Happy Holidays folks.
This is the first three chapters of the story I am writing about,
Sarah Goode and the castle of witchcraft and wizardry
by Phil Vlasak
Disclaimer: This story
is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling,
various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is
being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
CHAPTER ONE The sanctuary.
Salem Massachusetts, June 1995
Sarah flew through the forest, her long thatch of straw-colored hair
disturbed by the air rushing past her ears. Gripping her racing broom
tightly, she was concentrating on her prey, not noticing the cloud of
dust and leaves billowing in her wake. She flew hard and fast, as if she
could escape the storm, which had peaked behind her, over the large oak
trees.
It was already casting huge raindrops in her face drenching the lush
landscape. Soon she would be soaking wet and when she caught up to it, the
little bird might slip out of her slick fingers. Just ahead was a rock
formation, and she knew under it was a labyrinth of caves, a
perfect sanctuary. The creature flying ahead of her was small and its golden
color flared blindingly as the lightning flashed behind them.
The bird rushed just a little faster than her, seeking a means of escape.
With the Snidget's wind chime wings slowing, the bird shot quickly into
the cave opening not much larger than it. A moment later, Sarah slowed
herself and dropped to the ground with a thud,twigs breaking off,
swiftly dismounting. She pulled the wet hair from her eyes, then looked at
the opening in the cliff face. Whipping her wand out, pointing it into the
small crack where the bird went, she tried a Summoning Charm
without luck. Sarah put her ear to the hole and could hear the fading ring
of the Snidget's wings flying away.
"Merlin's Beard!" she
exclaimed, pounding her fist on the unmovable rock.
She knew that finding the location of the endangered Snidget hideout would
need her to recover a bird as proof.
Even her best effort at catching the bird in the air failed. It was obvious
she would need a
faster broom than her old Shooting Star to succeed.
She was so over school. "Same people, same
teachers, going to your room, worrying about stupid boys . I wanna get
something going, I wanna travel," she kept telling herself over and over
in the past weeks. Then, a friend told her of a Snidget sighting that put
Sarah on her quest to find it.
Sarah had enjoyed exploring the dense forest around Salem alone after her
graduation searching for the Snidget .
But now she only felt frustrated that the bird had escaped into the hill.
Rain pelted the teenage girl as she examined the massive boulder looking to
find a larger way inside. Sarah heard that the caves were once home to a
group of Puritan Religious dissenters escaping during the Salem
Witch Trials of 1692.
The rain was falling harder now and her robe was drenched. At a flash of
lightning Sarah noticed a snake slithering into a bush about ten feet to her
left. It was muttering in snake language, "dry, dry, must get
dry."
Sarah carefully stepped over to that bush and examined where the snake went.
When she pulled the branches away, she found a gap large enough for her to
squeeze through. "Lumos!"
She illuminated her wand and examined the opening, then said, "This better
be good," She stepped inside the mouth of the cave. It was cool and dark,
and the smell was musty and acrid. The snake had long gone so
she couldn't talk to it in parselmouth, but she could still hear the
ringing of the birds wings.
Sarah left her broom near the
entrance and continued on, following the faint, but distinct sound
through a tunnel to the left. Sarah glanced back in the direction of the
opening to the forest listening to the thunder getting closer,
then said, "Flagrate" and placed a fiery X on the wall, and continued down
the
side tunnel. Sarah heard tell Some of the passages ran on for miles.
She reached an area that looked like it was caved in from the rocks covering
the ground. She seemed uncertain about what she should do, running her
fingers through her hair, then made up her mind and
scrambled ahead.
"Okay, Snidget, I'm coming for you." She mumbled under
her breath.
The passageway was darker and cooler and obviously not well
used. Each time she made a turn or reached a fork she listened intently
then placed a mark to help her find the way back.
The sound of the Snidget's wings were louder now. The walls ahead were
slightly
illuminated, and lights danced across them.
Sarah pressed herself
against the wall as she whispered, "Nox." putting out her wand. Then she
slowly, very slowly crept towards the ethereal lights. As Sarah rounded a
corner, she held her breath as she spotted three Snidgets lit by a
glowing object. Looking down she was mesmerized. It was a wand held in the
bony hand of
