Willow didn't know where to look anymore. Apparently, Diagon Alley didn't exist. She'd look everywhere around London and was convinced she hadn't missed a single street. "My feet hurt," she whined quietly to herself. Needing desperatly to sit, she headed to what seemed to be a secluded cafe : The Leaky Cauldron. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The only light was coming from the many candles placed around the room. Willow was receiving many strange glares and she gave them back in return when seeing how weird these people were dressed. She bumped into someone and quickly muttered an excuse. Then she stepped back upon seeing the man she had stumbled in.
He was at least seven feet tall and had long black hair with a beard. "Ya seem a little lost, lass."
"Hum, yeah. I'm looking for Diagon Alley, but I've looked *everywhere* in London and hadn't been able to find it yet."
"Well, that's because it's hidden. Come. Follow me."
She followed the half giant to the backstore than to an opening outside where was kept some boxes and was surrounded by a thick brick wall. The giant pulled an umbrella out of his coat and knocked a few bricks. The wall imediatly started to move and an opening formed itself, letting Willow see for the first time Diagon Alley. "Wow," she whispered. "Um, do you know where I can get wizard coins for my muggle money?"
"Just walk straight ahead and you'll fall on Gringotts." Then he headed back in the Leaky Cauldron while Willow took her first walk in Diagon Alley.
* * *
Arms loaded with books for fifth year students, the redhead headed toward the dressmaker where she could get her school uniform, her robes and a cloak. The dressmaker lead her to a secluded spot for measurements. A boy was already there, waiting for his uniform to be completed. As shy as always, she kept her eyes down, doing her best to ignore the boy. She knew she'd be as red as her hair if she looked up. She was a young teen witch that wasn't blind at all and a fine good specimen of male was standing to her left side.
Not to tell, Willow startled when she heard his voice so close to her. "I've never seen you before and you don't look like a first year student. Where are you from?"
"I-I'm from America. It's my first year at Hogwarts." She bit her lip, trying to give herself courage to continue talking. "I'm Willow Rosenberg."
"Never heard of the name before."
"My parents aren't wizards."
The boy sneered. "It figures. You're one of these Mudbloods. I just had to be the first one to meet the new member of Gryffindor's house. How lucky," he muttered. He took the boxes from the dressmaker's hands and stomped out of the shop, the redhead's surprised eyes following him.
"Way to go, Rosenberg. That's just what you had to do. Make enemy with the first Hogwarts' student you meet."
* * *
She entered the dark shop slowly, looking for the shopkeeper named Olivander. "Hello?" She startled when an old man jumped down a ladder and came toward her, fixing his strange silver eyes on her.
"Yes, the new student. I was expecting you. Which is you wand hand?" She lifted up the right one. "Right. Just wait here." He quickly walked to a wall full of boxes and grabbed a cream collered one. He gently gave her the beige wand. "Oak with dragon heartstring." He frowned when nothing happen. "Not this one." He grabbed it from her hand and disappeared behind a shelf.
Willow eyed the weird man coming back with a black box. He handed her a light brown wand. "Birch with unicorn hair." As she touched it, a flame burst from it and the carpet when up in flames. "Never use that wand again, dear."
For a third time, he brought her a box, a green one. [Well, you know what they say? Third time's a charm.] She took the black wand carefully. "Willow with a wolf fang. It's a prototype." His eyes widened as he saw the air twirl around the girl. The wand had chosen its witch. "You are certainly special for such a powerful wand being in your possession miss..."
"Oh, hum, Rosenberg. Willow Rosenberg."
The man smiled upon hearing her first name. "But then again, maybe it had reasons to. Good luck at Hogwarts, miss Rosenberg."
* * *
"Great. I'm stuck at King's Cross station with no idea about how to go on platform nine and three quarters. Somehow, I just keep getting lost these days."
Willow sat down on her trunk and put her chin in her hands, a frown on her face. She still had fifteen minutes to find the *damned* platform, but it didn't *exist*, just like Diagon Alley. She had figured out a long time ago that it must be hidden just like the alley, but she had no way of finding out where.
Her eyes followed a group of redheads in front of her, heading toward one specific bricks wall between platforms nine and ten, a black haired boy and a brown haired girl following closely. She gasped when she saw the two older redheads, twins, racing toward the wall and disappearing through it. A girl of perhaps a year younger than her, probably fifteen, walked to the wall and waited for a muggle couple to pass before walking through the hidden passageway leading to platform nine and three quarters. "How did they do that?!" Willow exclaimed. The redheads' mother startled when she heard her. She saw her reach for her wand hidden in her purse. "Whoa! Don't fret!" Willow took a look around her, just to make sure noone was listening. "I'm also going on the platform. I'm new and it's actually a big help to me that you're here. I've been looking for the hidden passageway for half an hour.
"Oh yes! My husband told me you might make an appearance. He works for the Ministry of Magic. You're from America, aren't you?" Willow nodded. "Don't worry, dear. You just have to walk straight to the wall."
Taking a deep breath, she ran to the wall just like the twins did before her. She opened her eyes when she didn't slam into it like she had expected. Instead, she was standing in a train station, the bright red Hogwarts Express in front of her : platform nine and three quarters.
