Title: Designated Harbinger - chapter eight
Author: Lia
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: So far, none. In the future, possibly all HP books. Story starts in summer before CS.
Disclaimer: I do not own HP. J.K. Rowling does. I'm just playing in her universe. This story's plot, any characters, and things you don't recognize is mine. I'm not making any money.
******************************************************
You know how just one moment can affect the rest of your life? Can't imagine it? Well, I don't have to anymore. My life is now forever altered. I just don't realize it yet.
So, you're all probably wondering what happened. Maybe I'll tell you, maybe not. No, it wasn't a boy. Man, how typical of people it is to assume that. Yeah, I'm a girl, but not everything important has to be about a guy. Though, Christy might disagree. See, it wasn't a boy at all-- -but a girl. It wasn't even just her, but ultimately who linked me with people who'd change the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a hot August morning. 'I always imagined England being cold and rainy. Well, that's probably true, but the weather here rivals that of Virginia's. Of course, this would be the time Mom decides to go shopping.' Jessica was excited and anxious all at the same time. Scarcely two weeks ago her family moved to England.
Mom was born here as well as Jessica's father's family. Dad grew up in America like his children. She wasn't sure why her mom moved to America instead of dwelling here. 'Get the impression it's because the Wizarding World here is so much---well, more. Like it's not so separated or something in the USA. Muggle fashion and conduct is tolerated better over there. Strange, huh?'
'Occasionally, I just get aggravated and don't care. That kind of explains what I'm wearing, I guess. What's wrong with a tank top, shorts, sandals, and a backpack? It's freaking Hot! I'll wear the robes when it gets colder.'
Mom stared intently at Jessica until she places a robe in the bag. There, compromise made. When Jess read Hogwarts': A History was she taken aback to learn that Hogwarts really doesn't have a school uniform. They possess a dress code, sure. However, no mention whatsoever of a set of clothes besides the black student robes. From this, she figured she could dress however she wants underneath the robe(within moderation).
After all, as an American witch at Hogwarts, she'll standout anyway. Mom sighed but put her claret robe into the tote she carried. Jessica and her mother traveled by car, by train, and by the underground, just to reach this small mucky pub on Charing Cross Road in London.
Like with The Cast 'N' Keg, The Leaky Cauldron was one of those entrances to the Wizarding World. 'I hope that it wouldn't be too busy being that today's Wednesday.' Most shopping places tend to be crowded on weekends. Pasting Muggles didn't notice this one either.
Inside, the pub was dark and shabby-looking but pretty big. A couple of oddly clad witches were sitting in the corner; a little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender. The small crowd looked up briefly before continuing their previous activities. They stopped just long enough to don their robes and continued towards the back door.
In the little, walled courtyard filled with weeds and a trash can they paused once again. Jessica stopped short, nearly running into her mom. Mom counted bricks on the wall above the trash can. "Okay, key here is tap three up and two across, then stand back," she said touching her wand to the wall three times. Jessica looked on with interest.
The brick she'd touched quivered, then a small hole appeared in its middle. The hole grew wider and wider until they were facing a large archway. Through it they could see a wide cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. "Diagon Alley," said Mom grinning at Jess's expression. "The wall didn't do that at the Market," Jess stammered puzzled. Mom nodded. "Well, you know Americans always have to do things slightly different," she answered back jokingly.
They passed a multitude of shops: a cauldron store, an apothecary, a bookstore, a bank, a pet shop, and some others until we reached a narrow and scruffy building. "Mom is THIS it? We've almost reached the end of the alley," Jess asked.
Mom looked at her, smiling weakly. "Yes, Jess. THIS is it. Let's go get your wand." Peeling gold letters over the entry of the building read Ollivander's: Makers of fine Wands since 382 B.C. One wand on a cushion was displayed in the dusty window. She made sounds of bafflement. THIS is the traditional shop where Mom's family got their wands. 'Weird.'
