Sallows Salvation

A foggy London morning.

Standing in front of the carriage that is due to bring me and Professor Fig to Hogwarts I have a strange sensation in my tummy.
"Ah, it appears we are almost ready to depart" Professor Fig exclaimed as he finished loading the last of our luggage onto the back of the carriage. I turn to look at him with a small smile. "It's a pity we didn't have a bit more time to spend on spell-casting" a thoughtful look on his face. Professor Fig and I had been spending the last few weeks trying to catch me up to speed ahead of my transfer to Hogwarts. Professor Fig had been visiting Beauxbaton on Ministry business when news of my transfer reached him by owl, he offered to extend his trip and teach me some of the things I'd of missed from Hogwarts the last four years.

To be completely honest Professor Fig was the only thing stopping me from going completely insane these last few weeks. He seems like a wise man with a kind soul, he hasn't confirmed it with me but I have my suspicions that his "Ministry business" has something todo with my parents disappearance. They vanished over Christmas before fifth year term at Beauxbaton. I came home excited to see my family for the holidays but instead was greeted with an eerily cold house. No lights, no warmth and signs of a struggle across the house. The rest of that night was a blur, the authorities showing up, questions, daily prophet press (leeches more like) and Ministry officials. My dad is an Auror and my mum is a carer for magical creatures working for the ministry to protect endangered beasts and creatures all over the wizarding world. Over those weeks, no one had answers about their disappernce, at least if they did they didnt disclose them with me and I was put into the care of my Godmother Mirabel which meant transferring to Hogwarts, she is the herbology professor there.

"I presume you've been practising the spells we worked on?" Fig asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I have,Professor" I nodded, looking at the wand in my hand.
"Well, I'm quite sure I've never seen anyone take so quickly to a second hand wand" Fig noted also looking at the wand in my hand. "You'll be a force to be reckoned with when you get your own" he smiled looking back at me with genuine eyes.
Fig had arranged a second hand wand for me to practice with until I got my new wand once we arrived at Hogwarts. My wand had been damaged beyond repair on the night I discovered my parents disappearance, I was walking the hall of my house when I noticed some green sparks coming from the fireplace, although this wasn't floo powder I could see. It was something else, it looked like some papers were on fire, I tried to nudge the papers to reveal the source of the light when I suddenly felt this sharp pain shoot up my arm, I dropped my wand in agony, dropping it into the fireplace causing a small explosion, destroying my wand along with whatever the light source and paper were. I overheard the ministry officials mention something about a curse and how they think the traces in the fireplace reacted with the magic of my wand, essentially destroying everything before giving me a frustrated look. The new wand Fig arranged for me is... okay? It does the job but it doesn't quite.. understand me. Safe to say I'm eager to get a new wand as soon as possible.

Placing my wand away, I smile back at the professor "Thank you Professor Fig, I appreciate your working with me before the term begi-" before I could finished my sentence both of our attention snapped over to the man who just apparated beside us.
"Oh! Eleazzar!" He exclaimed as he walked towards us, he was average height with black hair and dark eyes, round glasses that complimented his slightly round face, black facial hair and rosey cheeks. He wore a bright red bow tie , a beige tartan vest and a brown overcoat.
"George! Glad my rather cyptic description of our location didn't thwart your finding us" Fig smiled back at the man shaking his hand, he had mentioned a friend of his would be accompanying us for the journey but not much else.
"I've apparated to more vaguely defined destinations than this, though I confess I may of miscalculated slightly on my first try. Gave quite the fright to some theatre-goers in the west end" George laughed.
"It's been much too long. When I received your owl I must say-" Fig started before George interrupted.
"Best not speak here, Eleazzar hm?" George questioned with a look on his face I couldn't quite place.
"Of course. Why don't we speak en route to Hogwarts? We have a start-of-term feast and sorting ceremony to get to" Fig replied.
"Wonderful idea! As long as your young charge here doesn't mind me tagging along?" George asked with a polite smile towards me.
I gave George a small nod "not at all Sir" before Fig gestured for me to step inside the carriage "after you".

I climb into the carriage sitting behind the driver, swiftly joined by Fig. "Ages since I've been to the castle. Would be good to see the old pile of rocks" I can hear George saying, looking around his shoulder before climbing into the carriage and sitting opposite us. I look out of the window trying to see what caught his attention but was met with the cold fog of the early morning dusting the cobblestones of the street, ever so slightly lit by the lanterns along the side.

The carriage driver gave a swift whip of the reins as we closed the door and mere seconds later we are flying up into the sky as the loud bell clock in London rang. Still a long way to go before we arrive at Hogwarts but the feeling in my tummy was still the same. It feels like a mix of emotions fighting for dominance fear, excitement, sadness. I've always wanted to attend Hogwarts but due to my mother's location of her animal sanctuary and the position my father was given in the ministry it made more sense attending Beauxbaton. I'm excited to finally see it in person but it's bittersweet leaving my friends behind. My bestfriend Leigh let me stay with her family over the holidays after what happened. We've always been like sisters so she didn't even hesitate to take me in, she was all I had left and I'm being taken away from her too. But she was excited for me and thinks going to Hogwarts will help my mental state, I promised to write her the second I got there.
I looked out the window as the sun was rising over London and the city life of muggles started to wake up. But London started to fade the higher into the clouds we went.

Professor Fig and George seem to be having a catch up, I hate awkward small talk but I suppose it can't get much worse than this.