A/N: ok so this is my first Harry Potter fic it's an Oliver Wood fiction. It is about Oliver and Aurora Hallowell's (my character pronounced hall-a- well) adventures at Hogwarts with their friends the hunters and huntresses. The story starts 2 months prior to leaving for their 1st year.
REWRITE: 8/15/09
'THOUGHTS' "TALKING"
It was the last week of July and 11year old Aurora Hallowell sat uncomfortably on the seat in front of her grandparents who at the moment were telling her how overly happy they were that she got in to Hogwarts, and that they knew she wasn't like her parents that she was special not a squib she was a witch and that made her one of them. a real Hallowell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two weeks later in Diagon Alley~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I watched all the witches and wizards and magical things around me; I had never been allowed to go to Diagon Alley with my grandmother before, with no one knowing if I would be a witch or a squib, but now here I was standing in the middle of it all, Diagon Alley.
Walking out of Gringotts and in to the alley my Grandmother, Rosalind, waved at many other witches and wizard on our way to Madam Malkin's Robes for all occasions pointing out some important people and introducing me to others.
"Now Aurora I want you to be good well madam Malkin takes your measurements, "she whispered calmly as we stepped into the nice shop.
"Yes gran, I'll be good. I always am."
As I replied a squat, happy looking witch, dressed in blue walked over, "Are you here for school robes sweetie,"
"Yes, yes she is." Rosalind answered as if i wasn't there 'great there she goes answering for me again as if I can't speak'
"Well come with me dear and will get those for you, oh and Mrs. you can wait out here thank you. Now come along dear."
Once in the fitting room the squat witch ask so not to be heard by my Gran, "Now dear I'm sure you can talk just fine on your own, so which school robes do you need? Also so I don't have to keep calling you dear or sweetie it would be nice to know your name."
I smiled 'wow she wants me to talk'
"Dear are you still with us?" she was snapped out of her thoughts and decided to answer the women now taking her measurements.
"Oh right, I'm Aurora, and I need my robes for Hogwarts thank you."
There was another pause and after about 15 minutes of small talk I had, not only my robes but also a hat, winter cloak, and some normal robes for summer. As we left the store, I quickly turned waving good-bye to the kind witch.
Gran and I moved on to Flourish and Blotts to get my books and a few others just for reading, after that came my cauldron, a set of scales, and a nice telescope, then it was on to the apothecary, then it was time to get the thing I had wanted my whole life.
"Time for your wand dear," Gran smiled down at me knowing it was exactly what I was waiting for.
As the two entered the large shop with a sign above the door that read *Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.* a man walked quietly out of the stacks of boxed wands.
"Ah yes, Mrs. Remora I remember you a Hallowell now yes, a fine wand 11inch Birch with unicorn hair core. Yes a good wand indeed, but you young lady I must say I've been waiting to see you. Now Aurora you need a wand let's take a look shall we, which is your wand arm? Oh well let me see your probably right handed so if you please," I did as told holding out my arm as he measured and muttered to himself then started to tell me about the cores that he uses to make each wand different, then he vanished into the shelves. "Now here try this one Aurora, oak 8inchs swishy and dragon heartstring. Give it a wave."
I took the wand and waved it gently; as i did a very expensive looking vase smashed and I quickly set down the wand feeling awful but as soon as I turned to apologize for it, the vase had mended itself; over my shoulder I could see Gran had her wand out and pointed at the vase. Mr. Ollivanders took the wand and me another.
Four wands later he finally found the right one or well it found me, "Ahh yes this should work. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Good for charms well give it a wave." Taking it in my hand I thought nothing of the shock I got from the wand and waved it; gold and red sparks shot out the end of it. "Well done girl well done, well done. Curious that you my dear are only the second in your family to ever get a wand like this, hmm odd."
"Mr. Ollivanders why is that so odd who else has a charms wand?" I asked quietly
"Ms. Hallowell I remember every wand I have ever sold and only one other from your family has ever bought a wand like yours, but I can say my dear girl that you have great things awaiting you… yes great indeed."
"Yes well it was lovely to see you again Mr. Ollivanders, hope to see you again soon and thank-you for the wand," Gran said as she paid tugging me behind her out of the shop waving good-bye to the old man.
"Aurora it's time to get you something to eat then head home it's getting late. Best not bother your grandfather about what Mr. Ollivanders said about the wand it really doesn't matter any way but you know your grandfather he'll think on it till it drives him mad."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September 1st ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aurora Marie Hallowell get out of bed right NOW or you will be LATE!!!"
