Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 3
School Shopping
The next morning Cleo awoke to the prodding of a hesitant finger in her arm.
"What the…?" Cleo muttered as she pulled her covers towards her head, rather annoyed that she would be awoken so early in the morning.
"Time ter' get up." She recognized the voice as Hagrid's and wrenched her eyes opened.
"Good luck getting Lindsey up." Cleo with a sigh. Hargid turned to look at the log that was Lindsey.
"Lindsey! Wake up!" Cleo yelled in her direction.
"Screw you." Moaned Lindsey from her pillow.
"We need to get our stuff Lindsey." Argued Cleo.
"Could we do it in another hour?"
"You can, but me and Hagrid are going." There was a pause in which mutters of disdain emerged from the piles of covers, and then they were flung to the end of the bed to reveal Lindsey with a scowl already apparent even before her eyes had opened.
"We'll be ready soon." Cleo said in a more cheerful tone to Hagrid. Hagrid's furry face formed into a smile, shook his head jokingly and left. Probably in record time Cleo and Lindsey dressed to go and were off.
"Fine, ferst' thing were gotta' do is get yer' money." Hagrid said thoughtfully.
"Greengots!" Cleo whispered with a squeal. Cleo and Lindsey linked arms as if they were about to except an award and marched behind Hagrid.
The bank was even more glorious than even the Harry Potter Movie could show. Much to Lindsay's disgust the goblins were far more revolting than the movie as well. Cleo practically skipped up to the counter (This Lindsey put a stop to a quickly as possible) As an extremely ill-featured goblin looked down at them. Cleo guessed that he was on strangely large stool to have accomplished this. He looked up at Hargid, and then more comfortably down at Cleo and Lindsey.
"Dumbledore told yer' that some muggle money was to be sent here and transffer'd into Wizard's gold." Hargid said, professionally with a sent of gleeful pride.
"Yes." The goblin said in a rattling creek that was enough to make your throat ache. "It was sent over by owl last night." He …or it explained.
"Well then," With a cheerful glance at the girls,
"We would like ter' open two volts for these girls." The goblin nodded and made a gesture with had, summing Hargid to fallow him. A grave look crossed Hargid, perhaps more of a green. Either way he didn't look pleased. Cleo and Lindsey began to fallow but he held them back.
"Yer not gonna wont ter' come. Trust me." He knelt down to ear level and whispered with a grimace "Papers." Cleo looked over at Lindsey who agreed that it was more likely best just to sit. Falling mechanically in a bench directly under them they looked after Hargid (still doing it as if choreographed) until he was out of sight. Cleo grinned over at Lindsey. Lindsey smiled back.
"Isn't this exciting?" Lindsey shook her head with giggling under her breath.
"You couldn't be happier could you?" Cleo gasped in a hurt AKA surprised way.
"How ever could I manage not to be!" Lindsey continued to giggle and smile. Hargid boomed in after a very long time, looking sweaty and red.
"Living he " He muttered under his breath without a glance at Lindsey and Cleo. Cleo gave a funny look over at Lindsey like she was about to laugh, got up and pivoted to fallow Hagrid. They followed like a silent shadow behind Hagrid's enormous figure.
Cleo started to wonder about where they were going, and even Lindsey who was being so contained looked about for any answer to their ware about's. It had been very long and both Cleo and Lindsey would not have been opposed to have Hagrid tap some wall with his umbrella to reveal a bar or something where they could have a drink and sit down.
Just as this was becoming an all to propionate thought in Cleo's mind, he stopped. There before them, in a sunken in train track sat a little rickety cart, waiting to make its travel down into the great endless depth where their volt hid.
Of course it wasn't too enjoyable for Lindsey and Hagrid. Lindsey even threatened to cruse the goblin, as soon as she got her wand. But because the cart was so wonderfully fast they were at their volts in no time. Hagrid gave them their money and they were able to go; sadly they still needed the cart.
After that ride they left Greengots with immense joy and set out for the stores. Both Cleo and Lindsey moods had changed for the better and were actually rather anticipating the buying feast.
