Carly Potter looked wearily out the window, waiting for her mother to return home. She spent the day home alone once again, unofficially looking after her younger brother Scott. Carly's mother worked at the Ministry of Magic, and she did well, but her job required long hours, which Carly and Scott's mother was willing to do.
Carly sighed once again, and heard Scott in the next room watching the TV. Carly, Scott and her mother where supposed to go to Diagon Alley earlier today, but Carly's mother hadn't shown up. Carly was leaving for Hogwarts in 2 weeks, and she still hadn't gotten a wand, any of her spellbooks, or anything. Carly hadn't heard anything from her mother, not an owl, a phone call, anything, and it was now past 6, Carly had already made dinner for Scott and herself, and her mother still hadn't come home.
Carly was a witch, but she had spent little of her life around magic. She lived in a house made up of mainly Muggle appliances, Muggle decorations, and Muggle items, and even went to a Muggle Primary school. Also, this was even odder considering her father was Harry Potter.
Carly's father Harry was once an auror, a dark wizard catcher, and had defeated one of the darkest wizards that ever existed: Lord Voldemort, who many people still trembled in fear of, and never spoke the name out loud, Carly's mother was one of them. Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort, but Voldemort's last few seconds on Earth where devoted to blasting Harry with a curse, an unusual curse that was slowly killing him.
Harry had defeated Voldemort over 10 years ago, but the curse was now slowly killing Harry, he was now a member of the Closed Ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies, where he lived, while the Healers tried to find something to reverse the curse.
Carly would never forget the day her father was permanently hospitalized; it was three years ago, and his legs lost all feeling, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs. Her mother contacted St. Mungo's, and the Healers made the decision that the curse was too far progressed, that he would require round-the-clock care, and that would only work at the Hospital.
Carly snapped back to reality. She saw a car pull into the driveway; her mother had finally come home. Carly's mother always traveled by a car, they lived in a Muggle town; she thought that apparating everywhere was bound to be seen as a little suspicious.
Carly's mother walked in the front door. She looked tired and worn out. "Hello dear, and yes I am sorry that I was unable to keep my promise, but things came up at work, and –" she cut off. "I promise, Carly that we will go to Diagon Alley tomorrow, after all I have the day off. Okay?" She added with a light smile.
"Okay, mum." Carly agreed darkly. "I made dinner since you weren't here, and there is some on the stove." She added. Carly's mother turned toward the stove, and Carly got out of the kitchen. Why did her mother do this, this wasn't the first time she had done something like this, made a promise she couldn't keep. Carly was hurt, but considering the number of times something like this had happened, it was routine now, but that still didn't stop it from hurting Carly.
She plopped down on the couch next to Scott, who didn't move or even react.
The next day, Carly was enjoying herself, she was walking down Diagon Alley with her mother and Scott, they had just purchased her books at Flourish and Blotts, and earlier she had bought her Hogwarts robes, and because of this, she was in a very good mood, her mother had kept her promise and it was simply a beautiful day outside.
They where now going to Ollivanders, the wand maker. Carly was looking forward to this, she was very anxious to receive her new wand. Suddenly, Scott started to complain. "Mom, I've gotta go the bathroom!" He said whining. Carly rolled her eyes, of course Scott would have to go to the bathroom right as soon as they where going to Ollivanders.
Carly and Scott's mother rolled her eyes and began to lecture Scott about not going when they where in Flourish and Blotts. "Carly, would you mind going into Ollivanders by yourself?" Her mother asked hopefully. "I'll take Scott to the bathroom, and you can get your wand, and I'll meet you out in the street-or actually I wanted to check out Twillfit and Tatting's to get some new robes for the party coming at the Ministry in a few weeks. So, would you mind meeting us in front of, well, Ollivanders in about half an hour?" Carly's mother asked very hopefully.
"Okay." Carly said. Her mother gave Carly a handful of money, and Carly slipped it into her pocket, and saw as Scott and her mother headed in the opposite direction. Carly was excited but slightly nervous to be able to wander Diagon Alley alone like this. She hadn't been to Diagon Alley very much, this was only her fifth time, and she could see some of the shops that she never had an opportunity to before.
She came to Ollivanders, a rather dusty looking shop; it had a large display window, with a single wand lying on a dusty, faded pillow. She entered, feeling slightly nervous. A small bell tinkled from somewhere inside. "Hello my dear." Came a voice out of nowhere that made her jump.
There, appearing out of one of the many box-lined shelves was a small, balding man. "Hogwarts? We've been having the lot come in the last few days." He said this all really fast. "Come here, dear and let me measure you up." He pulled a measuring tape out of his pocket, and automatically it began measuring Carly's arms, hands, neck, height, distance between two nostrils, distance between her feet when she stood. "That will do," the owner said quietly, and the tape dropped to the ground.
The owner handed Carly a bunch of different wands, she wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he pulled them away as soon as Carly touched them. Finally after at least three dozen wands, he gave her another one. "Why not this one, 11 inches, Poplar, and Dragon Heartstring?" Once again Carly took the wand in her hand, and she felt a sudden warmth in her fingers, bringing the wand down with a cascade of red and gold sparks.
She paid the wand maker, and took her new wand outside with her. Carly then looked down the street; she had a good 20 minutes before she had to meet her mother. She decided that she would explore several places of Diagon Alley that she had never been before.
Carly walked down the street, enjoying herself greatly, looking at the quaint little shops that advertised all sorts of things, she then saw a place that hit her like a ton of bricks. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was the place, and this place was so bright and exciting that she just had to go in.
Carly went into the door. She wondered if the Weasley's who owned the place where related to Ron Weasley, who had been a friend of her father's back in his Hogwarts days. Ron had died during one of the battles with Voldemort. Her father never liked to talk about Voldemort or anything about Ron. She looked around, seeing various sweets that promised the ability to become sick and when you eat the other end. She looked around, enjoying the various items, when a red-haired man with magenta robes came out of the back room.
He looked shocked at the sight of Carly; however, he hid his shock behind a polite and happy face. "Hello dear, looking for anything in particular?" He asked politely, but with a sort of mischievous smile on his face that took Carly slightly aback. "No, I'm just looking." Carly said as casually as possible. She continued to look, but saw that the red-haired man kept looking at her with a great deal of interest. She turned and left the store when she realized that she was supposed to meet her mother.
She met her mother back in front of Ollivanders just as promised, and her mother was very interested in her wand, and when Carly told her about Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, she almost seemed concerned.
"Did the men seem rude or angry?" Her mother asked almost nervously. "No, I don't think I saw anyone," Carly lied, taken back by her mother's sudden nervous behavior.
Carly, Scott and their mother then stopped at Eyelops Owl's Emporium where Carly's mother bought a Barred Owl for her daughter as a pet. Carly's new owl brought to mind Hedwig, her father's old owl, who she could remember being around when she was a little girl and Hedwig always seeming to watch over Carly and Scott.
Carly, Scott, their mother, and Carly's new owl all departed and went back home using Floo Powder.