Andrew Vance
24 Feb 2019, 11:22
An Unexpected Letter
Andrew’s parents were more or less taken aback by Emma’s plea, but were unable to formulate a response, before the eldest Vance sibling butted in. While tilting her cup for a giant gulp of apple juice, Stacy’s eyes instantly lit up at Emma’s mention of a character that she, too, had been acquainted with on television. Quickly swallowing her mouthful, the 13-year old blurted out, “I haven’t seen that show in forever!”
“What show?” Andrew inquired his sister.
“‘Wizards of Waverly Place’!” Stacy chattered excitedly (recapping for anyone who didn’t know what the show was about), “There’s a girl named Alex, and she has two brothers Justin and Max, and them and their dad, the four of them are wizards. They do magic with wands and cast spells and all that. It was a cool show, I liked it,” she ended on a wistful note.
“Well, yes, but that’s a kids’ show,” Mr. Vance stated matter-of-factly towards his children. “You do know that magic isn’t actually real.” The last word dripped off his tongue with skepticism.
As if the gears suddenly clicked together in his head, analyzing pieces of the dinner conversation, Andrew’s father paused for a moment, halting mid-thought as he turned to the Hills, shooting them with an alarmed stare.
“Magic. You’re serious?” Mr. Vance dropped a dead tone of disbelief.
Meanwhile, after reclaiming his toy car from his little brother (and putting it back inside the gift box, in case the car might roll away or get lost if it were loose on top of the table), Andrew withdrew the Hogwarts envelope from underneath his napkin, whipping it out face-up, so he could look at his name and address again. He was still confused by all the attention that seemed to be centered around him. Why just him? Why didn’t his brother and sister get letters, too? He didn’t know why Emma seemed to be so desperate for him to go to this “Hogwarts” school. Again, why him?
“Why me?” Andrew spoke up. His eyes flickered with concern, looking to the Hills for answers. “Can’t Stacy and Kyle go, too?”
“What show?” Andrew inquired his sister.
“‘Wizards of Waverly Place’!” Stacy chattered excitedly (recapping for anyone who didn’t know what the show was about), “There’s a girl named Alex, and she has two brothers Justin and Max, and them and their dad, the four of them are wizards. They do magic with wands and cast spells and all that. It was a cool show, I liked it,” she ended on a wistful note.
“Well, yes, but that’s a kids’ show,” Mr. Vance stated matter-of-factly towards his children. “You do know that magic isn’t actually real.” The last word dripped off his tongue with skepticism.
As if the gears suddenly clicked together in his head, analyzing pieces of the dinner conversation, Andrew’s father paused for a moment, halting mid-thought as he turned to the Hills, shooting them with an alarmed stare.
“Magic. You’re serious?” Mr. Vance dropped a dead tone of disbelief.
Meanwhile, after reclaiming his toy car from his little brother (and putting it back inside the gift box, in case the car might roll away or get lost if it were loose on top of the table), Andrew withdrew the Hogwarts envelope from underneath his napkin, whipping it out face-up, so he could look at his name and address again. He was still confused by all the attention that seemed to be centered around him. Why just him? Why didn’t his brother and sister get letters, too? He didn’t know why Emma seemed to be so desperate for him to go to this “Hogwarts” school. Again, why him?
“Why me?” Andrew spoke up. His eyes flickered with concern, looking to the Hills for answers. “Can’t Stacy and Kyle go, too?”
25 Feb 2019, 04:44
An Unexpected Letter
Eyes glistening with excitement, the brunette was happy she wasn't the only one familiar with the show, though she snickered mockingly at Andrew's question. It was rather apparent he wasn't a Disney kind of guy, she couldn't blame him. Whatever men watched at a young age was a mystery she didn't want to uncover. She could only imagine the movies and television shows the two brothers watched together, and frankly, it was a bit humorous.
The Hills paused to listen to Mr. Vance speak once again. Another prejudiced belief had emerged out of his mouth, leaving them all voiceless. Mrs. Hill had never actually observed the show herself, challenging herself to concoct a rather witty response, like her preceding question. Mr. Hill knew absolutely nothing about the Muggle world, more or less anything about a television; his word didn't matter at the moment. Besides, he stuck to reading both the regional newspaper and the Daily Prophet. As for Emma, she didn't even know if the magic used was authentic. If you asked her, everything on a screen was real from the embodied figures controlling your emotions to the angels watching over everyone in heaven, but this was different. The way they stated their spells was somewhat impressive. Still, a smile lingered on her face as she remained silent, waiting for his following criticism. As anticipated, it came soon.
"Yes. What else is there to prove?" This time, it was her father that responded to him (causing Emma's smile to turn into a scowl), the impatience in his voice growing. It was a subtle, but steady nod that made him finger the pine-wood wand that laid deep inside his pocket. He wasn't that senseless. He didn't like the tone used against him. The vehicle was honest magic, what part was unconvincing? If flying wasn't enough for the Vances to coincide with the truth, he didn't know what could.
With excitement and perturbation, the eleven-year-old watched as Andrew picked up the envelope from the napkin. He was going to read it again, at least, that is what she assumed, but quite quickly her assumption had become false.
Withdrawing her hands from the table, she began tapping her leg in a rhythmic pattern against the top of the table. It was a barely audible sound, but if both the fathers kept up the arguing, there was no way the sound would go observed. No matter how gravely she despised the arguing between the two, she kept her mouth shut and listened to the bickering. Her head flickered back and forth between her father and Mr. Vance, rolling her eyes and groaning silently with every word that sprang from their mouths. It was getting old, but her father didn't care the slightest bit.
Finally, Andrew had broken their conversation, though this question made her sink in her chair slightly. However Muggle-Borns achieved their abilities made her wonder. Was it a certain microorganism that consumed the body, or perhaps even luck? Conversing to herself only made her cheeks turn a hue of tropical pink, nearing a diluted red that combined with her natural tone.
Listening closely to his last question, her eyes unnaturally gazed down into her lap, avoiding his eye contact to her best ability. He had to leave his siblings, but it wasn't right. She knew what it was like to grow up without someone to continuously have your back or to put the liability on when you did something asinine. Split between two decisions, the thought of him staying made her a bit sad (though she tried her best not to let it concern her), but the thought of leaving his family made her feel even worse. Of course, he had to come. With abilities like those, bad things were bound to happen in an everyday school, but she just couldn't bring her thoughts to life in front of the table. It was self-indulgent of her, but she just couldn't seem to make up her mind. Perhaps that's why she was desperate for Andrew to attend Hogwarts.
"Andrew, I'm sorry, I really am. but they can't go. Stacy is a bit too old to enroll now. As for Kyle, who knows? He may or may not show signs of magic. Maybe in the future, Kyle can attend Hogwarts." Mrs. Hill's words were cautious and light, sympathetic for the thoughts scampering about his mind. Even though the chances were slender, there was always the smallest chance of a second Muggle-Born sibling. Or, of course, that could have been her optimism getting the best of her.
"Tell you what, if you'd like to experience more gismos like the car here, why don't you come to Diagon Alley with us?" There was a tinge of regret hidden in his voice, but with the firmness of his voice, it was hard to tell if he had truly meant his words.
~ Emmaline Louise Milanes ~
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Andrew Vance
16 Mar 2019, 06:35
An Unexpected Letter
Hey, it wasn’t Andrew’s fault he was more of a reading kind of guy. He didn’t have much interest in television shows, like Stacy. Or video games, like Kyle. He’d rather spend his free time staring at the pages of a book than a hypnotizing screen. At least books were more…wholesome, in his opinion. Even if most of the novels he read were fiction.
While the flying toy car had baffled them, Andrew’s parents were having a difficult time wrapping their heads around the whole “magic” scheme. In the backs of their minds, they were expecting for the car to be admitted as a trick, cleverly pulled off by the latest invention in technology. Andrew’s father, especially, was the most emotional one – defensive, critical, and outspoken – desperate to protect his children’s minds from becoming polluted by something as perverse as magic. Him, being the scientific kind of guy that he was, always the to-go person for all of his children’s questions concerning the world and how things operated, magic was not a logical explanation. In that one belief, he was the most stubborn and adamant to change his mind about, and it disturbed him to think that the Hills, whom he and his family had known and trusted for many years, would suddenly drop this bombshell of delusions on them. If their relationship turned south after this night, it was the Hills that disrupted the peace between the two families, not him.
