Half-Blood Witch
Chapter one
The Truth
To pass the lonely time away, Emma Underwood would go into the attic and look through old things. One day she found an old dusty book under her father's old wardrobe. She picked up the book and started to read it. Her mind was taken away, on a journey. She had never read a book like this in her whole life. She was so lonely she never really thought about reading. She read it and it said things like "Hogwarts, is by far one of the most enchanting school of wizardry I have ever seen!" and it also said "There was a mishap with Lord Voldomart rampaging through Dieagon ally. Spreading his terror, we here have never seen such things at the ministry of magic." The girl thought this was very odd. So she went to the library to ask questions.
"Where did you get such a book? Well certainly not from my library!" Was all the librarian said, so the girl picked up the phone and called a publishing company. Ring, Ring.
"Hello you've reached London's publishing services how may I help you?" A lady said.
"Well I found this strange book, and I was wondering if you could tell me where it's from." The girl told her.
"Title?" the lady said in a demanding voice.
"Well, um, hold on for just a minute." The girl said. She looked down at her feet and picked up the book and read the cover out loud, "The Best of the Daily Prophet."
"Sorry kid never heard of it, well ta-ta." The rude lady said.
That very second the door bell rang. So the girl ran down stairs and opened it.
"Sorry but this is three years late according to the date on this overly stamped letter." The post man said as he handed her an envelope. On the part with the return address, it said Hogwarts.
"WOW!" She shouted.
"What's the matter honey?" Her mom questioned her.
"Nothing," she said as she ran to her room, "I just saw a really cool car," Emma lied. When she got to her room she turned around and shut the door tight then she locked all three locks that had come with the door. She bounced on her bed and tugged the covers over her, pulled a flashlight out from under her pillow and ripped the envelope open. It read,
Emma Underwood, you have been accepted to Hogwart's school of witch craft and wizardry.
"That's all it says?" Emma questioned. Then more letters started appearing on the scroll. As if some one had been magically writing, like they were right there, only she couldn't see them.
I'm sorry that you received this unexceptionally late. In the next month I will send a house elf to teach you what you've missed. I will also send you a time turner so you can use more time to learn. When you finally come to Hogwarts in two months, you should be prepared for your fourth year. Here is a supply list.
Emma picked up a list that had appeared on her bed and quickly read it. When she finally finished it she exclaimed. "How on earth am I going to find all these things? I've never heard of most of them. It says school robes, spell books grades one, two, three, and four. Hey I'm fourteen why would I be in first through fou-"
There was a knock on her door, "Just a minute." She replied. "Oh, like the letter said years, to attend Hogwarts you must start at the age of eleven. But since this letter is so late I must learn three year's worth work. But since there will be a time turner I can really have all the time I need to be home schooled and it would seem like three years but it would really only be two months," Emma whispered to herself.
There came another knock, "EMMA ! I demand that you open this door NOW!" Bellowed her mother's voice. Emma stuffed the letter and the list under her pillow along side "The best of the daily prophet." She'll have to find out sooner or later, might as well just tell her. She thought. She ran to the door and unlocked all three locks and let her furious mother in.
"Mum, I don't know how to explain this but," Emma pulled out the list, the letter, and the book from her pillow. "According to these items I'm, I'm, well, I'm a witch. Go ahead laugh, tell me this is ridiculous."
Her mother stared at her. "Well, honey, you're just like your father. Except he had a truthful mother and father who told him he was a wizard from the start. His mum was a witch and his dad was a wizard, they always used magic around the house, so it was easy for him to find out even if they never told him." Emma's mother explained.
"Mum, does that mean you're a witch too?" Emma asked hopefully.
Her mother stared, "I'm afraid not, you see you're not a pure blood witch. And we, that is your dad and I, had every intention of telling you that you were a witch, but when your dad died, well I just didn't have the courage, you see I don't know how these things work. We weren't expecting your father's death. So I was hoping that a true wizard could tell you and explain to you all these things so well I'm sorry." Her mother sadly told her.
"Well, that's quiet all right mum, if I were your mother, I wouldn't tell you either." They both looked each other and then laughed.
"Let me take a look see." Her mother said as she took the book and the things Dumbledore sent. "Ahh, this was yours father's. Where'd you find it ?" Her mother said.
"Well, under the old dresser in the attic." Emma replied.
"So that's where he hid it. He never told me where he put it." The mother said fondly. It was like she wasn't there, her mind must have been drifting off to the past. Emma decided to let her mom keep the book, for old times sake. She climbed back up the stairs and looked down at her mother from the hall way. She looked happy, happier than usual.
Emma ran into up to her room and sat on her bed. A loud crack interrupted her thinking. There in the middle of her room was an old house elf. He walked over to Emma and examined her.
"We've got a lot of work to do" He said with a exasperated sigh. He snapped his fingers and a stack of books appeared on her desk. "First things first. I am your new teacher. I will be for what seems the next three years. Blah blah blah." Emma stared at him with a shocked look on her face. The old decrypted creature made his way over to her desk. "Muggles" the house elf mumbled. "This really isn't going to work." He grunted.
Emma looked at him, still confused. "Oh, well. I guess I don't nee-"
The old thing swung his head in her direction, "You twit!" He said in a mean creaky voice.
Emma stepped back, 'Why me!' she thought desperately.
"It's called magic, MA-GI-ICK! You hear me?" Emma squinted as his spit droplets pelted her face.
"Y-yes sir." The old creature looked satisfied with himself as he snapped his boney fingers together.
All of the sudden they were in what seemed a different room. It was far much larger than Emma's and the wall was painted Red, and elegant silver designs dancing on the room's surroundings. In front of Emma a long dark wood table was standing. Her books were neatly lined up on an old book case. The room was dimly lit and Emma could barely make out the rest of the details.
"MUCH better!" The old house elf said as he beamed at the room he created. "Now that I can think, "He glared at Emma. "I don't know how muggles can live like that, so…. Distracting!"
Emma watched and observed this old thing, it wasn't what she expected, the pointy ears were defiantly NOT cute, and he face was not very appealing. She pictured him to be like all the children's books depicted, I mean what else would she expect. She pulled out the chair that was neatly pushed in and sat down, worried it might fly away, she didn't know what to expect.
"My name is Em-" She started.
"I know who you are!" He snapped. "And guessing by the look on your face, you don't know me." He cackled as if he had just told a funny joke.
"No sir, I don-" Emma began.
"OF course you don't!" This old (dare I say) man was very spiteful and angry,
Emma sat quietly, too intimidated to say anything else.
"I," The house elf paused for dramatic affect, "am Winklesnorf the third. I have, as you should know, been assigned as your personal teacher, for two months. I am to teach and test you on everything the other students have learned.
Emma giggled, quite with out realizing it. 'WINKLESNORF?' she thought to her self.
Winklesnorf shot her an angry look, "And WHAT do you find so funny Miss Underwood?" He spoke as if he were teaching a whole class of thirty or more, instead of just Emma. This made Emma laugh even harder.
"S-s-orry sir," She said between giggles.
Winklesnorf turned and smirked. "You find my name funny? You think that Winklesnorf is a peculiar name? Well my mother would find Emma an awful name for a child. Why if I could come up with a meaning to the name Emma, it would mean, dim witted half witch!" Winklesnorf spat at her.
Emma fell silent as her cheeks reddened. "I am sorry. You were right to say that." Emma said more serious this time, though she was laughing on the inside.
"Damn right I did!" Winklesnorf said angrily, "and I take nothing back."
Emma sighed, she could tell this was going to be a long, long two months.