Disclaimer: It's mine, and I won't let anyone say otherwise! (pouts)
A/N: (Gasp) It can't be... another chapter! (Wild screaming and cheering)
This thing was so annoying to write, so I hope you guys like it!
Hallie stumbled out of the fireplace, coughing up soot. She would never get used to that... In her arms, Hallie held tightly to her struggling cat. The poor creature's black coat was tinted an ashy gray. His paisley eyes were rolling dizzily. It was obvious he didn't appreciate that method of travel, either.
Glancing around, she recognized the interior of The Leaky Cauldron. It was a bit of a shock to realize just how much had occurred in one day. Her entire life had been turned upside down, and the sun hadn't even gone down yet.
The fire behind her flared once more, and Hallie had the sense to step out of the way. A moment later, the largest man Hallie had ever encountered stepped out of the Floo. The fact that he was probably twice the size of the entrance left her boggled as to how he even fit. However, Hallie thought it best not to ask that question. For now, she would go with the simple solution that it was magic.
The giant man unfolded himself and stood up, miraculously clean of ash. He was a good seven feet tall at least, with Hallie only just reaching his waist. He wore a long brown coat with sturdy boots, and had a mane of wild black hair. His face was nearly hidden behind a bushy beard, but two crinkled black eyes shined down at her.
Suddenly, Hallie saw his beard twitch in a happy grin, and before she knew what was happening, the man had swept her up in a choking hug, his muscled arms lifting her right off her feet. The cat gave a startled hiss, diving out Hallie's grasp to avoid being smothered. Whiskers twitching irritably, he wandered off.
"Oh, Harry, I missed yeh! Haven' seen yeh since yeh were a lil' baby! Hope the Muggles weren' too bad. Woulda taken yeh in me'self if Dumbledore'd allowed it-"
"Er- excuse me-" Hallie gasped, trying to get his attention. Really, she was touched by his greeting, but there was one little problem...
"Eh?" He looked down at her.
"I can't breathe," Hallie wheezed.
"Oops!" He quickly released the struggling child, careful not to drop her. He gave a sheepish smile as she recuperated.
"Sorry there, jus' a bit overwhelmed. Anyway, lemme introduce me'self. Name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper o' the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
"Yes," Hallie smiled, "Dumbledore told me a little about you. He said you were going to help me find my school supplies?"
"Yep." Hagrid began to lead her toward through the pub. Hallie had to hurry to catch up. For every single step he made, she had to compromise with at least three more. The room was more crowded than it had been earlier, but Hagrid easily cut a path through. Most of the tables were occupied by what Hallie now knew were witches and wizards. They were all chatting merrily over drinks, while the bartender bustled around, cleaning and occasionally speaking with a customer.
"Ah, Hagrid, good to see you again! Can I get you a pint?"
The toothless bartender waved Hagrid over, drawing attention to the man and Hallie. She was hesitant to follow when Hagrid walked over, wondering if Tom would recognize her. But then she realized he couldn't possibly. After all, she wasn't even a girl anymore! She crossed the room with an easygoing bounce in her step and waved shyly at the barman.
"Bless my soul... Is that Harry Potter?!"
Hallie groaned as his bulging eyes settled on her forehead. So much for anonymity.
What followed was perhaps one of the most horrific experiences of Hallie's life, and that was counting the time she'd walked in on Dudley in the shower. To cut a long story short, she was mobbed.
After Tom's rather loud declaration, the entire bar had frozen in shock, before moving as one shrieking, squealing entity to swarm Hallie and Hagrid. She must have shaken a thousand hands, especially since many of her so-called admirers came back for more. They were all clamoring to speak with her, trying to express their gratitude.
Really, Hallie had known she was famous after that talk with Dumbledore, but this went beyond anything she could have imagined. Sure, she defeated that creep, Voldemort, but it wasn't like she'd meant to!
