LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 1: London
-A/N-
This is my first real try at writing something like a web novel. There are spelling and grammar mistakes, but if you can look past that, I hope you enjoy yourself.
"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
♫Song lyrics♫
•Song Title•
*Action sound*
~~~
The year was 1991. Edward Carter, A young boy, was sitting at his writing desk, making a plan. Edward, or Eddie as he liked to be called, wasn't an ordinary eleven-year-old but someone reincarnated from the future. He doesn't remember personal details of his previous life, like his name or parents, but he remembers he was born in 1994 and lived in Australia. He also remembers historical events and most knowledge. Because of that, he was very clever and quickly passed most of his school exams. But today, Eddie wrote a journal about which companies to invest in and how to make money.
Eddie sighed. He didn't know what he did in his last life, but this life wasn't great. England was usually cold and damp; he could remember the hot, beautiful land down under. He was listening to the radio to a band called Midnight Oil to stir memories of his past homeland. Eddie is an orphan with a foster family called the Malhooks in Spinner's End of Cokeworth. It is not a pleasant place to live, with deserted buildings and a smelly river. The Malhooks were nice-ish. Mr. Malhook worked at the mill until it was closed and now delivers the milk. Mrs Malhook tended to their vegetable garden and tried to keep a clean home. Eddie helped as much as he could, but there was no real love between the Malhooks and him. They offered him room and food, and he got them a paycheck from the government. They mostly stayed out of each other's way.
Spinner's end reminded Eddie of something, but he couldn't place it. Eddie just chalked it up to a missing memory that happened sometimes, especially when listening to music, like there was a memory attached to a song. Still, he couldn't remember it but felt the emotion of it.
So Eddie sat in his Spartanish room with a bed, writing desk, wardrobe, bookshelf and radio and wrote his world domination plan. When there was a tap on his window, he turned and saw an owl sitting on his window shelf with a letter clutched in its beak. Eddie's heart started pounding, and his eyes widened. He stood woodenly and walked to the window to accept the letter from the owl.
Edward Carter
12 spinner's end, cokesworth
Second-floor, the window on the left.
Flipping it over, he saw the seal, the badger lion eagle, and the snake wrapped around the H. Eddie was dumbstruck; he looked at his journal of world domination and then back to the letter. "Dammit, this changes everything!".
He opened the letter,
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Carter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Tomorrow, Professor Severus Snape will come to your house to guide you in buying your things for the coming school year.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy headmistress.
Things started to click in Eddie's head; Spinner's end was the home of Professor Snapes. he knew which house it was, too, because the Malhooks had warned him never to go near it. "The man who lives in that house is a grumpy guy who just wants to be left alone."
Eddie thought, 'Well, I'm a wizard in a fictional novel from my previous life'. "Excellent".
Eddie went downstairs to grab the owl a treat and show the letter to Mrs Malhook. She had gone out, so he grabbed some nuts and clean water from the cupboard and gave them to the owl. He hooted in thanks and, after refreshing himself, retook flight.
"Now", Eddie thought aloud ", if I am in the novel, then the next seven years are going to be dangerous." Eddie started to pace and remember the knowledge of his past life. "Snake face will come back in 4 years, and it will take three years to kill him." He stopped. "should I mess with Cannon or keep my head down?" Eddie stopped. The radio started to play a song by R.e.m, and Eddie lost himself in the music and the emotion that the song provoked.
•Losing my Religion by R.E.M•
♫That's me in the corner.
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion♫
Unbeknownst to Eddie, who was in a trance, his eyes closed and letting the music wash over him, a soft glow of light emanated from him, covering the room. Objects like his pillow and journal began to float. This had happened many times in Eddie's life, but he had failed to notice it. The Malhooks hadn't failed to see it, and that is why they had put up that emotional wall between them and him. They thought he might have telekinetic powers, and if things softly floated when he was in the musical trance, that was okay, but they wondered if they made him angry, what those powers could do. So they let the boy stay, and he wasn't a bad kid, just strange and more mature than others.
So, just before dinner time, when Eddie showed the letter to the Malhooks, it was like a lightning strike in their minds. "This explains so much." Mr Malhook said in astonishment
"Snape, why do I know that name?" mrs Malhook asked
"Tobias" mr Malhook answered.
"Oh, yes, this must be his boy", she replied, a bit uncomfortable. "Well, looks like he did well for himself; let's hope he's nothing like his father was", she stated venomously.
The Malhooks were an older couple in their 60s. They had been in Spinner's End for a long time.
"Eddie, I think this will be good for you, so work hard and become the great man Molly and I know you'll be", Mr Malhook said with a smile. It was probably the first genuine feeling of affection he had received from them.
"Ah, yes, sir," said Eddie.
The next day, Eddie and Mrs Malhook sat patiently in the living room; the old TV was playing the news quietly when they heard a knock at the door. Mrs. Malhook got up and answered. "Ah, Severus, it has been so long come in." Mrs. Malhook leads Professor Snape into the house. Eddie gets his first look at him, and to his surprise, he looks like the actor Alan Rickman and not the description in the book. "Eddie, this is Severus Snape, your new professor." Mrs. Malhook introduced.
"Hello, sir", Eddie said politely.
"Mr Carter, good to meet you, Mrs Malhook. You seem to be taking this quite well?" Snape said in a questioning tone.
"Oh, yes, well, we've been seeing Eddie do strange things for most of his life; we thought he was a telekinetic or something like that." She explained. Eddie had a surprised look on his face. "When you listen to music, dear, sometimes you would go in a trance, and things would float as if they didn't have gravity." She explained how even Severus was surprised.
"Interesting," he said.
"Severus, i was sorry to hear about your mother, we wernt close but i do rember eileen, and Tobias." Mrs Malhook said, "And you, when you were a young lad, always chasing after that head girl. What was her name again?."
"Lily Evans" supplied Snape in a dower tone." She was also a witch like Mr. Carter, born from muggle parents."
"Muggle?" Eddie questioned.
"Non-magic folks", Snape replied awkwardly.
"Sir, I don't know my parents", Eddie replied. "So, is it possible they were magical."
"Yes, but still, you were raised by muggles, so you know nothing of the wizarding world, and that is why I am here to guide you."
"And my foster family knows you, so that is why it is specifically you. Is that correct, sir?" Eddie asked
"Yes, usually, I am not sent on these types of things, but Dumbledore asked me because we live on the same street, and yes, the Malhooks have known of me my entire life," Snape explained.
"Severus, Eddie here is a bright, clever lad. You will look after him while at school, right." Mrs. Malhook said in a bit of a grandmother's way.
"Ah, yes, of course. Come along; we must head to Diagon Alley in London for your school supplies." Snape said and held out his arm.
"Right here you go, dear." Mrs Malhook gave him money: "It was what we saved for your school supplies."
Eddie looked and saw about 150 pounds, shocked. "Ah, this is too much, and I have some money from some odd jobs. You keep it," Eddie tried to refuse.
"No dear you keep it, we haven't been the best foster family but, we do care for you boy you know that right?" She said sweetly
Eddie nodded and looked at the money in his hand.
"Thank you, mrs Malhook" eddie said with a smile.
He took Severus' arm and said, "I'll be back for supper." Then it felt like he was pushed through a straw as Snape Apparited.