3. Gentle Giant

The next day she woke up really quite late. Seeing how Dylan Riddle was never one to wake up early. Today she was actually being dragged out of bed.

"Betty! Go away!" she cried from the floor. She then grabbed her pillow and brought it to the floor so she could sleep.

"It's the 22nd! And a man is waiting for you downstairs, a rather large man" She said, as if remembering the man. She then sprung to life.

"Hagrid!" she smiled. Still in her pajamas she rushed down stairs to see the man playing with all the children. He looked so...fierce. Yet the way he was playing with the children he was so gentle. He was just a little child, hidden in a giants' body. He was truly a Gentle Giant!

"Hagrid?!" she asked. The man looked up.

"That would be meh" he smiled.

She walked down the rest of the stairs and shook the mans hand, "Dylan Riddle. Nice to finally met you!" she beamed. He gave her a hearty handshake.

"nice ter meet yeh too" his smile faltered a little at her name, but she ignored that, "I've heard so much 'bout yeh from Dumbledore."

"Me too!" she smiled," Let me get dressed and we will be on our way?!" she asked timidly.

"Sure thing" said Hagrid. She ran up the stairs to get changed and left Hagrid there rocking back and forth on the ball of his foot. 'Nice girl,' he thought 'Scary resemblance to her father. Carbon copy almost, hopefully Harry, Ron and Hermione don't get on her case. But her attitude doesn't seem like him at all. Hope Ron, Hermione, and Harry don't give her a hard time'.

A few minutes Dylan came rushing down the stairs wearing baggy jeans and a loose fitting band tee shirt. Dylan hated drawing attention to herself!

"Ready?" asked Hagrid.

"Yup! I got my key! I have to get more money out." Dylan smiled, she thought that the smile would be plastered on her face forever. Dylan was rarely this happy. Hagrid waved down a cab, and they both climbed in. They finally were in Diagon Alley.

"Do you have your list?!" Asked Hagrid.

"Nope. I memorized it." she beamed. Hagrid gave her a look of disbelief, " Well I live in a Orphanage! There's nothing to do!" Hagrid just shook his head. Rebues (sp? No books right now) Hagrid and Dylan Riddle were getting along famously.

First they went to get Dylan's money. The goblin gave her a hard time but accepted the key, and they fond themselves on a trolley to vault 512. The vault was so deep in the caverns, it took a good 35 minutes to get there. When the goblin opened the vault there was no room to move, stacks upon stacks of gold coins to the ceiling. There were only a few hundred silver and bronze each. Dylan took out 3 bag and filled 2 with gold and one the silver and bronze. Then after they got out of the bank they got her robes, and uniforms. Then to Flourish and Blotts, where every inch of the store was cover with books. They gather her books quickly, then left to go to Magical Menagerie, but on the way there they passed the entrance to Knockturn Alley and Dylan stopped. Hagrid a few strides ahead stopped and turned around when he realized Dylan wasn't with him.

"What are yer doin' come-"but he stopped when he saw were she was looking.

"I remember that place Hagrid, I would go there on 'business' with my father or my mother. That place isn't pleasant at all." She said gazing into the dark alleyway. Watching the mysterious hooded figures walking swiftly in and out of shops.

"Dylan, I think it's best we keep moving before one of those creeps see yer." Voiced Hagrid. Dylan nodded and quickly walked away, and into Magical Menagerie. In that shop there were all sorts of, interesting pets. I walked up to an old lady, who had a wrinkled face, several scars, and a lot of bandages wrapped around her hands. Her gray hair was tied in a tight bun.

"Hello Miss, I was wondering if you have any snakes?" I asked politely. Hagrid raised a curious eyebrow. "I cleared it with 'ol Dumbledore no worries. He said you would help me picked on out. He said you had a...what was it...a instinct for dangerous animals." I smirked as the lady lead us over into a back room where there were many snakes. Big ones, small one, handsome ones, ugly ones, poisonous ones, harmless ones.

"I'll be in the front if you need me" said the woman briskly as she walked put of the room.

"Choices, Choices" she said walking around. She came upon a large boa, but it was actually under sized for being full-grown. Its was a female, she was beautiful, she was red with black spots.

"Hello" Dylan said in Parsel Tongue, the snake looked up in surprise.

