A/N: HOORAH! I've finally updated! Srry it's taken so long guys life ain't easy! But it's a nice lengthy chapterI hope, and thank you jumpernumbernine for updating your story finally and the same to Starlight1234! Please update again real soon! And i'll try to update again real soon! School gets out in about 17 days! so by then the only excuse i'll have 4 not updating will be out of state vacations! Again srry 4 the wait! And for my pole question...how do you think Ron and hermione are gonna end up? If they are together, will they come with Harry? If they aren't...same question. The same for Harry and Ginny (srry i'm stealing your pole q. jumpernumbernine, but it was a real good one & i forgot to answer so here it is.
I think eventually Ginny and harry will get back together, because 1 They're cute together 'nough said! 2. Ginny is kinda what harry's reward will be when Harry defeats the dark lord because it's my personal opinion that he will, and blah blah blah, I have got to stop rambling! Plez R&R, you reviews are greatly appreciated!
-Hermione-lilypotter1234
Reborn Ashes- Chapter 2- Blushing at Diagon Alley
"The Wand chooses the wizard…all may be very curious when it comes to a wands choice…always a journey to discover the perfect match, and make sure you find it!" –(I think you know who's talking in this case!)
"Here we are, the Leaky Cauldron!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed as the sleek black car pulled up in a small lot. It was near an old-fashioned, black building Lily had never quite noticed before. But she wasn't the only one excited.
Mrs. Potter's daughter, Maggie, was looking forward to her first year as well, as was her older brother, Joseph, who had accepted the honor of Head Boy this year.
When Lily had first seen Maggie, it had been every effort of hers not to gasp- the likeness was unreal!
Maggie was a petite girl, and had turned 11 only just last June. She was a mixture of both shy and talkative, and asked just as many questions as Lily did. Her hair flew down to about six inches past her shoulders, so it was slightly longer than Lily's (Lily's was three inches below her shoulders), and was also a calm wavy, although, Lily's hair was much thicker.
Her eyes were a shade of green too, but they weren't as brilliant as Lily's. They were a pretty hazel, and when you saw them up close, you could find a few traces of sapphire there as well. Her skin was fine and sort of pale, and her ears and lips were smaller than average, but the only difference was Maggie had no freckles across the bridge of her nose, and Lily was about an inch shorter.
Joseph, on the other hand, was a strong young man who had just become of age in the wizarding world last July, and his straight passing marks had earned him his invitation as Head Boy. His hair was a neat, dark brown, but his eyes were an eager blue. His skin was tanner than his sisters, and his ears and lips were just the right size for his handsome face. He stood about six feet tall, so he was a little more than a foot taller than Lily and Maggie.
Mrs. Potter herself was about an average woman's height (5'7"), and had a very lean, petite body, like her daughter. Her hair was a short, dark brown, and a little wavy. Her eyes were blue and her skin was very fine. Her tone was friendly, but it wasn't a voice that you would use to talk down to a very small child, and Lily liked that. It didn't make her feel stupid.
A beautiful ring was also on Mrs. Potter's left hand. The main gem was one of the stones that changed colors depending on what color it was set against, and the ring itself was silver with cursive engravings, but Lily couldn't read them from the distance she was at.
However, Lily had found reason to be confused; the passersby didn't seem to notice any of the cast iron building jutting out on the sidewalk, much less any of the people going into it. The place wasn't exactly easy to miss!
As Joseph and Mrs. Potter headed for the Leaky Cauldron, Maggie caught sight of Lily's bemused expression.
"What is it Lily?"
Startled, Lily replied, "Why don't any of these people notice this place?"
Maggie gave a single laugh, "Because they're muggles!"
"Muggles?"
"That's what we call non-magic folk. They can't see it because it would alert them to our world. There's a back door that you can only reach by going through the Leaky Cauldron. It leads to where we're going, Diagon Alley."
There wasn't much you could see in the Leaky Cauldron. The only light there consisted of a few smoldering fireplaces, and some levitating candles, which Lily found very impressing.
Although, Lily didn't have much time to observe, she was too excited about this Diagon Alley place Maggie had mentioned. And Mrs. Potter was urging them on towards the back of the shop.
However this notion was slightly stunted as they opened the grubby door to daylight, and a brick wall stood around them, along with a few plastic bags of garbage.
Mrs. Potter then took a short wooden stick from her tweed cloak, and tapped a combination of the bricks on the surrounding wall. Suddenly, the wall began to curl away, and the sight to be seen was well…magical.
