Chapter 3: Nephthys
The next morning, Dilandra woke early to a small hoot from an owl. They had returned, the snow-white one carrying a dead mouse in her beak, positively beaming. Glancing at the morning sky she knew it must have been very early, several bright stars were still cheekily showing themselves. Yawning and half-grumbling, she tried to get back to sleep, but now that she was awake, she didn't feel remotely tired at all. After about 15 minutes she finally sat up in her bed. She reached for the book she had been reading for the past few days and flicked through the pages. She was so immersed in her little novel that she didn't hear her mother and father awake or Celeste walk heavily out of her bedroom, as though she was making all that noise to ward off intruders. And so Dilandra sat there, until she heard a knock from her door and she started from the complicated love lives of Sense and Sensibility. Pushing the door open, Mrs Bryden came face to face with her daughter. 'Oh, I see you're awake. For a moment I thought you were still asleep .' 'No,' Dilandra replied, scrambling out of bed, 'I was up since dawn . err - I was reading.' And Dilandra held up the book. Smiling slightly at her youngest daughter, Angela Bryden spoke to her. 'I want you washed and dressed and down for breakfast in 15 minutes. And -' but Mrs Bryden was cut off as she saw the two owls there, cocking their head from side to side.' 'Err .oh yes, Happy 15th Birthday, sweetheart.' and with that, she kissed her daughter on the forehead and stepped back down the stairs. Dilandra changed from her pajamas into a fresh blue t-shirt and a cotton skirt. So, she was finally 15, was she? It didn't seem like her birthday at all. But she shrugged away these thoughts as she walked into the bathroom that she and Celeste shared and gently washed her face and cleaned her teeth. Feeling a little better, Dilandra walked down to the first floor and almost collided with Celeste as she made her way into the dining room. For a second, the two sisters stared straight into each other's eyes, but then Celeste abruptly pushed herself past her sister, muttering a rather forced 'Happy Birthday'. Dilandra stared at the back of her elder sibling. Celeste walked straight into her room without a backwards glance and slammed the door. Feeling very hurt, Dilandra proceeded to now walk into the lounge room, and switched on the television. But the funny morning cartoons, which she usually laughed at, didn't seem to cheer her up at all. Dilandra replayed the scene at the staircase again. She felt terrible. Dilandra was so immersed in her thoughts that she barely heard her mother calling her name. Pushing back her chair she walked across the room. As she gave a brief glance at her clock on a bookshelf, she realised it was 8:30. Dilandra stretched and then slowly made her way into the kitchen, careful not to wake a sleeping Ginger in his basket. 'Yeah?' But the reason she was called was obvious as there, in the midst of her mother and father was the person she had desperately been wanting to see in ages. 'Uncle Nicky!' Finally, after those horrible past few days was the glimmer of hope she had long wanted to see: the one person who could answer her questions, explain things clearly and most importantly, understand her. She ran to her elderly friend, almost knocking over the vase of flowers in her hurry to throw her arms around his neck and embrace him with a tight hug. After they broke apart, Dilandra started fumbling with words, trying to release all these confusing thoughts out at once. ' - and I only received the mail now so I didn't really know what to write to the professors so I was kind of wondering what to do and then you showed up!' she finished almost triumphantly, gasping for breath. But all Nicholas did was to stare at her in a bemused sort of way, and held out his hand to his little companion. 'Come on,' he said, 'I'll help.' Gratefully taking his palm into hers, she started to lead him up the stairs, but Nicholas drew his wand. 'Nuh-uh!' he said playfully, wagging a finger at her, 'this is how the wizards do it' Nicholas pulled out his wand, and swishing it at her, she heard him mutter something before she felt a light, floating feeling around her body, almost as if she was floating in air . Dilandra gave a yelp. She was floating, and her feet were dangling a few inches off the floor, as she was slowly and gently being carried up to her bedroom. As she reached the top stair she was just as gently placed back onto the floor, and watched in amazement as she saw her beloved Uncle Nicky do the same thing to himself and carry his body up towards her. 'Awesome .' she mumbled to him, not taking her eyes off his wand. Nicholas hastily put it back into his pocket and importantly cleared his throat. 'Right,' he said, clapping his hands together, 'Where's that letter that dear Professor McGonagall sent you?' 'How do you know her name is Professor McGonagall?' Dilandra asked, as she reached for the letter on her table. 'My dear Dilandra,' Nicholas said, waving an airy hand, 'If you knew half of the things that I do, then I assure you that you wouldn't have any trouble at all graduating from Hogwarts on your first day of school. Ahh . thankyou.' He reached for the letter and read it, his eyes twinkling from behind his old-fashioned round spectacles. 'Hmm .' he said, smiling a little, 'I dare say you'd want to take Ginger with you to Hogwarts?' Dilandra flustered a little as she tried to give a reply. 'Oh, yes. I'd love to, but the things is, if you're not allowed then it's ok, I mean I know he would probably like it better if he stayed at home, but - ' Nicholas held up a hand to silence her. Then slowly he pointed at the tawny owl which was hooting softly. 'Would you like to keep her?' he asked Dilandra. 'Oh may I?' Dilandra said, almost gasping with joy. 'She is beautiful!' and with that, the tawny owl flew across the room and landed lightly on her outstretched arm, and began blinking curiously between Nicholas and Dilandra. 'Right then, Dilandra,' Nicholas said, very dignified, 'We should post a reply to Professor McGonagall immediately, I think she has waited long enough.' He reached inside his robes and pulled out a little porcelain bottle of watery blue ink and a few sheets of parchment. He walked over to Dilandra's desk and she followed him, and could read the message that he was writing upside down.
