The day to collect their wands and other important magical items was at hand. At this point, most, if not all, of the Hogwarts’ incoming first-years found themselves in Diagon Alley with their parents or some other chaperone, checking items off of their list of necessary equipment.

Uniform

• Three sets of plain black work robes
• One plain black pointed hat
• One pair of dragon hide (or similar) protective gloves
• One black winter cloak with silver fastenings
• Please note that all student’s clothes should carry name-tags at all times

Books

• The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk
• A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
• Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
• A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
• One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
• Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
• The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

• 1 Wand
• 1 Pewter cauldron
• 1 Set of glass or crystal phials
• 1 Telescope
• 1 Set of brass scales
• Students may also bring an Owl, a Cat or a Toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

The bell tinkled as Lucinda pushed open the door to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions and stepped into the shop alone.

"Step up, step up" A short woman called out to her from the back of the shop, a bundle of cloth in her hands. "Now, first year?"

Lucinda nodded at the woman dressed all in purple. Is this really the woman I want choosing my clothes? She wondered as the brightly dressed woman began looking her up and down. Eventually Lucinda decided there wasn't much room for purple in a uniform list that specified 'plain black' on almost every item and obeyed the instructions the tailor gave.

"-and then there was the Eiffel tower...quite impressive for a muggle building I must say...but of course the show took up most of my time -" Madam Malkin was talking as she went about measuring Lucinda up. It was all rather odd, having someone fuss around you like this. Despite their status Lucinda's mother had insisted they not have servants - even house elves - and taught Lucinda that 'If something is worth doing its worth doing yourself'.

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A breeze of air danced over Valentina's face and through her long brown hair. On her hips sat a one-year-old tiny baby boy with messy brown hair, longer at the top than at the sides. He sucked on his hand. The mother of both the children was digging around in her purse, two bags hanging off her arm. "Moooom", Valentina whined.

"Oh Merlin's beard, Val, shush for a second, would ya?", the black haired woman scolded her eleven-year-old. Valentina had been a pain in her ass for three days, today by far being the worst. "Luciana! Where is she again?" The woman moved her head around, searching for the face of her fifteen year old daughter. "So help me Merlin, Romeo do not turn out like them!" She shot the little one-year-old on Valentina's hip a look and then pulled some money out of her purse. "Here. Go over with your sister and get new robes for the both of you!" She shoved the coins into Luciana's hand, who had appeared behind the woman. Luciana took the money and Valentina watched her mother close her purse again.

"Where will you g- AAAAH!!" - "ROMEO!", the mother scolded and unwrapped the hand of the mischievous boy from around Valentina's hair. The girl rubbed her head where she felt the pain. "I am going to get a few things for the household we need. Floo powder for example. Since this one has knocked the pot all over the place and played with it!" Helenora, the mother, shook her head at her rascal son and smiled at her two daughters now. "How big you are getting!"

"Moooom!", Valentina shook her head. "Not here. Come on, Lucia. Let's find Ramona." Valentina shoved the boy back into her mother's arms and went to walk off, Luciana right behind her.

"Watch out for her!", the mother yelled after her older daughter. "And tell Ramona I will be right there!" The girls didn't stop to answer their mother. Valentina walked through the masses of people. Today was a busy day in the Diagon Alley. The girl knew her ways through the streets with closed eyes, she had grown up visiting the Diagon Alley almost weekly. Her father owned a little shop here and the kids had begged their mother to take them for visits on a weekly basis.

A little bell rang as Valentina pushed the door to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions open and stepped inside. Luciana was still behind her. Contrary to Valentina, Luciana had blonde hair, almost golden hair and bright blue eyes. Ramona had teased her that she didn't look like their real sister and was adopted many times when they were little. Ramona was Valentina's other sister, the eldest with her nineteen years. She had dark hair like their mother and green eyes like Valentina.

The eleven-year-old looked around the room. There was another young student, maybe even a first year?, being served by Madam Malkin's right now. Madam Malkin flashed the two girls a bright smile as she saw them enter. "My dears! First year, isn't it time now?" Valentina nodded at her. "Oh my, and the beautiful Luciana, you grow so fast. A young woman already!" But they didn't have much more time to discuss their growing with the woman as a sharp voice cut through the room.

