5

Puzzlements and Bewilderments

Waking up Lorette looked around to find that her surroundings had changed. She no longer was surrounded by trees, but inside what looked like a rainbow. Examining the room, she figured out it was a tent, but not an ordinary tent, a magical one. This one had 2 beds, a kitchen with a working fridge, microwave, sink, and stove. The walls were colorful with reds, orange, yellows, greens, blues, and violet. It was finely trimmend with gold and silver and things seemed to do things for themselves.

The pot stirred itsellf, the dishes washed themselves, the broom sweeped the room, things were happening that Lorette never witnessed before.

"Where am I?" she said to herself.

Not expecting an answer, she was startled to get a reply, "Specifically you are in Gomorrah forest, but you are also in my tent."

Lorette turned to look at her speaker, the man was tall and had an amazing ora around him, something like out of a fairy tale when princes come and save a princess in distress. Lorette emediately couldn't take her eyes off the young man, he was very good looking.

He had sparkling sapphire blue eyes, he was well built so no wonder he would probably be very strong. His lips were perfectly shaped, his hair purposely messed, and gel was added to make his hair stay in place. He wore a muscle shirt with long black jeans under a long black and silver robe thaat went very well with his perfect standing posture.

"Are you alright?" he asked after noticing Lorette stand and gawk at him.

"Huh? what?" she said as she snapped back into the conversation.

"I asked if you were alright, because you dazed out there for a while," he told her.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said all in a flutter.

"Well if your sure, I'm Zachary Vainglory by the way, you can call me Zack though," he said smiling and reaching out his hand to shake hers.

She shook his hand and introduced herself, "Lorette, Lorette Nevermore," she said turning red.

"So what brings you here all alone?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not alone, well I wasn't she said looking around and not seeing her friend Scrimage anywhere. Then she wondered wether he was caught in the middle of the final blow the dragon had shot, poor Scrimage. "Have you seen my friend, a little Canagon about knee high?" she asked intentively.

"Nope, I'm sorry."

"I wonder where Scrimage is, I hope he's not hurt." As soon as she said his name, something flew in so fast it was impossible to see what it was. A mix of blue, white, and yellow flew around the room and landed on the bedpost. "Scrimage! Your alright!" Lorette yelled excidedly.

"So this is your friend, amazing!" Zack said transfixed on the creature. "I've heard about these, but they're very rare, I've always wanted to see one in person."

"Well now you see me," answered Scrimage surpring Zack.

"He can talk?" Zack asked turning to Lorette.

""Offcourse I can, and I'm over here, if you wouldn't mind turning to me when talking about me."

"Sorry, I'm just not used to hearing a creature talk, Scrimage is it?" Zack added.

"Yes, Scrimage the King of the Canagon world."

"Your a king? Why didn't you tell me?" Lorette asked persistently.

"You never asked!" said Scrimage smiling slyly.

Then an argument errupted between the two, and Zack was left to stand and stare at the two of them argue and yell at each other. He then had had enough of the yelling and he was beginning to get a headache so he stopped them both " STOP!"

They both turned to him and looked at him frightened.

"Now it's my turn to get to the bottom of things."

"Why are you here? And where are you parents?" Asked Zack curiously and waiting for a quick reply.

"Well I don't have any parents...." said Scrimage smiling up at him.

"Not you! you..." he said turning to Lorette.

"I have a name! And it sure isn't you," she said to him.

"I'm sorry Lorette, okay let's try again," he corrected himself and continued, "Why are you here and where are your parents?" He finished and stood there with his arms crossed and with a look on his face as if one more disturbance would make him erupt.

"I've run away, and I don't have any parents, they died long ago with the rest of my family during the battle against Voldemort." She now looked as if she were a troll that was beaten on the head with it's own club.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know" Zack emediately began.

"Well now you do, and I would appreciate if you didn't ask me anymore questions about my family." She them turned and focused on the ground as she let the tears fromher eyes fall in drops.

As she stood there Zack noticed she was weeping and walked over to her and put his arms around her holding her close. She lightly put her arms around his waist and cried into his robes.

