I spotted Alice's bushy black hair outside Eeylop's Owl Emporium. She was busy arguing about something, waving her hands about animatedly, with an extremely flustered looking Marlene, who appeared to be gesturing towards a case of some kind.
"Isn't that Alice, Lily?" Mum asked, straining to see over the crowd of people.
"Yup, mum, that's her – and the other girl is Marlene."
Mum knew Alice already, since I'd spent two weeks at her place during my last summer holidays.
"Well, then, don't keep them waiting anymore! Is there anything else you need to get?" Dad asked.
I hurriedly went through my list of supplies again, eager to get to my friends.
"Nope, dad, I guess this is it. I'll call you up if I need anything else." He nodded.
"I guess this is goodbye, then," he said, pulling me into a hug.
"Take care, Lily. And don't forget to owl us regularly," Mum said. I hugged her as well.
"I will, mum. I'll see you soon. I love you."
"We love you too, Lily. Go now. Take care," she said again.
I turned to leave with a final wave, when I remembered something else.
"Mum, dad?...take care of Petunia." I'd miss her too, in a way.
"Sure, dear," Dad said reassuringly, and mum nodded.
With a last goodbye, I turned and started rushing towards my friends, bumping into several people on the way. I thought I heard someone swear.
"ALICE! MARLENE!" I yelled, waving my hands to get their attention when I was a few feet away.
Marlene heard me and turned around, her face breaking into a crazy grin as she saw me.
"Hey Lily!" She exclaimed just as I reached them. Only then did I notice that the case I thought I'd seen earlier was in fact a cage, holding a very handsome, albeit evil looking black owl.
"Thank God you're here, Lily, because this friend of yours is driving me to madness."
"Oh, please, Alice. Lily, what do you think of this owl here? Isn't he just the most innocent thing you've ever seen?"
Alice scoffed.
"Lily, he has been in our company for twenty minutes, and he's managed to devour my new dress robes, Marlene's flip-flops – though she doesn't care – and my handbag. The one Frank gifted to me."
Uh oh.
"You are a cruel, cold-hearted, animal hating scarecrow, Alice. Lily, she wants me to take him back!" She said, like she couldn't believe it.
"He's such an adorable, cute thing! And I've decided to name him Jet."
Seeing the adoration in her eyes as she stroked his jet black (forgive the pun) feathers, I knew it was a lost cause.
I shrugged at Alice apologetically. She seemed to realize it, too, because she set Marlene with a resigned look.
"All right, fine, Marlene. But if he so much as touches any one of my belongings again, I swear I'll personally feed him to the Giant Squid."
Marlene didn't appear to have heard anything past 'All right, fine, Marlene'. She grinned maniacally and enveloped me in a hug.
"I've missed you so much! I can't wait to get started with exploring Diagon Alley now that you guys are here. Come on, Alice!" She said, grinning at Alice too, who was apparently her best friend again now that she had her owl. She began steering us towards the Inn, where we would be staying for the rest of our holidays.
I was here at last, and the familiar faces of my friends made me feel like I was at home in Diagon Alley.
We collapsed on our beds immediately after we reached the Inn. I fell asleep almost instantly, tired after the long day.
The next day, and the days after that, followed the same pattern – wake up at noon, have breakfast, go outside, and then shop, eat, talk and eat. Then go back to our Inn just as it gets dark, and lay on our beds and talk endlessly about anything and everything until the next morning.
We continued with our carefree schedule. In the past week, Marlene and Alice had purchased a few things. Marlene got herself a new quidditch kit ( I found it really unnecessary) and Alice got something for Frank. It wasn't until the night before September first, when we had to face the bitter reality of another year, the NEWTs year, ahead. Alice prodded and pushed Marlene and me until we packed our trunks completely, ready to pull them into Kings Cross Station the next morning.
Then, wanting more than anything to get a time-turner and go back to the beginning of the week (though I couldn't deny that I did badly want to see Hogwarts again too), we fell asleep, ready to board the Hogwarts Express back to Hogwarts the next day.
