[Chapter 2] Diagon Alley: Ferrets and Pranks

The اگلے few weeks just flew by. Maybe it was because I had something to look آگے to. Hermione and Ginny had been writing regularly. All of Hermione's letters were about how much we would have to do as N.E.W.T. students. She had scored eight 'Outstandings' and an 'Exceeds Expectations' and was still disappointed! That girl...she is just...extraordinary! Ron and Harry had done fairly well, failed only in two subjects. They seemed to be having fun at the Burrow, the four of them. Then Ginny کہا that Phlegm spoilt all the fun. At least they were all together. I was alone.
I stayed at ہوم all دن doing nothing at all. Well, I cleaned my room repeatedly, cooked food and ate it myself and left some for Mum, listened to موسیقی and read books. The normal stuff.
Staying at ہوم made me feel like things were normal. They seemed to be. Except for Dad's absence, that was very difficult to get used to. I tried my best though.
My vacation was a pleasant, if it were not for the disturbing news the Prophet used to be full of. The outside world was disturbing to say the least. Dementor attacks, disappearances, even deaths!
A birthday party, I thought, would lift everyone's spirits. And boy! Was I wrong about that!
On the evening of Harry's birthday, Mum and I went to the Burrow. It was not an ideal birthday party, everyone could say that. Everyone seemed to be in a dismal mood. Every time Ron tried to crack a joke, Aunt Molly would snap. Therefore, he stopped his attempts to lighten everyone's moods.
Things between Harry and I were rather awkward. I wished him a Happy Birthday. He responded with a 'Thanks' and a smile. He looked extremely shocked when I gave him a gift, though he tried to hide it.
I had wrecked my brains trying to choose a gift for him.
It was a picture of all of us. All of us meaning; Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, Fred and I.
It was a picture from the Quidditch World Cup, inside their tent.
"I didn't know آپ had this picture!" Harry exclaimed, smiling.
I smiled too, "Ummm...well...I did! So Happy Birthday again!"
"Thanks, Caldera," he said, looking down,” and I'm sorry..."
"It’s okay..." That is all we کہا to each other.
The mood became gloomier with Lupin's arrival. He brought a lot of bad news. He looked grim and had some grey hair, his clothes looked ragged. He brought news of Ollivander's disappearance and Florean's too! Ollivander was a wand maker and it was understandable but Florean was just an ice-cream man! What had he done?
Once Lupin pulled Harry to a corner and started talking about God knows what, Ginny, Hermione and I sat and chatted a bit. Fleur tried to شامل میں in but Ginny kept ignoring her. Ginny hated her, so did Aunt Molly and Hermione, and to be honest she was rather irritating. What am I saying? She is very, very irritating! So annoying! Moreover, like all the others, I cannot believe that Bill is marrying her. Nevertheless, we couldn't stop them, as they 'loved' each other! After about fifteen (unsuccessful) attempts to شامل میں our conversation, she left and sat اگلے to Bill.
Once she was gone, Hermione, who had a black eye thanks to Fred and George, started about studies again.
"Give it a rest, will you?" Ginny scolded, looking a lot like Aunt Molly for a second.
"I just wanted to know if we can manage classes together," Hermione defended.
"Advanced Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Astronomy and Herbology, that's probably it," I کہا quickly, to stop them from arguing, "Ancient Runes, maybe."
Hermione turned to me again, "And Arithmancy?"
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Numbers aren't my forte," I told her, shrugging.
"Oh..." she nodded.
"Whatever," Ginny cut her off, "we're going to Diagon Alley together aren't we?"
"Yeah, Mum was saying that we'd go together," I said, nodding.
"We'll be going to Fred and George's shop, I believe," Ginny کہا smirking and wriggling her eyebrows, it looked very weird.
"Don't do that, it doesn't look good," I told her. She just rolled her eyes.
"Aren't آپ excited about it?" she asked.
"Of course I am! It’s their دکان after all!" I exclaimed. I really was excited about it. Fred and George's shop! It would be great! It would be fun visiting it but I shouldn't have کہا it.
"Just the shop?" Hermione asked, with a teasing smile. I thought about what they had been saying.
"I can't believe the two of you! You're ganging up on me!" I almost yelled. And they laughed! How cruel of them. I pouted.
"What are آپ gonna do, سے طرف کی the way?" Ginny questioned.
"About what?" I asked, confused.
"He won't be in school," she stated.
"I know, they can't stay at Hogwarts forever, can he?" I said, I didn't know why they were saying such things.
