Adventures At Echowick
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling's creations. The characters within are of my own invention - as are their situations - until it is explicitly stated otherwise.
In The Beginning
Licaria Romana grew up on the edge of the forest. It just so happened that this forest wasn't like any other one in the United States. This forest was a national forest, protected by the government, filled with dense trees, patrolled by her father. Yes, Daniel Romana was a conservation officer. His job was to go out into the forest every day and make sure no one was hunting, fishing, or logging where they weren't supposed to be. It sounded like a boring job to most of Cari's friends, but she knew better. After all, their forest was different. It was special.
On several occasions, Cari had seen things in the woods, things that no one else seemed to notice. Fireworks exploded above the treetops, screaming and cheering echoed between the thickly-packed trunks, and the ground itself sometimes shook as though a bomb had gone off. These incidents seemed to happen more often as she grew older, and they became more vivid. When she was younger, she could almost convince herself that she had imagined them. Almost. As she grew older, she knew something strange was going on.
Finally, a piece of evidence came, proving once and for all that Cari indeed had a firm grasp on reality. It was the day of her eleventh birthday. On May 22nd, there were presents, a nice dinner, cake. Cari had it all. The next day, however, was an utterly ordinary Tuesday. School was out for the summer, so she sat around the house, watched television, played with her toys, and leafed through a few of her favorite books. Her father went to work while her mother cared for Cari's five-year old brother, Byron. When Dad got home, they had dinner and leftover birthday cake before Cari and Byron were put to bed.
The next day was nearly the same as the lack of a school routine started the mindless blurring of summer. The only distinction for that particular day was that Byron had a doctor's appointment in the late afternoon. Since no one would let Cari – who felt very grown up at eleven – stay home by herself, her dad took a half-day. Daniel got home at noon, Naomi left at three with Byron, and the owl arrived at four.
"Dad!" Cari cried excitedly. "Look! There's an owl at our window!" Living so close to the forest and its inhabitants, Cari had been taught to be wary of animals behaving in ways they shouldn't. Her voice dropped as she sadly asked, "Oh… You don't think it's rabid, do you? Owls aren't usually out during the day…"
Cari's dad never missed a teaching opportunity, so when he remained quiet, she grew concerned. "Dad?" she asked, turning around. Her father was staring at the owl with an expression she had never seen before. Even when the rabid raccoon had scuttled into the yard last year, he had worn a look of calm determination and resolve. Now, he was pale, breathing shallowly with widened eyes. Her father was… afraid, and that alarmed Cari worse than anything else had managed to.
Daniel haltingly crossed the kitchen to open the window before pushing out the screen. The small brown owl gracefully avoided the falling metal piece before fluttering over to perch on the windowsill. Cocking its head to the side, it held out a leg, the claws of which were clutching a large roll of thick paper. Daniel retrieved the scroll, stared at the owl for a long moment, and turned to hand Cari the paper. "I'm fairly certain this belongs to you." His voice was carefully blank, but Cari trusted her father. Pushing a lock of wavy brown hair behind her ear, she took it.
Tugging on the end of the ribbon encircling the rolled parchment, Cari allowed it to fall open. Elegant handwriting looped across the page. Greetings, Licaria Romana. Perusing the letter quickly, Cari understood that she had been accepted into a school, but not one she had ever heard of before. The details were sparse and the whole thing was vague, but Cari got the gist of it. She was requested to respond quickly to the letter and, if she accepted the invitation, to visit the school so she could take some sort of placement test.
She looked up to find her father watching her, an unreadable expression on his face. Cari set aside the letter. She would reread it in a moment, but for now, there were things to talk about. "You didn't seem surprised." Her father furrowed his brow and frowned slightly, so Cari elaborated. "You looked nervous when the owl got here, but you weren't surprised. Why?" Daniel moved his gaze to stare blankly at the microwave. "Dad, please. Tell me what's going on."
Daniel turned away and began to wipe down the stovetop. "Licaria, there are some things you don't know. There are a lot of things you don't know. First off, you have to promise me that you'll keep an open mind about what I'm going to tell you." Cari nodded. Her father didn't look at her, but must have assumed she agreed because he went on. "There's a kind of… underground society that most people don't know about. You have to be born into this society, and they acknowledge whether you are going to be considered a part of it when you hit a certain age. Eleven. That's when you are accepted into whatever the local school is in your area and you attend. They teach you everything there is to know about this society and how to function in it."
He paused, gesturing for Cari to sit at the table. When she had slid into a chair, Daniel took a deep breath and continued. "This society is very different from ours. They… hmm. It's difficult to explain. Let's just say they've found a way to tap into an alternate source of energy, one which allows them to do things modern society would deem impossible. For lack of a better term, they perform 'magic'." Daniel made the air quotes and everything, distracting himself and allowing Cari to fight the skeptical look from her face. She didn't quite succeed and Daniel gave a wry smile. "I suppose I deserve that doubt. After all, I tried to raise you to think everything through. Hold on."
