In case you didn't know, I also have an AO3 account under the same name as this one where I have posted majority of my stories that include this one as well. So if AO3 is more of your style, then you can go and check out the story there as well. Planning my stories ahead of time is also something that I tend to do, and since my Hogwarts Mystery series will be split across seven chapters, this first year will consist of 14 chapters in total. This chapter takes place several years after the last one, since the timing of it is right before Abby begins her schooling which I'm really excited for.

Beginning of the Journey

At eleven-years-old, Abelia Selwyn was almost the spitting image of her older brother Jacobus Selwyn when he was her age. Sure, there was a part of her father in her looks, but her resemblance to Jacob was almost uncanny. To anyone that knew him, it was almost impossible not to see Jacob in his younger sister, Abby. But now she had no idea what her brother looked like, since it had been almost two years since Jacob infamously ran away from home.

Nowadays, his name was frowned upon anywhere in the wizarding world because of his actions surrounding the Cursed Vaults. That had certainly put a tinge of distaste on the Selwyn family name, much to Rogelius Selwyn's frustration. Although Abby knew that Jacob would most likely feel pride knowing that he had caused his father so much trouble after his sudden disappearance. As for Abby, all Jacob's disappearance had done for her was cause two years of anguish without having her brother in her life.

Before Jacob disappeared from home, it had just been the two of them along with their father Rogelius, who was a descendent from the Selwyn family belonging to the Sacred Twenty-Eight. But when Jacob left home, Abby was left alone to deal with her father's cruel and unorthodox methods of parenting which she hadn't yet faced while Jacob was there to protect her. Coming from the Selwyn family meant that Abby and Jacob were both pure-bloods, which was usually considered an honour in the wizarding world but Abby had never seen the advantage of having what was deemed to be 'pure' blood.

Belonging to the Selwyn family also meant that Abby and Jacob's full names were inspired by Roman words or names, since it was a common tradition amongst their family. It had been clear that Jacob despised his name, which was why he preferred to be called Jacob by everyone else. As for Abby, she just found her name to be disgusting and it had been Jacob who shortened it to Abby, which she had always seen herself as ever since. Their father had always called them by their first names, much to their ire.

Their family had certainly been through the wringer in the public eye, with Abby's father being exposed of working under the Dark Lord before his eventual downfall, which saw him sentenced to three years in prison. To Abby's surprise, her father had managed to convince the rest of the world that he had changed and was a different person. Behind closed doors, he was an entirely different person with the ways that he treated his family that were at times, abusive. Things only got worse when their mother, Constance, committed suicide after their fathers release from prison followed by Jacobs obsession with the Cursed Vaults, which had endangered the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

That was why it was somewhat of a surprise to Abby when she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter, since she almost doubted if they would even accept her because of her family's infamy. Nevertheless, Abby had been ecstatic at the thought of attending Hogwarts and the thought of being away from her father. Her father had actually been hesitant about letting her go, but after much convincing on Abby's part, he finally allowed her to go to the school and get her school supplies from Diagon Alley.

Visiting Diagon Alley had been something that Abby did with Jacob before every school year. The first time she set foot in there was when she was five and Jacob was eleven, right before his first year at Hogwarts. Whenever Jacob came home, he always had nothing but fascinating stories about the school to tell, which had only made Abby want to go even more. Despite that wish being granted, Abby still wished that she had Jacob here with her to experience this since it would have been his last year at Hogwarts. Now Abby was left to guide herself through the hectic parts of Diagon Alley.

Do not mess anything up. Her father had warned her before she left.

Not wanting to face her fathers wrath, Abby planned on doing just that. Except things around Diagon Alley had certainly changed since Abby's last visit, even though it had only been two years since she was last there. Most of the time that Abby did go to Diagon Alley, she always just let Jacob lead the way while she looked around, never really paying attention to what she was doing or where she was going. That was exactly what she was doing when she bumped into someone else, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, brat," the woman who knocked her down sneered.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," Abby apologised, not even bothering to argue with the woman for calling her a brat. She got called that at home enough to be used to it by now.

"Well, you should," the woman remarked.

"Careful, Sarah, it's that Selwyn girl," a man said to the woman.

The woman – Sarah – recoiled in disgust, "Ugh, what makes you think that you have the right to show your face around here after what your brother did?"

"I'm just getting my school supplies," Abby murmured.

"Ha!" Sarah cackled. "They really let someone like you into school considering your family's history?"

"How did you even know who I am?" Abby asked the man.

"They say that you looked like your brother, and I saw that boy in you as soon as I looked at you," the man replied.

"It's not nice to judge people without knowing them," Abby stated.

"What's there to know? That your father is a convicted Death Eater from a line of pompous pure-bloods who think that they're better than everyone else? I'd rather not know you," Sarah remarked.

"Let's go, Sarah," the man said, pulling her away.

