I'm actually enjoying writing it fanfic lot more than I first thought I would. We recently finished the 10th chapter and were having tons of fun with it; gets a lot better at chapter 4. Nothing much to say, I'll just get straight to the story.
I don't know Harry Potter or the book characters. Ashley is Emeralds, Serena and Theron are mine.
Chapter 2: Castle of Glass by Linkin Park
Ashley admired the forest as she maneuvered through piles of leaves and shrubbery, trying to find a way out of the obviously vast woods. It was endless. Her fingertips danced against tree bark absentmindedly as she walked. The trees stood proud and tall, making Ashley notice just how small she was, both in stature and in importance. Not that she was important at home either, but at least she didn't feel as helpless, and alone. Her mind was still reeling at the fact that she was a smaller and younger human being, a stranger to herself.
Head pounding and eyes strained, Ashley leaned against a particularly thick tree, and slid down into a sitting position. As she used the tree as a backrest, she couldn't help but to be intimidated by the large span of forest she found herself in. Since she was from the city, any forest back home was miles away, if you could even call them forests. You had to go searching for it, but here? Here, it's right at your doorstep apparently. Even though Ashley knew she had to move, to get out, she couldn't find the heart to keep going. Just for a moment, she wondered what would happen to her if she just gave up. Oh, come on, you've been through much more than this. Get up and move.
She groggily and reluctantly hoisted herself to her feet. Procrastinating, she looked up, wishing she could see some source of light. However, the thick branches and dense leaves made it impossible to see the sky. She stared up for a while, then a thought dawned on her. With newfound determination, she gripped a nearby branch and pulled herself up. Straddling the branch, she scooted to the trunk, and carefully stood. Attempting to not think of the consequences if she fell, she reached up to the next branch then the next. By the time she reached high enough to see the outskirts of the forest her arms and legs felt like jelly. Sitting on the dangerously thin branch, she pushed her hair out of her eyes, and glanced around. Looking in the direction she'd traveled so far; the forest seemed to stretch for miles. However, there was a glimmer of hope, in the form of sparkling lights from a town.
Ashley glanced the opposite way, the other path she could have taken. It was clear now that the other, cobblestoned path was closer to an exit, in the shape of a large, brightly-lit manor. A chuckle slipped past her lips as she suddenly remembered a Robert Frost poem everyone seemed to have memorized back at home. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the road closest to me in a panicked disarray, after falling out of the sky. I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Now I'm more lost than ever before, but at least Frost would have been proud of me.
Now it was obvious to Ashley that the day had turned into night; the sky had long since darkened above her and the temperature had plummeted, especially when she was so high in the sky. A shiver ran up her spine as she rubbed her hands over her goosebump covered arms. Even though Ashley hated the heat at home, she longed for the warm weather now. If only I didn't run away from a school girl, this would have never happened.
The girl's words haunted her, but mostly one word in particular. Muggle. Ashley couldn't help but contemplate over the word as she swung her legs over the side of the branch, and tentatively began to climb down. Muggle, the girl stated that word as if seeing one was like seeing bigfoot riding a unicorn. Reaching a lower branch, she dangled from the branch, and let herself drop to the ground.
With exhaustion, she stumbled forward, often tripping over twigs and rocks as she trudged on towards her safety. She leaned on tree trunks for support every once in a while, and squinted into the darkness, hoping to see even the faint source of light from stars.
Her foot catching, she crashed into a curtain of vines, and stumbled through. Her chagrin turned to relief when she noticed what she had stumbled on. A break in the treeline was found and she could see starlight gleam in. With newfound energy, Ashley moved forward. A little clearing that mostly consisted of a lake, and beyond that, paved roads and shops. The outside town she saw from the tree was finally visible.
Almost reaching the lake, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Feeling a shiver go down her spine, she tensed up. Conspicuously glancing behind her, she observed the woods. Nothing. With slow, careful steps, she made her way to the edge of the lake, keeping herself prepared for anything. Shaking her head at her paranoia, she forced herself to become calmer.
A small thump in the woods behind her made Ashley slow to a stop. Eyes closed and head cocked, she focused on nothing but the sounds around her. The rustling of leaves in the breeze, the faint sound of townsmen being merry... nothing out of the ordinary. Just as she began to relax she heard movement in the forest once again. A glance over her shoulder told her everything she needed to know. Her hair whipped in her face as she spun around to face the creature: a dragon. Its purple eyes glinted in the moonlight, its scales as dark as a starless night, making it near impossible to see. It gave a roar, spreading its wings to their full span, destroying trees, trunk and all, in the process.
