So…
Jonathan-desu, please don't kill me. You knew this was coming. It had to happen at some point. And all other readers who don't know to who the F I'm talking to and what about, lemme just say that that was foreshadowing- Jonathan-desu's name isn't as misleading as you might think.
Also, if you noticed the 'The Color Of Magic' reference in the scene with Jonathan's wand, I applaud you. Now enjoy!
Jess
Is this really my life?
I mean…
Damn.
Apparently I'm a witch- no way am I getting over that- and I'm one of the supposedly precocious 13 that has actually been accepted. The fate of an entire world rests upon my shoulders, mine and those of my friends- resting quite comfortably, I might add, as it has around 7 years. Oh, and to top it all off, I, Jessica Ivy Silver, am going to Hogwarts.
Freakin Hogwarts.
Sheer ecstasy is the only way to describe it.
The last few months have been agonizing, as Johnny would say, but so filled with happiness I swear I could explode. And today the adventure officially begins- although when I think about it, it began the moment I first opened a book.
Yes, folks, that's right: my first stop today is the one, the only- Diagon Alley!
(Cue excited shrieking).
My father, mother, and sister are accompanying my friends and I. My brother has been cloistered away to a baby-sitter: at 3 years old he can blab quite a lot and we can't really take that risk. We'll meet up at Leadenhall Market and from there it's up to us- the kids- to figure out where the Leaky Cauldron is, as the adults can't really. My father is a bit jealous, as admittedly he's almost as big a fan as I am. However, he does say that he's proud of me and that he's sure I'll do well, which (coming from someone who's quite bitter) is a definite accomplishment.
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"OK, so please try to be discreet, guys, just call us all over if you find it and don't go crazy when you do. Is that clear?" asks Mrs. Carter (Nika's mum). We all nod earnestly. She sighs laughingly, shaking her head at us."Alright then, you may go. Off you go then, what are you waiting for?"
We all split up into various groups, and it isn't long before I hear Carol call us, standing under a sign that's much too familiar.
"Mum, this is it!" I say excitedly. "Can you see it yet?"
"I don't…" she says, blinking a few times. A look of recognition crosses her face, replacing her bewildered one. "Where in God's name did this come from?"
I didn't need any more confirmation. "Come on then!" I say, pulling her in by the hand. I can see that most of the parents are in similar positions, and I would have laughed had I been less nervously excited.
The Leaky was full and flourishing, as it should have been, and I was happy to see someone I recognized, even if it was by mental image alone.
"That's Hannah Abbot- well, Longbottom, that is," I hear Nick whisper to Gia and Todd and I smirk- I can see that my knowledge of the Wizarding World that I had bestowed upon them had not gone amiss.
"Excuse me," said Lauren politely once we reach the bar.
The pretty witch turned around to us with a smile. "Yes, how may I help you?"
"We were just wondering if you knew from where we can enter Diagon Alley?"
Her eyes widened. "Merlin," she breathed out. "You're the Muggleborns, aren't you?"
"Well, we have names as well, but overall, yes," interjects Nick, earning himself a slap upside the head from Mr. Brooks. I snicker and return my attention to the conversation at hand.
Thankfully, Hannah seemed not to have heard him. "Thank you so much for agreeing to help us," she said, crushing Lauren in a hug.
"You're very welcome, thank you," said Lauren breathlessly, straightening her shirt. "As for how to get into the Alley, though? I mean, we know we need to tap bricks and all, but we don't have wands yet."
"Oh- of course!" replied Hannah. She opened the door to the bar and exited, heading towards the back. "If you'll follow me, please," she called behind her, and we hasten to follow.
In the back there were a few large dustbins surrounded by a tall, angular brick wall. Hannah drew her wand and said "Pay attention, please, as you'll have to go back this way later. We all nodded and leaned in closer as she tapped her wand, starting from a chipped brick right in the middle, and continuing in a certain formation of bricks, finishing with a double tap on the last brick. The bricks parted then, to reveal the one thing I never thought I would live to see.
