Hello Again! I'm hoping more than just one person read this, cause that's
my only current review. Thanks, inu-yasha4ever89! I didn't mean to call the
readers muggles. I just meant it as Daisy was saying goodbye to the
muggles. So sorry if I offended anyone. Read on:
The Girl Who Lived Chapter Four: A New Life
Daisy had been to London before, but she'd forgotten how many twisted corners and alleys there were. She wasn't totally lost, but the trip was taking her longer than she thought it would. After a while, a deep sleepiness came over her. It was as if she was trapped in a dream trance, just wandering. But finally, she saw a sign that glowed slightly in red lettering. Paperback Exchange it said.
"Yes," she breathed, and then whispered, "Hibou, we're here!"
"Good," he replied. They trudged/flew up to the bookstore. Standing next to it was The Leaky Cauldron, a small pub in serious disrepair. Daisy was too tired to notice that it nearly slipped out of sight when she looked past it. She plodded up the stairs and tried the door. It was locked.
"Try the knocker," Hibou suggested. Daisy grasped the large bronze door knocker and clinked it against its metal platform three times.
After a few moments of empty silence, the door sprung open. An old man, looking slightly crazed, pointed a stick of polished wood at Daisy's nose. She stepped back in alarm, her eyes beginning to well with tears of weariness and fear.
The man's aggressive eyes began to soften, and his mouth filled with gaps turned up into an apologetic smile.
"Oh, excuse me, young lady," he said, lowering his stick. "So sorry to have upset you. Come, come in."
Daisy would have resisted if she was fully awake, but she followed his beckon, Hibou following behind. Inside it was dark and shabby looking. She immediately felt her mind get a little clearer; she was still tired, but not nearly as much as she had been only moments before. The man pushed the door behind them.
"Me name's Tom, landlord here at The Leaky Cauldron. Forgive me for frightening you. Times have changed. You shouldn't be out in the night like this all alone. Now um, who may you be? If you don't mind telling me."
"Daisy," she said quietly.
"Oh!" Tom exclaimed, things clicking in his mind. "Of course, Professor McKinnen told me you'd be coming; I just wasn't expecting you, at this time of night. Come, I'll show you and your owl to a room."
"Thank you," Daisy said. The next thing she knew she was pouring herself into a warm bed.
Daisy's eyes flickered open. The room was flooded with light, but Daisy's mind was fresh with the dark vision of The Dream. She sat up, letting things adjust in her head, remembering where she was. The fizzing memory of wandering last night returned.
"Daisy!" Hibou exclaimed. "You're awake. I thought you'd sleep all day. I was getting worried."
"Why?"
"It was a spell!" he sputtered.
"What was?" Daisy asked groggily.
"Your sleepiness. I tried to tell you, but you couldn't understand."
"Who did a spell on me?" demanded Daisy, alarmed.
"I, I'm not sure," Hibou said uneasily. "I could feel it everywhere, but it wasn't affecting me. It was designed to affect witches and wizards, to make them fall into a deep sleep. I'm not sure how you escaped it, but that's not what I'm worried about.
"The kind of magic that it would take to allow the spell to spread so far and just to certain people, it would be powerful, powerful and dangerous, not the work of the Ministry. We need to tell someone right away, and we must be careful," Hibou said. He seemed near panic.
"Well, I'll tell the Professor," she agreed readily. "What time is it anyway?"
"Quarter to two. You should start getting ready."
Daisy hopped out of bed. She wasn't picky about punctuality, but she wanted to make an impression on the professor. She scrambled around getting ready and properly dressed, but only after an awkward "Look away will you," to Hibou.
She glanced in the mirror before leaving. "Comb your hair, dear. It's sticking up in the back."
"Thanks," Daisy said slowly, doing a double take. She patted down her hair and rushed out of the room, hurrying Hibou along.
When she arrived in the pub, Tom was waiting for her.
"Let me take you to the alley," he said. Daisy nodded in gratitude and sped up to show her urgency. Tom led them through a back door. A small clearing with what seemed to be a crumbling wall appeared. Tom tapped on the third brick to the left. It disappeared. Then the bricks around it vanished as well. The bricks continued to fade away until there was an arch large enough for a small elephant to pass through. Daisy stepped forward, but Tom stood back.
"I must leave you here now and tend to the bar. Bye now Daisy."
