Diagon Alley
Rosie held onto Professor McGonagall's hand as she led them through the busy streets of London. "Professor where are we going?" Rosie finally asked. Her mind was swimming with thoughts, mainly her relief from finally being taken from the Dursleys.
"We are going to the Leaky Cauldron; it's a wizarding place for witches and wizards to stay, you will stay here until the school year begins. Hogwarts will cover the duration of your stay." McGonagall answered, "But Roselyn, I must tell you the name Harry Potter is known far and wide, while you have changed your name. Potter is still a far too recognizable name, so you have to go by a different one while you stay here."
Rosie thought about McGonagall's words, She read in her mom's journal that they were in a war. And from the snippets of information she was given, it seems like when she was a baby she defeated an incredibly powerful and evil wizard at the cost of her parents' lives.
Rose never understood why she was famous for being an orphan, why she was praised for something she doesn't even remember, and why being deprived of love from a parent is something to be grateful for.
Rosie shook those thoughts away when they entered the pub, she fixed her hair so that it covered her scar. The pub was bustling, with witches and wizards. It was also loud, with many patrons chatting about their adventures or jobs.
Everything was so new to her but normal to the people a world she should have known her whole but was only being introduced to it now, "Ah, Minerva! How are you my dear, back for another round of drinking? Haven't seen you a while!" Disay Dilderidge was the owner of the Leaky Cauldron. She was a short woman with curly orange hair tied with a bandanna.
"Not this time Diasy I'm afraid, But to check in a future student of mine and get her supplies for school," McGonagall answered, Disay looked at the child in question and saw that she was nothing but skin and bones.
"Of course," Ms.Dilderidge agreed and set it all up. Handing Rose her room key and explained the pub's rules. Rosie nodded along agreeing to them all. The professor enlarged her chest so the staff could take it. Then McGonagall leads her to the back part of the pub.
"Professor, how are we going get to Diagon Alley?" She asked, McGonagall smiled taking out her wand.
"This way." She said she tab certain bricks. Then the bricks flipped back, and Rosie watched in amazement as buildings were revealed. The Alley was packed, Rosemary had to hold McGonagall's hand pretty tight so as not to get lost in the crowd. "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Roselyn"
"You'll find everything you need for your schooling at Hogwarts, Roselyn," McGonagall said, Rosie was in awe of the shops. Every item looked so weird and magical, what caught her eye was a beautiful snowy owl in a cage in what looked like a pet store. Green eyes scanned towards what looked like a sports shop, with a broom in full display. The kids in front said it was the newest and fastest on the market.
"Uh, Professor. How are we supposed to pay for the supplies?" Rosie asked.
"We are starting that out now Roselyn, Gringotts bank is the safest bank in all of wizarding Britain." Professor McGonagall stated the duo entered the bank. The building was beautifully decorated with crystal chandlers hung from the ceiling. Rosie held a gasp of fright when she saw the workers.
They were small about half her height with long hooked noses and many wrinkles. "U-um, professor. Who are these men?" Rosie asked.
"They're Goblins Roselyn, very intelligent but they have a bit of attitude with wizards so it is best to be polite and stay close." Rosie did so practically hiding behind the older witch.
"Ms. Roselyn Potter wishes to make a withdrawal," McGonagall stated to the head goblin, which got his attention. He prepared over his desk to gaze at the little girl who hid herself even more.
"And does Ms. Potter have her key?" He asked, and the professor reached into a pocket in her robe pulling out a small key. "Very well." The goblin called for another worker who led the two witches to an entrance of the mine. A plate mounted to the wall with writing caught Roselyn's attention.
Enter stranger, but take heed,
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure here.
Roselyn gulped at the ominous warning when a mine cart rolled in front of them. The two witches got into the seats while the goblin steered the cart. Leading them through many twists and turns before arriving at their stop. "Vault 687." McGonagall handed both the lantern and key to the Goblin. As he turned the key many mechanisms within the vault door unlatched.
The vault swung open revealing a small mountain of gold coins. "A-all of this is for me?"
"You thought your mother or father would leave you nothing?" McGonagall said. Rosie smiled her parents did love her. The professor levitated a good amount of coins and placed them inside a bag. As they rode back to the upper levels.
"Professor? What is the currency?"
"Aw, you see Roselyn the currency are called Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts there are 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle," McGonagall answered, as the two exited the bank the professor led the girl who lived to a shop called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "We may start getting your uniform, you go on ahead I'll get a cart for your supplies."
Rosie nodded and entered the shop while still feeling a little nervous. The shop was what she suspected: mannequins in the shipping window displaying the Hogwarts uniform. The flowing silk is fit for tea parties. Rolls of fabric with moving embolism.
Madam Malkin was a short older woman with silver hair, and purple glasses matching her robs. She looks like the elder neighbor who would bake cookies and pass them out to the kids. Rosie was reminded of the local Liberian who always gave Rosie snakes and sweets.
