A/N: Gets a bit more exciting here; lots of the characters from the actual
books are introduced in this chapter.
"No! I won't do it!" Jax screamed furiously at Dumbledore, who had Joan and Peter behind him.
"Jax, darling, that is what Professor Dumbledore came to do. He came to take you for your training as a witch. It's just like school!"
McGonagall gave a small huff at that. Joan walked over to her adopted daughter, putting an arm around her for comfort.
"You never said that I would have to leave! I don't want to leave! I have everything here, in London!"
"Professors, could you please excuse us?"
"Oh, of course! Come, Minerva. We have arrangements to take care of."
"I hope they're not for me!" Jax screamed at the two. "Because they're won't be any necessary!"
"Yes, there will."
Joan looked down at the carpet in her daughter's bedroom, where they were standing.
"Mother, I cannot believe you! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving dad! I'm not leaving, period!"
Jax gave her mother a crazy look. She just could not believe that her mother wanted her gone.
"You have to go, sweetheart. Trust me, if you didn't, we wouldn't let them take you."
Peter walked over to his daughter and started to rub her shoulders. Jax looked up at her father, knowing that he was right. She tried to fight it, denying that there was any truth to what he had just said.
"It's because of this stupid scar on my forehead, right? That's why I'm so special to them?" Jax looked up to her father and then to her mother.
"I'm afraid so, darling."
Joan lifted up the bangs that hung in her daughter's eyes, and reached over to kiss the scar. Jax heard a knock on the door as she watched it swing open.
"I hope you've talked some sense into the child by now. The guard is coming for us in ten minutes!" McGonagall exclaimed.
Jax's eyes grew a horrified look in them. She couldn't leave a mere ten minutes from now! She then remembered what Dumbledore had said to her earlier- and quieted her thoughts.
"It's alright, dear. I know you're angry. Think as loud as you must," Dumbledore said softly.
"But Sir, why so soon? I mean, just yesterday I found out that I'm a witch and that I'm adopted and that I have a brother! Everything in my world is here. I don't know your world."
Dumbledore gave Jax a sympathetic look. McGonagall gave the girl a scowl, becoming impatient.
"Oh, good Lord! You have eight minutes to pack your things." McGonagall turned to walk out of the door, but turned back. "Scratch that. I'll do it for you."
She took her wand out of her emerald-green robes, and gave it a swish. Every item that either littered Jax's floor or was in her dresser drawers neatly folded themselves and took a place in the suitcase that had already been lying on the floor. McGonagall gave a small nod, satisfied. She turned and walked out the door.
Jax and her parents stood frozen, amazed at what they had just witnessed. Dumbledore gave a chuckle at their faces, and looked to Jax.
"And that was only beginning level. You, of course, will be getting after- class tutoring from your professors to be caught up with what you have missed. It is very rare to be accepted into a wizarding school so high up in the levels. By school regulations, I really should let you start as a first year, but I'm too nice to do that." He smiled, and peered down from his half-moon glasses.
"Thank you, Sir," was all Jax could get out of her mouth.
"Get anything else you think you need, and say goodbye. There will, of course, be Christmas vacation to come home. It's not for forever." And with that, he turned and followed in McGonagall's footsteps.
Jax took a magazine or two off of her dresser drawer, and packed up her makeup without saying a word to her parents. She stuck it all into the trunk and locked it. She set it upright and then turned to the two people that she had called her parents for her entire life. Tears were running down her mother's face, and her father had some welling up in his eyes.
"It's just like he said; I'll be back during Christmas. Promise."
She gave her father a tight hug, and kissed him on the cheek. She did the same to her mother, who gave her a kiss back in the same place she did before on her scar. Jax gave the two an 'I love you', and picked up the suitcase and walked down the stairs, not turning back.
"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked when she reached the bottom.
"No, but I'm going anyways, right?" She told him quietly. She really did not want to go.
McGonagall gave her a look of disapproval, and Dumbledore just gave a small smile and a motion toward the door. Standing around the doorway were several people chatting very merrily, until Jax came into sight. They all held their breaths, amazed to see her. A woman with bright pink hair gave a gasp, and a man with a rather large eye and a wooden leg made Jax gasp herself. Dumbledore stepped forward, introducing the guard.
