Visit to Diagon Alley
The best thing about having a false identity is the fact no one can tell you how old you are. Azrael could've been any age and no one would be any wiser. His true age stated he should’ve started his time at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry two years ago. He, along with his brother and father, stated his time was the same as Cains.
None the wiser the rest of the world was. In fact, Hogwarts itself seemed to believe his lies, sending both him and his brother a letter of acceptance on the same day. Not letters to Fred and Harry, each delivered on their actual dates of birth, but Azrael and Cain, two boys with artificial birthdays that they cooked up, deciding to share the same day.
You’d think, with both of them growing up as twins, supposed to share the same day with someone else, they’d be eager to officially have days of their own. Even celebrating their birthdays without their twins' presence tainted the day it seemed. Yet. Yet the comfort of knowing that they had someone to spend the day with was something almost required.
So now the two boys stood with Narssisa, Lucious, and Draco Malfoy in front of Diagon Alley, Cain bouncing on his heels in excitement. The rule had been that Cain and Azrael were not to go into the public's eye, worrying that they would be recognized by their movements and mannerisms.
At the very least Az would be. He remembered the weasleys would go moderately often, to see the various things and to shop for extra clothes for the older boys. Voldemort hadn’t wished to risk him being discovered, unsure of what the reaction would have been.
Azrael grinned at the bustling people around them, children of varying ages, most looking eleven and above, hustling around, lumbering into stores of various contents, most being that of school supplies and robes. Of course the first stop, the stop for Draco and the Gaunt’s, was Olivanders. The wand shop. Draco’s father turned his direction towards the books, ready to buy his son's requirements to get it over with, since the boy preferred quidditch over such things like literature.
Towards the building they walked, the of age malfoys in an elegant stroll, and the children in an excited prance. Azrael wouldn’t lie, he was most certainly doing it as well. The aura of mystical wonder surrounded them, so how could he not? Afterall he’d receive a wand today.
Coins jingled in his satchel as he walked, the combined money for both him and his brother to use to buy their things. Apparently from their fathers ancestors, or so he had said. Az knew it was a lie though, the common knowledge that before being taken in, he had had no previous knowledge of the Gaunts, unlike other wealthy purebloods like the malfoys. Not that it mattered. What mattered was he had a majority of money to spend on both him and his brother, with their father even stating they could keep the leftovers if they so wished.
As they neared the door of Ollivanders Cain stilled, his body tensing up as if he were to collapse into a pile at any moment.
“Cain..?” Azrael muttered, his arm curling around his younger brother instantly. No matter what he and everyone said, how he was Cain's twin, he was still an older brother at heart. An older brother who saw his little sibling’s face go pale at the ringing of an opening door.
“M alright..” Cain muttered back, pressing his body against Az.
‘Lies’ thought Azrael quietly, but he said not a thing and just allowed his brother to cling. Exiting the shop was a boy of dirty red hair, and brown eyes, with light freckles along his face. Not paying a single mind to the pure blood group before him, the boy quickly raced away towards the street, heading to one of the buildings on the other side towards the left. There was a man, large in size, with a trolley filled with various items. On top of the trolley was a bird cage, holding a terrifying light brown barn owl with a piercing glare directed towards the malfoy family.
It took a moment for Azrael to realize the origin of Cain's tense nature. His head swung back to his brother, who was already zooming into the store, and quickly he followed suit.
The wand shop smelled of forest wood and was mostly covered in a thin level of dust, except for the small desk towards the front, with an old man with white hair and a wary face sitting behind it. Ollivander most likely. Behind him were large towering shelves, with each slot filled with various small rectangular boxes. Wands, if Az had to take a guess. Cain ventured up to him curiously, his brain already seeming to forget the startling encounter just seconds ago.
Azrael looked back to see Draco being dragged through the display window, towards the shop labeled in crisp lettering “Madam Milkins”. The rest was cut from his view, but it looked to be a robe shop. His attention turned back to his little brother who already found himself asking about his wand. Az still remembered when he had told his sibling of the wonders he would experience with a wand, the only talks that had made the orphanage bearable.
Ollivander’s eyes watched them both unwavering, though his main attention was on Cain who stared up at him,a glint in his eyes Azrael had recalled people saying they shared now.
“-Yes i’ve been expecting you both soon,” Ollivander was saying. “Though one of you should’ve been entering my doors two years prior. No matter of course, the time wasn’t then i suppose. But now here you both are, ready to choose your wands. But of course I really mean ready for your wands to choose you.”
