Chapter One
This was it. The moment she had been training for since she was old enough to walk. Well, it wasn't exactly the moment, but it was one that was a necessary step to get to the place she wanted to be. The girl took in a deep breath to steady the slight shake that was building in her legs. Even the slightest unsure movement would cost her dearly at this stage. She closed her eyes for a moment, stilling her body, then opened them and lifted her head into the correct poise as the pair before her left the mat. She glanced once at her partner, seeing him in the correct waiting position, then glanced once at Madame Rosa, her trainer. The woman nodded stiffly, and the girl turned her gaze forward again, her mouth in a straight calm line, her eyes focused, her hair drawn back tightly against her head.
"And now for Britain, competing in the Junior league and new to the competition ring this year, Ava Azarov and Michael White," the announcer said. She tuned them out after that, and ignored the gathering of onlookers and judges. She wished they wouldn't say things like that, about her being new to the world of competition. She knew that none of them expected her team to place at all, let alone do well. The junior league consisted of boys and girls between eleven and thirteen who planned on serious competition in the future. It was a way to let the younger ones get a taste of real competition, but it was not meant for them to win, or do well in. It was basically a warm up. Ava's birthday had, happily, fallen a week before this years cutoff, and though she was probably the youngest competitor there, she was determined to make them take notice of her. She had pushed herself hard the last two years, well, really, she had pushed herself hard since she was seven and started taking this seriously. But she had pushed herself harder than ever in the two years since her parents had vanished. She would do this, she would make them notice her.
She held her head high and lifted her arms above her head and bent one knee to lean to the side in front of Michael, their starting position. Her heart beat against her chest in the few seconds before the music started, and then she was moving, her body taking her through the routine without any input from her mind. She wore a small smile as part of the presentation, and somewhere in her mind, she noticed that the crowd had fallen silent. She didn't look at them to see if this was good or bad. The music was building, pointing her towards the most important part of the competition. She stood from her split gracefully, taking a step back so her left foot was just inches from the white line that would have given her a penalty if crossed over. She didn't hesitate, though Michael was not yet in the correct place for this, but they had practiced the move so many times over the past few months that she had no doubt that he would be where she needed him to be when the time came for it. She took three long strides, moving quickly toward where her partner was just starting his handstand. She put her hands out, cartwheeling into a back flip, then launched herself up as high as she could. She almost grinned when she was able to wrap her hands around the top of Michael's feet. She could feel the slight strain as he braced himself in his handstand for the extra force caused by her flip, and she waited a split second for him to counterbalance, then she carefully lowered her legs and torso so that she would have been sitting if she had been on the ground, but rather she was using her hands to support herself.
She held her position for the required three seconds, then transferred both her hands over to Michael's left foot and held her balance as he began to lower his right leg, still letting her balance on the left one, which was straight up in the air. A moment later, he was doing a standing split, which he held for three seconds, then she moved back up into a handstand, shifting to balance all her weight on her right arm. She lifted her left arm out in a straight line to the side, held for three seconds, then pushed herself up so she could do a small tucked flip in the air, giving Michael enough time to get into position to catch her as she fell. The moved seamlessly into the next part of the performance, moving with the pace of the now slowing music. He used his hands to launch her into the air again, and she tucked her arms in as she flew, using them for balance only for a moment as Michael caught her and tossed her immediately up again, her feet finding his shoulder blades for only a second before he lifted his hand up to her. She gripped it and used it to flip herself back up into a handstand without thinking. She held on with her right hand again, her legs being back slightly to accommodate for the shift in balance. They held the flagstaff position for another three seconds, as was required, then he gave her a small push up, and she landed swiftly on her feet in front of him, just in time to end the routine in the same position they had begun it it.
She tried very hard to contain her breathing and the grin her face was longing to wear. They had done well, as far as she could tell. All their stunts had landed on the exact part of the music that Madame Rosa said they should, and she hadn't so much as quivered during anything. They held their position for three seconds before it was deemed appropriate for them to leave the mat. They walked in unison, lifting their arms with each step and holding their heads high. They paused at the edge of the mat, turned as one, and made their way out of the sight of the crowd. Both of them let out their breaths and grinned at each other for a moment, then schooled their faces into the polite smiles they wore for competition as Madame Rosa approached them. They both held their hands behind their backs and gave her a small bow, which she returned.
Madame Rosa was an intense woman, in all senses of the word. She was in her mid thirties, and her face was always grim. She had a permanent small frown, and her eyebrows always seemed to be drawn together, just a little. She had dark hair, and even when there wasn't a competition or training, she wore it up in a tight bun. She also believed in poise and decorum at all times, especially when in the public eye. All of her students had come to realize that it was much simpler to do exactly what she said, when she said it, because the punishments for not doing so were just as difficult as the woman herself was. Ava had grown to love her over the last two years, and her obedience came not only from a slight fear of the woman, but also from respect and the need to please the strict woman.
Madame Rosa had been Ava's personal trainer back when her parents had disappeared, and the woman had taken over the guardianship of the young girl, though she wasn't required to by any law. Ava loved the woman because, even though she was strict, she understood Ava's intense love for Acrobatic Gymnastics, and better yet, she also understood Ava's drive to prove herself to everyone else. As far as Ava knew, Madame Rosa had grown up with an aunt, her own parents having died when she was too young to remember them, leaving her with only one distant aunt as family. She also let Ava train longer and harder than most young competitors were allowed to by their parents. It was required by law that they all still receive an education, but that seemed to be the one thing that Madame Rosa was not so strict about. The woman would still sit down with Ava three times a week and gloss over some general information she should learn about, but she would end ever session with 'there's always time for learning later. Now, we must perfect your next move,' in her heavy Scottish accent.
