Chapter 21- Evil letters
It was the last week of school; everyone was all ready or the holidays to start.
Carlie was talking with Jack; they were still going out and they hadn't spent much together since Carlie had been preoccupied with things.
Jess was hanging out with Matthew in the Slytherin common room. Talking about the holidays and school.
Lyndsay was at home, practising levitating herself while she meditated.
Nathan was hanging out with Jason, who was showing him his new computer.
Life seemed good, peaceful, no interruptions about demons, messengers or evil underworld lords. Unfortunately it wouldn't last.
Jess was sitting in the common room and he felt something tickle his leg. It was his phone on silent. He checked it and there was a text message from Marcus.
Come to the house. ASAP.
Jess quickly left the room then he orbed to the house. Nathan was already there but Lyndsay and Carlie couldn't be seen anywhere.
"You wanted..." Jess's voice faltered when he saw what was sprawled out on the floor.
He wasn't sure what it was, but whatever it was, it sure was ugly. Large black eyes took up most of its face; a tiny little pinprick nose and a little line that Jess supposed was a mouth were squished underneath its face. It was small and wrinkled and looked rather slimy; it reminded Jess of a house elf, as it was about the same size.
"Marcus what is that?" Jess asked.
"That, would be an underworld elf" Marcus said.
"An elf? What kind of elf is that?" Jess said.
"An underworld elf, there is a big difference" Marcus said.
"So why do we have an underworld elf in the middle of the floor?" Nathan asked.
"Marcus what's going...EWWWW! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Lyndsay had just come up behind them and spotted the elf.
"An underworld elf" Nathan answered.
"Nice" Lyndsay said with a disgusted look on her face.
"Hey sorry I'm late I was busy with Jack" Carlie's voice said from the other side of the room.
"Who's Jack?" Lyndsay asked.
Carlie gasped "Didn't I tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Lyndsay asked.
"Jack is Carlie's boyfriend" Jess said.
"What, OMG! You have a boyfriend!" Lyndsay squealed.
"We haven't done much, just hold hands and kissed a little" Carlie said.
"Okay as much as we'd love to hear about your sex life Carlie, we need to get back to this thing here" Nathan remarked.
"What thing?" Carlie asked, walking up beside Nathan.
"What is that?"
"It's an underworld elf" Marcus replied "And he is going to help us by telling us what Minaru is up too"
The elf spluttered and tried to sit up but ended up sliding on the floor.
"What's wrong with it?" Lyndsay asked.
"It's dying, it's too cold here for it' Marcus said.
"That's nasty! You should take it somewhere warm" Lyndsay said.
Marcus ignored her and asked the elf "What's Minaru's plan to lure The Sorceresses Circle?"
It coughed and tried to sit up again and failed "The girl" It moaned.
"What girl?" Marcus asked
"The girl, she is his plan" It moaned.
"Who is the girl?" Marcus asked.
Lyndsay, Carlie, Nathan and Jess stood there amazed at their guardian's interrogation.
The elf looked at Marcus and began cackle but ended in a spluttering cough. It pointed at Lyndsay.
"Lyndsay is his plan?" Marcus asked
The elf shook its head and then pointed at Carlie.
"Carlie is his plan?" Marcus asked.
The elf began laughing and then began coughing up black slime.
"Marcus, what's it doing?" Carlie asked
Then the coughing stopped and the elf stopped moving.
"It's dead" Lyndsay gasped.
Marcus got up. "That wasn't very helpful, all we know is a girl is his plan and it has something to do with Carlie and Lyndsay."
"You shouldn't have let it suffer like that" Carlie said.
"It doesn't matter Carlie, he's gone" Jess said.
"How can you be so heartless?" Lyndsay growled.
"I'm not heartless, I'm just saying, there is nothing you can do because he's already dead" Jess snapped back.
"Maybe we should bury him or something" Nathan said.
"Yeah because it might have a family or something" Carlie said.
