Iphigenia's 11th Birthday

June 29th, 1990

"Happy birthday, dear Genie! Happy birthday, to you!"

The birthday girl squeezed her grey eyes shut as her mother set the cake in front of her, all 11 candles burning brightly, and she thought of her birthday wish.

I wish something incredible would happen to me.

She took a deep breath then blew out the candles all together, making sure not to take an extra breath. Iphigenia was a firm believer in wishes so she had to make sure this one counted.

Iphigenia Elise Innes was, by all accounts, a very normal girl growing up in the very normal town of Cokeworth, England. She lived in a small one story house with her mother and step-father and all of her books for company. She didn't have any friends and she ended up spending most of her time reading. There were plenty of children around her age in the neighborhood and at school but they didn't want anything to do with Iphigenia.

You see, weird things tended to happen around Iphigenia. When she was only five she tried making friends with another girl in her day care. When the other girl refused to share the doll she was playing with, Iphigenia couldn't help but get upset. As she tried to hold in her tears the doll caught fire in the other girl's hands causing her to drop the doll. Once the other girl had let go of the doll the flames extinguished and the doll was left looking just as it had, as if it had never been on fire. Iphigenia hadn't been in trouble at school because of it but her step-father hadn't been so happy when the teacher called home to explain the situation. He made sure to punish her by sending her to bed without dinner and without her books.

Another time a few summers ago, Iphigenia had been playing with a kitten at the neighborhood playground. She swore that the kitten was actually understanding what she was telling it, when a group of boys from her school came up and demanded she give them the kitten to play with. Iphigenia knew that the boys wanted to harm the kitten so she tried protecting it from them. She had held the kitten against her body, whispering for the boys to leave her and the kitten alone as she squeezed her eyes shut in fright. The next thing she heard was the boys shouting from farther away than they should have been. Iphigenia opened her eyes only to find that she was still cradling the kitten but she was now sitting on the top branch of the tree she had been originally sitting under. Again, her step-father was furious as he stood with the firefighters trying to get her and the kitten down. And, once again, she was sent to her room without access to any of her books, no matter how much she tried to explain that she hadn't done anything.

Both of those episodes had been the most noticeable, but plenty of other little things happened to Iphigenia all the time, no matter how much her mother ignored them and her step-father punished her for them. Most of the other kids in the neighborhood stayed clear of Iphigenia, knowing that strange things always happened around her. If her mother ever asked, Iphigenia didn't mind the solitude but if she was being honest to herself she would have probably made her birthday wish something more along the lines of 'please let me make a friend this year'.

So here sat Iphigenia and her mother at the small dining table for two in their modest kitchen, celebrating Iphigenia's 11th birthday by themselves, her step-father having left early for work.

"What did you wish for this year, Genie?" Her mother, Agnes, asked before taking a bite of the chocolate, toffee, peanut butter cake she had made that morning. Iphigenia gave her mother a look of exasperation.

"Mom!" She exclaimed, almost throwing her fork as she threw her hands up. "You know I can't tell you if I want it to come true!"

Agnes chuckled and nodded. "Alright, that's fair. However, if it had anything to do with what you wanted as a gift, you should probably give me a clue."

Iphigenia became more subdued and shoveled as big a piece of the cake as she could fit into her mouth, trying to bide her time before she answered.

The Innes family didn't have a whole lot of money - being a single mother of a growing child with the salary of a store clerk wasn't the most lucrative of situations and her step-father, Bruce, was a construction worker who only had an income when his crew had an active project. Iphigenia knew her mother couldn't afford the same things that the other kids' parents could, but she truly didn't mind. As long as they had each other and Iphigenia had a new book to read, Iphigenia could do without the latest toy craze.

"I didn't ask for anything in general, mom," Iphigenia said without looking her mother in the eyes, "it's okay."

Her mother opened her mouth and was about to tell her daughter that she needed to act more her age and shouldn't concern herself with money, but she was cut off by a knock at the front door. Agnes almost ignored the person at the door but her daughter was intrigued and got up to answer it. Agnes followed close behind, knowing that they weren't expecting any visitors. Iphigenia opened the door just as the person on the other side had lifted their hand to knock again.

A stern looking woman with her black hair pulled back into a bun stood outside with her hand poised to knock. She wore a long, long sleeved black button down dress and had glasses perched on the edge of her nose.

"Good morning," The lady said, looking between Iphigenia and her mother. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I believe this young lady must be Iphigenia Innes."

