August 31st, 1992
Rory woke to the smell of Aunt Teenie brewing coffee, and smiled so wide her round cheeks nearly covered her eyes. This was her last morning in this bed, the morning they were leaving for London, and the following day, Hogwarts. She rolled onto her side and pulled back the curtains beside her.
Rory hadn't expected to grow so fond of Dorset in her short time there, but the English coast was so different from the busy life she grew up within New York. It was hard not to fall in love.
The summer had been quiet, mostly consisting of helping Uncle Newt and Aunt Teenie as they unpacked and settled into their new home. There were however a few occasions where Newt allowed Rory to tag along on research excursions. She spent several weekends camping with her guardian- observing merpeople by the coast, carefully tracking a couple of Jarvey through a forest, or even (however begrudgingly) removing several Bundimun from a neighbors house.
Rory enjoyed time alone with Uncle Newt. He wasn't a particularly chatty fellow, and in the downtime of their trips, Rory discovered a type of quiet that filled her to the brim with warmth and peace; a sort of silence that exists in true open country, but never in a place like New York City. She would miss her new little home, but the promise of even fresher air up north in Scotland sent a chill up her spine.
After showering, Rory began to collect the last items to pack in her trunk. She grabbed her blue traveling cloak, and muggle Walkman before plopping herself in front of the large bookcase that took up the back wall of her room. Rory had spent nearly a week organizing her collection when they first moved in- changing from sorted by subject, to alphabetical by author and back again. She scanned through the shelf of books by muggle authors and settled on the large, leather-bound, Shakespeare anthology.
"Really? That one? Out of any book to bring, you choose the heaviest one you could find" Aunt Teenie tutted, entering the room with a bagel and lox. She placed the plate beside Rory whose hair had turned a rosy pink that matched her blushing cheeks. She knew she would have access to a whole library soon, but these books were her treasures, coming from every corner of the earth that Uncle Newt had explored.
"Thought you'd like one last bagel before a year's worth of Brit food," Tina smiled and took a finger swipe of schmear.
Rory grinned gratefully and took a hulking crunch from her breakfast, sighing as the smoky fish melted on her tongue. "Oh don't worry, Uncle Jacob already told Rolf and me that he'd send us treats from his shop whenever we ask '' Rory responded between chews.
"I'll be surprised if he doesn't attempt to hand-deliver them at least once this term" Tina added, and they both chuckled at this. Uncle Jacob was a muggle with an endless interest in the wizarding world, and he had a particular soft spot for Rory. Most of the family did, considering her circumstances. She wished they all treated her a bit more normally, but when you're eleven, you're still "too cute" to seem brave.
Just then Uncle Newt hollered up the stairs, "Nearly ready ladies?"
A knot settled in Rory's stomach and her hair faded from its pale pink into a murky grey. She glanced down at the silken locks that cascaded from her head and grunted, grabbing a scrunchie off her wrist.
"It's alright to be nervous, love" Aunt Teenie said, rubbing the girl's back as she tied up her hair.
"I know that, I just wish it wasn't so easy for everyone to see it." Rory had never viewed being a metamorphmagus as a gift. She had little control over it, so her change in appearance tended to reveal more than it disguised. Especially amongst people who knew her well and had taken to memorizing what her colors meant. Rory shut her eyes so tight it made her whole body shiver, and as she inhaled sharply, her hair returned to brown.
...
With a kiss of green flames, Rory somersaulted out of the fireplace, landing in a heap on the pub floor. Uncle Newt, who had gone through first, extended a hand and pulled her to her feet. Aunt Teenie came through next, also somersaulting, but popping up and landing as smoothly as a gymnast dismounting the beam. She gave Rory's shoulder a squeeze and waved to the bald barman.
