26. Diagon Alley, Corner to Corner
The next morning Ella woke up when a damp towel landed on her face.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead," Shelly called. "We need to get going!"
Ella sat up in bed, pulling the towel off her face. "Blech! What happened to waking people up nicely?" she complained.
Shelly grinned. "That was nice. Mean is pulling the covers off and pouring cold water on you. Get dressed, breakfast is almost ready."
Ella slid out of bed and glanced at her watch. Seven in the morning wasn't that early, but she felt muddleheaded, as though she hadn't slept most of the night. She dressed in clothes she hadn't packed in her trunk, brushed her hair back, and poked through the jewelry box Shelly had given her. Her finger caught a filigree chain, and she pulled it out of the box. She held the stone up in the light and watched it flash as it turned in the morning sun.
She wasn't the daughter of a jeweler for nothing. If this wasn't a real diamond, she would eat it for breakfast. She draped the chain over her hand and walked down the hall to confront Shelly. This was too much. Shelly couldn't give her expensive jewelry, and she knew it hadn't been in the pieces she had bought the day before.
"Shelly!" Ella called as she walked into the kitchen. "You left one of your own necklaces in the jewelry box you gave me, and I'm sure you didn't mean to give it away." She held up the necklace, and Shelly took it in wondering hands.
"This isn't mine, Ella—I've never seen it before," she said as she also held it up in the morning sunlight.
"Then where did it come from?" Ella asked impatiently. "I didn't buy it yesterday, and I don't remember it being there last night."
Shelly shrugged her shoulders. "Don't ask me. I think you should wear it today, though; it's perfect with that blouse." She slipped it over Ella's head and let the chain fall around her neck. Ella looked up at Shelly.
"Isn't that a rather cavalier attitude? 'Who knows where this diamond necklace came from, why don't you wear it today'?"
Shelly shook her head. "No, it's just that I know your uncle is fond of giving anonymous gifts. He doesn't like people gushing all over him, so things will just show up. He'll play dumb if you thank him for a gift he supposedly didn't send, so it isn't worth trying. If you like the gift, though, you use it or wear it the very next day, and several times soon thereafter, especially if he's able to see you. That's how he receives his thanks. So, if this is from him, as I suspect it is, you'll wear it today, because it goes perfectly with that blouse. Coffee or tea this morning?"
Ella shook her head and sat down at the table. Things kept changing so quickly; she had no sense of where or when the next surprise would come. She was getting tired of looking foolish and asking "what?" constantly like a demented parrot. She resolved to accept things as they came and to remember that very little was done in the way to which she was accustomed. That resolve was tested almost immediately.
"We should get going if we want to make it to London at a decent hour this morning. The crowds will be something fierce," Shelly announced while Ella polished off her pancakes.
"How are we going to get there?" Ella asked. "Will we drive?"
"Goodness, no!" Shelly exclaimed. "Normally, I just Apparate, but you aren't licensed, and dual Apparation is not a good idea. We would use the Floo, but I think Doctor Arres would have my head if I sent you spinning through the Floo Network."
Dang! I couldn't make it even two minutes! Ella complained internally before asking, "What's the Floo Network?"
"It is a way to travel, using fireplaces. You light a fire, toss in Floo powder, and call your destination. Then you go spinning through the network, and it spits you out on the other side. However, it can be a bumpy trip, and most people don't land very gracefully. I don't want to chance you getting hurt."
"So how do we get to London?" Ella asked. "Magic carpets?"
"Oh, no, those were outlawed years ago. We'll take the train."
"Of course. The train," Ella said with a sigh.
XxX
When they sat down on the train, Shelly pulled out a set of flash cards to help Ella begin to learn to recognize ingredients used in Potions. The car was mostly empty; there was a young woman with two children, a couple businessmen going in late, and a few university students partying away their last week before classes began. Ella slowly worked her way though the cards, matching properties with pictures, and memorizing the uses and usual combinations. They were on the outskirts of town when one more person climbed on the train. He looked to be about twenty, headphones blasting music, a ratty backpack over his shoulder. He looked up at the route map, tracing the distance between stations with a finger, tapping one longer stretch before sitting down in a seat by the door. Two stops later the train traveled over the portion of the track he had been so intrigued by. He stood and pulled a gun from his pocket and received the undivided attention of every passenger.
