❝Accio will to live.❞
In which Viola Jugson attempts to hold her world together, but it insists on crumbling apart.
BOOK TWO!
started: 1st january, 2023
finished:
[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince + Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]
harry...
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WEASLEYS' WIZARD WHEEZES stood both tall and colourful in the midst of Diagon Alley's newfound gloomy state. As though everything were in black and white except for it, the shop drew the eye like moths to a light. Even the inside was so different from the rest, the atmosphere alive and bubbling. In a way, it felt like stepping back in time to when the world was still capable of grasping the light, and peoples' excited chattering couldn't be drowned out by the smothering hold of fear. In fact, the shop was near deafening after the ghostly silence that floated on the cobbled streets.
With so many people running around and showing things to their friends, Viola and the others were nearly stuck right by the door and were barely able to make their way through the thickly woven bodies. But even as they shoved through to try and make it into a pocket of space, there was still plenty to see: a multitude of bright boxes were stacked up to the high ceiling, bins of products were set all over, and some items were on display, such as the tight-rope-walking witch that looked suspiciously like Umbridge.
When they finally pushed into a slightly less crowded area, and Viola was able to breathe again, it was next to a rounded shelf with a variety of boxes. Hermione was the first to emerge next to her, and she picked up a box, on the label of which was a picture of a boy and a girl standing on the deck of a pirate ship. Viola had to lean in closer to hear when Hermione read the description.
"'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable. Side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling. Not for sale to under-sixteens.' You know, that really is extraordinary magic!"
"For that, Hermione," said a voice behind them, "you can have one for free."
Fred stood proudly in a pair of magenta robes that, along with his red hair, really added to the burst of colours in the shop. He beamed at them, looking at home surrounded by all of the chaos.
"She daydreams about being in class when she has free time," said Viola, "so it seems a bit counter-productive."
"Always the businesswoman, Viola," he said, nodding once. "Anyway, how are you all doing?"
"Don't have any family discounts, do you?" asked Ron, two items already in his hands as he stood on tiptoes to look around at the nearby displays.
"No. And mind you, put those back where you got them if you're not buying. I don't want the shop getting all messed up."
"Ginny, look at this!" said Viola, as she and Harry emerged from the crowd behind Ron.