"Where should we go first?" Cleo asked Lindsey, excitement clear in her cheery voice.
"Robes." Lindsey said defiantly. Cleo gave a small squeal of excitement and clapped.
"Madam Milkin's is right over there." He said pointing. Cleo grinned at Lindsey and spend of in the direction of Hagrid's finger, neck in neck with Lindsey.
The race was getting tighter as the store came into closer view, the door only a few feet way, two hands stretch out of the door knob and the two girls fall in threw the door. Laughing and giggling the girls helped each other up and went over to the counter. Madam Milkin was looking at them like aliens when Cleo and Lindsey came up to her giggling.
"Robes…Hogwarts…please." They both managed to say threw the hysterical laughing. Miniature Madam Milkin eventually nodded.
"Of course…" She said with a quick roll of her eyes, as if to say 'the freaks would come looking for robes wouldn't they?' "Could you please fallow me to these stools and stand on them."
Madam Milkin finished measuring them, jotted it down on a peace of paper and got the fabric. Cleo watched with interest as Madam Milkin took the fabric and lifted her wand. The fabric sparked with life rose into the air, slowly, like it had just woken from a long nap. Then she flicked her wand over at a measure that measured the fabric. Magically, thread and a needle began to sow the fabric onto a gorgeous robe in a matter of minutes.
"Wicked." Lindsey muttered.
"Bloody Wicked." Cleo agreed with a puff of a laugh. Madam Milkin seemed pleased by the fact she had an audience and rather skipped over to Cleo. Cleo's eyes (if possible) grew larger as she took the robe that slipped gracefully threw her fingers.
"It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen." Cleo said thankfully. Madam Milkin smiled her first smile at them and went on to Lindsey. Cleo slipped it on over her thank top and s8er boy pants. (Her ensemble causing quite a comical sight.) She ever so slightly turned about so to have the robe make an attractive swishing sound around her ankles, and Cleo couldn't help but feel attractive in return.
Lindsey's measuring was finished and Madam Milkin went on with her magic. Lindsey sat down at the stool and smiled at Cleo (Cleo still enjoying her robe)
"Wouldn't in be awesome if Draco came in right now?" Lindsey asked, her face seemed considerably lighter with excitement. Cleo lifted her eyebrows and smiled so hard her face hurt.
"How about this." Cleo said, sitting down herself and turning over to watch her. Cleo lifted her hands up to her head and put them in a sort of triangle shape.
"If I got a black hat that did this?" She said and tilted her hands to the left, making them slanted. "You know like Professor McGonagall's, kind of have it tilted over my eye." She said with a grin.
"Personally I'm going traditional." Lindsey said in a superior way, and slightly lifting her chin while stating this fact. Madam Milkin handed Lindsey her robe and folded her hands.
"On to hats." She said with a girlish tone. Cleo nodded and the two of them (or maybe just Cleo, Lindsey didn't seem that open to such an act) simply skitter along side Madam Milkin. Cleo got her tilted hat and Lindsey her traditional. Madam Milkin turned out to be quite the good shopping partner and helped them pick out the ideal hats. Then last (but certainly not least in Cleo's opinion) was there dress robes. When Cleo pointed this out to Lindsey, she shook her head.
"No, you don't get those until your fourth year." She Knowledgeably.
"No!" Cleo urged on. "It says right there on the list… 'You will require a dress robe for formal accessions.' " Cleo said stubbornly and tapping the sentence. Lindsay's eye brow raised and she peered down at the list from above, apparently deathly against admitting her mistake.
"Must be a requirement for all students now." She said with a shrug. Cleo gave her a "whatever" look and followed Madam Milkin to the dress robes.
Cleo found the BEST dress robe in the history of time! It had a solid baby blue under layers then clear baby blue fabric that faded into green at the end over top of it. At the bottom, the layers ended randomly giving it a wonderful flowing effect for when you walked. This it did the same on the sleeves, flaring out steadily into the random endings. Although rather meekly Cleo had to admit that hers was much nicer then Lindsey's. Lindsey's was green with a black shine to it, but other wise it was very plain. Lindsey didn't seem to mind plain however. (Cleo wouldn't even begin to try to resist her urge to dress up a little; she was just that way.)