Ava took her seat on the couch next to Michael so they could receive their scored. Madame Rosa took her seat on the adjacent couch, and sat straight, silently reminding Ava and Michael that they were being televised, so they had best behave. Ava sat up, just a little straighter, and rested her hands on top of her legs, not letting her nervousness show. Michael had unconsciously mirrored her motions, as they had both been doing for the last few months as part of Madame Rosa's idea that they would move more in sync if they spent all their time practicing it. Ava could see that Michael was just as nervous as she was, his chest was pushing against the skintight uniform he wore with each breath. She made an effort to calm her breathing, knowing it would show against the tight unitard, and focused instead on what the announcer was saying.
"Well that performance from Britain was unexpected, they were fantastic weren't they? Now lets see what the judges have rated, alright, good, difficulty they get a 8.807. Artistic, lets see, ah yes, a 9.700. They need at least a 9.500 in Execution to place, did they pull it off? And yes, they got it, 9.904. With no penalty that gives them a 28.308, putting them into second place, behind Russia. Wow, ladies and gentleman, this is the first time a junior team has scored above a 25 in over 50 years, and the first time they've placed in over 70. If Poland doesn't step up their game for this last performance, Britain's junior team will walk away with the silver."
Ava tuned out the rest of the commentary. She allowed herself a grin and a momentary lapse in decorum to hug Michael around the shoulders and give Madame Rosa a kiss on the cheek in celebration, but it was expected for them to be happy, so she was sure Madame Rosa would excuse the unprofessional behavior. The three of them stood to go into the blocked off area the rest of the contestants were standing in to watch the other teams, and stood near the front. As both of them were under five feet, no one else complain of them blocking the view. Michael was thirteen, but he hadn't hit a growth spurt yet, and Ava was unsure that she ever would grow again at the rate she had been going.
She let out a small sigh of happiness as Poland received their scores, landing just a tenth of a point below them.
She had done it. She had made them notice her. She had done better than anyone her age had done in the last century. The awards ceremony passed by in a slight blur. She stood with Michael on the raised platform, bending slightly to let the presenter put the silver medal around her neck. She held Michaels hand as the teams were supposed to do, and waved her other hand to the crowds, grinning as the other teams were doing.
Before she knew it, the cameras were off and the crowds were gone and she was finally allowed to drop her presentation smile and leave the awards platform. If Madame Rosa hadn't been watching them, Ava would have ran to her sweat suit. Now that she wasn't moving around or warming up, she had been freezing in her thin outfit. As it was, she did walk a little faster than she should have, and pulled on the sweat pants and thick sweater quickly, letting out a little sigh of relief as the material began to block out the cold air of the stadium. She stood quietly next to Michael as they waited for Madame Rosa to speak. She looked over the two children, and gave them a rare half smile of approval. Ava would have gaped in surprise had she not had perfect control over her body.
"Tomorrow we will go over your routine and pick it apart for improvements," Madame Rosa said, her voice a little less harsh than usual. "But for tonight, you have both earned a little time to yourself to celebrate. You did well."
This time Ava's mouth did drop open, just a little. She could count the number of times Madame Rosa had complimented them on one hand, and she had never before been give free time that wasn't to be used for sleep. She waited until Madame Rosa waved a hand in dismissal, then glanced at Michael. She knew that the boy had more free time than she did, as he didn't live with the trainer, but he also looked a bit lost.
"Oh," Madame Rosa said, drawing their attention back to her. "Tomorrow afternoon a crew will be coming by the center for an interview, I will prep you both for that in the morning." She walked away without a dismissal this time, going towards another teams trainer to talk.
"What will we do?" Ava asked, turning towards Michael.
"I'm going to find my parents," the boy said, relaxing now that Rosa was gone. "I really want to go home and sleep. I don't remember the last time I've had a full eight hours to sleep." He patted her shoulder once in a farewell, then left. Ava turned to look around her, trying to think of something she had always wanted to do, but nothing came to mind.
"Are you coming home or would you like to do something else, Milish?" Rosa asked from behind her. Ava smiled at the term of endearment Rosa used for her when they were in private. It was little things like this that let her know the seemingly cold woman really did care about her. She would have shrugged to answer the question, but she was sure that Rosa would chastise her for the crude behavior.
"I think I would like to go home," Ava said, then brightened at an idea. "Could I watch a movie? One that isn't a review of a competition?"
"What movie would you like to watch?" Rosa asked, giving the girl an amused glance.
"I'm not sure," Ava said, frowning a little. She hadn't seen a movie since she was very young, and she was sure those movies would be boring to her now.
"How about a classic one? I have several at home, you can choose one that looks interesting to you," Rosa said, offering her arm to the young girl. "And if you would like, we can have pasta for dinner."
"Can we really?" Ava asked, her eyes lighting up. Pasta was her favorite food, but as it was full of carbs and sugar, she wasn't allowed to have it often.
