𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 - 𝐝.𝐦.

𝟎𝟎𝟑 - 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲

—

—

I've never before said this in my life, but I have way too much money with me right now.

Allow me to clarify—I'm currently in what Blaise calls Diagon Alley, a cobblestoned shopping area just full to the brim with bustling witches and wizards that remind me of New Yorkers, moving with purpose, not bothering to glance whenever our shoulders bang together. Every time I walk, my satchel bangs against my thigh with a great and honestly painful thud, the coins probably bruising me through the thin material of both the satchel and my skirt.

The thing is, the books we use back in Ilvermorny are all different from the ones that I need to get for Hogwarts, which means that I have to buy far more things than Blaise and any other fifth year does, which in turn means that I'm being weighed down by more money than any sane person, rich or not, should ever carry on their bodies.

Blaise, the asshole that he is, ditched me long back to splurge in a sweet shop, telling me, "I'm sure you'll find your way!" and "Get me a copy of the books I need, won't you?" without even telling me which store I'm even supposed to be in.

I do end up finding my way to a store called Flourish and Blotts, nearly tripping over a stray cat as I struggle through the thick hordes to get through the front door. Once I'm in, however, I'm taken aback by the sheer amount of books; the walls are comprised entirely of bookshelves, filled head-to-toe with books the size of boulders and books the size of thimbles. They float in and out of shelves magically, finding their way to whoever is looking for them rather than customers having to look for the books themselves.

So, quicker then I expected, I'm in line to purchase a great deal of books. In my arms I struggle to carry two copies of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, two copies of Defensive Magical Theory, a very large copy of Intermediate Transfiguration, an even larger copy of Intermediate Potion-Making, a surprisingly thin History of Magic (though upon opening it, I realize it's been spelled to hold far more content than it looks like), One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, a copy of Unfogging the Feature that feels like it's made of clouds, The Dream Oracle, and, lastly, Care of Magical Creatures. It nearly bit my finger off.

My satchel feels considerably lighter when I walk out of Flourish and Blotts holding a tote I purchased that's giving me a bit of a workout from all the heavy textbooks, muttering curses under my breath. I swear, as soon as I find Blaise, I'm gonna give him hell.

But, sadly, I'm not quite done with my shopping.

It's another hour or so before I am, because I have to scramble to get a new uniform, as my old Ilvermorny one surely won't do. After being measured, I get my three sets of robes, winter cloak, dragon-hide gloves, and a new hat (Cheeky took a fat shit in my old one. The smell didn't go away even after three washes). I get a new cauldron too, just because I can, before I'm off walking down the cobblestone pathways of Diagon Alley, pretending to know what I'm doing and where I'm going with my long and confident strides. If anyone could read my mind, though, they'd realize I'm confused beyond anything, wondering if I'm going in circles, because didn't I pass Eeylops Owl Emporium three times already?