Chapter Text
“Y/n.” I was fast asleep, but a gentle whisper by my ear sent shivers down my spine, awakening me. I shot up, rubbing my eyes and squinting to get a better view.
“Hello?” I called out, but no response. Pointing my index finger up, I softly casted: “Lumos.” No one in sight. Just as I pinched my index to my thumb to extinguish the glow, I heard voices coming from downstairs. Probably Mum and Dad. They didn’t argue, but they did commonly have discussions late into the night. I never paid any mind, however on this particular night something in my gut was telling me to go listen. I slowly lifted the covers off my bed, revealing my Darkwing Duck pyjamas. I stumbled across the floor of my room, putting on my slippers and opening the door as quietly as possible.
“I just don’t understand.” My mum said. Their voices got louder as I stepped closer. I took a concealed spot on the stairs, watching them pace at the dining room table.
“I don’t either. I mean, how did it even get here?” Dad crossed his arms. What are they talking about? I scanned the table, and saw a tan envelope with a red stamp sitting neatly in the centre. Is that a letter?
“Y/n is undocumented. None of the other schools sent them a letter. How?” My mum looked perplexed.
“Well, you know Dumbledore. He has his ways.” Dad responded.
Undocumented. That’s how I had lived my childhood. Undocumented by the Ministry. To them, I didn’t exist, and that’s just simply how it was. Of course, it had its ups and downs. On one hand, I’d been practicing magic since I could talk, and I had now mastered spells much beyond my age. On the other hand, I wasn’t allowed into any magic schools. I had been living life as a muggle. Mum always told me I was special, too special for the Ministry, and that’s why I wasn’t documented. But I knew there was something deeper going on, even if I couldn’t fully wrap my head around it.
The story my parents would have me believe was that I was adopted from an agency when I was younger. But then, why was I undocumented? The truth was darker, and that’s something I knew from a young age. I was a secret.
“What do we do? Do we tell them?” Mum asked.
“What if Lucius ordered it? Merlin knows we wouldn’t mess with him, lest we find out what would happen if we kept them home.” Dad shrunk into his seat. Lucius… Who is that..?
“Well, then, both options are dangerous. Keeping them here and shipping them off.”
Dad slammed his fist on the table suddenly. “We have to send them. Even if Lucius ordered it, there are very powerful wizards and witches there who can protect them, Dumbledore included.”
“Oh, Stef, I don’t want them to go away.” My mum began softly crying.
“It’s the only way we can guarantee Y/n’s safety.” My dad reassured her. “We’ll sit them down at the table tomorrow morning and have them open the letter. It’ll be a fun surprise, don’t you think? They’ll certainly be thrilled.” Thrilled? How could I be thrilled knowing that whatever’s going on is making my mother cry? I shook my head and retreated to bed.
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The next morning, as I awoke, the scent of fresh bread filled my nostrils. I walked downstairs to find my parents sitting on either side of the table, a plate of pastries in front of them. The chair at the head of the table was empty, awaiting my arrival. I slowly sat down, as they both anxiously watched me. It was almost unsettling how fixated they were. My mother’s eyes were filled with worry, and my father tried his best to fake a smile covered by his moustache.
“What’s going on? You guys look like robots.” I asked. Then, I spotted the same letter from last night. It sat right in front of my plate, nearly staring at me.
“We have some… ahem… Exciting news, darling.” Mum motioned towards the note. “Go on.”
It was addressed to me. I never got letters just for me.
“Dear Mx. Y/n, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?” I dropped the note. “What is this? Are you finally sending me to a magic school?” A giant smile came across my face as my parents exchanged glances.
“Yes, love. School starts in two weeks, so we’re going shopping today for your required supplies.” My dad picked up his fork and began eating. I ate my breakfast as quickly as I could, so we would leave faster.
The whole process of getting there was kind of a blur. I was so excited that I didn’t focus on anything except thinking about the school itself. And before I knew it, there we were in Diagon Alley.
“I reckon it’s best to split up. Divide and conquer!” My dad pointed a finger in the air, waving it around.
“Oh, good idea. I can grab the cauldron and other potion-making supplies, how about you run off and get the books, and Y/n, you can grab your robes since they’ll need to measure you. We’ll meet back at Ollivanders to get your wand.” My mum patted me on the back and sent me in the direction of the robes store.
Inside, the smell of fresh fabric filled my nose. It was dim, a couple candles here and there. Dark oak panels carved with beautiful details made up the ceiling. There were gorgeous clothes on racks in every space available. I was speechless.
I was so speechless and distracted, in fact, that I accidentally ran head-on into someone, causing them to drop all their books.
“Oh, jeez, didn’t you see me coming?” I sighed, rubbing my scalp.
“Pardon? Do you have any idea who I am? Why would I be worried about you?” Whoever it was had a rather annoying voice.
“I was turned around! How was I supposed to see you?” I looked up. “Besides-…” My voice trailed off as I glanced at who I ran into. It was a boy with pale blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and skin that was as white as a sheet of printer paper. He was wearing rather fancy clothes, but the ugly scowl on his face ruined the whole outfit.
“I would choose your next words very wisely.” He picked himself up off the ground and wiped off his clothes as if there was dust on him. I was utterly gobsmacked.
“Bloody hell. You really think you’re something?” I scoffed, standing up to meet him.
“Yes. I’m Draco Malfoy, and my father will be hearing about this. Clearly you don’t know how big of a deal that is.” He crossed his arms on his chest.
“Why should I?” I stuck out my tongue at him. As I did, a man suddenly appeared behind him. He bore a striking resemblance to Draco. They were even dressed almost identical, with the difference being a long cape and a snake-headed staff donned by the man.