"Right then, nobody panic. You are all going to hand over your wallets and jewelry to me, and no one will get hurt." He pointed the gun around the train car, holding people paralyzed in their seats.
Next to Ella, Shelly began to act strangely. She started to breathe quickly, almost hyperventilating, and clutched Ella's arm. The man noticed and pointed the gun at them.
"You there!" he said to Shelly. "Get up. You're going to take my bag around to everyone and they are going to give you their things to put in the bag. No funny business, you understand?"
Shelly was visibly shaking, and she nodded franticly. "Yes, just please, don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me," she begged.
The man pulled her up by the arm and shoved his backpack into her hands. "You don't try anything, and you don't get hurt," he promised threateningly.
Shelly took the bag to the end of the train and slowly collected rings, wallets, earrings, money clips, and necklaces. When she reached Ella, she took the diamond necklace, but the ring wouldn't slide off Ella's finger. Shelly turned to the man in fear.
"I can't get it off her. It's stuck. I tried, I really did."
The man grabbed Ella's hand and tried to twist the ring off himself. Ella cried out in pain, but it was the arrival of the next train station that stopped him. He grabbed the bag from Shelly, and pointed his gun around the train again.
"No one gets off here," he demanded, then jumped through the doors and took off at a run.
There was a breath of relief when the doors closed and he was gone. The mother turned to comfort her crying children, and Shelly turned from her frozen post by the door. She walked over to Ella and took her hand.
"I'm sorry about your hand. Does it hurt much?" Her voice was perfectly normal.
Ella shook her head. "Not any more," she reassured Shelly.
"Will this make you feel better?" Shelly asked, and suddenly Ella's necklace dangled from her hand.
"How did you do that?" Ella asked.
Shelly laughed and began walking through the car, returning everything that had supposedly been stolen by the thief.
"I grew up as the child of street performers in London. We did a little acting, some sleight-of-hand, things like that. I figured he was going to make someone collect the wallets, so I gave him a hysterical frightened woman to choose. The beauty is that his bag already had things in it, so I didn't even have to steal ballast from everyone to weight it down."
The people in the car cheered, and the rest of the ride into London, Shelly was pressed to show off her old skills, making coins and cards disappear and reappear, or seem to transform into other objects. When they got off the train, Ella leaned close to Shelly to whisper to her.
"Did you really use sleight-of-hand, or was it magic?"
Shelly laid her arm across Ella's shoulders. "We aren't allowed to do magic in front of Muggles, Ella. I really did grow up as a street performer, and I'll tell you, it took me a while to really believe that magic wasn't the stagecraft my family practiced. Sometimes I think my family doesn't believe what I can really do, either."
XxX
They walked down a busy London street, and Shelly led Ella through the doors of the Leaky Cauldron. The pub was bustling, with every table filled. No one turned to greet them, except the bartender, Tom, whom Shelly declared to be "good people." To Ella's surprise, Shelly led her into the back alley behind the pub.
"Watch carefully," Shelly warned her. "The trick is to hit the right bricks in the correct order." She touched three bricks spaced around the wall and stood back for the stones to rearrange themselves. Ella's eyes opened wide, and she watched with wonder at the world that appeared before her.
Shelly caught her hand and turned to face her. "Ella, before we go in, you need to know that Diagon Alley prides itself on being the most wizarding street in England. There's a lot of strange things you're going to see. Stay close to me, and remember that most of the wizarding world is not this strange." She let go of Ella's hand but turned back suddenly. "One more thing. If you see signs for another alley, one named Knockturn, turn and go the other direction. Knockturn Alley is a very disreputable place, and nothing you need will be in a shop down there. Do you understand?"
Ella nodded, though she really didn't. "Where to first?" she asked Shelly as they passed under the arched entrance to the street.
"The bank. Some of the things we took for you need to be appraised, and you need to sign for your account. Then it will be off to the wand shop, the book store, and we can take a look at some of the animals, if you'd like to take one to school with you."
Ella nodded. The list did not sound too daunting, and she was looking forward to exploring the most magical street in England. They made their way though the crowd, dodging children, avoiding vendors, and working their way around window shoppers. The sign above the white marble pillars caught Ella's eye.
