Chapter Two: Explanations
August 30 arrived. Jenna was nervous. What if the letter hadn't been real? It had looked official, but it was possible to fake that. What if the school official forgot? Or decided she wasn't really a witch and wasn't worthy to go to the school? In addition to Jenna's own nervous thoughts, she had to endure Renae's withering stares and comments like, "Why are you so nervous? No one's going to come." Lena, on the other hand, firmly believed that the official would come and that Jenna would leave her forever. Her comments were only slightly better- "Why do you have to go away? Who's going to read to me?" Jenna would miss that little girl.
The family had just sat down for lunch when the doorbell rang. In the process of jumping up to answer it, Jenna, who had never possessed grace in any form, tripped over her chair and knocked a glass of water over onto herself. Lena got the door, revealing a stern looking woman. "Can you do magic?" Lena asked, all wide, innocent blue eyes.
Lena had a way of charming everyone she met. The woman's look softened. "Why, yes I can. Would you like to see?"
Lena giggled and clapped her hands. And suddenly, the woman disappeared! In her place was a gray tabby cat. Then, in the blink of an eye, she turned back into a woman. Lena was so astonished, she couldn't say anything. The woman spoke again. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. I have come to take Miss Jenna Smith for her school shopping. I trust this is her place of residence?" She addressed Jenna's mother, who stood open mouthed at the head of the table.
"I'm Lena. That's Jenna. She fell." Lena pointed at the unfortunate girl. Jenna's face turned crimson. Here it was, the biggest moment of her life, and she was on the floor, soaking wet.
Mother was the first to gather her wits together and broke the silence that had been growing since Lena's comment. "Professor, please come in and have a seat. I am Genevive Smith, Jenna's mother. Her father isn't here at the moment." Professor McGonagall entered the house, stepping around rose, who was staring in wide eyed astonishment at the cat-lady. Mother shook the professor's hand and sat on the couch in the sitting room as well. Jenna ran off to change into some clean, dry clothes, determined to salvage what little dignity she might have left.
When Jenna, in fresh, dry clothes, returned, the professor and her mother were discussing the logistics of Jenna attending a school in an indeterminate location elsewhere in the country. Renae was peeking through the doorway, trying to hide in the kitchen and keep an eye on Professor McGonagall at the same time. She stared open mouthed at Jenna when she entered the sitting room. Lena was sitting on Professor McGonagall's lap, playing with a long, slim length of wood that could only be a wand, as it was shooting gold sparkles out one end.
"How are we going to pay for all this?" Mother was asking.
"You don't have to worry about the first year. As the letter explained, there is a trust fund for first year students of Muggle- non-magic- families. This allows the student and the family to acclimate themselves to the wizarding world. After the first year, you will find that the tuition is no more than for other boarding schools.
"Now, about this one," Professor McGonagall continued, speaking about Lena. "She evidently possesses some magical talent as well. When she is eleven, you will receive a letter for her and she will be able to attend Hogwarts with Jenna."
"I want to go with Jenna now." Lena said. "She's my special sister." Jenna always did love that girl more than Renae, though she wouldn't offend her by saying so. Lena was adorable, too, with huge blue eyes and gently curling brown hair.
While Jenna was in her reverie, thinking about leaving her sisters, Mother and the professor were wrapping up their discussion. Professor McGonagall rose, giving Mother a small pile of pamphlets. The top one was titled "So Your Daughter is a Witch." "These should cover anything you need to know that we haven't discussed already. I will have Jenna back to you tonight and return to take her to the train in the morning."
Mother agreed to this plan, though she expressed concern that Professor McGonagall would have to stay in a hotel tonight. She replied that she would most certainly not stay in a hotel, but would be returning to the school by Apparation to complete preparations for the first day. An explanation was required for Apparation and then why underage wizards (or in this case, witches) could not apparate and why a portkey would be used when Jenna was with her. Then an explanation of portkeys and on and on. If you give a mouse a cookie...
By the time Professor McGonagall was finished with her explanations, someone had noticed Jenna's bare feet and she was sent to her room for shoes. Finally she and the professor were ready to leave.
Portkeys give one the very strange sensation of being jerked behind the navel, like an exaggerated version of driving up and down rolling hills. There is also a rush of wind, as if it was speeding the travelers to their destination, which, for Jenna and Professor McGonagall, turned out to be marble steps leading up to a white marble building.