Disclaimer: Do I have to go through this every single chapter…Alright, all right! I do not own Harry Potter or anything J.K.Rowling has written about. But my characters are MINE! AHA! And children of the revolution is not my song, so don't sue me anyone! Please! Oh, and Chester Lewis is MY character. Now, on with the story…
Chapter 4 – Diagon AlleyRobyn groaned into her pillow as her very shrill alarm sounded from somewhere below her bunk bed. Pulling the pillow around her head to try and cover her ears, she attempted to ignore it. But, of course, she failed miserably and ended up jumping out of her bed with an all-mighty thump, slamming her hand down onto her alarm 'off' button and shouting an apology to her bellowing mother.
She yawned widely as she ran her fingers through her ruffled hair and thought to herself in a moment of complete and utter forgetfulness; why did I set my alarm? When all of a sudden, the memories of the previous day came flooding back to her full force. She laughed at herself as she flicked Chiltern fm on and began dancing stupidly around the room to 'Children of the revolution' by T-Rex in a fit of sudden joy.
It was an old song, but it was brilliant and she loved it. She started to sing along with the chorus;
"But you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution
No, no, no!"
Laughing in spite of herself, she leapt over to filing cabinets where she kept her clothes and searched until she found an outfit she liked. Chucking it on un-ceremoniously, she hopped around the room, trying to full up her tight fitting jeans, muttering something like, 'next time, I get the bigger size.'
After a while of struggling, she managed to pull the jeans on and do them up. They were surprisingly comfortable.
Picking up her brush, and her comb, she bounded out of the room and down the stairs where she stood in front of a rather large mirror. She proceeded to do her hair. It wasn't the best-looking hair in the world when she was finished, but it would do for the day's excursions.
Robyn checked her watch. 1:30pm. Wow, I got ready in record time, she thought, chuckling to herself as she skipped through the hall and into the living room.
"You have to rub it in my face don't you…" Her younger brother snapped at Robyn jealously.
"What? I didn't do anything?" Robyn said back as she threw herself onto the sofa, right next to her brother, who proceeded to mutter things about smirking insanely and being a total nutcase. All of which Robyn heard and just bowed to politely…smirking insanely.
Robyn just stifled her laughter at her brother's expression before turning towards the television, where, not surprisingly, one of the Harry Potter films had been put on. She suddenly felt a great pang of guilt. She knew how much Andrew also wanted to go to Hogwarts, and here she was, being picked up by a ministry official to go get her school things for Hogwarts.
A thought hit her. Maybe if they didn't notice my magical talent until now, they won't have noticed Andrews', which means, he might still be able to go.
But as she thought this through, she noticed how un-likely it would be. Andrew was 12, and surely the ministry would've done a check on all siblings of herself for any magical ability. Andrew had not received a letter, not today or yesterday. Which most probably meant he had no magical talent what so ever.
Robyn looked towards her sulking younger brother, feeling a surge of sympathy as well as guilt.
"I'll write. And I promise to send you something from Hogsmeade," Robyn said, trying to comfort her brother. They were very close. "What would you like?"
Andrew turned slowly towards his sister, a glint of happiness flash across his eyes and a short flash of a smile across his face showed he was grateful.
"Well…" Andrew started, sitting up and shuffling around. "I wouldn't mind some of those bertie botts every flavour beans. Oh, and the chocolate frogs. You know, the proper magical stuff. Not the muggle stuff. Oh, and some other sweets, I don't mind what, surprise me."
Robyn laughed as her brother continued to name other items, such that could be found in Hogsmeade. Some of it though, Robyn was sure, was too big to fit into a parcel for an owl to carry. She just promised to bring something big for him at Christmas if she didn't stay at Hogwarts.
"Please come home for Christmas Rob, Pleeeeaaassseee!" Andrew pleaded, his puppy dog look staring at his older sister, who just laughed.
"I'm not making any promises. But I'll try," smiling comfortingly at her brother, Robyn ruffled his hair.
