I started this fan fiction a couple of months ago but wasn't happy with it so I have decided to rewrite it. I have probably chosen quite a bad time to start rewriting a story since I currently have quite a busy schedule which means I won't be able to update that often however I promise not to abandon this story, even though it might take quite a while to finish. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Thoughts are in italics
Prologue:
Lila knew she was popular, she always had been, her parents said it hadn't been much of a surprise for them; she was smart, pretty, kind and easy to get along with in general. Her grades were always near the top and her makeup was never smudged. She was the stereotypical popular girl, and she hated it. She couldn't read a book without everyone judging her and telling her that it didn't fit with her 'image'. She couldn't play pranks in fear of her friends rejecting her. Lila didn't like to think that she craved people to like her however she knew she did. She looked in her mirror, her long blond hair swaying slightly in the breeze and a slight sparkle of tears in her deep blue eyes. She was surrounded by people but loneliness often crept in.
"Lila, are you almost ready to go?" Kasey shouted. Kasey had been Lila's best 'friend' for almost three years. Lila found her company pleasant enough however the conversation always quickly turned to fashion or boys. With a small smile to herself in the mirror, Lila blinked away the tears and exited her overly large bedroom.
"Of course I'm ready to go," She replied as she glided down the stairs, "If I'm late again I will have to face Mrs Gill's wrath." Both teens shuddered at the idea of the ancient woman's anger directed at them.
"I love your top," Kasey declared as they exited the house, "And I'm sure Luke will love it too." Lila sighed as Kasey winked at her; Kasey had been trying to set her up with Luke for ages and didn't get the message that she just wasn't interested. Luke was the most popular boy in their school and everyone kept saying how perfect they would be together. Maybe if I tell her I'm gay she'll leave me alone. Lila mused as she stepped out into the road. She never saw the car, heading straight for her. She never found out if Luke did love her top as Kasey so confidently stated only seconds before. All Lila knew was pain and darkness. And Lila Gallot, as the world knew her, was dead.
Chapter 1:
Lila slowly pried open her eyes only to be assaulted by a bright light. With a small cry she closed them again and attempted to bury herself into whatever she was lying on. Where am I? That question was only one of the many that was running through her mind. After a couple of what Lila would later swear to be the hardest minutes of her life, she managed to force herself to open her eyes again to the light that was all consuming. As she blinked her eyes a few times, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings, she spotted a man peering down on her. Who is he? Was the question that Lila wanted to know? He seemed huge in comparison to her but had a gentle smile on his lips. His hair was a messy black mop with specks of grey in that stuck up in every direction and would seem to take offence to a comb coming within five feet of it. His eyes were a light hazel with crinkles surrounding them from a life time of smiles. He had high, prominent cheek bones and a slightly pointed nose. Perched upon said nose was a pair of rectangular glasses that looked worn from repeated use.
"Hello," The man spoke. His voice was lowered to a gentle tone and he looked upon Lila as though she was the most precious thing in the world. "Welcome to the world, Mika." The man near whispered. There were tears shining in his eyes, refusing to fall. Lila had never been more confused in her life; he was speaking to her as though she was a baby but she wasn't a baby, was she? Just as she thought that, the kind looking man reached down and carefully picked her up and cradled her to him.
"I'm Charles, your father." He murmured. Lila tried to tell him that there must be some kind of mistake, she had a dad, and he most certainly wasn't him. Sadly, all that came out was a gurgle, which prompted Charles to chuckle happily.
"You're going to be so smart when you grow up," He stated, ecstasy written on his face, "And beautiful, I'm going to have to beat the boys back with broomsticks." He laughed to himself once more before looking over to someone.
"Do you want to hold your daughter Dorea?" Lila assumed that the question was asked to her 'mother' and decided to gurgle happily at the idea, I mean, she might as well find out as much as she could. Lila soon found herself looking up at a stunning woman who she deduced was Dorea. Her midnight black hair was pulled up into a fancy bun, which Lila could never hope to achieve, with some curls that had escaped framing her face. Much like her husband she had some grey streaks in her hair which somehow only added to her elegance. Her eyes were a mix of dark green and grey, with dark lashes that only enhanced her eyes. Crinkles were visible at the corner of her eyes from smiling, much like her husband. She also had prominent cheek bones and a small, straight nose. Her red tinted lips were pulled into a happy smile and she reminded Lila of a princess.
