Young Liars

One big brown suitcase on the floor, a backpack, another cross-body bag, a pair of running shoes, and a black wand laying on the bed. Her eyes kept looking around the room. Did she have everything? How do you fit everything that you will need for a year? Trying to was a nightmare for Eleanor.

But she was calm. Talking one last stroll around her room. She kept almost all the photos on her wall. Holly, Beck, Guilda. The goodbyes yesterday still stung. All the books stayed as well. Her fingers brushed against the large bookshelf. The Iliad… Plato… Dad warned her about the lack of space at Hogwarts dorms. And knowing she won't spend that much time in Wiltshire, bringing them would be silly.

“Excited, kiddo?” the door creaked open.

Eleanor turned around and gave her dad a thin smile. She was. But she was also 10 other things.

“Mom and I are ready,” he looked around the unusually empty and tidy room. “If you are.”

“I am.” Eleanor reached down for her wand and the bags. She put on the shoes while her dad took care of the suitcase.

Mom and dad’s things were already by the front door when she walked down the stairs.

Her mom was explaining something to two Aurors waiting by the door. The drive to Salem never required Aurors before, but her parents warned her about the extra security measures due to the turmoil in Europe now.

While waiting for everyone to finish up, Eleanor sat on top of her suitcase. She sighed quietly. The sun was hitting her face through the big windows of the living room, through which the ocean was visible. The water was calm. Not a breeze in the air. She closed her eyes.

“Everyone’s ready?” her mom asked when the two Aurors walked back to the black car parked in their driveway.

Eleanor gave a quick last look at her house when they stepped outside. See you in 9 months, she thought.

“Will I have to go with first years?” she laughed at the thought and opened the car door.

“I’d love to see that,” her dad chuckled while moving the suitcases in the back with a swift wand movement. “But when we talked to Professor Dumbledore, he mentioned sorting you out earlier.”

“I remember when he told me about the Sorting Hat for the first time,” her mom shook her head smiling, and put on her seatbelt. “It sounded so strange.”

The drive to Salem was a fairly quick one. With her parents laughing the whole way the 30 minutes went by even quicker. Something about the Hogwarts song made Eleanor's mom laugh uncontrollably every time her dad sang it. The Auror in the passenger seat cracked a barely visible smile that Eleanor caught a glimpse of.

“Be careful and say it clearly.” her mom handed her the Floo powder when they entered an old creaking building, disguised from the no-maj’s eyes. “Damen Blue Line. Clearly!”

A few other witches and wizards were in line behind her parents. Aurors stuck close by as well, drawing some unnecessary attention.

“Damen Blue Line,” Eleanor spoke loud and clear.

In a moment she stood inside a different fireplace in Chicago. A couple of moments passed and her parents were there as well.

“Wand permits and other documents should be ready!” an old wizard shouted for what seemed like the 100th time while they all waited in line.

From Chicago awaited the biggest leap - to King’s Cross. But the line for checking documents always seemed to move faster than this excruciating speed when Eleanor was little.

“Was it always this slow?” she asked while spinning around while sitting on her suitcase.

“Since his return in Europe, the new safety measures slow everything down,” her mom looked around.

Aurors on every corner, and to each her mom and dad said hello, longer lines, and new documentation requirements for international transfers. Seems like an hour passed when the Somersets finally reached the checkpoint.

“Suitcases on the table.” the old wizard signaled to his right with his wand. Aurors dealt with the suitcases immediately. “Now please, one by one.”

“Somerset, Edward.” her dad was first. He placed his MACUSA Auror badge, other MACUSA documents, the reason for travel, which he wrote on behalf of all three of them, and a wand permit on the table.

“Date and place of birth?” the old wizard's monotone voice might just put everyone to sleep.

“January 5th, 1955. Wiltshire.”

“Wand, please.”

Her dad took out his wand and handed it to the old wizard. Even if the wizard knew her dad, from the countless trips to London each year, he stuck to protocol each time. No exceptions.

He performed some diagnostic spells on the wand. Nothing out of the ordinary. “Next.”

Edward pressed his lips together and nodded. “Pleasure as always.”

“Hello, Stuart.” her mom smiled. “Marcia Somerset. April 19th, 1956. Boston.” she handed in her Major Investigation Department badge, various other papers, the wand permit, and the wand itself.

He carefully checked everything while another witch was completing the suitcase check. “Next.”

“Hi. Eleanor Somerset. July 30th, 1980. Boston.” scrambling to get the few documents on the table she hoped she did not forget a thing. This always caused her stress.

Stuart took his time checking everything Eleanor handed in. It must be due to the gap in her international trips, she thought.

After Eleanor, the Aurors, and the suitcases were checked, they moved along the train station looking for their exit.

“I’ll go first. Then you,” her mom smiled when they reached a bright red brick wall. “And then dad.”

One by one they all reached London without a scratch. Aurors still sticking close by.

“I hate doing this so much.” Eleanor sighed and looked around. She felt dizzy and stopped for a moment, closing her eyes. Nothing much has changed since she last traveled here. Almost 7 years ago. The same dizziness, that she hoped she would grow out of, stayed.

“The car is ready.” one of the Aurors spoke while the other was already occupying the driver's seat.

They all gave her another minute outside for some fresh air before they all sat in a blue car. Eleanor's mom caressed her back the whole time.

The drive to Wiltshire was quick as well. Eleanor always found herself thanking her parents for where they picked to live. Home was close to Boston, Salem as well. But far enough from having neighbors around every corner. It was nice to practice magic outside with her mom.

Wiltshire was similar. Big land, sparse neighbors, London reachable quickly. Just minus her friends. And Boston. And Ilvermorny.

