Hogwarts Stories (1962-1969):

Year One - Nurmengard's Heir

Chapter One: Diagon Alley

It was a cool August day when Vivivene Olivas took her first real step into a world she hardly understood. It was 1962 and she was only eleven years old but she already felt more like an adult than both of her parents. She walked ahead of her parents, who hung at the back of their unorthodox procession, their dark eyes surveying every inch of London's Leaky Cauldron pub with absolute suspicion, as if at any moment they might be set upon by demons, warlocks, and werewolves at any moment.

Unlikely, Viviene thought to herself. Despite her parents fantatical devotion to their faith, Viviene was no more certain of the existence of demons than she had been a week ago when she had been told that magic existed. Wizards though, those are real for sure. I'll have to ask about the werewolves though...

Viv kept her eyes on the older man leading their funny little procession: a slender old man in a periwinkle three-piece suit and complimentary fedora and scarf with shoulder length hair that was starting to fade from a gunmetal grey to a snowy white, with a long Santa like beard to match. His face was hidden mostly by said hair, save for a thin, age-lined face with high cheekbones that supported brilliant blue eyes that peered over half-moon spectacles, resting on a slightly crooked nose. Those eyes must see everything, Viv thought; Viv had seen with her own brown eyes things that led her to believe that Dumbledore could see everything, all at once. He seemed to have this weird ability to read your very mind, as nothing seemed to catch Dumbledore off guard.

"Through here, Ms. Olivas. And you as well, Mr. and Mrs. Olivas, I assure you it's quite safe, if not a bit snug" Professor Dumbledore said with his typical cordial voice and smile, as he opened the backdoor to the pub. Viv hesitated.

"This is an alleyway" she said, raising an eyebrow at the old man.

"So it is!" Dumbledore said with a measure of quiet delight, as he only now just realized this fact. "Very astute of you, Vivienne. Nothing escapes your keen mind, I can see that. Yes, it is in fact an empty alley."

Vivene gave a look back over her shoulder at her cowering parents, seeing their expressions that begged her to reject the old man and to come back home with them. Viv scowled and followed Dumbledore into the alley, followed reluctantly by her parents.

They came to a brick wall; a dead-end. If not for the things that Dumbledore had demonstrated to her and her parents a week ago, she would have just figured the old man was senile. Viv watched, attempting to hide her delight, as Dumbledore produced his wand from within his jacket. She could hear the razor-sharp inhale of her parents and ignored them, eager to see what spell the old professor might cast.

She did not try to hide her disappointment as she watched Dumbledore tap his wand on three bricks, with no apparent effect.

"Is that it?" Viv said impetuously to the old man. Dumbledore said nothing, merely turning his head to look at her with those X-ray like blue eyes, before giving her a gentle wink. Suddenly, the wall began to groan and clack as, brick by brick, the dirty stone wall parted in front of them like the Red Sea, unveiling perhaps the most beautiful sight Viv had ever seen.

"Woah." Viv said in quiet awe.

Dumbledore grinned slyly at her and said "Welcome, to Diagon Alley."

Jezebel Black had never really liked the goblins at Gringotts Bank. Not for the reasons one might think, however. No, unlike most of her father's family and their equally pureblood wizard supremacist friends, she didn't hate the goblins because she thought they were beneath her; far from it, in fact. She was far more tolerant of other magical races than anyone else in her family.

No, it was the way that the goblins of Gringotts bowed and scraped whenever her father would enter the bank; the sickening, sycophantic greetings and asinine questions about his family's health that annoyed her.

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, she thought to herself. What a load of bollocks.

But this was to be expected when you were Alphard Black; eldest son of the Black family patriarch, Pollux Black. After all, they Blacks had been some of Gringotts best customers over the centuries and Alphard looked every inch the wizard aristocrat of his forefathers: swarthy dark hair and eyes, gentle pale complexion, and a handsome face baring a constant mischievous grin, as though he was party to a joke that no one else in the world was allowed to be let in on. He ignored the bootlicking goblin's yammering and gave Jez a sly wink. Jez barely suppressed a grin.

She might be his daughter, but she didn't look the part: fiery red hair and eyes the color of summer skies, the only thing that would give their familial connection was their matching cocky grins. But I'm sure that's how Aunt Walburga prefers it, Jez thought bitterly.

The Bastard of House Black, the half-blood, the family disgrace, and worse things that Jez rather not think about; but by now, she was used to it. Her Muggle mother had probably been called worse by the family while she was still alive but Jez decided not to dwell on it. Alphard collected his gold and hurried Jez out the door as politely as possible.