'Okay, that came out wrong,' Hallie corrected herself. 'The point is that I didn't just appoint myself savior of the Wizarding World. At this rate, they'll be expecting me to solve all their problems! I'm only eleven, what can I do?'
Those same wizards that leapt upon her like rabid dogs had put her on a pedestal before she was even two years old. It would make sense for them to have even higher expectations now that she was older. In fact, if Hallie recalled correctly, one couple had tried to get her to bless their newborn baby!
'Maybe it's not too late to tell Dumbledore I'd rather go undercover as Harry Potter's long-lost cousin or something?' Hallie sighed in hopelessness. The itching between her shoulder blades only emphasized the many eyes that followed her. It was definitely too late.
If not for Hagrid, Hallie doubted they would have ever gotten on with their shopping. His booming voice had engulfed the crowd when he announced that they had to get going. The crowd finally parted, like some parody of the Red Sea, when Hagrid lifted the dazed child in one hand, and strode toward the back alley. On their way through the brick wall, Hallie spotted her cat trotting after them. It was amazing that he'd escaped at all. She had been worried for a while that he would get trampled by the masses.
Their first stop was at Gringotts, an imposing building at the end of the street, which boasted two small, barrel-chested goblins armed with what seemed to be sparking cattle prods. Hallie held her breath as she read the warning inscription upon the door, and she could have sworn that one of the guards was grinning at her.
Hagrid explained as they entered that Hallie was the sole inheritor of a small fortune left behind by her parents. It was by no means "small" in her opinion, but quite enough to get her through seven years of magical schooling. Just the knowledge that there was an underground vault, at the end of a long, rollercoaster of a ride, and guarded by fire-breathing dragons, was a huge weight off of her shoulders. Not only did it erase the dread of asking her aunt and uncle to buy her a magic wand, but it meant that Vernon would never see a single coin of it unless he braved the goblins and all the other "freakiness."
Thanks to Dumbledore, Hallie had already surmised that she would be going to back to the Dursleys come summer, a reunion that she was not looking forward to in the least. Hopefully, they would have moved past their anger by then. Speaking of the zoo incident, she wondered how Dudley had gotten out of that lion's cage...
The trip down to her vault was enjoyable, at least for Hallie. Her cat had refused to get in the cart, clinging to an unhappy goblin instead. Hagrid had climbed in with some trepidation, which Hallie later realized had something to do with the unnatural shade of green he turned every time the cart sped up.
She gathered several handfuls of the strange coins in her bursting vault before they moved onto another one further down in the bank. She had asked the goblin steering the cart to explain the wizarding currency to her, as Hagrid was in danger of spilling his guts at the time.
The second vault, number seven-hundred-and-thirteen, was almost empty when the goblin opened it. Hallie was surprised to see Hagrid toddle inside with one hand over his beard, grab a small paper-wrapped package, and shove it into one his many pockets. He refused to explain at her questioning glance, and actually changed the subject to the dragons guarding the bank. Hallie had pushed her curiosity aside for the time being, and listened as Hagrid described dragons with an almost yearning gleam in his eyes.
After exiting Gringotts, Hagrid led Hallie through the rest of Diagon Alley and into the necessary shops. They picked up several books on her supply list in Flourish and Blotts, then a heavy cauldron and potion ingredients in the Apothecary.
At one point, they passed the alley where Hallie had met Remus. She noticed a weather-beaten sign post that titled it Knockturn Alley.
Broaching the subject carefully, Hallie asked Hagrid about the alley's significance. His response was similar to Remus's when he told her in no uncertain terms to stay away. According to the giant man, Knockturn Alley was the collective meeting place of a plethora of dark creatures and wizards of disrepute. The shops down there bartered only questionable artifacts that could at times be quite deadly- It was nothing she needed to concern herself with.
Hallie felt rather miffed at being treated like a child but conceded that she had no wish to explore the alley anyway. One run-in with what she now knew to be an actual Hag (Didn't one try to eat Hansel and Gretel in that story?!), was more than enough for Hallie.
