Snow Angels

*Snow Angels*

Keiko Chang woke up earlier than usual, to check the post. She tiptoed down the stairs, and ran to the front door. Letters were scattered on the floor, almost covering the whole hallway. The 15-year-old grabbed all the letters, grinning, and marched toward the kitchen table where she opened all those addressed to her.

Keiko looked a lot like her sibling, but seemed to be a little prettier. She had long, shoulder-length straight, dark hair, and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a long white night gown, that made her look like an angel with fuzzy bunny-slippers.

She reached for a yellow-enveloped letter, bearing a crest with four animals, which she eyed suspiciously.

"Must be for Cho," she thought, and turned the letter around to see whom it was addressed to.

She stopped breathing for a moment as she read the words: "To Miss Keiko Chang," written neatly with green ink on the parchment paper.

"CHO!" she shouted so suddenly, that Cho, who was walking down the stairs, gasped and tripped over the first step, almost twisting her ankle.

"For Merlin´s sake, Keiko!" she shouted back as she made her way to the kitchen. "What?"

Cho was wearing a men's T-shirt, bearing the Hufflepuff sign. It had been Cedric's, and it reached Cho's knees. Her hair was messier, and longer, compared to her sister's, but it was tied with a big blue rose, and made Cho look very sophisticated, even if she was in her pyjamas. She wore green slippers with the Ravenclaw sign in the middle of each. Right now, she had her hands crossed, and was frowning at her little sister.

The younger girl shot the yellow letter an evil look, as though it just insulted her, then handed it to her older sibling, scowling.

"It´s probably just a mistake," she said hopefully, as Cho opened it and read the content. They stood in silence for a few minutes, then Cho handed the letter back to her sister, and went to the refrigerator to get some milk.

"Uh...Cho?" said Keiko. "Mind telling me something?"

Cho placed two glasses of milk on the table and smiled.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, raised her glass and took a gulp.

"WHAT?" spluttered Keiko, looking scandalized. "HOGWARTS?" she shouted, staring at the letter. She took it in her hands and read it aloud.

Keiko´s voice trailed off, and she read the rest of the letter in silence.

The letter included the school list with books, and school supplies.

"How come I´m the last to know?" she asked weakly, after she had finished reading it, and took the glass of milk in her hands. "They can´t take me away from my friends, from my school, my teachers...from my LIFE."

She turned toward Cho, who was now cooking breakfast carefully with her wand.

"You knew, and you never told me," said Keiko softly. "YOU KNEW, AND YOU DIDN´T TELL ME!" she repeated shouting. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU´RE MY SISTER, I TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU DIDN´T TELL ME?"

Cho didn´t answer. She just continued stirring the omelet in the pan with her wand. After she emptied the pan and placed the hot plate with cheese omelet on the table, Cho looked up at Keiko, who seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Keiko," she said calmly, "I thought you´d be excited to go to Hogwarts and that´s why I didn´t tell you. Imagine, you´ll be with me in Ravenclaw, I´ll introduce you to my friends, it´s going to be great!"

Keiko squinted unpleasantly and gritted her teeth.

"I won´t go," she answered stubbornly. "You can´t make me."

"Make you do what?" asked a voice from behind.

"Oh, hi mum," said Cho.

A tall, beautiful woman came in. She had long hair, who framed her beautiful face, and long sparkling blue robes. She sat down next to her daughters.

"Have your received your letter from Hogwarts, Keiko?" she asked, in the same soft voice.

"Oh, mum, I suggest you don´t - "

"YOU´RE EVIL!" shouted Keiko, staring right into her mother´s eyes. "HOW - HOW COULD YOU SEND ME TO THAT - THAT FOUL SCHOOL?"

"HEY, DON´T CALL HOGWARTS FOUL," Cho shouted back, getting red in the face.

Mrs. Chang looked mildly surprised.

"Dears..."

"Sorry mum," said Cho, and got up to get some plates and forks.

"I hate you," said Keiko silently.

"Oh, really?" her mother asked calmly. "Why is that?"

Keiko frowned and sank in her chair.

"Keiko, you´re acting like a 5-year-old," said Cho, giving each a plate, forks and knives.

Keiko didn´t answer. She just scowled and stared evilly at her mother and sister.

"Hating us won´t solve anything," said Mrs. Chang. "Oh, and the omelet's just lovely," she added, and looked fondly toward Cho. Cho grinned.

"See?" said Keiko, and got up so suddenly that it looked like her seat was burning. "I can´t stand living with her all summer! I can´t even stand her during the holidays! I couldn´t possibly stand her a whole year!"

Cho looked hurt.

"Whaddya mean you can´t stand me?"

Keiko smiled nastily.

"Seeker. Beautiful. Smart. Talented. How many boyfriends?...Ah, yes, about twenty two...Everybody´s favorite! I couldn´t possibly go with her, at her school, make friends with her friends. We´re not alike. In fact, we´re very different!"

She got up, and slammed her hand on the table.

"I want to know why you transferred me."

Mrs. Chang raised her eyebrows. She nodded slightly.

"I don´t like your current school," she said simply. "It seems your friends have a very big influence on you. Your grades have dropped. I want to see if you´ll change your attitude around new people."

Keiko sat down. She thought for a moment, then proposed something.

"I´ll make a deal," she said calmly. "If I get sorted into a different house, I´ll stay. If I get sorted into Ravenclaw, I´ll leave."

Mrs. Chang frowned.

"It will be likely you will get sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Mum, yes, or no. That´s all."

Mrs. Chang looked and Cho. Cho shrugged.

"I can´t make that promise Keiko, I don´t know what to do if you´ll get -"

"Mum, yes or no."

Mrs. Chang closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Alright," she answered slowly. "If it's Ravenclaw, you leave, if it's any of the rest, you shall stay."

"Oh, but if I get sorted into Hufflepuff I couldn´t stay, it would be an embarrassment to the family -"

"Keiko."

"Yes?"

"Don´t push it."

"Oh, alright."

As Keiko left the kitchen, Cho sighed.

"She wants anything except the best house there is. I don't understand her."

"Neither do I," Mrs. Chang admitted.