Coven of Losers

The next day, Bill found himself sitting on the train next to his mother, his back stiff and his shoulders as he tried to while away the uncomfortable hours by alternating between reading, writing, and trying to sketch a snake coiled in some robes with a wand between its jaws.

About three and a half hours into the trip, Bill's mum, who had been sitting silently, staring at the same page of the document she had been scanning for the past hour, turned to Bill. He paused from putting the detailing on the wand, when he felt her eyes on him, looking up into her face, which he found twisted in an uncomfortable expression.

"How are you feeling about today?" his mum asked, the question coming out stilted and awkward.

Bill shrugged. "Excited, I guess."

It was true, no matter how apathetically it came across. He had been practically buzzing in the morning, but a few hours on a too-silent train had drained much of his energy.

"Kind of n-nervous," he admitted after a beat of silence from his mother.

Bill's mum nodded. "That's…understandable."

Silence stretched between them for a few beats, with Bill glancing between his drawing and his mother.

Finally, his mother broke, wilting in on herself as she turned her shoulders to fully face Bill.

"I know the last few years have been… hard. And your father and I haven't been the most attentive parents."

Bill blinked, keeping his face blank from the shock that rolled over it.

His mother sighed. "What happened with Georgie really changed us. Your father and I both know that. Not that we were perfect before. We worked too much, and pushed you boys too hard. It's just gotten so much worse."

She reached out a shaking hand and brushed it through his dark auburn hair.

"You've changed so much and I feel like I missed it," she whispered. "You're so grown up. Too grown up. And you're quiet. I don't remember you being so quiet. It's like you're not always there."

Bill swallowed, his throat thick with emotion.

His mother pressed her eyes together and Bill saw a single tear escape, slipping down her cheek. "I know we weren't fair to you all those years ago. I know how it affected you. You flinch at every little noise. You move so silently. You try too hard at school - I barely see you without your head in your book and you never seem to hang out with other kids."

Bill's eyes were wide as he stared at his mother. He hadn't seen her cry since the day they got Georgie back. "I-I don't know what to say. I-I just w-want to d-do well."

He didn't add that he just wanted to make them proud, but the way his mother sighed and dropped her hand told him he didn’t need to.

"I know, sweetheart. I know," she murmured.

His mother sniffed, before she rolled her shoulders back and peered straight into his eyes.

"Now, you know what I do for work, right?"

Bill nodded. "You w-work i-in PR and Event P-Planning."

She didn't just work in it. She was a partner in the biggest PR company in Britain - GPR - and worked alongside Juan Pablo and Helen Rega, collaborating with the biggest celebrities and companies out there to help them organise events and work with the media.

Bill's mother smiled. "Yes. And you know that means I have to know a lot about how people think."

Her serious expression returned. "I don't think it's going to be easy for you at that school. You'll be going into a completely different culture. So, I want you to buy as many books that you can, and get a few newspaper subscriptions so you and I can learn as much as we can about wizarding society, okay? I want this to be as easy for you as possible."

Bill nodded. "Y-yes mum. I-I w-want to fit in."

His mother smiled and leaned down to kiss Bill on the forehead, filling him some hole inside him with a warmth that had been absent for quite some time. The feeling faded quickly, but its temporary presence was encouraging.

"Now, go back to your drawing. It’s looking very good."

----

Bill sat in the waiting room of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. His mother was sitting next to them, and they were leafing through a few magazines together, trying to decide on some appropriate casual attire for Bill that would be fashionable, but that he would still like. They weren't having too much trouble, since Bill generally preferred to dress nicely - he would still wear a tie to school if it wouldn't get him beat up by the likes of Bowers - and they had a new selection of designs for his new wardrobe ready by the time the witch came to get him to take his measurements.

Whilst his mum and the witch were discussing outfits, another kids was led up to the stool next to him. The shorter child shifted nervously, swivelling his head around the room with sharp, wide-eyed glances.

"A-are you new t-to this stuff too?" Bill asked, fighting away a scowl at his stutter.

The kid's head snapped towards him, mouth dropping open slightly.

"Yeah… I've never been to a magic shop before. I'm here with Professor McGonagall because my mum… couldn't be here."

Bill inclined his head towards him. "Oh? Are you a m-muggleborn too?"

The boy jerked. "Yes. I mean no. My dad was a wizard. So I guess I'm a halfblood? I think that's what the professor called me. I didn't know about it because my dad… umm…"

Bill shrugged, waving his hand. He didn’t need the other kid to go on.