"Gringott's," she read aloud, "Is that the bank?"
"Yes," Shelly told her. "One word of advice: Don't stare at the tellers; they consider it rude."
"So would anyone. Why would I want to stare?" Ella's question was answered for her when they walked through the front doors. The strange creatures counting money and leading people around the building surprised her, not because she had never seen anything like them, but because she had.
"The goblins of Gringott's have been serving as treasure keepers and money lenders since A.D. 1093," Shelly told Ella in a low voice. "There are no better guardians for valuables in the world, and we are lucky they are willing to work with the wizarding world, considering how most people treat them."
They got in the queue that led to the tellers, and Ella felt free to stare at the inlaid flooring and the variegated marble pillars that decorated the inside of the bank. They slowly worked their way to the front of the line, where a goblin called them up with an impatient "Next!"
Ella followed Shelly to the window and waited quietly while Shelly produced the documents for Ella's vault and handed them over to the goblin. He looked them over with indifference at first, but something caught his eye, and he flipped through the papers, looked intently at Ella, then went through the papers with more care. He stamped an official seal on the last page and handed a quill pen to Ella to sign the papers.
Ella took the pen but held it helplessly. "My hand is injured, and I can't sign," she told the goblin quietly.
"It doesn't have to be a nice signature, just draw an 'X' or a line, so we can verify you are who you say you are," the goblin replied, his manner showing much more patience than before. Ella shrugged and made a sloppy line on the paper. When she finished, he waved over another goblin.
"Shamgar, why don't you take Miss Dafydd and her companion to the parlor while we make certain things are in order," the teller commanded. Shamgar bowed to Ella and Shelly and led them to a comfortable room, where they were invited to sit in wingback chairs and offered tea.
Ella followed as though she had expected nothing different, though the look on Shelly's face made it hard to keep up the charade. Obviously this was not how clients at Gringott's were usually treated.
They waited only long enough to sip at their tea, when the door opened and a well-dressed goblin entered, carrying a jewel case.
"I am Ringott, the twelfth manager of Gringott's bank. I understand that we have been asked to appraise these jewels for you, Miss Dafydd?" He laid the case on a handy table.
"Yes," Shelly answered, before Ella could formulate a reply. "These were obtained without an appraisal or receipt of value, and we wanted to be certain that they were of high quality. What have you decided?"
Ringott snapped the case open and turned it so that Ella could see the collection of gems inside. "For cut stones, these are of exceptional quality. There are, unfortunately, a few whose cuts were made for aesthetics, rather than for the clarity of the stone, but those are the minority. You have easily fifty thousand Galleons in stones here. Because so many of them are already cut as a matching set, I would recommend keeping or selling them as such because it increases their resale value. We will place a note of appraisal in your vault with the value and our recommendations. Is there anything else?"
Shelly leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'm sure Ella would like to see her vault."
The goblin bowed. "Of course. If the ladies would follow me?"
Ringott led them to a series of cars set on a winding track. He helped Ella and Shelly into the car, then called out, "Vault 1077." The car took off like a shot, sending them whirling around turns, up and down hills, and through several darkened tunnels. It came to a stop in front of a metal door, which Ringott unlocked with a small gold key. He handed it to Ella when the door swung open.
"This is the key to this vault. If it is lost, Gringott's will re-key the door and replace the key, for the fee on one Galleon." Ella took the key and placed it carefully in her pocket. Her jaw dropped at the stacks of gold coins and collection of jewelry and weaponry displayed against the walls inside the vault.
"This is all mine?" she asked Shelly in disbelief. There was a strangled cough from the goblin behind them, but when Ella turned to Ringott, he shook his head and didn't say a word. Ella looked around a bit more, filled a bag with coins, and exited the vault, pulling the door closed behind her.
"So, what now? Do we go back up to the surface?" Ella asked the goblin. He turned so quickly he almost stumbled over the edge of the track. Catching himself on the edge of the car, he looked at her in surprise.
"Don't you want to inspect your other vault?" he asked in an injured tone.
Ella looked at Shelly who shrugged. "My other vault?" she asked Ringott. "I have another vault?"
