Muggle Magic
"Lily! Get up or you'll be late for school!" Lily's mother, Tasha screamed up the creaky staircase. Lily shot up like a rocket from her bed. She quickly fumbled in the dark room for some clothes and pulled them on. Ugh, I forgot about school, she thought. Lily slipped into her old shoes and quickly combed through her curly brown hair. She checked herself in the mirror she had propped up against the wall. Same curly brown hair, same chocolate brown eye; Lily thought to herself. "Get down here Lily!" Tasha screamed up again. Lily bolted downstairs and into their cramped kitchen. "It's about time! Grab something to eat, you're taking the train. I can't wait for you forever you know, I got to go to work." Tasha grumbled. Lily silently grabbed a piece of stale bread to eat as Tasha ushered her out of the front door. "Oh, and you'll have to take the train again to get home." Tasha told her. "I'm, er, working late." She said. Yeah right, you'll be sitting in your office watching TV and drinking a bottle of beer; Lily thought to herself and rolled her eyes.
Lily was 12 years old and lived in a small, old home with her bossy, moody mother. They had never gotten along; her mother had always abused her. Lily promised herself that she would never ever become her mother. She was completely different from her mother. Maybe I'm like my father, Lily thought bemusedly. Maybe he was kind and gentle and hardworking. I would much rather want to live with him! Lily worked for her money to buy school supplies, since her mother never could "afford" buying her stuff, and often took the train to school. They lived far away from the school, so no school buses ever came into the neighborhood. If Lily was with her dad, who was probably rich, she could never have to work at McDonalds for her own money, or take the train to school.
Something about Lily that was unique, she loved to read and write. Her favorite books were the Harry Potter series, which she had read 7 (the lucky Hogwarts number) times already. She even wrote stories about her own characters in Hogwarts. Sometimes she wished she lived in the Magic World. Then she could turn her mother into a toad. Lily had always dreamed of running away, to Hogwarts where she would meet Dumbledore and Hagrid and Filch, maybe even Harry Potter too! She could join in on the adventures, learn spells, and ride magical creatures! But that could never happen, Hogwarts didn't exist.
Ok, bye." Lily told her mom. Tasha nodded and got into her crappy, old Buick Centry. She started the car and packed out of the driveway, then tore down the street, all the way the car blowing fumes. Lily sighed and trudged down the street to the train station, quickly popping the piece of bread into her mouth. The train station was about a mile away, so Lily had to walk fast or else miss first period. An owl stood perched on the sign that said Dogwood Avenue and Bridgetown View. "That's odd." She said aloud. Owls were never out in the daytime that was when they slept; they hunted and flew at night. The owl hooted at her and flew away, off into the skies. Lily watched it for some time, before turning down the street and continuing to walk. No one was out, which was very peculiar. Usually most adults would go out and run the block, just to feel proud of themselves. But today the sidewalks were empty, just her. She suddenly longed for some company, she didn't like being alone. It felt as if someone would just pop out and grab her. Lily bit her lip and continued to walk.
Usually, the lights in every house would slowly come on, people getting up to go to work, like her mother already did. But today the lights were out, every single one of them. It was as if the world had frozen, leaving her the only moving, breathing person out there. It felt strange to her, she didn't like what was happening. Something was different today. She had felt it when she got out of bed. "Nonsense!" She scolded herself and kept trudging on.
Lily rounded the corner, the corner where Alex Drive was supposed to be. But Alex Drive wasn't there anymore. It was replaced by a town with quaint little shops. Lily stopped short and looked around. Kids her age and older in robes ran around, laughing and running around. There were no adults, just kids. Above the quant town was a huge and pretty castle, sitting on a hill. There are no castles in Bridgetown! Lily thought frantically. Then she took a deep breath and shook herself. "I must've taken a wrong turn." She told herself, but she knew it wasn't true. Lily had memorized the way to the station by heart now, and she knew that she walked through Alex Drive, onto Perkins Way, and there was the town where the train station was. But the town wasn't here, nor was Alex Drive or Perkins Way. "I should take a different route." She said and turned around, but stopped dead. Her heart skipped beat. Behind her, the town still stretched on, and there were more kids in robes. "Where am I?" She turned in a 360 degree circle, but there was no exit to be found. Suddenly, big kids in robes pushed past her, running, making her wobble around. Then one of the kids pushed her and sent her sprawling onto the ground. The kids ran away, laughing, not stopping to help her. "Yeah, thanks!" She called grumpily after them. They turned around, laughed again at her, and ran off. Lily stiffly got up, looking for someone that would tell her where she was. A tiny man walked past her. She was about to stop him and ask, until she realized that he wasn't a man. He was a midget with huge elf ears, fringy white hair that stuck out of his otherwise bald head, and a grimace for lips. Lily jumped back a foot. He glared at her strangely before waddling away. Lily stared after him in awe. That actually looked like a goblin that the Harry Potter books described. She laughed quietly. "You're seeing things." She shook herself and shakily walked down the street. Kids in robes and cloaks milled around her, but every time she tried to stop them, they ignored her and walked away. Lily started to lose hope. Just then, a boy her age in the same robes Lily saw the kids wearing walked past her.
