Chapter 4 – Diagon Alley and the Scorpion

Dear Miss Davis,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as an exchange studentat Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Filius Flitwick

Deputy Headmaster

I couldn't believe my luck – I was going to Hogwarts! Only two weeks to wait; only two weeks to get every book and supply that was on the list!

"Rose! There's another letter here for you!" I ran into the kitchen, grabbed the letter and ran back into my room; I always read my letters in private, and my mom knew that.

Rose,

Did you get your letter? I hope you did, because if I have to go to Hogwarts without my new best friend, I will die! I hope you're ready for your first trip to Diagon Alley, because we fourth years need a lot of books! Mum is hoping to go on Saturday and she was wondering if you wanted to join us? We could meet up with the gang at lunch time after all the shopping. Call up to the manor later and we'll play Quidditch or something.

See you later.

James

"Mom!" I ran into the sitting room where my mom was sitting with Hugo watching television. "When are we going to Diagon Alley?"

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe next week."

"Can we go on Saturday with the Potters?"

"I'll have to talk to Ginny about it, but I think we could."

"Great! Can I go up to the Manor?"

"What is your obsession with the Potters?" She looked at me with a small smile on her face.

"I'm really good friends with James!"

"Just friends?"

"Of course! Can I please go to the Manor?"

"Yes, on one condition: you be back here my dinner time."

"Thank you so much Mom!" I gave her a big hug and ran to my room to get ready. I picked out my skinny jeans, a long sleeved jade green top and black cardigan. I let my hair fall loosely below my shoulders and I applied foundation and lipgloss. "What is your obsession with the Potters?" My mom's comment kept coming into my head as I took one step closer in getting ready. "Just friends?" "Of course!" Was I lying to Mom? Was I lying to myself? "Don't be silly. We're just friends. Maybe even best friends at this stage," I said to myself as I grabbed my bag and headed out the back door and up to the Manor.

"Hermione, how nice to see you again!"

"You as well Hannah. You're looking great, I must say."

"You too! I heard you were back in the country. Who's this young lady? And this fine little boy?"

"These would be my children, Rose and Hugo. Say hi to Hannah kids."

I couldn't say anything; I was too mesmerised by the little pub we had stumbled upon.

"Hello! My name's Hugo, I'm seven," Hugo said with a toothy grin.

"Very nice to meet you Hugo." Mom looked at me, telling me to be polite through her eyes.

"Hello Hannah. I'm Rose Davis." I shook the woman's hand and smiled at her.

"Are you just passing through or would you like a drink?" Hannah asked Mom.

"I'll have two butter beers and a fire whiskey please Hannah. We're waiting for the Potters." Hannah gave a nod of understanding and went off to get our order.

"A Firewhiskey Mom? Really?" I said as we took our place at a booth near the door.

"Yes, really. I'm going to need all the energy I can get today if you're leaving me at lunchtime to go off with James and Sam." I was about to answer her back when Hannah arrived down with the drinks.

"Two butterbeers and one fire whiskey."

"Thanks Hannah. How much?" Mom was reaching into her bag for her purse.

"No, Hermione. Treat on me, seeing as I couldn't make your welcome home party last month." She walked back to the bar and left us to talk amongst ourselves.

"I'm not leaving you as you so put it. I'm helping you until I get hungry and go off with my friends for some food!" Just as Mom was ready to fight back, the Potter family walked into the small pub.

"Lily!" Hugo shouted to get their attention.

"Hi Hugo! What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you!" I listened to my younger brother talk to Lily, and didn't even notice that James had sat down beside me.

"Boo!" He placed both hands on my shoulders and I jumped.

"Jesus Christ James! Don't do that!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist!" He smiled at me and I knew I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Come on kids! Let's get going! The mothers are going to stay here while Ron and I take you into the village," Harry proclaimed. I hadn't noticed the Weasleys had also arrived. I looked around the table: Albus was standing beside Anna, Sierra was sitting beside Ginny (not wanting to be disturbed by "a girl who loves Quidditch"), Jason and Sam were near me and James, and Hugo was still chatting animatedly to Lily.

"Let's get moving troops! Jason, you take the younger ones to Sugarplums for a while. Sierra and Sam, you go to Flourish and Blotts and order all the books. Harry will meet you there after we visit Gringott's. James, you take Rose for a trip around Diagon Alley and she can collect all the small supplies such as her cauldron and you can visit the apothecary. To your stations!" Jason took Anna by the hand and called Lily and Hugo over to him.

"Rose, do you have your money?" Mom said to me.

"Yes Mom. Love you!" I said, quickly as I was being pulled by the hand (Hugo?) into the alley behind the pub. I looked at the person holding my hand; it wasn't Hugo, it was James! My hand felt all tingly (is that a word?) and empty when he let go.

"Three up ... Two across ..." Ron muttered to himself. He tapped the brick three times (the third up and second across) and the brick disappeared to reveal an archway large enough to fit all nine of us, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight. (*Author's note – I took this quote from Philosopher's Stone i.e. I do NOT own HP*) As I looked around the village in awe, I felt a hand slip into my own. I knew it was James, because a warm and safe feeling swept through my body.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," he whispered in my ear. I looked directly into his green eyes and smiled. He smiled back at me, but this smile was different, because now it meant something to me. We all went our different directions: Jason, Anna, Lily and Hugo went to the bottom of the street and turned left and out of sight; Sierra and Sam gathered all our book supplies lists and walked into the fifth shop on the right hand side of the street; Ron and Harry walked towards a snowy white building that towered over the neighbouring shops; James dragged me through the crowd of people until we were facing a shop that had a sign above that read "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions".

"You're gonna need a uniform when you get to Hogwarts, and there's no better place than Madam Malkin's. Come on, I need a new pair of robes too!" We walked into the small shop, where there was a pale faced boy standing on the podium that was situated in the centre of the room. The seamstress was fixing the hem on his robes.

"Got yourself a girlfriend, Potter?"

"Come on Rose. We'll come back later," James was muttering into my ear.

"Is the son of the Chosen One afraid?"

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Malfoy? This is Scorpius Malfoy? The boy you and Sam were telling me about? The one with the snake of a father?" I blurted out, forgetting Scorpius was there.

"Don't you dare talk about my father like that!" He looked at me and took in my appearance. "I know what you are. Bushy hair, beaver teeth, frumpy clothes..." He looked at James' hand intertwined with mine. "Friends of a Potter. You must be a Granger, daughter of a filthy Mudblood!"

"My mother never tolerated that language in her shop, so neither will I! If you can't be civil, then leave!" the seamstress shouted. We stayed quiet after that, but inside I was cursing the foul evil cockroach. When he was leaving, he glared at me and James.

"See you at Hogwarts then," he said before he walked out the door. I wished that I would never see him at Hogwarts, but of course wishes never come true.