Serenity Silverwing & The Hogwarts Five

Chapter Nine

Olivander´s Special Wands

Last Seen: Serenity pulled a plan together last minute to rescue Harry that, amazingly, went off without too many glitches... Considering Harry nearly got them all caught for forgetting Hedwig again, and Serenity used a shaman spell to repel the "Evil Uncle" Vernon. *grin* Now it´s off to Diagon Alley to get their supplies for the new year but what will Diana´s wand be and what´s so special about Serenity´s new wand that it, literally, knocked Dumbledore on his rear?

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"We meet back at the Leaky Cauldron at five. That should give you plenty of time to get your school things. Fred, George, not a step down Knockturn Alley or you´ll regret it." Molly Weasley lectures her charges. I was only half listening. I was wallowing in the fact that I didn´t have access to my Gringotts vault and I didn´t have her ring. Diana had nearly killed me when she found out. I explained to her what I hoped would happen so she spared me and hoped with me.

"Hey Serenity! Can I talk with you for a minute?" Fred asks, moving over to a shadowed corner.

"Sure. Be right back, Dia. Don´t move." I tell her and follow Fred.

"Are you missing anything?" Fred asks, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

"Yes." I admit glumly, my head hanging.

Gently, Fred tilts my chin back up with a finger and opens his hand. I cross my eyes to look in his palm and gasp. There was the white gold ring with two rubies and the center aquamarine and the key that had the number "333" inscribed on the top.

"Fred! Thank you!!!" I exclaim and throw my arms around him.

"Ack. You´re welcome." Fred responds, quickly closing his hand on the key and ring and returning the hug.

I pull away, and take the key and ring from Fred´s reopened palm. After slipping the ring onto my right hand and putting the key in my pocket, I hug Fred again and go back to Diana.

"What was that about?" Diana asks skeptically like I couldn´t provide a good enough excuse for hugging a guy I was staying with twice in a thousand years. Quickly, I show her the ring and key and she was just as excited as I was. We set off for Gringotts to get money from our vaults. Diana looked as green as I´m sure I looked on the way down and back up. Spirits, I hate those carts. Those carts have two speeds, contrary to what they say; fast and recklessly fast. Not to mention that if you ask to go slower, it goes faster.

All but stumbling out of the bank, we decide to get Diana´s wand first then get everything else.

We wander down the twisty avenue and arrive at the old wand shop near the end of the alley.

Entering the shop, everything was so dusty and faded that it almost looked like a dream. A strict dream at that as it seemed that it was supposed to be painfully quiet.

"Ah! Miss Silverwing, how´s that wand working out? It was quite an unusual one." Mr. Olivander´s misty voice surprised Diana and myself.

"It´s... It´s working fine." I stutter out my reply. Nodding, Mr. Olivander turned his attention to my sister.

"So, I assume safely, that you´re here for her." It was more of a statement than a question but I nod anyway.

"She´s my sister, Diana Featheredmoon."

Taking out his strange measuring tape, he starts measuring every possible distance on Diana´s- I clear my throat quickly- anatomy.

"I know which one´s yours." Mr. Olivander seems to dart to the window display and pick up a long, honey-brown wand. He hands it carefully to Diana, who waves it around, looking embarrassed. Yellow, red, black and violet sparks shot from the wand. Mr. Olivander claps, praising his accuracy and takes the wand from Diana, placing it deftly in a box.

"It was in the same group that I found yours, Miss Silverwing. Two went about three years back, one went two years ago then you got the fourth. This young lady got the last. Unusual combinations, all of those wands. Here you go, Miss Featheredmoon. Maple, twelve inches, unicorn hair and phoenix tears. Best for healing magic and transfiguration." Mr. Olivander rattles off, handing my sister the parcel with her wand inside.

"How much, sir?" Diana asks politely, pulling out her freshly filled moneybag.

"Your sister´s already paid for it." Mr. Olivander says, looking at me with those foggy blue eyes that gave me chills.

"No she hasn´t." Diana says at the same time I´d said, "No I haven´t."

"Oh I think you have. Quite a unique wand that one was." Mr. Olivander insists. I knew what he meant now. He thought he still owed me for trading wands with me.

It would be fighting a losing battle so I say, "Diana, I forgot to tell you. I did pay for it already.

Diana gives me a long, calculatingly skeptical look and shrugs. "Whatever you say. Thank you, Mr. Olivander."

"You´re very welcome, Miss Featheredmoon." the old man replies and vanishes into the back of the dusty shop.

"Come on. Let´s get your books." I say and haul my sister off to Flourish and Blotts.

I couldn´t get Diana down to Madam Malkin´s from the cauldrons, though, without stopping at Fortesque´s Ice Cream Parlor for a one-scoop strawberries and cream and one-scoop bubble gum cone. Don´t ask me. I just live with the girl.

