Past, Present...Destiny

The next morning, Alana woke up to someone shaking her lightly. She groaned and cracked her eyes open. It was Mrs. Dawson. "Wake up dear... Your father is taking you shopping today. I'm coming along to help..." Alana slowly sat up, confused. Wouldn't Sheridon be... hung over, or at least tired from the previous night? She dragged herself out of bed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and dressed in a denim skirt and black t-shirt, and her old sneakers, and wore her hair in a high, messy pony tail. She went downstairs, with her supplies list, to the dining room.
There was already a plate of waffles, a pitcher of maple syrup and some apple juice on the table. Mrs. Dawson said they had to get there as early as possible because there was lots to buy, so Ally ate quickly. After about 20 minutes Sheridon came down. He was dressed in a light, white collared buttoned shirt with blue pinstripes, tailored, crisp khaki pants and dark brown oxfords. His hair was just combed, and some strands of hair were falling in his face. He would have looked like a regular Muggle if it weren't for the collar on his shirt. It was turned up, but it went down the front of the shirt as well, sort of like a suit, and was a little vampire-esque, but not in a scary way. It was a very casual look, for him at least.

They flooed to Diagon Alley, and by lunch they bought all Alana's books, quills (beautiful eagle, peacock and parrot feathers, and a self-inking quill for emergency assignment cramming and such), ink, parchment (regular and fancy, thick paper with different designs for whatever), a cauldron, a set of crystal phials, a beautiful telescope made out of stainless steel, and a set of brass scales. Rather, it was mostly Mrs. Dawson who picked the items out. Sheridon just approved them (usually he wanted the most expensive and high quality things for Alana) and paid for them. They went into Madam Malkin's, and for some reason Alana hoped that she would bump into Sirius again. She was a little disappointed that she didn't, but then again she'd see him at Hogwarts... She was fitted into tons of robes- four thin ones for summer, four of medium thickness, and three made of tweed and wool for winter. They also got her a fox fur lined cloak with a hood and real silver fastenings and buttons. Along with that, they purchased three plain white school shirts (collared and buttoned), three skirts, three pairs of pants, three pairs of capris, a whole bunch of stockings and socks, a pair of black school shoes, a pair of brown school shoes, and a pair of leather knee high boots. She also got a pointed black satin school hat, silver dragon hide protective gloves and regular gloves lined with minx fur for everyday wear. (ok well that's not exactly regular... but o well)
For casual wear on the weekends they bought her the latest preteen fashions for the rich girl in the magical London world. This included bright accessories, pastel tops and neutral bottoms, and shiny shoes. All of these clothes were made of the finest material Alana felt a little guilty that Sheridon was spending so much on her, no matter how rich he was. "But... it's so much..." Alana said, a little overwhelmed. Both her and Mrs. Dawson were pushing a cart, full of all her clothes and supplies.
"Of course... You can't go wearing Muggle clothes and thin robes all the time can you?" Sheridon asked.
"But how am I going to carry it all?"
"... We'll get you a special trunk." He led them to a store called Zipe and Bueckel's Luggage and Baggage. He picked out a large rectangular trunk with wheels and an extendable handle. It was made of burgundy colored leather with dark blue trim and silver gild work. He had Alana's name punched into the leather on the top. When it was done, she had a closer look at it. The silver work along the side of the lid was actually a row of numbered key holes, seven altogether. Sheridon handed her a set of keys, each with corresponding numbers to the key holes.
"This will be perfect for all your things... Each key opens up a different part of the trunk." the salesperson explained. "So if you unlock key hole one, put something in, then close it then open up key hole five, the item will always be in one. You can separate and organize your school things much easier then with a normal case."
"Thank you." she smiled. They tested it out, loading her books and clothes into it. It worked perfectly, and was surprisingly light.

