A wide-eyed Charlie followed the woman named Professor McGonagall through the streets. She had no idea where the woman was planning on taking her, but something in her gut told her that she could trust this woman. Trust her more than the women who had been her caretakers since before she could remember. The woman walked briskly and quickly down the sidewalk. Charlie was even having a hard time keeping up, but Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the bus station. Charlie had never been to the bus station before. She had considered it once when she thought about running away from Miss Hester and Miss Pearl, but something had held her back from doing so. Stepping through the door a rat crossed her path causing her to scream. She hated rats! Something about them didn't feel right. They were just vile and disgusting creatures. It was as if she had a predisposition to hating rats.
"It's only a rat," Professor McGonagall chided her.
"Only a rat? They're only the most disgusting creatures on the planet," Charlie muttered.
Professor McGonagall looked at her sternly to which Charlie responded by rolling her eyes. Only then, did Charlie notice that the building they were in wasn't empty. There were several people sitting on the benches staring at them, but Professor McGonagall forged forward to the ticket booth. The man at the booth looked at them both crossly.
"Two tickets to Charing Cross Road, please," Professor McGonagall said.
The man muttered the prices of the tickets as Professor McGonagall handed over the money before he even finished speaking. He looked at her oddly before handing her the tickets. The older woman held on to both of the tickets as she gracefully waltzed across the room to a bench. Charlie clumsily followed behind, making sure that no other horrid creatures, known as rats, crossed her path. As she sat on the bench beside the stiff woman, Charlie constantly fidgeted, so much so that Professor McGonagall reprimanded her. Charlie rolled her eyes at the woman's reprimand, but Professor McGonagall seemed to ignore it. It was almost as if she had been expecting such a reaction. After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was on twenty minutes, their bus finally arrived. Charlie was the first to stand up when their bus arrived, not wanting to sit on the hard bench for another minute. She was about to head for the exit when Professor McGonagall reached her hand out and took hold of the young girl's arm. Charlie groaned when she was once again reprimanded to stay with the older woman. Professor McGonagall began a long spiel about what she was and wasn't supposed to do, but Charlie was too occupied with all the people on the bus to comprehend what the older woman was saying.
Charlie watched out the window wide-eyed as they passed countless buildings. She had never realized that there was so much more to the world outside Waltham Abbey. Never once in her life had she been outside it's confines; yet now, she was heading into London to go shopping for a school which she assumed wasn't anywhere near Waltham Abbey. Once again, Professor McGonagall sat stiffly, but this time she didn't reprimand Charlie for her antics as she looked out the window. The bus finally came to a halt at Charing Cross Road. Professor McGonagall and Charlie stepped off the bus and as soon as they were off Professor McGonagall took off in a brisk walk again.
"Charlotte, keep up," Professor McGonagall called.
"It's Charlie,' Charlie muttered.
The young girl attempted to run for Professor McGonagall, but she tripped over an uneven break in the walkway. Charlie fell to the ground and skid her knee against the hard pavement. Her bare knee began to bleed, but she stifled back the tears not wanting to look like a baby in front of the older woman she had only met this morning. She sat on the ground holding her knee close as Professor McGonagall turned around to notice Charlie. The older woman quickly walked back to where Charlie sat and carefully bent down to her level.
"What happened?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I—I tripped," Charlie said as she allowed a few tears to slip down her cheeks.
"Clumsiness always did run in the family," Professor McGonagall muttered.
"What?" Charlie asked.
"We're almost to the Leaky Cauldron. Can you make it a few blocks and we'll fix you up there?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I—I think I can make it," Charlie said.
Professor McGonagall helped Charlie to her feet and wrapped her arm around the girl to help her walk. As they walked down the street, Professor McGonagall ushered Charlie to a building that looked like it normally would have gone unnoticed. The small sign that hung overheard said "The Leaky Cauldron," and the bell rang when McGonagall opened the door. The place was dimly lit and the place seemed to be abuzz. But Professor McGonagall ushered her to a table, where she sat down on a chair. The older woman rolled up Charlie's pant leg so that she could see the injury on her knee. After nodding her head, McGonagall stood up and walked over to the bar man.
"Tom, have you any Dittany?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Of course," Tom responded.
"Could you please hand it over," Professor McGonagall questioned.
The man seemed somewhat surprised, but he quickly fetched his bottle and handed it to the Professor. McGonagall curtly thanked Tom before turning back to Charlie. Only, she didn't see Tom following behind her grinning from ear to ear. McGonagall unstoppered the bottle and dropped a few drops of the liquid onto Charlie's leg. The little girl didn't even question what the older woman was doing.
"Minerva, good to see you again. You just missed it, Harry Potter…" the man began.
"Tom, I'd love to chat a bit, but I must get going, we have a whole supply list that needs attending to," Professor McGonagall said.
"Another Muggleborn?" Tom asked.
"Does her blood heritage really matter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"No, no of course not. Usually you bring in the Muggleborns, so…" Tom stumbled on his words.
"Thanks for the Dittany, Tom," Minerva said.
