Chapter One

Stepping down onto platform nine, Leia shoved her hands into her deep coat pockets, and tucked her chin into her scarf, bracing herself against the chill of the afternoon. Weaving her way through the bustling mass of the train station she mulled over the movie she had just gone to see. A society of amateur sorcerers living amongst the 'ordinary'…

She considered for a moment being offended by the term 'ordinary' but really it did sum up her life quite well. She lived in an ordinary apartment, worked an ordinary job at a desk, she didn't even have family to tell wacky stories about. In fact the only thing that was a reasonable conversation starter was that her middle and last name were inherited on the female side of her family, and it had been that way for generations. That was more weird than extraordinary.

She was interrupted in her absent-minded pondering to avoid collisions on the platform. Her slight build and agility made this easy, she slipped in and out of the spaces between rushing businessmen and trollies, a little dance you become accustomed to in places such as this to avoid a trodden on toe or an elbow to the stomach. She was starting to enjoy herself when a pretty brunette suddenly appeared in front of her, rushing along with her trolley, upsetting her quick side-stepping of a rather wide Chinese man with a briefcase. The taller girl was moving much quicker than Leia and bumped into her rather hard, her trolley behind her wobbling dangerously. Slightly muddled by the womans' intoxicating perfume, the brunette had apologised quickly, righted her trolley and disappeared again before Leia could react.

Something had hit her foot and she bent swiftly to pick up a little black book, seemingly an antique. "You dropped your-" Leia turned to find its owner, but the girl was nowhere in sight. Though… she looked down at the worn leather… her fingers tingling, heart beating too fast, and headed for the exit. Perhaps it was just an old favourite of hers, it certainly looked like it had had a lot of use… she could have a peak, maybe there was a name (or number) within its pages… Nothing bad came from looking at a book, right?

Reaching the exit she quickly hailed a taxi, and seated herself in the back. Turning the book over in her hands, rubbing her thumb over the fabric binding, oddly apprehensive and strangely queasy. That can't be the book, must be the extra-large popcorn she had (none too wisely) crammed at the theatre. The swaying of the taxi weaving through the traffic and the hypnotic turning over and over of the book was causing her head to become fuzzy and her mind to wander, as if it wanted to forget the book was in her hands. She shook her head and grasped it tightly, studying the cover. The title was too faded to read, the leather worn as if it had been a regularly used book for years. Leia was intensely curious, but she could not bring herself to open the cover. It was as if there was a battle raging in the deep recesses of her mind. She was trying to open it, something was making her stop.

Which was crazy.

This was something that would be in that movie she just watched, with the magic and the repelling curses and such… She snorted at the absurdity. The taxi driver glanced at her in the rear vision mirror oddly and she ignored him. Ten minutes later she was still staring at the book, and the taxi pulled to a halt outside her apartment building.

She was on a mission. Kettle, coffee, spoon, mug. Wait… Pour. Couch. Sip. She put the steaming mug down and slapped the book down on her lap, curled her fingers around the hard cover, mentally told the other consciousness to go fuck itself and flipped the book open.

Leia giggled. Cute. Magic lovers were really having a blast with making props these days. The Title read

"A Pocket Guide to Magic – useful spells for around the home. Diagrams to help with wand movements and simple incantation tips, your Aunt Betty won't be sneering at your spells for much longer with the help from A Pocket Guide to Magic!"

Feeling oddly relieved, Leia thumbed through the pages. The musty smell of old parchment wafted up from the pages as she rifled through them and she breathed deeply, impressed.
"Wow they really went all out…" she murmured. Studying the intricate diagrams that seemed to be faded with age, spells and descriptions how to use them, even some neat, handwritten notes down some of the margins that seemed to be tweaks to make the spell function better.

"No way…" She whispered, and shut the book with a hollow thud. It couldn't be real. Hesitantly, she let the book fall open again, and a spell caught her eye.

Incendio

Creates fire.

Now that was up her ally. Not really thinking she pointed at the fireplace.

"Incendio."

Nothing.

Leia glanced back at the book, and her mouth twisted into a thoughtful, slightly bemused-at-her-own-actions-like smirk, and studied the diagram for the wand movement needed for a moment before looking for something that would serve as a good aiming device. She rolled her eyes at herself, before spotting a pencil she had left on the coffee table.

Picking it up she glanced at the book again and gripped the pencil/wand loosely. Feeling just slightly like an idiot, Leia sighed and tried not to think about the craziness of her actions as she gave the wand a flick, "Incendio!"

Nothing.

She took an aggravated sniff and froze. Smoke. Inspecting the pencil Leia noticed scorch marks, her heart started pounding. Before she could raise her wa-… pencil again however, an owl swooped through her window.