Blood Status || Marauders Era

Chapter 78|| Diagon Alley

The day was sometime in mid-July, and the entire school was either finishing packing their bags or last-minute rushing to pack, whilst the group of Gryffindor sixth year girls where all playing would you rather. It was a game that Lily and Mary had introduced to us all, and I loved playing it, sometimes the questions were full of secrets, other times there was no option but to give a very odd answer.

I needed to have fun recently as there had been a manner of things happening, it had been the full moon, I realised that some of my answers were not the same as Lily's in the exam, and it seemed that my sister had started to talk to Regulus Black and Lucius Malfoy. I had once seen her talking to the group of the cruel Slytherins under a tree with some of her friends, and it wasn't the nicest sight to see, disowned or not.

Then, there was the task that I now had to spend a whole summer with James again, and also Sirius who has recently talked to me less and less, ever since the suddenly rainy day in Hogsmeade. At least I would get to see Euphemia and Fleamont again, and they would hopefully tell us more about what had been going on in the wizarding world on the outside, with regards to the letter they sent James.

The train ride back to normalisation was largely rainy and very loud, the group of girls I was sat with loved to talk and to gossip, and so, I had found out more about people I've never met than I've ever wanted to.  There was also talk heard from different people passing our compartments, mainly Purebloods, that people were being told by their friends and family to lock their doors as the atmosphere felt unsafe nowadays.

I stepped out onto the Platform of nine and three quarters and was greeted with a hug from a woman and my luggage mysteriously disappearing from my hands. Looking up, I saw Euphemia holding me at arm's length and telling me how much I'd grown in seven months and then there was Fleamont holding my luggage in both of his hands. I was the first to arrive out of the other boys.

"Mum, are you not going to give me a hug?" James asked, sounding dejected and standing behind me with a jealous look. I didn't mean to steal his mum, but I was sure that she was making sure I was good with not going back to my blood family once again, but by now, I was used to it and as I saw Sirius Black looking casual and effortless, I was sure that he was too.

Euphemia gave me one last smile and made her way over to her own son, fixing the curliest parts of his hair, trying and failing to flatten it. I heard her tut before leaving it standing up at the back and leaning to give her son a hug, James was now three inches taller than his mother so it was a sight, James having to bend slightly, it made a difference from years ago when he would be the shorter one.

We apparated to the Potter manor and immediately, Fleamont, still with my luggage in his hands, used a hover charm to get them upstairs and in my room where I was then free to set them out. I heard complaining from the two boys as to why they didn't get special treatment, but the comments were short lived, and the two then raced each other up the stairs, cases in hand, and sounding like there was the occasional shove.

We took one day were the three of us and the two adults all went to the beach, it was Sirius' first time seeing the sea in person and feeling the sand, so James and Fleamont taught him everything he needed to know about sandcastles building and swimming in the ocean. I skipped the swimming because I saw a vast body of water hiding many mysteries and I wasn't too keen on the idea of going in it.

There was another time where we all took a trip into Scotland and settled into a small forest with a few tents dotted around, and the three of them taught myself and Sirius, again, but this time it was how to build up a tent. It was hard work, but it was worth it as I walked inside and realised we were in a wizarding tent set with a kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small sitting area.

We stayed at the campsite for three days and in them days, we made a fire, and cooked things on what Fleamont called a grill; he said it was a Muggle invention. We also played many board games, which were also a new thing for me and there were certain games that I thoroughly enjoyed, as well as something called Charades which was great fun. It really felt like being a proper family.

The rest of the summer breezed by comfortably, like a leaf in the wind, and before anyone knew it, we were in Diagon alley meeting Remus and Peter for our school supplies. The only good thing about my parents not even bothering to talk or check on me, was that I still had a key to the Gringotts Pattinson family vault, and Sirius had his own vault with his Uncle Alphard's money the man gave him.

We all made it into a competition to see who could get most of their items first and meet back at Fortescue's ice cream parlour the quickest. I opened my list and hurried around each store, getting the books I would need for seventh year, and buying some new robes as my old ones were getting too short around the arms. The only other things I needed to do was buy ingredients from the apothecary and some owl treats.

The rest of the things that people would usually buy, I either had or didn't need and so, I made my way to the ice cream parlour where I saw Remus and Alice talking at one of the round white tables. I joined them, placing my things on the ground beside me, keeping them quite close as I never knew who was out in the streets or what could happen. It seemed that the only other person done was Peter, who was inside ordering ice cream.

Once Peter came outside with a vanilla cone and a chocolate flake, he passed Remus a chocolate cone and they both sat and ate, Alice carrying the conversation. "Would you like an ice cream Athena? Half price, just for you," Alice said, lowering her voice. I nodded and asked her for a chocolate cone as well and Alice left to go inside and make one, she seemed to be quite efficient at it, which made me imagine lessons with her dad in the holidays.

Ten minutes later and Sirius came back, carrying a very large package which seemed suspiciously like a new broomstick. "Don't tell me that's why you took so long," Remus sighed, exasperated at the boy's antics. The boy laughed, looking behind him, "You should see James, Mia's going to be so annoyed." The four of us looked back and saw James carrying a mountain of bags.

He dropped into a seat next to Peter, dropping all of his bags at the same time, some of them seemed quite heavy. Immediately, the group of us all pestered him to ask what he bought and after drinking a cold lemonade, he told us, "Obviously boring school stuff, but then some new stuff for my broom, new dress robes just in case, a new cauldron because I exploded my old one, and then a few interesting ingredients for interesting potions."

There was a collective sigh from the group and our eyes constantly darted to the bags that were next to him. It was quite a warm day, so I can imagine how hot he felt carrying around bags of things and wearing a jumper too, which Euphemia and I both told him not to. "I think I've just carried all of Diagon Alley in my arms for the last fifteen minutes," James sighed dramatically, flopping his head forward onto the table.

James was silent for a few moments more before he spoke up again, surprising the whole group, as he pulled out his Hogwarts letter from his pocket and said casually, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I'm Head Boy." This made Alice spit out her drink all over the table, and Sirius and I laughed like we didn't believe the boy, and Remus and Peter stopped eating their ice creams, Remus even going as far as dropping his spoon on the ground.

Once the three of us got back to the Potter manor and dropped all of our things by the doorway so we could hang up jackets and take of our shoes, we were met by the two adults. Euphemia took one look at us all and scooped us into a big hug, whispering thanks and when she let go, James asked her confusedly, "What is it mum?" Euphemia glanced at his bags but let the matter go as well all placed ourselves on the sofa.

"There has been an attack in London according to some people that we know, and nobody knew if it was Muggle or Wizarding London, so we were both terrified that you were caught in it," Fleamont explained, wringing his hands together. I knew that people were whispering of loud bangs and keeping their doors tightly shut but I never knew that it would be this soon that we would need to worry.