MINNIE PARISH
CHAPTER FOUR:
We walked down the street, just enjoying the silent company.
"Are you excited? I know you were kind of a Harry Potter fan before all this…?"
"Yeah, kinda," I tried to sound indifferent, but truth be told, I was mentally jumping up and down. I was never a big Harry Potter fan, but I knew enough. I enjoyed the movies and all that. We walked in.
The store, unlike Ollivander's, had a bit of a modern book store feel. It just felt like a normal store, except for the fact that we're buying magic wands.
"Mr. Parish!"
"Hello, Mr. Gorski." He smiled warmly at the elderly man.
"I assume this is your daughter?"
"Yeah."
"Well, step on up, girl! What's your name?" I came from behind my father.
"Hermione Parish, sir."
"Hermione, good, take a seat. I'll get a few boxes." I did so and he left.
"Minnie, I'm gonna head out. I have some other shopping to do while I'm here. I'll come here in a few, okay?"
"Okay, see ya." He left just as the man returned. I suddenly felt very awkward. He put many long and narrow boxes out on the table.
"Okay, Ms. Parish, let's try this one first." He opened the cover and gently took the wand from inside and handed it to me. It was pale and red and really longer- probably longer than a foot. I gave it a quick swish and nothing happened.
"Nope. How about this?" this wand was a pale yellow color. I gave it a swish and my hair frizzed. "No, this?" he took out a plain, dark one. I gave it a swish and it started raining! The second I let it go, it stopped and nothing was wet. "No. Hmm… let's try this." He took out a small elegant one. I took it and gave it a swish. Nothing happened. But the tip of the wand light up slightly and I got this warm fuzzy feeling inside. "Yes!" he said excitedly. He took out a piece of paper. It looked like a form or something of the sorts. "Just fill this out quickly and pay for it and you're ready to go! All the information is on the box." It asked for my name and all of that. Then it asked me to check off which one.
CORE:
Dragon Heartstring
Phoenix Feather
Unicorn Tail Hair
Kelpie Mane
I checked off Dragon Heartstring and looked at the next list.
Wood:
Apple
Ash
Beech
Blackthorn
Cedar
Ebony
Hazel
Holly
Mahogany
Walnut
I checked off Ebony and Mahogany.
LENGTH: _
I wrote twelve inches
FLEXIBILITY:
-Whippy
- Swishy
- Flexible
- Springy
- Supple
- Sturdy
- Inflexible
- Rigid
I check off Inflexible. Then I finally took a good look at my new wand. It was beautiful and elegant but strong at the same time. The main wood was dark, almost black Ebony. The butt end had a red sphere, then a circular line. Then the handle part of the wand was just Ebony. Then there was another circular line marking where the handle section ended. From there are there's beautiful red Mahogany swirls against the dark ebony.
"Are you done filling that out?"
"Yes." He looked at the paper then took it. "My dad should be back soon to pay for it."
"Of course. Here's your receipt." He handed me a small piece of paper. I looked at it.
Gorski's Wand Shop
HERMIONE ELEANOR PARISH
CORE: Dragon Heartstring
WOOD: Ebony and Mahogany
LENGTH: 10 ½ inches
FLEXIBILITY: Inflexible
COST: Seven Galleons
"Thank you." The door opened and I looked over my shoulder. My dad walked.
"Hey, what wand did you get?" I just handed him the receipt. Then I picked up the wand from the table. "That's beautiful." He commented as I picked it up.
"Thanks."
"Ready to go?" He asked as he dug seven galleons out of his pocket.
"Yep!" And we headed out the door together. A small dog was tied to a post outside the door. "Aww! Poor dog? Who's is it?"
"Yours. I got it for you while you were getting your wand." I gasped.
"You didn't! Oh my gosh he's so cute!" I gushed. "What's his name?"
"His name is whatever you want it to be."
"Hmm…. I dunno…"
"How about Malachi? It means messenger. He's probably going to be delivering messages to your mother and all that."
"Malachi… I like it! Okay, Malachi! C'mon!" I untied his leash.
