Chapter 10: A New Home
It had taken the Jordan family almost a day and a half to drive the full 1,200 miles on I-90 West from Boston, Massachusetts, to University City, Missouri. Jenny and her family stopped only a few times for gas, food, and an overnight stay at a motel in Indianapolis, Indiana, that had been recommended by the Relocation Committee. The owner was a kind, elderly witch who had rented rooms to a lot of displaced families from Maine who were on their way to their new homes. She had given the Jordans a special deal on their room, and treated them to a fried chicken dinner. She even brought in a cake when she heard that Jenny just had a birthday. She couldn't be friendlier. Of course, she did have a million questions about what had happened in Maine – everyone in their world did. And the Jordans answered them the best that they could. In the morning, she had a wonderful breakfast ready for them. After more conversation, the Jordans thanked her and continued on their way to their new home.
The Jordan's new home in University City, Missouri, was a two-story brownstone that was only a few blocks away from Stonewall Elementary, where Jenny (and later, Ricky,) would go to school, and where Aggie hoped to find work as a teacher when Ricky was old enough for the Latchkey Program. When the Jordan family first arrived, they did not immediately go inside their new house. Instead, they drove around the block a few times to check out their new neighborhood.
It was a neighborhood of similar brownstones that were built in the early 1920's. There were few driveways, so most of the residents parked their cars on the tree-lined streets. Ren sighed. He did not want to think about tree sap dripping on their pristine cars (and using magic to shield them was out of the question as it might arouse suspicion.) But he had to admit that when springtime came, the neighborhood would be nothing less than beautiful. Even now, with few leaves on the trees (most of them had been raked by the residents into piles by the curbs, awaiting pickup,) the neighborhood looked post-card picturesque.
Aggie smiled at Ren. "Well, it's not Collinsport. But I think that we could come to like it here."
As her parents looked the neighborhood over, checking out the local stores and restaurants, Jenny looked for signs of kids her own age: bicycles, toys on the lawns, swing sets and tree houses in back yards. She saw plenty of these. But as it was late in the morning, most of the kids her age were probably in class. When Jenny commented on this, her father suggested that they drive over to have a look at her new school.
Stonewall Elementary School was a large but friendly looking brick structure next to two other, similar buildings that had playfields equipped with football fields and bleachers instead of jungle-gym equipment. One was the Junior High School, where Jenny would go in a little under two years from now if formal Wizarding Education could not be arranged. The other building, set directly across the street from Stonewall, was the High School.
Ironically, Jenny would see the inside of the High School long before she saw the inside of the Junior High. Stonewall Elementary held a lot of its events in the gymnasium of the High School, which was far larger than the one in the Stonewall building. Also, every Thursday, the kids in Fifth and Sixth Grade had Swimming Classes for Gym at the High School's indoor pool – something that Jenny was anxiously looking forward to. It wasn't exactly the Community Center back home in Maine, (much less the beach,) but it was better than nothing.
The Jordans then returned to their new home, parked and went inside. As they did, they brought their luggage with them. Even with the extra items of clothing that they got at the DWC, it only took them one trip. It wasn't much, but with Aggie going back to Collinsport tomorrow morning, it would be enough to last them until she got back with more of their belongings from their old home.
As Ren and Aggie, who was leading little Ricky by his hand, took in the ground floor of the empty house, Jenny ran upstairs to check out her new room. When she got there, she was not too disappointed; especially when she looked out back from her window and saw that the previous owners had left behind a swing set and a toolshed that would make a totally awesome clubhouse.
Jenny sighed at the last thought. She was getting a little old for clubhouses. It would depend on what the local kids thought when they came over. Of course, Jenny would have to meet them first, and that would be a definite priority when she went to her new school tomorrow morning. On the plus side, the backyard was fenced in, and Jenny wondered if she could persuade her parents to let her get a dog after they settled in. Jenny had always wanted a beagle.
When Jenny got back downstairs, she saw that her parents and little brother had been joined by an older couple. They were a wizard and a witch who looked to be in their 60's, but given that wizards and witches aged slower and lived a bit longer than muggles, Jenny knew that they could be quite a bit older. They noticed her when she was halfway down the stairs and the witch commented, "And this must be Jenny!"
Jenny smiled and made a slight curtsy. "Yes Ma'am."
The wizard said, "Well, come on down and let's have a good look at you."
When Jenny joined her parents and the new couple, the wizard continued. "My name is Oliver. Oliver Morris. And this lovely young lady is my wife of almost 60 years, Mrs. Mona Morris.
Jenny turned to the older witch and said, "We've got something in common. We both have alliterative names! They're the best, don't you think?"