Agnes put her hand on Iphigenia's shoulder protectively, and regarded the woman.

"Can we help you?" Agnes asked, trying to be polite but also wondering who this strange woman was and how she knew her daughter.

"Yes, but I believe this discussion would best be taken inside, perhaps with a spot of tea." McGonagall said.

"I'm sorry, but we were actually in the middle of something. Now is not a good time," Agnes said, and she tried to shut the door but McGonagall pulled a stick from a deep pocket in her dress and waved it at the door. Agnes was unable to budge the door in either direction. "What is going on?"

"Has Iphigenia ever done anything strange that you couldn't explain?" Minerva McGonagall asked patiently before turning to Iphigenia and addressing her directly. "Have you ever had something happen that you would have thought impossible, maybe when you were scared or angry?"

Iphigenia glanced over her shoulder at her mother who was still struggling to move the door, her face more pale than usual.

"Mom," She whispered, having recalled all of the strange things that had happened around her. The last thought she had was the wish she had made not just 10 minutes ago. "I think we should let Miss McGonagall in."

Agnes stopped and looked between the unknown woman and her daughter, having been running over all of the strange incidents in her own mind as well, knowing that she could no longer ignore everything. Agnes stepped aside and gestured for McGonagall to enter their home. As soon as she had passed over the threshold, the door was suddenly free. Agnes shut the door and led the small group into the kitchen where she did indeed put on the kettle for tea.

For the next half hour or so Professor McGonagall, as Iphigenia had learned her to be, explained all about Iphigenia being a witch and her enrollment in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor McGonagall herself was the Transfiguration teacher (she explained Transfiguration as the art of changing one thing into another) but Iphigenia would also learn Potions, Herbology, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts just to start. Hogwarts was a huge castle in a hidden location with enchantments where Muggles (non-magic folk, like Iphigenia's mom and step-dad) couldn't stumble upon it. There were four Houses within Hogwarts that the students get sorted into their first year: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Professor McGonagall was the head of Gryffindor house. She even demonstrated some simple magic for Iphigenia and Agnes by filling a glass with water from her wand and repairing the crack that had been in the kitchen ceiling for as long as Iphigenia could remember.

"So when do I get to go?" She asked, practically bursting from her seat with excitement. Professor McGonagall smiled. She personally loved the times she got to introduce muggleborns to the wizarding world. Their excitement was unmatched and she could tell young Miss Innes would be a bright pupil. Even though she prided herself in remaining neutral to all the students, she couldn't help but think that Iphigenia would look rather spiffy in red and gold.

"You will pick up the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross station on September 1st." Professor McGonagall explained. "But first, if you don't have anything planned for today, we need to take you to get your school things. I daresay you might want a headstart on your reading material."

Professor McGonagall pulled out a small but thick envelope from one of her dress pockets and handed it to the young girl.

Iphigenia E. Innes

Smallest Bedroom

Cokeworth, England

Iphigenia didn't notice the worried look that had taken over her mother's face as she dedicated her full attention to the letter she had been given, ripping it open and reading carefully her school list.

"Professor," Agnes' voice shook slightly, "I'm not so sure that today is the best day."

Professor McGonagall turned to look at Agnes and started to get the feeling that perhaps this wouldn't be as easy as it had seemed. There was always some form of trepidation from Muggle families learning that their precious children were magical and McGonagall was always the professional - this is why Dumbledore entrusted her to this task and not, say, Professor Snape who would not have the patience required.

"Oh?" McGonagall said. "Perhaps I can return on another day before the start of term."

Agnes shook her head and gestured to the front room. "Do you mind if we speak privately, Professor?"

McGonagall nodded and Iphigenia barely glanced in their direction as they left the kitchen, too absorbed in the letter she had been given. She had just gotten to the list of books she would need for her classes. Agnes stopped as they stood near the fireplace, as far from the open kitchen door as she could get. McGonagall waited patiently as Agnes glanced fearfully between the front door and the kitchen.

"I'm not sure if we'll be able to send Genie to Hogwarts," Agnes told her, wringing her hands. One of McGonagall's eyebrows tweaked but beside that her face remained stoic. There were usually three main reasons Muggle families came up with for not sending their children to Hogwarts.

Number 1 - Money

"Please be assured that if money is the issue that the Headmaster has a scholarship set aside specifically for muggle-born students. We will make sure Iphigenia receives everything she needs, along with a little spending money once she's old enough to visit the nearby town, Hogsmeade."