The situation finally sunk in Willow. She was no longer in a coven in Sunnydale or a muggle-wannabe in a public school of London. She was in a hidden world about to go aboard of a train that would lead her to her new home for the next ten months : Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a whole new world.
The only light was coming from the many candles placed around the room. Willow was receiving many strange glares and she gave them back in return when seeing how weird these people were dressed. She bumped into someone and quickly muttered an excuse. Then she stepped back upon seeing the man she had stumbled in.
He was at least seven feet tall and had long black hair with a beard. "Ya seem a little lost, lass."
"Hum, yeah. I'm looking for Diagon Alley, but I've looked *everywhere* in London and hadn't been able to find it yet."
"Well, that's because it's hidden. Come. Follow me."
She followed the half giant to the backstore than to an opening outside where was kept some boxes and was surrounded by a thick brick wall. The giant pulled an umbrella out of his coat and knocked a few bricks. The wall imediatly started to move and an opening formed itself, letting Willow see for the first time Diagon Alley. "Wow," she whispered. "Um, do you know where I can get wizard coins for my muggle money?"
"Just walk straight ahead and you'll fall on Gringotts." Then he headed back in the Leaky Cauldron while Willow took her first walk in Diagon Alley.
* * *
Arms loaded with books for fifth year students, the redhead headed toward the dressmaker where she could get her school uniform, her robes and a cloak. The dressmaker lead her to a secluded spot for measurements. A boy was already there, waiting for his uniform to be completed. As shy as always, she kept her eyes down, doing her best to ignore the boy. She knew she'd be as red as her hair if she looked up. She was a young teen witch that wasn't blind at all and a fine good specimen of male was standing to her left side.
Not to tell, Willow startled when she heard his voice so close to her. "I've never seen you before and you don't look like a first year student. Where are you from?"
"I-I'm from America. It's my first year at Hogwarts." She bit her lip, trying to give herself courage to continue talking. "I'm Willow Rosenberg."
"Never heard of the name before."
"My parents aren't wizards."
The boy sneered. "It figures. You're one of these Mudbloods. I just had to be the first one to meet the new member of Gryffindor's house. How lucky," he muttered. He took the boxes from the dressmaker's hands and stomped out of the shop, the redhead's surprised eyes following him.
"Way to go, Rosenberg. That's just what you had to do. Make enemy with the first Hogwarts' student you meet."
* * *
She entered the dark shop slowly, looking for the shopkeeper named Olivander. "Hello?" She startled when an old man jumped down a ladder and came toward her, fixing his strange silver eyes on her.
"Yes, the new student. I was expecting you. Which is you wand hand?" She lifted up the right one. "Right. Just wait here." He quickly walked to a wall full of boxes and grabbed a cream collered one. He gently gave her the beige wand. "Oak with dragon heartstring." He frowned when nothing happen. "Not this one." He grabbed it from her hand and disappeared behind a shelf.
Willow eyed the weird man coming back with a black box. He handed her a light brown wand. "Birch with unicorn hair." As she touched it, a flame burst from it and the carpet when up in flames. "Never use that wand again, dear."
For a third time, he brought her a box, a green one. [Well, you know what they say? Third time's a charm.] She took the black wand carefully. "Willow with a wolf fang. It's a prototype." His eyes widened as he saw the air twirl around the girl. The wand had chosen its witch. "You are certainly special for such a powerful wand being in your possession miss..."
"Oh, hum, Rosenberg. Willow Rosenberg."
The man smiled upon hearing her first name. "But then again, maybe it had reasons to. Good luck at Hogwarts, miss Rosenberg."
* * *
"Great. I'm stuck at King's Cross station with no idea about how to go on platform nine and three quarters. Somehow, I just keep getting lost these days."
Willow sat down on her trunk and put her chin in her hands, a frown on her face. She still had fifteen minutes to find the *damned* platform, but it didn't *exist*, just like Diagon Alley. She had figured out a long time ago that it must be hidden just like the alley, but she had no way of finding out where.
Her eyes followed a group of redheads in front of her, heading toward one specific bricks wall between platforms nine and ten, a black haired boy and a brown haired girl following closely. She gasped when she saw the two older redheads, twins, racing toward the wall and disappearing through it. A girl of perhaps a year younger than her, probably fifteen, walked to the wall and waited for a muggle couple to pass before walking through the hidden passageway leading to platform nine and three quarters. "How did they do that?!" Willow exclaimed. The redheads' mother startled when she heard her. She saw her reach for her wand hidden in her purse. "Whoa! Don't fret!" Willow took a look around her, just to make sure noone was listening. "I'm also going on the platform. I'm new and it's actually a big help to me that you're here. I've been looking for the hidden passageway for half an hour.
"Oh yes! My husband told me you might make an appearance. He works for the Ministry of Magic. You're from America, aren't you?" Willow nodded. "Don't worry, dear. You just have to walk straight to the wall."
Taking a deep breath, she ran to the wall just like the twins did before her. She opened her eyes when she didn't slam into it like she had expected. Instead, she was standing in a train station, the bright red Hogwarts Express in front of her : platform nine and three quarters.
The situation finally sunk in Willow. She was no longer in a coven in Sunnydale or a muggle-wannabe in a public school of London. She was in a hidden world about to go aboard of a train that would lead her to her new home for the next ten months : Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a whole new world.
