Disclaimer: JK is the genius that cam up with this little world. Not me.
A/N: Whoa, I surprised myself. I'm already done with chapter 4. Things will soon start getting very interesting for our little muggle.
At first the trip to Hogwarts was uneventful. Arthur tried to make light conversation a couple of times but eventually gave up. Janine wasn't in much of a mood to talk. To much was happening to fast. She still couldn't believe that not even 24 hours ago she found her parents lying in their rooms. It was just to much.
Janine noticed how Arthur seemed excited about driving a car. He keep hitting buttons as they moved along the road. Turning on the air condition, then the heat. Changing the radio stations. Switching the lights on and off. Moving the seat back and front. The whole time muttering to himself how fascinating it all was. Yet, he still manage to keep his eyes on the road.
"Umm…do you drive much?" Janine asked him, after about an hour of driving.
"No. We have no need to drive," Arthur answered, turning off the windshield wipers. "I just thought it would be easier getting to Hogwarts the muggle way. Being that the ministry doesn't know what we're up to."
"The ministry?" Janine asked him curiously.
"Yeah," Arthur answered. "The Ministry of Magic. Not exactly the brightest these days." he added with a slight edge to his voice.
"So, is this your car then?" Janine asked him.
"No. I used to have a car but it's now roaming wild in a forest." Arthur answered her. "I borrowed this one from a friend."
"Well, how do you get around if you don't use…" but Janine's voice trailed off. In the distance, not far from them, she thought she could her some sort of wailing noise that was growing louder and louder.
She looked over her shoulder out of the back window and let out a groan. Quickly gaining on them was a police car. It's lights were flashing and it's siren wailing. She looked over at Arthur who didn't seem to notice what was happening.
"Umm.. Mr. Weasley?" She said.
"Huh? Oh! What is it?" said Arthur, who was once again playing with the radio buttons.
"I think that police car wants you to pull over."
"Wha…" Arthur looked up at the rear view mirror. "Oh!! How delightful. A pleaseman! Wonder what he wants?"
Janine just gave him a weird look. There was nothing delightful about this. Even though she had a feeling the Arthur didn't get around in cars very often, he still seemed to have a knack with driving, so she had no idea why they were being pulled over. Could it be that she's been reported missing? Maybe they think that Arthur was kidnapping her. But, who would of noticed her gone?
Mr. Weasley pulled to the side of the road. He didn't seem nervous at all about this. In fact, he watched the police man walk up to them with a curious excitement in his eyes.
"Look how those lights are flashing all on their own," he said excitedly. "They don't even need to be plugged in!"
"Do you even know what a policeman is?" Janine asked suspiciously.
"Well, I've got the general idea, I think," Arthur replied. "They go to scenes of crime and things like that."
"Listen," Janine said quickly and quietly, getting the impression that Arthur had no idea what kind of trouble they could be in. "Just pretend that I'm your daughter and that we're on our way home. And make sure you don't mention anything about how you're a… a… well, you know."
Janine just could not bring herself to say wizard. As though, the moment she said it, she would have to believe that everything going on wasn't just one bad dream.
"And try not to act fascinated about…"
But, she trailed off. The police officer was at the car window.
Arthur looked at him, waiting to see what he wanted, not realizing that the window was rolled up.
"How may I help you?" Arthur asked him.
The officer just gave him an annoyed look and tapped on the window, muttering something.
Arthur looked as though he didn't understand.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up!" he shouted.
"Open the window," Janine said out of the corner of her mouth.
"Oh! Oh, right," Arthur said, reaching for the windshield wipers.
"No, no! The switch on the side of the door."
Janine would of found this all amusing if it wasn't for the fear of what the officer wanted. Then again, a small voice inside her said, maybe he's here to save you. Maybe Mr. Weasley is a nut after all and this officer knows exactly what happened to your parents and can explain all this nonsense.
Arthur finally found the window switch and rolled it down, letting in the warm summer air. The officer looked at Mr. Weasley with great annoyance.
"May I see your license and registration?" he asked coldly.
"My license? And registration?" Arthur asked nervously. " I-I don't understand."[
Janine had a bad feeling that Arthur didn't have either.
"Sir, I would like to see them," the officer repeated, eyeing Arthur suspiciously.
"Well, I- uh, I seem to have…"
"What is the problem officer?" Janine interrupted Mr. Weasley.
"I would just like to see some identification," was all the officer said.
"Yes, well, it would be nice to know why," Janine answered back. "I don't believe that my, uh, father here was speeding."
The officer eyed her with great dislike.
"If you don't have them, sir, then I must ask you to step out of the vehicle."
"I'm sorry but I don't think I've done anything wrong," it was now Mr. Weasley who did the talking. He was looking quite nervous.
"Are you aware that a vehicle just like this one has been reported stolen just two weeks ago?" the officer said angrily.
Janine could of sworn that she heard Arthur curse under his breath.
"Well, you see, this indeed isn't my car," he then said. "It belongs to a friend of mine wh- who let me borrow it."
