Chapter 1: Muggle state of mind
"Wow" Alice breathed, her huge brown doe eyes twinkling with enchantment. We had just seen Eclipse for the fifth time and each time was like seeing it for the first time. Yeah, I know. We are really lame, but hey, we're twilight fans! Who can deny us the experience? I was more of a hard-core fan than Alice, but she was still pretty big. She mainly came along with me to see Taylor's abbs and laugh at me while I ogled over Rob and hung on every word he said.
I laughed at her expression, clutching the small black handbag which swung from my shoulder. Alice turned on me then, walking backwards so she could face me with her accusatory stare. "What are you laughing at? I could swear you actually drooled that time!" she shot; her eyes were narrowed, but still sparkled with mirth. I heated instantly, my face turning an interesting shade of red. I hit her with my bag. "Oh shut up!" I hissed.
The hit was too much for Alice's fragile balance, and her legs wobbled then collapsed, "WOAH!" she yelled as she went down. I leapt forward and caught her, hanging on tightly to her upper arms as she struggled to come up from her half collapsed position. I had this move perfectly practised, I was forever catching her. It had become so ingrained, that whenever anyone else fell, I instantly reached forward to catch them. Embarrassing to explain to everyone that your best friend has terrible balance.
She grinned up at me. "Thanks" she chuckled, as I hauled her to her feet. I smiled fondly as she stood, brushed herself off and turned to stand by my side. Holding my arm out for her, she grinned sheepishly and linked her arm through mine. This was our usual practise. The both of us walking arm and arm. It was for many reasons, but mostly because it was my way of preventing her from falling.
We walked down the hallway of the Cinema happily chatting randomly as we passed the doors to the other theatres. We walked through the main lobby, past the candy bar and the ticket counters and out the sliding doors and to the bright Australian sunshine. We stopped for a minute, both of us closing our eyes and breathing in the sights, sounds and smells of summer.
I sighed happily as my eyes fluttered open to reveal the bumbling city. Well… it wasn't much of a city. More of a large shopping town. A sparrow flew past us, singing carelessly as it soared through the air and landed in a nearby tree. The spicy smell of exhaust fumes mingled with the delicious smells of food, wafting from the café next to us. I could hear the cups clinking on the saucers and the scraping of chairs against the concrete.
Alice interrupted me by snorting. Giving a start I looked across at her to see her brown, chestnut locks covering her face as she smiled down at her phone. She giggled and shoved the phone in my face so I could look at whatever was amusing her. "Look at what Jen says," she snickered as I took the phone from her. It was a text from our best friend Jennifer. The ever sarcastic and smart Jennifer.
'No way!' It read, I could even hear the tone she would have used if she were here.
'srsly guys this is what, the billnth time u've seen it?'
I chuckled. It defiantly felt like it. Jen was defiantly not a twilight fan. Not at all. She read the books when they were first published and thought they were okay, but that's it. She began to detest it when the big hype about it came out. She loved poking fun at me and found it amusing to watch my hackles rise as I raced to defend what I loved so dearly.
I handed the phone back to Alice. "So ally-poo" I said smiling, watching as her eyes narrowed as I used my pet name for her, "What are we doing now?" Alice smiled and pointed towards a familiar burgundy car which had pulled up in front of the theatre. "Well, my mother is here, so you're on your own buddy." She said giving me a friendly hug then walking happily to the car. Chuckling as I watched her stumble a few times, the smile fell off my face when she turned around and yelled. "See ya anna-rogers!" she bellowed, smiling as she used that annoying pet name she formed when I had started calling her ally-poo. Bitch. I blushed as I realised that a few people were actually staring at me now. I looked back to give her another smart ass comment when I saw her car driving down the road. Damn. I would get her next time.
My mobile phone rang then, the Little Mermaid's 'part of your world' filling in its own harmony into the bustling life of the town. I whipped my phone out quickly and answered, "Hello, my life sucks!" I chimed rather bored into the receiver. "Ileana?" my mum's voice asked, mildly irritated by my condescending greeting. Shoot. Okay, just act like you didn't say anything. "Hey mum" I said, a grimace plain on my face. I hated it when she used my full name.