"Jax, these are some of the many people that will be in close contact with you as long as you are not at Hogwarts. I'd like you to meet Remus Lupin.."
Lupin stepped forward to shake Jax's hand with a goofy half-grin on his face.
"Merlin, does she look like Lily! Except for the hair- that's all James'." He looked around the guard, meeting nodding heads. "I was a very good friend of your father's, Jax. I'm so glad to have you with us now." He let go of Jax's hand, stepping back.
"Nymphadora Tonks..." Dumbledore continued.
Tonks gave Dumbledore a small scowl, and Jax recognized her as the lady with the bright pink hair. She then stepped forward to take Jax's hand, shaking it furiously.
"It's actually Tonks. Just Tonks. And it's such an honor to finally have you among us."
She stepped back, but Dumbledore did not continue to carry on. Instead, he cleared his throat in Tonks' direction. Tonks gave Dumbledore a confused look, and Lupin pointed in the direction of the Nimbus 3000 beside her.
"Oh! So sorry! I was in charge of giving you your broom! Silly me!" She took the broom and shoved it into Jax's open hand.
"What did I tell you....?" Moody leaned over and whispered to McGonagall.
"Hush, Alastor!" Dumbledore said sharply.
Tonks just blushed, giving Moody a cold stare.
"Alastor Moody," Moody introduced himself.
He held out his hand, his 'mad-eye' giving Jax the once-over. Jax put her broom down on the ground, and took his hand cautiously. Dumbledore noticed her nervousness.
"Don't fret, Jax. Moody may look tough on the outside, but he really is a softie."
Tonks and Lupin laughed, while Moody just scowled. Dumbledore clapped his hands, and looked around.
"So, are we ready?" Dumbledore craned his neck to see over the guard, apparently looking for someone. "Where's Severus?"
Jax watched somebody appear out of thin air right behind Lupin. She gasped, and watched the man push his way into the circle.
"My apologies, Albus. I had duties in-" He stopped, catching a glance of Jax. "And would this be Miss Potter?"
"It's Miss Pierce, if you will," Jax replied hotly.
"Don't get smart with me, missy."
Jax scowled at the man, noticing his greasy, black hair and robes to match. She laughed at her own comparison.
"Severus, please! Jax, meet your potions Professor, Severus Snape."
Snape reluctantly stuck out his hand, but Jax would not take it. Snape put it down, not harmed by her rudeness.
"Okay! Let me go over the formation...."
Dumbledore dug through his robes in search of a piece of paper, as Jax still kept her glare on Snape. Dumbledore took the paper out of his robes and unrolled it.
"Alastor in the front.... Tonks and Remus on either side of Jax.... Severus in back.... Minerva on bottom.... and myself on top. Everyone got that?"
Dumbledore was met with nods all around. Jax had a look of worry on her face. She had no clue how to ride a broom!
Dumbledore had been carefully monitoring her thoughts throughout the small introduction, and heard that one loud and clear.
"Tonks is an excellent flyer, Jax. She will help you until you catch on. If you're anywhere near as good as Harry is, you'll do fine."
Tonks beamed down at Jax, assuring her with a squeeze on the shoulder. That made her feel ten times better. Jax really liked Tonks.
The guard took their formation on the ground, McGonagall and Dumbledore waiting behind to take their place for when Jax got into the air. McGonagall discreetly took out her wand, making Jax's suitcase disappear. Jax didn't even notice.
"Okay, Jax, watch how Moody kicks off of the ground," Tonks instructed her.
Jax copied how Moody mounted himself on the broom, and then followed his motions as he rose into the air. She felt herself rising into the air, and was scared at first, but as she heard applause all around her, she became more confident and watched as Lupin and Tonks rose up beside her. She saw McGonagall take her place below her; and Dumbledore above. Jax didn't even bother to see if Snape had made it. She didn't give a damn about him.
"Alright, everyone keep an eye out and their wands at close reach!" Dumbledore yelled.
Jax watched as Moody started to move his broom, and heard Tonks yelling to follow him. Jax pressed all of her body weight toward the front of her broom, and felt the wind rushing around her.
"Excellent!" Jax looked over to the side where Lupin was, and saw him beaming. They were all beaming at her; even Snape.