"Yes," Rosa said, her voice amused again, then she sighed. If Ava hadn't been looking right at her, she wouldn't have believed it. Rosa never sighed, it was unprofessional. "And afterwords we need to have a discussion about your future." Ava tilted her head just a little to the side, silently conveying her confusion, then gave a small nod. Rosa only brought up things she thought important, so if she was bringing this up now, it was for a reason. They rode back to their house, Ava closed her eyes, replaying the evening with a small smile. Yes, she would have loved to have full out won, but silver was nearly as good. She knew that tomorrow Rosa would go over their routine, pointing out the areas she thought could have been better, that could have gotten them gold, but for this moment, Ava was proud of herself. She was officially the youngest person to place in the last hundred years that the age groups had been established.
The movie she ended up choosing was the Wizard of Oz, one that Madame Rosa found to be an amusing choice for some reason that Ava didn't understand. She sat not he couch, still wearing her competition uniform and makeup, entranced by the movie. She could understand why so many people spent so much time watching movies now. She spent the whole movie with her knees drawn up to balance her plate of pasta in front of her face, her eyes glued to the screen as she slowly ate the meal. Madame Rosa had even allowed her a piece of garlic bread, which she was sure she would have to work extra hard the next day to get rid of the calories she was consuming. She couldn't find it in herself to care though. For once in her life, she felt like a normal child, eating spaghetti and watching the telly, and even slouching a little without being reprimanded for it.
As the movie drew to a close, Madame Rosa turned the lights back on and sat across from Ava, her expression serious. Ava put the mostly empty plate on the coffee table and leaned forward a little, worried about what subject could cause Madame Rosa to be even more serious then usual. After a brief moment of silence, Rosa held out a thick, slightly yellowing envelope.
"This arrived for you on your birthday last month," Rosa said, then adopted the strangest expression, almost… guilty? "I held on to it because I didn't want you distracted during the competition."
Ava nodded a little and accepted the envelope. It was made out of a thick old looking paper, and her address was written in sparkling green ink. The flap was held down by an old fashioned wax seal, the shape of a coat of arms was pressed into it. She stared at it for a moment, recognizing the image from an old book cover that her mother used to have out on one of the tables in her old house. She broke the seal and opened the envelop, pulling out several pieces of thick parchment. The top paper was on the form of a letter, and she glanced over it quickly before going back and reading it throughly. A small scowl grew on her face as she read, then thread the letter. She flipped through the other pages with increasing irritation.
"Is this a joke?" She asked at last, looking up at Madame Rosa is confusion.
"I'm afraid not, Milish," Rosa said, shaking her head slowly.
"You knew about this?" Ava asked, noticing the lack of surprise on the older woman's face. Ava did her best to keep the sudden anger she was feeling out of her voice. Ava
"I did," Rosa said, nodding slightly. Ava stared down at the paper for another moment, but didn't read it.
"I don't understand," she said at last, her voice even. "Are you a... a witch?"
"I am," Rosa said, nodding again.
"So you can do magic?" Ava s eyes were wide, half full of excitement, half full of suspicion. Rosa smiled again, then drew a thin piece of wood from the waistband of her black slacks. She waved the wand once and Ava's mouth dropped open as a thick book worked its way off the bookshelf across the room and flew towards them. "I know you are going to have a lot of questions, and most of them can probably be answered int his "
"That's my mother's book isn't it?" Ava asked, accepting the thick tome.
"It is," Rosa said.
"So… my parents… were they magical too?" Ava asked, gently running her hand over the cover of the book, over the emblazoned crest and title.
"They were," Rosa said, her face softening from its usual strict mask. "I met your mother at Hogwarts. We were sorted into the same house and we practically grew up together. We didn't meet your father until the year after we finished school. Ana and I wanted to travel, and we started in Russia. Kristopher was traveling too, and he joined our trek across Europe. They got married a year later, and then you came along, and your mother stopped using magic. I don't think your father ever knew about it. You all lived in Russia until you were four, and Ana and I lost touch for a while. When your family moved back to England and you began to show interest in gymnastics, your mother and I got reacquainted. When they… when they disappeared… I had to take you in. For the longest time I didn't think you had magic. You never showed it like most children do, but then the letter came." Ave had been listening closely to her explanation, but she had kept her eyes on the book so that Rosa wouldn't see them watering. She chose to focus on the less painful part of the explanation.
"You were… sorted?" Ava asked, blinking to keep her tears from falling. When she had gotten control of her emotions she finally looked up.
"I was," Rosa said in her 'polite interest' voice. "It is all explained in the book." Ava nodded, looking down again, then she had a sudden thought and pulled the letter out from under the book to look at it again.
"Rosa…" She said, but trailed off for a moment in hesitation. "It says that term would start on the first of September. This sounds like a full time school. I would have to stop training…" She shook her head. That was not an option. She had spent all of her life, that she could remember. training in gymnastics, and her career was just beginning. There was no way she could leave that behind.
"Do not let that be the only reason you turn down this opportunity, Milish," Rosa said in a slightly disapproving voice. "Classes are in the morning and early afternoon on week days. You would have evenings and weekends free to train. It would be less time then you are doing now, but it could be arranged." Ava had been slowly shaking her head through Rosa's compromise, and the woman frowned when she finished, making Ava immediately sit straighter. It was the frown she wore when Ava made a stupid mistake or hadn't been concentrating enough, and it was almost always followed by disapproval or very tiring monotonous exercise. Rosa looked at the girl, noting her improved posture while sitting, and let out a sigh, the second one from her that Ava had ever heard.
