Elysian Potter: The Forgotten Queen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor d I own the original idea for this story. All rights for the characters go to the magnificent J. K. Rowling and the original idea belongs to CharmedMilliE-Karry Master.
Note: This story has been rewritten because I didn't think it was really up to my standards and I honestly forgot half of the subplots I was supposed to be adding into this story so I'm rewriting it all.
Elysian's Theme Song: You Should See Me In A Crown, Billie Ellis
Chapter Song: Doll House.
Chapter One: Diagon Alley
Tick tock, tick tock.
Elysian Lillian Potter sighed as she watched the pendulum across from her swing back and forth inside its glass case. The grandfather clock stood in the corner of the room, immaculate and well taken care of, and seemed so out of place in the gold and red bedroom she had been forced to inhabit. Its spruce body and black hinges clashed against the bright oak frames and hedging and golden handles on all of the draws; even the bedroom door matched the décor perfectly. Perhaps it was a metaphor for her?
A dark being in a home full of the bright and colour full, constantly clashing with her family… no, her biological relations.
As far as Elysian was aware, she didn't have a family – well, she had a godfather, though he was no longer around after standing up for her eleven years ago. Lily and James Potter were her 'parents' through blood and magic only: they didn't care for Elysian since she wasn't the 'Chosen One' and her magic was of a darker persuasion compared to them. The 'Chosen One' was her twin brother, Harry James Potter – an arrogant and idiotic boy with no self-preservation and a brain the size of a walnut – though they looked almost nothing alike except for a few key features.
Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses that were from one of the most famous fashion designers in the Wizarding World that had been handcrafted to match James'. The only part of Harry's appearance Elysian was even slightly envious of was the very thin scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt: it was the reason he was always recognised and beloved by so many… it was the one thing that could give her what she wanted so desperately… to be loved.
Elysian had a thin face with high cheek bones; an hour glass frame, unburn hair that fell to her elbows and bright-green eyes. She didn't have glasses or a scar but light brown freckles and very pale skin. Her hands were delicate and soft, having never worked or done any manual labour, and she had nice long nails that were French tipped and perfectly clean.
Tick tock, tick tock.
The clock continued ticking sending Elysian further into a trance as she watched the brass hands stagger around the face. It was almost eleven, almost time for her to hide in her room – though she would do that anyway since she wasn't welcome anywhere near her mother and father – and pretend not to hear the sound of joy and excitement as Harry's birthday party began and he enjoyed the love his family and friends were giving him. She'd try and ignore all of the laughter as Harry and Ronald Weasley rode on brooms around the estate and Molly and Lily joked about different people and their fashion flops.
Ring, ring. Ring, ring.
They had arrived. Elysian sat up, eyes jumping from the clock to the bedroom door, and she listened out, knowing who would be entering the house a second later. Clicking heels alerted her to her mother's presence as Lily Potter nee Evans descended the massive, marble staircase towards the front door. Having resided in the manor for eleven years meant Elysian was well aware of each sound made within it, it was one of the reasons she could so easily recognise Harry running down the landing in his newest pair of Nike trainers – it may have been a muggle brand but Lily had wanted her son to have the best footwear possible so had bought him a load of muggle shoes and enchanted them. Elysian instantly recognised Ronald's loud and obnoxious voice calling out for some party food; it was one of the reasons he revolted her so much.
She had a list, actually, of the reasons she hated Ronald Weasley. His eating habits were the top of the list: the boy had no manners and would shovel food into his gob like it was his first meal after months of starvation. He didn't care that crumbs and other scraps covered his face and robes as well as the robes of anyone unfortunate enough to sit next to him, he didn't even close his mouth, nor did he swallow his food before talking! His attitude was another reason: he was severely bigoted and had an extreme hated for anything with even a microscopic amount of magic that wasn't classed as 'pure' within it; not to mention his hated of Slytherins. Just saying the name of the Hogwarts House sent Ronald into a rant about how 'evil' anyone whom had the 'misfortune' of being sorted into Slytherin was, how they would become 'Junior Death Eaters' and 'deserved to rot in Azkaban until they died.' Of course, he wasn't entirely to blame for such attitudes: his mother was largely to blame for such hideous opinions, but no one dared comment against Molly Ginevra Weasley – unless they wanted their own personal howler. Ronald's appearance, though his clothing weren't his fault, was another thing that revolted her: more often than she cared to think about, Elysian had spotted Ronald sporting a smear of mud on his cheek or dirt on his nose or food all over his face! What self-respecting boy, who claims to be a pure-blood, would ever wish for such a revolting image as that? How did Molly not immediately reprimand the boy as she did her youngest child and only daughter, Ginevra Molly Weasley?
