Jamie's hand shook slightly as he walked into the store. "Jamie." Parker laughed sounding just as nervous as the smaller boy. "I've never seen you so scared." He joked but there was just as much fear in his eyes as there was in Jamie's.
This is where everything began to feel real. Small steps Jamie. The boy encouraged himself.
So far, everything had seemed so… welcoming. Sure, Jamie thought, it's all strange, but it seems so… right. He thought as he had walked into the bright Alley and stared in wonder at the large shops that stood out in the daylight. "A 'right boys." Hagrid had grunted at them and handed each a list. "First off on the list, are robes. I will go and gather them for you." he looked at the three of them and he knew in the deep of their eyes what each boy was desperate for. "The wand shop is just down there." Before he had even finished indicating where it was, all three boys stampeded down the road as each carried a pouch of gold which they had been told to save for such this occasion.
But now as each took a stand in the store, all stood a little intimidated as they looked at what seemed like endless rows of boxes. Some were gleaming, obviously brand new. But there were some, so old and covered in dust that the box seemed to have completely vanished, lost and forgotten by time.
All three of them flinched as they heard a elderly man cough and all shifted under his gaze as though they had all been caught doing something reprehensible by simply looking at how many boxes there were. "May I help you?" his gaze rested on Jamie and filled with an emotion Jamie so often recognised from every time he looked in the mirror.
Hate.
Parker was the one to finally speak as he stepped forward with a smile and the elderly man's frown diminished entirely. "Uh, my name is Parker. That's Russell." He indicated to the Latino boy who smiled shyly. "And that's Jamie." He nodded over to Jamie and the man's eyes suddenly became that of confusion and then eventually, curiosity.
But all this time, Jamie had his eyes locked onto a box behind the man. His eyes were glued to it and try hard as he could he could not pull them away. It felt like for a long time everything around him was silent and he heard his own heart beat echo as it multiplied. It wasn't long before even Parker and Russell had a similar reaction and was staring in different directions.
He coughed again; a long weak wheezing sound. The man obviously wasn't well but a sparkle of amusement played in his eyes as he watched the three boys already start to feel the connection which happened when new students walked into his store. "My name is not that important. What is important is that we get you ready for school." The man smiled finally and he walked over in the direction that Russell was staring in and shimmied out a small, relatively new box. "Birch, eight inches." He smiled as he held it out to Russell who took it gratefully. "Dragon heartstring." He thought out loud as he watched the boy swish it through the air and the wand produce a beautiful amount of elegant sparks which danced around him.
The wand really was extremely beautiful. The light brown moved to a straight pointed edge. The handle was perfectly fitted for the boy's palm. Then the detail that was carved into it! It looked as though individual vines were growing towards the point which were about to bloom.
Parker watched as next as a brand new box was placed in his hand and he pulled out a curved black wand which was sharp like a dagger. There wasn't much engraving on it. It was simple and easy to understand by its ink black shade and blade like point. Kind of like Parker. Jamie thought. He had seen just how truly dangerous Parker could be.
"Eleven inches." The old man watched Parker with a new hesitation as though just by being near that wand he could see everything about Parker and know all about him. This is getting ridiculous. Jamie thought but he still listened nonetheless. "Black thorn and Unicorn hair. Both of those wands are great for charms." He looked back towards Russell who he seemed to have more confidence in. But as Parker flourished the wand the boy grinned as sparks exploded out the tip in spiralling flames which ran through the air around him. "Amazing." Parker grinned.
Now the man turned slowly back to Jamie who he seemed to hold the most excitement and apprehension for. He walked over to the box which the boy's eyes were locked on. "No." he whispered and shook his head. "Can't be." He slowly limped back over to Jamie and gazed into the emerald eyes which also held everyone's attention.
The box felt heavy in his hand as he took it off the old man. As he pulled the lid off, his breath caught in his chest and he stared down at what had felt and sounded like a second heart to him.
