Saturday

Loki awoke to a gentle breeze, which was caressing his face and making his curtains flap gently. At first, he scowled at the interruption of his slumber, but then he spotted the huge bag of gold on his bedside table and flipped upright out of bed, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. He had money! Money that, by the amount and weight of it, could probably buy all he could possibly want in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and then some!

He dressed, grabbed the purse and exited the hotel in short order. The day was fresh and breezy, the sun hidden behind a uniform layer of pearly cloud. Loki felt safe to venture out in a thick layer of scientifically-advanced sunblock, reckoning that he would be spending most of his time inside anyway. His skin had the hue of freshly-bleached flour and glowed like the moon as he strode along the street, but Loki didn't notice or care about the way observant passers-by were looking at him. He was too elated at the thought of finally getting to examine every shelf, bin and packet in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!

One downside of elation, however, is a bad sense of direction. Several hours later, Loki's good mood had evaporated, but he had, by a huge stroke of luck, actually found the Leaky Cauldron. Entering, he endured the usual look of suspicion from the barman, and slipped through the archway in the yard behind a gaggle of chattering hags, who were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of eating certain breeds of owl. Loki pictured Pigwidgeon reduced to a couple of shrunken fillets and two thigh bones on an expanse of plate, shuddered and moved on.

The alley was as he remembered it – cobblestoned and somewhat dismal, with boarded-up shops on either side and the only people there rushing past with their heads down. Loki copied them, staring intently at his feet and the stones they stepped upon. He soon arrived at the vibrant display of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Stepping inside, he relaxed completely.

The place was crammed – utterly crammed – with objects of every shape, size and colour, carefully stacked on shelves reaching all the way up to the roof, which was several metres above Loki's reach. Below the shelves and scattered around the shop were crates, baskets, bins and cages of other delights. Loki saw signs reading 'Trick Wands', 'Pygmy Puffs' and 'Canary Creams' before he was swept into the heaving tide of people that filled every spare corner of floor space. He let himself be carried along, content to observe for the time being.

The first thing he saw was a cage full of tiny purplish-green creatures that looked like a cross between a dolphin, a crocodile and Yoshi. They had small, blunt noses, tiny eyes that were set wide apart, smiling mouths, long, flexible bodies and stubby legs and tails. One of them sat up on its hanches and yawned, rubbing its eyes, and Loki was able to see that it had no teeth. A shallow food bowl in the corner of the cage was piled high with chocolate Bourbons. A sign above the cage proclaimed ' The Baby Dinosaur: your friendly companion through thick and thin! Guaranteed to turn all owl-, toad- or cat-owning friends green with envy. His adorable toothless nibble will put a smile on anyone's face. He's also an art guru – watch him produce masterpieces with only his nose, limbs, tail and a pot of Weasleys' Edible Colour-Change Paint!'

The current of people moved on around the shop and Loki was dazzled by a blaze of pink. The sign on the front of the display read 'Wonder Witch' in stylized pink cursive. There were charms to tailor clothes to fit exactly ('depending on the concentration levels and wand skills of the user!'), pads to cushion your high heels ('feel six inches shorter!'), Invisible No-Shine Sun Creams (Loki immediately grabbed several of these and hugged them to his chest protectively), stacks and stacks of Colour-Change Cosmetics and a long rack of bottles that appeared to be love potions.

Moving on, Loki was confronted with the household section – Teleporting Utensils ('always in the last place she looks!'), Sneaky Scrubbers ('will make more mess as soon as your back is turned!'), Birthday Sparkler Candles, Fizz Flour, Sour Sugar and an intriguing box marked 'Exciting Cake – cut it open and you'll see what we mean! Different charm in each cake'. There was an array of different-shaped moulds which promised to make moving miniatures of dragons, sphinxes, owls, broomsticks and sharks, which Loki immediately snapped up for use with the Casket of Ancient Winters. He couldn't resist a device called 'Thirty-Second Ice Cream Maker – combine cream, sugar, milk and any other ingredient you like (and we mean anything), press the button, and the result will be an edible, though not necessarily pleasant, frozen experience'.

The school section came next, with Skiving Snackboxes of every kind and Patented Daydream Charms. Loki soon left this area. He had no need of distraction when his own life was so exciting already.

Next came a stand topped with a sign: 'Pet Problems – Ever worry your rat/cat/toad/owl is too boring? Worry no more!' The biggest seller appeared to be a book entitled 'Are You Sure That's A Real Spell? 50 Simple Charms to Liven Up Your Pet and Its Surroundings'. There were tiny cloaks and hats made for owls, cats, rats and toads and toys that flashed, banged and popped to keep them occupied. Most of the stuff was too big for Pigwidgeon, but Loki bought him a few boxes of 'Special Effects Owl Treats – Send Your Owl Bouncing to the Moon, Turn Him Into A Fire-Breathing Monster, And Much More!'

The mass of people surged on to something with a banner bearing the slogan 'U-NO-POO', but Loki had heard enough of that product to last him at least another year. He elbowed his way out of the crowd and slipped through a small and unobtrusive door beside a stack of Exciting Cakes into a smaller, less crowded room. Looking around him, he saw piles of navy, black and grey hats and cloaks marked JINX SHIELDS. Continuing into the room, in which there were only two sombre browsers in pinstriped cloaks, he saw things that looked like … rubber hooters with legs. Legs which they were exercising – they were all trying to walk off the shelves!

Amazed, Loki grabbed a few, just in case they were all gone when he came back to collect his purchases, and continued on to see rows of black tubs with silver writing proclaiming them to be 'Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder'. An evil grin played across Loki's face. Here was something much better than itching powder to put in Thor's pants …

An hour later, Loki left the shop with bags hanging off his elbows, hands, neck and one shoulder. He wished he had his bike, with its sturdy panniers and handlebars. He wasn't in a mood to complain, however, not with the amount of new mischief-making merchandise he had just purchased. He had cleaned the shop out of anything that had particularly interested him and bought a fair amount of other stuff besides.

Setting off down the street, not bothering to rush or look down at his feet, Loki stroked the head of the tiny dolphin-crocodile-Yoshi creature perched on the shoulder that wasn't supporting a bag. He had decided to name it Christian. "Let's take you home to meet Pigwidgeon, shall we?" he crooned to Christian, who was nibbling his ear. "I'm sure you'll be the best of friends …"

THE END

Author's Note: So, we made it to the end of this fairly short journey! I'll leave it up to your imaginations where Pigwidgeon and Christian got on or not ... Please review, I'd love to know what you think!