-CHAPTER 2-
THE LEAKY CAULDREN'Harry. HARRY!' Hermione shouted. She and Ron could see him from a distance. They were sitting outside Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour. Ron looking incredibly freckly and Hermione looking very brown; both waving frantically at him.
'Finally!' said Ron, as Harry sat down. 'We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and…'
'I got all my stuff last week,' Harry explained. 'And how come you know I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?'
'Dad,' said Ron simply.
'Did you really blow up your Aunt, Harry?' said Ron.
'I didn't mean to,' said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter, 'I just lost control.'
Hermione was shocked. Why had no one told her about this?
'What, when, how, w-why?' was all Hermione could stutter. 'It's not funny Ron, I'm amazed that Harry wasn't expelled!'
'So am I,' admitted Harry, 'forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested!' Harry looked at Ron. 'Your Dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off does he?'
'Probably 'cause it's you isn't it?'
Hermione interrupted their conversation, her face beaming. 'You can come with us to the Station tomorrow. I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron as well, Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning, with all my Hogwarts things.'
'What's that?' said Harry, pointing to the bulging bag under her chair.
'Well I'm taking more subjects than you two aren't I. These are all my books,' Hermione replied, 'and I still have ten Galleons left. Mum and Dad gave me some early birthday money, I really want an owl.'
'There's a magical creatures shop just over there?' suggested Harry.
So they paid for their ice creams and crossed the road to Magical Menagerie. There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. Something huge and orange came soaring over the top of one of the cages and landed on Ron's head, spitting madly at scabbers. Ron and Harry went out of the shop leaving Hermione to buy her owl.
'How much for the cat?' asked Hermione.
'Seven Galleons,' replied the witch.
She could buy the cat and still have some money left over.
'I'll take it!' she said, and left the shop carrying 'Crookshanks' in her arms.
'You bought that monster?' said Ron when he saw her, his mouthy gaping wide.
'He's gorgeous isn't he?' exclaimed Hermione.
The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, and now that Scabbers was gone, it was purring contently in Hermione's arms.