Their next stop was Madam Malkin's, as Hagrid suggested she get fitted for robes now, so that they could pick up the tailored items later. Hallie found that perfectly reasonable, at least, until she glanced through the front window, and past the posturing dummies with their flashy clothes.
Perched upon a stool inside was Draco Malfoy, with an utterly bored expression on his face. He was watching with a regal air as a flustered young woman ran around taking his measurements. He sneered in disgust as the girl, obviously a new employee, tripped over the roll of fabric she was carrying.
Back on the street, Hallie made a hasty decision to avoid another confrontation with the stuck up wizard. She doubted he would be much more pleasant this time around, even if she did look like Harry Potter... Actually, that was even more reason to steer clear of him.
"Harry, what are yeh doin'?" Hagrid looked confused as he held open the door, one bucket-sized foot already inside.
"Er, well…" Hallie thought quickly. Looking up and down the street, she noticed a Magical Menagerie. "Oh! I just remembered, Hagrid! I have to pick up some stuff for my cat!"
He looked down at the tiny feline on the ground as though just noticing it. Frowning, he asked, "Well, we can jus' get whatever yeh need later-"
"No!" Hallie blurted out. "Uh, we should probably get it now... Before I forget! And the poor thing is probably starving by now- Right?" she rounded on the clueless cat.
Suddenly the object of much staring, the cat looked up. For a moment it glanced between the two humans, Hagrid's oblivious face, and Hallie's pleading eyes. Giving a very out of place shrug, it meowed toward Hallie. While that strange understanding would bother her at any other time, Hallie was too relieved at the moment to question her good fortune.
"Well, alrigh' then," Hagrid said, scratching his head.
Hallie sighed in relief and grabbed Hagrid's huge hand, tugging him away from the clothing store. They stepped into the menagerie, and Hallie searched for what she would need. She ended up grabbing a pet carrier that was magically expanded on the inside, a bag a fish treats, and an adjusting satin collar that came in scarlet with a silver bell attached. Hopefully, the tinkling charm would keep her new pet from sneaking up on her. She didn't want any more surprises. It was practically his fault that she'd fallen on Malfoy in the first place.
Hallie was actually enjoying this part of the shopping trip, as she got to look at all the animals inside as she found her purchases. There were a variety of creatures, ranging from dogs with forked tails similar to her cat's, to giant orange toads with six eyes. There were also fluffy, custard colored things called Puffskeins that hummed as she walked by. The animals there were anything but ordinary. As she was scanning the snake tanks, she even thought she heard two of them conversing.
'Now that's something you don't see everyday,' she thought, watching them argue. She would have suspected the irritable viper of having PMS if it didn't complain very loudly about its monthly shedding. Hallie was surprised none of the other customers stopped to listen as well. 'I guess they're used to this sort of thing.'
As the witch at the counter calculated her total, Hallie observed a cage of sleek black rats nearby. They seemed to be playing a game of jump rope with their tails...
Also drawing her attention was a bandy-legged cat with ginger fur sitting upon the witch's shoulder. His oddly squashed face watched Hallie and her companion carefully. For a moment, the two cats seemed to lock gazes, silently assessing each other. The staring contest was broken when a door behind the counter opened, and a young man with a sour expression ambled out, muttering expletives as he tried to balance a buzzing crate.
Hallie winced as she recognized him. He was the same man who'd been chasing her cat down the street. The animal on her shoulder also seemed to be familiar with him, as it immediately hopped into the plastic bags the witch handed Hallie, disappearing inside.
After the menagerie, Hallie allowed Hagrid to drop her off inside Madam Malkin's. She glanced around the shop nervously until she was reassured that Malfoy was long gone. It wasn't hard to notice the general lift in atmosphere with the loss of his presence. The poor assistant certainly seemed happier. Hagrid left her to the manager, saying he had to grab something next door. Hallie acquiesced, and climbed on a stool to be pinned and measured. It was a bit disconcerting to realize that none of her clothes would fit in her natural appearance. Of course, seeing the boys' uniform being brought over, that probably wouldn't matter.
