Hey all, i'm back so soon! don't get used to it lol, i just had a few chaps written out when i started writing this. also, y'know what's an excellent anime? Little witch academia, don't get me wrong, i don't really like Akko, but it's adorable and i love everyone else :) enjoy this chappie.
The holidays go quicker now that they're all together and Mrs Weasley steadily becomes swamped despite the availability of magic at her fingertips.
She sometimes calls Nami and Brook to complete chores for her which they readily ignore, most of the time. Ace and Sabo help out occasionally, but they all know that the pressure is starting to come down on her.
"We're going to Diagon Alley soon." Mrs Weasley declares as she serves some of the thick hearty beef stew Sanji had laboriously prepared for the household of… too many.
"That sounds lovely." Hermione says taking a sip of the soup and almost failing not to squeal at how delicious it was, dammit, Draco Malfoy may come from a family of nobles but he sure knew how to cook.
"Oi Luffy, do you need to go to the bank?" Nami asks, beri signs lighting up her eyes.
Luffy shrugs, how much does he have? "Ish in ma shrunk."
Zoro snorts, "We all know how bottomless that thing is."
"You cannot talk!" Usopp declares, shrinking when Zoro casts a glare on him.
"At least I don't bring a million paints."
Usopp shrugs helplessly, "Apparently paints are 'far beneath wizards, we use wands'."
"Fufufu, I've been wondering how to send out our recall for a while now and I believe I could send out a message in the quibbler." Robin says, sipping chai tea. "My father already knows that I am reincarnated, whether he believes that is another question to be answered."
Nami leans forward, "So, the fleet? Are you just going to post an article?"
She shakes her head, eyes sliding to her captain, "I believe that a photo of our jolly roger should be enough."
Ace shakes his head, "I still can't believe you have a fleet, little brother."
"Don't forget the numerable allies, including the ever-elusive Minks and the entirety of the Wano kingdom." Sabo adds, stealing one of Ace's pieces of bread who stares blankly at the stolen bread and then shouts,
"Hey!" He's clearly very tired, Chopper had to prescribe him something to sleep better at night when his narcolepsy plays up and his sleeping schedule becomes messed up.
Sabo shrugs and throws the bread back to him. Marco and Thatch smirks, "That gives us an idea to send out a recall order of our own." Marco adds, "You'd most likely have the entire Whitebeard support if we asked them."
"Yeah, I can't believe a scrawny kid like you became the King," Thatch says, "I always imagined Pops would, or even Shanks."
"Pops would have taken the crown if he wanted it," Ace replies, "for that matter, Shanks probably could have as well."
"Regardless, the entirety of fish-man island is with you, Luffy." Jinbe nods, "It is a story that has been passed down between the generations that they shall know about the Straw Hat crew who fought to protect them."
Luffy shrugs, "Didn't ask them to, they all pledged their loyalty to me or whatever."
Ace snorts at that, "Actually that reminds me, how did you guys even meet each other? What made you want to be on this idiot's crew?"
Zoro smirks, "Bribed me while I was tied up…" at Ace's raised eyebrow he shrugs and says, "saved me from execution and Shell's town."
"That sounds…"
"Interesting." Sabo finishes for Ace.
"Luffy saved me and my town." Nami says simply, the other Weasley's are watching on in silence, most don't really know but they know that their oldest did some weird shit when he was younger.
Especially when he began to grow this wondrous weed in their backyard, he would recount tales of the high sea.
"You?" Sabo asks, turning to Sanji.
"Saved my old man's ship from pirates."
"He saved Kaya's life and my island from pirates."
"Luffy saved my island and destroyed the dictator."
"Saved my life and declared war on the world government."
"Saved me from Impel Down and promised me passage to Marineford."
"Yohoho, saved me from insanity and regained my shadow."
"It would seem that Luffy has a habit of saving people." Sabo says dryly.
"He really saved all of you?" Ace asks incredulously.
"Are you really that surprised?" Zoro asks, arching an eyebrow, "I'm sure you've noticed that he kind of has the charms of someone who saves people."
"True." Sabo nods, thinking of the way that Luffy definitely saved Ace, and probably him from living out a life within the stuffy confines of his parents' house.
