The usual hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley was nothing compared to the crowds that had appeared today. The streets were filled with last-minute shoppers, hoping to equip their children with robes and supplies for their upcoming year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
And amongst it all, Lily Potter was lost.
"I told you we should have turned left at Uncle George's shop," Lily said, for what felt like the millionth time.
"Oh come off it," Her cousin Hugo snapped. "We're not lost yet. We're just… looking around."
"Right," Lily said, as they weaved their way in and out of the crowd. "Of course. And I suppose we're just taking our time to get to the Leaky Cauldron then?"
"Exactly," Hugo confirmed, grabbing Lily's hand and tugging her through a group of Hufflepuff student already dressed in their school robes.
"Your mum's going to be terribly made at you," Lily said, as Hugo scanned the crowd for familiar faces. "She told you not to wander off."
"Then why did you follow me if you're so uppity about it?" Hugo snapped. "I suppose you were just being nosy, is that it?"
Lily frowned. "No," she said, defensively. "I was trying to make sure you didn't do anything stupid. Which you obviously did."
Hugo said nothing, choosing instead to press his hands up against the windows of a broom shop, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Woah," he muttered, breathless. "That's the Nimbus Eight thousand. Lily, are you seeing this? The Nimbus Eight thousand!"
"Yes, yes, it's a lovely broom, Hugo," Lily said, tugging on her cousin's sleeve. "Now can we please hurry before someone comes looking for us?"
"Fine," Hugo said reluctantly. "But I want to come back later."
"That'll be between you and your parents," Lily said, snidely. "And they'll most likely have your bum for running off like this."
Hugo opened his mouth to argue when something caught his eye.
"Look, it's the Leak Cauldron!" he shouted, pointing excitedly at the pub. "Come on."
Rose Weasley looked up from her spell book at the sound of boots clattering against cobblestone.
"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"
Rose's brother Hugo smiled, winking. "Lily pulled me off course," he said.
"I did nothing of the sort!" Lily argued, hitting Hugo in the arm.
"Whatever, you two," Rose said, dismissively. "Uncle Harry and Dad are out looking for you, though. I'd watch your back if I were you."
Hugo winced before sliding into the seat beside his sister.
"Where are Albus and James?" Lily asked, after a moment's pause. She glanced around the Leaky Cauldron. Her older brothers were nowhere in sight.
"I think they went to Gringotts with Teddy and Victoire. Going to visit Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, probably."
Lily nodded, ordering a butterbeer for herself.
"The noise in here is ridiculous," Rose complained, looking up from her spell book again. "I can't hear myself think."
"Only you would be reading at a time like this," Hugo teased, taking a sip of his own drink.
Rose sighed, resting her head in her hands and glancing around the busy pub.
Across the way there were four students Rose knew to be Ravenclaws laughing and talking excitedly about something. There was someone— an auror— beside the door. No doubt an acquaintance of her Uncle Harry's. Scorpious Malfoy sat alone with his father at a small table, discussing something in hushed voices.
"What a prick," Hugo announced, following his sister's gaze. "Always acting like he's better than everyone else. Who does he think he is? His family has done nothing but bad in our society…"
"That's not true," Lily argued, stirring her drink. "His grandmother helped my dad escape the Dark Lord, remember?"
"Yes, but only for her own selfish reasons," Hugo snorted, turning away. "Anyway, I can tell Rose fancies him. Look at her staring like that."
Rose's face heated up. "I'm do not fancy him," she said, a little too loudly.
"Well good," Lily laughing. "Grandad would have your head."
Rose laughing, turning back to her book.
"Hey, who's that?" Lily asked, abruptly.
Rose turned to look at the group her cousin was pointing at.
She recognized them immediately.
"That," Rose said, clearly. "It Tabitha Finch. I can't believe you don't know her, Lily. She's got quite the reputation around school."
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, intrigued.
"Well," Rose began. "She comes from a long line of Slytherin's."
"I can tell," Hugo said, noting her school robes.
"Yes," Rose continued. "Well, Tabby comes from a very prestigious family, you see. And… she's gotten into some trouble in the passed."
"How so?" Hugo asked, grinned.
"Well," Rose said. "She has little flings with muggles regularly."
"So?" Lily asked. "I don't see a problem."
"There isn't one, really," Rose shrugged. "Except that her parent's don't approve."
"Of course," Hugo commented, sighing.
"That's not all," Rose carried on. "I overheard Professor Longbottom talking to my mum about her at Christmas time last year."
"And?" Lily asked, expectantly. "What did he say?"
"He said that he found her in the Room of Requirement," Rose said in a quiet voice. "She was trying to get back home."
"Home?" Hugo asked. "Who would want to be home when you could be at Hogwarts?"
"You'll have to ask her," Rose shrugged.
Lily sighed. "Well, at least she's not in one of those silly death eater reenactment cults, you know?"
"Her sister is," Rose said. "See that girl standing beside her?"
Rose turned and pointed at another girl, only a few inches shorted than Tabby. She looked almost like an exact copy of her older sister. Long dark hair, gray eyes, hallow cheeks. It was all there.
"She is?" Hugo asked, looking outraged.
"Yes," Rose said, sadly. "She's a fourth year, like Albus and I. Her name is Alaira. She is a lot of my classes. She isn't much like her sister in the sense that I thinks she likes living at Hogwarts pretty well. But she's always causing trouble and if you ask me, I don't she's very bright. I can't remember the last time she got anything above a troll."
Lily winced. "I suppose that's what you get when you join up death eater wannabes."
Rose smiled, faintly. "I just feel sorry for the youngest Finch sister."
"Who's that?" Hugo asked.
"Arabella Finch," Rose said, sounding sympathetic. "She's in your year. I can't believe you haven't met her before."
"We don't have very many classes with Slytherins," Lily explained.
"Oh, she's not in Slytherin," Rose said, her eyes wide. "That's why I feel so bad for her. She's a Gryffindor. Apparently after she got sorted her parents came in and made quite the fuss to teachers. As if there was something they could do about it." She snorted. "Everyone knows the sorting hat never lies."