"Let me get this straight." Ms. Weaver drawled, "You want me to give you money so you can take my beloved daughter away from me to teach her magic tricks."
Professor Longbottom had settled himself into Ms. Weaver's house leaning back into our recliner and taking sips out of his cup every few seconds.
"It's much more than magic tricks," Professor Longbottom told her quickly, "Your daughter would learn how to do all sorts of things. She could brew potions to save lives, make everyone around happier with a flick of her hand, turn lead into gold-"
"Gold?" Ms. Weaver interrupted.
My finger twitched, of course that's what would convince her. The promise of riches.
"Yes and many other things," Longbottom promised.
"Yet, you've offered me no proof."
Longbottom raised his hand and I flinched back despite his distance from me. Ms. Weaver glared at me so intensely I stopped breathing for a moment. But her attention was diverted when all of the flower pots and pictures of her started to float in a line bobbing and weaving with the course of the professor's hand.
I tried to not let my shock be too obvious but it was difficult to do when this man was performing the impossible right in front of my eyes.
Ms. Weaver managed it perfectly fine though, "Impressive," she conceded.
"What is the letter for," she asked.
"Ah, sharp eye," Professor Longbottom laughed. "It's just her acceptance letter along with the supplies she'll be needing."
Ms. Weaver took the letter from him delicately and scanned it intently like she was looking for a fine print saying, "Just kidding, we'll be kidnapping your daughter now."
She looked almost dissatisfied when she didn't find one.
"How much will all of this cost," she asked.
"Somewhere around 1,500 pounds." he said.
Ms. Weaver gasped and I bit my lip. She had the money to spare. I knew she did. It wasn't a secret, we lived in a huge house, and drove in a nice car around our nice neighborhood where I was the only person of color around. That didn't mean any of it was for me though.
"1,500 pounds," Ms. Weaver shouted, incredulous. "Oh, I just knew this was a scam, you come into my house and float my property around and then try to scam me out of 1,500 pounds!"
Professor Longbottom spluttered. "Well I never-"
"That's enough, get out of my house! Out! Now!" she yelled pointing at the door.
His eyes flicked between me, the letter and the door a few dozen times before he finally lifted himself out of his seat.
I panicked, if this man left, there would be no chance of me getting out of this house. I'd be stuck, stuck, stuck. I'd have to deal with Ms. Weaver until I was 18 years old and she kicked me out and got herself another little tax loophole.
I balled my hands up in my lap and said softly, "This is why all the weird stuff happens."
Longbottom looked at me curiously and Ms. Weaver whipped around to look at me so fast I thought she might snap her neck.
"The shattering vases, the vanishing T.V.s, the spray painted walls. It's because I'm magic. If I don't learn how to control it'll keep happening. If I take these ten months every year for the next 7 years I'd have it more than under control. I could use it for your benefit Ms. Weaver."
Ms. Weaver clenched and unclenched her fist and I knew that I made a compelling argument. She definitely wouldn't want her stuff damaged anymore and me using magic to make her jewelry and clothes for free, there was no way she could pass that up. All that aside from how her eyes lit up when I said 'ten months'. Ten months Catra free would be paradise for her. Maybe if she's lucky I'd drown in the lake Longbottom had mentioned, or someone who hates me as much as she does would push me off a tower.
"Perhaps, but for 1,500 pounds?"
I turned to Professor Longbottom, "Do you have a scholarship option?" I asked.
"Scholarship . . . ?" He questioned as he sat back down. He sounded like he had never heard the word before. That was ok though. It had become such an intrinsic part of my life I could explain it to a new born baby.
"A scholarship is where a student proves that they would be such a valuable member of your community that they don't pay for their supplies and tuition, the school pays for it because the student makes up for it in other ways like raising test averages and winning competitions." I explained.
He nodded, "I suppose that makes sense. Ok, if you can cast this spell on your first try after we get your wand. I'll pay for all your supplies."
I sighed in relief.
"Look closely now as I'll only do this once," he told me. He pulled out his stick that I assumed to be his wand and waved his hand over a trophy Ms. Weaver still had from when she was my age.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he said and it began to float, float, float.
"Got that?" he asked. I nodded and he smiled at me.
"When could we get her wand," Ms. Weaver asked.
"Right now if you aren't too busy," he answered breezily.
"Not busy at all," she responded, getting off the couch. "Just let me fetch my coat."
"Terribly sorry," Longbottom said, not really sounding all that sorry, "But you can't come. No muggles allowed in Diagon Alley."
"Muggle," Ms. Weaver parroted, sounding offended.
"Just what we call people without magic," he said quickly, "Didn't mean anything by it."
