The sweet smell of breakfast drifted through Daisy's bedroom door, gently waking her from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open as the memories of the previous day rushed to the front of her mind once more. It was all a dream, she thought with a sad sigh, her heart dropping into her stomach with disappointment. A mad, strange dream. I'll get up, eat breakfast, and everything thing will be just like normal. No magic for me, it really can't exist.
She threw her duvet away from her and stretched jerkily to try and wake herself up. Rolling out of bed and stumbling to her mirror she made a vain attempt to flatten her messy mound of dark hair, sweeping some strands from her face with a huff. Giving it up as a bad job, Daisy left her bedroom and made her way to the delicious-smelling food that awaited her.
Expecting the find her mother in her usual morning outfit of a well-worn dressing gown and fluffy slippers, she was shocked to find her in an entirely new ensemble. Her mother was dressed in deep purple robes, complete with a pointed hat.
"Mum," Daisy said slowly, a confused look plastered on her face. Though her mother has worn some odd outfits before, this was just plain silly. "Did you get a new dressing gown... and a new hat?"
Deirdre laughed and poured Daisy a glass of orange juice. "No, darling. It's a witch's robe for our trip to Diagon Alley. Did you expect me to wear my Sunday best? I'd stick out like a sore thumb, dear!"
So it wasn't a dream! She thought, a happy feeling flooding into her body. Smiling, she grabbed her orange juice and gulped it down. "Wait," she said, confusion lacing her voice as a thought occurred to her. "Why don't you just wear normal clothes? Why do you have to wear robes? Robes are a bit... well, strange."
Deirdre smiled. "Robes are normal in Diagon Alley, and in every other Wizarding community in England. I've always loved their elegance, but I'd look rather strange wandering down the Muggle streets in them!" Noticing her daughter's nose wrinkle in disgust, a small chuckle escaped her lips. "You'll get used to it, if not now then at Hogwarts. Now finish your breakfast and get yourself ready, I haven't been to Diagon Alley in years! I wonder how much as changed..."
"Mhhhhm'kay," Daisy said through a mouth stuffed with eggs and toast; her meal devoured in mere minutes. The only thing on Daisy's mind was Diagon Alley, and rightfully so. She couldn't believe that it existed, that magic even existed. It was absolutely absurd! But in the back of her mind, she desperately wished it to be true.
"Go and get ready, dear," Deirdre said, taking her daughter's cleared plate to the sink. "We have a long day ahead of us!"
Daisy nodded and made her way to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her with a click, she walked to her wardrobe and ran her hands over the garments inside, her stomach knotting up.
"What on Earth am I supposed to wear," she said, under her breath. "Robes?"
She turned around to find her newest dressing gown thrown over a chair. Would a purple fuzzy robe with pink polka dots be appropriate for shopping? After a few moments of thought, she decided another outfit would probably be a better choice.
Settling on a perfectly normal outfit of jeans and a t-shirt, she walked out of her room and closed the door behind her.
"Are you ready to go?" Deirdre asked Daisy as she entered the living room. Daisy nodded.
"Wait," Daisy said, a thought coming to mind. "Where exactly is Diagon Alley?"
"It's in London, dear," Deirdre said simply, motioning for Daisy to follow her as she walked to the other side of the room.
"Alright, then how are we going to get there? Car or train?" She asked her mum, as she came to stop in front of the fireplace.
Daisy had always loved the old fireplace. Stones were intricately placed together to form a piece of art, and deep ebony wood was placed on top to make a beautiful mantel. Her mum had always told her that the stones were very special, which made the fireplace that much more magical. Family photographs, knick-knacks, and a lovely vase were permanently placed on top. Many a day were spent playing in front of the calming glow when she was growing up.
Deirdre gently picked up the old vase from the fireplace mantel. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small violet pouch, which looked to be full of something.
"Floo powder," she said simply, untying the strings. Daisy stared.
"This," she repeated after a moment, reaching into the pouch, "is Floo powder." The strange glittery powder glistened in her hands. "It is one of the many ways of travel in our world. One simply throws the powder into the fireplace, and then wait until it turns a vivid green. Then you clearly state your destination and walk right into the flames."
