Disclaimer: Oh, you know the drill.
Chapter Three is here!
* * * *
The owl that Kiki's parents had received from Dumbledore offering them the faculty positions asked them to stay on the train until all the students had gotten off. Most of the students would travel around the lake by carriage; the first-years, however, would be rowed across the lake to the main door. They too would be rowed across once the first-years had gone. They waited in the compartment until the noise of the students faded away. Then, with no noise at all, elves began to materialize aboard the train, taking the baggage and loading it onto vans. Okino watched, fascinated. He then felt in his pockets, apparently looking for a notebook. Not finding one, he tore an advertisement out of Kiki's magazine-one with a lot of white space-and began making lengthy notes. Kiki and her mother exchanged looks that said, You know how he is. Jiji jumped back into the carpetbag. As the three of them left the carriage and stepped onto the platform, all trace of the students was gone.
As they stood on the platform, looking across the huge black lake at Hogwarts, Kokiri was amazed at its size, having seen whole villages that were smaller than this castle. Kiki thought it looked a bit spooky, but hoped the people would be nice.
Okino, on the other hand, started muttering to himself in a kind of distracted joy. "Of course! It had to be here! Don't know why they even bother with that gate nine-and-three-quarters nonsense."
"Is something wrong, Father?"
"Sorry. I was just thinking about this place. At first I wondered why we couldn't just get a map and a train schedule; why keep this place such a secret. Of course, it would have to have been built near a great center of magical power. To tell the truth, I thought we'd end up somewhere near Stonehenge, but this makes so much more sense."
"But remember, dear, the wizards here mask this place," Kokiri interrupted. "There's a constant spell making the school and the lake invisible to outsiders." "But that makes even more sense." "What does?"
"Think about it, Kiki. This lake hidden from human eyes."
Kiki turned to her mother, who now also seemed to realize the true nature of where they were. When Kokiri spoke, her voice was low and respectful. "Kiki, this is Avalon. This is the magical center for all of England. In the middle of that lake is the sword Excalibur. It is guarded by The Lady of the Lake, a very powerful water sprite. She, and she alone, will give the sword to King Arthur when he returns again. And he shall set right in England all that has gone wrong over the years."
Kiki was quiet for a moment, then turned to her mother and asked in all seriousness: "Does that include their cooking?"
Kokiri looked as if she was about to scold Kiki, but was stopped by Okino's surprised laughter. For the next few minutes, that laughter echoed to all sides of the lake as they walked down to the dock where a giant waited to row them across. They were a bit taken aback both when they saw the giant and when they realized that he was stroking the tentacles of a giant squid. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said, although for some reason his heart didn't seem to be in it. "I'm Hagrid the gamekeeper." He saw them cast nervous glances at the squid. "Don't worry about Bubbles; he's perfectly harmless; at least, in the daylight, when he can see what he's doin'. Diff'rent story at night, though."
"Then why keep him so near the school?" Kokiri asked. Hagrid didn't say anything until Kiki was already in the rowboat, taking her seat. Then he whispered to her parents. "I expect you knows what young folks can be like sometimes. Bubbles cuts down on the, er, midnight swimmin'. I'll say no more with the child present."
Hagrid rowed them all across the lake, and it was truly a beautiful sight. The sun was just beginning to set, the weather was just cool enough. Kiki glanced at a dense wood near the castle, and thought she saw a unicorn, cautiously looking out at the lake. This might not be too bad, she thought.
They were met at the pier by a severe-looking witch. "I'm Minerva McGonagall, Assistant Headmistress. We're very pleased that you could come, especially on such short notice."
"It's an honor to be asked," Kokiri replied.
"We have your office and living quarters set up here in the castle. You may go in to our welcoming banquet. I would like to keep your daughter for just a moment, though. We need to see which House she'll live in during her stay."
When her parents had left, McGonagall pointed to a battered-looking stool. "Have a seat, Miss, ER. . ."
"Kiki. Just Kiki."
"Yes, well, if you please." Kiki sat on the stool, not entirely certain that it would hold her, it looked so old. "There are four residential Houses at Hogwarts, named for the four magicians who founded the Academy centuries ago: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Each has its own distinctive character, and you will be more comfortable in the one that suits you best. Deciding which house that would be has been the job of this Sorting Hat." McGonagall picked a large conical hat off of the table and placed it on Kiki's head. Almost at once it made a kind of a noise as if a fly was buzzing around her ear.
"Ah," buzzed the hat, "there is considerable power here. Clearly a witch of a proud and ancient bloodline."
Kiki groaned: Not you too?!
"GOTCHA!" buzzed the hat happily. "I knew that would get a rise out of you. Now, then. Well, I see great power, but all of it channeled only into one skill. Great power, but also strong ethical guidance. So that lets Slytherin right out. Maybe not a great student, but you're a far better teacher than you know. So you're for Gryffindor!"
