Whirlwind [Brendan]

[Madeline Elaine Pierce]

The day Madeline got her letter, things felt like a whirlwind. She ws happy to join her brothers at Hogwarts, but at the same, she was going to be accepted into a whole new culture - something that prior to homeschooling, she wasn't exactly sure about. From the outside, people would look normal, but in a few short weeks, those same people that she was walking side by side with in Diagon Alley would be joining her for lessons and dinners. Some of them would be living in the same house as she would be, but she didn't know that just yet.

Instead, she was walking aimlessly around the Alley, looking for stores on her shopping list. The good thing about her trip so far was that she opened up an account at Gringotts and had gotten her wand. But other than that, nothing was going her way. She looked at the list and sighed. There was still so much to get. Robes, books, stuff for Potions... And just where was she going to get those items? She had no clue where anything was, mainly because she was too short to peek over the heads of older students walking around her. "Watch out," she screamed, pushing her way through the crowd. She wasn't usually this animated around people she didn't know, but in order to get through the mess, she was going to have to say anything, even if it didn't sound polite.

With one swift push, she popped out in front of a building: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Yes, maybe ice cream would help Madeline figure out just where she was supposed to go. "Daaaaaaad," she said, calling out for her father, who had come out of the mob scene. "Let's go get something to eat. I need to think about my game plan."

[Professor Brendan Daylor]

Letters and messages had been thrown and flung at him all week about the surprising news at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had just been appointed as the new Headmaster of the school. He had recently maintained a teaching job there as the Transfiguration teacher, however, the news of the governors wanting him as Headmaster had come completely out of no where and Brendan had no idea it was coming. It was the middle of the summer holiday and with him just now being told this news, he had little time to prepare. Brendan Daylor, now the Headmaster of Hogwarts, needed time to think and clear his head so he decided to take a stroll down Diagon Alley.

Brendan entered through the gateway from the Leaky Cauldron behind him. Apparition would have been easier, but he had felt that going through the natural way would be a bit more fun. As he stepped foot into Diagon Alley he noticed all the new students and the old students flocking about trying to retrieve their money from Gringotts the Wizard Bank or buy their new school supplies at the stores. Some witches and wizards he noticed heading towards Knockturn Alley and a few children running that way. Before he could do anything he noticed their parents stopping them just in time as a witch with a boiling pot of brew approached them. Brendan walked along the streets as many eyes advanced on him with look of glee, anger or confusion. Why would he blame them. He was young and no one would believe a wizard as young as he was could be fit to run the magic school for young witches and wizards. Aside he hurried towards the nearest store on his left.

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was not as full as he thought it would be. Very few wizards occupied the store. Brendan noticed the sign behind the counter reading "R.I.P. Florean Fortescue". Brendan remembered seeing Florean last just before the start of his first year at Hogwarts. He was a good man and very wise about medieval witch burnings. Brendan smiled and began to order his dessert when he heard a small child out the door behind him call to her father. "Let's go get something to eat. I need to think about my game plan." Bren grabbed his ice cream, gave a few silver coins to the cashier and stepped aside and leaned against a wall as he watched the girl step into the store. He could tell. "First year." he spoke.

[Madeline Elaine Pierce]

So many choices for ice cream, and a lot I've never heard of...

The selection at Florian Fortescue's contained, to put it bluntly, anything and everything. There were flavors that Madeline had heard of, such as mint chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter, but there were also flavors that she had never even seen, let alone heard, until that point in time. Two different colors for cotton candy? Peanut butter and jelly, with strawberry in one tub and grape in another? Okay, that was just a bit odd. Madeline stared at the menu for a little bit as other children placed their order with the person behind the counter.

Some people got whipped cream with sprinkles as toppings, but the further down the counter those went, well... The odder they got. People could get anything they wanted, including any flavor of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans one could think of. Madeline had never heard of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, though, but she could hear some of the flavors that were being mentioned. Snot? Salt water? Okay, those were kind of awkward. Maybe there was something simpler and more jellybean-like, such as watermelon or root beer. Maybe something resembling a root beer float would be just what Madeline needed.

