Chapter Two
Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie left with Derek late that night, promising Laurie and her mother that they would see each other soon. After they'd gone, Laurie and her mother stayed up late, talking about all that had happened. Laurie felt more gratitude for her mother that night than she'd ever felt before. Her mother was brought to tears at the sight of the pictures Laurie had received from Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie, just as Laurie had been. For a while that night, Mrs. Lacewing stayed up with her daughter, telling her about how she'd met her husband, how they'd fallen in love, and how she'd reacted to his death. It seemed to Laurie as if her every dream was coming true, so fast that she could hardly keep up.
The next three weeks passed at an unbearably slow rate for Laurie. She kept in constant touch with Derek, asking him all sorts of questions about the Salem Witches' Institute. Finally, one Friday morning, she woke up to Derek pounding on her door. It was time to head for West Watchmaker Way and buy her school supplies. Mrs. Lacewing had decided at the last minute to let Laurie do her school shopping with Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie, and stay home. She hugged Laurie tightly and waved as the four travelers headed back down the street to Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie's house. Laurie realized, with a start, that she'd never been to Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie's house, and nearly fell over in shock when she stepped inside. The house was decorated in an odd hodgepodge of furniture and magical items, like wands and broomsticks. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie seemed relieved to be home and quickly ran to their room to change from their "Muggle clothes" into their "normal robes." Laurie followed Derek up to a room that he called hers.
"Mom decorated it for you over the summer. She figured you'd want something like this," Derek explained. Laurie couldn't say anything; she was so impressed with the room. Everything was decorated in pale, almost translucent, silvery laces. Pictures of her father, mother and grandparents decorated the dresser on the far end of the room. All of them were waving to her, merrily. The closet door was open, and Laurie could see a few robes inside of it. Derek saw her looking at the robes and smiled. "Dad got them for you. With Mom's help, of course. They figured you'd want some sort of non-Muggle clothes to wear to West Watchmaker Way. That way you won't stand out so much."
"Thank you," Laurie breathed. She could hardly wait to see West Watchmaker Way and buy the things she would need to start her schooling at Salem.
Supper that night was merry and fun. Laurie had questions about every little thing, and Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie explained everything in great detail, from the clock with locations on it rather than numbers to the trick wands that Derek kept leaving for people to find. Derek also seemed to be enjoying himself, explaining to Laurie why they did not use such things as a telephone or the Internet.
"Owls take care of all our mail and stuff like that. 'Course, whenever we want to send mail to you or your mom, we have to send it in the Muggle mail. First time I did that, I put too many stamps on and the mailman gave it back," Derek was explaining, with a cheerful laugh.
"There'll be a big owlery at Salem," Aunt Angie added. "That way you can send mail to your mom and to us."
Laurie nodded; fascinated by this world that was so other from that in which she'd lived her entire life. Lying in bed that night, she stared at the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like a clear night sky. It was all so amazing and magical that she could hardly stand it. Laurie barely got any sleep that night, but rather than being tired when Derek came to wake her up the next morning, Laurie was wide-awake with anticipation. Today would be her first day experiencing the wizarding world. She dressed quickly in the robes she found in the closet and raced downstairs.
"Laurie, you're going to wake up the entire neighborhood!" Aunt Angie said with a laugh, in between swishes of her wand that flipped the eggs and bacon perfectly. On the nearest counter, a paring knife was busily cutting up fruit for a fruit salad that looked positively delicious. Derek and Uncle Harry weren't downstairs yet.
"Where're Uncle Harry and Derek?" Laurie asked, sitting down at her place at the table. The glass in front of her immediately filled with milk.
"Digging Derek's trunk out of the attic. They'll be down as soon as the eggs and bacon are done, though, I can guarantee you that much," Aunt Angie promised, nodding to the stairs. Sure enough, as soon as the food ceased sizzling and flew past Aunt Angie and Laurie to the plates set out at the table, Uncle Harry and Derek were downstairs and seated at their places, their glasses filling with orange juice and milk, respectively.
"Just so that you know, Laurie, we'll be heading for West Watchmaker Way by means of Floo Powder," Uncle Harry stated between bites of bacon and egg. Before Laurie could ask what Floo Powder was, they had to duck to avoid being hit with the fruit salad. It filled their bowls nicely and Aunt Angie finally sat down, her glass filling quickly with cranberry juice. She must have sensed Laurie's confusion, however, for she immediately explained that Floo Powder was a wizard's way of traveling by a system of fireplaces. Still a bit perplexed, Laurie nodded and finished her breakfast in record time. She was eager to get to West Watchmaker Way. She didn't have to wait long, because as soon as Derek had finished his breakfast, he was jumping around his parents' chairs with the excitement of a small boy, begging them to hurry up and finish so they could be on their way. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie finished their breakfast quickly, too, and headed for the fireplace in the living room.
"It's pretty easy," Derek was saying, as Laurie observed her uncle and aunt in front of the fireplace. "Just throw a little Floo Powder into it and walk right into the fire and say 'West Watchmaker Way.' It'll take you there pretty fast. If you say it clear enough, you won't have to worry about going too far or not far enough."
"I'll go first, Laurie, and you can follow me. Just do exactly as I do," Uncle Harry was saying. Laurie nodded and watched as Uncle Harry threw some powder into the fire, turning it a vibrant shade of green. In a deep, loud voice, he spoke, "West Watchmaker Way!" and walked into the fire, vanishing before their eyes. Laurie blinked in surprise and Derek laughed at her reaction.
"You go next, Laurie, and I'll go right after you, so that if you get lost, I can find you on the way," he promised. Laurie nodded, and took a handful of Floo Powder from Aunt Angie. Making sure that what little she already had was safely in hand, she tossed the powder into the fire and watched it turn the same shade of vibrant green. With an uncertain look at Derek, she spoke.
"West Watchmaker Way."
