Harry Potter and the Fountain of Magical Brethren
Chapter 5: Number 93, Diagon Alley
They waited, braced for anything, as Mrs. Weasley opened the closet door. They were shocked as out walked.
"I'll kill them!" said Charlie, wiping sweat off his brow. "They gave me Peacock Peanuts- I swear they looked just like the real thing. Then they shoved me in the closet so when I turned back I was locked in."
Fred and George had mysteriously disappeared that morning, but Mrs. Weasley was too relieved to be really mad at them.
The next few days passed quickly. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and various other Weasleys played Quidditch in the yard while Hermione poured over her schoolbooks. Harry and Ron even caught her reading The Key to Passing Your NEWTs; they slowly backed out of the room to avoid getting a lecture on the fact that they should be studying too- two years were not long at all when they concerned your future.
Then on a Wednesday a week before school began, the group took a trip to Diagon Alley. When they first arrived out of the hearth of the Leaky Cauldron, the sun was shining brightly, but as the day wore on and they shopped for their books and their mandatory school supplies it became more and more overcast. When at last they were done with their shopping at Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkin's, and the Apothecary, dark clouds had gathered overhead. It was just as they were heading over to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes that they spotted their schoolmates, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Remembering that Ginny had mentioned going out with Dean Thomas, Harry looked over at her, silently inquiring as to whether she and Dean wanted to be alone. He was surprised to see a look of discomfort on her freckled face. She was looking into the nearest shop window, pretending she had not seen him, and her face was a bright red.
"Er-hello Ron, Harry, Hermione," said Dean, choosing to ignore Ginny. "Got all your shopping done?"
"Nearly," answered Ron, "we were just about to stop by Fred and George's place to see if we can find some things to make Filch's life miserable."
"D'you want to come along with us?" Harry asked, wondering what was going on between Dean and Ginny.
"No thanks," said Dean loudly. "I'm meeting up with Parvati in a little while." Then, turning to Ginny, he continued, "She's so pretty and wonderful. Wow, I wish I were kissing her right now. But we're just friends." The pair then turned and walked away, with Ginny glaring at the back of Dean's head.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked his sister.
"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. When I went round Dean's house earlier this summer we broke up. It was just the day before Harry arrived and I guess I forgot with all that's going on."
"Yeah, well it's no big loss anyways," said Hermione cheerfully. "Let's go over to Fred and George's now, shall we?"
As the group drew nearer to the entrance, they saw that there was quite a large crowd of people in the store. They saw Lee Jordan's head through the crowd and he waved them in.
"Hey Weasleys! Harry, Hermione. Welcome to the store! Fred and George are in the back if you want to see them." At that point their conversation was interrupted when the hair of the customer behind them caught on fire.
"If you're going to sample the merchandise, you have to pay for it, you know," said Lee, putting it out with his wand.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all stifled grins and went towards the back of the store. Fred and George were chatting in the storeroom with a girl who looked about their age. She had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a cheerful smile.
"Hey, customers! Come to see what you made possible, Harry?" said Fred.
"Wow!" said Harry, "It's really amazing in here! When did you come up with all this stuff?"
"Ah, young Harry. We've been thinking about this for quite some time. The business world is not always an easy place, you know," George joked. "By the way, this our new assistant Grace. We just hired her- it's getting really busy now that school is about to start."
The four decided to explore the shop for a while; it really was impressive. It was divided into sections. There was one sign indicating "Dangerous" merchandise. Among the other sections were, "Transformatory Foods," "Get Out of Class," and "Dungbombs and Other Things That Will Make You Cry." Harry felt as though he had barely even gotten around the whole store when he heard Grace's voice announce closing time to all the customers remaining in the store. He went up to the cash register with a large basketful of "gifts" for Malfoy and many Skiving Snackboxes.
"That will be 4 Galleons and 3 Knuts," Fred told him.
Harry reached for his money, but was interrupted by a snort from Fred.
"You think we'd actually make you pay when you gave us all that gold?"
"Oh- wow- thanks!" Harry said.
"Excuse me," George called to Ron, who had started to walk out of the store, "have you paid for those Dungbombs?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm your brother!"
"Fine- but don't tell Bill. We made him pay full price!"
When they walked outside, they were hit with a blast of wind and rain. They scurried off to their meeting place, the Leaky Cauldron.
Once inside, they sat down at a table and ordered some hot cocoa while they waited for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"That was certainly an interesting store. I hope you don't plan to use any of those Dungbombs, Ron," Hermione said, sipping her cocoa.
"What do you think I bought them for- decoration?"
"But Ron-you're a prefect!" Hermione sounded shocked.
"That's not my fault, blame Dumbledore for that!" Harry and Ginny grinned at each other.
Later at the Burrow, Harry walked past Ginny's room to hear Hermione and Ginny talking quietly. Since he was waiting for Bill to get out of the shower, he felt he had no choice but to remain standing there.
"Wasn't Dean acting like such a prat in Diagon Alley today?" asked Ginny.
"Yeah! That comment about Parvati was so obnoxious," Hermione replied.
" I mean honestly! Harry was standing right there. Dean was immature about that whole thing anyway. He kept saying that all I talk about is Harry, which is completely untrue; maybe I mentioned him once or twice, but that's not the same thing." Just then, the door opened and Bill exited the bathroom, his long hair dripping. Harry walked into the shower, trying to figure out the conversation he had overheard. So Dean had broken up with Ginny because of him? He felt terrible even though he hadn't done anything. He realized that he could hardly recognize the shy, clumsy ten-year old he had met on his first day at Hogwarts.