"Shishishi," He grins, stuffing his face, it is then that Ace and Sabo look down to their plates, or, their empty plates.
"Luffy!" They both roar and dive for their brother, the other Weasley's stand up in shock as they begin to wrestle, trying to force the food from their rubber brother.
"I'm shorry!" He tries to say underneath the two but neither listen to reason.
Mrs Weasley sighs, "I need a cigarette."
That causes the fighting to stop, Percy and Arthur's jaws dropping to the table, Fred and George are also speechless, something nobody thought was possible.
Molly seems to realise what she said and blushes scarlet, "Let me go fix you all up some tea." She hurries into the kitchen.
"Wow, never knew mum had it in her." Fred says.
"I think she broke Dad and Perce." George adds, both other Weasley's are as pale as a sheet.
"Damn," Nami whispers, looking after her mother, naturally she had no problem with parental figures smoking around her given that Bell-mère had sometimes chain-smoked around her and Nojiko.
But Molly had never really smoked, except for that one time her older brother had enticed her into smoking the marijuana he kept in the back-yard.
She had a feeling that Arthur knew what it was, he just didn't care.
Brook thinks that perhaps Molly has reached her wits ends, she has been under a lot of stress lately, probably dealing with so many people has not helped her positively.
When Molly returns and plops down the oat, apple pie, it seems to snap the pair out of their stupor and decide to turn their attention elsewhere, the warning way that Molly had carved the pie seemed to scare them away from asking any further questions.
The rest of the dinner passed without event, thankfully.
And so they return to their game of throwing gnomes over into the wilderness, the one winning, by far, being Luffy.
Later, after the gnomes have been forcefully evicted from their temporary home, Ace and Sabo exchange a hidden glance and say, "There's some spells we want to teach you, Jinbe, you're probably aware of them too."
"Mm, I can guess what the particular spell is that you wish to teach them." Jinbe replies.
"Welp, everyone outside, that includes you lot, Fred, George, Percy." Sabo nods.
Marco and Thatch are clearly prepared for what the two are going to teach them because they're already outside, wands out.
"So, in the holidays we unfortunately managed to gain the attention of a dementor." Sabo begins as they all pile out into the yard, "They're the vilest creatures in existence, they were tormented as mortals by an insane wizard on what is now Azkaban. They feed off all happiness in a futile attempt to regain enough for themselves."
"Thus, it is necessary for you lot to know how to protect yourselves against them." Thatch says.
Fred and George shudder, "Those things are bloody terrifying, we've only seen them before but god, it felt… so cold."
"That being said, it seems that Luffy has a penchant for being able to… change the dementors." Ace adds.
"How so?" Robin asks, intrigued.
The group shrug.
"What happened?" Nami asks Luffy.
He also shrugs unhelpfully, "They're still people, just hidden under masks of misery, I just made them come out."
"Of course you did." Sanji mutters under his breath, fingers twitching for a cigarette.
Zoro is calm, it probably doesn't surprise the man as much as it should. "So, how can we defend ourselves against them?"
"There's a spell," Thatch says, throwing down his arm, causing his wand to slip out of his coat sleeve, "it works by using pure happiness to ward yourself against it, that manifestation of your happiness, it is the key protector of, well, you."
"That's called a patronus." Marco says, "Repeat after me, expecto, patronum."
"Expecto patronum!" And white light spews forth from Ace, Sabo, Thatch, Marco and Jinbe's wands.
In front of them are their older bodies, they can all feel it, the happiness radiating from their beings.
Marco repeats the motion flicking his wand and the group follow his motion – without wands – even Luffy, despite the redundancy of the motion.
"Now, the hard part of this spell is finding your happiest memory." Sabo says, "It didn't take me long, but I always knew when I was happiest."
Two integral parts will forever be his happiest memory, sure, Koala had created a ton of happy memories, but, the day they became brothers will forever be ingrained into his mind, the elation of having family that didn't expect him to conform to high standards.
He knows that Ace's memory was different, but that's okay, he has a funny feeling he knows what it is, same as Marco and Thatch.
