-Scene fades in to show Ryos sitting in a large armchair-
Ryos- Mmmmm...posh. Now then, all of you that are reading are probably expecting the second out of who-knows-how-many chapters. Well, I have some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that the chapter is up, and it covers up all the loose ends from the first chapter, along with making up for most of the bad parts. The bad news...is that I lied. I have no bad news for you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other series I amy parody in my works. I do however own Jenn and Daeos Kirande, so don't even think about it.
Chapter 2: Daeos Went Down to Diagon
The other four people surrounding the table continued to stare at Jenn. Noticing the amount of attention she was receiving, Jenn's lip began to tremble, still not answering her brother.
"Jenn?" Daeos prompted once again, hoping to get a response.
It was about a minute before Jenn spoke. "Ummm...Mr...Bole, was it?" she asked, in which the wizard nodded. "Do you mind if I have a little time to make my decision?"
Bole hesitated for a moment, but still replied to her. "Of course. I'll return to your house in 48 hours for your final reply. I should send however many owls I'll be needing after your answer, so Daeos, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait a few days," he finished, causing Daeos to bang his head against the wall in exasperation. "Now if you excuse me," Bole said, getting up from his seat, "I have another engagement. A situation similar to yours, if I'm not mistaken." As he reached the door, he turned towards the family once more. "Oh, one other thing," he started, "none of you are to mention Daeos and Jenn's abilities, Hogwarts, or any other knowledge or acknowledgment of the Wizarding world to a Muggle. Good day."
The sound of the door snapping shut behind Bole was the only source of noise for a few minutes. Mrs. Johnson and Kyle both looked as if they wanted to say something, but couldn't find what words to use. Jenn was still staring at the table, apparently still in conflicting thought. Daeos returned to looking at Jenn, as if he still was waiting for her to answer. "Mum," Jenn began to ask in a monotone voice, "I'm going to take a walk."
Mrs. Johnson looked at her daughter and nodded. "Okay honey," she said.
As the door slammed shut for the second time, Kyle finally piped up for the second time in the whole conversation. It was extremely odd for him, as Kyle usually wouldn't stop talking. "Why wouldn't Jenn go to that place?" Kyle asked his older brother, "It sounds awesome! You get to use magic! Have you ever used magic before Daeos?"
Daeos smiled at his brother. "Probably," he answered, "a lot of weird stuff happens that I keep getting blamed for. I guess that it might be my fault after all, but I don't remember waving my hands every time someone got covered in paint. Anyway, mum," he started to say, "are you sure that you're okay with me going away to this school? You have this look on your face..."
Mrs. Johnson looked up from her chair at Daeos. "No, it sounds great, you being accepted somewhere like this and all, but it just doesn't seem believable..."
"How could you not believe in magic, after what he..." Daeos began to say, but his mother interrupted him.
"No no no no," she quickly said, "it's not that I don't believe that you're magic, it's just that this whole school thing...it doesn't seem right."
"Mum, trust me on this. I can just feel that this school is real; that I have to go there. The moment Bole explained that place to me, nothing else made sense. Just trust me on this."
Mrs. Johnson still looked a little disbelieving, but sighed and told her son, "Well, we'll wait and see. That man said that things will be explained when he comes back in two days, so I'll find out anything I need to know then."
"Great!" Daeos said, "If you need me, I'll be in my room." On his way to the stairs, he grabbed the letter from Hogwarts off the tabletop. After closing the door, Daeos jumped on the bed, ready to just stare at this wondrous letter for hours. I can't believe it, he thought, this is amazing! This school, Hogwarts, it could, no...it will be a whole new life for me! Wait...what's this... He looked in the envelope that contained the letter and saw another piece of parchment. He looked over the paper, quietly reading each item listed. "A list? Oh...stuff I need for the school, cool. Let's see here...gloves? Robes? Interesting...good God, that's a lot of books! They sound very expensive too...and mom's not exactly rich...well, what else is there...a telescope? Odd...oooo, a wand! Nice. Who knew a piece of wood could do so much...and we can bring a pet...an owl? Who has an owl for a pet? Must be a wizarding thing..."
Daeos sat up on the side of his bed when he read the last message on the parchment. "A broomstick? For what? Are the older kids supposed to clean the building or something?" he said to himself. He shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Oh, for once, I'm actually excited for the school year!"
