What If? Year 1

Chapter 1

"Harry, Goldie!" Mum shouts from downstairs, "hurry up, we're meeting the Weasleys at Diagon Alley, remember?" I hear Harry rush down the stairs. I shut my book, slowly. My name is Marigold Potter. Yes, just like the flower. I walk down the stairs, already dreading the trip we were taking. You would think a girl like me, the daughter of the man who kill He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, would love to go out. Not! Everyone was always staring at us and it made me anxious.
"Come on, Marigold," Harry says, "you can meet Ginny, Ron's little sister! And you'll love Hermione! She loves reading, just like you." I look up and smile a little.
"Thanks, Harry," I say, going over to him and ruffling his hair.
"Are you two ready yet?" my little sister, Everlyn asks. We nod and take my big brothers hand. I squeeze it tightly as we walk over to the fireplace.
"Come on, Goldie," Mum says, "you'll be fine." She hands me my letter and some floo powder.
"Your dad is waiting on the others side," Mum tells me. I go into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley," I say, dropping the floo powder. I feel myself being lifted into the vents and taken to Diagon Alley. I role out of the fireplace onto the floor of The Leaky Cauldron.
"You okay, flower?" my dad asks, helping me up. I wipe the soot off my shirt and pants and quickly get out of the way. Harry comes through next, then Evie, and then Mum.
"Where are we meeting them again, Harry, dear?" Mum asks, leading us out the doorway.
"At Gringotts" Harry replies, taking my hand and leading me through crowds. We get to the doors of a beautiful marble building. We wait for Mum, Everlyn, and Dad before going inside. Dad opens the door for us and the sight I see makes me grab Harry's hand tighter. There were tons of people who probably all knew who my dad was. Harry notices my nervousness and puts his arm around me.
"It'll alright," he says, "they'll all be to busy to pay attention to us, I recon." I hope he was right. We get to the front of the line and the goblin shows us to our volt. When we get down there Mum gives me her old coin purse.
"Really?" I ask, "I'm allowed to use this?" Mum nods.
"Of course," she says, "considering it's yours." I gasp and run to hug her. Yes, it was just an old coin purse, but it was my mum's favorite coin purse. Mum and I walk over to where Harry was stashing coins in his pouch.
"Remember," Dad says, "take only what you may need at Hogwarts.. or what you may need to buy for yourself." I take ten Galleons, twenty Sickles, and thirty Knuts. My mum tried to encourage me to take more, but it was no use. She knew I'd never take more then what I needed, even though I knew dad was just joking. We go back up to the ground level. We walk out into the streets of Diagon Alley when I see a family of red haired people. Harry takes my hand and runs towards them.
"Ron!" he shouts. Oh, no, that was his friend's name. I try to tug away from his grip, only to make his grip tighten.
"Harry!" one of the red head boy shout, running towards us. Harry lets go if my hand to give Ron a hug. I take my chance and run back to Mum, Everlyn, and Dad.
"Come on, flower," dad says, "they're real sweet people. Just tug on my shirt if it's to much for you and I'll make up some excuse." I nod, as I slow down to walk behind him. Everlyn was practically bouncing with excitement. She loves talking to people and being social. Mum lets her run to Harry and start to introduce herself.
"She is just like her father," Mum says, softly to dad, making me giggle.
"That's were you went," she says, "I wish I could take you somewhere so we wouldn't have to be social.. but Harry thinks you and Ginny will really hit it off.
"That's Harry," I say, "the Harry who gets along with everybody."
"I know, sweetheart," Mum says. Harry motions to us to hurry up and Dad gladly does. Mum and I do, but reluctantly. I wish I could turn invisible.
"Molly!" Mum says, walking over to a good sized women and giving her a hug. How dare you betray me, mother? I try to walk in the other direction, but I was caught.
"Lily!" Mrs. Weasley says, "this must be Goldie, am I right?" Mum nods, and I force myself to turn around, although everything in my mind tells me to just run.
"She looks almost just like you!" Mrs. Weasley says. I mean she was right. I had my mum's hair, her body structure, and her doe shaped eyes. The eye color was fathers, but I didn't mind.
"She acts like me too," Mum says, "James thinks it's a bit creepy. But Harry and Everlyn are just like him." Yep, that's right! I'm the outcast of the Potter kids.
"I think her and Ginny will be good friends," Mrs. Weasley says, "now I just have to find Ginny." She walks into the crowd of gingers, which Mum and I blended into nicely. I could clearly see Dad, Harry, and Everlyn in the crowd. Harry notices me staring and walks over to me, followed by Ron.
"Ron," he says, "this is Marigold, my less crazy sister." Ron nods to me.
"How do you do, Marigold?" he asks me. Harry smiles at me and I could tell he wanted to me to reply to his friend.
"It's just Goldie," I mumble, "and I'm alright.."
"Nervous for Hogwarts?" Ron asks, "I mean, I presume you are. Everyone is! I know Ginny is."
"A little," I mumble, hoping he'd hear me so I would not have to repeat myself. He nods, showing he could hear me. I really should try to get out of this horrible habit of mumbling.
"Goldie, dear!" Mum says, breaking me out of my train of thought, "come here, sweetheart!" I go over to her. Mrs. Weasley was standing across from he with a girl, I presume was Ginny.
"Goldie ," Mrs. Weasley says, "this is Ginny." Ginny whispers a quick hello.
"Hello," I mumble back.
"Why don't you two tell each other about yourselves while we walk around getting everyone's stuff for Hogwarts?" Mum asks, making me want to glare at her. I wanted to go tug on dad's jacket sleeve, but I wanted to prove I could last a whole outing without having to do that. The two mothers walk towards everyone else, leaving us at the back of the group.
"If you don't mind me asking," I mumble, "exactly how many brothers do you have?" Ginny laughs at my question, making me blush.
"To many," she says, "but six to be exact. Only four are here today. Bill and Charlie have already graduated Hogwarts."
"And you're the only girl?" I ask, still mumbling a little.
"Yep!" she say, "and the youngest." We walk after the crowd in silences for a little bit when Ginny asks me a question.
"What's it like being James Potter's daughter?" I stiffen a little, even though I knew it was going to be asked.
"A little awkward," I say, "at least for me. Harry and Evie love it, though."
"Do people ever come up to your father and ask him questions?" she asks, looking at me.
"Yeah," I reply, "That's why it's so awkward. People come up to us on the streets and are like. 'No way! You're James Potter!" We both snicker.
"I bets that's horrible," Ginny says.
"What is it like to live with six boys?" I ask her.
"Not as bad as you'd think," she says, "I get my own room.. first pick of food. And eight people to look after me." She rolls her eyes to emphasize her feelings about the last statement.
"I bet it's never boring," I say. She nods. I look up and notice that we had gotten to our first shop, Flourish and Bolts.