I am sorry, Mama. I didn't mean to scare you.
Q!
But I got lost!
Q?
I don't know! I thought you were there!
Q?
That's what I tried to tell you! It was right there!
Q…
I was walking right behind you. With the bags of sweets we got from the confeckshinor's store. And then I saw a little shop and it had a funny name
Q?
Le-Lee-Leea something Cow-Cowul-cowuldron
Q?
I only knew some of the letters. It had this little shape with a line and then two little lines coming out on this side and then another shape that looked like an 'X' but didn't have the rest of the little bit under on that side… Like this
Q.
"K"? "Y"? Well, they were pretty and I liked it and I wanted to see it and I told you, Mama!
Q.
Yes, I did! I grabbed your skirt and pulled on it and Told you I was going to see the little shop and you nodded! So I went.
Q?
Well, I thought you were behind me!
Q?
But I went in and, Mama! It was busy! So many people and they were all wearing these funny capes like Tommy's Superman cape that Uncle Seamus bought him from America
Q?
And I got really scared but then a little old man came up to me, Mama! And he was so short! He looked all wrinkly like Grandfather but he was little like me! And he smiled and asked me if I was lost. And I said, no, I'm exploring! And then he laughed and told a big man at the counter to give me pumpkin juice! And guess what, Mama?
Q?
The big man's name is Tommy too! Just like our Tommy! Cept our Tommy's my brother and the big man Tommy isn't. He doesn't like being called Tommy, though. He likes to be called Tom.
Q.
And then I had my pumpkin juice but it was really yucky! So I went outside again to see you and you were missing! And I was on a different street! It was a pretty street, Mama. Much prettier than the street you were on. And I saw a magic trick store across. It had three shapes like this.
Q.
"W"? Another letter? How come there are so many letters, Mama?
Q.
I don't like learning letters. But I did like that shop. It was pretty! There was orange everywhere and there were these two big men with lotsa little red polkadots on their face. And they looked the same, Mama! Like me and Tommy and like you and Auntie Parvati. Cept these were boys and not girls.
Q.
You mean there are more? But I wanted to be special!
Q. Q?
Well they laughed when I told them that and then they told me to be a good little weezard. What's a weezard, Mama?
Q?
I don't know! They gave me this little yellow sweet and told me to give it to anyone I wanted to make fun of
Q.
It's in my pocket.
Q.
No! It's mine! And if you take it, I won't tell you my story!
Q!
I won't use it! I just want it!
Q! Q. Q?
And then a lady with lotsa brown hair came by.
Q?
She saw me and said hello but when I said hello she got angry and started to yell at the men.
Q?
I don't know, Mama! And then she walked with me to the store again… The one with the "K" and the "Y" in it…
Q?
Yes, that's it. And she said her name was Herm-i-knee. And she took me outside again and then I was back!
Q?
No, she didn't know I had my sweet.
Q?
She told me to be a good weezard, just like the men.
Q?
No. Her hair wasn't bushy. It was rolled up into a little ball in the back. Like yours, Mama! She looked lots like you and she was nice like you too.
Q?
Well, she said she'd see me at Hugwarts. Cept I said I didn't want warts.
Q?
You remember! Auntie Parvati had a wart on her little toe. I looked at it once. It wasn't pretty.
Q?
And the lady laughed and said she would see me again one day. Without warts.
Q.
Am I in trouble, Mama?
Q.
I'm sorry. I really am.
Q.
I love you, Mama!
Q?
This much!
Q?
As much as my name is Alan Patil-Zabini!