2 "Meetings at Malkins"
Jerrod woke up, the spell book open across his chest. Slowly last night came back to him. He'd stayed up late, playing Exploding Snap downstairs in the pub. He'd won a favour from the owner of a pet shop in the Alley. Jerrod jumped up, and quickly put on his clothes. He pulled on heavy blue jeans and a black shirt with a white painted skull on the back. He tidied his brown hair in the mirror, and picked up his wand from the bedside table.
'Gothis!' he said, and felt the familiar cold spread over his head. Looking back in the mirror, Jerrod watched his hair turn black, and his face turned a few shades paler. He took the Cauldron's stairs two at a time.
'You're up early Jer' said Tom, cleaning a cup with a cloth.
'I'm getting my animal from Torvald's.' Tom's mouth gaped.
'How'd you manage that?' Tom moved around from behind the bar. Jerrod smirked as he told Tom the story of last night. 'Good luck than Jer.' Tom waved the young man away as Jerrod hurried for the passage into Diagon Alley.
Stowing his wand back up his sleeve, Jerrod walked into the Alley, only to see it once again packed with Hogwarts students and their parents. Pushing through the crowd, Jerrod entered "Torvald's Animal Emporium". The stink of animal waste pervaded everything, making Jerrod gag a little.
'Though you'd show up' said Torvald, appearing beside Jerrod. 'Anything you like boy and we'll call last night even huh?' Jerrod nodded absently, focussed on the animals about. A black and white flash rushed past his feet. Torvald dived off to the side. After a few seconds of the sound of scuffling, Torvald emerged with a weasel clutched firmly in his hands.
'I've been trying to find this bugger for days, can't anyone else catch it.' Jerrod stroked the weasel's chin, and it relaxed immediately.
'I'll take it.' Torvald looked questioningly at Jerrod.
'You sure?' asked Torvald.
'And that book about familiarising.'
'Done' said Torvald, putting the weasel into Jerrod's hands. It instantly clambered up his arm, and perched on Jerrod's right shoulder.
Walking down the Alley, he stopped in at Madam Malkin's. She appeared with a crack.
'You need Hogwart's robes than?' she asked.
'Yes.' The weasel disappeared off his shoulder. Madam Malkin took Jerrod by the hand, pulling him towards two stools, one of which was already occupied. The young woman stood there, arms held out horizontally, while several stout women poked and prodded her with and pins and measuring tape. Stepping up onto his stool, Madam Malkin threw a large piece of cloth over him, and began her work.
'Are you attending Hogwarts?' asked the young woman.
'Yeah, sixth year entry' Jerrod said.
'You're entering? Why?' Jerrod shuffled a little, to see who he was talking too, and paid for it. Madam Malkin stabbed him with a needle.
'Hold still' she scolded. The other women stepped away from the second stool, and admired their work. The young woman hopped down from her stool.
'I'll see you on the train than?' Jerrod didn't want to risk saying anything, so he just nodded.' She turned to leave, before pausing at the door.
'I'm Rebecca, Rebecca Weasley.'