Here's another chapter and a really lame excuse for a plot. I apologize for that, I kind of came up with the "plot" last minute, so it's not exactly good. Neither is this chapter, but then again, I'm just plain critical of myself anyways. Thanks to the two people who review this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did, I'd be filthy rich.

Chapter 3

Shopping Diagonally

At 7:30 a.m., the alarm clock on Lilly's beside table went off. She hit it and got dressed in record time. Today Lilly, Richard, Rebecca and Kevin were going to buy their school supplies for Hogwarts. Lilly shivered with excitement at the thought. She left her room to wake up Kevin, but soon realized there was no need.

Kevin was being thrown out of his room, closely followed by Rebecca, who had a cricket stick in front of her. She held it out threateningly and Kevin ran downstairs like a coward.

"You carry a cricket stick with you?" Lilly asked disbelievingly.

"No," Rebecca threw it in Kevin's room, "Your brother does. I just stole it from him."

"How come I never noticed that?" Lilly muttered.

"But anyway," Rebecca continued, "I figured you shouldn't have to wake him up, at least, not today."

"Gee, thanks." Lilly smiled at Rebecca, who left to go downstairs. Then Lilly noticed that today Rebecca was wearing two blue barrettes. Lilly wondered how many different hairstyles Rebecca comes up with.

"Ready to go?" Lilly looked behind her to see Richard. He had his list with him and a small bag in his left hand. "Hey, you look nice."

Lilly looked out at the black T-shirt she was wearing and said shyly "Thanks". She then looked at Richard and noticed his long-sleeved T-shirt was maroon.

"Um… You look nice too." Lilly blushed, not looking at him.

"Hey, it's not a complete crime to like maroon, is it?" Richard asked good-naturedly.

"No, it's not," Lilly said, relieved that Richard wasn't mad. "Are you even capable of being angry?"

"Sure I am. Just shove me in a closet. Then I'll get angry at you."

Lilly laughed nervously as they reached Rebecca and Kevin.

"About time, you two! Hurry up so we can go!" Rebecca watched Lilly and Richard like a hawk as they ate their porridge. "All right, let's go."

The four of them walked to the back of the pub, with Kevin getting impatient.

"Question: Why are we going shopping diagonally? What's wrong with getting our stuff normally?"

"Kevin," Rebecca said through gritted teeth, "We're not buying things in a diagonal line. We are going to Di-a-gon Al-ley."

"Oh! Hey, why didn't you say so?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes and said to Lilly, "Is he always like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Lilly got her supplies list and followed the others.

Rebecca had taken a stick and tapped a brick. The brick wall parted and they walked into Diagon Alley. Kevin stood completely transfixed at everything, until Rebecca gave him a poke in the back. The foursome walked into the Gringotts bank and got out enough money for their supplies. Kevin had to walk through that particular place with his mouth covered (courtesy of Rebecca) because he said something rather rude about the goblins that ran the bank.

Next, they went to Madam Malkin's robe shop, then the Apothecary, and Olivander's, then about a dozen more stores that no one could remember the names. After they finished shopping at Flourish and Blotts (almost everyone's favorite store), they all stopped for a moment.

"All right, let's make sure we've got everything", said Richard. "Spell books?"

"Check."

"Wands?"

"Check."

"Joke shop items!" said Kevin.

"Mate, that's not on the list of things to buy", she said.

"Sure it is!" he said. "Where?" said Rebecca. Rummaging through his new bags, he grabbed his new quill and a pot of ink, and wrote the words "Joke shop items" on his list.

"See?" he said. "Right here, on my list, that is."

"Right. Fine, let's go."

"You lot go ahead," said Richard, "I'm going to Flourish and Blotts for a little while."

Lilly decided to linger behind the group. She was definitely enjoying Diagon Alley, and she was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost ran right into a short, plumb, red-haired woman.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, dear," the woman said.

"Oh, please, no, I'm sorry. It was my fault, really." Lilly stuttered, blushing. Then she noticed the woman was carrying even more packages than her, so in an effort to make things better, Lilly asked "Would you like me to carry anything for you?"

"No, I've got it, don't worry about it," said the woman kindly, and she left. Lilly still felt bad and wished she could've done something to help, but she had to catch up to the others, she found them just outside a joke shop.

When they stepped inside, she found it crowded with people. She almost ran straight into a black seventeen-year-old boy with dreadlocks.

"My goodness, it's certainly my day to run into people, isn't it?" she muttered to no one in particular.

"Wow, this place is amazing! Hey Lilly! Check these things out!" Clearly, Kevin was having a ball in this place.

