Back in Diagon Alley

"I'm surely going to change that, mate," Ron said as he and Harry are walking through Diagon Alley.

"Why are you so afraid?" asked Harry. "You're not thinking of falling in love again for her, are you? I mean, what about Lavender?"

"I know, mate. But, I don't want to risk. I remember my dad telling me that he fell out of mum but it returned obviously before they got married."

"Okay. Uhm, here we are."

Harry and Ron are standing in front of a store where funny things are are displayed in the window. Above it, is the store's name.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

They both reached for the door and opened it. They looked at the cashier counter and saw George.

"Hey, Fred!" Harry greeted.

Ron elbowed Harry at once and whispered, "It's George."

"Oops, sorry… All right, George?" Harry asked forcing a smile.

"Okay… All right, Dudley?" asked George.

"Hey! I'm not fat!" said Harry.

"All right, Percy?" George asked Ron.

"Hey, shut up! Be respectful to Percy's soul!" said Ron. "Where's Fred?"

"Percy's ghost, you mean… And besides, I'm Fred, am I not? He's in the cellar with Lee. What are you two doing here? Already got a work?"

"Yeah, in the Ministry. Auror. We're starting the week after next, Ron and I. We came here for a visit."

"We're not sick!"

"Hey! It's not the right way to treat the customers, George!" Fred said emerging from a door behind the counter followed but their friend, Lee Jordan. Fred looked at Harry and Ron. "Hey, what're you two doing in here? George's right, we're not sick!"

Everyone laughed.

"Anything new?" asked Ron.

"Oh yeah, we got a new coat. It will make the owner feel whatever he wants to feel," Fred said.

"Here it is," said George pulling a brown coat and a remote from one of the counters. "Want to try it, Harry?"

Ron's face is filling with fear while Harry put it on.

"Let's try, 207," said George as he pressed some buttons on the remote control.

Harry shook his body when he felt what happened. But, eventually, closed his eyes as if he was being massaged. "The coat's massaging me. Brilliant! Just what I want to feel!"

"I want to try it!" said Ron.

Harry pulled the coat off his body and handed it to Ron.

"Very well then," said George, "let's try 708."

Ron closed his eyes as if expecting to fell what Harry felt. But, after George has pressed some buttons, he began to shake uncontrollably and his face was filled with fear than ever. "Spiders! Spiders! They're crawling in my body!"

Fred, George and Lee laughed while Harry forced not to while looking at the panicking Ron. Harry pushed himself to Ron and helped him take the coat off. "Wait − stop moving − there."

Ron stopped shaking (but started panting) as Harry handed the coat bask to Fred.

"That's not funny! I thought it will make you feel what you wanted to feel," said Ron still panting.

"Well, as I clearly remember, I said it will make the owner feel what he wants to fell… And obviously, you're not the owner," said Fred.

"And what do you expect, this is a joke shop!" said George.

"Well, are you going to buy anything?" asked Fred.

"No, as we said, we just came here for a visit. And Ron's meeting Lavander," explained Harry.

"Guess who I met on my way here?" asked Lee.

"Who?" Harry and Ron asked.

"Umbridge!"

"Wicked! Why's she here? She's not here to buy some school stuff for her child, is she?"

"Don't be silly, Harry! It would've been a menopausal baby if she does. Some Ministry work, I think. I just wish you saw the look on her face when she saw me. Still can't forget what we've done for her when she's Headmaster.

All of them laughed and Ron looked at his watch. "It's almost time. Lavander will be there any moment now."

"Oh yeah. See you, we gotta go," said Harry.

"Okay, bye!" Fred, George and Lee said.

Harry and Ron reached for the door and went out. People are now filling each space of the alley as Ron and Harry pushed themselves in the clattering crowd.

"I wonder how Umbridge looked like when he saw Lee. Too unfortunate, we're not there. I could've hexed her," said Harry, grinning.

"Yeah, we're adults now. We can do magic anywhere without being sent to Azkaban," said Ron also grinning.

"There's Flourish and Blotts. Why in a bookstore, when you can meet her at a pub?"

"She said she's going to buy a new novel. You don't know how obsessed Lavender is when it comes to novels."

"Oh no, Ron − first, Hermione: school book maniac; now Lavender: novel maniac. Who'll be next? Elloise Midgen: books about nose regrowing maniac?"

"Shut up, Harry! − Oh, there she is!" said Ron pointing at a girl opposite them behind the window reading a book with a picture of a terrified moving girl on the book cover.

Ron and Harry entered the shop and went to Lavender who closed the book when she saw them coming. "Hi Ron! Oh, hello, Harry," Lavender said as she kissed Ron and pecked Harry.

"Hi, Levi. Are you going to buy that book?" asked Ron gesturing at the book on Lavender's hand.

Lavender looked at the book (the girl's gone). "Oh, this? No… I was checking if this is good. Parvati recommended it, but I thought it was not available so I bought something else… Good novel, though."

"I'll but it for you," said Ron.

"No, you can buy it for me, but not now. Or else, I'll read it before the one that I just bought and Padma said it's not a good habit… Trelawney told them once."

Ron gave a grunt. "Okay, if you say so."

"All right, Harry?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Let's go, shall we?" asked Ron. Lavender nodded and they left the shop.

The three pushed themselves against the crowd. As they walk past the pet shop where Hagrid bought Hedwig, Harry remembered that he needed to buy Hedwig some food.

"Hey guys, I need to buy Hedwig some treats," Harry told Ron and Lavender.

"Well go on… We'll wait for you here," said Ron and Lavender nodded.

"No, you go and save us a seat. I'll catch up with you later."

"Sure?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, we'll be at the pub there." Ron pointed at a pub at the corner of the street. "Okay, then… See you later."

Harry nodded and went inside the pet store.

The pet store is not as crowded as the alley outside so Harry is able to breathe more freely. Harry spotted the stand where bird food is available and walked to reach it. He looked for an owl food and found a pouch where a picture of an owl is pasted in front of it. Harry reached for the only pack left. Just when he touched it, another hand reached it. When he looked up, he saw a girl with brown and straight hair that is tied in a ponytail−

"Hermione?"

"Harry!"

Hermione smiled at him then frowned when she noticed that Harry was looking at her hair frowning a bit.

"Whow! What's with the hair?"

"Oh! My mum thought it's time or me to straighten it. We did it a week after we graduated. But, I didn't only straighten it, I put some charms to−"

"Why did you stop?"

Hermione' mouth was half-opened. "No, nothing… Are you going to buy the food?"

"Yeah, but if you need it−" Harry took his hand off the pack leaving Hermione's.

"No." Hermione gave the pack to Harry. "You get it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I just bought an owl and there's some free food included. There's my owl by the way," said Hermione pointing at a white and black-feathered owl with sharp autumn eyes inside a cage on one of the counters.

"Nice."

"I've thought of having one before working at Hogwarts. I think it's nice to have an owl besides Crookshanks… So, how're you?"

"Me?" asked Harry as he and Hermione reached the cashier. "Just okay… Going to start my job next, next week."

"Oh, that's brilliant! I really can't wait to start my own job and earn my own money. Mum and dad'll be so proud for sure."

Hermione's eyes were twinkling while Harry was busy counting some knutts and paying the old woman cashier. After paying, Hermione carried the cage with her owl and went out of the store with Harry.

"Do you want me to take that?" asked Harry.

"Is it okay?" asked Hermione.

"Of course."

"Here−." Hermione gave the cage and Harry's arm was pulled down by its heaviness.

"This is surely heavy."

"Yeah… It's your fault, you asked for it."

Hermione grinned as they stroll down the alley to TCB Pub.