Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
August 24th
Elara paced nervously in front of the fireplace, waiting for her mother and Draco to come down stairs. Today was the day. Today she would finally get her wand.
She had shown signs of magic at a very young age, before Draco even began accidental magic. Her accidental magic was different, however. Instead of breaking an expensive vase without touching it or accidentally lighting a bush of ugly flowers on fire as Draco had; she began hearing things. Little quips that would run through her father's mind or snippets of old songs her mother would have stuck in her head. She could sense their emotions before they were in the room, and then she could touch them, skin to skin, and ease their frustrations, or make them feel happy.
She could remember when she was young, and her father had come home from a meeting. He was angry at the ministry for something, she couldn't remember what. But he stormed about the Manor, angrily slamming cupboards and berating the house elves… She stepped into the room and felt his anger and took his hand, looking into his eyes, and swallowed it. That was the first time her parents realized that it was more than just parental fondness that kept them so happy around her. She was able to manipulate their moods. To make them feel things they weren't feeling, or to take away strong emotions that plagued them.
She spent years in and out of St. Mungos, consulting with different Healers. Trying to learn what her abilities entailed, what she was fully capable of. It was a strange, wide eyed woman lurking the back alleys of Knockturn Alley that gave them the answer. She was a gypsy of sorts, reading tea leaves and telling fortunes to dim witted wizards for a fee. As she walked hand in hand with her father, the witch stopped them and stared at Elara.
"Empath." She had whispered, eyes wide. "Sir, your daughter has abilities that are from the beyond!"
Of course, Lucius Malfoy had no respect for the strange witch, turning her nose up at her and pulling Elara along. That was the first time she had heard the word, and when she returned to St. Mungos to see her Healer, she was alone. And she was able to ask the man about it. After a series of exercises, he was able to confirm that this rare ability was part of her. And that if the Malfoy's loved their daughter, they would not tell anyone about it. They would protect her, and they would keep her away from anyone that could be tempted to use her abilities for themselves. Because not only was she able to feel things deeper, to read the energy of the people around her and to influence their moods. But at some point, a natural born Empath could become a master manipulator. Someone who would be able to infect your mind and put thoughts in it that weren't there. A person who could make you do things you didn't want to do and make you relive it over and over—or forget yourself and everyone you've ever known. She was a walking, talking, Imperious Curse. And the Dark Lord was fond of using that curse to get what he wanted.
She had to commend her father, however. It had been well known my her for years that her father was not the bravest of people. He did not do things without motivation simply because it was right or just. He was often threatened into doing things he didn't want to do, and his mind could be swayed easily if a bit of power was dangled before him. As she got older, she expected her father to use her to get on the good side of the Dark Lord. She had prepared herself for it. When the Dark Lord approached and asked him why his daughter showed no interest in supporting his cause for the Malfoy name, he lied.
Elara had come to lose most of the respect she had held for her father. The older she got, the more she realized he used people and his past was so sordid and bleak that it disgusted her. She would get snippets here and there from the ghosts of his past and it terrified her to know that he would turn against almost anyone who got in his way. She held her breath for years, waiting to be the next person he trampled over for the sake of power.
When he lied, she understood that Lucius Malfoy was not a total coward. He was not someone with very clear morals—but he was someone who put his family into the top of his priorities. He tried to protect them the best he could. His failure resulted in Draco's mission, but he was not there to intercept that decision. She believed had he not been thrown into Azkaban, he would have died trying to save his children from being used as pawns.
Somehow her father had convinced the Dark Lord that Elara was a mute. A sickly child who did not speak and showed little magical ability therefore, they never sent to school. She stayed home, in her room, and read books. The only word uttered by the dark lord upon hearing this news was "Pity." And he moved on to enlisting Draco.
"You will stay with me, the entire time Draco." Narcissa's voice rang from the stairwell. "You can not afford to go wandering about on your own in times like these!"
"I get it!" He said, clearly flustered. "Okay! I understand! Can we just go now?"
"I'm serious, you two." She huffed, looking from her twins and pointing back and forth. "It isn't safe. We shouldn't even be going out there but Elara hasn't got school robes-"
"Or a wand!" She interjected.
"Or a wand." Narcissa agreed. "And we all know we've got targets on our backs. Stay quiet and keep your heads down. We need to get exactly what we need and get out."
"Understood." Elara said. "Now mum, can we please get going? I'd like to practice as much as I can today before I take the O.W.L.s tomorrow!"
"They'll let you take it without practice. It's mostly written tests anyway." Draco drawled, grabbing a pinch of green powder from the ornate brass cup on the mantle.