"Oh, alright!" Andrew squirmed, his hands trying to flatten his hair.
Robyn laughed and lay back in her seat, feeling rather good with herself for cheering her brother up. As she watched the film, she let her thoughts wander.
I'm really going to Hogwarts! I can't believe this! All the magic…It's gonna be so cool! I'm even looking forward the meeting the Slytherins and having Potions class.
But, now I'm a witch, does that mean I have to have a magical job? A dazed smile spread across her face and she shivered with excitement. But her smile faded. Voldemort. If it's the marauder times, that means Voldemort's reign has not even yet begun. That means I'm going to be in the thick of it. The order…the danger…life threatening situations…
Robyn looked towards her now smiling brother and then to the kitchen where her mother stood making herself a cup of coffee, she felt a sudden empty space inside her. What if something happened to them? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything did.
Her eyes narrowed determinedly. I will do whatever I can for the good side. I shall fight against Voldemort, she vowed to herself as she looked again at her loving family. She wouldn't tell them. The less they knew, the better. Her mother would work it out sometime. But there would be nothing she could do to stop her now.
Nothing.
Suddenly, a crash from the front room awakened Robyn from her thoughts by making her jump several feet of her seat and into the air.
"What in Godric's name was that!" Robyn said, jumping off her chair and running down the hall and into the front room, closely followed by her mum and brother.
Robyn stifled her laughter as her mother gasped at the mess that had been made of her carpet, and of the fireplace. Andrew soon joined in Robyn's silent fit of giggling when he saw what had happened.
"Sorry about that," said a rather sooty ministry wizard who smiled sheepishly at the Young's and, with a flick of his wand, cleaned the room up, all to the amazement of Robyn's mother, and the awe of her brother.
"It's alright," Robyn smiled, stepping forward. She was the first to come to her senses. "Name's Robyn." She stuck out her hand.
"So you're the student that's got the ministry blown. Nice to meetcha," the ministry wizard laughed, shaking Robyn's hand. "Names Chester Lewis."
"Heya. This is my mum, and this is my brother," Robyn introduced her family, pointing to each in turn who seemed to regain some composure and smile at Chester who smiled and shook each of their hands.
"Nice to meetcha all," Chester smiled, as he stood up straight, he was quite tall, and over shadowed Robyn by at least a couple of inches; his hair was dark brown as was his eyes and he had a young, rebellious look to him.
"Well, if all who's coming is ready, we'll be off," Chester smiled, putting his hand inside his robe and pulling out a rather large pot of powder.
Robyn recognised it immediately as floo powder, but she kept her mouth shut as muggles weren't supposed to know anything of the magical world. She hoped that her mum and brother would do the same.
"What's that?" Robyn asked, making it seem even more believable that she knew nothing of the magical world.
"Floo powder," Chester explained, he had no clue what so ever. Totally oblivious. "You just chuck it in the fire, stand in the fire, say the place you want to go clearly and it will transport you there. Easy as pie."
Robyn walked towards the fireplace slowly, her back towards the ministry official. "What are we waiting for? Come on!" Robyn said excitedly, turning sharply to face the others.
Chester laughed and looked towards Mrs. Young who smiled, and nodded in reply. She shuffled towards Robyn and laid £300 cash into her daughter's hand. "This is for you to change into wizard money, so you can actually have something to spend while you're at Hogwarts."
Robyn smiled broadly and flung herself at her Mother, gathering her in a huge loving hug. "Thanks mum."
"Well we better be off Robyn, you coming?" Chester smiled; he had manoeuvred himself over to their fireplace where he was waiting for her with the floo powder in one hand.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Robyn chuckled, and letting go of her mother she leapt over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder.
"Diagon alley?" She asked Chester as she stepped into the flames.
"Diagon alley," Chester confirmed, leaning against the wall.
"Diagon Alley!" Robyn said in a cool, clear voice, chucking the handful of floo powder into the fire.