"Welcome," she said, with a twinkle in her eyes, "to Diagon Alley."
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"OK, so Gringotts now!" says Mrs. Abernathy cheerfully. "Is there a sign...oh, there we go!"
Gringotts stands before us, tall and imposing. I see Nick's mouth drop and i can't say I'm surprised- Nick loves things that are big, impressive, and alluring, and this is no exception. Kathy and Gia break into excited whispering, pointing at the sheer awesomeness around us. We all break into a trot towards it- well, the younger ones among us do, with the parents bringing up the rear. We enter Gringotts silently, however, showing a certain sense of reverence that simply can't be helped with this place. It just makes you feel so small- the high ceilings, the impressive statues, the obvious wealth displayed in every corner and hole possible. It's probably the epitome of cool for some people- and don't get me wrong, it is- but it makes you feel a bit worthless and quite intimidated.
We pass the entrance hall, the golden plaque with the famous 'Thieving Remorse' poem engraved in it, and then we enter the actual bank.
Goblins are everywhere- driving little carts with piles of riches in them, weighing precious stones on old fashioned golden scales, sitting on high podiums with enormous files open at their laps, talking to fellow colleagues, discussing taxes- you name it, they got it.
Nick looks as if he has descended into the seventh circle of heaven; his eyes are glazed and Johnny needs to poke him a few times for him to come back to Earth.
"Well, roll out the flipping bridal train, why don't you marry the place?" suggests Johnny jokingly.
"Very funny," he mutters, but his eyes are sparkling beneath his mass of wavy curls.
We reach the goblin at the front. "May I help you?" he inquires raspingly- his voice is a cross between velvet and rough stone and it's oddly creepy and comforting at the same time.
Finally, Nick snaps out of it. "Yes. We would like to enter the Gringotts Division of trade, section Muggle-Wizard. From where should we venture?"
Since when does he speak with such authority? Since when is he confident, much more sure of himself than I had seen him in years, and yet still a bit nervous- as evidenced by his choice of words that are a bit more fancy (for want of a better word). Maybe he wishes to impress the goblins- but to what extent? I don't think I know this time. This place has changed us- and I might be a bit biased, but I'm pretty sure it's for better rather than for worse.
If the goblin is surprised, but for raising a thin eyebrow, he does not show it; he merely calls for yet another goblin (this time one that was polishing a lantern- 'Dáènfvar!') and mutters a string of words in Gobbledook. Dáènfvar nods and says in a funny, high pitched voice "If you'll follow me, please!" Kathy giggles, but hastens to follow as he leads us down a long, winding passage.
"Here we are, Division of Trade, Section Muggle-Wizard, correct?"
"Yes. Thank you," replies Nick.
"You're welcome, sir," is the only reply, and then the small goblin is gone, trotting back through the same passage he took us through.
"The hell was that, bro?" asks Todd quietly.
"What?" he 'asks' evasively.
Todd sighs. We all know it's a lost cause when he takes that tone. "Nothing…"
I roll my eyes and return my attention to the conversation at hand, where Mr. and Mrs. Baker are tormenting the poor goblin on reception.
Half an hour later, my mother is holding an enormous moneybag- all the parents are, actually- and each of us has a vault under our name that we can legally access at the age of 17.
"So what's next?" questions Jackie.
I pull out my list. "This is."
After the apothecary and cauldron shop (absolutely fascinating, although some do not share my sentiments) and Flourish and Blotts (I can't- I just can't even) it's time to do the one thing I have been dreading-robes.
I don't like fashion. Sure, it's alright sometimes, but it doesn't interest me the way it does Kathy, Saph, Gia, Wren (Lauren), Sophie, and- OK, pretty much all the girls in our group, save a select few that are only partly interested in fashion- Jordie, for example. It's one of the reasons I get along with the guys so well. Sure, robes aren't the height of fashion, but they'll be nagging poor Madam Malkin to no end- making it fit better around the chest, arms, or legs, or coloring the trim, or changing the buttons, or whatever the frick it is that's so important when you buy clothes. In my opinion, it's simply ridiculous: I just throw on the first thing that fits and matches and that's good enough for me.
