Chapter One; Acceptance, finally.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme MugWump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Dunbar,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
The young eleven-year-old sat in the big plush armchair located in a corner of her father's office. Her petite hands gripping the three pages of parchment.
"Hogwarts?" Her mother's soft tone questioned from behind the chair. Her equally petite hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"Yes, it's a school, to build up dear Rosalyn's magic. It's a ten month school year, and each student, individually will have shown their different abilities." The elder headmaster stated, seated at her father's desk.
"I'm a witch? With magic and all?" Her voice blurted out between her soft pink lips. All the attention was brought to her, she sunk, if possible, deeper into the chair cushion.
"Yes." He simply said.
"So, I'll get like, a wand and everything?" She tilted her head to the side, a coil of brown hair falling in front of her ear. Unconsciously, she pulled it back behind her ear.
"Yes, my dear, you'll get one of the finest wands from Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Ally, most fantastic and talented wizards and witches get their wands from him." A twinkle in the headmaster's blue eyes, making Rosa's excitement peak.
"How do I get there?!" She exclaimed. A stern hand was placed on her mother's on top of their daughter's shoulder.
"Now, now. Don't go getting to excited. Sir, how do we buy these?" He held up the requirements on the second and third pieces of parchment. The old man hesitated for a moment placing his folded hands on his lap.
"I, myself can escort her, or I can have my gamekeeper or a professor from the school to escort her?" He asked, a slivery eyebrow rising. Both Rosalyn's parents shared a look.
"Please sir, excuse us." Her father excused him and his wife. "Adelaide, come, dear." He gently gripped his wife's hand and lead her into the kitchen parlor.
"Excuse me sir." The soft voice from the chair drew his attention.
"Yes?" He paid full attention to the eleven-year-old.
"I'd like to go, but, my parents have money issues.." She trailed off. "I don't even know how we'd pay for this." Her bottom lip quivered the slightest.
"Oh my dear." He stood up and walked to where she sat. He knelt down, placing a hand on the arm rest. "I'd more than willing be your guide. I'll teach you what a sickle, and a Knut, and galleons are." The eleven-year-old's blue eyes shined.
"You will?" She smiled.
"Yes. Now, tell your parents that I'll be back, come the end of the week, and I'll lead you three to Diagon Alley." He demanded lightly. The young girl nodded her head frantically.
"Yes, sir." She stated, her voice strong.
"Till then." He smiled, and then on the spot, disappeared.
Looking into the kitchen, she saw her parents arguing, her mother's hands moving as her mouth formed retorts to whatever her father had said. Rosa could tell her parents later about the old headmaster guiding them through the process of her becoming a witch. Silently, she headed up the staircase to her bedroom. The letters in her hands left on her dresser as she climbed under her blankets and comforter after changing to her night clothes. The sounds of argument from the floor below her, forgotten.
(Page Break)
The days passed slowly and painfully for Rosalyn. Her books and her toys, her friends, all made each painful hour pass a bit quicker, but not quick enough. Now dressed in a dark grey skirt and a white sweater over, black tights on her legs and a pair of black ballet flats on her feet, she gripped her pea coat and the lists of what she needed in her hands and walked (more like sprinted) down the stairs.
"Mum! Has the professor come yet?" She yelled from the banister, to the kitchen.
"No, not yet! I'm not even sure we should allow you to go, We barely know this man. " Her mother yelled back.
She pouted and slowly walked to the living room and gazed upon the wall calendar that she had placed there. "You should, He's a wizard, and he's an old man. Who are we to disagree with an old man?" The eleven year-old rolled her blue eyes. With three days till September 1st, she felt awfully nervous. Biting her bottom lip raw, she heard a distinct pop from the front door.
"He's here!" She gasped. Dropping the letters and her coat on the same armchair she sat in just six days ago, she ran to the front door, tripping over a peak in the carpet in front of the living area.
"I'll get it, darling." Her mother laughed uneasily, patting Rosa's head as she stood up and brushed herself off. Opening the door, Adelaide Dunbar plastered a smile on her lips. "Hello, Mister Dumbledore." She held to door open so he could enter.
"Thank you." The man entered, brushing his dress robes down. "Are you ready my dear?" He questioned. With a jolt, Rosalyn ran to get her coat and her lists and ran back to meet the professor.
"- terribly sorry that Willem and I can't join the two of you, we've got plans already..." Her mother apologized, wringing her hands on the apron tied around her waist, a nervous tic that displayed her anxiety in letting her only daughter leave with a complete stranger.
"It's completely fine my dear, go spend some time with your husband, I'll keep my eye on dear Rosalyn while we're out." The professor motioned her over. "We're going to do something called side-along apparition. It's a quicker way to get to London and to the Leaky Cauldron where we shall enter Diagon Alley." Rosalyn nodded and quickly put her coat on and tied it together. She placed her list in the jacket pocket. "Grip my arm, my dear." He held out his arm, Rosa's own gripping at it. Catching her mother's gaze, she smiled softly, willing internally that her mother trust the old man. Rosa felt the professor's arm twist away from her and re-doubled her grip: the next thing she knew everything went black; she was pressed very hard from all directions; she could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around her chest; her eyeballs were being forced back into her head; her ear-drums were being pushed deeper into her skull. [1] Opening her eyes hesitantly, she saw a broken down, rugged place instead of her own living room.