Zoro sighs, happiest memory? The memory of Kuina is sometimes tarnished, overlooked by the mere thought that she was dead, no amount of trying would rectify that, but, he did think that declaring their promise was probably his happiest.
If it failed, then he has a fair share of memories from Luffy and his nakama.
Nami smiles sadly, the day she remembers as brightly as the sun, Bell-mère had a long day in the fields and then trying to sell her precious mikan. Nojiko and her had been trying all day to make her dinner and by the end of the day they succeeded in cooking chicken bathed in mikan sauce.
The look on Bell-mère's face had been what stuck with Nami through the awful times with Arlong, of course, Nojiko too. But it was by far, the day she truly felt like Belle-mere's daughter.
Usopp knows that his happiest memory is quite ironic if anything, the day that Luffy had left him back to his crew. The day he knew that he was on the crew of the future Pirate King. It had been an exhilarating rush to the head, and he knew that it was true happiness for the bonds he had formed with this family were the greatest he ever knew.
Sure, he loved Kaya, but, he loved the sea probably more. And anything related to the sea automatically was dealt to Luffy, thus, the warm feeling of freedom that ensconced him when he looked out at the sea filled him with true happiness.
Sanji hadn't had a very nice childhood, but, irrespective of that, his happiest moment he ever remembers was slaving over that little bento box for his mother, it wasn't very good. He knew it, the maid knew it.
And yet, his mother had stomached it all, and had the gall to call it delicious. He loved his mother so very much, as much, if not more than his father. Not shitty Vinsmoke, no, a man that loved him enough to eat his own leg. It was the only clear memory of his mother, thus, his happiest with her.
Chopper had only one father, he felt an all-encompassing warmth when thinking of his father despite the overwhelming grief that came with other parts of that particular memory. The moment that Doctor Hiruruk had given him food and a place to call home.
The memories that accompanied that were tinged with sadness yes, but he refused to let his stupidity tarnish his memory. And if that did not work, then he knew that the day Luffy dragged him onto the crew would definitely be enough.
Robin had very few happy memories from her life before the straw hat crew. Yes, she had become an accomplished scholar in her own right, from what the scholars taught her. But they still had kept her at arms-length and eventually been burned.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not ignore the smell of burning flesh and vegetation as she had sailed away. So, she knew what memory best fit this category, there had been a choice and suddenly all she had known fell away from her.
She was allowed to live? Then she would! And fulfil not only her dreams, but the dreams of the scholars that had taught her and Saul, who taught her that everyone had nakama.
Brook could live life without regrets, in his own humble opinion.
He had seen the Pirate King until the very end of the line, he had sailed the world, twice, once in his own skin, the other in bones of sorrow. And again! He would be sailing in the skin of Ronald Weasley.
But, by far, his happiest moment was the moment they returned to the beginning, the red line, and the Twin Capes. They had journeyed until Brook had seen the lighthouse and lit up in joy. And he was finally able to commit the promise he had made so, so long ago.
Laboon was well and fine and it was thanks to Luffy-san and Crocus-san! Oh, what a joyous occasion it had been!
Jinbe used the memory he felt as he had looked down at Luffy, looking so small in the light of Fish-man island. That was when he knew that he would join the insane man for the end of his life. Watching the little tube of blood transfer into his small body, he broke the social stigmas and laws.
Luffy was key to that as well. He knew it, and thus, his happiest moment is the serenity in that moment between them both, it was rare to get him so quiet (unless he was asleep).
"Now, have you all got a memory?" Ace asked, he could tell by the serenity that most of them already had.
The group nods.
"No," Luffy says with a huff, "ah! It's so hard to choose, there's too many memories."
Thatch snorts, "Okay, just focus on one of them, maybe the first one?"
"Okay." He smiles, remembering the feel of a hat being pressed onto his small head, overshadowing his eyes as he watches the pirate ship sail away.
"Good." Sabo murmurs, trying not to break their moment, "Think of that particular memory and utter the incantation – with wands."
Thirteen voice cry in tandem, "Expecto Patronum!" with varying degrees of success.
Hermione's wand spews wisps of light but does not hold enough substance to take shape into her patronus.
Percy looks at his wand with mild disdain as it only procures a spiderweb of light.
