Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling , except for Jackie and her friends etc.
Chapter Two
Around what she assumed was noon, she was brought food. The door opened and Jackie scrambled to her feet, trying her best to look angry, when she really was scared. The second man from before entered, carrying a plate with a sandwich and glass of water. She eyed him warily as he set it down on the dusty vanity and raised his eyes to meet hers. There was kindness in those brown eyes.
"My name is Remus, you should eat," he said.
Jackie didn't say anything, resolutely gazing at him with any contempt she could muster. All she wanted was to go home, take a shower and go about her normal day. She didn't want to be locked in a room. The man, Remus, sighed and left. Locking the door. Jackie waited a moment longer, until her stomach gave a growl and she advanced on the food.
All she had was a granola bar for breakfast that morning. She had been planning on returning home to have pancakes . . . but that hadn't worked out. Once finished she returned to her spot at the window. She watched through the dirty glass as people went about their business.
The door opened again, only this time it was Sirius. He still gave her a distrustful look, dressed in a worn suit of deep purple. Odd. He glanced from the dishes Remus had left and back to her, then stepped aside to gesture her out. Jackie rose and walked in front of him as they descended the stairs.
The house was silent, until they reached the bottom floor and entered the hall with the shrunken heads. Jackie shuddered, stumbling forward when Sirius nudged her out of her staring. Casting the man a glare she entered a large room. A long table filled most of it, and a kitchen was situated at the end of the room.
Her eyes went to the four people already sitting at the table. Sirius shoved her into a seat, and sat next to her. Jackie peered at each individual with equal amounts of fear and curiosity. The oldest was a man in . . . robes? His white beard fell nearly all the way to the floor where he sat. He wore half moon spectacles, blue eyes watching her closely. The one across from her was dressed in all black. His limp black hair fell to his shoulders and his emotionless black eyes betrayed nothing. His most distinguishing feature was his long nose.
Remus was there, giving her what could only be a warm look. The man sitting next to him looked like a war veteran. He was missing an eye, in its place was a fake one. The blue eye rolled around in the socket strapped to his skull, and scars littered his face. His hair was thinning.
The old man addressed her.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, I was told you asked for me?"
"I think so," Jackie replied quietly.
"How did you come into possession of Mr. Dunn's wand, Miss . . . ?"
"Wand?" Jackie uttered with a frown. "You mean that stick?" All the men at the table exchanged a surprised look, save for the one in black. He merely continued to stare her down, which was highly unnerving.
"What may I call you," Dumbledore asked, changing the topic for the moment.
"Jackie. Jackie Snow."
"Is Jackie short for Jacqueline?" Dumbledore asked with an amused look. Jackie frowned.
"Yes."
"How did you meet Mr. Dunn?"
"I was out running-"
"Running?" the man with the glass eye said. "Running from what?" Was he being serious? Jackie stared at him, unsure if he was toying with her.
"Just . . . running. Exercise. I like to run," she said slowly, noting the mans bewildered expression. "I heard a loud crack and suddenly there was a man in the road. I-I stopped to see if he was alright. He shoved the stic- wand, and emerald into my hands and told me to find Dumbledore."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Did he do anything else?"
"Yes," Jackie shifted uncomfortably. "He called me a 'muggle' and put his hand on my chest- and I blacked out. I woke up in the park just across here."
The man in black looked at Dumbledore with a frown, the lines on his face growing deeper.
"Why would Adrian do that," Sirius asked out loud though he was talking mostly to himself. Jackie bit her lip.
"What- what is all this? Where am I and how did I get here?" she asked. Their gazes settled on her and Jackie had the very unsettling feeling that they were withholding something from her.
"The question I have for you, Miss Snow," Dumbledore said lowly. "Is, do you believe in magic?"
"Mummy?"
"Yes, Jackie?" There was a bored tone in her mothers voice. A very young Jackie looked up at her mother with wide and excited eyes. Slowly her mother lowered her book and gave the small brown eyed girl her attention.
"Will you read this to me?" Jackie held up a book, on the cover printed, 'Cinderella'. Her mother scowled and snatched the book.
