Delusions
Aila pulled on her wizard robes and pinned her hair back. She was going to Diagon Alley to get her supplies for Hogwarts later that day and wanted to look good. He scrutinized her face, wishing she could just wash off her numerous freckles, and have nice tanned skin. She put on some lip-gloss and smacked her lips.
"Aila." Called dad from downstairs, "Ready to go? We need to hurry so I can get home in time for my meeting at the ministry."
She groaned. She hated her father's job. He was always going to meetings and leaving the house at odd times of the day. But he was one of the best Aurors at the Ministry, and they needed his help tracking down radicals who were trying to become like a group who used to run around called "the Death Eaters". So it was Dad's job to track and catch them, then put them before trial, and maybe they would go to Azkaban, the Wizard Prison.
"Yeah," she called back, "I'm ready." She grabbed her list of things to buy and slipped on her shoes. When she got to the kitchen Dad was standing near the Fireplace, obviously ready to leave at any moment.
"Got the list?"
"Yup." She showed him the paper in her hand, "Got money?"
"At Gringotts." He grabbed some Floo Powder, "I Guess we're ready." He threw in the floo powder and stepped in. "Diagon Alley!" he yelled into the flames, and then disappeared.
Aila grabbed herself some of the green powder and threw it in. The flames rose above her head and she stepped in. it was not hot in the fire, but warm. It was like someone's breath. "Diagon Alley!" she called and began to whir past may other fireplaces. She stepped out when she saw her father and fell on the floor. "I can never get used to that." She said wiping some ashes out of her hair.
"Good." He said helping her up and brushing her off. "To Gringotts."
"To Gringotts!" she said, happily.
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"We need to go now Honey, so that I can get back and finish my article so that I can turn it in to Melody tomorrow." Said mamma. Melody was the chief Editor in the Cambridge branch of Witch Weekly.
"Whatever." Said Hilary, pulling on her robes. "Just as long as I can stop in the Quidditch shop."
"If we have time." Said Hermione, "We need to go to Gringotts first."
Hilary shrugged and grabbed some floo powder, "Then lets get going so that we will have time. It is on the top of my priority list."
"After getting your school supplies."
Hilary threw the powder into the flames and yelled her destination. When she landed on the hearth at the "Leaky Cauldron" she brushed herself off and waited for her mother. It was less than a minute before Hermione Granger stood beside her.
"Lets get going." She said pushing Hilary along. "Don't want to run into anyone…unfriendly." Hilary didn't have any idea what she meant by 'unfriendly'. She knew that her mother was a match for any dark wizard around, and she wouldn't need to run from them. Maybe she just doesn't want to see someone.
They went into an alley behind the Leakey Cauldron. Mamma took out her wand. Hilary was used to this as she had gone to Diagon Alley before, she would point it at different bricks on a brick wall on the far end of the Alley. Then the Alley opened exposing a large street with many people bustling about. "Lets get this over with." Sighed Mamma.
Hilary had no idea why her mom was so down and looked up at Mamma, who had a weary look in her eyes. "So first we need to get a wand." Said Hilary, looking at her list.
"No," interjected Mamma, "first we go to Gringotts."
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Ron stepped out of Gringotts happy to see sunlight again. He hated going into those underground vaults on the fast moving, stomach churning carts. "Dad!" said Aila looking at Ron with a smile on her face. "You're green."
"I bet." He grunted sitting down as soon at the first chair he found. He put his head in his hands and told Aila to go to Olivander's to get her wand and he would be there in a moment. She ran off and left Ron to recover. Those carts were not like riding a broom they were jerkier and you were moving on them much more. No one could accuse him of being a sissy, or even being a wimp. Anyone could get sick on those death carts.
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Hermione stepped out of Gringotts with a bag of money in her hand. Hilary was right next to her clutching her stomach. "Mamma, I think I am going to barf."
"Go sit down over there and I will count how much money I got. I grabbed a fair amount, but those underground vaults frighten me. I needed to get out." Hilary ran over to the bench and sat down next to another man who seemed to be recovering from his trip at Gringotts as well.
"Honey," said Hermione, grabbing the moneybag. "When you are feeling better run off to Olivander's and get a wand. I may be a while." Hilary grunted in response and leaned on Hermione.
Hermione stroked her daughter's hair and looked over at the sick man beside Hilary. Hermione almost fell off the bench when she recognized the long red hair and the long nose that belonged to her ex-husband Ron Weasley. "Honey." She squeaked, "I think we need to go get your wand now."
"No," groaned Hilary, "gimme a minute."
"Okay." Said Hermione quietly, hoping that Ron was either asleep or didn't recognize her voice, because he was the last person she wanted to meet.
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Aila finally got her wand (10 inches, oak, unicorn hair) and walked over to the Bench her father had sat himself onto. There was a woman and a girl beside him. She couldn't see the girl's face, but she could tell that the girl had the same colored tresses as her own father, and herself. Aila looked at the woman whom the girl had buried her face and saw that she was a young woman, probably in her late twenties, who was very pretty. She was counting money from a brown sack and kept looking nervously at her daughter.
She shook her head and looked at her father, who was still resting his head in his hands. "Dad!" said Aila, running up in front of him and tapping on him, "I got my wand now we need my books. You also need to go pay Mr. Olivander the money for my wand."
"Uh. Okay honey." Dad said, "How much was the wand?"
"Six Sickles."
He dug through his pockets and pulled out three sickles. "I will go pay him and you run off to your favorite store."
"If you mean Flourish and Blotts I am so there!" she smiled really big and looked at the woman who was staring at her with odd admiration. Like the sun had come out for the very first time. Aila smiled kindly at her and ran off to the bookstore.
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Hilary sat up in time to see the tall man beside her stand up and leave. Mamma suddenly busied herself counting the money only Hilary could tell that she was not even counting. She was not moving her lips like she would normally to help keep track of the numbers. And she was staring at the ground with a dazed look in her eyes like she was in the middle of a dream.
"Mamma, I am ready to go get my wand." She said waving her hand in front of her mother's face.
"What?" said mamma coming out of her daze.
"I am ready to go get my wand."
"Oh, okay." She said she dug through her bag of money and got out 6 sickles and handed them to her daughter. "I will meet you in Flourish and Blotts!" she said jumping up and hurrying off.
'Odd' thought Hilary. 'She normally waits for me.' She did a mental shrug and hurried to Olivander's. She was very excited. Her first wand! She stepped up to the door and was about to open it when the door swung open and hit her hard in the nose. "Bloody Hell!" yelled Hilary, turning many heads.
"Oh!" the man who had opened the door rushed up to her. "Are you okay?"
"No!" she felt her nose, and it was bleeding.
The man pulled out his wand and look at her nose. She recognized him as the man who sat beside her on the bench. He looked into her eyes and froze.
"I think I am going to let Mr. Olivander fix it." Said Hilary, stepping pas the man, who pulled her aside.
"Who is your mother." He asked, he had vibrant red hair, much like her own and a handsome face.
"Hermione Granger." She said pushing past him, "Now if you will excuse me I need to go fix my nose." She walked into the store. And when she looked back the man was staring at her like she was an angel.
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