And let me tell you; I was not mistaken.
"What is this?" asks Saph in distaste when handed the robes.
"They're the school robes, Saph, remember, I showed them to you already," I say energetically.
"But…" began Saph.
"Is this a joke?" asks Kathy disgustedly.
"Come on, everyone's wearing the same thing, it's not a fashion show! Besides, the black robes aren't always necessary, it's mainly your blouse, the skirt or trousers, the tie, and these shoes," I hiss at them, holding up each item of clothing as I note it. "So if you'll quit whining and let Madam Malkin fit you, that would be great.". I walk into the changing room and put on the robes. I like them, actually- they're comfortable and nice enough, I suppose. Who needs more than that, really?
I step out of the changing room and on to the stool, whereupon I immediately hear every variation of the word 'tsk' possible, as uttered by Madam Malkin, the rest of the girls, and even the mirror in front of me.
"What?" I ask indignantly. "I like it!"
"You would," mutters Gia, folding her arms across her chest.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" (I'll admit, I'm known for my temper. Not like Grace or even Lauren for example- no one is- but it can be easy to get me riled up after I've had a bad day- which this isn't- frankly, I'm just pissed off af some if the girls here who are acting like the spoilt brats they're not).
"Now, now, girls, no fighting please!" chides Madam Malkin (I suppose if the parents were here they would say the same, but they're out to explore the Alley). Anyways, I get fitted for robes, which basically means I get stuck with needles all over and vaguely resemble a porcupine by the time she's done. Around me everyone else is getting fitted as well, and finally we're done with the robes.
"PRAISE THE LORD!" I breathe out once we exit the store.
"Jeez, Jess, I'd think we imprisoned you!" snorts Sophie.
"You're not far off," I reply, and while my friends do laugh, that's not strictly true- but then again, I'm enjoying everything today.
We find our various families gathered around Florean Fortescue's place. The old ice-cream maker is still absolutely lovely, and once we finish our ice-creams, we head to the Magical Menagerie.
"Whoa," breathes out Caroline.
Owls of every shape and size, fluffy cats of all sorts, rats playing jump rope with one another's tails, bats hanging off the ceiling, toads croaking, and some really unique fish that I've never seen before (my father, who works with that kind of thing, just gapes at them for a moment before hurrying closer)- practically every relevant house animal imaginable has been stuffed into this store.
"Oh my," says the shopkeeper- honestly, what is it with everyone being so shocked by us all the time? Are we that scary?- "That's quite a lot of you, isn't it? Well, you'll be starting Hogwarts, won't you?" . We nod as he smiles. "Lovely. So," he says, turning randomly to Maja, who blinks in surprise. "Owl, cat, rat or toad?"
"Owl, please," she replies easily.
"Walk, that way, it's just that section," he instructs her, pointing out said section. Once Maja has walked off, he turns- again, randomly- to Todd, who opts for a cat instead. The shopkeeper directs him to the opposite direction and he trots away happily.
One by one our number dwindles down ever slowly, until finally, I am the only one left.
"Owl, cat, rat or toad?"
"Owl, please," I reply. "If I may? I know the way by now."
"Certainly," he says, and I nod and walk off to the owl section.
Full of perches and high ceilings, the Owlery of this shop is magnificent. Tiny owls, huge owls, some birds that aren't even owls at all, and god-knows what else fills the enormous space- it has to be extended with an Undetectable Extension Charm, because this looks twice as big as the whole of the shop, which is by no means tiny or even medium sized.
