*Special Snake*
Kataleya and Louise sat at the dinner table waiting for Kataleya's father to come home from work. They still had to tell him the magical news. Kataleya was shifting nervously on her seat, while her mother only picked at her food. Needless to say, both of them were nervous as to how Marc Anderson would react to his wife and daughter to be witches. They both loved him more than life itself and didn't really want to imagine his reaction.
'Mum? I'm scared.' Kataleya wanted to keep her father and was already imagining a scene where her father completely explodes and runs away to never come back. 'I know, Kat, me too. But your father will probably be home every sec-'
They heard a key being turned in the door and a shout of, 'HEY! I'M HOME!' before the family father came into the room and greeted his wife with a kiss and his daughter with a hug. But he instantly realized that something was different. His family wasn't in their usual mood when he came home from work. His wife was picking on her food and his daughter shifted on her seat while looking at him as if he'd run away at every moment. He sat down and sighed. 'Hey...what's wrong, Kat? Lou?' Both of them snapped their heads towards him and opened and closed their mouths, trying to form words. Then, finally, Kataleya broke the uncomfortable silence.
'Dad? We have to tell you something. And we really hope you understand and don't run away.' Marc looked confused as to why in the world he would run away, but nodded anyway for his daughter to go on. 'Today, when I was alone and watching Harry Potter again, I got mad at Dumbledore and Ron and everything started whirling around the room and crashing into the walls. Then I realized that similar things happened in the past. Remember when I landed on Mums lap, as if I just apparated? Or when I was five and you got a report from my teacher that I turned her hair rainbow? And on my seventh birthday, when we were at the zoo, you don't know that, but the sn-' Kataleya decided not to tell her parents of her secret, just in case they would hate her. 'Blake tried to hit me and I pushed him. It was weird, he landed like five feet away from me. When Mum came home, she explained that it was magic and she fixed the living room. She told me she was a witch and went to school with Harry Potter. She was a Hufflepuff and Aunt Louisa is a squib. After the battle, she never had anything to do with magic again and yeah...' Marc was perplexed. His wife and daughter, witches?
'Why did you only tell me that now?' His voice clearly showed that he was hurt and it came out only as a whisper, but they understood him anyways and looked down. Louise looked up after a second again and whispered back, 'Because Kat will get her Hogwarts Letter soon...' It all came so fast. Marc didn't know what to do, he stood up and left the room.
The silence that came back into the room after he left was really uncomfortable. Both Kataleya and Louise wanted to say something, anything, but they coudln't. They didn't know what. The silence was only broken by a rap at the window. They both looked towards it and saw an owl waiting to be let in. Kataleya practically jumped out of her seat and ran towards the window to let the owl in. She took the yellow envelope from the owl and ran back to her seat to open it.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Dear Ms. Anderson,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Neville Longbottom
Deputy Headmaster
She stared at the parchment for a second before she started screeching like mad and jumping around the room, dinner completely forgotten. 'Kat. I think you should look at the second page.' And so Kataleya sat back down and picked the second parchment up.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendent of Witchcraft Provisions
Now there was no way to stop the still 10-year-old from jumping across the room screeching and squealing like a five-year-old. But that was fine, she just found out about herself, so why stop her from being excited about it? 'Mum? Can we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow?' The girl feared that her mother would decline and say they would go later but fortunately, Louise was completely okay with going to Diagon Alley the next day.
Now it was time. They would be going to Diagon Alley. They wouldn't apparate, of course, since Kataleya was to young to and Louise didn't do it since over 20 years ago. If they did it, they would risk splinching theirselves, so they drove with the Knight Bus. If you ask, it was...interesting. Scratch that, Kataleya threw up the moment they left the bus. 'Mum, please, never ever try to get me into that...thing again!' But Louise only laughed and lead the way to The Leaky Cauldron. Louise took a deep breath and entered the pub, her daughter trailing after her. The moment, Tom the barkeeper laid his eyes on Louise, he held his breath. It was not everyday you see someone back in the wizarding world after 23 years.
'Louise Murray...what brings you here? And who's that young lady at your side?' Tom's words brought the attention of a woman about her age to Louise and the woman stood up and came over. 'Louise? Is it really you?' The woman almost burst into tears. Same with Louise. She hadn't seen her best friend for years. Because, breaking contact to the wizarding world means to never contact magical friends again. 'Yes, Grace, it's me.' Then she turned back to Tom. 'Anderson, I'm married. And this young lady is my daughter Kataleya. She'll start Hogwarts this year.'
Grace Nutley was a beautiful woman with black hair and pale skin. She almost looked like a vampire, but only almost. For her, black hair and pale skin was the best possible combination. She was in Hufflepuff with Louise and the two shared a dorm. Kataleya looked between her mother, Tom and Grace. 'Hello...', she greeted them awkwardly and waved shyly. Grace bent down to look into Kataleya's face. 'Oh my...Lou, she looks just like you! Only the eyes are different...they are cool. A mixture of red and green. Never seen that before.' Kataleya laughed nervously. Everyone made fun of her eyes in school before and now this woman turns up and fucking COMPLEMENTS her eyes? That's weird...the adults talked quite a while before saying goodbye and leaving Louise to walk out of the back door with Kataleya.