Mr. Vance rubbed his temples, struggling to comprehend what the Hills were actually telling them. “Right, um… Back up.” Sitting at the head of the table, Mr. Vance drew in a sharp breath and exhaled. He couldn’t lose his cool with the Hills just yet. Surely these were sane people. Magic? No, they couldn’t be serious… He had to rewind and take it slowly again. “Let’s start from the beginning. This school – your school – wants Andrew for magic-training purposes? Why him? You’re saying he’s a – a wizard? What, you mean he can actually do magic?” Mr. Vance snapped his gaze across the table, directly at Andrew. “Andrew, can you do magic? You haven’t been hiding anything from us, have you son?”
“No! I don’t know!” Andrew shrank back in his chair. It was almost like an interrogation from his father. This wasn’t a conspiracy. He hadn’t done anything wrong!
“Mikey, it’s okay. Let’s take this calmly,” Mrs. Vance said soothingly.
“I am calm!” Mr. Vance hissed, lowering his voice ever so slightly at his wife, although the intensity of his expression still indicated that he was vexed by the Hills’ news.
When Mrs. Hill replied to Andrew, telling him that his siblings couldn’t go to Hogwarts with him, Andrew returned her reply with a confused look on his face. Too old? Why would Stacy be too old to go Hogwarts?
“But we can all just check it out, right? If it really is a school…?” Surely, he and his family could all go together and check whether or not this Hogwarts place really was what the Hills said it was. They didn’t need to keep arguing at the table; they could just go and see it for themselves.
Curiosity prodded Andrew and his family again when Mr. Hill brought up the name of a place that the Vances had never heard of before. “Diagon Alley? What’s that?” They asked as chatter began to rise again, stirring interest and excitement among Andrew and his siblings.
Andrew’s mother raised her voice to quiet her family, not dropping her cheerful tune and hostess personality for a second. “Alright, alright. Let’s be open,” she said with a small chuckle, referring to her husband as well, as she gave him a kind pat on his arm. Carroll turned her attention to the Hills and expelled a short sigh. “I don’t understand what you mean by ‘signs of magic’…” She glanced unsurely at Andrew. Even if Mrs. Vance wasn’t embracing the magical theory, she didn’t see any harm in amusing her guests for the time-being. She proceeded slowly, “But, if you say so…Then I think we ought to see first, if he can do any magic, before we can figure out what to do about this magic school.” In other words, she was open to visiting Diagon Alley, if it would help resolve this issue and maintain friendship with the Hills.
“This is so wieerrd,” Andrew groaned under his breath, his mind still reeling from the news. Magic. Did the word – the way that the Hills used it – really mean what he thought they meant? Could he levitate objects and make things vanish and conjure up balls of light and read runes and cast spells to make the evil beasts and darkness go away? — Like Gandalf? Or a Jedi? He couldn’t fathom it being possible…not with him, not in the “real” world…but with his imagination running wild, the thought of him being capable of performing such things made him feel tingly with anticipation. He wasn’t going to give his hopes up though.
With a sigh, Andrew’s father surrendered and threw up his hands slightly. “You know what? Fine. Show us.” The choice had already been made for him, by his wife. Even if magic did exist (which he still wasn’t convinced that it did), Mr. Vance wanted evidence that Andrew was at least capable of performing magic, before he and his wife would even consider sending him off to Hogwarts. He expected that this trip to Diagon Alley would yield nothing, although he would entertain this hopeless pursuit in the meantime, for his wife’s and children’s sake. “Show us proof, and we can lose our minds later.”
“Yay! Road trip!” Kyle’s arms shot up in the air excitedly. The word automatically popped into his head at the thought of traveling and sightseeing a brand new place, even if it didn’t exactly turn out to be one.
Well, that settled it then. Diagon Alley would solve the magic issue once and for all. But the thought of him turning out to be a wizard like Gandalf was too much for Andrew’s brain to handle. Quite frankly, it was absurd. Awesome, yet totally bizarre. “I’m gonna go get some pie…” Andrew scooted his chair away from the table with a visibly weirded-out expression on his face. He needed to escape his mind for a moment.
Walking over the kitchen, he fetched the chocolate cream pie box from the freezer, mentally facepalming himself that he had forgotten to let it thaw earlier, after being swept up in the dinner conversation. Too late now. Andrew wasn’t going to return to the table empty-handed. He whipped out a clean dessert plate, a fork, and a sharp knife. Digging into the frozen pie gave him something to do anyway. After about a minute or two of grunting, pressing his weight, and wedging his knife through the pie, he cut himself a large slice, nearly one-fifth of the pie, and clunked it onto his plate.
Sitting back down at the table, Andrew would stab his pie with his fork and begin nibbling on the frozen slice as if it were an ice cream cone, waiting until it was soft and melted enough for him to be able to eat it properly off his plate. At least his pie brought some sense of normality back into this surprising dinner conversation. For now, Andrew just wanted to enjoy his dessert, to relax a little from processing the news.
As dinner closed, the table would be cleared as plates, cups, and utensils were collected and piled in the dishwasher. Dessert rounds would begin, starting with oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip zucchini bread, as well as any leftover chocolate cream pie. Mugs would be laid out for anyone that wanted herbal tea or hot chocolate.
The sleepover would officially begin once Emma’s parents left. Until then, the children were free to roam the house and spend time chatting and playing in the kids’ bedrooms. It was arranged for the two girls to bunk together in Stacy’s room. Emma would sleep on the pull-out bed that would otherwise be hidden underneath Stacy’s bed.
“You can use my pajamas,” Stacy offered Emma a pair of pastel violet pajama pants and a white short-sleeved top with unicorns on them. “I think these will fit.” Since they hadn’t mentioned the sleepover prior to the Hills’ arrival, Stacy didn’t expect Emma to have brought any pajamas of her own, so she was willing to lend hers for the night.
While the flying toy car had baffled them, Andrew’s parents were having a difficult time wrapping their heads around the whole “magic” scheme. In the backs of their minds, they were expecting for the car to be admitted as a trick, cleverly pulled off by the latest invention in technology. Andrew’s father, especially, was the most emotional one – defensive, critical, and outspoken – desperate to protect his children’s minds from becoming polluted by something as perverse as magic. Him, being the scientific kind of guy that he was, always the to-go person for all of his children’s questions concerning the world and how things operated, magic was not a logical explanation. In that one belief, he was the most stubborn and adamant to change his mind about, and it disturbed him to think that the Hills, whom he and his family had known and trusted for many years, would suddenly drop this bombshell of delusions on them. If their relationship turned south after this night, it was the Hills that disrupted the peace between the two families, not him.
Mr. Vance rubbed his temples, struggling to comprehend what the Hills were actually telling them. “Right, um… Back up.” Sitting at the head of the table, Mr. Vance drew in a sharp breath and exhaled. He couldn’t lose his cool with the Hills just yet. Surely these were sane people. Magic? No, they couldn’t be serious… He had to rewind and take it slowly again. “Let’s start from the beginning. This school – your school – wants Andrew for magic-training purposes? Why him? You’re saying he’s a – a wizard? What, you mean he can actually do magic?” Mr. Vance snapped his gaze across the table, directly at Andrew. “Andrew, can you do magic? You haven’t been hiding anything from us, have you son?”
“No! I don’t know!” Andrew shrank back in his chair. It was almost like an interrogation from his father. This wasn’t a conspiracy. He hadn’t done anything wrong!
“Mikey, it’s okay. Let’s take this calmly,” Mrs. Vance said soothingly.
“I am calm!” Mr. Vance hissed, lowering his voice ever so slightly at his wife, although the intensity of his expression still indicated that he was vexed by the Hills’ news.
When Mrs. Hill replied to Andrew, telling him that his siblings couldn’t go to Hogwarts with him, Andrew returned her reply with a confused look on his face. Too old? Why would Stacy be too old to go Hogwarts?
“But we can all just check it out, right? If it really is a school…?” Surely, he and his family could all go together and check whether or not this Hogwarts place really was what the Hills said it was. They didn’t need to keep arguing at the table; they could just go and see it for themselves.
Curiosity prodded Andrew and his family again when Mr. Hill brought up the name of a place that the Vances had never heard of before. “Diagon Alley? What’s that?” They asked as chatter began to rise again, stirring interest and excitement among Andrew and his siblings.
