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The fire spat Daphne out into the rich carpeting. The luggage thudded behind her as her mother lowered her luggage to the floor. Daphne looked at the entry hall. The place which had been home, had felt welcoming was no longer warm.
“Let’s get your luggage back to your room and then we can talk to your father.” Daphne felt a laugh escape.
“I don’t think I should settle in mother.” Her mother’s shoulders hunched, and then she nodded and placed a hand on Daphne’s shoulder, guiding Daphne to the settee.
“I will talk with your– with Lord Greengrass in the parlor. You will wait here.”
Lady Greengrass walked down the north hallway and out of Daphne’s sight.
Daphne felt a clawing pressure upon her throat, and her vision blurred as tears and snot ran from her nose and eyes and she wiped them with her sleeve that was still damp from Astoria’s tears and her own. Was this house still her home? Would she be allowed to stay in her bedroom? Would she still be able to order Ollie around, or would her house elf be revoked? Where would she go to school?
'Yesterday I was fully consumed with my Transfiguration homework and the fight between Tracey and Terry, and now…What I wouldn’t give to be back in my dorm! I’ve lost two homes in a moment.’ Tears streamed and Daphne felt her chest become tighter. Breaths came in gasps in between the clenching in her throat. ‘No, I have to stop crying. Father hates it when I cry.’ Daphne forced her breath out of pursed lips and shuddered. She heard a small pop and hot tea appeared next to her. Daphne reached for the cup, but stopped, her right hand already was occupied with the letter from Dumbledore. Dumbledore had placed it there and said some quibble about how Hogwarts would always be her home. Daphne glared at the parchment. She couldn’t deal with this right now and shoved it into her robe pocket. Her Hogwarts robe pockets. Daphne grasped for the tea and brought it to her lips. Warmth spread down her fingertips.
The door across the hall opened, and Daphne gasped. She could count on one hand the number of times her mother looked anything less than fully presentable. Now her mother’s hair was out of its pins, her left cheek was bright red, and she walked with a fast limp. “Mother,” Daphne started.
“Daphne,” her mother stopped and sat down on the ottoman in front of her, “Daphne. Her mother continued. Her mother would never willingly put herself below her child. Not unless she was apologizing
“Mother, what is it?”
“Your father…Lord Greengrass has determined to revoke all of your titles. You no longer have access to the Greengrass name. Your fa-,” her mother closed her eyes and continued, “Lord Greengrass has revoked your access to the floo and will exclude you from the wards.”
“And what about you?” Daphne hissed. “What is ‘Lord Greengrass’ doing to you? Why am I the one paying for YOUR mistake? I didn’t do anything! I’m just as deserving as Astoria.” Daphne wailed. Her mother brought her in close and Daphne clung on and they sunk to the couch.
The wailing continued as Daphne burrowed her head into her mother’s shoulder. Her mother pet her hair and murmured quietly. “I am sorry. I am so sorry. There is nothing I can do to fix this.”
When the tremors subsided Daphne murmured into the cloak, “I wish you never had me. What was the point of having me if I wasn’t my fathers.” Her mother clutched her tighter.
They separated and her mother produced a handkerchief, wiped their tears and held Daphne’s face. “I love you. And I will always be in your corner. I never wanted to make your life difficult, but I can’t take back what I did. Lord Greengrass is quite hurt and may be more amenable to reconnecting in the future. He was not willing to…” her mother swallowed “No matter.” she withdrew a sack of coins from under her robes and passed her a bag of galleons. “I have been sequestering some extra for some time. Be frugal with it darling. I will apparate you to the International Inn in Craftsman alley. You should be able to keep a low profile there. I will see you tomorrow morning at 10. We will discuss the plan for you then.”
Daphne shook her head. “Mom, all of the reputable out of country schools are expensive, especially for halfbloods. Will fa- Lord Greengrass help?”
Her mother shook her head, grabbed her hands as she stood, “I don’t know. Let’s get your trunk and leave.”