Professor McGonagall then stood up and motioned for Charlie to follow her. Charlie stood up and followed after Professor McGonagall. The woman led her out the backdoor and into an area outside enclosed by bricks. How were they supposed to get out of here? They were trapped. Perhaps this McGonagall woman wasn't all she was cracked up to be; but Charlie knew one thing, she could be a scrappy fighter if she had to. If this woman had brought her here to kill her, she wasn't going down without a fight. But to her surprise, the older woman didn't even look at her. Instead she pulled out her wand and began tapping particular bricks. Suddenly, the wall began to shake and move. The bricks were moving so quickly that soon a hole appeared in the wall, or rather an archway. Charlie's eyes widened as she saw the street packed full with people. Most of them were dressed oddly in cloaks and funny hats, but the sight of these people thrilled her.
"Do you have that list?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Charlie responded.
"Good; read it please," Professor McGonagall commanded.
"But you're a teacher; don't you know what you need at your own school?" Charlie questioned.
"Just do as I say," Professor McGonagall said.
"But don't you know?" Charlie furthered.
"This is going to be a long seven years," Professor McGonagall muttered.
"What was that?" Charlie asked.
"Please read the list," Professor McGonagall said.
Charlie read the list aloud to Professor McGonagall.
First-year students will require:
Uniform
Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear
One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags.
Books
The Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
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
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an Owl OR a Cat OR a Toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.
Charlie looked at Professor McGonagall with a look of shock on her face.
"And how are we going to afford all this?" Charlie questioned.
"You have a small allowance," Professor McGonagall said sternly.
"From where?" Charlie asked.
"The bank, where else does one get money?" Professor McGonagall stated.
"How much?" Charlie asked.
"Enough to buy your things," McGonagall said curtly.
"Anything else?" Charlie asked.
"We'll see," Professor McGonagall said with an eyebrow raised.
Charlie squealed in delight as Professor McGonagall led her down Diagon Alley. The older woman walked up to a shop called Flourish and Blotts and held the door open for Charlie to walk through. While Charlie was excited to learn of her magical heritage, leave it to a teacher to take her to the bookstore first. The Professor instructed her on which books to look for and which section. In her head she repeated A History of Magic, A History of Magic. Her fingers gently glided over the titles until she found the one she was looking for. Once it was in her hand, she turned around to find that the store was filled with children and their parents. She watched as a family of gingers rushed into the place and headed right for the used section. Charlie then looked for the older woman who was helping her. She spotted the older woman in line to pay, so she quickly pushed through the crowd to stand beside the woman in line. The two of them stood silently in line and paid for the books.
They continued to shop in Diagon Alley until there were only two items remaining on the list were a wand and school robes. Professor McGonagall suggested that they get the wand first, so they headed to Ollivanders. The store was rather dimly lit, but it was covered floor to ceiling with shelves stuffed to the brim with boxes. A slightly creepy old man stepped out from behind the bookcases.
"Why, Miss Charlotte Bl—" the old man began.
"Lily, Charlotte Lily," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Just as we discussed, Mr. Ollivander, please."
"You know who I am?" Charlie asked innocently.
The older man looked to Professor McGonagall and gave her an odd look; but she looked just as stern as ever.
"Yes, of course Miss…Lily," the old man said.
"Miss Lily here needs a wand," Professor McGonagall stated.
"Yes, I suppose she does," Ollivander stated.
Mr. Ollivander eyed Charlie curiously before he went back a few rows to look at boxes of wands. The man muttered to himself until he had an a-ha moment. He grabbed a box and walked it over to where Charlie stood with Professor McGonagall.
"A wand familiar with the McKinnon family," Mr. Ollivander said.
Professor McGonagall shifted uncomfortably while Charlie reached for the wand. She took it in her hand and looked at it. Mr. Ollivander muttered something about it being made of Yew with Dragonheartstring core; but Charlie had no idea what that meant.
"What do I do with it?" Charlie asked.
"Give it a wave, of course," Mr. Ollivander said.
Charlie waved it, but it caused one of the books on the counter to burst into flames. Mr. Ollivander's and Professor McGonagall's wands both doused the flames before Mr. Ollivander quickly took that wand in question back. He thought aloud to himself briefly before he moved to the front of the store. He grabbed another box and plucked the wand from inside.
"Mahogany with a Phoenix feather core," Mr. Ollivander stated. "Very good for Transfiguration."
"How do you know how to pick them?" Charlie asked.
"Very carefully," Mr. Ollivander said looking to Professor McGonagall.
Charlie shrugged as she gave this wand a wave. Suddenly, a surge of power seemed to flow through her. That feeling made her feel incredible; like maybe she was actually useful for something. She looked to Mr. Ollivander who only appeared pleased. He stroked his chin as Charlie carefully set the wand back on the counter.
"It seems like Miss Lily is following in the fam-," Mr. Ollivander began.
"We'll be paying now," Professor McGonagall interrupted.
"Very well, Minerva," Mr. Ollivander said.