Andrew’s mother raised her voice to quiet her family, not dropping her cheerful tune and hostess personality for a second. “Alright, alright. Let’s be open,” she said with a small chuckle, referring to her husband as well, as she gave him a kind pat on his arm. Carroll turned her attention to the Hills and expelled a short sigh. “I don’t understand what you mean by ‘signs of magic’…” She glanced unsurely at Andrew. Even if Mrs. Vance wasn’t embracing the magical theory, she didn’t see any harm in amusing her guests for the time-being. She proceeded slowly, “But, if you say so…Then I think we ought to see first, if he can do any magic, before we can figure out what to do about this magic school.” In other words, she was open to visiting Diagon Alley, if it would help resolve this issue and maintain friendship with the Hills.
“This is so wieerrd,” Andrew groaned under his breath, his mind still reeling from the news. Magic. Did the word – the way that the Hills used it – really mean what he thought they meant? Could he levitate objects and make things vanish and conjure up balls of light and read runes and cast spells to make the evil beasts and darkness go away? — Like Gandalf? Or a Jedi? He couldn’t fathom it being possible…not with him, not in the “real” world…but with his imagination running wild, the thought of him being capable of performing such things made him feel tingly with anticipation. He wasn’t going to give his hopes up though.
With a sigh, Andrew’s father surrendered and threw up his hands slightly. “You know what? Fine. Show us.” The choice had already been made for him, by his wife. Even if magic did exist (which he still wasn’t convinced that it did), Mr. Vance wanted evidence that Andrew was at least capable of performing magic, before he and his wife would even consider sending him off to Hogwarts. He expected that this trip to Diagon Alley would yield nothing, although he would entertain this hopeless pursuit in the meantime, for his wife’s and children’s sake. “Show us proof, and we can lose our minds later.”
“Yay! Road trip!” Kyle’s arms shot up in the air excitedly. The word automatically popped into his head at the thought of traveling and sightseeing a brand new place, even if it didn’t exactly turn out to be one.
Well, that settled it then. Diagon Alley would solve the magic issue once and for all. But the thought of him turning out to be a wizard like Gandalf was too much for Andrew’s brain to handle. Quite frankly, it was absurd. Awesome, yet totally bizarre. “I’m gonna go get some pie…” Andrew scooted his chair away from the table with a visibly weirded-out expression on his face. He needed to escape his mind for a moment.
Walking over the kitchen, he fetched the chocolate cream pie box from the freezer, mentally facepalming himself that he had forgotten to let it thaw earlier, after being swept up in the dinner conversation. Too late now. Andrew wasn’t going to return to the table empty-handed. He whipped out a clean dessert plate, a fork, and a sharp knife. Digging into the frozen pie gave him something to do anyway. After about a minute or two of grunting, pressing his weight, and wedging his knife through the pie, he cut himself a large slice, nearly one-fifth of the pie, and clunked it onto his plate.
Sitting back down at the table, Andrew would stab his pie with his fork and begin nibbling on the frozen slice as if it were an ice cream cone, waiting until it was soft and melted enough for him to be able to eat it properly off his plate. At least his pie brought some sense of normality back into this surprising dinner conversation. For now, Andrew just wanted to enjoy his dessert, to relax a little from processing the news.
As dinner closed, the table would be cleared as plates, cups, and utensils were collected and piled in the dishwasher. Dessert rounds would begin, starting with oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate chip zucchini bread, as well as any leftover chocolate cream pie. Mugs would be laid out for anyone that wanted herbal tea or hot chocolate.
The sleepover would officially begin once Emma’s parents left. Until then, the children were free to roam the house and spend time chatting and playing in the kids’ bedrooms. It was arranged for the two girls to bunk together in Stacy’s room. Emma would sleep on the pull-out bed that would otherwise be hidden underneath Stacy’s bed.
“You can use my pajamas,” Stacy offered Emma a pair of pastel violet pajama pants and a white short-sleeved top with unicorns on them. “I think these will fit.” Since they hadn’t mentioned the sleepover prior to the Hills’ arrival, Stacy didn’t expect Emma to have brought any pajamas of her own, so she was willing to lend hers for the night.
Last edited by Andrew Vance on 24 Mar 2019, 00:37, edited 1 time in total.
20 Mar 2019, 02:14
An Unexpected Letter
Their concern only rose as Mr. Vance continued to speak. Not many pleasant words had emerged from his mouth ever since they all sat down to enjoy dinner. Of course, not even that had gone accordingly to plan; the same tension was still present in the room. At least this pressure was mental, though with controlling and restraining her breath it was a lie to say there wasn't a trace of physical weight. There wasn't much they could do except to listen to him and his words, no matter how badly Mr. Hill wanted to call it a night and head home.
Both her mother and Emma had taken a habit for fidgeting with their hands, although Emma had been doing it all along. It didn't seem right to eat, nor did it seem right to intervene in their intense conversation as they spoke. The questions had become too much for the juvenile brunette, but even then, the eleven-year-old kept a moderately-forced tiny smile on her face to counter stammering words from emanating out her mouth. Legilimency seemed helpful, but the thoughts that could be found around the table were naturally none of her concern (that had never stopped her from digging deeper). Stress continued to spread through her just thinking about it. The more she began to think about it her legs and fingers moved beneath the table. It was only then she caught herself and desisted her abnormal movement. How much time that had consumed? She didn't know, but every second counted and that was good enough for her liking.
"Yes. He's a wizard, he has the capability of performing magic, brewing potions, et cetera, et cetera." Her father spoke to him in a nonchalant manner, almost unperplexed by his questions. Punctually after his answer, his gaze returned to Mr. Vance, who spoke again.
This time, it was not only two family members that bestowed their awareness to them but all three. Andrew's exclamation seemed to ignite interest and astonishment though not in the most pleasant fashion. Mrs. Hill's eyes had narrowed slightly at his question. Did he dare question his own son? Instantly, though, she returned to reality as Andrew responded, well, yelled. It was beyond unbelievable how a not-so-simple topic could turn an evening sour within minutes. Magic was supposed to be a pleasant and delightful topic, but the corrupt had been brought out of it. Sure, Alejandra had expected a few questions or even an argument or two to break out, but this was much beyond her comfort zone. The conversation had already outshone it. Some of the questions she found impracticable to answer for herself, and the others she lacked the heart. They were there to abduct Andrew from his home, in a way. The effects just wouldn't take place for some time. September was a while from now, surely it didn't take six months to come to a judgment. It was a rather big decision.
Curiosity ran through her parent's veins. In the end, most children exhibited their first sign of magic around the age of seven and maybe even six or eight. Perhaps it was a fraud letter, but a letter of such had never been heard of. There was no glitch in the system, and Andrew was a wizard. It was magic, after all. If it wasn't flawless, why was the system legal?
"I'm afraid that can't be arranged either. Magic protects Hogwarts from being clearly seen by Muggles. What wizards see as a castle, Muggles see as a deserted ruin. People without magic, if you didn't know." He added slyly with a miniature grin as if taunting them. "Anyhow, Diagon Alley is the equivalent of an outdoor shopping center. It has everything you'd find in your traditional store, and more. Anything you could possibly imagine frankly. The car came from Diagon Alley." He glanced at Emma, who had the audacity to stroll into Diagon Alley unattended with her father's galleons. As a response, she simply shrugged, apathetic for her actions. Retreating back to the table, the three waited for the next question and sure enough, it came. Though it was a question she could quickly answer, the brunette decided to retain the story to herself. She didn't want to terrify the Vances with the story of a plummeting desk. It wasn't exactly something to brag about, and neither was suspension from the first grade.
"Signs of magic are well.. the magical signs you show that prove you're a wizard. It doesn't have to be with the use of a wand; magic can be fueled by strong emotions like anger or fear." His temper had lightened a bit as he conversed with her, she had done nothing wrong. Making up the words as he went, he didn't know what else to say. To him, it was self-explanatory. They were only magical signs, there was nothing more or less to it.
"Fine," he said with a bothered look, but his tone said otherwise. Mr. Hill revoked his wand from his pocket. It was a shade of light brown with white embroidery on both the grip and the base of the wand. He looked around the table, choosing his victim. Color-Changing spells were always fun, and what better person to test its effects on none other than Mr. Vance himself? No, ridiculous amusement wasn't the option, especially with a newly-found grudge against him. Instead, he turned his lightened gaze to Kyle and raised his wand, aiming for his torso. Flicking his wand without a sound issuing from his mouth, they watched a green-ish color began to devour the shade of dark red and blue until a consecutive green tone was present. Then, black began to substitute the blue spots had once been, but he had already dropped his wand and placed it back into his lap. "Kyle, may you please stand up?"
