Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, and some of the storyline, from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. (I may use some of the author's descriptions/ wording from the books, but I have no intention of stealing anything! It's definitely clear for me that J. owns the rights for the Harry Potter books. )

I am grateful to Ms. Rowling for her wonderful stories about Hogwarts, for without her books, my story would not exist.


Chapter #2-Diagon Alley

Since the night Matilda and Beatrice disappeared through the fire, two weeks had passed. It was already Monday and the family got up early. Sophie got dressed quickly and pulled her hair to a bow. She was heading to the kitchen when Emily stepped into her room, fully dressed into a blue skirt.

"Can you make me two braids please?" She asked Sophie.

"Of course!" She was happy to do her hair. While she made her braids they talked.

"Aren't you excited? You're going to buy a wand today, just like the one Beatrice has." Emily said.

"Not that much… I'm more afraid of going to Hogwarts. How can I get along without you?" Sophie said.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. You'll make some friends, probably real ones. Not like that… stupid Kimberly!" Emily smiled.

"Aren't you supposed to be sad?" Sophie asked.

"You have time until then, so, I'm enjoying your presence!" Emily satisfied Sophie with her answer.

After finishing eating breakfast, Beatrice showed up. There was a ring from the doorbell, Matilda hurried to open.

"Bea!" She hugged her.

"Are we ready?" Beatrice asked looking around.

"Yes, Emily and Sophie are finishing to eat, and Nathan… well he's a bit stressed, you know. He doesn't know where we are going to. Neither Sophie or Emily." Matilda giggled.

"Oh, no worry, he'll get a grip. He was all stressed when you disappeared to him through the fire." Beatrice laughed and got inside.

"Really. How sweet of him." Matilda smiled.

"I wish I had such a nice husband. I don't have even a boyfriend… not since... you know…" She mumbled.

Nathan came from the living room tidying his tie.

"Why are you so formal?" Beatrice asked not understanding.

"I'm representing all the non-magical people, aren't I?' He asked chocking a bit.

"Who cares?" Beatrice laughed.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, because I'm not letting him change. It would take another hour…" Matilda rolled her eyes.

"Tilly, that's not fair!" Nathan got offended.

"You know I don't mean to hurt, it's just you're stressed." Matilda said holding his hand.

"How romantic!" Beatrice teased them. "Now, we need to go!" She said going to the kitchen.

Emily and Sophie were placing there bowls in the dishwasher, laughing from a joke.

"Finished here?" Beatrice asked them.

"Yes." Sophie giggled. They both went to the entrance.

"Great!" Beatrice said satisfied."

They took a cab to Charing Cross road. When they got out Nathan laughed to himself.

"Really, here we're going to buy her stuff?" He asked looking around, trying to find a weird shop.

"No, come after me." Beatrice headed into a bar between a book shop and a record store.

The place was dark and shabby. Emily held Sophie's hand tightly.

"Bea, how nice to see you." The Bar tender smiled to her.

"Nice to see you Tom." She smiled. He glanced to Nathan and Matilda, and gave a look to Emily and Sophie. "Ah… I see you are working, so, I won't bother you." He said.

"Thank you." Beatrice thanked him and took them all into the courtyard. There was a dustbin standing there, and Emily still held Sophie's hand tightly. Beatrice took her wand out and tapped three times a brick, three up from the trashcan, and two across. The brick she had touched quivered-it wriggled-in the middle, a small hole appeared-it grew wider and wider- a second later they were facing an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.

"Well, welcome to Diagon Alley!" Beatrice said grinning to Nathan, Emily and Sophie's amazement. They stepped through the archway.

Sophie was so amazed to see so many shops selling magic stuff. She could see Emily's amazement too, and wished she had more eyes to look everywhere. There were stores selling cauldrons, store who sold spell books… There were shops selling broomsticks. Sophie examined everything. There were some who made their shopping. She was eager to buy her stuff more than ever.

"Before we start our shopping, we must get some money." Beatrice headed to a snowy white building which towered over the other shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold was some kind of creature. "I think it would be better if Sophie gets in with me and you'll wait." Beatrice gave a quick look to the creature. It was about a head shorter than Sophie, about in Emily's height. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and very long fingers and feet.

"Okay…" Matilda said grabbing Nathans hand. Emily was disappointed.

"Oh, I really want to go inside!" Emily begged.

"I prefer not to… better not to cross any goblin." Beatrice stared at the one standing in the entrance.

"Emily, let's wait patiently." Matilda now grabbed her hand too. "Just don't forget," Matilda took out from her pocket a tiny golden key. "The key." Matilda gave them the small key.

"Right!" Beatrice took it and headed in. "Come with me Sophie!" She turned to her. Sophie gave a small look to Matilda.

