So I got this letter today, but not in the mail or any thing. It was delivered by an owl, how weird is that. My mom did not seem at all surprised, she was really happy. Dad did not say any thing as usually, he just sat at the breakfast table smiling in between drinking his tea and his breakfast, like it was just a normal morning and no big deal. I do not think I have seen her this happy since.. well since I was last watching the family's home videos. my dad films every thing from their wedding, to my birth, all my football games, and school plays. And boy do my parents love watching me in one of my earlier plays with me as a bee. Any way when mom finally calmed down after what seems like hours, I opened the letter. It started
Dear Ms. Vanessa Nicole Lane
We are very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I stopped reading and looked up at my mom, who was still beaming and bouncing up and down.
So I ask " Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke? Witches and Wizards and magic do not exist."
Mom stopped bouncing and her smile was gone when she said" Vanessa Nicole Lane this is not a joke" Mom stated in her no non sense mom tone of voice." The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the best school in Europe. It is the best place for you to learn how to use your magic. Your father and I were wondering when you would get your letter."
"Wait what are you talking about magic, I do not have magic." I said in my own no non sense mocking mom tone of voice.
"Of course you do Vanessa. I mean when we got the first phone call from your primary school teacher telling us that some how her hair had turned blue after you got mad at her for putting you in time out, we decided to call you grandmother to ask about when my sister, your aunt the one you have not meet yet, first started developing magic. Well seem it is hard to tell your grand mother did not know if you could have magic, because I did not have magic and you father did not have magic. So we were not sure if you had magic or just died you hair blue. So we waited for the next sign that you may have magic. and for a few years no thing happened and we began to lose hope that you would be a witch. But then one day your dog Jane Austin, had run away, you cried so hard and so long, I held you while you father went out looking for Jane Austin. And you just keep saying over and over "Please Jane Austin please come home, please ohh please come home Jane Austin. " After two hours of this my father had come home having not found Jane Austin. I stopped crying because I could hear Jane Austin braking, so I ran into the parlor and found Jane Austin sitting there tongue hanging out panting. I ran up and hugged her and she licked my face and my parents stood in the door way looking at each other and that was when we knew that you were a witch and you were going to Hogwarts." Mom went on talking about the time I made all the cats on the block disappear because they were picking on Jane Austin. But I stopped listening, I already knew the story so well. My dad talk to me about it telling me that is not right to take what is not mine. And that the cats owners will miss the cats just like I would miss Jane Austin if she was taken from me. So I returned all the cats, but that is the short version. Why should I listen when I was just told I was a witch and had magic and no one was joking or being mean or making fu of me. Why had no one told me all those crazy things that happen to me or because of me. And all this time I was thinking I am all alone and I could not talk to anyone because I did not know what people would think of me, or do to me. So it turns out my weirdness or craziness, I do not even know what to call it, the thing that made me different, alone, and afraid of my self some days. Why had my parents not said anything, so kind of warning about this world I am being throw into. A world of witches and wizards and magic and god knows what else. A whole world is a lot to push on an eleven year old all at once. Did they even think about me and how I would react to all of this.
"And the castle is so beautiful you are going to love living there," Mom said gazing into the distance as if she could still see the Hogwarts castle.
"Are you listening Vanessa?"
"No, Mom I was thinking of how you and dad have keep this from me. You did not think I would want to know how or why I made all the cats disappear or died my teacher's hair blue or that i would be so isolated by it." My voice raising with my anger, " I am only eleven and eleven years old are not very nice in case you have not noticed" My voice cracking with the emotion.
"Doodle bug" Dad said as he stand up and came over to me and hugged me tightly" We did not know you felt this way or we would have said something to you, this is why you have to talk to us, your mom and I love you so very much and what to help you."
"Your dad is right sweet heart promise you will write to us when you are at school" Mom pleaded.
All right Mom I promise.. wait do they use owls for everything, like mail and stuff like that?"
"What else would they use darling, they are not like muggles with their post men they are so much slower and they always found a way to lose your stuff, owls are much smarter and owls are faster." Mom said in her matter of fact mother tone of voice.
"Oh yes," I said with all the sarcasm I could come up with "How silly of me, I guess I will be needing
an owl then if I want to talk to my parents.”
As I finish reading my letter, I hear my mother talking to some one but I do not remember hearing the door open and the phone ringing. I could hear her talking to someone in the parlor as I come back down, and a open turn the corner to see who it is she is talking to, I see my mother kneeling in front of the fire talking to it and it was talking back.
"So we will meet you tomorrow at you house." Mom said to the fire.
The voice in the fire place replied" we will all be there, this is so exciting, we all can not wait to meet Vanessa, oh and before you go, I wanted to make sure you know you sister will be coming as well with her daughter to get supplies and the like."
"That's great the more the merrier, and it will be good for Vanessa to have at least one friend starting at Hogwarts with her. Alright then we will see you tomorrow at you house, are sure you will have enough floo powder, I do not want to put you out."
"no, no dearie you do not worry about a thing, see you soon."
"Ok bye mother" and with that my mother stood up and looked around to find me standing in the door way, my mouth wide open.
" you will get use to all this do not worry"
" and that what you we're just doing talking to the fire place, that is normal? Does every one do that? Do they not have phones at all?"
" No, there are not phones, a lot of muggle technology does not work in the wizard world and must wizards do not want to try and learn to use any of it, and what you just saw was me talking to your grand mother the one you have not meet yet, using what is called the floo network. It is the easiest way to talk to people and get from place to place in the wizard world."
"so we will be traveling by fire place, going to my grand mothers house with my aunt and cousins, all of whom I have not meet yet, so we can all go together to get school supplies for the coming year, for a school where I will need robes as a uniform, and a wand for the "
learning and practicing of magic and a caldron with which I will be learning to make potions at a school with other witches and wizards who will be learning magic as well. Did I miss any thing?" I asked trying very hard and failing a bit, not to laugh at every thing that was happening to my once normal life.
" Yes" mom replied " we are going to get all the supplies you will be needing tomorrow, but besides that you got it all. Now go on up to bed you have had a long day and tomorrow will be just as long as today, so try and get some sleep."