Not waiting for her fear to catch up to her, Laurie stepped into the fire and watched as things began spinning around her. Oddly, she saw a series of fireplaces zooming past her at an alarming rate, and closed her eyes to keep from getting sick. Then, with a jerk, it all stopped and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Someone reached down and helped her to her feet, pulling her gently away from the fireplace. Once the room stopped spinning, she realized that it was Uncle Harry.
"Have a nice trip?" he asked. Laurie was unable to answer because at that moment, Derek stumbled through the fireplace, smiling widely at Laurie and Uncle Harry.
"I love Floo powder!" he exclaimed.
Shortly thereafter, Aunt Angie arrived and the four started to explore West Watchmaker Way. Having been there the year before, Derek seemed to know everything about the place, pointing landmarks and stores out to Laurie. He seemed desperate to do some shopping in Quality Quidditch Supplies, but Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie were dead-set on heading to Gringott's first. When Derek started to whine, Aunt Angie pointed out that it was impossible for Laurie to buy anything without money, so he conceded and they headed for Gringott's. The bank itself was something ancient, straight out of Europe with enormous Romanesque columns and gilded double doors. Once inside, Laurie was a bit more than surprised to see that the bank tellers were short little things with pointed noses and ears and most disagreeable expressions on their faces.
"They're goblins," Derek explained. "Not very nice, but they're good bankers. Your money's really safe here, honest." Still, Laurie could not help but feel skeptical of these bizarre creatures. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie approached the first available station as if this was something they did normally, and Derek and Laurie followed. The goblin in charge of that station glared down at them. He was seated on what seemed to be a tall stool and looked quite unhappy to be dealing with Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie.
"We need to make a withdrawal from Vault 819 and Laurie Lacewing needs to make a withdrawal from Vault 217," Uncle Harry stated casually. "And here are the keys." He pushed two keys through the hole in the grate at the goblin, which glared at the keys as if they were the ugliest things he'd ever seen.
"Very well," he growled, and motioned for Uncle Harry and Laurie to follow him. Before she could ask what was happening, the three of them were in a mine cart, pulling up in front of a vault that was labeled "217". The goblin indicated that she should get out, which she did, and he followed her. With a grunt, he inserted the key into the lock and the vault swung open. Laurie could hardly believe her eyes. Inside the vault was a small mountain of gold and silver coins.
"Your inheritance, Miss Lacewing. How much do you wish to withdraw?" the goblin asked, his voice gentling at the sight of her astonishment.
"Ah.I'm not sure. How much would you recommend?" she asked, reaching for the pile. The goblin seemed to be mentally tabulating, then took three bags off of the wall and filled them with coins. He handed the bags to her, and she nearly collapsed with their weight.
"That should be enough to get you to Christmas break. Then you can come back here and make another withdrawal." The goblin seemed a lot kinder than he had at first, and Laurie wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or pitiful that even goblins felt sorry for her. She didn't have much time to think this over, however, for as soon as Uncle Harry had made his withdrawal, the family was making a whirlwind trip through West Watchmaker Way. There was Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore, where Laurie almost overloaded her new cauldron with books. Quills, ink and parchment were followed by beautiful school robes from Gladrags. She enjoyed especially the trim on the navy blue robes, which was a lighter shade of blue, spangled with white stars, though Derek made fun of her for enjoying the sight of herself in the robes too much. Then, while Derek went to get his broom polished at Quality Quidditch Supplies, Laurie went to buy her first wand at Ollivanders: West.
Inside, she found a little man with a minimal amount of curly white hair on his head. He wore half-moon glasses and smiled brightly when he saw her. "Laurie Lacewing, right? You have your father's hair and face." She grinned at the greeting. "And I've had a special wand selected for you since we learned of your birth." He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a dusty box that had Laurie's name written on it in gold leaf. Quietly, he removed the wand from the box and held it out to Laurie, who was amazed at the rushing sensation she felt with it in her hand.
"I knew it!" the little old man cried, obviously delighted. "One feather from a Pegasus.this wand will serve you so well, Laurie! You will be a wonderful witch!" And Laurie beamed with pleasure as she left the store. Derek met her immediately outside and dragged her by the wrist to the pet store, where he was eying a pair of dancing turtles longingly. Laurie, on the other hand, decided that it was high time she had her first pet ever and used her birthday gift certificate to buy a tiny gray tabby kitten. He'd looked up at her and said "Hello," when she first reached the back of the store, so naturally, Laurie could not resist.
"How do you like 'Gruffles' as a name?" she asked the kitten as they left and he most definitely smiled at her.
"Well, Laurie, you've got everything you need for school this year. Is there anything else you want to buy? Some candy perhaps? Some jokes? Or perhaps.?" Aunt Angie was asking as Laurie and Derek returned to where she stood with Uncle Harry outside of a tavern.
"A broomstick, Laurie!" Derek exclaimed. "C'mon, let's go back to Quality Quidditch Supplies.they have some awesome broomsticks there. I think they even have the Nimbus 2001, but I'm not sure." Helpless to argue, Laurie followed Derek to the Quidditch store, where she saw an array of broomsticks, uniforms and balls. Derek had explained the basics of Quidditch to her, so she could easily identify the bludgers, quaffles and golden snitches in their respective cases. Not many people were in the store, so Laurie was able to walk right up to the counter, smiling at the man behind it.
"And what can I do for you, miss?" he asked.
"I'd like to see the Nimbus 2001, please. And have a price quote on it," she added, quickly, hoping that it wouldn't cost too much. The man nodded and disappeared into the back of the store, returning with a pair of brooms, one sleek and black, the other sleek and silver. Derek, who had followed her into the store, gaped at the beautiful brooms and eyed the branding on the handles.
"They go for two hundred Galleons apiece," the store clerk said, and Derek immediately lowered his eyes.
"That's a lot, Laurie," he said, softly, but Laurie barely heard him. She was looking into the sack of gold coins she'd received for her birthday, and was delighted to find exactly two hundred Galleons there. She handed the sack of money to the man behind the counter and left the store with the silver broomstick. Several young witches and wizards stared at her jealously, and Derek's face had reacquired the scowl it used to hold whenever he looked at her.
