2
Only Alec and Ella Can Do That
It turns out, they aren't. It turns out, dreams are only dreams and even the worst nightmare can't beat reality in nastiness.

I wake up with a jolt and notice the knocking on my door next moment.

"Wake up, Forrest. Breakfast's ready."

I open my mouth to heartily answer with a ''M coming!', but then I remember last night and why my head throbs, how I didn't - couldn't - sleep until like 5 A.M. and feel extra spent because I had been desperately trying to suppress my sobbing, so I don't answer. Instead, my eyes are flooded with tears again and my chest tightens so much I can't breathe for a moment and hope that's it.

'I'm dying. I'm done. They're gonna live with the guilt forever and understand I can't live without seeing Ella's beautiful face, messing with Fern, or hanging out with Tobias and Cutty like the cool kids we are. Maybe they'll understand it then, even though it'll be kind of too late for me -'

The feeling passes soon, my heart is adamant to keep beating, and my mum is adamant to get me down to that stupid breakfast. As if I want to see their faces ever again!

"Forrest?" She slowly starts opening the door.

How dare she! I quickly pull the blanket over my head and pretend to be asleep. Except, I'm a terrible liar and even a worse pretender, so it's crystal clear I'm not sleeping the moment she sits on the edge of my bed. How dare she, again.

"I know you're not asleep, Forrest."

I slowly pull the blanket down. I want to retort and say 'Well done!' in the most mocking way ever, I want to scream at her face and ask how she could, whether she even knows what 'true friendship' means, just like a brave and cool boy would do, but I can't do any of that. Instead, I start sobbing again and although I try not to, at first, my head throbs so much I see stars in front of my open eyes, so I have to give up the battle and I sob like a newborn.

I see only too late that she's left the door open (as I refuse to look at her face) and that my brother will hear it all. Oh well. It's not like I'm crying like a girl for the first time. And it looks like it won't be the last time.

"Chst-chst-chst," she tries to soothe me as she leans on me to awkwardly hug me. It's funny. As if you could hug while someone is lying down. "It's gonna be alright."

"Wh-wh-what do you KNOOOW?" I whimper, "I h-h-have friends HERE!"

"You will have friends there--"

"I won't! No one will LIKE me there!" My face is so flushed and my head is throbbing so terribly, I lose my vision momentarily. I probably would have had brain haemorrhage if I wasn't so young.

"Of course they will! Everyone will like--" At that moment, she tries to ruffle my hair, or so it seems to me, and I push her hand away with all the force left in me.

"ONLY ALEC AND ELLA CAN DO THAT!" I scream on the top of my lungs. It leaves my voice hoarse and I will probably not be able to speak for a while. "Don't you DARE--"

She quickly pulls her hand back and gets up. Now she is angry. Furious, even. That's the first time I'm pushing her away and screaming at her - and in such a fashion. I've hurt her. I don't feel sad at all, though. If anything, I feel glorious, because she's hurt me too. She's deprived me of my friends and love of my life.

"Don't you dare, young mister." Her face has gone white and she is trembling in fury. "You either come to breakfast now, or you will prepare it on your own." With that, she crashes the door shut and says something presumably to my father, but I don't care. I'm shaking and terrified - I should be terrified, but all I can think is: I hate her. The idea is even more terrifying, but that's all I can think as my tears dry and I just sob silently to myself in misery.

3
Bad Education Means Bad Friends
Hating her is all good, but I realise by noon that it won't feed me. My tears are all dried now, I don't think I have much tears left in my eyes to pour out anyway, so I grudgingly get myself out of the bed and manage to look in the mirror. Of course my face is all swollen and my hair is still half-ruffled, so I hurry up to fix it back with my hands, but I can do nothing about my face. Not that I care to. Everyone knows I'm a sissy and have cried through the night, so why bother to pretend like a Slytherin?

Slytherin. Do they have them in Salem?

But what am I thinking! I won't go there. I just--won't. I can't. It's either Hogwarts or 'Dad go find yourself another wizard son'. Yeah. YEAH! I can do it. I can be a tough guy like Alexa, Alec and Mike. I'm sure Ella likes tough guys, and she said she loved me, as a little boy or not, so I'll be tough for her if I fail to do it for myself.

With a loud stomach, I slowly get myself out of my room and head towards the stairs. I expect my father and brother are out for whatever torture they have to conduct on innocent souls, so I nearly have a heart attack when I hear my father's voice coming from the living room.

"...move the furniture, Christina, I'm tellin' ya we'll have a lotta money."

"Yes, but why should we waste it? I'm sure ships are cheaper than--"

"Are you not listening? I won't spend another day on that land for some stupid furnitures. We will take only the most necessary, and leave for a much better life."

I've reached the end of the stairs by the time they, no, my father finishes explaining his ideas as if they are the best ones that can ever occur to a person. The stairs descend to the living room, of course as it is with my luck, so they see me plain as the sunshine on a cloudless morning. My father is nearly lying on the couch whereas my mother is as straight as a noble English woman. If I were sitting like him, disrespectfully as he would put it, he would have reprimanded me. I have always wondered how he can do it, but I have never questioned it out loud, and I won't do it today either. Instead, I keep counting "Ella, Alec, Tobias, Alexa, Michael, Cutty; Ella, Alec...", basically the bravest people in my life. I normally would have named my mother too, but I hate her now, so she doesn't figure in the list. Her loss.

