The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

P4. Diagon Alley

Arran and Diolah came into Diagon Alley and the young siren was shocked into silence by the colourful atmosphere and bustling surroundings. After getting to the robe shop, Arran suggested, "You can go in and get your robes while I go and get all your books."

"Okay," Dioleh agreed, giving a small smile and heading inside. Inside, she saw a young boy with blond hair and a pale face. He was just handing over some money for whatever he had bought.

"Hogwarts, dear?" the owner asked, looking up from the counter.

"Yes, Ma'am," Dioleh replied with a warm smile. She had completely forgotten the accent difference until she saw that the boy and the woman had noticed.

"American?" the boy remarked with a confident smirk. Dioleh made no answer, simply raising her eyebrow at him as if asking 'And? your point?' His smirk grew wider, probably knowing exactly what she was thinking. Passing by, he said, "See you at Hogwarts, I suppose, then."

"Unfortunately so," Dioleh replied with a smile, not missing a beat and somehow unable to not tease this boy she had just met. She could tell by the way his smirk grew just slightly that he was enjoying the banter.

Stopping at the door, he asked, "Do I get a name, love?"

"Would it earn me yours?" she replied.

"Perhaps," he said cockily with a shrug.

"Then better not risk it," Dioleh replied with a playful smile. His irritated look merely caused her throat to tremble with constrained laughter. Her smile widened as she let out a laugh, irritating him more, yet he did not seem to be angry.

"Goodday, love," he replied, rolling his eyes, but once he was out of her sight, he smiled. Once he was gone, Dioleh finally remembered why she was here.

"Right, sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry, this is your time I'm wasting."

"Not to worry, dear," she said. Leading her to the back, she slipped a large robe over Dioleh's shoulders and began to make it the right length. "First-year?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Dioleh replied kindly. Madam Malkin had grown quite good at being able to tell students apart by year. There was a certain excitement and uncertainty in the first years in particular that made them the easiest to notice. They made polite talk as she finished with the robe before she took it off and quickly finished it.

Handing over the packages, Madam Malkin took the money from Dioleh and gave her a smile and a 'good luck!' as she left the shop. Her father had told her if she finished early she could go and get her wand. This was the most exciting part. Stepping inside the shop, she found that it was empty.

Frowning, she self-consciously gripped one of her long curls in her hand. While her hair was dark purple near the top, it was several different shades of blue in the centre before fading into purple again. Her blue eyes shifted over the room. It reminded her of a library only with several long, narrow boxes instead of books.

Curiously, she inched forward toward one of the boxes. Just before her fingers grazed the smooth wood, a thin-sounding voice said, "I wouldn't touch that if I were you." In surprise, Dioleh turned around, spotting an older man standing in the shop. Bustling forward, he added, "That particular wand is best suited for a witch or wizard with a lacking personality."

Dioleh couldn't help but let out a laugh at that as she asked, "And what makes you think I don't?"

"The hair," he replied, moving over to another box. "Most people who dye their hair or get it stuck that way are more on the adventurous side."

"I see," Dioleh replied. Curiously, she asked, "Can you tell all sorts of things about a witch from her wand?"

"Yes," he replied, taking out three boxes. "Their power in particular." Coming back over to her, he held out a wand and explained, "Unicorn hair core with pine, thirteen inches." She took it in her hands and cringed.

"No," she said instantly. "Sorry, it just felt...wrong."

A look of curiosity on his face, he asked, "You could sense it?"

"It was like a spirit within the wand," Dioleh said. Forgetting about Mr. Ollivander, she moved along the rows, holding out her hand towards the boxes. She closed her eyes, sensing each individual spirit in the wands. Some pushed against her while others pulled towards her, but it wasn't quite right yet.

At last, she came to the end of a row and felt it change. Mr. Ollivander watched curiously as she drew out one of the long boxes and returned to the front desk. Opening it, she picked up the wand and instantly felt such warmth in her hand it brought a smile to her face. Waving it, she saw a beautiful stream of sparks fly from the wand and explode in fireworks.

"It is perfect!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed, full of excitement. "Cedar with dragon heartstring core. Fourteen inches. This wand possesses great power, my dear."

"It does?" she asked, looking from the remnants of the fireworks to the old wizard.

"Yes," he replied. "The dragon heartstring core creates powerful and often uncontrolled magic, but it will be fiercely loyal to you and adapt to your wishes. It will be a great friend in whatever path you choose. Good or bad."

"How much?" Dioleh asked, still processing his words. Once she had paid, Dioleh left and headed off to find her father, all the while her mind remained with her wand. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice when she crashed into someone. Both stumbled to the ground, their things tumbling everywhere. "I'm so sorry," Dioleh said, getting up and quickly helping the girl with her things.

She was tall, slender, and had long hair that was a soft pink. Her skin was radiant ebony with golden undertones and a soft pink crossing her cheeks. Her eyes were dazzling brown with hints of pink in the background. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl Dioleh had seen since coming to London. "It's all right," she replied, giving a radiating smile. Once they had all their things, the girl introduced, "Sorry, I'm Imani."

"Hello, Imani," Dioleh replied, giving her a smile. "I'm Dioleh. Are you starting at Hogwarts this year?"

"Yes," she replied. "And you?"

"Yes," Dioleh replied. "Perhaps we'll even be friends."

Her smile widening, Imani replied, "Perhaps we will."

"Dioleh," Arran called.

"Sorry, my father," Dioleh explained, still looking at the pink-haired girl before her. "Nice to meet you, Imani."

"You too, Dioleh," she replied.

"You make a friend?" Arran asked, joining his daughter as they began to head out.

"Possibly," Dioleh replied, although she could not help but let a smile through.