Thank you for the reviews! i love them! and they are very encouraging! Keep them coming with both opinions and ideas or even constructive criticism i am open! this chapter was fun to write because i just love the market place! so pretty!
Zuko followed the family through streets and streets of shops. the brunch they had at the house was full of strange foods that the prince had never seen before, pumpkin pastries, lemon drop sizzle cakes, and much more. He knew his Uncle would eat almost everything there and then some.
Malfoy's lead the prince through a town that Zuko thought popped out of a fairytale. He wished he had eyes all around his head so that he could absorb everything at once. The Shops, the shoppers, and the cobblestone street all looked so foreign and magical at the same time. The shops all looked so colourful and dim at the same time while the witches and wizards looked just as contrasting. A woman wearing a Red robe with an orange hat gawked in front of a lightly wooded store shaking her head, "Dragon liver, seventeen sickles and ounce? they got to be bad"
Screeches came from across the street, was someone in trouble? Zuko spun around in search of the noise's source. He turned to see a small dark oak building with the sign Eeylops Owl Emporium hanging from the door. Through the window Zuko saw strange birds of every kind but they all looked like Owl's, not owl turtles or bear owls or any type of owl dogs, just plain old owls. "That's strange," Zuko muttered his comment to himself, keeping out of ear shot of lucius.
"Hurry up boy," the man threw a sour face his way. Zuko sprinted to catch up, passing a store with broomsticks and a bunch o kids gawking at them talking about a new model. He caught up to the rest of the family outside a shop that had books stacked up in the windows and even piled up on racks outside, he wouldn't have been surprised if the building was made out of them. "Here, take this money and go buy your books for school, here's the list." Lucius handed a small bag of money, and a piece of parchment. Zuko opened the sack and saw that there were gold, silver, and bronze pieces inside, not unlike the currency at home. "I am going to the Leaky Cauldron, for some... business, don't blow anything up when we are gone. Remember you are Zuko Malfoy and you are a pureblood wizard, mess that up and you will tarnish the family name." Lucius stared at him as if waiting for something, zuko gave a nod in acknowledgement. "Meet back here in two hours." The wizard left gruffly,his family tagging along behind him, leaving Zuko on the street curb alone with a sheet of parchment and a sack of money.
Zuko opened the list wondering what he had to buy. Green emerald letters swirled into words to form the list.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCH CRAFT AND WIZARDY
school list
~Sixth year students will require:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6) by Miranda Goshawk
Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage
Confronting the Faceless
A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
Advanced Rune Translation
The list would have been only books but scribbled underneath was some other supplies for transfer or new coming older students. Zuko groaned as he looked at the ever growing list of magical objects.
~Uniform
Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear
One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times.
~Other Equipment
1 Wand
1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an Owl OR a Cat OR a Toad.
Folding up the list he observed the book store in front of him, "Got to start somewhere," he muttered. He entered the store with hope of the search for his books being easy, but he found himself to be dead wrong. Books were piled high to the ceiling on both the shelves and the floor. Under the tables and chairs that lay in the shop books also were stacked up there. There was no organization of them either, not by size not by shape, they were just everywhere. Small books with silk covers as small as a postage stamp, big ones that looked like they would weigh that of a concrete block. Zuko actually passed a book that was labeled Stone Ages: The Stone Mason's Guide to All things Stone it was completely made out of concrete and other types of stone. "How am i suppose to find anything in here?" He groaned and started to search for the cashier counter, maybe they knew where to find his books.
The counter lay behind a big pile of books, almost out of sight. A short man stood there with glasses bigger than his face and robes that were obviously three sizes too big. His voice was high pitched and squeaky but sound just as gruff as any other man, "Sixth year books i presume?"
Zuko stared for a moment, how did he know? 'Y-yyes, i think so.."
The man pulled out a pile of books wrapped in parchment, they were tied of with a bow of twine, "Think so? or Know so?" he chuckled as he wrung the Fire bender up. "You just seemed to be sixteen and everyone around ere goes to Hogwart when they are that age, but you are not from around here are yeh? what did you say your name was?"