"yes well, I think It'd be better if I at least tried. I know all the motions and spells and have practiced with mother's wand. But a new wand could prove difficult…" She said, grabbing her own pinch of green dust and stepping in behind him. "Diagon Alley!"
They continued their conversation effortlessly, walking from the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron and paying no mind to the stares from the people around them. That was inevitable now. Their father was a publicly condemned Death Eater. People either shied away from the family or spat at them as they walked by.
Draco had warned Elara to not take anything that would be said to them personally. To just ignore everyone around them. She stayed engrossed with her conversation about taking her O.W.L.s, but she could feel the eyes on her. She could feel the shift in moods, the fear that pulsed through the people as they walked by. She kept her shoulders squared and her head high, as a proper Malfoy would. But she felt so small.
"Ellie." Draco said, waving a hand in front of her eyes as she stood, frozen in front of the ruins of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Shoppe.
"Something terrible happened here." She whispered, eyes wide as she looked at her brother.
"Look around, El, terrible things have been happening everywhere."
She moved her eyes around the Alley, every shop was damaged in some way. Missing windows, doors off the hinges, holes in the side of the walls… There was a scant amount of people, not packed like she remembered it being as a child. The ones who were there walked in groups of three or more, quickly moving place to place and not dawdling in the streets. It seemed… sad. As if all the air had been sucked from the place, all the happiness she remembered being here when she was young was gone. Replaced by fear.
"Lets just get the robes and your wand, and we'll go." Narcissa said, putting her hand on the small of Elara's back to guide her. "This can be overwhelming."
"It's just… So different than I remember." She whispered, looking to her mother.
Narcissa noticed the clouded fear in her daughter's eyes before it flitted away, replaced by practiced stoicism. "Everything is much different now, my love. Just keep your head down."
She slowly moved her legs, willing her lead feet to push forward. She had spent her life in the Manor, only leaving on occasion. She had been around the same people her entire life. Even when her mother had some sort of Gala or Dinner Party to impress ministry officials, she remained in her room, or the garden with people she knew. She swallowed hard, wondering if she was making a terrible decision in agreeing to leave home. She knew she had to, she knew Draco needed her, but panic was building in her chest. What if she crumpled? The overwhelming emotions pulsating out of every ridge of Diagon Alley was clouding her mind, suffocating her.
"Mum, she's not doing-"
"I'm fine." She said, snapping her attention back to her brother.
"I can have someone come get you fitted." Narcissa said. "At the manor. And we can get your wand another day. Draco already has the books you need and-"
"I said I'm fine!" She said, swallowing her anxiety and heaving a hard breath. "I just needed a moment. Let's go."
Draco exchanged a look of concern with his Mother, but if he knew anything about his sister it was that if she wanted to do something, it was going to happen. No matter who stood in her way or what emotions she was feeling.
The white blonde trio entered Madame Malkin's and the woman behind the counter looked up from the Witch Weekly magazine she was flicking through. Terror instantly took the woman's surprised expression over. She quickly moved from behind the counter and approached them, nervously clearing her throat and trying to steady her breathing.
"Madame Malfoy." She greeted.
Narcissa dipped her head in a nod and motioned to her twins. "My children need new dress robes for the year. And Elara will be needing school robes as well."
"Yes, of course." She said, eyeing the younger female Malfoy. "Do you have a house association yet?"
"I don't." She answered. "I haven't been sorted yet."
"Just give her Slytherin." Draco said. "It's not like she's a bloody Gryffindor. Our entire family has been Slytherin for generations…"
Narcissa nodded. "Slytherin robes would be acceptable."
Elara stepped up on a large stand and pulled the robes over her head. She stood still as the witch placed pins and measured her. She saw Draco stand on the block next to her, looking annoyed and smug. A witch came from the back of the store to work on his alterations. Elara stood silent, looking around the small shop as her mother fussed over Draco, trying to get him to watch his mouth and to get his opinions on a new jacket for him to wear if he needed it.
Her head turned as she felt something new enter the room. She turned her head to see three pairs of eyes staring at them, all seemed a mixture of confused, angry, and intrigued.
"What are you staring at Potter?" Draco spat over his shoulder.
"Just trying to figure out when they allowed Death Eater trash to shop publicly." He fired back, his eyes wild with rage.
Draco stepped off the pedestal and crossed the room to meet Harry Potter, his chest puffed out. "You'd do well to keep that mouth of yours shut, Potter." Draco hissed.
"Or what?" He laughed. "Father is rotting in Azkaban, remember? Who are you going to run to now, Malfoy?!"