"Go… we're waiting for you here." Matilda kissed her on her head. Sophie went with Beatrice to the entrance. The goblin bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, Stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors,

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Only one crazy enough would try and rob this place. Its one of the safest places." Beatrice said pulling Sophie, who was shocked to see a great number of goblins, after they passed the next door.

A hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighting coins on brass scales, examining precious stones 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. Beatrice and Sophie made for the counter. Sophie was glued to Beatrice.

"Good Morning," Beatrice said to a free goblin. "We came to take some money from Sophie's safe."

"You have her key, madam?"

"Right here." Beatrice gave him the tiny golden key, Matilda gave them before entering.

The goblin looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order, very well." He said, handing it back to Beatrice. "I will have someone take you down to your vault, Mornuk!" Mornuk was yet another goblin. Sophie and Beatrice followed Mornuk towards one of the doors leading off the hall. Mornuk held the door open for them, and Sophie was surprised to get into a narrow stone passage way lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Mornuk whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in-Sophie a bit afraid- and were off.

Sophie didn't pay much attention to where they went. Her head was spinning and all she wanted was to get off quickly from the cart.

"You Okay Sophie?" Beatrice asked with concern.

"My head is spinning… "Sophie said holding herself.

"That will end soon." Beatrice smiled. Why did she smile, Sophie had no idea, she thought she heard her mumble "Just like her father…" But wasn't sure as her stomach started to make noises. When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Sophie got out and took a few deep breaths.

"You Okay, right?" Beatrice held her on the shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine." Sophie was more relaxed. She could see the number 697, engraved on the door. Mornuk unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Sophie gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze coins.

"All yours, dear." Beatrice smiled. She helped Sophie pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," She explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty nine knuts to a sickle, easy to remember." After pocketing enough money, they got back on the cart.

After finishing the next ride, Sophie's head was still spinning.

"You are Okay, right?" Beatrice tightened her hold on her shoulder.

"Yes…" Sophie said as they went out to the fresh air. Finally she could breathe normally. Matilda and Nathan were waiting patiently with Emily. When they saw Beatrice and Sophie come their smile grew.

"Finally… Emily though you were eaten by goblins…" Matilda laughed.

"Yes, we are alright, Sophie's head was spinning down there." Beatrice said.

Matilda laughed. "Just like Henry, he didn't like those rides either, Rachel always laughed at him about that." Matilda smiled. Sophie's spinning wore off and she listened eagerly to know more about her parents.

"Mom laughed at him?" Sophie asked.

"Yes," Beatrice said. "He didn't like going into Gringotts for the nasty ride. That's how he called that. Also, he didn't like trains, or buses." Beatrice told her.

"But your mother had no problem at all, she actually liked it." Matilda continued Beatrice. Sophie actually liked trains, it was the unstable cart that frightened her.

"Off we go then?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, let's go buy you some stuff." Matilda took out from her pocket Sophie's school letter. "The list is with me." She noted.

"Uniform first, I guess?" Matilda pointed to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

After buying some uniform they bought parchment and quills. Emily was examining all the stuff eagerly. Then, they went buying school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts. Beatrice bought herself a book too, called "Magical Mysteries, by Raven Gollows." They bought a pewter cauldron, Emily was fascinated by a golden one. And they bought a nice set of scales for weighting potions ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the apothecary's and bought supply for some basic potion ingredients for Sophie. The place had a horrible smell, Nathan and Emily didn't even got in.

After checking the list again, "Just a wand left." Beatrice said.

"Finally!" Emily cried.

"Em, stop whining!" Sophie said. "I'll turn you into a toad!" She threatened her.

Emily stopped and gave a look into an owl shop. She stared at a snowy white one. "Wow… that's a beautiful owl." She kept staring.

"Why won't we get an owl?" Matilda suddenly asked. "So we could save contact, while you'll be in Hogwarts?" She gave Sophie a look. Sophie looked at the snowy owl but didn't want it. She felt as if it wasn't meant for her.

"Um, that would be great!" Emily jumped.

"Alright!" Sophie smiled.

A few minutes later they got out of the shop, Sophie held a cage with a cute small gray owl with some black and white spots on its feathers.

"It's so cute! You must find him a cute name!" Emily stated. "How about Cutie?" she asked making Sophie angry.

"No, how about, shut up!" Sophie was actually nervous. She was about to buy a wand.

"How about Spots?" Nathan intruded their fight. Sophie like the name.

"Okay, then Spots it is." She smiled.

"Hi Spots, how are you?" Emily jumped with excitement.

The last shop they went to was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters on the door read Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 BC. 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 which Nathan sat on. On him sat Emily exploring everything around her. Sophie shivered a bit, nervous.

"Good afternoon," Said a soft voice.

Sophie jumped, like her jumped the others with surprise. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," Sophie said still nervous.

"Ah yes," Said the man narrowing his look to Beatrice. "Nice to see you here again Miss Hanley." The old man said. "It seems like yesterday you were here, buying your wand. Eleven and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for defense."

