Chapter 2 – Half Blood
The next morning Sydelle was up early. She reached under her bed, half dreading that the previous night was all a dream and nothing would be there but her fingers brushed against polished wood and she drew the broom out and sat on her bed examining it in daylight.
The handle gleamed although a little smudged so Sydelle reached into her side table for one of the ridiculous hankies her grandmother kept sending her and set to polishing it up. Before long, the broom was clean and had a lovely red-brown shine, the little 'Firebolt' plaque shining in the light from her window.
But what was it for? Just for fun, Sydelle stood on the bed, straddling the broomstick and said to herself "I can fly!" and leapt off the bed. Instead of the quick landing on the floor that she expected, the broom lifted her in a rush until she smacked her head on the ceiling, squealed in pain and fell off.
"Dell! What's going on up there?" her father's low voice called out from the kitchen below.
Sydelle got up, rubbing her head and yelled back, "Nothing, Dad! Just knocked my lamp over." He seemed satisfied with that answer but not taking any chances, Sydelle rolled the broom back under her bed before getting dressed. She was terrified and at the same time thrilled. The broom flew!
She didn't get the broom out again over the next couple of days. She was kept busy with her younger brother's eigth birthday and helping her mother deal with the fourteen or so seven and eight-year-olds running around and screaming in the back yard. She didn't dare bring out the broom for a real try, she was half afraid that she wouldn't be able to control it or it'd lose power in the air and she'd drop like a stone. The broom remained hidden.
On the morning of the twenty fourth of July, Sydelle's parents, along with her younger brother Nigel had risen early and breakfasted together as always. Today, however, Sydelle was excited. As Nigel was only seven years old, they had decided against telling him about Hogwarts being a school of magic. They did not want to have him repeat it to his friends and be in trouble or teased because of his story.
The journey to London seemed to be ever so long to Sydelle, her stomach full of butterflies in anticipation. At last she felt she had a purpose, at last she felt that something was going right. She was unusual but that was just fine because she belonged somewhere. She fidgeted in her seat impatiently whilst her father navigated the busy London streets. Sydelle's mother quietly repeated directions to him from the parchment and after a while they had arrived in a smaller street and found parking.
The family got out of the car, locked it securely and then stood on the pavement. Many pedestrians walked past, nobody paying them the slightest attention. Sydelle's mother checked the piece of parchment once again.
"The Leaky Cauldron." She said, "We need to go there to ask for directions to Diagon Alley." They all looked up and down the street, searching for a sign. The street was packed with little shops, some selling books, clothes or antiques. Sydelle's eyes searched the signs above each shop.
Suddenly she saw it, as her eyes slid from Bartholomew's Book Boutique to Hoochies Records, she noticed a tiny slice of the building that clearly didn't belong to either store. The little smoked glass window, the narrow door and above it the sign that she could see was a painting of a bubbling cauldron. Her eyes left the store for a moment and suddenly she couldn't see it. She squinted and the building came back into focus. It was like an visual puzzle that was all the rage at school, many people couldn't see the objects in the puzzle but if you looked at it just right, you could see but often moving the book or blinking meant you lost it again.
"There." She said, pointing.
"That's a bookshop, sweety." Her mother said kindly.
"No, next to the bookshop." She answered. "Between that and the music shop, it's really hard to see but it's there."
Sydelle was squinting again and didn't see the look that passed between her parents. She saw a tall man wearing eye-watering turquoise vanish into the little door. She looked up again. "I just saw a man go in there!"
"OK, you lead the way." Her father answered. Sydelle took his hand and led her family across the road. They walked up the footpath and Sydelle looked carefully between the two shops. She spied the door and eyes not leaving it in case she lost it again, she ran forward, towing her father behind her and wrenched the door open. They'd found The Leaky Cauldron.
As they stepped into the gloomy pub, Sydelle's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimness of the lighting. An odd looking mad was behind the bar, serving a customer a mug of something that sparked and spat like lemonade but with all the colours of the rainbow. She and her little brother stared in wonder.
The room was much larger inside than it appeared to be from outside. There were many people in there, clustered in twos and threes and either drinking quietly or discussing things in low voices. Two witches with whispy fly-away hair were clutching large handbags of gaudy colours. A wizard was trembling in the corner, he checked what appeared to be an old fashioned pocket-watch several times. The man in turquoise robes was walking out of the room and the man with the popping drink was whispering a hurried conversation to another two men with unusually large noses.
Many of the patrons turned to stare as they came in, in this room Sydelle realised that she and her family were the odd ones. They were the only normally dressed people and she guessed that they stood out in sharp contrast to the tatty robes and bright colours of the other people.