A bell rang somewhere in the back of the shop as they entered. The place was small lined with ceiling-high shelves piled with long thin boxes. Only a single, gangly looking chair filled the room. "Good morning," said a soft voice. Mom jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of an old man. I'd sensed him coming, but became uneasy as he gazed at me with wide, pale eyes.
"Ah yes," said the man. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Jessica Bradley." She looked at her mother uncertainly. 'How did he know I was coming?' He followed my glance. "Yes, I see much of your mother in you. It seems simply yesterday she was in here, buying her first wand. Nine and three quarter inches long, sturdy, made of chestnut and a Chimaera's hair core. Curious one, that."
Mom reddened slightly. "How nice it is to see you again, Marie. All of the Montgomerys have graced my shop at one time. Let's see to the most recent, now," he said to which Jess said, "Jessica Bradley." Ollivander coughed, "Well, yes it is. She did marry that Bradley boy."
Seeming to get over his loss of composure rather quickly, he pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Miss Bradley. Which is your wand arm?" "Um-I'm right-handed," said Jessica looking at her right hand.
"Hold out your arm, please." He measured Jessica from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Bradley. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another witch's wand." The tape measure continued measuring on its own as Mr. Ollivander took down boxes from various shelves.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure dropped to the floor. "Alright. Try this. Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Just give it a wave." Jessica took the wand and tentatively moved it. Mr. Ollivander removed it from her grasp after a moment.
"No, no. Here try this. Cherry-wood and dragon heartstring. Ten inches. Flexible." Again, Jess waved the wand this time a little more confident. It just didn't feel right to her.
He handed her another wand to try. "Ebony and unicorn hair. Nine and a quarter inches. Stiff. No? Not right, either. Here, Maple and Bog Myrtle. Thirteen inches." More and more wands, he gave her.
Running back and forth, he collected more boxes with wands for her to try. Some jerked out of her hands, others remained lifeless, and yet others caused small explosions. Each wand was discarded, or rejected her. Jessica started to look disappointed, while Mr. Ollivander appeared thrilled.
"Difficult customer, eh? Don't worry, we'll find a match. Let me get out some of the more unusual wands." He hurriedly gathered the tested wands and put them aside and disappeared to the back of the store.
Two people came into the store and a bell sounded in the back to the store. Mr. Ollivander emerged and excused himself from us to take care of the new customers. "It should only take me a couple of minutes."
She shot her mother a curious look, but only received a shrug. "Mom, why is this taking so long?," Jessica asked. Mom quirked an eyebrow and said, "Don't know. It simply took me about twenty minutes. We've been here for an hour and a half." Jessica tried to shake off her worries, turned, and scanned the newcomers.
"Hi, I'm Zoey Mansel. This is my father. Are you going to Hogwarts this year, too?," the other girl asked. Jess smiled at the brown haired bundle of eagerness. "Yeah. I'm Jessica Bradley and over there's my Mom."
The girl's blue eyes gleamed. "Blimey! I adore your accent. What kind is it? And you are going to Hogwarts, right?," she said excitedly. I grinned at her. "It's American, but I was born here, and we just moved back to England. So, Hogwarts here I come!" Zoey smiled, her eyes looking a bit wistful. "Always wanted to travel. What's it like?," she inquired.
They chatted for a while until Mr. Ollivander appeared. Zoey tried a couple of wands. On the sixth wand, a wind gusted around her and pink mist came from the wand. Her father hugged her when Mr. Ollivander announced that they'd found her wand. "A fine wand. Sycamore with dragon heartstring. Seven and a half inches. Nice and supple," the wand maker said.
While her dad was paying for the wand, Zoey turned to Jessica and asked baffled, "Where you waiting for someone?" Jessica shook her head, "Oh, no. We weren't. Mr. Ollivander is having some difficulty finding a matching wand for me. Just decided to take a brake before continuing."