A/N: Please Review!
"No! I won't do it!" Jax screamed furiously at Dumbledore, who had Joan and Peter behind him.
"Jax, darling, that is what Professor Dumbledore came to do. He came to take you for your training as a witch. It's just like school!"
McGonagall gave a small huff at that. Joan walked over to her adopted daughter, putting an arm around her for comfort.
"You never said that I would have to leave! I don't want to leave! I have everything here, in London!"
"Professors, could you please excuse us?"
"Oh, of course! Come, Minerva. We have arrangements to take care of."
"I hope they're not for me!" Jax screamed at the two. "Because they're won't be any necessary!"
"Yes, there will."
Joan looked down at the carpet in her daughter's bedroom, where they were standing.
"Mother, I cannot believe you! I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving dad! I'm not leaving, period!"
Jax gave her mother a crazy look. She just could not believe that her mother wanted her gone.
"You have to go, sweetheart. Trust me, if you didn't, we wouldn't let them take you."
Peter walked over to his daughter and started to rub her shoulders. Jax looked up at her father, knowing that he was right. She tried to fight it, denying that there was any truth to what he had just said.
"It's because of this stupid scar on my forehead, right? That's why I'm so special to them?" Jax looked up to her father and then to her mother.
"I'm afraid so, darling."
Joan lifted up the bangs that hung in her daughter's eyes, and reached over to kiss the scar. Jax heard a knock on the door as she watched it swing open.
"I hope you've talked some sense into the child by now. The guard is coming for us in ten minutes!" McGonagall exclaimed.
Jax's eyes grew a horrified look in them. She couldn't leave a mere ten minutes from now! She then remembered what Dumbledore had said to her earlier- and quieted her thoughts.
"It's alright, dear. I know you're angry. Think as loud as you must," Dumbledore said softly.
"But Sir, why so soon? I mean, just yesterday I found out that I'm a witch and that I'm adopted and that I have a brother! Everything in my world is here. I don't know your world."
Dumbledore gave Jax a sympathetic look. McGonagall gave the girl a scowl, becoming impatient.
"Oh, good Lord! You have eight minutes to pack your things." McGonagall turned to walk out of the door, but turned back. "Scratch that. I'll do it for you."
She took her wand out of her emerald-green robes, and gave it a swish. Every item that either littered Jax's floor or was in her dresser drawers neatly folded themselves and took a place in the suitcase that had already been lying on the floor. McGonagall gave a small nod, satisfied. She turned and walked out the door.
Jax and her parents stood frozen, amazed at what they had just witnessed. Dumbledore gave a chuckle at their faces, and looked to Jax.
"And that was only beginning level. You, of course, will be getting after- class tutoring from your professors to be caught up with what you have missed. It is very rare to be accepted into a wizarding school so high up in the levels. By school regulations, I really should let you start as a first year, but I'm too nice to do that." He smiled, and peered down from his half-moon glasses.
"Thank you, Sir," was all Jax could get out of her mouth.
"Get anything else you think you need, and say goodbye. There will, of course, be Christmas vacation to come home. It's not for forever." And with that, he turned and followed in McGonagall's footsteps.
Jax took a magazine or two off of her dresser drawer, and packed up her makeup without saying a word to her parents. She stuck it all into the trunk and locked it. She set it upright and then turned to the two people that she had called her parents for her entire life. Tears were running down her mother's face, and her father had some welling up in his eyes.
"It's just like he said; I'll be back during Christmas. Promise."
She gave her father a tight hug, and kissed him on the cheek. She did the same to her mother, who gave her a kiss back in the same place she did before on her scar. Jax gave the two an 'I love you', and picked up the suitcase and walked down the stairs, not turning back.
"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked when she reached the bottom.
"No, but I'm going anyways, right?" She told him quietly. She really did not want to go.
McGonagall gave her a look of disapproval, and Dumbledore just gave a small smile and a motion toward the door. Standing around the doorway were several people chatting very merrily, until Jax came into sight. They all held their breaths, amazed to see her. A woman with bright pink hair gave a gasp, and a man with a rather large eye and a wooden leg made Jax gasp herself. Dumbledore stepped forward, introducing the guard.