Daisy stared at her. "You are barking mad. If you think that I am walking into flames then -"
"Oh hush, child," Deirdre said, brushing her outburst off. "If you are going to make a fuss, then I will go first. I'd much rather quite frankly, to make sue you come out safely at the other side."
Without waiting for Daisy's reply, she threw a small handful of Floo powder into the ancient fireplace. At first, nothing happened. Then a few moments later, the fireplace burst into life as brilliant green flames filled the empty space. It seemed as if the flames would engulf the entire structure, but Daisy found that absolutely no heat was emitting from them. In fact, a sensation chilling her to the bone seemed to be seeping through her body.
"Now when you say your destination, you must state it perfectly clearly. No stuttering, no um-ing and ah-ing, do you understand?" Daisy gave a quick nod, her head still spinning. "Good. If you say the wrong place or stutter, you might not get to the correct fireplace in London, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?"
Without waiting for her daughter's response, Deirdre walked confidently into the flames. "Diagon Alley!"
The green flames became even more ravenous as they engulfed Daisy's mother. A whoosh range through the room, and she was gone.
Daisy couldn't breath. Seeing her mother being eaten by fire was too much to handle. Her mind was spinning. I have to find her!
Reaching into the Floo powder pouch, she threw what was left into the fire. Just like with Deirdre, the flames were instantaneous. "Diagon Alley!"
Before she could think, she closed her eyes and ran into the flames. Everything went black as the ground seemed to disappear from her.
Her stomach dropped. She starting spinning uncontrollably as she raced past thousands of others fireplaces. Some were big, some small, yet all confused her. Is this really happening? Her poor mind raced as she spun by.
BOOM!
Headfirst, Daisy shot through the fireplace and tumbled into a very plush cushion.
"Get up, dear," and extremely old witch stated dryly, helping Daisy up. Her voice was raspy, like she had a fur ball stuck in her throat. "Your mother is over there waiting for you. Not sure how you ended up with your head going first, though. Must bring that up at the next meeting... Been happening a lot lately..." The witch trailed off, walking back to the fireplace for the next incoming witch or wizard.
"Oh come here, dear. You look absolutely dreadful," Deirdre said, pulling Daisy towards her. She brushed off the ash and soot from her outfit and smoothed down her hair. "Much better. Now come on! We have much to do."
Not giving her daughter any chance to catch her breath, Deirdre clasped her daughter's hand and led her into a shabby, run down pub. "The Leaky Cauldron," Daisy said under her breath as she stepped into the dusty room filled with wizened, downright terrifying people.
They walked slowly through the crowded room. Daisy tried to avoid eye contact, but is seemed as if most everyone with eyes was staring at her, or whispering excitedly, as if they knew her.
"Come quickly, darling," her mother said, sensing her nervousness. Daisy quickened her pace until they were in front of a giant brick wall. An old woman, who appeared to be wearing a battered hat with a giant stuffed vulture on top, was clutching a young and slightly chubby boy. They appeared to be stood right where Daisy's mum seemed to be heading.
"Excuse me," Deirdre asked, tapping the woman on the shoulder. She turned around to reveal sharp, hawk-like features. She raised her eyebrows. "Do you mind if we follow you in?"
"Of course, dear woman!" she said with a small smile, revealing her sharp teeth. The boy turned around to reveal a round yet kind face, much to the contrast of his keeper. He gave a shy, sheepish smile, the tips of his ears turning bright red. "Muggles, are we? Not to worry, not to worry," she trailing off, rummaging through her bag. "Here we are!"
She pulled out a long piece of wood from her handbag. She stared at the brick wall for a moment, and then tapped what seemed like random bricks to Daisy. Suddenly, the bricks began rolling to the edges of the wall, revealing a wide alley, lined with vibrant shoppes and people.
Daisy wished she had more eyes, like a spider or a fly on the wall. She couldn't take everything in! Children were running around with toy broomsticks, books were flying every which way, and the roar of conversation was almost deafening.
"Do you like it?" Deirdre asked Daisy, as they walked down the cobblestone street.
"It's brilliant," Daisy said happily, ready to explore all of the strange magical stores. "Can we go in this one first?" She pointed to a bookstore name Flourish and Blotts.