She sniffed, "Yes well she'll need to be back at a reasonable hour. It's noon now. I assume 6 hours will be enough time to get all of her supplies."
"More than enough," He agreed.
"Wonderful," she said dryly.
We turned to leave and as we were almost at the door she called to me, "Oh and Catra."
I turned and smiled as prettily as I could, "Yes Ms. Weaver?"
"Be careful with those shoes, they're new," she told me condescendingly.
"Of course Ms. Weaver."
I took great satisfaction in slamming the door behind me.
"Apparition is definitely my least favorite way to travel," I informed Professor Longbottom as I tried to find my footing in the alley I had been nauseatingly transported to.
He winced apologetically, "I forgot that it takes some getting used to. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm sure tons of people have learned to live with rearranged insides," I said.
He chuckled nervously but I straightened up and shook myself out.
"So? Where to first boss," I asked sarcastically.
"Oh yeah," he said and started to walk out of the alley.
I leaned back against the wall and dug the dirt out of my fingernails.
"C'mon then," he said.
"No," I told him
"No?" He repeated, confused.
"You're going the wrong way." I informed him casually. Laughing internally at the shock on his face.
"How would you know whether or not- oh yeah I'm going the wrong way."
"Yep."
"Okie doke THIS WAY!" he corrected awkwardly.
I rolled my eyes at his antics and laughed despite myself. I couldn't help but love being right. This was going to be fun.
We walked down a street that was so abandoned that I had to consider it being another alleyway. Most of the rickety old store fronts were shut down and ransacked. And the dust on the sidewalk was so thick we left footprints. Even in the broad daylight this place gave me chills.
Only one place had its lights on. It was an old pub and I knew it was old because the wood had begun to splinter so much that you could see it from the other end of the road and touching the wood even once would without a doubt put a hole in your hand.
The lights were flashing and it was so loud I was sure it got regular noise complaints back when this street wasn't so perpetually empty. It reeked of alcohol. I knew every single person in there was drunk beyond comprehension before I even walked in.
"So we're getting my wand from a sketchy pub full of drunk people, lovely," I said sardonically.
Professor Longbottom laughed despite my scornful tone, "No, no this is just the entrance to where you'll be getting your wand."
He opened the door and stepped in and without missing a single beat everyone in scary unison whipped their heads toward the door.
"NEVILLE!" They cheered. "LOOK, LOOK IT'S NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM."
"Hello all," he said and the patrons of the pub quieted immediately looking at him with rapt attention as the whole of the pub held its breath waiting for what he was about to say.
He wrung his hands and shifted back and forth at the sudden attention.
"Um, we're just passing through I'm afraid, can't stay for long. Have to get her supplies for the upcoming school year."
Everyone turned to me then, some with warm smiles and others with an eye so critical, so intense they could've been trying to read inside my soul. I sneered at them and folded my arms over myself.
These DnD weirdos were starting to freak me out.
Professor Longbottom stepped in front of me, "Yes, yes, all very exciting. We'll just need to be popping through then."
Loud complaints and protest came from all corners of the room and for a moment I worried that all the noise would finally do the rickety building in.
Neville's eyes flicked around the room and I could see him considering staying. I knew for sure that he would toss me a few bills, give me directions and tell me to be on my way. Which was fine by me, more time to explore. He surprised me though and held strong.
"I know, I know, next time everyone gets two rounds," he proclaimed and the loud cheers from the announcement became the background noise to our march through the pub.
He led me to a backroom and with every step he took I got more and more suspicious. What does this dark, dank old room have to do with magic and wands and wizard hats?
I supposed that if anything went sideways the stack of crates that ended about 4 feet away from an open window was my best escape route.
He led me out of the backroom and into a wide alcove. A brick wall stared at me, it wasn't moving and it wasn't magical.
My eyes began to flit around. This was suspicious right? How could this not be suspicious. I looked at that open window that had looked so good just a few moments ago and realized that without those crates not even I could jump high enough to get up there.
If this man decided to pull anything it would be a fight. A fight that I would lose.
I had done those before though. Fights with uneven odds had riddled my childhood. But never with anyone who might finish it I didn't know what to do and my anxiety had my feet glued to the floor.
Professor Longbottom didn't seem to notice though, he pulled out his wand and tapped some of the bricks on the wall in a pattern. The wall split itself in half and opened up to a bustling street full of people dressed just like him and the people we had seen in the pub.
Wizards.
I relaxed but I couldn't help but feel stupid. All of that worry over absolutely nothing.
Professor Longbottom bowed dramatically, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
I walked in and looked everything over with awe and curiosity. People of all ages, shapes and sizes were wandering around the street doing all manner of things. There were owls flying overhead and children kept jumping up and down trying to let their fingers skim the owls' feathers.
