Chapter Three - Diagon Alley

Alice pushed her way through the people until she reached the door inbetween the book shop and record store, with the sign hanging above it reading, "Leaky Cauldron." Alice sighed heavily as she pushed open the door, stepping inside and quickly shutting it behind her.

Tom, the keep of the Leaky Cauldron, couldn't help but smile at Alice as she stepped in, and he waved lightly. "Hello, Miss Alice. I see your Mother's letting you go into Diagon Alley on your own again?"

Alice blushed lightly, and nodded, "Yes, she won't leave Derek alone with the house elves."

Tom laughed lightly, knowing the Betrayal family rather well, and he had only liked one of them; Alice.

"I'll see you in an hour or so, Tom. Miles will be comming in soon," Alice peeped, before she headed for the courtyard to continue on to Diagon Alley.

Finally stepping into the courtyard with the trashcan's, Alice stepped to the same old wall. She pulled out her wand(dragon heartstring, 13 inches, yew), and ran it up the wall. "Three up, two across. ." She poked at the brick above the trashcan, and stepped back as the wall opened up into Diagon Alley.

Alice stepped through the archway, and made her way down the cobble stone street, headed right for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. She hated this part of getting her school supplies, and decided to get it over with, first off!

Slowly Alice stepped into the shop, only to be greet by Madam Malkin. Alice forced a smile.

"Hello again, Alice! Back for another set of school robes?" said Madam Malkin, with a light smile.

Alice nodded, "Yet again."

Madam Malkin led Alice to a footstool in the back of the shop and stood her up on it. She slipped a long robe over her head, and began pining it up to the right length. "My, my; you just keep growing, don't you dear?" said Madam Malkin with a soft laugh.

Alice remained silent, not thinking much of the comment, watching the people outside through the window in the front of the shop. "How's your brother, dear?" asked Madam Malkin, turning Alice around to make sure everything was just right.

Alice couldn't help but snicker, "Justin? Justin failed his 7th Year, again."

"Oh? Well, maybe he'll make it this year," Madam Malkin smiled and said, "That's it dear; you're done," as she slipped the robes from Alice.

Alice hopped down off the footstool, turning to Madam Malkin, "I need five pairs of robes this year. Last year one got burnt from a Hufflepuff's wrong spell in Charms."

"Alright dear, stop by again before you head back home," said Madam Malkin with a bright smile. The Betrayal family always bought more than they needed, and this pleased her.

Alice nodded and left the shop, dusting herself off with a soft sigh. She reached into her pocket before stepping back out onto the street, and pulled out her supply list. Almost exactly the same as last years, except she needed a few more different things from Flourish and Blotts. Alice headed down the street again, supply list still in hand.

Alice stepped into Flourish and Blotts, the manager hurrying forth toward her. Alice grinned lightly, and handed him the list, not wanting to search for the books on her own. "I need these books for Hogwarts," she said, pointing out the books.

The manager looked at her, then realized what family she was from. He forced a nervous smile and spoke, "Alright, Miss Betrayal. I'll be right back with your books." He headed for the back room, to get the books from the stock room, knowing that if he didn't Alice's father would be in the shop, throwing a fit within the next two hours.

Alice giggled lightly and slowly moved toward the journal section. She knew that the store manager would never pick out one that she liked, and began searching for her own. She came across one rather quickly, and picked it up. It was rather nicem for a journal, leather bound with a rather decorative clasp to lock it. She grinned to herself and headed to the counter to wait for the manager.

The manager came back with all her books, setting them down on the counter. "I wasn't sure which journal you might have wanted," he puffed, then his eyes caught a glance of the one she had set down already. "Oh, I see you found one already." He forced a smile, "Brilliant taste, Mrs. Betrayal." Alice just smiled to him, as he figured out the total of her books. She payed up, and he packaged up her books for her handing back her supply list.

Alice left Flourish and Blotts, headed for the parchment, quill, and ink shop to get a new quill and her parchment for the school year. She stepped inside the store, telling the keeper exactly how much parchment she would need and to add a little extra. The keeper nodded, and began to gather what she would need.

Alice stepped over to the quills, finding them very interesting indeed. She picked up a brilliantly colored one, knowing exactly what it was; a Fwooper quill. Fwooper quills were the best quills she had ever worked with, actually, the only quills she ever worked with. She picked out three new quills, all green, and stepped over to the ink. A grin spread over her lips as she picked up a ink bottle. This was her favorite sort of ink; it changed colors when you wrote! She grabbed another bottle of plain black, and moved to the counter to set it all down as the keeper returned with her parchment.

"Is that all?" asked the keeper, packaging everything she had picked out.

Alice nodded lightly, answering with, "Yes," and paid the keeper.

After the keeper was done packaging her things, Alice left the shop. Stopping for a moment to make sure she had everything she had bought, she again pulled out her supply list. Alice groaned, now wishing she had brough Ting along. She sighed heavily, and picked up her packages again, heading for the Apothecary.

Stepping into the Apothecary, Alice wrinkled her nose up to block out the smell of bad eggs and rotted cabages. She forced herself to stay inside the shop as the store keeper gathered her things for her. Alice never had to do anything on her own, except pick out a broom; and even then she had the shop keeper standing over her!

Alice paid as she received her package with the things she would need inside, and quickly left. Nearly collapsing from holding her breath, Alice sat down at a table infront of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. She decided to rest for a moment, and look over her supply list, again.

Alice took out her supply list after gathering her packages around her feet, and read it over again. Eyes glanced up as she saw her Father pass her without a word, Justin following behind.

Justin stiffled a laugh at his sister, as he continued after their Father, mouthing to Alice, "We're going to Gringotts. Dad found a Runespoor in Knockturn Alley!"

Alice rolled her eyes, and went to look at her list again, but caught sight of a fellow Hogwarts student, passing with his mother and father. She knew who they were, she just decided to say nothing, and keep reading. She wrinkled her nose lightly at the list, hating to buy things that she didn't want.

Alice had already spent an hour in Diagon Alley, and she spent one more gathering whatever else she needed. In the last half hour she stumbled to the Quality Quidditch Supplies to buy up the latest racing broom, returned to Madam Malkin's for her robes, and then finally returned to the Leaky Cauldron.

Miles smiled brightly, seeing Alice. "I was afraid you got lost or something!" Miles laughed, watching her with all her packages.

Alice wrinkled her nose, sitting at the table with him, "All of it was too heavy! It slowed me down!" She giggled.

Miles laughed soflty and began to pick up her packages so they could leave, after leaving some money on the table for Tom. "Hmm, you got a new broom I see? Which one?"

Alice blinked lightly at Miles as he set everything in the trunk of the car. "I don't know, a Firebolt I think," she said simply, not knowing. She never asked which broom it was, she just wanted to newest model that was available. Slowly she got back into the car, and shut the door.

Miles laughed lightly as he got into the drivers seat, "Alice, you're too much."