I stared at Ginny and Neville, absolutely refusing to believe what they had told me. They stared back, absolutely refusing to believe how I had responded.
"Witchcraft and... Witchcraft and What?" I said weakly, sitting down. "Are you trying to trick me?"
"What are you... Don't you know what...? Oh my goodness." Ginny stared at Neville in disbelief and mouthed, "She's a Muggle."
"I'm a what? What are you trying to do? Are you fooling me? I don't even know you! I'm supposed to be going to Wheeling County!" Confused and hurt, I felt tears coming to my eyes.
"What are we supposed to do?" asked Neville. "Are there any teachers on board? Or any adults?"
Ginny shook her head. "Not that I--"
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A plump old lady with a large cart of candy opened the door slightly.
I stared at the cart and heard my stomach rumble. This is not the time to be hungry, I scolded it, and I looked down at my hands.
"Miss, could I talk to you for a minute?" asked Ginny timidly.
"Of course, dear," said the woman with a smile.
I stared worriedly as she whispered to the woman with a worried expression on her face. I couldn't believe that I was in so much trouble for getting onto the train.
"Oh, don't worry dearie," she said. "No true Muggles can get through the gate. It's impossible, from what Professor Dumbledore has told me. I wouldn't worry. But I'll make a stop by the professor onboard and make sure he knows, all right?"
Ginny gulped and nodded, and stared at me warily. I didn't like it. It was a shame that I found myself disliking her a bit at the moment; she seemed like a very nice girl. But I couldn't help but feel confused and victimized.
Just as the woman was about to push the cart away, Neville called out, "Excuse me, could I buy something?"
She smiled.
"Could I have eight chocolate frogs and two bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"
"That'll be three sickles, please,"
Three whats?
Neville fished through his pocket and removed three small silver coins. I stared at them in delight as they were passed from the boy to the woman and put in a small jar on the side of the cart.
As she rolled away, Neville inhaled deeply. "Um, so, Taylor... Is it Taylor?"
"Yes."
"You've... you've never seen any magic?"
"Well, I went to a magician show once..."
"A what?"
"But that's just fancy tricks, no real magic. No, I've never seen real live magic before."
I was worried, but intrigued. What was I about to see? A small part of me thought that this whole thing was just a joke, but the rest of me was enthralled.
"Look at this."
He took a small box, a chocolate frog, he said, and, carefully, opened the lid. I stared carefully, wondering what I would see. For a moment nothing happened. Then suddenly, a brown frog-shaped blob sprung from the box and landed in my skirt.
I screamed. What was this? This was no trick. A chocolate was springing around! It leapt from my skirt onto the ground, then Ginny scooped it up and handed it to Neville.
"I didn't want it to get dirty," she explained.
And then something happened that horrified me more than anything. Neville opened mouth and the frog jumped in, and in one slam of a jaw, it was gone.
"You ate it! You just ate a frog!" I shrieked.
"A chocolate frog," Luna corrected, looking up from her book once again.
"But... but..."
"It isn't alive," Neville assured me through sticky teeth. Still, it was a long time before they could convince me to eat one. And when I did, I hated the feeling of it still flailing around in my mouth until I bit down and it stilled.
Ginny's thoughts, the whole time, were on what I was supposed to do when I got to Hogwarts. She asked me if my parents had any idea, or if someone was expecting me in "Wheeling"... endless questions. I told her the story, and she was uncertain.
"The woman said it was all right for you to be here. She said you must be a witch."
"A what?"
"A magical person."
And suddenly a thought struck me. What if I was magical?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Year 1, Chapter 2 - Heading to Hogwarts
I shook my head. I must have imagined... no, there it was.
"Platform 9 3/4".
And there were the redhead twins, laughing and whispering with each other as a plump, middle aged woman, probably their mother, messed with their hair.
"It's fine, Mum, let me go!" said one, wriggling away.
"Shouldn't you be fussing over Ginny, anyway?" said the second, rolling his eyes. "She's the first year, after all."
"Yes, dear, but your hair...!"
"It's fine!"
I watched, stared at the Platform sign, looked at the brick wall, and stared back at the family.
"I'm off to the Prefect's car, Mum," said a third boy, older than the twins. What a large family!
"All right, Percy! I'll write you. Love you!" called the mother as her son hurried off.
The twins boarded the train, and with only the mother and young girl left, I timidly approached them.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I said, tapping her shoulder.
"Oh, hello dear! Headed to school, are you?" she asked, beaming.
"Well... um... yes..." I stammered. I was headed to St. Martha's, after all.
"First year?" she asked.
I nodded in reply.
