Dobby leaped for joy throughout the room, looking like a deranged dancer. I smiled at Dobby kindly for his enthusiasm, however it distracted him from our focus: Saving Harry Potter. Resting my arms on his shoulders, I kept him still and gave him a sharp look to remind him of our goal.
"Dobby will make sure that Harry Potter never walks through Platform 9 and 3/4!!!" he squeaked, his eyes as wide as crystal balls.
"Great idea! Except... how do you even do that?" I replied, feeling slightly crestfallen at the impossible idea.
"Dobby can! Dobby has his magic!" he continued, his eyes growing suddenly intelligent.
Smiling, I realised that we had slightly less than a month to fully ensure that Harry would be totally safe from the Malfoy's plotting. It was a chilly Tuesday evening, I knew that tomorrow we would be shopping at Diagon Alley for school supplies.
My eyes continually wandered to the sack of coins in my trunk. A collection of galleons, sickles and knuts twinkled merrily whenever I shook it even slightly. Reading my booklist, which had been sent to me soon after my Hogwarts, I saw the recurring theme of Gilderoy Lockheart books.
Raising an eyebrow, I assumed that we would most likely have a swooning woman, whose infatuation with Lockheart had led her to create such a biased list. Sighing irritably at this flamboyant display, I carefully laid out my clothes and prepared for my first ever trip to Diagon Alley.
~
My curtains hung wide open, allowing me to wake up as soon as the sun rose precariously over the hills. Stretching out, I saw Leon happily sleeping at my feet, his easy breaths inflating and deflating his chest. It was moments like these that I craved.
Moments that the entire world seemed to stop breathe deeply and let out a prolonged yawn. I hadn't begun my birthday present from Neville, not wanting to spoil it. Something in my mind told me that it had to wait, for another time or another place...
Standing up, I stretched further and gazed down at my wavy brown hair. Lately, it had been getting lighter and lighter, growing away from its brown roots. I thought, naively, that perhaps this was my life. I was moving away from the seductions of Tom Riddle and his ways, and forward to my own destiny.
An untainted destiny.
Staring at the window, I only now realised how beautiful it was. The wonderful window bore an inbuilt seat, making it protrude from the outer wall. This seat reached my hip, making it easy to sit down on it. After that point, the glass stretched all the way up to wall, connecting to the emerald ceiling.
Rather than simply sitting on the window-seat, I opened the windows and sat on the stone ledge, allowing a crisp breeze to caress my face. This room, though it was implanted in a house that belonged to a most detestable family, had become a haven for me.
This house would always signify my own personal 'limbo', as the Muggle's say. This room had been where I had narrowly avoided joining the clutches of my dead father, and the room where I had truly found my loyalties. My loyalties belonged to freedom. Pure and simple.
If Harry Potter were going to defend the world form the ever-immanent threat of my father, thus resulting in peace, then I would support him until I reached my dying breath. A ripple of pride circulated through my body as I realised that I had reached my terrifying goal.
White peacocks, curiously pecking at the undergrowth, out-skirted the impeccable hedges below. Something about the perfectly linear bushes, the retrained gardens seemed to personify the Malfoy's reserved and regal manners perfectly.
The thought of it sent shivers down my spine, ruining the scene. Leon, however, curled himself around me, erasing all of my revulsion immediately. Dangling my legs from the perfectly sculpted windowsill, I felt a dizzying apprehension overcome me.
What if I was sorted into Slytherin? I would be constantly bombarded with not only Malfoy, but those pure-blood snobs that he associated with. Not to mention, I would no doubt lose Neville, the only person, other than Leon, whose opinion mattered to me.
If he hated me, even for a moment, I fear that I could curl in to the foetal position and leave society forever. I laughed at the thought, but the fear settled in my stomach. No... I was not the heir, my mysterious sibling was... I had nothing to worry about.
A tinge of jealousy surprisingly niggled at the back of my mind. I shook the feeling off; I didn't want to be the heir, anyhow.
As the sun rose higher and higher, I realised that breakfast would soon commence, and that we would all leave to shop at Diagon Alley... I would soon see Snape, and I would also soon purchase my wand. I squealed in excitement, before spinning and re-entering my room.
Bouncing around, I closed my mouth and tried to attempt to muffle my squeals of joy. Unsuccessfully. Dobby soon knocked on my door, entering with a look of pure fear in his eyes. Tentatively stepping within, he sighed in relief at the sight of me merely jumping for joy.
"Is Miss perfectly alright?" he rambled, bowing in my presence.
"Dobby! I'm buying my wand today!!! And... And..." I screamed, before realisation dawned on me, "And I'm seeing Snape!"
"Severus Snape?" he echoed, his eyes widening in shock.
"Well.. Yes..." I mumbled, realising that Dobby would indeed know of him.
"I see..." murmured Dobby, looking purely disappointed.
"No! He's... just overlooking my wand purchase." I replied, hoping to reign in his trust again.
His eyes brightened considerably, before he looked nervous again.
"What is it, Dobby?" I inquired, stopping with my celebrations.
"I didn't tell Miss... Because of her birthday... But Harry Potter escaped sooner than Miss thought..." he mumbled, trying to blurt out his confession.
