View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Dear Miss Mason,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Emma's parents are thrilled. Such a good school, so well respected, and those alumni- just look at the battle against the Dark Lord! All that talent!- they're beyond proud. Emma's pleased on their behalf, of course. She wants to make her parents proud. She doesn't ask how badly the school was damaged in the war; she doesn't inquire how many teachers are missing or dead; she doesn't mention wishing she could stay home for a year. Maybe until things are just a little more rebuilt.
(She thinks it, though.)
She smiles and hugs her parents and agrees yes, of course it's wonderful, helping to rebuild the wizarding world is important. She'll start school in the fall, become a better witch.
And, as her mother points out excitedly- now they need to go shopping.
Emma's hardly unfamiliar with Diagon Alley. It's the place to be seen, as far as her parents are concerned, so that's where they've always shopped. But it feels different, somehow, to be shopping for Hogwarts. Her mother is showing every shopkeeper the list, fingers underlining the Hogwarts letterhead. Her father is stopping every friend he sees, talking loudly about "here to shop for Emma's first year, at Hogwarts you know".
Emma wants to scrunch up and hide from the attention, but her parents are so happy. It's only just the once she starts school, she supposes. She plasters on a smile and follows after her mother. Almost done now; all she needs is a wand.
And as everyone knows, there's only one place to get those.
parental_guidance
chanuphis
There is a girl her own age mid-argument with Ollivander himself.
"Are you planning to mistreat this wand?" he asks. "Perhaps you would prefer to return it and get a more disposable model -"
"No! I just want to have two. I'll be very good to the both of them."
"Are you planning to lose your wand, Miss Swan?"
"No one plans to lose things. I just want two. I have enough money for a second one from my mum, please, let me try some more."
"Are you planning to mistreat this wand?" he asks. "Perhaps you would prefer to return it and get a more disposable model -"
"No! I just want to have two. I'll be very good to the both of them."
"Are you planning to lose your wand, Miss Swan?"
"No one plans to lose things. I just want two. I have enough money for a second one from my mum, please, let me try some more."
parental_guidance
Emma is somewhere between shocked and impressed. She's arguing with Ollivander? It's Ollivander. She's not sure why you'd want a second wand- everyone only has one, right? That's how it works?- but that doesn't mean she understands why Ollivander is refusing.
"Why two?" she asks without thinking. Her mother elbows her sharply; breaking into other people's conversations isn't polite, Emma repeats mentally with a sigh. She mumbles, "Sorry t'interrupt," though she doesn't really mean it. She can't very well unsay the question, and she does want to know.
"Why two?" she asks without thinking. Her mother elbows her sharply; breaking into other people's conversations isn't polite, Emma repeats mentally with a sigh. She mumbles, "Sorry t'interrupt," though she doesn't really mean it. She can't very well unsay the question, and she does want to know.
chanuphis
"It's going to be the most important thing I own," says Miss Swan. "I don't mean to lose it or break it or let someone steal it, but if it happens I don't want to be wandless until I can replace it. They only cost seven Galleons, and my mum said it was sensible of me to want two."
"Nevertheless, Miss Swan, I will not be accommodating you," says Ollivander.
"This is a store, and I have another seven Galleons," Miss Swan begins, but Ollivander shushes her with a gesture and turns to Emma.
"Now, you're starting Hogwarts this year too, are you?"
"Nevertheless, Miss Swan, I will not be accommodating you," says Ollivander.
"This is a store, and I have another seven Galleons," Miss Swan begins, but Ollivander shushes her with a gesture and turns to Emma.
"Now, you're starting Hogwarts this year too, are you?"
parental_guidance
"Um," Emma stammers, mildly panicked. The other girl was here first, she's not done, Emma can't just... jump her.
"Yes, she's starting this year-" her mother starts, beaming with pride.
"-but she was here first," Emma says quickly.
"Emma," her mother sighs.
"She was!"
"Yes, she's starting this year-" her mother starts, beaming with pride.
"-but she was here first," Emma says quickly.
"Emma," her mother sighs.
"She was!"
chanuphis
"I can wait," says Miss Swan, folding her arms.
"You will be disappointed," Ollivander warns Miss Swan, and he proceeds to take bizarre measurements from Emma and then present her with wands to try.
"You will be disappointed," Ollivander warns Miss Swan, and he proceeds to take bizarre measurements from Emma and then present her with wands to try.
parental_guidance
"Sorry," Emma mouths at Miss Swan apologetically, but her mother hustles her forward towards Ollivander and his wands. It goes faster than she expected; it only takes him a couple of piles before he hands her a wand and a cheerful cloud of little sparkles shoots out to bounce in the air in front of her. Emma smiles; they look like they're giggling.
