Chapter 4: What is Right, and What is Easy
As Nichole rounded the corner to the living room in the McEwen house, she almost toppled over in surprise.
"Sarah!" she yelped "There's a man's head in your fireplace!"
Sarah chuckled at the comment. "That's one of the ways wizards communicate with each other. It's called Floo powder, and you can also use it to travel to places." When Nichole still appeared to be thoroughly confused, she explained further. "You know, with your whole body. You travel through the Floo Network, using the fireplace. It's quite fun!"
Nichole thought that traveling through chimneys sounded anything but fun. The man whose head stood in the fire, had sparkling blue eyes covered by half-moon spectacles, with a long, gray beard down his front. He wore atop his head, a purple pointed hat.
"Hello Miss Caligan, if I may introduce myself, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, and also the Head of the Order of the Phoenix."
Nichole felt as if someone had hit her in the head with a baseball bat yet again.
"Excuse me…um, did you just say…Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy?"
"Yes indeed. One of the finest magical institutions in the world, if I do say so myself. Now I have some very important matters to discuss with you Miss Caligan. I understand that you have showed some magical qualities within the past 24 hours. Now would you care to elaborate on these events?"
"I…I…um…pardon me?"
"I understand that you have in some way performed magic multiple times within the last 24 hours. Would you please explain each situation to me?"
"I made sparks come out of a wand, if that's what you mean," Nichole said, still finding the idea of speaking to a head in a fireplace very awkward indeed.
"Now, how did you acquire a wand, having supposedly no previous knowledge of the magical world?"
"Um…I found it." She answered nervously, hoping that she was convincing enough. It was one thing to find out that the whole magic thing was real, but the dreams were a whole different story.
"Ah, yes I see." Said Dumbledore, giving a knowing smile. "There were also other occasions on which you used magic, perhaps by accident."
"I…I don't know."
"Why yes of course, and what a beautiful shirt that is you are wearing Miss Caligan, do tell where you bought it."
"I, well, I kind of, found it in my closet. It like, appeared from nowhere. Is that magic? Making clothes appear whenever you want?"
"Yes, indeed. Magic shows itself when a person's emotions are strong, often offering situations to those in a "pickle," if you will. Do you remember any other odd happenings lately?"
"Actually professor, I think I do remember some odd things happening lately. When I boarded the bus today after going to the grocery store, I heard a voice in my head, and some money also appeared in my pocket, the exact amount I needed to board the bus."
"Yes, yes, funny how that happens sometimes isn't it? Now, did you say you heard a voice in your head? Could you explain to me exactly how this happened?"
"Well, I looked up from my purse to apologize for not having the proper money (before the money appeared in my pocket), and as soon as I looked into his eyes, I heard a voice, well I suppose you could say, his voice in the back of my mind saying 'Kids these days.'."
"Of course. Now may I ask you, has a situation similar to that ever arisen before?" Dumbledore gave her an inquisitive look, which made her insides squirm.
"No!" she answered a little too quickly. She had gotten the feeling that time that she had invaded Harry's thoughts, that it was not a proper thing to do, even for magic people. This professor obviously wasn't to thrilled that she could read minds to some degree, and she wasn't going to feed the fire.
"Miss Caligan is there anything else you would like to tell me?" he said his blue eyes boring into hers. "I assure you, I am only here to help." As the professor told her this, Nichole felt a sharp tug at the front of her mind. Dumbledore's eyes came closer to hers until she was sure they just went inside her head. Suddenly she saw flashes infront of her eyes. No. Not flashes, memories. She saw herself sitting in a shopping cart at the supermarket at age 4. She saw her first day of school when she had met Sarah and Meghan. Nichole was sure that Dumbledore could see everything she could. He was reading her mind, exactly like she had done to others. She willed it to stop, which wasn't hard, as she was beginning to feel dizzy. An image of a roller coaster flashed infront of her eyes. This only made her more dizzy. Nichole forced herself to think of simply nothing. She did this to concentrate better during tests. Maybe if she concentrated better, then the dizziness and tugging would fade away. Sure enough, she saw Sarah's living room coming back into view. She could see Dumbledore's eyes moving away from hers.
As Dumbledore broke eye contact with her, she felt the tugging receding, and shook her head a little to rid herself of the sensation.
"Miss Caligan, I believe that you have a very special gift. This gift you will learn to use properly in time, although you will find it no doubt both a curse and a blessing. Now, Mrs. McEwen, I believe you are opposed to sending your children to Hogwarts this year, as are the Williams' am I correct?"
"MUM! Why can't we go to Hogwarts!"
"That's absolutely none of your business. I am your mother, and I decide where you go to school. I will not have you gallivanting around a country on the other side of the world! Especially with the darkest wizard of all times on the loose!"
"Mum, we wouldn't be gallivanting. What the hell do you think we do in our spare time! Geez!"
"Oh yes, I'm sure. I've heard the stories about that school. The Philosopher's Stone incident. For Heavens sake, You-Know-Who was inside the school on a teacher's head! The Chamber of Secrets! Sirius Black! And, now last year that hokey tournament, and a student died!"
"Yes, well that being said Mrs. McEwen I would like to speak to Miss Caligan about the education situation at hand. I assume that you would like to attend Hogwarts this year?"
"Well, yes, I suppose, well, maybe. Did all that stuff really happen? Couldn't I just stay here and study with Sarah, Meghan and Eric? I don't mean to be rude, but I would rather stay with my family and friends."
"Of course I understand your reasoning Miss Caligan. However, I would very much prefer if you could attend Hogwarts. There are some people there, I think you ought to meet, and I would like you to be under my supervision. Here, this is a copy of the school letter containing your supply list. And this, here is a letter to your mother. I am sure she will understand the situation, and want you to attend Hogwarts, under the circumstances. Also, here, is letters for you two, and Mr. McEwen. I am sure you would all wish to accompany Miss Caligan. I assure you, Hogwarts has been given maximum security against dark forces, and the children would be getting exceptional education, especially with their O.W.L's at the end of this year.
"Very well Albus, I'll think about it. But good luck trying to get Barb to let her daughter go, let alone let her get anywhere near anything that has to do with magic or Harry Potter"
"Perhaps it will ultimately be her daughter's decision."
With a pop, Professor Dumbledore's head disappeared from the fire. The living room looked horribly normal in the awkward silence that followed.
"Well, you girls best be getting to bed now. I'm sure you all have a busy day planned for tomorrow.
The girls climbed back up to their room in silence, contemplating what the professor had told them. Many questions raged in Nichole's head, but she held her silence, knowing that now was not the time to badger Mrs. McEwen.