"Carlie, it's a demon, even if did have a family they wouldn't care" Marcus said.
"Well what are you going to do with it?" Lyndsay asked.
Marcus waved his hand and the elf disappeared.
"Where'd it go?" Jess asked.
"I sent it back to the underworld" Marcus said.
"Good, sending it back home is respectful" Lyndsay said.
Marcus sighed and said "You'll have to get used to demon's dying Lyndsay, it's your job."
"I'm just respectful of the dead" Lyndsay said.
"That's fine but please don't insist we bury every demon we kill" Marcus said.
"Fine" Lyndsay said.
"I expected that to go better but at least we know it has something to do with you two" He gestured to Lyndsay and Carlie.
"So we have to keep an eye out" Lyndsay said
"Yes and because you'll be together for the holidays I think you should brush up on some spells that you can use when you're fighting demons" Marcus said.
"Come Watson, to the Library" Nathan joked.
"Nathan did we tell you, you're an idiot" Lyndsay laughed.
"Yes unfortunately" Nathan said.
The four of them went into the large library and they heard Marcus call "Please don't try any spells on each other again."
The four of them laughed, thinking about the last time the four of them had ventured into the library.
"So Carlie, how's Sirius been?" Jess asked.
"Well I wrote to him saying about living above The Green Leaf and the whole, I didn't know about magic until I got my letter and he hasn't written back yet."
"He will you might need to send him a new pen though" Jess said
"Let's buy him a fluffy pink one" Lyndsay said.
"I think I'm going to get pens for next year, Quills and ink suck, I always spill the ink everywhere" Carlie said as she reached up to get a book titled 'Defensive spells for beginners.'
"You'd they would use pens being so advanced than us and all" Nathan remarked, opening his book which didn't have anything to do with defending yourself.
"Nathan why are you reading that?" Lyndsay asked, levitating herself up to grab a book on the higher shelfs.
"You so have to teach me how to do that" Carlie said.
"Read basic self levitation, it's over there" Lyndsay pointed to the other side of the room.
Carlie went over there and grabbed the book. "I don't think I've ever read so much in my life."
"I've never seen Lyndsay interested in books" Nathan said.
"That's because muggle books never used to have anything useful or cool" Lyndsay said, floating in the air, cross legged, reading a book.
"Why are you here Lynds, you know all the spells" Carlie said.
"I don't know too many defensive spells; I know mostly potions and levitation stuff" Lyndsay answered.
"What do we practice on if we can't use each other?" Jess asked.
"I dunno, just say the spell and see what happens" Lyndsay said.
Jess looked at the book before reciting "Firiouso Mijenta allo!"
Nothing happened, Lyndsay floated down over Jess's shoulder.
"Jess you have to put your hand up and you pronounced it wrong; it's Frey- ious-o not Firiouso" Lyndsay said
Jess rolled his eyes and put his hands up and said "Freyious Mijenta allo"
Jess's body jolted and a blue light spun out of his fingers and hit the bookshelf and it collapsed.
"Good job Jess" Carlie laughed.
"Hey it worked didn't it?" Jess said.
Lyndsay floated back up to the ceiling and waved her hand and said "Calliomas"
There was no sign that the spell had worked until the chandelier exploded into a thousand pieces.
"Wow, your worse than Jess" Nathan said.
"Marcus can fix it, so don't fret" Lyndsay said.
"So what are we doing for the holidays?" Jess asked.
"My parents are going to away all holidays at a conference in New York so I'm staying at Carlie's house all summer" Nathan said.
"Hey why don't you stay at my place as well?" Carlie said to Jess.
"You don't have enough room do you?" Jess asked.
"We will after I clean out the attic" Carlie said.
"Are you going to move into the attic?" Lyndsay asked.
"Yeah because there's a lot more room up there but I'm going to spend half the holidays cleaning it out unless I use magic which mum might get suspicious" Carlie said.
