All of her belongings she needed to bring were already packed. Together with her owl, Wago, who was comfortably hooting in his cage. Serena couldn't help skipping around the house as she prepared for leaving. She kissed her Grandma goodbye and left with her mom to the shipping port.
"Why can't we just apparate mom?"
It's a question she always wondered.
Being an adult witch, her mom can do it smoothly.*
"It would be too risky even for powerful wizards to travel long distance by apparition. And besides, it would be illegal to trespass a country."
Serena sees the ship they always board whenever they go to London for vacation. Her mom said that it is only for witches and wizards. Unlike the other ships, this moves purely from magic.
"How about the Floo network? Or Portkeys?"
"It's possible, although it would take a longer time for it to be prepared and would cost us much more than what we payed for in muggle-like transportations. Like this one for example."
They entered the ship and Serena noticed the British faces of the people traveling with them.
In the middle of their travel, her mom asked for her Hogwarts letter and they both looked at the things she needed to bring.
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
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
OTHER EQUIPMENT
wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set
glass or crystal phials
telescope 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
"That teacher sure trusts that Lockhart fellow to make us buy all of his books."
She looked up to her mom and saw her frowning.
"What's wrong?"
"The last name Lockhart rings a bell. I think there was a Lockhart a few years lower than me back at Hogwarts. But I doubt this is him. That Lockhart was an idiot and an attention seeker. He used to take credit for the cool pranks your father and his friends did. That's why they were never caught." she laughed at the memory and looked at the paper again. *
"But wouldn't that make him in trouble?" Serena asked while giggling at her mom's reaction.
"I guess he's all for the attention no matter what the reason was."
A few hours later they were already at the port of England. Serena and her mom went straight to an area where only wizards could be seen, then she saw her mom raise her wand to call the Knight Bus.
Only seconds passed when a large blue bus appeared in front of them.
"Good afternoon, little miss. Going to The Leaky Cauldron again 'ey." Serena returned the greeting to the conductor of the bus. His name was Stan Shunpike.
"Yes.. Leaky Cauldron please. My dearest daughter here is needing of her stuffs for her first year at Hogwarts." her mom smiled proudly.
The Knight Bus was not exactly a very comfortable ride. But Serena loved it because she enjoyed the fast speed of the bus.
It only took a few minutes for them to arrive in the Leaky Cauldron. Serena was laughing as she get off the bus.
"I can't get enough of these rides, mom. Why not buy a car that could go that fast." she giggled while her mom looked pale from the ride.
"I would never... I only let us ride that bus because we are on a tight schedule. I don't want you to be late in buying your things. Diagon Alley would only get more crowded as Sept. first gets near."
Serena's giggling ceased when she realized something.
"Wait, why are we here in the Leaky Cauldron then?"
"There's a passageway inside."
Passageways... that's one thing that Serena is looking forward to in going to Hogwarts. Her mom tells her about the adventures of her father and his friends who knew every passageway in the castle. She can't wait to see all of it for herself.
Just behind the pub, there is a large brick wall which doesn't look like much. But Serena was excited to see how her mom would open the passageway.
She brought out her wand and tapped the bricks around a hole on the wall and the brick wall magically gave them way.
It was Serena's first time to visit Diagon Alley and if it was only possible, she wanted to enter every shop in there at this very moment. The crowd was indeed thick and witches and wizards are walking in every space available.
"Come on, let's get your robes first."
They entered Madam Malkin's shop and the shop was packed that it took a long time for them to get Serena's robes.
When they left the shop, Serena caught a glimpse of a broom store.
Another reason for her to get excited in going at Hogwarts is quidditch. Serena loved Quidditch even though she only watched a game twice. She never flew a broom but she would love to learn how. She also wanted to be a Quidditch Chaser someday.
"It's a Nimbus 2001 father. That could beat Potters stupid 2000. I'm sure I'll make the team."
Serena's eyes darted to a pale faced, blonde boy who went inside the shop. She must have misheard the name Potter somehow. She peeked through the window where the Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001 were displayed and saw the boy with a tall blonde man.
"Gracious, Rena. I thought I lost you. What are you looking at?" Her mom followed her gaze and Serena noticed that she immediately frowned at the sight of the two people who she was looking at inside.
