Chapter two: Hocus Pocus

By the time Emerald arrived home it was going on to six-thirty. The sun had lost it's battle with the on coming rain clouds and the skies had opened up. She hung her rain soaked coat by the door and pressed on into the kitchen.

"Mom I'm home!"

There was no answer.

"Mom?" Emerald looked around; everything seemed to be in its place. The counters were wiped down and the dishes were washed and put away. Something had to be up; usually by now the kitchen would be in a state of complete chaos. The counters thick with grime form failed cooking attempts, and the sink overflowing with crusted pots and pans. Then she found it, the crucial piece of evidence that reveled her mother's where-a bouts. Taped to the fridge was a lime green sticky note covered in slanted black writing.

Emerald,

Out with Tony, be back around nine.

Supper's in the fridge, help yourself'

Love

-Mom

This was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. Tony Gonzoles was her mother's latest boyfriend. In the past three months Jordanna McCoy had gone through four potential husbands to be, all of whom she claimed to be "the one". But Emerald knew it wouldn't last, it never did. In a couple of day Tony would be nothing more then a memory of yet another relationship gone a bust.

Emerald leaned against the table and closed her eyes as she listen to the rain pounding the roof, and began to take a few deep breaths for it was the only thing keeping her from shredding that damn note! She absolutely despised the idea of having a stepfather. Sure he real dad had been dead for five years and she wanted her mother to be happy; but the thought of having another man come in and replace him was almost too much for her to bare. She had to find something to keep her mind off the dreaded subject. The only thing was what?

THUD! She dropped her backpack on the table and started rummaging through the pockets. "There's got to be something in here I can use to distract myself" emerald unzipped the more spacious compartment and emptied it's contents out on the table. It wasn't much, just a couple dead batteries, some scrap paper, and about fifty cents in change; but for some odd reason her bag still felt weighted down. Sure enough when she opened the middle pouch she discovered the book she had checked out from the library earlier that day. "Duh!" Emerald slapped her forehead, "what's more distracting then magic?" Enough said she rooted herself on the living room sofa and propped the book up on her knees, taking a few seconds to check it over on last time.

Eventually her curiosity proved too great and within seconds she found herself flipping through it's dull discolored pages. Emerald couldn't believe what she was reading, there were spells to summon spirits make it rain, and even a few that would make your crush kiss you. But this couldn't be real could it? This thought had crossed her mind numerous times. There had to be some way to disprove her skepticism over the book's authenticity, but how? So far all the pages had been marked with the words: Wand Required. It seemed hopeless. How was she suppose to test her theory if she didn't even have the very tool needed to use it?

"Emerald! Emerald let me in… quick!" The sudden rapping on the door nearly made Emerald jump out of her skin.

"Come on Em!"

Josh, Emerald thought as she leapt from her seat, leaving the book on the coffee table in front of the sofa. "Josh!" Right again. "What are you doing here? It's pouring rain!"

"Really, I hadn't noticed" he grumbled pushing past her into the warmth of the living room.

"Here" Emerald tossed him a plaid dish - towel. "Dry off a bit"

"Thanks… listen you don't mind if I crash here for a couple hours, do you?

"Let me guess, your mom's out and you forgot your keys. Again"

Josh took a seat in the same spot Emerald had been only moments before. "You got it"

"Sure my mom out too so I could use the company" Emerald had grown quite accustom to Josh's surprise visit's, even if they were under strange circumstances. It was just last week that he ended up staying the night after accidentally gluing the seat of his pants to the floor of the garage. It took two adults and a ride on lawn mower set to bunny to get him unstuck the next day.

"So have you cast any spells yet?"

"Excuse me?" Emerald was caught off guard by such a peculiar question.

Josh pointed to the open book on the coffee table. "The spell book you got from the library; does it work?"

"Oh right, that," Emerald mutter to herself. "Um, I'm not sure; I haven't really gotten a chance to try anything."

"And why not?" Josh asked.

She detected a slight hint of disappointment in his voice. "Because I need a wand, that's why"

"Well according to this you don't" Josh held up a rather ragged looking piece of parchment and waved it in front of Emerald's face, quickly pulling it away when ever it came within inches of her finger tips.

