Jade felt the familiar rushing sensation once again as soot filled her nose
and mouth. She held her breath as her eyes began to water and her throat
tickled. She'd felt that way before. She knew what it meant. Jade braced
herself and,'
'AAAAAACHOOO!' she stumbled forward and felt her head smack up against a large wooden post. Hard. 'Fuckin' allergies,' she mumbled to herself, grasping her forehead.
When she finally regained control, and wasn't as dizzy, she looked up. A lot of good that did her. It was pitch black and not even the fireplace she had just come out of was lit.
'Oh, great! First a kitchen, now a cold, damp cellar,' she said to herself. 'What's next? Barney's funhouse?' Jade shivered and it wasn't from the cold.
She reached forward and grasped at the air. She was able to weave herself through the clutter of boxes on the floor but still managed to smack her head again, this time on a stone wall.
'Fuck!' she yelled before starting to slide herself along the damp, moss covered stone.
When she finally felt her hand move along the cold metal of a doorknob, she almost screamed with relief. She shut her eyes and turned it as slowly as she could, wishing with all her might that this would be the way out.
It wasn't.
The door burst open and Jade flew backwards over several boxes. A cold green light lit up her face and she screamed in agony. Pain, such as she had never experienced, surged through her forehead. She squirmed on the floor, pulling at her black hair and grasping her temple. Suddenly, the pain dulled and she looked up as a tall figure with a black cape emerged from inside the door. It raised its arm to reveal a hand with long spindly fingers, grasping a wand. She grabbed her forehead again and screamed louder. She felt a surge of terror travel all through her as the dark figure advanced.
It began to whisper something from under its breath when, suddenly, the lights in the cellar came on and Jade heard a loud voice,
'RIDDIKULUS! RIDDIKULUS!'
Jade closed her eyes and when she opened them, the man was gone. All that was left was the eerie silence that hung in the air. She looked around but all she could make out were the blurry shapes of 2 people. The last thing she heard was the distant sounds of what seemed a hundred voices, chattering loudly. Darkness overtook her.
* * *
Jade awoke in a cold sweat several hours later. At first, she thought it had all been a dream but as she gazed around the room she realized that it couldn't have been. With a jolt, she remembered everything that had happened. Her mother's strange disappearance, learning about Hogwarts and about being a witch, the white powdery substance that had allowed her to travel from place to place, the elf-like creature named Sally, the boy with the black sweatshirt, being trapped in the dark cellar and that strange and frightening thing that had come out of the closet.
What had that thing been? Jade sat up and threw the blankets off of her. For the first time since she'd been awake, she realised where she was. It was a small room with dark green walls, some highly polished oak furniture and a cheerfully crackling fire. She walked over to the small makeup table and sat down on a stool.
'I look horrible,' she said, starring at the reflection of herself in the large mirror. Her face was as pale as a ghost, her black mascara was running, her lips were chapped and her normally straight hair was everywhere.
'Look on the bright side, dear. At least your complexion is nice. I've had witches in here that looked as if they had just been blasted with a permanent boil spell. At least that's all fixable.'
Jade fell backward off the chair, hitting her already sore head on the hard wooden floor. The voice had sounded as if it had come from inside the mirror itself. She stood up, rubbing the back of her skull and reached out a hand to feel along the crevices of the mirror, searching for the source of the strange, wheezy voice.
'Oh. A muggle? I see,' came the strange voice again.
Jade was sure now that the mirror was in fact talking so, when she recovered from her shock, she replied shakily,
'Er - Muggle?' she asked.
'Yes, dear. A person who is incapable of doing magic,' said the mirror.
'Well, I'm witch,' said Jade. The word felt strange to her. 'I'm just kind of, um, new?'
'Oh! Splendid. Well, welcome to the world of magic. You'll love being a witch, I just know you will.'
'Yes I'm sure you're right but, um, why are you talking? I mean, I've never heard of a talking mirror,' replied Jade, uncertainly.
'Your first time in the magic world, is it? I see well, here a lot of things talk. Some can even move. Mirrors, pictures; almost anything you can think of,' said the mirror, sweetly. 'Its really not that strange in the wizarding world.'
