Wizards Go Muggle

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A/N: Sorry for the wait.
This chapter was actually going to be 3x longer, but I decided to cut in in to 2 parts (meaning chapter 28 is already finished and should be up either tomorrow or the day after) in order to organize my brain. The fic ends in chapter 29 so we're almost there!

A special thanks to my beta The Wandering Muse for helping me with this chapter. Words cannot explain how stressed. nervous, and happy these last 3 chapters have made me. As much as I love this fic, I want it to end so I can have my first novel-sized finished work.

Hope you enjoy & please review!
-lauralydney

Chapter 27

Anges stretched out the tray to the unwelcome visitors. "Cookies?"

Numbly, Harry took one. Calder's baking skills weren't half bad. At least they were easier to swallow than this new information.

"I'm sorry about your expulsion," Harry said, recalling the sting of those same words when they had been spoken to him. The wizards were dumbfounded when Anges shrugged indifferently.

"I didn't really like Hogwarts anyway."

"You enrolling at another wizarding school? I hear Beauxbatons is much cheaper anyway," Hermione said.

"I'd have to move to France first. Plus, no way. I'm not going back to a magic school. What a torture that was."

Harry gaped at her. Was she even speaking English right now?
"Torture?"

She smiled, amused. "Thought you might react that way. But honestly, all we ever learn is magic. Where's the art? Music? Other sports? None of them have clubs, or classes that don't involve a bloody wand."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but she held up a hand. Her eyes were bright and lively. Physically she was the picture of energy. Her movements, however, were sluggish and tired.

"I'm guessing you have some questions for me? Let's just skip the 'oh but magic is so cool' debate and feel free to ask away."

Ouch.

He had wanted to get straight to the point. For the first time this year, Harry had found someone that understood. Still, he wanted to know more about her. Of all his years in Hogwarts, never had he encountered someone so willing to trade a wand for a pencil.

It was an eye-opener. Everyone always assumed you'd be happiest in the wizarding community. Oh, those poor ordinary muggles, how boring their lives must be.

Even with all the fun time spent with Mike, Darren, and Linda—movies, video games, skating, creating wonders from scratch—the idea that being a muggle could be a good thing never penetrated.

It wasn't only Agnes' singing voice which held power.

His eyes danced around the room, trying to collect his thoughts. What should he ask her first?

Before he could even begin to organize, his eyes fell upon the writing on the back wall. Song lyrics and quotes were scrambled everywhere.

In bright purple his mind read the one in the center. 'A wizard without a wand is like a muggle without a brain.'

Double ouch.

"Have you talked to Cole recently?" Hermione began.

Agnes shook her head. "Not since we were kids, I'm afraid. Grandad tried to keep it a secret from me. At first I never understood why we never went to uncle Bruno's anymore. When Grandad found out I had powers, he wanted to keep it a secret from them.