Chapter one: I'm what?!
"Do I have to go to bed early?" asked Kayla Duncan, 12, on Christmas Eve. Her hazel eyes looked at her mother, Sylvia, pleadingly and her bottom lip trembled cutely.
"No, Kayla now get to bed, otherwise Santa Claus can't bring you any presents."
"Mom, I know Santa isn't real. Remember, I caught you and dad putting the gifts under the tree marked Santa."
Kayla's father, Clayton, laughed. "She's not our little girl any more, is she?" Sylvia shook her head. Kayla sighed, defeated, and went to bed.
Kayla lay on her bed for what seemed like hours. She wasn't tired, quite the contrary, she was fully awake. She sat up and put her long blonde hair into a ponytail and put her head in her hands, smiling slightly. To pass the time, she thought about all the gifts she might be getting. She was doing exactly this when she saw to tall shapes move past her open window.
Kayla stiffened but as the figures moved past she hurriedly got up and went to the window to see why they were here at 10 at night. They knocked on the door quietly and she heard it open. Kayla heard her mother gasp, "No not yet, not on Christmas!"
A loud, greasy voice answered, "The Dark Lord is ready to see her now. You have no authority over what the Lord wishes."
She heard her fathers' voice come into the strange conversations. "Let's step outside, less chance of being over heard." Kayla watched as four figures stepped outside. One was short and from the shape of the silhouette, female. That she could tell was her mother. Her father was standing beside her, his arm wrapped over her shoulder. The other two were about the same size as her dad but skinnier. They both were wearing cloaks of the darkest black; the hoods were covering their faces.
"We shall take her tonight," said one of the cloaked figures. This one sounded female. Her voice was sweet yet tough.
"No please!" cried Kayla's mother. "Let her spend Christmas with us at least!"
"We shall see what the Lord says of it," said the male figure and he disappeared. Kayla had to cover her mouth with her hands to cover a loud gasp. A moment later the figure reappeared. "The Dark Lord shall give you two days. We will back then to take her." Out of pure relief Sylvia went to hug but he again disappeared. The female cloaked figure followed suit but before she did that she looked up at Kayla's window. Kayla jumped back from it, jumped into bed, faked sleep and just in time. A moment later her parents walked into her room. She could feel their eyes on her and hear her mother's sobs. A while later Kayla was asleep. East Ryan Court was once again quiet.
Kayla woke up later then she usually does on Christmas morning. By the time she got out of her room, down the stairs and to the tree, her parents and brother were already up and waiting. She was shocked. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"Mom and Dad wouldn't let me," said Derek, 17. "Now can we open presents?" The parents smiled and nodded. Derek, who already had a long, thin gift in his hand, ripped open the paper. "YES, A new Airsoft rifle. Thanks mom, dad."
Kayla reached under the tree and pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. The chain was white gold and the charm was in the shape of a heat but carved into it was a picture of a rose and on the back it said `Always Love. Never Forget. ` "Mom, it's wonderful! I love it!" Her mother smiled weakly and Kayla looked at her worriedly. Derek had already opened two more presents, a pair of socks and a new Playstation 2 game. Kayla decided to pick up the pace. She got a Nintendo 64 game, socks, a couple of new CDs and much more.
Finally she looked up at the rest of the family. Her parents were done opening the few gifts they got and Derek had about seven more. Kayla looked under the tree and saw she had about eight gifts left. She tossed Derek a package that felt like a CD and had grabbed a small envelope and began to open it when Derek, after catching his box he looked down at it and asked, "Mom, who were those people that were here last night? What did they want at that late?" Everyone looked at him. Kayla looked between her brother and her mom excitedly. She had been wondering if she should ask that question but was now glad that he had instead.
"What people?"
"The ones here last night. They said something abut a Dark Lord giving you two days. What were they talking about mom? Dad?"
Sylvia looked down at her feet and then hopefully towards Clayton. He looked at Kayla. "They were here to take Kayla," he said quietly.
