""Mattie?" Debbie waved her hand in front of Mattie's face, "Matt? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Mattie asked blankly, shaking her head a bit.
"Are you okay?" Debbie raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, I'll be okay. I'm... I'm afraid of heights." Mattie said quickly.
"Its not all that high, Matt." Debbie said, walking up the stairs herself. Mattie followed reluctantly, staring at Seamus the whole way up.
Laz ran halfway down the stairs where Debbie and Mattie were, then grabbed Mattie's arm and dragged her hurriedly the rest of the way up the stairs.
"Seamus, this is Mattie, and Mattie, this is Seamus." Laz pushed Mattie towards Seamus and Dean, as Mattie had tried to keep behind Laz. Mattie waved a little to the both of them.
Seamus grinned hugely, sticking out his hand towards Mattie, "It's nice to meet you finally. I've heard tons about you from her."
Mattie bit her lower lip, "It's nice to meet you, too. Though, I've never heard anything about you until today." She shook his hand, and turned to Dean as he offered his own.
"And this is Dean, right?" Dean nodded his head as Mattie shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you." Mattie nodded at him.
"Shall we go get money now to purchase our stuff?" Laz grinned around at them. They all nodded and turned to head down the stairs.
After getting their money from Gringotts, they headed to Flourish and Blotts to get their books.
"Why don't you guys go look around while we find the books you need?" Debbie suggested. The four kids nodded and the two groups took off in separate directions.
As Mattie wandered through the shelves of books, she kicked a book lying on the ground that she hadn't seen. Looking down at the book laying on its open pages, she saw that the cover read "Hogwarts A History". She picked it up, brushed it off, and began flipping through the pages and reading random passages as she walked on.
With her nose stuck in a book and not watching where she was going very well, she bumped into someone, dropping her book along with the bumpee's.
"Oh! I'm sorry," she bent to gather all of the books, looking up to see a very attractive boy also bend to help, "I didn't see you there..."
"That's okay. I'm Cedric Diggory. And you are?" He asked, beginning to stack his fallen books on his knee.
"My name is Mattie Black." As she had already retrieved her one and only book, she began handing his to him.
"You're a Black?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "I've never heard of you... Who's your dad?"
" My mum. Nina Black... she was kicked out of the family for dating my father, who was Glen Post. After he died, she changed her name back to Black. But they never married she just took his name."
"Are you related to Sirius Black?" he inquired eagerly.
Mattie stared at him blankly, "Why?"
"Just wondering." he quickly wiped away his surprised expression, "Well, I hope to see you around Hogwarts this year Mattie."
"Yep, I'll see you around." she said as they each turned away from one another.
"Mattie, did you find anything else you wanted?" Debbie called from the store's front counter.
"Yeah, hold on." Mattie yelled back, rushing over to Debbie. She handed her the book and then headed outside where the others were waiting.
"Who was that that you were talking to Matt?" Laz asked with a sly smile, quirking an eyebrow.
"A boy named Cedric Diggory."
"Who's he?" Laz pressed on. Mattie laughed at all her questions and the look in her eyes.
"I don't know, I just bumped into him... That's all." Mattie added hastily as Laz began peering at her speculatively. Laz looked down at her clasped hands, disappointed.
Dean turned to her then, "He's a fifth year in Hufflepuff. He's pretty cool. He plays on their Quidditch team, and is fairly good."
"Their team is nothing like ours, though." Seamus grinned at them, then high-five Dean.
Debbie walked out of the store finally, handing them each a small stack of books, "Come on, you four. Let's go get your robes, then you two can go with the boys to get your wands and pets."
They all walked over to Madam Malkin's robe shop, and when they entered a witch kneeling on the floor greeted them, "Hogwarts, dears?" She asked. Debbie nodded in response.
Mattie looked around the store and soon spotted a boy she hadn't even noticed before, he had pale blonde hair and a pointed face, and stood on a stool in front of the witch.
"Look, it's a bunch of Mudbloods." the boy sneered at them.
Mattie and Laz looked confused then turned to Seamus. He looked surprised at first, then explained, "It's a bad name for witches or wizards who aren't pureblood."