"Milish, you are still a child," Rosa began, ignoring Ava's frown. "I know you work harder than any other child you age, and you have done so much more than I could have ever expected of you, but it is important for you to be able to use your magic." Seeing Ava's frown, she continued, approaching the subject from a different angle. "What is gymnastics about?"
"Controlling and knowing your body," Ava responded immediately, the answer coming to her mind immediately.
"Your magic is another part of your body," Rosa said, and was a little relieved to see the slightly understanding, resigned look coming to Ava's face. "In order to live up to your potential, you must learn how to control every part of yourself." She paused to let Ava consider the newest argument. The silence dragged on for quite some time, but Rosa let the girl think at her own pace without interrupting. Finally, she nodded.
"I will go to the school if you think it is best," Ava said, letting her face fall into it's expressionless mask. "But only if I am allowed to continue training with you." Rosa nodded, then watched as the girl calmly collected her letter and her book and left for her room. Rosa, in a brief moment of relief, slouched back against the couch.
She had known it would be difficult to get the stubborn girl to agree to going to Hogwarts, almost impossible even, and she had spent many weeks coming up with all the counter arguments and best ways to present the topic. It had gone surprisingly well. She stood and rolled her shoulders back, adopting the perfect posture to keep stress off the hips and knees, the parts that were starting to ache as her age progressed, and walked across the room to her desk. She hunted through the drawer for her own letter from Hogwarts, received at the same time Ava's had been. The letter was mostly composed as a greeting from the headmaster, but at the bottom there was a single paragraph of importance that the rest of the letter danced around. It had taken her a few read throughs, but overall, the headmaster was inviting her to teach Arithmancy at the school. At first, she had immediately wanted to reject the offer, but acting rashly and never been her. It was something that Ravenclaws were very quick to discover did nothing for you. It was a way of thinking she had taught to Ava over the years without meaning to, and it was part of the reason the young girl was so mature.
Rosa had thought about the job, why she didn't want it, and what she could gain from it, finally coming to the conclusion that if Ava agreed to go to the school, she would go as well. Really, it was good she had gotten the offer, otherwise she would not have had a way to continue teaching Ava. Perhaps Albus knew that already, he always did have a knack for knowing exactly the right thing to say and do when she had been at school. It was unlikely that he had changed.
She pulled out a piece of muggle paper, hoping that her usual owl would still consent to carry the message even though it was an unusual communication. She wrote a neat, short, straight to the point response, saying that she would teach on the condition that she was allowed to continue training Ava. She went to the back porch or the large house and whistled softly, calling the owl that lived in the woods nearby to her. She fed him a treat as she tied the letter to his leg, then watched as he took off into the sky.
Ava in the mean time was having a hard time falling asleep. She knew that tomorrow would be a busy one, full of talking and smiling, and she knew she would have to look her best, and for that she needed sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, a new image popped into her mind. Sometimes it was the letter, or the book, or the image of Rosa with her wand. Finally, the girl gave up on sleep for the moment and pulled the heavy book into her lap, flipping on the lamp by her bed to read by. The cover read 'A History of Hogwarts' in gold lettering, above the crest she had seen on her letter. Now, she took time to look closer at the image. There were four animals, each in a different color, set into a shield. A green snake, a red lion, a blue raven, and a yellow badger. She assumed they all stood for something, or they wouldn't have been there. Finally she lifted the cover of the book, flipping directly to the first chapter. A sketch in black ink traced the shapes of a large castle over the tops of the first two pages, and she ran her fingers over it for a moment before starting the chapter, titled 'Founders'. She flipped through a few more pages, skimming over them as she went, then going back to read them again if she thought they would be interesting. It was near to one in the morning by the time she finally fell asleep, the book still open on the bed next to her.
"Ava!" Rosa's voice filtered up the stairs to the girls room. She groaned and turned over on her side without opening her eyes, only to come in contact with something hard. Her eyes popped open, then she blinked at the light, letting her eyes adjust until she could clearly see the book.
So it hadn't been a dream.
She flipped the book closed and pushed it under her pillow as she stood from the bed. Rosa called to her twice more as she dressed and made her bed. She wiped her face off with a wet cloth to get off the rest of the makeup she had missed the night before, then went down the stairs for breakfast, though after her meal of pasta the night before, she wasn't very hungry.
"Oh good, you're awake," Rosa said, rushing through the kitchen to answer the phone that had started to ring. Ava smiled as she passed, then glanced longingly at the top of the fridge, where Rosa kept the cereal. She turned back to the woman as Rosa cleared her throat. She had answered the phone and was holding the bottom against her neck as she listened to whoever was talking. She shook her head and gave Ava a stern look, then pointed at the fruit bowl. Ava should have know she wouldn't be permitted to have a second unhealthy meal in a row. She took an orange from the bowl, then went to get herself a cup of apple juice.
"That was the fourth call from a sponsor we've had this morning," Rosa said when her call had finished. "I've started compiling a list of sponsors I approve of."
"Why are they calling now?" Ava asked, picking apart pieces of her orange peel idly.
"They all want to be recognized as sponsors for you when you become old enough to enter the elite competition," Rosa said. Ava took a breath, keeping her face straight.
"They all think I will get into the elite group?" She asked, trying to speak nonchalantly. She knew she had failed when Rosa's mouth twitched.
"Obviously they do," she said as the phone rang again. "I haven't accepted any of their offers yet, I want to wait until after the interview. Some of them may pull their offers then."
