Chapter 2
The next day, like he had promised, Remus Lupin took Charlene, Mary, and Lilly to Diagon Alley to get their school stuff. They walked the half mile there, Charlene and Lilly skipping along Lupin while Mary walked behind, her nose in a book, surprisingly managing not to run into anyone or anything.
Lupin pressed a brick, and they entered Diagon Alley. They had been there a few times before, mostly to visit the bookstore, Flourish and Botts, or to get an ice cream as a treat. Their first stop was Gringotts Bank, where they took some money out of their trust bank, number six eighty seven. Lupin had told them many times that they had about fifteen other vaults like that one, but they could only get stuff out of number six eighty seven until they came of age. Their second stop was Madam Malkin's, the robe-maker, who measured them for their school robes.
They saw Draco Malfoy come in as they were leaving, and waved to him. He waved back. They were good friends with him, especially, surprisingly enough, Mary, who opened up a lot around him. Their next stop was Flourish and Botts. They found their school books relatively easily. Then, Lupin told them to pick out some pleasure reading books. Charlene picked out a wizarding detective story, which wasn't very good. Lilly picked out a book on potions, but Mary really had to decide, for she wanted about one fifty books. In the end, she picked out a book on the Dark Arts: Spells, Charms, Jinxes, and Hexes, a book on Ancient Runes, and a book on Potions. Lupin smiled at her choices. He was pretty sure she would end up taking Ancient Runes in third year.
On the way out, there was a lot of murmuring and whispering, "Harry Potter." They saw him for the first time about two yards out of the bookstore. Charlene walked straight over to him and said, "Hello, Harry," recognizing the half-giant who was with him as Hagrid. Harry looked confused, and Charlene launched into a hundred mile an hour explanation before Lilly said "See ya" as Lupin and Mary kept walking, leaving Harry very bewildered. Hagrid just said, "That's your cousins and sista'. She's your twin, ya' know, and ya' have twin cousins, too. Lilly's ya's twin, and Charlene and Mary are ya's cousins." And Harry had to be content with that feeble explanation.
Their next stop was Ollivander's Wands. Charlene went first. It took her two different wands before she got 'hers'. Hers was a seven and three quarters inch, ebony wood, stiff, phoenix feather core. Mary went next. Hers was a twelve and a half inch, holly wood, dragon heartstring core, supple. Lilly's was eight and a quarter inch, hawthorn wood, veela hair core, quite rigid. Lupin paid down thirty galleons and they left.
Next, they went to the menagerie. Charlene picked out a white cat, and named her Snowflake. Lilly got an owl, and name her Chipper. Mary didn't pick out an animal at all. Then, Charlene asked, "Uncle Remus, can we go to the ice cream parlor?" Uncle Remus responded, "Sure, why not?" So, with their bags full of stuff on their back, they headed towards the ice cream parlor.
When they got there, Charlene and Lilly ordered a double lemon sorbet, and Uncle Remus and Mary ordered a double chocolate sundae. When they arrived, Charlene asked, "Uncle Remus, what house do you think we'll be in?" Lupin took his time answering, before saying carefully, "I can't say anything for sure, but I would think all three of you have a large chance of being in Ravenclaw. All of you are very smart." "No, Uncle Remus," said Charlene, "For real. You always say Ravenclaw." "Probably because it's true." said Mary, and promptly went back to reading her Ancient Runes book. "Really," said Lilly, "Mary, you are rude! Reading while we are trying to talk." Mary looked up and said, acidly, "I thought you were talking to Uncle Remus, asking him what house we would be in. How exactly does that concern me?" Lilly protested, "But, it's still rude. Isn't it, Uncle Remus?" Remus sighed, "Yes, it is, Mary. We are all at a table together, we shouldn't be ignoring each other. Please, close your book. We still have a month before the term starts, that's plenty of time for you to read it." Sighing, Mary closed the book.
"Uncle Remus?" prompted Charlene, "What house would we be in?" Remus sighed again, "I honestly don't think any of you will be in Slytherin or Hufflepuff." he tried to continued, but Lilly cut him off, "Not even Mary? I say she's a Slytherin." "Lilly!" said Remus reproachfully, "That's not nice. No, I don't think Mary will be in Slytherin. Maybe she will be in Gryffindor, and maybe you, Charlene, but I am pretty sure that you, Lilly, will be in Ravenclaw." "I would love to be in Ravenclaw!" said Lilly enthusiastically. "Good!" said Lupin. "Your aunt, you know, was in Ravenclaw, and your uncle. Your parents were both in Gryffindor though. Both the Potters and the Smiths are old pureblood families, and the Smiths have had Hufflepuffs, but not Slytherins. However, you really never know. One thing, though, girls. Never insult somebody based on thier blood. You two, Charlene and Mary, may be lucky enough to be purebloods, and Lilly, to be a half blood, but blood itself does not determine superiority, although some purebloods may say it does." He looked around, saw that everyone was done and said, "Okay, then, let's go."
They threw their ice cream trays into the trash and walked the half mile back to their house, where Mary immediately went to her room to read. Charlene and Lilly headed out back to practice Quidditch. That night, they all dreamt of different aspects of Hogwarts, and imagined life there. Lupin fondly remembered his seven years there, and hoped that the girls he had raised would have a peaceful life.
Please Read and Review. There may be slight canon divergence in Book 1, but hopefully not too much. Question for reviewers: which houses do you think the girls will be in? (Don't worry, Harry will still be in Gryffindor.)