"He probably doesn't need that." Dad commented. "They just gave it to me when I bought him." I gasped and stopped in my tracks. Malachi, who was walking right next to me, stopped to and looked at me.
"What?"
"Animals aren't allowed in my apartment! Where am I going to keep him in the summer?!"
"I can keep him?" Dad offered.
"Really?"
"Yeah, and you can visit him anytime throughout the summer." I couldn't help it. I jumped on him and hugged him.
"Thank you!" he chuckled.
"You're more than welcome." We continued on walking. "Do you wanna stop for ice cream before we get your school things?"
"Sure!" He guided me to another shop. This one had a little outside sitting area in front of the shop, were people were eating ice cream cones and Sundaes and large bowls full. The sign said 'Olympia's Ice Cream Parlor'. We walked in and waited in line for a while. Finally it was our turn.
"What do you want?" Dad asked as I browsed the hanging menu.
"Uhh… Hmm… Seeing how I can get Muggle ice cream anytime… Tongue-Tie Toffee." The clerk wrote it down.
"You sure about that, Min?" My dad sounded amused.
"Well now I'm not…" I said jokingly. "But yeah, sure, why not." I felt like doing something different today. I mean, I'm in the Wizarding World. Why not? My dad just chuckled.
"How many scoops?" The clerk asked.
"Uhh- two." He wrote it down and my dad ordered two scoops of Firewhiskey ice cream told us to take a number. We waited and a few minutes later. Finally our two orders came and we sat down outside.
"What's Firewhiskey?"
"An alcoholic drink."
"I see…" I took the first bite of my ice cream. I love Toffee… I was hoping I'd be a tad different than muggle toffee seeing how we were in the magic world. But it was just the same. "So- random question, but: How did Harry Potter get leaked into the muggle world?" I asked. But for some reason, I was having trouble forming words out of mushy 'blahs'. My dad simply burst out laughing.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" I asked. Now I see why they called it Tongue-Tie Toffee… I just groaned impatiently.
"Don't worry, it'll ware off after like the third bit. Then it's just toffee." I relaxed and ate the rest. After four bites, I tried talking again.
"That was mean!" I said. But I couldn't help but smile. He just smiled back.
"Once you're done with that, do you wanna go to Bretscher and Holms? Your mom says you have a thing for books." Bretscher and Holms but be like Flourish and Blotts. A book store!
"Sure! I'd love to! Are the books in the wizarding world like books in the muggle world, just that magic is totally normal in them?"
"Yeah… basically."
"Sweet! I'd love to!" I started to get up, even though my ice cream cone is only half gone.
"Just slow down! Relax! We have all day!"
"Right." I relaxed.
"So you have more questions?"
"yeah."
"Okay, shoot."
"So, Harry Potter? I gotta ask, did it all really happen? If so, how did it get into the muggle world?"
"It really did happen. And Ron and Hermione convinced Harry to write a book about their adventures. It somehow got in the hands of some muggles. It all just spiraled out of control from there. Luckily J.K. Rowling, a talented witch I might add, took credit for it as a muggle and called it fantasy."
"Okay…"
"I know this is all a little weird to you…"
"Yeah, just a little."
"Next question?"
"Where's Wolfmount located?"
"Do you know where the Bay of Fundy is?"
"No."
"Well, it's a bay in-between Canada and Nova Scotia. But the entrance to it is by Maine. Anyways, the school is on an island that takes up almost all of that bay."
"How is it muggles never found it?"
"Minnie, you watched the movies. We have our ways…. Next question?" he asked when I didn't say anything.
"Do I have to wear a uniform?" I complained jokingly.
"Yes, you do."
"Why do the uniforms kinda sound like a fancy prep school uniform?"
"America really influenced us." I looked over his shoulder to see a guy looking straight at me.
"So that answers my next question, too… Sororities, really?" I asked jokingly.
"Yeah… they're optional." He responded with a smile. I looked at the guy again, and again. He was looking at me… more like staring…
"Anything else?" He asked, probably noticing I'm distracted.
