Chapter Seven

The Potter's House

"Can you tell me something?" Zerial Whispered to Lavina while they walked to the robe shop with Lavina's family.

"Depends on what it is." Lavina answered with a grin.

Zerial chuckled and looked around. As usual, every boy was staring at her. "Why do all of these boys stare at me?"

"You know? I have no idea." Lavina said thinking hard.

"Oh." Zerial had been hoping she would finally find out the secret to the staring.

"But I have seen something like this though." Lavina said excitedly.

"Really?" Zerial asked.

"Oh, yes," Lavina answered. "One of my sister's friends is stared at a lot. And the Weasley twins too. Though, they have a kind of brown hair, not silver like yours."

"I wonder--" Zerial began.

"Why boys stare at you. Yeah. I probably have some books at my house that could tell us." Lavina finished excitedly.

"I have an idea!" Zerial almost yelled this and Lavina's family looked around to see what was going on.

"What?" Lavina asked.

"Maybe i could spend a week at your house and you could spend one at mine." Zerial said more quietly this time.

"Yeah, because you live in London. Your mom could take me to kings cross with you!" Lavina said with a grin.

"You ask your dad and I'll ask my mom. And then they can talk about it before you leave." Zerial suggested.

"Good idea. I'll ask my dad right now. You ask your mom right now. We will be heading to the Leakey cauldron as soon as dad buys mom a new pair of robes for her birthday."

"Okay." Zerial agreed. "See you soon!" She called out and ran towards the archway.

As soon as Zerial was in the kitchen she threw her bags down and yelled, "Mother!"

Mother, thinking Zerial was near death ran to her and looked her over. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

Zerial cocked a brow and said, "Uh, should I be?"

"No, what did you want to tel me?" Mother chuckled.

"Well, you see..." Zerial searched for words.

"What is it that you want?" Mother asked folding her arms across her chest.

"To spend a week at a friends house." Zerial spat out.

"And who might this friend be?" mother sat on a stool, her arms still folded.

"Her name is Lavina and she is my best friend!" Zerial shouted ready to jump up and down.

"Your best friend huh?" mother asked with a smile. "But you just met this person. How old is she?"

"My age. This will be her first year at Hogwarts as well and we have so much in common!"

"I see. I will have to talk to her parents first." Mother said.

"One more thing..." Zerial said. "When i come back can she come too and stay a week here?" Zerial pleaded with her mother.

"Zerial," Mother began crossly. "You know the rule about just inviting people to stay here."

"No, no, no. Not like that. She can stay in my room. And she can share my food if she has to." Zerial begged.

"That wont be necessary." Erick walked into the kitchen and kissed mother on the forehead. "But it would be nice if you could share your room with her."

Zerial sprang into a salute as Erick left the room. "what was that?" Zerial teased.

Mother blushed. "Mind your own business."

When mother began to walk out of the room with a tray, Zerial nearly attacked her. "What about Lavina?"

"Have her parents talk to me."

"Yes!" Zerial yelled.

Erick popped his head back into the kitchen. "Not so loud Zerial."

"Sorry." Zerial said more quietly as Erick's head was disappearing behind the swinging door.

Zerial grabbed her shopping bags and ran out of the kitchen. As she was passing the boys restrooms, the door in front of her swung open. Zerial didnt have time to stop and consequently was whacked full in the face by the door.

"Ouch." Zerial said rubbing her nose.

"Holy cow! Are you okay?" said a voice above.

Zerial looked up. It was the blond boy with the rotten family.

"Fine," Zerial said standing up to meet him. She held out her hand. "My name is Zerial."

"Angelo." the boy replied and shook the offered hand.

"So, are you going to Hogwarts?" Zerial asked brushing of her robes.

"Yes. I'm very exited," the boy said eagerly.

"Do your sisters go to Hogwarts?" Zerial asked trying to make conversation.

"Yes. But they are both in Slytherin house," Angelo said dully.

"Is that the house you want to be in?" Zerial asked casually.

"Heavens no," Angelo said with a grin. "I'm more of the shy type. My dad is always telling me I'm bound for Hufflepuff."

"Well Hufflepuff isn't so bad." Zerial said.

"No. But it is to my family. I just hope I'm not in Slytherin." admitted Angelo.

"Yeah," Zerial agreed. "Me too. I would hate to be in that house."

"Angelo!" Someone called from the other end of the pub. "Get away from that filthy half breed!"

"Filthy half breed!" Mother squawked and began to Yell at Mr. Malfoy from the counter. But Erick Quickly silenced her by pulling her into the kitchen.

Angelo smiled apologetically and said, "I guess I'll see you at school."

Zerial watched the family leave the Leakey Cauldron. Angelo's father was berating him all the way out the door. Hoping she saw Angelo on the train, Zerial headed up to her room to throw her robes and favorite books into her trunk.

"Hi Daphne." Zerial said picking her up and putting her in her robes pocket. Daphne Squeaked affectionately. "Time to pack." And Zerial began to tell her rabbit all of the days happenings so far, and the new friends she made. And how even though she made new friends, no one could take the place of her.

