The Mistake of Hogwarts 1
I smiled at him; that was my first mistake… as I stood there like a half wit getting my waist measured for a new robe. I must have looked so stupid, just standing with my arms stretched to the side, brown spiky hair falling in my face, stormy blue green eyes that made you feel a bit uneasy, and my teeth wrapped in braces.
I stood up taller so he could see me, and just my luck… he did. Short dirty blond hair, clear blue eyes that looked like the ocean waves lapping his fair sandy colored skin. And then it got even worse, he smiled back. What on Earth was I supposed to do next? He was on the far side of the shop getting measured like myself (all though he actually looked handsome with his arms getting measured).
I couldn't just yell "HI!" even I knew that that would cost me dearly. So I did what most girls of my age would do, look shyly at our shoes like they were some sort of fashion statement (of course my muggle shoes did catch a lot of attention) until they stopped looking at us. But he didn't, he looked at my shoes, then at my hair then at my arms, stretched out like I was pretending to be a tree, which at this point I was sort of hoping I could be.
I closed my eyes and prayed that he would look at some other girl, one that wouldn't burn out your eyes when you looked at her. When I brought my head back up he was, thank god, looking away…. Wait, was that good thing, "Drat," I muttered under my breath.
"What was that dear?" asked the woman with graying blond hair who was taking down notes as her enchanted tape measure ran down my leg.
"Nothing… sorry…." I said softly, but apparently not soft enough, for the boy looked back in my direction. "Such a moron, such a moron," I repeated over and over in my head. My muggle parents had told me not to underestimate myself, but I felt this as more of admitting the truth.
He mouthed, "Hi," and I replied with the same.
Another big mistake, but sure not as big as the one Hogwarts had made. Letting someone like me into Hogwarts, born of muggle parents and never before exposed to magic before two months ago. Now I was going to this crazy boarding school. I was just an eleven year old… witch thing or whatever you would call "My type." Well whoever or whatever I was all I knew was that this crazy land of magical people, werewolves, and those things at the bank… goblins… I think; they were all a screwed up dream and I would wake up eventually. I'd be back home, three months ago, before it happen, which had of course led to me being a witch. I was a freak, and not just that, I was a freak among freaks. Only a dream, a stupid dream… that I knew I would never wake up from. I hoped it was a dream.
But when the ocean eyed boy looked at me for a third time I sure hoped it wasn't a dream.
The measurement woman's shrill voice snapped me back into reality, "You're done, come back in an hour to pick up your robes."
I nodded and tried not to make eye contact with the boy as I walked out into the busy streets of Diagon Alley. I pulled a map from my jean pocket and went down my list.
"Each student may bring with them if they wish, a cat, a rat, and owl, or a toad," it read.
I suddenly wished I was home with my rats, William and Milo. I had made mother promise not to get rid of them while I was gone. I'm not sure if she had had her fingers crossed, but she promised. All though she would most likely murder me if I brought home another. That meant a rat was out of the question, allergic to cats, owls bite, and I really didn't want to get a toad, for no particular reason.
"So maybe I can just skip the pet shop," I thought to myself as I passed another "The Boy Who Lived," poster. I looked at it and rolled my eyes, no offence to whoever this was, but he wasn't a boy any longer, last I heard he was to be married in the upcoming June.
I steered my mind back to the topic of a pet, I did really want one…. I could just stop in for a moment, just for a peek, but as I walked into the store I knew that I would buy more than my budget would allow. There were not many people, but there were more than many animals. Small black and brown rats watched me from barred cages, and slimy looking toads sat crowded around the corners of glass tanks. Owls of all colors watched me with amber eyes as I skipped in, and cats with fluffy tails and large ears made me uneasy as I passed them, almost purring with joy at my fear.
I walked to the desk, cluttered with unopened letters and broken quills, and smiled at the man behind it. "Do you have anyone for three sickles?" I asked.
"Rat, or a toad," he replied.
I bowed my head and turned to leave when I heard a peculiar screech from above my head. I looked up and found myself peering into two beady black eyes. It was a tiny bat, no bigger than a small child's hand. Leathery wings and tiny tuffs of tan fur along his head and back. Its small fangs seemed to grin down at me, and I grinned back.
"You can have that thing for two." The man said without looking up from his paper, "It's the last one we have left and he's been here for a while. Almost feel sorry for it. Just get it off my hands would you?"
I gingerly fingered the money in my pocket and then handed him the payment.
Next thing I knew I was walking down the street wearing my new robes, holding the small bat cage containing Drake, with a rucksack full of heavy books on my back.
"Let's see…" I said to my new pet, "I need a wand… and that will be it," Drake chirped in agreement.
I strode into the wand shop known as Olivander's and waited patiently at the counter, I could hear bottles clanking in the back room and draws closing then an older man with silvery gray hair and a puzzled look on his face stepped out.
"I don't remember seeing you here," he said to me.
I shook my head, "My parents are muggles."
He nodded and pulled a box from one of the many shelves and handed it to me. Inside was a dark brown wand with a handle shaped like I diamond. I waved it, suddenly the room went black and Drake began to screech frantically.
"That can happen, don't worry," Olivander assured me relighting the lamps.
I smiled as he handed me the next box, inside was a light tan colored wand with Latin writing than lined the sides, it felt strong and powerful in my hand, like I could do anything with it.
Olivander must have noticed the look in my eye because he smiled and said, "Well then, you have your wand, now on your way."
