(Hello all! It has been a while since I posted no? Sorry for the wait, I have been busy, um...holidaying...*looks sheepish* Hopeful the chapter is enough to make up for the wait. Half of its been sitting around for a while, and I just finished the other half. Hope ya'll enjoy!)
Harry chewed on his quill thoughtfully before beginning his letter.
Dear Sirius,
I know what you're thinking: "Where the hell are you?" Well can I just say that I'm safe, and you don't need to worry about me. I can't explain in a letter, so you'll just have to be patient. Ask everyone to stop looking for me please. Chances are I'll turn up on the train anyway.
Please don't be mad,
Harry.
"Did Sara say you could write to him?" Jessica's voice floated down from above. Harry turned and looked at her from where he was sitting on the attic floor writing his letter. She stood reading the letter over his shoulder.
"Yes, actually she did." Harry rolled his eyes. "I had to do it eventually, especially if we end up going to Hogwarts." Harry and Anna had filled in the rest of the elementals of their suspicions about going to Hogwarts.
"So you actually think that's what Sara's planning?" Jess asked, sitting down beside him with hopeful eyes.
"What else is there? Though I can't think of any plausible explanation to tell Sirius, Hermione, Ron, DUMBLEDORE....Snape..." Harry winced at the name, he had the uncanny feeling that Snape didn't entirely believe the story about Harry Brown. "Why I've been missing."
"Yeh. Not to mention the fact that with normal lessons at Hogwarts there'd be wandless, elemental, telepathy, fighting..."
"Fighting?" Harry stared blankly at Jess.
"I heard Sara mumbling about it. She somehow wants us to all become excellent athletes. Got to do with the prophecy." Jess frowned. "I've done Gymnastics before but can you see me fighting?"
Harry laughed, "No not really. You'd suck at it, you air head!"
"Shut up! You're as much as an air head as I am." She glared back at him but then smiled. "Suppose it would be useful though."
"You suppose? Wait to you see Draco Malfoy, then you'll see how useful it could get!" Harry grinned maniacally before moving on. "What's this about telepathy then. We haven't done anything on it yet, though Anna did mention it at the very start, and I've been here for nearly a week and a half now."
"It's not really a lesson I'm talking about. Just every now and then, Sara gets us together and tests how far our telepathic link can stretch. Telepathy comes naturally to us. It should to you as well."
"Oh. Right." Harry looked unsure of himself, but shrugged anyway. He rolled up the letter and tied it with ribbon to a small black minute owl. The owl blinked and then dove out the open windows of the attic, before disappearing from sight.
"Not using Hedwig?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "Sirius would recognise her before reading the letter, and being Sirius he would trace her and then read the letter after he found me." Harry sighed. "Typical Sirius." He stared forlornly out the window wondering whether he'd ever really be with his friends again. Things were different now, and Harry knew that even if they did meet back up, this secret of his might be a stopper in their friendship. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Jess who was standing now.
"If we do end up at Hogwarts you could just tell them you needed a break from the Dursley's and you knew that if you had told them this they wouldn't have let you leave..."
"Yeh, that's probably I good explanation but in the end I'm going to get all the, "Harry that wasn't a safe idea." "You're meant to stay with your relatives, it's for your own protection." "How could you worry us all like this?" And on and on..." Harry sighed and stood with Jess.
"Sara will figure it out, otherwise we'll just have to keep our secrets and not give them an explanation at all."
"Mmm.." Harry didn't like the sound of that but it was most likely what he would end up doing. He didn't want to have to keeps secrets from his friends, he could just see their reactions. Not good. "So what did you come up here for?" Harry asked.
"Oh!" Jess slapped a hand to her mouth as if suddenly shocked. "I completely forgot! Sara wants us all down stairs. Got something to tell us." Harry rose his eyebrows at that. Seemed that Hogwarts wasn't that far off the mark.
***
Harry and Jess slipped into their seats as Sara rounded on them. "Jess, didn't I say be quick?" She asked calmly though there was quite a fed up look on her face.
"Uh...yes, sorry about that Sara. Got a bit side tracked..." Jess smiled nervously and cupped her hands around the warm mug of tea that Jason had passed round the table to her.
"So it seems..." Sara said tight-lipped.
"Air head..." Harry hissed from beside her with a grin on his face.
"Shut up!" Jess narrowed her blue eyes at him though the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.
