CHAPTER ONE - "Smashing"
The girl's fists were clenched so tight that her nails had dug into the
palms of her hands. The boy tugged her hair again, seeing he was getting a
satisfying reaction.
'What's the matter, freak? Am I annoying you?' He yanked on her hair again,
poking her about the shoulders with the other hand for good measure. 'Is
this irritating you?'
'Just ignore it. Getting angry will achieve nothing,' she told herself.
But already she could feel her heart pounding and hear the blood resonating
in her ears.
'Come on, this must be annoying you. just a little bit.' Another yank.
Another couple of prods. 'You can't be able to ignore this.' This time a
shove at the base of her back.
'He'll get tired of it. Any minute now he'll get tired of it.' Poke. Shove.
Yank.
It was too late. A bubble of anger was swelling up inside her stomach,
spreading uncontrollably through her body, to her legs, arms, chest and,
finally, to the tips of her fingers.
The boy and several other children in the room screamed as three windows in
the room shattered simultaneously. He leapt back from her, gazing at her
with a mixture of fear and disgust.
'Jesus! What the hell.?!' His voice was shaking, although he was doing his
best to disguise it. 'What the hell do you think you're doing, freak?!' He
backed away, mingling with the crowds of kids gathering around the smashed
windows in awe.
Alerted by the noise, two of the wards came rushing in.
'What on earth happened in here?!' The first cried. Her eyes fell on the
broken windows. 'Get back, children, there's glass everywhere.' She waded
through the crowd to start cleaning up.
'Who is responsible for this?' The second ward asked, looking around the
room with wide, suspicious eyes.
'It was Quartz!' piped up a girl from the back of the crowd. 'Harvey was
just talking to her and then.' she looked at the suspect with antipathy.
'.she just went mental.'
'Again? Quartz? Is this true?' The ward looked at her accusingly. The room
fell silent and Quartz felt dozens of pairs of eyes burning into her.
'How am I meant to have smashed three windows at once?' she asked,
exasperated.
'You tell me, young lady.' Quartz laughed indignantly.
'I was standing in the middle of the r-'
'Well, I'm glad you think it funny, Quartz, because I certainly don't!' The
ward looked angry.
'I didn't do it!'
'Yes you did!' The boy stepped forward. 'Everyone here saw you do it! And
you've done it before!'
'Oh, yeah, Harvey, and how am I meant to have done it, magic?!' Quartz spat
at him.
'That's enough, Quartz. I want you to go to Mrs King's office, please.'
'But I-'
'Now, please.'
Quartz clenched her fists once more, and, seething, walked past the ward,
heading for the door. As she stepped through the frame, two paintings
hanging either side of the door suddenly fell to the floor with a bang.
'Quartz!' The ward whirled around.
'I didn't do anything!' she shouted furiously, stomping down the corridor.
..**..**..**..**..**..
Quartz knocked on the door to the orphanage co-ordinator's office, still furious. 'Come in,' came a muffled voice from inside. Quartz wrenched the door open and stepped inside. 'Ah, Quartz.' Mrs King regarded the girl over the top of her glasses with mild amusement. 'In trouble again?' 'I haven't done anything.' 'No, Quartz, you never have.' Mrs King removed her glasses and placed them on her desk. 'Take a seat.' Quartz sat in the seat opposite her. 'So, what happened?' 'Nothing. I was upstairs, and Harvey was trying to wind me up, then suddenly some windows broke and-' 'Windows broke?' 'Yes. And then Harvey and the others said they'd seen me do it, which is completely impossible because I standing in the middle of the room-' 'So who did break the windows?' There was a silence. 'Well, I don't know.' 'Well, someone must have, Quartz.' Quartz clenched her teeth. She hated being treated like a child. 'I know, Mrs King. What I'm saying is, it couldn't have been me.' 'Even though the whole room claim they saw you do it?' 'Of course they do! They've all got it out for me, you know they have!' There was a silence. Mrs King looked at Quartz wearily, but the girl was sure she sensed a hint of empathy somewhere in those deep blue eyes. 'OK, Quartz, we'll just forget about this. But please try and get on with the others and stay out of trouble.' 'I am trying.' Quartz muttered, rubbing a foot across the carpet idly. 'Please.' 'OK, Mrs King, I'll try harder.' 'Good girl. Off you go.' Quartz rose and headed for the door. 'Oh, Quartz?' She turned back. 'Yes?' 'There's a letter for you, sorry, I forgot.' Quartz returned to the desk and took the letter. It was in an envelope made of some sort of thick, yellow-coloured paper, and it had a round red seal on the back. 'Looks very ornate. Any idea who it's from?' asked Mrs King, watching her charge study the envelope. 'No.' Quartz headed back to the doorway and left the room. As the door closed, three pens and an empty coffee mug suddenly fell off the end of Mrs King's desk. She jumped as the mug bounced on the carpet and stared at the fallen items in astonishment before attempting to retrieve them. She smiled knowingly. 'How strange.'
