Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading my story! This is my first fic, so please bear with me if it's not that good. I relish in constructive criticism. I'd love it if you'd review!
I unfortunately, do not own anything related to Doctor Who or Harry Potter, sadly.
Chapter One
"Knock knock."
Rose Tyler opened her eyes. She was in her comfy bed, on a Saturday morning (but what the heck, it was always Saturday), and there was a soft rapping at the door.
She smiled. "Come in," she granted, as she stretched in the morning sunlight.
A bright and cheery face popped his head into the room. "Good morning Rose!" said the face. The Doctor pranced into the room, carrying a tray laden with hot tea and various pastries in many different flavours. "I didn't know what you wanted," he admitted. "So I simply got you everything!"
Rose beamed in his direction. "Doctor," she said. "You know toast is always fine."
"But I wanted to you have the perfect breakfast! It being a special day and all!" His face was loaded with excitement; Rose felt the need to play with him a little.
"Special day?" she inquired, feigning confusion, "what special day?"
The Doctor's face fell. "It's your birthday!" he exclaimed. "How did you ever forget that?"
Rose's eyes twinkled. The Doctor, her Doctor, was her most favourite person in the whole world, no, the whole universe. And she had been to the whole universe. He won by a long shot.
The Doctor caught the twinkle in her eye just as she started to let her smile escape. "Of course you didn't. You're a mean one, Rose Tyler." He jumped up. "Well, let's go! Have I ever got a surprise for you today!"
"Give me a minute Doctor," she laughed. "I need to get dressed!"
"Oh, right," he realised. "Well, hurry up. It doesn't matter what you wear today!" He practically leapt out of the room. "We don't have time to waste," he called behind him.
"Yes we do!" Rose shouted back. "TARDIS!"
Lifting the covers off of her, swinging her legs off the bed and putting on her slippers, she couldn't help but wonder: what did he mean, it didn't matter what she wore today? She wasn't one for caring too much about her looks, but she liked to keep a clean image.
Shaking the thought out of her head, she instead started to imagine what was in store for her in the day ahead. The Doctor had taken her to many places – future Earth (more than once, and never the same time), impossible planets, parallel worlds – but he was never this excited about potential trips. Maybe we'll finally make it to Barcelona, she thought, as she brushed her hair and put in her silver hoop earrings. It was the first place he said he'd take her after his regeneration, before he passed out and before the Sycorax invasion. They never did get around to it, always getting distracted with the many different worlds out there they were just aching to explore.
Finishing up, she made the bed and left her bedroom, down the slight hallway the TARDIS had created just for her, and into the control room, following the sound of Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr Blue Sky", which the Doctor had recently taken a liking to and was currently dancing to in his own personal style.
She stood there watching him for a minute before he noticed her entrance. Occasionally she did this, just looking at him and contemplating all the places he'd been before they met and the person he used to be. She'd heard a lot about Gallifrey, where the Doctor was from, but there was nothing quite the same as being there (or so she heard).
"Oh there you are!" he exclaimed, turning down the music and facing her with his hands in his pockets and grinning like a maniac. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," she implied, "to see that move you just attempted and failed. You can't spin someone without a partner you know."
"Don't I ever," he beamed again, grabbing her and sending her into a deep dip, which resulted in her squealing. Dragging her back upright, he asked, "Well, are you ready?"
She laughed. "Where are we going then Doctor? A planet with pink sand and three moon-like suns? Or a moon-like sun with pink sand and three planets?" She enjoyed guessing, and believe it or not, there was usually a planet that existed identical to her descriptions. Or a moon-like sun.
"Not today!" he bubbled. "It's a surprise." He pressed a few buttons, pulled a few levers, and soon enough the familiar TARDIS dematerialisation sound filled the room. "Hold on tight," he warned. "There's going to be a bit of a bump with this one."
Rose grabbed hold on to the railing. This was normal; there were always bumps along the way. She didn't mind – the end product of the new world that possibly laid beyond the TARDIS doors was worth it. However, she wasn't expecting the gigantic jolt that nearly threw her across the room.
"Sorry about that," the Doctor noted. "She's not used to going across this plane."
"Are we here?" Rose asked, trying to glimpse out of the windows, only being greeted by sheer darkness.
"Not quite," said the Doctor. "It's a bit farther across the universe – well, universes – it will take us a couple of minutes." He jumped off the ledge over to where Rose had picked herself up and dusted off her jeans. "Want to know where we're going?"
"Er, yeah!" Rose answered. "Are we finally going to Barcelona?"
"Yes! Well, no," the Doctor admitted. "Sort of. Not really. It's in the same galaxy actually. We'll pass by it soon. We should really go there some day; we've been meaning to, haven't we?"
Rose attempted to answer him, but was interrupted by another stream of the Doctor's babble.
