Her nightmares began that night. Perhaps it was the strange changes that
had begun only the day before. She had gotten a letter a week ago
inviting her to Hogwarts with a list of things she would need to bring.
The strangest thing of all was that her mother acted like nothing strange
was happening; she acted like she had known this was coming. Then, when a
huge man by the name of Hagrid showed up at her house yesterday she had
hardly believed it.
His accent was certainly not American, but it was unlike any British accent she had ever heard. She thought his odd vocabulary was hilarious. But what really amazed her was the way they traveled-through a fireplace. She sent all of the Muggle stuff she was taking by owl (it took several), and took and extra chest to put the wizarding stuff she was going to have to buy.
Diagon Alley was amazing. Most of the students had already bought their stuff, so it was nearly empty on that morning. There were so many new things that her head nearly flew off as she tried to take in everything. Their first stop had been Gringotts, the bank, where she started an account and changed quite a bit of Muggle money into Wizard money. The goblins there weren't anything like what she had read in Tolkien; they were small, intelligent creatures.
Hagrid took her to buy several books-these books were compilations of all the spells supposed to be learned at Hogwarts. She looked at them sadly, there was no way she could learn all of this. Then she went to get her robes. McGonagall had told her to buy simple black robes as she wasn't a student, but nothing ornate because she wasn't a teacher. Hagrid helped her pick out the practical stuff she needed, like parchment and cauldrons. Finally, she went to get her wand.
When she went into Ollivanders, it was so dusty she sneezed, alerting Mr. Ollivander to her presence. He walked out and looked at her. "You don't need a wand, but I am sure Hogwarts wants you to have one. Let's see if I have something that could be useful."
Velvet stared at him blankly. "What do you mean I don't need a wand?"
He shrugged and went to the far back of his room, and brought back a box that was quivering slightly. "It's excited. This wand is clever enough to do what you ask-you'll never be properly able to use a wand, but this will make it look like you can." He pulled out a wand that looked very strange.
"There's no wood on that!"
"There will be, it just needs to get to know you. I make wands with many different products like unicorn hair and phoenix feathers. I look several of these and combined them under high heat. This made a thin solid. Unfortunately, it's too powerful and temperamental for most wizards." He handed it to her.
The wand began to glow and slowly a layer of wood began to grow around it. "Is that Beach Oak? Why, yes it is. How unusual. Yes, a distinct water affinity." He mumbled. "7 gold pieces."
She handed them to him, and then wandered sort of dazed back into the alley. Hagrid grinned broadly at her, and then they ate lunch. Afterwards, they went by fire to Hogwarts where her stuff was taken to her room, and she was introduced to Dumbledore.
She had asked him what Ollivander had meant and then showed him the wand. He smiled. "You aren't a Wizard, you're a sorcerer. That's rare, you know. It means that the words and the wands aren't needed. However, wizardry can still teach you to use your powers. Promise me you'll not tell anyone and you won't do any magic without your wand in front of anyone."
"Alright, but why?"
"I think you'll understand. Now, you'll meet the teachers."
She met the teachers. Then Dumbledore asked Remus to show her the campus. Remus was very nice and helpful. After her tour, he left her at the bottom of her tower so that she could unpack. That's when she noticed something strange was happening to her.
It was small things, but quite a lot of them. When she unpacked, everything she needed to get out was always at the top of the suitcase. Then, when she set up her electronic stuff, she always grabbed the right wire when she wasn't looking-almost like it had jumped into her hand. It was like any time she reached for something, it was always there.
And her room had been in perfect order. Her bed and wardrobe were at the far side of the room. A desk was in front of the window, and there were some oversized chairs in a circle near the trap door entrance. Her refrigerator was against the wall. When she thought she hadn't liked the orange color of the chairs, she turned around and saw they were actually red. And when she wondered if there was anything in the refrigerator, she saw there were Diet Cokes and water.
When she went to sleep she was tired but when the nightmare woke her up, she was even more tired. There had been something following her and she couldn't see it. She tried to turn her head but the dream wouldn't let her. She turned on her light. There was nothing in the room but her stuff. She got herself some water and then looked out of her window. Down, far below she saw a dark, bat-like shape walking towards the green house. As if sensing it was being watched, it stopped and turned towards her. She waved, but couldn't see if Snape (because she was sure that it was Snape) waved back before he turned and continued towards the green house.
