Chapter 4 Rewrite V1

Stats as of last chapter:

Aubrey Hawthorne

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Level 6

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Age - 10

Race - Human

Sex - Female

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Str - 13

Agi - 14

Dex - 16

Con - 12

Int - 22

Wis - 23

Luc - 15

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Stat Points - 25

Perk Points - 1

Chapter 4 - Diagon Alley

First thing the next morning I jump out of bed and throw my curtains open to a wonderfully hot day. It’s only seven in the morning, the birds are singing and the sun is shining brightly. Grinning, I shed my night clothes and pull on a yellow summer dress that would go well with my thin green summer cloak later. The moment I’m dressed, I pick up a bemused Tala, swing open my door and run down the hall to the bathroom.

“Papa!” I cry.

“Good morning hon,” Dad greets me mid-yawn. He’s watching my brother wash his hands. He sometimes doesn’t do that so I’m thankful my parents are finally forcing it. I had been trying to get him to do it myself but it had ended in a few arguments between us. Children. “You’re ready early.”

“Of course, we’re going to Diagon Alley today. You promised me.”

“Oh did I?”

I know he’s teasing me but I still frown and whine, “Papaaaaa.”

He chuckles. “Turn off the tap if you’re done Adam. Go and get some breakfast Aubrey, nothing will be open until at least nine anyway. There’s no rush. And please don’t wind up your mother.”

I nod, ignoring that last part, and run down the stairs with Adam on my heels. Mum is in the kitchen with Jasmine. Our family owl Biscuit, named by my brother a few years ago, hoots excitedly and bobs up and down from his perch on the back of a dining chair.

“Mama, we need breakfast!” I announce to her.

“You know where it is,” she says, blowing her cup of tea.

“Yeah, you know where it is,” Jasmine parrots. She’s having a phase of repeating our mother, and she tends to get away with it. It irritates me to no end.

Rolling my eyes, I open the fridge, wrinkling my nose against Tala’s tickling tail as she wraps herself around my shoulders, the place she prefers to be. I had taught her to very much enjoy being around and on me, though she doesn’t always like being touched by hands. She’s allowed to have preferences so I don’t mind. Mum does sometimes get upset when she gets protective of me in public and growls at strangers though. Personally, I trust Tala’s judgement. “Can I make porridge for me and Adam?”

“How much milk do we have?” Mum asks.

“Half a bottle.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

Jasmine perked up. “Can I have some too, Mama?”

“Ask Aubrey, she’s making it,” Mama pushes gently.

“Aubrey, can I have some porridge too?”

I use reaching up into the cupboard, balancing on a stool, to hide my grimace at her lack of manners. “Not if you don’t say please.”

“Please,” she adds quickly.

I sigh quietly. “Yes, I’ll make some for you too.”

I make enough porridge for all three of us. Me and Jasmine have some strawberries from the garden in ours while Adam has it plain, and I praise Jasmine for thanking me when I bring her bowl to her. After putting my bowl on the side next to the sink to be washed, I brush my teeth before feeding Tala her breakfast.

I spent the rest of my wait in the living room playing with Tala. She’s grown to be the physical copy of her mother I expected her to be, though from the pictures of her mother beside Tala as a kit, I can tell she is very slightly lighter toned and not as long furred. She also has her fathers blue eyes, and I’m fairly sure she’s grown to be slightly larger than her mother too. I was always a dog person in my past life, but I’m happy to have her with me now. Plus I have found out from experience that I sneeze a lot when I’m around dogs so it’s not like I could have one anyway. Stupid family curse.

Right as Dad starts putting his shoes on, Mum comes in to lecture me one last time before we leave.

“Do you remember our agreement?” She asks strictly, expecting me to argue.

I groan and throw my head back. “Yes Mama.”

“I just want to be able to stay in contact with you Aubrey, you don’t need to act like it’s the end of the world,” she says, spelling me to not burn in the sun.

I clasp my light summer cloak on. “I know, but there are Hogwarts owls I can send you stuff with, and you have Biscuit, so it’s fine! Tala’s going to be really upset away from me, and I’m going to miss her so much.”

“I know you will,” she says slightly more gently. “But we need Biscuit to deliver other mail for us and the Hogwarts owls have to be shared with hundreds of other students. It’s better to take an owl instead.”

“If I’m taking an owl I want to name it,” I mutter.

The firmness comes back to her voice. “No. You and Adam named a pet each so Jasmine can name the owl. I don’t want to have this conversation again.”

