"...Curious?" she asks in spite of herself.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Ms. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather—just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother—why, its brother gave you that scar." He peers at Dorea again. "Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Ms. Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things—terrible, yes, but great."

Oh.

They pay for the wand and Hagrid leads the way out.

"That was surreal."

"Aye. He's... a bit of a character."

"The thing with the wands was weird too."

"Aye..."

"Does it normally take that many tries?"

"No, I got it th' second time an' I think most others do, too."

"Huh."

The late afternoon sun hangs low in the sky as Dorea and Hagrid make their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty.

"Thank you. For everything."

He smiles. "'Twas the least I could do."

Back to the Underground, where people gawk at them, laden as they are with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage, with the extremely large man knitting something.

Let them stare. Dorea reads her schoolbooks.

And up another escalator, out into Paddington station. "Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves."

"Oh, good."

They eat a burger, and then Dorea has a train to catch. Hagrid helps her onto it then hands her an envelope. "Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he says. "First o' September—King's Cross—it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, Dorea."

"See you soon!"

The Dursleys will probably not be happy to find her on their doorstep again--and it's mutual--but whatever, she has magic, she can handle them now.

Dorea's last month with the Dursleys is... different. Dudley's now so scared of her he won't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don't shut Dorea in her cupboard, force her to do anything, or shout at her—in fact, they barely speak to her at all. They act as though any chair with Dorea in it is empty and go about their days.

Works for her!

And eventually it's August thirty-first.

...The Dursleys will take her to King's Cross, yes? No need for Hagrid to get involved again?

Well, the Dursleys have thus far not been informed they ought to.

She tells them.