"So getting down to business." Sara sat down with her palms face down on the table, a serious look on her face. "I've been thinking carefully about our welfare. The longer we stay secret the better. Less chance of Voldemort finding us." Harry's eyes widened this was the first time he'd heard Voldemort mentioned, and by the sounds of it he was the complete reason they were in hiding. "But by keeping hidden, I think we are setting ourselves up to be caught. Maybe living a normal wizarding life and appearing to all wizards and witches as normal is the best way of keeping secret. Not to mention, that since Harry has come along we are more of a target than ever before. More people looking for him and coming a bit too close to home. What I have planned will help both situations." Harry smirked slightly, he knew what was coming, he had been right all along. He exchanged a knowing glance with Anna before tuning back into Sara. "I think we should enroll at Hogwarts." Jess, Nada and Jason grinned whilst Harry and Anna sat calmly with a cool air about them.
"Serious, Sara?" Jess asked with an eager look on her face.
"Yes. Don't get too excited though, there is lots to do to make this happen. Each one of you, bar Harry, will have to come up with a story to cover your past. Your made up past will have to involve each other, so you can all pretend to already be aquatinted."
"What's gonna be my story, Sara?" Harry interrupted, wondering how she was gonna figure that problem.
"I'm not sure Harry." Sara smiled kindly, "but I'm sure we'll come up with something." She paused and bit her lip thoughtfully. "Elemental lessons and such, will be a problem. But I think I have solved it." Harry leaned in curiously and watched Sara as she pulled something from her apron.
"A time turner!" Harry exclaimed with wide eyes. "How'd you get that?"
"Its been in the family for a while, hidden from the ministry for as long as a can remember. What's going to happen is after your lessons at a set time every night. You'll turn the timer back and then use a portkey to access the house." She gestured around her briefly and continued. "Doing twice as much in one day will take a lot out of you, so we'll stock up on energy potions to be taken in moderation." Her eyes had a warning light. "We wouldn't want anyone to get an addiction."
"Hey Sara! I just had an idea for all our pasts!" Nada suddenly spoke up. Her eagerness had the water in her glass excited, and it was swilling around slightly. Nada relaxed slightly as did the water in her glass and she continued. "We can all come from a small orphanage somewhere that teaches magic, and Sara you'll be like one of the teachers. We all work in a cafe that helps to support the orphanage, that way no more suspicious ugly guys..." Nada crinkled her nose. "So the orphanage came up with a new plan to send their best students," here she grinned broadly. "To one of the leading wizardring schools. That's where we come in at Hogwarts, and you can come along as our boarding mistress or whatever..."
"Or you could apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job," Harry supplied.
"Huh?" Nada looked slightly confused.
"Unless they've already found someone the job should be vacant. So you could apply for it Sara."
"That's not a bad idea Harry." She smiled, widely. "Well we have a lot to organise it seems. Jason I want you to organise a roster for the kitchen hands, so they can look after the cafe while we're at Hogwarts. We'll check back on them every now and then." Jason nodded. "We'll have to visit Diagon Alley... How long till term starts Harry?"
"A couple of days..."
"Oh dear," Sara's forehead creased. "Not much time is there...We'll have to go to Diagon Alley today. Jason grab me that piece of parchment will you?" Jason flicked his wrist and a piece of paper flew through the air and then skidded across the table to Sara. She grabbed a quill from her apron and began scrawling on it a list of things to do. "We'll need fake birth certificates and a change of last names for everyone except Harry. Can't have the ministry all confused on four missing persons turning up out of the blue, now can we?" She muttered more to herself than the others. Name of orphanage....apply for job..." Sara began mumbling to herself and Harry slipped out of the room with Anna close behind him.
"Wow, so it's actually gonna happen," Anna breathed, curling up on the couch. Harry slid down beside her and nodded his head.
***
"Harry, a disguise please." Sara called as she bustled through the lounge room. "Nada can you please find the floo powder for me...Harry! We need a list of school supplies, did they send you one?"
"Yep, right here Sara!" Harry waved a piece of parchment in his hands as he came down the stairs, with Nada close behind him with the floo powder.
"Okay," Sara took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Hold on..." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Where's Jason? JASON!"
"Whoa! Here, Sara." Jason skidded in from the kitchen with a muffin in his hands and a sheepish look in his face. Sara huffed indignantly and snatched the floo powder from Nada.
"She gets titchy when she's busy..." Nada hissed, glancing at Harry sideways.
