This is the next chapter. Please read and review, love Hannah xxx
The following afternoon the doorbell rang and Petunia shrieked when she answered it. She opened it looking around and finally looked down and screamed. "Yes sir how may we help you?" she asked feeling embarrassed for shrieking but she'd not seen him at first and he'd given her a fright. He watched her slightly annoyed and embarrassed himself as he could tell he'd given her a fright.
"Good afternoon ma'am. I am Professor Flitwick from Hogwarts and I've come to take Heidi shopping for her supplies!" he said with a smile shocked as she pulled him inside and slammed the door closed.
"Get the hell inside here and shut up. Do you want the whole neighbourhood to hear you or something? Do you think we'd ever live it down? Who told you she was going to that blasted school? I did not give her permission to attend and anyhow she's not going there she'll be going to Stonewall High like a normal person. I will not have her turned into a freak like my dead sister you hear!" she shouted in a shrill voice as he looked at her looking rather board.
"Are you quite finished shrieking like a banshee? It was Miss Potter herself who accepted and anyhow even if she hadn't she'd still be going. Her name has been down on the register since she was born. Her parents went there and so too will she. I might look small and at times silly but do not mess with me you won't like the results. Now we can either go quietly or I can jinx you into submission which I do not want to do. You would be at a disadvantage I assure you so just quit whining like a horse and allow her to go to school. Think of it this way you need only see her at the summer times. That should make you feel somewhat better!" he snapped. Vernon tumbled out of the kitchen door his weight somewhat impeding him as he nearly fell where he stood.
"You will not threaten my darling wife you bastard!" he shouted aiming a kick at Filius which missed as he went flying into the front door from the effort he'd put into it essentially breaking it in half.
"Well maybe less porkpies and bit more movement and you may not have broken your own front door like a wild boar. I was going to fix it for you but because you can't what was the phrase keep your bitch on a leash you are on your own!" he snapped going upstairs as terrified and angry Petunia tended to Vernon who was bleeding and had various fragments of wood coming from his head. He entered the first room which was lavishly decorated and practically bursting with toys with a frown. This was definitely a boy's room. The next room he entered was the Dursley's master bedroom and finally he entered Heidi's room and gasped in horror at it. It looked like she was barely even cared for at all. She did have a bed and bedside locker but nothing else apart from a wardrobe. There were absolutely no toys to be found anywhere at all. It looked much like a prison cell even if she did appear to have beautiful clothing if the clothes in the open wardrobe were anything to go by. Heidi was entirely stunned to see him as she'd been expecting Hagrid.
"Oh my goodness your Mr Flitwick aren't you? I don't remember much from being a baby sir but I do remember my mum always telling me about you and that you were her favourite Professor" she lied easily. In fact Lily had told her about Filius but had never said he was her sole favourite just that he was an excellent teacher. Professor Slughorn had been her favourite teacher. Filius teared up at this news though, his entire demeanour changing.
"Yes I am he. I can't believe you remember that. She was also a favourite student of mine. I remember her like it was yesterday I was teaching her. She was the brightest witch of her age. I am here to take you to school but first to a little bit of business!" he said removing his wand which he pointed at their bed muttering curses under his breath as he re-entered the Dursley's bedroom. He then cursed the door.
"From now on no one that sleeps here will ever be warm or experience comfort of any kind. When they show interest and care to you it will come back for them. Unfortunately if they don't they will be cold all of their lives from now on. No home comforts for the animals who couldn't even give their niece one toy. Heidi I was actually happy I was chosen to come here because it means I can protect you in future. I can see you've had goblin warding put on your room which is excellent. Here please wear this necklace!" he said conjuring a pretty looking golden necklace which had a heart shaped locket on it with her name on it. She put it on shocked as it appeared to disappear but she could still feel it.
"The only person who will know you are wearing this is you. When you open the locket you will see a button inside. If you are ever in danger press that once and I will be here instantly. It is better to be safe than sorry. Now then we will go to Diagon Alley. I will side apperate us there in a flash. The first time hurts for everyone so don't be alarmed. Also as you've had goblin warding I can tell you've been there before but you don't have anything financially on you so we may need to return to the bank upon arrival!" he said as she gasped.
He grabbed her arm gently as she felt like she was being squeezed through a tube and miraculously she didn't get sick although she did feel like it. They made their way to the bank where she handed in her key and was taken to her vault. While Filius waited in the cart for them the goblin pretended to open the vault with key whilst hiding Heidi's hand from view so Flitwick wouldn't see her accessing it in the ways of old. He didn't thankfully notice that. Once inside the goblin handed her a special card which had a round indent on the front of it. She looked at in confusion.
"With this special card with anti-theft charms on it you need to press the ring of whichever house you like into this indent here and the money will come to you inside whichever purse you're wearing at the time. As we say here time is money so this saves us both the time from you always needing to visit the bank. From now on you'll just need to visit once a year for show if you get my drift!" he said as she nodded.
"Thank you for that. I understand completely and this will be wonderful for me in the future. Thank you for that!" she said scooping up a handful of coins and placing them inside the purse in her handbag. She left and entered the cart again very excited. Filius was careful to get the Philosophers Stone quickly and quietly. Unlike Hagrid he didn't make it obvious he was hiding something from her intentionally. He placed it inside his warded safe pocket and they left the bank. She went over to T Scrivenshaft's first to get her parchment, ink and quills. Once inside she gasped at its beauty she'd forgotten all about it. The last time Harry had been here he'd bought what he'd needed to and gotten out of there quickly but she intended to properly browse and see all it had to offer.
