The Start of An Adventure

[Zeke Smith]

It took a bit of time to find their way, following the directions given to them in the letters from the school, but in time, the Smiths were standing at the place that would lead them into Diagon Alley. Zeke could feel his stomach turning with anticipation and he tried to stand up a bit straighter. He didn't want people to look at him any kind of way as he made his first impression on this society. Though he didn't know what to expect, who he'd encounter, and what all would happen. His parents were not that impressed with the experience thus far, plus they were not looking forward to what they'd have to do to get the money he needed to buy his supplies here. He could hear his father muttering under his breath about exchange rates, but he kept his eyes forward as another family in front of them opened the way. As the walls moved away and revealed the way into the shops, his eyes lit up, his heart swelling.

He could barely contain himself. He grabbed his mother's hand and pulled her into the throng, "Look at it all, Mom!" he beamed, bouncing as he walked.
"Ezekiel, mind yourself," she tutted at him and he gave a pout as he stopped bouncing quite so much.
"According to the map we were given," his father pulled out a piece of parchment, "We need to go that way," he pointed, "That will take us to this bank of theirs. We've been warned not to be alarmed by the bankers," he muttered as he looked around. His parents seemed.... displeased by the sights so far, but Zeke couldn't help but grin again as he saw the products in the windows.
"Woooow," he said and started towards a building, but his mother, who still had his hand, yanked him back.
"Don't wander off," she chided and he sighed.
"Moooom," he whined, rolling his head a little on his shoulders, "This is a chance of a lifetime and you're acting like we're in some scary bad place! I bet if we were at a place with a bunch of girly shops you wouldn't be so cross," he grouched.
"Ezekiel," she scowled a bit, "We are in an unfamiliar place surrounded by people we don't have any idea about. You will not be wandering off into the crowds," she said firmly, holding his hand tighter.

Zeke gave a sigh, knowing that since she kept using his full name she was upset with him. Probably upset with this whole situation since she hadn't stopped using it since he got that letter. Now he was different from her, and yet different from this new world too. But this new one seemed much more interesting than the old one. For now though, until he got the money he needed to buy his school supplies, he'd have to tolerate their slow pace and scowling faces.

[Nautica Anderson]

"Now remember," Rhysln was saying softly to her younger sister, straightening out her shirt as they prepared to head off, "You are an Anderson, and we are a proud lot, so don't let any of those other proud lots make you feel less than," she smirked a little, poking her sister on the nose.

Nautica scrunched her nose in response but nodded, "Right," she murmured, "Plus I've gone along with you the past couple of times, so I know where everything is, so I won't get lost if I get separated," she said, nodding, trying to reassure herself of that if nothing else.

Rhysln gave a small smile, "You'll be fine. This is your chance to make a real impression. You're not just my little sister anymore, you're coming into your own power and abilities. You're going to be making your own friends and allies at Hogwarts now."

Nautica nodded again and stood a bit straighter, "Right," she repeated. She didn't want everyone to keep comparing her to her sister, so she had to carry herself differently. While Rhysln was proud too, she had a more humble, demure approach. So Nautica would be different. She'd make sure it was clear she was proud of who she was.

As the Andersons were a hop, skip, and a jump from London, they found themselves entering the Alley through means of Floo Powder. Not Nautica's favorite way to travel, but better than being in a car or train for ages while she was feeling this keyed up. She smoothed herself out once she was standing in the Alley and started forwards, Rhysln following her behind. Their parents would be along shortly, and they trusted the sisters to stay together. Rhysln had always been the "responsible" one, and Nautica had this desire to prove she was plenty capable on her own. But her sister had the eyes of a hawk and it'd be impossible to slip her all together. So for now, she tolerated her. Maybe she'd see some of her friends and get distracted. Not likely, that responsible bit and all, but one could hope.

[Laguna Lestrange]

"Diagon Alley is positively dreadful at this time of the year." Laguna looked to his mother as she spoke the words. The slender blonde woman beside him was dressed elegantly, not in something that most would wear for a common shopping trip for school supplies, but this shopping trip wasn't ordinary. It was a statement. And this statement needed to be bold. The Lestrange family had been very quiet in the years following the war, knowing that eyes would be watching them closely due to their loyalties. But they could not keep theirselves isolated forever, and now was as a good of time as ever seeing that their only son was old enough to begin at Hogwarts. The woman returned Laguna's look and smiled. To others she could come off as cold at times, but to him she never failed to shower him with love.

