Chapter 14
Hagrid chuckled. "Right, well, got to work the spell then, haven't I?"
"What spell?" asked Alice.
"Ter let her see it."
"See what?" asked Lyness. "There's nothing wrong with my vision. This is the Salem Pioneer Village. It's a tourist attraction, but it's closed now. The sign says so. 'Pioneer Village, Open April Through September.' See?"
"Where? What sign?" asked Alice again. Some of the little buildings had hand painted signs above their doors with pictures of shoes, or coats. One had a fat pink pig standing with a fluffy chicken. She could see no sign with words on it.
"It's the purtection spell, see? Ter keep out the Muggles. Cloaks the real village. It's summat like th' one we got at Hogwarts," Hagrid explained.
"She can't see any of it?" asked Alice.
"What are you talking about? I see everything!"
Alice was startled by Lyness's vehemence. Away from her mother she had become more focused, as if a haze had lifted.
"Jus' wait," mutter Hagrid, raising his umbrella. "Now th' charm… err… Optiveritum!"
Lyness's eyes grew wide.
"Now do you see?" Alice asked.
"Where did the sign go?"
Alice smiled.
"And the people… everywhere… where did they…? Who are…?"
"Come on. We got ter be quick. Don' want any other Muggles stumblin' in while the charm's down," Hagrid told them, ushering them down the street. "Course if they do see it, per'aps they'll think it's decorated fer Halloween." They turned in at a house halfway down the street. Alice thought she saw a star on the sign above the door. The room inside was obviously enhanced by magic.
"It didn't look this big from outside…" whispered Lyness.
"It's magic," Alice whispered back, grinning.
"Good evening, Hagrid," said a pretty witch behind a large wooden desk. "Good evening, girls." She stood and smiled at Lyness. "Is this the one?" she asked.
"She is," boomed Hagrid, "Brought 'er 'ere me self. Special assignment from Dumbledore."
"Welcome to the Salem Witches' Institute, Lyness," offered the witch. "I am Eiren MacGuire."
"Pleased to meet you," murmured Lyness, still taking in the magical room.
"I am so pleased to meet you," Eiren bubbled. "We have been waiting for you."
"You have?" asked Alice.
"Yes," Eiren told her. "Lyness is very special."
Alice tried very hard not to roll her eyes. Of course Lyness was special. She had never been to a magical school, or met any other witches, yet she had made a talisman that had protected Alice from the fire. She understood magical elements and spells and forms. And she couldn't see past a Muggle repellent charm. Alice looked at Lyness, unsure that she knew her at all. Lyness self-consciously brushed her dark curls out of her face and stared intently at a spot on the floor.
Hagrid cleared his throat, "Right then. 'Twas nice ter meet yeh, Lyness. Good ter see yeh again, Eiren, but I reckon Alice an' I'll be goin' now. Got ter catch the Friend Ship."
"Wait!" cried Alice, "We're leaving her here?" She looked from Hagrid's retreating form to the slender witch behind the desk.
"Lyness will be safe with us," Eiren assured her.
Lyness raised her eyes to Alice's. "She's right. This place is… amazing. Don't worry about me," she said, with all of her former serenity.
"Are you sure?" Alice asked.
"Yes," answered Lyness. She smiled.
"Come on, Alice. We'll miss th' ship," urged Hagrid.
"Good-bye Alice," said Lyness.
"Good-bye," she answered. She followed Hagrid out of the village. At the main street he raised his umbrella again and replaced the charm of illusion. Then he hurried them toward the wharf. Alice had to jog to keep up with his broad strides. By the time the ship came into view Alice had to gasp for breath. She could feel a painful stitch forming in her side. The ship glowed in the darkness. It looked as old as the village, but somehow as new as if it had been created that night. White letters spelled out "Friendship" inside a golden frame on the black hull.
"Still here, good," sighed Hagrid. Alice thought he almost sounded a little winded too. A sailor in a long robe ushered them onboard and led them to a too spacious cabin. "Used ter be a Muggle vessel," Hagrid explained. "It's magically expanded like the bus." On a table by the door to their cabin Alice found a card with the ship's history. When Hagrid told her that their trip might take some time she took the card and settled into a comfortable armchair.
"The History of the "Friend Ship" is one of enormous wealth, violence, and magic. The three-masted, square-rigged, 342-ton vessel, Friendship, was registered in 1797 to merchants Jerathmiel Peirce and Aaron Waite. She traveled the world trading for exotic spices, sugar and coffee, making 16 voyages to China, Java, Sumatra, Madras, London. Hamburg, Archangel, St.Petersburg, and other European ports. She was captured by the British in the War of 1812. The Peabody Essex Museum houses the ship logs for several of her voyages, as well as Aaron Waite's shipping papers detailing information about the ship's accounts. Muggles now believe her to be a reconstruction of the 171-foot Salem East Indiaman begun in 1796. Memories were modified and the new information given out suggests that she arrived on September 1, 1998 at the National Park Service's Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, after two years of construction at Scarano Boat Building in Albany. To all non-magical people she is the largest wooden, Coast Guard certified, sailing vessel to be built in New England in more than a century.
