Early in the morning, Ariane could hear the knocking sound at the door.
"It was a dream," she told herself firmly. "When I wake up, I will be nothing more than a normal girl, not a witch."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
And there's Mama knocking on the door, she thought, while kept on going back to the scene where her parents stated she was a witch. It had been such an interesting dream that Ariane did not want to wake up.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Anne, we have to go," said Mrs. Larsen.
Ariane nodded and went downstairs after she got dressed. Her parents were dining at the table, having pancakes and milk as breakfast.
"Good morning, Mama. Good morning, Papa," chanted Ariane.
"Good morning, my little girl," replied Mr. Larsen, who was reading the Daily Prophet, which the black and white pictures kept moving.
"Where's Diagon Alley anyway, Papa?" asked Ariane, who was determined to know everything before she arrived Hogwarts.
"Charing Cross Road, London."
"Lon—London?" exclaimed Ariane. "How are we going to get there?"
"Of course we are not going to drive for 10 hours!" chuckled Mr. Larsen. "We are going to apparate."
"Apprate?" she repeated the word dumbly, wondering what it meant.
"It is like teleporting," explained Mrs. Larsen. "Takes you only a few seconds to go there."
"How?"
"You'll know when you after studying in Hogwarts for a few years," answered Mrs. Larsen. "But now, we'll clutch you to there. Make sure you hold us tight."
Ariane nodded. She was certainly amazed by all the things in the world where she should belong, but there was a slight hint of worry stirring in her that was unexplainable. After pondering for a while, she decided not to tell.
"Ready?" asked Mr. Larsen when they finished breakfast.
Ariane nodded. She held her parents' hands tight and bit her lip nervously.
She felt a breeze surrounding her, it was like flying in thousands feets high, making her dizzy and unable to see clearly.
"Here we are."
Ariane was facing a tiny dark shabby tavern in front of her. If she had not been looking carefully, she would not have noticed its presence. The people hurrying by did not take a glance at it, their eyes simply slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they could not see the tavern at all. In fact, Ariane felt as if only her family could see it.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Mr. Larsen introduced. "Famous place of connecting Diagon Alley to the Muggle World."
"Muggle?"
"Non-magic folks."
"Like Mandy Parker?"
"Yes."
Before she could ask anything else, she was steered inside.
For a famous tavern, it was dark and old. A few old men were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Ariane's parents; they waved and smiled at him with admiration as if they were celebrities, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "Want some pea soup, Sir?"
"No thanks," replied Mr. Larsen. "I need to get Hogwarts things for my daughter."
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Ariane, "is this - can this be -?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Ariane Larsen... what an honour."
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Ariane and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Miss Larsen, welcome back."
Ariane didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at her. The old man with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out.
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Ariane found herself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Edward Cornfoot, Miss Larsen."
"It's an honour, Miss Larsen."
"So proud to be here with you, Miss Larsen."
"Nice meeting you, Miss Larsen."
After shaking hands with almost everyone in the tavern, Ariane's parents led her through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard.
"Why everyone knows my name?"
"It's a long story," replied Mrs. Larsen. "We'll tell you after we've bought everything."
"Remember, Anne," said Mr. Larsen, while counting the bricks in the wall above the trash can with a long thin wooden stick. "Three up... two across…tap three times…and welcome to Diagon Alley."
The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing a large archway , an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight, making Ariane gasped with surprise.
"Come on, Anne," urged Mrs. Larsen.
They stepped through the archway. Ariane looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
"We need to get some money first," said Mrs. Larsen.
"Do they use pounds?" asked Ariane, while looking at a shop selling cauldrons.
"No," chuckled Mr. Larsen. "We use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts."
"What are they?"
"Let's get into Gringotts first."
"Gringotts?"
"A wizard bank that is run by goblins."
"Goblins?"
They had reached an inclined pearl white building that towered over the other little shops. Ariane had a peculiar feeling that there was a high security system in the bank and anyone who would steal anything out of it would be ready for death.
She walked into the vast marble hall. Goblins that a head shorter than Ariane were sitting behind long counters, weighting coins in brass scale and examining large gleaming rubies through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. The Larsens made for the counter.
"Good morning," said Mr. Larsen to a goblin in the counter. "We would like to make a withdrawal in vault 637."
"Do you have your key, sir?"
"Yes," said Mr. Larsen while showing the goblin a shiny gold key.
"Gribnok!"
Gribnok was yet another goblin. The Larsens followed Gribnok toward one of the doors leading off the hall. Gribnok held the door open for them. Ariane, who had expected more marble, was awed. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with blazing torches. It sloped precipitously downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Gribnok whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in and were off.
