Chapter 3: The Alley and the Hat
Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Bioshock or Harry Potter they each belong to their respective owners
He awoke stiffly, the softness of the bed surprising him as he opened his eyes looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He turned his head slowly trying to clear the sleep induced fog in his head as he tried to remember where he was. Images of the afternoon just passed came to mind and he realised where he was. The 'Haunted' house at the end of the street where he had stumbled across the truth about who and what he was.
He could do magic.
He was a Wizard.
He was going to a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was going to escape the Dursley's for the year he would be at the school. He sat up looking around, reaching for his glasses. He slipped them on looking at the tattered room and saw the bag and a note on top sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, Harry kicked his legs off the edge of the bed and walked over, opening the back to see several sets of his clothes stuffed hastily into the bag. He grabbed the note, opening it to take a look at who had written it.
Harry,
This is all the stuff that your Aunt packed when we went to the house yesterday.
We're going to be heading to Diagon Alley to get your School things today. We'll be downstairs waiting for you when you're ready.
Bathsheda
He pulled out a change of clothes, quickly getting dressed and making his way downstairs, making sure the belt for his trousers was tight enough. The disadvantage of having a much larger cousin and hand me down clothes was that they really didn't fit and the belt had to have several extra holes punched into the thing so that it could be pulled tighter. Looking at himself in the dusty mirror, he dismissed his appearance, he was used to it by now, messy black hair, baggy unkempt and worn clothes. They were part of who he was, he walked out the room and down the stairs, keeping quiet if anyone was still sleeping and made his way towards the kitchen but he could hear talking coming from the kitchen.
"You can't tell me about the sorting? What I've read in the book is so vague, just we're chosen for a house but with nothing to say how we're chosen." Elizabeth said as she held a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other, glancing up at the other end of the table.
"No one can say what it is, it's one of the little charms that go into it. The mystery and the intrigue that come with the Sorting is that the information can only be told to people who already know. To the rest we can only be vague." She explained and Elizabeth pouted at the non-answer that she was given. "Cheer up Elizabeth, you'll get to see what the sorting looks like when you arrive later today. Remember you'll be sorted when we go."
"This is all confirmed isn't it? I Wouldn't want to turn up and then be told 'sorry it's not possible' and have to leave again after you've got my hopes up." She said seriously though trying to keep the tone of the conversation light.
"Dumbledore himself sent a message last night after you had fallen asleep. He's looking forward to speaking to you." Bathsheda explained and looked up at the doorway as Harry walked in. "Morning sleeping beauty." She teased lightly and Harry blushed.
"Morning." He replied as he sat down.
"How are you feeling today? You were dead to the world last night when we got back." She commented before having another drink from her cup.
"I'm fine, I was reading and then next thing I'm waking up in that bed." Harry explained as Bathsheda passed him a plate of food. "Thank you." He muttered to her and started to eat, still trying to wake up fully.
"After you've eaten we're going to be heading to Diagon Alley. We'll be taking the Knight Bus." She explained, "it's the easiest of magical transportation to use. Portkeys need to be set up through official Ministry means, unless you're Dumbledore. We're not connected to the Floo Network and I don't have any Floo Powder and in theory I could side along apparate you both but that would be quite tiring."
As she was explaining this, Harry glanced at an equally confused Elizabeth, "does this mean anything to you?" He questioned and she shook her head.
"I have no idea what she's talking about." She muttered back and the two started chuckling.
"Okay, okay, I've already warned you both I tend to ramble in my explanations. You should see my Seventh Year Classes; they're always having to chime in to bring me back to focus. Although, in all fairness, the tangents I go on with those conversations always end up being relevant to the topic at hand." She protested weakly causing the two to laugh even more. "Anyway, the Knight Bus, we'll catch that, head to London, get your supplies and then head back to drop the stuff off at my house." She spoke quickly and caught the look of surprise on Harry's face. "You don't have to worry about your relatives for the rest of the Summer, Elizabeth here..." She paused, giving Elizabeth a pointed look. "Decided to declare that she'd look after you for the rest of the Holiday even though she has no job, no money, no house, no knowledge of anything around here, no..."
"Okay! I get the idea, it was a very rash and impulsive decision." Elizabeth cut in on the tirade, glancing at Harry to see him staring at her with a look of amazement. "It wasn't right for you to be in that sort of environment... And it was best to remove him from there with what I left them to think about." Elizabeth spoke the last part to Bathsheda. "Routines are too easy to fall into and that horrible routine would be so much easier to fall back into if he returned there today, this way they get left with their own thoughts, draw their own conclusions and come to their own decision without the chance that Harry's presence will affect their judgement." She continued and Bathsheda nodded in agreement.
"Since that has happened, by proxy I'm going to be looking after the pair of you." She finished and then placed her head in her hands. "A mother of two at my age, what would my parents say?" She asked in mock sadness, causing everyone to chuckle. "So you two will be staying at mine. There should be enough room, though one of us will have to sleep on the couch." She forewarned flicking he wand, cleaning off the plates and sending them back into the cupboard from which they had come.
"Talking about shopping..." Elizabeth started up again after a few moments of silence. "I need to get some more clothes. I don't think I can continue wearing the same clothing day after day." She said and Bathsheda felt like kicking herself for not thinking about that. Glancing at Harry she saw the clothing he was wearing and decided to get him some more clothes.
"You're right, we'll need to go to Gringotts first. It's the wizarding bank, I'll need to get some money converted if we're going to get you some clothes." She said and Elizabeth smiled gratefully.
"I'll pay you back for it." She said but Bathsheda waved her off.
"I work in one of the most prestigious schools in all of the Magical World, I live there ten months of the year with room and board all supplied by the School. To be honest, I'm amazed I get paid as much as I do." She explained as she stood up. "I can afford to spend money on other people every now and again." She said dismissively as the three made their way out of the house. "Now to make sure this place looks just like we left it." She waved her wand, muttering something that Elizabeth couldn't hear and in her head she wanted to say 'like magic' but realised the craziness of saying that, dust appeared over all the surfaces. "Time to catch a bus." She said practically marching the other two to the road. "When you get your wands you'll be able to call it as well, all you need to do is get to a road, raise your wand up and..."
BANG
A Triple Decker bright purple bus appeared at the road side in front of the three. Harry and Elizabeth had jumped back at the loud noise, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed but none of the people in the street didn't even seem to acknowledge there was anything here, let alone a bus that had appeared from nowhere. "They can't see it." Bathsheda said quietly as she waited for the door to open up. "Spells protect it so it can't be seen by Non Magical people." She explained.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, Magical Transport for the Witch or Wizard in need." The Conductor of the bus spoke almost bored and stepped to one side to let the trio on.