It was strange enough that even with Diagon Alley being in the middle of peak hours, the ice cream store was not as busy as Madeline thought it was going to be. Even so, the employee standing behind the counter had the look of Death on his face. The young First Year knew right away that if she had even dared to annoy him, he'd probably come flying over the counter and knock her with a powerful spell or something. "Ummm... Do you have any... Uh...," Madeline started, as it was her turn to order ice cream.

The man behind the counter sighed in depression as he noticed Madeline stutter, trying to figure out just how she was going to word her order. He waved his hand in a circular motion in front of him, almost to tell the First Year to hurry up.

"Can I get a cup of vanilla ice cream, with root beer jelly beans?" It wasn't the most intricate of orders, but it would have to do for now.

While all of that was going on, Madeline had suddenly noticed an older man out of the corner of her eye, staring at her like she was her own father. He didn't look old enough to be her father, but he was looking her on as she soon recieved her ice cream and paid for it. As she walked by, she could hear the man call her a First Year, which made all the sense in the world. "Yes, I'm a First Year," she stated, revealing that she was new to this whole encounter. "And I'm completely confused."

[Professor Brendan Daylor]

Brendan watched as the little girl ordered her Ice Cream. He remembered his first wizarding flavored ice cream. He smiled and watched as the girl walked passed him. She had heard what he said and spoke back to him. "Yes, I'm a first year, and I'm completely confused." Brendan looked at her with awe. To him they seemed to be getting shorter and much younger looking every year which had surprised him. He tilted his head sideways as he examined her. She looked bright for her age, but it was just a simple guess. "You must be a half-blood? Most muggle-borns are more excited when they visit Diagon Alley."

Brendan was a half-blood himself. His mother, Adriana, was a pure-blood witch and his unknown father was a muggle. Brendan had grown up without his father and his mother had died before his third year at Hogwarts. Being half-blood was not all bad, but during his time growing up it wasn't praised. Pure-blood was all that mattered at that time, mostly known as "perfect-blood" while muggle-borns were called "dirty bloods" and half-bloods known as "blood-traitors". This had not bothered Brendan growing up. He knew his origins and he was proud of it just to be a wizard. He looked at the girl standing in front of him. He expected that she may be a well student to teach.

"Excited for Hogwarts miss--- er..."

[/blockquote]

[Madeline Elaine Pierce]

More excited? Madeline was excited, don't get her wrong. But she seemed more... Well, stumped about where to go. Everything was chaos outside of the ice cream parlor, and if she stepped outside, she'd feel even more lost then than she did at that very moment. "Halfblood? Oh, yeah," she said, seeing her brothers go into the store across the street. "Mom doesn't have any wizarding blood in her. It's from my father. How three children could manage to become wizards from half of the family is anyone's guess."

She kept peering through the window, behind this strange man (who was still anonymous to her), so she could see what her brothers were coming out of the store with. But when she saw them walk out of the store with one of them holding a broom and other assorted equipment, she became a little depressed. What are those items in their hands? I've never seen those before. Oh, I get it - maybe they're protecting themselves for one of their classes!

Madeline stuck a spoonful of ice cream, layered with jelly beans, into her mouth; the taste of the root beer instant bliss in her mouth. When she chewed enough of the jelly beans and swallowed them without any problems, she looked at the man and said, "Ummm... Yes. Very excited about Hogwarts. My name's Madeline. Uhhh... Madeline Pierce. Nice to meet you, uhhh..." If Madeline wasn't already nervous before, she was certainly nervous now. She extended out a hand and offered to shake the man's. But she really hoped that her stuttering wasn't going to cause him to not return it.

[[Whoops. Forgot the thought mark.]]

[Professor Brendan Daylor]

Brendan looked at the girl as she told him her name. Pierce sounded familiar to him but he couldn't remember where he'd heard the name before. He noticed Madeline extending her hand to shake. Brendan smiled and held out his and shook her hand. He didn't feel like sharing his name at the moment. She would know who he was by the time she arrived at Hogwarts for the sorting ceremony. He could tell that she was nervous.

