The Wand

Raven had found the Pub called the Leaky Cauldron easily enough. But to his surprise nobody else seemed to see it. Or maybe it was just nobody wanted to see it. It was an old and dingy place that looked like it had been burnt down several times before with peeling letter. Or, maybe it was magic that made you not want to see it, suggested a voice in Raven's mind. So Raven entered looking around. The pub didn't seem to be anything spectacular. Not that Raven knew much about pubs; pubs were expensive there was no way he could ever afford to dine out at there. And if he tried to go in to get warm for a little bit the employees and owners would take one look at him and shoo him out. Having a dirty, ratty, homeless kid loitering on your doorstep was really bad for business apparently. Nobody so much as looked at him. But he had no idea how to find his way into Diagon Alley. He needed to ask someone. Raven hated asking people for help. But ah well. He walked up to the bar where an old man with dark grey hair and dark eyes was serving.

'You're a bit young to be out on your own aren't you,' he said kindly.

Raven just snorted, 'jus' tell me how tae ge' intae the fucking Alley,' snapped the young wizard.

Tom had seen many strange people who came in and out of the Leaky Cauldron; hags and werewolves; ministers and businessmen; witches and wizards; authors and parents; everything and more. But this boy who he'd presumed was eight or nine yet seemed to be much older. He looked like he could do with a good scrub down and didn't seem to care what people thought of him. And the boy had really bad manners, the added as well. If Hannah started speaking like that she would certainly be punished. But then looking at the boy's mean stature he supposed he could do with some food. He hoped his Hannah who would be starting Hogwarts that year wouldn't get involved with such a little hoodlum. And he hoped when she got into boys she'd find someone who was not the typical bad boy even if girls could like that think at least according to his wife. He stood mouth agape for a second before pointing the boy in the right direction.

'That way,' he pointed, 'and you tap three up from the trash can and two across.'

Raven didn't reply but a nod. He didn't care if the man thought he was rude and uncouth. Raven was uncouth and rude and worse! He could feel the man's dark eyes on him and quickly exited the pub not liking being under the spot light. He had found it was better to remain in the background rather than the centre of intention he had learnt that at a very young age. It was useful for stealing and ferrying packages which he was sure had some sort of illegal package in. So the attention that the bartender had given him unnerved him especially as he was going thieving in this magical alley. He wondered if they had any magical way for thieves to be caught. He hoped not otherwise he'd be in shite. He found the trash cans that the barman had told him about. So he wasn't lying about that. But he still didn't trust the man. He may learn to just about trust people he knew. But they had to earn it. To trust an unknown man was completely beyond this street boy. Raven tapped the wall with his finger. Nothing happened straight away.

'Well that's fucking stupid,' he snarled.

Raven turned his back away from the wall. He had half a mind to storm in there and threaten the man with his knives to tell him where he could buy a bleeding wand. But then he felt a gust of wind on the back of his neck. Raven turned around and his mouth fell open. In the place of the old wall was an archway. He gingerly placed a foot forward not trusting enough to be sure that he would get there. But then he stepped out into the sunlight. He looked around amazed that there was this magical place right beside the everyday world. Outside one of the shops was a stack of various cauldrons in different metals; gold, silver, brass, steal and iron. Raven wasn't too amazed at them he'd never get any money from cauldrons. But the gold if he only knew how to melt it down. Another shop smelt worse than most drunken street rat whores he looked in and met with things that even Raven wouldn't eat. He didn't understand why people who had magic would need things like that. He heard the hooting of great birds that came from what seemed to be a pet store. Why anyone would waste money on an animal which was perfectly able to take care of itself but then turned its back on starving children Raven never understood he sneered at the animal a bit then left. There was a bunch of well dressed children surrounding a window.

'Look the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever,' they were saying excitedly.

Raven's curiosity got the better of him and he went over to see. To his surprise all he saw was a brush he left not looking very convinced at it. That was when he saw the huge snowy white building with gold letters. He stood mouth agape. He thought it was the most majestic building he had ever seen. And he couldn't help but be cowed at site. He was a street rat here. And he was scared, very scared, he wanted to learn about himself and magic but how can he an uneducated illiterate ever fit into this society which was so obviously well to do and wanted for little even the class list showed that they expected their pupils to have money. He shook off that worried thought. No that was wrong. He'd survived gangs, crooks, abuse, the streets, starvation and the cold and he'd bloody well survive this. He was Raven! Was this where wands were obtained from? He entered the building which seemed to be made up of marble halls and chandeliers where there were little creatures with long fingers and beady eyes. They seemed intelligent and dangerous. Raven could always tell things like this. They looked at him in disgust as his old, dirty, second hand clothes were just not right. Convinced that this wasn't right he quickly exited the building back into the fresh air of Diagon Alley.

Opposite the snowy white building was a building full of dresses. Raven didn't understand why there were men getting dresses in there. But decided not to question it as he walked past; the Wizarding world was just plain strange. He didn't want any of the clothes. As long as he had enough clothes to keep him warm that was fine. He supposed they must keep you warm in the winter though. There was an ice cream parlour outside as well which was all well and fine if you had some one to buy you treats like ice creams. He glowered enviously at the children who seemed to be all his age and younger. You were never that innocent on the streets. The mothers warned their children away from the dangerous looking boy who glared at their precious children with cold green eyes. Then there was a big shop of books and parchment and quills which Raven knew he'd never be able to go anywhere near giving the fact that he couldn't read even his name. Then he got to a shop which seemed more his calibre it seemed to musky and old with gold peeling letters on top of the door. And in the window was what Harry wanted most; a wand!

