Book 2 is here! I'm excited to continue this series even if nobody is reading it or everybody hates it. Writing relaxes me and I love the Clique series and the Harry Potter series so I am excited to start Part 2!
Presenting Welcome to Hogwarts Part 2: The Potter Twins and the Chamber of Secrets
Claire Lyons
This summer has been so much fun. Claire spent the first month catching up with her family, baking with mom, teaching her dad everything she learned in the History of Magic, and swimming with Todd. She hadn't seen much of Mandy, Sari, and Sara. They seemed quite bitter that she didn't go to Hadley's Beginning of Summer Party. Mandy still came by occasionally when Mandy's mother would come by trying to convince her parents to join their church. Mandy's mother always made Claire feel a little nervous. She used to drive them home from school when she was a kid and would not let them listen to music because she found it to be the "devil's work". Plus there was one time when her mother came over to try to convince her parents to sign a petition to ban "Magic the Gathering" cards from school because magic is pure evil. Claire's parents were quick to escort her out. Claire actually felt bad for Mandy. She always seemed so embarrassed by her mother's antics. Mandy was actually kind of pretty and would have probably been a popular girl if her mother wasn't so extreme. Sari and Sara had fairly religious parents too, but not to the extent of Mandy's mother, Mrs. Mary Caldwell.
Despite Mrs. Caldwell, Claire had the perfect summer. In July Olivia came and Olivia was super excited about all the muggle things. She got to learn how to bake with Claire's mother and Claire's dad took them all to Disney World. Olivia could not comprehend how the roller coasters moved without magic. She had a blast. Claire's parents were very careful to keep Mrs. Caldwell away from Olivia because Olivia's innocence was quite peculiar and might raise some eyebrows. They did a good job until Olivia's last day. Olivia's mother was supposed to apparate there later that night and then take the two girls and Todd to visit Aliquam Velit. Then they were going to travel to England to get their school supplies and attend the wedding of Harris Fisher and Sammi Harrington.
Mrs. Caldwell knocked on the door at around dinner time.
"Todd will you get that?" Claire's mother asked as she put down a giant bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.
Todd went to get the door.
"Oh Todd would you mind grabbing your parents. I found some great pamphlets on the evils of evolution and I wanted to make sure they weren't sending you and your sister to a school that would teach such hocus pocus," Claire heard from a distance. She grimaced as she found the irony in Mrs. Caldwell's use of the term "hocus pocus".
"Oh good Madame Troll has decided to grace us with her presence," her dad groaned.
"Jay!" her mom warned.
"Woah you guys have trolls here? I didn't know muggles socialized with trolls," Olivia gasped.
"We don't sweetie," her mom smiled getting up to get head towards the door.
"Much rather take on a troll to be honest," her dad muttered. Claire giggled.
Before her mom could leave the room it seemed that Mrs. Caldwell had let herself in and made her way to their dining room.
"Oh hello Mary," her mom said. Todd was standing behind Mrs. Caldwell giving an apologetic look.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, but Claire could tell that she didn't really care.
"We were just about to have dinner actually," her mom said. Mrs. Caldwell ignored her.
"Oh who is this?" she asked looking at Olivia.
"I'm Olivia Ryan. I'm friends with Claire. We go to school together," Olivia said with a warm smile.
"Claire's friend is visiting from New York. They are actually about to leave tonight so we wanted to have one more family dinner," Claire's mom said.
"Well I won't be long. I just wanted to drop off of these pamphlets," she said not taking her eyes off of Olivia. The way she was looking at Olivia was unsettling.
"Well thanks for the pamphlets," her mom said trying to rush her out, but she wasn't budging.
"Tell me Olivia, what do your parents do?" she asked.
"Her dad is a doctor and her mom is a nurse," Claire said quickly. Claire wasn't sure if Olivia knew that the term "healer" did not equal doctor in muggle terms.
"I believe I asked Olivia," Mrs. Caldwell said getting a closer look at Olivia and then back at Claire. She then glanced over at Todd.
"Well as nice it is to see you, I must insist that you leave," her mom said.
