Disclaimer: I own nothing that you could recognize from the work of J.K. Rowling.
Chapter
2
Shopping
day
Albus and me went on Diagon Alley by floo powder. First we went to Madam Malkin's. I bought my school robes and Dumbledore bought his neon lime green robe with yellow sparks on it, my eyes were hurting a bit. When we stopped at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, I asked why he had bought it, he answered after taking a bite in his lemon sherbet, "because no one else would've buy it". I chuckled a bit and I thought about that strange robe I had purchased. There was a little secret pocket in the left sleeve. You could store up to a watermelon size object in it. The object would shrink to the size of the hidden pocket. After I had finished my triple chocolate ice cream banana split with lots and lots of cherries and chocolate chips, I looked at Albus' sherbet and then at him with my best puppy-eyed look.
''Fine you can have it, sugar,'' Albus said, exasperated but amused.
''Yay sugar! More sugar!'' I cried out, engulfing what was left of the lemon-flavoured treat.
Next we went to Flourish and Blotts and Albus told me to get my books as he went to find "something important" as he had put it. 'Wonder what it is. As I was walking along the tall shelves to get all the books demanded, I caught a glimpse of a blonde boy. 'He isn't bad looking,' I thought to myself as I continued to walk to get my Magical drafts and potions by Arsenius Jigger. After I found everything, I went to find Albus so he could help me pay for all my books, school isn't free you know. I had to go in a little section retreated from the rest of the store. However, when I found him, Albus was not alone. He was talking to another man that looked really much like the boy I had seen earlier. The man looked really angry. Not wanting to intrude, I retraced my steps and waited a little longer near the register until Dumbledore came back. After paying, I found out that Albus had only bought three little blue notebooks. It seemed like he hadn't found what he had been looking for.
''You have to get an animal for the years you will pass at Hogwarts,'' Albus said.
''What kind of animal can I have?''
''You can buy either a cat, a rat or a toad.''
''No puppy?''
''It will grow and take too much space, Sally''''I could leave it at home, please Albus.''
''Won't it get lonely when you go to class.''
''I can skip class.''
Albus giggled.
''So what will you take?'' he asked.
''Well, let's go to a pet shop and see.''
Inside the cramped magical menagerie, a cute spotted cat caught my eye, but when I asked Dumbledore if I could have that one, he said, with the most humongous twinkle in his eyes, that it was a baby panther and that it would certainly hurt other students when it would be full maturity. So I settled for a little barn owl. It was golden brown and the feathers under its wings looked exactly like dark chocolate, so it was natural that I chose it.
''Albus?'' I asked, after exiting the shop.
''Yes, sugar plum?''
''Could you name my owl?''
''Why?'' he answered, as he sat down on a bench.
''Because if I name it,'' I said settling next to Albus, caged owl in hand, ''I will give him the name of a chocolate bar and when I'll be sleepwalking, I probably will eat it.''
The look on his face was priceless.
''I'm joking!'' I exclaimed, laughing. ''But can you still name him for me?''
After getting over the shock of me eating an owl he said:
''Okay...what about Sugar Plum?''
''That doesn't help me, I might still eat him,'' I joked, ''but I'd rather it be a name that doesn't represent a kind of candy nor food!''
"Well, how about Brittle?"
"That's perfect!!! Thanks a lot!"
I hugged him and of we went to the cauldron shop. There was so many cauldrons, it was unbelievable. After looking around for a while, Albus helped me choose.
''Take this one, '' he said pointing at a cauldron, ''Professor Snape will be surprised you picked it.''
''Why?'' I asked, taking the black recipient in my hand. It didn't seemed special or anything.
''It's one of the best.''
"Well he'll still know that you were with me when I chose it"
So I paid the fifteen galleons to the saleswoman and we walked out. Albus was carrying most of my new stuffs. I was feeding Sugar Plum, sugarplums. He seemed to like it all too much. After a few minutes Albus said:
''I must go to the apothecary, to get an order I placed a while ago. I never had time to come but now that I'm here I'll go before I forget once again.''
''What is it?'' I asked, still feeding my owl.
''It's a rare plant only found in one country of the world.''
''Wow!'' I said, ''what does it do?''
''It's excellent in cakes, '' Albus answered, a smile on his lips.
''Well, I'll go with you only if you give me a slice of that cake! ''
He chuckled and nodded. I needed to go there anyway. I had to buy a scale.
As we entered the shop the boy I seen at the book store came out with a man who could be no one but his father.
''Hello Lucius!'' Albus said happily.
''Dumbledore.'' No intonation here from Lucius
''So I guess you're Draco,'' I said to the boy.
He only nodded, a smug look on his face. I thought that he looked a bit too arrogant and over confident.
''It was good to meet you. Oh! I almost forgot this is my protégé, Sally.'' Dumbledore said, placing a warm hand on my shoulder.
''Nice to meet you!'' I said with a big smile on my face.
Neither of them answered, so Dumbledore took me inside the apothecary.
''I would like that you stay away from Draco. His father is a Deatheater, and I don't want you to be involved in any of this. You know why, don't you?''
''Yes.''