They had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, a small, shabby inn just outside of Diagon Alley. It smelled a little of smoke, all sorts of food and coffee. All sorts of people were gathered there, including one woman with a dark hood, wild flying hair, and long, dirty nails who pinched her cheek, much to her dismay. She was surprised that Sheridon would eat in someplace in this condition, but it seemed like everyone who went to Diagon Alley went there to chat or have a bite to eat. Alana looked over her new things, and felt pretty elated. She had never gotten so many new things at one time before.
"Now, Mrs. Dawson, take Alana to Ollivander's. Meet me at Quality Quidditch Supplies." Sheridon said, giving Mrs. Dawson a few galleons. She nodded, and took Alana's hand and led her to a small, dingy shop called Ollivander's- Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. The outside of the store was painted black, with gold letters. It seemed a little unkempt, because the paint was peeling off so much that the sign wasn't too visible from across the street.
A bell sounded as Alana and Mrs. Dawson entered. The inside was dimly lit, despite the large window in the front of the shop, which needed dusting and a good shine badly. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with thousands of narrow boxes of different colors. They all even had their own tags, like 'Willow, 10", centaur hair core', or 'Thistlewood, 8.5", rather brittle'. Alana looked more closely, and it seemed not one of them had the same label. Out of one of the rows of these boxes came an old, eerie looking man. His hair was white and a little frazzled, and he had a shiny bald spot on the top of his head. But most noticeable were his moon-like eyes.
"Molly Dawson! Pine, 8 and three quarter inches, core of bowtruckle arms, good for plant charms..." the man said liltingly.
"Mr. Ollivander... It has been quite some time. I haven't seen you since my little Mark was in first year." Mrs. Dawson smiled. "This is Sheridon Clavering's daughter, Alana."
"Hmm yes... His was Magnolia wood, 11 inches, Veela hair core. Quite peculiar, because of his masculine personality But then again all his family has been picked by wands with Veela components." Alana thought this was a bit of a bizarre comment. Wands picking their wizards? Mr. Ollivander walked over to one wall, pulled out a box and took out a wand. He gestured for Alana to sit on the stool in the middle of the room. "Peachwood. 9 inches, Veela scale center." he muttered, handing it to Alana. She held it, not sure what to do. "Well, give it a wave!" he said, a little annoyed.
She complied timidly. Nothing happened. He took the wand back, put it back in the box and back on the shelf, and took out another box. "Sycamore, 8 inches... Veela hair core." Alana gave it a swish, and the stool gave way under her and she fell face forward. One of the legs had snapped. Mr. Ollivander took it back quickly, repairing the stool with his own wand. He gave her many different wands to try, but none of them gave the result he was looking for. "I wonder..." he murmured, going back for another box. "This is one of the very few wands ever made with this sort of material, since you can't be sure if it is a real magical ingredient..." He handed her a wand. It was made of white wood with brown stripes, and was polished and had a slight sheen to it.
She gave it a wave, and a bunch of colorful sparks flew out of the end. "This is the one for you... Birch wood, 12 and one half inches, abnormally long mind you, with... The core is supposedly the feather of... a fallen angel. I was skeptical when I came across the wand, which was made by my great uncle many generations back..." Alana held it up in the light. Her hand felt sort of drawn to it. She smiled. It was so odd, thinking of herself as a witch, but it felt so natural at the same time. Her new life was starting.
Mrs. Dawson paid Mr. Ollivander. Alana shook his hand, and he eyed her with a mysterious, peculiar stare. "You are a rare girl, Ms. Clavering." he said quietly. She cocked her eyebrow, and said goodbye. After that, Alana and Mrs. Dawson walked to Quality Quidditch Supplies to meet Sheridon. In front of the store was a glass case, displaying the Nimbus 1000, the broom that all the Quidditch players at the Cup used. A whole bunch of people were crowded around, admiring it, including James.
She tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey."
"Hey, isn't this amazing? I haven't seen one up close... It's not fair that first years don't get to bring brooms, you know?"