"Hello Mika," The woman spoke, her voice filled with joy. "I'm your mom now." And for the first time in ages, Lila didn't have the overwhelming feeling of expectations on her shoulders, and she felt at peace.
1 year later
It had been a year since Mika had been reborn and many things had happened. Firstly, she had started to refer to herself as Mika instead of Lila. She reasoned that if you hear the same name every day then you might as well start using it. Secondly, she found that she wasn't the only baby born on that day a year ago, and she had an older twin brother called James. James was adorable she decided almost immediately and she instantly decided to protect him at all costs. The last thing she learnt, was that the family she was living with were called the 'Potters' and that magic was very real! She didn't notice much difference at first, but then she saw the floating cups and the wave of a wand to change her nappy (she really needed to get potty trained) and realized that magic was real. That was the first time that she cried. From joy or despair she still didn't know but it didn't matter much she decided. Currently, she was sitting in her brother's crib watching him attempt to eat his own foot. He's actually doing quite well, she noted with a raised eyebrow. He was quite advanced for a baby; she had realized a couple of months ago. He said his first word at 6 months and had almost mastered walking. It made Mika feel a bit guilty about being able to already do these things but, she was older internally. An annoying thing that Mika had soon found out in this new body was that her emotions were of a baby. She still had all of her old memories however they felt dimmed, distant, and she felt more childlike than ever. Mika also found that she could now remember everything from her birth with startling clarity. She remembered from her old life that people called it an eidetic memory and she seemed to have gotten one. Not that she was complaining, it was so much easier this way. Mika was startled out of her musing by her parents bursting into the room.
"Happy birthday darlings." They cried in unison, they then proceeded to pick up a twin each and carry them downstairs. When they reached the living room the old couple placed the twins next to a large pile of presents. Mika carefully grabbed one of the presents in pink, assuming that it was for her whereas her brother just grabbed a present at random and stuck it in his mouth. Wow, he really does have an obsession with putting things in his mouth Mika decided with a small giggle. She could get used to this.
4 years later
"Give it back!" Mika cried as she chased her older brother around the manor. He had taken their shared broom even though he knew it was her turn!
"You will have to be faster than that." Her infuriating sibling shouted over his shoulder, giggles penetrating his words. Why does he have to be so fast? Mika asked herself as he ran up another flight of artistically decorated stairs with Mika puffing behind him. Suddenly, her eyes gained a glint of mischief as she collapsed on the bottom stair as dramatically as possible;
"Ow!" Mika cried out. Works like a charm, she thought, fighting to keep the grin of her face as James spun around at the sound and hurdled back down the stairs.
"Mi, are you ok?" All signs of playfulness had slid of his face at the idea of his younger sister being hurt. As he reached her side, Mika jumped up and grabbed the broom before running off in the other direction. As soon as James figured out what had happened, he sprinted after her with a large grin on his young face. Mika knew that the plan wasn't very well thought out and he would catch up to her in bare minutes, but who could blame her? She was only five after all.