The twins, despite their sweating, manage to hold a solid figure for a few moments before it falls away.
In front of the straw hats, their older, old, bodies stand before them, standing vigil for them.
They smirk and let loose a string of attacks with the light, but what's better is the pure amount of happiness resonating from the beings.
A few are sweating at the strain of holding such a spell for an extended period of time, but they hold steady until eventually they allow it to disperse into thin air.
"What were they?" It's Percy who asks, looking intrigued and a little terrified of them.
Hermione gasps when she realises just exactly their patronus' are, who knew that patronus' could take form as human rather than an animal?
"Well, that was, slightly unexpected-yoi." Marco coughs, at the thought of such teens, being able to hold such a difficult spell, but then he remembers who they are, it's not that surprising that one of the strongest crews in the history of the Great Pirate Era were still strong as hell.
Percy is clearly jealous that not one, but two of his younger siblings had the spell before he did.
"Now, we wanted to find a dementor to have you practice on, but, seeing as that would be too dangerous, there's not a whole lot we can do." At that, the pirates and revolutionaries pout, because, was anything too dangerous? Sabo says with a sigh.
"Are there other creatures that a patronus is required to defend against?" Hermione asks.
"Well, yes," Marco replies, frowning slightly, "their name is Lethifold, and they're quite similar to a dementor in a few aspects, particularly being their appearance. However, they like to devour people instead of souls, they're still classed as dangerous as dementors so they're out. Those are the two main ones I think."
"Let's try it again, see how long you can hold it." Thatch says, holding out his own wand.
In the end, the twins manage to hold an incorporeal form of their patronus and Hermione manages to create a vague outline of hers (Luffy suspects it is a duck, for what reason, he cannot vocalise). Percy, for all his trying, only manages to get a few wisps.
"Alright, I think that's enough today, unless you wanna spar?" Ace asks Sabo cheekily.
Sabo huffs, "You got beaten by him too."
"Koala-san, would you care to spar?" Robin asks, an easy smile on her face despite the shivers it sends down most backs.
"Of course Robin!" Koala says excitedly, it's been a while since she could go all-out, she's mostly busy dealing with the ministry of magic.
Chopper and Usopp exchange a glance and decide that now would be a perfect time to spar, that or exercise.
"Lu, wanna go again?" Sabo asks, he glances at Ace, "With Ace this time."
The grin he's left with is blinding and the trio move far away from the Burrow.
Nami thinks that taking on Jinbe sounds like a good idea, and invites the fishman to a challenge.
"Wanna go against Marco and I. Sanji, Zoro?" Thatch asks with an easy grin.
The pair exchange a glare, "I thought we promised to never work together again?" Zoro growls.
"We did, but, they're Whitebeard pirates." Sanji grunts in response.
"I believe you have a point shitty-cook." Zoro says, wand clenched around the handle of Wado, Shusui and Kitetsu in his hands.
"Don't test me moss-head." Sanji taps his shoes lightly against the ground, lighting up a cigarette.
Zoro grins ferally and Thatch has to admit, he looks like the world's greatest swordsman in that moment.
But, Thatch has prepared to be a competent swordsman as well, sure, it's small, but size doesn't always mean everything, and the pair of them are far more knowledgeable about spell work compared to the late bloomers.
They remove themselves from anywhere in sight of the Burrow, they can already see sky-high flames over a few kilometres, and they hope for a moment that the trio won't burn down the field.
Nobody moves for a moment; the whole world seems to be sucking in its' breath in anticipation.
"Senhachiju diable spectre pound ho!" The pair cry, Zoro hurling an air attack at the duo, coupled with Sanji flying towards them, leg on fire.
Marco stands still, raising both hands up in busoshoku haki against the onslaught, Thatch has disappeared, as nimble as a fox.
Zoro sways out of the way of a downward slash from Thatch with his sword, fox-fire coating his short-sword.
"Baki!" Shusui slices in a powerful downward arc and instead of fleeing, Thatch meets it head on, stopping the blow with his short-sword.
Marco leaps into the sky on wings of flames and goes to swoop Zoro but is stopped by Sanji "Diable collier strike!"