'Oh,' said Jade, quietly.
'Oh and by the way,' said the mirror in its wheezy, old lady voice. 'When Mr. Dumbledore brought you into my room, he left you that letter over there on you bedside table. He said that you should read it as soon as you woke up.'
Jade turned around and walked slowly over to her bed. She sat down and took the letter. She quickly opened it and pulled out the piece of parchment that was inside. It read:
Miss Jade Moonstone,
If you are reading this than you have obviously woken from your
sleeping state. I hope that you are enjoying your stay here at the
Leaky Cauldron. Originally we were supposed to meet up with a couple
of people to discuss your entry into Hogwarts. However, under the
circumstances, we decided to skip that and bring you directly to where
you'll be staying for the next three days, before going to the
Weasleys' house for the rest of the summer. I took the liberty of
withdrawing some money from your account at Gringotts Wizarding Bank -
At this, Jade put the letter down. She had never heard of this "Gringotts" and had definitely never deposited any money there. What was Professor Dumbledore talking about? Jade picked up the letter again after a short pause.
- but if you are in need of any more I have left you your key and you
may use it at your own accord. You are permitted to wander the streets
of Diagon Alley but please do not venture out into the human world.
Tom, the innkeeper here, will be more than happy to tell you all you
need to know.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions Jade but please, rest assured.
The Weasleys and I will be stopping in the day after tomorrow for
dinner and I will explain everything. In the mean time have fun.
Sincerely,
Professor Dumbledore
Ps: I also took the liberty of making sure you had all your belongings
with you. You'll find them all in the trunk at the end of your bed.
Jade stood up and walked to the end of her bed. There was the trunk just as Dumbledore had said. Jade opened it very slowly and propped the lid open. Inside was everything that she needed; clothes, make up, diary ('Oh God, I hope he didn't read it'), teddy bear, discman, even the old tattered picture of her mother and father that she insisted on bringing everywhere she went.
'How did he know?' she asked herself. Than she realized there was something else that was written on the letter:
Pps: I have my ways.
Jade smiled to herself before walking over to her bed and collapsing onto it. She had so much she wanted to ponder but before she had the chance to even think about it, her eyes closed and she drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
'AAAAAACHOOO!' she stumbled forward and felt her head smack up against a large wooden post. Hard. 'Fuckin' allergies,' she mumbled to herself, grasping her forehead.
When she finally regained control, and wasn't as dizzy, she looked up. A lot of good that did her. It was pitch black and not even the fireplace she had just come out of was lit.
'Oh, great! First a kitchen, now a cold, damp cellar,' she said to herself. 'What's next? Barney's funhouse?' Jade shivered and it wasn't from the cold.
She reached forward and grasped at the air. She was able to weave herself through the clutter of boxes on the floor but still managed to smack her head again, this time on a stone wall.
'Fuck!' she yelled before starting to slide herself along the damp, moss covered stone.
When she finally felt her hand move along the cold metal of a doorknob, she almost screamed with relief. She shut her eyes and turned it as slowly as she could, wishing with all her might that this would be the way out.
It wasn't.
The door burst open and Jade flew backwards over several boxes. A cold green light lit up her face and she screamed in agony. Pain, such as she had never experienced, surged through her forehead. She squirmed on the floor, pulling at her black hair and grasping her temple. Suddenly, the pain dulled and she looked up as a tall figure with a black cape emerged from inside the door. It raised its arm to reveal a hand with long spindly fingers, grasping a wand. She grabbed her forehead again and screamed louder. She felt a surge of terror travel all through her as the dark figure advanced.
It began to whisper something from under its breath when, suddenly, the lights in the cellar came on and Jade heard a loud voice,
'RIDDIKULUS! RIDDIKULUS!'
Jade closed her eyes and when she opened them, the man was gone. All that was left was the eerie silence that hung in the air. She looked around but all she could make out were the blurry shapes of 2 people. The last thing she heard was the distant sounds of what seemed a hundred voices, chattering loudly. Darkness overtook her.
