Chapter Text
She sighed softly to herself and pushed her glasses up into her hair as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. She'd brought this upon herself, really, smarting off to the teacher. Not that she couldn't handle another essay. She just really did not feel like it, especially not at this time...
"Hanji, dear, could you come here a minute?"
"Yes, Mama," she called, grateful for the excuse to stop writing, at least for a few minutes. She walked downstairs to the sitting room, where her parents were, her father boredly playing with a candle flame with his wand tip.
Much to her mother's exasperation, he'd spent most of their daughter's life playing with magic; though he insisted it was to show her that there was a fun side to it and it didn't always have to be about stuffy classrooms and boring repetitions and grueling tests.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked.
"Yes, we were--" She paused and smacked her husband's wrist lightly. "Will, stop playing around," she chided. "We were wondering what you wanted to do for your eleventh birthday."
Eleventh birthdays were always important milestones in the family: when the child received their acceptance letter to Hogwarts.
With a Muggle mother, the day was even more important to Hanji. Having not hown any sort of magical proclivity before then, if one didn't count her seemingly boundless curiosity and wit, her eleventh birthday would mark the day she either began her training in magic or chose her path in the Muggle world. Being a Squib wouldn't be too bad, she'd reasoned. At least she could learn about both.
"I don't know," she mused, reaching up to pull out her hair tie to readjust her hair as she thought. "I could use a new pair of trainers though," she said idly.
Her mother rolled her eyes as her father snorted in laughter. "Be serious, Ro."
The brunette sighed. "I really don't know, Mama. Just getting some books would be nice. But should we really plan anything before we know whether or not I've been accepted to Hogwarts?"
"She makes a good point, Jen," William said. "There's no point in--"
"It's a week until her birthday, Will. Besides, an owl can find us, right?"
"Well, yeah, but--"
"Honestly, Mama, I don't wanna go anywhere. I have school work to do and stuff."
"Oh, fine," Jennifer sighed, crossing her arms in exasperation.
"I'll go back to my work now. Sorry, Mama..."
"It's fine."
She truly was though. As much as she liked visiting Muggle museums and just touring different places, she was just as happy, if not happier, curled up in the sitting room with her father discussing anything that came to mind. She just preferred not to interact with people unless she absolutely had to. Not many people other than her family could even deal with her near-constant questioning.
-
Soon it was the day before her birthday, and it found her and her father in the backyard. He was letting her play with his wand, gently correcting her movements as she continued rattling off question after question.
Because of their proximity to Muggles, she'd never really tried to cast any spells, and never having performed any unintentional magic they were still unsure if she'd ever have her own wand. But she really wanted to try it.
"Daddy, can I try a spell? Just a small one?"
"Well..."
"Please?" She looked up at him with what he'd continually called her puppy dog eyes. "I promise the Muggles won't see. We have a fence."
William sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. But nothing too flashy, all right?"
"Yes, sir," she answered, before turning her attention to her father's wand, tossing about ideas in her mind. "Ah, yes, that should work." She pushed up the sleeves of her shirt before pointing the wand at a toad that had hopped into view. "Accio toad!"
Nothing happened for a moment or two, and her face fell, before the toad flew across the yard to slap her in the face. She blinked as the creature slid back down to the ground before giving a very disgruntled croak and hopping away.
"Did...did that just happen?"
"Pretty sure."
The resulting squeal brought her mother racing outside to figure out what had happened. "You told me you were just showing her wand techniques! What did you do?" she cried, sounding terrified.
"I SUMMONED A TOAD!" Hanji cried, bouncing excitedly and waving her arms as her father laughed.
"You...what?"
"I SUMMONED A TOAD, MAMA!" She calmed down a little, though still quivering as she tried to contain her excitement. "Look! Accio toad!"
The toad let out a very irritated croak and kicked its legs in frustration as she caught it in her free hand.
"That's...amazing. I'm so-- Ro, please let the poor thing go. He's not very happy."
"Oh! Sorry!" She let the toad go, setting it down on the ground where it let out a very loud croak before disappearing back into the bushes. She watched him disappear before squealing again and bouncing over to give her father his wand before skipping inside.
-
"Isn't it strange though?"
"What? That she couldn't perform magic until now?"
"Mhmm."
