Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing them, and no profit is gained.
Dell sat up straight in bed, looking at her calendar. It was finally the day, it was finally August 22. It was finally the day her parents had promised her that they would go to Diagon Alley to get her stuff for school.
After her father had said that she could in fact go to Hogwarts, Dell hadn't been able to sit still. Her father had mailed the letter to Hogwarts, saying when they went to Diagon Alley they would get her an owl because that was what wizards used for delivering letters (Dell had started hyperventilating at that point). Then her parents set a date that they would go to Diagon Alley, waiting for one that was closer to when she would leave for school. Dell's dad knew enough about the magical world that they did not request help from a wizard.
Dell threw on a pair of bell bottom jeans and a snug black t-shirt and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. She slide to a stop in the kitchen and loudly pronounced "It's TIME!"
Vanessa and Dudley were both taken aback by Dell's loud arrival. Dudley just chuckled and went back to reading the paper, while Vanessa gave her daughter a scolding scowl and flipped the pancakes.
After breakfast (which Dell fidgeted all the way through) they got into the car and headed out for London. Dell kept on popping questions at her father about the wizarding world (most of which he couldn't answer) as she had been doing since she found out she was a witch. The idea still amazed her, and she doubted that she would ever get used to the fact that she would soon be able to perform magic. It was amazing, and she couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts.
Soon they arrived at Main Street in London, and Dudley parked the car into a public parking lot (though grumbling at the price he had to pay to do so) and they started walking down Main Street, Dell looking for a tiny pub between a bookstore and record store, her parents for a bookstore and record store beside each other.
Dell stopped dead, looking at the tiny pub that all else's eyes just passed over. She tugged on her parents sleeves, and pulled them into a pub, which startled, then shocked her parents. At first it looked like they were heading to a brick wall, until Dell pulled them into the place and the pub seemed to appear like magic. It was magic.
"Excuse me miss, but are you Hannah Longbottom?" Dell asked sweetly to the girl behind the bar, looking up at her through her eyelashes. The girl wasted no time.
"Yes, I am. I'm guessing you're a new Hogwarts student, and new to the magical world." Hannah Longbottom said, looking at the two who hurried over to Dell, looking at a woman whose bags were following along behind her with wonder, while Dell drank it in greedily.
"Yes m'ame." Dell said sweetly. "Can you show us the way into Diagon Alley, please?"
"Why, I wish my children were half as polite as you are. Of course, dear, follow me." Hannah Longbottom said, waving for them to follow as she walked across the pub. The three Dursley's followed, each parent having a hand on Dell's shoulder, restraining her from running all the way there.
"Here it is." Hannah said, leading them out another door and into a small courtyard where a brick wall met them. "Now, you just tap this here brick, three up, two across, remember that, tap it with your wand, well, of course none of you have one, I'll do it now, tap it three times, and, tada!" Hannah tapped the brick she had indicated three times with her wand, and the bricks seemed to fold in on themselves until a doorway seemed to be before them. And behind the brick wall was Diagon Alley.
"Now, it would be best if you write that down, I can help you if you need it again next year, but you should remember. Here, I'll write it down for you, along with how to get onto platform 9 3/4, and give it to you when you're done. How is that?" Hannah said helpfully.
"Yes, that would be wonderful, and thank you so much for all your help." Vanessa said, seeming to come out of her astonishment at all of this.
"No problem, I do it all the time." Hannah said with a smile. "Oh, and I almost forgot, here's all the best stores you can get the stuff you need at, and at the top is instructions on how to exchange muggle money - I mean your type of money - for Wizard money. There's Gringotts right there, that big white building." She handed them a piece of paper, and then went back into the pub as the brick wall closed again behind her.
"Wow. . ." That was all Dell could say as she stared at the town surrounding her. There were many people bustling up and down the street, cauldrons stirring themselves, people that didn't exactly look human, everything.
"So, I guess Gringott's is our first stop." Vanessa said, consulting the piece of paper that the landlady had handed her. They hurried up the street to the marble building, and entered. Dell stopped inside the first door to look up at what was inscribed above the door.
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Well, whoever tries to steal from here must be crazy, with that warning. I never wish to find out what else besides treasure lays beneath these floors." Dell said, pushing the door open to enter, but cringing back against her mom.
"What are those?" Dell whispered to her mom, having caught a glimpse of the creatures that seemed to be running the place.
"Umm. . ." Vanessa said looking at the paper. "Goblins." She said her face full of shock.
"Cool!" Dell said, getting over her shock and fear quickly as she once more opened the doors.
Following the instructions on the paper, they quickly switched some of their money for wizard money, and were back out in the streets in no time flat.
"Let's see. How about we get your robes first?" Asked Vanessa. Dudley quickly agreed to this, as Dell seemed incapable of speaking, fidgeting from foot to foot, trying to take as much in as she could. She wished she had eight set of eyes instead of just one.
They passed the shops soon finding the one they needed: Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They entered the shop, and found whom they assumed to be Madame Malkin. She was a squat witch, dressed in deep teal robes, and had a huge smile on her face.
"Hogwarts? Been having them come in all week, most wait for the last three days though, that's when I got really busy. Just fitting one other now."
Dell's parents sat down on two stools at front while Dell was led to one at back beside a boy with shaggy black hair; with another witch pinning up a robe on him (was she Madame Malkin?).
"First year at Hogwarts?" He asked, shaking his hair out of his face. Dell nodded. "Same. I'm Tyler, Tyler Finnigan." He said awkwardly trying to hold out his hand, but failing terribly.
Holding back a giggle Dell said, "Adelle Dursley, but most just call me Dell. So, what do you know about Hogwarts?" Dell asked, eager to hear more about her destination.