"I'll help, it'll be fun, I mean look what I found when I went up there to get those photo's, I found pictures of your dad" Lyndsay said.
"Maybe I'll find mum's wand or something" Carlie said.
"What are you going to tell your parents Jess?" Lyndsay asked.
"Actually they're doing something very similar to your parents Nathan, they're going away to some foreign country and they said I can stay at a friends place or stay with my uncle Lucius, which is not an option" Jess said.
"Why is that?" Lyndsay asked.
"Because he isn't a nice person" Jess said.
"Isn't a nice person? Great insult there Mcairn" Carlie laughed.
"Fine. If you look up the word prick in the dictionary, you'll find his name" Jess said.
"Nice, I like that insult" Nathan said.
"Isn't your cousin Dracula coming to Hogwarts next year?" Carlie asked.
"My cousin, Draco is coming to Hogwarts" Jess said.
"Nice name" Lyndsay said.
"Yeah at lest Jess is a normal name" Nathan said.
"Didn't I tell you ages ago what Jess is short for?" Jess said.
"Oh yeah, isn't it Jessarus or something?" Lyndsay asked.
"Jessarius" Jess corrected her.
"Yeah but no one calls you that right?" Nathan asked.
"Only my father and trust me, I don't hang with him much" Jess said.
"I'd like to meet him" Carlie said thoughtfully.
"Why you want to meet my parents I don't know" Jess looked down at his watch and gasped "Carlie have you seen the time!"
"No why?" Carlie said.
"We're out past curfew" Jess said.
"Calm down dimwit, we can just orb back" Carlie said.
"I know but Fred and George have a problem with you disappearing and I'm sure Jack would like a goodnight kiss" Jess teased.
"Yeah, yeah, real funny" Carlie rolled her eyes.
'We better be going, I have to write mum and dad a letter saying about how I'm going to stay at a friends place" Jess said
"We'll be seeing ya" Carlie said as she orbed.
The next morning at breakfast, Jess and Carlie both received mail. The two of them had orbed to the owlery and sent letters to their parents asking about the summer. While Jess had receive one fairly brief letter stating that he wasn't staying the whole summer with his friends, that he would go stay with the Malfoy's for the last two weeks so he could help Draco out, Carlie had received two letters, moderate sized one from Miranda and a longer one from Sirius. She decided to open Miranda's first because she knew that she'd get a telling off for not writing.
Dear Carlie,
About damn time you wrote to me. I've got big news but first. I'm fine with Jess staying for the holidays and yes you can clean out the attic so that you can have it as your room. Now for the big news. Mitchell and Sara are getting married! He proposed to her a few days ago. They're not getting married for about a year but it's really exciting because you and I get to be bridesmaids! I saw Jax and the boys the other day and apparently you ring Lyndsay and Nathan a bit. Do Lyndsay and Nathan know? Don't bother writing back; I'll see you in a few days. Mum
Carlie went to open the other letter, which was much longer.
Carlie,
What on earth was Miranda thinking? Running away like that to live with stupid muggles! How could you not know about magic? Miranda doesn't do any magic at all; how did she manage you, when we were together she couldn't handle you without magic. And you grew up in an apartment! I bought Crailmore so that you could have a big yard to play Quiddich in and run around and Miranda just leaves it. And this Sara, how long have you known her? She's a muggle too right? You do know you have a real aunt, her name is Liana and she adored you, despite the fact you were mine. Miranda's family always had a problem with me but they got over it when they saw you, they all loved you and Miranda hasn't spoken to any of them since I was taken to Azkaban?
I'm sorry if I sound angry but can you blame me? I knew that Miranda wouldn't tell you who I was but leaving the wizarding world all together was not something I expected. Miranda always depended on her family and magic to help her with you and she doesn't have anything to do with either. You must have had a terrible childhood. You must have always felt different; Lyndsay and Nathan are your only muggle friend's right? Everyone else shunned you, I bet. Being a wizard in a muggle world is hard.