"Aye aye, 'ere's my son!" Knowing my father, I reprimand myself for my worry. Of course he will ignore my face's condition. Of course he won't make one single comment about things that make him uncomfortable or challenge him if he can help it. I can feel both of their eyes on me, but I say nothing and continue on the way to the kitchen, which is across the living room, linked to it with a short corridor.

"So, I've contacted the principal of Salem," he says, and I can't help but grit my teeth against 'principal'. Are we American already? I open the frigde and spend an extra moment looking at it (a.k.a hiding my face from him) even though I know what I'll eat. Counting all those names won't make me brave enough to show my irritation to my father. Besides, making him angry won't get me anywhere - or it will, to Salem, with the first plane. I finally take the milk and close the door of the fridge.

"He said they normally require a test, but I told him you won't get a good enough grade because you went to Hogwarts for two years." My hands curl into fists as I quickly move further into the kitchen so as not to be seen from the living room. What does he even know!? More importantly, how could he even contact the man?! But of course, he's cocky about it as I can hear it in his tone, and he keeps on explaining "So he said you will take the test anyway, but you will take private tutours if you fail."

"I'm sure he won't fail, we were told Hogwarts was the best--"

"But I'm tellin' ya Salem is the best!" I close my eyes momentarily as new tears form in them. I also can't believe her idiocy. Sure she's trying to protect me, but doesn't she know it's better to let him talk?

"So anyway, first thing when we go there, you 'n' I will pay a visit to Mass. and speak to your principal."

I have to decide quickly: question what 'mass' is, or be brave. It's Ella's turn in my counting, and that is enough to make my mouth talk without conferring with my brain first: "I'm not going there."

"But the test? I can of course ask the principal to send it to New York, but--"

"I'm not going to Salem."

He takes a deep breath and gets up. My mother gets up too, and they are in the kitchen the next moment. My father is looking at me angrily.

"That's the only school in the United States--"

"I don't care how many schools United States has. My country is United Kingdom and my school is--"

"Enough! You either come or pay for and house yourself!"

I open my mouth to say something, anything, but no words come out. Instead, I flush, my headache returns with as much ferocity and tears start to flow.

"My friends are here," I can manage to utter, "dad, they are here!"

I start sobbing and involuntarily open my arms as if I need a hug. He reaches forward and hugs me awkwardly. I hate myself for asking for his kindness, but I can't help it.

"But Forrest, you will have friends there too. Besides, bad education means bad friends. You will find much better friends there."

I want to tell him Tobias is the best friend a person can have, and Cutty, and tell him how Alec and Ella helped him with Quidditch so that they can't be bad friends, but I can't. Instead, I just sob and understand that I don't deserve their friendship, for I can't even utter one word to point out that they are terrific people, because I'm terrified of my father. How could I even dream of convincing him to let me stay here? I'm going to United States and be forgotten here. He had known it since the beginning. I was the fool one to believe that I could actually stay here. I could have, if my mother hadn't given in so easily - no, if my father hadn't accepted the job in the first place, but I can't blame him, if the salary will be doubled. It's all her fault, and I barely register my father sits me on a chair and leaves while she's preparing me a proper breakfast.

1) I love how you tied in the opening of this chapter with the ending of the last chapter. I thought that was really professional; like if this was an actual book, I could see turning the page after the final question in chapter one and seeing the answer as the opening lines of chapter two.

2) Fern is upset that she was not described as beautiful or listed among the cool kids. XD I, however, enjoyed that part immensely.

3) I love Forrest's mom.

4) I also love how immature and dramatic Forrest is with thinking, "I'm dying. I'm done. They're gonna live with the guilt forever" and "I probably would have had brain haemorrhage if I wasn't so young." And though it was painful to read, I thought the part where he yelled at his mom was good too. I think you are doing a really good job setting up where Forrest's emotional maturity is at this current time, and this makes me reeeeaaaally excited to see how Salem will shape him further!!

1) Drawing parallels between this part: "I've hurt her. I don't feel sad at all, though. If anything, I feel glorious" from ch. 2 and this part from ch. 3, "I expect my father and brother are out for whatever torture they have to conduct on innocent souls." It occurred to me that Forrest was almost like his father and his brother at the end of ch. 2, in that his mom is really innocent, and he is treating her badly. He is also busy thinking about himself before others. I see how Forrest could become like the two people he dislikes the most, his brother and his father, and I don't think that he realizes that yet.

2) "If I were sitting like him, disrespectfully as he would put it, he would have reprimanded me. I have always wondered how he can do it, but I have never questioned it out loud, and I won't do it today either." And then Forrest does stand up to his dad, but he isn't able to hold out.

I really, really like how you are portraying Forrest's relationship with his dad. Half the time I think Forrest hates his dad, but then I see that there is a part of him that loves his dad and wants to be loved back ("I start sobbing and involuntarily open my arms as if I need a hug. He reaches forward and hugs me awkwardly. I hate myself for asking for his kindness, but I can't help it."). It's really complicated. I think that a lot of family relationships are like that.