"Why would they do that?" Ava asked, frowning slightly.
"Because during the interview you are going to announce that you will be attending a private school come September," Rosa said, taking Ava's empty glass and rinsing it out in the sink.
"What school will I tell them I'm going to?" She asked, jumping down from her stool. She began to sweep the orange peels into her hand.
"You will tell them simply that you wish to receive a better education and that you will not reveal the name of whichever school you are attending because you do not want your studying to be interrupted," Rosa said, glancing out the window as a small tapping noise sounded on the glass. Ava nodded as she looked over at the window, then watched in slight wonder as Rosa opened the window, letting the small brown owl into the house. The owl flapped to the counter, then held its leg out and cooed. rosa took the leg, untying a letter from it, and sent it back outside. She unrolled the letter and began to read, smiling as she went. "Excellent," she said, flattening the letter out on the table. "I will be accompanying you to Hogwarts this autumn." Ava took a second to process the information, then grinned, relaxing a little. It wouldn't be so bad as long as Rosa was there. Things always seemed to work out when Rosa wanted them to. "Now, go shower and dress. Uniform under something nice for the interview. We leave in an hour."
"Do I need to wear competition makeup?" Ava asked.
"It's not necessary," Rosa said. "In fact, I'd prefer if you try to look as young as possible. The news of school will go over better that way."
"Hair down then?" Ava asked, patting her still neatly swept back hair. She lived and slept with her hair in a bun, it was just easier to manage.
"If you would like," Rosa said, turning back to her letter. Ava ran up the stairs, grinning. She was suddenly very excited for this strange school.
"And we're back," the announcer said into the camera that was set up in front of a wide couch and two arm chairs. During the last commercial break, Ava and Michael had been set up in the seats facing the camera with Rosa standing off to the side of the set, but they'd only had a few moments to greet the interviewer before they were back on air. "Here with us today are Ava Azarov and Michael White, the two youngest people to win a silver medal at the Acrobatic Gymnastics competition in… gosh, over seventy years at least. Tell me, just how did you win that medal?" He spoke in a very over enthusiastic voice that Ava had to try very hard not to roll her eyes at, but he was friendly. He held the microphone out to Michael first, though it didn't really matter too much. Rosa had given them both scripted answers to most questions that would probably be asked, so either of them could have answered.
"Well, both of us have been training for years. Hard work and determination to do well is why we won," Michael said, smiling at the camera. Ava nodded along, a smile on her face too.
"Must be hard work," the man said, then looked toward Ava. "Now, Ava, you are the first eleven year old to ever be on a country's winning team, where do you plan to go from here?"
"Well, I plan to win the gold next year," she said, grinning at the man as he chuckled. "I've worked hard to get to where I am now, and I'm not going to stop. I'm going all the way to Britain's elite."
"I don't doubt it," the man said, smiling. "And Michael, you're thirteen this year, I know the category you compete in is only for the age group of eleven to thirteen, so what will you be doing next year?"
"I've really enjoyed working with Ava this last year, but I've been offered a place on the senior team next year. I start training in July," Michael said. Ava gave him a sad smile for show, though really, she was a bit sad to lose a partner that would work as hard as she did.
"Alright, good for you," the interviewer said. "So, Michael, we know your plans for next year, but what about you Eva? Are you going to jump right back into training?" Ava had to stop herself from glancing at Rosa before she answered.
"No sir," Ava said, still smiling. "Come September, I have decided to attend a private institution to further my education. I will continue training for next years competition, and take classes in my free time."
"Wow, that is unexpected," the announcer said, sitting back in his seat for dramatic flare. "What school is going to have the honor of hosting you?"
"I'd prefer not to say," Ava said, acting the shy student. "I want to be able to focus on my studies and training, and I will not be able to do that if everyone knows where to find me."
"That's true," the man said, chuckling again. "Will you be able to keep up your training and classes at the same time?"
"It will be a lot of work," Ava said in an admitting voice. "But I already work hard, and I'm confident that I will be able to excel in my schooling as well as my gymnastics."
"We have no doubt you will," the man said, looking back at the camera. "Alright, we will be right back after this break with another Britain's youngest, this boy is only seven years old, but he has an amazing voice, and is officially the youngest person in Britain to release an album." He waved at the camera, Ava and Michael joining in until he sat back in his chair and sipped from a bottle of water. "Well, it was nice meeting the two of you."
"You as well," Ava replied automatically as they stood. Some other people were leading out a young boy, so Ava and Michael left the circle of chairs to find Rosa.
"Nice job," she said, nodding in approval. "Now, back to the gym." Ava followed in silence, playing with the ends of her long hair as she went. She hadn't realized how long the blonde locks had grown since her last cut. She would have to find time to go to a salon before she went off to school.
The rest of the day, and the following week, was spent going over recordings of their competition routine with Rosa pointing out what could be improved upon. Ava was glad to still have something to work on, and Michael was still just as determined as before the competition, now that he had been accepted into the next level and would need to prove himself to them.
When the first day of July came, Ava was awake, dressed in her unitard with a pair of black yoga pants over it, and ready to go at the normal time they left the house for training, but Rosa came down the stairs wearing a very strange outfit. It was almost like a bathrobe, but it was floor length and baby blue, held together with a clasp at the neck, effectively covering whatever the woman wore underneath it.
