Eight years later
Katya didn't want to move. They had moved around too much already. First they were in America, then Russia until she was eight, then BACK to America, and now England. But her father said they had to move, they were expected to go to a school for witches and wizards called Hogwarts. Hogwarts? Katya didn't know who named the school, but they obviously didn't care about verbal appeal. She was leaving all of her friends, to go to a foreign school that her mother had gone to. Her mother. Katya hated her mother. Even though she was only three, she vividly remembered the day her mother left, the lies she had told, and her father's tears.
One day, when Katya was looking for her old ballet slippers in the attic, she came upon the letter her mother had left for her dad. Not knowing what it was, she read it. She read how her mother never wanted her. How she never loved her, or her father. How she would have left anyway, even if it meant breaking her children's' hearts.
Dmitry, on the other hand, was excited to go to Hogwarts. He would finally be around other magic users! He didn't really care that it was his mother's old school. He could barely remember his mom, unlike Katya. Sure, he was upset with his mother for leaving, but not to the extreme Katya was. He knew Katya hated their mother. Anytime her mentioned their mother in a positive way, he would experience Katya's wrath. When she got upset, she would perform accidental magic that would leave a room trashed. Katya wanted revenge, and Dmitry knew she would do anything to get it.
The Shamolodchikovas had moved into their new house about a month ago, in the middle of July. They were expecting their Hogwarts letters soon, and Dmitry was getting impatient. Every morning he would run out the door and check the mail, each day being disappointed when the mailbox was empty. They still lived in a muggle neighborhood, because Denis was still uncomfortable living around lots of magic. However, even with his hesitation towards magic, he still promised to take the twins to Diagon Alley on their birthday, August 21.
Currently, Dmitry was waiting on the porch like he did every morning, looking for the owl that would deliver his letter. While he hadn't grown up in the magical community, his father made sure he was up to date with wizard customs so he wasn't left out. Dmitry was tired of waiting, so he turned around to go inside. Right as he was about to shut the door, he heard a hoot. Dmitry whipped around and in the distance saw a bird flying for his house.
As soon as the owl landed next to him, he took the two letters off it's leg and ran inside. "Dad! Katya! they're here! Our letters are here!"
Katya was woken up by the sound of her brother's yelling. That could only mean one thing. She caught the word "letters" and her stomach dropped. She had to go to Hogwarts. She had to associate with people who might've known her mother. She was not looking forward to it at all.
She went downstairs, as slowly as possible. When she arrived in the kitchen, her brother was bouncing off the walls.
"Its about time you got here Katya" Dmitry exclaimed,"Dad made me wait for you to open it."
With reluctance, she opened her letter and pretended to be excited. She didn't want to give her father more grief, so she avoided talking about her mother at all.
"Well, now that you too have officially gotten your letters, I say we go to Diagon Alley next week," her father said.
Those words filled Katya with dread. She would do anything not to go to Hogwarts. Anything.
One week later
Well, apparently anything wasn't good enough.
Dmitry was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, waiting for Katya to come down so they could go to Diagon Alley. Five minutes later, he was still waiting. "Ekaterina get your butt down here! I'm ready to go!"
"I'm coming!" yelled Katya, as she ran down the stairs, her black hair pulled up into a french braid. Professor McGonagall was waiting in the living room with his father, talking about the wizarding currency and what they required for school. Once Katya came downstairs, she hit her brother on the arm. "And don't call me Ekaterina."
"Alright Katya, Dmitry, Mr. Shamolodchikova, please grab my arm. We are going to apparate."
The Shamolodchikovas grabbed the professor's arm, and were hit with a squeezing sensation, like they were going through a tube.
When Katya and Dmitry opened their eyes, they were met with an amazing sight. Shops filled the alley, bustling with people in all different color robes. They could see Ollivander's, Madame Malkin's, and at the end of the alley, a huge white building with columns.
"First stop is Gringotts," said Professor McGonagall, pointing to the white building. As they pushed their way through the masses of people, their eyes caught on colorful signs, eccentric people, and mystical products being sold. They arrived at Gringotts, only to be met with the weirdest thing so far. A small creature was standing in front of them, staring at them with beady little eyes.
Dmitry gawked at the creature, wonder filling his eyes. "What are you?" he asked. Katya hit his shoulder for being so blunt. She had been looking at the creature out of the corner of her eye, assessing if it posed a threat. "I'll apologize for my brother. We have only just been in wizarding world, so he is clueless." The creature nodded at her, and they went inside.
"This bank is run by Goblins. I suggest you not get on their bad side." McGonagall said. They went up to the exchange counter, got their wizarding money, and left to go to the shops.
They spent most of the day shopping for school supplies, before coming to the only part that Katya was excited about. The wands. They made their way into Ollivander's, just as a boy with black hair and green eyes and a giant man were leaving. Again, Dmitry gaped at the giant, and Katya saw him start to open his mouth to say something, so she pulled him inside.
They were greeted by an old man with white hair and light blue eyes. "Hello! How are you? Hogwarts I presume?"
"Yes. These are Ekaterina and Dmitry Shamolodchikova," Professor McGonagall introduced.
"Well let's get started shall we. Ladies first." Katya walked up to the counter. "Wand arm?" he asked. " I write with my right hand if that's what you mean," Harley said.
"Ah, I can see you're not from around here," Ollivander said, as a measuring tape flew around her.
"We are originally from Russia," Katya explained.
"Well I do hope you like the UK."
"I do," not Katya thought.
" I think I have the perfect one for you." Ollivander pulled a wand off the shelf and gave it to Katya. She waved it, but nothing happened. Ollivander quickly snatched it away, and brought another one. Wand after wand was rejected. Finally, on the 13th wand, green sparks shot out of it.
"Very good wand, very good. Cherry wood, Unicorn tail core, 8 1/2 inches. Alright Mr. Shamolodchikova, your turn." Dmitry walked up to the counter, and went through the same process as Katya, just with fewer wands.
"This wand is oak, Phoenix feather core, 12 3/4 inches. Now that will be seven galleons each. Have a good time at Hogwarts."
Professor McGonagall apparated them back home, and they awaited the day they would leave for Hogwarts.