Hello again. I was hoping to update once a month so this one's a bit of a bonus. Sorry but before Luka goes to Hogwarts you'll have to get to know what her home life is like. Though on the upside the next chapter will be on the Hogwarts Express. As before I'm not J K Rowling or Yana Toboso and I don't get money for this.
Her week's incarceration went quickly as Luka had all her new school books and she so loved to read. In addition to the standard texts she had bought 'Counter curses and magical self-defence for beginners' and 'Basic first aid potions and spells' with her birthday money. The former because she wanted to impress her foster parents with her defence against the Dark Arts grades and the latter because she kept getting scrapes and bruises from skating mishaps.
The first morning of freedom was accompanied by a plethora of errands to run. Namely picking up groceries, delivering a cake to old Mrs Bumble, a family friend, and picking up seeds from her foster mother's favourite gardening shop. Her first stop was Mrs Bumble's house as it was situated on the same country lane as the Pearson household but closer to central Oswestry. As Luka meandered closer on her quad skates she hoped that Mrs Bumble wouldn't keep her too long. She always wanted to talk and it was always about the same things. It gave Luka the distinct impression that she was Mrs Bumble's only point of human contact. Alas, Luka's hopes were in vain.
"Oh, do come in dear, get those strange contraptions off your feet," Mrs Bumble said immediately on opening the door before blinking and saying, "and what is that thing your owl is perched on?"
"It's a skateboard Mrs Bumble. It's one of the things left from when I had my parents. Elise just likes to sit on it because she's lazy," replied Luka looking at the bird in question who was perched, quite proudly, on the nose of the board. She looked like a feathery figurehead.
"Well, anyway come inside and have a slice of the cake you brought," responded the elder witch cheerily.
"Sorry Mrs Bumble but I've got to go into town for my fostermum," was the polite refusal.
"In that case would you be a dear and pick up my pills from the apothecary? The price for owl delivery is extortionate," the old lady asked. Luka nodded and Mrs Bumble shuffled back into her house to retrieve her prescription list before letting Luka leave with a pat on her head. As Luka continued on the road to central Oswestry she sighed to herself. Her foster parents told her to be nice to Mrs Bumble but it sometimes felt like the elder witch took advantage. This wasn't the first prescription run she'd been on.
A few minutes later neared the junction to the Muggle mainroad and stopped.
"You need to get off now Elise. Fosterdad doesn't like it when you come into town with me," Luka told her owl dejectedly. Said owl ruffled her feathers before choosing a new perch in a nearby tree. Luka then picked up the skateboard as it was easier to carry than tow when unladen and continued on her way to Oswestry's magic district.
Returning to the junction took longer as it was slightly uphill and the shopping was stacked precariously upon the skateboard secured only by a large quantity of string and the hope of the girl who towed it. Magic was forbidden until Luka stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. On seeing her mistress Elise fluttered to the ground in the hope of a lift only to utter a squawk of annoyance. There was no perch for her to sit on.
"Sorry girl but fostermum's list was really long," This did not placate the bird as she gave the girl a disgruntled look with narrowed amber eyes before taking flight.
Fortunately the rest of the journey went quickly as Mrs Bumble did not keep her long. She just thanked her as she checked over the receipt and change. Luka had know she would do this so she had triple checked the change before leaving the apothecary. Her foster parents may keep saying that they saw the beginnings of Darkness in her actions but Luka didn't have the heart to steal from an old lady.
When Luka got home she hopped inelegantly over the threshold before kneeling to unload the skateboard. She always fell over when she tried to pick things up when on her toe stops. After that she took off her roller boots, propped up the skateboard and took the Saynberry's bags into the kitchen. No matter what her foster parents said about Muggles they couldn't fault the economy of their supermarkets. On her way Luka passed her foster father sitting at the dining room table reading the Daily Prophet. Luka's eyes flicked to the clock to see that it was nearly lunchtime as her foster father always rose late on his days off.
"There you are Luka. I was starting to get worried," said Rose as she strode across the kitchen towards Luka.
"It took longer 'cos Mrs Bumble wanted some pills picking up," Luka replied meekly.
"Oh, that's alright then. Pass me those bags,"
As Luka passed her foster mother her cargo Rose pulled her wand from her apron pocket and the groceries flew to their appropriate places with one exception. This went into Rose's hand along with the receipt.
"A lot of things in the Muggle world are pretty poor but I have to credit them with good tea," commented Rose as she looked over the fine blend. At this comment a snort of derision was heard from the dining room.
"What was that for Jacob?" enquired Rose, her eyebrows arched in annoyance.
"You said that most things in the Muggle world are poor," replied Luka's foster father as he folded his paper and turned to face the witches, "don't you mean that nearly all those cripple have is poor? Everything their so called science and teknilogy attempt to do is a poor imitation of our magic,"
"I agree that Muggles pale in comparison to us but I believe in giving praise where praise is due. Tea this would cost twice as much in our world," retorted Rose as an ugly frown appeared on her usually fair features. This was another thing about her foster parents that Luka didn't like. They held Muggles in such contempt. Like playground bullies they mistook different for inferior although they were adults who should know better. Furthermore, her foster father was a half blood like her. Then again it wasn't just Muggles, Luka had heard Rose mutter about how all werewolves were murderous and not fit to live with the rest of wizardkind. Luka disagreed completely but she didn't want to be accused of being Dark so she kept her mouth shut. Snapping back to the present Luka decided she didn't want to hear the rest of the conversation so she excused herself and trotted up to her room with Elise now gracing her shoulder.