Hogwarts: A History [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Chapter 21 - Diagon Alley

Hello everyone! DancesWithSugarCubes here with a couple of announcements before we start this chapter! :) First! I'm dedicating this chapter to gymnastgirlflips - she's new to Wattpad and is super nice so you should talk to her and make her feel welcome! :D

Second! I have a Harry Potter one shot contest up. Some of you might remember that I held one a while back, and I've been itchinig to do another, so if you're interested, send me a message and I'll direct you to the rules :) I have some pretty cool prizes up this time, if I do say so myself :D 

Finally! I'm just going to leave a warning here for my younger readers or those of you who don't like sensitive material (ie: violence, sexuality, battle scenes). This is a story based off a time during a wizarding war, so there will be some casualties. It's not going to be terribly horrible or descriptive, but I just want to put it out there that the story is going to take a darker turn soon, so if you'd rather not keep reading, I totally understand :) 

Thats all I can think of, so I hope you enjoy!

A small canary flew passed Gizelle as she exited Florish and Blotts, a used copy of her N.E.W.T level Charms book tucked tightly under her arm. Her hands held the contents of her visit to Diagon Alley thus far. She had already been to Gringotts, the Apothecary, Madame Malkins's, and now Flourish and Blotts's.

She made her way down the cobblestone path and went to turn into an alleyway that would lead straight to the Magical Menagerie, but stopped. Standing in the middle of the pathway was a group of Slytherins. They were joking to themselves and passing around a bottle. She debated on whether to continue on down the alley and pretend that she had not noticed the Slytherins, or hauling ass out of there and taking the long way. She glanced down at her arms, which each had three heavy bags on them. She sighed and turned around to take the long route.

A bottle flew out of the alley after her, smashing into the wall next to her head and sending its contents and debris shooting in all directions. She instinctively brought her hands up to cover her head, dropping her bags at her feet.

"Oi! McLinton! Whatcho think of coming down here? You think that stunt you and your blood traitors pulled last year was funny, do you?" She looked up from beneath her arms, slowly lowering them to her sides. It was Macnair, a fellow seventh year. He had walked up to where she stood.  "Well, we'll show you funny..." He made to grab at Gizelle bags, but she quickly side-stepped him, standing in front of her packages. For the love of Merlin's striped knickers! Was she going to get in a fight before term even started?

"How are we today Walden?” She asked politely, “I do hope you aren't planning to become a death eater with those kinds of reflexes." She probably shouldn't have edged on the Slytherins like she was, but it really was too easy, "I saw that one coming before you even worked up enough brain to think it out!" She tried her best at a smirk, something she was not accustomed to doing, but it ended up looking like something from a badly orchestrated World Witch Competition.

"Yeah, I do, what's it to a mudblood like you? I could outduel you any day." He folded his arms across his chest.

Gizelle snorted, her eyes involuntarily rolling in their sockets. Macnair stepped forward with his wand arm outstretched. “Oh, no, wasn't laughing at you... I swear..." Gizelle began, but stopped when Macnair looked as though he would pound her down. "Maybe a duel when it isn’t four against one,” She eyed the three other Slytherins behind him who had begun slinking over. “Well, then, must be on my way...terrible amount of shopping to do, you know...see you lads later." She grabbed her bags from the ground and tried to step around the group of Slytherins, but stopped as Rabastan Lestrange flicked his wand and all of her bags were simultaneously ripped open, causing her school supplies to fall to the ground. They landed with a feeble plop into a puddle of murky drain water. Gizelle screamed out in horror and tried to grab her belongings before the grimy water would completely ruin them.