Adventures of Beatrice the Basilisk

Chapter 3: Diagon Alley: (a day out with your gal pal voldy.)

Honk. Beep. Vroom.

"Do you actually know where it is we're meant to be going?" said Matron, her voice drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the city around them. Tom rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were the one with the directions," he said, trying to conceal his annoyance. His plan to lose her was taking much longer than expected. I guess that's what happens when you're a simple 11 year old stuck with a daft and batty orphan matron who's just as, if not more clueless than you are.

"I think the Leaky Cauldron is just around the corner, if we followed the directions right," stated Tom. He totally, definitely didn't memorise the directions off by heart, secretly hoping that what the smelly, old man had said was true, that there was in fact a world that he belonged to - 11 year olds are known to be very wishful thinkers. Yes, even Tom.

As they turned the corner, Matron tripped, falling onto her hands and knees. Her dress was ruined.

"For goodness sake! I always say they ought to fix these footpaths. Stuff like this always happens to me," - to this day, we still wonder why.

"Are you alright Matron?" Tom could smell the metallic scent of blood wafting off of her. By the look of her leg, which was now in an L shape - the wrong way round, her leg was also broken.

"Does it look like I'm okay to you, Tom?" she snapped at him, she turned to sit on her rotund bottom, and looked up at him. A few people were moving towards her, to see what happened. "Tom, I'm very sorry, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to take you shopping today," she said, a pained expression on her voice.

"Oh... okay. I could go by myself. I'll make sure to get the bus back to the orphanage, and be back by 6!" he said, trying to suppress the hope and enthusiasm in his voice. It wasn't working. However, somehow it seemed to have the desired effect.

"Oh, if you're sure. I know this is a lot to ask of you to go by yourself, but if you think you're up to it, I don't see why not... Oh Tom, you're such a good, mature boy," the orphan matron had begun to cry, it was very ugly, like watching a toad convulse. Tom could barely mask the growing grin on his face, the crying paired with her 'L' shaped leg was quite funny to him. He quickly bade farewell to Matron before running off around the corner to the secret door that led into the Leaky Cauldron.

As soon as he entered the pub, a strange, powerful feeling came over the small boy. It was a feeling like waking up from a long nap - invigorating and alive. He felt as if his whole body was covered in static, just waiting to be zippity zapped. He moved out of the doorway and looked around the dark and dingy room. There were all sorts of people in there, witches, wizards, lots of old men, and what looked like a hunchback - but he couldn't be sure. Tom glared at everyone, though nobody was looking at him, before strutting across the room to the bar. Tom liked to strut, he was self obsessed after all.

"I presume you're the barkeep," he stated once he was at the bar. It wasn't a question.

"Tha's correct. I'm Indigo," said the short, stocky, red-haired woman behind the bar. "You lookin' fer the way into the alley?" She was obviously scottish from the sounds of things.

"Well I'm not here to get a drink, am I?" (he wishes 🙄) Tom tried his best to refrain from rolling his eyes. (we couldn't)

"Yer a funny boy, entrance is tha' way" she said, pointing to her left, "Yeh need a wiz'rd o' witch teh get yer t'rough. Follo' me dear." She hobbled out from behind the bar and motioned for Tom to follow. He squinted, stranger danger- but followed anyway. For once he wasn't being a pessimistic little brat, his hopes of what he would encounter in Diagon Alley (and the wizarding world in general) was too exciting to say no to. Well worth the risk of kidnapping in Tom's opinion.