Entering the magical world (open)

Did Hazel care that she was just a thirteen year old girl without any adults around pushing open the door to a suspicious looking building? Had she cared the previous two years? No, she was glad to be anywhere but home and the fact that everyone else here was magic (or, most, at least) helped.

She was glad to have her wand in her pocket, her Howarts letter, and some money her father had lent her so she could buy her school stuff. She didn't have to babysit cranky kids so she could stay out of debt with her own dad and she was finally away from Andy.

She was thrilled, to say the least, and promptly trotted up to the bartender. "Have any sodas? I'll have a coke." With her drink in her hand, she sat down at a table, oblivious to the people around her.

Looking around, Hazel purchases the Daily Prophet from a stack nearby and opens it. She scans the front page for anything interesting and finding nothing appealing, folds it back up and sticks it under her arm. She stands up, pushing in her chair with her foot and makes her way towards the recycling.

On her way there, she runs into an older man and jumps back, spilling her coke all down the front of her white blouse. "Crap," she mutters, throwing away the can and wiping, unsuccessfully, at her shirt. She knows there's a spell for this but she just can't remember and she bites back tears as she returns to her seat, folding her legs up to her chest.

Ohh... her dad'll kill her and her step-mum'll have a field day. She closes her eyes and tries to pretend it didn't happen, to no avail.

Lizzie entered the link between the two towns, London and Diagon Alley, alongside her elder sister, Melissa. They had received their book lists for the new school year a few days previously, and this was the first day they had the opportunity to go out to get them. As always, Lizzie looked around the place to see if she could see anyone she knew. There were many familiar faces, but one in particular caught Lizzie's eye. Grinning, she looked up at Melissa.

"Hey 'Lissa, mind if I go say hi to Hazel?"

Her elder sister looked over to where Lizzie was pointing, and nodded, telling Lizzie that she would wait for her. Lizzie made her way over to the bar, where she just heard Hazel order a coke.

"Make that two, please." Lizzie grinned at the barman. "Hey Hazel!"

"Ohhh! Hey, Lizzie!" Hazel cried, hugging her friend. "I can't believe I haven't heard from you all summer. Life's been horrible at home... Andy tried to get me to fall down the stupid well again. And I can't even use my magic on him!"

She leads her friend to a table and plops down, grinning. "You about to go shopping too? I love the start of the new school year!"

Lizzie hugged Hazel back. "I know, I'm so sorry! Mum planned a holiday without telling me or Lissa." She frowned at her friend's next words. She had never met Andy, but she didn't like the sound of him. Still, at least Hazel would be away from him soon. "You should totally come to mine next summer!" She grinned, as they walked to a table and sat down. She sipped her drink, and then nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Lissa's come with me." She indicated her sister, who was standing not far away, apparently flirting with some guy who looked just a few years older than Lissa did. Lizzie rolled her eyes as she turned back to Hazel. "You could come with us if you want? It will be more fun with you, Lissa can be such a bore these days, she's a bit obsessed with boys, as you can probably tell!" She laughed, hoping her friend would agree.

Hazel nods, giggling. "It's kind of obvious. Of course I'll come, I was just in here to enjoy the Wizarding company." She looks around, sceptically before laughing and following Lizze. "But we have to get together next summer. Us Ravenclaws have to band together against the evils of the world. Like my family..." She rolls her eyes and laughs.

"You excited for the tournament this year? We can't go to the Yule Ball unless an older student asks us, though, so we have to see what we can do!" Hazel winks at her friend.

Lizzie laughed as her friend called her family "the evils of the world, and this laugh turned into a grin at the mention of the tournament. "Definitely! It's really exciting! Lissa wants to put her name in the cup, but to be honest I think she'd be happy to just meet a nice foreign guy! I wish we were old enough to take part properly!" She sighed, thinking of the stories she had heard from the last time the Triwizard Tournament had been held; apparently a boy by the name of Cedric Diggory had been killed by You-Know-Who. Thankfully, the evil hypocrite had long since been defeated, before even Lissa had been born, but even some of those who had not lived through the dark times were afraid to say his name, as if it would somehow return him to life. Lizzie was one of these, for despite being an intelligent Ravenclaw she was cautious, unlike Lissa who would always refer to the devil by his name.

As Hazel spoke about the Yule Ball, all thoughts of the incident from last time flew from her mind, replaced by excitement. She knew they couldn't go without being escorted by an older student, which could present some problems. However, her Ravenclaw-brain clicked in and a grin spread across her face; one of those grins which suggests that the person wearing it has a plan. "There may be a loophole in that, though." She raised an eyebrow. "If it's just that an older student has to ask us... Lissa could always ask us!"

Hazel's face broke into a grin at her friend's wit, "Yeah! But that's only if we can't get someone else to ask us first." She winks. "I just have to contact my [i]sources!" She kicks her legs under the table, excited and smirks. "It'd be good if Lissa entered but I'm happy enough seeing the competitions and meet some other students... of both genders!" She adds with a laugh.

She remembers a tournament taking place at Durmstrang when her mum was at school and she'd been about to get a few details out of her dad. Apparently her mum had entered and while not getting in, one of her best friends had. "If Lissa doesn't get in, I hope a Ravenclaw does. We all have to stick together and maybe they'll tell us about their ideas for the tournament." She giggles. "After all, we have wit on our side and strength comes in numbers!"