Welcome to my first Harry Potter fanfiction. I've been reading HP
fanfiction for some time now, and decided to try my hand at it. I decided
to write this story because I wanted to explore the Magical Community of
the Americas. Also, I think it seems that there should be a wizard school
in West Virginia... I mean, look at all the weird stuff that happens here.
The Moth-man, the Flatwoods Monster, and all sorts of strange things happen
here that no one seems to notice. Just for the record, I AM from WV, but
not from the part in question, so I hope I get this right... Hope you like
it!
Oh, one last thing, the words you see like "nowi" and such are made up, because I doubt that Americans would use the same slang as the British do. I tried to explain the new words as well as possible if you have any questions, email me (desdemona47@yahoo.com) or ask me in a review, k?
***
She looked up at the building with awe in her icy blue eyes. One would never expect to see such a structure nestled away in the south- eastern mountain forest of West Virginia. But yet, it was there; Collard Secondary, the finest Wizarding School in North America. She couldn't believe she was there...
***
Miranda Marie Martin had been born to a Luth (a person from wizarding family, but lacking magical talent) and a Nowi (that is, a non-magic person) in Cleveland, Ohio, the third of four children. Though neither of their parents, Ruth and Edward, had any magical skill, the children, Masha Margaret, Morgana May, Miranda, and Elwin Baxter, had been exposed the wizarding world through their favorite aunt, Mabel Shelly, their mother's sister who the girls had been named in honor of. They lived fairly normal nowi lives, only occasionally touched by anything magical, and never expected anything more than that.
But that was before the summer after Miranda's sixth grade. A letter had arrived by owl post (which wasn't too unusual, since Mrs. Martin's family tended to contact her that way), that bore the Collard seal. At first, the Martins were fairly sure that there had been some sort of mistake. For, even though Miranda had grown up in a non-magical household, her mother and aunts would have surely noticed any magical talent in her when she was younger. But there was no mistake, a second letter that arrived from the Vice-Principals explained. Somehow Miss Miranda had kept hidden talent within her all this time, and the teachers of Collard were prepared to coax it out.
This scared Miranda. She was the quietest and shyest of the tawny- haired Martin sisters, preferring to let the brainy Masha take the academic honors, and the beautiful Morgana charm their peers. Elwin, who was closest to her in age, would tease her and pull her hair, making her wish to disappear. Now they wanted her to leave her home and go somewhere else all alone? She wasn't sure what to do.
Going to Collard could be wonderful though. It was the best, and most famous of the American wizard schools, and just attending was a huge honor. Being selected was not something to be taken lightly.
But, perhaps, there was another reason that a small voice in the back of Miranda's mind urged her to go... At home, with her family, she was Miranda Marie, the third daughter. Not quite the cute youngest, just sort of lost somewhere in the middle. There had always been a part of Miranda that wished to break free. Part of her that wanted to stand up and shout, "Here I am! Look at me!" That was the part of her that wanted desperately for her to accept the invitation. That was the part of her that told her to be strong, not to fear, she could make it. That was the part of her that wouldn't let go.
It was also the part of her that won out.
***
So, she packed her things, and gathered her savings, it was time to equip herself as a witch should be. Her mother helped her load her stuff in the car, and drove her to Monroe Street, the center of the wizarding community in Cleveland. She had been there a few times before, but it never ceased to stir a sense of wonder in her stomach. There was Quinlan's New and Used Books, three floors filled to the brim with no less than one of copy of every magical book, tome, or writing published in the last two centuries, or at least it seemed that way to her. To the right of Quinlan's sat Forkot Magical Creature Bazaar, with the more common wizarding pets, such as owls and kneazles, to strange and dangerous creatures like kappas and even kelpies. On the left was Wizarding Sports (And Otherwise) which, while it specialized in Quodpot and its European cousin Quidditch, also stocked equipment for the new "hybrid" versions of nowi sports (using the same rules and principles, just adding few charms and enchantments to spice things up) that were popular among the younger generations of magical Americans.
However all the stores on the street faded away when Miranda saw it, Jasmine's. Jasmine's was the nicest clothing store on Monroe Street, and was also the only place in Ohio to get Collard uniforms. But Miranda had more in mind than just uniforms when she stepped in the posh store. She was going to start a new life at the school, and for that she needed a new look, didn't she? She very nearly giggled at the thought. Her mother had seen an old friend outside the store and left her daughter on her own for a bit. This didn't bother Miranda, in fact she was rather glad to have free reign to shop.
Several shops and half Miranda's savings later, the mother/daughter pair was ready to go to the train station. The train from Cleveland would take the young brunette to Pittsburgh, where she would catch the train to Collard. As she prepared to board the train, she turned back to her mother. "Mama, I'll miss you."