"uhh... Zuko...um .. Zuko Malfoy," he stammered a bit, trying to remember his alias.
"Ah a Malfoy, well that's different," he said staring at the boys black hair and golden eyes. "nice scar by the way." the short man gestured at his eye, "Get that from a dragon did yeh? nasty things those dragons" the Cashier paused and looked at the register, "Okay that comes out to Seventeen Galleons,"
Zuko pulled out his money and rummaged through the pieces, Galleons? which ones were the galleons? he pushed through gold and silver and bronze pieces trying to figure out the currency. "It's the gold ones," the man said a bit impatiently as a line started to form behind him. Zuko handed him seventeen gold pieces in exchange for the package of books, then hurried outside he had to get out of the book prison.
Outside a small breeze hit his face cooling his skin down, he didn't even notice how hot it was in the store, or was it just him? Zuko glanced at the next thing on the list, Uniforms. He searched the street looking for a shop with robes in it when he noticed a shop called Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. The building was grey but with a light hint of purple. the wooden sign with the shop name on it was written in deep purple paint and stood outside the door way. Zuko hoped his uniform wouldn't be that colour.
he walked in to find a squat witch waiting for him. She too was dressed all in muave. Her friendly smile also adorned a light purple lipstick, "Welcome! What do you need? I'm sure we have your size," her smile and voice were sweet both as soft as lilacs. she lead him over to a stool and had him stand up on it while she started measuring him. "Hogwarts i presume? what house are you in deary?"
"House?" he questioned. "Sorry i don't know my current address,"
"No sweet heart your school house, Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff," she smiled and continued to measure his arms. Zuko didn't answer, he wished he knew what she was talking about. Madame Malkin spun him around and stared at his face for a minute then pulled back in surprise ,"OH! you must be the Malfoy relative! i heard there was going to be a transfer student! well how exciting! i will make you some plane black robes for school and a casual one for around town, so you don't have to wear that awkward foreign attire," she said tugging on his red fire nation clothes.
"Umm, Lucius said to just buy the school robes," he paused, "And what wrong with my clothes?" The Lady shrugged and continued working on his robes. She chatted on and on about the daily prophet and about some woman named Rita Skeeter. Malkin waved her wand around as she talked, sending sheets of fabric flying across the room and thread and needles started to sew in mid air. Zuko wished he could carry the conversation with the seamstress but he was too busy watching the magic around him, and the conversation seemed to be mostly one sided anyway.
"There you go deary, a set of new robes. That would be Ten Galleons." Zuko reached into his pouch and gave her the money. He thanked her, gave her a small respective bow then left the store juggling both of the packages. He looked at the street clock, an hour left, that took longer than he thought. he ran around Diagon ally for the rest of his supplies, checking off cauldrons and scales while running into stores with telescopes and other magical dodads. after another half hour of shopping, Zuko came to the last thing on his list, A wand. he was putting this one off for last, how was he suppose to get a wand without magic? he should wait until the Malfoy's got back to buy it because he probably would need their help anyway.
A store caught his eye, a brightly coloured building was labeled Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. That seemed interesting. he walked in to find the place filled with noise and laughter. Everything was so brightly coloured and filled with moving objects bubbling cauldrons and crackling fireworks. Zuko was staring at everything he looked at. Hands grabbed his shoulders and two figures stepped onto either side of him.
"It's beautiful ain't it?" He looked to his right and saw a tall boy with green eyes, freckles, and fire red hair. Hair, as red as fire, was he some sort of fire bender too?
A boy spoke to his left, "you never know what wonders you can find in a joke shop," Zuko turned to see the same boy on his other side. he shook his head looking left then right again and then back, too of them? he backed up in order to see them both at the same time.
"Yeah we get that alot," they both said together, their red hair hanging in their face.
"that's Fred,"
"And he is George, we are the weasley twin's, best pranksters in the world. Let's give you the grand tour," both the red heads grabbed Zuko from under the arms and practically drug him around the shop. Their smiles could have beat a Cheshire cat's as they pointed to various objects and told him what they did. love potions, fire sticks, stink pellets, they knew it all.