"We will not training today," Rosa said, and Ava realized she had been staring. For some reason, she found that this weird robe sort of suited Rosa. The woman looked comfortable in them, though Ava had never seen anything like them.
"Not at all?" Ava asked, realizing what the woman and said. Usually they were just given a morning, or an afternoon off at a time for other things, like school work or family emergencies. To have a whole day without training… it would be very odd.
"Today we will be getting your school things," Rosa said, pulling her wand out of her sleeve. Ava's eyes followed it, excited to see more magic performed, but the woman simply tucked the wand into her other sleeve. "You will want to wear something better suited to the day."
"Ava nodded, and had to keep herself from sprinting up the stairs. She had felt with the underlying excitement for the last two months, and she hadn't expected to get a treat this early in the summer. In fact, she hadn't really given much thought to the list sent with her letter. She had been thinking instead of the school itself and the kinds of people that must attend it. She had never spent much time around other people, not in a friendly way anyway. She'd had various partners to train with over the years, and a few different teachers, but beside Rosa, she didn't have anyone she had kept in contact with regularly, and she was a little nervous about having to talk to any of them, but then again, she probably wouldn't have to very much, as long as she focused on her school work and training.
She threw on a tank top over the top of the unitard but didn't bother changing her pants. She debated over a sweater for a moment, but it had been hot out that morning when she went on her run, so it would probably still be hot out wherever they were going. She was down the stairs and ready to go within moments.
"Not that way," Rosa said as Ava pulled open the from door. She frowned, but let the door fall closed anyway. "Take my arm, and hold on tightly. Don't let go," she said, offering her right arm to Ava. The girl gripped it tightly, and a second later the two of them were flying, and being squished through a tube, only to land on hard ground second later. Ava hadn't been braced for the landing, or for anything really, but she managed to absorb the shock in the balls of her feet and stay standing, though her stomach tried to toss up the protein smoothie she'd had for breakfast that morning.
When Ava finally caught her breath and managed to look around, her eyes widened. There were quite a few people around them, popping in and out of existence right before her eyes. Some of them were wearing normal clothing, others were wearing robes like Rosa's. The street they had landed in had no cars, but was lined with shops of all sizes and colors. If Rosa hadn't been holding on to her arm, Ava certainly would have gotten left behind. As it was, the two of them had to pay attention to not run into anyone else.
"I thought for sure it would be less crowded this early in the summer," Rosa said, frowning. "No matter. Let's get your wand first, as its the lightest to carry." Ava, paying attention now, eagerly followed Rosa through the street, eager to get a wand and be able to do her own magic. "Here we are, Ollivander's. He makes the best wands."
Ava paused outside the door for a moment, looking up at the large wooden sign over the store, then walked in behind Rosa.
"Ah, Rosa McGregor," Ava peeked around Rosa's arm to see an old balding man standing behind the counter. "You haven't been here in years. Ten inches, dragon heartstring and holly, good for Charms, a beautiful specimen, if I do say so myself." It took Ava a few moments to figure out what he was talking about, but Rosa nodded immediately, stepping farther into the shop.
"It is, and it works well for me," Rosa said, reaching to pull her wand from her sleeve, but stopping before she could. "But that is not why I'm here." She stepped aside, and the mans gave lit on Ava.
"Ah yes, your charge, Ava Azarov, I thought I'd be seeing you soon," the man said, waving his wand toward a tape measure, which flew across the floor and began to measure the length of various limbs. "Seems like just yesterday your mother was in here buying her first wand." As he spoke, he walked along the rows of shelves. "Nine and a quarter inches, Ivy, and unicorn hair. It was the first wand she tried." He plucked a thin box from the shelf, turning eagerly and walking around the desk to Ava.
"Hold out your wand arm, girl," he said gently. Ava glanced in confusion at Rosa, who lifted her right hand briefly. Ava held her arm out in front of her, and the man set the wand he had picked in her hand. "Well, give it a wave then." She waved the wand around, but he pulled it from her grip after only a few seconds, muttering under his breath. They tried two more wands before he placed one in her hand that felt different than the other three had. She waved it through the air, letting the strange contentment flow through her arm to the rest of her body. A light wind picked up in the shop, lifting the edges of her clothes and pulling at her tightly slicked back hair.
"Very good," Rosa said, smiling.
"Yes, eleven inches, unicorn hair and willow, quite bendy, good for Transfiguration," the man said, nodding. "It's a very good fit for you, youngling."
"Thank you," Ava said, trying to be polite to the man, though he was a bit… overwhelming, personality wise. He offered to put the wand back into its box, but Ava didn't want to let it go after the strange feeling that had filled her. He nodded when she explained this, a twinkle in his eyes. Rosa payed him a few odd looking coins that Ava had never seen before, and led her from that shop, into the one next door.
Rows and rows of books covered shelves that lined every wall and took up most of the room inside.
"You have your list?" Rosa asked in a slightly lowered voice. Ava handed it over to her, not taking her eyes off the shelves. "Hm." She turned back to look at Rosa, who had looked at the paper and now had one eyebrow raised. "Quite a few books this year. It looks like your Defense teacher is a Lockhart fan."
"I'm sorry," Ava began in confusion. "A what?"
