A NOTE ON ACCENTS: They're cool. Ah's, and lahke's, and ja's, and the like. But they will NOT be a part of this story. I will throw random German words in for Kurt, and maybe the occasional drawl for Rogue, but get real -- they AREN'T the reason you read this. If they are, well... Next, please! It will just be obvious of my stupidity with languages, and to save us all heartache, just deal. Thank you. :D
A NOTE ON X-MEN SEASON THREE: I realize there is like total chaos going. Apocalypse, Gambit, Pietro's betrayal, the BROTHERHOOD period, but, well... As far as I am concerned, the New Mutants (minus Bobby) can handle it with Storm and Wolverine. Just think of Mystique as your friendly X-Men volunteer mom, I guess. I am just ditching that canon. Yeah, it might be stupid of me, but we've already established my stupid moments, remember?
X-MEN: EVOLUTION/HARRY POTTER
PROLOGUE
She wasn't sure what had woken her. The mansion was eerily silent, almost too silent. Kitty shivered, and she couldn't help but feel afraid. But she was safe inside the mansion, with the X-Men and the Professors, so what did she have to worry about?
She shifted beneath the comforter on her bed, listening to the familiar sounds of Rogue breathing across the room, and turned towards the window. And she felt a scream bubble its way out of her. She brought a hand to her throat, grasping it in shock, when Rogue woke with a shout.
"What's wrong, Kitty?" she demanded, groggily, sitting up quickly, peering at her friend through the darkness. Light blinded her as Scott and Jean anxiously raced into the room, followed closely by the others who roomed near by. Kurt bamfed into the room, at that moment, to Kitty's side on the bed. He comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder, and she nuzzled into it. Bobby and Sam hid behind the half closed door, anxiously looking into the room. The others huddled behind them. The Professors, it seemed, hadn't heard the distressed cry.
"You okay, Kitty?" Kurt asked.
"I, uh..." Kitty shakily pointed at the window.
Rogue turned towards it and gasped. There was a white owl, with splotches of brown on its face, looking impatiently in at them. It hooted, but the sound was softened by the panes of glass separating them.
"Is that an owl?" Jean asked, disbelievingly.
"Sure looks like it," Scott said. He subconsciously wrapped an arm around Jean, pulling her closer to the door (and him).
"Like, what is an owl doing here?" Kitty asked, finally finding her voice. She could still feel the rapid beat of her heart, but she felt silly now. It was just an owl. They weren't very common around there, but not unheard of. But then... one had never gotten this close to them before...
"It looks like its holding something," Kurt squinted, gesturing towards the bird's feet. "Should, uh, we let it in?"
"You don't know where it's been," Scott disagreed, shaking his head. "We better call the professor in here."
The owl scratched at the window, and Kitty bit her lip, staring at it.
"I think it, like, does want in here. Look at it!"
"Jus' let it in," Rogue said, rolling her eyes. She threw off her blanket and stood, shivering a bit in the cool air. She self-consciously wrapped her pajamas tighter around her body as she walked to the window, pushing it open. The owl hopped off the ledge and maneuvered through the window. Rogue, and Kitty, both shied backwards as it soared inside, and landed on Kitty's desk.
It promptly held out its leg.
Scott, being the closest, tentatively reached out and untied the white envelope. It was made from a thick paper, parchment, he realized, and it was stuffed full. He handed it to Jean.
"What's it say??" Kitty demanded. She no longer held a grudge against the bird and was curious of why it was there.
Jean wordlessly held it up for the three teenagers to read:
PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER
XAVIER'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS
BAYVILLE
NEW YORK
UNITED STATES
"Hey!" Bobby cried, "I know that!" He pointed at the back of the envelope, where there was a gold 'H.' "That's Hogwarts. It's a school in London, for," he glanced around, "magic."
"Magic?" Scott snorted. "And how would you know this?"
"My mother went when she was my age," he explained. "She freaked when I became a mutant, and I should've gone to Hogwarts, but she refused to let me leave the house, and then I came here a while ago," he shrugged.
"Scotland, actually," Professor Xavier said, rolling into the room, and looking strangely at all who was awake. "Ah, everyone, why are you all up? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Professor, there's, like, mail for you," Kitty pointed at the owl, who hooted in agreement. Jean passed him the letter and Xavier accepted it with a nod.
"Ah, yes, I was expecting this."
"What is it?"
Professor Xavier smiled, "We'll be going on an extended trip. What does everyone think of Scotland?"