"Don't cry, I really didn't want this to happen, please don't, your making me feel bad. And your wetting my robes," he laughed.

"I'm sorry" she said looking up at him with dampend eyes.

"Sorry? For what?" he looked down at her surprised.

"For your robes," she told him guiltily.

"Oh that! I was only kidding," he reassured her giving her a tiny smile.

"Oh...well I didn't mean to start crying like that, I usually don't" she said to him shivering.

"You must be freezing," he told her noticing she was shaking from the cool breeze.

"Just a bit."

"You can wear my jacket until we get you into some....well clothes. I would say dryer but they can't get any dryer with dragons breath," he said chuckling.

Lorette smiled at him and thanked him as he handed her his leather jacket.

She looked over the jacket and asked him, "Do you play on a team? I notiuced your jacket is incrusted".

"Yeah, I play Keeper for Griffyndor at school, I'm also the captain," he said proudly.

"You must be really good if your the captain".

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said modestly. "So what school do you go to?" he asked "i've never seen you at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I have a tutor, but I learn a different type of magic." she told him. "I don't use a wand, I use my hands."

"How's that possible?" he asked surprised by her comment.

"Well in the muggle world, there is no place fo me to get a wand so Melikar arranged for me to have a tutor teach me self magic."

"So you can do magic withought a wand's assistance?"

"Well, I know how, I've never had permission to test it out," she told him embarrased.

"Oh, well that's alright, I bet when you are allowed you wll be great!" he said cheering her up.

"I really want to do some magic, it's just not fair!"

"Well all you need is a wand and to go and study the art of magic with a wand at a regular basis."

"Where and when will that happen?" she asked not expecting an answer.

"Well the school year will begin in two days at Hogwarts, you can come with me to Diagon Alley and pick up a wand and school supplies."

"Your forgetting one thing." she interrupted him.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"I haven't been accepted or anything--" at that she was interrupted as two owls flew in carrying sepereate letters. They dropped the letters in Lorette's lap drank some of Scrimage's water and took off again. Lorette looked at the letters, one had green ink inscribing the words:
Miss L. Nevermore
The Magical Tent
Gomorrah Forest
Near the Little Falls

"Open it! It's from Dumbledore, that man doesn't miss a thing!" he told her praisingly.

Lorette stretched out her hand at last to open the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green ink, she pulled out the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Nevermore,
After speaking to many official wizards and Melikar Porter great grandson of Merlin the Great, we have learned that you will be staying in the wizarding world for a short period of time. Under the circumstances that you are not able to return as we have been informed, we are pleased to tell you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your arrival.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

After reading the first letter she knew how the second letter would be written. In black ink it was adressed the same way except this time on a regular white envelope with no crest.

She opened the letter and inside it said:

Dear Lorette,
Headmaster Dumbledore has just told me that you will be attending the year at Hogwarts. Because of the situation that has arrised at the Ministry, a legal gurdian was arranged for you. With the information that I have recieved, you have met one Mister Zachary Vainglory. The money enclosed should last you the entire year and be enough to spend on things that of your liking. Mister Vainglory will be your guardian and take you to buy your school supplies, robes, and wand. If anything happens pleae write to me.

Always yours,

Remus Lupin

After reading the letter Lorette looked at the pouch of money and put it along with the letters on the bed nearest her. "When do we go to buy my things?" she asked surprising Zack.

"Tomorrow!" he told her happily. "You can stay here with me tonight, I'll get you something to sleep in."

"Alright, thank you for everything," she replied smiling at him.

"No problem, Lori," he said winking at her.

He left the tent and returned no longer than 5 minutes later with a shirt and pair of sweats. "You can wear this to sleep, and tomorrow we'll get you some clothes."

"Thank you," she got into bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders and layed on her side. Shortly after Zack climbed into his own bed, said "ACIO!" and with a wave of his wand all the lights in the room went out. "Goodnight" were the lat words before Lorette answered him back.

Zack fell asleep shortly, but Lorette sat in bed till mid-morning thinking about hw life would be at Hogwarts. Finally sleep took over her as well and she fell into a dream full of fairies and a big ball, she danced all night long till morning came.