章 143: Normal Nortons

It was 22 July. A hot summer morning and also a teenage girl's birthday in Norton house. She just became fourteen.

Like the last three years, even this year her father plan's of throwing a party and calling her school friends in their house was busted. Though he didn't realize why his daughter refused this time, he trusted his daughter's decisions.

It was almost three o'clock in the evening. The girl was lying on the floor in the living room. Head on a pillow lying on the ground and legs were resting on the couch. In short, she was lying upside down. While watching a movie with some popcorn and juice in the living room of their house.

Her school starts on September 1st, so now she was enjoying the summer.

As red sun rays fell on her blue eyes through the windows, she groaned and looked at the window screens. The screens automatically closed on their own. She smiled and concentrated on the movie.

After half an hour the movie ended. She finished her popcorns and juice and got up. She pulled her messy deep brown hair into a bun, upon her head then opened the front door and walked out to their lawn. She sat on the steps while examining the flower beside her.

"Good evening, Christina." Said a voice.

She looked up and saw the middle-aged lady from the next door, standing in their own lawn. She was watering her plants.

"Good evening, Mrs. Hemel."

"Nice day. Isn't it?" Mrs. Hemel said. "Why spend so much time indoors, dear? You should walk out often."

Though the day was pretty hot, according to Mrs. Hemel it was nice because she had seen much more hot weather, where she lived before.

"Yeah, I should."

"Ye, of course,e you should. Wait, John is going to the theatres tonight. You want to go?" Mrs. Hemel said smiling.

"Er... I can't Mrs. Hemel. Sorry. Dad will be home any minute now and I promised him, we'll eat together tonight." She made a sad face.

"Oh! It's alright. But if you need to go out you can always call my Johnny. Okay?"

"Yeah sure." Saying this she hurried back into the house and ran straight upstairs to her room. Opening her room's door she groaned again. The room was a mess. Clothes, shoes, huge size books, were everywhere in the room. She sighed and waved her hand. The things started to rearrange themselves. The clothes went neatly into the closet, the shoes followed them into a different closet. The books floated on the table one by one. She opened the window and stood there feeling the light breeze.

John is Mrs. Hemel's son. The Hemels came to the neighbourhood two years ago. After that, they were very good to the Nortons. It's not the first time Mrs. Hemel insisted to help them. She's always like this. Her son John was also friendly.

But the girl in Norton house wasn't leading a very charming normal life. She was studying in Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Apart from that, last year she saw the dark wizard of all time coming back to full-body, and a ten centuries-old wizard was after her and was trying to kill her (maybe).

A few moments later there was a knock on her door and a man entered.

"I hope you're not full because Mrs. Weasley have sent you fruit cakes." He said smiling. "Also I'm making special dinner tonight."

"Alright. I'll be hungry again in three hours." She replied holding the hands out for cakes, grinning. "Give me the cakes, Dad."

He laughed.

"Here. Take this too." He handed two packets to her. "Mr. Weasley said their owl was a little busy."

"I know."

"Come down in two hours." He said and walked out of the room.

She hurriedly opened the packages. One was full of fruit cakes and other had a birthday card from Ginny, her best friend from school and a t-shirt from Ginny's older twin brothers, WEASLEYS' WIZARD WHEEZES written on it, with some moving fireworks.

She piled it with her other gifts from her friends: Luna Lovegood, Colin Creevey, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Jason Fawley.

At that moment her pet owl Leon came in through the open window and dropped a note on her hand.

She opened it.

Dear Christina,

THE DATE is still the same as we decided. You better be prepared.

And Happy Birthday.

Sirius.

She peered out of the window and looked around the empty streets. Then saw a big black dog pacing near the bushes.

It's been hardly three weeks she came back to her house after school. Now she has to leave again.

She went downstairs and entered the kitchen.

"What're you cooking?" She asked putting the fruit cakes on the table.

"Roasted chicken with salad." Her dad replied grinning. "Your favourite."

"Great. I'll make the salad." She said pulling a knife out of a drawer.

"You okay, eagle?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Er... when are you leaving for Asia?"

"As you asked... August 1st."

"Good."

"I still don't know why you've to leave one month earlier and why you want me to leave on the same day?" He sighed.

"Because our headmaster asked me to back one month earlier this year." Which was half-true. Dumbledore, her school headmaster indeed asked her to leave her house one month earlier but where she'll go? She had no idea.

"You know I can understand that something is going on. Something big. You're being worried if I'm late.... Mr. Weasley coming with me to our neighbourhood after work, just for talking about muggle technology... a black dog pacing around our house many times.... and you refusing to get out of the house at any cost.... you think I haven't noticed?"

"You're overthinking Dad." She said cutting a cucumber.

"Am I?"

"It's serious Dad. I can't tell you." She sighed. "I just want you to be safe."

"Is that mean you're in danger?" He looked alarmed.

"I'll be alright. I'm a witch, remember?"