Hey! Those people who did review/pressed a random button thanks so much!
And if you didn't review/ press a random button, thanks for reading anyway. Oh yeah, this chapter is dedicated to HiraHayami because apparently she likes this book/thing and I'm seriously happy about that… Thank you!
Disclaimer: The characters in this fanfiction so far only belong to Eoin Colfer and J.K. Rowling.
In less than an hour, Captain Holly Short was shielding in the Leaky Cauldron. Through she believed Artemis when he told her about the wizards/witched because he was, well, Artemis, she realized the knowledge hadn't truly sunk in until she entered the Leaky Cauldron, with Artemis's permission. Apparently, Artemis and the girl were staying there for a week or so until a response from some Doubledoor professor arrived by owl. Owls! Really! It seemed like such an ancient and foreign technique to Holly that she was in disbelief.
Holly crept of the rickety stair towards the rooms for the Leaky Cauldron inn part. She almost laughed when she thought of Artemis's facial expression he learned he would be staying her of all places. Holly glanced quickly at the scrap of paper in her hand with Artemis's room number on it, found the room, and silently entered. Artemis was lying on the bed arguing with the mirror. The mirror chastised him, "Sonny, you're so pale! You should go outdoors more."
"My skin is fine. Now, leave me be."
"And your hair! Your clothes! It's not natural! You should be playing quidditch or some other game with the other children, instead of carrying a briefcase! In the morning, I will talk 'til you do as I say and comb your hair so it doesn't look like you dumped a gallon of grease on your head so you look like a sleek and slippery downtown kind of man. You will do as I say tomorrow."
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone? I am not natural. The clothes children wear today are ridiculous, my hair is fine the way it is. The children of my generation tend to be morons. No, I won't, there isn't much a mirror can do to change the way I do things anyway! Please, leave me alone!" Artemis finished exasperatedly. Holly couldn't help it; she burst into a stream of high-pitched laughter. The mirror and Artemis were not amused. Artemis sighed and told Holly all of the events that had happened since that afternoon. Upon her arrival, Artemis also told her that Butler was coming. To Holly, this was good news. . Butler's arrival would remind Artemis of the time he had nearly been killed because of a gone-bad-business-deal, and hopefully keep his actions…more ethical, and legal. The last thing she needed was Artemis's taking advantage of another…er… isolated civilization.
"So, Artemis, where is this teenaged witch of yours then?" Holly asked.
"Couple rooms over, why?" Artemis replied distractedly.
She grinned deviously, and began to back out of the room while speaking, "I think I might just go and have a word with her…" Before Artemis could discourage her, she was gone. Sighing heavily, he followed her down the hall and waited for the elf to choose what room to enter. After opening a stranger's room and apologizing a mile a minute several times, a disgruntled Holly and a smirking Artemis burst into Hermione's room. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed reading Shmunak's Personal Defensive Spell Book. Upon hearing the door slam open, she lifted her wand arm before she even had the time to glance up. When Hermione recognized Artemis, she lowered her wand slightly, but just slightly, and moved her arm so it was pointing directly at Holly, who, in turn raised her Neutrino3000. Not taking her eyes of Holly, Hermione asked in a quiet voice, "Fowl. Explain who that is, why it is here, and what it is. Begin…now." Artemis raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, letting Holly speak for herself.
"I am Captain Short, not an it. Artemis here contacted me. Lower your weapon, or I will shoot, and believe me- this baby has the capability to burn you till you resemble a piece of bacon."
'Stupify!" Hermione whispered. "Captain Short, I apologize for your misfortune. Obliviate!" She then proceeded to point her wand at Artemis, thought "Petrificus totalus!" and watched as a jet of light shot out of her wand and Artemis's body stiffened. Then she walked over to the boy and punched him.
"You idiot! Some genius you are, I thought it would be obvious, but no. You cannot tell anybody about us. Anybody! Do you hear? " Hermione stopped for a breath, fell silent, and punched him again in the stomach.
"Impressive. I don't know who you are, or where I am, but I do know for you to have done that to him of all people, there must be something up."
Holly's magic had healed her, since the spell Hermione had cast had made her unconscious, while Hermione had her back turned to the elf, she did not see blue sparks surrounding the short figure. Now Holly was standing directly behind the witch with a Neutrino3000 aimed at her. It was notched onto three, which would knock the victim
unconscious quickly. All Hermione could manage before she was shot and passing out was, "How are you awake?" After she fainted, Holly walked over to Artemis, muttered under her breath, "And he doesn't like lollipops," placed her hand on his shoulder, and murmured, "Heal," and waited until the boy could walk to ask him what had happened and why she was there, and to laugh. Still glaring at the elf for the lollipop statement. Artemis retold the story while wondering why she could not remember the happenings. He recalled Hermione whispering some words before Holly had collapsed. What were they? Oh yes, stupify and obliviate, After explaining, he fell silent and walked over to Hermione's unconscious figure and picked up the wand that had freed itself from her hand, and put inside his suite jacket. Artemis absorbed his surroundings, and noticing the spellbook lying opened on the bed. He began to read, and realized how magic in this system. It was manipulated through a stick, or a wand. Maybe it was a stick from a site such as Tara? He noticed a sign on the side table reading:
Diagon Alley: Three up and two across;
tap three times with wand tip
Diagon Alley, this must be a wizarding community, Artemis thought excitedly. He went downstairs, followed by a shielding Holly, to talk with Tom.
"Kind sir, could you assist me with the entrance of Diagon Alley?" Artemis asked the bartender politely. Tom just nodded, said nothing, and walked to the door leading out into the alleyway and pointed to the brick up above a trash can, three up to be exact, then two across from the first brick. Then Tom left, leaving Artemis in the alleyway. He tapped the stolen wand three times on the brick that Tom had pointed to. Artemis watched in awe, as the bricks seemed to move their position to make a large archway that led to a crowded street. He felt his breathe quickly leave him as he stepped into the village.