Eye of the Serpent | HP MARAUDER ERA [2]

Chapter Six

Over the next couple of weeks, I spent my time either reading, playing Quidditch with Corey, or visiting the Marauders.

Soon, Ainsley, Corey and I received our Hogwarts letters and book lists. (I was extremely excited that I'd been placed in Advanced Arithmancy, even though I had basically already known I would be due to my 'O' result in the class.) I wrote to the Marauders and we all coordinated what day we were going to Diagon Alley to buy our school supplies, even though I was going there with Mum. Mum had actually tried to force me to go to Diagon Alley with the boys, but I preferred to stay with my siblings.

I was anxious about seeing Regulus. I was both afraid and excited to see himーif he chose to go at the same time as I was going, that was. I just wanted to see Regulus's face since I hadn't seen him in nearly two months, but I hated seeing him with his parents. With them, he was so different from how he acted around me.

Regulus and I had continued corresponding through letters almost every single day. He had mentioned a couple of times that he was angry at Sirius for running away, but every time he did, I would quickly brush it off.

I didn't blame either of them and I could see why each of them was mad at the other. Sirius was angry at Regulus for not ever standing up for him to their parents, for not fighting harder to make him stay; Regulus was angry at Sirius for leaving him alone with their parents, for not trying to build a relationship with his younger brother. Neither was at fault; I just wished they could see from each other's points of view... which would never happen. They had already drifted too far apart and become too different.

***

One sunny Saturday afternoon, Ainsley, Corey, Mum and I used Floo Powder to get to Diagon Alley. Floo Powder wasn't my favourite way to travel—that place was reserved for flying on brooms—but it was one of my favourite ways. The idea of appearing somewhere by bursting into flames made me feel an inexplicable sort of satisfaction.

"Where are we going first?" Corey asked once we were all standing in the middle of Diagon Alley.

"Flourish and Blotts," I said immediately. "It's my absolute favourite shop."

All around us, people were bustling about. There were younger children that were clearly beginning Hogwarts this year and there were also a few older students here and there that I recognized from school in past years. Some were eating sweets, others carrying books or the pets they'd just bought. I craned my neck, scouring the crowd for any of my friends, though I didn't see any of them yet.

"Of course it is," said Ainsley, rolling her eyes. "Mum, can we go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour later?"

"Yes," said Mum, "but before we go anywhere else, we've got to go to Gringotts first."

"I hate Gringotts! The goblins always creep me out," Ainsley complained.

"That's not nice," I mumbled as we headed towards the Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

"What? I'm not being mean, I'm just being honest... You know that goblins are cunning and sneaky."

"Yes, they're exactly like you," I said pointedly. "We all know you're sneaky and just a little evil."

Ainsley grinned at me wickedly, giggling.

"I like Gringotts," said Corey.

"I know, you always said you were going to work there," I replied. "If I didn't want to be an Auror, I would want to work at Gringotts too."

I glanced at Mum to see if she had a reaction to me saying that I'd be an Auror, but she seemed completely unfazed. I was glad that Dad had decided not to come, because it might've slipped out while he was around.