"Excuse me," her father had walked to the barman and addressed him politely. "My daughter has an appointment with Hogwarts School Governors in Diagon Alley in half an hour. Could you give us directions please?"
"Muggle?" the barman asked, looking him up and down. "I beg your pardon?" Mr Reid blustered. "Yer, of course ye are." The old barman nodded. "'ang on, I'll get somebody to help yer." And without waiting for a reply he put down his teatowel and hurried into a back room. A few moments later he hurried back, not looking at the man striding along behind him.
"May I see the letter?" he demanded. Sydelle's mother handed it over immediately, a little frightened by this new man's imperious manner. He read the letter quickly which gave Sydelle time to see delicately curved eyebrows, fierce brown eyes, swept back hair and navy blue robes before he handed the letter back and spoke again.
"One of you and your son must remain here. Only one parent may accompany the young lady until her blood status is confirmed." He told them briskly. Without waiting for an answer he turned. "Follow me." Sydelle's father looked angry and opened his mouth to retort however her mother laid a hand on his arm and turned her grey eyes toward him. With an effort, he repressed his anger and nodded curtly, catching hold of Nigel's hand as Sydelle's mother led her after the tall stranger.
"But Dad!..." she heard her brother complain as she scurried after the two adults, through a short passageway and into a tiny courtyard that contained nothing more than a couple of smelly dustbins and half a dozen weeds pushing their way up through the cracks.
The man drew a slender, polished stick out of his robes and tapped one brick that looked just like any other three times. The brick quivered, then wriggled and then sunk out of sight into the wall. The other bricks around it also began moving, turning in on themselves until before a few seconds had passed, a large archway stood before them leading onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight among the buildings.
"Don't be late, you'll find the archway opens for you when you return." The man said before sweeping off back into The Leaky Cauldron. Sydelle grasped her mother's hand and the two hurried into the busy street.
She gazed, wide eyed around them. Witches and wizards of all ages scurried around them. Beggars sat on the corner, their cries pitiful and begging those around them to believe that they were truly wizards. Some strode along distainfully, some scurried as though they wanted nothing more than to fade into the shadows. The shop windows and signs gave clues to what lay within but contrary to what Sydelle was expecting, the wizarding world did not look a happy one.
They passed Cauldrons shop, Eelops Owl Emporium and several funny little stores. One on the corner caught her eye, the only shop still with a brightness about it – Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes – it was open and several children were looking through the windows.
"Here." Her mother said, guiding her toward a small door set between All Sundry & Stationary and Magic Moments; Gifts for All Occasions. Above the door was a little bronze plaque that read '43 Diagon Alley – Hogwarts School Govenors Offices.' They stepped inside and climbed the stairs to the first floor. A little landing was covered with blue carpet and led into a little waiting room and desk with a short haired witch sitting behind the desk. Three other children of Sydelle's age and their parents were waiting nervously.
"Hi," Mrs Reid smiled at the witch, approaching her desk. "We received a letter, we have an appointment with the Governors at a quarter past ten. The witch took the proffered letter without a smile or even looking at them and read it quickly. She flipped it back to them almost lazily. "Take a seat, you will be called." She said in a voice without emotion. Sydelle and her mother sat down beside a small, pretty dark haired girl with bright blue eyes and her father. Both girls smiled nervously at each other.
Across the room, another girl with an elegant hairstyle and hard brown eyes sat and stared at them. She wore pretty green robes and a matching green band. In her fingers she rolled a wand absently. Sydelle smiled at her and the girl smirked rudely back. Sydelle looked away.
"Guinevere Bulstrode." A wizard came out of a side door and read the name off the parchment. The girl got to her feet at once and strode after him, her mother followed her with the same rich looking clothing and haughty expression and the door closed softly behind them.
"Hi, I'm Delilah Perkins." The small girl next to her whispered. Sydelle smiled and held out a hand. "Sydelle Reid." And they shook hands. "Its pretty silly they make us come for blood status tests." Delilah whispered quietly. Their parents glanced at the girls nervously and then at the witch behind the counter but nobody was paying them any attention. "I hear they aren't allowing any muggle-borns at all any more."
"Really?" Sydelle asked, wondering what on earth a muggle or a muggle-born was and what sort of test she had to take. She hated needles.
"Yeah, new rules from the Ministry." Delilah answered. "You full or half?" she asked. But before Sydelle could answer the door opened again and the tall girl from before strode out looking well pleased and as they swept passed and back down the stairs, the wizard called Delilah for her test. The girl smiled at Sydelle as she got up and they both went through the door.
"What kind of test do I have to do, Mum?" she asked, suddenly afraid.
"They take your blood and run it through a tube and all these potions things. By force, if you don't give it willingly…" The room's other occupant, a brown haired boy said to her seriously.
