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"Come on, come on, it's a madhouse. We shouldn't have waited this long to get your things!"

"Dad, I just got the letter a few days ago, same as everyone else, what did you expect? I came here early with mom to get my new robes, at least, and my hat, cloak and cauldrom from last year were fine. All we need to really get are books, quills, a knife, and " Oliver said, smiling slightly. He didn't talk much, but when it came to family, he didn't mind talking so much. Especially when his father was working himself into a frenzy. You'd think to expect that from the woman, not the man...

"Knife? What do you need a knife for?"

Oliver sighed and wished his mother was around to calm his father down. Unfortunately, she'd taken his sister to go buy her robes and left Oliver with his father until it came time for his sister to get her books and first wand. It was just smarter to do it that way, although his father had wanted to watch his little girl get everything, of course.

"Come on, Dad."

---

"Ooh, look over there!"

"No, I want to go and-"

"Stick together!" Laura yelled, calling her children's attention back to her. Once the woman was sure that the attention was on her, she sighed. It was all incredible, to be sure, but you'd think that after five years of seeing it, and longer for the older ones...

"Sada, will you please take your twin sisters and show them around Diagon again while your father and I take Vana to get her new robes and things. We'll meet at Flourish and Blotts in approximately an hour. Understood?"

A chorus of agreement met her ears and she nodded. Aaron put his arm around his youngest daughter's shoulders and grinned at her, a grin she returned easily. Her parents were awesome.

As her sisters wandered off, Vana looked up at Laito, her only brother.

"So," she said, "What are you going to do?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm going to go to that shop over there and see what that doo-hickey is," he said, pointing in a vague direction and wandering off on his own.

"Be careful!" Laura called after him, quite aware of her normal clothing compared to the many robes around them. Laito tossed back a wave to quell her fears and vanished into the crowd confidently. "Come on, Vana, Aaron. We have things to get done today."

"Yes, Mom," Vana replied affectionately, smiling. She loved shopping.



((That's it for now. Next post I'll have Cap, Amelia, and Jiang. Maybe some more of these two as well. Right now, I have to go. ^^ Stay tuned!))

((I don't see why not. ^^ I'll have more characters up this post anyway for her to interact, so take your pick! Assuming you would like to join still. I know I was missing for a day. ^^))



Jiang beamed as she exited Ollivander's, hugging the box that held her new wand tight to her chest. She thought her mother's eyes might be shining with the ghosts of tears, but the lighting had made it uncertain and by the time they'd gotten outside her mother was back to her cheerful, brisk shopping temperament again.

They caught up with Oliver and her father before any of them reached the bookstore, and Oliver smiled slightly at seeing the box in her arms. His eyes told her he was happy for her, but before he could speak, her father made a noise of excited exclamation and lifted her off her feet for a brief twirl in the air.

"Daddy, you're embarassing me!" She hissed, but she was smiling as she said it, her hair shifting to a vibrant clash of orange and pink, though she tried not to let it. Jiang tried her hardest to keep from using her abilities in public for two reasons: one, it made people either uncomfortable, or caused them to stare, and two, sometimes things were best kept secret so that she could use them to her advantage later on.

"My girl is going to be a witch at the best magical school in the world! I have a right to be happy! So, what did you get? Let's see it!"

Still trying not to smile, Jiang withdrew the wand from it's box while the rest of her family looked on. Little Xiao tilted her head and regarded it with blank-faced scrutiny too serious for a child her age.

"And...?" Mr. Brittledon asked, clearly expecting his daughter to elaborate on what she had snagged from Ollivander's.

"The wood is cherry and it's 8 and three-quarter inches long with a veela hair core," she stated proudly.

"Beautiful! Just like my little girl! I knew you could do it!" Mr. Brittledon exclaimed, lifting her into the air again for a hug, although he didn't swing her around this time.

"All right, let's move on to Flourish and Blotts," Mrs. Brittledon suggested. "We do need to at least finish shopping. There'll be time for talking about our purchases later."

"Right you are, dear. Come along children," her husband agreed, scooping up Xiao and making the little girl smile a bit as Jiang put her wand back in its box-- although she refused to let go of it. "We have shopping to complete."

Oliver shook his head and followed the rest of his family. He took a moment to pat his sister on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, Jiang."

She smiled cheerfully at him, and hugged him around the middle. "Thanks, Ollie."


((This ended up being longer than I expected, so maybe I'll leave it at this for now. Sorry, Cap, Amelia. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. I know, I'm not showing my Purebloods any love... too bad. XD))

((mind if i hop in here? ^^))

The tall young boy raced ahead of an elegantly dressed chauffeur, his black robes flying. Jasper had just gotten his letter to Hogwarts a few days ago and had been happy to announce to his family, his acceptance into the Wizarding school. His father had offered a clap on the back of encouragement, his mother had taken a swig of her latest alcoholic concoction and waved her hand at him. Jasper knew that his parents cared, and he had beamed at his father, promising to make them proud. His little sister had shown the most excitement however, vowing that she too would get into Hogwarts and be a good witch like the wizard he was going to be.

"Hurry up! I need to get my things before everyone else snags it first!" He called to Henry the chauffeur. The older man pushed his way through the crowd after his charge, apologizing to those he jostled along the way. Jasper sighed impatiently. He longed to learn to ride a broom as he idled in front of a bright display of Firebolts in a shop window. When Henry had caught up to him, Jasper pulled him into the store with him, finding an open salesclerk to help him. Moments later, a a few galleons lighter, Jasper glowed with appreciation for his new broom. The woman had said it was speedy, the fastest, and easy to control. After trying several brooms out with her instructions, Jasper had found one to his liking. It was stained with almost a black color and had the name engraved in silver. Handing it off to Henry, the pair continued their shopping.

He still had to go to Flourish and Blotts, pick out a pet, and then get some new robes for school. As a growing boy of eleven, Jasper was quickly becoming too tall for his trousers...