I'm sorry, it's just it's hard to imagine you growing up without me but without knowing about anything makes me so angry.
I love you a lot and I miss you terribly,
From Sirius
Carlie felt offended. Stupid muggles? Lyndsay was a muggle and she knew more spells and potions than the whole second year put together Terrible childhood? Miranda was the best mother ever and she'd never used magic. Sara was awesome; she couldn't remember her not being around to help her with something. Different? Carlie had never felt different; in fact, when something always went wrong Lyndsay seemed to think it was her. Only friends? She had always had a group of friends around her but Lyndsay and Nathan were always her closest friends. The Green Leaf was her home and she hadn't missed out on anything by living there, she'd always skateboard around outside in the car park, which was way better than Quiddich, until she cracked her head open and broke her arm when trying to jump a car. There was a park nearby where she always played. She'd write to him and tell him all this. Carlie didn't realize she'd been showing her anger physically until Lee asked what was wrong with her.
She looked up to see Fred, George and Lee staring at her. Before she knew it she began to vent her rage.
"My stupid father, that's what. He thinks that mum is such a terrible mother because she doesn't use magic or talk to her family. He has no right to say that. Then he says that I was unpopular at school because I was different. Bullshit! I had tons of friends and then he says about living in an apartment. The Green Leaf is awesome and I could always skateboard there. And then he has the nerve to say about stupid muggles! I'll give him stupid muggles! Lyndsay knows more about" She stopped there. If she said that Lyndsay knew more about magic than her she'd get a few questions about it.
"Lyndsay knows more about what Carlie?" Fred asked
"It doesn't matter but he had no right to say anything about it" Carlie said hotly.
"So you wrote to him about you and he wrote that stuff you said back?" George asked
"Yes. Can I send him a howler? I'm sure he'd love that in Az-"She stopped herself again. She really didn't want to go into why her father was in Azkaban.
Fred, George and Lee were looking at her strangely; she just wanted to hit something. She stood up and snatched the pieces of parchment and stormed out of the great hall.
"Last day of school. Last day of school! No more teachers! No more homework! No more mystery meat!" This rung through the halls of Whitecross High School as the whole school cleaned out their lockers.
Lyndsay's locker was fairly neat, while she occasionally found books she thought she'd lost, it wasn't as bad as Lewis's, who had found lunch from three months ago and melted candy canes from Christmas.
"Hey check this out" Lewis held up and sandwich which was covered with mold.
"Sick man" Jax ran over to inspect the rest of the rotted lunch.
"Has Lewis ever heard of hygiene?" Tegan asked as she cleaned out her locker next to Lyndsay.
"I highly doubt it. He's worse than Carlie" Lyndsay said.
"Is Carlie bringing home any friends from boarding school? I only caught a glimpse of the red heads last time" Tegan asked.
"She's bringing Jess, he's okay. We met him last summer but of course since you were off in Paris looking for famous people you didn't meet him" Lyndsay laughed.
"I swear to god it was Johnny Depp. He lives there doesn't he? With that model" Tegan said.
Lyndsay rolled her eyes "Carlie has a full house this summer, Both Jess and Nathan are staying at her place."
Tegan raised her eyebrows "Two guys? Wow. She's fast."
Lyndsay laughed "You know she doesn't think of Nathan as a guy and it's pretty much the same with Jess."
Tegan smiled cheekily "You never know what might happen."
Lyndsay shook her head and went back to cleaning out her locker.
Carlie was busy scribbling a letter down while they traveled on the train home. Fred, George and Lee were talking about pranks for next year. Carlie was still furious at Sirius and was going to give him a piece of her mind.
Dear Sirius,
How dare you say that! About mum, about me, about Sara, about everything! I've been told to rationally inform you that you are full of shit. So here are the reasons why you are full of shit:
Mum is the best mother ever and I can't remember her ever doing magic. She'd always let me do my own thing but would step in when I got out of line.