"Hogwarts, Dear?" Madam Malkin asked when Rosie was too shy to speak the girl nodded. "Alright, dear step up. And I'll get you fitted." Rosie complied getting atop a stool, as Madam Malkin placed a pre-made rob over her. Marking where to cut off the excess so she wouldn't trip over. The witch helped Rosie take off the robe and bargain measurements for her uniform.
"The boy's uniform dear?" Madam Malkin asked.
"Uh-um I-I prefer the g-girls p-please." Rosie quietly answered, Madam Malkin looked shocked for a moment before smiling in understanding and nodding. After taking all her measurements the seamstress asked her to meet her again in a few days. Rosie agreed as she walked back to the front desk to wait to pay for her uniform Madam Malkin spoke to another customer when a boy her age spoke to her.
"Hello," he said. "Hogwarts, too?"
"Oh! Um, yes" Rosie replayed, she spoke softly as she doesn't interact with people much. Coupled with the fact she doesn't know about the wizarding world much so she easily insults him without knowing.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," The boy said, sounding utterly bored. As if getting custom robes were just an everyday thing, the way he spoke made Rosie remember how Dudley spoke to Uncle Veron's clients. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Okay, now Rosie was reminded of Dudley. 'No' Rosie reminded herself 'I shouldn't judge him based on his attitude, I just got introduced to the wizarding world. Maybe this is just how they talk?'
Rosie stayed silent as the boy talked, keeping a one-sided conversation without realizing it. "Have you got your broom?"
She blinked when she realized he was letting her talk. "Um, no," Rose said. She could already imagine getting ridiculed for not having a broom just like wanting to be a girl, having glasses, and her scar.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No, but I know the rules." She knew about Quidditch from her dad's journal, and how he played the sport throughout school.
The blond boy raised an eyebrow at her answers. "Well, I do. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree know what house you'll be in yet?"
Rosie had heard about the houses of Hogwarts, as she read about them in her mum's journal. Her parents were in Griffindor so she knew the most about that house, but not much about the others. "I think I'll be in Gryffindor."
"Really? Well, no one knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all my family has been. Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" The boy seemed to enjoy being dominant in the conversation.
"I think, they're all lovely. There's nothing wrong with being in Hufflepuff." Rosie defined the house, while she didn't know much about the house. She does know the house is loyal and hardworking, and their nothing wrong with that. That's when Madam Malkin returned and Rosie quickly excused herself paid for her uniform and left. Professor McGonagall had gotten a cart and some ice cream for the girl.
The two continued shopping and enjoying their ice cream. They went from shop to shop, picking up all their supplies—quills to practice her writing, supplies for potions, parchment for writing RoRosie's Dream Store.
Flourish and Blotts had rows and rows of books. Rosie guessed it would take her lifetimes to read them all. While she had some books she needed from her parents' chest, she was still missing a few. (Rosie preferred them over the books at the shop; she loved seeing her father's doodles in his books.)
After a few hours of shopping and gathering supplies, Rosie still missed one thing. "The last thing I need is a wand." The girl read from the list.
"Ah, yes. Ollivanders is the perfect shop for your wand." Professor McGonagall stated as the duo walked.
"Well, Well if it isn't Professor McGonagall!" A deep but playful voice rang out, with a heavy West country accent. Rosie gasped as the man was positively giant towering over the crowd at possibly eleven feet.
"Ah! Hagrid what a coincidence." Professor McGonagall greeted the man, shaking his large hand. "Rosie meets Rubeus Hagrid he's the groundskeeper of Hogwarts."
"Pleasure to me you Mr.Rubeus. I’m Roselyn, but call me Rosie" Rosie greeted,
"Wait..." Hagrid trailed off, studying her feathers. "Are ya?"
"Hagrid." McGonagall said, "Miss Potter would like to be stated as such." Luckily Hagrid caught on quickly.
"Sorry about that Rosie"
"It's alright, Hagrid; I understand." The girl was happy that at least some people in the wizarding world understood her. When Hagrid asked why they were in Diagon Alley, she answered that they were to get her supplies.
"Ah! Well, I'll leave it to ya." Rosie waved Hagrid goodbye, as McGonagall led her to the last shop they needed to visit, Ollivanders. Rosie entered the shop after McGonagall said she needed to do a task. The shop was empty with selves stacked high with small boxes.
"He-Hello?" Roselyn asked ringing the bell as an old man with crazy hair rolled into view on a ladder.
"I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter- ah apologies Ms. Potter." Rosie twitched at being referred to that.
"Ho-how do you know, my name?" Rosie asked while the man got down the ladder
"I have my ways. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands," Ollivander stated, as took a box from a shelf. "Here we are." He handed the wand to Rosie. "Just give it a wave."
As Rosie did a whole row of boxes flew from the selves. Roselyn quickly put the wand down.
"Not," Ollivander said, going back to the selves again and picking a different wand. Handing to the girl again, she gave it another wave causing a vase to shatter into millions of pieces.