Draco brandished his wand, his chest heaving with anger. Elara stepped down and moved to his side, shaking her long blonde hair over her shoulders and lightly touching her brother's arm.
"Draco," She said, her voice even and calm. "Draco, we should get back to our robes."
"Who the hell are you?" The gangly red headed boy that Elara recognized as Ron Weasley asked, his tone more rude than necessary.
"My sister, Weasel." Draco spoke for Elara.
"Sister?" The bushy haired Hermione Granger repeated, eyes darting back and forth between them.
"Does that owl's nest you call hair muffle your hearing?" Draco said, teeth clenched.
"Draco, Elara!" Narcissa rounded from the back of the store with Madame Malkin, sensing that an issue may be arising.
"Mummy's calling, Malfoy." Harry said, a smirk on his face. "Better get back to it."
"Draco," Elara said, her voice steady and soft. "Let's go. It's not worth it."
"Better listen to your sister, Malfoy. Seems like she may know what's good for you."
"Don't talk about my sister, Potter!" Draco spat, shoving into him.
"Oi!" Ron said, cocking a fist back. "Watch your step!"
"Or what, Blood traitor? Going to set your mudblood on me?!"
"Draco!" Elara said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away from the trio. "Watch your language!"
Draco glared at her as he heard Potter and Weasley snigger behind his back. He felt the heat rise into his face, his temple throbbing. "I can say what I please!" He said, yanking his arm away from her. "Get off me!"
Elara watched, apprehensive, as Draco stormed back toward the small group. His strides were long and purposeful, and his wand was out. "Keep making jokes, Potter, and I'll curse you myself."
"That is quite enough!" Madame Malkin intervened. "Mister Malfoy if you would just-" The seamstress gave a light tug to his left sleeve and Draco yelped, yanking his arm away from her.
"You dumb cow!" He said, holding his arm. "You stuck me!"
"I-I didn't even-"
"I think that's enough here." Narcissa said.
Elara tuned out her mother quietly trying to calm her brother and stared at the trio. She had heard so much about them, had heard that they were vile, terrible people. But to her, they looked… normal. Like normal teenagers. The boys were rowdy, continuing to egg Draco on. Hermione was quiet, she seemed as if she were analyzing the situation, a look of intrigue on her face, her eyebrows knitted together.
She tapped Harry on the shoulder and nodded in Elara's direction. Her first instinct was to turn away, nose up and ignore them. Go back to her family and try to get Draco to stop being such a prat. But when a pair of bright emerald eyes caught hers, she couldn't look away. For a moment, he stared at her, eyebrows pulled together, ghost of a smirk on his face. They locked eyes and Elara could swear for a moment, she understood. She understood why everyone trusted this boy.
The moment was fleeting, and she quickly turned her attention to the controlled chaos ensuing behind her.
Harry stood, stiff as a board, ready to strike as Malfoy continued to push his buttons. He had to admit that every time the idiot blonde muttered the word "Mud Blood" it made his blood boil, even if it didn't bother Hermione anymore.
"Harry…" Hermione said, pulling his attention from the joke Ron made. "Harry, look."
Harry turned his eyes to the scene before him. Malfoy was arguing with his mother, accusing Madam Malkin of hurting him and whining about whatever else. But his sister… She stood, staring at them, ignoring her family behind her and looking at them with fascination, as if she had never seen another human before.
She seemed calm and she had proven that with her approach to her brother. Her eyes were the same color as Draco's, but there was something… different. Something he couldn't quite place. Before he had the chance to step forward and ask her why she was staring at them, she blinked and turned her back to them as Narcissa Malfoy called her name.
"Elara!" She said, sounding flustered. "Elara I've got your robes here, we're leaving."
"Elara." Harry whispered, the name feeling foreign to his lips. He wracked his brain, trying to remember ever hearing about a girl named Elara in any of his Malfoy stand offs…
"Harry…" Hermione said, as they left the shop and walked toward Flourish and Blotts. "I think she's his twin."
"Twin?" Ron said.
Hermione nodded. "They have the exact same eyes."
"So do me and Charlie and we're not twins." Ron said.
"You also aren't the same age. They are clearly very close in age, if they aren't twins." Hermione reasoned.
"Have you ever heard of her before?" Harry asked. "Ever? Can you remember ever hearing about Malfoy having a sister?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "No." She answered. "No, I don't think I have."
"Me either." Harry said. "And did you see the way he yanked his arm away from Madam Malkin? She barely touched him and he acted like he'd been burned. Something odd is going on here…"
"It's not unlikely for a pureblood family to have children that they keep in hiding though." Hermione said. "Did you noticed she wasn't holding a wand? Maybe she's a squib and they've kept her out of public eye to not tarnish their name?"
