Chapter two
Disclaimer on opening note
Ruby worked most of the summer or was dancing at camp, but when camp was over, her free time was spent working on her homework, playing Final Fantasy, or just reading.
"You know it's going to end the same way as it did the last time," Bobby would always say when he saw her re-reading a book or playing Final Fantasy X for the umpteenth time. Ruby would just laugh and continue. She knew he was right, but that took all the fun out of it.
The potion assignment was harder then she thought. She knew what made the ingredients out of the ordinary; you would never use most of them together, for it would be volatile. But, there was one potion where, if mixed correctly and in a specific order, would make a very powerful remedy. Unfortunately between her books and Bobby's there was nothing on the potion. It was trial and error with tiny explosive consequences.
"Good thing I found Alexis a home. We'd have a hard time explaining this," he laughed as Ruby came down from the attic were she worked.
"I don't think I'll ever figure out this potion," Ruby said as she slumped into a chair.
"You'll figure it out, but I think you need a break."
Ruby sighed and made her way to her room. Her mattress laid on the floor, the moon and star quilt covering it. Her wood paneled walls were covered in posters from movies, Final Fantasy, and anime shows. Above her bed hung a green wall tapestry that had the Japanese character for earth on it. The bare bulb lights that hung from the ceiling where covered in cloth lanterns of various colors, giving off an ethereal atmosphere. She looked at the cork board on one of the walls were she had posted all her important mail, pictures, and most important of all, her O.W.L.S. result. She was just short of an O, but it didn't matter. Again she had gone against what everyone else thought, and succeeded. She looked at the dry erase board where she counted down the days till school. She had drawn funny little pictures of all her friends around the count down that made her smile ever time she looked at it. She went to a small corner of the room where she had her computer and logged on to the internet. Some of her "muggle" friends were on, which gave her an idea. She only called them muggles, because they would prefer that then being called squibs. Squibs meant that there was some witch or wizard in there blood line. Just as she had this thought, a window popped up on her monitor.
Sk8er4eva: Hey Ruby, wassup?
dancemagic: Actually, I've been slowly turning the attic into a war
zone
Sk8er4eva: potions?
dancemagic: I just don't get it. So I had a question for u
Sk8er4eva: I don't know nothin' about this
dancemagic: I know, but you have a relative who might, right?
Sk8er4eva: My aunt went to the American wizard's school. She might
not be able to help you if it's really advanced.
dancmagic: I know, but some one else's perspective could be useful.
do you think we could see her tomorrow.
Sk8ter4eva: Only if we can go a) surfing or b) to the skate park
afterwards.
dancemagic: It's a deal.
Sk8er4eva: Cool. Ok tomorrow at let's say ten?
Dancemagic: sounds good
Sk8er4eva: great, cya!
Ruby told Bobby of her idea. He reminded her to be careful with the items when she left the house and not to lose them.
"I'll be careful, don't worry," she said.
The next day Sk8er4eva, a.k.a Lei, showed up at her house on his skater board. Ruby had her rollerblades strapped on and ready to go, potion items in a backpack.
"You really must be desperate if you are asking me for help," he kidded as they made there why to his aunt's house.
"Well, it can't be any worse then blowing up my attic everyday."
They arrived at Lei's aunt's house where she was waiting at the front door.
"Come on in you two," she yelled. Ruby and Lei went in the house where Ruby took off her rollerblades and Lei put up his skateboard.
"Kinda weird, huh," he whispered.
"You've never seen weird," Ruby laughed.
"So, you are Ruby, right? I am Kini. Lei told me you are having problems with your potions assignment?" Kini asked her questions while leading them down to the basement, which had piles of books everywhere.
"Yeah, I have everything here." Ruby took off her back pack and took out the box. While she set up the ingredients and a cauldron, Kini read the note Snape had sent.
"Well, give me a moment. Potions wasn't my best subject, but I was interested in it. I have a lot of books on it."
"It looks like you have a lot of books on everything," said Lei as he nosed around one of the piles.
"Anyway, you know what makes them different, right?"
"Yes," answered Ruby, "You wouldn't normally use these ingredients together."
"Correct," Kini praised. "Now, you have a list of what you tried so far right?"
"Yes." Ruby handed her the list. With that Kini took out her wand and placed it on the paper.
