Muggles Who Aren't Quite Muggles

"'Ello there Professor. Girls. Your room is this way if you'll follow me," Tom greeted you as you dusted yourself off. Dumbledore waved his wand and your luggage began to follow you in mid-air.

"Well that makes things easier. Thanks, Professor," Jer said. He just nodded and found a seat to wait for you both to return.

"This way, girls," Tom said again, still walking until he finally reached a room. "'Ere we are. Hope you enjoy your stay." He opened the door and inside was two beds and a few places for you to store your things until you needed to leave. You and Jer left your suitcases in the room, deciding to unpack when you return, and headed back downstairs to meet Dumbledore.

"Are the both of you ready to go?" he asked. The two of you nodded and he stood up. "Well then, we shall be on our way. First stop, Gringotts Bank." He smiled warmly.

Once at Gringotts, you looked around at the tiny, creepy creatures. "Cool! Goblins!" you squealed as quietly as you could. Jer laughed at you. You noticed the Goblins looking at you in disgust. You were not sure why though.

Finally, you reached the end of the extremely long hall and Jer told the goblin there, "I'd like to make a withdrawal, please."

He looked up, clearly not wanting to be interrupted from his work and asked, "Do you have your key?"

She nodded and held out the little golden key her mother gave her not long ago. He snarled and pointed with a long gnarled finger toward a large door.

The three of you went through and paused to let your eyes adjust to the drastic change in lighting. Once able, you took in your surroundings. Stalagmites hung down from the cavernous, pitch-black ceiling and the occasional drops of water fell to the floor. Every few yards a small torch cast flickers of light over the walls and by the dim light you saw the winding tracks that had some...drops. You were not a roller-coaster person.

In front of you stood a goblin with a lamp in his hand. "Vault number," he growled.

"773," Jer told him.

'Wait! What vault was the Sorcerer's Stone in? Think, Sammy, think! Oh, 713....that means Jer's vault is around, if not one of, the high security vaults. We're going down.'

"Oh no," you muttered as a cart came up one of the hills.

You all climbed into the small cart. The tracks wove in and out of passageways and you couldn't see where they all led. Not that you needed to, you know where you were going. Dumbledore sat down quickly, as did you, but Jer was too busy looking at the tracks to do so. She looked at you and asked, "What's wrong, Sammy?" Before you could answer, the cart jerked forward, sending Jer into her seat.

"That!" you managed to mutter, even though fear was starting to close your throat. She was obviously enjoying the ride. Her hands were up in the air. You were just holding tightly to the bar to keep inside the cart, hoping it would be over soon.

Finally, you got to a darker area far below where you started and slowed to a stop. "Vault 773," the goblin proclaimed as he stepped out. The three of you followed suit. "Key, please." Jer handed it to him and he put it in the tiny keyhole on the very large vault door. He also made a small hand movement near the key and it began to click and clang open. Slowly it swung forward.

"Holy crap, Jer!! You're LOADED!!!" you said in shock. Sure, you knew there'd be a good amount of money inside but mountains Galleons, rolling hills of Sickles, and a few mounds of Knuts. Her parents definitely managed to hide HUMONGOUS fortune here in the catacombs below London.

"Yes, you could say that," Dumbledore said.

"So--um--Professor, where does this put me on the 'richness scale' here in Britain?" Jer asked, making Dumbledore chuckle.

"Oh, I'd say you'd rank somewhere among the Malfoys, I believe."

"The Malfoys? And here I'm worse off than Ron!" you said.

"Don't worry, Samantha. Hogwarts is quite capable of--" Dumbledore started, but Jer cut him off.

"Oh, no, you don't! Samantha Duerre Summers, for all I care you're my sister so give me that pouch!" She ripped your moneybag from your hands and began filling it with coins from her vault.

"No! Jer! Jerika!! JERIKA LYN!!!"

"Oh, hush! You know you want, no, need it and you're like my sister so take the bag and get back on the cart," she said, shoving a considerably heavier pouch into your hands.

"The c-cart?" you stuttered.

"Yes," she said. "Oh, come on, Sammy! It's not that bad."

"That's what you think," you mumbled getting back in as she filled her own pouch to take care of all expenses coming up. She returned, the goblin having locked her vault and returned her key. Not long afterward, due to a nowhere near slower cart ride back up, you were all outside in Diagon Alley, finally observing the shops on the streets. "That mall did look kind of like this place."

"But without the cobblestone streets and Wizarding stores," Jer replied, taking your own words.

"Actually, there was a Wizarding store," you laughed.

"True."

Despite the fact of just having come from the mall, you both wanted to spend even more.

"I trust you two can find your way around?" Dumbledore asked. You nodded. "Then I shall be awaiting your arrival at Hogwarts. Here are your train tickets. It leaves tomorrow and classes start on Monday. Good luck." With the last two words, he disappeared with a 'pop'. You put your tickets in your pockets.

"So, where first?" you asked.

"To the most important place. Ollivander's!" Jer answered. It wasn't too far away, so a short sprint was all it took to get there. Inside it was dark, lit only by a bunch of candles and the dim sunlight that seeped through the dusty windows. Jer cleared her throat. "Um--excuse me. Mr. Ollivander?"

The man poked his head out from behind one of the many shelves of thousands of wands. "Well, you two certainly don't look eleven."

You laughed to yourself a little at his greeting. "We're not. We're fifteen."

"Ah, yes. I've been expecting you. Dumbledore told me about the two of you. Come, come, I have a few wands set aside." You and Jer looked at each other and then followed him to the rear of the store.

First, Jer got hers. It was black, sleek and as she waved it for the first time a soft purple glow emanated from the end.

"Perfect!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. "Makassar Ebony. Dragon heartstring. Eleven inches. Slightly swishy. A wonderful wand for such an excited mind. Are you ready Samantha?" You nod. "Wand arm?"

