Thank you to everyone that has reviewed my 'The Chosen One' so far. I really appreciate all feedback whether it's constructive criticism or you're giving positive feedback.

Thank you Tonks123478, I'm glad you like it so far and hope you'll continue reading throughout the series!

I do NOT own the rights to the Harry Potter Franchise. J. still owns that. For now at least.

I hope you enjoy Chapter Four of The Chosen One and feel free to leave any feedback!

Chapter 4: Madam Malkin's

The sun shone in Neville's eyes as he left the Wizards bank, after being down in the dark, gloomy vaults for all that time. Now he had all the money he could ever want clanging around in his pocket. Diagon Alley seemed a lot busier now than it had been before they went into Gringotts, Wizards of all ages were walking this way and that way, hurrying to get their equipment before it was too late. As Neville and his Gran walked back up the cobbled path. They stopped in many shops including, Flourish and Blotts, Potage's Cauldron shop and Amanuensis Quills.

While Neville was in Flourish and Blotts he had a look around whilst his Gran ordered his huge list of school books for his first year at Hogwarts. He was quite fond of a book called Herbology: Magical and Mundane Plants. As he read the book, he learnt all about Aconite and how some witches used to add it to Belladonna to make themselves fly. It was also extremely poisonous. He also read about Bubotubers, they looked like thick, black, giant slugs. Bubotubers had large shiny swelling on the side of it that were filled with a yellow-green pus that oddly enough smelled like petrol. The pus of a Bubotuber always acted oddly when in contact with human skin. It would raise horribly painful boils if undiluted, whereas if it was properly diluted by a skilled Witch or Wizard it could be made into a cure for acne. Most people would find this book unnerving but Neville found it fascinating. He couldn't explain it but he always had an interest in Herbology. He just understood the information that he never could in any other subject. He bought this book along with all his other school books and paid at the till.

"Three Galleons and Eleven Sickles please"

Neville paid and this made no dent in the money Neville had in his pocket. Still clambering about he left the shop. After a bit more looking around he eventually left Amanuesis Quills, which was right next to Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions. Neville's Gran went up the street to buy him a present from a shop that was just up the alley. She wanted to give him a present for a reminder of her while he was at Hogwarts. As Neville stepped inside Madam Malkin's shop she greeted him with a wide smile. She was a small plump witch, she was quite old and was dressed in a purple set of robes.

"Hogwarts dear?" she said "Got the lot here in and out students have been today"

Neville was led to the back of the shop where the fitting room was. He was stood on a stool while Madam Malkin pinned his robes to the right size. He wasn't alone, there was a boy being fitted on the stool next to him. He had a pale, pointed face and overall didn't look very nice.

"Did you read The Daily Prophet today" Madam Malkin asked the younger witch that was fitting the other boys robes.

"No, what happened?" the witch asked rather concerned.

"A poor old Wizard died yesterday, the circumstances were really quite terrible.

The younger witch looked curiously at Madam Malking and Neville was listening with close intent. A wizard wouldn't have been in the daily prophet just because he had died he thought to himself.

"The Wizard was out camping with his family up north when they were attacked. But it wasn't just any old attack, his wife described it as 'a floating Black Cloak that was gliding across the ground. Apparently there was no one else there. Just a flying cloak and her family. As the shadow got closer and closer it started wrapping itself around the young wizard. They tried everything to stop but it suffocated him. Before gliding away. His wife said that it grew in size after it took her husband's life and then just disappeared without attacking anyone else.

"That's terrible!" she almost yelled back "Do you think it was some sick Wizard trying to lay a trick on the poor family"

Madam Malkin suddenly went stern as she carried on pinning Neville's robes to the perfect size "I'm not sure but whatever it is, I think the Ministry is hiding something from us."

There was now a lump in Neville's throat as the conversation ended. A flying black cloak had been in a forest suffocating innocent people? What if it wasn't going to stop there, what if it carried on attacking other wizards and witches?

At that moment, the boy next to him started speaking "Strange, isn't it? Sounds like someone's trying to be funny." This concerned Neville as the boy didn't seem to have the slightest care in the world about how this man died or even what could have killed him.

"After this I'm going to drag my father off to look at racing brooms" he droned on "I don't see why first-years aren't allowed to bring brooms to Hogwarts. I know I'm better than most seventh-years at Quidditch. I'd be perfect for the house team."

Neville didn't really feel much like talking. He really wasn't much of a sociable person but it was rude if he didn't try to make conversation so he replied "Where is your father?"

