A/N: Just thought I'd add, unlike many 'Second Generation' fics, this one's
actually going to involve the kids' parents. They're not just going to have
one or two lines. They'll actually be important to the plot. After all, how
can you call it 'Harry Potter' fan fiction, if the man himself has nothing
to do with it? ;)
~
A Shadow Rising
Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
The week before Norah and her family were to visit their relatives passed so quickly, that she could scarce believe she was already at their house, and sitting on the extra cot in her cousin's bedroom.
"I can't believe we're going to be at Hogwarts in less than a week!" Becky squealed in excitement, red curls bobbing up and down as she hopped onto her bed. She had somehow managed to receive one hair gene from her father, and another from her mother.
"I know!" Norah replied. "It's so great, isn't it? Just think, we'll actually get to see all the places that our parents told stories about..." her eyes had a dreamy look to them.
"So, what house do you think you'll get sorted into?" Becky asked, flipping open her August issue of 'Youth Sodalitas', a popular magazine with young witches.
"Gryffindor, I hope," Norah answered. "My whole family's been in it, after all. What about you?"
Becky shrugged. "Probably Gryffindor. Both my brothers are in it, after all."
"I hope you're right," Norah said. "Imagine if you got sorted into Slytherin? Think about it!"
"I don't even want to! Only ugly people get put in Slytherin!" Becky giggled. "Come here, you have to see this picture!"
"What?" Norah came over and sat down beside Becky, peering over her shoulder curiously. She was pointing at a picture in the magazine of four young wizards, who were waving and flashing brilliant smiles. "Who are they?" Norah wanted to know.
"A new wizard band, called 'Clarus'," Becky replied. "They're absolutely brill!"
Norah squinted at the attractive young wizards who were winking back at her. "Why're they called Clarus?"
"I think it's their last name," Becky said. "Two of them are brothers and two of them are cousins."
"Have you heard any of their music?"
"No. But I'm sure it's brill!"
They were silent for a moment, then Becky tossed the magazine on the floor beside her bed, where it landed amongst a clutter of other things. "I hope we get sorted into the same house," she said.
"So do I," Norah agreed. "But I'm tired, and we've got to wake up early tomorrow to go shopping. Let's get some sleep."
"Good idea," her cousin said, putting out the light. "'Night, Norah."
~
Diagon Alley was brimming with students and their parents shopping for school supplies. Norah was practically beside herself with excitement. She had only been to the Alley once before, when she was very young. She wanted to visit all the shops, and look at all the displays, and generally be everywhere, and do everything at once.
Her brother and older cousins had rushed off to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Becky's parents were still busy at the Ministry, and Norah's parents had decided to visit Fred and George at their joke shop, so Percy's daughter, Christina, had agreed to chaperone the two girls.
They went to be fitted for school robes first, much to the displeasure of Norah. She stood there, bored, while Becky chatted with the woman who was fitting them.
"What do you girls need next?" Christina asked when they emerged from the shop. "And what do you think of this?" she pulled a vile containing some sort of blue liquid out of one of her bags.
"What is it?" Becky asked.
"It's a potion that'll turn your hair blue for a couple hours. I thought I'd use it the night before school starts, to freak my Dad out." Christina was a generally normal girl, and had never been particularily rebellious, except when it came to her father. She was intent on being as different from him as possible - and Norah really couldn't blame her.
Next they bought their school books, parchment, ink, and cauldrons. At noon they decided to stop and have a rest on the steps of an ice cream parlour which claimed to have over six hundred and forty different flavours. Norah chose her favourite - chocolate - while Becky decided on a combination of mint, banana, and strawberry. Christina went off to find some friends, promising to meet her cousins back at the ice cream parlour in a half an hour.
"You know what I've been thinking?" Becky asked. "I've been thinking, about all the Death Eater stuff, we're probably really safe at Hogwarts if anything happens, you know? I mean, the whole time he was in power before, he never got into Hogwarts... Well, maybe once or twice. But hardly ever! Anyway he's probably dead, you know, he's probably dead out in Albania or wherever. Our parents were absolutely brill, weren't they, in the war? Weren't they? Norah? Norah, are you listening?"
Norah wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Her ice cream was melting and dripping down her arm.
"Norah! What is it?!" Becky waved her hand in front of her cousin's face.
"What?" Norah blinked, then blushed furiously. "Sorry, nothing!"
"Oh sure," Becky rolled her eyes. "You were looking at something... Or someone! Have you seen a cute bloke, Norah? Where is he?!" Becky glanced around at the crowd of shoppers.
Norah shrugged. "Don't know. He's out of sight now," she said.
"Well what did he look like?" her cousin asked.
"Umm... I don't know. He was cute. And, umm... Had blond hair."
"That's it?! That's what you let your ice cream melt for? Blond hair? There's plenty of blond hair to go about, you know."
"Look, he was cute, OK? Now can we please just drop the subject?" Norah snapped.
Christina met them at the scheduled time, and the three cousins stood on the steps, looking at their lists.
"I've got everything I need," Christina stated. "What about you two?"
"All we need now are our wands," Norah said.