"Two adults and a child to Diagon Alley." Bathsheda said handing over several coins that neither Harry or Elizabeth recognised.
"Right you are, you're the second stop so take a seat and we'll be on our way." The man said and the trio sat down on the edge of one of the beds that littered the area.
"Beds?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Magic is strange, sometimes a simple trip can take a lot longer than anticipated. The beds are for those passengers." She explained as the Bus shot off with another loud bang, the beds shifting wildly as Harry and Elizabeth struggled to keep hold of the bed as it moved.
"How does anyone manage to stay seated in this place, let alone stay in the bed?" Harry called out as he almost slipped off the edge only held back by Elizabeth grabbing his shirt, pulling him back onto the bed. Bathsheda glanced at the two and smiled cheekily.
"Why Elizabeth, he's a bit young for you don't you think?" She asked teasingly and Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror and her face instantly went red. Harry didn't hear what was said as he readjusted how he was sitting "To answer your question, most of us have gotten used to it." She stated honestly, "I've travelled on this thing so many times now I can practically feel the turns before they happen, lean left." She said suddenly and they did as the bus made another sharp turn. "But that's the fun of the Knight Bus, and still one of the more comfortable ways to travel in comparison to the others." She admitted and smiled again as the two shared a look. "Yes, it's actually worse to travel by some of the other methods." She admitted as the bus came to a sudden halt, the beds sliding forwards sharply. "Next stop is ours. let's try and stay in one piece shall we." She joked as the bus shot off again, nearly throwing them off the back of the bed. Harry looked around, seeing other wizards and witches all calmly sat reading newspapers with almost no acknowledgement that the bus was throwing them around wildly. He was both impressed at that and also annoyed at how easy they made it look.
"Next stop: Leaky Cauldron for Diagon Alley." The conductor called as the bus skidded to a halt again. a few others were quick to leave and Bathsheda ushered them out into the busy road. Harry looked up and down the street at all the different stores, he had never been to London before. The Dursley's had always made sure to leave him with Mrs Figg when they went. Seeing this many people was disorientating for him, and all the shops as well. It was an impressive sight.
And there in the middle of the hustle and bustle of city life was a rundown pub. No one seemed to be paying any attention to it, passing by glancing at shops on either side of it or completely blanking its existence. "The Leaky Cauldron, those without magic can only get in with the help of those with magic. You'd think they'd do more to make the first doorway to the Wizarding World look better but they haven't. Now Harry, I've got to warn you, you're a bit of a celebrity, if they recognise you, they'll probably hoard you to greet you. I'll do my best to keep you out of their attention but we'll see how this goes." Bathsheda commented as she pushed open the door walking into the bar.
If the outside was run down, the inside was worse. it was dark, grimy and something felt a bit off to Elizabeth. she looked around at the wizards and witches and it was a bit busy but nothing too drastic, a few looked up as they walked in but turned their attention away from them apparently they were either not worth the attention or they had been waiting for someone else to arrive. She saw the bartender nod in greeting to them and upon seeing Bathsheda, spoke up.
"Ah, Miss Babbling, a pleasure to see you again." He called out and Bathsheda greeted him in response.
"Hi Tom, another day of escorting for the Professors of Hogwarts." She said cheerfully as they made their way to the back door, ushered along by Bathsheda.
"More students? One looks a bit too old to be a student." He said joyfully and then caught a more focused look on Harry. "Bless my Soul, Harry Potter." He said in shock and in that moment, Bathsheda could have cursed him. She could have cursed him with several very painful and very borderline illegal curses.
The sound of wood on wood as people quickly stood, their stools and chairs scraping across the floor as they tried to catch a glimpse of Harry. Elizabeth moved to stand in front of him protectively but was almost barrelled out the way as they tried to greet their hero.
"Welcome back Mr Potter, welcome back."
"You saved my husband's life."
"You saved all of our lives."
It went on, Both Bathsheda and Elizabeth tried to get to him but the group of well-wishers were most persistent. after a few more minutes, Elizabeth had enough. She moved around to Bathsheda and asked for her wand. Bathsheda confused, relented and handed it to her. She stepped back to the other side of the room, watching intently. There was something here she could tap into, something that she could pull into this reality to force them to break apart. Lifting the wand but not saying anything she focused, a tear forming and a magical induced blast of wind shot across the room, separating wizards and witches from Harry. "That is ENOUGH!" Elizabeth snapped angrily, pocketing the wand as they all looked at her in shock. "You're interfering in personal business and you're harassing an eleven-year-old kid!" She chewed them out as she walked back over, forcing herself to block the way. "What's the matter with you? Are you not all adults?" She snapped and many of them had the decency to look embarrassed and taken aback by the action. "Leave him alone and return to what you were doing." She finished and guided Harry out the back door. Bathsheda chuckled quietly as she followed closing the door behind her. "I think we took the wrong route..." Elizabeth commented looking around at the dingy alleyway.
"First of all, nice cover work for what you did." Bathsheda started and Elizabeth smiled at the praise. "Secondly, I need my wand." She pointed out and Elizabeth gasped in realisation, quickly fishing it out of her pocket and handing it back to Bathsheda. "Now, we have the fun part, step back and let me do my great introduction." She walked past the two of them pointing her wand at the wall at the back of the alley and tapped several bricks. Slowly the sound of grating stone alerted the two newcomers to the magic in effect as bricks started to move out the way shifting into an archway. "Welcome..." She started stepping to one side allowing the two to see straight down the busy street that lay ahead of them. "To Diagon Alley." She finished and gave a slightly over dramatic bow as she stepped back further to give a completely unobstructed view of the area.
People in robes moved between stores that looked like they had come straight out of the Victorian Era. Signs for Owls, Cauldrons, Wands, Enchantments. There was so many things and Harry wanted to see them all. Before he could move off to look though, Bathsheda stepped back in the way. "Before we get lost window shopping, we should make our way to Gringotts, we need to sort out money to pay for it all." She reminded pointing down the street. "That giant white building is where we need to go." She explained and started to lead the duo down to it. As they walked they could hear snippets of conversation.
"I bet Snape is going to be hell again this year."
"The Chudley Cannons, bottom of the league. Do you think they'll ever win a game?"
"How much for a Cauldron? This is robbery!"
"When my father hears about this!"
The two kept silent as they walked, the situation in the pub having thrown Harry a bit, he had been expecting some sort of reaction after hearing what had happened to his parents and what happened with You-Know-Who, but to actually witness it first hand as he had was another thing altogether. He looked at Elizabeth who smiled at him reassuringly. His thoughts on her were equally as confused, did she volunteer to look after him just out of obligation as some kind of debt for freeing her from her stasis? Or was she genuinely concerned for his wellbeing? It was difficult to decide at the moment.
