Chapter Two
Before Lord Black could reply, his grandson spoke up, "Grandfather, I think it will be better if Heiress Potter gets a health check-up at St. Mungo's. It is a hospital for magical maladies and caters specifically to the Wizarding World.” He directed the latter towards me.
“If nothing else, you require certain vaccinations against typical illnesses of the Wizarding world which you obviously have not received yet. Following this, we can shop together to acquire your school supplies, if you don’t mind us. Afterward, you should ask whichever questions have not been answered during our trip."
Dori sighed, not at all excited about being forced to see a doctor, but knew he was only looking out for her, as required of him, and she really liked the fact that he asked for her permission to accompany her even though he was required to be her guide. And she had heard in school that adults who had never had chicken pox in their childhood could die from it later on. Maybe this was the same case here?
Hagrid had returned from his trip to the Leaky Cauldron and was holding a bird cage in his grip when they stepped outside of the café. Lord Black wrinkled his brow, but withheld a comment upon hearing the beautiful snowy owl was to be a birthday present for Dori. She blushed red in embarrassment (he had mentioned her rather disappointing other birthday presents of previous years) and thanked Hagrid profusely for his kindness.
The overwhelmed girl nearly did not hear the small argument sparking between the two older men, too focused on admiring the sleeping bird. "An owl is a good gift. It's practical and thoughtful of Mister Hagrid," the unusual boy beside her commented quietly, giving her a strange, but comforting smile.
For the first time since their acquaintance began, the younger girl relaxed a bit in his presence.
"Besides, this one is quite the fierce one. She will serve you well." Dori thanked him sincerely, smiling slightly in response to his encouraging words. Heir Black's hand twitched as if he wanted to ruffle her short hair, however he just settled on squeezing her hand comfortingly at the last moment.
"I'm afraid this mode of transportation is a bit uncomfortable if you are not used to it," Lord Black warned before holding onto each child tightly. For a brief moment, Dori felt as if she was uncomfortably pressed through a straw at high speed, then her world slowly settled again. Only with much practiced ease could she doggedly hold onto the remainder of her breakfast and tea. A few blinks later, the young witch surveyed their new surroundings.
Evidently, Lord Black had transported them to a weird hospital. There was a long waiting line in front of what she assumed was the reception, though it looked very unusual. Several people Dori saw on their way to the lifts suffered quite the strange illnesses. One woman squawked like a chicken whenever she opened her mouth to scold her children. Another male would spontaneously burst into flames every two minutes or so. His hair was smoking ominously already when they passed him.
Dori also noticed that her companions were getting several disdainful and wary glances; however, Lord Black collectively ignored the suspicious and or frightened stares of most of the bystanders and resolutely led his grandson and Carry to the stairs without a backwards glance.
They eventually stopped their brisk walk in the pediatric ward where Lord Black was quickly ushered into a small office-like room. A green-robed woman stood before them, but what surprised Dori was not the weird looking pot on the corner or even the moving photos (which, what was that about?) but the startlingly similar facial features of the witch and the Blacks.
"Healer Tonks, please take a look at Heiress Potter for us. She should at the very least require her vaccinations, from what we gather," Lord Black requested formally, rather stiffly, yet still polite enough.
The surprised Healer nodded thoughtfully, decidedly not looking at the Black Patriarch, to show she had heard his concise words and wordlessly conjured a partition. Both males silently settled down next to the only door, as if they were guarding it from intruders.
(Later, Dori would learn that Blacks were paranoid to the extreme. Although Lord Arcturus always maintained the standpoint that it wasn't paranoia when they were really out to get you.)
Then, Dori was politely asked to take off her dress. Healer Tonks checked everything carefully, manually and magically, occasionally muttering something incomprehensible under her breath. Afterward, the black-haired woman looked through a thin file that had definitely not been innocently lying there on the desk when they had entered the room.
"Very well. Miss Potter, I will refresh your shots now, both the mundane and magical ones. However, I will also hand Lord Black a prescription for nourishment potions, to be taken twice a day. You are much too skinny, Miss Potter. Additionally, I would recommend a new pair of glasses," the stern lady said, holding eye contact with her patient to impress the importance of following her recommendations down to the last letter.
"Furthermore, you should take a supplemental vitamin pill every day. Eat more and eat more healthy foods." Dori nodded obediently, albeit knowing the Dursleys would never let her eat more - much less healthy food. (How should she? Aunt Petunia never bought anything remotely healthy, thus leading to her husband and son being horribly obese.)
"Now, I want you to return here during the next summer for a check-up. Your curse scar should have healed by now and obviously has not. I have marked it down in your file. Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, will continue to observe it during the term - as well as your weight gain while you stay at Hogwarts."
"Yes, ma'am," Dori replied obediently, "thank you, ma'am." For the first time in their presence, a small, warm smile settled over the stern, aristocratic features of Healer Tonks.