Dear Professor McGonagall, Dilandra has received your post and wishes to enrol at Hogwarts. Yours truly, Nicholas Flamel.
The tawny owl stretched out her leg. Nicholas tied the letter around it as Dilandra lovingly stroked her beautiful golden coat. 'By the way,' she said, 'We should give her a name .' 'Oh?' said Uncle Nicky, raising his eyesbrows. 'Yeah .' Dilandra said thoughtfully, 'Err - how about Dido?' Uncle Nicky shrugged and said, 'It's your owl now, don't ask me!' Dilandra looked into the owl's deep brown eyes. Then she shook her head. 'No,' she said, 'She doesn't look like a Dido .' 'Hmm .' Uncle Nicky scratched his chin. 'I remember reading these names in a book about ancient Sorcerors of Egypt .. what about Isis o-or Nephthys?' Hearing the names, the owl hooted with pleasure. 'Isis?' he repeated. The owl did not speak. 'What about Nephthys?' Dilandra said hurriedly. The bird hooted again. 'Right then, Nephthys it is .' Nicholas said, smiling a little.
The next morning, Dilandra woke early to a small hoot from an owl. They had returned, the snow-white one carrying a dead mouse in her beak, positively beaming. Glancing at the morning sky she knew it must have been very early, several bright stars were still cheekily showing themselves. Yawning and half-grumbling, she tried to get back to sleep, but now that she was awake, she didn't feel remotely tired at all. After about 15 minutes she finally sat up in her bed. She reached for the book she had been reading for the past few days and flicked through the pages. She was so immersed in her little novel that she didn't hear her mother and father awake or Celeste walk heavily out of her bedroom, as though she was making all that noise to ward off intruders. And so Dilandra sat there, until she heard a knock from her door and she started from the complicated love lives of Sense and Sensibility. Pushing the door open, Mrs Bryden came face to face with her daughter. 'Oh, I see you're awake. For a moment I thought you were still asleep .' 'No,' Dilandra replied, scrambling out of bed, 'I was up since dawn . err - I was reading.' And Dilandra held up the book. Smiling slightly at her youngest daughter, Angela Bryden spoke to her. 'I want you washed and dressed and down for breakfast in 15 minutes. And -' but Mrs Bryden was cut off as she saw the two owls there, cocking their head from side to side.' 'Err .oh yes, Happy 15th Birthday, sweetheart.' and with that, she kissed her daughter on the forehead and stepped back down the stairs. Dilandra changed from her pajamas into a fresh blue t-shirt and a cotton skirt. So, she was finally 15, was she? It didn't seem like her birthday at all. But she shrugged away these thoughts as she walked into the bathroom that she and Celeste shared and gently washed her face and cleaned her teeth. Feeling a little better, Dilandra walked down to the first floor and almost collided with Celeste as she made her way into the dining room. For a second, the two sisters stared straight into each other's eyes, but then Celeste abruptly pushed herself past her sister, muttering a rather forced 'Happy Birthday'. Dilandra stared at the back of her elder sibling. Celeste walked straight into her room without a backwards glance and slammed the door. Feeling very hurt, Dilandra proceeded to now walk into the lounge room, and switched on the television. But the funny morning cartoons, which she usually laughed at, didn't seem to cheer her up at all. Dilandra replayed the scene at the staircase again. She felt terrible. Dilandra was so immersed in her thoughts that she barely heard her mother calling her name. Pushing back her chair she walked across the room. As she gave a brief glance at her clock on a bookshelf, she realised it was 8:30. Dilandra stretched and then slowly made her way into the kitchen, careful not to wake a sleeping Ginger in his basket. 'Yeah?' But the reason she was called was obvious as there, in the midst of her mother and father was the person she had desperately been wanting to see in ages. 