"I guess... Anyways I'm going to meet... my dad." she said, a little strained. It still felt weird, saying dad instead of mum... of course, since she hadn't had a father for her whole life until about a week ago. They edged into the crowded shop. Ally didn't notice the other boy whose nose was pressed against the glass, and he didn't notice her. However, it was odd how often they crossed paths.
In Quality Quidditch Supplies, Sheridon was surrounded by adoring fans, begging for autographs, people shaking his hands from either side. Women were flirting and men hoping to have some of his glory rub off on them. Normally the Keeper of a team isn't given nearly as much attention as say the Seeker or the head Chaser, but Sheridon was an exception, because of his looks and nobility and easy charm. He spotted Alana and Mrs. Dawson through the swarm of fans.
"I'm sorry everyone, I must leave... Lots to do. Have a charming day everyone." Everyone practically hugged him goodbye as he made his way to Alana and steered her out of the store, holding a large cardboard box.
what's in the box?

The three of them made their way to a picnic area, and they sat down at a picnic table. "So did you get your wand?" Sheridon asked, setting the box down carefully in front of Alana. "Yup... Birch wood, 12 and a half inches. And... a fallen angel's feather core. If that's real..." He looked at her quizzically, not sure if she was joking or not. He changed the subject.
"Here's your birthday present." he said, pushing the box gently towards her. It was about one and a half feet tall and 1 foot wide, and there were holes along the sides. She pried open the lid and inside was some sort of cage. She took the handle on the top, pulled it out, and gasped. Inside was a small, black owl with little sparkly gold feathers. It had bright yellow eyes and a smart little beak. It hooted, happy to finally be out of the dark box. She cried in surprise.
"He- Is it a boy or girl?"
"Boy."
"Hes so cute!" she exclaimed. "Can I take him out?" Sheridon nodded, handing her a small key. Alana unlocked the small door to the brass cage and the owl hopped onto her hand. Its talons were a bit sharp. It gripped on delicately, yet firmly enough to be stable. It tipped its head to the side, studying her.
"There are some owl treats in the box too." Sheridon said. She looked inside and brought out little brown and green pellets. There was also some hay for the bottom of the cage, and a booklet on how to take care of owls.
"Thank you!" she grinned, petting the little bird, which hooted contently.
"You should name him." Mrs. Dawson suggested. When they had browsed the Astronomy store earlier, Alana remembered reading a poster that had different constellations on it. The owl looked like the night sky full of stars, and she remembered a constellation, Cygnus, that was 'The Swan', which is a type of bird, so it sort of matched.
"How about Cygnus... Siggy for short." The owl hooted again, as if in agreement. "Alright... Siggy it is." she smiled. The last place they went to was Scelia's Salon. They had Alana's hair cut chin length- it was a major difference, and made her look more put together. It was getting late, and Mrs. Dawson had to be getting home, so they flooed separate ways. Alana happily brought her things up to her room (well actually Mixie floated them up and Alana carried part of the things), and looked everything over.
She felt so lucky to have all these luxurious things, and it was just for everyday school stuff. Would other people at Hogwarts be like this? Would she be able to fit in? She was brand new to the whole magical world, and felt pretty scared, but still extremely excited. I'm going to do magic!
"Alana," Sheridon started. "You still have about 2 months left till school starts... Do you want to start your lessons?"
"... Sure. That'd be great." "Excellent. I thought that you were old enough to choose your lessons so... You have to pick a dance, an instrument and some hobby."
Alana thought about it all day, and finally decided on ballet, piano and art lessons. So, the next two months, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she had ballet lessons in the dance studio she had seen that one night. The whole space was a stretch of polished hardwood floor. The walls were lined with large mirrors and balancing bars, and the other walls with large windows, so it was always sunny and bright. Alana's teacher, Miss Ashwood, was a young woman in her early twenties. She was patient and gentle, but she was very set on little details. Alana's positions had to be exactly right, feet exactly at the right angle... An old phonograph played music in the background as Ally's lessons lasted for about 2 hours each. It was tiring, but she was catching up to what the standards for girls her age were that had been dancing for many years.
