Chapter Two
October 31, 2016
Mira: MOM! I can't find my costume anywhere!
Kate: Maybe it's under your bed. Good luck finding it in that mess. (rolls eyes)
Mira: (sticking her tongue out at Kate) Mom, I really need my costume ready for tonight!
Hermione: (calling up the stairs) Have you tried looking in your closet? I think I put it there once I finished sewing it.
Kate: (mumbling) She'd never think to look there since she never hangs anything up in it.
(Mira punches Kate)
Kate: OW! Hey!
Mira: Like you're much neater than me.
Kate: HA! Compared to you, I could be on the set of one of those cleaner product commercials.
Mira: (shoves Kate) Just help me find it, okay?
Kate: (sighs) Fine.
The two girls started searching through the upstairs room they had shared in their small apartment as long as they could remember. Their mom, Hermione Granger, had a job at the town newspaper office, and the girls were in 6th grade at Westridge Elementary. Some people considered them different, and they were sometimes teased for this, but it had stopped a couple years ago. People had learned that if you messed with one granger sister, the other one was never far behind. Mira, with her dark brown hair and green eyes, was the more sensitive of the two, disliking fighting and often emotional. Kate, who had red hair (they knew where she got it) and deep blue eyes, had always been the one to fight with the kids who teased them, and was constantly in detention for something or other. Meanwhile, they were having no luck finding Mira's Halloween costume.
Kate: I give up. Maybe you left it downstairs?
Mira: No! It's just gone. (sighs) I guess I'll borrow something of Mom's for a costume.
Walking to her Mom's closet, Mira noticed something in it she had never seen before. They were long, black robes, like the kind college graduates wear. Puzzled, Mira carried them downstairs to the kitchen. Obviously they were her mom's, but her mom had worn green robes, Mira had seen the picture.
Mira: Mom, what are these? They look like your college ones, but those were green.
Hermione: Oh! They, um, well…
Mira: Hey what's the "H" on here for? You went to Westridge College, didn't you mom?
Hermione: Yes, well, er, they are part of a, Halloween costume of mine. From high school. Um, where did you find those?
Mira: Just in the back of your closet, why?
Hermione: Uh, no reason, no reason at all, just… wondering.
Mira: Well anyway, can I use them for my costume tonight? I thought they could be magic robes, like for a witch or something, but they need a bit of hemming…
Hermione: (slightly panicked) Yeah, sure, I'll fix them, just… just bring 'em back in one piece, okay?
Mira: (grins) Thanks mom! (plods upstairs)
Hermione tiptoed upstairs to her room and found the robes waiting to be turned up for Mira.
Where on earth did she find these? she thought in a whirl. She had tried to keep Mira away from the wizarding world as much as she could, so how could this have happened? I knew I'd have to tell them one day. Oh well, at least she doesn't suspect anything. For now.
---That night, at the Halloween party---
Mira was drinking punch and watching the dance floor, bored and waiting for Kate to come back from the restroom. All of a sudden, she heard the unmistakable giggle of Mandy Parks, the most popular girl in school, and her group of wanna-bes and tough girls that always followed her around.
Not here, not tonight! thought Mira as she glanced around frantically for a hiding spot. Just my luck. She always ruins my life. Why does she pick on me? She must have seen Kate go in the restroom.
The sound of giggling and footsteps was getting closer.
Just once, please walk past and ignore me. Please! No such luck.
Mandy: Why look, everyone! We get a treat, the chance to see the common social reject!
Mandy and her posse laughed hysterically at this.
Mira: (mumbles) Just leave me alone, Mandy.
Mandy: Oh no, this is a rare treat! These animals are generally shy, and don't socialize with anyone but their own kind! Good thing too, can you believe the smell?
More hysterical laughter from Mandy and her crowd.
Mira: (voice getting louder with each word, stands up) I said, leave me ALONE!
Mandy: (rolls eyes) Make me.
All of a sudden, Mira throws her cup of punch at Mandy. Then she leaps back with her hand over her mouth.
Mandy: (spluttering) You are gonna pay for that, you little brat!
This was a familiar scene to Mira. Mandy shows up, and Mandy goes on and on about something. Mira does something wrong to Mandy. Mira runs, then Mandy and friends beat up Mira.
This time, Mira was running out of the gym doors, and up a hallway. I thought this was over with. I hoped she had finally forgotten me. Fat chance, looks like.
Running as hard as she could down the corridor, Mira began to take random turns in a fruitless effort to shake her pursuers off. Out of the blue, she crashed into a wall. She had run straight into a dead end!
Mira: Oh no! Oh no no no no no!
Mandy: Well, well, well. Who do we have here?
Mira spun around.
Mandy: Looks like little Miss Loser got herself into quite a fix. Let's help her out, shall we? Oh, and no Kate to protect you! My, my, you are in trouble, aren't you?
Mira closed her eyes and covered her face as she waited for the inevitable pain…
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…that never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She could still see Mandy and the others trying to hit her, but they appeared to be failing to reach her. Then she heard footsteps and saw Kate and her mom running up the passage. They both stopped and stared at what was happening to Mira.
Hermione's eyes went wide. Mira does have magic! Oh dear, I have to explain things earlier than I thought.
Kate just stared at Mira. What's going on?!?!?!?
Mandy and the other girls who were trying to beat Mira up ran as fast as they could to get away from whatever Mira was doing. Mira sniffled and stood up.
Mira: (in a quavering voice) M-mom?
Hermione: (sighs) Come here girls, I need to tell you something…