"Bloody hell, glad that's done with," Alphard said, shaking his head, causing his black curls to bounce. He grinned and put his arm over his daughter's shoulders. "So, what now, joey?" he said, using his favorite pet name for the Aussie girl. "Cauldron first? Or maybe textbooks? Or maybe…" Alphard pretended to mull over the various shops that lined the high street of Diagon Alley, pretending not to know exactly where Jez wanted to go.

"Come off it, dad! Ollivanders! I want to go get my wand, before someone else gets the perfect wand for me!" she said, as she attempted to drag her father, who intentionally went dead-weight on her.

"The wand chooses the wizard, joey. No one else will get the wand meant for you: it'll wait forever for you, if it has to." Alphard grinned, gently throwing all his weight in the opposite direction of Ollivanders wand shop, causing Jez to struggle to get him to budge.

"And forever is how long it's going to wait if you don't move your skinny ass, dad!" Jez said, now forcefully pusing Alphard along from behind. Alphard laughed uproariously, allowing Jez to move him to Ollivanders.

"So black walnut wood, huh? What, because I'm black? I take offense to that, old-timer" said Damian Calderon-Boot, giving the old wizard, Garrick Ollivander, a hard look. Ollivander, stunned, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

"Beg pardon?" Ollivander said, completely aghast.

Damian set the wand down back on Ollivander's counter and gave him a scathing look and repeated "Black. African American. Negrito. Homo Africanus. Left out to bake in the sun too long. Charcoal briquette. Dark meat. Spook. Eeney, meeny, miny, moe, catch a-"

"Damian, enough! Leave Mr. Ollivander alone, alright?" Damian's mother, Lydia, scowled at her son, squinting so hard that her arched eyebrows nearly touched the curls of her tightly coifed blue hair, her iridescent violet eyes threatening to burn right through his very soul like they had laser-vision; they didn't though, Damian was fairly certain, otherwise he wouldn't survived a childhood alone with her. But then again, why chance it?

Damian grumbled a half-hearted apology to Ollivander under his breath and tightly folded his arms angstly against his skinny torso, huffing indignantly at his mother. She shook her head at him and looked back apologetically at Ollivander "Apologies, Mr. Ollivander. He's doing everything in his power to act up and get sent home before he boards the Hogwarts Express."

Ollivander nodded sympathetically at Lydia before turning his gaze back to Damian and gently saying "You needn't worry, my young friend: Hogwarts is a fine school. Indeed, one of a kind. I'm certain you'll enjoy your time there."

Yeah, well, it's no Ilvermorny, Damian thought to himself. He thought of his friends that he had had to leave behind in America and the stories they had told of the esteemed American wizarding school. He thought of everything and everyone he was being forced to leave behind, all so he could attend his first year of schooling at Hogwarts, the inferior predecessor to Ivermorny; home of bad accents, bad food, and even worse because of some dumb reason having to do with his mother's ancestors. But he suspected there might be another reason she refused to speak of. I just wanna go home, he thought to himself, glumly.

"Come, try this wand, Mr. Boot. I think it will suit you much better." Ollivander kindly extended a new wand in its packaging out to Damian, who reluctantly took it at the urging of his mother. The shop bell rang from behind Damian. "Be with you in just a moment!" Ollivander said courteously to the newcomers.

"Carry on, we don't mind waiting!" Alphard cheerfully responded. Jez elbowed him in the ribs, giving him an incredulous look. She wanted her wand and she did indeed mind waiting. Especially after spotting the boy at the counter before her: he dressed like a spooky Victorian doll and looked as excited at the sight of his wand shooting tiny gold sparks as an owner finding a surprise "gift" left by their dog. If he doesn't care, at least let me have a crack at it! Jez thought to herself.

Alphard gave a solid, cheeky pinch on the arm that made Jez inhale sharply as he continued to grin. "That's child abuse, that is" Jez said, glaring at him.

Alphard continued to grin and waved at the boy's mother warmly. "Try it. I'll deny everything." He winked at her and she resisted the urge to grin, giving him a playful shove, as he went dead-weight again, leaning against her with all his weight.

Damian paid for his wand and he and his mother walked over to the redhead and her father. "Looks like it's your go them, sweetheart." Lydia said with a smile at Jez.

"Yeah, Jez, I thought you were dying to get your wand. Stop wasting time" Alphard said with a sly grin, giving her a gentle push in Ollivander's direction. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at Alphard cheekily. Alphard smirked and struck up a conversation with the mum and her son.

Jez walked up and smiled toothily at the old wizard behind the counter before extending her hand out to him. "One wand, please!" Ollivander burst out in a chuckling fit.

After half an afternoon of exchanging pounds for gold galleons, trying on funny looking robes, listening to Dumbledore drone on about the importance of cauldron thickness, and buying potions ingredients that sound completely like they're from a halloween radio program, accompanied by a cackling witch, buying books was something Viviene could understand and perhaps even enjoy. She wandered around the crowded floor of Flourish and Blotts bookshop, completely at a loss; accepting that wizards and/or Brits must not use the Dewey Decimal System.

She slid past some eager students who rushed down the steps with such abandon that they nearly pushed her over the bannister. "Hey! Watch it, you morons!" she shouted fearlessly at them. The two boys, about her age, stopped as if she had frozen them in their tracks. They turned back around to face Viv nervously. One had a mop of curly dark hair and a long face and the other a mousy blonde bowl cut and babyface.

"Uh, um, sorry, er, miss." Babyface bleated. Viv grinned at them. "Just see that it doesn't happen again." They looked at each other in confusion and scampered off. Viv grinned to herself and looked around the floor of the bookshop from above, spotting Dumbledore chatting away with her parents as various people interrupted to say hello (she had learned that Dumbledore must be some sort of celebrity, seeing as everyone they met new him), all the while her parents held tight to their Bibles and crucifixes, praying in Spanish. She rolled her eyes and went back to book hunting.

Viv peruse the shelves, snatching up books on strange yet intriguing subjects: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, History of Magic and Charms. She got excited contemplating what she would be learning in these alien classes.

"You've got next year's Charms book, just so you know" came a thick string of words all jumbled together in a Bristolian accent; she should know: her family had been living in Bristol for nearly a year now. Viv turned to catch the glimpse of the native Bristolian: a boy around her age, tall and lanky, with short, unkempt light brown hair and a nervous smile. Though that was not the first thing she noticed about the boy. No, the first thing she noticed was the boy's ragged scarf, which was a few sizes too big for him and resembled a blue and bronze striped boa constrictor trying to strangle him.

"I know it's kinda cool out but it is August. Aren't you kinda warm?" Viv asked ther strange boy as she tucked the Charms book back onto the shelf. He chuckled nervously, subconsciously tugging at his scarf.

"Ah, no, I'm fine. I'm Byron by the way, Byron Morgryn." he offered his hand but noticed that Viv's hands were completely full. He looked embarrassed at his own obliviousness and let his hand fall to his side. Viv looked the kid up and down with bemusement.

"Vivviene Olivas, but Viv is fine." She smirked at Byron and he smiled in return. "Are you from here?"

Byron shook his head. "No, I'm from Bristol."

Viviene shook her head as well. "No, I mean here." She used her head to motion all around her.

Byron chuckled nervously. "Oh, I get you. Yeah, I grew up around the wizarding world, sure. I'm a half-blood. And I'm guessing by your question you must be a Muggleborn." Byron smiled but Viviene gave him a small frown.

"And what's wrong with that?" Viv raised an eyebrow at him. Byron's eyes went wide in panic.

"Oh no, I wasn't trying to imply anything! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything! I, uh, I-"

Viv let out a low snort and gave Byron a look to show that she was only teasing him. Byron's ears turned a violent shade of pink in embarrassment. Viv noticed and grinned "You really need to lighten up, Byron." Byron chuckled nervously and followed her down the steps.

"Are those your parents?" Byron asked with a mix of surprise and amusement. "The ones that just splashed Albus Dumbledore with what looks like holy water?" Viv groaned.

"Yeah, they're kind of religious and aren't taking this whole witch thing very well."

"I can see that" Byron chuckled, watching Dumbledore pull a handkerchief out of thin air to calmly dab his wet face, causing Viv's parents to flinch.

"Orale, Morgryn, let's get out of here. I'm finished with them" Viv said exasperated. She grabbed him by his sleeve and dragged him to the counter. They purchased their books, with Byron helping Viv do money conversions. After getting their books wrapped, the two headed over to Dumbledore.

"Hey Dumbledore," Viv said confidently, "I've got everything on my list except 'a cat, rat, owl, or toad.' Can my new friend Byron show me where to get one?"