At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Ariane tried to remember, left, right, left, left, right, right, left, but it was almost impossible as there were too many turns that one could not have the possibility to remember unless one had travelled the route twice. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Gribnok wasn't steering.
The cart began gaining speed and scooted at a speed that Ariane could barely endure. Cold air rushed past her, but she managed to keep her eyes wide open. The cavern was dark and deep, unable to see the bottom. Waterfalls were everywhere, and Ariane was sure that they contained special enchantments that could keep thieves away from the treasures. At all sudden, the cart plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor. Ariane reckoned she could hear the faint water dripping sounds from the ceiling.
When the cart halted beside a huge black metal door in the passage wall, Ariane got out with her head dizzy. When she gained back consciousness, Gribnok bounced out of the cart and held the lamp slowly to the door, examining a keyhole at the bottom of the heavy door.
"Key, please," said Gribnok.
Mr. Larsen gave him the key and he inserted the key into the hole, and clicking sound rang behind the door.
Ariane had been wondering what the vault was like, and she gasped with amazement when she saw the inside. Inside were mounds of gold coins, heaps of sickles, columns of bronze coins, rubies, sapphires, obsidians, diamonds, all were beyond Ariane's imagination.
"This is our vault," said Mrs. Larsen. "And one day, it will become all yours."
"Mine?" gasped Ariane.
"Yes, all yours."
Mr. Larsen piled some coins into a bag.
"Remember, Anne," explained Mr. Larsen. "Gold ones are Galleons, Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. This should be more than enough for a few years."
One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Ariane didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money. The amount was more than she had for pocket money.
"Where are we going, Mama?"
"Check the letter."
Ariane took the parchment out of her bag. She unfolded a second piece of paper and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Are we going to buy books first?" Ariane asked.
"Why not?" said Mr. Larsen.
"Let's go to the Flourish and Blotts," said Mrs. Larsen. "They sold all kinds of books. Maybe you can get some other books in there."
Flourish and Blotts was a bookstore piled and stacked with books. Ariane got her pile of books and wandered off to other bookshelves. She noticed a book named Hélas, Je me suis Transfiguré mes Pieds and an interesting book called Hogwarts, A History.
"Hi," said a girl beside her.
"Hi," replied Ariane, who was a bit shy at this stage.
"Are you a Hogwarts student too?"
Ariane nodded.
She was a girl with dark brown hair and milky complexion. Her hair was smooth and curly like silk, her light brown eyes sparkled with vibrancy, creating a sweet girl impression.
"I am Claudia Walker."
"Ariane Larsen, just call me Anne, with the ne at the end."
Claudia gasped with surprise.
"Really?" exclaimed Claudia. "I never thought that I would meet you in here."
"Am I really that famous?"
"Of course! Don't you know anything about yourself?"
Ariane shook her head and smiled embarrassingly.
"Looks like you've met a new friend."
Ariane turned around and saw a couple behind her, smiling.
"Mom, look! She's Ariane Larsen!"
The woman smiled friendlily and shook hands with Ariane. She had blonde hair that reached her shoulders and green eyes that looked like emerald. The man beside her had dark brown hair that was almost like ebony, his light brown eyes shone brightly with wits.
"Anne, have you decided buying which book?" asked Mrs. Larsen downstairs.
"These two!" replied Ariane as her mother walked upstairs. She gave her mother the books immediately.
"Hi, Catriona," said Mrs. Walker.
"Hi, Lorna. So this is your daughter Claudia."
Ariane was puzzled. She had never met the Walkers, but why had her mother known them?
"Let's have a chat at the Leaky Cauldron," suggested Mr. Walker.
"Ariane, your father has bought you the sets and the books. All you need to buy is your wand, uniform and pet. Can you handle this?" asked Mrs. Larsen.
"Of course, Claudia knows the way. She needs to buy them too," said Mrs. Walker.
"See you at the Leaky Cauldron, okay?" asked Mrs. Walker.
The girls nodded and hurried off to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when the girls started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."
In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Ariane and Claudia on the stools next to him) slipped a long robes over their heads, and began to pin them to the right length.
"Hello, Hogwarts too?" asked the boy.
He stroked his blonde hair while waiting for the answer.
The girls nodded with curiosity, waiting for him to continue the conversation.
"My father's in that book store buying the books and mother's at the Ollivanders," said the boy. He was certainly not satisfied being here. "I'm going to drag them to the Quality Quidditch Supplies, I can't really see why first years aren't allowed to have racing brooms. I think I will make father into buying one and smuggle it in Hogwarts somehow."
Ariane gave him a weak smile, which the boy took it as a compliment.
"Have you got your own broom?" The boy went on.
"No," said Ariane.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No," Ariane said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch was.