"Enter, Stranger, but take heed. Of what awaits the sin of greed." Bathsheda spoke up as they reached the end of the street standing at the steps up to Gringotts bank. "Part of the motto for Gringotts, only a fool would try and steal from this location. One of the most secure places ever built." She finished with a slight mischievous smile as she walked up towards the open heavy duty double doors that acted as the entrance. The two followed and reached the doorway, freezing in their tracks as they saw the workers.
"What are they?" Harry whispered looking at the creatures that were sat at the desks serving patrons.
"Goblins Harry, they're the bankers of the Wizarding World, fearsome warriors, remember to be respectful and you'll probably start on the right foot with them." She quickly explained before they made their way to an available bench.
"Yes?" The Goblin spoke abruptly.
"I'm here to visit my Vault, number 326 and also take Mr Potter here to his Trust Vault." She said bluntly with a slight gesture at Harry.
"And does Mr Potter have his key?" The Goblin asked and Bathsheda held up a key.
"We wouldn't be here if I didn't." She said calmly and the Goblin nodded.
"Telmax! Take them to their vaults." He ordered as another, smaller Goblin moved over and gestured for them to follow him.
"Thank you, have a good day." Bathsheda said and turned away.
Harry had been watching the interaction between the two and saw the look of surprise cross the Goblin's face as she thanked him. The three followed Telmax into a corridor that led to a cart of some description attached to a rail above them. Elizabeth looked at the rail and smiled, reminded of events in her past as she stepped in to it. Harry followed, sitting next to her and Bathsheda sat on the end. "Hold on." Telmax said and immediately hit the lever to start the Mine Cart. Twists and turns at high speeds in the darkness disorientated Harry as he tried to mentally keep track of where they had gone, briefly he thought he saw a glimpse of flames and a giant lizard of some sort.
"Was that a Dragon?" Harry asked and Bathsheda nodded.
"I told you it would be folly to try and rob this place." She said as the cart came to a stop outside of Bathsheda's vault. She stepped out and gestured for them to wait in the cart as she followed the Goblin up to the door, using her key to unlock the vault.
"What do you think of this place so far?" Elizabeth asked and Harry drew his attention away from the glimmer that came from the vault to focus on her.
"It's interesting. I wasn't expecting that much of a greeting when we arrived." He explained lightly before sighing. "Everyone seems to have high expectations for me, I'm not sure I can live up to what they expect of me."
"Then don't." Elizabeth stated honestly as Bathsheda exited the vault. "Be yourself, be true to yourself." She said and he smiled at her as Bathsheda sat down and the Goblin started the cart again. "Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to not listen to the people that would cause us grief and just be who we are." She explained. "From what I've seen of you already, you're a good person Harry and you have a lot of potential." She said quietly, barely audible over the wind blowing into them. "Ugh, this is going to mess up my hair." She pouted and Harry chuckled.
A minute later the cart came to a stop. Bathsheda and Harry got out. Elizabeth sat intending to wait for them to be done but Harry turned to her. "You coming?" He asked and after a moment's hesitation she nodded climbing out of the cart. Bathsheda pulled the key out and went to hand it to him before stopping.
"Woops, almost gave you my key... that could have been embarrassing." She said as she fished out his key and handed it to him. He waited with baited breath as the door opened, biting his lip in nervousness, this vault was his parents, it was a connection to them, what they had left him. Yes, it was money but it was still further proof that they cared for him.
What he was not expecting though was the sheer quantity of it. Mountains of Gold coins, piles of Silver coins and heaps of Bronze coins. He stepped into the vault looking at the money that was there. "Galleons, Sickles and Knuts." Bathsheda started and at his look clarified. "The Gold coins are the Galleons, the Silver are Sickles and the Bronze, Knuts." She told him before explaining the conversion rate. He listened intently as he collected the money, bagging it up into a money bag that the Goblin had handed him which seemed to hold a lot more than it should have. Soon enough they were back in the cart and on their way back up to the Lobby. Bathsheda making a brief detour to convert some of her money into Muggle money. With that they were back in the alley and looking where to go first.
"We'll get your wands last, that normally takes a little while if you're unlucky. We'll probably be best getting your trunks first and then books and potion supplies. Then Robes and we'll take a look in the pet shop." She explained already walking up the street on the way to one of the shops.
"Do you think we should warn her that she's already walked off without us?" Harry asked as Bathsheda started to disappear into the crowd.
"I think she'll notice in a moment. I can see the trunk shop from here, it's just down there on the left. We can make our way there." Elizabeth laughed as the two walked towards the destination. As they arrived they saw Bathsheda running to catch up with them having drifted off towards one the other speciality stores.
"Oh I'm so sorry you two. I saw some new Rune supplies that I've been toying with getting. I may have drawn myself to my work and got a bit side-tracked again." She said sheepishly as they walked into the shop.
"Good Morning." The store clerk greeted.
"Morning, I need to get some trunks sorted out, one for Harry here and one for Elizabeth."
"Just a standard Trunk?" The Clerk asked as he started moving along the rows of chests and trunks that he had.
"Multi compartment ones preferably, three or four in total." She said and looked back at the two. "Normally I would have just suggested a basic trunk for you Harry, but it only costs a little bit more and will allow you to store a lot more, it's worth the extra if you ask me. Elizabeth, I'm getting you the trunk because you're going to need it, not only with the text books but also because you're going to pretty much have a new Wardrobe brought today and you're going to have the extra added with the Assistant stuff. Busy, busy, busy." Bathsheda finished and turned back to the counter a loud thump signalling the arrival of their trunks. She paid the money, drew her wand and cast spells, shrinking them down to a miniscule size that reminded Harry of the Micro Machine toys that Dudley had... before they were destroyed in one of his greed induced rages. She pocketed the trunks and they were already back on the street before Harry fully realised what was going on. "The joys of magic, makes shopping so much easier." She joked as they went to the next shop.
On and on it went, Potions, cauldrons, books, so many books. Not only did he have his school books but he had also grabbed several other books that caught his attention, a bit of history both modern and old, a couple of books about Hogwarts and even a few spell books that covered various charms and a few defensive spells. Elizabeth almost had to be dragged out of the fiction section. To her it was a miniature heaven. She loved to read and all of the new stories that were there were just waiting to be read. Along with the set of First Year books, she also got several to assist with her teaching assistant role, books on culture and law and a few on Bloodlines of the Wizarding World. After about an hour in there, she was finally pulled out with the cry from Bathsheda that she was going to bankrupt her if she didn't leave now and that they could come back another day after she had some of her own money.
