Conner McLean
Laughing pain, with broken bones,
Sticks and
stones, sticks and stones.
Waxes and wanes, pulling ocean foam,
Sticks and
stones, sticks and stones.
Conner, a small boy no older than three years
old, looked down at the mangled limb. With silent horror, he realized it was his
own leg, now just a pile of shredded flesh. Slowly lifting his head, his eyes
met an animal looking back at him. The animal could only be described as a
massive wolf, it's jaws we're dripping with the blood and flesh of Conners leg.
A tear leaked down his face, he was not sure if it was the ripping pain that
came from the limb that he could no longer consider a leg, or the feeling that
overwhelmed him with pity for the animal in front of him, but for whatever
reason he could not grasp why he would feel it. Silently and suddenly, the wolf
ran off into the woods, and Connor blacked out.
...
Now eight years later, the night with the pain of a living hell had left, but the
memories were still vibrant, the scares that made him cursed had not gone, and
the moon still showed with a full belly every month, the happy family of four
had been ripped apart.
Conner looked a different person. His curse had caused him to burn most of his body fat, making him scrawny, his hair had
lost most of its sheen, giving it a dull blond honey color. Body now covered in
jagged scars, the worst of them placed just above his left nee. His face always
remained gaunt, but still held some of the old features, a thin nose, pale blue,
white, crisp eyes, and high cheek bones, gently curving down to his jaw.
This was the body that walked into the living room of their small
house, wondering to why his dad had called him in. Slowly and carefully he sat
down next to his older brother, Izick, thinking of anything in the past week
that might of upset his dad, then, deciding would take the punishment or
lecture, stared questionably at his parents who sat across from him.
His dads thin narrow face took a deep breath, and the pail blue
eyes that conner had inherited, sought into his. "Conner, Izick," he paused to
think, "You know the trouble I have been having at work," Nodding, Conner
distantly remembered the stressful nights of anger, and guilt, when his dad had
lost yet another amount of money, and knew that Izick must be thinking the same,
"your mother and I," he spoke slowly, "Are trying our best, but an opportunity
has come up at work that I have to take if we are to keep a house. I have been
offered a job in England."
The last word hung in the air, making Connor
uncomfortable. Avoiding their eyes, and found a sudden interest in the arm of
the chair.
"I am planning on taking the job, I will be working at
their Ministry of magic, in their misuse of Muggle artifacts, as they like to
call it. We'll be moving there in two weeks, so I suggest you start packing."
"But dad!" izick sputtered, "we cant just up and move there, wha-"
"No buts! And it's final!" his dad barked, and Izick clamped his mouth shut, still
looking unhappy with the situation. Then Connors dad stood up, and walked out as
though he had somewhere to go.
"They do have a magic school." his mother
said to the both of them. "you might be able to go.." Izick looked happy at the
prospect of the new school, but Connor could think of was, 'do they let
werewolves in?'
...
Two weeks later, he was just packing the last of his things, before he and Izeck
side-along-apperarated to Detroit. Where they had to take a plain to England,
for it was too far away to apperarate. Finally in the London airport, he was
exsosted from the full moon just two days away, but dragged himself to the hotel
room they would stay at until they got to their new house. Getting there he
threw his stuff in the corner without unpacking then, as soon as his head hit
the pillow, he drifted off to sleep.
...
The next morning he woke first from his fitful sleep, and quietly got out of bed to
fetch the newspaper, but was surprised to find two small white envelopes accompany
it. Wondering how they had gotten the address, Conner picked it up and fliped it
over to see elegant green ink on the back,
Conner McLean,
Second bed,
Clementines Hotel,
London
Carfuly he turned it over, and undid
the wax seal. removing the paper from the envelope, he read:
Dear Mr.
McLean,
We are pleased to inform you, that you have been excepted at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, please find the enclosed list of
supplied needed.
Term starts the 1st of September, we await your owl no later
then 31st of July.
sincerely,
Pomona Spout
Deputy Headmistress
He starred at disbelieve at the letter, he didn't think he would ever
get an education. He quickly dug out the rest of the papers and found a list of
supplies and another paper:
, we are aware of your Lycanthropy, and will make accommodations for you each month. Upon your arrival to he school,
you will be required to attended a meeting with the headmistress to make these
arrangements.
Sincerly
Pomona Spout
Deputy Headmistress
He could only gap at the letter in his hand, and the twin
one addressed to his brother, and didn't notice his father, who had gotten up,
and stood behind him, reading the letter.
"There actual letting you in?"
Conner jumped at the
sudden noise behind him, then voiced his thoughts, "Owl? Is that how they send
their mail? Why don't they just charm it to fly? And where is the school?"
