For the last two months, I had been waiting for the day I could get out of the house and back to Hogwarts; that day was tomorrow. Today, though, Lupin was allowing me to go to Diagon Alley to find my supplies for second year.
"Come on, I haven't seen my friends in weeks! Hermione wanted to meet up at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Please," I whined.
"I'm only giving you one hour," Lupin said.
"You didn't even let me spend the summer with Harry, Ron, or Hermione! Two!"
"Fine, but I'll go with you," he huffed.
"Perfect!"
Although Lupin said he was going to come with me to Diagon Alley, he hung out at the Leaky Cauldron instead of following me. I walked past the sweets shop and went into the ice cream parlor, only to be tackled by a brown blur.
"Maisey!"
"Hermione," I gasped and hugged her back. "I missed you so much!"
Hermione and I caught up about our summer as we walked the cobblestone road all the way to Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Just as we were about to go inside, I turned my head and saw the familiar dishevelment of raven hair next to a large shaggy haired man with a wild, tangled beard.
"Harry!" I shouted and left Hermione at the top of the white stairs to run down to Harry and Hagrid. "What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid — Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again! Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"
"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.
"You sure do run fast," Hermione panted once she caught up with ne.
"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.
Harry, Hermione, and I looked around: Sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.
"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic - she's coming now—"
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.
"Excellent," said Fred and George together.
"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid. Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.
"Oh, Harry— oh, my dear— you could have been anywhere—"
Gasping for breath, she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron, Hermione, and me as we climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.
"No, he was selling—"
"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."
"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —"
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.
"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione and I as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
"Mum, Dad, this is Maisey Howell," Hermione introduced me to her parents.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," I smiled at Hermione's parents.
I hadn't met many muggles, since Lupin never let me go out to any muggle stores, but these two were delightful. Whether it was because they were Hermione's parents or because these muggles have manners, I loved them. Stepping out of Gringotts with Hermione, we waited for Harry and the Weasleys.
When they came back outside, all of us separated: Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill; Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan; Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop; Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink; and the four of us went about our afternoon.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver, and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamoring to be spent, so he bought four large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which we slurped happily as we wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged us off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, we met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains. We found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.
An hour later, we headed for Flourish and Blotts. We were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As we approached it, we saw to our surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:
GILDEROY LOCKHART
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
today 12:30P.M. to 4:30P.M.
The trip to Flourish and Blotts wasn't pleasant at all. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I ended up seeing Draco Malfoy there being the usual git he loved to be. Things got worse as Gilderoy Lockhart took notice of Harry's presence and caused a scene. Then Mr. Wealsey tried to attack Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy's dad, because he spoke ill of his family and occupation.
The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop us leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. We hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set for your children... brawling in public... what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought —"
"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report — said it was all publicity —"
But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. I said good-bye to them and the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face; I met Lupin outside of the Leaky Cauldron only to lecture me on the fighting he had heard about.
...
Waiting for Harry and Ron seemed more of a problem than it was supposed to be. As the train sped off, Hermione and I worried about where they were. The plan was to meet them outside of the train and find a compartment together, but it seemed to be that they never came.
"Ginny, right?" I asked the small redhaired girl. She nodded, not speaking. "Do you know where Harry and Ron are? I've only seen you, the twins, and Percy."
"They were behind me and Mum, but we had lost them after we crossed the barrier," Ginny explained.
"So they're not on the train?" said Hermione.
"I reckon they are, but I haven't seen them."
"Alright, thanks, Ginny," I said softly and grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her out of Ginny's compartment and back towards our cabin with Neville, again.
Not only did we not find them on the train, but they also never showed up to the start-of-term feast. As the first years got sorted into their Houses, Hermione's and my eyes stayed trained on the door, waiting for Harry and Ron to saunter in; it never happened. Instead, as we lingered in the Great Hall, through the stairs, and to Gryffindor Tower, we found the two boys walking towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?" she said as Harry and Ron approached.
"Er —" said Harry.
Hermione and I ran towards them, causing them to turn around.
"There you are! Where have you been?" I laughed. "The most ridiculous rumors — someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!"
"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry stated.
"You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding like Professor McGonagall.
"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."
"It's 'wattlebird,'" I said
"But that's not the point —"
Hermione's words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and a sudden storm of clapping erupted. It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for Harry and Ron to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull them inside, leaving Hermione and me to rush in after them.
"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years —"
"Good for you," said a random fifth year to Harry; someone was patting him on the back as though he'd just won a marathon; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?"
Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction.
"Got to get upstairs — bit tired," Ron said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.
"'Night," Harry called back to me and Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.