Author's Note

Whew, we are really on a roll here!

Chapter six eh? A strong number of chapters if I do say so myself.

Best number of chapters I've ever seen in my life.

Until we put up a seventh. Then it will be an awful number of chapters.

We shall mock all sixth chapters in the universe.

They truly repulse me. Six chapters. Disgusting.

But obviously not this one; no, this one is magnificent. As magnificent as Dumbledore's beard. You could tuck this chapter into your belt. That wasn't meant to sound weird, but here we are.

I'd tuck this chapter into my belt.

Such a houndog.

Cheeky Elvis.

Always.

Cheeky Snape. That's not a phrase I thought I'd utter. Anywho. The chapter.

The glorious chapter six. Enjoy, while chapter six's are still cool. The clock is ticking.

Chapter Six: The Part Where Addy Can't Control Her Wand

'Ad my dear, if you don't stop flapping that thing around you're going to have your eye out. Or more importantly, my eye out.'

'It's just so swishy!' Addy replied with unconstrained glee, feeling five years old again, dressed in her fairy-princess-pirate costume (she was a child of great depth) and waving around a tacky strip of plastic with a star on top. One that also doubled up as a sword if she felt so inclined. Or if there were dragons to slay - and boys that she didn't like.

That darned Jake Stanley.

Not five minutes later, however, Ella was proved annoyingly right when Addy's enthusiastic wand waving really did nearly poke a passing witch's eye out. She was still glaring daggers at them as she walked into Eeylops Owl Emporium, nearly tripping over the front step in her disdain.

'For Christ's sake Addy. You are seventeen years old. You legally possess a driving license. Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me!'

Addy paused, staring at her friend. 'Did you just…'

Ella thought about what she just said, before sighing in exasperation 'God, Pixar's ruined me.'

She yanked the wand from Addy's hand, stashing it in the pocket of her robes with her own. 'But the point still stands!'

Pushing their way through the lunchtime masses, they almost missed the entrance of Florean's pastel coloured shop for the hordes of hungry teenagers that were filling up the doorway. Each was waving around fistfuls of sickles and knuts, trying to look at the specials board while maintaining the inherently English need to queue.

'Bloody hell, Florean wasn't joking last night. I think every single Hogwarts student might be here right now!'

'Well, prime time to meet a few new peers before September.'

Ella and Addy looked sideways at each-other before bursting into unattractive snorts.

'That may just be the funniest thing you've ever said' Addy choked. 'Including the argument you had in the Odeon* that time with the guy dressed as the Hulk.'

'You know how I feel about the ethical ramifications of shopping at Boots**. There was that whole scandal a few years ago-'

'The poor bloke was just trying to get some popcorn and watch Endgame. Same as us.'

'I just wanted to know where he got his eyeliner from! How was I supposed to know that the Hulk has naturally smoky eyes and promotes tax avoidance?'

'Well, whatever the Hulk's beauty regime, I think it's safe to say our social skills have not improved since then.'

Ella couldn't help the cheeky smile that broke out at that. 'True. We might be magic now, but it would still take a miracle to go one awkward conversation with someone without resorting to obscure musical numbers.'

'Resorting? I think you mean regaling. Those old biddies didn't understand the amazing gift our voices were.'

'Oh, I think they appreciated the gift alright. Just perhaps not in the middle of Lidl?'

'Touché.'

They battled their way through the crowd, Addy thrusting a couple of well-placed knees and elbows in the ahem, sensitive places of several particularly rude and snooty looking wizards. Ella was apologising profusely for her friend's behaviour all the while, before getting into an altercation of her own with an exceptionally handsy goblin.

Feeling like they had just been bouncing around inside a pinball machine, the two finally reached the counter and ducked behind it to find a surprisingly calm Florean multi-tasking to an unfathomable extreme. He was using his right hand to put change into the till, while he clutched his wand in his left and wordlessly enchanted perfectly spherical ice-cream scoops into various cones and tubs. These all zoomed happily into the crowd, fluttering around quizzically until they found their waiting witch or wizard. Quite astonishingly, he was also maintaining an amicable conversation with a pair of giggling witches that had settled in front of him.