"I don't think so. Some people are just late bloomers. And it wasn't as if we tried forcing it out of her. We've loved her and nurtured her, and allowed her to grow at her own pace. Not showing magical ability until nearly her eleventh birthday may be odd, but the data on the 'proper' time a magical child should exhibit magic is so skewed tha--"
She stuck a hand over her husband's mouth to stop him. "Please. I get it. Bloody hell, no wonder you two get along so well." She rolled her eyes when she felt him smile against her hand.
-
The next day, around noon, Hanji was curled up in her favorite chair in the sitting room, a book and a few dozen notes scattered around her, as she tucked her quill behind her ear to point out a minor historical inaccuracy to her father. "See, Daddy?" she said, pointing to a bit of obscure text on the scrap of parchment. "There's no way that could have happened. This disproves it."
He took the parchment from his daughter's hand before frowning slightly. "I wish you would write your notes in something other than Latin, sweetheart. Your handwriting smudges the words together. You write so tiny when you get excited..."
Hanji giggled softly as her father continued mumbling to himself as he attempted to adjust the size of the writing so he could read it better. "Sure you're not just getting old, Dad?" she teased, grinning.
"Perhaps. But you should take pity on me for that."
Before she could respond, there was a tapping at the window. She glanced up, confused. "I don't recognize that owl..."
"Let 'em in," her father answered. "Grandma Roana may have been out in town when she sent your present."
"Mm, yeah, true," she mumbled, shifting her papers about so she could get to her feet. "You could be a bit more patient," she sighed as the owl rapped against the glass pane impatiently once again.
The owl's response was to give an annoyed, albeit muffled, hoot. The owl, a barn owl, she realized, rapped its wing against the pane again.
"Okay, okay! Don't break or window ya bloody bird," she grumbled, opening the window as the owl flew past her to land on the chair she'd just climbed out of. There was no package, only a somewhat small envelope. She read the address aloud. "Miss H. Zoë, South Wasserturmstraße , Zörbig , Anhalt-Bitterfeld." Still confused, she turned the letter over, nearly dropping it as she squealed. "It's from Hogwarts!"
Her father looked up at that. "Really now."
"YES!" she cried, almost tearing the envelope open as her mother came into the room.
"Letter?"
"Letter."
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcrer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)."
"Must she read all this?"
"She's your daughter."
"Ro, darling, please."
"Oh, right, sorry. 'Dear Miss Zoë ,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accept at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress."
"They mean next term, of course."
"I know, Dad," Hanji laughed, rolling her eyes, before crossing over to the desk and pulling out a piece of parchment, plucking her quill from behind her ear and writing out the necessary letter before turning to hand it to the owl. "Oh, here!" she said suddenly, reaching up onto a shelf in the bookshelves behind her to pull down a jar, taking the lid off and reaching inside. She pulled out a small star-shaped biscuit that she held out to the owl, causing it to look at her in confusion. "I know you traveled a long way to get here. I know it's not much, but could you think of this as my way of thanking you for all your hard work?" When the owl seemed to still be uncertain, she explained, "It's a treat I made for my grandma's owls. It builds back up your strength so you don't feel so exhausted on the trip back."
The owl seemed to be content with her explanation and began eating.
"Heh..." As she watched the owl as it accepted her gift, however, her face fell a bit.
"What's wrong, Ro?"
"...if I go to Hogwarts...then I won't be able to become a doctor and help people..."
"You could become a Healer and work at St. Mungo's," her mother said. "That's rather like being a Muggle doctor."
"No, I wanna help wizards and Muggles," she insisted.
William sighed. "Very well. We'll request a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, that sound fair? I'm sure he can come to a solution. Okay?"
"Okay..."
"Good. May I see the quill?"
She nodded and passed the quill to her father, watching as he pulled a fresh piece of parchment from the drawer, dipped the quill into ink and wrote out the letter before tying it carefully to the owl's leg and let it take off.
The owl gave Hanji's sleeve an affectionate nibble before spreading its wings and soaring through the open window.
-
A week had passed before another owl, this time an eagle owl, came, rapping its wing against the window of the sitting room just as the first owl had.
