Telara steeled her reserve and said, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
She gave lingering hugs to her Nana and Gramps. She didn’t want to let go of them, but she knew Papadore was waiting for her.
“Don’t worry, my sweet girl,” whispered Bridget. “We’ll see you soon. I promise.”
Edward nodded in agreement. An unrelenting frog had formed in his throat and he knew he wouldn’t be able to speak without falling apart.
Telara turned to Dumbledore expectantly. He held out a small glittering stone that seemed innocent enough.
“This stone is a Portkey,” Dumbledore explained. “It will take you to your room at the Leaky Cauldron in London. Stay there and I will follow soon with your things.”
Telara took one last look at her Nana and Gramps, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let Dumbledore place the stone in her hand. She felt a jerk behind her navel and knew that she was on her way. She had never traveled this far by Portkey. She had time to open her eyes to see what happens while in the middle of Portkey travel. She opened her eyes wide. That was a big mistake! All she could see were great flashes of light zooming by her. The blinding lights forced her eyes shut involuntarily.
I certainly won’t try that again, she thought.
As quickly as her trip began, it ended with a thud as she landed on a wooden floor.
She stayed where she landed for a few minutes still unable to open her eyes. The room smelled slightly musty and dusty. She heard the clink of glasses and the laughter of the wizards downstairs. It was a welcoming sound to hear when in such a new place. She felt ready to try to open her injured eyes again.
She peeped out of her barely lifted eyelids. Everything was a bit fuzzy but she could make out the huge carved wood bed in front of her with linens of the deepest red she had ever seen. She ventured to lift her eyelids a bit more. There were some very interesting buildings outside her window. They defied everything she had learned in physics class. As she surveyed the room, she realized why it smelled so dusty. She didn’t really mind, though. The room was cozy and welcoming to her. She turned to find a portrait of a very beautiful young lady in a lovely pink dress.
The woman in the portrait looked at Telara and smiled.
“Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron,” she said.
With a yelp, Telara jumped backwards and fell over the footboard of her bed onto the mattress. She had heard her Nana and Gramps speak of talking portraits before but she was unprepared for the reality of one. Telara peeked over the footboard and sheepishly grinned at the lady in pink.
“Sorry about that,” said Telara. “I wasn’t quite ready to see a painting speak to me just yet.”
“That’s all right, my dear,” answered the lady in pink. “I’m quite lacking in entertainment around here and that little tumble will last me a few days. Thank you.”
It was then the lady in pink’s turn to jump when Dumbledore apparated with a loud pop.
“Professor Dumbledore! You shouldn’t frighten a lady like that,” chided the portrait.
“Please accept my most humble apologies, my lady,” responded Dumbledore as he sunk into a low bow.
“Well, of course I will,” blushed the lady in pink. “What a gentleman!”
Dumbledore straightened to find his goddaughter suppressing a laughing fit. He started to chuckle and pretty soon the room was filled with laughter.
When both had managed to catch their breath, Telara asked, “What do we do now?”
“We need to do a bit of school shopping,” answered Dumbledore.
“Shopping? Yeehaw! Let’s go!” exclaimed Telara.
Dumbledore shook his head as he thought, I’m in for quite the afternoon.
After a quick stop to Edward and Bridget’s Gringotts vault, Telara and Dumbledore ventured out onto Diagon Alley. The first sign to catch her eye read Ollivander’s “ Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
“Uncle!” Telara shouted and took off like a shot. Dumbledore had never seen anyone move so fast without a broom underneath them. Telara burst through the door.
“Uncle, where are you?” she shouted.
Mr. Ollivander appeared from the rows of shelves with a big grin on his face.
“I hoped I’d be seeing you soon,” he replied in his misty voice.
Dumbledore found the pair in a long overdue hug upon his entrance to the shop.
“Ah “ Headmaster,” greeted Mr. Ollivander, “It’s wonderful to see you again. I trust everyone had pleasant travels.”
“It was a quick but very productive trip as you can see. But I’m afraid we cannot linger. We have a lot to do today,” Dumbledore replied.
Telara did not want to say goodbye to her uncle. But the prospect of an afternoon shopping in this wonderful new place was too hard to ignore. She knew she would see her uncle again soon.
Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions was their first stop. Telara flittered around the shop trying to take in all of the beautiful colors and materials. A smiling witch came over to help Telara.
“Hogwarts, my dear?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Telara answered.
Her accent seemed to draw the attention of an imposing man with long white blonde hair. His mouth wore a sneer that Telara suspected rarely left his face. His glare made her nervous and she was thankful when the witch guided her back to a fitting room. The curtains had not even closed completely when she heard the drawl of a boy’s voice on the other side.
“Father, who was that girl?” he demanded.