..**..**..**..**..**..
Quartz pushed open the door to her dormitory and looked around. It was empty. She sighed in relief and went to sit on her bed, still clutching the letter. She re-read the address. It was written in dark green ink, and in a beautiful, curvy hand. She turned the envelope over and ran her fingers over the wax seal. It had something written on it. She brought the envelope up to her face and squinted, tilting the letter into the light so she could see better. '"Hogwarts"?' She read, confused. 'Talking to yourself again, freak?' She looked up. It was Harvey, standing in the doorway. 'Get out of my face.' She rolled over on the bed so she was facing away from him. 'What you got, freak?' he asked, ignoring her, and coming over to the bed. 'Just a letter.' 'Who from?' 'I don't know, I've only just-' Harvey snatched the letter from her and danced out of her reach. 'Give it back, you little shit!' He leapt onto the bed and began jumping up and out of her reach. 'What you gonna do, Quartz, smash a window on me?' 'Just knock him off the bed and take the letter. Don't let him wind you up.' Quartz made a grab for his legs. He kicked out, catching her in the shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and she felt the familiar burning sensation in the pit of her stomach as she became filled with rage. 'Go on! Smash a window on me! Go on! Give me something else to tell Mrs King about!' 'Forget it. Lose your temper. What does it matter anyway?' Quartz suddenly leapt up onto the bed and pushed Harvey up against the wall. 'Argh!' 'Give me the bloody letter, you little toad!' Harvey looked down and dropped the letter, which fluttered down to the floor. 'Now get out of my s- ' Quartz cut herself off as she saw that Harvey was staring fixedly downwards and paying no attention to her. 'What are you looking at?' She followed his gaze. Harvey was being held in mid-air, his feet dangling nearly a foot above the bed. Quartz looked up. She was holding his wrists flat against the wall, but not holding him up in any way. He was floating. Floating in mid-air. Quartz let go of his wrists in shock. He remained where he was. 'Wha. what have you done to me?' he asked, terrified. 'I haven't done anything!' she exclaimed, her anger forgotten for a second. Suddenly Harvey began to slide slowly down the wall until his feet made contact with the bed. 'You're a bloody psychopath!' he cried, rounding on her and poking her in the chest, hard. 'You're a freak and I'm going to tell Mrs King! She'll have you transferred! You're a freak!' The shock of what had just happened left Quartz as Harvey's insults provoked her once more. 'Stop calling me that!' she shouted at him. 'Just leave me alone!' Suddenly, the drawers from the chest of drawers at the far end of the room flew out, smashing against the opposite wall with a series of bangs. Clothes flew everywhere and both Quartz and Harvey stared, aghast. 'What the hell are you doing?' Harvey asked, backing toward the door. 'What the hell are you?' He fled the room, calling for help. Quartz watched him leave, confused and shocked. She turned to the now empty chest of drawers and ran her hand along the top of it gingerly. It seemed normal. No strings, no wires, no nothing. So what the hell had happened? She suddenly spotted her letter and crouched to pick it up. She looked back at the door. The whole orphanage would be coming to see what had happened any moment. She decided to make a run for it - hopefully she'd find somewhere quite long enough to read her letter, at least. She ran out of the door.
..**..**..**..**..**..