"With what money? First we need to go to Gringotts, the world's finest Wizarding Bank," Deirdre said, pointing to an extremely large, castle-like building at the end of the street.
"Wizards have banks?" Daisy asked, following her mum down the street.
"How did you think we're going pay for things? With our good looks and undeniable wit?" Deirdre said with a wink.
As the pair approached the looming doors, they opened automatically with a groan. When Daisy saw what lay behind, her eyes became as wide as saucers. A vast marble entryway was glistening. Giant marble desks stood gallantly on either side of the walkway, and little tiny creatures with scowls on their ugly faces sat in the desks, scribbling quickly.
"Mum," Daisy whispered, clutching her mother's hand. "What are those... those things?"
"Goblins," she responded quietly, squeezing her small hand. "Terrifying creatures, goblins are. Extremely smart, yet very greedy. I wouldn't want to cross paths with a goblin."
Daisy gulped, nodding. "I'll try not to."
Deirdre stopped at the end of the walkway, where a lone goblin sat above the others, eying her carefully. "I would like to see the Potter's vault, please."
The goblin raised himself out of his seat and peered over the edge of the desk. "And do we have the key?" He said sharply, squinting over his spectacles.
Deirdre reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, golden key. She placed it on the desk, and the goblin picked it up, eyeing it carefully. After a moment, he glanced down at Daisy, and stared at her. "Everything seems to be in order. Zus will take you to your vault, enjoy your trip. Next!" The goblin sat back down, and went back to his paperwork.
"Follow me, please," a voice said gruffly, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Gripping her mother's hand even tighter than before, Daisy and Deirdre followed Zus down a set of stairs and to an old wooden cart on slightly wobbly tracks. Daisy held on tightly to her mother's hand as she helped her to a seat.
"Hold on, please," Zus said, and instantly, the cart burst into life, twisting and turning violently down the track. Oddly enough, Zus wasn't steering at all. In fact, the cart seemed to have a life of it's own.
Daisy closed her eyes. Her stomach was dropping with every turn, and she was afraid that if she opened her eyes she might be rather sick. I don't care about magic anymore, she thought shrewdly, I am sick of feeling sick!
The cart stopped suddenly, flinging Daisy and her mother forward without notice. Once they regained their composure they stumbled out of the cart, following Zus to a giant golden vault.
"Stand back, please," he said firmly, pushing them back. He took a long fingernail and ran it slowing down one of the crevasses of the door. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out the key, and turned it slowly. A small clicking noise was heard and after a moment, the door opened very sluggishly.
"You share this vault with your brother. After your parents died, they left you this. All of this," Deirdre told Daisy as the door opened.
The vault was piled high with gold, silver and bronze coins, stretching from one end to the other. "Wow", Daisy gasped when she saw the sheer amount. Though she didn't know what these strange coins were, she knew that there was a lot of money held in this room.
Deirdre grabbed a handful of the various coins and put them in a small pouch. She explained that the coins were called Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, and how much each one was worth. Daisy nodded after each description, but she had a small feeling that she would forget all she was being told.
After the nauseating ride back to the entrance the pair walked out of Gringotts, now ready to purchase her school supplies.
"Do you have the list, dear?"
"Yes, I have it right here," Daisy said, pulling the folded list out of her pocket. "It says I need three sets of plain black robes." She announced after glancing at the first item.
Deirdre smiled. "Time to pay a visit to Madame Malkin's."
They entered a shabby old building. The small shop seemed to be overflowing with any wizarding article of clothing anyone could ever need. Children that appeared to be Daisy's age stood on short pedestals, while a floating tape took their measurements. A witch stood near them, watching the tape move with hawklike eyes. If the child moved out of place, the tape measure seemed to become upset and wrap itself around their arms. It seemed that the tape measure refused to stop squeezing until the child moved to their proper position once more, eyes wide.
Daisy tried to suppress her laughter when the boy she had met earlier somehow managed to get the measuring tape wrapped around both of his feet and was struggling to stay balanced. He didn't last long; a few seconds later he toppled over, crashing into his grandmother.