Sighing, Abby went to pull herself up but faltered when she realised that she had dropped the money that she had been given. Since her father had only given her so much, Abby wasn't going to waste any of it which made her pick it up. Even though Abby came from somewhat of a rich family, her father had never handed her money on his own free will as he felt that she never deserved it, which Rogelius had constantly reminded his daughter.

As Abby picked up her money, she heard footsteps approaching her and hoped that it wouldn't be someone like that woman and man who only wanted to berate her because of her family. To Abby's surprise, she saw someone crouch down next to her and helped her pick up the money. At first, Abby thought that they were just stealing it but then they handed her the money that they had collected in their hand.

"Thank you," Abby said as she properly looked at the person who had come to her aid, only to see a girl with dark skin in black robes.

"No worries, I was happy to help!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm sorry that those people were rude to you."

"It's okay, you don't have to say sorry for them," Abby replied, appreciating the girls kindness.

"I'm Rowan Khanna!" the girl introduced herself with an outstretched hand for Abby to shake. "Are you getting read to start a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry too?"

"Yes, I am," Abby answered as she shook Rowan's hand. "But Diagon Alley is a bit confusing. It's been a while since I was here and when I was here, I hardly paid attention to where I was going. I've got so much to do and I'm not sure where to start…"

"I can help! If you want me to, of course," Rowan offered with a smile.

"I'd like that," Abby grinned.

"Great! I've been reading Hogwarts: A History in anticipation of my first year, so I'm something of an expert on Hogwarts," Rowan proclaimed.

"It's always nice to have an expert around," Abby said.

"You should start by finding all of the books you need at Flourish and Blotts!" Rowan suggested.

"Would you like to come with me, Rowan?" Abby asked, wanting to feel more comfortable around Diagon Alley with someone by her side.

"I'd love to!" Rowan exclaimed.

Together with Rowan, Abby headed off to Flourish and Blotts to get her school supplies. The whole time, Rowan kept on listing any facts that she could think of or whatever she could say about her family which hardly left Abby with any time to talk about herself, which she was somewhat glad for since Abby hated talking about her family.

"Thank you for your help, Rowan. I was able to get all of my books," Abby said once they left Flourish and Blotts.

"Cool! I realised that I was so excited for Hogwarts that I forgot to ask your name…" Rowan trailed off expectantly.

"My name is Abby Selwyn," Abby introduced herself, nervous of how Rowan would respond to her family name.

"Pleasure to meet you, Abby," Rowan smiled.

"You too. I'm really excited to go to Hogwarts," Abby stated, happy that Rowan didn't at all seem bothered by her last name.

"I know! I haven't stopped reading my acceptance letter since I got it!" Rowan exclaimed. "Can I read yours?"

"Sure," Abby shrugged as she handed hers off to Rowan who happily read it.

"This is so exciting! I can't wait to get to Hogwarts. But I want to let everyone at Hogwarts know that I'm a serious intellectual who is on her way to becoming Head Girl," Rowan said.

"Maybe you should make a fashion statement?" Abby suggested.

"I did already get my supplies, and my mum did leave me with some extra money to buy something else… Should I get a smart scarf, a serious sweater or a cool hat?" Rowan asked.

"You said that you want to be a serious intellectual… so how about a serious sweater?" Abby replied.

"Great idea! Sweaters make anyone look smart. And, they're good for when it gets cold!" Rowan exclaimed.

"I should probably get my wand as well…" Abby trailed off, suddenly remembering that she'd forgotten probably the most important thing.

"While I get my clothes, you should get your wand from Ollivanders!" Rowan suggested.

"I'll do that. See you later, Rowan," Abby said as she headed towards Ollivanders.

Even though Abby had just met Rowan, she had a good feeling about the other girl since she hadn't recoiled in disgust at her last name like that other woman did. Upon entering Ollivanders, Abby nervously looked as she tried to find someone to help her, only for that help to be right in front of her.

"Hello… Garrick Ollivander is my name. Here to receive your first wand, yes?" the man in front of her introduced himself.

"Yes, sir," Abby replied.

"I have just the thing. Applewood wand, porlock hair, nine inches, rigid," Ollivander said as he handed Abby the wand. "Go on. Give it a twirl."

Nervously, Abby gave the wand a twirl, only for it to cause a bunch of papers to fly around the room. Messing things up was something that Abby hated doing, so she hesitantly turned back to Ollivander as she gave him back the wand.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to," Abby apologised.

"It's not your fault, dear. The wand chooses the wizard and that is clearly not the wand for you. If I remember correctly, your brother exploded my favourite inkpot when he tried his first wand," Ollivander remembered.

"You knew my brother?" Abby asked in surprise.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold. And I also remember a little girl who accompanied him with his mother, which I'm assuming was you," Ollivander stated.

"Yes, that was probably me. I came with Jacob every year when we went to get his school supplies," Abby recalled.

"Your brothers wand was maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten inches. A fine wand and a shame that they snapped it when he was expelled," Ollivander mused. "I understand that he ran away from home after being expelled, and has been missing ever since. That must have had a profound impact on you."

