She was never really the pretty one. Not in the least. Thought not ugly, her mushroom bowlcut of curly hair and octagonal glasses didn't make her wanted by any means. Of course she was only 11, and boys just weren't interested in that sort of thing yet, but the jabs every once in a while still hurt. It bothered her to some degree. She simply couldn't help it if her parents thought that 11 was too young to start dolling up, or that anyone who doesn't wash their hair as regularly shouldn't be allowed to have a nicer haircut. All the same she endured the friendlessness that seemed to follow her through muggle school. True, this happened to 1 in 5 kids. Being bullied at one point in heir lives; but you can't tell them that it didn't hurt just because it happens to hundreds of kids daily in the country. It still stung everytime someone called her mop-head, or seaweed-girl. And having her books strung out across the hallway never lost that edge. If she could she would have fought back, maybe even put a stop to the words. But that just wasn't her, and she had nowhere near the bravery to do so.
It was because of this bad treatment that she often found herself looking forward to the special day. The day that the letter would come, inviting her to hogwarts with open arms. It would be a new beginning. It was nearly a week after her eleventh birthday when the soft rapping on the window drove small Isabella's head to the window with poorly concealed excitement. Practically jumping out the wooden chair she was in she climbed the kitchen counter to let the handsome barn owl careen in and alight on the sink faucet. There was no doubt, with that red seal. It was from Hogwarts. Exctatic, Isabella jumped down and rummaged in her baggy jeans. A second later she held out some treats to
the bird and took the letter from it's beak. It had finally come. She hardly noticed the bird click its beak and take the crackers before she left, clutching the letter to her chest.
"Muuuum!" She called, racing down the hallways to the study. "Mum! Da'! It came! It came!" Their daughter's face was so happy Laurie and Thomas McDowell couldn't help but raise and eyebrow at her from the couch, where they both had crossword puzzles in their hands.
"Has it now?" Her mother smiled knowingly, putting aside the book. "Well let's just see that then?" Isabella pouted playfully, despite her age.
"Can't I read it first?" With a sigh, Thomas nodded. "Dear Miss McDowell, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July sincerely,Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress" after that she promptly handed the letter to her parents.
"I suppose we'll have to make a trip to diagon ally then." Thomas smiled. "We'll have to flu to England though, last i checked there wasn't a way there from Dublin." Isabella balanched slightly at the idea if using the flu network.
"We're using the flu network? " she groaned.
"Unless you'd like to fly there" her mother suggested. The idea wasn't much better. "Go get your shoes and cloak kay? We'll leave soon." Isabella sighed in defeat before rushing off. It wasn't that she hated flying, or using the flu for that matter. It was just that she didn't like the idea of being hundreds of feet in the air, or the vomit-inducing whirlwind of the flu network. She shrugged on her light cloak. Hopefully she didn't send vomit into three different households this time.
One shaky fireplace later Isabella was holding her stomach as she stepped out of the hearth in a secluded corner of a local pub, the leaky cauldron . It was nice enough, and usually the place was only visited by witches and wizards. The sound of british accents played on her ears. England wasn't so different than Ireland, or so her parents had told her.
"Don't crowed the fireplace hun." Her mother told her as she walked with her father out into the low din of the pub. It was crowded today, but she supposed that was normal.
"Why can't we go to Heather Street Da'? It's so much closer. "
Her father barely looked at her as he replied back, too focused on squeezing between the excited groups of wizards. "because Olivander's isn't in Heather Street. He's here." All around them people were talking in hushed but excited tones and it was hard not to catch snipits here and there.
"never in my life-"
"I shook his hand, i shook it!" It was an old wizard. He held his hand as if it had been touched by god.
"He'll be at Hogwarts this year he will." Said another.
"Can you beleive it-"
"Isabella!" Her father called to her before she could ask who they were talking about. Reluctantly she went to rejoin them. They made their way through the bustle of people and went out the back door to face a rather solid looking brick wall. Before his daughter could even open her mouth, Thomas had whipped out his wand and tapped a few choice bricks. Suddenly the wall peeled back, the bricks collapsed back onto themselves. What laid beyond truely made Isabella smile. It was a sight to behold, that many witches and Wizards all meeting in one place.
"You and your mother can go to Olivander's for your wand, I'm off to Gringotts. The bank." He motioned to the tall building at the end of the street that semed to loom over the wizards passing near it . Isabella nodded at her father deftly, her eyes wandering the street under her bowl-cut mop. In her eyes, it was magical.
"Isabella did you hear me?" Her father asked a little more firmly.
