Author's Note: Hi everyone! I hoped you liked the last chapter. Sorry I couldn't update too much over the weekend, but hopefully I'll be able to write more this week. As usual, please review!
Chapter 3: Boy-who-Lived-to-Sleep-on-the-Floor
"Hagrid! What are we even looking for? We're been wandering around London for hours!" whined Cordelia, who had a personal mission to annoy Hagird to the best of her ability and force him to return her to her family. It wasn't working so far, but she had to try. Also, it was a way to take her mind off of the ceaseless wandering of the streets of Surrey. "And I'm hungry!"
They had been looking around for something, Cordelia wasn't exactly sure what, but it'd better be worth it. Her feet were tired, her stomach growled annoyingly, and she wanted more than anything to be at home, eating whatever her mother was cooking; but she really wanted to learn magic too, and discover a new world in which she could try to make a name of herself and make her parents proud of her.
"Well, I'suppose it wouldn't hurt ta git some food. I'm getting pretty hungry meself," Hagrid replied, rubbing his stomach forlornly.
"Okay, we'll make a little pit-stop and then go back to searching for whatever we're searching for," replied Cordelia who was glad that they were going to stop. But seriously, you would think we should be riding on magic carpets or something. Honestly, we're wizards, what was the point of magic if you can't use it everyday?
Well, I guess this would give meh some time to explain meself to her. She can't exactly go around not knowing who she is. Hagrid thought to himself.
They found a small Italian restaurant and sat down, waiting for the waiter to serve them. They flagged him down and began to order.
"I'll have the chicken marinara and a cola please," Cordelia ordered.
Hagrid ordered basically half of the menu much to both of the others' shock.
While waiting for their food, Hagrid leaned in and motioned for Cordelia to do the same, much to her irration, because Hagrid still smelled, although she had gotten somethat used to it. She wasn't sure about how his breath smelled either, but she didn't want to take that chance.
"There are some things I need to tell yeh before we get to Diagon Alley…" Hagrid started.
"What's Diagon alley?" Cordelia demanded, because it sounded like some run down alley that drug dealers would reside in.
"It's like a bunch'a wizarding shops in London, but anyways I gotta tell yeh something…" Hagrid tried to start again.
Cordelia nodded impatiently. She had the urge to make a remark that he told her that already, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.
"I think yeh should know summat about yerself…yer parents weren't muggles. Nope, they were summa the most powerful magical folk around. One o'tha oldest families too. Yeh see, yer surname is…is Vixen," Hagrid whispered as if he was afraid of being overheard. He waited for her reaction.
Cordelia was in shock. The Vixens? She was a Vixen? Impossible! They all died out ten years ago! The richest family in the world was rumored to live in England, anyways, and rumors also said they own two percent of the habitable part of the world. There were never paparazzi around the Vixen family, but the whole world knew they died, even their one-year-old daughter…Cordelia! That was she? Cordelia Vixen was Cordelia Mason? But what was she doing in the non-magical wold when Hagrid clearly said they were magical? It just didn't make sense. If she was really the Vixen heir, then wouldn't poeple be lining up at her door once her parents died to adopt her? Unless someone did adopt her first, but why would they place her in a non-magical orphanage? Was she really that unlovable?
It was also a matter of looks, too. The Vixens were rumored to be stunning, movie star-like people. Long, flowing blonde hair and hazel, almost tawny brown eyes. Always, maybe that was the magic working in their roots? Not brown hair and drab brown eyes. She was sure it wasn't possible. Now she touched her hair and found it softer than before. It was magic, after all, she thought, I guess anything's possible.
"Now I'm sure it's hard to wrap yer mind around this, but it's true," Hagrid said, startling her.
"Well, yer parents were Marius Vixen, but I fergot his 'maiden name' and Arabella Vixen," Hagrid continued, reaching for his plate of food that just came.
"What? My father had a maiden name?"
"Yeh, it's kinda odd, but the Vixen's are a strictly matriarchal family, although no one knows why. Therefore, the men who marry into the family have to change their names. I don't know why, but I can't remember yer father's name!"
"Don't worry, I don't really care much about names. But how did they die?" Cordelia asked softly.
Hagrid visibly gulped, "I-it was You-Know-Who's doing, he ordered their assassination. He got his Death Eaters to ambush them, and we were too later to save them."
"Wait, who? Who's You-Know Who? and who's we? you?" she was confused. She had no idea who You-Know-Who was, and Hagrid didn't seem like the superhero type to save her parents from anyone.
"He's the Dark Lord. He tried to take over the Wizarding World. Almost succeded, he did, if it weren't fer young Harry Potter. An' by we, I meant tha' Light Side. You-Know-Who was an' terrible man, did horrible things. Your parents fought against him."
"Doesn't the Dark Lord have a name? And what did Harry Potter do to kill the Dark Lord? does he have super amazing powers?"