Cleo and Lindsey paid and left with enormous shopping bags. Hagrid meet them (looking rather awkward when he saw the shopping bags) and lead them to the bookstore.
Cleo's stomach clenched. Spell books, I'm going to be learning spells, How glorious! Cleo smiled hard at Lindsey and marched over to the bookstore, her bag thumping against her leg. It was like a gold mine! A gold mine of fabulous foreign knowledge…knowledge she had been simply craving for. Both of the girls split apart almost instantly, seizing books and flipping threw them.
"Look Lindsey!" Cleo screeched at her and thrusting a book under her noise.
"What?" Lindsey spat.
"Magical hair care!" she squealed. "Mom isn't going to be able to do my hair, and neither will I, but look!" She flipped threw the book.
"De-frizzing charm, braiding spell, ooh glossy shine potion!" Cleo shut the book (snap!) "It's fabulous! In addition, they are so simple! Look I can do this for the feast!" Cleo said opening the book again and pointing to a soft body wave.
"How awesome would that look with my hat?" Lindsey looked at the book then at Cleo.
"Do you have enough money?" Cleo clutched her book to her chest.
"If I don't I'm swiping it!" Cleo sniffed and shuffled off over to the schoolbooks. With her book still tucked under her arm she pulled out her list of schoolbooks for reference, but found something odd.
"Lindsey," Cleo called "come look at this." Lindsey groaned and sauntered over to her.
"Look," Cleo said ones Lindsey was close enough to see her list. "This isn't first year school books, or study's! This looks as if it that might be for Divination!" Lindsey didn't take much interest into it.
"Whatever." She said carelessly and skimmed down the rows of books to find Defense magical theory. Cleo and Lindsey collected their books with much enjoyment. And…
"Look, I do have enough!" Cleo said, blue eyes shinning as she flicked the glittering coins around. Cleo and Lindsey stepped out of the store with their new purchases and sat down on a bench.
"All done with books?" Hagrid asked when he came back.
"Mhum." Cleo said and showing him her book. He leaned over so he'd be able to look eye to eye with them.
"Well, If yer not to busy buying, won't some lunch?" Cleo sat up straighter and nodded eagerly.
"What kind of food?" Lindsey said in an interested voice that took Cleo by shock after all the cool attitude. Hagrid seemed just as pleased as them and practically scooped Cleo and Lindsey from the bench to a charming little cottage. Threw the stone door and in the parlor was a small circular table where an attractive woman in her late 20's was standing.
"Good Afternoon how may I help you?" She said in a rehearsed clear voice when they had all approached.
"Lunch Please Amelia."
"Of course Hargid, would you fallow me please?" She walked out from behind her desk and over to a small circular table at the left of her.
"Please sit here and your waitress will be with you momentarily." She nodded; felling her work was finished and walked back over to her desk.
"This is simply beautiful!" Cleo told Hargid while turning around in her seat to look threw the window. Outside she saw a Wizard in a hooded cloak. As she looked else where he looked up and starred, Cleo did not pay attention. It was so difficult to pay attention to one solitary thing for an extended time. The house was a Victorian home; very well kept. There was a large slopping ceiling, panted dark brown. In the left center of the wall next to Cleo was a stone fire place, that inhabited a merry crackling fire. The fire gave an already welcome feel to the home that Cleo felt, couldn't be the work of magic alone. Hargid was looking out the same window as Cleo had begun with, but acknowledged her comment.
"Yea, I like it to. I try to come when I have the money, and the company." He said with a smile directed towards them. "Besides, they have ther' best wine." He said smacking his lips slightly. A woman glided over to the table as Cleo could see out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look all the way she couldn't help but gasp. The woman was not really a woman at all, she was a ghost! She was old and in a Victorian house cleaner uniform. Cleo watched with her mouth hanging open a little as the woman came and lifted up a note pad.
"Welcome and hello." She said in a careless drown.
"Hello Peggy." Hargid said, braking her speech. "How's the family?" She blinked ones and then looked down at Hargid. (She was floating high above the table) She focused on him, then got the board look back into her eyes.