"Three things now to get. Wand, Robes and a Pet." Bathsheda summed up and then let out a small 'huh' of realisation. "I rhymed, maybe there's a bit of a poet in me that I never discovered." She commented in amusement. "We'll get your wands first, we've managed to pick up a bit more time, somehow I think you're going to be the difficult one." She said giving Elizabeth a pointed look. Elizabeth was a bit confused at that, how did a wand selection even work? How was she going to be awkward?
They made their way to the store, another old and very dusty store. Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. The two were confused on how to feel, on one hand, the sign seemed to indicate that the store had been around for a long time, however it seemed that the more recent years whichever of the descendants were running the store had let it get into this run down state.
They entered, the bell tingling away as they pushed the door open. Inside was deathly silence, a counter sat in the room and behind it was piles and piles of boxes.
"Good Afternoon." A quiet male voice spoke up, the three of them jumped in shocked as the man seemingly appeared behind the counter almost as if he had appeared from nowhere.
"Geez!" Bathsheda cried out. "How do you keep doing that!?" She asked, her hand going to her chest. "Every time!" She said and he just smiled.
"Ah, Harry Potter... I wondered when you were going to be visiting my store." He said with a smile that unnerved him slightly. "I am Ollivander, Garrick Ollivander. My family has run this store for generations. I remember when your parents came here all those years ago." He said pleasantly though something about him still set him on edge. "Your father favoured a Mahogany wand. Eleven Inches, pliable. He did many a great thing with it, His skills in Transfiguration were nearly unmatched." He explained as he looked between the two.
"You remember my father?" Harry asked in surprise and he smiled.
"I remember every wand I ever sold and who bought them." He stopped as he glanced at the Lightning Bolt scar. "Ah forgive me, as I said, I remember every wand I've sold, I am afraid to say the wand I sold gave you that scar." He said sombrely and Harry shivered a cold chill running down his spine. "On to lighter notes, your mother's wand was a made of willow, ten and a quarter inches long... Swishy. It excelled at Charm Work." He said, shifting his focus on the conversation and glancing at Elizabeth and frowning slightly. "I don't recognise you..." He trailed off in confusion.
"That would be because I'm here to get a wand." Elizabeth said in response.
"Ah, a late comer. Interesting, you should be very interesting." He said as he turned back to Harry. "Now, which is your wand arm?"
"My what?" Harry asked in confusion glancing at Bathsheda.
"Your dominant hand, the one you write with and stuff like that." She explained and Harry let out an 'Ah' of understanding.
"I'm right handed, he said as Ollivander lifted Harry's arm and started to measure him with a Tape measure.
"The Wand chooses the Wizard Mr Potter, or Witch." He added the extra with a glance to Elizabeth. "No two wands are identical; no two cores are the same. Every Wand is unique." He explained, disappearing into the back area. Harry realising that the tape measure was currently measuring him by itself and was currently measuring the distance between his ear and his mouth. Moments later Ollivander walked back into view with a small stack of boxes. He took a wand out of the first box, handing it to Harry who stared at it. "Well go on, give it a wave." He said and Harry went to flick the wand but Ollivander grabbed it back before he could fully. "No, no, no." He muttered putting it away before handing him another.
The pile of wands that he had brought were quickly moved into a pile of rejected wands. Harry was starting to get concerned that he wouldn't find a wand to accept him but Ollivander just seem more determined to succeed at the challenge. "Tricky, Mr Potter... Very Tricky. But I haven't failed to sell a wand yet... I wonder." He trailed off walking to the back area and coming back with one box, a layer of dust on top of it. he blew the dust off and opened the box. "Try this Wand, Mr Potter. Holly, Eleven inches the core of a phoenix feather." He said handing Harry the wand.
Taking the wand, Harry felt a surge of power rush through his body, power inside of him surging up and around him as he held onto it. He flicked the wand, Red sparks flickering out of the end of the wand. "Excellent Mr Potter, we have found your wand." He said happily as he handed over the box that the wand had come in. "But curious, very curious." He said with a frown.
"I'm sorry, but what's curious?" Harry asked as he boxed the wand.
"I remember every wand that I've ever sold Mr Potter." He repeated again and Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How many times did the man have to say that? "The Phoenix that gave the feather for your core, gave just one more feather. The wand that holds that core is the one that gave you that scar." He said before smiling. "I'm sure we can expect many great things out of you in the years to come Mr Potter."
Left with plenty to think about, he stepped back, Elizabeth stepping forwards. "It will be interesting to find a wand for you." He said as he held up the tape measure. "A Wizard and Witch are normally given a wand at an early age because their Magical Core has yet to fully develop. It is easier for it to make a connection." Ollivander explained as he moved away again, gathering boxes. "I think I'm going to have to dig into some of the older wands to find you the right one." He said in amusement as he came back to the front, the Tape Measure dropped to the floor as he did, having finished its job.
The same routine happened, wands would have little to no effect or were snatched out of her hand before she could even wave it. Ollivander having started bringing out dustier and dustier boxes.
She picked up one wand and it practically exploded in her hand, she threw it away as it started to heat up dramatically and jumped as it knocked over several stacks. "Oh god, I'm sorry." She said quickly and Ollivander dismissed it as he handed her the next wand. "I'm almost not sure I want to try more wands if that's going to be the result." She said sheepishly.
"It is fine; you won't be the first customer that damaged the store in some shape or form. It is why the store looks like it does, eventually I spent less time maintaining the store so that I could repair it faster." He explained as Elizabeth took the wand the question that they had asked each other back before they entered the store had been answered and it made a lot of sense.
She waved the wand a beam of light trailing along from the end of it. "I think we have a perfect match." He said, "Eleven and Three Quarter Inches, Oak with a Thestral Hair as the core. An unusual Core, suitable for defence and offensive spells. Made by my Grandfather all those years ago." He said wistfully. They paid for their wands and left the store.
"Well that was an interesting experience, I don't think I've ever seen a wand explode before." Bathsheda commented as they walked towards Madam Malkins store for Robes. "While you two are getting measured for Robes, I'm going to head off to grab something." She said evasively as they entered the store.
There was someone already there, standing up on a raised area being measured. A Platinum Blonde haired boy stood, he had an air of smugness to him as he was being measured, behind him, looking at other robes that were hanging on racks was an older woman, blonde haired with a look of disdain on her face which marred her otherwise attractive appearance.
"Another for Hogwarts?" The owner of the store, Madam Malkin herself spoke as she saw Harry enter the store.
"We need students robes for him and also a set of robes for my associate here." Bathsheda said before turning to Elizabeth. "I'll be back shortly, hopefully you'll be ready to move on when we're done here." She said and exited the store again.
"Hope up onto the stool dear, I'll be with you in a second." She said as she continued to measure the Blonde boy.
"Starting at Hogwarts are you?" He asked Harry with a tone of arrogance.
"I am." He said after a moment's hesitation. Not a hundred percent sure on how to take the tone of the kid.