There was a man on a street corner surrounded by little kids swallowing fire and when he breathed it back out it made different animal shapes and sounds as the kids cheered and marveled.
Snake
Lion
Badger
Eagle
And then a great crest that incorporated all four.
"The house crests," Professor Longbottom told me. "Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. You'll be sorted on your first day."
"Sorted?"
"Into your house, it's based on character traits, you go to your classes with the people in your year and house. You'll also be bunking with them. Let's say you get Hufflepuff; you'd eat with the Hufflepuffs at meals and go to classes with the first year Hufflepuffs then you'd go back to the dormitory you share with the other first year Hufflepuff girls." He explained.
"Interesting." I said. And it was, the idea of being surrounded all day and night by similar and like-minded people was fascinating to me. It was a good way to form steadfast relationships quickly so that you'd have a support system as you got into school.
"What was your house Professor Longbottom?" I asked while doing my best to ignore the strange looks some people gave me when they saw my outfit.
"I'm a Gryffindor, we're known for our bravery, chivalry and nerve." He answered.
Lovely, a whole house full of impulsive kids who fancied themselves adventurers, surrounded by each other so that they could egg each other on. I imagined their dormitories were stuck in a perpetual state of 'Dare or Double Dare'.
"What are the other houses?"
"Well you have Ravenclaw, they're known for their wit and wisdom."
Translation: A bunch of swots studying and debating all day. But I supposed that wouldn't be too bad. It would be one big study group and the older Ravenclaws would probably be willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us so we could pass the exams earlier.
"The Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty and hard work."
Translation: A bunch of too nice marshmallows doing homework and telling dad jokes to each all day. Hard pass.
"Slytherin has the lowest number of students- Hufflepuff has the highest. They're known for their ambition, cunning and determination." He said it like it made him slightly uncomfortable.
Translation: A bunch of cut-throat two-faced politicians in training all vying for the top spot. Trapped in permanent competition with one another and the other houses.
That was me.
I was a Slytherin.
"So which one do you think you'll get?"
I shrugged, "Not sure yet, Ravenclaw sounds a lot like me." I didn't want to tell him I might be Slytherin and make him unsteady around me. Anything that might jeopardize my scholarship was to be avoided at all costs.
"Yeah, I can tell you're real smart," He agreed.
"Here we are," He proclaimed, stopping outside a sleek, black shop with golden font that said
OLLIVANDERS
MAKERS OF FINE WANDS
SINCE 382 B.C.
"It's been refurbished since I was a kid. Here's where you'll get your wand and take that little test to see about your scholorship." He told me.
"It's scholarship," I corrected.
His ears turned red "Right, sorry."
I opened the shop door and was hit with the smell of trees and a flow of cold air.
"Welcome to Ollivanders," said an old man on top of a ladder. His hair was ghost white and his skin was almost translucent. I wasn't normally one to be concerned about random adults but this man was 10 feet in the air and looked like a strong burst of wind would cause his rib cage to collapse in on itself.
"Be careful up there!" Professor Longbottom shouted.
"I've survived two wars, boy. This old ladder is hardly going to do me in."
I was skeptical but opted to leave Professor Longbottom to convince him to get down as I wandered around the shop.
There were aisles upon aisles of the slim boxes of different lengths throughout the whole of the building. I couldn't even begin to count how many aisles there were and I could've sworn that the building was a lot smaller than this on the outside.
Magic, it seemed, could do a lot of strange things.
I fished some gum out of my pocket and popped it in my mouth, beginning to hum Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy.
I looked down the aisles, not really searching for anything in particular. I was in the middle of miming the guitar riff when my feet slowed to a stop of their own accord.
I stopped humming and all I could hear was my breathing and the soft voice that seemed to be coming from the end of the aisle.
Catra, something whispered Catra come to me. Let me see you.
My body moved of its own accord as if I was in a trance. I took dazed steps towards the sound of the voice.
Yes, the voice hissed Yes, very good come here, closer than that child. Let me see you.
No.
Let me touch you.
No
Let me hurt you.
No
Let me rip you apart.
No
Tear you to pieces.
Stop!
I halted myself and let out a shaky breath. What- What was that?
But I felt a tug, a pull.
It wasn't dangerous like the last one because it felt magnetic, like it was an irresistible force I was meant to follow.
I lifted up my hand and grabbed a box sliding it out of its carefully placed position as gracefully as I could.
I opened the box slowly and a wand stared back at me with nonchalance.
I plucked the wand out of the box and twirled it around. It was around 11 inches long and dark, so dark I could swear it was made of shadows.