Dumbledore smiled and looked at Byron, causing the young wizard to visibly shrink under Dumbledore's gaze. "Mr. Morgryn, I presume?" Byron nodded meekly. "Where are your parents this fine August afternoon, young Byron?"

Byron squirmed as he contemplated his answer. "Dad's at the Ministry and Mum was busy at home with...things." Viv stared at Byron, quizzically. Dumbledore nodded at the boy, a slight furrow in his brow.

"I see. Well, you both had best look after one another. I was just offering to buy your parents two large sherrys back at the Leaky Cauldron, Ms. Olivas and-"

"Great, thanks, Dumbledore!" Viv didn't wait a moment longer before dashing out of the shop with Byron in tow. Dumbledore looked at Mr. and Mrs. Olivas with a wide, friendly smile and clapped his hands together, resolutely, causing both parents to jump and Mrs. Olivas let out a sharp yelp as if she had been electrocuted.

"Now, how about those sherrys?" Dumbledore beamed.

Jezebel had been skeptical when her father had suggested heading to The Magical Menagerie to buy pets with Damian and his mother Lydia. Mainly, it was because she initially found Damian to be a bore (and she felt the feeling was probably mutual) but she came to be especially aware that Alphard had only used this opportunity to flirt with Lydia, much to both Jez and Damian's mutual horror. And while that did still bother her, she had to admit: it was fun getting to needle Damian; mostly because he wasn't afraid to do it back.

So they had spent the remainder of the afternoon hitting shop after shop, taking the mickey out of each other and throwing the occasional disapproving look at their parents, to much success. Jez was, as much as she hated to admit it, having fun. She and Damien were now inside The Magical Menagerie, playing with her new owl; a tiny pygmy owl who she was trying to teach tricks. "What do you mean you "don't want one?" Look at this thing!"

Damian hid a smile as he saw the owl but steeled himself before turning to face Jezebel. "I mean it. I want my pet to be special and totally unique. And none of these are doing it for me."

The witch behind the counter snorted in indignation and shook her head as Alphard finished paying for the owl. He and Lydia chuckled at this exchange, as the bell to the shop door chimed as someone entered. Alphard gave Damian a smile before saying "Maybe some no-melt ice cream will make you feel better, Damian?" Damian glared for a moment at Alphard, who seemed completely unfazed.

"Woah, you guys have such a thing as 'no-melt ice cream?' That's insane" Viv said incredulously, catching the attention of everyone else inside. Meanwhile, Byron stood there in silence, his ears pink once more as all eyes were on them.

Jez was the first to speak. "Yeah, at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlor. They've got like a million flavors." Viv stared in awe, attempting to wrap her head around the concept of no-melt ice cream; truly this was the best part about being a witch.

"You kids' first years as well? Buying your first pet?" Lydia asked the two warmly. They both nodded politely.

"What are you both thinking about getting?" Jez asked as she played with her owl. "If you say anything other than 'owl' though, I'm sorry but you're wrong." She let out a laugh at her own joke and Byron gave her a skeptical look. "Relax, mate. I'm only teasing you." She flashed him a devilish smile and he nodded dumbly.

Viv was meanwhile deep in thought. "Do you guys have, like, chupacabras or anything like that?"

Damian spoke for the first time to the newcomers. "No, believe me, I already checked." All the kids, sans Damian, let out a chuckle.

"I'll settle for a cat then" Viv replied to the shopkeeper, who helped her pick out the fluffiest, most regal looking cat in the shop.

Damian and Viv started to bond over their mutual Yankeeism, while Jez surveyed the awkward boy. "Are you going to buy anything?"

Seemingly surprised to realize that she is addressing him, Byron manages only to choke out "I've already got a cat: Dinah. She was my dad's while he was in school."

Jez nods, giving Byron a funny look. "I'm guessing so was this old thing?" She playfully tugged hard on Byron's scarf as though it was a leash.

"Yes!" was all Byron could squeak out as she yanked it. Jez laughed and looked at him quizzically.

"Where are your parents?" Byron turned pink again, much to Jez's apparent amusement.

Finally, Byron responded nervously with a simple "Busy." Jez nodded her head, considering this before turning around sharply.

"Hey, dad! Can we bring these two with us to get ice cream?" Viv grinned from ear to ear while Byron looked shocked.

Alphard chuckled and nodded his approval. "So long as you're buying, sure." Jez shook her head and skipped out of the shop, owl in tow, the others followed suit.