In actuality the ship has continued her voyages uninterrupted since 1797. The American Department of Magical Affairs arranged her "capture" by the British in 1812 with their Ministry of Magic. While in England the ship was modified to serve the magical community. It can now travel almost instantaneously from one body of water to another, linking witches and wizards from all continents with the utmost luxury."
"Wicked!" murmured Alice. "I wonder if Dad knows about this." Still a bit scared of her giant fellow traveler, Alice spent most of the trip exploring the tall ship. By the time they arrived at their destination she could probably have led the tours the ship's owners gave Muggles in Massachusetts. She'd gotten dizzy watching the landscapes whiz by on deck and come back to their cabin when Hagrid returned from his own business elsewhere on the ship. The torches were dim and she had almost fallen asleep in the armchair.
"Reckon we're here," he announced with a grin. "Come on up an' see yer new home."
"What? Where are we?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"At Hogwarts o' course. Told yer we were comin' din' I?"
Alice sat up immediately, "We're at Hogwarts? I'm going to live at Hogwarts?"
"Yup. Now let's go. We got ter see Dumbledore," he told her. "And we got ter get yeh off ter bed," he added when she failed to stifle a yawn.
"I'm not sleepy," she protested. Hagrid took her hand and led her off the ship. From land she could see that the ship was docked in a great black lake. An expanse of green lawn extended all the way from the lake, up a hill, to an enormous castle. "Wow."
"Welcome ter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Hagrid.
Although Alice had heard about the school her whole life, its size amazed her. She couldn't imagine ever knowing it well enough to find her way to class. Inside the castle felt warm despite the stone halls. "Watch out fer th' staircases, Alice. They like ter change," Hagrid warned as he took her up to the third floor.
"Where are we going?" Alice asked. "What are we doing here? Am I really going to live here?"
"I'm goin' ter let Dumbledore answer all yer questions," said Hagrid. "He's much better at this than me. Sugarquill." A secret door responded to the password and swung open, revealing a spiral staircase. Hagrid knocked at the door at the top.
"Come in, Hagrid."
Alice looked up at Hagrid with surprise, but he only smiled, nodded and gently pushed her through the door. She recognized the headmaster from his picture on Chocolate Frog Trading Cards, but his eyes seemed kinder and more tired. Her parents sat in two chairs opposite Dumbledore's desk. Her sister stood between them. Alice looked down and mumbled, "Hi." The next moment she could hardly breathe through her parents' arms.
"Oh thank god!," her father cried, "We were so worried!" He tilted her head up and kissed her forehead.
"Oh Alice!" said her mother into her hair. "You were supposed to be safe there." When she finally pulled away she had tears in her eyes.
"Er, ahem," interrupted the headmaster. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are things we must discuss. Thank you, Hagrid. I believe the feast is still under way, if you'd like to join the festivities now."
"Thank yeh, sir," said Hagrid, slipping out of the door. "See yeh later, Alice."
"Bye Hagrid."
Alice's parents settled back into their chairs, but her father pulled her into his lap and her mother refused to release her hand. Mestra stood behind Mrs. Grey staring at her younger sister with something between fear and respect.
"We are all very glad to see you safe, Alice," Dumbledore told her.
"What's happened?" asked Alice. "Why are we here?"
"We were hoping that you could help us with that, darling," said her father.
"Me? But I didn't do anything. You want to talk to Lyness. She's a witch and she-"
"No, Alice, she isn't," corrected Dumbledore.
"She isn't?"
He smiled. "No dear, she's a Muggle. Neither she, nor her unfortunate mother has any magical powers."
"But sir, you don't understand! She was going to, and then Lyness, but she got hurt, and there was fire, but it was alright on account of the talisman, and then she, I mean, you're wrong-"
"Alice! You mustn't speak to the headmaster that way!" her sister interrupted.
"It's alright, Mestra. I want to know what happened. Alice, perhaps you could begin at the beginning and tell us all about your friend, Lyness?" asked Dumbledore.
Alice nodded and slowly told them about everything that had happened to her in Massachusetts. Her parents seemed confused and rather upset when she got to the part about mixing difficult potions with a girl she'd just met, but the headmaster managed to keep them from interrupting until she reached the arrival of the dagger.
A/N: For more information about the real "Friendship" see this website, or mail this address:
http://www.salemweb.com/frndship/default.htm
Friends of FRIENDSHIP
c/o The Salem Partnership
Six Central Street
Salem, Massachusetts, 01970
Tel. 978-741-8100 - Fax 978-745-6131
e-mail: info@salempartnership.org