"So.do you think this was a good use of my money?" she asked. Derek barely nodded. "Well.I've never ridden a broom before, so I was thinking maybe you could teach me. I mean, you'd be able to ride my Nimbus and all and.well, I." But Derek's smile had already returned, and he was nodding wildly.
The family ended up spending two more weeks on West Watchmaker Way. Laurie became quite accustomed to her new schedule of flying lessons in the morning, then reading her new schoolbooks with a mug of butterbeer in the afternoon. Often, Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie would bring friends to dinner with them, so Laurie was getting to know many families relatively well. Then, one night, Uncle Harry came storming into the hotel suite, arguing with Aunt Angie.
"You know I don't get along with Myrna, Angie!" he shouted as they entered. Laurie and Derek dropped their schoolbooks in surprise. "And Rafe and I only get along when it comes to the good of the school. Yet, you insisted on inviting those two and their snotty little daughter to dinner with us!"
"Hush, Harry, don't let Laurie and Derek hear you talking like that." Aunt Angie walked from her and Uncle Harry's room in the suite to where Laurie and Derek were studying for school. "Get into your best robes, you two, and come down to the dining room immediately."
"What's going on, Mom?" Derek asked as Laurie walked over to the closet and pulled out some silvery robes that had been waiting for her at her Aunt and Uncle's house.
"I've invited the Serpentines to have dinner with us tonight. They're here buying supplies for their daughter Julia. It's her first year at Salem, too, so I expect that the three of you will find plenty to talk about. You'll need to be on your best behavior. Myrna is an old school friend of mine and Rafe is an associate of Harry's from work." She sighed, seeing the looks on Laurie and Derek's faces. "You needn't look at me like that. It won't be anything unbearable. Now hurry up and get into those robes."
Ten minutes later, Laurie emerged from the bathroom, looking as stunning as possible in her silvery robes. Derek, too, was dressed to the nines, in black velvet. Seeing him looking so nice, his dark brown hair slicked back and a charming smile on his face, Laurie almost burst out laughing, but resigned herself to a small smile. The two of them, once through with sizing the other up, walked calmly down to the dining room. Sitting at their usual table were three new people. There was a man, who was rather short and stubby, all except for his nose, which seemed ten times too large for his round face. He was balding, and what little hair remained on his head was a silvery gray. He watched Laurie and Derek take their seats with beady black eyes. The woman next to him also seemed rather out of place. She was rather tall and thin, with an exceedingly long neck and a pointy face, so that she almost looked like a human ostrich. Her eyes, too, were ostrich-like: the size of grapefruits and dark brown. Her black hair rested atop her hair in a small pouf, with a stripe of white going through the middle like the stripe of a skunk. This, contrasting with her milky white skin, made her look very much like an ostrich indeed. To the left of the man sat a girl who could only be their daughter. She had inherited just the right qualities from her father and mother to make her stunningly beautiful. Her hair was shiny and black, her face heart-shaped and pale as snow. Her eyes were large and dark brown, but she wore a horrible scowl that ruined her otherwise extraordinary beauty.
"Is there a problem?" the woman finally asked, as Laurie and Derek sat down. "Are there no other empty seats?"
"This is our table." Derek began, but Aunt Angie glided in at just the right moment, her auburn hair shining sleekly and her brown eyes sparkling. She looked absolutely amazing in a set of golden robes. Derek seemed completely startled to see his mother looking so beautiful.
"Myrna Serpentine, it's been too long!" Aunt Angie cooed, kissing the air next to the woman's ear. The woman seemed annoyed.
"Hello, Angelica. I was just sending these miserable brats away from your table," Myrna squawked, in a very ostrich-like voice. Laurie felt her own eyes widen at this, but Aunt Angie managed to keep her cool.
"This is my son, Derek," Derek bobbed his head curtly, glaring at Myrna, "and my niece Laurie." Laurie followed suit, and caught the girl staring at her icily out of the corner of her eye. Laurie returned the gaze and took her seat as Uncle Harry hurried down, out of breath and harried. His robes, like Derek's, were black velvet and very fine, and his dark brown hair was combed neatly. He did not look at all happy to be there, but greeted Myrna and the man with a cool handshake.
"Hello, Rafe," he murmured, and Rafe returned the coolness of the greeting with a nod. It was clear that if anything positive existed between the two, it was nothing more than professional courtesy. Uncle Harry took his seat.
"Allow me to introduce my daughter to you," Myrna squawked. "This is Julia Estelle Serpentine. She is a brilliant witch already; I half-expected Hogwart's to demand that she come overseas and study there, but I suppose Salem will do."
"What's Hogwart's?" Laurie whispered to Derek behind her hands.
"It's the best wizarding school in the world. It's in England. But Salem's really good too. Don't worry.it's just the one's like her that you have to watch out for. And there aren't many over here," he replied softly. Laurie giggled softly, eliciting a sharp glare from Julia.
"And how'd you get into Salem, Laurie? Probably had to sell all the crappy stuff you owned to pay the headmistress to even consider you, huh?" Julia asked, snidely. Laurie's eyes flashed, but before she could defend herself, Uncle Harry spoke up.
"Actually, Julia, Laurie is a brilliant witch, just like her late father," he replied, calmly.
"And who was he? Some party magician?" Julia smirked.
"My brother, Bill Lacewing," Uncle Harry answered, coolly taking a sip of his newly refilled butterbeer. Julia's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. Myrna dropped her fork and Rafe snorted sherry out his nose.
"That's Bill Lacewing's daughter?" he sputtered, wiping his face.
"Why, yes! With that hair and face, who else would she be?" Aunt Angie asked softly. The Serpentines were silent for several minutes after that, and Laurie noted, with small amounts of delight and disgust that Julia was far nicer to her after her parentage had been revealed.
Only a few days later, the Lacewings pulled up to Penn Station in their rented car. Aunt Angie, having been Muggle-born, knew quite well how to drive it. She and Uncle Harry escorted Derek and Laurie through the barrier between platforms 10 and 11 with their trunks and other luggage (a rather bizarre experience for Laurie), then waved good-bye as the New Hogsmeade Direct pulled out of the station.