Jenn however, wasn't celebrating her acceptance. As she walked down the sidewalk, her arms crossed, Jenn's mind just seem to be in conflict. So I can use magic, she thought, that's amazing! But if I accept going to that place, then that would mean leaving my friends behind...I mean, I can't just give up my current life. If I stayed in the...what was the word he used? Muggle?...muggle world, then even if me and my friends went to different schools, we'd still be able to communicate with each other. But if I go to Hogwarts, then I'll be in the magic world, and that guy said that I can't tell about it to anybody!
Jenn rounded the corner leading back to her own street, and decided that she should head back home. But if I don't learn at this school, she said to herself, as if her mind was split into two separate voices, then anything I can do...anything I could do would go to complete waste. It'd mean a whole new world I'd be missing, and what if my life depends on me going to this school? Plus, if I don't go, then Daeos would have to attend all by himself. I know that he'll probably be fine, but it would probably help if there was someone attending that he already knew... She stopped in front of her door, trying to push away the argument to the back of her mind. This is just such a difficult decision, she thought, I just hope I don't alienate Sarah and Lyn when I make my choice... And with that last thought, she entered her house, commencing two days of her mind constantly arguing against itself.
A girl sat alone in her room, dark black hair falling on her shoulders. Her brown eyes kept staring at the letter she held in her hand, the conversation that took place a few minutes ago still buzzing in her head.
'I'm here to tell you that you're a witch, Lyn. And by that, I mean you can use magic.' Bole's voice echoed in her head.
'I...what?' Lyn's voice said.
'You're a witch,' Bole's echo said once again, 'And that letter you received is your acceptance into Hogwarts, one of the finest schools of witchcraft in the world. So I'll just send a message off to them saying that you've accepted the letter...that is, if you want to go.'
Of course she said yes, Lyn was always like that; a chance like this comes up and her mind can't imagine anything else. She never was as pensive as her friends were. But still...it was a little selfish of her to take up the offer without thinking of her friends first. Lynsighed and finally tore her eyes away from the parchment, but to only have them travel to the ceiling instead.
If what that man said was true, she thought, referring to what Bole told here that he told Daeos' family as well, then I can't tell Jenn or Sarah about any of this. Then what am I supposed to tell them?
Daeos sat at the end of the kitchen table, still as a rock. Mrs. Johnson and Jenn sat on the other side, both waiting for the same thing to occur as he was. A certain anxiousness seemed to fill the air, very similar to the feeling there was two days ago in the same spot. This remained, even when a small 'pop' was heard outside the door. Bole opened the door, not surprised to see the family sitting at the table, waiting for him.
"So," Bole began, taking a seat for himself, "today's the day. Jenn, your answer, if you may."
Jenn bit at her lip, thoughts still raging in her mind. "Ummm...well..." She started to say, but was interrupted by Kyle.
"Hey, that magic guy's back!" he yelled, running into the room. "Are you going to do another trick again..."
"Please Kyle," Mrs. Johnson interrupted, "Be quiet for a moment please. This is very important." Kyle became silent, but looked as if he was to burst at any moment as he sat down.
"Now then," Bole said, "Jenn, your answer?"
She looked around at the other four people at the table, and breathed deeply before continuing. "Well, I've been thinking it over nonstop for two days, and...I've decided that I want to go to this school."
Daeos sighed and said "Finally," before Bole started up again. "Excellent," he said, getting up from his seat, "I should probably inform Hogwarts then, if you don't mind."
He walked over to the window, opened it, and whistled loudly. To the family's surprise, an owl flew into the room, landing on Bole's arm.
"Is that...an owl?" Jenn asked.
Daeos looked at her incredulously. "All that time thinking on whether or not you want to go to Hogwarts, and you didn't even look at the supplies list? " he asked.
"There's a supplies list?" she asked.
"Yes, actually," Bole responded as he wrote something down on two separate pieces of parchment. "Don't worry if you missed it, most people do. By the way, I'd like for you two to get those lists right now."
Daeos and Jenn both rushed to their rooms, where their letters from Hogwarts were left waiting. Daeos couldn't help but be excited at the time. He wants us to get our supplies lists...are we going to get these things? he thought. He stopped at his doorway, a new thought popping into his head. Wait, where are these things even found? Daeos thought, thinking over every place that could possibly sell magic items. Must be in an alley or something in London, he concluded, grabbing a piece of paper off the desk on the side of the room, a lot of odd things happen in that city.