"It's my first year as well, it's a shame we're not allowed to take our brooms in for the first year isn't it." He said trying to sound casual, though Harry saw the underlying question. A person from a Non Magical family wouldn't know why that was. Harry had asked about it during their walk around the alley and did know the answer.
"I think it's more of a safety concern more than something to prevent first years from having fun." Harry replied and the kid snorted.
"Of course it's a safety concern, with the increase of the muggleborns coming to Hogwarts, many a tradition has to be changed for them. Have you had any thought as to what house you're going to be sorted in." He asked and Harry shrugged.
"I'm not sure really, I can see benefits to all of them." Harry replied.
"I think I'd die of shame if I was sorted into Hufflepuff, from what I've heard it's a house of rejects that don't fit any of the other houses." He sneered and Harry frowned.
"How do you draw that conclusion?" Elizabeth asked in curiosity.
"Isn't it obvious, the house of 'hard workers' and 'friends.' Look at the traits the other houses show." He commented dismissively. "Though I think I'd prefer Hufflepuff to ending up in Gryffindor." He said mockingly.
"How is being hard working bad? Hard Workers shape and change the world, if I was an employer I'd be more inclined to hire a person who was from Hufflepuff than another house. Hard Workers will get the job done, a network of friends can help in so many ways through their career." Elizabeth pushed and the kid was caught a bit flat footed.
"Draco, be polite." The Woman spoke up as she walked around to where Elizabeth stood. "An interesting view on the houses. I'm curious, what are your views on the other houses?" She asked in curiosity.
"I can see pro's and con's to both from what I've read." Elizabeth spoke cautiously, curious as to who this person was but not willing to sound rude. "Ravenclaw, a house of the intelligent, Intelligence is never a bad thing but too much intelligence and a focus on that over the use of the intelligence can cause a detachment from the world and everything that happens around you." She paused, thinking on things. "With that detachment comes an aloofness that will hinder how you interact with people arrogance and over confidence. But again, Intelligence isn't a bad thing, an aspiration to learn more to know how things work isn't a bad thing and could easily help with research careers and other study careers or teaching." She said and Narcissa smiled at the analysis. "Gryffindor's... I don't think you need me to tell you the downside to Bravery and courage without control and discipline." She said slowly and the woman nodded. "But the willing to do what needs to be done even in the face of their fear. I don't think any law enforcement could work without people like that in place." She explained briefly, "then there's Slytherin, the house of the sneaky and underhanded, Cunning to get their goals regardless of the cost. The reputation of the house alone is a negative trait even though they aren't bad traits to have. Cunning and the ability to plan are good for all sorts of careers in the future and they are good traits to have... In moderation of course. All of these aspects are good in Moderation." She finished and then blushed realising how much she had spoken about something she barely knew anything about except the brief sections she had read last night and first thing this morning. "I apologise, where are my manners, my name is Elizabeth DeWitt." She introduced and the Blonde woman frowned slightly.
"Narcissa Malfoy... Dewitt, I don't think I've ever met someone with that name, are you by any chance Muggleborn?" She asked and Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.
"I couldn't say to be honest, my parents died a long time ago." A little distortion of the truth but with the way she had been raised, with the isolation in the tower it had essentially been her by herself all those years.
"Your accent though, from the Colonies if I had to guess?" Narcissa asked and after a moment's hesitation, Elizabeth nodded her head. "Interesting, what may I ask brings you to England?" She questioned and Elizabeth looked pensive.
"I've come to study; I was missed by whichever people find magic users to invite them to school. I met one of the Professors for Hogwarts who has offered me a teaching assistant position while I learn what I can." She spoke, a manipulation of the truth. She technically was missed by whoever sent invites to Magic Schools in America but that was due to her being in the Tower in Columbia, the floating city in the sky. But a slight deception that couldn't be tracked was not going to harm her.
"You were raised by Muggles?" Narcissa asked and Elizabeth nodded.
"Kind of, I kept to myself a lot." She finished and Narcissa didn't say anything as she stood thinking about the situation. "Though I'm looking forward to learn what I can, I've only heard great things about Hogwarts so far."
"Hogwarts is one of the best Schools in the Wizarding World." Narcissa admitted though to Elizabeth it sounded like it was a forced admittance. "I do not agree with the actions that the Headmaster has taken in his time running the School but I cannot fault the Subjects and Lessons as a whole." She said and Elizabeth smiled at the statement. "Is it just one subject that you'll be assisting?" She asked.
"I'll be helping across multiple subjects from what I've been told, both to learn what they're teaching and also to help the Teachers with marking the younger year's homework to allow them more focus on the exam years." Elizabeth said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought about the situation. The woman, Narcissa Malfoy seemed nice enough but there was something off about the whole conversation. She dismissed the thought, she was being paranoid for no reason.
"You're done my dear." Madam Malkin said standing back up and stepping away to allow Draco to step off the stool.
"Thank you Madam, you continue to do outstanding work." Narcissa complimented as Draco turned back to Harry.
"It has been good talking to you, I assume I'll see you on the Express." Draco finished and Harry nodded, while Narcissa and Elizabeth had spoken, Draco had shifted tone on how he talked, apparently taking the indication from his mother had shifted the tone of the conversation, hearing that Elizabeth was an Orphan he had worked out that Harry must have been one as well, he shared no similarities to the woman who brought them in and they had spoken briefly.
"Yes, it has been good talking to you Elizabeth, with your willingness to learn I would be more than happy to teach you about some of the finer aspects of the Wizarding World." She offered and Elizabeth was caught off guard by the suggestion. "If you need anything, do feel free to send me an Owl and I'll be happy to respond." She said and led Draco out the door after paying for the robes.
"Interesting..." Elizabeth muttered as she watched the two through the window disappear into the crowd. "Very Interesting." She muttered again, folding her arms as she replayed the conversation in her mind.
"What's interesting?" Harry asked, having heard her in the quiet room. "He seemed okay..." Harry trailed off, "a bit opinionated but not that bad."
"The shift in attitude between him before his mother spoke and after she spoke. You can tell a lot about a person and how they were raised by how they act with each parent." She explained, "he was rude and abrupt, with a very high opinion on his beliefs, I have no doubt if his mother wasn't here he would have been a lot more aggressive in protecting his stance. She made him think." Elizabeth told Harry as Madam Malkin finished with measuring Harry.
"On to the stool dear." Madam Malkin ordered gently and Elizabeth stepped up. "The Blacks and Malfoy family have a bit of a reputation." She warned Elizabeth as she started the process of sizing her for robes. "I won't speak ill of a customer but I thought it best to warn you." She said and Elizabeth looked down at her.
"Who are the Blacks?"