"That's only part of the issue," Agnes admitted, glancing again at the front door. Professor McGonagall followed her glance and stiffened as she started to grasp the bigger picture. She had an awful feeling that it was the third reason why Agnes was hesitant, but McGonagall was nothing if not a professional.

On to Number 2 - Homesickness. Or rather, the parents projecting their insecurities onto their children.

"Students have access to owls which they can use to write to their parents. They are also allowed home for 3 weeks for the winter holidays."

Agnes gave her a small smile but she still wasn't comforted. Professor McGonagall sighed, having exhausted her other explanations for the woman's unease.

Reason Number 3 was never pleasant - being uncomfortable with their child's magical ability.

"Is Iphigenia's father around?" McGonagall asked, not unkindly.

"No, Genie doesn't know her real father, but her step-father is at work." Agnes finally looked up to meet McGonagall's gaze. "Bruce doesn't… he's not the best…. What I mean to say is that Genie's step-father has never physically harmed Genie because of the … magic."

Professor McGonagall did not particularly like the way Agnes had said the word 'magic' - it sounded quite similar to the way her colleague Professor Snape talked about Gryffindors, with a peculiar distaste.

"I see." McGonagall said. Agnes glanced towards the kitchen door again, making sure that her daughter wasn't eavesdropping.

"He does have a temper, though, and he is expecting Genie to attend St. Josephine's Academy for Troubled Girls this fall. He donated a lot of money to the school to get her a late admission."

"Mrs. Innes," McGonagall started, pulling her glasses off to rub away a smudge that wasn't actually there.

"Please, Agnes is fine."

"Agnes," McGonagall corrected, placing the glasses back on her face and looking once more at the nervous wreck of a woman in front of her. "I have a feeling that your daughter is not a Troubled Girl, as your husband would like to write her off as. She is a witch and I imagine that she will flourish at Hogwarts far greater than she would at a school for muggles."

"I don't think that is something you can really predict," Agnes said with a nervous chuckle.

"No, you may be right about that, however I can predict that Iphigenia will be a bright young witch who could grow up to do extraordinary things within the wizarding community. She will be around other students, her own age and older, all who are just like her - filled with magical abilities. I can predict that refusing her admittance into Hogwarts and forcing her to go to a school for troubled children will stunt your daughter's education and social life."

"I'm afraid her step-father will never allow it." Agnes told her, trying to sound firm.

"Mum!" Iphigenia exclaimed, running into the room fully unaware of the conversation that had been going on. "The letter says I can bring an owl, cat, or toad with me to Hogwarts. Please can I get an owl, please, please, please?!"

Iphigenia thrust the letter in her mother's face, unable to contain her excitement.

"We'll have to discuss everything with your step-father, Genie." Agnes told her, gently pushing the letter away. Iphigenia's face immediately morphed into disappointment and Professor McGonagall watched as the girl seemed to shrink into herself.

"So that means I'm not going, doesn't it?" Iphigenia said, sounding surprisingly mature about the situation, McGonagall thought. Agnes rubbed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, honey, you know how he feels when something weird happens." Iphigenia's eyes filled with tears and she swallowed around the thickness in her throat. She cleared her throat before folding the letter back up and tucking it inside the envelope.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Professor," Iphigenia said, staring down at her feet but holding the letter out for McGonagall to take back. When she made no move to do so, Iphigenia looked back up at her. The stern look on McGonagall's face almost made her glad she wouldn't be McGonagall's student - almost.

"No need to thank me yet, Miss Innes. And you can keep the letter." McGonagall turned her stern glare towards her mother, having run out of patience. "I am shocked that you would allow your husband to hold back your daughter from her true potential. Were he her biological father I might hold my tongue but that is not the case. Only you can decide what is best for your daughter."

Iphigenia was shocked, to say the least, at the words her potential teacher had just spoken to her mother. She had never had somebody stand up for her before and her respect for Professor McGonagall raised to a level Iphigenia had never felt before. She glanced between the two women, watching as her mother's resolve crumbled before her eyes.

"Can you take her to get her things? I should wait here so I can explain to Bruce when he gets home." Agnes finally said. Iphigenia grinned and turned to McGonagall whose lips had also turned up in a small smile. She would worry about her step-father later.

