Posted: 10th December 2022
Edited: 5th February 2023
a/n Okay, I know that the first chapter sucks, so please just bare with me and don't judge the book on the first chapter, I promise it gets better and the storyline changes. (Quite a lot in the upcoming books) So please, please give it a chance.
Henrika woke up early today, the sun had just started to rise and was making her room drown in a deep orange colour.
"Kreacher heard Miss Henrika wake up." The house elf said while bowing." Would Miss Henrika like to join her mother at breakfast?"
"Alright." She answered. "I'll go down in a few minutes." The elf bowed again and left the room.
Henrika put on her radio that her father got her for her 1st birthday. It's like he knew she was going to be addicted to it. Nirvana was playing, but she couldn't recognise the song, so she just decided to memorize the lyrics and ask her mom at breakfast. After listening for a few seconds she got dressed and let out her black curls and hurried down the stairs.
"Good morning Henrika." Her mother said warmly.
Her parents were a Malfoy and a Black. Nor Sirius, nor Beatrice were accepted by their families, because both of them were 'blood traitors'. That's probably why they got along so well, they both wanted to escape their families. Although Henrika was pureblood she never felt like she was better than others just like her parents and if not asked would never talk about her blood status.
"Good morning." Said Henrika while sitting down and grabbing a piece of toast. She already had forgotten that it was early for all of them to be awake this early. She lifted her head again and asked. "Why are you up so early?"
"A ministry worker was supposed to come this morning to take care of that awful painting we have." Her mother said referring to the painting of Sirius's mother in the hallway.
"But they cancelled." Beatrice complained. "Again."
The whole family was tired of the old painting of Walburga Black, she had already gotten used to Henrika and Beatrice so nothing really bad happened when it was only the two of them, but whenever anyone else would arrive she would shout her guts out.
For the first ten years of Henrika's life they lived near a village of Ottery St Catchpole, but now the house was infested really badly so they were quite literally forced to move out for a while. The Grimmauld place, the place where the currently lived in was deeply cluttered, no one had lived in there for years after the death of Sirius's mother. The family, with the help of Kreacher managed to clean a few rooms; Sirius's old bedroom, Regulus's bedroom and the kitchen everywhere else was a mess, but they weren't desperate to have those rooms cleaned either so they just left them how they were.
Now that Henrika was thinking about her old house she decided to ask her mom about it. "When are we moving back to our house?"
Her mother sighed deeply. "I hope soon. The workers say they think the house will be suitable for living this fall." She explained.
"So after I leave for Hogwarts." Henrika said gloomily.
"Yes dear." She responded and they got back to eating.
"Mom, I have another question." She said after a while. "I heard a song this morning and I quite like, but I don't know the name it says I need an easy friend then something about and ear and a shoe and about a clue... "She wondered. "Oh! It also says I do quite a few times."
Beatrice thought for a few moments before she answered. "I'm sorry Rika, I have never heard this song, but your fa-." she started, but cut herself off, cleared her throat and quickly looked down.
But Henrika had already heard the beginning of the word and realized that her mother was talking about her father who was in Azkaban. Beatrice had always avoided talking about him and only mentioned him on accident. Henrika remembered the reason he was sent to Azkaban. Supposedly he murdered thirteen people, Sirius was going to the Potter's house to see if they are already dead, her father betrayed hi best friends. After Lily and James were killed you-know-who lost it's power, but Henrika wasn't stupid, she knew that the Dark Lord was going to come back, but for now she didn't want to think about him. Out of a sudden Beatrice spoke.
"Rika, I know that nor I or Remus. Neither one of us really talk about your father much, but that's because it hurts. It hurts for us and for you too. You know... He was a good man." Beatrice was getting really angry.
"Mom..." Henrika caught her mom's attention. "I know." She said calmly even though fury was boiling inside her. She would do anything to have her father, the man that he used to be.
Beatrice straightened her posture and said. "You should get ready. Remember? We want to get your stuff today." She said hiding he emotions.
"Okay." Henrika said and got up to leave for her bedroom.
After about an hour they got ready and now were standing at the fireplace.
"Go first Henrika." Her mother instructed.