"Oh he's down Knockturn Alley at the moment" Neville had heard about Knockturn Alley it was a small side alley off of Diagon Alley that was full of Dark shops with items that only Dark Wizards would want to get a hold of. Coming to think of it the boy had blond hair that was combed back, he had a pointed nose, he didn't care about anything going about anyone other than himself and his father was in Knockturn Alley. This young boy could be one of the Malfoys.

"Know what house you'll be in when you get to Hogwarts?" asked the blonde boy "I know I'll be in Slytherin, all my family have been. Imagine being put in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you.

Personally Neville didn't think there was anything wrong with Hufflepuff, he'd much rather be in Hufflepuff than Slytherin but that might be because he knew he'd be in Hufflepuff. He'd never been very smart at anything except Herbology which means he wouldn't be a Ravenclaw. He also wasn't very brave, he'd wimp out of anything so he wouldn't be a Gryffindor. That left Hufflepuff and Slytherin and Neville had never really been a bad kid so he assumed he wouldn't be a Slytherin either. He'd heard Hufflepuff is where they put all the losers that weren't good enough to go in any other house. Neville thought he'd fit in perfectly. After all he's always been behind at everything and always messed up no matter how hard he tried. It just seemed Hufflepuff was the perfect house for him.

"You aright there?" the boy said in a cold drooling voice. His accusation to his family always being Slytherin had definitely confirmed to Neville that he was a Malfoy. "You look like you're about to faint."

"All done" said Madam Malkin and Neville couldn't have been happier that he could get away from the boy. He paid and whizzed outside. His Gran was waiting outside for him and now they had got everything they needed from his school list. As they walking back up Diagon Alley Neville was very quiet. He didn't feel much like talking. After all, everything he'd heard in Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions was stuck in his head. The Malfoy kid, The daily Prophet, The fact he was going to be a Hufflepuff and what Madam Malkin had said about the ministry of magic trying to hide the full story from everyone else. Which means whatever killed that man must be dangerous and they don't want everyone to be panicking about it.

As Neville and his Gran were in the Leaky Cauldron eating dinner. His Gran got the hint that something was wrong. After she asked what was wrong and he explained the full scenario to her. She looked stern and a little worried as if she remembered something from her youth that might have linked to the situation concerning the Daily Prophet but she wasn't completely sure.

As Neville pressed on "Madam Malkin said that the ministry of magic were hiding something, something that they didn't want us to find out about. Or at least not yet anyway."

She reassured Neville "If this thing was posing a danger to any of us the ministry would have at least warned us. They wouldn't let some lunatic Wizard go round and suffocating people with a cloak. The ministry must have either caught the person behind it or are very close to doing so. There's no need to worry about it"

"But, what if…"

"No ifs no buts, there's nothing to worry about Neville, it was just one small attack and now they're paying for it"

Neville was still concerned and wasn't going to let this go that easily. Instead he moved on to keep that conversation for another time. "Everyone says Hufflepuff is the house with all the outcasts, the losers and I know that I'm going to be in Hufflepuff" Neville admitted sadly to his Gran.

Once again his Gran was always there to cheer him up "Even if you're in Hufflepuff then they would have gained an excellent student. You're not an outcast and if the sorting hat puts you there then we know that Hufflepuff isn't full of them. Hufflepuff has produced many great Witches and Wizards as well as any other house like Bridget Wenlock and Newton Scamander. Both of which are famous to this day. They're not outcasts so why does that mean you are? You don't even know that you'll be a Hufflepuff yet"

After this Neville seemed to have definitely cheered up, he now only had a few weeks until he was going to be on his way to Hogwarts and then he could learn all kinds of magic and become a great Wizard. None of the concerns that Neville had in Madam Malkin's were affecting him anymore. He knew that he had nothing to do with the Malfoy boy and he wouldn't have to talk to him again. He also realised that Hufflepuff just had a bad reputation. It wasn't what everyone said it was as they didn't look at the great Witches and Wizards that the house had produced over the years. He also didn't care about what The Daily Prophet had been saying as his Gran had reassured him that the matter had been taken care of by the Ministry of Magic and he knew that the flying black cloak would never affect him.

As the next few days went past he marked the days down on his calendar as he drew closer and closer to the first of September. He had read his Herbology books over and over again making sure he was prepared for when he got to Hogwarts. His trunk was packed at the end of his bed and now all he had to do was wait and mark the days as they went by on his calendar.

So there we have it! Neville is now fully prepared to start his journey to Hogwarts. The next Chapter will play out on September 1st. The day Neville catches the Hogwarts express and another wizarding mode of transport! Find out what Neville gets up to in the next Chapter: September 1st. Will he make friends? Will he fit in? Or is there even more mystery than Neville thought going on in the Wizarding World?