Then she had piano lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mr. Stapleton. He was strict, but taught well. All she had done during those two months was learn how to read music notes and where your hands go basically, and maybe a simple song or scale here and there. However, it was necessary if she wanted to play well. She had to get the fundamentals perfect.
Lastly, she had art lessons on Saturdays, with Mr. Corwin. He was a young, calm man, a little hippy-ish, and even encouraged her to call him by his first name, Paul. He introduced her to sketching first, then moved onto pastels, drawing still and live things. There were so many things to draw- from the chandelier or the horses or the beautiful lake... All these lessons might have seemed like too much at first, but after the two hours of lessons she had nothing else to do really, except go for walks, look over her course books, or read from the library. Of course, Sheridon being a wizard, he had no tv, only a magical radio of sorts, Wizard Wireless. Other then that, she had all the time in the world.

By September 1st, Alana and Sheridon were on speaking terms again, or at least things weren't awkward between then anymore. It was the day that she would finally go to Hogwarts. She met Sheridon in the dining room for breakfast as usual, still in her pajamas. Her face was flushed and lively- she couldn't wait.
"Here's your ticket." Sheridon said, handing her a small slip of paper.
It said... "9 and three quarters? Is that a real platform?"
"Yes... All you do is... Well I'll explain when we get there." he said shortly. "By the way, you should wear Muggle clothes there and change on the train, because we have to go through a Muggle train station."
So, they finished breakfast, got dressed (Alana wore some new jeans and a new breezy blue poncho with a white shirt underneath, which was quite fashionable at the time. Sheridon wore a thin sand colored peacoat and slacks), packed her stuff that had already been labeled by Mixie (basically just the magical trunk and Siggy in his cage) in an old vintage yet somehow magical black car (yes Sheridon could drive... He had to), and set off. The car ride was silent. Alana had expected him to maybe give her a little advice on school work, or getting along with other kids... or at least to stay out of trouble or something. But he said nothing.
They reached King's Cross Station. There were many people racing around trying to catch their trains. Alana noticed a few people with owls. She followed Sheridon to platforms 9 and 10. They were archways with big plastic numbers, and electronic billboards that showed arriving and boarding times. In between them were brick barriers. Her aunt and uncle, Heather and Geoffrey, with Alana's cousin Harper, were there, and looked like they were waiting for them with Harper's trunk and owl. They were all dressed in stylish Muggle clothes that didn't quite match.
"Hello Heather, Geoffrey, Harper." Sheridon greeted, nodding to them all. They smiled back.
"Harper," Heather said, glancing at Harper, who looked back a little halfheartedly, "agreed to accompany you," she addressed Alana, "on the train. So you wouldn't get lost in the crowds or anything." Alana smiled shyly at Harper, who smiled reluctantly back. She could tell he would rather be alone with his friends, not be some chaperone to a little kid. Geoffrey and Heather hugged Harper goodbye and left. Then Sheridon addressed Alana again.
"Now Ala-"
"Excuse me!" they heard a girl speak. Alana turned and saw a girl her age, with thick dark red hair, reaching her shoulders, a few freckles, pink tinted skin (from excitement and anxiety probably) and brilliant almond shaped green eyes. She was very pretty, Alana had to admit.
"Yes?" Sheridon asked.
"I saw that you had owls and..." she said hesitantly. A couple, who must have been her parents, and a bony blonde girl a few inches taller then the one who approached, stood behind. The parents looked a little doubtful, yet proud, while the girl who must have been her sister had a scornful, yet almost jealous look on her face. "I hoped that you knew about this-" she said, holding up a ticket identical to Alana's.
"You want to know how to get onto the platform? Oh, well it's quite easy." Sheridon said, surprisingly warm. Alana felt a little twinge in her stomach. The girl nodded. "Don't worry, my daughter Alana is in first year too. Now, all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between 9 and 10. You'll go right through," he explained. "You are Muggles, I presume?" he asked politely, addressing the parents. They nodded, a little embarrassed. "And you want to see her off right?" "Of course." they said. "So..." Sheridon paused. He didn't know her name.
