Remembering Darkness

Harry Potter Is Not Real. I Am.

(AN Picture is of Ica)

Ica's POV

So, even after we found out about all that supernatural power stuff, Mum had NO IDEA that we knew, so we were actually expected to go to school like we were, like, like NORMAL PEOPLE.

I know. Crazy, right?

I was sorely tempted to call Childline at that point, but then I'd have to explain about the whole magic thing, and Miu had forbidden us to tell anyone about it. "Unless they know about it already, or it's a life-death situation."

When I'd complained to Melanie and moaned about why we had to zip it, she'd replied, "The same reason Harry Potter couldn't tell all the muggles!"

I had groaned. "Mel-an-ie. I'm not, like, six anymore! Anyway, Harry Potter is a fantasy thing which some people made seven books, eight films, one fandom and zillions of pounds out of, and this is all one hundred percent real!"

"Ah, but how do you know that Harry Potter isn't real?"

I'd trod on her foot accidently-on-purposely, grabbed my schoolbag and slammed the front door in her face.

Shame. Having magical powers would have really improved my popularity. See, me and Melanie are having serious popularity problems at the moment.

Well, I am. Melanie's fine. Since she was five, her best friend has been Jack, this boy from down the road. So, automatically she's the only female member of Jack's ultra-cool punk rock skateboarding gang.

Unfortunately, my only friend at the moment is this girl called Charlotte from next door.

Charlotte is the geek-girl of year eight. Her full name is Charlotte Alice Williams, which is the most fabulous name for her because her initials are CAW, and her over-sized glasses which dominate her face make her look like some type of bird.

I'm only really friends with her because:

A) When her family moved in next door, MY MUM (Note: Not me) invited her round so now Charlotte is convinced we're best friends or something.

B) I have to spend a lot of time with her anyway, because she lives next door so we end up walking to and from school together.

C) It's kinda useful having a geek as your best friend when your Physics homework doesn't make sense, or you forgot that the dreaded Geography test was today.

D) Either I'm friends with Charlotte, or I'm A COMPLETE AND UTTER LONER.

Also, she isn't so bad when you get to know her.

I already told you about her glasses, right? Her skin is pale, her hair is ginger, her eyes are hazel, her face is littered with freckles and her clothes were fashionable about ten years ago.

I walked silently by her side all the way to school. Well, I was silent. Charlotte was chattering about her cousin's wedding preparations. Normally I would have been interested because I met her cousin once, she's really nice, and I like hearing about dresses and stuff, but today I was way too busy thinking about:

What does it mean by 'You can control light?"

I probably have another sibling (from what Miu let slip).

How come I can control light?

I could have another sibling?!

How do I control light?

I wonder what gender my other sibling is?

...You get the idea.

By the time Charlotte was describing the flowers she was going to wear in her hair as a bridesmaid, we were through assembly, and gathering our books ready for Period One.

Weird. This boy, I supposed he was good looking but that wasn't relevant, was rummaging around in the locker next to mine. That locker had been empty since the beginning of the year.

"Hey, I think you've got the wrong locker." I told him. "This one's been unoccupied since September."

The boy stared at me back. Yeah, now I could see his face, he definitely was kind of hot. His hair was dark, his eyes blue-green, his skin tanned.

"Ooh yes." He said sarcastically. "I'm a ghost. I died the first day back at school when the bus ran over me. I have been known to haunt this locker, the locker that would have been mine, every Friday morning." He switched the sarcasm off. "Seriously girl, I've been at this school for two years and a bit now. Just because I'm the year above you, it doesn't mean your head needs to be SO FREAKIN' IN THE CLOUDS YOU DON'T NOTICE THAT THE LOCKER NEXT TO YOURS IS OWNED."

"No." I was definite that the locker had always been unused. "Who are you? I definitely haven't seen you before."

"Exactly! Because you're so self-centred, you don't see past your own personal bubble! Now excuse me, Miss Rosler, but I have to go to my Chemistry class." He strode off.

Wait. How did he know my name?

"Hey! The Science Block is that way!" I pointed out. He was going in completely the wrong direction.

But he was gone.

Who was that boy? He most definitely wasn't from my school. I'd never seen him before in my life, that locker had been empty since the beginning of term, and he hadn't known where the Science Block was.

But he had known my name.

Charlotte walked up to me. Her locker was close enough so she had seen us, but far away enough for her to have not heard.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "Ica! A boy spoke to you!"

As I mentioned, our popularity level is pretty low.

"Do you like him? What did he say? He looked really hot. Is he one of Melanie's friends?"

I shrugged. "Nah. Never seen him before. He was a total idiot. Like most boys."

"That's really sexist." Charlotte noted.

"No, no, no. I'm not saying that all humans of the male sex are idiots. It just so happens that every single boy my age I've ever met is. I'm sure there are plenty of male teenage human boys in the world who are perfectly nice, it just so happens that I haven't met one yet."

"Offensive, then."

I settled with that.

"Did I tell you about the sugar paste flowers on the cake..."

I half listened as I opened my locker to get out my German books.

There was a piece of paper inside, resting on top of something.

The note read:

Meet me again here. Tomorrow at ten. Make sure you are alone.

M

Weird.

I looked at what was underneath the note.

No way.

It was that painted stone carving

The one from Wikipedia.

The one with the carving of Niamh and Ciardha's deaths on.