She was subdued for a moment. Zoey's eyes widened, "Bloody hell! You're not joking. Mr. Ollivander is believed to be one of the best. He always finds a wand." Jess appeared uneasy, but brushed it off, and said, "Well, at least he seems happy. Every time a wand's rejected he becomes more excited. Strange huh?" Zoey nodded. "Err, well, we have to continue shopping. So, I'll see you on the train to Hogwarts then. Bye," she said back to her cheerful self. "Yeah. Later!," Jess called out as the pair left the store.
When Jess turned away from the door, she saw her mother smiling at her. 'Parents are so easy to make happy at times. I'm mean I was just chatting. No biggy.' Mr. Ollivander handed her a wand and Jess release a sigh. 'Here we go again.'
After about thirty more minutes, and many wands later, one chose her. Eyes scarcely noticed its characteristics. The old wand maker stopped giving out their descriptions some time ago. As soon as he placed this wand in Jessica's hand, she felt an energy sweep through her body. Her arm was steady, but it felt like she was quivering all over.
"Go on, wave it," he instructed her eager and edgy all at once. Taking a deep breath and trying not to notice their intent looks thrown her way, she flourished the wand with certainty.
Blue sparks flared out of the tip of the reddish wand, and then gently fell to the floor like rain. It puddled on the floor then faded away. "Well, well, well, well, well. How fascinating," Mr. Ollivander said softly.
Looking up sharply at him, she asked, "What's so interesting?" He smiled a little secretively. "Nothing, actually. Just unusual. Never imagined I'd see the day that wand left me. Cedar with a mermaid's hair core. Eleven and a quarter inches. Peculiar combination."
She traced her fingertips the length of her wand, feeling it's sleek, well polished curves. Unlike a lot of wands, it wasn't stick straight, but had graceful wavy contours. It wasn't stiff or easily bent, but durable. 'Reminds me of water. Soft and goes with the flow, yet strong enough to shape canyons. Yep, strange. It's so me, ain't it?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was almost lunch time so we decided to stop at one more store before eating. Jessica decided she wanted to make for the bookstore Flourish and Blotts. "You know Jess. It was in front of this very store that I met your father," her mother sighed. Looking at it now, you couldn't imagine how. There was a large swarm of people jostling outside the doors, trying to get in.
A large banner stretched across the upper windows: GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.M. to 4:40 P.M.
"Who's that? A movie star or something?," Jessica asked. Mom shook her head and clucked her tongue in distaste. "Just a pretty-boy airbag with a big ego. Look at these people! I know he's suppose to be an expert against dark magics, but this is ridiculous," Mom said looking over all the love-sick women. Jessica laughed, "I don't know, Mom. Let's see if he compares to Tom Cruise." They began to weave their way through the crowd.
As they entered the store, passing screeching females waiting in line, Jessica caught a glimpse of Lockhart. 'He's not that great. I don't get these people.' He was seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of himself. 'Yep, HUGE ego.'
Wearing blue robes that matched his eyes and a hat to set off his blond hair, he was obviously proud of his looks. Her mother was grimacing. "Not attracted to people who think they're all that, huh Mom?," she whispered. Mom's eyes glimmered and lips twisted upward briefly. "You could say that."
Jessica selected one book on an assortment of everyday simple spells before she spotted a bigger scene than even the book signing. It all started out because of the crowd and a photographer. Lockhart suddenly jumped to his feet and yelled, "It CAN'T be Harry Potter?"
The large group separated, revealing a small boy about Jessica's age with messy black hair and glasses surrounded by a group of red-heads. She looked around confused by all the whispering as the boy was pulled to the front by Lockhart to have their photograph taken together. "Who? What's going on?"
Mom looked at her daughter sharply. 'Oh, this is the -you should know this- face' "Think, Jessica. This is the boy who stopped You-Know-Who," she stated with a touch of awe. "Oh, you mean Voldemort?," she said triggering a passing witch to look at her alarmed before scuttling away. "Shh, Jess. Don't say his name. He hurt a lot of people. It's like talking about bodily functions at the dinner table. It's just not done."
