Shopping Bags and Evil Cousins

Pandora woke early the next morning, all things considered, she'd had a remarkably good sleep. After lounging in bed for five minutes, she glanced at the clock and squealed in surprise. It was half eight and she had to be at the Leaky Cauldron for half nine! She leapt out of bed and dashed into the shower. After washing her hair, she muttered a quick drying spell, and wandered over to her walk-in closet. 'What on earth should I wear?!' She thought back to her mother yesterday, and realised that she'd have to dress like a pureblood. Given her new frame, almost all her clothes didn't fit anymore anyway. Maybe it was time for a whole new wardrobe! In the end she spotted a beautiful indigo floor length dress that would look lovely under her basic black robes. She left her hair as it was, and couldn't be bothered with make-up, what was the point when her skin was so pale and her eyes so red!?

She snatched up her wand, the necklace her mother had given her, a large pouch of gold, and her shopping list. Glancing at the clock again, she realised she had ten minutes before she needed to be there. She ran down the stairs and shouted a quick 'bye' to the Granger's and floo'ed to the Leaky Cauldron.

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Upon arrival, she quickly spotted her mother, given the whole pub was almost empty at this time of morning. She wandered over, and gave her a small hug, before they both headed off into Diagon Alley.

"Would it be okay if I bought some new clothes, now that the glamour has been removed, my old clothes don't fit anymore. It was a nightmare trying to find something to wear this morning! Although I'll have to pop into Gringotts to get more gold for the clothes!" Pandora started to root around in her robe pockets for her shopping list.

"Nonsense, I've missed out on 17 years of your life, I shall buy you your new clothes and all your school supplies! I want to look after you Pandora, treat you like my daughter, love you like my daughter. And besides, we're richer than the Malfoy's! I could spend a hundred, thousand galleons on you, and we'd STILL be richer than the Malfoy's! Consider it my treat!"

Pandora froze in shock. Sure, she'd grown up in a family were there was plenty of money, but never this kind of money. 'The Malfoy's are almost billionaires... Just how much money do the Dagworth's have!?' She was gobsmacked, but wanted to appease her new mother, so she relented.

"Now, show me your uniform list first! You won't fit into your old ones anymore." Pandora handed the list to her mother.

Uniform (Amounts are minimal requirements)

-Three sets of plain work robes (black)
-One plain pointed hat (black)
-One winter cloak (black with silver fastenings)
-Three white shirts/blouses
-Two grey sweaters, vests or cardigans
-Two charmable ties in house colours
-One charmable winter scarf in house colours
-Two pairs of trousers for boys, or skirts for girls
-Three pairs of white knee socks or black wool stockings for girls, or black ankle socks for boys
-One set of dress robes (any colour, conservative in style)

"Right follow me then, we'll head to Twilfit and Tatting's first, given they have by far the best materials that are quality made. Madame Malkins is a last resort! Only the best is acceptable for my daughter!" Pandora blanched, Twilfit and Tatting's was located in Knockturn Alley, but she could see arguing with her mother was pointless. "Do not look at anyone whilst we are in Knockturn, everyone else is beneath you! If you look at people, they think you're gullible enough to either steal from or kill. So, I recommend eyes on me at all times, or at the shop's hangings!" Pandora nodded her understanding, as they entered the alley.

Bizarrely it didn't feel as bad as Harry had made it out to be. It wasn't as dark and dingey. Yes, there was a slight sense of darkness. But Pandora almost felt at ease, the minute anyone saw her and her mother coming, they scarpered. 'Maybe the Dagworth's are well known down here? Either way I could get used to this kind of respect... Or is it fear?' she thought.

Astrid guided Pandora into Twilfits', clicking her fingers to summon an assistant as she went. Half an hour later and the young assistant's arms were laden with Pandora's new school clothes, the only thing left was her dress robes.

"What colour would you like dear? How about this?" She handed her a swatch of Mulberry Silk, it was like spun silver, but astonishingly soft to the touch. You can have it detailed if you want, how about roses and vines? Maybe a few snakes, all done in black? It would look bewitching on you! Yes, we'll do that!" Pandora didn't even seem to have a say in the matter, although she had to admit, she must have the same taste as her mother, as that was exactly what she would have picked. Pandora beamed at her mother.

"Right, you can run and take the clothes to the till, whilst Ms Twilfit measures her for her dress robes, I will be over in a minute after I discuss what I want for the dress robes." Astrid ordered the assistant. 20 minutes later, and Pandora had finished being measured. The dress robes were ordered and would be sent to Astrid's Manor once finished.

