Chapter 3: Confusing Clues
"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew,
just go right along and you'll start happening too."
Dr Seuss
The Following Week…
As soon as the white square envelopes had dropped into the letterbox outside the white Tudor cottage, AJ tore her eyes from the front window and called out in the direction of the kitchen.
'Mama! Can I get the mail?'
'Si darling, gracias!' Helena Xavier-Walsh replied from the kitchen. Within seconds, AJ was out the front door, bolting down the cobblestone path to open the crooked green letterbox by the fence. Once back inside, she skimmed over the five envelopes in her hand. A bill, another bill, something else for her parents, a newsletter from her brother's football club, and… a letter, addressed to her. The eleven-year old stopped in her tracks; she'd nearly overlooked it, but the neat curly writing was hard to miss. It had her name and address on the front, it was for her and her only. Which was strange; rarely was AJ the recipient of mail, postcards and letters from friends and cousins was the basic extent of it. She continued to stare at the thick-papered envelope, just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. And she wasn't- it was written there in black ink, clear as day.
AJ turned over the envelope, curiously. But there was only a wax seal on the back. Examining the crest, AJ noticed a lion, a badger, an eagle, and a serpent in each quadrant, with a large capital "H" in the middle. Suddenly, AJ's heart caught in her throat and her stomach did a back-flip. What if this was it? The letter she'd been waiting for. She'd never seen any envelope addressed like this before; it just had to be hers. Suddenly, she realised with a jolt that this had to be what Fred and George had told her about. All week she had waited, and she wasn't going to see the twins until Friday, which was tomorrow. Surely this was what they'd meant…
Still staring at the letter, AJ ran back into the kitchen, and dropped rest of the pile on the table, with the exception of hers. Her mother, who had been putting stacking the dishwasher, turned in surprise, her long dark hair swishing around behind her.
'Anything exciting today Niña? Helena asked with a warm smile. AJ loved her mother's smile; her father told her she was lucky to have inherited it. So she mirrored the smile and shook her head.
'A few bills, something for you and Pa, and football news for Sam.'
'Alright, thank you dear.' said Helena, kissing AJ's head. 'Can you get your plate from the table please?' AJ did so, replacing her plate with the mail on the kitchen table. As she sat down, she fiddled with the yellow envelope in her hands and took a deep breath.
'Mama, I…'
'Have you seen my tie, love?' AJ's father interrupted, walking into the kitchen, half-dressed for work. He gave AJ a quick kiss at the table, before making his way around to Helena. Ian Xavier-Walsh was a smart man, and knew how to work through life, but AJ knew by now that when he tried to do everything at once, he tended to worry over the little things in life. Today was one of those days.
'Which tie, dear?' Helena said, amusement lacing her voice.
'The plain red one.' Ian replied. 'I'm having lunch with some members of the General Hospital later today, and I was going to put on a tie after my shift, but now I can't find it. You haven't put it in the dryer with my socks, did you?'
'I've done no washing since Monday, and no ties either.' Helena chuckled.
As AJ watched on, she felt a large hand ruffle her hair. Clapping her hands to her head, she turned in her seat as her brother Samuel suddenly appeared across the room by the cookie jar, smiling a little too innocently. Her brother's resemblance to their father was quite remarkable; both had the same russet-red hair, smooth facial features, and bright green eyes. And while Samuel, at sixteen years old, wasn't the tallest of all men, he was still many inches taller than his very little sister. With another wily grin, Samuel slowly sat down next to AJ with a widening grin, and opened his football newsletter. If he felt AJ's attempts at glaring, he took no notice.
'Morning, genethig.' Samuel teased, not looking up from his newsletter. AJ scowled at his smirk, both praising and cursing her vast knowledge of Welsh.
'Sam!' she whined. 'I am not a little girl!'
'Yes you are.' Sam replied airily. 'You know I'll always be taller.' he said, still smiling.
AJ frowned. 'No fair! Just cause you had your growth spurt….'
'Ah well little sis, one day I'm sure you'll grow another inch or two.' Samuel added in a dramatically wise tone, ruffling his sister's hair again. AJ pulled away and moved to her usual seat at the table across from him, still holding her letter protectively and out of sight. She glowered at her brother.
'Twpsyn.' she muttered in Welsh. Samuel looked up immediately. Idiot she had called him.
'Objection!' trying to sound offended, but with amusement twinkling in his green eyes. Really, he wasn't at all surprised his little half-sister had made her comeback in the same language; he had taught her well.
AJ just stuck her tongue out in retaliation. Her brother mimicked her and went back to his letter, while AJ continued to listen to her parents discuss the possible whereabouts of her father's tie.
'Are you sure you've checked the sock drawer? You know how you get things mixed up.' Helena suggested, stacking dishes into the washer.
'I don't know.' Ian replied in near-exasperation. 'I'm sure I already checked.' He crossed the room to the basket of dry laundry lying on a chair and rummaged through it, already looking ready to give up.
'Well check again, just to be sure. And the wardrobe.' Helena continued, guiding her husband back to the staircase. Turning back to her children, she smiled.