'Oh, hi girls.' Florean smiled at the pair cheerily as he spotted them ducking under the counter. His eyes drifted down to Ella's oversized pocket, where two wooden hilts poked out. 'How are you finding your new wands?'

'Bit forward of you Florean,' Addy joked. 'We've only known you a day.'

'Addy!' Ella barely managed an eye roll, already too used to Addy's antics, and jabbed her slightly in the ribs before turning to Florean with an apologetic look. 'Sorry, Florean, she can't help herself. It's a disease.'

'Aye, it's alright,' he winked good-humouredly. 'I work fast you know.'

'Damn straight.' Addy agreed. 'One sundae, and you've already got us both living with you!'

'So easily pleased' Ella mused, giving Addy a shrewd look before retrieving their wands from her pocket. With a raise of her eyebrows, she handed back her friend's contraband item with the air of passing over the codes to the nearest nuclear missile.

'Now, with great power comes great responsibility. Behave.'

'Yes, Aunt May.'

'Actually, it was Uncle Ben who - '

'Ella. Let me have this moment.'

The two donned matching red and white striped aprons and began to assist Florean with the orders. (Manually, of course. As excited as they were to start using their wands, Florean didn't need them blowing up his entire supply of raspberry ripple).

After about an hour or so, when the last few customers were milling around the tables, Florean pulled the two girls aside and sat them down at the breakfast bar near the till. He passed Ella a tub of mint-choc chip and Addy a banana cone, looking more sombre than he had all afternoon.

'I was actually hoping I could catch you girls today,' he said, glancing at the pair. His mouth was set in a worried line and his eyebrows drew together in a way that aged his cheery, youthful face. 'I think we have a couple of things that we need to clear up.'

The girls eyed him warily. Ella sighed, dropping the spoon back into her tub. They'd had a fairly good run up until now. Their luck was bound to end at some point.

'Look, Florean-' she began, but he cut her off.

'Now then, I appreciate that you girls have things that you don't want t' tell me. We all have our secrets, and we did, after all, only meet each other yesterday.' Florean began wiping at a spec of long-forgotten ice-cream on the table, visibly uncomfortable with the serious tone that he was taking,

'But I don't want my customers to be caught up with any of that, well, that-'

'Crazy pureblood terrorism?' Addy offered.

Florean looked at the girls, and Ella nudged Addy with as much subtlety as she could in her newly rearing panic.

'-which we have absolutely nothing to do with.' Addy swiftly amended.

'As I said this morning, I pride myself on having a good sense about people. You seem like nice, kind girls and I want to trust you. But my gut has failed me before.'

Florean stopped at this, and his eyes suddenly looked tired, forehead creasing under some unknowable weight. He seemed to look through the girls, to something distant but painful, momentarily appearing much older than his thirty-three or four years of age. Ella felt a sharp pang jolt through her stomach.

'You girls came in last night all bloody and beaten, and I don't know what happened, but I can take two guesses. An' I don't like either of them.'

'Florean,' Ella began slowly, catching his warm brown eyes with her own earnest expression. 'You should know we're the last people who would ever subscribe to that kind of hatred and bigotry.'

'Hell, my parents could barely keep me going to martial arts lessons, I don't have the level of commitment required to join a death club.' Addy agreed.

Florean looked somewhat appeased, but the worry hadn't left his face. 'These are frightening times. I know that a lot of students your age can't wait to go an' join the fight…' his distant look returned, quickly broken with a sad sigh. 'I don't want you girls in any more danger either, mind. If you're going to be staying with me -'

'You want us to stay with you?' Ella interrupted, trying to muffle the hope that coloured her voice.

The tips of his ears went slightly red. 'Well, only if you want to.'

'Of course we do!' Addy exclaimed.

