Chapter Three –
Leprechaun Blood
Nearly three months had passed since Professor Snape's visit to the orphanage, and Francesca and Stephan hadn't spoke once. It was July the thirty-first, the day Snape had told Francesca someone would come to take her to get school supplies.
Francesca had been eager all morning to meet another wizard. She was eager to learn more of the wizarding world. She sat by the front room window until eleven o'clock, when a shabby looking man walked up the path. He wore mismatched robes that looked old and torn. Francesca knew this must be the man the headmaster had sent.
Francesca jumped up, and waited until the man walked in the door. Ms Jean got to him before Francesca did, though, which made Francesca scowl at Ms Jean.
"I'm here to take Francesca Zubia supplies shopping for Hogwarts." the man was saying as Francesca got to the two adults.
"I'm Francesca." she said. The man looked down at her and a smile spread across his face.
"My name is Remus J. Lupin." he introduced.
"Are you a teacher at Hogwarts?" she asked immediately.
"Me? No, no." he said. "I'm doing Professor Dumbledore a small favor with this." he said.
"Professor Dumbledore? He's the headmaster, right?" Francesca asked.
"Yes, yes he is. And a great one at that. Best Hogwarts has ever seen, I'd say." Lupin said. "Well, without further ado, shall we set off?"
Francesca nodded vigorously, and they turned to leave without any word to Ms Jean. Ms Jean stood there, confused, but let them go.
"Here is the list of everything you need." Lupin said as he handed Francesca a piece of parchment. She read over the list a few times, taking in the worlds "wand" "magic" and "broomsticks". She could hardly believe all of this existed.
"Where do we get this?" Francesca asked.
"Diagon Alley." Lupin answered.
"Where?" Francesca said as if she hadn't heard what he had said.
"Diagon Alley. You'll love it, if you're anything like your father." Lupin smiled.
"My father?" Francesca didn't let that one go. Lupin slowed down, while Francesca stopped. "Did you know him?" Lupin didn't answer.
"We'll miss the train." he said, as he jogged across the street. Francesca ran after him.
"Did you?" Francesca asked again. Lupin still did not reply. He payed for the tickets, and they got on the train.
"What about my mother?" she asked, as they sat down. Lupin sighed.
"Your mother was in my year." Lupin finally said. "Avelina Zubia." he added. "For a Ravenclaw, she was quite...reckless."
"Ravenclaw?" Francesca asked.
"Professor Snape did not tell you?" Lupin asked, looking confused. Francesca shook her head. "When Hogwarts was founded, a long long time ago, the four founders created four houses in which the students were sorted into. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin." and Lupin and Francesca engaged in a train-ride-long conversation about the four houses and the founders.
"I don't want to be in Slytherin." Francesca said as they stepped off the train. "Or Hufflepuff."
"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Lupin asked as they walked.
"Hufflepuff takes all the rest." she explained. "I don't want to be 'all the rest'"
"Ah, I see." Lupin said. They continued to talk as they walked.
"Where is Diagon Alley?" Francesca asked, just as Lupin turned to a stop.
"The Leaky Cauldron." Lupin smiled. Francesca looked confused, but they walked in. It didn't look too interesting. But Francesca knew every wizard inside the building was a wizard, and just that thought made Francesca intrigued.
The next thing Francesca knew, her and Lupin were standing in front of a brick wall. Lupin pulled out a long wooden stick from his back pocket and tapped it on one of the bricks.
"That's your wand!" Francesca said in excitement. Lupin looked down and smiled, as one by one the bricks cleared the way creating an entrance into a bright street.
"Diagon Alley." Lupin said. Francesca stared in amazement. Witches and wizards walked by, shopping and talking, buying wands, owls and robes.
"This is spectacular!" Francesca exclaimed. "Amazing!" she walked quickly out onto the street.
"Why don't we head into Gringotts to get some money?" Lupin suggested.
"Gringotts?" Francesca asked.
"You are full of questions aren't you?" Lupin laughed, and pointed her in the direction of a tall building that stood out amongst the rest. "Gringotts."
"Is that a-" Francesca began as they walked up the steps.
"Goblin? Yes." Lupin said. Francesca stared at it in amazement.
They entered Gringotts and Lupin handed a goblin sitting behind a counter a key.
"What's that for?" Francesca asked.
"We have to get into your vault somehow, now don't we?" Lupin said.
"I have a vault?" Francesca asked.
"You don't think your mother left you nothing?" Lupin said. Francesca shook and her head and said,
"I never knew her." she looked down. A goblin led them to a door, and opened it for them. There was a railway track, with torches lining the walls. The goblin whistled and a cart came whizzing to a stop in front of them. They got in, and went off.
"This is amazing!" Francesca said. Lupin smiled. They came to a halt about three minutes later, in front of a large vault.. The goblin got out and opened it, to reveal gold, silver and bronze everywhere. Francesca jumped out and stared in awe.
"Your mother's parents were quite wealthy, it's lucky they still made a vault and filled it with coins after what happened." Lupin said.
"What happened?" Francesca turned around and asked. Lupin froze for a second.
"You did, Francesca." he said.
"Me?" Francesca asked. "But I didn't do anything! I was just a baby at the time!"
"It was one thing with your father, but another thing was when you were born." Lupin said. "Your grandparents disapproved."
"My father?" Francesca asked. "What was wrong with my dad?"