I see Maja has already found an owl- a tiny little fluffball with downy feathers and the biggest turquoise eyes I have ever seen in my life. Caroline has gone for a lovely tawny thing with milky chocolate eyes, while Nick has opted for a fierce black one that's twice as big as his head. Jordan has chosen a medium sized golden brown owl, and Jackie has instantaneously reached for a whitish grey thing, and for some reason Jonathan's grey owl has some blue in it (yeeeeah, mental note- should ask him about that later). Oh, and look! Grace has found the loveliest-
Ok, I should really stop staring, people are giving me weird looks and besides, I need to get an owl of my own!
Shaking my head to wave off the curious stares, I start rifling through the cages and peering between the perches. They're all so cute, it's practically impossible, but then-
Merlin.
The most gorgeous white owl- or at least I think she's white, but turning her around I find that she turns darker progressively, so that her bottommost feathers are black. She's just the right size and when she opens her eyes they're the clearest sky blue I have ever seen.
Perfect.
After paying for our new pets ( I can't believe I have an owl- what should I name her?) it's time for what is, for me, the most awesome thing about being a witch.
Wands.
We progress to Ollivander's briskly (is the real Ollivander still there, or did someone else take over the shop after the war?), reaching the store rather quickly and pulling the door open hastily by its brass knob. We all file in- when I say all, I mean all, as in like the parents and siblings and all our new stuff (blimey, this is going to be a tight fit)- and wait. However, it isn't long before a ladder comes whooshing our way, bearing the infamous wandmaker.
"By my word, but you must be the Muggleborns!"
"Not this again…" groans Nick quietly.
"How did you know, sir?" asks Jackie politely, shooting Nick a look.
"I recognize everyone's parents because I gave them their first wands," replied Ollivander. "I didn't recognize yours, so I reached that conclusion. Now, if you were so willing to speak up first, would you like to be the first to get a wand?"
"Huh-oh!" she exclaims, realizing his meaning. "Yes, of course!". She gets up then, and Ollivander begins to take measurements. "What is your wand hand, Ms...?"
"Oh- Jackeline Thatcher, sir. And my right hand is."
"Yes, yes…" he murmurs, banishing the measuring tape away with a flick of his wand. "How about...ash and unicorn hair, nine inches. Springy. Just flick it, that'll do…"
She flicked it at a glass ornament on the table, which promptly fell over onto the floor, though it did not break.
"Well then," huffs Ollivander. "The unicorn is obviously working for you, but the ash-" he shudders-"horrendous. Here, I think this will do the trick- cherrywood and unicorn hair, 9 inches, springy as well."
*Oh…" Jack says worriedly, glancing at the fallen ornament. Hesitantly, she waved her wand at it- but instead of breaking, it flew back up and righted itself. "Yes, yes, definitely!" exclaims a smiling Mr. Ollivander. "There you go, that's the wand for you- cherry and unicorn, 9 inches precisely, springy. Now off you go then, back to your seat!"
Jack grins happily and skips back to her seat as requested by the wandmaker. Said wandmaker, however, apparently has other plans that do not include watching her.
"Alright, next please... yes, young man, come on up, please!". Ollivander is pointing at Johnny now, and my interest is peaked- hell, I won't say it to his face (he tends to get rather big headed and arrogant when I do) but he's a Ravenclaw through and through- he's very intelligent, and this means it will definitely be interesting.
"Yes...your name, please?"
"Jonathan Lewis, sir," Johnny replies, looking slightly starstruck and fidgeting- well, who can blame him? It's probably nerve-wracking- imagine if no wand fits you!
"Nice to meet you, young man… now if you don't mind, I will take your measurements now…"
"Sure," he replies, standing perfectly still.
Ollivander is, indeed, taking his measurements now- but instead of letting the tape finish, he grabs it while it's still measuring his nostrils. Glancing at him, he raises one eyebrow. "Oh, my." he says mysteriously. "Please, look to me for a second?"
Johnny looks up, his green eyes cloudy.
"Merlin," Ollivander breathes out.
"Um, sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but what is going on?" asks Johnny confusedly.
