Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 4 - I Always Wanted a Girl

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DIANA HAD GOTTEN her Hogwarts letter that morning.

Luxuriously scripted parchment complete with a hand-drawn signature, an attached supply list, and a scarlet wax seal, it would be an exciting and joyous occasion for most.

For Diana, the sight of it sent her away to her room in tears.

The girl might have been moody on a usual day, as a loner with blossoming teenage hormones usually was, but as of late, her incorrigible attitudes were instead thanks to a surge of anxiety.

Every time she thought about the coming fall, she felt her chest constrict and her brain fog with worst-case scenarios. She seemed to be living in an incurable unease; the feeling innate and inescapable.

On one hand, she wanted desperately to escape the dark halls of her west country home, especially considering her mother's new obsession with design and furnishing. Each day was a new swatch in the woman's hand and a new dark antiquary at the door. Diana was worried the woman might have been inspired by her pureblood group of friends and was dreadfully awaiting the day she left her room to find shrunken heads displayed outside.

It wouldn't be a surprise, at least; They were already exhibiting other various cursed objects.

One of which she'd nearly gotten herself killed by that morning, as she sifted through the daily morning parcels. Along with her school letter, there was a hefty package shrouded in dark silk, within holding an intricate opal necklace. Diana had gone to unwrap it when her father entered the room and yelled for her to stop. Apparently, it was cursed to take lives.

She should have known better than to open her parent's things.

Anyway, on the other hand, she didn't ever want to leave the house again. She didn't want to make new friends; she was never very good at it, especially when they'd all already be settled in groups. The situation was entirely awkward.

Transfers weren't unheard of in the Wizarding World, but they weren't common and the majority of students migrated to Ilvermorny in the States when it did occur.

She was also worried Hogwarts would be too different from what she was used to. She had picked up a copy of Hogwarts: A History as a resource to be prepared, and recently found out about the school's house system. She had no clue where she would be put and certainly didn't want to have to participate along with the first years — mind you...in front of everyone.

When she brought the matter up at dinner, her parents said she would no doubt be in Slytherin, as they had been. She hoped she'd have some say in the matter — she wasn't in the mood to infuriate them any further.

-

Later that afternoon, Diana was on her way to Diagon Alley — the wizarding hub for shopping and supplies within central London.

She was traveling alone, as her parents, of course, had far more important things to do than accompany their only daughter on her first solo outing in a new city to purchase school necessities.

She lacked grace as she clambered out of the fireplace and into a dim, dingy, but bustling pub. She swept her hand along her dark green blouse and smoothed out her trousers to clear the dust from her body. She was never any good with Floo powder; too clumsy and mumbling to lead anywhere nice.

Her boots met the ground soundlessly as she ducked around old robe-wearing wizards who shouted gleefully at each other over pints of butterbeer. Soft hair fell forward into her face and she couldn't be bothered to pull it back; the wisps of curtain-like strands were far more than welcome to her. Not that anyone would recognize her here, but somehow the shroud made her feel safer.