Nancy Parker

Nancy Parker

Chapter 1: The Godfather

Nancy Parker is an orphan. Her father left her unmarried mother when he discovered that she was pregnant. Other than that, she knows nothing about him. They never had any news about him and she never even knew his name. She didn't carry his name because as far she knew, her grandmother hated him. Whenever she asks why, her grandmother grows quiet and tries to change the subject.

Her mother loved her father so much and despite the misery she got into, she bravely struggled to give birth to Nancy. Unfortunately, she died in a trip to a place Nancy can't remember, when Nancy was only turning five. Even though Nancy was really young then, she was aware of what was happening around her and she somehow knew that she was never going to see her mother again. For a whole month after her mother died, she refused to talk and her melodic laughter was never heard. Indeed, she shared an intimate relationship with her mother that if possible was even more than a daughter-to-mother relationship, if you know what I mean.

Nancy now resides with her rich and eccentric grandmother who is famous throughout in London for being a very kind and charitable woman.

***

Sunshine is streaming through the blinds in Nancy's bedroom windows. It slowly passes on the framed pictures lining her wall (which shows a brown-haired always smiling girl in various places) until it reaches Nancy's golden brown locks. With a long yawn, Nancy woke up. Automatically, her eyes found its way to the clock.

In a few hours, she was to meet her friends at the mall to celebrate. She grinned to herself as she remembered counting down the hours before today. But then, her mind wandered back to the dream she just had.

A dark-haired boy wearing glasses was dancing with her. She didn't know him and didn't even see his face clearly, but she felt very comfortable with him. She laughed at his jokes and at his silly voice, as he sang her familiar love songs. He was about 14 or 15 years old because he was almost a head taller than Nancy. It was really hard to tell but Nancy really did notice his clothes. He wore an unfamiliar school uniform under a dark cloak which on the next second turned into a tuxedo. It really looked good on him and made him even more handsome if that was even possible. At this, Nancy noticed that she herself was wearing a soft lavender silk gown, one she knew she didn't own. She blushed as she took all this in and somehow realized that she was dreaming.

After chatting for a while, they suddenly grew quiet and she noticed that the boy was becoming uneasy. He started fidgeting with his fingers and tried not to look her directly in the eye. She tried to ask him why but he sighed and silenced her by putting his finger to her lips.

He suddenly stopped dancing and looked deeply into her eyes. Nancy thought that she can easily melt because of his gaze. His face came nearer and nearer until Nancy felt his lips brush gently on her own.

She was the one who pulled off from their kiss. It was her first and so was his, but Nancy never knew that. The boy looked questioningly at her. She reassured him with a smile. The boy relaxed and they started dancing again though the boy looked apologetic and quite hurt. That was when she woke up.

Instinctively, her finger flew to her lips and felt them. It lingered there for a while before she heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in," Nancy said softly after the third knock. She put her hands on her lap. She didn't want her grandmother see her in her dreamy state.

The door opened a bit. "Good morning, Grammy," Nancy greeted the old woman peeping through the door.

They exchanged smiles. "Good morning to you too dear, have you been awake long?" she closed the door behind her and sat on the bed beside Nancy.

"Not really," Nancy pulled herself up into a sitting position and started to finger-brush the tangles on her long brown hair. She had a strange twinkle in her eye as she knew what her grandmother was about to say.

"Happy birthday, Nancy," Grammy gave her a soft peck on the cheek and handed her a little nicely wrapped package. She murmured a quick 'thank you' and started opening the gift.

She gasped. It was a silver intricate necklace with a star pendant. "It's the Star of David. Whoa! Thanks Grammy! I really love it! And you too!" Nancy gave her grandmother a big hug. Grammy knew very much how much she loved the Star of David symbol.

"I knew you would like it. Well, you should get up now, sweetie. Your friends will be waiting for you. I already called our chauffeur and he will be ready in no time. Remember to go home at one o'clock. We're going to visit your godfather. I will be going myself, but I will be back here at 12, ok?"

