New Begginings

Lady Venom: Okay, I have only watched the movies, so I'm not well versed like my co-writer on the Harry Potter verse. This is our first Harry Potter story, both alone, or together. So, enjoy. Also,whenever you see a name in bold by itself, that means a change in perspective. Enjoy!

Takamo: Umm....what she said....oh....and watch out for Snape goodness!.....and a little Hagrid stuff for Lady Venom

Lady Venom: grins

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter and company, they along with Hogwarts belong to the J.K Rowling. We own Darren, Terra and Crystal.

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Crystal

I use to read about the wizards and witches in storybooks, and always use to fancy what it would be like to be one of them. You know, able to fly broomsticks, make things move with the wave of a wand. Fight dragons and all that heroic stuff. I knew someone who told me once that things like that do exist, but I never believed him, I always thought that he was just humoring me. But, now I don't even have him around anymore, his parents sent him away to school in England.

I haven't seen him in over seven years, and he was the closest friend I had.

With all these weird things happening to me lately, I didn't know whom to turn too, and so, almost bursting with news of my recent discoveries, I turned to a relatively close friend. Showing her what I found out I could do, wasn't much really, one night I was studying, and found out I had misplaced my biology book. I had turned my room upside down looking for it, and when I had finally given up, resigning myself to fail the test the next day; lo and behold, the book floated into my hands out from under the bed. I was stunned to say the least, I mean, that book was really, really heavy! But there it was, hovering before my eyes.

After months of practice, I found out that I could make other things float, but it took a great deal of concentration, and usually left me with a killer headache afterwards. But I was still proud of the small fact that I was different from the other people I knew.

So, bringing my friend with me to a deserted parking lot, carrying with me my purse, inside a small book I had picked up along with a weird little stick my friend had given to me before leaving for England. I discovered that it helped when I used it, giving me a place to put my concentrated energy.

"Rachel, I want you to please try to understand what I'm going to show you." I watched her nod, and I pulled out the book and wand (that's what he had called it). Setting the book on the ground, I concentrated. I pictured the books ascent into the air in my mind, trying to make that a reality in the waking world. I watched the book on the cold pavement bounce a bit on the ground, before finally lifting itself up slowly to float between my friend and I.

I heard her gasp, and looked away from the book to her face, the break of contact caused the book to fall down with a small thump, and Rachel stared at me and the wand.

"What the hell did you just do? Please tell that it was just a magic trick, do not tell me what I think just happened!"

"What's the problem? Rach' I told you to keep an open mind about what I was going to do. I think that Darren was right, I think that I might have some special powers or something."

Rachel watched me warily, as if I was going to say 'Hocus Pocus' and turn her into a frog or something.

"Darren? Don't you remember all the rumors about him Crystal? They said that he was a freak! Some one who practiced black magic or something!"

"He was not a freak!" Even though Darren was gone, I still felt like I needed to protect him. He was still my friend. "He just knew more than most of us, and that made you all scared!" I yelled back, feeling my anger start to rise.

"That is so not true, the only reason you couldn't see him for what he really was, was because of your infatuation with him! And he brainwashed you into thinking that you're just like him!"

I was too stunned to dish out a retort, I was fuming, enraged that I had ever called this person a friend of mine. Kneeling down I picked up the book and placed both it and the wand back into my purse before turning and leaving. I needed to calm down before going back to my apartment, so I turned in the direction of the local nightclub. Being out of school and twenty had its benefits, like now when I was close to exploding at humiliating myself in front of Rachel, all I wanted was a nice cool drink and someplace to blend into.

Which was the last thing that happened, but I digress.

Upon walking into the nightclub, I sat down in one of the chairs at the bar, intending to drink until I saw double and hopefully forget all that had just happened. Running a hand through my brown - red hair I waited for a waitress to serve me, when a guy about my age sat down next to me. I paid him no attention until he leaned over to me, and tried to start a conversation.

"Look pal, I really, really don't want to talk to you right now, so couldja buzz off?"

He grinned and laughed a little, shaking his head. "You always were articulate Crystal."

I whipped around at the mention of my name, and looked the guy over again. His brown hair was ear length and fine, if not shaggy. His slight build and tall frame looked slightly familiar, but I couldn't place from where.

"Do I know you?"

"I'm hurt that you would forget me so easily, after all it's only been what? Seven years and three months?"

"D...Darren? Is that you?" I looked at him again, seeing him as if for the first time. Hmm, what a cliché!

He grinned that beautiful smile at me, "The one and only!"

Ignoring the barmaid that had been trying to take my order I flung my arms around him, hugging him tightly in case he tried to leave again.