* * *
Jade awoke in a cold sweat several hours later. At first, she thought it had all been a dream but as she gazed around the room she realized that it couldn't have been. With a jolt, she remembered everything that had happened. Her mother's strange disappearance, learning about Hogwarts and about being a witch, the white powdery substance that had allowed her to travel from place to place, the elf-like creature named Sally, the boy with the black sweatshirt, being trapped in the dark cellar and that strange and frightening thing that had come out of the closet.
What had that thing been? Jade sat up and threw the blankets off of her. For the first time since she'd been awake, she realised where she was. It was a small room with dark green walls, some highly polished oak furniture and a cheerfully crackling fire. She walked over to the small makeup table and sat down on a stool.
'I look horrible,' she said, starring at the reflection of herself in the large mirror. Her face was as pale as a ghost, her black mascara was running, her lips were chapped and her normally straight hair was everywhere.
'Look on the bright side, dear. At least your complexion is nice. I've had witches in here that looked as if they had just been blasted with a permanent boil spell. At least that's all fixable.'
Jade fell backward off the chair, hitting her already sore head on the hard wooden floor. The voice had sounded as if it had come from inside the mirror itself. She stood up, rubbing the back of her skull and reached out a hand to feel along the crevices of the mirror, searching for the source of the strange, wheezy voice.
'Oh. A muggle? I see,' came the strange voice again.
Jade was sure now that the mirror was in fact talking so, when she recovered from her shock, she replied shakily,
'Er - Muggle?' she asked.
'Yes, dear. A person who is incapable of doing magic,' said the mirror.
'Well, I'm witch,' said Jade. The word felt strange to her. 'I'm just kind of, um, new?'
'Oh! Splendid. Well, welcome to the world of magic. You'll love being a witch, I just know you will.'
'Yes I'm sure you're right but, um, why are you talking? I mean, I've never heard of a talking mirror,' replied Jade, uncertainly.
'Your first time in the magic world, is it? I see well, here a lot of things talk. Some can even move. Mirrors, pictures; almost anything you can think of,' said the mirror, sweetly. 'Its really not that strange in the wizarding world.'
'Oh,' said Jade, quietly.
'Oh and by the way,' said the mirror in its wheezy, old lady voice. 'When Mr. Dumbledore brought you into my room, he left you that letter over there on you bedside table. He said that you should read it as soon as you woke up.'
Jade turned around and walked slowly over to her bed. She sat down and took the letter. She quickly opened it and pulled out the piece of parchment that was inside. It read:
Miss Jade Moonstone,
If you are reading this than you have obviously woken from your
sleeping state. I hope that you are enjoying your stay here at the
Leaky Cauldron. Originally we were supposed to meet up with a couple
of people to discuss your entry into Hogwarts. However, under the
circumstances, we decided to skip that and bring you directly to where
you'll be staying for the next three days, before going to the
Weasleys' house for the rest of the summer. I took the liberty of
withdrawing some money from your account at Gringotts Wizarding Bank -
At this, Jade put the letter down. She had never heard of this "Gringotts" and had definitely never deposited any money there. What was Professor Dumbledore talking about? Jade picked up the letter again after a short pause.
- but if you are in need of any more I have left you your key and you
may use it at your own accord. You are permitted to wander the streets
of Diagon Alley but please do not venture out into the human world.
Tom, the innkeeper here, will be more than happy to tell you all you
need to know.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions Jade but please, rest assured.
The Weasleys and I will be stopping in the day after tomorrow for
dinner and I will explain everything. In the mean time have fun.
Sincerely,
Professor Dumbledore
Ps: I also took the liberty of making sure you had all your belongings
with you. You'll find them all in the trunk at the end of your bed.
Jade stood up and walked to the end of her bed. There was the trunk just as Dumbledore had said. Jade opened it very slowly and propped the lid open. Inside was everything that she needed; clothes, make up, diary ('Oh God, I hope he didn't read it'), teddy bear, discman, even the old tattered picture of her mother and father that she insisted on bringing everywhere she went.
'How did he know?' she asked herself. Than she realized there was something else that was written on the letter:
Pps: I have my ways.
Jade smiled to herself before walking over to her bed and collapsing onto it. She had so much she wanted to ponder but before she had the chance to even think about it, her eyes closed and she drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.