"Right, where's that bloody assistant gone!? Oh, there you are, right well make yourself useful, she needs a full new Autumn wardrobe, mostly blacks with dark purples and reds, several emerald green items and a few in sapphire blue too. I also want dresses in each colour as well! Bring everything you find to the changing area." Pandora liked this new lifestyle of being waited on hand and foot. She could get used to the luxury of it. Whilst the assistant was sprinting around finding clothes, Astrid led Pandora to a large loveseat, where both Mr Tattings and Ms Twilfit handed them cups of tea and some Scottish shortbread. After two hours of trying clothes on, and buying almost every single item that was tried on, Astrid had spent well over 15,000 galleons. Next up was her school supplies, Pandora read through the list.

After getting the few bits that she didn't already have, as well as more parchment inks and quills, her mother suggested popping into The Spiny Serpent to look for a new familiar. Crookshanks had passed away a few months prior, and Pandora also needed an Owl.

"Right we'll do the owl first, then we can find you a new familiar, do any of these take your fancy?" The bloke who appeared to own the shop, directed Pandora over to several rows of Owls on stands and in cages. Most were plain and boring, with nothing that stuck out at Pandora. Almost giving up hope, she reached the second to last Owl, and was struck by its beauty. "Ah I see you've found Allora, she's a Barred Owl, notice the bar like stripes on her chest. But be careful, she bites anyone who goes near here!" Something struck Pandora as odd, how on earth could such a beautiful creature be so vicious? Not believing the man, she took a tentative step towards Allora, which was received with a loud hoot by the Owl, before it jumped from its perched and flew down to her shoulder. The shop owner stood mouth agape in surprise.

"Maybe she was just waiting for the right person to come along? She looks to be almost royalty, maybe because our blood is so pure, she accepted Pandora?" Astrid mused over the Owl's actions for a few seconds before deciding that Allora was perfect for Pandora. "Right, now we just need a familiar! Any suggestions?"

"I do have one, given how well Allora responded to you, I have a slight inclination that you would be well received to another usually vicious creature that needs a home." The owner led the two Dagworths to a back room away from all the other animals. "This is Enuva (pronounced: en-oo-va), she is incredibly special, as not only is she an endangered Boa Constrictor, but she happens to be the sister of Nagini, the Dark Lord's snake. However, unlike Nagini, Enuva isn't poisonous. Why don't you say hello to her?" Enuva was absolutely stunning, and although she wasn't as big as Nagini, she was certainly long. At least 4ft.

"Hello pretty girl, you won't hurt me, will you? I won't hurt you..." Astrid was astonished, because what came out of Pandora's mouth wasn't English, it was Parseltongue.

"Hello, my name isss Enuva, it meansss New Beginningsss. I will not hurt a Parselmouth."

"Woah, what the hell, it just spoke back to me. It called me a Parselmouth, but that's impossible, I couldn't tell what Harry was saying in 2nd year, nor could I hear the Basilisk. I don't understand?!" During her shocked outburst, Pandora failed to notice the look of shock on both her mother's and the shop owner's faces.

"Never mind that girl! What did she say!" The shop owner was far more interested in the snake's words.

"She said she wouldn't hurt me because I'm a Parselmouth. So, I suppose we'd be safe and I could buy her. But we'd have to talk to McGonagall first, anything that isn't regulation has to be requested. It says so on the list."

"Darling, I will send her an Owl, it will be fine. Although it appears, we need to have a discussion about your heritage." Turning to the shop owner she said, "Okay, we'll take Allora and Enuva, could you send Allora to the Dagworth Estate please, we'll take Enuva with us. I'll just go and get some other things for them both."

After they got Allora a cage, a stand, as well as several bags of treats and string, they got Enuva a basket with a fluffy pillow that stays warm permanently, and several small dead animals to feed her. Everything except Enuva was sent to Astrid's Manor, Enuva slipped up Pandora's sleeve, along her shoulders and down her other sleeve, so as not to scare other people.

"Okay so the only thing left is your books, let's head to Flourish and Blotts, that way you can also pick up a couple new books to have in your room at the Manor, if you'd like?" Astrid looked at Pandora with hope filled eyes. She so desperately wanted her daughter to move in with her. It was lonely at the manor on her own, and she didn't like the idea of Pandora living with Muggles, regardless of whether they were technically family or not.

"Okay, on one condition, I never have to go back to those awful Grangers ever again." Astrid nodded her head frantically, desperately excited to get her daughter home and show her the Manor.

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An hour and a half later, Astrid and Pandora apparated to Dagworth Manor. Upon their arrival, there were two soft pops, and two House Elfs appeared. Both were clearly female due to the skirts they were wearing, that were embellished with 'A.D.' in silver thread.

