Chapter One: Tattoo

The familiarity of the tattoo shop was what I needed right now. I needed to feel the abrasive needle on my skin, marking me and changing me, making my mental scars visible to the human eye.

I had just gotten into another fight with my mother, or Agatha as I called her. She hated when I called her by her first name, but I didn't give a single fuck. The crazy bitch was angry because I had been kicked out of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. I honestly didn't even remember why I had been kicked out. I had gotten into one to many fights or pulled one too many pranks I suppose. When she found out, Agatha screamed for what felt like hours. Watching her flip out had been hilarious at first. Her red hair, which was always curled to perfection, was in disarray. She was sweating slightly and I happened to notice some lipstick on her teeth. She trashed her usually posh kitchen as she yelled. That's when I knew things were serious. Then she kicked me out. I didn't know when I could go back, but I honestly didn't care. I didn't really feel like running back to the abusive place I had called my home for sixteen years.

I walked along the empty streets of Manhattan until I reached the tattoo shop, which was cleverly named Tattoo Shoppe. The place looked grimy from the outside, but it was a real-deal establishment on the inside. Clean as a whistle.

As I pushed the door of Tattoo Shoppe, Ben looked up and greeted me with a smile. I had met Ben at a party a few years ago while I was trying to drink away the memories of the fight I had just endured. We hooked up and he had been giving me free underage tattoos ever since. Our relationship was platonic after that, but he was my only friend.

"Hey there, Al," Ben said and he walked over to give me a giant bear hug. My full name was Althea, but Ben was the only one who was allowed to call me Al. Ben was huge, standing 6'9" and he had the muscle of a body-builder. With me being only 5'3" and what the politically correct would call "curvy", we made a peculiar pair. Ben pulled away, and with one look at my face he knew what I was there for. He quickly prepped his machinery while I filled him in on what happened with Agatha.

"That bitch," he said quietly when I finished. He came over to me, ready to begin. Ben and I had a deal of sorts. I told him my story, and he could tattoo on me what he wanted, where he wanted, as long as it wasn't something stupid. He nodded at my shirt and I pulled it off quickly. I ached for the feeling of the pulsating needle on my skin. He told me to lie on my side and I complied. I heard the buzz of the machine and knew it was time.

Thirty minutes later, I was looking in the mirror at my newest tattoo. It was small, but perfect. It was on the left side of my torso adjacent to my breast. It said "fighter" in simplistic cursive. I pulled on my shirt and gave Ben a big hug.

"Thanks, Ben. You're the best."

"Anytime, sweet cheeks," Be replied with a wink. I quickly handed him a fifty dollar bill. Before he could object, I slipped out the door and into the chilly night.

Once I got home, I snuck into my room and almost screamed. Sitting on my cluttered desk was an owl. Its dark grey feathers were beautiful and it seemed to know me. Its eyes were glowing yellow in the dark of night. I quickly shut my window and turned on my light. A parchment was attached to the owl's leg. I read over the letter and sighed. It was from Hogwarts, the last school left for me to go. They were inviting me to their school. They also gave me the owl with which the letter had come. It said her name was Shamira.

I looked over at her with a curious glance. I'd never had an owl before. She sat quietly and starred back at me. I whispered her name ever so lightly and she perked up. Without hesitation, she flew to me and rested on my now outstretched arm. I liked her.

"Go back, Shamira," I whispered and she flew back to her previous position and continued to watch me as I read on. I needed to be in London by the day after tomorrow. I quickly checked my watch and saw that it was almost midnight. I packed what little things I would need into a duffel bag and just as I was about to beckon Shamira, she cooed softly.

"What is it?" I asked and I walked to the window where she was perched. Outside my window was an owl cage. I opened my window and snatched it up quickly. Someone really wanted me at Hogwash, or whatever it was called.

After I secured Shamira in her new cage, I called a taxi. It arrived thirty minutes later, and then we were off to the airport. Hogwarts, here I come.