I wonder how you are going to end this story arc. Will Forrest finally stand up to his father, but will it mean that he loses his father's love? Will Forrest be okay with this; will it be because he realizes he doesn't need his father in his life?

3) "'So, I've contacted the principal of Salem,' he says, and I can't help but grit my teeth against 'principal'. Are we American already?" I loved these two lines.

4)"while she's preparing me a proper breakfast." DENIZ DENIZ YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART FORREST'S MOM IS MAKING HIM BREAKFAST EVEN AFTER HE DIDN'T COME RIGHT DOWN LIKE SHE ASKED THIS IS SUCH A THING A MOM WOULD DO UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Are you in my head or what, girl? Your comments are all true, and here's my elaboration on them:

3.1) YES! I think he is acting even worse than his father, because he doesn't even blame his father for accepting the job. All he thinks is "My mother didn't stand up for me or wanted to stay here." He fails to realise maybe she doesn't want to stay in England and that she has a life too, really. He is pathetically selfish, and is closer to being a copy of his dad than his mother.

3.2) Forrest is too afraid to say he hates him, but he knows he doesn't want to be like him. He would never say he was a bad dad, but he knows he won't torture his kids with yelling whenever something doesn't go the way he wanted. I have an idea of how it will end, but no spoilers! And also because so far all the ends have surprised me, so I'd probably misinform you.

3.4) ;______; GOSH THIS IS WHY I WANT TO SHAKE FORREST AND ASK WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM!!! Like, if only he was a little bit mature or not so self-centred! But he didn't even notice it. He just thought that was what she OUGHT TO do anyway.

3
What if what if what if!?
Three, two, one--

"Get up, cry baby! Breakfast's ready!" My brother barges in my room, hitting the door to the opposite wall on purpose as he laughes maliciously and his eyes sparkle when he realises he's just rhymed. I don't say anything but obediently get up. His happiness is reduced, though, as his hungry eyes can see no traces of tears shed overnight. I manage not to smile in triumph, but I feel light--I haven't cried since breakfast yesterday, and I don't plan to. What is done is done, I'm going to the US while...

"...Y'know how I'm staying here? So I thought I'll e-mail you the links of Tottenham games, but y'know, e-mails don't even work at your freak's school--"

"OLIVER--!"

"Hey, don't fight now--"

"I was just telling him the tru--"

"At least I can curse when I want," I say in exasperation and shut my door to get dressed.

"I don't even know from who he learnt to shut the door..."

"Probably from his freak friends--"

"OLIVER!"

"Well, there won't be any of them in Salem..."

They finally, FINALLY leave the front of my room to the breakfast. All my body is tense, and I laugh bitterly at my promise of 'I won't let him get into my head!' to myself. Hearing my father's criticism of my friends is one thing (it's utterly unfair, but he's my father), and enduring his is another. How I wish I could use magic now! I am generally pathetic with wand work, but I had studied Alexa's hex book thoroughly back then and I am confident I could hex Oliver good. I can't, however, so I quickly change into my daily wear and head downstairs. Luckily, the conversation has already changed as my father and brother are discussing summer signings of football teams while mum is bringing the last breakfast plates on the table. I want to jump in the conversation as football is our passion--the only thing we share, probably, besides the genes, but I hold myself back. I'm hoping that if I don't speak, my brother will forget about me and stop reminding me of it.

Once everything is set, my father raises his tea-glass and says "To better days in the US." We murmur after him, except my brother, who loudly says "To better days here." His eyes are on me. I know he's trying to make me cry, but I clench my teeth and look at my mum, who let me down I sadly remember, so I finally settle on a painting of Picasso or something that I don't get. My brother and mum's behaviour puzzles me more than the painting, so looking at it and trying to make something out of it for the millionth time is a welcome change.

We start eating the food. My father and brother keep on talking about summer signings, rating them and how the new players will benefit teams. My mum is eyeing me worriedly, hoping to start our table game I guess, but I am still far too angry with her to look at her. So in the end I don't utter a word and thus finish before anyone else.

"I'm gonna decide what I'll take with me," I announce to them. My father barely glances at me as he nods, my brother says "Luckily I don't have to pick anything," and my mum gets up as well.

"I will help you."

"I'm grown up enough to pick--"

"I'll help you." So I look at her for the first time that day and it nearly turns into a staring contest that only the strongest will can win, but I quickly look away, because my father is watching us as well. "Fine," I say so as to keep him out of it, and head towards the stairs with my mum behind me.

"I know you're angry with me, Forrest," she says as she closes my door and stands there while I make my bed, "but I can't leave your father alone there, and we have been far too seperated from you in these two years."

I say nothing as I open my wardrobe and stare at it.

"Wouldn't it be nice to see us during holidays?" I almost give in and say it would be terrific, but I hold myself back. I don't want to make it an easy victory for her.

"I'm sure Salem has a great owling system too. You can easily keep in touch with your friends here. Besides, we will come here during holidays. You know how much your... grandma loves us."