Felicitously, Emma took an oatmeal raisin cookie and began nibbling away at it. The Ravenclaw was happy to get something sugary inside her body after watching her father perform magic. Could he get into trouble for that? She didn't dare speak or ask a single question, nor did she even choose to answer them. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and began imagining of each and every single plausible explanation that could arise. The warm beverage sent a homey feeling traveling down her body, the taste of chocolate floating delightfully in her cheeks. From time to time, Emma smiled a little bit thinking about Andrew coming to Hogwarts and the immense gleaming crimson train. Even once or twice, she let out a snicker.
Happy to see dinner being wrapped up, the Hills stood from the table, causing Emma to snap back to reality and also stand. Quickly waving goodbye to her parents, she walked to the stairs and up to the second floor into Stacy's room.
"Thanks," the brunette beamed, immediately slipping into the pajamas (she was careful to do it when Stacy wasn't looking). "Uhm, so how do you think that went? Honest opinion." She asked Stacy, kicking both her skirt and the blouse to the side. That felt much better. No dress, no skirt, and well, her hair was already a mess so that didn't matter. She tapped her foot and rocked on her heels in random intervals, a bit nervous, but still burdened with questions. Curiosity naturally got the best of her, whether she knew or not.
» First Floor «
Mr. and Mrs. Hill had pushed their chairs into the dining table and dawdled just a bit to say their farewells and apologies. Well, mostly her mother had anyway. Mr. Hill didn't mind the performance he demonstrated to the Vances, and he wasn't ashamed of it either. She didn't feel comfortable leaving their house without apologizing for all of the behavior they had witnessed in the night and to arrange their next plans.
"We're sorry for all the ruckus we caused tonight. The letter and Arden caused much more drama than I had planned. Now you know the reason for our absence and of course, the secrets, I reckon." Her arms stayed down at her side, without movement or apparent life to them. They were as still as a boulder as she apologized with sincere words for everything the three had caused throughout the evening. The confusion, the yelling, and the arguing at the dinner table. The events were both unacceptable and unpredictable. It wasn't until she was done that she nudged her husband, forcing words to come out of his mouth.
"Oh! - Yes. I suppose I'm sorry for the arguing and all." He chuckled, taking his eye off the ceiling. It wasn't hard to ignore it though. Clapping his hands together, he spoke again. "Anyhow, Diagon Alley - the shopping center. August the twenty-fifth sound alright? We'll be able to get school shopping done."
Shaking her head was a small, but noticeable gesture. Not only had they not agreed to send Andrew to Hogwarts, but taking an entire Muggle family wasn't the best idea, especially with the eight-year-old's ability to preserve a secret. At the age of eleven, Emma still found it a bit troublesome to keep a secret that wasn't one of her own. Nevertheless, the night had been quite eventful and the two of them were ready to dismiss the experiences that befell until the time for school shopping came. Second-year shopping was quite easy, judging that Emma only needed one book. Thankfully, it was only for spells. No herbology and no potions; it was an overall win for the Ravenclaw and her parents.
His wand remained firmly inside the grasp of his hand, he hadn't worried about using it, but it was far better to be safe than sorry. Did he really plan on exposing Muggles to the wizarding world? For his own sake, he hoped that the words were mere lies. There were numerous ways to get into trouble at Diagon Alley, but most of them seemed improbable even for him, or perhaps it was just his arrogance controlling his thoughts. Finally, the evening was over and they were nearly ready to head back to their home only to return tomorrow morning to retrieve Emma and go to Diagon Alley. This time it wasn't to shop; it was to look around. How fortunate.
~ Emmaline Louise Milanes ~
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Andrew Vance
24 Mar 2019, 14:52
An Unexpected Letter
“What about pictures?” Mrs. Vance asked, concerned about her son’s safety. She was hoping for some photo evidence or other credentials that would prove the validity of Hogwarts. Sending Andrew blindly off to a questionable school by himself, without a parent to monitor him and investigate the sanity of this wizarding school, seemed a little shady and unwise in her opinion. She might as well be asking for her child to be abducted. “Isn’t there a school website we could check into?”
Clearly, it was Andrew’s first vocabulary lesson on wizarding terms, judging from the blank expression he returned to Mr. Hill, who had informed him what the word “Muggle” meant, though it would take a few more repetitions for the word to sink in and register with the Vances. At first hearing, the word Muggle reminded Andrew of a burglar, based on the “mug” half, as he imagined a burglar mugging someone on the street.
When Mr. Hill went into explaining what the “signs of magic” were, Andrew could feel the eyes of his family turn towards him, at which Andrew could only shrug innocently, knowing that he had nothing to hide from his family’s curiosity. There was nothing strange or unusual that might have raised suspicion – either from himself or his family, or from anybody else – that he was different from other kids. His family could relax knowing that Andrew was being honest all along. Nothing in his manner of response had indicated otherwise.
Expecting the conversation to carry on as normal, the Vances were surprised when Mr. Hill pulled out what looked to be a foot-long wooden stick – a wand? – and aimed it with a flick towards Kyle. At first, no one noticed a thing out of the ordinary, but as Kyle complied and stood up from the table, it became evident of what was occurring as the color-changing spell took several seconds for it to fully swap out the old red-and-blue. The Vances sat in stunned amazement, watching Kyle showcase his new green-and-black plaid pajamas.
Not believing their eyes, the Vances immediately called Kyle over, all of them wanting to touch the pajamas for themselves, as Kyle passed himself around.
“It’s really real,” Stacy gasped. She squealed and clapped her hands with glee. “It really is magic!”
“Kyle, come here.” Mr. Vance motioned Kyle over to him and grasped the cotton fabric of the shirt with his own hands, ensuring it was authentic. No ink rubbed off between his fingers. No, he didn’t turn colorblind. No, it wasn’t the lighting. Shivers ran down his spine upon realizing that, whatever act he had just witnessed… it wasn’t just an act. Only the supernatural could explain it.
A silence at the table was cut briefly when Mrs. Vance started to giggle, which grew louder and uncontrollable, earning some perplexed stares from the rest of the family.
“You okay, Mom?” Stacy asked, slipping in a few chuckles of her own.
“I’m just… I can’t…” Mrs. Vance’s giggles were contagious. Before long, Mr. Vance was chuckling with his wife, lightly pounding a hand against the table as he was overtaken by a wheezing laugh, while the three children, amused by the peculiar sight, couldn’t help but giggle at their parents and join in.
What was there to say? There was no denying it. Something magical had happened, right in front of them. No, this wasn’t a dream, or a movie scene, or an elaborate prank. Perhaps laughter was a way of covering up their shame and embarrassment at having been proven wrong. It was a giddy sort of feeling that rippled throughout the family. If magic truly existed, then their whole world (as they knew it) was about to be flipped upside down, which was both terrifying yet thrilling for them to conceive.
It took a minute for the Vances to regain their composure as they came to terms with what they had just witnessed.
“Oh, my word…” Mr. Vance wiped a tear that nearly slipped from his eyes, remembering the Hills that were sitting beside him. “I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s too much.”
Mrs. Vance fanned her flushed face with a hand as the last of her giggling subsided. “Magic. Who knew, right?”
“So how do we know I’m a wizard, again?” Andrew asked. That was one question that really stumped at him and his family. Sure, the Hills and the Hogwarts letter said he was, but Andrew currently lacked the physical proof that would convince him and his family that he was really a wizard. Or at least capable of being one.
“Oh, oh!” Kyle hopped up and down, jabbering ecstatically, “What about a magic test? Mr. Hill has a wand. Andy, use Mr. Hill’s wand and do magic! Try me! Make my PJs turn color again.” Kyle had no problem with offering himself as a test subject for further magic demonstrations, unaware of the potential risks involved.
Mr. and Mrs. Vance would not reach a final decision that evening. Their stance was on the border between wizarding and Muggle worlds. Magic, they could acknowledge its existence, but whether they would accept the magical community along with its codes of conduct was yet to be decided. For now, the Vance family was comfortable waiting in neutral limbo, and maintaining silence (especially from the rest of the relatives), until further development concerning Andrew’s magical abilities would determine which side they would take.