Miss Caligan, I believe that you have a very special gift. This gift you will learn to use properly in time, although you will find it no doubt both a curse and a blessing.
What gift was Dumbledore talking about? The girls silently prepared to go to sleep. Nichole flicked off the light switch before plopping down onto her air mattress on the floor. Nichole lay there quiet as a mouse for the good part of an hour. As soon as she was sure that the other two were out cold, she sat up, and pulled out The Standard Book of Spells Grade1 from under the bed, where it had fallen inconspicuously. She then pulled out Harry's wand from her backpack. She flipped through its pages trying to find a simple spell she might teach herself. She thought she might learn a few simple spells by herself.
Levitation Charm
Purpose: The purpose of the levitation charm is to make objects fly. The speed and direction of the object's flight is determined by the wand movements of the performer. This charm becomes more difficult as the size and mass of the object in question increases. The ability to control the object will also be affected.
Incantation: Wingardium Leviosa (accent on 'gar' and 'o')
Wand Movement: The simple 'swish and flick' as used in many similar charms. Note that the swish should be executed upwards rather that downwards as to better cooperate with the nature of the spell. See Figure 2.
Well, that looks simple enough, thought Nichole, as she examined the diagram on the opposite page. She practiced the wand movement several times alone before attempting the incantation.
She stared at a book on Sarah's night table. The spell book had suggested to start off with light objects, but unfortunately, Sarah's room was horribly neat, and had no loose scraps of paper, or pens sitting about. After all, the book was only a small paper-back, no big deal.
"Wingardium Leviosa" she whispered, swishing and flicking towards the book.
Up went the book. It silently hovered about a foot and a half above the table. Nichole moved her wand slightly to the right. The book followed, as it did when she moved it up and down. Over to Meghan's head. Up, Down. Up, Down. Nichole was bouncing the book up and down, preventing it from hitting Meghan's head by inches.
SNORE
Nichole jumped as Sarah let out a snore, and unfortunately lost control of the book.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL !" screamed Meghan
"Is it morning already?" yawned Sarah. "Hey! Nichole has a wand! I thought she was a…oh yea. Mm'll killu i' see seesu doin magi."
"Oh god, I know I just broke up with Chad, but you don't have to throw Captain Underpants at me."
"Huh?"
"Captain Underpants landed on my head, and it's your book. I mean come on we all know you're immature, but at least own up to it-wait-oh, so it was you huh rookie? Well at least you didn't light it on fire, that's what I did my first try," said Meghan, glancing from the open book in Nichole's lap, to the wand in her hand, to the book beside her.
"Sorry, I couldn't sleep. And it was her fault," she said, jabbing a finger towards Sarah. "God, you snore!"
"Well sorry, and besides, you shouldn't be doing magic, especially with no one else awake. You could burn down the house, that is, if my mom didn't kill you first."
"Hey stop being so depressing Sarah, she should be practicing, especially with O.W.L.'s this year. She's missed four years of school. We should help her."
"No! I'm really sorry that Nichole's obviously going to fail exams, but my mother will actually kill us if she finds out."
"How's she gonna find out. Your door's shut."
"Hey guys-"
"Oh trust me. She'll know. She's like…omniwhatsit."
"Hey"-
"Omnipotent? And so we make sure she's asleep. No biggie. And she obviously is, seeing as she hasn't barged-"
"HELLO!"
"-in here yet. Geez, what do you want Nichole?"
"Well, I've been wondering since our little chat with Dumbledore what are O.W.L's?"
"Oh, they're exams. Stand for Ordinary Wizarding Levels. You take them at the end of fifth year. If we get to go to Hogwarts, we'd be in fifth year, so we'd have to take the exams. They're really important because they influence what job's you can get and stuff. Then in seventh year you take NEWT's, which are really hard."
"How the hell can I be expected to pass those?"
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get extra lessons or something, or you can take them next year or something. It's really odd though, because technically you should've been in the books, I don't know why no one ever told you you were magic."
"Actually, you said you levitated this book on your first try right?"
"Yea."
"Oh wow, I made my pen explode when we were first starting out! Wow, you're really lucky!"
"Yeah, if you can learn fast, you'll probably be fine. Alright, so what else do you wanna practice?"
"Meghan!"
"Shuddup. Here, try this, the summoning charm. More complicated but-"
"More complicated! That's a fourth year charm you idiot! That's impossible for her, she's never even passed first year!"
"So anyway, the incantation is Accio, the object you are summoning. Watch. Accio book."
The Captain Underpants book flew from the blanket at her side, to her hand.
"Neat."
"Nichole, bad things can happen when-"
"Just ignore her, go on."
Nichole looked around the room for a target, she then spotted Sarah's stuffed pink bear sitting on her bed beside her.
"Accio bear." The pink bear flew into her outstretched arm, while Meghan and Sarah stared at her in amazement.
"Shit. That's some funky stuff you've got going on there."
"Hey, remember what Dumby said about you having a gift? Maybe you can like already do all the spells in the world!"
"That's obviously not what it is. How could that be a curse? He said it was both blessing and curse. Sorry but I only see blessing in that."
"True, but no one just picks up a wand and can do all these spells."
"I can't do all these spells! I did two, two! Not that many."
"Alright, whatever, you two monkeys can think whatever you want, I'm going back to sleep," said Sarah, yawning, flicking off the light switch.
Nichole laid back on her pillow. Whatever Dumbledore was barking about, she was now sure that her friends didn't think she was wonky. She smiled, and shut her eyes, imagining her mother's reaction when she told her the news tomorrow morning.
"How could you lie to me, all these years! You completely made up everything you told me and Gizzy! Don't try to deny it, don't you trust me!"
"Of course I trust you dear, It's just that…I can't tell you honey. You have no idea what is going through my head right now, and you have no right to judge me."
"Judge you! I'm in no way judging you! I know that you're lying to me. Tell me why the Williams and McEwens are really here! How do you know who Dumbledore is? Why have you been having me watched? Why won't you let me go to Hogwarts? You have no right to stop me! It must have something to do with Dad being attacked. But-oh wait, you lied to him too apparently! What's all this crap about some "curse"? Why would someone attack Dad because of you!"
"Nichole listen to me, I'm your mother, and have your best interests at heart. I don't want to lose you! Believe me when I say you will come to understand when you are ready."
"I'm ready now!
I want you to tell me what you've been hiding from me for 15
years!"
