IPeeves was changing his form to look like Hazel and he put on a pink
frilly dress with a hoop skirt. Hazel glared at Peeves. She didn't know
why, but she made a grabbing motion with her hand and an orb materialized,
floating over her hand. When Peeves saw the orb he let out a horrible yell
and was sucked into the orb.
Hazel stood there with the orb floating over her hand and Peeves inside of it, fully aware that Professor McGonagall, Filch and the ghost were all staring at her./I
uChapter Two - Home Again/u
"I don't know what happened." Hazel repeated defiantly for the fifth time flinging her arms as she spoke. "I saw is what you saw." She was currently seated in Professor McGonagall's office, and the owner of the office was currently glaring down at her in a large amount of disarray.
"But Miss Potter!" Professor McGonagall yelled. Her eyes were huge and she was slightly pink in the face.
Hazel was surprised. Minerva McGonagall didn't seem like the kind of person who lost control. She seemed like a laid back, strict, Professor. But here she was yelling like there was a crisis on her hands.
"Look!" Hazel burst out angrily. " I don't know why I made that hand motion, I just did, OKAY?" as Hazel finished this pronouncement she looked up at Professor McGonagall. The professor looked, to say the least, flustered, confused, angry, tired, and annoyed all at once. It would have been quite comical if it had not been such a serious time. McGonagall's glasses were askew, and her face had red splotches from being angry and flustered.
"And," Hazel added. "I believe that it was an improvement."
"Improvement or not," McGonagall said severely to Hazel. "This is not to happen again Miss Potter. You understand me? This must not be seen. When Dumbledore said strange things . . . I never imagined that you would be . . . Never mind that. I need to talk with the Headmaster. You will go into the girls' dormitory. I expect you know where that is too?" Professor McGonagall said sharply. Hazel nodded. "Fine. Good night Miss Jones, and no more mischief in the halls. Goodness knows we don't need the rest of our Hogwarts ghosts inside orbs as well."
Hazel followed Professor McGonagall with her eyes for quite some time and heard her muttering to herself things like, "I can't believe it.", and "Haven't had one at Hogwarts since Potter, but he doesn't know.", and "When does the power mature? I'll have to ask Madame Pince once I get the chance.".
None of this made sense to Hazel, who decided it was time to turn into bed. Tucking her thoughts into the back of her head, Hazel started walking. Today had been an unpredictable day and there weren't any students here yet. She wondered how chaotic it would be with hundreds of people here. Why did she have the feeling that she wasn't the same as everyone else, even though they were witches and wizards too? The last thing Hazel remembered thinking about before falling asleep was what does everybody else know that I don't?
The next morning was chaotic indeed. The new term began in one week and everybody was clearly getting ready. Filch was cleaning everything from the dungeons to the highest tower. Scouring it 'till it shined. She had gotten into a bit of a spot with him that day. She had been outside and had gotten some (considerably more than some) dirt on her shoes and when she came back in she left a few tracks on the floor. She thought Filch was going to have a fit. He had been foaming at the mouth and had informed her that she was going to have detention at the first of the term. Then he hurried around cleaning the floor at once.
Many paintings' subjects were all frowning and rubbing pink noses as they had all been scrubbed until they shone. Not to mention all of the professors were running about the school, which was beginning to look like a vast anthill, getting everything set for the coming school year. That is, all except Dumbledore. When he was asked to do anything Dumbledore would wave his wand and continue talking to Hazel. Dumbledore was showing her around the castle, which Hazel thought was quite unnecessary. After all, it was probably just wasting his time. It wasn't until they were in a corridor that Hazel thought of something.
"Professor," She said unable to stop herself. "Professor, who is going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Where that had come from, Hazel did not know. I guess my dreams are more reliable that I thought they were. Hazel thought to herself. I wonder if everything I saw was true. She didn't remember all of her dreams, and only what she had written in her journal could tell the full story of what she had seen over the four years. She was looking at Dumbledore apprehensively.
"Ah, that remains to be seen." Dumbledore said. Hazel was pondering the many things that had happened to her when a thought hit her. Literally.
"Ouch!" Hazel yelped. "What was that?"
"That was a thought." Dumbledore said sounding amused. Dumbledore seemed to be amused with a lot of things that happened to her. "Professor Trelawney must be trying out a new method of Divination because I got the strong feeling of Saturn from that one." Dumbledore said with a slight laugh. "I'm sorry, you don't understand. I shall assign you Divination as an extra study in the beginning of the new term."
"Uh, alright." Though she didn't mention it, Hazel had the feeling that she knew exactly what he meant that he thought there was a strong feeling of Saturn from that one. Though telling him wouldn't do any good. After all, maybe she didn't really know, and just wanted to.
As they continued to walk together in silence, Dumbledore began muttering to himself and all she understood was "Dog. should show her. where's the picture?" Then, without warning, Dumbledore stopped walking and Hazel almost didn't stop in time to avoid colliding with him.
Dumbledore pulled out a something, and showed Hazel a moving picture of a dog. He explained that this dog was really a man Sirius Black. Then, without a moment's hesitation said,
"Now, I think it's time for you to go home." Dumbledore said.
"Home? Already? But, what about that dog? And what does the man look like when he's not a dog? Home?" Hazel whined. She wasn't ready to go home yet, she wanted to continue exploring the halls of Hogwarts, and she wanted to walk around the lake that she had seen, and she wanted to do so many things, but couldn't do them all in the time that was provided.
"Yes Hazel, home." Hazel sighed. She was going to have to do a lot of apologizing to make up for the fuss she had made at home.a lot of explaining.
"Alright, how do I get back? Another vortex?" Hazel said without asking much. She felt that she already know.
Dumbledore shook his head slightly and handed a small sack about three inches high and two inches wide made of red satin with a gold drawstring to her. "You know what to do with it and it never hurts to have some extra on hand. However this works a little differently than Floo Powder, there needs to be no fire on the other end."
Hazel stared at the bag. This must be worth a fortune! But she also must be careful not to talk about this with ANY of her friends. Hazel coughed. She didn't have any friends and she hoped she would find some, because she would be very lonely without friends.
Hazel jerked herself out of her thoughts. "Gotta stop thinking about that stuff. Right now I need to find a fire to use this stuff in! Fire, fire, gotta find a fire."
Hazel wandered around Hogwarts for a while, trying to find a fire, when she finally found one. It was in the Ravenclaw common room. At least she assumed it was the Ravenclaw common room because there were drapes all around the doors and windows and staircases saying "Welcome Back Ravenclaws!" She didn't know why the portrait let her through, but she was grateful all the same. Hazel knew enough about the magical world that when somebody did something for you, you ought to be grateful, no matter what. Turning, she threw a pinch of the opaque powder into the fire and walked into it. Then she distinctly - she hoped it was distinctly - said, "Number 7 Privet Drive."
With that, a horrible spinning feeling started and she seemed to think that this powder was worse than Floo Powder because this one spun faster. Quite suddenly it stopped, sending Hazel sprawling down onto the ground.
Hazel sat up. Her elbow was bleeding freely, and she was in the middle of the street. Hazel stood up and took a deep breath. She was going to have to do a LOT of explaining in the near future.
Hazel walked very slowly back to her house.
"Not my house," Hazel corrected herself out loud. "Mary and John's house. My guardian's house."
After standing on the threshold of the house for quite some time, Hazel finally decided to go into the house. She rang the doorbell and waited.
The door opened. Mary and John were standing there, smiling shyly.
"Welcome home honey." Mary said softly. "I hope you aren't too mad at us because we want to hear all about Hogwarts, what was it like there? What did you do?" Hazel smiled the first real smile she'd smiled since her scar had started hurting nearly four months ago. She wished she had somebody to ask - Somebody to be like her guardian to the magical world - Mary and John knew nothing about magic, so they wouldn't be any help.