Mr. Ollivander gave Sophie an examining look. "You look exactly like your mother, Miss Farrell." He said, surprising Sophie he knew who she was. "I remember very well when your mother came to buy her first wand, eleven and three quarters long, Pliable, made of holly. Quite powerful and excellent for transfiguration." He stared on Sophie with interest. "And your father, too had a powerful wand. 13 and a half long, made of core was from a phoenix feather. These kinds are quite powerful." He narrowed his face now to Matilda, and back to Sophie. "Hmm, miss Farrell, so let me see…" he pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket." Which is your wand arm?"

"Um, I'm right handed," said Sophie.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Sophie from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Farrell. 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." Sophie suddenly realized that the tape measure was doing on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," He said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"Right then, Miss Farrell. Try this one, Maple and phoenix feather. Eleven inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave." Sophie took the wand and waved it, feeling a bit weird, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.

"Oak and Dragon heartstring. 9 and three quarters inches. Quite whippy. Try-" Sophie tried- but she had hardly raised her wand when it, too, was snatched back by Ollivander.

"No,no-here, Beachwood and unicorn hair, twelve inches, springy. Go on, go on, and try it out."

Sophie tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Just like your mother! It took her a while to find her wand, and so for you it seems… It's not to worry; we'll find the perfect match for you here somewhere…" He took a few more wands from the shelves.

"Try this, Cedar and unicorn hair, ten and three quarters inches, slightly bendy, try it." Sophie tried it too but again, it was taken quickly by Mr. Ollivander. "Maybe that one, Vine and phoenix feather thirteen inches, nice and supple." Again this one seemed to be not right, and even got snatched more quick than the last one.

"Hmm…" Mr. Ollivander frowned and though for a second. "Maybe I underestimate you Miss Farrell. Probably i should try something unusual?" he asked himself hesitating when taking a box out of the most high ones. "Try this, Pear with dragon heartstring twelve and a half inches, unyielding." Sophie took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. Sophie raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

"Oh, bravo!" Mr. Ollivander said with an impressed look. Beatrice clapped and Emily sighed with delight. "Quite a wand, has chosen you." He took the wand and placed it back to its box, wrapping it in brown paper. "Very impressed…" he continued mumbling.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ollivander, but why are you so impressed, it's only a wand." Sophie said not understanding.

"This is a powerful combination you got. Pear wood, makes splendid magic, and together with dragon strings even more powerful." Mr. Ollivander said giving a glance to Beatrice. "This wand will serve you right, and I promise you that!" He smiled. "You are blessed to own a pear wand."

Sophie didn't know what to think, only that Mr. Ollivander is a bit scary. She paid him 10 galleons for the wand, and thanked him kindly leaving with rest, with a small smile on her face.

Back at home, Sophie lied on her bed examining her new wand. It looked fresh and a bit golden. Its handle was neat and comfortable in her hand. She couldn't be happier to finally own a wand just like Beatrice, and was eager to use it.

The following month, Sophie spent time reading some of the school books, finding potions and transfiguration being the most interesting. She knew it was early to judge the subjects, and hoped she would catch on the students that already knew magic from home. She didn't want to make a fool of herself. Emily used to sneak to her room and give her a look, somehow they started to talk, and Emily was hoping she would also get a letter from Hogwarts on her eleventh birthday. Sophie didn't think she would get, as Matilda had no magical powers, and Nathan wasn't even born to a magical family. The chances Emily was a witch too were very small, and Sophie knew it. She didn't say a thing about it to Emily, because she knew it would make her sad and angry, so she preferred to be quiet about the subject.

The talks about her parents for the first time the day they went to Diagon Alley, made her think a lot about them. It seemed she was like her father with her head spinning in Gringotts. Also, she seemed to be like her mother too, after getting to know it was hard to find her a proper wand.

Wanting to give a look to her parents, Sophie got up from her bed to her chest of drawers. She took from the second drawer a large photobook Matilda gave her when she was four years old. On the first page were both her parents on their wedding day. Her father held her mother with his hands, while she waved the flowers. She couldn't notice her grandparents, but probably those around them were friends. There was a young Matilda peaking from their left, and, for her surprise, a young Beatrice holding hands with a tall handsome Brown haired man.

Sophie moved to the next photo. Her parents were sitting under a large oak tree, together with Matilda, Beatrice, and again tall handsome man. This time she could notice his light green eyes, so mysterious.

On the next page she could see her parents with her as a baby in their hands. Her short golden hair, curled so cute, and her large amber eyes, eying the camera with interest. Her mother had the same golden hair as she has, only she had light green eyes. But she could notice she inherited from her father her eyes. Both of them looked so happy.

Sophie closed the photo book thinking to herself, "I wish I could see them." She whispered.