"Luci, Vali!", Ramona had entered through a door that clearly led to a storage room or the like. There were pins in her apron that set above her clothes and a tape measure around her neck. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She hugged her two sisters both at once and a pin poked Valentina into the arm. "Where'd you leave mom? Or does she not wanna see me?" The mood of the woman clearly dropped a little.

"Why wouldn't she wanna see you?", Vali asked her older sister. "She will be right over. Romeo knocked over the floo powder yesterday, remember? She is getting new stuff."

"And I think she wanted to get away from this one", added the blonde witch with a nod towards Valentina.

"I can imagine!" A laugh escaped Ramona's lips and she shoved Valentina next to the other girl, that Madam Malkin was busy with. She pulled the tape measure from her neck and started to measure her. "You better happen to be put into Hufflepuff, love. I couldn't bare another Gryffindor!" Luciana, the mentioned Gryffindor, didn't even bother to give her sister a single look. She had heard the teases many times and has teased the sister for several things herself. It was sisterhood, Valentina guessed. While Ramona was busy measuring Valentina - or rather watching as the tape measure did it alone! - Luciana roamed through the shop and looked at several gowns and hats with slight interest.

To Valentina's shock Ramona then nudged her and pointed to the girl a few feet beside her. "She is a first year too! Maybe you will be in the same house." Valentina shot the girl a shy smile. She wasn't usually that shy, it was just... Ramona... She was so enthusiastic and cheerful, it was kind of embarrassing to get dressed by your big sister.

"Hi", she said silently. "Sorry for her", she nodded towards Ramona like the one wasn't even there. The older girl just smiled and continued her work. Sisterhood.

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Melvus had frequented Flourish and Bolts during the years. He was a reader, after all, and already owned several of the volumes on the list. Magical Theory was one, though he had a hard time understanding it and his parents would not be named among the best instructors when it came to something out of their field. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was another that Melvus had read through a time or two. His favourite was definitely the Niffler and its ability to carry many, many, items in its pouch.

“Ah, Draven.” The aged shopkeeper said over the shoulder of two, presumably, parents as he gave a nod. Melvus' mother wasn't with him because she was tending to her shop that day, and was, therefore, preoccupied. However, Melvus and Draven intended to pay her a visit later in the day.

“Good day.” Draven mumbled in response. Draven Garth wasn’t a particularly joyus man, his line of work would do that to someone. Especially since most of the dark witches and wizards he brought down were alum of his own house, Slytherin.

Melvus already had a stack of books in his arms, some were ones that he needed for school and others had titles like “Abracadabra: A-Z of Spooky Spells” and “Olde and Forgotton Bewitchments and Charmes”. He didn’t mean to, but when he placed them on the counter they slammed down with a loud thud. His father gave him a pointed look and he seemed to have disturbed the shopkeeper and their other customers.

"Pardon my rudeness;" Draven had thought it was as good a time as any to bother the people who were so obviously muggles. "Would you like anything explained? My son and I are making the rounds for his school items as well, we could show you around if you'd like." Draven wasn't a standard Slytherin - He often thought that the sorting hat had made a mistake and placed him there just based on his blood status and family history.

Lucinda smiled politely as the new girls entered and talked amongst themselves. The family seemed to know Madam Malkin, a motherly sort of woman it seemed, but another woman - their sister - interrupted. What must it be like to have siblings? Lucinda mused, she had always been surrounded by adults and their conversation. Bickering was seen as childish and frowned upon... yet these girls seemed to bond over it in some way. Childish though, Lucinda repeated to herself...it wasn't a property to be desired else why would adults grow out of it? Madam Malkin finished up.

"Just you wait there dear." The ball of mauve said as she bustled to the backroom.

The quietest of the girls had stepped up near her and was being measured up when their conversation turned to Lucinda.

"Hello"Lucinda returned the smile and extended a hand - it was already out before she remembered it wasn't normal for children - she left the hand in the air, not quite knowing what to do with it, whilst she continued the conversation.

"Perhaps we will be in the same house, does your family have a trend?" Lucinda had always been interested in family trends in their hogwarts house, house personalities seeming to be taught even though siblings could be so different.