"Okay, step forward and shout 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Harry, disguise!"
"Huh?" Harry blinked and then nodded in realisation. "Oh yeah!" His face slowly moulded into red hair and bright blue eyes and he shrunk slightly.
"The Leaky Cauldron!" Nada called and was whisked away in a blur of green, Sara didn't waste anytime in pushing Anna into the fireplace next. Then Harry was bustled into it and he quickly called out 'The Leaky Cauldron' before swirling in a mass of soot and landing, barely on his feet. Harry coughed and spluttered moving away from the fireplace and over next to Anna and Nada.
"Aww, Harry you look so cute in that face!" Anna cooed with a smirk on her face, she ruffled his hair.
"Shutup!"
"Ouch!" Harry glanced over to see Jess, getting to her feet and brushing herself off, but before she could move, Jason came flying out of the fireplace knocking her off her feet.
"Hey!" Jess gasped, the wind having been knocked out of her.
"Oops, Sorry Jess!" Jason scrambled to his feet and hauled her up and they quickly moved over next to the others who were trying to contain their laughter.
"Well then, come on everyone," Sara wasted no time as she made her way out of the fireplace in herding them all into Diagon Alley. She didn't even spare a glance for the people in the Leaky Cauldron who were staring curiously at them. "Okay, we're going to split up. Jason and Jess, you're going to get the books for everyone..."
"Everyone? How are we gonna carry all that?" Jason exclaimed.
"Magic, dumb ass," Anna rolled her eyes at Jason who glared. Sara tutted them and continued.
"Harry and Anna you two we'll visit the Apothecary and grab potions ingredients for all, then you will all meet in Madam Malkins and be fitted for school robes, bar Harry who is too short at the moment." Anna chuckled and Harry elbowed her in the ribs. "Nada, you'll be with me, we're going to visit The Magical Menagerie. Understand?" Sara raised her eyebrows and the all nodded. "Okay, off you go!"
Harry and Anna grinned at each other and marched off towards the shops on the other side of the cobbled alley. The Apothecary was almost on the corner of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley.
"Whoa, creepy!" Anna hissed as she glanced in the display window, where parts of different animals lay in puddles of goo. Harry rolled his eyes, grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. "Bit dark in here, don't they understand the concept of light?"
"Shut up, and help me find the crap for the potions!"
"Okay, okay....umm..." Anna browsed in and out of the shelves before reappearing triumphantly. "Here, we need this...uh..thing...don't we?" She waved a jar full of roots that were surrounded by a fat like substance.
"You mean Ovular roots?" Harry asked with a smirk. Anna glared at him and didn't reply. "Yes, we need them." Harry and Anna then quickly grabbed five lots of each ingredient before taking them to the counter and paying for them with some money Sara had supplied.
"Expensive," Anna hissed as the emerged back into the Alley.
"Only cause we had to get so much of each item." Harry replied, glancing around to see if anyone was watching he cast a quick weightless spell. "That's better."
"What do you reckon Sara and Nada are getting at the Magical Menagerie. We've all got owls already..." Anna looked thoughtful, tapping her chin lightly.
"Who knows?" Harry shrugged. Anna leaned over and ruffled his hair,
"You are just so adorable in that form, Harry!" He narrowed his eyes and slapped her arm away. "But, I have to say that your normal form is HOT!" She grinned at him flashing straight white teeth.
"Come on. Madam Malkin's is over here." Harry said hurriedly, his eyes still narrowed with annoyance. They entered the shop, which had a bell like their cafe and were approached by Madam Malkin herself.
"Good Afternoon," Madam Malkin smiled, making her puffy rosy cheeks inflate. "Who can I help?"
"Anna here needs some new Hogwarts robes." Madam Malkin nodded and flicked her wand. A measuring tape came flying over and began measuring a giggling Anna. "Let see, try on this one, this one and this one." She bustled about and laden Anna's arms with robes just as Jason and Jess entered.
"Hey guys!" Jason strolled over, with Jess trailing looking irritated.
"Wants some help there Jess?" Harry asked, noticing the pile of books she held in her arms.
"What do you think?" She snapped back. Harry laughed and helped lift out half the stack.
"Didn't he carry anything?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Jess grumbled, "Lazy git."
The bell tinkled and Nada and Sara entered. Nada was smiling widely with a twinkle in her eyes for some unknown reason. They carried nothing, but Harry knew better and just glanced on suspiciously. Madam Malkin reappeared from a row of robes and looked surprised at the amount of people who had entered her shop.