"Yes, Grammy, but, who are we exactly going to visit? I mean, I don't know of any godfathers of mine in existence," Nancy asked. She carefully put on her new necklace.

"You have, but only one. Don't worry. You're going to know him soon. In the meantime, enjoy your time with your friends. Bear in mind everything I told you," Grammy stood up and left the room.

A few minutes later in the shower, Nancy's thoughts were troubled. Or rather, she was already drowning in her thoughts.

'Is this how it felt to become twelve? If this was it, people must have really gone through hard, puzzling times. Would I be in even more times too?' she wondered.

Different thoughts swirled in her mind and she started to imagine how her godfather was like. The last thought in her mind was sleep before she merged her head into the water.

An hour later, she was going down the stairs all dressed up and ready to go. She was wearing a denim skirt and boots with a red spaghetti top.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..." she sang under her breath. "Grammy? Graaammmy?!" she called.

"Yes, dear? I'm in the kitchen," she hollered back. Nancy started walking to the kitchen, the aroma of sizzling bacon hanging in the air. 'Grammy must really be in a hurry,' she thought, because breakfasts were always special and Grammy always cooks something equally unique. Bacon was one thing she didn't have in mind for breakfast.

Reaching the kitchen, she found her grandmother busy over the frying pan. She walked over to the table and seated herself on one of its comfortable high-backed chairs.

"Can you tell me what my godfather is like, Grammy? What's his name? Was he a friend of yours? Or Mom's? Or even perhaps...Dad's?" Nancy queried while resting her elbows on top of the table.

Grammy looked at Nancy, through her unbelievably blood-red eyes, which often reminded Grammy of Nancy's father.

"Al is a very jolly old man. You never know what he's thinking. He was a friend of mine and your Mom's too. But he never had any kind of positive relationship with your Dad like I did...I'm sure you'll love him. Many people do, in all due respects."

It was clear to Nancy that Grammy was concealing any other information on her so-called godfather so she stopped asking and just started to munch on a piece of toast. But try as she might, she asked something she has been wondering about since she learned about him.

"Why is it that I never knew I had a godfather till just now? He's the one who's supposed to look after me if ever something happens to Mom, right?"

"You will know when the time comes," Grammy had a far-away look on her eyes, "and that time is very fast approaching," she added. "Here's your food. Eat up. I'm afraid I'll have to go," Grammy again kissed her on the cheek and took her coat and started her way upstairs.

This was always how she came and went. It wasn't until now that Nancy noticed that she never really saw Grammy go out the front door when she 'went.' Curious, she followed.

She tiptoed noiselessly when she saw that Grammy was doing the same. Why was she even doing this? She was, after all, in her own house. After a few seconds, they both reached the attic, Nancy a few steps behind. Nancy slipped behind a door in another room and peeped through the keyhole.

The attic was off-limits to Nancy for as long as she can remember. She had a blurred memory of the first and last time that she was able to look inside. And now, all she could remember was a wall that reminded her of the sky at night, though she didn't quite understand why she did imagine it like that. When she first came in there, she got pretty much a lot of scolding and Grammy made her promise she'll never go in there again.

Now, Grammy was rummaging inside her pocket and finally she pulled out a shiny golden key that perfectly matched the golden lock on the door. With a little hesitation, she opened the door.

The door squeaked a little as it swung open. Grammy went inside. Silently, Nancy followed but only peeping from a small crack that showed a little part of the attic.

Peeping inside, she now remembered why. An entire wall was painted with planets from outer space and queerly, they seemed to be moving, like in a video. She wiped her eyes but it was still like that. There were even stars twinkling brightly. She looked a bit more and noticed a tall wardrobe on one side of the room. Another side seemed to be filled with trunks and chests of all sizes which apparently was normal for an average attic. Queerly, it was totally free of cobwebs or any sign of dust like it was cleaned everyday.

She looked to where Grammy walked to but she suddenly vanished. Nancy stepped inside and searched the room frantically. Where was Grammy?