Yes my full name is Ileana, but my friends call me Anna for short. They can't pronounce my name, and after spending two months trying to teach them with no success, I just gave up and told them to call me Anna. In case you haven't guessed by the unusual name, my grandparents weren't born here. But hey, I am as every bit Australian as the next person. My grandparents, mum's parents came over from Romania during the cold war. And before you ask, no, I am not a vampire, neither is my family. Yes, yes, I know it's very disappointing, believe me, I agree with you there.
I don't actually look like the eastern European girl you have probably instantly formed in your mind. Unfortunately, I didn't take the regal looks from my mother. I took the very Scottish look from dad. My Great, great, grandfather was a Scotsman. Yet again, no accent on my dad's part. I am quite the multicultural girl, two very different cultures blending to form me. Little old me. Pale white skin, a dusting of freckles, brilliant green eyes and bronze hair.
My younger sister, Roxana, was given the Romanian genes and I was extremely jealous. Naturally, my grandmother called her a 'preţioase puţin dragă' and she lapped it up, her dark green eyes flashing happily as she tossed her silken black curls. She is the favourite, no doubt there.
Mum was defiantly Romanian by descent and was the typical raven hair beauty. While her accent was thoroughly Australian, some of her words were pronounced oddly, a reminder of her heritage. As a little girl, she used to tell me the stories of her people, fascinating me with tales of Vampires and werewolves. She was very superstious, a product of her parents, but was a sensible and logical woman. She was very moral and had a heart of pure gold. She was ever meek and shy and her hazel eyes sparkled with wisdom.
"I am sorry darling," mum's voice said, and I could hear an underlying tension and voices talking seriously in the background, „But I can't pick you up. We uh... Have a visitor. Natalie is coming to pick you up." She said, her attention alternating from myself to whatever was happening in the background. Natalie was mum's best friend and often exchanging of children occurred when the biological parent wasn't available to transport said child. I was used to it. I was more curious about the visitor than anything else. "S'okay" i said, rubbing the bottom of my dressy and pretty sandal on the pavement. „Thank you darling. She said she would be there in a jiffy." Mum said, her voice sounding rushed. I knew she was struggling she wanted desperately to be apart of what ever conference was happening on the other end. „See you when I get home then" I mumbled. „Okay then darling. Bye" she said quickly and then hung up.
I sighed and hit the end button and shoved the phone back into my bag. Walking over to wooden seat nearby, I sat down forlornly and looked around. My feet were tapping against the pavement statically, creating a never pausing beat. Boom, b-b-boom, Boom-boom-boom, bo, bo, bo, boom. My eyes wandered, roaming. Soft gusts of hot wind blew wantonly through the trees, sending my hair into a flurry. There was an odd noise, like a grating screech, which shattered the silence. I looked up instantly, trying to find the source of the noise. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I quickly spotted the culprit. A large and stunning bird wheeled majestically over head. I watched in awe as it floated down gently on the air currents, swooping in and landing a few feet away from me.
It was an eagle. A beautiful eagle. A wedgetail. I gasped, stunned as this native predator looked me directly in the eye. I had held one of these birds at a bird sanctuary up in Queensland, but he was only a small male. This one was huge. He had to be at least 20 kg. His feathers were beautiful, shimmering in the heat. His beak, so smooth and lethal. His long talons showed the absolute power which was hidden behind the dazzling feathers. His big black eyes looked at me with purpose, meeting my stunned gaze with a challenge in his eyes.
He did not shy away from me, as most others of his kind would. It was so odd that he was this close to humanity. He belonged in the outback, not in a busy little town on the east coast. He walked around in the circle, clearly uncomfortable at being on the ground so close to humans. Walking towards me, he cocked his head curiously to the side, as if asking me some silent question. After a few moments, he slightly unfurled his wings and gave them a flap.
