Translated from Ancient Greek by Alannah Right, Head Librarian of the Great Library of Salem, Salem Witches' Institute.
Text in italics is assumed to have been spoken in Ancient Greek at the time of events happening
Text in bold are spells
Underlined texts are thoughts
Hello, that's always a good way to start something, I've decided to write this down, I can't remember why, something a friend said about writing down his adventures as a lesson for future heroes, I should probably start at the beginning, that's usually a good idea.
My name is Janet Harker, I was born to a decorated British Auror called Thom Harker, and a Greek mother who left before I was two. Dad said her family would not let her stay, which I always thought was a bit mean, so I never knew her, my only memory of her is of kind black eyes and blonde hair. Dad met her just after the wizarding wars against Voldemort, they moved to America together, and had me, where he carried on being an Auror for the American government, he said they were less corrupt than the British. We lived in a very large isolated house near a small town in the middle of nowhere Texas, Dad home-schooled me, always said the muggle schools were too dangerous, life was boring looking back at it, but at the time it was enjoyable, I was happy and content.
One day in July, I was about eight at the time Dad sat me down and decided it was time to tell me a secret. Dad was a tall and slender man with kindly brown eyes, jet black hair that had over the years gone salt and pepper with age and stress from his job. He had a weathered look from the amount of time that he has spent outside chasing lawbreaking wizards, and always wore a tweed suit, button up shirt and a brown tie covered with Ancient Greek letters. He loved anything to do with Greece, particularly myths and Ancient Greece, so I grew up in a house that was part museum, with Greek myths as bedtime stories, and everything in the house written in Ancient Greek, sometimes whole conversations would be in Ancient Greek, Dad said I spoke Ancient Greek before I spoke English.
"Janet, I've got something to tell you about your Mum, I haven't ever told you a lie about her, but I have told you half-truths and omitted some things, please don't be angry with me dear."
"Ok Daddy, what is it?" Even as a kid I had suspected Dad had not told me everything. I suppose at this point I should give a short description of me, I was short for my age (I am still short) with blond waist length hair and dark brown, almost black eyes, Dad always said I looked like Mum
"You know in those stories that I read to you at bedtime about Greek Gods and Goddesses?"
"Yeah, Hecate was always my favourite, there aren't enough stories about her," Dad looked taken aback by this, then smiled broadly, Dad's smiles always made me happy, they were contagious.
"I always thought that, honey, I am not going to beat around the bush, the Greek myths, they are all real, all the Gods, Goddesses and monsters are real."
"Oh okay," Dad raised an eyebrows at that.
"You aren't going to question me about it, you don't find it unbelievable?"
I looked Dad in the eye then said, "Dad, we have an elf in the kitchen, chocolates that jump about, and your broom flies, with that on a daily basis, I can believe anything," Dad smiled at me again.
"You always were a clever girl, so can you guess what I'm going to say next?"
"Hmm, Mum was a Goddess, or something because that would explain why my magic is stronger than it should be, especially when I don't even have a wand," Dad looked at me with his mouth hanging open slightly.
"Yes, she was a Goddess, well done dear, right now you do need don't you that being a demigod means that monsters will come after you, because they can smell you."
"Oh, that's why the house is so well warded, and there's a magic sword in the loft."
"Yes, and why you are not allowed to go anywhere by yourself. The reason why I'm telling you this is because next week I will be going to Germany to help catch a necromancer, but I don't want to take you away from America, because this is where the Gods are based now, they follow Western Civilisation around. There is a sort of camp that is especially for demigods like you, I am going to take you there in two days' time, until I am back from Germany."
I could not hide how excited I was to go somewhere other than the little town we lived near in the middle of nowhere. "What should I pack Dad?" I asked bouncing up and down in my seat, causing him to laugh and ruffle my hair.
"Anything you think you will need, you will staying for a couple of months, necromancers are a tough bunch to deal with, so clothes, toiletries, Mr Cuddles (that was my teddy), books, pictures. We will be going by portkey, so you don't really have a luggage limit, but don't take everything, you will have limited storage space."
I hugged Dad and rushed out the room to pack.
That evening I was sitting in my room reading a spell book I had disguised as a fantasy novel when Cobblepot the house elf walked in to bring in laundry. Owning house elves is frowned on in America, but Cobblepot refused to leave Dad when he moved to America, so instead, Dad hired him as a servant, and insisted on him paying wages, which was something that confused Cobblepot, but it kept Dad happy. Cobblepot looked like any house elf, short with grey skin, pointy ears and large green eyes, unlike British house elves to other old rich families he did not look half starved, was cheery most of the time, and wore a little butler suit, rather than the traditional sackcloth tunic.
"Cobblepot?" I asked setting down my book on the table next to me.
"Yes mistress?" He asked in his over emphasised London accent.
"Did you ever know my mother?"
"Yes mistress."
"What was she like?"
"The mistress's mother was a kind lady, she was nice to the house elves, was not happy with their treatment, that is why master treats Cobblepot so well. She made master very happy, he was sad when she left, but knew it was inevitable."
"What was her name?"
"Cobblepot never found out, only knew her a Mistress."
"Cobblepot, do I have any family apart from Dad?"
"Master's parents are no longer alive, they died just after war, master also has a brother, they do not like each other and a sister, she is the light of both the brothers' lives, the only thing they ever agreed on was the need for her safety by dealing with evil wizards, so they both became Aurors. Master's brother was made the heir after master left for America, but master was given a lot of money by his brother, to thank master for saving his life a few times in the war."
"Thanks Cobblepot, what's for tea?"
"It's Sunday, so it's roast beef, roast potatoes, apple sauce, crackling and mixed vegetables."
"That sounds delicious," Cobblepot smiled and left.
Two days later me, Dad and Cobblepot the house elf were standing outside the house two suitcases, Dad was giving Cobblepot some final instructions before he left.
"See you in a couple of months Cobblepot."
"Good luck master," Cobblepot turned to me "have fun at camp mistress; if things go badly you can always portkey home."
"Thanks Cobblepot," I turned to Dad, smile mischievously, "race you to the portkey." I then turned and ran towards the old boot at the end of the garden that served as a portkey, Dad levitated my cases and chased after me, he beat me to the portkey and started sending my cases through, when he had finished we both went through together.