𝑵𝑰𝑲𝑶𝑳𝑨 𝑷𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 ⭑ 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑶 𝑴𝑨𝑳𝑭𝑶𝒀

ONE: The Leaky Cauldron

I put my bags and suitcases by the door, ready for in the morning when I'd be returning to Hogwart's again. I had of course been sending letters to Harry all summer, though it seemed we'd both had a pretty boring time off. I also received a small few letters from Draco checking in, which was a strange surprise.

"Y/n, are you coming?" Mother yelled from the dining room for breakfast. I walked in to join everyone, and sat to eat.

"Are you excited to return to Hogwarts, y/n?" Zay, one of the younger foster boys sat beside me, asked. I nodded at him. Not that I had favourites, but since I'd been helping mother care for the little ones me ad Zay had been spending a lot of time together. He felt the closest to an actual younger brother than the other boys.

"Yeah, should be great to get back on the train tomorrow," I exclaimed, stuffing my face with pancakes.

"Oh, actually y/n there's been a change of plans," Mother said from the kitchen, joining us at the table. I paused in my meal to look up and frown at her. "It seems your brother has been up to some trouble, the ministry is with him and the Weasley's at the leaky cauldron, and Cornelius Fudge sent me an owl asking for you to join them tonight."

"What trouble?" I asked, secretly pleased I'd be seeing them again later today.

"He.. blew up his aunt," she sniggered slightly while biting into a muffin. The little boys out the tables burst into laughter and I smiled shaking my head.

Good for him, I thought, remembering how much he hated that muggle family.

"Still, he wants to see you there today for both your safety, she continued.

"Safety, mother?" I asked, not fully understanding what she was talking about. She ignored me and started clearing up. So I scoffed down my breakfast and with no time to let my full-stomach digest the breakfast, she was rushing me to the living room.

I wondered why mother was in such a hurry to get me to leave but it was only a passing thought, as I assumed she just had other plans for the day. She asked me if I know how to use floo powder and I told her how the Weasley's had gotten me to use it last year.

"Fabulous," she said, though her face didn't seem to match her sincerity at the mention of Mrs Weasley. I said my goodbyes to everyone, before clearly shouting 'The Leaky Cauldron" and disappearing in a puff of green flames.

***

I tumbled slightly, appearing on the corner of an unrecognisable road. I'd never been to the leaky cauldron before but my mother had told me stories about when she'd go there for drinks with friends or stay there when she'd gotten into some trouble with the wizarding folk in her earlier years.

I looked around me for anything recognisable, or to hint me into the right direction. It was a rather dark alley of buildings, all of which looked roughly the same. I began to walk down the road, when suddenly there was a shuffle behind me.

I spun my body around to see a dark head in the shape of a dog poking it's head around one of the alleys. It seemed to be watching me closely. I felt uneasy, worried it might charge at me at any moment and tear my leg off.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm behind me, causing me to jump slightly. I turned to see Hermione's face gleaming at me.

"Y/n it's great to see you! In here, come on. Everyone's been waiting," she exclaimed, showing me into a shabby pub. I checked behind me one last time before entering, to see the dog had disappeared.

She took me through into a seperate room which revealed Harry and the Weasley's sat around a long table to eat. Harry turned and jumped up immediately at the sight of me.