Before Daisy could thank him, the archway minimized back to a solid brick wall. Shrugging she turned and took in the sights of Diagon Alley. The bright sunlight made Daisy squint, but she could see the cobblestone street zigzag into the horizon. Smells strange and wonderful wafted through the air, sweet treats and damp moss among them. People dressed in strange clothes that looked like choir robes chatted and laughed. Bizarre animal calls were also clear.
Daisy walked slowly along, lingering to read the names of the strange shops: Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Gringott's, Flourish and Blott's. She finally came to rest at a table in an outdoor café: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"I guess I should just wait around for her here," Daisy said. She was eyeing the menu of exotic flavors of ice cream. Hibou gave her an owly glare. Daisy remembered that his communication abilities were still secret.
Daisy lowered her voice and whispered, "I don't see the professor anywhere."
"Looking for someone?" asked a voice behind Daisy. She gasped and spun around. She saw a woman in olive green colored robes, and though it was quite hot out, an emerald cloak. She was young and very pretty. She had shoulder length puffy blond hair and ivory skin. A mischievous smile rested on her lips.
"Hello Daisy," she said. "My name is Professor McKinnon, but you may call me Maggie for now. I trust you got your letter?"
"Yes," Daisy said, slightly surprised. She had been expecting a dusty old man to be meeting her, not a pretty, young woman. She supposed it was because she'd always imagined professors as, well, old men. The educators at her school had always been called teachers. She became a shade more comfortable now that she might identify with someone at the school better.
"Prof-, I mean, Maggie," Daisy said anxiously, "I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here."
"Daisy, we've learned of your, er, situation," Maggie said. "I'm here on behalf of Dumbledore and Hogwarts to offer you a solution. Going to school at Hogwarts will mean hard work, but it will give you a home among friends until the age of seventeen. We will loan you the money for what you will need until then. Do you think you're interested?"
"Yes!" Daisy exclaimed, "of course. When do we leave?"
Maggie laughed warmly, "Not until September, but I'm glad it appeals to you."
Daisy smiled broadly. For the first time since that fateful night two months ago, Daisy saw her future clearly. She was finally in control again.
"This is the best birthday I've ever had!" she said zealously.
"It's your birthday today?" Maggie asked.
"Yeah," Daisy said, trying to see whether she felt any older than yesterday.
"Well I don't have a gift, but," Maggie rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a large gold coin. "Here. You should have some pocket money anyway."
Daisy usually would have refused money from someone she hardly knew but she was too intrigued by the strange currency to give it back.
"What is it?" Daisy asked, and then added "Er, thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's a gold galleon, some the money we use in the wizarding world. Seventeen silver sickles to a galleon, and twenty-nine bronze knuts in a sickle."
Daisy studied the odd coin some more and a lull appeared in the conversation.
"Must send a letter to Dumbledore," Maggie said thoughtfully. She was scrawling a message on a bit of paper. Hibou settled on Maggie's wrist and she began to tie the paper to his leg. She stroked his feathers, then he nipped her fingers affectionately and took off.
"Do you know each other then?" Daisy asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, I raised him from an egg when I was at the Ministry," Maggie said.
"You were with the Ministry of Magic?" Daisy asked, further bewildered.
"I s'pose I still am. Dumbledore needed someone to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. I think he wanted another auror."
"I'm sorry I'm so out of this magic loop, I don't know anything," Daisy said, looking at the ground and wondering what an auror could be.
"Don't worry about it," Maggie said cheeringly. "Many students come from non magic families and have to start fresh just like you."
Daisy's spirit lightened again as she asked, "So what do I need? Pencils, notebooks?"
"What's a pinsile?" asked Maggie, the confused one this time.
Daisy looked at her as if she was a bit mad. "You know, to write with," Daisy said, making a writing motion in the air.
"Oh yes, I've heard of those," Maggie said as if it were quite an accomplishment to know of pencils. "We use quills, Daisy. Quills and parchment. Let's see, what else do you need?" She pulled a list from her robes. "Uniform, cauldron, telescope, and a wand, of course. Shall we get going? I've heard there are great sales this time of year."
"Sure!" Daisy said. She felt like a small kid in a toy store.