As I get ready for bed, I think of how much a persons life can change in a 24 hours time period. This morning I woke up a normal not magical eleven year old and now I am going to a school to study and learn to use the magic, I did not even know I had. And how before the owl had come this morning, I had started to read a book to help me get a head start on my secondary school work, but I guess it looks like I started reading the wrong book. I know I have to go because my mother would not have it any other way, but I think that want to go. I mean when you are an eleven year old who has been teased for most of her life for being different, why would you not want to go to a school where every one is just like me in the sense that every one else has magic too. So many questions run though my head as I wash my face and brush my teeth and put on my over sized star wars shirt that I had been sleeping in for the past few day and slip into bed. And one of the questions that I still do not have an answer for pops back into my head. Why had my mom and dad not told me I was a witch or that I could be a witch? And why was my mom not a witch? And why was my dad not a wizard? And does magic often skip generations? But that would not make sense because my aunt is a witch and her daughter is a witch too, so what's the deal with my family? Will be any other kids that grow up not know they had magic? Oh and will my parents get me an owl? Will the school have owls that I could use if they do not? Wait a minute the letter said you could bring only a toad, a cat, or an owl, does that mean I can not bring Jane Austin? What do they have against dogs,are dogs not magical enough? Well we will just have to see about that. And where in the world am I going to to get a size 2 pewter caldron? I guess when you think about it I can under stand why they did not tell, and them trying to protect my mental well being is ok.
But no is not the time for deep questions that will take for ever to figure out, now is the time for sleep and If I keep trying to understand every thing in my life, I would never sleep again.
When I was nine years old I started having trouble sleeping, there would be weeks that I would go with out sleeping. My parents tried all different kinds of herb drinks and burning incense and all different new age remedies and stuff, but when no thing worked they gave in and took me to a specialist. The specialist said that there was no thing wrong with me, at least no thing he could see. So because my parents did not want me to take any kind of drugs, the specialist told me to record or write down a list of things to help calm and clear my mind. He gave me a list of some sample phases to start out with and that as I get more comfortable that I should start to personalize the list. So my parents went out and brought me an assortment of notebooks and pens to try and write things down to help clear my mind enough that I could get some sleep. And it turns out he was not too far off, I have since then made many changes to the list and some things I just say out loud. And the must important thing is that I was finally able to sleep soundly again.
So I go about my normal routine of writing some things down and saying them a loud to my self, I am soon drifting in to dream land. And what else would you dream on the night that I learn I am witch, why magic of course. The dream starts with me flying though the air over london, where I lived and over to scotland, which is weird cuz I do not know how I knew it was scotland cuz I had never been there before, but in the dream I just knew. I continued flying over lochs and woods, and in one of the woods there was a small clearing which I slowly land in, coming down on a soft breeze landing on the greenest grass I had every seen. It look like the grass you would find in a home and gardening book, the kind people really want to have but can never get it that prefect, and it is soft and warm even if it was the night of the night. When I landed the air was filled with... well I do not really know what it was, I guess maybe magic. It was warm and comforting and familiar tingling in my fingers and all over my skin. And then out of thin air a small glass table appears with a silver colored rose and an emerald green note on it. I pick up the silver rose first mesmerized by its beauty. All the torns have been removed and a satin green ribbon has been tied around the stem. I lift it to my nose, but it does not smell like a normal rose, it smells of a wood fire, and what's called a london fog, its a type of tea. Some of the thing that I love most in the world in prefect blend on my favorite flower. Still holding the rose, I slowly sink to the ground on to the blank that appeared beneath me and try to under stand why it was here? What does it mean? It is so beautiful could it really be for me?
"Well this is my dream, why should it not be for me? And who else is going to come and get if I do not take it and enjoy."
I had began to ponder a loud which I would not normally do out side of a dream.
As I sit studying my rose and and drowning in its scent, playing with the emerald green ribbon, I remember the emerald green note that had sat be side my rose.
" The note will tell me who the rose is for and who it is from."
So I stand up and turn around to retrieve the note to read it, but some thing is not right the air has change and feels thicker and less comfortable. But I turn to get the note any way my need to know that the rose is for me is to great to notice any thing else. But the table has vanished and with it the note I do wanted to read.
"Why, why, WHY?" I shout my anger over coming everything else." why are all my dreams seem like the have come out of a movie? Why is my subconscious not be more original?" I complained very loudly to no one but my self, and not really looking for an answer from any one, but I got one.
"It would seem that you subconscious has run out of ways to tell you things and the movies you watch seem to do the trick." The voice coming from behind me making me jump, and turn around so quickly I nearly fall over. But I am nothing if not graceful even in my dreams. As I right my self I get a good look at this voice, but not just a voice but a boy, a little taller then me and very pale, his hair blond all most silver looking just like my rose. I look down at my rose and then back up at the boy to compare to two, and they are very similar. But his hair seemed to shine more in the moon light then the rose, and I was unable to produce any coherent thoughts.
The boy then bowed and said" I am so sorry, I am skipping ahead, my name is... Well that is not really important. All that is important is that you are Vanessa and if you follow all of the clues you will found the thing you want most in the world, or at least what you will want very soon."
Then I found my voice" and who do you think are pretending to know me or what I want, and how do you know my name?"
"This is after all you dream is it not, Vanessa?"
"It is but I do not know you, so it is not fair that you know me and in my dreams every thing is fair. So come on out with it, Who are you?"
"If you must know my name is-
"Gooood Morning Vanessa, it is time to wake up, come on, come on, come on!" my mother says or should I say sings.
"You have got to be kidding me!" I said with the volume as my mother." you had to had to had to had to Wake me up right at that moment, you could not have waited like an other minute?"
"No, no, no, it is time to get up we are going shopping today with my family, remember sleepy head."
Unfortunatly for me my mother has a rather annoy habit of saying everything three times, but only in the morning for what ever strange reason, I am unaware. And because of her strange habit, I have made sure that my habit in the morning is to say everything four times.
"Fine I am up, I am up, I am up, I am up."
After years of my mother being loud and repeat her self in the mornings has done a very good of making me not a morning person. So i work my self out of bed, a slow process to say the least, but soon i am out of bed and walking to the shower, and jumping in as soon as the water warmed up. Over the years my hair has all way been long so it takes me what seems like forever to wash and condition my hair, but I have gotten better and faster as doing my hair so my shower time is down to about ten minutes, and the rest of my morning routine takes even less time. But to day I take a little extra time so I look nicer for the family I am about to meet. And with that thought my mother calls me down stairs, for breakfast and to leave soon. I quickly grab a silver tank top and a short sleeve green button down with a pair of dark skinny jeans and my black hi top converses. Mom had set out a bowl of cereal for me to eat, which scruff down as quickly as possible with out choking, while she and dad finished cleaning the table. We all finish cleaning the kitchen and then we all went out side and got in to the new electric car my parents bought last week, they are all about saving the environment. And as we leave our street, i start to get more and more nerves, of sure of how they will react to me and how I will react to them and this whole world of magic.
It is shortly after ten in the morning when we arrived at my grandmothers. We pull up to a very normal, my grandma lives here type of house, three story house with enough space between the other house to be alone but close enough to know who lives near you. There was only one other car out front of the house be side ours, which made me wondering about how all of my family got here, mom made it sound like a lot of people. But I guess I will just have to ask when we get inside. As I get out of the car Mom looks to me and asks" You ready for this sweetie?"
"I really hope I am" I answer back, working up my best smile.
