(AN: Okay, just to let everyone know. There is a reason the Stone family hates Anna so much, but it won't be explained for several chapters. No, they aren't just randomly beating her. Just wanted to throw that out there. New chapter! Anna finishes her shopping, she learns a few very basic and useful spells, and the fecal matter hits the ceiling oscillator. (Cookie to the one who gets that last.))
...***...
Andre had said the necklace would be ready in two hours, so Anna and McIntire left to handle the rest of her supplies. The books were easy and straightforward, though she looked disdainful at the book she was told to get for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Potions and Herbology looked very interesting, along with Care of Magical Creatures. She used a few of her own Galleons to buy supplemental books for Defense and Potions.
Then they were off to the apothecary to purchase her potion supplies, which was very quick and easy. The shop smelled heavily of dried herbs, and she felt herself relax with the scents. A pair of brass scales went into her basket, along with an excellent potions knife and pestle and mortar. A few minutes in the cauldron shop saw her with a new pewter cauldron. Then McIntire took her to be fitted for her robes, which took almost no time. She saw other Hogwarts students in there, but refrained from lingering too much.
"Now, what's left?" asked McIntire.
"Just the wand, and I can take an owl, a toad, or a cat as a pet," she answered.
"Right, then we'll go to Magical Menagerie for a good pet, then pick up your orders from Andre and Madam Malkins, and finish the day with your wand. Now, what kind of pet would you like?"
"No toads, I can't stand them. I don't think an owl will be needed. There are school owls I can use if I need to, and I don't have very many people to send letters to. A cat could stay in the castle with me."
"Cat it is, then. Let's see what takes to you." They stepped into the shop, and a small bell rang above the door.
"Welcome," said a shopkeeper. "How may I help you this fine day?"
"I'm looking for a cat," said Anna. "I'm going to Hogwarts soon, and I get lonely."
The man smiled warmly. "Of course, we have many different varieties of cats, and in all sizes, too. Any in particular that take your fancy?"
Anna looked thoughtfully at the kenneled cats. "Not yet, sir. I think I'll just know." She saw brown cats, tortoise shells, calicos, white cats, Siamese, tabbies, gingers, grays, and black cats, but none caught her attention. "Are there any others?" she asked softly.
An old woman came out and looked at her for a moment before turning to the younger man. "Show her to the back," she ordered. "She'll find what she needs there." She swept away before the man could protest.
"Come along," he said. They went through a door into a different room. "These animals have higher magic properties, most of them hybrid magic creatures. On the plus side, they tend to bind to their master more easily if they like you."
Anna had stopped listening. She had locked eyes with a tiny, charcoal kitten. The fur was long and soft, and she could see a faint spotted pattern in the fur, almost hidden because of the dark colors. The kitten looked at her and mewled softly. Anna reached out to pet it. As she looked, the fur seemed to absorb the light.
"This one," she said firmly.
"Ah, a Kneazle and shadowcat hybrid. Very rare, and very loyal. I've only seen a few myself, but they have great skill in hiding in the shadows."
A few minutes later, they left the store, the little kitten perched on Anna's shoulder. The fading sunlight made it look more solid, though the shadows they passed through seemed to make it waver a little. Anna decided to name her Artemis. She thought it fitting, since her eyes were the palest yellow, like two full moons. The tiny kitten would look around with bright, clear eyes, then nuzzle her new mistress and purr softly.
"We better stop by Madame Malkins," said McIntire. "I think she should sew a little padding into one shoulder of your robes, so Artemis's claws don't catch you. And if she gets too insistent on going to class with you, speak with your Potions professor to make sure her presence won't cause a reaction." They stopped by and did just that, then returned to Andre's shop.
"Ah, an interesting development with your order," said the old man. He drew out a necklace and brought it over. Anna's eyes widened in awe. The strands of centaur hair had been melded together to form what looked like three braided strands of liquid metal, one gleaming black, one dark gray, the last a shining silver. Hanging from the chain was the emerald, caught in a rather plain setting. What surprised Anna was the engraving in the top facet of the gem. The letters RIA were woven together in a flowing script. "I used magic to engrave her initials into the stone, but these letters appeared instead. I can't determine why."