It felt right like it had been missing my whole life.
I felt a rush of glee and I jabbed the wand out, "Abra Cadabra!" I shouted.
A cold, skeletal hand grabbed my wrist suddenly and forced me to drop my wand.
"Hey!" I cried.
Suddenly I was yanked around to face the man that was on the ladder.
"Ebony, 10 ¾ inches, rigid, phoenix feather wand. Nice wand, expensive wand." He hissed, lowering himself so that we were eye level. His breath smelled like death.
"You're hurting me," I told him.
His grip tightened.
"You thought you'd get one over on old Ollivander, eh? Thought I was too old to do anything about it, is that right?" He babbled.
"Let go of me!" I demanded.
"Go and steal from someone else, ya hear" He barked.
"Let go!" And then a million things happened all at once Ladder Man was blasted back into a stack of wands and I screamed. He groaned and I backed myself up into the wall opposite of him.
"Catra? Ollivander?" Professor Longbottom called out from somewhere else in the store. Rapid footsteps made me aware that Professor Longbottom was coming towards us.
He looked at me and then Ollivander and then my wrist which had begun to bruise.
"What happened?"
After explaining the situation to Professor Longbottom he sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry Catra, I didn't realize that he was that unhinged."
"That unhinged?" I questioned.
"Ollivander is old and traumatized from the Wizarding World Wars, I'd heard he wasn't . . .all there but I had no idea that. . . "
I gritted my teeth. So Professor Longbottom had known that there was a chance my safety could be compromised here and brought me anyway. If that blast hadn't happened he could've seriously hurt me, or worse.
"It's okay Professor." I lied. My anger couldn't get in the way of this scholarship, I'll just have to tuck this away for later.
"Call me Neville," he said with a smile, fishing around in his robe pocket for something. He pulled out a few dozen gold coins and placed them on the shelf above Ollivander's head.
I nudged Ollivander with my foot and he fell onto the floor. I glanced up at Neville nervously.
"He'll probably be fine," he said.
I cleared my throat, "Ok then, what should I levitate."
Neville looked around at the damage I had caused.
"You did this?" he questioned.
I nodded in confirmation and he grinned. "No need to levitate anything, I'll pay for your stuff. I can definitely tell that you'll be a great contribution to our school."
Neville had gotten all my supplies and it hadn't cost me a dime, he offered to get me a pet but Ms. Weaver would strangle me if I brought home an animal.
Neville was funny, sweet and naive. Sometimes children would run up asking for autographs and pictures and he gave it without a second thought. It made me dread speaking to him but it was good to know that there was someone so easy to manipulate on the staff.
"I think that's everything," he said after reviewing our shopping list. "Ready to go home."
Not even a little bit but I nodded anyway.
He grabbed my shoulder, "Brace yourself."
And then we were spinning and folding and then I was outside Ms. Weaver's house swaying back and forth on her front porch.
"Well Catra, I look forward to seeing you at school. Your mother knows where to pick you up right?" he asked.
"If she doesn't I do," I told him.
He chuckled, "I don't doubt that for a moment. Goodbye Catra." And he apparated away without another word.
I fished my key out of my back pocket and opened the door for myself.
I started up the stairs towards my room when Ms. Weaver called, "Catra! Come here girl."
I could tell from the way her words were slurred that she was completely wasted and nothing good could come out of a conversation with her right now, but ignoring her wasn't an option either.
I walked to the living room where Ms. Weaver was draped on the couch with a bottle of tequila in hand.
"Yes, Ms. Weaver?"
"Yes Ms. Weaver," she mocked, "Stupid girl thinks my name is Ms. Weaver," she muttered to herself.
"How was your trip then," she demanded.
"It was good, Ms. Weaver," I answered.
"You got everything you needed then?"
"Yes, Ms. Weaver."
"Did it cost me anything,"
"Of course not Ms. Weaver."
"Of course not Ms. Weaver." she mutters, "Ms. Weaver, Ms. Weaver, Ms. Weaver."
I kept a forced smile on my face and prayed she didn't decide to throw the bottle. My scar still hadn't faded from last time.
"Do you think you're something special now girl?" She sneered cruelly, "Well? Do you? You probably do. I'm only sending you away so I won't have to deal with you as much as I do. I have no doubt that you'll come back from this 'magic school' just as useless as you left. What do you think?"
I just kept smiling, "I hope to be useful to you Ms. Weaver."
I hope that glass slips and hits you in the head, I thought.
She snorted. "Get out of my sight." I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
The sound of glass shattering against the wall made me squeeze my eyes shut as I walked up the stairs. September 1st couldn't come fast enough.