"You are precociously intelligent, young man, with extraordinary magical power. I would not be surprised if you get sorted to Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. Extraordinary achievements you'll have, I'm sure of it, and the right wand for that type of power… hmm…"
Ollivander trails off, not that I really noticed. Lucky Johnny, though I suppose it's absolutely brilliant for him, and, well, unsurprising really- oooh, what's that wand he's bringing out?
"Precisely the right wand for you, I think, and the magical qualities of this wood… yes, yes, this should be it," he says, handing said wand to Johnny. "Sapient pearwood, precisely 10 inches, dragon heartstring core. Resilient. Well, go on then!" he admonishes impatiently, as Johnny is staring transfixed at the wand in his hand.
Johnny shakes his head. "Um, yeah, sure," he mumbles, then waves his wand swiftly skyward. A shower of bright blue ice flakes erupts all over, covering him completely, and we have to laugh- he looks ridiculous, covered in the freezing blue ice he created. I chuckle, then get up and go help him out of it.
"Evanesco," mutters Ollivander at the ice chips. "Well, in theory, that would be the best wand for you," says Ollivander with a frown. "But a wand that works against its own owner, however subtly it may be, is never a good sign. I think there's a small change that needs to be made… hand me the wand, please." Jonathan does as he bids and Ollivander goes trotting off into the back of the shop, mumbling to himself as he does. 2 minutes later he is back, however,bearing what looks like the same wand- although maybe the other wand was shorter.
"Exactly the same wand, young man, but just half an inch longer-" (ha, I knew it!)-"so try it now, please."
"OK," says Johnny, smiling as he holds the wand. He waves the wand upwards and again the ice flakes erupt, but gently this time- they float around, swirling together as bidden by the wand, and with a short jab upwards, they merge as one and explode like some deranged freezing firework.
We all applaud and Johnny mock bows, earning a laugh.
"Well, m'boy, that's the wand for you , no doubt about it! You may sit down. Oh, and-" he gestures towards me, as if interested in my name.
"Jessica Silver, sir," I reply.
"Very well then, Ms. Silver, if you were so kind as to help Mr. Lewis here-" (might I just say Saph's looking murderous right now- damn, there'll be hell to pay later if she doesn't forget about it)- " would you like a wand?"
"Yes, sir," I say, containing my inner excitement.
"Alright then, step right up, please!" he says rather cheerfully. I do as he asks me to and the tape starts measuring me in the wierdest places- my chin, the circumference of my eye, the width of my eyebrow, the length of my earlobe, along my elbow- places I was sure you can't even measure. However, like Johnny, he stops the tape while it's apparently in the process of measuring my toes. "Very, very bright…" he mutters. "I do wonder… yes. Try this one please, holly and dragon…"
I wave the wand at the desk. It promptly fell on its side and landed with a deafening crash on the wooden floor.
"Oh dear," tuts Ollivander. "Most definitely not. Well then, maybe this one… mostly I don't use these, but as is the case… veela hair, unicorn, and apple-tree wood. 11 inches… please be careful, it's quite powerful."
"Erm...sure," I say hesitantly. I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous now- what if I destroy his shop or...or something?
(Don't even ask what that something is).
I wave the wand at a shelf behind the recently- upturned desk. It snapped in two and crashed as the desk did.
"No, no, and definitely not," says Ollivander firmly. "Oh, well then… it can't be helped. Please try…"
Over the next 15 minutes, I try a multitude of wands: short wands and long wands, with every core you could dream up and paired up with every type of wood possible and even a few mixtures with several types of cores in one wand or several types of wood. As the pile of wands grew larger, Ollivander just grew happier. "Not to worry!" he proclaimed cheerfully. "You'll find the right one for you- I haven't failed yet and I don't intend to break that record now!". He rustled about in the back of the shop as I grew worried- will I ever find a wand? Maybe they were wrong about me and I don't have magic after all? Is it possible to enter Hogwarts without a wand at all?
Right, stupid question.
