Crossing the Pond

Crossing the Pond

Chapter 2: Robes and Revelations

Although August had loomed greatly in the minds of Callie Summers and Danaya Ayanada as a large obstacle to conquer, the month went by with great speed. August 18^th had been Callie's birthday. She was now officially 16 and able to start her 6^th year of magical education. Ironically, her one and only gift from her aunt and uncle was a black Volkswagen Beetle, which could not have been further from preparation for wizarding school. The car would most likely sit in the garage all year while the girls were whisked off to Hogwarts.

Finally, after a great deal of packing, panicking and drug induced sleep, Callie and Danny stood in the Tada's foyer dressed in wizarding robes. Their trunks were stuffed to the brim and just barely closed. It was the morning of August 29^th, and the sun had just risen above Lake Claire. Callie was wearing sea green, short sleeved summer robes with a lightweight green cloak on top and black denim shorts underneath. Her hair was pulled up into a half ponytail, with loose tendrils curling around her face. On her nose was a brand new pair of glasses that had been prescribed only two days earlier. A green, pointed hat tilted at a jaunty angle completed the look of, as Callie's uncle had stated, "Cosmopolitan Sorceress." Around her neck was a pendant in the shape of a dragon, which held a green marble in it's tail.

Danaya, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as dolled up as Callie, but was just as noticeable. She wore a simple cloak that matched the blue of her eyes, with white roses embroidered along the shoulders and sleeves. Every strand of her thick black hair spilled out from a blue headband, excluding the two strands that usually hung before her ears. Both wrists held at least 10 silver bangle bracelets, and both of her ears were home to 8 silver earrings- two wands, two cauldrons, two owls and two snitches. Kenichi Tada had made a remark about Danny as well, stating that she looked like one of the television psychics that advertised during daytime television. Danny had responded with a smirk and a rude gesture.

Neither girl spoke. Danaya twirled her bracelets, and Callie bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Every now and then she spun around in a circle and adjusted her hat. "Where is she?!?" Callie finally let out at least, exasperated. "We were supposed to leave for Diagon Alley10 minutes ago!"
"Just be patient," Danny answered. "Your aunt got home late last night, remember? She's probably exhausted."

"But I wanna go!" Callie resumed bouncing, this time banging the heels of her hands together to the same rhythm. Her insides felt like they were about to jump out of her mouth and do a complicated tap dance on the floor. "I can't stand this!" she burst out once again.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" Aunt Electra suddenly appeared above the staircase on the second floor, levitating a small suitcase behind her. "Honestly, Callie, you are the most impatient girl I have ever dealt with."

"I know," Callie giggled in reply. Danaya smiled, smacking her forehead in disbelief.

"You are going to get in so much trouble with that attitude," she remarked, glancing at the small brunette.

"I know," Callie said once again with the same giggle. She began to jump on her tiptoes as Electra placed the suitcase with the two trunks and joined the girls.

"The two of you can go on ahead to Diagon Alley and get started," she said. "I'll take our things to the Leaky Cauldron and get us checked in. Meet at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor by..." she quickly glanced at her watch, adding seven hours to the current time. "16:45 Greenwich Mean Time."

"Huh?" Callie looked at her watch. It was 6:47 in the morning.

"4:45 England time," Danaya explained. "We have 2 hours and 45 minutes to get as much shopping done as possible. That includes sleeping potions to get over the time difference."

"Yippee for jet lag," Callie muttered. "So... if we leave now, it'll be 2:00 there... and when it's 10:00 P.M. there, it'll be..." she paused, counting in her head. "3:00 here?"

"As I said, that list includes sleeping potions," Danaya repeated. She took Callie by the wrist and dragged her into the ornately decorated living room off to the left. "Come on! We have to get started!"

"This is gonna be weird," murmured Callie as she tried not to trip over her own two feet.

"Be careful, you too!" Ellie yelled towards the pair. Soon afterwards she heard two voices yell "Diagon Alley!" one after the other, followed by a "fwooosh" from the fireplace. She sighed, smiled and went to work shrinking and packing up the luggage.

