Year 1: The Emerald Smoke

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The image above is Isabelle's wand.

Isabelle's P.O.V

"''Ogwarts? You most certainly are not!" Aunt Corinne's voice was shrill.
"I got accepted and you didn't even tell me!" I shouted, "I had a right to know."
"If you 'ad known you would've wanted to go! I can't 'ave you zere, especially not at zat school!" she yelled.
I faltered, I knew the risk of going to Hogwarts, but it was also my only chance to have anything in common with my mother.
"I'm going."
"No you're not!"
"You can't stop me!"
"Who are you going to stay with... hmm? Surely you don't expect to contact your long lost father?" Aunt Corinne had stopped yelling.
I scoffed, "I'm not an idiot. I want nothing to do with that man. But this is the only chance I have to follow in my mother's footsteps... Please."
Aunt Corinne's face softened, "You can stay for a term, but if I 'ear anything at all, I will pull you out straight away."
My heart leaped, "Thank you, thank you, thanks you!" I jumped up and hugged my aunt.
"You can leave the week before school, I'll come with you, get you all your books, get you a room to stay in and zen it's off to 'Ogwarts for you."
I was crying with happiness, I finally had a connection to my mother, something I could do that she did before me.
Then a whiny voice pitched in, "You can't leave me by myself, I won't know anyone." Angie was pouting.
I laughed, "Don't be such a baby, you'll be fine."


It was the week before school started, and I was awake at early in the morning. Today was the day I was going to London. We had said goodbyes the night before, Angie cried a lot, and Frederic and Gabriel had asked me to send them English pranking products, so, of course, my Aunt forbade me from sending them anything.
"Everything packed?" Aunt Corinne questioned.
"I've triple checked it." I was bursting to get out of here.
"Well then we 'ave to be going, I've booked you a room at ze Leaky Cauldron and I 'ave your train ticket right 'ere." She said, gestured to the yellow envelope she was placing in her handbag.
"Are we travelling by floo powder?" I asked, my stomach churning at the thought of apparating.
"Zere is no way I am apparating with you after last time, you puked on my favourite dress." Aunt Corinne laughed.
I blushed, and dragged my trunk into the fireplace with me. Grabbing a handful of floo powder, I clearly announced, "The Leaky Cauldron."


The Leaky Cauldron was a run-down pub linking Diagon Alley to Muggle London. My Aunt went straight up and asked for my room key from someone named Tom. Once I got settled in, Aunt Corinne and I went to take a look around Diagon Alley.
"First zings first, we need a wand." My Aunt said, dragging me into an old shop with Ollivander's on the sign. We were greeted by a strange looking man, who I presumed was Ollivander. Aunt Corinne and he were chatting away as I wandered around the shop. Boxes upon boxes on wands were everywhere, piled on top of each other, how was I supposed to pick one?
"Hmmm.... I think I've narrowed it down to three." said Ollivander, looking me up and down. He placed three boxes in front of me. I opened the first one eagerly, it was long and sleek, with an engraved pattern at the bottom. I took it in my hand and waved it. A nearby lamp exploded. I quickly placed it back on the table. The next wand was brown, with a bark-like texture. I waved it again, a bit more apprehensively this time, the nearby stack of boxes fell. Ollivander handed me the last wand. The box it had been in looked much older than all the other ones, and his hand was shaking as he thrust the wand towards me. I waved the wand, and this time, a billow of green smoke erupted from the end, the smoke formed into the shape of a snake, before evaporating. Aunt Corinne and Ollivander were looking at me with wide eyes.
"Let's try anuzzer one, shall we?" Aunt Corinne asked, her voice sounding panicky.
"No other wand will work, the wand chooses the wizard," Ollivander replied, shakily, "Isabelle, your wand is
Blackthorn wood, 13 inches, hard flexibility with a... Basilisk horn core."
I thrust the wand onto the desk, shaking my head, I wanted nothing to do with that thing. Aunt Corinne gave me a stern look, I knew I had to take the wand.


My new wand terrified me... It looked... evil. It was black, with a snake carving that twisted around the entire wand. I was relieved that you had to look closely at the wand to realise was a snake, from a distance it looked like a decorative pattern. My Aunt barely said a word since Ollivanders, she proceeded to buy all the school books in silence, not speaking until we arrived at Magical Menagerie. Aunt Corinne turned to me once they were inside, "You'll need an owl, of course, so take your pick, and I'll get you a cat as well, we 'ave no idea what kind of vermin will be running around at 'Ogwarts."
10 minutes later I walked out of the store with a black Great Horned Owl in a cage under one arm, and a black kitten under the other.
"What are zere names?" Aunt Corinne asked.
"The Owl is Onyx, and my cat is Ebony." I responded evenly. It was about midday, so Aunt Corinne helped me carry my books and pets up to the room, before she had to go. We were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron fireplace, when Aunt Corinne gave me a big hug, "Be safe," she whispered, "And stay away from ze Slyzerins."
I bit my lip, "But what if... you know..."
She shook her head, "Be brave."
Then she stepped back into the fireplace, dropped the powder and announced, "Manoir Montmorency."


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I only own Isabelle Montmorency and any other characters I create.

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