A Blue Raven [1] // Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

The Joke at Diagon Alley

CHAPTER TWO: The Joke at Diagon Alley

Twelve snakehead statues surrounded a stone walkway going through a lake – the head of a man carved in stone at the end. Around me, heavy whispering in an unknown language became louder than the sound of trickling water.
Harry stood, talking, by the statue with a boy many years older in Slytherin green. The mouth of the statue opened, slowly old stone mechanics ground together till the bottom lip hit the ground. Bright yellow eyes shone through the dark – my body felt stiff and I couldn't move.
Paralyzed where I stood – Harry ran into the pipes, the snake following his eyes no longer yellow, but blood red.

"Get your ass out of bed!" Gran yelled from behind my door,
Groaning, I buried myself into bedding, I didn't move for a few moments – enjoying the sun on my face. Eventually, I kicked off my covers, throwing my bra on to the bed from the floor, I pulled my semi-dry hair down walking to the bathroom. In a hurry, I changed from my pyjamas into my underwear, rushing back from the bathroom to my bedroom as I brushed my teeth simultaneously.
Drizella lifted her head up as I jumped over the railing, running down the stairs – pulling my shoe up by the heal.
Neville held out my bag as I joined them by the kitchen fireplace, taking an apple from the fruit bowl, holding it between my teeth as I took a handful of floo powder from the pot.
Continuing the bite of the apple, I cleared my throat, "The Leakey Cauldron, London."
The powder hit the wood, taking me up in cold green fire. Soon after I left, the spinning stopped as I reached the Leakey Cauldron. Finding an empty stool, I sat with my feet up – taking bites from my apple.
Materializing in the fire Neville dusted himself off as he stepped from the logs, Gran followed, holding her hat to her head. Leading us behind the pub, Gran stopped in a stone quad -taking out her wand from her large bag, she tapped the five-brick pattern. The wall folded in on itself, each brick fitting into a new place. The streets where bustling, thriving with families – the coloured cloaks blending into a blur of colour. Gran pushed her way through the crowds, towards Gringotts bank – everyone gave her peculiar looks as she walked past.
Holding the door open to the bank, she scurried in and down to the banker and the back. Looking down at us, the Goblin's stamped their books – moving Galleons, Knuts and Stickle from one pile into another.
Gran looked up at the goblin, her head held high, "Augusta Longbottom."
The goblin looked over, removing his glasses from his face," Do you have your key, Mrs Longbottom?"
Taking her house keys from her back, fanning them out -she canned through them till she found a small golden key; holding it up to the light.
"Very well." the goblin said as he hopped down from the post, waddling to a pair of iron cast gate
Accompanying him to mine carts, reluctantly I got onto the cart – sitting between Gran and Neville. The goblin pulled the brass levers, Neville took my hands as the cart rolled off a sudden dip.
My hair was whipping around my head, little stands getting caught in the small hinges of my glasses – as we went under the waterfall, I sat with a straight back glaring daggers at the back of the Goblins head.
The goblin looked at the three of us, stopping the cart in front of our volt. Neville gave me a hand as I wrung my hair out, leaving a puddle on the floor.
"Volt 133." The goblin said as he waddled over to the door," Key please."
Gran passed him our key, he unlocked the door – holding it open as we gathered the Galleons and Stickle, we needed. I took several small piles of each, counting it as I dropped the coin into my purse.
Taking the cart back, my eyes clenching shut. Neville still held my hand until we stepped off back on to the cold white marble floor of the bank.
Gran wrote us a small list," meet me at Flourish and Blotts when you have finished."
Wandering off, we started at the closest shop – Madam Malkins. The small silver bell above the door chimed, the old ladies face cracked into a smile
"Which house dears?" She asked
"Ravenclaw," I said,

"Gryffindor." Neville shrugged.

she nodded, waving me into a booth, her intern helping Neville.

She closed the curtain and smiled, "what do you need dear?"
I gave her a kind smile, "Just a few shirts and shoes."