It was lined with shelf after shelf of various quill types and parchment types and colours. She was truly amazed and Filius watched her visible joy smiling. She looked so happy in that moment that he was thrilled for her.
"Hello ma'am I'm Helena may I assist you? You look like a first year. Can I get you the standard set?" she asked approaching Heidi who smiled at her.
"Oh hello Helena, that's very kind but no thank you. What is the best quality parchment you have and indeed the best quill types?" she questioned as Filius looked on proudly silently hoping she'd be a member of his house although knowing his luck she'd probably be a Gryffindor like her parents. He secretly hoped that even if she wasn't in his house that she still wasn't in Gryffindor. It would be interesting to see her carve out her own path instead of simply following their steps like a boring person might do.
"Well the plush white Velour here is our best parchment and this eagle quill here is our best one however most people don't buy it as its pricey. However it does last a very long time indeed. It's twenty galleons but for that you can get roughly twenty years out of it and the way we see it that's one galleon per year so it is a wise investment" she responded smiling brightly.
"Yes very good and how can I guarantee it won't break on me and is it possible to get one with a metal nib at the end for easier writing? I am new to this and wish to be able to write the best I can for school!" she asked as Helena laughed at her slightly in amusement though not to mock or anything like that.
"They have spells on them meaning they cannot be broken forcefully, by accident or if someone tries to charm them. Here is our version with the metal tip however as we use pure silver in the tip it does cost thirty galleons. I will also give you our finest ink and parchments to last the year. It will be sixty galleons for the lot. Also I have packaged some old scraps of parchment for you to practice your writing on them as I imagine you would like to do so as soon as possible!" she said with a smile as Heidi paid the full amount with a smile. They left next going to the Trunk store where she picked up an apartment storage trunk with full security on it. Filius watched her buy it and thought she was so clever for being so wise about her purchases. She got the best of everything making sure it would last her a long time so she'd not need to replace things as often. They next visited the sweet store which truly made her smile.
Inside it was brimming with sweets in all these glass jars which lined the walls and seemed to be never ending. She picked up a special flower shaped container which she could store up to one hundred pounds of each sweet in each of the petals of it. She loved this idea. She immediately filled the petals with sugar quills, chocolate frogs, fudge flies, M&Ms. Chocolate buttons, flying saucers and sour jelly sweets. This shop catered to both muggle and magical tastes and for this reason was an exceptionally successful store. These sweets would last her the entire year and she'd never need to buy anymore until the same time next week. She paid the forty galleons for it and left placing it inside her trunk. They went next to Madam Malkin's and she was quickly and quietly fitted for her robes. Not complaining meant that you always had an easier time in Madam Malkin's which Malfoy would have learned if he wasn't so busy being a jackass.
Next they entered the Potions store while Filius carefully waited for her to make her purchases. Yet again she took her time getting everything perfectly set up so she'd only need to return here once a year. It was indeed very clever. Filius was slightly disappointed that their trip to the bookstore had been brief but what he'd not seen was the more interesting books she'd purchased as she'd been clever enough to hide them. They entered the pet store and she instantly bonded with a Black Mamba snake with whom she conversed. Filius was stunned and bit freaked out to learn that she was parcel mouth but pulled himself together at the last minute. She elected to name her Ace. Because she was as black as the ace of spades she thought it fit.
I am going to call you Ace because you're as black as the Ace of Spades. Do you like your name?
I don't care about my name to be honest. I'm very hungry do you have any mice I can eat. Or if a human is annoying you I can eat them too. Don't worry Heidi you're my best friend and I'll protect you at all costs. Thank you for finding me I was so bored.
You are welcome Ace. Come on and I'll show you to Professor Flitwick he's so lovely.
"Professor say hello to my familiar Ace. I called her that because she's as Black as the ace of spades sir. She says hi to you and that she loves your blue robes!" she said as he blanched a little and then seemed to decide it was not totally evil to be able to talk to snakes even if Lord Voldemort could. They bought all of Ace's things for her and then went to Ollivanders at the end of the day. Without the horcrux inside her the process had gone much faster. Ollivander had tried the Phoenix feather wand first but it had exploded in her hands making her scream as he calmed her down. She would be charged a bit extra for the broken wand but that's what it was. She left with an ebony wand with a dragon heartstring core. It worked like a charm pardon the pun.
"Heidi I can see for now it would not be safe for you to return to the Dursleys. In fact you shouldn't return until you must go to school. You should stay at the leaky cauldron or any inn of your choice for now. After all you leave in a few days. Here is your ticket. When you arrive at kings cross station you must run at the walls between platforms nine and ten and you will arrive at platform nine and three quarters. The train leaves at eleven fifteen on the dot so please be early. I'll leave you with Tom to sort out accommodations I must be getting back now. I'll see you soon Miss Potter!" he said seriously.
"Thank you Professor. You've been most helpful today!" she said hugging him as he blushed and flooed away. Tom approached her and she thanked him but told him she'd be getting her own accommodations something he was not happy about but agreed with none the less. His rooms were fine but not for a girl. She asked for a couple of hundred muggle pounds and checked into the Ritz in London for the four remaining days. Ivy would bring her clothing for her. What a day it had been.