'Dear, dear. Anything exciting Sam?' she asked, referring to the letter. Samuel shrugged.
'Not much. The County Gala Day's next month. Extra training sessions on Monday's as of next week, same time and all…' he trailed off, continuing to read. Helena nodded and looked over at AJ, who seemed very interested in something under the table.
.
'AJ, were you going to say something before?' AJ's head snapped up. She shifted awkwardly, holding the letter under the table.
'Si Ma. Um…I got a letter in the mail.' she said quietly, holding up the yellowish envelope. A raised eyebrow signaled that Helena was also surprised, even Samuel swung his attention back to his sister.
'What? You hardly ever get post.' he exclaimed in honest surprise.
'Who's it from dear?' asked Helena, walking over to the table. AJ shrugged, copying her brother's habit.
'I don't know. It's got some weird crest on the back, but my name is on it and everything.' she explained, showing her mother. Helena held the envelope for a second, taking in how heavy it was. She then handed it back to her daughter.
'Well, why don't you open it and see who it's from?' Sam put down his own letter to get a better look at the mysterious post. AJ fumbled with the seal, and pulled out two pieces of parchment-like paper. She unfolded the first, where her name and address were in the corner once again, with the crest in the middle. And she began to read. She didn't get very far, before her hazel eyes widened.
'What is it AJ? Who's it from?' her mother asked. AJ's eyes remained fixed on the words on the paper.
'No. Way.' she breathed in astonishment.
'What is it Sis? Read it out.' Samuel requested impatiently. He wasn't used to seeing that look on his sister's face, and it was beginning to worry him, his mind already jumping to conclusions of prank letters from her new school, and the like. AJ took another breath and began to re-read the text, sparing the first part, which said:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
She read:
"Dear Miss Xavier-Walsh;
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"
'WHAT?!' Helena and Samuel exclaimed, causing AJ to jump in her seat.
'Are you joking Aje?' her brother questioned with a quizzical look. Helena curiously looked over her daughter's shoulder, and read silently as AJ continued the letter.
"Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress" AJ finished in a hardly audible whisper.
Slowly, Helena's expression changed to one of disbelief. She gasped softly, grasping the back of AJ's chair.
'Impossible!' she breathed. She straightened up, looked in the direction of the stairs, and yelled for her husband.
'IAN! IAN! Come quickly mi amor!'
There was a clatter from above followed by the hurried thumping of large feet down the stairs.
'What is it?! What's happened?' Ian shouted, flying into the kitchen, holding his red tie, and most surprised to see his family either positioned more of less as they were before.
'What? What's going on?' he cried. Then he saw the letter in his daughter's hand. 'What's that?'
'A letter.' AJ said quietly.
'I can see that darling.' Ian replied patiently. 'Who's it for?'
'For AJ.' Helena answered.
'And who's it from?' There was a brief silence. Helena paused before answering.
'From a school. They say AJ's been accepted. It's, well…' she trailed off quietly.
'It's what?' Ian asked. He didn't remember writing to any other schools in the area since they'd been in England, surely the letter was just some harmless mix-up.
But Samuel was frowning. 'Da, it's pretty weird.' he said. Seeing the concerned looked on his son's face, Ian too slowly began to catch on to the strange feeling in the room. 'But we haven't enrolled anywhere since we moved. There must be some mistake.' he said.
'Dear, I think you just should read it.' Helena offered, indicating he come stand behind AJ, who was still re-reading the letter with large eyes. Ian made his way over to AJ, who silently handed him the first letter, and he read. Needless to say, Ian reacted more or less the same as AJ. His eyes widened, his breathing momentarily stilled, until he scoffed under his breath.
'But- but, what on…? Are they serious?' he muttered incredulously, looking at the letter again. 'Is this a joke? I mean… witchcraft and wizardry? There's no such thing! What nonsense is this?'
Ian suddenly looked hard straight at his daughter, who was starting to shrink into her chair.
'AJ,' he began, 'Do you know who sent this to you?'
AJ nodded. 'It says. Hogwarts School of Witchcr-'
'I know that's what it says! But who really sent you this? A friend of yours perhaps? Did they think this would be funny?' he practically spat. He was looking very annoyed now. Helena and Sam seemed genuinely shocked and rather confused by his reaction, as did AJ, who'd shrunk even lower into her chair.
'But Papa, it's real, I can…'
'No AJ, this can't be real. If this school was real, it would mean you are… what? Some sort of witch? And you most certainly are not! You're a perfectly normal eleven year-old girl!' Ian reasoned, half to himself. He certainly didn't expect his daughter to start shaking her head at him.
'No Pap, I don't think I am. I…'
'What are you talking about child? What rubbish is this?' Ian shouted. AJ flinched slightly, as did Samuel.
'Ian, please! Let AJ say what she has to say.' Helena reasoned calmly, as AJ silently sung her mum's praises. Sitting down next her daughter, Helena gently ran a hand through AJ's short hair. 'Go on Niña.' she said. AJ took a deep breath and looked directly at the table with the second letter on it.