---
The following morning, Daphne awoke to blinding sunlight streaming in through her window. She was disoriented for a moment, as sunlight never reached the dormitories in the dungeon–suddenly she remembered. Potion’s class. The potion. The Daphne of yesterday morning was a pureblood, completely ignorant to her true reality. One test, one piece of parchment, and the status and privilege that was rightfully hers- gone. With no more than a potion. A spilled potion on paper. And with it? Hogwarts, gone. Her name? Gone. Her friends? Likely never to associate with again. Her father? Daphne swallowed. She doubted she would ever talk to him about the family businesses again. She doubted he would ever look her in the eyes, or hold her again. Daphne rolled to her other side, to deny the sun access to her eyes, and blinked at the clock on the wall. 10 minutes to 9. Charms class would be starting soon. Her homework was in her bag. Daphne wiped her tears. Maybe she could open a service for younger students at Hogwarts, to write their essays for them and complete homework assignments. Daphne’s smile fell. She wasn’t allowed. Not allowed at Hogwarts at all. Filch had more of a right to be there than she did. All because of blood, all because her mother made a mistake. Was unfaithful.
Daphne heard a rap on the door and jolted awake. Her mother was supposed to be here at 10, which it now was. Daphne closed her eyes again. Tracey would be leaving charms soon and heading to transfiguration. They were having a test today about transfiguring an animal to an inanimate object and back. Another rap. Daphne sighed.
“Honey, are you alright in there?”
Daphne felt a flash of blinding rage. She swung her legs out of bed, and opened the door, just enough to allow a foot through.
“What?” Daphne said, looking her mother in the eye. Her mother looked unwell. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hands had a slight tremble which she tucked into their sleeves when she noticed where Daphne’s gaze wandered.
“I want to make sure you are doing alright. And we need to talk about plans moving forward for schooling and housing, and we need to talk about money. Honey, I don’t think we will have enough. Not enough for you to live comfortably until your majority with your half of the dowry. I will make inquiries with my parents and Lord Greengrass. Maybe if Lord Greengrass is forgiving he might permit a weekly stipend.’
“Mother, how could you do this? How could you have relations with that man, and how could you be so irresponsible. You should never have had me.”
“No. Daphne. No.”
“If this is what the cost of being a halfblood is, then I don’t see the point. There’s no Hogwarts in my future. With this kind of support, I would be better off as a rich mudblood. Mother, I don’t want you here. Leave.”
“I–I see that. I will owl you later.” Her mother swallowed, then removed four meals in stasis from her undetectable expansion purse and said, "Your room has been paid for for the week. I will reach out by owl later. Goodbye dear," Her mother went to touch her shoulder and Daphne pushed her mother through the door, slammed the door, and forcefully twisted the lock.
She stumbled back and her knees gave out as she collapsed to the bed. Full body tremors erupted, and ugly sobs ripped out from her throat. She could hear her mother’s voice say, “It’s not proper to show such emotion.” Good thing I’m not a proper pureblood anymore, she thought, and let the sobs consume her.
---
Daphne spent near the entirety of the next four days in bed. Aside from using the facilities, unpacking snacks from her trunk, and one trip outside to mail off four missives, Daphne otherwise stayed in her room. She mailed letters to The Muggleborn Outreach Center and her mother's parents in hopes that they would be more able to financially support her. She was still magical, she still had some value.
The following day a flock of owls descended upon her apartment window like the Daily Prophet churning out press.
Speaking of, the first owl to land came bearing a copy of the Daily Prophet in its talons. The front page proclaimed, "Rigel Black only Pureblood candidate from the UK" A picture of Rigel whose appearance had been tended to by Pansy stood in between the two other champions- both of impure blood, both of whom could attend Hogwarts classes. If only she had applied too. Daphne thought darkly then she could at least attend Hogwarts.
Daphne flipped through the paper quickly, and spotted a picture of herself just past the centerfold. She did not look well. She was clearly living in Diagon with her hair askew, mud on the end of her cloak, and deep circles under her eyes. This was when she had mailed in the letters two days ago. “Former Greengrass Heir, now newest halfblood in UK”. Daphne scanned the article. There were quotes from Theo in how shocked they all were, that they were just testing ancestry for fun in potions, but who could have suspected that there was a halfblood hiding amongst us? The article continued on, confirming that her name had been officially removed from the inheritance registry, and speculating her living situation.