The girl grimaces at that picture. She couldn't help but say something though. Remembering a discussion she had with Dad over her history homework last spring, she said, "He was like Hitler, Mom. Fearing or ignoring it won't make it go away. That just gives him more power, even when he's dead
Shaking her head, annoyed and amused Mom said, "You've been spending too much time with you father, dear. In any case, it's best to keep these things quiet. Ever since the beginning of summer, there's a rumor that he's not quite dead and is trying to find a way back. Try not to attract the wrong sort of attention." Jessica nodded and looked at the boy.
He was cute in an awkward sort of way. Then again, his aura was distinctive. 'Wow. Would you look at that? Never thought to see that mixture in one so young.' Part of his was black, part sky blue, amber, and mushroom. 'He's too young for that! How can he remain stable with that? Yes, there are good aspects, but he needs a support system or in time he'll crash. I wonder who's taking care of him?' Jessica pulled away from her thoughts. It wasn't her place to interfere. Wouldn't be accepted anyway.
Jessica was surprised when Lockhart announced that he was going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts this year. Shivering she tried not to imagine dealing with his ego all year long. Also, it appears that according to the crowd, Jessica would have to listen to her roommates sigh about him all the time too.
Part of her awareness never left that part of the store as Mom left to buy a couple of books. The action had died down somewhat, but her attention was dragged back as a fight erupted. At first it was between Harry Potter and a boy with bleached white hair. 'Is that even natural? If it is, cool!' Jessica spied as a small red-headed girl jumped in and defend Harry. 'She's got guts. And it appears a crush on him,' she thought as the girl blushed brightly.
Their aural interactions were interesting too. The thin blond boy was actually green with envy, red with anger, and sky blue following his instincts. Pale blue, pink, and violet for the girl. Red and pink flared in Potter's.
Before a brawl could really begin, two adults interfered. At first, Jessica sighed relieved. The two men, obviously relatives to the children, began to fight verbally, then come to blows They were worst than us kids! 'Blondie-man there's a little mustard colored. That's not of the good.'
Mom came up to me at that time and we began to leave. I glanced back to them and caught the young girl's eyes. Flashing her a grin, I gave her a thumbs up and mouthed the words 'Good job' tossing a glance at the blond boy. The red-head looked confused, but whatever. With the fight between the adults everyone had forgotten how the girl had stood up to the boy. To Jessica, that showed character.
Mom and Jessica continued their shopping after lunch. The clothes shopping and robe fitting was the worst. She just couldn't stand still long enough without getting poked. Good did come out of it though. Jessica found out that the black robes were the uniform, but the rest was just recommended. They next went out and bought her potion supplies, other pieces of equipment, and a witch's trunk that would fit everything in and be much lighter to move than is natural. Finally, she was ready for Hogwarts. Or so she hoped.
*****************************************************
Author's note:
Hi, everyone! It's moving along nicely, huh? Also you got your first peep of Harry Potter and company. Still reading GOF. Have to memorize tons of info for my science class. Updates seem to average once to twice a week. I'm not going to worry about point of views. They might change more often, but I think it just makes the story more interesting. The last few chapters don't seem to be as good as the first few. I think I've become a little too focused on details and research. Going to try to bring back more of the emotions and characterizations that I love. Wish me luck, and review please.
Silver girl, I did decide to use some of your name suggestions. Zoey isn't the only one. Just finished the name list for the Sorting Ceremony. There will be 45 students going this year. You will probably only hear some of them during the Sorting. Others will be her housemates, classmates, friends, and enemies. The Sorting song done as well. So, you think Gryffindor? Well, I'm not going to tell, but have foreshadowed some. Gryffindor is a possibility when I look at Jess's character. The crystal charm was a piece of foreshadowing and will be important later on. Don't expect it to come into play too soon though.