"Of course you do," the goblin said impatiently. "Do you wish to inspect it?"
Ella nodded and sat in the cart. "Yes, I certainly do," she said. Humor the crazy goblin, she thought to herself. He is the only one who can drive us back up to the surface. Ringott also climbed into the cart, and it set off without a word.
This time the ride descended deeper and deeper into the earth, the twists and turns leading ever down. Ella caught glimpses of other vault doors, a flame that flared briefly, and twice they shot past other carts on their way to other owners' vaults. Finally they slowed and rolled to a stop. This door was no metal vault door. It was set with stones, and the archway it hung from was intricately carved. There was no visible keyhole, either. Of course, that didn't matter to Ella because she didn't have a key of any sort for this door. The goblin exited the car and offered a hand to Ella.
"If you would care to unlock the door?" he asked her quietly.
"Where is the key?" Ella asked.
Ringott shook his head. "There is no key to this door. If you are who you claim to be, your hand will open the door. If you are not, the door will remain locked."
Ella gave him a bemused look and walked up to the gem-encrusted door. She placed her hand flat on the door, and to her wonder, it opened silently. As the lights came up, her jaw dropped, and she froze in place. Shelly came up from the cart to see what the matter was.
"Ella? What's going…" Her voice trailed off as her jaw also dropped.
The inside of the vault was enormous. Not only that, but it was full of gold, furniture, clothing, artwork, and jewelry of every manner, from crowns to rings and everything in between. Ella slowly walked forward to examine a painting she was certain she had seen in a history book. She almost walked past the gown displayed on a dress form, but the color caught her eye. It was a creamy gold, with a small repeated pattern in deeper gold woven through. She knew this dress; it was the Lady's. She turned to face Ringott, who was waiting by the door.
"You are still safeguarding the treasure of the Lady," she said quietly. "And I see you are keeping it well. I thank you for your vigilance."
She caressed the sleeve of the gown, which had been preserved for a thousand years in this underground treasure room. Her eyes strayed sideways to the jewelry that was on display, and she could not resist picking up a heavy gold crown inlayed with pearls and trying it on. She turned to face Shelly.
"What do you think?" she asked her godmother.
Shelly shook herself from her shocked trance and grinned at Ella. "Very nice. Not really appropriate for daywear, but it compliments your coloring nicely." Both women burst into laughter. It was the only response they could give to the incredible display that lay before them. Ella took off the crown and laid it gently back on the stand. She walked back over to the door and looked at Ringott. The goblin looked up the short distance he needed to meet her eyes.
"Is there anything you need me to do to help keep the affairs in order?" Ella asked him.
"Not right now, My Lady," he answered, "Though we will send you reports and requests for your approval, now that you are here."
"Very well," Ella approved. She gently closed the door of the treasure vault and climbed back into the cart. Shelly followed, and soon they were making their way back up to the surface of London. When they exited the bank, Shelly kept giving Ella bemused glances, but whenever Ella looked at her questioningly, she shook her head.
XxX
The silence lasted up to the door of Olivander's Wand Shop. The bell that sounded deep in the shop seemed to break the spell they were under. Mr. Olivander was assisting another girl while her mother looked on, so Ella sat down on a stool by the wall to observe.
There was a stack of narrow boxes sitting on the counter next to the girl. As Ella watched, she took a wand from Mr. Olivander and waved it in the air. Nothing happened.
"No, not that one either," Mr. Olivander said. He set the wand back in the box and added it to the pile of rejects on the counter. He looked at the wands that hadn't worked for the girl, looked at a piece of paper with numbers written on it, and narrowed his eyes.
"Tell me, Miss Zellin," Mr. Olivander said musingly, "Do you consider yourself a stubborn person?" The girl looked up at her mother when the lady disguised a laugh behind a cough.
"Stubborn is one way of putting it," the lady said with a smile. The girl rolled her eyes and nodded slightly.
"Ah! There is our difficulty. Your physical size and measurements suggested the more malleable woods, but of course they would not work for a stubborn personality. Wait here." Mr. Olivander scooped the boxes off the counter and disappeared into the high shelving. He came back with several dark boxes and placed them on the counter.
"Oak, ironwood, apple wood, and cherry," he said, pointing to each box in turn. "All containing a unicorn hair core. If I am right, one of these will do the trick."