While the conversation lingered downstairs, Stacy and Emma would proceed upstairs to fetch some pajamas for Emma. Stacy would step out of the bedroom to give Emma some privacy while changing into nightclothes, before entering in again.
“Honestly… I think it’s so cool! It’s like… wow,” was all Stacy could say, unable to hide her grin and dazed expression. “Can you do stuff like that? Like your dad?” She couldn’t wait to see if Andrew could perform the same. At this point, no jealous thoughts had even crossed Stacy’s mind. After learning that magic was real, she was far too excited in anticipating what the upcoming trip to Diagon Alley would hold, wondering how this exposure to the magical world was going to affect her and her family’s lives in general.
After loading several containers’ worth of dinner and dessert leftovers in a shopping bag for the Hills to take home, the grownups’ conversation would tarry by the entryway while the children occupied themselves elsewhere (knowing that the adults would talk for quite some time before leaving). Mr. and Mrs. Vance had largely recovered from the news and were looking forward to their next meeting with the Hills.
Mrs. Vance replied to Mrs. Hill, “It’s…a surprise, for sure, but we appreciate all of you for being forward. This’ll be interesting.” She smiled sweetly.
Surprisingly, it was Mr. Vance that spoke up, after Mr. Hill proposed a date for the trip. “August? That’s a little far away, don’t you think?” Now that the magical issues had been sorted, his merry old self had started to shine through again. “How soon can we go? Tomorrow? It’s Easter break for the kids – we have no plans.” Not wanting to rush the Hills along, he added, “Or, well, if you’re busy, we’ll just visit the place ourselves, if you have any directions. Oh, don’t bother, I’ll check the maps.” Granted, Mr. Vance had never heard of the Diagon Alley before, but he figured that its location shouldn’t be that difficult to pinpoint with a quick online search.
Around 9 pm, Andrew and his siblings would be downstairs to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hill as the Vances accompanied their guests out the front door, walking them over to their car and waving farewell as they departed.
With no school obligations, the children could stay up for as long as they wanted. Kyle was ordered to brush his teeth promptly after dessert, in case he should zonk out soon, which he did, shortly after the Hills left, and was carried away to his bedroom by Mr. Vance. Since Emma would be sleeping in Stacy’s room, Andrew and his sister would stay up chatting with Emma there. Duchess, the gray cat, would join them and snuggle in any human lap that welcomed her, although her curiosity would be roused by a flying blue car that occasionally circled next to her head, as it was passed among the triangle of three children. Whomever the car would descend nearest to, as it lost magical propulsion, that would be the next person to catch and toss it. Thus, the cycle went on as they talked with one another, so long as the three of them stayed awake.
Retaining the Hogwarts envelope so he might examine the letter some more, Andrew kept it close by with questions at the ready. He wanted to know everything. As much as Emma could tell him anyways. He wanted to be prepared. For what exactly, Andrew didn’t know. But he wasn’t fond of surprises. He rather liked spoilers.
“What is ‘school’ at Hogwarts?” Andrew asked Emma. “What’s it like? What do you do there?”
Clearly, it was Andrew’s first vocabulary lesson on wizarding terms, judging from the blank expression he returned to Mr. Hill, who had informed him what the word “Muggle” meant, though it would take a few more repetitions for the word to sink in and register with the Vances. At first hearing, the word Muggle reminded Andrew of a burglar, based on the “mug” half, as he imagined a burglar mugging someone on the street.
When Mr. Hill went into explaining what the “signs of magic” were, Andrew could feel the eyes of his family turn towards him, at which Andrew could only shrug innocently, knowing that he had nothing to hide from his family’s curiosity. There was nothing strange or unusual that might have raised suspicion – either from himself or his family, or from anybody else – that he was different from other kids. His family could relax knowing that Andrew was being honest all along. Nothing in his manner of response had indicated otherwise.
Expecting the conversation to carry on as normal, the Vances were surprised when Mr. Hill pulled out what looked to be a foot-long wooden stick – a wand? – and aimed it with a flick towards Kyle. At first, no one noticed a thing out of the ordinary, but as Kyle complied and stood up from the table, it became evident of what was occurring as the color-changing spell took several seconds for it to fully swap out the old red-and-blue. The Vances sat in stunned amazement, watching Kyle showcase his new green-and-black plaid pajamas.
Not believing their eyes, the Vances immediately called Kyle over, all of them wanting to touch the pajamas for themselves, as Kyle passed himself around.
“It’s really real,” Stacy gasped. She squealed and clapped her hands with glee. “It really is magic!”
“Kyle, come here.” Mr. Vance motioned Kyle over to him and grasped the cotton fabric of the shirt with his own hands, ensuring it was authentic. No ink rubbed off between his fingers. No, he didn’t turn colorblind. No, it wasn’t the lighting. Shivers ran down his spine upon realizing that, whatever act he had just witnessed… it wasn’t just an act. Only the supernatural could explain it.
A silence at the table was cut briefly when Mrs. Vance started to giggle, which grew louder and uncontrollable, earning some perplexed stares from the rest of the family.
“You okay, Mom?” Stacy asked, slipping in a few chuckles of her own.
“I’m just… I can’t…” Mrs. Vance’s giggles were contagious. Before long, Mr. Vance was chuckling with his wife, lightly pounding a hand against the table as he was overtaken by a wheezing laugh, while the three children, amused by the peculiar sight, couldn’t help but giggle at their parents and join in.
What was there to say? There was no denying it. Something magical had happened, right in front of them. No, this wasn’t a dream, or a movie scene, or an elaborate prank. Perhaps laughter was a way of covering up their shame and embarrassment at having been proven wrong. It was a giddy sort of feeling that rippled throughout the family. If magic truly existed, then their whole world (as they knew it) was about to be flipped upside down, which was both terrifying yet thrilling for them to conceive.
It took a minute for the Vances to regain their composure as they came to terms with what they had just witnessed.
“Oh, my word…” Mr. Vance wiped a tear that nearly slipped from his eyes, remembering the Hills that were sitting beside him. “I’m sorry, it’s just… It’s too much.”
Mrs. Vance fanned her flushed face with a hand as the last of her giggling subsided. “Magic. Who knew, right?”
“So how do we know I’m a wizard, again?” Andrew asked. That was one question that really stumped at him and his family. Sure, the Hills and the Hogwarts letter said he was, but Andrew currently lacked the physical proof that would convince him and his family that he was really a wizard. Or at least capable of being one.
“Oh, oh!” Kyle hopped up and down, jabbering ecstatically, “What about a magic test? Mr. Hill has a wand. Andy, use Mr. Hill’s wand and do magic! Try me! Make my PJs turn color again.” Kyle had no problem with offering himself as a test subject for further magic demonstrations, unaware of the potential risks involved.
Mr. and Mrs. Vance would not reach a final decision that evening. Their stance was on the border between wizarding and Muggle worlds. Magic, they could acknowledge its existence, but whether they would accept the magical community along with its codes of conduct was yet to be decided. For now, the Vance family was comfortable waiting in neutral limbo, and maintaining silence (especially from the rest of the relatives), until further development concerning Andrew’s magical abilities would determine which side they would take.
While the conversation lingered downstairs, Stacy and Emma would proceed upstairs to fetch some pajamas for Emma. Stacy would step out of the bedroom to give Emma some privacy while changing into nightclothes, before entering in again.
“Honestly… I think it’s so cool! It’s like… wow,” was all Stacy could say, unable to hide her grin and dazed expression. “Can you do stuff like that? Like your dad?” She couldn’t wait to see if Andrew could perform the same. At this point, no jealous thoughts had even crossed Stacy’s mind. After learning that magic was real, she was far too excited in anticipating what the upcoming trip to Diagon Alley would hold, wondering how this exposure to the magical world was going to affect her and her family’s lives in general.
After loading several containers’ worth of dinner and dessert leftovers in a shopping bag for the Hills to take home, the grownups’ conversation would tarry by the entryway while the children occupied themselves elsewhere (knowing that the adults would talk for quite some time before leaving). Mr. and Mrs. Vance had largely recovered from the news and were looking forward to their next meeting with the Hills.
Mrs. Vance replied to Mrs. Hill, “It’s…a surprise, for sure, but we appreciate all of you for being forward. This’ll be interesting.” She smiled sweetly.