"Why don't I stick your stuff up here?" Derek offered, finding Laurie an empty compartment in the middle of the train. With some difficulty, he hoisted her trunk and other things to the overhead storage. Laurie still held Gruffles tightly to her, and Derek was about to sit down next to her, when someone called his name. "Hey! Larry! Amanda! Great to see you!" With little more regard for his cousin, he left to sit with Larry and Amanda. Laurie found herself quite alone in the compartment, with the exception of dear Gruffles. Still, she felt confident that Derek would return eventually, with Larry and Amanda. Her hopes had dimmed considerably when he still had not returned an hour later.
Cities, towns and countryside rushed by her window as Laurie, feeling completely abandoned by Derek, finally broke down and decided to have a pity party, with Gruffles as the only guest. Before the festivities could begin, however, a pair of identical blonde heads poked into the entrance to her compartment. Though the hairstyles were quite different (one clearly a boy's, short and spiked; the other clearly a girl's, thick and curly), it was clear that Laurie was looking at twins. Identical brown eyes blinked at her and identical mouths smiled at her. Laurie smiled back, and the two people moved completely to the doorway of the compartment. They were already in their school robes, and a tiny white owl was perched on the girl's shoulder. Their grins grew even wider.
"Hi," Laurie managed.
"Hi," they replied. The boy extended his right hand.
"I'm Scott Kimball, and this is my twin sister."
"Sarah," the girl finished, shaking Laurie's other hand. "What's your name?"
"Laurie Lacewing," she answered, and the twins' eyes grew large.
"Is your.is your dad.Bill Lacewing?" Scott asked, when he'd finally found his voice.
"Well-I suppose-he was." Laurie shrugged. "I never knew him."
"Oh." There was an awkward pause, and then Laurie motioned for Scott and Sarah to join her in the compartment. They did, their warm smiles returning. Sarah was immediately enchanted with Gruffles, who bowed to her and greeted her as "my lady."
"You're so lucky," she sighed, scratching Gruffles behind the ear. "We got some extra money for our birthday, but combined, it was only enough for this guy." She indicated the snoring owl on her shoulder. "His name is Corleone. We're supposed to use him to send mail to Mom from school."
"This is Gruffles," Laurie introduced her cat, who nodded proudly. "He's the first pet I've ever owned."
"Corleone's our first pet. We have a family owl, and our older sister Alicia has her own," Sarah smiled.
"Are either of you hungry? I'm starved," Scott complained. Sarah rolled her eyes and punched her brother in the arm.
"You're always hungry, Scott. Lunch isn't for another hour, and we had breakfast right before we came," she admonished, as Scott groaned in agony.
"We should've brought some snacks along!" Scott leaned his head against the window as if he was dying of hunger. Laurie could not stop the smile that came to her face and began digging in her knapsack. In the end, she'd pulled out several Chocolate Frogs, boxes of Bertie Bott's Every- Flavor Jelly Beans, and bags of Fizzing Whizbees. The excitement in Scott's and Sarah's eyes was unmistakable. They dug in.
Over the delicious snacks, Laurie grilled Scott and Sarah about themselves and the school. The Kimball's were an old wizarding family, going back almost a millennium. Scott and Sarah had an older sister named Alicia, who had graduated from Salem two years prior. She was now teaching at Bali Hai Pacific, a wizarding school in the South Pacific Ocean. They also had a younger brother named Hunter, who would start at Salem in two years. This was their first year there. Their father worked for the Department of Magic in Washington D.C. and was only two promotions away from being eligible for Secretary of Magic. They were completely confident that he would get the job. He had, after all, been in Wave House.
"Wave House?" Laurie questioned.
"It's one of the four dorms at Salem. Wave, Wind, Quake and Flame. Wave's the best one.I hope I'm assigned there. Alicia was there, too," Sarah explained. Laurie wondered which dorm Derek was in, and was about to ask, when an astonishingly handsome boy stumbled into the compartment. He had long, deep black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. His skin was a dark reddish-brown and his eyes glittered like a warm onyx. He, too, was already in his school robes and was completely breathless.
"I can't believe I finally got away!" he gasped to Scott and Sarah. Scott cleared off a space on his bench for the boy.
"Your sisters again?" he asked. The boy nodded, still out of breath, and Scott sighed sympathetically.
"Sisters are such pains," he stated, receiving a sharp kick to the shin from Sarah in retaliation. "I totally sympathize with you, man."
"They would not shut up!" the boy exclaimed, leaning back in the bench. "Them and their friends, going on and on about how 'adorable' I was and how great I'd be at Salem. I could've punched them all!" He suddenly noticed Laurie and straightened up, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Erick deBaron. What's your name?"
"L-Laurie. Laurie Lacewing," she stammered, hoping that the hand he shook wasn't too sweaty.
"Bill Lacewing's daughter?" Erick asked, astonished. Laurie nodded. "I'm glad to meet you, but not just because of that. Any friend of Scott and Sarah's is a friend of mine." Laurie managed to keep from blushing as Scott and Sarah smiled at her.
Erick, it turned out, was amazingly friendly. He was mostly Native American, with a small bit of French blood in his background ("hence the name 'deBaron'"). His family had been wizards in the Americas since the first humans set foot on the continent. Unlike white people, he explained, Native Americans were much more receptive to magic, though there were still very few who understood it. He was Iroquois and had too many sisters to name in one sitting, but he did mention that his father had been an Auror (a wizard whose duty was to seek out and imprison wizards gone bad) and his mother ran a daycare for young witches and wizards in Upstate New York. Around him, Laurie was able to talk far more freely about her own life and childhood. By the time the conductor came around announcing the New Hogsmeade stop in ten minutes, Laurie knew she'd made her first friends. As the train slowed to a stop, a flurry of butterflies danced in her stomach. Here she was, finally, on the doorstep of the Salem Witches' Institute!
Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie left with Derek late that night, promising Laurie and her mother that they would see each other soon. After they'd gone, Laurie and her mother stayed up late, talking about all that had happened. Laurie felt more gratitude for her mother that night than she'd ever felt before. Her mother was brought to tears at the sight of the pictures Laurie had received from Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie, just as Laurie had been. For a while that night, Mrs. Lacewing stayed up with her daughter, telling her about how she'd met her husband, how they'd fallen in love, and how she'd reacted to his death. It seemed to Laurie as if her every dream was coming true, so fast that she could hardly keep up.
The next three weeks passed at an unbearably slow rate for Laurie. She kept in constant touch with Derek, asking him all sorts of questions about the Salem Witches' Institute. Finally, one Friday morning, she woke up to Derek pounding on her door. It was time to head for West Watchmaker Way and buy her school supplies. Mrs. Lacewing had decided at the last minute to let Laurie do her school shopping with Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie, and stay home. She hugged Laurie tightly and waved as the four travelers headed back down the street to Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie's house. Laurie realized, with a start, that she'd never been to Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie's house, and nearly fell over in shock when she stepped inside. The house was decorated in an odd hodgepodge of furniture and magical items, like wands and broomsticks. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie seemed relieved to be home and quickly ran to their room to change from their "Muggle clothes" into their "normal robes." Laurie followed Derek up to a room that he called hers.
"Mom decorated it for you over the summer. She figured you'd want something like this," Derek explained. Laurie couldn't say anything; she was so impressed with the room. Everything was decorated in pale, almost translucent, silvery laces. Pictures of her father, mother and grandparents decorated the dresser on the far end of the room. All of them were waving to her, merrily. The closet door was open, and Laurie could see a few robes inside of it. Derek saw her looking at the robes and smiled. "Dad got them for you. With Mom's help, of course. They figured you'd want some sort of non-Muggle clothes to wear to West Watchmaker Way. That way you won't stand out so much."
"Thank you," Laurie breathed. She could hardly wait to see West Watchmaker Way and buy the things she would need to start her schooling at Salem.
Supper that night was merry and fun. Laurie had questions about every little thing, and Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie explained everything in great detail, from the clock with locations on it rather than numbers to the trick wands that Derek kept leaving for people to find. Derek also seemed to be enjoying himself, explaining to Laurie why they did not use such things as a telephone or the Internet.
"Owls take care of all our mail and stuff like that. 'Course, whenever we want to send mail to you or your mom, we have to send it in the Muggle mail. First time I did that, I put too many stamps on and the mailman gave it back," Derek was explaining, with a cheerful laugh.
"There'll be a big owlery at Salem," Aunt Angie added. "That way you can send mail to your mom and to us."
Laurie nodded; fascinated by this world that was so other from that in which she'd lived her entire life. Lying in bed that night, she stared at the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like a clear night sky. It was all so amazing and magical that she could hardly stand it. Laurie barely got any sleep that night, but rather than being tired when Derek came to wake her up the next morning, Laurie was wide-awake with anticipation. Today would be her first day experiencing the wizarding world. She dressed quickly in the robes she found in the closet and raced downstairs.
"Laurie, you're going to wake up the entire neighborhood!" Aunt Angie said with a laugh, in between swishes of her wand that flipped the eggs and bacon perfectly. On the nearest counter, a paring knife was busily cutting up fruit for a fruit salad that looked positively delicious. Derek and Uncle Harry weren't downstairs yet.
"Where're Uncle Harry and Derek?" Laurie asked, sitting down at her place at the table. The glass in front of her immediately filled with milk.
"Digging Derek's trunk out of the attic. They'll be down as soon as the eggs and bacon are done, though, I can guarantee you that much," Aunt Angie promised, nodding to the stairs. Sure enough, as soon as the food ceased sizzling and flew past Aunt Angie and Laurie to the plates set out at the table, Uncle Harry and Derek were downstairs and seated at their places, their glasses filling with orange juice and milk, respectively.
"Just so that you know, Laurie, we'll be heading for West Watchmaker Way by means of Floo Powder," Uncle Harry stated between bites of bacon and egg. Before Laurie could ask what Floo Powder was, they had to duck to avoid being hit with the fruit salad. It filled their bowls nicely and Aunt Angie finally sat down, her glass filling quickly with cranberry juice. She must have sensed Laurie's confusion, however, for she immediately explained that Floo Powder was a wizard's way of traveling by a system of fireplaces. Still a bit perplexed, Laurie nodded and finished her breakfast in record time. She was eager to get to West Watchmaker Way. She didn't have to wait long, because as soon as Derek had finished his breakfast, he was jumping around his parents' chairs with the excitement of a small boy, begging them to hurry up and finish so they could be on their way. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie finished their breakfast quickly, too, and headed for the fireplace in the living room.
"It's pretty easy," Derek was saying, as Laurie observed her uncle and aunt in front of the fireplace. "Just throw a little Floo Powder into it and walk right into the fire and say 'West Watchmaker Way.' It'll take you there pretty fast. If you say it clear enough, you won't have to worry about going too far or not far enough."
"I'll go first, Laurie, and you can follow me. Just do exactly as I do," Uncle Harry was saying. Laurie nodded and watched as Uncle Harry threw some powder into the fire, turning it a vibrant shade of green. In a deep, loud voice, he spoke, "West Watchmaker Way!" and walked into the fire, vanishing before their eyes. Laurie blinked in surprise and Derek laughed at her reaction.
"You go next, Laurie, and I'll go right after you, so that if you get lost, I can find you on the way," he promised. Laurie nodded, and took a handful of Floo Powder from Aunt Angie. Making sure that what little she already had was safely in hand, she tossed the powder into the fire and watched it turn the same shade of vibrant green. With an uncertain look at Derek, she spoke.
"West Watchmaker Way."