"Ben, that's enough. Don't frighten the poor girl." His mother said immediately without looking up from her magazine. The boy grinned. "Only joking. Its just stuff about your parents." He said, self assured. Silence fell again as another boy and his father came up the stairs, announced themselves to the witch on reception and took a seat. A few moments later another boy with dark golden blonde hair ran up the steps, his own mother behind him.
"Patton!" Ben cried in delight. The other boy immediately came over to his friend and the two sat down and began discussing their summer holidays since they'd seen each other last.
Before long, Delilah and her father emerged, Delilah beaming and the wizard was calling for "Benson Draey." And reluctantly Ben left his friend and walked into the office. Sydelle got nervous again, it would be her next, she knew it. What kind of test did they have to do? Magic? She didn't even have a wand like the other girl, Guinevere had.
All too soon her own name was called as Ben and his mother left and they followed the gray-haired wizard through the door and into a lavishly furnished office. The wizard indicated two polished chairs and asked them to sit. They did so, wondering about the curious silver instruments, the portraits on the walls that were actually moving and the feathered quill that poised to take notes with nobody holding it. A smart name badge told them that this wizard was 'Hon. Gregory Sinstirah, School Govenor.'
"Good morning, Mrs Reid, Ms Reid. This will only take a moment or two of your time. I just have a few questions for you." The old wizard began in a firm voice. He pushed his spectacles up higher on his nose and held up a piece of parchment.
"Your name is Sydelle Reid, is that correct?" he asked. Sydelle nodded, her eyes on the quill that quickly scratched her name onto the questionnaire.
"And your parent's names?"
Sydelle's mother interrupted. "Jaqueline Reid, ne Kettleburn and Kadmiel Crockford." She spoke clearly. Sydelle's head snapped around and she stared at her mother in disbelief. She was giving them a made-up name! She gaped but a sharp, sideways look from her mother prevented the outburst and Sydelle looked toward the wizard again, he hadn't even noticed this silent exchange.
"Crockford, Crockford…" he said, scanning a list beside him in the 'C's'. "Occupation?"
"I am a shop assistant. I am unaware of Kadmiel's whereabouts or occupation." Her mother answered smoothly, as she pulled out a piece of paper from her handbag and handed it to the old wizard. He read it carefully.
"Any relation to Doris Crockford?" he asked.
"I believe his Aunt was called Doris." Mrs Reid answered.
"Ah yes." He said. Silence for a few moments. And then. "Well this all seems to be in order." And the quill scribbled 'half blood' in the blood status box on the questionnaire. "Welcome to Hogwarts, young lady. Here is your ticket for the school train, all the details are in there. It leaves Kings Cross at 11am sharp on September first. You may leave now." He said, handing back the piece of paper which Sydelle could just make out was a birth certificate and another parchment envelope with the Hogwarts crest stamped on it.
He opened the door for them and in a daze, Sydelle left with her mother as the old wizard called for "Gremian Lukkas."
Together they climbed back down the stairs and without a word between mother and daughter, headed over to a small café. Mrs Reid indicated for Sydelle to take a seat and ordered tea and two apple shortbreads for them before sitting down opposite her daughter.
"You lied." Sydelle challenged her mother. Jacqueline sighed and shook her head.
"No. I didn't."
"Yes you did! You said my Dad was Kamale somebody! Dad's my Dad." She said, brow knotted in confusion and frustration.
"Sydelle, listen to me. Dad isn't your biological father. He is your Dad in every sense, he adopted you. You were only eight months old when we met, and almost two when we married. He legally adopted you. Do you understand?"
"So I'm adopted?" Sydelle gasped in horror.
"No honey, not entirely. I am your real mother. I met your father and fell in love with him years ago. He was killed when you were only four weeks old. He was a wizard."
The news sent a jolt of shock through her entire being. Her father not her father, her real dad a wizard and now she had just been accepted into a school for witches and wizards! She sat in silence, taking the news in for a while. Their tea arrived, piping hot and Mrs Reid sipped thankfully, glad to have something to do with her hands.
"Honey? I know this is a shock. I am sorry I didn't tell you, I wanted to wait until you were older and would understand but when your Hogwarts letter came… well for you to even go I had to prove your wizarding parentage…"
"No, its OK. But Dad is still my Dad isn't he?" she looked up, pleading in her eyes. Mrs Reid took her hand.
"Of course he is, my love. He loves you and you love him. He is your Dad." She assured her daughter.
They finished their tea in silence, Mrs Reid paid and then they got up.
"Come, we need to get some money exchanged, I don't have enough wizarding money to get all your things." She told her daughter and together they left.
"Where now?" Sydelle asked.
"To Gringotts I suppose." Mrs Reid answered, nodding toward a huge white building that towered over Diagon Alley.