Harry awoke to the chirping of birds outside his window. Rubbing his eyes,
he picked up his glasses and put them on. Hedwig was sleeping underneath
her wing, but Harry decided to wake her up and let her stretch with a nice
morning soar. She left willingly and hooted.
Looking around his room Harry thought he might as well get started with his school shopping. He pulled on a clean shirt and jeans and headed for Diagon Alley, his supply list at hand.
"Mornin', Harry!" said the innkeeper, Tom. "Would you like cup of hot chocolate before you leave?"
The parlor was crowded with guests looking for a late breakfast and the room smelled of eggs and bacon.
"No, thank you," Harry answered politely. "I better get going. School supplies."
Tom smiled and waved as balanced a tray of mugs with frothy hot cocoa.
Diagon Alley was just as packed as the Leaky Cauldron. People pushed and shoved here and there. It was like being in a river with many currents. Finally he found his way to Flourish and Blotts.
The door opened with the jingling of bells. The small shop was rather vacant compared to the street. Books covered the many rows of shelves. New. Used. Anything you wanted. He remembered last year when Gilderoy Lockhart had set up a stand for autographs and Mrs. Weasley had gone complete weak at the knees. Enough said.
Harry scanned the rows of books and piled the ones he needed on top of one another. He stopped abruptly and looked through the shelf. A boy who looked his age was looking for a book, obviously frustrated. Harry didn't recognize him from Hogwarts.
"Do you need some help?" Harry asked gladly, setting his books down.
"Oh.uh sure," the timid boy was tall with tan skin and light brown hair and by the way he talked, it was clear that he from the US. "I'm Michael."
"Harry."
Michael's eyes flickered towards Harry's forehead.
Harry smiled ineptly and asked, "You're not from Hogwarts are you?"
"Oh, no. Well, I mean, I'm going to Hogwarts this year. For the foreign exchange program, you know? My girlfriend, Skylar, and I signed up together."
"Really? I just read about the program in the Daily Prophet yesterday," Harry replied. "Now, what did you need help with?"
"I just can't find one of the books on my list. The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five." He answered pointing to the book on his list.
Harry scanned the shelf. "Ah, right here." He pulled the book off the shelf and handed it to Michael. "There you go."
"Thanks," Taking the book, Michael stacked it on top of his pile. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you at Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, sure. See you there."
Returning to his list, Harry moved forward to pay for his books and pulled out a handful of sickles, handing them to the cashier. Using her wand, the cashier made the money disappeared into thin air.
She handed Harry his bag of books and said in monotone, "Thank you for shopping, have a great day."
Harry left the shop and headed back to street.
The rest of the day went by quickly and Harry soon found himself back at the Leaky Cauldron, carrying many bags filled to the rim with books and robes. Just as Harry was about to open the door to his room, Mr. Fudge walked by.
"Up for dinner, Harry?" He asked cheerfully.
Harry unlocked his door and set the bags down inside. "Sure! I'm starved."
He and Mr. Fudge walked down the stairs and into the parlor, finding a table near the window out looking Diagon Alley and sat down. Fudge flagged down a waiter while Harry looked at the menu.
"May I help you?" the waiter asked.
Fudge and Harry ordered their food quickly and handed back their menus.
"Mr. Fudge. Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked taking a sip of his water.
Smiling broadly, Cornelius replied, "Yes, and maybe I'll have an answer."
"Okay, er. Why were Stan and Ernie in such a rush to talk to you? I mean, they told me that the Ministry was having problems."
Mr. Fudge's smile faded. "Well, seeing as though this is strictly Ministry business, I can't tell you exactly. All I'll say is that there have been some robberies throughout the families of the employees of the Ministry. Their okay, it's just, the culprit has stolen some pretty important things."
Ron was the first person that came to Harry's mind. His father had worked at the Ministry for years in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department.
"The Weasley's.were they robbed?" Harry asked.
Mr. Fudge nodded as the waiter set their plates down in front of them. "I'm afraid so, but like I said before, no body was hurt at all. The Weasley's don't know yet. They're coming back on the 30th. We decided not to trouble them with that on their vacation."