When Daeos returned to the kitchen, Bole was at the window, holding the owl he called, with two rolls of parchment attached to its legs.
"Off you go," he said to the bird, before it took flight. As Jenn entered the room, "Bole turned to the twins and asked them, "So, do you two have the lists?" Daeos and Jenn nodded. "Excellent. Now Mrs. Johnson, do you mind traveling to London?"
"Why?" She asked quickly.
"Well, the items your children need for Hogwarts can only be found in London. And I feel that now that they're officially attending Hogwarts, they should get what they will be needing in September as early as possible. Plus," he added, "I'm afraid that your son might do something drastic if he's forced to wait any longer."
"You're damn right I will," Daeos replied.
"Language, young man," Mrs. Johnson scolded her son before turning back to Bole. "Well," she hesitated, "I guess we could. It's not too far from here...but, not to be offensive, but this just doesn't seem real, as if you're playing us for fools."
Bole smiled at Mrs. Johnson. "Madam," he said, "I could never come up with something this grand."
The ride to London wasn't long, but Bole being there seemed to exhaust Daeos. He kept trying to examine the handles and buttons of the car, and Daeos was left in charge of making sure Bole doesn't touch anything important. He was quite relieved when they reached a small street in the middle of the city.
"Okay," he told Bole, "you do not touch the door handle when the car is moving. Nothing good can come of that."
"Right," Bole said embarrassingly, "Well, we reached the point anyway, so let's go inside."
"Er, go inside where?" Jenn asked, looking around the street. "Nothing around here looks like it sell...the items we're looking for."
"Of course not, did you actually think that it'd be in the open sight of Muggles? No, we're need to go into the Leaky Cauldron." he told her, pointing at a shabby pub across the street.
Daeos stared in surprise. "Wow...I didn't even notice that place," he said.
"What place?" Kyle asked hurriedly, "Where are you guys talking about?" Daeos looked at his brother and mother. Neither of them seemed to have spotted the building in question.
"Well, Muggles usually don't notice it right off the bat," he said, walking across the street with the family, "but this place is well known in our world." He opened the door and entered the pub, giving a look to the family to do the same. Though Jenn walked inside, Daeos held the door open, looking at Kyle and Mrs. Johnson, who were still standing in front of the building as if they could not recognize the entry. Daeos gestured at them to walk where he was standing, and the two entered the building, although reluctantly. Daeos closed the door behind him, without any Muggle on the street realizing it.
Whatever Daeos was expecting, it wasn't what he saw in the pub. From outside it looked plain and shabby; but the pub had a surprisingly welcome and lively aura to it, even though not many people were here at the moment. Bole began to lead them to the back of the room, but a wizard from a nearby table beckoned him.
"Avery! What a pleasant surprise to see you here," said Bole.
"Surprise? I nearly always come to the Leaky Cauldron around this time," the man named Avery responded. "My dear man, you probably came here just to rub it in my face that you've escaped work." The wizard took a sip from the glass in front of him.
"Well, I'll admit that it's not the most difficult task I've been assigned," Bole began, "but it's extremely tiring."
Avery glanced at the family behind him. "Showing Muggle-borns the ways of our world...yes, it must be tiring," he said in a slightly harsh tone.
Noticing the change in Avery's voice, Bole quickly said, "Anyway, Caine, this is Laura Johnson and her children. Everyone, this is Caine Avery, from the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
Avery nodded his head in recognition. "So, Mrs. Johnson," he continued in a flat voice, "I'm guessing that you were pretty surprised to find out about your children's abilities?"
"Yes, very surprised," Mrs. Johnson answered nervously, "Although I had no knowledge about their original family, I didn't really know what to expect..."
"Their original family?" Avery asked, "So they're not your children?"
"Actually," Bole responded, "Daeos and Jenn Kirande are Mrs. Johnson's adopted children, they're the ones I have to show around Diagon Alley."