******************

Diagon Alley was filled with wizards of all ages, shapes and sizes. Students bustled in and out of stores gathering their supplies, while merchants hawked their wares and children drooled over racing brooms. The sky was bluer than usual, without a single cloud to block out the bright sunshine. Music echoed from one of the stores, and animals hooted, squawked and screeched from every corner.

Callie and Danaya arrived amidst all of the cacophony, blinking in the sunlight. "2:00 P.M., huh?" Callie muttered, squinting her eyes.

"Get over it," Danaya retorted, pulling her shopping list out from one of her hidden pockets. "Hey, you have cargo robes, right?"
"You mean on right now?" Callie lifted up her green robes and grinned. "Yup! Pick a pocket, any pocket."

"Good. You can carry my stuff." Danaya winked backwards towards Callie and began walking towards a large white building labeled "Gringott's".

"I don't think so! Hey, wait up!" Callie was suddenly jolted back down to earth as her friend strutted off into the crowd. She pushed her way through a group of thirteen-year-old wizards carrying new brooms and followed the mass of black swishing hair barely visible over the many heads and hats. "Danny!" she called. "Where are you going?"
Danaya stopped and turned around, holding out a hand to stop Callie from crashing into her. "First of all, grow up," she ordered. "You're acting like a two-year-old who lost her mother. You're 16, for crying out loud! You can handle yourself in a crowd!"

"But they're British," Callie mumbled as a feeble excuse.

"Second of all," continued Danaya, completely ignoring Callie's remark, "we can start out at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions or Flourish and Blotts. Unless you need to get money out of the bank...?"

"Hmm? No, I've got plenty of cash." Callie grinned and shook her robes, which jingled with coins. "You?"

"I'm fine," Danaya replied. "And I'm certainly not in the mood to deal with goblins."

"Then let's go get robes!" Callie cheered, jumping three times and clapping. "Lead the way, oh knowledgeable one!"

Danaya sighed and shook her head, but couldn't repress the grin that took over her face. She grabbed Callie by the arm and led her to a shop with robes of all creation in the window display. "Here we are!" she declared, throwing open the door and strutting into the store. Callie followed a bit more modestly, gazing around the sunlit shop.

"Soooo... how do we start?" she asked. Danaya suddenly found herself at a loss.

"Um... I guess we ask for help," she said, looking around for someone in a uniform. A man with shoulder length brown hair and owl rim glasses was stacking sweaters onto shelves labeled "Slytherin", "Ravenclaw", "Gryffindor" and "Hufflepuff". "Excuse me!" Danaya called out, waving the man over. "Um... we need robes!"

"Well you've come to the right place," the man laughed. He put down his stack of sweaters and approached the two girls. "How may I help you?"

"We need Hogwarts robes," Callie stated importantly, shoving her glasses up on her nose. The man blinked.

"Are you sure? You don't sound like Hogwarts students." He eyed the pair suspiciously. "Where are you from?"
"We're Americans!" cheered Callie enthusiastically. Danaya went beet red at her friend's antics. The man raised an eyebrow.

"I see... and what houses are you two in?"

Callie looked at Danaya, who stared back in turn. "We don't know," Danaya finally answered. "We... haven't really been told yet."

"I see... won't you hold on for a moment?" The man shot another suspicious glance towards Callie and stalked off towards a back room.

"Way to go, dork," Danaya scolded, smacking Callie on the back of the head.

"Ouch! What did I do?" Callie glared at Danny, rubbing her head.

"We're Americans!" Danaya giggled and jumped into the air, bending one knee behind her back. "We're so cute and adorable!" She shook her head. "Ye gods."

"Sorry," Callie muttered. She folded her arms and shifted her weight, waiting for the man to return. "Why did he sound so suspicious of us?"

"Because we're strange." Danaya turned her blue eyes to her best friend. "Haven't you been reading the newspapers? About... well... you-know-who and all of that business?" Callie shook her head, and Danaya sighed. "That's right. You ignore stuff like that, don't you."

"Indeedy-deedy I do," replied Callie, cracking a smile. "I know. It's really horrible of me. Oh well, deal."