Cari's dad rose from his spot at the kitchen table and walked in the direction of his bedroom. Cari heard shuffling noises, a few muffled thuds, and a curse or two before he re-entered the room. He was holding a short, twisted stick that seemed to be made of wood. Daniel filled a glass with water, took a swig, and set it down on the table in front of Cari. Moving the wooden stick, he muttered a few words and the glass transformed into Alanna: The First Adventure, Cari's current favorite book. She jerked back slightly in her chair and stared with wide gray eyes, first at the book and then at her father.
He motioned her forward. "Go ahead, flip through it. This should be exactly the same as your copy. Check and see that the pages aren't blank." Cari did, and could pick out several of her favorite sections. Pointing the stick at the book, Daniel made another motion and spoke under his breath and the book changed back to a glass of water. He took another drink and set the glass in the sink.
"So now you see what I mean," he said, settling back at the table. "It seems crazy, but you know as well as I do that there is no other legitimate explanation for what just happened. But we don't have a lot of time before your mother comes home. Even if you think I'm making up this other society, please just play along." Daniel picked up the letter from where Cari had dropped it on the table and read briefly. "Ah, you see that they said 'After much deliberation, you are invited to attend Echowick blah blah blah'. I'm willing to bet that the reason it took 'much deliberation' before you were invited is the same reason I looked somewhat apprehensive. This other society has something close to a class system, except everything is based on your so-called 'blood status'.
"There are a few common types of blood. Purebloods can trace their lineage and prove that their magic goes back for many, many generations. Purebloods tend to think that they're the pinnacle of wizarding society and look down on everyone who has blood that is 'impure'. Sometimes, Purebloods produce a child who has no magical abilities. It's rare, but still happens often enough that there's a name for these people: Squibs." At Cari's furrowed brows, he nodded. "Yes, like the defective bullet. It's somewhat cruel, but these 'Squibs' are often disowned and go out into the Muggle world, marrying someone who doesn't have any magic. I'm sorry; 'Muggle' refers to non-magical things or people. Anyway, there are also Muggle-borns, who were born to two seemingly-Muggle parents. Muggle-born wizards often find that they have a Squib ancestor somewhere in their family tree. There isn't truly a name for those who are born of a marriage between a Muggle-born and a non-Pureblood, or one between a Muggle-born and a Squib, or any other combination of those types, though some choose to call them Half-bloods."
Cari sat for a moment, looking at her hands and thinking over the information her father had just given her. "So… we're Half-bloods?"
Daniel began to pace, running his hands frustrated through his hair. Cari wanted to smile at the familiar gesture, but it didn't seem like the right time. Eventually, her dad regarded her with an expression that seemed almost sad. "Cari, honey… The next part of this explanation might be tough for you to hear. I had hoped you would never have to hear it." He took a deep breath and launched into his account, "Our family never put much stock into bloodlines. My mother was a Muggle-born and she struggled with the discrimination that comes along with being a so-called 'Mud-Blood'. Never use that term, Licaria," he cautioned sternly before going on. "Anyway, my mother decided that she was going to live along with Muggles. This is rare in the wizarding world, rare enough to attract attention. She lived in the Muggle world for several years before meeting my father, who was a Squib. Both were posing as Muggles, so it took a while for them to figure out the other's big secret."
Cari's dad smiled a little at this last revelation, but soon picked up the rushed tone he had been using. Cari could tell from his voice alone that Daniel really didn't want to be telling her this story. "They were very happy together. They were married until the day they died and had two kids, myself and your Aunt Katherine. Their happiness meant the world to me, but the fact is that they weren't the first of our ancestors to choose love over magical purity. This has been wonderful overall for the family, but did still have a negative effect: our magic isn't as strong as that of most wizards and witches. Remember that name that some people call Muggle-borns? There's a term for families like ours, though it's rare as our situation: Mongrels. Some unpleasant people call us Mongrels because we essentially have no traceable bloodlines."
Though Daniel's voice had been growing bitter as he went along, he made a discernable effort to sound cheerful. "That's part of the reason I chose to be a part of the Muggle world. Besides, I met your mother. Before you ask, no, she has no magical background whatsoever. That's part of the reason I hesitate to send you to Echowick. Kids are cruel, and some adults are just as bad. With your mother and I being who we are, you would run into many comments about your blood. Besides, I am not sure if your magic would be strong enough for the classes." Seeing the disappointment cross his daughter's face, he added, "Though I can't say for sure! Obviously you were strong enough for Echowick to take an interest and that's certainly something to take into account."
They looked at each other for a moment before being interrupted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Daniel sighed again as he tucked what Cari realized must be a magic wand into his pocket and handed Cari her letter. "That's all I want you to do: think about this. Consider all the factors and possible outcomes. And please don't say anything to your mother. I've made it fifteen years without being found out and I'd like to keep it that way." He gave her a half-smile as he snagged a strip of beef jerky from the counter. Walking to the window, Daniel held the jerky out to the owl. "Would you please come back tomorrow afternoon?" The owl gave a soft hoot before soaring off into the forest. Cari's father had just closed the window when the front door opened.