"That we do, young lady," said the witch smiling. "And that they are. Now, while I was not born with mine, I consider it to be the finest wedding present that a witch may receive from her husband!" The adults all laughed at Mona's remark.
"Please think of us as the local WWW," said Oliver. "That's Wizard's Welcome Wagon. We are volunteers with the Relocation Committee and it is both our duty and our pleasure to help you settle in to your new surroundings. Now, I think that Mona has brought everything that you will need in the immediate future in her purse – Undetectable Extension Charms are so useful in situations like this!
"But for now, I can imagine that the four of you must be starving! So my better half and I have brought you something to eat!" Oliver took out his wand, performed a swish and flick over his wife's purse, and motioned for everyone to follow him into the dining room where he had conjured a table, six chairs (one of them with a booster seat for Ricky,) and place settings for everyone.
"My turn," said Mona. She gave her ear a tug and a dinner of pizza, salad, and other side dishes appeared. The Jordans and the Morrises sat down and offered a simple prayer of thanks; both for the food and that they were safe and together, and then the meal was served.
Jenny looked skeptically at the appearance of the local pizza. Normally, Jenny's family ate at the House of Pizza in Collinsport, which served Greek-style pizza baked in an oiled pan with plenty of oregano in the sauce. But this pizza was so thin, you could almost see through it, and the cheese had a pleasant, smoky aroma. She took one bite, and was instantly hooked. "This cheese is the best!"
Mona nodded. "It's called "provel cheese," Jenny. It is a popular, local variety. Now try the toasted ravioli. I think that you will like it, too," said Mona.
"Toasted ravioli?" said Jenny. But after the first bite, she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She wondered what other, local delicacies awaited her sampling. And a generous helping of gooey butter cake for dessert partially satisfied her curiosity.
"So, what are your immediate plans, Ren?" said Oliver.
"Well, Aggie is going to Maine tomorrow to get our irreplaceable stuff. Our household records, family heirlooms, my Avanti . . . ."
"You have an Avanti?" said Mona. "I drive a President Club Sedan."
"What year?" asked Ren, eyes wide.
"1940," said Mona. "My Oliver has a 1932 Dictator Coupe."
"How could they name it that?" said Aggie incredulously. "Especially in the 1930's?"
"The name was intended to mean that this car "Dictated the Standard" of cars in its class," said Oliver. "It was named just before the rise of Fascism. But then came the Second World War, and . . . ."
"Unfortunate choice of names," agreed Ren. "Kind of like someone naming a Racing Broom "The Dark Lord." Say, wasn't there a song about the '32 Dictator, Oliver?"
"Ronny and the Daytonas!" said Oliver with a big grin. "Antique '32 Studebaker Dictator Coupe." It was on the same album as their more famous hit, "G.T.O."
"Too bad there was never a song about the Avanti," mused Ren. "But it is nice to meet a fellow Studebaker enthusiast." After a little more car talk, the conversation got down to real business.
"But we digress," said Oliver. "Now, about those immediate plans?"
"Well, I don't start my new job until next Friday," said Ren. Ren Jordan had worked at the local lumberyard in Collinsport ever since he was 16. But on the weekends, he made and repaired racing brooms. The Relocation Committee was able to find him a similar job at a nearby hardware store. But as far as his work on racing brooms was concerned . . . .
"You might find that it is a little difficult to flight test a broom around these parts, Ren; much less go for an extended, leisurely cruise," said Oliver. Ren nodded sadly. Unlike Collinsport, most urban areas in the country, including U-City, Missouri, are listed as a "No-Fly" zone by the FBS.
"And I am afraid that it gets worse," said Mona. "Since you do not have a garage, you will not be able to transfigure water into gasoline without the risk of being seen by your neighbors."
"That could easily triple what we pay for gas," said Aggie neutrally. True, water could be transfigured into gasoline, but that did not mean that it could be done for free. Since wizards and witches used the local roads where they lived, the FBS required all magic users to keep a log book of how many gallons of water became gallons of gasoline, and charged so much per gallon to cover the taxes that muggles regularly paid at the pump. These funds were then funneled to the appropriate muggle agencies.
Ren nodded. What was that old muggle saying? There ain't no such thing as a free lunch? Of course, wizards and witches had a similar saying that went so far back into antiquity that nobody knew its origin: Magic always comes with a price.
Though he probably already knew what Oliver and Mona would say, Ren commented, "At least I can still cast a temperature holding spell on our home so we won't have to use our furnace or air conditioner too much."
Oliver shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Ren. Some sharp-eyed muggle neighbor might just notice that your home is cool inside in summer but that you're A/C does not come on as often as it should. Or that your home is warm in winter, but that no steam is rising from your roof vent."
Both Ren and Aggie nodded. Jenny saw the looks on her parents' face and decided to postpone asking for a beagle indefinitely.