"Nichole, I can't do that…if the wrong person were to somehow find out, they would kill you! That's why your father was killed. People were trying to find out information about me, and you. I won't let you go to Hogwarts because I don't want you near those horrible people. We had to move back here because people were after us in England honey! I know it's very hard to comprehend right now-"
"Maybe it would be easier for me to comprehend if you would fill in the holes for me!"
"I can't Nichole. Not until you're older, and ready for the responsibility that will be on your shoulders with the knowledge you will receive. Nichole, I prayed, and prayed that you would not have to deal with the horrible weight of this curse, and I can't even begin to express how horrified I was when Mrs. McEwen called and told me that Dumbledore had said that you had magical talent."
"What's wrong with me being magical? What does that have to do with anything?"
BRRRRIIIINNNGGG!BRRRIIIINNNGGG!
"Hello. Oh my, yes of course. She wants to see her? Yes we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Who was that?"
"Grandma's very, very sick. The doctors don't think she has much longer to live. We will continue this discussion later."
Nichole awoke groggily and slowly sat up. It was still relatively dark in the room, meaning that it must have been early morning. She could hear snoring coming from Sarah's bed, although it sounded like a roaring waterfall in her head. She opened her eyes slowly, and swooned with dizziness. She felt every bone in her body aching, and she shivered from invisible cold. Her stomach felt as if someone was trying to rip it out from inside her. Her very lungs burned as she gasped for breath. She tried to stand up, stumbled, and nearly fell on top of Meghan. She managed to make her way to the bathroom. As she leaned over the toilet bowl, she felt the dizziness, and stomach pains receding, as the aching in her lungs and bones. Her breathing slowly returned to normal, though she still felt as though she had run a marathon. She stood up and washed her face in the sink.
What had happened to make her so sick so suddenly? Last night had been odd, but she had been fine later that night. She had felt perfectly normal right before she went to sleep…
Her still pounding head was preventing her from thinking clearly.
She had had a strange dream last night. Again, it didn't feel like a dream, it felt real, but as if in a different world. It was unlike her dreams about Harry. It had been almost…blurry. The images had been smudged, as if unfinished. Nichole had watched the whole scene from the sidelines. She had watched herself fight with her mother about…her mother lying to her? That couldn't be. Nichole and her mother had always had a wonderful relationship. Then her mother had said that Grandma was sick, and that she might die. Nichole knew perfectly well that her grandma was perfectly healthy, living in her home in Yorkton. Nichole loved to visit her Grandma. She was old, but she still understood what it was like to be young. Nichole could never lie to her, because she seemed to be able to read her like an open book. And her father had not been killed! Her mother had said he left her when Nichole was three. She was too young to even remember him.
Deciding that it was now too late to go back to sleep, Nichole trod downstairs to grab some breakfast. She thought that perhaps she might go home early, as she still wasn't feeling too chipper. As she crept downstairs, she discovered that she was not the only one awake. Mrs. McEwen was awake and talking to Professor Dumbledore, (in person this time).
"Why Mrs. McEwen, it seems we have a visitor," said Dumbledore as she tried to back up the stairs.
"Well, good morning Nichole. How did you sleep?"
"Oh, I slept fine actually," she lied. "I'm just feeling a bit off now, so I might go home earlier."
"Of course. Why don't you sit down and grab some breakfast, and afterwards you can give your mother a call. Now, since you know about our world, we don't have to hide it from you anymore. Much easier to do housework I tell you."
Nichole nodded politely as two pancakes were whizzed onto her plate by magic.
"Well, I'm afraid I must be off. I expect your sister has created an extravagant dinner for us all, and I shan't be late."
"Of course."
No where.
His wand was no where. Harry had turned the Dursley residence upside down in his search for his wand, and had been dreadfully unsuccessful in finding it. The last time he had seen it was before he had left to take his shower the morning before. It had been on his bedside table, and now it was no where to be found. He didn't suppose that the Dursley's might've stolen it to prevent him from using magic.
This was the perfect time for him to lose his wand now too, what with Voldemort, and Death Eaters on the loose. He had just been waiting all summer for someone to turn up on the Dursley's front porch to kill him. No, now was not the time to be defenseless. Harry knew that wands had enchantments placed upon them to prevent the owner from losing them. They were supposed to always turn up after being lost for a few hours. Harry knew that these enchantments worked as well, or his friend Neville Longbottom would have needed a new wand about every week. The fact that his wand had now been missing for two days was beginning to bother him. He knew that the only way to break the enchantment was for the wand to have a new owner. To own a wand, all you had to do was cast a spell with it.
Perhaps someone had stolen his wand? Yes, that would be the perfect solution to the problem. Some Death Eater had probably snuck into the house while he was asleep and stole it from him, so he would be unable to defend himself on their next visit. Harry sat down at his desk to write three separate letters. Each asked for advice on what to do without a wand. Harry hoped that perhaps someone would come to fetch him immediately to take him to Diagon Alley for a new one. That way, he could perhaps wriggle out of returning to the Dursleys for the rest of the summer.
"So, honey, how was your sleepover? How are your friends?"
Nichole and her mother were in the kitchen. Nichole had been getting a glass of juice. She dropped in a few ice cubes, and took a sip from the glass.
"Oh, it was really fun. We had a nice little girl chat." Nichole was unsure how to break news of last night to her mother. She was completely unsure of how she would take the news. Her mother was typically supportive of her, but Nichole had never been in this type of situation before. Her mother was very religious, and might not be very open to Nichole attending a school where "Satan's craft" was studied. On the other hand, she might be completely cool with the idea, and think of her daughter's newfound magical ability as a gift. Nichole had both letters in her purse. Her hand hovered above the zipper, unsure if she should explain, then give the letters, or just get to the point, and then give her the letters.
"Well, are you going to tell me what Mr. Dumbledore said, or am I going to have to hear all of it second-hand from Mrs. McEwen. Magical folk have amazing methods of recalling situations."
Nichole was shocked. Her mother sounded neither angry, or happy, or sad, or even disturbed in the slightest. She seemed-well, scared, and nervous, as if afraid what Nichole might tell her. "How did you know about-wait, you knew that Mrs. McEwen is-"
"Yes, Nichole. I've known all along. After all, with the possibility of-well, let's just say, I figured something was up. Go on, tell me what he said."
Disturbed by her mother's strange behavior, Nichole decided that beating around the bush could definitely not help her mother's anxious disposition. "He said that I was magic. He wants me to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She said, handing her mother both of the letters.
Her mother was obviously not satisfied with her vague answer. "Well, was that all? I want to know everything he said. Did he mention anything, abnormal?"