Professor McGonagall handed Mr. Ollivander the money to pay for the wand. She then put the wand in its case and placed it in her bag. Charlie knew that the bag had to have magical properties considering Professor McGonagall was carrying it around as if it weighed no more than a feather, yet it contained all their purchases thus far.
"Miss Lily," Mr. Ollivander called.
Charlie turned around and looked to the old man innocently.
"Your heart has not yet been blackened. That does not have to become your path," Mr. Ollivander said cryptically.
"Huh?" Charlie questioned.
"We were just leaving, Miss Lily," Professor McGonagall said.
Professor McGonagall pushed Charlie forward, right into another person. Both of them fell in a heap to the floor. Charlie examined the person on the floor in front of her: an odd looking boy with dark hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. Eyes she could also swear she had seen before. He quickly muttered an apology and offered a hand to help Charlie from the floor. She hesitantly accepted the boy's hand before turning to Professor McGonagall who wore an annoyed expression on her face.
"Reunited once more," Mr. Ollivander said from behind the counter.
"You were told to keep strictly to the schedule, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said.
"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, ma'am; this was all we had left to do," Hagrid said.
"We made the schedule for a reason," Professor McGonagall said. "To avoid certain incidents."
Before Charlie could say anything to the strange boy, Professor McGonagall ushered her out of Ollivanders. She then walked down the cobbled alley until they came to Madam Malkins. They waited for what seemed like forever until a seamstress was ready to see them. Charlie stood up on a pedestal while the seamstress worked.
"Who was that boy?" Charlie asked. "His eyes seem familiar."
"You'll find out when you get to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said stiffly.
"Please? I promise I won't ask any other questions," Charlie said.
"If past experiences mean anything, I should know better than to believe that," Professor McGonagall stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Charlie asked.
"His name is Harry Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed.
"Who's he?" Charlie questioned.
"You haven't been hearin' of Harry Potter?" The seamstress asked.
"No, should I know who he is?" Charlie asked.
"He's only the Boy-Who-Lived," the seamstress said shaking her head.
"What does that mean?" Charlie asked.
"You-Know-Who tried to kill him, but he lived. Some rumors claim that there was another to survive the curse as well, but there isn't any proof," the seamstress continued.
"Who's You-Know-Who?" Charlie questioned.
"Marie, what do you think you're doing by talking about him with a child?" another seamstress hissed.
"Sorry," Marie muttered.
Marie continued to work silently as Charlie once more asked who You-Know-Who was; but no one answered her. Professor McGonagall shook her head and clutched her throat. Charlie was determined to figure out this You-Know-Who person was. Maybe he was in one of those books Professor McGonagall had bought with her today. When she finally got a spare moment alone, she knew what she was going to be doing. Finally, the seamstress said she was done sticking her with pins and needles; for which Charlie was thankful.
"We have a bit of money left over," Professor McGonagall said lightly.
"Can we get some ice cream?" Charlie asked excitedly, having noticed an Fortesque's ice cream parlor on their trip.
"I have a different idea," Professor McGonagall said.
With a slight frown on her face, Charlie followed the older woman. She really wanted that ice cream. But Professor McGonagall opened the door to a place called Magical Menagerie. Charlie had no idea what the word menagerie meant; but whatever it was couldn't possibly be as good as ice cream. With a pout on her face she crossed the threshold; but immediately her pout turned into a look of confusion.
"I was thinking you might like a pet," Professor McGonagall said lightly.
Charlie felt slightly guilty for acting so poorly toward Professor McGonagall; but she didn't say so. Instead she simply nodded her head that she would like an animal. Charlie immediately began looking at the animals as Professor McGonagall began listing off the short list of animals that were allowed at Hogwarts. Toads were too…toady and disgusting. Then her eye came upon a rat, which caused her to shiver. She really hated rats. What she really needed was an animal that could take care of those pests for her. She then grinned because cats were perfect and they were allowed at Hogwarts. She then walked to the cats behind in their metal cages. Charlie let her hands run across the bars of the cages playfully until one tiny kitten began to chase her hand. Charlie stopped to focus on the black cat with stunning green eyes. While she did so, the cat gently licked her hand. The touch of the sandpaper rough tongue caused her to giggle, but then the cat pawed at her hand, begging for attention. She smiled at the cat. This cat was perfect: he liked her already and he could take care of pests.
"I want this one," Charlie stated.
"Are you sure?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Charlie nodded her head as Professor McGonagall motioned for the cashier to come over and help them. The man handed the cat over to Charlie, whom instantly cuddled close to the young girl. Professor McGonagall attempted to stifle a smile at the sweet moment Charlie shared with the cat; but truth be told, Professor McGonagall couldn't be prouder that the girl chose a cat. Maybe the girl wasn't completely like her father. After they paid for the cat they returned to Diagon Alley. Professor McGonagall said that they'd be spending the night at the Leaky Cauldron before leaving tomorrow. Charlie wasn't sure where she'd be going because her new school didn't start for a month. She only hoped that she wasn't going back to Miss Hester's and Miss Pearl's; but wherever she went, at least she'd no longer be alone she thought as her cat purred in her arms.