Eleanor used to visit Wiltshire every summer for a month before she started school at Ilvermorny. Summer holidays were always fun here. Her mom would leave for a few days to visit MACUSA, sometimes her dad would do that as well. But most of the time, they were all together enjoying the month. She even had a few kids she played with in the gardens. For her, visiting Wiltshire stopped when she started school. Friends, summer camp, vacations around the States. There usually was no time left for Wiltshire. But her dad would go, every summer, to take care of his childhood home at least for a few weeks.

“Look at the flowers I planted for you,” she heard her dad whisper to her mom when they walked up to the front door.

The house was big and old. The stone outside was much darker and had ivies covering most, if not all, of it. But it was warm. Dad planted bright flowers all around, taking various requests from her and mom. There also was an old orange cat, wandering around, at least her dad promised there was.

“We upgraded your room a little bit,” her mom chuckled when they walked in. “Figured the bed was too small for you already. Our little Nellie.”

“Ah… You got rid of the bed that was four times too small?” she asked jokingly and walked up the large staircase. Her parents stayed below to talk with the Aurors.

The room was darker as well, with less sunlight coming in than back Home, smaller windows. The bookshelf was sparse and dusty, but it had her childhood favorites. Dad seemed to have also filled the room with plants. There was an old picture of her and her childhood dog hanging on the wall above her bed. A calendar on the table, that seemed to work on its own.

There were still a couple of weeks until she starts school here at Hogwarts. She sat on her bed and thought about Ilvermorny. For her friends, school starts in a few days.

The upcoming few days went by slowly. Eleanor’s parents took multiple trips to the Ministry, but rarely did they go together. It wasn’t due to some lack of trust in Eleanor, but more so due to the unexplained disappearances and deaths reported in the news.

Eleanor would take long walks outside, sitting in the garden reading or writing letters to her friends. Sometimes the orange cat would wander to the backyard, almost demanding to be pet and scratched. There were many talks at the dinner table about how the cat should be named, but nothing was decided yet.

Some old country songs played in her bedroom while she wrote.

-thus, I desire very little. I hope you are doing okay. Write me when you can. Nell.

She finished the second long letter and placed it on her desk. This one was for Guilda, her friend since the first year of school.

Kids at Ilvermorny started school today. A deep sense of longing washed over Eleanor.

“Are there any kids I used to play with still in Wiltshire?” she asked when her mom walked past her open bedroom door.

Her mom took a moment to think. “I’m not sure. I’ll ask dad but it must only be the Malfoy boy.”

“Draco?”

“Yes,” Her mom leaned against the door frame holding a green apple from the garden. “Although I haven’t seen any of them around. And knowing where his father is-”

“Where?” without letting her mom finish, Eleanor asked.

“I heard it was Azkaban.”

Azkaban? Eleanor was confused. “The prison?”

“Mhm. Dinner in 5.”

“Okay, thanks.” Eleanor furrowed her brows.

She could have asked her mom why he was there. What did he do? But she usually stayed out of the details when her parents talked about work or wizards they captured. She didn’t really care about someone being sent to prison, must have lost interest growing up and hearing all of that. What was truly important, they would tell her. But it was quite strange.
She let out a sigh and turned off the desk lamp. The music stopped when she left her room.

Each step on the stairs was like a loud doorbell, informing everyone in the close-by rooms of her arrival.

“Have you read this, Nell?” Eleanor’s dad was carrying three empty glasses in one hand and holding some sort of newspaper in the other. He looked amused.

“What is it?” she grabbed orange juice from the fridge and walked over to the dining table.

“The Quibbler.” he managed to place all the glasses and walk back to the kitchen, helping Eleanor’s mom bring everything else, all while continuing to flip through the papers.

Eleanor frowned and shook her head. The Quibbler?

“This is fantastic!” he laughed and showed something to his wife. They both chuckled while reading something. “Nell, you’ll have to pick this up.”

Eleanor smiled and filled her glass with fresh orange juice. Her dad put the newspaper down on the kitchen counter and walked back with utensils.

“Would you want to make the shopping trip on Friday instead of the weekend?” Eleanor’s mom carried another bowl to the dinner table. Mashed potatoes - the final piece of the puzzle.

“Sure, works for me. I need many things.”

“Perfect. I had changes in my schedule. Friday would be better for me as well.”

“Which means you’ll be all alone on Saturday.” Eleanor’s dad smiled at her mom while putting salad on his plate.

“Yeah, I’ll be careful. But can we visit some second-hand bookstores, regular ones, before Diagon Alley?”

“Of course, let's just leave earlier.” after finishing placing food on her plate, she added. “You’ll need to get the uniform, at Madam Malkin’s,” but it sounded more like a question. “Quills, ink, parchment. Books?”

“I still don’t know what books I should get, I don’t know what classes I’ll be taking.”

“They haven’t checked your Eagles?” Eleanor’s dad asked.

“No. I’m thinking they will look them over when I get sorted?”

“Could be. I’ll write and ask.” he smiled.

Eleanor did great on her E.A.G.L.E’s. All passed. Three ‘Excellents’. Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, with a comment of exceeding at nonverbal magic, and Ancient Greek. She did expect to nail her Arithmancy, but she got a ‘Great’. Another ‘Great’ for Transfiguration and Charms. Everything else was ‘Good’, or normal in other words.

“If anything, we can get you the books you did Excellent on your Eagles.”After thinking some more, her mom added. “I think the highest grade at Ilvermorny, should be the same at Hogwarts.”

Eleanor nodded in agreement. “This is delicious by the way.”

“If anything, we can get you the books you did Excellent on your Eagles.”After thinking some more, her mom added. “I think the highest grade at Ilvermorny, should be the same at Hogwarts.”

Eleanor nodded in agreement. “This is delicious by the way.”