"Bang on." Thomas sighed at his daughters lack of attention and shook his head. Turning to his wife he smiled, "don't let her break anything." He said with a defeated smile. Laurie kissed him on the cheek,
"I'll try." And with that they parted ways. To Isabella the street seemed more magical than anything else and she stared up at the shops. More than a few times she bumped into people, eliciting grumbles from the passersby and once her mother had to pull her out of the way of some very unfriendly looking goblins. She got a scolding after that and from then on her staring was kept to a minimum. It wasn't that she hadn't seen a wizard street before. Heather street in Dublin was very much like this. It was, albiet, much smaller in comparison with diagon ally, but the thing that cought her attention were the shops. It seemed that this street catered to the Hogwarts student. Shops for books, brooms, pets, potions, even one for school robes lined the narrow street. It was hard to keep her excitment in when they stopped in front of one that had a large wand above the door.
"Is this it Ma'? Mr. Olivanders?" She bounced once, facing her mother and stepping back, right into another wizard who was speaking to a slimy -looking man. Her mother was quick to pull her in.
"Im sorry sir," she smiled at the man, who Isabella now saw had long, silver blond hair. Next to him stood a woman, who looked as though she had smelt something unpleasent, her hair the same as her husband's. He looked 'round at them slowly. "It's her first time in diagon ally, she's going to Hogwarts this year." Laurie continued. The wizard seemed to sneer down at Isabella before looking up to Laurie.
"Yes, well," he drauled, "despite her excitement i think it best if you control your daughter a tad bit more." It seemed this man would not be happy until Laurie didn't like him. Or perhaps he disliked irish people. Either way Isabella didn't have a chance to stick her tongue out at him, because her mother had already ushered her into the shop, the smile gone from her face. The girl could tell her mother knew who he was, but thought better of asking. The matter probably wouldn't have stuck in her mind so much if she hadn't bumped into a boy on his way out of the shop as they entered. His hair mimicked the color of the man's outside the shop. Unfortunately it seemed he had inherited the man's personality, not to mention his sneer, which Isabella now found directed at her.
"Watch yourself mushroom top." He remarked snidly before sweeping out the shop. This time she wasted no time in throwing an ugly look at his back. Although her mother didn't scold her now.
Mr. Olivanders shop was smaller than it seemed on the outside. Although, that was probably due to the rows upon rows of boxes that surely spanned in shelves almost imediatelly behind the main counter to the back wall. Isabella had the sudden urge to jump over the desk and run down the rows but held herself back as an old man she hadn't noticed before turned around behind the counter. She had thought him to be a part of the furniture at first. He looked old, and aged but his silvery eyes were spry and wide. She felt herself being studied, and so out of curiousity, she studied him back, a concentrated look on her face. Mr. Olivander laughed,
"She is certainly your daughter Laurie. Same inate curiosity. But certainly her looks are more in her father's favor" This was true. Her mother, unlike her father and herself, had a head full of strawberry blond hair. Thomas's side of the family was known for their curly brown hair and thick eyebrows, being thicker with Irish blood. Isabella smiled at the compliments. A summer away from being bullied had done her confidence a boost.
"Now come here dear, lets see," Mr. Olivander had turned towards the back and walked behind the counter. Soon he was lost from her vision as he went between shelves. Isabella stared up, silently wondering how tall the shelves were. "Ahhh, try this, ash, 11 inches, dragon's heartstring core. Go on." He motioned.
Standing before the mahogany desk she flicked it a bit and a small gust pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. Miffed she threw it back and stared at the wand. Carefully she put it on the counter. "We've had a disagreement. "She pointed at the stick of ash.
"So it would seem." Mr. Olivander agreed. He put the wand away with care and disappeared for another moment. "Ah! Maybe this?" She heard his voice before she saw him. "It's got leprechaun hairs for the core. Can't sell them to many but the Irish can I?" he had resurfaced with a smiling face and handed it to her. Her hand held it gingerly, rubbing the shortish peice of wood in her fingers. Finding her curiosity once again she gave it a flick and the light beside turned on gently. Isabella smiled and rubbed her hand on it.
"We'll get along just fine I'd wager." The girl put the wand on the counter gently, to which the man smiled. He picked it up and her mother stepped forward, her coin purse out and ready to pay. Loosing interest quickly, she chose to look around the shelves nearest her. Unlike the ones behind Mr. Olivander, these were lined with various books, some on the history of wands- that Isabella made a note to read later- and others were fairy tales, most she'd already read. Though there was one she took out, it was about he elder-wand, the most powerful wand ever made. She was about to open the book when it was taken out of her hands and put back. She looked up to see her mother, her lips drawn in a thin line.
