"Y/N! Hurry up, dear!" a voice called from downstairs. "We'll be late getting to your auntie's!"
I shot up from my bed in a panic. Oh, no! I'm not ready! "One moment, muuum!" I called back as I rushed to put on some sort of presentable outfit. "Give me ten minutes!"
"Five!" I heard a deeper, sterner voice respond. It was Father.
"Seven and a half!" I negotiated, laughing. I packed the rest of my belongings away in my suitcase, making sure my uniform was on top so I could change later on without digging around too much. After being satisfied that I had everything, I ran down the stairs holding the heavy suitcase overhead. I came to a halt at the landing, narrowly avoiding slamming into the front door.
"Y/N, you're getting too old now to keep sleeping in as you do. You'd best not oversleep come the start of term," Father said sternly as I lowered my suitcase to the ground.
I rolled my eyes, "I won't, dad." I slipped on my shoes in a rush as Father walked out the door to start the car.
"Oh Y/N, your hair isn't even brushed," sighed Mother. "Brush it in the car. We don't have time to wait around any longer. Now go. Go." She rushed to hand me my hairbrush off the front door credenza, then pushed me out the door with my luggage.
"Wait! My cat! Oregano, come on!" I called quickly. Oregano sat up from the couch where she was sleeping and ran over and out the door.
Mother closed and locked the house door behind her as Father honked the car's horn to signal he was growing impatient. I threw my luggage into the trunk, picked up Oregano, and jumped into the backseat of the vehicle.
"Buckle up. It's no short ride," Mother instructed as she clicked her own belt.
"Mum, why can't you just drive me to King's Cross yourselves? Why must we go to Auntie Radella's first?" I asked, hoping that maybe, for whatever reason, they'd change their minds and turn around. I didn't really like Auntie Radella and her husband, Uncle Morton. They weren't the nicest people I'd ever met. I had only just recently discovered they existed about two years ago when I received my letter to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first, I was happy to learn I had more family. I had always wondered why my mother never talked about her side of the family much, but I'd grown to understand why–-not entirely, but I knew enough to know they weren't the most delightful of people, so I couldn't blame Mother for not wanting to talk to them. However, it did make me wonder why she now got so happy to go and see them and insisted on sending me to them before the start of each school year.
"We've been over this, Y/N. They are the only wizarding family you have. Your father and I think it'll be good for you to spend a little bit of time in the wizarding world before heading off to school. And besides, they know their way around Dagony Alley. We would be of no help to you, dear," Mother responded, turning around in her seat to look at me.
"Diagon Alley," I corrected in a small, disappointed tone.
"My point exactly," Mother smiled, turning back around.
"If it means anything, Y/N, I don't much like sending you off to your mum's sister's myself. I don't like them people," Father said, sharing his opinion on the matter-, which obviously wasn't the right move to make, given as Mother slapped his arm, giving him a harsh glare.
"Leland Reginald Y/L/N! Be nice, will you!" Mother hushed.
I was excited for school to start back up, but I wasn't much excited to see my aunt and uncle. I huffed and crossed my arms as I slumped in my seat, but I quickly sat back up in a fright as Mother snapped at me to brush my hair.
After a couple of hours of staring out the car window, we finally arrived. Father, still behind the wheel, came to a rolling stop as a pair of enormous wrought-iron gates with a large, ornate letter P prevented him from continuing any further.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blue flash of light in the air. I brought my head up off the window and looked towards the location of the flash. In its spot, off to the right of the gates, was a nasty-looking creature. It was short, and its face was all wrinkled like a grave old man. Its large ears flopped as the beast walked to Mother's window. Mother rolled down the window to greet the creature.
"Ah, Madam Luella. It's been so long. Welcome back. You may enter," greeted the creature.
Mother smiled. "Thank you, Monster."
The creature was named Monster? I mean, sure, it was an ugly looking thing, but I thought Monster was a bit harsh.