"Excuse me?" She tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He turned towards her, surprised. He looked 12 years old, the same age as her.
"Hi. I'm Lily Burke." She introduced herself and shuffled her feet. Her mother had told her once to not talk to strangers when a hobo had walked up to them at the grocery store and asked for money. After that she never did. She always introduced herself, and THEN talked to them. If they told you their name, technically they wouldn't be strangers anymore.
He brightened. "I'm Cole Palmer." The boy said. He had red hair, green eyes, and freckles covering his nose and cheeks. And he was kind of cute.
"Oh, hi. Um, I was wondering, where are we?" Lily asked innocently. Cole stared, dumfounded at her.
"We're in Hogsmeade!" He laughed. Lily's eyes widened.
"Wait, what? There is no Hogsmeade in Bridgetown." Lily said. He raised his eyebrows.
"Um, what do you mean? We aren't in Bridgetown. We're at Hogwarts! Today is the first day of magic school. Why aren't you wearing your school robes?" He asked her. Lily nearly fainted. Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, kids in robes, this wasn't possible! Hogwarts wasn't real, it was a fictional land in the Harry Potter books.
Suddenly, Lily gigged. "I'm dreaming." She told herself, leaving Cole staring at her.
"You're not dreaming! If you were dreaming, I wouldn't be in it making my own decisions." He said and smiled at her.
"You mean it's real? It's all real? The Harry Potter books are real?" She asked him hysterically.
"Um, yeah. Whatever floats your boat?" He stared strangely at him.
"So you mean, Harry Potter was alive?" She asked him again.
"Yup, Harry Potter's a legend!" He said excitedly. "He now lives with Ginny and his children, but they aren't old enough to go to Hogwarts yet." He said.
Lily shook her head. "No, no, no. I need to get back to Bridgetown!" She told him frantically.
Cole just raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about? You have to wait until the end of school to get on the train back to your home. That's when every other Witch and Wizard leaves." He told her. At that point, Lily's vision went black and she crumpled down to the hard stone streets.
"Will she be fine?" Someone said. The voice sounded familiar. "Yes, she will. She hit the ground pretty hard, judging by the size of the bump on the back of her head." Someone else said in a kind, gentle voice. Lily groaned and opened her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar place, beds lined the walls of the large room, and curtains, some open some closed, separated the beds. Lily was lying down in one of the beds in the middle. Cole Palmer was sitting on a stool next to her bed and a kind faced woman stood next to him. "Lily! Are you okay?" Cole asked. Lily was surprised he knew her name. "Yeah, I'm fine." She sat up slowly. "Don't sit up!" The woman told her and pushed her back down. "I'm Nurse Margrette. Eat some chocolate." She handed her a piece of chocolate the shape of a frog. Lily stared at it in awe. Suddenly, the frog leaped from her hand and onto the bed sheets. Lily screamed; the frog hopped around on her bed. "Oh, dear!" Nurse Margrette sighed and calmed Lily down as Cole chased after the frog.
"D-d-did you see that? The frog jumped! I-i-it's alive!" Lily stuttered.
"Yes, it's charmed." Nurse Margrette laughed softly. Cole caught the frog and brought it over. Lily stared at it in horror.
"It's okay to eat, you know. It isn't a real frog." Cole said, and as if to prove it, he bit off the head. The frog kept trying to jump out of his hand.
"See?" He said between chewing. Nurse Margrette snatched the frog from him.
"That was hers and you ate the best part." She scolded him and handed Lily the bitten, chocolate frog.
"Well, I wouldn't eat the worst part, the butt." He said and shrugged. Nurse Margrette glared at him. "Out." She pointed to the door. Cole mumbled goodbye to Lily and trudged out. After he left, Nurse Margrette prompted her to eat it. Lily looked at it for a while, and then took a tentative bite of the leg. It tasted like normal chocolate. As soon as she took one bite, Lily found she was starved, since she had only eaten a piece of bread. "That's it, there you go." Nurse Margrette smiled. After Lily ate it, Nurse Margrette settled her down in the bed. Suddenly the doors swung open.
Nurse Margrette sighed. "There are no more visitors at this time!" She said sharply and turned around. Then she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.
"Headmaster McGonagall!" She said, surprised. McGonagall smiled warmly at her.
"Hello, Margrette. I need to speak to Lily Burke for a moment." She said and gestured over to Lily, snuggled in the bed. Nurse Margrette nodded and bustled out the door.