“But it’s not fair!”

“Do you want to go to Diagon Alley today or not? Papa can get your school supplies himself if you want.”

I shut up quickly, lowering my head. “I’m sorry Mama. I’ll stop.”

She humphed.

Dad spoke before the argument could begin again, which is likely a good thing. “Are you ready, Aub?” Dad asks. Next to our fireplace, he’s as tall as he’s ever been and I’m still dwarfed by him. I’m only four foot six inches. Mum's only just pushing five feet and I bet I’ll struggle to be taller than her by the time I’ve matured. Female humans generally stop growing around the age of eleven to fourteen. I hope to be taller than her but it’s a gradually fading dream.

“Yes, and so’s Tala,” I say. Tala immediately senses it’s time to leave and jumps onto my shoulders. “Please can we leave now?”

He offers me the small container of Floo Powder. “You’re saying ‘The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley,’ okay?”

“I know Papa, I’ve done it before,” I tell him, trying desperately to calm myself. I want to enjoy this!

He chuckles and takes some for himself, going in first. He kisses Mum on the cheek, throws it in and steps into the green flames. “The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley!” He shouts, and he whirls away.

“Alright, your turn Aubrey. Everyone say goodbye!” Mum says.

I throw my Floo Powder in, changing the flames back to green again. My siblings shout their goodbyes from the dining room and I wave as I step in. “The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley!”

I’m whirled away immediately.

I step out into the Leaky Cauldron, an old and shabby pub I’ve been through a few times before. I step out easily and I hear the ping of a Quest Alert.

I wait for Dad to take us through to the back and read it there, staring at the brick wall.

Quest Alert -

Hogwarts Supplies!

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Objectives -

Get your trunk

Get your robes

Get your wand

Get your Potion supplies

Get your books

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Bonus Objectives -

??

??

??
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Reward -

100 xp

Your supplies to study / practice

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Failure -

No supplies, no practice

I close it quickly and follow Dad through into the Alley.

“So, what do you want to get first?” He asks, clapping his hands together and rubbing them.

“A trunk,” I say, reaching up and stroking a finger down Tala’s soft paw. She doesn’t mind me doing that when she’s on my shoulders, she just doesn’t always enjoy people touching her body and head with their hands. I suppose it’s hard for her to clean as she’s a semi-long haired Kneazle. That said, she always looks immaculate. “I can’t know how much to buy without knowing how much space I have after all.”

“Okay,” he says, suddenly stopping. “Before we do that, we need to have a small talk.”

I stop with him, my once again excited demeanor dropping slightly as I see him become tense. “What is it Papa?”

“The owner of the trunk shop isn’t a very nice man. When we go in there I need you to not touch anything and don’t look at the person in charge, okay? You can look at the woman if she’s there, she’s the assistant, but the man isn’t very nice. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Promise me you won’t talk to him or look at him,” he demands.

“I promise Papa. I swear,” I say solemnly.

He nods, taking a breath and giving me a smile he probably thinks is reassuring. It doesn’t do a good job. “There’s no need to be scared though, he won’t hurt you, okay? He’s just not very nice.”

I nod and reach for his hand, and he takes it in his. Between him and Tala, I very much doubt anyone could hurt me anyways. I step forward and he follows, taking me to the trunk shop.

The Alley isn’t too full which is nice, just a few Witches and Wizards here and there. There was a Gringotts goblin we passed who sneered at my father and Dad nodded back to him. One child saw a new book that had just come out in the window of a bookshop and shouted loudly to his parents, “That’s about Harry Potter, Mum, look!”

Yes. Harry Potter. Currently nine years old, soon to be ten. The Game had told me nothing about him as I had to Observe him to learn, but every book on him I Observed told me that the content was entirely fictional. As it is, I send a quick Observe at the book as we pass - as suspected, the new book that’s apparently some biography of the Boy-Who-Lived and his life so far is entirely made up. I close the tab and roll my eyes. There are so many books about him but they’re all utter rubbish! Clear fantasy. Propaganda, even. When I first realized how the Wizarding World portrays someone who is my age I was disgusted, and the older I get, the more angry I get.

Imagine all these adults that you don’t even know being attached to your name, writing fiction about things they want you to do to them when you come of age, or even before that, obsessing over how your parents were murdered. How horrid! And then they allow their children to romanticize his misfortune. I’m mostly curious to see how he is as a person after living with that. He is meant to be in the year below me at Hogwarts after all.

