Completion Date: 073103

Chapter Rating: PG

Disclaimer: All locations and characters from the book Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and various publishers such as Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. Inc. This project is non-profitable and there is no infringment intended.

Let Me Bear It All
(Chapter 4)

The woman stood up and turned around. The girl was surprised. Ms. Mehflua didn't look anywhere near 71. The bun seemed to show some form of sophistication, but everything else was far from it. Her cloak was a crimson red with white polka dots, and her cats-eye glasses were black making her eyes look pointier on the ends. She had few wrinkles and barely visible sun spots. In fact, her hair was still grey. She didn't seem to have any white hairs.

She greeted them with a smile, "Why hello there." She strutted towards the doors where Madam Pomfrey and the girl were standing. She shook both of their hands. "Finally I get to meet the mystery girl!"

The girl stood there as if she was hypnotized. She didn't understand what was going on. The lady was too cheerful and energetic to be old. "It must be a spell", she thought. Ms. Mehflua was standing in front of the girl and examining every bit of her.

"Patricia," said Dumbledore, "our 'mystery girl' has requested that you be the one to name her."

"Oh, really?! Oh, I'd love to!" She went closer to the girl and said, "You know me, I haven't had any kids so this will be the first time. Goodness! You'll be like my daughter! I wouldn't mind." A look of relief came over the girl. "..and look at her taste in clothes! Absolutely brilliant!"

"ahem," Dumbledore interrupted, "Patricia..."

"Oh, right, right." She examined the girl once more. "Well, she looks like...a 'Fay'"

"Fay?" the girl thought "Fay doesn't sound so bad."

"Well, what do you think?" Ms. Mehflua asked the girl.

"It's nice," replied Fay.

"Then, it's settled! You shall now be called Fay Mehflua! Oh, I almost forgot. Old age does this to you sometimes. Fay, if your score is that of a first year level, you will be sorted with the rest of the first years at the beginning of this term." Her jaw dropped. "BUT I have no reason to believe that will happen. I know you can do it." His smile, once again, gave Fay a new hope, and she smiled back.

"Thank you for everything," said Fay.

"You're welcome."

She looked at Madam Pomfrey and said, "Thank you, too, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey bowed her head in acknowledgment.

Fay and Ms. Mehflua were about to head out the door when Dumbledore said, "Let me show you two out."

"Oh really Dumbledore," said Ms. Mehflua, "I know very well how to navigate my way through this castle already. You needn't bother with helping me."

"Actually, Patricia, I insist."

Ms. Mehflua smiled. "Oh, all right."

"Actually, I don't have anything to do so I think I'll come along as well," Madam Pomfrey added.

"Well if that's what you prefer." Ms. Mehflua was starting to wonder. Did this girl really that much of an effect on them? She was only there for a day..

Once they were at the door, Fay couldn't help it anymore. She hugged Dumbledore with all her strength and did the same for Madam Pomfrey. They were both dumbstruck but enjoyed the hugs nonetheless.

"Please tell Professor McGonagall thank you for me!" she shouted as she waved goodbye. The two bowed the head and waved back. Fay could have sworn the saw a tear fall down Madam Pomfrey's cheek.

Ms. Mehflua and Fay walked down the street in Hogsmeade towards the train station. "Ms. Mehflua..?"

"Oh, please, don't call me that. If we're going to live together, it'll be hard for you to keep saying 'Ms. Mehflua'. Call me Trish, Aunt Trish or Auntie Trish."

"Er..okay Auntie Trish?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to use the train to go to London to buy you some new things."

"But..uh.."

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you? I don't mind, really. Besides, after working for the Ministry for so long you tend to collect a great amount of money, and I don't have any other relatives. None that exist to my knowledge anyway."

"Oh, okay." Fay smiled. She couldn't wait to go shopping. Finally she would that things that would belong to her. "OH! I forgot my toothbrush and toothpaste!"

"It's okay. We'll get you new ones. Honestly, it's just a toothbrush. You make it sound like it's a sack of Galleons."

"Galleons?"

"Money, dear. Money. One Galleon equals to seventeen silver Sickles, and twenty nine Knuts equal to one Sickle. They're only three kinds of coins in this world. That was simple enough to understand, wasn't it?"

"Um.." Fay was trying to divide 2 by 17 when Aunt Trish asked.

Aunt Trish chuckled. "You'll get the hang of it once you start to using it."

Before Fay knew it, they had already bought the tickets, rode on the train, and arrived in London. The street was loaded with Muggles of all sorts, and seeing how Fay and Aunt Trish were dressed they stared at the pair.

