Chapter Three
"Happy birthday Zerial!" Mrs. Marston and mother shouted. gathered around Zerial's bed was her mother, Mrs. Marston and a tiny black rabbit.
'wait a minute' Zerial thought as she sat up and looked around her room. "a rabbit!" she yelled sitting up abruptly.
"yes," mother said while Mrs. Marston nodded. "you can get to know her after you clean up and finish packing your things."
"but --" Zerial protested.
"but its your birthday. yes, yes. we know. so pack quickly."
"mother!" Zerial continued her complaints as her mother was leaving the room with the small rabbit. "you mean we are moving today? how can we? i just figured everything out yesterday. what if i don't even want to move?"
mother waved a hand through the air as she walked down the stairs. "hmph, doesn't matter."
Zerial opened her mouth to object but her mother had spun on the spot and was already speaking. "ah, ah , ah! im the mother. and we are moving. i have purchased rooms in the Leakey cauldron."
"what is that? a hotel?" Zerial said, snorting in disgust.
"well, actually its kind of a bar with a hotel attached. but its okay. it gets tons of service!" mother said rather exited. "i used to work there before i adopted you. boy! the tops were unbelievable!"
Zerial could see how exited her mother was. so she quietly obeyed and showered dressed and began to pack. she really didnt want to leave so soon. sure she dint really have any friends. but this had been her home. she loved it here. and now she was going to live in an impersonal, hotel room. at least she would still have her own room and her mother would have secure work. instead of the ready hand jobs she had been doing for as long as Zerial could remember.
Zerial loved denim overalls. she owned exactly seven pairs. she wouldn't wear anything but. completely packed Zerial went down stairs to find her mother completely packed. dragging boxes, trunk following, she left her home. put all of her positions in the moving van and hugged Mrs. Marston goodbye.
"I'll miss you." she said backing away.
"not too much a think. but i would enjoy a letter now and then." Mrs. Marston said with a warm smile.
waving goodbye to her friend, holing a rabbit, driving away from the place she called home with her mother, a tear ran down her cheek. how she would miss her room. and her hours of endless comfort from the world in there.
in that moment, Zerial decided that she would not be sad. she would enjoy her new home as best she could. and try to find the joy in it everyone thought she would. she would give it every thing she had.
or thats what she thought until she saw the crumby building she was supposed to live in. "its a rundown shack. please tell me this is not where we will be living."
mother laughed at the horror on her daughter's face." you'll like it when you see what's behind it." and you we get discounts from my job. so everything there is thirty percent cheaper than everyone else has to pay." mother said happily.
"here goes." Zerial took a breath as she entered with her trunk following and her rabbit in her arms. and to her surprise, the inside looked much better than the outside. it looked homey rather than run-down. warm rather than weather beaten.
"hi Erick." mother said blushing slightly.
Erick's smile was warm as he handed mother two keys. "Sharolyn." he said with a nod. and with another nod, he said, "the pink key is your's Zerial."
"thank you." Zerial said shyly. setting her unnamed rabbit into the front pocket of her overalls. it poked its head out as to watch. "does my room have a nice view of London?" she asked, liking this tall man more and more. he seemed friendly.
"no. it doesn't." he said with a frown that quickly changed into a smile. "but its got the best view of Diagon alley there is."
"of what?" Zerial asked.
"not now. Zerial you'll get to see it when you unpack." mother said taking Erick's hand and walking up the stairs behind Zerial.
"some birthday." Zerial grumbled. "i get to spend it moving."
Erick let out a loud burst of mirth. she had heard that laugh before... somewhere. 'never mind.' she mused. 'I've got to unpack so i can see this Diagon alley place.'
"room twelve B for you Zerial." Erick said handing her a large, pink, steel key.
and you ma'am. have the room labeled twelve A." Erick said smoothly. and handed mother a key. which earned him another blush from mother.
Zerial walked into her room. instantly her breath left her. the view was gorgeous. not only that. but the whole alley was full of the most interesting shops Zerial had ever seen. she wanted to go down do bad.
her rabbit jumped out of the front pocket of her clothes and went to Erick's feet for a sniff. he picked her up. "and what is the name of this charming creature?" he asked looking at the black rabbit.
"she doesn't have one yet." Zerial said. peeling her gaze from what she assumed was Diagon alley.
"really." Erick said thoughtfully. "are you taking suggestions?"
"sure." she said shortly.
"i think she looks like a Daphne." He said grinning.
Zerial chuckled and said, "Daphne it is then."
she then set to unpacking her trunk since it was already in her room. she put her clothes in her closet. and her books on a shelf. then she took Caralea's journals and spell books she was reading and put them on a different shelf.
"spell books huh?" He walked towards the book that said 'Kipley's book of unforgettable spell work.'
a little "advanced for you don't you think?" he said innocently.
"we'll find out soon enough im sure." she answered defiantly.
Erick smiled and left the room saying, "Ollivander's has the best wand for you silver haired maiden."
where had she heard that? silver haired maiden. what about this man seemed so familiar? she didnt know. couldn't think of it.
putting Daphne into her front pocket again, she continued to unpack. continued, box after box. until every thing was unpacked. and at four o'clock. she found her mother on the bottom floor of their home.
their home. my home. she thought it over and over while going down the stairs to where her mother and Erick were talking at the bar. and when she reached the bottom step. she knew it was true. and somehow it was also familiar. but she would worry about that later. she had shopping.
"so good sir," good sir? where did that come from? "tell me, how i get to that wonderful chain of stores i saw from my window.?" As she sat down and leaned against the bar, Daphne let out a squeal of protest. "oops. sorry Daphne." she said, taking the squished Daphne out of her pocket and petting her.