'Right then. Well. If you're going to be staying with me, then we need to set some ground rules. No coming in at goodness knows when covered in your own blood. Or other people's blood. No broken bones, no being chased by crazed blood purity fanatics, and no damage to the shop of any kind.'

'We would never do any harm to you. Or your ice-cream shop.' Addy paused. 'Especially your ice-cream shop.'

'Good. But you need to watch out for yourselves as well. These are not easy times. Especially for young witches and wizards… thinking they can take on the world and paying for it in the end.'

'What we mean to say is that you can trust us.' Ella said firmly. 'Because those ice-creams are worth more than Addy's weight in galleons.' she added with a placating grin.

Florean chuckled slightly at Ella's remark, the sombreness on his face receding once more and shedding the years that had temporarily taken residence. 'An' don't I know it. Some days I think this place costs me more than it's worth to run.'

The girls looked down at their ice-creams, Addy with her cone half-way to her mouth and a look of absolute horror on her face.

'Florean,' Ella began, pausing to look him full in the eye with a severity that could shame Minerva McGonagall. 'I'm sorry. But with that statement I've lost all respect for you.'

'Blasphemy,' Addy agreed, obstinately licking a stripe of her banana ice-cream. 'Merlin himself would be ashamed.'

The three of them sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or two. It wasn't a happy silence; it couldn't be, given the circumstances. Each of them had a thousand questions whizzing around, and each question had a thousand problems, ones that weren't going to go away anytime soon. It was, however, a silence of contentment. They recognised that for now, at least, they were safe with one another.

That was, until -

'MERLIN'S BASTARD BALLS!'

From across the room a loud male voice let out a yell. This was followed by a large, near-cartoonish crash and clang of metal alongside the simultaneous smash of glass.

The girls jumped up from the table in fright, Addy nearly flinging what was left of her cone at a surprisingly unperturbed Florean who was sat shaking his head.

'That boy.'

A door that they hadn't noticed before flung open just to the right of the counter. Out stepped a tall, round-faced boy with what presumably would have been a mop of light brown hair, had it not been covered in a thick and sticky black treacle. His clothes were sodden, the white shirt he was wearing clinging to his stocky frame and sporting a vaguely beige tinge. His ruddy face was mournful as he approached, and the girls nostrils burned with a strong saccharine scent and the distinct whiff of butterscotch radiating from him.

'Why is it always me?'

Ella turned to look at Addy, her eyes wide. Addy looked back, nodding, with a slight smirk. Surely there was only one person this could be.

Florean chuckled at the boy fondly. 'You're just unlucky Frank my lad. You've been gifted with all the grace of a forest bull on firewhiskey.'

Frank's face went pink.

'I was looking for the chocolate cauldrons and I knocked over a tub of ice-mice. That knocked over a pile of mixing bowls which knocked over a jar of treacle which knocked over me. Then I fell into a crate of butterbeer.' Frank rubbed his soggy sleeve sadly. 'I'm sorry Florean. I'll pay for it all I promise. If you want to sack me then that's okay, I'll explain it to my mam'. I'm no good at this job.'

Florean shook his head.

'I'm not sacking you Frank, you're still learning. Mistakes happen. I remember when I apprenticed with Honeydukes. There was an incident with some exploding bonbons…' Florean paused, his face creasing slightly at the memory, before continuing. 'However, there is something that you can do - to help pay for the damages, so to speak.'

Frank looked at him earnestly, his wide brown eyes full of warmth.

'Anything!'

'The girls here,' he gestured to Ella and Addy 'will be in need of a tutor-'

'We will?' Ella interrupted, slightly confused.

'-as they are, provided they get their letters soon, going be attending Hogwarts in September.'

'We are?' Addy asked, slightly panicked, and wondering if Florean had put some sort of bugging device in the many ice-creams he'd fed them. They hadn't even gotten around to discussing Hogwarts with him yet. They'd been side-tracked with deep chats and delicious dairy-products. That man knew how to work a banana.

