Life At Hogwarts: Freshman Year
This is going to be a series of fiches i'll be writing in the Harry Potter universe. All the events take place after Harry and the gang graduate from Hogwarts. There will be no characters from the books aside from shop keepers, and professors. This is basically just something to fulfil the new void left by the last Harry Potter movie between and until I find out what the hell Pottermore really is. Anyway, enjoy, I appreciate any and all reasonable feedback. and Thanks for reading. I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. ALL RIGHTS TO HARRY POTTER AND IT'S TRADEMARKED NAMES AND CHARACTERS TO J.K. ROWLING AND WARNER BROS.
Chapter 1:
Aston Barr was walking down the cobblestone roads of Diagon Alley with his brand new wand in hand form Olivander's. He was so fixated with it he almost wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. It was a brand new 10" Oak wand with a Dragon Heartstring core.
"Come now Aston", exclaimed Aston's mother Christine, "the wand's just the start, we need to get you your books". He kept a firm grip on his wand with one hand, and his mothers hand with the other and rushed alongside her into the bookstore. He stepped inside and was utterly astounded by the rows and rows of books. Aston had never been in the wizarding world before, not until he received his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts, and had to come here to Diagon alley. He never understood his magical lineage. His entire life his mother never reviled that she was a witch. Until a few days ago.
It was a total shock to him. It was the morning of his eleventh birthday, him and his mother were eating breakfast, waffles and toast with orange juice for him while his mother drank coffee. When all of a sudden from the fireplace shot a letter that glided through the air like a kite and landed on his lap. He looked at his mother, she seemed overjoyed but the sometime, awkward, like she had not expected me to receive it, he opened the letter and read it allowed;
Dear Mr. Barr,
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 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress
He didn't understand, finally his mother had no choice but to spill the beans and told him everything. She was a witch from the wizarding world. He was blown away, and he had inherited his mother's magical abilities, but other than that, she never explained anything else about the wizarding world, certain things would take him by surprise, like messenger owls, and animal familiars. It all of a sudden made sense as to their pet Barn Owl, Syd. But he couldn't believe he was a wizard, he had never used his powers, he had never even tried.
He saw his mother with the clerk of the store pointing down the list of what books he would need. But Aston wandered looking through the titles of several different fascinating looking books; Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Holiday's With Hags, Hogwarts: A History, and more. He kept scanning the books, reading title after title until he walked and tripped on top of another young boy.
"Oi, watch where your going!" the boy yelled, "You made me drop my books, way to go"
"I'm sorry", Aston was red in the face and extremely embarrassed, the minute he stood up he left, his first impression on the first child he'd interacted with was not as he'd expected.
"Aston, get over here", he dashed towards the sound of his mothers voice, "Don't go wandering off now, you don't know who you'll run into.
"Sorry mum", he mumbled. He wished he'd gotten that advice sooner
"Eh, are you alright?" She asked ducking down to see her sons face, "Did something happen"
" I ran into a boy, and knocked him over, he yelled at me, but it was an accident-"
"Oh hun, don't worry about that now, come now, i've got all your books, and something extra", she moved the book from the bottom of the stack from out of the pile into his hands. It was a very large book with a moving picture of an exceptionally elderly man with a long white flowing beard and half moon glasses. The title read. The Unofficial Biography of Albus Dumbledore by Atticus Ashby.
"Uhm, thanks mum, but who is he?" asked Aston trying to be polite.
"This is Albus Dumbledore, he was headmaster when I attended Hogwarts, we was a kind, selfless man, but sadly he died when You Know Who Returned"
"You know Who, Who's that?"
"I'll tell you another time, we've got to get your robes fitted, and your cauldron", she grabbed him by the hand and they rushed out of the book store to store with a sign that read: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, they entered the store and a kind eldery witch was adjusting another boy his age's robes
"Come right in stand right up there."
He looked at his mother who simply nodded her head and he dashed up next to the other boy.
" 'Ello, name's Oliver, Oliver Padgett, never seen you around" the boy seemed very eager to meet him.
"I'm Aston, Aston Barr", he said quietly
"Nice tah meet yah", he said while holding out his hand, Aston reluctantly shook it in return, not quite understanding why he was being so friendly.
"Arms up", the lady said to him. He complied without delay.
"Your a muggle born ain't yah"
"I'm sorry?" Aston had no idea what the other boy meant
"You know, your parents aren't wizards" it's just you
"No, my mums a witch, by my dad was a...a muggle was it?", Oliver seemed disappointed in what he said.