I take a deep breath to dispel the thoughts and focus myself on my Quest. I desperately want a good trunk to bring as much as I can to Hogwarts. I want enough space to bring my violin!

“Papa, what kind of trunk am I going to get?!” I ask, forcing my body not to skip. Tala wouldn’t be impressed if I did that! I know they can do some crazy things to trunks and I want a cool one.

“Well I was thinking of something standard,” he replies. “A little bigger on the inside than out with a permanent Featherweight feature, and it should be shrinkable at the tap of a wand. I’m sure that’ll be enough to see you through Hogwarts. If you need more, I can always give you a family trunk to take with you as well. There isn’t a limit on how many you can have, after all, but you do have to fit them in your dorm once you get to Hogwarts.”

I nod, pouting that it’ll be standard. “What kinda things can they do to trunks?” I ask. “I’ve read they can have a lot of compartments and that you can, like, make them huge, but what about security? Can you have magical locks on your trunks? Hidden compartments?”

“I’m not entirely sure but I imagine so. I think I’ve seen a trunk with seven compartments before. I know you can get them to be about ten feet to a side. I’m not sure if they do them bigger,” he explains as he guides us through a small crowd. A few people look at Tala as we walk and she soaks up the sun and attention. “Locks are common, of course there are some pretty powerful locks.” He shrugs. “Maybe you can get a book on it with your birthday and pocket money. Enchanting is pretty advanced, but I can get you started on some of the things you’d need to know.”

“I would love that, Papa!” I exclaim. I love this magic system and the very few restrictions they have. The only important ones are not making food from nothing and messing with time, really. Other than that, you could do anything, in theory, with the right knowledge, power and will. Even then, messing with time is possible in some ways, but the risks and downsides are more than I’d want to deal with.

We walk around a wildly running toddler before I continue. “I think I’ll need a lot of books for school, Papa. The list they gave us is rather… thin,” I tell him, to which he nods, seemingly bracing himself. “And the robes! Ugh. We’ll need to get something nice. You know how I loathe wearing the same thing too often, and I’ve grown out of a lot of my clothes.” He does the little smile and tilted nod of someone who doesn’t entirely care. Poor man. “Do you have any books or supply recommendations?”

“Oh yes!” He says, visibly perking up. “For one, you won’t need that many books going into school because the Hogwarts Library has thousands of books you’ll be able to use for free. If you desperately need something you can just owl me or your mother and we’ll get something for you. You’re welcome to buy anything you like for yourself though. I’m getting you extra ingredients, just a little over double so you can do some testing. Don’t worry, I remembered about that. A bronze cauldron for stability on testing and a silver one for making precise potions. I figured you can also have a pewter one for class, but make sure you look after them all as they are expensive, and don’t tell your mother I bought three. The potion quality when it’s delicate will change depending on the cauldron. Simple potions aren’t too picky, but in Fourth and Fifth Year? Oh yeah, you’ll want silver!” He’s clearly happy to have something to contribute to the conversation.

“What do you mean, experiment?” I ask.

“I’ve read your notes on some of the techniques and how you could improve things,” he admits. “Just the things left on your desk, I didn’t go digging. I’d be interested in you testing them! If they work it’ll be great! The only way to become really good and know what you can do is testing and practice after all.”

That makes sense. I’m grateful we’re financially able to indulge my desire to test things. I suppose my following the rules to near perfection helps dampen his fears I will do something stupid. I’ve been the picture perfect child, though I have suspicions my siblings wish I wasn’t. It’s made their bad behavior look worse when in reality, they’re just children with the minds of children. I’ve had my moments but truly, arguing about bringing Tala with me to Hogwarts is the very first thing I’ve ever really argued with my parents about. Then again, it’s also one of the few things my parents have not given it to me about.

“Make sure you have a professor with you when you do your experiments in case anything goes wrong. Or an older student. You never know when you might need help. I certainly did,” he adds, cutting into my thoughts. His request is reasonable. Hopefully I’ll find people willing to play along with my plans, and boy I have a lot of plans for Hogwarts!

Having help would require making friends, wouldn’t it? I didn’t really have any in Primary School due to the blatantly obvious special treatment I got as we got older. Sometimes the other kids thought I was great because I have a lot of brains and ‘talents’ they don’t, but my studious behavior didn’t exactly make me seem like a fun person to play with at break. For a lot of kids they wanted to be better than me. We all want to be the best - myself included. My family had filled that spot for me so far, but I would need to do something myself. Now I’m leaving.