"Here we are!" Aunt Trish exclaimed.

Fay was busy looking at a candy store down the street, but when she heard Aunt Trish's voice she noticed that there was a store right in front of her. She read the sign aloud. "The Leaky Cauldron..."

They entered the bar and found a bunch of ragged looking people wearing cloaks. Some of them were smoking pipes. Others were keeping to themselves, while they drank. A few were talking quietly to each other, but not one paid attention to them.

"So what'll it be ma'am?" the bartender asked.

"Nothing for us, thanks. We're just passing through," replied Aunt Trish. They walked through the bar out into a small sort of alley. There were a couple of trash can bins and some weeds.

"Where are we going again, Aunt Trish?"

"Watch this, first."

Aunt Trish was tapping bricks with her wand. "Weird," Fay thought, "what is she trying to do? Turn the wall into a carriage?" Just then, the bricks started to moved and formed an arched doorway.

"Ta-da! This is Diagon Alley!"

They stepped through and this warmth covered Fay's body from head to foot. It was a warmth and a chill. Warmth because she felt so happy, and a chill because she was getting goosebumps from the sheer beauty of the place. In a silent voice she managed to say, "Wow..." Children were running around with ice cream the just bought at the ice cream shop. Their mothers were chasing and scolding them at the same time. A woman, who was extremely short was using her wand to carry a cauldron that was larger than her. Two teenage boys were standing in front of a store that said "Quality Quidditch Supplies" talking excitedly about something.

Fay couldn't understand what they were talking about because they were so fast, but she did hear a couple of words like, "hoops", "brooms", "canons". She didn't know how those words would relate, but as soon as she passed them, she didn't here them talking at all. In fact, she could've sworn they were watching her...

"Why don't we go here first?" Aunt Trish pointed at the Apothecary. They went inside and Fay thought she was going to faint from the smell. It was so terrible that she had to wait outside, while Aunt Trish went to get the herbs and spices they were going to use for the potions lessons.

"Would you like to get new robes? Now or later? After all, the outfit you're wear is absolutely fantastic." She smiled at Fay to show that she wasn't being sarcastic at all, but people kept staring at her in a funny way. It was making her really uncomfortable.

"Could we, please get new robes?"

"Of course. Why do you sound so scared?"

"I suppose, I just don't want to upset you."

Aunt Trish blinked in astonishment. "My dear! You are so shy and soft- spoken! You don't have to be ashamed of anything when you're with me. The only thing I expect from you is confidence, and it'll be one of my greatest accomplishments if I can make you as happy and confident as I am right now." Fay gave her a weak smile. "There. Doesn't smiling make you feel a little bit better?"

"A little."

"Good. Let's go to Madam Malkin's."

Fay didn't understand this. "Didn't Dumbledore say Aunt Trish was lonely and somewhat sad after retiring?" she wondered, "Could is be that I am the one whose making her so happy? No, that can't be. What have I been doing that's charming enough to change her mood?"

"Go on dear."

"Wha..?"

They were standing inside Madam Malkin's Dress Robe for All Occasions.

"Pick anything you like. I suppose seven or eight will do the job."

"Eight?"

"Eight robes to wear. You gotta have something to wear in the house, don't you?"

"But isn't eight a bit too much?"

"Nonsense! Now, pick. Go on. We'll get your school robes when the term starts so you'll be getting them along with the others."

So an hour and a half passed before Fay finally settled on eight robes. She was a little picky. It was also a little hard for her to pick because Aunt Trish kept making suggestions. (How about this one with the Dragon print?) As Aunt Trish paid Madam Malkin, another witch, who was tall, slender, blonde, and had a crooked nose, came in. Her robe was so extravagant is didn't even look like a robe. It looked more like slip-on dress with a tutu around the hips with shiny marbles spiraling around the tips.

"MALKIN, dear! Something dreadful has happened! I was walking through the streets when this wretched woman tripped on my robe! Look what happened to my dress!," exclaimed the woman. Madam Malkin rushed toward to woman. She raised the bottom of her robe to show were it had torn. "I could've fixed it with a charm, of course, but I just KNEW it wouldn't be the same."

Fay and Aunt Trish exited out of the store while Madam Malkin fussed over the woman.

"She must be rich, huh?" Fay looked towards Aunt Trish.

"Naturally. Who else would make a big fuss about an ugly robe as hers?"

They both laughed, while someone with a pale face and blonde hair from afar noticed them.

They got some books from Flourish and Blotts. Aunt Trish even bought a new broom for Fay. It was the Nimbus Two Thousand.