Haha yeah, that. Our family tradition is to visit the grandparents during holidays and it ought to be time spent equally with both sides, but it's never so: 1/2 of the holidays in total is spent with my father's parents, 1/4 on our own as a family and 1/4 with my mother's side. My grandma on my father's side (my grandpa died when I was 3 years old so I don't know his true sentiments) doesn't love us, she adores my father and brother, believes I'm a freak even after we've explained her I am a wizard, and thinkss it was too rash of my father to marry my mother. She still perfectly remembers all the other girls that'd lined up solely for my father, and we have to listen to them during our stay. I don't know how my mum can do it, but she simply smiles and stays silent until my father shuts up his mother. I think he enjoys it too, I mean who wouldn't, listening to all these people loving them? Anyways, the whole world knows her feelings for us, except my father, who insists on that's her way of expressing her love for us.

"I promise it'll be fine. Please don't hate me, Forrest. I only did what was right." Ugh. That. She knows how to get me. I hesitate, my eyes water, and I turn around and look at her. I start sobbing and she rushes to hug me.

"It's alright, it's all. Right." I sob harder as I hug her more tightly, and she presses my head onto her bosom.

"Have you told any of your friends yet?"

"N-no."

"Do you want to see them? I'm sure we have time to see Diagon Alley..."

I stop sobbing, but only because of fear. My brain starts to overwork again. What if-what if no one cares? What if they just shrug and-and-no, it can't be. It won't be. They'll-they'll care, right? They will--say they will miss me? Even if only out of politeness? I mean, Tobias has told me I was his best friend, and Cutty said I was such a cool guy, and then Ella and Alec... even Fern... okay, maybe not Fern, but still... Tora would say that! Or would she? What if she decided I was too stupid to hang out? My chest tightens terribly and my mother, with her mothery senses or whatever, senses the change.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't want to see them."

She steps back, her hands on both of my cheeks, as she frowns deeply and looks at me gravely. "What. Is. Wrong?"

I'm too embarrassed to tell her though, because I know she will say I am being stupid and whatnot, so I squeal "I don't want to cry in front of them, so I'll just write-write a letter." Yeah. Her eyes study my face for a long, long time but she nods in the end.

"Want me to help you?"

I have no plans of writing such letters, in case they don't answer, so I shake my head as all of my body trembles with anxiety.

"No, I'm--fine. I'll--write them by myself pleasethankyou."

"I'll leave you to it, then." She kisses my forehead and leaves my room. I can hardly flop on my bed as the adrenaline draws back and I'm left trembling. I have been far too preoccupied with staying here that I have never thought what if I left, and the future doesn't look secure at all.

What if what if what if--

I know there is only one way to find out--that that is to write to them, but WHAT IF? Lying on the bed for 5 minutes, I drag myself up and sit at the table. I first write to Alec (which takes some time, because I have to ignore my manly pride and actually apologise for my stupid behaviour), then Tobias, I skip Cutty--I still am far too nervous to write to him, I skip Tora too because I figure she is too clever for a boy like me anyway, and I know Fern isn't getting any letters (I will deny her the satisfaction of knowing one of her arch-enemies will be leaving her alone for quite some time) and finally, it's Ella's turn.

I spend a good ten minutes trying to decide what to say to her. Admit my love? Say I will always love her and her only? But what if that leaves her confused and she breaks up with Alec? Then I would never forgive myself, because I'm not returning to comfort her and even worse, what if she ends up with a terrible guy!? (I know she would never ever consider me like that, but I need to think the most impossible to protect my one true love, and besides, dreaming I could compete with Alec like that comforts me too much to let reality destroy it.) So admitting my love is out of question. I don't want to not see her again, though, because her face is so special. I bite on the quill anxiously--should I ask to meet her, will she even come, what if she doesn't care about my going away, what if she's angry I called her for something so trivial--I swallow some fur, cough as it is caught in my throat, ruin my best quill, and resolve to ask to meet her, because my selfishness overrides all my fears. I ask to meet her in front of QQS, because basically that's how we met (I hope Alec is this romantic too), I tie all the letters to my owl that we bought this summer, watch it fly and I flop on my bed again with even more anxiety.

It's eventually too much worrying for my little body, so I fall asleep in a very uncomfortable position and dream that I am a big clown, only the type that people laugh because he is pathetic and without any dignity, and the people that are laughing at me are Ella, Alec, Tobias, Tora and Cutty.

5
One Middle-class Family From The Old World
I bid a goodbye to my friends and Ella, we bid goodbye to relatives and family friends, packed our suitcases, I argued with my brother some more, he has argued with my parents much much more because he's coming with us too and will return when his school starts (HA! That idiot. I can't believe he'd actually thought that he would be left alone here.), we bought our plane tickets (my father pressed me for magical ways of transportation and was much more displeased to learn I knew very little than a normal father would be, I mean, he knows I'm just a third year), we got on plane (economy class, my father made a big fuss but his company isn't that rich to buy 4 last-minute business class) and landed on New York. It's day three here, and I've been hating every. Single. Moment.