"Yes... and?" I drawled, trying to lure the rest out of him.
"Harry Potter has been at the Weasley’s for nearly half a month." he finished, his eyes guiltily looking down to his feet.
Grinning, I realised that his 'confession' wasn't half as bad as I thought it could have been. His eyes were squinted, as if he was expecting a blow, but no such thing met his flesh. Looking up, I saw that his eyes were filled with tears, and large sobs were wracking his ribs.
"D-d-dobby... has never met anybody so k-k-kind!" blubbered Dobby, wiping his thick tears on to his disgusting rags.
A screech calling for Dobby emanated from further down the hallway, showing that Narcissa was looking for the poor beast. Patting his head affectionately, I allowed him time to hiccup and recover form his teary fit. Bowing deeply to me, he turned and ran to his malevolent masters.
Leon's eyes were full of gratitude, silently thanking me for treating him so kindly. I had to get out of this house, my companion had begun to feel like a pet; a rare occurrence for Leon. We had all, no doubt, become grateful for forgotten leisure's, such as mere appreciation and equality.
Pulling a pair of light blue jeans over my pale skin, I yanked a purple sweater over my singlet. Twisting my hair into an effortless bun, I grasped my booklist as well as my money and set off to buy my supplies for my first year at Hogwarts.
Jogging out of the hallway, I sat down at the table that had already had the assembled Malfoy family sitting around it. Narcissa wore a tight, black dress that stretched to her ankles, a usual fashion for her, whilst Lucius bore grand robes and his cane, which secretly bore his wand.
Draco had his hair slicked back in the way that I had grown to hate, and was curtly pushing food in to his mouth and eating in the most restrained of manners. My own outfit, which I would have usually seen as fairly dull, seemed like a fluorescent rainbow compared to the morbid family.
Feeling their irritating manners digging in to my skin, I shoved a pile of egg in to my mouth, straight off of the platter, and ate with my mouth ajar, allowing small bits to fly on the Narcissa's plates. I kept my eyes on the family, waiting for their disgusted looks to crack their masks.
However, they ignored my atrocious manners and continued eating. Burping loudly, i discarded my fork and began eating with my hands. Still no reaction. Sighing, I wiped my hands on an enchanted napkin, which removed all traces of filth from your hands, and returned to my utensils.
It didn't matter, soon enough I was possess my very own wand... my first step to Hogwarts... to freedom.
The few hours leading up to my trip to Diagon Alley flew past. I spent the entire time revising my booklist, so that I could easily grab my things without having to constantly look over my list. I crossed my legs and waited patiently on my bed, excitement growing steadily within me.
Draco's knock on my door forced me to leap from my bed and stumble across the floor. Regaining my composure, I opened the door and bounded out of my room, leaving Leon to skulk alone in my absence. Sadly, I revealed my extensive knowledge of the house and stood in front of the front door before Draco could even hope to reach it.
Lucius's eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he waited patiently for Draco to arrive nonetheless. Stepping outside, I stood on the first blade of grass that i had seen so close in the weeks that I had been here. I breathed in the fresh, raw scent of the plants, and followed the family quietly.
To my utter surprise, a long, black muggle car waited for them at their front gates. Surely not? Gaping in utter disbelief, I felt my steps falter until I finally had to merely stare at them. The Malfoy's were arrogant snobs who hated everything Muggle, yet they were to use a Muggle car!
"It is not a Muggle car, but merely disguised." Lucius growled, flicking his wand at it.
To my surprise, it was actually a pure black carriage, being hauled by skeletal horses with large, leathery black wings. Draco seemed not to notice the beats pulling their carriage, neither did Narcissa, but Lucius could see them as plainly as I.
"Thestrals. Only those who have witnessed death can see them." Droned Lucius, his voice lacking any animation or emotion.
My memory of Quirrel dying in my arms rung out through my body, shocking me to my core. Walking closer to the now-obvious carriage, I tried to walk off my horrid memory. I remembered Dumbledore's praise for holding the man, no matter what his crimes had been.
I understood more than ever Quirrel's situation, he probably only wanted to prove himself. I would never be ashamed of trusting the Diary, for I knew that Voldemort was so convincing... so real. Biting on my lip, I sat in the carriage, beside Draco, and kept my mouth shut for the entire trip.
We soared through the sky, the horses valiantly flying at above the clouds. I watched in awe as the wheels ran through the fluffy clouds, making tracks behind us. The sun burned above my head, and endless blue sky stretched out either side of me.
It was beautiful, and I felt absolutely no fear, even as I sat within the old carriage. I felt my ears pop painfully, showing that we were lowering dramatically. Gaping stupidly, I managed to relive myself of the building pressure in my ears.
An awful crunch sounded through the carriage as we made contact with the black path that muggles called a 'high way'. I watched as the high buildings of London loomed above my head, peered at the muggles as they carried their leather boxes and rushed to their jobs.
