Diagon Alley

*Tick*

*Tock*

*Tick*

*Tock*

Right now, I'm waiting by the doorway of the orphanage watching seconds tick by on an old grandfather clock. This is incredibly boring. I mean I knew what I was getting into by starting this whole act but still. This sucks.

I've decided how I'm going to treat the potters, for now, I am going to act like the perfect child, the ideal sister, who just wants to reconnect after years of being apart. This is mostly so that I can always be around the main plot or Harry so that I always no what is going on. But, it will also serve to make Dumbles overlook me or treat be as a variable that he can deal with and while everyone underestimates me I'll be driving the wizarding world into a state of paranoia and worry through some very concealed actions.

Finally, it took her long enough. Quickly rushing to the door with the biggest expression of excitement I can muster I open it, slightly startling Lily.

"Are we going there now? Are we going?" God. Excitable children are annoying.

Lily tells me to wait a moment before briefly going to speak to some of the nuns and just doing general check-ins to make sure they are all okay with me be taken for the day. I'm also fairly sure she mentioned adoption, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Eventually, she finishes talking and we head outside where I stop her for a second.

"The Letter said we could bring an owl to Hogwarts right?"

"Yes, they serve as mail carriers to deliver messages and parcels, we can go to Eeylop's Owl Emporium first."

Shaking my head. "No I meant to ask is any owl valid for that."

"I suppose but why are you asking that." A slight look of confusion forming on her face.

Displaying a slightly mischievous grin. God, I hate this act. I Whistle for Rose, it starts low before spiking up in pitch to reach a point outside of a human's audible range. I hear a couple of dogs barking down the street and see Lilly wince slightly at the sudden high pitch.

Rose makes a show of flying around the orphanage before landing on my hand. Where I promptly feed her a small piece of Jerky I store in my inventory.

Looking back at Lily with a proud grin spreading across my face. Bleurgh. "This is Rose, I found her in the garden a year and a bit ago and started feeding her since then she started following me around annoying me for more food."

Lily seems to be deep in thought for a moment looking at the pitch-black owl on my arm and how 'Happy' I seem with it before speaking. "Of course, Rose will work fine as your owl, guess that saves us going to the Emporium. Tell you a secret, it Reeks in there."

Letting out a small grin we begin to make our way towards The Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley.

As we made our way to Diagon Alley Lily insisted on small talk asking how I've been and just trying to maintain a conversation. Naturally, to keep up my act, I go along with all of her attempts at small talk and asking how I've been. After a while, I start to contemplate just opening an instance with the 2 of us and just violently murdering her. Focus Ruby. Take a deep breath. This is all necessary so you can have a comfortable easy life and maybe seduce Luna. With that uplifting mantra constantly cycling through my head we finally step through The Leaky Cauldron, being mostly ignored aside from some polite greetings towards Lily and make our way into Diagon Alley.

I feign the appropriate look of wonder and excitement but in all honestly, most of these buildings look like a fire starting would count as refurbishment.

Seeing as how we are no longer in 'Muggle London' I turn to Lily and ask a question that I am sure she is dreading.

"When do I get to meet my father and Harry." With an innocent little turn of my head to the side.

She pales somewhat. "Well, you see. Harry and your Father are currently at our home. You'll be able to meet them on the Hogwarts express."

Seeing an entirely faked expression of sadness she rushes to continue explaining things.

"Your father has to stay with Harry to help keep him safe, and we have kept Harry far away from the wizarding world to stop him from getting a big head from all the people who would come up to him and thank him. He doesn't even have any friends, he's never been able to meet people his age as we kept him isolated behind layers of protection to keep him safe."

A small look of sadness comes over her.

"Whereas for you, we just never spoke about you until eventually, most people forgot we had a daughter. It's why we never made contact before this. If people knew you were are daughter they would use you or hurt you to try and force us to give up Harry. So, to keep you safe, we couldn't let anyone magical contact you."

Giving a small nod I start to walk quietly besides Lily as though I am upset but understand their reasoning. I mostly do not give a shit though, the only thing I care about right now is pretending to be close to them so I can make my own life considerably easier.

We eventually make our way through all of the stores we need to go to. Getting my potion ingredients, cauldron and gloves. Before visiting Madame Malkins Robes where I damn near almost stabbed the bitch for insulting my beautiful spiral patterned tie-dye shirt. Made it myself. Finally, we find ourselves entering Ollivanders, one of the only parts of the trip I was looking forward to.

We didn't even enter Gringotts. What a disappointing trip.

Entering the store to find it empty, I suddenly feel a presence behind me and have to try very hard to restrain my instinct to just spin around and gut the fool.

Feigning surprise at the voice 'appearing' behind me I look around in shock.

"Ah yes Lily Potter 10¼" inches Willow, swishy, good for Charms, and you must be young Ruby Potter, I am very curious about the wand that chooses you, especially after discovering your brother's wand."

I see Lily look uncomfortable at that but ignore it to show a look of excitement and wonder. Ollivander measures my wand hand, It's both I'm ambidextrous, before starting to pass me a wand.

We've been here for an hour and still haven't found a wand that matches me. I'm pretty sure at this point we've been through most of the wands in the store and not a single one had a positive effect when I held them.

Some caused a small fire to start, others caused objects to fly everywhere. Hell, one started sucking the oxygen out of the room. Had to pretend to choke for that.

Ollivander has a look of genuine joy on his face that you would not expect from someone who has been set on fire multiple times. "In all my years of wand-making you may be my most interesting customer yet. Perhaps."

Ollivander goes out back and returns a few minutes later with a long Black case.

"Now, I did not make this wand, in fact, one of my ancestors did, no one has been able to figure out the material the wand is made from or its core, all we know is that it is exceedingly good at transfigurations."

Opening the case he reveals the wand. It is 10 Inches and seems to be made from a dim silver metal. Is starts slightly thicker at the base but quickly tapers off to a point that, all of my experience with knives is telling me, could be used to stab someone. There's a spiral of slightly raised metal that starts at the base and continues unbroken until reaching the tip, where it breaks in several places at angles causing the wand to have a barbed tip. Whatever this wand is it could definitely be used as a knife. I'm also fairly certain it will bond to me because I can see vague runes in colours unperceivable to humans that are written in the eldritch tongue.

Raising it up there is a feeling of connection before Ollivander starts clapping his hands gleefully. "Wonderful." He looks towards Lily "That will be 10 Galleons please."

She pays seemingly glad to leave the small store now that I have my wand. We make our way back to the orphanage, before dropping me off she says.

"I'll be here in September to help take you to the station, but then you'll be able to move in with us and won't have to stay here anymore."

Giving her the widest grin I can fake, I give her a small hug before running back inside. As soon as I reach my room all of the faked happiness is removed from my face as I sit down and think about what I need to do this year.