The next morning, Calla refused to open her eyes. She could feel the morning sun peering through her window, but tried to ignore it. The night before had been so much of a shock that it couldn't be real. She just wanted to go back to sleep for the time she had before her schooling began. Schooling that she didn't want to imagine; witch or not.

She rolled onto her stomach carefully opening her eyes to avoid the bright light coming from the East. With her eyes half-open she stared groggily at the wall in front of her. She incoherently muttered something to herself, making it sound more like a growl than an actual sentence. After another few minutes she reluctantly pushed herself into a sitting position, the blankets crumpling around her waist. She slid her legs over to the side of her bed and stood. She had glimpsed the letter from Kira, and decided it was time to write back. After she'd woken up more.

Once she had grabbed a pencil from the desk in her room, Calla sat on her bed, pulling a new piece of blank paper towards her. She quickly scribbled a short message to Kira, claiming she had no time to write. She made no mention of the previous night and simply ended the letter with a promise to write more later. Calla made no movement for a couple seconds, contemplating what to do. With a quiet huff, she stood again and moved toward her dresser. She opened a few drawers and pulled out some casual clothing. She brushed through her hair and tied it up afterwards and took the letter from the bedside table.

Like the night before, but without such hurry, Calla shoved open her door to the hallway and descended the stairs. From a table in the hallway of the main floor, she took an envelope and stamp, writing the address Kira had given her onto it. She stuck the stamp in the corner as usual and put the letter inside, sealing the envelope. She passed the coat rack on her way towards the door and didn't even bother to put on slippers as she jogged towards the mailbox, on the balls of her feet so she didn't stay too long on the cool concrete.

She held onto the letter in her hands a few moments longer than necessary, and then slid it into the mailbox. Not waiting to watch the mailman come in a few hours, she jogged back inside, shutting the front door behind her with a thump. She continued her jog into the dining area of the kitchen, on her way past the counters, grabbing a piece of bread and stuffing it inside the toaster. Rounding the dining table, she pulled out a chair and sat down. She wasn't sure how her mood would decide to turn today, and stared at the toaster with a wary eye, daring it to burn the toast. As Calla was concentrating on the electric appliance, her father strode into the room, stifling a loud yawn. He was still wearing pinstriped pajamas.

"How do yeh feel this morning?" He asked passively, careful not to tread on sore subjects.

"I'm not answering." She grumbled, letting her head rest on the table. He sighed.

"Do you want to contact the headmaster yet?"

"No."

"Alright…"

"Just do it."

"Calla, you just told me not to."

"It's going to happen anyway! Why not get it done with!" She had snapped her head up, jolting as the toaster popped, and slipping from her chair. "Oomph!" Her father tried not to say anything as he picked the piece of toast up, nibbling on the edge.

"I'll send the letter later today. We'll get your things in a few days, okay?"

"Dad!" Calla protested, standing up and swiping the toast from his hand, taking a large bite from it, but said nothing in reply to his question.

"Yeh'll be fine. I promise. There are plenty of others that are your age there." He reassured, taking a piece of fruit that had been set on a counter.

"Perfect. It'll be great being teased again. Plus they'll all know everything already! Argh!" Calla's father gave up trying to change her mind, and leaned against the counter, eating the fruit in his hand. Calla, after finishing her breakfast, stormed from the room, and up the stairs from what he could tell. He shook his head, beginning to wonder what the next seven years would bring.

--

The next few days were filled with arguing back and forth, mostly because of Calla's refusal to accept the fact that she was a witch and was attending a school for magic folk. Most times her father gave up after a few lines, realizing just how useless it was to argue with his stubborn daughter. He begged his wife, inside his thoughts, to give their little girl some sense in the matter, but to no avail as always. He let her sulk, praying that it would wear down by the time they had to retrieve her school needs.

--

The morning of their shopping excursion, he greeted Calla as usual, and she muttered in reply. She was still sulking, but nowhere near as badly as she had been earlier. It was a relief that she would be in a better mood today, albeit still a bit sour. She had dressed her normal part, unkempt casual clothing with her hair tied into a rough ponytail, and elbow-length grey gloves. A chain-link bracelet dangled on her left wrist, while the moonstone pendant was around her neck again. Her father had dressed fairly casual as well, dark jeans and a button-up shirt.