"Well it is very possible for three children to become wizards from half of a family. As long as you have wizard blood in you, you'll always be considered a witch or wizard. It's natural. As for muggle-borns, that's anyone's guess really." He smiled broadly at her as he retreated to a scoop of his ice cream. She's not totally clueless that's for sure he thought to himself. He couldn't understand how so many half-bloods knew very little about witchcraft and wizardry.

Brendan looked around the shop. More and more kids began to fill in. It must be very hot outside. He turned to look at Madeline. "So have you taken any thought at what house you'd like to be in when you go to Hogwarts. Four different houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. All are pretty good houses depending on how you look at them." Brendan pulled out his wand and waved it behind him pulling up some chairs near the table next to him. He turned around and sat down as he finished his ice cream.

[Madeline Elaine Pierce]

Madeline watched out of the corner of her eye as her brothers had walked into Florean Fortescue's with their purchases in their hands. All of the Quidditch supplies (she didn't know what they had to do with sports still) and everything else was in their arms, with the intention that it wouldn't all fall out at once. And you're telling me that with all of that, they're getting ice cream? You've got to be kidding me!

"Sorry, those are my brothers," she said, turning back to the still-unidentified man. "They're my older twin brothers. They're going into the Third Year - or at least, that's what I've heard." Even though the girl didn't know anything about witchcraft or wizardry, she was just smart enough to understand part of the school's system. She was going to be a First Year, while her brothers were to be Third Years. There was just one more thing that needed to be sorted out. And speaking of sorting...

The young girl frowned. "Ummm... Sorry, I don't know anything about the houses. I keep hearing my brothers talking to me about their houses, but the only advice they told me was that Slytherin is the only house that I shouldn't be going into. Some-something about always trying to get their way? I don't know; they didn't tell me much about their houses..."

[Professor Brendan Daylor]

Brendan looked over at the two boys that had walked in. Madeline said they were her older twin brothers that were going to be third years. Brendan smiled at them. He taught the twins Transfiguration for two years. He wondered how the boys would think of him when they found out that he was going to be the new Headmaster? He didn't want to say anything about it until all students found out for themselves when they get to Hogwarts.

When Madeline mentioned the Slytherin house and how bad it was going to be Brendan looked at her straight away. "Miss Pierce, if there is one thing that I have learned since being at Hogwarts is that you cannot judge a house just by what other students or witches and wizards say. Slytherin is far no worse than Ravenclaw or Gryffindor or even Hufflepuff." Brendan sighed. He remembered when he was a child. He may have been in Gryffindor house but his mother was in Slytherin and she turned out wonderful in his eyes.

"Madeline, Slytherin is a great house in my opinion. Many bright and wonderful students have come out of that house. I've witnessed it myself. When you step foot of the Hogwarts Express and walk into the great hall at Hogwarts, you will hear what the sorting hat has to say about the house. No matter what any other student says to you, do not judge Slytherin by what you hear. Anyone can do great in any house, you just have to work hard enough to prove it." He smiled and retreated to finish his ice cream. There may have been wizards who turned dark going into Slytherin, but others have come out perfectly fine as well.

[Madeline Elaine Pierce]

"But Sir," Madeline tried to say, watching as her two cloaked brothers walked by her with ice creams in their full hands. "It's... It's not my understanding, and I know it. They told me about that particular house. They've said that in two years, they haven't established friendships with any Slytherins." She didn't know that if that was a rumor or real or whatever. She didn't want to turn into someone who got their way, but she didn't want to be that kid who grew up and didn't make any friends, either. It sure was turning out to be an awful decision.

"Maybe I shouldn't hear these rumors, but it's no thanks to them. I mean, I didn't want to hear about anything that may or may not be true." She was right. Her brothers were not helping anything in regards to the situation. "I'll think about everything you've told me. You've been a big help, Sir."

Just then, Madeline's father called for her. She still had a few more purchases to buy and there wasn't much time left. Her brothers were done with their shopping, and the ice cream they got was the last thing they had to do. "Sir, thank you." With that, she took off, finding her father in the sea of students and parents alike.