"Never you mind," Rosa said, beginning to scan the shelves. Ava followed behind her, holding the books that Rosa pulled from the shelves. Just when Ava thought her arms would collapse from the number of books she had, Rosa declared their shopping done, for the moment. She paid for the books, and Ava watched as the woman at the counter piled them into bags. Before they left the shop, Rosa waved her wand of the bags, and they were gone. No, not gone, just very small. Rosa collected them in the palm of her hand and tucked them carefully inside a pouch she kept in the pocket of her robes, then led Ava back out into the street. "Next we can get your potion ingredients. Brace yourself, the apothecary had an… unique small about it."
Nothing Ava did could have braced her for the barrage of different scents that greeted her when they walked inside the old shop. She wished she had worn long sleeves so she would have something to cover her nose with, but that would probably have been rude. She followed Rosa around the store, reading off things from her list, and paying attention as Rosa pointed them out to her.
Rosa had told her that many of the people who would be in her year at school were raised knowing about their magic, though there would be a few like her that hadn't known. Ava thought this gave the other kids an unfair advantage, but she didn't say so to Rosa. How was Ava supposed to do well in her classes if everyone else there already knew more then she did? Suddenly, the amount of work she would be doing for the next however many years fell upon her, and school didn't seem so exciting anymore, but rather, just an increase on what she was already doing.
Somewhat resignedly, she followed Rosa back into the street and to the next shop over, which was a clothing store, though it was unlike one Ava had ever seen before.
"Rosa?" A woman's voice interrupted them as they were about to enter the shop, and both of them turned to face the speaker.
"Hemera?" Rosa asked, her face lighting up a little, though she was still cautious. "It's been too long." The other woman leaned forward to kiss Rosa on one cheek, then the other, then pulled back smiling.
"Ten years, at least," Hemera added, then spotted Ava. "Oh, one of yours? I hadn't heard you'd married." Ava thought the woman voice sounded a little offended for some reason, as though she should have been the first person Rosa told if she were getting married.
"No, no," Rosa said, laughing in a polite manner. "This is Ava, Ana's daughter."
"Oh, yes, how could I not see that? They are nearly identical," the woman said, smiling again. "Is Ana around? I'd love to say hello."
"No," Rosa said, her voice growing a little sad. She didn't continue, though, but instead turned to Ava who looked up at her. "Ava, why don't you go get your robes. Tell Madame Malkin you just want the usual first year robes."
"Yes Madame Rosa," Ava said quietly, falling into the professional way of speaking that Rosa expected from her when they were in public.
"Oh, you are starting at Hogwarts this year?" Hemera asked, her smile growing again. "My youngest, Astoria, is a first year as well. Perhaps you two can become friends. She's getting her robes now too." Ava glanced up at Rosa, not sure if the woman statement needed a reply, but Rosa nodded towards the building, so she went inside, watching Rosa and her friend through the window as they continued to talk.
"Hello dear, what'll it be?" A woman asked, bustling to the front of the room.
"Oh, I need Hogwarts robes," Ava said distractedly.
"Yes of course dear, right this way," Ava turned and followed the woman to the back of the room where various robes hung along racks. The woman, which Ava assumed to be Madame Malkin, led her up onto a short stool, then had her hold her arms out and began measuring. She left after only a few minutes, leaving Ava to stand and watch the two women through the window. Rosa seemed like a different person. She was chatting and talking with her hands, and laughing. Had she only spent all these years out in the normal world because of Ava? Was the magical world where she wanted to be? A wave of guilt spilled over Ava as she watched.
"It seems as though my mother and your mother are friends," a voice drew her attention away from the window to a girl about there age. In Ava's opinion, the girl looked a lot like she did, long blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes, though Ava's were darker then this girls. They were both slim with high cheekbones, they both stood with poise, and they were both giving each other contemplative looks.
"Madame Rosa isn't my mother, she's just my guardian," Ava said, letting her face relax into a small smile. "You're Astoria right? Your mother told me you were in here. I'm Ava."
"Hi Ava. You're the first other first year I've met so far," Astoria said, relaxing a little as Ava proved to be friendly. "My sister will be a second year, but her friends are all… sort of mean. I haven't seen you round before, you aren't a pureblood, are you?"
"Pureblood?" Ava asked, tilting her head to one side.
"You know, when both of your parents are magical?" Astoria explained. "I didn't think you were, since you are wearing muggle clothes. That's what we call he non magical people, muggles. My family is a pureblood one, and they think that muggles, or anyone with muggle blood in them, shouldn't be allowed to use magic at all."
"Oh," Ava said, frowning a little. Astoria hadn't said that is a mean way, just in an explanatory one. "I was told my mother was a witch, but my father was not. I didn't know about magic until a few months ago." She spoke in a defensive voice, wondering if this girl was going to turn snobbish since Ava wasn't what her family approved of.
"Oh, I don't think the same things my family does," Astoria said in a reassuring voice. "We live near a muggle village and one of my best friends there is a muggle, not that I've told my parents about it. They would be angry." She shrugged as though she didn't care about it, and Ava grinned at her, relieved. The group that Rosa had labeled 'Purebloods' seemed to be a lot like the elite group at the training center. They thought that since they were in that group, they were better than everyone else, and the people that were 'below' them should be happy to help them with whatever they needed, water, towels, chalk, a spotter. It was exhausting once they caught you up for a day because then you had to do what they wanted and still work on your own routine. Ava avoided them at all costs since she was usually the youngest one there.
"So can you already do magic then?" Ava asked, shrugging on the robe Madame Malkin had brought back to her.