For the next fifteen minutes Hazel sat down with them and talked and talked and talked about everything that had happened and everything that she had seen and done. She told them how the hooked nose teacher, Professor Snape had seemed to hate her (and how she thought he washed his hair with grease. Mary wasn't too pleased with this information, but John was thrilled.), and how she seemed to know all of the things that the incoming fifth years knew and that she was going to go into Hogwarts as a fifth year instead of a first year because she could do everything that was expected. She told of the moving staircases and the ghosts. She told them about Peeves the Poltergeist and how she was going to be in Gryffindor and what the other houses were. She felt like she had drank a hot cup of cocoa, but instead it was a hot cup of relief. After what was an eternity of happiness she knew it had to end. Finally she asked her last question. This question had been nagging her ever since she had found out she was to have magical school supplies.
"Can you take me to wherever people buy wands and things? I had to use a school wand and you have to be rude to the school wands to make them do things." Hazel remembered the school wand and the harsh words that went through her mind to make them work for her. She definitely needed her own wand.
"We would take you, but we have no idea where to go or what you need to buy and-" Mary stopped short because an owl had come into the window. The owl twittered loudly and held out its leg, indicating that Hazel should take the letter that was attached.
Automatically Hazel reached out and grabbed the letter. It was in a parchment envelope. She opened it and the writing was in shimmering emerald ink, like always. Everything they wrote was in emerald ink. It was never blue or black, or heck, even red? But no, it was always the same emerald green, like her eyes.
Dear Ms. Hazel Potter,
Under normal circumstances you would get an acceptance letter but I think you have already had a sufficient chance to read the three you already have.
The start of the term is September 1st and you are expected to have the required equipment on the attached list.
I have already learned that you have caught out poltergeist in an orb-like state. I am pleased to say that you are eligible to earn a special service to the school award, as that is the greatest thing a student has done in service to the school.
There are a few things you NEED to know. You are to answer to Miss Jones only, and not to tell anyone that your name is Miss Hazel Potter. You are to attend after dinner classes to learn to be a sorceress. You will have one other peer with you. I am sending a representative to take you to Diagon Alley to help you buy the necessary school supplies.
See you on the 1st,
Albus Dumbledore
Hazel stood there in awe. There was a place for people to go and buy magical supplies? How did they hide a place like that? If there was even a place the size of a city block, how could they hide it? That was like impossible.
"Hazel!" Hazel scolded herself, knowing the answer was the most obvious one possible. "Magic, duh! Magic."
After convincing herself that is was indeed possible to hide a vast piece of land, Hazel decided to ask Mary and John if they knew anything about this place. She had never heard of it, but then again she had never known that witched and wizards existed either.
Their answer was just what she had expected. No. They had never heard of or seen this place, Diagon Alley, and didn't recognize the name. After asking people all down her block whether they had heard of Diagon Alley (she didn't mention that it was a magical settlement), Hazel decided that she would have to write a letter to Dumbledore. The only people she hadn't asked were the odd family of number 4 Privet Drive. They seemed to regard her with utmost caution, and she happily avoided them.
Grabbing a ballpoint pen she started writing.
Dear Albus Mr. Professor Dumbledore,
I have been wondering how I am to get to Diagon Alley. Is the representative going to take me there with them or do I have to get there myself? If it is indeed the latter then please give me instructions of how to get there.
Thank you,
Hazel Potter Jones
Now Hazel was faced with a new problem. How was she going to send the letter? She was sure that Dumbledore didn't have a normal address, so she couldn't send it by the post. But how did witches and wizards send letters. She briefly thought of what she had been taught in school about how they used insects that could talk, but she was certain that she wouldn't find and talking insects around here. She would have to go find a wild owl.
Hazel took three hours planning her route out of the house. She would have to leave when Mary and John were watching the television, which was around ten o'clock. Then she would have to get back by one if she was to keep them from noticing. John had to leave for work at two and always woke up around 1:30 a.m. leaving Hazel with a small note every morning. She wasn't sure what he did, but she was pretty sure that he looked in her room before he put the note on her bedside dresser. Well, that's the way I used to be, Hazel had no idea what he might do now. He might do nothing.
Hazel felt bad about sneaking out of the house, she felt bad about misusing their trust, but she had to do this. But did she? All she was doing this for was an owl, a means of delivering a letter, and her letter wasn't that important. She could always wait and see what happened. Was it that important? Something told Hazel that she had to do this, and do this tonight. At 10:00.
Setting out that night was an easier task to plan rather than do. Mary and John were up, and they were watching television, just like Hazel had thought they would be. That made things much easier. Walking - or rather sneaking - around to the back door, Hazel turned the handle as quietly as she could.
The door was locked.
Desperately Hazel looked around for some other way to get out of the house. Some means of escape. All of her plans were ruined by one thing that she hadn't thought would happen. She looked quickly around for any way to get out. She found none. Then slowly, Hazel turned to look about the room that Mary and John were in. The window, directly behind them, was open just enough for her to slip through.
There's only one problem with this plan! A voice said in Hazel's head, presumably the angel side.
Oh yeah? And what might that be smartso? The devil side of her asked.
Did you ever think about what would happen if there wasn't a way back in to the house? What of you got locked out, eh, Hazel? Then what would you do? Plead for mercy like you did last time you got caught doing something out after hours? That didn't work so well last time did it? Don't go out, you'll be A LOT safer, plus you won't have to worry about being caught. YOU WON'T DO IT. The voice said firmly.
WOULD YOU BOTH SHUT UP? Hazel commanded the voices in her head.
I'm losing it. Hazel thought to herself. Is it possible to go insane at 15?
Forcing herself to stop thinking about her thoughts, Hazel tried to figure out how she was going to get OUT of that window. She couldn't think of any way to get there without Mary and John noticing that she was going. It would be like someone strutting into a bank wearing a sign that said, 'I'm going to rob a bank.'
Hazel stood, glued to the spot, thinking. If she mad a dash for it, they would notice and get angry with her. If she snuck and they caught her she would be in even more trouble.
She sat there thinking for over 20 minutes before she decided to give up. She was just going to walk aver to the window and see what they did to her. After all they wouldn't kill her, would they? She knew that they weren't that happy with her, but they wouldn't actually hurt her.
Slowly, with all of her senses at work, Hazel sauntered into the room, and stopped right in front of Mary. She didn't bat an eyelash. In fact, Hazel thought she didn't even see her. It was as if she was invisible.
Thinking fast, Hazel waved her hand energetically in front of Mary's face. Since Mary didn't move, Hazel figured that either she, Hazel, was invisible, or else Mary had gone blind.
Still not daring to breathe, Hazel snuck out of the window, leaned against the outside of the house, and slid down it. This was all so confusing. The magic, the school, and the surrealism of it all.
Picking herself up, Hazel started walking down a dusty road. She had to find an owl, and fast.
Half an hour later, Hazel had succeeded in one thing. Getting lost. Walking as quickly as she could, Hazel tried to figure out where she was. Since she couldn't see where she was going, she ended up in the next block. Not seeing what was ahead of her, Hazel took a step forward and fell into two feet of mud.
Angry at how clumsy she had been she picked herself up and felt her glasses snap on her face. Sighing, she held them to her face. Now she would have to go back and fix them, or else walk around clutching her glasses to her face the whole time.
Deciding against the latter, Hazel started to walk back to her house when a large black dog caught her eye. Turning her gaze a little to the left she was able to get a clear view of the dog.
