Chapter Two - An American Werewolf in London
Kat and Ael hit it off right away. Being the so-called "Dark Creatures" that they were, they had a lot in common and almost immediately formed a bond of friendship. Prone to fits of mischief, they would often scheme together and pull pranks on their parents, neighbors, and what-have-you. Each month, Kat would accompany Ael and Sheba to Paddington Rec as the werewolf underwent her transformation, and sometimes the young vampire would unlock the gate and let her run free for a few hours, making sure she didn't stray too close to houses and therefore people.
As summer rolled around, Kat had to spend more time at home due to the increase in sunlight. This left a very bored werewolf at 122 Randolph Ave, and it seemed the summer would last forever.
That is, until a large brown owl swooped through the window of the living room.
The owl landed on the back of a couch and hooted at Ael, holding out its leg to her. She saw some kind of weird paper tied to it, and warily accepted the note from the bird. It hooted again, then took off out the window.
Ael watched it leave, then turned to the envelope. Having learned how to read at an early age, she recognized her brother's name written on the outside in green ink. "Chris, you've got a letter!" she called.
Christopher descended the stairs, looking somewhat puzzled. "I thought the mail already came."
She held up the envelope. "This one was by owl post, not Muggle mail."
Christopher opened it and pulled out a sheet of parchment. "Dear Mister Bolt," he read out loud, "we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" He gaped at it. "This is my school letter!"
"You finally got it?" Mr. Bolt asked happily as he came inside. "Excellent!"
"When are we gonna go get my school stuff?" Christopher asked eagerly.
"We'll go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," he decided. "We'll all go. It'll be good for Ael to know what it looks like, so she'll be used to it when she gets her letter in a few years." Ael grinned at that.
"Can I get an owl, Dad?" Christopher pleaded, bouncing with excitement.
"This is a house, not a zoo!" Mrs. Bolt's voice came from downstairs.
Mr. Bolt laughed nervously. "Er...I'll have to talk to your mother on that one."
~~~~~~
The next day, Mr. Bolt transfigured one of the coal-burning fireplaces into a huge old-fashioned one. After giving his children an in-depth lecture on Floo powder, they proceeded to Floo to The Leaky Cauldron.
"Welcome back, Rick!" another man called. He forced his way through the crowd, a young brown-haired boy following. The man looked down at Christopher and Ael. "Ah, these must be your children."
Mr. Bolt nodded. "Amos, this is my son, Christopher. He's starting Hogwarts this year." Ael tugged on his leg, so he picked her up. "And this is my daughter, Ael."
Amos nudged the tagalong boy. "Say hello, Cedric. We Diggorys are polite folk."
Cedric mumbled a greeting and pretended to busy himself with a model Golden Snitch.
"Cedric is starting his second year at Hogwarts," Mr. Diggory said proudly. "I'm positive he'll make the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, now that Carrie O'Rielly has graduated."
Cedric's Snitch suddenly took flight and zipped out of the boy's hands, circling once around Christopher and blazing past Mr. Bolt's head. Ael's arm shot out, and she snagged one of its wings. She giggled as the tiny ball fluttered in her hands, and the others just stared.
"Your girl's a Seeker if I ever saw one!" Mr. Diggory exclaimed.
Ael tossed the Snitch to Cedric. "Daddyyyy, I thought you said we were gonna get Chris' stuff from Diagon Alley!" she griped.
Mr. Bolt shook himself out of shock. "Yes. Well. It was nice to see you again, Amos. If you ever want to drop by Randolph Ave, please feel free."
"Likewise," Mr. Diggory replied. "Come on Cedric." The two Diggorys headed towards the London-side door.
Mr. Bolt settled Ael on his shoulders, then headed from the small courtyard in the back. He pulled out his wand and tapped a brick with it, prompting the enchanted wall to rearrange itself into an archway.
"Christopher, Ael...this is Diagon Alley."
~~~~~~
Mr. Bolt took Christopher to get his school things, and the two children stared in awe at each new thing they passed. It took a few minutes to pull Ael away from the magical creature shop, as she had discovered the amusing things the snakes were saying to the unsuspecting humans.
