A black car pulls up outside a city shopping centre, the darkly tinted
windows block outside view of the driver.
"Are you sure they're the ones you want?" Zack was staring out of the car window at three young high school girls, who were sitting on a bench outside the shopping centre. Zack scratched his head and turned to his dark haired passenger. "I know that we need young people, but they are.their girls?"
His boss now stared at him with disgust after all she was female, and beginning to lose patience with her assistant. "Lets not forget who you are talking to Zachary". She spoke in a harsh yet calm tone. Zack gave her an apologising nod.
"Yes, sorry Joe, but shouldn't you be going for boys, you know the strong and athletic type. These girls wouldn't last a day." Zack answered back at the risk of receiving another disgusted look.
"We also need brains Zachary", she snapped back impatiently. "That is why I have decided to get three girls and three guys."
Zack thought about this and then made a few quick calculations on his fingers. " But I thought that we were only allowed to place three people into Hogwarts?"
Joe was now looking out the window. Joe remembered her conversation with the Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore, earlier that month. She had been granted permission to place only three into the school. The headmaster had fully supported Joe's training the team at the school, but the ministry had suggested otherwise, restricting the number to three, the ministry had not been told the whole story of course. Only Dumbledore had been in the know, the ministry had never had any interest with the problems of muggles, but Dumbledore seemed to realise that this was a problem which would also effect both worlds.
She turned to face Zack who still seemed to be facing mass confusion. "I am hoping that we can pick up another three strong wizards at the school, after all we need a team of six." She answered.
Zack gave her an intense look. "Do you mean to put them through the training too?" "Yes, absolutely."
"That's brilliant, picking up three guys from the school would not only give them opportunity to train together, but we will also have the qualities of both wizards and normal humans on our side." She nodded with a small grin, realising her own genius. "Ok.when do you want these three then?" Nudging his head in the girl's direction.
Joe looked down at her watch. "Tonight."
"Done." Zack replied as he started the car and drove off.
.................
"You know, I thought I would never say this, but.I am so sick of shopping" Sarah complained, as she noticed the serious lack of boys this time of afternoon. "We come here every Friday."
"Yeah" Emma got up off the bench and swang her school bag over her shoulder and turned to Jade. "Do you want to do something else?"
Jade looked at her two friends wondering why she always had to decide what they should do. "Well we could go down the river." "YAY", Sarah jumped up and down clapping her hands, her long blonde hair flying in all directions. "Yeah ok lets do that then", Emma agreed, narrowing her eyes at Sarah's over excited shouts of joy.
Down at the river Jade collapsed on a small grass mound, which was shaded by an old but newly greened tree. She was glad that she had decided to go to the river, it was early spring, and the grass was green and fresh, not to mention the river was flowing with crystal blue water.
"Lets go for a swim", Sarah squealed out.
"NO", Jade and Emma said together. For 10 minute's they just layed there staring up at the clouds, they felt so peaceful and calm. Emma began to wonder why they didn't come down more often, it was a very rare moment when they could just relax and be alone. Emma looked across at Jade who was half asleep, then she turned to Sarah, who to her surprise had a very deep, and in-thought look on her face. Her deep blue eyes were scanning the leaves of the tree, but her thoughts seemed elsewhere. Emma began to wonder what she was thinking when all hopes of it being anything intelligent faded away.
"Let's run away". Sarah blurted out.
Emma rolled her eyes at her and sighed. "Oh and where would we go?" Jade, who was lying on the other side of Emma, interrupted with a yawn.
"Oh come on guys, the school isn't that bad." Both of her friends now stared at her in disbelief. Jade sat up. "Well maybe a little", she could see her friends were not convinced, "Ok, Ok the schools a nightmare, but what can we do, we have no parents to complain to, we have to stick it out until the end of year 12."
Jade and her friends had always lived at the boarding school for as long as she could remember. Jade, like her friends, had no family, their parents had died when they were very young, and instead of going to an orphanage, the school adopted the three girls. The lady who had adopted them was a nun who had worked at the school, but since her passing away the girls had not received the same kindness from their other teachers. The other nuns who worked there were very cruel, and believed in the old ways of discipline showing no compassion for the girls.
"IT'S NOT FAIR", Sarah yelled out in frustration.
"Come on you guys, only two more years". Jade said trying to comfort them.
Emma shook her head and stood up, looking at her watch. "Lets head back."
...............