Author: Lia
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: So far, none. In the future, possibly all HP books. Story starts in summer before CS.
Disclaimer: I do not own HP. J.K. Rowling does. I'm just playing in her universe. This story's plot, any characters, and things you don't recognize is mine. I'm not making any money.
******************************************************
You know how just one moment can affect the rest of your life? Can't imagine it? Well, I don't have to anymore. My life is now forever altered. I just don't realize it yet.
So, you're all probably wondering what happened. Maybe I'll tell you, maybe not. No, it wasn't a boy. Man, how typical of people it is to assume that. Yeah, I'm a girl, but not everything important has to be about a guy. Though, Christy might disagree. See, it wasn't a boy at all-- -but a girl. It wasn't even just her, but ultimately who linked me with people who'd change the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a hot August morning. 'I always imagined England being cold and rainy. Well, that's probably true, but the weather here rivals that of Virginia's. Of course, this would be the time Mom decides to go shopping.' Jessica was excited and anxious all at the same time. Scarcely two weeks ago her family moved to England.
Mom was born here as well as Jessica's father's family. Dad grew up in America like his children. She wasn't sure why her mom moved to America instead of dwelling here. 'Get the impression it's because the Wizarding World here is so much---well, more. Like it's not so separated or something in the USA. Muggle fashion and conduct is tolerated better over there. Strange, huh?'
'Occasionally, I just get aggravated and don't care. That kind of explains what I'm wearing, I guess. What's wrong with a tank top, shorts, sandals, and a backpack? It's freaking Hot! I'll wear the robes when it gets colder.'
Mom stared intently at Jessica until she places a robe in the bag. There, compromise made. When Jess read Hogwarts': A History was she taken aback to learn that Hogwarts really doesn't have a school uniform. They possess a dress code, sure. However, no mention whatsoever of a set of clothes besides the black student robes. From this, she figured she could dress however she wants underneath the robe(within moderation).
After all, as an American witch at Hogwarts, she'll standout anyway. Mom sighed but put her claret robe into the tote she carried. Jessica and her mother traveled by car, by train, and by the underground, just to reach this small mucky pub on Charing Cross Road in London.
Like with The Cast 'N' Keg, The Leaky Cauldron was one of those entrances to the Wizarding World. 'I hope that it wouldn't be too busy being that today's Wednesday.' Most shopping places tend to be crowded on weekends. Pasting Muggles didn't notice this one either.
Inside, the pub was dark and shabby-looking but pretty big. A couple of oddly clad witches were sitting in the corner; a little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender. The small crowd looked up briefly before continuing their previous activities. They stopped just long enough to don their robes and continued towards the back door.
In the little, walled courtyard filled with weeds and a trash can they paused once again. Jessica stopped short, nearly running into her mom. Mom counted bricks on the wall above the trash can. "Okay, key here is tap three up and two across, then stand back," she said touching her wand to the wall three times. Jessica looked on with interest.
The brick she'd touched quivered, then a small hole appeared in its middle. The hole grew wider and wider until they were facing a large archway. Through it they could see a wide cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. "Diagon Alley," said Mom grinning at Jess's expression. "The wall didn't do that at the Market," Jess stammered puzzled. Mom nodded. "Well, you know Americans always have to do things slightly different," she answered back jokingly.
They passed a multitude of shops: a cauldron store, an apothecary, a bookstore, a bank, a pet shop, and some others until we reached a narrow and scruffy building. "Mom is THIS it? We've almost reached the end of the alley," Jess asked.
Mom looked at her, smiling weakly. "Yes, Jess. THIS is it. Let's go get your wand." Peeling gold letters over the entry of the building read Ollivander's: Makers of fine Wands since 382 B.C. One wand on a cushion was displayed in the dusty window. She made sounds of bafflement. THIS is the traditional shop where Mom's family got their wands. 'Weird.'
