1. Harry Potter (Panda's version) - Featuring Janet Hayden - Chapter 12

    The Haydens stops in front of a tiny, grubby-looking pub and an old, dusty, faded sign written Leaky Cauldron right on top of the entrance. Janet’s mind immediately filled with questions. Everything she needs are sold here? There is a bookshop right beside the pub, that place seems more likely as a bookshop for spell books; the record shop on the other side also seems more like a shop that sells records as a cover for cauldrons and wands but her parents head straight into Leaky Cauldron without even looking at other shops.

     The Haydens walk into the pub and head straight out from the other door. This instance, more questions burst out in Janet’s mind. Why did they come in if they were heading out in the first place?

     They reach a walled courtyard. Janet looks around curiously but there was nothing around except a dustbin and some weeds. Feeling quite confident that the dustbin must be the entrance of the place wherever they are heading, Janet did not notice that her father has triggered something to make the wall open into an archway. Janet looks up from the dustbin and saw the archway leads to a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

     “What has just happened? How did the wall opened?” Janet gasped.

     “We are here! Diagon Alley!” David exclaim with excitement.

     “It has been such a long time.” Emily said while looking around the familiar street.

     “It does not look like an alley though. Did you use magic to open the wall?” Janet asked, looking puzzled but was soon distracted by the shops all arund Diagon Alley.

     “Where should we start?” David looks excitedly at his wife.

     Emily, who appears to be unaffected by the excitement of being back in Diagon Alley answered, “I think we should get her uniform.”

     “Madam Malkin’s, it is. Let’s go, Janet!” David pulls Janet who was staring as a moving sign towards a shop called “Madam Malkin’s Robes for all occasions”.

     Janet walks in nervously and is made to stand on a stool while a squat, smiling witch dressed all in maure throws a long robe over her and starts measuring and pinning.

     After that, Janet was steered around Diagon Alley by her parents while absorbing their explanation and description about the shops they were heading into. Stuffed with information, Janet now knows that Flourish and Botts is a bookshop, the books sold there have pictures that move; Gringotts is a bank, a wizard bank where her parents have emptied their vault before going into muggle-hood so now, they are going to put some of their money back into their vault.

     The Haydens got Janet her school books, cauldron, phials, quills and ink, almost everything she needed for Hogwarts.

     “What else do we need, Emily?” David ask while holding her daughter’s shoulders ready to steer her off to their next destination.

     “We should now get the most important thing, her wand.” Emily saw her daughter’s eyes shine after she mentioned the word “wand”, she knew that she has been looking forward to having her very own wand ever since she knew it exists.

     “Then, it’s Olivanders. Let’s go.”

     They reach a narrow and shabby shop with peeling gold letters over the door that read “Olivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.” A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. Feeling excited, Janet push open the door, the sound of a bell tinkled into the depths of the shop as they walk in. Thousands of narrow boxes that Janet assumes are wand boxes stacked up like walls in the shop.

     “Good morning.” A soft voice followed by the outline of a man appeared from the boxes.

     “Good morning, Mr Olivander.” David greets back.

     “Ah, look who we have here. David Hayden, pine, dragon heartstring 12 inches, sensitive and mysterious. I believe you have done a lot of remarkable spell work with your wand.”

     “Yes, it has never failed me.” David gripped his wand confidently like a loyal friend who has always been there for him.

     Olivander turns to Emily, “Emily Brightlin, rowan, unicorn tail, 11 inches, Strong and just, absolutely reliable when performing defensive charms.”

     Emily smiled back.

     “And who do we have here?” Olivander turn and look at Janet.

     “This is my daughter, Janet. She is going to Hogwarts this September.” Emily explained.

     “Oh, young lady, which is your wand arm?” Olivander asked.

     Unable to get what Olivander was asking, Janet returned a puzzled look, “Er…”

     “He means your writing hand.” Emily whispered.

     “Oh.” Janet holds out her right hand while Olivander carried out a series of measuring and dropped a few long boxes onto his worktable.

     “Let’s see. Redwood, phoenix feather, 10 inches, give it a wave.”

     Janet took hold of the wand and gave it a flick. Wondering if something should be happening, Olivander took the wand away and place another into her hand. “Cherry, unicorn tail, 10 and a half inches. Let’s see what it does.”

     Janet flicked again, feeble sparks burst out and Olivander snatches the wand away again much to Janet’s surprise.

     “I think I know, you are like your parents. This will do the trick, black walnut, unicorn tail, 12 and a quarter inches.” Olivander pushes the wand into Janet’s hand, without having to move her hand, the wand shot pink sparks that bursts into red and yellow fireworks.

     “Ah, yes. The wand has found its master. Black Walnut seeks a master of good instincts and powerful insight, loyal with particular flair in charmwork.”

     After Olivanders, the Haydens head to the  Eeylops Owl Emporium to get an owl so that they could keep in touch with Janet while she is in Hogwarts.

     The emporium smelt strongly of owl droppings and the hoots and screeches of the owls surround the whole place like a surround sound system.

     Janet look around curiously, she have never seen so many owls at once in her whole life. She caught a glimpse of a small brown owl perched at a corner looking pretty lonely.

     “See anything interesting, Janet?” David whispered into Janet’s ear.

     “The small one over there,” Janet points at the brown owl.

     “Oh, that little fellow.” A chirpy young wizard popped up of nowhere. “We are not sure of its breed. I think it is somewhere between a Brown and a Scoop because it looks like a Brown but it is just half the size of one and slightly larger than normal scoop owls.” The chirpy young wizard explained while bringing the owl over to Janet. “He has been here for a while, poor thing. People would prefer a full size Brown for its strength or a Scoop for their speed. As you can see it is stuck somewhere in the middle.”

     “Then, I want this one.” Janet chirped.

     The owl as though understood Janet’s words, gave a soft hoot of joy and flew off the chirpy young wizard’s shoulder onto Janet’s shoulder.

     “He’s cute. Can I have him, dad?” Janet eyed her father with pleading eyes.

     “We’ll have him then.” David told the chirpy wizard who nods and walks into the storeroom to get a cage.

     “What shall I call you?” Janet let the owl into the cage. “You are a special breed so I shall not call you typical owl names.”

     “You wouldn’t know of any owl names anyway.” David joked.

     “Well, what do people name their owls, then? Hoot-Hoot?” Janet suggested.

     Emily and David burst into laughter, “Hoot-Hoot?”

     “Whatever, I know. I shall call you Alpha. You will now be Alpha!” The owl hoots with agreement. “Come here, Alpha.” Janet opens the cage door and holds out her arm, the owl hops out from the cage and perch on Janet’s arm. “Oh, you’re so cute.” Janet said while hugging the little owl.