Monster nodded at Mother and gestured towards the gates. The gates slowly started to creep open, and Father nudged forward. Mother rolled up the window.
"Mum…" I started wondering if I should ask my question.
"Yes, dear?" she responded, cocking her head to the side.
"What was that thing? Monster - er, I mean to say his name! Not that I'm calling him a monster!" I stumbled horribly over my words.
Mother chuckled. "I know what you mean, don't worry. Monster is a House Elf. He is a magical creature that serves under noble wizarding families. He was your grandparents' before they passed, and now he belongs to your aunt and uncle," she informed me.
Belongs? That was a very possessive way to put it. And to be named Monster? What kind of people did Mother come from? I sighed, just shrugging it off. I leaned my head back against the window and watched as the neatly cut hedges passed. The front garden of my aunt's was particularly large and very well-kept. My front garden could never compare, and our house, while not small by any means, was no competition for the manor my mysterious family resided in.
Chills overtook my body as the sun fell behind the trees. The sight of thick fog flooding the front garden was an eerie thing to witness. It definitely didn't make the manor any more inviting; in fact, it did quite the opposite. Finally, we reached the front doors. The building was large, and its Jacobean architecture, complete with an ivy-covered facade, made it all the more creepy.
Monster appeared right outside of my car door and opened it for me. I gave him a sheepish smile and nodded in thanks. I was about to circle around to pop the trunk, but Monster stopped me.
"No, no, allow me, Miss Y/N." Monster waved me off and jumped into the trunk, trying to pull my heavy luggage out, then finally gave up. With a snap of his long, bony fingers, he made the luggage float out of the trunk. I watched in wonder. Who knew such a small thing could do magic with such ease?
Father and Mother stood on each side of me as we approached the bottom of the stairs. The giant oak double doors opened wide to show my uncle and aunt. My aunt lifted her arms and glided down the stairs with poise.
"Oh, Luella! How good it is to see you again!" my aunt exclaimed, giving Mother a hug. My aunt glanced down at me with a smile, patted my cheek, and lifted my head by the chin. "Oh, and Y/N, you darling little creature. Welcome back home. I trust you'll enjoy staying with us again for a couple of days before school starts back up." She let out a small chuckle. "Your cousin is up in her room, now run along."
I looked at Mother and Father with pleading eyes. However, Mother waved me off just the same. I sighed.
"Yes, Auntie," I exhaled and started up the stairs.
"Miss Y/N, please follow me," instructed Monster. He slowly stepped up the stairs, my luggage following behind him.
As I neared the landing, Uncle Morton stood there still with his hands behind his back. I caught his gaze, but he said nothing. I gave him an awkward smile and greeted him. "Evening, Uncle Morton."
"Y/N," he simply responded with the slightest tilt of his head. His gaze reverted back to his wife and sister-in-law, Mother and Auntie Radella.
Walking past Uncle Morton, I finally entered the manor through the large polished and ornate doors. The interior was just as extravagant as the exterior. The beauty of the place always took me by surprise. I glanced down at my attire, and, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the pattern of detailed tiles that made up the foyer floor, suddenly felt very out of place. I looked back up and saw Monster waiting at yet another staircase. This staircase, however, was marble and curved to meet its mirrored counterpart, forming a graceful double staircase.
I groaned, not wanting to climb any more stairs. My feet dragged behind me, but alas, I made my way up to the top, and Monster continued to show me to the room I'd be staying in. The room always changed, for whatever reason. I never stayed in the same room more than once. I supposed it could be a sick way to flaunt their wealth, but in the end, I honestly hadn't the slightest idea.
Monster set my luggage down at the end of the bed I was to sleep in for the next couple nights. He bade me goodnight after telling me how I could contact him if I found myself ever needing anything. As I knelt down to open my luggage and pull out my nightwear, I heard a soft thud on the door frame.
"Oh, you're here," an annoyed voice said from behind me.