Danaya was poised to make a witty remark when a gray haired lady in a green robe bustled out of a back room. "Are you the two Americans?" she asked inquisitively.

"Yes, we are," Danaya politely replied before Callie could act up again.

"Wonderful." The woman smiled and beckoned for the girls to follow her. "I was expecting you at some point. We'll have to measure you for customized first year robes, since you don't know your houses yet."

"I'm sure Callie's small enough to fit into one of the first year sizes!" Danny laughed. Callie wrinkled up her nose, silently vowing revenge. Madam Malkin said nothing, simply led Danaya and Callie to two empty pedestals surrounded by mirrors. Two more pedestals remained empty.

"Now just wait here while I get your files," Madam Malkin instructed before hurrying back out the door. Callie looked at Danaya, who looked back. A grin broke out on both of their faces.

"I am high and mighty! Bow to me!" Callie cheered, throwing a fist in the air and balancing on her left foot. "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"You're a dork!" Danaya laughed, sitting down on her pedestal.

"Aha, but I am a high and mighty dork!" Callie switched feet and turned a full circle. She stopped when she noticed two boys standing in the doorway. Her cheeks flushed pink and she immediately threw her hands behind her back. "Hi!" she squeaked sheepishly.

"Hello..." the boy with blonde hair and silver gray eyes stared at the two girls with a hint of disgust, clearly trying to figure out who they were. The other boy had shaggy black hair, round glasses and striking green eyes. He smiled weakly and climbed to the pedestal closes to the door. The blonde stared a bit longer, than stepped up onto the last remaining spot. He turned and studied Callie a bit more, who turned a deeper shade of red and recoiled from his glare. "Who are you?" the boy asked bluntly.

"Callista Jade Summers, Callie is fine," Callie answered in a quiet rush. "That freak over there is Danaya Rochelle Ayanada, Age 16, Blood Type AB-positive," she continued, regaining a bit of confidence.

"Why do we need to know blood type?" the black haired boy asked suddenly with a hint of amusement.

"In case there's a medical emergency!" giggled Callie. The blonde raised an eyebrow and studied Danaya, who smirked back.

"Callie's 16, blood type O-negative, and an absolute idiot," she remarked. Callie nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Draco Malfoy," the blonde stated. "15, don't know my blood type."

"Harry Potter, 15, B-negative the last time I checked," Harry said quietly, smiling in the girls' direction. Callie's eyes widened, and she giggled.

"Dude! Really? That's so kick!" she squealed. "Are you at Hogwarts?"

"Of course," Draco answered before Harry could say anything. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting measured for robes," Danaya broke in, trying to keep Callie from getting out of control. "We're on exchange from the Montgomery School of Magic in Salem. We're both sixth years, but we don't have houses yet, so we need first year robes."

"Kind of dorky," muttered Draco. He was still staring at Callie, who was finding herself more and more uncomfortable under his gaze.

"To say the least," she mumbled. "So... you're both fifth years?" Draco nodded. Harry was staring straight ahead at his reflection, a look of concentration covering his face. "What house are you in?" Callie continued.

"I'm in Slytherin," answered Draco. "Potter's in Gryffindor. Where do you think you'll be?"
"Anywhere but Hufflepuff," Callie responded immediately. "I'm too evil for them. I'd scare them all to pieces."

"You're evil?" Harry asked. "How so?"

"Callie's a total bitch when she wants to be," Danaya replied. "Although personally I can see her going to Gryffindor. She's a crazy psycho-fiend who will do whatever she wants whenever she wants without anyone stopping her."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Callie retorted.

"I'm hoping for Ravenclaw," Danny went on, once again ignoring her friend. "I think I'd do the best there."

"How do you know so much about the houses?" Callie asked immediately after Danaya had finished speaking.

"I read up on them last week. It's all in Hogwarts, A History."

"You actually read that?" Callie and Harry asked at the same time, apparently shocked into disbelief. "That thing's huge!" Callie gaped.

"Huge, but helpful," Danaya said. At that moment Madam Malkin entered the room carrying measuring tape and a pile of robes.

