Quiet in the Eve

Trip to the Alley

Evelyn walked alongside her parents and brother, holding her mother's hand. When they reached The Leaky Cauldron, Evelyn's heart went haywire and she could barely feel it beating. This was a day she'd been looking forward to her entire life. But now she was here, she wanted to turn back into a little girl and crawl into her mother's arms, where she'd be comforted. 

Her father pulled out his wand and tapped on the brick wall in front. The wall separated. Evelyn had seen this so many times before, she was not surprised when an entire street of wizarding shops appeared from behind it.

Tina: (tugging slightly on Evelyn's hand) Don't go freezing up now, Evie.

Evelyn didn't even notice she had frozen. Moving her feet, she listened with amusement at a wizard shouting at someone.

Wizard: (annoyed) Arthur! Put that muggle device down!

Evelyn let go of her mother's hand to walk further ahead. Joseph walked by her side and smirked.

Evelyn: What's so funny, Joey?

Joseph: (nudging her side a little bit) You will never wipe that amazed look off your face!

Evelyn: (shoving him back) Remember what Grandma likes to tell us! 'Take in the little things with as much joy as you can, and you'll be given the best things in life!'

Joseph: (scoffing) You make me want to vomit.

Evelyn: (nostrils flaring) Is that Poppy Lantview over there?

Joseph: (turning quickly on his heels) Oh, haha! Very funny, Yaka!

Evelyn gave him a death glare as he laughed and sauntered off. Evelyn smiled to herself. Poppy Lantview was a Ravenclaw girl in Joseph's year. Evelyn's theory is that Joseph has a bit of a crush on her, because whenever she's mentioned to him, his cheeks turn red and he stumbles on his words.

Evelyn and her parents went to Gringotts first, then they started her school shopping. They decided that Newt can take Joseph to get his school things for the year and Tina would take Evelyn. Stopping first in Madam Malkin's robe shop, Evelyn and her mother stood in the front as a dumpy little witch approached.

Madam Malkin: Ah, hello! (gesturing to Evelyn) Follow me, little one!

Evelyn followed Madam Malkin to the back where she stood on a footstool and got measured for her robes. Another girl stood across from her with a younger witch mending her robes.

Laura: (smiling at Evelyn) Hello. Laura Gage. It's a little embarrassing having to come in here every year, but hey! I have six cats at home that love scratching things!

Evelyn: (giggling to herself) You're funny! And, six cats is nothing! I have an entire basement filled with magical creatures ranging from cute to dangerous!

Laura: (widening her gaze) Oh, that's where I've seen your face! Are you Newt Scamander's daughter? Because you look exactly like him!

Evelyn: (smiling at Laura's calm attitude) Yes. I'm surprised. A lot of people who meet me for the first time just want to know if I can arrange for them to meet him!

Laura: (hitting her head, sarcastically) Oh, damn! That was my next question!

Evelyn: (laughing harder) Are you not a fangirl?

Laura: (shrugging her shoulders) Eh. Don't freak out like some people do, but the book is good.

Evelyn: You are the first person to say that, you know.

Laura: (laughing to herself) I just don't see the point in fangirling over someone. It just scares people when a random person comes up to them with a notebook, having trouble catching their breath.

Mending Witch: Okay, Miss Gage. You're all set. We'll see you in next year.

Laura hopped off the stool and handed the witch three silver Sickles. She waved goodbye to Evelyn and left the room. That's when Madam Malkin appeared from behind a curtain with a robe, which she put over Evelyn's shoulders and have her hold her arms outward. She stood completely still as Madam Malkin pitched the hem just a little above Evelyn's ankle. 

When Madam Malkin was done, she let Evelyn hop down off the stool, before she went to wrap the robes in some parchment to keep them nice and orderly. Evelyn and her mother walked out of the shop and made their way into Flourish and Blott's, buying most of her schoolbooks. The only ones they didn't buy were her dad's book and Standard Book of Spells- Vol. 1. She would use Joseph's old one. After they'd bought almost everything, her mother to her down to Ollivander's wand shop. When they entered the little shop, Evelyn sighed at the sight of shelves she'd only seen once before, when Joseph got his wand. A loud sound was made when a man with light ginger hair and crystal blue eyes slid out in front of them on a ladder.

Ollivander: (with a big smile) Ah, yes. I remember you, Miss Scamander.

He shuffled along the narrow aisles of shelves stacked with wand boxes. His hand ran along the the boxes until he made a small inaudible 'Ah' noise.

Ollivander: (handing the wand to Evelyn) There you go. Try it out.

Evelyn: (giving the wand a small wave; making a nearby shelf catch on fire) Sorry.

Ollivander: (replacing the wand in the box) No problem, child!

He ran back out of of sight for a while before reemerging.

Ollivander: (handing Evelyn another wand) Try that one.

Evelyn took the wand and waved it. It backfired; making her fly across the room and hitting her head on the wall. Ollivander took the wand back from her and gave her another one. That one backfired, too. Two more wands were tested and both backfired. On the sixth wand, as soon as Evelyn grasped it firmly, she felt a rush of warm air on her face.

Ollivander: (clapping his hands together) Splendid! I knew that one would work! (he held his hand out for the wand, so Evelyn handed it back to him) Elm wood, 12 3/4 inches, flexible. And, this one is a special one, because it was not made by me. One of my good American friends actually made it while she visited me and accidentally left it behind. (he looked at Evelyn) The core is made from the horn of a Jackalope.

Evelyn smiled as she took the wand back. She had a wand that was unique from everyone else's. She felt like this meant she was special.

She and her mother met up with Joseph and her father at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. They sat down right as Newt seemed to be finishing lecturing Joseph.

Newt: ....I just hope you don't do that again, Joey.

Tina: What happened?

Newt: (turning to Tina) Someone decided it was a good idea to bring a box of matches in a bookstore.

Evelyn: (laughing to herself) Bloody hell!

Tina: (shooting a quick glance at Evelyn before turning to Joseph) Why would you do that?

Joseph: (looking sheepishly at his feet under the table) I thought I'd gotten the spell right to make them safe, but something went wrong and it made them burst into flame as soon as it came in contact with the side of the box.

Tina: (shaking her head) Joey, you're really smart when you try, but sometimes you're really dim.

Joseph went back to his bowl of ice cream and slowly began to swallow small bites.

Newt: (looking over at Evelyn) What's your wand core, Evie?

Evelyn: (perking up at the mention of her wand) My wand's special. (Joseph smirked, coughing on some ice cream in his throat) It is! Mr. Ollivander has an American friend who also happens to be a wandmaker. This one- (she showed them her wand) -has the core of a Jackalope horn!

Newt: (ruffling Evelyn's hair a little bit) You're always going to be my proud little girl, aren't you?

Evelyn laughed and put her wand back in her bag, before starting to eat from her ice cream bowl.