I turned around to see who it was, and it was my cousin. "Oh… Evening, Pansy..." I greeted, ignoring the apparent distaste in her voice. "How have you been?"
"I was fine before you got here. I don't know why Mother insists you come and live with us," she huffed, pushing herself off the doorsill. "Be sure to make yourself unheard while you're here. Better yet, always," she urged and left, presumably to return to her own room.
I furrowed my brows in confusion. She was typically quite rude, but I didn't know much as to why. I sighed and got up to close the bedroom door. Finally, I was able to get changed and made my way to bed. Oregano hopped atop the bed and curled up in my lap. I hoped to be back at Hogwarts soon enough.
The next morning, I had woken up to Monster knocking on the bedroom door to let me know breakfast would soon be ready. I let out a sizable gaping yawn and reached my arms above my head, stretching long and hard as I lay still in bed. A small soft exhale escaped me as I turned onto my side and stared out the door, contemplating getting out of bed. Pansy, with her usual disapproving scowl, appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed.
"Well?" She stood tapping her foot in annoyance. I sat up in bed, giving her my full attention. "Are you coming?"
I nodded and slid out of bed, "give me a minute, I'll be down in a second," I informed her. I knelt beside my bed and pulled my slippers out from under it and slid them on. I then combed my hair and pulled it back into a loose ponytail.
Pansy tilted her head, signaling that we were to go. I did a funny walk towards her, just slower than a jog but quicker than an average walking pace. She started down the curved marble stairs and I followed suit, matching her speed.
"So, how are you this morning, Pansy?" I called to her from behind. She did not respond. I didn't expect her to, but it was worth the effort, I suppose. I let out a small sigh, and we made it to the bottom of the steps.
The foyer was a grand but empty marble room that led to many different areas in the large manor. Pansy and I took an immediate left off the stairs, and we were brought to the breakfast dining room–which is never to be confused with the formal dining room just off from the home office and library in the west wing. That being said, the breakfast area was by no means any less pompously absurd in its efforts to look like it belonged to the Queen herself. In the middle of the morning-sun-lit dinette was a fairly long rectangular wooden table. Six chairs, all complete with dark green velvet cushions and ornately carved arms and legs, sat around the table.
Sat at the far end of the table, facing us, was Uncle Morton. He sat like a king in his chair, his elbow resting on the arm and his hand propping up his head as he read a newspaper that was unmistakably the Daily Prophet. Auntie Radella, sitting to Uncle's left, sipped at her hot morning tea, as she read a ridiculously large business ledger that looked to be several decades or even centuries old. The Parkinsons were a proud family of three. My Auntie was the inherited owner of a shoppe not too far off from Diagon Alley, though she never disclosed what services she provided. Her husband, Uncle Morton, worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Education. Their sole daughter, my cousin, Pansy Parkinson, was in the same year as I and belonged to Slytherin House. I saw her around quite often at Hogwarts, but to no avail, she always shrugged me off.
Uncle Morton noticed my and Pansy's presence. He flicked the newspaper in hand making it fall limp and looked up at us. "Good morning, girls," he greeted, gesturing with his empty hand towards the vacant seats to his right, telling us to take a seat then grabbed his teacup to take a sip.
"Good morning Father… Mother," Pansy greeted back, taking a seat by Uncle Morton.
"Morning," I said softly, still quite uncomfortable with being under their roof.
I took a seat next to Pansy, and Auntie Radella gazed at me, her sharp pale blue eyes piercing my soul. "I trust you slept well, dear?" she asked with a smile that somehow gave me chills. "I do apologize about the constant switch up in bedding arrangements, we -"
"We're renovating," interrupted Uncle Morton, flicking his newspaper once again to make it go stiff.
I glanced back at Auntie Radella, seeing her discomforting smile again, "It's alright, I don't mind - I slept well," I responded.
Pansy made a dramatic eye-roll that could be felt, "Father, what is it that you're reading this morning?" she questioned.
