After parting ways with the red-headed clan, we continue our day of gathering my school supplies. 

"What else is still on the list?" I ask.

"Next, we are going to Ollivander's for your wand," she answers.

I skip along behind her up the cobblestone streets. We stop at a store with gray brick and black windows and a sign that says "Ollivander's" in gold cursive over the windows.

We enter through the creaky wooden door into a low-lit shop with row after row of black wooden shelves with skinny rectangular boxes thrown onto them, with no rhyme or reason. 

A screeching sound has me whipping my head to where an older man with messy white hair stands on a rolling ladder attached to one of the shelves.

"Hello, Minerva, and who do you have with you today?" the man asks.

"This is Miss Noir. We are here to get her first wand today," Minny says as she puts her hand on my back to push me forward.

"Hello, Miss Noir," he greets as he takes an orange box off the shelf.

He opens the box and holds a long, ugly black stick to me. It was unfinished and looked like you could gain a splinter from it. It looked nothing like the one I had been sneaking glances at in Minny's pocket throughout the day. This one did not have any details or embellishments like hers. This was just an ugly stick.

"Well, take it. You will need to give it a flick to know if it is the right fit for you," he explains.

"There is absolutely nothing you can do to make me touch that disgusting, revolting thing. That is not a wand. That is a bloody stick that will get me a splinter. There is not even a slight chance that stick is supposed to be my wand," I explain quickly, causing my French accent to come out.

"Miss Noir, we respect and speak highly magic here in the wizarding world," he argues.

"I'm not disrespecting magic. I'm disrespecting a stick that was picked off the side of the road. There isn't anything magical about a stick picked off the side of the road, now is there?" I question.

He shakes his head as he puts the stick back in its box. I look over and see Minny trying to hide her smile.

"What? It was a stick," I argue.

"I'm not disagreeing with you," she replies.

The man comes back with a black box and opens it in front of me. The black wood is carved in delicate, yet violent patterns holding a black pearl, a white pearl, and then a black pearl in the middle of the intertwining carved design.

"This is my wand," I announce confidently.

The old man lets out a sigh, "You don't choose your wand, Miss Noir, it chooses you."

I take the wand out of his hand and give it a flick in his direction, causing his untidy hair to not look like he just rolled out of bed.

He takes the wand out of my hand and goes to the counter with a sigh.

He starts to wrap the wand up as he speaks, "This wand core is dragon heartstring and the wood is acacia."

(My inspiration for her wand came from Dumbledore's in "The Fantastic Beasts", here is a picture to help visualize it.)

I don't understand what his words are supposed to mean, but I'm careful to remember them anyway as we leave the store.

"We have just a few things left Miss Noir. You are allowed to bring an owl, toad, or cat to Hogwarts if you would like. I personally I prefer a cat, but the decision is yours to make," she comments.

I'm quiet for a few minutes as I think over my options. I had always wanted a cat and I almost got one when I was with my last foster family. They had let me pick it out and I had a name already chosen. 

"I want a cat," I answer confidently. 

Minny takes me to a store called "Magical Menagerie". The store is filled with many types of different creatures some have fur, scales, or feathers. Some looked like animals I had seen before, some looked like a creature from a children's drawing.

A tall and long, black and gray Maine Coon cat with tall pointy ears walks up to me and wraps around my legs. I squat down to the cat's height. The cat looks up at me until I scratch its ears.

"I want this one," I announce.

"Are you sure? We have barely seen the store-" Minny explains.

"No, I want this one," I finish.

I pick up the large cat and hold it like it is a baby. We walk up to the shop owner and her eyes widen in surprise.

"That's Margret, she is not very friendly," the lady warns.

The cat hisses loudly at the lady, causing her to jump back.

"Are you sure you want this cat? Her last owners brought her back because she became mean," she explains.

"I want her," I demand.

McGonagall pays the lady, while she doesn't take her eyes off Margret. I put the cat down and she follows me down the path.

"What else is left?" I ask.

"There is nothing left for us to do. There are still some weeks left until school starts, till then you will be staying with a trusted family called the Tonks. They have a daughter that graduated from Hogwarts just last year, who also is a metamorphmagus. We are going to meet them, then they will take you to get some non-school things," she explains.

The thought of a new foster family has me feeling conflicted. The small amount of hope that never fades no matter how much you pretend is there. To have parents who care for me and even an older sister who may understand some of the things I have been through is wonderful. I have learned so much about the wizarding world in such a small amount of time, but it had all been facts. Nothing about opinions, or struggles, or types of people, I feel like I'm going into this new world blind, and denied the knowledge I crave. This could be my chance to get those answers I seek. Or they could go directly to mean. Or it could be like my last foster family, acting as though they love me just to change their mind and agree with all the other screaming voices. The last one is worse, they give you hope just to rip it out from underneath your feet. 

I follow Minny onto a path that is set off from the crowded street. I see a woman with wavy brown hair, never having talked to her, I can tell she is a genuinely good person, the type of good is impossible to fake she basically glows in it. As we walk closer, I realize she smells like fresh sweets in a bakery. The scent that every book describes is the comforting mother character. 