"Malfoy." her mom said through gritted teeth.
"Who is Malfoy, mom?"
"Not a person you would want to talk to. Come on now. Let's go get your wand."
Serena held unto her mom's hand and they walked through the large crowd.
"Ron, where's Harry? Oh dear. Where did he end up to."
"He might be in Knockturn Alley. Mum, maybe George and I should check him there."
"I already forbid you to go there!! Let your father check him instead."
Serena looked at the large group of red heads they passed who looked like a family. Did she just heard a name 'Harry'? Could it be Harry Potter?
They entered Ollivanders wand shop where an old wand is in display. Serena wondered if that is the owner's wand.
The moment her mom entered the door, they were greeted by a creepy looking old man. He must be Ollivanders.
"Another youngling, I see. I do remember you Miss Selena— ah, who might be the lucky husband of yours?"
Selena's face flushed and hesitated.
"I wasn't able to marry, sir. I'm still a Moore. This is my daughter, Serena."
Serena greeted the old man and he started to pick different wands then handed them one by one to Serena. She hadn't even felt any of them in her fingertips.
Sometimes she's able to hold them but then it looked like Ollivanders was waiting for something to happen to know if his wands are not broken. By the seventh wand she held, sparks ignited from the tip of her wand and a soft, gentle wind suddenly gave her chills from the back of her neck.
"Ahhh, ten and a half inches, willow. This has a unicorn hair as its core. Its yours now, miss Moore."
Serena was staring at her wand when her mom nudged her gently.
"Too happy to speak?" she giggled.
"Kind of. Mom, why did it took so long for Mr. Ollivanders to choose a wand for me? And why can't I choose for myself?"
"The wand chooses the wizard, Rena. Most magical items possess magic of their own which, wizards are not always able to understand. I don't know how wands chooses the wizard that would own them. Maybe you should ask Mr. Ollivanders."
Serena didn't want to. He looked harmless but Serena couldn't deny that he is really creepy.
When they left the shop, Serena noticed wizards and witches outside Flourish and Blotts. It is where they are supposed to buy Serena's books. They are crowding the entrance and was definitely watching something.
"Rena, we forgot to buy your gloves. Come on."
After they got her gloves, they went straight to Flourish and Blotts to buy all her books. The shop was less crowded than what Serena expected it to be. Maybe the wizard earlier left already. The moment they entered the shop, she felt disappointed with the whispers she heard.
"Was that really Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? Merlin's beard. He even recieved free books from Lockhart."
"But why was there a fight a while ago?"
"I heard it was between a Weasley and Lucius Malfoy."
Serena only paid attention to the whisper about Harry Potter. He was in there and she wasn't able to meet him!
"Mom! Harry Potter was here." She said then pouted her lips.
Just like Serena, her mom looked thoroughly disappointed that she didn't see Harry. She wanted to see her friends' son and Sirius' godson.
"I'm sure you'll see him at Hogwarts. Come on we have to— oh you've got to be joking!!"
"Why?! Whatzit?" Serena looked at the direction her mom was looking.
She was not looking at a handsome blonde man who was smiling endlessly at them.
"Bless my word, is it the beautiful Selena Moore that is in front of me." The man stood up from his chair where he was signing some books and went straight to Serena's mom. He didn't even noticed that she was there.
"Lockhart." Her mom seemed not to pleased to see him but greeted him politely.
"A pleasure to meet you here. Who would have thought that you wrote books about beasts that my daughter is going to need for her school year."
The man looked surprised and suddenly looked at Serena.
"Daughter?" Lockhart studied her curiously and looked at her mom again while smiling.
"Well then I'm happy to inform you that I would be the professor teaching her Defense Against the Dark Arts class."
Serena's first impression of him is an idiot. Totally an idiot. Maybe because of her mom's pre-description of him.
"Oh, how brilliant that is." Serena managed to stop herself from giggling after noticing the sarcastic tone of her mom which Lockhart did not.
He continued bragging about his 'adventures' while Serena looked around the shop and tried hard not to hear Lockhart's voice until her mom held her hand and went straight to the door.
She could hear the 'professor's' goodbye but her mom did not even looked back.