"It is Mrs Malfoy's maiden name, they were a very political family back in the day, though time and conflict has worn it down to few members." Malkin told her before returning to work in silence.
"You've learnt a lot about the houses already, how much of that book did you read?" Harry asked her. "I only got a few chapters in while waiting for you to return yesterday but you seem to know a lot about it."
"I got about half way through, I also woke up a lot earlier and continued reading before breakfast." She explained, "it was quite interesting," She said.
"What was interesting?" a familiar voice spoke up and the two looked at the door to see Bathsheda entering, two bird cages in her hands with covers over them.
"The book I was reading yesterday." She explained then gestured to the box. "You've been busy I see." She joked.
"We've got more shopping after your robes are sorted out, I thought I'd jump the gun a bit and take a look at the pet shop. Something just felt right as I got them for you two." She explained, placing the two animal containers on the floor.
"All done," Madam Malkin called out, stepping away from the stool allowing Elizabeth to step down.
"We'll pay for the robes now and can you have them delivered to my house when they're ready?" Bathsheda asked, receiving a nod in response she and Harry stepped up to pay for the respective purchases. they exited the store and made their way back towards the entrance to the Alley. Elizabeth looking once more around the alleyway before they walked back into the Leaky Cauldron. "Tom, can we store our shopping in one of the storage rooms, we need to head into Muggle London for a little bit." Bathsheda asked as they stopped at the bar.
"Of course you can Professor. Just for the afternoon will be 5 sickles." He said opening the door for them to drop off the shopping. Bathsheda paid the charge and then the trio were out in the busy streets of London.
"We only need clothes at the moment, maybe another day we can come back to have more of a look another day." She offered as they moved off to the nearest clothes store. Entering in, Bathsheda almost instantly dragged Elizabeth off, almost knocking the girl off her feet as she was pulled to the women's section and Harry slowly following after them. after they arrived, Bathsheda let go of her arm, gesturing around at the clothes. "Elizabeth, you take a look, find some things you like. I'm going to drag Harry off to the boy's section and get him some clothes." She said and dragged Harry away in the opposite direction leaving her surrounded by clothes in fashions that she had no clue about. she walked around, looking at some of them, avoiding others, her more conservative side shying away from the risqué... almost scandalous clothing.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the store Bathsheda was helping Harry search for clothing, picking out different shirts and trousers, holding them up against him. He was slightly embarrassed by it but didn't really protest. "Professor Babbling?" Harry started questioningly.
"Yes Harry."
"What do you know about the Malfoy Family?" Harry asked in curiosity.
"Not too much, they're an old family, not one of the Oldest but definitely one of the more influential families in this generation. They have a son who will be starting this year. They're a dark family though. the head of the family Lucius was a marked Death Eater back in the day. His trial when he was caught was pretty much all documented but he was cleared of charges with claims that he was Imperioused into doing the crimes." She said, frowning as she thought of how to phrase it. "I won't say avoid at all costs but I will say any dealings that you do with them will be ones you should enter carefully." She finished, handing him the clothes and ushering him to the changing room. "Right, go try those on while I check on Elizabeth. Then wait here after you've tried them on." She said with a sudden seriousness that took Harry a bit by surprise. "Elizabeth needs an entire new wardrobe and that also mean underwear." She said and Harry paled, a silent 'oh' forming as he walked almost robotically into the changing room. Bathsheda chuckled and walked back over to the other side to help Elizabeth with her clothing selection.
The rest of the trip after the conversation was uneventful, they purchased their clothes, returned to the Alley and picked up their shopping from there and caught the Knight Bus back to Bathsheda's house. Bathsheda had kept hold of the animal cages while they travelled and the covers were still in place, both were extremely curious about what they were. She smiled at their questions leading them up to the house at the end of the street that looked well maintained considering she wasn't there for almost the entire year. "I hire a cleaner, they know I'm rarely around but they've done right by me." She said as she fished out the key to the door, pushing it open and walking in. "Let's get all this put away shall we." She called as she turned into a room, the sound of the cages being put on the ground followed by an almost disgruntled hoot. The two followed her in and placed the bag down on the floor at the side of the room. "Now I got these because I know they're going to be useful for you, but like I said I also felt a pull towards them, it's like they knew who I was shopping for." She said pulling off the covers on the cages.
There in front of them sat two owls, a Snowy owl and a Barn owl. Both looked around, disturbed by the sudden light and hooted indignantly. "The snowy owl is for you Harry, the barn owl for you Elizabeth." She explained and the two walked over to the cages, carefully lifting them up to look at them.
"They're beautiful." Elizabeth whispered, the Barn Owl preening under the praise, straightening up to look even more impressive. "What's his name?" She asked and looked up at Bathsheda who shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever you want to name him. They're your pets." She responded. Elizabeth looked between the owl and Bathsheda for a few seconds before setting the cage down and opening the door to allow the owl out.
"I'll think about it for now, I want to make sure you've got the perfect name." She said before focusing back on Bathsheda. "When are we heading to Hogwarts?"
"In a minute, I'll apparate us up to the School, Harry are you going to be okay staying here by yourself for a little bit?" She asked and Harry, whose attention had been focused on the Snowy Owl, snapped out of his thoughts looking over to her and nodding.
"I'll be fine; I'm used to taking care of myself." He said simply before returning his attention to the owl gently stroking her feathers.
"Well then." Bathsheda started, "shall we be on our way then? No time like the present." She said to Elizabeth. "Harry, feel free to help yourself to some food if you're hungry. We're probably going to be gone for the rest of the afternoon. I know in theory I shouldn't leave you by yourself but you seem to have a level head and aren't going to do anything stupid. Don't open the door to strangers, don't go anywhere." She ordered and Harry nodded with a slight roll of his eyes.
"I'll be okay; I plan to just have a look at these books anyway." Harry explained as he copied Elizabeth's actions and opened the door of the cage to allow his Snowy Owl out when she wanted to stretch her wings. Bathsheda and Elizabeth exited the house again, walking into the backyard, a relatively well maintained one though very basic.
"The cleaner I mentioned also does the gardening, she's a godsend, I have the gardening talent of a fire. I don't grow things, I just destroy." Bathsheda joked, chuckling darkly to herself. "We're going to apparate up to the gates of Hogwarts and then walk up from there." She explained holding out her hand for Elizabeth to take. "I know I apparated you before when we woke you up but I thought it best to forewarn you that you're going to feel a squeezing sensation... like being pulled through a straw." She explained quickly, "it may make you feel a bit nauseous but otherwise you'll be fine." Elizabeth took her hand and closed her eyes as she felt herself being squeezed from all sides. a popping sensation around her and they were standing in a new location. She stumbled, feet unsteady. She could feel bile rising in her throat, the urge to throw up almost overwhelming her. Bathsheda grabbed her arm, steadying her. "The first couple of times it's a bit of a nightmare. After a few moments, her breath caught again, she looked up focusing on the gate that stood in front of her and the long pathway up to what she could only assume was Hogwarts. The view of it was impressive. She stared, comparing it to the mental images that she had of fantasy castles from books she had read as a child. "It's not the best way to see the castle." Bathsheda admitted, the gates opening as they started to walk. "The first years get the best view on their arrival. travelling by boat across the lake at night, the castle lit up and illuminating the night. Presentation is a magic all of its own." She said, smiling and walking towards a carriage that stood just on the inside of the gate. Elizabeth followed and gasped.