Leaping onto the bench I was sitting on, he waddled close to me and stopped only inches from my leg. I was so stunned I just sat there gaping like an idiot. It looked at me again, it's too intelligent for human eyes sparkling and talking to me. I felt my lips moving, and before I could stop myself, I found myself talking to the bird. "Hello, Mr Wedgetail." The bird gave what seemed like a chuckle and I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
A loud and rather obnoxious horn sounded out, and the eagle and I looked up at the same time. A familiar golden car sat in the drop off zone and Natalie was waving her arm at me to catch my attention. I looked down at my eagle friend. He gave me a significant look then launched himself in the air, catching a air current and floating of out of sight. I gave a sigh, sad I had to part with my winged buddy. Shaking my head to try and dispel his all-too-human stare, I stood and swung my bag over my arm. Yawning slightly, my late night reading finally catching up with me, I stood and walked across towards the waiting car. Opening the front passenger door and swinging myself in, I put on my seatbelt and shut the door, as Natalie took a chance and darted out into the small gap in the traffic.
"Hey Anna" she greeted me cheerfully, her loud boisterous voice booming through the tiny space of the car. Like my friends, she had ditched my full name in favour for the very British sounding shorter supplicant. I smiled; Natalie's natural happiness was infectious to say the least. "Nothing much." I said as Natalie returned my happy smile. Natalie was my second mum and I adored her to pieces. I was so close with her kids; it was like we were all brothers and sisters. Jamie, her second eldest who was my age, often got mistaken for my brother. I just laughed whenever this was asked, while he would blush and look away.
Jamie was a gentle giant, and a man of few words. He towered over my own father and his, shocking in considering his father used to be a basket ball player. He had soft green eyes and mouse brown hair with flecks of black. Natalie was a short woman with rosy cheeks and gleaming blue eyes. Died golden locks were kept short and trip in classical 30's style cut. Just looking at her you could tell she had a big heart and a booming laugh. She was a mother to everyone and was fiercely loyal. Mum adored her, and was forever telling us about their adventures.
"So, how's your mum?" I asked, raising my voice to be heard over the music streaming from the radio. Everything was loud with Natalie. "Oh, she's doing well Darlin'" she said, and began telling me about her mother's recent trip to the doctors. I nodded along, my mind far away, half of it wondering after my mum's cryptic words and the other half on the eagle.
It didn't seem long before we were turning into the long, snake like gravel drive which lead to the sprawling grounds of Dad's family estate. He had inherited it from his parents who had decided on a sea change, moving into the tiny mountain top town an hours drive away. The golden 4wd drive rumbled over the rocks and the cows in our paddocks looked up at us lazily, chomping away at tufts of green summer grass. The house came into view, the old man gum trees swaying in the gentle breeze, dropping leaves over the terracotta rooves.
The house was made in the style of the classic Australian homestead; Open windows, made of large sandstone blocks, old pane windows frequent visitors among the walls. A large Veranda ran around the perimeter of the house. In recent years, an extra story had been added and the old French Doors which led from each room onto the veranda had been replaced with mainly glass doors with a dark wooden boarder. The old front door had been replaced by a dark oak door with a beautiful stained glass window in it. I sighed gently, the smells of home wafting through the open car window.
There's no place like home.
The car rolled to a stop, sending the free roaming chickens into a flutter; scampering this way and that, clucking like the sky was falling in. I looked over at Natalie and smiled "Thanks Natalie!" I said giving her a hug and leaping out of the car. "You're welcome Kiddo. Maybe this is a sign you should get your License!" she crowed, hollering out the window as I chased the chickens back in their coop at the side of the house. After locking the door and making sure it was Fox proof, I walked back to the car and stuck my head through the window. "Maybe if mum took me driving more often I would!" I said smiling. "Plus" I added with a shrug, arms folded and leaning on the wound down window, "I need a car." Natalie chuckled and pushed me away from the car so she could reverse. I smiled as I watched her go, giving her a wave as she rounded the first corner in the driveway.