A bell rang somewhere in the back of the shop as they entered. The place was small lined with ceiling-high shelves piled with long thin boxes. Only a single, gangly looking chair filled the room. "Good morning," said a soft voice. Mom jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of an old man. I'd sensed him coming, but became uneasy as he gazed at me with wide, pale eyes.
"Ah yes," said the man. "I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Jessica Bradley." She looked at her mother uncertainly. 'How did he know I was coming?' He followed my glance. "Yes, I see much of your mother in you. It seems simply yesterday she was in here, buying her first wand. Nine and three quarter inches long, sturdy, made of chestnut and a Chimaera's hair core. Curious one, that."
Mom reddened slightly. "How nice it is to see you again, Marie. All of the Montgomerys have graced my shop at one time. Let's see to the most recent, now," he said to which Jess said, "Jessica Bradley." Ollivander coughed, "Well, yes it is. She did marry that Bradley boy."
Seeming to get over his loss of composure rather quickly, he pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Miss Bradley. Which is your wand arm?" "Um-I'm right-handed," said Jessica looking at her right hand.
"Hold out your arm, please." He measured Jessica from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Bradley. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another witch's wand." The tape measure continued measuring on its own as Mr. Ollivander took down boxes from various shelves.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure dropped to the floor. "Alright. Try this. Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Just give it a wave." Jessica took the wand and tentatively moved it. Mr. Ollivander removed it from her grasp after a moment.
"No, no. Here try this. Cherry-wood and dragon heartstring. Ten inches. Flexible." Again, Jess waved the wand this time a little more confident. It just didn't feel right to her.
He handed her another wand to try. "Ebony and unicorn hair. Nine and a quarter inches. Stiff. No? Not right, either. Here, Maple and Bog Myrtle. Thirteen inches." More and more wands, he gave her.
Running back and forth, he collected more boxes with wands for her to try. Some jerked out of her hands, others remained lifeless, and yet others caused small explosions. Each wand was discarded, or rejected her. Jessica started to look disappointed, while Mr. Ollivander appeared thrilled.
"Difficult customer, eh? Don't worry, we'll find a match. Let me get out some of the more unusual wands." He hurriedly gathered the tested wands and put them aside and disappeared to the back of the store.
Two people came into the store and a bell sounded in the back to the store. Mr. Ollivander emerged and excused himself from us to take care of the new customers. "It should only take me a couple of minutes."
She shot her mother a curious look, but only received a shrug. "Mom, why is this taking so long?," Jessica asked. Mom quirked an eyebrow and said, "Don't know. It simply took me about twenty minutes. We've been here for an hour and a half." Jessica tried to shake off her worries, turned, and scanned the newcomers.
"Hi, I'm Zoey Mansel. This is my father. Are you going to Hogwarts this year, too?," the other girl asked. Jess smiled at the brown haired bundle of eagerness. "Yeah. I'm Jessica Bradley and over there's my Mom."
The girl's blue eyes gleamed. "Blimey! I adore your accent. What kind is it? And you are going to Hogwarts, right?," she said excitedly. I grinned at her. "It's American, but I was born here, and we just moved back to England. So, Hogwarts here I come!" Zoey smiled, her eyes looking a bit wistful. "Always wanted to travel. What's it like?," she inquired.
They chatted for a while until Mr. Ollivander appeared. Zoey tried a couple of wands. On the sixth wand, a wind gusted around her and pink mist came from the wand. Her father hugged her when Mr. Ollivander announced that they'd found her wand. "A fine wand. Sycamore with dragon heartstring. Seven and a half inches. Nice and supple," the wand maker said.
While her dad was paying for the wand, Zoey turned to Jessica and asked baffled, "Where you waiting for someone?" Jessica shook her head, "Oh, no. We weren't. Mr. Ollivander is having some difficulty finding a matching wand for me. Just decided to take a brake before continuing."
