House: Slytherin
Category: Themed
Prompt: Diagon Alley
Word Count: 1157
Pansy Parkinson was a second-year Slytherin student. She had been on her way to Diagon Alley for some back-to-school errands, and she was ecstatic at the thought of returning to Hogwarts, where she would be reunited with her Slytherin family. She was also excited to go back and show the school just how impressive Slytherin really was. To Pansy, the other houses wouldn't even begin to compare to the awe-inspiring skill that they had. She swore to give her best to her house that year, especially because she didn't want to be one of those stereotypical, annoying second-year students.
Shifting and dodging through the bustling crowd, Pansy made her way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. After finally finding robes her size, her parents paid for them. Exiting the shop, they told her that they would take care of her remaining supplies. Left on her own, Pansy decided to walk around Diagon Alley. She had taken a long look at the things surrounding her, absorbing the sights. It was the first time she had actually seen the shops and people thoroughly. Last year had been hectic: she and her family had been rushing to the shops to quickly grab her supplies and leave, all without even a minute to spare.
Diagon Alley, she noticed, was cramped, but it had a happy and joyful atmosphere. Nevertheless, she felt uncomfortable there. Everyone was basically rubbing against each other with little to no personal space. It felt wrong. She was familiar with Knockturn Alley, as her parents would frequently visit it, bringing her along with them. The dark and gloomy place had a welcoming and calm aura to it. But Diagon Alley was loud and bubbly, too over the top. It seemed like Diagon Alley was a puppy jumping up against your legs, compared to the silent and sly cat that was Knockturn Alley. The bright, popular place was littered with dozens of shops, each with their own unique purpose. Nearly everything a wizard could possibly need was there. But there weren't any dark, hidden nooks or shadows. Everything was wide open for the whole world to see.
Pansy walked through the crowd, showing off her newly bought Slytherin robes. She was beaming and glowing with pride as she observed the many witches and wizards that wore the familiar crest. Head high and chin up, Pansy walked through the crowds as if she had known Diagon Alley like the back of her hand.
Coming to a pet shop, Pansy wandered in, curious as to what animals would be there. She looked at the different animals that were in cages and free-roaming. Coming to a box full of kittens, she turned her head away in disgust. She absolutely hated cats. The idea of them rubbing against her leg, leaving traces of fur afterward. The constant meowing, pleading for more food even though they just had some. That arrogant hiss when they thought their owner isn't worthy enough of petting them. The disgusting, wet hairballs that they coughed up, sending chills up the owner's back. Finding cat hair in the weirdest of places. It was just too much for Pansy to handle. Cats were her least favorite animal, and that was saying a lot, considering that Pansy didn't like many animals.
With a scowl, Pansy immediately turned her heel and headed straight out of the shop. But then, she felt something following her. She felt the feet touching the back of her heels as she walked. Turning her head at an alarming speed to see who dared to follow her, she saw a tiny white cat at her feet. Its head looked up at her. It looked as if though it was smiling, clearly content with its choice of following Pansy. She moved her foot, shoving the kitten to the side. It rolled over to the side, but got up again and started towards Pansy. "Stop it! Get away from me you mangy furball! Ugh!" Pansy said in disgust. The little kitten wouldn't stop going to her, even if Pansy tried to return her to the box. She had shown her intelligence of climbing out of the box.
Pansy tried to get rid of her, though she avoided hurting her since she wasn't very old. After doing whatever came to her head, she was at the last resort. She had to carry her. All of this time, Pansy hadn't dared to even place her hands anywhere on the kitten. She had been using her foot to move her from places. Scrunching up her face, Pansy leaned down and picked the kitten up. To Pansy's surprise, the kitten didn't show signs of aggression. She set the kitten down in the box, leaving quickly, hoping the kitten wouldn't see where she went.
Having a sigh of relief after what seemed like a million tries, Pansy walked in the direction her parents went. She suddenly felt a tug out of nowhere. She sighed irritably. She looked down, seeing the face of the kitten she now resented. "Get out of here you fleabag! I don't want you!" she spat. "The last thing I need is a ball of fur following me around. I need to be the best for Slytherin, you're just a distraction. Besides, you're too soft to be a Slytherin cat. Now, scram!" Pansy harshly told the kitten. It blinked.
"Ugh! Get away from me you annoying cat!" she said, as she shoved away the kitten.
The kitten then jumped up at a nearby pole and climbed up until it reached the roof of the shop. It had shown no signs of difficulty while climbing. It made climbing look so effortlessly easy. Turning away from Pansy's view, it headed to a nook on the roof. Pansy saw it go down, its tail was the last thing she saw of it. Nodding in satisfaction, she started walking again. A second later, she heard a meow. Groaning, she turned around with one eye closed, not knowing what she would see again. The kitten held multiple bodies of rats in its mouth. Pansy noticed a mischievous glint in its eye, obviously proud of its trophies. Crossing her arms, Pansy reluctantly smiled. She couldn't hold it in as she was impressed with the kitten.
It was a clever kitten. It had known how to follow Pansy and predicted what she was going to do next correctly. It knew how to catch game and the way to different places. It was sneaky and cunning. Also, very determined. Pansy realized just how much of a Slytherin the cat really was. She was genuinely impressed. Defeated, Pansy held out her arms below the cat. It gracefully leaped down into them. Pansy returned to the shop and bought the kitten. Putting it down, she began on her way again. She didn't turn around to see if it was following her. She knew that it would find her one way or another.