"Don't stare, Daisy. The poor boy's a little clumsy, that's all," Deirdre said with a sigh, and then pushed her daughter forward. "A spot just opened up over there. It's our turn."
"Up on the pedestal, dear" an old witch said gently. Her eyes were kind, and her face was deeply lined. Daisy obliged, and the magic tape whipped around her body automatically. The old witch stood behind her, watching the tape move. "First year, yes?"
Daisy nodded quickly, not wanting to be choked by the rogue tape measure.
The witch smiled. "I can always tell. All the first years look terrified." She laughed, and Deirdre joined in. Daisy was not amused.
"All done! That wasn't so bad, now was it?" said the witch, walking away.
"I guess not. Thank you," said Daisy as she followed her mother to pay for the robes.
After they had paid and left the shop, Daisy pulled out her list. "It says here that I need a wand?"
"Oh, yes," Deirdre said, becoming slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, of course. Ollivander's is right here, just go on in and he will take care of you. I'll be waiting right outside"
"Mum, what's wrong?" Daisy said, her brow furrowed.
"I'll explain another time. Right now it's not important, and Mr. Ollivander is waiting," she said sadly, pushing Daisy into the dusty old shop.
"Umm, okay," she said, as her mother walked away. As she entered the store, it seemed empty. There were no lights, just rows and rows of small boxes.
"He-hello?" Daisy asked the darkness. She heard a soft ruffling, and soon saw an old man appear from the depths of the store.
He slowly walked towards her, his eyes locked onto hers. "Has it been that long already?"
"I'm sorry?" Daisy asked shyly, confused.
"Miss Potter, I have been waiting for you. I am Mr. Ollivander," he said happily, as if talking to an old friend. "You are quite the celebrity, of sorts."
"I don't know about that, sir," Daisy said, but Mr. Ollivander dismissed her with a wave of his old hand.
"Wand arm?" He asked. He turned on his heel and started to look through seemingly endless amounts of small boxes.
"Well," Daisy said slowly, a little confused. "I am right handed?"
"Yes, yes, I expected as much, just like your dear Father! I remember when he got his first wand! Right on the first time, too... Eleven inches, mahogany, with a dragon core. Very powerful indeed. The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Potter. Or in this case, the witch. Never forget that."
She nodded, though she wasn't sure exactly what he meant. Ollivander disappeared into the darkness and returned moments later with a handful of the boxes.
"Right. Try this one first. Seven inches, rather flexible," he said, handing her the wand. She held it gingerly with her hands, not knowing what to do with that. She looked at Mr. Ollivander who was eagerly looking back at her. "Go on, give it a wave!"
"Okay then," she said, grasping the wand and waved it around. She felt extremely silly at first, but then at once, she felt a strong sensation almost like electricity shoot her arm. A strike of silver light emitted from the want and went straight into the darkness.
"No, no definitely not," he said sharply, quickly taking the wand from her hands. "Try this one. Eleven inches, with a dragon core, just like your father!"
Trying again, she flicked the wand, and a burst of red light flew out of the wand and into the shelved, causing half of the boxes to fly off of the shelves. She quickly handed the wand back to him. "Am I doing something wrong?" She asked nervously, afraid of the mess she just made.
"I told you, dear. The wand chooses the witch. Do not fret. Now..."
She nodded, still not feeling any better. What if no wand chooses me? She thought, worry bubbling up in her stomach.
"This one! Yes, try this one! Ten inches, unicorn core, beautiful wand."
She took the wand from him. As soon as she touched the smooth wood of the wand, something felt different. Her entire body seemed to fill with warmth. She almost felt as if she was glowing. She waved the wand in front of her, and a vase appeared, filled with beautiful lilies. They disappeared in an instant, but it was clear to Daisy that this was different to the others.
Daisy stared at Mr. Ollivander. Lilies. Lily. Her mother. "The wand chooses the witch. Your mother also had a willow wand. Ten and three/fourths inches, very swishy, lovely for charm and transfiguration work. It seems that you have your mother's gift."
Daisy didn't know what to say, so just stared at him blankly.
"I expect great things from you, Miss Potter," he said, collecting her money. "Great things."