Surprisingly, it was Mr. Vance that spoke up, after Mr. Hill proposed a date for the trip. “August? That’s a little far away, don’t you think?” Now that the magical issues had been sorted, his merry old self had started to shine through again. “How soon can we go? Tomorrow? It’s Easter break for the kids – we have no plans.” Not wanting to rush the Hills along, he added, “Or, well, if you’re busy, we’ll just visit the place ourselves, if you have any directions. Oh, don’t bother, I’ll check the maps.” Granted, Mr. Vance had never heard of the Diagon Alley before, but he figured that its location shouldn’t be that difficult to pinpoint with a quick online search.
Around 9 pm, Andrew and his siblings would be downstairs to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hill as the Vances accompanied their guests out the front door, walking them over to their car and waving farewell as they departed.
With no school obligations, the children could stay up for as long as they wanted. Kyle was ordered to brush his teeth promptly after dessert, in case he should zonk out soon, which he did, shortly after the Hills left, and was carried away to his bedroom by Mr. Vance. Since Emma would be sleeping in Stacy’s room, Andrew and his sister would stay up chatting with Emma there. Duchess, the gray cat, would join them and snuggle in any human lap that welcomed her, although her curiosity would be roused by a flying blue car that occasionally circled next to her head, as it was passed among the triangle of three children. Whomever the car would descend nearest to, as it lost magical propulsion, that would be the next person to catch and toss it. Thus, the cycle went on as they talked with one another, so long as the three of them stayed awake.
Retaining the Hogwarts envelope so he might examine the letter some more, Andrew kept it close by with questions at the ready. He wanted to know everything. As much as Emma could tell him anyways. He wanted to be prepared. For what exactly, Andrew didn’t know. But he wasn’t fond of surprises. He rather liked spoilers.
“What is ‘school’ at Hogwarts?” Andrew asked Emma. “What’s it like? What do you do there?”
30 Mar 2019, 03:01
An Unexpected Letter
Shaking his head once more, Mr. Hill let out a sigh. With no photographs and absolutely no evidence but their word and a wand. The odds were against them. It was a bit funny how he spent the time to explain every query they had about Hogwarts. Telling the Vances his dictionary was much different than there's was a bit questionable, and he didn't want to spark another conversation. "No. No pictures and definitely not a... website, but there are newspapers that might bear a few pictures of the students and campus. if you're lucky."
Emma's eyes narrowed as she witnessed her dad withdraw his wand, mouthing a singular word though nothing seemed to emerge from her mouth. Where ever he had been storing it all along was an absolute mystery. Every possible thing he could do was beyond her minds limits (though she did try to imagine everything), but only the worst seemed to surface. Her eyes followed the direction of the wand, to Kyle, and the rigidity in her shoulders seemed to disappear and instead was substituted by calamitous events. He could provide him with the ability to fly, well, float a few feet beyond the table. There was even the plausibility that he could grow three feet or worse three years, but that could only be accomplished with a potion. Emma knew that for a fact. Mr. Hill wasn't that arrogant, at least she hoped so. Her hardened expression diminished as she watched her father flick his wand yet nothing drastic happened, though silence did fill the room. Tapping her fingers against the table, she tried her best to consume time as it gradually passed. At least his hair, or even his eyes, hadn't turned completely green. She too was also inquisitive as to what her father had schemed but as Kyle stood, the edges of her lips upturned to produce a smile; a silent way of expressing her words.
As the silence amongst the table converted into giggles, chuckles, and laughter, suspicion overtook the Hills. It was inaugurated by Mrs. Vance and ended with her children. Even here and there, Emma threw in a few chortles though she saw nothing that funny. In fact, it was a bit unusual to her. It was merely something to prevent her features from saying otherwise.
"Ollivanders," her father began, answering his question. "It's a wand shop, he'll find you the perfect wand and we'll be on our way. Just be careful and- oh, nevermind. You'll cross that bridge when you get there." Finding the perfect wand on the first try was almost unheard of. Mr. Hill had accidentally flooded the building and knocked a wand off its shelve during his time and if it weren't for witchcraft, the floors of the shop would have been demolished. It was an appealing image, but it only proved there was nothing Ollivander couldn't do. He was an extraordinary wizard, but an even better wandmaker. Besides, there was nothing Garrick Ollivander hadn't seen in his years of making wands, right?
"Thank you, Kyle, but you could be harmed if Andrew tried performing magic on you. It's like letting a baby play with fire." It was exactly that. Wands were capable of virtually everything, and one of those things just happened to be igniting a fire with the tip of a wand.
With the tables cleared and the children upstairs, the four could finally unwind and speak to each other. Listening to the questions the Vances accumulated was quite the amusement, Mrs. Hill couldn't say the same. Anxiety, annoyment, and delight. There were just a few emotions to describe the night. Still, some of those feelings, if not most persisted. "Sure, why not I suppose. Tomorrow it is, then?" He asked, his voice lacking his natural confidence, in fact, a bit concerned. He had never brought Muggles to Diagon Alley, nor to anywhere else in the Wizarding world. Stepping out his comfort zone was talking to Muggles. As previously proven, his boundary had already been demolished. "It's a bit complicated trying to find the place... magic."
History was a subject Mr. Hill wasn't well versed in, but he was almost sure that there was an enchantment preventing Muggles to enter the Alley. However Muggle-Born parents were another issue, one that he couldn't answer. So it was simply best to make something up for the time being and then deliver the appropriate response. Frankly, he was a bit troubled as he thought about the process of bringing four, well, three Muggles to Diagon Alley. That's when it hit him, Kyle wasn't going, at least he hoped not. It was a bit interesting to see what an eight-year-old could provide to the table. As funny as he found the scenario, it simply couldn't be done. Without trying, it was a straightforward statement.
"You have a babysitter, right?"
After chattering with the Vances and bidding their farewells to each of the children, they traveled to the door and down the steps. As the stepped foot into the car, shut and locked the doors they both glanced at each other anxiously. Both expressions seemed similar, but the cause was much different. For Mrs. Hill, it was troubling to think that there was the slightest chance of Andrew staying at his home. Sure, he had a choice, but that's what worried her the most. For her husband though, it was the reputation of his family by not just the Vances by any wizard who had the disadvantage of shopping with them. It wasn't that he didn't care about the Vances, he undoubtedly did, but some friend groups were to stay in their designated group. Mixing friends was a risky thing he didn't want to attempt.
"Do you think they'll accept the invitation?" His wife finally said. Instead of responding, he let out a sigh and clapped a hand on his knee. He picked up his wand from the center of the chairs and began to twirl it in between his fingers except this one felt much different. If the wand wasn't hers that could only mean one thing.
Without a single word, he vanished from the car only to return a few seconds later with a grin. "It could be possible.""I can probably do.. three percent of what he does. I don't know to be honest. I can do magic, but not much." She responded to Stacy, a smile on her face.» Second Floor «
The moment Stacy stepped out of her room, she let out a sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe the commotion her family had caused, but it all seemed to be resolved now. Dinner had turned into a debate that was seemingly neverending, but that was an overstatement. Now, like dinner, all she had to do was process the information she had taken in. For starters, Andrew was a wizard. She still couldn't get over the fact that in a few months there was a chance that he'd be on the Hogwarts Express, being sorted, and even making new friends. So maybe she sounded a bit like her mother, but she didn't mind.
As she kicked off her clothing, she noticed they did seem a little bit lighter than usual. Ruffling through her clothes on the ground, she looked for a solid rod that was supposed to be her wand. With it nowhere to be found, she let out a sigh and shrugged it off. She didn't exactly need it, but it would have been nice to have. Unlike her father, she didn't rely on her wand. Perhaps it was because she didn't know as many spells, or maybe even the admiration she had for Muggles.
"Surprise." Mr. Hill had apparated on to the dresser, giving Emma quite the monstrosity, nor did she attempt to conceal it. Her entire body jumped and she let out a high-pitched shriek, immediately turning around to confront her father. Her eyes narrowed but before the words of disapproval could issue from her mouth, she found her wand hurling towards her and her father gone. Breathing hard, she planted a hand on her heart and the other one on the ground already dressed in Stacy's pajamas.
"I'm ready!" Emma sang, watching as the doorknob turned and the two came into the room. With her wand on top of her clothing, she restrained her breathing and slackened her rigid body, though her mind remained on alert.
Tossing around the blue car was pleasant. When it wasn't her turn to toss the car around the room, she stroked the cat who was already occupied with the magical gadget. Sometimes she threw the car with all of her might and for the other ones, she simply let it slip from the palm of her hand and recommence its flight.