Daphne yelled,”Those damn gossiping hypocrates!” threw the paper down and the owls scattered. Daphne calmed down enough to sit on her bed and calmly raised her arm to take the rest of the letters off the owls.
“Dearest Daphne,
Our hearts go out to your unfortunate situation. Unfortunately, your mother has received all of her dowry, half of which is yours and half of which belongs to your younger sibling. We believe that you and your mother will be able to find an appropriate solution to make this money make it to adulthood.
We look forward to doing future business with Lord Greengrass and as such do not wish to display favoritism during such contentious times.
Please do not think too harshly of your mother, and we wish you health and happiness.
With sincerity,
Lord and Lady Selwyn
The paper crumpled in her hand. Apparently making cookies together and having a tea party together meant nothing now that her grandparents might lose money due to their association with her.
Daphne,
School has been mad since you left. It’s like nobody believes that you belonged here in the first place, and I can’t believe it. Rigel actually got angry on your behalf, if you can believe it. He was also selected as Champion yesterday. I can't believe his lying face–he said repeatedly that he would never participate. Where are you going to school next? How are you holding up? How is your family?
I sprayed all of Snape’s classroom cauldrons with soap and lye. May all of his cauldrons rust and lose their protective coating. I’m lonely here without you.
With love and affection,
Tracey D
Daphne,
I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that you aren’t here with me. If someone told me that one of us was halfblooded, I would have assumed it was me. Last year, I thought that you were better at magic because you were two years my senior, but I know when you were a second year you were able to transfigure a toad into a mushroom and you could cast an accio and you didn’t blow up a cauldron every other week. If anyone deserves to be at Hogwarts because they are good at magic, it’s you.
I can’t believe Father won’t let you stay at the manor. A parent is more than just some blood. I know he cares for you. He is extremely prideful and can’t stand that he was tricked by Mother. I think what he has done is more contemptible than Mother.
Daphne, regardless of our shared blood, you will always be my sister. It will be harder to try and beat you when I can’t see your scores. But even when your social status has diminished, I will always look up to you.
Heaps of love,
Astoria
Daphne carefully traced the letters from Tracey and Astoria. She hoped with all her might that Astoria was not another halfblood, but couldn't help the selfish small voice inside that agreed with Astoria's assessment–that she was better and more deserving of the family name– and some small part of her wished Astoria was also a halfblood. Her father didn't deserve any pureblood children, and maybe she wouldn't be quite so lonely.
Later that evening, two more owls arrived.
Daphne,
Dearest, I do hope you are well. Words will never be enough to express how sorry I am. Lord Greengrass is quite short with me and unfortunately he is taking out his frustrations upon your future. One of his business deals fell apart after you showed up in the paper, and he is blaming you. Dear, do your best to stay out of the public eye if you want a chance at a stipend. I was unable to convince my husband to agree to a monthly stipend for you. He is against offering support in any way. I am hopeful with more time I may be able to impress upon him the importance of education, and for a child of mine to at least have her OWLs. I will try again next week. In the meantime, I will allow you access to my dowry. 10 galleons are to be distributed once per week. and I must stress how you must be frugal and make this money stretch. All of our other properties currently have paying tenants, and Lord Greengrass will not allow such a decrease in income.
I will always love you,
Mom
Dear Ms. Daphne,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding schooling options. Your situation is unique, but not unprecedented. We understand the sensitive nature of this matter, and we are available Tuesday and Thursday this week between 10 and noon at the Muggleborn center if you would like to go over options for schooling. I have included the eight options for English speaking schools including 4 abroad, and 4 schools founded here in the British Isles. There are some financial assistance options available for those who can demonstrate low enough income. These are granted by the Department of Education. Please send us an owl regarding your preferred time, review the information in the packets, and come with any pertinent questions. I look forward to meeting you in person.
