KELLY

A scream cuts through the air, louder than I have ever heard. Then I realize it's mine.

DEAD BODY DEAD BODY DEAD BODY

And then I realize - it's not dead. Which could be possibly more horrifying, because it's screaming too, and colors are blinding me, and there are a million things going on - Leo snatching items out from his tool belt, Calypso backing away to the wall, glass flying everywhere, and a blasting wind whipping my hair all over my face.

"Oh my gods," Calypso mutters, because the body on the table is sitting up, his eyes blinking, bright blue. Bluer than I have ever seen in my entire life.

And, just like that, the blue fades, inexplicably, into a chocolate brown. Magic.

"The changer," I whisper, under my breath, just as Leo leaps forward onto the boy with a box of breath mints and one hand on fire. "GAHHHHH!"

The guy on the table holds out a stick and yells, "Expelliarmus!" And the box of breath mints goes flying out of the window, but the ball of fire stays in Leo's hand. He's about to lob it at the boy crouching on the table, but he waves his wand and a spout of water shoots out from the tip of his wand and douses the flames. Leo looks astonished, and then jumps on top of the boy and tries to hold him down.

"LEO!" I yell, and pull him off the boy, and tackle him onto the floor. My heart is still hammering from shock, but now I know that this kid is from a book. More specifically, Harry Potter. "Stop it! Attacking people with fire isn't going to help, much less trying to throw a breath mint at somebody!" I turn to the boy. "Are you alright?"

He points the wand at my chest. "Where am I? Who are you?!"

I back away from the wand, towards Calypso, and Leo follows me. "You're in Sainsbury, Florida, and my name is Kelly. They're Leo and Calypso, and they're magic. I'm a - I'm a Muggle. In your language," I explain slowly. I'm still not quite sure who this is... "And... Uh... Who are you?"

He narrows his eyes. "Why should I tell you? And isn't Florida in... America? How did I get here? Is this some sort of Dark Magic?" Doesn't lower his wand.

"Yes! America! And it's a long story, so just... I'd prefer it if you didn't kill me before I tell you the story!" I exclaim, and then walk towards him, as if he's a wild animal. "What's your name? I can't... I can't help unless you tell me!"

He must hear the fear in my voice, and lowers the wand, but doesn't put it away properly, his eyes softening. "I'm Edward. But most people call my Teddy."

Recognition strikes me like a train. "Oh, my... Teddy? Like, Harry's godson? Remus and Tonks' son?"

He nods, and raises his wand again. "How'd you know that?" Then he rolls his eyes and tucks his wand into his pocket. "That bloody Rita Skeeter. She selling wizard books to the Muggle population now? She run out of wizards who actually believe her?"

"It's not really Rita Skeeter's book that I read..." I murmur, and watch while he jumps down from the table. He's wearing a baggy bright yellow jumper with a T knitted into the front and baggy brown pants that wrinkle around his black shoes. His hair is bright red, and he seems to have a red scar fading from his forehead. "Is that Harry's scar on your forehead?"

He grins. "I was playing hide-and-seek with Harry's kids, thought pretending to be him was a good... Dumbledore's beard," he gently takes my hand and lifts my arm up. "You're... Bleeding..."

I look down at my forearm. There is a huge piece of glass sticking out of it, blood streaming out on both sides, dripping down my arm and onto the floor. The glass is longer than my little finger, and purple, from the juice cup Leo was drinking from. "Oh my god," my head swims, and I feel dizzy. Ever since I was a kid, the sight of blood makes me sick. I don't know why, but I just can't handle seeing life leak out of somebody - especially if it's myself. "Help... Calypso..."

Teddy grabs my shoulders and steers me to a chair that doesn't have glass on it. "It's okay. I don't know any healing spells - oh, why don't I pay attention when Hermione tries to teach me these things - but just sit down."