It was the weirdest sensation she had ever felt. She was whirling and whirling through a sort of black precipice. But she could see glimpses of other wizarding families' fireplaces as she flew by. Feeling a horrible lurch in her stomach, she wished the whirling to end, as she was getting rather sick. Her eyes closed and her mouth was shut tight in an attempt to stop herself from throwing up.
Suddenly, her feet landed on soft ash with a surprising jolt. It caught her so off guard she stumbled out of the fireplace and landed face down onto the floor. Groaning, she stood and looked down at herself. She was covered in soot. Sneering, she brushed herself down and stood out of the way of the fireplace in case anyone else came through. Sure enough, just a couple of seconds later, Chester appeared and walked gracefully from the fireplace. Well, much more gracefully than Robyn. He too was covered in soot.
"I've made a decision. I don't like travelling by floo powder," Robyn smirked, walking with Chester across the leaky cauldron where the floo powder had landed them.
"You're not the only one," Chester laughed, pulling out his wand as they came to a brick wall. Robyn remembered it as the one Hagrid and Harry had opened to enter Diagon Alley.
Chester tapped one of the bricks using his wand, then another, then several others before the brick wall suddenly opened like a door, leading onto Diagon alley.
Robyn let out an awed gasp as she gazed around the scene in front of her. Yes, she had seen it in the films and read about it in the books, but nothing captured the spectacle that was Diagon Alley.
Shops lined every street. Shops of every kind. Sweetshops, cake shops, ice cream shops, robes shops, animal stores, potion stores, bookshops, joke shops… The list went on.
"Robyn? Robyn? Earth to Robyn?" Chester called out, he had already started to walk when he realised that Robyn had not followed.
"What…Oh, right. Sorry," She smiled, shaking herself and following after Chester; they were heading towards Ollivanders, the wand makers.
"We'll get your wand first, since that's your most important piece of school equipment," Chester said, holding the door open to Ollivanders as Robyn stepped through.
Robyn walked up to the desk at the front, there was no one there but she saw a bell. She quickly pressed it and a ringing went through the shop. Within seconds, Ollivander stepped out from one of the many winding corridors that left the main part of the shop and smiled. Robyn jumped at his sudden appearance.
"Good afternoon Miss. I suppose you will be wanting a wand?" Ollivander said, as he shuffled towards Robyn, but before she could reply, he went on. "Yes, yes. Hold out your wand arm please."
Assuming that this meant her writing arm, she held out her right and Ollivander began to measure it with a measuring tape that had appeared out of nowhere. He then walked away while the measuring tape continued measuring Robyn, to the parts of the shop where he stored his wands.
After a while, Ollivander had come back and the measuring tape immediately stopped measuring and dropped to the floor with a soft clunk.
In Ollivanders hand, he held a stick of wood, which Robyn assumed to be a wand. He proceeded to thrust it at Robyn and tell her to wave it about. This just amounted in Chester and Ollivander ducking as several drawers and wand boxes went flying over their heads. Robyn just stifled her laughter and quickly lay the wand down on the desk.
"Guess not," Ollivander flinched and went off to find another wand, which he yet again thrust at Robyn and told her to give it a wave, which, yet again, involved Chester and Ollivander dodging something or another.
"Lets try again," Ollivander said, a smirk playing on his face as he walked briskly off to get yet another wand.
This process went on for several minutes until Ollivander seemed at a complete loss and Chester had an ice pack to his head where the lantern off Ollivanders desk had hit him.
Ollivander began pacing the room, deep in thought, glancing every so often at Robyn, whom stood in the middle of the room looking quizzically at the wand maker.
Suddenly, Ollivander stopped pacing very abruptly and stared at Robyn curiously. "Maybe…maybe…" He murmured to himself, before rushing off to the furthest part of the shop.
He returned a minute or so later carrying a purple velvet box tied in a brilliant silver ribbon. He placed it carefully onto his desk before opening it and handing the wand gently over to Robyn, always staring curiously at her.
