The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 7

"Bye!" Cassiopeia called through the house.

"Bye, have fun!" Ara called back.

"DIAGON ALLEY!" Cassiopeia shouted, she dropped the floo powder and she landed in diagon alley. She smiled as the familiar sight appeared in front of her. She made her way to Gringotts and she got all the money she needed for her things for the following academic year.

After calling upon Poppy to take her things back to the manor, she went into her final destination, Florish and Blots. She knew that she had to find her books, and then she had arranged to meet Draco in the Leaky Cauldron. She had decided to take her aunt's advice, and tell Draco how she felt. Whether that meant their friendship was ruined, she just wanted to tell him the truth.

After picking up the books she needed, she then looked through the bookshelves in search of some extra reading. She ending getting a book on protection charms, werewolves, normal wolves, darker spells, wandless magic, a few books on music, and then a few fictional books. She struggled to carry the books in her arms, but she kept going.

"BOO!" Two voices shouted from behind her, making her jump and drop all her books. She turned to see two ginger twins, laughing behind her.

"Frederick and George Weasley!" A stern voice called from behind them. They turned sheepishly to face their mother. "How dare you! Pick up this girl's books and carry them to the counter for her, now!"

"Yes mum." They mumbled. They then knelt down besides Cassiopeia and helped her gather her books.

"How many subjects are you taking this year?" Fred asked, looking at all the books.

"A fair few." She commented. "There is still one more book I need."

"Another one?" George complained, standing up the ones from the floor, a third of the books in his arms.

"If you think about it, I was managing perfectly fine on my own, then you had to make me drop them." Cassiopeia challenged. Making them nod. "Anyway, give them to me." She said, they look to her in shock. "I can handle them, and then you can go and annoy someone else."

"You sure?" They asked in unison. She nodded, and then Fred and George put the books they picked up into her arms.

"Can we ask something?" Fred said. She nodded, as she started to make her way to the front of the shop.

"What's the bandage on your arm for?" George asked, Cassiopeia looked to the bandage.

"It doesn't matter." She replied.

"Okay." They replied. As the trio reached the counter, Cassiopeia gently put the books on the counter.

"Is this all, dear?" The till manager asked.

"Actually, there's one more, 'The Book Of Monsters'." She said, making the woman groan. She checked out all the books on the counter, and then she gave them to Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia then called upon Poppy. Fred and George looked at shock at the house elf.

"Do you mind taking my books back? I may have a few too many." Cassiopeia asked Poppy.

"Of course, Cass. Poppy doesn't mind." Poppy replied, taking half of the books from the counter. "Poppy will return." Cassiopeia nodded, and then turned back to the woman at the till. She paid her money and then the woman brought out a pair of gloves. She huffed and made her way to the back of the store, where there was a cage full of books. She reached in and grabbed a book, it tried to bite her, but she stayed firm. As she came back out, she looked to Cassiopeia- who looked in shock. The woman handed over the book gently, Cassiopeia then took the book, but decided to try something. She stroked the spine of the book and the book shivered and then fell still.

"That's all?" The woman said, Cassiopeia looked to her. "All week I have been struggling not to be eaten by those books, and all I had to do was stroke the spine?"

"I'm afraid so, ma'am." Cassiopeia replied. The woman smiled.

"At least I know now, thank you." The woman said. Poppy then reappeared and took the rest of the books. Cassiopeia telling Poppy to put a belt around the book of monsters when she got home. When Poppy disapparated, Cassiopeia the smiled to the twins and started to make her way out the shop.

"Can we ask something?" George asked this time. Cassiopeia nodded.

"Why was your house elf wearing dungarees?" Fred asked.

"When a house-elf is enslaved, they are to wear this pillow-case outfit. Poppy has always been my house-elf, for as long as I can remember, and when I was six, I hated the fact that Poppy was sworn to serve me. So, I gave her some clothes, which frees the elf from enslavement. But she liked me so much, that she stayed on. Technically she can leave and no longer serve me, but we have a bond, and she stays. I let her wear whatever she wants, I even make some fluffy socks for her in the winter. She liked the dungarees though." Cassiopeia explained.

"That's nice of you, dear." A voice said from behind them, Cassiopeia whipped her head around to see Mrs Weasley standing there.

"Thank you, ma'am." She replied. Mrs Weasley nodded.

"Oh, what happened to your arm?" Mrs Weasley asked, pointing towards her bandage.

"I was just clumsy." Cassiopeia replied. "It was lovely to see you all again, but I promised I'd go and meet a friend of mine. See you boys at Hogwarts."

"Bye." They all said, as she retreated. 

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe