- Chapter 1 -

I woke up, breathless. I nearly shrieked. Instead, I jumped out of bed and raced down the stairs like a normal person.

"MUM! DAD!" I screamed, hopping down the last five stairs. "WE ARE GOING TO DIAGON ALLEY TODAY!"

"Yes, we are Cynthia!" My mum exclaimed. "But you have to calm down!"

"Fine," I sighed, then walked back upstairs.

I quickly brushed my teeth, and pulled on jeans and a sweater. I tried brushing my long, wild ginger hair and slipped on my boots. Then, once again, I came to the stairs. Instead of running, however, I grabbed the railing and slid down, laughing.

I jumped off a few stairs from the ground, and sat down at the table.

"So, I'm guessing your excited?" My sister, Andrya, asked. "I know I was."

"You THINK?" I asked, a little sass in my voice.

"Well, I guess I could be positive," she mused.

"Only fools are positive," I joked.

My sister laughed. She was pretty tall and slim. She had perfect, fair skin and dark, deep set eyes. She had short, curly dark hair that ended just above her shoulders. My father has dark skin, and short, combed black hair. He has wide set green eyes, and a nice smile. My mum has fair skin, with long, curly ginger hair in a crown around her head. She also has deep set, dark eyes. I, on the other hand, have fair skin with freckles across my nose, and close set mitchmatched eyes, one green, the other gold.

"I think she just wants her wand," My dad joked.

"Do NOT!" I argued, turning beet red.

"Anyways," My mum added, standing up. "The dishes need done before we go anywhere."

"Done!" Andrya exclaimed, winking at me. She took out her wand. "Scourgify!"

A few white-blue sparks flew out, and the table cleared itself, along with the dishes.

"Andryna..." Mum scowled.

"Mom, I graduated last year! I can do stuff now!" Andryna complained.

"I don't care! I don't believe in magic shortcuts in my house!" She scolded.

"C'mon Veronica," my dad laughed. "Didn't you use that charm all the time once you learned it?"

"Well, I've grown!"

"Yeah," my dad replied. "So you're saying you didn't just use it last night on the carpet?"

"Well, Diagon Alley is waiting!" My mom exclaimed, grabbing her coat.

Andryna and I laughed, then walked to the door.

I had never been to Diagon Alley before, and I was excited to explore every part of it.

"Please mum!" I begged. "Can we go to Ollivanders first?"

"Oh, look!" my mum stopped. "Madam Malkins Robes For All Occasions!"

"Oh, mum," Andyna sighed. "You know her size, let me bring her to Ollivanders."

"Please mum!" I cried.

"Fine."

"C'mon Cynthia!" Andryna called. "This way!"

"Welcome, how may I help you?"

"Good Morning, Ollivander!" Andryna called, walking up to the desk.

"Ah, Andryna Lawrence!" He exclaimed, turning around. "Still have that Laurel wood, Phoenix Feather Core, 11 inches I see!"

"Yup," She smiled. "Unlike Richard, I don't break my wand every year!"

I giggled. I remember My older brother. He is a year older than Andryna, and used to break his wand somehow each summer.

"But I'm not here to talk wands, even though I am still considering your lessons," Andryna wanted to craft wands as well. "My sister I told you about? She's starting this year!"

"Hi!" I walked up to the desk.

"Why, hello!" Ollivander waved. "You starting school next week?"

"I believe I am!" I proclaimed.

"Okay then," He pulled out a wand from under his desk. "Holly wood, phoenix feather core, 12 inches. Try it out!"

I grabbed the wand, and waved it around. I winced as a few pieces of parchment incinerated.

"Uh, not for me," I mumbled, shoving it back into his hands.

"Well, as I say, the wand chooses the wizard!" He quoted, putting the wand away.

"That's catchy!" I told him. He smiled.

"Ah, I have just the wand for you!" He acknowledged.

He disappeared into the back of the shop, then walked back up a few minutes later with a box covered in dust, with a few broken cobwebs lining the edges. When he opened it, the inside was lined with velvet, and the wand looked almost new. It was a sleek, smooth black wand with a few imprints written in what looked like ancient chinese.

"Black Walnut wood," Ollivander began, pushing the box towards me. "Basilisk Horn core, 13 inches." I looked at him, uncertainty in my eyes. He simply smiled back. "Try it."

Reluctantly, I reached my hand toward the box, and wrapped my hand around the wand. Slowly pulling it out, I studied it. Then, without hesitating, I snapped my eyes shut, and waved the wand.

When I opened them, nothing was wrong, and my sister was smiling. She turned to Ollivander.

"How much?" She asked, taking out her wallet.

"Oh, take it," He told her. "I can tell Cynthia will be a special one, and you can always pay it off when you work beside me Andryna."

"Oh, yeah," Andryna beamed. "I accept your offer!"

In the end, I had to pull Andryna out of Ollivanders.

We met mum outside, and she checked off my list.

"Looks like we got everything!" She announced.

"Don't I need a pet?" I asked waving my wand.

"I don't think you need a-"

"Mum," Andryna soothed. "I'll get her one!"

"But you already payed for her wand, dear!" Mum cried.

"I still have plenty of galleons left," she assured. "C'mon, Cynthia!"

We raced through the streets, but, as usual, Andryna beat me.

"So," she began, pushing the door. "You want a toad, right?"

"No!" I giggled. "Can I have an owl?" I asked.

"Certainly!" Andryna clarified.

I walked through the aisles, completely unsure of who to pick. They all seemed so nice! Then, a barred owl caught my eye. I walked up to her, and patted her beak. She had violet eyes, which I knew were uncommon for an owl. Like I was so different, even by wizard standards. I checked the price tag.

Only two knuts? I wondered, surprised.

"Silly, isn't it?" A voice said behind me.

I whipped around, to come face to face with a boy around my age. He was skinny, with pale skin. He had messy light brown hair, and cheery green eyes.

"They say she's not worth it," he told me, walking up to the owl and petting her. "I say she's worth galleons."

"I guess," I responded.

I blinked, and he was gone. Disappeared into thin air. I shook my head, and looked at the barred owl once again. Smiling, I carefully took down her cage.

"Are you sure?" Andryna asked as I walked up to her. She was talking with one of her friends.

"Yes," I told her.

"I don't know, Cynthia," she told me, shaking her head. "Only two knuts? It's probably at deaths door or something!"

"And if she is," I responded, putting my sass to good use. "You'll have plenty of galleons left over to get a new one!"

"Fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes. She quickly payed two knuts, and we walked out.

"I'm going to name you Violet," I told the barred owl. "To match your eyes, one of the reasons I chose you!"