There was a soft grunting at my feet and I looked down and with a smile looked into the chubby pink face of my rather large pet pig. "Hey Alfred!" I said with a smile, as I rubbed behind his mud encrusted ear. Yeah, I get it, Alfred was a weird name to call a pig, but when your 8 years old, it is a perfectly reasonable name to call your baby piglet. Over the past 9 years, he had grown in to the name, quite literally. He was a fat affectionate blob of undulated awesomeness and I still thought he was the shiz. Weighing in at 90kg, Big Alfred, as he has been come to known, has become a member of the family. Like babe, Alfred helped Sandy, our maniac Blue healer bring in the cows and round up the sheep. When I was ten I knitted Alfred a beanie so his head wouldn't get cold during the winter, so during the winter months, if one visited our farm, you would se a huge pink pig bowling down the paddocks sporting a blue and green beanie. Alfred loved his beanie and for tradition sake, still wore it.
I looked up when the door opened to see Roxana looking at me curiously. I smiled at her and walked up the stairs, Alfred at my heels. I reached the door and shimmied through, Alfred still following. "Hey Roxie, What's up?" I said, smiling at my sister. She was still looking at me with an odd expression and seemed to have not heard my greeting. I widened my eyes and waved a hand in front of her face. "Helloooo" I said rather loudly, "earth to Roxie!" She snapped out of it then and looked at me annoyed, "great!" she hissed quietly "You just blew my cover!" she glared at me, her emerald eyes flashing with annoyance, as her upper lip curled up to show her displeasure.
It dawned on me then. "Oh." I said my eyes glassy as I sported a distant expression. A second later my expression changed and I pointed a finger at her, challenging. "You were spying weren't you?" She gave a start, guilt covering her features as she twisted a lock of her black hair around her hand. "I don't know what your talking about." She said instantly. I wasn't buying it, neither was Alfred. He head-butted her, showing his annoyance.
"Alright, Alright!" Roxie said, backing away from Alfred with a disgusted look on her face. Roxie had never been a fan of Alfred. Who knows why. "You caught me!" she said holding up her hands in defence. Alfred head-butted her once more for good measure. "Hey!" Roxie protested, stumbling back and knocking over Dad's bag of golf clubs. She winced chagrined; knowing every attempt at secrecy had been ruined. "What was that?" Dad's weary voice echoed from down the hall.
I looked at Roxie, daring her to blame me, yet again. "Nothing Daddy! Just tripped over. I'm alright though." I rolled my eyes. Roxie's attempts at being a Daddy's girl were sickening to say the least. Dad saw straight through her, and chose to ignore her attempts. Alfred gave a snort, his soft pink nose wriggling about. I patted him on the head. "That'll do pig, that'll do." I said with a mock old man voice, imitating the farmer from Babe. Alfred gave a snort, turned and click-clattered his way over the slate floor and through the open garage door on my right and into the garage. Smiling after him, I decided to find out what was going on one and for all. Grabbing the hair tie off the banister as I walked past, I tied back my red locks into a ponytail. Don't ask me why, but I had to wear one in order to concentrate. Just an old habit I guess.
Walking into the lounge room I paused, absolutely stunned by what I saw. Dad was sitting there in his favourite arm chair by the wood fire, dressed in his usual milking clothes; Flannelette shirt open showing a white and rather grubby bonds singlet, well worn and mud encrusted jeans, and large muddy gumboots. His grey hair with the occasional flickering of colour let off an orange tinge, the only indicator as to what colour his hair used to be. Mum was perched at his arm, her long black hair was tied back with a clip and she too was dressed for the milking.
Our guest was the polar opposite. Long purple robes which looked like they were made from velvet hung over his commanding thin form. Long white hair and a beard to match made him look like father time. Soft, gentle wrinkles were prominent around his face, making him seem like one of those stern grandfathers who had a heart of gold. His blue eyes though were anything if old. There was such life in them and the wisdom abysmal in their depths spoke legions. They twinkled curiously under a pair of half-moon glasses which sat precisely in the right spot on his nose. As I was studying, the corner of his mouth twitched the corners uplifting in almost a smile.
Dad interrupted my staring. "Honey," he said his eyes a mixture of uneasiness and surprise, "this is Albus Dumbledore."