Frozen in fear, Ashley stared at the beast. Its fangs glistened and the pulse of its massive wings knocked her off her feet. Scrambling up, she backed away, hoping that the beast would not attack if she was not a threat. The dragon gave a mighty roar, and Ashley's heart sunk when she realized that it was going to be hostile, no matter her actions. Cold water rushed into her shoe, the direct result of Ashley unconsciously backing up into the lake. Seeing no other choice, Ashley dove under the murky waters. The water was dark; Ashley couldn't even see her hand in front of her, and unfortunately her shallow breath wasn't sufficient to keep her underwater for very long. With lungs burning from the strain, she resurfaced for much needed air. Her vision was blurry, eyes stinging from the lake water.
The dragon roared as Ashley rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her sight, her legs rapidly moving to tread the water. Seeing clearly, she discovered the dragon took flight, its claws extended as it came for her. Breathing in as deep as she could, Ashley ducked back under, hoping that the combination of murky waters and the cover of night would keep her invisible. Or, at the very least, unspottable. Cautiously, she swam through the water toward what she hoped was the other side of the lake. After what felt like hours of fighting off slippery, underwater vegetation, her knee collided against rocky ground, causing Ashley to wince. Relief flooded her as first her shoulders broke through the water surface into the cold of night before she fully pulled herself out, gulping down the air like fine wine; she had reached the shallow end of the lake. I have never been so happy to receive a bruise in my life. Taking pity on her battered knees, she crawled over to some shrubbery and sat down, hidden behind its leaves. Resting, she looked at her surroundings.
The lights from the town glimmered as if it was her lifehouse in a storm. The cheers and laughter from the pub called to her. The dragon hovered over the lake still, seemingly glaring into its waters. Ashley could barely make it out, for its scales acted as camouflage for the dragon. As long as its backdrop was a black sky, it was practically invisible. Standing, she stared at the majestic creature, hesitating on running.
The dragon's eyes met hers, giving her no choice but to run. Only the beats of the dragon's wings and the wheeze from Ashley were heard in the secluded wood as she sprinted. Not being used to such a small body, Ashley found herself tripping over her own two feet, face planting into the dirt. With a disgusted groan, she couldn't help but to think that this must be the most cliche way to die. Moving up to a kneel, Ashley listened for the beast who should have caught up to her by now. Confused, she forced herself up on her feet and looked back at the lake. For a peculiar reason, it seemed as though the beast was stuck at the edge of the lake. It was beating its wings, unable to move, no matter how how much force was used.
A feeling of joy and relief resonated inside Ashley as she realized the dragon could not harm her. However, she decided to take no unnecessary risks, and hurried towards the small gravel road. Running in wet clothes turned out to be a chore, and she began to pant once she reached pavement. She placed her hands on her knees, and tried to catch her breath. A sudden voice behind her made her jump.
"Here, take this." Ashley stood properly, and turned to face the stranger. Blue eyes smiled kindly down on her behind half-mooned glasses. The glasses sat on a long, crooked nose, and the man's silver beard was just about as long as he was. A wrinkled hand offered a towel.
When Ashley hesitated, he chuckled, causing the purple cloak around his shoulders to ruffle. "Where are my manners? My name is Albus Dumbledore. Please take this, it looks as though you will catch a cold."
Jaw dropping, she stared at the older gentleman. If she had not seen a dragon just moments ago, she would have dismissed him as crazy. The puzzle pieces were slowly fitting together, but Ashley still couldn't understand the picture. It was an impossibility! How could she be meeting the man many potterheads adored, Albus Dumbledore. Was he really worried about her catching a cold? It was just a strange thought to process.. Realizing she hasn't responded to Dumbledore's hospitality, she slowly took the towel away from the man, hiding her puzzled face behind it as she scrubbed her face dry.
Cooling her expression a bit, Ashley looked back up into the headmaster's eyes, deciding to introduce herself as well. "I'm Ashley Summerfield."
Dumbledore gave a kind smile. "You seem to have gone through an ordeal. Perhaps you would be interested in a stroll with me? I'm curious about your..." Dumbledore waved at the girl's dripping clothing, "Condition."
With hesitancy, she nodded. Ashley could see no other choice but to go with him.
"Where have you been?" Serena blinked lazily up at her father as she entered their mansion.
"Out," she commented, and walked past him toward the stairs. Unfortunately, her father seemed to have other plans, taking his place between her and the stairway.
"Why are you covered in dirt?" he exclaimed in outrage.
"I ran into a wingless griffin," she informed him plainly, turning toward the living room archway.
Her escape was foiled once again when her mother entered the hallway from the living room. "Honey!" she exclaimed upon seeing her daughter. "Where have you been? We will be late for the Malfoy party. Hurry and get dressed!"