Chapter 5: Number 93, Diagon Alley
They waited, braced for anything, as Mrs. Weasley opened the closet door. They were shocked as out walked.
"I'll kill them!" said Charlie, wiping sweat off his brow. "They gave me Peacock Peanuts- I swear they looked just like the real thing. Then they shoved me in the closet so when I turned back I was locked in."
Fred and George had mysteriously disappeared that morning, but Mrs. Weasley was too relieved to be really mad at them.
The next few days passed quickly. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and various other Weasleys played Quidditch in the yard while Hermione poured over her schoolbooks. Harry and Ron even caught her reading The Key to Passing Your NEWTs; they slowly backed out of the room to avoid getting a lecture on the fact that they should be studying too- two years were not long at all when they concerned your future.
Then on a Wednesday a week before school began, the group took a trip to Diagon Alley. When they first arrived out of the hearth of the Leaky Cauldron, the sun was shining brightly, but as the day wore on and they shopped for their books and their mandatory school supplies it became more and more overcast. When at last they were done with their shopping at Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkin's, and the Apothecary, dark clouds had gathered overhead. It was just as they were heading over to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes that they spotted their schoolmates, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Remembering that Ginny had mentioned going out with Dean Thomas, Harry looked over at her, silently inquiring as to whether she and Dean wanted to be alone. He was surprised to see a look of discomfort on her freckled face. She was looking into the nearest shop window, pretending she had not seen him, and her face was a bright red.
"Er-hello Ron, Harry, Hermione," said Dean, choosing to ignore Ginny. "Got all your shopping done?"
"Nearly," answered Ron, "we were just about to stop by Fred and George's place to see if we can find some things to make Filch's life miserable."
"D'you want to come along with us?" Harry asked, wondering what was going on between Dean and Ginny.
"No thanks," said Dean loudly. "I'm meeting up with Parvati in a little while." Then, turning to Ginny, he continued, "She's so pretty and wonderful. Wow, I wish I were kissing her right now. But we're just friends." The pair then turned and walked away, with Ginny glaring at the back of Dean's head.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked his sister.
"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. When I went round Dean's house earlier this summer we broke up. It was just the day before Harry arrived and I guess I forgot with all that's going on."
"Yeah, well it's no big loss anyways," said Hermione cheerfully. "Let's go over to Fred and George's now, shall we?"
As the group drew nearer to the entrance, they saw that there was quite a large crowd of people in the store. They saw Lee Jordan's head through the crowd and he waved them in.
"Hey Weasleys! Harry, Hermione. Welcome to the store! Fred and George are in the back if you want to see them." At that point their conversation was interrupted when the hair of the customer behind them caught on fire.
"If you're going to sample the merchandise, you have to pay for it, you know," said Lee, putting it out with his wand.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all stifled grins and went towards the back of the store. Fred and George were chatting in the storeroom with a girl who looked about their age. She had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a cheerful smile.
"Hey, customers! Come to see what you made possible, Harry?" said Fred.
"Wow!" said Harry, "It's really amazing in here! When did you come up with all this stuff?"
"Ah, young Harry. We've been thinking about this for quite some time. The business world is not always an easy place, you know," George joked. "By the way, this our new assistant Grace. We just hired her- it's getting really busy now that school is about to start."
The four decided to explore the shop for a while; it really was impressive. It was divided into sections. There was one sign indicating "Dangerous" merchandise. Among the other sections were, "Transformatory Foods," "Get Out of Class," and "Dungbombs and Other Things That Will Make You Cry." Harry felt as though he had barely even gotten around the whole store when he heard Grace's voice announce closing time to all the customers remaining in the store. He went up to the cash register with a large basketful of "gifts" for Malfoy and many Skiving Snackboxes.
"That will be 4 Galleons and 3 Knuts," Fred told him.
Harry reached for his money, but was interrupted by a snort from Fred.
"You think we'd actually make you pay when you gave us all that gold?"
"Oh- wow- thanks!" Harry said.
"Excuse me," George called to Ron, who had started to walk out of the store, "have you paid for those Dungbombs?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm your brother!"
"Fine- but don't tell Bill. We made him pay full price!"
When they walked outside, they were hit with a blast of wind and rain. They scurried off to their meeting place, the Leaky Cauldron.
Once inside, they sat down at a table and ordered some hot cocoa while they waited for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"That was certainly an interesting store. I hope you don't plan to use any of those Dungbombs, Ron," Hermione said, sipping her cocoa.
"What do you think I bought them for- decoration?"
"But Ron-you're a prefect!" Hermione sounded shocked.
"That's not my fault, blame Dumbledore for that!" Harry and Ginny grinned at each other.
Later at the Burrow, Harry walked past Ginny's room to hear Hermione and Ginny talking quietly. Since he was waiting for Bill to get out of the shower, he felt he had no choice but to remain standing there.
"Wasn't Dean acting like such a prat in Diagon Alley today?" asked Ginny.
"Yeah! That comment about Parvati was so obnoxious," Hermione replied.
" I mean honestly! Harry was standing right there. Dean was immature about that whole thing anyway. He kept saying that all I talk about is Harry, which is completely untrue; maybe I mentioned him once or twice, but that's not the same thing." Just then, the door opened and Bill exited the bathroom, his long hair dripping. Harry walked into the shower, trying to figure out the conversation he had overheard. So Dean had broken up with Ginny because of him? He felt terrible even though he hadn't done anything. He realized that he could hardly recognize the shy, clumsy ten-year old he had met on his first day at Hogwarts.