Calypso takes one look at my arm and spins into action. "Leo, go downstairs and start the car. I am not going to try and remove this. It looks deep. Kelly, hold your arm up; can you walk?"

I try to get up, but the whole world swirls around me, even more so when I think about the glass and it's pushing into my skin and I can't breathe and there's blood leaking out of me -

Teddy scoops me up and carries me downstairs, Calypso following closely behind, with tissue and a bottle of wound cleanser. He sets me down next to the beat-up pick-up truck and helps me to get in. I squeeze in between the driver's seat, where Leo is, and Teddy, and Calypso moves in closer. "Give me your arm," she commands, and I try not to look at it when I stretch it over Teddy. She takes it, and seems to steel herself. Then she squirts wound cleanser all over my arm.

"GAAHHHHH!" I shriek, and Leo swerves.

"Jeez, woman, calm down!" he exclaims.

It hurts so bad, like a thousand needles are being jammed into my skin, like fire is burning in blood up to my spine. I'm squeezing Teddy's fingers so hard they're turning purple, and Calypso is white. "Oh, help," I say between clenched teeth. "Leo, shut up."

He makes a highly illegal right turn from the left lane. "Not possible."

"Who the hell taught you how to drive!?" I exclaim over the blaze of pain in my arm. It also distracts me from the blood streaming over my arm.

"Maybe you should call your parents," Calypso says hurriedly, maybe to take my mind off Leo's horrific driving.

"Yeah, that's a good idea..." I use my good right arm to take my phone out of my pocket and dial my house phone.

After seven rings, Cory picks up. "Hello?" There are strange background noises - yelling and laughing, familiar theme music, and the occasional explosion in the background.

"It's me. And are you actually playing Mario Kart without me? While talking on the phone"

"Did you just call to be jealous about Mario Kart? And by the way, where are you?" He says. "AUSTIN DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT BANANA PEEL - Oh, for goodness' sake - "

I sigh. "Cory. Is mom there?"

"Out for Katy's dance class."

"Okay, when she comes back, tell her I'm in the hospital. I got a piece of glass in my arm, and it's a pretty - uh... A pretty deep cut," I manage. Without looking at my arm.

I can tell he immediately puts down the game controller. "Damn, Kelly, are you okay? I'll... I'll call Mom for you. How are you getting there?"

"Um, the librarian from school's taking me," I tell him, which is technically not a lie. "I got cut after band and went to her." I hope he doesn't find anything strange about this...

H grunts. "Okay. We'll come as soon as we can. Bye, Key."

"Bye, Cor."

"Oh, my - DON'T NO THAT'S ILLEGAL!" I shriek as he zooms into the hospital parking lot sideways, like he's driving in a video game.

Leo grins and turns the engine off. "Steering a ship? Ring a bell? You should know this stuff!"

He keeps talking to me, and everything passes quickly - sitting in the emergency, a doctor fawning over me and me quickly saying that I accidentally cut myself on a bottle when I tripped and fell, lying on a hospital bed and succumbing to general anesthesia.

Next thing I know, there's a face peering down at me. My mom's. "Oh, Kelly. Are you okay?"

I blink several times to focus my eyes. "Mom? What time is it?"

She leans down to hug me, and when she does, I see Cory and Clare over her shoulder. "Oh, honey. You were out for half an hour for the stitches to be put in."

"Stitches?" I ask, blearily. Then it registers. I look down at my arm, and thankfully I don't have to look at gross, bloody arm with thread in my skin - The place where the cut was is wrapped in gauze and taped together. I push myself upright and wave to Cory and Clare. Cory flips open the chart at the foot of my bed and checks my chart. "Nine stitches. Wow."

I groan. "Thank goodness I don't have to see it. Uh... When can I leave here?"

Mom turns as a doctor comes in. "You can leave now. We just needed to put you under anesthesia because of your haemophobia. Have you taken any treatment for that, by the way? Therapy?"

I shake my head. "Nope. Do I have to?"

