MEET THE GIRLS AND THEIR DOWNFALL
CALIFORNIA, USA
1st September.
They had met at Penny's place. Brooke, Sam (she did not like the name Samantha), Del (Sydney Delmore but everybody called her Del thanks to Brooke) and Penny herself. Del sat in the corner reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a book she had received from Brooke. Though the last Harry Potter book had already come out and been read by both Brooke and Del, they loved re-reading the series and Del was trying to collect the seven books while Brooke already had them all. Sam and Penny had never read the entire series and were not as crazy about the Potter world as the other two girls.
Sam and Penny had been engaged in a game of chess while Brooke was texting her boyfriend, Dean.
Brooke was the one who interrupted Del, "So where did you reach Del?"
"Oh the dementor attack just happened in the train.", Del replied, not once taking her eyes off the book.
"Oi Brooke. It's already four. Aren't you suppose to meet Dean right now or something?", Penny asked, fixing Brooke with a pointed gaze.
"He is busy." Brooke answered off-handedly. But Penny understood her well enough. Brooke was upset. Dean had a habit of being unable due to his sports practice a lot.
Brooke Kingston, the only daughter of the CEO of a big multinational company. Both her parents had started the company and were heavily involved in it and hence were barely around. That's why Brooke had grown up in the care of her servants. She was a popular girl at school, loved by teachers, the girl who was almost destined to be head cheerleader, prom queen and everything in between. She was almost 13-year-old (her birthday was on the 5th day of September) but pretty enough to be considered atleast 15 years old. She was a smart girl, but Penny was smarter.
Penelope Green, again an only daughter of a bank manager and a housewife and immensely loved by both her parents. Brooke and Penny had been 8 years old when they met and became best friends. But Penny was not really all that popular but Brooke made sure that Penny sat with the 'cool kids' everyday in school. Brooke always said that she would feel less lonely if Penny was around. Penny was one of the studious girls in school, more interested in books than boys. But that didn't mean she didn't secretly crush on Michael, one of Dean's friend.
Sam had met the duo of Penny and Brooke when at 11 years of age she had changed school. She was the quiet one, the one who would be lost in a sea of people and Brooke had been the first one to talk to her. All Brooke had done was ask for a pen but still it was the start of their friendship. She was not that studious, but a true and loyal friend. She had a younger sister who she loved but parents who were very controlling. She was definitely not as rich as Brooke or even Penny for that matter. She had only admitted to Brooke that she was ashamed of being poor. But Brooke had been nice, buying all the things she wanted to buy and presented them as gifts for the most ridiculous of reasons. Sweet gesture really.
Del was also 11 when she had changed school but she had come after Sam. Del was also an only child. Her father was in the armed forces at one point of time but by now had retired. She had never been popular but she had tried to be. Sometimes really hard. Penny was the only one in this group of girls who knew exactly how desperate Del could actually get just to have a few minutes of fame. But Del was an alright girl. She was funny and could speak very well. Though Penny was almost sure she had bad mouthed Brooke but having no proof she could never confront her.
"Basketball practice again?", Sam asked, checkmating Penny and hence winning the game.
"Ya he has practice.", Brooke replied and put her phone aside knowing that Dean would be unavailable for the next two hours.
"Well c'mon then. Let's go out. Go to that little cafe you like.", Penny said, trying to cheer her best friend.
"I don't feel like it.", Brooke replied.
"Don't do this Brooke. Let's go. Let's go. Now." Penny started poking her, forcing Brooke to leave her seat.
"Fine. Del you coming?", Brooke asked, for the girl had not uttered a single word, so engrossed in the book she was.
"Sorry what?" Del asked.
"I asked if you coming with us?" Brooke said.
"Oh ya sure." Del replied. The four girls left the room while the book still remained open to the chapter titled Dementors.
It was less than a minute later when Brooke returned to the room, to take the phone she had forgotten and left behind, when she saw a translucent light coming out of the book. That was odd. Perhaps she was hallucinating or something. She went closer to examine it and sure enough the light was coming out of the book only.
"Guys.", Brooke shouted, "Guys. Could you all come up for a minute. And hurry please."
Brooke heard footsteps on the stairs signalling that her friends were on their way up.
Penny's voice cut through, "What's wrong?" But she paused on seeing the same light still coming out of the book. "What theā¦"
By now both Del and Sam had joined the duo and seen exactly what had made Brooke call for them.
Sam asked, "What is happening exactly?" A question nobody answered.
The last thing they saw was that translucent light turning opaque before all of them succumbed to darkness, not being aware of the moment when they were no more in that room but in broad daylight on the grounds of what they knew as Hogwarts.