"Me?" She was slowly opening the envelope she had in her hand.
"Yes." Kayla watched as he swallowed hard and struggled to find the words to what he was about to say. Her mother was still looking at her feet, sobbing. "Kayla you're adopted," he said quickly and quietly. At the shock of this statement, she had ripped open the envelope and Derek had turned to look at her.
"She can't be," he said. "She looks too much like us to be adopted and...and I would've remembered us getting her. And we have baby pictures of her coming out of you! How can she be adopted!?"
"The pictures were fake. Those people were here to take Kayla to her real father."
"And who's my real father? Does that mean you're still my real mom?"
"Your real father, Kayla, is a wizard named Tom Riddle but now days he is called Lord Voldemort. And no, I am not your real mother," she cried. "Your real mother, I never knew but she had to leave your father due to family problems."
"So tomorrow will be my last day with you guys?" said Kayla, tears coming to her eyes. Sylvia nodded. Kayla looked down at the thick letter so that they wouldn't see her cry. She caught a glimpse of what the title was through her tears and hurriedly wiped them away. The letter read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Duncan
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Because you will be starting school 3 years and 3 months late you will be introduced separately to the school. We await you owl by no later than January 1.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
"Mom...Does this have to do with my father being a wizard?" She nodded silently. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Kayla set the letter aside and grabbed a semi big box and unwrapped. Inside was a silvery colored pot. "A pot? What do I need a pot for?"
Clayton laughed weakly, "Look at the other part of that letter Kayla." She picked up the paper again and looked found another piece of paper. This one read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM First-year students will require: Three sets of plain work robes (black) One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) One winter cloak (black, silver fastening) Please not that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass of crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Oh so it's a cauldron!" Kayla took another present from under the tree. This one was a nice collapsible telescope. The next gift was a set of silver scales. There were glass phials in another one. The rest of the gifts were her books. After all the gifts were opened Kayla stood up and ran to hug her mom and dad. "Thank you both!" then she remembered something. "Umm mom..."
Sylvia looked at her daughter. "Yes dear?"
"How do I send an owl to them so they'll know I can come?"
"Don't worry about it dear. I'm sure your father will have an owl when you get there." She smiled but tears were again coming to her eyes.
"Please don't cry mom. I'll send you lots of letters... owls... whatever... I swear I will." Sylvia beckoned Kayla over to her, hugged her close and cried into her shoulder.
Kayla Duncan slept badly that night. Nightmares haunted her relentlessly. She was going to be torn away from the family she had known for all her life, the family she had loved so dearly.
Have you ever noticed that when you want time to slow down it always has the annoying capability to speed up? Kayla's last day had dawned and it seemed to be going by extremely fast. Nobody talked. Nobody turned the T.V. on. Nobody, nothing made a sound that day. The afternoon was gone and the evening was passing quickly. 6 o' clock then it was 8 o' clock, before you knew it, it was 10. By the time 11:30 came around everyone was nervous and stiff. When Mrs. Duncan saw the clock she began to cry. Clayton comforted her, but he too had to close his eyes tightly before the tears could fall. Derek sat silently on the couch looking down at his feet.
Two minutes before 12, Derek finally looked up at his sister and said, "I'm mad at you Kayla." She looked at him shocked. "I was supposed to leave the house first!" He broke into a small smile which Kayla gladly returned. Then the doorbell rang. Everyone got up. Derek dragged Kayla's suitcase to the door. "I'm gonna miss ya Kayla."
"You too, Derek," she hugged him sadly.
Clayton Duncan opened the door and there stood that same two cloaked people as before. "Ready to go?" asked the female one. Kayla nodded. She hugged her mom and dad one last time and cried. "Bye mom. Bye Dad. I'll write." Tears streamed down her and her mothers faces as they departed down the sidewalk. "Goodbye mom," Kayla whispered as she finally lost sight of them.