Though she wanted to tell him quite honestly that she thought a wand was a strangely shaped stick only moments ago, she kept quiet and put her wand in her pocket.
Walking out the store, she began to look for her mother.
"Daisy!" She yelled from a bit away. Turning around, Daisy saw her mother holding an oddly shaped cage, a fitted cover draped over the top.
"Mum," she asked, "what in the world is that?"
She lifted to cover to reveal a stunning, large owl. "Isn't she beautiful? She's a barn own. You're permitted certain animals at Hogwarts, so I thought I would get you an owl as a little present. As you know, owls can deliver mail, so we can keep in touch!"
The owl was gorgeous. She had a reddish-brown body, with a snow white, heart shaped face. When she saw Daisy she tilted her head to the side. Daisy giggled. "I think I'll call her Artemis."
"I think that sounds like a lovely name," she smiled. "I picked up your potion and astronomy supplies, so all that's left are your books I believe. Is that right?"
She nodded. "I can pick them up if you want, so you can stay out here with Artemis?" Daisy pleaded. She loved reading. Since she didn't have many friends, reading was her way to escape. Though she was young, she could spend hours in a bookshop.
Deirdre laughed. "Nice try. If I let you in there alone, you will end up with enough spell books for the next seven years! I'll get your books. It will only take a minute."
She watched her mum walk into Flourish and Blotts and disappear behind the tall bookcases.
Daisy sat down on a bench that was next to the door. "She's mean, isn't she Artemis?" The owl simply blinked. "I'll take that as, 'I agree.'"
"Are you talking to an owl?"
Startled, Daisy turned her head to look at the intruder, who had rather bushy hair and strangely shaped front teeth staring at her with her arms crossed. "I don't think that's normal."
"I was just waiting for my mum to get my books," Daisy responded, taken aback at the girl's rudeness.
"Oh!" The girl said, plopping down next to her. "Are you going to Hogwarts too? Are you a first year?"
Daisy nodded, not quite sure what else could be said to that
The girl's eyes lit up. "Me too!" She said excitedly. "I cannot tell you how excited I am! I'm from a non-magic household, so the letter was such a shock to my family. Of course, Professor McGonagall came and explained everything to my parents and I. It all sounds so exciting!"
Daisy laughed. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said, standing up. "And you are?"
"Daisy," she said, smiling.
"Nice to meet you! Well, I must be going. My parents are probably lost in the bookshop. We haven't quite figured out how to use Wizarding money yet, you see. I will see you soon!" She happily bounced away to find her parents.
"She's weird," Daisy giggled, turning to Artemis. The young owl gave a small hoot. "I suppose you agree then."
"Daisy?" She heard her mum call.
"Over here, mum," Daisy said, standing up and grabbing the owl cage. "That took a while."
Beads of sweat were forming on the woman's brow. "Yes," she sighed, "I suppose everyone decided to go to Diagon Alley today. Let's go."
Daisy nodded and started walking towards The Leaky Cauldron with her mum. "I met someone going to Hogwarts today! She was a little bit strange... and loud."
Deirdre laughed. "Don't judge her, my dear. Everyone is excited, just some tend to be more excited than others."
They reached the brick wall to take them back into the real world. "Ready? You can use your wand for the first time here. Just touch these bricks," she said, pointing to various bricks. Daisy drew her wand and tapped. A few moments later, the bricks split apart, revealing the dingy pub.
"Very good," Deirdre smiled. "It's going to be difficult to take all of these supplies home in one trip," she sighed, walking to the grand fireplace.
"Coming!" Daisy said, picking up the cage. But before she crossed the barrier, she took one more look at the amazing alley. The people there seemed to be calming down. All the children were sluggishly following their parents, ready for a snooze or something to eat, and Daisy yawned herself. Just as she was turning on her heel, she spotted a large shadow at the other end of the alley. It looked like a giant... the giant from her dream! She wanted to see just what it was, so she started walking towards the figure. However, her mother interrupted her before she could stray too far.
"Daisy, it's time to go," her mum said impatiently, tapping her foot.
Daisy frowned and walked into the pub, with one final look at this giant. It couldn't be, she thought, it just couldn't be.