Anna decided to divulge a bit of information. After all, McIntire trusted him. "I don't know my real name," she admitted. "I was kidnapped as a small child, and was raised being called Anna. If the spell says these are my initials, then maybe they are." She noticed McIntire looking at the letters very intently. "Uncle Mac?" she said softly. The man startled.
"What did you call me, child?" he whispered.
"You made that oath at the Ministry, about being my guardian. So I called you Uncle Mac. Is that okay?"
A wide smile broke on the man's face. "I like it," he said. "I was just thinking that there was something about those initials, but I can't put my finger on it. It'll come to me later, I'm sure. Were you able to set the charms on the necklace?"
"Yes, I preserved the one on the chain, just made it permanent, undetectable, and untraceable. I charmed the stone to be a Portkey to Kings Cross Station in London. Only she can activate it, and the activation key is to tap it three times and say Platform 9 ¾. There is also an indestructible charm on the chain, and a permanent clasp."
Anna smiled as Andre clasped the slender chain around her neck. It felt light and delicate against her skin. Artemis batted at the chain with her paw. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to have collars for familiars, would you?" she asked. Andre gave a warm laugh and drew out a tray.
...***...
All the delight Anna had over her necklace and the rest of the day quickly disappeared after nearly an hour in Ollivander's. The wand maker had endless shelves of wands made, but none of them were choosing her. Anna grit her teeth and waved yet another wand. Nothing.
Anna finally plopped down in a rickety chair and sighed. "Why won't any of them work?" she asked, fighting tears.
"The wand chooses its wielder, little witch," said Ollivander, still looking through shelves. "Though perhaps a different approach." He walked over and stood in front of Anna, studying her carefully. Anna had the odd feeling he was seeing more than others did; he focused a lot on the left side of her face. "So that's why." He hurried into a back room, then emerged holding a dusty box. "Try this one."
Anna sighed and picked up the wand. A shiver ran up her arm, followed by a welcoming warmth. She stared at it, her jaw slack in wonder. She waved it, delighted when bright green sparks flew from the end. It felt like an old friend she didn't know was gone.
"I should have known," said Ollivander. "Child, this wand is more than special. The shaft is of holly, a powerful conduit of light and healing spells. The core is dragon heartstring, taken from a very old and strong Romanian Longhorn. That alone is a strong combination. It is in the handle of the wand that the oddity comes in. It is carved from a cedar tree that was struck by lightning, yet lived and grew. This wand will have a strong talent for both healing and protection. It will serve you well, I think."
They paid for the wand and left, Anna still a little stunned by what she had learned. She was silent while they collected her uniforms and clothes and packed them in a trunk McIntire purchased for her. He had charmed it to show her initials, but told her it would show others the initials she had known the last few years until she found her real name. He shrunk the trunk and tucked it in his pocket. He had also gotten her a new satchel for her classes, one with an undetectable expansion and spillproof charm and on it and featherlight charms woven into the fabric.
At that moment, Anna's stomach growled loudly. "Hungry?" asked McIntire. Anna nodded. "Come on, the Leaky Cauldron serves great food. We'll head back once our stomachs are full." He led her to one end of the street, where they entered a small pub. They grabbed seats at the counter, after McIntire cast a quick spell to make the stool a bit taller for Anna, and ordered soup and sandwiches with pumpkin juice, along with a small dish of cream for Artemis.
Anna looked around in curiosity. "Uncle Mac? Who's Harry Potter?" she asked softly. She had seen several newspapers with that name in the headlines. The pictures with them showed a boy older than herself, about fourteen, looking very worn and haggard. She had seen magical pictures before, but the boy in these pictures seemed… off. It was like he didn't even notice the flashes going off in his face.
McIntire looked at her. "Oh, supposedly, he defeated a very powerful, very evil wizard some years ago. According to the reports we saw in America, the boy was able to rebound a Killing Curse when he was just over a year old. Personally, I think it had to do more with an ancient sacrifice ritual than anything else. The reports said his mother threw herself in front of the evil one's first attempt and lost her life."