Christopher did indeed get an owl; a huge eagle owl that he dubbed Artoo, for some obscure reason. His books, quills, and ink were easily found, although it took awhile for him to find a wand that was right for him (ten inches, willow and unicorn tail hair). Ael felt slightly left out, until Mr. Bolt bought her an enchanted storybook and a practice Snitch "for the extremely young Quidditch players - or so you hope."
All too soon, the time came to Floo home. Ael cast a last glance into the Alley - incidentally seeing two identical redheaded boys turn their older brother into a chicken - and then re-entered her home.
~~~~~~
September was so successful and concealing its approach, the Bolt family was surprised to wake early one morning and discover that it was the first of aforementioned month. This fact led the magical members of the Bolt family to Kings Cross Station in London.
Christopher and Ael watched in amazement as a rather clumsy-looking boy with a toad on his head stepped *through* the barrier between Platform Nine and Platform Ten.
"Excuse me, sir!" The call came from a bushy-haired first year, accompanied by what looked like her Muggle parents.
"Yes?" Mr. Bolt answered politely.
"I can't seem to find Platform Nine and Three Quarters," she admitted, looking frustrated. She paused, and looked him over. "You are a wizard, right sir?"
"Yes, I am. Here, Christopher, let's show the lady and her parents how it's done," he said to his son. "Just walk right at the barrier, and don't be scared."
Christopher nodded, and promptly disappeared through the barrier. Mr. Bolt smiled at the dumbstruck trio, then picked up Ael and ran through the barrier himself.
"Come, Christopher, let's load your things on the train and find you a seat."
Soon, frantically late sudents and their families - among them the redheaded family from the Alley with a raven-haired, bespectacled boy tagging along - were rushing through the barrier, scrambling for available seats. Christopher hugged his father and sister, and promised to write as often as he could, before the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the platform and towards the Scottish highlands.
~~~~~~
Hi Dad! Hey Ael! Guess what House I'm in! (No, Dad, I'm not a Hufflepuff.) I was almost a Hufflepuff, but I ended up in Ravenclaw instead.
Remember how you told us about Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived? He's here at Hogwarts, right now! He's a Gryffindor (big surprise there, eh?), but I got to meet him and he's a really nice kid. Not what I expected at all. A bit short, maybe, but I'm sure that won't last.
Well I'll write more later, I'm gonna be late for Potions!
Christopher Lee
P.S. Snape is a slimy git!
Mr. Bolt chuckled at the letter his son had sent. Ael was a little confused by the post-script, but she was intrigued by the part about Harry Potter. Ever since she'd heard what he did, she had wondered if she'd ever see him in person.
"I'm going to write back to your brother," Mr. Bolt said. "Do you want me to give him a message from you?"
"Just ask him what Harry Potter looks like, and what year he's in," she replied immediately. Then she headed off towards the door.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Ael opened the door. "To Kat's place. She owled me earlier. Said she wanted me to meet someone." And with that, she transformed into a werepuppy and took off in the direction of 7 Abbey Gardens.
~~~~~~
Upon Ael's arrival at Kat's house, she flung open the door and yelled "Hey Lucy, I'm hooome!"
There was the sound of hyperactive bouncing down the stairs, and she was instantly tackled by the blond-haired vampire. Behind her was a white-haired boy, who regarded them calmly and somewhat curiously.
Ael and Kat stopped hugging, and Ael looked Khense up and down before raising an eyebrow. "So, is this your little boyfriend?" she asked teasingly.
"Uhh... boyfriend?" Kat said, confused. "Ael, I just met him a few hours ago." A sheepish grin flickered across her face.
The boy blushed, but held out his hand. "I'm Khense Nekire," He said, rather timidly.
'Oooh, he's blushiiiiing!' Ael snickered inwardly. She immediately grabbed Khense's hand and proceeded to shake his entire arm with the force of a bodybuilder swinging a bullwhip. "Hiya, Khense! Nice to meetcha!" she chirped in her best hyper tone.
"Wha...how...nyergh?" Khense sputtered in shock, rubbing his arm (which Ael had rendered completely numb).
"Oh, didn't Kat tell you? I'm a werewolf," she said deadpan, struggling to keep from howling (quite literally) with laughter.
Khense blinked, then slapped his forehead. "That explains so much!"