"Yeah, who's the guy behind you staring at me?" I said quietly. Dad, trying not to be obvious, started surveying the area with his eyes, slowly turning around to see him. And he laughed…
"Alex! C'mon! You're scaring her!" The guy, who looked intense before, laughed wholeheartedly. Dad stood up, so I did the same. The two men shared a bro-hug. "Hermione, this is my friend Alex. Alex, this is Hermione." I offered him my hand to shake, but instead he brought me into a sweeping, huge, bone-crushing bear hug. When he let me go, I stumbled to the ground. He laughed.
"Sorry 'bout that, Minnie, but I just had to have a chance to freak you out." Minnie? Dad must call me that behind my back… Already…
Alex seems like one of those guys who never stop smiling. He's like the Weasley twins of America… I have a feeling he could've done a worse prank than staring at me like a stalker… He's young, probably early to mid-twenties. He has brown hair and striking blue eyes. He's muscular, too. But not like weightlifting type muscular. It's more like a lean muscular. He's kind of cute, too… STOP! He's my dad's friend. That would just be weird.
"I prefer Hermione." I said.
"Hermione- right," He said. "So what have you guys been doing?"
"Well, she got her wand, and a new dog." I just remembered that Malachi was sitting at my feet before we got up. Where is he? I check the ground to see him sniffed Alex cautiously. He growled softly.
"Malachi!" I said, to take him away from Alex before he bit him or something. He obeyed and came to me and sat by my feet. Then he looked at Alex coldly.
"What kind of dog is that?" Alex wondered out loud.
"A Finnish Spitz," My dad answered.
"It's cute. How old is it?"
"half a year," dad answered easily. There was a small silence.
"So what are we doing now?"
"I was going to take Minnie to Bretscher and Holms."
"You like books?" He asked me.
"Yeah, love 'em." I answered.
"HA!" He laughed. "Have fun with that…"
"Don't like them?"
"Hate them." Not knowing how to answer, I stayed silent.
"Well, let's go."
Bretscher & Holms was like a mix between Flourish & Blotts and Barnes & Noble. It had the same feel and Flourish and Blotts, but a little more organized. I immediately started browsing book covers.
WILL'S POV:
My idiot friend made jokes with Minnie. They hit it off right off the bat and are now acting like they've been friends their entire lives. Nothing caught Minnie's eye at the Bretscher & Holms, so that was a quick stop. I had another gift for her I wanted to hurry up and get.
MINNIE'S POV:
"Now," Dad said as we left the bookshop. "I just have to pick up a gift for someone in here." He led me to the sports shop, Adams Quality Sports Equipment. There were kids my age looked at the display window, which had a broomstick. When we got inside, I got the chance to examine the broom a little closer. It was a beautiful dark brown color with brown and black tail twigs. But they weren't just twigs. There were smooth and shiny. The silver that held the tail to the stick was so shiny; I could see my reflection in it. The silver also held the foot rests, which were black and silver. It was beautiful.
"Like it?" My dad approached me.
"It's beautiful," I said, admiring it. He didn't say anything, but just smiled.
"Sorry for the stop. Ready to go? We can got for a late lunch at the Witch's Head." I didn't realize how late it was! I looked at my watch I always have on me. 1:30!
"Okay, cool. Let's go."
The Witch's Head was one of those dusty old pubs. But I couldn't complain about the looks for smell of it, because the food was delicious. I didn't even know I was hungry until I took my first tentative bit.
"All done?" he asked as I slowed to a stop.
"Yep," I answered, totally stuffed.
"Good. We need to get your school uniforms." We got up after he set money on the table and we left. We headed to the very end of the alley, to a fancy looking store with curly Q lettering that said Ms. Annemarie's Attire for all Occasions.
"Can I help you?" A sweet voice came from behind the counter the second we walked in.
"Yeah, we need school clothes for her." My dad motioned to me.
"Of course! Wolfmount uniform?"
"Yes," he answered.