He smiled, and motioned her out the front door of the house. The morning was still chilly, so he had taken jackets for them both. He led them along the streets of London, pausing once in awhile to ask where a certain street was, each time smiling back at Calla again. She turned her gaze towards a stray dog in the road, or a bush in someone's yard, ignoring her father. After walking for about half an hour, they reached a black building, a sign hanging from it. Her father stopped in front of it, glancing around. Everyone else around them just passed the building by, as if it hadn't been there. It was a pub, with the sign reading 'The Leaky Cauldron".

"Ah, here we are." He father pointed to the door of the pub.

"It's a…pub…" Calla deadpanned.

"Just trust me Calla." Her father said a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Inside now." He led Calla inside the pub, pleasantly greeting a few wizards who looked up. Calla kept her face turned to the ground, her bangs obscuring her eyes, letting herself be lead to the other side of The Leaky Cauldron and outside again. She looked up, only seeing a brick wall. Beside her, her father pulled something from his pocket, his wand, and paused momentarily, saying something under his breath. He started tapping a few bricks with the tip of his wand, and nodded once he finish. He stepped back a little watching the wall. "There."

To Calla's amazement, the bricks began to form a hole, which widened into an arch, allowing them to pass onto a cobblestone street with people milling about. She felt her hand being taken and again steered into the alley. She couldn't help but to stare at everything around, fancy bottles and metals were sparkling with the morning sun and people of all ages were bustling around, chattering. Some were dressed like her, while others had velvety cloaks and deep-colored robes. Her father had started to dodge around a few people, still holding onto Calla's hand for the moment.

They arrived in front of a large marble building. It said "Gringotts Bank" on the front, and her father nodded.

"I believe I transferred your funds here. Come on then." Calla followed, fascinated with the marble, and soon the goblins that tended to the bank. Her father exchanged words with a goblin at the tall desk, pulling out a key. The goblin directed them to another one, and they were led to what looked like an underground roller coaster. He told them to get in, and climbed over the side. Calla looked at her feet and grabbed her father's arm, holding tightly as the cart started moving. The track below them swerved and dropped a few times, the cart speeding along effortlessly. Once the cart had reached its destination, it stopped abruptly. The goblin got out, taking the key. Calla and her father followed, Calla wobbling dangerously on her feet.

The goblin unlocked a vault door, and it slid open. Inside were a few small piles of bronze, silver, and gold coins. Her father walked inside, taking a few handfuls and putting them into a pouch.

"We're not dreadfully rich, but you'll be fine." Her father commented as he stepped outside of the vault. Calla had been eyeing the coins interestedly as the vault door slid shut again. She nodded, afraid to speak, lest her sickness decided to manifest itself. They all boarded the cart again, to Calla's dismay. It roller-coasted all the way back to the front of the bank, where her father nearly had to lift her from the cart to get her out. He thanked the goblin and walked out through the same doors they had come in through.

Calla gulped the fresh air as they got outside, shaking her head. Her father chuckled while pulling a paper from his pocket.

"First stop, your wand." He looked about for a sign, and then turned that way.

"My wand?" Calla asked, looking at her feet again as they passed a few teenagers.

"Um-hm. You need it for the school years to come."

"Oh. Yeah." Once reaching the shop, her father stepped inside, calling out for the shopkeeper. He appeared from behind a stack of boxes, a few smudges of dust on his cheek.

"Here for a wand are yeh? Alright then." He grinned at Calla, picking up a tape measure and setting it next to her. Her father stepped back a little, allowing a bit of space. The tape measure sprang to life, and Calla gave a startled noise. The old man watched calmly, waiting for the measure to finish its duty. After a few more measurements, the tape fell to the ground and the old man retrieved it. He set it aside, running his index finger along a row of boxes. He pulled a narrow box from the shelf, taking the contents from inside. He held out a piece of long, narrow light wood. "Willow and phoenix feather; eleven inches."

Calla took the wand, "Give it a swing." She did as she was told, swinging the wood. A vivid red and orange flame shot from the tip, leaving a smoking trail behind it. Her father chuckled, while she stared at the tip, wide-eyed. The wand was pulled from her grasp with the old man shaking his head. "No, no, that won't do." He placed the wand back inside the box, setting it aside. He retreated to another row of boxes, deciding to pull another box out. He handed Calla this wand, "Dragon heartstring, yew; ten inches." She swung this wand half-heartedly as green and white sparks shot from the tip. The old man shook his head again, muttering as he plucked the wand from her hand again. His brows knitted together for a moment, and he disappeared behind a stack of boxes. He came out holding another wand with a determined shimmer in his eyes. "Hair of a unicorn, holly; thirteen inches."