The girl took out the wands one at a time and waved them. When she took the apple wood wand, there was a change in air pressure in the room, and a stream of silver sparks danced out of the top of the wand. She smiled with relief when she handed the wand to Mr. Olivander.
"Ten and three quarter inches, apple wood and unicorn hair. Very useful for transfiguration. This is your wand, Miss Zellin, and I trust you will take very good care of it." The girl nodded happily, and Mr. Olivander boxed the wand and handed it to her.
"That will be five Galleons," he told the girl's mother. She sighed as she took out the gold pieces.
"Pricey as always, Olivander, but there is no better place to get a wand. Thank you for your patience." He bowed slightly to the lady and the girl as they left the shop, then turned to Ella and Shelly.
"Shelly Murray, still the record holder for the number of wands I needed to try to match one to you. How is that peculiar combination holding up for you?"
Shelly laughed and placed her wand on the counter. Olivander picked it up and peered at it closely.
"Nine and one half inches, made of beech wood, with a phoenix feather core. Seemingly weak, yet long-lasting and strong, with a core that changes with the needs of the owner. Now that I know you, it's a perfect fit, but when you were the tricky child standing in front of my counter, I would have never guessed your innocent face would hide such contradictions," Olivander said fondly.
"I see you still remember not only every wand you sell but the embarrassing stories that go along with them," Shelly said ruefully. She turned to Ella, "Here I was, a Muggle street performer and magician, trying to get a magic wand. I must have had a stack of boxes four feet high before we found that wand. There was quite a crowd gathered by the time I finished, as well, so my instincts took over and I started pulling all sorts of things out of my pockets looking for my money, 'lost' the wand three times before reaching the door, and ran like hell once I reached the street. My boss still gives me a hard time, because he saw me that day. I don't think I'll ever live it down."
Ella laughed at the thought of a small Shelly performing Muggle magic tricks for a crowd of wizards. Olivander turned his attention to her.
"Who is this charming girl?" he asked Shelly. "You certainly aren't old enough for her to be your daughter."
"Thank you, sir, for the compliment, though my mother doesn't agree," Shelly told him with a grin. "This is my goddaughter, Ella Dafydd, and she needs her first wand for Hogwarts."
A strange look came over Olivander's face, and he extended his hand to Ella. She placed her right hand in his, and he turned it to see her ring. He tapped it gently and said, "Here is something else I will never forget. The first time I saw this ring, it was on the hand of a girl not much older than you. I had been commissioned to make a wand for the young bride of a Welsh nobleman's son. I was a little surprised, as back then, most women were given wands that were made out of pine or willow, very short, and with very weak cores; only enough to focus their magic, nothing they could really use. But this nobleman asked me to make her a true wand, like the ones that were made for men.
"Her hand was so delicate in mine, when I measured it, and her wedding band kept catching my gaze. Her wand was unique, as well—rowan wood reacted best to her, traditionally a male wood; not only that, but the rowan tree it came from sat at the heart of the nobleman's land. The core was a rare Griffin feather, which came from the family's own collection, as their crest was a rampant griffin. Oh, that girl was proud of her wand, and rightly so, as it marked her as a true bride of the family. That wand served her well her entire life, as a true wand should. Wait here, my dear," he told Ella, "I'll go get your wand." He walked into the shadows of the shelves, and Ella turned to Shelly, completely mystified. Shelly shrugged her shoulders in confusion, as well.
Olivander returned, carrying a wooden box with silver scrollwork. He placed it on the counter and opened it. Inside lay a pale wand on a velvet cushion. Ella looked from the wand back to Olivander.
"Aren't you going to tell me about the wand, Mr. Olivander?" she asked in confusion.
"I just did, Miss Dafydd," he replied. "Go on, pick it up and see how it works for you."
Ella reached in with her right hand and picked up the wand. She placed it into her left hand and slowly forced her stiff fingers to curl around the slender wood. She wasn't able to truly hold the wand; it rested on top of her palm with her fingers hovering in the air above it. She looked up at Shelly, who turned to Olivander.
"Will it work to test it in her off hand? Ella was in an accident, and her wand hand was injured."