The man with them, Laguna's father, spoke next as he adjusted his cuffs, "Yes, well, we will make this as brief as possible and then I have some business in Knockturn Alley. Perhaps some lunch before we head home as well." It was casual, as if saying Knockturn Alley didn't make others stare in the direction of the nicely dressed trio. His parents didn't notice, but he did. Still, he raised his chin up and held his head high. He was a Lestrange, after all. One of the most notable and proud families in the world.

"Can we stop and look at the brooms?" Laguna worked the important stuff into the conversation. His parents exchanged small smiles and then his mother spoke, "Of course, love." She paused, the small smile remaining as she recalled her own memories of shopping for school, "That's how I met your father, you know? So caught up in seeing the latest broom he ran straight into me. Spent the entire first year arguing."

Laguna scrunched up his face, "Arguing? Then how...?"

His father reached over and set his hand on Laguna's hair. "Time has a funny way of making foolish boys understand the value of who you surround yourself with. No matter how much we'd argued during that first year, when I made the quidditch team in second year there was a nasty rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Went well beyond the pitch. Had it out with the Gryffindor beater and they weren't too pleased. Your mother was there when the lot of them tried to ambush me after a match. Turned them into a bunch of buttons." Mr. Lestrange chuckled.

"Of course the Gryffindor Head of House saw the whole thing. We ended up with detention in the forbidden forest together for two weeks," said Mrs. Lestrange. "And the rest is history. In fact...we still met in the forbidden forest for a few weeks after that just enjoy one another's company." She giggled.

Laguna perked a brow up. Gross. No way would he get distracted with silly crushes and whatnot once he got to Hogwarts. Or so he thought. For now though, his eyes flashed toward the brooms on display. He knew his father would buy him whatever he wanted later. But first, he sighed..

"Now off to Gringotts we go."

[Sam Turner]

Ever since her acceptance letter had arrived in early August, Sam had been eager to shop for her school supplies. In Diagon Alley, in the upstairs flat that she lived in with her mother, Sam had taken to sitting in the window seat. From there, she had a decent view of the alley, and could watch as students older than she came in and out of shops, their arms laden with bags filled with books, potions ingredients and new school robes. Today was no different, and Sam's eyes widened with interest when she spotted a boy that looked to be her age. Maybe he was also about to start the first year at Hogwarts? Was she looking at her future classmate, or possibly housemate?

"Mum?" Sam called to her mother, who was nearby at her desk and scratching away at a piece of parchment with her quill.

"Hmm?" Corrine asked absently, not looking up from what she was writing.

"When can I get my Hogwarts stuff?"

"Your father is taking you tomorrow. He didn't want to miss this milestone in your life." Corrine's voice was tight, as though she was speaking through her teeth. "Merlin knows he's missed enough already," she muttered under her breath so Sam wouldn't hear it.

Sam, who did hear it, scowled and looked back out the window. Another student had arrived, this time a girl who was being guided by an older sibling. "Mum, can we go now? Just to look?"

"I'm working, Samantha. I need to finish this article for tonight's edition of the Evening Prophet."

With the use of her full name (which she hated), Sam knew that she should let it drop. But as a third student arrived, Sam pressed her nose up against the glass. Unable to contain her excitement, she blurted, "Can I go by myself?"

Corrinne looked up wearily and gave Sam a long and appraising look. "All right," she said finally.

Sam leapt from the window seat, grabbing her shoes and tugging them onto her feet as she ran towards the stairs.

"But don't leave the Alley! And do something about your hair!" Corrinne called after Sam's retreating back.

As Sam bounded down the stairs and to the front door, she pulled her long wavy golden-brown hair into a loose ponytail. She burst through the door and onto the street, tying her hair into place with the hairband she kept around her wrist at all times. Blinking in the sunlight, Sam looked up and down the alley, searching for the three potential classmates she had seen through her window.

