Title: Dawn of Darkness
Author: Shila / Jingle Hopper
Rating: PG-13 (For now. Likely to change.)
Warnings: Set five years after the defeat of Voldemort and HP's 7th year.
Disclaimer: Anything Rowling came up with isn't mine, and I thank her for letting me sully her playground with my own chibis. Most of the students are original characters, as are the DADA and Transfiguration teachers, and they're MINE. They live in -my- head. No poaching.
Summary: Harry Potter graduated five years ago and went on to destroy Lord Voldemort once and for all later that summer. Now, there's a whole new cast of players at Hogwarts - new students, new teachers - but business goes on as usual. However, as is typical, nobody attending Hogwarts is precisely normal, -or- exactly what they seem...
Apparently, someone thinks they've learned from Voldemort's mistakes, and is trying to take over the wizarding world. Unfortunately, this one seems to be aware that most of the trouble originates in Hogwarts, and so destruction of the school and those in it is paramount. Even more unfortunately, nobody wants to fight another dark wizard on the rise, and as of yet, just who it is - and who supports him, or her - is unknown. Muggles keep turning up dead by magical means and strange things keep happening around Hogwarts. It's up to yet another gaggle of intrepid Hogwarts students to save the world once more, only this time, none of them are specially destined for it, like Harry was...
Author's Notes: This will hopefully be a long and involved fic, and I'd like to see it do well. Wish me luck, and please, read and review! (A line of asterisks indicates a scene change.) Let me know if you like my babies. beams On with the story!
Chapter 1: The Owl Is Here! (or, Meet The Protagonists)
"Why isn't it here yet?"
That anxious voice belonged to one Faileas Rayth. It was a surprisingly musical voice, even for a child. The eleven-year old boy was sprawled over the window seat, a frown on his childishly handsome face. Black curls framed his face and bright amethyst eyes sparkled from ivory skin, fixated on the tree-line outside the window. Fai was expecting his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and it -should- have been here two days ago. He turned to look at his twin, anguish plain in his expression.
Aluinn Rayth sighed, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he shrugged his shoulders against the white leather of the couch. He had Faileas' features, the sculpted face, the huge, intensely violet eyes, but his curls were sun- kissed gold, and he was a bit shorter, a bit more slender than his twin brother. He was starting to worry about their letters himself, as they were indeed late, but, unlike Fai, he was much better at hiding his impatience.
The two of them were in a parlor of Rayth Manor, with a good view of the outside, the center window open wide in a thoroughly unsubtle invitation to owls. Their father, Laeiryn Rayth, was going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year at Hogwarts, and they were both quite looking forward to that class. They'd been educated in anything they were interested in since birth, and knew quite a bit about Dark Arts, seeing as how their father was a vampire. Not just any vampire, but one who had been betrayed by his wife during the last war with Voldemort and turned into an undead, bloodsucking fiend. Aluinn and Faileas tried not to let their mother's treachery and subsequent sentence to Azkaban bother them, and they usually suceeded, being very adoring of their father, and he of they.
And now the two of them were sitting there, just -waiting-, and hoping, and angsting, because Daddy was out. This made it feel like the whole Manor was empty, though there was a house-elf skulking around somewhere, and it was odd for two eleven-year old boys to subject themselves to such a tense state of stillness. Aluinn managed it better than Faileas, distracting himself with a book, but the dark-haired twin could not concentrate on reading, instead settling for glaring at the cloud-studded sky outside his window. But now, Aluinn's concentration shattered by his brother's words, he let himself smile, fingers marking the page of his book.
"Perhaps there's lots of crosswinds, or things got confused because there's two of us," Aluinn postulated consolingly. "We'll get in, Fai, we will. Both of us, and I even bet you'll be Gryffindor."
Faileas flushed at that, grinning pleasedly. "Really? You think? I bet -you- will."
Aluinn's smile grew, and he set his book aside. "I think we both will, and -" Then the blonde's words cut off, and his amethyst eyes grew wide. "Fai, look out!" he squeaked, and Faileas turned around just in time to take a rocket of a dark brown owl to the chest. Boy and bird tumbled to the floor in a flailing mass of dark feathers, dark clothing, limbs, and claws. It took a moment before they disentangled themselves, probably due to Faileas' death grip on the two letters tied to the owl's leg.