"Do I have to go to bed early?" asked Kayla Duncan, 12, on Christmas Eve. Her hazel eyes looked at her mother, Sylvia, pleadingly and her bottom lip trembled cutely.
"No, Kayla now get to bed, otherwise Santa Claus can't bring you any presents."
"Mom, I know Santa isn't real. Remember, I caught you and dad putting the gifts under the tree marked Santa."
Kayla's father, Clayton, laughed. "She's not our little girl any more, is she?" Sylvia shook her head. Kayla sighed, defeated, and went to bed.
Kayla lay on her bed for what seemed like hours. She wasn't tired, quite the contrary, she was fully awake. She sat up and put her long blonde hair into a ponytail and put her head in her hands, smiling slightly. To pass the time, she thought about all the gifts she might be getting. She was doing exactly this when she saw to tall shapes move past her open window.
Kayla stiffened but as the figures moved past she hurriedly got up and went to the window to see why they were here at 10 at night. They knocked on the door quietly and she heard it open. Kayla heard her mother gasp, "No not yet, not on Christmas!"
A loud, greasy voice answered, "The Dark Lord is ready to see her now. You have no authority over what the Lord wishes."
She heard her fathers' voice come into the strange conversations. "Let's step outside, less chance of being over heard." Kayla watched as four figures stepped outside. One was short and from the shape of the silhouette, female. That she could tell was her mother. Her father was standing beside her, his arm wrapped over her shoulder. The other two were about the same size as her dad but skinnier. They both were wearing cloaks of the darkest black; the hoods were covering their faces.
"We shall take her tonight," said one of the cloaked figures. This one sounded female. Her voice was sweet yet tough.
"No please!" cried Kayla's mother. "Let her spend Christmas with us at least!"
"We shall see what the Lord says of it," said the male figure and he disappeared. Kayla had to cover her mouth with her hands to cover a loud gasp. A moment later the figure reappeared. "The Dark Lord shall give you two days. We will back then to take her." Out of pure relief Sylvia went to hug but he again disappeared. The female cloaked figure followed suit but before she did that she looked up at Kayla's window. Kayla jumped back from it, jumped into bed, faked sleep and just in time. A moment later her parents walked into her room. She could feel their eyes on her and hear her mother's sobs. A while later Kayla was asleep. East Ryan Court was once again quiet.
Kayla woke up later then she usually does on Christmas morning. By the time she got out of her room, down the stairs and to the tree, her parents and brother were already up and waiting. She was shocked. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"Mom and Dad wouldn't let me," said Derek, 17. "Now can we open presents?" The parents smiled and nodded. Derek, who already had a long, thin gift in his hand, ripped open the paper. "YES, A new Airsoft rifle. Thanks mom, dad."
Kayla reached under the tree and pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. The chain was white gold and the charm was in the shape of a heat but carved into it was a picture of a rose and on the back it said `Always Love. Never Forget. ` "Mom, it's wonderful! I love it!" Her mother smiled weakly and Kayla looked at her worriedly. Derek had already opened two more presents, a pair of socks and a new Playstation 2 game. Kayla decided to pick up the pace. She got a Nintendo 64 game, socks, a couple of new CDs and much more.
Finally she looked up at the rest of the family. Her parents were done opening the few gifts they got and Derek had about seven more. Kayla looked under the tree and saw she had about eight gifts left. She tossed Derek a package that felt like a CD and had grabbed a small envelope and began to open it when Derek, after catching his box he looked down at it and asked, "Mom, who were those people that were here last night? What did they want at that late?" Everyone looked at him. Kayla looked between her brother and her mom excitedly. She had been wondering if she should ask that question but was now glad that he had instead.
"What people?"
"The ones here last night. They said something abut a Dark Lord giving you two days. What were they talking about mom? Dad?"
Sylvia looked down at her feet and then hopefully towards Clayton. He looked at Kayla. "They were here to take Kayla," he said quietly.
