Minni

Nora had been kneeling on the window seat in her room, watching the raindrops as they raced down the glass. Her breath fogged it up just a bit as she let out a sigh. Her long, straight black hair was thrown up on top of her head in a messy bun. Nora sniffed as she used her pajama sleeve to wipe her tear stained face. The rain had let up to a drizzle and the charcoal clouds parted to reveal such a large, luminescent orb above the moon. It shone down in an angelic way that had Nora wondering if it were a spell. Her gaze followed the moon rays down into the gardens. She smiled a little as she looked over the various herbs and flowers growing, as well as some of the creatures wandering around the grounds. 

Something glinted in the moonlight. Nora stood up and stared hard toward it, wishing for it to happen again. It did. She grabbed her hooded cloak from the back of her desk chair and rushed out of her room. It was as if her cloak flew through the air as she hurried down the stairs and out into the corridor. Nora’s fuzzy slippers crunched on the pebbled path as she stepped out into the courtyard facing the gardens. She paused, cautiously craning her neck around for a groundskeeper or any teachers; her eyes searched high and low for another glint. She took a long breath in and held it, trying her best to hold as still as possible. She could hear insects and a breeze flowing through the forest in the distance. Her right foot slipped on a bit of earth, which startled her. She whipped her head around nervously to see if anyone had witnessed her little freak out—alas, still alone. As she turned her head back toward the entrance of the gardens, she caught it. The glint. Nora eased toward the spot. She entered through the east entrance and hid behind the doorpost. Her fingers felt the splinters as she peered out from behind it to observe the source of the glint of moonlight. 

A young barn owl stood at the base of a raised planter table where the herbology professor had been growing stinking nightshade and mandrake roots for potion class later in the year. It was a rather petite barn owl with very vivid, white facial discs, rich tiny talents talons, a speckled breast, mostly white feathers and seemingly silver flecks along it’s tiny, brindle greater coverts. Some plant fragments seemed to be gripped in the owls talons, piquing Nora‘s interest. She was leaning so far out from behind the statue that she scuffed against it. The owl froze, staring directly at Nora. She locked eyes with the creature for what seemed like hours. She held up her hands, open palms facing the owl. 

“It’s okay, little one... I won’t harm ya,” Nora spoke softly as she slowly step towards the owl.

“My name is Nora,” she continued. “Do you live here? In the castle, I mean.”

All of the creatures and plant life were suddenly silent. It opened its wings a bit, if only to flap is feather tips towards Nora. It’s head twitched around, almost as if it was checking for other things around them. This startled Nora, causing her to freeze. The owl flitted away towards the north entrance. But, it remain there in the shadows, as if it were waiting to be followed. Nora came around the corner of a flatbed to catch the end of a transformation. Where the owl had been was now a human crouched on the ground. Nora stopped dead in her tracks. It appeared to be a slightly older girl, maybe third year. She wore green pajamas and had silvery hair with tiny freckles that covered her olive toned skin. Nora also secretly took note of the bits of mandrake leaves the girl quickly stashed into her right pants pocket. The girl stood up slowly, palms out.

“I... I won’t tell if you won’t,” she said, attempting to sound more confident in herself. 

“Tell?” Nora asked, her head tilting with confusion. 

The girl sighed. “Nevermind. We should get back to our houses.”

“What’s your name?” Nora asked. 

The two girls stood there awkwardly in the night. Both feeling anxious, Nora was running her fingers up and down her arms as if she were trying to warm herself while the other girl seemed preoccupied with picking at her nails. She took a long inhale and then blew out the breath slowly and controlled. 

“Minerva Phoebe Nyx Evans, but just call me Minni. The rest is a God awful mouthful, “ she said apathetically. Nora smiled from ear to ear, happy to have made a new friend. 

“Minni,” she grinned. 

They walked together from the gardens back into the nearest corridor leading toward the houses. A little handbag leaning up against the wall that had a few items laying around it like someone had been taking inventory of its contents: a couple of crystal vials—some glowing from the items inside, one looked like it held a moth chrysalis, and one that Nora swore Minni crammed the mandrake leaves into.

Nora also noticed a strange looking silver spoon with a fanged snake face on the handle. She hurried up from behind Minni and scooped up the spoon to examine it subtly. Nora handed it gently to Minni, but Minni snatched it and shoved it into her bag. 

“What’s all this?” Nora gasped. “Are you doing magic?!”

Minni scowled at Nora’s question, but softened her expression almost in defeat. She realized there was already an unspoken trust between them that she couldn’t shake. Minni took a sharp breath in before she spoke. 