It resembled the dog that Dumbledore had told her was Sirius Black, but she wasn't sure. There could be thousands of dogs that resembled what Sirius had looked like, and just because this one looked like him, didn't mean it was him.
Assuming that this dog wasn't Sirius, why was it starring intently at her? What was interesting about her?
"Sirius?" Hazel asked.
The dog lifted it's head in a dignified manner and looked over her.
"What?" Hazel jumped. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn't it. The dog had - had talked? Dogs weren't supposed to talk.
Normal dogs aren't supposed to talk. Hazel reminded herself. But this certainly wasn't a normal dog now, was it?
"Um, are you Sirius Black?" Hazel asked, feeling a little silly. She was talking to a dog. No, she was talking to a talking dog.
"Why would I have answered you if I wasn't?" The dog answered sharply, looking offended. Hazel fought the urge to laugh. An offended looking dog was somewhat funny to see.
"Um, I don't know, but there have been some really weird things going on, so I can't be over cautious can I?" Hazel asked innocently.
Sirius shook his doggish head. Hazel and he stood regarding each other for quite some time.
"What has Dumbledore told you about me?" Sirius asked.
"Not much. Nobody will tell me anything that I want them to. He told me that you can turn into a dog, which I think is pretty obvious because I'm currently talking to a dog."
"Did he tell you that I'm. I'm your Godfather?"
Her green eyes flashing, Hazel turned around in a circle trying to think of what to say and to do. She was taking up the time by examining him. He had a small scar on his left cheek.
"What proof do you have that you are my godfather?" She asked suddenly. The words had exploded from her mouth before she could stop them.
Slowly Sirius's gaze lowered to the ground.
"Are you sure you want to know?" He croaked.
"Yes." Hazel said fiercely. "Yes. I want to know WHO I AM."
Taking a deep, visible, breath, Sirius began.
"Alright. Hazel, your parents, I mean your real parents were murdered. They were murdered by a man named Voldemort. He wanted to murder you too-"
"Ok!" Hazel interrupted loudly. "Ok! Heard enough!"
He wanted to murder me? Why? What did I do to make somebody want to murder me? Wait, is that what all of that screaming I hear in my head is? My parents getting murdered? No, no it can't be, it just can't be. MY parent's weren't murdered. That's just one of those things you dream about. He's lying!
WAKE UP HAZEL! Her mind screamed. IT'S REAL! And it must have been real, because it tied in with her dreams perfectly. No parents.screams.the green flash of light.
"Look," Sirius said. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, I mean, I'm just sorry." And he truly looked it. His eyes were full of emotion. Was that sorrow, or was it pain? Hazel couldn't tell, but what she could tell was that he had known something about her that he wasn't going to tell her. It annoyed her and alarmed her a little that no one was willing to tell her exactly who she was and who her parents were. And what had happened to that boy in her dreams?
Taking a sharp breath, Hazel stepped forward. Not really paying attention to what she was doing she looked at the man's face closely. There were tears in is eyes as though there was more to the story that he couldn't or didn't want to tell. Taking one more step forward Hazel was six inches away from Sirius.
Looking down at her feet, Hazel hugged Sirius. She wasn't entirely sure what made her do it. Maybe it was the lack of physical contact she had been given, or maybe it was just because she wanted to comfort him. The reason, Hazel would never know. All she knew was that it felt just right to be hugging Sirius. At first he didn't do anything and was stiff, but then he relaxed and hugged back.
"I believe you." She whispered.
He nodded.
Walking back to her house seemed to take no time at all. Hazel's mind was spinning and a snowy, white, female owl was following her. Sirius had said her name was Hedwig and that she would deliver anything for her if she told the owl her name.
Hazel thought to herself that that was stupid that the owl would listen to her if she told it it's name, but didn't say anything to Sirius. After all, there were many things she didn't understand and this was probably just ANOTHER one of them, which, no one would bother to explain to her until she already had found out the answer herself.
Hazel was outside of the house now. Mary and John had gone to bed. Hazel didn't bother to turn but said to the owl.
"Stay here. I'll be right back with the letter, and if I can I'll grab you something to eat, ok?" She had figured that the best way to get the owl to do something for her was if she gave the owl something in return. Wondering briefly what owls ate; Hazel crept in through the window.
The house was dark, but not as dark as it was outside. A cloud shifted outside and the moon was visible. There was an eerie shadow of her as she walked down a hallway.
Finding the letter that she wanted to send to Dumbledore, Hazel started walking back to where she had left the owl and wondered whether the owl was still there or not, when she remembered that she had promised to bring it something to eat also, so doubling back to the kitchen Hazel grabbed some cornflakes. And some tape. Her glasses were still broken and she knew no other way to fix them.
When she got to the window, the owl was indeed still there.
"Thanks." Hazel said to the owl. She didn't know if the owl could understand her, but she was going to be polite all the same.
"Ok, can you send this letter to Mr. Dumbledore?" Hazel asked.
Hedwig stuck out her leg, apparently waiting for Hazel to do something, but Hazel had no idea what.
"Um, what am I supposed to do? Strap the letter to your leg?" Hazel said sarcastically.
Hedwig hooted in a manner that clearly meant yes.
"Oh, sorry if I offended you."
Running to get a rubber band and running back Hazel was able to get Hedwig ready in a matter of two minutes.
"Ok, bye then!" Hazel said.
Hazel spent hours trying to get the spell, 'Oculus Reparo' to fix her glasses, but nothing ever came out of her hand and the glasses remained in two, distinct halves. She finally decided that she would just tape them together. Like always.
Yawning, Hazel decided it was time to go to bed.
The next morning dawned bright, and clear, and Hedwig free. Sighing, Hazel decided that the owl must not have had a reply.
Waking up had been a big problem that morning for Hazel, but actually getting up and moving was beyond possible. She lay in bed until ten when Mary came in and asked her repeatedly if everything was all right.
"Ya," Hazel answered for the fourth time that morning. "Just tired." Hazel instantly knew that she had made a mistake in that answer, because Mary started fussing over her, about how she was a growing girl and how she ought to be getting to bed earlier (you have no idea.) and how she needed a large, and highly nutritional breakfast with soy milk.
"No!" Hazel said quickly. "NO! I don't really want to eat a ten- course breakfast. Save that stuff for dinner, ok?" Besides, soymilk is NASTY!
Mary looked skeptically at her, but then decided that she meant it and walked downstairs, muttering to herself.
Hazel got up and got dressed. She put on the only clothes she had in her closet. The rest of her clothes were at the dry cleaners.
She had an extremely baggy, grey looking, shirt and a pair of jeans that she had to roll up six times so that she could use her feet.
"MARY! Why are all of my clothes at the dry cleaners? I thought I was going to go out in public today! I look like I have hand-me-downs from a really, really, really fat person!"
"Oh well honey, at least you have clothes, the people in Bosnia-"
"Have no clothes." Hazel finished. "I know, I know, I know. It's just really annoying, that's all I'm trying to get at."
Feeling lucky that Mary hadn't heard that remark Hazel walked down the stairs.
Mary hadn't apparently listened to a word that she had said, and had made an abnormally huge breakfast.
"Now, I wasn't sure whether you would want the bacon and eggs or the pancakes, or what, so I made you a little of everything."
Little? Ha! Understatement of the century!
"Um, thanks, I guess." Hazel said.
John walked in, and raised his eyes at Hazel.
"Not normal for you to ask for this much food." He said eyeing the monstrous piles of food, some of which were so odd and foreign, that not even the people that came from the foods' countries would recognize then among the eggs, omelette, potatoes, and pancakes.
"Ya, and I am still yet to ask."
It took a minute for the words to sink into his head, but then John smiled.