"What is that?" She asked gesturing to the creature she saw at the front of the cart.
"Hmm?" Bathsheda responded in confusion before looking at the front of the cart. "Oh, wait, you can see them?" She asked and Elizabeth nodded her head, still watching the creatures in fascination. "They're called Thestrals, they're very similar to Horses as you can see, but they also have wings and can travel great distances. We have a small herd in the Forest, a few of which pull the carriages to and from the School." She explained, opening the door to the Carriage and climbing in. Elizabeth tore her gaze away from the leathery skin of the horse like creatures and followed Bathsheda into the carriage.
"What did you mean just now? Why were you so surprised I could see them?" Elizabeth asked as she sat down, pulling the door shut behind her.
"Thestrals are invisible to all but those who have witnessed and truly understood death." She explained, taking a moment to bang on the wall of the carriage starting its journey up the path to the castle. Normally it would just start when it was full but there was only the two of them to board so she sped it along a little bit "I can't see them, but I know they're there because you learn about them in Care of Magical Creatures in fifth year."
"Truly understand death?"
"This is where it gets confusing, Harry probably wouldn't be able to see them at the moment because the only death that he has witnessed would be when he was a baby. If what the rumours say are true then his mother died in front of him, he wouldn't have truly understood what he witnessed at the time." She reasoned but still seemed a bit dubious about it.
"You don't seem so sure about it." Elizabeth said, having picked up on the doubt in her voice.
"There is one thing that you will learn about magic. It has its rules that it seems to stick to and every now and again they just seem to throw the rules straight out of the window. Especially when it comes to powerful Witches and Wizards. Some of the feats that Dumbledore and You-Know-Who performed are almost straight out of a story book." Bathsheda explained. "Battles between those two would change the entire playing field. Dumbledore an expert of Transfiguration could manipulate the battlefield to his advantage, you'd be defending yourself from his spells while also dealing with numerous assaults from creatures that seemingly appear from nowhere. You-Know-Who had raw power and combat magic on his side, he could over power anyone. Rumours also said that he had access to magic not seen since the Founders of Hogwarts." Bathsheda finished and the two fell into silence listening to the sound of the carriage moving along the path.
Elizabeth was eager to get out, to see the castle, to meet the professors that are there. She was also quite interested in what this sorting was. It didn't seem like she had much time to think about it. One day ago she had been woken up and now she was here, going for a job. What experience did she have for a job? She spent the majority of her life in a tower in isolation. She didn't know how to interact with children outside what she had read in books. The more she thought about this, the more she felt her nerves start to build. Would she be good enough? would they turn her away? Would the kids listen to her? She'd only be just over a year older than the oldest year. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, taking a deep breath to calm herself as the carriage halted. "We're here?" She asked Bathsheda.
"We're here, let's go." She replied, pushing open the door and climbing out. Through the door, Elizabeth could see the lake that had been mentioned, reflecting the area around it, something breaking the surface of the water briefly before disappearing, the only trace that it had been there was the gentle ripples of the water. stepping out, she blinked away the initial blindness from the sunlight and turned to look up at the castle, her jaw falling slack as she looked up the walls. From a distance it looked amazing. Up close it was astonishing, from where she stood she couldn't even see the top of the building.
"It's so huge." She said in amazement as she tried to take in every detail straight away. "I can't wait to learn more about it." She said and jumped as someone started chuckling.
"It is an impressive sight isn't it." An old voice spoke and Elizabeth tore her gaze away from the castle, looking at the newcomer to the conversation. He was old, in fact old wouldn't even begin to describe, he looked ancient and yet at the same time still had a lot of life in him. "Welcome to Hogwarts Miss DeWitt." The old man spoke, eyes twinkling as he looked at her a grandfatherly smile on his face.
Elizabeth smiled in response, bowing her head slightly in greeting. "Thank you Sir, If I was to guess, you're Headmaster Dumbledore aren't you?" She asked getting a nod of confirmation. "I wanted to thank you for this opportunity you're giving me, not knowing anything about who I am or where I'm from. Thank you for giving me this chance." She thanked, bowing slightly again.
"Who am I to turn away someone with talent and a want to learn?" Dumbledore questioned, turning and walking into the castle. "Follow me, the other Professors are already here. Many of them are quite curious about you. He said leading her up the stairs in the Entrance Hall, large sweeping stairs leading up into the castle, around her she could see many portraits, the people in the pictures moving to try and see her, she could hear the whispering of them talking about her. 'After all' she thought to herself 'How often do they get someone turning up before the School has started?' they followed Dumbledore down the Hallway stopping at a simple Oak door. He paused for a moment before pushing it open.
Conversation stopped as the door opened and self-consciously she realised they were focusing on her as she walked in. "Hi." She greeted weakly with a slight wave at the Professors that were there. Reaction was mixed though it was generally positive.
"Allow me to introduce you to your co-workers." Dumbledore started, gesturing slightly to the first one. "The Head of Hufflepuff, Pomona Sprout, she teaches Herbology." He introduced, the woman in question stepping up and shaking her hand in greeting. Her robes were slightly stained with dirt and looked a bit worn, presumably from her subject but the smile she had showed her as a kind person.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, I look forward to helping you where I can." She said joyfully. Elizabeth smiled and thanked her, she was someone who definitely had a positive outlook on life and some Elizabeth could easily see herself getting along with.
"The Head of Ravenclaw, Filius Flitwick, he is also our Charms Professor." Albus continued as Sprout stepped back. Elizabeth watched as Flitwick, quite the diminutive man stepped up onto the table that sat in the centre of the room and held his hand out to Elizabeth who shook it without hesitation."
"Pleasure to meet you." She greeted, the two exchanging words briefly with his promise to be available to help her whenever she needed it.