The thought is honestly terrifying.

“The shop’s right here. Any design you were looking for? Wood type?” Dad asks.

“Uh… something nice and sturdy? I either want a really nice wood that makes it clear I have taste or I want my name engraved on it. I also want it to be reliable, so it lasts,” I say, repeating what he had told me earlier.

He nods as we enter the store, a light bell sounding above us. Considering it’s the first day of summer and literally no one else is doing school shopping, I’m surprised to see one other customer is here.

“...of course. Three compartments if you have it. The works on security,” he says. I look at the customers back, intrigued by the conversation. I’d like the works on security too.

His body hides whoever is at the counter until he turns to see who’s come in. His grey eyes glance first at me and then up to Dad and his jaw clenches. At the counter is a man. I avert my eyes immediately.

“I can get that ready for pick up by Tuesday,” the man behind the counter says in a deep, raspy voice. It sounds as if he has something stuck in there. “It’ll be two hundred and fifty Galleons.”

The customer tuskes but gives over the money in a big sack quickly and gives his name. As the two men are focusing on the money, I throw an Observe at the man behind the counter.

Charles Hadsholm

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Level ??

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Race - Human

Age - 65

Sex - Male

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Str - ??

Agi - ??

Dex - ??

Con - ??

Int - ??

Wis - ??

Luc - ??

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Charles is a man who’s committed many crimes. Foremost among them, he was one of Voldemort’s heads of enforcement for Merchants. He was never Marked but he has masterminded many shops getting shut down and merchants disappearing

He is currently annoyed your father is in his shop and wonders how old you are

The man leaves immediately after and we stand aside for him to brush past, Tala growling lowly as he comes near us. When he’s gone, we turn to the counter, me keeping my eyes down.

“Mark, good to see you,” Mr Hadsholm greets. He doesn’t seem thrilled. “What can I do for you today?”

My fathers voice sounds like he has a polite smile on his face. “Hello Charles. I need a trunk that’ll last at least seven years, something sturdy with an extension charm and permanent Featherweight addon. I suppose some basic anti-theft features would be a good idea. Does that come in a hard maple?”

I see Mr Hadsholm nod from the very edge of my vision. I focus on a display of metal clasps on the wall as Tala wraps her tail around my neck protectively. I don’t think she takes her eyes off him.

“Of course,” he says. A pile of nice looking chests and trunks come flying into the space besides me for us to look at. At the front is a simple but pretty warm brown trunk with golden metal hardware. “It’ll be seventy-seven Galleons, one Sickle, and twenty-one Knuts with the addons you want. Comes with a five year guarantee. If it’s a Hogwarts trunk, we have a deal until the end of July where if you spend ninety Galleon’s, you can get another compartment at half-price. This one only has two compartments.”

I immediately look up at Dad with big, pleading eyes. I’d love to have more room and he knows it, even if I already know full well all the other standard student trunks only have one compartment to begin with. The maple must come with the extras already as it’s an expensive choice.

He barely glances at me and then turns back to Mr Hadsholm. “How much would the extra compartment cost at half price?”

“To this trunk, twenty-five Galleons, but I can do it for you for fifteen.”

Ah, some good old-fashioned adulation. That would mean to have the extra compartment, it would cost a total of twenty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles and seven Knuts. That’s rather a lot of money.

“What addons would bring us to ninety Galleons?” Dad asks. I repress a grin.

“Two wheels costs a Sickle, leather handles costs four Sickles, the auto-sorting function for books is ten Galleons, as is the auto-folding for clothes. You can look at our list of addons and permanent charms here,” he says, tapping something on the counter.

My father looks it over and after sighing heavily, he tells Mr Hadsholm to add the wheels and both sorting functions for my books and clothes, and then pays for the extra compartment on top. In total, he paid for me to have far more than he needed to for me to have the extra compartment!

Dad sighs and squeezes my hand as he and Mr Hadsholm exchange money. I am ushered from the shop after we find out we will be able to pick it up on Monday, which is two days away.

It’s not until we’ve left the shop and stepped into the air that I realise quite how tense I’d been. That man made me uncomfortable in a way I haven’t been in this lifetime. I hadn’t noticed that was how I’d been feeling.

“Where to next?” Dad asks, smiling at me.