"Muggle born? I mean, your parents aren't magical?" Tyler asked. Dell nodded. "But my dad's cousin is a wizard. They aren't very close though." Tyler nodded in understanding.
"Well, you get sorted into one of four houses. There's Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Gryffindor is most's favorite, it's known for being brave, and courage, and loyal. My whole family was in there, so I expect to be. Hufflepuff, well most don't like it, says it's the house that they put all the extras in. But I say they've turned out a lot of good witches and wizards. Then Ravenclaw is for their smarts. And Slytherin. . .well, Slytherin has turned out the most bad wizards. People say it's evil. Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been rivals. But you don't have to worry about ending up in that house, they only take pure bloods and half bloods, I mean, no muggle borns. I don't think a muggle born has ever ended up in that house. I think if I ended up in Slytherin I'd leave. Then again, Fred swears Roxanne is headed there." Tyler babbled on.
Dell raised an eyebrow at his last statement.
"Sorry. Fred's one of my best friends. Fred Weasley Jr. and James Potter, son of the Harry Potter. Oh, wait, you wouldn't know who that is, would you? Get an extra history book besides the one assigned, it'll tell you all about him. Anyways, Roxanne's kind of the rebel of the Weasley's. There's a load of them. Lots of cousins. Fred and James are cousins, James mum is sister to Fred's dad. Anyways, Roxanne, the rebel. She's not bad, though. Just. . .different. She'll take any dare you give her. James stupidly dared her to get into Slytherin - no Weasley has ever been there, most end up in Gryffindor, though Victoire - another one - ended up in Ravenclaw, Lucy and Dominique became a Gryffindor though, those are the only three at Hogwarts at the moment, with James and Fred going next. Anyways, no Weasley is ever headed to Slytherin. But, since James dared her, she'll be the one to do it, just to see the look on his face. Fred just about killed James when he said it, though. Fred knows if Roxanne has it her way, she'll do it - and Roxanne always has it her way."
"Anyways, about Hogwarts-"
"You're done dear." Tyler was cut off as the witch fixing up his robes finished.
"See you at Hogwarts, then. I'll look for you on the station, OK? You could sit with me, James and Fred." Tyler said, waving as he gathered his things, paid for them and left. Dell was sad to see him go; she found what he said so interesting. She had never had a big family, and plus, as soon as he mentioned James she had realized that he was talking about the son of her father's cousin, which made James her something cousin - third cousin maybe? Or was it once removed or something? She wasn't sure. The rest of the Weasley's weren't related to her though, since it was through a different parents James and Fred were related. Now Dell really couldn't wait until September first.
Soon Dell was finished, and she hopped off her stool, hurrying over to her parents. They paid and left the store, headed for the book store.
"So, who was that you were talking to honey?" Vanessa asked with a smile at Dell.
"Tyler Finnigan. And, guess what? He knows a guy named Fred Weasley, and James Potter." Dell said, glancing at her father.
Dudley looked at Dell, and said, "Will he be in your year?" Dell nodded. Then the subject was dropped.
They got their books at the book store, Dell getting a book that was apparently all about the war her father had told her about, and Tyler had mentioned in passing, like Tyler had suggested, also getting a book called Hogwarts: A History. Then they got her cauldron, her glass telescope, and her set of brass scales along with some parchment, a couple of quills and bottles of ink (one colour changing) and some stuff for her potions kit.
"All we need now is your wand, and that owl your father promised you." Vanessa said scanning the list. "The landlady says Ollivanders is the best place there is." They hurried over to the store and entered. It seemed as though no one was there. Dell's parents sat down as Dell approached the counter.
"Hello?" She said uncertainly. A ladder came sliding along the rows and stopped, with a man standing on it.
"Ah, hello there." Mr. Ollivander (as they guessed he was) said.
"Hi, I'm um...her to get a wand." Dell said, uncomfortable under the man's gaze, and Dell was never uncomfortable.
"Yes, yes, of course. Muggle born. Name?" Ollivander said, looking over his horn rimmed glasses. The muggle born part wasn't a question, more of a statement.
"Dell Dursley." Dell said, shifting from foot to foot, looking down at the floor.
"Dursley? Hmmm..." Dell looked up in surprise. This was the first time someone had reacted to her last name, for it seemed as though not many (kids at least) had known the surname of the people Harry Potter had lived with, though many seemed to know Harry Potter. Dell was itching to get to those books.
"Well, Miss. Dursley, it's the wand that chooses the wizard. Nobody knows why exactly, it just does." He said before he started measuring her all over the place with a measuring tape (though he wasn't holding it). "That's enough." The tape measurer fell. He grabbed down a box and handed her a wand. "Yew and unicorn hair. 11 inches." She took it eagerly. He snatched it away immediately. "No, no." He mumbled. "Beechwood and dragon heartstring. 11 ½ inches. Very flexible." She took it and it was snatched away even quicker than the last. "Maple and Phoenix feather. 8 inches. Springy." This one he let her give a small wave but it was snatched away seconds later.
4 wands later (he seemed disappointed it hadn't taken longer - Dell was just glad she finally had a wand to call hers) Dell had her wand. Maple with the core of a Unicorn hair. 11 inches, it was flexible, and good for charms. They paid for it, and left the shop.
"Now for your owl." They were quicker in that shop than they had been in any, Dell coming out with an owl as black as night that she named Lola. "Well, let's get back home."
Dell sadly left Diagon Alley with one last sad look. They stopped by the bar and got the piece of papers with instructions on how to get into Diagon Alley and the platform of 9 3/4 ("You go through it!" Vanessa exclaimed. Hannah shrugged. "Cool." Dell said.) And left onto the streets of London.
Soon, they were back at the car and headed home as the sun set. Dell smiled and fell asleep thinking of dragons and unicorns.
Edited 2020-02-15