"Yeah it's what we wizards call em' non magical people, muggles, but to bad, I just think muggle borns are cool, kids with no magic parents being magic, it's awesome"
"Well, sorry to disappoint, are you going to Hogwarts too?"
"Oh yeah, I hope I get into Gryffindor, that's Harry Potter's house, he's the greatest"
"Who's that?"
"That's a joke right, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, he killed Voldemort"
"Who's Voldemort"
"Voldemort, You know Who, he who must not be named, he almost took over the wizarding world TWICE! He's evil, but Harry beat em and now he's gone forever."
Aston had never heard of this, but he wanted to hear more and more before he knew it, he was done his robe fitting and he was hanging on every word spoken by Oliver"
"And transfiguration, it's when you turn something into something else, like a mouse into a necklace, or a cup into a frog…"
His mother was paying and chatting with Madam Malkins. While Oliver was speaking, giving him plenty of time to listen and learn.
"Hey let's go I gotta show you something"
"Sure lets go", they were almost out the door when he heard his mother's call from the counter
"Aston, where are you going"
"Olivers going to show me something", he said
"Wait just a sec", his mother darted over to the two going through her purse,"here, take three galeons and meet me at The Leaky Cauldron at 3:30, that's fifteen minutes, now go have fun, and DON'T talk to strangers."
"Thanks mom, bye" he said in a hurry while leaving the robe shop. Oliver ran down the roads as Aston hurried to catch up with his pace, he'd never ran so hard in his life, but he wanted to know what was so special that Oliver wanted him to see. Oliver sharply turned a corner down another alley way, it seemed dark and run down, when Aston made it to the entrance he stopped and read a sign, Nocturne Alley.
"Oliver!" he called down the alley, "Where'd yah go?" Oliver came darting up the alley way and grabbed Aston's hand and tugged at him, trying to lead him down the narrow alley way.
"Come one, they got stuff you'd never see up here", Oliver said reassuringly, "We'll be five minutes, and we'll be right back. I promise", Aston sucked up his fear and went with him down the alley. There were dozens of wizards and witches, but not like the ones in Diagon Alley, they were darker, shady, Aston wasn't comfortable being around them.
"Are we almost at the thing yet", Aston asked, "I don't want to be here"
"It's right up this way, hurry", as Aston ran align side him until they stopped in front of a large window. Before them hovering in the centre of they window was a large black painted broom. At the handle was what appeared to be a replica of an animal skull, or a real one, Aston could tell for certain.
"It's called The Nightmare 4000, fastest broom since the Firebolt. Only ten in the world were made, and they were banned in six countries", Aston was impressed and terrified at the same time, although the broom seemed to be fantastic, the design was grim. Also he couldn't help but wonder, 'What could have happened to have them banned in six countries, six'. He checked his watch
"Come on Oliver, i've only got ten minutes" he said while tugging on his sleeve.
"Okay, let's go" Just as they were running off they ran smack into another wizard on the street. It was an aging man with long black hair which was greying, and black stained robes. He turned to them with a look of disgust
"Sorry sir", Aston said immediately upon reaction to the wizard's face
"You….little, RAT" screeched the man, but no one in the alley reacted, like it was normal behaviour, "What are children doing here, I'll teach you a lesson, Cru-"
"STUPEFY", yelled a voice in the distance. Before they new it the man had been shot back against the wall of the shop. They turned to see who cast the spell but no one came forward. Just hoards of people rushing to witness the incident.
"Come on, we need to get out of here", said Aston, the two boys rand past the group of witches and wizards hovering over the body, the darted throughout the alley until they found their way back to Diagon alley. Aston saw his mother waiting in front of the Leaky Cauldron waiting for him and look around.
"I need to go now, mum's waiting for me", said Aston.
"Guess this is goodbye for now, see you on the train?", asked Oliver
"Yeah, definitely", said Aston smiling
"Great, see yah around Aston", said Oliver taking his leave
"See yah around", Aston said to himself. He walked back to his mother
"Hello hunny, where'd you run off to", asked his mother.
"Just, looking at brooms", said Aston
"Ooh fun, you know I was a chaser on the gryffindor quidditch team"
"What's quidditch?", asked Aston
"Tell yah when we get home", she said in a smile. And they went through the hole of the Leaky Cauldron back unto the busy streets of London, on their way home.
Thank you so much for reading please review. Haven't quite decided where I want to go with this, I might make one, I might make seven. But until then thanks again. :)