A/N: Thank you everyone for being so patient. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this posted! I'll try to do better in the future. *bow bow*
Chapter 3: New Sensations
Rhiannon and her godmother Circe locked the house up, and together set out for a place called Diagon Alley. Taking her firmly by the hand, the elder woman led the way. Rhiannon felt rather like a pup on a leash, but chose to remain silent about being treated like a five year-old. It was a simple act of motherly affection, so she allowed it.
"Um..Circe? Where is Remus today?" she asked a little shyly. She did her best to hide a yawn; sleep had not come easily for her, knowing today would be the day she would return to world she had been born into, and for the first time see real magical things.
"He'll meet us there, dear, don't fret. He is going to be bringing along his son, Teddy. You'll get to meet him. And mind you remember your manners...you are the daughter of a very respected witch, after all. I shan't have any daughter of hers conduct herself with anything less than exemplary manners."
Rhiannon smiled at that statement, and followed Circe into a place which had a simple sign depicting a witch with a cauldron that had a hole in it.
"The Leaky Cauldron," explained Circe, "now please do keep close to me. Diagon Alley is bound to be packed with people. It'll be a cinch to get lost." Circe tapped the bricks in a certain pattern, and Rhiannon's coal-black eyes widened as she watched the wall become an archway. Beyond were any number of people dressed in robes of black, green, purple, and even lavender. They milled about like any people on a normal London street.
"Diagon Alley," said Circe with a grin, taking Rhiannon's shoulder and guiding her through. The girl's spirit lifted in excitement, and she attempted to dash toward a store on the corner that looked to be a large joke shop. Laughter and music spilled from the place, and it was packed with witches and wizards of her own age, enjoying themselves.
"Ah-ah," said Circe, taking her charge's hand firmly, "no time for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes right now. We're to meet Remus over at Madame Malkin's shop. Come along then, darling."
Rhiannon followed Circe meekly into the shop down the way, where several students were being outfitted by one little witch.
"Right then...Hogwart's young lady?" asked the lady who Rhiannon assumed was Madame Malkin, and she nodded. When it was her turn, the girl stepped onto the little dais that was made up for students to stand on while being fitted.
"You're a rather small one, aren't you?" said the seamstress to herself as a measuring tape began taking Rhiannon's measurements, making her yelp a little in surprise. Madame Malkin wrote down the measurements as the bell rang again.
"Well—appears we're not so late," said Remus with a smile as he went over to Circe. Beside him was a charming woman with bubble-gum pink hair, guiding a boy who was only a little taller than she. He held himself proudly, regarding Rhiannon with deep blue eyes. The girl averted her eyes from his, feeling her slight embarrassment duel with jealousy. Silly as it was, Rhiannon had come to think of her godfather as alone in the world as she and Circe were, and the revelation of his family stung a little.
"Ah—there she is," said Remus as he came over, smiling, to Rhiannon, "Dora, Teddy, I'd like you to meet Rhiannon Delaney—who prefers to be called Rin. Rin—I'd like you to meet my wife, Dora, and our boy, Teddy. He's about your age."
As Rhiannon stepped down from the dais and waited for her robes to be done, she regarded both the woman and the boy with her ebony gaze. Much as she wanted to kick Teddy in the shin and maybe try something on his mother, her good manners would play out.
"I'm pleased to meet you both," she said at last, giving a small smile and a gracious nod of her head.
"It's nice to meet you at last, too, Rin," said Dora as she leaned in to hug the girl, "your godfather has spoken a lot about you. Isn't that right, Teddy?"
"She's a girl," he muttered as he eyed her with a look between disgust and loathing.
"Yeah well—you're a boy," she muttered back, glaring at him with disdain.
"Well then," said Circe, taking the girl by the shoulder, "we've got what we need here, Remus. Meet you over at Ollivander's later?"
"Indeed, Circe...see you there," said Remus with a wave to them, and Rhiannon looked longingly at the scene of the father and mother with their son as she went out the door. Looking up however, she immediately perked up as she spied a window full of books.
"Oh, please, Circe—can we go in there? Please?" asked the girl, pointing at the shop. Circe laughed and nodded her assent. Rhiannon practically flew into the shop, searching out a title of interest.
"Now, Rin—we can't buy up the whole store...just what we need," said Circe as she gently pulled Rhiannon away from a stack of books. Rhiannon, however, had managed to get one from the stack. She read the title almost greedily.
Advanced Potion Making
"Rin—that's something for N.E.W.T. Level students, darling," said Circe, gently taking the book and setting it back on the stack, "right—now let's get to it."
"The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One," murmured a voice from behind Rhiannon. She turned, seeing another girl. Her hair was dirty blonde, and her hazel eyes scanned the same bit of parchment Circe had for Rin.
"It's over there," murmured Rhiannon, pointing in the direction Circe had gone.
"Thanks," said the girl with a grin, taking Rhiannon along with her, "I'm Penny Lockwood. What's your name?"
"Um...Rin. Rin Delaney."
"Nice to meet you!" said the girl, shaking Rhiannon's hand.
"Um...yes, likewise," replied the girl with a nervous smile.
"Geez, take it easy, Penny—can't you see you're scaring her?" called another voice from behind Penny. Rhiannon looked to see a boy of their age, with straight brown hair and green eyes looking at her.
"I'm Tristian McAlastir," he said with a smile, "in your year too—Delaney, did you say?"