Madam Arabella Figg
Chair of Dumbledore Foundation
Co-Founder of London Center for Muggleborn Outreach
Daphne frowned at the letter from Figg and looked at her mother's note. How much did schooling cost? How much did renting an apartment cost? How much did she have? 10 galleons per week. Where could she afford to live? Daphne pulled out a blank balance sheet from her trunk and ignored the lettering at the top of the page declaring her title. She used to love balancing a monthly budget and making sure that money in was greater than money out. 40 galleons/month. Daphne frowned. Even the hovels that her father rented were rented for 80 galleons/month. It might be possible to find a place that was cheaper, but would it be safe? And what about her education? Education at Hogwarts was subsidized by the ministry. But was schooling for halfbloods subsidized? She needed more information. She needed to seek out Figg. Daphne penned a response back to Madam Figg stating that tomorrow at 10 would work and requested the correct floo phrase.
---
Daphne emerged cleanly from the floo promptly at 9:58 the following morning and walked to the center entrance. The entryway was a fairly narrow sitting area surrounded by brick. Daphne sat down and waited her turn. There were two other children of Hogwarts age sitting in chairs. A mother tenderly curled her daughter’s hair behind her ear, and the young girl (who looked to be a first year) shook her mother's hand off. An older child sat across from Daphne, parchment crumpled in his hand, head resting on his hands. He stared at the ground. Looks like she's not the only one with financial concerns.
"Daphne," an older woman with pinned gray hair called. She stood slowly and gave the smallest nod.
"I am Madam Figg." the woman held out her hand, and Daphne blinked–she was not going to kiss this old woman's hand!– before recalling that handshakes were something that muggle people did. Daphne grasped Madam Figg's hand and Madam Figg's grip tightened and maneuvered her hand up and down twice. "Please follow me to office five. We can chat about options and resources there."
Madam. Figg nodded to the other two occupants in the waiting room and lead Daphne to the room. The door latched and an old tumbler mechanism ground into place. Tall filing cabinets lined two of the outside walls, an old sturdy desk partially blocked the window which overlooked a busy muggle street. Madam Figg gestured for Daphne to have a seat.
"Now Daphne—May I call you Daphne?" At her nod Madam Figg proceeded to delve into the standard introduction for what the Muggleborn outreach center was created and designed for. "We were founded in 1981, the year that the legislation forbidding any non pureblood wizards and witches from attending Hogwarts passed. We receive no funding from the Ministry, but receive a small amount from Hogwarts, generous donors, and we do our best to keep overhead low. This organization grew from a Muggleborn education program in the 70s when muggleborns were denied access but still needed to be educated regarding the existence of magic. We assist with finding the programs best suited to each student's magical potential and interest. Unfortunately, the two most important factors for which schools are accessible to you will be your blood status and money. We have a list of 50 students on wait lists for our scholarships, but we only offer two for each year group. More recently, we expanded programs assisting muggleborns and half bloods with housing and job searching as well. And we help coordinate with international communities to ensure you have a smooth transition.
We can go over the approximate cost of schools- the price point is more expensive in Europe for muggleborns than it is for halfbloods, and is the cheapest for purebloods. And the two schools in Australia and America cost more for foreigners than for citizens of the country. In order to have the in-country tuition price, you must be a citizen there for two years or claim refugee status."
Of course, if you want to work in the Ministry of Magic or anywhere that receives significant funding from the ministry, you will need to attend a school in the UK and take your OWLs and NEWTs here. Home schooling is an option for some, but that requires someone who achieved an E in the subject to oversee your education and who holds a mastery in at least one of the core curriculums. Otherwise owl correspondence courses are the next best option."
"I have a small stipend. And my father has disowned me. My mother is the only adult who supports me and she doesn't have a mastery in any subject. I have some items in my trunk that I can sell, but they are most valuable to me. I must find a way to continue my education. How much do the owl correspondence courses cost? And are there any loan programs?"