Hanji had been dozing in the arm chair near the fireplace, wrapped in her Triforce blanket, a cozy birthday present from her grandmother who knew she adored The Legend of Zelda. She opened her eyes. It was so cold, even near the fireplace. "Sawney, get that, please," she mumbled, trying to burrow deeper into the chair as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. The blanket had had a Self-Heating Charm placed on it, but apparently the cold winds the owl brought it through had tampered with it.
The cat yawned widely before climbing to his paws and leaping first onto a nearby table, then the desk, and finally the bookshelf just under the window before jumping up to bump open the latch and then pulling open the window, nearly being blown over by the icy wind that rushed through the open window. He quickly forced the window shut as soon as the owl was through, before nearly racing back to his spot before the fire, looking thoroughly irritated.
The owl landed on the side of her leg.
"...'ey, be careful o' the blanket," she mumbled. "What's this?" She took the letter from the owl. "Mr. W. Zoë , South Wasserturmstraße , Zörbig , Anhalt-Bitterfeld." She flipped it over to find the Hogwarts seal. "Oh." The owl fluttered away as she scrambled to her feet, pulling the blanket with herself. As she trudged into the kitchen, she held the letter out to her father, who was sitting at the table with a mug of tea. "It's from Hogwarts, Daddy," she said in explanation.
He nodded absently as his daughter scooted under his arm and into his lap, resting her head against his shoulder, as he opened the letter and read aloud so his wife, who was at the stove preparing breakfast for them, could hear. "Mr. William Zoë, As unorthodox as your request has been, Professor Dumbledore has agreed to fulfill it. However, as you know, none of us are free during term, so we wish to know if the date of July 22 is an appropriate time for you and your family. Please send your response as immediately as possible. Minerva McGonogall."
"Well, I can't think of anything I'm doing on that day, Will. And Ro wouldn't be stuck in school."
"Sweetheart, get me some parchment, ink, and a quill, please."
"Yes, Daddy," she replied, climbing out of his lap and trudging out of the room, re-entering a few minutes later with the things he'd asked for. "I'm gonna go care for the owl, okay?"
"All right, Ro."
She nodded and walked out of the room, back into the sitting room. She tossed her blanket onto the chair she'd abandoned not much earlier and crossed the room to retrieve the jar from the shelf. "I wonder if I should feed you first," she mused. "Mum and Dad might take a while with the letter."
There was a soft scratching noise as her hamster, Bean, trundled into the room, traversing one of his tubes. He stopped at a junction in the tubes and sat back on his haunches before scratching at the tube's wall.
"Oh, d'you wanna come out, Beane?" she asked. When she got a squeak in response, she flipped open the latch on the little door flap and let him scurry up her arm to her shoulder where he nuzzled against her neck, causing her to giggle, before slipping into the hood of her jacket, tugging lightly at her ponytail. She smiled softly before turning her attention back to the owl. "Would you like a mouse or two? Maybe Sawney would be kind enough to catch them for you?"
The cat made a sound in the back of his throat before getting up, turning his back to her and promptly laying down once more.
She rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He's a grouchy furball with communication issues," she said. "I'll get some for you myself."
"Rrow..."
She glanced over at her cat. "What is it? Are you going to hunt for our guest?"
"Mrow." He turned and walked off, tail held high.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Here," she said, pulling out a biscuit and holding it out to the owl.
-
It was a long wait, frustrating at times since the end-of-year classes were usually all about reviewing, but eventually the day arrived.
Her mother was fussing over her unruly hair as her father grumbled something about being thankful that they were going by Floo Powder.
Jennifer glared at him over their daughter's head. "We have to make a good impression, William."
William laughed. "It's Professor Dumbledore, not Fudge! It's far better to be honest than stuffy."
Hanji giggled softly.
"You two are incorrigible."
"Fancy language for a southern belle."
"Oh, shut up."
After a few more minor arguments, William finally filed them through the Floo path and they came out in the headmaster's office.
"Nice to see you've broken your trend of being fashionably late."
He grinned. "It's good to see you, too, Professor."
The aged wizard on the other side of the table nodded and motioned to the chairs across from him. "Sit, please. Now, it has been brought to my attention that there is a problem with you starting at Hogwart this term, Miss Zoë."
"Well, yes sir," she began as she sat down. "You see, due to circumstances, I've spent most of my life preparing to be a Squib. Getting used to Muggle Schools, preparing for a career in the Muggle world. Things like that."