Kat and Ael hit it off right away. Being the so-called "Dark Creatures" that they were, they had a lot in common and almost immediately formed a bond of friendship. Prone to fits of mischief, they would often scheme together and pull pranks on their parents, neighbors, and what-have-you. Each month, Kat would accompany Ael and Sheba to Paddington Rec as the werewolf underwent her transformation, and sometimes the young vampire would unlock the gate and let her run free for a few hours, making sure she didn't stray too close to houses and therefore people.
As summer rolled around, Kat had to spend more time at home due to the increase in sunlight. This left a very bored werewolf at 122 Randolph Ave, and it seemed the summer would last forever.
That is, until a large brown owl swooped through the window of the living room.
The owl landed on the back of a couch and hooted at Ael, holding out its leg to her. She saw some kind of weird paper tied to it, and warily accepted the note from the bird. It hooted again, then took off out the window.
Ael watched it leave, then turned to the envelope. Having learned how to read at an early age, she recognized her brother's name written on the outside in green ink. "Chris, you've got a letter!" she called.
Christopher descended the stairs, looking somewhat puzzled. "I thought the mail already came."
She held up the envelope. "This one was by owl post, not Muggle mail."
Christopher opened it and pulled out a sheet of parchment. "Dear Mister Bolt," he read out loud, "we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" He gaped at it. "This is my school letter!"
"You finally got it?" Mr. Bolt asked happily as he came inside. "Excellent!"
"When are we gonna go get my school stuff?" Christopher asked eagerly.
"We'll go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," he decided. "We'll all go. It'll be good for Ael to know what it looks like, so she'll be used to it when she gets her letter in a few years." Ael grinned at that.
"Can I get an owl, Dad?" Christopher pleaded, bouncing with excitement.
"This is a house, not a zoo!" Mrs. Bolt's voice came from downstairs.
Mr. Bolt laughed nervously. "Er...I'll have to talk to your mother on that one."
~~~~~~
The next day, Mr. Bolt transfigured one of the coal-burning fireplaces into a huge old-fashioned one. After giving his children an in-depth lecture on Floo powder, they proceeded to Floo to The Leaky Cauldron.
"Welcome back, Rick!" another man called. He forced his way through the crowd, a young brown-haired boy following. The man looked down at Christopher and Ael. "Ah, these must be your children."
Mr. Bolt nodded. "Amos, this is my son, Christopher. He's starting Hogwarts this year." Ael tugged on his leg, so he picked her up. "And this is my daughter, Ael."
Amos nudged the tagalong boy. "Say hello, Cedric. We Diggorys are polite folk."
Cedric mumbled a greeting and pretended to busy himself with a model Golden Snitch.
"Cedric is starting his second year at Hogwarts," Mr. Diggory said proudly. "I'm positive he'll make the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, now that Carrie O'Rielly has graduated."
Cedric's Snitch suddenly took flight and zipped out of the boy's hands, circling once around Christopher and blazing past Mr. Bolt's head. Ael's arm shot out, and she snagged one of its wings. She giggled as the tiny ball fluttered in her hands, and the others just stared.
"Your girl's a Seeker if I ever saw one!" Mr. Diggory exclaimed.
Ael tossed the Snitch to Cedric. "Daddyyyy, I thought you said we were gonna get Chris' stuff from Diagon Alley!" she griped.
Mr. Bolt shook himself out of shock. "Yes. Well. It was nice to see you again, Amos. If you ever want to drop by Randolph Ave, please feel free."
"Likewise," Mr. Diggory replied. "Come on Cedric." The two Diggorys headed towards the London-side door.
Mr. Bolt settled Ael on his shoulders, then headed from the small courtyard in the back. He pulled out his wand and tapped a brick with it, prompting the enchanted wall to rearrange itself into an archway.
"Christopher, Ael...this is Diagon Alley."
~~~~~~
Mr. Bolt took Christopher to get his school things, and the two children stared in awe at each new thing they passed. It took a few minutes to pull Ael away from the magical creature shop, as she had discovered the amusing things the snakes were saying to the unsuspecting humans.