The owl, freeing itself of its burden, didn't even stop to chirp at them for water; it merely launched itself into flight again, winging out the window and leaving two pairs of amethyst eyes locked onto yellowed, heavy parchment with bated breath. Fai didn't seem to notice that his dark purple shirt was torn up, or that there were feathers sticking out of his hair, which, under other circumstances, Aluinn would have found quite amusing. But now...
Finally Faileas spoke. "This one's yours," he breathed, handing Aluinn a letter. Trying to pretend his hand wasn't shaking, Aluinn took it. The curling, glittering green script read:
To: Aluinn Rayth The Parlor Rayth Manor, 13 Rayth Lane Stirling, Scotland
Casting a glance at Faileas' envelope, he saw that it was identical, but for the names, and he grinned, sliding off the couch to perch next to his bedraggled twin. "On the count of three?" the blonde brother suggested, eyes sparkling. Fai nodded, and two sets of pale, long hands shook as they opened envelopes, one violently and fast, the other tremulously methodical.
Soon they were both staring in delight at the words on the parchment. 'Dear Mr. Rayth, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...'
"I can't believe it," Faileas whispered. "I mean, I knew we'd get them, but..." He trailed off, unable to find the words. He lifted his head to meet his brother's eyes, and saw his own emotions reflected in them.
Aluinn's hands were still trembling as he set the letter down, a wide, mad smile on his face. "I know what you mean."
Silence reigned for one moment before they let out identical whoops of laughter, launching themselves at one another and convulsing with mirth. They were going to Hogwarts! School started soon, and they'd have to go to Diagon Alley with Daddy, and oh, but being eleven ROCKED!
Lunch was a casual affair at the Livingston home. It was a little cottage out in the British countryside, shielded well enough from Muggles, and it was inhabited by Alexander Livingston, who preferred to be known as Lex, and his mother, Jamie Livingston. His father was dead several years now, and it was just he and his witchy mum. This sunny day, they were across from one another at a small table, chatting amiably over sandwiches and tea.
"...And I'm sure it will be here soon," Jamie was reassuring her son, blue eyes warm. Lex had those same baby blues, and the same friendly, sweet smile, but his hair was a wild, bright red-gold, somewhat visually caustic, in contrast to his mother's dark red waves.
"I hope it is," Lex nodded, sinking his teeth into a cucumber sandwich with the crusts meticulously removed. "I -so- hope it is. We get to go to Diagon Alley even if it doesn't, right?" he asked anxiously.
His mother laughed. "It'll come, baby, and we'll go to Diagon Alley this Saturday. Gods know I've been saving money up for this for years." She sounded pleased; she had a nice job with Gringotts as an appraiser, and while they weren't exactly rich, neither were they poor. "Now don't talk with your mouth full."
It was nearly impossible for Lex to ignore such motherly reassurrance, and he nodded, managing a bit of a smile as he swallowed. "Yes, mum."
Jamie seemed to be about to say something when there came a tapping at the window. She looked up, and smiled broadly. "I'll bet that's the post right now," she chirped, opening the window and letting a lovely, dark tufted owl fly in and land on the table. Lex offered it some ham while his mother untied the letters from its leg. Indeed, one of them was the thick, heavy envelope bearing the Hogwart's crest, and Jamie's smile nearly split her face as she handed it to her son. The owl, happily crunching and ham and sipping a bit of Lex's tea, flew out the window, leaving Lex to frantically tear open the envelope, his mother watching in amusement.
"Oh my GODS! Mum! I'm in! I'm in! I'm going to Hogwarts! I imagine I'll be in Gryffindor! I'm IN!" The boy's triumphant, soprano screams blended well with his mother's light laughter as she swept him up in her arms and hugged him tightly.
"I imagine you will," she said, pride tangible in her voice. Lex glowed, and pecked her on the cheek before wriggling free to dance about like a maniac. Jamie could only still laugh at her dear little boy, the only part left of her family. It was so wonderful to see him happy, and she held that against the loneliness that was already turning her stomach. She'd miss her baby while he was away at school. It would be so empty here without his wild exuberance.
But then Lex attacked her with a hug, squealing his joy once more, and the sorrow fled her eyes and smile, and her laugh was true as she spun him again.
Some sacrifices were worth making.
