Swish and Flick
Alfred loved his birthday. He got cake and presents and he always ended the night with fireworks. Though the fireworks weren't exactly for him, they were still pretty awesome.
His eleventh birthday was no different really. He had a few more friends than family this time, and he was in England, but it was mostly the same. Cake, presents, water guns and everyone wore red, white and blue, Alfred's favorite colors. Yup. Alfred loved his birthday.
However, something was different this birthday. While he was opening his presents, he found an envelope. It was heavy and his name and address was handwritten in green ink across the front. He glanced around, but no one claimed it. He tucked the envelope aside for later.
After everyone left, Alfred approached his parents, envelope in hand. "Mom? Dad?"
Frederick Jones looked up from picking up the cups and plates from the table. Amanda, who was taking down the decorations, stopped and looked at her son. "What is it, baby?"
Ignoring the pet name, Alfred held his card out to his father. "I don't know what this is."
"Hm." His father took the envelope and flipped it over in his hands. "No return address."
"Should we open it?" Amanda asked, leaning over her husband's shoulder.
"We should. It could be from the school or something."
"Why would the school I haven't gone too yet send me mail?" Alfred asked.
The Jones family had moved from America to England at the end of Alfred's school year for his father's work. As a result, the only children at Alfred's birthday were his father's coworker's children. Alfred's mother had asked everyone to wear red, white and blue, to make Alfred feel more comfortable. And because it was his birthday and he usually got what he wanted.
"Maybe it's a welcoming letter." Amanda said cheerily.
"Can't hurt to open it." Frederick replied. He took his finger and peeled at the wax seal on the envelope.
Alfred looked on in curiosity. What elementary school would seal an envelope with wax? It didn't make any sense.
Frederick took a letter from the envelope and began to read. As he got to the end of the page, his brows became more and more furrowed. Amanda then moved to her husband in worry. As she read the letter, she got the same look as Alfred's father.
"What is it?" Alfred asked. Had he been rejected from the school? If it was because he hit that one kid when he tried to push Alfred's best friend, Matthew, off the monkey bars, he would be really mad.
"It's from...a magic school?" Frederick said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Alfred said. "What do you mean magic school?"
"'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'" Fredrick read from the letter. "They want you to attend."
Alfred blinked in confusion. What the heck was a wizard school? Was he a magical being or something? But that didn't make sense because no one else he knew was. Sure strange things happened to him from time to time, but he was by no means magic. Was he?
"This has got to be a joke." Frederick said, shaking his head at the letter.
"Honey, think about it. When he's angry, stuff happens. When he's sad, everything else seems to dull." Amanda said.
"Yeah! And it didn't rain today like it usually does and I was really happy!" Alfred said.
Frederick looked between his wife and his son who resembled her wheat blond hair and happy smile. He wanted to think that Alfred was special, but magic was not the way to explain the things that happened around Alfred. It really made no sense.
"There's another letter." Fredrick said suddenly, feeling the second page. "Maybe it's an apology or an explanation."
"I want to read it!" Alfred said. He snatched the letter from his dad and read aloud:
"'Dear Alfred F. Jones,
As you are a Muggleborn,'" Alfred furrowed brow in confusion at the weird word, "'You are eligible for our newest program to mingle Purebloods and the Muggleborns. You will meet Arthur Kirkland on August 31st at Big Ben to gather all of your supplies for school, along with learning the ways of the Wizarding world.
My regards,
Professor McGonagall.'"
"I guess it can't hurt to see what it this is all about." Frederick said.
Alfred looked up at his father. "Do you really think I'm magic?"
Frederick offered a smile to his son. "I'm not saying your not."
A grin spread across Alfred's face. He had always known he was different! And this was his proof!
"I have to call Mattie!" Alfred said, turning to run into the house.
"Wait Al, it says not to talk to anyone about this." Fredrick said.
"What?" Alfred said, his smile falling.