"My name's Bill Denbrough. W-what's yours?"

The boy sighed in relief at the change in subject and shot Bill a grateful smile.

"Eddie Kaspbrack."

Bill grinned at him. "N-nice to meet you."

The boy grinned thrusting out his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Bill."

Bill shook hand with him and then two witches were coming into the room, taking measurements and asking each of them a flurry of questions that sufficiently distracted both boys. They were quickly finished and were being led back into the foyer, where Professor McGonagall and Bill's mum were talking, the energy much more casual and friendly than the day before.

Both women turned as the boys walked up to them. Bill's mum introduced herself politely to Eddie, before looking at Bill.

"I have to go to work," she told him, patting him on the shoulder as she handed him a pouch. "This has a direct connection to your account - which is opened under your name - like a debit card. Don't worry about how much you spend. I'll be back at the Leaky Cauldron by 6 to pick you up, okay?"

Bill nodded and they enveloped each other in a brief, awkward hug, before she was saying goodbye to Professor McGonagall and Eddie, making sure to tell Bill to 'remember what they'd discussed' before she walked out of the store. �
Eddie took a step towards Professor McGonagall, his shoulders stiff and his face twisted in a vague uncomfortable grimace at the prospect of following the intimidating woman around for the rest of the day. �
"I s-still need to get my wand, Eddie. What about you?"

Eddie glanced at him, gaping slightly for a second before he caught Bill's pointed expression. "No I haven’t got mine yet."

"Do you want to come with me? I would really enjoy the c-company now that my mum's g-gone."

Eddie looked up at Professor McGonagall, who frowned, glancing between the two boys, before she nodded.

"It would be good for you two to get to know someone before you went to school. I would recommend you go the bag shop next to get a bag an Undetectable Extension Charm and your trunks, which I highly recommend spending a little extra money on to get Shrinking Charms and Extension Charms as well. I will find you at Flourish and Blotts in approximately an hour and a half Mr Kaspbrack."

She handed Eddie his own Gringotts pouch, that apparently had a direct link to his father's vault and told him to not waste his money before ordering them out of the store.

They both thanked the professor enthusiastically before hurrying to follow her instructions. In the end, they both chose similar dark blue pouches, Bill's with silver detailing and Eddie's with gold, whilst they also chose the same model of trunk, that had four interchangeable compartments that were controlled by a dial on the outside, one for books, one for clothes, one for potions and spell equipment and one for miscellaneous items, as well as a smaller compartment that was locked to only their passwords. Eddie's trunk was a warm brown leather with a gold lock, whilst Bill's was a solid black with silver locks and straps.

As they were exiting, they met another boy who was on his way to Ollivander's. He introduced himself as Richard - call me Richie - Tozier. On the walk to the shadowy store, Bill learnt that he was a pureblood from a very ancient and rich family, and that he would also be attending his first year at Hogwarts in September. From his ramblings, Bill gleaned that Richie, much like him, didn’t have too many wizarding friends due to his mother travelling a lot for her job, which Richie was surprisingly vague about given his tidal wave of information.

They all paused outside the shadowy shop, glancing furtively between the windows.

Richie clapped them Eddie and Bill on the shoulder from his position between them.

"It's okay, old chaps," he assured them in an overly posh voice. "My dearest mother assured me that this establishment is perfectly safe, despite its unsettling design."

With that, he pushed both boys into the shop, a little bell tinkling as the entered. An old man emerged from the seemingly endless stacks of boxes dominating the back of the shop.

"Well, who do we have here?" he asked, looking curiously between them.

Richie smiled charmingly at the old man.

"I'm Richard Tozier," he introduced in a formal tone that he certainly hadn't used with either Bill or Eddie.

"Ahh, yes," the old man - who Bill assumed was Mr Ollivander - said - "I remember both of your parents Margaret Tozier, walnut and phoenix feather - and Wentworth Jonker, beech and unicorn hair if I remember correct."

Richie nodded. "My mother says you always do and you have not proven her wrong today."

Ollivander grinned at Richie and then turned to Bill and Eddie, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Bill straightened up, trying to mimic Richie's formal persona, pretending that he was a pureblood child, who had been taught etiquette since he could walk.

"My name is Bill Denbrough," he announced, then, when Ollivander furrowed his eyebrows, he added, "I'm a muggleborn."