"Wh-What? Where are we?" She mumbled, he stomach still twisting and jumbled up from the apparition.
"This is the Leaky Cauldron, located in London, on Charing Crossing Road." [2] The headmaster led the eleven-year-old into the shabby bar, his grip on her arm still tightening. Scrunching her nose at the hideous smell, Rosa gripped his dress sleeve tighter. Leading her into the back of the shop/bar, he used his wand to tap certain bricks, three up, and then two across. Stepping back, the two of them waited as the bricks moved by themselves and made a doorway to a whole new world, well, for Rosa.
"Welcome, Rosalyn Dunbar, to Diagon Alley." The old headmaster smiled at the awe on the young girl's face. Her eyes sparkling and the sight of a whole new world filled her eyes.
(Page Break)
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes(black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragonhide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk
A History of MagicbyBathilda Bagshot
Magical TheorybyAdalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to TransfigurationbyEmeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and FungibyPhyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and PotionsbyArsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themby Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protectionby Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron(pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owlOR a catOR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
Rosalyn scanned the list for the necessities she needed. Oh my God. She didn't know where half these things were, or where to get them, or how to buy them. Shrugging, she followed the Headmaster to the first shop he saw, Ollivander's wand shop.
"Head on in, I must take a quick leave, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlor is calling my name." And with that, he spun around, his dress robes billowing behind him. Her nose picking up on a hint of dark chocolate. Internally vowing to search for the source. Entering hesitantly, Rosa was scanning the multitude of dust -covered wand boxes and wand kits. The sound of a ladder against a shelf caused her to jump.
"First wand?" He questioned, his eyes gleaming and his fading gray hair a mess upon his head. The old man had an almost crazy vibe to him. Who the-? "Ollivander at your service." Still dumbfounded, Rosa nodded speechlessly, standing there with her eyes wide. "Which is your dominant hand?" He questioned, producing a tape measure from out of nowhere.
"I'm right-handed." She held up her arm to prove it, if needed be. He placed the tape measure against it, measuring her length from fingertips to shoulders, and wrist to elbow, and shoulder to floor, and then knees to armpit. Even awkwardly, around her head. [3] Unbeknownst to Rosalyn, the tape measure was doing it of its own accord. Ollivander was browsing amongst his wands.
"I have three for you." He set the three boxes down, each side-by-side. "This one is a maple wand, in length, it's seven inches long, it has a dragon core." He gave it to Rosalyn, her dainty fingers lightly gripping it. "Just give it a wave, my dear." And she did. The back wall of wands blew off the shelves, collapsing on the ground. "No, no. That's not it." And he plucked the wand from her hand and placed it back in the box, setting the box to the side. "I'm not sure, but consider this, a detailed beechwood wand. It is seven and half inches long. It has a core of veela hair." She gripped that one, and waved it elaborately. The picture frames burst, showering the already filthy floors in glass. "No, not that one," He gripped the last box, gently opening it. "Perhaps this, a delicate elm wand. It is just shy of seven and half inches long. The core consists of hippogriff heartstring." Hesitantly taking that wand, she waved it, smiling at seeing the boxes and the glass fix itself. "There's your wand, darling." The man behind the counter stated, gripping the other two rejects in his hands.
"How do I pay, sir? I wasn't given any money. You see, I wasn't aware of magic a week ago. I was brought here by the headmaster of Hogwarts, y'know. He told me he'd take care of it." She explain.
"And, he has, your wand has been paid for." Ollivander smiled, chuckling a bit.
"Oh." She mumbled and a pink tint covered her cheeks.
"Hope to see you soon!" He dismissed her, as she turned to the door. Gripping her wand and the lists, she scanned to see a next item.
"Cloaks, hats, gloves.." She muttered, looking for the Headmaster.
"You'd want to go to Madam Malkin's!" The said headmaster appeared out of nowhere. And off they went, gathering all the things on her list and supplying Rosalyn up with the goodies, stopping at Eelops Owl Emporium to get Rosalyn her very own owl. A tawny one at which Rosa's very own eyes scanned the multitude of cages, finding the little nestling hidden behind a big snowy owl and a big brown barn owl.
Well? Yeah, I know. It's a new one.
Man. This was written sleep-deprived. I think I woke up four-thirty a.m. and I just sat down and wrote this at nine p.m.
Well, notes:
[1] This phrase was taken from the book Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when Harry and Dumbledore side-along apparated to Slughorn's house. All credit goes to Ms. J.K Rowling. I merely changed the gender, i.e: "him" to "her" and "he" to "she".
[2] Charing Crossing road is where Leaky Cauldron is located, as depicted in the Harry Potter wikia.
[3] Again, this phrase is from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , thus, I do not own it.
I have taken this story from my old account WalkingInAWinterWonderlandxx and thereby own only Rosalyn and her story.