For Molly the summer holiday couldn't pass quickly enough. She was sick of
her parents pretending that nothing had happened. She longed to be back at
Hogwarts where she at least had Arthur and Sophie to talk to. And she
wanted to get back to her classes, especially Charms which had always come
naturally to her as it did to all the witches in her family. She had
understandably neglected her classes last year and very much wanted to
catch up before she too her own O.W.L.s.
For her birthday in August, Molly's parents surprised her. Sophie would be joining them for a trip to Diagon Alley to get their school things. As a treat they would be taking a muggle train to get there.
Sophie arrived by floo powder that morning and the two girls rushed up to Molly's room. It was a huge relief for Molly to be able to speak Lily's name out loud again.
"Have you gotten any word on how she's doing?" Sophie asked her.
"Nothing. But Prof Dumbledore promised to let me know when he heard something."
"Girls we're going to be late for the muggle train," Molly's mother called up to them.
"We'll be right down."
The girls giggled and chattered about school all the way to the train station. They saw more than one mother pushing a pram and each time Molly tried to get a look at the baby inside to see if it might be Lily. On the train they saw a little girl who was about three years old with red hair like Molly's. Molly smiled and waved at her, "Lily's gonna look like that one day," she whispered so only Sophie could hear.
Once they were on the Alley, Molly's mum let them run off alone to look around. She'd given Molly a little extra money to pick out something special for her birthday. They replenished their supply of potion ingredients, and stood in front of Madam Malkin's for a little while dreaming about the dress robes in the window. Then Molly wanted to go to a toy store.
"Aren't you a little to old for toys," Sophie laughed at her.
"Well I can do what ever I want to with my birthday money and I thought I might get something for Lily. I'm sure Prof. Dumbledore could get it to her for me." Molly started off in the direction of the Kidman's Toys.
"But Molly," Sophie stopped her, "wouldn't it be kind of strange for her to have magical toys if she's living with a muggle family."
"I guess you're right," Molly thought a moment. "Hey isn't there a section of muggle books at Flourish and Blots?"
"I think so. I've never looked at them though."
"Me neither. Come on." The girls ran to the book store. "Excuse me," Molly found a clerk, "Do you have any muggle books?"
The clerk looked a bit shocked, "Don't get much call for 'em but we've got a few in the back." He led them to a very dusty shelf on the back wall.
Molly picked up one of the books and started to flip through it. It kicked up a bit of dust and Sophie sneezed.
"If you don't mind me askin', why do you want a muggle book?" the clerk asked.
"Oh," Molly looked up from the page, "It's for a friend."
"So it's a gag gift," the clerk nodded his head knowingly.
"Not exactly," Molly continued to look. "Hey look this one talks about Merlin. Are you sure this is a muggle book?"
"Are the pictures moving?" he asked.
"Well no," Molly turned to Sophie. "What do you think?"
Sophie shrugged.
Molly looked at the cover of the book again King Arthur and His Knights by: Sir Thomas Malory. "I think that's who Arthur was named after," she said to no one in particular. Then she made up her mind, "I'll take it."
For her birthday in August, Molly's parents surprised her. Sophie would be joining them for a trip to Diagon Alley to get their school things. As a treat they would be taking a muggle train to get there.
Sophie arrived by floo powder that morning and the two girls rushed up to Molly's room. It was a huge relief for Molly to be able to speak Lily's name out loud again.
"Have you gotten any word on how she's doing?" Sophie asked her.
"Nothing. But Prof Dumbledore promised to let me know when he heard something."
"Girls we're going to be late for the muggle train," Molly's mother called up to them.
"We'll be right down."
The girls giggled and chattered about school all the way to the train station. They saw more than one mother pushing a pram and each time Molly tried to get a look at the baby inside to see if it might be Lily. On the train they saw a little girl who was about three years old with red hair like Molly's. Molly smiled and waved at her, "Lily's gonna look like that one day," she whispered so only Sophie could hear.
Once they were on the Alley, Molly's mum let them run off alone to look around. She'd given Molly a little extra money to pick out something special for her birthday. They replenished their supply of potion ingredients, and stood in front of Madam Malkin's for a little while dreaming about the dress robes in the window. Then Molly wanted to go to a toy store.
"Aren't you a little to old for toys," Sophie laughed at her.
"Well I can do what ever I want to with my birthday money and I thought I might get something for Lily. I'm sure Prof. Dumbledore could get it to her for me." Molly started off in the direction of the Kidman's Toys.
"But Molly," Sophie stopped her, "wouldn't it be kind of strange for her to have magical toys if she's living with a muggle family."
"I guess you're right," Molly thought a moment. "Hey isn't there a section of muggle books at Flourish and Blots?"
"I think so. I've never looked at them though."
"Me neither. Come on." The girls ran to the book store. "Excuse me," Molly found a clerk, "Do you have any muggle books?"
The clerk looked a bit shocked, "Don't get much call for 'em but we've got a few in the back." He led them to a very dusty shelf on the back wall.
Molly picked up one of the books and started to flip through it. It kicked up a bit of dust and Sophie sneezed.
"If you don't mind me askin', why do you want a muggle book?" the clerk asked.
"Oh," Molly looked up from the page, "It's for a friend."
"So it's a gag gift," the clerk nodded his head knowingly.
"Not exactly," Molly continued to look. "Hey look this one talks about Merlin. Are you sure this is a muggle book?"
"Are the pictures moving?" he asked.
"Well no," Molly turned to Sophie. "What do you think?"
Sophie shrugged.
Molly looked at the cover of the book again King Arthur and His Knights by: Sir Thomas Malory. "I think that's who Arthur was named after," she said to no one in particular. Then she made up her mind, "I'll take it."