"You will have to be very careful, indeed, Ren," said Mona. She then turned to Jenny. "And that goes for you as well, young lady."
Jenny knew what was coming next. Some of her friends from school who had lived in other parts of the country before moving to Collinsport told Jenny about getting "THE TALK." And Jenny realized that she was about to get it, herself. Silently, Jenny nodded, keeping her attention on Mona Morris. "Yes, Ma'am?"
"Jennifer, you are at the age when your powers are beginning to manifest when you are nervous, scared, or disoriented. And right about now, I can imagine that you are feeling these emotions, and more; especially given everything that has happened to you and your family and friends over the past few weeks.
"Because of this, you will need to guard yourself constantly! Stonewall Elementary is not Collinsport Elementary, where some of your classmates and even some of the teachers were wizards and witches. You will be the ONLY person in your new school with the ability to do magic. All of your new classmates and teachers will be muggles. If you are not careful and do not keep yourself under control, they may see you do magic."
Oliver added, "Or they may see strange things happen while you are around and put two-and-two together. You just might find yourself in trouble with the FBS, young lady. And your parents may find themselves facing a very steep fine, depending on how serious your violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery is determined to be."
Mona took it from there. Jenny felt that she was being tag-teemed. "It could even be worse. If you use reflexive magic, you could hurt someone in your school. Maybe even kill someone. It is rare, but it has been known to happen in the past. Your parents may want to consider enrolling you in a martial arts class of some kind. Karate, maybe. Or Jujitsu. In addition to these lessons teaching you better self-control, you will learn the option of protecting yourself physically instead of with magic."
"It's just like we told our son when he was growing up and going to an all-muggle school." Added Oliver. "If there is unavoidable conflict with a classmate, it is important to use your fists; not your words!"
"B-but how will I make new friends?" said Jenny, the implications of going to an all-muggle school were beginning to sink in, and Jenny did not like them. So much for the clubhouse idea.
"It might be best if you don't," said Mona softly. "Oh, you can and should be friendly with your classmates; I'm not saying that you shouldn't do that. But what I am saying that it might be risky to have someone from school come over for a visit. It only increases the chance that someone might see or hear something that maybe they shouldn't . . . ."
"But it will only be for another year, or so," said Oliver. "You'll be turning eleven before you even know it. Be getting your first wand then, too. Then you will probably go to school at Randolph Carter, where you won't have to worry about keeping secrets and you can make lots of new friends. Probably even reconnect with some of your old friends from Collinsport who will be going there as well."
"Actually," said Ren. "We kind of want Jenny to go to Hogwarts in Scotland. Randolph Carter is very close to the Incursion in Maine. We don't feel comfortable about her going there, so close to whatever it is that came through."
"Well, I went to Hogwarts," said Oliver nodding. "I was in Ravenclaw House. Hogwarts is a very good school. But there is nothing to worry about with Randolph Carter. The student there could not be any safer. The FBS has Aurors and even a Whitelighter stationed there to protect the students ever since the Incursion hit. Your daughter will probably be safer in the Miskatonic Valley than she will be here west of the Mississippi." And she won't be subjected to any taunts by the other students; especially the ones in Slytherin, because she has a muggle mother, like I was, thought Oliver silently.
"I'm sure that it is safe at Randolph Carter, but we are still hoping to send Jenny to Hogwarts," persisted Ren. "Beauxbatons isn't an option since Jenny doesn't speak French. I would consider it a very big, personal favor if you could speak with the Admissions Department at Hogwarts as an Alumnus and ask -"
"I'll be alright at Randolph Carter, dad," insisted Jenny. "And I'm not afraid of anything that came over from the Enchanted Realms! If they start anything, we'll be the ones to finish it! All of us! Wizards, Mutants and Muggles! We'll stand together and kick their enchanted –"
"Jennifer . . . ," cautioned Aggie.
"Sorry, mom," said Jenny. "But I want to be with kids that I don't have to keep any secrets from! I don't even care if they are all wizards. Just so long as they already know about our world and I can just be . . . just be myself and not have to worry!
"I wish the same thing for you, Jenny," said Ren softly. "And that kind of environment describes Hogwarts as well as Randolph Carter." And at Hogwarts, you will have an entire planet's core between you and the Incursion, thought Ren to himself. "But until then, you will need to go to school at Stonewall Elementary starting tomorrow."
"Things are going to be a little hectic for the next week or so, honey," said Aggie. "But by then all of our business in Collinsport will be over and we can get settled in."
"You mean our lives in Collinsport, don't you, mom? Not our "business," said Jenny sadly.