He shrugs. "It's best if you do, but it's really your choice. It's not a huge problem for most people."

"Okay," I nod, and then swing my legs over the edge of the bed, find my shoes with my feet. Cory comes over and awkwardly "hugs" me with one arm. Or maybe he's trying to help me up, so I do, and instantly I feel dizzy. "Whoa..."

He supports me and we walk out of the room with the doctor right behind. The first things I see when I get out of the room is Austin is leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor, his arms crossed, looking down at the floor. He glances up when we come out of the hospital room. He crushes me in a hug, which is definitely more enthusiastic than my brother's arm-thingy, whatever it's called. "You okay?"

I smile weakly. "Yup, although it's a little hard to breathe right now..."

He lets go quickly and smiles awkwardly. "Oh. Sorry."

I glance around, and Leo, Calypso, Teddy and Andrew are just getting up from a row of plastic chairs by the wall. "Hey, guys."

"This is the librarian?" Mom asks, gesturing to Calypso - who's got a grease stain on her white shirt. Leo isn't much better - he has grease on his face, which has been made worse by being wiped around by his even dirtier shirt. Teddy, too, looks very out of place, now that I think about it, because of his jumper's interesting color scheme.

Leo grins. "I'm Leo. Kelly's boyfriend."

My mother looks horrified, her mouth falling open, and Cory's face immediately turns red from anger. Leo seems to realize that is words were a little more than foolish. "Oh! I mean - " he turns red as Calypso and I start laughing. "She's called Kelly, too. Uh... Not your daughter. Ma'am." He gestures awkwardly to Calypso, begins to put his arm over her shoulder, and then awkwardly flaps it around a bit before stuffing both hands into his pockets. "Ma'am."

My mom doesn't look reassured, and I silently glare at Leo for him to shut up before he says anything else stupid, like Teddy has a magic wand or that Calypso is at lest three thousand years old. "Mo-om. You know I don't have a boyfriend. This is Kelly, the librarian, um, Leon, her boyfriend, and... Uh... Archibald. A student who's transferring in. Kelly was... Talking to him about transferring when I got her to take me to the hospital? And this is my mom, guys. Mrs. Zapata."

I'm not sure if my mom buys it, but she nods. "Thank you for taking care of Key. Would you like to join us for dinner out, as my dear son over here managed to nearly set our lasagna on fire because he got distracted by video games?" She looks at Cory.

"Uh - well... Heh. Sorry, mom. I really forgot... And... Uh... Speaking of video games, we could go to Mario's Kart for dinner?" He tries to avoid her gaze. Mario's Kart is this awesome video game themed Italian Restaurant which is not owned by somebody called Mario. Or Luigi. She's called Doris Henderson.

She purses her lips in exasperation. "Of course, Cory. Do you have a car, Calypso?"

Obviously she asks her, because she seems like the sanest one out of the three. "Yes. Leo can drive us there, if you can give us directions. We are new in town."

"I'll go with them," I pipe up. "Leo has a pick-up truck."

"Okay. Cory, now's a good time to practice your driving with me; we're usually never around at the same time. We'll go pick Katy up from dance, get your dad, and then back to Mario's Kart. Clare, come with us. Austin and Andrew, you can come with us."

I grab my bag from Calypso and we all walk out together - well, my mom walks out in front with Katy. Austin, Andrew and Cory are joking around. Calypso and Leo are talking quietly, so I'm left to walk next to Teddy. Immediately, he gives me an annoyed look. "Really? Archibald was the best you could come up with?"

"Look, my family and friends all read the same books as me, although not necessarily as obssessed as I am. So I had to come up with new names on the fly! Archibald... Comes to mind when I look at your face!"

He looks offended.

"Uh... So. You never really told me how you got here?" I change the subject quickly, because he has a magic wand, and also because he's taller than me.