As soon as Iphigenia was ready, which really she only had to slip her shoes on, McGonagall led her outside and told her to grab a hold of her arm. She did as she was told and not a second later was she experiencing the most unpleasant feeling she'd ever had. Everything went black and it felt like she was being tugged along a small rubber tube, being pulled from behind her bellybutton. She was just starting to think that she was going to die of suffocation when suddenly she heard a 'pop!' and her vision was restored. Iphigenia would have stumbled and fallen to the cobblestone they landed on had she not been gripping onto McGonagall's arm so tightly.

"Woah!"

Iphigenia realized they had just magically traveled to a completely different location, as they were now standing in the middle of a busy street full of shops. Everywhere she turned was something extraordinary. She saw owls flying around, other wizards and witches in their brightly colored robes moving from shop to shop. Even the shop names were amazing to Iphigenia - "Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions" or "Flourish and Blotts" and even "Eeylop's Owl Emporium". Iphigenia had no idea where to start so she turned towards her companion with wide eyes.

"Come along," Professor McGonagall told her, gesturing towards the robe shop. "I've already picked up your allowance for your school things and as much as I would enjoy spending the whole day shopping I do still have other things to attend to."

Iphigenia had to practically jog to keep up with the older witch's strides.

Along with a set of black school robes and the rest of her uniform at Madam Malkin's, McGonagall also brought her to Potage's Cauldron shop for her size 2 pewter cauldron, Slug and Jiggers for her potions ingredients and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment for her telescope, some quills and parchment, a new book bag that had an enchantment to make the contents weigh half as much as they do, and some other instruments and things that Iphigenia would need for her school year. McGonagall waved her wand and made all of their purchases disappear, telling Iphigenia that she was transporting them straight to her bedroom at home. She would find them placed in the second hand school trunk that they had purchased as well.

"Here we are," McGonagall told her as she came to a sudden stop outside one of the older looking buildings along the street. "Mr. Ollivander will help you get your wand. Here,"

Professor McGonagall gave Iphigenia the little red coin purse that she had been using to pay for all of Iphigenia's new things.

"I have one stop to make while you are getting your wand. The process usually takes some time and I do need to get back to Hogwarts before night falls. Go on in and I will meet you back here once I finish."

Before Iphigenia could respond, Professor McGonagall turned and headed swiftly back in the direction they had came. Iphigenia couldn't help as her nerves got the better of her and she took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Oi!" She heard two voices call simultaneously from behind her and she turned around. Standing in front of her were two identical red-headed boys, grinning at her from ear to ear.

"What do you think, Forge?" The one on Iphigenia's left said.

"I'm not sure, Gred." The one on the right replied.

"She looks like a firstie and she is in front of Ollivander's." The one on the left, Gred, she thought, said.

"That's an astute observation, Gred." Forge said, nodding emphatically. Iphigenia blushed and couldn't help but think that she was being made fun of, and suddenly she decided that she wasn't going to put up with it like she normally would have with her bullies at home.

"I'm right here, you know," She snapped, glaring between the two boys. "And your names can't possibly be Gred and Forge."

They both looked at her in surprise, but only for a moment as their grins quickly returned.

"Too true, young lady," Forge, on the right, said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"As a matter of fact, my name is Fred," The one who had been called Gred said, grabbing Iphigenia's right hand and shaking it wildly.

"And I'm George," The one who went by Forge added, grabbing her left hand and shaking it in sync with Fred, her arms crossed in front of her. She giggled and shook their hands back in the same fashion.

"Pleased to meet you boys. I'm Iphigenia, but my mom calls me Genie." The boys had stopped shaking her hands and turned to each other. George scrunched up his nose and Fred crossed one arm over his chest, holding his chin with the other hand as if he was thinking about something important.

"Hmmm, Genie," Fred said, as if testing the name out loud. George shook his head slowly.

"No, that won't do…" He added. Fred nodded.

"Indeed, too close to-"

"Ginny!" They finished together. Iphigenia watched them back and forth as they consulted each other. She was fascinated and jealous all at once - how badly had she longed for a sibling all her life? And here these boys were twins! She could only imagine the sort of bond they had with each other.

At that moment her interest peaked at the variation of her name that they had come up with.

"I'm sorry," she hated to interrupt them, "but who's Ginny?"

George and Fred turned to her, again in sync with each other, and she was surprised to see them look grim.