"Splendid! It's Ginny's first year too!" she said, squeezing her daughter's shoulders. "Did you have a question, sweetheart?"
"Oh, no, just... making sure this was the right train... Isn't it?"
"Of course, dearie, it's the right train! The one and only train! Here, I'll help you with your stuff. You two had best be boarding, it's leaving in just a matter of seconds!"
Without having another moment to speak, I was bustled onto the train, my stuff was shoved in behind me, and the door closed on the woman outdoors.
"Bye, Mum!" called Ginny, tears sparkling in her eyes.
She looked sad, but at the same time, genuinely thrilled. She looked shyly at me and said, "Shall we find a compartment?"
Seeing as I had no idea what else to do, I accepted, and we made our way down the aisle.
The thing that struck me about this train was that there were only children and teenagers aboard, no adults in sight. I wasn't used to this method of travel though, so I made no further assumptions that there was something WRONG, although my gut was telling me that there was.
"Here's a place," said Ginny suddenly, stopping. She opened the compartment. There were two people, a boy and a girl around our age, sitting inside.
"Do you mind...?" Ginny asked shyly.
"No, please sit down," said the girl, with an air of spaciness about her.
Ginny and I shuffled in, and she sat next to the girl, who was eerily pretty with pale blonde hair. The boy looked quite different, chubby with buck teeth. I stared at my folded hands.
"Are you first years?" asked the girl.
"Yes," Ginny and I responded together.
"Oh, I am too. I'm Luna Lovegood. It is so nice to meet you. Who are you?"
"I'm Ginny Weasley," said Ginny.
"I'm Taylor Winthrop," I replied.
"It's a pleasure," said Luna, and she went back to the book sitting in her lap.
"I'm Neville Longbottom," said the boy a bit nervously. "I'm a second year... Gryffindor. What houses do you think you'll be in?"
"My whole family has been in Gryffindor," said Ginny. "My parents and all my brothers. Ron is a second year. Do you know him?"
Neville nodded and smiled just a bit. "He's a friend."
Luna spoke up. "I've had family members in all four houses before," she said. "My father was in Hufflepuff, and my mother was in Ravenclaw. I suppose I could be anything."
"What about you?" Ginny asked me.
I stared at her blankly. I didn't have the slightest idea what they were talking about. "I... I'm not sure," I stammered.
"Well you will be in no time," said Ginny with a smile.
"A lot of the first years want to be in Gryffindor this year," said Neville, "since that's where Harry Potter is."
Ginny's ears perked up at the name "Harry Potter".
But I remained in the dark. "Who's he?"
"Who's Harry Potter?" gasped Neville. "You've never heard of Harry Potter?"
I shook my head and felt my face flush.
"Are your parents non-magical?" asked Ginny. She turned to the others. "If her parents were non-magic, she might have never heard of it."
"Non... what?"
"Magic! Where do you think we're going?" asked Neville with a nervous laugh.
"Magic?"
"Yes, magic. Magic is wonderful," said Luna with a spacey smile.
"Where is this train going?" I asked, jumping up in my seat.
"Where is it going?" cried Ginny. "Well nowhere else but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"Platform 9 3/4".
And there were the redhead twins, laughing and whispering with each other as a plump, middle aged woman, probably their mother, messed with their hair.
"It's fine, Mum, let me go!" said one, wriggling away.
"Shouldn't you be fussing over Ginny, anyway?" said the second, rolling his eyes. "She's the first year, after all."
"Yes, dear, but your hair...!"
"It's fine!"
I watched, stared at the Platform sign, looked at the brick wall, and stared back at the family.
"I'm off to the Prefect's car, Mum," said a third boy, older than the twins. What a large family!
"All right, Percy! I'll write you. Love you!" called the mother as her son hurried off.
The twins boarded the train, and with only the mother and young girl left, I timidly approached them.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I said, tapping her shoulder.
"Oh, hello dear! Headed to school, are you?" she asked, beaming.
"Well... um... yes..." I stammered. I was headed to St. Martha's, after all.
"First year?" she asked.
I nodded in reply.
"Splendid! It's Ginny's first year too!" she said, squeezing her daughter's shoulders. "Did you have a question, sweetheart?"
"Oh, no, just... making sure this was the right train... Isn't it?"
"Of course, dearie, it's the right train! The one and only train! Here, I'll help you with your stuff. You two had best be boarding, it's leaving in just a matter of seconds!"
Without having another moment to speak, I was bustled onto the train, my stuff was shoved in behind me, and the door closed on the woman outdoors.
"Bye, Mum!" called Ginny, tears sparkling in her eyes.
She looked sad, but at the same time, genuinely thrilled. She looked shyly at me and said, "Shall we find a compartment?"
