Peace In Our Time
Chapter 1: Dark Beginnings
[Blackwood, New York. 2017.]
Sam spaces out, ignoring the droning lecture of his father who stands in front of him. A bay window exposes a massive blackwood forest that stretches into a sea of green. Lazy clouds list about and birds fly from treetop to treetop under a gentle morning sun. The smell of roasted coffee permeates through the air, making his mouth salivate. His father's fingers snap, garnering Sam's attention once more.
"So?" His father says.
"You can't be serious." Sam replies.
"We're very serious."
"But why?"
"Hogwarts is an esteemed school with many great graduating wizards."
"And a few not so great." Sam says with an overly condescending tone."Besides from what I hear they don't even allow americans in that school."
" Ah yes I was getting to that. This year marks the first year they will be allowing foreign students." his father said with a smile." Your mother and I pulled a few strings here and there and viola."
" Wait though Dad I have friends here, I would feel bad leaving them behind." Sam says in a somber tone.
" I know son, but you do have that pretty half-blood girl that comes here during the summers, she attends Hogwarts right? And just imagine all the new friends you'll make."
"Yeah, but-"
"Jacob!" A woman, Sam's mother yells from upstairs. "Have you seen my shoes?"
"One moment, honey!" Sam's father replies, smiling softly before returning his attention to Sam. "No buts."
" This conversation felt very one-sided, I hope we can continue it a bit later."
" No Sam, you don't seem to understand this is not a discussion you are going and that is final!" his father said in a rare, angry shout.
Jacob stands from his seat and marches up a nearby staircase, giving mornings greetings to Sam's passing older brother Jason. Tall, blonde, and exceptionally handsome, Jason enters the kitchen with a smirk.. A far cry away from Sam's jet black hair, pasty skin, and thin frame.
"Wow, the dead have risen." Sam muses. "I don't normally see you out of bed until late afternoon."
"Have to keep all the ladies on their toes, little bro, not that you'd know much about that." Jason replies, taking a bite of a banana. "'Sides, I've got practice with the team in a bit."
"Ah, that's right, I forgot you're a bench warmer."
Sam dodges a now empty banana peel, making it land on cold tile flooring with a soft splat. They give each other a dirty grin and Jason picks up his garbage before heading into the family den, turning on the radio and listening to last nights quidditch results.
Sam pushes up from his chair and throws his own partially eaten breakfast away. He heads up two short flights of stairs to his room.
Sam watches a lazy crimson cat basking in the afternoon sun on his windowsill, a partially packed suitcase on his floor. He taps on the window, startling the cat and getting a dirty look in return. It paws at the window and he opens it with little hesitation.
"Hey, Red." Sam says happily. "Still haven't quite gotten a hold of those catlike instincts I see."
"Oh stuff it." The cat replies with a femenine scottish accent, jumping past Sam in a huff.
Moments later a gorgeous girl with deep red hair and dark blue eyes takes shape. She gives a happy smile and hugs Sam who reciprocates the gesture.
"It's been a while, Red."
"Too long." The girl replies.
"Meet any cute girls?"
"Almost six months and that's the first thing you ask me? What about Hogwarts, wouldn't you like to talk about that?"
"Not much to say about it, I'm going regardless if I want to or not."
"So? You'll get hang out with me all the time! Doesn't that sound great? I can even introduce you to my friends."
"But you're a Ravenclaw, how do you even know if I'll get into the same house?"
"I just know it."
"I don't know, even though we are best friends we can be pretty different at times." Sam said with a small smile.
" Well that is how you know our friendship will last. No one wants a frictionless friendship."
Sam walked across the room to his desk and sat down. He stared up at the wall in front of him covered in posters of various bands, video games, and movies. His eyes came to rest on a 10th anniversary poster of the tv show Firefly.
" You can't take the sky from me." Sam quietly whispered.
" What was that?" asked Red.
" Nothing just song lyrics, basically saying it doesn't matter where I am it only matters what I make of the situation. I just have to take this as an opportunity instead of a punishment."
" Well I don't think your parents are trying to punish you. Hogwarts offers a lot more classes than Ilvermorny, I bet they just thought you would get a much more interesting education there."
" You know what, you're right maybe this change of scenery will be good for me."
"Of course I'm right. Now I am starving, how about some lunch?"
Sam and Red speed down the stairs. The kitchen opens up in front of them and Sam sees a horrified expression on his parent's faces. His dad snaps up his wand and chant's a protection spell while his mom yells.
"Sam!"
The world goes black