At the mention of Daeos and Jenn's surname, Avery looked up at the two, his tone of voice changing immediately. "Kirande? Yes, I know of your parents," he said to Daeos and Jenn, "Your father was a powerful wizard, or so I heard. But Marcus," he began, turning to Bole, "wouldn't it make more sense to bring them here next month? The Hogwarts term doesn't start until September."
"Well, August begins in a few days, and I have a lot more new students that have to go through the same process, so getting even two of them done now still makes next month seem very long..." Bole replied drearily.
Avery finished off the remnants of his drink and set the glass on the table, getting up from his seat. "Well, I must be getting back to the Ministry. I hope their passage goes smoothly enough," he began, "but make sure that the family doesn't learn too much, Marcus. Good day." And with those words of farewell, he walked towards a steel grate on the wall of the pub, and pulled out a small pouch from the folds of his cloak. From the sack he scooped out some sort of green powder that Daeos did not recognize, and tossed it into the grating. To the family's amazement, emerald flames sprung to life in the fireplace, in which Avery stepped into, causing him to vanish in a green flash.
"That was cool!" Kyle yelled, startling most of the pub, "How did he do that?"
"Oh, that was just Floo Powder," Bole told the wondering family. All of them still looked dumbfounded after he said this, so he began to explain more. "It's a magical substance that when thrown into a fireplace, creates green flames which can transport the user to another wizard's fire pit almost instantly."
When he finished, Bole beckoned for them to follow him to the back of the pub, where they entered another door, this time leading into the alley behind the building. "Ah, here it is," Bole said, "the entrance to Diagon Alley." The other four looked gloomily at the surrounding alley, seeing only a brick wall and the pub where they just left.
"Er, is this it?" Daeos asked, "I was expecting something a little bit more...I don't know, extravagant."
"What? No, this is just the entrance," Bole told him, walking up to the brick wall. "Now then...it's the third up.." His wand was held aloft to the wall, hovering over one of the bricks. "Ah, here it is." And with that he tapped one of the bricks with his wand, and stood back, as if he was expecting something. Suddenly, to everyone's amazement, excluding Bole of course, the bricks of the wall began to move and spread apart, rearranging themselves and melding into an archway.
"Welcome," Bole told the family, his voice strengthening with each word, "to Diagon Alley."
Daeos and Jenn looked at the scene in pure wonder. Brightly colorful stores littered the sides of the road, various items of magical abilities filling the space behind the shops' windows. "It's...amazing!" Daeos proclaimed excitedly. He ran to the nearest building, examining a large stack of different sized cauldrons.
"Wait, Mr. Bole," Mrs. Johnson began to ask the wizard, taking her eyes away from the newly re-formed brick wall, "How are we going to pay for this? You didn't tell me to bring any money along with us."
"Don't worry, we're going to get the money for your children soon enough," Bole informed her. "Now follow me, and it'd be best not to stray." The family continued to follow Bole down the street, gazing at each store along the way, and at the various shoppers entering them as well. Daeos' eyes kept darting from one side of the alley to the other. He could not believe this; a whole street filled with stores that seemed to contain everything beyond what he imagined, from owls hooting behind a window to what looked like tentacles filling a barrel in an Apocathary.
"First of all, we have to make sure you two have money for your supplies," Bole told Jenn and Daeos.
"But-but," Jenn stuttered, "my mother said that she didn't bring any money. Where do you expect we can just get some?"
"Oh, I don't know, Jenn," Daeos said sarcastically, "maybe a bank?"
Jenn gave him an incredulous look. "You really expect a Muggle bank just to be in this place?"
"If you two will stop talking for a moment, I'd like to say that we're here," said Bole. What they were standing in front of made Jenn's jaw drop, and Daeos felt his go as well.
They arrived at a towering marble building, with large snow white pillars surrounding two bronze doors, which apparently was the building's entrance. A small creature with long fingers bowed them through the doors as they approached.
"Wow," Jenn uttered softly, caressing the bronze doors with her fingers.
Wow is right, Daeos thought as they approached another set of doors, this time silver with what seemed to be a message inscribed on them, I wonder how much money this place must contain, it looks like it cost a fortune itself.
After two more of the same creatures bowed them through once again, prompting Jenn to ask, "Umm...Mr. Bole, what are those things?"
Bole glared at Jenn. "Those creatures are Goblins," he informed her, as they walked down a marble hall as elaborate as the entrance, "It'd be best not to refer them as things. They're very clever creatures, and can get pretty angry. They control Gringotts, so we don't want to get them irritated at the moment."