"I doubt it." Harry said. "Why would they bring her around now if she was a squib? They're Death Eaters, Hermione. They'd kill her if she were a squib. Or leave her at an orphanage."
"She had school robes though, in her hand." Ron said.
Harry and Hermione both looked at him, eyes wide.
"What?" He said. "You aren't the only ones that pay attention to things."
"Do you think she'll be coming to Hogwarts this year?" Hermione asked, as they rounded the corner.
"Dunno." Harry said.
His head swam for a moment as he realized he truly didn't know if she would be at Hogwarts, but for some reason, he hoped so.
Elara was nervous entering the wand shop. She had been waiting for this moment for what felt like an eternity. She entered the shop alone, her brother insisting he needed to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies and dragging their mother with him. He had winked to her when they left, knowing she would want to savor this moment without being rushed out or made to feel uncomfortable. She noticed the shop seemed a bit more dilapidated and more unorganized than she originally thought it would be, but she was too excited to care.
"Another Malfoy?" The voice came, quiet and frail from a shadow in the corner behind the desk.
A thin, old man moved forward, his face lined with age and his white hair swirling wildly around his head.
"Elara, sir." She gave her name, looking around the shop. "Elara Malfoy."
He took her hand in both of his and offered a small smile. "Unlike your family, I see." He said.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." She said.
"I mean no offense, my dear girl." He said, standing up and rounding the counter. "I am a wand maker, I have the ability to feel magical energies, particularly if they are loud. And you, dear child, have magic vibrating from every fiber of your being."
"I'm a witch." She said. "Of course I have magic…"
He gave a small smile. "We both know you are more than just a witch."
She knitted her eyebrows together, studying the old man as he moved about the shop, collecting a few boxes and bringing them to the counter. "Ah, yes…" He said, mumbling under his breath. "Yes… Give this a try then."
He handed her a box and she opened it, pulling out a wand.
"Go on." Ollivander said. "Give it a wave."
She nodded and said "Wingardium Leviosa." Pointing to a paper weight on the counter. The brass weight stayed in place, barely moving.
Ollivander frowned. "Hm." He said, walking around the shop as she continued to try a few more wands, with little to no success from any of them. She whispered the same spell what felt like a hundred times, the pile of boxes growing ever larger.
"Maybe it's just me." She sighed. "I'm sixteen and never owned a wand. Maybe I just am not supposed to have one."
"Oh, don't give up that easy!" He said, rounding the corner with his arms heavy with more boxes. "The wand you should wield just hasn't yet showed itself. It will. I just need to find…. Ah… Here. Try this one."
He gave her a box that was thick with dust. She coughed as she opened it, the small cloud puffing into her face. She looked up at the old man,, skeptical. She picked up the off-white knobby looking wand. She waved it, unconvincingly murmuring the same 'Wingardium Leviosa' she'd been trying the past fourteen or so times. This time, the paper weight came off the counter gracefully, dancing around as she moved it.
"Oh!" She said. "Sir! Look!"
The old man gave a small smile. "The wand chooses the witch, Ms. Malfoy! I just had to find the right one!"
"Why is this one different?" She asked, lowering the paper weight back to the counter and looking at the wand between her fingers, rolling it around and trying to feel every crevice.
"This wand, is one I made a very long time ago." He said. "It has not bonded with any witch or wizard since it's been crafted. I often make wands, very rarely do they not bond. After a decade or so, I must disassemble them and reevaluate the core and wood. Sometimes, the components just don't work together. This wand, however, I always suspected would work for a very special owner. I've kept it for nearly forty years, occasionally bringing it out for a try."
"And it hasn't worked until now?" She asked.
"Oh, it's always worked. It just hasn't bonded until now. You are one very special witch. 10 ¾ inch, Beech Wood, Phoenix Feather and.. ah Yes.. springy."
"Okay…" She said, still feeling very confused and silently kicking herself for not knowing more about wandlore.
"This wood," The old man started, taking a seat at the stool behind the counter. "Is quite picky with owners, as is its phoenix feather core. It's interesting, Ms. Malfoy, that this wand should choose you."
"Interesting how?"
"You see, Beech Wood will not work for any witch or wizard of narrow mind. It tends to lean toward younger magic, with open minds and understanding that nothing they know is set in stone. This wood types allegiance is very rarely won for that tends to be an issue. It is artistic yet precise."
She chewed his words over. Will not work for anyone of narrow mind. That's why he found it interesting. Because her family was known Death Eaters… Who were arguably the most narrow minded people in existence.