Rory had never been to the Leaky Cauldron before. She'd only been to London once, and just as a stop through while traveling with Uncle Newt. The bar had tall lofted ceilings and cool stone walls. A witch in an apron crossed the room with a tray of pints in one hand, her wand in the other levitating a massive stack of plates. A couple sat cozy by a window, and a kettle appeared before them to top off their teacups. Moving pictures took up every inch of available wall space, and stairs wrapped about connecting to doors that were scattered in no particular order. Rory's mouth hung slightly agape as she eyed a grubby man over eight feet tall duck low into the back alley.
They didn't typically go out much, Newt prefers creatures to humans any day, and outings in the wizarding world always drew attention. Tina knew everyone, and everything about everyone. Her time as an Auror did this for her. Newt on the other hand never seemed to remember a single person he had ever met, but that didn't stop people from recognizing him.
A bushy-haired girl walked right up to Uncle Newt, ignoring his family standing behind him. Rory glanced up at Tina, who merely gave a subtle shrug. Just a kid, no threat, her eyes said. The girl looked a little shaky but determined as she blurted out, "You're Newt Scamander, aren't you?"
Uncle Newt gave a nod and said, "why yes I am, and you must be a student at Hogwarts?" he asked, gesturing at the school's crest adorned on her cloak.
The girl extended a hand, "Hermione Granger, Gryffindor" she said with a smile. Newt took her hand and gave it a vibrant shake. "I am quite the fan of your work, I particularly find your opinions on house elves fascinating," she leaned in a touch closure, "Most people don't take the time to think about the well-being of the magical creatures they enslave'' and with that gave herself a little nod as if to agree with her own statement.
Uncle Newt gave a hearty chuckle, "What a vivacious young witch you are, and clearly well-read" Newt nodded at the tall stack of books behind her. At the table sat a couple whom Rory believed must be the girl's parents. The man jiggled his knee and thumbed over the bounty of books before him, wide-eyed. The woman kept tucking the same short curl behind her left ear, a watchful eye on the strange man speaking with her daughter. Rory glanced at their clothes. Muggles for sure, and nervous.
"Are you in the O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. level Care of Magical Creatures class?" Uncle Newt asked, snapping Rory's drifting eyes back to the people before her.
"Erm... I'm only a second year, sir" Hermione shifted her weight between her feet, a bit embarrassed. "I just like to read".
Newt let out an impressed harrumph, "atta girl then! Nice meeting you," Newt patted the girl on the head and gestured for his little family to get going. Hermione twitched at this, she was clearly used to being treated more as an adult than a small child ready to have her hair tousled. But, that was just Uncle Newt.
Rory locked eyes with Hermione and gave a closed-mouth smile as if to apologize for her guardian's lack of grace. The bushy-haired girl raised her eyebrows, and gave a little wave, noticing Rory's presence for the first time. Rory wasn't offended. She was a slender girl, easily masked behind her guardians' robes. She also sort of liked being able to fly under the radar.
Tina and Newt took a booth in the back corner, the barman appearing a second later with a flute of giggle water, and something thick and black, placing them in front of his patrons respectively. Rory scurried over, glancing back at Hermione still waiting by the fireplace. The barman placed a butterbeer in front of Rory, and she dipped her tongue in the cold and sweet foam. Uncle Newt flicked at her nose, and Rory slurped her tongue back in, licking her sticky white lips. "Whatever Tina says, I still classify you as at least a XXX beast," he grinned at the girl across from him.
Hermione gasped across the bar, and Rory turned to see a red-headed boy tumble out of the floo network. He stood up and brushed himself off, adjusting his cloak, the same school one Hermione wore. Rory wondered if she would be getting one too.
Hermione sprinted over and jumped at the boy, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. The redhead patted her back and turned a deep shade of beet red. Hermione released, and they stood there awkwardly for a second, the boy glancing back at the empty fireplace.
One, two.... six! Six more gingers came pouring out of the fireplace. The whole family looked a bit shabby, but the light in all their eyes held a glimmer of joy. It felt infectious. They bombarded the two muggle parents, who looked even more overwhelmed than before (if that was even possible).
There were a few pleasantries before Rory was able to catch many of them saying the name "Harry" with a tone of concern.
