A/N: Ok, here's the updated version of chapter 2 (7/25/17). PM me if you have any ideas.

Lucy and her mother parked about a block away from the magically disguised entrance to Diagon Alley. As they stepped into the cool morning, Lucy reveled in the silence. Looking around, she saw that the only other people seemed to be half-awake coffee-slurping zombies. "It should be pretty easy to slip in without being noticed," Lucy remarked.

"I think so," her mother responded. With that, they set off on the short stroll to Diagon Alley. Within just five minutes, they had reached the entrance. Lucy gasped at the stark contrast of the environments. In Muggle London, people were only beginning to get to work, while within Diagon Alley, it seemed that every witch and wizard within a twenty-mile radius was already bustling around. "Ok, what would you like to get first?" Lucy's mother questioned.

"Definitely my wand!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Alright, Ollivander's is down a few shops on the left." her mom said. Lucy walked a few steps ahead of her mom, bursting with joy at the prospect of finally getting a wand. She opened the door to the shop and breathed in the dusty smell of wood and paper. An old man scanning the thousands of boxes shelved inside whirled around to face Lucy, and her mother who had finally reached the store, with a grin.

"Hello! You must be here for your first wand Miss Reynolds!" he guessed.

"How did you know that?" Lucy gasped.

"Well, you look to be about eleven. Oh, and your mother is holding an envelope from Hogwarts addressed to a certain Ms. L Reynolds." Ollivander said.

"Oh, well my first name is Lucy, and yes, I am here for a wand," Lucy affirmed as she studied the boxes. Ollivander strode to the left wall and plucked a box from above his head. Setting it down on the counter, he lifted the lid and presented the wand to Lucy. She looked at it for a moment, studying the slightly curved shape and reddish-brown color. For some reason, however, Lucy could tell that it wouldn't be the right one. Suddenly, a red box among at least a hundred blue ones caught her eye.

"Mr. Ollivander, may I try that one?" she asked, pointing to the box, high on the wall.

"Certainly," the man laughed, using his own wand to retrieve it. "Here you are," he stated, undoing the string which held the box closed. "Ebony and unicorn hair, a very fine mix." Lucy took the wand from the box, turning it over in her hand. It felt...right. "I see we have found the right one. Although, my customers don't normally pick their wands on their own," Ollivander said, giving her a puzzled look. Lucy smiled at the old man, thanking him, and went back outside while her mom paid.

Lucy was standing just outside the door to Ollivander's just watching the witches and wizards of all ages who were milling about in the narrow street. To any Muggle, they would appear to be entirely ordinary people, save for the few more 'eccentric' folks. But, Lucy knew better. Seeing as she didn't have any friends, Lucy had a lot of spare time. One of her favorite activities, even when she was quite young, was to watch the people walking by and try to guess their profession. She had learned many of the defining features of magical people, including distinctly wand-shaped bumps in their clothing. Sometimes, in the way of less cautious wizards, Lucy even saw a seemingly non-magical person pull something rather large from a rather small bag.

Lucy's people-watching (or wizard-watching, really) came to a halt when her eyes settled on a man with black hair and round glasses, exiting the bookshop across the way. Is that Harry Potter? Lucy wondered. She got her answer when she saw the fiery-haired woman who followed behind him with a boy her age. Ginny Weasley?! she thought, screaming internally. But, before Lucy could even process, they had disappeared into the crowd.

Just then, Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the red wand box, and whirled around to see her mother giggling about having scared her. "Mom! That wasn't funny!" Lucy exclaimed, near laughter herself. "What's next on the list?" Lucy questioned.

"Uh, looks like all the textbooks," her mom replied, "The bookshop is just over there." She pointed to the store that the Potters had come out of only moments ago. Lucy nodded, taking one last look down the alley-way. When she turned back, her mother was already halfway to the store, quite obviously laughing.