"They all need school robes too," Harry gestured with a smirk. Immediately Madam Malkin got to work.
*^*^*^**^*^*^**^*^*^*^**^*^*^**^*^*^***^*^*^**
A chime sounded in the office of Albus Dumbledore. He clasped his hands and directed his attention towards the female head that had appeared in his fireplace.
"Good Evening, and who might I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"Sara Devonport," Sara said politely. Something about the twinkle in the old man's eye made her think he was a suss character, but she knew better. "I apologise, for the lateness of the request I'm about to make..."
"No apologies necessary," Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"I come from a small Wizardring orphanage, in Little Whinging." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at that, the coincidence in the fact the Harry Potter disappeared from that area and now this lady approaching him. His facial expressions didn't go unnoticed by Sara as she continued. "Recently our school decided that we would like to send our best students to Hogwarts so they can have the best education available. I'm hoping you will have a placement for them."
"What year would they be going to?" Dumbledore asked as he dipped a quill in green ink and began scrawling over a piece of parchment.
"Fifth year."
"I believe we do have room for them," Dumbledore mused, a thoughtful look on his face. He was taking in every word she said, and trying to come to conclusions about her and these new students. "Names, please?"
"Anna Clair, Jason Wilson, Nada DeWinter and Jessica Rowlands."
"and you say they are your best students?"
"Yes," Sara beamed with pride. "They are hard working students and will not let you down, Sir."
"Please, it's Albus."
"Your orphanage? Where is it situated?"
"I hope you will understand that I cannot relay that information. Some of our children come from abusive families, as long as our location is kept secret they are safe."
"I understand perfectly. Here is a list of what they'll need, the train leaves on 1st September at 11 o'clock, platform nine and three quarters." Sara nodded enthusiastically.
"Thank you very much Albus, the kids we'll be so excited when I tell them the news." She paused. "There is one more thing."
"Yes?"
"I heard that the Defence against the Dark Arts job hadn't been filled. Is that still so?"
"It is."
"Well I was hoping to apply, so I can be around to help the children adjust. What would I need to do to apply?"
"Fill me in about your experiences."
(The only was I'll post more chapters is if you review, cos when i get reviews I know people like what they read, so press the button at the bottom, and review now!)
TOODLES!
~Bubby
Harry chewed on his quill thoughtfully before beginning his letter.
Dear Sirius,
I know what you're thinking: "Where the hell are you?" Well can I just say that I'm safe, and you don't need to worry about me. I can't explain in a letter, so you'll just have to be patient. Ask everyone to stop looking for me please. Chances are I'll turn up on the train anyway.
Please don't be mad,
Harry.
"Did Sara say you could write to him?" Jessica's voice floated down from above. Harry turned and looked at her from where he was sitting on the attic floor writing his letter. She stood reading the letter over his shoulder.
"Yes, actually she did." Harry rolled his eyes. "I had to do it eventually, especially if we end up going to Hogwarts." Harry and Anna had filled in the rest of the elementals of their suspicions about going to Hogwarts.
"So you actually think that's what Sara's planning?" Jess asked, sitting down beside him with hopeful eyes.
"What else is there? Though I can't think of any plausible explanation to tell Sirius, Hermione, Ron, DUMBLEDORE....Snape..." Harry winced at the name, he had the uncanny feeling that Snape didn't entirely believe the story about Harry Brown. "Why I've been missing."
"Yeh. Not to mention the fact that with normal lessons at Hogwarts there'd be wandless, elemental, telepathy, fighting..."
"Fighting?" Harry stared blankly at Jess.
"I heard Sara mumbling about it. She somehow wants us to all become excellent athletes. Got to do with the prophecy." Jess frowned. "I've done Gymnastics before but can you see me fighting?"
Harry laughed, "No not really. You'd suck at it, you air head!"
"Shut up! You're as much as an air head as I am." She glared back at him but then smiled. "Suppose it would be useful though."
"You suppose? Wait to you see Draco Malfoy, then you'll see how useful it could get!" Harry grinned maniacally before moving on. "What's this about telepathy then. We haven't done anything on it yet, though Anna did mention it at the very start, and I've been here for nearly a week and a half now."
"It's not really a lesson I'm talking about. Just every now and then, Sara gets us together and tests how far our telepathic link can stretch. Telepathy comes naturally to us. It should to you as well."
