Disclaimer: Same old story. Nothing new.

A/N: This is Marianne's account of how she got to Hogwarts continuing by the way.

Chapter 3:

Brave New World

I woke up early again and slipped out of bed to watch the sunrise. My windows face east so I have an excellent view of the morning light, if not the actual sun because it is hidden by the other buildings. As I gazed out at this daily spectacle I couldn't help wonder if yesterday had been a dream. Everything seemed so normal, everything in its usual place. It seemed to me that when one finds out they are a witch the sun should be rising in the west and everything should be different.

But everything had been different for me. I talk to cats. I talked to an owl yesterday. I made things explode. I heard songs coming from nowhere. I saw things other people did not. I turned people's hair orange. I was different and maybe, maybe, I had been given an explanation to all my ceaseless questions, the solution to all my problems. Maybe I could belong somewhere. Dumbledore seemed to think as much.

However, I will not give in to possibly silly dreams. Hope for the best, expect the worse. That's the best advice I ever had in my life. And it came from a book called The Witches of Whitby. Perhaps it was prophetic.

True to Dumbledore's word, a small squirrel-looking woman appeared at our front door at 11 o'clock. Dad had already left for work which left me and mum alone at home. I raced to the door when the doorbell rang and flung it open. The squirrel woman beamed at me.

"Hello" she said in a breathless voice. "I'm Sue Sheldon. You must be Marianne Cathcart. Delighted to meet you. I'll be taking you around Diagon Alley for your school supplies and I'll try to give you all the information you need about the wizarding world. But it's so frightfully difficult to fit everything in to one day. I'm afraid you'll probably still have a lot of questions at the end of the day, or even perhaps more, that you will have to have answered once you get to Hogwarts. But I'll try my best. Oh, you must be terribly excited to be going to Hogwarts, especially being a Muggle and all that, it must be completely new to you. Are you scared? I would be, but I was born in a wizarding family so I wouldn't know what it's like. What is it like, dear? Dreadfully daunting I must imagine. Going into an unknown world all by yourself. It must be like… oh, what do you call them again? Astrononts? Something like that anyway…"

I was slightly bowled over by Sue's capacity to speak so fast and so long without drawing a single breath. Here I was facing the one person in the world who could compensate for my lack of vocal cords.

"Hogwarts is a smashingly good school. The best in the wizarding world I dare say. I went there. Oh it feels just like yesterday and yet it was years ago. I was a Hufflepuff, you know. Oh, well, of course you don't, I haven't explained anything properly to you yet. Here I am chatting away like a magpie. We must be setting off. Very busy day. Have you got everything you need? Oh, and by the way call me Sue, none of this Mrs. Sheldon business. It makes me feel quite old."

I smiled. It'd been a long time since I'd seen someone so naturally cheerful. An immense sense of relief flooded me. Maybe I would be able to finally discover the outside world again. It's not as if I hadn't been outside for three years. It's just that every time I'd go out it was with people who looked at me askance because of my… peculiarities. Or else it was because I had run away and I was with no one whatsoever.

I lifted my bag to show her I was all set to go out (I'd been for at least two hours) and stepped outside.

"Jolly good! And you, Mrs. Cathcart, will you be joining us? A great mother-daughter occasion. You'll want to know everything your daughter will be learning in this new world, I expect."

My insides suddenly went all cold. Mum? Come with me? I hadn't really thought of it. I presumed that non-magical people couldn't go into the magical world. Obviously I was wrong. I turned around to look at mum. She was hovering at the door, biting her lower lip and looking very much like a child who desperately wanted to do something but wasn't sure whether she was allowed. Then she turned to me.

"I suppose it's up to Marianne to make that decision."

Oh no. I hate that. I really do hate that. When people put their own decisions on your shoulders and so whatever the outcome is it'll always be your fault. And in this instance neither option was good. If I told her she couldn't come, she'll be disappointed but if I said she could…

I didn't want her to come. This was my adventure, this was my new life and I didn't want her trespassing on it. I wanted to make this discovery alone.

I looked away and shook my head. I could almost imagine my mother's crestfallen face. Even Sue was silent for a few moments. I daren't look up. I suddenly hated myself for creating such a cold atmosphere right at the start of the day.