Serena eyed her parents, realizing she wasn't getting out of this one. "Very well, if Father would stop blocking my path I could get to my room to change." At her words, her father moved out of the way, his face red with anger.
She took her time walking up the stairs, knowing her parents' eyes were on her. From here she could hear her father's foot tapping impatiently while her mother tried to calm him.
In her room, Serena grabbed the first dress she found and threw it on. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her hair was messy and she had a smudge of dirt on her face, but she shrugged. They had told her to hurry. So she went downstairs to her parents.
Without giving her a warning, her father grabbed her arm and they Apparitioned straight to the Malfoy manor, leaving Serena dizzy. By the time she had recovered her parents had already walked off, her mother with Mrs. Malfoy and her father with a group of men including Mr. Malfoy.
Serena glanced to her side, where both Malfoy spawns, Draco Malfoy and his elder brother, Theron Malfoy, stood. "Good evening Serena," Theron said with a winning smile. He offered her a hand, which she ignored.
Serena stayed silent like she always did when she was forced to these parties. Draco frowned at her, hating when she purposefully ignored his brother and him. Theron, on the other hand, seemed to take it all in stride, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her to a refreshment table. "Come, lets at least enjoy the party this time," he told her.
Unwilling but not resisting, Serena was dragged around the party as Theron introduced her to some of his friends from Hogwarts. While Serena cared little for them, they all accepted her for the pureblood that she was.
Serena was no fool. She knew this treatment was more than just because of her blood status. Something was off. Had the Malfoy's been asked by their father to get close to her? There had to be more; she just didn't have enough information to go on.
The cabin that Dumbledore lead Ashley to was small and cozy. The fire in the fireplace gave a warm glow to the wooden walls and floors; she couldn't help but feel peaceful. The cabin contained very few things: a stove, a wooden cabinet, and a small round table with two chairs. Off to the left, she saw a door that she presumed lead to a bedroom, or maybe a secret passage to Hogwarts, that would have been cool. Sipping on her hot cocoa, given to her courtesy of Dumbledore, she told him everything she knew: the bookstore, about the Harry Potter novels, and the woman that entered the store. He nodded along, and now was contemplating on the information quietly.
"The book series, you said that it was based off of the wizarding world," he slowly asked, seeming to try to wrap his head around the concept.
"Well, not necessarily. Or maybe, not on purpose. I don't know, it's considered fiction in our world. I mean, this doesn't exist. You-" She waved her hand at him, "are not supposed to exist. Harry Potter was supposed to be a fictional magical world. I mean, I honestly don't think JK Rowling knew about this world, if that's what you're worried about." Ashley had a hard time finding the words to explain.
A smile from Dumbledore eased the tension that Ashley unknowingly created. "What of the woman?"
Ashley took another sip of her cocoa. "What about her? She was just a customer."
"Things are not always as they appear, Ms. Summerfield. The magical can often blend in with the mundane."
The idea of the bright, slightly ditzy woman being a witch made Ashley choke on her chocolate. After a coughing fit, she was able to speak. "So, you think the woman was a witch? But, how can that be? " The tone of Ashley's voice was doubtful.
"You would be surprised at what things exist, Ms. Summerfield. Let's not rule out any possibilities." Dumbledore walked slowly to a cabinet to the left of the table. It opened with a slight creak, and Ashley peered around the old wizard in curiosity. Scrolls on pedestals? Really? Ashley quickly looked down into her hot chocolate, pretending to be captivated by her thoughts as Dumbledore returned, one such scroll in hand. He skimmed its contents, seeming to search for something.
"Until we find other solutions, we need to look for a place for you to stay. I prefer if you are near Hogwarts, so I'm search student records to see if any of these families can take-" Dumbledore stopped suddenly.
"Is everything all right?" Setting her cup down, she glanced up at the headmaster in worry.
"Quite. In fact, it seems that everything worked itself out. You are registered as an incoming student to Hogwarts. Curious indeed." Dumbledore peered at Ashley over his spectacles. When Ashley looked as if she was about to argue with the headmaster, he silenced her by holding a hand up. "Let's not distress over this now, we must get you prepared for the school year. I'll send Hagrid with you to gather supplies, and until you are able to make it back home, you shall stay at Hagrid's second cabin. I shall have him prepare it for you." Dumbledore slowly rolled the parchment paper back in a tight roll.
Dumbfounded, Ashley stared at Dumbledore. "Wait, does this mean I'm a witch?"
Giving a serious look, he replied. "Well, of course. Why else would you be invited to attend Hogwarts?"