"Thirteen inches." The man said quietly as he Jamie pulled the wand from the box. It was black as ink and engraved with the most magnificent silver he had ever seen. The intricate patterns moved around the wand except for those near the handle which were most like serpents. It fit perfectly into his hand and as he felt it his grip tightened as a sense of security and completion came from holding it. "Yew and Phoenix feather. Like the rest, unyielding." Hi voice seemed as though it was full of fear which had just been confirmed. "Just pay and go. Please." The man gasped as tears stung his eyes and the boys placed the correct amount of gold out of their pouches before turning quickly out the store but not before each of them heard the broken sobbing.
Parker raised the wand and smiled with excellence. "Come on Jamie. Please, I don't know what was wrong with that creep but I want to see what your wand can do."
"Uh, sure. Okay." Jamie looked at for it for a few seconds before smiling. As he raised it he watched a few clouds flash before a burst of lightning exploded from one and snaked its way behind the cover. "Awe-" Parker's mouth fell open as he stared at the patterns of lightning which began dispersing.
"AWESOME!" Russell almost screamed as his eyes widened.
"Boys!"
Each turned and saw Hagrid walking towards them. He looked just as fearful as the old man did when he saw Parker and Jamie's wand. "Come on boy's." he looked hesitantly at the taller two of the group before he handed each of them their robes and directed them towards the last store they needed. He had already secured their books earlier that morning and now was giving them a free choice for the last thing that they would get to choose before going to the school. "Now time for the second most exciting thing you were probably hoping to choose." He came to a stop out of a darker painted building which was starting to loose some of its colour. "A pet-"
"Out my way!" Jamie and Russell fought and shoved past each other playfully as each tried to be the first one in.
"And that's supposed to be his son." Hagrid shook his head as he watched Jamie laugh as the two smaller boys fell over.
"Come on you two, or am I going to have to play mother?" Parker shook his head and strolled forward.
"And then there's him." Hagrid watched the tallest boy. "The apple has fallen far from the tree Malfoy; so far it seemed to find its way into a muggle orphanage."
He became so lost in his thoughts that he soon lost track of time. It wasn't till he heard the three again that he finally took a glance over. Parker walked out first carrying an ink black feathered owl which was perched on his arm, perfectly obedient.
Hagrid was quite surprised when he found Jamie and Russell walk out the store carrying two cats. Russell held a chocolate brown, fur coated cat in his arms and gently stroked his fingers along its spine which the cat seemed to love while Jamie walked out holding a cute brown and white cat which nuzzled its head affectionately against Jamie's arms as the boy laughed softly and gently stroked it under its chin.
Parker watched the two and shook his head. "Why did you two… of all the things, buy a bloody, no good." He stopped as he watched the two cats lock their eyes on him. It was almost comical the way that the boy and his owl squirmed under the four glares which were now pointed at them.
Hagrid too, soon began laughing as he watched the scene play out before him. "Nothing wrong with getting a cat." He looked at the two smaller boy's who seemed confused that for once instead of trying to do as much as he could to ignore them, Hagrid was acknowledging and even agreeing with them. "So what you named them?" he wondered.
Russell giggled as the cat purred happily in his arm and he waved its little paw as he smiled brightly, "This is Rosula." He smiled and then looked over to see Jamie deep in thought as to what to name his new little cat.
"How about… Hecate." He smiled as the little cat mewed in agreement and nuzzled its head as she liked the name which had been given to her.
"Good strong names." Hagrid nodded before looking over to Parker who was gently running his hand along the feathers. "This is Merlin."
"Oh for god sake." Jamie and Russell said in sync and rolled their eyes as each burst into laughter at the name the boy had given his pet.
"Oh? And Hecate and Rosula are much better?"
"Hecate was a goddess and a very powerful one of witchcraft." Jamie grinned and the cat purred proudly and Parker could swear that the cat was almost laughing at him. Stupid cat. He thought.
"Yeah." Russell joined in. "Rosula is Original. But come on seriously? That's the best you can think of; Merlin?"
"Okay then. How about." He paused for a minute and thought. "Adam." He decided.
"Adam the Owl…" Russell and Jamie exchanged looks before shaking their heads and turning away as they headed back towards the place they were staying.
"Hey! Adam is a good name! Aw come on! Wait up!" Parker chase after the two boys and Hagrid watched them.
