Chapter One: Diagon Under Attack!
One wild cart ride later, they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Gabrielle didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money. Her mother put her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and Gabrielle looked up at her with happy eyes.
"We should start by getting your uniform," said Hanna, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. "Listen, Gabrielle, you are more than old enough to enter the shop on your own… Why you get fitted for your robes I need to go look at something close by. I will be back by the time your done okay?" Gabrielle nodded at her mother, so she entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.
Madam Malkin was a short, smiling witch dressed in black.
"Hogwarts, sweetie?" she said, when Gabrielle started to speak. "Got the lot here. There are other students being fitted right now by my assistants so I'll help you."
In the back of the shop, a girl with a pale, stunning face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up her long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Gabrielle on a stool next to her, slipped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it up to the right length.
"Hello," said the girl, "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," said Gabrielle.
"My name's Rosie, my dad's next door buying my books, and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the girl. She looked as excited about wands as Gabrielle did. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at owls. I think I'll try and talk them into getting me one, maybe a cat. Do you have your own pet?"
"No," said Gabrielle, shaking her head.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"Yes," Gabrielle responded excitedly, "I play as a chaser. I'm quite good, well at least I like to think so. How about yourself?"
"I do as well. Except I play as a beater. Father says I'm bound to be picked to play for my house, except I don't see why first years can't play. It's just not fair."
Gabrielle nodded, not really thinking much of it.
"By the way my name is Gabrielle, Gabrielle Debney, but you can call me Gabi."
Gabrielle held out her hand and Rosie shook it. "Nice to meet you, Gabi." she said politely.
"I say, look at that owl!" said Rosie suddenly, nodding towards the front window. Hanna was standing there, grinning at Gabrielle and pointing at a beautiful baby barn owl to show why she couldn't step inside. So that's where her mum had gone, to get Gabrielle her very own owl. One look at the barn owl and she knew that Athena would be the perfect name for her.
"That's my mum," said Gabrielle, pleased to see the beautiful owl.
"Wow," said Rosie, "I've heard about her. She used to be an Auror, right?"
"Yeah, she still works in the Ministry of Magic, but not as an Auror," said Gabrielle. Her mother was known as one of the most famously celebrated Auror in their time.
"Is that so? My dad works in the Ministry as well. Department of International Magical Cooperation."
"That's really cool!" said Gabrielle.
Rosie nodded her head. "He is never home much, well with the war and all he is always out meeting other Ministries and trying to convince them to join our side and not his."
Gabrielle shuddered at the mention of the most evil dark wizard of their time. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Rosie didn't have to say his name for Gabi to know whom she was talking about.
Madam Malkin had just finished up with the last of her robes and as she stepped off the stool Gabi gave Rosie her address and told her to write her an owl sometime before the summer was over. Gabi knew they would become famous friends. She could just, tell.
"Mother," Gabi said when she walked out of the shop." "I made a new friend. She's going to be a first year like me. Oh, and thank you so much for the owl. I already picked a name for her. Athena." She said with a smile.
"Great dear. I am sure you're going to make plenty more friends at Hogwarts as well. And that name seems to suit her. She looks like an intelligent owl."
"Where should we head next mum?" Gabi asked with excitement in her voice.
"Well I already got all of your other school supplies. We need to be home before sundown, so now all we need is your wand."
With a nod, a stomach full of butterflies Gabi headed toward the wand makers shop. This was what Gabi had been waiting for since she turned 7-years old and it was finally happening. After four long years she would be able to have her own wand.
They arrived at Ollivanders. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a green cushion in the front window. The shop was narrow and shabby.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, filled with many, many shelves. Thousands of narrow boxes filled those shelves, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. The very dust in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
"Good afternoon, little Ms. Debney," said a soft voice, startling her. "I rather suspected I'd be seeing you here soon."
A man around her grandmother's age was standing behind the counter, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
Mr. Ollivander stepped around the counter. Gabi hadn't yet seen him blink those creepy silver eyes.
