Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Alyssia's Point of View
Original ideas, characters are copyright © me (Alyssia); all other characters are copyright © to their creators. Main story ideas and plot copyright © to Akira Chang, as well as her own characters. Finally, the HP universe copyright © JK Rowling.
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Chapter One: The Rosiak Residence
"Miss? Miss Rosiak? It's time to get up, miss."
The words floated into Alyssia's ears, awakening her from her slumber. She rolled over in her bed between the cream satin sheets and tried desperately to fall asleep once again. She was never very good at waking up in the school holidays and used the given 'lie-in' to its full effect. Unfortunately, it did not seem that she would be allowed to today.
Light flooded in through the bay window in Alyssia's bedroom. A small click resounded and the top window opened, letting in a light breeze which rustled the cream satin curtains. There was no hope for Alyssia this morning.
Sighing, she pushed back the bed covers, climbed out of bed, and stood on the wooden floor in her bare feet.
"Morning Miss Rosiak," said a small, high-pitched voice.
Alyssia looked down and saw a little creature (whose appearance greatly resembled a potato wearing a dirty pillow-case) at her feet. It bowed low to the ground, its nose barely inches from the floor and handed Alyssia a pair of fluffy white slippers.
"Thanks, Twinkie," she said, slipping her feet into them.
"It is no problem, miss," Twinkie replied, bowing once again. "Mr Rosiak requires you in his study, miss. He says you need to come dressed and prepared for a day shopping, miss."
"Shopping?" Alyssia repeated in wonderment. Where could she be going shopping and for what purpose?
"Yes, miss. Shopping in Diagon Alley," the creature replied.
Alyssia brightened slightly. She loved shopping, like most girls did, but especially at Diagon Alley. Everything there was so different, unique to any other shopping destination. She usually only went to Diagon Alley when there was something especially important she needed to attain, and this trip would be no exception. The trip was for the sole purpose that Alyssia should gather her new school equipment for the upcoming year. There was barely a week left until she would start the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Like most of the population that lived in these parts, Alyssia came from a wizarding family and was a pure-blooded witch. Most other young witches or wizards enrolled at the school at the early age of eleven, but Alyssia was due to start in her fifth year at the age of fifteen. There were reasons behind this of course, but they had never really been divulged to her, though she had asked her father many times.
Maybe that was one of the reasons - her father was not actually her father at all. Alyssia did not know who her real father was and her mother had died when she was eight from causes she did not know of. Countless times she had asked about the subject, but as always, she was turned away and never found out anything. She had learnt to accept that Mr Rosiak was now her father and not to question it any longer.
"Would miss like Twinkie to pick some clothes for her, or would she like to choose her own?" Twinkie asked, looking up at Alyssia with her enormous brown eyes.
"I'll choose my own, thanks," Alyssia replied, and crossed the spacious room to her wardrobe.
She pulled out a pair of tight black trousers, a long-sleeved black top with flared ends and a set of long, fitted, black wizarding robes with a fur trim. Alyssia slipped off her nightdress leaving it in a pool at her feet, in which she stepped out of. She pulled on the new clothes she had just collected, while the house-elf made her bed and folded up her nightdress.
Catching sight of herself in the mirror, Alyssia took in her appearance. Long champagne blonde hair fell on her tall, slim frame, now adorned in her new clothes for the day. Green eyes flecked with a golden hazel stared back at her, intent and critical. She grabbed a brush from the dresser to the left of her and ran it through her hair, taming it to stay smooth and straight.
Seeming satisfied with herself, Alyssia opened her bedroom door and walked off down the hallway to her father's study. She passed many doors leading off into other large spacious rooms of the house, and finally came to a halt in front of an oak door. She knocked twice upon it.
"Come in," a deep voce said, and turning the doorknob, Alyssia opened the door and stepped inside.
"Good morning, Alyssia," he said politely, though it lacked warmth and welcome and came out rather blunt and straight-edged.
"Good morning," Alyssia replied.
Her father looked up from his paperwork, his dark black eyes taking in her form. Anyone could tell she was not his daughter, for they were opposites, save for the fact they were both very tall. Still, no one had questioned it before and he intended it to stay that way.
"I trust Twinkie has told you where you are to go today," he said crisply.
"Yes, she has," Alyssia replied.
"Good. Here is a list of your school supplies and twenty galleons for the purchases," he handed her a bag of golden coins and a sheet of folded parchment. "You can keep the change."
His last words were slightly sarcastic, as though he were sneering at her, looking down upon her. Of course, she had no money of her own; both her mother and father had not left her with any, so it was Mr Rosiak's job to provide her with it. He certainly was not short on the stuff either.
"Thank you," Alyssia said, accepting the bag and list. "Aren't you coming to Diagon Alley with me?"
"No," he replied. "I am much too busy here, and I am sure you are capable enough. If you think you need help, take Twinkie with you."
Again, his words were filled with something like taunt. Twinkie was never allowed out of the house, except when Mr Rosiak or Alyssia needed accompanying. It was almost as if Mr Rosiak mocked Twinkie for this, even though it was his fault she was trapped inside the house.
"Oh right. OK then," Alyssia said. "I'll be going now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye," Mr Rosiak replied, and buried himself once again in his paperwork.
Alyssia knew it was not just simple business work that he confined himself to; there was more to it than that. She had found a letter once containing a list of various dark magic objects that would surely be confiscated by the Ministry if they were to unearth the items. Alyssia had never really known what type of work her father meddled in, only that he covered it up by using the excuse that he was a simple business man, managing a wizarding company which sold legal magical objects.