“Draco, have you made a friend?” The man looked at me with a weird, sort of puzzled expression on his face.
“This scoundrel is not my friend.” Draco pouted.
“Oh, come now, that’s no way to treat a newcomer.” He lightly pushed Draco aside with his staff and outstretched a hand for me to shake. “Malfoy. Lucius.” My jaw nearly dropped on the spot as I gasped. Lucius? That’s the name my parents said… Is this the man? I was immediately filled with intrigue.
“Cat got your tongue?” He said with a mocking smile.
“Y-Y/n Scott.” I stuttered.
“Scott?” I didn’t want to admit it, but he kind of scared me. He was one of those people who you could just.. feel the evil radiating off of him.
“Yes.” I nodded. He stood straight up.
“And what are you here for, Mx. Scott?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I’m grabbing my robes. Like the ones he has.” I pointed to the robes that Draco was holding, though they were certainly much nicer than anything I could afford. “Hogwarts starts next week, doesn’t it?”
“You’re going to Hogwarts?” He said with a kind of odd infliction. “Why, that’s wonderful news.” His frown suddenly divulged into a sinister smile. It was like something clicked in his brain.
“...It is?” I was utterly befuddled.
“Of course. I look forward to seeing you there. Rest assured my boy Draco will… assist you as you both begin your journey.” He tapped me on the back with his cane to send me on my way. How odd… I remember thinking. It was a strange encounter, and I silently hoped that I wouldn’t be seeing any more of the Malfoys for a good long while.
Ollivander’s was a strange little shop. It seemed like nothing in the place matched anything else, and a thick layer of dust coated nearly every corner. An especially large cobweb hung in the corner, with a spider on it that was so big I could nearly swear it waved at me.
“Ollivander!” My father called out to an empty shop. Shuffling came from behind the counter.
“Yes– Ow!” A man with white hair and a face full of scruff arose from the counter, hitting his head on the way up. “Ah! Mr. Dominique! You’ve quite grown!”
“It’s actually Mr. Scott now.” My dad blushed, motioning to my mother. Ollivander smiled largely at her.
“Oh, how wonderful! I was always rooting for you two. What can I do for you today?”
“We’re here for our child, actually.” My mother encouraged me to step forward.
“Ah, I would have never guessed that you were related.” He examined me. It was true, I didn’t look anything like my parents. My eyes were y/e/c in contrast to my parents, who shared a quirky pink color. Both of them were tan-skinned, and my dad was covered head-to-toe in freckles. Mum had warm brown hair, and dad was sandy blond. Differently from them, my skin was y/s/c. But perhaps the most stark difference between us was my hair. When I was born, my hair was y/h/c, but as I got older it got darker and darker. By the time I stood there in Ollivander’s shop, it was darker than the night. Of course, I was adopted, so it was no wonder that I didn’t look like them, but… I stuck out like a sore thumb. A constant reminder that I didn’t belong. “None the matter, child. You’re here for a wand?”
“Yes, sir.” I timidly approached the counter. He looked me up and down before stepping on the ladder behind him, climbing up to the very top. Only two rows from the ceiling, he grabbed a dark, long box and climbed back down. He handed it over to me.
I held it in my hands. The handle was hefty, and curved. It fit my grip almost exactly. At the bottom of the handle was a knob, pointed out like an animal’s tooth. The guard was small, but had divots that almost resembled flower petals. The main body wavered at the base, but straightened out at the tip. It was a beautiful chocolatey color.
“Go on, wave it around.” He made a motion with his hands.
I nodded. I scanned the room for something to grab. Then, I spotted a Griffin-feathered quill on a nearby desk. I pointed my wand towards it. “Accio.” The quill was instantly drawn towards me, and I caught it with my hand. I felt… different. Confidence and courage coursed through my body. My fingertips tingled, a sort of feeling I had never felt before. I turned to Ollivander, who, to my surprise, was giving me a ghastly look.
“You already know advanced s-spells?” He fidgeted. He looked at my parents. “How?”
“It’s a long story, best we not get into it right now. We should get going.” My dad stammered. I thought my parents would be proud of me, having found a wand that fit. I thought Ollivander would be pleased, but… Why?
“Now, wait.” Ollivander motioned me towards him. He took the wand from my hand and placed it in the box, stamping it and handing it back to me.
“Thank you.” I took the box under my arm.
“Hawthorn, dragon heartstring, flexibility… Firm. 12 ¼ inches long.” He paused. “You have great potential, dear. But you must be careful. Watch who you trust.” With those last words, he looked up at my parents, then back at me. My mum rushed over, grabbing me by the hand and practically pulling me out of the shop. I glanced back at Ollivander as we left, who was giving me a grim look.
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“Mum? Dad?” I sat in the backseat of the car as we rode home, staring at the wand in my hand.
“Yes?” My mum answered.
I paused for a while before asking my question. “Who’s Lucius?”
My parents both went silent immediately. I couldn’t see their faces from my seat, but I knew they both wore a grimace. “Why do you ask?” My dad looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“I met him today. At the robes store.” I twiddled with my fingers. My parents looked at each other before my mum finally answered. “Y/n, dear. He’s a Death Eater. A very powerful and very dangerous wizard. People like him are never satisfied with what they have. And they are full of hate. You stay as far away from him as you can, okay?” I stared at the floor.
The next week went by quickly. I hung out with friends from my old school, telling them goodbye, and I mentally prepared myself to finally enter the Wizarding World. Come next week, I was ready for Hogwarts.