Ella looked at Addy and gave her what presumably was a botched attempt at a wink. It caused her to scrunch up her face and close both of her eyes. (Ella was good at a number of things. Winking, however, was not one of them.) Addy took this startling display of body language to mean 'roll with it Goddammit', and so quickly amended her statement.

'I mean, yes. We are.'

'Of course you are! I'm not going to prevent you girls from having an education, or the chance to meet more witches and wizards your own age, like Frank here. I know that you didn't have wands before you came here, but you couldn't have finished schooling just yet, could you? What are you, fourteen, fifteen?'

'Fourteen?!' Addy cried. 'I'm bloody outraged.'

Ella flicked her friend upside the head. 'Try seventeen Florean. Eighteen in October,' she said, with mock-chagrin. 'I know I'm short, but goodness. That's four years out. Not even close.'

'Of legal magical age pal.' Addy agreed. 'And I will legally magic that smile off your face- what do you think you're grinning about?'

The last part of her statement was directed at Frank, who had begun to chuckle slightly at the exchange. He quickly stopped as she faced him. 'I've got a wand in my pocket and I'm not afraid to use it, buddy.' Addy continued. 'Which is, coincidentally, an excellent, if somewhat forward, chat-up line. Bank that one Ella.'

'There are many reasons why I won't bank that.' Ella replied. She looked at Florean and Frank. 'I fear we may have unleashed a sequence of wand-based humour that neither I, nor the rest of the world, is ready for.'

Florean nodded. 'We can only pray.'

They both stood there for a minute, contemplating the evil that they had released into the magical realm.

'So,' Ella continued, 'a tutor, you were saying.'

'Well Frank here is an excellent student. Very bright and a whiz at potions. I think that he'd be good at getting you up to date.'

Frank smiled at them both, opening his mouth to say something, before his expression dropped.

'I'm utter shite at Transfiguration though,' he said glumly. 'I've no idea why I took it.'

'I can guarantee you'll be better than us at this point Frank.' Ella assured him. 'We're total novices.'

'From a very hippy, new-age family,' Addy affirmed. 'They didn't believe in wands.'

Ella looked at her sternly and Addy shrugged, nonplussed. It was out there now, and gosh-darn if she wasn't going to roll with it.

'My name's Addy, by the way. I can't remember whether we introduced ourselves.'

'I don't think we did!' Ella replied, looking upset with herself, before smiling warmly at Frank. 'I'm Ella. It's lovely to meet you. I hope you don't think us rude, but it's not everyday you meet someone wearing treacle for a hat. It can really distract a person from common niceties.' A devilish glint entered her eye at this, and Florean could barely contain his chortling.

Frank's answering smile was equally warm, and his already ruddy cheeks deepened a few shades.

'Don't worry, if my mam could see me now she'd clip me round the ear for making such a first impression. Frank Longbottom, at your service.'

He held out a hand for the two girls to shake. The girls looked at his slightly sticky fingers for a few seconds before shrugging and each leaning in and taking his hand in turn. He blushed even darker, if possible, as if realising just then that he was covered in butterbeer, but his eager smile never faded.

Addy winked conspiratorially at Frank, who looked somewhat alarmed. 'Nice to meet you Frank. I have a feeling that we're going to become great friends.'

'Frank, if you make me lumos one more bloody time, I'm going to stick this up your arse and see if you glow.' Addy said irritably, brandishing her wand in a menacing manner.

'Practice makes perfect Adele,' he replied with a slightly haughty tone in his usually affable voice. He was relishing the position of teacher a little too much if you asked the girls.

'Yes, and I appreciate that. But we've been doing the same damn spell for two hours and we got it working an hour and a half ago. I could lumos in my sleep. I got lumos for days.'