"behind the store. your mom will take you." Erick glanced at mother again with a look of affection and said, "well Sharolyn, the birthday girl calls for you. so you must depart. but i hope i will be graced by your presence at breakfast tomorrow morning at eight."
"what a charming way to tell me when to be in for work Erick. I'll be there. don't worry." and with that, mother lead Zerial and the pocketed Daphne to the back of the store where all there was to see, were garbage cans.
"is this some kind of joke mother?" Zerial asked looking at the trash cans.
"hold your horses." mother said as she surveyed the brick wall. "ah, here it is." and she taped a brick dead center in the wall.
as the bricks shifted and swiveled to become a stone arch, Zerial gaped in awe. what looked Beautiful from her window, looked like the most amazing line of shops she had ever seen. the crowed hustled and bustled. to Zerial, shopping noise was one of the most wonderful sounds in the world.
as Zerial began to step forward mother grabbed her arm. "wait just one second young lady. you have a few things to buy before you go free shopping."
at this Zerial groaned. "what is it mother?"
"well, i don't think you're going to object. if my suspicions are correct -and they usually are- you will be attending Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry. and you need robes, wand, cauldron, gloves. well basically this list I've made here." mother said smiling slightly and handing Zerial a rolled piece of parchment.
"okay. can i spend what's left?" Zerial asked excitedly.
"you may. i wont be going with you." mother said handing Zerial a bag of coins. "this is wizard money. the large gold coins are galleons. the medium silver are sickles, and the small bronze, are knuts. okay? you think you can handle that?"
"um, yes, but why aren't you coming with me?" Zerial asked glumly.
"well, i number of reasons. one being i need to unpack. you go and visit Ollivander's for your wand."
mother said walking away from Zerial as the archway closed.
"hmm," Zerial said thoughtfully eying the bag of coins in her hand. "i guess ill get robes first." she decided.
Zerial looked around at the different shop names. not knowing where to go for robes, she unrolled the piece of parchment her mother had handed her. she scanned down the list until she found where her mother had written, 'robes.' and right next to it, a store name.
"Kwinkleton's Quartet Robes?" Zerial said incredulously.
"yes dear." said a woman in turquoise robes. she was pointing at a shop on the left side. "its that one over there."
"thanks" Zerial said walking toward the shop.
as she walked into the shop she heard a chime go 'ding-dong' and with a loud popping noise, a very tall man appeared in front of her.
Zerial jumped back in fright and almost squeaked.
"hullo dear girl." the man said. "i am Mr. Kwinkleton." he stuck out a hand for her to shake.
"hello." Zerial said shaking his hand. "im Zerial. and what are you doing?"
Mr. Kwinkleton had begun to look her arm up and down.
"why, im taking your measurements Zerial." the man paused for a moment. "you, are here for robes aren't you?" he finally asked.
"um, yes i am." she said.
and letting go of her arm, her spun her around to look her over, took a purple tape measure and measured how tall she was. "what color robes will you be buying today? light blue perhaps? it would go very well with you hair."
"well, black. but, one set of sky blue couldn't hurt could it?"
"no. of course not." Mr. Kwinkleton said walking her up a flight of stairs to a rack of robes on hangers. only, the hangers weren't hanging on anything at all. in fact, they were floating in mid air perfectly even.
"here is your light blue set." Mr. Kwinkleton said pulling a set of light blue robes of a hanger. and the hanger disappeared. "and how many sets of black will you be needing?"
Zerial checked her list. "four." she said with a nod.
"very well." he said pulling four sets of black robes off of hangers. and once again the hangers disappeared.
Zerial took the robes and followed Mr. Kwinkleton down the stairs again and to the brass cash register.
"that will be ten galleons and five sickles." the tall man said holing a respite and holding out his other hand for Zerial to put the money.
Remembering what her mother had said, she pulled out four of the little silver coins and ten of the large god ones.
Mr. Kwinkleton gave Zerial a paper bag for her robes and said, "please come again." as she waked out the door and the 'ding-dong' sounded again.
at once feeling out of place with all of these people walking around in robes, she went back into the shop. "do yo mind if i put on of these of in here?" Zerial asked Mr. Kwinkleton.
"not at all." he said jovially.
"thanks." Zerial said as she pulled the robes on and picked up her bag once again.
once back outside. Zerial looked at her list. she decided to get her wand next. next to wand it read: 'Ollivander's'
she looked for the shop while walking down the road. noticing how all of the boys her age seemed to drool as she passed. disgusted, Zerial sped up.
she was about to ask some one for help finding it when she spotted it. she ran to the door. and pulling it open, she stepped inside. this time the man at the counter was reading a magazine. he looked up as she entered.
"Hello." he said with a smile. "you here for a wand?"
"i am." Zerial said nervously. "um," she began. "I've never bought a wand before, so i don't --"
"know what your looking for." the man finished for her, still smiling kindly. "that's not a problem. you see its the wand that choses the wizard. not the reverse." he said coming out of a closet with his arms full of boxes.
he flopped them all unseramoneosly on the counter and opened one and beckoned her closer.
"are you Mr. Ollivnader?" Zerial asked.
"no, no. he died ages ago. i just bought his store. i kept the name because i figured it would help business. my names' Johnson." he paused for a moment and looked her over.
he then measured her fore arm with the wand he was holding. "yes, this one might do." he muttered. then handed Zerial the wand.
"just give it a wave."
Zerial tried to, but just as she had started, Mr. Johnsen had ripped the wand out of her hand and replaced it with another. all th e while shaking his head.
they went through this three more times. until finally when i took the wand away he let out a cheer and said joyfully, "twelve inches, cherry wood and unicorn hair!"
not knowing what to do Zerial just smiled. Mr. Johnson then said, "six galleons please."
Zerial dug out six gold coins and left the shop with a second bag.