As Hallie was leaving, she struggled to hang onto all of her shopping bags. She had asked Hagrid earlier if he could use magic to make them lighter or something, but he'd started blushing and muttered something about not being allowed. She'd also seen him clutch a frilly pink umbrella behind his back, but Hallie wasn't sure she even wanted to know what he was doing with that.
She spotted Hagrid waiting nearby, not that it was hard with his size. As Hallie greeted him, she was surprised to see a large metal cage at his feet.
"What's that?" she asked.
Hagrid lifted it up for her to see, a strange smile on his face. "Happy Birthday, Harry!"
Hallie gasped. Her birthday had actually passed a few weeks ago without her notice. She never did pay much attention to the celebratory day since it was usually spent doing chores and listening to Dudley's taunts.
"Wow, Hagrid… I- thanks. I couldn't possibly-" she stumbled, at a loss for words as she examined the cage. Inside was a magnificent bird, a snowy owl to be exact. She had never seen one close up, but this one was beautiful. She had pure white feathers, speckled white black at the tips of her wings, and two bright golden eyes stared curiously at Hallie.
"Ah, it's nothin'," Hagrid blushed, pleased that she liked it. "Owls are dead useful, though. Carry yer mail and ev'rythin'."
Hallie thanked Hagrid profusely, her eyes slightly moist. She couldn't stop grinning at the cage that he had offered to carry, something the giant noticed. It was the first real present she had ever received, not counting a pair of Vernon's socks and one of Petunia's old cooking aprons.
The owl hooted gently as they continued down the street. She seemed nice enough for a wild bird. Hagrid did mention that owls were rather intelligent, though. Hallie thought it was a good thing she was so calm, especially when the cat poked his head out of a bag to stare at her. The owl only squawked once at the furry appendage.
Their last stop was Ollivander's, where Hallie would finally get a magic wand. She could barely contain her excitement as they entered the musty shop. Finally, a real wand…! The possibilities for retribution against Dudley were endless!
The lighting inside was poor and the place looked deserted. Hagrid sat down on a rickety chair in the corner, and Hallie placed all her bags around on the floor next to him, including her new owl's cage. She stared around at the shelves stocked with slim, nondescript boxes. Hallie was about to ask if they should come back later when an old man with strangely pale blue eyes stepped out of the shadows.
"Hello there... Harry Potter," he said in a quiet voice. The way he paused before her name made Hallie wonder if he knew something. There was also the way his watchful eyes drifted over her, not exactly seeing her, and yet taking everything in. Could he see past her glamour...?
"I've been expecting you," Ollivander continued, silvery eyes now glued to her scar. He reached out a spidery finger, ignoring Hallie's flinch, and tapped the lightning bolt. He sighed with regret, "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen-and-a-half-inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands..." he started to drift, and Hallie coughed lightly to get his attention.
"Oh, yes! Now, Mr. Potter, let's see what we can do for you."
He pulled out a measuring tape and asked her for her wand hand. Hallie just shrugged and held up her right. The tape measure began zooming around her by itself, taking account of every inch of her body, from the width of her eyes to the length of her feet. Hallie had no idea what the space between her nostrils had to do with a wand, but she wasn't going to say anything. As the tape measure went about its work, Ollivander was speaking, rattling off the different types of wands he sold. He mentioned the exact length and core of both her parents' wands as well, showing his perfect memory.
He finally snapped at the measure to stop, and began pulling down boxes. He told her that it was the wand that chooses the wizard, and Hallie found herself hoping one actually picked her. What if the wands didn't like her? Would they just decide she was a lost cause, and send her back to the Dursleys?