Hunched in an empty toilet cubicle, her feet up against the door to keep it shut despite the broken lock, Quartz finally broke the seal on the envelope and opened her letter. She pulled out two sheets of paper the same texture and colour as the envelope; thick and yellowing. It also carried the same curvaceous, green writing. It was headed with: 'HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY'. Pondering whether this was some kind of joke, Quartz read on. 'Dear Quartz,' it read. 'We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment for the seventh years. Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.' Quartz read and re-read the letter three times. What on earth could it all mean? She'd never heard of a school called 'Hogwarts' in the area. And what was all the stuff about witchcraft? She shook the envelope and a small rectangular piece of paper fell out. She inspected it closely. It had the date 31st August on it, and the words: 'Hogwarts Express, departing from Platform 9¾, Kings Cross Station, at 11am'. Before Quartz could consider the whole situation any further, she jumped as she head a sudden hammering on the cubicle door. 'Quartz? It's Mrs King. Could you come out here, please? I think we've got some things to talk about.' Quartz suddenly remembered. Mrs King. The windows smashing. The pictures falling off the walls. Harvey floating. The chest of drawers. 'Witchcraft!' she suddenly cried. 'Quartz?' Mrs King was minorly perturbed. 'Witchcraft and wizardry! It's witchcraft and wizardry!' She unlocked the cubicle door. 'Quartz, what's all this I've been hearing about a chest of drawers and holding Harvey up against a w-' She cut herself off as she saw a wide-eyed Quartz still clutching her letter. 'Who was it from?' 'It's from a school called Hogwarts,' started Quartz, excitedly. 'They want me to go there next year and they teach wi-' 'Witchcraft and wizardry. I know. In fact was wondering when they were going to write to you - I mean, the seventh year's a bit late, isn't it?' Quartz stared at her. 'You mean. you knew all along that I. I'm.' 'Well, I guessed. Look at the number of windows you smashed in the last couple of years, and the number of inexplicable fires that have started in your dormitory. And you wouldn't be the first person at the orphanage to get one of those letters whilst I've been here.' Quartz tried hard to take all this new information in. 'So. I can go?' 'I can't see why not.' Quartz felt her heart leap and her face was filled with a broad smile. 'I'll send them an owl to let them know you'll accept their place.' She turned and walked towards the door. 'But, Mrs King?!' Quartz ran after her. 'An owl? Do you have an owl? How will it tell them about me accepting my place?' Mrs King tapped the side of her nose with her finger. 'As I said, Quartz, you wouldn't be the first person in this orphanage to attend Hogwarts.' She turned back to the door and opened it, and, as she left, Quartz could have sworn she saw her click her fingers and the lights in the hallway turn on. as if by magic.
..**..**..**..**..**..
Quartz knocked on the door to the orphanage co-ordinator's office, still furious. 'Come in,' came a muffled voice from inside. Quartz wrenched the door open and stepped inside. 'Ah, Quartz.' Mrs King regarded the girl over the top of her glasses with mild amusement. 'In trouble again?' 'I haven't done anything.' 'No, Quartz, you never have.' Mrs King removed her glasses and placed them on her desk. 'Take a seat.' Quartz sat in the seat opposite her. 'So, what happened?' 'Nothing. I was upstairs, and Harvey was trying to wind me up, then suddenly some windows broke and-' 'Windows broke?' 'Yes. And then Harvey and the others said they'd seen me do it, which is completely impossible because I standing in the middle of the room-' 'So who did break the windows?' There was a silence. 'Well, I don't know.' 'Well, someone must have, Quartz.' Quartz clenched her teeth. She hated being treated like a child. 'I know, Mrs King. What I'm saying is, it couldn't have been me.' 'Even though the whole room claim they saw you do it?' 'Of course they do! They've all got it out for me, you know they have!' There was a silence. Mrs King looked at Quartz wearily, but the girl was sure she sensed a hint of empathy somewhere in those deep blue eyes. 'OK, Quartz, we'll just forget about this. But please try and get on with the others and stay out of trouble.' 'I am trying.' Quartz muttered, rubbing a foot across the carpet idly. 'Please.' 'OK, Mrs King, I'll try harder.' 'Good girl. Off you go.' Quartz rose and headed for the door. 'Oh, Quartz?' She turned back. 'Yes?' 'There's a letter for you, sorry, I forgot.' Quartz returned to the desk and took the letter. It was in an envelope made of some sort of thick, yellow-coloured paper, and it had a round red seal on the back. 'Looks very ornate. Any idea who it's from?' asked Mrs King, watching her charge study the envelope. 'No.' Quartz headed back to the doorway and left the room. As the door closed, three pens and an empty coffee mug suddenly fell off the end of Mrs King's desk. She jumped as the mug bounced on the carpet and stared at the fallen items in astonishment before attempting to retrieve them. She smiled knowingly. 'How strange.'
..**..**..**..**..**..