"Yeah George and I are thinking about starting a business when we get out of school." the twin on his right chuckled. "yeah our mother demands that we finish school before selling anything,"
"But we do have some products in the making, we call it investing in our future," George winked at Zuko then paused, "Hey you aren't from around here are you?" the fire bender shook his head.
"yeah we didn't think so, here try this you'll love it," fred handed him a wooden stick shaped as a wand. looked pretty authentic to Zuko, but what did he know? he never held one before.
"well give it a wave! cast a spell!" George gave him a little shove on the shoulder. Zuko held the wand awkwardly and swished it around a bit, nothing happened but fred and george started cracking up.
"Haha oh man don't you get it? its useless! its only a replica of a wand!"
"Completely the same! you swap this out for someone else's wand and watch their faces when they can't cast a spell! It's priceless!"
Zuko gave a half hearted chuckle, that sounded like a useless prank but he saw how wizards were protective of their wand, it not working must scare them pantsless. Zuko then got an idea, "Wait how much is this?" he gave the two boys a grin that was equally returned. They showed him to the cash register where and old man said it was 3 sickles. Zuko rummaged around and plopped down three silver coins praying that he guessed the coins right. he held his breath until the shop owner handed him the wand back and told him to have a nice day.
"So is this your first year here? but your sixteen!" Fred laughed
"Getting sorted will be extremely awkward with all of those eleven year olds. be hard to make a friend after that embarrassment." George continued. "Well at least you made two buds today!"
they both looked questioning at each other then back at Zuko, "Hey what's your name anyway?" their voices said in complete harmony.
"Ugh I'm Zuko Malfoy." He was starting to get the hang of his alias. Zuko looked at the two twins who's smiles had now dissipated.
"Oh, a Malfoy, sorry we don't talk to Malfoy's all stuck up and hot headed what trash."Fred grumbled to himself. with every word Zuko's heart sank into his chest. the twins turned on their heals and walked out of the shop leaving Zuko alone with his packages and without a red headed friend.
"Why am i so bad at being good?my name is even a bad thing," he mumble pitifully as he walked out of the store. Looking at the clock he saw he had fifteen minutes to get back to the book store. he walked back slowly, his day was going so well until he lost the only two friends he made the entire day with only two words. his feet seemed heavier with each step. He needed his Uncle's encouragement. Zuko remembered something his Uncle once said.
"Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel, you can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place."
"There is no light at the end of my tunnel,"he sighed, thinking of the old man made him feel worse. he got so angry at himself why was the line between good and evil so hard for him to see? The only man who supported him was in another country eve if he was there, there was no knowing if he would even speak to his nephew. Zuko noticed that his feet stopped moving. he looked around the street, ten minutes left. he saw Florish and Blotts two shops away but another building caught his eye, a small tea shop. He smelt the sweet odor of tea and thought of Uncle. he had enough time to get tea.
Inside a lovely young lady greeted him at the door, "Welcome to Rosa Lee's Teabag! What could i get for you?" Her smile was pure white. her clothes were Green like an earth bender if not for the pointed hat he would have thought he was back home.
"A green tea please," she left him to choose a seat in the shop. Wicker chairs in pairs of two sat around wooden tables, not one piece of furniture was the same colour of either brown or green. Looking up the ceiling was decorated with different shades of emerald fabrics weaved from the walls to a chandelier in the middle of the room. Zuko could see his uncle being very happy here.
"Here is your tea sir," the lady came back and handed him a fresh brew. the door rang grabbing her attention as more customers walked in.
The steam seemed to melt his troubles away into the back f his mind. The tea was very savory and vegatile, tasting almost of nuts and green beans, he never had tea taste like that before and it was amazing. the tea almost locked him into a trance of flavor setting his mind at ease. reaching the end of his cup he dropped some coins on the table and got up to leave. His packages were tucked into his pewter cauldron and he was beginning to exit the shop when he was suddenly lifted into the air. Zuko was flung through the streets without a say in where he was going. Holding onto his cauldron tight, he crash landed to the ground.
He blinked his eyes open to see that he was laying on his back in the middle of the street looking up at luscious. A black wand stuck in his face ,"You're late,"