"Your mother owns a mahogany wand. 12 inches. Bendable. A little more power than any wand I've ever sold and excellent for transfiguration. You see, I remember every wand I have ever sold. You should also know Ms. Debney that it is the wand who chooses the wizard or witch."
Gabi nodded, she could see herself reflected in those misty eyes.
"Well then, with that note let's get you fitted. Miss Debney, which is your wand arm?"
"Left."
Mr. Ollivander snapped his fingers and a measuring tape hurried over and began taking all sorts of measurements on Gabi. It measured from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and round the head.
"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We customarily use unicorn hairs, phoenix feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
As he talked, Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the two tapes crumpled to the floor. "Right then, try this one. Cherry and dragon heartstring. Ten inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Gabi took the wand and, feeling silly, waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"
Gabi tried, but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back.
"Give this one a wave."
Gabi did so again, and a dozens boxes flew out of the shelves. Mr. Ollivander shook his head. "No, apparently not." He handed over another. Gabi tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the counter, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"A very tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere. Miss Debney, try this."
Gabi took the wand and raised it above her head. She swished it down and a stream of blue and bronze sparks filled the air around her.
"Oh! How pretty!" said Gabi. "Those are really a good pair of colors together aren't they mum?"
Mr. Ollivander was nodding to himself as he put the wand away and wrapped it in brown paper, very satisfied. "Yes, a rather strong wand. 9 ½, vine, unicorn hair, this wand will work perfectly in your future charms classes. Absolutely great for Charms spells."
Gabi smiled, so very proud of her wand. It was a real beauty. Her mother smiled. They thanked Mr. Ollivander and paid him seven galleons and they headed on their way. Gabi noticed that the sun was nearly gone.
Hanna grabbed Gabi the shoulders and told her to stay close. They headed toward the brick wall that led out of Diagon Alley. Before they made it however, a shudder went down her spine and a huge wind almost knocked her off her feet. Everyone stopped dead in his or her tracks. A sort of storm was headed straight for Diagon Alley. Hanna pulled out her wand and tried to push through the crowd as everyone headed for the same exit.
Thunder made the ground shake and the hairs on Gabi's arm to stand up. The group was moving slowly and they couldn't make it to the exit fast enough. Hanna pushed Gabi out of the crowd's way and tried to apparate themselves out of Diagon, but it wasn't working. It seemed like a barrier was blocking them from leaving. Hanna cursed and tried to push harder for the exit, but so many other witches and wizards were doing the same and there just wasn't enough time. Hanna knew what was coming. She didn't fear for herself, but for Gabi.
Three big, black clouds, or at least that's what they looked like came down from the sky and threw spells at all the shops windows. People screamed and ran anywhere they could. More black clouds came. They were shooting spells at anyone they could and dragging them away from the crowd. They left with the people they attacked and more clouds came each time one left. People were on the floor trying to crawl away. More screaming, more crying, everyone was scared. Mothers were calling for their children, children cried for their mothers.
Gabi held on to her mother, but Hana bent down and shook her. She told her to hide as best she could between the buildings and stay put. She would be back for her she said. She had to help people get out as safely as possible. Gabi was a big girl she said. Gabi felt smaller when her mother said that for some reason. Gabi saw her mother take on three wizards on her own. She stunned two, but another one shouted an Unforgivable and her mother was on the floor screaming. Cuts could be seen erupting all over her mother's body. Gabi was afraid, but she couldn't do anything. People were helping, but it seemed that no one stood a chance against the many dark witches and wizards.
Gabi had to do something so she stepped out her hiding place and ran to the witch who had her wand pointed at her mother as she laughed. Gabi pulled out her and pointed it at the evil, ugly looking witch.
"You leave my mother alone!" she shouted with more courage than she felt she had. Flames erupted out of her wand and went straight for the woman's face.
"Why you little!" cried the witch. She pointed her wand at Gabi.
Before anything could be done however, white 'clouds' came down from the skies and started attacking the dark witches and wizards. In a matter of seconds the evil dark 'clouds' disapparated through the skies and Gabi fainted from the fear and the close encounter she almost had with an Unforgivable…