"Gringotts? So that's what this place is called?" Mrs. Johnson asked. Bole nodded. The five came up to a long counter where nearly a hundred Goblins were working continuously, whether weighing priceless gems or conversing with wizards seeking to access their money.
"Hello," Bole greeted the Goblin nearest to them, "We'd like to make a withdrawal from the Kirande safe."
The Goblin peered at them warily. "Do you have their key?" he asked.
"Of course," Bole said, fiddling around in the folds of his robes. He then pulled out a small key and gave it to the Goblin.
It examined the object for a few seconds, then said, "Everything's in order then. Gaznok will take you to the vaults." At that moment another Goblin, one with a small shifty face, came over to lead them to the safes.
"So..." Jenn began to ask, "where are these vaults, anyway?"
Bole turned to reply, but it was Gaznok who answered. "The vaults of Gringotts are buried miles beneath London. They're very protected; someone could try to rob them," he pulled an evil-like grin, "but they'd die before they could reach anything. Now everyone, get onto the cart." The six walked up to what seemed to be an oversized mining cart. Once the last person of the group, Kyle, finally stepped in the cart shuddered at shot forward at an amazing speed. Though the wind blew at Daeos at a powerful speed, he didn't seem to falter in his pose. The same was not true for Jenn.
"Ugggh, can you make this thing move slower, please?" she asked, her face slowly beginning to turn green.
"One speed only," Gaznok answered much to Jenn's displeasure. Daeos didn't regret the cart not being able to go slower; from what he could tell, these tunnels went on for miles, yet it didn't take very long before the cart finally came to a halt.
"Here's your vault," Gaznok said as the six of them walked onto the landing. "Key, please." Bole handed the Goblin a small bronze key, with which he unlocked the small door in front of them. After the green smoke that billowed from the safe due to its opening cleared, the vault's insides were revealed to be filled with large piles of bonze, silver, and gold coins.
"Your inheritance," Bole said to a gaping Daeos and Jenn, "Everything your parents left for you."
"It's...beautiful..." said Daeos, a greedy look appearing on his face, "So much money.." He then began to stick his hands in the vault and slowly caress the coins, moaning softly.
"Yes...well...since it's split between the two of you, it should last for a few years," he told Jenn and Daeos, who were putting some of the currency into small pouches given by Gaznok. "After that," Bole began to say to Mrs. Johnson, "you'll have to exchange your Muggle money for Galleons at the front desk. But you shouldn't be able to worry about that for a while. And Daeos, don't take so much," he added, seeing the boy in question shovel large amounts of Sickles into his pockets.
A few moments later (Those carts are pretty damn fast, Daeos thought) the four of them were leaving the stone-white building. "What place are we going next?" Kyle asked as the crowd began to grow and surge.
"I think we should start on the schoolbooks," Jenn said, looking at the supplies list, "Wow...there's a lot of them."
"Good idea," Bole replied, "Now everyone, stay together, it wouldn't be the best idea to get lost in this crowd." Jenn nodded in agreement, while Daeos continued to stare at the coins he withdrew from their vault.
Woah...wizards' money is a lot cooler than ours is... he thought, still looking through his money pouch, Look at this...gold, bronze, silver, and all mine! But how will I... He then stopped in his tracks, along with all train of thought...
...Because he walked right into a wall. Daeos pulled back from the building, hands grasped at his nose, all dignity forgotten. "Argh," he grunted through his hands, "ugh...how did that happen?" He looked around, hoping to see his family so he could ask why they didn't stop him from hitting the side of the building. But he found himself surrounded only by other wizarding families, his and Bole nowhere yo be seen. "Uh-oh," he said, looking in every direction for any sign of them, "maybe I should go find them..."
Quiet you fool, said a small voice inside his head, without that wizard from their government, we can go wherever we want.
"Hmmm..." Daeos said to himself, thinking over the idea, "You make a strong point. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. But where do I start..." Daeos looked up at the building he ran into. "Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions..." he said to himself. He pulled out the list he received earlier and looked at the first item on the list. "Ah, robes. Well, I might as well start with something that'll make me look like a wizard." He stepped into the shop, to have a squat witch walk up to hi, who he could only assume was Madame Malkin.