Who was yelling at me I didn't really care all I knew was that that had been the forth call and the calls had changed from, "Aurora honey time to get up dear" to "Aurora Marie Hallowell get out of bed right NOW or you will be LATE!!!"
Still half asleep I crawled out of my comfy warm bed and forced my feet onto the very cold floor, 'stupid floor why does it have to be so damn cold err. Merlin I need a shower' I thought turning on the water.
When I was done and dried off I pulled on my favorite baggy jeans and grabbed a comfy jumper pulling it on as well. I pulled my blondish-red hair up in a ponytail and looked at the clock …it was 9:40am.
'It's only 9:40 I could have slept 20 minutes longer, why am I awake?' I shook my head as the answer yelled once again "AURORA I SAID GET UP . . . oh there you are dear good morning how was your sleep?" grandma screamed /asked.
"Good till I got woken up." I sat down next to my grampa where a plate of toast waited for me.
"Well that's good sweet heart. Very first day of school today right little one?" my grandfather, Albert, asked never looking up from his news paper.
"Yeah," I wondered sometimes if they needed landmarks like that to remember how old I was and spent the rest of breakfast in silent contemplation of this thought which was normal for me, I was a listener not a talker.
--
At 10:30 we all left for King's Cross train station, the three of us moved quickly and without incident got to platform 9 3/4 with no problem in fact we were about 15 minutes early but I found myself lead onto the train and was safely in a compartment before I could really say a anything about the rush I was thoroughly hugged and fair-welled and just as quickly as we had come in my grandparents were off to their jobs.
After 20 minutes on the now speeding train there was a knock at the door. I had been very involved in my book 'A First Years Guide to Charms' that I hadn't even noted that I was alone, so when two girls around my age walked in I was quite surprised.
"Can we sit here?" I quietly nodded, "Thanks. Hi there I'm Katie Bell and this is Penelope Clearwater. What's your name?"
I looked up and putting my book down, "I'm Aurora Hallowell, but you can call me Rory."
Katie had brown hair down to her mid back, it was pulled up in a braid and out of her face, her eyes were so brown that they were almost black, which made her look so cool.
Penelope or Penny as she asked to be called, had blonde hair that fell in waves down her back, and eyes so blue that they reminded me of the ocean or like her last name said clear water.
We sat and talked till it started raining and I stood, "Hey I'm hungry, you guys want to go find the food cart?"
"No thanks I'll stay and keep our spots." Penelope answered while Katie jumped up at the chance of food. So the two of us walk off with some of Penny's sickles to get her something as well.
When we finally found the trolley there were four boys about our age there too, they seemed to be arguing over something, as Katie and I walked over one of the boys turned and walked right in to me taking me by surprise as we fell to the floor.
"Damn Girl, watch where you're going! Look at me I'm covered in food."
"Look I'm sorry I-I-I didn't mean to I just- - "
I was interrupted by another boy with messy brown hair," Flint's the one that should be apologizing not you, here let me help you up."
The one he called Flint had already stood and was too busy wiping a Pumpkin Pastry off his shirt to care that I was still on the floor.
"I should be sorry should I Wood, she's the one who covered me in food."
Another one of the boys spoke, this one taller with black hair, "Her cover you in food look at her she has more on her then you do, now Flinty why don't you start apologizing and maybe SHE'LL forgive YOU."
This was defiantly was not a question it was more of an order. This is when I decided to speak up, "Really it wasn't his fault I… I should watch where I'm goi--"
Again I was cut off by Wood, "It most certainly was not your fault, Flint walked in to you we all saw even your friend there, didn't you? He walked in to her right?"
Katie looked at Wood then back to me and nodded "Their right Aurora, he did walk in to you it's not your fault."
Flint, Wood and the black haired boy were now arguing over the fact that Flint should say sorry, when Flint started for the door but paused when he reach it and when turned to me.
"You're a Hallowell aren't you I bet your nothing but a witch want to be. Just a damn squib like you parents. I'm surprised your family even sent a disgrace like you to Hogwarts."
Now this was the wrong thing to say to a hot tempered Hallowell like me because without thinking my fist flew out quickly hitting him square in the left eye putting him, once again, on the floor.
"Don't you dare talk about my family that way ever again," I moved to pounce on the boy but found myself being held back by the forth boy, a tall boy with red hair, well the other two, as well as, Katie stood laughing.