As time passed, and the pile of discarded wands grew, Hallie began to fear that was a very real possibility. Where there had once been a hundred boxes taking up the walls from floor to ceiling, there were now less than five. The hardwood floor was literally buried under small piles of wands. Hagrid was dead asleep and snoring in his chair. Her cat had made an appearance as well for a short while before settling down for a nap on Hagrid's rising and falling chest.
Hallie snorted as another wand was snatched from her limp hand, this time maple with unicorn hair. While she was becoming more discouraged, Ollivander looked ready to wet himself with excitement. The old man was practically humming as he ran around pulling down more wands. When asked about his buoyancy, he said it was nice to have a challenge. Hallie privately thought he was off his rocker.
"Ah... how about this one? Unusual combination- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Ollivander handed her another wand, but this one had a slightly different feel to it. He watched her fingers wrap around the wood, an eager expression on his face.
The second she touched it, Hallie knew she had found the wand for her. The wood felt warm under her palm, and a tingle spread up her arm. She twirled it over her head, and fought back a squeal of glee as she was showered with red and gold sparks.
Ollivander wasn't as reserved.
"Yes! Oh, bravo!" He hopped up once, hands clapped together, and a smug expression on his face. After a moment, he calmed down, face going contemplative. "Hmm, curious..."
Hallie felt the air go out of her sails faster than breakfast at the Dursleys. Why did she have the feeling she about to receive more bad news? She felt the same nervousness that had accompanied Dumbledore's comments.
"Um, what's curious?" she asked, deciding to get it over with.
Ollivander fixed Hallie with a piercing stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand, gave another. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand... when its brother gave you that scar."
Hallie felt her mouth fall open in shock as she listened. 'My wand is related to Voldemort's? That can't be good...'
"Yes," Ollivander added, "curious how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter, remember that. I think we can expect great things from you... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things- terrible, but great."
As Hallie stood, slightly horrified, and holding her wand at a distance, Hagrid gave an almighty snore. As he leaned further in his chair, the two back legs creaked under the pressure and finally snapped. The huge man went crashing to the floor, and awakened with a yelp. The cat on his chest hissed and jumped several feet in surprise.
Ollivander stared at the mess with pursed lips as Hagrid picked himself up. He grinned embarrassedly, "Hehe, sorry 'bout that..."
Hallie rolled her eyes. 'This day just keeps getting better all the time.'
Later that night, Hallie sat on a soft four-poster bed, sorting through her shopping bags and placing things in her trunk. She and Hagrid had finished their shopping at Diagon Alley hours ago, and Floo-ed back into the Headmaster's office. After saying good-bye to the man, and promising to visit for tea, Hallie had been shown to the guest quarters. Dumbledore had summoned a tiny green person, dressed in a white tea towel with the Hogwarts emblem, to show her the way. When asked, she introduced itself as Tizzy the house elf. Apparently, there were hundreds of these creatures in the school, cooking the meals, cleaning the dormitories, and keeping up with the general maintenance.
Hallie might have found a kindred spirit in her fellow servant if the darn thing wasn't so… perky. Hallie could never speak of shining suits of armor with a smile on her face. Tizzy practically beamed as she detailed her next chore, wiping down toilet bowls. There was a hint of gloating in her voice as she stated that "Tizzy has been given the honor of cleaning the Prefects bathroom! Nibby was so jealous!"
The rooms Hallie were currently staying in consisted of a small bedroom, bathroom, and an open area with a two-seater couch and a fireplace. It wasn't big at all, but compared to the cupboard under the stairs, it was heaven. Dumbledore had told her she would be living in the castle until school started, as there wasn't any point in going back to Surrey for the last few days. What he neglected to say, was that there wasn't any point getting her aunt and uncle riled up yet.
