Silence is Deafening

Chapter 3

I was spinning out of control. My grip on Remus' arm tightened so hard, I felt like I might yank it out of socket. I clamped my lips shut as the tea threatened to make a reappearance. Suddenly, the world righted itself again, and my feet hit the floor of another fireplace.

Remus grabbed me suddenly to keep me from falling to the ground. Had it not been for him, I would have been kissing the floor. As I regained my balance, I looked around the little shop we had appeared in. It was small, with purple stools littering the ground everywhere. Mirrors were leaned against the walls, in between wardrobes. Everywhere around me were black robes, of all sizes, hanging from bars. In the corner, a small rocking chair rocked itself as a needle and thread sewed a robe. Tape measures were flying around the room, measuring arm lengths and torso lengths. The shop smelled of smoke and vanilla, and I had to stifle my cough. Suddenly, I heard a small humming noise come from another room.

A women, no taller than 150 centimeters, came rounding the corner. She was a plump woman, with very pale skin. Her grey hair was piled on top of her head like a honey bee hive, and her lips were pursed and ruby read. She had small spectacles that sat on the end of her nose, and she looked down to see through them. She was clad in elegant lavender colored robes that had ornate violet patterns sewn into them. She looked up quickly, and jumped.

"Oh! My dears! I didn't see  you there! I would have been waiting had I known someone was going to Floo in!" She exclaimed, looking at me and then peering around my elbow. "Remus? Remus Lupin? Oh, my darling, how are you? I haven't seen you in ages! Look at you, so handsome!" She practically yelled, clawing me out of the way to wrap Remus in a tight and very squishy hug. Remus flushed a deep red and looked down at his overworn shoes. "Now, Madam Malkin, don't flatter me too much. I'm doing splendid, thank you for asking. This is my godchild, Elizabeth Clarke. She will be transferring to Hogwarts for her 5th term this year." Remus said, looking pleased as he pulled me over to them. Madam Malkin eyed me up and down, her gaze falling on my curly hair as she stared.

"Surely...surely you are not...Eleanor Barlowe's daughter?" Madam Malkin asked, looking at me with the utmost surprise.

"You knew my mother?" I asked, my eyebrows shooting up to my hairline. I hadn't spent too much time in the English wizarding world to know how many people knew my parents. It was always a shock to hear people remembering my parents, partly because I don't even remember them myself.

"Good heavens, yes! Your father, too. I remember fitting them both in their robes for their very first year at Hogwarts. This is where they met, you know!" She added, beaming with pride. Suddenly, the room took my full interest. I tried to picture Mum and Dad as 11 year olds, standing on the small purple stools and looking at their new robes in the mirror. I tried to imagine what their voices would have sounded like, high pitched and excited about their new year ahead.

"Lizzie will need some robes of her own, Madam Malkin. We aren't sure of her house quite yet, so I will come back once she is sorted and purchase her ties and patches." Remus said, and Madam Malkin nodded enthusiastically. I decided right then that I liked Madam Malkin. She seemed to be kind, and Merlin knows that's hard to find.

"I am so interested to find out where you are sorted! I wonder...Gryffindor, like your father? Or perhaps Ravenclaw, like your mother. You do resemble her quite a bit...yes, quite." Madam Malkin muttered, pulling me over to the mirrors.

As I looked in the mirror, I tried to imagine myself a student of Hogwarts. Would I be put into Gryffindor? It would make the most sense, I had been in Wampus at Ilvermorny. I could also imagine myself in blue and bronze. I certainly looked like I belonged there, with my hair almost matching their exact color. Madam Malkin quickly threw a sample robe on me, and started to speak to herself about sizes and fits. Remus stood behind me, casually observing. I gave him a questioning look and he waved his hand.