[AU thread for Miri] Platform 9 3/4

[herfathersdaughter]

[ Jasmine Suzette Tyler was not at all nervous to be going to Hogwarts, finally. She had all her things, and some pocket money from her mum, and a compartment all to herself!

Well, actually, there'd been some other kids in the compartment, but they'd left after a few moments. It was possible that she'd been talking too much. Or that her hair had been changing colors without her noticing. It did that sometimes. Mum always said she got the metamorphmagus genes from her father, though Jaz had no proof of that, so there had been no advice in the "getting on the train for the first time" list of tips and hints her mum had given her that had included "how to handle kids who think your hair is weird".

It was kind of depressing.

So Jaz Tyler, new first-year student at Hogwarts, is sitting in a compartment all by herself, with short-cropped frizzy hair that's a VERY mousy brown. She's really not in a good mood. ]

Comments

[bootlessinquisition]

[Miri's own hair is just as frizzy and unmanageable and threatening to escape from the ponytail it's been bound in. She's been sneaking looks at her books, and she can't wait till she's able to make hair potions. Maybe then it'll look as pretty as her mum's, even if the rest of her is still gangly and awkward like her dad.

Anyway, her problem is her cat - who's actually a Kneazle, as it turns out, she's just thought it was a cat for years and years. But no, the cat's a Kneazle, her dad's a wizard, and her mum...well, her mum is still normal. Unlike Ariel, who keeps throwing a fit whenever she tries to sit down in a compartment with other students.]

This is the last compartment, Ariel, and I swear I'm going to chuck you off the train this minute if you don't settle down! [She sounds a good deal more like her mum than she usually does then, and not like an eleven year old girl - till she notices someone else is there.] Oh, sorry. I, um, didn't see you were there. My cat's being a bit...difficult.

[herfathersdaughter]

[ Jaz has never been much of a kneazle person OR a cat person, so she crosses her eyes at Ariel before smiling at Miri. ] It's fine! You sound like my grandmum yelling just then. Not that you sound old, just, she says that sort of thing a lot. So does mum, actually, but neither of them ever do anything...

[ Jaz ponders this for about 20 seconds, then moves on abruptly. ] Is it named after the animated mermaid or the Shakespearean spirit?

[bootlessinquisition]

[Miri blushes at that - and Ariel, despite Jaz's crossed eyes, seems to have calmed down slightly.] Yeah, same thing with my mum and gran. 'Course, if my mum ever really tried to punish me, my dad would go against it in a heartbeat, so I expect that's why she never does it.

Shakespeare. [She rolls her eyes and sets the cat carrier down on an empty seat, then plops down next to it.] My name's Miranda, and my godmother gave her to me just after I was born, so my dad thought it'd be hilarious to name her Ariel. My dad's a bit weird sometimes. [Beat.] Nobody ever calls me Miranda, though, unless my mum's shouting at me, then it's 'Miranda Letitia Smith-Jones'. But, really, just Miri.

[herfathersdaughter]

Jasmine Suzette Tyler if I'm in trouble with mum, otherwise just Jaz. I haven't got a pet with me but mum SWORE I could get something for next year if I get good marks. What's it like having a dad?

[ Yeah, it's abrupt and completely out of nowhere and kind of tactless, but that's Jaz for you. She's leaning forward a little, looking curious, and if Miri's been paying attention, she might notice that Jaz's entire appearance has shifted to be much more similar to her own. Not identical, just... a little darker, hair a little coarser. That sort of thing. ]

[bootlessinquisition]

Technically, I'm probably not supposed to have Ariel, 'cos she's a Kneazle, not a proper cat, but don't tell anyone. I mean, you can't really tell the difference unless you look closely.

[Miri blinks, looking confused, and so she fails to notice Jaz's change in appearance. It's a strange sort of question; she's not really sure how to answer it.] I dunno, he's just...my dad. I didn't even know he was a wizard till I got my letter from Hogwarts. It's weird because that's the sort of thing he writes books about, but I never expected magic to actually exist.

