Chapter 2
For the next few days, Coraline was exploding with questions, and every time Wybie or his grandmother replied with an answer, she had another question to ask them. Her father had, indeed, talked to her mother about it all. It took a couple of days for her mother to finally believe that magic actually existed, but in the end it was decided: Coraline would be taking a plane to England, and then taking a train to Hogwarts. Her parents had collaborated with Wybie's parents, and they had gotten them seats next to each other on the plane.
Coraline hadn't been excited in a long time until now. The prospect of learning magic, something she hadn't believed in for years, seemed amazing. She kept reading the letter from Hogwarts, and she dreamed of magic wands, flying broomsticks, and bubbling potions each night. Looking at the list of supplies for Hogwarts, she thought about what Wybie had told her: that they would be going to a special magical community located nearby. Only witches and wizards could see it; muggles couldn't.
Wybie had said they would be travelling to it by some sort of powder. He had told her that you stand in a fireplace, then throw the powder on the ground, and shout wherever it was you were going. Coraline couldn't remember the place's name right now, but Wybie would tell her tomorrow.
Later that night she went to sleep. She threw on some jeans and a light blue shirt in the morning, had some pancakes for breakfast, and then she was off to Wybie's. She walked through the woods, and then crossed practically the only street in her middle-of-nowhere neighborhood.
Wybie had a fairly small house, because he only lived with his grandmother. The house was painted white and had a darker roof. It was only one story. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen, all modestly decorated. Coraline walked up to the front door and knocked twice.
"Hellooo? Anybody home?" she called.
Wybie opened the door. He was wearing a pair of loose jeans and a red T-shirt that seemed to be too big for him.
"Hey there, Jonesie. Wasn't expecting you this early," He said with his characteristically weak smile. Coraline entered the house. Wybie, apparently still eating breakfast, went back to his cereal on the kitchen table.
"Yeah, well," she nervously laughed, "big day, you know? I guess you could say we're gonna go on a 'shopping spree.'"
Wybie smiled and replied, "Yeah, you brought your letter, right?" Coraline pulled it out of her pocket and held it up for him. "Cool," he continued. "So, you remember what I told you about the Floo powder yesterday?"
"Yeah," she said, as Wybie put his finished bowl in the sink. "But I don't remember the place's name. What's it called again?"
"Mentloc's Square. Some old wizard dude named Mentloc founded it a long time ago."
For a few hours, she and Wybie hung out. They went outside for a bit, and when they came back, Wybie's grandmother was awaiting them. She had a small pot on the table. The pot was filled with what looked like a mixture of dirt and dust, but Coraline knew it was the Floo powder.
Wybie's grandmother was a short old lady, with a very wrinkled face and a small pair of glasses. She had white hair and deep brown eyes that seemed to slightly hypnotize whatever they caught sight of. "Hello there, Coraline, Wyborn," she looked at both of them, then turned to Coraline.
"Coraline, Wyborn already knows how to do this, but I'll need to teach you. It's quite simple. What you need to do is take a handful of this here Floo powder, then step into the fireplace, throw the powder down and shout 'Mentloc's Square.' Do you understand?"
Coraline nodded her head, and Wybie's grandma continued, "So, Wybie's going to go first, and you'll go second. I won't be going with you two. Wybie knows the place well. He'll be able to find everything."
Coraline watched as Wybie took a handful of the powder and walked into the fireplace. She was starting to get goosebumps, but Wybie looked very calm. "He's probably done this loads of times before," she thought.
Wybie suddenly threw the powder on the ground and simultaneously shouted, "Mentloc's Square!" A green fire roared up, and for a moment it looked like he would be burned by it, but he had disappeared and was no longer able to be seen.
After that sight, the butterflies in Coraline's stomach turned into a monstrous acidic beast that threatened to leap right out of her throat; she felt like she was going to throw up. Shaking, she said, "M-mrs. Lovat, a-are you sure this is a good idea? Are you sure this isn't dangerous?"
Wybie's grandma chuckled and said, "I figured that'd be how you'd react, Coraline," she chuckled some more. "Don't worry. The flames won't harm you. They are simply a side-effect of the Floo powder." Having said that, she beckoned Coraline over to her and held out the jar of Floo powder.
Coraline shakily stepped forward and took a grasp of the powdery substance. It was very fine, so she tightened her grip on it so as to not let it slip out of her fist. She walked into the fire place and faced Wybie's grandmother. "It's gonna be okay," she told herself in her head, "Just do it."
With a gulp, she threw the Floo powder onto the ground, and immediately emerald green flames flared up all around her. However, they were only there for a mere split-second. She screamed, quite loudly, "Mentloc's Square!" As she said that, she was whisked away. A million colors swirled around her, and she heard a conglomeration of sounds, just for a few seconds, and then reality.