[Quinn Rockwell]

It had started as an ordinary summer like any other. School had let out, and Quinn had spent her time playing soccer, taking music lessons, having sleepovers, and spending time in the company of friends, as ten-year-olds do.

Then, on August 14, a week prior to her 11th birthday, an owl landed on the window sill in her bedroom with a peculiar (and suspicious) letter attached to its leg. Her parents initially believed the letter was some sort of elaborate hoax at best, and an attempt at child trafficking at worst--but it promised a visit from a school representative to answer any questions they might have. When that representative came knocking, all doubts were extinguished, and Quinn felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Now her father was accompanying her through Diagon Alley, and they were both quickly becoming overwhelmed by it all. Her father had been able to see neither the sign nor the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, but Quinn had had no difficulty. Many of the wizards and witches they saw wore strange clothing that seemed a hundred years out of date, as if they'd stepped straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. Some of the buildings didn't appear to be structurally sound, as the design of their exteriors suggested their architects hadn't yet discovered right angles (but their interiors were somehow more orthogonal). Quinn went so far as to describe the Gringotts building as diagonal, fitting given the name of the street it was on. Her father decided wizardkind were as quirky as Quinn, so she'd probably fit right in.

At Gringotts, after getting over the shock of seeing Goblins, they exchanged British pounds for galleons. Somehow, a one-galleon gold coin was worth about five British pounds, but her father knew that gold was trading for about 1,600 British pounds an ounce. Through arbitrage, he could get an insane return on investment every time he visited Gringotts, assuming the coins weren't charmed against being melted. He kept a few galleons for himself to test this later.

Quinn excitedly wanted to check out every single shop on Diagon Alley, which quickly wore her father out. Eventually, he found a bench to rest on and told her to explore to her heart's content, while he quietly pondered his get-rich-quick scheme.

She was eager to get her wand at Ollivander's, and also to find a broom shop...

[Isobel Evans]

Isobel was so excited to be starting her first year at Hogwarts. Her father took her hand and with her brother at her side and her two sisters bringing up the rear they all ventured into Diagon Alley. Isobel was well aware that a lot of the stuff that she would be getting would be hand me downs from her brother as their family just didn't have a lot of money to spend on new things. And that was all right with Isobel, she didn't need the latest and greatest she just needed enough to get by. That was a lot of what their family did, they managed money-wise but overall the family was very happy.

They walked into the streets of diagon ally, a huge smile on Isabel's face. She couldn't have been happier to be in the place that meant she would be attending Hogwarts that year. Her brother was also very excited for her, it would be nice to not be the only Evans in the school. "Daddy!! Look! That store has owls!!" her father laughed at her over excitement of seeing owls. They had their very own owl at home but to see them all gathered in one area could be quite exciting for the young girl.

"Come now, darling Isobel, we have lots to shop for today." Her father had been saving up for months to buy her something special before she started school. It was a surprise and he didn't want to spoil the surprise by her seeing what was coming. So they would start with the robes and the cauldron in the books and of course the wand. But at the end of the trip she would be leaving with a brand new baby kitten.

But as they made their way down the street she got quite distracted by the pet shop that had a twany brown owl in the window. "Oh daddy look!! Isn't he just the cutest?" she pressed her face against the glass and even with a tug on her hand from her father she couldn't be pulled away. Her father chuckled and tugged once more and finally pull her away from the pet store window. He was taking time off of work to do the shopping for her. Not that he minded he enjoyed a family outing especially when it came to bringing excitement to his children's faces. He had even saved up enough money to take them out for lunch afterwards. "Alright, yes he is a very handsome bird. Now then, shall we start with your wand?" that question of course got the attention of his daughter she perked up and looked at her daddy and nodded quickly. "Oh yes daddy!!" off the set for Ollivanders wands.

[Anwen Sawyer]

Anwen could hardly contain herself. As her mother and father stood at the entry to Diagon Alley they of course were a little bored but she nearly wet herself. She was so excited to take an all of the sites of diagon Alley, granted she's been here before but that was on different terms. It wasn't for her school supplies that she had been there before it was for just a mere outing or maybe lunch. However today, meant she would be starting school at Hogwarts soon. The time had finally come for her to join her brother at school. With no shoes on her feet and a smile on her face they headed into Diagon Alley.

