First Year

The Boy Who Lived is safe, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been vanquished, the Order of the Phoenix disbanded, the Death Eaters went into hiding or were escorted to Azkaban along with the Dementors who were reemployed; as well as Sirius Black the Murderer in prison where he belongs. The trolls descended back to the forest and all the families that had been Imperioused have been released.

And fortunately, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was open.

It was August 20th, 1982, a year after Harry Potter narrowly survived the Dark Lord, and a few days before the start of term,and the Greyhawks family of four were in Diagon Alley shopping among the other witches and wizards for their bits and books and baubles and robes for the new school year: Madeline, Gregory and their parents, Marylan and Guerman Greyhawk.

She turned her letter in her hand, the bold dark-green letters written in ink:

MISS M. GREYHAWK

17 ANGLERS CIRCLE,

COKEWORTH

Gregory had the same letter and was in his third year. He had always loved to brag about being in school, and when Professor Dumbledore called off all exams in glory of You-Know-Who's death he couldn't stop talking about it all summer, and on top of that, Slytherin won the house cup, three years running. It was a good year for him and she was excited for him; she couldn't wait to meet all his friends and made her parents proud, considering Gregory got three expulsion warning letters last year.

Madeline's father, Guerman, is a former Auror for the Ministry of Magic and works in the Department of Mysteries and is now an Unspeakable. He rarely spoke to her or her brother, and often comes home at very late hours and always wears a face of constant exhaustion, and as an Unspeakable is forbidden to speak of it.

In fact, she never saw her father unless it was for outings such as this, once a year, or when Gregory got in trouble and was arguing with Mother. Father always told Mum he would have done better in Durmstrang, and to be sorted in his own house of Vulpelara, but Mother preferred her children to be in Hogwarts, safe under its protection and mainly having her family close together.

Looking at their lists, they always went to Madam Malkin's Robes first, to size her brother and Madeline both for new robes, which she was sure would be placed in Slytherin, so everything was made in the semblance of black and green, her initials in every robe and sweater.

Madeline's mother's side of the family had been in Slytherin for twelve generations. It scared her to think of it; she was nothing like her mother or her grandparents or her brother. They were cunning and stern, willing to do anything to reach their goal, whereas Madeline has always been reclusive, only playing with the other younger girls in Anglers Circle, but she knew by their approach that they too were bold and extraverted. So Madeline longed for a way to meet new people, find new friends.

In front of Quality Quidditch Supplies, Gregory pleaded with Mother for the hundredth time, which he's done for months, on wanting a new broom for quidditch and this year she finally gave in and bought him a lavishly polished Comet 260, the fastest broom on the market, with a broomstick servicing kit.

Pulling out their lists again, she eyeballed Gregory sceptically and frowned at him messing with a rubber wand that jinxes the user into doing a hilariously embarrassing dance.

"You'll be careful not to lose it, Gore," she said, handing over payment for the broom, "Your father is still angry about last years incident with the carpet, you know he still hears about that at work from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, you and your friends may think it's a laugh- you made a flying carpet! But it's not so much a laugh when we have to pay the fine for it-"

Greg made a horrible groaning noise. "Mum, it's still a laugh, you just have no sense of humour."

Mother did not laugh, she looked at him severely and Gregory caved, Madeline heard him mumble, "Yes, Mum," as they continued on.

Catching up with their father talking to another Unspeakable and their family, Gregory sees his friends and runs off into a pack of tall boys, all wearing their Slytherin dressing robes over their muggle clothes.

"Marylan," father said with his thick Norwegian accent, "You have found the children their books?"

Mother nodded as Madeline followed close to her, looking into her fathers face. "Not yet dear, and I got the broom your son wanted, he's been practically on his knees begging me for one so I finally got him one."

"You are too kind vith him, Marylan. You reward mediocrity and ill behaviour."

Madeline ignored their talk of her brother, she refused to hear that he was nothing but the best. To her, he was. He taught her how to ride a broom, where they used to fly down the halls between their bedrooms, to control her magic outbursts at times when it was hard. Always talking her down from her tantrums. Instead, she watched her brother slink off with his friends down a dark alley holding a handful of writhing, slimy green slugs that they trained their owls to drop down people's shirts. Madeline laughed at their unsuspecting victims as her mother grabbed her hand angrily and sped off down Diagon Alley. She was angry with father a lot recently, but it was normal to Madeline. Passing through the Apothecary, Flourish and Blotts, browsing all the owls in the Eeylops Owl Emporium and then finally after hours of picking out the perfect ingredients and most in condition books, Madeline and Gregory were ready for school. Except for her wand.

Entering Ollivander's, it smelled instantly like old wood and mildew, she entered and wanted to exit. Her mother pushed her forward as the last customers left the shop and Madeline approached the desk.

"Uh- Hello, Mr. Ollivander?"

"Hello!" Called a voice from the back, startling her. "First Year?"

"Yes sir!" she answered as a crazy haired man came trudging from the back holding three boxes. It seemed he already chose wans for her without seeing her.

"Marylan! Such a pleasure to see you again."

"Great Uncle Garrick!" her mother replied, giving a wide smile. "How are you?" Madeline forgets frequently that her mother was born an Ollivander.

"As well as can be expected: busy, busy work with wands. This time of year is always a rush." Looking at her as she gives him a shy smile and sets down the wands. "And is this Little Maddy?"

"Not so little anymore." Madeline retorted before she could think. She flushed brightly as her mother and Ollivander laughed.

"Just like her mother," he said as he opened the first box and clapped his hands together. "-so, shall we start?"

The first wand was an alder, just like her fathers, which he got from Gregorovich (another wand maker), it made silvery-red crackling sparks as she held it. Quickly putting it down, Ollivander handed her another wand, made of Yew.

"This wand," he explained. "is particularly special as it is made from the yew wood from the wand of your great-great-great grandfather. It grew from his burial place and your family have been making wands from it ever since, the only difference between this wand and ones from your family is that this one is made with unicorn hair…"

He placed the wand delicately in her hands and suddenly her body felt whole. She knew that this was the one the moment the yew touched her skin. Air from all directions rushed past her. Ollivander and her mother talked a bit more as she examined her wand. All its creases and curves. Holding it in her wand hand, her left hand, she enjoyed the feeling of it as she swished it about playfully before her mother bid Ollivander good-bye and they left the shop. Outside waited her father and her brother; her brother holding a sleek barn owl and her father holding a very small wriggling animal. Running to her father, wand in hand, he slows her.

"Mads, my girl, do not run vith your vand, you could poke an eye out. Here-" he kneeled to her and showed the red eyed, black kitten in his big hands. Squealing loudly so that other people passing by turned their heads in curiosity, Madeline had her very own cat.

"Vhat shall you name him then?"

Names generated in her head, but the first name that she thought fit her new pet would be that of a show she once saw on the television she passed by while on an outing with her mother: Bagpuss.