Lucy could have spent hours in the bookshop, just browsing. She loved the feeling of turning page after page, a new surprise waiting each time. And the smell. Oh, the smell! Intoxicating. Lucy took a deep breath in, closing her eyes as she exhaled, savoring the scent of paper and leather. She left her mom to search the shelves of freshly-bound texts for the ones she needed and ventured to the used section. The smell was even stronger here, although slightly different. Lucy touched a finger to a book, walking along the shelf with her eyes closed, dragging her finger across the leather spines. Finally, she paused, her hand stopping on a book which she pulled from the rest. She read the title on the front, tracing each gold letter with a gentle finger. A Wizard's Guide to Art. Lucy knew she wouldn't purchase the book, but cherished the feeling of it in her hands anyway. She was two paragraphs in when her mother called her lightly from the back of the shop.

"Lucy, would you come here a minute?"

"Yeah mom, just a sec,' she responded. Lucy looked back down to the book in her hands, shutting it with a tiny puff of dust. Sighing, she returned it to its place and walked to the back where her mother's voice had come from. She stopped suddenly, catching sight of the text that her mom was holding.

Lucy gasped with delight. Rushing to her mother's side, she read the title on its cover. She bit her lip, happiness flooding through her body. There, in her mother's hands was an enchanted copy of Alice in Wonderland. The mere thought of the story brought back happy memories from the time when her grandfather had been alive. Lucy felt a wave of sadness come crashing down on her as she thought of the smiling old man who had been her only comfort after a particularly bad day. They would sit by the fireplace, even in the summer out of habit, and he would read. The sound of his voice transporting her into the world of white rabbits and painted roses, and away from the worries of reality. Lucy took it gently from her mother's grasp, opening it to a page which had an illustration of the singing flowers. She watched joyfully as the flowers began to move and their happy tune drifted quietly from the paper.

Lucy could have stood in the shop for years just listening to the flowers' song, but she reluctantly closed the book and turned to face her mom once more. "Can I get it?" But, Lucy need not ask as her mother had seen the pure contentment which had radiated from her daughter just moments ago.

"Of course you can."

The two paid for the books and left the shop, proceeding to collect more of the items on the list. A cauldron, phials, scales, telescope, and gloves. Lucy looked down at her list, each thing checked off as they purchased it. "Ok, now I need to get robes." Lucy's mother nodded and directed her to a shop to their left. They opened the door, a small bell announcing their arrival. A woman likely in her fifties glanced up toward them as they entered.

"Kids section is at the back," she rasped, returning to her newspaper. They walked across the worn floor to the shelves of clothing. Lucy took three pairs of knee socks from one shelf while her mother found robes in her size. Soon, they had everything they needed. Setting the stack onto the counter in front of the raspy woman, Lucy's mother paid and both rushed out the door.

Lucy looked at her list again. Only one thing left: the optional pet. She didn't dare ask for a pet, petrified of sounding greedy, but Lucy didn't need to worry about that. Her mother glanced over. "Do you want a pet?" she asked with a knowing smile.

Lucy's grin broadened. "Yes please," she said. The two turned sharply right into a shop with various creatures displayed outside and in the window. The noise of people rushing around in Diagon Alley was matched by the sound of the animals inside the store. Lucy passed many owls, sleeping on their perches, cats grooming themselves in patches of sunlight, a pen full of frogs and toads, rats, ferrets, and even a small dog, as well as many kinds of strictly magical creatures. Lucy stopped when she saw a pen filled with rabbits.

She petted the rabbits, wishing that they were on the list of acceptable pets, but stopped wishing when she saw the pen next to them. In it was a small black cat, lazily blinking in the sun. She looked at the label and made her choice instantly.

Jinx

Black Cat, Adult

"Mom!" Lucy called. "I want this one." She stroked the cat, making him purr loudly.

"Ok, let me go pay." Lucy picked up the little feline and moved to the counter just as her mother was handing over the money.

"Here," she said, "I got him some food dishes too."

"Thanks, mom," Lucy laughed. They stepped out of the shop, bags and packages in hand and returned to the car.

"Ok, now you're ready. Are you excited?" Lucy's mom asked.

"Of course I'm excited!"

A/N: Ok, that's all for now. Please review so I can improve. Have an adequate day. Wondrously Bookish