A Muggle library promised thousands of interesting books, with moping teenagers sitting on the beanbags within. Sadly, the carriage travelled at an amazing pace, and I soon found myself exiting the carriage and following the family into a seedy pub called 'The Leaky Cauldron'
Those within hid their faces immediately from the dagger-like gazes of the Malfoy's as they sauntered through the pub. I wished that I wasn't standing behind them, being glared at the moment that my back was turned from them.
Lucius tapped his cane impatiently against the bricks, which bubbled and rearranged, like a magical puzzle. I smiled at the beautiful sight of the old, reddened bricks rearranging to form a opening for us to enter. The Malfoy's seem to miss the magic and beauty of the occurrence completely.
Immediately, they scattered and walked off in to different directions. I watched as Lucius and Draco gazed around with shifty eyes as they walked down a pathway leading to 'Knockturn Alley' The entire alleyway seemed mouldy and disgusting, so I decided not to investigate any further.
I walked around aimlessly, hoping to see Snape somewhere. In the corner of my eye, I saw a worried redheaded woman with an ample body worrying about... Harry? I listened acutely as she babbled on about 'Floo powder' and the 'poor boy... too soon for him to try it!'
I realised with a rigid shock that Harry and the Weasleys were also shopping today. I knew for a fact that where Harry and Ron were, so was Hermione. Looking around, I almost expected the bushy haired girl to waltz into my view and introduce herself.
No such thing happened.
Fred and George flashed me massive grins, before following their mother to search for Harry. Floo powder? He must have gone to the wrong alley, poor kid. I hoped that Dobby would be able to stop Harry from walking blindly in to danger, but something told me that Harry Potter would always make his way to Hogwarts.
A sharp tap on my shoulder forced me to pivot, slamming my face in to Snape's chest. Stumbling back a few steps, I rubbed my head and tried to regain my balance. Snape's eyes showed a hint of amusement, a rare occurrence, but he allowed no smile to escape his lips.
My smile couldn't be stopped, I was so glad to see him. I missed his quiet company and unconflicting opinions. I missed the fact that I could proudly be friend with who ever I liked, regardless of blood status, and I missed him as a person.
Snape gave me the briefest smile, before returning to his stony mask. He waited patiently for my to regain my composure and walk back over to him, but I felt entirely comfortable just... standing here and having my options open.
Walking over to him, I stood up straight, trying silently to see if he would notice any growth. If he did, he didn't show it, he merely muttered a greeting.
"Hey!" I replied, smiling at him brightly.
"I suppose, you are looking forward to the purchase of your wand?" he said calmly, looking in the direction of Ollivander's Wand Shop.
Without answering him, i raced straight in to the shop. Luckily, down at Flourish and Blotts, Gilderoy Lockheart was holding a book signing, meaning that the shop was entirely empty. Except, of course, for the white-haired man with rounded spectacles hanging from the bridge of his nose gazing down at me.
"A first year looking for her wand, I suspect?" he smiled, leaning against the counter.
The entire shop had a dusty coat to it, and every surface seemed to be wooden. Behind the counter, row after row of boxes held wands like cardboard coffins hoarded. I yearned to jump over the counter and grab the first one, but I waited with a suspicious patience.
"Actually, second year. Dumbledore has moved me immediately up!" I beamed, smiling my widest smile of the day.
His eyebrows arched before he proudly replied, "Rare, indeed!"
"I have to tell you... I... I can use wandless magic... I have lived at Hogwarts my entire life, so the trace doesn't notice." i continued, finding it useful information for the wand-maker.
"Really?" gasped Snape, no note of insincerity in his voice.
"Yes..." I muttered, realising that he had never known.
"You must be a gifted witch, indeed." murmured Ollivander, obviously thinking to himself.
His crooked fingers danced over the boxes, resembling spiders many legs, before they settled on a light brown box. Without even reading the label, he announced,
"Cherry, 13'', slightly springy."
He took the wand out, revealing it to be engraved with masses of butterflies. The entire theme of the wand repulsed me, with its eccentric girliness and 'feminine' touch. I knew that this wasn't the one, but I politely held it in my hand, and swung it slowly.
Ollivander's glasses burst, sending tiny shards of glass over the counter-top, but miraculously missing anybodies eyes. Ollivander nodded grimly before quickly taking the wand from my hand’s holding it as if it were the most dangerous object in the world.
Rushing back, he retrieved a different box, this one deep brown, also without a label.
"15", Oakwood, yielding." he uttered, his eyes certain.
The wand had a thick handle, with the actual length of it thin. It held a tiny, chequered pattern. It wasn't awful, but I knew that I wasn't the one. Sighing, I dutifully took it and pointed it swiftly at a light bulb, instead of bursting the direct bulb; it made a chair beside me explode in to a pile of splinters.
Nodding, he rushed to take the wand off of me and replaced it with yet another one. Every wand I swung made another object disintegrate, and by the end I had nearly destroyed the entire shop.
"Extraordinary... I have never met such a challenge..." he breathed, his voice excited at the prospect of an actual challenge.
A challenge? Great.
~
Hate to crush anybodies hearts,
But I have received a few replies on the Elysia comp, and I'm pretty close to an answer.
It is officially open until Christmas Eve, so HURRY!
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New Chapter out in a hew hours, perhaps?
Have a wonderful day/night,
Livvi.