Ginevra Weasley – the name brought a whole new set of emotions to Elysian's mind, none of them good – was the youngest of the Weasley clan and by far the 'apple of her parents eyes.' While the rest of the clan would wear recycled clothing until it fell apart and could no longer be 'reparoed' back together little, 'precious' Ginny was always getting new clothes; nothing expensive mind you but still new. She strutted around the manor like a peacock, clinging to Harry's arm like a life line, and fawning over everything. Elysian knew there was a betrothal contract between her twin brother and Ginny but that didn't give her a reason to be so clingy all the dam time.
Elysian felt so relieved that betrothal contracts now could only be written with the consent of the children – before Harry's 1st birthday that could be written by the parents alone which often led to unsuccessful marriages and, while divorce was frowned upon in Wizarding society, the husband and wife often splitting up and seeing other people. She knew that, if her 'parents' had had their way, she would have a betrothal contract set up between her and Ronald! As it stood Lily and James had already attempted to coax her into signing the contract on six occasions, the first three had been them trying to convince her to sign for the good of the family and the other three had them been trying to trick her into signing only for her to sign it with her wrong hand and for the contract to be annulled. Lily and James didn't seem to grasp that their daughter was a lot smarter than they thought, despite their lacklustre attempts to ban Elysian from the Potter family library.
Ah, the library Elysian's safe haven; she spent almost all of her time dancing between the shelves, taking out the largest books she could find and retreating to the top of the five-story tower to read them by candle light. She had read each book in the library at least six time and had practically memorized every word on those pages, all nine million six hundred seventy-two thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight to be exact. Her brother never dared set foot in the library, Elysian doubted that he had ever even picked up a book, and that's what made it such a magical place to Elysian. It was the one place in the house she could escape, runaway to far off lands where she no longer had to worry about her 'family' or the Weasleys. It was the one place she felt truly safe. James and Lily didn't even enter the library anymore.
They were far too busy standing in the spotlight along with the 'Chosen One' and Albus Dumbledore. Elysian had heard stories of her mother once being a loving and kind person but she could see no such traits in her mother; Lily Evans may have been a wonderful person, but Lily Potter was a shallow snob who cared only about herself and keeping her darling son happy, she had turned into her sister Petunia! James had no such story. According to Madam Longbottom, James Potter had always been a bully and trouble maker, having been the leader of a group known as the 'Marauders' and so his attitude towards her and others wasn't unexpected nor out of character. It was almost like no one cared that all three Potters were cruel people whom didn't deserve respect. No one saw what Elysian saw.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two racing brooms flew past Elysian's balcony and up into the sky. Standing up, Elysian placed her hand against the cold glass and watched as Harry and Ronald raced around the manor with the new brooms James had just bought. Harry was dressed in pure spider silk robes, which billowed behind him, in a hideous shade of marron while Ronald was in his hand-me-downs like all the Weasley children. Casting her eyes downwards, Elysian spotted Lily and Molly laughing side by side as they fawned over Ginny who was embracing the praise and eating it with a spoon. Emerald eyes continued to sweep over the garden only to stop upon spotted the two identical forms of a certain pair of red-haired twins.
The Weasley twins, Gred and Forge, were, by far, the only Weasley's Elysian could stand to be around. They were also the only Weasleys willing to be truly friendly to her, even going so far as to buy her a present last Christmas. She smiled as they glanced up and waved towards her when no one was looking before disappearing a second later. The twins were great friends and often pranked their brothers and sister when they made Elysian upset.
Knock, Knock.
Immediately, Elysian spun around and pulled open her bedroom door. She grinned upon finding the twins waiting just outside with a well wrapped present in their hands. The present was wrapped in green and silver paper with a bow in the shape of a snake at the top: it was a running joke between the three and Neville Longbottom that, when they went to Hogwarts, Elysian would be in Slytherin no matter what happened or her blood statues.
"Happy –!" said Fred with a grin.
"—Birthday!" finished George with matching grin.
"Elysian!" they said together.
"Thanks guys," said Elysian, gratefully accepting their gift and placing it on her desk behind her.
"Gee, your parents really are obsessed with Gryffindor, huh?" said Fred looking around the red and gold room.
"I mean I thought our house was bad – us being red heads and all and always being in Gryffindor – but dam! This is what we call obsessive."
