Chapter 3: Diagon Alley
It was Friday, the day before we went to Diagon Alley. But even more important, it was my 11th birthday.
I woke up at 4 in the morning so that I could fit in an hour of practice today. I'd been waking this early every year on my birthday since I was 8.
I decided to practice my magic. I pointed my finger, as I had done every other time, and looked for something to attack. A squirrel scurried in front of me.
Petrificus Totalus.
I was practicing non-verbal spells. The squirrel froze on the spot, unable to move.
"Now, what spell should I use on you," I said in a soothing voice as I picked up the squirrel. "I know!"
Crucio.
The squirrel writhed in pain. It squealed. I let go of my hold on it. It stopped shaking all over my hand.
"What now?"
I saw fear in the squirrel's eyes as it stared up at me.
"Do you want death, little fella? Do you want to go to squirrel heaven? Let me show you the way."
Imperio.
I told the squirrel to dance. I told it to climb the trees. I lead it to a river and told it to swim. It swam. Then, in the middle of the river, at the deepest spot, I told it to stop. I told it to let itself sink. It sank. I waited for four minutes before fishing it from the water. Dead.
"I'm sorry, squirrel, but sacrifices must be made."
I trekked back up to our house and into bed.
An hour later my sister woke me up.
"Happy Birthday, En-Cor!"
"Don't. Call. Me. EN-COR!"
I leapt out of bed and started chasing her. I had always been the faster runner of the two of us and as I trained I'd only gotten faster. Last year I'd caught her at her bedroom, which was only three metres away from mine. This year I caught her just as she'd reached my door.
She pouted.
"No fair! You've gotten too fast!"
"Or maybe you've gotten too slow. Next year I'll probably catch you at my bed, Sadie."
"Yeah right."
Mum came in.
"Stop your bickering, girls. It's a beautiful day."
Mum went over to the owl with the damaged wing and checked the wing.
"I think the owl's ready to be released."
She handed the owl to me. I took it outside and let it go. When I got back inside, mum was already cooking breakfast. Blue cheese and bacon croissants.
After breakfast came presents. Sarah gave me a black dress she'd made. Black was my favourite colour. Sadie knew me well. The dress was beautiful. Mum and dad got me lots of chocolate and an owl. They'd charmed the owl, that was supposed to be a snowy owl, to be black. I named him Inky.
The following day we went to Diagon Alley. We started at Ollivander's where I got a hawthorn wand, 13 inches, with a dragon heartstring. We got our books then walked into Madam Malkin's to get my robes and adjust Sarah's. We were nearly done when a blonde-haired boy walked in. Draco. I hid my face as we walked past him.
We finished purchasing all we needed to and went home through the Leaky Cauldron.