"I'm not really sure either... James locked me in the kitchen, and I did the 'Alohomora' spell and the portal opened to here, and next thing I knew, I'd fallen on your table."

"You opened a portal by using the Alohomora spell!?" I ask, incredulously.

"Thanks for the confidence in my ability, " he mutters. "Well - it was more of the wand that opened it... But I do have a knack for doing unnecessarily powerful spells. Do you know how that could work? You've read all those books... Maybe you know something I don't."

I shrug helplessly. And then a thought pops into my head - how he phrased his explanation. "The wand? Isn't it your wand?"

"Nope. I did a summoning spell, and then... You know. This was summoned." He pulls out the wand and passes it to me. The wand is strangely tinted, with pinking veins running along the length of the wand, as if it's been stained by... By blood. But that's not the weirdest thing about the wand. It's got clumps of berries carved into the wood, and the strangest hilt with more carvings... A triangular eye...

"Oh, my god," I turn white, and almost drop the wand. "This is the elder wand."

Teddy doesn't react. "What?"

"Your exceptionally powerful Summoning Charm summoned this wand from Dumbledore's office," I say, my voice shaking. "This is... This is one of the most powerful magic items in the history of magic... It's one of the three Deathly Hallows from the Tale of the Three Brothers."

"Wait - so the wand coupled with your exceptionally strong opening spell opened this portal? Maybe you could open another one?" I ask, hopefully.

He shakes his head. "Maybe... But I don't really know how to control it. What if it opens another portal somewhere else? Would you know how to... I don't know. Might you know anything from the books?"

"I'm sorry. I wish I did, but... You're from another universe. You're not supposed to exist. Leo or Calypso either."

He turns whiter than bleached flour. "I'm in another universe?"

"Oops," Great. Maybe I shouldn't have said it so bluntly. "Uh... There's a prophecy, and I'm supposed to get you guys back to where you came from?"

"Harry's going to murder me," he mutters, and stops walking. "Grandma's going to murder me... Oh, no..." He covers his eyes with his hands. "I can't be in another universe... Why don't I exist?"

"Well," I start. "This is going to sound strange, but... You're... Part of a book series. Well, Harry is, anyway, and you're born in the last book, and the whole series is basically about him, and how he defeated Voldemort," I try to explain. "And that sounds completely confusing, doesn't it."

He doesn't react. "How do I get back?"

"Look, we should keep walking, number one," I take him by the shoulders and steer him towards the parking lot, "And I promise you, I'll get you home. We just... We just need to get you settled. So..." I gulp, because I know I am actually hoping for this, "Just in case you stay here. For longer than expected."

Teddy straightens. "I'm sorry - it's just... Who wrote these books? And can I see them?" He seems to regain his composure, but his hair goes through several rapid, nervous-looking color changes.

"Uh... You should try to keep your hair the same color. Magic doesn't exactly... Exist here."

He screws up his face in concentration and his hair turns back to light brown. "Then... But Leo had fire in his hand? That's surely... Oh. He's from a book too?"

He's taking it surprisingly well. "Yeah. A book about Greek gods and their mortal children. Apparently there's a prophecy from their world that's about us."

"Like... Harry's prophecy?"

"Yeah. Sort of."

"Well... Who wrote all of it? And did he create us, or did he just... Travel between worlds?"

"She is one of the most celebrated authors of our time. And I really don't know. Maybe she created you, or maybe you just happened to exist in a parallel universe at the same time... I'm really not sure," I tell him as we walk out into the parking lot. "Well... Just don't do anything strange or magicky in front of anyone except Leo and Calypso and me."

He agrees, and we join Leo and Calypso next to his car. Now that I'm not panicking about huge amounts of blood coming out of a deep cut in my arm, I can see that there's graffitti all over the side of the truck. "Bat Mobile" is emblazoned on the side of the truck in block letters, and an interpretation of the Batman logo is also drawn on the side. "You're kidding me."