"Fine." She said plainly. "You would think though, that after I was dead they would have let me retire." Raising her voice slightly at the words "dead" and "retire" so that Amelia would hear. Then as if wondering why she even tried, she shook her head woefully and went on with her job.
"Is there anything I can get you to drink?"
"Sure." Said Hargid looking into his menu. Could I have some of you're home made wine?"
"Home made wine." She said scribbling it on the pad without looking down at it. "And for the girl with the disturbingly long hair." Lindsey looked over at Cleo in the corner of her eye and smiled. Cleo wasn't exactly sure on how to respond on this so she just sputtered out her order.
"Er…water?"
"And for that girl next to her." She said pointing her pencil at her.
"Lindsey." Lindsey corrected her. "I'll take that water too." She handed the menu to Peggy, that simply fell threw her. Peggy looked down at it with the least amount of caring you could imagine. She seemed to have grown tired of silently mocking Lindsay's Acton after a moment and left without bothering to pick it up. They finished their lunch and continued their day.
Cleo had been most looking forward to going to get her wand, which was next. As she was usually, she was curious to see what Mr. Ollivander looked like, and how it would feel when the wand chose you.
Walking down to the store, Cleo could already fell the magic generating from it. With little thought towards it, she trotted up to the store and inside.
It smelled like her grate grandmother's old house. Everything seemed to be molding, except for the wands that were displayed beautifully around the walls. Cleo stood in the middle of the room, and slowly rotated in order to properly absorb the magnanimity of them. Dude! They're so many! Then, when she turned back around to the front; she was shocked to find two gray eyes were directly in front of her face. Cleo screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the owner of the eyes to step back in shock.
"Cleo! What you yell'n about?" Hargid called to her while slamming threw the door.
"He was…Popped…close…personal bubble!" Cleo babbled as she huddled close for comfort to Hargid while pointing in front of her. Hagrid laid his hand on her shoulder in a way he thought was soothing but rather made Cleo practically collapse. Lindsey laughed like mad although the man in front of Cleo hardly found this at all amusing. He was indeed Mr. Ollivander but he looked immensely rattled with his bony hand over his hart and the other clutching the desk behind him.
"A mild wand then." He gasped after a moment. Cleo gave him an uneasily smile and stepped forward.
"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Ollivander, you just startled me so…"
"I understood that much." He said weakly. "So the quite girl first please." He said pointing over to Lindsey. Lindsey grinned over at Cleo and stepped forward to meet Mr. Ollivander. (She seemed to be having trouble containing the laughter that was wrenching in her throat.) Cleo didn't even won't to watch. How horribly embarrassing! The voice moaned. Hargid looked down at her and sighed.
"Yer can scream pretty loud now can't yer?"
"Thanks." Cleo said sarcastically
"Awe, it's noth'n fer' yer ter worry about. Don't blame yer, Ollivander's cooky." Cleo laughed. Ahh sweet laughter, how uplifting it can be and that's exactly what it did for Cleo. Hagrid explained when he had gotten his wand, how Ollivander continued to comment on Hagrid's size, and weather Hogwarts would allow him to come. Cleo felt horribly sorry for Hagrid but with all the curses he said about Ollivander Cleo couldn't help but laugh. Their conversation only stopped when Lindsey let out a yell.
"Why it do that!" Ollivander's blood pressure seemed to be at breaking point by now.
"Lindsey! What on earth is the problem?" Cleo asked as she scurried over to meet her.
"My arm! I took the wand and my arm felt as if it were on fire!" Lindsey yelled. Ollivander resumed the position he was in when Cleo had screamed and talked very hoarsely.
"It's phoenix feather 6 inches, and it's meant for you!" He told her. Lindsey looked down at it and shrugged carelessly.
"Oh, alright then." And sauntered back over to Hagrid. Cleo on the other hand inched her way over to Mr. Ollivander.
"If we must." He said with a sigh. Honestly! I'm not that bad am I? Cleo thought indignantly. "Let us see here." He said while scrolling down the many rolls of wands.