Rory looked over each one of them, making note of who was and wasn't wearing a school cloak. She nearly missed her, but there, between the set of identical boys, was a small girl. Her fiery red hair was pushed away from her face in two braids. She wore a magenta traveling cloak, meaning she mustn't be a student yet. Rory wondered if perhaps they were the same age- perhaps she was going to be a first year too.
Rory sipped at her butterbeer and focused on the small witch, she had a distressed look on her face as she searched the room for something. It was only a second, but their eyes did meet. Rory felt her throat constrict and her scalp tingle. She could sense her roots beginning to shift color, and the ginger girl's jaw dropped in a giggle. Rory threw her hands over her hair and turned away quickly, focusing hard before her whole head had changed.
Rory took another swig of her butterbeer and looked to her guardians, hoping they hadn't noticed anything.
...
After their round, they left their booth and meandered toward the back door. Rory's mind drifted to Hogwarts. She wasn't sure what it looked like, there were no pictures of the castle in any of the books she had read about it. When she closed her eyes at night, sometimes she tried to imagine it. Usually, it took shape as some variation of Sleeping Beauty's castle, with unicorns and centaurs and fairies prancing through the grounds. She wondered how big the castle was. She wondered if she would ever see any of the kids from the pub again.
In the back alley, where a dumpster would be stored if they were still in New York, the little family gathered tight together. "I've got it," Tina said, pulling her wand from its neat holster around her waist. She leaned forward and tapped a pattern of bricks. Rory was mesmerized as the bricks shoved past one another in a staccato dance, opening a wide hole and revealing the quaintest street she had ever seen.
The narrow lane was densely lined with shops, their storefronts smooshed together as if a giant had constructed the whole thing out of clay. Owls cooed and flew through the air in every direction. There was a cauldron supplier just ahead of them, bartering with a customer. Up to the left was the Magical Menagerie whose window was stacked full of cages containing various creatures. Peddlers shouted as potential customers walked by, shoving products into their paths. Rory couldn't decide where to look first, so instead, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose.
Sweet waffle cones, metallic pewter, and... "books" Rory mumbled and opened her eyes.
"Four bookshops to be exact" Newt told the girl, his voice full of its own childish glee. "We have to collect your supplies and find our family first, then we can have an explore. Alright, love?" Rory nodded in agreement and started pondering the current contents of her trunk. Perhaps she could send a few things back to Dorset with her guardians if she needed to make extra room. Uncle Newt placed a hand on her back, and the three of them began to shuffle through the crowds.
They finally found their relatives sitting on a bench outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Rory skipped over to Rolf and licked his cone without permission. "Hey! Get your own!" he protested, but then shrugged and handed the cone over to Rory.
"Gotta obey your Auntie, little Rolfikins" Rory pinched his cheek and took another lick of the chilly treat before handing it back.
The adults took turns greeting each other and fussing over the children. Griffin swung Rory up on his muscular shoulders with ease, the small girl shrieking. But, from a higher vantage point, she caught sight of the crowd from the Leaky Cauldron again. She sat there for a moment, watching as a boy with black hair and glasses stepped out from a dark alleyway, covered in what appeared to be soot. Hermione ran to this boy with nearly as much vigor as the first, but instead of a hug, she gave him a swift whack to the head. The boy pushed back, but then embraced Hermione, pure joy spreading across his dirty face.
"Alright then, now who has the supply lists?" Aunt Teenie asked with a clap.
After many exciting shops, the last thing on their list was wands. This was something Rory had been eagerly waiting for her whole life. As they neared Olivander's, Rory and Rolf were both near bursting with excitement. They shot back and forth at each other, guessing what the other's wand would look like.
"I bet yours is thick and stubby, with toad guts as its core" Rory boasted, and Rolf grimaced.
"Yeah well I bet yours is so frail that it snaps when you sit your fat ar-"
"Rolf Elliot Scamander, that is quite enough" his mother said sternly, cutting him off. He pouted for a moment but wiped it away from his face as his hand met the large brass doorknob of the wand shop.