"Denial..." Ginny sighed.
"Talk to him when we're there, okay?" Hermione said. I nodded.
And so the evening went on, with everyone caught up in his یا her own conversations.
It was rather late when we left the Burrow. I hugged Hermione and Ginny goodbye. Aunt Molly kissed my cheek, "Goodbye dear," she said, "Goodbye Cloretta."
"Bye Molly, Arthur, kids." My mum said.
"Mum, Bill isn't a kid! He's getting married soon," I told her, indirectly teasing Bill. Bill and Fleur Delacour! Who would have thought?
Bill laughed.
"Bye everyone!" I called once more, waving.
"Bye," everyone called back, some sounding cheerful, some sleepy and some just melancholic.
We stepped into the Burrow's front-yard, "Ready?" Mum asked.
"Yeah," I responded, taking one last look at the Burrow to Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Harry at the door. Then the feeling of being compressed from all sides came, I shut my eyes and knew that I would be ہوم soon.
. . .
My book-list from Hogwarts arrived the دن after Harry's birthday party. So, Mum and Aunt Molly arranged for a trip to Diagon Alley the following Saturday. Time seemed to fly سے طرف کی and Saturday dawned on.
That day, I woke up without being suspended in the air, much to my relief.
I got out of بستر and went to the bathroom to do the usual. I got dressed in light brown skinny pants, a purple-checkered shirt, a black sweater and black ballerina flats. I wore my ring and bracelet as usual.
Then I went downstairs to find Mum at the table.
“Morning!” I greeted and sat opposite to her at the table.
“Good morning,” she replied and got up to prepare me some breakfast. She had eaten, I assumed.
After breakfast, we headed out the back door towards the old oak درخت and stood beneath it.
“Ready?” Mum asked, looking at me.
“Yeah! Off to Diagon Alley!”
With that, I was being pushed from all sides. I closed my eyes. After some منٹ of the torture, I felt the calm wind hitting me again.
I opened my eyes and looked around; we were in Charring پار, صلیب Street, in front of the Leaky Cauldron. No Muggles were around.
“They aren’t here yet,” I stated. Mum sighed.
“Cloretta!” a voice booked from across the street.
I looked to where the voice had come from, and there he was, a huge man with bushy hair and beard, making his way towards us.
”Hagrid!” my Mum said, smiling at him.
"Oh! And Caldera too!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"Hi, Hagrid!" I smiled at him. "Haven' yeh grown?" he said.
"I guess," I said. He'd just seen me a few months ago. Oh well...
Hagrid was earning quite a lot of startled glances from the few Muggles that were passing by. Just then, a car pulled up at a little distance from us. It was one of the Ministry cars. Mum had told me that Harry had been دیا سب, سب سے اوپر grade security status, due to the 'Chosen One' rumors.
"Harry!" Hagrid boomed again. Professor Dumbledore had sent his for Harry's security, since he didn't think Aurors were necessary. And my Mum, an Auror was there too so it was محفوظ enough. I waved to the rest of them, as Ginny came and hugged me.
"Lets go!" Hermione smiled. She still had a black eye. I started laughing!
She frowned, "You too?"
"Sorry..."
"After yeh, Molly, Arthur, Cloretta!" Hagrid called, leading the way into the Leaky Cauldron. I thought he کہا 'after'?
The usually crowded place was deserted. Only Tom, the owner remained out of the old crowd. He looked up with expectant eyes, hoping for us to be customers. Hagrid apologized to him and کہا that we were there just for 'Hogwarts Business'. The old man just nodded in response. It was infuriating! Not the old man...but what the Dark Lord was doing to the people! He was taking away people's way of life. What I hated مزید was that my father was a part of it. I wished that the Dark Lord hadn't risen again, that everything would be how it was two years ago. I knew that many people did too.
I felt a nudge on my side; I turned around to see Hermione looking at me with a worried expression. Oh great! She knew I was feeling down. I just shook my head and looked in front.
We walked through the bar and out into the little courtyard at the back, where Hagrid rapped at a brick on the دیوار with his گلابی umbrella. The bricks opened to form an archway into Diagon Alley.
