Laurel Blanton tossed and turned anxiously in her bed on the second story of her family's beach house

Hi. I hope you all are enjoying my story. The story may seem a little slow at the beginning but just hang in there; it will come along

Chapter 2

Herishvil

Colleen awoke early the next morning and quickly pulled on a light blue shirt and khaki pants before heading to the kitchen with Fiera on her shoulder. Her parents were already dressed and sitting at the breakfast table. Colleen hurriedly ate several muffins and fed the crumbs to Fiera, who was now about half the size of Colleen's palm.

Colleen was restlessly sketching a picture of her rat when Matt and Laura appeared in the living room. They explained to Colleen and her parents that the Portkey tickets would transport them to a designated point in Herishvil. At precisely nine forty-five Colleen and her parents touched a finger to one card, while her aunt and uncle held on to another.

After a few minutes of nauseating spinning, Colleen opened her eyes to see what seemed to be a large yellow dressing room, her parents sprawled across a bench on one wall, and her aunt and uncle standing in the center of all. "Welcome to Herishvil Arrival," a sign on the door said. "Enjoy your stay."

"That was considerably less sickening than Floo powder, if I remember correctly," remarked Colleen's father.

"Considerably," agreed his brother. "But a little more expensive." The group exited the room and emerged into a large circular building. The core of the building was hollow and many doors lined the circumference. In the center, on the ground floor was a small ring-shaped kiosk in which a group of young men and women—wizards and witches, Colleen corrected herself—collected the Portkeys. Laura led the way to the kiosk, deposited the tickets, and strolled out of the building.

Herishvil seemed to Colleen like a mix between a large shopping center and a small downtown area, minus the large roads and parking lots. Witches and wizards of all ages meandered through the streets, glancing at window displays and chatting amongst themselves. A gentle breeze wafted through the rows of buildings and swayed some baskets of flowers that were hanging from an old-fashioned street lamp. Laura crossed the street towards a small cottage shaped building with the faded words Milerook Hotel painted over the door. She directed Jordan and Andrea to the building and said that she and Matt wold meet them there later.

Colleen could tell immediately that the building was not really a hotel. Instead, it looked rather like a large comfortable den. Inside a tall, thin, middle aged man who was wearing dark gray robes that matched his hair greeted them with a smile. "Ah, you must be the Blantons," he said. "I'm Neill Judice. And you are Colleen?" Colleen smiled nervously and shook the vice-principal's hand. He invited the Blantons to sit down on the large pink couch and offered a tray of cookies. After a few minutes of small talk, a strong-looking woman in purple robes entered the room and introduced herself as Abigail Fisher, the principal of Eelnode. She had with her a thick photo album and a folder stuffed with papers. She explained that Eelnode was situated on an island about eighty miles out to sea, directly west of Herishvil. She produced a photo of the island and several of the school itself. At this, Colleen's mother gasped in disgust.

"Is this some sort of a joke?" she said. "You want me to send my daughter to a nuclear power plant on a hideous island?"

"What are you talking about? It's gorgeous." Colleen was looking at the same picture, but what she saw was a small green island with white beaches. A cluster of buildings with red-tiled roofs was nestled between large hills, and on the opposite side of the island foaming waves crashed against sharp rocks. Groups of students in bright blue robes were walking from building to building. Colleen pointed this out to her mother, who stared at the picture as if trying to focus her eyes.

"Oh! Why didn't I see that before? It is beautiful."

"To non-magic people," explained Principal Fisher, "The island is as ugly as they see it. Most do see a power plant contaminating the air and water, but others see no island at all." She and Judice took turns telling to Colleen about Eelnode. There were four houses: Ambertail, Dappleburn, Ivywood, and Mantawhip. Four boys and four girls per year were selected to be in each house. The principals went on to clarify other small details and questions that Colleen and her parents had. Before she knew it, Colleen was shaking hands with them and exiting the small building with her parents. She had made her decision about Eelnode.

Colleen and her parents went again to Herishvil one week before school started, so Colleen could get her books, wand, and other school supplies. The sky was gray and the air humid, and Colleen felt that she had never really woken up. She bought her books at a store called The Golden Locus, where a plump witch in bright turquoise robes helped Colleen find them: Spells and Charms One, North American History of Magic, Magical Marine Life, Beginner's Potions, and A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Colleen thought she could have spent all day in the well-lit, airy shop, but her parents said she could only buy two extra books. She chose one entitled Mermaids Adeep and another called Useful and Rare Spells and Charms.

Colleen followed her parents to a wand shop across the street. Willow's Wands was its name, and a tall graceful witch in sage green robes glided over to Colleen. She bent down to look at her in the eyes, then in one motion pulled several wands from a rack and handed one to Colleen.

"Redwood, unicorn hair, twelve-inch, supple." She said. "Try it." Colleen raised her eyebrows but took the wand. The woman made a swishy gesture with one hand, and Colleen imitated her. Nothing happened.

"Ok then," said the woman. She took the wand from Colleen's hand and replaced it with another. "Maple, dragon heartstring, nine inch, firm." Colleen waved the wand around, but once again, nothing happened.

"Birch, phoenix feather, fourteen inches, quite elastic."

Eucalyptus, grindelow scale, eight inches, rigid."

"Mesquite wood, unicorn hair, ten inches, strong yet springy." Colleen took the wand. Green ribbons popped out of it, in the midst of purple smoke. "Ah, there you go! This wand will serve you well, Colleen, especially in transfiguration and defense." Colleen's father thanked the woman and paid for Colleen's wand while her mother tied the ribbons. The next stop was Gladrag's Wizard Wear where Colleen, among several other Eelnode Students her age, got fitted for bright blue robes. As she was leaving, she spotted Miela and Brennan, along with an older girl, also with curly blonde hair. Miela, holding three shopping bags in each hand, saw Colleen and walked over to her, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Hey!" she said to Colleen and her parents. "Have all your shopping done? That's my sister Else. She's a fifth year."

"Yeah, I've got everything… do you think we'll need anything that's not on the list?" replied Colleen.

"Make sure you have your swimsuit—it is an island, you know! Oh—I have to go—Else sees her boyfriend. I'll see you next week though!"

Colleen and her parents stopped at "Simian's Fine Ice" for some delicious, creamy ice cream before heading to Herishvil Arrival to go home. As Colleen licked her Triple Fudge-Fudge cone, she realized what had been bothering her since she bought her wand.

"Did you tell that wand woman my name?" Her parents shook their heads. "I wonder how she knew…strange." But at the bottom of her ice-cream cone, she got some good advice—written on a bright blue gumball were the words "In strange lands be prepared for the strange".