Ivy Potter and the Somnum Curse

Chapter Two

-four years later-

"We're going to take your brother to get all his materials," Ivy's mother explained, handing her a large sack of coins. "We can all meet up for dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?"

"I'll find Ollie, Eliza, and Florence. It'll be fine, mum."

Mrs. Potter's face was still creased with concern, but Mr. Potter squeezed her hand and gave her an easygoing smile. "Don't worry, Babs. She'll be fine. Oliver is coming now."

Ivy turned to see her best friend indeed heading right for them, and she broke out into a grin. Behind her, she faintly heard her mother mutter, "Yes, he's supposed to make me feel better."

"Ollie!" Ivy exclaimed, jumping into his arms.

"Hey, V. How was your summer?"

She shrugged. "Boring without you."

"Isn't everything?"

"Where are your parents, Oliver?" Mrs. Potter spoke up.

"Don't know. I lost them a half hour ago."

Ivy's father chuckled, and her mother let her face fall into her hands.

"Okay, well we should be going. Have fun!" Ivy called, already being dragged away by Oliver.

"Bye!"

"Be careful! Don't get into trouble! Meet us here at five sharp!"

Once they'd gotten out of sight of Ivy's parents and were deep in the thick of the crowd, Oliver turned to her with a grave face. "So. Did you get it?"

"Get what?" she asked, trying not to giggle at the sudden grimness.

"The badge, Ivy. The disgusting thing you'll have to wear on your chest the entire year - screaming to everyone that you are a total prat."

"Oh, yes. That." She copied his solemn expression, and looked down. "You are looking at one of this year's Slytherin Prefects." She said it as though it were a terrible illness.

"Why, God, why?!" Oliver began to yell, causing several passers-by to glance at him in either shock or annoyance. "How could you take her so young??"

"Okay, stop it!" she laughed, pulling him into Flourish and Blotts. "So, have you seen Eliza or Florence today? They said they'd be shopping."

"Yeah! I saw them earlier. I told them I'd capture you and we'd all meet at Fortescue's at two."

"All right, that sounds perfect," said Ivy happily. "Have you gotten your books yet?"

He shook his head with a sigh. "I've been avoiding it."

"Come on." She dragged him through the store, getting their new set of required text books for the year - such as The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five, Curses and Counter-curses, The Dream Oracle, and One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Oliver complained the entire time, repeating over and over that he wouldn't be attending his classes this year, as he wouldn't be needing them.

"Let's go to my store now," he said once they were done.

Ivy followed him to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a fun joke shop that every student loved to shop at. Oliver ducked in and grabbed Ivy's hand, pulling her through a back way. "Can't let Dad see me." She laughed. As the descendent of George Weasley, Ollie was in line to inherit the highly profitable store after his father. He boasted from an early age that he did not need Hogwarts - but Ivy knew that he loved it.