"Ah, you know what honey?" He was addressing Mary. "I am a spot hungry myself. Would you mind if I join Hazel?"
"Well that means that I would have to make twice as much food and-"
"NO." Hazel and John said at the same time.
Mary sighed.
"I'm sorry Hazel, John. It's just I have been wanting to be a good housewife so that Hazel would feel welcome and well."
Hazel's expression softened. "But I already felt welcome, and mind you, you better help us eat this food or I won't be able to eat 'till Christmas."
Everybody laughed.
"Well, we might be eating some of this for lunch too." Mary said thoughtfully to them as they began to attempt to make a small dent in the amount of food that was piled on the poor table that was bowed just trying to hold the entire weight of all of the food.
Mary was right. They did have to eat some of it for lunch.
"Pancakes and bacon and eggs for lunch? I've never heard of such a thing." John said, pretending to be shocked. "Why would someone eat pancakes at lunch?"
"Because they had WAY too much at breakfast." Hazel quickly informed him.
Mary exhaled. "Just look at all of the food!"
"No, no!" Hazel said. "Don't look at it, eat it!"
The food lasted way too long, and when Hazel finished she thought they were going to have to roll her around the house.
After lunch they all sat around doing virtually nothing.
"I'm bored." Hazel whined.
"So am I." John said. "Get used to it."
"Let's play a bored game." Mary suggested.
They all grinned.
"But we already are!" Hazel said.
"True." Mary said.
"Let's play another one." Hazel and John said at the same time.
"JINX!" Hazel said enthusiastically pointing at John.
'No! No! Don't do this to me!' John mouthed to Hazel.
Hazel stuck out her tongue. John reached over and tickled her.
For the next fifteen minutes Hazel couldn't stop laughing. Tears were rolling down her eyes because John hadn't stopped tickling her. She wanted him to stop, but she didn't want to lose the jinx.
'I'm not gonna stop until you un-jinx me.' He mouthed at her.
"Then you're gonna be tickling me for a LONG time!" Hazel gasped between laughs.
Five minutes later John was un-jinxed and he was done tickling her. It occurred to her that this, this having fun time, this was how it should be, all the time. Not just when Mary made an overly large breakfast, or when she had jinxed John, this was how she should have been spending the last 15 years of her life. Having fun.
Suddenly regretting what she had done in the past, Hazel sat up from her position on the floor and hugged John.
At first he was like Sirius, but then he too relaxed and hugged back.
When she released him, Mary was looking, or rather frowning down at her with a look of jealously easily written across her face.
"Don't I get a hug too?" Mary pouted. She did a rather good impression of a whiny two-year-old. She almost sounded like Hazel did on many occasions.
Hazel grinned delightedly.
This, this was how it would be from now on.
A dull tapping on the window brought Hazel back to her senses. Turning she saw Hedwig tapping on the window.
Hazel sat up. Hedwig wouldn't stop tapping on the window no matter what she did, so she supposed that she should go and let her in the house. The owl looked like she had flown through the desert. She was dirty and thirsty and goodness knew what else. The poor owl was barely standing up properly and seemed to want to fall down on the spot and sleep.
As she got up Hedwig stopped tapping on the window. It was as though she knew that Hazel was getting up to get her.
When Hazel opened the window Hedwig flew in gratefully. It was a reply from Dumbledore.
"I'll give you some food and water later." Hazel muttered to Hedwig.
Hazel,
I will send the representative tomorrow. Rebus Hagrid is going to be your representative. He will take you to Diagon Alley and assist you in anything else you will need.
I am expecting you on the first.
Albus Dumbledore
The next morning Hazel woke up around five am, which was very unusual for her. She normally wasn't awake until ten, if that.
Hazel was very anxious, because she had never been to an all-magical shopping center before. Well that was what she had assumed Diagon Alley was an all magical shopping center because she was going to buy all of her stuff from there. There was no other possible thing to call it in Hazel's mind, so that settled the matter.
There was so much to look forward to! The people she would meet, the things she would see. It never occurred to her that there might be an end to the good, and a beginning to the bad. Right now, Hazel was ignorant and happy not knowing what might await her when she got to Hogwarts.
It was half past 11 and there was, quite suddenly, a loud knock on the front door. Hazel ran to get it and when she opened the door she almost fell back in shock. There was a giant man, who she would later learn was Hagrid, but he was so big looking standing in front of her house that she almost didn't recognize him as a person at all. It might have been the fact that his head was some three feet above the doorframe that made her not realize he was a living thing at first, though.
"I'm here ter pick up Miss Hazel Jones." He said when she had asked who he was. The man that was standing before her was tall, and scary-looking. His scruffy hair and long beard didn't help. He was gruff sounding and his hands were the size of trashcan lids.
"Oh, I am Hazel." She said. He nodded, or at least she assumed he had nodded because she couldn't really tell. "Hold on, I need to tell Mary and John where I'm going, be right back!"
Hazel bolted down the hallway half because she was excited and half because she was almost terrified of the humongous man that was at the front door of number 7 Privet Drive. "MARY! JOHN! MR. HAGRID IS HERE!" she yelled to them. She heard the scuffling of chairs and footsteps.
"Oh you be careful honey!" Mary said. Hazel thought she was being a bit paranoid. "People might attack you. They have magic sticks things and they know magic! They might do some pretty horrible things to other people and you have to watch your back at all times. If you hear someone saying a spell try to locate the person and find out whether they are directing a spell at you and-"
"Mary, I am with a guy, who is like nine feet tall, who's gonna try to attack me?" Hazel asked.
"Nonsense Hazel, you know that those loonies don't think about who they're attacking! And they always seem to be looking for little-"
"Mary," John said gently. "Think about what you're saying! Hazel will be fine, and when she gets back from Dragon Alley, or whatever that place is, she will tell us all about it. You know she's going to be fine."
Mary sniffed. "I suppose you're right. Be careful though, ya' hear?"
"Yup. Bye!" Hazel called as she walked back to the front door. "Mr. Hagrid?" she called. "Mr. Hagrid! How are we gonna get there?" Hazel refrained from saying 'Diagon Alley because she suspected that some of the neighbors might be watching and listening to everything that was happening. Hazel figured that most people tended to notice when a man nine feet tall came down the road, and the long-necked lady from down the street was being particularly nosey again. Hazel glanced in her direction and noticed that a rather porky boy was by her side, trying to hide behind her.
"Well, we're goin' ter have ter use the muggle transport since I'm not allowed to use magic, and please, jus' call me Hagrid."
"Oh," Hazel said. She was silently wondering what Hagrid had done to not be allowed to use magic, when suddenly, she knew.
"Ok, this is getting weird." Hazel muttered under her breath so that Hagrid wouldn't hear. It was getting a little bit alarming that she was remembering things that she didn't even remember from her dreams. She followed Hagrid along the town square. When they came to the train station Hagrid pulled out two tickets and showed them to the ticket master. He nodded so they continued walking to the train.
Hagrid took up two seats on the train. Most of the people on the train stared at Hagrid until Hazel glared at them then they went back to minding their own business until they thought Hazel wasn't looking, then stared at Hagrid again.
When she finally got tired of glaring at people, and Hazel leaned back in her chair, and fell asleep.
Author's Notes:
I would like to thank the following people for reviewing the first chapter, you all made me feel really good about this story!
Lil' Lolly Pop Girlie - Thank you for your compliments and suggestions. I have a few ideas that I am juggling right now. You'll have to wait and see!
Gigglebox409 - Thanks! That's so nice of you! Don't you worry, I'm gonna continue this story if it's the last thing I do. Even if I have You-Know- Who (Not Voldemort, my BETA reader, she's scarier than Voldemort) breathing down my back!