"You have already met my Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall." Albus spoke gesturing to the older woman that she had met the night before. The two nodded to each other, "she teaches Transfiguration, a lesson that I will admit I do hold close to my heart having held the position before I became Headmaster." He explained before Elizabeth turned to the last person. "And last, but by no means least, Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin and Potions master. There are few in the world better at the subtle science of potion making as Severus." Dumbledore introduced and the two stared at each other. Snape looked bored to be here and not at all interested in meeting Elizabeth but still he was here. He nodded his head in greeting as well, Elizabeth returning the gesture after a few short moments. Some people just didn't want to talk. She was fine with that. She could deal with people like that. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, I believe it would be best to get your sorting out the way." He held out his arm and for a moment Elizabeth thought he was going to sort her through some kind of spell.
A ball of flame flared up in front of him.
Elizabeth jumped back, resisting a scream that threatened to escape her lips as a Red bird appeared from the flames. It focused on her, staring intently and for a moment she felt like it was staring directly into her soul. It turned its head singing a few notes that sent a shiver up Elizabeth's spine. It was so relaxing to hear it, it filled her with warmth. She closed her eyes focusing on the song, trying to capture its essence but already it had started to fade. She opened her eyes, resting on Dumbledore's arm was the bird in question and now in Dumbledore's hand there was a battered and tatty looking Hat. She was confused, was this some kind of joke they were planning to play on her.
"Headmaster, you know it's too early for the Sorting Ceremony, I was sleeping." A new voice sounded and Elizabeth looked around in confusion. "Is this the person I'm to sort? She looks a bit old to be a first year." it spoke again and Elizabeth realised that the sound was actually coming from the hat that he held.
"The Sorting Hat, created by the founders, a piece of each of their wisdom to sort students for over one thousand years." Dumbledore explained as the bird took to the air and disappeared in another ball of flames. "Now then, shall we begin?" He asked, withdrawing his wand and creating a stool out of thin air. "Take a seat and we'll begin." he said gesturing calmly to the stool. Elizabeth again looked dubious but she complied, stepping over to the seat, in the silence of the room realising just how loud the heels on her boot clicked against the stone floor of the castle. 'At least people will know I'm about.' She chuckled to herself before turning and sitting on the stool, the hat slowly being lowered on to her head.
"Well this is interesting.' The voice sounded, echoing inside of her head.
'You're in my head?' She questioned, already knowing the answer before it could respond.
'I never thought I'd be called to sort an older student such as yourself, a very interesting mind. A very unique set of mental shields as well.' It commented and she could feel something digging around in her head. 'You have nothing to fear from me my dear, I am sworn to secrecy in all that I find inside of a student's head.' It explained and Elizabeth let out a small sigh of relief, she had been told to keep the information in her head a secret and it wouldn't have worked if the hat could speak to anyone after reading a person's mind. 'Though you may want to look at altering them as well, you've done a great job of keeping them in... but not at keeping people out. You've created less of a wall and more of a window.' It continued and Elizabeth frowned.
'You mean to tell me there are people who will actively read my mind?' She sent back, glancing around at the other professors in the room. A chuckling from the hat drew her attention back to the mental conversation.
'You have nothing to fear from them my dear, they are trustworthy. But this is not what I was brought here to do. To sort you I am made for and sort you I will. You're brave, there is no questioning that. Noble, there's that with more to spare. Your time in Columbia has shaped your wits about you, the ability to think fast and act just as quickly would do well in Gryffindor. You're a fast learner, the number of books you've read during your time in the Tower and your ability to solve puzzles, you'd easily fit well with Ravenclaw, your analytical mind would prove very beneficial with both the job you are taking and your studies here. Loyalty, that there is no question, let's just use the example from last night. He saves you and you save him, very interesting, Hufflepuff would gladly accept you with that shining example.' It paused before moving on to the end and Elizabeth knew what he was going to bring up, the same thing that she would have brought up when talking about the last house. The part of her she tried to distance herself from. The part she had ran away from. 'Rapture...' The voice spoke and the colour drained from her face. 'What an interesting concept, a city under the city. A muggle made Atlantis. A myriad of deceits against the Booker that you met.'
She snapped back angrily, cutting him off before he could start. 'He was NOT Booker! He was a charlatan, hiding from his own guilt and his own negligence.'
'Oh but he was Booker wasn't he, from a certain point of view. Constants and Variables I believe you were told, he is but he isn't. But his actions don't matter, yours do. You manipulated him to find out the truth. Whether or not he had truly changed, whether or not he was truly after forgiveness for his actions of just as obsessed with what he could have done if he had taken you when you were a baby... the other you. How do you keep yourself focused sometimes?' The hat asked in amazement, he had sorted thousands of students in his years of existence, none of them had any inclining or confusion brought about by the sheer chaos that was going on inside their head. It was amazed that Elizabeth hadn't gone insane years ago from being able to perceive all of this. Though it did explain the strong barriers. 'You would do well in any house, each could lead you to greatness and skills unparalleled. But you've never wanted that, you've always wanted to be just Elizabeth... or is it Anna? Either way there is only one place that you would truly feel at home and that is...' It trailed off in her head and Elizabeth was confused before the hat spoke aloud to the rest of the room. "RAVENCLAW."
There was polite applause from the house heads and looking around she saw that even Snape was slowly clapping; from the initial abruptness she didn't think that he would have even done that. She pushed the thoughts away, she couldn't judge him until she had the time to speak to him properly. "Wonderful, wonderful. Filius I do believe you have gained an excellent addition to your house." Dumbledore spoke happily as the man nodded his head. Elizabeth smiled soaking in the applause while it lasted, feeling comfortable about her surroundings. She was looking forward to spending her time here. She shook hands with Flitwick and the others that came up to congratulate her on her sorting and also, half-heartedly offer their commiserations at not having her in their house before the group started talking, trying to learn more about her and plans for the future, all minus Snape who excused himself to return to his duties, a few potions were reaching near volatile stages and he needed to oversee them to make sure they didn't spoil and undo months of work.
Yes, she was going to like it here.
In a different part of the country, a grand manor sat by itself, isolated away from everyone, just like it's original creators wanted it all those years ago and just like the current head of house wanted for it now. He himself sat in his study, thinking about the coming year. His son was about to start at Hogwarts to carry on the legacy of his family. He was proud of his son he had grown well and was going to be a bringer of change. He looked down at the letter he had received earlier today, a meeting with the Minister, it was either him or Dumbledore that the Minister turned to. Thankfully in recent years it had shifted more to him than the aged Headmaster.
A couple of coins in the right place and the Minister found himself more and more inclined to listen to him.
A soft knock on the door.
"Enter." He called after a moment, folding the letter shut. The door opened and he smiled slightly as his wife entered. "Narcissa. Did the shopping trip go without event?" He asked and saw the careful smirk on her face.
"Lucius, we need to talk."
TBC
Oh wow a cliff hanger, got to love them. This is officially my longest chapter written ever, 11982 words for this one chapter. I was toying with having another scene in here but it didn't fit right with what I wanted so it's been pushed back.