Ollivander nodded, his smile returning as he looked to Eddie, who pursed his lips and shifted uncomfortably before he spoke.

"I'm, uh, Eddie Kaspbrack."

Ollivander nodded again. "Frank Kaspbrack's son, yes? It's a shame what happened, he was such a nice boy - alder with unicorn hair."

Eddie swallowed, glancing downwards. Ollivander pressed his lips together, but glanced at the others.

"Right," he said, clapping his hands together. "Who's up first?"

Richie stepped forward, throwing a reassuring smile behind his shoulder. "I'll go first. I should show these guys that there's nothing to worry about."

Ollivander smiled approvingly at the boy and asked him to stick his wand arm out.

It took a long time, with Ollivander trying out a few cypress and elm wands before going through some aspen and beech wands. When they hit about the twentieth wand, it seemed like Ollivander started choosing wands at random. It was only when Richie slipped and said in his posh accent that 'This seems to be taking quite a while, old boys!' that Ollivander resumed a more directed movement.

The old man git a twinkle in his eyes, pulling out a few dogwood wands, getting more excited with each failed try.

Finally, Ollivander put an applewood and phoenix feather wand in Richie's hand, and warm glow surrounded Richie, a burst of orange light zipping out the end, and dancing around the room, circling Bill's head and ruffing his hair before finally landing on Eddie's nose and exploding like a small firework.

Ollivander smirked. "I think that is the one."��Bill glanced at Eddie whilst Richie was paying. "Do y-you w-want to go first. Or shall I?"

Eddie glanced around in the nervous way that he did, hesitating before answering, "I'd rather go first, if that's alright, Bill?"

Bill smiled and nodded, reaching out and rubbing Eddie's shoulder. That seemed to be the right move, because the smaller boy's back immediately straightened and his twisted features relaxed into a nervous smile.

Ollivander didn’t take nearly as long to find Eddie's wand, eventually, after about five minutes, giving Eddie an English oak and unicorn air wand that caused a stream of blue light to burst out of his wand, the magic taking the same path as Richie's, circling Bill's head before exploding against Richie's glasses. Eddie and Richie locked eyes, both of them smiling slightly.

"This is most curious," Ollivander muttered, though he was also smiling.

Bill was up next, and Ollivander hummed when he informed the old man that he was, in fact, ambidextrous. Bill almost regretted giving him this information though, as it seemed to make the process twice as long and about three times as damaging, with Ollivander asking him to try each wand on both hands, and the negative reactions getting more and more violent with each failure. Boxes flew off walls, glass broke and Bill thought he even hear a few small explosions in the back.

Ollivander didn't seem perturbed by any of this, getting more and more giddy with each, increasingly extreme failure.

Finally, Ollivander perked up bustling into the very back of his shop and dragging out a dusty emerald green box. Bill new it was the one before it even got within five metres of him. Ollivander opened the box and the wand - a light brown with swirls and dots carved across the whole length - practically leaped into his hand. A silver burst of energy sprung from the tip, dancing around the room and doing a figure eight around Eddie and Richie before popping above Bill and showering him in silver drops that actually made his hair and face wet.

Bill gave a delighted laugh as Ollivander grinned wildly.

"Ah, yes an alder and phoenix feather, a very fine wand for those with strong charisma," Ollivander announced proudly.

The old man, though, acted strange as he took Bill's money, and his eyes followed him, Eddie and Richie as they headed out the door and towards Flourish and Blotts Bookshop. As the door closed behind them, Bill thought he heard Ollivander mutter, 'Most curious in deed.'

Bill barely had time to contemplate it before Richie and Eddie were talking a mile a minute, Richie cycling through at least a dozen different accents that seemed to amuse the smaller boy enough to dissipate the nervous energy that had filled him since Bill had met him.

When they got to the shop, they only just had enough time to find all their textbooks before Professor McGonagall found them near the front on of the store, where they were all huddled around a book on wand lore. The professor raised her eyebrow at their choice of reading, but her slightly raised chin indicated approval not disdain, so Bill just smiled warmly at her whilst Richie introduced himself, using the same voice he had with Ollivander.

Eddie ended up buying the book, promising to lend it to Bill when they got to school. Professor McGonagall nodded to both Richie and Bill before escorting Eddie out.

Once they had left, Bill frowned, his mind twisting itself in circles.