Until September first, Hallie was free to explore the castle to her heart's content, as long as she stayed away from the third floor corridor and the forest outside. The reason for the latter, was that it was full of dangerous creatures, including, but not limited to, werewolves, centaurs, and acromantulas. She hadn't even known half of those existed, but she wasn't eager to find out. As for the forbidden corridor, Dumbledore claimed it was undergoing renovation and off-limits to students that year. Hallie didn't believe him for a second.
So now the young girl-turned-boy was sitting quietly in her room, trying to fit all of her supplies into the trunk she'd bought. She might have had better luck if Hagrid had let her buy the self-expanding trunk with seven compartments. It had looked really cool! But, sadly, the man had wanted her to conserve her vault money for the next several years at Hogwarts. It made sense, even if Hallie didn't like it.
There was also a large amount of hideous clothing stashed in her cauldron, all once belonging to Dudley. McGonagall had made a short trip over to Privet Drive for her things while they were gone. The Dursleys had not put up much of a fight after she gave Dudley a pig's tail.
'If only I could have seen that!' Hallie thought wistfully.
Her aunt had just shoved a box of Hallie's 'possessions' into the witch's arms, and told her to vacate the property before she called the police. It was obvious to Hallie that no one had thought to take a peak inside the box, or what they found would have had them quite upset. All that Hallie had owned prior to that day, were some crayon doodles that she'd hung on the door of her cupboard, a teddy bear missing one eye and stuffed with newspaper after her cousin ripped out the cotton, and the rags she had been forced to wear since she was six.
Lifting up an enormous gray t-shirt, Hallie sighed, 'Well, at least I don't have worry about my clothes being the wrong gender anymore...'
"Meow!"
Hallie dropped the shirt in her hands, startled. She'd almost forgotten about the cat. He had followed her into her rooms and settled himself on the floor, purring after the house elf had summoned a bowl of cream. Her new owl was up in the school owlry, preferring to stay somewhere more open.
The sleek black cat leapt onto Hallie's lap, demanding attention. He paced across her legs, tiny claws pulling at her jeans as he got comfortable.
Hallie frowned as she looked over the small creature, "I suppose if I'm going to keep you, I might as well give you a name..."
She thought about his appearance, trying to come up with something that would fit the cat... Although, as she took in the slightly demonic-looking tail, she wondered if he was even a cat. Olive green eyes watched her intently, before cycling through various shades of blue, yellow, and back to green.
'Hmm,' Hallie mused, 'can't forget those, too. Definitely not normal cat behavior.'
"How about... er..." Hallie thought back to her many visits with Mrs. Figg. The batty old woman had volunteered to babysit her every time the Dursleys needed to go somewhere, and were too afraid to leave Hallie alone, lest she blow up the house.
'Then again, if magic is real, I probably could have done that... If only I'd known sooner!'
Mrs. Figg had kept an entire house full of cats, forcing Hallie to look through old photos of every one to pass the time. One of their names had to work for her own cat.
"How about Muffin?" Hallie asked, directing the question toward her lap.
The cat gave her a blank stare in return.
"Okay, not that. Um... Max? Nah, too over-used. Salem? Too cliche. What about Mr. Tinkles?"
The cat's expression could only be summed up as incredulous.
Hallie laughed, "Is that a no? Come on, Mr. Tinkles is a very regal name-"
The claws dug deeper, just pricking her legs.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I get it..." Hallie controlled her giggles and looked him over again. Well, she could always name him according to his color. Unfortunately, his eyes never stayed the same, and she wasn't stupid enough to dare suggest 'Rainbow.' The only other color on him was black.
"Hey, I know!"
The cat gave her a skeptical glare. Hallie was starting to wonder if he was abnormally clever, or if she was only seeing things.
"I'll call you... Sable."
REVIEW!
I really didn't want to write this chapter. After all, Diagon Alley is so overdone. But, alas, I had no choice. I wrote this entire thing in one afternoon, decided I didn't like it, and started all over again. It's pretty sad that the first version came out better, and all that work was for nothing.