Immortal Magic (Book 1)

Chapter Three

Allison's Point of View:

We had been staying at the Leaky Cauldron for two days now, and somehow Ron and Hermione were already arguing like an old married couple again.

I sat curled up in one of the chairs near the breakfast table, quietly watching the latest disagreement unfold while trying not to laugh.

"I'm warning you, Hermione," Ron said defensively, clutching Scabbers protectively against his chest, "keep that thing away from him." Hermione glared at him while absentmindedly scratching Crookshanks behind the ears.

"He's a cat, Ronald," she snapped. "What exactly do you expect? It's in his nature." Ron looked deeply offended. "A cat?" he repeated incredulously. "That's what you think that thing is?"

Hermione opened her mouth, clearly prepared to launch into another rant, but suddenly her expression brightened. "Harry!" she exclaimed. Ron spun around so quickly Scabbers nearly flew out of his hands.

"Harry?" he echoed. I turned toward the staircase and immediately smiled. Harry stood at the top of the stairs, looking slightly nervous but happy to see us.

"Hey, Harry," I greeted warmly as I stood and walked over to him. Without really thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. There was a brief moment of hesitation before Harry slowly hugged me back.

When I pulled away, I noticed the faint blush spreading across his cheeks, which only made me smile more. Before either of us could say anything else, an exaggerated cough sounded nearby.

Harry and I both turned. Ron stood there awkwardly with a strange expression on his face while Hermione repeatedly smacked his arm and glared at him.

"What?" Ron muttered defensively. Harry quickly moved forward to greet Ron and Hermione properly while I returned to my seat at the table. A few minutes later, the four of us sat together eating breakfast.

"So," Harry began, looking toward Ron, "how was Egypt?" Ron instantly brightened. "It was brilliant," he said enthusiastically. "The pyramids were amazing. Even Scabbers enjoyed himself."

"You know," Hermione interrupted while petting Crookshanks, who had somehow ended up comfortably sprawled across my lap, "the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats."

Ron gave her a flat look. "Yeah," he replied dryly, "along with dung beetles." I rolled my eyes while Hermione huffed in annoyance. As the two of them started bickering again, I tuned them out and fell into conversation with Hermione about our classes for the upcoming year.

My attention, however, shifted when Mum approached our table. "Harry, dear," Mum said warmly. Harry immediately stood as Mum pulled him into a hug.

"You look thin," she fussed, stepping back to examine him properly. "Have you got all your books? Your clothes? Everything you need?" Harry nodded patiently through each question.

"I just need new robes, potion supplies, parchment, and ink," he explained. "Well, that's perfect then," Mum said brightly, glancing toward the rest of us. "You can get everything when these three go into Diagon Alley later."

Harry smiled slightly and sat back down. Once Hermione and I had finished eating, we headed upstairs to our room to get changed out of our sleepwear before heading into Diagon Alley.

Hermione rummaged through her trunk before glancing over at me. "Do you want the shower first?" I looked up from where I was sorting through my clothes and smiled. "No, you go ahead," I told her. "I showered before bed last night."

Hermione nodded before gathering her towel and disappearing into the bathroom. Once she shut the door, I turned my attention back toward my trunk and picked out an outfit for the day. After changing, I moved over to the vanity near the window and sat down in front of the mirror.