Christopher did indeed get an owl; a huge eagle owl that he dubbed Artoo, for some obscure reason. His books, quills, and ink were easily found, although it took awhile for him to find a wand that was right for him (ten inches, willow and unicorn tail hair). Ael felt slightly left out, until Mr. Bolt bought her an enchanted storybook and a practice Snitch "for the extremely young Quidditch players - or so you hope."
All too soon, the time came to Floo home. Ael cast a last glance into the Alley - incidentally seeing two identical redheaded boys turn their older brother into a chicken - and then re-entered her home.
~~~~~~
September was so successful and concealing its approach, the Bolt family was surprised to wake early one morning and discover that it was the first of aforementioned month. This fact led the magical members of the Bolt family to Kings Cross Station in London.
Christopher and Ael watched in amazement as a rather clumsy-looking boy with a toad on his head stepped *through* the barrier between Platform Nine and Platform Ten.
"Excuse me, sir!" The call came from a bushy-haired first year, accompanied by what looked like her Muggle parents.
"Yes?" Mr. Bolt answered politely.
"I can't seem to find Platform Nine and Three Quarters," she admitted, looking frustrated. She paused, and looked him over. "You are a wizard, right sir?"
"Yes, I am. Here, Christopher, let's show the lady and her parents how it's done," he said to his son. "Just walk right at the barrier, and don't be scared."
Christopher nodded, and promptly disappeared through the barrier. Mr. Bolt smiled at the dumbstruck trio, then picked up Ael and ran through the barrier himself.
"Come, Christopher, let's load your things on the train and find you a seat."
Soon, frantically late sudents and their families - among them the redheaded family from the Alley with a raven-haired, bespectacled boy tagging along - were rushing through the barrier, scrambling for available seats. Christopher hugged his father and sister, and promised to write as often as he could, before the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the platform and towards the Scottish highlands.
~~~~~~
Hi Dad! Hey Ael! Guess what House I'm in! (No, Dad, I'm not a Hufflepuff.) I was almost a Hufflepuff, but I ended up in Ravenclaw instead.
Remember how you told us about Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived? He's here at Hogwarts, right now! He's a Gryffindor (big surprise there, eh?), but I got to meet him and he's a really nice kid. Not what I expected at all. A bit short, maybe, but I'm sure that won't last.
Well I'll write more later, I'm gonna be late for Potions!
Christopher Lee
P.S. Snape is a slimy git!
Mr. Bolt chuckled at the letter his son had sent. Ael was a little confused by the post-script, but she was intrigued by the part about Harry Potter. Ever since she'd heard what he did, she had wondered if she'd ever see him in person.
"I'm going to write back to your brother," Mr. Bolt said. "Do you want me to give him a message from you?"
"Just ask him what Harry Potter looks like, and what year he's in," she replied immediately. Then she headed off towards the door.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Ael opened the door. "To Kat's place. She owled me earlier. Said she wanted me to meet someone." And with that, she transformed into a werepuppy and took off in the direction of 7 Abbey Gardens.
~~~~~~
Upon Ael's arrival at Kat's house, she flung open the door and yelled "Hey Lucy, I'm hooome!"
There was the sound of hyperactive bouncing down the stairs, and she was instantly tackled by the blond-haired vampire. Behind her was a white-haired boy, who regarded them calmly and somewhat curiously.
Ael and Kat stopped hugging, and Ael looked Khense up and down before raising an eyebrow. "So, is this your little boyfriend?" she asked teasingly.
"Uhh... boyfriend?" Kat said, confused. "Ael, I just met him a few hours ago." A sheepish grin flickered across her face.
The boy blushed, but held out his hand. "I'm Khense Nekire," He said, rather timidly.
'Oooh, he's blushiiiiing!' Ael snickered inwardly. She immediately grabbed Khense's hand and proceeded to shake his entire arm with the force of a bodybuilder swinging a bullwhip. "Hiya, Khense! Nice to meetcha!" she chirped in her best hyper tone.
"Wha...how...nyergh?" Khense sputtered in shock, rubbing his arm (which Ael had rendered completely numb).
"Oh, didn't Kat tell you? I'm a werewolf," she said deadpan, struggling to keep from howling (quite literally) with laughter.
Khense blinked, then slapped his forehead. "That explains so much!"