She was subdued for a moment. Zoey's eyes widened, "Bloody hell! You're not joking. Mr. Ollivander is believed to be one of the best. He always finds a wand." Jess appeared uneasy, but brushed it off, and said, "Well, at least he seems happy. Every time a wand's rejected he becomes more excited. Strange huh?" Zoey nodded. "Err, well, we have to continue shopping. So, I'll see you on the train to Hogwarts then. Bye," she said back to her cheerful self. "Yeah. Later!," Jess called out as the pair left the store.
When Jess turned away from the door, she saw her mother smiling at her. 'Parents are so easy to make happy at times. I'm mean I was just chatting. No biggy.' Mr. Ollivander handed her a wand and Jess release a sigh. 'Here we go again.'
After about thirty more minutes, and many wands later, one chose her. Eyes scarcely noticed its characteristics. The old wand maker stopped giving out their descriptions some time ago. As soon as he placed this wand in Jessica's hand, she felt an energy sweep through her body. Her arm was steady, but it felt like she was quivering all over.
"Go on, wave it," he instructed her eager and edgy all at once. Taking a deep breath and trying not to notice their intent looks thrown her way, she flourished the wand with certainty.
Blue sparks flared out of the tip of the reddish wand, and then gently fell to the floor like rain. It puddled on the floor then faded away. "Well, well, well, well, well. How fascinating," Mr. Ollivander said softly.
Looking up sharply at him, she asked, "What's so interesting?" He smiled a little secretively. "Nothing, actually. Just unusual. Never imagined I'd see the day that wand left me. Cedar with a mermaid's hair core. Eleven and a quarter inches. Peculiar combination."
She traced her fingertips the length of her wand, feeling it's sleek, well polished curves. Unlike a lot of wands, it wasn't stick straight, but had graceful wavy contours. It wasn't stiff or easily bent, but durable. 'Reminds me of water. Soft and goes with the flow, yet strong enough to shape canyons. Yep, strange. It's so me, ain't it?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was almost lunch time so we decided to stop at one more store before eating. Jessica decided she wanted to make for the bookstore Flourish and Blotts. "You know Jess. It was in front of this very store that I met your father," her mother sighed. Looking at it now, you couldn't imagine how. There was a large swarm of people jostling outside the doors, trying to get in.
A large banner stretched across the upper windows: GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.M. to 4:40 P.M.
"Who's that? A movie star or something?," Jessica asked. Mom shook her head and clucked her tongue in distaste. "Just a pretty-boy airbag with a big ego. Look at these people! I know he's suppose to be an expert against dark magics, but this is ridiculous," Mom said looking over all the love-sick women. Jessica laughed, "I don't know, Mom. Let's see if he compares to Tom Cruise." They began to weave their way through the crowd.
As they entered the store, passing screeching females waiting in line, Jessica caught a glimpse of Lockhart. 'He's not that great. I don't get these people.' He was seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of himself. 'Yep, HUGE ego.'
Wearing blue robes that matched his eyes and a hat to set off his blond hair, he was obviously proud of his looks. Her mother was grimacing. "Not attracted to people who think they're all that, huh Mom?," she whispered. Mom's eyes glimmered and lips twisted upward briefly. "You could say that."
Jessica selected one book on an assortment of everyday simple spells before she spotted a bigger scene than even the book signing. It all started out because of the crowd and a photographer. Lockhart suddenly jumped to his feet and yelled, "It CAN'T be Harry Potter?"
The large group separated, revealing a small boy about Jessica's age with messy black hair and glasses surrounded by a group of red-heads. She looked around confused by all the whispering as the boy was pulled to the front by Lockhart to have their photograph taken together. "Who? What's going on?"
Mom looked at her daughter sharply. 'Oh, this is the -you should know this- face' "Think, Jessica. This is the boy who stopped You-Know-Who," she stated with a touch of awe. "Oh, you mean Voldemort?," she said triggering a passing witch to look at her alarmed before scuttling away. "Shh, Jess. Don't say his name. He hurt a lot of people. It's like talking about bodily functions at the dinner table. It's just not done."
