This chapter took ages for me to write for some reason so I had to cut it a bit short so the Diagon alley bit will be written in two parts, I'm really sorry. This is the first part. I really hope you like it, even if I'm a terrible author and I don't update as often as I would like to... Anyway, enjoy! (Until the end where you want to rip my head off and eat it for not finishing it :) yummy)
It wasn't long before the trip to Diagon Alley was upon them. On June 23rd at 2.45 pm there was a knock at the door and when Rose Evans opened it she was not expecting what she saw. On the doorstep sat a small grey tabby cat with glasses markings around its eyes holding a letter between its teeth.
"Who is it?" Shouted Lily as she and Nixie came trampling down the stairs. The cat heard them and walked into the house with its tail held high. Once the girls' mum had shut the door, it transformed into a middle aged severe looking witch. Her black hair was twisted into a tight bun at the back of her head and she was dressed in tartan robes and was now holding the letter in her hands.
Both of the girls stood with their mouth agape having never witnessed magic before in their lives, meanwhile the woman gave the letter to Rose who read it and went out of the room.
"Hello girls. My name is Professor McGonnagal, Ive been teaching at Hogwarts for 7 years now. Which one of you is which?" she asked.
"I'm Nixie, why are you here?" Nixie said curiously.
"I should've known by the blue hair, so you must be Lily then," McGonnagal said turning to the redhead "I'm here to take you to Diagon alley to get your school supplies. I'm afraid your parents won't be coming as they have gone to speak with the headmaster, now, if you would kindly follow me into the front garden we can get going" she stated and briskly left.
"She seems like fun!" Nixie exclaimed jumping around excitedly "Do you think she likes pizza? Ohhhhh I hope she likes pizza... She's a bit blunt isn't she, I like that, it's funny. How will she get us there from the front garden? That's weird. Maybe they ride on flying carpets or something, wouldn't that be sooooo great? But why do they call it a flying carpet? Carpets cover the whole floor, they're massive, why don't the call it a flying rug instead? That'd make more sense, oh and-"
"Shut up" Said Lily "why don't we just go outside and see?"
"Yeah! Great idea Lils!" She shouted and ran outside. Lily followed rolling her eyes at her sisters antics.
Next to the road McGonnagal stood waiting,beckoning them over on seeing them. They cautiously walked over to the professor, stopping on the pavement like her.
"Lily," she said "we'll be catching the knight bus, I was banned when I was younger, don't ask how, but that means they can't see me on there. So I will transfigure myself into a cat and give my wand to you Lily, you must the hold your writing hand out with the wand in it, when you get on and they ask where we're going you say to the leaky cauldron and give them the money they ask for." She handed them a bag full of money "the gold ones are galleons, the silver ones are called sickles and the bronze ones are knuts. Are we clear? Good, off you go then." She said and suddenly a tabby cat stood there in the place of the professor.
"Uuummmm, what do I do again? I'm kinda scared." Said Lily.
"Why don't I do it?" Asked Nixie, snatching the wand off of Lily. The blonde only just recognised a look of terror upon the teachers face before the wand started to act up. Jets of red and green were sent in all directions while lightning crackled around them. The wind picked up, the force of which matching that of a hurricane. The professor hurriedly turned back into a human and grabbed the wand back off of Nixie.
"Sorry, I should have warned you." She said looking flustered "Nixie, if you use any wand apart from the wand that was made for you the effects will be disastrous, Professor Dumbledore will explain more upon your arrival to Hogwarts. Lily, there is no need to be scared, just hold your writing hand over the road with my wand, the knight bus will pull up and you will get on, giving the change they ask for. We really must get going, sorry about the rush but, we have a schedule to keep to." She transformed back into a cat and Lily did as she was told.
There was a large bang and suddenly before them appeared a huge, purple, triple decker bus. The doors opened with a hiss and a short, tubby man with straw coloured hair and a bushy moustache stepped out.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stee Shunpike and I will be your conductor this afternoon. This is our driver, Ernie Prang. The cost is 11 sickles but for 13 you can 'av an 'ot chocolate, I'm 'fraid we don' do 'ot water bottles and toofbrushes til nigh'time. Any questions?"
"No?" Said Lily.
"Well on you get then! We can't dilly dally 'round all day!" He said and pulled them onto the bus. McGonnagal followed quickly before the doors hissed closed. Once they were on they sat on one of the beds, only to fly off again as the bus shot off. Stee came over and helped them up.
"What did you say your names were 'gain?" He asked
"Um we didnt.."
"Well? What are they?"
"I'm Lily, that's Phoenix."
"Kay, your firs' time at 'ogwarts is it?"
"Yes."
"Yer not very talka'ive are ye? Wots with 'er, ye sister is it? Ye don' look much alike do ye?"
"I'm adopted." Said Nixie "and I don't appreciate being thrown into a window." She grumbled.
"Well ye should've 'olded on then! Where we takin ye then, to the leaky cauldron? Ye that's where all them pesky firs' years go. Personally I prefer Igglebelle alley, much calmer, no' many can find it tho. Shame really, good place good place. Well 'eres yer spot then. 'Av fun. Paymen' please." He said shoving a pot under Nixies nose. One by one she put the coins into the pot and then the bus jolted to a stop and they were thrown off. The professor landing on top of them.
"Never again girls. I forgot how much I hated that bus. We'll fly back I think." She said turning back into a human once the bus had left.
"Why aren't you allowed on it?" Asked Nixie, ever the curious soul.