"Yeah, likely story," the officer said. "I would like you both to step out of the vehicle and put your hands on your heads."
Janine looked at Arthur. This was bad. She felt kind of guilty for those thoughts about the officer coming to save her. What were they going to do now? The car was stolen? Did Arthur not tell her something?
"Um…well, you see I can't do that," Arthur said.
Janine looked at him with awe. What's he up to?
"You will get out right now or I will have to force you out," the officer said angrily, reaching for his gun.
"Mr. Weasley!!" Janine shouted at him in fear. "You had better…."
But, before Janine got to finish, Arthur had put the car back into drive and with a loud squeal of the tires he sped off, leaving an angry looking officer behind.
"Wh- How…." Janine was at a lose for words. This was not good. Not good at all. There was no way they would out run the cop.
Janine looked over her shoulder to see that the police car was already heading toward them.
"Mr. Weasley!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, Janine. No need to fear," he said, though, Janine could hear the fear in his voice. "I'll get us out of this."
Then he muttered under his breath, "Mundungus. I should of known."
Janine looked back out the window, her eyes wide with fear. The officer was right behind him. And, even worse, she could her more sirens off in the distance, probably trying to trap them!!
Arthur was really speeding down the empty road now. Janine was afraid that they were going to hit something. She clutched tightly to the door handle.
"Just a little longer," Arthur said, mostly to himself.
Arthur took a sharp turn onto a road with big office buildings and Janine watched as the police car disappeared from view.
"Now!" Arthur shouted to himself and he pushed a silver button on the dashboard.
At once everything seemed to disappear. Well, not everything but the car around Janine. She gasped as she noticed that she herself also seemed to have gone invisible.
Arthur slowed down the car and pulled over just as the police car flew by, who was soon joined by another.
Janine just sat there in complete shock. She could hear what sounded like Mr. Weasley's fast breathing. She lifted up her arm. It was still there, she just couldn't see it. It was the strangest feeling she has ever had.
Finally, as she heard Mr. Weasley's breathing slow down, he said,
"Well, that was a close one."
Suddenly, everything came back. The car around her and her own body. Janine looked up at Arthur in shock, to shocked to say anything.
Arthur looked back at her with a nervous smile.
"I should of known the moment Mundungus asked me to work on this car." He said with amusement in his voice. "Good thing I had time to make some modifications to it," he added, looking at the silver button.
"M-Modifications?" Janine asked, finally finding her voice.
"Yes, the invisibility booster," Arthur said. "Still didn't have time to make it fly though."
"Fly?" Janine asked in amazement.
"Yeah," said Arthur, pulling back onto the road. "Mundungus Fletcher, an old friend of mine wanted me to add some special features to his car. I should of known that he didn't get the car in the normal, law abiding way."
"He stole it?" Janine asked Arthur, wide eyed.
"Yeah, well, you see Mundungus is a businessman doesn't necessarily care how it is that he gets his products that he sells. But," Arthur added seeing Janine's look, "he's still a good person."
Once again, the journal continued in silence. Janine just stared out the window, watching the landscape roll by. It slowly became darker as they continued on. Janine had no idea how long it has been since they left her house. It felt like ages.
In the silence, Janine had time to reflect on all that has happened. She was still having trouble believing about magic and wizards, though twice now she had experienced unnatural things. First with the hooded men, the death eaters, and when they shot something at her with their sticks, which by now she figured to be wands. Then, again with the invisible car.
It felt like it was about time to stop being close minded and believe. There was a whole other world out there, apart from her own. So much that she didn't know. And, that world wasn't entirely good.
With a sigh, Janine sat back and closed her eyes. Why would a wizard want to hurt her parents? They were such wonderful people. It just didn't make sense. They didn't deserve any of this. And, to think that it may of happened just so that wizard, Voldemort, could get to her.
Janine could feeling her eyes sting with tears. It felt as though things were only sinking in now, in the quiet car, next to a strange but kind man, on their way to a wizarding school. Her parents were gone. She was never going to see them again.
Janine was suddenly grateful for the darkness that was falling. She didn't really feel like Mr. Weasley seeing her cry. The tears kept falling as they traveled on. Janine knew one thing. Whoever did this to her parents was going to pay. She would make sure of that. She would deliver it personally if she had to. Somehow, she would.
Arthur nudged her then and she quickly wiped her tears away.
"Look," he said, gesturing in front of her.
Slowly coming into view was a sight of great magnificence. It was what looked like a giant castle!
Arthur pulled up near the entrance and put the car into park. He got out and Janine followed. They walked up a flight of stairs that lead to the door. Arthur opened it and lead Janine inside a great, big room.
Janine looked around in awe. The room was the biggest she had ever seen in her life!! In fact, everything looked so grand and wonderful.
"Welcome Janine," said Arthur, "to Hogwarts."
A/N: That's all for today. New chapter should be up shortly. I'm on a roll now!! I know I had promised more Harry Potter characters in this chapter. Sorry, that'll be next chapter. From here on out, things will really start to pick up!