Erin surveyed her half-filled suitcase she had packed jeans, shirts, t-
shirts, shorts, socks, sneakers, underwear, a few books, some toiletries
and her diary. She study her room and as small, crammed and stuffy as it
was she founded she didn't want to leave it, she could not remember a time
when it hadn't been her room and she found herself desperate to cling to
that. She gave herself a brisk shake she had always known that some day she
would leave. She definitely hadn't planned on staying here forever anyway
she had to be strong if not for her for her father. She picked up her red
leather bound diary, her father had given it to her when she first learn to
read and write she'd been writing in it ever since. Lazily her fingers
guided her to last night entry; it had been written just after her aunt had
left she had been so angry the writing had been smudged with her tears. She
knew nothing about the world she was entering but she knew deep down she
was scared. A knock came from outside.
"Erin can I come in," called her father from outside. Slowly Erin got up
and went to open the door; her father walked in, he took a few seconds to
survey her suitcase before sitting down on the bed. He simply watched her
for a while his blue eyes were pure misery but finally he cleared his
throat and began to speak the words came slowly as if each one was painful.
"Erin I wanted before you went too talked to you about your mother I know
I've never really talked to you about it before and that wasn't really fair
of me. I was so afraid you'd grow up to be well magical like her and now
you have I realise that's exactly what your mother would have wanted, you
to be a witch like her and I had no right keep it from you any of it your
mother, your magic, your birth right, another world were you could fit in.
When we first got married your mother uses to talk about the wizarding
world and her childhood so much she loved it, all of it. I use to treasure
how special her magic made her but then she died no she didn't die I've be
saying that for eleven years but it isn't true she was murder by a wizard.
You see your mother use to look for some kind of magical criminals she
would never really talk about it, and as far as I know from your aunt it
was one of them who killed her. I wanted to hate her magic after that I
blamed it I still do in some ways. I just wanted to ask you, no to beg you
to be careful the world your entering, your mother's world it's dangerous,"
her father held one of her hand and stared at her with his watery blue
eyes.
"Dad I promise nothing is going to happen to me it's just a school how
dangerous can it be." somewhere to the front of a house a door bell rang
"that'll be your aunt," muttered her father and suddenly his grip on her
hand tightened.
"Erin I."
"Dad everything will be fine I promise," Erin told him then she jumped up
and went to answer the door. Her Aunt Megan stood on the doorstep wearing a
white blouse with a black shirt and jacket and plain golden studs. She gave
Erin her stockbroker smile and stepped in frowning at the carpet.
"Hello dear I've got a meeting this afternoon so why don't you grab your
gear and we can be off," she told Erin.
"Alright but where's your car?" asked Erin peering pass her aunt to the
empty curb outside.
"Car oh sorry dear I forget you were raised in the Muggle world," she
muttered seemingly to herself.
"What's a Muggle? And if you didn't get here by car how did you get here?"
asked Erin shaking her head.
"A Muggle's a non-magic person like your father dear now where's your
fireplace," replied her aunt snooping through the house covering her nose.
Erin had to admit her home didn't smell all that pleasant at that moment,
Saturday was their washing day. But the place was well lit and if you
didn't pay too much attention to the carpet it wasn't that bad. There was
little noise in the house but the kettle boiling and a bird singing outside
at these times Erin normally like to sit and listen to the sounds on the
estate but this was hardly the time. After finding their old paint chipped,
dusty fireplace, which had been cover with a couch, she flopped down on one
of the couches and turned her attention to Erin.
"Well dear getting around for wizards and witches is a simple matter we
just Disapparate away from where we are and Apparate where we want to be,"
explained her aunt making quick finger movements as if they would help her
to understand.
"Will I learn to do that this year?" asked Erin eagerly she had never
considered that magic could be used for any thing as interesting as that.
"No, and don't you even think about trying it, it's very dangerous for
someone as young as you," snapped her aunt sternly she looked very serious.