He quietly entered the shop careful not to make even the tiniest amount of noise that might alert the owner to his presence. He was glad and surprised to see that at the present nobody else was about. So he looked for what he wanted; a wand. There were piles and piles of small, rectangular boxes and an eerie sense of power tingling his core. For some reason he was draw to one little box in the corner which looked like it hadn't been opened in a few decades. He opened the little rectangular box and on a plush red cushion wrapped in purple silk wrapping was a dark piece of wood that seemed so perfect in every way and looked tremendously expensive. Raven picked it up and waved it about looking about worried that someone would see out of the end of the wand shot a few silver sparks. The street kid smiled and taking the wand and placing it in his coat pocket. Then Raven replacing the box where he had found it so it would be many years before Garrick Ollivander ever found out he'd been stolen for and left the shop. He knew that no one would see what he had done; nobody ever saw what he did. He knew it because he had stolen so many times it had become second nature to him. He had been thieving since he was four years old, after all.

The next day he was sitting twiddling his wand idly whilst eating the sandwich he had taken from the Zoo the day before when Jay came and sat beside him. Nobody said anything for a while even though Jay was the only one who knew Raven's secret. And this worried Raven. Raven didn't like anyone knowing anything about him. And the older boy knew his real names (that as of the day before Raven himself hadn't even known), where he had lived before, and where he was going. That was if Raven in the end even decided to go to school in the fall. Raven was many things educated and well mannered enough for a posh boarding school was not one. Raven looked mournfully into the river Thames whilst Jay hummed a tune that Raven had never heard of. But there again he only knew a few songs that he'd heard pounding out of pubs and clubs and in malls. He looked warily at the older boy as they sat on a wall. Their eyes met suspicious green ones to warm and caring hazel ones.

'So a wizard huh,' Jay opened the conversation realising the younger boy wasn't.

'What's it tae yeh?' snapped Raven.

'I think it's pretty cool that's all,' shrugged Jay. 'Wish I was a wizard,' he admitted.

'I won' fit in yeh wid but nae me,' shrugged Raven.

'What makes you say that?' asked Jay.

'Lik a' me,' retorted Raven. 'I wen' dere an' stole a wan',' he gestured to the stick he was playing with.

Jay frowned he hated what many of his fellow street kids had done to survive. He knew they had deemed it necessary for them. And the younger kids couldn't work like he could. But did they have to be so casual about stealing. Then he remembered how Raven had lived in a cupboard beforehand. He didn't know much about the younger boy's life but what he did know was bad. The boy had lived in a cupboard, had many scars on his person from the few times Jay had seen him changing and had somehow ended up in the streets. Jay somehow didn't think he was going to be learning any lessons off his parents… was it his parents? Could any mother or father really hurt their child like they had Raven? He'd heard stories before but they were just stories before his own parents had died before he'd ended up here with a Potter child. But he knew the boy wouldn't tell him as much as he'd like to know. His parents had always taught him morals and the way Raven lived was anything but the way his parents had encouraged him to live. But it seemed Raven had no one to teach him his morals. That was why he encouraged Raven to go to Hogwarts to live, to learn and for once in his life to be happy; to be simple a child!

'Well don't let it go to waste,' suggested Jay.

'I can' fuckin' do t'is I won' fuckin' fit in no' like you cid,' Raven shook his head.

Raven ignored Raven's swears with a frown that boy had such a potty mouth if it were him his parent would have washed his mouth out a dozen times already. Raven just seemed to swear with every second word. He liked the kid don't get him wrong. He could be funny as hell sometimes. But he was also very harsh and cold and if he felt that you were being a git, or a whiner, or an idiot, or pathetic or anything that Raven disapproved of you'd sure as hell know about it. Jay had never met anyone like Raven until he'd ended up on the streets a year ago accidentally and almost right away had literally run into Raven who had obviously been in a fight dragging with him a broken ankle and bloody arm as well as several knives which were covered in blood. Jay had never asked what had happened to his opponents. To be honest he didn't want to know. When Raven went to Hogwarts he'd miss him but maybe that would be his job done and he'd get to go back home. He knew his parents would still be dead but at least he'd know the boy would be safe and he'd know the rules that his society had. And he knew Raven would fit right in with the other kids at Hogwarts everyone felt that way at the beginning. He felt kind of honoured Raven was talking to him about it he got the feeling Raven didn't talk to many about things like this.

'Yes you can Raven! Yes you can! You're strong! At least give it a go and if you don't like it you can always come back,' suggested Jay.

Raven considered it. If for nothing else he'd get food. He wondered why he was telling Jay all these things. Ever since the moment he'd met Jay after that awful fight with Guy's boys. They'd literally ran into each other. Jay looked slightly panicked and out of place. Raven had laughed at him because he was wearing a red dress thing and then for reasons unknown to him helped him find clothes more suited to a homeless boy. Jay had said in that moment his parents were dead and something about masked men. Raven had understood that to mean that they'd been killed in a robbery. The two boys had never spoken of his parents' deaths again. Raven had a feeling the other boy didn't want to and he didn't force it. But Saint Jay as he was often known around here had a point and always offered good advice and had a wicked sense of humour. He often had practical jokes set up for passers by and made money on the streets not by stealing but performing. Raven thought he was the closest thing to a friend he'd had since Goldie and that scared him, a lot! He knew how easily trusts could be broken.

'Okay I'll give fucking school,' he sneered the word, 'a fucking try.'

Jay beamed his goofy smile at the boy.

So Harry now has a wand and in a few months is going to be off to Hogwarts. What will people make of him? And what will he make of them? Please review I'm going to have a meeting with the twins next time.