Seeing as I had no idea what else to do, I accepted, and we made our way down the aisle.
The thing that struck me about this train was that there were only children and teenagers aboard, no adults in sight. I wasn't used to this method of travel though, so I made no further assumptions that there was something WRONG, although my gut was telling me that there was.
"Here's a place," said Ginny suddenly, stopping. She opened the compartment. There were two people, a boy and a girl around our age, sitting inside.
"Do you mind...?" Ginny asked shyly.
"No, please sit down," said the girl, with an air of spaciness about her.
Ginny and I shuffled in, and she sat next to the girl, who was eerily pretty with pale blonde hair. The boy looked quite different, chubby with buck teeth. I stared at my folded hands.
"Are you first years?" asked the girl.
"Yes," Ginny and I responded together.
"Oh, I am too. I'm Luna Lovegood. It is so nice to meet you. Who are you?"
"I'm Ginny Weasley," said Ginny.
"I'm Taylor Winthrop," I replied.
"It's a pleasure," said Luna, and she went back to the book sitting in her lap.
"I'm Neville Longbottom," said the boy a bit nervously. "I'm a second year... Gryffindor. What houses do you think you'll be in?"
"My whole family has been in Gryffindor," said Ginny. "My parents and all my brothers. Ron is a second year. Do you know him?"
Neville nodded and smiled just a bit. "He's a friend."
Luna spoke up. "I've had family members in all four houses before," she said. "My father was in Hufflepuff, and my mother was in Ravenclaw. I suppose I could be anything."
"What about you?" Ginny asked me.
I stared at her blankly. I didn't have the slightest idea what they were talking about. "I... I'm not sure," I stammered.
"Well you will be in no time," said Ginny with a smile.
"A lot of the first years want to be in Gryffindor this year," said Neville, "since that's where Harry Potter is."
Ginny's ears perked up at the name "Harry Potter".
But I remained in the dark. "Who's he?"
"Who's Harry Potter?" gasped Neville. "You've never heard of Harry Potter?"
I shook my head and felt my face flush.
"Are your parents non-magical?" asked Ginny. She turned to the others. "If her parents were non-magic, she might have never heard of it."
"Non... what?"
"Magic! Where do you think we're going?" asked Neville with a nervous laugh.
"Magic?"
"Yes, magic. Magic is wonderful," said Luna with a spacey smile.
"Where is this train going?" I asked, jumping up in my seat.
"Where is it going?" cried Ginny. "Well nowhere else but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
Chapter 1 - Beyond Platform 10
“You can't be serious,” I stammered to my mother.
“I'm THIS serious,” she replied with a sly smile. She held up a train ticket. Just ONE train ticket.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My mother was planning on sending me to my grandmother's house for the year, from September through June. It was August fifteenth, and she hadn't told me until now!
“But where will I go to school?” I asked nervously.
“St. Martha's,” she replied with a wide smile. "It's an all-girl's Catholic school, from your grade until girls almost in college. It's a highly reputable school; I'm sure you'll be very happy there."
“But... doesn't that cost money?” I asked.
“Of course it does... we're paying half of your tuition, and your grandma is doing the rest. She's really looking forward to you staying with her, sweetheart.”
I groaned. This was a trap I knew already there was no escaping from.
~~~~~
“Taylor! Taylor Anne Winthrop!” shouted Mum. Putting down the book I was reading, I wandered into the front hall.
“What is it?”
“Look,” she exclaimed, “at what we got again!”
She was holding up a thick letter, closed with an elegant stamp.
I didn't say anything.
“We've been getting one a day! And you know what day today is, right?”
“The... the fifteenth?”
“It's Sunday, Taylor. I swear, whatever advertisement this is, it's desperate to get to you.” She stared at the envelope for a long time. “Maybe there's an address I can send a complaint to somewhere in here,” she murmured, ripping the envelope open. I was a bit worried. I was only eleven, so I took everything my mum had to say for solid truth, and she had told me to be careful about opening up strange letters like this.
“Dear Taylor Winthrop, you have been accepted...” she murmured, and I saw her eyes scan the letter. She cleared her throat.
“It's an ad for a fake school,” she told me, seeing my questioning eyes. “Don't worry.”She looked in and out of the letter.“No return address. Ahem. No matter.” She dropped the letter in the garbage.
~~~~~
September 1st came quickly, with brisk weather. At ten o'clock that morning, my mother hurried me into the car and we rode down to King's Cross train station.
“All right sweetie. You have everything? I packed a few pounds for you, in case you need to buy lunch or dinner. You'll be fine. The train will come at 11:30, Platform 10. You watch out for yourself, all right Taylor?”