"Get me out of here! Please!" she pleaded, She nodded. She picked up the snake and draped her around her shoulders. The immediately had a bond.

"Hagrid? How about her?" She asked getting Hagrid's attention who was petting a king cobra.

"What? Oh she's a beauty!" She said beaming, like Dylan was a daughter after his own heart. "lets go pay!" The to humans and the snake went up front to pay for the snake and get essentials, huge glass fish tank, water bowl, infer red light, rainforest surroundings, etc. Hagrid carried the cage and supplies and Dylan carried her new boa!

"What to name her? What to name her? That's the question......" Dylan said absentmindly.

"Fluffy?" asked Hagrid.

"No, she not fluffy! I KNOW! DR. EVIL!" screamed Dylan a few wizards looked at her.

"How about that girl? Dr. Evil" asked Dylan asked once there were in the pub, Leaky Cauldron. The boa nodded its head a hissed.

"I like it!"

"Hagrid met Dr. Evil" smiled Dylan, Hagrid just shook his head.

"Hagrid!" I heard a voice call from behind. I turned and a bushy-headed girl, and a redheaded boy.

"Oh 'ello! One moment please" he said turning to her, "come meet my friends! They go to Hogwarts too!"

"No, I should really be off! Thank anyway Hagrid!" she gave him a hug and Dr. Evil sort of wrapped around his back. Hagrid gave her, her bags and her supplies. She turned her back and she heard the girl say.

"Who was that?"

"A new student" replied Hagrid. The last thing Dylan heard before walking out of the Leaky Cauldron was the boy exclaiming

"She had a bloody SNAKE!" Dylan shook her head and laughed. And the door to the magical world shut behind her. She hailed down a cab and climbed in. She set her things down and put Dr. Evil in her tank, and put the cover on.

"Where to?" the cab driver said.

Dylan gave a sigh, wanting to run back into the Leaky Cauldron and into Hagrid's arms, he really made her feel safe. "32 Willington Street". The cab ride was long with out company, but she got to learn a lot about the cab driver. His name was Bill Marter, he is 19. This was a part time job why he was in college studying to be a doctor. Bill also worked at a local Pharmacy right by my house, he worked Monday, Tuesday, Wedsday, Thursday, and Fridays, I agreed I would visit him, seeing as how she have nothing better to do. She also learned Bill has a sister who is a witch. And he guessed Dylan was one to by what she was carrying and where she came out of.

"Well, he we go kiddo! 32 Willing- wait this is a Orphanage!" Bill burst out.

"I know I'm an Orphan." I laughed.

"Oh look at that!" he smirked. He got out of his car and walked to the other side and opened the door for me. "Here you are Miss. Riddle. Let me garb your things"

"If you insist" Dylan said with a mock classy accent. Bill walked Dylan up to the house. Dylan tipped him greatly, then Bill did a mock bow, and he handed her, her things.

"Buh-bye Billy!" waved Dylan from the porch.

"Visit me!" yelled Bill as he drove away.

Dylan walked into the silent house. She checked her watch it was 8:30 p.m. 'That's way it's quiet all the younger children were in bed' she thought to her self. Dylan being 15 could stay awake until 11 on weekends and 10:30 on school nights. She had to be in the house by 9:00. She was the oldest of the bunch and usually got stuck with the most chores, but Betty and Dylan were very close because of all the time the spent together after every one went to bed. Dylan walked up stairs and slipped into her room unnoticed, she had a way of staying in the shadows and slowing her breathe, so it made it hard for people to see her. She set up Dr. Evils tank with the light and all, gave her some water and food, then told her to stay put and not to bother anyone, and that she would be back at 11. Dr. Evil nodded. Again Dylan slipped out of her room unnoticed, and she went down to the kitchen, she fixed herself some tea and the left over Green bean casserole. And walked into the common room, and saw Betty watching 'The Simpson's'

"Hey Betty!" she smiled taking a seat on the beat up couch. She stuffed some food in her mouth.

"Hey," said Betty flipping off the television, "tell me about your day!"

Dylan told her everything that happened, expect the Knockturn Alley part. They sat there until exactly 11:00 then they both went to bed. Dylan thought for sure this was the best day of her life.