The light emitting from the end of Addy's wand seemed to glow a little brighter at that, as if to reinforce her point, illuminating their makeshift classroom. Florean had suggested the little courtyard behind his shop for the privacy afforded by the somewhat imposing stone walls that bordered it. However, there was a comfortable quality to the compact space that the girls were beginning to associate with their adoptive guardian. Climbing masses of clematis and honeysuckle had been trained to grow up wooden trellises, interweaving with one another and softening the overall effect, and there were raised flower-beds that Florean must have built himself. Each was filled to the brim with roses and peonies and other beautifully exotic flowers that the girls didn't recognise, so could only assume that they were magical. Despite being stuck in central London, it smelled like the countryside – flowers, plants and soil.

'I think what Addy is saying,' Ella added, 'is that we can move at a quicker pace than we have been. It's going to be dark soon and all we've learnt is lumos and scourgify. Both useful spells obviously, but...'

'But if we're going to get up to scratch with five years' worth of missed education in six weeks, then we have got to get a move on pal. We can practice in our own time.'

In spite of their pleasant surroundings the girls were feeling restless. They had a lot to learn in a short space of time – if they even got their Hogwarts letters, and there was no guarantee. This was a fear that had been plaguing Ella since they made the decision in the Leaky Cauldron. She had felt such conviction when they first met Florean, like everything was slotting into place, but now she couldn't help but wonder if it was just her wanting to believe that it was all meant to be. Just the blood loss and fear sending her absolutely cream crackers. Maybe it really was just some weird, cosmological fluke, and there was no more a reason for their being there than there was for Florean's crab and caramel Ice-Cream. She knew Addy had her own doubts, and even the joy of meeting Frank and learning spells couldn't fully appease the growing tension.

'Alright, alright. I'll move it along. However, you'd better read the chapter on Wiggenweld Potions tonight – and cure for boils while you're at it!'

'Are you giving us homework Frank?' Ella chuckled.

He blushed slightly. 'Well, if you hope to pass the end of summer test I'm planning for you. You'll need to do some extra research.'

'You drive a hard bargain,' Ella replied mock-seriously, before grinning. 'But you definitely don't need to worry about us doing extra reading. I plan on finishing Hogwarts a History by tomorrow, and there's this book on Ancient Runes I bought earlier that I really want to start before we get onto - '

She paused at the look on Addy's face. 'What?'

'Such a nerd.' Addy shook her head, smirking at her predictable friend. 'I, on the other hand, intend to dedicate my time reading up on quidditch techniques and downing as many sundaes as I can squeeze out of Florean. I saw a curry and mint one earlier, which both intrigued and disturbed me.' Addy said, before noticing Frank's look. 'Oh, and yeah. The assigned chapters too… Professor Longbottom.'

'I have to wonder about some of Florean's concoctions,' Ella mused. 'I saw him working on cookie batter and coriander this morning. I hope he's okay.'

'There have been a couple that haven't worked,' Frank agreed. 'He tried a garlic, blueberry and pumpkin juice one the other week. I can still taste it.' Frank grimaced, evidently re-living the moment. 'Anyway, how do you girls fancy learning the body-binding curse?'

Ella and Addy grinned.

'I thought you'd never ask,' Ella said. 'Petrificus Totalus, if I am correct?'

'You are,' Frank confirmed.'You know, despite you girls saying that you've never learnt magic, you're pretty up to date on your magical incantations. Even if you don't know how to cast them.'

'We read a lot.' It was a true enough statement, if somewhat misleading.

'Right, so I'll demonstrate first and-' he looked down at himself, patting his borrowed clothes, eyebrows furrowing. He was wearing a slightly too tight pink shirt and pair of beige trousers from Florean, as his own garments were in the process of being washed. Addy watched as he slapped his chest and thighs repeatedly.

'If I didn't know better, I'd say you were tenderising a chicken,' she noted.

'I can't remember where I've put me wand,' he groaned, his gentle voice betraying a slight pinch of panic. 'My mam's gonna kill me if I've lost it again.'

