My way to Hogwarts
June 1988
At last my letter from Hogwarts came after my 11th birthday.
So our family goes shopping for the Hogwarts supplies.
Most of the things went the same as with sis, so I'll only tell the deviations.
It was my first time at Ollivanders and before me in line was already a character from the series,
although he only appears in one book, before Rowling kills him of.
If your guess is Cedric Diggory, you are correct.
"Hello, boy I just finish this before I am ready for you", Ollivander talks to me from a ladder.
"No problem, Sir.", I say
Cedric seems a little shy before he nods to me and greets:
"Also going to Hogwarts for the first time?"
"Yeah, a little nervous but mostly excited and you? I am Nicholas Tonks by the way.", I introduce myself.
"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Cedric Diggory.", he responds before Ollivander comes back and lays a wand before Cedric.
"12¼ ash wood with unicorn hair core, pleasantly springy", the wand maker tells the little badger.
Diggory junior waves it infront of him and the wand makes a sound like bird singing.
"A good match it seems.", I hear a mumble and Cedric smiles to the old man.
He lays 7 galleons on the counter and says goodbye to both Ollivander and me.
"Maybe we see us in the train.", I added.
"That would be nice.", he says before wandering out of the door.
"Now Mr. Tonks I guess a wand is what you came here for?", the shop owner reminds me.
"That would be right, but you can simply call me Nicholas, Mr. Ollivander, Mr. Tonks is my father."
"Well then, I hope you are a challenge.", he grinsed.
Testing of 18 wands later.
"Well I asked for a challenge and you delivered.", he says more excited than annoyed.
"Maybe another kind of core? I guess we should try."
After a few minutes he comes back with a black casket.
"11¾ cedar wood and Thestral hair, fairly bendy." ¹
Thestral hair. As I thought it's because I faced death before.
I take it and simply flick it and a little dog made out of light runs out of the tip.
"Beautiful", I hear his reverent voice.
"Do you have a wand holder and a wand care kit?"
"Sure, boy. Total of 10 galleons."
After I pay, I go to the Magical Menagerie while my family is busy to look for Nymphs new schoolbooks.
The employer is free, so I go to him, because I concluded what I wish for beforehand.
And with the birthday money of the last 2 years and a little bit mom gave me, if I found
something I wanted to buy, I now have 40 galleons.
"Do you have any Kneazles?"
"Yeah, just got a pair. They are in the cage next to the cats, there."
They seem to be siblings, both a beautiful mix of white and silver.
He is mostly silver and the female only has speckles of silver like little stars on her white fur.
"How much do they cost?"
"25 galleons for each. But for you only 24", he smiles. As if I would be naive enough.
"How about I take both.", I try to negotiate.
"The best I can make is 45."
"I think you can make better."
"40 galleons. That's really what they are worth, boy.", he nearly cried.
"How about you give 2 bags of food on top and we call it a Deal."
"Fine, Deal boy."
Don't sell animals I you don't want to. I still take mine, don't take me wrong.
Out of the shop, I let them in my 'Dimensional Home' behind some bins in the nearby alley.
I then go to my family, who wait before the bookshop.
"That took you some time. Is everything alright?", mom questions me.
"Yeah, just a boy I the line before me, but took some attempts to find the wand."
I didn't specify if he or me needed that many attempts.
"Ok then. Who wants an ice cream?", mom asks.
"""Me!"""
"Why are you louder than the children, darling?"
"Sorry, dear.", my dad says, while looking apologetic.
-
1st September
Nymph and me say goodbye to our parents.
We talked beforehand about getting compartments beside each other, so she could be with her clique and I could make new friends, while being near enough, so she could help me if needed.
Cedric joins me 10 minutes later and we talked on the way.
Nymph shortly looked if everything was alright and talked with Cedric about Quidditch, who would have guessed, before leaving again.
Later we talk about Hogwarts and what we wanted to see the most.
Cedric was highly surprised when my answer was the Forbidden Forest.
But I guess he thinks I'm bluffing, because he didn't asks further with a complicated look in his eyes.
Around 7 to 8 hours later the train slows down, so we change into our robs.
"Firs' years. All firs' years to me", sounds it over the platform of Hogsmaede.
Soon Hagrid leads us to the boats and as we see the phenomenal view of Hogwarts in its nightly
agleamed glory my only thought is:
Now starts my time at Hogwarts.
____________________________________________________________________
1 cedar wood shows strenght of character and unusuall loyalty,
So I found it is a good way to show his loyalty to magical beasts.
Thestral hair wands can only be used by those who faced death,
something Voldemort ran away from, because he feared it the most.