Diagon Alley.
It was the first of August and everyone in my home was running around like crazy. Today was a big day, according to my mum. There was so much to do and not enough time to do it according to my father. From the corner of my eye something grabbed my attention. I picked up the piece of parchment that sat lying on my kitchen table and began to read:
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain black work robes.
2. One plain black pointed hat for day wear.
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar).
4. One black winter cloak with silver fastenings.
The parchment also went on to list the course books that my sister would need, which I was sure to be handed when I attended my first year of Hogwarts. It also went on to list other equipment that would be needed. A wand, a cauldron, phial set, a telescope, and a set of brass scales. It also made note that first years were not allowed their own brooms. I'm sure Draco was not happy about that. In fact I'm sure that he is far from pleased.
Draco. I hadn't seen Draco since his birthday party now almost a month ago. I had seen much of his father, however. He had been here once a week for a while secretly planning something out with my father. That would change today, being that both of our families were to be headed to Diagon Alley to gather school supplies. Not my school supplies of course, mum and dad had the house elf gather those, but Daphne's and Draco's none the less.
I had been to Diagon Alley a few times before this trip but only to go to Gringotts, the wizard bank, with my mum or dad. We had never actually gone into any of the stores of course, which I was excited to do so today. To look through all the wizarding books in Flourish and Blotts and to check out the dress robes at Madame Malkin's. To fond over all the animals and see the latest broomsticks. Most of all I was excited to see him.
Since my sister and I were too young to apparate we would be traveling by Floo Powder to the Alley. My parents would never travel though the Floo network since they could in fact apparate and would always complain about all the ash and soot one gathered on their clothing while traveling in such a way. However, it was the fastest way to get there being that we are too far out from London to enter the alley through the street entrance. The ash and soot never bothered me much. I mean sure my mucus was black for about a week afterwards but it wasn't as if it was being stuck underneath my nails or to my skin. Mum would always quickly clean us up with a spell before allowing us to walk around. She wouldn't dare be seen with her children walking filthily about. We were pure-bloods after all, we have an image to uphold and walking around covered in soot would not do that image any justice.
Our first stop when we reached the alley was Gringotts of course, so that mum and dad could take out the money they needed to pay for Daphne's supplies. They were also talking in whispers about a few other things that they needed. When we met up with the Malfoy's in the center of the alley we had all almost instantly seemed to split up. My father in one direction, Mum, Cissy, and Daphne in another, and Lucius went off in another after whispering something to Draco before he made his way towards Madame Malkin's.
"Draco!" I shouted as I fought my way through the crowds of people in the street. Sure it was only the first of August and there was still a good month before term starts, but us wizard folk like to get things done as soon as possible. "Draco! Wait!"
"Have you been running after me, Astoria?" Draco asked with a smirk as I finally caught up with him inside of the robe shop.
"Yes," I stated while trying to catch my breath. "Everyone split up; leaving me behind, your direction was the only one I caught."
"Well of course they would leave you behind. Who would want to be caught seen with a freak of nature like you?" A female voice cut through the room and I found myself staring at none other than Pansy Parkinson. She was currently getting her robes altered.
"Oh get bent, Pansy." I said still rather breathy as I found myself a set beneath the front window. "At least I don't resemble a dog like you do."
I could hear Draco snickering in the background and I could feel a smirk crawl across my face. Suddenly Pansy jumped from her place at the alteration stand and found herself suddenly before me, wand at the ready. I, however, was not frightened of her at all. I let no fear come through my eyes, nor flinch flow through my body. I simply hardened my eyes, and began to grin even wider.
"What are you going to do Pansy? Hex me? I'd like to see you try."
Sure I'd like to bring up the fact that underage wizards are not allowed to perform magic outside of school under grounds for expulsion, but not for her lack of knowledge of hexes. I knew that pure-blood families began teaching their children magic at a young age, and hexes were something that they would teach. Especially in those families that had ties to the Dark Lord like ours did. I myself knew my fair share of hexes and how to deflect them.
"Miss Parkinson," I heard Madame Malkin exclaim from behind her as Draco began to pull her away from me. "You are all finished here. You can collect your robes at the counter. Mr. Malfoy, you're next."
I watched as Draco made his way towards the back and up on the footstool that Pansy had recently occupied. There another witch quickly got to work gathering robes and began to pin them up. Moments later another boy walked into the shop, unaccompanied. I took a second to look him over. He was dressed in clothes that we two or three sized too big for him. Which most likely were hand me downs. It was doubtful that he was a pure-blood given the state of him. His hair was disheveled and his glasses did not appear to sit right upon his face. Something about him did stick out at me though. Through bouts of hair upon his forehead I could notice a tiny lightning bolt scar.
"Hogwarts, dear?" Madame Malkin's voice broke me from my trance. She went on about having the lot or some other nonsense and then led the boy to a stool next to Draco and began to pin his robes.
Where was it that I knew that scar from? I knew that I should know it instantly but for some reason my memory was not serving me today.
"Hello," I heard Draco begin attempting to start conversation with the boy. "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," the boy with the scar replied.
Draco began to talk to the strange boy about the whereabouts of his parents and about how he planned to smuggle his broom into school being that he thought the rule of first years not being able to bring their own broomstick was bullocks. The boy seemed utterly and desperately confused when Draco started to ask him about Quidditch. This boy could be muggle born, like his clothes suggested. However that point was disproved when the boy admitted that both of his parents were of magical blood. However, before Draco could get an answer from the boy about his surname Madame Malkin was quickly ushering the boy off the stool and out the store. It was only when I noticed the Hogwarts gamekeeper standing outside the store to greet the boy was I able to put two and two together. I knew who the strange boy was.
A few moments later Draco was standing in front of me with a smug look upon his face.
"Ready Tori? We should be off to Ollivanders to meet up with our mums and get me my wand.
"Draco?" I asked him as we exited the shop and headed down the alley towards Ollivanders. "Don't you know who that boy was?"
"What boy, Tori?" He asked rather un-amused as he quickened his pace.
"The boy in the robe shop, Draco." I was working my little legs even harder to catch up with him now. I was currently cursing myself for not being more active.
"Who cares Tori? He's just some tosser who will be going to Hogwarts this year."
"No! That was Harry, Draco. That was Harry Potter! I saw the scar myself."
"What?" He asked as he turned around and grabbed my by my shoulders. "Are you sure Tori? Are you positive?"
"Yes, Draco. I'm sure! I over heard our fathers just the other day talking about the rumors of Harry attending Hogwarts this semester. I guess we know now that they're true."
"Hurry now Astoria. We must tell our parents right away."
Draco grabbed onto my hand tightly leading me even faster down the alley and towards the known whereabouts of our mothers.
"Father!" Draco exclaimed as he spotted him down the way. We hurried up to him quickly and pulled him inside the nearest shop before continuing. "Harry Potter is here, in Diagon Alley." Draco said under his breath but still loud enough for his father could hear him even with all the commotion around.
"You don't say," Lucius began rather amused.
"We ran into him in Madame Malkin's sir. We noticed his scar. It's just like they say it is, just like a bolt of lighting!" I jumped in, eager to tell his father of our findings.
"He was with that oaf of a gamekeeper father. He's been prodding him around to all the stores with a smile on his face like it's some sort of honor to be accompanying him."
"You don't say," Lucius seemed to be lost in thought. "Harry Potter, here in Diagon Alley? Well I guess the whispers are true. Come now children. Astoria we must find your father."
With that, Lucius grabbed both of our hands and quickly led us from the shop and towards the dark alley in which I was always told never to venture alone.