In a small, cozy room whose walls were a complete collage of anything and everything, there was a bed heaped with down pillows and blankets bearing cats. Sprawled over this bed was a gangly, skinny little girl, chin propped up on her chin as her chocolate eyes moved over the pages of her book at a surprising rate. It was a lucky thing that her window was wide open to catch any breeze to lighten the summer heat, or else the barn owl would have smashed into it as she swooped into the girl's room.
Cheshiria Grinn sat up with a strangled yelp, staring in a stunned sort of terror at the owl digging very large and very sharp claws into the edge of her bureau. She saw the paper tied to its leg, and dark eyebrows lifted. She took a step toward the owl, which regarded her with large, unblinking golden eyes. Fear had given way to curiosity and a sort of detachment as Chessy reached out for the yellow bundle of paper. Untying it with fumbling fingers - she was surprised she hadn't been pecked yet - she gripped the thick envelope and stumbled backward. The owl, however, stayed right where it was, and she stared at it emptily for a moment before turning and running out her bedroom door.
However, as Chessy was the kind of girl to get to the bottom of something, thank you very much, she returned with a small dish of water and some dry cat food. As far as she knew, owls were carnivores like cats, and her mum would -kill- her if she gave an owl good lunchmeats.
The owl didn't seem to mind, and ate the cat food and drank the water before butting her beaked head against Chessy's shoulder and flying out the window again.
Chessy stared after it for a long moment before she started. What had she done with that odd-looking letter? She'd had it in her hand...
She collected up the owl's dishes and darted back to the kitchen, despositing them in the sink and snatching the letter off the table where she'd left it. Her mum and dad were in the living room watching television, and as she turned over the envelope to finally -look- at it, her startled shriek drawing their attention.
"Chessy?" came her mother's voice. Her father was peering around the corner of the doorway at her expectantly, and as she walked into the living room, hands tight on the envelope, her mum muted the telly. Both her parent's gazes rested on her, dark and worried, and she held up the letter.
"I just got a letter from an owl," she said, sounding completely and utterly serious.
Exchanging even more worried glances, her parents were quiet for a moment. Then her father frowned. "An owl, honey?" he asked, sounding suitably dubious.
"I know how mad it sounds, really I do, but there was this big barn owl and it flew in my window and had this tied to its leg and it's addressed to me and the owl wouldn't leave til I gave it water and cat food and this isn't any kind of envelope -I've- ever seen..." Chessy ran out of breath, now staring at the wax seal on the thick - parchment, she now realized.
Her mother reached out and rested a hand on her daughter's arm. "Come now, Chessy, let me see that," she said gently, taking the letter from the girl's numb grip. Chessy let her, slumping onto the arm of her mother's chair as her mother's quick, decisive hands opened the envelope and drew out the sheaf of parchment.
"Dear Miss Grinn, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" her mother read, sounding as though she'd been force-fed a lemon strapped to a brick. Chessy's father looked about as shocked, and Chessy herself was bloody flabbergasted.
"That kind of stuff's REAL?" she demaned, hopping off the chair. "I get to be a WITCH?!?" She'd read about all sorts of magic in books and, OH but it would be smashing to get to do it herself...
Her mother and father, being good Christians, exchanged very alarmed looks. "Now, Chessy, baby, I'm sure this is just some sort of joke," her father said, making the plain girl's face fall.
"But I can do it! I always knew I could do magic! You just don't want to believe!" she accused, quite harshly and quite rightly. "Look at that! How could you write a letter like that without magic? Get an OWL to deliver it without magic? Please, Mum, Dad, it'll be better than St. Francis's," she pleaded, brown eyes begging. "Just think of how much easier things would if I had magic."
Her parents, still frowning, traded another look. Her mum shuffled the papers again, and one that had not been there before caught her notice. "To collect your required supplies, come to the Leaky Cauldron in London, at..." She read off an address, dark brows rising higher with every word, and Chessy looked quite triumphant.
"See! There! That's proof, we can go check it out, and if it's a joke, well then fine, but if it isn't, I want to learn magic." Chessy was stubborn like that, and now that she had the idea in her head she wasn't letting go. "We'll go Saturday, won't we? Please? We've got to!"
"Alright, alright," her father conceded, patting her straight dark hair. "Alright. Now go on up to bed, it's late and you've had enough excitement tonight. Your mother and I have to have a talk about this."
Chessy frowned, but nodded, hugging and kissing her parents before scurrying back into her room, having no intention of going to bed. She couldn't concentrate on her book, either, and simply stared at the ceiling long into the night, mind spinning.
