“Next, you need to get your school robes. You will need formal school robes and everyday robes. Everyday robes are black with the school logo and your house logo on it. You won’t know what house you are a part of until you go through the sorting ceremony. That is… you will find out what house you are a part of and you will live and take classes with your group. Now, you’re not required to have your house logo on your robe. Some people are proud of their house, some people think it’s too cliquey, but all the houses get along very well, now. It was more competitive when I was in school.”
“I need a whole new wardrobe?” Duchess asked.
“You can wear whatever you want when you’re not in class, as long as it is school-appropriate,” Hermione replied with a warning. Duchess didn’t think she had anything that wasn’t school appropriate. Why would she?
“Where do we go for that?” Duchess asked, eager to visit the next shop.
“Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.” Hermione and Duchess continued down the path together.
Duchess stepped through the arched doorway of Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, the little bell above the door chiming like a charmed teacup. Bolts of shimmering fabric floated midair, sorting themselves by color, while a mannequin twirled in the corner wearing a velvet green cape that glowed faintly at the hem. Duchess blinked at the soft golden light filtering through the enchanted windows and took a cautious step forward, her worn trainers squeaking slightly on the polished wooden floor. A plump witch with spectacles perched on the end of her nose appeared from behind a curtain, a measuring tape already wriggling in her hand like a charmed snake.
“First year, are you?” Madame Malkin asked, her eyes already scanning Duchess’s frame.
“Yes, ma’am,” Duchess said, smoothing the front of her Muggle hoodie. “I need… everything.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Step up, darling.” Madame Malkin gestured to a footstool with a tap of her wand. “You’ll want at least three sets—black for daily wear, plus one for formal functions. Hold still, now.” As the measuring tape wrapped itself around Duchess’s waist and shoulders, she caught sight of herself in the tall mirror. For a moment, she saw not just herself, but the student she was about to become—robes billowing, wand in hand, spellbooks under one arm. She couldn’t help but grin.
“Put your animals over on that counter there, or give them to your parents to hold,” she requested.
“No,” Duchess said. “They’re mine.”
“How am I going to measure you?”
“I’ve never had a pet before. Please?” Madame Malkin let out a big exhale,
“Okay…” As Madame Malkin took her measurements, she looked up and smiled at her parents, who were tearfully watching her get ready to leave them for the year. “Now, since you’re a first-year, we don’t know what house you will be in. I’m just going to use the Hufflepuff emblems temporarily so I can make sure everything is in the right place when I take your measurements. It’s the only house emblem I can use. The kids who think they’ll be in Slytherin don’t want to wear anything with Gryffindor on it. And vice versa. The ravenclaws and hufflepuffs don’t mind any emblem, so it was just easier to pick one of those houses. I just can’t measure properly without the emblem on it. It might be too high or too low. Don’t worry, though, after you get sorted into your house, the emblem will transform automatically to reflect that.”
“How many will she need?” Kimberly asked Madam Malkin.
“It will be her daily wear, so we don’t want just one robe, do we? Arms out.” Madam Malkin instructed, and the tape measure flew, as if measuring the Duchess on its own. Madam Malkin walked over to her parents with a notepad.
“She will only need to purchase one set per year. Children grow fast, you know. So, I design the robes to fit her perfectly, but will alter them up to 2 inches. It automatically adjusts throughout the year, and whenever she needs new robes, she can come or, at the beginning of the next term, get new ones made that will automatically adjust another 2 inches as she needs. She can wear the robes of older siblings or families. Unfortunately, we don’t sell used robes because you’ll never know if the child who wore it before has jinxed it or something. It is also illegal to buy it straight from another family.”
Madam Malkin was conjuring large boxes to pack the robes in when Kim approached her to ask, “Will she need anything else? Like pajamas? Clothes for when she’s not in class…” Kim lowered her voice. “Underwear?” Madam Malkin looked back at Kim, asking such ridiculous questions, but figured they were muggles.
“At Hogwarts, unless the students are out and about, they usually just wear Muggle clothes. Even the pure-bred wizard children prefer Muggle clothing. I don’t know why; it all seems so tight and restrictive. I know when they go to the village, Hogsmeade, they are all in Muggle clothing. The older wizard and witches don’t like it, but they can’t do anything about it, really. So, she can buy whatever underwear she wants from whomever she wishes.” Kim gave a nod, saying, “Thank you.”
Madam Malkin handed the stack of packages to Duchess’s father. They all bid farewell and left the shop, finally heading for home.