Prologue
The sound of knocked over garbage cans was not the most unusual sound to hear in the dark alleys of San Francisco, and on this particular night it did not arouse any suspicion. Cats, rats, and dogs were among the animals that have been known to rummage through garbage cans at night. Yet, if one were to survey this scene a bit more carefully, they would have found that this was not a normal situation.
Out of the garbage and ramble emerged a very thin, sickly white rat. This rat appeared to be carrying a small bottle filled with a dark purple liquid of some kind. It seemed to know exactly where it was going for it immediately scurried away from the alley and towards a quiet residential area. The rat stopped in front of a light blue, two-story, Victorian-like house. It hurried up the stone stairs and slipped into the mail slot.
Inside the house was dark except for a small night-light that glowed from one of the bathrooms. As soon as the rat gathered himself, his eyes fell on a nearby staircase. He scuttled up the stairs as quietly as he could so as not to cause anyone to interrupt his mission. The first bedroom he came to belonged to a 16-year-old girl named Isabel Grindingham. This was the very bedroom the rat had been looking for.
Quietly, he slipped into the room. He hurried over to the bed where Isabel lay asleep. He hopped onto the bed and carefully made his way over to the night table. On the table there stood a glass of water. The rat took the small bottle off his back, pulled the cork out with his long teeth, and poured the purple liquid into the glass of water. As soon as the liquid hit the water, it instantaneously became clear as the water itself. Suddenly, the small bottle dropped to the floor with a tiny crash. Although the bottle immediately disappeared, it was just enough to awake Isabel.
Noticing this, the rat fled to the windowsill but was determined to stay until the job was done. Isabel rose from her bed with a long stretch. She sat up for a few seconds bewildered as to what the sudden "crash" could have been. Figuring it was just some alley cat outside, she got up and shut the window. She stood gazing out of the window at the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge for a moment and then retreated to her bed again. As she made her way back to her bed, the rat appeared looking from the outside into the room. He then watched as Isabel prepared to drink the glass of water.
Since the glass was barely half full, she quickly swallowed it in one gulp. The minute she drank the water, a green light flashed that sent a tremendous shock throughout her entire body as though lightning had shocked her. For a few seconds she sat staring at her empty glass in shock. Unable to explain what had just happened, Isabel decided to calm herself down with some TV and headed downstairs towards the living room. The rat, which just witnessed the whole occurrence, disappeared with a small POP!
* * * Hermione Granger paced about her room. She couldn't remember where she put Harry's birthday present and it was driving her mad. In a matter of a few days, she would be on her way to the Burrow where she would be spending the rest of her summer with her two best friends: Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She couldn't believe that Harry's present was missing; it was very unlike her. Hermione was always an organized person and knew exactly where she put things.
"Maybe did I leave it on the floor and perhaps it somehow got kicked under the bed?" she asked herself. She got down on all fours and peered under the bed. A few dust bunnies were the only remains under her bed.
The second she raised her head, a regal looking brown owl swooped into her room. A small card fluttered onto her bed revealing the Hogwarts crest on the back. Assuming this was the usual letter and school supply list, Hermione paid no mind and continued to comb the room in search of Harry's birthday present.
Patience did not go over very well with Hermione when it came to missing items. After ten more minutes of searching, she decided to take a break. A few clothes she planned to take with her were still sprawled out onto her bed. She took these clothes and packed them into her trunk. As she lifted a pink blouse off her bed, she again noticed her Hogwarts letter. She picked it up and was shocked to find the words 'URGENT' written on the front. Quickly she tore open the envelope. Immediately her eyes darted from right to left as she read the letter. When she finished, it took her a few moments to realize seriousness and shock of what she had just read.
The sound of knocked over garbage cans was not the most unusual sound to hear in the dark alleys of San Francisco, and on this particular night it did not arouse any suspicion. Cats, rats, and dogs were among the animals that have been known to rummage through garbage cans at night. Yet, if one were to survey this scene a bit more carefully, they would have found that this was not a normal situation.
Out of the garbage and ramble emerged a very thin, sickly white rat. This rat appeared to be carrying a small bottle filled with a dark purple liquid of some kind. It seemed to know exactly where it was going for it immediately scurried away from the alley and towards a quiet residential area. The rat stopped in front of a light blue, two-story, Victorian-like house. It hurried up the stone stairs and slipped into the mail slot.
Inside the house was dark except for a small night-light that glowed from one of the bathrooms. As soon as the rat gathered himself, his eyes fell on a nearby staircase. He scuttled up the stairs as quietly as he could so as not to cause anyone to interrupt his mission. The first bedroom he came to belonged to a 16-year-old girl named Isabel Grindingham. This was the very bedroom the rat had been looking for.
Quietly, he slipped into the room. He hurried over to the bed where Isabel lay asleep. He hopped onto the bed and carefully made his way over to the night table. On the table there stood a glass of water. The rat took the small bottle off his back, pulled the cork out with his long teeth, and poured the purple liquid into the glass of water. As soon as the liquid hit the water, it instantaneously became clear as the water itself. Suddenly, the small bottle dropped to the floor with a tiny crash. Although the bottle immediately disappeared, it was just enough to awake Isabel.
Noticing this, the rat fled to the windowsill but was determined to stay until the job was done. Isabel rose from her bed with a long stretch. She sat up for a few seconds bewildered as to what the sudden "crash" could have been. Figuring it was just some alley cat outside, she got up and shut the window. She stood gazing out of the window at the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge for a moment and then retreated to her bed again. As she made her way back to her bed, the rat appeared looking from the outside into the room. He then watched as Isabel prepared to drink the glass of water.
Since the glass was barely half full, she quickly swallowed it in one gulp. The minute she drank the water, a green light flashed that sent a tremendous shock throughout her entire body as though lightning had shocked her. For a few seconds she sat staring at her empty glass in shock. Unable to explain what had just happened, Isabel decided to calm herself down with some TV and headed downstairs towards the living room. The rat, which just witnessed the whole occurrence, disappeared with a small POP!
* * * Hermione Granger paced about her room. She couldn't remember where she put Harry's birthday present and it was driving her mad. In a matter of a few days, she would be on her way to the Burrow where she would be spending the rest of her summer with her two best friends: Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She couldn't believe that Harry's present was missing; it was very unlike her. Hermione was always an organized person and knew exactly where she put things.
"Maybe did I leave it on the floor and perhaps it somehow got kicked under the bed?" she asked herself. She got down on all fours and peered under the bed. A few dust bunnies were the only remains under her bed.
The second she raised her head, a regal looking brown owl swooped into her room. A small card fluttered onto her bed revealing the Hogwarts crest on the back. Assuming this was the usual letter and school supply list, Hermione paid no mind and continued to comb the room in search of Harry's birthday present.
Patience did not go over very well with Hermione when it came to missing items. After ten more minutes of searching, she decided to take a break. A few clothes she planned to take with her were still sprawled out onto her bed. She took these clothes and packed them into her trunk. As she lifted a pink blouse off her bed, she again noticed her Hogwarts letter. She picked it up and was shocked to find the words 'URGENT' written on the front. Quickly she tore open the envelope. Immediately her eyes darted from right to left as she read the letter. When she finished, it took her a few moments to realize seriousness and shock of what she had just read.