Albus Potter, Classmates and Elves

Ch 36 The Hogsmeade Attack

Again thanks to Deb and Diane, who make me a better writer.

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One of the advantages of being a third year student was the chance to visit Hogsmeade Village several Saturdays. October twelfth friends were glad to be able to go to Hogsmeade. Before they left Albus and Rose were met by two Aurors, Greg and Susan Cooper. Scorpius and Cleopatra received a lesson in living with Aurors. Albus and Cleo also had the Elves Frerin and Dis along.

"We are going to be using a Disillusionment Charm to hide us, and fly above you when you are going to and from Hogsmeade," Susan told the four students. "As soon as you are in the village we will shrink our brooms and reappear, and then try to follow you at a modest distance. Make sure you can see us at all times.

"Stay together at all times. If one of you has to use the loo the girls needed to go together with me, the boys needed to go together with the Greg. You needed to wait for the us to catch up with you before going into any store."

Scorpius asked if they always had to put up with this, and Albus repeated what the Aurors had mentioned about "safe space" and that when they left "safe space" like Hogwarts or the Burrow yes, they always had to put up with Aurors. The only person who really seemed to be on edge was Cleo.

Of course the first place they had to go was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It was packed. Uncle George was there as well as Rose's dad Ron, and of course Fred Weasley. Fred knew plenty of the students, and some of them recognized his wife Miriam, who was also helping to staff the store.

"Where is Barack?" Cleo called loudly to Miriam.

"He is with Grandmother Molly," Miriam yelled back. "I'm usually at the Diagon Alley store, and we have a playpen and cot set up for him there. Hogsmeade weekends are just a madhouse, however." Miriam waved over the crowd before excusing herself to talk to a couple of students interested in some product.

They purchased a little food at Honeydukes. Rose and Scorpius each paid for their own food. Cleo told Al, "You have all of our money."

Al confirmed, "I have a little of the money we earned from selling the shampoo and scents. We can use that to buy stuff for ourselves."

"We can?" Cleo wondered.

"Sure," Al responded. "Your half of the earnings are actually almost five hundred Galleons by now. I've shown you the books."

"Oh Al, that's real money that I can spend?" Cleo wondered.

"Of course," Al insisted. "What did you think it was?"

"I'm not sure," Cleo pondered. "I've never had any money of my own to spend. I've never had anything that someone else did not buy for me."

"Plus you earned some money repotting plants at the New Burrow last summer," Al insisted. "That's your money too."

"Have I ever told you just how confusing the world can be," Cleo wondered. "I must see the world differently than most people. It is hard sometimes. I see all the colors that Rose sees, but I cannot put them together to look good. I see too much magic some times. It can be hard. I don't want to think about money too. You take care of it."

Al had to think about this. There really were times when Cleo had a hard time functioning, and it was a good thing that either he or Rose was usually with her. It was a good thing she had an Elf watching over her as well. However, he really did not want Cleo to depend on others for all her money, and was going to have to try educate her on this as well.

Harry Potter had been very nervous about this visit. Too many dark wizards knew about Albus and the Elder Wand, and this was as unsafe a space as Albus was going to be facing for some time. So he was sitting on the roof of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes trying to keep his son and the rest of the students in view. There were far more Aurors in Hogsmeade than were visible.