As we didn't bring any furniture (I distinctly remember how much the furniture in Saudi Arabia cost us, so it's a wonder my father said nothing about his money lost over there.), we have to buy it here. We also have to find a house, a car and a tourist guide, because this city is nuts. The day one was all about jet-lag ("If only I could have thought of telling you to learn about transportation, son... if only!"). Thankfully, we'll be eternally indebted to my father's company, they were kind enough to arrange the hotel and pay for it for a week. So yesterday was about trying to know the city and learning what we should do if we get lost. It was a good lesson too, because we had to walk like two hours to find the company's building ("Do you know how much they charge for taxis here!? Fear not guys, I'll find the way."). We were 'lucky' my brother has finally agreed staying in London would be maybe boring ("I admit there is more liiiiife in this city." on day one versus "I hate you I hate you I HATE YOU AND I REFUSE TO WALK ANY MORE!" on day two). Oh well. We still try to like him. My mother didn't utter one word, and neither did I, during the whole walk. I think she was still trying to get over the whole idea, and I was too angry at everyone to speak.

Anyways, we finally found the building and was greeted warmly. We were served 'British' tea ("Ah, don't you mates like it?" - I wanted to point out that I don't, but my mum warned me with her eyes - and we all knew it wasn't British tea anyway, it was 'Made in China' and tasted a whole differently.) and were given a 'tourist guide' 'please call me Jay' James Bond. I hated the guy immediately, because he's one of these vain people who make stupid jokes to hide it and I think my mum noticed it too, but we desperately need his help, so we followed him around.

First things first, we were given a car and second things second, we were taken to an estate agent. We visited several houses and decided upon one. It's a two-storey home with five rooms, a vast backyard and a two-car garage. I don't know what we will do with five rooms seeing as both I and my brother will go to a boarding school, but it's one of those 'only adults can understand, hush child' stuff and anyway, it's an American Dream house so it suits us perfectly: a middle class family coming from the Old World to make their fortune in the New. The relation still makes me nauseous, but plain truth always hurts the most, so it's a no-help case.

We rented it. It's a bit outside the city, but who would live in those sky-high skyscrapers anyway? They are scary and I'm glad we chose this house, although I'll go to the stupid Salem-Whatever.

Next thing, we were taken to the furniture valley. These Americans do love huge stuff. There is every kind of furniture shop in there and after two hours of search, I felt dizzy. I don't even know what kind of a room set I've ordered there - I was too awed by everything - and we passed out in the hotel as soon as we were back from shopping. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. I kept jolting up with inexplicable fear so I've given up trying to sleep and got the Quidditch magazine Tobias had once mentioned. I thought maybe this would help, but it didn't. I still can't sleep and an hour later we will head down to breakfast anyway.

I hope everything will truly be fine, even though I doubt it.

6
It's High Time You Happened
We've discovered New York, understood how USA worked - sort of - my mum met all the wives of my father's co-workers, I and my brother met their kids, my brother flew back to the UK ("Ooooh, I can't wait to get back to my country and friends!" and all have been pleasant.

Until now.

Well, actually, tomorrow, but still.

Tomorrow, Salem opens and I meet 'this other and MUCH BETTER Hogwarts' and see people and have to be nice all over A G A I N to make friends and -

Forrest, just take a deep breath. You've done this before, in Hogwarts, so there is no way you'll fail now -

But it doesn't guarantee I can do it again! Ella, Tobias and Cutty was at Hogwarts, all swell people, what if there is no one that I like here -

But it's bigger than Hogwarts! There MUST be people you'll like! Heck, maybe even a girlfriend -

I WILL STAY LOYAL TO ELLA!

Fine, fine, you stay loyal, all I'm saying is -

It's going to be miserable. I am miserable. No one will like me. I don't know why Tobias, Cutty or Ella did, anyway. And Ella didn't, really. She just liked me because she had to, because she had no other option for the team. Tobias knows my address, yet I've received nothing. And Cutty... he is so cool he wouldn't want to hang out with me anyway. He just - I don't know why he said I was fine. Maybe I'd misheard him. I must have misheard him. A cool guy like him would never ever -

"Forrest, are you okay?"

"Yes, mum."

OF COURSE I AM NOT OKAY! How can I be!? I'll start Salem tomorrow. People will laugh at me. I am pathetic. I will be pathetic. I hate everything and everyone. I'll be -

"Why aren't you eating anything?"

"'M not hungry."

"'Course you are! Finish that plate, now."

"I don't WANT to!"

"Hey, don't you shout at me -"

"But you can just shout because Salem is better than Hogwarts -"

"IT IS! I only did because I think about you -"

"James, Forrest, enough! Apologise, now."

My chest is heaving, my face is flushed, and I could kill them both with my glaring. This has been my life in the past few weeks: arguing with someone at least once a day, my mum's interfering and it's generally me who's apologising. If she doesn't stop soon, all I can say will be 'I'm sorry'.

"Forrest." My mum looks at me sternly, and my father is so SMUG I want to turn him into a toad -

"'M sorry."

He looks like he wants to make me repeat it, as he has lately been doing, but he holds himself back. He had BETTER. I have long accepted my destiny, but that doesn't change the fact that I hate him. Them. Everyone.

"It's alright, son. I know you are going through a phase, puberty. I've been there..." I mute him off. I can't listen to another one of his lectures. He is SO knowledgeable, he knows EVERYTHING, he loves us and has done everything just for us, blah blah blah. Boring stuff. Even worrying about tomorrow is better than listening to him. Actually, I have to worry about tomorrow to plan everything. My first encounter with someone. What should I say? My name, or how they are, or how I am a new student in there -

"...you'll benefit from it too."