"Not really. We aren't allowed to have a wand until we turn eleven, and we aren't supposed to do magic away from school until we turn seventeen. A lot of people cheat at that though, because they can't tell if you do magic if you are around an adult witch or wizard. If you live with her, you should be fine." Astoria moved her arm to gesture to Rosa and her mother outside, but was impeded by Madame Malkin pinning up the sleeve. "So, do you know about the houses yet?" Ava smiled. She liked this girl. Astoria was the first person who had taken time to explain what they were saying when Ava didn't understand, and she did so in a patient tone, rather than a snide one, as though she was happy to just share the information.
"Yeah, I read about them in a book about the school. I don't know which one I'll end up in though," Ava said, then shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter that much. Do you know how they choose? It didn't say in the book."
"Yeah, my sister said you have to sit up on a stool in front of the school and put on a hat, and the hat will tell you where you belong," Astoria said, but her voice was a little doubting, as though she couldn't always trust what her sister said. "She said the hat reads your mind."
"Weird," Ava said, giggling at the other girls face. "Do you know where you will go?"
"All of my family has been in Slytherin, so probably there," Astoria said, but her voice was a little sad. "I wouldn't mind it, but most of the school hate Slytherin because thats the house where You-Know-Who came from."
"Who?" Ava asked, confused. She tilted her head to one side a little, still holding her arms out to her sides even though Madame Malkin had taken the robe off of her and bustled it away.
"Oh, he's a dark wizard," Astoria said, her voice lowered a little. Ava leaned forward her a little to hear. "He killed a whole bunch of people, and then he disappeared, about eleven years ago now."
"Disappeared?" Ava asked, her voice just as low as Astoria's.
"Yeah, there are a few books about it," Astoria said. "But it's not really safe to talk about around here, it's sort of a taboo subject."
"Oh, sorry," Ava said, making a note to herself to either ask Rosa about it, or find a book about the subject.
"It's fine," Astoria said, standing up straight again. "I just wanted to tell you so you didn't ask anyone else about it. Some people get really angry or scared." They both fell silent as Madame Malkin came back out with Astoria's finished robes over her arm.
"It was nice to meet you Astoria," Ava said, smiling at the girl. "I promise not to hate you if you get put into Slytherin." She smiled as Astoria giggled.
"Thanks," Astoria said. "It'll be nice to have a friend when school starts. We can sit together on the train if you want, otherwise I'll have to sit with my sister and her friends."
"Sure," Ava said, smiling, though she wasn't sure what train Astoria was talking about. She was sure she would find out sooner or later. Ava watched Astoria walk back out to the street stand beside her mother for a moment, then the two of them left, walking past the view of the window, and Rosa came into the shop, just as Madame Malkin brought out her finished robes.
"Ready to go?" Rosa asked, giving the woman a few coins. Ava draped the robes over her arm to hold them off the ground, and nodded, following Rosa from the shop. "Did you talk to Astoria at all?"
"Yes," Ava said, smiling. "She was nice."
"Really?" Rosa asked, seeming a little surprised. "The Greengrass's are from a very old wizarding family. They are some of the ones I told you about before, the pureblood supremacists. Usually the children of such families are snobby and cruel."
"Astoria said that too," Ava said, nodding. "She said she didn't really care that much about it."
"Very good," Rosa said, then hesitated. "Just be careful with who you talk to in that group. They all have their own ends and usually don't have a good sense of morals. It's likely that those families use their children to spy on each other."
"Okay," Ava said, but she really didn't think Astoria was the type to do that. The girl and seemed more concerned about the person she was talking to than the bloodline of the person.
"Alright, is there anything left on your list?" Rosa asked, and Ava handed it over to her. "Well, you are allowed a pet at school, though I would suggest against it with the amount of work you will already be doing. Cat's and Toad's take upkeep, you have to feed them and clean up after them, though I suppose you could train a cat to go outside for the bathroom and hunt on its own. Owls hunt on their own too, and they are useful. You can have one if you would like." Ava thought about it, then shook her head.
"No thank you," she said. "I don't want to have another thing to take care of right now."
"Alright," Rosa said. "Then we are done with the shopping. I have a trunk at home that you can use to store these thing in. I thought you would like the rest of the afternoon to look over your new things."
"I would," Ava said, smiling. "And I want to ask you about some of the things Astoria said that I don't really understand, but she told me it's not a good idea to talk about them in public."
"Oh?" Rosa asked, glancing around her to make sure they weren't going to disrupt anyone. She took Ava's arm ad they spun on the spot, then the squeezing sensation was back for a moment, ending with both of them standing gin the foyer of the house. This time, Ava was better braced for the landing and she managed to keep her balance. "No, what is too important to talk about in public?"
"She said there was a dark wizard called You-Know-Who," Ava said, and noticed Rosa's face growing more serious than usual, if that was even possible.
"She is right about that," Rosa said, her voice slightly approving. "It's not a good thing to talk about in public. Go put your things away and then come back down here. I'll tell you the whole story over lunch."
Ava took her things from Rosa, almost dropping the heavy bags of books as they returned to their normal size. She managed to drag them all up the stairs and to her bed before dumping the robs on top of them and running back down the stairs. She set the table as Rosa prepared lunch, then sat eagerly.
"Alright, it all began about fifty years ago…"
AN: Hello all. So I know that Astoria was originally two years younger than Harry, but for the purposes of this story, I'm putting her in the same year as Ginny. Please let me know what you think so far! Next chapter will be the sorting and the beginning of classes :)