The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

v.

This was chalking up to be the best day of Electra's life as of yet.

After another thrilling cart ride back above ground and a quick lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, Electra was yanked from store to store by Professor McGonagall as they gathered school supplies she would need for the school year. Electra would watch in wonder as the Professor would put their purchases into a bag, similar to the velvet coin purse —that was definitely not big enough for a cauldron for one— and also didn't seem to be getting any heavier either.

Magic was marvelous.

As they went from store to store Electra was going into sensory overload as she tried to take all the sounds and sights of Diagon Alley in. It was a lively street lined with colorful and animated shops with eye-catching window displays and signs, filled with witches and wizards of all ages shopping and chatting excitedly. She saw a bunch of kids around her age getting ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and she craved a break and a bit of ice cream.

Every once in a while they would bump into other kids last-minute shopping for the school year and Electra had the great pleasure of watching them squirm while greeting their professor before scurrying off. A few times Professor McGonagall would introduce Electra to a student she seemed to like, like a handsome redheaded boy named Charlie, who she introduced as the new Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor. They exchanged nods, —Charlie's much friendlier than Electra's— and he expressed some well mannered pleasantries.

There was the occasional suck up McGonagall couldn't shake too, like poor Charlie's younger brother (whose hair was just as red as Charlie's) who couldn't quite take the hint and went on and on about how he was positive he was going to be top of his class again because he spent all summer studying and yaddy-yadda, you get the picture. Professor McGonagall was happy to use Electra as an excuse to get out of her conversation with the red headed boy and bid him farewell until classes began.

Professor McGonagall huffed annoyingly as Quidditch Captain Charlie dragged his brother away by the back of his shirt with an apologetic look at the ladies. "He better get perfect marks this year or I swear even Dumbledore can't save him," she said through her teeth. Electra snorted loudly.

She was enjoying her time with Professor McGonagall, but what surprised her the most was that she could tell the professor was enjoying Electra's company too. Electra couldn't really believe it herself. There was an awkward air between them at first and a sort of unease towards Electra from McGonagall that kept her talking about Transfiguration theory (which Electra found very interesting after all) and Hogwarts. But eventually she could tell that McGonagall started to really enjoy conversation with her as Electra started speaking up more as they talked on. It was refreshing and new to Electra.

Their fun did eventually come to a brief halt while the professor left Electra in Madam Malkin's to get fitted for her school robes. The sheer disappointment that washed over Electra when she learned that she was going from one drab uniform to another really soured her mood. She wanted robes (yes, that's what they called their clothes) like some of the other witches she'd seen wander the streets of Diagon Alley, except not. She wanted better ones, ones with her own flare to them. In due time she supposed. Still sucked.

Professor McGonagall noticed her mood shift and decided it was time for a break and Electra finally got her ice cream. It lifted her spirits considerably, but now that they had slowed down, Electra was able to collect her thoughts and something still nagged at her in the back of her mind.

"What was in that letter?" she asked, staring intently at her ice cream.

"Letter?"

"The one you gave to Griphook."