Monster walked in and snapped his long fingers, plates filled with hot breakfast appearing in front of each one of us. "Masters," he bowed and went his way.
Uncle Morton folded up the Daily Prophet newspaper, and grabbed a fork, "Word of an escaped convict," he answered simply.
"A convict? From Azkaban!" choked Pansy in a bit of shock. "The Ministry is doing something about it, aren't they?"
"Yes, of course, The Ministry is doing something," Auntie Radella answered blatantly, "Now eat your food. We need to get your books today."
Pansy piped down and ate her food. The whole table was engulfed in silence that I felt to be unbearable. I hurried down my meal in efforts to flee the room sooner. Unknowingly, I dropped my silverware down a bit more harshly than intended, catching the gazes of my aunt and uncle, and a sort of smirk from Pansy as if she enjoyed the discomfort I had immediately felt.
Auntie Radella eyed me, slowly bringing her teacup off her thin lips, "Pansy dear, why don't you and Y/N run along now and get ready? We have your shopping to do. Met back down here," she stated. Pansy roughly sat up from her heavy chair, its legs roughly grating the hardwood floors as it moved backward.
I looked at Pansy as she huffed off, then turned myself in my chair to get up silently as not to insight any more tension. I jogged my way up the flight of stairs and straight into the room I was assigned to. I closed the door behind me and made for my muggle clothes in my luggage. I took out a plain tee and a pair of socks to match, I pulled on my light-washed jeans from yesterday, put on the socks and shirt then slid on a pair of white tennies. It was a very plain outfit, but I'd stick out no matter since the people of the wizarding world seemed to be more fond of vibrant fabrics, pointy hats, and long cloaks. I looked in the mirror and examined my outfit quickly before brushing out my hair, which was, for the most part, already managed from the first brush through.
Satisfied with my appearance, and getting over my anxiety of looking like a sore thumb, I hurried back downstairs and into the same room we had eaten breakfast. Pansy and my Aunt and Uncle were already there waiting.
"Well, then-as we're all here now, I'll hand out the powder," Auntie Radella started. She made her way around handing out fist-fulls of powder to Uncle Morton and Pansy, once she got to me, she handed me my powder and stood there for a while longer, "We're traveling by Floo Powder today. It's quite simple-Pansy, dear, will you demonstrate?"
Pansy then walked into the empty fireplace, which was placed behind the chair Uncle Morton had been sitting previously, and she lifted her hand, which held the powder.
"Clearly now," Uncle Morton called out.
"Diagon Alley!" Pansy cried in a crisp voice. She threw down the powder at her feet, and she vanished into a fit of bright green flames.
I jumped back a bit, staring at where Pansy once stood. "Now you, dear creature," Auntie Radella ushered as she patted me towards the fireplace. I hesitated but managed to gather my nerves and step into the very spot my cousin had just vanished from.
I lifted my hand with the powder and cried, "Diagon Alley!"
Seconds later, I came stumbling out of an unfamiliar fireplace. I coughed up the smoke that I had accidentally breathed in and patted off the ash off my attire. Stood in front of me was Pansy waiting patiently, then came Auntie Radella and Uncle Morton behind me all calm and collected as if they didn't just come from the same very old and dusty chimney I just had.
"Now," started Uncle Morton, "Where are we off to first?"
I pulled out my folded list of supplies from Hogwarts from my back pocket. I received it weeks ago by owl, but I haven't given it a look quite yet. I unfolded the tanned parchment to give it a quick look over.
"Quite obviously we need to go to Flourish and Blotts," Pansy taunted beginning for the door of the building we had appeared inside. "Now come on, I don't want to be here all day just for a bunch of stupid books. I have people to find."
My aunt and uncle followed Pansy out the door. I stood for a bit longer than I might should have and hurried out after them. We exited out onto the bustling street of Diagon Alley. It was terrific. I loved the stark difference between the two worlds I lived in, the people here were much more interesting with their vibrant cloaks and funny hats. Many children were running the crowded streets, laughing, and excited to get back to school. Cats pouncing on every ledge and owls chirping lovingly from their cages, the ambiance was so enthralling.