She was invited to WITCH SCHOOL?!?!
"Indy! Go get the post!"
Looking up from his sketchpad at the commanding note in his mother's voice, Indiana Maddock, or, hopefully just Indy, set down his pencil and stood. "Getting it," he called back, making his way out to the porch and collecting the post. He was flipping through the envelopes as he brought them back inside when he paused, hazel eyes widening.
To: Indiana Maddock Top Bunk 1926 Chorus Avenue...
He stopped reading there, already sure the address was right, and he quickly stuffed the envelope down the side of his pants, pulling his shirt over it before giving his mother the rest of the post. Then, he scurried off to the room he shared with one of six brothers and flew up the ladder to his bunk, already opening the letter as he folded his legs under him and beginning to read out loud.
"...pleased to inform... accepted at Hogwarts.... witchcraft and wizardry?" There he paused, mouth dropping open. His tanned knuckles were turning white and the thick parchment nearly ripped under his tight grip. This was insane! Either that, or this was bloody AWESOME. The shaking got better, and he laughed lightly, with just a note of hysteria, before leaping off his bed and scurrying out to show his mother. His eldest brother Dermont had gotten one of these when he was eleven, but none of the rest of his family had - until now. They'd always doubted another of them having what it took.
His laughter was loud enough to make him mother worry as he scampered into the living room. "Hey, Mum! Mum! I'm for Hogwarts too!" he shrieked joyously, bringing first a startled look to her face, then a smile.
"How lovely, Indy! We'll call Dermont and have him take you to that wizarding faire of his," she said, smiling. "We don't have a lot of money, but we've enough to see you get your supplies." His brother had graduated the previous autumn from the prestigious house of Ravenclaw, though Indy wasn't sure he'd end up there too. Not from what Dermont had told him. But for now, he was too wrapped up in the mad joy of knowing he was going to Hogwarts, the magical school he'd heard so many crazy stories about from his brother. He was gonna make himself the greatest wizard in the world, no matter he was - what did Dermont call it? Muggle-born. He'd prove everyone just how great he could be, no matter what it took!
End Chapter 1
In Chapter Two: Walking Crooked Down Diagon Alley (or, Shopping Spree Madness)
Author: Shila / Jingle Hopper
Rating: PG-13 (For now. Likely to change.)
Warnings: Set five years after the defeat of Voldemort and HP's 7th year.
Disclaimer: Anything Rowling came up with isn't mine, and I thank her for letting me sully her playground with my own chibis. Most of the students are original characters, as are the DADA and Transfiguration teachers, and they're MINE. They live in -my- head. No poaching.
Summary: Harry Potter graduated five years ago and went on to destroy Lord Voldemort once and for all later that summer. Now, there's a whole new cast of players at Hogwarts - new students, new teachers - but business goes on as usual. However, as is typical, nobody attending Hogwarts is precisely normal, -or- exactly what they seem...
Apparently, someone thinks they've learned from Voldemort's mistakes, and is trying to take over the wizarding world. Unfortunately, this one seems to be aware that most of the trouble originates in Hogwarts, and so destruction of the school and those in it is paramount. Even more unfortunately, nobody wants to fight another dark wizard on the rise, and as of yet, just who it is - and who supports him, or her - is unknown. Muggles keep turning up dead by magical means and strange things keep happening around Hogwarts. It's up to yet another gaggle of intrepid Hogwarts students to save the world once more, only this time, none of them are specially destined for it, like Harry was...
Author's Notes: This will hopefully be a long and involved fic, and I'd like to see it do well. Wish me luck, and please, read and review! (A line of asterisks indicates a scene change.) Let me know if you like my babies. beams On with the story!
Chapter 1: The Owl Is Here! (or, Meet The Protagonists)
"Why isn't it here yet?"
That anxious voice belonged to one Faileas Rayth. It was a surprisingly musical voice, even for a child. The eleven-year old boy was sprawled over the window seat, a frown on his childishly handsome face. Black curls framed his face and bright amethyst eyes sparkled from ivory skin, fixated on the tree-line outside the window. Fai was expecting his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and it -should- have been here two days ago. He turned to look at his twin, anguish plain in his expression.
Aluinn Rayth sighed, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he shrugged his shoulders against the white leather of the couch. He had Faileas' features, the sculpted face, the huge, intensely violet eyes, but his curls were sun- kissed gold, and he was a bit shorter, a bit more slender than his twin brother. He was starting to worry about their letters himself, as they were indeed late, but, unlike Fai, he was much better at hiding his impatience.