Her new wand is willow and unicorn hair, ten inches. Her mother smiles; clearly, she considers this a perfectly respectable wand. (Emma's not clear on which wands aren't acceptable, but she's quite sure they exist, and she is very glad she did not match one.)
Once she's settled, she looks back at the other girl, then Ollivander. She's done shopping now; her mother has nowhere left to hustle her, except perhaps off to relocate her father. And she wants to see what happens with Miss Swan- she's so brave.
Her new wand is willow and unicorn hair, ten inches. Her mother smiles; clearly, she considers this a perfectly respectable wand. (Emma's not clear on which wands aren't acceptable, but she's quite sure they exist, and she is very glad she did not match one.)
Once she's settled, she looks back at the other girl, then Ollivander. She's done shopping now; her mother has nowhere left to hustle her, except perhaps off to relocate her father. And she wants to see what happens with Miss Swan- she's so brave.
chanuphis
"Mr. Ollivander," says Miss Swan, "if you won't sell me a second wand, can you tell me who will?"
"The highest-quality wands are in this very shop, Miss Swan."
"I came here first. I'd buy my second from you if you'd let me. I'm not insulting your quality. Please tell me where I can find another wand shop for a spare."
Ollivander hems and haws and gives her an address that "may have something secondhand".
Miss Swan nods, thanks him, curls her mass of braids into a bun at the nape of her neck and sticks her new wand through it, and marches out.
"The highest-quality wands are in this very shop, Miss Swan."
"I came here first. I'd buy my second from you if you'd let me. I'm not insulting your quality. Please tell me where I can find another wand shop for a spare."
Ollivander hems and haws and gives her an address that "may have something secondhand".
Miss Swan nods, thanks him, curls her mass of braids into a bun at the nape of her neck and sticks her new wand through it, and marches out.
parental_guidance
Emma's mother looks disapprovingly after Miss Swan- what is impressive to Emma is just "inappropriate behavior" to her mother- and drags Emma outside in search of her father. Fortunately he hasn't gone far, and is still chatting with a couple Emma only vaguely recognizes. Emma's mother trills with delight and greets them both fondly, while Emma squirms uncomfortably. She doesn't know these people and they don't seem inclined to include her in the conversation at all. After a couple minutes, she finds a convenient break to tug on her mother's arm.
"Mum? Can I wander around a bit?"
"Well," her mother says doubtfully, but the other woman says something that draws her attention. "Don't go far, all right? And meet us right back here. Oh! I almost forgot." She hands Emma a couple coins. "We're low on nettle tea. Grab a box, please."
"I will," Emma agrees, and wanders off. She'll get the tea, of course- but first, there's an address she wants to investigate.
"Mum? Can I wander around a bit?"
"Well," her mother says doubtfully, but the other woman says something that draws her attention. "Don't go far, all right? And meet us right back here. Oh! I almost forgot." She hands Emma a couple coins. "We're low on nettle tea. Grab a box, please."
"I will," Emma agrees, and wanders off. She'll get the tea, of course- but first, there's an address she wants to investigate.
chanuphis
The address is a pawn shop. It is not principally devoted to wands, but the proprietor has produced about thirty of them for Miss Swan to try, and she's working her way through the lot diligently.
"Oh, hello again," she says to Emma.
"Oh, hello again," she says to Emma.
parental_guidance
"Hi," Emma says shyly. "I'm Emma. I, um, I wanted to say sorry about earlier."
parental_guidance
"Nice to meet you," Emma says. "No luck yet?" She eyes the piles next to Miranda.
chanuphis
"Not yet, but it's worth a try." Miranda picks up another wand; nothing. "Do you want a second one too?"
parental_guidance
"I think I'm okay, but thanks." My parents would be so confused, and probably annoyed. "It's a cool idea though?" She adds with a tentative smile. She doesn't want to imply she's against the idea. It made sense, when Miranda said it. Just... probably not worth it. Not for her.
She looks around; it's still just Miranda. "Um, did-" how to ask? Is anything not rude here? She briefly wishes she was better at talking to people, "-you come by yourself?"