Not waiting for her fear to catch up to her, Laurie stepped into the fire and watched as things began spinning around her. Oddly, she saw a series of fireplaces zooming past her at an alarming rate, and closed her eyes to keep from getting sick. Then, with a jerk, it all stopped and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Someone reached down and helped her to her feet, pulling her gently away from the fireplace. Once the room stopped spinning, she realized that it was Uncle Harry.
"Have a nice trip?" he asked. Laurie was unable to answer because at that moment, Derek stumbled through the fireplace, smiling widely at Laurie and Uncle Harry.
"I love Floo powder!" he exclaimed.
Shortly thereafter, Aunt Angie arrived and the four started to explore West Watchmaker Way. Having been there the year before, Derek seemed to know everything about the place, pointing landmarks and stores out to Laurie. He seemed desperate to do some shopping in Quality Quidditch Supplies, but Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie were dead-set on heading to Gringott's first. When Derek started to whine, Aunt Angie pointed out that it was impossible for Laurie to buy anything without money, so he conceded and they headed for Gringott's. The bank itself was something ancient, straight out of Europe with enormous Romanesque columns and gilded double doors. Once inside, Laurie was a bit more than surprised to see that the bank tellers were short little things with pointed noses and ears and most disagreeable expressions on their faces.
"They're goblins," Derek explained. "Not very nice, but they're good bankers. Your money's really safe here, honest." Still, Laurie could not help but feel skeptical of these bizarre creatures. Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie approached the first available station as if this was something they did normally, and Derek and Laurie followed. The goblin in charge of that station glared down at them. He was seated on what seemed to be a tall stool and looked quite unhappy to be dealing with Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie.
"We need to make a withdrawal from Vault 819 and Laurie Lacewing needs to make a withdrawal from Vault 217," Uncle Harry stated casually. "And here are the keys." He pushed two keys through the hole in the grate at the goblin, which glared at the keys as if they were the ugliest things he'd ever seen.
"Very well," he growled, and motioned for Uncle Harry and Laurie to follow him. Before she could ask what was happening, the three of them were in a mine cart, pulling up in front of a vault that was labeled "217". The goblin indicated that she should get out, which she did, and he followed her. With a grunt, he inserted the key into the lock and the vault swung open. Laurie could hardly believe her eyes. Inside the vault was a small mountain of gold and silver coins.
"Your inheritance, Miss Lacewing. How much do you wish to withdraw?" the goblin asked, his voice gentling at the sight of her astonishment.
"Ah.I'm not sure. How much would you recommend?" she asked, reaching for the pile. The goblin seemed to be mentally tabulating, then took three bags off of the wall and filled them with coins. He handed the bags to her, and she nearly collapsed with their weight.
"That should be enough to get you to Christmas break. Then you can come back here and make another withdrawal." The goblin seemed a lot kinder than he had at first, and Laurie wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or pitiful that even goblins felt sorry for her. She didn't have much time to think this over, however, for as soon as Uncle Harry had made his withdrawal, the family was making a whirlwind trip through West Watchmaker Way. There was Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore, where Laurie almost overloaded her new cauldron with books. Quills, ink and parchment were followed by beautiful school robes from Gladrags. She enjoyed especially the trim on the navy blue robes, which was a lighter shade of blue, spangled with white stars, though Derek made fun of her for enjoying the sight of herself in the robes too much. Then, while Derek went to get his broom polished at Quality Quidditch Supplies, Laurie went to buy her first wand at Ollivanders: West.
Inside, she found a little man with a minimal amount of curly white hair on his head. He wore half-moon glasses and smiled brightly when he saw her. "Laurie Lacewing, right? You have your father's hair and face." She grinned at the greeting. "And I've had a special wand selected for you since we learned of your birth." He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a dusty box that had Laurie's name written on it in gold leaf. Quietly, he removed the wand from the box and held it out to Laurie, who was amazed at the rushing sensation she felt with it in her hand.
"I knew it!" the little old man cried, obviously delighted. "One feather from a Pegasus.this wand will serve you so well, Laurie! You will be a wonderful witch!" And Laurie beamed with pleasure as she left the store. Derek met her immediately outside and dragged her by the wrist to the pet store, where he was eying a pair of dancing turtles longingly. Laurie, on the other hand, decided that it was high time she had her first pet ever and used her birthday gift certificate to buy a tiny gray tabby kitten. He'd looked up at her and said "Hello," when she first reached the back of the store, so naturally, Laurie could not resist.
"How do you like 'Gruffles' as a name?" she asked the kitten as they left and he most definitely smiled at her.
"Well, Laurie, you've got everything you need for school this year. Is there anything else you want to buy? Some candy perhaps? Some jokes? Or perhaps.?" Aunt Angie was asking as Laurie and Derek returned to where she stood with Uncle Harry outside of a tavern.
"A broomstick, Laurie!" Derek exclaimed. "C'mon, let's go back to Quality Quidditch Supplies.they have some awesome broomsticks there. I think they even have the Nimbus 2001, but I'm not sure." Helpless to argue, Laurie followed Derek to the Quidditch store, where she saw an array of broomsticks, uniforms and balls. Derek had explained the basics of Quidditch to her, so she could easily identify the bludgers, quaffles and golden snitches in their respective cases. Not many people were in the store, so Laurie was able to walk right up to the counter, smiling at the man behind it.
"And what can I do for you, miss?" he asked.
"I'd like to see the Nimbus 2001, please. And have a price quote on it," she added, quickly, hoping that it wouldn't cost too much. The man nodded and disappeared into the back of the store, returning with a pair of brooms, one sleek and black, the other sleek and silver. Derek, who had followed her into the store, gaped at the beautiful brooms and eyed the branding on the handles.
"They go for two hundred Galleons apiece," the store clerk said, and Derek immediately lowered his eyes.
"That's a lot, Laurie," he said, softly, but Laurie barely heard him. She was looking into the sack of gold coins she'd received for her birthday, and was delighted to find exactly two hundred Galleons there. She handed the sack of money to the man behind the counter and left the store with the silver broomstick. Several young witches and wizards stared at her jealously, and Derek's face had reacquired the scowl it used to hold whenever he looked at her.