The two of them were in a parlor of Rayth Manor, with a good view of the outside, the center window open wide in a thoroughly unsubtle invitation to owls. Their father, Laeiryn Rayth, was going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year at Hogwarts, and they were both quite looking forward to that class. They'd been educated in anything they were interested in since birth, and knew quite a bit about Dark Arts, seeing as how their father was a vampire. Not just any vampire, but one who had been betrayed by his wife during the last war with Voldemort and turned into an undead, bloodsucking fiend. Aluinn and Faileas tried not to let their mother's treachery and subsequent sentence to Azkaban bother them, and they usually suceeded, being very adoring of their father, and he of they.
And now the two of them were sitting there, just -waiting-, and hoping, and angsting, because Daddy was out. This made it feel like the whole Manor was empty, though there was a house-elf skulking around somewhere, and it was odd for two eleven-year old boys to subject themselves to such a tense state of stillness. Aluinn managed it better than Faileas, distracting himself with a book, but the dark-haired twin could not concentrate on reading, instead settling for glaring at the cloud-studded sky outside his window. But now, Aluinn's concentration shattered by his brother's words, he let himself smile, fingers marking the page of his book.
"Perhaps there's lots of crosswinds, or things got confused because there's two of us," Aluinn postulated consolingly. "We'll get in, Fai, we will. Both of us, and I even bet you'll be Gryffindor."
Faileas flushed at that, grinning pleasedly. "Really? You think? I bet -you- will."
Aluinn's smile grew, and he set his book aside. "I think we both will, and -" Then the blonde's words cut off, and his amethyst eyes grew wide. "Fai, look out!" he squeaked, and Faileas turned around just in time to take a rocket of a dark brown owl to the chest. Boy and bird tumbled to the floor in a flailing mass of dark feathers, dark clothing, limbs, and claws. It took a moment before they disentangled themselves, probably due to Faileas' death grip on the two letters tied to the owl's leg.
The owl, freeing itself of its burden, didn't even stop to chirp at them for water; it merely launched itself into flight again, winging out the window and leaving two pairs of amethyst eyes locked onto yellowed, heavy parchment with bated breath. Fai didn't seem to notice that his dark purple shirt was torn up, or that there were feathers sticking out of his hair, which, under other circumstances, Aluinn would have found quite amusing. But now...
Finally Faileas spoke. "This one's yours," he breathed, handing Aluinn a letter. Trying to pretend his hand wasn't shaking, Aluinn took it. The curling, glittering green script read:
To: Aluinn Rayth The Parlor Rayth Manor, 13 Rayth Lane Stirling, Scotland
Casting a glance at Faileas' envelope, he saw that it was identical, but for the names, and he grinned, sliding off the couch to perch next to his bedraggled twin. "On the count of three?" the blonde brother suggested, eyes sparkling. Fai nodded, and two sets of pale, long hands shook as they opened envelopes, one violently and fast, the other tremulously methodical.
Soon they were both staring in delight at the words on the parchment. 'Dear Mr. Rayth, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...'
"I can't believe it," Faileas whispered. "I mean, I knew we'd get them, but..." He trailed off, unable to find the words. He lifted his head to meet his brother's eyes, and saw his own emotions reflected in them.
Aluinn's hands were still trembling as he set the letter down, a wide, mad smile on his face. "I know what you mean."
Silence reigned for one moment before they let out identical whoops of laughter, launching themselves at one another and convulsing with mirth. They were going to Hogwarts! School started soon, and they'd have to go to Diagon Alley with Daddy, and oh, but being eleven ROCKED!
Lunch was a casual affair at the Livingston home. It was a little cottage out in the British countryside, shielded well enough from Muggles, and it was inhabited by Alexander Livingston, who preferred to be known as Lex, and his mother, Jamie Livingston. His father was dead several years now, and it was just he and his witchy mum. This sunny day, they were across from one another at a small table, chatting amiably over sandwiches and tea.
"...And I'm sure it will be here soon," Jamie was reassuring her son, blue eyes warm. Lex had those same baby blues, and the same friendly, sweet smile, but his hair was a wild, bright red-gold, somewhat visually caustic, in contrast to his mother's dark red waves.