His father only glared at him, then, "They are having a ministry official come hear
to show us to the house, And around the wizarding side of London, we can buy
your stuff then." Conner nodded, a bit disappoints at the lack of answers, went
back to his bed to find his cloths, and changed.
...
Two hours later, they were heading out the door with a tall clean-shaven wizard
whom Conner couldn't catch the name. He showed them their house, which was a
medium size, white house just outside of London, where they dropped off their
stuff, and Conners mom stayed to unpack.
After leaving, they made their way
back to London, to a small pub called the Leaky Caldron, where they stopped for
lunch, his father chatting to the Ministry wizard the whole time, wile Izick tried to get his questions answered. Conner was
marveling at the different style of magic the European wizards used, how they
stayed back in the old traditions, where the States magic kept progressing. In the States they no longer used quills and ink, and very rarely did they ever use
cloaks or robes, only on special occasions.
By the time they were done eating a
hour had gone by. The wizard showed them to a door that lead to a brick wall, he
taped on the wall at certain intervals, and the bricks around it moved out of
the way to reviel a small, crowded ally. Walking down the ally, which he found
was named Diagon Ally, he marvaled again at how different the two worlds
were.
His father gave him his money, along with Izeck, after the wizard
had showed them around, so Conner and his brother were aloud to go off on their
own and buy the stuff they needed. After getting their books, robes, caldron and
potions ingredients, they headed to the old wand shop.
As they enter the old shop, Olivanders, his brother approached the frond dest, and rung the bell.
A old mans voice called out, "Be with you in a moment." and they sat down to
wait. About two minutes later, and old man seemed to just appear at the desk,
"Hogwarts students?" he asked. They both nodded their heads in unison. "May I
ask your names?" His brother spoke up, "I'm Izeck, and thats my brother Conner."
he pointed at Conner.
"Yes, yes, but your surname?"
"Er...McLean." they were not to use to people asking their last names, maybe it's a England thing,
Connor thought.
"No, I don't believe I've had your parents yet, and you look
to old to be getting a wand for the first time." he said looking at Izeck,
"We just moved from the states, and I already have a wand, this is just for
my brother." Connor meekly waved his hand.
"Alright then, tell me, which is your wand hand?"
"Left," Spoke Connor, Then the old man set to work. A minute
latter he came back with about five different boxes. Opening one, he gave it to
Connor, "Give it a wave." and so Connor did. Olivander snatched it back
instantly. "no... Not that one... " he muttered. And handed him another.
The same proses continued for a wile, until he pulled out one, and spoke, "Ash wood,
Threstal Tail hair, seven and a half inches, reasonably sturdy, good for
transfiguration" Connor took it, wondering what exactly he meant by
Transfiguration. He swished it around in the air, and it became warm in his
hands, a dazzling array of lights sprung from it, and spider webbed across the
room.
After he had payed and left the store, he walked to the
quidditch shop, and looked at the brooms they had. They were, of corse, a lot
different then the brooms back home, Conner had never heard of the Nimbus
brooms, they all had AirSwift back in the states, though Connor had never owned a broom.
Wile examining the brooms from
the shop window, he heard a boy come launching down the ally, "-Quidditch shop!
I'm gonna try out for Seeker this year! And I'll get to play agents you Al next
year, because you'll be in Slythrin, but that's if you make the team!" yelled a
messy haired boy in one breath to his brother who seamed to be fallowing behind
with hair equally messy. A little girl with bright red locks came racing after
her two brothers, "Oh mum, I want a broom, can't I get one?" she said to her mom
who seamed to be paying more attention to the boys who looked like they could do
some seareous stuff if left alone for more than a few minutes, if the
mistiouves gleam in the older boys eyes we're anything to go by.
After their mom caught up to them, "James, slow down, watch for other people, and what
way is that to treat your brother? You know the rules Lily, only second years
can join the team." she said sternly. The tallest boy named James, came and
stood by Conner, drooling at the brooms, then suddenly noticeded that he was not
alone, spoke, "Are you both starting Hogwarts too? My younger brother, Al, is
starting this year, Oh-It's James Potter by the way."
Conner smiled tiredly
at the boy, "ya, it's my first year hear, I'm Conner McLean."
"I'm Izeck, we
just moved so I'm starting third year."
" Do you know what houses you'll be
in?" James asked eagerly.
"Er.. No" Izeck looked at Connor on any idea of
what houses were.
"oh, well I'm in Gryffindor!" he said tryumfantly, "For the
brave and noble! Just make sure your not in Slythrin." he added quick. Before
he could get in another word, James's mother called for him, "James, we need to
go get your books. Hurry along."
James glanced once more at Conner and Izick, "See
ya." then ran off to join his siblings.