"Starting Hogwarts, I presume?" she asked. Daeos nodded. "Very good, then step this way," she told him, indicating an empty area in the middle of the store, filled with various tools that one would assume are used for measuring. Madame Malkin pulled an inquisitive look. "You're not here alone, are you?" she asked.
"No, I just got sep...uh...they felt it would be easier if we took each store separately," he answered, walking into the area she indicated.
Malkin followed him, still carrying a questionable expression. "Your parents let you wander around by yourself with what's going on at the moment?" she asked, pulling a set of black robes over Daeos' head and beginning to pin it to the correct size.
"With what going on?" Daeos asked.
"With Sirius Black on the loose, of course!" she replied forcefully, staring at Daeos in disbelief, though still measuring and sizing his robes.
"Never heard of him," he said simply. Malkin decided to continue with his fitting than push the topic further.
"Okay, finished," she said after a few minutes of silence. She took a few steps back from Daeos while he fully examined himself in a nearby mirror. Upon seeing the full effect of his garb he whistled. "And these are common uniform for everybody?" he asked, not expecting an answer, "This school sure knows style. Seriously, I feel like nobility!"
"I'm guessing that you must be Muggle-born," Malkin said to him, "Most wizard-born children are used to our form of clothing."
Daeos shook his head. "No...I was told that my parents were magic. My mother was killed, so my sister and I were adopted by Muggles," he informed her, pulling out money to pay for the robes.
Taking the gold from Daeos, Madame Malkin asked, "And what about your father?"
Daeos froze in his spot. "I...don't know..." he said before exiting the shop.
"Now then," Daeos said to himself as he walked down the alleyway, "what to get next? Ah, who am I kidding, I want a wand." He scrutinized each store as he walked by them in any sign of the item in question, but saw nothing related to what he was searching for. However, every shop he passed drew his eye. This was especially true for a building called Quality Quidditch Supplies, which took his mind off looking for a wand completely.
"Wow..." he muttered, face pressed against the glass window, which behind lay a sleek broom labeled the Nimbus 2001. "So that's what their brooms are like? They must be used for something important...I certainly wouldn't buy that broom just to sweep the floor." Daeos glanced at the price tag stationed a little bit below the broom. "Dear lord, I'd have to be filthy rich and insane to buy that just for cleaning," he said. "Like I'd be able to purchase it anyway, it'd probably use up most of my money. Not to mention Jenn would do her nut if I spent most of our money on this..."
And just as he thought of this "dire" consequence, an angry voice behind him yelled "DAEOS!" Daeos suddenly felt his hair being tugged away from the glass window, and soon came face-to-face with Jenn, who looked furious.
"Ow, ow, ow," he grunted as Jenn pulled him towards the center of the street, "Let go Jenn, people are beginning to stare."
"So? You deserve it," she said, "Mum and I were worried about you, and from what Mr. Bole said there's a murderer on the loose. Why didn't you listen to him when he said 'stay together'?"
"He said what now?" Daeos asked. She soon pulled him outside of an Apocathary, in which Mrs. Johnson, Kyle, and Bole exited. Finally letting go of her brother's hair, Jenn turned to the other three and said, "I found him looming over by the Qui...Ku...that, that broomstick store."
"Daeos, what did Mr. Bole tell you about sticking together?" Mrs. Johnson reprimanded her son, "From what he said there's a dangerous criminal on the loose and you walking around this place by yourself is foolish!"
"Now, Mrs. Johnson," Bole started to say, "I didn't mean for it to be that serious. The possibility of Black appearing right in the middle of Diagon Alley when the entire Ministry's after him is extremely low. I told you this more to slightly put you on your guard than to constantly worry about your children. But now that Daeos is back with us I think we should be getting back on schedule." He took out a pocket watch from his robes and examined it before speaking again. "Now then, we've gotten your books, telescopes, cauldrons, and phials, all we need now are your robes and wands."
"Actually," Daeos interrupted, speaking for the first time since Jenn dragged him here, "I already got my robes. I was looking for a wand before Jenn brought me over."
"Well, then we might as well go there next," Bole concluded.
Finally, Daeos thought as they began their walk towards the end of the alley. They soon arrived at a shabby shop where the word "Ollivander's" was printed in peeling gold letters. "This is it?' Daeos asked, looking at the dusty store in disbelief.