When the nightmares woke her up later, she had forgotten to turn of her light and had fallen asleep in a chair. She had been so frightened that she had jumped up, and she found herself still in the air moments later. She looked down curiously and then began floating down towards her bed.
She slept fitfully the rest of the night.
His accent was certainly not American, but it was unlike any British accent she had ever heard. She thought his odd vocabulary was hilarious. But what really amazed her was the way they traveled-through a fireplace. She sent all of the Muggle stuff she was taking by owl (it took several), and took and extra chest to put the wizarding stuff she was going to have to buy.
Diagon Alley was amazing. Most of the students had already bought their stuff, so it was nearly empty on that morning. There were so many new things that her head nearly flew off as she tried to take in everything. Their first stop had been Gringotts, the bank, where she started an account and changed quite a bit of Muggle money into Wizard money. The goblins there weren't anything like what she had read in Tolkien; they were small, intelligent creatures.
Hagrid took her to buy several books-these books were compilations of all the spells supposed to be learned at Hogwarts. She looked at them sadly, there was no way she could learn all of this. Then she went to get her robes. McGonagall had told her to buy simple black robes as she wasn't a student, but nothing ornate because she wasn't a teacher. Hagrid helped her pick out the practical stuff she needed, like parchment and cauldrons. Finally, she went to get her wand.
When she went into Ollivanders, it was so dusty she sneezed, alerting Mr. Ollivander to her presence. He walked out and looked at her. "You don't need a wand, but I am sure Hogwarts wants you to have one. Let's see if I have something that could be useful."
Velvet stared at him blankly. "What do you mean I don't need a wand?"
He shrugged and went to the far back of his room, and brought back a box that was quivering slightly. "It's excited. This wand is clever enough to do what you ask-you'll never be properly able to use a wand, but this will make it look like you can." He pulled out a wand that looked very strange.
"There's no wood on that!"
"There will be, it just needs to get to know you. I make wands with many different products like unicorn hair and phoenix feathers. I look several of these and combined them under high heat. This made a thin solid. Unfortunately, it's too powerful and temperamental for most wizards." He handed it to her.
The wand began to glow and slowly a layer of wood began to grow around it. "Is that Beach Oak? Why, yes it is. How unusual. Yes, a distinct water affinity." He mumbled. "7 gold pieces."
She handed them to him, and then wandered sort of dazed back into the alley. Hagrid grinned broadly at her, and then they ate lunch. Afterwards, they went by fire to Hogwarts where her stuff was taken to her room, and she was introduced to Dumbledore.
She had asked him what Ollivander had meant and then showed him the wand. He smiled. "You aren't a Wizard, you're a sorcerer. That's rare, you know. It means that the words and the wands aren't needed. However, wizardry can still teach you to use your powers. Promise me you'll not tell anyone and you won't do any magic without your wand in front of anyone."
"Alright, but why?"
"I think you'll understand. Now, you'll meet the teachers."
She met the teachers. Then Dumbledore asked Remus to show her the campus. Remus was very nice and helpful. After her tour, he left her at the bottom of her tower so that she could unpack. That's when she noticed something strange was happening to her.
It was small things, but quite a lot of them. When she unpacked, everything she needed to get out was always at the top of the suitcase. Then, when she set up her electronic stuff, she always grabbed the right wire when she wasn't looking-almost like it had jumped into her hand. It was like any time she reached for something, it was always there.
And her room had been in perfect order. Her bed and wardrobe were at the far side of the room. A desk was in front of the window, and there were some oversized chairs in a circle near the trap door entrance. Her refrigerator was against the wall. When she thought she hadn't liked the orange color of the chairs, she turned around and saw they were actually red. And when she wondered if there was anything in the refrigerator, she saw there were Diet Cokes and water.
When she went to sleep she was tired but when the nightmare woke her up, she was even more tired. There had been something following her and she couldn't see it. She tried to turn her head but the dream wouldn't let her. She turned on her light. There was nothing in the room but her stuff. She got herself some water and then looked out of her window. Down, far below she saw a dark, bat-like shape walking towards the green house. As if sensing it was being watched, it stopped and turned towards her. She waved, but couldn't see if Snape (because she was sure that it was Snape) waved back before he turned and continued towards the green house.
When the nightmares woke her up later, she had forgotten to turn of her light and had fallen asleep in a chair. She had been so frightened that she had jumped up, and she found herself still in the air moments later. She looked down curiously and then began floating down towards her bed.
She slept fitfully the rest of the night.