It took Richie a few moments to notice, as his eyes had been following the professor and Eddie's exit from the store. When he did, he attempted to sling an arm around Bill's shoulder, but, finding that Bill was just tall enough to make the position awkward, he gave up, and instead bumped Bill's shoulder lightly.

"What's wrong, Bill?" he asked, but didn't let Bill answer before he was going on. "You know, you're really tall, you're huge, you're Big Bill."

Bill stared at him for a second, before answering, "And you t-talk a lot of crap for a good little p-pureblood… Trashmouth."

Richie smiled widely at him, before he bumped Bill's shoulder again. "What are you thinking so hard about, Big Bill?"

Bill turned so that he was looking the other boy directly in the eye. "I w-want you to be straight with me, R-Richie. H-How far behind a-am I. What am I missing out on? H-How much will I n-need t-to learn t-to catch up?"

Richie paused, cocking his head to the side and looking at Bill as if for the first time.

"Hmm," he said, smirking. "You're more interesting than I first thought."

Richie wrinkled his nose, leaning back, and briefly breaking eye contact with Bill before looking at him again.

"Look," he admitted. "I'm sure that I'm meant to tell you that you'll learn everything you need to once you get to school, but, truth be told, there's a hell of a lot you should know."

Bill nodded, silently encouraging Richie to go on.

"Most witches and wizards don't know much about the muggle world, but my mother's… job… has made her uniquely knowledgeable on the subject. The way people act is very different in our world and most kids have at least a basic level of magical knowledge that will make it easier for them to understand classes at Hogwarts and connect with other students."

Bill inclined his head forward, raising his eyebrows. "D-do you have any ad-advice to catch up?"

Richie smiled. "Read your textbooks before you get to school, also get through as many books as you can get your hands on. You should probably also get a subscription to the Daily Profit and a few magazines."

Bill nodded. "My m-mum and I already w-went to the post office thing and got a Daily Profit subscription. Do you h-have any s-suggestions f-for b-books or magazines?"

Richie pursed his lips. "Well, there are a few in this shop that could probably help you but…"

The boy trailed off and looked into Bill's eyes, seeming as if he is trying to determine something. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find, because he held out his hand.

"There's another place I can show you, if you want?"

Bill hesitated, his mind turning over the possibilities. Eventually, he decided to go for it. He desperately didn't want to be left behind, and, if Richie was willing to show him a way succeed in the wizarding world, Bill was sure as hell going to take it.

Richie led him out of the shop and down Diagon Alley, bopping and ducking in and out of shadows, and generally trying not to be noticed. Suddenly, he pulled Bill into dark alley, hunching in a little nook that obscured them from the rest of the street.

"This is Knockturn Alley," Richie told him. "It… doesn't have the best reputation, but any son of a Slytherin worth his wand knows that this is the only place in Diagon where you're ensured to dodge the Ministry's censorship."

Richie swallowed, glancing down before he went on. "Most of the stuff sold here is considered… dark. But just cause the Ministry says that it's dark doesn’t mean that it's evil. Most of it is actually really useful… What I'm trying to say is that you can back out now but if you don't, you can't tell anyone. We'll both get in a lot of trouble for being here, and even more for actually buying stuff here."

Bill frowned, leaning back against the grimy wall of the little nook Richie had dragged him into.

He thought about what this mean. He contemplated the pros - learning some perhaps life-changing information - and the cons - getting in (probably legal) trouble.

He thought about his Mum's many rants about government censorship and manipulation of the media, which she reserved for when Georgie had gone to bed and Bill was being quiet enough not to be noticed. He thought about his Dad, when he took the time to talk to Bill, telling him about how practically every invention could be used for both good and evil. He told Bill about deterrents and using the most dangerous weapons for protection.

Finally, Bill thought about that day, just over two years ago, and how he had learnt that you can't trust anyone except yourself, because even though people said snakes were bad, one had helped him save his brother, and everyone said clowns were good and funny, and one nearly ate him.

Bill looked down and licked his lips.

"Take me," he told Richie.

The boy's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Bill nodded. His mouth dry. "I want to do well, don't I?"

Richie's lips twitched and turned back to the alley, glancing around furtively and pushing his nose up on his face before he pulled Bill back into the dark street.

They slipped into a shop, which was only slightly better lit than the street it was on. No bell tinkled as they entered, and Richie immediately steered Bill a few metres into the shop so they couldn't be seen through the dirty windows.