Lupin shook his head. "I really shouldn't." he said.
"Yes, you should!" Francesca protested.
"Your parents weren't married, Francesca." Lupin said. "After their graduation from Hogwarts, your mother snuck out to a party celebrating the graduation. One thing led to another and your mother ended up pregnant, with you."
Francesca wasn't quite sure what to think. Lupin continued anyway,
"When your grandparents found out they were furious. When they found out who the father was they almost kicked your mother out, but she was too fast and moved out herself." Lupin said.
"Who was my mother?" Francesca asked the question she was dying to hear.
"Her name was Talisa Zubia." Lupin said. "Now why don't we collect some coins and be off?" he suggested.
"Yes, right." Francesca said. Lupin pulled out a small dark purple pouch, filled it with coins and handed it to Francesca.
"That should be about enough." he said, and they left.
After that they bought clothes and books, and everything else. The only thing left on the list was one wand.
Lupin held the door open for Francesca as they entered Ollivander's.
"Remus!" a man, Francesca was assuming was Ollivander, greeted. "And this," Ollivander looked down at Francesca, "must be a Zubia."
"Francesca, I'd prefer." she answered. Ollivander chuckled and said,
"Well, shall we get started?" and he pulled out a tape measure out of thin air. "Which is your wand-arm?"
"I'm ambidextrous." Francesca said.
"Hm." Ollivander said, "interesting."
The tape measure began to measure both arms, and all around her. Ollivander looked through shelves and shelves of boxes.
The tape measure fell to the ground after a while, and Ollivander said, "Try this," and he handed Francesca something she had been waiting to feel – a wand. "Nine inches. Ivy and phoenix feather. Lightweight and great for charms."
Francesca held it, and looked up at Ollivander. "Just flick and see what it does." he said making a gesture as if flicking an invisible stick. Francesca did as she was told, and a silver light came bursting from the wand, making a hole in a wooden shelf. Francesca gasped, startled.
"Well, not that one then." Ollivander said, and they continued to go through wand after wand. Every wand Francesca tried was all wrong. But they kept trying. And trying. For an hour or maybe more until Ollivander said,
"I wonder..." he looked down at Francesca. At her black hair, the features on her face, at the look on her face – the same look her father had when this had happened to him all those years ago.
"Did you know my father, Mr Ollivander?" Francesca asked. Ollivander hesitated. Lupin stood up from the chair in the corner.
"No, Ollivander. It's best she not know-" Lupin protested.
"She has a right, she is his daughter." Ollivander argued. "You knew him, Remus. She is your goddaughter."
"Goddaughter?" Francesca said, surprised. "Who is my father, Lupin!"
Ollivander and Lupin hesitated. "You knew my father, who is he!" Francesca almost yelled.
Lupin sighed. "No, Francesca. You don't want to know."
But that wasn't true. Francesca wanted nothing more than to know who her father was at this moment. She had her mother's name. Now she needed her father's and she could find them, maybe. But then it hit her.
"Is my father – is he alive?" she asked, scared of the answer.
"Barely." Lupin said. "That's all for now, Francesca."
Before she could argue, Ollivander said,
"Ms Zubia, the wands I make have cores of dragon heartstrings, unicorn hair and phoenix feathers." Ollivander looked behind him, where a brown door was barely visible amongst the books. "But some have something different."
"What?" Francesca asked, trying not to ask questions about the usual cores.
"Leprechaun blood." Ollivander said. Lupin gasped. Francesca looked at Lupin and said,
"What?"
"But how-" Lupin said, shaking his head.
"Leprechaun blood is the rarest substance in history. To obtain it could mean certain death. You see, Leprechauns don't bleed easily, and they're not that willing to just give blood to someone." Ollivander explained.
"How did you get it?" Francesca asked.
"I was in Latvia many years ago," Ollivander began "when I came across a dying leprechaun. I didn't know what had happened. I was young, I didn't know better." Ollivander looked away from them. "I took out an empty glass bottle and caught the blood in it. The leprechaun was dead before it could kill me for taking it's blood."
"But what's so special about it?" Francesca asked.
"Leprechaun blood is liquid gold, just a drop of it could pay for everything and more. Most people want it for that," Ollivander said "but I'd rather have it for wands. It was an experiment for me, when I was young. I've only made seven in my life. One went to your father."
Francesca stared in amazement. "And I think the second will belong to you."
"Really?" Francesca said. Ollivander nodded, and led her to the brown door. Boxes and shelves of bottles, books, and supplies filled the tiny room. Ollivander tapped the side of a small black shelf. A drawer appeared on the side and opened. A bottle of gold liquid was the first thing Francesca saw. The leprechaun blood. The next thing was six skinny black boxes, stacked on each other. Ollivander took the first box, set it on a table and opened it. Ollivander handed Francesca the wand, and she stared at it before giving it a small flick, sending a purple beam out of the end and turning a box of glass bottles into a hundred black rats scurrying everywhere. Ollivander corrected the mistake with a flick of his wand.
"Not that one." Ollivander said, and put it in the box. "Try this." and he handed her another one. "Ten and a quarter inches, willow and leprechaun blood. Very durable, made for battles."
Francesca gave a flick, and sending a silver light to hit a single phoenix feather on a desk. Francesca moved the wand up, levitating the feather.
"Amazing." Ollivander said. "The wand does choose the wizard."
"Perfect." Francesca said with a smile.