'I, um…I can do things, like small things that no one else can. I never said, because I didn't know what it was. I mean… I didn't know how or why I could do it. At first it wasn't anything. But last week, I met these two boys up on the hill near the orchard, and-'
'You what?' Ian exclaimed in disbelief.
'Ian!' Helena warned more severely. Leveling himself, Ian took a deep breath, and motioned for AJ to continue.
'They're twins, they boys; Fred and George. They're the same age as me too, I've only met them twice. But they asked me if I could do strange things that weren't really normal, because they could too. I told them about what I'd done, and they believed me. And they said their whole family could do stuff like that too, but even better. Then they told me- I was a w-witch.' AJ paused, her voice quiet. 'And they're wizards, like their family. They said if I really was a witch, I'd get a special letter, and, um…'
AJ looked directly at her family. The looks on their faces were something close to horrified, disbelieving, and mildly curious, all at the same time. Praying with all her might, AJ hoped they would believe her. Even if they didn't, she could still go back to the orchard hill and show Fred and George her letter. To prove she was a witch, that they were right. To think, she could go to a school to learn about magic, real magic. Maybe Fred and George could ask their Mum and Dad to explain what was going on. Maybe…
'AJ?' the question did not come from her Dad, or her mum. It was from Samuel. All eyes turned to him, a thoughtful expression on his soft face. But AJ knew her brother; and behind his green eyes, there was a flicker of… was it fear? He gulped as his sister looked him with sad, pleading eyes.
'Sis, say you really are a….witch.' he said the word with some difficulty. 'Surely it must mean you have some sort of, I don't know…power. You said you could do weird things, yeah? Why didn't you tell us? I mean, if we knew, we would've noticed something odd by now. What can you do?'
.
And so AJ began to explain some of the abnormal quirks and strange happenings at school that she had unintentionally come upon, earning strange looks from her family, their expression clearing for brief moments, as if it explained something they'd previously wondered about. When she had finished, Samuel continued to look thoughtful.
'Okay, uh- geez. You can really do all that, Aje? And not even say anything?' he asked. AJ nodded meekly. Samuel let out a short breath, looking impressed.
'Wicked.' he murmured.
AJ held up the other piece of parchment she had received. 'But, I was looking at this other list, look at what it says! It says I need stuff like a wand, and…' she was cut off by her father laughing.
'A wand? A MAGIC wand? Sweetheart, this is ridiculous!' he threw his hands up in the air.
'Ian!' Helena pleaded, slightly less calm than before. AJ shifted in agitation, slightly comforted that at least Samuel seemed genuinely interested.
'It's not, Da. Really!' AJ argued back, her voice wavering slightly. 'I said I'd meet Fred and George tomorrow at our spot on the hill. They said they'd explain everything to me if I got the letter! One of them actually made my book lift up in the air! I saw it with my own eyes! And I can do it too! I swear Pap, it's true!'
But Ian wasn't buying it, trying to convince his daughter and himself that this was really happening. 'No.' he muttered quietly, 'This is silly child's play. You're being dishonest AJ, and that's not the way I raised you. This needs to stop now.' he answered firmly.
AJ shook her head, trying to stop the tears welling up in her eyes. 'No, Da! I really can do magic!' she wailed.
'Then prove it.' The demand was short, but sure. If Ian Xavier-Walsh was going to believe his only daughter was a witch, he needed to see it first.
'What?' gasped Helena. 'Ian? I don't know if that's wise. I mean-'
'No! I want to see this for myself. AJ, do something! If you really are a- a witch, then show us that you are!' he ordered. AJ's eyes met with Sam's and pleaded with him helplessly, but all her brother could do was shrug. A few seconds later, Ian had made up his mind.
'No? Fine. AJ, this has to stop. You're lying to us.'
'NO! I'm NOT LYING!' AJ yelled loudly, rising from her chair.
Suddenly, two glasses and a plate on the counter smashed and shattered of their own accord on the counter-top. Everyone jumped, spinning around to view the damage. Then back to a frightened-looking AJ.
'AJ…?' Ian began.
The girl gasped and began to stammer uncontrollably. 'I- I'm sorry Pappy, I…'
But then the windows and blinds started rapidly opening and closing and shaking- if their own accord. Objects all around the room began to shake and teeter on their surfaces, with the intensity of a mild earthquake. AJ's fists were shaking, her family looking rather scared. AJ scrunched up her face, shutting her eyes, willing herself to calm down and everything to stop. And slowly, very slowly, everything died down, and returned to normal; apart from the broken glasses and plates. Ian, Helena, and Samuel were absolutely speechless.
AJ struggled to speak, and her voice quavered fearfully. 'S-s-see? I told you! I AM a witch! I d-don't care what you say, but I'm going to find Fred and George tomorrow, a-and they'll tell me what to do! At least they believe me!'
Without another word, she grabbed her letters from the table and sprinted up the stairs. It was only when she slammed her bedroom door that her family seemed to come back to very different reality.