Falen Tyler read off titles of books from her supply list as her elder brother, Darius Jr., pulled them from their places in the shelves and set them down on a semi-empty desk. Flourish and Blotts was their second to last stop before Falen would have everything she needed for her first year at Hogwarts; their first stop, due to Falen's begging and pleading, had been Magical Menagerie. She was eager to pick up a few things for her Siamese cat, something she'd done every chance she got to visit Diagon Alley. Her brother begrudgingly obliged. The final stop on their seemingly long journey, however, would be the Apothecary.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander," Falen read from the list, "Haven't you read that one? I'm sure I've seen it somewhere in your room." Her brother simply nodded his head and pulled the book off the shelf.

"You still need your own copy, I'm not giving you mine."

"Whatever," Falen said with a roll of her eyes before continuing to read from the list. About twenty minutes later, the pair were both approaching the register with arms full of books; most of them from the school list, and others to read for fun. Falen almost dropped her own books, practically jumping out of her skin after she heard a loud thud. It only took her a second to locate the source of the sound: a boy that looked to be around her age had dropped his books down on the counter. Falen could hear her brother snicker from behind her; she rolled her eyes and continued onward, dropping her own books on the counter. She didn't care whether or not the sound disturbed those around her. The stack was very heavy, after all.

While she waited for her brother to get the money situated, she couldn't help but take a peek at the books that the young man had dropped on the counter. "Old and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms," Falen read aloud, "that's a pretty neat book, a very interesting read." Falen loved to read books, and this only increased once she learned about magic. She'd often sneak books from her brother's shelves in his room; Old and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms had been one of them. "I especially liked reading about all of that dark magic stuff. You know, poppet's and elf arrows? Pretty gnarly."

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Charlie glanced around her in bewilderment. A finger reached to touch the spine of a dusty tome before she glances down at her list. Her mother and father had left her here to do her own book shopping and she was starting to get quite confused. She looked at her first book: The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk and mentally sighed. It was going to be hard to get that, seeing as the books were arranged in no specific order at all. Not that she could see, anyways. She definitely needed help. As she looked around she realized that most of the staff here were preoccupied with other Hogwarts students. Chucks, guess she'll have to find a student. Charlie looked over at the counter where a boy had constructed a rather high stack of books and smiled. She'd found her target!

With the usual bounce in her step she walked over to the boy (@Melkor) and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hi! I'm Charlie and I was looking for the Hogwarts books on this list here...if you could help me?"

Melvus hadn’t realized how popular he’d be. Already there were two students asking him questions, to be fair though - only one was in relation to the school list while the other was someone else, seemingly equally interested in a good read. “I rather enjoy reading about charms and other enchantments. Mum owns Charming Charms and Other Oddities here in Diagon Alley. I’ve been exposed to them since I could understand what magic was.”

There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to the other student, a blond-haired girl of similar age. She’d been asking about help with the books and had introduced herself as Charlie. “Hi, I’m Mel. I don’t mind helping you out. Have you collected any books yet? Or are we starting from the top?” He realized something all of a sudden, “Just a moment.” He quickly made his way to his father’s side and tugged on his sleeve.

“What is it?” He didn’t seem annoyed, but he was pulled out of conversation.

“My books are on the end of the counter over there -” Melvus pointed at them, “I’m going to help another student find their books, if we have time?” His father nodded and Mel made his way back over to Charlie. “I’m ready to help.”

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The girl that stood a couple feet next to Valentina offered her a hand shake and Valentina accepted with a soft smile. They shook hands. The young girl saw Ramona shoot her a genuine smile as the girl asked her for a family trend in their Hogwarts houses. Ramona put the measure tape back around her neck and left the girls alone, probably to go get a robe that would fit Valentina the best and then start to work on the lengths that wouldn't be perfect yet.

Valentina shot the other young girl a slightly confused look, not because of the question but because she was trying to remember if there has ever been a trend within her family. "I don't think so", she finally said. "Uhm.... Ramona is... She was a Hufflepuff, just like Dad. But Luciana - she is a Gryffindor. And Mom... she... didn't attend Hogwarts." Valentina frowned slightly. Maybe if her family had a trend, she wouldn't be so nervous for her sorting. She would already know her house beforehand. "What about your family? Do you have a guess what house you will be getting into?"