"Yeah, I know," sighed Elysian, her fingers delicately sliding over the ribbon the boys had obviously transfigured from something else, "but I can't really ask for a different colour, can I? My parents hate me enough already."
"So true."
"So harsh."
"So sad."
"So annoying."
"So, not me," said Elysian grinning at the pair.
"Well," said Fred, "open it!"
Grinning like a mad woman, Elysian pulled the ribbon free of the box and easily undid the wrapping. Inside was another box, though this one was pain brown and had a tab at the top for her to open. Gently, she opened the box and gasped: inside was the most beautiful snow globe she had ever seen. The globe spun around slowly as a melody played and the picture inside was of Elysian, the twins and Neville all laughing and joking at Neville's birthday party last year. It was perfect.
"Thank you so much!" she cried, after putting down the globe, and threw her arms around them both.
"Anything –"
"—For you –"
"—little sister!"
"You're the only sister—"
"—we can stand."
"How is the jewel of the Weasley family?" asked Elysian.
The twins flopped down onto her bed and let out a sigh of annoyance. George rolled his eyes at the mere mention of Ginny and, for once, he was he who opened his mouth to speak.
"She's a spoiled brat."
"She believes that since she was going to be Lady Potter one day, she deserved to get everything."
"Ow," said Elysian wincing. "Well… if it helps, she may not become Lady Potter if what I want to do is successful."
"What?" the twins asked.
"Let's just say, I have a plan and I very much doubt Ginny will be becoming Lady Potter anytime soon," said Elysian with a secretive grin.
"FRED! GOREGE! WHERE ARE YOU?" Molly's shrill voice cut through the quiet. "GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
Elysian winced and watched as the twins stood up and left the room, leaving her alone again. She returned to the window and sighed as the twins were berated by their mother before returning to the party. It was at that moment that Elysian noticed Lily had disappeared but she really didn't think anything of it as she put the box and wrapping paper in the bin and hid the snow globe inside her desk drawer.
Bang! Bang!
Lily Potter forced open Elysian's bedroom door and threw two items inside. One was her vault key, something she had almost forgotten about getting, and the other was her Hogwarts letter.
"Go and make sure you don't disturb the party, girl," hiss Lily, not even looking at Elysian.
Ripping open the letter Elysian bubbled with excitement as she read it:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHRAFT AND WIZADRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confred. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Potter,
We are please to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl no later than 31st July.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress.
Quickly, Elysian stuffed the list and key into her pocket before slipping out of the bedroom door and into the hallway. She crept along towards the upstairs fireplace and stepped inside before anyone could see her. The fire warmed her outsides as she was transported to the Leaky Cauldron, she stepped out a second before arriving allowing an elegant exit from the floo.
The Leaky Cauldron was a tiny grubby-looking pub. If she hadn't flooed directly into one of the guest areas Elysian probably would never have noticed it or entered if she did. For such a famous place, it was dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut. The two stopped talking as Elysian entered an the barman reached for a cup, saying, "Alright lass? What can I get you?"
"The opening to Diagon Alley, please sir," said Elysian, gracefully making her way over to the bar. Her long hair laid flat against her back as she made it to the bar. "My mother and father are awaiting me."
"'Course, right this way ma'am," said the barman.
The barman led her though the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.
The barman took his wand and tapped it against the wall, whispering, "Three up … two across …" he tapped them with his wand. "Right, stand back girl." He tapped the wall three times with the tip of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered – it wriggled – in the middle, a small hole appeared – it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough for a half-giant to fit though, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.
"How you getting back?"
"I'll floo from Gringotts," said Elysian waving the man off. "Thank you."
She stepped through the archway. Elysian looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrinking instantly back into solid wall.
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible said a sign hanging over them.
Elysian pulled her list out of her pocket and flattened it out for her to see. She held it up to the light and squinted before reading:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
First-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 each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk.
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffing.
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch.
One Thousand Magical Herb and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.
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.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEATS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOM STICKS.
The list was long and going to be very expensive which automatically made up Elysian's decision on where to go first. She didn't have any money, let along thirty galleons which was the estimate of all of that combined. She would have to go to Gringotts; which also took care of the other business she wanted to take care of while she was alone: the separation of vaults.