Robyn took the wand and stood for a moment, staring quizzically at Ollivander before her pondering was interrupted by the wand maker himself, telling her to give it a swish.
Robyn did as she was told and gave the wand a graceful swish, but, instead of objects flying everywhere, a soft golden light appeared from the wand, illuminating Robyn's face, and everyone around her.
"Woa…" Robyn said, in an awed voice, her eyes staring at the wand in her hand. She looked up to Ollivander with wide eyes.
The wand maker smiled at the fact that he had finally found the right wand for Robyn, but his eyebrow was raised in a curious manor as he stared at the teenage girl. "Interesting…" He murmured quietly, to himself more than anyone else, as he turned and walked to the desk.
"Ermmm, what's interesting?" Robyn asked, walking also to the desk, and laying the wand carefully onto the desk's surface, next to its velvet case.
"The wand that chose you, Miss Young. It is strange, since that is the only one of it's kind, and I have never, since now, been able to sell it," Ollivander looked up at Robyn. "Unicorn blood resides in your wand Miss Young. The purest core ever to be made…and one of the rarest."
"But why? Why is it the rarest? Why did it choose me?" Robyn asked, the questions flowing from her mouth like the water from a waterfall.
"It is the rarest because of its purity. It is a source of, pure good and great power. Though, dark secrets reside in its form, and, used wrongly, can result in disastrous consequences," Ollivander explained, in a mysterious, far away voice. "If it chose you, then you must hold a great mystery in your magical abilities. I expect great things from you, Miss Young."
Robyn just stood there, gaping at Ollivander. Soaking up each word he said. She shook herself, as if trying to awaken herself from a dream. "But…I…what…well…" She couldn't quite find the right words to express what she felt.
Chester was equally as shocked and paid Ollivander without speaking and took Robyn's wand in his hand, passing it to its rightful owner as they walked out of the shop with a friendly goodbye from the wand maker and headed down Diagon alley to their next shop.
The companions both walked in silence, contemplating over what they had just found out. Robyn kept glancing at the wand that lay in her pocket with looks of shock and excitement, as did Chester on several occasions.
Deciding to break the awkward silence in which they both indulged, Robyn asked where they were heading to next.
"Flourish and Blotts, to get all your school books," Chester replied with a smile as they stopped outside a large bookstore, glad that the silence had been broken.
They stepped inside and Robyn took a look around her. Books lined every wall, from the floor to the ceiling. Books the size of paving stones covered in leather; books the size of postage stamps covered in silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Robyn was in complete awe as she was lead through the store by Chester, picking out all the books she'll need for this year, as well as the books she would've needed for previous years.
After they had bought her books, they continued onto Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions to get her school uniform. It took quite a long time, as she needed to be measured, and the robes needed to be a bit bigger because she was sure she would grow before she actually made it to Hogwarts.
Next they visited a cauldron shop, to buy the right sized cauldron for her year at Hogwarts. After which they visited the apothecary's to gather all the ingredients she would need for potions in the upcoming year. The shop's walls were lined with objects in jars, some of them Robyn had never seen before, and it seemed that a few even stared back as she gazed curiously at them.
It was nearing dusk by the time they had gathered all of Robyn's equipment for Hogwarts, and yet they still had to visit Gringotts wizarding bank to exchange her muggle money for wizarding money.
It was just as Robyn had pictured it in her minds eye. A humungous snowy white building that overshadowed every other shop in Diagon Alley. Robyn gaped as she looked upon what she assumed were two goblins that stood by either side of the burnished bronze doors. She walked towards them carefully, pacing herself to keep just a step behind Chester, whom seemed to be perfectly comfortable and just waltzed up to the doors like it was an every day activity.
The two goblins bowed to them and opened the large bronze doors so they could step inside, where another two goblins met them, but this time, they stood either side of a silver door and this one had an inscription on it.
'Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.'