Ms. Figg smiled and for the next hour dove into costs for the different institutions as well as loan repayment plans. They discussed interest rates, the interest would accumulate until she turned 17 and then would be on a 10-20 year repayment plan. The cost for room and board at an institution was astronomically high, even at the so-called inferior school for half bloods, so AIM, Wombat, and Ilvermorny were financially fully out of reach. By a wide margin. Ilvermorny? 800 galleons per semester. AIM? was 610 galleons plus an out of state tuition fee of 30 galleons, and WOMBAT in Australia was 400 galleons per semester. The sphinx correspondence was 10 galleons/ class/ semester. Daphne's mind was reeling when she left. She had expressed her concern about payment and wanted to know if there were any jobs available.
Ms. Figg's lips pursed and said, "not for someone under 17 or for someone without any OWLs. We are not allowed to assist someone who should be solely focused on education to find a job." At Daphne's clearly lost look Ms Figg grabbed a folded map of London, circled where they were, where the entrance to Diagon was, and pointed out a library to stop at. “I need to get to my next appointment dear. You are free to spend time in the lobby or take a walk to clear your head. We are about a mile from the entrance to diagon if you want to walk through muggle London. I would recommend these two libraries. They are open until five and you can spend as much time there as you need. I have an open office at three in the afternoon, but you will not be guaranteed privacy. Otherwise you may reach me by owl to schedule another meeting."
Daphne took Madam Figg's suggestion and walked. It took her a few minutes of watching the muggles cross the street to understand the flashing walk sign, and a couple of blocks walk to understand she was going the wrong way. There were so many people. People with a wide variety of fashions and hair styles. A young man in black walked by with metal in his nose, lips, and ears, and with his hair styled in such a way that Daphne was half convinced he had to use Stiff Peaks Hair Product. There had to be magic involved. Daphne saw the sign for London Library and walked toward the door, which opened automatically. Right. More muggle magic.
The next hour found Daphne sketching out her current income, her needed expenses, and potential solutions. And at the end of her calculations for the Sphinx School: with a loan of 6% at the end of four years, Daphne would owe an additional 40 galleons on top of the 400 galleons. After 10 years she would have paid approximately 800 galleons which would be 6 galleons every month. Otherwise, without a loan it would cost 9 galleons every month. If she stuck to the five courses: charms, potions, transfiguration, herbology and defense it would cost 100 galleons/ year. The room and board schools were fully out of her price range, and additionally would not allow her to work at most jobs in the UK. She was practically guaranteed to default on a loan and she didn't want to imagine trying to pay back thousands of galleons. If she could keep up with payments, and paid the tuition in installments, it should cost no more than 10 galleons/ month with her current income. Now there was just room and board to consider.
It was time to look for an apartment.
---
Daphne arrived at the leasing office for apartment rents the following morning and when she told the woman her budget, the woman laughed. "10 galleons?! Dear, you cannot get an apartment to yourself for 10 galleons a month in the poorest neighborhood. With a roommate you might be able to find an apartment for 20 galleons a month, if you share a one bedroom apartment and if it's in the region of knockturn that the fire brigade visit on a monthly basis, the aurors raid weekly, and a knife fight breaks out on every street corner. In craftsman, you will be looking at 40-45 galleons/ month for a studio apartment. If you want a one bedroom, we will be talking closer to 50."
Daphne felt her stomach drop, as though she had grabbed an unexpected portkey.
"There has to be something, even if it's not on Craftsman. Something for 20 galleons." That was half her income.
The woman leveled her gaze at Daphne, "We do not do tours of the Cesspool. We don't guide clients through Knockturn. You can't afford anything here, and without a cosigner, no reputable landlord will have you. Look kid, it's not safe in Knockturn, but that's where the cheap housing is. Now leave me."
Daphne felt her face contort into a vicious scowl. With a sneer that would make Lucius Malfoy jealous, she turned her head and stalked out. When the options were scowl or cry, she knew which one she would choose. She had enough crying to last the year. Daphne pulled the hood of her cloak up to shield her face from the wind and potential cameras. She sat heavily at one of the stools outside Fortescue’s. No one would be eating ice cream outside in this weather.