Olivander gently slipped the wand from Ella's left hand, and placed it back into her right hand. "It may not feel comfortable, but a true wand will work if held in the wrong hand, between the feet, or even in the mouth, if one can annunciate around a stick of wood," he assured them. Ella copied the girl who had been in the shop and waved the wand in the air with a little flick.
The wand grew warm in her hand and a stream of light flew from the end and twisted around her, leaving a delicate scent and a distant chime in its wake.
"Wow, I would say it is certainly your wand, Ella," Shelly said. "How much does this one cost, Olivander? It obviously isn't your normal work."
"You owe me nothing more than five Sickles for the servicing and storage for the last twenty years," Olivander said quietly. "It wouldn't be right for me to charge for a wand that I've long since been paid for making."
Shelly's eyes narrowed as she fished out the required coins. Ella placed the wand reverently back in the box and slipped it under her arm. She walked out the door, but Shelly stayed back for a moment to give Olivander a piecing look.
"You're hiding something about that wand, old man, and I'll find out what it is. For one thing, I know that it has been more than eight hundred years since women weren't given true wands."
Olivander's reply was very mild. "I'm glad to see you paid attention to your history class, Madame Murray. You might want to hurry with the rest of your purchases. I've heard rumors that the weather might change on Diagon Alley this afternoon, and people would be well warned to be under cover before that happens." He turned a disappeared one last time into the shadows of his store.
XxX
Shelly caught up with Ella, and they went over to Flourish and Blots to get her schoolbooks. Most of the list Shelly was familiar with, having used many of them herself while at Hogwarts. The one item they had trouble with was the history collection. Shelly led Ella over to the man standing behind the counter.
"May I help you?" the man asked, putting down his newspaper.
"Where do I find all these books by T. Rogers?" Shelly asked, pointing to the six books on Ella's list. The man sighed and came out from behind the counter.
"We put them out on display over here, since every Hogwarts student is getting a pile of them," he said.
"Why in the world is Professor Binns changing his textbook?" Shelly asked, turning over one of the books in her hands.
"It isn't him that ordered them. There's somebody else teaching history at Hogwarts for the next seven years. That professor picked these books. The recommendation is that the younger students get the complete anthology, if they can afford it." He pointed to a slim book with a beautiful leather cover. "First year students will end up buying almost all of the books anyway, and this puts them all in one place." He flipped open the cover to show the extensive index inside. "The expandable book is expensive, though, and we do have some used copies of the single volumes in discounted bundles for a more economical purchase." He closed the book and left Ella and Shelly to consider their options.
"It isn't as though cost is a real consideration, is it?" Ella asked her godmother.
"No, and if you're going to have to buy all of these, you might as well save space. The nice thing is, if the author writes anything more, this copy will add it to the index, so you won't have to buy updated editions. That's why it costs so much." She flipped through the pages, and Ella watched amazed at the fanning pages continued on much farther past the apparent thickness of the cover.
"I want that one, just because it looks cool," Ella told Shelly. "There's something I really like about a cool-looking leather book."
Shelly looked down at Ella and laughed. "Whatever you say, my dear, whatever you say."
They paid for the books, including the very expensive "Concerning Magic: The Complete Writings of T. Rogers." They stepped back out on the street and Shelly stopped short.
"Ella," she said in an odd-sounding voice, "Why don't you go into the pet store there, and talk to the owner, to see if there's an owl or cat you'd like to take to Hogwarts with you."
Ella looked up at Shelly, wondering what had caused her strange behavior. When she didn't move from her place, Shelly said again, "Ella, go inside."
Ella looked down the street and saw a line of people in black robes and silvery masks advancing slowly. Everywhere along Diagon Alley people were stopping, the bustling and noise dying out as people realized that something was happening. The line of wizards continued to advance towards the frozen crowd, the people too frightened to do anything, until Shelly pushed Ella towards the nearest shop and shouted.
"Run!"
The crows burst into chaos and confusion; people were screaming, children running to get under cover, and wizards and witches were appearing and disappearing rapidly, filling the street with innumerable cracks.
Ella hurried as quickly as she could into the nearest shop. The bell over the door chimed cheerfully, an incongruous noise with the screaming on the street. Three children followed her in: a boy in his early teens, a girl about her age, and a younger boy, little more than a toddler. The owner of the shop came out of the back and beckoned for them all to follow him.
