CHAPTER ONE: Surprise Visitor
Three weeks in to the new school year Mystyk Rydle returned to her aunt and uncle's home only to find them cowering outside the house, an unreadable expression on their faces as she neared the homely three bedroom cottage she have come to call home since her arrival to the Linkin's doorstep at the end of August.
"Aunt Maggie, Uncle Jess, what's wrong?" Mystyk asked worried when she was close enough to talk to her terrified relatives.
Aunt Maggie was the only one who seem to have found her voice and told Mystyk about her visitor waiting for her inside the cottage.
"A visitor?" Mystyk asked in disbelief, "You couldn't mean Gertude, could you?"
"No, dear. It's--it's not Gertude." Uncle Jess shook his mop of graying dark brown head and added, "It's a man. He said he came from the school that has been trying to get a hold of you for five years now."
Mystyk frowned. A man from the school who has been trying to get a hold of her for five years? Could he be someone sent by the people who sent her all those posts with a unique emblem on the flap?
"Did he say who he is?"
"Rubeus Hagrid, at your service young Mystyk Rydel." came a booming voice of the giant man who suddenly filled her aunt and uncle's front door. He has long, dark, curly hair and a long, dark beard and moustache as well that covered his face. But from where Mystyk stood she could tell that this giant of a man standing outside her aunt and uncle's humble home is a kind and giving man.
He's like a giant teddybear!
"Uh...how--how do you do, Mr. Hagrid?" Mystyk greeted, unsure on how she should approach him even though she already figured he's harmless.
A hearty laugh erupted from the man who came to visit her, making his entire body shake with his laughter.
Mystyk looked confused and turned to her aunt and uncle for help, but Aunt Maggie and Uncle Jess looked as stupefied as she does concerning the giant's--who introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid--reaction. Once the giant man's laughter subsides, Mystyk dared to walk up closer to him and inquired, "Is everything alright, Mr. Hagrid?"
"Please Mystyk, call me Hagrid." Rubeus Hagrid asked her nicely.
"Al-alright then, H-Hagrid." Mystyk stammered, obviously not used to addressing people older than her--with the exception of Gertude of course--without being cordial with them. "Uhm...to what do I owe this visit, Hagrid?"
"I've come to escort ya to school, of course!" he replied rather cheerily.
"Escort me to school?" she echoed, looking wild-eyed at the man before her then looked over her shoulder at her aunt and uncle who remained immobile. She looked back at Hagrid and replied, "But I am in school already, Hagrid. I have been attending school for the past three weeks now."
"Ah, ya see Mystyk, this school yer attending isn't really the school for a young wi--woman like ye'self." Hagrid corrected himself before he let something slip. Something Mystyk's aunt and uncle shouldn't hear about.
"But--"
"D'ya still have tha letter sent to ya this summer, Mystyk?" Hagrid asked before she could utter another word out.
"Yes. I still have it. But I didn't open it and I didn't reply to it."
"Ah. You see that's the reason why I'm here today." when Mystyk frowned up at him Hagrid continued, "You've been sent numerous letters over the past five years and no reply has been heard from your end."
"There isn't any reply because the first time I received the letter my guardian, Gertude, saw me opening it and stopped me from doing so. She told me the next time I receive any post bearing the emblem seen on that particular envelope, I mustn't open it." she explained.
"What a pile of rubbish!" Hagrid exploded, "She didn' have tha right to tell ya what to do!"
Mystyk took a surprised step backwards, afraid that in Hagrid's irritation he might swing at her or something. It's better to be safe than to be sorry.
"She's my guardian, Hagrid." she explained, "Of course Gertude's only after my welfare. Even though sometimes she treats me like some a nobody." she added almost to herself, lowering her gaze and concentrating on the ends of her black boots.
"Well Mystyk, since Gertude is not here ta dictate ya, here." he pulled out a similar envelope like the ones she received every year and handed it to her, "Read it."
Mystyk accepted the envelope handed to her and carefully opened it. She read what was written down and her violet-green eyes were as wide as flying saucers by the time she was done reading what was said in the letter. Lifting her still shocked gaze up, she met Hagrid's smiling dark brown eyes.
"You mean to tell me that I'm...that I'm a," she paused and looked over her shoulder, smiling at her concerned relatives then turned back to Hagrid and continued in a hushed tone, "Are you telling me that I'm a witch, Hagrid?"