"Dink, could you please set up a room next to Pandora's Bedroom, I want it to feel like the Jungles in Peru if I were to walk into it." With a pop the first elf was gone. "Right Leena, this is Pandora; my daughter. She is your Mistress, and you are now her personal elf. Anything she asks you to do, you do it. Also, you'll need to change the initials on your clothes to P.D." Pandora was amazed, her own personal house elf. Although she was initially against House Elf slavery, she knew that House Elves got incredibly depressed when not serving, and these were clearly well treated and had clothes, so she accepted it. They seemed to enjoy living and working here. Ron would be so jealous of her, and she couldn't help but smile at that realisation. She was never the kind to brag, but then again, she never really had anything to brag about!

"Right, follow me and I'll show you to your room. When you enter, it will all be grey, and I mean everything. Once you step into it, it works like the room of requirement at Hogwarts, except that it will always be a bedroom. So, think colour schemes and the style of furniture. It will also change to suit your mood whilst you're in there. I shall leave you to get settled, summon Leena once you're all sorted and she will bring you to me. Have fun!" Astrid bounced out of the room, clearly rather excited about having her daughter home.

Pandora slowly opened the door, letting it swing open, before she stepped into a room that was easily four times the size of the Gryffindor common room. As her foot touched the floorboards in the room, the whole room changed, it became a deep indigo, with a feature wall of black and silver, all the furniture was black with silver details, including the bed linen on a queen-sized four poster bed with a stunning indigo canopy. Sitting next to the bed was a vanity, complete with little pouffe to sit on, with more makeup and hair products than Pandora had ever seen in her life. There were several armchairs, and two loveseats that sat around a black glass coffee table. A whole wall was one enormous bookshelf, that went from floor to ceiling. The ceiling was remarkably high, like in a Victorian house. And there was a large mural on the ceiling of a large purple snake wrapped around a banner, although Pandora couldn't make out what the words said as they looked to be in Latin. 'Ex Puro Sanguine'

There were two large double doors on the left wall, one led into a huge walk in closet, where all her new clothes had already been hung up. There was even a section specifically designated for her school clothes, with her trunk underneath the hanging space. The other set of double doors led into a black marble bathroom; it had a bathtub that the prefects would have been envious of, a toilet, a huge sink with a whole wall that was mirrored, as well as a shower, which was interesting as the house didn't have electricity.

Once she'd wandered around and looked at everything, she decided she shouldn't keep her mother waiting much longer and summoned Leena. The little elf appeared with a gentle pop and led her down to her mother's parlour. Once she was seated across from Astrid another elf named Titchy served them tea and scones.

"Okay, so for a start I'm sure you're wondering why you can speak Parseltongue, for one you've never been able to speak or understand it before, and two you're female, as far as I know there has never been a woman who was a Parselmouth. To address the first point, I can only assume the glamour blocked it? Although I'm not entirely sure. As for the second point, it could be that it runs in the family, after all your father's family were incredibly proficient Parselmouths."

"Okay, so who was my dad, and do I have any other family except you and Aunt Aurella?" Pandora's curiosity and thirst for knowledge was driving her past the rather scary realisation that she was in fact a Parselmouth.

"You have two cousins on my side, Aurella and her husband Riley, have two children; Alexia and Celeste, you probably saw a painting of them when they were babies at Aurella's manor. They're a year younger than you. As for your father's side of the family, his last name was Gaunt, which I'm sure you recognise." Pandora's face paled dramatically at that realisation. "Yes sweet, your father had an older brother called Morfin, and an older sister called Merope."

"But, that would mean... No, it can't be. But he's evil. I can't be related to him! Please say it's not true!" By this point Pandora was practically hysterical.

"Young lady you'd better watch your mouth. He is not evil! He is fighting for a good cause, one that the Ministry refuses to listen to, regardless of what's proved right in front of their eyes. Your cousin is a good man! I won't hear a bad word about him!"

"So, it's true! I can't believe this. Voldemort's my cousin!" Pandora cried out in horror.

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A/N THE EDITING ON THIS CHAPTER WAS A LITTLE MORE LABORIOUS, BUT WE GOT THERE IN THE END!

Bahah, I'm evil, yet another cliffy! Don't worry the next chapter will have a bit more action in it, and a confrontation with the Dark Lord himself!

Sorry it took so long to update, but I gave my BETA the decision to choose Riley's name, only he never picked one, so I had to :p I've already written the next 3 chapters whilst I was waiting, so you won't have waits that are this long :3

All shop names are property of J.K.R! As well as the uniform list that is also J.K.R's

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Much love to my lovely Beta, who helps in so many ways! Love yah bro! He does have a character in this based on him, I wonder if you can work out who? It'll become more obvious as the story progresses :3

Reviews are my bread and butter! All are welcome, be they positive or constructive criticism!

Much Love

Az xXx