"Well, then." Sue said in an overly cheerful voice. "Shall we head off?"

I nodded and avoided looking at mum. We started down the front stairs and down the street. I didn't hear the front door close so I guess mum must have been watching us go.

"Right then" started Sue, her cheeriness entirely restored. "First step is getting to Diagon Alley which is actually in London."

I gaped at her. London? But it'll take us an entire day just to get to London, let alone do a whole lot of shopping. Sue grinned at me.

"I know what you're thinking" she said, waggling a finger at me. "You're thinking it will be impossible for us to get to London and back and get the shopping done in one day. Well, let this your first lesson about the wizarding world. We have ways of travelling and ways of communicating that are much faster than any Muggle invention. Muggle is non-magical, by the way", she answered my silent question. "Some are almost instantaneous. Like Apparating. Unfortunately, you can't get you're licence till you're seventeen so that'll have to wait. We're going to use Floo Powder. But first we have to find a chimney which is connected to the Floo network. I'll explain once we get to Isobel's house" she added, seeing my confused face.

Then she looked furtively about and flung her right hand out, as if signalling a taxi. I had no time to be confused before there was a resounding 'BANG' and a purple triple –triple?- decker bus appeared. It skidded to a halt in front of us and Sue jumped on.

"35 Crishton Street, Dundee, if you please." The driver grunted non committally. A boy in his late teens, grinned at us and said:

"It's Mrs. Figgs stop first. She's been in 'ere since six o'clock. Looking well green now."

"I'm not surprised" said Sue. "In here? For five hours? Poor dear." She gave the driver a glance of disapproval. The boy's grin widened.

"That's wha' a said. Probably a record, five hours."

"Where's she going to?"

"Som'ere in Surrey. Little Whinging was it, Ern?"

"Arr" replied the driver.

"We're going to have to go all the way to Surrey before going to Crishton Street? Oh well, it's really not worth it. Take us straight to The Leaky Cauldron from there, will you?"

"Arr" was the reply.

Then came another 'BANG' in which I was thrown unceremoniously to the other side of the bus. I was the only one who was sprawled on the floor. Everyone else seemed to be completely used to this completely unusual behaviour in the bus. I was sure there was something wrong with the engine. Buses don't make that sort of noise. I tried to write a note which proved to be very difficult because Ern had quite obviously not mastered the skill of steering and I was quite sure we were going to crash. I finally passed my note to Sue who was helping me back to my seat. She laughed.

"This bus doesn't have an engine. It runs on magic. Don't ask me the details, I must confess I have no clue how it does work. The bangs mean that we've apparated in another part of the country, that's all. Right now we're in Surrey and I believe we've arrived at Arabella's house."

Indeed, the bus slowed down (much to my relief) and a very woozy looking woman descended.

"Come now. Have a seat. It's much easier to avoid falling over. I must admit I didn't think we would be travelling such long distances on this thing. The further the jump the worse it is. But now that we're so close to London it just seems silly to go to Isobel's to use the Floo. We'll use it on the way back and use the Muggle buses to get you back home."

I looked outside. This was Surrey. And just a few minutes ago I'd been in Dundee. I was lost for words. The only mildly articulate thought that came to my mind was… cool.

There was yet another ear-splitting 'BANG' and we were in a gritty city street. London, I presume. We stopped in front of a grubby looking pub with a sign reading: The Leaky Cauldron. Original name. We got off. I realised as the bus disappeared with another bang that I hadn't paid for my ticket. I notified Sue and she simply said:

"It's on me. Now, this place is famous and I don't doubt you'll be spending a good bit of time here once you grow up. It also happens to be the only Muggle entrance to Diagon Alley. Come on. I'll show you."

We entered and I was transported into another time. This place was fantastic. It was a pub fit for the dodgiest corner of London in a Dickens novel. It was shabby, rustic and encouraged brawls. It had suspicious looking patrons who were hidden in a cloud of pipe smoke. The hum of voice was loud enough to envelope you in a wall of sound and low enough for you to hear yourself think. Sue was right. I will be spending my time here someday.