"Our sister." The twins said. Her eyes lit up - there were more of them?! The twins turned to their right, Iphigenia's left, and pointed down the crooked street. She lingered her eyes on the mole on George's neck before turning to look at the entire family of redheads standing in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. The woman was obviously their mother and Iphigenia couldn't ever remember seeing such a lovely looking woman. She was wetting a handkerchief with her spittle before wiping dirt off another red-headed boy's chin. He looked younger than the twins and she assumed him to be their little brother. An even smaller girl, with longer straight red hair, stood behind their mother covering her giggle with her hand. She must have been Ginny. A slightly older boy with glasses watched and Iphigenia couldn't help but think he looked a bit pompous. She noticed one other red-headed boy, older than the rest of the children, staring at a broomstick in the window in awe - completely ignoring everything going on around him.

Iphigenia turned back to the twins and wouldn't be surprised if she had the same look on her face as the boy admiring the broomstick.

"Is that your whole family?" She asked them.

"That's most of them," said Fred.

"Ginny's the youngest," George said, holding up one finger.

"Ron's the one getting dirt rubbed off his face," Fred added, George now holding up two fingers.

"Then comes us," George said, giving Iphigenia a wink and adding two more fingers.

"Percy the Prat is there,"

"You'll see Charlie there at the window drooling over the new Cleansweep,"

"And of course, that's our mum." Fred finished. George was now holding up 7 fingers.

"But you're missing Bill, he's the oldest. Lives in Egypt as a cursebreaker." George told her, adding an 8th finger. Iphigenia hoped she would be able to find out what exactly a cursebreaker did because it sounded terribly exciting.

"And last but most certainly not least, our dad. He had to pop into work this morning, works at the Ministry."

"Wow," Iphigenia said, trying to wrap her head around everything. "That sounds,"

"Crowded?" George offered.

"Loud?" Fred added.

"Annoying?" George said. Iphigenia shook her head and grinned.

"Wonderful!" She told them. They looked at her in surprise. "I'm an only child and I don't have… many friends."

She tried not to blush at her almost admittance of have no friends but they didn't seem to notice. Or maybe they just didn't care, she dared to hope.

"Where are your parents?" George asked, looking around. Iphigenia's smile dropped and she looked down at her feet.

"I only just learned I was a witch today," she told them, trying not to feel anxious as she suddenly realized what she would have to go home to in just a little while. "My mom and I were celebrating my 11th birthday while my step-father was at work when Professor McGonagall showed up at our front door. I'm here with her since my mom wanted to wait at home for my step-dad to get back from work."

Fred and George grinned at each other and then looked around in suspicion. Then they stepped closer to Iphigenia and leaned down closer to her face.

"Where's McGonagall?" Fred asked, whispering all of a sudden.

"What? Why?" Iphigenia asked. The twins shared a grin.

"She's our head of house at Hogwarts - we're 2nd year Gryffindors." George explained.

"We might be what some people like to call 'pranksters'." Fred said, using air quotes as he finished.

"Yeah, McGonagall's given us more detentions than anybody else at school - and only in our first year, too!" Iphigenia couldn't help but giggle at how proud they looked.

"I can't imagine that achievement made your mother very happy." She said, smiling to show them she meant to offense. They grinned back and shrugged.

"Well, she's already gotten one Head-Boy and Prefect, one Quidditch Captain and Prefect and one budding Prefect on the way." Fred said as he waved vaguely at his family. The boys shared a look.

"We figure they've got a handle on making sure everyone follows the rules but who's going to be there to make sure the rules get broken?" George said, once again exchanging grins with his brother.

They turned to her suddenly with solemn looks.

"You know, first year can be a tough time for some, Fred."

"Right you are, George." She looked between them curiously, her anxiety starting to flare up again. She hadn't even noticed it had gone away while she had been talking to the two boys.

"What do you mean?" She asked them.

"There's classes and homework,"

"Slytherins and their muggle-born bullying," They glanced at her. "Not that we care about that."

"Then you spend forever learning how to get around the castle,"

"Not to mention Peeves, glad we were able to make a pact with him last term."

"Too right, Fred. He'd make a frightening enemy."

Once again, Iphigenia was stunned by their back-and-forth.

"But," one of them was finally addressing her directly. George, she realized, was looking at her. "We can tell you've got something in you."

Iphigenia looked down at her stomach before George lifted her chin up, giving her an amused smile.

"Moxie!" He told her. She gave him a curious look.