"Oh, so me all of a sudden having magic powers is normal? You're acting as if you expected this!"
"Nichole, I-" to Nichole's horror, her mother seemed on the verge of tears. "Just tell me what he said. I'll hear it from Mrs. McEwen anyway."
"Alright," she started shakily. If just those first two sentences had disrupted her mother so much, Nichole was seriously worried how her mother would take the following information, which was even stranger. "He said something about me making weird things happen. Like that shirt. And then he stared right at me…and, well it was weird cause it kinda felt like someone was trying to pull my brains out of my eyes. The he said I might have some sort of gift. He said that I should go to Hogwarts to be under his supervision, and that you would understand under the circumstances." Nichole said all of this very fast, and took a deep breath at the end. She had done it. She had told her mother. It was all going to be ok-eventually.
When Nichole looked up to face her mother, she noticed that she had paled considerably. And fear was evident in her eyes. Her hands were trembling as she spoke. "No. This can't be. Oh god, why my daughter, why my daughter out of all those-Nichole, I won't let you go to that cursed school!" her mother had now started to sob into her fist. "You're my baby, and I won't let you get hurt! You can't go, I won't let you!"
"Mom, what's wrong? I'll be fine. Why are you so worried? Dumbledore said that they have really good security."
"No! You are not going anywhere near that horrible beast!" Her mother had collapsed into a chair, and was sobbing uncontrollably.
Nichole moved to her mother, to give her a hug. "I won't go anywhere if that's what you want." This mention only served to bring on a fresh batch of tears on her mother's account.
"Oh, Nichole. I'm so sorry. There's so much that-" Nichole's mother had looked up to Nichole's face, and once their eyes met, her mother's face froze. Nichole, on the other hand, felt the now familiar feeling of floating out of her body and into her mother's mind.
1994
Nichole was now in a different room. In a different time, by the looks of the odd-looking clothes people were wearing. She looked around the room. It was a dingy kitchen, in an apparently old house. A red-haired woman was at the stove, cooking a delicious-smelling meal. A pregnant brunette was seated at one of the many chairs around the table. At a closer look, Nichole recognized the woman to be a younger version of her mother. Two toddlers of about three were playing in a corner with a set of blocks. Nichole realized that the curly-haired blonde was in fact herself, however, she did not recognize the red-haired boy she was playing with. Nichole turned her attention to her mother, and the man she was talking to, who appeared to be Dumbledore. The conversation she heard almost made her faint in shock.
"Mrs. Caligan, I'm sorry, but we've found his body just this morning. I believe that the Death Eaters acted on previously gathered information from Voldemort. They were most likely trying to get information on your ancestry, and possibly your daughter from him using barbaric methods."
"You…you mean…that Micheal is…is dead!" her mother let out a cry of pain, as her eyes started to water. "How could this happen? How could they ever guess? My god, Micheal dead!"
"I'm afraid, Voldemort's followers will stop at nothing to prevent his downfall. With the history of attacks on your relations I suppose he must be trying to simply destroy the entire family. Did you ever tell your husband about the curse, or possibility of-"
"-No. My mother told me never to tell anyone-not even the children themselves, until they were 16. We were to tell no one else, knowing that-that He was looking for us."
"Yes, well, if they have attacked a member of your immediate family, I suspect they may perhaps already be suspicious of your daughter. It is not safe here for you anymore. You will have to return to Canada. You can live in the place where you were born. Since the government has collapsed, it would be very hard to track you there. The McEwens, and Williams will accompany you to watch over the child until her 16th year. If, at that time, she possesses no magical abilities, you will be free to live here, or continue your lives there. You must all appear to live as muggles, with no word of this incident, or the circumstances surrounding young Miss Caligan breathed to any of the children. We should relocate you as soon as possible."
When Nichole returned to consciousness in her living room, she stared into space, trying to digest the information she had just received. That had been her mother, and Dumbledore-talking? How did her mother know Dumbledore, and why were they speaking of her father being murdered when he had supposedly left her mother when Nichole was three. Why were they talking about Nichole as if she were dangerous, and something about her mother's family, and a …curse? Her mother had been born here, in Saskatchewan, and lived her whole life here, except when they had lived in England for a few years because of her father's job. That's what you've been told anyway, she thought. They had spoken of the McEwens and Williams being assigned to watch her.
"Mom, how do you know Dumbledore?"
Her appeared as though she might faint. "Did…did you just see…everything I saw? The Headquarters, that-that horrible day."
"If you mean Dumbledore telling you that dad was murdered and that people were going to try to kill us if we stayed there, then yes, I saw what you saw, and I would appreciate it if you could explain it to me." Nichole answered in a colder voice than she had intended.
"My goodness. Dumbledore had said that this might happen. Nichole, you saw one of my thoughts. When we were talking, I had been remembering that day, when Dumbledore had first told me about the possibility of-of this happening. I suppose you could see what I was thinking. You should talk to Dumbledore about it, he knows much more than I do, obviously."
"No! I don't want to tell him, I told him about this one time…something similar had happened, and he acted like it was weird or something."
"Well, if I'm correct, it's very complex magic, and you being able to accomplish it without any training would be phenomenal. It's to be expected though."
"What do you mean expected? How come everyone is acting as though they expected me to have these weird things happen to me? Wait a second-you said that you had been remembering that-that day. Are you telling me it actually happened!"
"Nichole-I"
"It was! You told us that we moved here because you wanted to be closer to grandma. You told us that Dad left you when I was three! You never once mentioned this "curse"! You never told me the truth about the McEwens and Williams! You could have warned me that these weird things might start happening! And here I thought I was going crazy!"
"Listen, Nichole, I couldn't tell you those things because they would lead to questions I couldn't answer! I wanted to protect you and your sister!"
"How could you lie to me, all these years! You completely made up everything you told me and Gizzy! Don't try to deny it, don't you trust me!"
"Of course I trust you dear, it's just that…I can't tell you honey. You have no idea what is going through my head right now, and you have no right to judge me."
"Judge you! I'm in no way judging you! I know that you're lying to me. Tell me why the Williams and McEwens are really here! How do you know who Dumbledore is? Why have you been having me watched? Why won't you let me go to Hogwarts? You have no right to stop me! It must have something to do with Dad being attacked. But-oh wait, you lied to him too apparently! What's all this crap about some "curse"? Why would someone attack Dad because of you!"
"Nichole listen to me, I'm your mother, and have your best interests at heart. I don't want to lose you! Believe me when I say you will come to understand when you are ready."