“Yes, Mum,” I said, feeling homesick already despite the fact that I resented her sending me to my grandmother's.
“I love you,” she said, gathering me in a teary hug. And she left me at the station.
Sighing, I stared at my ticket and headed down towards Platform Ten.
~~~~~
It was ten-fifty when I reached the platform. The place was packed, but despite this, a pair of identical twins, both redheads, who looked a few years older than me, were goofing off and pushing each other around to the extent that I felt a bit nervous. But that was nothing compared to the shock I felt as one of them knocked into me and I fell straight through the bricks of wall at Platform Ten.
I looked up, shaken, my baggage lying on top of me. The twins ran past me, laughing and shoving each other.
Did I just fall through...? I must have been imagining it. But I know I didn't imagine it when I looked up and saw this sign:
“Platform 9 ¾”.
“I'm THIS serious,” she replied with a sly smile. She held up a train ticket. Just ONE train ticket.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My mother was planning on sending me to my grandmother's house for the year, from September through June. It was August fifteenth, and she hadn't told me until now!
“But where will I go to school?” I asked nervously.
“St. Martha's,” she replied with a wide smile. "It's an all-girl's Catholic school, from your grade until girls almost in college. It's a highly reputable school; I'm sure you'll be very happy there."
“But... doesn't that cost money?” I asked.
“Of course it does... we're paying half of your tuition, and your grandma is doing the rest. She's really looking forward to you staying with her, sweetheart.”
I groaned. This was a trap I knew already there was no escaping from.
~~~~~
“Taylor! Taylor Anne Winthrop!” shouted Mum. Putting down the book I was reading, I wandered into the front hall.
“What is it?”
“Look,” she exclaimed, “at what we got again!”
She was holding up a thick letter, closed with an elegant stamp.
I didn't say anything.
“We've been getting one a day! And you know what day today is, right?”
“The... the fifteenth?”
“It's Sunday, Taylor. I swear, whatever advertisement this is, it's desperate to get to you.” She stared at the envelope for a long time. “Maybe there's an address I can send a complaint to somewhere in here,” she murmured, ripping the envelope open. I was a bit worried. I was only eleven, so I took everything my mum had to say for solid truth, and she had told me to be careful about opening up strange letters like this.
“Dear Taylor Winthrop, you have been accepted...” she murmured, and I saw her eyes scan the letter. She cleared her throat.
“It's an ad for a fake school,” she told me, seeing my questioning eyes. “Don't worry.”She looked in and out of the letter.“No return address. Ahem. No matter.” She dropped the letter in the garbage.
~~~~~
September 1st came quickly, with brisk weather. At ten o'clock that morning, my mother hurried me into the car and we rode down to King's Cross train station.
“All right sweetie. You have everything? I packed a few pounds for you, in case you need to buy lunch or dinner. You'll be fine. The train will come at 11:30, Platform 10. You watch out for yourself, all right Taylor?”
“Yes, Mum,” I said, feeling homesick already despite the fact that I resented her sending me to my grandmother's.
“I love you,” she said, gathering me in a teary hug. And she left me at the station.
Sighing, I stared at my ticket and headed down towards Platform Ten.
~~~~~
It was ten-fifty when I reached the platform. The place was packed, but despite this, a pair of identical twins, both redheads, who looked a few years older than me, were goofing off and pushing each other around to the extent that I felt a bit nervous. But that was nothing compared to the shock I felt as one of them knocked into me and I fell straight through the bricks of wall at Platform Ten.
I looked up, shaken, my baggage lying on top of me. The twins ran past me, laughing and shoving each other.
Did I just fall through...? I must have been imagining it. But I know I didn't imagine it when I looked up and saw this sign:
“Platform 9 ¾”.
Prologue - I, Necromancer
When Taylor Winthrop’s mother told her that she was to spend the next school year at her grandmother’s house in the small, country town of Wheeling, she was furious. As an eleven-year-old, she found the prospect of spending a year with an old woman very dire and dreaded it with every fiber in her body. Taylor’s thought was that if her grandmother was too sick to function on her own, why couldn’t she simply go to a nursing home, or at least have an adult relative stay with her?
Needless to say, she was under the impression that the next year of her life would be endlessly boring. But little did she know that this was the beginning of her life as a witch, and that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was just a train ride away.
How do I know this? I’m Taylor Anne Winthrop.
I’m the Necromancer.
Needless to say, she was under the impression that the next year of her life would be endlessly boring. But little did she know that this was the beginning of her life as a witch, and that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was just a train ride away.
How do I know this? I’m Taylor Anne Winthrop.
I’m the Necromancer.
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