A sudden exclamation breaks my thinking trance and I crane my neck to see him behind the mounds of boxes, holding aloft what was unmistakably a wand box.
"What is it, sir?" I ask.
"I forgot about this one," he pants. "This wand… take it, here you go," he says, gesturing towards where he's laid it down on the desk. I take it- and almost instantaneously feel the most amazing feeling possible; a rush of joy and pure power incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't tried it.
"What- what are its' properties?" I gasp.
He raises his eyebrow knowingly. "Sycamore, ash, and vinewood, unless I'm mistaken, with phoenix and dragon as the core. Flexible enough for a hard day's work and yet rigid enough to hold its' ground. 11¼ inches. Now before you begin," he says warningly, as I was about to wave the wand. "Now, I've seen you glancing at that book of mine so many times, I would swear you had something in your eye."
I blush internally (I've never actually blushed a day in my life; make of that what you will). "It just looks interesting," I stammer.
"Well, I'll tell you what- I have a few other copies of that book, and if you manage to levitate that book out with this wand, you get both the wand and the book as a package deal, with the book free of charge. Do we have ourselves a deal?"
"Deal, sir," I say determinedly.
"Well, go on then!" he says merrily.
Focusing my gaze on my target, I block everything else from my gaze. Only the book matters to me now. Taking a deep breath, I raise my wand and swish it through the air.
The book falls out of the high shelf and for several breathless moments I think it might fall, but then it opens up and flaps its covers, soaring into Ollivander's outstretched arms. He turns to me with a faint smile on his lips. "Yes, that is the wand for you. Here, the book, as promised-" he hands me the thick book and I stagger under its' weight (I'm kind of petite). "You may sit down now- and call that young lady over there, I think she'd like to go next."
I sit down happily and poke Jordan in the back. "Go on then Jordie, and close your mouth on the way there, too," I tease. She snaps out of it and sticks her tongue out laughingly, but before I can retaliate, she flounces off. I shake my head and admire my new book and wand. The book is very thick (my favourite kind), with a ridged spine and an aura of ancient knowledge surrounding it. Turning it over, I notice just the thinnest slit just in the shape of a wand. I lay mine in it gently and it immediately suctions against it as glittering words appear: 'Jessica Ivy Silver, 5 minutes in use, sycamore, ash, and vinewood with phoenix and dragon core. Flexible yet rigid enough. 11¼ inches.'
Awesome.
The title has long since faded away, but opening the book, an embossed title appears. 'Wandlore and its' Origins: An Unsummarized Summary of All Known Facts About Wandlore'.
I would love to start reading right here and now, but my mother hates it when I do that and she's looking right over, so I settle for examining my new wand instead. It's black, and it looks like it's made out of twisting, intertwined pieces of wood. It has a handle made out of a sleek material I can't really identify, but was the same matte color as the wand. I gripped it tightly and felt the same fierce rush of joy I felt when I first held it- my god, it's like a drug.
I lift my head to see Jordan try the same veela wand I had tried beforehand. Sparks flew out of it and exploded into fireworks and I saw her smile. "Yes, yes, that's for you, you may sit down, and bring on the next one please," says Ollivander. She sits down and gives Gracie a little nudge towards the stool. Gracie gets up with a start and makes for it.
The next hour passes in a blur. Grace (dragon and veela, ash, 11¾ inches), Carol (unicorn and coral, willow, 12 inches), Sophie (dittany stalk and unicorn, hawthorn, 10½ inches), Gia (troll whisker and hawthorn, 9½ inches), Nick (dragon and kelpie, with maple and yew, 11 inches), Todd (holly and dragon-which was the first wand I tried- 12½ inches), Wren- Lauren- (kneazle and dragon, aspen, 13 inches), Saph (unicorn and oleander- I'm rather worried about that pairing- 11⅕ inches), Katherine (dittany stalk and maple, 10 inches), and finally Maja (dragon and alder, 12¼ inches) all go in quick succession.