She gave the new wand a small swing, watching a flurry of gold and silver sparks explode from the wand tip. They danced around and dissipated as quickly as they had come. Expecting the wand to be pulled from her hand again, she was surprised to hear herself amidst two clapping men. The shopkeeper gingerly took the wand from her hand, placing it in the original box.

"That'll do ye just fine, missy." Her father reached into the pouch of coins, pulling a few gold coins out and giving them to the shopkeeper, taking the box in return. He thanked the old man, and strode from the shop, Calla in tow. He again checked the parchment list, noting the books and other needs for classes.

"We'll get your books, then a few other items for your classes. We'll get your robes last." He spoke, more to himself, but told Calla where to go anyway. Inside the book shop, Calla made sure to keep to her father's side, and keep her bangs covering her eyes. It was a little difficult, as she had to look at the books she was receiving, but she seemed to manage just fine. It was the same way for the cauldron shop, and the Apothecary. Every now and then the chains on her wrist rattled, catching the attention of a few people, which led to Calla ducking behind a stack of something, or her father. The alley only became busier as the morning became the afternoon, and Calla at times could only stand still, feeling uncomfortable under anyone's gaze.

"Dad, how many more shops do we have to go to?" She whimpered.

"Only a few more, we're getting your robes last. Afterwards we could look at some animals if you'd like, perhaps you could have a familiar at school." He suggested, moving into another shop. This one was slightly emptier than the others had been, and Calla risked a glance around. She noticed a boy who was about her age, with wild black hair and wire-rimmed glasses. He was staring out the window of the shop to one across the way, making a comment back to an older woman conversing with the shopkeeper of the store. She looked back down, pretending to be preoccupied with a dust bunny on the floor while her father bought the necessary items.

Once they had finished shopping for her school supplies, it was time to visit what her father had said would be their last stop, the robe shop. Students were crowded in, a buzz among the parents while a few measuring tapes were speeding along. It was almost reminiscent of the wand shop, only with a bit more students. Calla fidgeted with her bracelet, trying to keep it quiet while ignoring the people around her. It took some time before she was able to near the front to get her measurements for robes.

She was instructed to stand on a stool, and a familiar measuring tape was set next to her momentarily before starting to move without help. A fairly tall woman nodded and murmured while watching the tape. She pulled what looked like a length of black fabric, and waited until the tape had fallen, lifeless, before placing the robe over Calla and pinning the fabric with deft fingers. Again it took quiet some time before she was allowed down with the robes, since it "Had to be perfect." according to the woman. She took the robes up to a counter, her father paying for them.

When they got outside of the shop, they both balanced the bags and boxes they were carrying. Calla had decided against getting an animal for now, settling for saying she could get one later. Her feet were a little sore from all the walking they had been doing while exploring the secret alley. A few times her father had stopped to speak with someone, which took up more time. He accepted Calla's decision about the familiar, and started home with her. All her shopping had been accomplished and she'd gotten a glimpse of the world she belonged to.

Calla let her eyes wander over the various shops they passed on their way back. She had ignored most of them in favor of her foul mood, which had lightened considerably since the morning. She lingered on the brooms, and fantastic charms, and on the owls inside a window. It was certainly not what she had expected with the images she had conjured up about the Wizarding World when she had been listening to her father tell her about it a few nights ago. Everything seemed to sparkle with wonder, and a bit of mischief. Calla began to question her thoughts of how the school year might go, still skeptical about a few things, but easing her fear.

They made their way back through the brick wall and the small pub, going home. The only thing left was to buy her train ticket and send her off. She still had a couple weeks before she had to worry about that though, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to wait that long anymore.

A/N: Augh! This chapter is finally finished! Here you go everyone, hope it wasn't too boring. Sorry for making anyone wait too long, but at least this is faster than I usually go. Hope this is long enough for now, it'll be easier later. Enjoy!

WKR

Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own Harry Potter and related materials. I do however own the character(s)/idea(s) of Calla and family.