Author's Note: This chapter is about shopping for school. Not much really too it, just more in-depth of the relationship between Juni and her father, Heath (and she gets a mysterious ancient key from the family vault.) Please review and enjoy!
Chapter Two: Shopping in Diagon Alley
With a loud crack, Juni and her father appeared inside a small pub called The Leaky Cauldron. The pub was full of all sorts of different witches and wizards, some of them were very strange looking. Juni glanced around, felt frightened and gripped her father's hand tighter.
"Don't worry Juni." Her father smiled down at her. "I promise that I will not let anything bad happen to you. Besides, I'm sure that most of the people here know what it's like to be going to Diagon Alley to buy supplies for their first year at school."
She smiled up at her father, "Tell me more about Hogwarts and the houses please father? I might as well prepare myself for the upcoming year with more knowledge about it all."
The two of them walked out to the courtyard while her father rambled on about Hogwarts. He paused long enough to tell her how to get into Diagon Alley and then resumed his rambling. "Now, the main part I know you want to hear about is the houses, right Juni?"
She nodded vigorously as she looked at all the stores around her while they walked. "Yes father, I want to know about the houses the most. I would like to try and figure out where I may end up being sorted to."
"Well first there's Gryffindor. Your mother and I were in Gryffindor. All of our family has been in Gryffindor, both on your mother's side of the family as well as my side of the family. The typical trait for them would be bravery. Secondly, there's Hufflepuff and their trait is loyalty. I had a few friends there, very nice guys, never argued with me. Thirdly, there's Ravenclaw and they typically are keen to learn. My favorite study partner was from Ravenclaw. And lastly, there's Slytherin, who are very cunning people. My best friend was in Slytherin. " He patted her shoulder as she walked in the first set of doors to Gringotts.
They walked up to the front desk and her father requested to go to their vault. Juni tried very hard to pay attention to every turn they made, but it was too hard. After the tenth turn, she had completely lost which way they had come from. She decided instead to just watch ahead and try to guess which way they were going to go. Her father chatted with the goblin guiding them as if they were old friends and knowing her father, they probably were.
The cart stopped in front of vault seven hundred and sixty seven. Everyone got out of the cart, Juni watched the goblin very closely as he opened the door. When the door opened, the goblin stepped back and Juni gasped when she looked inside.
The vault was huge and it was filled with all sorts of stuff that Juni had never seen before. She walked in with her father. She looked around at everything. There were some very old looking things in the vault that she found very interesting. She found a long silver chain with a small ancient looking key on it; she picked it up and turned the key over in her hand a couple of times.
"I'm not sure where or what that key goes to. The thing has been handed down for many generations. Do you like it?" He asked and she nodded meekly. "Well then, you can have it. You're the first person who has ever felt drawn to it, to me, I reckon that means maybe it was always meant to be yours."
She smiled at the thought of something belonging to her out of all the vast items in their vault, she could almost bet though that something here had called to Del as well, but she was fairly certain that if something had, it wouldn't be nearly as ordinary looking as her key. Her brother, like her mother, had a knack for all things fancy and flamboyant. If he had found anything in the vault to his liking, it would have to be big, shiny and very new looking. She and her father on the other hand, loved things with a more antique feel to it.
"Thank you very much father!" She exclaimed rapidly, "I absolutely love it."
The two of them smiled at each other while she put on the necklace and her father filled their pouch with money. They left the vault in good graces, ready to go shopping for all of her stuff. The ride in the cart back up to the surface floor was just as confusing as the ride down. Juni chatted with the goblin guard all the way back, not even bothering to keep track of where they were going.
They went through the stores one by one. She got her robes fitted at Madam Malkins. It didn't take long getting her robes, nor was there much conversation at the store. Her father paid and they went on their way.
They went on and got the rest of her school supplies except for her wand and her pet. She decided that she wanted to get an owl, since it would not only be pretty but it would also be useful in the long run.
"Father, I think I'd like an owl. It will be a lot more useful than a cat or a toad." She smiled at her logic.
He nodded in agreement and led her towards the emporium. When they went inside, she saw so many owls that she realized she had no idea what kind of owl she wanted. They looked around for about half an hour when Juni finally spotted her.
She was a normal barn owl, but Juni thought she was beautiful. She was hidden in the back of the shop behind some of the more exotic looking owls. She walked over to the owl, which hooted softly at her.
The shopkeeper walked over to them. "This owl has been here since she was born. She's very timid and very young, just barely an adult now. No one has ever really even given her a second look."
She looked over at her father and smiled. "I think I'd like this one father. She's very beautiful."