"I'll catch up with you guys in a minute." Russell said before darting into the store book store nearby, but now Hagrid was too lost in his thoughts to hear him.
He couldn't understand about any of them!
Russell seemed the most innocent out of the three of them! He had understood from what kind of parents he had come from. He knew that a lot of children had been sent away during the wizard war and had their minds wiped for their own protection so that death eaters couldn't find them. "Russell Lestrange." He shook his head; the boy had no resemblance to his mother. They shared features in no possible way.
He never had thought it.
He hadn't imagined that at the same time their enemies were doing the exact same thing.
But then there was the other problem…
Why was a Malfoy among them? Had he been sent away for his own protection… or maybe something else was being played here… "Parker Malfoy." Hagrid whispered.
But then there was the last one.
Jamie's father was much too obvious. AS they had walked through the alley today, Hagrid had seen the many questioning and horrified looks cast by the adults to the boy, and even though he knew Jamie was doing his best to hide it. He knew that Jamie saw all the glares and hateful looks that were tossed his way and try as much as the boy was doing; Hagrid knew that it was starting to get to him.
"Jamie Riddle." His voice was just as scared of saying that name as it was of saying the name of the dead man who had plagued them.
If only Hagrid had known who was listening in on him, maybe then he could have stopped what happened it was too late, from the shadows, a small figure moved away
Jamie was sat back in his room lay back on his bed as he looked at his wand which was neatly placed in its box and carefully placed next to his robes which he would be wearing for his first day at Hogwarts tomorrow. Hecate was lay across the blankets of his bed and stretched out as she was taking a nap. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us." Jamie smiled then began to lie back across the soft blankets and pillow, seeing why Hecate had found it so easy to fall asleep. But the events of his day just kept spinning a web of thoughts in his mind.
Why had the old man looked so fearfully at him as he had taken his wand? Why what with everyone giving him such hateful glares. "I'm not going to be living like the way I did in the orphanage." He whispered to himself. "I will not be hiding in the shadows."
"Who says you will have to?"
Jamie startled as he looked over to see Russell standing in the open doorway. "Russell, I mean this in the kindest way. But I'm tired, can I just have some time by myself please."
"No." the boy grinned and landed with a bounce on the bed next to him. "I think we need to get away from Hagrid, first chance possible tomorrow."
"And why would we do that?" Jamie grinned as the boy blushed under his gaze.
"He knows about our families. Well to be exact he knows about you and Parker. I heard him myself. He knows your last name. He said Parker's was Malfoy, mine was Lestrange and yours was…" he paused for moment thinking. "Riddle." He finally stated. Jamie's eyes became cold and hard, the way they always did when he was in a deep state of thought.
It was a couple of minutes before Jamie spoke again. "We will just have to see what happens next." He decided. "If he knew my parents, if they all knew my parents. Then I will just have to prove my worth twice as hard not to be compared to them."
"Defiant as always." Russell joked but when he saw the seriousness in Jamie's gaze he knew to become quiet. When Jamie was feeling okay, he was so warm and kind and happy. But the last couple of days had proven quite difficult for the boy.
Russell saw the way that everyone looked at him. Even away from the orphanage, the boy couldn't escape the judgement of others. "You better get some sleep." Russell smiled as he closed the door. "We have a long day tomorrow."
"You have no idea." Jamie whispered as finally the door closed and Russell heard it lock.
Henry: Hi everyone, i tried to get this finished for today. It's currently 00:11 here and i'm very tired so i'm just posting this before-
Jamie: Before he can think what I can do in my next chapter!
Henry: Your next chapter?
Jamie: well duh! i'm the main character.
Henry: Well actually the next chapter is going to be Russell's perspective so...
Jamie: Ha! i'll sneak my way in somehow. Anyway, we would like to say a massive thank you to our two reviewers. You're kind words were really encouraging. We're glad you enjoyed the first chapter so much. So until next time. *smiles and waves.* have a nice day.
Henry: *mutters.* kiss up.
Jamie: Do I need to remind you who has a wand?
Henry: Do i need to remind you who has the delete button on his computer?
Jamie: *eyes widen.* Sorry!