It goes straight through Marco's flaming body and without pause, Marco claws at Sanji who uses soru to dodge.
Zoro cries "Kokujo, o tatsumaki!" and the sky begins to darken with the force released, within seconds a literal hurricane touches down where Thatch was standing a hot second prior, he's not done however, and reappears next to Thatch his two of three blades spinning. "Ichidai sanzen daisen sekai!"
Thatch barely misses the attack which goes on past the horizon, literally splitting the sky apart.
"Damn." He whispers, his tails have always managed to keep him out of trouble due to the mobility of them, but, one of their tips are cut at the very end where he wasn't quick enough to avoid that last slice.
He returns fire by hurling a sheet of fire at the man, being a kitsune, he had few natural abilities, but, he had a natural affinity for fire and sometimes his tails could dole out electricity like nothing else, he gets in close, moving to the man's blades, conducting electricity through them.
Zoro growls in return and slices downwards once more, Thatch is actually beginning to tire, and it's clear that his adversary is as well.
In a last-effort measure he pulls out his wand and begins to fire a multitude of spells at the man in the hopes that he would slip up. Zoro casually strolls forward through the layers of spells, deflecting them with his swords, little effort put into the motions.
He huffs again and ducks to avoid the spectral fire aimed his way, Sanji lands on both feet, bruised and probably with a few broken bones, Marco's looking fine but tired.
"It was just getting interesting love-cook." Zoro growled around his sword and wand, how did he do that?
Sanji sighs around a new cigarette, "I think it's clear that neither of us would win."
"I don't know about that." Thatch mutters, side-eyeing the swordsman.
Zoro sighs and sheaths his swords, "Good spar."
"It was." Thatch concedes, sheathing his own short-sword.
"Maybe next time we can go all out." Sanji remarks and Zoro nods.
Thatch didn't think Zoro was holding back, he was. But he thought the swordsman was as well.
They trudge back to the burrow where Chopper admonishes them despite the burns in his fur and chipped hooves.
The other Weasley's look at them reverently for they had seen the fire licking the sky and the hurricanes. It was simply insanity.
A few days later Molly announces, with a cigarette in between her lips, "We're off to Diagon Alley tomorrow." They had all received their requirement lists, and Luffy's had arrived alongside everyone else's which had made Ace and Sabo frown at each other.
Almost no-one understood the significance of that, except for Robin whose nose had upturned when hers had arrived alongside the others. She thought that the ministry would still believe her to be at her father's.
It simply means that the trace is still very much active, and not in the way to prevent accidents.
To be honest, they're all sure that Mrs Weasley is going to lose it soon, even Percy had only turned his nose up in disdain at his mother's behaviour instead of trying to admonish her when she showed them the letters with her cigarette.
That was how bad it was. Although, he was about to become insufferable, according to Nami and Brook, due to the fact that he got the Hogwarts letter telling him that he was Head Boy of Gryffindor.
"Ahhh, remember the good old days when James became Head Boy?" Ace asks in amusement, "He always turned a blind eye when Thatch pranked anybody."
"Mm, and they wanted to make me a prefect." Sabo says in mild disdain.
"You wouldn't want to be?" Percy asks in surprise.
Sabo shakes his head vehemently, "No way. Marco became Head boy of Hufflepuff, I bet you liked that power, didn't you?"
Marco sighs, "I did it in hopes that I could slightly control you lot, yoi. None of you had no self-restraint, yoi."
Koala grins, "Didn't work, did it?"
"Of course not," Thatch laughs, "we're too wild to be tamed by a measly Head boy."
"Fufufu, perhaps Nami would consider becoming Head girl, you may very well earn a profit out of it." Robin says lightly, with a laugh.
Nami's eyes turn to beli signs, at that, everyone in the near vicinity slowly backs away as to not be caught in her money web. "Oh, think of all the Slytherin's I could rob."
"Now you've gone and done it, Robin." Usopp says quietly so he doesn't garner her attention.
"Fufufu, it would be quite profitable."
"The witch better not tax me…" Zoro mutters, equally quiet, he would easily admit it, he didn't want to become in debt to the witch.