"I can't say it… fine, his name was-was Voldemort-"
"Voldemort? That's a funny name. Who would name their kid Voldemort?"
"Shh! Not so loud! Well, I suppose yeh wouldn't understand… he was terrible… killed hundreds of muggles and wizards alike."
"Muggle?"
"Non-magical folk,"
"Oh, so what did this Harry Potter do to You-know-Who?"
Hagrid sighed in relief, he hated talking about the Dark Lord, it was like he was going to pop out any second and massacre them all. "Well Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, no one knows how, but the Dark Lord's own curse rebounded on him and was killed."
"Wow, this Harry Potter kid must have been really strong then," Cordelia, replied. She wanted to ask him how he could perform such a feat.
"Well, actually, he was only one years old. But he has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead to show where the curse hit him."
"Now I really want to meet him! Maybe he can teach me a few tricks to use against dark wizards then!"
"Uhh…he's only eleven, so he'll be in yer class in Hogwarts. Actually, he's who we're looking for. All tha owls we sent t'him haven't been replied. So we're kinda worried fer him," Hagrid replied.
"Why didn't I get an owl?" Cordelia demanded eagerly.
"Well, tha headmaster though it woulda been better if I just picked yeh up," Hagrid explained.
"Okay... Well do I get a letter now?" asked Cordelia.
"I'll give yeh yers when young Harry gets his too."
"Okay, that sounds about fair," replied Cordelia finishing her last bite of pasta.
Hours later
"Ruddy muggles! They jus' had to run as far as possible!" Hagrid growled.
They were currently in a tiny boat in the middle of the sea, searching in the last place in London anyone could think of.
Cordelia internally agreed, these muggles were certainly paranoid. They surely had to be running from the wizards, because a hut in the middle of a sea wasn't exactly a vacation. They also chose the time when a storm was approaching and the boat was open. Good thing Hagrid was a wizard, or she would have caught pneumonia from the cold. Maybe Harry's parents thought they were being scammed from Hogwarts, Cordelia thought, my parents certainly thought so too. She really didn't want to see Harry be taken away from his family like she was.
Finally, with the help of many charms, the tiny boat reached the rock where the hut stood.
Hagrid knocked loudly to wake up the people inside.
BOOM
The house shivered.
BOOM.
They heard a voice, and paused to listen to it. Nope, nothing.
Hagrid knocked again, and the door fell over. Cordelia smiled wryly. If Hagrid did that to MY house, mother and father would have a fit. Then, they would call the police, and Hagrid would be in BIG trouble, she thought to herself.
Hagrid somehow squeezed himself in the shack, and Cordelia followed, eager to get out of the rain. Hagrid fixed the door silently as Cordelia assessed her surroundings.
A pale, green-eyed boy was staring at them in horror on the floor. It looked like he had been sleeping there before with a threadbare blanket to cover him from the cold. A terribly fat boy was on the couch, whimpering in fear it was like he had seen the moster under his bed. Well, maybe he had. Cordelia had the urge to give him a predatory smile, but she didn't. On the stairs was an even fatter man holding a gun, which made Cordelia take an instinctively step behind Hagrid. There was no way she was going to get shot before him. Then, there was a skinny, frail looking woman who stared at them both in hate and disbelief. She sarcastically waved to her, and the woman quickly averted her gaze to Hagrid.
Hagrid broke the silence saying, "Couldn't make us a cup o'tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…."
Cordelia was about to comment that, it was the biggest understatement of the year, but decided that now wasn't the time for sarcasm.
They strode over to the couch where the fat boy was hogging it all up. "Move it, fattie," Cordelia snapped annoyed, they couldn't even make them feel comfortable? Pathetic. These people were definitely not like her parents, so she didn't feel like she had to be nice to them. I mean who lets someone sleep on the floor with a tiny blanket? She thought.
"An' here's Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed, causing the green-eyed boy to look up at him. He put on his glasses and she could see that they had tape all over them.
Cordelia didn't really pay anymore attention to what was going on, but she could dimly recall Hagrid destroying the fat man's gun and tossing it away. Then, Hagrid got a box from his pocket and presented it to "Harry."
Hmmm. This is an interesting fellow. Pale, broken glasses, scrawny body, doesn't even look like he's eleven, she thought to herself. He looked genuinely surprised when Hagrid gave him the cake, as if he's not used to getting presents at all…Oh, look, he speaks… Then it hit her. Harry? Harry Potter? Hero of the Wizarding World? Sleeping on the floor? Looking like her never ate enough or never reccieved any presents? It doesn't make any sense!
The warmth flowed from the fire and into her body, which felt like she was taking a hot bath. She slowly drifted off into unconsciousness, despite her newfound revalation, only to be shaken up a few minutes later. Hagrid handed her two fat sausages, and she murmured a "thanks" before taking a big bite out of them.
"I'm sorry, but I don't really know who you are," Harry said looking at Hagrid, then he looked at Cordelia, "Or you," he added, quickly looking away and blushing, much to Cordelia's amusement.