"A tricky customer eh? Not to worry, we'll find a perfect match here somewhere" They went through many wands, causing more and more of a mess. Finally, after what seemed like thirty minutes, Mr. Ollivander picked up a box with a thoughtful look. He handed this wand to Rosie, as she gave it a wave. Many beautiful roses began to bloom, the roses were a mix of red and gold.
"Oh, Bravo! We found a match!" Mr Ollivander cherred"Now- yes, why it's - unusual combination- Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
The wand felt great, the wand was warm with a nice feeling on the polished wood. When she gave the wand a wave the warmth carried from her hand to the rest of her body, it was a warm hug, as the wand's magic sunk into her forming roots. As if telling her it will never leave her side.
"But... how curious... how very curious." The shopkeeper said, gaining the witches' attention.
"What is curious Mr. Ollivander?"
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, that much is true." Ollivander said."It so happens that the Phoenix tail father which resides within Ms. Potter's wand gave another feather. Just one other."
"Who... did you sell it to?" Rosie managed to get out, the way Mr. Ollivander was acting put a pit in her stomach.
"Curiously, you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." Rosie froze at the man's words.
"A-And who owned that wand?" She managed to stuttered out.
"Oh, we do not speak his name." Mr. Ollivander said, fear clear in his eyes. "The wand chooses the witch, Ms. Potter. It's not always clear why. But... I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-who-must-not-be-named did great things. Terrible... yes but great"
Rosie was frozen with fear as she quickly paid for her wand and got out of there, she decided that she didn't like Mr. Ollivander very much. He was very nice his ominous warning about her scared her too much.
"Roselyn! Happy Birthday!" Hagrid was with Professor McGonagall, carrying a beautiful snowy owl. McGonagall also had something, it looked like a holster of some kind.
"Thank you, Hagrid, you too Professor McGonagall you guys didn't have to get me anything," Rosie said.
"It's nothin', Rosie. It wouldn't have been your birthday without a gift." Hagrid said as he placed the cage on the cart. "Well, whatcha gonna name her?"
Rosie thought about it, she read many of her parent's books and one name stood out to her. "Hedwig, her name is Hedwig." Rosie reached through the bars to pet the owl who gave her a nip of affection. "What do have professor?"
"This is a wand hoster, perfect for drawing your wand quickly." The professor strapped the holster to her left arm and slid Rosie's wand in. Rosie didn't know how McGonagall knew her arm size, so she assumed it was magic. "Hagrid, you won't mind staying with Rosemary until she starts Hogwarts?"
Rosie didn't like she was about to be separated from Professor McGonagall, but she knew that the Professor needed to get ready for the new school year. Plus she liked Hagrid, he was incredibly nice despite his huge size.
The two returned to Leaky Cauldron. In the early evening, Rosie got to her room and began packing all her school supplies into a trunk, she had managed to jam some of her parent's books she started reading and their journals.
It might be a stretch, but she might be able to take her parents' trunk with her, but she doesn't know. After she's all packed, she meets Hagrid for dinner. The silence is quiet, but a question has been bugging Rosie for hours now.
"You alright, Rosie?" Hagrid asked, snapping Rosie out of her thoughts. "You seem very quiet."
"He-He killed my parents, right?" Rosie said, "The one that gave me my scar. I already know he was after my parents."
Hagrid sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "First, and understand this Rosemary 'Cause it's very important... Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago, there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go. And his name was V...-"
The half-giant started but couldn't as the fear in his eyes took over. Hagrid sighed as he tried again. "His name was V..."
"Maybe if you could write it down?" Rosie suggested seeing his fear.
"No, I can't spell it." Hagrid declined. "Alright, Voldemort." He immensely shuttered after he said it. It was silence for a moment for Hagrid continued. "It was dark times, Rosie, dark times. The Dark Lord started to gather some followers and brought 'em over to the dark side. Anyone who stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him... But nobody lived once he decided to kill 'em. Nobody, not one. Expect you.."
Rosie was shocked as Hagrid finished his tale, she was the only one who survived Voldemort's victims. But why? Why is she so special?
"W-why am I so special? What made him try to kill me?"
"I don't Rosie, but that ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead. A mark like that only comes from being touched by a curse. And an evil curse at that." Hagrid answered.
"Wh-what happened to to you-know-who?" Rosie asked.
"Well, some say he died." Hagrid said, "Codswallop, in my opinion. Nope, I reckon he's out there still... too tired to carry on. But one thing is certain something about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous. That's why everybody knows your old name. You're the bo-sorry. You're the girl who lived."
Roslyn had many thoughts as she went to bed that night, nestled in the sheets of the bed. She had let Headwig out of her cage, but the owl took to sleeping with Rosie. Why did Voldemort try to kill her that night? Why was she famous for something she doesn't even remember? Why she was praised for being an orphan? Rosie knew the wizarding world was unknown to her, but she swore that she would do all that she could about the world. She wouldn't let her parents down.