Children of Sin

Chapter 11

"So this is Diagon Alley," Flora Shacklebolt smiled as she guided the triplets, "Mum said that the equivalent for you would be the Place Cachèe."

"I could have assumed so," Layla laughed, "so what are we looking for?"

"Ice cream," Rolf Scamander answered for his cousin, "we need to go to Fortesque's for that."

"Let's see if it can hold up to France's ice cream," Victor grinned as they headed inside.

"I'll have one scoop of treacle tart ice cream," Flora ordered, "Yusuf will have chocolate, Rolf will have fairy ice, and Selena will have caramel. Our new friends will order for themselves."

"You know us so well Flora," Selena, Jacob Scamander's ten year old daughter, smiled, "how do you always know what we want?"

"I'm a natural born legillimens," Flora rolled her eyes, "like Great-Aunt Queenie. Did you really forget?"

"A natural born legillimens," calculating eyes rested on Flora, "it would seem we have underestimated the power of the Scamander family."

"Indeed Abraxas," Lucinda Malfoy agreed with her husband, "we must up our game. The other families are also going to be interested in the girl. We must sink our teeth into them first."

"Right," Selena blushed embarrassedly, "I did know that."

"That's an astounding ability," Damian remarked, causing Flora to flush a little, "many powerful witches and wizards struggle with the art of legillimency. It's impressive that you are able to do it since birth."

"Thank you," Flora, still a little red, replied, "now, why don't you three order? We're starting to cause traffic."

The triplets immediately chose their flavors, and Flora handed the money to Mr. Fortesque. They sat down at their table, and began to talk while they waited for their ice cream.

"Does Hogwarts really have a lake monster?" Victor asked Yusuf curiously, "and are there really ghosts flying everywhere?"

"Yes," Yusuf responds, "it really does have those things."

"Tell us more about the houses," Layla asked, a curious look in her eyes. She was rather fascinated by the entire concept. Did British wizards and witches really think that people could be labelled? The human mind is a complex thing. There was so much variety amongst people's mentalities. Did they really think there were only four possible boxes to place humans in?

"Well I guess we'll start off with the best house," Yusuf brags, "Hufflepuff. Both Grandpa Newt and Uncle Jacob were in this house, as well as myself. It stands for humility, hard work, dedication, co-operation, and unwavering trust and belief."

"Never thought I'd hear someone call those worthless Hufflepuffs the best," Elladora Lestrange scoffed, "what a complete and utter lie."

"What was that Elladora?" Melania Black's sharp eyes turned to her vassal, "would you please repeat that? This former Hufflepuff would love to hear what you had to say."

"Uhm, Hufflepuffs are truly extraordinary," Elladora blurted out anxiously, desperately trying not to anger someone as politically powerful as the Black Matriarch.

"That's what I thought," Melania clapped her hands, wide smile that didn't reach her cold, dangerous eyes plastered on her face, "I'm glad to hear that you think so as well."

"I think you're right," Flora huffed, as if it pained her to say it, "Rolf and I are Slytherins. At surface value, we should be proud. Slytherins are supposed to stand for those who are cunning, ambitious, resourceful, and destined for greatness. Yet in out generation at least, that's nothing farther than the truth. The current Slytherins are hung up on blood purity, cruel, spiteful, brash and unrefined, as well as lacking in any sense of decorum and manners. They also fervently believe in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and many try to mimic the behaviors of both him and his followers, the death eaters. Not to mention our head of house hates children, is needlessly rude, and is a horrendous teacher. More people have failed potions than ever before."