The Alley had changed, changed a lot. The colourful display of spell books, potion ingredients and cauldrons were hidden behind the large Ministry posters that had been pasted over them. The purple posters carried security advice, while some posters carried black and white posters of Death Eaters on the loose. A familiar face stared out of one of the posters, an uninterested look on his face, his blue eyes blinking every now and then. A face that I so loved and many hated, Aldamar Roth. I saw Mum looking away from the poster quickly. There were many pictures of him at ہوم but all of them were of the loving Dad that I knew, but these posters were of a wanted Death Eater not the Dad I knew. I knew Mum had shed a few tears on seeing the picture, he was her husband after all, and she loved him. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, I wanted to stop them but they wouldn't. I didn't wipe them, if I did, everyone would know that I was crying. I had walked the same سٹریٹ, گلی so many times with Mum and Dad سے طرف کی my side. A smile made its way to my lips as I thought about it.
"Caldera? Are آپ listening?" Aunt Molly questioned. I obviously wasn't.
"Uhhh...yeah!" I nodded. She looked at me as if she didn't believe me.
"Molly! It doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's," Mr. Weasley said.
"Let the four of them go to Madam Malkin's with Hagrid," Mum suggested.
"Yes, we can get everyone's کتابیں from Flourish and Blotts," Mr. Weasley agreed.
"I don't know..." Aunt Molly said, contemplating whether to finish shopping earlier یا too stick together, "Hagrid, do آپ think--"
Hagrid cut her off, waving his large hand, "Don' fret, they'll be find with me, Molly."
She looked reluctant, but scurried off with Mum, Ginny and Mr. Weasley.
"Bye, Mum!" I waved. "Bye!" she waved back, smiling a small smile. I could see she still was unhappy. I sighed as we started walking towards Madam Malkin's.
"Are آپ alright?" Hermione whispered to me.
"I'm fine," I کہا as she patted my back in a comforting manner.
Hagrid decided to stand outside as he thought that it would be crowded if we all went into the shop. So, the four of us entered the دکان together.
The دکان seemed to be empty when we first entered the دکان but a rather familiar voice issued from behind the racks, "...not a child, in case آپ didn't notice, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone." My luck...it was the Ferret.
Madam Malkin made a clucking noise and tried to convince him that Mrs. Malfoy was right. Of course he retorted in his usual rude manner.
He emerged a little while later wearing a set of dark green robes, with pins stuck around the edges of the sleeves. He made his way to the mirror and examined and probably even admired himself in the mirror. It only took a few moments for him to notice us being reflected over his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes.
"If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mud-blood just walked in," he said.
Why did he do that? Did he have no other thing to do?
To that comment, Ron and Harry drew out their wands and pointed it at the Ferret. Madam Malkin, who obviously didn't want a duel to start in her shop, quickly told them to put their wands away. Like they would listen to her, I mentally scoffed at her.
"No, don't. Honestly, it’s not worth it," Hermione whispered to the two.
"She's right. Don't waste your time on random ferrets," I said, but they remained oblivious to us.
"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," Malfoy sneered, he turned to Hermione, "who blacked your eyes Granger? I want to send them flowers."
I bit my lips; I still hadn't got over Hermione's black eye. It was funny.
"And no one کہا a thing to you, Roth," he کہا to me.
"Neither to you, ferret," I said.
"You just did," he pointed out.
"Since when did your name become ferret, Draco?" I asked. He rolled his eyes.
Madam Malkin commanded us to stop and looked over her shoulder at Mrs. Malfoy for support. Wrong person, Madam Malkin.
"Put those away," she کہا coldly to Ron and Harry, "if آپ attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you'll ever do."
She was so unnecessarily overprotective.
"Really?" Harry demanded, almost threateningly, as if he could do anything, "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"
His words stung. Did he not realize? Had he forgotten? Of course not!
Malfoy's eyes wandered to me, I looked down.
Madam Malkin کہا something that I wasn't really interested in, well, no one was. Nevertheless, I didn't pay attention to the dispute, in case anyone dropped one of those stinging comments. I balled my fists and looked at my feet, holding back my tears.

"Ouch!" I heard Malfoy bellow after a while, I looked up to see him slapping Madam Malkin's hand away, "Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother-I don't think I want these anymore-"
Whiny little Mamma's boy. He discarded the robes and threw them at Madam Malkin's feet! He was so inconsiderate; it made me want to مککا, عجیب الخلقت him.
"You're right, Draco," Mrs. Malfoy said, looking at Hermione with nothing but disgust, "now I know that kind of scum that shops here...we'll do better at Twilfitt and Tattings."
They strode towards the door, Malfoy making sure to bang into Ron.
"I see you're still hanging around with the losers, eh, Roth?" he کہا to me, sneering.
I glared at him.
"You're crying?" he asked, looking confused.