Are you implying that I had no friends? Lyndsay and Nathan are my close friends; I have a group of friends that we belong to. I'm not lying; their names are Keisha Alan, Lewis Cogan, Jason Laffey, Tegan Jenkins and Jax Shortman. I can give you birthdays and blood types if you want! I never felt different to tell you the truth, I always felt like a normal girl. We always thought it was Lyndsay who was the witch.
Sara totally rocks. She'd the best aunt ever and she has always been there for me. She's the reason mum has the apartment, Sara used to rent it to us before mum bought it. There was always a park nearby and I used to skateboard in the car park until I was ten when mum banned me from it because I tried to jump her car and I cracked my head open on the cement and broke my arm. See my childhood wasn't so bad. I could tell you countless stories about me and my friends but I won't because I'm wasting parchment.
Muggles aren't stupid. Lyndsay is a muggle and she knows more spells and potions than the whole second year put together. If muggles are so stupid then how come they can talk to people on the other side of the world as if they were in front of them? I don't know how wizards could that.
If you have anything more to say about my life, please tell me because I'm ready to give you five hundred reasons why muggles are much better than wizards.
Don't miss you because I can't remember you.
From Carlie
Carlie knew the last comment was extremely nasty but it served him right. Ebony was above her cleaning her feathers, so Carlie quickly tied the letter to her leg and threw her out the window.
"I take it you finished your letter" Fred smiled.
"Yes" Carlie crossed her arms and sat down..
"Carlie, who is your dad?" Lee asked.
"No one you know" She snapped at them.
"Jeeze no need to get snappy Carls" George said.
"Sorry, I'm still annoyed about the letter."
"Wanna tell us some jokes?" Lee asked.
"Okay, a blonde walks into a bar---"
Carlie knew the last comment was extremely nasty but it served him right. Ebony was above her cleaning her feathers, so Carlie quickly tied the letter to her leg and threw her out the window."I take it you finished your letter" Fred smiled."Yes" Carlie crossed her arms and sat down.."Carlie, who is your dad?" Lee asked."No one you know" She snapped at them."Jeeze no need to get snappy Carls" George said."Sorry, I'm still annoyed about the letter.""Wanna tell us some jokes?" Lee asked."Okay, a blonde walks into a bar---"Carlie was in a much better mood when she got off the train. Fred and George had convinced her to change her hair green and spiky to offend their mother. Carlie had obliged and was now sporting lime green spikes.
As they got off the train they met Miranda who'd laughed when she saw Carlie's hair.
"You are not my daughter."
"Aren't I supposed to say you're not my mum" Carlie asked.
Miranda smiled and gave Carlie a hug. "Nathan is outside in the car, he decided to tag along."
Carlie acted excited, she had too because Miranda thought she hadn't seen Nathan for a few months when really she saw him a few nights ago.
"And" Miranda leaned down and whispered in Carlie's ear "Jess can wait out there."
Carlie nodded and messaged Jess. It wouldn't hurt this one time.
/Go outside and wait with Nathan/
Jess messaged her back /way ahead of you Carls/
Carlie smiled and realized Mrs. Weasley was there talking to Miranda.
"Hello, I'm Molly; it's nice to meet you finally" she shook Miranda's hand.
"Yes you too, I met your husband a few months before" Miranda said.
"Hey Mrs. Weasley" Carlie smiled, waiting for the reaction.
"Oh" She looked at her hair and forced a smile "Hello Carlie."
"She not mine, she was adopted" Miranda laughed.
"Yes! I knew it!" Carlie joked.
Fred and George laughed.
/Come on, we want to go sometime soon/ Jess's voice rang through Carlie's head.
"We better go mum, something tells me Nathan is getting a bit impatient" Carlie said
"Yes we better, nice meeting you' Miranda said.
"Nice to meet you too" Mrs. Weasley said.
As Carlie and Miranda walked out of the station and into the car park, they saw Jess and Nathan chatting like old friends.
This was going to be a great summer.