2 years later
Mika was sat on the sofa next to her brother. Her parents were sitting opposite them looking the almost exactly the same as when she was born, only a few more wrinkles scattered on their faces and more grey streaks in their hair. Today they were all dressed up in their formal robes, having taken the twins to their first social ball with all of the other ancient and noble families. Dorea had a beautiful off shoulder, floor length gown with black floral patterns decorating the slytherin green silk. Her hair was in an impressive bun that wouldn't look out of place on royalty. She had a delicate silver necklace with matching earrings and a bracelet and overall she looked exactly as a Lady of a house should. Her husband also looked very handsome, in a black suit with silver accents and a tie the same green as his beloved wife. He had also managed to somehow make his hair look slightly less messy than usual. Mika's twin looked extremely like his father in that moment; their suits had the same colours and his hair was in the same slightly less messy state. The main difference was the Gryffindor red tie that was proudly displayed on his chest (after he had argued that he wasn't wearing green for over an hour). Mika also admitted to herself that she looked just as stunning as the rest of her family. She was wearing a silver halter strap dress that slowly faded into slytherin green at the bottom to match her mother. Her dark black hair had somehow been pulled back into a bun, even though she had clearly inherited the same messy mop that her father and brother have; only hers was waist length. That was the main feature that she had inherited from her dad; the untameable hair. She had gotten the rest of her looks from her mom. She had obtained the same high cheek bones as well as the petite nose. Her lips were the same shape and she had inherited the same green, gray eyes that her mother had. If it weren't for Mika's hair, they would be practically identical; much like Charles and James who shared all of the same features. Overall, they looked like the perfect family in Mika's mind.
"Kids," Charles stared, a worried frown present on his face, "Your mom has been thinking-" Dorea then interrupted with a small cough and a glare in his direction to which he hastily amended his statement; "I mean, your mom and I have been thinking that… um…"
"What your father is trying to get across," The twins mother said with a disapproving glare in his direction, "Is that now that your seven, maybe it's time to have your own rooms?" Although she posed it as a question, Mika could tell that it wasn't meant as one. She had been watching over the past few years as her mom grew more and more disapproving of their sleeping arrangements. Ever since her and her twin had been born, they had always shared a bed, and by result of that, a room. Now, Mika could see that her mom no longer wanted that tradition to happen and Mika wasn't going down without a fight.
It was several hours since Mika's mom had made that statement, soon after revealing that she had already prepared an extra room for one of them to sleep in. It had taken two hours and a ripped dress before Mika was tucked tightly into her new bed, and she hated it. Mika had laid in wait for the past three hours, pretending to be asleep, until she finally heard her mom shut the master bedrooms door. After waiting a following five minutes, she crept out of the unfamiliar room, and into the room she belonged in, where she stayed until her mom found them there the next morning and the arguments started.
4 years later
Mika woke up to the sound of an alarm going off. After much useless swatting in the direction of the offending clock, she finally managed to reach it; sadly, she had reached too far and went tumbling off her bed, the clock following her down. Thwack! The infuriating alarm clock had landed on her head as they both fell to the floor. With a grimace, she gingerly stood up, trying and failing to be quiet. She spared a glance at her brother who was still sleeping peacefully in bed and grinned. Creeping to the door, cartoon style, she just reached the door handle when that bloody alarm clock went off again. She leapt across the room, with the gracefulness of a pig on roller-skates and grabbed the clock before chucking it out the window.
"Take that asshole." She whispered before creeping back to the door. Her brother had, amazingly, slept through all of that. I'm happy that he didn't wake up Mika thought as she grabbed a bucket and skipped towards the bathroom all my planning would have been for nothing. Mika had had a 'genius' (in her mind) idea on how to wake her beloved twin up on their birthday. After she had filled the bucket up with water she tip-toed back to their shared room. She then stood at the end of their bed watching her brother sleep peacefully. He looks so young and sweet when he's asleep Mika though with a sentimental smile. That smile soon turned into an evil grin as she tipped the whole bucket of freezing cold water on top of her unsuspecting twin. As he woke up with an extremely girly scream, Mika grabbed the other bucket she had prepared the day before and showered the eleven year old boy in pink glitter. With the shocked and betrayed look marring her brothers face forever seared into Mika's brain, she took off running, laughter trailing behind her. Only seconds later she heard the heavy footfalls of her angry brother behind her and Mika, still laughing her head off, jumped onto their banister and attempted to slide away from the danger. Sadly, the water still covering the boy helped Mika's potential attacker to go faster on the banister as he too slid down. They fell to the floor with a bang and a laugh (from Mika). Unluckily for Mika, a very annoyed James landed on top of her, drenching her pyjamas and looking threateningly at her.