Quartz pushed open the door to her dormitory and looked around. It was empty. She sighed in relief and went to sit on her bed, still clutching the letter. She re-read the address. It was written in dark green ink, and in a beautiful, curvy hand. She turned the envelope over and ran her fingers over the wax seal. It had something written on it. She brought the envelope up to her face and squinted, tilting the letter into the light so she could see better. '"Hogwarts"?' She read, confused. 'Talking to yourself again, freak?' She looked up. It was Harvey, standing in the doorway. 'Get out of my face.' She rolled over on the bed so she was facing away from him. 'What you got, freak?' he asked, ignoring her, and coming over to the bed. 'Just a letter.' 'Who from?' 'I don't know, I've only just-' Harvey snatched the letter from her and danced out of her reach. 'Give it back, you little shit!' He leapt onto the bed and began jumping up and out of her reach. 'What you gonna do, Quartz, smash a window on me?' 'Just knock him off the bed and take the letter. Don't let him wind you up.' Quartz made a grab for his legs. He kicked out, catching her in the shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and she felt the familiar burning sensation in the pit of her stomach as she became filled with rage. 'Go on! Smash a window on me! Go on! Give me something else to tell Mrs King about!' 'Forget it. Lose your temper. What does it matter anyway?' Quartz suddenly leapt up onto the bed and pushed Harvey up against the wall. 'Argh!' 'Give me the bloody letter, you little toad!' Harvey looked down and dropped the letter, which fluttered down to the floor. 'Now get out of my s- ' Quartz cut herself off as she saw that Harvey was staring fixedly downwards and paying no attention to her. 'What are you looking at?' She followed his gaze. Harvey was being held in mid-air, his feet dangling nearly a foot above the bed. Quartz looked up. She was holding his wrists flat against the wall, but not holding him up in any way. He was floating. Floating in mid-air. Quartz let go of his wrists in shock. He remained where he was. 'Wha. what have you done to me?' he asked, terrified. 'I haven't done anything!' she exclaimed, her anger forgotten for a second. Suddenly Harvey began to slide slowly down the wall until his feet made contact with the bed. 'You're a bloody psychopath!' he cried, rounding on her and poking her in the chest, hard. 'You're a freak and I'm going to tell Mrs King! She'll have you transferred! You're a freak!' The shock of what had just happened left Quartz as Harvey's insults provoked her once more. 'Stop calling me that!' she shouted at him. 'Just leave me alone!' Suddenly, the drawers from the chest of drawers at the far end of the room flew out, smashing against the opposite wall with a series of bangs. Clothes flew everywhere and both Quartz and Harvey stared, aghast. 'What the hell are you doing?' Harvey asked, backing toward the door. 'What the hell are you?' He fled the room, calling for help. Quartz watched him leave, confused and shocked. She turned to the now empty chest of drawers and ran her hand along the top of it gingerly. It seemed normal. No strings, no wires, no nothing. So what the hell had happened? She suddenly spotted her letter and crouched to pick it up. She looked back at the door. The whole orphanage would be coming to see what had happened any moment. She decided to make a run for it - hopefully she'd find somewhere quite long enough to read her letter, at least. She ran out of the door.
..**..**..**..**..**..
Hunched in an empty toilet cubicle, her feet up against the door to keep it shut despite the broken lock, Quartz finally broke the seal on the envelope and opened her letter. She pulled out two sheets of paper the same texture and colour as the envelope; thick and yellowing. It also carried the same curvaceous, green writing. It was headed with: 'HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY'. Pondering whether this was some kind of joke, Quartz read on. 'Dear Quartz,' it read. 'We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment for the seventh years. Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.' Quartz read and re-read the letter three times. What on earth could it all mean? She'd never heard of a school called 'Hogwarts' in the area. And what was all the stuff about witchcraft? She shook the envelope and a small rectangular piece of paper fell out. She inspected it closely. It had the date 31st August on it, and the words: 'Hogwarts Express, departing from Platform 9¾, Kings Cross Station, at 11am'. Before Quartz could consider the whole situation any further, she jumped as she head a sudden hammering on the cubicle door. 'Quartz? It's Mrs King. Could you come out here, please? I think we've got some things to talk about.' Quartz suddenly remembered. Mrs King. The windows smashing. The pictures falling off the walls. Harvey floating. The chest of drawers. 'Witchcraft!' she suddenly cried. 'Quartz?' Mrs King was minorly perturbed. 'Witchcraft and wizardry! It's witchcraft and wizardry!' She unlocked the cubicle door. 'Quartz, what's all this I've been hearing about a chest of drawers and holding Harvey up against a w-' She cut herself off as she saw a wide-eyed Quartz still clutching her letter. 'Who was it from?' 'It's from a school called Hogwarts,' started Quartz, excitedly. 'They want me to go there next year and they teach wi-' 'Witchcraft and wizardry. I know. In fact was wondering when they were going to write to you - I mean, the seventh year's a bit late, isn't it?' Quartz stared at her. 'You mean. you knew all along that I. I'm.' 'Well, I guessed. Look at the number of windows you smashed in the last couple of years, and the number of inexplicable fires that have started in your dormitory. And you wouldn't be the first person at the orphanage to get one of those letters whilst I've been here.' Quartz tried hard to take all this new information in. 'So. I can go?' 'I can't see why not.' Quartz felt her heart leap and her face was filled with a broad smile. 'I'll send them an owl to let them know you'll accept their place.' She turned and walked towards the door. 'But, Mrs King?!' Quartz ran after her. 'An owl? Do you have an owl? How will it tell them about me accepting my place?' Mrs King tapped the side of her nose with her finger. 'As I said, Quartz, you wouldn't be the first person in this orphanage to attend Hogwarts.' She turned back to the door and opened it, and, as she left, Quartz could have sworn she saw her click her fingers and the lights in the hallway turn on. as if by magic.