"Yes, dad." My voice is so monotone, so emotionless, I wonder how he hasn't noticed I didn't listed to a word of him. I peek at my mum and she's still looking at me sternly, her mouth almost disappeared. Whatever. As if she listens to everything. If she had, she wouldn't have made me apologise every single time.

"Now, are you sure you don't want to eat anything? You need some energy for tomorrooooow!" He grins. UGH, he's cheering like this every single time and it's getting pretty old. As if I'm going to play the final for a cup or something tomorrow. If anything, I'll fail, make a fool of myself and have absolutely zero friends again. It's no novelty for the kid named Forrest Charlton. In fact, his having a few friends was weird.

"I am sure, dad. I just want to go to my room and check the preparations." LIE. I just want to go to my room to pity myself; write the billionth letter to Tobias and Ella, asking them why they've never called (via owl or whatever), if it has all been a lie; and cry myself to sleep.

"That's my son. Alright then, go."

"Without finishing his meal!?"

"C'mon, 'Tina, give him some space. He's too excited for food."

MY GOODNESS. See how he's just made it himself look like the ultimate hero? Like he has been trying to keep the calmness and SHE has been the hostile one!? I can't believe it! He - she - I HATE him! AND HER! For never speaking against him. What is she afraid of?

I want to stay just to support my mum, but she hasn't supported me every since that night, and besides, all I really want to do is to pity myself.

"Good night," I mutter, and go up to my room. I shut the door and lie down my bed. I think a million things at once, worry about every one of them, think about tomorrow and every time it turns into a nightmare where I'm in the middle, everyone comes to meet me but I can't utter a word, so they're laughing at me crazily. I don't know exactly when I've slept, but the dreams must have continued throughout the night, because I wake up with a jolt. My feet are freezing, because I haven't had any blanket on; my legs hurt, because I haven't put them on bed when I lay down; and my lower back hurt, because I fell asleep at a funny angle. I groan and with a lot of difficulty, drag my body up. I check my watch: 5 A.M. Two hours 'till we wake up and start the journey to Mass. Since United States is such a VAST country, they don't have trains to collect the students. Instead, they have portkeys, and to avoid the crowding, every portkey spot have a different take-off time. Ours is at 9 A.M. I have never travelled with a portkey, so this immensely excites me, but it's also terrible: I'd met Sarah, Alexa and Tobias during the train ride. Now I'll meet no one, and everyone will just find his/her friend during the feast and no one will even notice me there -

After understanding it's impossible to sleep, as I am very well awake, I fully get up from my bed, try to relax my back and move my legs and turn on the lights. I use the bathroom, brush my teeth to get off the foul taste, and return back to my table. I grab the photo of me and Tobias - taken on the DA. It's one of those moving pictures wizards have. Best friends... Lie. Sure, I haven't sent him any letters too, but -

I take a deep breath and turn on my computer. I don't want to think, so I put in a video game CD and try to play that, but I fail miserably, so after half an hour, I stop trying. I open the almost-empty drawers and wear the robes I'm supposed to wear as the uniform. They're grey - GREY! I miss the Hogwarts black, but it apparently doesn't miss ME, because Tobias and Ella never...

Once dressed, I lie down again and stare at the ceiling. I want to stop the time and live in this moment forever. Because as the time passes, my portkey time is getting closer, which means NEW school, which means new people, which meants new -

Someone knocks on the door, and the next moment I see my mum's face. Upon seeing me awake, she fully enters the room. Of course, she's worn the clothes I love - a red skirt, white shirt and red jacket.

"Slept well?" she asks softly as she shuts the door again and sits on the edge of my bed. I shake my head. And she's asking!

"Everything will be alright. Don't worry. You'll have friends quickly, friends just like Tobias and Ella."

"Yeah, right."

She draws in some breath to say something, but then just sighs. She knows as well as I do that I won't. Besides, I don't want friends like Tobias and Ella - see how much they've called me. The best people in the world. I want Cutty, he's never promised to call me. He is just so cool YOU call him.

"I just want you to smile to see my baby's going to be fine."

I move my lips to form a smile, but it's so OBVIOUS I don't mean it at all. If anything, it's almost as if I'm being sarcastic - and I am. 'smile' rarely means 'happiness', and she knows this better than I do.

She sighs again and gets up.

"Let's have breakfast," she says and opens the door. I don't reply, but get up after ten minutes or so and climb down. My father's there too, in his best suit, and smiles at me. I don't smile back. I don't even register anything said to me. I grunt to say 'Yes, No, I'm fine,' and I don't communicate more. I barely eat anything. My ears are tolling. We get up. My mum doesn't even clean the table. My dad goes up to get my luggage, I head towards the bathroom as if in trance, it takes me several times to get the toothbrush and paste correctly, my mum helps me with them and a few minutes after that, we are ready to go. My stomach tightens, but I force myself not to vomit. I cannot vomit. If I vomit, I'll smell and people will laugh at me. Instead, I swallow hard, nod at something my mum says (I don't even hear it) and walk out to get in the car.

Miracle or disaster, it's high time you happened.

7
What Kind of a Friend Am I, Then?
So we are here.

The portkey place.