“For them to choose us sir?” Cain asked, confusion lacing its way through his facial features. Ollivander nodded.
“For the wand chooses the wizard, Mr.Gaunt. Nor does it ever go the other way.” And with that Azrael stepped forward as well. He was intrigued to say the least. The man clobbered over to where Cain stood, eyes scanning over him intently.
“And this,” he pointed to Cain's forehead, where the remains of the scar that once stained his forehead layed. “This is where the wand had struck.”
Both boys' eyes went wide in alarm. How had he known? Then again, how had he known Az’s true age enough to dictate when he should’ve arrived.
“I’m sorry to say I'd sold the wand that did it. Thirteen and a half inches, Yew. A wand of power. Yes, so much power. Power in the wrong hands..” He trailed off, shaking his head in thought. His brow furrowed at them both as he backed up again.
“Now then, let me see.” Ollivander spoke again, pulling out what looked like a muggle tape measure. “Which is your wand arm?” Cain held out his Right arm without a word. As quick as a strike of lightning, Ollivander quickly went about measuring Cain from all sorts of different angles. By the end of the examination it could be assumed he had mapped out every bone in Cain’s body, every little bit of skin.
“Now then try this” A wand was shoved into the eleven year olds hand. Azrael hadn’t heard what it was made of. A quick attempt at a swish had the wand yanked out of his grip, a new shorter wand replacing it. The cycle seemed to continue until finally a new mid-length wand was pressed into his fingers. The look in Cain’s eyes said it felt different. Felt right.
“Rowan and Phoenix Feather, Eleven inches, nice and supple.” Ollivander stated as Cain raised the wand. A spark of bright cyan erupted, hitting the leftmost wall, a couple of wand boxes falling from the shelf. The old wizard smiled and nodded in approval. He carefully packed the wand up, tying it shut with a thin wispy ribbon colored desaturated and faded red. Cain grinned.
“You're a wizard Candy-Cain. It's all downhill from here.” Az said, smirking as his brother stuck his tongue out at him at the horrendous nickname.
“Now you.” His attention was now on Azrael. The boy paled as lifted his left arm up hesitantly. Soon he too was put under through examination. Ollivander nodded to himself as he dug around in his shelves. Azrael shuddered as he stretched his back. It had felt more uncomfortable than it looked.
He soon began to go through wands, though the wand maker seemed to make much quicker progress than with his younger counterpart. And sure enough a slightly longer wand was pressed into his grip and he felt a spark of energy strike through him, quick as a bolt of lightning. Unlike his brother, Azrael’s act of magic was like that of thin little fireworks, exploding against the roof of the small building.
“Twelve inches and Spruce. Yes and very whippy..Phoenix feather as well. Hmm…” Ollivander muttered as he held the wand, his eyebrows scrunched together.
“What is it?” Az questioned, subconsciously tabbing his left foot. It wasn’t a sign of impatience. The dark lord had once described it as a nervous tic, one that was showcased in the frantic movement of his leg.
“Why..It seems I've just sold a pair of wands that are of brothers.”
“Yes..we are brothers.” Cain spoke up, looking at the man as if he lost his head. Ollivander simply shook his head.
“Your wands. Your cores. They share the same donor, the same phoenix allowed your wands to be created. How odd.” He shook his head again. The man was strange. That much was clear. Azrael quickly paid for their wands, placing fourteen gallons on the desk, and then ushered his brother out.
The moment the door closed they paused, watching for the sight of light ginger hair. When none was sighted the boys moved ahead on their journey, towards that of the book shop, the one that Draco wouldn’t be entering in person at all.
“So after our reading list is covered, do you reckon we should get our robes next? Or a pet? Or ingredients or-” Cain rambled. He was pulling something out of the satchel Azrael realized. The list of school supplies. He hastily scratched off wands from the list while he spoke.
“Let's just get our books and worry ‘bout that later.” Az suggested, already alerting the Flourish and Blotts to their presence with the jinling of the little bell stationed inside. He wanted to get the worst of it done. He, like Draco, found books to be nothing but dull pointless wastes of time. Cain had told him once that he just couldn’t read them properly. That was why he hated them. Maybe. Maybe not. Didn’t change the fact books sucked.
“Ok, so what's on the list little brother?” Azrael questioned, focusing back on his sibling instead of the horrid leather bound books decorating the shop. Cain scanned their list of supplies.
