CHAPTER TWO

"Would you like to attend Hogwart's School or Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"W-what?" said Maia. She was sure if she was standing right then, she would of keeled over. She swallowed hard. "Excuse me? Are you okay?"

Davis had to smile. "Yes, I know. This wasn't an easy decision, mind you, but, taking in account the circumstances…" He got ridged, telling Maia that he said something that he shouldn't of.

"So, what you're saying is that you fell bad leaving me alone, so you're letting me go to a public school?"

"Y-yes…"

"And nothing else?"

"What else is there?" he said, twirling his thumbs.

"So the headmaster of Hogwarts personally asked you to come down to tell you that." Her dad nodded. "And that took two hours? And why couldn't I hear this from Dumbledore himself?"

"That's not important," he said with a flourish. "What is important is you make your choice—like right now."

Maia knew that there was more to this then he was ready to let her know. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Right now? Can I tell you in an hour?"

Davis looked like he was fighting not to roll his eyes. "W-what? Oh, all right, God. But you only get an hour, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, just leave," she said, waving at him. She knew that it was disrespectful, but she wasn't sure what this was about. When her door snapped shut, her carpet suddenly rose a few more feet, like it read her mind. "All right, lead the way, then," said Maia, throwing her book on her bed.

Her carpet soared to the balcony windows and Maia bent over to pull them open. The cold November wind swept in, blowing her hair back and sending chills down her spine. "Maybe I'll grab a coat first…"

Seconds later she was zooming out to the forest with a heavy leather coat tightly wrapped around her. They entered the forest line, where the afternoon sunlight was immediately cut off from the denseness of the canopy. They zigzagged through trees and underbrush, carefully trying to avoid their branches, which a few had all ready slapped Maia in the face. "Jesus Christ! Here!" she said, getting tired of it. She whipped out her wand and shouted, "Mobiliarbus!" Like an invisible hand was pressing all the plants back, everything parted out of their way and made an easier passage.

After about three minutes, the carpet slowed down and deposited Maia off in front of what looked like a dying tree. The carpet zoomed off, coming back when Maia would call for it. The demon tree's wilting branches suddenly started to move around like the wind was blowing it, and there was a slight tremor. "Hello, Sualtam!" said Maia, plopping down on thin rock that was in the middle of a small stream that ran in front of the tree's trunk.

Sultam was the tree's true name, and it was a bit formal, but Maia thought that the situation called for it. "Maith Maidin, Child. Good morning," said a female voice that sounded like she was high in the branches. "What brings you out here? I sense something is troubling you."

"Yeah, its my father."

"Again? Is it about the meeting at that school today? Or asking if you would like to attend?"

"Both, actually," said Maia. "Can you tell me what Dad and Dumbledore discussed today?"

They was a silence before she replied. "No. I believe that in time, the truth will come out and the past will be exposed."

"What does that mean?" said Maia, now even more annoyed. "'The past will be exposed.' Can't you tell me something will out all the metaphors?"

A sigh floated down from the treetop. "But I can help you will your other question."

"And?" said Maia impatiently.

"And I think you should go. No," said Sultam, thinking about it, "you must go."

"What?"

"Its your providence to go. The earth doesn't lie. The Dark Lord as returned and you're needed more than ever."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" said Maia, standing up and waving her arms. "What the hell? What does Voldemort have to do with me? He killed my mom, like years ago, but—"

"It has everything to do with you. You must go. Go…"

"What kind of answer is that? Hello? Sultam?!" But she was gone. Maia sighed furiously and sat back down, feeling more pissed than she was before she talked to Sualtam.

"So? Your answer?"

"I'm going," said Maia, crossing her arms. She was in her father's study; which was filled with a world's supply of clocks. Practically every clock ever made was in that room, either attached to the wall, or on the floor, or collecting dust on the shelves. Frankly, she couldn't see how her father could stand the constant ticking of the cogs. It would drive any sane person mad.

"As I thought." He hit a piece of parchment with his wand making it magically rolled up and he attached to Emain, their owl. "Pack your things. We're leaving tonight."

Maia thought that they could of at least of waited till tomorrow, but she didn't argue. No one seemed to want to explain anything to her. She dully went to her room and shut the door. Grabbing her wand back out of her boot, she traced the words "Vertical Horizon; Everything You Want." She shoved her wand back into her boot as the words started to shimmer and the track started to play like there was a radio in the room:

Somewhere there's speaking

It's already coming in

Oh and it's rising at the back of your mind

You never could get it

Unless you were fed it

Now you're here and you don't know why

She tended to go for the muggle music more than the bands in the magical world. Muggle music was more simplistic and angry: straight to the point. Maia pulled out a dusty trunk from underneath the bottom of her bed and tapped it with her wand, making it spring open. She went to her closet and started to pull her clothes off the hangers.

But under skinned knees and the skid marks

Past the places where you used to learn

You howl and listen

Listen and wait for the

Echoes of angels who won't return

She closed the trunk and sighed. She knew that when she said "yes" to her father that now her whole life as she knew it was going to change. She knew that she wouldn't be homesick, but she was more worried about her father. There was a reason why she hasn't gone to a public school until now, which made her wonder where this sudden urge to attend Hogwarts started.

He's everything you want

He's everything you need

He's everything inside of you

That you wish you could be

He says all the right things

At exactly the right time

But he means nothing to you

And you don't know why

She shook her head and pushed the claps to lock the trunk. She didn't have the school uniform: black robe and hat, but, if she knew her father, he already handled that along with her schoolbooks and supplies. Maia turned around and sat on her luggage and started to pick at her chipping nail polish. Whatever happens, she hoped that she won't end up misable.

You're waiting for someone

To put you together

You're waiting for someone to push you away

There's always another wound to discover

There's always something more you wish he'd say

But you'll just sit tight

And watch it unwind

It's only what you're asking for

And you'll be just fine

With all of your time

It's only what you're waiting for

Out of the island

Into the highway

Past the places where you might have turned

You never did notice

But you still hide away

The anger of angels who won't return

Chorus

I am everything you want

I am everything you need

I am everything inside of you

That you wish you could be

I say all the right things

At exactly the right time

But I mean nothing to you and I don't know why

And I don't know why

Why

I don't know