"But aren't we purebloods?" Laz asked, confused. Seamus nodded.
"You two are, and my mam, and your mams. But me and Dean aren't." his face-hardened as he turned back to the pale boy.
"Malfoy, you should just go blow a goat!" Dean blurted out suddenly. Seamus' angry expression melted into surprise as he turned to Dean. Everyone else stared at him, too, wearing similar expressions as Seamus.
"How sad. That's all you have to say to me?" He then turned from Dean to the two girls, "Also sad that such pretty girls are Mudbloods."
Laz's eyebrows shot upward, her face beginning to burn, but Mattie just rolled her eyes at him, "In what previous life were you able to tell what kind of blood we have?" Mattie spat at the boy.
"None, you little bitch."
Mattie rolled her eyes at him again, growing very tired of this, "It is very improper to curse in front of a lady, and didn't your parents ever teach you that?"
Draco snickered, "You're a tough one, aren't you?"
Mattie nodded, jaw set firmly, "And I'm also a pureblood, as well as my friend here."
"Figures." he stated blankly, "Oh, well. I can find other first years to torture, I suppose..."
"Okay girls, get up on the stools." They each hopped onto a stool and the witch worked really fast around them, pinning up their robes. After she was done she took a step back, eyed them a moment, and then nodded, "Alright, take them off now."
The girls took off the robes and handed them to her, and then she disappeared into a back room. Five minutes later she returned, handing the girls two square, thin boxes tied up with twine.
They all headed out of the store. Debbie stopped and pointed off into the crowd with one hand, while handing a bag full of money to Seamus, "Okay, guys, here's some money. The pet store is that way, go pick out a pet and meet us back at the wand shop. We're going to go buy the rest of your supplies. Oh, and Laz? No toads, please."
Laz grinned and nodded, and then the two parties separated and began heading in opposite directions. Mattie and Laz followed the two boys to the Magical Menagerie, as they didn't know where it was.
"You can buy all types of animals here." Seamus grinned, "That's where I got Rattrap, my cat. And Dean got his owl here, also. But the Owl Emporium is better to get owls, because that's what they specialize on."
As they walked into the store, Mattie and Laz cringed at the smell. A man behind the counter obviously noticed this, and smiled kindly on them, "You get used to the smell in a bit, here. What are you looking for?"
"Um..." Laz said, looking around, "I'm thinking... rat."
The man nodded, pointing to a wall at the left side of the store. Laz looked back to Mattie, pointing over towards the rat area and then heading towards there. The man turned back to Mattie then.
"And you, young lady?"
Mattie looked at the man and bit her lower lip, "I want a cat."
The man smiled again, pointing to the back of the store.
Mattie walked back to it and began looking. She passed nearly a whole row of cages, each with different breeds of cats, and one with a creature that barely looked like a cat at all, before she found a cage of young cats with a label reading 'Colorpoint Shorthair'. She peered in at them, and after a moment called, "I want this one!"
The cat looked slightly Siamese, but was much lighter in color. The man that had been behind the counter came up behind her, opened the cage, took out the cat that Mattie had pointed to, and put it in a different carrier. The cat sat straight up in its new carrier, looking around curiously.
"Wow, Mattie! It's pretty." Laz crooned, coming up behind her.
"It's a female. I'll give you the cage, and the cat will be five galleons." The man said.
"Seamus," Mattie called.
He poked his head out around one the aisles, looking around for Mattie, "Yeah?" he asked, spotting her.
"Which ones are the galleons?" She blushed a bit, embarrassed. Seamus and Dean laughed, Dean being right next to Seamus.
"The big ones."
She blushed more as they laughed, "Thanks." She handed the money to the man, took the cage from him, and went to sit on a bench outside.
The man turned from Mattie's retreating form back to Laz, "And you young lady, did you find a rat that you like?"