She looks around; it's still just Miranda. "Um, did-" how to ask? Is anything not rude here? She briefly wishes she was better at talking to people, "-you come by yourself?"
chanuphis
"My mum is unpacking the new apartment," Miranda says. "She said I could get my things myself if I liked, so I did."
parental_guidance
"You're allowed to come here by yourself?" Emma asks enviously. Eleven is, in her parents' opinion, definitely not old enough for solo excursions. "Alone but we're nearby" is, obviously, fine; "entirely alone on a shopping trip" is out, no question.
chanuphis
"The new apartment is just down Plur Alley, I can run home if I need her," says Miranda. "But I don't see why I would. I know not to go into Knockturn and I know how much my things are supposed to cost and we moved back in the first place because You-Know-Who is properly gone again so it should be pretty safe."
parental_guidance
Emma does not live that close, but she does not expect that would make a whit of difference. "Yeah, I mean, my parents- um, I think- well, eleven's not old enough, for them," she sighs. "You're lucky."
Also for having been gone recently. Very lucky. She does not bring that up; she doesn't like thinking about it.
"Welcome back though? Do you like being back?"
Also for having been gone recently. Very lucky. She does not bring that up; she doesn't like thinking about it.
"Welcome back though? Do you like being back?"
chanuphis
"It's okay. My mum is very excited that I'm going to Hogwarts instead of the Owly." Miranda tries another wand; nope.
parental_guidance
Emma nods in understanding. She has heard the Owly called the 'Hogwarts of Australia,' and the fact that Miranda got into both confirms her opinion of the other girl as Extremely Impressive. On the other hand, she has spent two weeks being cooed over incessantly; parents who prefer Hogwarts are no mystery to her. "Well, you know. Hogwarts. Obviously we're just that cool?" she jokes. Then flushes. She doesn't actually know this girl that well. "And, uh, Australia, wow, that's cool, how was it?"
chanuphis
"Mum went to Hogwarts so she prefers it but I would have been fine staying in Australia, too. Except it's very far from my dad. Also it gets beastly hot in summertime."
parental_guidance
"Okay, so maybe not actually cool," Emma says with a (mostly) straight face. "What about your dad, was he Hogwarts too?"
chanuphis
Miranda shakes her head and goes through the last five wands briskly. Nothing.
"Excuse me, do you have any more?" she calls to the proprietress.
"Not in the standard varieties, dear - I mean, we have some curiosity pieces. I could let you try them if you insist, I suppose it would be all right since you have a perfectly good wand already..."
"What makes them curiosity pieces, please?"
"Nonstandard materials, mostly. I'll get them." She scoops up the ordinary wands and bustles away with them.
"Excuse me, do you have any more?" she calls to the proprietress.
"Not in the standard varieties, dear - I mean, we have some curiosity pieces. I could let you try them if you insist, I suppose it would be all right since you have a perfectly good wand already..."
"What makes them curiosity pieces, please?"
"Nonstandard materials, mostly. I'll get them." She scoops up the ordinary wands and bustles away with them.
parental_guidance
Emma sneaks closer to watch. One of her parents' French friends has a Veela hair in their wand, but other than that she's only ever seen Ollivander's standard dragon, unicorn and phoenix wands.
chanuphis
The new wands are odd shapes and lengths and colors. Miranda gamely tries them. In one case she has to be corrected about which end is the handle. The proprietress watches curiously.
When she picks up a relatively normal-looking hazel-wand from its dusty old box, a globe of light sprouts at its tip and engulfs a diameter of six feet inside of two seconds before it goes out just as abruptly.
"Whoa," says Miranda. "What's in this one?"
"Hazel and - well, the person who pawned it said chimaera hair, but it's hard to be sure unless we wanted to take it apart," says the proprietress with interest. "Whatever it is clearly is both magical and friendly to you, though! Do you want that one?"
"It's not hideously expensive for having chimaera hair, is it?" Miranda asks.
"Oh, no, dear, it's not even as much as a new Ollivander, five galleons," the proprietress says.
"Oh, good," says Miranda, and she hands over the requisite gold and stick the wand in her hair.
When she picks up a relatively normal-looking hazel-wand from its dusty old box, a globe of light sprouts at its tip and engulfs a diameter of six feet inside of two seconds before it goes out just as abruptly.
"Whoa," says Miranda. "What's in this one?"
"Hazel and - well, the person who pawned it said chimaera hair, but it's hard to be sure unless we wanted to take it apart," says the proprietress with interest. "Whatever it is clearly is both magical and friendly to you, though! Do you want that one?"
"It's not hideously expensive for having chimaera hair, is it?" Miranda asks.
"Oh, no, dear, it's not even as much as a new Ollivander, five galleons," the proprietress says.
"Oh, good," says Miranda, and she hands over the requisite gold and stick the wand in her hair.