Disclaimer: This is based on the original work of J. K. Rowling who is the rightful creator of the Harry Potter universe and Christina Steinberg and Nancy Bernstein's Rise of the Guardians. Only the characters that I create are my own.
My eyes lit up at the sound of shifting bricks. Diagon Alley, finally! After all these years I'm finally going to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"So where to first?" I eagerly bounced through the archway "The pet store? textbooks? brooms? Oh Oh Oh How about the potions supplies" I bubbled, dashing madly through the crowd
"Val you're going to get hurt if you keep zipping around like that" Jack called
"Since when did you care? you're always getting bruises and broken bones" i muffled into the window too entranced by the automated mixing cauldron
"Since Uncle Nick put me in charge" he sighed rocking back and forth on his floating staff
He had activated his ghosting powers and was now a somewhat faded blue hooded figure eerily bobbing over the masses, thus speaking to this apparition resulted in people giving me crazy looks. However after years of being called delusional by the muggle community it didn't phase me.
It was only two years ago when the Guardians took me away from my neglectful alcoholic father, but who could blame him? The love of his life passed while giving birth to what he believed to be a possessed child, always chiming on about dogs with two tails, pink owls and god forbid the haunting call of his wife. But I didn't understand. How could I? At the tender age of ten all I could do was accept the little nods he would occasionally greet me with before trailing off to his soggy red couch stained with splashes of booze to stare blankly at the buzzing picture box. I too would have gone insane if it weren't for my unwavering belief that the apparition of the house was my mother. After I was visited by a large man who held a striking resemblance to a jolly red suited male. Who was introduced to me as Uncle Nick "Just call me Uncle Nick, everyone at home does"
They both believed it would be best if I grew up in the magical world rather than this depressing household.
Later on the sleigh ride to my new home I was told my family history. The women had a track record of dying during childbirth and as a result the children were blessed with some ghostly attributes, such as floating, phasing and becoming invisible, in addition to the extended lifespan.
"I'm sorry, how old are you?" I blinked in disbelief when he told me his age
"Oh don't be like that i'm still a spry 300" he laughed his signature laugh
"I guess i should be calling you Grandpa Nick then"
"Don't make me out you on the naughty list" he gave me the stink eye
"One of your brothers is already on it"
"SEEE I KNEW I couldn't be the only one— woah!" the sleigh lost its balance midway through the Himalayan Mountains as a silver haired boy in a blue hoodie pounced his way in
"JACK WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! I thought I told you to stay at home!"
"How could I when there's family in town" he grinned
The old man sighed hand over heart. He's going to die from a heart attack one of these days.
"I was going to wait until we get back but Jack, meet your new sister Valentine. Valentine please keep Jack out of trouble he can be a bit of a handful sometimes"
So this must be Mr Naughty List
It was later explained to me by Jack's chittering that we were a family brought together by magical properties and each one of us has a governing role in young muggle lives. Uncle Nick was Santa Claus, Jack would grow up to be the Winter Mischief aka Jack Frost, Tooth the Tooth fairy, Bunny an animagus Easter Bunny and Sandy the Sandman. Most of them live in different magical pocket dimensions but occasionally they would come together for important meetings about the wizarding world, sort of like undercover 'nobles' (that the Malfoys will not approve of, since our line isn't exactly pure)
"And you know! You know! we can do anything we want and the ministry can't do anything about it" the boy gleamed
"Now we just have a little more freedom than the rest of the community" Nick corrected "like being able to use "magic in front of children but that's about it"
"potato potahto" he dismissed
The boy's tisking brought me back to the present as he was going on about how I should listen to my elders seeing as I haven't even found my role in this world yet and what not.
Now being a full 6 years older than me Jack had already finished his training at Hogwarts and is now helping me shop for my supplies. Of course I'm going to make this difficult for him because 1. This is my first time in Diagon Alley since I wasn't supposed to leave the mountain side Uncle Nick lived on unless it was with another Guardian member as I was not trained in the magical arts yet and 2. I need to get Jack back for all those times he got me in trouble.
I pouted at his failing attempt to reprimand me. If anything it just sounded like a boast of how "well behaved" he is. Rolling my eyes I continued the mad dash around the plaza but of course didn't get too far.
"OOft", I rebounded off a similar sized body and onto the somewhat damp cobble stone path.
A maniacal laugh followed the precession, an older girl was pointing and jeering, presumably his sister at the boy in front of me. His pristine crisp free coat stained with the essence of common folk and his gelled back hair fell a little awry. He heaved a sigh emphasising his irritation as he smeared dirt across his trousers in a futile attempt to clean his hands.
"you should watch where you're going girl" an older woman cut in hiding her thinly pursed lips with a black feathered fan. A minimalistic raven feathered hat bounced in the light breeze. "And Bellatrix stop laughing at your brother, you're beginning to sound like a hyena." snapping her fan shut pulled her point across and the girl straightened up.
"Told you so" Jack called, floating over my shoulder, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I growled at the still invisible boy making the woman cock an eyebrow.
"Oh why if it isn't Mrs Black" he faded in leaning nonchalantly on his hooked staff, snowflake embellished blue hood shadowing his eyes. "Taking a break from the dark and gloomy cave you call home no doubt. Judging by that crinkly complexion it's been at least a decade since you last saw the sun" He chuckled, pearly whites challenging her piercing gaze.
"A Guardian. I should have known" her lips twisted in disgust, as if the very word fell bitter on her tongue.
"How could you forget? I visit every Winter"
"I thought I told you to stay away from my house"
"But the restraining order doesn't apply to me. I'm here for the children" He conjured up a tiny flake flipping it across his fingers before sending it on its way.
The woman slapped the vile thing before it touched her offspring.
"Don't lay a hand on my children. You're going to taint my children with Gryffindor ideals" she hissed like a child running from cooties.
"What's wrong with being in Gryffindor?" I peeped from behind my senior
"I'll tell you what's wrong with them" she harped on "you're filthy, mud blood loving, idiotic beings driven purely by a shared brain cell. You have no class, status or etiquette as shown by your lack of control in the plaza and the embarrassing display of a headless chicken. That house is composed of wizard and witch left overs, and clearly, you're all defective. Children of that house are either mud-bloods or half, and children of theirs turn into squibs. Only a failure would end up in a house like that." She finished brushing a stray strand of hair from her brow, with a delicate glove covered hand. "Come now children, before any idiocy rubs off on you"
They waddled after her like ducklings.
"You never told me about all of that" I pouted tugging at the spirit's sleeve.
"Oh that's all nonsense, pure bloods makeup to feel better about themselves. It doesn't matter what other people think about your house, only you. Cause you're going to be the one living with them. It may seem like that to others, but as long as you're having fun with all your friends, that's all that matters, right?" he ruffled my hair, "Now let's get some shopping done, the train'll be here in a few hours" He rippled back to his invisible self.