“I need to get a wand,” I say, smiling up at him. “And I want to do it by myself! Also, thank you for getting me all that for my trunk Papa, you’re the bestest Papa ever.”

I am given a big smile and my hand is squeezed, and Papa allows me to get my wand alone, but only because, he said, I am not allowed to go pick the new owl. He tells me he’ll go and pick one out while I get my wand.

I quickly find myself skidding to a stop in front of Ollivanders. Ancient as the shop claims to be, I don’t really believe it. I’ll still be careful though. Ollivander is respected in the community, a real pillar. Everybody knows about him!

I’m nervous, but I open the door as confidently as I can, taking a couple steps in and looking around. Above the door is a beautiful carving of a dragon, incredibly detailed. It takes my breath away.

“Ah.” The voice comes from behind me, where Tala is already looking. “Who do I have the pleasure of being in my shop on this fine day?” An elderly voice asks, and the tension leaves me. This must be Ollivander.

“Aubrey Hawthorne, sir,” I reply dutifully, smiling at his slightly hunched form. He looks ancient! “And this is Tala.”

“Indeed?” He asks me. “Then your father must be Mark Hawthorne, yes? Oak, thirteen inches and dragon heartstring - good for duelling.” He thinks for a moment. “Your mother then would be Angelica Bathwell. An eleven and a half inch maple wand, unicorn hair. A real beauty, good for charms,” he continues from memory. I know he got the woods correct, at least, so I can assume the rest is as well. It is funny hearing him refer to my mother by her name before she was married! “Well, which hand do you use for your wand?” He asks, snapping his fingers. A measuring tape springs to life.

“I’m right-handed, though I am trying to teach myself ambidexterity,” I reply.

He nods. “A worthy skill, but one you won’t need much.” I’d disagree with that statement, but I keep it in. The tape only takes a few quick measurements before he nods and trods to the back. It begins to measure the length of my nose and… the circumference of my pinky? Tala ignores it but I see her tail flick.

“Why is it measuring my shin, sir?” I ask, getting a laugh - dry and dusty like the shop I’m in.

Another snap echoes and the tape rolls up on the counter. “A test. Most don’t ask questions, but it’s good to see some do. I suppose you’re a Ravenclaw, then. Or a Slytherin?” His voice becomes clearer as he walks back in with a few boxes.

“Either works for me. I think I’d prefer Ravenclaw. I like being able to study, and something tells me they won’t bother me there. Slytherin can have some really smart people in it though, just as smart as Ravenclaw, and I am very ambitious, so it could also work.”

“It sounds as if the hat is going to have a good time choosing a place for you.” He offers me a wand. “Phoenix feather, oak. Flexible. Eleven inches.” I take it, wave it and he shakes his head. “No, no. Hmm.” He trails off, inspecting the wand critically. “Both, huh?” He removes a few boxes from his stack leaving him with two.

“Maple and unicorn tail. Rigid, twelve inches,” he says, handing one of them to me. I feel a slight connection, but he takes it back all the same. “Not quite. Perhaps…” he wanders into the back, ignoring the other on the desk.

“Perhaps what?” I call to him. “That one felt okay.”

“But it wasn’t perfect.” He comes out with four more boxes. He opens one. “Ebony and unicorn hair, twelve inches, whippy.”

I take it and a blissful feeling hits me. A shower of sparks, which pop like mini bubbles, float in the room.

“Oh!” I stare at the wand in wonder. Tala’s face leans towards the wand and I offer it to her to smell. “Like that?”

He nods happily. “Ebony is a symbol of power, purity, balance, protection and luck,” he informs me. “Unicorns are also purity, protection and luck, but they also resonate highly on the good spectrum, though they’re far more free spirited than a phoenix.” He smiles. “I can expect good things from you, with a wand like that.”

“How much is it?” I ask, knowing they are quite expensive.

“First one is only eight Galleons. If you need a new one, it’ll be steeper,” he adds a bit more seriously. “If you want a holster and care kit, I can get you one of those for two more Galleons.”

I nod, putting ten on the table. “I’d like that, sir,” I respond, looking at his selection before pointing at a black forearm holster. I’d buy this with my pocket money, since Dad had just spent so much to get me a good trunk. “Can I have that one?”

He nods obligingly. “This one is made out of a soft leather and I’m sure it could easily last you for five years. With proper care it’ll last even longer.” Then he pulls out a small container and a brush. “The oil of your skin will ruin the magic in the cleaning oil, so you need to use the brush to apply the cleaning oil and let the wand sit for ten minutes. There’s a manual included.”