"Aye, aye, lassie." Hagrid winked.
Mystyk gulped audibly. This can't be for real! She's not a witch. Hell, she didn't even come from a family of witches or wizards. At least, none that she know of anyway. And Gertude never told her anything about being a witch.
"Kinda hard to take in, eh?" Hagrid leaned closer and whispered to her, "I'm sure ye got lotsa question, but I ain't tha person ta ask. Now come along, I'll take ye to tha man who can answer yer questions."
"But what about my aunt and uncle?"
"Don't worry, Mystyk. I'm sure they will understand." he assured her.
"But...I'll need some of my things, don't I?"
"Sure, sure. You'll need some spare clothing to change to. But as for books 'en everything else, didn't ya check the list included in tha letter?"
Mystyk frowned and scanned the letter once again, reading the list of items that was required at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her head quickly shot up and looked alarmingly at Hagrid, "How am I going to get all of these things here?
"No worries. I'll take ye to Diagon Alley--it's the place to shop for everything you need."
With a lump wedged tightly in her throat, Mystyk agreed to come back to Hogwarts with Rubeus Hagrid, making a quick detour first at Diagon Alley--a place hidden from the rest of the people of London behind the Leaky Couldron, a hospice for witches and wizards and serves as the entrance to Diagon Alley from the muggle world (Hagrid quickly updated her with the terms often used by witches and wizards at Hogwarts; he said she is very much behind in her lingo and studies of magic that she needs to be updated as quickly as possible).
"Hagrid, how am I suppose to pay for any of this things I need to get for Hogwarts? I only have twenty pounds with me." Mystyk asked worriedly as she and Hagrid walked down Diagon Alley.
"No worries, Mystyk. We can always go to Gringotts to have your muggle money exchanged. And you have your own bank account there as well." Hagrid informed her, leading her down the path towards a large building.
"Gringotts?" she echoed, following Hagrid's giant footsteps. "And how did I end up having a bank account there already when I haven't even been here?"
"Ah...well, yer mum and your dad made sure yer well taken care off, Mystyk. Now, d'ya have your vault key with ya?" Hagrid eyed her carefully.
"What vault key?" she frowned.
Hagrid frowned and noted the gold chain hanging around her neck. Fingering the chain he pulled it away from her and the small key pendant from its hiding and grinned, "This is your vault key, Mystyk." he informed her.
Mysytk blanched at the revelation, "That old key is my Gringotts's vault key?"
"Yes. And I see that ye took great good care of it, keeping it with you at all times." he winked and walked into the bank.
"But I didn't. Gertude's the one who gave me that pendant. Well, at least back then I thought it was just a pendant." she shrugged and followed him inside.
They finished their business at Gringotts and at Diagon Alley in no time at all. The only thing Mystyk seemed to be missing is either a pet owl, cat, or toad.
"Now which should I get?" she mused out loud
"Well which one d'ya think you would want more for a pet?" Hagrid asked.
Mystyk took a moment and read the three choices given to her carefully. "I'm allergic to cat hair so cat's out. And toads...they're slimey little buggers and I don't think I'll be happy having one for a pet. So that leaves me with owl." she smiled up at him and asked, "Where can I buy a decent, reliable, loving, friendly and very much obedient owl, Hagrid?"
"For that, follow me."
"Okay." Mystyk stuffed the letter away in her pocket and followed Hagrid down the alley once again. By the time they reached the train station it was close to nightfall and she was feeling very much tired.
"Here you go, Mystyk. Here's your ticket." Hagrid handed down a small piece of paper to hear saying Hogwarts Express platform...
"9 3/4?!" she looked horrified and sent an alarmed look on Hagrid, "Where in the world am I ever going to find this?!"
Hagrid enjoyed the shocked look cross the young raven haired girl's face and took his time explaining to her howabouts she would get to platform 9 3/4. At first she thought Hagrid was joking, but he looked very much serious about it and after listening to him explain how she would get there, she sucked in a deep breath and pushed her cart through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. She was terrified of ending up splattered against the brick wall, but the next thing she knew she was through the wall and standing before a large, red train.
"You made it." Hagrid chuckled and ushered her to move along.
Mystyk was thankful she did. Gosh, this witch-thing takes a lot of getting used to, that's for sure!