ThePopGurlz - I'll try to tell you when I update. Forgive me if I can't do it!
Thank you to all of you that read this, but don't review. I love writing about Hazel, and I hope you like reading it!!
Hazel stood there with the orb floating over her hand and Peeves inside of it, fully aware that Professor McGonagall, Filch and the ghost were all staring at her./I
uChapter Two - Home Again/u
"I don't know what happened." Hazel repeated defiantly for the fifth time flinging her arms as she spoke. "I saw is what you saw." She was currently seated in Professor McGonagall's office, and the owner of the office was currently glaring down at her in a large amount of disarray.
"But Miss Potter!" Professor McGonagall yelled. Her eyes were huge and she was slightly pink in the face.
Hazel was surprised. Minerva McGonagall didn't seem like the kind of person who lost control. She seemed like a laid back, strict, Professor. But here she was yelling like there was a crisis on her hands.
"Look!" Hazel burst out angrily. " I don't know why I made that hand motion, I just did, OKAY?" as Hazel finished this pronouncement she looked up at Professor McGonagall. The professor looked, to say the least, flustered, confused, angry, tired, and annoyed all at once. It would have been quite comical if it had not been such a serious time. McGonagall's glasses were askew, and her face had red splotches from being angry and flustered.
"And," Hazel added. "I believe that it was an improvement."
"Improvement or not," McGonagall said severely to Hazel. "This is not to happen again Miss Potter. You understand me? This must not be seen. When Dumbledore said strange things . . . I never imagined that you would be . . . Never mind that. I need to talk with the Headmaster. You will go into the girls' dormitory. I expect you know where that is too?" Professor McGonagall said sharply. Hazel nodded. "Fine. Good night Miss Jones, and no more mischief in the halls. Goodness knows we don't need the rest of our Hogwarts ghosts inside orbs as well."
Hazel followed Professor McGonagall with her eyes for quite some time and heard her muttering to herself things like, "I can't believe it.", and "Haven't had one at Hogwarts since Potter, but he doesn't know.", and "When does the power mature? I'll have to ask Madame Pince once I get the chance.".
None of this made sense to Hazel, who decided it was time to turn into bed. Tucking her thoughts into the back of her head, Hazel started walking. Today had been an unpredictable day and there weren't any students here yet. She wondered how chaotic it would be with hundreds of people here. Why did she have the feeling that she wasn't the same as everyone else, even though they were witches and wizards too? The last thing Hazel remembered thinking about before falling asleep was what does everybody else know that I don't?
The next morning was chaotic indeed. The new term began in one week and everybody was clearly getting ready. Filch was cleaning everything from the dungeons to the highest tower. Scouring it 'till it shined. She had gotten into a bit of a spot with him that day. She had been outside and had gotten some (considerably more than some) dirt on her shoes and when she came back in she left a few tracks on the floor. She thought Filch was going to have a fit. He had been foaming at the mouth and had informed her that she was going to have detention at the first of the term. Then he hurried around cleaning the floor at once.
Many paintings' subjects were all frowning and rubbing pink noses as they had all been scrubbed until they shone. Not to mention all of the professors were running about the school, which was beginning to look like a vast anthill, getting everything set for the coming school year. That is, all except Dumbledore. When he was asked to do anything Dumbledore would wave his wand and continue talking to Hazel. Dumbledore was showing her around the castle, which Hazel thought was quite unnecessary. After all, it was probably just wasting his time. It wasn't until they were in a corridor that Hazel thought of something.
"Professor," She said unable to stop herself. "Professor, who is going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Where that had come from, Hazel did not know. I guess my dreams are more reliable that I thought they were. Hazel thought to herself. I wonder if everything I saw was true. She didn't remember all of her dreams, and only what she had written in her journal could tell the full story of what she had seen over the four years. She was looking at Dumbledore apprehensively.
"Ah, that remains to be seen." Dumbledore said. Hazel was pondering the many things that had happened to her when a thought hit her. Literally.
"Ouch!" Hazel yelped. "What was that?"
"That was a thought." Dumbledore said sounding amused. Dumbledore seemed to be amused with a lot of things that happened to her. "Professor Trelawney must be trying out a new method of Divination because I got the strong feeling of Saturn from that one." Dumbledore said with a slight laugh. "I'm sorry, you don't understand. I shall assign you Divination as an extra study in the beginning of the new term."
"Uh, alright." Though she didn't mention it, Hazel had the feeling that she knew exactly what he meant that he thought there was a strong feeling of Saturn from that one. Though telling him wouldn't do any good. After all, maybe she didn't really know, and just wanted to.
As they continued to walk together in silence, Dumbledore began muttering to himself and all she understood was "Dog. should show her. where's the picture?" Then, without warning, Dumbledore stopped walking and Hazel almost didn't stop in time to avoid colliding with him.
Dumbledore pulled out a something, and showed Hazel a moving picture of a dog. He explained that this dog was really a man Sirius Black. Then, without a moment's hesitation said,
"Now, I think it's time for you to go home." Dumbledore said.
"Home? Already? But, what about that dog? And what does the man look like when he's not a dog? Home?" Hazel whined. She wasn't ready to go home yet, she wanted to continue exploring the halls of Hogwarts, and she wanted to walk around the lake that she had seen, and she wanted to do so many things, but couldn't do them all in the time that was provided.
"Yes Hazel, home." Hazel sighed. She was going to have to do a lot of apologizing to make up for the fuss she had made at home.a lot of explaining.
"Alright, how do I get back? Another vortex?" Hazel said without asking much. She felt that she already know.
Dumbledore shook his head slightly and handed a small sack about three inches high and two inches wide made of red satin with a gold drawstring to her. "You know what to do with it and it never hurts to have some extra on hand. However this works a little differently than Floo Powder, there needs to be no fire on the other end."
Hazel stared at the bag. This must be worth a fortune! But she also must be careful not to talk about this with ANY of her friends. Hazel coughed. She didn't have any friends and she hoped she would find some, because she would be very lonely without friends.
Hazel jerked herself out of her thoughts. "Gotta stop thinking about that stuff. Right now I need to find a fire to use this stuff in! Fire, fire, gotta find a fire."
Hazel wandered around Hogwarts for a while, trying to find a fire, when she finally found one. It was in the Ravenclaw common room. At least she assumed it was the Ravenclaw common room because there were drapes all around the doors and windows and staircases saying "Welcome Back Ravenclaws!" She didn't know why the portrait let her through, but she was grateful all the same. Hazel knew enough about the magical world that when somebody did something for you, you ought to be grateful, no matter what. Turning, she threw a pinch of the opaque powder into the fire and walked into it. Then she distinctly - she hoped it was distinctly - said, "Number 7 Privet Drive."
With that, a horrible spinning feeling started and she seemed to think that this powder was worse than Floo Powder because this one spun faster. Quite suddenly it stopped, sending Hazel sprawling down onto the ground.
Hazel sat up. Her elbow was bleeding freely, and she was in the middle of the street. Hazel stood up and took a deep breath. She was going to have to do a LOT of explaining in the near future.
Hazel walked very slowly back to her house.
"Not my house," Hazel corrected herself out loud. "Mary and John's house. My guardian's house."
After standing on the threshold of the house for quite some time, Hazel finally decided to go into the house. She rang the doorbell and waited.
The door opened. Mary and John were standing there, smiling shyly.
"Welcome home honey." Mary said softly. "I hope you aren't too mad at us because we want to hear all about Hogwarts, what was it like there? What did you do?" Hazel smiled the first real smile she'd smiled since her scar had started hurting nearly four months ago. She wished she had somebody to ask - Somebody to be like her guardian to the magical world - Mary and John knew nothing about magic, so they wouldn't be any help.