"You will be fine doodle bug." Dad said coming toward me and offering his hand to me, which I take right away, and reach out toward mom mad take her hand as well and together we walk up to the house with my family waiting inside.
The door opened before we could even knock and in the door way is a tall gray haired old women with several other people trying to look around her, and I was blocked completely when gathered me in to her arms and gave me the biggest hug I have every gotten.
"Mom you have to let her breath, she is still human, she still needs oxygen."
"This is one of the warmest welcome I have ever had and I do not even really know you but I am very happy to be getting to know." I say when I can finally breath again.
"Vanessa, this lovely women who just tried to choke you with love, is your Gran, and Mom this is our Vanessa." Mom said in a loving tone.
" Hello Jane dear, you are looking well," Gran said to my mom, kissing her on the cheek. "And Thomas you are just as quiet and calm as ever, it is good to see you again after so long." She said hugging dad.
"Ok, ok Vanessa dear, let me introduce you to every one. Well, now unfortunately not every one could be here to meet you , some working and others are put of town, but over here we have some of your cousins. " She said lending me over to a group of teens, they were all tall and all had blond hair, so unlike me, my hair is a dark brown and I just know that I am going to feel more short then usually.
"This is Abbey, and Charles and Gabriel, they are all attending hogwarts, Abbey is a 5th year, Charlie is a 3rd year and Gabriel is a 6th year. And they have all been told to look after you and make sure you get
settled in at hogwarts. And here are their parents, you Aunt Chris and Uncle Kevin and Abbey is their daughter, and this is your Aunt Katrina and Uncle Damon and their son is Charles, and this is your Uncle Fred and his son is Gabriel." Gran said as she pointed at everyone around the room.
"It is nice to meet all of you, Thank You for not hmm, for not shunning me." I laughed a little as I shook.
"And this is you Aunt Sara and her husband your Uncle John and this is your cousin Rae, this will be her first year to Hogwarts as well. Rae, this is Vanessa, we are hoping you two will be good friends."
"Nice to meet you" I said reaching out to shake her head.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too." Rae said taking my hand.
"Rae has been studying magic most of her life and I am sure she would be happy to help you with any questions that you might have, right Rae?" Gran said giving Rae a very pointed stare.
"Sure thing Grams, me and nessie here are going to be the best of friends, right Vanessa?" Rae said giving me the same pointed stare Gran had just given her.
"Sure, why not, my first witch friend, oh is that ok or is that the right term to use for a magical person, I am not sure."
"Witch is fine, as long as you do not mind me calling you nessie?"
"No one has ever call me by any nick name before, so that is cool with me."
"Brilliant, we are going to get along just fine then."
"Alright girls, well you two can talk for a bit but we will be leaving soon."Gran said walking back over to my parents.
"So, you are the wonderful Vanessa, every one in the family was always talking about you. How your parents are both squibs and they did not know if you would have any magic so they cut them selves off from the rest of the family, so you would not have to feel bad if you did not have any magic, like they did when they did when they were growing up." She said every thing kind of quickly , so it took me a minute to get every thing she just, but the first thing I think to say is" I guess so, that is just about sums up my whole life in like what 30 seconds... oh and what is a squib, that is what you called my parents right, a squib I hope you did not call them squids cuz that would be a little more weird, What is a squib?"
"Bloody hell you can talk really fast, But sorry I forget you are new at every thing, a squid is a person with two magical parents that can not do magic. No one is really sure why or how it happens but it does and that is what your parents are squibs. And why would I call them squids, that really is just weird, but you will meet to meet a squid at Hogwarts, he lives in the black lake that is in front of the castle." Rae explained. So I then have to ask "So if both of my parents are squibs, and I can do magic, what does that make me?"
"Well you are a rare thing that no one can explain because it does not happen a lot, but then again no one can explain the muggle born witches and wizards-"
"Ok wait, muggle born would be what or I guess who?"
"Right sorry, sorry, I am not use to talking to some one who does not know or use the terms I am talking about, right a muggle is a non magical person, but a muggle born, and some people of whom we do not talk to call them mud blood like saying they have bad blood. People who have one or both parents being muggles but can do magic. And the people who call them mud bloods, are called pure bloods, people with no muggles in the family blood that they will talk about, they are the high and mighty, the old families with long lines of usually bad wizards, the ones who think they are better then everyone else, when they are no different then you or me. But that is enough ranting for now and questions, because I think we are all getting every one ready to leave."
"Ok every one pass the pot around, and take a little floo powder." Gran said loud enough so every one could hear her.
"Jane, Thomas you both remember how to use floo powder right?"Gran asked as I was walking back to my parents leaving Rae with her parents.
"Yes, Mother we remember and we can explain the way it works to Vanessa, and where will we meet all of you. We need to go to Gringotts first to get money for Vanessa's supplies."
"That will be be no problem you can just meet us at Flourish and Blotts, but I would like to buy some thing for Vanessa I will be doing the same for Rae and I have for every one else's' first year." Gran said looking like she was about to start begging.
"No, that is fine just make sure you tell us first so we do not buy the same thing."
"Ok then, Every one line up and speak very clearly."
I looked around to see where every one was lining up to and it was the fire place. One of the cousins I think his name was Gabriel stepped into the fire place, and said "Diagon Alley" throwing the powder down and then he erupted into green flames. I gasped and I could hear Rae giggling and I am sure she would have started laughing at me had her parents not shhed her and she turned around with her head down. Oh good, I get to made fun of again, will this ever stop, being a witch and going to Hogwarts was suppose to change my life but I guess it is just different scenery.
"Ok, Vanessa this is very simple" Mom started explaining "all you have to do is step in to the fire place like you just saw Gabriel do and speak very clearly the words 'Diagon Alley' and throw the floo powder at your feet, it will feel a bit strange like you are being pulled but all you have to do is keep your arms in and if you get too scared you can close you eyes, but just know you are totally safe."
I think I got it mom thank you." I said but my voice betrayed me the way it always does and my dad leaned over and whispered in to my ear saying "My first time using floo powder I closed my eyes and nearly wet my self." That made me laugh and I relaxed a little more. My dad was always good at saying the right thing at the right time, I could not imagine a better dad. Some girls would be grossed out by what my dad said but that is just the way we are and I would not have it any other way.