"You are welcome, Miss Potter," she assured her softly.
Then they were dismissed.
After their relatively quick, efficient stay at the magical hospital (which Dori would come to appreciate much more a few years down the line), the rather unusual trio returned to Diagon Alley via the same uncomfortable method they had arrived at St. Mungo's with.
Lord Black handed a softly-clinking, medieval money bag to his great-grandson, having to sit down somewhere due to his progressed age. Dori still had not quite processed all that she had been told and experienced that day, but pushed everything out of her mind for now. She could always ponder the strange turns life took later on, in her brand-new bedroom at Number Four.
Lupus gently directed her to a small wand-shop run by an 'Ollivander' first, probably just as excited and curious to receive his first wand as the younger witch was. The ancient wand-maker frowned disapprovingly for a moment when the two children entered his shop together.
Apparently, the wandmaker shared Hagrid's opinion that the Blacks were suspicious people. However, Mr. Ollivander composed himself quickly, instead commenting at length on Dori's parents' old wands. Secretly, she wished to share something with them, so it would reflect a little back at her. The tiny girl had never even seen a picture of her late parents before. She had always wondered how they had looked, and finally knew the bare minimum of their physical traits from Hagrid.
Lupus went first, mainly due to him being older and less shy than the little heiress. Additionally, the young witch could observe the selection process carefully - and from a safe distance if necessary -before having to undergo it as well. Mr. Ollivander seemed slightly surprised about the wand which eventually deigned to choose Lupus after roughly twenty minutes of useless waving and around forty tries.
"Pine and dragon heartstring, twelve and a half inches, adaptable enough," the ancient wizard declared thoughtfully, a moment later. Lupus inquired politely if there were some sort of holster available to safely carry the wand in, while Dori went through the measuring process.
"I believe Madam Malkin's has received a new shipment of wand holsters a week ago. When you order your school robes, she should be able to help you out," Mr. Ollivander informed the young boy, back again to being painfully stiff and polite. Lupus paid his seven galleons and patiently waited for Dori to find her wand.
It took her a solid thirty minutes before a combination of Holly and Phoenix feather turned out to be perfect for her match. It was a bit unusual, according to the ancient wizard whose shop they were in, but he also found Voldemort's work great - horrifying, yes, but great. (So the young witch took his opinion with a grain of salt.)
And now Dori was stuck with the brother wand to the murderer of her parents'. The two children quickly left the shop after Lupus somehow sneakily paid for her new holly wand as well as his own.
Then the Black led her to a small store which was labeled 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. Apparently, this also was the same store Mr. Ollivander had mentioned earlier. A blonde boy was already being fitted for black school robes, but Lupus pointedly ignored his presence as he quietly instructed the seamstress in regards to their respective needs.
The woman sighed sadly and nodded pityingly at something he had said. Thus, an embarrassed Dori was ushered to stand on the stool next to the platinum-blonde boy. Madam Malkin herself began to flit around energetically, gathering various halfway finished garments from different spots in the shop, while an excited assistant began to place pins where some small adjustments would be necessary to fit Dori better.
Lupus continued to pointedly ignore the blonde boy and appeared to be immersed in an artfully arranged display of wand holsters - while simultaneously skillfully evading her overwhelmed, bewildered expression.
"Are you going to Hogwarts as well?" Blondie wondered aloud. His drawling voice sounded nearly as condescending as her cousin's - when Dudley actually expended the energy to sneer.
Dori questioningly arched an eyebrow at the eleven years old wizard standing on a stool next to her. He was being rather rude towards her. And for no apparent reason. However, the pale boy just continued to talk to - or more accurately at - her while the now much less enthusiastic assistant worked a little faster than before. Or were Dori's eyes deceiving her?
After five minutes of listening halfheartedly to his annoying ramblings, the young witch decided he was a spoiled, snobbish brat and had been brought up with some sort of strange superiority complex. Which seemed to have been systematically reinforced. For years, possibly.
"Your parents weren't Muggles, were they?" The boy asked rather tactlessly. Dori wasn't quite sure how to reply to his drawled, condescending inquiry.
"No," she confirmed rather blandly, quite annoyed by his persistent bragging slash patronization at that point. And if she wasn't hearing things, her newly-discovered betrothed might have chuckled quietly.
Thankfully, the pale boy's mother had arrived by then and seemed to be just as snobby and haughty as her son, which, in Dori's opinion, explained a few things. Both left soon after the older witch noticed Lupus' quiet presence, suddenly seeming a lot more impatient to leave.
Strange , Dori thought to herself. However, she wouldn't exactly shed a tear over their absence. Lupus' own fitting session was quickly finished, within fifteen minutes, while Madam Malkin and her perky assistant continued to work on Dori for another hour. By the end, the young witch somehow found herself in the possession of a large set of Hogwarts school uniforms, robes in green, red, blue, gray or silver, as well as a fuchsia one. All of which sported the same small insignia somewhere on the front, like a breast pocket, or the upper sleeves.