"All right, ladies, arms out," she ordered, tossing the tape into the air. It immediately began to take Danaya's measurements on it's own. Madam Malkin walked over to Draco and handed him a robe to try on.

"So what are you doing when you're done shopping?" Harry asked as Callie watched the measuring tape nearly attack her friend, giggling.

"We have to meet my aunt at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor at 4:45," she answered. "You?"
"Do you mind if I join you with a group of friends? We've been looking forward to meeting the exchange students ever since July. My friend Ron's little sister is excited beyond belief."

"Looks like you've found yourself a soul mate, Cal," Danny smirked. "Two girls who can go absolutely bonkers together. God save us all."

"You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you, Coo-coo-ka-choo," Callie retorted. Draco once again raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

"Sounds like fun," Danaya said with a smile as the measuring tape made a ticking noise then moved on to Callie. "4:45 at the ice cream parlor. Cool. We'll see ya there!"

"I'll look forward to it," Harry smiled. Callie glanced at Draco, who glanced back. He simply shrugged, then returned to buttoning his robe.

******************

Two hours and several shops later found the girls laden with bags, some filled with school supplies, others filled with goodies that had nothing to do with school in the least. Callie had spent a half hour in Quality Quidditch Supplies staring at gloves, even though she had played Quidditch for a total of one hour in her entire life. Danaya, in turn, had used up the rest of their free time browsing the Defense Against the Dark Arts section in Flourish and Blotts, and walked away with a book on protective symbols and amulets. By 4:45 it took all the power the pair had to walk and juggle their packages at the same time. Diagon Alley had cleared out a bit, but people still abounded who could be pummeled by a falling box at any time. Callie just barely managed to stick her nose above the bag carrying her schoolbooks so she could see her aunt waiting patiently at the ice cream parlor. "Aunt Ellie!" she called. Ellie looked up with a smile that quickly faded when she saw the sheer amount the girls had purchased. She leapt from her seat and ran to help the girls, taking two shopping bags from each and giving them a piercing stare in return.

"Honestly. I give you two and a half hours and you take over Diagon Alley. What am I going to do with you?" She shook her head, blonde locks bouncing with the movement.

"I guess we got a little carried-"

"HARRY!!" Callie screeched, cutting off Danaya's apology and running towards the ice cream parlor, packages in tow. She smiled as the black haired boy glanced up. He was surrounded by people, mostly redheads with the exception of one, frizzy-haired girl.

"Hi!" Harry answered, waving her over. Callie arrived at the packed table somewhat breathless, her hair tangled and her hat askew. "Buy much?"

"Naw, not as much as usual," giggled Callie in reply. "Danny bought more than I did."

"Are you the exchange student?" the only redheaded girl cut in breathlessly. Callie smiled and nodded. The other girl squeaked and turned bright red, turning a pair of large, brown eyes down to the table. One of the redheaded boys, a twin, leaned across the table and shoved a hand under Callie's nose. "George Weasley," he declared as Callie shook his hand. "That's my other half, Fred. And the little mousy one is Ginny." Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I'm not mousy," she muttered.

"And these are my best friends Ron and Hermione," Harry finished. Ron gave a half-hearted smile and Hermione waved her fingers.

"Nice to meet you all," Callie replied happily as Danaya and Ellie finally caught up with her. She raised a hand and gestured towards the bedraggled pair. "This is my best friend Danaya and my Aunt Ellie."

"Hey," Danaya grinned, breathless.

"We've already met," Ellie continued. "Callista, take your bags." She dropped the shopping bags carrying Callie's finds and summoned two more chairs. Callie and Danaya happily sat down, Callie plopping her elbows on the table and grinning at the twins. "So! Tell us anything and everything there is to know about Hogwarts."

Six voices all started speaking enthusiastically at once as Florean Fortescue brought out a tray of ice cream sundaes. And the conversation continued as Diagon Alley cleared out and the sun set, bringing twilight down onto the newly formed group of friends. From a table tucked away in a corner, Draco Malfoy watched the group with a disgusted look on his face.