Leo shrugs. "I understood Batman. It must be a huge influence in both our universes, then."

Or authors and writers may just be able to travel between worlds.

But I don't say that.

We all get into the car, this time Calypso sitting between Leo and me, and Teddy sitting on my right. "So. Is that your boyfriend?" Leo immediately asked.

I don't reply at first, but then realize that the question was directed at meat the same time that Calypso smacks Leo on the shoulder. "That was my brother," I say, horrified. "That's absolutely disgusting."

Leo grins. "Not that one. The one who hugged you when you came out of the hospital room."

"He's practically my brother! I've known him since I was a baby! He's my best friend!" I exclaim, and Calypso rolls her eyes.

"He can be both. Did you see the way he - " Calypso glares at him, and he shuts up. "Sorry. Heh. Do you like him?"

I snort. "Of course I like him, or I wouldn't have stayed friends with him for my WHOLE LIFE! Now get off my back, Leo, before I start shipping you and Piper. Turn right here."

He fake-vomits. "Ew. That's - okay. I get your point."

We manage to get to Mario's Kart without getting lost, being pulled over for Leo's incredibly illegal driving, or getting smashed by another car. All of us, except Leo, are pretty green. Leo just looks really excited.

We go into the restaurant and find a table - my mom, Clare, Cory, Austin and Andrew aren't here yet. Teddy looks in wonder around him as we enter Mario's Kart - it's full of video game memorabilia: dozens of figurines line shelves along the wall, a circle of computers blink brightly in the middle of the room, waiters zoom around on rollerblades, the guys dressed as Mario and Luigi and the girls dressed as Princess Peaches. Some tables look like they're taken out of a Minecraft game, and Call of Duty merch is mounted on the wall. "Whoa... What is this stuff?" A waiter zooms bye and salutes, his fake Mario mustache hanging from his upper lip.

"It's video games. Sort of like... Your enchanted paintings. You play them on those things, which are like interactive televisions," I point to the computer.

He grins. "Harry has one of those at home! He watches Sherlock on it with Ron, I think."

I laugh. "Sherlock must be a big influence everywhere, then. C'mon," we sit down at a twelve-seater table and check out the menus. Just as we call the waiter over to order for everyone, my family, Austin and Andrew walk in. "Hi, mom. Hi, dad."

My dad hugs me and then sits down at the other end of the table. I'm sitting opposite Calypso, next to Teddy, and everyone else fills in the seats around me. Cory slides in to the seat next to me, and Austin sits opposite him. "So. Guess who's outside," Cory smirks and then waggles his eyebrows.

"I have no idea..." Although I can see very quickly where this is going, due to the fact that Cory is making suggestive motions and the waggling of eyebrows.

"OS - " he yells at the top of his voice before I pinch him on the arm, using my nails, and it changes into a high-pitched exhalation of agony.

Leo immediately catches on. "You like this guy? I can wingman! I'm, like, the best wingman ever. I mean, I'm so smooth, he'll probably fall in love with me instead," he has a sickly sweet smile on his face, and

Austin rolls his eyes, and then waves to someone behind me. "Hi, Oscar."

I make a face at him before turning around, and then try to smile as best as I can without looking like I'm grimacing. "Hi, Oscar." He's standing right behind me, a crooked smile written across his face. A few kids I recognize from the school dance team are sitting down at a booth a few steps behind him.

"So, what are you and your fair family doing here?" He grins.

"Uh. Dinner," I reply, and immediately want to bash my head against the table, because what else would we be here for? Breakfast with Queen Elizabeth?

Okay - that's not exactly far from the truth, since we're having dinner with three fictional characters from two of the most popular book series right now, and I'm not even bothered by it.

"Wow. I'm here for the same reason! Who knew?" He smiles. "Your arm okay?"

I involuntarily look down at my left arm, encased in gauze. "Yeah. Just cut it."

