The Legacy (Camren)

Chapter Two

As it turned out, all the talk about wizards and magic and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was nothing less than true. Lauren, out of curiosity as an eleven year old girl, decided to play along with her parents' "prank," and before she knew it she was looking up at Hogwarts itself.

Hogwarts was a monstrous and beautiful castle on the countryside in England, situated on a great lake and surrounded by forests for miles. Lauren was awestruck the first time she ever saw it, sailing across the lake in a dinghy with three other students that she didn't know. Her house back in Florida was big, but Hogwarts made it look like nothing more than a shack.

Magic soon invaded Lauren's life. Instead of normal school uniforms, she found herself dressed in black robes and a necktie with her house colors.

There were four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. After much talk with her parents on their move to London, Lauren automatically decided that she wanted to be placed in Gryffindor, amongst the best of the best at Hogwarts. Gryffindors were known for their honor and bravery. Even as a child, Lauren thought she would be perfect for it, and luckily, she'd been sorted into Gryffindor as soon as she'd arrived for her first year.

Her thousands upon thousands of toys were replaced by a magic wand, spell books, potions, and strange creatures. Students at Hogwarts were allowed to have a pet- either an owl, cat, toad, or rat- and since her beloved Annabelle's passing months earlier, Lauren decided she wanted her companion to be a cat. Her father returned home from work one day with an adorable black and orange Tortoiseshell kitten, who Lauren promptly named Hazel because of her bright hazel eyes, and when Lauren asked where her father had gotten the animal, he replied with, "Well, Diagon Alley, of course! Where else?"

Lauren didn't know what that meant until she saw it all for herself one day as term began to approach. She was with her parents- Chris and Taylor stayed back with their grandparents- getting some last minute school supplies such as a cauldron and a telescope, and visiting the train platform that she would depart from so she wouldn't get lost on her first day.

There was a tiny pub hidden between two normal shops in London- hidden, because only wizards could see it, or so her father said. It was a strange place called The Leaky Cauldron. Old and creaky, most of its inhabitants were old wizards and witches catching up with one another after so many years, or sometimes a stranded witch or wizard that had nowhere to go. The tea cups stirred themselves as the patrons read animated newspapers, the tables cleaned themselves after a wizard left, and the fireplace lit and put itself out without anyone having to touch it.

Lauren was amazed as her parents led her inside.

"Are we stopping to eat?" she asked, tugging on her mother's sleeve.

"Not today, sweetie," Clara said disappointedly.

This confused Lauren. Why would they visit the pub if they weren't staying? She followed her parents through the backdoor to a courtyard that had nothing but a few weeds growing in the middle, surrounded by four high, cobblestone walls on each side. To Lauren's amazement, she watched her father pull a wand out of the sleeve of his jacket. She knew that wizards used wands- she had one- but she'd only ever seen her father use the tip of his finger.

He counted up several bricks, and then over several more, and tapped one that looked like all the others. Lauren furrowed her brow in confusion.

All at once, the wall began to morph and change. The bricks peeled away, pulling apart from each other like puzzle pieces, and as quickly as it all started, it was over. In front of them now, instead of a solid wall, was an archway that led to what looked to be a hidden street.