Fifth Disaster |Harry Potter|

5.

Waiting for the day I'd go to Diagon Alley was a nightmare and exasperating. If Mike hadn't hated me for being a witch, he definitely did now.

I wouldn't stop talking about Hogwarts. The first week, my parents and Mike were even as excited as I was, playing along with my excitement, however they got bored of it by the middle of week two. I could even see Mike mouthing along with me the several questions I had over the school.

How big it was?

Did it have moving statues?

Moving stairs?

Talking things?

Animals that talk?

OOH! Was it a myth about flying brooms? I mean, the letter did mention something about brooms. Was it to fly or clean the place? It had to be big, right? Who did the cleaning? Did Hogwarts clean itself?

I couldn't wait to go there. And apparently Mike either because he was now irritated that it was Hogwarts all I could talk about. At least he was spared of pranks an entire week which was a surprising feat for me. But I was being considerate for my brother. I was already annoying him with something, adding pranks to his irritation? I was certain he was going to hate me for life.

The day Professor Dumbles was going to pick us to take us to Diagon Alley, (yes, I called him Dumbles. Mum told me it was disrespectful, but Dumbledore was a mouthful and adding professor it was even long, so professor Dumbles it was), it was a hot day in August. Apparently, his schedule was so busy that he could only fit us in at this time.

Couldn't he pick up a less hot day? My hair was frizzly after my shower and no matter how I forced my metamorphmagic to fix it, I would get distracted and return it back to its normal state.

Ugh, it didn't help anything!

Stupid metamorphmagic... But, how to hate it forever?

I love you, Metamorphmagic.

"Kate, honey! The professor is here"

I smiled at my reflection and walked out of my room at my mum's lovely voice. I gave up with my stupid hair and put it up on a ponytail, running down the stairs, something mum always hated and got mad at me for, but you know what? I never listened anyway.

"Kate, what have I told you about running down the stairs?" Mum scolded, arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't know, mum" I shrugged innocently, looking at the professor by the corner of my eye standing in the doorway "I'm eleven. You know not all your scolding reach my mind"

My hands were behind my back, rocking on my heels with an innocent smile.

Mum rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Ah, this girl" she murmured turning to the professor. I beamed to myself, following after her, a beat in my step, swinging the hands behind my back as much as I could for the position they were at. "I apologize, professor. She can be a handful sometimes"

"No worries, Mrs. Grant" Dumbles said with a chuckle, turning to me, "Hello, Miss Grant"

I waved, smiling "Hi, professor" 

"Are you two ready to meet your first magical place?" The professor asked.

Dad and Mike couldn't come which it was very disappointing. Mike had summer school and dad had been called to the station where he worked as a police officer. So, it was just me and mum.

"YES!" I exclaimed smiling, clapping excitedly. Mum smiled, nodding slightly.

The professor smiled at our reactions. "Excellent. Now, please hold my arms" He offered an arm to each one of us. We stared at him a bit confused. He chuckled a bit. "We are going to Apparatte. This a common travel method for us in the wizarding world, Kate"

"Cool" I said, nodding and grabbing his arm.

"Is it safe?" Mum asked cautiously, still not taking his arm.

I pouted at her. "Mummy, if the professor say it's very common it has to be. Please, take a leap of faith" I sighed, looking up at the professor, craning my neck a bit as he was way taller than me. I barely could even reach his beard! "Right, professor?"

"That's right" the professor confirmed, "As long as you are pretty focused of where to go, it's safe"

Mum widened her eyes dramatically, looking at me "Oh! Then it is not safe for you to use it, Katie. As you need to be focused"

"Ha, Ha" I deadpanned, narrowing my eyes. Mum simply smiled.

"Don't worry, Mrs Grant" The professor chuckled lightly, "She's not ready for it, besides that she'd need a license to apparatte which won't be given until she passes the apparatting test or it'd be illegal. And that that test it's done after she's considered an adult in the wizarding world, which its at seventeen"

I pouted. Ah, that doesn't sound fun. But it was a relief to mum.

"Oh well, in that case" She said with a smile, grabbing Dumbles' arm.

"I'll be apparatting to the Leakey Cauldron with you two as my baggage" The professor explained, amused. "That also takes concentration and a lot of practice. You'd have enough time at Hogwarts to learn to concentrate, Kate"

He smiled at me. I returned the smile, but mine was sarcastic.

Rude. Did he mean I couldn't focus? That was mean.

But we will see about that.

"That makes me feel much better" Mum said with a smile. I mimicked her childishly, pouting.

The professor just smiled and suddenly, the floor underneath me disappeared as if I was floating, starting to feel a big pressure in all my body as if a metal box or my dad's shelf of books were pressing down on me making me unable to breathe. I wanted to let go of the professor's arm, but it was like an internal force on my body impeding me to do it, forcing my grip on him to remain. 

As soon as that pressing sensation came, the fast it left, touching the floor again, looking around a bit disorientated, confused. We were at my living room at home, but my surroundings were different. My head was pounding slightly and a wave of nausea passed through me as if my body was trying to process the immediate change of locations. I let go of the professor's arm and rubbed my forehead until the pounding faded.

Mum seemed to be having the same trouble and she did look a little green and her hand was covering her mouth as if to stop herself from throwing up. However, the professor was the only healthy looking one, arms folded in front of him as he waited patiently for us to compose ourselves.

"Yes, that pounding in your head will go away in a moment" he said once he noticed my glare on him. "It's the side effect of a sided Apparition. As it's the first time you apparated, its normal for you to feel disorientated for the sudden change of location. With practice, this sensation will fade away" He explained. "You feel a little more disorientated and confused, Kate because as it wasn't you, as a witch to not independently apparatte. Your body recognized that you could do it at one point and that's the reason why you feel the side effects harder than your mother"

I nodded slightly, holding onto my mom as to not fall. "Got it. It was amazing anyway" I blinked, straightening, now that my brain seemed to process where we were. "I can't wait to do that!"

Mum stared at me, incredulously. "Only you, Katie"

The professor gestured in front of us. We had appeared in the middle of an alleyway, so we were partially hidden by the people walking by.

"That's the Leakey Cauldron" he announced, walking forward, gesturing at us to follow.

I looked at mum, amused, "Apparating with Dumby" I began to walk behind the professor, throwing my hands up, "The best and worst sensation of my life"

Mum sighed from behind me, shaking her head, following us. "If that's how you behave with magical transport, I can't imagine how you will when you can do it on your own" she murmured, "God bless your new friends"

I smiled.