Before them was a world composed of imagination, magic, and everything else wonderful. There were shops with outrageous wares, and stores with so many unthinkable things! It was paradise! Except this time, Lily knew, it wasn't a like a book where it only existed in your mind, it was real, and it was the most beautiful place Lily had ever been!
"Off to Gringotts everyone!" Mrs. Potter smiled, and once again they headed off.
As soon as all their bags were bulging with galleons, sickles, and knuts, the adventure began, and they all went in search of the needs on their lists.
First they stopped at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, to get the girls some new school robes, but Lily and Maggie fell in love with the ball robes instead. Their uniforms were nice, but they weren't anything compared to the sequined delights of the ball robes. Of course, Joseph had the chance to buy some dress robes because there was the Graduation Ball he had to go to, and the Prefect Party, but he insisted on waiting until he had a date to coordinate with.
Next they traveled on to what Lily claimed her favorite shop. Flourish and Blotts, the wizard bookstore! Not only did Lily buy the books she needed for school; she bought a good number that looked interesting. Some of them were information books, but others were on some of the mystical creatures she had read about in fairytales, and she wanted to see the same creatures through a wizard's perception.
Their third stop was the Apothecary, which Lily decided was both her least favorite, but the most interesting at the same time. They bought some basic potion materials for the girls, and some more advanced for Joseph.
They also bought some cauldrons, scales, telescopes, phials, and other foreign wizard needs, although, Joseph went off to look at broom models eventually. Maggie explained that Joseph was on the Quiddtch team; a chaser for Gryffindor- but he wasn't the captain. This was because another one of the chasers, a boy named Jeffery Stone, was in his Seventh Year as well, and had played on the team a year longer than Joseph, who had been too studious in his Second Year to try out. But there couldn't possibly be any bad blood between the two, as Maggie had explained, they'd been best friends since they met at Hogwarts. Being in the same dorm, it was hard not to be at least close acquaintances.
Eventually, they stopped by Eeylops Owl Emporium to get Lily and Maggie an owl. Lily named her light chesnut barn owl Meggie, after Maggie only with an 'e'. And Maggie called hers Lilee after Lily only with a long 'I' sound instead of a short 'I' sound.
Finally, just as the sun was starting it's descend, they were at their last stop. Ollivanders, the Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.
Just as both girls were heading for the door Mrs. Potter stopped them.
"It's a very special day when a witch or wizard gets their first wand. It's, as my father put it, personal. So, Lily why don't you go first, Maggie can wait out here just a little longer. It shouldn't take you very long."
Lily felt her face go pale. By herself! Were these people crazy!
Despite the fearful butterflies that entered her stomach, Lily slowly dragged herself up the stairs (how was she supposed to argue with Mrs. Potter?), and tentatively opened the old door.
A bell tinkled overhead, as the door gaped open. But, she wasn't the only one there. A young boy, about her age, with very tousled, dark hair was picking up a wand as she quietly shut the door, and an older man was behind a cluttered desk where the boy stood. They had not noticed her.
Suddenly Lily's heart gave a harsh clench, which usually told her that something A.) Bad was going to happen or B.) Something she would regret later was about to happen.
Her heart did not deceive her, and as the boy flicked the wand, a glass shattered, drawers flew open, their papers exploding chaotically, while boxes flew off shelves and feather quills went flying.
Lily screamed (a little more girlishly than she would've liked) and the young boy, and the old man swerved around to see who had caused the ruckus.
The papers settled and Lily's cheeks went from flour white, to beet red.
"I'm…I…I'm dreadfully sorry." Lily stuttered, "I just…I…didn't know that that was going to happen…but…'erm…" Lily bit her lip, this was the most she'd ever been embarrassed since Petunia had actually gotten a better grade on an arithmetic test when they were little.
The old man smiled mercifully, "Not to worry, we were just trying to find young Mr. Potter here, a wand. I expect you came for the same reason 'eh? You look about the same age."
"Yes sir." Lily had become very interested in her shoes, and twirled a strand of her fiery red hair around her fingers, but she glanced up at him with her brilliant green eyes all the same.
"Well then, every customer is welcome, so pull up a chair…" a chair slid out from a closet under a staircase, "…and we'll have this finished up with this wand I believe Mr. Potter. Mahogany, 11 inches, phoenix feather, pliable, very good for transfiguration work I bet you'll find…"
A few minutes later the boy had his mahogany wand, and came over to Lily.
Gathering her little bag of what she had left from Gringotts, Lily stood up to meet him.
"I am really, very sorry I…interrupted you, finding your first wand is special, and I must've ruined it, I'm sorry."