Their first stop was Gringott's, where they got some money for their shopping. Then they went to Flourish & Blott's, where they bought Kataleya's books for her first year. It was quite heavy, why Louise carried the books to Madam Malkin's. There Kataleya got her robes fitted and got even more excited about a wand and a pet. She kind of wanted a snake, but she didn't know, if it was allowed. On the letter, it clearly said, only owls, cats or toads, but maybe they could make an exception. They walked into the shop and Kataleya immediately ran to the snakes. She looked at almost all of them, but there was no snake in particular that she liked. But then...
"Kataleya?" The girl turned to the hissing noise and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. "Zzzzuki? What are you doing here?" "That man from the zzzzoo opened my cage to feed me, ssssso I sssslithered out and wasss found on the sssstreetssss by a wizzzard. Do you want me?" Kataleya wanted to hiss back when she heard a voice from behind. "I wouldn't buy that one, if I were you. She's extremely venomous." It was the shopkeeper. Kataleya nodded at first, but quickly changed her mind and turned to her mum. "Mum? Can we buy that snake? It's the one from the zoo four years ago!" Louise came over to them and the shopkeeper explained once more that the snake was venomous. Louise looked at her daughter and shook her head. "No, Kat. You heard him. It's venomous. And I don't care, if it's the one from the zoo." But Kataleya wouldn't budge and stood on her toes to whisper in her mother's ear. "But mum! I can talk to it! Her name's Zuki!" Louise's eyes widened a bit before she whispered back. "Fine. But only, if you tell it not to bite anyone." Kataleya nodded happily and Louise told the shopkeeper, she wanted to buy it.
"A-are you sure?" When Louise nodded, the shopkeeper nodded and got the snake with the cage. " With the cage and food it would be 30 galleons and 15 sickles." Louise gave the man the money and had shrunken the cage to fit it into her bag before leaving the shop with her daughter. "Are you happy now, Kat?" The little girl nodded and together they went to find Ollivander's. Finding the shop and going inside, the bell above the door ringed and soon after, Mister Ollivander came from the back of the shop.
"Ah, Miss Murray! Vine wood, Dragon heartstring, 9 inches, correct?" Louise nodded and pointed to her daughter. "It's Anderson now. I'm married and here for my daughter's wand." Ollivander smiled his wicked grin and looked at Kataleya. "Good good. Which one's your wand arm, Miss Anderson?" Kataleya hesitated before lifting her left arm. "I'm left-handed, Mister Ollivander." The now very old man nodded enthusiastically and hurried to the back of the shop, only to come back with 10 wands to be tried out.
The first five didn't even react to Kataleya and she already worried that she wasn't really a witch, but the sixth one created wind that threw the wands from the shelves. After that there were 12 other wands that weren't good enough, until Ollivander came back with a special wand.
"I only made this one today. It's Vine Wood, Phoenix Feather Core and 9 inches, almost the same as your mother's. The special thing is, that Phoenix feathers normally don't react well, put together in a wand." Kataleya was amazed and took the wand from Ollivander's hand. She decided to try out a spell and pointed the wand at one of the wand boxes laying on the table. "Wingardium Leviosa!" She made the swish and flick and slowly lifted up the box with alle her concentration, but it only reached about 3 inches before crashing back on the table. Ollivander looked at her. "This is the perfect wand for you! 7 galleons, please!" They paid and left again.
Now they had everything important, Kataleya would use her mother's old Hogwarts trunk, and decided to leave Diagon Alley. But before that could happen, Kataleya hugged her mother and said, "Thank you, Mum!" over and over again. Louise only laughed and walked outside with her daughter. "Um...Kat? We need to take the Knight Bus again." Kataleya looked at her mother with a shocked expression and shook her head violently. "No, no, no! Don't ever try to get me on that thing again! We can use the flow or anything else, I would even volunteer to splinch, if you didn't succeed side-along apparation, but the Knight Bus? Never in my whole life ever again!" Louise laughed and lifted her wand arm. A second later, the Knight Bus stood in front of them. "Well, honey, I guess you'll have to live with it." And she dragged Kataleya into the bus, paid and sat down with her daughter pouting next to her. Then she realized where she was and paled. "Mum. Mum! No, Mum, I want to get out of here!" But it was too late. The bus started driving and Kataleya screamed at first before clutching her mother's arm the whole way home. She loved roller coasters, she really did, but the Knight Bus was a nightmare.
**SpEcIaL sNaKe**
Yay! Second chapter done and another seven pages with it! I hope you liked it and I have no clue about wands, so I just made something up about why the wand was so special and I really wanted Neville to be Deputy. Hope you don't mind and please review, I need the motivation!
Sarah💚