"I need to stop at Flourish and Blott's quickly, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Daisy said. The more magic she saw the better. They reached the store a moment later. The window had displays of large books filled with incantations. When they entered, they were greeted by a middle aged man.
"May I help you?" he said. He seemed quite lively now, but there were deep stress marks in his face.
"Yes," Maggie said politely. "I need some books on Defense Against the Dark Arts, and two from the Everything You Should Know series. The Original and Hogwarts editions."
"Yes, yes. Very helpful to Muggle borns," he said eyeing Daisy. "Miss Johnson?" he called. A tall black girl, who looked to be a few years older than Daisy, appeared at the man's side.
"Yes, Mr. Oakley?" she asked.
"Please show this fine woman to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section."
"Sure will, right this way, Ma'am," said the girl. Maggie winked at Daisy and followed Miss Johnson.
"And your books are right over here, Miss," said Mr. Oakley. He heaved two enormous books into Daisy's arms. She nearly dropped to the ground with them, and even considering the size she was, that was saying something. She winced as she read the cover of the top book. Everything a Witch or Wizard Should Know but Doesn't by Gwen Enoch.
"Help," Daisy grimaced. Immediately Mr. Oakley took the stack of books back and began to apologize. He hauled the books up to the front desk for payment. He leaned against the desk, panting. A moment later Maggie reappeared along with Miss Johnson, whose face was blocked by a tower of about twelve books.
Daisy was worried they wouldn't be able to carry the lot of them until Maggie pulled out her almond colored wand and pointed it at the stack of books.
"Agilis!" she said. Then she picked up one of the Everything books and tossed it like a pizza. "Excellent!" She turned back to Mr. Oakley behind the desk, but instead she saw a very old witch. Her nametag said: Betsy Blotts.
"Betsy!" cried Maggie.
"Maggie, dear!" croaked the witch happily, "it's been so long since I've seen you last. What are you up to these days?"
"I'm about to start a job at Hogwarts!" she said, her pride apparent in her face.
"Oh, little Maggie," cried the witch, "all grown up and teaching at Hogwarts!" Her eyes began to water.
"What? What's all this?" asked a gruff voice from the back room. A moment later a man with a grubby beard, seeming to be about the same age as Betsy, emerged. He was also wearing a nametag. It bore: Floyd Flourish.
"Floyd, it's Maggie!" explained Betsy. By now, Daisy was baffled.
"Ah, so it is," said Floyd, squinting through small spectacles. "And how is she?"
"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" Maggie said courteously.
"And still so polite!" Floyd said, delighted, to Betsy.
"Who is this little lady?" he asked, noticing Daisy. She was glad she'd finally been detected. She felt like she was intruding on their moment.
"Daisy," she told him. "Daisy Peterson."
"Is she yours then?" Betsy asked Maggie.
"No," Maggie said abashedly. "She's a new student at Hogwarts."
"Then she'll be needing more books," Betsy said hopefully.
"No," Maggie said and lowered her voice. "She was accepted later than most students, so the school is providing books."
"Oh, alright," said Betsy sounding a tad disappointed.
"But we will take all these," Maggie said, her voice at her normal volume again.
After they paid for the now feather light books, Miss Johnson had to take over because Betsy was still tearful over seeing Maggie, they strode back onto the crowded alley.
"What was that about?" Daisy asked quizzically.
"Well, Betsy and Floyd are brother and sister, and they were great friends of my parents until," Maggie paused as though she was remembering something unpleasant, "until You-Know-Who killed them. I stayed with them in the summers when I was at Hogwarts."
Daisy was going to say something like, "No, I don't know who." But it didn't seem to be the kindest response. So instead, she said, "Oh," apologetically.
"Yes, well, what else do we need?" Maggie asked, digging in her robe pocket for the list again. Not looking, she ran straight into the man in front of her and dropped her books all over the road.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Maggie cried, leaning to pick up her books.
"That's alright. Let me help you," said the curly brown haired man, leaning over. "Maggie?"
Maggie looked at his face. "Kurt!" she cried. "I haven't seen you for ages. Daisy, this is Kurt, he was one of my best friends at school."
Kurt held out his hand to shake. Daisy took it. "Nice to meet you, Daisy. And it's good to see you again, Maggie. I have to run, though. How long are you in Diagon Alley?"
"Until September," Maggie replied.
"Excellent," Kurt said. "Maybe I'll see you?"