"I'm ready now! I want you to tell me what you've been hiding from me for 15 years!"
"Nichole, I can't do that…if the wrong person were to somehow find out, they would kill you! That's why your father was killed. People were trying to find out information about me, and you. I won't let you go to Hogwarts because I don't want you near those horrible people. We had to move back here because people were after us in England honey! I know it's very hard to comprehend right now-"
Was it just her, or was this conversation starting to sound very familiar
"Maybe it would be easier for me to comprehend if you would fill in the holes for me!"
"I can't Nichole. Not until you're older, and ready for the responsibility that will be on your shoulders with the knowledge you will receive. Nichole, I prayed, and prayed that you would not have to deal with the horrible weight of this curse, and I can't even begin to express how horrified I was when Mrs. McEwen called and told me that Dumbledore had said that you had magical talent."
Where had she heard this before?
Uh oh.
The dream. The fuzzy one. The one she had woken up sick from.
"What's wrong with me being magical? What does that have to do with anything?"
BRRRRIIIINNNGGG!BRRRIIIINNNGGG!
No.
This wasn't happening. Grandma couldn't be sick…
"Hello. Oh my, yes of course. She wants to see her? Yes we'll be there as soon as we can."
"Who was that?" Nichole asked, dreading the answer.
"Grandma's very, very sick. The doctors don't think she has much longer to live. We will continue this discussion later."
Nichole simply gaped at her mother for a good thirty seconds before speaking. "Are you sure? I thought she was perfectly healthy."
"They found a relapse of the cancer. It's in both lungs, and grandma won't let them take it out."
"Why?"
"Well, I guess she thinks she's lived long enough, and that it would be better for her to just…go on. You know how much the chemo hurt her last time. I had no idea her condition was this bad though, or we would have visited long ago."
"You knew! How come you didn't tell us?"
"Well, you know grandma, she didn't tell me it was this bad. She told me that she was going in for an exam, that's all. She doesn't like to worry people."
"Like you." Nichole whispered.
"Yes, Nichole, like me. Please believe me when I say I'm not telling you because I thought it was best. I think you will regret knowing when the time comes. Please forgive me."
"Alright."
"Nicky, dear, can I have a little woman-woman chat with you. It's very important. My dinner can wait, believe me."
Nichole had been about to leave the room to pick up some dinner for her grandma. She turned around, and strode back to the bed in which her grandma lay. "Yes?"
"Nichole, I want you to know that times are hard on your mother right now. Please forgive her for any over-protectiveness she displays. She is just worried for your safety. If you ask me that girl needs a kick in the behind! Dumbledore's one of the most reliable people in the world, his word should be far more than enough for her."
"Grandma, how did you know?" Nichole asked nervously. Her grandma was an avid Catholic, and Nichole dreaded the lecture she might receive.
"Well, Dumbledore was in to visit me of course. Now why are you looking at me like that child?"
"I'm just-I don't believe it! You know Dumbledore, and you don't think that I'm Satan's spawn or something for being a witch."
"Oh, don't be silly! Nichole, God has granted you a wondrous gift! Abusing a gift God has given you would be a sin. You should learn to control this gift, it will come into great use later on I expect."
"Yeah, fat chance, Mum won't let me go to Hogwarts."
"Nichole, you are no longer a little child. You are a young woman, and the time has come for you to begin to make your own decisions based on your own logic. A quote from Dumbledore himself: ' A time will come when we must all chose between what is right, and what is easy.' Nichole, you must do what you think is right, not what your mothers believes to be right. Life is hard Nichole, and I know that it will become very hard for you, very soon. But once you pass the storm, a rainbow will await on the horizon."
"So, you're saying I should go to Hogwarts anyway?"
"Not necessarily. I am saying that you should follow your heart, and start making decisions for yourself. Here, I have something I need to give you." Grandma reached into a drawer in her bedside table, and drew out an ancient envelope. The paper was yellowed and wrinkled. She reached inside and drew out a long, silver chain, which belonged to a necklace. At the bottom of the chain, was a silver pendant. "This is a very old necklace Nichole. It belonged to my mother before me. Inside the envelope is a very old letter explaining everything you could ever wish to know. The writing will remain invisible until your sixteenth birthday."
Nichole studied the necklace her grandma handed her. The silver pendant was in the shape of a small shield, which was slightly bigger than her thumbnail. Small vine flowers bordered the shield. In the center of the shield was a black bird that appeared to be either a raven or a crow. Its wings cupped below its chest, and looked to be holding a small jewel. The jewel was a beautiful shade of blue. "Grandma, thank you! Thank you so much!" Nichole undid the lobster clasp, and clipped it behind her neck. The necklace hung a decent 2 ½ inches below her collarbone."
"The jewel in the middle is a valuable sapphire"
"I love it!"
"Yes, you love it now. Poor child" her grandma whispered.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing dear. Here's the letter. You'd best run along to your mother now. Remember, follow your heart dear."
"Bye grandma." Nichole had fought to hold back the tears until now, but now they flowed out of her eyes steadily. "What if I never see you again?"
"Oh dear, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You just make sure you enjoy life while you're young! And don't let your mother get you down too much."
"I love you grandma."
"I love you too little Nicky. See you."
As soon as Nichole had left the room, her grandma broke down into silent tears
By the time the Caligan family left the hospital in Yorkton, it was late in the evening. Nichole tumbled into bed the minute they arrived home, exhausted from lack of sleep.
That night Nichole had sweet dreams instead of strange ones, which was a change for the better in her opinion. She dreamt that her and her friends were shopping. They were shopping downtown in a city Nichole didn't know. They shopped for dresses, they shopped for shoes, they shopped for jeans, and almost anything else imaginable.
Nichole was shaken from her virtual shopping spree by Shami jumping up onto her bed. Nichole stretched, and yawned, annoyed that her only good dream for weeks had been cut short by her stupid cat.
Well, you know, she wasn't that stupid, just sometimes annoying.
Nichole slowly pulled herself upright, and glanced at her clock. Amazingly, she had managed to sleep almost until noon. She leapt out of bed. Her mother would kill her for being so lazy.
As Nichole stood up, she clutched her head in pain as she swooned with dizziness. She had the worst headache ever. Nichole could only remember one time when she had woken up feeling similar to this.
Was God intending to make her life miserable? Couldn't she just go back to being normal? She slouched into the bathroom down the hall and swallowed a glass of water. At least it wasn't as bad as the last time. See, it must have just been a coincidence that that last dream had come true. Nichole obviously had a case of the flu. So those dreams were nothing to worry about after all. Yes, they were just a coincidence. Coincidences happened.