One by one every one steps in to the fire place being one of the last ones I got to see every one and there faces and none of them were scared so why should I and be fore I knew it, it was my turn. So I took a deep breath, stepped in to the fire place, said Diagon Alley and throw the floo powder and then the room was gone or I guess I was gone. It was just as mom had said it felt like I was being pulled every where at once and no where at all. Different imagines flash in front of me and around me, dozens of different places people houses and shops. Then it just stopped all at once and I stumble out of the fire place, losing my balance and I am falling. Now it is not like I have never fallen, I have been playing foot ball my whole life and I have taken a lot of falls, but this was a slow motion fall, I did not know that they happened in real life. Just as I was about to hit the ground when I was stopped by skinny but very strong arms. But because I was falling for ward I could not see who the strong arms belonged too. I choked out a 'Thank You' to my savior still a little out of breath. He-I knew he was a he, first because he smelled like a man, a very strong scent that would have made my knee feel like jelly if they did not already and second his voice was strong and manly- held me a few seconds more, that I do not think was entirely necessary, but I was not really complaining when he sat me on my feet, but as soon as I was back on my feet I began to feel very light headed and I could feel his hands leaving my waist so I pull back to me as I feel my self wavering, so he slowly sits me down on the ground."Perhaps you should just sit here for a few moments. Thats a good girl now take deep breath in through you nose and out through your mouth, nice and slow now, nice even breaths." His voice was so stable and strong,I wish he would never stop talking, but he had stopped talking, so I lift my head to see why, or if he was still here. He was but he was just staring at me, I feel like I do not know-
"Do I know you, you look so familiar, it is just on the tip of my tongue?"
"I do not believe we are acquainted, my name is-"
"Vanessa, Where are you? Vanessa!"
"Sorry, that will be my mother, I guess I must have come out the wrong fire place, please for give me." But when I look over my shoulder to say good bye, to my savior and try to get his name, he is already gone, I can see his cloak wiping around the corner away from me.
"Vanessa, sweet heart are you all right you look very pale? Is every thing ok? You are not hurt are you?" Mom came quickly to her side checking her over, looking for any injuries.
"I am fine mom really, do not worry. I was just a little dizzy, I really am fine." I look over my shoulder again, as my mother helps me to my feet, hoping that he might have come back so I can at least learn his name. But no one was there and my mother was lending me in the opposite direction. Oh well may be I will dream of him again to night.
"Now sweet heart we are going to Gringotts it is the wizard bank and just so you know it is run by goblins and you do not have to be afraid, and they do look a little strange.
She is so beautiful, so pure, even covered in ash from the fire place. Her hair shined and her eye sparkled and her skin had a glow about it. But her squib of a mother seems hell bent on keeping us apart, weather she knows it or not. But she will not be able to keep us apart at school. And that cousin of hers watching us I know she saw me catch Vanessa to stop her from falling. I just hope she will not ruin every thing, by telling Vanessa lies about me. I will just have to wait a little longer and she will be mine, she will love me.
The streets lined with shops and people in robes and every one had on a pointed hat, like the ones little kids wear when they are playing dress up and being witches. But no one here was playing dress up. And every thing seemed to to lend up to a very large building that looked like a city hall building, if it had been built with magic. In side just as Mom had said there were goblins every where, but they were not really that scary just really really different. Long fingers, and long noses, and long ears, but very short bodies and large eyes, nothing scary about them, not really. I was staring at the building more then any thing, the design and beauty of every thing and all the art work, you can almost feel the magic in every thing. It was like no thing I have ever see before every thing moved together, like it was in some ones mind and then just popped out looking so beautiful. Mom interrupted my musing of the building, she and dad were standing next to a goblin who was looking like he was starting to lose his patience, so I hurried over to them. And we all started moving through a pair of giant doors, in which you could fit two of my homes in the door way. I stood there marveling at the craft man ship, but people or I guess it was mostly goblins began to bump in to me and muttering about the human witch that can not seem to make her feet move. Not wanting to cause any trouble, I hurry a long ti my dad and mom and the goblin who are about to get in to a mining cart looking thing. Then the mining cart starts moving in to a tunnel and we began to move faster and faster making twist and turns, that do not seem to be at all possible with out us flying off the track. Which I wish we could slow down, I would like to see how they made this cave, at least from what I see as we fly by every thing, but there just seemed to be so much in here that it would be nice to explore some. But even before I finish my thoughts the cart begins to slow down, and when is came to a stop "Every one off" the goblin grumbles. And he took us over to our vault , opening it using a key that my dad handed him. And as the door opens I see lots of shiny pieces inside, they are coins, hundreds of coins all different sizes and shapes like nothing I have ever seen. I want to go and touch them all but my mom just goes in and gets a purse full of coins and walks out, the goblin closes the door behind her.
"Come on all of you back in the cart, do not dilly dallying, lets go have not got all day, work to be done and all." the goblin grumbled, which seemed to be all the only way he will talk to any one.
"I do not really see why you are so, grumpy, are all goblins this grumpy or are you just having a bad day? Sorry if I am being rude I am new to the wizard world and I am not really sure about what to say or if I am- "
"You may stop talking now little girl, you have a spunk , we goblins like humans with spunks. Keep that spark and follow your heart and listen to your spark, your life will never be dull. And so you know must goblins are grumpy, and you say some thing to them some of them might apologize, but do not count on it all the time. Now if you please get in to the cart so you and your parents can get your Hogwarts supplies and I can get back to work."
"Sure lets go."
As we all climb in to the cart, I look around and try to see as must of the cave as possible, as we begin to speed though and all too soon the cart is pulling to a stop and we are stepping out and heading out the door. I remember to say good bye to the nice goblin, but I can not see him in the crowd of goblins and they all look a like and I can not pick him out of the crowd, may be my parents know his name and I can find him later, but then I think I may not have time to, I do not really know what the plan was for to day so in stand I turn around and yell very loudly," Good bye Mr. Goblin, thank you for all of your help, I hope you have a good day, and feel less grumpy." The crowd of humans and goblins stare at me some of the goblins shake their heads and I could hear some of them saying"silly little human, or what is she yelling about or learn some ones name and speak to them and not to a crowd." and some of the humans were staring at me and my parents giving us stares that say they do not approve, but I can see the one goblin I wanted too. He is smiling to him self, I could all most hear him say"little human, since spunk, keep strong, little one and you will be strong too."
"Are you done now Vanessa Nicole?" mom said knowing there is no thing to be done with me, I have all way been this way.
"Yes, I think so." I say, waving to the goblin, smiling far to much.
"Alright now that we money, we can meet up with the rest of the family at Flourish and Blotts, it is the book store, I am sure you will love it."
"Cool, lets go!" I say feeling ready to take this new world by storm.
Flourish & Blotts was just a few shops down from Gringotts. So many more people out on the streets, then be for we went in to Gringotts and we could hardly move with out bumping in to some one. But we make it in one piece and walk in to Flourish and Blotts where it is a little less crowded.
Flourish and Blotts was not very crowded and we were able to find our family very easily. Rae runs up to me and grabs my arm pulling me away from my parents, talking very quickly about a great book that I just had to see right this moment.
"Come on Nessie, lets go, it is over this way, there is a book I think you will just love, come on it is in the back of the shop." Rae said as quickly as she was walking, she had pulled me past rows of books that I wanted really badly to stop and look at all of them, but it felt like she was going to pull my arm out of its socket, so I let her drag me to the back of the shop, where this book is that I am going to love.