“Yes. I’m working on a spell. But, you mustn’t breathe a word of this, do you hear me?” Minni pressed in her most quiet, urgent whisper. 

Nora was overwhelmed with excitement now, she felt it bubbling up inside her and it was all she could do to keep from promulgating her newfound friendship. She nodded and helped Minni finish returning the items back to the handbag. 

“What kind of spell needs all this? I’ve only been at this for a few months,” Nora queried as she handed her new friend the last crystal vial. Minni stifled a chuckle as she tied off the purse strings. 

“Well, I suppose it’s a good thing I’m a fifth year,” she said as she stood up, holding the handbag close to her hip. 

The two girls stood at the opening to the Hall now, the only light emanated from Minni’s wand. Nora felt frightened that they’d be caught for being awake and out of bed after  hours, but Minni seemed to have more important things on her mind. Now she was checking a list scrawled on a small bit of spare parchment. Nora’s mind raced as she looked Minni over, now that she had a moment to actually see. She was only maybe a link taller and her wavy, silver hair was long past her rib cage. Her pajama bottoms seemed a size too large because the material bunched at her ankles. Only the tips of her sable boots peeked out from the pant legs. 

“If you must know, I’m planning my escape.” Minni said. 

Nora’s rampant anxious thoughts ceased, her heart swelled and tears welled in her eyes. She looked almost into Minni now. 

“Do you feel imprisoned?” Nora squeaked. 

Almost without feeling, Minni replied, “The old shrew back home forced me here, but I got some good use outta my years here.”

Nora shook her head in disbelief, “How could you not love it here?! This is home!”

Minni stared blankly, but the cogs in Nora’s head turned and turned, she couldn’t stop them now.

“Hang on—How’d you turn into an owl?!” Nora asked, her voice not really a whisper anymore. 

A grin creeped up on half of Minni’s face. 

Nora searched every part of her memories from her knowledge of magic. Transfiguration can change things, but that’s a simple swish and flick of the wand. She remembered the vials from inside the handbag. The Mandrake leaves. 

Nora stepped closer now to Minni, her chin went down slightly as she pushed her forehead at Minni. 

“What are the leaves for?” Nora asked. 

“Ah, pretty sharp for a first year. The leaves are part of the very long process that is my escape plan.” Minni continued to grin, amused. 

“But, WHY would you want to leave here? There’s so much to learn and do here!” Nora beamed at the idea of learning everything there was to know about magic. 

“When I first played around with transfiguration, I knew there was something to it. I just wanted to do it again and again. Harder and more complicated spells. But, then... one night in the restricted section of the library—“ she spoke faster and lower now, “I found how I could perform a spell on myself so I could permanently be able to be any creature when I elected to. Happy accident it was an owl. I can go anywhere without detection or suspicion!” Minni looked maniacal which started to scare Nora. 

“That’s a dangerous way to think...” Nora started. 

Minni grabbed Nora’s hands encouragingly. “Try it with me! I’m a practiced hand. You’ll have so much more freedom!”

“Okay...but why do you need an escape?” Nora probed.

Minni sighed and stepped back. She seemed to be mulling over whether to open up or not. Her hand touched her forehead. She took a quick breath and began.

“I come from a long line of magical muggles. It skips a generation in my family. Ma didn’t get a letter. But, see I’m an only child. All my youth, ma kept talking about school, my letter, and all that I was going to do. Do you know how hard it is to have a squib for a mother? My dad run off before my 9th birthday. Couldn’t take it.”

She stared off, deep in thought.

Nora touched her new friend’s elbow in an attempt to comfort her. Minni smiled faintly in thanks and continued.

“Anyway. Every year I come to learn, every year ma takes me ‘round the family like a show pony. No matter what I want. I don’t want to go back!”

“You can come home with me?” Nora suggested.

Nora felt the presence again and she couldn’t shake it... someone was listening to them. But she was still frozen where she stood. She wanted a new friend. She wanted to learn all about spells and practicing magic. 

“Nora?” A voice in the distance rang out. Minni didn’t seem to hear it. Nora looked around again. 

“Nora!”

Nora’s eyes shot open. She was in her room, she had fallen asleep at her window seat and her mom was standing in her doorway. Nora got up a little and traipsed over to climb in bed, breathing a bit heavy. 

“Is everything okay?” Her mom asked. She walked across the room to the side of Nora’s bed and sat down beside her panicked daughter. 

As reality set in and Nora realized where she was and where she had been, she started to softly sob. 

“Oh, honey what’s wrong?” Nora’s mom wrapped arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “You’ve been moping around the house all summer.”

“It was only a dream.”  Nora managed to get out through sniffles. “I don’t go to Hogwarts.”

• • •