"And her sacrifice would have made a blood shield for him," said Anna. McIntire looked stunned. "I borrowed an old book from the Stones' library about very ancient and forgotten spells. The sacrifice ritual was in there. The two strongest sacrifices are blood and life, the more freely given, the better."
"Hmm, so the boy had little to do with defeating him, it was mostly his mother," mused McIntire softly. "And most of the Magic Community celebrates him as a hero. Though it looks like the British Minister is up to his usual. The boy seems to be saying the evil wizard has returned, and the British Ministry is claiming him an attention seeking liar."
Anna finished off her soup and grabbed a hot ham and cheese sandwich. "He looks so alone in those pictures," she said softly. "He's lost and scared. The Ministry should be investigating his claims, seeing if there is any truth to them, then offer him some sort of help if they are not. Not turn the whole world against him."
"Well, that's politics for you, child. All full now?" he asked. She nodded and picked up Artemis. "Let's get back and get your things organized, then I'll take you to one of the training rooms and show you a few very useful charms. Sound good?" Anna nodded enthusiastically. "Come on, we'll apperate. Familiars don't usually do well with the Floo."
...***...
"Merlin's Beard, Anna!" exclaimed McIntire a few hours later. "I know Goodman said you were gifted, but this is almost ridiculous. You're going to make Aurors look bad at this rate." The laughter in his voice made Anna smile. So far, she had managed to learn the Shrinking and Expansion Charms, so she could easily shrink her trunk down to pocket size and restore it. Then she had learned the Fire-making spell, which had taken a bit of work.
Right now, McIntire had her facing off with a magical training dummy, and was teaching her the Knockback Jinx. As small as she was, he had said, other students might bully her, so the jinx was a good way to get out of a rough situation. As with the previous spells, he first guided her hand in the needed wand movement, then had her repeat the incantation until she said it perfectly. Now, she was trying to use the spell.
Anna took a breath, then focused. "Flipendo!" she called, flicking her wand. A light shot out, striking the dummy and sending it back several feet. She looked at it, joy and wonder filling her.
"Amazing," said McIntire. "You have a lot of talent. You still have about a month before classes start. One of my friends in the Auror Corps is very skilled in potions and healing charms. If he can, I'll have him give you a few pointers tomorrow. I'll take you to the showers, then we'll have some dinner once we are clean."
"Hellfire!" exclaimed a voice behind her. Anna turned around to see two men and a woman, all wearing the red Auror's robes. The oldest man, with thick white hair, spoke again. "McIntire, who is that child?"
"A refugee, sir," he answered. "The girl Goodman rescued yesterday. She was accepted to Hogwarts, and I was just giving her a few early lessons on some useful spells."
"How old are you, girl?" asked the old Auror.
"Ten, sir," said Anna. "My magic has been going wild, and I need to learn some control. Hogwarts accepted me early."
"I can see why. Ten years old, and you knocked an Auror training dummy back ten feet. What's your name?"
Anna looked uncomfortable. "I don't know, sir," she said. "I was told it was Anna Stone, that my mother died and my father didn't want me, so I was placed with my mother's brother and his wife. I was with them until yesterday, when Ms. Goodman helped me get out. I don't remember my real name, or who my parents are."
The old wizard frowned. "I see. So you weren't really related to the ones you lived with?"
Anna moved close to the wizard. Her Uncle Mac trusted him, and she felt a strong warrior's spirit in him. "I overheard them saying they were blackmailing my father. I think they were sending him pictures of me and telling him that if he wanted to make sure I wasn't hurt, he would pay them what they wanted. I got the impression that my father was trying to find me, but they were careful to cover their trails."
The head Auror scowled fiercely. "McIntire, does she have a back-up plan?" he snapped.
"Already set up, sir." McIntire looked rather proud about that. "Along with a way to get to school when the time comes."
"Well done, lad. Merlin, where are all my manners? I'm Head Auror Reynolds. The young man with me is Auror White, and the woman is Junior Auror Harris. I see you know one of my finest, McIntire. So, what do you think of him, if I may ask?"
Anna smiled at the man. If she had a grandfather, she would want one like the Head Auror. Intelligent, fun, and with plenty of mischief, while still being strong and protective. "I think Uncle Mac is wonderful," she said. McIntire blushed a little, but smiled at her.