"Sorry for asking," muttered Erin "anyway how are we getting to London if you have no car and I'm not suppose to do this Apparate thing," she continued. Her aunt rose and walked towards the fireplace she whispered a single word, which sounded something like Incendio. Flames burst into live as if they had been there all morning. She moved away from the fire place and slipped her hand into her pocket bringing out a hand full of what look like green dust she strickled in on the fire and it turned a light green. Erin gasped and stumbled back in an effort to get away from the fire, behind her she heard a grunt, her father stood at the entry to the family room he had one eye on the fire and the other on her aunt. "Is it necessary to use magic in my house," he asked coldly eyeing the fire as if it was a venomous snake. "I'm in a hurry Jeffrey it just a way to speed up the trip," growled her Aunt Megan then turning to Erin she smiled. "That is called Floo Powder there is a network of Floo fireplaces through out England your mother had this house connected when she first moved in, they forgot to disconnect it after her death so it still works. It will takes us to Diagon Alley in London, Diagon Alley is a wizarding street full of wizarding shops there you'll be able to get everything you need for school." "If it's in London wouldn't normal people I mean Muggles notice it," asked Erin specially raising an eyebrow. "No, no, no it's hidden no Muggle could ever find it and the entry is an old pub which has Muggle repelling spells on it no Muggle ever really sees the pub so there no risk," "Muggle repelling." "Oh, dear I'll tell you about it later or you can learn it at school come on I would really like to be under way," urged her aunt. Erin turned and looked at her father. She could bare it no longer she ran and flung herself around him. "I don't want to go I'll stay here with you," whispered Erin. "Don't be silly now of course you'll be going and you'll be back to see me at Christmas or maybe Easter don't worry," her father said warmly hugging her tight, but his voice seemed to catch as he spoke as if he was in pain. Erin fixed her face into an expression she hoped appeared determined she didn't want her aunt to think she couldn't handle anything that the woman treated as such a formality. She walked towards the fireplace and stared at the green flames then she turned to her aunt. "So how does this Floo powder work," she asked praying her voice didn't sound shaky. "You just step into the flames and say the place you want to go," answered her aunt as if this was but a normal thing. "Step into the flames you must be mad," Erin screeched turning to her aunt her eyes filled with horror, she turned to stare at her father. "I've seen your mother do it," he told her as if it was meant to be a comfort. "You go first Erin just step in and say Diagon Alley loud and clear oh and tuck in your elbows," she advised motioning at the fireplace. Erin stepped forward and closed her eyes then took a deep breath then took one giant step right into the fireplace and shouted. "DIAGON ALLEY, DIAGON ALLEY." suddenly she was spinning, wind and soot blew at her face and cloths as if trying to rip them off Erin span faster and faster and when she open her mouth she found her screams were soundless.
"Sorry for asking," muttered Erin "anyway how are we getting to London if you have no car and I'm not suppose to do this Apparate thing," she continued. Her aunt rose and walked towards the fireplace she whispered a single word, which sounded something like Incendio. Flames burst into live as if they had been there all morning. She moved away from the fire place and slipped her hand into her pocket bringing out a hand full of what look like green dust she strickled in on the fire and it turned a light green. Erin gasped and stumbled back in an effort to get away from the fire, behind her she heard a grunt, her father stood at the entry to the family room he had one eye on the fire and the other on her aunt. "Is it necessary to use magic in my house," he asked coldly eyeing the fire as if it was a venomous snake. "I'm in a hurry Jeffrey it just a way to speed up the trip," growled her Aunt Megan then turning to Erin she smiled. "That is called Floo Powder there is a network of Floo fireplaces through out England your mother had this house connected when she first moved in, they forgot to disconnect it after her death so it still works. It will takes us to Diagon Alley in London, Diagon Alley is a wizarding street full of wizarding shops there you'll be able to get everything you need for school." "If it's in London wouldn't normal people I mean Muggles notice it," asked Erin specially raising an eyebrow. "No, no, no it's hidden no Muggle could ever find it and the entry is an old pub which has Muggle repelling spells on it no Muggle ever really sees the pub so there no risk," "Muggle repelling." "Oh, dear I'll tell you about it later or you can learn it at school come on I would really like to be under way," urged her aunt. Erin turned and looked at her father. She could bare it no longer she ran and flung herself around him. "I don't want to go I'll stay here with you," whispered Erin. "Don't be silly now of course you'll be going and you'll be back to see me at Christmas or maybe Easter don't worry," her father said warmly hugging her tight, but his voice seemed to catch as he spoke as if he was in pain. Erin fixed her face into an expression she hoped appeared determined she didn't want her aunt to think she couldn't handle anything that the woman treated as such a formality. She walked towards the fireplace and stared at the green flames then she turned to her aunt. "So how does this Floo powder work," she asked praying her voice didn't sound shaky. "You just step into the flames and say the place you want to go," answered her aunt as if this was but a normal thing. "Step into the flames you must be mad," Erin screeched turning to her aunt her eyes filled with horror, she turned to stare at her father. "I've seen your mother do it," he told her as if it was meant to be a comfort. "You go first Erin just step in and say Diagon Alley loud and clear oh and tuck in your elbows," she advised motioning at the fireplace. Erin stepped forward and closed her eyes then took a deep breath then took one giant step right into the fireplace and shouted. "DIAGON ALLEY, DIAGON ALLEY." suddenly she was spinning, wind and soot blew at her face and cloths as if trying to rip them off Erin span faster and faster and when she open her mouth she found her screams were soundless.