Rhiannon nodded, feeling her mouth turn up into a smile, her cheeks begin to warm.
"Good—well, listen, I see our parents up there ready to leave, so we'd better go. See you on the train," he said, and taking Penny with him, the pair left. As she watched them go, Rhiannon's heart began to feel as if it was beginning to open up after a long sleep. To be warmly accepted for who and what she was, to be looked upon as an equal and not a freak, oddball, or lunatic was a novel sensation for her at that moment. She relished in it, and was smiling when Circe led her to the counter to pay for their books.
"And finally—the big stop, Rin. Ollivander's. The only place to get yourself a fine wand," said Circe as they stepped into the shop. An elderly man with wizened hair smiled at the two as they came into the shop. His face looked as if he had lived too long in it, and had seen much.
"Ah—dear Miss Darid. Ten inches. Holly. Unicorn Tail Hair," he said, smiling at Circe.
"Mr. Ollivander. It is good to see you again," she said, "this is my goddaughter, Rin Delaney. It's time for her to find a wand."
"Delaney, hm?" asked Ollivander with twinkling eyes, his face going into a look of concentration as he looked at the girl, taking a measuring tape from his pocket. "Let me see...she reminds me of, if I recall, Mika Delaney. Is this her little daughter?"
"Indeed, Mr. Ollivander. You have quite the long memory."
"Miss Delaney was hard to forget. Also ten inches. Willow. Unicorn tail hair core. I remember every wand I've sold. Now, Miss Delaney—let us see what we can do for you."
And turning to a box, he produced a wand.
"Willow. Eight inches. Phoenix feather," he said, offering it to her. Rhiannon took it at once and waved it. Ollivander shook his head.
"No, no...not quite. But the wood might be right," he murmured, and searched among his many many boxes.
As he came back out, he noticed the pendant Rhiannon wore around her neck.
"Dear child," he murmured, "where did you get that?"
"Huh? This?" asked Rin, holding it up on its chain. Circe cursed herself for noticing it before on her own. It was a crest, bearing a green shield and upon it, a coiled snake.
"It is the symbol of Slytherin House," murmured Ollivander, "yes, Slytherin. Where did you get it child?"
"It was all my mother left to me," she murmured softly, looking down at the floor, "the night she—well, the night I was born. They say she wanted me to have it."
Ollivander nodded, and began fumbling 'round for another box.
"Yes. Perhaps this one. Ebony wood. Twelve inches. Phoenix tailfeather."
Again it was not quite right. Rhiannon began to despair at finding a proper wand, until Ollivander produced yet another box.
"Birch wood. Ten inches. Dragon heart string," he said.
Almost instantly, the wand seemed to beckon the girl to take it. She carefully plucked it from Ollivander's hand, and it shot red sparks into the air. The old wand maker cheered and clapped as Rhiannon held the wand, eying it quizzically, as if it were an extension of her own left arm.
"Bravo, Miss Delaney, bravo," he said with a smile, "I think that wand has been waiting a very long time for you to come claim it. It seems to know you already."
"I think—it likes me," said Rhiannon sheepishly, her cheeks blushing scarlet. Ollivander and Circe chuckled at this statement, and soon the wand was indeed united with its rightful owner. Lupin and his family were waiting outside, smiling at Rhiannon's new wand.
"It's birch wood," said Rin, smiling up at Remus. The sunlight caught the pendant 'round her neck, and Remus stooped to look at it.
"Rin—where did this come from?" he asked, looking up at her with interest.
"Like I told Mr. Ollivander...it's the only thing I have left of my mother, Mika," she replied, her tone a little sharp with annoyance as she fingered the pendant, "why?"
"That crest," he said, "is the symbol of Slytherin House."
"What is that? That's what he said—Mr. Ollivander."
"You see, Rin—Hogwarts school has four Houses which you could belong to. Their names are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff—and Slytherin. They were named for the four founders; Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. The latter, I'm afraid, has acquired a rather nasty reputation."
Rhiannon listened, mesmerized, as they walked and Remus spoke.
"The school House is like your family while you are there. Most of your friends will come from your House. That pendant is no ordinary piece of jewelry to come to you like that. It is the symbol of your father's House."
"My father was a Slytherin?" asked Rin, "Was he bad?"
"Everyone thought so," murmured Remus with a pensive look, "but your mother, bless her, believed in him no matter what he said or did. She was a Ravenclaw, but as steadfast as the moon and stars in their courses. She loved him dearly, Rin, and you must remember that."
Rin looked a little annoyed as they walked along, stopping to get ice cream. As she licked her delicious chocolate cone, she mused over what Remus had revealed. If her mother was good and loved her father dearly, then he couldn't be bad. So, by extension, not all Slytherins were bad. That had to be true, right?
"Circe, may I have my books when we get back?" asked Rin, "I'd like to get a look at them."
Through the evening, and the next three weeks, Rin's schedule was a little different. She helped Circe in the morning with the housework, and after lunch took to her room. Circe was often alarmed by the silence, but when she came up to Rhiannon's room, she was always reassured.
There she would be, sitting on her little bed, paper and pen in hand, scribbling down things as she turned the pages of her text, eyes devouring the information like a perfect little sponge. Circe would also often find her asleep amid her pile of books on the bed after dinner in the evenings. While she was a little saddened by the retreat of her goddaughter, Circe could smile at the fact that this girl was indeed the daughter of her dearest friend.