"Why don't we try this one Unicorn hair 8 inches, careful now." He said fearfully. Cleo snatched it from him.
"NO!" he said and seized it back from her.
"Honestly! I won't bite!" She snapped. She could hear Hagrid and Lindsey snicker behind her.
"Fine then." Mr. Ollivander said with yet another sigh. "Perhaps we should try this one. Phoenix feather 12 inches." Cleo took it in her hand and felt nothing. Cleo frowned and shook her head.
"Not right." She muttered. Ollivander clicked the back of his teeth.
"Well I could…it might…hmmm." He muttered.
"Pardon? What was that?" Cleo asked, leaning into him. Ollivander looked at her threw the corner of his eyes. He seemed to be inspecting her.
"A moment please." He hobbled over into a little room behind his desk. Cleo hadn't the slightest idea what he had in mind, but then if anyone could figure out what was concocting in his mind it would be a miracle! After a moment of craning her neck, she saw that he had gotten something and was coming back. He was caring an elegant wand case with red wood that shined even in the musty light of the store. Cleo watched as he brought it to her.
"It's my master peace." He ran his fingers along the box gently. "I would hate to give it up…," He said looking up at her, and she could tell her really meant it. "But," He admitted with a wistful sigh "it might fit you." He opened it up to reveal a lovely red wand with a pink shine. Carefully, as if it were made of glass he picked it up and laid it in her slender pail hands. She let it roll a minute, just enjoying the feel of the smooth wood.
"What is it?" she asked. He looked down at it with glittering eyes.
"That is what makes it so spectacular." He said in a low whisper, like he was telling a secret of the utmost importance. "Its Unicorn hair and Phoenix feather. I have spent years perfecting it, utterly perfect." Cleo took a deep breath and gripped the wand elegantly. She lightly "swished and flicked" and to her surprise, something happened. It didn't feel like burning, It didn't feel like tingling it felt like…like excitement, like she felt before a play started.
"It's perfect." Cleo awed "Utterly perfect." She promised him when she looked up at him. Mr. Ollivander starred at her with a look that Cleo couldn't bare to identify. He looked extremely sad, as if he was giving up his darling child to a witch… or …something.
"Probably for the best." He crooked. "Its good for charms it is, but powerful enough to match the strongest of wands, I think it will suit you fine." His lip trembled. Cleo looked down at her shoes and pulled out her money.
"So …there you are." She said placing it on the counter and taking the wand. Cleo sneered at Lindsey and gave her a lets go PLEASE look that Lindsey didn't even begin to ague with.
"How dare you get a better wand then me!" Lindsey said Jokingly.
"Well, it's probably good in different ways, but not better." Cleo said, but thinking in the back of her mind, I'm special I got his master peace! It was wonderful though! The felling she got when she was holding it…it was as if she were meeting Rupert Grint! Cleo started fanaticizing about this but Hagrid brought her jolting back to reality.
"Owls." She heard.
"What was that?" Cleo asked urgently.
"Owls, time ter' go get yer' pets." Hagrid told her with an uncomfortable look just as though he worrying about her sanity. Cleo turned crimson and looked down at her feet. Never the less Cleo romped over to the pet's shop enthusiastically. Truth be told she had never had a real pet. Her family and herself were often gone so they really couldn't afford to be looking after animals, although she did have fish, but Cleo would have trouble caring less.
Of all the other stores, the pet store was a greatest of adventures; even the fish were much more interesting! The grate singing bass! She read above an extremely disturbing fish, seeing that it looked almost exactly Sammi Davis Jr.
Lindsey hadn't even bothered looking at the fish, rather she speed of strait towards the owls. Cleo admitted to herself this might be a wise decision walked of behind her.
Cleo was looking at the assorted animals good naturally when she suddenly halted. Under her feet was some sort of unpleasant substance that Cleo did would rather not classify. She looked about for the source however and as she looked above, she saw the most brilliant sight ever! Above her were owls! So many owls you couldn't even see what color the ceiling was! The most remarkable thing about them was how different they were!