"I hope it is," Lex nodded, sinking his teeth into a cucumber sandwich with the crusts meticulously removed. "I -so- hope it is. We get to go to Diagon Alley even if it doesn't, right?" he asked anxiously.
His mother laughed. "It'll come, baby, and we'll go to Diagon Alley this Saturday. Gods know I've been saving money up for this for years." She sounded pleased; she had a nice job with Gringotts as an appraiser, and while they weren't exactly rich, neither were they poor. "Now don't talk with your mouth full."
It was nearly impossible for Lex to ignore such motherly reassurrance, and he nodded, managing a bit of a smile as he swallowed. "Yes, mum."
Jamie seemed to be about to say something when there came a tapping at the window. She looked up, and smiled broadly. "I'll bet that's the post right now," she chirped, opening the window and letting a lovely, dark tufted owl fly in and land on the table. Lex offered it some ham while his mother untied the letters from its leg. Indeed, one of them was the thick, heavy envelope bearing the Hogwart's crest, and Jamie's smile nearly split her face as she handed it to her son. The owl, happily crunching and ham and sipping a bit of Lex's tea, flew out the window, leaving Lex to frantically tear open the envelope, his mother watching in amusement.
"Oh my GODS! Mum! I'm in! I'm in! I'm going to Hogwarts! I imagine I'll be in Gryffindor! I'm IN!" The boy's triumphant, soprano screams blended well with his mother's light laughter as she swept him up in her arms and hugged him tightly.
"I imagine you will," she said, pride tangible in her voice. Lex glowed, and pecked her on the cheek before wriggling free to dance about like a maniac. Jamie could only still laugh at her dear little boy, the only part left of her family. It was so wonderful to see him happy, and she held that against the loneliness that was already turning her stomach. She'd miss her baby while he was away at school. It would be so empty here without his wild exuberance.
But then Lex attacked her with a hug, squealing his joy once more, and the sorrow fled her eyes and smile, and her laugh was true as she spun him again.
Some sacrifices were worth making.
In a small, cozy room whose walls were a complete collage of anything and everything, there was a bed heaped with down pillows and blankets bearing cats. Sprawled over this bed was a gangly, skinny little girl, chin propped up on her chin as her chocolate eyes moved over the pages of her book at a surprising rate. It was a lucky thing that her window was wide open to catch any breeze to lighten the summer heat, or else the barn owl would have smashed into it as she swooped into the girl's room.
Cheshiria Grinn sat up with a strangled yelp, staring in a stunned sort of terror at the owl digging very large and very sharp claws into the edge of her bureau. She saw the paper tied to its leg, and dark eyebrows lifted. She took a step toward the owl, which regarded her with large, unblinking golden eyes. Fear had given way to curiosity and a sort of detachment as Chessy reached out for the yellow bundle of paper. Untying it with fumbling fingers - she was surprised she hadn't been pecked yet - she gripped the thick envelope and stumbled backward. The owl, however, stayed right where it was, and she stared at it emptily for a moment before turning and running out her bedroom door.
However, as Chessy was the kind of girl to get to the bottom of something, thank you very much, she returned with a small dish of water and some dry cat food. As far as she knew, owls were carnivores like cats, and her mum would -kill- her if she gave an owl good lunchmeats.
The owl didn't seem to mind, and ate the cat food and drank the water before butting her beaked head against Chessy's shoulder and flying out the window again.
Chessy stared after it for a long moment before she started. What had she done with that odd-looking letter? She'd had it in her hand...
She collected up the owl's dishes and darted back to the kitchen, despositing them in the sink and snatching the letter off the table where she'd left it. Her mum and dad were in the living room watching television, and as she turned over the envelope to finally -look- at it, her startled shriek drawing their attention.
"Chessy?" came her mother's voice. Her father was peering around the corner of the doorway at her expectantly, and as she walked into the living room, hands tight on the envelope, her mum muted the telly. Both her parent's gazes rested on her, dark and worried, and she held up the letter.
"I just got a letter from an owl," she said, sounding completely and utterly serious.
Exchanging even more worried glances, her parents were quiet for a moment. Then her father frowned. "An owl, honey?" he asked, sounding suitably dubious.
"I know how mad it sounds, really I do, but there was this big barn owl and it flew in my window and had this tied to its leg and it's addressed to me and the owl wouldn't leave til I gave it water and cat food and this isn't any kind of envelope -I've- ever seen..." Chessy ran out of breath, now staring at the wax seal on the thick - parchment, she now realized.