We are 15 minutes early. The road took us half an hour to arrive, it's outside of New York after all, and I had time to stop the tolling and come back to world. You can say I've accepted my destiny. I know I will never be the life and soul of the party, even if I knew everyone, so it's all good. I don't want to, anyway. I just want a few friends that will understand me, but it's fine if I don't have any. It won't be the first or the last time. I'm used to it, especially since even Tobias isn't a friend too. It'd be weird if I had a friend.

So we are the first people to arrive and even though we know what it is (an empty Coke bottle) we still stand there like a fish taken out of the water. We don't even try to search for it, but study the city from here instead. We can't study it for long, though, because there comes a person.

"You areeee, eeeh -"

"The Charltons. Forrest Charlton, here-" he places an arm over my shoulders, "-is -"

"Oh, good, good, I know. Great. Now to let's wait -

"Mr. Jordaaaan!"

"The Bonds! Hello! These are the Charltons, I, uh -"

Good gracious, just HOW MANY Bonds are there in this country?

"Oh hellooooo!"

"Hey,"

"Are you new? You must be new. We know everyone around here, but it's the first time I see you guys. Oh you are Britiiiiiish! Boy, I LOVE your country! It's right next to Sweden, no? SO PRETTY! HAROLD? HAROOOOLD! These people are from Great Britain!"

I don't even suppress my groan and simply walk away. My mum follows me. I can sense her sly grin and after a moment we start laughing hysterically. After a few minutes, we finally fully calm down and see with pleasure that she is boring my father successfully.

Serves him well.

"So anyway, you know what you should do. Write to me at least once a week, be nice to everyone, study hard and most importantly, do not despair, okay?"

"Okay."

She eyes me for a moment, but then lets go. More people are coming now. It's 8.55. We head back towards people. They have found the bottle and are around it. Everyone looks so calm, but then I remember I have never travelled with portkey before, and I start to panic. In the letter it explained it was a fairly easy mean of transportation, like I just have to touch it, but what it I can't touch it? There are about 15 students here, so what if my hand doesn't fit in there? What if I'm left behind? What if -

"Okay, start saying goodbyeeee! Only four minutes left."

ONLY FOUR MINUTES WHAT NO I'M NOT READY - my father squeezes me into a tight hug and speaks but I hear none of it. Instead, I try to breathe, but that's also impossible. I don't want to go. I can't go. No, NO - I want to go home, I don't want to learn magic - my mum hugs me gingerly and speaks as well- "Two minutes!" - I look around and HOW ARE EVERYONE SO CALM?! Don't they see if they can't touch it they will be left behind FOREVER!? - "One!" NONONO NOOOO - my mum pushes me inside the circle, the portkey officier is holding it in the air and everyone's touching it with their fingers, what if only finger isn't enough, what if I have to touch it with my hand because I'm a muggleborn and we aren't that potent wizards?!?! I clutch onto my mum for my dear life, and she can see I'm P A N I C K I N G but she yanks her arm free, she basically lets go off me like she's ALWAYS done - "...fine, four, three, -" I close my eyes, "- two, one -"

......

I fall. Hard.

I slowly open my eyes and see that everyone but me is on their feet. They are smiling at me caringly, but I am too hot-headed to think that as 'caring'. I immediately glare at them and get up, dust myself off and mumble "'m fine," in case they are wondering.

"Perfect!" Mr. Jordan smiles at me as my breathing starts returning to normal. Okay, so, it really IS pretty easy, but nobody can blame me for freaking out. Next time, though, next time, I'll learn not to fall down.

Everyone starts walking, and I instinctly follow them. I thought Mr. Jordan would return with the same bottle, but he just tosses it to a bin on the way and walks with us. There are 3 groups of 10 or 15 students popping at the same time with us, and some apparently have seen a friend or something, because there are shrieks of joy and sappy hugging and kissing on the road. I still am too preoccupied to think of lifting my gaze and seeing the school in all its glamour. Instead, I study the people and try to see people that might be around my age, but there is none. No wonder every third year ran away to not be my friend.

We walk, and they must have arranged the portkeys with three minutes between every group, because another bunch show at the same spot as we did. I don't turn around to look, though. Why bother? They are no friend of mine anywa -

.........

Is that... the school? That - castle? I halt and GAPE. And gape some more, because what I see is ENORMOUS! It's just - it's - I can't even compare it with Hogwarts, and Hogwarts is H U G E. I understand this has to be even huger, of course, because of the size of population, but...

"Pretty, isn't it?" I almost jump because I wasn't expecting that. I turn to the voice, instead, and see that it's a girl more or less my age. "I guess," I mutter, and start walking again with my head strictly inclined to the ground.

"You are new, aren'cha?" She walks by me. I appreciate and all, but why is she bothering?

"Yes."

"Which grade are you?"

"Third."

"Me too. Why didn't you - oh but you are Britiiiish!" Her face lits up then, and I can't help but smile awkwardly. I don't understand what's so special about being a British, though. So what, she wouldn't speak to me if I was a new American face?

"I am, yeah. Father got a job here," I mumble nonetheless and she holds out her hand in ecstasy. "Danielle French, nice to meecha. Although I'm not French anymore, my ancestors were from France back in the 1700s and my parents found it funny to give me a French name as well." She smiles. Okay. Maybe I can like her. Maybe I don't need to sulk so much. Maybe she wants to be my friend. I want to be her friend. Can I even hope?