"That guy was an idiot all right. He did not even notice that I was just being sarcastic with everything."
Serena finally released her laugh that she was holding for too long.
"There is something you're not telling me, mom." Serena grinned and looked at her mom's reaction.
She just snorted and rolled her eyes at the memory. "Well, that Lockhart guy did ask me out during my fourth year. But I said no."
"But you said you didn't date dad until the end of your seventh year."
Her mom blushed at the thought.
"I did. But ever since he helped me from Slytherin bullies, I already started to have a crush on him since then. That was in my second year."
"Is that when dad used the Bat Bogey hex at that Zabini guy you said?"
Her mom nodded.
"I can't wait to learn that one." Serena giggled.
Her mom then gave her a stern but somewhat amused look.
"What? I'm not going to hex someone... except for guys like that Zabini."
"I know you look up to your father, Rena. But I don't deny that he and his friends were big-headed and idiots back then. I don't want you causing trouble around Hogwarts, okay?"
"Mom, how could a girl like me even do the things the Marauders did back then?" Serena smiled but deep inside she was already plotting all the things she could do at Hogwarts.
Serena may look like an innocent and sweet girl. She really is but that doesn't mean she can't be a prankster. During her school years at a muggle elementary school, she was a subtle prankster who made a lot of trouble. Her mom knew about that and had scolded her sometimes. But she knew that her mom was somehow laughing between the lines. Maybe she reminded her of Serena's dad.
The books alone that they bought were too many to carry so her mom placed all of the equipments they bought inside an enchanted bag where she placed an engorgement charm.
Serena requested to take a look around the other shops before going back to the leaky cauldron.
She went inside Gambol and Jape's joke shop where she found stuffs that she liked. Like the Filibuster's Fireworks which her mom did not want her to buy. It took her mom a long time to make them leave the shop and as she walked outside, she swore to herself that she would go back there again.
The last shop they entered is the Quality Quidditch Supplies where she bought a book entitled 'Quidditch Through the Ages'. Something she would read rather than Lockhart's books.
When they went back to the Leaky Cauldron, her mom booked a room for them to stay until Serena's departure on the Hogwarts Train.
Serena seemed very happy about everything that was happening right at that very moment. She would miss her mom a lot, but she can't deny her excitement to learn magic in Hogwarts.
In the middle of the night, Serena heard an owl outside their window.
She looked at it recognized it as the owl that her uncle Moony usually used. She hurriedly opened it and read it.
Dear Rena,
I am so glad to know that you are finally attending Hogwarts. But I must apologize that I can not meet you for now. There are certain things I should take care of for a while and I couldn't find a time that I could visit you. Werewolves are not allowed to go near to students I presume. Although Dumbledore would allow it, not all wizards and witches thinks so.
I just wish from the bottom of my heart, that you find your first year at Hogwarts like I did when I met my friends. That was more precious to me than all the magic that has been taught us. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding friends. and don't worry yourself about the houses. I'm sure you'll do great in any house.
I assume you're at the Leaky Cauldron for now. Stay safe, Rena. Say hi to Selena for me.
sincerely,
Moony
Serena frowned at the letter. She won't be seeing uncle Moony for now.
"What's that?" Her mom found her awake and walked to her side.
"A letter from uncle Moony. He said he can't meet us... for now."
Her mom pulled her in a side hug and smoothed her hair.
"He must have been busy."
"I don't think so. I think it's about this 'werewolves are dangerous' things again. I hate it when wizards and witches are prejudiced against wizards like uncle Moony. He is the nicest ma I've ever known." Serena gave a heavy sigh.
"I know, love. Don't worry. Your uncle Remus knows that there are still people like us who looked at him as family and friend."
They both get back to bed but a thought lingered again to Serena. Uncle Moony mentioned his friends... She then wondered if uncle Moony still thinks her dad betrayed Lily and James. She again thought how hurt uncle Moony could have been waking up in the middle of the night with the news that two of his friends were killed by Voldemort, one was blown up and one was brought to Azkaban because of being accused as a death eater who betrayed his best friends. How could someone survive hearing that news. She gave another heavy sigh and closed her eyes to sleep.