"Calm down a bit Rae, you know I like my left arm and I would like it to stay attached to my body, and I kind of need cuz I am left handed. Now what is this book that I will love and must see that my arm has to be treated in this harsh of a manner?" I ask, rubbing my sore arm, she finally let me go as we reached the very last row of books.
"Ok, so spill who was that guy you were cling to when you got out of the fire place?" Rae asked with the pointed glares she is so very good at.
"What are you talking about, I was not cling to him, I was dizzy and he was making sure I did not fall on my ass." I said get very defensive about my savior whose name I still do not know. "And how did you even see me, I though I came out the wrong fire place?"
"Well ok, sort of yes but that is the same fire place I came out of the first time I used floo powder to come to Diagon Alley with my parents and every time we come here I all ways came out that same one and we could never figure out why. And so today was no different then any other day, but as I start to walk away to the meet my parents at the fire place most every one else would come out of, I hear the fire place crackly so I turn and look and there you were stumbling out about to fall. But before I could get to you, that guy was holding you up and staring at you, like people do in the movies, it was like he had been looking for you and had finally found you. I did not really want to interrupt, but I guess you mom did a good job of that, I could hear her coming from a mile a way."
an owl then if I want to talk to my parents.”
“You do not just need an owl doodle bug, keep reading your Hogwarts letter, it gives a list of supplies that you will need for the coming school year.” Dad stated going back to the break fast table to finish his tea and the newspaper.
So I took my letter to my room and read it. It said:
Dear Ms Vanessa Nicole Lane,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Do my parents have an owl to send anything with?
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
The second page went on to say
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry requires
UNIFORM First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black) so i guess i can wear my normal clothes under my robes. I will have to ask some one
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear i never really liked wearing hats, I wonder if it is mandatory
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) why do all the clothes on this list have to be black, do they not know that some people do not like to wear black
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black) so i guess i can wear my normal clothes under my robes. I will have to ask some one
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear i never really liked wearing hats, I wonder if it is mandatory
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) why do all the clothes on this list have to be black, do they not know that some people do not like to wear black
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk i can not wait to get this one, this is going to be fun
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot this will be the first one i read, then may be i will not feel like i do not know any thing, I hate that feeling
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling theory's can be fun
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch ha beginner that would be me
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore horny mushrooms, at least i have a green thumb
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger i should be good at making potions
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander cool i love animals
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble where was this book when I was being bullied
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand i guess this is how i will do magic I guess
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) and the cauldron will be for potions
1 set glass or crystal phials what is a phial?
1 telescope astronomy very cool
1 set brass scales this will be for making potions, I am guess
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad. what am I going to do about jane austin, she is not what you would call a small dog
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK" why do I need a broom stick? do we have to clean the castle or some thing
As I finish reading my letter, I hear my mother talking to some one but I do not remember hearing the door open and the phone ringing. I could hear her talking to someone in the parlor as I come back down, and a open turn the corner to see who it is she is talking to, I see my mother kneeling in front of the fire talking to it and it was talking back.
"So we will meet you tomorrow at you house." Mom said to the fire.
The voice in the fire place replied" we will all be there, this is so exciting, we all can not wait to meet Vanessa, oh and before you go, I wanted to make sure you know you sister will be coming as well with her daughter to get supplies and the like."
"That's great the more the merrier, and it will be good for Vanessa to have at least one friend starting at Hogwarts with her. Alright then we will see you tomorrow at you house, are sure you will have enough floo powder, I do not want to put you out."
"no, no dearie you do not worry about a thing, see you soon."
"Ok bye mother" and with that my mother stood up and looked around to find me standing in the door way, my mouth wide open.
" you will get use to all this do not worry"
" and that what you we're just doing talking to the fire place, that is normal? Does every one do that? Do they not have phones at all?"
" No, there are not phones, a lot of muggle technology does not work in the wizard world and must wizards do not want to try and learn to use any of it, and what you just saw was me talking to your grand mother the one you have not meet yet, using what is called the floo network. It is the easiest way to talk to people and get from place to place in the wizard world."
"so we will be traveling by fire place, going to my grand mothers house with my aunt and cousins, all of whom I have not meet yet, so we can all go together to get school supplies for the coming year, for a school where I will need robes as a uniform, and a wand for the "
learning and practicing of magic and a caldron with which I will be learning to make potions at a school with other witches and wizards who will be learning magic as well. Did I miss any thing?" I asked trying very hard and failing a bit, not to laugh at every thing that was happening to my once normal life.
" Yes" mom replied " we are going to get all the supplies you will be needing tomorrow, but besides that you got it all. Now go on up to bed you have had a long day and tomorrow will be just as long as today, so try and get some sleep."
As I get ready for bed, I think of how much a persons life can change in a 24 hours time period. This morning I woke up a normal not magical eleven year old and now I am going to a school to study and learn to use the magic, I did not even know I had. And how before the owl had come this morning, I had started to read a book to help me get a head start on my secondary school work, but I guess it looks like I started reading the wrong book. I know I have to go because my mother would not have it any other way, but I think that want to go. I mean when you are an eleven year old who has been teased for most of her life for being different, why would you not want to go to a school where every one is just like me in the sense that every one else has magic too. So many questions run though my head as I wash my face and brush my teeth and put on my over sized star wars shirt that I had been sleeping in for the past few day and slip into bed. And one of the questions that I still do not have an answer for pops back into my head. Why had my mom and dad not told me I was a witch or that I could be a witch? And why was my mom not a witch? And why was my dad not a wizard? And does magic often skip generations? But that would not make sense because my aunt is a witch and her daughter is a witch too, so what's the deal with my family? Will be any other kids that grow up not know they had magic? Oh and will my parents get me an owl? Will the school have owls that I could use if they do not? Wait a minute the letter said you could bring only a toad, a cat, or an owl, does that mean I can not bring Jane Austin? What do they have against dogs,are dogs not magical enough? Well we will just have to see about that. And where in the world am I going to to get a size 2 pewter caldron? I guess when you think about it I can under stand why they did not tell, and them trying to protect my mental well being is ok.
But no is not the time for deep questions that will take for ever to figure out, now is the time for sleep and If I keep trying to understand every thing in my life, I would never sleep again.
When I was nine years old I started having trouble sleeping, there would be weeks that I would go with out sleeping. My parents tried all different kinds of herb drinks and burning incense and all different new age remedies and stuff, but when no thing worked they gave in and took me to a specialist. The specialist said that there was no thing wrong with me, at least no thing he could see. So because my parents did not want me to take any kind of drugs, the specialist told me to record or write down a list of things to help calm and clear my mind. He gave me a list of some sample phases to start out with and that as I get more comfortable that I should start to personalize the list. So my parents went out and brought me an assortment of notebooks and pens to try and write things down to help clear my mind enough that I could get some sleep. And it turns out he was not too far off, I have since then made many changes to the list and some things I just say out loud. And the must important thing is that I was finally able to sleep soundly again.