They both broke off from each other, Richie going off to find a few books that he thought would be useful to Bill (and probably also choosing a few for himself) whilst Bill wandered through the stacks aimlessly, flicking through books, and occasionally placing one in the basket he had picked up from the front of the store.

Eventually, Bill made his way to the back of the store, where the glook seemed to thicken for a few metres before a single lamp in the back of the room that cast the back corner in a small halo of light. Bill paused when he saw this, but not because of the light, but because of the person he found in it.

Perched on a stool in what seemed to be the only clean section of floor in the entire store was a boy. He looked to be about the same age as Bill, and the way the wreath of light surrounding him bounced off his caramel curls made him look like some sought of angel, an image that was only reinforced by the pristine casual robes he was wearing. The boy had his nose buried in a thick tome, eyes scanning the page at lighting speed.

Bill didn't want to disturb him, so he reached for a large rolled up piece of paper and opening it slowly, to make as little noise as possible.

Surprisingly, he was successful in his endeavours. However, his efforts were wasted by Richie bouncing up to them.

"Hey Stan the Man! Fancy seeing you here," Richie exclaimed, though not loud enough for anyone to overhear.

The boy jerked his head up, dicking it guiltily as he quickly slammed his book shut.

Richie raised his eyebrows, glancing at the cover.

"Creatures of Flight - the Uncut Edition. Another gem that you probably can't find in Diagon Alley," he observed, directing his statement mostly at Bill.

"What are you doing, Tozier?" he scowled, hugging the book to his chest.

Richie shrugged. "Just showing my new friend, Big Bill here the ropes of how to really learn. I didn't expect to find good little Stanley Uris here."

Stand glanced at Bill, his cheeks tinging pink. Bill decided to make a move before Richie could embarrass the poor kid any further.

He stepped forward, holding out his hand trying to project as much confidence as possible. "Bill Denbrough, nice t-to meet you."

Stan's eyes flitted between to his hand, hesitating for a second before he shook it briefly. "Stanley Uris… I'm guessing you're not a pureblood since I've never seen you at any of the events Richie and I are forced to go to."

Bill frowned, unsure of how to respond, but was saved by Richie, slinging an arm around his shoulder and forcing him to hunch.

"Bill is really new here. But he's cool, so I thought I'd give him a bit of help… catching up."

Bill's gaze was forced down at the map he was holding by Richie's arm, and he went rigid. Feeling him tense, Richie glanced down, gasping at what he saw.

"Wow! This tracks all magical communities within Britain!" he said. "Nice find."

Stan slipped off the stool creeping over to them to get a better look.

"I knew it!" the curly haired boy exclaimed, pointing at a dragon icon hovering over a small cluster of islands off the Western Scottish Coast. "There is a herd of Traditional Englishes in Britain! All records say they went extinct half a century ago."

Richie glanced around, nudging Bill, who got the message and rolled up the map.

"Let's make our purchases," he said, before looking at Stan. "I was just about to take Bill to the Emporium, you wanna come?"

Stan hesitated, before shrugging and nodding.

----

Bill had a good time with Stan and Richie, with the former helping Bill pick out an owl with his extensive knowledge of birds. Both of the purebloods already had owls at home, though Bill could tell that Stan wanted to purchase at least a dozen of the creatures.

In the end, Bill took a black barn owl, deciding to name her Argent.

Richie and him said goodbye to Stan, who had to go to the apothecary, which Bill had visited earlier with his mother. Then, with a melancholy mood, they dragged themselves to the front of the Leaky Cauldron.

They walked up to Bill's mother, but a few feet away, Richie leaned into Bill's ear and whispered, "Watch and learn Billy Boy."

He patted Bill on the shoulder, and then bounced up to his mother.

"Hello Mrs Denbrough. My name is Richard Tozier," he introduced, his voice innocent and polite as he held out his hand.

"Hello, Richard," his mother greeted, her tone revealing how impressed she was as she took his hand.

"I was wondering if your son, Bill could stay with me at the Leaky Cauldron for a few days?" Richie asked, looking up at her. "I've really enjoyed Bill's company and want to get to know him better before school starts. You wouldn’t even have to pay for a room. He can stay with me."

Bill's mother raised her eyebrow at Bill, who nodded eagerly. "I r-really want to stay here, Mum, please? And Richie's here until the end of your trip."

"Are you sure he won’t bother you?"

"No, Mrs Denbrough," Richie assured her, ducking his head bashfully. "You see, I asked my parents if I could stay in my own room, but now I'm kind of regretting it and I would be glad for the company."