"Momma, Papa look at all this!!!" today was her day, and she couldn't be happier about it. Her brother and sister stayed at home, that's her brother I'd already gotten his supplies for school and Melanie well she didn't care. "Calm yourself dear. Yes we are here to shop, but you are a lady, and as such must act like one." Her tsked. Anwen look down at her feet and let out a soft sigh. "Sorry momma." She hold back her excitement and swallowed it down. However the Wonder In Her eyes remained.

As they made their way further into Diagon Alley the young girl took in the sights the one shop, the bookstore, and of course the wonderous Bank of Gringotts. But what really caught her eye was the broom shop. Her eyes turned and she froze. Her father's eyes followed her own and he smiled. He leaned down real close to his daughter, "If you are good little lady today, I could make sure we leave with one of those." she smiled and nodded to her father, trying to contain her excitement once more.

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke's head was on a swivel as they walked, looking to find anyone close to his age, wondering if he'd meet any potential classmates today. He had to look forward again as they got to the bank, trying not to trip going up the stairs.
"Why does everything here look like it's in such a state of disrepair?" his mother muttered as she looked up at the building.
"Suppose they see the charm in their history," the father said, shrugging, "And I'm sure it's safer than it looks. There has to be some kind of regulation on that kind of thing," he said as they walked inside.
"Stay here," His mother said, leaving him by the door while they walked over to one of the goblins, both looking rather apprehensive as they did.
Zeke sighed a little, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He was right by the door and he glanced over at it as the temptation to slip away and explore bubbled up. But he shook his head, "Probably shouldn't just do that," he muttered, "They'll be so mad and try not to buy something cool," he sighed and slid down to the side on the ground by the door, sticking his feet out. He imagined it was going to take a long time since his parents would probably argue their way into the best rate, though he also felt like these bankers would probably not put up with them. So for now, he just watched the door, watching the various people coming in, getting a little excited whenever he saw a student come through. He wondered if he'd see anyone he knew, buuuuut he doubted it. After a while, he spotted Laguna when they came through and gave a wave if he happened to look his way, though something about his parents looked intimidating. He also spotted Quinn and gave a wave as well. They both looked close to his age, so it seemed like a safe bet to try and be friendly.

[Nautica Anderson]

As they were walking around Nautica spotted the Lestranges from a distance and grabbed Rhysln's arm, redirecting them, "Let's go this way," she said.
"Oh? See something?" Rhysln raised a brow as she followed her, though she then spotted the girl coming out, "Oh there's someone that looks to be your age," she said, nodding towards her.
"And?" Nautica scoffed.
"Nautica," Rhysln chided, "You need to try and make some friends."
"But why bother now? We don't know what house anyone my age will be yet."
"Why does that have to matter?" Rhysln raised a brow, "You'd be remiss to only make friends in your house. You never know what other people are capable of."
Nautica rolled her eyes, "I'll wait to see if I can't find people who have something to actually contribute," she said, though Rhysln knew what she meant by that comment.
"Then why did you decide to avoid the Lestranges?"
Nautica stiffened, "You knew?"
"It's hard to miss the polarizing effect their company still brings the populace. It would be polite to say hello not run the other way."
"I know, that's why I went the other way," Nautica muttered. She looked towards Sam since Rhysln had pointed her out before turning and going into a nearby shop.
"I don't think there's even anything you need in there," Rhysln pursed her lips before shaking her head. She looked around and waved to some of her own classmates before seeing her parents coming through.
"Rhysln," her mother smiled as she walked over, "Where is your sister?"
"Avoiding being polite in this store," Rhysln motioned to the shop Nautica went into.
"Ah, naturally," her mother laughed a little, "Well we can watch her from here if you want to go and do your own shopping," she said.
"Of course. I'll go ahead and get my list done then, see you later," Rhysln smiled before walking away, heading towards the shops she needed to shop at.
Nautica, not wanting to admit she'd come into this shop with zero idea of what she was supposed to be doing, perused the items on display in the shop. Maybe there could be something interesting or useful here after all. She glanced out the windows of the shop and saw the various new faces and some she vaguely had a sense of remembering- must have come with siblings as she had in the past. She then spotted her mother and sighed, knowing she was about to get lectured. She grumbled to herself before buying some odd trinket to not be an odd person coming into a shop and not even getting anything. She walked out as she tucked her purchase in her pocket.