"I guess they don't want everyone to know about this magic place. Or everyone is in on this joke." His father continued.
"I don't think it's a joke." Amanda spoke up. If it was, don't you think they would have popped out already? And it's way too serious feeling."
Alfred looked between his parents. He felt they all knew something was wrong with him. When he was mad, and wanted something to explode, a jar or can of food would suddenly pop open. When he was upset, the house flooded. When he was happy, things would float through the air. Those things had to be connected!
"I guess we'll find out in August." Fredrick said, tucking the letter away.
•
Alfred's sky blue eyes searched the crowd. He was looking for a tall dark wizard type of person. With a tall pointy hat, long robes and maybe a beard. He would probably even have a staff or something.
His parents stood beside him, somewhat nervous. They kept a close eye on their son, slightly afraid this could all be a very strange kidnapping scheme.
"Are you the Jones family?" A delicate voice asked.
Alfred whipped around, slightly disappointed to see a lady standing with a boy his age. The woman stood tall and proud, her blonde hair twisted in an elegant bun and her green eyes sparkling with joy. A smile was set on her burgundy lips, matching the deep red accents in the tight dress she wore to her knees. Alfred mildly wondered how she walked on the cobblestones in heels.
"Er, yes. Are you Miss Kirkland?" Frederick asked, holding a hand out.
"Mrs. But call me Elizabeth. This is Arthur." She placed her hands on her son's shoulders.
Deciding to let their parents talk, Alfred smiled at the boy across from him. He was smaller than Alfred, but in a stays-inside-and-reads kind of way. He was slightly taller than Alfred though. His hair was as golden as his mother's with green eyes to match.
"Hi, I'm Alfred. Are you a wizard too?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Be careful of how loud you speak of our kind. We don't need the Muggles finding out about us."
"Sorry. What's a Muggle anyway?" Alfred asked, lowering his tone.
"A nonmagical human being." Arthur rolled his eyes.
"Oh. So Muggleborn means-"
"A wizard that was given magic though no magic blood runs through their family history." Arthur said, "and I am a pureblood. My family is a long line of wizards. Only a few have gone off to marry half-bloods and Muggleborns, but the majority of us have stayed with only purebloods."
Alfred's head was swimming. Arthur was talking to him like a really stuck up teacher and all the different names were making it hard to follow. "Is being a Muggleborn bad?" Was the only question he could come up with at the moment.
Arthur gave Alfred a strange look. Then the boy sighed and folded his arms. "It depends on the wizard."
"What do you think?" Alfred asked. He had thought they could be friends, but if Arthur couldn't look past his status as a Muggleborn, then Alfred could kiss that dream goodbye.
Arthur shrugged. "I don't know. You're actually the first I've ever met."
"If I'm the first you ever met, then why would you-"
"Okay, boys! Let's get going! We don't want all the good cauldrons to be taken." Elizabeth said, clapping her hands.
"Cauldrons?" Alfred asked. "Like those creepy witches with long noses and green skin?"
"Do I have a long nose and green skin?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, no." Alfred said sheepishly.
"Then let's go get a cauldron! We will meet you two here in a couple of hours." Elizabeth said to Alfred's parents.
"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." Alfred said. He smiled and followed the two Brits down the street.
As they were walking, Alfred thought now would be a good time to ask about magic and everything that had to do with it.
"How many of us are there?" Alfred asked.
"Thousands. Maybe millions." Elizabeth said. "We hide from the Muggles. They would kill us right off."
"Then why am I here? If my parents are Muggles, how come they would have a magic kid?" Alfred pushed.
"It happens sometimes. Rarely, a family of purebloods bore a squib. Someone with no magic. The opposite of you, Alfred, really." Elizabeth smiled at the young boy.
"Oh. And you guys are purebloods right?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, we are." Elizabeth said.
"How do you manage that? If there are so many half-bloods and Muggleborns, how is it possible to still have pure blood?" Alfred pressed.