"Memordi," she said and the writing seemed to lift off the page and into the wand. "Accio subject." Books flew every which way causing Lei and Ruby to duck. Plies shuffled themselves until three books landed at Kini's feet. "Ok that narrows it down. Look through these first. You should find it right away." Both Kini and Ruby looked through the books until, in the final book, they found a couple possibilities. They mixed the first one which exploded blue ooze everywhere; the second gave off a rotten egg smell. Finally the third on worked. Ruby put part of the contents in a vile.
"Well, I'm glad I've been able to help a young wizard. I wish you would have been a part of our family, Ruby,"
"Oh no," Lei groaned.
"I mean, really, I don't think Lei even put forth an effort to become a wizard."
"Aunt Kini, face it, I will be a pro skateboarder."
"And I'm proud of that, Honey. Now you two go have fun, and feel free to ask for help any time, Ruby. It's nice to talk to another wizard."
Back out on the street they made there way back to Ruby's house, before going to the skate park. (This was decided by Lei, of course.)
"Does your aunt always bug you about being a muggle?" "Not usually. I think seeing another wizard brought it out of her. She is the last one in the family to have any magical power. I'm glad I'm not a wizard though."
"Really?" Ruby was a little surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, I couldn't live with out skating. You really can't live without dancing and surfing and you know stuff."
"Oh yeah, I mean I'm so deprived of stuff," Ruby teased.
"I mean, do you think this wizard thing will really last, Ruby. If it all went away, what would you do?"
Ruby stopped, "Are trying to tell me to stop being a wizard.?"
"No," answered Lei. "It's nice for the time being, what happens after Hogwarts? What will you do then?"
"Well," Ruby thought, "anything with potions."
"And how long can you really make a living like that?"
"Well, I could tell you that you could break your leg today and your skating career would be over?"
"Yeah, but, my dream seems much more tangible then yours," he said as they came to her house.
"You know what? I don't really feel like hanging out right now."
"Ruby, I didn't mean it like that."
"Let me just be alone. I'm sorry that you can't understand right now. Maybe you should talk to your aunt some more." With that Ruby went into the house and curled up on her bed. What would she do after Hogwarts?
*Good question to end with, eh?
Ruby worked most of the summer or was dancing at camp, but when camp was over, her free time was spent working on her homework, playing Final Fantasy, or just reading.
"You know it's going to end the same way as it did the last time," Bobby would always say when he saw her re-reading a book or playing Final Fantasy X for the umpteenth time. Ruby would just laugh and continue. She knew he was right, but that took all the fun out of it.
The potion assignment was harder then she thought. She knew what made the ingredients out of the ordinary; you would never use most of them together, for it would be volatile. But, there was one potion where, if mixed correctly and in a specific order, would make a very powerful remedy. Unfortunately between her books and Bobby's there was nothing on the potion. It was trial and error with tiny explosive consequences.
"Good thing I found Alexis a home. We'd have a hard time explaining this," he laughed as Ruby came down from the attic were she worked.
"I don't think I'll ever figure out this potion," Ruby said as she slumped into a chair.
"You'll figure it out, but I think you need a break."
Ruby sighed and made her way to her room. Her mattress laid on the floor, the moon and star quilt covering it. Her wood paneled walls were covered in posters from movies, Final Fantasy, and anime shows. Above her bed hung a green wall tapestry that had the Japanese character for earth on it. The bare bulb lights that hung from the ceiling where covered in cloth lanterns of various colors, giving off an ethereal atmosphere. She looked at the cork board on one of the walls were she had posted all her important mail, pictures, and most important of all, her O.W.L.S. result. She was just short of an O, but it didn't matter. Again she had gone against what everyone else thought, and succeeded. She looked at the dry erase board where she counted down the days till school. She had drawn funny little pictures of all her friends around the count down that made her smile ever time she looked at it. She went to a small corner of the room where she had her computer and logged on to the internet. Some of her "muggle" friends were on, which gave her an idea. She only called them muggles, because they would prefer that then being called squibs. Squibs meant that there was some witch or wizard in there blood line. Just as she had this thought, a window popped up on her monitor.
Sk8er4eva: Hey Ruby, wassup?
dancemagic: Actually, I've been slowly turning the attic into a war
zone
Sk8er4eva: potions?
dancemagic: I just don't get it. So I had a question for u
Sk8er4eva: I don't know nothin' about this
dancemagic: I know, but you have a relative who might, right?