"Just stick with us, kiddo," Fred said as he swept over to her side and threw his arm over her shoulder. She glared up at him.

"Don't call me kiddo," she said, a slight growl in her face. Fred looked frightened for a second before George swept up on her opposite side with a grin, imitating his twin's position. Iphigenia felt quite warm between the two boys.

"I told you, Freddie, she's got moxie." Fred nodded in agreement. "She'll do just fine."

"Look for us on the train, you can sit with us and our friend, Lee." George said. The boys started turning her back around to face the wand shop once more. "Now you're about to experience one of the most important moments in a young witches life."

The gave her a soft push towards the door and she stumbled forward, out from under their arms. She looked back at them as they waved at her.

"Go on then, don't be scared. Ollivander's weird but he means you no harm." Fred told her. They started to walk backwards to their family.

"Don't worry, I'd give you a 9/10." Fred said. George gave him an interested look.

"Really? I give it a 10/10 - shy take off but her landing was splendid."

"What are you talking about?" Iphigenia couldn't help but ask.

"First impressions. They're crucial." George said, his eyes wide and with a tone in his voice that sounded like she should have known what they were talking about the whole time.

"We'll see you September 1st!"

"And Happy Birthday!"

And with that, the twins turned around and ran off to rejoin the large family of redheads. Iphigenia watched for a moment longer - the mother had been searching around frantically for the twins it seemed, as she quickly scolded the boys upon their return. They seemed to say something to her as her face softened and she pulled them both into a giant hug. Iphigenia watched as the boys pretended to struggle only for them to give in and hug their mom back. With that, Iphigenia took a deep breath and turned back to the entrance of Ollivander's Wand Shop.

A bell rang above the door as she entered the dark shop and she took a look around. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, all of them haphazardly stacked with thin, long boxes that Iphigenia assumed each held a wand. She noticed the railings and ladders attached to the shelves in order to reach the wand boxes at the very top. It didn't look like there was any sort of organization in place and Iphigenia's anxiety started to return again as she realized nobody was coming out to greet her. She stepped up to the counter and looked around for this Ollivander that she had heard so much about.

"Hello?" She called out, softly. Iphigenia saw a customer bell on the counter in front of her so she mustered up some courage and quickly pressed the button, causing a loud ring to chime throughout the shop. Suddenly a ladder rolled into sight from between rows of shelves and Iphigenia jumped at the sight of the old man hanging on halfway up the ladder.

"Oh, hello!" He called as the ladder came to a stop at the end of the row. He climbed down, grabbing a few boxes at random as he approached the counter to stand opposite of the young witch. "And who might you be?"

Iphigenia gulped.

"Um, my name is Iphigenia," she said. At the last minute she thought to add, "Sir."

He nodded and opened one of the boxes he had brought over with him, dropping the others on the counter. He pulled out a dark brown wand and handed it handle-first to Iphigenia. She grabbed it and wondered if something was supposed to happen.

"Black Walnut, 9 and ⅔ inches with a Unicorn Tail Hair core. Very sturdy wand." He told her, looking down at her with expectation. He gestured towards the wand. "Give it a wave - away from me, if you please."

Iphigenia blushed and turned to her left to point the wand away from Mr. Ollivander. She waved her wand in a circle and quickly threw her arms up to cover her face as the boxes were thrown of the shelf in front of her. Ollivander whipped his own wand out from his sleeve and made a motion that she couldn't quite see and the boxes all paused in mid-flight before gently gliding in the air back into their rightful, disorganized place on the shelves. Iphigenia chuckled sheepishly and handed the wand back to the man.

In turn he wandered down one of the other rows of shelves, pulling a long, white box out from the very bottom shelf.

"Poplar wood, 13 ½ inches, Thestral Hair - good for charm work." He said, pulling a long, white wand from the box and handing it to her. She waved the wand at a pot of flowers sitting on the windowsill but the pot cracked and fell apart. She sighed and set the wand on the counter as Ollivander once again undid her mistake and was once again off to find another wand for her.

She'd tried a very short 6 ¼ inch wand that Ollivander said would be a reliable partner in Divination but she hadn't even been given enough time to wave the wand before he plucked it out of her hand, tutting to himself. Next was a wand made of Yew with a Phoenix Tail Feather but the wand zapped her as if she had been shocked with static electricity and Ollivander had taken that one away, too. Then she'd gone through a slew of other wrong wands before Ollivander stopped to scrutinize Iphigenia.