"Hurry, children. It'll be safer to be out of sight. Come sit in the back with me."
He waved his wand, and his front windows darkened, as though he had pulled a set of dark curtains across them. He then locked the door and made shooing motions to the children.
"Go on, go on. We don't want to be out here if there's going to be trouble."
Ella followed the girl while the boy tried to hush the toddler, who had begun to sniffle and ask for his mother.
The man led them to a back room with a table and a set of chairs. The older boy distracted the toddler with a biscuit, and Ella glanced around the room. From what she could see, this was a very odd sort of pet shop. For one thing, there were no cages. Owls sat on perches placed around the room, while cats roamed freely or lounged on stuffed cushions. A few toads croaked in a mossy box, and several bats hung upside-down in a dark corner. The man sat down across the table from Ella and smiled at all four children.
"Don't worry too much. The Aurors will be here faster than you can say 'Bob's your uncle' and they'll chase off the nasties. We'll just have a bit of a sit-down and wait for the all-clear. Now, Dominick," he addressed the older boy, "how is that owl working out for you?"
"Very wel,l Mr. Cromwell," Dominick answered. "Actually, we were going to stop by here anyway for Vivianne to pick an owl or cat for herself. She starts Hogwarts this year." The girl blushed and ducked her head.
"Are they still limiting the choices for familiars then?" Mr. Cromwell asked.
"Yes. Cats, toads, and owls are all we can bring," Dominick replied.
"Pity. Some people just don't bond well with that selection. I had a chap in here a week ago, and we found his best rapport was with a rare fish I had been holding onto for months. You never know what will show up as a witch or wizard's familiar." Mr. Cromwell sighed in disappointment. His face brightened as he turned to Vivianne. "I'll climb off my soap box, though, to help you find your first familiar. Which would you like: cat, toad, or owl?"
"No toads, Mr. Cromwell. They're out of style right now, and she'd be given no end of grief if she went with a toad," Dominick interjected.
"And what if your small sister finds she has an aptitude in Potions?" Mr. Cromwell asked. "No self-respecting Potions student should be without a toad. No better test subject exists than toads."
Vivianne smiled shyly. "I don't know that I'm going to be that good in Potions, sir, but I do know that I get along well with cats, and I think I'd like to look at the ones you have."
Mr. Cromwell shook his head. "In this shop, my dear, you don't pick your familiar. They pick you. That way, you get along well from the start. You sit here, and I'll get you some treats. The kitties will find you fast enough." He went over to a row of drawers, pulled out a handful of cat treats, and dropped them into Vivianne's lap.
Mr. Cromwell had been right. It wasn't two minutes before cats began sauntering towards the girl. They gathered at her feet, looking intently up at her. One striped cat jumped up onto her lap and began to purr loudly while it rubbed its face against hers.
"There you are then! One cat, one carrying case, two Galleons. Quite a bargain if you ask me," Mr. Cromwell proclaimed, placing a wicker carrying case next to Vivianne.
"Dominick, did Mum give you money?" Vivianne asked her brother.
"Yeah, she did. Here you go, Mr. Cromwell." Dominick handed over two gold coins.
Ella started when a paw batted at her ear. She turned to find a small ginger cat with delicate markings and one foot with white toes sitting on the counter behind her. It reached out again and batted her nose before walking down the length of the counter. Halfway down, it slipped and stumbled slightly. Looking back over its shoulder the cat gave a look that said, "I meant to do that." Ella giggled softly at the antics of the cat, and it turned and walked back down to her and climbed over her head, down her shoulder, slid down her arm, and ended up in her lap in a boneless heap. It turned and began washing its back.
"Make yourself at home," Ella told the cat. It looked up at her and gave a satisfied, "Meh," and went back to its ablutions.
The five sat companionably around the table until the all-clear sounded from the street about ten minutes later.
There was a pounding on the door, and Shelly's voice called into the shop. "Are you in there? It's safe to come out now."