"Excuse me," Professor McGonagall interjected. "You're telling me that you spent eleven years of your life not performing any magic, even accidentally?"
The brunette shrugged. "We live around Muggles. My parents were always extremely careful about what magic was performed."
"I see..."
"But how does Hogwarts interfere with that?"
There was a look in those blue eyes that made Hanji curious, but she pushed it to the side and said "Because I want to help Muggles and wizards. I wanted to be a doctor, but..."
"You could always be a Healer--"
"I want to help Muggles as well," Hanji insisted.
"Why? Mu--"
"My mother is a Muggle!" Hanji cried, getting to her feet, eyes flashing indignantly. "And besides that, why do we sequester Squibs to begin with? They're born in the wizarding world, yet just because they can't go somewhere to learn magic, we kick them out of our world and into a world they probably have never known. Why is this fair?"
"It's better for--"
"Better for them?! It's no better than what Voldemort wanted to do before Harry Potter defeated him!" She ignored the witch's visible cringe. "By sending Squibs to live amongst Muggles we do exactly what Voldemort did when he demanded blood purity! We divide ourselves, and we'll fall to someone like Voldemort again. It's not right. We're all humans. So only some of us can perform magic, so what?" She slammed her hands on the table. "Why is it okay, and even encouraged, in some circles, for witches and wizards to marry Muggles, but any other time we have to stay away from them. Any other time, they're the enemy. But just as there are witches and wizards who do good, and witches and wizards that do evil, there are Muggles who make the same choices. If we don't stand together, then we'll be destroyed." She was breathing hard as she finished speaking. She hadn't intended to sound so disrespectful but that was an issue that hurt deeply. And if it took a little disrespect to fix it, then so be it.
Dumbledore steepled his fingers together before peering over his glasses at her. "You've thought long and hard about this, haven't you, Hanji?"
"Yes sir," she replied, nodding. "Ever since I received my acceptance letter."
He nodded once in acknowledgement before turning to his colleague. "Well, Minerva?"
"She's passionate, I'll give her that," the bespectacled witch said, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose before tucking a strand of raven hair that had fallen astray behind her ear. "But I'd advise her to refine her speech before confronting Cornelius about this."
He nodded in response. "Of course, it will take a powerful mind to convince even one body that change is necessary."
"And cunning."
"Not to mention loyalty."
"And perhaps a dash of recklessness."
Hanji frowned. "I'm not sure if you're taking a bet on which house I'd be placed in, but I'm fairly sure that's not the point of this meeting..."
"Correct. My apologies. The old mind seems to wander so." McGonagall looked as if she wanted to disagree, but held her tongue. "While I cannot promise the ascertainty of your ventures in the Muggle world, I can say that your greatest success in the wizarding world lies in graduating from Hogwarts. Get high enough marks on your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s and even Cornelius Fudge himself will want you around."
She nodded. "I understand, sir."
As they made to leave the way they came, Dumbledore set his hand on the girl's shoulder before speaking quietly into her ear. "Whatever your choices, only trust your mind to those who would live and die for you, Hanji Zoë."
She frowned slightly, unsure of what such a cryptic message could mean, but nodded, committing herself to analyzing it later. "I will, sir."
"Good." He patted her shoulder gently. "I look forward to seeing you on September first."
-
It was a few days more before they had the time to attend to her supply shopping, but since her birthday come after she was at Hogwarts, they decided to make a day of it and get her birthday present as well. After all, her mother had pointed out, owls could take such a long time to travel between Zörbig and Scotland. And they were already in Diagon Alley anyway.
Or, at least, Hanji and her father were. Her mother came as far as Muggle London, saying something about visiting a distant cousin and that Hanji and her father could use the time to bond.
The brunette fidgeted with her satchel a bit as she watched her mother disappear around the corner, leaving her husband and daughter to stand before the Leaky Cauldron.
"Buck up, dear," her father said, nudging her gently.
"She's family though..." she mumbled.
"Even if Diagon Alley accepts Muggle parents, your mother still feels out of place."
"It's not fair..."
"I know. But that's life right now."
She looked up at her father, determination shining bright in her eyes. "I'm going to change that. I swear it."
He smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Come on."
She followed him inside the pub and the older man behind the bar glanced up. "Ah, Will. It's been a while. This your daughter?"