"This is Cordelia. Just call me Hagrid, everyone does, an' I'm from Hogwarts, but yeh already know about that." Hagrid replied, finishing his sausages.
"Er—no," said Harry.
Hagrid looked shocked.
"Sorry!" squeaked Harry nervously.
"Sorry?" reapeated Cordelia disbelievingly, "you're apologizing for something because you have no idea what he's talking about?"
"Sorry? It's them who should be sorry! You mean you don't know?" roared Hagrid.
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry. Cordelia personally thought Hagrid was being terribly vague and he was probaby scaring Harry out of his skin right now.
"He means that you don't know you're a wizard?" cut in Cordelia, she just wanted to go to Diagon Alley and this was taking WAY too long for her liking.
"And yer famous Harry, and so were yer parents," Hagrid added in.
"But my parents died in a car accident!" protested Harry.
"WHAT? No they didn't! They-" Hagird roared.
"Stop it! Don't say ANYTHING! I forbid you!" yelled the fat man. Cordelia forgot he was still in the room, but there he was, huddling in the corner with the rest of his family.
"Like you could forbid Hagrid from saying anything!" snapped Cordelia. He deserves to know the truth about his parents, she thought.
"Yer parents were killed by-" Hagrid began, but Georgina cut in, "Voldemort"
"Don't say that name!" exclaimed Hagrid.
"It's just a name," Cordelia muttered, rolling her eyes.
"But he did terrible things!" Hagrid protested.
"Did his name do terrible things too? I didn't think so!" she snapped back.
"Whatever! But I swear that boy is NOT going!" the fat man screamed bitterly.
"Going where?" asked Harry, he was genuinely confused now.
"To Hogwarts, where you learn magic. Don't listen to fatty muggle over there though, of course you're going, wouldn't you want to get away from these people who've made you sleep on the floor?" Cordelia assured. She was stark tired and wanted to stop the yelling. Now.
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled the stick woman, who was just watching the exchange in horror before.
Suddenly, Hagrid turned red, "NEVER—INSULT—ALBUS—DUMBLEDORE—IN FRONT OF ME!" In a swishing motion, he broght his umbrella, which Cordelia had not noticed, down on the fat boy, and he suddenly grew a tail!
Cordelia couldn't help it. She just stared. then she turned angrily to Hagrid, "What'd you do that for?"
The proud grin was immediately wiped off of Hagrid's face, and began to mutter apologies.
"Well, change it back already!" Cordelia demanded. She didn't like using magic on helpless muggles, even if they were rude.
"Er- I don' know how to," mumbled Hagrid.
Cordelia growled angrily. Who in their right mind would send this oaf to pick up children? He obviously couldn't control his temper and he wasn't even properly educated. She glard at him one last time, then curled up on the couch before she said something she would regret later on.
Hagrid and Harry stayed up so Hagrid could tell Harry about how his parents died.
Cordelia woke up to a tapping noise on the door. She could see that Harry had just woke up also. She smiled at him, and he smiled back hesitatingly. She could tell he wasn't used to having friends quite yet.
"What is that annoying noise?" Cordelia complained. They looked over at the window and saw an owl carrying a newspaper that kept tapping on the glass windowpane. Harry let it in, and it dropped the paper, but began attacking the coat.
"What do you want?" asked Harry, trying to shoo the owl away, but it wasn't working.
"Pay it," Cordelia suggested. Together they dug into Hagrid's pockets, and she wasn't surprised to see dormice lived in there. She sneered, how unsanitary. Finally, they found a pouch with a very odd set of coins.
"Hagrid! How do we pay it?" Cordelia hissed urgently, wrinkling her nose because of the smell the owl and Hagrid omitted.
"Give it five little bronze ones," Hagrid mumbled sleepily, rolling over, "Oh, and you can grab yer Hogwarts letters while yer at it."
After the owl was paid, the two children found their Hogwarts letter and opened them eagerly.
Cordelia read hers aloud for Hagrid, incase he didn't know how to read:
Dear Miss Vixen,
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 September 1. we await your owl no later than July 31.
Yours Sincerely,
Minevra McGonagall
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, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' 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 Beginners' 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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Can we get all of there in London?" Harry asked.
"Sure you can, if you know where to get them!" Cordelia replied, "we're going to Diagon Alley, or whatever. No, it's not where drug dealers live."
"B-but I don't have any money.." Harry stammered.
"Nonsense! Don't yeh think yer parents left yeh something? It's at Gringotts, wizarding bank!" Hagrid said, ushering them on the tiny boat, without saying good bye to Harry's relatives.
"Really? Where's Gringotts?" Harry asked curiously. He wasn't sure if the boat could hold all of them.
"Diagon Alley," Cordelia and Hagrid replied simultaneously.
Author's Note: Well, here's a longer chapter for you! Ack, I lied. I won't be able to update over the weekend because I'm going on another trip. Sorry!