"Uncle?" asked Auror Harris.
"I took oath to keep her safe, even from the Ministry if needed," said McIntire. "Nurse Johnson came to me and asked me to watch over her. Said she was very special, and the Ministry would want her for their own uses."
"I see. Well, Harris can take her to the showers, I need a word or two with you. Little Anna, it was a pleasure to meet you. If you want a good suggestion on who to talk to about finding your family, talk to the goblins at Gringotts."
...***...
An hour later, Anna was clean and fed, and in her room reading her Potions book. She had already learned a few more spells, her favorite being the wand lighting spell. That, and the water spell would be very useful. Just now she was learning what potions some of the plants she had once cared for could be used in. Raised voices in the corridor outside her room made her pause. She quickly tucked the book into her satchel, along with a few of her everyday clothes and other books. Then she made her way to the door, her wand clutched in her hand.
"Auror McIntire," said a voice she recognized as Mr. Gallatin. "I don't know what the child told you, but you can see from the Stones' testimony that she is in no danger. Roland Stone is her birth mother's brother, so they are the closest known family."
"No danger?!" exclaimed a female voice. It seemed Nurse Johnson was there, too. "She has scars on her back from a cane or a switch. She is frightened of new people, and latches on to anyone that shows her kindness. She flinches at sudden moves and shies from crowds and loud noises. Those are not traits of a clumsy child."
"Roland Stone is a very respected member of his community," stated Mr. Gallatin. Anna silently eased the door open a crack to hear better. "He says the child is shy, and a bit absent-minded. They enforce a measure of discipline on her to keep her focused. She likes being outdoors, so they let her work in the garden. There were conflicts between her and the Stones' daughter, so they even made a room for her in the basement so she has her own space. This is just another case of a little brat thinking they deserve more in life and using underhanded means to get it. First thing in the morning, McIntire, you will return her to her family. If she isn't gone by nine, I'll take her myself. Understand?"
"Yes, Mr. Gallatin," said McIntire in a defeated voice. Anna's heart pounded with fear. Roland would beat her for sure. He didn't hit her often, but she had trouble moving for days after he did. She quickly shoved her herbology and charms books into her trusty old satchel, along with her older clothes. Then she added the food she had bought for Artemis. A whispered spell shrunk her packed trunk to pocket size, and she tucked it into her pack.
"I won't stand by and let this happen," snarled Nurse Johnson. "You are ignoring the signs, and it will be on your head if anything happens to that poor girl. You have no idea what you are throwing away." Everything was quiet for a moment. "You went through her records? You know?"
"Of course. I had every right, as Head of the Department for Child Welfare. It has been many years since a Druid was last seen. She will be kept under Ministry supervision until she is of age."
"A Druid is a being of nature and magic. If you try to control her or suppress her, the magic within her will rebel, and it will be violent. You bring this on yourself." Anna heard the sound of Nurse Johnson's swishing skirts as she stormed off. She slung the pack on her back and threw her cloak over everything. Thanks to the expansion charm, the bag still looked almost empty.
"If the child is still awake, I wish to speak with her," demanded Mr. Gallatin. Anna saw the shadows move as McIntire stepped aside. The door opened, and Mr. Gallatin stepped in. "Ah, Anna, good to see you again. Now, I know you won't like hearing this, but your uncle was quite understanding. You need to understand that you can't just run off and start accusing people of such crimes. You could have gotten your aunt and uncle in serious trouble with your actions…"
"I'm not going back there," stated Anna. The bald man stopped and looked at her.
"Of course you are," he said, apparently trying to reason with her. "They care for you and are the only family you have. They may not be perfect, but they are trying. The least you can do is meet them half-way."
"So I should go ahead and hand them the whip?" asked Anna. Mr. Gallatin opened his mouth. "No, I won't go back. You can't make me. And you won't find me. Uncle Mac, you can send me letters during the term at school. I'll miss you. Artemis!" The black kitten leapt into her arms, and she reached up and ran a finger along the braided chain around her neck. "Equus!" she called, and felt like a hook had grabbed her behind the navel. The room disappeared.