"I hope so," Maggie said. "Goodbye."
Kurt handed Maggie the pile of books he had. "Goodbye." He walked down the road in a hurry.
"Wow, next I'll see teachers from Hogwarts, too," Maggie said. "What a day!"
They stopped at various other shops on the road for the rest of Daisy's things. They bought a pewter cauldron, loads of parchment, quills, and ink, horrid smelling potion ingredients, a telescope, and brass scales.
When they stopped in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, a squat Madam Malkin dressed in flowing navy robes welcomed them in.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked Daisy.
"Yes," Daisy said, not sure what to expect.
Madam Malkin led them to the back of the store and motioned for Daisy to stand on a wooden stool. She stepped onto it, and Madam Malkin pulled a tape measure out of her pocket. She tapped it with her wand and it began to measure Daisy all on its own.
Daisy tried to stay still, but it was odd to be measured by an inanimate object. When it was through, Madam Malkin stepped onto a stool beside Daisy and put a black robe over her head.
She started to pin it to the right length when Maggie said, "She'll need dress robes as well."
Madam Malkin finished and looked up, her face bright. "Excellent!" she said. "What color do you prefer?" she asked Daisy.
"Er." Daisy said. She wasn't even sure what dress robes were, and probably wasn't the most qualified to pick a color for them.
"How about yellow?" voiced Madam Malkin, noticing Daisy's stress.
"Okay," Daisy said. She didn't wear yellow very often, but not for any particular reason.
It turned out that yellow was a fine color for Daisy, and dress robes were just like the choir robes everyone seemed to be wearing, but fancier.
When they finally left the store, Maggie said, "Now your wand."
The next shop they stopped at was Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Apart from a small bell that rang as they entered the dark store, there was no greeting as there had been at the other shops. They were all alone.
Silence lay thick as dust in the air. Long boxes rested in piles stacked all the way up to the ceiling. The only apparent furniture in the room was an old wooden chair in which Maggie seated herself.
The calm was broken when an old man with round shining eyes appeared in front of a startled Daisy.
"Good afternoon," he said softly.
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander?" Daisy guessed.
"Indeed. You are in need of a wand, Miss...?"
"Daisy Peterson," she said, sticking out her hand automatically. Right away she wished she hadn't. Mr. Ollivander stepped closer and his huge eyes shone silver into her face. They had an unnerving effect. He grasped her hand and bobbed it up and down twice.
Letting go, he said, "Hold out your wand arm, please." Daisy stuck out her right arm and once again, a roll of self-moving measuring tape began to evaluate her.
Mr. Ollivander suddenly noticed Maggie. "Ah, yes I remember you. Ten and three quarter inches. Floppy. Made from American birch with a core of unicorn hair. Good for dueling."
"It is," Maggie said, looking at him, astonished.
"That will do," Mr. Ollivander said, and the tape dropped from the air. He selected a box from the wall and opened it. "Try this one. Fir. Nine inches long and stiff. Hair from the tail of a unicorn. Excels at curses."
Daisy gripped the wand and held it in the air. Nothing. Mr. Ollivander took the wand back, and looked into her eyes intently.
"Yes, yes. Hmmm.Give this one a wave," he said, offering a new box. Daisy clasped the dark brown wand. She held it up and whisked it through the air. Several gold sparks emerged from the end. Daisy's feeling of apprehension dissolved.
"Did I do magic?" she asked, stunned.
"Yes, Daisy, you did it!" Maggie said.
"Curious," said Mr. Ollivander, frowning. "Mahogany and dragon heartstring. Eleven inches, pliable. A good charge of power, I'm afraid you'll need it."
Daisy looked down at these words. Mr. Ollivander began rambling to himself. "Curious the will of a wand, no two the same, very familiar, sometimes relations, but there's no living relatives, unless."
Mr. Ollivander stared point blank into Daisy's eyes. "Daisy, who are your parents?"
"I was adopted. I don't know anything about my parents except that they were murdered," answered Daisy, thinking Mr. Ollivander to be quite mad.
"I see," he said. "This is the one. It has chosen you, so use it well."
The wand cost seven gold galleons, which Maggie pulled from a drawstring bag at her side. Mr. Ollivander showed them to the door. Daisy was glad to go.