"I do - Father says it's a sin if I'm not picked to play for my house, and of course, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"No," said Ariane, who was blushing by the minute.
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin for sure, all our family have been - imagine being in that dumb Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
Ariane and Claudia did not know what to say.
"Are your parents our kind?" asked the boy.
Claudia obviously did not want to answer the question.
"Witch and wizards, if that's what you mean."
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up in our world. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your name, anyway?"
But before the girls could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dears," and Ariane smiled politely at the boy and walked out of the store with Claudia.
"See you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the bored boy.
They reached the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour at the other side for ice creams. Florean, who had heard of Ariane, generously gave Ariane a free chocolate mint ice cream.
"What's Quidditch?" asked Ariane.
"It's a ball game in which you ride brooms around and get the Quaffle into three hoops. The Quaffle is a big red ball and 10 points for each goal," replied Claudia, who was eating a chocolate chip ice cream.
"And what are Hufflepuff and Slytherin?"
"Houses in Hogwarts. Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the kind, Ravenclaw for the smart and Slytherin are open for pure-bloods mostly."
"What are pure-bloods?"
"Wizards or witches who do not have any muggle relations. Keeping their blood clean from muggles," replied Claudia, who had finished her ice cream. "I'm half, mom's a muggle-born. I've heard that you're pure-blood."
"Really?"
"But blood purity does not make much difference, I'd say."
Ariane nodded and the two headed down to the far end of Diagon Alley.
"That's the Ollivanders, the place for selling wands," said Claudia.
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair. The shop was like an old library which was abandoned for years. There were thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling and some of them were covered with dust. For some reason, Ariane felt scared when she peered into the dark end of the shelves, which was so dark that looked like a bottomless pit.
"Good afternoon," said a soft mysterious voice. The girls jumped as an old man glided out to the counter with a wooden stair.
The old man had silver hair and wide pale eyes shining like stars through the gloom of the shop.
"Ah, yes," said the man. "I know I would be meeting you two soon. Claudia Walker and Ariane Larsen."
He walked towards the two and his eyes shone even brighter.
"It seems only yesterday when your parents came here for their first wand, Miss Larsen," said Ollivander. "Beech and unicorn hair, swishy, good for charms."
He came so close that Ariane did not dare to blink.
"Your father favours another one, aspen and phoenix feather, yielding. Smart wand, I'd say," said Ollivander. "On the other hand, your mother got an alder with unicorn hair, Miss Walker. And your father chooses cedar and dragon heartstrings."
Ariane and Claudia glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. Mr. Ollivander looked at Ariane intently, with hints of sorrow.
"And yes, the wand that causes disaster. Yew, thirteen inches. Very powerful…so powerful that it goes beyond imaginations."
He pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er—Right handed," said Ariane.
"Hold out your arms." He measured them individually from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Mr. Ollivander searched through the shelves, taking down boxes.
"Try this one, Miss Larsen. Walnut and unicorn, eleven inches, supple. And you, Miss Walker, Chestnut and dragon heartstrings, ten and a half inches, rigid. Just give it wave."
Claudia and Ariane took the wands and waved for a bit, but Mr. Ollivander quickly snatched them back.
"Strange, walnut should be well…but never mind. Hazel and unicorn, eight and three quarters inches long, nice and springy, Miss Larsen. And you, Miss Walker, willow and unicorn, ten and a quarter inches, surprisingly swishy, nice for charm work."
Once Ariane touched the wand, Mr. Ollivander snatched it back again, while the wand in Claudia's hand shot out blue sparkles.
"Nice pair," said Mr. Ollivander, while putting Claudia's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper. "And you, Miss Larsen, we'll find you the most suitable wand."
He took out a pile of boxes and made Ariane tried them all out.
"Tricky customers? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere—I wonder—yes, why not this unusual combination—cypress and unicorn hair, twelve inches, nice and supple."
Just when Ariane got hold of the wand, a warm surge of heat flew through her veins and to each part of her body. As she swished it, the wand shot out a stream of blue light and exploded at the ceiling, sparkles fell like snowflakes and Ariane gasped.
"Yes, the perfect pair!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "Curious, curious…"
"Sorry, what's so curious?" asked Ariane.
""I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss Larsen. The great medieval wandmaker, Geraint Ollivander, said he was always honoured to match a cypress wand, for he knew the witch or wizard before him would die a heroic death."
Ariane gulped as she heard the word 'death'.
"Yes, noble wand, I'd say."
Ariane shivered. She wasn't sure she liked Mr. Ollivander too much. She paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
"He's a bit mysterious," said Ariane.
"Probably because he's a wandmaker," said Claudia. "Would you mind if we go to Magical Menagerie? I want to get myself a pet."