'Uncle Nicky!' Finally, after those horrible past few days was the glimmer of hope she had long wanted to see: the one person who could answer her questions, explain things clearly and most importantly, understand her. She ran to her elderly friend, almost knocking over the vase of flowers in her hurry to throw her arms around his neck and embrace him with a tight hug. After they broke apart, Dilandra started fumbling with words, trying to release all these confusing thoughts out at once. ' - and I only received the mail now so I didn't really know what to write to the professors so I was kind of wondering what to do and then you showed up!' she finished almost triumphantly, gasping for breath. But all Nicholas did was to stare at her in a bemused sort of way, and held out his hand to his little companion. 'Come on,' he said, 'I'll help.' Gratefully taking his palm into hers, she started to lead him up the stairs, but Nicholas drew his wand. 'Nuh-uh!' he said playfully, wagging a finger at her, 'this is how the wizards do it' Nicholas pulled out his wand, and swishing it at her, she heard him mutter something before she felt a light, floating feeling around her body, almost as if she was floating in air . Dilandra gave a yelp. She was floating, and her feet were dangling a few inches off the floor, as she was slowly and gently being carried up to her bedroom. As she reached the top stair she was just as gently placed back onto the floor, and watched in amazement as she saw her beloved Uncle Nicky do the same thing to himself and carry his body up towards her. 'Awesome .' she mumbled to him, not taking her eyes off his wand. Nicholas hastily put it back into his pocket and importantly cleared his throat. 'Right,' he said, clapping his hands together, 'Where's that letter that dear Professor McGonagall sent you?' 'How do you know her name is Professor McGonagall?' Dilandra asked, as she reached for the letter on her table. 'My dear Dilandra,' Nicholas said, waving an airy hand, 'If you knew half of the things that I do, then I assure you that you wouldn't have any trouble at all graduating from Hogwarts on your first day of school. Ahh . thankyou.' He reached for the letter and read it, his eyes twinkling from behind his old-fashioned round spectacles. 'Hmm .' he said, smiling a little, 'I dare say you'd want to take Ginger with you to Hogwarts?' Dilandra flustered a little as she tried to give a reply. 'Oh, yes. I'd love to, but the things is, if you're not allowed then it's ok, I mean I know he would probably like it better if he stayed at home, but - ' Nicholas held up a hand to silence her. Then slowly he pointed at the tawny owl which was hooting softly. 'Would you like to keep her?' he asked Dilandra. 'Oh may I?' Dilandra said, almost gasping with joy. 'She is beautiful!' and with that, the tawny owl flew across the room and landed lightly on her outstretched arm, and began blinking curiously between Nicholas and Dilandra. 'Right then, Dilandra,' Nicholas said, very dignified, 'We should post a reply to Professor McGonagall immediately, I think she has waited long enough.' He reached inside his robes and pulled out a little porcelain bottle of watery blue ink and a few sheets of parchment. He walked over to Dilandra's desk and she followed him, and could read the message that he was writing upside down.
Dear Professor McGonagall, Dilandra has received your post and wishes to enrol at Hogwarts. Yours truly, Nicholas Flamel.
The tawny owl stretched out her leg. Nicholas tied the letter around it as Dilandra lovingly stroked her beautiful golden coat. 'By the way,' she said, 'We should give her a name .' 'Oh?' said Uncle Nicky, raising his eyesbrows. 'Yeah .' Dilandra said thoughtfully, 'Err - how about Dido?' Uncle Nicky shrugged and said, 'It's your owl now, don't ask me!' Dilandra looked into the owl's deep brown eyes. Then she shook her head. 'No,' she said, 'She doesn't look like a Dido .' 'Hmm .' Uncle Nicky scratched his chin. 'I remember reading these names in a book about ancient Sorcerors of Egypt .. what about Isis o-or Nephthys?' Hearing the names, the owl hooted with pleasure. 'Isis?' he repeated. The owl did not speak. 'What about Nephthys?' Dilandra said hurriedly. The bird hooted again. 'Right then, Nephthys it is .' Nicholas said, smiling a little.