A/N: See that was really fun, huh? Isn't Maggie better than Umbridge? Oooooooh, Umbridge is so evil! Anyway, please please review. Thanks so much!
The Girl Who Lived Chapter Four: A New Life
Daisy had been to London before, but she'd forgotten how many twisted corners and alleys there were. She wasn't totally lost, but the trip was taking her longer than she thought it would. After a while, a deep sleepiness came over her. It was as if she was trapped in a dream trance, just wandering. But finally, she saw a sign that glowed slightly in red lettering. Paperback Exchange it said.
"Yes," she breathed, and then whispered, "Hibou, we're here!"
"Good," he replied. They trudged/flew up to the bookstore. Standing next to it was The Leaky Cauldron, a small pub in serious disrepair. Daisy was too tired to notice that it nearly slipped out of sight when she looked past it. She plodded up the stairs and tried the door. It was locked.
"Try the knocker," Hibou suggested. Daisy grasped the large bronze door knocker and clinked it against its metal platform three times.
After a few moments of empty silence, the door sprung open. An old man, looking slightly crazed, pointed a stick of polished wood at Daisy's nose. She stepped back in alarm, her eyes beginning to well with tears of weariness and fear.
The man's aggressive eyes began to soften, and his mouth filled with gaps turned up into an apologetic smile.
"Oh, excuse me, young lady," he said, lowering his stick. "So sorry to have upset you. Come, come in."
Daisy would have resisted if she was fully awake, but she followed his beckon, Hibou following behind. Inside it was dark and shabby looking. She immediately felt her mind get a little clearer; she was still tired, but not nearly as much as she had been only moments before. The man pushed the door behind them.
"Me name's Tom, landlord here at The Leaky Cauldron. Forgive me for frightening you. Times have changed. You shouldn't be out in the night like this all alone. Now um, who may you be? If you don't mind telling me."
"Daisy," she said quietly.
"Oh!" Tom exclaimed, things clicking in his mind. "Of course, Professor McKinnen told me you'd be coming; I just wasn't expecting you, at this time of night. Come, I'll show you and your owl to a room."
"Thank you," Daisy said. The next thing she knew she was pouring herself into a warm bed.
Daisy's eyes flickered open. The room was flooded with light, but Daisy's mind was fresh with the dark vision of The Dream. She sat up, letting things adjust in her head, remembering where she was. The fizzing memory of wandering last night returned.
"Daisy!" Hibou exclaimed. "You're awake. I thought you'd sleep all day. I was getting worried."
"Why?"
"It was a spell!" he sputtered.
"What was?" Daisy asked groggily.
"Your sleepiness. I tried to tell you, but you couldn't understand."
"Who did a spell on me?" demanded Daisy, alarmed.
"I, I'm not sure," Hibou said uneasily. "I could feel it everywhere, but it wasn't affecting me. It was designed to affect witches and wizards, to make them fall into a deep sleep. I'm not sure how you escaped it, but that's not what I'm worried about.
"The kind of magic that it would take to allow the spell to spread so far and just to certain people, it would be powerful, powerful and dangerous, not the work of the Ministry. We need to tell someone right away, and we must be careful," Hibou said. He seemed near panic.
"Well, I'll tell the Professor," she agreed readily. "What time is it anyway?"
"Quarter to two. You should start getting ready."
Daisy hopped out of bed. She wasn't picky about punctuality, but she wanted to make an impression on the professor. She scrambled around getting ready and properly dressed, but only after an awkward "Look away will you," to Hibou.
She glanced in the mirror before leaving. "Comb your hair, dear. It's sticking up in the back."
"Thanks," Daisy said slowly, doing a double take. She patted down her hair and rushed out of the room, hurrying Hibou along.
When she arrived in the pub, Tom was waiting for her.
"Let me take you to the alley," he said. Daisy nodded in gratitude and sped up to show her urgency. Tom led them through a back door. A small clearing with what seemed to be a crumbling wall appeared. Tom tapped on the third brick to the left. It disappeared. Then the bricks around it vanished as well. The bricks continued to fade away until there was an arch large enough for a small elephant to pass through. Daisy stepped forward, but Tom stood back.
"I must leave you here now and tend to the bar. Bye now Daisy."