Daphne watched a small girl, her red hair in a braid, twirl and offer a flower with a curtsy to a passing man, and when he didn't spare her a glance she fluttered past and dropped into a curtsy with a smile on her face to the next passing stranger. She looked like she could be a first year. Daphne saw her disappear down Knockturn and Daphne felt alarm race through her. What business did a child have walking down Knockturn? A few minutes later the child with red hair returned, her basket full to the brim with flowers. The child stood on a box outside of Eelop's Owl Emporium and sing-songed “flowers, flowers for sale. For a lovely paramore, or to let your woman know that you thought of her. The best gifts are the ones we don't expect. You sir!” The child exclaimed and ran toward a man with a slumped posture. The girl spoke animatedly and exchanged an obscene number of flowers with coins. Within a mere 15 minutes, the flower basket was looking quite empty. Daphne got up from her seat and approached the child. Despite her young age, she was clearly comfortable with Knockturn alley and the cespool.
"Hey kid, can I buy a few minutes of your time?
The girl spun, took in her expensive cloak and her face before she curtsied with a slight wobble, "What can I do for you my lady?"
Daphne felt her heart melt, "I'm not a lady anymore. I wanted to ask you some questions...about Knockturn. I'm in need of information."
The child pressed a finger to her lips, tilted her head and smiled. "15 minutes for 2 sickles AND you buy me icecream."
Daphne could not help but smile, "I'm Daphne. Shall we my lady?" She offered the child her arm.
The child's laughter rang through Daphne's head, "If you're not a lady then I am certainly not one. Call me Margo."
Daphne walked into the cozy icecream shop and Margo ordered a double scoop of chocolate and brownie ice cream and tucked in. Daphne passed over the two sickles and asked her questions. "How does one navigate the cesspool safely?"
"First off, everything past Knockturn, it's called the lower alleys. The cesspool really only applies to one area, and even then folks here don't like outsiders calling it a cesspool. And for navigating the lower alleys safely, you gotta know the right people, not wear your money on your sleeves" she said pointedly, staring at her cloak. "And you definitely can't sneer at someone unless you want to get into a knife fight. As for navigating it, the street closest to Diagon is actually the one where outsiders need to watch themselves the most. There are approximately six thousand people who live in the lower alleys, and there is a hefty amount of thieving, grifting, and fighting. There are a lot of kids, muggleborns, squibs, vampires, and werewolves. Basically a lot of the people that your lot would consider undesirable."
Daphne sat and digested this information. "If I wanted to find an apartment to rent, where would be a safe and cheap place to live?"
Margo pushed aside her icecream for a moment. "There are a couple of areas. I can ask around for you."
"I would appreciate it Margo." They sat in silence for a moment. "What about getting to the safer parts of the lower alleys. Is there a way to bypass Knockturn Alley?"
Margo smiled wide. "There is." Margo spooned the last of her icecream into her bowl and pushed it away. "There is a floo network. But I will need to talk with my contact before granting you access."
Margo darted into the Knockturn alley and Daphne pulled the nearly empty ice cream bowl toward her. She spooned out the last bit of icecream and deposited the bowl into the washbin. It was quite chilly outdoors so the cozy shop provided an appreciated reprieve. She had one more meal left from her mom, and there was only one more day left at the Inn. She would need to fill out paperwork to apply to the Sphinx Correspondence School and would need to re-do her first semester of fourth year.
"So, I hear you want to live in the lower alleys." Daphne startled and stared at a broad shoulders man with light brown hair as he looked down at her.
"Yes. W-well, to be honest I don't want to, but I think I have to." Margo peaked out from behind the man and dragged him into the booth across from Daphne with her.
"Is this because of your disownment Ms. Greengrass?"
Daphne's jaw clenched. "It's just Daphne. No last name. And yes I find myself short on funds and support system."
"People in the lower alleys don't come here to get rich. They come here to survive and to live. We just want to make sure that you won't bring any trouble with you."
Daphne felt her eyebrows raise. "I've never got into a knife fight before."