"School? Um, well it's just all one big competition. There are four... teams and each of the members within that team work together to win the.. team cup. You earn points by getting good grades and completing special assignments given to you by the teachers. It's fun though, there are tons of nice people you can meet during classes - Defense.. actually, Transfiguration is an amazing class. Oh, and potions that's pretty cool too I guess." The Ravenclaw threw the blue airplane once more, letting out a stifled yawn. It wasn't like her to fall asleep so soon, but with the commotion today, even that was enough to tire her mind.
~ Emmaline Louise Milanes ~
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Andrew Vance
31 Mar 2019, 04:22
An Unexpected Letter
While Mr. and Mrs. Vance were still guarded about sending Andrew away to a school they likely would never visualize in person, the rest of the Hills' conversation managed to settle their fears at bay, keeping them quiet about it for now. Andrew was especially interested in the possibility of finding his own wand at Ollivanders, though he was a little nervous about getting to play with a wand for the first time. His siblings were ecstatic in hoping they would get to see Andrew perform some magic moves soon.
“No…” Mrs. Vance exchanged confused glances with her husband, when Mr. Hill spoke up about a babysitter. “It’s a family trip, isn’t it? No one's going to miss out on this.” She chuckled.
“We can put your clothes in the washer, so they’ll be clean for you to wear tomorrow,” Stacy chirped.
Before Stacy could swoop down to pick up Emma’s clothes, her eyes instantly fell on the wand that was lying on top of the pile, and she froze, taken aback by surprise.
“Um, is that–? That’s not your dad’s, is it?” Stacy asked, a bit worried at the thought that Mr. Hill might have forgotten his wand. At the same time, the wand was obviously different from the one Stacy had seen in Mr. Hill’s hand, earlier during dinner. How would Mr. Hill's wand have gotten upstairs anyway? Stacy's mind was boggled.
Andrew and Stacy listened intently as Emma described her Hogwarts experience, although the “competition” part had Andrew slightly worried. He didn’t consider himself to be a competitive person, whether it be board games or academics. Nevertheless, he would aim to do his best in whatever he set his mind to. Did that count as being competitive against himself?
“Oh, one big question.” Stacy turned to Emma, eagerly asking, “Do unicorns exist? What about pegasai?—Er, a Pegasus, I mean. Are there mermaids and fairies and elves and dwarves and giants and… All those fairytale creatures? Have you seen any?”
While listening to the two girls converse, Andrew fiddled with his envelope, peering his eyes inside of it to find a slip of paper, sitting at the bottom of the envelope. Surprisingly, one of the letter’s contents had been overlooked during dinner. Andrew fished it out, and scanned his eyes over it.
Platform 9 ¾ – it said in large, gold lettering on the front. Along with a date and time – September 1 • 11:00 am. And the heading, LONDON TO HOGWARTS. It looked like a ticket of some sort, Andrew suspected.
“Hey, what’s this?” Andrew held up the rectangular piece of paper, flipping it on both sides for Emma to see.
“Ah.” Mr. Vance nodded understandably at the word “magic”, deciding it was best to leave the matter at that. In that case, he’d wait for the Hills to take the lead and guide them along to Diagon Alley.» Entrance Hallway «
“No…” Mrs. Vance exchanged confused glances with her husband, when Mr. Hill spoke up about a babysitter. “It’s a family trip, isn’t it? No one's going to miss out on this.” She chuckled.
After Emma had finished changing, Stacy came into the bedroom with a clothes hamper, collecting any dirty laundry.» Second Floor «
“We can put your clothes in the washer, so they’ll be clean for you to wear tomorrow,” Stacy chirped.
Before Stacy could swoop down to pick up Emma’s clothes, her eyes instantly fell on the wand that was lying on top of the pile, and she froze, taken aback by surprise.
“Um, is that–? That’s not your dad’s, is it?” Stacy asked, a bit worried at the thought that Mr. Hill might have forgotten his wand. At the same time, the wand was obviously different from the one Stacy had seen in Mr. Hill’s hand, earlier during dinner. How would Mr. Hill's wand have gotten upstairs anyway? Stacy's mind was boggled.
* * * * *
Andrew and Stacy listened intently as Emma described her Hogwarts experience, although the “competition” part had Andrew slightly worried. He didn’t consider himself to be a competitive person, whether it be board games or academics. Nevertheless, he would aim to do his best in whatever he set his mind to. Did that count as being competitive against himself?
“Oh, one big question.” Stacy turned to Emma, eagerly asking, “Do unicorns exist? What about pegasai?—Er, a Pegasus, I mean. Are there mermaids and fairies and elves and dwarves and giants and… All those fairytale creatures? Have you seen any?”
While listening to the two girls converse, Andrew fiddled with his envelope, peering his eyes inside of it to find a slip of paper, sitting at the bottom of the envelope. Surprisingly, one of the letter’s contents had been overlooked during dinner. Andrew fished it out, and scanned his eyes over it.
Platform 9 ¾ – it said in large, gold lettering on the front. Along with a date and time – September 1 • 11:00 am. And the heading, LONDON TO HOGWARTS. It looked like a ticket of some sort, Andrew suspected.
“Hey, what’s this?” Andrew held up the rectangular piece of paper, flipping it on both sides for Emma to see.
Last edited by Andrew Vance on 2 Apr 2019, 09:27, edited 1 time in total.
2 Apr 2019, 03:49
An Unexpected Letter
Mr. Hill too exchanged an apprehensive glance with his wife, but somehow, this indication wasn't returned. As a response, his wife shrugged the conversation off. So what if the Vances didn't have a babysitter, it would be offensive and demoralizing to live him alone in the house with a stranger. If Kyle were to go, it'd be perfectly fine with Mrs. Hill.
"Oh, it'll be fine. You're right, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity." She beamed. With the simplistic dismissal of her hand, she shrugged off the unimportance of the question. Despite the events that occurred, she was still the same bubbly person.
As they exited the house, entered the car, and drove off, the car ride was almost silent. Not a word from them or the radio filled the heavy air in the car. Only the honks and engines of multiple cars could be heard. What occurred in the home stayed in the home. They both, this time, were thinking alike, despite Mr. Hill's cheesy grin in the beginning (it had disappeared). Tomorrow was going to be quite eventful, and that wasn't because of the wand. It was far from it. The next day would be uncomplicated and the schedule wouldn't be broken, but not even their own fantasies could stay on track. Finally piercing the silence with a hushed sigh, the car sped up as it entered the highway back to Cambridge. If only the car could be apparated.
"Thanks," she chirped, watching as Stacy bent down to retrieve her clothes. Well, almost.» Second Floor «
"Um, yeah, it's mine." The Ravenclaw let out a chuckle. She turned around and withdrew the wand from the stack of clothes. Placing it in her lap, she aimed the tip of her wand towards the ceiling to prevent any sparks from emerging from it. It was needless to be said, but she didn't want to ruin Stacy's pajamas.
Unicorns, elves, and of course fairies. She knew that they existed, but observing one was an opportunity she hadn't yet had. As a response, Emma shook her head without yet evaluating herself. Taking the time to collect her answer, she tapped the ground and threw the car across the room and watched it lazily. At last, she responded. "Of course they exist! You can even find unicorns during schools, well not during, but I think it's forbidden to go in the forest. 'Guess that's why they call it the Forbidden Forrest... You can have an elf as a... um, well... butler?" Just saying it out loud made her want to close her eyes and cringe a bit, but with determination and force, she resisted herself from doing so.
The brunette had paid no attention to Andrew as he fidgeted with the envelope that contained the letter, and apparently, something else. As soon as her eyes glanced over the golden ticket, she clapped rapidly. "It's the train ticket for the platform! It's the pillar closest to platform ten, but still, between nine and ten, you just run through it and boom you're at the train. It's really cool."
~ Emmaline Louise Milanes ~
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Andrew Vance
2 Apr 2019, 09:12
An Unexpected Letter
Learning that the wand belonged to Emma, Stacy gave a thrilled gasp. “Can you do any magic with it? Now, I mean?” She pleaded ever so slightly. “Just a tiny spell? I can get Andy and Kyle and we can watch you.” Even if Kyle had already fallen asleep, Stacy figured her brother wouldn’t be at all displeased at being woken up again, if it meant seeing some more live magic.