"Hey! Let me see it."

"A, a, a. not so fast gemstone, it's gonna cost you"

Uh oh, Emerald thought, he only ever called her that when he had something devilish in mind. "Josh, don't do this."

"Do you want the note or not?

Emerald sighed, "What do I have to do?"

"Sniff my shoe."

"Ew, no, your feet smell worse then that time our meat freezer broke down!"

"Okay, if you feel that strongly about it then" Josh unfolded the peace of paper and placed his fingers in a ready to rip position.

Emerald glared, "You wouldn't"

"I would" With a flick of his wrist Josh's fingers fell forward and a miniscule tare appeared on the paper's edge.

"Josh!" Emerald mad another grab for the paper, but missed once again.

"It's just one little sniff, then you can have your precious piece of paper."

He had a point. All she'd have to do was hold shoe up to her nose for, not even thirty seconds and she'd have it, simple as that. "Fine," she groaned, "shoe me."

Even at an arms length away the aroma of Josh's ratty old sneaker filled her nostrils. It didn't come as much of a surprise either, because it looked almost a horrible as it smelled. After years of wear and tare the shoe's tongue was barely hanging on by a thread and all four aglets had fallen off leaving the laces frayed and limp. It was a disgrace, even to footwear standards. "I am so getting you a new pair of sneakers for your birthday." Emerald announced.

"Great, I take size elevens. Now quit stalling and get on with it already!" He urged.

It was now or never. The putrid stench was almost unbearable but she forced the shoe under her nose. "Okay on three," she told herself, "One… Two… Three!" Emerald inhaled as much as her lunges could bare it, "Oh gross!" But quickly veered her head in the opposite direction, chocking and gasping desperately for fresh air.

Meanwhile Josh sat at the other end of the table chuckling to him about the whole performance. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Oh shut up and give it to me," Emerald sounded much more agitated, and Josh knew that if he valued his life he'd hand over the paper.

"Here you go." He chirped.

Emerald waited no time in unfolding the paper once again and began studying the words, which unfortunately were very few.

So… you want to learn a bit of magic do yah? Well why not learn from a pro.

(Page 13. No wand required)

"What's that suppose to mean?" Josh inquired.

"I don't know… but there's only one way to find out."

On page thirteen of the Beginners Guide to Charms, Spells, and Hexes, was written the fallowing:

Summoning Spell

The summoning spell may be used to bring forth any witch pr wizard living within a hundred mile radius from whence the spell has been cast, please note that this spell will safely transport a maximum of no more then three beings at a time.

"Boy with the way this guy writes its' as if he thinks this thing could actually work."

"How do you know it doesn't? I mean like I said, I haven't tried anything yet so there's still the possibility." Emerald gathered the book in her arms, "you coming'"

Josh wrinkled his brow. "Coming? Coming where?"

"To my room, I'm going to test this out."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. After reading all this do you honestly expect me to just sit around and not even make an attempt at it?"

"Well no, but –," Before he could finish his sentence Emerald had taken hold of his hand with her free one and sighed, "Just fallow me."

* * * * *

Behind a plain white door was a very ordinary room, with lavender painted walls and a hardwood floor. The bed lay where it had spent most of its life; pushed up against the east wall collecting a decade's worth of dust. But as the two teenagers burst into the room they took no notice of their surroundings, for it was one they knew too well. Emerald placed the book on the floor in the center of the room, and then began to read the direction aloud. "Step one, open the windows and be sure that there is at least one door unlocked," as she read Josh made sure of both these things. "This will provide an entry way for the said witch or wizard, and an escape root for you should they become violent."

"Hold up! … Violent?" Josh came to an immediate halt. "Nobody said anything about getting hurt."

Emerald ignored him and continued reading. "Step two, see incantation below." At the bottom of the page was a single verse written in Latin like all the pages before it. She puzzled over this for several seconds; Emerald could barely pronounce most of the words in her head, let alone say them aloud, so she would have to try her best. She took a deep breath in order to calm her nerves and began reciting the spell. "EGO dico super illud per veneficus solers ut exorior quod partis vestri sapientia." Suddenly a mysterious gust of wind came up out of nowhere, blowing piles of paper off Emeralds desk and scattering them across the floor. "Tamen exsisto praecipio is quisnam has libri vadum exsisto solus unus per ops transporto vos tergum!"