"What are you going to do about the dress robes?" Diana asks after she snatched my list from my pocket as I paid for our uniform robes.

"Thanksgiving." I answer blandly, handing Diana her own bag. Diana stares at me for possibly five seconds then snorts and smothers her laughter.

"They´ve let you wear those?" Diana gasps between fits of giggles.

"Why wouldn´t they?" I sniff as we quit the robes shop and run right into someone totally unexpected, knocking our bags to the ground.

"Watch where you´re go... Oh! It´s you, Serenity." Nocta Malfoy starts with the usual Malfoy manner but softens as she realizes who she was talking to, helping me pick up my bags.

"Hey N´ta." I reply, using my easier-to-pronounce version of her name.

"You´re lucky my brother isn´t around you know." Nocta says, handing me the bags of mine that she´d picked up.

"I know. Thanks. OH! N´ta, this is my sister, Diana Featheredmoon. Dia, this is Nocta Malfoy, my habitual pain´s sister." I introduce the two girls to each other as Diana was giving me and Nocta weird looks.

"Habitual... Oh! That Drake character." Diana says.

"Draco" Nocta corrects irritably then looks at me. "Gryffindor?" she asks, a plaintive note in her voice.

"I´m hoping." I answer noncommittally. I didn´t want Diana in Slytherin but I didn´t know whether she´d be a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

"Nocta? Come now, we need to catch up with your father and brother." calls a pale blonde woman kindly from some feet ahead. She was pretty were it not for the sad look that I could see around her eyes from this far away.

"Coming mother!" Nocta calls and turns back to us. "It was nice running into you, literally, again Serenity. Nice to meet you Diana. I´ll see you on the train!" Nocta calls and she dashes off to catch up with her mother.

"See you, N´ta!" I call back and glance at my watch. No... Still working. "Oh my!" I exclaim.

"What?" Diana asks, looking up at me quizzically.

"We have fifteen minutes to get your pet and back to the Leaky Cauldron." I explain, pulling her towards Magical Menagerie.

"Go." I order and she takes off into the pet shop. Lucky me, and just for fun, I timed her on my digital watch. Ten minutes later, Diana came out, looking smug and carrying a carrier with a large black cat in it.

"Oh my... Ron´s not going to be happy... This is good." I say with a malicious chuckle. "What´s it´s name and what is it? It´s too large to be just a cat."

"It´s a half pygmy cheetah and half puma. Her name is Little Bolt." Diana answers proudly.

"Cute. I wonder if Ron´ll like..." And I trail off. In front of me was the most beautiful broom I´d ever seen.

"Spirits..." I murmur, drifting closer to the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. It was gorgeous. The wood on the handle seemed to be tinted ever so slightly blue and the twigs at the end were like one great wooden raindrop. There was a small card at the base of the display.

The Rainstorm

Second in the "Elementals" series, this broom is designed for the Chaser. The sturdier, streamlined oaken handle treated with diamond-hard polish and hand numbered with its own registration number. From the makers of the Firebolt.

Price on request.

"Seraye... Moon to Silverwing? Moon to Silverwing, come in!" Diana snaps, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Wha?!" I snap back to the real world, recoiling away from Diana's flailing hand.

"'Bout time!" Diana sighs, dropping her arm and then grabbing my hand with hers. "C'mon! We'll be late!" Diana urges, dragging me off towards the exit to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." I say irritably, whipping my hand out of hers.

We got into the pub just as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny sat down at a table in the middle of the pub, their packages beside their chairs.

"Diana! Serenity! Right on time!" Mrs. Weasley beams approvingly as Diana and myself sit across from the two Weasley women.

The door in the back creaks open again and Ron, Harry and Hermione, who said she'd meet them here, enter and sit at the table's end. The door opens again and Fred and George enter and sit in the two chairs beside Diana or me.

"Molly! You wouldn't believe who I ran into!" Mr. Weasley calls as the door opens yet again. Liz and another family of four Weasley redheads enter behind him. I push back my chair quickly and run to hug Liz.

"LIZZY!" I exclaim, my trademark tackle-hug nearly knocking her over.

"Sere!" Liz cries, "Sere, Lizzy can't breath!"

Smiling with a mixture of sheepishness and welcome, I release my friend. "C'mon. I need to introduce ya to my sister." I say, pulling her over to our table.

"Scouch over, Dia. George, you too." I say, and once they had, I sit down in my chair and Liz sits in Diana's recently vacated chair.

"Dia, this is Liz, my only other friend in Slytherin. Lizzy, this is my sister, Diana Featheredmoon." I say, sounding ridiculously formal. I chuckle as my sister and Liz play out the formalities to a 't'.

Only then did I start to pay attention to what Mr. Weasley was saying about the family of four.

