This round is all about emotions. The emotion I wrote about is 'angry'.
Prompts:
1. (style) First person POV
4. (word) overwhelmed
13. (word) icicle
Have fun reading :D
A Day in Diagon Alley
It was a normal day in summer. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the crowd in front of us was noisy. Owls could be heard hooting enthusiastically at any possible costumer passing Eeylops Owl Emporium.
Every time I went through this part of Diagon Alley, my heart gave an unpleasant twitch. Hedwig had been my first ever friend and she had been one of the few individuals that had never judged me but stayed by my side through thick and thin and, like a lot of other very important people, she had sacrificed her life to safe mine.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. It had been seventeen years since it had happened, but although time did heal deep wounds, a scar would always be there to remind you of its former existence and pain.
As I raised my head, I saw a barn owl eye me curiously. She fluttered her wings and hooted softly. Her eyes were beautiful and huge, gazing at me with hidden intelligence. I chuckled as she started nodded with her head. Maybe I should buy an owl again, I thought to myself as I watched the bird turn around and groom its feathers with utmost precision.
At this moment, my son James came out of the shop, beaming his brightest smile towards me as he came running through witches and wizards, nearly knocking an old woman to the ground. I raised my eyebrow as he jumped up and down in front of me.
"Mum said I could have an owl! Oh, can I, Dad? Please, please, please!"
Laughing loudly, I ruffled my son's hair. James Sirius was eleven years old and he had gotten his letter only the day before. It had been his best birthday, he had said, although he knew he would get his acceptance letter at that day. "If your Mum says you can have one then who am I to say any different?" I asked and winked at my grinning son, who shot into my arms, nearly choking me to death in his enthusiasm.
"Thank you!" He yelled with his high voice and sprinted back into the shop, screaming for passersby to watch out.
Smiling, I gazed at the barn owl that had gone back to eyeing me when James had come zooming out of the shop. "He can be overbearing sometimes," I said in a low enough voice, so only she could hear me. She blinked and clicked her beak, as if to say "You're one to tell." I smiled apologetically as I felt someone tap my shoulder.
Biting back a sigh, I put on a cheery smile and turned around, ready to face any fan that was about to ask for the autograph of the famous Harry Potter. I was used to random strangers stopping to talk to me on the street by now, but that didn't mean that I liked it. Contrary to the rumour that I loved giving out autographs, I was actually quite embarrassed whenever someone asked me for one. I always had to think of a certain blond wizard with a love for memory charms and extremely white teeth.
But the moment I turned around, hoping it was some nervous kid asking for my signature rather than some hyper enthusiastic woman wanting to marry me right this instant, I found myself surrounded by reporters, Quick Notes Quills and cameras.
"Mr. Potter!" A woman in a bright green robe thrust her hand out and nearly rammed it into my stomach. "Mary Horns from the Daily Prophet. Mr. Potter, your son will start his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon. What are your thoughts on this? Are you proud of seeing him shop for his first year away from home, sad that he will leave for many months on end or are you scared that he might have to go through what you went through in each of your school years?"
I frowned. That woman with her died red hair reminded me of a certain blond Animagus. "Ehh," I tried looking through the masses of reporters and onlookers in search of my family, but they were nowhere in sight. I sighed softly, relieved and turned back to the eager reporters. "Proud, I guess."
"Being an Auror, would you say that you're putting your as well as your family's lives in more danger than they would already be in with you being Harry Potter?"
"What? No, I -"
"Would you say that your family ever wished that you wouldn't earn your money with hunting down evil wizards and Death Eaters? That you are risking your family's peace and safety?"
"I -"
"Mr. Potter, a picture, please!"
"Mr. Potter, would you answer -"
"Mr. Potter, over here!"
"Dad?"
Overwhelmed and somewhat unable to answer any of the reporters' questions, I whirled around and saw my two sons and daughter standing at the entrance of the Owl Emporium, looking taken aback. Ginny and I had made sure our children understood what it meant for them to have a war hero and the saviour of the wizarding world as parents, but having to witness their father being nearly molested by reporters was a whole different matter.
Upon seeing the rest of my family, the reporters started running towards them. Some tried ripping other reporters' utensils out of their grips, yet other shoved passersby aside in order to get to the most famous family of Great Britain first.
For a second I just stood there and gaped at the mad mass of people rushing towards my family, but as Lily tried to hide behind Ginny's legs and Albus and James stood tall, yet visibly afraid in front of their little sister and mother, I snapped out of it.
"Hey!" I yelled and moved forward, hands itching to grab my wand and curse those people into next week. "Get away from my family!"
"Mrs. Potter! What a coincidence to see you here. Say, would you be so kind and answer a few -"
"James! You'll start your first year at Hogwarts in just over two months. Do you think you'll be treated normally like every -"
"Albus! What is it like having Harry Potter as your father?"
"Lily, dear, a smile please!"
"I said step away from my family!" I roared as I pushed my way through excited people with pieces of parchment, hurriedly writing quills and flashing cameras.
Once between the four most important people in my life and the press, Albus grabbed hold of my trouser leg and gripped the fabric with all his might. The reporters stared at me, some scared, some indignant and yet others excited.
Just as the woman in the green robe opened her bright red mouth to shoot yet another question at me and my frightened family, my infamous temper got the best of me. For a confused moment I could hear Hermione's words in my ear, telling me that my temperament was something fragile and if treated carelessly, it would shatter into thousand tiny, sharp pieces like an icicle, shooting magic everywhere. I had to silently agree with her as I felt the air around me go hot, the magic in the air could be heard crackling, waiting for me to lose control and hit the target.
James, Albus and Lily stared up at me and I could feel Ginny's gaze on the back of my head. I would be in for the lecture of my life once we were back home, but for now I could care less.
The crowd froze.
Glaring at the unsure wizards and witches in front of me, I opened my mouth to shoot curses at those imbeciles. The magic kept on crackling, the air got hotter with the second.
"How dare you?" I had to press the words around me clenched teeth to ensure those people could understand me.
Confronting the Chosen One, the Conqueror, the Saviour of the Wizarding World was one thing but no-one wanted me on their bad side, that much was for sure. Seeing me literally crackling with furious magic, protecting my family and private life was sure something no-one wanted to see directed at themselves.
"Dad?" A feeble voice ripped me out of my tantrum and the grip of the little hands on my trousers got stronger, more desperate. "Please, Dad. Let's just go home."
I blinked as my son stared up at me – his green eyes that were so much like mine were huge, his usually pale cheeks were flushed and he was trembling slightly. James came into view as he put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder and smiled up at me like it was the most normal thing in the world, standing in the middle of Diagon Alley, having crackling, hot air swirling around us, trying to lash out at the annoying reporters. Lily peaked at me from around her mother's legs; Ginny's hand gently rubbed her back.
"Let's go home, darling."
I raised my head and saw my lovely wife smile sadly at me. She knew how much I detested the press and that I would do anything to protect my family from the life that I had had to live when I was a child.
Nodding slowly, I turned back to my youngest son, the reporters were forgotten.
I would have to accept that with my children beginning to be an active part of the wizarding society, they would get followed by the press and media. I would have to accept that they knew how to handle them and how to act around them. And I would have to accept that whatever might come, we'd always have each other. I would have to accept that my days of protecting everyone were counted and that I wouldn't be able to protect my kids everywhere they went.
Having me as their Dad came with a lot of responsibilities and consequences, but I knew that they were ready and knew what it meant.
To the Wizarding World I was 'The Saviour', but to them I was just 'Dad'.
I hope you liked it. I'm not 100 percent happy with this fic, but I decided to upload it nevertheless.
Please leave a comment. I love reading and answering them!
Also, to those who follow Visitation: I'm working on the next chapter, but I don't have much time at hand (I'm working on my BSc thesis), so it'll take a while until I'll be ready to update the story. I'm sorry :( I will continue writing Visitation, but it will just take a while. I hope you understand.
See ya!
Word count: 1696