“I can do that!” I chirp. “Can you tell me how to get to Flourish & Blotts from here please?”

He chuckles quietly and gives me directions - across the street, take a left, three stores down. I follow them and see the looming bookstore.

Three stories.

Of books.

I enter and see Dad with a stack of books already and a small tawny owl in a cage by his feet. Observing the books, I see they’re all beginner level texts on Magical Theory, charms, transfiguration, potion making and all the other classes I’m going to have. They’re just the standard books I need.

I immediately head to the stacks to find books that have Skills I want to continue improving. Firing off Observes, starting in the back corner, I run my hand along them as I go. The first two rows contained around two hundred books. I got a Level in Observation and found a shelf covered in just one book in various editions.

Hogwarts, A History. I know that I need the latest edition as a part of my book list, but I want to have the earliest edition. They don’t have the first edition though, so I pick out the fifth and the thirtieth editions. I’d ask Dad where the first edition is later. They are Skill books and each offer different Skills. The most recent? Mapping. The oldest? Basic defensive magic. The middle one? Navigation charms.

I suspect the writers of the editions put the things they found useful to have at school in the books. They were each written in different time periods by different people. So they probably read differently, too.

What fun. I enjoy reading historical documents and seeing how they change. Having been alive for so long would do this to anyone, I guess. It helps put how people remember great or terrible things into perspective for me.

I then come upon the section on runes. It sounds right up my alley! I take two books from this section to read over summer. I then find the arithmancy section and take a few from here too.

Those two Skills would be a good project to focus on before Hogwarts starts!

A few aisles later, I was only hitting one out of every ten books with Observations. I pulled books here and there, then dropped my picks off with Dad and went upstairs to look for more. I was able to skip some sections, like law, and spent lots of time in the magical animal section. Dad ends up agreeing to pay for all but the magical menagerie book and two charms books based on their prices, so I bought those with my own money. I’ll have to sort them into my reading list when I get home.

Next up is clothes.

I’m not a hoity-toity acromantula silk only type person, not that my parents would buy me something like that, but I do like my clothes to fit well and be comfortable against my skin. I torture my father for a whole two hours trying on everything from school robes to new winter cloaks, and everything in between. I also browse through the ‘Spell to Fit’ stock, which are clothes that just need spelling and cutting to fit. I pick out things like underwear, bralettes, basic t-shirts, school shirts, trousers and other such basics. I’ve grown out of most of my clothes, and what I haven’t is all Muggle and very young looking.

I eventually nail down what I like and get my order in. Then I ask where I can get accessories and my father, who looked relieved it was finally over, suddenly looked fit to faint.

Madame Malkin smiles at me sweetly and gives me a catalogue. “Have a look through with your mother at home and she can help you send in an order. If you do it within two days from now, they can be sent to you with your robes,” she informs me.

I nod and smile. “Thank you. It’s not often I get to shop with my Papa. I really enjoyed your help with deciding on all the cuts! Did you have any recommendations on books to learn size adjustment charms and such? I do expect to grow a bit.”

A small pamphlet was given to me. “That’ll have all you need in it,” she tells me before adding everything up. “Your total is forty-two Galleons, four Sickles and sixteen Knuts.”

Papa put the money on the table without a grimace, this time. “Thank you,” he smiles, looking delighted at his pending escape.

“No, thank you!” Madam Malkin says, a large grin on her face. “Now go take your little angel out to a late lunch. Sorry to have kept you so!”

“Of course. I was getting quite hungry,” he says as I get a ping from my UI.

Skill Unlocked!

Lie Detection

Level 1

Lie Detection allows you to determine passively if someone is trying to lie to you. The effectiveness of this will increase as people lie to or around you

+10xp

Nice try, pops, but even my gifts are calling you out.

It was a couple of hours later, after a good lunch and some ice cream, along with a quick trip down to the family vault to pick up some money as we’d spent nearly everything Dad had with him, we were home. I had heard my Quest ping complete earlier, so I take my things up to my room, Tala jumping from my shoulders to go get a drink of water.

Upstairs, I look at the Quest.

Quest Complete

Hogwarts Supplies!

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Objectives -

Get your trunk (Completed)

Get your robes (Completed)

Get your wand (Completed)

Get your Potion supplies (Completed)

Get your books (Completed)

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Bonus objectives -
Get your Wand alone (Completed)

Surprise Olivander (Completed)

Convince your father to get accessories with you (Failed)

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Rewards -

500 xp

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Level Up!

