Prologue
They say we are the copycats. They say we took magic and destroyed it, ripped it to shreds, until we got it to work our way. They say we do not deserve to live with equal gifts of theirs or with their prodigies. They say our children and nieces and nephews are living in a world of vein that has never faced hardship. They say we are ungrateful of what we have. They say we are polluting magic with our scum.
They do not know how wrong they are.
***
The Salem Institutes of Magic reside in the United States of America. There are three different locations, governed by the same board in the American Ministry of Magic. The first school was developed when the colonies formed; it is located in Massachusets, named after the town of Salem that it resided in. Soon though it's location shifted when population began to grow. It now resides a little off from Salem, but close to nonetheless. The second was created when settlers began to move South and further West. near a town called Winters in the state of Texas. Of course more immigrants arrived and more of them moved further West. In the early 1900s the final school was established around 30 miles West of Fresno, California.
Canada and Mexico were allowed to enroll in Salem, but they also had private smaller schools for themselves, which most went to.
Salem is an Eight-Year program which young witches or wizards begin at the age of ten, leaving at eighteen. This leaves a full year or so when one is of legal wizarding age. Salem is a largely modern school; whereas large quantities of magic cause technology to stop working, the Board of Directors, with Ministry approval, created a blocking wall in certain areas for telephones and radios to work (such as the dorms and common rooms). This way we could be in touch with the world outside of the walls of Salem.
Yes, we're different. But because we have to be. We're not copycats; we adjusted. Sometimes we are the same though. Each school has three main towers, each named after a famous inventor. West's are Laverne, Damocles, and Stroulger. Up until your fifth year you're forced to room with every other student of your gender, in a room for your age. It gets difficult living with more than a hundred other girls. So at the end of your fourth year one gives their request for the tower, and with whom to the transfiguration teacher. The final that year is to create your room. We got extra points for creating an undetectable extension charm with the help of one of my friend's older brother. Way advanced.
We have other stuff that's the same as the other schools as well. Our classes were the same, we played quidditch, etc; it was the history that was different. And the way. But that is going to change.
Chapter 1: Start of Term
"You were supposed to meet me in the garage!" Adriana's voice rang through the room, snapping me out of a wary sleep.
"What?!" I sat up quickly, too quickly, hitting my head on the shelves above my bed, causing a momentarily lapse. "Ouch!" Then I saw my best friend smiling at the door, jet black hair pulled into a bun at her neck as usual, T-shirt tied at her waist from the hot air with jeans; she had a few bags at her feet, and pygmy puff, Reg, on her shoulder. "Age!" I cried, jumping up and wrapping my arms around her tall athletic-like frame.
She hugged me back tightly. "You should've visited, Leah."
Salem: West stayed open durring the summer for misfits like we without anywhere to go. Adriana always tried to get me to go with her to Las Vegas, where her mom and dad are, but I was always scared of her dad's pure-blood nonsense.
A few moments later we stopped hugging, both with tears in our eyes. "Missed you, Lee-lee," she said.
"Missed you to, Age," I smiled. "You got more stuff in your car?" I gestured to the bags at her feet.
"Nah, learning to pack light." She said , smiling brightly, pulling her three duffel bags and bookbag on her bed. As she started putting stuff away she asked, "So how's Salem? Did you get Quidditch captain for Stroulger?"
"No word yet," I grumbled. "Usually it's out before this, but I haven't heard."
"If anyone should get it it's you," Age said. "You've been on the team second year, chaser reserve for a year, and now that Kirk's gone you're sure fire. Only this year and next."
"Gee, thanks, Adriana," I shook my head. "I know, I know. I just don't get it. But there are four more continuing on, so I guess we'll just have to see." I shrugged noncholantly.
"You'll get it," Age reassured me. "Definately."
"When's Jen getting in," I asked; Jenny being one of our remaining two dorm-mates.
"Five," Age answered, smiling slightly to herself. She adored Jenny. "And right now it's Four-Thiry, so we have an hour."
"Dinner's at Six," I said. "And it takes about fifteen minutes to walk to the bus stop. I don't know if we have time..."
"Oh," Age said quietly before looking up at me with big hazel eyes and whining like a dog.
"I don't want to go to the kitchens," I replied, trying not to look at her.
"I can tell." She poked at my ribs. "Have you eaten anything? Looks like you've only been living in here." She gestured to the hidden cave that is or bedroom, consisting of clothes thrown out of the closet, and empty junk food containers.
"I've been doing other things," I said defensively. "I go into the city sometimes. Or practice Quidditch."
"I told you to do other stuff, Leah," Age said with the motherly town of voice she sometimes got.
I rolled my eyes. "Things aren't going that great, Age."
"Your dad?"
"Supposidly." I layed against the pillows on my bed, Adriana came and sat cross-legged at the end of my bed.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I got a letter." I smiled begrudgingly. "For the first time in six years, a letter, that wasn't a check and a 'Hope everything's good, kiddo.'"
"What did it say?" Adrian asked tentatively.
"He's getting married."
"It was an invitation?"
I shook my head. "An announcement. SHe probably doesn't know I even exist. Like he barely acknowledges." I stopped seeing my dad when Napier, our Divination teacher, came to the foster home I was at to tell me about Salem. I didn't know where I got the magic from.
"It's okay, Lee-lee," Adriana said. "It'll be okay."
***
We decided to go raid raid the kitchens until it was time to leave for Jenny's bus. We put the food in my messenger bag and hauled it out to a courtyard that was shaded by big oak trees, keeping out the San Joaquin Valley air.
"Meet anyone?" I asked Age.
"Meh," she shrugged. "Here and there. Nothing special. What about you? Kenny still trying?"
"Only a friend, Age," I smiled. "Destined for the friend zone. Did hang out with him and Alan for a bit though. They both came back a month or so ago."
"That's good," She aggreed. "You needed some company."
"I am my own company," I scoffed.
She just shook her head and took a bite of the chicken sandwich she made in the kitchens. Although we had house elves, Adriana preferred to cook herself. They didn't mind.
I looked at her eat and took a bite of the cucumber and pepper jack sandwich she made me. I understood people who ate meat, but I couldn't myself anymore. Too used to not having it.
We started heading down the path to the bus stop, muggle buses ran back here, from the amtrak station. The muggles didn't know why they were stopping in the middle of the mountains, but it worked.
We were mostly silent, panting from the heat and stopping in the shade. It was 5:25 when we finally got there; I had shed my overshirt and was just wearing my tank top, and Age had her jeans rolled up. We flopped onto the ground under the tree by the stop.