"We all do stupid things when we're young, and I, umm, decided that it would be a good idea to give them that little hanging puppet in the window that I, ummm, stole? No, err, long term borrowed from a pub in hogsmeade . That annoyed them so Ernie drove, meaning to make me bash into the window, but then I fell into the driver with my wand in my hand and I made the driver blind. Not the best idea ever, I had to make that puppet tell him how to drive, like become his eyes, and then I got banned from the knight bus for life." Said the embarrassed Professor.
"Ummm wow." Said a speechless Nixie "I guess we go into that little old pub just there then."
"Yes, we will. And girls?"
"Yeah?" They chorused.
"Don't tell anyone about the Knight bus, ok?" And she strolled off towards the pub. The two girls looked at each other and trotted after the Professor.
"Hello McGonnagal, on Hogwarts business I presume." Said the friendly looking barman from behind the punter when the entered the cosy old inn.
"Good afternoon Marcus, yes I am on Hogwarts you let us through?" Replied the stoic faced professor.
"I'll be there in just a jiffy then Minbob" he shouted, quickly pouring a customer a drink before trotting ahead of them to unlock the door. The Professor rolled her eyes at the old nickname. "You're one of the earliest Hogwarts customers this year, you're the second today, the Godfreys are here, only others that came last week are the Lupins, the Blacks, the Potters, the Bones' and young Professor Flitwick with another muggle born. He's starting this year too isn't he, as the charms Professor from wht I've heard." Said the bartender while trying to find the right key to unlock he door with.
"You are correct, Marcus, he is very good incase you're wondering. Your boys starting this year isn't he?" She said rather impatiently now.
"Yup, he sure is. I'm sure Tom'll take after me though, these two will be coming in here and being served by their old friend too eh Minerva?" He winked. McGonnagal rolled her eyes again. "Sorry this is taking so long by the way, we really need a new muggle safe way of getting through here, maybe a moving wall." He mused.
"I can come here on my teaching breaks to talk you through the details if you want?"
"Sure thing... Ah! Here it is. He turned the key in the door and it creaked open. The two girls gasped in amazement at the sight that lay before them.
The whole alley was bathed in a brilliant golden glow coming from the shining sun, the bright Rays bounced off of all shiny things in the alley making everything look... magical. Vibrant, colourful shops lined the long, winding cobblestone road until right at the very end of it a huge snow white marble building stood majestically above all the rest, it was so big, Nixie calculated, that you could fit about 950 adults into just one of the pillars.
"That's gringotts, the wizarding bank, but we won't be going there today because your parents aren't here so they can't get a vault for the two of you," McGonnagal said, seeing them looking."you'll be borrowing money from the Hogwarts fund instead"
"Ok..." Lily said, "where are we going first then?"
"To Madam Malkins, to get your robes and Nixie's extra clothes" she replied shortly and bustled off over to an emerald green shop with moving mannequins in the window, winking and waving hello to everyone hat walked past.
As they entered its shop a bell started ringing, alerting a young, busty, overly made up woman of their presence who then skipped to meet them.
"Professor!" She cried happily "what can I do for you?"
"The usual hogwarts attire for these two, miss Malkin " McGonnagal said, motioning to the two sisters "and all things on this list for Nixie here." She motioned towards the blue haired girl and handed her a list.
"Okey dokey professor, anything else?" She questioned cheerfully.
"No, I'll leave them in your capable hands while I get their books, goodbye." And she walked out of th shop.
"Ok you two, follow me, I was just sorting out the Godfreys daughter. Come on, come on" she hurried them through to a back room where they were suddenly ambushed by a girl their age who popped up right in front of them.
"Hi!" She almost yelled, "I'm Jessie Godfrey, we can be friends! Bye!" She cried as her parents dragged her out, shouting a thanks to the shopkeeper.
"Well, that was weird" said a shocked Nixie.
"Oh my, thank god she's gone, she's been in here all morning irritating me and then her friend, Lexi Varjak comes in and oh my god, you haven't even experienced being annoyed until you've been in a room with the both of them for an hour." She sighed and put he head in her hands. And then she looked up smiling "they're gone now anyway, lets get you're clothes sorted!" And so she got to work.
When the professor returned 2 hours later, carrying a huge sack of books she found the two girls sitting with the shopkeeper, all three had a mug of butter beer in front of them and they were sitting having a chat.
"Miss Malkin," said the professor, shocked "don't you usually have a huge line of customers by this time?"
"Yeah, usually" she grinned "but these two have been helping out and I got the job done at least half an hour sooner, they're so helpful, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed them on a few Hogwarts school days would you? When its busiest?"
"I can talk to the headmaster, I'm glad they've been no trouble. Would you mind looking after them while I get their equipment tomorrow? I got a message from Professor Dumbledore telling us that we need to stay in Diagon alley for the rest of the week because the meeting with their parents is taking longer tha expected andhe needs me."
"No, of course not, it's my day off tomorrow"
"Thankyou, would you mind getting the rest of their school things, they only need their wands, their equipment and Lily can have a pet if she wants." McGonnagal said, handing her a bag of money "Thank you so much" she breathed "I'll drop them off at 8.00 tomorrow, we're staying in the leaky cauldron."
"No, let them stay here, I'll look after them."
"Ok Gwennie, I'm off, have fun," the usually stern professor smiled and walked out.
They all waited till she was out of sight before Gwen turned to the both of them and grinned mischievously. "Let's have some fun!"
Sooo, yeah. Hope I can get the second part of this out sooner than this one. Please review even if it is criticism, then I can fix it :) Once again I'm really sorry for cutting this short and I hope you wait for the next one. Happy Christmas guys!