"You are not going to Hogwarts Meghan! You-Know-Who is back! Or are you completely oblivious to everything that goes on in the world?"
"Mum, of course I know he's back! We'll be really careful! And it would be really good for my OWL's too. I'm sure I could get better marks if I studied at Hogwarts, the programs are so much more…um…structured?"
"Your schooling is fine over here. Meghan, a student died last year, don't you see how dangerous it is? It is much safer here. No one can even tell we're wizards, except for the McEwens, and anyway-"
"That's exactly my point mum! I don't know any other magical people my age except for the McEwens, and they're practically my cousins!"
"You know very well that they are not your cousins, and I know for a fact that the McEwens have no intentions of sending Sarah and Eric there. I know Dumbledore is very wise, but I just do not see how you children can benefit from being shipped around the world just to go to school, and a dangerous school at that."
"But you and Dad got to go there! And so did Mr. and Mrs. McEwen! It's only fair that-"
"Your father and I lived in England at that time, as did the McEwens. And it was a lot safer in our time anyway."
"Well isn't that just a load of sod! You-Know-Who just as notorious then! Besides, why did you guys leave anyway? Why would you leave the British wizarding world to come over to this shit hole where a magical community doesn't even exist! If we still lived in England, I might actually have a life!"
"Watch your mouth young lady! Or your new broom will go in the trash! You know very well that your father had his job transferred over here. He does undercover work to make sure the other side doesn't take advantage of the lack of government over here!"
"How do I know that! Dad never tells us what goes on at work! He's hiding something and I know it! There's no way in hell a family would move all the way over here just to work for some country they don't even belong to! You've been acting funny ever since Dumbledore started coming over a lot lately. I've heard you talking! You're all secretive and stuff. I'm old enough to know what's going on."
"The business of adults has nothing to do with you! Meghan, you should enjoy a stress-free life while you still can! Once you come of age, you can join the Order, and I won't try to stop you, but until then, I want you to trust the adults to handle things alright? Look what happens to that Potter boy! Every year he goes meddling-for a good cause nonetheless, but he almost gets killed! I don't want that to be you! That's why you're staying here! That's why you aren't informed of the Order's business! End of discussion!"
Nichole collapsed on her bed, sobbing. Her mother and her had had another fight. Nichole had taken her grandmother's advice and tried to stand up to her mother. She had argued that she deserved the right to attend a proper school, and that real teachers would help her to catch up faster. Nichole had never been that great at standing up to her mother, and she hated making people angry. At this point, her mother had spotted the necklace her grandma had given her, and broken down into hysterical tears. She was uncontrollable, and shouted more at Nichole about "respect for elders", "your father", "You-Know-Who", "that Potter boy", and a certain "ridiculous and insane woman". Nichole had simply lost her temper and stormed upstairs.
She picked at a stray thread on her pillow as she tried to comprehend how all these things might be related. She knew not to badger her mother more about all the secrets she seemed to be hiding from her. At this moment, she simply hated her mother for keeping things from her.
No. She didn't hate her mother. She was just frustrated with her.
Nichole rolled over onto her back and stared up at her ceiling. She really wanted to go to Hogwarts. No. She needed to go. She could feel it. There was so many mysteries there, calling her name. She needed to figure out why her father had been killed. She needed to figure out what Harry Potter had to do with everything, as well as this fabled curse she had heard about in her mother's memory. Her grandma had said to follow her heart, and Nichole's heart was telling her to go, no matter what her mother said. She reached out to pet Shami.
"What do you think I should do Shami?"
"Mum's not letting us go either. She says it's too dangerous. God does she think we're helpless children?"
"Tell me about it! My mum totally freaked when I asked her. She went into all this crap about letting the adults handle everything. What did your mum do Nichole? She must have like fainted, her being a muggle and all."
"Actually, she seemed to almost…I don't know, expect it. It was weird." Nichole left out the part about her trip into her mum's memory. She herself thought it too strange still to tell her friends.
"Really? Do you think Dumbledore might have tipped her off or something beforehand?"
"Uh, yeah, that must have been it. She did seem to know who he was."
"So anyway, how's your grandma?"
"Oh, she's not too well. She doesn't want chemo, so I don't think she'll live much longer. She did give me a really nice necklace though before I left. It was her mum's."
"Aww that's too bad. Neat having an antique like that though huh?"
"Yeah."
Awkward Silence
Nichole knew that she had to go to Hogwarts. She also knew that her friends wanted to go too. Nichole had spent a good few hours thinking the idea over, and knew that it was risky, and perhaps not very smart, but she had to try. "Guys, we need to go to Hogwarts."
"Yeah, we established that a while ago. Our parents are asses, what else are we supposed to do?"
"Go by ourselves."
"What? Are you nuts? What do you mean, like…escape?"
"Exactly."
"God Nichole, you really are going insane. You never do things like that, it's something Meghan would say."
"Hey!"
"I know, but in this case, I think it's our only option. You guys have all got some money from summer jobs right?"
"Umm...yeah so?"
"We'll need it for plane tickets."
"Oh my god, you're actually serious! Nichole there is no way we could pull that off! First, how are we going to even get to the airport? It's on the other side of the city. Second, do you think our parents will just not notice that we're packing up all our stuff? Third, where will we go once we get there. Fourth, how will we stop our parents from simply flying over there to take us back. Fifth-"
"I know Sarah! I've thought about all that. Eric can drive right?"
"No. He doesn't turn sixteen until November!"
"Well, obviously, but I mean, he took the Driver's Ed course right?"
"Oh my god! Now you want my brother to drive us illegally to the airport! If we got caught my parents would kill us! I'm sorry Nichole, but this is just not going to work!"
"Magic."
"What?"
"If all else fails, we use magic."
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"
"I know it's kind of illegal, but it's not like we can get caught. And it's in a desperate situation. If we follow the plan exactly, we shouldn't have to use magic."
"Nichole there is no plan! We can't do this! We'd get in soooo much trouble!"
"Shut up already! You sound like your mum! I agree with Nichole. We need to go to Hogwarts, and if our parents won't let us go willingly, then we'll just have to go on our own."
"But-no-what if-oh, alright, but if we get caught, don't say I didn't tell you!"
"Great, so tell us your plan Nichole."