Her father paid the shopkeeper and they went on their way with her brand new owl. The owl hooted happily in her cage as they walked to the final store on her list. Ollivander's Wand shop wasn't a far walk from the emporium.
"You'll have to think of a name for her, you know?" Her father nonchalantly stated as he held the door to Ollivander's open for her.
She was about to respond when suddenly an old man appeared before her. She stared at him nervously, this was the one shop that she was excited and scared to be in. She was hoping that her wand wouldn't be anything too over the top.
"Ah, Mr. Breeze and Miss Breeze, welcome to my shop." He smiled at them. "So you're finally here for your wand? It's a simple process, I search for a wand and when I find one, I'll hand it to you. You'll wave the wand and we'll try until we finally find one for you." He started ruffling through the store.
"I think I'll name my owl Tawnie. I know she's a barn owl, but she almost looks like a Tawny owl to me." She whispered to her father so as to not disturb Mr. Ollivander.
Her father smiled and pointed over to where Mr. Ollivander was about to show up at.
Ollivander popped out from behind a shelf with a small stack of boxes. "Let's start with this one, it's seven and a half inches, made of willow with unicorn hair core." He held it out to her.
She took it and waved it, feeling very foolish while doing so. He snatched it away from her almost as soon as she started waving it.
"No, no. Let's try another." He rummaged some more. "This one is ten inches, made of ash with a dragon heart string core." He handed her another wand.
She waved this one and still nothing. More wands were passed between the two of them, all ending in the same manner. It seemed like this was going to take the rest of the day. Juni lost count of how many wands she had tried after the number reached around seventy, but they had been trying for at least an hour.
"It is very rare for a wand to choose the witch on the first try. Although, you're brother's wand choose him on the third try." Juni rolled her eyes at this but did not interrupt Mr. Ollivander. "No matter though, it doesn't mean anything by that except that you are harder to find the proper wand. There is one wand that I would like to try." He passed her another wand.
This one seemed different to Juni. It was light, springy and pleasantly colored. It was soft shades of pink, lighter at the tip and darker at the hilt. She thought it was very pretty, and even though pink is just a shade of red, she loved it immediately. She waved it and felt energy flow freely through her as if it were water. The air around her smelled of Earth and falling rain. She looked around her to see her father and Mr. Ollivander smiling at her. If she had to guess, she would guess that this meant that this wand had chosen her.
Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands. "Bravo Miss Breeze! This wand has a fairly interesting history." His voice began to sound as if he was lost in a memory, "It was some time ago, while I was traveling around the globe. I was searching for new woods from all over, anything that seemed extra magical. I was in Asia, around the region of Syria. I was wandering when suddenly I came upon this Juniper tree. It had branches that were close together, almost tangled within each other and then I saw it. It had this single branch that was not among the others, it was more outward, like it was reaching out to me to be taken. So I took this branch and I crafted one of the prettiest wands that I had ever made. The wand that I crafted from that Juniper tree is the wand you now hold in your hand. Nine and a half inches with the hair of a unicorn in it. When I saw that branch, I knew it wouldn't be like any of the other wands I had made and now that it has chosen you, I feel as if it all makes sense. You are different and unique, just like that wand, the only wand I have currently ever made out of Juniper."
Juni couldn't help but laugh, not that Mr. Ollivander's story was funny but it was simply just too ironic. She smiled at the old man. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. You're story wasn't funny. I just find it funny that you say every wand chooses it's own witch or wizard and here this wand does the same thing. Only it decides to choose me by name." Mr. Ollivander looked confused, "You know, it's a Juniper wand and I just so happen to be a Juniper myself. Kind of coincidental, don't you agree?"
Her father chuckled behind her and paid Mr. Ollivander. The old man looked at her sincerely and whispered, "I do not believe in coincidences. I believe this wand chose you for a reason. Juniper is known for being a tree of purity and healing, which I am sure will work with you in ways you haven't even begun to imagine."
They thanked Mr. Ollivander and went on their way. They were finished with all the school shopping, but neither of them were ready to go home just yet. Juni and her father decided to wander around Diagon Alley for a while longer, stopping in to see the things in all manner of shops. They looked at the brooms and discussed the Quidditch teams. Juni admitted to wishing she was old enough to play on one of the teams but decided she was willing enough to wait till she could try out.
After another hour of walking around, they decided to eat dinner at The Leaky Cauldron. Juni ordered beef stew while her father ordered a salad.
"You know father? I had a great day today, especially without mother and Del here." She smiled.
He smiled back, "You know what? So did I."
They laughed and chatted while they ate their food. After they were done with their meal, they reluctantly apparated home.