Nodding, Harry stirred his food around on his plate. The rest of their dinner was spent in silence.
Looking around his room Harry thought he might as well get started with his school shopping. He pulled on a clean shirt and jeans and headed for Diagon Alley, his supply list at hand.
"Mornin', Harry!" said the innkeeper, Tom. "Would you like cup of hot chocolate before you leave?"
The parlor was crowded with guests looking for a late breakfast and the room smelled of eggs and bacon.
"No, thank you," Harry answered politely. "I better get going. School supplies."
Tom smiled and waved as balanced a tray of mugs with frothy hot cocoa.
Diagon Alley was just as packed as the Leaky Cauldron. People pushed and shoved here and there. It was like being in a river with many currents. Finally he found his way to Flourish and Blotts.
The door opened with the jingling of bells. The small shop was rather vacant compared to the street. Books covered the many rows of shelves. New. Used. Anything you wanted. He remembered last year when Gilderoy Lockhart had set up a stand for autographs and Mrs. Weasley had gone complete weak at the knees. Enough said.
Harry scanned the rows of books and piled the ones he needed on top of one another. He stopped abruptly and looked through the shelf. A boy who looked his age was looking for a book, obviously frustrated. Harry didn't recognize him from Hogwarts.
"Do you need some help?" Harry asked gladly, setting his books down.
"Oh.uh sure," the timid boy was tall with tan skin and light brown hair and by the way he talked, it was clear that he from the US. "I'm Michael."
"Harry."
Michael's eyes flickered towards Harry's forehead.
Harry smiled ineptly and asked, "You're not from Hogwarts are you?"
"Oh, no. Well, I mean, I'm going to Hogwarts this year. For the foreign exchange program, you know? My girlfriend, Skylar, and I signed up together."
"Really? I just read about the program in the Daily Prophet yesterday," Harry replied. "Now, what did you need help with?"
"I just can't find one of the books on my list. The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five." He answered pointing to the book on his list.
Harry scanned the shelf. "Ah, right here." He pulled the book off the shelf and handed it to Michael. "There you go."
"Thanks," Taking the book, Michael stacked it on top of his pile. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you at Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, sure. See you there."
Returning to his list, Harry moved forward to pay for his books and pulled out a handful of sickles, handing them to the cashier. Using her wand, the cashier made the money disappeared into thin air.
She handed Harry his bag of books and said in monotone, "Thank you for shopping, have a great day."
Harry left the shop and headed back to street.
The rest of the day went by quickly and Harry soon found himself back at the Leaky Cauldron, carrying many bags filled to the rim with books and robes. Just as Harry was about to open the door to his room, Mr. Fudge walked by.
"Up for dinner, Harry?" He asked cheerfully.
Harry unlocked his door and set the bags down inside. "Sure! I'm starved."
He and Mr. Fudge walked down the stairs and into the parlor, finding a table near the window out looking Diagon Alley and sat down. Fudge flagged down a waiter while Harry looked at the menu.
"May I help you?" the waiter asked.
Fudge and Harry ordered their food quickly and handed back their menus.
"Mr. Fudge. Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked taking a sip of his water.
Smiling broadly, Cornelius replied, "Yes, and maybe I'll have an answer."
"Okay, er. Why were Stan and Ernie in such a rush to talk to you? I mean, they told me that the Ministry was having problems."
Mr. Fudge's smile faded. "Well, seeing as though this is strictly Ministry business, I can't tell you exactly. All I'll say is that there have been some robberies throughout the families of the employees of the Ministry. Their okay, it's just, the culprit has stolen some pretty important things."
Ron was the first person that came to Harry's mind. His father had worked at the Ministry for years in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department.
"The Weasley's.were they robbed?" Harry asked.
Mr. Fudge nodded as the waiter set their plates down in front of them. "I'm afraid so, but like I said before, no body was hurt at all. The Weasley's don't know yet. They're coming back on the 30th. We decided not to trouble them with that on their vacation."
Nodding, Harry stirred his food around on his plate. The rest of their dinner was spent in silence.