Her mother reached out and rested a hand on her daughter's arm. "Come now, Chessy, let me see that," she said gently, taking the letter from the girl's numb grip. Chessy let her, slumping onto the arm of her mother's chair as her mother's quick, decisive hands opened the envelope and drew out the sheaf of parchment.
"Dear Miss Grinn, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" her mother read, sounding as though she'd been force-fed a lemon strapped to a brick. Chessy's father looked about as shocked, and Chessy herself was bloody flabbergasted.
"That kind of stuff's REAL?" she demaned, hopping off the chair. "I get to be a WITCH?!?" She'd read about all sorts of magic in books and, OH but it would be smashing to get to do it herself...
Her mother and father, being good Christians, exchanged very alarmed looks. "Now, Chessy, baby, I'm sure this is just some sort of joke," her father said, making the plain girl's face fall.
"But I can do it! I always knew I could do magic! You just don't want to believe!" she accused, quite harshly and quite rightly. "Look at that! How could you write a letter like that without magic? Get an OWL to deliver it without magic? Please, Mum, Dad, it'll be better than St. Francis's," she pleaded, brown eyes begging. "Just think of how much easier things would if I had magic."
Her parents, still frowning, traded another look. Her mum shuffled the papers again, and one that had not been there before caught her notice. "To collect your required supplies, come to the Leaky Cauldron in London, at..." She read off an address, dark brows rising higher with every word, and Chessy looked quite triumphant.
"See! There! That's proof, we can go check it out, and if it's a joke, well then fine, but if it isn't, I want to learn magic." Chessy was stubborn like that, and now that she had the idea in her head she wasn't letting go. "We'll go Saturday, won't we? Please? We've got to!"
"Alright, alright," her father conceded, patting her straight dark hair. "Alright. Now go on up to bed, it's late and you've had enough excitement tonight. Your mother and I have to have a talk about this."
Chessy frowned, but nodded, hugging and kissing her parents before scurrying back into her room, having no intention of going to bed. She couldn't concentrate on her book, either, and simply stared at the ceiling long into the night, mind spinning.
She was invited to WITCH SCHOOL?!?!
"Indy! Go get the post!"
Looking up from his sketchpad at the commanding note in his mother's voice, Indiana Maddock, or, hopefully just Indy, set down his pencil and stood. "Getting it," he called back, making his way out to the porch and collecting the post. He was flipping through the envelopes as he brought them back inside when he paused, hazel eyes widening.
To: Indiana Maddock Top Bunk 1926 Chorus Avenue...
He stopped reading there, already sure the address was right, and he quickly stuffed the envelope down the side of his pants, pulling his shirt over it before giving his mother the rest of the post. Then, he scurried off to the room he shared with one of six brothers and flew up the ladder to his bunk, already opening the letter as he folded his legs under him and beginning to read out loud.
"...pleased to inform... accepted at Hogwarts.... witchcraft and wizardry?" There he paused, mouth dropping open. His tanned knuckles were turning white and the thick parchment nearly ripped under his tight grip. This was insane! Either that, or this was bloody AWESOME. The shaking got better, and he laughed lightly, with just a note of hysteria, before leaping off his bed and scurrying out to show his mother. His eldest brother Dermont had gotten one of these when he was eleven, but none of the rest of his family had - until now. They'd always doubted another of them having what it took.
His laughter was loud enough to make him mother worry as he scampered into the living room. "Hey, Mum! Mum! I'm for Hogwarts too!" he shrieked joyously, bringing first a startled look to her face, then a smile.
"How lovely, Indy! We'll call Dermont and have him take you to that wizarding faire of his," she said, smiling. "We don't have a lot of money, but we've enough to see you get your supplies." His brother had graduated the previous autumn from the prestigious house of Ravenclaw, though Indy wasn't sure he'd end up there too. Not from what Dermont had told him. But for now, he was too wrapped up in the mad joy of knowing he was going to Hogwarts, the magical school he'd heard so many crazy stories about from his brother. He was gonna make himself the greatest wizard in the world, no matter he was - what did Dermont call it? Muggle-born. He'd prove everyone just how great he could be, no matter what it took!
End Chapter 1
In Chapter Two: Walking Crooked Down Diagon Alley (or, Shopping Spree Madness)