The first sights and sounds of Wizarding London were overwhelming to Laura when she stepped off the train. Grant watched her reactions carefully, then took her by the arm and led her into Diagon Alley
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He returned with two boxes and beckoned Laura to the counter. He opened one, pulled out a dark grayish wand and handed it to her. "Ten inches, ashwood, phoenix feather core. Give her a try - like this." He demonstrated a flick-and-swish.
Laura took the wand and tried it. A few sparks emerged feebly from the tip.
"No, no, that won't do, then. Once, perhaps. A shame Mr. Ollivander couldn't be here to meet you, dear." He opened the second box. "Ten and a quarter inches, yew wood, strix feather core. Yes, I think this one will suit."
Laura felt an electric tingle in her fingertips as she reached into the open box, and when her hand closed around the wand the tingle spread up her arm straight to the top of her head, clearing her mind of thought. Automatically she lifted the wand and flick-and-swished as though she'd done it a thousand times, and a brilliant flash of energy shot from the wand and sped around the room. Grant and the Ollivander's clerk ducked quickly before it settled around Laura and dissipated.
The room was silent for a moment. Laura and Grant looked at each other, then at the clerk.
Laura took her Gringott's card from her pocket with her free hand.
The flash of energy had been unexpected, and along with startling Grant and the assistant, it had kicked up more dust into the air. Grant finally succumbed to a sneezing fit as Laura paid. When she had finished he took a closer look at her wand. "It's a nice one," he said. "If you can do that on your first try, I think you'll be okay when it comes to defending yourself. For someone new to magic, you've got talent."
"Talent or something, I guess." She ran her fingertips over the wand's smooth surface, smiling slightly.
"Y'know, until just now I didn't really believe in all this magic stuff, not completely? I mean, little things like wards and screens and the floo, or potions that you could write off as superconcentrated versions of our own chemicals, sure. But I didn't really believe in anything like what just happened - what I just did."
She let out a deep breath. "Okay. If I'm gonna defend myself, next I need some spells. The bookstore to beat around here is Flourish and Blott's, right?"
"There's a quote that goes along the lines of, 'magic is just science that hasn't been discovered yet.' Some things you can write off that way, and I know I'm guilty of doing that, but some of it is honest to God magic. There's no other way to explain it. Didn't it take powerful magic to bring you here?"
He sighed. "I think so, but I have no idea where it is. Would you like to explore for a bit, or should we do the smart thing and ask for directions?"
"Yep. I didn't think anything could get me out of the Black Lodge, but the Hat did it. And then we've got all the other post-deads, and ones like you and James and Lily who opened a door in one place and time and ended up at Hogwarts - maybe you could bluff up something involving quanta and string theory and wormholes to explain those things, but frankly? Magic would make more sense."
She stuck her head out the shop door and looked up and down the street.
"Tell you what. How'd you feel about some food or a drink? There's a pub right over there, the Leaky Cauldron. We could take a breather, work out a plan for the rest of the shopping, and then get directions from the servers. Sound good?"
((I'm so glad my roommate brought her Harry Potter books with her, because it makes describing things that much easier.))
The first thing one noticed about the Leaky Cauldron was how dark it was. Even after their eyes had adjusted, shadows seemed to cling in the corners, like an extra layer of grime over the already grungy tables. They grabbed a table and settled into the chairs.
"Ah, at last, a pop culture reference I get!" Laura giggled.
"It's so strange. People talk about movies and and TV things that I've never heard of. They play music on the radio at Hogwarts that's far beyond anything I remember. I'm not sure how many years, but I think I must've been dead at least 10 years. Maybe closer to 15. Like I said, strange."
She buried her nose in a menu.
"Think the shepherd's pie is a safe bet? Or do they make it with actual shepherds?"
"Welcome to life over forty. Eventually, you're just out of the loop. Seriously, though, have you talked with any of the students your own age? They might be able to get you caught up on what's current. What year was it when you died?"
"I think shepherd's pie would be okay. There might have been something on the news if they made it from actual shepherds, and that kind of goes against the whole concept of secrecy. I'm in the mood for ham and swiss, myself."
{{argggh. reposted twice for better wording.))wh0_kill3d_m3June 1 2006, 11:19:05 UTC
"1989, late February. Yeah, I'm gonna be hanging out with a couple of students tonight, though I don't know that the talk's likely to be all that lighthearted. Your friend Oz is probably going to be along for the party, definitely looking forward to meeting him.
I don't know - how'd'you figure what 'my own age' is? Should I go by my physical age, which seems to be 16, at least 'til July? Since I had some kind of semiexistence after, do I factor that time in? I guess you could argue I should reset the counter to Year One and call the first night of the last full moon - what, two weeks ago? - my new birthday, but - well, no."
She looked up from the menu and smiled. "Okay, shepherd's pie and butterbeer, then. That should keep my strength up for shopping."
"It's May of 2006 now, so seventeen years. Good luck with Oz. I've heard rumors that he's good company, so you might luck out.
I don't know. From a legal standpoint, I'd imagine that you are your physical age. As for maturity, well, that's trickier. Either way, I don't think you'd want to start back at zero."
He narrowed his eyes. "Exactly how much shopping do you plan on doing?"
"Wow. I've been dead longer than I've been alive? That's...gonna take some getting used to.
Don't know how 'mature' I am, but I know I sure don't feel like sixteen's supposed to feel. Aren't you supposed to feel like your whole life's ahead of you and you're about to dive off a cliff? I feel like I've already hit bottom and have to pick myself up again."