Looking to her left, she saw...herself. The entire wall there on the other hand, was completely of a looking glass mirror. Nancy walked closer and poked at it with her finger. She didn't expect anything to happen, but something did.

Taken aback, she almost landed flat on the floor. Luckily, it was heavily carpeted. At the touch of her fingertips, her image in the mirror instantly distorted and instead showed of a scene in a place. What was odd in this scene was that, it was moving.

She tried to look back, but there was nothing there that was in the mirror. She could see curious-looking people. They were at least human, but they had a different and weird taste on fashion. Most wore cloaks and pointed hats just like...witches.

Nancy noticed a woman wearing a billowing black cloak and a green pointed hat land softly on her broom on the cemented street.

When the scene came into clear focus, it looked to her like she could even step inside easily for where the wooden floorboards of the attic ended, the paved street started. They were connected. She started to think fast and pondered what to do. She could step inside if she wasn't going to crash face-first to the mirror or, she could step inside and get lost in this completely unknown place. Summoning all her courage, she decided.

With completely nothing to lose and realizing that surely this was where Grammy went, she took a deep intake of breath and closed her eyes as she started forward. When she opened her eyes, surprised that she wasn't hearing any crashing noise or feeling blood oozing from her head, she found herself exactly where she thought she would be, inside the mirror or on the other side of the mirror at least.

At first, Nancy grew frightened and when she looked back, she couldn't see the attic from where she came from. But she calmed herself down and tried to think positively. She decided to explore this place.

After walking around for a little while, it occurred to her that she was in some kind of alley with different stores selling incredible things. She continuously heard a few odd people walking past her say the word 'muggle' after flashing her dark looks.

Darting behind a shop, she bumped into someone.

"Oops, sorry," they both said at the same time.

Nancy looked up to see who she walked into. The boy she saw in front of her was also an absolute stranger. But he looked almost the same age as her so she decided to ask.

"Umm...can you help me? I think I'm lost," she started.

"Lost? In this place?" the boy looked at her, almost laughing. "Come, maybe my aunt can help you," he beckoned her into a passage.

As they went, Nancy introduced herself. "Er, I'm Nancy Parker. Do you live here?" she asked, without even thinking.

"Yeah, I'm David Carnate. Are you starting at Hogwarts this year?"

"No, I'm sorry but I don't know Hugwerts or was that right? Hugwerts, you say?"

"Oh, now I understand. Don't worry. Auntie will know how to help you," he said, realization dawning on his face.

Nancy started to notice that he kind of looked cute. What with that stunning blonde hair with a few strands falling on his face. He also had deep blue eyes and naturally pink lips.

They finally walked into a shop marked 'Carnate's Home for Magical Creatures.' Inside, they found a withering old woman sitting behind the counter.

"Auntie, I have a new friend here who needs your help," David introduced. "I think she's a muggle," he added, whispering to the old woman's ear before going out through the backdoor.

"Okay, David. You can leave her here with me," she replied.

After a quick nod at Nancy, David left.

"Umm...excuse me but can I ask what this place is?" Nancy tried to ask politely.

The woman scanned her through her thick-rimmed spectacles. "New here are you, eh? Starting your first year at Hogwarts? Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

"Diagon Alley? Hogwarts? I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about. You see, I walked into this mirror we have in our attic back home and the next moment, I found myself walking here on the street. But do you by any chance, know my grandmother?" Nancy asked.

"So you have portals at home? You must be really rich! What is your grandmother's name--" the old woman was cut-off. The door to her shop opened again and Nancy was surprised to find an oddly familiar woman walk inside.

"Grammy?" Nancy asked.

The newcomer, surprised to be called that, turned quickly to her. "Nancy? What are you doing here?" she hastily went to her side and hugged her.

"Oh, Grammy, I thought I was lost! What was all that in the attic? Where are we? Who are these people?" Nancy cried, in between tears.

Grammy and the old woman at the counter exchanged glances. Glances, that Nancy couldn't see.