"Oh. Right." Harry looked unsure of himself, but shrugged anyway. He rolled up the letter and tied it with ribbon to a small black minute owl. The owl blinked and then dove out the open windows of the attic, before disappearing from sight.
"Not using Hedwig?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "Sirius would recognise her before reading the letter, and being Sirius he would trace her and then read the letter after he found me." Harry sighed. "Typical Sirius." He stared forlornly out the window wondering whether he'd ever really be with his friends again. Things were different now, and Harry knew that even if they did meet back up, this secret of his might be a stopper in their friendship. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Jess who was standing now.
"If we do end up at Hogwarts you could just tell them you needed a break from the Dursley's and you knew that if you had told them this they wouldn't have let you leave..."
"Yeh, that's probably I good explanation but in the end I'm going to get all the, "Harry that wasn't a safe idea." "You're meant to stay with your relatives, it's for your own protection." "How could you worry us all like this?" And on and on..." Harry sighed and stood with Jess.
"Sara will figure it out, otherwise we'll just have to keep our secrets and not give them an explanation at all."
"Mmm.." Harry didn't like the sound of that but it was most likely what he would end up doing. He didn't want to have to keeps secrets from his friends, he could just see their reactions. Not good. "So what did you come up here for?" Harry asked.
"Oh!" Jess slapped a hand to her mouth as if suddenly shocked. "I completely forgot! Sara wants us all down stairs. Got something to tell us." Harry rose his eyebrows at that. Seemed that Hogwarts wasn't that far off the mark.
***
Harry and Jess slipped into their seats as Sara rounded on them. "Jess, didn't I say be quick?" She asked calmly though there was quite a fed up look on her face.
"Uh...yes, sorry about that Sara. Got a bit side tracked..." Jess smiled nervously and cupped her hands around the warm mug of tea that Jason had passed round the table to her.
"So it seems..." Sara said tight-lipped.
"Air head..." Harry hissed from beside her with a grin on his face.
"Shut up!" Jess narrowed her blue eyes at him though the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.
"So getting down to business." Sara sat down with her palms face down on the table, a serious look on her face. "I've been thinking carefully about our welfare. The longer we stay secret the better. Less chance of Voldemort finding us." Harry's eyes widened this was the first time he'd heard Voldemort mentioned, and by the sounds of it he was the complete reason they were in hiding. "But by keeping hidden, I think we are setting ourselves up to be caught. Maybe living a normal wizarding life and appearing to all wizards and witches as normal is the best way of keeping secret. Not to mention, that since Harry has come along we are more of a target than ever before. More people looking for him and coming a bit too close to home. What I have planned will help both situations." Harry smirked slightly, he knew what was coming, he had been right all along. He exchanged a knowing glance with Anna before tuning back into Sara. "I think we should enroll at Hogwarts." Jess, Nada and Jason grinned whilst Harry and Anna sat calmly with a cool air about them.
"Serious, Sara?" Jess asked with an eager look on her face.
"Yes. Don't get too excited though, there is lots to do to make this happen. Each one of you, bar Harry, will have to come up with a story to cover your past. Your made up past will have to involve each other, so you can all pretend to already be aquatinted."
"What's gonna be my story, Sara?" Harry interrupted, wondering how she was gonna figure that problem.
"I'm not sure Harry." Sara smiled kindly, "but I'm sure we'll come up with something." She paused and bit her lip thoughtfully. "Elemental lessons and such, will be a problem. But I think I have solved it." Harry leaned in curiously and watched Sara as she pulled something from her apron.
"A time turner!" Harry exclaimed with wide eyes. "How'd you get that?"
"Its been in the family for a while, hidden from the ministry for as long as a can remember. What's going to happen is after your lessons at a set time every night. You'll turn the timer back and then use a portkey to access the house." She gestured around her briefly and continued. "Doing twice as much in one day will take a lot out of you, so we'll stock up on energy potions to be taken in moderation." Her eyes had a warning light. "We wouldn't want anyone to get an addiction."
"Hey Sara! I just had an idea for all our pasts!" Nada suddenly spoke up. Her eagerness had the water in her glass excited, and it was swilling around slightly. Nada relaxed slightly as did the water in her glass and she continued. "We can all come from a small orphanage somewhere that teaches magic, and Sara you'll be like one of the teachers. We all work in a cafe that helps to support the orphanage, that way no more suspicious ugly guys..." Nada crinkled her nose. "So the orphanage came up with a new plan to send their best students," here she grinned broadly. "To one of the leading wizardring schools. That's where we come in at Hogwarts, and you can come along as our boarding mistress or whatever..."