So I go about my normal routine of writing some things down and saying them a loud to my self, I am soon drifting in to dream land. And what else would you dream on the night that I learn I am witch, why magic of course. The dream starts with me flying though the air over london, where I lived and over to scotland, which is weird cuz I do not know how I knew it was scotland cuz I had never been there before, but in the dream I just knew. I continued flying over lochs and woods, and in one of the woods there was a small clearing which I slowly land in, coming down on a soft breeze landing on the greenest grass I had every seen. It look like the grass you would find in a home and gardening book, the kind people really want to have but can never get it that prefect, and it is soft and warm even if it was the night of the night. When I landed the air was filled with... well I do not really know what it was, I guess maybe magic. It was warm and comforting and familiar tingling in my fingers and all over my skin. And then out of thin air a small glass table appears with a silver colored rose and an emerald green note on it. I pick up the silver rose first mesmerized by its beauty. All the torns have been removed and a satin green ribbon has been tied around the stem. I lift it to my nose, but it does not smell like a normal rose, it smells of a wood fire, and what's called a london fog, its a type of tea. Some of the thing that I love most in the world in prefect blend on my favorite flower. Still holding the rose, I slowly sink to the ground on to the blank that appeared beneath me and try to under stand why it was here? What does it mean? It is so beautiful could it really be for me?
"Well this is my dream, why should it not be for me? And who else is going to come and get if I do not take it and enjoy."
I had began to ponder a loud which I would not normally do out side of a dream.
As I sit studying my rose and and drowning in its scent, playing with the emerald green ribbon, I remember the emerald green note that had sat be side my rose.
" The note will tell me who the rose is for and who it is from."
So I stand up and turn around to retrieve the note to read it, but some thing is not right the air has change and feels thicker and less comfortable. But I turn to get the note any way my need to know that the rose is for me is to great to notice any thing else. But the table has vanished and with it the note I do wanted to read.
"Why, why, WHY?" I shout my anger over coming everything else." why are all my dreams seem like the have come out of a movie? Why is my subconscious not be more original?" I complained very loudly to no one but my self, and not really looking for an answer from any one, but I got one.
"It would seem that you subconscious has run out of ways to tell you things and the movies you watch seem to do the trick." The voice coming from behind me making me jump, and turn around so quickly I nearly fall over. But I am nothing if not graceful even in my dreams. As I right my self I get a good look at this voice, but not just a voice but a boy, a little taller then me and very pale, his hair blond all most silver looking just like my rose. I look down at my rose and then back up at the boy to compare to two, and they are very similar. But his hair seemed to shine more in the moon light then the rose, and I was unable to produce any coherent thoughts.
The boy then bowed and said" I am so sorry, I am skipping ahead, my name is... Well that is not really important. All that is important is that you are Vanessa and if you follow all of the clues you will found the thing you want most in the world, or at least what you will want very soon."
Then I found my voice" and who do you think are pretending to know me or what I want, and how do you know my name?"
"This is after all you dream is it not, Vanessa?"
"It is but I do not know you, so it is not fair that you know me and in my dreams every thing is fair. So come on out with it, Who are you?"
"If you must know my name is-
"Gooood Morning Vanessa, it is time to wake up, come on, come on, come on!" my mother says or should I say sings.
"You have got to be kidding me!" I said with the volume as my mother." you had to had to had to had to Wake me up right at that moment, you could not have waited like an other minute?"
"No, no, no, it is time to get up we are going shopping today with my family, remember sleepy head."
Unfortunatly for me my mother has a rather annoy habit of saying everything three times, but only in the morning for what ever strange reason, I am unaware. And because of her strange habit, I have made sure that my habit in the morning is to say everything four times.
"Fine I am up, I am up, I am up, I am up."
After years of my mother being loud and repeat her self in the mornings has done a very good of making me not a morning person. So i work my self out of bed, a slow process to say the least, but soon i am out of bed and walking to the shower, and jumping in as soon as the water warmed up. Over the years my hair has all way been long so it takes me what seems like forever to wash and condition my hair, but I have gotten better and faster as doing my hair so my shower time is down to about ten minutes, and the rest of my morning routine takes even less time. But to day I take a little extra time so I look nicer for the family I am about to meet. And with that thought my mother calls me down stairs, for breakfast and to leave soon. I quickly grab a silver tank top and a short sleeve green button down with a pair of dark skinny jeans and my black hi top converses. Mom had set out a bowl of cereal for me to eat, which scruff down as quickly as possible with out choking, while she and dad finished cleaning the table. We all finish cleaning the kitchen and then we all went out side and got in to the new electric car my parents bought last week, they are all about saving the environment. And as we leave our street, i start to get more and more nerves, of sure of how they will react to me and how I will react to them and this whole world of magic.
It is shortly after ten in the morning when we arrived at my grandmothers. We pull up to a very normal, my grandma lives here type of house, three story house with enough space between the other house to be alone but close enough to know who lives near you. There was only one other car out front of the house be side ours, which made me wondering about how all of my family got here, mom made it sound like a lot of people. But I guess I will just have to ask when we get inside. As I get out of the car Mom looks to me and asks" You ready for this sweetie?"
"I really hope I am" I answer back, working up my best smile.
"You will be fine doodle bug." Dad said coming toward me and offering his hand to me, which I take right away, and reach out toward mom mad take her hand as well and together we walk up to the house with my family waiting inside.
The door opened before we could even knock and in the door way is a tall gray haired old women with several other people trying to look around her, and I was blocked completely when gathered me in to her arms and gave me the biggest hug I have every gotten.
"Mom you have to let her breath, she is still human, she still needs oxygen."
"This is one of the warmest welcome I have ever had and I do not even really know you but I am very happy to be getting to know." I say when I can finally breath again.
"Vanessa, this lovely women who just tried to choke you with love, is your Gran, and Mom this is our Vanessa." Mom said in a loving tone.
" Hello Jane dear, you are looking well," Gran said to my mom, kissing her on the cheek. "And Thomas you are just as quiet and calm as ever, it is good to see you again after so long." She said hugging dad.
"Ok, ok Vanessa dear, let me introduce you to every one. Well, now unfortunately not every one could be here to meet you , some working and others are put of town, but over here we have some of your cousins. " She said lending me over to a group of teens, they were all tall and all had blond hair, so unlike me, my hair is a dark brown and I just know that I am going to feel more short then usually.