"That's cool," I say, because I can't think of anything else. I shake her hand in the process, and add "Forrest Charlton," as an after-thought. She grins.

"Stay by me and I'll teach you everything real quick." I nod with a smile, a genuine one after ages, and we finally arrive at the door. We enter and Danielle starts explaining things.

"So the last group will come around 12.30 or so. We can see around until then, if you want."

"Sure, but what about your friends?" She must be dying to meet them. Why hang out with a boring, British boy?

"They can wait. What kind of a friend will I be then, if I don't show you around."

FRIEND, friend, friend...

I WAS HER FRIEND ALREADY!

"Yesokaythankyou."

FRIEND.

This began FAR better than I'd expected.

8
Promise Me!

So my friend Danielle takes me by my hand and we begin wlaking around. Of course, she says, we won't be able to finish the whole castle because it took her a year or something to discover aaaaaall, but she'll show me the basics. I'm grateful for ANYTHING, so I nod enthusiastically and follow her. She shows me the Great Hall, boys' bathrooms and classrooms. I try to memorise everything she says, and to do that, I repeat after her.

"The bathrooms are always on the right wing of the corridors, and we don't like Sarah Terry, who's the girl over -" Wait, what? I blink. She smiles sweetly and continues in a sugar-coated tone.

"But yes, my friend!" she exclaimes, "you're my friend now, and I hate her because she's terrible, so I'm warning you! You can't be friends with her. You wouldn't love her."

"Uh..."

"That boy too. He's a terrible person, Brandon Johnson. Stay. Away." None of these people look particularly terrible, but she looks at me with those big eyes and she doesn't look like lying either, so I mutter "Yeah, okay, thanks for the warning," and shrug to myself. If my friend Danielle says they are bad, they are. I look at them one more time and Sarah looks at me too, makes a face that's almost pitying and I'm even more confused, but a friend wouldn't lie and Danielle herself has said we are friends now, so I push my doubts away.

So we spend the rest of the time wandering around the castle as she explains me the history, customs and warns me about more people to stay away from - none of these people look terrible, and some even smile the way Ella always did, but I trust my friend. Anyway, the size of the castle occupies my mind too much to leave much space for other things. I will definitely be lost here. I just hope Danielle will always be...

"So I heard there are houses in Hogwarts too."

"There are, yeah." It's 12, we're both exhausted so we are sitting somewhere close to the meeting point. I don't understand why we don't just return there instead of sitting in this empty corridor on the ground, but she's hotly refused to go there and argued that we don't want to see terrible people. Well. It's starting to bug me, but I subtly agree and keep my mouth shut. I liked her, so I won't argue.

"There are here, too. I'm in the wise guys' club." She smiles so vastly that her white teeth shine the whole corridor.

"I don't think I'll make it there," I said with a trace of sadness. But of course, what was I expecting with my luck? Of course, the first ever friend I've made -

"Oh, I figured." ...what? That I'm not wise enough? O...kay -

"Promise me I'll stay your best friend! Promise me you won't EVER talk to those terrible people!"

I have NO idea WHEN or HOW it happened, but suddenly she's on her feet, face flushed, and half-shouting. I hesitate. What do I say!?

"Forrest!" IS SHE CRYING!?!?!

"I - Yes, sure, you're my best friend forever!"

"I knew I could count on you." She smiles in relief, wipes her eyes and sits down.

What... has just happened?

9
I Can Do It

As expected, I'm sorted into the equivalent of Hufflepuff, but I'm glad. Hufflepuff is my house no matter where I am. It's actually pretty much like Hogwarts, so I'm not completely unfamiliar, and this is a big relief. I am sorted, have met the 'newbie's and 'oldie's of my house and after a brief lunch, attend the orientation tour led by all student leaders and some professors. Most of them are first years, but there's a fourth year 'Slytherin' who I immediately dislike, and a sixth year Gryffindor who looks too frustrated to approach. We are shown the most important places, told the history and rules, and return to the Great Hall for the feast. Just like Hogwarts.

All has been while I was in the orientation, but I suddenly remember Danielle, her antics and almost don't want to see her again. As we enter the Hall, everyone start to applause and cheer as another welcome. I briefly peek at her table, spot her - which isn't hard at all, considering she's waving both hands frenetically to catch my attention, wave briefly back and conveniently sit with my back towards their table. Yes, she's friend, but my gut says she's... not a good friend. Not that I would know for sure, because I have only had about 4 friends, but it's a strong type of a gut. Everyone is very welcoming, just like in real Hufflepuff, and I soon forget about her. I meet a lot of new people, everyone is very intrigued about my being British and ask tons of questions about Hogwarts. I try to answer as best and look as cool as I can, but after a while I realise that it doesn't really matter. They like me... no, they probably like my being a foreigner, but it's fine. I have real friends in England anyway. These are just for good fun. So, almost in my element, I speak and laugh and make friends, forgetting all about Danielle and her warnings about Jane, another terrible girl, and in the end of the day, I walk to my dormitories with her. Thankfully, Danielle doesn't see us this time. Later do I learn she's left before us in her annual feast tears. So, I decide, this is how my life will be: avoiding Danielle, never forgetting Hogwarts, and surviving here.

I can surely do it.