stop moving, she felt drawn to something. She looked around trying to find the source. Elizabeth began to run through the rows until finally she found it, a black wand box. It was high up on the shelves far out of her reach, she grabbed a nearby ladder and brought it to where she was. Carefully she climbed up the ladder all the way to the top, she grabbed the box and looked at carefully. "You don't look any different from all the rest."
She opened it and examined the wand. She could tell by the colour and style that it was made out of some sort of pine wood. There was a small engraved pattern on the handle of the wand, like small diamond shapes the rest of it was smooth and straight. Still holding the wand she began to descend the ladder, when about halfway down the ladder she overestimated the step and slipped. Eyes closed, instinctively Elizabeth waved the wand, she prepared herself for impact but it never came. "Well look at that." Olivander's voice caused her to open her eyes, she found herself floating about 3 inches from the floor.
"What in the world." Suddenly the floating stopped and she hit the floor with much less impact then if she had hit it from where she had been on the ladder. She stared at the wand in disbelief. "How did I?" Zephyr returned from his flight returning to his spot between her neck and shoulder.
"May I?" Olivander held out his hand for the wand. Elizabeth handed it to him as she stood and dusted herself off. "Ah, eleven inch pinewood with Phoenix feather and Veela hair. Very few wizards have been chosen by this particular type of wand my dear. Consider yourself very lucky." He handed the wand back to her. She looked down at the wand still amazed by everything that had happened. After a few moments of silence Illiana appeared and took her to do the rest of her shopping. By the time they go home they were both extremely tired, Elizabeth looked at the time and smiled.
"Mom, Rina's party isn't over yet do you think I could go to the rest of it so I can at least give her, her birthday present?" She asked. Illiana stared at her daughter with a strict look on her face before smiling.
"Alright, I'll call up Mrs. Brems and tell them your dentist appointment ended early, and that you're heading over." She picked up the phone and began to dial the number into the phone. With that Elizabeth ran quickly up to her room, placing the things they had bought at Diagon Alley on her bed, and placing Zephyr who was now in a pretty silver, on her dresser. She got on her hands and knees, and reached her hand under her bed taking out a small box wrapped in green paper, with a small silver bow on top. Moving the box to the nightstand she grabbed a bag of apple slices from one of the other shopping bags, and placed a couple in Zephyr's cage.
"I'm glad you're a fruit bat, I did a report on you. So I know exactly what you need to survive. I got an A on that report of course." Elizabeth giggled as the Zephyr began to nibble happily on the apple slices. She grabbed the green box from off the nightstand and walked to Rina's house which was only three houses over. She knocked three times on the door and then waited patiently. After about thirty seconds the door swung open and Rina immediately hugged Elizabeth tightly.
"I was so upset, I thought you weren't going to come." Rina dragged Elizabeth into the house, and straight into the living room where five other friends of both Elizabeth and Rina, were sitting quietly. Elizabeth new everyone there very well. Marcus was there, he had moved into town after his mother died when he was eight, when he first got here he wouldn't talk to anyone except Elizabeth. Jason was there, he had moved to town two years ago when his father got posted here, since he works in the army Jason has lived in many different places. Rina had a huge crush on him and Elizabeth also knew that he had a crush on her too, they would never admit their feelings to each other though. Kiera and Marie were there, they were twins and Elizabeth was the only one who could tell them apart they had always lived in the area. Then finally there was Krysta she had moved in only a couple of months after Marcus did, she was home schooled but that didn't stop them all from being friends.
"Come sit with us, Elizabeth." The twins smiled simultaneously. Elizabeth walked over and sat between the two, short blonde haired girls.
"You came just in time for presents." Rina smiled sitting down in the now complete circle on the floor, in her living room. Marcus handed Rina a box wrapped in wrapping paper that was blue with black musical notes on it. She ripped the paper off quickly destroying the pretty paper, underneath was a white box. Lifting off the top of the box her face lit up with joy, she pulled out a handful of piano sheet music books. "Thank you Marcus, how did you know I needed more sheet music?" Rina asked.
"Elizabeth told me that you were to get some." Marcus laughed. Elizabeth blushed lightly, she had actually helped everyone there with their gifts for Rina. She knew Rina like the back of her hand, she was the closest thing to a sister she had since what happened to Hayley. One by one the gifts were opened, Jason got her a stuffed elephant her favourite, Keira and Marie got her a makeup kit, and Krysta got her a new pair of her favourite flip flops. Then it was Elizabeth's turn she handed the small box to Rina, who carefully untied the bow and opened the box. Her smile grew bigger as she took out a silver necklace with half a heart on it that had 'best friends' engraved on it. Elizabeth pulled out the other half of the necklace that she had been wearing from under her shirt, it had 'forever' engraved on her half.
"Oh my goodness, this is amazing." She smiled hooking the locket around her neck.
"I'm glad you like it." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile in return. Throughout the rest of the party they played a couple games, and finished off the cake. As the party came to an end everyone began to leave, first the twins, then Marcus, Krysta, and finally Jason. Leaving just Elizabeth.
"I guess you have to go now too." Rina frowned slightly. "Did your parents tell you about the new school you're going to be going to in September?" Elizabeth had known that she was going to ask about it and she had already came up with a simple, clever plan. She would tell her the truth, just not the whole truth.
"Well it's a boarding school so I will only be home on holidays. But I'll write you at least once a week, I'm not sure of the address so if you decide to write me back just give it to my mom, she'll deliver it to me for you." She told her with a sense of triumph.
"What kind of boarding school is it?" Rina asked her. "you know how some schools can focus on just one thing like the arts, or technology." She couldn't just tell her 'it's a school for magical creatures, and mythical beings, that aren't suppose to exist'.
"I guess it's more of a literary oriented school…" She tried not to trip on her words as she spoke. "For people who have a …'magical' way with words." She felt good with how she explained it.
"Awesome it sounds like a great school. I hope you have lots of fun there and make lots of friends. But not too many I don't want you to forget about me. We'll miss you." Rina was frowning again. Elizabeth sighed before making another extremely funny face causing Rina to giggle.
"Like I said no frowning, I'm going to write you all the time, remember? So cheer up." Elizabeth headed towards the front door.
"Alright I guess." She sighed giving Elizabeth one last hug before she had to leave.
"Bye, I'll call you tomorrow." Elizabeth said her last goodbye before heading back home.