"Right."

He started measuring as he had done with Jer. You tried a couple before you finally got one that filled you with such joy you knew it was right. Trying the first spell you could think of, you properly flicked your wrist and spoke "Wingardium Leviosa." The box slowly rose through the air.

"Spectacular! North American Birch. 11 ¾ inches. Hippogriff talon."

* * *

"I think that's everything," Jer said. The two of you were walking along the empty street of Diagon Alley by the light of the nearly set sun, checking over your supply list.

"Cloaks?" you started.

"Check."

"Cauldrons?"

"Check."

"Gloves?"

"Check."

"Scales? Phials? Telescope?"

"Check, check, check." She was starting to get annoyed.

"Books?"

"Okay, Sammy, you can stop now!"

"Books?" you repeated just to get on her nerves.

"Check! My goodness, you'd think you were Hermione!"

"Okay, fine. One more."

"Fine"

"Pets?"

"Here"

"Huh?"

"Look up, dip shit!"

You did and saw the Magical Menagerie and Eeylops Owl Emporium next to each other. She hurried into Eeylops and you wandered into the Menagerie. You looked around at the cats, rats, and other assorted animals for sale. The bats caught your attention more than anything but the cats reminded you of home.

"Can I help you, miss?" the clerk said to you.

"Um, how much are the bats?" you inquired.

"Depends on the breed. Any specific one you're looking at?"

"Uh, the flying foxes."

"Ten Galleons."

"Oh, wow," you say, looking in your money pouch. "That's not too bad."

"Not many people are interested in our bats. Even in the Wizarding world they have a bad reputation," the clerk said.

"Yeah, I know. So, what kind of fruit will they eat?"

"Almost anything, really. This one seems to prefer bananas and grapes over everything else," she told you. The bat she was referring to was looking straight at you, its head cocked slightly to the left. Held out a hand and it flew down and hung from your wrist.

"I think he likes you. Is that the one you want?"

"Yeah. I shall call you Radar," you laughed, handing her the coins. He cocked his head again, as if in acceptance of the name. The clerk provided you with some fruit to start with and you gave him a small piece. He ate it quite quickly.

"They come from fairly warm climates, so make sure you'll have a place to keep him away from drafts. He'll also need a dark place to sleep. I doubt the Owlery will be a very good place for him to stay." The clerk went to the back of the store and brought out a large box with mesh on the top for him to stay in. "This should do for the trip," she said with a smile.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to take care of him."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, I think so. Thank you again." You smiled warmly and looked at Radar again.

Jer walked in from Eeylops with her new owl, Violet. "A bat? I should have known. Can't you ever be like normal people get a normal pet like a normal owl?"

"Nope, there's no such thing, especially in this world," you said.

"Touché." You both laughed on your way out the store. You were laughing so hard that you weren't even paying attention to your surroundings and you walked right into someone.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" you started until you saw who it was. "Oh. It's you."

"Do I know you?" asked Draco Malfoy.

"No, but I know you," you sneered.

He smirked, "So my reputation precedes me?"

"Not exactly," you said, mocking his cocky accent. "It's not hard to know about Draco Malfoy when you can see his ego inflated head from the States." He glared and now you were the one smirking.

Jer elbowed you in the side. "Sammy!"

Malfoy's face turned to utmost disgust and he said, "Excuse me? Who do you think you are?? A Mudblood no doubt!" You drew your wand immediately and pointed it straight at his throat. He pulled his own, but a duel was not necessary. Jer grabbed your wrist and twisted your arm painfully behind your back and your wand hit the ground.

"Sammy, no!"

"Jer, he said that word. You know I hate that word!"

"Well, what do you expect? Look who it's coming from!"

You sighed and she let go of your arm. You looked back at Malfoy, who now a hold of your wand.

"Give that back you filthy son-of-a-bitch!!"

"Now, now. Insults will get you nowhere. And who are you calling filthy?"

"Look who's talking. 'Insults will get you nowhere!' Just give me my wand."

"Well, well, well. Aren't we bossy?" he smirked. You just glared with one hand on your hip and the other extended, waiting for your wand to be returned. Jer just watched to make sure a fight didn't break out. Finally, he handed it back. "I assume that since you're here, I'll be seeing you at school. We can settle this then."

"Oh, we will," you said threateningly, cracking your knuckles.

"Sammy, there's nothing to settle!" Jer said jumping between you and Malfoy. "Please, don't mind her." With that, she dragged you away from him and into another store.

"Ugh! He's so rude!" you said.

"Well, the heart doesn't always match the shell."

"Can we dissect him and find out?!" you asked with maybe a little too much enthusiasm.

"Sammy, he's not a frog. Sure, he was a ferret last year, but he's not a frog!"

"Why are you defending him?" you asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I don't have as much against him as you and the trio would. Why do you ask?--What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing," you laughed.

You looked around, getting a better view of the store you were in. Brooms EVERYWHERE!!

"Well, if I plan on playing Quidditch at Hogwarts, this would be the place to be," Jer said.

"Aren't we technically first years though? First years aren't allowed to have brooms of their own," you pointed out.

"There you go, sounding like Hermione again. We know way more than most of the fifth years we'll be joining. Plus, we're in fifth year classes and all that, so I think we qualify as fifth years. Now, if you don't mind, I'm getting a Firebolt!" Jer said, quickly paying for it.

You decided to get one, too. After all, Quidditch sounds like so much fun.

"So, what are you getting?"

"A Nimbus 2001. A bit slower than your Firebolt but way faster than the Comet 260. I just want to be able to out fly a few other players," you chuckled. You finished your transaction and the two of you made your way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Tomorrow, you would go to King's Cross and catch the Hogwarts Express.