The Fearless Year 1

Diagon Alley

Friday 2nd August 2019

It was 6 O'clock in the morning and everywhere was quiet. The only sounds for a while were leaves rustling and an owl flying peacefully across rooftops in Birmingham. The sun was swiftly rising, the sky turning orange. Everywhere felt serene until a house on Farquhar Road opened the door.

"Jenny" yelled Adam from the driveway wrestling two suitcases into the bottom of their car boot. "Remember to get Jack from bed" he called again as Gabby dodged past him dumping her suitcase at his feet. It hit is toes and he yelped in pain but he didn't say anything he realised Gabby was fragile at the moment she'd not been away from her sister for more than two nights since Autumn was born and she was about to leave for a year.

Autumn was already in the awkward middle seat, the one that came with being a middle child, when Gabby slid into the seat to her right slamming the door as she did. She was speedily moving her fingers typing on her phone. She hadn't acknowledged Autumn since the night before at the park which upset her but she didn't let Gabby see that part of her only happiness. Autumn put her headphones on and opened Spotify. She scrolled down until she found her favourite playlist 'Taylor Swift 🤍" and clicked play. Immediately 'Our Song' filled her ears it made her feel safer, happier about the year she was about to start without her sister.

Once everyone was in the car, Jack had been carried down still asleep and strapped into his car seat cautiously, Adam reversed out the driveway and started driving following the sun as it rose into the sky, headed for Diagon Alley.

Gabby was staring out the window of the car as they drove down the motorway. Autumn was asleep on her shoulder and Gabby had an arm around her so she didn't jerk and bump into Jacks seat where he too, was sleeping. She couldn't get to sleep. She'd always had trouble sleeping sitting up but Autumn always had her to lean on. Her parents were having a quiet discussion in the front about some friend or another so Gabby felt alone. "Is this how it'll be when Autumn leaves" she wondered to herself. She hoped not is was ever so isolating without her. She tucked a strand of Autumns pretty hair carefully behind her ear and hugged her tighter. She never wanted to let go. She felt the same way about Jack but Autumn had been her best friend since day one and she didn't want anything to change when she went away.

Autumn felt someone tapping her delicately on the shoulder and saw Gabby smiling at her. "We're here" said Gabby and she unbuckled her seatbelt stepping out the car. She helped Autumn out too and they looked up and down a perfectly normal road with many people going about their normal, day to day lives.

"The GPS says we're here according to McGonagalls instructions but I don't see the Leaky Cauldron." Said Adam helplessly. Autumn was confused. "What do you mean it's right there." She stated obviously pointing forwards. Her father looked where she was pointing clearly oblivious so she took Gabbys hand and demonstrated it was there by walking inside. "See it now?" She asked. Her parents followed her inside. "Odd" said Adam he hadn't seen the pub anywhere until he'd followed Autumn. He dragged all their luggage whilst Jenny held Jacks hand and they went to talk to the man at the bar about their rooms.

Once they'd found their rooms, Jenny and Adam had one with a pull out bed for Jack and Gabby and Autumn shared another, they dropped off their bags and went back downstairs to find the alley. Autumn stepped up to the bar. "Excuse me but where's the entrance to Diagon Alley?" She asked the ancient bar man. He led them out the back smiling at her and tapped a brick with a wand.

Autumn didn't see anything at first but then an archway started forming. She gasped and a smile broke on her face this was real magic and it was very exciting. Then she saw it. There were bright colours moving around the roads in the forms of odd travelling cloaks, shop displays and funny looking creatures in shop windows. She squealed and grabbed Gabby pulling her into Diagon Alley.