"Jax, these are some of the many people that will be in close contact with you as long as you are not at Hogwarts. I'd like you to meet Remus Lupin.."
Lupin stepped forward to shake Jax's hand with a goofy half-grin on his face.
"Merlin, does she look like Lily! Except for the hair- that's all James'." He looked around the guard, meeting nodding heads. "I was a very good friend of your father's, Jax. I'm so glad to have you with us now." He let go of Jax's hand, stepping back.
"Nymphadora Tonks..." Dumbledore continued.
Tonks gave Dumbledore a small scowl, and Jax recognized her as the lady with the bright pink hair. She then stepped forward to take Jax's hand, shaking it furiously.
"It's actually Tonks. Just Tonks. And it's such an honor to finally have you among us."
She stepped back, but Dumbledore did not continue to carry on. Instead, he cleared his throat in Tonks' direction. Tonks gave Dumbledore a confused look, and Lupin pointed in the direction of the Nimbus 3000 beside her.
"Oh! So sorry! I was in charge of giving you your broom! Silly me!" She took the broom and shoved it into Jax's open hand.
"What did I tell you....?" Moody leaned over and whispered to McGonagall.
"Hush, Alastor!" Dumbledore said sharply.
Tonks just blushed, giving Moody a cold stare.
"Alastor Moody," Moody introduced himself.
He held out his hand, his 'mad-eye' giving Jax the once-over. Jax put her broom down on the ground, and took his hand cautiously. Dumbledore noticed her nervousness.
"Don't fret, Jax. Moody may look tough on the outside, but he really is a softie."
Tonks and Lupin laughed, while Moody just scowled. Dumbledore clapped his hands, and looked around.
"So, are we ready?" Dumbledore craned his neck to see over the guard, apparently looking for someone. "Where's Severus?"
Jax watched somebody appear out of thin air right behind Lupin. She gasped, and watched the man push his way into the circle.
"My apologies, Albus. I had duties in-" He stopped, catching a glance of Jax. "And would this be Miss Potter?"
"It's Miss Pierce, if you will," Jax replied hotly.
"Don't get smart with me, missy."
Jax scowled at the man, noticing his greasy, black hair and robes to match. She laughed at her own comparison.
"Severus, please! Jax, meet your potions Professor, Severus Snape."
Snape reluctantly stuck out his hand, but Jax would not take it. Snape put it down, not harmed by her rudeness.
"Okay! Let me go over the formation...."
Dumbledore dug through his robes in search of a piece of paper, as Jax still kept her glare on Snape. Dumbledore took the paper out of his robes and unrolled it.
"Alastor in the front.... Tonks and Remus on either side of Jax.... Severus in back.... Minerva on bottom.... and myself on top. Everyone got that?"
Dumbledore was met with nods all around. Jax had a look of worry on her face. She had no clue how to ride a broom!
Dumbledore had been carefully monitoring her thoughts throughout the small introduction, and heard that one loud and clear.
"Tonks is an excellent flyer, Jax. She will help you until you catch on. If you're anywhere near as good as Harry is, you'll do fine."
Tonks beamed down at Jax, assuring her with a squeeze on the shoulder. That made her feel ten times better. Jax really liked Tonks.
The guard took their formation on the ground, McGonagall and Dumbledore waiting behind to take their place for when Jax got into the air. McGonagall discreetly took out her wand, making Jax's suitcase disappear. Jax didn't even notice.
"Okay, Jax, watch how Moody kicks off of the ground," Tonks instructed her.
Jax copied how Moody mounted himself on the broom, and then followed his motions as he rose into the air. She felt herself rising into the air, and was scared at first, but as she heard applause all around her, she became more confident and watched as Lupin and Tonks rose up beside her. She saw McGonagall take her place below her; and Dumbledore above. Jax didn't even bother to see if Snape had made it. She didn't give a damn about him.
"Alright, everyone keep an eye out and their wands at close reach!" Dumbledore yelled.
Jax watched as Moody started to move his broom, and heard Tonks yelling to follow him. Jax pressed all of her body weight toward the front of her broom, and felt the wind rushing around her.
"Excellent!" Jax looked over to the side where Lupin was, and saw him beaming. They were all beaming at her; even Snape.
A/N: Please Review!