"Or you could apply for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job," Harry supplied.
"Huh?" Nada looked slightly confused.
"Unless they've already found someone the job should be vacant. So you could apply for it Sara."
"That's not a bad idea Harry." She smiled, widely. "Well we have a lot to organise it seems. Jason I want you to organise a roster for the kitchen hands, so they can look after the cafe while we're at Hogwarts. We'll check back on them every now and then." Jason nodded. "We'll have to visit Diagon Alley... How long till term starts Harry?"
"A couple of days..."
"Oh dear," Sara's forehead creased. "Not much time is there...We'll have to go to Diagon Alley today. Jason grab me that piece of parchment will you?" Jason flicked his wrist and a piece of paper flew through the air and then skidded across the table to Sara. She grabbed a quill from her apron and began scrawling on it a list of things to do. "We'll need fake birth certificates and a change of last names for everyone except Harry. Can't have the ministry all confused on four missing persons turning up out of the blue, now can we?" She muttered more to herself than the others. Name of orphanage....apply for job..." Sara began mumbling to herself and Harry slipped out of the room with Anna close behind him.
"Wow, so it's actually gonna happen," Anna breathed, curling up on the couch. Harry slid down beside her and nodded his head.
***
"Harry, a disguise please." Sara called as she bustled through the lounge room. "Nada can you please find the floo powder for me...Harry! We need a list of school supplies, did they send you one?"
"Yep, right here Sara!" Harry waved a piece of parchment in his hands as he came down the stairs, with Nada close behind him with the floo powder.
"Okay," Sara took a deep breath, calming herself down. "Hold on..." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Where's Jason? JASON!"
"Whoa! Here, Sara." Jason skidded in from the kitchen with a muffin in his hands and a sheepish look in his face. Sara huffed indignantly and snatched the floo powder from Nada.
"She gets titchy when she's busy..." Nada hissed, glancing at Harry sideways.
"Okay, step forward and shout 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Harry, disguise!"
"Huh?" Harry blinked and then nodded in realisation. "Oh yeah!" His face slowly moulded into red hair and bright blue eyes and he shrunk slightly.
"The Leaky Cauldron!" Nada called and was whisked away in a blur of green, Sara didn't waste anytime in pushing Anna into the fireplace next. Then Harry was bustled into it and he quickly called out 'The Leaky Cauldron' before swirling in a mass of soot and landing, barely on his feet. Harry coughed and spluttered moving away from the fireplace and over next to Anna and Nada.
"Aww, Harry you look so cute in that face!" Anna cooed with a smirk on her face, she ruffled his hair.
"Shutup!"
"Ouch!" Harry glanced over to see Jess, getting to her feet and brushing herself off, but before she could move, Jason came flying out of the fireplace knocking her off her feet.
"Hey!" Jess gasped, the wind having been knocked out of her.
"Oops, Sorry Jess!" Jason scrambled to his feet and hauled her up and they quickly moved over next to the others who were trying to contain their laughter.
"Well then, come on everyone," Sara wasted no time as she made her way out of the fireplace in herding them all into Diagon Alley. She didn't even spare a glance for the people in the Leaky Cauldron who were staring curiously at them. "Okay, we're going to split up. Jason and Jess, you're going to get the books for everyone..."
"Everyone? How are we gonna carry all that?" Jason exclaimed.
"Magic, dumb ass," Anna rolled her eyes at Jason who glared. Sara tutted them and continued.
"Harry and Anna you two we'll visit the Apothecary and grab potions ingredients for all, then you will all meet in Madam Malkins and be fitted for school robes, bar Harry who is too short at the moment." Anna chuckled and Harry elbowed her in the ribs. "Nada, you'll be with me, we're going to visit The Magical Menagerie. Understand?" Sara raised her eyebrows and the all nodded. "Okay, off you go!"
Harry and Anna grinned at each other and marched off towards the shops on the other side of the cobbled alley. The Apothecary was almost on the corner of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley.
"Whoa, creepy!" Anna hissed as she glanced in the display window, where parts of different animals lay in puddles of goo. Harry rolled his eyes, grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. "Bit dark in here, don't they understand the concept of light?"