Laz nodded her head, "It's in the third cage to the left. It's the black one." The man smiled, nodded once, and went to retrieve the rat. He came back, now holding the rat, "Yours will be one galleon, and if you want a cage it will cost an extra two Knuts, otherwise I'll get you a box to keep him in until you get home. The cage comes with everything you need, and I'll even throw in a bag of rat food." He smiled kindly at her. Laz grinned and paid for rat and cage (which came with bedding, a water bottle, and food dish), then left the store with Seamus and Dean following close behind.
Laz grinned, looking in to the cage as she met with Mattie outside, "I think I'll name him Bilge... Get it? Rat? Bilge? Bilge rat?! Ha ha! I suck..." The others laughed at her.
"What are you going to name yours Matt?" Dean asked her.
Mattie looked at the cat, and then back to Dean, "I think I'll name her Bast... It's the Egyptian goddess of pleasure. A cat usually represents her."
The others raised their eyebrows at her.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"The goddess of pleasure?" Seamus asked, grinning suggestively.
"Yeah. So?"
"You and your stupid muggle stuff." A new voice broke in. Mattie turned to look at the owner of said voice.
"Go away." She said to the voice.
"Now, now. That is no way to talk to someone. Didn't your parents ever teach you right?"
Mattie rolled her eyes, "Go away." She said again.
"Malfoy, the lady asked you to leave, so leave." Yet another new voice interjected.
"Diggory..." Draco sneered at Cedric, "Anyway... I'll see you around Hogwarts." Draco said with a wink, and then vanished. Mattie rolled her eyes again. She found herself doing that a lot around Draco Malfoy.
"Hello, Cedric." Seamus said, standing up.
"Hello all," He said cheerfully.
"Hey Cedric." Mattie stood up also.
"Where are you guys off to?"
They all looked at each other. Seamus shrugged, "We don't know." Cedric laughed.
"Well, I need to go get a polishing kit for my wand at the wand shop. Care to walk with me?"
Mattie nodded her head, "Me and Laz need to go get our wands, anyway."
Dean and Laz stood up now and followed behind the other three.
"So, Cedric," Dean started, forcing his way in between Seamus and Cedric, "Getting ready for Quidditch?"
Cedric laughed, "Of course I am."
"So, what house do you girls hope to be in?" Dean turned to the younger girls.
"Well, I've heard a lot about Gryffindor, and it sounds so awesome!" Laz exclaimed happily.
"And how about you, Mattie?" Seamus asked, smiling.
"Any one that doesn't have Draco… And the same one that my love is in."
"Yay!" Laz began jumping up and down.
"Well, here we are..." Cedric noted, walking up to a shop called Olivander's Wand Shop. "It has all you need."
"What took you four so long?" Debbie walked out of the store towards them, "Hello, Cedric. Now come, come."
The group walked into a stuffy room covered in thin boxes. "Welcome, welcome." They heard a voice say above them, "Here, take this one and wave it a bit." A man had stepped off a ladder and handed Laz a wand. "Go on, wave it!"
A yellow spark flew out of the wand as Laz timidly waved it.
"No, no. The wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around. You knew that, right?" The girls shook their heads.
"Try this one..."
Laz took the new wand and gave it a wave, but the same thing happened. The man sighed. Five wands later Laz finally got a wand to spit out red sparks. "Thirteen inches, cedar and dragon heartstring. That will be two galleons. You next, young lady." The man climbed on to the ladder again and pulled out a box.
""Try this one."
Mattie took the wand she was handed and waved it around enthusiastically. A shower of red sparks flew out right away.
"That rarely ever happens… Nine inches, yew and unicorn hair. Same price." Mr. Olivander's smiled kindly as Debbie handed him his money and bid him farewell.
"Camille, we should get going now. Mattie has to be home for dinner." Debbie gave her sister and nephew a hug good bye.
"We'll see you two on the train, right?" Seamus asked, giving Laz a hug.
Laz nodded, "Of course."
"Good. See you in a week, then." Seamus shook Mattie's hand.
"It was nice meeting you." Dean smiled, hugging Mattie. "I hope to become better friends with you two." He gave Laz a hug also before leaving to find his mum.
"Have a nice trip home, sis. And good to meet you Mattie! Take care of Laz!" She winked at them both and took off.