Chapter 2
"We have reason to believe Zastrin is nearby," Mr. Vilner said simply.
The three girls were quiet for a moment.
"How do you know?" Rachelle asked, breaking the silence.
"That is classified information. Besides, it's not important. The point is, Zastrin is close," Mr. Vilner said quickly.
"What are we going to do?" Tiffany asked quietly.
"Well…we have a few options. First, we can let you continue your normal lives, pretending nothing is wrong and just pray that Zastrin doesn't come after you. Maybe he's here on holiday," Mr. Vilner suggested. The three girls almost laughed.
"No," Rachelle said.
"Second, we can send someone after him," Mr. Vilner continued.
"He's a psychotic murderer!" Tiffany exclaimed. "He'll kill anyone sent after him."
"And third, we can send you off somewhere far, far away where he won't find you."
"That sounds good," Bita said cheerfully, as if they were talking about what would be served for dinner and not a life or death situation.
"But where would we go?" Rachelle asked.
"I think…well, I know a man named Albus Dumbledore. He runs a school for witchcraft and wizardry. I know that you three aren't witches, but Hogwarts – that's the school – is probably the safest place in the world. Dumbledore doesn't usually let non-magical people into the school, but he and I are pretty good friends, so I think he'll make an exception for you," said Mr. Vilner.
"There's a school for witches and wizards?!" Rachelle said incredulously.
"Yes, I'll tell you all about it later. Do you want to go or not?" Mr. Vilner asked.
The three friends thought for the whole way back to Estaln.
"Well…" Tiffany began finally, as the group headed for the living area of the school. "I guess we don't have any other choice, do we?"
"Yeah," Rachelle agreed.
"POOR LEMONS!!!" burst out Bita, who began to sob uncontrollably.
Mr. Vilner shot an odd glance at Bita, and as Rachelle tried to comfort her, he told them what he knew about Hogwarts. It was a very old school, the best in the world for witchcraft and wizardry. The girls grew excited, despite their situation.
"Wait…Are we going to be attending classes or just staying in one of the rooms?" Rachelle asked suddenly, handing Bita a box of tissues when they arrived in the room that the three girls shared.
"That's up to you," said Mr. Vilner. "If you don't attend classes, you will probably be doing some kind of manual labor. I doubt Dumbledore will let you just sit around all day doing nothing while he tries his best to keep Zastrin away. So what's it gonna be? Classes or work?"
"Classes," said Rachelle and Tiffany promptly.
"Ok, then. I'm going to go see if I can find someone who owns an owl so I can contact Dumbledore…I'll be back soon," said Mr. Vilner, leaving the girls in bewilderment as to why in the world he needed an owl to contact Dumbledore.
"While I'm out," he added, "I'll see if I can find some books about the magical world and Hogwarts. I suggest you three call some friends from school to see if they can gather all of your belongings that are still at school and bring them over for you. I already had you officially removed from school's roll because term at Hogwarts is about to begin on the first. Witches and wizards start learning magic at the age of eleven, so you've missed a lot the past two years, but I'm sure the teachers will set you up with some private lessons over the weekends so you can catch up."
As Mr. Vilner left the room, shutting the door behind him with a firm thud, the three girls stared at each other in amazement.
"I wonder what classes witches and wizards are taught?" said Tiffany thoughtfully.
"Yeah. I wonder if they have grades and stuff?" Bita sniffed.
"I wonder if we have pie?" said Rachelle with a faraway look in her eyes.
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During dinner that night the girls had a shocking experience. They were sitting around the table, finishing their dinner and Mrs. Sniggle – a round woman in her mid-fifties who was the school cook – was pulling a pie out of the oven (to Rachelle's delight) when a large, brown owl swooped in through the open window.
The girls could do no more than stare with their mouths hanging open as the owl dropped a letter onto Mr. Vilner's plate, flew over to the oven and pecked the pie Mrs. Sniggle was holding (Mrs. Sniggle then dropped the pie and screamed), and flew back out of the window.
"Oh look, Dumbledore replied already. That was oddly prompt," Mr. Vilner stated, opening the letter the owl had dropped on his plate as if what had happened only moments before was as normal as the telephone ringing.
"What…" Rachelle began. She was going to ask, "What the hell just happened?" but was too shocked to finish.
"Why…" Tiffany started to say. She was going to ask, "Why did that owl deliver a letter?" but was too flabbergasted to continue
"Do…" started Bita, but just the thought of the lemons' death made her too depressed to ask, "Do lemons fly through the air like monkeys?"
"Oh, that's how magical people have their letters delivered," Mr. Vilner explained at their shocked (and depressed) looks.
"Wow," Rachelle said.
"Girls, go and get packed. You're to leave on a plane to London first thing in the morning," Mr. Vilner ordered as he finished the letter.
The girls stood and walked to their room, passing a shaken-looking Mrs. Sniggle, without asking any questions because when Mr. Vilner ordered them to do something, he expected them to do it that moment, without any delay.
The girls may not have asked any questions, but there were plenty buzzing through their heads, like Why are we going all the way to London? Is there anything else surprising, like the owls, that Mr. Vilner should have told us about? Why did Mrs. Sniggle have to drop the pie? But most of all, the question the girls wanted answered was Will Zastrin follow us to Hogwarts?