"Let me explain later. Emmy," Grammy addressed the old woman, "please excuse us. See you later. We will come back, I promise," Grammy started leading Nancy to the door. She pulled out a fairly long stick from her coat pocket and murmured some words Nancy didn't understand. A door appeared out of nowhere in front of them and Grammy opened it.

They both walked inside. In a split second, they were back in the attic. Nancy felt like she had just gone off a rollercoaster.

"You certainly have a lot of explaining to do me, Grammy. And may I politely demand one, now?"

Grammy didn't say anything but instead drew out an old weather-beaten chair from a corner. "Sit down."

Nancy quickly obeyed, still shaking at her experience. It is not everyday that you can freely walk into your mirror at home and find yourself lost in a place where all the people there are total strangers to you.

Grammy now paced to and fro while rubbing her hands nervously. She wasn't totally sure it was the right time for her to reveal the things Nancy ought to know. In fact, she didn't even expect that thing to happen to them today.

"I have no intentions of telling you now. If you must, you'll have to ask that to your godfather. I am in no state of doing it myself."

"But Grammy...I-I deserve to know. I want to know..." Nancy pleaded.

Grammy sighed. "Okay, but first, let's go look for your godfather. I had decided on meeting him in that...place and bringing him here. But I guess he mistook the time and I had to find him. He's waiting at the Leaky Cauldron now."

Seeing the puzzled look on Nancy's face, Grammy explained. "It's a place where wizards-I mean we people meet and eat a tavern in other words, you know."

"Wizards," Nancy mused. "If it isn't quite rude of me, may I ask? By any chance...are you some kind of witch, Grammy? Please tell me the truth," Nancy pleaded.

"I'm not just some kind of witch," Grammy smiled. "I AM a witch. And so are you and your mother," she assured Nancy.

'So was that supposed to make me feel any better?' Nancy thought. "Why did you never tell me, Grammy?" Nancy can't believe what she was hearing, although she expected this from the moment she saw what was at the other side of the mirror.

"It's a long story, Nancy. We are making your godfather wait this long for us. Come, get your phone and call your friends up immediately. Tell them you can't meet them, but maybe you can tomorrow. I'm going to tell our chauffeur to go back to sleep," Grammy hastily went back downstairs.

After a moment of thought, Nancy went to her room and got her cell phone. Her fingers swiftly flew over the keypads as she texted her friends.

'They would never believe this.' She told herself and she decided to keep it a secret. She didn't want anyone fearing her or going away from her because of what she was.

When she went back to the attic, she saw Grammy standing before the mirror and waving the same stick she saw earlier at it. After a few moments, the image on the mirror swirled again and changed to show a small place full of tables and chairs like in a pub.

"What is that you're holding Grammy?"

Oblivious to the fact that Nancy was standing right behind her, Grammy jumped. She clutched her chest and breathed quickly and deeply.

"Don't come up to me like that, Nancy. You scared me out of my wits. For a moment, I thought I had a muggle in my house."

"Since when, did I start scaring you, Grammy? And what exactly is a muggle? I've been hearing that word in 'Diagon Alley' or whatever that place was."

"Forgive me, but I'm just being careful now. For eight whole years I was able to hide these things from you until you saw me today. And a muggle," Grammy's eyes sparkled, "is a non-magic human who knows not the true meaning of magic or even how to use it. Anyway, this is a wand," she fingered the lengthy stick and handed it to Nancy. "This would look plainly like a mirror to you," she pointed at the mirror. "But it is a portal. Not a portal to another dimension or all that sort of thing. But it is a portal that you can use to transport yourself to anywhere on this planet. If you have magical powers, you can just simply touch it so it may reveal to you where it took the last person to use it. That's why it took you to Diagon Alley. But if you're going to a different place, you have to use your wand, point it at the portal, and utter the place you want to go," she explained.

"Where are we going now?" Nancy asked, referring to the new scene in the portal.

"Oh, right. We're going to the Leaky Cauldron of course. Come here, Nancy. You see the old man with the very long beard sitting alone in the corner?" Grammy pointed.

Nancy followed her gaze. "Yes."

"That old man is your godfather."

***