They decided to take the short way back to the school along the high way. The traffic lights were a few hundred metres out of their way, so they turned to cross over before the lights. "Lets cross now", Jade stoped, looking at the on coming traffic, at this time of the afternoon the high way was very busy. But she saw a gap in the traffic. "Ok, cross after this black car."
Her two friends crossed after the car and were now standing on the traffic island. Jade didn't cross with her friends but soon caught up.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked her, as she met them on the other side of the road.
"The driver of that car gave me the weirdest look".
"Ok." Emma looked at her with concern.
"Don't worry, lets get back, it's getting dark."
The night was coming in fast and it was soon dark. "We're going to be in so much trouble if we don't hurry up", Emma yelled, looking at Sarah who had stoped at a server station to use the toilet.
"We'll have to go the quick way", she pointed to an old alleyway, which they had not used very often, but knew that it brought them close to the road of the school.
"Ok, but, let's be quick", Jade agreed. The alley was dark, and it was about 50 metres to the other side, Jade and Emma didn't seem to mind the over grown weeds and lack of light, but Sarah hated the dark, and had grabbed onto Jade's arm tightly.
"You are such a wuss Sarah". Emma teased.
"Tell her to shut up Jade".
Jade stoped. "Shut up both of you.I think there is someone there." She had heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see if anyone was there, but it was too dark to see very far. They turned to the front as a black car pulled up at the end of the alley. Jade gripped Emma's wrist.
"That's the car, that's the guy who gave me that weird look, I think we should run."
"Don't be stupid", Emma stepped forward, but stepped back again quickly as two men got out of the car and produced guns. "Ok now run."
They turned to run but they stoped when they saw another man behind them also holding a gun.
"HELP, HELP, HELP, THEY ARE GOING TO RAPE US." Sarah was screaming and running in circles. The three men were now standing very close to them, their guns out in front aiming menacingly, so as to show, they meant business.
"What do you want?" Jade asked stepping back.
"We don't want to hurt you, we just need to talk". Answered a skinny but tough looking man completely waring black.
"Talk to us?.. GO AWAY, HELP, HELP." Sarah was screaming at the top of her lungs. The man waring black loaded his gun, and pointed it at Sarah's head. Jade jumped in front of her.
"Get in the car." The man said as the other two men grabbed them by the arm.
"Do what he says Jade." Emma was beginning to panic.
"It's ok Sarah", Jade whispered to her.
"Get in the car." The men forced them in without too much of a fight.
"Are you sure they're the ones you want?" Zack was staring out of the car window at three young high school girls, who were sitting on a bench outside the shopping centre. Zack scratched his head and turned to his dark haired passenger. "I know that we need young people, but they are.their girls?"
His boss now stared at him with disgust after all she was female, and beginning to lose patience with her assistant. "Lets not forget who you are talking to Zachary". She spoke in a harsh yet calm tone. Zack gave her an apologising nod.
"Yes, sorry Joe, but shouldn't you be going for boys, you know the strong and athletic type. These girls wouldn't last a day." Zack answered back at the risk of receiving another disgusted look.
"We also need brains Zachary", she snapped back impatiently. "That is why I have decided to get three girls and three guys."
Zack thought about this and then made a few quick calculations on his fingers. " But I thought that we were only allowed to place three people into Hogwarts?"
Joe was now looking out the window. Joe remembered her conversation with the Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore, earlier that month. She had been granted permission to place only three into the school. The headmaster had fully supported Joe's training the team at the school, but the ministry had suggested otherwise, restricting the number to three, the ministry had not been told the whole story of course. Only Dumbledore had been in the know, the ministry had never had any interest with the problems of muggles, but Dumbledore seemed to realise that this was a problem which would also effect both worlds.
She turned to face Zack who still seemed to be facing mass confusion. "I am hoping that we can pick up another three strong wizards at the school, after all we need a team of six." She answered.
Zack gave her an intense look. "Do you mean to put them through the training too?" "Yes, absolutely."
"That's brilliant, picking up three guys from the school would not only give them opportunity to train together, but we will also have the qualities of both wizards and normal humans on our side." She nodded with a small grin, realising her own genius. "Ok.when do you want these three then?" Nudging his head in the girl's direction.
Joe looked down at her watch. "Tonight."
"Done." Zack replied as he started the car and drove off.
.................
"You know, I thought I would never say this, but.I am so sick of shopping" Sarah complained, as she noticed the serious lack of boys this time of afternoon. "We come here every Friday."
"Yeah" Emma got up off the bench and swang her school bag over her shoulder and turned to Jade. "Do you want to do something else?"