"What have I told you about fairy tales?" she hissed. Jackie looked down at her feet, and then meekly back up at her mother. Her mother softened slightly and reached to pat the top of her head. "Jackie, fairy tales aren't real. Nor is magic or happy endings."
Jackie bit her lip and nodded, then raised her hands up. Her mother sighed, annoyed. With a sharp and unkind motion she was lifted into her mothers lap and cradled against her chest as her mother returned to her book. The woman stroked her hair softly as Jackie's eyes fluttered shut.
"Good girl."
Jackie blinked and stared at Dumbledore. Shifting uncomfortably she tried not to make eye contact with any of the men surrounding her.
"Not really, no."
Dumbledore hummed. "Is that so?"
"Yes!" she snapped crossing her arms. "I don't see why this is relevant."
It was plain to see that they all were upset by this response, the most terrifying reaction from the black clad man. He scowled at her, like she was no better than the dirt beneath his feet. His dark eyes boring into hers with an unforgiving look that made her shudder.
"Do you know what a wand is, Miss Snow?"
"Witches use them?" she shrugged not really sure. Her exposure to such things had been very limited. "I really don't know . . ."
"Witches and wizards use them to cast spells," said Dumbledore patiently as a frown crossed Jackie's face. "Magic. A muggle, is a term for a non-magical person with no witches or wizards in their family."
"Wait . . ." Jackie muttered growing confused. "Are you trying to tell me that magic is real?"
"Albus," the dark man growled. "We should just take this woman home, this is clearly too much for her to handle." He sneered at her, curling his upper lip.
"All in good time, Severus," Dumbledore said with a gleam in his eye. He turned to Jackie. "The man you met, Mr. Dunn, is a wizard. And it seems to me that he gave you something."
"A wand?" she said slowly.
"My dear," Dumbledore laughed. "I believe he gave you magic."
"That's impossible," growled the one eyed man. "Muggles can't just get magic from us."
"I believe," Dumbledore said adjusting his spectacles, "that Miss Snow just has. An old magic that very few practice today. Would you happen to know Mr. Dunn, Miss Snow?"
"I've never seen him before in my life," she said.
Dumbledore frowned, looking troubled.
"Look," Jackie said setting her hands on the table. "I just want to go home. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and I'm sorry. But I have a job and responsibilities that if I don't show up for, people will be looking for me."
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "Remus, take Miss Snow upstairs so that she can freshen up before we take her home."
Remus stood and led her to the door. Jackie looked over her shoulder before leaving the room. Severus turned to Dumbledore.
"We will have to obliviate her memory."
"Yes," he said, "Severus, would you mind?"
Severus leaned back in his chair and nodded slightly, not saying a word. Sirius frowned.
"Why would Adrian do that? What is the emerald for?"
"Dunn always had a mean sense of humor," the one eyed man stated. "He may have wanted to get one more laugh before he went."
"We don't know if he's dead, Moody," Sirius added.
"He most likely is," Dumbledore said. "Giving magic is no easy magic to perform. It usually kills the giver."
Jackie frowned at the blood stained spot on her shirt. That certainly wasn't coming out. She shuddered as she remembered Adrian's fingers curling around her shirt. Why did it happen to her? She sighed, straightening her top before leaving the loo and returning to Remus in the hall.
He gave her a warm but tired smile.
"Thank you," she murmured. "I couldn't get the stain out though."
Remus looked at her shirt, then glanced around to make sure no one was watching and pulled a long stic- wand from his coat. He looked at her.
"Don't . . . freak out," he said quietly. He muttered something under his breath, and slowly the blood seemed to disappear before her very eyes. Jackie's eyes widened. That was- that was- Magic! But magic wasn't real! Were her eyes deceiving her? She stumbled backwards, chest heaving as her breaths came quickly.
Remus reached out towards her, alarm on his face. "It's okay! Just a cleaning spell." Easy for him to say! Jackie's chest rose and fell rapidly and she slumped against the wall.
"It's real," she breathed staring at the floor. "Real." She rose her gaze to Remus and shuddered again. This time her eyes rolled back into her skull and she fainted.
R&R!
~filimeala
