JINX; AUGUST

"Get in the car." Mr. Snape ordered gruffly, opening the door of an old red Volkswagen bug. "Come on...Child." He looked at me distastefully as he titled me, refusing to call me my actual name.

I followed his command, quickly nestling myself into the passenger seat. He slammed the door behind me. I jumped a little at his brashness. Mr. Snape entered the drivers seat, disgruntled in his starched clothing.

After an awkward period of him trying to start the carwhile cursing under and failing multiple times, the ignition finally roared to life.

"I like your car." I said as I ran my fingers across the glove box. He brushed my hand away as he drove, a steely look etched across his face.

"Don't touch that."

"Sorry." My hands returned to themselves, clasping together.

"Don't say sorry either. Apologizing only wastes air."

"Oh okay, sorry- Er- I mean no. Not sorry."

"Why was I chosen for such an insolent job. Mr. Snape sighed, leaning forward in the tightly packed car. He appeared unbearably annoyed with every word that slipped from my mouth.

"Sorry." I whispered, looking down at my feet.

Dusk was leaving as we sped down the suburban streets of the town. The car survived bumps and rolls, the exhaust sputtering us up the hill till we reached what I recognized as Clover Meadows.

It was a pitiful forest surrounded by a spacious grass clearing. Families used it for picnics, birthdays, and barbecues. Kids used it to play tag. Teenagers used it to smoke cigarettes and cause trouble.

Mr. Snape pulled over into the parking lot of the meadows. The car halted abruptly, my body lurching forward. He wasn't the best driver to say the least. His sharp eyes scanned the perimeter, darting back and forth

"Finally." The perpetually irritated man grumbled, grabbing for an item in his pocket. Out from the depths of his clothes a long thin stick. It had been ornately carved, ridges and patterns beautifully sculpted into the dark wood.

"Woah." I could feel my eyes glimmering as I stretched my fingers out to the pretty knick knack.

"Don't touch it." Mr. Snape spat, snatching it away. "This is very special to me and you are not prepared to handle one yet."

"Handle it? Mister, that's a stick."

"Ha, a stick." He shook his head and scoffed. "Please, Child this is intangibly greater than a stick. This stick could do things your puny mind couldn't imagine."

"Alright then, prove it." I challenged, leaning against the window. "Blow my puny mind." I thought he was joking, pulling my leg to get a laugh. I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Fine. I will." Mr. Snape adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, holding the stick tightly in his hand. "Multicorfors." Ran out from his mouth, accompanying the swish he gave the stick. My eyes grew double their size at what I saw next.

His clothes completely transformed, turning from office clothes to a dark flowy robe-like suit. I was at a loss for words, my mouth falling open.

"What. The. CRAP!" I exclaimed, eyes blinking rapidly at his outfit change.

"Ugh. Don't swear in front of me." Mr. Snape droned out, wrinkling his roman shaped nose. It was sharp and unforgiving, looking artistic among his other features. "It's in bad taste and it shows that you lack in vocabulary."

"Sorry." Correcting my previous statement, I emphasized myself differently. "What the heck! Are you a magician or something?!"

"A magician?" He sneered, rolling his dark eyes. "I am not a magician. I am a wizard. Is that not obvious?"

"Sheesh, my bad. I didn't know there was a special term for it."

"Well there is." Mr. Snape drawled, curling his lip up. "These talks are always unbelievably exhausting." He gave a painful groan, sinking his head into the wheel as he clutched it. After pulling back he gave me a once over, asking. "Are you hungry? This is going to take a while."

My stomach rumbled, growling audibly. I felt as if a creature was clawing at my internal lining. I hadn't eaten since lunch time, before my surgery with Cuddles.

"A bit."

"Alright then." The man reached into the back seat, withdrawing an In N Out bag. "I concluded that you would like this sort of food because of your heritage." The bag landed in my lap. "Americans love their greasy little hamburgers, don't they?"

"I don't know about Americans but I sure do." I tore the bag open with animalistic eagerness. A cheeseburger and fries waited for me. Both were soggy and cold. Mr. Snape noticed, taking the food from me.

"Here." He muttered another incantation. "Focillo." The stick he held let out a singing sigh, emitting an orange glow. Warmth seared the food, crisping it back up. "There. Eat." He returned the fast food, wiping his hands with a maddening ferocity.

"Thanks, Mr. Snape." I smiled, munching into greasy heaven.

"Mr. Snape is not suitable for you to call me. They may use that language here in America but for now you may only address me as Professor, as I will be yours soon, Sir, or Professor Snape."

"Okay, Sir. Sorry, Sir." I cursed myself the second that my apology came out of my mouth. I wanted him to like me or at least not despise me. He was magic and wonder and all I wanted was to be those things too.

Professor Snape wasn't one for pleasantries, gripping onto the wheel so he could stand being in my presence.

"You may think I am being harsh on you, Child but I don't like children." He explained, a sense of his bitterness worming through.
"Any of them. They're insolent and unintelligent swines who trail around their little messes expecting others to clean up after them." His nostrils flared from the heated topic, his stick he held beginning to hum a sharp kettle-like whistle.
"My point is that you're not special. Nor will you be. You are just another obnoxious child. Which is why I want you to stay as quiet as a rat while I explain a few matters that way I can get this finished as quick as possible. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good." Professor Snape started out firmly. "Magic is real. It has always been real and you, Jinxon Zenith Lestrange, are magical. You can do magic, it is in your blood. At this moment, right now, magic is coursing through you veins."

"Is this some kind of motivational speech metaphor?" I asked, cocking my head back. "Because Mrs. Clark would play this stuff on TV like all the time. Once I even-"

"Quiet." He snapped. "What I am speaking of is not any of that motivational speech muggle rubbish. I am telling the utmost truth. Wizards and witches have been alive for all of time. Of course magical people cannot trifle with non magic people, we call them muggles."

"Muggles..." Repeating the strange phase felt foreign on my tongue.

"Yes. Muggles. As I was saying before rudely interrupted, magic people needed a place to themselves." A vein on Professor Snape's forehead bulged as he ranted.
"A place where they could be taught magic, how to control it, how to use it, how to harness their natural power." He paused.

"This place is known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is a boarding school that focuses on the education of young magic people like you. That is the school you will be attending once you arrive to the Malfoy's residence. Here is your letter."

He handed me an envelope colored a yellowish white. The paper had an ancient leathery feel to it. Green ink lettered across the expanse of smooth material.

Miss J. Lestrange.
   The Third Smallish Bedroom in
          the Clark Residence.
            279 Flame Tree Circle
              Lyebrook
                     Reedville

"I'm magic? Me?! This isn't some sick MTV prank thing, right?!" My heart swelled at the writing, threatening to burst.

"I don't even know what MTV is, nor do I want to." Professor Snape continued on, poking me with questions. "Haven't you ever made things happen out of thin air? Things with no logical solution?"

Every single horrible incident I had caused zipper across my mind. Fire, dead animals, injuries, even levitation."

"I guess so."

"That was your untamed magic. The earliest ways of unintentionally showing your power." Everything he said began to fall into place. "It's driven only by emotion and survival need. Hogwarts will teach you to soar higher than a hippogriff. It will teach you everything."

"So...magic is real." I wasn't questioning him anymore. I believed him from what he had told me, from what I had seen.

"Correct."

A rush of excitement stirred from my stomach. Electricity zapped at my skin. Chills crawled down my spine.

"That's so freaking awesome!"