Lilly, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and rummaged through her new bags, pulling out a book called Basic Healing Spells and Potions.

Lilly wasn't what you would call a bookworm, but this one caught her eye. She never told anyone except her brother, but her secret ambition was to become a Healer. Thanks to her brother, she's seen many gruesome accidents in her life and, though she didn't look it, she wasn't squeamish with blood in the slightest. She has also seen her parents perform healing spells on certain occasions when she was little, and wanted to do them herself for some time now.

She was just getting started on different ways to heal a cut when Kevin and Rebecca came over and announced they wanted to leave.

"That was absolutely brilliant!" said Kevin, who was carrying three enormous bags of joke shop products. Everyone else had many bags on their hands. Just then, Lilly spotted a toad. A few seconds later, an older looking boy with a round face came up. Lilly looked from the toad to the boy and put down all her shopping bags.

"Excuse me, is this your toad?" she asked, picking up the toad.

"Yes, it is. Thank you very much. Trevor always seems to get away from me."

"Sorry to hear it. And you're welcome."

"Right. Well," he looked at their bags, "I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts."

And the boy left before anybody could say anything else.

"We better go," said Rebecca, "Before that clown brother of yours wets himself with excitement."

Kevin looked up, got a strange look on his face, said "Clowns?" and ran off, eyes wide and fearful.

"What in the name of Merlin was that all about?" Rebecca asked as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh, Kevin doesn't like clowns very much. Especially mimes," Lilly added, "He's deathly afraid of mimes. He had a bad experience with one at age four, and now he can't stand them."

"Lilly, you've got a strange brother," Rebecca stated.

"You can say that again," Richard puffed, having run all the way from Flourish and Blotts to catch up with them.

"Lilly, you've got a strange brother," Rebecca said again, grinning.

They all got to the Leaky Cauldron, and ordered sandwiches. Kevin was making the most noise of the group, attempting to show everyone his new merchandise and complaining that Rebecca ordered a grilled tuna sandwich.

"Why do you eat that stuff?" Kevin whined.

"I like tuna, OK? Is that a crime?" Rebecca asked.

"But it smells!"

"If you don't like it, fine. I'll order a watercress sandwich next time. And spread tuna all over your peanut butter and jelly."

"Ewwwww! Lil-ly," Kevin said, "Please stop her!"

"Hey, you're a wizard now, why don't you jinx her?" Lilly asked lazily, still reading her Healing book.

"I don't know any."

"Guess you're in trouble then," Lilly said. She turned the page, and was startled when a small piece of paper fell on the pages.

Lilly never received mail, let alone ever had a note dropped on her book. Frowning, she picked up the note and read it:

You have something that's belongs to me. Your family's separation may have protected you for now, but not for long. When your great second uncle escapes from Azkaban, you will be at the mercy of me.

Lilly stared at the note. Part of her wanted to laugh at how silly the note seemed; it was so much like an "I know where you live and I've come to get you" type. Yet she felt very uneasy about this at the same time. How did this person know what has happened to her? And what did this person want?

"Hey Lilly, are you OK?" Lilly looked up from her note and saw Rebecca's worried face, her violet eyes concerned.

"I…. I'm fine."

"Who's the note from?" Kevin asked through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly sandwich; Rebecca looked revolted.

"I don't know," Lilly said quietly. She picked up her turkey sandwich and took a couple bites, even though she didn't have much of an appetite. She looked around at the people entering the Leaky Cauldron and saw a man with ginger hair and a smell of tobacco come in. She watched idly as he ordered a drink and left, tottering slightly.

Lilly cringed; that man reminded her of a strange criminal she met when she was seven. Unfortunately, she's met a lot of criminals in her lifetime.

A criminal. That seemed like the type of person who would write that note. It was only one note, and it was so short, but Lilly just had this feeling….

"I'm going to bed." Lilly announced abruptly.

"Already?" Rebecca looked at her as if she was insane. "It's only seven o clock!"

"Are you feeling all right, Lilly?" Richard looked a bit concerned.

"Yes, of course. I'm just tired.

"But-"

"See you all tomorrow!" Lilly said too brightly, and hurried to her room. She had to be alone.

Lilly lay on her bed, tired and confused. She was very disturbed by that note, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. However, she decided she'll worry about it in the morning.

Lilly went to bed, only to be haunted by strange dreams and disturbing nightmares.

All right everyone, I'm going to set a quiz: How many "familiar" HP characters did you spot in this chapter? Here's a hint; there are four total. Winner gets some sort of "prize". And lots of praise for reviewing my story. : )