The man smirked and twirled the finger on his right finger. "If someone pulled a knife on you, what would you do?"
"If it was here, I'd stun them."
"Where's your wand?"
"In my pocket."
"Your draw is too slow. Keep it in a holster on your wrist. What would you do if you return to your apartment to find your priceless family heirloom stolen."
"After I asked myself why I didn't ward my apartment better and my trunk better and then," Daphne hesitated. It was obvious to her that he was asking about when she would call the Aurors. "I would try searching for it myself."
His ring glowed red, and the man smiled wide, "Would you?"
Daphne found herself saying, "Well I might report it to the au-authorities." Daphne frowned; she had not meant to say that.
The man laughed. "Au-authorities. I haven't heard them called that in awhile. Alright kid, we can help you get set up. What's your budget?"
Daphne explained her situation.
"10-20 galleons/month? And you want your own bedroom in a safe area? Margo can take you to our housing office. Good luck kiddo."
He got up from the table and whistled away. Margo pulled on her sleeve. "Ready?" Daphne nodded, and Margo pulled her to two stores down and into a narrow alley. She grabbed a pinch of floor powder and clearly said "Pendragon Alley". On the bricks on the right side of the fireplace there were etchings with numbers scattered throughout them, on the left side there was Aroma Alley, Knockturn 1 and 2, Wormwood Row, Pendragon Alley, Pendragon Statue, and a host of other names. Daphne breathed, took a pinch of floo powder and wondered what Wormwood Row was named after as she said "Pendragon Row".
She was spat out of the fireplace. When she looked up, Margo was nowhere in sight.
___
Daphne wandered away from the fireplace and scanned the street. There was no sign of the Margo. It would be foolish to call out her name. I would be showing off my vulnerability. Daphne stood straighter and scanned the street. A hair salon, an animal sanctuary, a bar, two food stands, and a large nondescript building that did not have a customer entrance.
A woman barrelled into Daphne and Daphne stumbled backwards and landed on her butt. Daphne tried not to grimace, imagining the amount of filth on the ground, “I’m so sorry luv. Are you alright? I’m terribly sorry, but I'm really in a rush, I wasn't looking where I was going, and I'm trying to find a gift for someone.” The woman was clearly stressed, but took the time to offer her hand and haul Daphne up. She brushed the dust and leaves off and then stood fully.
“Who for?” Daphne asked
“Um…Blooming, I think.”
“Alfred and Beatrice Blooming? Their anniversary is coming up and Alfred tends to be forgetful.” the woman stared at her.
“You know these people? What gift should I get? You are absolutely right about their names and everything, and all of the boss’ normal seekers are either off or already on their own errands.” The woman clutched her wrists in hope.
Daphne tapped her lips thoughtfully. “I know she always bites her nails and is self conscious about them. She usually wears gloves at parties, but can’t get away with wearing gloves when she serves tea to her guests. I think…nail polish would be appreciated, especially if it comes from Alfred. And specifically deep colors.”
The woman’s eyes widened and she pulled Daphne with her. “I know just the place, c’mon!”
“Wait, where are we going?” Daphne breathed heavily trying to keep pace with this anxious energy.
“To Monica’s Salon. You are going to help me choose the right colors of course.”
Daphne huffed a laugh. “Well if I’m being kidnapped, could you at least tell me your name?”
“I’m Andrea,” the young woman said laughing, her dark curls bounced as they walked quickly down this alley and hooked a right at a statue. “Thanks ever so much. I really was so far out of my depth. This way!” Andrea dragged her into the nail salon, and down a row of nail polish.
“These ones are color changers. If you shake your hand they change color. These ones are guaranteed to last for 2 weeks without fading or chipping. Which ones should I get?” Daphne selected five acceptable colors that would compliment Beatrice Blooming’s wardrobe well, from the solid color case and one from the color-changing section. Andread nodded and then proceeded to haggle with the store clerk. “If the sale goes well, and the customer appreciates it, we may even stock some in the Burke warehouse.”
