Chapter One

BOOM! CRASH! Garrick jolted awake at the sound of thunder. He could feel the ship lurching and bumping across the waves. Blast it, he thought as he layed down and tried to get back to sleep. In the four days since he had left port, he hadn't been able to have a proper night's rest. How did I end up in this mess, the young wand-maker thought to himself. Of course, reflecting back on that night only two weeks prior, it was no mystery. A stranger had appeared in his home and offered him a chance to realize his dream. What had he been thinking? Traveling across the ocean of the coin and word of someone he had only just met? But alas, here he was, nearly to America at this point and no way to turn back. His only consolation at this point was that in a matter of hours, he would be in New York City and be on his way to study wandlore in a whole new light. But he had a new goal as well.

He knew, however that he would not feel better until he was on dry land and could actually think without feeling like his brain was going to tip out. Usually he could have remedied this with a quick Charm, but with so many Muggles around, he hadn't had the chance and as they were due to make landfall in a matter of hours, he didn't see much of a point in doing it now. However, when the storm increased in intensity barely five minutes later, he heavily considered it but didn't believe himself capable of standing long enough to get to a private room.

Finally, about an hour before they were to pull into the port in New York, the storm let up and the sun began to shine. It was early morning now and children were beginning to run around and pick up their games where they had left them off the night before. Garrick chuckled with delight as the little ones ran past him. Such pure happiness was contagious to the young man and children seemed to be an eternal spring of happiness! But soon, all I will have will be my studies and my fellow students, Garrick thought to himself. Not that that idea intimidated him, he was looking forward to the long nights and the hard studying. But what he was most excited about was finally having peers, fellow wand-makers that were his peers, someone who wasn't his father.

According to the papers left with him by the stranger in his kitchen, he was supposed to meet someone named Johannes Jonker later that day. Garrick was rather excited about this, as he assumed the man was a wand-maker! He would start his training that very day! He trembled with excitement, just imagining the feel of wand wood beneath his fingers! Nothing better!, he thought rather cheerfully, especially for someone as motion-sick as he was at the moment.

The moment that the ship made port, Garrick was at the front of the line to disembark. With trunk in hand, he briskly walked down the ramp and took his first steps on New York ground. The matter of Muggle customs was a simple one. It was helped by the fact that all he really had were clothes and books, with his few tools tucked away in a small case. Nothing out of the ordinary for a craftsman, or at least that's what the guards at the port thought.

"Now for the matter of finding Mr. Jonker," he said to himself decidedly. He wasn't going to waste a single moment that he could be studying. Then his stomach grumbled. Damn… Where am I going to find food? He checked the papers again. Apparently he was supposed to go somewhere called Hell's Kitchen, whatever that was. It sounded rather intimidating, but with this hunger, anything that sounded remotely like food was at least a little appealing, so to Hell's Kitchen it was.

He had walked for quite a while and had nearly reached the neighborhood when his hunger finally got the better of him. After looking around, he spied a deli and ducked inside. Garrick just purchased a sandwich with American Muggle money he had gotten from the Gringotts exchange when he suddenly had a feeling, as if someone was looking over his shoulder. He looked up and saw a woman staring intently at him from across the room. He caught her eye and a look of shock, like that of a child sneaking sweats, passed over her face. She turned and ran.

Garrick tried to pursue her but by the time he made it through the small crowd lined up in the deli and out the door, there was no sign of her. But why was she looking at me like that? Something about her stare made Garrick immensely uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure what. Regardless, he returned to his trek, with his trunk in one hand and sandwich in the other.

It was mid afternoon by the time the young wand-maker found his destination, although it hadn't helped that he had gotten lost more than once in the process. It also didn't help that the address was to a door on the basement level of a building, only accessible by a small brick staircase.

Garrick descended the stairs as quickly as he could with his trunk in hand. He tried the door and found it locked. He was about to knock when he heard a gruff voice from the otherside of the door. "What'cha business here, boss?"

"Ummm… I'm sorry?," Garrick replied timidly.

"I said, what. Is. Your. Business. Here?" said the voice again, slow and drawn out, and slightly more agitated.

"Oh, yes, alright! I am here to meet with a Mr. Johannes Jonker." "Jo Jonker? What'cha need him for?" said the voice. "Well," replied Garrick, more firmly now, "I believe that I am to be his new student."

"OOOOOOHHHHH! You're the kid, you're THAT kid! Well why didn't 'cha say so! Come on in, come on!" Garrick then heard a series of metal clacks and ticks that sounded like a series of deadbolts and padlocks being unlocked. The door then swung open to reveal what looked like a back alley. Upon stepping inside, Garrick could see there were streets on both ends of the alley. Something about this reminded him of Diagon Alley. The thought of home brought a smile to his face.

"So your Garrick," said the voice again. He turned to see a goblin, about half his height. "I'm Barney, nice to make your acquaintance, and whatnot. Alright, so to Jo's shop, you gotta take this street down and take the second left. There's a big sign out front, can't miss it!"

"Oh, umm thank you! Yes, thank you!," said Garrick as he began to walk the way that the goblin was pointing and waved goodbye before turning down the street. Oh yes, he thought. This feel like home.

All down the street, he could see people in varying degrees of wizard-wear. A lilac cloak here, a pointed hat there. There did, however, seem to be much more Muggle clothes here than there was back in London. Oh well, different country, different trends.

Looking through the windows Garrick saw one store selling brooms and Quidditch supplies, another with nothing but towers of books, stacked precariously on one another, and another that seemed to specialize in dress-wear that, upon closer examination, favored this American fashion.

When he reached the second left, Garrick turned and froze. There, maybe thirty feet in front of him, was the young woman from the deli earlier today. She didn't appear to have noticed him, but he could not have been more conspicuous. He stood rooted to the spot and watched as she walked into a shop. No, not just any shop. According to the sign hanging above the doorway, it was the shop. Johannes Jonker's shop. The very place that Garrick was going!

Well, he thought as he finally began walking toward his destination once more, At least I'm finally here. He took a breath and pushed through the door.