Regardless, Stacy would leave the bedroom for a few moments to throw Emma's clothes and other laundry into the washer and start the machine, before returning to Emma upstairs. Dimming and switching off lights throughout the house, Mr. and Mrs. Vance would linger in the living area for another hour, their restless conversation about the Hills and Andrew’s fate mellowing into murmurs on the couch, as the night went on.
After changing into his dark blue pajamas dotted with white polar bears, Andrew emerged from his room and walked over to the second floor bathroom, where he began to brush his teeth. It seemed weird to be doing his normal nightly routine, when things were far from normal… How could anyone sleep a wink? After everything that had happened during dinner…
He rinsed and wiped his mouth, pausing to cast a glance at himself in the mirror. There was no physical change in his appearance. It was the same ordinary reflection that he had woken up to, that morning, when he still believed himself to be no different than any other boy on the block. Was this really the face of a wizard? And here he thought all wizards were supposed to be old, white-haired, long-bearded men. The ones depicted in fairy tales anyway. Did he really have the potential to do magic? Would it show itself, regardless of how he felt inside? Nervous, confused, doubtful… resistant… Maybe… Maybe he had been holding back magic this whole time and he didn’t even know. Was that possible? Fear crawled its way into Andrew’s thoughts, wondering if he had done something wrong in his life to perhaps stunt any magical signs from appearing.
Shaking away the turbulent clouds from his mind, Andrew turned his focus to the present as he flicked off the lights and exited the bathroom. Dallying another minute to partially eavesdrop and say goodnight to his parents, Andrew then went upstairs to join the girls in Stacy’s bedroom (provided if he wasn’t rushed otherwise).
Hearing the words that unicorns existed sparked Stacy’s imagination into overdrive. She couldn’t contain herself from letting out tiny squeaks and squeals and jittering up and down as Emma spoke, undeterred by the mention of a “Forbidden Forest” (as if that would ever stop Stacy from sneaking in and lassoing herself a unicorn). “Oh, you’re so lucky! I wish I could see.” She trailed on a wistful note, before sighing dreamily. “It would be amazing to ride a unicorn.” She tried not to dwell too hard on the negatives about not being able to go to Hogwarts and experience it all for herself. Her happiness for Andrew’s good fortune was enough to drown out her sorrows, for now.
“A butler, really? Do elves look like, Middle-Earth kind? Or are they like Santa’s elves?” Stacy giggled, imagining the blonde-haired Legolas dressed in black tie, balancing a silver tray in one hand.
When Emma confirmed that the slip of paper was indeed a ticket, Andrew’s mind became awhirl with more questions, after Emma finished speaking about the train. The way Emma used it, the word “boom” left a gaping hole for interpretation, which confused him the most.
“So this is a train ticket to Hogwarts, and I need to take a train?” Andrew stated, making sure he got that straight, before proceeding slowly, one step at a time. “Okay… How do I get there? Platform...where? Where at?”
Regardless, Stacy would leave the bedroom for a few moments to throw Emma's clothes and other laundry into the washer and start the machine, before returning to Emma upstairs. Dimming and switching off lights throughout the house, Mr. and Mrs. Vance would linger in the living area for another hour, their restless conversation about the Hills and Andrew’s fate mellowing into murmurs on the couch, as the night went on.
After changing into his dark blue pajamas dotted with white polar bears, Andrew emerged from his room and walked over to the second floor bathroom, where he began to brush his teeth. It seemed weird to be doing his normal nightly routine, when things were far from normal… How could anyone sleep a wink? After everything that had happened during dinner…
He rinsed and wiped his mouth, pausing to cast a glance at himself in the mirror. There was no physical change in his appearance. It was the same ordinary reflection that he had woken up to, that morning, when he still believed himself to be no different than any other boy on the block. Was this really the face of a wizard? And here he thought all wizards were supposed to be old, white-haired, long-bearded men. The ones depicted in fairy tales anyway. Did he really have the potential to do magic? Would it show itself, regardless of how he felt inside? Nervous, confused, doubtful… resistant… Maybe… Maybe he had been holding back magic this whole time and he didn’t even know. Was that possible? Fear crawled its way into Andrew’s thoughts, wondering if he had done something wrong in his life to perhaps stunt any magical signs from appearing.
Shaking away the turbulent clouds from his mind, Andrew turned his focus to the present as he flicked off the lights and exited the bathroom. Dallying another minute to partially eavesdrop and say goodnight to his parents, Andrew then went upstairs to join the girls in Stacy’s bedroom (provided if he wasn’t rushed otherwise).
~*~*~*~
Hearing the words that unicorns existed sparked Stacy’s imagination into overdrive. She couldn’t contain herself from letting out tiny squeaks and squeals and jittering up and down as Emma spoke, undeterred by the mention of a “Forbidden Forest” (as if that would ever stop Stacy from sneaking in and lassoing herself a unicorn). “Oh, you’re so lucky! I wish I could see.” She trailed on a wistful note, before sighing dreamily. “It would be amazing to ride a unicorn.” She tried not to dwell too hard on the negatives about not being able to go to Hogwarts and experience it all for herself. Her happiness for Andrew’s good fortune was enough to drown out her sorrows, for now.
“A butler, really? Do elves look like, Middle-Earth kind? Or are they like Santa’s elves?” Stacy giggled, imagining the blonde-haired Legolas dressed in black tie, balancing a silver tray in one hand.
When Emma confirmed that the slip of paper was indeed a ticket, Andrew’s mind became awhirl with more questions, after Emma finished speaking about the train. The way Emma used it, the word “boom” left a gaping hole for interpretation, which confused him the most.
“So this is a train ticket to Hogwarts, and I need to take a train?” Andrew stated, making sure he got that straight, before proceeding slowly, one step at a time. “Okay… How do I get there? Platform...where? Where at?”
3 Apr 2019, 02:44
An Unexpected Letter
"Ugh, fineee," she groaned as Andrew entered the room, but the smile on her face and the rapture in her eyes said otherwise. She didn't know many spells, in fact, most of them were too dangerous or loud to cast indoors but a few liable spells continued to dance around until she came upon the perfect one. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Taking the wand from her lap, she pointed the white tinted wand at the lamp and spoke the incantation with a steady voice. She lifted her wand up slowly to ensure that the lamp bumped into nothing and watched it ascend, coming to a stop a few inches before it reached the ceiling. As she lowered her wand, the lamp also followed the gesture and began to descend back on to the dresser. It landed with a small clink and shook a bit, threatening to fall off. Holding her breath didn't help, with a slightly shaky hand (and the lamp back on the dresser) she shook her wand to make sure the lamp wouldn't leave its place again.
Listening to Stacy talk made the feeling of guilt appear once more, but this time it was much worse. Though her words were pleasant and light, Emma only seemed to pick out key details from her speech, not her emotions. "Yeah... unicorns are pretty cool - I heard they aren't born white, actually gold. Like shimmering gold." She added a bit interested in the topic herself as well. All of her questions would have to until till her third year. It was only a year-and-a-half.
"More like a mix between a Goblin and a wizard. I dunno, I've never seen one before. I know they're not the prettiest though." Her shoulders quickly went up and down, unwilling to go on any further than that. She wasn't going to answer something she didn't have the answer to, or of course, something she hadn't done research on.
Emma tried her best to slow down her words, but they still seemed a bit rushed. Some of it was the impatience in her voice, but the animation alive in her body kept the negativity from showing. "Yep, you have to take a train unless you can find some other way. It's at Kings Cross, run through the third pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten, and then you have Platform 9 3/4. Remember to do it at the right one, of course.. or you'll be crashing into a beam and making a fool out of yourself."
The brunette continued to answer any questions either Andrew or Stacy had about magic and the school itself. She felt a cloud of drowsiness drape over her senses. Her eyes began to water slightly, fighting the urge to sprawl out on the ground and fall asleep there. Instead, she proceeded to the pull-out couch and jump into bed, well couch, her wand on the floor next to the bed. Silently, she tapped the pillow with her eyes closed. Today was too much to even come close to thinking about. Sleeping her problems off always helped, but not now. She continued to fidget with her hands and adjust her position on the couch, for nothing seemed to fit her comfort and it wasn't the bed's fault.
~ Emmaline Louise Milanes ~
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition
Stamina » 9 || Evasion » 9 || Strength » 10 || Wisdom » 7 || Arc Power » 2 || Accuracy » 14
Poison Resistance || Binding Mark || Prodigal Transfig. Learner || The Muggle Condition