"Lily." the girl introduced herself.
"Lily, you will have to take hold of your family since... Well, I can take your parents through and you can take your sister. And Alana can manage herself, right?" he said, finally looking down at her. She nodded, feeling a little left out. "Well, why don't you girls go first? Then Harper can follow." They all agreed. Alana took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, feeling extremely stupid. I'm going to crash into this solid brick wall and everyone in this whole station's going to think I'm mental...she thought as she walked in the direction of the wall, followed closely by Lily who was holding onto her resentful sister's arm.
After a few seconds she still didn't feel anything, and suddenly she heard the whistle of a train and the chugging of wheels. She pried open her eyes, and the sight made her gape in awe. There was a large scarlet steam engine, with a seemingly endless trail of cars (passenger seats in separate boxes'). Steam was starting to billow out of the stacks, so the train must have been getting started up. Throngs of people were mulling around- students catching up after their summer holidays, others packing their things in the train, and some just talking with friends.
Lily was soon behind her, and was just as astonished as she was. Her sister looked amazed as well despite herself, and her parents had tears in their eyes- they couldn't have been more proud. And Sheridon was calm and casual as usual, but was actually genuinely smiling at Alana.
"Well, you two better get on the train now," he said, giving Harper a stern look, telling him silently to take care of them, Alana in particular of course. "Best get good seats before it's all packed."
Lily hugged her parents goodbye and waved to her sister (who didn't return it). Alana said bye to Sheridon. She wasn't sure whether to hug him or not, so she didn't, said nothing else, and boarded the train with Lily. Alana had a giant lump in her throat. Inside the train, there was one straight aisle in the middle, and on the sides shiny caramel colored wooden slide doors, with foggy glass windows. It was pretty quiet, since not many people had gotten on yet (because it would be about an hour before the train left, at 11 o'clock).
"Umm... Alana?" Lily asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can I uhh... Sit with you? Cuz I don't know anybody and..."
"Sure." Alana said, pretty surprised, but happy. I might actually make some friends. As the train pulled away, Sheridon felt his heart swell, yet he felt sad. If only Ada were here... He felt he should have said more to her, some words of encouragement, anything parent like. She was actually his now... He wished more then anything that this moment could have been shared with her mother. I always thought she'd be there, and when the time would finally come for Alana to go to Hogwarts Ada would forgive me and... Sheridon sighed, took Lily's parents back through the barrier to King's Cross Station, and then he left.

They followed Harper to a booth. It had plush red seats on the two sides (not facing the doors) and a window in the middle, opposite the doors. They set their trunks under the seats and their owls on the seats beside them.
"Lily Evans." the other girl said brightly. "And this is Kiwi." she said, gesturing to her brown spotted owl. Kiwi and Siggy were observing each other.
"Alana Clavering." Ally said. "And this is Siggy, my owl, and my cousin Harper." Lily smiled at Harper, blushing.
"Nice to meet you. Oh, I couldn't believe I got a letter... I mean I've always been able to do weird stuff but I didn't think it was magic!" Lily rambled. "And it's like... Who could have ever guessed? I mean my parents are muggles, and I've never seen any wizards or anything till Hagrid visited... Anyways your dad's a wizard... You should know all about Hogwarts right? What's it like?"
"Actually..." Alana started. "I didn't know about it either... Cuz I grew up with my mum, who was a Muggle. It's a long story..." Actually, she didn't really know much of that story herself. "But I heard from some people that there's this ghost teacher..." They both talked about Hogwarts and all their questions about it for a while, when someone peered through the opening in the sliding doors and opened them.
"Alana!" It was James. His hair was messy as usual. He had his trunks beside him and a white snowy owl in a cage in one hand. He dragged his stuff in and sat down beside Lily, which surprised both the girls. "James Potter. Me and Alana know each other." he grinned, shaking Lily's hand.