Surprisingly, the solicitous shopkeeper had also added a few everyday dresses to her pile. Then Dori had to buy matching shoes, or at least enough to have something to wear with every robe. Lupus unobtrusively added two or three wand holsters to her purchase. (Not to mention the underthings the perky assistant had sneakily recommended.)
Consequently, Dori realized belatedly that her betrothed had effectively ordered a whole new wardrobe for her. It was a bit relieving - and strangely flattering - to finally have someone fussing over her, but his behavior still made the tiny girl a bit uncomfortable. Lupus was only a child as well, an older boy maybe, but she didn't want to burden him overly much with her own ignorance. This time though, the brunette succeeded in convincing the reluctant Black to let her pay for her own darn clothes.
Afterward, the duo visited a stationary store, buying a lot of parchment, ink, quills, as well as ordering personalized stationery for Dori. Why she needed something that fancy and extravagant remained a mystery for the time being.
Only an hour after their visit to the stationary-shop, the two children rejoined Lord Black in the small café they had visited the same morning. He ordered something to eat and a new pot of tea for the two eleven years old children.
The old man approved of their purchases, somehow having bought the new glasses for Dori, as well as her medication, in the meantime. The little witch thanked him profusely, deciding she perhaps liked the sometimes cold man despite everything. He had chosen an elegant pair of round spectacles with a thin silver frame for her. They were nearly unnoticeable from the front.
Lord Black also informed the eleven-year-old that the glasses were spelled to not break, stay clean and on her nose - unless she herself removed them. It was a nice, thoughtful, and practical birthday present. Lord Black accepted her blushing thanks graciously, then continued to regally sip his tea as if nothing special had occurred.
"Do you have any questions, Heiress Potter?" Dori perked up a little.
"Yes, sir. First of all, how do you even get to Hogwarts? What are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" In response, the old man almost smiled reminiscently.
"Hogwarts students are divided into four Houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Traditionally, Hufflepuff is considered the place where the weak and talentless are Sorted - by many members of the other Houses. This is not necessarily true," the levelheaded wizard explained patiently, "just as other rumors may or may not contain a kernel of truth. Children take the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station to reach the school each year. Magical families typically take their children via Apparition or Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, non-magical parents arrive through a concealed portal which is supposedly hidden between Platform Nine and Ten."
This soothed some of the anxiety bubbling inside of her at least. Dori thanked him quietly.
"What is Quidditch? Are there some sort of rules I have to follow for being a witch? Do I need more than what is written on that list we got with our letter?" Lord Black seemingly perked up as well, almost smiling.
"Quidditch is the most popular Wizarding sport; a game played on brooms by seven players divided into two teams. Lupus will be happy to take you to a professional game during the winter holiday, I'm certain." The younger boy nodded once in confirmation to his grandfather's words, silently continuing to slouch lazily in his seat.
"The etiquette of our culture differs vastly from that of the Muggle world in some aspects. As an Heiress of a notable House, you are required to learn them as soon as possible. Perhaps we should arrange something for the rest of the summer, unless you have already scheduled other engagements?" Dori definitely, absolutely had no 'other engagements', unless her seemingly never-ending list of chores at Privet Drive counted.
The Dursleys, she was sure, would dearly love to never see her again - and vice versa - so she expected them to agree as swiftly as possible.
"No, sir. My relatives would not mind, I'm sure," the brunette assured both males confidently.
Satisfied with her confirmation, Lord Black suggested straightforwardly: "Lupus shall assist you during your etiquette lessons. Then let us be on our way and inform your relatives that we will take you to Hogwarts when it is time, so they do not worry."
"You both should acquire several additional theoretical books to ease the learning process, especially for Potions. It is a very complicated, dangerous art which does not permit one to make mistakes. I also suggest that you begin to study a foreign language, as well as join Lupus when he is practicing dueling. Due to your fame, Heiress Potter, you have quite a number of enemies."
Lupus inclined his head lazily, seemingly signaling his agreement. Apparently, he wasn't one for many words, or words in general, when he could get away with it.
Dori wasn’t sure what to make of it but she knew she liked the quiet boy with the steely eyes that turned kind when he glanced upon her. It was nice, she decided, to have someone who would always be loyal to you no matter what, if what was written on the contract was true.
Dori wasn’t the most trusting of persons, not with having grown up with the Dursleys, but knowing that Magic would literally harm him if he didn’t take care of her or hurt her was reassuring. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking this, it wasn’t nice to make people do things if they didn’t want to but she had no one. And if finally, she had someone in her corner even magically enforced, she had the right to be happy, right?
She wasn’t a bad person for thinking that, Dori consoled herself as she listened to Lord Black impromptu history session on the Wizengamot.