"What did you say your last name was, child?" He asked her.

"I don't think I did. It's Innes, sir." She told him.

"Hmmm- Innes, you say?" He said, stroking the short, white beard on his chin. He looked up and around the shop as if searching for something. Then he returned to behind the counter, pulled out a very large and dusty old tome from underneath and dropped it on top with a loud, thud. He opened the cover and flipped through the pages so quickly, Iphigenia wondered if he was actually looking to see what was written on them. "I remember every wand I've ever sold but I don't have a record of anybody named Innes… where did your parents buy their wands?"

"Oh," she flushed involuntarily. "They didn't, or at least my mom is a- what do you call them? Muggle? And I never met my father, but my step-father isn't a wizard, either."

He then took her in from the top of her head, full of wavy black hair, to her striking grey eyes, all the way down her short (even for her young age) frame to her feet. His gaze hardened and he looked down at the book again, flipping back quite a few pages before finding the page he must have been looking for.

"I wonder," he murmured to himself.

"I'm sorry?" Iphigenia asked, anxiety once again causing her stomach to turn. Ollivander ignored her as he looked down the rows of shelves to his left and then down the rows of shelves to his right. He leaned over the counter and looked up at the shelves hanging from the ceiling over the counter and he hopped over and climbed up the tight spiral staircase to the dusty boxes overhead. She was surprised at how nimbly he seemed to move as he hung over the railing and just managed to grab a brown box with his finger tips. As he came back down the staircase he blew off the layer of dust that had attached to the outside and Iphigenia couldn't help the gasp that came out as he revealed the gold sheen that until now had been dulled.

He stopped in front of her and carefully pulled the top off, stacking the bottom inside. He pulled the wand out and Iphigenia watched eagerly as he produced a rag from his jacket pocket and gave it a quick polish before presenting the dark red wand to her with a flourish. Iphigenia couldn't stop her hand from shaking slightly as she reached out and grabbed the smooth handle of the wand, surprisingly warm to the touch despite having been stored away in a dark dusty box for who knows how long.

Golden light erupted from the wand and enveloped Iphigenia's hand, growing up her arm over her chest until her whole body glowed with warmth and light. She couldn't help the laugh that grew inside her and left her body as the light started to dissipate and she looked back up at the wand-maker with a grin. She already knew this was her wand but she was curious what Ollivander had to say about it.

"Very interesting," he said, handing her the box before going back around the counter and consulting the large book once more. He flipped through the book and then marked something down once he found the page he had been looking for.

"Could you tell me what is interesting?" She asked, setting her wand in the box and putting the top back on. Ollivander looked back to her.

"Your wand is 10 and ¾ inches, made of Dogwood with the core of a Dragon Heartstring. It is a very temperamental wand, especially if it takes after the dragon with which I got the heartstring from. She was quite formidable. However, once mastered it will prove to be the most powerful and loyal ally." He opened his mouth as if to say more but then he hesitated. "The dragon that gave me your heartstring only allowed me to have one other heartstring, allowing me to create a pair of wands - only a handful of wand pairs have ever been made."

"Did my wand's pair already get matched with somebody?" Iphigenia asked just as the bell above the entrance chimed. She turned and saw Professor McGonagall had finally joined them and she looked pleased to see that Iphigenia had her wand. Ollivander ignored her question just then, instead dipping a quill into his inkpot and jotting a quick note.

"10 galleons please," Ollivander said, rolling his note up and using his own wand to seal it. Iphigenia opened up the red coin purse that McGonagall had given her and, with McGonagall's help, pulled out the correct amount of money before handing it to Ollivander.

"I believe we'll be seeing great things from you, Miss Innes." Ollivander told her, turning then to McGonagall and handing her the note he had written. "This is for Albus, if you would be so kind, Minerva."

Professor McGonagall didn't even look curious as she put the note in her dress pocket and then turned to usher Iphigenia out of the shop.

"I believe you are all set then, although I do have one extra thing for you" McGonagall said as they had stepped outside. She turned and picked up a blanket covered cage that had been outside the door and she presented it to Iphigenia. "Happy birthday, Miss Innes."

Iphigenia grinned at the woman before lifting the blanket to reveal the beautiful black owl underneath. It was speckled with white and had a white chest which it puffed out with pride. It hooted and blinked it's big, bright yellow eyes before shuffling it's feathers and letting out a chirp.