Without giving an answer Henrika took a handful of floo powder and got into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley." She said very clearly and seconds later was taken by the green flames.
She had appeared in the Leaky Cauldron - a place she has visited many times and was familiar with it's surroundings. Soon after her mother appeared next to her.
"Got your letter?"
"Yes, right over here." She said pulling it out.
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 (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
Set 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 Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by 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 an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT
ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Very well." Beatrice said after reading it. They of them walked to the courtyard and Beatrice got out her wand. "Three up ... two across ...' She muttered. 'Right, stand back, Henrika."
She tapped the wall three times with the point of her wand. The brick she had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight. They stepped through the archway. Henrika looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. She always liked that part. The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible said a sign hanging over them.
First they walked to Gringots. They had reached the snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was a goblin. They walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Henrika. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, she noticed, very long fingers and feet. She bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, hut 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.
They were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. They found the shortest line and walked to wait for their turn.
"Morning," said Beatrice to a now free goblin. 'We've come to take some money out Beatrice Malfoy's safe.'
"You have the key, Mam?"
"Got it," said Beatrice, holding up a tiny golden key.
The goblin looked at it closely.
"That seems to be in order.'
'I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Rooktooth!'
Rooktooth was yet another goblin. They followed Rooktooth towards one of the doors leading off the hall.
Rooktooth held the door open for them. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Rooktooth whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in and were off.
At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Henrika tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.
When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, they got out.
Rooktooth unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came blowing out. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
Beatrice got some of it into a bag.
'How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?' Henrika asked.
'About once every ten years,' said Rooktooth, with a rather nasty grin.
One wild cart-ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts.
"I have a surprise for you." Beatrice said mysteriously as they began to stroll through the streets.
"What?"
"Since you're going to be at school for almost the whole year I will need a way to contact you," Henrika's eyes sparkled, she already knew what was coming, "I was thinking maybe we could get you an owl."
"Really? Yes, yes. Can we go now, I want to pick as soon as possible until all the good ones are taken."
They walked to Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. They walked in.
"Do you want to choose Henrika?" Beatrice asked smiling.
"Of course!" Henrika walked around the shop for about ten minutes before choosing a owl. She picked a white with brown spots Tawny owl. They paid and left the shop,
'Might as well get your uniform.' said Beatrice, nodding towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They walked in and Beatrice took a seat by the door.
Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
'Hogwarts, dear?' she said, when Henrika started to speak.
Madam Malkin stood Henrika stood on a stool.
Another woman walked to her and slipped long robes over her head and began to pin it to the right length.
Not that much later Madam Malkin said, 'That's you done, my dear,' and the she hopped down from the footstool.
She and her mother left. They stopped to buy parchment and quills.
She bought her school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.
They got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the apothecary's, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor, jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders lined the walls, bundles of feathers, strings of fangs and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. She got herself all the basic ingredients for potion making.
Outside the apothecary's, Beatrice checked Henrika's list again.
'Just your wand left.'
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
'Wow, it's that old,' said Henrika with amazement.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair which Beatrice sat on to wait. Henrika felt strangely as though she had entered a very strict library she looked at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
'Good afternoon,' said a soft voice. Henrika jumped.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
'Hello,' said Henrika awkwardly.
'What's your name?' The old man questioned.
'Henrika.' She muttered.
'Black?' Henrika nodded.' Such strong Black features I must say. It seems only yesterday they were in here themselves.' Henrika smiled awkwardly.
'Well, now - Miss Black. Let me see.' He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. He measured Henrika 'Which is your wand arm?'
'Er - well, I'm right-handed,' said Henrika.
'Hold out your arm. That's it.' He measured Henrika from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. As he measured, he said, 'Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Black. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand.'
Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
'That will do,' he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. 'Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy.'
Henrika tried - but she had hardly raised the wand when it, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.
'No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, and try it out.'
Henrika tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
'Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination – Wallnut, unicorn heartstring core, swishy, twelve and a half inches.'
Henrika took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Mr Ollivander cried, 'Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well ...'
He put Henrika's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper.
The late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky as the ymade their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty.
Henrika and her mother got back home after one amazing day. After this much shopping she felt even more excited about going to Hogwarts.
Next post: 2022 December 10th – 2023 January 10th
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