She steered me through the crowd to a back door and we pushed through to a small courtyard. Sue dug into her coat pocket and pulled out a long thin stick.

"This", she said, "is a wand and it is the most important tool a wizard possesses. One is never fully dressed without one's wand. That'll be on your list of supplies. You have got your list with you?"

I opened my bag and fished around for my letter. I pulled it out and unfolded it.

"Don't mind that for the moment. Watch what I'm doing carefully and remember it. Write it down if you must because it's the only way you're getting back to Diagon Alley. Now then. Three up and two across."

She brandished her wand then tapped the wall three times. The brick wriggled and then a small hole appeared and grew and grew and grew…Till there was a broad stone archway leading onto the most spectacular cobble-stone street I have ever seen or heard of in my life.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Diagon Alley twisted and turned in all directions and on each side was a row of shops. Shops that sold things I had never seen in my life. There were cauldron shops (Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver, Self-Stirring, Collapsible), apothecaries with bags of bizarre ingredients, robe shops, broomstick shops (which also seemed to be some sort of sports shop), book shops with stacks of spell books waiting to be read. There was a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium which I particularly wanted to explore except that the din of voices became unbearable the closer I got. I wondered momentarily how so many people could be crammed into that tiny shop, but Sue interrupted my thoughts. She laughed, took me by the arm and steered me away from the shop.

"We won't be doing any animal shopping yet. But first things first. We've got to get you some wizarding money. You have your Muggle money with you?"

I nodded.

"Good. We can go visit the goblins. The wizarding world has it's own bank: Gringotts. Just the one, mind you. There are to few of us to complicate matters with other banks. It's run by goblins, clever creatures, but unpleasant and, more importantly, ruthlessly self interested. However, they're very good at what they do. They're organised and impossible to rob. Gringotts is possibly the safest place there is in the world, wizarding or otherwise. They've got all sorts of spells and enchantments on the vaults. There're even rumours that they use dragons for the high security vaults, but I'm not so sure about that. At least, I hope not. I don't really want to find myself face to face with a dragon down there. You see, the vaults are underground, deeper than the London Underground, if you see what I mean. Although they come pretty close at times. Well, here we are."

I looked up at the imposing white staircase before me that led to an even more imposing and white building. What appeared to be two goblins stood beside an enormous bronze door. They bowed us in where we were met by another pair next to a silver door. A poem was engraved into the metal:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

Very welcoming. We were once again ushered through the doors this time into a vast marble hall. Goblins were busy making there accounts behind a long counter, while more goblins showed people in and out of doors that led off the hall. Sue walked up to goblin at a counter.

"We wish to exchange some Muggle money", she stated.

"Very well. In who's name?"

"Miss Marianne Cathcart."

I brought out the envelope mum had given me. It had 100£ in it which is a bloody lot if you ask me, but I'm not complaining. I banged the whole thing on to the counter and the goblin quickly counted the money. Then he did some very complicated conversion calculations on a very odd device and gave me a bag of coins in return. Then Sue ushered me back out of the bank quickly.

"I don't like goblins much", she admitted. "They make my skin crawl."

I must admit they weren't very endearing to me either.

"Well, I'm glad we're out of there. I can think properly. Money. It's simple. Gold ones are Galleons, silver are Sickles and little bronze ones are Knuts. Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. Right so where shall we start?"

I finally read my supplies list.

Uniform

First year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

Set books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

So we set off into the crowded street.

"Let's get your uniform first. That'll take the most time. Madam Malkin's is good for Hogwarts uniforms. She makes brilliant dress robes too. Maybe we can spend a bit of time trying those on after she has you fitted. It's always fun trying on dress robes. Even if you can't afford them. Last time I came there she had the most gorgeous dark blue robes with this sort of oriental style sleeves and neckline. I looked like a troll in them but they were still fantastic."

I smiled my approval and we entered the shop. I realised that I hadn't spoken (or written) a word to Sue and yet I still felt completely at ease was her silly chatter. Usually people like that put me on edge but I could accept it in her. It was who she was, not some façade.

"Hogwarts dear?"