"Me?" She was slowly opening the envelope she had in her hand.
"Yes." Kayla watched as he swallowed hard and struggled to find the words to what he was about to say. Her mother was still looking at her feet, sobbing. "Kayla you're adopted," he said quickly and quietly. At the shock of this statement, she had ripped open the envelope and Derek had turned to look at her.
"She can't be," he said. "She looks too much like us to be adopted and...and I would've remembered us getting her. And we have baby pictures of her coming out of you! How can she be adopted!?"
"The pictures were fake. Those people were here to take Kayla to her real father."
"And who's my real father? Does that mean you're still my real mom?"
"Your real father, Kayla, is a wizard named Tom Riddle but now days he is called Lord Voldemort. And no, I am not your real mother," she cried. "Your real mother, I never knew but she had to leave your father due to family problems."
"So tomorrow will be my last day with you guys?" said Kayla, tears coming to her eyes. Sylvia nodded. Kayla looked down at the thick letter so that they wouldn't see her cry. She caught a glimpse of what the title was through her tears and hurriedly wiped them away. The letter read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Duncan
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Because you will be starting school 3 years and 3 months late you will be introduced separately to the school. We await you owl by no later than January 1.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
"Mom...Does this have to do with my father being a wizard?" She nodded silently. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Kayla set the letter aside and grabbed a semi big box and unwrapped. Inside was a silvery colored pot. "A pot? What do I need a pot for?"
Clayton laughed weakly, "Look at the other part of that letter Kayla." She picked up the paper again and looked found another piece of paper. This one read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM First-year students will require: Three sets of plain work robes (black) One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) One winter cloak (black, silver fastening) Please not that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass of crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Oh so it's a cauldron!" Kayla took another present from under the tree. This one was a nice collapsible telescope. The next gift was a set of silver scales. There were glass phials in another one. The rest of the gifts were her books. After all the gifts were opened Kayla stood up and ran to hug her mom and dad. "Thank you both!" then she remembered something. "Umm mom..."
Sylvia looked at her daughter. "Yes dear?"
"How do I send an owl to them so they'll know I can come?"
"Don't worry about it dear. I'm sure your father will have an owl when you get there." She smiled but tears were again coming to her eyes.
"Please don't cry mom. I'll send you lots of letters... owls... whatever... I swear I will." Sylvia beckoned Kayla over to her, hugged her close and cried into her shoulder.
Kayla Duncan slept badly that night. Nightmares haunted her relentlessly. She was going to be torn away from the family she had known for all her life, the family she had loved so dearly.
Have you ever noticed that when you want time to slow down it always has the annoying capability to speed up? Kayla's last day had dawned and it seemed to be going by extremely fast. Nobody talked. Nobody turned the T.V. on. Nobody, nothing made a sound that day. The afternoon was gone and the evening was passing quickly. 6 o' clock then it was 8 o' clock, before you knew it, it was 10. By the time 11:30 came around everyone was nervous and stiff. When Mrs. Duncan saw the clock she began to cry. Clayton comforted her, but he too had to close his eyes tightly before the tears could fall. Derek sat silently on the couch looking down at his feet.
Two minutes before 12, Derek finally looked up at his sister and said, "I'm mad at you Kayla." She looked at him shocked. "I was supposed to leave the house first!" He broke into a small smile which Kayla gladly returned. Then the doorbell rang. Everyone got up. Derek dragged Kayla's suitcase to the door. "I'm gonna miss ya Kayla."
"You too, Derek," she hugged him sadly.
Clayton Duncan opened the door and there stood that same two cloaked people as before. "Ready to go?" asked the female one. Kayla nodded. She hugged her mom and dad one last time and cried. "Bye mom. Bye Dad. I'll write." Tears streamed down her and her mothers faces as they departed down the sidewalk. "Goodbye mom," Kayla whispered as she finally lost sight of them.