It was the woman with the long silver-blonde hair that she'd seen outside with the man. Her nose was set up high in he air, as if she'd smelt something particularly foul. As Isabella was sure she'd taken a shower just that morning, she assumed he woman had put on too much perfume. Before she could make anymore judgments on the lady, her mother had once again swept her through the door.
Only after they were a good 20 feet away from the building did Laurie visibly relax. Isabella looked up at her mother, tugging her cloak with her hand. "Who was that woman? She was with that rude man from be-"
"Don't ever say that to one of them!" Her mother took her by hand, drawing her to the side of the street near Madam Malkin's. "You understand?" Isabella stared and then shook her head, perplexed as to what her mother meant.
"Who are 'one of them'?" Laurie looked around slowly and crouched down to look up at her.
"One of the Malfoys. They're... a very scary family to cross. They're why Da' has to work at a muggle office instead of the ministry." Isabella was still confused. She'd heard her mother and father talk about this many times, but never in detail.
"What did they do? They're just another family right?" She was feeling kept in the dark here, and it frustrated her a bit. Her mother shook her head,
"No, Mr. Malfoy is very powerful. If you can help it at all, don't cross a Malfoy. Your life will be so much harder, 'kay bell?" Isabella furrowed her brows and nodded reluctantly. Someday she'd be able to tell one of them what she thought. Just then she and her mother heard their names being called. They turned to see Homas jogging towards them, his heavier wallet in his hand.
"What's wrong?" He asked as he stopped, sensing the atmosphere. Laurie looked at him and nodded down the street to he man with platinum blonde hair. Thomas frowned for a moment and then a smile formed on his face. "Not even a malfoy could make this news bad. I just ran into Hagrid at the bank, and guess who he was with?" He waited while his wife and daughter shook their heads, not knowing who could be so good to trump a malfoy-mood. "Harry Potter" Isabella's eyes went wide.
"What!? Really? Aww I should have gone... but I bet he really hates people gawking." Isabella always had the mind for he other person, though thats not to say she was curious like a puppy on the inside.
"Well lets get some robes then, now that we're in a better mood huh?" Her mother offered. Isabella nodded. They bid good-bye to Thomas who set off to buy the bulk of her things, books, equipment and the like and made into Madam Malkin's shop. Soon she was getting fitted next to a boy with glasses and tousled brown hair. He had been there when they entered, though he seemed in a bad mood. Isabella had come to the back and practically hoped up to the stool. A cloak much like his was being put on him.
Interested Isabella spoke. "What's wrong? You look sad... or angry..." the boy seemed surpised. Most likely by her sudden talking to a random stranger and perhaps her accent. He spoke about a pale boy with platinum blonde hair that had just been in.
"Hey, do you know who Hagrid is? He was just... bad-mouthing him... it seemed like he didn't like him, do all wizards hate him?" Isabella stared at him for a moment and started to laugh a bit, causing the witch pinning her cloak to accidentally stab her in the waist. After a yelp she shook her head, about to explain herself. He boy looked as if someone had just spat in his porridge.
"No, no, my Da' and Ma' tell me he's great. And that was a Malfoy, they're mean. I know something that'll cheer you up though. My Da' was just at the bank and he ran into Hagrid! You'll never guess who he ran into! Harry Potter!" She didn't notice the boys face become blank. "So not even that Malfoy boy can make me unhappy." The skinny boy next to her just looked at her.
"Why are you so happy about him? Harry Potter?" Isabella blinked and shrugged.
"I dunno, I guess... because Harry Potters a bit like hope in person-form? It makes me think this year won't be as bad..." before the boy could open his mouth again he was done and was swept out the back to pay.
Later Isabella hose out her cat, looked at brooms and finally ate with her family at the Leaky Cauldron. He girl with the mushroom-bowl haircut couldn't have been so excited. Nor could she have been more wrong.
AN~:
Hey guys! Yeeeeaaaaahhh... before you shoot me for a bunch of things, this is self-betad... ahahahahaha. So I hope you guys like it so far, this is going to start with her being bullied by Malfoy for the first year or so, so this isn't going to be the lightest kind of story. I hope I have you guys interested at least. Oh please tell me if I over-kill the accent, I'm not an Irish native, no matter how much my blood is green :|
I'm writing this on my tablet right now (as I did with the rest of the story) so I need a beta since the auto-correct is horrible. Anyone who offers would be much appreciated.
R &R for Isabella's new cat !( oh what color should it be? It will eiher be an angora or american short-hair but what color)