"Hey Jamie…" Mika started a guilty smile on her face. He let out a low growl before tickling every inch of her that he could reach. Shrieking with laughter, Mika unsuccessfully tried to push him off.
"Stop, Stop, I apologise." Mika cried out between giggles. Jamie looked at her in consideration and loosened his grip slightly. Mika took this as a chance to wriggle out from underneath him and run towards the kitchen.
"Oi," her brother shouted as he lunged for her again. She darted out of his reached and ran into the kitchen. She immediately spotted her father and gave him the most innocent smile she could muster.
"Happy birthday Cookie," Charles directed to his daughter with a laugh at her smile. Charles had called her cookie since she was four and had her first moment of accidental magic; summoning all the cookies in a ten mile radius to her when refused a cookie by her mom. Her dad gave her a brief hug and at that moment her brother ran into the room, slipped on the tiles with his still wet feet and, with pink glitter decorating his whole body, his arms wind milling and a mouth open in shock and terror, slid right into their mother who had just walked in through the other door. As they fell to the floor, one of them attempted to grab the table in the hope of steading themselves however they only managed to grab the tablecloth; pulling all the food down on top of them. The whole kitchen was quite for about ten seconds before Mika and her dad burst into uncontrollable laughter. Tears leaked from the corner of Mika's eyes as she clung to her dad who was stopping her from falling to the floor in hysterics. As Dorea started shouting at James for doing something dangerous, Mika and Charles burst into another fit of uncontrollable laughter. This was a good start to her birthday Mika decided.
An hour or so later, after everyone had gotten dressed and showered (though Jamie still had glitter covering most of his body thanks to a stolen wand and a sticking charm courtesy of Mika) the family was sitting in the living room and the twins had just opened their birthday presents. Mika had gotten the newest broom: the Nimbus 1001 (as did her twin) as well as new clothes, some books and jewellery. Jamie had given her an empty photo album and a camera which she loved and promised to use. She in return gave him chaser gloves, a quaffle and a snitch and explained that he could see if he preferred the idea of being a seeker. Both twins had been extremely keen on the idea of being chasers together in Gryffindor on the Quidditch team and where heartbroken when they learnt that they couldn't be on the team until second year. When both twins had finished thanking their parents, Jamie suddenly spoke up:
"Are those owls?" He was pointing out the window at two distinct shapes getting closer to the window. Mika hurriedly opened the window, trembling in excitement. I'm finally getting my Hogwarts letter. It's finally happening. Two important looking Tawny Owls flapped in and landed, one on each twins arm. With nervous hands, Mika untied he letter from the impatient bird that immediately flew off. After taking a deep breath Mika pried open the envelope. This is it…
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Potter,
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 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Mika felt all of her breath leave her. It had finally happened. She was defiantly a witch. It wasn't like Mika didn't know that she was magical already; the letter just made it seem so much more real. She saw Jamie jump and pump his fist in the air. Mika thought about copying his action however the eagerness to read the rest of her letter was too much. She enthusiastically opened the second piece of parchment and absorbed what it said.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
By Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
By Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
By Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
"I guess this means we're going to have to take a trip to Diagon Alley then." Dorea said. Mika looked up at her parents with joy in her eyes when she noticed that her mom has the exact opposite.
"Why are you crying?" Mika asked, arms surrounding the elderly women in an instant, Jamie even looked up from his victory dance which, Mika thought, was quite ridiculous. Charles gave a gentle smile to his youngest; she always did put others before herself.
"She's ok, your mom's just upset that you're growing up, that's all." Charles answered, and then proceeded to grab his son and pull them into a family hug.
"I'll never stop being your little girl." Mika said with a sad smile, she really hoped that she wasn't lying.
"Ugh." Mika complained as she stumbled out of the floo network into the leaky caldron. Even after 11 years she still hadn't learnt how to exit the floo 'like a lady'. She had only managed to prevent herself from falling over as Jamie had grabbed her before she fell.