Abby sighed, "Yes, it did. Things have been harder on our family ever since he left and I don't think that I'll ever be able to live up to our family's name. I just want to prove that I can be a good witch and make a name for myself, despite who my brother and father might be."

"Hm, I appreciate your drive and humility. I can also sense that you have the ability to be a fast learner as well. I may have just the wand for you…" Ollivander trailed off as he produced another wand. "Larch wood with a dragon heartstring core, ten inches and slightly spring flexibility."

It was hard to deny the pull that Abby felt towards that wand. She wasn't sure why she felt that connection. Maybe it was because it had the same core as her brothers wand or maybe, the wand had already chosen her. That was what prompted Abby to take the wand from Ollivanders hands and give it a twirl. Instead of causing papers to fall everywhere, the twirl caused a slight breeze to flutter through the room.

"Splendid!" Ollivander exclaimed. "Dragon heartstrings tend to produce wands with the most power and learn more quickly than other types. Larch would tends to instil courage into its owner and creates wands of hidden talents. I can see that you have the courage and hidden talent to master this wand."

"Thank you so much, sir," Abby said.

"The pleasure is all mine, dear. I'll be interested to see what path you choose…" Ollivander trailed off.

Satisfied with her wand, Abby headed back outside where she found Rowan waiting for her where they last met. This time, Rowan was wearing a rather odd sweater which Abby most likely would not have chosen for herself.

"Hey, Abby!" Rowan acknowledged Abby as she approached her. "How do you like my sweater?"

"It… suits you. You'll look like the smartest first year at Hogwarts," Abby replied.

"It was your suggestion! I'll be coming to you for all of my future fashion advice!" Rowan exclaimed. "Wait, is that a larch wand?"

"… Yes. How did you know?" Abby wondered.

"My family's tree farm supplies wood for wands and brooms. That's why I love staying inside and reading. It keeps me from going outside and farming," Rowan answered.

"Oh," Abby nodded.

"You don't think that I'm too weird? People usually think that I'm too weird," Rowan asked.

"Why would anyone say that about you?" Abby remarked, even though she could somewhat see why people would say that Rowan was weird. But she seemed to be the good kind of weird in Abby's book. "My brother is Jacob Selwyn, so I'm the queen of weird."

"The same Jacob Selwyn who was expelled from Hogwarts for breaking school rules in search of the fabled cursed vaults?" Rowan gasped. "And the same Jacob Selwyn who's the son of the convicted Death Eater, Rogelius Selwyn?"

"Yeah, that one…" Abby mumbled.

"That was a massive story in the Daily Prophet. Everyone at school will know all about that," Rowan said.

"I know. And they'll all think that I'm weird," Abby stated.

"We'll be weird together!" Rowan exclaimed.

"You're not bothered by my brother and father?" Abby asked in surprise.

"Why would I be? You seem nice enough. And my parents always taught me not to judge people based on assumptions," Rowan replied. "Besides, I'm always judged based on outside appearances so who would I be to judge someone because of who their family happens to be?"

"Thank you, Rowan. You're probably the nicest person that I've ever met," Abby said.

"What should I do if someone gives you trouble over your brother and father?" Rowan asked.

"Please don't do anything. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself. All I want is a nice, normal schooling experience," Abby replied.

"Well, I doubt that you'll get that at Hogwarts. There are so many mysteries in that castle. Not to mention, all of the ghosts and other exciting things that we're bound to see!" Rowan exclaimed.

"Let's just wait and see what Hogwarts has to show us," Abby stated.

"I'm so excited! I can't wait to board the Hogwarts Express! We should sit together!" Rowan exclaimed.

"We should," Abby agreed. "I'll try to find you on platform nine and three quarters."

"Great! I'll meet you there," Rowan smiled.

When it came time for Abby to say goodbye to Rowan, she was somewhat sad to leave the girl who she'd just met and go back to her home. But Abby knew that she'd see Rowan again and for that she was looking forward to. In all her life, Abby had never really had a real friend apart from her brother Jacob and her cousin Octavia, who was the only other member of her fathers family who didn't treat her like dirt.

Despite Jacob's obsession with the Cursed Vaults, Abby had no intentions of following in her brothers footsteps at this point in time. All Abby wanted was to go to Hogwarts like a normal student and have a normal schooling experience. By no means did she want to cause any unnecessary trouble to put her in the spotlight.

Only Abby had no idea that her experience at Hogwarts would be anything but normal.

This chapter ended up longer than I expected it to be, since I didn't plan on writing so much of Diagon Alley. It was also confusing for me to write with the ages and school, since Hogwarts starts in the middle of the year whereas I start school at the beginning of the year where I live. As for Abby's wand, it's my wand according to my Pottermore page and those are the characteristics that are associated with it. In regards to Abby's name, it was just going to be Abby until I came across the Latin name Abelia while I was looking to see if there was any Latin form of Jacob, which there was with Jacobus. The name Abelia comes from the Latin name of genes of "honeysuckle" and Jacobus is a form of Iakobus that means "supplanter" in use of the Dutch.