Suddenly Flint who had been sitting shocked on the floor stood and slapped me across the face, which stopped the laughing, and then pulled me by my shirt so his yellow teeth and scaly lips were right by my ear he whispered so only she could hear "No one makes me look like a fool Hallowell," a smile crawled over my face at this, "What the fuck are you smiling at?"
Then, with what I'm sure the others thought was a bout of insanity, I burst out laughing , "Me make you look like a fool . . . from where I stand you don't need my help to make you look like a fool, you do that fine all by yourself."
At that anyone and everyone that heard burst out laughing as well. Flint just glared at me before storming away.
After Flint was gone and the laughing died down Katie and I got our food from the cart. Chocolate Frogs Katie, some Cauldron Cakes for Penny and I got myself a box of Bettie Butt's Every Flavor Beans and three bottles of Pumpkin juice then started back to our compartment.
After changing out of my food covered jumper and telling Penny what had happened with Flint there was a knock at the door. Katie stood to open it only to find the three boys that had been at the food cart.
"Oh, so this is where you went. Mind if we join you girls?" Wood asked, the three of us looked at one another then Katie moved out of their way to let them in.
"We'll take that as a . . . yes?" the boy with black hair as they walked in taking the seat next to me where Katie had been.
"Well now that we're all comfy cozy, are you going to tell us who you are?" Katie asked after taking a seat between the redhead and Penny.
"Oh yeah I guess that we must look kind of rude sorry," Wood looked up from the floor where he had flopped down, "I'm Oliver, Oliver Wood. This is Percy Weasley, and this is."
"Jones, Jacob Jones nice to meet you ladies." Jake said as he smiled.
"Well it's nice to meet you too."
"Well now who's being rude. . . or are we to call you Braid, Blonde, and right-hook for the rest of school?" Oliver laughed.
"Oh sorry, I'm Aurora Hallowell and these are my friends, Penelope Clearwater ("just call me Penny."), and Katie Bell ("nice to meet you boys."). .Oh and thank-you for your help before with Flint, I did appreciate it."
"It was nothing really, from what we saw you really didn't need us though did you." Oliver answered with a smirk as the others started to laugh.
"I don't know what came over me; I hate it when people talk like their better than me," Aurora said.
Percy finally spoke up, "Yeah well, your great I could barely hold you back."
After about an hour of talking about school and different stories they decided that they should change in to their school robes. Then when they got to school then they wouldn't have to worry about it.
"So what house do you girls think you'll be in?" Percy said after they came back from changing.
"I want to be in Gryffindor." Katie almost yelled.
"Same but I'll probably be in Hufflpuff knowing me." Penny said much quieter then Katie had.
"Well Rory what 'bout you, were you want to be sorted?" Jake asked.
"I'm sure it'll be either Hufflpuff, and Ravenclaw for me, personally I'm hoping for Ravenclaw but if I could choose it would be Gryffindor for me too."
"How do you know it's either Hufflpuff, or Ravenclaw?" Oliver asked not understanding.
"Well you see any time a Hallowell comes to Hogwarts they are always and I mean always in Ravenclaw and my mum's from a long line of Hufflpuff's so that pretty much narrows it down. I don't really have a choice?"
Percy nodded, "It's the same with my family we've always been Gryffindor's every last one."
The others were quite for a while then Oliver spoke up, "Hey don't think that they'll will put you where they think you should go not where your bloodlines think, and from what I've seen you should go to Gryffindor not Hufflpuff for sure, and hey who cares anyway right, I wouldn't care if I got in to Ravenclaw why should anyone it's better than Slytherin by far," He concluded with an encouraging smile.
'Maybe he's right?' "Yeah you know what you're right, I'm not like them and if I do get in Ravenclaw we'll still be friends right? Where do you three want to go . . . no wait don't tell me, Gryffindor right?" At this there was an uproar of "no duh"'s and "hell yah"'s as the girls just laughed.
"Hey does this make friends then." Jake asked.
"I don't know. What do you think Rory?" Katie said eyeing them skeptically than turning to me as I reached out a hand to Oliver.
"What you think Oliver? Shall we be friends?"
A small smile crossed his face as he took my hand and said "Yeah, why not? You're pretty cool for a bunch of girls."
Then the others quickly placed their hands over the ours showing that they agreed "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship don't you?" an extremely happy Penny said as we headed off the train on to the platform with the boys.
"Yeah, I do Penny I really think it is."