Before Daisy could thank him, the archway minimized back to a solid brick wall. Shrugging she turned and took in the sights of Diagon Alley. The bright sunlight made Daisy squint, but she could see the cobblestone street zigzag into the horizon. Smells strange and wonderful wafted through the air, sweet treats and damp moss among them. People dressed in strange clothes that looked like choir robes chatted and laughed. Bizarre animal calls were also clear.
Daisy walked slowly along, lingering to read the names of the strange shops: Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Gringott's, Flourish and Blott's. She finally came to rest at a table in an outdoor café: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"I guess I should just wait around for her here," Daisy said. She was eyeing the menu of exotic flavors of ice cream. Hibou gave her an owly glare. Daisy remembered that his communication abilities were still secret.
Daisy lowered her voice and whispered, "I don't see the professor anywhere."
"Looking for someone?" asked a voice behind Daisy. She gasped and spun around. She saw a woman in olive green colored robes, and though it was quite hot out, an emerald cloak. She was young and very pretty. She had shoulder length puffy blond hair and ivory skin. A mischievous smile rested on her lips.
"Hello Daisy," she said. "My name is Professor McKinnon, but you may call me Maggie for now. I trust you got your letter?"
"Yes," Daisy said, slightly surprised. She had been expecting a dusty old man to be meeting her, not a pretty, young woman. She supposed it was because she'd always imagined professors as, well, old men. The educators at her school had always been called teachers. She became a shade more comfortable now that she might identify with someone at the school better.
"Prof-, I mean, Maggie," Daisy said anxiously, "I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here."
"Daisy, we've learned of your, er, situation," Maggie said. "I'm here on behalf of Dumbledore and Hogwarts to offer you a solution. Going to school at Hogwarts will mean hard work, but it will give you a home among friends until the age of seventeen. We will loan you the money for what you will need until then. Do you think you're interested?"
"Yes!" Daisy exclaimed, "of course. When do we leave?"
Maggie laughed warmly, "Not until September, but I'm glad it appeals to you."
Daisy smiled broadly. For the first time since that fateful night two months ago, Daisy saw her future clearly. She was finally in control again.
"This is the best birthday I've ever had!" she said zealously.
"It's your birthday today?" Maggie asked.
"Yeah," Daisy said, trying to see whether she felt any older than yesterday.
"Well I don't have a gift, but," Maggie rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a large gold coin. "Here. You should have some pocket money anyway."
Daisy usually would have refused money from someone she hardly knew but she was too intrigued by the strange currency to give it back.
"What is it?" Daisy asked, and then added "Er, thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's a gold galleon, some the money we use in the wizarding world. Seventeen silver sickles to a galleon, and twenty-nine bronze knuts in a sickle."
Daisy studied the odd coin some more and a lull appeared in the conversation.
"Must send a letter to Dumbledore," Maggie said thoughtfully. She was scrawling a message on a bit of paper. Hibou settled on Maggie's wrist and she began to tie the paper to his leg. She stroked his feathers, then he nipped her fingers affectionately and took off.
"Do you know each other then?" Daisy asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, I raised him from an egg when I was at the Ministry," Maggie said.
"You were with the Ministry of Magic?" Daisy asked, further bewildered.
"I s'pose I still am. Dumbledore needed someone to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. I think he wanted another auror."
"I'm sorry I'm so out of this magic loop, I don't know anything," Daisy said, looking at the ground and wondering what an auror could be.
"Don't worry about it," Maggie said cheeringly. "Many students come from non magic families and have to start fresh just like you."
Daisy's spirit lightened again as she asked, "So what do I need? Pencils, notebooks?"
"What's a pinsile?" asked Maggie, the confused one this time.
Daisy looked at her as if she was a bit mad. "You know, to write with," Daisy said, making a writing motion in the air.
"Oh yes, I've heard of those," Maggie said as if it were quite an accomplishment to know of pencils. "We use quills, Daisy. Quills and parchment. Let's see, what else do you need?" She pulled a list from her robes. "Uniform, cauldron, telescope, and a wand, of course. Shall we get going? I've heard there are great sales this time of year."
"Sure!" Daisy said. She felt like a small kid in a toy store.
"I need to stop at Flourish and Blott's quickly, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Daisy said. The more magic she saw the better. They reached the store a moment later. The window had displays of large books filled with incantations. When they entered, they were greeted by a middle aged man.