Robyn read it through curiously and swallowed hard as the second pair of goblins bowed them through into a vast marble hallway, where about a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eye glasses. And wherever Robyn turned, there were doors, a lot of doors. Throughout the time she stared about, goblins were escorting people in and out of these doors. She was curious as to where they led too.
Chester took Robyn to a free goblin and told her to ask the goblin is she could exchange her money.
Robyn swallowed hard, but did not speak and just nodded in understanding at Chester. She didn't quite like the idea of talking to a goblin. They looked rather threatening, even though they were about one and a bit head's shorter than her in height.
"Ermmm, excuse me, but I was wondering, whether I… I could change my muggle money into wizarding money?" Robyn asked the goblin warily, holding the wad of muggle notes in her hand.
The goblin looked at her over its glasses in a menacing manner. "Hmmmm, I guess I had better. Hand your money over then," drawled the goblin, holding out its hand.
Robyn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and handed the money to the goblin, whom took it and disappeared through one of the doors.
The same goblin returned a few minutes later carrying a velvet pouch, secured at the top by a piece of string, that jingled as he walked. It was a big pouch, and it was bulging with the wizarding money she had exchanged her muggle money for. She smiled in spite of herself as she took it from the goblin and with a thank you, departed from the wizarding bank, her pouch of money tucked safely inside her jacket.
"I bet that went better than you though, eh?" Chester laughed as they walked back down Diagon alley, heading towards the leaky cauldron so they could return home.
"Yeah…" Robyn laughed with him. "But those goblins do look a bit ominous."
"True," Chester replied, smirking as they walked past Eyelops Owl Emporium, the large and small owls hooting as they passed.
Robyn looked longingly at a particularly beautiful tawny owl that sat just outside the shop entrance and couldn't help but stray from the path and wander over to it. She smiled as she stroked its head gently, the owl hooting appreciatively and pecked her hand friendlily.
Chester raised an eyebrow and sighed impatiently as he dragged his feet over to where Robyn stood with the owl.
"Do you think I could get it?" Robyn asked, looking up to Chester as he reached her side.
"Yeah, most wizards own an owl. Common knowledge. They carry mail, very helpful," Chester said knowledgably.
Robyn smiled excitedly and shot into the emporium, her bag of gold already out of her jacket. She emerged some minutes later with several bags of owl treats, a free book as to how to care for your owl and a broad smile on her face. She deposited these items into the already over flowing cauldron that they had decided to place her belongings in instead of carrying them and picked up the tawny owls cage gently.
Chester just laughed and shook his head as they finally managed to get on their way home.
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Hehehe, hope you liked it. And please don't sue me, as some parts of this chapter were not of my mind, like the inscription on the doors to Gringotts. So I take no credit, their all J.K.'s work.That's all I wanted to say…
lupinsiriusluva: Why thank you, I was blushing when I read your review, hehe. And I've totally got to use those names later on, if you don't mind of course. And I like writing the bits about the marauders, there fun. Sorry they're not in this chapter. But hope you enjoyed it all the same.
KrazieShadowNinja: Awwwwwwwwww, they sound sorta mean, but I bet most of the time its fun, lol. And thank you for saying it's perfect, well, I wouldn't have said it was perfect, but anyways, lol. Thanks for reviewing, hope you liked the chapter.
adriana1422: Thank you very much. I also like reading fanfics about the marauders; I think some of them are hilarious. Hope you liked this chapter.
xMissxUnderstoodx: YEY! Your back, hehe. I was wondering when you would return. I don't know whether I've told you this, but it is an honour to be reviewed by you. And thank you for all the lovely comments; I'm blushing furiously here. And yeah, Robyn is a lucky little so and so. And yeah, we should do something like that about Pick knickers, lol. Oh, and it's not that gooder story. Now I'm murdering the English language, argh! Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Ashley: Thank you. And yup, it's a dream I also have. It would be wonderful just to wake up one day, meet the marauders, and then find out that you a witch/ wizard. Bliss, lol. Glad you liked it; hope you like this chapter too.