"Shut up, and help me find the crap for the potions!"
"Okay, okay....umm..." Anna browsed in and out of the shelves before reappearing triumphantly. "Here, we need this...uh..thing...don't we?" She waved a jar full of roots that were surrounded by a fat like substance.
"You mean Ovular roots?" Harry asked with a smirk. Anna glared at him and didn't reply. "Yes, we need them." Harry and Anna then quickly grabbed five lots of each ingredient before taking them to the counter and paying for them with some money Sara had supplied.
"Expensive," Anna hissed as the emerged back into the Alley.
"Only cause we had to get so much of each item." Harry replied, glancing around to see if anyone was watching he cast a quick weightless spell. "That's better."
"What do you reckon Sara and Nada are getting at the Magical Menagerie. We've all got owls already..." Anna looked thoughtful, tapping her chin lightly.
"Who knows?" Harry shrugged. Anna leaned over and ruffled his hair,
"You are just so adorable in that form, Harry!" He narrowed his eyes and slapped her arm away. "But, I have to say that your normal form is HOT!" She grinned at him flashing straight white teeth.
"Come on. Madam Malkin's is over here." Harry said hurriedly, his eyes still narrowed with annoyance. They entered the shop, which had a bell like their cafe and were approached by Madam Malkin herself.
"Good Afternoon," Madam Malkin smiled, making her puffy rosy cheeks inflate. "Who can I help?"
"Anna here needs some new Hogwarts robes." Madam Malkin nodded and flicked her wand. A measuring tape came flying over and began measuring a giggling Anna. "Let see, try on this one, this one and this one." She bustled about and laden Anna's arms with robes just as Jason and Jess entered.
"Hey guys!" Jason strolled over, with Jess trailing looking irritated.
"Wants some help there Jess?" Harry asked, noticing the pile of books she held in her arms.
"What do you think?" She snapped back. Harry laughed and helped lift out half the stack.
"Didn't he carry anything?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Jess grumbled, "Lazy git."
The bell tinkled and Nada and Sara entered. Nada was smiling widely with a twinkle in her eyes for some unknown reason. They carried nothing, but Harry knew better and just glanced on suspiciously. Madam Malkin reappeared from a row of robes and looked surprised at the amount of people who had entered her shop.
"They all need school robes too," Harry gestured with a smirk. Immediately Madam Malkin got to work.
*^*^*^**^*^*^**^*^*^*^**^*^*^**^*^*^***^*^*^**
A chime sounded in the office of Albus Dumbledore. He clasped his hands and directed his attention towards the female head that had appeared in his fireplace.
"Good Evening, and who might I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"Sara Devonport," Sara said politely. Something about the twinkle in the old man's eye made her think he was a suss character, but she knew better. "I apologise, for the lateness of the request I'm about to make..."
"No apologies necessary," Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"I come from a small Wizardring orphanage, in Little Whinging." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at that, the coincidence in the fact the Harry Potter disappeared from that area and now this lady approaching him. His facial expressions didn't go unnoticed by Sara as she continued. "Recently our school decided that we would like to send our best students to Hogwarts so they can have the best education available. I'm hoping you will have a placement for them."
"What year would they be going to?" Dumbledore asked as he dipped a quill in green ink and began scrawling over a piece of parchment.
"Fifth year."
"I believe we do have room for them," Dumbledore mused, a thoughtful look on his face. He was taking in every word she said, and trying to come to conclusions about her and these new students. "Names, please?"
"Anna Clair, Jason Wilson, Nada DeWinter and Jessica Rowlands."
"and you say they are your best students?"
"Yes," Sara beamed with pride. "They are hard working students and will not let you down, Sir."
"Please, it's Albus."
"Your orphanage? Where is it situated?"
"I hope you will understand that I cannot relay that information. Some of our children come from abusive families, as long as our location is kept secret they are safe."
"I understand perfectly. Here is a list of what they'll need, the train leaves on 1st September at 11 o'clock, platform nine and three quarters." Sara nodded enthusiastically.
"Thank you very much Albus, the kids we'll be so excited when I tell them the news." She paused. "There is one more thing."
"Yes?"
"I heard that the Defence against the Dark Arts job hadn't been filled. Is that still so?"
"It is."
"Well I was hoping to apply, so I can be around to help the children adjust. What would I need to do to apply?"
"Fill me in about your experiences."
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TOODLES!
~Bubby