“Standard book of spells, A history of magic, Magical theory, A beginners guide to transfiguration,-” He paused as his breath escaped him. Azrael took the opportunity to snatch the list away and slid it back into his bag.
“Why couldn’t we just let Mr Malfoy get our books like draco?” Az groaned.
“Because, I want to see if there's any new books out.” Oh course. Azrael had seen it from the day Cain was enlightened. He was amazed by the wizarding world, from the stories he’d get Az to tell him, which mainly contained bias accounts of stories from the ministry his birth father had told, to the Malfoys library which held years of magical history, to the Darklords personnel chats, those of which neither brother ever discussed with one-another.
He was like an over-excited muggleborn, not that Az would ever say it outloud. One desperate to learn all they could because they’d never even thought a magical world existed. Only difference is Cain never grew out of it once he was thrust into magical society. And now Azrael had to suffer while Cain examined books, debating whether or not he’d already read them.
“You know, if you don’t become a slytherin, I’m pretty sure Ravenclaw is the only other house that’ll take you.”
Cain stuck his tongue out. And so, while Cain wondered about piling book upon book in his arms, Azrael was forced to get their school books. An hour later the two conjoined at the counter with their books, totaling twenty-two books.
“Oh god whyyyy” Az whined, handing over a giant pile of gallons. Cain grinned as he slid out the door. For a moment Azrael believed his brother was abandoning him in order to make him carry everything, only for the younger to come racing back, a trolly parked behind him.
“So, where to next?”
The rest of the day zoomed by quickly and finally the boys were able to meet up with Draco and his parents outside Floreans ice cream parlor. Together they had amassed quite the haul, including two pets. A snowy white owl Cain had been drawn too, in which he had named her Hedwig, and a birman cat that Azrael had immediately became attached to that he named Aries.
“So you got an owl?” Draco asked as he dug a spoon into his cup of raspberry ice cream.
“Mhm! Isn’t she beautiful?” Cain reached a hand into Hedwig's cage and gently stroked her head. Draco nodded as Cain removed his hand. Hedwig stared at him, clearly not pleased with him ending his petting session.
“I- how did you even pick Hedwig as a name?” Azrael asked. His cat laid on the cart sound asleep.
“She's a person mentioned in the history of magic.” Cain responded. Azrael's head snapped up in attention.
“You already started reading?! What is wrong with you!” Cain burst into laughter with Draco following suit. Az glared at the two of them, shoving a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. The laughter died down as they continued eating their sweet treats, the older Malfoys watching them. After the kids finished they gathered their bags and began to retreat, following the adults who ushered them to a building to floo. Apparently they didn’t like the idea of traveling all the way to the manor by foot with all their new supplies.
The sight of Diagon Alley through a clear glass window disappeared, replaced by the view of a magnificent dining room. Malfoy manor. Mr Malfoy stepped out, fixing his suit as he did so.
“Dobby. Jardey.” two cracks alerted those in the room to the newly acquired presence of two house elves.
“Yes master?” Jardey asked.
“Take my son's things to his room.”
“Yes sir.” Jardey and Dracos supplies disappeared. Narssia ordered the same thing to be done for Cain and Az. Dobby, who had to work with two carts compared to one, had a bit of trouble before he too disappeared. Draco stretched his arms as he walked towards the door, already heading to his room.
The siblings stayed in the dining room a minute longer before retreating to their rooms as well. Cain while clutching one of the books he hadn’t laid with the rest, and Az carrying his cat, as it had refused to step on the cold flooring of the malfoy manor.
Silently he was quite pleased he had forcefully carpeted his own room. With little hesitation he swung open his door, and to his horror found it bright and organized. The house-elves had cleaned his room while they were out. Azrael soured.
The price their father spoke of. Now he truly understood the catch of seeing Diagon alley for the first time. Gently the dark haired boy lowered his fluffy beast to the floor and watched with pride as Aries immediately jumped onto his bed and curled up on his pillow.
Azrael hesitated for a moment, the idea of speaking with his father at the front of his mind. But he shrugged it off and closed his door with a soft click, choosing instead to lay down beside his new feline. In just a short time he’d rise to the occasion of hogwarts.
In the back of his mind he knew he’d also arise to the idea of seeing what his former family had become. And Cains.. Closing his eyes Azrael decided on a nap, soon drifting off to thoughts of the dark redhead within Diagon alley, and their father cackling in darkness, his misty form never looking quite so solid playing within his mind.