The Diggory

I haven't even been sorted yet and Potter already hates me, great! I wallow as I examine myself in the mirror. This day can't get any worse. By this point, my tear ducts have dried up so the only tell of my sorrow is the bloodshot eyes staring back at me. Yes! Now I look more terrifying!

Letting a long breath out, I brace myself as I slowly leave the bathroom. My situation dawns on me as I realize the weight of my predicament; where's my book? Did I leave it in the compartment? What am I going to do? Go back? No, I can't, they both already suspect that I'm a vampire. I'll get it when we're leaving the train.

The relief of my decision washes over me only to be cut short as another question comes to the surface, where am I going to sit? I doubt there are any compartments empty at this point.

"Is this yours?" A sweet American accent asks. Looking around I find the girl from the bookstore, standing in a compartment door frame, holding my copy of Animal Farm out to me. I snatch the book away from her as I turn to escape, only for her words to block my path, "Do you need somewhere to sit?"

I stop and turn with an eyebrow raised. Why would she ask that? Doesn't she hate me for how rude I've been to her? Does she want to make fun of me? If so, then why'd she give me my book? Wouldn't she have taken them so I would have to get in the compartment?

The train rocks under our feet as silence permeates the hallway as I take a small step back. Eyes narrowing, I start examining her. Her golden-brown hair seems to look a little faded and her gold eyes have a hint of blue. Her uniform is a black cloak, a black skirt a little shorter than mine, and a white button-up top with a black bow for a tie. That's it, no warm knee-high socks or comfy sweaters. She's going to freeze out there! I nod in amazement at being asked to sit with someone, what's her angle?

A wide smile appears on her face as the hint of blue in her eyes disappears and her long amazingly straight hair regains its color. "Great! come on in," slight puzzlement hides behind her smile as I follow her into her compartment. My eyes are immediately drawn to a rodent cage on the seat next to the door. The girl moves to open the cage as a light brown blur runs up her arm and onto her shoulder. The girl giggles as she pets the creature on her shoulder, slowly sitting down next to the cage.

"Michael, what's got you all freaked out?" She asks the animal as she rubs her pinky on his forehead. Looking closer, I realize that Michael's a small brown Hedgehog, "You can sit down," She tells me, gesturing to the spot across from the one she already sat down at. I oblige as the realization that I haven't introduced myself becomes as prominent as all the blue veins visible through my translucently white skin.

'Hello, I'm Catlyn Ollivander. Pardon me for not telling you sooner, I'm mute,' My hands slightly shake as I quickly write the apology. She winces a little as I turn the notepad over to her.

"I am so sorry for being rude! If you don't mind me asking, how did it happen? I mean, if your vocal cords are damaged or gone you could regrow them? I'm Leanne Diggory by the way, you can call me Anne for sort," she apologies, moving around so much that it forces Michael to jump for safety.

Do I want to show her? What if she makes fun of me? She seems like the popular type so this is important. I really shouldn't. I mull it over as I look into Leanne's puppy dog eyes, causing me to cave. I slightly pull down my tie and unbutton a few buttons on my top as a look of confusion washes over Leanne, only to change to understanding and the horrendous look of pity.

"Does it hurt?" Leanne unexpectedly asks. Red light fills my vision as I'm taken back to the nightmare years ago. I only manage a shaky nod as I think about the sharp pain that has followed me all these years.

'Wait, you're a Diggory? I didn't know they had a girl my age,' I ask, trying to change topics as I think back to her American accent and the lack of seeing her in the shop.

"You know my family?" her shock puzzles me. I mean, the Diggory's aren't that well known but they're still a predominant wizarding family.

'I help out at my father's wand shop so I've seen most of the first years, I don't remember seeing you in,' My response seems to satisfy her curiosity.

How did she not notice me? I mean, Ollivanders is the place to get your wand so she would have come by. Well, I suppose most kids my age either can't see through my stealth abilities or pretend to not notice me so I could see how she doesn't remember me. Even then, I remember everyone that comes through the shop so I would remember her.

"My mom only married Amos very recently and I got my wand back, how do you guys say it? Over the lake?" She explains, flooding me with curiosity more powerful than my need to correct her as she takes her wand out from her sleeve. As quick as a cat, I pounce to get a better look at her wand.

I've never seen an American wand before. The dark brown wand is much thicker than ours, and there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the handle and the stem, aside from a spherical guard. Is this nine inches? Very short for someone of her height, and she has a very loud personality; very interesting.

'Adler wood?' I ask her as I jump back to my seat with her wand.

"Uh, yes," she tells me hesitantly. Makes sense for her personality. Very on the nose.

'What's the core? I don't recognize it,' my question brings a smile to her face and causes her eyes to glitter.

"It's a Horned Serpent horn," My eyes dance around the wand that bends in my hands. As my mind turns to the history of the rare core I realize my actions. Quickly, I shove the wand back to her as red blush burns on my cheeks.

'Sorry, I get too excited sometimes when it comes to wands,' I hide behind my notepad as I hear a slight chuckle come from Anne.

"It's fine," Anne brushes off as the door slides open.

"Excuse me, have you seen a-," a short boy, about a head taller than me, steps in only to stop his sentence midway as his eyes lock with mine. Beads of sweat trickle down his forehead as his brown pupils go to pin-pricks. In a flash, he closes the door and speeds away.

I turn to apologize for scaring him off only to see Anne's hair a blazing red and the same for her eyes. A wave of hunger attacks me as the door's glass explodes. A pit in my stomach forms as the need for... something crawls up my back. My hands ache as my eyes slide over into "vein vision". The familiar sight of veins is joined with weird multi-colored energy filling the room. The amazement of the new experience overpowers the need as I tilt my head and squint through my cracked glasses.

The sound of heavy breathing comes from Anne as her nostrils flare. Her head whirls back to me. I wince and pull myself back from her, expecting a verbal beating. For a moment, the air becomes full of tension as our red eyes lock with each other, only for hers to turn from dark red to pink.

'Guess we're both a couple of weirdos,' I joke, earning a chuckle out of both of us.

"Sorry if I scared you, I can't really control my magic or my metamorphmagus powers," she explains only for me to simply wave dismissively.