For the next fifteen minutes Hazel sat down with them and talked and talked and talked about everything that had happened and everything that she had seen and done. She told them how the hooked nose teacher, Professor Snape had seemed to hate her (and how she thought he washed his hair with grease. Mary wasn't too pleased with this information, but John was thrilled.), and how she seemed to know all of the things that the incoming fifth years knew and that she was going to go into Hogwarts as a fifth year instead of a first year because she could do everything that was expected. She told of the moving staircases and the ghosts. She told them about Peeves the Poltergeist and how she was going to be in Gryffindor and what the other houses were. She felt like she had drank a hot cup of cocoa, but instead it was a hot cup of relief. After what was an eternity of happiness she knew it had to end. Finally she asked her last question. This question had been nagging her ever since she had found out she was to have magical school supplies.
"Can you take me to wherever people buy wands and things? I had to use a school wand and you have to be rude to the school wands to make them do things." Hazel remembered the school wand and the harsh words that went through her mind to make them work for her. She definitely needed her own wand.
"We would take you, but we have no idea where to go or what you need to buy and-" Mary stopped short because an owl had come into the window. The owl twittered loudly and held out its leg, indicating that Hazel should take the letter that was attached.
Automatically Hazel reached out and grabbed the letter. It was in a parchment envelope. She opened it and the writing was in shimmering emerald ink, like always. Everything they wrote was in emerald ink. It was never blue or black, or heck, even red? But no, it was always the same emerald green, like her eyes.
Dear Ms. Hazel Potter,
Under normal circumstances you would get an acceptance letter but I think you have already had a sufficient chance to read the three you already have.
The start of the term is September 1st and you are expected to have the required equipment on the attached list.
I have already learned that you have caught out poltergeist in an orb-like state. I am pleased to say that you are eligible to earn a special service to the school award, as that is the greatest thing a student has done in service to the school.
There are a few things you NEED to know. You are to answer to Miss Jones only, and not to tell anyone that your name is Miss Hazel Potter. You are to attend after dinner classes to learn to be a sorceress. You will have one other peer with you. I am sending a representative to take you to Diagon Alley to help you buy the necessary school supplies.
See you on the 1st,
Albus Dumbledore
Hazel stood there in awe. There was a place for people to go and buy magical supplies? How did they hide a place like that? If there was even a place the size of a city block, how could they hide it? That was like impossible.
"Hazel!" Hazel scolded herself, knowing the answer was the most obvious one possible. "Magic, duh! Magic."
After convincing herself that is was indeed possible to hide a vast piece of land, Hazel decided to ask Mary and John if they knew anything about this place. She had never heard of it, but then again she had never known that witched and wizards existed either.
Their answer was just what she had expected. No. They had never heard of or seen this place, Diagon Alley, and didn't recognize the name. After asking people all down her block whether they had heard of Diagon Alley (she didn't mention that it was a magical settlement), Hazel decided that she would have to write a letter to Dumbledore. The only people she hadn't asked were the odd family of number 4 Privet Drive. They seemed to regard her with utmost caution, and she happily avoided them.
Grabbing a ballpoint pen she started writing.
Dear Albus Mr. Professor Dumbledore,
I have been wondering how I am to get to Diagon Alley. Is the representative going to take me there with them or do I have to get there myself? If it is indeed the latter then please give me instructions of how to get there.
Thank you,
Hazel Potter Jones
Now Hazel was faced with a new problem. How was she going to send the letter? She was sure that Dumbledore didn't have a normal address, so she couldn't send it by the post. But how did witches and wizards send letters. She briefly thought of what she had been taught in school about how they used insects that could talk, but she was certain that she wouldn't find and talking insects around here. She would have to go find a wild owl.
Hazel took three hours planning her route out of the house. She would have to leave when Mary and John were watching the television, which was around ten o'clock. Then she would have to get back by one if she was to keep them from noticing. John had to leave for work at two and always woke up around 1:30 a.m. leaving Hazel with a small note every morning. She wasn't sure what he did, but she was pretty sure that he looked in her room before he put the note on her bedside dresser. Well, that's the way I used to be, Hazel had no idea what he might do now. He might do nothing.
Hazel felt bad about sneaking out of the house, she felt bad about misusing their trust, but she had to do this. But did she? All she was doing this for was an owl, a means of delivering a letter, and her letter wasn't that important. She could always wait and see what happened. Was it that important? Something told Hazel that she had to do this, and do this tonight. At 10:00.
Setting out that night was an easier task to plan rather than do. Mary and John were up, and they were watching television, just like Hazel had thought they would be. That made things much easier. Walking - or rather sneaking - around to the back door, Hazel turned the handle as quietly as she could.
The door was locked.
Desperately Hazel looked around for some other way to get out of the house. Some means of escape. All of her plans were ruined by one thing that she hadn't thought would happen. She looked quickly around for any way to get out. She found none. Then slowly, Hazel turned to look about the room that Mary and John were in. The window, directly behind them, was open just enough for her to slip through.
There's only one problem with this plan! A voice said in Hazel's head, presumably the angel side.
Oh yeah? And what might that be smartso? The devil side of her asked.
Did you ever think about what would happen if there wasn't a way back in to the house? What of you got locked out, eh, Hazel? Then what would you do? Plead for mercy like you did last time you got caught doing something out after hours? That didn't work so well last time did it? Don't go out, you'll be A LOT safer, plus you won't have to worry about being caught. YOU WON'T DO IT. The voice said firmly.
WOULD YOU BOTH SHUT UP? Hazel commanded the voices in her head.
I'm losing it. Hazel thought to herself. Is it possible to go insane at 15?
Forcing herself to stop thinking about her thoughts, Hazel tried to figure out how she was going to get OUT of that window. She couldn't think of any way to get there without Mary and John noticing that she was going. It would be like someone strutting into a bank wearing a sign that said, 'I'm going to rob a bank.'
Hazel stood, glued to the spot, thinking. If she mad a dash for it, they would notice and get angry with her. If she snuck and they caught her she would be in even more trouble.
She sat there thinking for over 20 minutes before she decided to give up. She was just going to walk aver to the window and see what they did to her. After all they wouldn't kill her, would they? She knew that they weren't that happy with her, but they wouldn't actually hurt her.
Slowly, with all of her senses at work, Hazel sauntered into the room, and stopped right in front of Mary. She didn't bat an eyelash. In fact, Hazel thought she didn't even see her. It was as if she was invisible.
Thinking fast, Hazel waved her hand energetically in front of Mary's face. Since Mary didn't move, Hazel figured that either she, Hazel, was invisible, or else Mary had gone blind.
Still not daring to breathe, Hazel snuck out of the window, leaned against the outside of the house, and slid down it. This was all so confusing. The magic, the school, and the surrealism of it all.
Picking herself up, Hazel started walking down a dusty road. She had to find an owl, and fast.
Half an hour later, Hazel had succeeded in one thing. Getting lost. Walking as quickly as she could, Hazel tried to figure out where she was. Since she couldn't see where she was going, she ended up in the next block. Not seeing what was ahead of her, Hazel took a step forward and fell into two feet of mud.
Angry at how clumsy she had been she picked herself up and felt her glasses snap on her face. Sighing, she held them to her face. Now she would have to go back and fix them, or else walk around clutching her glasses to her face the whole time.
Deciding against the latter, Hazel started to walk back to her house when a large black dog caught her eye. Turning her gaze a little to the left she was able to get a clear view of the dog.
It resembled the dog that Dumbledore had told her was Sirius Black, but she wasn't sure. There could be thousands of dogs that resembled what Sirius had looked like, and just because this one looked like him, didn't mean it was him.
