Finding Father

Chapter 2- Behind The Inn

TWO MONTHS LATER

It's been a long night, but it's over. Thank Merlin. My fifty-year-old neighbor, Ms. Fielding, is sitting next to me where I lay on my bed.

"Would you like to hold her?" Ms. Fielding asks. I nod, and feel the small bundle being lain into my arms. I smile down at my new daughter.

"What are you going to name her?" My beaming neighbor stares down at me. I tell her the name I had chosen, and she smiles brightly.

"That's a wonderful name!"

I let my baby girl have her first meal, while Ms. Fielding makes something for me. A few minutes later, she comes over to me with a hot bowl of soup and sets it down on the chair. The baby's done feeding, so I hand her back to Ms. Fielding, and pick up the soup.

By the next morning, I've finally shushed Ms. Fielding out of the house, convincing her that we're okay on our own. As soon as she's gone, I check on my daughter, who's napping her her crib (she sleeps, thanks goodness!), and then sit down at my small kitchen table.

I have a letter to write. I carefully print out a short note.

Avery Anne Carter, born June 13, 1982

I cross the room to a cage, and my tiny owl steps onto my finger eagerly. I fold the note in half, and my owl, Roo, takes it in his beak.

"Take it to Severus," I whisper to the Roo. The miniature owl chirps, nearly dropping the note in the process, then flies off excitedly.

I never receive a reply.

*****************

AUGUST, 1993

AVERY'S POV

"Mum! Mum, can we go now?" I yell enthusiastically. "We have to get my stuff!" My mom comes down the stair, grinning.

"I know, I know. Let me grab my purse."

"Hurry! I can't wait to get my own wand..." I muse. Mom laughs.

"Okay. Let's go." We walk over to the fireplace.

"You go first," Mom says, handing me a bit of Floo powder. I take it, and step forwards, throwing it into the fire.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" I shout, as clearly as I can. Then I step into the flames, which are slightly cool, and I feel myself jerked away. I fly quickly, glimpsing fireplaces, as I rush along. Next thing I know it's over, and I'm thrown forwards onto the floor of the Inn.

"You alright, there?" I grin at the asker, a younger man, while picking myself up off the floor.

"Just grand, sir, thank you," I reply. A moment later my Mom is spit out of the fire, landing much more gracefully than me. She sees me, and says,

"Good, you made it. You're filthy, though." The man laughs when she says that.

"Are you heading to Hogwarts this year?" he asks. I nod

"I'm going to be a first year!" I tell him proudly. He smiles.

"Good for you. Just so you know, I'm going to be teaching there this year. Defense Against the Dark Arts. I'm Professor Lupin." He glances up at Mom and smiles.

"Rachel Carter. It's been too long. I didn't know you had a daughter!" She gasps, and grins widely.

"I didn't recognize you at first, Remus! Oh, it's so good to see you!" He offers her a hug, and she accepts it gladly.

"You know him, Mum?" I ask, confused.

"Everyone knew Remus Lupin, he was best friends with that lunatic James," Mom laughs. Lupin chuckles.

"I wouldn't say everyone. I mean, yeah, everyone knew James and Sirius. But not me, not really."

"You're too modest," Mom jokes. "Hey, Remus, it was great seeing you, but we need to get some school supplies."

"Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Professor Lupin. I'm Avery, by the way," I say.

"Nice to meet you too, Avery. I look forwards to seeing you at Hogwarts." We begin walking towards the back of the Inn, waving goodbye.

We go out the back door of the Leaky Cauldron, and into a tiny enclosed, brick space behind. Mom searches the bricks, then taps on several in a pattern. Then they begin to move and shift, until Diagon Alley is revealed. We step into it, and the bricks close behind us.

We visit Flourish and Blotts for my school books, then pick up my Hogwarts robes and a cauldron for potions class, along with some very basic ingredients. Last, we go into Ollivanders.

The store is dusty and dark, and the walls are lined with hundreds and hundreds of small boxes, a wand in each one. Mom rings a small bell on the desk in the middle of the room. A voice calls out "Coming!" and a moment later a small man walks around the corner.

"Good afternoon. Hogwarts, I presume?"

"Yes. I'm here for my first wand!" I smile.

"Congratulations. Let's see..." He walks up to the nearest wall, and begins surveying the boxes.

"Try this one," he says, holding an open box out to me. I take the wand, and wave it gently. there's a huge bang, and the lamp on his desk is thrown onto the floor, and shatters.

"No, no, not that one," Ollivander mutters. "Reparo." The lamp repairs itself, and settles itself on the desk once more.

Five wands later, I still don't have one. Ollivander keeps saying things like, "It's okay, some people come in here and try hundreds!" But I don't need to try that many. When he hands me the seventh wand, I feel it vibrate in my hand, and the end glows a bit.

"Give it a wave, then!" he urges. I do as he says, and this time nothing shoots out uncontrolled. The end is still lit up, and it glows even brighter. The wands wood feels smooth and cool on my fingers.

"I think it's the one," I say softly.

'"It seems perfect," Ollivander tells me. "Hornbeam, and Unicorn hair core."

"We'll take it," says Mom. She pays for it, and we leave the shop.

Back in the Leaky Cauldron, our hands still full of things, we Floo back to our house. I store everything in my Mom's old trunk, which she's giving to me.

I can barely sleep, I'm far too excited. In two days, it will be September first. In two days, I'm going to Hogwarts.