Jade looked at her two friends wondering why she always had to decide what they should do. "Well we could go down the river." "YAY", Sarah jumped up and down clapping her hands, her long blonde hair flying in all directions. "Yeah ok lets do that then", Emma agreed, narrowing her eyes at Sarah's over excited shouts of joy.
Down at the river Jade collapsed on a small grass mound, which was shaded by an old but newly greened tree. She was glad that she had decided to go to the river, it was early spring, and the grass was green and fresh, not to mention the river was flowing with crystal blue water.
"Lets go for a swim", Sarah squealed out.
"NO", Jade and Emma said together. For 10 minute's they just layed there staring up at the clouds, they felt so peaceful and calm. Emma began to wonder why they didn't come down more often, it was a very rare moment when they could just relax and be alone. Emma looked across at Jade who was half asleep, then she turned to Sarah, who to her surprise had a very deep, and in-thought look on her face. Her deep blue eyes were scanning the leaves of the tree, but her thoughts seemed elsewhere. Emma began to wonder what she was thinking when all hopes of it being anything intelligent faded away.
"Let's run away". Sarah blurted out.
Emma rolled her eyes at her and sighed. "Oh and where would we go?" Jade, who was lying on the other side of Emma, interrupted with a yawn.
"Oh come on guys, the school isn't that bad." Both of her friends now stared at her in disbelief. Jade sat up. "Well maybe a little", she could see her friends were not convinced, "Ok, Ok the schools a nightmare, but what can we do, we have no parents to complain to, we have to stick it out until the end of year 12."
Jade and her friends had always lived at the boarding school for as long as she could remember. Jade, like her friends, had no family, their parents had died when they were very young, and instead of going to an orphanage, the school adopted the three girls. The lady who had adopted them was a nun who had worked at the school, but since her passing away the girls had not received the same kindness from their other teachers. The other nuns who worked there were very cruel, and believed in the old ways of discipline showing no compassion for the girls.
"IT'S NOT FAIR", Sarah yelled out in frustration.
"Come on you guys, only two more years". Jade said trying to comfort them.
Emma shook her head and stood up, looking at her watch. "Lets head back."
...............
They decided to take the short way back to the school along the high way. The traffic lights were a few hundred metres out of their way, so they turned to cross over before the lights. "Lets cross now", Jade stoped, looking at the on coming traffic, at this time of the afternoon the high way was very busy. But she saw a gap in the traffic. "Ok, cross after this black car."
Her two friends crossed after the car and were now standing on the traffic island. Jade didn't cross with her friends but soon caught up.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked her, as she met them on the other side of the road.
"The driver of that car gave me the weirdest look".
"Ok." Emma looked at her with concern.
"Don't worry, lets get back, it's getting dark."
The night was coming in fast and it was soon dark. "We're going to be in so much trouble if we don't hurry up", Emma yelled, looking at Sarah who had stoped at a server station to use the toilet.
"We'll have to go the quick way", she pointed to an old alleyway, which they had not used very often, but knew that it brought them close to the road of the school.
"Ok, but, let's be quick", Jade agreed. The alley was dark, and it was about 50 metres to the other side, Jade and Emma didn't seem to mind the over grown weeds and lack of light, but Sarah hated the dark, and had grabbed onto Jade's arm tightly.
"You are such a wuss Sarah". Emma teased.
"Tell her to shut up Jade".
Jade stoped. "Shut up both of you.I think there is someone there." She had heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see if anyone was there, but it was too dark to see very far. They turned to the front as a black car pulled up at the end of the alley. Jade gripped Emma's wrist.
"That's the car, that's the guy who gave me that weird look, I think we should run."
"Don't be stupid", Emma stepped forward, but stepped back again quickly as two men got out of the car and produced guns. "Ok now run."
They turned to run but they stoped when they saw another man behind them also holding a gun.
"HELP, HELP, HELP, THEY ARE GOING TO RAPE US." Sarah was screaming and running in circles. The three men were now standing very close to them, their guns out in front aiming menacingly, so as to show, they meant business.
"What do you want?" Jade asked stepping back.
"We don't want to hurt you, we just need to talk". Answered a skinny but tough looking man completely waring black.
"Talk to us?.. GO AWAY, HELP, HELP." Sarah was screaming at the top of her lungs. The man waring black loaded his gun, and pointed it at Sarah's head. Jade jumped in front of her.
"Get in the car." The man said as the other two men grabbed them by the arm.
"Do what he says Jade." Emma was beginning to panic.
"It's ok Sarah", Jade whispered to her.
"Get in the car." The men forced them in without too much of a fight.