"Are you sure you want to buy this for me?!?!"

"Listen, Fay. This is what I WANT to do. I only wish I could've gotten something more recent, but I really should keep and eye on my spending." Aunt Trish looked at the new bag she bought. She put a spell on it so it could hold more things than it normally would. Then she continued, "This is my birthday present to you. Besides, yesterday was your birthday! Well, not really, but we'll consider it as your birthday, the day you came into this world."

Fay giggled. "Okay."

"That's the sound I'd like to hear more often! Your laugh has such a sweet sound to it. I hope to hear more of it during our time together, okay?"

"I promise," Fay said with a smile. She couldn't believe it. She was getting everything she wanted and all she had to do was laugh and smile. She was loving every bit of her new life.

The most interesting store that they went into was Ollivanders. They walked with Aunt Trish holding a new bag and Fay holding her new broom.

"Hello, a new customer?" inquired an old man with huge misty eyes.

"Yes, this lovely lady right new needs a wand," replied Aunt Trish with her usual confident tone.

"I see, we don't usually get customers..uh..like yourself." Fay knew he was talking about people her age. "Well, it's never too late to get a wand. Tell me, which is your wand arm?"

"Uh..well." Fay didn't know what to say. She didn't even know if she was left or right-handed. No one ever told her to write anything, yet.

"Uh..it's her right," Aunt Trish interrupted. Fay gave her a look of uncertainty, but Aunt Trish waved her hand to show her it was all right.

"Ah, I see. Well, hold out your arm," he said. He began to look through boxes as Fay was being measured in the strangest areas by a magical measuring tape that moved on it's own. "That's good enough," the tape stopped moving and he said, "Let's see. Try this. Mahogany. Nine-and-half inches. Dragon heartstrings. Quite flexible." He handed the wand to Fay. She took it, but nothing happened. "Not it, eh?" He looked through some more boxes and presented her with "Yew. 10-and-a-quarter inches. Unicorn hair. Nice and springy."

She took the wand again, and just as she had a firm grip on it, a mist came out of it like steam from a hot kettle. However, the mist wasn't hot like steam. It was more cool and in the mist there were little specks of glittering balls. It almost reminded her of stars.

Aunt Trish began clapping with a huge, bright smile. Fay laughed. It was so weird. All she did was hold a piece of wood and people were proud of her. Even Mr. Ollivander was congradulating her. They exchanged their thank you's and goodbye's and were off.

They were still walking around Diagon Alley. Fay didn't understand why. They already had all the things they needed. "Aunt Trish, where are we heading to next?"

"Home, of course. We're just going to look for the nearest fire place."

When they reached an area where a fire place was located Aunt Trish took out a tiny pot out of her bag that was filled with green powder.

"Just bought some Flow Powder. I just realized that I forgot to bring some with me. It was very silly of me. How else are we going to get home? Do you remember what Floo Powder is?

"Well, I..uh..mm..Sorry, no."

"Okay, well you just throw it into the fire place and call out where you want to go. Make sure you say it clearly or else you might end up somewhere else. We'll watch a couple of people go at it before you try."

They watched, and each time they watched someone else get engulfed by the green flames, Fay got more and more nervous.

"Don't worry, sweetie. You'll do fine. Now the name you want to call out is The Aery."

"O..o.okay." Fay took some Flow Power and threw it in just like the others and called out, "The Aery!" The was covered with the green flames and was pulled up. After all the spinning and twirling, she ended up in another fire place. She got out and looked around. Aunt Trish wasn't too far behind her because she soon came out of the fire place as well.

She dusted herself off. "Well, Fay, say hello to your new home." Fay saw the rocking chair near the corner, the love seat in front of the fire place, the little coffee table in the center of the room, the piano against the wall, and the various vases filled with flowers.

Fay smiled and said, "Hello, home." She laughed at her unoriginality and took a sat down on a chair inside her new home.

....To Be Continued....

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A/N: This chapter actually took more research than usual. I had to constantly check the first book to remember how Diagon Alley was like. (I don't mind re-reading the chapters again..really)

I made sure that the character's names were derived from Latin. I have no idea why I did this. I guess I wanted it to have some kind of special meaning. The Aery also has a special meaning behind it, too, but I don't know if it's Latin.

I also took out those HTML tags. I don't get it. I thought fanfiction.net was going to allow those tags, but I guess not. It looks stupid everytime I look at my chapters and see all those tags. That's why in this one I used capital letters everytime I wanted to put emphasis on a word. I do believe this chapter was the most diffucult to type out. It all seemed pretty boring to me.