Vault separation was something no one was supposed to know existed, the ministry had made sure of that. It was when an heir, or heiress, with a trust vault created an entirely new vault with the trust money inside it. The heir or heiress could then use that money however they liked and invest in different areas without the need to contact their Head of House. That wasn't the reason the Ministry didn't want it known about though; the Ministry didn't want to known about because the new vault could, if it gained enough money, then be used to usurp the Head of House position. Many pureblood and paranoid families had ordered the Ministry to keep the idea of vault separation secret in order to keep their 'thrones' and James Potter had been one of them. It was illegal, not by any means, but it could get someone in severe trouble for attempting it.
Looking up from the list, Elysian began making her way down the street. A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium – Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. Several girls and boys Elysian's age had their nose pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Elysian heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand – faster ever –" There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Elysian had only read about in books, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…
"Gringotts is this way," hissed a young witch as she pulled her friend alone.
Looking up Elysian realised that she had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was a goblin. The goblin was about a head shorter than Elysian, he had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Elysian noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as she walked inside. Now she was facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
Enter strangers, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
A pair of goblins bowed her through the silver doors and she was in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind long counters, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Elysian knew where she needed to go though and quickly made her way towards one of the emptiest counters.
"Hello," said Elysian once she made it to the counter. "I've come for access to my trust vault and to speak business with the Potter Account Manager… if he isn't busy."
Elysian hated playing the blushing and shy child, so full of innocence and wonder, but it was the only act she knew would work all the time. She used her cute smile and a simple twirl of her hair to disarm all those around her as best she could before diving into the kill. After all, no one expected a child to know anything – least of all a girl.
"Do you have your key, miss?" the goblin asked.
"Of course, right here," she smiled brightly, gently placing the key into the goblins outstretched hand.
The goblin looked at it closely.
"That seems to be in order."
He returned her key and looked around, just over Elysian's head before yelling, "Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. Elysian followed him quietly towards one of the doors leading off the hall. Griphook held the door open for her. Elysian, who had been expecting more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. The goblin held a hand out for Elysian to take – after getting in himself – and helped her inside, waiting until she was sitting comfortably, and they were off.
At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Elysian tried to remember, left, right, left, left, middle fork, right, left but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.
Her eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but she kept them wide open. Once, she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but was too late – they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from ceiling to floor.
The cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Griphook helped Elysian out of the cart before walking to the door. He unlocked it using her vault key and a lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Elysian grinned. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. Elysian gave the money a bitter sweet smile as she stepped inside.
Her parents had given her this trust vault before that faithful Halloween night. Before they forgot she existed. She knew that if it wasn't for the old pureblood law that all heirs with magic had to have a trust vault she wouldn't have this money. Elysian also knew that Harry's vault was so much bigger than her own but she didn't care, soon her vault would be the largest in the Potter family… if everything went to plan.
Elysian grabbed three handfuls of each type, stuffing them into a bottomless pouch Neville had given her for this very purpose, and once again stepped out of the vault. She gave Griphook a smile as he once again helped her back into the cart and began taking her up once more, towards the Potter Account Manager – Ironclaw.
Ironclaw was very different from the other goblins on the banks main floor. For one, he had his own office with the contracts to every vault he oversaw framed on the wall behind his desk. The desk was three times his height and he sat on a chair that could jump up and down, thanks to levitation charms by some of the curse breakers. For another, he wore a uniform displaying all of the family crests that linked to each contract on the wall, they glowed depending on which account he was currently looking over and the uniforms colours changed along with it. He was one of the most terrifying goblins Elysian had ever met, having only ever met a few she knew she didn't really have a good sample area though, and had an aura exuding power and justice.
"How may I help you today, Heiress Potter?" Ironclaw's strong voice asked the moment Elysian had sat down in front of his desk.
His uniform currently was the colour of red, gold and brown and the Potter crest glowed a brilliant yellow, indicating that this was House Potter business. Though that would soon change.
"I wish for a vault separation," said Elysian, her voice never wavering even when Ironclaw's face morphed into a look of, what she hoped was, confusion.
"How do you know of this procedure?" his low tone sent a chill sliding down Elysian's spine.
"Lady Longbottom informed me that she had done the very same thing in order to gain control of the Head of House Longbottom position for her son," she replied honestly. "I wish to do the same."
Ironclaw was quiet for a moment, thinking it through. On one hand, should the Ministry discover that this had been done, they would be rather angry and afraid. On the other hand, this could lead to a Gringotts crash. The Account Manager looked over the girl in front of him with a calculating gaze. She was offering the Goblin Nation a chance to remove James Potter's influence over Gringotts and to remove him from his position of power and along with James, Albus Dumbledore.