Almost as quickly as it appeared, the massive gale diminished as soon as the last words feel from her lips. Josh and Emerald held their breath waiting or something else to happen, but nothing did.

"Is that it?" Josh asked.

"No, I don't think so… it says here that after performing the spell there should be some sort of wind…"

"Well we got that" Josh directed her attention to the disaster that was now her room.

"…And then a flash of light"

If Josh and Emerald hadn't been so busy quizzing each other on all the numerous possibilities on why the spell wasn't taking affect they would have noticed Emerald's Harry Potter book, levitate off her beside table. The book hovered across the room but the two teenagers still remained oblivious to what was happening behind their backs. It wasn't until it crashed to the floor next to the spell book, that they finally started to pay attention.

"How'd that get over there?" Emerald clutched Josh's arm nervously.

"Don't look at me."

Once again the elusive wind began blowing at a ferocious rate.

"Get behind the bed!" Emerald yelled over the roar of the wind.

"What!"

"I said get behind the bed!"

Together they pulled the old metal bed frame from the wall and took shelter from the flying knick-knacks being knocked off the shelves.

"Ah!" Emerald huddled close to Josh narrowly escaping a small porcelain lamp as it toppled from the table next to them. For a moment all that could be heard was the rattling of the window pains and then what sounded like the crash of thunder. By now Josh had wrapped his arms tightly around Emerald, ready to shield her from anything that might result from this mess. There was another clap of thunder, this time louder then before. Emerald had managed to break free from Josh's embrace and peered over the edge of the bed just in time to witness something remarkable. It started out as a miniscule sparkle of blue light and before she knew it, her copy of the half blood prince had erupted into a fountain of sapphire flames.

"Will you get down here!" Josh begged

"No wait, look,"

Josh poked his head up. "What?"

"It's working" Emerald said excitedly.

They both watched in aw as two smaller orbs of light branched out from the larger one and began whizzing about the room like a pair of ping-pong balls, until finally going their separate ways. After ricocheting off the wall the first of the two lights had blasted through the open window while the other slithered under the crack in the door. A minute later the sound of screeching brake pads could be heard from the street.

"That's not good." Said Josh shaking his head.

"No duh!" Emerald slid under the bed and rushed over to the window to try and catch a glimpse of where the first orb could have strayed, sadly she had no luck. "Oh great! I lost one!"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much Em, we've got a bigger problem"

As the flames died the murky silhouette of a man appeared against the rising clouds of smoke and ash. The figure jerked around from side to side, seeming extremely alarmed and confused, before stepping into clear view. Emerald gasped. It couldn't be, she thought. Not him! But it was. The man was tall with chin length raven hair, which caused his already pale complexion to look even lighter. He was decked in from head to toed in dark, semi-loose fitting clothing, with a lengthy ebony cloak to complete the ensemble. To put it quite simply the man looked like a great overgrown bat.

Emerald's fear vanished as an overwhelming sense of excitement washed over her body like a wave crashing to shore. She'd done it. She had summoned a wizard. Although he wasn't just any wizard, standing before her at that very moment was one of the most mysterious, cold, and bitter tempered men in the entire wizarding world. Professor Severus Snape.

"Cool!" Emerald took a step forward in order to have a better look. When this happened the man reached into his robes and pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at her. "Okay, not so cool."

"Hey, get away from her you creep!" Josh bounded from behind the bed to the aide of his threatened friend. He was now the only thing that stood between them so he had two options; one wrestle the wand out of his hand and risk both their lives, or make a break for the door. "Emerald, this is what we're gonna do," he whispered, "On my word head for the door… Now!" They both scrambled to the exit, but the potions master was right behind them. Before leaving Emerald had managed to scoop the spell book up in her arms. Then as a last resort to buy some time she locked the door behind her.

"Is that who I think it is?" Josh said standing at the top of the stairs.

Emerald gulped, "Yeah, Snape." Just then the doorknob began to jiggle. "What do we do now?"

Josh looked back and saw the keyhole fill with green light. "Run!"