"Hello?" Cari's mother called as she walked into the house. Naomi Romana was a tall, slender woman with large brown eyes. Everything from her short blonde hair to her business-like outfits screamed 'professional woman, get out of the way'. She had been a successful psychiatrist before meeting her husband, but had taken time off to raise Cari and Byron. The only work she had done was to attend several courses, gaining a teaching certificate. Now that Byron was in school, she had taken a job at a local college teaching a psychiatry course, a college close to Byron's primary school. She was an intimidating woman and, as much as Cari loved her, had no real sense of imagination. Naomi liked to keep her feet firmly on the ground, and Cari understood in theory why her father didn't try to explain his world to his wife.
Daniel greeted his wife, bending to offer her a kiss on the cheek. Naomi smiled and grabbed his chin, pressing her lips to his. Cari turned away, making loud gagging noises as her parents rolled their eyes and laughed. "What did the doctor say, my love?" Cari fought the urge to gag again, though she had to admit that her parents made a striking couple. Daniel was Naomi's perfect opposite with his black hair and pale blue eyes.
"Absolutely perfect, just like always. He did ask me to set up an appointment for Cari. It will be time for her checkup soon. Honey, you remember my summer class starts tomorrow? I'll have to leave here around two and I won't be back until after eight."
"I remember. I'll have to go in a little earlier tomorrow morning, but they'll let me go home after lunch. Which class is this one again?" Daniel tried to keep up with the classes his wife taught, but there was a wide variety.
Naomi rolled her eyes. "It's just Intro to Psychiatry. We can't put anything too advanced into a summer session, you know? But it's my favorite time of year: mocking all the students who think they're taking psychology." She gave an evil laugh, making everyone else smile. A second later, she pointed at the window and Cari's heart gave a slight stutter. Had the owl come back too soon? "Daniel, what happened to the window screen?"
Daniel turned to look at the offending window. "Oh, that. Cari pointed out that it was starting to tear, so we pulled it out. Tomorrow, I'm going to show her how to replace a screen."
Naomi shook her head, smiling all the while. "Such a good dad, teaching those important life skills. Don't let her get hurt, okay?"
"Hey!" Cari interjected. "How could I get hurt fixing a screen?"
Both parents shot her a look of skepticism. Muttering to herself, Cari left the room in search of her book.
A few hours later, Cari found herself clearing away dishes with her mom. Dinner had been nice, and the family had played a board game, soaking up each other's company. Daniel walked in, dropped a kiss on his wife's head, and said, "Well, I have to go to bed if I'm going to wake up early tomorrow morning. Goodnight, my beautiful woman and my delightful progeny." Naomi and Cari scoffed together over Daniel's general strangeness, but wished him a good night and luck with work in the morning. Behind Naomi's back, Daniel tapped his temple, silently reminding Cari that she had some thinking to do that evening.
Sure enough, Cari couldn't think of much else. Her first instinct was to say yes. This sounded like such an incredible opportunity, but she wanted to be sure to consider every possible angle. Cari would be entering a new world, learning about things she had never even thought possible. She would have to deal with her parentage and the fact that she wouldn't be as strong as those around her. It was a frightening prospect that made her stomach knot, and yet… Cari couldn't turn the invitation down. It's an adventure. Haven't I always been looking out for a chance to have an adventure?
After sitting in her room for most of the night, reading her letter over and over again, Cari tried to go to bed. She laid in the dark for a long time, open eyes staring up at the shadowed ceiling. When the conflicted young girl finally drifted off, she fell into a light, fitful sleep. Her resting mind was filled with dreams of lies, being lost in a city she had never seen, and a strange man who looked like her father but wasn't.
Author's Note - Hey, hi, how are you? Thanks for reading my story, I know it's a bit different. Like many of you talented individuals, I am a writer at heart. I've written a few stories in the past, but most of them have revolved around either using characters who already exist, or creating a character and putting them into an already-existing story. This story started as one of the second variety, but I began questioning my OC's motives. She's a surprisingly intricate person, and I decided that her backstory was one that needed to be told.
She deserves more than a quick chapter or two of summary or a few hastily-inserted flashbacks, but that isn't the only reason: I also like a challenge. I've never written a story in which I create all of the characters, their surroundings, their entire world, etc. Yes, this story takes place in the world created by the marvelous J.K. Rowling (I'm not close to her level, obviously), but the majority of the settings and characters in the beginning will be created by myself. With that in mind, please be kind if you should choose to review, but above kindness, be honest. If I explained something poorly, or it doesn't make sense, please tell me. It helps me grow as a writer. I promise that I won't be offended!
To head off all of you who are going to tell me about Ilvermorny, I would just like to say that I've been writing this story for the better part of a year. Rather than adapt it last-minute to take place at Ilvermorny with the sparse details we've received, I chose to adapt it in another direction. Thanks for reading this long note. As a reward (?), have another chapter. Welcome to Echowick!