I walked with my family down the street to get to the bookstore. I gazed off at all the storefronts wondering which I should journey into next after getting my school supplies, though I was pulled out of my trance by a high-pitch squeal of excitement coming from Pansy. I looked at her, and she was absolutely giddy in her boots, she took a deep breath to calm herself then quickly ran off. I suppose she had found who she was hoping to find as she nearly pounced on whomever it was, but through the thick of the moving crowd, all I could see was a glimmer of almost white hair. They walked off together in the same direction we were going.
Finally, reaching Flourish and Blotts moments later, the storekeeper looked at us in surprise, then quick dread took over his face. "You're not another third year, are you?" he questioned, looking as if he were about to cry. I nodded, and I could see his heart-shattering. "Oh," he choked, "one moment then," he said, fighting with the strange books in his arms. He handed them to none other than Pansy, who had beaten us to the bookstore with whomever she had chased after, but I couldn't quite see who it was since the bookkeeper stood in front of them. "Careful now," he said gently.
"Ow! It's bit me! The bloody hell is this?" yelped the boy dropping the book. "I want this damned thing in a bag!" He ordered jumping out the way as the book flipped itself away all about the floor.
The bookkeeper bowed earnestly and rushed off to go grab a bag. Pansy and the boy ran out of the store in a fuss and waited outside; I could still hear the boy cursing loudly. Auntie Radella followed them out, Uncle Morton and I left alone in the shop. I felt very uncomfortable and decided to step up on the ladder so as not to be attacked by the feral book myself. Soon the bookkeeper returned with a large potato sack for the demanding boy, but out of his frantic hurried pace, he had tripped over the Monster Book. The man screamed as he saw the book darting for his head.
"Immobulus," shouted Uncle Morton, his wand pointed towards the book. The Monster book stopped in its tracks, its front cover still a tad open.
The bookkeeper stumbled up to a stand and grabbed the book throwing it into the sack. "Thank you, thank you, sir. Great thinking!"
"Yes, now I'll take that for the boy," he said monotonously as he put away his wand in his coat pocket. "And another for the girl," he added, gesturing towards me. He took the sack from the bookkeeper and walked out of the store.
I looked out the storefront windows and saw Uncle Morton handing the bag to the blond boy; Pansy was still fighting with the monstrous book trying not to drop her other textbooks. I looked back at the bookkeeper, and he was digging around in a large cage that held the books. Finally, he achieved his task and pulled out a yapping furry book.
"One Monster Book of Monsters," the bookkeeper said, pushing it into my arms. "Anything else, dear?"
"I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky, Intermediate Transfiguration, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three by Miranda Goshawk, and The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger, sir" I answered trying to recall all my books.
"Oh, chosen to study divination as well? Come, come," waved the bookkeeper as he made his way to the back of the store where a corner was devoted to all things fortune-telling. The bookkeeper climbed a ladder and pulled out the divination coursebook. My curious eyes were wandering around, for I was very intrigued by the concept of divination; my Mother still practices it to this day. My eyes fell onto a display of the newest books in the genre. "Oh? That's Death Omens: What To Do When You Know The Worst Is Coming. Good book, that is, but for sure will give even the bravest of souls nightmares," claimed the bookkeeper as he had noticed where my eyes were glued to.
"May I get that one too?" I asked, looking at the man taking Unfogging the Future from him. He seemed very distraught as his warning didn't seem to phase me much at all.
"Oh, uh… very well, if you insist," he stuttered, handing me the book under the display. "Now, for the others," he carried on. Not too soon after, I had all my required textbooks for the start of the new year in my arms plus an extra. I thanked the bookkeeper for his troubles and left the store to be again greeted by the bustling noise of Diagon Alley.