Assuming that this dog wasn't Sirius, why was it starring intently at her? What was interesting about her?
"Sirius?" Hazel asked.
The dog lifted it's head in a dignified manner and looked over her.
"What?" Hazel jumped. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn't it. The dog had - had talked? Dogs weren't supposed to talk.
Normal dogs aren't supposed to talk. Hazel reminded herself. But this certainly wasn't a normal dog now, was it?
"Um, are you Sirius Black?" Hazel asked, feeling a little silly. She was talking to a dog. No, she was talking to a talking dog.
"Why would I have answered you if I wasn't?" The dog answered sharply, looking offended. Hazel fought the urge to laugh. An offended looking dog was somewhat funny to see.
"Um, I don't know, but there have been some really weird things going on, so I can't be over cautious can I?" Hazel asked innocently.
Sirius shook his doggish head. Hazel and he stood regarding each other for quite some time.
"What has Dumbledore told you about me?" Sirius asked.
"Not much. Nobody will tell me anything that I want them to. He told me that you can turn into a dog, which I think is pretty obvious because I'm currently talking to a dog."
"Did he tell you that I'm. I'm your Godfather?"
Her green eyes flashing, Hazel turned around in a circle trying to think of what to say and to do. She was taking up the time by examining him. He had a small scar on his left cheek.
"What proof do you have that you are my godfather?" She asked suddenly. The words had exploded from her mouth before she could stop them.
Slowly Sirius's gaze lowered to the ground.
"Are you sure you want to know?" He croaked.
"Yes." Hazel said fiercely. "Yes. I want to know WHO I AM."
Taking a deep, visible, breath, Sirius began.
"Alright. Hazel, your parents, I mean your real parents were murdered. They were murdered by a man named Voldemort. He wanted to murder you too-"
"Ok!" Hazel interrupted loudly. "Ok! Heard enough!"
He wanted to murder me? Why? What did I do to make somebody want to murder me? Wait, is that what all of that screaming I hear in my head is? My parents getting murdered? No, no it can't be, it just can't be. MY parent's weren't murdered. That's just one of those things you dream about. He's lying!
WAKE UP HAZEL! Her mind screamed. IT'S REAL! And it must have been real, because it tied in with her dreams perfectly. No parents.screams.the green flash of light.
"Look," Sirius said. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, I mean, I'm just sorry." And he truly looked it. His eyes were full of emotion. Was that sorrow, or was it pain? Hazel couldn't tell, but what she could tell was that he had known something about her that he wasn't going to tell her. It annoyed her and alarmed her a little that no one was willing to tell her exactly who she was and who her parents were. And what had happened to that boy in her dreams?
Taking a sharp breath, Hazel stepped forward. Not really paying attention to what she was doing she looked at the man's face closely. There were tears in is eyes as though there was more to the story that he couldn't or didn't want to tell. Taking one more step forward Hazel was six inches away from Sirius.
Looking down at her feet, Hazel hugged Sirius. She wasn't entirely sure what made her do it. Maybe it was the lack of physical contact she had been given, or maybe it was just because she wanted to comfort him. The reason, Hazel would never know. All she knew was that it felt just right to be hugging Sirius. At first he didn't do anything and was stiff, but then he relaxed and hugged back.
"I believe you." She whispered.
He nodded.
Walking back to her house seemed to take no time at all. Hazel's mind was spinning and a snowy, white, female owl was following her. Sirius had said her name was Hedwig and that she would deliver anything for her if she told the owl her name.
Hazel thought to herself that that was stupid that the owl would listen to her if she told it it's name, but didn't say anything to Sirius. After all, there were many things she didn't understand and this was probably just ANOTHER one of them, which, no one would bother to explain to her until she already had found out the answer herself.
Hazel was outside of the house now. Mary and John had gone to bed. Hazel didn't bother to turn but said to the owl.
"Stay here. I'll be right back with the letter, and if I can I'll grab you something to eat, ok?" She had figured that the best way to get the owl to do something for her was if she gave the owl something in return. Wondering briefly what owls ate; Hazel crept in through the window.
The house was dark, but not as dark as it was outside. A cloud shifted outside and the moon was visible. There was an eerie shadow of her as she walked down a hallway.
Finding the letter that she wanted to send to Dumbledore, Hazel started walking back to where she had left the owl and wondered whether the owl was still there or not, when she remembered that she had promised to bring it something to eat also, so doubling back to the kitchen Hazel grabbed some cornflakes. And some tape. Her glasses were still broken and she knew no other way to fix them.
When she got to the window, the owl was indeed still there.
"Thanks." Hazel said to the owl. She didn't know if the owl could understand her, but she was going to be polite all the same.
"Ok, can you send this letter to Mr. Dumbledore?" Hazel asked.
Hedwig stuck out her leg, apparently waiting for Hazel to do something, but Hazel had no idea what.
"Um, what am I supposed to do? Strap the letter to your leg?" Hazel said sarcastically.
Hedwig hooted in a manner that clearly meant yes.
"Oh, sorry if I offended you."
Running to get a rubber band and running back Hazel was able to get Hedwig ready in a matter of two minutes.
"Ok, bye then!" Hazel said.
Hazel spent hours trying to get the spell, 'Oculus Reparo' to fix her glasses, but nothing ever came out of her hand and the glasses remained in two, distinct halves. She finally decided that she would just tape them together. Like always.
Yawning, Hazel decided it was time to go to bed.
The next morning dawned bright, and clear, and Hedwig free. Sighing, Hazel decided that the owl must not have had a reply.
Waking up had been a big problem that morning for Hazel, but actually getting up and moving was beyond possible. She lay in bed until ten when Mary came in and asked her repeatedly if everything was all right.
"Ya," Hazel answered for the fourth time that morning. "Just tired." Hazel instantly knew that she had made a mistake in that answer, because Mary started fussing over her, about how she was a growing girl and how she ought to be getting to bed earlier (you have no idea.) and how she needed a large, and highly nutritional breakfast with soy milk.
"No!" Hazel said quickly. "NO! I don't really want to eat a ten- course breakfast. Save that stuff for dinner, ok?" Besides, soymilk is NASTY!
Mary looked skeptically at her, but then decided that she meant it and walked downstairs, muttering to herself.
Hazel got up and got dressed. She put on the only clothes she had in her closet. The rest of her clothes were at the dry cleaners.
She had an extremely baggy, grey looking, shirt and a pair of jeans that she had to roll up six times so that she could use her feet.
"MARY! Why are all of my clothes at the dry cleaners? I thought I was going to go out in public today! I look like I have hand-me-downs from a really, really, really fat person!"
"Oh well honey, at least you have clothes, the people in Bosnia-"
"Have no clothes." Hazel finished. "I know, I know, I know. It's just really annoying, that's all I'm trying to get at."
Feeling lucky that Mary hadn't heard that remark Hazel walked down the stairs.
Mary hadn't apparently listened to a word that she had said, and had made an abnormally huge breakfast.
"Now, I wasn't sure whether you would want the bacon and eggs or the pancakes, or what, so I made you a little of everything."
Little? Ha! Understatement of the century!
"Um, thanks, I guess." Hazel said.
John walked in, and raised his eyes at Hazel.
"Not normal for you to ask for this much food." He said eyeing the monstrous piles of food, some of which were so odd and foreign, that not even the people that came from the foods' countries would recognize then among the eggs, omelette, potatoes, and pancakes.
"Ya, and I am still yet to ask."
It took a minute for the words to sink into his head, but then John smiled.
"Ah, you know what honey?" He was addressing Mary. "I am a spot hungry myself. Would you mind if I join Hazel?"
"Well that means that I would have to make twice as much food and-"
"NO." Hazel and John said at the same time.