"And the core?" She asked.
"Phoenix is extremely selective of its master." He said. "I can count on one hand the phoenix core wands I have sold in the last decade."
"What makes it so special?" She asked. "Why would it be so selective?"
He smiled. "Phoenix cores tend to have the highest range of magic, making it difficult to master. Paired with a strong wood- like Beech, it could make your wand extremely effective. It seems as though you will be able to handle it, inquisitive as you are in an old man's hobby."
She smiled, noting the polite dismissal of her questions. "Thank you sir, for the information."
He gave a small nod. "Most young witches and wizards don't care to know what makes their wand tick. I like to think it can make a difference when you do."
She nodded, pulling out a small velvet bag and handing the man the Galleons to pay for the wand. As she turned to leave, her wand in hand, he stopped her. "Ms. Malfoy?"
She turned around. "Yes?"
"Take heed with your wand. Should you make unsavory decisions, your wand will follow. Your wand is made for all types of magic, all strengths and skill levels, and you may find it has a mind of its own if it disagrees with you. Be sure about the magic you cast with that wand. It could make a difference."
"Yes, sir." She said. "Thank you."
She left the shop and hoped that the man inside of it survived the impending war. Knowledge like his was rare, and she was sure he'd be captured and exploited for that at some point. Everyone on the Dark Side seemed so obsessed with power, if there was a way to gain more power through a wand, he would know. And he would be tortured until the words were drawn from his lips.
She walked along the cobblestone street, deep in thought about her own wand. She could feel it buzzing in her hand. It felt foreign to hold something so personal out in the open for anyone to see. She made a promise to look more into wandlore, to study it a bit more in her spare time.
She wasn't paying a lick of attention to her surroundings when she walked straight into the backside of her brother. He whipped around, wand out, looking fierce. When he recognized her, his face softened a bit and he lowered his wand.
"Elara." He said, eyes darting around the alley. "You startled me."
"Sorry." She said. "I wasn't paying attention. Where's Mother?"
"Talking to the shop owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies, I think. I don't know, I left her there."
Elara narrowed her eyes, staring at him. "Where did you go?"
"I'll tell you about it later… You got your wand?" He asked, looking at the white wood in her hand. "And it's white? That's rare."
She nodded. "ten and three quarters, beech wood."
"What's the core?" He asked. "Unicorn? Like mine?"
She shook her head. "No. I expected that honestly, I tried half a dozen that must've been unicorn hair… But no. It's a phoenix feather."
His stormy eyes clouded with fascination and a tinge of jealousy. "Phoenix?" He repeated. "You're sure? A rare wood and a rare core?"
She nodded. "I thought it was odd too. I tried probably twenty wands though, it was the only one that worked."
"Well, a wand's a wand." He said, shrugging his shoulders. He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the street, headed back to find their mother and end the day in public. He had had quite enough of people staring at him in fury and hatred today.
He knew people were going to hate him now. That was inevitable. He knew he wasn't the most likeable person to begin with, and he had always been okay with that. Reveled in it, really. He enjoyed the distance from others—the privacy, that his name had created for him. However, people looked at him with such disgust, such anger now. They all knew his father was a Death Eater, and he could feel every pair of eyes crawling across his skin looking for the mark that branded him as well. He was finding it difficult to hold pride in his family's name now. Even through his own indecisiveness, his own insecurities, he was able to hold his head up and pretend. Pretend to be just as proud of being a Malfoy as he had always been.
He was terrified for Elara, though. She had spent her entire life being neutral, keeping out of political matters—blood matters. She never voiced her opinions on any of it, to be honest Draco wasn't even sure if she believed in any of the propaganda his father had spent years pushing at them. She was good. She was so untainted by any of this mess, so innocent. He didn't want people rudely assuming nasty things about her. She didn't deserve the insults and nasty looks that were hurled at him on a regular basis. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and leaned over and placed a small kiss on her temple.
"What's that for?" She asked, surprised at the random warm gesture. Draco rarely showed affection for anything, let alone in public.
"I'm just glad you'll be here with me this year." He said.
a/n: Sorry it took a while to get this posted. Work has been hectic with the holidays ending and what not. I'm planning a vacation for the fall, so I've been picking up loads of extra hours to save up! (yay!)
Anyway, what did you think? Reviews would be greatly appreciated!
Anyway, it just after 1 am, and im beat. I worked 11 hours today before I got on to edit and upload, so I'm off to bed. I already have the next chapter almost ready! So I'll have that posted soon! Thanks for reading
