The Evolution of Emma

Chapter 5

Dumbledore took me into London, where we were surrounded by the hustle and the bustle of everyday life. It was peculiar, in truth, for I had never before seen so many people in just one place.
I walked beside the old man. Though I was still in normal clothing-- beaten up skinny jeans and a ripped old t-shirt-- Dumbledore wore the same purple gown-thingy that he had worn in the Ministry of-- dare I say it-- Magic.
On all sides of us, there were people, flowing and moving like the water in the chipped bathtub of Wool's Orphanage. They stared at Dumbledore, who, with his long, purple gown, ancient, crooked nose, and swinging, white beard, looked as though he had came straight from the back alleys of Looneytown.
Beside him, I was awkward, for, as an afterthought, people stared at me, too.
"Sooooo... Dumbledore... Where are we headed?"
"Diagon Alley, my dear. There, we shall find your school supplies." The old man smiled at me, and I looked away.
Diagon Alley. Honestly. Where?! This is fucking London, you wrinkly old dumbass!!!
"Diagon Alley is in London, actually, and we will be there soon."
What?
I said nothing and awkwardly smiled at him.
How could that old geezer even...?
"I do prefer to be addressed as 'Professor,' actually, but I supposed that 'old geezer' is a better term than 'wrinkly old dumbass.'"
After I got over the momentary shock that Dumbledore had cursed, my first thought was: shiiiiiiittt.
"What? How did you know...?"
Dumbledore did not say anything for some time. Finally, he said: "As a student of Hogwarts, Emma, you shall learn many skills."
I pasted a smile onto my face and wondered what the London people walking on all sides of us would think when they overheard Dumbledore.
However, my sentiments were unnecessary, for, while a few Londoners continued to stare at us, all kept walking, continuing whatever conversations they were having.
"In Hogwarts, you will learn to defend yourself; to create magical potions; to transfigure ordinary objects; to care for mythical creatures and plants; to fly on sticks adorned with twigs; to yawn over years of goblin defeats. You will learn to ball-gaze, if you possess the Sight, or you shall learn to scribble down meaningless bits of fluff as you keep from sleeping in Professor Trelawney's classroom. In time, you will master the art of sneaking into forbidden corridors and into the Hogwarts Kitchens. However," he said, and he paused.
I found that my eyes were trained on his wrinkled cheeks, and, as we continued to walk through London, I found that I could not tear my eyes away.
"However," he repeated, "there are some skills that only
Hogwarts's best and brightest shall learn. If you, Emma, fall into that category, you may learn wandless magic, advanced enchantments, and, perhaps, with time, the art of Occlumency."
My mind whirled. I wondered what the old man was thinking, and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking. If he did, he made no comment.
"What's Occlumency?"
Dumbledore began to guide me down an alleyway. The Londoners continued to bustle, as they did, and no one made any comment. Alarmed, I took a step back, wondering if Dumbledore had chosen this day as my death date.
"Occlumency is mind-reading. Ah, it seems that we have reached our destination."
I glanced around, trying to see if Dumbledore saw something that I was missing. In front of us, there was a red brick wall. On our two sides, there were buildings, grey and lonely. Behind us, London continued, bustling in its usual fashion. Other than the walls on my three sides, the alleyway was empty.
If he touched me, I would kick him in his wrinkled old balls and run for the streets. If the Londoners spotted a young girl being chased by an old man with red, aching balls, they'd have to do something. Probably.
"Ah," the old man muttered, "here... My, it's been years... Ah, yes, that one."
He's talking to himself. That's a bad sign.
I thought of running, and I may have even done it, if he hadn't suddenly tapped the wall with his wand.
The sound of the wood on the brick was sharp, and there was a brief second when I realized that the man in front of me was completely, utterly mad, and, really, why had I been stupid enough to actually believe him; to think, just for an hour or so, that life could be different; that I could be different.
Then the brick parted, and a place was revealed.
My jaw dropped.

A/N
Hey, guys!
Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider giving a vote and a comment. By the way, I'd like to give a shoutout to @yoyocat22 for being the first person to vote for my story!
By the way, does the profanity in this story bother anyone? I know that the Harry Potter books themselves have very little foul language, however, I think that the profanity is helpful in expressing Emma's character and background. Anyway, hope I'm not offending anyone :(.
Hope everyone's well and had a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanza/whatever you celebrated!!! Who's excited for the New Year?!
Stay fabulous,
foodiefanatic 🍟🥙🌮🥗🍳🥐🍒🥑🥞🌭🍝🍦🍘🍡🍩🍪🍭🍬🥘🍕