"So.do you think this was a good use of my money?" she asked. Derek barely nodded. "Well.I've never ridden a broom before, so I was thinking maybe you could teach me. I mean, you'd be able to ride my Nimbus and all and.well, I." But Derek's smile had already returned, and he was nodding wildly.
The family ended up spending two more weeks on West Watchmaker Way. Laurie became quite accustomed to her new schedule of flying lessons in the morning, then reading her new schoolbooks with a mug of butterbeer in the afternoon. Often, Uncle Harry and Aunt Angie would bring friends to dinner with them, so Laurie was getting to know many families relatively well. Then, one night, Uncle Harry came storming into the hotel suite, arguing with Aunt Angie.
"You know I don't get along with Myrna, Angie!" he shouted as they entered. Laurie and Derek dropped their schoolbooks in surprise. "And Rafe and I only get along when it comes to the good of the school. Yet, you insisted on inviting those two and their snotty little daughter to dinner with us!"
"Hush, Harry, don't let Laurie and Derek hear you talking like that." Aunt Angie walked from her and Uncle Harry's room in the suite to where Laurie and Derek were studying for school. "Get into your best robes, you two, and come down to the dining room immediately."
"What's going on, Mom?" Derek asked as Laurie walked over to the closet and pulled out some silvery robes that had been waiting for her at her Aunt and Uncle's house.
"I've invited the Serpentines to have dinner with us tonight. They're here buying supplies for their daughter Julia. It's her first year at Salem, too, so I expect that the three of you will find plenty to talk about. You'll need to be on your best behavior. Myrna is an old school friend of mine and Rafe is an associate of Harry's from work." She sighed, seeing the looks on Laurie and Derek's faces. "You needn't look at me like that. It won't be anything unbearable. Now hurry up and get into those robes."
Ten minutes later, Laurie emerged from the bathroom, looking as stunning as possible in her silvery robes. Derek, too, was dressed to the nines, in black velvet. Seeing him looking so nice, his dark brown hair slicked back and a charming smile on his face, Laurie almost burst out laughing, but resigned herself to a small smile. The two of them, once through with sizing the other up, walked calmly down to the dining room. Sitting at their usual table were three new people. There was a man, who was rather short and stubby, all except for his nose, which seemed ten times too large for his round face. He was balding, and what little hair remained on his head was a silvery gray. He watched Laurie and Derek take their seats with beady black eyes. The woman next to him also seemed rather out of place. She was rather tall and thin, with an exceedingly long neck and a pointy face, so that she almost looked like a human ostrich. Her eyes, too, were ostrich-like: the size of grapefruits and dark brown. Her black hair rested atop her hair in a small pouf, with a stripe of white going through the middle like the stripe of a skunk. This, contrasting with her milky white skin, made her look very much like an ostrich indeed. To the left of the man sat a girl who could only be their daughter. She had inherited just the right qualities from her father and mother to make her stunningly beautiful. Her hair was shiny and black, her face heart-shaped and pale as snow. Her eyes were large and dark brown, but she wore a horrible scowl that ruined her otherwise extraordinary beauty.
"Is there a problem?" the woman finally asked, as Laurie and Derek sat down. "Are there no other empty seats?"
"This is our table." Derek began, but Aunt Angie glided in at just the right moment, her auburn hair shining sleekly and her brown eyes sparkling. She looked absolutely amazing in a set of golden robes. Derek seemed completely startled to see his mother looking so beautiful.
"Myrna Serpentine, it's been too long!" Aunt Angie cooed, kissing the air next to the woman's ear. The woman seemed annoyed.
"Hello, Angelica. I was just sending these miserable brats away from your table," Myrna squawked, in a very ostrich-like voice. Laurie felt her own eyes widen at this, but Aunt Angie managed to keep her cool.
"This is my son, Derek," Derek bobbed his head curtly, glaring at Myrna, "and my niece Laurie." Laurie followed suit, and caught the girl staring at her icily out of the corner of her eye. Laurie returned the gaze and took her seat as Uncle Harry hurried down, out of breath and harried. His robes, like Derek's, were black velvet and very fine, and his dark brown hair was combed neatly. He did not look at all happy to be there, but greeted Myrna and the man with a cool handshake.
"Hello, Rafe," he murmured, and Rafe returned the coolness of the greeting with a nod. It was clear that if anything positive existed between the two, it was nothing more than professional courtesy. Uncle Harry took his seat.
"Allow me to introduce my daughter to you," Myrna squawked. "This is Julia Estelle Serpentine. She is a brilliant witch already; I half-expected Hogwart's to demand that she come overseas and study there, but I suppose Salem will do."
"What's Hogwart's?" Laurie whispered to Derek behind her hands.
"It's the best wizarding school in the world. It's in England. But Salem's really good too. Don't worry.it's just the one's like her that you have to watch out for. And there aren't many over here," he replied softly. Laurie giggled softly, eliciting a sharp glare from Julia.
"And how'd you get into Salem, Laurie? Probably had to sell all the crappy stuff you owned to pay the headmistress to even consider you, huh?" Julia asked, snidely. Laurie's eyes flashed, but before she could defend herself, Uncle Harry spoke up.
"Actually, Julia, Laurie is a brilliant witch, just like her late father," he replied, calmly.
"And who was he? Some party magician?" Julia smirked.
"My brother, Bill Lacewing," Uncle Harry answered, coolly taking a sip of his newly refilled butterbeer. Julia's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. Myrna dropped her fork and Rafe snorted sherry out his nose.
"That's Bill Lacewing's daughter?" he sputtered, wiping his face.
"Why, yes! With that hair and face, who else would she be?" Aunt Angie asked softly. The Serpentines were silent for several minutes after that, and Laurie noted, with small amounts of delight and disgust that Julia was far nicer to her after her parentage had been revealed.
Only a few days later, the Lacewings pulled up to Penn Station in their rented car. Aunt Angie, having been Muggle-born, knew quite well how to drive it. She and Uncle Harry escorted Derek and Laurie through the barrier between platforms 10 and 11 with their trunks and other luggage (a rather bizarre experience for Laurie), then waved good-bye as the New Hogsmeade Direct pulled out of the station.