"Would you like to go there now?" he quipped. "We can re-route the TARDIS – I don't think we've missed the turn-off yet…she doesn't like to change destinations, but if I promise to paint her perhaps she'll allow it…" He made a move to head back to the console, before Rose finally got a word in.
"No," she said excitedly. We can go there next. But where are we going now Doctor? Come on, spill!"
"All right!" he said excitedly. "Well, let's start off with a bit of TARDIS history…"
"Not again Doctor," Rose groaned. "I don't want a history lesson on my birthday!"
"Just a short one, I promise," he replied, a hint of a twinkle in his eye to accompany the smile beaming from ear to ear. "You'll like this bit. "
"All right, but it better be quick. I really want to get outside."
"Once upon a time…" he started, only to be jabbed in the side by Rose's elbow. "All right then, I'll start it differently!"
"TARDISes can go anywhere. You know that. They can go to different planets, different moons, future, past, you name it. But there were always some places the TARDIS couldn't go. Fantasy lands, for example."
"But we've been to fantasy lands," Rose quipped. "We went to Narnia only last week."
"Narnia's not actually a fantasy land though," the Doctor explained. "Clive wrote about it and claimed it as fantasy because he got bored while he was stranded on Earth. Good ol' Clive, should go visit the man someday, he's fantastic, you'd love him!"
Rose stared him down. If everything took this long to tell, she'd be 100 years old by now, instead of her newly turned 20. The Doctor, noticing her scowl, continued his story.
"Except one day, there was a time lord, who started to wonder why it wasn't possible. We're known for having no limits – and this limit just didn't sit right with him. He created an extension of the TARDIS that would allow it to travel to any fantasy land, whether it was make-believe or not. The only thing is, it took a certain kind of energy, a kind of energy that once used up, took a full century to re-charge again. It doesn't affect the other bits of the TARDIS though – but you have to be sure you want to go where you're going, because if you aren't, you have to wait another hundred years to try again."
Rose stared at the man she considered to be her best friend. So many things astounded her about him and his world, and sometimes she wondered if she was even worthy of this life. Just like him though, the Doctor was always there to remind her she was, and if anyone deserved this life, it was her. She wasn't quite sure what to say next – the Doctor seemed to have finished, but the story still seemed without an end.
"Well," she asked, breaking the silence, "What's next?"
"Rose Tyler," he exclaimed, jumping up in excitement and out of his story-telling state. "I have granted you the one wish that every human being has ever wished for: where do you want to go?"
Rose attempted to answer again, but, yet again, the Doctor interrupted her. "Wait," he grinned. "Don't answer that yet. I have a present for you."
"You didn't have to do that Doctor," Rose called, as he strode across the entire length of the control room to grab a long thin box and leap back to her. "Travelling with you is the best present anyone could have."
"Oh, no it's not," he denied. "Besides, I'd save the title of Best Present Ever for what's in that box and what comes with it."
Rose stared at the Doctor, attempting to engulf him in a stare-down before letting a smile escape. She undid the pink ribbon, and carefully tore off the blue wrapping paper, only to uncover a black box with gold trimming. What's this? she thought, before lifting the cover to peek inside.
Lying in red velvet was what she was sure was a wand – a proper wizard's wand. Picking up the slender stick, she put down the box to examine her gift closely. It was a dark brown, and if you looked at it right, you could seen the roses and their accompanying thorns carved around it.
"Well, what do you think?" asked the Doctor, breaking the silence brought by the wonderful gift and too excited to keep quiet any longer. He was practically bouncing in anticipation.
"It's – it's beautiful!" exclaimed Rose. "Thank you so much Doctor!" She ran to him and enveloped him in a massive hug. She had never felt more grateful for anything. "Where on Earth did you get it?"
"Not on Earth actually. Well, sort of. A different Earth than your Earth. An old friend of mine, I called him Ollie, had it made. Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it!" she exclaimed.
"Now then," the Doctor hinted. "Do you know where we're going yet?" He grinned, just like he always did whenever he knew something she didn't.
Just then, the TARDIS jerked. "Looks like we're here!" he declared, running over to the console to assist the TARDIS in her landing. "Hold on!"
With a bang, they landed. Rose attempted to look out the windows again at their location, but the Doctor blocked her way, guiding her to the door, where he blocked her way again briefly before she could exit.
"Are you ready?" he teased, holding the doors shut.
"Of course I am!" she squealed.
He opened the doors, and gestured for her to leave first. She stepped out of the TARDIS onto soft, cool grass, and a chilly air. Looking around, she noticed a familiar tree that looked like it was moving not only with the wind, but on its own. Turning her head back to centre, she lifted it up to not only find a make-believe world, but a gigantic castle looming above her. It wasn't particularly eerie, for the windows emitted a warm glow, showing the castle was occupied. All the same, it seemed strikingly familiar…
"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, joining her after locking the doors of the TARDIS, "Welcome to Hogwarts."