“Apparently, she’s one of Dumbledore’s charity cases. She will be joining you and the other seventh years at Hogwarts,” hissed the father.
“What? He can’t do that. Can’t you stop him?” spat the boy.
“Quiet, Draco! Not anymore. Despite my efforts and enticements at the Ministry, Dumbledore again has the influence he needs to do whatever he pleases. Even if it is letting a nasty American girl into Hogwarts,” barely uttered the father, as if a bad taste was in his mouth.
“She’s American! That is repulsive,” angrily protested the boy.
“Lower your voice!” hissed the father, “It is not a good time to attract the attention of Dumbledore or his little protégé.”
They walked away and Telara heard them talking with the clerk and then leaving. Her blood was boiling from their audacity.
How dare they speak of Papadore that way!, she seethed.
Telara had been tempted by the beautiful assortment of dress robes but all she wanted to do was buy her school robes and get out of there. She managed to calm herself before she went back outside to Dumbledore. He didn’t need the aggravation right now.
The apothecary proved a welcome distraction for Telara. The selection was much more varied than the inventory at her Texas underground laboratory. She got to see ingredients that she had only read about before. She stuck to buying the basics and moved on down Diagon Alley. She could have stayed forever in Flourish and Blotts but once more Dumbledore gently prodded her to the clerk and out the door.
Telara suddenly realized that she was starving, so they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to deposit her purchases in her room and eat lunch. When they returned to Diagon Alley, Telara was a little sluggish from her substantial lunch and was content to stroll arm in arm with her Papadore. She noticed the sign for a store that Edward and Bridget had never mentioned before.
“Papadore, what is Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes?” inquired Telara.
Dumbledore chuckled and answered, “That is a joke shop run by two of the most interesting brothers you are likely to ever meet. We’ll go in and I’ll introduce you.”
Papadore didn’t seem like the type to frequent joke shops, but Telara was too interested in meeting these brothers to dwell on it. The first thing Telara noticed upon entering the shop was two ginger heads close together deep in conversation.
“That won’t help them. We need to find something that will make more of a commotion,” proposed one of them.
“I think it would be perfect,” insisted the other. “Let’s let them decide when they get here.”
It took them a minute to notice their new patrons. They looked up to find the last person they expected.
“Professor Dumbledore!” they shouted in unison.
“Good afternoon! What kind of trouble are you two brewing up today?” asked Dumbledore as he peered over his half-moon glasses.
“We are hurt that you would presume such a thing,” retorted George. Telara noticed a smile he was barely able to conceal.
“Yes, and in front of such a lovely guest,” added Fred.
Telara blushed as the twins shifted their attention to her. They were quite cute and she always enjoyed a sense of humor in a boy.
“Fred and George, this is my goddaughter Telara. Telara, this is the infamous Fred and George Weasley,” said Dumbledore. “They were students of mine for almost seven years.”
“Almost?” asked Telara.
“I’ll explain that when we have much more time,” said Dumbledore as he exchanged mirthful glances with the twins.
“Boys, it was a pleasure to see you again. But I’m afraid we cannot stay. We have quite a bit to do still, and I don’t want Telara to getting any disruptive ideas from the two of you,” he added with a wink.
“It was very nice to meet you,” said Telara.
“It was nice to meet you, too!” echoed the twins.
On their way out of the shop, they paused to let three people enter. Another ginger head, a bushy head and a dark untidy head swept past Telara. They paused to greet Dumbledore but seemed rather intent on talking to Fred and George. They gave a quick nod and greeting to Dumbledore and Telara before heading to the counter. They seemed friendly enough though a bit preoccupied.
“Who was that, Papadore?” asked Telara.
“Those are three of your classmates who you will undoubtedly meet tomorrow. I’m interested to know why they were in such a rush to see Fred and George,” Dumbledore pondered.
The rest of the afternoon was spent buying parchment, ink, quills and other necessities. When they finally returned to the Leaky Cauldron, Telara thought she might collapse from exhaustion. She managed to stay awake through dinner by asking Dumbledore a million questions about the things she had seen with him that day. Finally, Dumbledore stood and proposed that it was time for Telara to get some rest. She wholeheartedly agreed. She gave her Papadore a long and grateful hug goodnight.
“I’ll be back for you in the morning,” said Dumbledore. “Rest well.”
“I will,” promised Telara. “I love you, Papadore.”
“I love you too, dear one,” answered Dumbledore.
Telara collapsed on the bed in her room exhausted but very happy. Though she hadn’t been here a full day, she felt at home.
This may not be so bad after all, she thought as she drifted off for a night of sound sleep and pleasant dreams.
Thank you to my wonderful beta, bekkio!!! You are awesome!
Please review!! Let me know what you think! Thanks!