Menacie

Chapter - 3 : Flourish and Blotts

Ava had invited Cedric to join them on Wednesday too but his father wasn't available then and he didn't want to go without him. So he didn't accompany them.

On Wednesday morning, like she had a year ago, Ava, though accompanied by Leah this time, took the bus to the train station and then took the Green Line to Leadenhall market and then through Leaky Cauldron, into Diagon Alley.

Leah's reaction was exactly the same to that of Ava's when she'd first come. Yet, Diagon Alley still seemed to impress Ava.

They moved around and bought two chocolate and pudding ice creams from 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour'.

Ava still had plenty of her money from last year. But nonetheless, they made her way near Gringotts, for she spotted Hermione on the top of the white flight steps.

"Hermione!" Ava jumped and hugged her.
Hermione grinned from ear to ear.

"It's good to see you again, Ava! Hi Leah!" she said. "Have you guys seen Harry anywhere? The Weasleys were travelling by Floo and Harry was with them but they got separated somehow."

Ava and Leah shook their heads.

But as though right on cue, Harry along with Hagrid, came there.

"Harry! Harry! Over here!" said Hermione.

"Hey Harry! What happened to your glasses?" said Ava. "Hello Hagrid! It's wonderful to see both of you again!"

"Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?" Hermione interjected.

"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.

That's when the Weasleys came and fussed over Harry as Mr Weasley fixed Harry's glasses and Mrs Weasley gave him a nice tight hug.

She saw Ava and Leah standing beside them and immediately launched herself towards them and gave them a bone crushing hug. The other Weasley boys - except Percy, of course - also gave Ava a brief warm hug.

Ava didn't need to extract any money from Gringotts so she didn't accompany the Weasleys, Grangers and Harry.

Leah had met Mr and Mrs Granger, being dentists, once before at some lecture, so they were familiar faces to each other.

Once the finances were sorted, Mr Weasley insisted on taking the adults for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron and that's why the kids got a free hour to roam about before meeting them again at Flourish and Blotts.

They gazed in 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' for so long that Hermione had to finally drag the three of them to buy ink and parchment next door. They spotted Fred and George with Lee Jordan from a joke shop while Percy was immersed in a book about prefects in a tiny junk shop.

The hour passed quickly as they chatted off about their summers - the Dursleys and their abusive behaviour, Cedric, Hermione and her reading of new books (both muggle and magical) and Ron's time playing Quidditch with Fred and George and Ginny being nervous about school.

As they approached Flourish and Blotts, they saw a large crowd jostling outside, trying to get in. The reason for this was the famous wizarding author - Gilderoy Lockhart - was signing copies of his autobiography.

This year, most of their books were going to be written by him.

They squeezed their way inside. All of the witches who the muggles would call 'fangirls' were completely fangirling over him.

It didn't even take Ava two minutes to find a very important piece of information - he was a fraud! He'd not done a single of the things he's written in his books, he's just been taking credit for what other wizards had done.

But Ava quickly purchased her required books as the rest of them stood waiting behind her. Then something happened and Harry was pulled beside Lockhart.

Ava shouted in Hermione's ears, "I'm waiting outside!"

With that, she grabbed Leah's hand and pulled her outside.

"What? Why did we come outside? Is it always this busy?" Leah asked.

Ava explained all that she'd seen and am she had also just picked up that he would be their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He looked good with his forget-me-not blue coloured eyes, dazzling white teeth and wavy hair, no doubt; but he had no true power of his own other than being gifted with memory charms.

Then came a CRASH from the inside of the shop.

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Hey everyone! I have some bad news for y'all. I severely injured my hand yesterday and because of which I'm not able to type. I will try my best to keep updating but it won't be very consistent for the oncoming week or two.

Extremely sorry for that!

But I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

Always,
Ana