"Shishishi, Nami would be a good Head girl." Luffy, the brave soul, declares.
"I'm going to be rich!" She cries in ecstasy.
"That's the way little sister," Fred says.
"you'll be able to help us start off our joke store." George finishes.
"Only if I receive 50% of your profit." She immediately says.
"30%" Fred argues.
"55%" She says firmly, the family watching on as they would a tennis game.
"40%" George says and Nami sighs.
"Fine, I can live with 40% profit."
"Wow, that's the furthest I've seen her go down." Usopp murmurs to the twins, "If you need any help inventing stuff, you can look to me!"
The twins share identical grins, "Funny that, we've been meaning to make a 'skiving box' with treats that get you out of class."
"Ooh, that sounds so cool!" Usopp laughs.
The trio retreat to their combined room, notebooks out, they had business to attend to.
The following morning, they pack into the mini-bus that an unassuming size from the exterior but pleasantly large inside. The Ministry had provided them with it, "Why'd they give you guys the bus?" Luffy asks, tilting his head.
The tips of Mr Weasley's ears turn bright red and Mrs Weasley turns to glare at Brook whose head is already hanging in shame, "Oh."
The adults able to apparate do so, they don't really want to be in such a confined space.
"See ya's soon!" Luffy smiles sunnily from between Zoro and Sanji who were already arguing, Nami looks like she was getting a headache already.
The drive was disturbed constantly by Sanji and Zoro fighting over Luffy's head who leaned over to the window constantly, giving them a little leeway. It went on until Nami politely, asked them to shut the hell up.
Brook was singing loudly as always, in tune to the latest hits of the 90's. He simply adored the old rock and roll, even glam-rock. And many a time he could be found tuning into their radio and playing along wildly to the hits.
Molly sighs and lit up in the car, most of the occupants jaws dropped. "What?"
Sanji was twitching for a cigarette as well, it was why he'd been even more irritable in the morning and short with even the ladies.
When they arrived outside the run down Leaky Cauldron, they poured inside to see the group that had apparated there buried in newspapers, whatever they were reading was not pleasant and when they approached, they broke apart.
Sabo tugged Luffy aside, Ace trailing after the pair. "Just wait a minute, yoi." Marco says to the group who smile at the barkeep.
"Ne, what's wrong?" Luffy asks, the pair are quite upset about something and it's starting to worry him.
"Do you know why your parents – well, James and Lily – are dead?" Sabo asks quietly.
"Because a rat-guy leaked information to Voldemort and he killed them." Luffy replies.
"Yes, well, he's been spotted near Hogwarts." Ace spits in revulsion. "That sly, dirty son of a -"
"We think that he might be after you." Sabo says. "We're the reason he was found out, so he'll probably try and hurt us in any way possible."
"And we told him, told him bloody well everything." Ace growls, throwing a hand through his hair, clearly vexed about the entire situation "You won't even be safe in the mys- Room of Requirement, because we used to use it."
Luffy's voice is deeper than what it usually is, and it takes Ace a few seconds to realise the pure, unadulterated rage reverberating through his voice, "He was your friend, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was." Sabo says, face grim.
"When I find him, he will be yours." That was a promise, the pair knew it, Luffy wouldn't make such a vow lightly.
"Thank you, little brother." Ace says and promptly they both hug him tightly.
They detach from each other and bring out the requirements list, Luffy had to buy new books for new subjects. There's also another book on the list for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard.
"Let's go!" Luffy cries after greeting Tom, the barkeep and to the regular patrons who seem to shrink away from Ace and Sabo.
"Let's go to the bank first, I'll get money out for you Luffy." Sabo says.
"I have my own money." Luffy replies.
"He really does," Nami says, the treasurer, "his parents left a lot."
"Huh, okay then." Ace says, they had both been prepared to pay for all costs quite frankly, regardless of whether it sent them into debt or not.
The large white building filled to the brim with goblins and treasure comes into sight, Ace refuses to enter, "They always give me odd looks when I go in there." He mutters insistently.
"Zoro!" Mary cries out and the man smiles at her genuinely. "Molly, Arthur, how are you both?"
"Quite fine." Molly says, thankfully having finished her cigarette.