"So now that we're done with that," says Mrs. Johns, "anything else you'd like to do?"
"Yeah, it's still 12:00, there's still plenty of time," agrees Mr. Johns.
Suddenly, I notice that in front of me, Johnny and Nick are sporting identical grins.
Now, you may not know lots about Jonathan Lewis and Nicholas Brooks, but basic information for you to know- if you see them smiling together in your direction for no apparent reason, I can guarantee you something is not going to end well on your part. Maybe you might say I'm overreacting, but I've been on the receiving end of this treatment plenty of times, and I can tell you I've had plenty of personal experience with this. You can choose whether to believe me. But whatever.
"What did you…" I begin, since as I said, anything that makes them smile like that cannot be good, but the moment I see it, I understand.
"Oh, yeah," laughs Johnny. "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, anyone?"
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"This is the empire of pranks, mum," I say earnestly. "So it's kind of huge. We'll split up and meet in 40 minutes outside, does that sound good?"
"Alright," agrees my mother cheerfully. "See you then. Here, take your sister, please, and don't let her buy anything that can raise suspicions. Got it?"
"Yeah, sure, see you later!" I call behind me, as I am already running. "Come on, Shelly!" I tell my sister, and she joins me, giggling. We enter the shop and the sweet smell of a successful prank permeates the air. It's a huge place, built somewhat like how I know the Burrow to look- haphazard but comfy and with an undercurrent of excitement controlling it. I notice some of my girlfriends giggling over the WonderWitch products, including Saph, and I vow to check if she bought a Love Potion- for fairly obvious reasons. I mean, everyone knows that-
"Hey, Jess, you gotta see this!"
Speak of the devil…
Johnny has materialised in front of me and drags me towards sections that are more Hogwarts-relevant. "They have Skyshoes! Lets you climb up on walls and everything, your legs just stick, and you can buy these Gripping Gloves with them! Isn't that so awesome? And there's this Invisipowder, which kind of makes you disappear- if you manage to see it long enough to apply it, of course- and that goes along with the darkness powder, and-"
"Bro, you might wanna breathe," Nick says worriedly as he appears next to him. "You know, that thing with your lungs, it's pretty simple, you'll get the hang of it…"
"Oh, shut up, mister I-want-to-marry-Gringotts-and-have-it-bear-my-children," snaps Johnny at Nick, who has the decency to blush. "Anyways, let's go get this stuff, and then maybe Quality Quidditch Supplies? My mum talked to yours and she allowed you to go as long as we take your sister…"
"Oh sure, awesome! Just let me check something…" I say, the last of my sentence trailing off as I glance reprimandingly at Saph, who doesn't even see me (too busy being giggly and sparkly or whatever the F it is girly girls do, I suppose). I run up the trick steps towards the WonderWitch section, where I am immediately assaulted by a wave of violent pink and a bright, girly, and most importantly, way too fast voice that I can so easily identify.
"Omigod Jess have you seen these they're so awesome and these little things are pygmy puffs and aren't they just the cutest thing ever? I'm so happy I didn't get a pet at the Magical Menagerie because I am so getting a pygmy puff- I was thinking one in pink but like what shade because I was thinking bubblegum but then again there's magenta and I don't know what to choose but I do think that maybe it's best if I just-"
"Sapphire, breathe!" I command, effectively stopping the oncoming storm, no matter how pink and sparkly said storm might be. She shuts up immediately- maybe it's the use of her full given name, which she doesn't really like- and turns a faint shade of pink (I'm beginning to get sick of that color, it's seriously giving me a migraine). "Sorry, Jess," she says sheepishly. "Did you want to say something?"
"Oh, yes," I reply. "Just that if you try to get a Love Potion for Johnny-oh, don't you dare deny it-" I say, raising my eyebrow, as she had opened her mouth. She closes it and turns even pinker-"so yeah, if you buy a love potion, I will personally eviscerate your insides with a spoon. Got it?"