"This is Abbey, and Charles and Gabriel, they are all attending hogwarts, Abbey is a 5th year, Charlie is a 3rd year and Gabriel is a 6th year. And they have all been told to look after you and make sure you get
settled in at hogwarts. And here are their parents, you Aunt Chris and Uncle Kevin and Abbey is their daughter, and this is your Aunt Katrina and Uncle Damon and their son is Charles, and this is your Uncle Fred and his son is Gabriel." Gran said as she pointed at everyone around the room.
"It is nice to meet all of you, Thank You for not hmm, for not shunning me." I laughed a little as I shook.
"And this is you Aunt Sara and her husband your Uncle John and this is your cousin Rae, this will be her first year to Hogwarts as well. Rae, this is Vanessa, we are hoping you two will be good friends."
"Nice to meet you" I said reaching out to shake her head.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too." Rae said taking my hand.
"Rae has been studying magic most of her life and I am sure she would be happy to help you with any questions that you might have, right Rae?" Gran said giving Rae a very pointed stare.
"Sure thing Grams, me and nessie here are going to be the best of friends, right Vanessa?" Rae said giving me the same pointed stare Gran had just given her.
"Sure, why not, my first witch friend, oh is that ok or is that the right term to use for a magical person, I am not sure."
"Witch is fine, as long as you do not mind me calling you nessie?"
"No one has ever call me by any nick name before, so that is cool with me."
"Brilliant, we are going to get along just fine then."
"Alright girls, well you two can talk for a bit but we will be leaving soon."Gran said walking back over to my parents.
"So, you are the wonderful Vanessa, every one in the family was always talking about you. How your parents are both squibs and they did not know if you would have any magic so they cut them selves off from the rest of the family, so you would not have to feel bad if you did not have any magic, like they did when they did when they were growing up." She said every thing kind of quickly , so it took me a minute to get every thing she just, but the first thing I think to say is" I guess so, that is just about sums up my whole life in like what 30 seconds... oh and what is a squib, that is what you called my parents right, a squib I hope you did not call them squids cuz that would be a little more weird, What is a squib?"
"Bloody hell you can talk really fast, But sorry I forget you are new at every thing, a squid is a person with two magical parents that can not do magic. No one is really sure why or how it happens but it does and that is what your parents are squibs. And why would I call them squids, that really is just weird, but you will meet to meet a squid at Hogwarts, he lives in the black lake that is in front of the castle." Rae explained. So I then have to ask "So if both of my parents are squibs, and I can do magic, what does that make me?"
"Well you are a rare thing that no one can explain because it does not happen a lot, but then again no one can explain the muggle born witches and wizards-"
"Ok wait, muggle born would be what or I guess who?"
"Right sorry, sorry, I am not use to talking to some one who does not know or use the terms I am talking about, right a muggle is a non magical person, but a muggle born, and some people of whom we do not talk to call them mud blood like saying they have bad blood. People who have one or both parents being muggles but can do magic. And the people who call them mud bloods, are called pure bloods, people with no muggles in the family blood that they will talk about, they are the high and mighty, the old families with long lines of usually bad wizards, the ones who think they are better then everyone else, when they are no different then you or me. But that is enough ranting for now and questions, because I think we are all getting every one ready to leave."
"Ok every one pass the pot around, and take a little floo powder." Gran said loud enough so every one could hear her.
"Jane, Thomas you both remember how to use floo powder right?"Gran asked as I was walking back to my parents leaving Rae with her parents.
"Yes, Mother we remember and we can explain the way it works to Vanessa, and where will we meet all of you. We need to go to Gringotts first to get money for Vanessa's supplies."
"That will be be no problem you can just meet us at Flourish and Blotts, but I would like to buy some thing for Vanessa I will be doing the same for Rae and I have for every one else's' first year." Gran said looking like she was about to start begging.
"No, that is fine just make sure you tell us first so we do not buy the same thing."
"Ok then, Every one line up and speak very clearly."
I looked around to see where every one was lining up to and it was the fire place. One of the cousins I think his name was Gabriel stepped into the fire place, and said "Diagon Alley" throwing the powder down and then he erupted into green flames. I gasped and I could hear Rae giggling and I am sure she would have started laughing at me had her parents not shhed her and she turned around with her head down. Oh good, I get to made fun of again, will this ever stop, being a witch and going to Hogwarts was suppose to change my life but I guess it is just different scenery.
"Ok, Vanessa this is very simple" Mom started explaining "all you have to do is step in to the fire place like you just saw Gabriel do and speak very clearly the words 'Diagon Alley' and throw the floo powder at your feet, it will feel a bit strange like you are being pulled but all you have to do is keep your arms in and if you get too scared you can close you eyes, but just know you are totally safe."
I think I got it mom thank you." I said but my voice betrayed me the way it always does and my dad leaned over and whispered in to my ear saying "My first time using floo powder I closed my eyes and nearly wet my self." That made me laugh and I relaxed a little more. My dad was always good at saying the right thing at the right time, I could not imagine a better dad. Some girls would be grossed out by what my dad said but that is just the way we are and I would not have it any other way.
One by one every one steps in to the fire place being one of the last ones I got to see every one and there faces and none of them were scared so why should I and be fore I knew it, it was my turn. So I took a deep breath, stepped in to the fire place, said Diagon Alley and throw the floo powder and then the room was gone or I guess I was gone. It was just as mom had said it felt like I was being pulled every where at once and no where at all. Different imagines flash in front of me and around me, dozens of different places people houses and shops. Then it just stopped all at once and I stumble out of the fire place, losing my balance and I am falling. Now it is not like I have never fallen, I have been playing foot ball my whole life and I have taken a lot of falls, but this was a slow motion fall, I did not know that they happened in real life. Just as I was about to hit the ground when I was stopped by skinny but very strong arms. But because I was falling for ward I could not see who the strong arms belonged too. I choked out a 'Thank You' to my savior still a little out of breath. He-I knew he was a he, first because he smelled like a man, a very strong scent that would have made my knee feel like jelly if they did not already and second his voice was strong and manly- held me a few seconds more, that I do not think was entirely necessary, but I was not really complaining when he sat me on my feet, but as soon as I was back on my feet I began to feel very light headed and I could feel his hands leaving my waist so I pull back to me as I feel my self wavering, so he slowly sits me down on the ground."Perhaps you should just sit here for a few moments. Thats a good girl now take deep breath in through you nose and out through your mouth, nice and slow now, nice even breaths." His voice was so stable and strong,I wish he would never stop talking, but he had stopped talking, so I lift my head to see why, or if he was still here. He was but he was just staring at me, I feel like I do not know-
"Do I know you, you look so familiar, it is just on the tip of my tongue?"
"I do not believe we are acquainted, my name is-"
"Vanessa, Where are you? Vanessa!"
"Sorry, that will be my mother, I guess I must have come out the wrong fire place, please for give me." But when I look over my shoulder to say good bye, to my savior and try to get his name, he is already gone, I can see his cloak wiping around the corner away from me.