[Laguna Lestrange]

It wasn't long before Laguna began to notice more and more students his age arriving for the excitement of the day. Some looked more excited than others, but even the ones who didn't had at least the hint of excitement in their eyes. He followed behind his parents as they made their way further into Gringotts. He recognized one of the families, and he also recognized the youngest girl completely swerve in the opposite direction. A small frown appeared on his face. This only lasted for a moment though as he soon noticed Zeke leaned up against a wall nearby. In the place of his frown, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Without a second though, he moved his hand up to wave back at the boy.

WHACK!

"Ouch!" Laguna's father had swatted his hand down before he even had a chance to fully greet the boy. The young Lestrange looked puzzled in his father's direction as he rubbed the spot on his hand.

His father offered some explanation, "Hogwarts will be where you forge connections that will last well beyond your schooling...you should choose your acquaintances carefully. They will mold the reputation you carry for the rest of your life." Laguna followed his father's gaze to Zeke's parents, who were clearly muggles. "You'll soon enough meet plenty of friends in Slytherin."

Laguna blinked up at his father and then nodded his head, "Yes, father." Suddenly a rush of fear came over him. What if he wasn't sorted into Slytherin? The thought was pushed from his mind as his parents continued on toward the counters to take care of the financial side of things. Laguna glanced once more at Zeke, he didn't wave, but offered an apologetic smile and followed after his parents.

[Sam Turner]

While she was looking for the others, Sam spotted three other girls that looked to be her age. She offered each of them a smile, but did not approach. She had gotten caught up in the excitement, but now that she was in the Alley, Sam was hesitant… and if she was being honest, a little shy. She wanted to catch someone alone, but they were all with their families, or at the very least, a parent. Sam had expected this; it was a rite of passage of sorts, one that Sam's father was looking forward to participating in. She bit her lip, not wanting to barge in and ruin what seemed to be an important moment.

Sam hovered in the Alley, pretending to window shop as she eavesdropped on different conversations to see which family was most approachable. As she was just looking, Sam didn't want to follow anyone into a shop, and in any case, most Shopkeepers had been annoyed with her constant presence this summer. Ollivander, in particular, had told her not to come back until she was ready to buy a wand. As the girl with platinum blonde hair passed by with her Muggle father, Sam trailed behind them, trying her best to look casual. They had looked overwhelmed with Diagon Alley earlier, and perhaps this was her opening: she could offer to be a tour guide of sorts. As a resident of Diagon Alley for eleven years, Sam considered herself to be an expert.

Realizing that the girl and her father were heading into Gringotts, Sam slowed her pace, dejected. It wasn't exactly a place she could follow; she didn't have the key to her own vault and the goblins were not very welcoming to those not banking. The crowd parted then, just enough for Sam to see that the boy she had seen from her window earlier was alone now, sitting on the ground outside of Gringotts. She scanned the area, looking for his parents - Muggles - but they were nowhere to be seen. She took a deep breath and approached.

"Hi," she said brightly. "I'm Sam. I'm… I'm starting at Hogwarts this year," she said bravely, with only a slight falter in the beginning. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blond-haired girl exit the bank, and her father take a seat on one of the benches. She waved at the girl with a wide, toothy smile, then gave the boy her full attention, hoping his parents wouldn't come out and shoo her away. "What about you?" she asked him.

[Miral Valtoris]

There was a head of blonde hair weaving through the crowd, though the crowd seemed to part behind them as the eager girl's parents followed after, Alistair and Beatrice Valtoris tending to cause people to be rather wary.

"Miral!" Beatrice called after, but her daughter didn't seem to hear.