Sk8er4eva: My aunt went to the American wizard's school. She might
not be able to help you if it's really advanced.
dancmagic: I know, but some one else's perspective could be useful.
do you think we could see her tomorrow.
Sk8ter4eva: Only if we can go a) surfing or b) to the skate park
afterwards.
dancemagic: It's a deal.
Sk8er4eva: Cool. Ok tomorrow at let's say ten?
Dancemagic: sounds good
Sk8er4eva: great, cya!
Ruby told Bobby of her idea. He reminded her to be careful with the items when she left the house and not to lose them.
"I'll be careful, don't worry," she said.
The next day Sk8er4eva, a.k.a Lei, showed up at her house on his skater board. Ruby had her rollerblades strapped on and ready to go, potion items in a backpack.
"You really must be desperate if you are asking me for help," he kidded as they made there why to his aunt's house.
"Well, it can't be any worse then blowing up my attic everyday."
They arrived at Lei's aunt's house where she was waiting at the front door.
"Come on in you two," she yelled. Ruby and Lei went in the house where Ruby took off her rollerblades and Lei put up his skateboard.
"Kinda weird, huh," he whispered.
"You've never seen weird," Ruby laughed.
"So, you are Ruby, right? I am Kini. Lei told me you are having problems with your potions assignment?" Kini asked her questions while leading them down to the basement, which had piles of books everywhere.
"Yeah, I have everything here." Ruby took off her back pack and took out the box. While she set up the ingredients and a cauldron, Kini read the note Snape had sent.
"Well, give me a moment. Potions wasn't my best subject, but I was interested in it. I have a lot of books on it."
"It looks like you have a lot of books on everything," said Lei as he nosed around one of the piles.
"Anyway, you know what makes them different, right?"
"Yes," answered Ruby, "You wouldn't normally use these ingredients together."
"Correct," Kini praised. "Now, you have a list of what you tried so far right?"
"Yes." Ruby handed her the list. With that Kini took out her wand and placed it on the paper.
"Memordi," she said and the writing seemed to lift off the page and into the wand. "Accio subject." Books flew every which way causing Lei and Ruby to duck. Plies shuffled themselves until three books landed at Kini's feet. "Ok that narrows it down. Look through these first. You should find it right away." Both Kini and Ruby looked through the books until, in the final book, they found a couple possibilities. They mixed the first one which exploded blue ooze everywhere; the second gave off a rotten egg smell. Finally the third on worked. Ruby put part of the contents in a vile.
"Well, I'm glad I've been able to help a young wizard. I wish you would have been a part of our family, Ruby,"
"Oh no," Lei groaned.
"I mean, really, I don't think Lei even put forth an effort to become a wizard."
"Aunt Kini, face it, I will be a pro skateboarder."
"And I'm proud of that, Honey. Now you two go have fun, and feel free to ask for help any time, Ruby. It's nice to talk to another wizard."
Back out on the street they made there way back to Ruby's house, before going to the skate park. (This was decided by Lei, of course.)
"Does your aunt always bug you about being a muggle?" "Not usually. I think seeing another wizard brought it out of her. She is the last one in the family to have any magical power. I'm glad I'm not a wizard though."
"Really?" Ruby was a little surprised.
"Yeah, I mean, I couldn't live with out skating. You really can't live without dancing and surfing and you know stuff."
"Oh yeah, I mean I'm so deprived of stuff," Ruby teased.
"I mean, do you think this wizard thing will really last, Ruby. If it all went away, what would you do?"
Ruby stopped, "Are trying to tell me to stop being a wizard.?"
"No," answered Lei. "It's nice for the time being, what happens after Hogwarts? What will you do then?"
"Well," Ruby thought, "anything with potions."
"And how long can you really make a living like that?"
"Well, I could tell you that you could break your leg today and your skating career would be over?"
"Yeah, but, my dream seems much more tangible then yours," he said as they came to her house.
"You know what? I don't really feel like hanging out right now."
"Ruby, I didn't mean it like that."
"Let me just be alone. I'm sorry that you can't understand right now. Maybe you should talk to your aunt some more." With that Ruby went into the house and curled up on her bed. What would she do after Hogwarts?
*Good question to end with, eh?