"What's it to--"
"Draco," Mrs. Malfoy's voice interrupted me and somehow, I was thankful for that. My voice had started to break. The فیرریٹ, بھگانا walked out of the shop.
"Hope آپ are doing well, Miss Roth," she said, turning to me.
I nodded. "Farewell, Caldera." With that, she walked out.
"Miss Roth?" Ron questioned. I didn't say anything.
"Ron," Hermione warned.
Madam Malkin picked up the discarded robes and cleaned them with her wand. She acted all distracted during our fittings. When she bowed us out of the shop, she looked considerably relieved.
"Got everything?" Hagrid asked brightly when we got out. I found the big man's enthusiasm fascinating. He was such a happy person.
"Just about," Harry said, "did آپ see the Malfoys?"
He didn't like the Malfoys, correction: he loathed the Malfoys. None of them did for that matter. I, on the other hand, liked Mrs. Malfoy, she was nice and caring towards me when we went to the Manor, and she still is, though she doesn't like دکھانا that side to others. The فیرریٹ, بھگانا is a brat of course and Mr. Malfoy is just full of himself. But doing something here, I didn't think they wanted any مزید trouble.
"Yeah," Hagrid said, looking unconcerned, "bu' they wouldn' dare make trouble in the middle of Diagon Alley, Harry. Don't worry about them."
Maybe Hagrid read minds! He just read mine.
I could tell that the others weren't that comfortable; taking into account the looks they were giving each other. But Mum and the rest of them appeared they could say anything to Hagrid.
All four of them, Mum, Ginny, Aunt Molly and Mr. Weasley were clutching heavy packages of books.
"Everyone alright?" Aunt Molly asked. She really was flustered. But she was concerned for our safety after all. "Got your robes?"
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I nodded.
"Lets drop سے طرف کی at the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's, alright?" Mum said.
"Yes. Now everyone, stick close," Aunt Molly said, scurrying off again.
"Mum, let me carry it," I کہا as I went to her side. She gladly handed over the package to me.
It was very heavy! Wow! We would have to study all these کتابیں this school year.
We bought the Potion ingredients at the Apothecary, while Harry and Ron bought owl nuts for Hedwig and Pigwidgeon(I finally got his name right!) at Eeylops. I noticed that Aunt Molly was checking her watch every now and then. I walked beside Mum, "She is really worried, isn't she?" I asked Mum.
"Yeah...she's a mother after all! I'm worried too but being an Auror, I don't دکھائیں it so much and Molly sometimes worries a little too much. Every mother worries about their children and Harry, Hermione and آپ are like her children too," my Mum said, looking at me. I nodded and smiled.
We headed farther along the street, searching for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Aunt Molly was suggesting that we could stay there only for a little while, which was a disappointment for all of us, kids. Well...teenagers.
"Whoa!" I heard Ron exclaim as we reached the shop. And I would not blame him for being so loud.
The دکان was 'Whoa'! In contrast to the poster-covered shop-fronts around their shop, their دکان was like a firework display! In the left-side window was an assortment of all kinds of goods. The right window was covered in a gigantic purple poster which said,
"WHY ARE آپ WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO? آپ SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO--THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!"
Reading that, I let out a small laugh while Harry and Ron started laughing loudly. I heard Aunt Molly moan and mutter something about Fred and George being murdered in their beds.
Ron and Harry led the way into the shop, being typical boys. We entered after them. The دکان was packed! There were just so many people there! The shelves were full of tricks that Fred and George had used back in Hogwarts and some of them were new. I smiled, looking around.
Someone grabbed my arm from behind; I turned around to see Ginny.
"What?" I asked her.
"Come with me," she pulled me through the crowd, all the way to Mum, who was looking lost among so many children and teenagers in a joke shop. I let out a small laugh.
"Aunt Cloretta! Please take this for a while," she کہا and took the package of کتابیں from me and handed it to Mum. "S-sure.." Mum said, startled سے طرف کی Ginny's loud voice.
"Have fun!" Mum called behind us as Ginny started dragging me to who knows where.
She led to to Hermione, who didn't have a black eye now. She met the twins, I guess.
"Look at this!" she exclaimed, holding up a box.
Apparently, there were some daydream charms in that box.
"Haven't آپ girls found our special Wonder Witch products?" someone asked from behind us.
I turned around to see Fred and Harry walking towards us. Don't ask how I know it was Fred, I just know that its him. Its weird.
Fred smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Follow me ladies," he کہا winking at me? Maybe..
And there on the shelves were very very گلابی products. I scrunched my nose.
"Don't like it?" Fred asked.