The brunette witch had no idea what house would fit herself and she was quiet nervous because of it. If she didn't know what house would fit her, how would the ceremony choose a right one? Maybe they would pick a random one and she will turn out unhappy in her house? Maybe she would feel like she was in the wrong place? Or maybe none of the houses were fitting her? She didn't know what would happen if no one house fit her. Did that ever happen before? A student without a house? A student that didn't fit in any of the four? She should trust the ceremony. But she grew more nervous while talking about it.

"I am Valentina", she introduced herself. "Do you have older siblings that go to Hogwarts? Did they tell you what the ceremony is like?" Ramona had refused to tell her sisters anything and Valentina had looked forward to Luciana going to school and telling her, but Luciana turned out to be worse than Ramona. She didn't just not say anything, she told her a bunch of stories and with a little luck, one or two would be true and the rest outright lies. But Valentina was far from guessing which ones were the true ones. Luciana always shrugged when she asked if she picked 'the true version' of a story. She wouldn't tell her.

"Is it true that the ceremony consists of four tests that have to be solved and the one you solve the best or the quickest will tell you what house you belong in? One test for each house?" That was Luciana's story that Valentina thought could possibly be the truth. But Luci had a way of telling stories that sounded truthful.

Lucinda was relieved when the other girl took her hand and smiled. Not a total social faux pas then. The confused look on the girl's face made Lucinda wonder if she had said something wrong. It was now Lucinda began to regret the lack of contact with other people her age, it was all very well being able to talk to adults but you never felt their equal.

Hufflepuff, Gryffindor...and no house? Either her mother was from abroad or...disadvantaged. Lucinda decided not to dwell on it, it must be hard enough for the family to cope with as it is without strangers poking at their problems.

"My Father's side have been Ravenclaws forever - except great grandfather Sean who was a Gryffindor - and my mothers have been all houses but she was in Slytherin." Lucinda traced back her family tree in her mind, it wasn't difficult. The west wing lounge had a family tree on the wall...she had spent more time quizzing each of those little paintings on their lives than her parents approved of. The most successful of her family had been Ravenclaws...but then the majority of them were so that wasn't such a surprise.

"I suppose there is a good chance I'll be a Ravenclaw too...but my father said that the houses are there to help you grow, not to fit you in a mould so wherever you end up is right for you. The logic is, I think, that you strive to be like those you're around...so you go to the house where the people are most like you..." Saying this Lucinda wondered if there was anyone like her.

"I'm Lucinda" She said, smiling back at Valentina. "And no...I'm an only child. I don't know about any tests but I have read about the sorting hat. It can read your mind when you wear it - Legilimency - and it sifts through everything and sees what you have the potential to be...then puts you where it thinks you should go. Sometimes it seems like it has got it wrong at first but then it turns out the house was exactly right in the end. The hat is so interesting." Lucinda got a little carried away, the hat fascinated her so much.

"What were the tests your sister talked about?" Lucinda wasn't too worried...but she hadn't heard of these before. Perhaps they were meant as a surprise...

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@Melkor

"Oh! Err...thanks!" Charlie smiled up at the boy and led him away from the counter, closer to the rows of dusty books. She brandished the letter at him.
"I need these. Do you know where I can find them?" She glanced around. Hogwarts students were filling up the shop and she was starting to feel a bit stuffy. But she was going to have fun. She had to!
She turned back to Mel, a welcoming smile ready on her face as she waited for his help.

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Viola navigated back to her parent's side and observed the man her parents were talking to. She noticed some kids who looked about her age, a boy and a girl, and wondered if she should approach them. She considered it for a minute. On one hand, it would be good if she met some kids before she had to go to this magic school in September. She knew it would help if she had some familiar faces at least so she would know where to start as far as making friends. On the other hand, she was really nervous to meet any magic children when she hadn't the slightest background on this world. She didn't want to make a fool of herself. It would be a horrible first impression that could lead to further problems. She decided not to speak to them. She'd worry about making friends once she knew what she was doing. She didn't want to look stupid.

She listened to her parents converse with the man, who seemed to be offering to show them around Diagon Alley. It must be very obvious that they were "muggles." She hoped she could get rid of whatever marked her out as one before she left for school. She wanted to fit in.

@melkor