"Why don't I stick your stuff up here?" Derek offered, finding Laurie an empty compartment in the middle of the train. With some difficulty, he hoisted her trunk and other things to the overhead storage. Laurie still held Gruffles tightly to her, and Derek was about to sit down next to her, when someone called his name. "Hey! Larry! Amanda! Great to see you!" With little more regard for his cousin, he left to sit with Larry and Amanda. Laurie found herself quite alone in the compartment, with the exception of dear Gruffles. Still, she felt confident that Derek would return eventually, with Larry and Amanda. Her hopes had dimmed considerably when he still had not returned an hour later.
Cities, towns and countryside rushed by her window as Laurie, feeling completely abandoned by Derek, finally broke down and decided to have a pity party, with Gruffles as the only guest. Before the festivities could begin, however, a pair of identical blonde heads poked into the entrance to her compartment. Though the hairstyles were quite different (one clearly a boy's, short and spiked; the other clearly a girl's, thick and curly), it was clear that Laurie was looking at twins. Identical brown eyes blinked at her and identical mouths smiled at her. Laurie smiled back, and the two people moved completely to the doorway of the compartment. They were already in their school robes, and a tiny white owl was perched on the girl's shoulder. Their grins grew even wider.
"Hi," Laurie managed.
"Hi," they replied. The boy extended his right hand.
"I'm Scott Kimball, and this is my twin sister."
"Sarah," the girl finished, shaking Laurie's other hand. "What's your name?"
"Laurie Lacewing," she answered, and the twins' eyes grew large.
"Is your.is your dad.Bill Lacewing?" Scott asked, when he'd finally found his voice.
"Well-I suppose-he was." Laurie shrugged. "I never knew him."
"Oh." There was an awkward pause, and then Laurie motioned for Scott and Sarah to join her in the compartment. They did, their warm smiles returning. Sarah was immediately enchanted with Gruffles, who bowed to her and greeted her as "my lady."
"You're so lucky," she sighed, scratching Gruffles behind the ear. "We got some extra money for our birthday, but combined, it was only enough for this guy." She indicated the snoring owl on her shoulder. "His name is Corleone. We're supposed to use him to send mail to Mom from school."
"This is Gruffles," Laurie introduced her cat, who nodded proudly. "He's the first pet I've ever owned."
"Corleone's our first pet. We have a family owl, and our older sister Alicia has her own," Sarah smiled.
"Are either of you hungry? I'm starved," Scott complained. Sarah rolled her eyes and punched her brother in the arm.
"You're always hungry, Scott. Lunch isn't for another hour, and we had breakfast right before we came," she admonished, as Scott groaned in agony.
"We should've brought some snacks along!" Scott leaned his head against the window as if he was dying of hunger. Laurie could not stop the smile that came to her face and began digging in her knapsack. In the end, she'd pulled out several Chocolate Frogs, boxes of Bertie Bott's Every- Flavor Jelly Beans, and bags of Fizzing Whizbees. The excitement in Scott's and Sarah's eyes was unmistakable. They dug in.
Over the delicious snacks, Laurie grilled Scott and Sarah about themselves and the school. The Kimball's were an old wizarding family, going back almost a millennium. Scott and Sarah had an older sister named Alicia, who had graduated from Salem two years prior. She was now teaching at Bali Hai Pacific, a wizarding school in the South Pacific Ocean. They also had a younger brother named Hunter, who would start at Salem in two years. This was their first year there. Their father worked for the Department of Magic in Washington D.C. and was only two promotions away from being eligible for Secretary of Magic. They were completely confident that he would get the job. He had, after all, been in Wave House.
"Wave House?" Laurie questioned.
"It's one of the four dorms at Salem. Wave, Wind, Quake and Flame. Wave's the best one.I hope I'm assigned there. Alicia was there, too," Sarah explained. Laurie wondered which dorm Derek was in, and was about to ask, when an astonishingly handsome boy stumbled into the compartment. He had long, deep black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. His skin was a dark reddish-brown and his eyes glittered like a warm onyx. He, too, was already in his school robes and was completely breathless.
"I can't believe I finally got away!" he gasped to Scott and Sarah. Scott cleared off a space on his bench for the boy.
"Your sisters again?" he asked. The boy nodded, still out of breath, and Scott sighed sympathetically.
"Sisters are such pains," he stated, receiving a sharp kick to the shin from Sarah in retaliation. "I totally sympathize with you, man."
"They would not shut up!" the boy exclaimed, leaning back in the bench. "Them and their friends, going on and on about how 'adorable' I was and how great I'd be at Salem. I could've punched them all!" He suddenly noticed Laurie and straightened up, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Erick deBaron. What's your name?"
"L-Laurie. Laurie Lacewing," she stammered, hoping that the hand he shook wasn't too sweaty.
"Bill Lacewing's daughter?" Erick asked, astonished. Laurie nodded. "I'm glad to meet you, but not just because of that. Any friend of Scott and Sarah's is a friend of mine." Laurie managed to keep from blushing as Scott and Sarah smiled at her.
Erick, it turned out, was amazingly friendly. He was mostly Native American, with a small bit of French blood in his background ("hence the name 'deBaron'"). His family had been wizards in the Americas since the first humans set foot on the continent. Unlike white people, he explained, Native Americans were much more receptive to magic, though there were still very few who understood it. He was Iroquois and had too many sisters to name in one sitting, but he did mention that his father had been an Auror (a wizard whose duty was to seek out and imprison wizards gone bad) and his mother ran a daycare for young witches and wizards in Upstate New York. Around him, Laurie was able to talk far more freely about her own life and childhood. By the time the conductor came around announcing the New Hogsmeade stop in ten minutes, Laurie knew she'd made her first friends. As the train slowed to a stop, a flurry of butterflies danced in her stomach. Here she was, finally, on the doorstep of the Salem Witches' Institute!