"Yeah," she responds weakly.
"Good," I say, and with a decisive nod, I turn away from her.
After that lovely chat (I think may have come off too strong about it- I wouldn't really eviscerate her insides with a spoon- I'd leave that for Johnny) I pick up some pranking necessities such as Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougats, Portable Swamps- you know, the works. After paying for my new loot I find Johnny and my sister and we run off to QQ (wow, that's actually really fun to say).
However, I think I am now incapable of speech.
This is pure effing heaven.
The brooms are so totally amazing and I actually spot 2 new brands- Laser and Shot- that weren't real in the 1980's. I flag over a salesperson and he enthusiastically shows us the new broomsticks they have, their leading brands- which appear to be Nimbus, Firebolt, and Laser, as Shot is apparently for families- and asks about or positions on the field. He only gets that far, though, as the rest of the families show up and we excuse ourselves so we can actually breathe.
"So what position were you thinking of playing?" I ask as we stand just off the shop.
"Oh, I dunno…" he says, grinning impishly. "Most people would say I have the build of a Seeker-" he stretches out his arms and I have to agree- he's small, light, and lithe, with the perfect build for it- "but I think I'll go for Beater."
"Beater," I deadpan.
"Yes, Beater. I'm strong enough, though I don't look it- even if not, I can work on that- and in fact…" he pauses, giving me a once-over. "Yeah, I could lift you."
"Well, first off, that's not that hard, you know," I say pointedly. "And second, do you mind if we don't test that theo- hey!" I laugh, because, Jonathan has grabbed me and lifted me up- not all that high, not really, but high enough to make me worried that his arms won't hold up. He spins me quite easily and I shriek and punch him lightly as he sets me down.
We're both still laughing when Sapphire comes in.
"Oh, crap," I mutter, because I have just realized how bad this can look from another viewer's' point of view. However, this apparently was not the smartest thing to say under these circumstances, because it was all the confirmation she needed.
She started shrieking at us, words I couldn't possibly make out- the random word here and there, but I did manage to figure out a sentence that went somewhere along the lines of 'What the hell is this?' (although she did use words that were slightly, erm, stronger). She rants for around five minutes, but it is only when she pauses for breath that I have the foresight to clap my hand on her mouth, effectively shutting her up. She glares at me but does nothing.
"Sapphire Williams, nothing happened right now, I do not like Jess- no offense-" he adds hastily to me, and I nod- "and she does not like me, but might I ask why you care so much?"
"I don't care," she mutters.
"Sure you don't," I respond sarcastically. She glares again.
"Well? I'm waiting," prompts Jonathan.
Saph mumbles something unintelligible.
"Sorry, didn't catch that," says Johnny pleasantly.
"I've liked you for around a year now, you oblivious buffoon," she says clearly.
Johnny's pleasant facade drops to reveal one of shock. His jaw drops and hangs somewhere around the region of his navel, as Saph slowly turns redder.
"I should go," she mutters hastily before running back to the shop.
Johnny still appears gobsmacked.
"Um...wanna talk about it?" I ask hesitantly.
His face doesn't bear any recognition of words entering his brain.
"...Johnny?"
No answer.
"Well then, I'm just going to go...anywhere else," I say hurriedly, and with that sense of unfinished finality, I go inside.
I look around at the rest of my friends. No matter what, it had been the most amazing day of my life and I can't wait to go to Hogwarts.
(...now if only Saph and Johnny finish up their convoluted love story, everything will be fine).
Sapphire is crazy. Especially when she's jealous. Johnny can testify. And also- you'll get to see a lot more where that came from…
Now, I don't like the ending and I'm not too happy with this chapter right here, but this had to happen cause it plays out in the rest of my story, so bear with me. It's gonna be very dramatic ;-)
Review if you liked it! Ideas, are, as usual, always accepted. PM me if you want, I don't care. Oh, and next up- mindless summer vacation drabbles!
Ciao!
ronk7