"Ready to go?" Dorea questioned. Mika, who was sure she would be tasting soot for weeks, quickly brushed herself off before joining her twin in his excitement. He was hopping along, dragging their mom to the entrance to alley and talking a million words a minute.
"He's too excitable." Charles claimed, before grasping Mikas hand and allowing her to tug him in the same direction.
"Can we get our wands first mom, please? Please!" Jamie begged as the small family entered the alley. Mika, who was usually enchanted with the beauty of the alley, couldn't help herself but agreeing.
"Yeah, please dad, I really want to get my wand now." She begged, bringing out the puppy dog eyes that she was famous for. In her last life she had an annoying cousin that would always use puppy dog eyes to get her way. Mika was hopeless at it. Luckily for her, she had a few years to practice when she had nothing else to do (the first years of her new life). Now Mika was amazing at them and they had yet to fail her.
"Fine." Her mom relented, and led them to Ollivanders. The scent of dust and mould hit Mikas nose as she entered the old shop. The horrendous smell didn't prevent a gasp of amazement leaving her mouth. She could feel the magic humming in the air. It wrapped its way around her body and filled her senses. She swore that she could see the magic drifting gracefully through the air but before she could focus on it too much she was startled out of her thoughts.
"Dorea Potter nee Black. Ten and a quarter inches, willow and oak wood with unicorn hair." Mika spun round and caught sight of a very peculiar man. He looked to be about 100 however she couldn't be sure. He wore glasses that had magnifying glasses attached to them and a cane with engravings covering it. His clothes looked about as old as him, the style originating from years previously and his hair was a grey mess. His skin looked very pale, as though he never saw sunlight which Mika supposed could be true and his eyes were such stunning silver she swore that they were glowing. At that moment his eyes swivelled to her father:
"Charles Potter; twelve inches, dragon heartstring and birch wood."
"You're right, like always. How are things these days Ollivander?" Charles replied, a smile plastered on his face.
"Good, good." Ollivander muttered attention elsewhere. His eyes had brushed over Jamie, barely sparing him a glance but they hesitated for a moment when they reached Mika. Mika almost didn't notice it was so quick, but she did.
"Who's going first?" The man asked, shuffling around behind the till in search of something. Jamie and Mika immediately looked at each other. His eyes were pleading with her to let him go first, silently promising her a bar of Honeydukes chocolate. With a small gesture to let him know that he could go first, Mika stepped backward as Jamie confidently called out;
"I am." Ollivander nodded along and waved his hand in the direction of the young boy as he started walking to the wand shelves.
"Wand arm?" Was the question that was heard as the surprisingly nimble man rummaged through years' worth of wands.
"Right." Jamie said as a tape measure started measuring everything it could get to. Minutes of this passed and Mika was beginning to giggle as her brother was swatting at the tape measure that didn't stop moving. Finally Ollivander returned with multiple boxes in his arms. He opened up a red velvet box and carefully handed the boy a wand. His eyes were trained on the wand and observing everything that happened. As soon as James' hand touched the wand, sparks jumped out the end and set the lamp on fire. Ollivander snatched it away and handed him another one in the same fashion. The process continued for about 10 minutes with varying degrees of damage before James found the one. Ollivander was holding a deep gold box that looked sleek and elegant. He withdrew a dark brown wand with engravings on the handle, twirling their way up the wood. As soon as James held it, red and gold sparks shot out of the end, lighting up the room with colour and joy.
"Eleven inches, Mahogany, Dragon heartstring, good for transfiguration." Mika could see the magic seeping into her brothers' core, gold clashing with red before it became a constant hum of content, swirling colour.
"Wand arm Miss Potter." Came the voice of Ollivander, shocking her for a second time. His eyes were strangely focused on her, as though she was an animal for him to examine.