William nodded. "This is Hanji. She's starting Hogwarts this year."
"Coming all the way out here? Durmstrang is much closer though."
"You know my family doesn't agree with that academy."
"Ah, right, right. Well, if you need a drink, you know where to find me."
William nodded before steering his daughter to the back of the pub. As he pulled out his wand, Hanji said, "Daddy, why are you in such a rush?"
"Tom is, well, he's a bit set in his ways. Reckon he'd send his kids to Durmstrang if he could. At least, that was how he always seemed to me."
She nodded and followed her father as he tapped on the correct brick and made his way into the Alley. "So, where to first?"
Well, first to Gringotts to get some spending money." He pased for a moment, frowning slightly. "Actually...yes, I think we'll do that."
"Hm?"
"We'll set up a secondary account for you, so that you can make these trips by yourself as you get older."
"And so I can learn to manage money?"
He chuckled. "If that happens, then we'll consider it another step."
She grinned. "'Kay, let's go!" She grabbed his hand and tugged gently as she weaved in and out of he crowds on the cobblestone street, reaching their destination a few minutes later. She studied the inscription on the doors for a moment as her father caught his breath, never once letting go of his hand.
"What's caught your attention, Ro?"
She pointed to the inscription.
"Ah, right. Y'd be mad to steal from goblins." Her grip on his hand tightened, so he gave her a comforting smile. "Just stay close, okay?"
She nodded and followed him inside, staring in wonder at the enormous marble hall. It wasn't long before they reached the main desk.
"Yes?" The goblin's voice had an odd quality to it, one that the young girl couldn't quite put her finger on, but was certain this was not a creature she wished to cross.
"I'm here to retrieve funds from vault 3543. Surname Zoë. Also, I would like to set up a secondary account for my daughter."
The goblin's fingers curled over the edge of the desk as it leaned over to leer at her. She suppressed the urge to swallow nervously and met those dark eyes that seemed to slice through her. "Name?"
"Hanji Zoë. H-a-n-j-i. Z-o-e. With an umlaut over the e."
Seemingly satisfied with her answer, it withdrew back into its chair to shuffle papers about for a few moments, before the scratching of a quill on parchment could be heard. After a minute or two of writing, it spoke again. "Date of birth?"
"September fifth, nineteen seventy-eight," she answered, keeping her eyes trained on the spot closest to where she could hear the sound of the quill.
After a few more minutes, the quill stopped and a drawer was pulled open and then shut, before the goblin's hand reappeared in her line of sight. "Do not lose this," it instructed, dropping the key into her palm as she held up her hand.
She nodded and slipped the key into her satchel.
"That is to Vault 518. Mr. Zoë, you shall be in charge of monitoring which funds are placed into Miss Zoë's vault. Griphook, take them to their vault!
"Follow me," another goblin said, motioning for them to follow him. It wasn't a very long trip down to the vaults and fairly soon they were back outside in the fresh air.
"Okay, where to first?"
Hanji pulled out the supply list. "Well... I need robes..."
"That could take some time. Tell you what. I'll drop you off at Madam Malkin's, and while you're there, I'll get your birthday present."
"All right."
He walked her to the shop and watched as she went inside before disappearing back into the crowd.
She sighed and glanced around the shop, amidst the half-garments hanging around the walls, which reminded her of a Muggle tailor's and she idly reasoned that the two weren't all that different. There wasn't a bell on the front desk, however, and the shopkeeper didn't seem to be around. She sighed softly before shifting through her satchel. Should have enough...
"Ah, a customer, Marvelous."
The brunette looked up at the sound of the voice.
"Hogwarts student?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Hmm, you're so tiny... Name?"
"Hanji Zoë."
"Ah, so you're William's daughter then," the old witch mused as she set about measuring her. "Then I suspect you'll have a nice growth spurt around your fifth year like he did." She nodded briefly before stepping away to the racks, muttering to herself. "So I take it you'll be taking dragon hide?"
"Yes ma'am," Hanji replied. "Can't study with boils on my hands, after all."
Madam Malkin laughed. "Just like your father." She stacked the clothing on the counter, sifting through the articles briefly. "That'll be twenty Galleons and ten Sickles, dear."
Hanji fished the money out of her bag and passed it to the old witch before thanking her and taking her purchase and leaving the store.