"And what would you do? Should you gain the position of Head of House Potter?" asked Ironclaw, leaning towards her.
"Increase shares in Gringotts and fund a new branch in America as well as take over the political standing and remove my vote on the Goblin Removal Act of 1920."
Ironclaw grinned.
"Well… consider it done."
Waving his hand, Ironclaw summoned a contract and a blood quill, holding them out for Elysian to take. She gently grabbed the quill and quickly signed her name, watching as magic accepted the contract and a new version of the Potter crest appeared on Ironclaw's uniform. This one had, instead of a Lion, a snake wrapped around a crown in the centre.
"A pleasure doing business with you Senior goblin," said Elysian, curtsying at him as she jumped off the chair. "May your gold flow forever and your enemies bleed till death claims them."
"The feeling is mutual Lady Potter," said Ironclaw.
Elysian smirked at the title. She could get used to it.
-EP-
Once Elysian was back in the alley, Elysian made her way towards the first shop on her list. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was a medium sized shop filled to the brim with robes of different types. Silk, satin, cotton or a mixture, you name it they had it and with a range of colouring as well. They had an entire section specifically for school wear and formal wear and casual wear and higher-class wear. Elysian knew that Lily spent most of her time shopping in that section, not that Elysian had ever been to the alley before… she wasn't allowed outside the manor.
Madam Malkin was an older witch who was rushing around the room like a hurricane with feet, fitting robes on different children while they chatted to their parents. The moment she spotted Elysian she waved the small girl over and plopped her on the fitting stand before pulling out her magical measuring tape and letting it move. It took a few seconds – and Madam Malkin constantly commenting on how skinny Elysian was and how nice her figure was – and then Elysian was leaving the shop with a fabric bag filled with robes for all occasions. Next stop, trunk shop – which probably should have been her first one.
The trunk shop was smaller than Madam Malkins and nowhere near as jam packed. The owner was a dark-haired man with olive skin and a seemingly fluctuating eye colour. He slithered towards her with a crooked smile on his face and towered over Elysian as he stood a few centimetres away from her.
"How may I help you today?"
"I require a brand new, top of the line, trunk," said Elysian.
"You've come to the right place," said the owner.
He pulled a parchment from his pocket and thrust it into Elysian's hand before leading her over to a podium where a 'blank' trunk was sitting. The trunk immediately changed, the owner's crest being replaced with her Potter crest, and the owner left to tend to his other customers. Glancing down at the list, Elysian smirked and looked up once more, saying, "Ebony wood with silver trim, multiple compartments including a library, wardrobe, potions lab and study room."
Once the trunk was done adjusting the owner returned and asked her for the money before ushering her out. Elysian quickly dumped all of her robes into the wardrobe before turning to walk further down the street and a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.
Immediately, Elysian made her way to the front desk where one of the owners was waiting for her. She knew exactly why she was here and didn't want to waste her time going through all of the bookshelves in order to find what she wanted like others would have.
"How can I help you today, miss?" asked Flourish.
"My brothers and I require the books on the Hogwarts list for all years…" said Elysian, her eyes were forcibly wide and her shoulders curling in slightly. "If that's okay…"
"Of course!" with a wave of his wand all of the books she had asked for appeared next to him.
Elysian opened her trunk and poured all of the books inside before paying him and turning to leave. She was about to exit the shop when a girl her age with lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth stopped her.
"Excuse me, can you help us? I'm looking for robes," she said, her voice holding a bossy tone.
"Of course," said Elysian.
"We've already gotten the books so…"
"Right this way," said Elysian smiling.
She led the girl and her parents over to Madam Malkins with a kind smile before turning to return to her shopping.
"I'm Hermione, by the way, Hermione Granger."
"Elysian Potter, I'll see you at Hogwarts."
"Bye!"
The potions shop was the next on her list and probably her favourite of all the shops. She took great pleasure in picking out the best ingredients she could see and ordering not only the Slytherin Potions Kit but also the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff kits as well. She knew that Professor Snape loved giving his students an edge against all of their competitors and it showed in their potions kits as Slytherin seemed to not only have the best ingredients but the best books as well. This was prejudice that Elysian could get behind, Slytherin was going to be her house after all.
The next place on her list was the thing she was the most excited about, her wand.
The shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 BC. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as she stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair which Elysian sat on to wait. She felt strangely as though she had entered a strict library; she swallowed all of the questions brewing in her mind as her emerald eyes swept over the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The very dust and silence seemed to tingle with some secret magic. It called to her.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Elysian jumped.