When Zerial was done packing she brought her trunk down into the pub and found Lavina's dad talking to mother.

Lavina ran to her excitedly. "They said yes! They are just working out the details."

Zerial grinned. "Good. When we get to your house, you want to try some of the recipes I just got?"

"Yeah, sounds like fun. we can put all kinds of potions in them, you know like, a floating potion or a freezing potion. Or maybe mom will let us do a fire potion. we will have to stand in the fireplace though."

"Yeah cool." Zerial agreed.

"Girls, come over here please." Mr. Potter said.

Zerial and Lavina ran excitedly over to them.

Mother spoke first. "Zerial you may spend a week at the Potter's house."

Then Mr. Potter spoke. "And after a week at our house the both of you will spend a week at the Leakey Cauldron."

Lavina grinned at Zerial who returned it.

"However," mother said. "Lavina will not come to kings cross with us. She will be picked up by her parents who will take her."

"Okay," the girls said together.

"Zerial are you packed?" Mother asked.

"Yes." Zerial replied.

"Then come give your mother a kiss, you're leaving now." Zerial kissed her mother.

Erick came out of the kitchen and said, "What about me? Don't I get a kiss?"

Zerial snorted and gave Erick a hug.

"You behave!" mother called after Zerial as she left with the Potters.

Zerial considered this her first real adventure. She was so exited she couldn't stop grinning.

"Zerial," Mr. Potter said turning to her.

"Yes?"

"In our family we apparate. Do you know what that is?" He asked. And a Zerial's confused expression, he continued. "Apatation is when you disappear and reappear in anther place."

"Okay. But i Don't know how." Zerial said.

"That is just fine. My girls don't know how to either." At this, Lexi grinned. "You just hang onto all of your stuff. Okay?"

Zerial nodded and wrapped her arms around her trunk. Lavina wrapped her arms around Zerial. Lexi wrapped her ams around Lavina. Mr. Potter wrapped his arms around Lexi. "And we're off." Said Mr. Potter.

For two seconds, Zerial felt like she had been sucked through a space the size of a straw. And then she could breath again.

"Wow. That was--" Zerial began.

"Uncomfortable." Lavina finished for her.

"Well I was going for intense, but that works." Zerial chuckled.

Then a very pretty woman with a brown braid like Lavina's walked into the room. "Hi." she said and kissed her husband.

Zerial found that this woman was not only very pretty, but she was also very pregnant. "Hello Mrs Potter."

"Hello," the woman said back. "You must be Zerial. I'm glad to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Zerial said. leaning on her trunk.

"Lavina," Mrs. Potter said. "Make sure Zerial feels at home."

"Yes, of course." Lavina replied.

"And Lexi, Olivia and Micha just came over. They are waiting for you in your room."

"Okay," Lexi said and headed of towards the set of stairs on the right.

It was then that Zerial realized how amazing the potters house was. There was not one set of stairs, but three.

"Wow..." Zerial said looking at the spiraling stair cases.

"Come on," Lavina said. "Mine is the middle one." And she shot up the stairs with Zerial and Zerial's trunk hot on her heals.

When they got to the top of the stairs there was a pink door that read: Lavina. They went inside. And Zerial was amazed all over again.

Lavina's room was enormous. And oddly enough, it had five walls. The one nearest the door on the left side was covered in what looked to be a kitchen,cabinets table and all.

The wall close to the door on the right side was the largest and tallest bookshelf Zerial had ever seen.

The Wall right in front of them was and extremely large closet. And two of the walls were devoted to normal bedroom space.

"Zerial said how do you get the books down?" Zerial said walking to the bookshelf in awe.

"Well, usually I don't. I just sit on my broom and read up there." Lavina said walking to her bed and sitting down.

"You sit stationary like that for so long? wow. You must be a really good flier. I get off balance if i sit still to long." Zerial admitted.

"Oh, no. I cant sit still long either with out falling. I have a harness. It hooks onto my broomstick and lets me fly with out my hands."

"Really! Oh can i see it?" Zerial begged.

"Sure." Lavina said. And she disappeared into her enormous closet. When she came back out she had a broomstick in her hand and a harness in the other.

The broomstick had two metal loops in the front and back of normal siting range. The harness was too big for Zerial and was specially fitted for Lavina. So Zerial watched her put it on. One strap went around her waist and buckled to the front and back loop. There were two more straps that went criss-cross on her shoulders and hooked to the front and back loops as well. It looked very comfortable. Not to mention convenient.

Lavina chuckled at Zerial's awe stricken face and said, "Just ten galleons at a shop right next to our house. They guy who makes them is cool."

"I want one so bad!" Zerial nearly groaned.

"Well lets go ask mom if we can go to the shops down the street." Lavina suggested.

Zerial was nodding so hard she thought she might get whiplash.

"Alright," Lavina said. "I'll go ask mom. you unpack."

Zerial was unpacking before Lavina was out of the room.