"Don't judge it that fast, Daeos," Bole said, "Ollivander is one of the greatest wandmakers around."
The sound of a small bell rang as they entered the small store. It was empty excluding a spindly chair which Mrs. Johnson sat in, waiting for whatever Daeos and Jenn had to do. "Good afternoon," said a soft voice. An old man with pale eyes suddenly appeared in front of them, causing Mrs. Johnson to leap off the chair in surprise.
"Ah, Mr. Ollivander!" Bole exclaimed, moving over to shake the man's hand, "Good to see you again."
"Marcus Bole, pleasure. Ten inches, Oak and unicorn hair, if I'm correct?" Ollivander asked.
Daeos couldn't make head or tails of this question, and based off her visage, neither could Jenn. Bole however seemed to understand, as he replied, "Yes, yes it was sir. Daeos and Jenn Kirande here are the ones whose wands you should be thinking about." Ollivander then walked over to the twins, examining them closely.
"Ahhhh, yes, the Kirandes, I remember. Selina Cooper, twelve inches, cherry and pheonix feather, reasonably balanced in most magic. Her wand," he added, seeing the puzzled looks on Jenn and Daeos' faces. "Yes, I remember every wand I ever sold, like your father for example. Evin Kirande, nine and three-fourths inches, oak, rather sturdy. Powerful and particularly agile. It's a shame that most of its work wasn't seen in Britain; his family moved to the United States soon after he received it. Now then, let's get started with you two." He then began to pull out a silver measuring tape, which amazingly, began to measure Daeos while Ollivander was mulling over near the many boxes that stacked to the ceiling.
"Ah, here we are, try this one," Ollivander said to Daeos, pulling out a dusty box from the shelf. "Eight inches, birch and unicorn hair, quite bendy." Daeos took the wand from Ollivander, but barely moved it when the old man snatched it back from him. "No, no, that's not right. Here, try this one," he said, pulling out another wand from the shelves. "Eleven and a half inches, elm and dragon heartstring, pliable." When Daeos held this wand, though, Ollivander did not take it back from him. In fact, he felt a certain warmness flow from the wand and up his arm. When he moved it the wand seemed to trail sparks.
"Excellent, excellent. Now, if you'd step over here Ms. Kirande..."
Half an hour later, Daeos, Jenn, Kyle, Mrs. Johnson, and Bole were heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, Daeos and Jenn examining their wands (Jenn's being maple and pheonix feather), and Kyle holding a large cage containing a handsome screech owl ("How come Daeos and Jenn get all these things?" he asked). As they entered the pub, Bole turned to the twins. "Okay, you two. To get to Hogwarts you'll have to take a train from King's Cross. Here are your tickets," he said, handing the kids each an envelope, "The train leaves at eleven A.M. On September the first, so make sure you have everything ready by then." When he finished he pulled out a small pouch not unlike that of what Avery had.
"Now, Jenn, Daeos, I wish you good luck with your magical education. I need to get back to the Ministry right now, so I bid you four farewell," Bole said to the family. As he reached into the bag, however, Daeos spoke up.
"Er, Mr. Bole, I have a question that you might be able to answer," he said.
Bole gave Daeos an inquisitive look. "Sure, what is it?" he asked.
"Well..." Daeos began, "you told us that our mother was killed after we were born. But...what about our father?"
Whatever Bole was expecting, it wasn't this. "Er, I'm sorry, but I really must be going. The Ministry needs as many people there as it can," he said quickly.
Jenn seemed perturbed by his sudden change of face. "But..." she started.
"Good-bye, and I hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts," Bole interrupted, throwing a pinch of green Floo powder into the fireplace. And in a flash of emerald flames, he vanished.
Ryos- Okay, a few things I want to apologize for. The first being the severe lateness of the update. I'm sorry to say I had a mixed combination of writer's block and school issues, along with this chapter not having many interesting points. I'd also like to apologize for any detached pieces of the plot throughout the chapter, as I've been writing this for over a month. It wasn't exactly my favorite part of the story, but after this it should get better. Thank you for your time.
PS: You might start to notice a trend in the chapter titles. Yes, I'm being a little uncreative, but I felt it was the best path to take.