"May I help you?" he said. He seemed quite lively now, but there were deep stress marks in his face.
"Yes," Maggie said politely. "I need some books on Defense Against the Dark Arts, and two from the Everything You Should Know series. The Original and Hogwarts editions."
"Yes, yes. Very helpful to Muggle borns," he said eyeing Daisy. "Miss Johnson?" he called. A tall black girl, who looked to be a few years older than Daisy, appeared at the man's side.
"Yes, Mr. Oakley?" she asked.
"Please show this fine woman to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section."
"Sure will, right this way, Ma'am," said the girl. Maggie winked at Daisy and followed Miss Johnson.
"And your books are right over here, Miss," said Mr. Oakley. He heaved two enormous books into Daisy's arms. She nearly dropped to the ground with them, and even considering the size she was, that was saying something. She winced as she read the cover of the top book. Everything a Witch or Wizard Should Know but Doesn't by Gwen Enoch.
"Help," Daisy grimaced. Immediately Mr. Oakley took the stack of books back and began to apologize. He hauled the books up to the front desk for payment. He leaned against the desk, panting. A moment later Maggie reappeared along with Miss Johnson, whose face was blocked by a tower of about twelve books.
Daisy was worried they wouldn't be able to carry the lot of them until Maggie pulled out her almond colored wand and pointed it at the stack of books.
"Agilis!" she said. Then she picked up one of the Everything books and tossed it like a pizza. "Excellent!" She turned back to Mr. Oakley behind the desk, but instead she saw a very old witch. Her nametag said: Betsy Blotts.
"Betsy!" cried Maggie.
"Maggie, dear!" croaked the witch happily, "it's been so long since I've seen you last. What are you up to these days?"
"I'm about to start a job at Hogwarts!" she said, her pride apparent in her face.
"Oh, little Maggie," cried the witch, "all grown up and teaching at Hogwarts!" Her eyes began to water.
"What? What's all this?" asked a gruff voice from the back room. A moment later a man with a grubby beard, seeming to be about the same age as Betsy, emerged. He was also wearing a nametag. It bore: Floyd Flourish.
"Floyd, it's Maggie!" explained Betsy. By now, Daisy was baffled.
"Ah, so it is," said Floyd, squinting through small spectacles. "And how is she?"
"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" Maggie said courteously.
"And still so polite!" Floyd said, delighted, to Betsy.
"Who is this little lady?" he asked, noticing Daisy. She was glad she'd finally been detected. She felt like she was intruding on their moment.
"Daisy," she told him. "Daisy Peterson."
"Is she yours then?" Betsy asked Maggie.
"No," Maggie said abashedly. "She's a new student at Hogwarts."
"Then she'll be needing more books," Betsy said hopefully.
"No," Maggie said and lowered her voice. "She was accepted later than most students, so the school is providing books."
"Oh, alright," said Betsy sounding a tad disappointed.
"But we will take all these," Maggie said, her voice at her normal volume again.
After they paid for the now feather light books, Miss Johnson had to take over because Betsy was still tearful over seeing Maggie, they strode back onto the crowded alley.
"What was that about?" Daisy asked quizzically.
"Well, Betsy and Floyd are brother and sister, and they were great friends of my parents until," Maggie paused as though she was remembering something unpleasant, "until You-Know-Who killed them. I stayed with them in the summers when I was at Hogwarts."
Daisy was going to say something like, "No, I don't know who." But it didn't seem to be the kindest response. So instead, she said, "Oh," apologetically.
"Yes, well, what else do we need?" Maggie asked, digging in her robe pocket for the list again. Not looking, she ran straight into the man in front of her and dropped her books all over the road.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Maggie cried, leaning to pick up her books.
"That's alright. Let me help you," said the curly brown haired man, leaning over. "Maggie?"
Maggie looked at his face. "Kurt!" she cried. "I haven't seen you for ages. Daisy, this is Kurt, he was one of my best friends at school."
Kurt held out his hand to shake. Daisy took it. "Nice to meet you, Daisy. And it's good to see you again, Maggie. I have to run, though. How long are you in Diagon Alley?"
"Until September," Maggie replied.
"Excellent," Kurt said. "Maybe I'll see you?"
"I hope so," Maggie said. "Goodbye."
Kurt handed Maggie the pile of books he had. "Goodbye." He walked down the road in a hurry.