"My right arm." She answered her voice much more confident than she felt. With a nod he disappeared off into his shelves and his tape measure jumped into action. Mika could hear her brother bragging about his new wand to their parents but Mika was too distracted to care. She was wondering what the tape measure was for. Mr Ollivander doesn't check any readings, maybe it prints out a report round the back. He could have used some form of variation on a mind spell to connect it to his brain. Maybe it's just for intimidation purposes, Mika decided. Ollivander hobbled back towards her and Mika was glad that she wasn't caught off guard again. His frail arms held a mountain of boxes, varying from pink to green. As soon as his arms were free, he started handing her wands. To begin with the damage was minimal, but as the pile of discarded wands pile grew higher, her fear also grew, fuelling bigger destruction. After 23 failed attempts, he handed her a wand that she was familiar with.
"Holly and Phoenix feather, 11 inches." This was the first wand he told her the properties of before handing it to her, and she knew why. It was the brother wand to a man, a man who was slowly gaining followers and fear at this very moment; Tom Riddle. With shaky hands, Mika grasped the handle, pleading with the gods that this was not her wand. Her mother's coat lit on fire. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mika quickly placed the wand back on the counter and Ollivander snatched it away with slight disappointment. After many, many more failed attempts, Ollivander plucked a new box of his shelves. It was a deep purple box with silver patterns decorating the silky texture. Inside was the most beautiful wand that Mika had ever seen. It had a simple black colour however if you looked at it from the right angle I would release a purple glow. Flowers and animals were engraved on the handle, much like her twins, and there was a small snake that looked like it was slithering up the handle. Mika knew it was the one before her hand even made contact with it. When she waved it she felt a piece of her slot into place. Like a limb that she never knew she was missing but needed it now she had it. It was like giving food to a man that had never eaten. It was – amazing! Green and red sparks flew into the air, dancing around her, brushing her skin like comforting hugs.
"Thestral hair, Cherry and Elder wood, 10 ½ inches." Ollivander said. "This wand was created by my great-grandfather, it never found an owner." The ancient man mused. "I don't use Thestral hair… too temperamental." He said, starting at her the whole time as though in a trance.
"That will be 14 Gallons please," He abruptly said, looking away from Mika as quickly as always. Dorea handed over the money before quickly shooing her children out of the creepy place.
"That place always gives me the creeps." She muttered once they had left the shop. A visible shudder went down her spine before she collected herself.
"Where do you want to go next kids?" Dorea asked, trying to take her mind of that shop.
"Can we look at the new Nimbus 1500?" James asked; a hop in his step as he crossed the alley. After two nods of agreement, the family entered the very crowded shop. Jamie immediately ran over to the newest display, Charles close behind him. Mika browsed the products for a while and Dorea had run into one of her friends to chat too. Mika was admiring a boom care kit before she suddenly remembered something. I wanted to get a wand holder. Mika knew that both of her parents would object to that idea, a young lady should not need such a thing. Mika privately disagreed. She scanned the shop; all three members of her overprotective family were occupied. Good. She ducked her head down and joined the back of a loud family that were exiting the shop. It was so busy in there that she probably had a few minutes at least. She quickly ran across the street and entered the small shop. It was yet again, unoccupied as Mr Ollivander had run off again. Mika felt a chill go down her spine; she didn't feel as brave without her family there. She was tempted to retreat however she reminded herself that she needed to get one. How would she ever get into Gryffindor if she couldn't even face a shop keeper? With a steadying breath she was about to call out for him when…
"Back again so soon Miss Potter?" He had snuck up on her for the third time in a day and Mika very nearly let out a scream.
"Was there something wrong with your wand?" He questioned, seemingly insulted at the very though.
"N-no, of course not. I was… umm… hoping for, well, you see." Mika felt her face turn a dark red. How pathetic, I can't even form a sentence.
"Can I please have a wand holster?" She said in a rush. He ignored her failed attempts at speaking and withdrew a box with a flourish.
"What sort do you want? We have one-size, one that grows with you; we have an Auror standard one that both grows with you and only you can remove your wand. It also prevents summoning and won't be visible unless someone knows it's there." The last one sounds like the best long-term one. It has to be the most expensive though.
"How much is the last one?" Mika asked, she really hoped that it wasn't too expensive.