Instead, the ball of energy made her way up the stairs to Gringotts, closing in on her target, "Laguna!" she called out and nearly tackled him in a hug, "Can you believe it?! It's finally time for us to go to Hogwarts!" she let go of him as she started to bounce in excitement.

"Miral Valtoris, act like the young lady you are," Beatrice chided as they caught up with her.

Miral gave a pout, and she ducked her head, "Yes, Mother," she sighed a bit, but the excitement was still clear in her eyes as she looked back at Laguna.

Alistair came up after a moment, clearly not in the same hurry, "Ah, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that's what had her so excited. Good day, Lestranges," he smirked a bit, crossing his arms, "I swear they ought to stagger the shopping times so we've not having to wade through the riff-raff," he scoffed, glancing around the room, clearly distasteful of the Muggles in the room.

"I would just like to be less people in general. Not every one of pure blood is necessarily one of any actual pedigree," Beatrice muttered, holding her purse a bit tighter.

"Moooom," Miral fussed a bit, "Can we hurry up? You promised we would go to the broom shop first!" she bounced again.

"I swear, you'd think I didn't teach you manners, young lady."

[Ryan Lovet]

Ryan stood in the center of the alley, looking around at the people moving on either side of them, "Jaysus. Y'go from not havin' a notion 'bout somethin' to copin' it's even grander than ya could've imagined," he said before looking up at his father and mother who definitely seemed out of place.

"Stick by me, Ryan. We might have to have a word with these folks for a bit of help. With any luck, there'll be a few of 'em who are sound to the likes of us," his father said, putting his hand on the top of Ryan's head before starting to guide him through the street.

Ryan watched the people around them as they walked, noting all the kids who seemed to be about his age. He tilted his head a bit as he watched them, not really listening to the conversation his father had struck up with a stranger, asking questions. Though when Ryan glanced up at the seemingly nice-looking fellow his father was talking to, there was something about him that unnerved Ryan. The guy smiled down at Ryan, but that just caused him to be more wary of him. The guy just nodded to his parents before turning and walking through the crowd.

"Dead on. We've gotta head over to that massive building yonder and sort out the local dosh, then we can pop over to the shops and sort you out with what you need," his father smiled at him.

"The notion that they've got their own currency is a wee bit surprising, isn't it? But I reckon it does help 'em be self-sufficient, doesn't it now?" His mother added softly, seeming a bit perplexed. Though Ryan imagined she was wondering what the exchange rate was, her accountant mind was at work.

"I'm curious, like. How many folks are in the same boat as meself? All of a sudden able to work a bit of magic when nobody else could before."

"I'd say there's a fair few, and with your way of makin' friends, you'll be mixin' with all sorts in no time."

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke had started to wave back to the boy before seeing him getting punished. He gave his own apologetic smile to him before taking a deep breath. He looked at Sam as she approached, standing up off the ground to be polite, "I'm Zeke," he smiled, "I'm starting this year too," he said before offering a hand to shake, "Nice to meet you, Sam," he said, "Glad to meet some of my classmates before this all starts. Maybe I won't feel like such a sore thumb," he chuckled a little, hoping to make light of the situation of his feeling so out of place.

He just wanted to make some friends before this all started, so that he could enjoy his time at this school so far away from home.

[Nautica Anderson]

Much to Nautica's dismay, when she came out of the shop, her mother took a firm hold of her arm and started to lead her around toward Gringotts.
"Why doesn't Rhysln have to go in here?" Nautica grumbled as she was drug along.
"Because she saved her allowance and her money from last year that she didn't spend, so she already has what she needs to get her supplies," her mother answered, "You would do well to try to do the same so that you don't have to be toted about like a child, hm?" She smiled at her daughter knowingly.
Nautica grumbled under her breath, but walked a bit more willingly with her mother, for no other reason as to not trip and be dragged up the stairs into Gringotts. Once inside, Cordelia gave a polite acknowledging nod to the Valtorises and Lestranges before heading towards one of the podiums. Nautica squinted a bit at Laguna and Miral, who looked at her completely confused, before she went with her mother, huffing a bit.
"Please behave yourself and be polite," Cordelia chided.
"Why?" Nautica grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Because making enemies will make this whole experience much harder," her mother sighed, shaking her head.