"Good luck, darling!" Madam Malkin called just before the door shut.
Hanji took the folded clothing and pushed it into her satchel. Eventually gotta learn that expanding charm myself... "Let's see, where to next." She glanced between Flourish and Blotts and Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. I should probably wait for Dad...
"Your mother's going to wonder what took so long."
"Oh, hey, Daddy." She turned to look at him. "Thought you went to get my present?"
"I did. Later though. For now, let's get your Potions supplies and then your books."
"What about my wand?"
"We'll save that for last."
"'Kay."
She followed him into the apothecary, trailing slightly behind him, taking in the surrounding potion ingredients with curious interest, as she heard him exchange a few cheerful words with the shopkeeper.
"Hanji, pay attention."
"Yes sir," she answered, regrettably dragging herself away from admiring a silvery horn.
"All right... So the cauldron will be fifteen Galleons, the scales will be thirty-one. Will you be purchasing glass or crystal phials?"
"Glass, please."
"Very well. Your total will be forty-nine Galleons."
She counted out the Galleons and handed them to the wizard, before setting the items into her cauldron and following her father out of the shop.
"All right, wrap your phials and scales in your robes and place them all in here," William said.
"Okay," she replied, doing as she was told and then watching as her father shrank the cauldron down and slipped it into his pocket. "There's no other way to carry it?"
"There may be. But this is easier for the moment."
They made their way into Flourish and Blotts and Hanji had to suppress a squeal of excitement at the rows and rows of books.
"Remember, Ro," William said, a small smile playing across his lips. "School books first."
"I know Da'," she said, but soon disappeared into the stacks. The libraries in Zörbig were great, but after six or so years, they got pretty repetitive. And her father made so few trips to London that quite a few authors could be found nestled on the shelves that she'd never heard of before. With a small sigh, she gathered the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 and Magical Theory, tucking them under her arm. A few rows down, she found A History of Magic, and A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, and then collected One Thousand Herbs and Magical Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. "Right...all that's left is..." She glanced around and spotted it, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, sitting on a shelf just out of reach. She frowned, before setting the books down, and stretched her arm out; her fingertips barely brushing against the binding of the spine. "Bloody hell," she swore quietly, trying to stretch further. "Dammit."
"Are you having issues, Ro?" her father laughed.
"Yes!"
William continued chuckling as he handed his daughter the book.
The brunette took the book before sticking her tongue out at him, gathering her books and walking o the front counter. She handed over the twenty Galleons for her purchases, before loading all eight books into her satchel.
"Ready to get your wand?" She nodded. "All right, let's go."
The bell dinged quietly as the door shut behind them. The shop was quiet, but Hanji would have sworn she could feel the magic humming through the still air. It was a nice feeling, like opening a really good book...
"Ah, William Zoë, it's been a while... Ah! This must be your daughter."
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander, my name is Hanji Zoë," she said politely.
"A very fitting name," the old wizard said, nodding. He moved over to the shelves, seeming to be searching for something. "Wand arm?"
"Right, sir."
"Let's see...yes, we'll start with this." He pulled a box from the shelves, opening it and taking out the wand.
"That's willow!" Hanji cried.
Ollivander seemed to be a bit caught off guard by her statement.
"Sorry, I know a little about wandlore," she explained nervously. "Willow is good for Charms work, they say."
"Right you are," he said. "Smart as a whip, just like your father."
She smiled, a small feeling of pride swelling in her chest, until she took the wand from the wizard. Her face fell slightly. "Sorry, sir, but...this doesn't feel right." She set the wand down on the counter carefully. "Sorry."
"...you can sense that?"
"Pardon?"
"You can sense a wand's allegiance?" the wizard elaborated.
"I suppose. A little, at least. I don't like using my father's, because it's not mine. Sorry, it's hard to explain..."
Ollivander nodded and they proceeded to try a few more wands. A few she refused to touch at all, and a few more sparked visciously the moment her fingertips brushed against them, causing the wizard to mumble under his breath before finally excusing himself to the back.
Hanji sighed and leaned back against the counter. "Why is this so difficult?"
"You're a peculiar child."
"Not helping, Dad."
"Here, try this," Ollivander said as he appeared once more. "Red oak and dragon heartstring. Swedish Shortsnout, if I remember. Twelve and three quarters inches and fairly flexible."
