Diagon Alley
Okay, sneaking into the zoo to borrow two snakes: easy, Theresa thought. Sneaking back with two very angry snakes: hell on earth. They hissed whenever anyone bumped into them. She kept telling them to be quiet, but they do not listen.
As soon as she was near the glass of the what was the snakes' habitat, she placed them inside and left before anyone say her.
The journey home was quite enjoyable for her. She was practically skipping when she thought of leaving the orphanage to go to Hogwarts.
She was so excited that she didn't bother staying in her room to wait, instead she sat on a sofa on the first floor and watched television.
…
It was noon when Professor Dumbledore knocked on the door to the orphanage. When the door opened, an assumption he made before leaving was proven correct as Theresa was all but hopping up an down as she opened the door.
"Hello Professor," she said brightly.
"Good day Theresa," he said with a small smile. She was so different from her father, who probably never had any form of genuine happiness. "Come along."
She followed, slamming the door behind her. She trailed after Dumbledore, staring at the robes he wore, until he stopped at the corner.
"This is good enough," Dumbledore said. He held out his right arm and said, "You might grasp my arm tightly."
"Why?" she asked.
"I'm taking you to the Leaky Cauldron the fastest way possible."
Curious, Theresa grasped his arm. She felt it twist away and she redoubled her grip, but without warning, everything went dark. Theresa could not breathe and she felt as if she was being forced through a small, rubber tube until suddenly, it was over.
Theresa released her hold on Dumbledore's arm and stumbled slightly. "I think I'm going to be sick," she groaned.
"Yes, it does take some getting used to," Dumbledore said.
"What was that?" Theresa asked in a low tone, still nauseas.
"Apparition," Dumbledore replied. "It's the fastest form of travel. However, most people tend to feel sick from the sensation," he added, almost as an afterthought.
Theresa looked around and noticed her surroundings, or at least the change. She was outside a bar. Theresa stared, muttering, "wow."
Dumbledore opened the door and after Theresa as she rushed inside. Dumbledore led her through the bar to a door that led them into a small, walled courtyard, where there was only trash cans and weeds.
When she looked back at Dumbledore, he was tapping his wand on the brick wall. The brick wriggled and in the middle, a small hole appeared. It grew wider and wider until it was a tall archway.
"Welcome," Dumbledore said. "To Diagon Alley."
As they walked down the cobbled street, Theresa knew she looked like a child as she twisted her head in every direction, wanting to see as much as she can.
But she stopped, wondering where they were going. "Um, professor, where are we going?"
"To Gringotts," he answered. "A bank."
"But why must we visit a bank?" Theresa asked.
"To use the money from your vault to pay for your school things."
"What vault?" she asked, before adding, "sir?"
"You are a member of one of the wealthiest wizarding families."
Theresa was about to ask another question when they reached a large snowy white building and standing beside its bronze doors in a uniform of scarlet and gold was a goblin. The goblin was several inches shorter than Theresa. He had a clever face, a pointed beard, and long fingers and feet. He bowed as Theresa and Dumbledore walked inside. They faced 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
A pair of goblins bowed them through the doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in 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. Dumbledore and Theresa made for the counter.
"Good day," Dumbledore said. "We are here to visit the Lestrange vault."
"Do you have proof of identification?" the goblin asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore said, removing several sheets of parchment from his pocket and handing them over to the goblin.
The goblin read through it quickly, nodding often before handing back the sheets to Dumbledore. "Everything's in order." He looked over his shoulder and called out, "Ragnor!"
Another goblin marched up to the counter. The goblin behind the counter reached into a drawer and removed a bag, handing it to Ragnor, he said "Take these two down to the Lestrange vault." Ragnor gave a single curt nod before leading Dumbledore and Theresa through a door into a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Ragnor whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them and they climbed in.
They hurtled through a maze twisting passages and tunnels until it got colder and colder before they finally stopped.
When they stepped off the cart, Ragnor opened the bag to and the goblin pulled out a number of small metal instruments that when shaken made a loud ringing noise like miniature hammers on anvils.
"What are those?" Theresa asked."
"Clankers," Ragnor answered. "We need them to keep the dragon from attacking."
"Dragon?"
A loud roar rang through the tunnel and Theresa froze as she saw the source of the sound.
A gigantic dragon was tethered to the ground in front of them, barring access to four or five of the deepest vaults in the place. The beast's scales had turned pale and flaky during its long incarceration under the ground; its eyes were milky pink; both rear legs bore heavy cuffs from which chains led to enormous pegs driven deep into the rocky floor. Its great spiked wings, folded close to its body, would have filled the chamber if it spread them, and when it turned its ugly head toward them, it roared with a noise that made the rock tremble, opened its mouth, and spat a jet of fire that sent them running back up the passageway.
Ragnor shook the Clanker in his hand the dragon stopped. It backed away with another roar.