"I could see that..." Lily smirked. "Lily Evans." Alana could tell James was taking a liking to Lily already. Once again... I'm going to be replaced. Ally thought, annoyed. They all talked as a group, but James was mostly paying attention to Lily. What did Alana expect? An attractive girl like that would captivate any boy immediately.
A few more minutes passed, and the doors slid open again. A boy with dusty blonde hair and a tired face stepped in.
"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." They all nodded. James introduced everyone. Remus sat beside Alana, setting his trunks down. The two of them started talking. Remus was a quiet boy, and very intelligent. She liked him, though she had the feeling like he was a little bit scared of being around others.
Harper yawned, and stood up. "Well, Alana, you look like you're settled enough." he announced, taking his things. "I'll just go find my other friends. And you should change into your robes in an hour or two. I'll see you when we get to school." He left the compartment rather hastily. Alana noticed Lily give his retreating back a dejected look.
The doors slid open one last time, and Alana's heart skipped a beat. It was Sirius, and beside him a very short, pasty, slightly twitchy boy with curly, mousy brown hair, a pointed nose and watery brown eyes.
Sirius spotted her and James, and his face lit up. "Hey guys!" He wheeled in his things. "I'm Sirius Black." he said to Lily and Remus.
"Peter Pettigrew." the little boy squeaked. To Alana's disappointment, Sirius sat next to James, in front of her, and Peter sat in the seat next to her. They all caught up on introductions, and the boys all started talking about Quidditch.
"What's Quidditch?" Lily asked. Immediately, James started explaining with such enthusiasm Alana couldn't help but laugh. She didn't notice, through all the commotion of all these new friends, that Sirius was watching her. He loved her smile. And when she laughed, her eyes sparkled like diamonds...
The whole train ride was a loud experience. James and Sirius cracked many jokes, resulting in peals of laughter from everyone, the voices from the other people on the train, the chugging of the wheels and the engine and the hissing of steam. They all- Alana, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, already changed into their plain black robes, were stuffing themselves with sweets from the Hogwarts Express trolley when the train slowed down to a stop. They all stepped out into the hallway.
"Everyone, leave your trunks and pets on the train. They will be taken shortly to your dormitories!" an older boy shouted. Ally and Lily walked together out into the throngs of students. A giant, hairy man, who stood about 3 feet above everyone, called out-
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! This way!" They gathered around him, most gawking at his size, including Alana.
"That's Hagrid, the grounds keeper." Lily said above the din. "He's awfully nice, even if he seems a bit scary. He helped me get set up with all the Diagon Alley things and everything." All the first years followed Hagrid through a dark, narrow path to the edge of a lake, where all these tiny boats were bobbing. They each had a lantern hanging off the front, which set an eerie glow to the place.
"No more'n four people to a boat, mind!" Hagrid said. Lily climbed in a boat, and Alana was about to sit next to her when James ran up and took her spot. Alana shook her head, sitting in the seat in front of Lily instead. Then, she saw Sirius walk up and sit next to her.
"I guess I'll sit next to you then," he murmured. "Let's give James and Lily a chance shall we?" he laughed. Alana giggled. James was quite smitten with her at this point...

The boats skimmed over the dark, glittering waters of the lake.
"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled again, as they traveled under a mass of hanging ivy. Sirius wasn't paying attention, and got tangled in it. Alana laughed as she helped him get free of them. He was quite cute when he was flustered. Then suddenly, the glowing towers of the castle loomed up. The lights from thousands of tiny windows shone and reflected over the water. It was truly magical. All the kids ooh'ed and aah'ed. The boats touched the shore, and they got out and followed Hagrid inside. A burst of warm air surrounded them as they were met by a stern looking witch, with dark hair and a manner of which you didn't want to cross. "Here are the firs' years Professor." Hagrid greeted with a smile.
"Thank you Hagrid... I'll take them from here."