Daphne raised her eyebrows. She had heard of Burke’s businesses. That they could get you anything you needed, timely and without leaving your home, for the right price. They left the shop and Andrea thanked Daphne and asked her if there was anything she could do to pay her back for kidnapping her.
“Could you help me get a job?”
---
(2 weeks later)
Fourteen thick parchments landed on the table to her side. “Boss wants these orders processed within 30 minutes.” Daphne glanced at the order; 1 blood replenisher, 1 skele-gro, 2 broom stick polishing cloths, 1 polishing product, 2 brushes , 2 hair gels from Sleakeazys and Stiff Peaks. Not for the first time, Daphne wondered which pureblood family this order would be going to. Daphne flicked her wand, imagined where each of the items were, and sent the items for purchase order 32467 flying into the box in front of her, where they arranged themselves nicely. Another flick of her wand sent the sides of the paper folding up around the front and top of the box. Daphne placed the 32467 number on top of the box, and left the top unsealed to be checked by QA, and then handled by Andrea. Two tables down Andrea flicked her wand and the paper met at the top in the shape of a rose. Flitwick would be impressed. Daphne shook her head and pushed her box onto the cart.
Daphne continued her shift packing up box after box. The warehouse was surprisingly organized and it seemed to be endless, having nearly everything. Andrea had convinced Burke to add the nail polish from Monica’s Salon and in the same breath had recommended Daphne to be hired, explaining how she had intimate knowledge of some of the pureblood clientele. Burke scrutinized her, then tested her memorization skills and her knowledge of the rich families in England. Daphne knew everyone in the book of silver and gold– she had been invited and attended nearly 20 parties a year and had taken copious notes in dossiers about each family (as long as they weren’t in Dumbledore’s party, and even then she had a dossier about them all the same). Burke stared at her for a long moment the sixth time she had expounded upon the family tree, relationships, and fashion of each family before he shook his head and said,
“I’d like to use you for a consultant when we get some of the upper crust people requesting business. And we are short staffed in the warehouse, especially for the holiday season, so you can work there until Christmas. We can talk about consultation in the new year. Talk to Marissa about hours and benefits.”
Part of the benefits included housing, as long as she was working at least 20 hours/week, and she was given an hourly wage of 12 sickles an hour, with an additional 10 sickles for each consultation. This would be laughably low for any of her classmates, but circumstances had certainly changed for her.
The first week at the warehouse, she needed to walk the lengths of the rows for nearly every item in the order, and had to reference the catalog at the front of the warehouse to find the location for each item. Now Daphne was able to summon nearly 80% of the orders from memory, by merely being able to visualize the location. It was a great reprieve to be so immersed in every aspect of the job that she barely had room to think about her own personal issues.
She ended her shift the same time Andrea did. They punched out, waved to their co-workers, nodded at Mr. Burke, and walked across the street to the floo to return to their apartment complex. It was Andrea's turn to cook this time, and Daphne brought her transfiguration essay to work on in her neighbor’s kitchen. The quiet camaraderie reminded her of her roommates, and Daphne felt a quiet ache in her chest for them.
Andrea called, "Dinner's ready" with a smile. Andrea was 18, had graduated from the Sphinx Correspondence School a year ago, and had been working for the past two at Burke's warehouse. She was a halfblood like her. They tucked into spaghetti, and Daphne badgered her more about the Sphinx Correspondence School. How difficult it was to research without access to a library, how strange it was for Daphne to not have any lectures or professors. And Andrea begged to hear more about her time at Hogwarts, the classes, the professors, the castle. Daphne did her best to explain Hogwarts. She could describe the ghosts and the feasts, the strictness of the professors, the cattiness of her classmates. But how did she describe the feeling of home? How did she describe her feeling of loss?
“I think you would have liked it there. Professor Flitwick would have been so impressed with you. If you had gone…” Daphne cut off. If she had gone, Flitwick would have loved her. If she had gone, she would probably be getting her mastery in charms now. If she had gone, Daphne would have been less lonely at Hogwarts. If she had gone, Daphne would be at Hogwarts right now.
Andrea gripped her hand, and said “Eat your spaghetti.”