Robin manages to slink away from the crowd, she knows where she will find her father, she has a favour to ask of him.
Naturally, he is within the depths of the divination store, delving through the shelves of miscellaneous junk and treasures. "Hello father."
"Robin! How are you my dear?" Xenophilius asks kindly.
"I'm quite well, enjoying the time with my nakama." She replies. "I actually have a favour to ask of you."
"Ask away Robin." He says, eyes sparkling.
"Would you be willing to dedicate the front page of the Quibbler to a particular image?" She asks.
Her father seems to consider it for a moment, so she adds, "It is to send out a recall order to the Straw Hat fleet."
"A fleet? Goodness, of course you may, just try to stay out of trouble with the ministry, won't you?"
"Of course, father." She smiles widely.
"So, how do you want the recall order phrased, in code?"
"Could the front cover be this?" She slips him a small flag Usopp crafted.
"Of course, would you like an article within the Quibbler as well for instructions?"
"Sure, I believe I know a language that may be well suited for this endeavour. Would you mind if I wrote it out now?"
"Go right ahead."
On the piece of parchment she pulls out of her robe, she scrawls in Japanese kanji, 'Meade of Hogs, death of The Great King.'
They'd know what she meant, they all did. The day that their world had come crashing down over their heads.
"Please add this, in the kanji in the Quibbler, and make sure it is distributed worldwide."
"Anything for you Robin." He pulls her into a hug that she melts into, she always did love Xenophilius.
"Thank you so much, do you mind if I shop with the Weasley's?"
"Of course not." He smiles and gives her a kiss on the head. "Oh, but do take these will you?"
He presses a beautiful shawl into her hands, beads running through the supple dark blue material. It doesn't make a sound as it moves either and Xenophilius says, "It supresses noise when you wear it, if you're going to be hunted by the World Government, best you be silent, the pockets are extended as well. Please be safe Robin."
She basks in the warmth of having a parent fuss over her and hugs him again, "I cannot make promises father, but I will try."
"That's all I ask."
And she allows her kenbunshoku haki to flow out of her, feeling the limitless amount of souls within Diagon Alley, she finds her group in Flourish and Blots.
"Robin-chan! I'm glad you're safe!" Sanji cries.
"Fufu, I had to see my father for a moment, the order has been sent, April next year." She says to them all.
"April?" Thatch asks, "Not that it's my business, but why April?"
"That's the month that Luffy-san was executed." Brook says gloomily.
"It was the only date I believed they would recognise off the bat." Robin replies.
"Yes, the ministry certainly won't recognise the wording of it." Nami says.
"Let's get our supplies guys," Luffy says, he doesn't want to talk of his own death, the day he abandoned all of them and they're all quite happy to agree.
"We all have to purchase Defensive Magical Theory," Chopper frowns at the book in his hands, he flicks through a few pages, "there's nothing about practical magic in here."
Sabo gives it a once-over and agrees with the doctor, "Whoever you have for Defence Against the Dark Arts is likely going to be inexperienced."
The store-owner approached them looking quite harried, "Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, we need-"
"Out of my way," The manager cuts Zoro off of all people, pulling on thick gloves and moving to a display of… what exactly were they?
They were books, but they were attacking each other, two gripped a third with their 'teeth' and began to violently rip them apart. "Stop it! Stop!" He cried desperately, opening the cage. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility — cost a fortune, and we never found them…"
While he's talking he snaps his wand at the books, tying them up in rope from beside the cage, he pulls a stack of five out and places it on the table and returns for the other five. "Thank god they didn't bite me." He mutters. "What else do you need?"
"We need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky." Usopp says, glancing at his list.
"Divination huh?" The manager strips off his gloves and leads them to a table of 'predicting the future' books.
He climbs up on the ladder connected to the shelf, pulling down enough books for them, "Here you go, Unfogging the Future, very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods — palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."
"That sounds pleasant." Robin smiles deviously despite not beginning divination this year.
"Anything else?" The manager says, sliding his eyes away from Robin cautiously.
"Mm."
Ten minutes later they walk out of Flourish and Botts with stacks of books floating between them. It's far easier than carrying them and levitation charms don't take a whole lot of effort if you're strong.