"Arthur, would you care to answer?" Elizabeth looked pointedly at her son.
Arthur shot a glare to his mother before dropping his gaze to Alfred. The blond sneered at the shorter. "Why can't he just read about it?"
"Because he is curious now. And McGonagall said to make friends with other wizards. It's a new thing they're trying, Al, may I call you Al?" After a brief nod, Elizabeth continued. "They want more purebloods to be friends with Muggleborns. They're trying to stop the discrimination against us."
"What do you mean? Aren't we all magical? Why would there be dis-crime-nation?" Alfred struggled over the big word.
Arthur rolled his eyes. Alfred was beginning to think that was all Arthur knew how to do. "Purebloods think that since you weren't born from magic parents that you don't deserve magic."
"Some purebloods, Arthur." Elizabeth said. "Well, enough talk about that, we have much more fun things to do!"
Arthur scowled at his shoes. Alfred shrugged and followed Arthur's mother into a...bar?
"Er, ma'am?" Alfred said, looking at the strange people around them. "Are we allowed in here?"
Elizabeth glanced at Alfred before giggling behind her hand. "Oh! I'm sorry, I forget you don't know anything. This is the way to Diagon Alley! We will get everything you need for Hogwarts here!"
"But, this is a bar." Alfred said again, confused.
"Stupid muggle." Arthur mumbled under his breath. He left Alfred behind to follow his mother to the back.
The witch tapped a long wooden stick against some bricks. Alfred watched curiously, ignoring Arthur's hate. The bricks folded in on each other and opened into a crowded street.
Alfred felt his mouth drop on awe. The people that scurried from place to place were wearing a variety of clothes. Long robes that hung down past their feet. Medieval dresses that took up the space of four people, a group of young girls were wearing what seemed to be some sort of uniform. Alfred looked up at Elizabeth. "What is this place?"
"Diagon Ally of course!" she said with a grin and a flourish of her hand.
"It's amazing." Alfred laughed.
"It's disgusting." Arthur said from alfred's side. "I wish they would clean up the place." he finished with a sneer.
Alfred didn't let Arthur's mood kill his own. He thought the street was amazing and nothing could change that. "Where are we going first?"
"I think we'll get your robes done. Those always take the longest." Elizabeth said. "Follow closely boys, this is a big place to get lost in." she strode forward and Alfred found himself on her heels.
Moving to busy London had been bad enough trying not to lose his parents, he didn't want to get lost in this magical part now.
Alfred was tempted to hold Elizabeth's hand just so he could gawk at all of the shops around him. He saw kids pressed against a window staring at a broomstick, owls in other store windows, dusty books piled by another. Alfred wanted to go in every shop and look at everything.
They reached a shop and Elizabeth ushered them in. She called to the seamstress and they began to talk about the robes and such. Alfred spun slowly on his heel and stared at the flying needles and thread, the tape measures, notepads and pens. He even saw a pair of scissors soaring around.
He frowned at that, wasn't that dangerous? He turned and tugged on Arthur's sleeve.
The blond glared and smack his hand away. "What do you want?"
Alfred felt his frown deepen, but he quickly changed it. Just because Arthur was a jerk didn't mean he had to be. "Should those scissors be flying around like that?"
"What's wrong with them?" Arthur asked.
"I mean, they're flying scissors." Alfred said, unsure why Arthur couldn't understand the issue.
After a few moments of Arthur starting at Alfred like he was an idiot, a lightbulb went off in his head. "You're scared that they are going to stab you. "
Alfred couldn't believe 're all wizards dumb? "Well, yeah."
Arthur rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Do you really think that she would slew scissors to fly around the room if it wasn't safe?"
"Well, no. But it still could be dangerous!" Alfred said.
"You really are as dumb as you look." Arthur spat.
"Arthur!" Elizabeth snapped.
The blond dropped is glare and faced his mother. "Yes?"
