"I think I can." Jackie's hands were clenched at her sides, her teeth clamped together, like she was steeling herself for letdown.
Harry looked like Christmas had come early. It was hard for him to compose himself, Remus was in charge and just because she thought she could do magic didn't make her a witch. For s split second Harry feared it could all be a fluke, or she was against it, but he couldn't believe that. It did not fit Jackie. She was opened minded. Remus would find out whether it meant anything consequential.
"What kind of things have you done?" Remus asked his voice casual.
"Um, well, recently it was the light thing in the lobby, then there was a time one of my teacher's toupee disappeared," she said blushing slightly. "There were other things, they mostly happen when I'm mad."
"Is it only when you're mad?"
"The incident with the toupee was sorta premeditated. I thought it would be funny. The teacher was such a jerk." Remus nodded slowly, a small smile on his lips. Jackie looked from him to the trio then back to Remus openly surprised.
"Did you expect a different reaction from us?" He asked.
Jackie laughed, "Yeah, something like you runin' away thinking I'm crazy. You know the reaction most people would have in this situation. But you guys aren't like most people."
"No Jackie, we're not like other people."
"What do you mean not like other people?" Distress was slipping into Jackie's voice..
Harry answered the question, afraid of Jackie's reaction. "We aren't like normal people, I mean we are, but we can do magic." A look of realization came across Jackie's face. "I'm a wizard, and so are Ron and Remus. Hermione is a witch, and well, we think you're on too." Jackie stared at Harry. A witch, that's ridiculous. Jackie stood up quickly.
"I think I've lost my mind, if you could excuse me, I'm gonna go find it." Jackie disappeared into the house.
"That could have gone better." Ron said before taking a hefty bite of a burger.
"I think I'm going to go see if Jackie is okay?" Hermione said.
"Good luck."
When Hermione was gone Remus turned to Harry. "How you holding up Kiddo?"
"Oh, I'm just peachy. One of the few people I've ever met that wanted to be my friend not because I was The Harry Potter, but because I'm Harry thinks she's lost her mind."
"It's not a lost cause yet, let's wait and see what Hermione can do."
Hermione found Jackie in her room. She was sitting on her bed, her head resting on her knees, hair fanning out and covering her face. Her shoulders moved with each slowly taken breath. Hermione approached her cautiously.
"Hey Jackie, you alright?" Hermione sat on the edge of the bed.
"I don't know. I don't know what to think. I never told anyone about that stuff before and I never expected anyone would believe it."
"Do you believe?"
"Do I believe? I guess I do. I just didn't think there was an explanation. But then that might be a lie. I had always hoped, always thought that there had to be a reason for it. When I was a child and it first started I thought my ma could explain it, but she was already dead then. I could have looked for an answer, asked some Hoodoo practitioner out in the bayous what they thought it was, but I knew that wasn't the answer I was looking for. A witch, though, I never saw that coming, but its believable."
"I certainly didn't believe it when I first found out."
"You didn't always know?"
"No, you see I'm what we call Muggle-born. That means neither of my parents had magic in their blood."
"So that's what I am?"
"I guess so. I didn't find out about it until I was 11 and got my letter for Hogwarts." Jackie snorted at the name; she would never get over its bizarre-ness. "Real mature, that boarding school was really magic school."
"And all the kids that went there were magical?"
"Yes, for seven years Hogwarts was our home. We learned everything we needed to know to survive in the wizarding world. Many pureblood families wouldn't be able to survive in the Muggle world."
"Muggle meaning non- magical?"
"Yes, People like Ron who have depended on magic their whole life have it hard. Harry has it better because he was raised by his Muggle aunt and uncle."
"How did you guys figure me out?"
"Harry saw your little stunt in the lobby." Jackie laughed, he most have if he found her on the stairs only moments later.
"I always knew there was something off about you guys, the whole mysterious letter from your good friend. And they way you guys seemed to avoid certain things. Or the way Ron is sometimes mystified by the simplest things."
"True, Ron isn't always the most discreet of people. He actually has no tact."
"Oh, so what's our next move?"
"I'm not really sure, let's go ask Remus."
Outside the three others were awaiting the return of the girls. Harry watched the anxiously, he was worried with what the outcome would be. Before he left for the States Harry had just existed, it wasn't living, he was just there. But Jackie, she helped him forget everything that had happened in his world. All of the despair everyday life there cause was lost here, where there were no reminders. It would crush all hope for a him having a normal life again if Jackie disown them because of this. Too many times had people formed opinions of him based on what he was rather than who he was, he could stand to have it happen again. He would just go home, if he could call it home anymore and go back into hiding, attempting to escape the world and all of its agonies.
Luckily for Harry he wasn't going to have to go back down the road to depression. Hermione and Jackie walked out the door, Hermione Beaming, and Jackie looking a little nervous but no long like she thought she had lost her mind.
"Alright Remus, how do I found out for certain that I am what you say I am?"
"Well, I'm almost positive you are, from what you've said, and also because you give off this aura that people with magic have. But what we need to do to know for sure is take you to Olivanders and see what he says. He is a wand maker, and therefore is adept in this kind of thing. And once we are sure we will need to register you with the Ministry of Magic."
"You have your own government."
"Yes, it shouldn't take long. The Ministry will be able to handle any business with the Americans, that is, if you want to pursue this. We could always leave and never bother you again."
"Yeah right, and know I could have been a witch and do magic with a wand. No way, I am going to pass this up. So this means we have to go to Britain or something."
"Yea, Ministry offices are in London, my Dad's the head of one of the departments. And that's where Diagon Ally is." Ron said.
"Diagon Ally is a shopping centre for wizards. That's where Olivander has his shop." Harry explained.
"How are we going to get there?"
"I have that covered." Remus said pulling an ordinary looking letter opener out of his pocket. "International portkey."
Once again plans were being made. Hermione took it upon herself to explain aspects of wizarding life to Jackie before their trip to London. Jackie had arranged so that Mrs. Adams was in control of the shop until Jackie came back. It hadn't been decided how long the trip was going to be, but nobody really cared.
Spirits were high the morning that the portkey was arranged for. Jackie had a small bag packed; Harry had told her that he could get her anything else she need once they got there. There was only a half an hour before they left and Jackie was slightly nervous. She sat in her room on the bed holding the voodoo doll in her hands. So much in her life was changing. Everyone knows life changes after high school, but Jackie was sure nobody's life was going to change as much as hers.
Nothing would ever be the same. Even if she decided to come back he and have nothing to do with the magic world that they talked about Jackie would be different. She knew what she was now, her life wasn't a mystery and she wasn't a freak like she had always thought she was. She was someone, not something.
Harry walked into Jackie's room. Jackie looked serene as she sat at her window, looking out at the back yard with a far away expression. Remus and Ron were talking animatedly, but that wasn't what Jackie saw. She was looking beyond that, at the world, the life she was leaving behind.
Harry admired her strength; she was leaving everything she knew to chase something that could only be real in her dreams. She had told him how she thought she was a freak, afraid that someone would find out and society would cast her away. Harry could relate to her, he knew what it felt like to feel lost in a world where everyone else seemed to know what was going on. When he first entered the wizarding world he had been lost. Everything was new to him, strange and unbelievable. Now Jackie had to face that same thing, but Harry vowed he would make as easy for her as he could.
"You ready to go Jackie?" His question broke her away form her silent reverie. She looked from the window to Harry, a small smile on her lips.
"As ready as I will ever be."