Mary sighed.
"I'm sorry Hazel, John. It's just I have been wanting to be a good housewife so that Hazel would feel welcome and well."
Hazel's expression softened. "But I already felt welcome, and mind you, you better help us eat this food or I won't be able to eat 'till Christmas."
Everybody laughed.
"Well, we might be eating some of this for lunch too." Mary said thoughtfully to them as they began to attempt to make a small dent in the amount of food that was piled on the poor table that was bowed just trying to hold the entire weight of all of the food.
Mary was right. They did have to eat some of it for lunch.
"Pancakes and bacon and eggs for lunch? I've never heard of such a thing." John said, pretending to be shocked. "Why would someone eat pancakes at lunch?"
"Because they had WAY too much at breakfast." Hazel quickly informed him.
Mary exhaled. "Just look at all of the food!"
"No, no!" Hazel said. "Don't look at it, eat it!"
The food lasted way too long, and when Hazel finished she thought they were going to have to roll her around the house.
After lunch they all sat around doing virtually nothing.
"I'm bored." Hazel whined.
"So am I." John said. "Get used to it."
"Let's play a bored game." Mary suggested.
They all grinned.
"But we already are!" Hazel said.
"True." Mary said.
"Let's play another one." Hazel and John said at the same time.
"JINX!" Hazel said enthusiastically pointing at John.
'No! No! Don't do this to me!' John mouthed to Hazel.
Hazel stuck out her tongue. John reached over and tickled her.
For the next fifteen minutes Hazel couldn't stop laughing. Tears were rolling down her eyes because John hadn't stopped tickling her. She wanted him to stop, but she didn't want to lose the jinx.
'I'm not gonna stop until you un-jinx me.' He mouthed at her.
"Then you're gonna be tickling me for a LONG time!" Hazel gasped between laughs.
Five minutes later John was un-jinxed and he was done tickling her. It occurred to her that this, this having fun time, this was how it should be, all the time. Not just when Mary made an overly large breakfast, or when she had jinxed John, this was how she should have been spending the last 15 years of her life. Having fun.
Suddenly regretting what she had done in the past, Hazel sat up from her position on the floor and hugged John.
At first he was like Sirius, but then he too relaxed and hugged back.
When she released him, Mary was looking, or rather frowning down at her with a look of jealously easily written across her face.
"Don't I get a hug too?" Mary pouted. She did a rather good impression of a whiny two-year-old. She almost sounded like Hazel did on many occasions.
Hazel grinned delightedly.
This, this was how it would be from now on.
A dull tapping on the window brought Hazel back to her senses. Turning she saw Hedwig tapping on the window.
Hazel sat up. Hedwig wouldn't stop tapping on the window no matter what she did, so she supposed that she should go and let her in the house. The owl looked like she had flown through the desert. She was dirty and thirsty and goodness knew what else. The poor owl was barely standing up properly and seemed to want to fall down on the spot and sleep.
As she got up Hedwig stopped tapping on the window. It was as though she knew that Hazel was getting up to get her.
When Hazel opened the window Hedwig flew in gratefully. It was a reply from Dumbledore.
"I'll give you some food and water later." Hazel muttered to Hedwig.
Hazel,
I will send the representative tomorrow. Rebus Hagrid is going to be your representative. He will take you to Diagon Alley and assist you in anything else you will need.
I am expecting you on the first.
Albus Dumbledore
The next morning Hazel woke up around five am, which was very unusual for her. She normally wasn't awake until ten, if that.
Hazel was very anxious, because she had never been to an all-magical shopping center before. Well that was what she had assumed Diagon Alley was an all magical shopping center because she was going to buy all of her stuff from there. There was no other possible thing to call it in Hazel's mind, so that settled the matter.
There was so much to look forward to! The people she would meet, the things she would see. It never occurred to her that there might be an end to the good, and a beginning to the bad. Right now, Hazel was ignorant and happy not knowing what might await her when she got to Hogwarts.
It was half past 11 and there was, quite suddenly, a loud knock on the front door. Hazel ran to get it and when she opened the door she almost fell back in shock. There was a giant man, who she would later learn was Hagrid, but he was so big looking standing in front of her house that she almost didn't recognize him as a person at all. It might have been the fact that his head was some three feet above the doorframe that made her not realize he was a living thing at first, though.
"I'm here ter pick up Miss Hazel Jones." He said when she had asked who he was. The man that was standing before her was tall, and scary-looking. His scruffy hair and long beard didn't help. He was gruff sounding and his hands were the size of trashcan lids.
"Oh, I am Hazel." She said. He nodded, or at least she assumed he had nodded because she couldn't really tell. "Hold on, I need to tell Mary and John where I'm going, be right back!"
Hazel bolted down the hallway half because she was excited and half because she was almost terrified of the humongous man that was at the front door of number 7 Privet Drive. "MARY! JOHN! MR. HAGRID IS HERE!" she yelled to them. She heard the scuffling of chairs and footsteps.
"Oh you be careful honey!" Mary said. Hazel thought she was being a bit paranoid. "People might attack you. They have magic sticks things and they know magic! They might do some pretty horrible things to other people and you have to watch your back at all times. If you hear someone saying a spell try to locate the person and find out whether they are directing a spell at you and-"
"Mary, I am with a guy, who is like nine feet tall, who's gonna try to attack me?" Hazel asked.
"Nonsense Hazel, you know that those loonies don't think about who they're attacking! And they always seem to be looking for little-"
"Mary," John said gently. "Think about what you're saying! Hazel will be fine, and when she gets back from Dragon Alley, or whatever that place is, she will tell us all about it. You know she's going to be fine."
Mary sniffed. "I suppose you're right. Be careful though, ya' hear?"
"Yup. Bye!" Hazel called as she walked back to the front door. "Mr. Hagrid?" she called. "Mr. Hagrid! How are we gonna get there?" Hazel refrained from saying 'Diagon Alley because she suspected that some of the neighbors might be watching and listening to everything that was happening. Hazel figured that most people tended to notice when a man nine feet tall came down the road, and the long-necked lady from down the street was being particularly nosey again. Hazel glanced in her direction and noticed that a rather porky boy was by her side, trying to hide behind her.
"Well, we're goin' ter have ter use the muggle transport since I'm not allowed to use magic, and please, jus' call me Hagrid."
"Oh," Hazel said. She was silently wondering what Hagrid had done to not be allowed to use magic, when suddenly, she knew.
"Ok, this is getting weird." Hazel muttered under her breath so that Hagrid wouldn't hear. It was getting a little bit alarming that she was remembering things that she didn't even remember from her dreams. She followed Hagrid along the town square. When they came to the train station Hagrid pulled out two tickets and showed them to the ticket master. He nodded so they continued walking to the train.
Hagrid took up two seats on the train. Most of the people on the train stared at Hagrid until Hazel glared at them then they went back to minding their own business until they thought Hazel wasn't looking, then stared at Hagrid again.
When she finally got tired of glaring at people, and Hazel leaned back in her chair, and fell asleep.
Author's Notes:
I would like to thank the following people for reviewing the first chapter, you all made me feel really good about this story!
Lil' Lolly Pop Girlie - Thank you for your compliments and suggestions. I have a few ideas that I am juggling right now. You'll have to wait and see!
Gigglebox409 - Thanks! That's so nice of you! Don't you worry, I'm gonna continue this story if it's the last thing I do. Even if I have You-Know- Who (Not Voldemort, my BETA reader, she's scarier than Voldemort) breathing down my back!
ThePopGurlz - I'll try to tell you when I update. Forgive me if I can't do it!
Thank you to all of you that read this, but don't review. I love writing about Hazel, and I hope you like reading it!!