"Come get measured, dear." She ushered her son over to the seamstress.
Alfred looked away from Arthur to look around the room some more. It was pretty cool. Fabric was folding itself and the flying tools. Alfred felt entranced.
"I'm sorry about my son, Alfred." Elizabeth said, pulling Alfred from his staring.
"It's okay." Alfred shrugged. "I'm sure it's frustrating trying to explain a whole world to some newbie."
Elizabeth twisted her hands together. She let out a soft sigh and rested her hand on Alfred's shoulder. "It's not that you are new to this world. A lot of half-bloods are too. The thing that Arthur doesn't like about you is that you are Muggleborn."
Alfred's baby blue eyes were confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"My husband and I are Purebloods, that makes Arthur Pureblood. And while my family was okay with everyone being who they are, Arthur's father didn't agree. He thought that magic should stay with magic families and that Muggles didn't deserve it. I'm afraid that Arthur has inherited this way of thinking." the beautiful woman seemed pained, or disappointed. "Arthur sees Muggleborns as bad people. He calls them-"
"Mudblood." Arthur said. His glare from behind his mother made Alfred angry. How could someone hate somebody else just for being born a certain way? It made no sense.
Well, Alfred would just have to prove Arthur wrong.
After being returned safely to his parents, Alfred couldn't wait to show them all of his cool stuff. He even had an owl! He had wanted one of the large mean looking ones, but Elizabeth had explained that those weren't quite what he wanted. So he ended up with Captain, a small jet black owl with glowing amber eyes.
Though his parents seemed uncomfortable with the fact that he and Arthur would be partners for the year, they allowed it. Mainly because Alfred explained that Arthur had never met someone like him and that Alfred wanted to change Arthur's point of view.
So now, Alfred stood at King's Cross Station with his parents, Arthur and Elizabeth. They were standing between platforms nine and ten, their trunks and owls attracting stares from passerby.
"Okay," Elizabeth clapped her hands. "Arthur, why don't you show Alfred how to get through the platform? He's done it before with his brothers."
Arthur gave Alfred a look. The American offered a smile, which Arthur didn't return. Though his eyes seemed to soften a bit. "Stay close. We're going to run through the wall."
Alfred's eyes widened before he nodded. "Alright."
"Then let's go." Arthur turned his cart containing his owl and trunk and aimed it at the platforms. "Its best if you don't think about it. Just run."
Arthur took off and Alfred stumbled after him. As the wall got closer, Alfred felt his heart jump to his throat. We was going to crash and look like an idiot! Then, Alfred couldn't see Arthur's back, all that was in front of him was brick. He closed his eyes and ran faster and faster until-
"Stop running you fool!" Arthur snapped.
Alfred skidded to a stop and opened his eyes. A massive train day before him, along with many stares.
Arthur was standing a few feet from him. His hand over his mouth as he snickered. Alfred glared and began to yell at Arthur for making fun of him when his parents and Elizabeth fell through the wall. Well, Alfred's parents fell. Elizabeth stayed as graceful as ever.
"Glad to see we all made it. Let's get this luggage loaded, shall we?" Elizabeth took Alfred's cart for him.
"We must get on the train quickly. It waits for no one." with a smile, Elizabeth lead Arthur into the throngs of people.
Alfred turned to his parents, who were looking around in awe. "I can't believe this is happening." Frederick mumbled to himself.
"I'll be back for summer." Alfred said. He wrapped his arms around his mother.
"Be good." his mom said softly with a kiss to his hair.
"Make sure to write." his dad said, clapping him on the back.
"I will!" Alfred grinned at his parents. He felt sad and knew that he would miss them, but he was too excited to dwell on those feelings now.
"Alfred!" Arthur shouted from a train window. "We're leaving!"
"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Alfred ran to the nearest door to the train and swung in. He caught a glance of Elizabeth blowing a kiss in his direction. He grinned and went to find Arthur.