You are now Level 7

+5 Stat Points

That reminds me, I have to look at what Perk Points mean! ‘Game, can you give me an explanation of Perk Points please?’

Every fifth Level you get 1 Perk Point starting at Level 5. These can be used to buy Perks or stored. No Perk costing more than 3 Perk Points can be purchased without significant feats having been accomplished to Unlocking them

Perks only available on Character Creation (i.e. Metamorphmagus) have been removed. You are free to peruse the Perks at any time

Some Perks are in what are known as “Perk Trees” and you can pick only one tree in which you wish to Specialise (i). Perks in this tree will cost half what they would otherwise

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Do you wish to look at Perks now?
Yes

~~~

No

I sit on the edge of my bed and say ‘Yes.’

Clean-Blood

1 Point
You cannot become sick to any common ailments. Never have a case of the flu or Dragon Pox again!

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Determination

Part One of the “Modern Wizard” Line

1 Point
Staying focused is easy for you. You can mindlessly slog through even the most boring of tasks with single minded determination - be that three hours of scrubbing cauldrons or learning the most difficult theory! Grants Buff to Willpower and helps you ignore distractions when you need to focus
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People Like You

Part One of the “Healer” Line

1 Point

You’ve got a way about you that makes people just like you. You could be sweating copiously while sitting across from someone who can read your mind and they’ll still usually come away thinking of you fondly. Treat people decently and you’ll have more close friends than you know what to do with. Gives +10 to all reaction checks in interactions with any other creature or Race

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Etiquette

Part One of the “Magus” Line​

1 Point
Manners Maketh Man. You find you have an impeccable understanding of social norms and etiquettes, knowing just the right way to treat everyone of any status. You’re at home in any gathering, and will never be caught wearing the wrong cut of robes. Adds 30 Levels to the “Etiquette” Skill

The list has other 1 Point Perks, each of which being generic Buffs to a set of Skills, or granted some other minor benefit. None of them are catching my eye right now.

Do you wish to Specialize? (i)

Yes

~~~

No

I poke the little (i) Icon and get more text.

What are you aiming to be good at? Specializing is how you become one of the best at a Skill. Not every Perk Tree is straight forward - but each has a lot of Perks! Specializing is free and gives you the first Perk a part of the Line as a complimentary gift, and all others come half off

Keep in mind you only get to Specialize once!

I have no idea what I want to Specialize in yet, so just like spending my Stat Points, I decide not to do that yet. The Perks over all, though, don’t seem all that expensive, so I could buy one of them now. I look back over them, trying to find one that speaks to me. A part of me likes the idea of going into the Magus Line, or etiquette, as it would help my anxiety over going to Hogwarts and making friends a lot.

In the end, I don’t. Barely thinking about it, I growl in annoyance at having gone through all the tens of choices at least a dozen times each and spend it on a Determination Perk.

I regret it instantly. I should have saved it for later! What if other Perks I Unlock need more Points?

Oh, well. At least I can go through all my new books easier now. Plus, now I have my wand I can start learning magic at home properly! That’s one of the unfair advantages of living in a warded cottage, I suppose. It’s not great for anyone that can’t, but at the same time I have no intention of not practicing! I’ll have to see if Mama can teach me the basic cosmetic stuff, and other day to day charms I’ll need when she has time.

Tabling that thought for now, I close the Perk Point tab and see my main screen now has Perks added as an option to look over next to ‘Info’ and ‘Character Profile’.

I close that also and get my new wand and holster out of my shopping bag. I Observe it.

Aubrey’s wand

Unique

This wand is - as all wands are - unique. It is attuned to its master, Aubrey Hawthorne, with a 97% compatibility. Due to its nature and natural properties, it grants +3 Luck, +3 to defensive magics (learning and casting), and +1 to all Wanded Magic Skills

As long as you are the master of this wand (even if it is destroyed!) you will retain these benefits

Blinking in shock at the wand, the first item to ever give me a bonus to a Stat, Tala suddenly meows up at me, making me jump. I look over and realize my door is ajar for anyone to see into.

Oops.

Well at least I have my school supplies sorted, a lot of reading projects to keep me busy and I’ve finally dealt with learning about Perk Points and spent it, even if I wish I’d sat on it a while longer. I suppose I’ll begin organizing my new things now.