Dear Mum,
By the time you read this, I'll probably be on a plane to Toronto or something already. I've gone to England. I know you didn't want me to, but I really felt like I needed to go. Please don't worry. I promise I'll be careful. I'm with Sarah, Meghan, and Eric. Don't worry about money, I took all my wages from the spring and summer that I was saving for a car. Please understand that I'm not a little girl anymore and am old enough to take care of myself. If you could tell Dumbledore that we're coming, that would save us the trouble of wandering around London wondering how to get in touch with him.
I love you so much. Please don't worry.
Nichole
P.S. Please tell Gizzy that I love her. She is a wonderful little sister, and that I wish her luck in grade five. I will hopefully see her at Christmas.
"We need to get to London as soon as possible."
"London huh? Well let's see…I have a few seats available on Air Canada flight 513 to Toronto at 11:05 arriving at 15:02 EST, connecting to British Airways flight 254 to London at 16:25, arriving at 11:55 GMT "
"Do you have anything that leaves Saskatoon any sooner?" Sarah asked. They had agreed that they wanted to leave the city as soon as possible to avoid interference from their parents.
"Hmmm, let's see, I believe there's an early morning flight to Calgary. You could then fly to Toronto and continue to London. Nope. That's full. Aha! Here we go. Air Canada flight 725 to Toronto at 5:15, stopping in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, arriving in Toronto at 10:50 EST. From there, connect to British Airways flight 336 to London at 11:45 arriving at 8:07 GMT. It would be a tight squeeze through customs but if you hurry, the connection shouldn't be a problem."
"That many stops huh?"
"Unfortunately most of our flights are pretty much fully booked. Unless you'd like to split up and take different flights?"
"That's alright ma'm, we'll take four tickets for that last flight."
"Would you like to pay separately?"
"Yes, please."
"I need to see a passport as you're traveling internationally." Nichole handed her her passport. "Alright, Miss Caligan, do you have any bags you wish to check?"
"Yes, I have two suitcases here, and um, how much extra is it for my cat?"
"Okay, the allotted baggage is two bags per passenger and an animal counts as a piece of baggage, so I'll have to charge you $70 extra for the extra piece of baggage plus the $60 fee for pets. That's a total of $130."
Nichole was baffled. While she had been quietly packing her things at 1:00 in the morning, Shami had trotted into her room and plopped herself down on top of Nichole's clothes in her suitcase as if to say 'If you think you're gonna leave me here, you've got another thing coming!' Nichole had had Shami for as long as she could remember, and she wasn't about to leave her here. She handed the lady her debit card, yet again.
"I have to ask you, have you given her a sedative? Animals can sometimes become sick during flight, especially with all the stops you're going to be going through."
"I have one with me. It says it's supposed to last for 24 hours."
"Yes, that sounds in order. If you could administer it now, she'll be on her way."
After Nichole had given Shami the medication, she was sent off down the conveyor belt.
"Ok, so, Miss. Caligan, you've packed these bags yourself, and are aware of all the contents?"
"Yes."
"Have these bags been left unattended at any time?"
"No."
"Okay, what seats would you prefer?"
"Could we get two window and middle seats behind on another."
"Okay, I have either 18e, 18f, 19e, 19f, or 26a, 26b, 27a, 27b. Rows 18 and 19 are over top of the wing and engine though, so it might be a bit noisy with poor visibility out the windows."
"We'll take the rows 26 and 27."
"Alright, now on the British Airways flight, I'm assuming you'd prefer a similar arrangement?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay, you're in luck. I have 12h, 12k, 13h, and 13k open. Would you like those?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"Alright, here's your boarding pass. Your flight departs at 5:15 from gate 13. You should go through security immediately, as I expect they'll be starting boarding in about forty-five minutes. You are allowed two carry-on pieces of baggage. Please be aware that your carry-on bags will most likely be searched upon arrival in London through customs. If you have any sharp objects or firearms please ensure that they are packed in your checked baggage."
"Well, I don't have any guns, so I'm good."
After they had gotten their boarding passes and checked their baggage, they made their way to security. Thirty minutes later, they were seated outside gate 13. Nichole was beginning to have second thoughts about her decision to leave her home. She had lived here all her life, and was now looking out the window at a plane ready to take her across the country, and then on across the ocean. Was it worth it?
Of course. Nichole touched the necklace upon her chest. She raised her head to look back towards security. She almost wished to see her mother rushing towards her telling her not to go. Dragging her out of the airport, and back home.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Air Canada flight 725 to Winnipeg, carrying on to Thunder Bay, and Toronto. We will be beginning the pre-boarding process. At this time we welcome seniors, and passengers with young children, children traveling alone, or anyone who requires more time to get settled, forward to board the aircraft. Please have your boarding pass and photo id ready.
Madames et Monsiers, beinvenue à vole 725 à Winnipeg, continuant à Thunder Bay, et Toronto. Nous comencerons le processus de pré-embarquer. À cette temps, nous invitons les aînés, et les passagers avec les enfants, les enfants qui voyager seulement, ou tout des personnes qui besoin plus de temps pour obtenir arrangé, avant pour l'embarqer l'avion. Aller sons passe d'embarquer, et id de photo prêt s'il vous plait."
Nichole would not allow herself to become hysterical. This was the right decision and she knew it. Nichole was never one to be brave, however. She flipped through Seventeen in order to try to calm her racing mind. Nail-polish for Your Skin Color. Summer's Best Hairdo's. Cute Summer Cover-ups. The Best Jeans for Your Butt. Nichole closed the magazine and concentrated on her bubble gum. She turned her head again towards the security centre. No mom. Why had she left without saying goodbye? She wouldn't see her mom or her sister for who-knows how long.
"If we could have your attention ladies and gentle men, we will now begin general boarding. At this time we welcome forward anyone who wishes to board the aircraft. We ask you to please have photo id and your boarding pass ready to speed up the process.
Attention, Madames et Monsieurs. Nous comencerons mentanent l'embarquer general. À cette temps, nous invitons tout des personnes qui besoin d'embarquer l'avion. Aller sons passe d'embarquer, et id de photo prêt s'il vous plait."
"Come on guys, let's go."
Nichole stood up numbly, her backpack over her shoulder, purse in hand. She followed the other numbly to the gate entrance.
"Hello. Bonjour. Your boarding pass please?"
Nichole showed the man her passport, and boarding pass without really paying attention.
"Alright, go ahead."
Nichole tilted her head one more time towards security, and sighed. This had been her decision. It was the right thing to do. She would be fine. With a final glance backwards, she proceeded through the entrance to gate 13. This might not be easy, but Nichole knew it was right.
Nichole settled down into seat 26a. Eric had been nice, like the typical boyfriend should, and let her have the window seat.