"Wow, next I'll see teachers from Hogwarts, too," Maggie said. "What a day!"
They stopped at various other shops on the road for the rest of Daisy's things. They bought a pewter cauldron, loads of parchment, quills, and ink, horrid smelling potion ingredients, a telescope, and brass scales.
When they stopped in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, a squat Madam Malkin dressed in flowing navy robes welcomed them in.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked Daisy.
"Yes," Daisy said, not sure what to expect.
Madam Malkin led them to the back of the store and motioned for Daisy to stand on a wooden stool. She stepped onto it, and Madam Malkin pulled a tape measure out of her pocket. She tapped it with her wand and it began to measure Daisy all on its own.
Daisy tried to stay still, but it was odd to be measured by an inanimate object. When it was through, Madam Malkin stepped onto a stool beside Daisy and put a black robe over her head.
She started to pin it to the right length when Maggie said, "She'll need dress robes as well."
Madam Malkin finished and looked up, her face bright. "Excellent!" she said. "What color do you prefer?" she asked Daisy.
"Er." Daisy said. She wasn't even sure what dress robes were, and probably wasn't the most qualified to pick a color for them.
"How about yellow?" voiced Madam Malkin, noticing Daisy's stress.
"Okay," Daisy said. She didn't wear yellow very often, but not for any particular reason.
It turned out that yellow was a fine color for Daisy, and dress robes were just like the choir robes everyone seemed to be wearing, but fancier.
When they finally left the store, Maggie said, "Now your wand."
The next shop they stopped at was Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Apart from a small bell that rang as they entered the dark store, there was no greeting as there had been at the other shops. They were all alone.
Silence lay thick as dust in the air. Long boxes rested in piles stacked all the way up to the ceiling. The only apparent furniture in the room was an old wooden chair in which Maggie seated herself.
The calm was broken when an old man with round shining eyes appeared in front of a startled Daisy.
"Good afternoon," he said softly.
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander?" Daisy guessed.
"Indeed. You are in need of a wand, Miss...?"
"Daisy Peterson," she said, sticking out her hand automatically. Right away she wished she hadn't. Mr. Ollivander stepped closer and his huge eyes shone silver into her face. They had an unnerving effect. He grasped her hand and bobbed it up and down twice.
Letting go, he said, "Hold out your wand arm, please." Daisy stuck out her right arm and once again, a roll of self-moving measuring tape began to evaluate her.
Mr. Ollivander suddenly noticed Maggie. "Ah, yes I remember you. Ten and three quarter inches. Floppy. Made from American birch with a core of unicorn hair. Good for dueling."
"It is," Maggie said, looking at him, astonished.
"That will do," Mr. Ollivander said, and the tape dropped from the air. He selected a box from the wall and opened it. "Try this one. Fir. Nine inches long and stiff. Hair from the tail of a unicorn. Excels at curses."
Daisy gripped the wand and held it in the air. Nothing. Mr. Ollivander took the wand back, and looked into her eyes intently.
"Yes, yes. Hmmm.Give this one a wave," he said, offering a new box. Daisy clasped the dark brown wand. She held it up and whisked it through the air. Several gold sparks emerged from the end. Daisy's feeling of apprehension dissolved.
"Did I do magic?" she asked, stunned.
"Yes, Daisy, you did it!" Maggie said.
"Curious," said Mr. Ollivander, frowning. "Mahogany and dragon heartstring. Eleven inches, pliable. A good charge of power, I'm afraid you'll need it."
Daisy looked down at these words. Mr. Ollivander began rambling to himself. "Curious the will of a wand, no two the same, very familiar, sometimes relations, but there's no living relatives, unless."
Mr. Ollivander stared point blank into Daisy's eyes. "Daisy, who are your parents?"
"I was adopted. I don't know anything about my parents except that they were murdered," answered Daisy, thinking Mr. Ollivander to be quite mad.
"I see," he said. "This is the one. It has chosen you, so use it well."
The wand cost seven gold galleons, which Maggie pulled from a drawstring bag at her side. Mr. Ollivander showed them to the door. Daisy was glad to go.
A/N: See that was really fun, huh? Isn't Maggie better than Umbridge? Oooooooh, Umbridge is so evil! Anyway, please please review. Thanks so much!