They completed all of their shopping in a relatively short amount of time, surprisingly enough so they strolled into Florean and Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, each ordering a ridiculously large serving of ice cream.
"So good." Chopper moans, licking the treat attentively.
Florean Fortescue himself chuckled at the reaction, "I'm glad you like it so much young man."
Chopper blushed a little at that, "What's not to like about it?"
"That's the spirit."
"I think I want to buy a duck." Hermione declares, licking her fingers clean of her triple decked strawberry, mint, ice-cream.
"A duck? Are you sure you don't want an owl?" Mr Weasley asks curiously.
"Quite certain." So, after they all finish their delectable ice-creams, they cross to the 'Magical Menagerie'.
It was quite packed inside, most of the walls taken up by cages filled to the brim with animals, it was quite smelly and noisy from the owls and other animals in the cages to which Chopper talked to a few. He had to leave for the smell was too much for his over-sensitive nose to bear.
A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window, enticing the rich to venture within the store. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank leaving a vibrant coloured trail on the glass.
A fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise – Luffy had wanted it immediately and clapped for it as it changed. Then there were cats of every colour, rubbing against each other and purring loudly as they neared. There was also a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly to which Usopp declared they were kneazles. And on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.
However, Hermione went straight for one of the cages near the counter – there was a wizard seeking advice on taking care of double-ended newts – and peered into the glass cage of, lo and behold, a few ducks.
They were small and every time they shook their wings, they became immediately airborne.
"I want one."
"Do you feel right at home, turkey?" Thatch asks, cackling along with Ace at the expression adorning Marco's face. It looked like he had swallowed a particularly sour lemon and stepped in dog shit.
"Be careful, kitsune, perhaps you'll end up in a cage, yoi." Marco replies.
"You wouldn't dare." Thatch replies cheekily.
In the end, after the novelty of the animals wears off, most of their group leaves the little shop, save for Luffy and Hermione. "He's adorable, isn't he?"
The duck in question has an abnormally large bill and squawks every minute or so, fluttering it's little, powerful wings.
Luffy thinks that its' name should be Carue. "The guy's left." He points out.
Hermione thanks him quietly and turns to the witch behind the counter, "How much for this little guy here?"
"For him, I'll sell him to you for 5 galleons." The saleswoman says with exuberance.
"Done."
"Here we go- CROOKSHANKS NO!" The woman yells in desperation as a furball of orange soars over the counter, and straight into Luffy's arms.
"Hello there, little guy." He says in surprise, he didn't expect a cat today.
"I'm so sorry, he gets a little stir-crazy, Crookshanks has been in here for a while, no-one really wants him." The witch says apologetically.
Hermione sighs heavily, "How much for both of them?"
The saleswoman looks up in surprise, "For both? I'll do 7 galleons, a real deal miss."
"I believe you have a deal." Hermione says, Crookshanks looks at her with his squashed face and makes the jump from arms to arms.
"Shishishi, I like him, you're a cool cat-kneazle, Crookshanks." Luffy laughs.
Crookshanks purrs in his new owner's arms.
They leave the store with Carue and Crookshanks, surprising the group with their two pets.
They leave Diagon Alley, in only two days will they be returning to school.
The next day passes as revision of the things they learnt last year and finding the things they'll need for the following day.
They're all still very unprepared in the morning and it takes a bit of bribing in the morning to make Luffy get up. "Nng?"
Getting their trunks packed is another matter, everything is everywhere. And Suteki is being quite grumpy in the morning, Luffy supposes it's because he hasn't been using them as much.
Eventually Marco takes pity on him as Ace and Sabo laugh at him as Suteki flings his clothes everywhere instead of inside the trunk.
"After you, Luffy." Ace says, pushing him towards the platform.
They all manage to make it onto the Scarlet train this time. "I'll see yas at Christmas time!" Luffy yells out the window, they're a little squashed inside their carriage but that's okay.
"See ya! Don't make too much trouble!" Ace and Sabo cry together.
"Be good!" Mrs Weasley yells out to them.
When the platform is out of sight he pulls his head back in the window, "This is going to be a fun year!"