While the adults spoke, my dad obviously being a well-known person in American Wizarding society, I looked around. There was a Wolfmount uniform section. Yes, a WHOLE SECTION just for Wolfmount uniforms! Another was just casual and another had grand, big ball gowns! I started looking at the dress, just for the sake of it. It's not like I'm going to take advantage of my father's riches and it's not like I have money of my own to spend. But why not look?
A certain dress caught my eye. It was a large ball gown with a very slim waist. It went out into a huge gown. The gown was dark blue with silver beading bunching the dress in some places. It was beautiful… I touched the dress softly and the fabric was obviously very expensive. It was perfect and stunning. But too much so for someone like me to wear. I had no jewelry or shoes or anything else of the sorts that would go with it.
"She just needs your measurements and we'll be ready to go! We'll pick it later, before school starts." I jumped. My dad speaking startled me from my thoughts. "Sorry." Then he looked at the dress I was examining. "Pretty," he commented. I smiled.
"Yeah, it is. Too much so for me, though."
"What do you mean?"
"Too expensive, too pretty."
"Nothing's too pretty for you." He said. "If anything, you're too pretty for the things." I just laughed.
"Suck up." I joked. He laughed along. There was a small silence. I looked around. "Where's Alex?"
"Oh, he's sitting on a bench outside. Why don't you go join him and I'll pay for the uniforms?" I did as suggested and found Alex outside the door. We bickered playfully until my dad came out.
"Okay, I think that's all. Ready to go?"
"Actually, no." Alex answered with a mischievous look in his eye.
"What?" Dad asked.
"We gotta go to Weasley's of course!"
"Weasley's?" I asked.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes! You can't go to Dorburn Alley without going there!" My eyes lit up.
"Yes! Oh-my-gosh! We have to go there!" I turned to my dad, who was looking uncertain of the rendezvous. I gave him puppy eyes. "Please? Pretty please?" I could tell he was slowly crumbling. No one can deny my puppy eyes. Alex jokingly copied my puppy eyes. Dad just laughed.
"Okay, fine, you two! But I told your mother you'd be back by three, so no later than twenty minutes there!"
"We promise." Alex and I said at the same time.
The shop was almost identical to the one in the movie. The air above us was filled with flying objects and the pranks they had were as good as ever. Alex and I talked of what we could do with each product.
"This is gonna be perfect when we get to Wolfmount!" Alex said.
"When WE get to Wolfmount?" I asked. I didn't know he hasn't graduated from there yet.
"Yeah, I'm twenty-two. This'll be my last year."
"Oh my gosh! They'd better watch out! The next best thing after the Weasley twins are coming to school!"
"For one year, and one year only!" Alex said in an announcer voice. I joined along "Alex and Minnie!" We both said. I finished it laughing.
"This is gonna be great!" Then I spotted the best thing ever.
"INDOOR SWAMP!" I ran to it and Alex followed. "What hall would be best to put this on?"
"Hmm… probably the Potions hall! It already smells, so the swamp would fit right in!"
"We're doing that before you graduate!"
"This is gonna be awesome!"
"You two better hurry up! Ellie's gonna be mad if I don't get you home on time for dinner."
"Ugh! Fine!" I side-along appirated with Alex to my apartment door.
"I'll see you later, Minnie."
"Yeah, see ya." Then my dad hugged me. "Thanks for the day, dad. I had a great time."
"Thank you, Minnie. I couldn't have asked for a better daughter." We hugged again and I went to the door. They didn't follow me.
"Aren't you coming in?"
"I don't know how much your mother would welcome that." Dad said unsurely.
"You came in a few days ago." I pointed out.
"Yeah, but that was different. That was to explain Wolfmount. This is different."
"Okay, then. Suit yourselves!" I opened the door.
"See ya."
"See ya."
I walked through the door as they disappirated.
"Aren't they coming in?" Mom asked.
"No, they just left."
"Oh." She looked and sounded disappointed. "Well did you have a good time?"
"Yes! Oh my gosh it was the best!" And I dived into a full detail explanation of everything I saw and did there.
A/N: So I hope you liked this chapter! Do you like Alex? I know I do! Tell me what ya'll think! Thanks for reading!
~C.A.M.3