(Lana POV)
Today was one of the best days of my life. I got to see the Leaky Cauldron, though only briefly. When I found it, I couldn't NOT stare at the pub. So naturally, Emma, who sat beside me on the bus, was confused.
She asked me what I was seeing so focused about. And then when I told her that I looked at the old pub with a man wearing a black robe in front of it, she looked at me as if I was crazy. She did not see what I saw, OR more like she could not see what I saw.
So like any awkward situation, I just laughed it off. And thankfully, Emma let it go.
After dinner, we all went to our room. The orphanage is not extensive. So, there are only a handful of children here. The total of children is 15, including me. Because of that, we get our own room. However, the bathrooms are shared. The room is not big, but the privacy is much appreciated.
After my lovely journey this afternoon, I have a lot on my mind. I am worried about what, how, and when particular tasks are to be done if I want to secure comfortable means before going to Hogwarts.
As comfortable as staying in the orphanage, I feel it is better to start my magical ways outside of it.
After starting Hogwarts, I'd be gone for months. I do not wish to be vulnerable in the coming years when puberty hits. I know I'm beautiful, and it is sadly a liability. If you know what I mean. It is how it is.
With the rising threats of Voldemorts and co, I feel much safer protecting myself without the additional burden of others in the orphanage. Those in the orphanage are much safer when I'm gone as they are just innocent bystanders. I am a possible target of badmen due to my status as at least a muggle-raised magical person.
I do not know if I have any magical relatives. I have some suspicions because of my morphing ability, though. It is usually an inherited ability for those with Black ancestry. But it does not matter, I guess. If I was somehow abandoned here, my status was low or even non-existence to them. There is no love lost, I suppose.
Next, there are things that I need to master before Hogwarts.
I am proficient enough with my morphing abilities. I only need to strengthen it. So, it would last longer and be more extensive in variety. I also wish to test if I could actually turn into animals like animagus without the rituals. Or, at the very least, sporting some wings so I could fly around without using the flying brooms.
Another thing I need to master is the apparition. From yester's memory, one of Potter's accidental magic manifestations was apparition when he ran away from Dudley's gang. Potter's apparition method was very smooth. It was so well done that he seemed to fade and unfaded somehow.
I have two hypotheses for this.
Due to the extreme situation, his desperation produced a sudden powerful magical boost and sharper intent. So they helped the transition during the apparition. The results were a smoother version of it.
OR it could be a completely different means of teleporting where it involves opening and closing the dimensional planes, like a portal.
Both means are possible. But I think the first hypothesis is more feasible for me now. I understand the first method better. Maybe when my magical theory increases later, I could understand better. Therefore, my best bet to learn about apparition is doing it like Potter's. Rather than the conventional 3D method.
I'd love to master the smoother version of it. So, to do it like Potter's, I need to feel the desperation to be somewhere, badly, while imagining the place I want to be. The intent and destination must be clear and precise so as not to splinch me.
Now that I know where the Leaky Cauldron is, I could apparate there. I believe I could master it. Similar to my morphing ability, all we need to master anything is intent, willpower, focus, attention to detail, and practice. I just need to be more careful.
I also need to learn basic occlumency and mind spells, especially confoundus and obliviation. My occlumency does not need to be that superb. It would be best to detect mind intrusion and direct it to some harmless memory without any barriers whatsoever.
I need to be low-key, not in any way suspected of anything. What first-year muggle-raised orphan student has mastered occlumency? Yeah, no way.
Confoundus and Obliviation are necessary for my plan to confound an unsuspecting squib to adopt me and possibly move to the area next to Diagon Alley. I also need to make bank accounts for money-keeping, investment, and purchasing properties.
Why Squib? Because I need the alibi that my guardian is at least magically aware. Therefore, the Hogwarts professor doesn't need to introduce me to magic.
Also, it would explain my awareness of the magical world even when I was an orphan.
I am very serious about being low-key.