***
R/R Pretty Please!
Chapter Three is here!
* * * *
The owl that Kiki's parents had received from Dumbledore offering them the faculty positions asked them to stay on the train until all the students had gotten off. Most of the students would travel around the lake by carriage; the first-years, however, would be rowed across the lake to the main door. They too would be rowed across once the first-years had gone. They waited in the compartment until the noise of the students faded away. Then, with no noise at all, elves began to materialize aboard the train, taking the baggage and loading it onto vans. Okino watched, fascinated. He then felt in his pockets, apparently looking for a notebook. Not finding one, he tore an advertisement out of Kiki's magazine-one with a lot of white space-and began making lengthy notes. Kiki and her mother exchanged looks that said, You know how he is. Jiji jumped back into the carpetbag. As the three of them left the carriage and stepped onto the platform, all trace of the students was gone.
As they stood on the platform, looking across the huge black lake at Hogwarts, Kokiri was amazed at its size, having seen whole villages that were smaller than this castle. Kiki thought it looked a bit spooky, but hoped the people would be nice.
Okino, on the other hand, started muttering to himself in a kind of distracted joy. "Of course! It had to be here! Don't know why they even bother with that gate nine-and-three-quarters nonsense."
"Is something wrong, Father?"
"Sorry. I was just thinking about this place. At first I wondered why we couldn't just get a map and a train schedule; why keep this place such a secret. Of course, it would have to have been built near a great center of magical power. To tell the truth, I thought we'd end up somewhere near Stonehenge, but this makes so much more sense."
"But remember, dear, the wizards here mask this place," Kokiri interrupted. "There's a constant spell making the school and the lake invisible to outsiders." "But that makes even more sense." "What does?"
"Think about it, Kiki. This lake hidden from human eyes."
Kiki turned to her mother, who now also seemed to realize the true nature of where they were. When Kokiri spoke, her voice was low and respectful. "Kiki, this is Avalon. This is the magical center for all of England. In the middle of that lake is the sword Excalibur. It is guarded by The Lady of the Lake, a very powerful water sprite. She, and she alone, will give the sword to King Arthur when he returns again. And he shall set right in England all that has gone wrong over the years."
Kiki was quiet for a moment, then turned to her mother and asked in all seriousness: "Does that include their cooking?"
Kokiri looked as if she was about to scold Kiki, but was stopped by Okino's surprised laughter. For the next few minutes, that laughter echoed to all sides of the lake as they walked down to the dock where a giant waited to row them across. They were a bit taken aback both when they saw the giant and when they realized that he was stroking the tentacles of a giant squid. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said, although for some reason his heart didn't seem to be in it. "I'm Hagrid the gamekeeper." He saw them cast nervous glances at the squid. "Don't worry about Bubbles; he's perfectly harmless; at least, in the daylight, when he can see what he's doin'. Diff'rent story at night, though."
"Then why keep him so near the school?" Kokiri asked. Hagrid didn't say anything until Kiki was already in the rowboat, taking her seat. Then he whispered to her parents. "I expect you knows what young folks can be like sometimes. Bubbles cuts down on the, er, midnight swimmin'. I'll say no more with the child present."
Hagrid rowed them all across the lake, and it was truly a beautiful sight. The sun was just beginning to set, the weather was just cool enough. Kiki glanced at a dense wood near the castle, and thought she saw a unicorn, cautiously looking out at the lake. This might not be too bad, she thought.
They were met at the pier by a severe-looking witch. "I'm Minerva McGonagall, Assistant Headmistress. We're very pleased that you could come, especially on such short notice."
"It's an honor to be asked," Kokiri replied.
"We have your office and living quarters set up here in the castle. You may go in to our welcoming banquet. I would like to keep your daughter for just a moment, though. We need to see which House she'll live in during her stay."
When her parents had left, McGonagall pointed to a battered-looking stool. "Have a seat, Miss, ER. . ."
"Kiki. Just Kiki."
"Yes, well, if you please." Kiki sat on the stool, not entirely certain that it would hold her, it looked so old. "There are four residential Houses at Hogwarts, named for the four magicians who founded the Academy centuries ago: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Each has its own distinctive character, and you will be more comfortable in the one that suits you best. Deciding which house that would be has been the job of this Sorting Hat." McGonagall picked a large conical hat off of the table and placed it on Kiki's head. Almost at once it made a kind of a noise as if a fly was buzzing around her ear.
"Ah," buzzed the hat, "there is considerable power here. Clearly a witch of a proud and ancient bloodline."
Kiki groaned: Not you too?!
"GOTCHA!" buzzed the hat happily. "I knew that would get a rise out of you. Now, then. Well, I see great power, but all of it channeled only into one skill. Great power, but also strong ethical guidance. So that lets Slytherin right out. Maybe not a great student, but you're a far better teacher than you know. So you're for Gryffindor!"
***
R/R Pretty Please!