Mr. Cromwell led the way back to the front of his shop, where he checked carefully before lifting the spells that covered his windows. There was a general complaint and shifting from the animals when the light once again streamed through the windows to flood the room. He unlocked the door and let Shelly come inside. Dominick checked the street and left with his brother and sister. Vivianne called back to Ella, "See you at Hogwarts!" as they walked out. Ella waved back with her bad hand, as her good one was busy holding the cat, who had refused to be put down when Ella had stood. It had scrambled up her arm and draped itself around her shoulders. Shelly pushed her hair back out of her face and leaned against the front counter.
"What happened?" Mr. Cromwell asked.
"We don't know if the Death Eaters meant to attack, or just to threaten. Enough Aurors and like-minded people stood their ground that they choose to leave rather than face that many defenders. They're getting bolder, though, if they're even willing to show up on a public street like this in the middle of the day. It'll be open warfare again before long, mark my words. I just hope things can hold off until the kids are back in school. That puts a significant part of our population out of reach," Shelly said wearily.
"And if the schools are attacked?" Mr. Cromwell asked quietly. "That places a significant part of out population at risk; has the ministry considered that?"
"This summer, every school of magic has been turned into a stronghold with bolt-holes, escape routes, and extra defenses. I think it's more likely that the schools will end up as refuges should things go badly in the war." She turned to Ella then and asked, "Who's your little friend there? Did you choose it as your familiar?"
Ella shrugged, "It chose me really." She turned to Mr. Cromwell. "Is this one available for purchase?"
Mr. Cromwell gently lifted the cat from Ella's shoulders. "This little one is a special situation. You see, she's not a true cat. She's a kifflin, and as such, I can't sell her, only the things required to take care of her. If you're interested, we can see if her mother will let her go to you."
"And what, exactly, is a kifflin?" Ella asked Mr. Cromwell.
"They're a rare breed of modified cats, originally from Wales. As to their modifications, well, they're easier to see than explain." He gave a low whistle, and a larger cat ran into the room and jumped up on the front counter.
"Aleda," Mr. Cromwell said to the cat, "this girl would like to be considered for the little one." The cat cocked her head to the side and considered Ella, who was standing several feet away. She gathered herself on the edge of the counter and jumped. Ella let out a cry of surprise when a pair of wings unfolded from the cat's sides and she flew in a circle around Ella and back to the counter. Once there, she licked the younger cat's face several times, then nudged her towards Mr. Cromwell.
"It looks like you pass," he told Ella. "As such, the little one is yours. You can purchase a specialized carrying case from me, along with literature about kifflins, and a supplement you'll need to add to her food for the first year to help her develop her flying abilities."
Ella swallowed her surprise and asked, "She can fly? How far? Can she carry anything?"
Mr. Cromwell smiled. "Right now, she can't do more than glide a few feet. But once she reaches her full size, she'll be able to carry messages and packages the same as an owl." He lifted the kifflin and extended her paw towards Ella. "Do you see how flexible her toes are? She'll be able to grasp things and lift them. Kifflins were designed as distinctive messengers. That they look and act like cats when their wings are folded is a nice benefit." He offered the small cat to Ella. "Do you want her?"
Ella stroked the kifflin. Now that she knew they were there, she could feel the edges of her wings as they lay folded against her sides. The cat started to purr in contentment. Ella turned to Shelly.
"Will I be allowed to have her at Hogwarts? She isn't a cat, or an owl."
Mr. Cromwell answered her. "She's classified as a cat, and Hogwarts has allowed others in the past. You won't have a problem."
Ella paid for the kifflin's things, and Shelly took the carrying case and the bag that held the book and medicine. When they left, Shelly quickly steered Ella back to the Leaky Cauldron and out into Muggle London.
"No offense, Ella, but I think I better get you home before someone comes up and claims you are the heir to some ancient Wizarding family and are under a prophecy to help defeat the enemies of the Wizarding world."
Ella laughed at Shelly's comment, but on the train ride back to Bath, she had to wonder about the events of the day. There was something more going on, but she just didn't know whom to ask. When they reached the house, Shelly left quickly, saying she needed to run to her office for a short time. Ella settled down in a comfortable chair, reading her new books and petting the cat curled up in her lap.
XxX
A/N: so it's a little fluffy... I admit it. But at least it's a good length! Please let me know what you think of the story thus far.