He shrugs. "Get better soon. See you tomorrow, Zap," and walks back to his table.

I lean back in my chair and exhale. At least I didn't make that much of a fool of myself. "Oh-hoooo," Cory grins and starts preening and fluttering his eyelashes. "Oscar and Kelly, sitting in a tree - "

I cough exaggeratedly. "Mom. And. Dad. Are. FIVE. FEET. AWAY!"

He rolls his eyes. "Calm down, Key."

"But she can't," Leo teases. "Her love is sitting right behind her."

"Leon, shut up," Calypso says, and then folds her arms. "Would you like me to tell everyone about the time when you - "

His eyes grow wide. "I'm fine. Nope. Thanks, Cal - Kelly. I'm good."

Austin looks amused. "So, Archibald. You're from the UK?"

I poke Teddy to remind him that his new name is Archibald. "Call me..." He glares at me. "Call me Archie. But yeah, I am from the UK."

Austin looks impressed. "Jolly good?"

"Pip, pip, cheerio," Leo says.

I roll my eyes. Boys. Even ones from different universes think alike.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and rest it on the table, and only then do I realize that it's in the phone case that Austin gave to me for my birthday. It's a Hogwarts phone case, and I rub my thumb over the logo, gently.

Dinner passes uneventfully - well, unless you count Cory and Leo teasing me mercilessly about Oscar and Leo making really, really bad jokes about that. Dinner is finished, my parents thank Calypso for taking care of me, and we head out separate ways. All of us jam into the minivan, and I end up in the last row of seats with Austin.

"So. Librarian, her boyfriend, and the transfer student?" He asks immediately. "Why didn't you go to the nurses' office instead?"

"Well. I fell near the library. And she cam across me on the way to the nurse's and took me with her and her boyfriend. And Te - Archibald. He was just concerned."

Austin rolls his eyes. "You know I know you're lying."

"How do you know that I know that you know I'm lying?" I counter, and then grin, because he's shakes his head.

"Look, I know when people are lying, especially you. I've grown up with you, for goodness' sake," he mutters. "But, fine. Tell me when you're ready to tell me. Just... Don't do anything stupid."

"I'm offended. Since when did I ever do anything stupid?" I say.

He thinks. And then sighs. "Well. Just... You're the most rational. But if they, you know, ask you to do drugs or something, don't. Okay?"

I laugh. "Leon's like, the last person who would ever do drugs. And do you really think that Kelly would?"

He doesn't look convinced, but just shrugs. "Fine. I don't exactly believe you, but fine."

We get out of the car and say goodnight to Austin and Andrew, then trundle back into the house. Now that I'm not actually with Teddy, Leo or Calypso, I can't really believe that it really is happening. Even though I have Leo's number saved on my phone (LEO FREAKING VALDEZ ASKED FOR MY NUMBER!).

Memory is like that - I don't know how many times I've ever thought about it. How things always seem so now until you're in another time and it's only a memory, and you have no proof that it ever happened except that vague image in your mind. Tiny souvenirs from the time you then spend wishing you were still there.

Tiny souvenirs.

I have one.

In my bag, the small box is resting underneath my pencil case, and I take it out gently, reverently, and take it up to my room like it is a relic, and place it on my window, in the direct path of the moonlight. Then I open it.

There is a shriveled, small plant sitting withered in the box, but it doesn't stay like that. No. In the moonlight, the flower unfurls like a tiny dancer, opening its silvery petals to the moonlight like a dancer twirling in the moonlight, glittering like fairy dust has been sprinkled over its leaves. A gentle scent seems to float into the air, and everything seems brighter.

My little piece of magic in this world.

And even if they are gone tomorrow, even if Teddy disappears in a flurry of magic, even if Leo and Calypso return by the Bermuda Triangle, I will still have this beautiful piece of magic left in my life. And I will never stop looking for the people who gave it to me.

But... When the time comes, and all eight arrive, will I be able to let them go?