Flames ( HP Fire Series #1)

2. Diagon Alley

Autumn's p.o.v.

"Woah there, slow down Autumn!" Professor Gemini hurried after me. Everything in Diagon Alley was simply amazing! My eyes scanned my surroundings curiously, eyeing several people wearing robes that bear the crest of another school.

"Hey Professor, what's that other crest?"

"Oh that? That's the Hogwarts crest, another magical institute in Britain. There are different magical institutes..." She trailed off but I was too busy staring to listen.

We retrieved some gold from my parents' vault in Gringotts. Slightly wobbling from the adrenaline rush ride, I stumbled into a messy-haired boy. 

"What the..." 

"I'm terribly, terribly sorry...the ride down Gringotts was so fast and my head's spinning and... Wait, I'm rambling. Hi, my name's Autumn Rivers and I'm starting my first year at Beauxbatons." I extended my hand out. With his mouth still agape, he stuttered. "Ja...James Potter. I'm starting my first year at Hogwarts."

Really, I should be the one to be embarrassed seeing that I knocked him down in the first place. Anyways, I shrugged it off as my eyes lighted up at the mention of Hogwarts. "So it's another school huh? Tell me about it, please?" I gave him puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine, but we'll do our shopping first." He sighed defeatedly. Jumping with excitement, we visited Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkin's, The Apothecary and The Foggy Prophesier for my crystal ball. James was really cool and I liked him very much. We chatted about pranks when we approached Ollivander's.

The shop gave me creeps because of the amount of magic it radiated. "Ermm, hello?" I squeaked meekly.

"Welcome, Mr Potter, Miss Rivers." A soft voice startled us both tremendously. "Ah, Miss Rivers, here for your wand already. I remember that day when your parents came in. Ah, so sad..."

"And Mr Potter. You are just like your father. Now try this wand. 11 inches, made of holy, dragon heartstring core. Give it a wave..." The shelves exploded and my hair turned a fierce shade of red. "A metamorphmagus? I see that you are quite powerful, young one." Mr Ollivander eyed me curiously. "But let's just finish off with Mr Potter first, shall we?"

James tried several wands until he found the one that was just for him. 11 inches, pliable, great for transfiguration. He grinned as I tried wand after wand, shattering shelves, glass balls and wrecking havoc. "Not funny, James. Umm, Mr Ollivander? I'm terribly sorry for the, you know..." Mr Ollivander just laughed. Waving his wand, everything returned to their original state. "Hmm, a difficult customer. I always like difficult ones." He chuckled while James snorted, clearly amused. I shot him a glare and peered through the dusty shelves. "Maybe this might work for you, Miss Rivers." 

I accepted the wand from him. 13 inches, phoenix feather core, made of elder wood. Perfect for all kinds of magic especially duelling. Before the wand touched my hand, I felt the warmth and sense of longing. My body glowed a golden aura as the magic of the wand bound to my core. It was so blinding that the windows shattered to pieces and the chandelier fell with a bang.

"Perfect! Very good!" Mr Ollivander clapped enthusiastically. I grinned sheepishly at the mess. "Not to worry, not to worry." He waved his hand almost absent-mindedly. "Miss Rivers, I've always thought of you to be a great witch. But seeing your wand, not only my beliefs are confirmed, I also see how powerful your magical core is. Use the wand well."

Exiting the shop, James and I skipped down the busy street. "What now?" I bounced jovially. "Well, I've always wanted an owl..." James said hesitantly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I pointed at Eeylops Owl Emporium& Magical Menagerie. To be honest, I wanted a pet of my own too so we dashed inside the shop.

Immediately, I was enveloped with a strong pull. It was magical, fascinating, unable to be described in words. I wandered away, following my instincts. "Autumn, where are you going?" James questioned. I ignored him. It was then I found him.

A pair of fierce eyes stared unblinkingly at me, the aura emitted by him was so powerful but I reached out my hand.

"Hey there, you're now mine."