"You worried about leaving?"
Nichole nodded her head, and sniffled as tears leaked out of her eyes. "I'm worried about my mom. She'll have to work and look after Gizzy all by herself. And what will Gizzy think of her big sister just picking up and leaving without even saying goodbye? She'll hate me."
"Aww. Don't worry. I'm sure you're mom will be fine, and your sister will probably think you're brave for going somewhere new all by yourself." Eric had pulled her in close, and hugged her tight.
"Don't be silly, I'm not brave at all, and she knows it!" Sometimes even she can boss me around."
"Well, I guess that's just something we'll have to change isn't it."
Suddenly, the plane bumped backwards.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Air Canada flight 725 to Winnipeg carrying on to Thunder Bay and Toronto. Your flight time over to Winnipeg will be approximately one hour and 22 minutes. Your crew for today consists of our pilots Micheal Anderson, and Gregory Heckle. Your flight attendants are myself, Joanna Ashfield for the front cabin, Howard Thompson for mid-cabin, and Freida Wazinsky for the rear cabin.
If you could please take out your safety leaflet from the pocket on the seat in front of you, and follow along with this safety information. Your aircraft for today is an Airbus 320. This aircraft has several safety features for your protection. There are eight emergency exits situated on this aircraft. Two are located each at the front and rear of the aircraft, while two are located over each wing. If a loss of power occurs in the cabin, the floor will be illuminated along the aisle. If the cabin pressure changes at any time, oxygen masks will fall from the compartment above you. Place the mask over your nose, and secure it with the elastic band. If you are traveling with a child, or someone who needs assistance, please be sure to secure your own mask before assisting others.
Seatbelts are to be worn during take-off and landing, however, it is advised that your seatbelt is securely fastened while you are seated in the case of unexpected turbulence. Any time during flight when the captain has illuminated the seatbelt sign, it is required that all passengers are seated and have their seatbelts fastened. During take-off and landing, we ask that trays are stored in their upright position and securely locked, and all bags and purses are contained within the overhead bins or stowed beneath the seat in front of you. We ask you to refrain from using cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices during take-off as they can interfere with radio signals. Please ask your flight attendant if you wish to use these devices during flight. If you have any questions or require assistance, please feel free to ask one of our flight attendants. Enjoy your trip over to Winnipeg.
Mesdames et messieurs bienvenus au vol 725 d'Air Canada vers Winnipeg continuant au Thunder Bay et Toronto. Votre temps de vol plus d'à Winnipeg sera approximativement une heure et de 22 minutes. Votre équipage pour aujourd'hui se compose de nos pilotes Micheal Anderson, et Gregory Heckle. Vos préposés de vol sont moi-même, Joanna Ashfield pour la carlingue avant, Howard Thompson pour le carlingue moyen, et Freida Wazinsky pour la carlingue arrière.
Si vous pourriez s'il vous plait sortir votre feuillet de sûreté de la poche sur le siège devant vous, et suivez avec cette information de sûreté. Votre avion pour aujourd'hui est un Airbus 320. Cet avion a plusieurs dispositifs de sûreté pour votre protection. Il y a huit sorties de secours situées sur cet avion. Deux sont localisés chacun à l'avant et arrière de l'avion, alors que deux sont situés au-dessus de chaque aile. Si une perte de puissance se produit dans la carlingue, le plancher sera illuminé le long du bas-côté. Si la pression de carlingue change à tout moment, les masques d'oxygène tomberont du compartiment au-dessus de vous. Placez le masque au-dessus de votre nez, et fixez-l'avec la bande élastique. Si vous voyagez avec un enfant, ou quelqu'un qui ont besoin d'aide, veuillez être sûr de fixer votre propre masque avant d'aider d'autres.
Ceintures de sécurité doivent être portés pendant le décollage et atterrissage, cependant, on lui conseille que votre ceinture de sécurité est solidement attaché tandis que vous êtes assiss dans le cas de la turbulence inattendue. N'importe quand pendant le vol quand le capitaine a élucidé le signe de ceinture de sécurité, on l'exige que tous les passagers sont assiss et font attacher leurs seatbelts. Pendant le décollage et l'atterrissage, nous demandons que des plateaux sont stockés dans leur position droite et solidement fermés à clef, et tous les sacs et bourses sont contenus dans les casiers aériens ou arrimés sous le siège devant vous. Nous vous demandons de vous abstenir à utiliser des téléphones de cellules, des laptops, et d'autres dispositifs électroniques pendant le décollage pendant qu'ils peuvent interférer les signaux par radio. Demandez s'il vous plait à votre préposé de vol si vous souhaitez utiliser ces dispositifs pendant le vol. Si vous avez n'importe quelles questions ou avez besoin de l'aide, sentez-vous s'il vous plait libre pour demander un derrière nos préposés de vol. Appréciez votre voyage plus d'à Winnipeg."
Nichole listened intently at first, having never been on an airplane before. It was quite humorous to see a flight attendant wearing what looked like a yellow balloon on her face. Nichole was about to put on her headphones and stare out her window when they announced that they were not allowed during take-off. Nichole sighed and settled for looking out the window without music. They were slowly cruising away from the airport and turning down several series of runways. Nichole was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. Not a nauseous sick, just a nervous sick. Nichole tried to distract herself by trying to decipher what the French words meant, but to no avail. That had always been her worst subject, and she rejoiced when she discovered it wasn't mandatory in high school.
They were now very far away from the airport, and the airplane had stopped at the end of a long runway. The French droning in her ears had stopped and was now instead filled with a loud roaring.
The nervousness quickly vanished, and was then replaced with fear. What if they crashed? What if they blew up?
Oh my god. What if they were hijacked! Nichole couldn't even feel her stomach anymore. She knew she was being ridiculous, but this was beginning to seem a lot more scary than it had twelve hours ago.
The plane started moving forward again, but this time it picked up speed as it went faster and faster and faster.
Nichole was pushed back against her seat by the force, and she gripped the edge of her seat hard as she prayed for dear life.
Idon'twannadie!Idon'twannadie!Idon'twannadie!
Nichole could feel the plane gently lifting off the ground as she was tipped backwards. She looked out the window to see the runway becoming smaller. She could now see the downtown area…and now almost the entire city. She felt Eric squeezing her hand and looked over towards him.
"It's going to be alright."
And Nichole knew he was right as they flew into the sunrise.
A/N: Yes, I KNOW it is a corny ending, but please don't kill me! I hope you liked what you read, so PLEASE REVIEW!