Whimsy and Allegra were the best of friends. They were the types of girls who would have conversations about the boys that they liked for hours on end, who would have sleepovers and stay up until they had to blink their eyes hard to keep from falling asleep, and who would swap stories about their random encounters with people they both knew. Yes, they were the best of friends. And they were both witches attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Whimsy was in Ravenclaw house. She was the smartest girl Allegra had ever met. And she came from a fairly nice line of witches and wizards. Her ancestors had literally invented the textbook oh so long ago. She had cinnamon-colored hair that cascaded and curled in a gentle mass down her back. Her green eyes scrutinized everything through frameless glasses. She was tall and willowy, making her very graceful and beautiful with her sharp features.
Allegra was in Slytherin house. Yet, she was probably the most chipper and pleasant Slytherin who ever lived. She too came from a fine lineage of pureblood Slytherins, dating all the way back to the opening of Hogwarts ages ago. Her thick, dark blonde hair was always pulled up in a sideways ponytail. The black-rimmed glasses she wore magnified her already-large brown eyes. While Whimsy was tall and willowy, Allegra was on the short side and was a bit more solid, having a more curved chest and waist than her friend. And Allegra's features were softer and rounder, complimenting her heart-shaped face.
And at the moment, Allegra was limping, supported on Whimsy's shoulder and grimacing from the stiffness in her ankle. She dragged a black-handled broomstick behind her.
"Allegra, darling!" cried her mother, Marina Yollesgrave, as she ran to her daughter. "What in the name of Merlin happened to you?"
"I fell off my broom," Allegra blushed. "I was trying to do a trick."
"It was my fault, Mrs. Yollesgrave," Whimsy said, raising her hand. "I suggested that she try it. I read about a flyer attempting it and I thought Allegra could do it."
"Oh, dear, I don't blame you," Marina sighed. "Just be more careful next time. Darling, where does it hurt?"
"My ankle," Allegra sniffled. "I landed on it funny."
"Well go and rest in the drawing room and I'll send your father in to take a look at it."
Whimsy helped Allegra hobble into the drawing room and sat her down on a black, velvet sofa. Most everything in the Yollesgrave household was black. The only exception was Allegra's room, which was painted and filled with colorful things. She was truly the ironic black sheep of the family.
"Here," Whimsy whispered softly as she offered her friend a black cushion. "Elevate your ankle."
Allegra did was she was told. Her face split into a grin when she saw her father, Olave Yollesgrave, enter the room.
"DADDY!" she squealed, reaching her arms out to hug her father. Olave seemed a bit put out by his daughter's behavior, but leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Good afternoon, Allegra," he said. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I fell off my broom, Daddy. And I landed on my ankle funny. Can you fix it, please?"
Olave was a healer, renowned for his abilities. His daughter's twisted ankle would probably be the least of his worries. He patted her head and adjusted the pillow beneath Allegra's foot.
"Just keep your ankle up and I'll go get my wand to begin the process. But you'll probably have to stay off of it for a time." With that, the blonde-white-haired man disappeared through the doorway.
"What rotten luck," Allegra pouted as she examined her foot. "Just a few days away from going back to school and I fall off my broom." Her eyes grew as round as dinner plates and she gasped. "I'll be able to tell Mr. Cuddles goodbye, won't I?"
"Of course," Whimsy nodded, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Don't you worry."
Allegra rubbed her ankle and looked wistfully out the window. The large wooden shed outside shuddered for a moment. A flash of green and silver cloth glimmered from the window for a moment before disappearing again.
"Oh my darling Mr. Cuddles," Allegra sighed dramatically. "I shan't go to school without saying goodbye. I promise you, oh my lovely pet."
Whimsy rolled her eyes as Olave came back into the room. He drew his polished mahogany wand and pointed it at his daughter's ankle. With a quick blast of light, Allegra felt a short shock of pain through her foot before the stiffness went down. Olave leaned down and wrapped Allegra's ankle in bandages to keep her from bending it the wrong way while it healed.
"Now I'll have one of the servants take you down to the train station," he instructed his daughter. "Then I would hope that Whimsy would take you to an available compartment. I'll send along a letter to the headmaster letting him know that you've been injured and should have a companion for your classes."
"Will I be able to go out to visit Mr. Cuddles before I leave, Daddy?" Allegra smiled hopefully.
"Of course," Olave nodded before patting his daughter on her head and disappearing into his study on the opposite side of the drawing room.
"Did you hear that, Whimsy?" Allegra squealed. "I'll get to see Mr. Cuddles!"
"I told you not to worry," Whimsy smirked, rolling her eyes. She looked out the window as the shed shuddered again.
"OH!" Allegra exclaimed, standing up. She made sure to not put much weight on her afflicted leg. "That's right! I forgot to feed him today! I'm coming, my dearest darling!" With that, she hobbled out of the drawing room and into the yard. As she pulled the door to the shed open, she beamed at the sight that awaited her.
A twenty-three-and-a-half-foot-long basilisk was coiled up in the middle of the large room. His fangs, which should have been sharp and deadly, were dull and rather silly-looking. Since this particular basilisk was born blind, Allegra had gone through great pains to make him a pair of green and silver eye patches as well as a green and silver collar to show off her house pride. Sensing the presence of his owner, Mr. Cuddles' head rose and his forked tongue flicked out in greeting.
"Hello, you big, lovable basilisk, you," Allegra giggled as she reached out and petted his snout right between his large nostrils. She walked over to a bin at the side of the room without taking her fingertips off the basilisk's scaly skin. "Is Mummy's baby hungry?" she cooed as she opened it and retrieved what appeared to be the entire leg of a rather large cow. "Ooh! Mummy loves it when her baby eats all his yummy dinner!" She held the leg up to Mr. Cuddles' mouth.
The gaping jaws opened and swallowed the cow flank whole. Mr. Cuddles rejoiced with a long, happy hiss. Allegra clapped her hands and kissed the serpent on the tip of his nose.
"Good boy. Now, Mummy is going to have to go back to school in a few days. But don't forget that Mummy loves you so much, my dearest darling. I'll keep my picture of you right by my heart like always." She placed her hand on the silver locket that had been worn around her neck since as long as she could remember. Kissing the beast on its nose again, she walked back out the door.
"Allegra!" Whimsy shouted. "You need to get back inside. Don't forget about your ankle!"