Bill saw the moment that his mother melted. She smiled kindly at Richie, before nodding.

"Alright," she relented. "I'll pick you up in five days at one o'clock. Make you're ready by then."

"Of-Of course, Mum. I promise."

Bill's mum walked over to him, ruffling his hair. "I'll drop off your things in an hour. So don't go too far."

She kissed Bill briefly on the head, said goodbye to Richie, and was off.

Richie turned to Bill, grinning. "See? That's how it's done."

----

The next few days were great for Bill. Richie helped him make his first potion, cast his first spell (since the wards on Diagon Alley made it exist outside The Trace, another thing that was explained to Bill), and even ate his first magical candy.

Bill and Richie got to know each other very well. They just clicked, like they were meant to be together. Within the first two days, Richie had shown Bill his second wand (a dogwood and thunderbird tail feather that used to be his great grandmother's, but had chosen him), and Bill had spilled his guts about the tension in his family home and the weird ways his accidental magic expressed itself. Though, he did wait until the third day to tell Richie about Pennywise, and didn't tell him about his weird connection to snakes at all. The book Richie had given him said Parseltongue wasn't exactly the most loved magic.

When Bill got home, he spent every moment he could reading, pouring through his text books and all the extra material Richie had given him.

There was only one day when Bill took a break. His mother and father were slightly more attentive now, actually noticing if Bill went missing for more than a day and a half, but Bill still managed to slip away, catching a bus about an hour out into the countryside. He got off in front of a small village, surrounded by fields of crops.

The map told him that the town was called The Barrens.

Bill wandered down the Main Street, getting to the end, where the road bled into another field of some sort of tall crop, that was about three times Bill's height. It thrummed with an energy that Bill had become familiar with over the past month. Glancing to either side, Bill plunged into the crop.

He only took three steps before he was in a new village.

This street, though far less populated than the last, pulsed with an energy that non magical - muggle, he had to remember the terminology - lacked.

Bill walked through the main street, taking slow steps as he took in the shops. It wasn't nearly as lively as Diagon Alley, and its energy was more subtle and pulsing. Diagon Alley felt like the rapids, whilst the Barrens were more like an underwater trench or the oldest tree in a forest.

Bill checked, his watch, realising that he only had time to visit one shop if he wanted to be back by dinner.

He ducked into the first one he came across on his left - The Cave of Wonders. The bell dinged as he stepped in and Bill had to squint at the sudden change in light. The day had already been overcast, but the lighting in the store was positively gloomy. It was packed with stacks and piles of strange looking objects.

Bill glanced around, but couldn't find any attendant.

"Hello?" he asked, thinking back to an observation Richie had made on their third day in Diagon Alley.

"Big Bill?" he asked, shaking Bill out of the trance he had adopted as he tried desperately not to fuck up yet another potion.

"Yes?" Bill replied, restraining himself from snapping only because there was a minute and a half wait between the next ingredient.

"You said you've never been able to kick the stutter."

Bill frowned. "I t-told y-you that I've h-had it ever s-since that car hit me when I w-was three."

"I know. I know," Richie said placatingly. "It's just that, you don't stutter all the time."

"W-what?"

Richie glanced down. "When you do voices - y'know when you pretend to be someone different like I do - you don’t stutter. Not even ridiculous voices though - you don't stutter when you copy how I speak in front of adults."

Bill's jaw dropped down and he openly gaped at him.

Richie smirked. "Just think about it."

Bill continued staring at him in shock.

"You needed to the add bitter root five seconds ago."

Bill jumped into action, throwing the chopped root into the cauldron and madly scrambling to apply some of the counter-measures to mistakes that Richie's Potions Master father had taught him over dinner the night before.

"Screw you, Trashmouth."

"You're welcome."

"Is anybody there?" he asked, all the while forcing himself to pretend to be someone else.

There was no answer and Bill continued to wind through the confusing store, occasionally pausing to examine an object, but never daring touch any of them. That was until he got to the back of the store and found a wall covered in artefacts set on stands. One near the centre which caught Bill's interest in particular was a wand. It's wood had been painted black with runes etched in swirls up its almost rectangular shape revealing the shockingly white would beneath. Without thinking, Bill reached out his hand, brushing his fingers along its handle. Immediately, a bright grey and emerald green light burst from the end of the wand, casting the whole store in an unearthly glow.