~
The three girls stepped inside Ollivanders. The shop was strangely silent compared to the buzz of activity outside.
"There's already someone here," Christina said. "Just wait 'till he gets his wand, and then you can get yours'."
"That's him!" Norah said through clenched teeth.
"Who?" Becky blinked.
"The cute bloke!" Norah whispered.
"Oh, cool," Becky said absently, apparently distracted by something in the window. Norah sighed.
Once the 'cute bloke' had exited the shop, Norah and Becky stepped up to the counter. Ollivander peered over at them and smiled.
"Ah, Miss Potter," he said, "and Miss Weasley, I presume." The girls nodded, not bothering to ask how the old wizard knew their names. "Let's see, we'll start with you first, shall we?" he nodded at Becky. He took her measurements, then pulled a rectangular box off a nearby shelf, opened it, and handed the wand to Becky. "Try this one. Willow, unicorn hair, 8 1/2 inches."
Becky gave the wand a swish. Nothing happened. She frowned.
"All right then," Ollivander said, taking the wand back from her, and placing another in her hands. "This one then. Maple, phoenix feather, ten inches." Still nothing.
After five more tries, Becky finally found her wand. Maple, unicorn hair, 11 inches.
Next it was Norah's turn. She went through wand after wand, and the boxes were piling up on the counter, but still she had no luck. She was growing increasingly bored, and agitated, while Ollivander seemed to be in his element. Finally, he set the twenty fourth wand she had tried that day in her hands. She gave it a wave, and to her delight, it emitted a cloud of red and blue sparks.
"Finally!" Becky hopped up. Norah heaved a sigh of relief.
Ollivander placed the wand in her hands, giving her a meaningful look. "Yew, dragon heartstring, 9 inches. Rather powerful combination. I trust you'll put it to good use," he said.
Norah, intent on getting out of the stuffy shop as quickly as possible, thanked him and placed the wand amongst her other purchases, carrying them out into the fresh air. At that moment, her parents came out of a nearby shop and spotted the three girls struggling with their packages.
"Here, let me help!" Ginny offered, rushing over to them. She performed a lightening spell, lessening the weight of the purchases. "That'll have to do 'till we get back to the house," she said. "Harry and I will take some of those for you, though," Ginny and her husband relieved the girls of a few of their packages. "Now we're supposed to meet Michael, William, and Marcus back here, but who knows how long they'll be."
Luckily the boys weren't too long, and everyone arrived back at the Weasleys' house in time for supper.
Norah felt very satisfied that night, as she snuggled under her covers, waiting for sleep to come to her. She had been so busy all day that she had almost completely forgot her worries about Death Eaters. And to think... Hogwarts was only three days away!
~
A Shadow Rising
Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
The week before Norah and her family were to visit their relatives passed so quickly, that she could scarce believe she was already at their house, and sitting on the extra cot in her cousin's bedroom.
"I can't believe we're going to be at Hogwarts in less than a week!" Becky squealed in excitement, red curls bobbing up and down as she hopped onto her bed. She had somehow managed to receive one hair gene from her father, and another from her mother.
"I know!" Norah replied. "It's so great, isn't it? Just think, we'll actually get to see all the places that our parents told stories about..." her eyes had a dreamy look to them.
"So, what house do you think you'll get sorted into?" Becky asked, flipping open her August issue of 'Youth Sodalitas', a popular magazine with young witches.
"Gryffindor, I hope," Norah answered. "My whole family's been in it, after all. What about you?"
Becky shrugged. "Probably Gryffindor. Both my brothers are in it, after all."
"I hope you're right," Norah said. "Imagine if you got sorted into Slytherin? Think about it!"
"I don't even want to! Only ugly people get put in Slytherin!" Becky giggled. "Come here, you have to see this picture!"
"What?" Norah came over and sat down beside Becky, peering over her shoulder curiously. She was pointing at a picture in the magazine of four young wizards, who were waving and flashing brilliant smiles. "Who are they?" Norah wanted to know.
"A new wizard band, called 'Clarus'," Becky replied. "They're absolutely brill!"
Norah squinted at the attractive young wizards who were winking back at her. "Why're they called Clarus?"
"I think it's their last name," Becky said. "Two of them are brothers and two of them are cousins."
"Have you heard any of their music?"
"No. But I'm sure it's brill!"
They were silent for a moment, then Becky tossed the magazine on the floor beside her bed, where it landed amongst a clutter of other things. "I hope we get sorted into the same house," she said.
"So do I," Norah agreed. "But I'm tired, and we've got to wake up early tomorrow to go shopping. Let's get some sleep."
"Good idea," her cousin said, putting out the light. "'Night, Norah."
~
Diagon Alley was brimming with students and their parents shopping for school supplies. Norah was practically beside herself with excitement. She had only been to the Alley once before, when she was very young. She wanted to visit all the shops, and look at all the displays, and generally be everywhere, and do everything at once.
Her brother and older cousins had rushed off to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Becky's parents were still busy at the Ministry, and Norah's parents had decided to visit Fred and George at their joke shop, so Percy's daughter, Christina, had agreed to chaperone the two girls.