The girl grimaces at that picture. She couldn't help but say something though. Remembering a discussion she had with Dad over her history homework last spring, she said, "He was like Hitler, Mom. Fearing or ignoring it won't make it go away. That just gives him more power, even when he's dead
Shaking her head, annoyed and amused Mom said, "You've been spending too much time with you father, dear. In any case, it's best to keep these things quiet. Ever since the beginning of summer, there's a rumor that he's not quite dead and is trying to find a way back. Try not to attract the wrong sort of attention." Jessica nodded and looked at the boy.
He was cute in an awkward sort of way. Then again, his aura was distinctive. 'Wow. Would you look at that? Never thought to see that mixture in one so young.' Part of his was black, part sky blue, amber, and mushroom. 'He's too young for that! How can he remain stable with that? Yes, there are good aspects, but he needs a support system or in time he'll crash. I wonder who's taking care of him?' Jessica pulled away from her thoughts. It wasn't her place to interfere. Wouldn't be accepted anyway.
Jessica was surprised when Lockhart announced that he was going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts this year. Shivering she tried not to imagine dealing with his ego all year long. Also, it appears that according to the crowd, Jessica would have to listen to her roommates sigh about him all the time too.
Part of her awareness never left that part of the store as Mom left to buy a couple of books. The action had died down somewhat, but her attention was dragged back as a fight erupted. At first it was between Harry Potter and a boy with bleached white hair. 'Is that even natural? If it is, cool!' Jessica spied as a small red-headed girl jumped in and defend Harry. 'She's got guts. And it appears a crush on him,' she thought as the girl blushed brightly.
Their aural interactions were interesting too. The thin blond boy was actually green with envy, red with anger, and sky blue following his instincts. Pale blue, pink, and violet for the girl. Red and pink flared in Potter's.
Before a brawl could really begin, two adults interfered. At first, Jessica sighed relieved. The two men, obviously relatives to the children, began to fight verbally, then come to blows They were worst than us kids! 'Blondie-man there's a little mustard colored. That's not of the good.'
Mom came up to me at that time and we began to leave. I glanced back to them and caught the young girl's eyes. Flashing her a grin, I gave her a thumbs up and mouthed the words 'Good job' tossing a glance at the blond boy. The red-head looked confused, but whatever. With the fight between the adults everyone had forgotten how the girl had stood up to the boy. To Jessica, that showed character.
Mom and Jessica continued their shopping after lunch. The clothes shopping and robe fitting was the worst. She just couldn't stand still long enough without getting poked. Good did come out of it though. Jessica found out that the black robes were the uniform, but the rest was just recommended. They next went out and bought her potion supplies, other pieces of equipment, and a witch's trunk that would fit everything in and be much lighter to move than is natural. Finally, she was ready for Hogwarts. Or so she hoped.
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Author's note:
Hi, everyone! It's moving along nicely, huh? Also you got your first peep of Harry Potter and company. Still reading GOF. Have to memorize tons of info for my science class. Updates seem to average once to twice a week. I'm not going to worry about point of views. They might change more often, but I think it just makes the story more interesting. The last few chapters don't seem to be as good as the first few. I think I've become a little too focused on details and research. Going to try to bring back more of the emotions and characterizations that I love. Wish me luck, and review please.
Silver girl, I did decide to use some of your name suggestions. Zoey isn't the only one. Just finished the name list for the Sorting Ceremony. There will be 45 students going this year. You will probably only hear some of them during the Sorting. Others will be her housemates, classmates, friends, and enemies. The Sorting song done as well. So, you think Gryffindor? Well, I'm not going to tell, but have foreshadowed some. Gryffindor is a possibility when I look at Jess's character. The crystal charm was a piece of foreshadowing and will be important later on. Don't expect it to come into play too soon though.