"I see the devil in your eyes," she said ignoring Claire's mom. Olivia's eyes grew wide. Claire's dad stood up quickly.
"That is enough! Leave Mary!" he commanded. It was rare to see Claire's dad get so angry. It was actually kind of scary.
"Your kids have it too. Spawns of Satan. I've suspected it all along and when our Savior returns you all will burn. Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood [shall be] upon them," she said with fury.
Claire always knew that Mrs. Caldwell did not care for her. Mandy was never allowed to hang out with Claire without Mrs. Caldwell present. Claire never experienced this behavior though. Did Mrs. Caldwell finally snap? Olivia looked like she was about to cry. Claire was close to tears as well.
"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO MY CHILDREN OR THEIR FRIENDS IN THAT MANNER! I have always been nice to you and your daughter, but if you ever come near us again I will call the police, is that understood?" Claire's mom said. She was red in the face. Claire could barely move she was so scared.
"The devil's presence is strong in this house, but the Lord will protect me from evil! Don't think I haven't seen the owl leave this house in the middle of the night to do your evil bidding. A familiar I'm sure. If you care about your children's soul at all you will drain the evil from their blood it is the only way!" she said grabbing the cross she wore around her neck.
"Stop!" Todd yelled and then all of the lightbulbs shattered and the room was dark.
The room fell silent for a second before Mrs. Caldwell spoke.
"Don't think I won't be informing the neighborhood about this. Witches all of you!" she squealed.
Just then Claire heard a pop. There was a stern looking woman with short blonde hair and piercing greens eyes that Claire could see through the natural light.
Mrs. Caldwell froze in fear.
"Obliviate," the woman said pointing her wand at Mrs. Caldwell. Mrs. Caldwell had a blank look on her face.
"You will return home and forget that this ever happened. You will no longer feel the urge to stop by this residence and will keep your outdated views to yourself," the woman said.
Mrs. Caldwell exited the room. The woman then flicked her wand and the lightbulbs were fixed.
"Mrs. Gregory you came just in time," Olivia sighed.
"What did you just do?" Claire's mom asked.
"I'm an obliviator for the American Ministry of Magic. Whenever a wizard or witch does magic in front of a muggle we are notified and we are sent to erase their memory. Since Todd here is underage we have a tracker on him so we were notified right away and I came to stop her before she told others of what she had witnessed," Mrs. Gregory said.
"Well thank you. That woman has been a pain for quite a while," Claire's dad said.
"Yes well the Ministry has had an eye on her. She is from a long line of witch hunters," Mrs. Gregory explained.
"Witch hunters?" Todd asked.
"Witch hunters have been around for a long time, but are a lot more rare now than they used to be. They were most prevalent during the Salem Witch Trials, but were never actually successful in finding a real witch or wizard. She actually has been suspicious of most families though. This time she just happened to be right. She shouldn't be a problem anymore though," Mrs. Gregory said.
Claire never learned about witch hunters, but the idea of them is scary. What if a witch hunter tried to sacrifice Claire or Todd? No wonder most witches and wizards lived in magical communities.
"So are there more witch hunters out there?" Claire's mom asked.
"Very few and we have our eye on all of them. You do not need to concern yourself with them though. Mrs. Caldwell was the only one close to you and she will not bother you anymore. Now I must be off. My husband and daughter are waiting for me at home," she said and with that she apparated away.
"Well then lets get back to dinner," said Clarie's mom.
Claire had to admit that she was a little shaken, but Olivia seemed to be back to her perky self. Todd seemed a little nervous about this too. She just hoped that her parents were safe. Even though Mrs. Caldwell shouldn't bother them anymore, it didn't make Claire feel any better about them living so close to her.
Well that was an exciting dinner. Witch hunters are not going to play a huge part in this series, but they do exist and may be mentioned again. In the next chapter we check in with Dylan and see how she is holding up with the Dursleys and then she will meet a certain little House Elf. Then after that we will jump to Cam as he prepares for his brother's wedding and hears about the Witch Hunter.