Ariane nodded and the girls past by a second-hand robe shop and a joke shop. Magical Menagerie was a crowded place selling different kinds of pets, with cats of every colours, custard-coloured furballs and shell animals of different sizes.
"Hey, look at this one!" exclaimed Claudia as she held a small custard furball in her hand. "It's a puffskein!"
"What does it eat?" asked Ariane.
"Anything from leftovers to spiders, easy to take care."
The furball purred as Claudia stroked it.
"I'm going for the cats." Suggested Ariane.
She looked through the cages and found a seal point Siamese kitten. She gently picked it up and cuddled it. The cat purred and nuzzled her in return of affection.
"Hello, ladies, want to buy them?" asked the attendant at the counter.
"Yes, please."
Ariane paid eleven Galleons and Claudia paid six Galleons for her puffskein. The two left the shop and headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.
"I'm going to name her Buttercup," said Claudia while petting the puffskein.
"Mine would be Midnight, look at her eyes!" said Ariane while holding her cat.
When the two get back to the Leaky Cauldron, Mrs. Walker told them that Ariane's parents were off for a while and would return after a couple of minutes. So the two sat down and relaxed.
"Why is everyone looking at me with surprise?" asked Ariane.
"You don't know your history?" asked Claudia.
"Mama and Papa never tell me anything, not until I get my letter," replied Ariane.
"There's a wizard, named—named—"
"Named what?" asked Ariane.
"I really don't want to talk about him…"
"Spell it out."
"I think not," said Claudia and she shuddered. "Thinking of him makes me ill. Now, I just say that once, it's…"
Ariane listened intently to Claudia's whisper.
"It's Seredemort," whispered Claudia. "Don't make it mentioned again. Now this You-Know-Who was a Slytherin some decades ago, and he went bad after graduation. He killed tons of witches and wizards, mostly half-bloods and Muggle-borns family, and of course, those who defy him will have the same ending."
"So it's like Hitler," said Ariane.
"Who?"
"Never mind," replied Ariane quickly. "So what happened then?"
"According to my parents said, there was the Quiddtich World Cup in Devon, it is held every four years so everyone from different countries came to watch the competition that day. Our families were there too, we were three then, but I can't remember much. It should be Spanish and Luxembourg for that day."
"It was some national competition?"
"Yeah," replied Claudia. "Anyway, the Death Eaters—"
"Death Eaters?"
"Some kind of dark wizards that are henchmen of You-Know-Who," answered Claudia, who was frowning badly. "They sent out the Dark Mark of You-Know-Who in the sky, burnt the tents and killed the non-pure-blood wizards. Many died because of that. The Aurors and Hit wizards of the Ministry of Magic, who are responsible for catching dark wizards, came and battled with them. My parents, though working in Administrative Registration Department, were summoned to battle."
"That looks horrible," commented Ariane. "What about my parents? They never told me anything about their job."
"Mom says your parents work in Wizengamot, an office of hearings and legal proceedings," explained Claudia. "That night, your parents caught many dark wizards, more than the Aurors and Hit wizards. Then they fled with you into the forest, and You-Know-Who pursued your family."
"He wants to kill me."
"Of course. Your parents caught tons of his sidekicks! But when he shot the killing curse on you, somehow you created a powerful shield and the curse blew back on him. He vanished then."
"I made a shield and indirectly killed You-Know-Who?" asked Ariane. "But I don't know any magic, how can I make one?"
"That's the mystery!" exclaimed Claudia. "No one has ever invented a curse or a shield that can block the killing curse, but you made one."
"So where's You-Know-Who then? I mean now."
"No one knows. Some says he died, but Mom and Dad says he never dies, he is only too weak to kill again. And he's hiding somewhere to regain his power."
Ariane shuddered at the idea. Then she remembered a green flash shooting at her, the cry was cold and threatening, and a blinding blue light shrouded around her. But no matter how hard she tried, she had forgotten what had happened since then.
"So probably that's why Mama and Papa never tell me a thing about this world."
"Muggles' world only have guns and stuff, you can block them by wearing amours. But no matter how much you wore, you can never survive from killing curse. But then you were just a toddler, and you lived. He killed tons of good wizarding families, everyone died, except you and your parents."
"But everyone thinks I'm special, but I don't even remember what I am famous for."
"Don't worry, you'll get used to this world soon."
Mr. and Mrs. Larsen came back to pick up Ariane. They bade farewell to the Walkers and headed out of the Leaky Cauldron.
"See you soon!" said Claudia, who followed her parents back to the Diagon Alley.
Ariane apparated back to her home with her parents and she stayed wide awake for the whole night, thinking about what Claudia had said in the Leaky Cauldron.