Chapter Three: Un-adopted.
"That's it Cygnus! If you do one more thing like that I will beat you, and string you up by your toes!" Mrs. Cole shrieked.
"I swear Mrs. Cole, I didn't mean too!" She screamed, avoiding the paddle in Mrs. Cole's hand.
"You didn't mean to? You didn't mean to? How can you not mean to destroy a pillow?" She bellowed bringing the paddle down hard on Cygnus' side. Cygnus did not scream. She did not cry. She merely ran further away, her right arm limp at her side.
"Come back here at once! Cygnus!" She screamed. Cygnus hid behind a large pillar, and knew, Mrs. Cole would not find her.
"MRS. COLE! SOMEONE'S HERE!" A young woman shouted.
It was nearly 15 minutes later when Mrs. Cole came back into the room.
"Oh Cygnus dear… there's someone to see you!" She said in a most sickeningly sweet voice. Cygnus peered from around the pillar, and saw the most peculiar man standing there, in a purple velvet suit. She inched out from behind it, and curtsied slightly, still keeping her eyes on him.
"His name is Dunderdore. He's come to talk to you Cygnus," she said.
Cygnus walked over. "Hi," She said timidly.
"Hello Cygnus," He said sitting down, as Mrs. Cole left. "My name is Professor Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster at a school called Hogwarts, and I am here to offer you a place at my school," He said.
"I've heard of it," She said idly, running her finger over the bedpost. This seemed to surprise Dumbledore.
"You have?" He asked.
"Yes. He wrote about it in his diary," She mumbled, continuing to stare at the bedpost. "He loved it there," She whispered.
"Who loved it there?"
"The boy who wrote my diary. Do you want to see?" She said excitedly. Dumbledore smiled.
"I would love to see that diary Cygnus."
She ran over to her bed and pulled a decrepit looking trunk from underneath her bed and opened it up. She rummaged around in it for a few moments, and then pulled out a small leather bound book.
"Do they really teach magic there?" She whispered, her large brown eyes filled with wonder. "Did you really set fire to that cabinet?" She asked pointing at the old wardrobe that once belonged to the boy Voldemort.
Dumbledore took the diary from her outstretched hands, and read the untidy scrawl, that described in detail Tom Riddle's first encounter with Dumbledore. He flipped to the back, and realized that the diary was a detailed record of all seven years of his years at Hogwarts. Dumbledore smiled.
"I tell you what Cygnus. I will show you all through Diagon Ally, and I will show you all around Hogwarts, and I'll even show you how to get on the train at Platform 9 and ¾ if you let me have this diary."
Cygnus bit her lip.
"I really like that book," She whispered.
"You don't have to give it to me," Dumbledore said handing it back.
"I don't need it," She said, pushing it back into his hands. "But can I have it back if you don't want it anymore?" She asked smiling slightly.
"Of course," He said pocketing it. "Is there anything you want to bring with you?" He asked. Cygnus looked around and then pulled the small trunk out from under her bed, and picked it up, along with a purely black cat that she tucked under her arm.
"This is everything I want," She whispered, looking around to make sure.
"Then come with me Cygnus… We shall have a glorious time today," He said holding out his hand. Cygnus smiled, took Dumbledore's hand, and together they strolled out into the open of London.
Cygnus looked giddily at all of the colorful shops, and the wonderful world she had just stepped into.
"Would you like this?" Dumbledore asked, as she stopped and looked at a set of brass scales. She looked at Dumbledore, and shook her head. Dumbledore smiled, and realized that she would not ask for anything. She didn't know what to do with her self.
They went through the whole of Diagon Ally, Cygnus looking around at all the beautifully magical things, and didn't ask for a single thing, even though she looked on the verge of it numerous times.
"Come Cygnus, let us get you a wand," Dumbledore said, and he led her into a small shop, called Ollivanders. Cygnus smiled in delight, and entered the musty store. Dumbledore sat down on the small spindly chair. It wasn't long till Ollivander emerged from the dusty cabinets.
"Ah, new student are you? Of course, of course… Let us get your measurements then," He said waving his own wand. A tape measurer shuddered into life, and began measuring her, from her height, to the length of her nose. "Yes, yes, that's quite enough… Hmmm… let me see… Ah this one! Let's see Red Cedar and Oak with essence of Phoenix feather. 10 inches. Quite flexible!" He said, pulling a box off the shelf, and handing her the wand. She gave the wand an ecstatic wave. A large lamp, sitting on the front desk, exploded into tiny bits. Cygnus nearly dropped the wand in surprise.