On her way back down the hallway, Alyssia saw Twinkie carrying a pile of sheets and pillow-cases. The load towered above her head, completely obscuring her view. Luckily enough, it seemed Twinkie had learned the paths in the house and managed to not collide with any walls or furniture.
"Twinkie!" she called to the little elf.
Twinkie set down the sheets and pillow-cases in front of her, enabling her to see Alyssia clearly.
"Yes, miss?" she said.
"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to Diagon Alley with me to get some school items," she began. "I know you're not really supposed to come out of the house, but I really don't want to go alone, and father said it would be alright to take you."
"Of course, miss!" Twinkie squealed. "But, please, miss. Twinkie must first collect some more laundry and take it to the utility room, and then she will come with you."
Alyssia smiled. "Of course. I'll be waiting for you downstairs."
Alyssia walked off and descended the stairs to the first story, treading lightly upon the deep red carpet that lined the stairs. She crossed the hall to a cupboard lined with many pairs of shoes, and pulled on a pair of black flat-soled boots. She zipped them up at the side and waited for Twinkie by the door.
While waiting, Alyssia reached into her robe pocket and pulled out the sheet of parchment. She unfolded it and read the list.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
Fifth-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, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
Set Books
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk
Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard
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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad
Students may also bring their own broomstick
"Miss? Twinkie is ready now," said a high-pitched voice from somewhere around the level of Alyssia's knees.
Alyssia smiled down at Twinkie and opened the oak front door. Twinkie waited for Alyssia to walk outside first, and then followed behind her, closing the door shut.
The entrance to Diagon Alley was not far from the Rosiak house, a matter of minutes and a few short roads. Alyssia chatted with Twinkie about the surroundings in which they passed, for it had been a long time since Twinkie had been in these parts, and she remembered little of the scenery. She thanked Alyssia countless times for bringing her along and said she would bake her a chocolate brownie when they got back home. Alyssia laughed and said there was no need, but Twinkie insisted, and would not listen to Alyssia's protests.
Finally they came to an old pub, whose pealing letters revealed the words 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Alyssia walked inside, careful to keep her head down and not attract too much attention as she slipped around to the back of the pub. The barman quizzed her on where she intended to go, and after telling him, he let her pass out to the very back. Alyssia whipped out her wand and tapped a few bricks in the correct order. Magically, the bricks began to slide away, revealing an archway into Diagon Alley. Twinkie stared open-mouthed as the scene unfolded before her eyes. She'd forgotten all about this.
They both stepped to the opposite side of the doorway and into Diagon Alley, Alyssia unfolded the parchment again to refresh her memory of what to get and set off to the first shop (Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions) with Twinkie in tow.
Upon entering the shop, a short, plump witch clad in robes of deep mauve velvet approached the pair.
"Hello there," she said. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for some school robes," Alyssia said.
"Hogwarts?" the woman asked.
"Yeah," replied Alyssia.
Madam Malkin smiled at her and led the way to the back of the shop, while Twinkie sat down on one of the many chairs that lined the front of the building, swinging her skinny legs comfortably, as they did not reach the floor.
"Pop on the footstool dear," she said to Alyssia.
Alyssia stepped onto the stool and Madam Malkin slipped a long black robe over her head. She then gathered a few pins and proceeded to alter it so that it fitted her figure. She chatted to Alyssia in a friendly manner about the school and the other shopping items she had not yet collected. It did not take her long to get the fit just right, and it seemed only a short while before she said, "That's you done, my dear."
Alyssia stepped down from the stool and followed Madam Malkin back out to the front of the shop, where she paid for the new school robes at the counter. Madam Malkin handed Alyssia a crisp black bag with the shop's glitzy logo emblazoned upon it, containing his new robes.
They left the shop and turned the corner into Flourish and Blotts where Alyssia attained her set text books for the year ahead. Alyssia found the bookstore rather boring, besides the fact that they stocked numerous books on cursing and bewitching people and objects. She flicked through a few of them and then bought her set text books at the counter. Following this, Alyssia and Twinkie advanced into Magical Menagerie where Alyssia found himself surrounded by hundreds of different size and breeds of animals. Twinkie spent most of this part of the journey hanging around by the door, afraid of the kitten's paws that tried to bat her from behind the steel cages.
Alyssia looked around at the different animals, deciding she wanted a kitten and ended up picking a jet black one that was staring at her with large, yellow eyes. She scratched the kitten behind the ears with her fingertips and it purred low and soft.
Alyssia and Twinkie emerged from the shop with a cardboard carrier with the kitten inside (Alyssia had decided to name her Missie) and some cat food. They then went on to pick up Alyssia's phials, scales and cauldron from a potion shop and then went on to the Apothecary's to gather some potion ingredients she would need throughout the year. Next, they picked up her dragon hide gloves, wizard hat and winter cloak (after trying on several sizes they finally found the perfect fit for each) and then on to an astrology shop to get a telescope.
By the end of their shopping trip, both Twinkie and Alyssia were worn out and stopped back at the Leaky Cauldron for a Butterbeer. Alyssia ordered Twinkie only half a glass, as Butterbeer tended to be very strong for house-elves. Twinkie could not believe Alyssia had ordered a drink and had squealed with delight. The two sat there drinking, feeling the warmth trickle smoothly down their throats.
When it was time to go, Alyssia gathered up her things and walked back to the house with Twinkie. As soon as they arrived inside, Twinkie thanked Alyssia all over again and rushed off to the kitchen to bake her a brownie as promised. Alyssia went back to her room and placed all of her purchases into a black trunk engraved in silver with the initials 'A.R.'
Alyssia flopped down onto the bed and fell asleep, no doubt because of the long and tiring shopping trip, and her lack of sleep that morning.