Addy chuckled, feeling a remarkable kin-ship with this klutzy, forgetful boy. She was exactly the same; which is why she felt absolutely no shame for taking advantage of the situation.

'I may not know much about spells, but I've learned a few muggle magic tricks in my time,' she said. 'And I bet you a galleon I can make your wand reappear from behind your ear.'

Frank looked at her in awe. 'Really?'

'Indubitably.' Addy replied, using a word that she'd most definitely learned from Mary Poppins. (But was surprisingly not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. That never seemed to crop up.)

Ella rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her friend, before stepping in to save the poor bloke from spending an unnecessary galleon. 'Frank, don't fall for her shenanigans. Your wand is behind your ear.'

'Spoilsport.'

'Plus,' Ella continued 'she's awful at muggle magic tricks. As we established earlier, she needs to work on her sleight of hand.'

Addy feigned hurt at her friend's comment, while Frank thankfully retrieved his lost wand from behind his ear.

'Right, as I was saying,' Frank began once more. 'I'll demonstrate first. I can't technically do magic outside of school as I'm not seventeen until September first…' He looked around uncomfortably. 'But since this is such a densely populated area, they shouldn't be able to pick up my magical trace. Probably.'

A slight sheen of sweat broke out on his top lip.

'Don't worry it about it Frank' Ella said, sensing his distress.'You can just explain it if you like, give us the magical theory and then we can try and cast it.'

Frank considered this for a moment, looking relieved.

'Yes, let's do that. It'd be just my luck to get expelled from Hogwarts before I've sat my NEWT's. Or made first team in quidditch.' He paused, before smiling at them mischievously. 'It's a shame though, I was rather looking forward to cursing Addy.'

Addy whacked his shoulder. 'Don't forget who can legally do magic here, bud.'

'Don't forget who's teaching you it,' he replied with a grin, his round face lighting up.

'We've got a feisty one on our hands here.'

Frank blushed again (it really was too easy), before assuming his stern teacher expression once more. 'So, the wand movement for Petrificus Totalus, or the body-binding curse, starts to the left of your- Ella no, your other left. That's it. Then carefully- Addy, you're going to take someone's eye out. Let me finish. CAREFULLY.'

He watched with horror as Addy juggled her wand with all the elegance of a one-winged pigeon, reconvening when nothing calamitous occurred.

'Right, carefully swoop your wand down and to your left again… Ella, that's still not your left. Make an L with your fingers, that's it. Now, draw a backwards crescent moon shape with your wand and then swish it back to the right before dropping downwards.'

They looked at him blankly.

'I'm sorry, try that again?' said Ella.

'On your left. Down to left in a backwards crescent moon. Move your wand to the right and drop it down.'

'Right,' Addy said, not at all getting it. 'Gotcha.'

'While you're doing this, you have to state firmly and clearly Petrificus Totalus.'

The girls tried it a couple of times with no success, neither of them feeling the rush that they had earlier in Ollivanders.

'Don't worry,' Frank said. 'This one's more complicated than the lumos. You also need to concentrate on the action that you want to occur. You want your target to freeze up, so think about what will make that happen. Cover them in-'

'Petrificus totalus!'

Addy swished her wand experimentally and Frank fell backwards to the floor, stiff as a board.

'Well,' said Ella thoughtfully. 'You've evidently got that one down pat.'

She walked over to look at the boy who was partially nestled in a rose bed, a shocked expression on his frozen face.

'We'd best start learning Finite Incantatem then.'

*Odeon is a cinema chain we have here in the UK. And if I'm not mistaken in Ireland and Norway as well. Because Niche. It's also where, apparently, Marvel superheroes like to hang out when there's a midnight screening of Avengers. Because why wouldn't they? I had a connection with Captain America over that pick 'n' mix. I most certainly did not have a connection with the Hulk.

**Boots is a health and beauty retailer/pharmacy which did indeed have a whole to-do about tax avoidance a few years ago. Which is a crying shame. Their meal deals are excellent. They are indeed. Some damn good sushi.