"They're trained to believe that pain will follow this sound," Ragnor said with a twisted grin. Theresa stared after him, her mouth open in shock. As Dumbledore walked past her, he handed her a bag.
"Something to carry your money in."
They reached a vault door where Ragnor placed his hand upon. It looked as if the door melted away, revealing a large room. What caught her immediate attention were the piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Around her, treasures were crammed from floor to ceiling. She saw several suits of silver armor, skins from large creatures with long spines and drooping wings, potions in jeweled flasks, and, as odd as it is, a skull wearing a crown.
Perhaps her favorite among them was a small golden cup with two, finely-wrought handles and a few jewels. When she picked it up, she noticed that there was a badger engraved on the side.
She remembered what she was there for and placed the cup back where she found it and made her way to one of the piles of coins, sweeping a fair amount into the bag before turning back to Dumbledore and Ragnor.
…
"Do you have your list with you?" Dumbledore asked as they left Gringotts.
"Uh huh," she said, taking the school letter from the back pocket of her baggy jeans.
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 Emeric 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
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope set
1 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
"Since Eeylops Owl Emporium is close, shall we get your animal?" Dumbledore asked.
Theresa nodded, following Dumbledore. Eeylops Owl Emporium was not what she had expected. There seemed to be every known animal inside the large room. The animals, however, seemed to be afraid of Theresa, as every time she went near one, they would run. All except three animals; a crow, a raven, and a small black cat that had a patch of white fur above its eyes that was shaped like a crescent moon. She bought all three. She named them rather quickly; the crow was named Draven, the raven was Edgar, and the cat was Celine.
…
After they left Eeylops, they went to get her uniform and her school books.
They finally made it to a shop with a sign that read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." 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 that Dumbledore sat on to wait. Theresa felt strangely as though she had entered a very strict library; she swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with secret magic.
"Good afternoon, a voice said suddenly.
Theresa screamed but quickly clapped her hands over her mouth, her face burning red.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shined like moons in the gloom of the room.
"Um…hello," Theresa said weakly.
"Hmmm," was all Ollivander said. From his pocket, he took out a long tape measure with silver markings. "Which is your wand arm?"
Theresa was confused. "Uh…I'm right handed," she said awkwardly.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Theresa from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head.
Theresa soon realized that the tape measure was moving on its own accord once it started measuring her ears, nose, and lips. Ollivander, however, was taking down several boxes from random shelves.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Now, Ms. Riddle, try this one holly and unicorn hair. Eleven inches. Flexible. Just give it a wave."
Theresa did so, feeling foolish, but Ollivander snatched the wand from her hand at once.
"Try this. Maple and dragon heartstring. Seven inches. Rigid."
Theresa barely lifted her hand before the wand was taken from her by Ollivander.
"No, no. This one. Oak and phoenix feather. Nine inches.
Theresa tried and tried and the pile of wands grew higher and higher. Ollivander was muttering happily, as if he were enjoying the challenge.
"Another tricky customer," he said. "You and Mr. Potter are the most difficult I've had in a while. Ah, yes. Here-try this. Yew and phoenix feather. Thirteen inches."
Once she grasped the wand, she felt a sudden warmth. She raised the wand above her and lightning danced over her head before disappearing.
"Oh, bravo!" Ollivander cried. "Strange…and so curious…"
"Um…what is?"
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Ms. Riddle. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave two more feathers — just two. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother has taken the lives of so many innocents.
Theresa felt herself get cold. She looked down at the wand in her hand.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Ms. Riddle… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."
Theresa shivered. She didn't like Mr. Ollivander too much. She paid for her wand and Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
Dumbledore and Theresa made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Edgar the raven sat on her shoulder and Draven the crow was gliding above them while Celine trotted around them. Once there, Dumbledore treated Theresa to a meal.
A question nagged at her while she ate.
"Professor, who was Mr. Ollivander talking about?" she asked.
"Who, the Mr. Potter he spoke of?"
"The other one…I think he said He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"Ah yes, him…" he said.
"What's his name?"
"He has a few names, but his name is Voldemort. He is one of the most powerful wizards in history. His crimes are extreme to the point that people fear even his name. It is assumed that he is dead, but they never found his body.
"Who killed him…er…I mean stopped him?"
"Harry Potter," Dumbledore replied. "He was only a baby at the time and he lost both of his parents that night."
"Oh, no…"
They lapsed into silence until Theresa finished her meal and Dumbledore took her back to the orphanage.
Just before Dumbledore left, he turned to Theresa and wished her luck when she goes to Hogwarts. He smiled before disappearing with a crack!
A/N - When Theresa get's to hogwarts, which house do you think she should be in?
And the name for the pet crow came from Eric Draven, the main character from the 1994 film The Crow.
The raven's named after Edgar Allen Poe, the writer of The Raven.
The cat, well I named it after my friend's cat.