"Apparently not…" He said, taking it back, and putting it back in its box. He went shuffling down the rows, and pulled up several more boxes.
"Try this one! This one is also a Phoenix feather, but it is holly… go on give it a wave!" He said, waiting patiently. Cygnus didn't wave this wand with nearly as much gusto, resulting in an inkwell shattering on the floor.
"No, no, give it back," He said. Cygnus nodded and hastily put it in his hands. Ollivander looked through the boxes in front of him and then smiled.
"Hmm… Let us throw away the pretense of a Phoenix feather wand. I do not think it will suit you," he said smiling. "Unicorn hair, willow, 7 inches," He said pulling the box out. "Excellent for charms work," He said. Cygnus barely twitched the wand, afraid of what she would next destroy. The wand shot a green goop out of the end, which splattered the front desk. Ollivander merely chuckled.
"A tricky customer indeed," He said taking it back. He tapped his chin, in deep thought, before handing her the next wand. "Not my last attempt, but please… Unicorn Hair, Mahogany, 8 inches," He said.
Cygnus looked at Ollivander. "It's not going to work."
"Oh if it kills me we will find a wand for you. Remember! It's the wand that chooses the wizard!" He said cheerily. Cygnus looked at the stack of wands, and sighed.
"None of those wands wanted me?" She said, her voice sad, her lower lip slightly put out. Ollivander's face fell.
"Now what ever do you mean by that?" He asked.
"It's like at the Orphanage. No one wanted me," She said, feeling rather stupid. Ollivander took back the wand, before even letting her wave it.
"I have something special for you…" He said shuffling to the back. He came to the front, and handed her the longest wand she had yet laid eyes on.
"Dragon Heart String… Blood-wood… 14 inches," He said. "It is an excellent wand. Now please, give it a wave," He said smiling. Cygnus looked at the wand, and didn't wave it around, or do silly twirls.
"Why is this wand so special?" She asked.
Ollivander sighed. "The Dragon whose heart strings are in that wand, died to save an entire orphanage. Although this is not common among Dragons… it was indeed a noble thing."
Cygnus looked down at the wand. It was different than all the wands she had held. It wasn't just because of the way it looked; it was because of the way it felt. Warm under her hands, like it knew what she wanted. She flicked her wrist, and a shower of warm gold and green sparks flew out the end of her wand.
"Oh excellent!" Ollivander said smiling. "Excellent!"
"Cygnus, why don't you step outside," Dumbledore said. Cygnus smiled, and waited outside. She was still extremely curious about all of the magical things. She pulled out her wand and began waving it in random directions hitting a few people with sparks. She figured out how after that, and shot some at random passersby's.
"Now why ever did you do that?" Dumbledore asked, immerging from the shop. Cygnus dropped her wand, which sparked when it connected with the pavement. Dumbledore leaned over and gave it a gentle rub before handing it back to her.
"Dear Cygnus… you must learn what is proper in the magic world. Do you understand? That is a rude thing to do."
Cygnus bowed her head. She looked back up at him with teary eyes. "But Tom said it was alright. He said it was funny," She said her tear drops spilling over, her fingers nervously tugging at her worn out dress.
Dumbledore crouched down to her level, and touched her chin. "I will teach you what I taught Tom, Cygnus… And I hope that you come out much differently than Tom."
"Dumbledore! Oh Dumbledore!" Both Cygnus and Dumbledore turned to see a ginger haired lady bustling towards them, 2 identical stocky boys behind her, and one tall thin boy, all with shocks of bright red hair.
"Molly dear," He said giving her a polite kiss on the hand. Molly smiled.
"It's Ronald's first year at Hogwarts this year… you will keep an eye on him for me, won't you?" She said. Dumbledore smiled.
"Oh course Molly dear. Molly, boys, this is Gynar Riddle. She will be attending school this year as well."
Molly's eyes had gone quite wide. "Oh Dumbledore… is she…?"
"Yes Molly dear. No need to make them fret," He said nudging her forward. He looked down at her and noticed that she was madly tugging at her little worn dress, her black hair unable to hide her bright red face.
"Hi," She whispered. Ron timidly waved, and both of the twins were sniggering at something amusing only to themselves.
"Well… I hope that we meet soon Molly. It has been a pleasure."
She nodded, said a polite goodbye, and took off with her boys. Cygnus and Ron watched each other the whole way out of view.
"What are you thinking about Cygnus?" He asked. She sighed dreamily.
"Oh nothing."