An old man was standing in front of her, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Elysian, straightening her robes.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Elysian Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's looks. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr Ollivander moved closer to Elysian. He didn't seem to notice, or care, that she flinched whenever her parents were mentioned.
"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favourited it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Me Ollivander had come so close that he and Elysian were almost nose to nose. Elysian could see herself reflected in those misty eyes.
"And, of course… I sold the wand that almost killed your brother. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… Well, if I'd known what that was was going out into the world to do…"
He backed up slightly, allowing Elysian the chance to breath. He looked her up and down for a second before glancing out of the window with the wand in it.
"Will I be seeing your brother today?" Ollivander asked, excitement lacing each syllable. Elysian pinched the bridge of her nose.
"No," she answered quietly, "they're coming a different day."
"Of course, of course," said Ollivander, nodding his head. "Well, now – Miss Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings from his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"My left, sir."
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Elysian from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Potter. We use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feather and heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Elysian suddenly realised that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss Potter. Try this one. Cherrywood and unicorn hair. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
. This repeated for a few more wands before Ollivander got an idea. He walked over to the wand that sat on a purple pillow in his shop window, swapping it for another wand, and walked back over.
"Be gentle with this one child, she's old," Ollivander stated handing her the wand. Taking it carefully into her palm, Elysian was suddenly surrounded by a silver and gold light so bright that Ollivander was forced to cover his eyes. When the light had gone, Elysian looked at her wand and grinned, it was perfect. "That is very odd."
"What's odd sir?" Elysian asked as she pulled out the galleons require to pay for her new wand.
"The wand you now hold in your hand is over three hundred years old, it's original owner carved it and two other wands from a mystically inclined dark yew tree. The yew tree had once stood on Hogwarts grounds and it stood in the middle of the battle field Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin used when they were trying to protect the school from the creatures of the Forbidden Forest. Of course, in the heat of battle the tree was hit with many spells and magic from both sides causing it to shift and change into what is now known as the Whomping Willow. The thing is the original owner was given a large chunk of the wood from that tree but was only ever able to make three wands, two brothers and their mother. The wand you now possess is the mother wand."
"Wow. And what about the core of my wand sir? You never did say," Elysian prodded.
"There are actually two cores to your wand my dear, phoenix father and phoenix ash. The phoenix that gave me the feather was dying from magic exhaustion and so asked me to do something else, she asked me to place her ashes inside the mother wand. At the time I had already gotten two phoenix feathers from her son and so I happily gave into her request. One of those brother wands remains with me in this shop."
"And the other?"
"The other is responsible for doing horrible deeds, he is also responsible for giving your brother his scar, Miss Potter," he said.
She left after paying and smiled as she gripped her trunk and wand in opposite hands. She had one last shop on her list and it was the one shop she knew her parents never wanted her to go into. The pet shop.
The shop was larger than the others and was packed with different animals. It was split into different areas with each breed having their own pen that was enlarged to keep them all in safely. Elysian was immediately drawn to the snakes but knew that it would be impossible for her to get one, she wasn't exactly allowed to go to Hogwarts with one after all. Then, suddenly, her eyes caught a small shift near the back of the feline area.
There was a single, black kitten all alone in a pen. She looked at the plaque above the pen and was shocked to to read, Black Panther Cub, Male, Found in Forbidden Forest Hogwarts. Immediately, she made her way over to it and gently reached down to pet him. At first, he growled, getting ready to pounce, but soon calmed down and accepted Elysian's gentle hand on his back.
"Oh my! He's never done that before," the owner gasped as she came running over. "He's actually allowing you to pet him!"
"How much is he?" asked Elysian, picking him up and cradling him like a baby so that his head was resting on her shoulder.
"Fifteen galleons," said the owner, "but are you sure you want him? He's dangerous."
"Perfect," said Elysian, "I'll take him."
The owner gaped at her for a second but shook it off and began ringing up her purchases. Ares, the panther cub, was apprehensive at going into a container but soon was purring away at the enlarged crate which had an entire outdoor area for the soon to be massive feline. Elysian payed for him and was soon on her way like nothing was different.
-EP-
Entering the floo at the Leaky Cauldron, Elysian snuck back into her bedroom and deposited all of her purchases onto her bed with a grin. Ares was jumping around her room with joy as Elysian flopped back onto her bed. She held her new wand in her hand and grinned.
"So my wand has a connection to Voldemort… intriguing."
End Chapter One: Diagon Alley.