"We'll begin a new life here in University City, sweetheart," said Aggie gently. "And besides, the Lovegoods will be coming over to stay with us for a few days, soon. I know you will like that."
"The Lovegoods?" said Oliver. "Xenophilius Lovegood? I know the name. He was a Ravenclaw as well, but he came way after I went to Hogwarts. He and his wife publish The Quibbler."
"Yes, that's them," said Aggie. "We met them at the DWC while they were covering the Incursion. Do you know them?"
"Only by reputation," said Mona giggling. "We get The Quibbler delivered. They have an interesting way of . . . seeing things . . . ."
"They seem alright," said Aggie.
"Oh, they are," said Mona. She then turned to Jenny and added, "Just don't let them talk you into believing in the existence of weird creatures like crumple horned snorkacks or nargles, or whatever it is they say is hiding in the shadows this week!" Both Mona and Oliver chuckled over that.
Jenny smiled. "Well, it would be nice to see Luna again. She is so cute!"
Aggie said, "Xeno and Dori told us that they have some business to attend to here in the US. And they will be helping Ren watch Jenny and Ricky while I am in Maine for the next few days."
"And I'll get to be Xeno's driver while Jenny is at school and Dori watches Luna and Ricky," said Ren nodding. And he was actually looking forward to it. "Would you believe that Xeno and Dori have only ridden in a car a few times before, and never in a classic Stude?"
"Not many traditional, pure blooded wizards and witches in the UK have ridden in one, Ren," said Oliver shrugging. "An acquaintance of mine who lives in the UK actually bought a car; an old Ford Anglia, I think. But I don't know if he's ever got it to run, much less driven it."
When dinner was finished, the Morrises opened their bag of Welcoming Gifts. Jenny had heard of an Undetectable Extension Charm before from her Aunt Maisie, but had never actually seen one in action. It was fairly advanced magic and Jenny knew pretty much what to expect. But she was nonetheless amazed to see beds, tables and chairs as well as boxes of clothes and towels emerging from Mrs. Morris' tiny little purse. No televisions, though; all that powerful magic would fry the electronics.
Yet another dip into Mrs. Morris' purse brought out bags of groceries, toiletries and cleaning supplies. Jenny helped her parents and the Morrises stock the pantries and the refrigerator and unpack the clothes. True, magic could have been used for this. But staying active helped Jenny take her mind off of everything that had happened to them over the past few weeks, even if it was only for a few hours. When the unpacking was finished, the Morrises said goodbye, and left for the evening, apparating from the Jordan's living room with a dainty chiming sound.
"Can you do that too, dad?" said Jenny.
Ren shrugged. "I've had some lessons, but I'm not very good at apparating or orbing. Besides, I'm more of a broomstick man, myself. Broomsticks and Studebakers are my thing. I suppose that in a real emergency I can apparate. But better have some dittany handy at the other end, because I'm sure to have splinched when I get there!
"But there will be plenty of time for magic later, Jenny. Right now, you need to get cleaned up and get yourself to bed. You have a big day tomorrow, young lady. We all do."
"Yes, dad," said Jenny with a yawn.
Then Ren smiled. "And after your first day at your new school, I have a surprise planned for you. A surprise that I know you will like."
"What is it, daddy?"
"Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it?" Ren put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "But to find out, you have to get through your first day of school."
After saying goodnight to her mom and dad and little brother, Jenny got herself cleaned up and went upstairs to bed, but she was way too excited to fall asleep. Jenny was anxious to begin her first day at her new school, choosing to think of it as an adventure into the unknown.
But a few blocks away from Jenny's new home, a boy who had lost far more than Jenny could ever imagine losing, also went to bed. As with Jenny, sleep eluded him; though in the boy's case, this was more out of anxiety than excitement. The boy knew that his uncle was looking in on him from the doorway, so he remained still in his bed until he could sense that his uncle had left to go back downstairs to watch a little TV before going to bed, himself. For almost two weeks ever since that evil lady Regina took his father from him, Owen Flynn cried himself to sleep. He loved his uncle, but he missed his parents dearly.
Owen's mother had died six months ago. He would not see her again until they were reunited in Heaven. His father was still alive in the hidden town of Storybrooke back in Maine; the town that everyone he spoke with said did not exist. But it did exist. Owen and his father were there. And Owen's father was still there, alive. He had to be. Owen had made a sacred vow that he would never stop looking for his dad; even if nobody else would help him. A few hours later, Owen fell asleep on his tear-soaked pillow as the fear of the impending day at Stonewall Elementary School began to loom larger than any nightmares that he knew were to come.
Owen never knew what form the nightmares of Storybrooke and Regina taking his father would be like when they visited him in his sleep. But his fears of facing yet another day at Stonewall Elementary and his "classmates" were all too well known.