We bought all we needed in the apothecary shop. Albus rare plant was actually really little. It fitted in a little brown paper bag. We got out of the shop and started walking towards the dark part of Diagon Alley: Knockturn Alley. Albus said to stay close and I did not hesitated. Sugar Plum was really quiet, as if sensing danger lurking by.
''We'll have to go to another apothecary because I'm missing something that is only there.''
''Ok''I answered, trying to make as less noise as possible.
We finally arrived to the apothecary. I pushed the door and a little bell rang. Albus went with the little man who came from the back of the dark store. There was almost no light except maybe for a couple of candles. I was left alone with my owl. I was a little bit scared but curiosity took over that feeling. I started looking around at the strange things in the glass bottles beside me. Some looked like they contained animal parts and to my complete disgust the one at the end of the shelf contained toes. But I still found them fascinating. I spent what looked like hours going from bottles to bottles, when I heard the entrance bell ringing, however I didn't pay attention to it.
I was in the darker part of the store. The light wasn't coming in that much from the dusty windows. It's when I heard a familiar baritone voice that I turned but soon hid back when I found out that Professor Snape wasn't alone.
A blonde haired man was standing next to him. Then I recognize him. It was Malefoy Senior. He was wearing something different than when I had met him a few minutes ago. He was clad in an elegant black robe with gold things sewed at the sleeves and collar. He had in his left hand a snake-headed cane. His face wasn't particularly remarkable except for his icy blue eyes. Despite myself I found him kind of handsome. They started to talk.
''Lucius, you know He's not here anymore we don't have to do it.''
''Severus, He is not completely dead, I know it, I feel it. He will come back someday, we just have to find where. He is somewhere waiting for us.''
''I'm not going to break Dumbledore's trust for something I'm not even sure of.''
''If you don't come after Him, He will punish you.''
''I know all that, Lucius,'' Professor Snape answered looking annoyed.
The Professor started strolling between the shelves.
''Then why don't you do something to help our cause?''
I was still hiding behind a shelf, but Snape was coming closer and I started backing up so he wouldn't see me. Sugar Plum was surprisingly quiet. I was afraid that he would hoot and give us away, but he stayed still and didn't make a sound. Snape sighed and just before starting to speak again, he spotted me. He frowned and opened his mouth, to ask me what I was doing here or something like that. However, he closed back his mouth, turned away and said to Lucius that he had to go back to Hogwarts because he forgot his money.
''I could pay whatever you want to buy and you can pay me back someday,'' Lucius said, while grimacing at a bottled creature on the shelve near him.
''No, I don't like having debts,'' Severus said hurriedly pushing the other man slightly towards the door.
''Fine if you say so, then I will be going to the Ministry to attend some business.''
Both men exited, but Professor Snape gave me a strange look before disappearing from my sight. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I got up from my crouched position.
Albus was coming from the back of the store with another brown paper bag in his hands.
''Are you ready to go?'' he asked, ''Are you alright, Sally?'' Albus said after my silence.
''Er… Yes I am,'' I finally answered, taking my eyes off the door. ''Can we go now?''
''Yes, dear. We will go back to Diagon Alley,'' Albus said, looking and sounding worried.
When we were out of Knockturn Alley and on our way to Ollivander's I told him what happened in the store.
''Are you sure it is safe to trust someone like Snape?'' I asked.
''Professor Snape,'' Albus corrected, ''and yes I trust him. There are things about our war against Voldemort that you don't know about and it's better like this.''
''Why don't you tell me?''
''You'll learn everything in time.''
I understood that he wouldn't say anything more so I didn't push. We entered Ollivander's shop.
''Is there anyone in here?'' I asked to the empty room.
''Albus! What a great surprise! What brings you here?'' an old man said, coming from the back, probably Ollivander.
Albus pointed me.
''Ah yes. What a terrible tale. It was cherry wood thirty-two centimetres long with unicorn tail hair. No?''
''Yes it was, '' answered Dumbledore.
I was surprised that he knew about my mom's wand but what can you expect from a man like Dumbledore. He knows everything… Almost everything.
Mr. Ollivander started measuring me everywhere with his measuring tape. He then went to the back of the shop, but the tape kept measuring me. After quite a bit, Ollivander came back from his little storage room.
''Yew wood, twenty-eight centimetres long with dragon heartstring.''
He gave me the wand and after waving it around a bit, the air went hot and everything around me started turning, the colours started blurring together. I was like in a dream. When I came back to reality, they were both looking at me.
''What?''
''It's just it's the first time that I'm witnessing such a strange phenomenon…''Ollivander said. "but, after all, I guess it won't be the only strange phenomenon this year."
''Ok. Is it a good or a bad thing?''
Nobody answered but Dumbledore was smiling so I assumed that it wasn't that bad. I gave the seven galleons the wand cost and we left. On our way back to Hogwarts, we stopped one last time at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. Albus had made my purchases disappear so we didn't have to carry them. They would be in my room when we would get home. While waiting for Albus to finish his frozen lemon treat, I spotted Hagrid with an intriguing kid trying to follow him. I looked over to Albus but he was still concentrated on his dessert.
"Since when does Hagrid come to Diagon Alley?"
"Oh… Since I asked him to do something for me while I was shopping with you!
"What is that something?" Knowing really well that I would probably not get an answer.
"You're so curious!"
And that was all I could get out of him.