Ruth Martin smiled at her child, and put her hand on her shoulder, "I'll miss you too, baby."
Miranda smiled back, then climbed aboard, and didn't look back.
Oh, one last thing, the words you see like "nowi" and such are made up, because I doubt that Americans would use the same slang as the British do. I tried to explain the new words as well as possible if you have any questions, email me (desdemona47@yahoo.com) or ask me in a review, k?
***
She looked up at the building with awe in her icy blue eyes. One would never expect to see such a structure nestled away in the south- eastern mountain forest of West Virginia. But yet, it was there; Collard Secondary, the finest Wizarding School in North America. She couldn't believe she was there...
***
Miranda Marie Martin had been born to a Luth (a person from wizarding family, but lacking magical talent) and a Nowi (that is, a non-magic person) in Cleveland, Ohio, the third of four children. Though neither of their parents, Ruth and Edward, had any magical skill, the children, Masha Margaret, Morgana May, Miranda, and Elwin Baxter, had been exposed the wizarding world through their favorite aunt, Mabel Shelly, their mother's sister who the girls had been named in honor of. They lived fairly normal nowi lives, only occasionally touched by anything magical, and never expected anything more than that.
But that was before the summer after Miranda's sixth grade. A letter had arrived by owl post (which wasn't too unusual, since Mrs. Martin's family tended to contact her that way), that bore the Collard seal. At first, the Martins were fairly sure that there had been some sort of mistake. For, even though Miranda had grown up in a non-magical household, her mother and aunts would have surely noticed any magical talent in her when she was younger. But there was no mistake, a second letter that arrived from the Vice-Principals explained. Somehow Miss Miranda had kept hidden talent within her all this time, and the teachers of Collard were prepared to coax it out.
This scared Miranda. She was the quietest and shyest of the tawny- haired Martin sisters, preferring to let the brainy Masha take the academic honors, and the beautiful Morgana charm their peers. Elwin, who was closest to her in age, would tease her and pull her hair, making her wish to disappear. Now they wanted her to leave her home and go somewhere else all alone? She wasn't sure what to do.
Going to Collard could be wonderful though. It was the best, and most famous of the American wizard schools, and just attending was a huge honor. Being selected was not something to be taken lightly.
But, perhaps, there was another reason that a small voice in the back of Miranda's mind urged her to go... At home, with her family, she was Miranda Marie, the third daughter. Not quite the cute youngest, just sort of lost somewhere in the middle. There had always been a part of Miranda that wished to break free. Part of her that wanted to stand up and shout, "Here I am! Look at me!" That was the part of her that wanted desperately for her to accept the invitation. That was the part of her that told her to be strong, not to fear, she could make it. That was the part of her that wouldn't let go.
It was also the part of her that won out.
***
So, she packed her things, and gathered her savings, it was time to equip herself as a witch should be. Her mother helped her load her stuff in the car, and drove her to Monroe Street, the center of the wizarding community in Cleveland. She had been there a few times before, but it never ceased to stir a sense of wonder in her stomach. There was Quinlan's New and Used Books, three floors filled to the brim with no less than one of copy of every magical book, tome, or writing published in the last two centuries, or at least it seemed that way to her. To the right of Quinlan's sat Forkot Magical Creature Bazaar, with the more common wizarding pets, such as owls and kneazles, to strange and dangerous creatures like kappas and even kelpies. On the left was Wizarding Sports (And Otherwise) which, while it specialized in Quodpot and its European cousin Quidditch, also stocked equipment for the new "hybrid" versions of nowi sports (using the same rules and principles, just adding few charms and enchantments to spice things up) that were popular among the younger generations of magical Americans.
However all the stores on the street faded away when Miranda saw it, Jasmine's. Jasmine's was the nicest clothing store on Monroe Street, and was also the only place in Ohio to get Collard uniforms. But Miranda had more in mind than just uniforms when she stepped in the posh store. She was going to start a new life at the school, and for that she needed a new look, didn't she? She very nearly giggled at the thought. Her mother had seen an old friend outside the store and left her daughter on her own for a bit. This didn't bother Miranda, in fact she was rather glad to have free reign to shop.
Several shops and half Miranda's savings later, the mother/daughter pair was ready to go to the train station. The train from Cleveland would take the young brunette to Pittsburgh, where she would catch the train to Collard. As she prepared to board the train, she turned back to her mother. "Mama, I'll miss you."
Ruth Martin smiled at her child, and put her hand on her shoulder, "I'll miss you too, baby."
Miranda smiled back, then climbed aboard, and didn't look back.