[herfathersdaughter]

You didn't even know? [ Jaz is surprised by that for some reason. She knew muggle-born wizards existed, but wizards who don't even tell their kids that they could be magical? ] That's bollocks that is.

I won't tell anyone about her, though. Your cat, I mean. Wouldn't be fair if you couldn't have her just 'cause she's not exactly a cat. Wish MY godmum'd give me a cat, she mostly just gives me clothes. [ ...horror of horrors? ]

[bootlessinquisition]

It's my gran - she doesn't really approve of wizards, turns out, and my dad isn't half terrified of her. Apparently she slapped him not long after he and my mum first met, and it's all been downhill ever since. [Miri can't help but grin a little at the mental image of Francine slapping her dad, even though she thinks it was a mean thing to do.]

Clothes're the worst presents. [Miri nods sagely, in agreement.] I mean, clothes are nice and all, but presents are supposed to be fun. Like my dad, he always writes me stories for my birthday and Christmas, and sometimes just when he feels like it.

[herfathersdaughter]

[ Oh here's a giggle ] Mum says my gran slapped my dad, too, when she brought him home. There was a right awful row about it, Gran says.

I mean. They're nice clothes, I guess. [ Kind of dubious ] But mum says I'm not old enough for a broom, or a potions kit, or... or ANYTHING fun. Just books. Which is ok 'cause I like books, but not as much as other things. Had a potions set anyway, in Grandad's workroom, he never told anyone.

[bootlessinquisition]

Oooh! [Miri leans forward, her interest piqued.] Did you make anything interesting? I guess that's what my dad's been doing back in our garden shed all these years, fooling around with potions and magic and things. That'd explain the explosions, anyway. [She giggles a little at that.] Not that there're too many of those, but it's happened once or twice. 's why I'm not allowed in there. Maybe once I start learning how to do proper magic, though!

[herfathersdaughter]

Well, I tried a love potion last year, but I don't think it took. And there was giggling potion, and I swear I got the polyjuice potion working, but Grandad wouldn't let me try it and dumped it out before I could sneak it off. [ She's still sore about that.

Also, her hair is definitely longer than it was before. Also, did her eyes just go from being brown to being PINK? ]

I'll bet! You look really smart, he'll have to let you have a look at least!

[bootlessinquisition]

That's so brilliant, though! It's too bad your granddad caught you, I bet it would've worked otherwise. [Even though she has absolutely no idea what a Polyjuice potion is.]

[And then she sits bolt upright, staring intently at Jaz's face.] Whoa, what happened to your eyes?

[herfathersdaughter]

It was bloody awful, I was all set to do up as mum and go to the cinema or something.

[ Jaz then makes a face. Crosses her eyes, which turn green briefly before settling on an almost golden-brown, and shakes out her hair a little, which goes long, wavy, and copper. Her skin goes paler and her usual freckles pop back up across her nose. ] Sorry, they do that sometimes. I don't really think about it and then they just pop into something else! It's a nuisance.

[bootlessinquisition]

[Nope, still staring!] That is the coolest thing ever. Can anybody learn how to do it? [Because seriously, she wants to be able to do it too.] Your eyes were pink!

[herfathersdaughter]

[ A little sheepish ] Nah, it's something you're born with. I'm a metamorphmagi, it's a REALLY rare birth... thing. I guess it's sort of a magical condition, but it usually isn't like bad or anything.

I can make my face change shape, too, look! [ And this is her best approximation of Miri! ...She'll get better as she gets older. ]

[bootlessinquisition]

[Miri's jaw drops. Hey, it's close enough for her to be really impressed - granted, she's still easily impressed by magic stuff in general, but that's extra impressive.] That's...that's me! [Way to point out the obvious, Miri.] D'you just do people, or can you change into animals or something?