Sorry again for the long wait.

Harry Potter isn't mine.

Correction: McGonagall is still headmistress.

Chapter 6:

The Invisible Alleyway Part 2

Jane's mom handed Emma and I each a bag.

"The ministry makes allowances for Muggle-borns who have no wizard money. There is a standard amount corresponding to the amount needed to buy your supplies. Now come on."

Everyone climbed back into the cart, which sped off into the tunnels. In the blur, I thought I saw a girl with long brown hair on another cart, beginning to look a bit green. But in a second, she was gone, and there were only the dark walls of the tunnel. We were still moving at breakneck speed, and although Jane had done this before, and I was immune to motion sickness, Emma wasn't looking too good. Finally, the car jerked to a stop in front of vault #548. Mrs. Deerfield, Jane, and I got out of the cart, and then Emma followed, leaning dizzily on a stalagmite. (Yes, I know the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite!) The goblin once again inserted the key and twisted. The door unlocked and swung open. Jane's mother scraped a few coins into a bag, and said;

"Alright, we're done here. Let's go."

It was a long ride back to the lobby, after which Emma needed to lie down, but finally, they emerged onto the street. The crowds of bustling people were still intimidating. Jane's mom cleared her throat. "Hem. Do you all have your lists?"

We just looked confused at her. "OH! Sorry! I forgot to give you your letters!" She handed each of us an envelope. I slipped my finger under the wax seal and opened it. Pulling out the parchment inside, I read aloud.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Miss Fitzgerald,

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 by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Warren Toadell
Deputy Headmaster

"Okay. Your list is on the second page." advised Mrs. Deerfield.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
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 Comprehensive Wizarding History by Lisa Turpin

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

Basic Magical Defense: Shields, Jinxes, Countercurses and More

by Dahlia Stonehouse

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 and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Jane groaned. "These books are really old! They're then same ones that Harry Potter himself used. Why in the name of Merlin's-"Here her mother gave her a look, "haven't they updated their booklist in, like, 20 years? The only two they changed were the History of Magic and Defense against the Dark Arts books. "

I quietly ignored Jane's ranting, and tried to control my excitement. "So, where do we go first?" I asked. "Do we get the books, or the cauldron, or the scales, or the wand-"

"Hold it!" Jane's mom smiled, amused. "We'll get your robes first."

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was a rather small, but well-kept storefront. Madam Malkin herself was a pleasant woman, who ushered us in and handed us each a robe. She instructed us to put them on so she could size them. Mine was far too big; the sleeves went down to my knees. As she was pinning up the hems, I twisted around. Standing nearby waiting to be sized, was the same girl I'd seen at Gringotts.

"Hey," I said, in an attempt to be friendly. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Hi" She responded in an English accent. "I'm Lila."

"I'm Jennifer." I introduced myself.

"So you're a first year like me?" She asked, smiling. She was a few inches taller than me, and she wore a pair of black jeans and an electric blue T-shirt. Around her neck was a silver chain, from which hung a teardrop-shaped topaz.

"Yup." I nodded, and then gestured to Jane and Emma. "These are my friends, Jane Deerfield and Emma Decksworth. They're also first years."

"And we're American." Jane pointed out. Lila laughed.

"I noticed. So, what house are you aiming to be in?" she wondered. "I'd like to be in Hufflepuff. You know the house of the loyal and hardworking."

I just looked at her, bewildered. "What's a House?"

"OH. You're a Muggle-born. Well, that's all right. My mum's a Muggle-born, and my dad's a just plain Muggle! Don't make any difference. Well, anyway, the kids at Hogwarts are sorted into four houses, which pretty much reflect their personalities, like Gryffindors are supposed to be really brave, Ravenclaws are supposed to be really smart, Hufflepuffs are supposed to be really nice, and Slytherins…um…are supposed to be…like…uh…"

"Evil." finished Jane. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she had some serious issues with Slytherins.

After we were all done getting our robes, I decided to voice my own opinion. "I don't care what house I'm in, so long as it doesn't involve public humiliation.

I thought I heard Jane mutter under her breath; "No, not a Gryffindor" and gave her a look. Jane started to crack up, while Lila jumped back in shock. I rolled my eyes.

"Again?" I asked, fingering the ends of my hair. It had turned bright red." Lila's expression was priceless. "I'm a metamorphimagus." I explained, focusing my attention on turning my hair brown again. However I caught it at an in-between stage between brown and red, and decided I liked the look.

Lila was still in shock. "That…is…so…AWESOME!" She announced. Then she noticed someone in the crowd. "EMMICK! OVER HERE!" She called. A girl with shoulder length blond-brown hair came running over.

"Hiya!" she said cheerfully. "Who're these people, Lils?" I saw Lila grit her teeth before saying;

"Don't call me that, Emmick. This is Jennifer," she said, pointing at me, "Jane, Emma." She pointed to each of them in turn. "Guys, this is my friend Emmick." Emmick nodded happily and pulled something from her pocket. "Look, I got a wand! It's walnut, eight and a quarter inches, centaur tail hair core!" She rattled off.

"Wicked!" approved Lila. "Guess what! Jennifer's a real live metamorphimagus!"

Emmick looked surprised. "That would be two this year! That's the most in Hogwarts history!" At my confused expression, she elaborated. "Teddy Lupin's supposed to be coming to Hogwarts this year. He's a metamorphimagus too."

This news cheered me up a bit. After this, we went our separate ways. Mrs. Deerfield ushered us through the rest of our shopping. After several demolished objects, each of us got our wands. Mine was cottonwood, seven and three quarters inches long, with a core of phoenix tailfeather. Emma's was of ash, twelve and three quarters inches, and with a hippogriff tail hair core, and Jane's was mahogany, eleven and a half inches, and also with a hippogriff tail core. After the long day of shopping, We collapsed into our creaky beds and slept like rocks.

Hope you enjoyed the super-long chapter. By the way, the address to my fic is actually

.com/s/2865774/1/Liberator