Cleo had always been a little disappointed that the owls only came in Tawny, Barn owl, and Snowy but no, they were nothing like that in the least! They looked like they contained all the colors of the world in their glossy feathers.
She examined them all individually (her eye catching all the white ones in particular) but then her eye caught a different owl. Cleo didn't think she had seen anything of the sort before. It was brown with Blond, red, and black feather's scattered about randomly. It must have sensed Cleo's stair because it turned it's head completely around to stair back at her. Even from the ceiling, Cleo could easily see it's large blue eyes. Dude.
Cleo awed at it. Then as if she had summoned it, the bird flew down to Cleo and landed on her shoulder, like Cleo already owned her. Cleo turned her head opened mouthed at it. The owl almost seemed to have a smile around its gold beak.
"Dude! Your Awesome!" Cleo said while stroking its feather's down its back. The owl closed it eyes in comfort. Cleo gave it a smirk.
"You knew I was going to buy you didn't you?" The owl opened it's eyes nipped her finger. Carefully Cleo walked down to the desk where you were to buy your pet. There stood a woman who seemed that she had been immensely provoked while she whipped something from her arm.
"Want to buy that?" She barked at Cleo while pointing to the owl. Cleo stopped at starred at the woman. Goodness what friendly service! The owl clicked its beak at the woman in response.
"Yes, please." Cleo said mockingly. She quickly paid for the owl and left the woman to her own miserable state. Cleo walked to the front to the store with her new cage dangling from one arm and her owl perched on her other. Gently she sat down on a bench and stroked her owl tenderly.
"How lovely you are." Cleo told her sweetly. "Now what do you suppose I name you?" Her owl opened one of its eyes and closed it again as if it were to say Name me what ever you wont. Cleo thought a moment. This was such a remarkable bird so it deserved a proper name. What surprised her most though is how much it looked like her, for an owl. It even seemed to think like her, ones again for an owl.
"I think…," Cleo said slowly "That I'll name you Stephanie, it's my first name. You just seem so much like me." Stephanie looked at her and seemed to almost telepathically talk to her. Obviously! Why do you think I chose you as my human? Cleo liked this owl. Lindsey suddenly appeared with a black owl perched on her left arm.
"Isn't he cool?" She said with little knottiest to Cleo's owl.
"What did you name him?" Cleo asked while Lindsey sat down beside her.
"Tom." She responded carelessly.
"Oh, you mean like Tom Felton." Cleo understood, or so she thought.
"No, like Tom Riddle, he looks like him, don't you think?" Cleo gave an involuntary shudder that shook Stephanie, who screeched indignantly.
"Why!" Cleo exclaimed. "What a foal thing to name it when you're going to Hogwarts! That's horribly bold of you to do Lindsey and not really smart either."
"Well I'm not afraid of Voldimort!" Lindsey told her stubbornly
"And neither am I!" Cleo protested "But naming him that doesn't exactly reflect kindly."
"And do you think I actually care about what other people think? I've never cared…" She began to say something else but Cleo interrupted her.
"You should when you name him after the most feared dark wizard of this time!"
"Cleo, no one even knows that Tom Riddle was Voldemort's name."
"Yes but we do!" Cleo yelled at her. "You know perfectly well that you're just trying to be impudent!" Stephanie snapped her beck at Tom as if agreeing with Cleo. Lindsey looked as if ready to give another argument but Hagrid stepped in.
"Got yer' pets?" He asked cheerfully, successfully braking the atmosphere.
"Yes." Cleo answered and tried to set aside their argument. "Look," She said lifting her arm to show Hagrid Stephanie. "Isn't she Beautiful?" Stephanie nipped her finger.
"Lovely." Hagrid agreed with her. Lindsey tried to avoid Hagrid asking her about her own owl by putting Tom in his cage.
When they stepped out of the store the sky had already set and the stairs smiled down at them. She let her body relax in the enjoyable felling of the cool night sky on her face. Cleo and Lindsey still hadn't made up from their augment but didn't give anymore attention to it. This in Cleo's option was probably the best she could get out of Lindsey next to a apology because Lindsey, when she had her mind set on something she didn't give up easily. (No matter how nonsensical it was.)