She grinned. "Don't give me that look! Remember, I landed at Hogwarts with *nothing.* I'm going to be very nice to you and confine myself strictly to school shopping though - books, parchment, quills, owl treats, a knapsack of some kind... And maybe some soap and shampoo and the like, things that won't really wait. Okay?"
"It's been a long time since I was sixteen, but I would imagine that you're in a much different position than other teenagers. Maybe age is one of those things you'll have to fudge."
"Oh, sure. I know how it is. You go in looking for a bag, and come out with three outfits," he said, teasing her. "Let me get a book at Flourish and Blott's, and I'll be happy."
"Ha! I'll have you know, clothes are about the only thing I *do* have, thanks to working the Sorting bribes."
Laura looked up and paused as their food arrived.
"As for the age thing...I guess I'll know better how I want to present myself after tonight. This'll be the first time I've really tried doing any normal-kid stuff since I got back. I don't know, though - I always kind of felt like a fraud doing normal-kid kinds of things even back in my own day."
"I think you're going to be treated like a kid, at least at first, because of how you look. As people get to know you, they'll see that you're a very intelligent young woman." He took a bite of his sandwich.
Laura took the wand and tried it. A few sparks emerged feebly from the tip.
"No, no, that won't do, then. Once, perhaps. A shame Mr. Ollivander couldn't be here to meet you, dear." He opened the second box. "Ten and a quarter inches, yew wood, strix feather core. Yes, I think this one will suit."
Laura felt an electric tingle in her fingertips as she reached into the open box, and when her hand closed around the wand the tingle spread up her arm straight to the top of her head, clearing her mind of thought. Automatically she lifted the wand and flick-and-swished as though she'd done it a thousand times, and a brilliant flash of energy shot from the wand and sped around the room. Grant and the Ollivander's clerk ducked quickly before it settled around Laura and dissipated.
The room was silent for a moment. Laura and Grant looked at each other, then at the clerk.
Laura took her Gringott's card from her pocket with her free hand.
"How much?"
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"Y'know, until just now I didn't really believe in all this magic stuff, not completely? I mean, little things like wards and screens and the floo, or potions that you could write off as superconcentrated versions of our own chemicals, sure. But I didn't really believe in anything like what just happened - what I just did."
She let out a deep breath. "Okay. If I'm gonna defend myself, next I need some spells. The bookstore to beat around here is Flourish and Blott's, right?"
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He sighed. "I think so, but I have no idea where it is. Would you like to explore for a bit, or should we do the smart thing and ask for directions?"
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She stuck her head out the shop door and looked up and down the street.
"Tell you what. How'd you feel about some food or a drink? There's a pub right over there, the Leaky Cauldron. We could take a breather, work out a plan for the rest of the shopping, and then get directions from the servers. Sound good?"
Reply
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Neither noticed the elderly clerk shaking his head and chuckling. "Kids," he muttered as he returned to the back storeroom.
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The first thing one noticed about the Leaky Cauldron was how dark it was. Even after their eyes had adjusted, shadows seemed to cling in the corners, like an extra layer of grime over the already grungy tables. They grabbed a table and settled into the chairs.
"Cheers, this isn't," Grant said.
Reply
"It's so strange. People talk about movies and and TV things that I've never heard of. They play music on the radio at Hogwarts that's far beyond anything I remember. I'm not sure how many years, but I think I must've been dead at least 10 years. Maybe closer to 15. Like I said, strange."
She buried her nose in a menu.
"Think the shepherd's pie is a safe bet? Or do they make it with actual shepherds?"
Reply
"I think shepherd's pie would be okay. There might have been something on the news if they made it from actual shepherds, and that kind of goes against the whole concept of secrecy. I'm in the mood for ham and swiss, myself."
Reply
I don't know - how'd'you figure what 'my own age' is? Should I go by my physical age, which seems to be 16, at least 'til July? Since I had some kind of semiexistence after, do I factor that time in?
I guess you could argue I should reset the counter to Year One and call the first night of the last full moon - what, two weeks ago? - my new birthday, but - well, no."
She looked up from the menu and smiled. "Okay, shepherd's pie and butterbeer, then. That should keep my strength up for shopping."
Reply
I don't know. From a legal standpoint, I'd imagine that you are your physical age. As for maturity, well, that's trickier. Either way, I don't think you'd want to start back at zero."
He narrowed his eyes. "Exactly how much shopping do you plan on doing?"
Reply
Don't know how 'mature' I am, but I know I sure don't feel like sixteen's supposed to feel. Aren't you supposed to feel like your whole life's ahead of you and you're about to dive off a cliff? I feel like I've already hit bottom and have to pick myself up again."
She grinned. "Don't give me that look! Remember, I landed at Hogwarts with *nothing.* I'm going to be very nice to you and confine myself strictly to school shopping though - books, parchment, quills, owl treats, a knapsack of some kind... And maybe some soap and shampoo and the like, things that won't really wait. Okay?"
Reply
"Oh, sure. I know how it is. You go in looking for a bag, and come out with three outfits," he said, teasing her. "Let me get a book at Flourish and Blott's, and I'll be happy."
Reply
Laura looked up and paused as their food arrived.
"As for the age thing...I guess I'll know better how I want to present myself after tonight. This'll be the first time I've really tried doing any normal-kid stuff since I got back. I don't know, though - I always kind of felt like a fraud doing normal-kid kinds of things even back in my own day."
Reply
"I think you're going to be treated like a kid, at least at first, because of how you look. As people get to know you, they'll see that you're a very intelligent young woman." He took a bite of his sandwich.
Reply
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