"Hello Headmaster McGonagall." Lily said hesitantly. McGonagall smiled and walked over to her bed.
"I've been told that you've come here, and so I checked the files for your name and information. But I have noticed that you are not registered to be at Hogwarts. How and why are you here?" She asked.
So Lily told her everything. From how she was walked to school, and to how she came here suddenly. The whole time McGonagall didn't say a word, and her face was unreadable. After Lily stopped talking, McGonagall pursed her lips and said, "I guess Hogwarts wanted you here for a reason." She smiled. Lily nodded. "But what will I do? I can't learn magic if I'm not a wizard or witch, can I?" Lily asked innocently. "I think I have a spell that can allow you to do magic and still be a Muggle." McGonagall took out her wand. "Mudmadge!" She pointed her wand at Lily and recited a spell. Lily felt a quick shock soar through her body, and it was over as quick as it came. Lily shuddered and looked at McGonagall.
"How do you feel?" McGonagall asked her.
"I feel fine." Lily replied.
"Good. Now, I brought the sorting hat with me, because I figured you would have to be sorted, for you have to stay here until the end of semester. Let's put it on you." McGonagall drew out a ratty, tattered old hat from her cloak pocket. She shoved it onto Lily's head.
"Hmmm, you're pretty brave, aren't you? Kind, courageous, and heroic. GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, although McGonagall and Lily were the only ones in the room. Lily grinned and bubbled over with excitement. She longed to be in Gryffindor, and now she was! Gryffindor was where all of the hero's came from, and Lily hoped to be a hero too someday. McGonagall took the hat from her head and placed it back into her pocket. "Good, good." McGonagall smiled kindly at her. Just then, Nurse Margrette strutted into the room with a glass of water. "Drink this, dearie." She thrust the water into Lily's hand. Lily drained it in one gulp. She gave her back the cup and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Okay Lily, let's go to the Great Hall. There will be many people you have to meet, and its dinner." McGonagall smiled and Lily climbed out of bed. "But I suggest that she stay here for at least the night." Nurse Margrette insisted. "Nonsense. She just fainted; she didn't battle a Giant or anything." McGonagall led Lily out of the room, leaving Nurse Margrette to stare after them.
"So I'm guessing you know all about Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked and Lily nodded. "Good. We better hurry to the Great Hall. We don't want to miss the Back-to-School feast!" Headmaster McGonagall led her through the empty corridors to a set of great big doors. McGonagall pushed them open with one hand and led Lilly inside. Eyes swiveled towards their direction, making Lily feel uncomfortable. "Come with me." McGonagall led her past the four big tables and up to the front of the room. Kids casted glances in her direction and began to whisper. McGonagall didn't seem to notice, but Lily sure did.
They reached the front where a granite podium was placed for speeches. "Children!" McGonagall's voice rang through the Great Hall. A hush fell across the children. "I am very sorry to interrupt this feast, but we have a new student here. Her name is Lily Burke and she will be in Gryffindor." Loud cheers and claps rose from the last table on the right. Lily smiled nervously. McGonagall sent her over to the table. Lily searched the tables for Cole, the only person she knew. She prayed that he was in Gryffindor. Her prayers rang true. Cole waved her over to him; he was sitting with three others that looked just like him and a boy Lily's age. Lily ran over to him shyly. He made room for her and she plopped down.
"Hello, so you're Lily?" The boy she didn't know asked. Lily nodded. "I'm Nate Hooke." He introduced himself. He had jet black hair and bright blue eyes. "Nice to meet you." Lily smiled. "Oh, and Lily, these are my siblings." Cole pointed to the other three who stared at her. "The eldest is James, the middle child is Derrick, and the youngest is Wendy." Cole told her. James nodded at her, Wendy smiled, and Derrick stared. "Hi." She said. "Hello! I'm a first year, like you." Wendy smiled. James and Derrick stared at her. "Are you a Muggle?" He asked and Lily blushed and looked down. Silence fell over her new friends. "Wait, you're a Muggle?" Nate and Cole said at the same time and gaped at her. "Well, sort of." She explained, embarrassed. "How can you tell?" Lily asked James, who smiled. "I can just tell you are. You don't look like a witch, and you are obviously not a wizard." He explained. Lily nodded. "How did you get here?" Wendy asked, intrigued. So Lily told her story to them, and they all listened in awe. She explained the unexpected Hogsmeade visit, her fainting, and how McGonagall gave her abilities to do magic even if she was human. "Why would Hogwarts want a Muggle in here?" Derrick sneered and scrunched up his nose as if Lily smelled bad. Wendy smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't be rude!" She snapped and he pushed her. The two started to bicker and poke each other. "Stop fighting you two!" James demanded and pulled them apart. "But it's true!" Derrick whined. Wendy gave him a harsh look.