When she looked up at him she saw his hazel eyes nearly hidden by a pair of full moon glasses. His face was kind, and understanding, and all Lily could do, again, was blush.
He smiled, "Don't worry about that, in fact I should be thanking you!"
"In what way?" Lily was confused at why he should be so nice to her.
"Because now, the day I got my first wand is even more memorable." He grinned.
Lily's smile widened graciously. He did have a cute smile, but his features reminded her of someone.
"I'm Lily Evans. I'm a first year at Hogwarts this year."
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance Miss Lily Evans" he preformed a mock bow, "I am James Potter, your fellow first year, and friend."
Lily laughed.
James' stomach somersaulted, and he had to say, he wasn't expecting that. But there was something about her laugh that sent a chill up his spine, and his gut aquiver, but he sort of liked it.
Lily suddenly felt even warmer and was sure she'd never done this much blushing in her entire life. But, somehow, it was a happy warm that filled her, not an embarrassing one, and suddenly her fingers began to tingle, and her stomach rocked, as if she were on a boat. But she sort of liked it.
"Now I believe someone was waiting to find a wand?" Mr. Ollivander broke into their reveries. But his face was kind and a look of knowing glimmered in his liquid silver eyes.
Regretfully Lily looked up, "Yes sir, I'm coming! It was nice meeting you James. I look forward to seeing you at school." She gave a final smile, and left for the desk.
James smiled back. He just couldn't get over the fact that there was something about her eyes the way they sparkled like beautiful emeralds. And her smile, the way it poured that warm feeling in his heart, and how she had twirled her hair when she had blushed, not to mention her laugh, it was like an ocean blue wave, the way it rippled…
And her name…
"Good-bye…Lily." It waltzed off his tongue. And he would never forget it.
And so he left thinking about the girl with emerald eyes, and an ocean wave laugh, chanting "Lily…Lily…Lily..."
Before long, Lily had burst open her fair share of cabinets, and sent wood shavings flying like fire embers. But, finally, she had found it, her very first wand. Oh how excited she was to show her mum and dad!
It was an ivory colored 10 and ¼ inch willow wand with a phoenix feather core and a very 'swishy' body, which according to Mr. Ollivander should help her with charm work.
But when Lily exited the shop. Her friends' faces weren't as jubilant and bright as they had been before she'd left.
"I'm sorry if I took too long," She peered at them apologetically, "There was someone in before me." Lily thought she heard one of them mumble something like, "We know." But she shrugged it off as Mrs. Potter brightened slightly, and nudged her daughter to go ahead, leaving an open spot on the iron bench for an out of sorts Lily.
After Maggie had her own wand (Holly 13 ¼ inches, unicorn hair) Mrs. Potter took them out to a restaurant called Florean Fortescues. It was mainly an ice cream parlor, and they had some of the most outrageous flavors!
There was Droobles Bubble Gum, Dragons Delight, Barefoot Boggart, Werewolves' Best, Lovesick Lemon, Mystery of the Mermen (released after the book Mystery of the Mermen came out, which happened to be one of the books Lily had bought at Flourish and Blotts), and so many others!
In the end, Mrs. Potter chose 'Florean's Favorite' (a blend of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla with crushed peanut butter cups). Joseph bought the Bertie Botts special of the day, Peppermint (with some peppermint jellybeans added in). Maggie had Arabian Nights (a spicy cinnamon flavor with nutmeg and other delicious spices), and Lily chose the plain, but tasty Vanishing Vanilla (but she quickly made note to try something new next time, when the ice cream kept flickering in her bowl.)
After some animated conversation with Maggie and her family, Mrs. Potter declared it was time they brought Lily home.
The car ride home was very uneventful, but Lily didn't care. She'd asked all the questions she could think of, and she was too tired to talk anymore. She could only think of all the things she'd learned that day, and what fun it would be with Maggie and Joseph at school. But they weren't the only things on her mind as the sun went down.
As her eyelids grew heavy, she thought of how depressed and tense the feeling had been after she had come out of Ollivanders.
Lily finally convinced herself to think about it later, and her mind soon turned to a set of hazel eyes masked by a pair of full-moon glasses, and a head of extremely ruffled hair, on a kind, understanding face.
If only she knew…
A/N: Srry again for taking so long to update, and reviews always help me update faster! We had a few new reviewers, but thnx to all the old as well!Thnx to Lawwwren, angelcandi, Maurdersroxmysox, saybriel-terrigan, sashi the tootsie roll, tayni the tiny, Deamer, and Ruthie 4 all of your reviews! I feel so loved! tear
-Hermione-lilypotter1234
