Diagon Alley was amazing! So many people in strange clothing! Momma would like their clothes, but not the sticks they carried in them. Daddy was going to be angry when she got home, but for now, she would enjoy the colors and noises of the Alley. She had run directly to the bookstore as soon as they'd gotten her money from the bank. Professor McGonagall had been amazed by her enthusiasm for the books. She'd gotten everything on the list, and McGonagall had said they could go back if she had any money left after getting the rest of her things. She had happily agreed and reluctantly left the store. Nothing of interest happened until she'd gone to get her wand. They'd gone to Ollivander's and she'd bumped into a boy who claimed he'd been waiting there an hour. He had untidy, jet black hair and wore a pair of wiry glasses. His mother scolded him for lying and told her they'd only been there a few minutes. The boy grinned,

"I'm James Potter. Who're you?"

"Jessica Hawkins."

"Mind if I call you Jess?"

She shook her head and he frowned,

"You always this quiet?"

She laughed and nodded,

"Yeah. I don't normally talk to people."

"You talk to your friends, don't you?"

She looked puzzled,

"Friends? I don't have any friends."

James looked stunned,

"Really? Why not?"

She blushed,

"Daddy doesn't let me out of the house much and I'm homeschooled." She said by way of explanation. He shook his head, then grinned again,

"I'll be your friend, then."

She stared at him in amazement,

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Mrs. Potter and McGonagall had both been listening to the conversation and were now making no attempt to hide their eavesdropping. Jess blushed again and said,

"I'll tell you on the train."

McGonagall had explained the train earlier. James gave her an odd look, but nodded. He liked this girl, but he could tell she was hiding something. But he could wait a few weeks to find out if he had to. If she would tell him the truth. An hour later they parted company, both agreeing that Ollivander was creepy. Her parents had said that she could get a cat, but she had to take care of it and make sure it didn't tear up anything. So that was where she dragged McGonagall next, to get a cat. She saw a beautiful smoky gray tabby and immediately fell in love with it. McGonagall had laughed when she named him Shadow. Jess, however was paying no attention to her teacher, opting instead to stare at her new cat in rapture. McGonagall asked if she wanted to buy anything for it and she had nodded eagerly, so they bought everything a cat could possibly need for the next three weeks until school started and went back to the bookstore. She met two more friends there. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Remus was okay, they both liked books, and that provided a topic for conversation until Sirius walked in and interrupted. He demanded to know why she had so many books. She rolled her eyes,

"So that I can read them. Why else?"

"Why would you want to read when you don't have to?"

She exchanged an amused look with Remus,

"Because I find it entertaining. What do you do for fun?"

Sirius grinned,

"Drive my parents mad."

She laughed,

"Is that any fun?" she inquired curiously. He snorted,

"Yeah, until you get caught."

Jess had a feeling that 'getting caught' meant the same for him as using magic meant for her. Only maybe not as severe. She winced in sympathy, but hid her reaction quickly by looking at her watch and saying,

"I've got to go. Momma told me I had to be home before three, and it's forty minutes till. See you on the train?" she asked hopefully. Both boys nodded and she ran out. But not before both hugging them both around the neck, surprising them both.

Jess winced as she tried to get her trunk on the train. Eventually she just gave up and sat down, accepting that it was not her fate to get on the train that day. She started violently when a voice from behind her asked,

"Need help?"

She turned quickly and relaxed when she saw one of the boys she'd met in Diagon Alley.

"Sirius!" she exclaimed in relief. He laughed,

"You're the first person to ever be happy to see me."

She wanted to argue, but hugged him instead. Then said,

"Help would be welcome."

"Would it get me more than a hug?"

"Sirius!"

He laughed and held his hands up in surrender.

"I was kidding. I'll help as soon as I get my stuff on."

"Thank you." She said reverently. He grinned and got his stuff on the train, then, with a bit of difficulty, helped her get hers on. She hugged him again gratefully and they boarded the train.