I nodded at the lady who had suddenly appeared in front of me. She led me to the back of the shop where she slipped a black robe over my head and started measuring it to the right size. I could see Sue out of the corner of my eye, moving excitedly about the shop. I wondered what she was doing.

When I was finished I stepped back into the main shop to pay for my robes. Once that was done I went looking around for Sue. I found her in another corner of the shop where the fitting rooms were. She was considering herself critically in the mirror. She was trying a dress robe on. I gaped at her in horror.

She was wearing the foulest piece of clothing in the world. It was pink. It was frilly. It was disastrous. I stared at her for a while, my good opinion suddenly crashing to the floor. Surely nobody could be as suicidal as to wear that!

She finally noticed me and turned to see the unmasked look of horror on my face. She giggled.

"Yes, I know it's fabulous, isn't it? I've never come across something so fantastically grotesque in my life. I simply had to try it on! Now I will know how I look at my very worst, and that, my dear, is knowledge that precious few can possess!"

I smiled at her. What a relief! No she wasn't mad, after all. Then suddenly she caught me by the arm and dragged me to the next door fitting room.

"I've found you a pile of lovely robes you that you must try on. And I will not take no as an answer."

With which she pushed me into the cabin. I faced the pile of robes with mild trepidation but found that most of them were quite decent. I took the first one. Scarlet with quite um…revealing forms. Not for me. I have no forms. I'm only 11. The next one was better. Dark blue with flowing sleeves. I tried it on and suited me quite well.

"Come on. Show me something. I'm dying to see you as a witch."

I stepped out. Sue let out a gasp of admiration.

"You look splendid! Oh it would be such a shame not to take it! You should buy it" she whispered conspiratively . "You'll mother will never know." Then she giggled.

I smiled. There was no way I would buy this. I didn't need and I would grow out of it before it was of any use.

"Try the others on. I especially want to see the red one." I glared at her.

So I tried on all the dress robes. By the end, Sue and I were having an argument over whether the blue or the red one was best, until I finally remarked (on paper of course) that there was no point arguing because I wouldn't be buying either one in any case! So we put the whole lot back where they belonged and exited the shop, leaving a very disappointed Mrs. Malkin behind us. I suddenly noticed that I was famished. Sue and I looked at each other and came to a silent agreement.

"Lunch. Back to the Leaky Cauldron."

Once we had settled back to a wonderful meal, I asked the question that had been nagging me most.

'How do you hide all this from Muggles?'

"Well, that's what the Ministry of Magic is for. We have Merlin knows how many laws to prevent Muggles from discovering us. As well as controlling the use of magic and its experimentation. For the moment all you have to know is that you are an underaged witch and therefore you are not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts."

Then we continued to discuss how the wizarding world was governed till I had a pretty good idea of how it worked. Then we finished lunch and went back out into Diagon Alley. I had a lot of fun in the book store, Flourish & Blotts, looking at all the different aspects of magical life. It was just as informative as Sue. However, we were getting close to the end of the list and finally we came to what I was most anxious to buy. My wand.

"We saved the best for last", declared Sue, as we approached an old shop with the sign Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. "Ollivanders; the best wand shop in Britain."

I stopped just in front of the door and looked at Sue.

'Do you mind if I go in alone?'

"Of course not, dear. Go ahead. I'll wait."

I walked into the shop my apprehension growing every second. I heard a tinkling of a bell in the back of the shop as I opened the door. This was the decisive moment. This would confirm my… witchdom. The shop was tiny and the light dim. It had a very calm and quiet atmosphere, like a library, the kind of atmosphere I like. But there was something disturbing, like a whisper that you can't tell where it's coming from. I peered at the thousands of thin long boxes stacked into the shelves around the room and waited.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. An old man appeared in the gloom. He was short and brittle with wispy white hair and silvery eyes. "And who do I have the pleasure of helping today?"

I tore a note from my notelace yet again, noticing with resignation that it's volume had lessened considerably since this whole Hogwarts business had started.

'Marianne Cathcart.'

I wasn't going to get into the details of my life.

"Very well. Let's get down to business. Which is your wand arm?"