She took it from his outstretched hand and couldn't help but smile at the warmth that met her palm as she grasped it, the soft hum trembling into her skin.
"Is that it?" her father said as the shopkeeper watched her expectantly.
"Yes, it's perfect."
-
Six am on the morning of August thirty-first, her mother shook her awake gently. Her trunk had been packed the night before, at her mother's advice; she was known to stay up late reading or playing one of her handhelds in an effort to bring sleep and could be grouchy and slow the next morning. Her father had felt it would be simplest to drive to King's Cross, but that would be over a day's journey at best. "Mm, wanna sleep more, 'm tired," the brunette mumbled, burrowing under her pillow in protest.
Jennifer sighed. "We're leaving in an hour," she said, walking out the room.
Hanji sighed as the door shut and pushed herself into a sitting position, half-slumped over her knees as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. "So...early..." she mumbled, pushing the covers aside and swinging her legs off the side of the bed before stumbling out of her room and down stairs.
"The vampire has emerged. Careful, don't let her step into sunlight. She'll explode."
"Haha. Shu' up, Da'," the brunette mumbled, sitting, or rather, flopping ungracefully into her chair as her father ruffled her hair. She poured a bit of milk into her Müsli and spooned some sliced bananas and strawberries in before stirring it slowly.
"Juice or hot chocolate, sweetie?"
"Um, juice, please, Mama." She yawned again and rubbed her eye with the heel of her free hand before beginning to eat her meal.
"Ro?"
"'M? Ya, Da'?"
"Where's your light?"
She frowned for a moment, her hand trailing absently to the spot just below her collarbones where the collar of her pyjama shirt fell open just before the top button. Her fingertips fell against her bare skin. "Oh..." She laughed. "It's probably on my bedside table. I'll get it before we go, promise."
Her father nodded absently. "Why don't you take your Game Boy and a few novels? We're going to be on the road for quite some time. And you can always leave them with us when you get on the train."
"All right, Daddy." She finished her breakfast in silence before putting her dishes in the sink and excusing herself to go get ready. She came back down the stairs, having pulled a light sweater over her top and slinging her satchel over one shoulder.
"I'll move the trunk down to the car," William said.
The brunette nodded and walked back into the kitchen, dropping her bag into her chair. "Say, Mam? Have you seen Sawney?" she asked, looking around in curiosity.
"Hmm, no, sweetie, I haven't. Were you going to take him with you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"He may be in the sitting room, dear."
"Thanks, Mama," she said. She walked into the sitting room and, sure enough, there he was, curled up in the winged arm chair near the fireplace. "C'mon, boy," she said, crossing to the chair and picking him up, ignoring his protesting meow. "We have to go. I'll let you out when we get to Hogwarts."
"Mrow."
She rolled her eyes and carried him back to the kitchen. "Found him, Mama," she said as she pushed him into the travel crate and latched it, ignoring his growling.
Her father picked up the crate. "Go grab your things and let's go."
"Okay. Say, Daddy? May I take 'Salem's Lot and Misery?"
"Sure, just be careful with them."
She nodded, before taking her satchel and jogging upstairs to retrieve the two books, her Game Boy, Super Mario Land and Tetris, and loading them into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
"Come on, Ro, we need to get going."
"Coming, Dad," she called, snagging the corded necklace from her bedside table and pulling it over her head before sprinting out the door and downstairs.
-
"Ro. Ro, wake up dear."
"'Mm." Her mother was shaking her knee gently. "What is it?"
"We're here."
"Oh, all right... Mama, can you take my games?" Hanji asked, hodling the games out to her mother.
Her mother nodded and put them into her own bag.
"Come on," William said as he loaded the trunk and Sawney's crate onto the cart and walked into the station, his wife and daughter soon trailing close behind.
Hanji trotted forward and caught her father's jacket sleeve, leaning against him a little to avoid being overrun by the crowd. "Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you be mad if I didn't make any friends?"
"Depends. Do you want friends?"
"Daddy, my focus is learning. People tend to get in the way of that."
"I will never be mad because of any choice you make." He ruffled her hair gently. "Go on and do what you do best."
They helped her load her belongings onto the train before she hugged them both, waving goodbye and disappearing into the boarding crowd.