The Potions Master's Daughter (Book One)

Chapter 10

We went down the street into a tiny story called Olivanders. There were boxes everywhere and it was eerily quiet in the store. I tried wand after wand after wand as my father stood behind me getting impatient. Growing impatient myself I picked up another wand and soon I was surrounded in a glowing light. The old man looked down at me with approval and nodded his head.

"7 and a half inches, with a Pheonix feather sturdy yew," he recited.

I took it from him and smiled at him before paying him and leaving his shop.

The rest of the day passed by without anything weird happening.

Once we got back to the house I ran up to my room and put all of my new things on my bed then hurried downstairs for dinner. We ate in silence then I retired up to my room for the rest of the evening reading all of the books I had gotten. Transfiguration seemed really interesting, not as good as Potions but it could be my second favorite class.

The rest of the summer came and went. For my birthday against my wishes Severus got me a charm bracelet and we went out to a fancy dinner. Before I knew it, it was the night before I was going to Hogwarts.

That night I could barely get any sleep I was too excited. I had already read all my school books several times and had eagerly gobbled up whatever Severus would tell me. I had my favorite parts of the books memorized and could already recite some of the spells and could tell you how to make some of the potions from memory. I had packed my bags for Hogwarts ages ago and was all ready to go. The train left from Platform 9 ¾ at 11 a.m. so I would have to wait what seems like an eternity in the morning before I could get on the train.

The next morning I woke up with a start realizing that this was going to be my first day at Hogwarts. Glancing at the clock I realized that it was only 7 a.m. which gave me a long time before I had to catch the train. I didn't think Severus would be up so I crept down the stairs silently and into the living room. I took an advanced potions book of the bookshelf and curled up in the armchair waiting for Severus to wake up.

About half an hour and 50 pages later Severus walked down the stairs cracking his knuckles. When he saw me sitting there he smiled and I smiled back then went back to my book.

I finished that page then went to meet him in the kitchen for breakfast. He handed me my plate of eggs and bacon which I ate slowly and deliberately, thinking the entire time.

"Are you excited for Hogwarts Jessica?" he asked me.

At first I didn't hear him so he repeated his question and I answered, "Yes I am, I'm a bit nervous but I still can't wait to get there."

"I will take you to Kings Cross Station at about 10:30 so you have enough time to get your things on the train and find a compartment. Remember just run straight at the wall and it will take you to the platform. I'll be apparating to Hogwarts right after I drop you off so the next time I'll see you is at the sorting. Do you know what house you want to be in yet?"

I looked down and lied, "No, not yet."

In truth I had thought long and hard about the house I wanted to be in. Even though Severus said that you normally are put in the same house as your family I still hoped that I wouldn't be in Slytherin. I had read up on the houses and it seems that there wasn't a wizard alive that was bad that didn't come from Slytherin. There were good wizards from there too, like Severus but there were mainly bad ones. After I learned that the boy Harry I had met would probably be in Gryffindor I realized that him and I were a lot alike. If the sorting was done more on characteristics than heritage then I would probably be in Gryffindor, which was fine with me but I didn't know how Severus would take it.