The man that stands beside her has dark blonde hair and wears a bright yellow shirt that says "The Beatles" and an old pair of ripped black jeans. 

The teenage girl has bright pink partially shaved hair, silver earrings that go all the way up her ears, thick black eyeliner, and a black plastic choker. She looked like the typical misunderstood teenager in all coming-of-age movies. 

"Hello Tonks," Minny greets. "This is Miss Syria Noir."

I reach out my hand for them to shake, but instead, the woman roughly pulls me into a hug. Rocking and squeezing me so hard I am not able to breathe, making my face go white.

"Mom, let her go. The girl can't breathe!" the girl with pink hair exclaims.

"Sorry dear," the woman says as she lets go of me. "I'm Andromeda, this is Ted, and this is Nyphadora," she introduces.

The young girl rolls her eyes, "It is Tonks or Dora, not Nyphadora."

Minny walks away a few steps and talks with Andromeda and Ted, leaving me standing awkwardly with Dora. 

"I like your earrings," I say to break the silence.

She lets out a small chuckle causing her hair to turn yellow before answering, "Thanks."

I stare in amazement at her carefree nature, especially around her hair changing. I always tried my best to control it, and she just let's it happen. She doesn't seem bothered by my unblinking gaze she just continues to blow bubbles with her bright pink bubble gum. 

The adults walk back over to where we are standing and the man now holds the stuff that Minny and I had gotten.  

"Well, we are going to make the rest of the day, a girl's day. Ted is going to take the rest of this stuff to the house, so we can get some actual retail therapy, not just boring school stuff," the woman announces.

The man hesitantly picks up the hissing Margret, before disappearing into the air. I whip my head in both directions, trying to see where he went.

"He apperated, that is when someone uses magic to get to their desired place," McGonagall explains.

I nod slowly, then say goodbye to Minny. The two women led me into a clothes shop, not like the one that I had been in with Minny, but more of the type of clothing store I was used to. Both of them pick out clothes after clothes, all in different sizes and styles then send me to the dressing room to change. After every new piece of clothing, they have me come out and walk in a circle as if I am a professional model for the clothes. It is easy to tell who picked out each piece, their own styles shining through loudly, but I love it all.

After what feels like hours of changing clothes I pick out a few from the stack that fit then exit the dressing room.

"Where are the other clothes," Dora asks.

"I picked out my favorites," I explain.

"Oh honey, go get all the others, don't worry about it," Andromeda instructs.

I go back into the dressing room and have a hard time holding all the clothes. Just as I think we are done I am pulled into the shoes section. After trying on pair after pair of shoes, we settle on a pair of black leather boots, some trainers, marry janes for school, and some strappy sandals that Andromeda said I need for a "just in case/ you never know" situation.

To my mortification, I am pulled into the lingerie section. My cheeks start to flame red as Andromeda grabs some knickers and training bras. 

After almost dying of embarrassment, we leave the store. Dora pulls me into the makeup store, and test the different makeup on me.

"I always wanted a sister to teach how to do makeup," Dora explains as she grabs every color makeup pallet combination there is and other beauty products and puts it in the shopping bag. 

After we have left the store Andromeda asks, "Well Miss Syria, is there anything else you would like to do?" 

"May I get my ears pierced?" I say in response.

Dora grins, knowing she influenced my question.

Andromeda sighs before answering, "ok."

Dora squeals, happier then I am about her mother agreeing, then grabs my hand and pulls me down the path. She leads us into a tattoo shop, the lights are dimmed and there are tattoo designs covering the walls. Loud rock music plays, making it hard to even hear your own thoughts, and there is a strong smell of tobacco. 

"Hey Tonks," the guy sitting at the front desk greets. 

"Hey, can you do two lobe piercings?" she asks.

"Yes, come to the back," he says

He indicates for me to sit on a black leather chair that smells of rubbing alcohol from recently being cleaned. He shows me the options of earrings I have, and I choose a set of white pearls because they match my wand. He cleans my ears then marks the area. The pain is small, and over quickly.

When I stand up to look in the mirror, my own reflection makes me smile. I had always wanted to get my ears pierced, it was something I was always made me jealous of the girls in the girl's home. I thought it always made the girls look more mature.

"Do you want one more?" Dora asks after seeing my reaction.

I nod my head, then pick a silver pair of diamond earrings. The second time, is as painless as the first and I love it even more.

"Thanks Henry," Dora says, winking at him before leaving.

We walk until we are back to where McGonagall and I got here. Dora goes into the fireplace first, and throws the powder, causing green flames to emerge, then die out quickly.

"Ok Miss Syria, you will get the powder, say Tonk's Home, then drop the powder," Andromeda  instructs.

I take the green powder from the bag, then enter the fireplace. 

"Tonks' Home," I announce then I release the green powder.

I think this was the longest chapter, I have written so far. Thank you to all the comments, votes, and support for Redamancy.