"It's not everyday a young child learns they are a witch or a wizard." McGonagall said with a certain fondness in her voice before clearing her throat.

"He's a boy, and I would appreciate if you kept it quiet that I bought this for you. Teachers are not generally allowed to show favoritism towards their students - so don't expect any further treatment as such." Iphigenia looked back up at her future professor and was surprised to see the slight pink tinge to her cheeks and the soft look she was giving the young witch in return.

"This has been the best day I can ever remember, Professor. I'll never forget what you've done for me and I promise I won't say a thing about this." Iphigenia told her, bringing her hand up to imitate crossing her heart before grabbing the cage from McGonagall, who looked slightly shocked at Iphigenia's admission.

"I have had a pleasant afternoon as well, Miss Innes." McGonagall said. She looked at the watch upon her wrist and then frowned, before turning to look back up and down the street. She cleared her throat before addressing Iphigenia again. "I believe I still have some time before I need to return back to Hogwarts, so unless you need to return home immediately…"

McGonagall seemed to be waiting for her answer so Iphigenia grinned and quickly shook her head. McGonagall gave her a short smile again and nodded.

"Good. I have been craving Butterbeer Ice Cream and nobody makes it better than Florean." She turned abruptly and strode off down the street, Iphigenia took off after her, having to run to catch up.

So, that was how they ended their day, with Professor McGonagall treating Iphigenia to an ice cream - the both of them silently eating their sugary desserts as they thought about what would come next. Professor McGonagall, while eating small spoonfuls of her bowl of Buttercream Ice Cream, couldn't help the creeping doubts she had about bringing the young witch back home to her step-father. The girl's mother had not been very assuring when discussing their domestic situation. Minerva McGonagall was on the more progressive scale when it came to blood purity and, honestly, she had no patience for wizards who deemed muggles beneath them and muggle-borns unworthy of learning how to wield their magic. However, one thing she knew to be true of muggles and wizards alike- some people were just horrible.

She didn't want to assume the worst - she hadn't noticed any bruises on the girl and she seemed happy enough all day. She didn't want to take any chances, either - part of her justification in buying the girl an owl for a birthday present had been to build the girl's trust. Even if Iphigenia was sorted into a different house than Gryffindor once she arrived at Hogwarts, she wanted the girl to feel like she could come to her if she ever needed to.

Professor McGonagall was also curious about what had happened during her wand-pairing that had caused Garrick to write a magically sealed note to Albus. No doubt Albus would tell her, after he teased her about her apparent fondness for the girl, of course.

Meanwhile, Iphigenia was licking at her ice cream cone - one scoop of Rum Raisin, her absolute favorite, and one scoop of Butterbeer since she was intrigued by her Professor's choice. She was glad she had taken the chance, it was absolutely delicious! As she savored the dessert, she thought about the year ahead. She was anxious to start her school reading and the copy of Hogwarts, A History that McGonagall had allowed her to purchase. Most of all she couldn't wait for it to finally be September 1st and she really hoped she'd be able to find the redheaded twins, George and Fred.

Once the two witches were finished with their ice creams, McGonagall transported them back to Cokeworth the same way they had left, hours before. The sky was darkened as the sun had started to set and Iphigenia couldn't help the disappointment she felt at how boring her home seemed now in comparison to the wonderful place she had just left. She only perked up at the thought that in just 3 short months she would be heading to Hogwarts.

"Now, here is your ticket for the Hogwarts Express," McGonagall pulled out a white ticket with gold filigree printed on top stating Hogwarts Express - Platform 9 ¾. "Your mother and step-father will not be allowed on the platform, but you will enter by jogging through the barrier between platform 9 and platform 10."

"I'm sorry, what?" Iphigenia asked, wondering if she had heard the woman correctly. Professor McGonagall chuckled at the girl's expression.

"Exactly as I said, Miss Innes. If you need assistance, I'm sure you'll be able to find somebody at the train station. I must take my leave now," Professor McGonagall stepped away and nodded at Iphigenia. "I'll see you on September 1st."

"Thank you, again, Professor." Iphigenia said, waving goodbye. McGonagall hesitated a moment before disappearing.

"If for any reason you need help getting to King's Cross, please send me a message with your owl. He will be able to find me." And with a quick turn, Professor McGonagall was gone.

Iphigenia grinned to herself before turning towards her home, her owl's cage in hand. She knew she had a lot of reading to start on but September 1st could not come quickly enough.