"When did you get back in town? Why are you here? " I begged for the information.

"I've come back for town to fetch you, I've been told that you've been having strange experiences lately." He asked with a concerned look.

"What do you mean by strange experiences?" I asked cautiously, unsure of what he was insinuating.

Glancing around, he leaned in close whispering. "Things that you can't explain, things like making things happen when you're mad, or scared." He watched for my reaction. "Come on Crystal, you and I both know that you don't belong with these muggles."

"Muggles? What re muggles?" I really liked him, Darren was a great friend, but even this was a little too much for me.

"Muggle are non magic folk. A person who has no magical powers, unlike you." He leaned back, smiling that wonderful smile but I was really not sure I could trust it now.

"Okay, say I did believe you, say I was whatever you think I am - "

"A witch." He stated matter - of - factly.

I blinked, almost laughing at the absurdity of it. "O-kay. Say I am a...witch, what of it? What's the good of it?"

That's when he really truly laughed, as if I had said the funniest thing in the world. If I had I wished he would share the secret joke, since I was still completely in the dark about everything.

"Come with me, we need someplace more quiet to talk." Taking my hand he pulled me with him to the door. Sulking a little at the loss of my drink I reluctantly followed him to the cool, smoke free air outside. When he had decided we were far enough away that some random drunk pissing into the brick siding couldn't watch us while doing his, uh, business he continued.

"Okay, look Darren, you'd have better tell me what's going on, and fast! I mean, five years is a long time, and I never got so much as a lousy phone call, or letter. What, can't you write up there?" I complained, allowing an age-old anger to boil up at how he had left me so suddenly.

He looked at me quizzically, "What do you mean? I've been writing to you for three years now. I assumed that you were the one who didn't want to talk to me. That's why I came down here after graduation."

"Graduation? I graded two years ago, why'd it take you so long?" I paused and added with an insinuating grin, "What, London schools too hard for you?"

"No, but it takes a lot of hard work to pass this school, as you will soon find out!" He yelled back at me.

"Hah! Well excuse me for not bowing down to the great Darren for rescuing me from the purgatory of the Canadian rockies!" With a snort I turned on my heel and was prepared to leave him when he grabbed my arm.

"Look, I'm not going where ever yo-....woah." I watched him as he used a wand similar to my own, and point it at the pissing man.

"Petrificus Totalus," I watched stunned as the man turned rigid and fell over, his hand still frozen along with everything else. Backing up, I looked over at Darren, then down at the powerful instrument in his hand.

"D-Darren, turn him back! Turn him back!" I yelled at him, suddenly very scared.

"Relax Crystal, it'll be okay. I have the herb that'll unpetrify him."

"T...is this what you went to school for? To learn how to do..t-that to people?" I could feel my eye's start to widen at the thought of it. All this time, everyone was right. Darren was a witch...or were they called warlocks?

"Listen Darren, I think you've gotten something mixed up, because I can't do that."

"Not yet you can't, but if you would only come back to England with me, I can have you enrolled in Hogwarts in no time." He replied, walking back over to me, after administering something to the stiff man.

"Hogwarts? I don't think so, I'm perfectly fine right here!" I quipped back, turning around to look for a cab that I could run and jump into and pretend this meeting never happened.

"But you need to find a way to release the witch in you otherwise it will start to effect your health. And Hogwarts is the best school there is, and don't worry about the cost, Dumbledore has agreed to let you come on a scholarship."

"Dumbledore? Scholarship? What the hell Darren, I am perfectly fine where I am! As for releasing the witch in me, I've found that yelling at underlings at the office works just fine!"

Coming up behind me, he took my hand, "Please Crystal, just come and give it a shot, I know that you'll like it if you just try." Turning, I looked back at the man I had trusted for so many years, and felt my resolve slipping out of my grasp.

With a sigh, I nodded. "All right, let me start typing up my resignation for work."

Giving me that grin of his again, I turned and started for home when a thought occurred to me.

"Where are you staying?" I called back down the road.

"At the Wandlyn hotel! Room 408!"

Waving I started for home again, sighing wearily. Looking forward to the bed waiting for me.

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Darren

"So, is she coming?"

I nodded, looking over at the petite drow on the bed, "Yea, we're meeting again tomorrow."

The black elf watched me curiously; "You really like her don't you? Should I be jealous?"

Sitting down beside her, I wrapped my arm around the red-eyed female, "Naw, she's just a really close friend. You know where my loyalties lie Terra."

Grinning she lay back, pulling me with her. "Good, now come on, we need our rest for the big day you have planned tomorrow."

Grinning, I laid down beside her, "Sleep, so soon? My dear elf, have I taught you nothing?"

TBC