"4 Gallons. It costs an extra 2 Gallons 7 sickle if you want it in Dragon hind or an extra 6 for Basilisk skin." With a grimace Mika glanced down into her money pouch. She knew how rare basilisk hind was and it probably wouldn't be in stock again for ages. It was a lot cheaper than she expected for basilisk hind though. With a sigh Mika poured her money pouch onto the dusty counter. 11 Gallons, 3 sickle. She reluctantly pushed over the correct amount and collected the rest up. She had been saving for months.
"This is the last one in stock." Ollivander said as he slid the holster over. "Use it well." Mika nodded in thanks before heading for the door in hopes to escape the creepy shop.
"Miss Potter." Mika heard as she reached the door, "Try not to change… too much." She spun round, but he was gone. I really hope that he was giving a creepy message and not informing me that he knows my secret. Mika thought. Probably just a creepy message, old men are strange like that. With that reassurance, Mika stepped outside the musty old shop, inhaling deeply to get as much air in her lungs as possible, before colliding with a hard obstacle and falling harshly to the unforgiving floor. Mika sharply breathed in, hoping to regain her breath that had been forcefully knocked out of her. She could feel the gravel digging into her palms and knees and took a deep breath to compose herself. I will not cry. Mika repeated in her head, the shock forcing tears to gather in her eyes.
"Are you ok?" A small voice asked. It was full of concern and hesitance which made her look up. She almost lost her breath again. Standing in front of her, was a boy who was about her age. His hair was black, a slight wave in it that brushed his shoulders. His features were gentle but defined. His eyes were a deep gray, and Mika felt as though she was looking into his soul. His face was crafted into a look of concern; Mika still thought that he was one of the most handsome boys that she had ever seen. Ever since her untimely death, Mika wasn't certain of many things, however she could say with full confidence, that standing in front of her was an 11 year old Sirius Black.
"I'm fine." Mika said; the tears in her eyes gone without a trace. The boy offered her an arm to help her up which Mika took gratefully. Once she was on her feet, she brushed off the gravel embedded into her palm and stuck out her hand.
"I'm Mika Potter." Sirius looked at her strangely for a second, he had undoubtedly heard of how the Potters were a light family, which means he would have heard of her. Am I not living up to his standards? Does he actually believe in all of that Pureblood crap? Mika had always assumed that Sirius never believed in any of the old traditions that were biased and horrid; however she was now rethinking that claim. She was just about to pull her hand back but the boy grabbed it and brushed it gently to his lips.
"Sirius Black, pleased to meet you Miss Potter." A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face, but it disappeared so quickly that if Mika wasn't searching his expression she would have missed it. He was obvious worried about how dark his family was in comparison to the Potters. Mika gave a genuine smile at the scared boy before replying.
"Pleasure to meet you Sirius Black." The blank mask that was poised on his face transformed into a grin that made Mika's own smile grow in consequence.
"Are you starting Hogwarts this year?" He asked.
"Yep." Mika replied, "I assume you're starting this year as well." Mika already knew the answer however she thought it was politer if she asked him first.
"Of course," was the confident and slightly cocky reply.
"I hope to see you on the train then." Mika said, "See you around." And with that, Mika skipped off to find her family that hopefully hadn't noticed her absence.
It was early morning the next day, and Mika hadn't slept a bit. When she had returned to the Quidditch shop, luckily, nobody had noticed her missing as they were too engrossed in what they were doing. They had then proceeded to get the rest of their school supplies, including their Hogwarts robes and textbooks. The day, as they all agreed, had been great and one of the best Birthdays that Mika had ever had. But she couldn't stop thinking about the future. Mr Ollivanders parting advice, although she had previously declared was nothing important, was weighing on her mind. As was the brewing war that so few were aware was happening. Mika had been trying to put the thoughts of future blood-shed and brutality out of her mind, but the beginning of the war was steadily marching closer. The fact that she had a wand made it all the more real. She looked over James. He looked so peaceful, so innocent. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe. I have to. You will survive this war… no matter what it takes! And with her mind made up, Mika fell into an uneasy sleep.