They went to be fitted for school robes first, much to the displeasure of Norah. She stood there, bored, while Becky chatted with the woman who was fitting them.
"What do you girls need next?" Christina asked when they emerged from the shop. "And what do you think of this?" she pulled a vile containing some sort of blue liquid out of one of her bags.
"What is it?" Becky asked.
"It's a potion that'll turn your hair blue for a couple hours. I thought I'd use it the night before school starts, to freak my Dad out." Christina was a generally normal girl, and had never been particularily rebellious, except when it came to her father. She was intent on being as different from him as possible - and Norah really couldn't blame her.
Next they bought their school books, parchment, ink, and cauldrons. At noon they decided to stop and have a rest on the steps of an ice cream parlour which claimed to have over six hundred and forty different flavours. Norah chose her favourite - chocolate - while Becky decided on a combination of mint, banana, and strawberry. Christina went off to find some friends, promising to meet her cousins back at the ice cream parlour in a half an hour.
"You know what I've been thinking?" Becky asked. "I've been thinking, about all the Death Eater stuff, we're probably really safe at Hogwarts if anything happens, you know? I mean, the whole time he was in power before, he never got into Hogwarts... Well, maybe once or twice. But hardly ever! Anyway he's probably dead, you know, he's probably dead out in Albania or wherever. Our parents were absolutely brill, weren't they, in the war? Weren't they? Norah? Norah, are you listening?"
Norah wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Her ice cream was melting and dripping down her arm.
"Norah! What is it?!" Becky waved her hand in front of her cousin's face.
"What?" Norah blinked, then blushed furiously. "Sorry, nothing!"
"Oh sure," Becky rolled her eyes. "You were looking at something... Or someone! Have you seen a cute bloke, Norah? Where is he?!" Becky glanced around at the crowd of shoppers.
Norah shrugged. "Don't know. He's out of sight now," she said.
"Well what did he look like?" her cousin asked.
"Umm... I don't know. He was cute. And, umm... Had blond hair."
"That's it?! That's what you let your ice cream melt for? Blond hair? There's plenty of blond hair to go about, you know."
"Look, he was cute, OK? Now can we please just drop the subject?" Norah snapped.
Christina met them at the scheduled time, and the three cousins stood on the steps, looking at their lists.
"I've got everything I need," Christina stated. "What about you two?"
"All we need now are our wands," Norah said.
~
The three girls stepped inside Ollivanders. The shop was strangely silent compared to the buzz of activity outside.
"There's already someone here," Christina said. "Just wait 'till he gets his wand, and then you can get yours'."
"That's him!" Norah said through clenched teeth.
"Who?" Becky blinked.
"The cute bloke!" Norah whispered.
"Oh, cool," Becky said absently, apparently distracted by something in the window. Norah sighed.
Once the 'cute bloke' had exited the shop, Norah and Becky stepped up to the counter. Ollivander peered over at them and smiled.
"Ah, Miss Potter," he said, "and Miss Weasley, I presume." The girls nodded, not bothering to ask how the old wizard knew their names. "Let's see, we'll start with you first, shall we?" he nodded at Becky. He took her measurements, then pulled a rectangular box off a nearby shelf, opened it, and handed the wand to Becky. "Try this one. Willow, unicorn hair, 8 1/2 inches."
Becky gave the wand a swish. Nothing happened. She frowned.
"All right then," Ollivander said, taking the wand back from her, and placing another in her hands. "This one then. Maple, phoenix feather, ten inches." Still nothing.
After five more tries, Becky finally found her wand. Maple, unicorn hair, 11 inches.
Next it was Norah's turn. She went through wand after wand, and the boxes were piling up on the counter, but still she had no luck. She was growing increasingly bored, and agitated, while Ollivander seemed to be in his element. Finally, he set the twenty fourth wand she had tried that day in her hands. She gave it a wave, and to her delight, it emitted a cloud of red and blue sparks.
"Finally!" Becky hopped up. Norah heaved a sigh of relief.
Ollivander placed the wand in her hands, giving her a meaningful look. "Yew, dragon heartstring, 9 inches. Rather powerful combination. I trust you'll put it to good use," he said.
Norah, intent on getting out of the stuffy shop as quickly as possible, thanked him and placed the wand amongst her other purchases, carrying them out into the fresh air. At that moment, her parents came out of a nearby shop and spotted the three girls struggling with their packages.
"Here, let me help!" Ginny offered, rushing over to them. She performed a lightening spell, lessening the weight of the purchases. "That'll have to do 'till we get back to the house," she said. "Harry and I will take some of those for you, though," Ginny and her husband relieved the girls of a few of their packages. "Now we're supposed to meet Michael, William, and Marcus back here, but who knows how long they'll be."
Luckily the boys weren't too long, and everyone arrived back at the Weasleys' house in time for supper.
Norah felt very satisfied that night, as she snuggled under her covers, waiting for sleep to come to her. She had been so busy all day that she had almost completely forgot her worries about Death Eaters. And to think... Hogwarts was only three days away!