Bill jumped, back, staring in horror as the stacks began to shift, clearing a path through the shop to the counter, where a black-haired woman with dark skin, no older than thirty sat.

"I'm-I'm sorry," he said. "I just t-touched it."

"That's alright," she assured him, walking up to him, with objects seeming to skitter out of her path as she approached. "It's no crime in having a wand choose you."

Bill frowned, confused, though remembering to assume his practiced persona. "But I already have a wand."

The woman let out a musical laugh. "In theory any number of wands can choose a wizard. I know many purebloods have one or two backups. It's just harder to find multiple ones that choose you."

She came to a stop in front of him. "Titania Morgan, owner of this humble establishment. And who might you be?"

Bill took her outstretch hand. "William Denbrough."

The woman smiled. "Well Bill, let's see what I can do for you."

She paused when she saw the wand that he had been touching, but picked it up. "Ah, yes, a fine specimen that has been in my families collection for many years. The wand of Lady Morrigan Gaunt, made from yew and thestral hair."

She leaned closer to him. "Some say that Lady Morrigan was the last true ruler of House Gaunt. Legend around these parts states that she cursed the family around two hundred years ago when they tried to marry her off to her brother after she'd already chosen a partner (rumoured to be a muggle, quite scandalous!). Apparently she buried the family estate and most of their wealth and secrets with it, which is why the house fell into such ruin this century/ They were left with only the summer house and a few dregs of the fortune."

Ms Morgan let out a sigh. "It's such a shame. They used to be the richest and most powerful family in all of Britain. But that title was conceded to the Blacks a century ago, and then the Malfoys more recently. Although, I here that the Potters are making a name for themselves, what with one twin in Slytherin and one in Gryffindor, as well as the whole Boy Who Lived business."

"How much for the wand?" Bill asked.

He had been glad for the information, but when it had started venturing into territory that he had already covered in the books, newspapers and magazines he had read, he tried to stem it. He really should be leaving soon if he wanted to catch the next bus.

Miss Morgan smiled kindly. "Nothing. I'm glad it could be of use again. Wands like that aren't made to be left lying around."

Bill furrowed his eyebrows, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he thanked Miss Morgan and left the store before she could change her mind.

----

He spent the rest of summer studying, steadily developing a routine.

He would, as usual, wake up before his family, finishing his breakfast and beginning his reading on the couch by the time Georgie and is parents had woken - usually this material would be the Daily Prophet or one of the other editorials he had subscribed to - he had taken a liking to the Quibbler, the drawings and suggestions, though often most likely false, or at least weird extended metaphors that Bill only scratched the surface of grasping, reminded him of comic books and the writing was always engaging.

Then, when his family was done, Bill would make the dishes wash themselves, without getting up from his seat on the couch. The endeavour would usually give him a headache, and wasn't always successful depending on the amount of sleep he had gotten the night before, but it felt goodt o knowingly use magic, sought of like stretching a muscle.

Then he'd grab a few books, usually a mixture of school material and the stuff Richie had gotten for him at the store in Knockturn Alley, and find a quiet place in the neighbourhood where he wouldn't be disturbed.

He'd come back home for lunch, which he would either have with Georgie and his family, or prepare himself and take outside if his parents were at work (and Georgie, consequently was at a friends or relatives' house as his parents would never dare leave him alone).

Then, he would take his cauldron into the shady corner of the backyard behind the tree where he couldn't be seen from any of the windows, and practice his potions for a while. He'd needed to sneak back out to the Barrens two weeks before school began to restock his ingredients at the apothecary, making sure to duck into The Cave of Wonders to say hi to Miss Morgan (who asked him to call her Titania) and buy something small, which ended up being a deck of tarot cards.

He'd spent the last dregs of the afternoon and the time just before and after dinner sketching, riding Silver, or playing games with Georgie before finally finishing his day by replying to Stan, Richie and Eddie's letters, which came every couple of days.

He didn't make time for creative writing, since he'd been experiencing some writer's block of late. He was having trouble thinking up fantasies when his whole life seemed to have become one. Though, he had poured his writing efforts into keeping diligent notes and diaries of what he found most interesting about the wizarding world: the weird news and politics, the craziest spells, the most fantastical creatures, and all of his (mostly failed) experiences in potion making.

This routine was shattered thought, on the day of September 1st.

He jolted upright in his bed at 5:00 AM in the morning, with one thought on his mind.

He was going to Hogwarts.