"- And since Marcus is going to be going to Hogwarts this year, they wanted to ask if we'd take him in for the small holidays and hope that they could get back for the summer." Mr. Weasley explains to Mrs. Weasley. I take a long look at the smaller Weasley (???) family. The woman looked like a willowy version of Mrs. Weasley. The man looked almost exactly like Mr. Weasley except that he had hazel eyes and slightly longer hair. There were two boys, one around eight and the other, most likely Marcus, around ten or eleven.

"My... Our house is certainly going to be crowded! But I guess we could manage." Mrs. Weasley says, looking like she was trying to figure out where everyone was going to sleep.

"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I can sleep in the attic." I say. Diana nods and says that she could as well.

"By the way, Liz. Thanks for teaching me those tricks for controlling ghosts and the like." I mutter to Liz out of the side of my mouth. Her eyes widen and she quickly hides her smile behind her hand.

"Have you figured out how to get into the World Cup?" I ask quietly, not wanting Fred to hear.

"Yes. Fudgy-pudgy said that I could go if I get a ticket." Liz answers.

"Yes!" I exclaim.

"Problem." Liz adds.

"No tickets left?" I predict.

"Precisely." Liz confirms.

"Great." I mutter.

"Abby, you do know that Marcus won't be able to go with the boys, Harry, and Hermione to the World Cup?" Mrs. Weasley asks the other Mrs. Weasley. I think I'll start calling them by their first names... Molly didn't seem to mind while I was staying there alone with them.

"I know. He wouldn't have been able to go anyways." Abby answers, looking down at her son.

"Serenity and Diana aren't going either so he'll have company if he doesn't mind girls. Diana's starting at Hogwarts this year as well." Molly boasts, acting as if we were her own as well.

"Um... Mrs. Weasley?" Diana pipes up meekly from the other side of Liz.

"Yes?" Molly and Abby respond but it seemed like they knew that Diana was trying to get Molly's attention.

"Um... well..." Diana stutters and reaches into her skirt pocket and pulls out a sheaf of parchment that looked to be perforated into quarters. Obviously this parchment was of great value because the table was in awe and gasping.

"We... we were planning on taking Serenity as a birthday present." Diana manages to say finally.

"Let me see!"

I stand and reach for the sheaf. Diana tried to pull it away in a teasing gesture but failed and I look at the parchment. My breath caught in my throat. Top Box... Tickets... World Cup... I sit down in my chair with a thud. Remotely, I feel Liz snatch the tickets out of my hand.

I was lost in a world of thoughts. They'd planned to take me to the World Cup for my birthday. How long had they been planning this? Since before I left for Hogwarts? World Cups only come around every four years. I feel tears start to prick my eyes. I snap back, shaking my head. NO! I can't cry! Not with Diana here!

"Well this solves multiple problems," Liz announces. "Two for Serenity and Diana, one for him, Marcus was it, and if they'll let me have it, one for me to finally get into the World Cup."

That thought made me cheer up just enough to stop the threatening tears. Liz would be able to come to the World Cup. It was the spare ticket she needed.

"I guess... If it's alright with Serenity." Diana agrees hesitantly.

"I see no problem with it." I manage to say without seeming offset. They'd probably put my abrupt sit-down to the shock of finding out my sister had four tickets for the Top Box at the World Cup.

"Mind if I stay at your house too?" Liz asks.

"Surely." Mr.... WAIT! Arthur replies.

"Wonderful. Now where is everyone sleeping? We have Bill, Charlie and Percy moving back for the World Cup." Molly asks, looking slightly miffed that her husband had gone and invited several people to stay with them.

Weirdly enough, Diana came up with the plan.

"Percy can have his room back, doubtless he'll want it so he can work, but he'll have to share with Bill but he won't get in the way too often, I think. Hermione and Ginny can move into Ginny's room again. Fred, George, Ron and Harry can move into the room we've been staying in. Charlie and Marcus get Fred and George's room, spirits spare them, and Seraye, Liz and I get the attic. Won't leave much space for breathing but it'll be worth it to see the World Cup."

Molly and Arthur look at each other in mild shock then at Diana with the same expression.

"I think it'll work..." Harry pipes from his end of the table. Diana blushes a complimentary shade and smiles slightly.

Ron looks torn between happiness for getting his room back, agreement with Harry, miffed at losing most of his room to his twin brothers, and anger at Diana for coming up with a plan so quickly. Why can´t Ron just get his nose out of the fact that I´m Slytherin and that I don´t want help? Spirits, he´s a jerk!

"It will." Molly and Arthur reply at the same time.

"AH! It's a reversion!" Diana and I exclaim, also at the same time.

Hermione, Fred, Arthur, Diana, and myself break into hysterics as the rest are left in the dark as to what the inside joke was.