"Vanessa, sweet heart are you all right you look very pale? Is every thing ok? You are not hurt are you?" Mom came quickly to her side checking her over, looking for any injuries.
"I am fine mom really, do not worry. I was just a little dizzy, I really am fine." I look over my shoulder again, as my mother helps me to my feet, hoping that he might have come back so I can at least learn his name. But no one was there and my mother was lending me in the opposite direction. Oh well may be I will dream of him again to night.
"Now sweet heart we are going to Gringotts it is the wizard bank and just so you know it is run by goblins and you do not have to be afraid, and they do look a little strange.
She is so beautiful, so pure, even covered in ash from the fire place. Her hair shined and her eye sparkled and her skin had a glow about it. But her squib of a mother seems hell bent on keeping us apart, weather she knows it or not. But she will not be able to keep us apart at school. And that cousin of hers watching us I know she saw me catch Vanessa to stop her from falling. I just hope she will not ruin every thing, by telling Vanessa lies about me. I will just have to wait a little longer and she will be mine, she will love me.
The streets lined with shops and people in robes and every one had on a pointed hat, like the ones little kids wear when they are playing dress up and being witches. But no one here was playing dress up. And every thing seemed to to lend up to a very large building that looked like a city hall building, if it had been built with magic. In side just as Mom had said there were goblins every where, but they were not really that scary just really really different. Long fingers, and long noses, and long ears, but very short bodies and large eyes, nothing scary about them, not really. I was staring at the building more then any thing, the design and beauty of every thing and all the art work, you can almost feel the magic in every thing. It was like no thing I have ever see before every thing moved together, like it was in some ones mind and then just popped out looking so beautiful. Mom interrupted my musing of the building, she and dad were standing next to a goblin who was looking like he was starting to lose his patience, so I hurried over to them. And we all started moving through a pair of giant doors, in which you could fit two of my homes in the door way. I stood there marveling at the craft man ship, but people or I guess it was mostly goblins began to bump in to me and muttering about the human witch that can not seem to make her feet move. Not wanting to cause any trouble, I hurry a long ti my dad and mom and the goblin who are about to get in to a mining cart looking thing. Then the mining cart starts moving in to a tunnel and we began to move faster and faster making twist and turns, that do not seem to be at all possible with out us flying off the track. Which I wish we could slow down, I would like to see how they made this cave, at least from what I see as we fly by every thing, but there just seemed to be so much in here that it would be nice to explore some. But even before I finish my thoughts the cart begins to slow down, and when is came to a stop "Every one off" the goblin grumbles. And he took us over to our vault , opening it using a key that my dad handed him. And as the door opens I see lots of shiny pieces inside, they are coins, hundreds of coins all different sizes and shapes like nothing I have ever seen. I want to go and touch them all but my mom just goes in and gets a purse full of coins and walks out, the goblin closes the door behind her.
"Come on all of you back in the cart, do not dilly dallying, lets go have not got all day, work to be done and all." the goblin grumbled, which seemed to be all the only way he will talk to any one.
"I do not really see why you are so, grumpy, are all goblins this grumpy or are you just having a bad day? Sorry if I am being rude I am new to the wizard world and I am not really sure about what to say or if I am- "
"You may stop talking now little girl, you have a spunk , we goblins like humans with spunks. Keep that spark and follow your heart and listen to your spark, your life will never be dull. And so you know must goblins are grumpy, and you say some thing to them some of them might apologize, but do not count on it all the time. Now if you please get in to the cart so you and your parents can get your Hogwarts supplies and I can get back to work."
"Sure lets go."
As we all climb in to the cart, I look around and try to see as must of the cave as possible, as we begin to speed though and all too soon the cart is pulling to a stop and we are stepping out and heading out the door. I remember to say good bye to the nice goblin, but I can not see him in the crowd of goblins and they all look a like and I can not pick him out of the crowd, may be my parents know his name and I can find him later, but then I think I may not have time to, I do not really know what the plan was for to day so in stand I turn around and yell very loudly," Good bye Mr. Goblin, thank you for all of your help, I hope you have a good day, and feel less grumpy." The crowd of humans and goblins stare at me some of the goblins shake their heads and I could hear some of them saying"silly little human, or what is she yelling about or learn some ones name and speak to them and not to a crowd." and some of the humans were staring at me and my parents giving us stares that say they do not approve, but I can see the one goblin I wanted too. He is smiling to him self, I could all most hear him say"little human, since spunk, keep strong, little one and you will be strong too."
"Are you done now Vanessa Nicole?" mom said knowing there is no thing to be done with me, I have all way been this way.
"Yes, I think so." I say, waving to the goblin, smiling far to much.
"Alright now that we money, we can meet up with the rest of the family at Flourish and Blotts, it is the book store, I am sure you will love it."
"Cool, lets go!" I say feeling ready to take this new world by storm.
Flourish & Blotts was just a few shops down from Gringotts. So many more people out on the streets, then be for we went in to Gringotts and we could hardly move with out bumping in to some one. But we make it in one piece and walk in to Flourish and Blotts where it is a little less crowded.
Flourish and Blotts was not very crowded and we were able to find our family very easily. Rae runs up to me and grabs my arm pulling me away from my parents, talking very quickly about a great book that I just had to see right this moment.
"Come on Nessie, lets go, it is over this way, there is a book I think you will just love, come on it is in the back of the shop." Rae said as quickly as she was walking, she had pulled me past rows of books that I wanted really badly to stop and look at all of them, but it felt like she was going to pull my arm out of its socket, so I let her drag me to the back of the shop, where this book is that I am going to love.
"Calm down a bit Rae, you know I like my left arm and I would like it to stay attached to my body, and I kind of need cuz I am left handed. Now what is this book that I will love and must see that my arm has to be treated in this harsh of a manner?" I ask, rubbing my sore arm, she finally let me go as we reached the very last row of books.
"Ok, so spill who was that guy you were cling to when you got out of the fire place?" Rae asked with the pointed glares she is so very good at.
"What are you talking about, I was not cling to him, I was dizzy and he was making sure I did not fall on my ass." I said get very defensive about my savior whose name I still do not know. "And how did you even see me, I though I came out the wrong fire place?"
"Well ok, sort of yes but that is the same fire place I came out of the first time I used floo powder to come to Diagon Alley with my parents and every time we come here I all ways came out that same one and we could never figure out why. And so today was no different then any other day, but as I start to walk away to the meet my parents at the fire place most every one else would come out of, I hear the fire place crackly so I turn and look and there you were stumbling out about to fall. But before I could get to you, that guy was holding you up and staring at you, like people do in the movies, it was like he had been looking for you and had finally found you. I did not really want to interrupt, but I guess you mom did a good job of that, I could hear her coming from a mile a way."
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