I shook my head, "Its just I don't like the colour." Fred chuckled.
"Best range of Love Potions," he stated.
"Do they work?" Ginny asked.
"Of course...for twenty-four hours...depending on the weight of the boy in question."
"And the attractiveness of the girl," George finished, appearing out of nowhere.
"But I'm not selling it to our sister," George added, "And آپ don't seem to need it either." Fred finished looking at Ginny with a smirk.
"Our dear Caldera doesn't seem to need it either, does she Fred?" George commented, looking at Fred.
"What do آپ mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Does she, Fred?" he asked again.
"Ye- I mean No!" Fred said, flustered. Wow...that's rare. Ginny smiled a teasing smile at me.
Then I got it! I GOT IT! They have been teasing me with FRED! Ginny, Hermione, and George! And others too! Shame on me! I call myself a Ravenclaw! I'm stupid!
We went to the Yule Ball together and all but there wasn't anything between us! Maybe...
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
"We'll let آپ talk." George کہا and turned to Ginny, "Aren't آپ Miss..."
I looked back at Fred.
"Ummm..soooo.." I started.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Fine...you?" I replied. I don't know how it got so awkward! Curse you, George!
"You won't be at school," I stated. Stupid! As if he didn't know!
"Yeah..." he trailed off.
"Hogwarts will miss the two of you," I said. Stupid. Romilda Ravenclaw must be cursing me right now!
"We can't stay in school forever," he stated. I nodded.
"I'll miss you..." I said, looking at my feet.
He chuckled, "I'll miss آپ too."
"Where are they?" A voice screeched. Aunt Molly.
Both of us looked at her, she looked...scared.
"Where are who?" Fred asked. "Ron, Harry and Hermione," she replied.
"Must be here, somewhere," I کہا shrugging.
"I've looked," she said.
"We'll look for them, don't worry," Fred said. He took my hand and started making his way through the crowd, while my دل was running off to somewhere I didn't know. Why was it beating so fast? It never happened before. I'd known him since we were little. It was so confusing!
We looked all over the دکان and the three were nowhere to be found! They probably went off looking for trouble again. They always did. Them and trouble were like old friends. But then I had my own new found trouble too. Fred was still holding my hand. We didn't say a word to eachother though.
It was so awkward!
"There آپ are!" Aunt Molly's voice screeched again.
I sighed; they were back from wherever they were. And on queue Aunt Molly started scolding them and surprisingly Mum added to that too. I guess they were very worried. They kept insisting that they were in the back room so Aunt Molly and Mum let it go. But of course they weren't! Fred and I were in the back room just a few moments ago.
"Lets get going then," Aunt Molly suggested, "its getting late."
"Yeah, come on kids, get your stuff," Mum said, looking at me and then at Fred. A smile crept up on her face. Not her too!
Everyone got ready to go and Fred let go of my hand. As everyone was saying their Goodbyes, I went to Mum and took the package from her.
Aunt Molly was squeezing Fred and George in a برداشت, ریچھ hug, while all of us waited at the door.
"Uhhhh..Caldera?" I looked back to see Fred, holding a bottle.
"Yeah?"
"For you," he shoved it at me, I quickly caught it.
"What is it?"
"A Wonder Witch product, useful for pimples and blemishes and stuff," he said.
I raised and eyebrow, "Are آپ implying that I have pimples?"
"No! No! Just--"
I laughed, "Kidding, Fred."
"Oh..."
"How much for it?" I asked, well I couldn't just take it, could I?
"It’s free, for you," he said, smiling.
"Hey! Not fair!" Ron called from behind me, Fred glared at him.
"Thanks and Bye Fred, George," I کہا smiling at George. He waved.
And Fred...hugged me! With the کتابیں between us! Talk about weird! I didn't know what to do! Stupid!
"Let’s go!" Aunt Molly called. Then he let go and smiled at me. I smiled back.
"Write to me," I whispered.
"Sure," he کہا with a grin.
"Bye!" George called.
Then our small procession walked out. We went into the Leaky Cauldron and out.
The Ministry car was waiting for the rest of them.
"We'll be leaving," Mum کہا to everyone. I nodded.
"Bye!" Ginny called while waving, "See آپ on the first!"
"Bye!" I called and everyone waved.
I held on to the کتابیں with one hand, while I clutched Mum's چادر, فرغل with the other.
"Fred, huh?" she whispered. I could feel my ears becoming warm and my cheeks too!
"You too, Mum?" I whined before she apparated both of us back home.
. . .