I held out my left hand. Mr. Ollivander brought out a measuring tape and started measuring the most peculiar places of my anatomy. Between my nostrils? For heaven's sake! Suddenly I realised he wasn't doing any of the measuring anymore but that the tape was doing it on its own. Meanwhile Ollivander was shuffling around the shop, picking out boxes and talking.

"All wands are have a core of a magical substance. Most are taken from magical creatures such as unicorns, phoenixes or dragons. No two wands are the same just as no two unicorns or dragons are the same. And, naturally, you will never get as good result with another wizard's wand. After all, the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way round. Enough," the tape dropped to the floor. " I have a nice selection for you. Start with unicorn hair, willow, 10 inches, nice and supple."

I took it but he immediately took it from my hand and cast it away.

"No try this. Phoenix feather, mahogany, 6 inches, quite springy." I took it to have it immediately snatched away again. This ritual repeated itself for quite some time. I don't know how many unicorns, phoenixes, dragons, hollies, maples, mahoganies, willows went through my hands. Meanwhile Ollivander seemed delighted as the boxes stacked up and the pile of discarded wands grew.

"Tricky customer, I see. I'm sure I have just the thing for you." As far as I could see, he didn't and I was starting to think I wasn't a witch at all.

"Aha, unusual combination. Unicorn hair, ebony, 8 ¾ inches, swishy."

I took the wand without thinking, purely by habit, but this time I felt something different. A very soft tingling started in my fingers then little needles of fire shot up my arm. I swished my wand in an arc and a stream of blue and white sparks came from the end.

"Very nice! Oh, bravo!" Ollivander exclaimed. "Well that's you set up for Hogwarts."

I smiled at him and paid for my wand. Then I stepped outside. I had a wand! I was witch for certain now! Nothing could make my day better…

There was Sue waiting patiently… with two ice creams in her hands. My smile was so wide, I probably split my face in two. Sue smiled back at me.

"I know," she said. "I felt exactly the same after I bought my first wand."

We ate our ice creams in silence (obviously for me, not so for Sue-but then it had been a tiring day). Then we passed by the owl shop again and there still seemed to be an absolutely mad crowd in there. I stepped closer curiously to see why there were so many people.

There was no one in the shop.

I looked up and realized that I had been hearing the million of conversations the owls were exchanging. I grinned.

"Do you want one?"

I spun around at Sue's voice then looked back at the owls. There wasn't any reason for me to have an owl. It would only cost more in food. Besides, dad would go through the ceiling. Better not risk it. I shook my head and continued passed the shop. But I couldn't shake away the name I had already given my owl.

We returned once more to the Leaky Cauldron. There, Sue bought a sack of Floo powder from the bartender. Then we went to the fire place where a roaring fire was burning.

"Now Floo is not too difficult. All you have to do is take a pinch of powder, throw it into the fire, step in and shout where you're heading to. I'll go first so you can see what to do and so you come out at the right grate." And before I could protest she was gone in a flash of green fire and a shout of 'The Old Kneazle'.

I stared at the fire, then at the handful of powder then at the fire again. Then I shrugged my shoulder and threw it into the fire. I stepped in and found that the fire had become pleasantly warm.

Suddenly I realized I couldn't shout. Oh, stupid, stupid woman. And meanwhile, I looked a complete idiot standing in a green fire. In a panic I wrote down the address, feeding it to the flames hoping maybe it would work. I waited a few seconds then suddenly I felt like I had been caught in a drain and I was spinning down a long narrow tunnel. My elbows banged against some brick so I tucked them in. The world was a spinning chaos of soot, smoke, fire and grates. Suddenly I felt myself slowing down and started to watch out for any glimpse of Sue, whatever dimension she may be in. Suddenly I fell head first into a chimney -or out of thereof. I looked up to find Sue and another woman rushing over to help me up.

"See. Wasn't so bad." I smiled. Yes it was rather like a violent roller coaster ride. I could deal with that.

And that was my first taste of the wizarding world.

That took me four hours to write! Well, now it's seven o'clock and seems a decent time to go to breakfast. I hope my Head is already there. I have a bone to pick with him.

A/N: I only have one thing to say: reviews, reviews, reviews.