NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Chapter 5
They were fortunate to get in and out of Flourish and Blotts without too much fanfare, picking up all of Harry's textbooks in less than ten minutes.
They popped into the pet shop after that, and Harry looked around excitedly in the rafters for Hedwig, but she was nowhere to be seen. Somewhat dejected, he settled on a tawny brown owl, which Dahlia insisted on naming Bandit, due to the black stripes lining the bird's eyes.
Next, Harry entered Madam Malkin's to get fitted for his school robes. He stood patiently on a step-stool as the magical tape measure began wrapping itself around him, taking down his numbers.
"Hogwarts, too?" a voice asked from beside him. Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy sizing him up, his face not curled in disdain as usual, merely observing him, judging him.
"Yes," said Harry, resisting the urge to say something snarky. Draco had yet to antagonize him in this reality, and he ought to give him the benefit of the doubt before making mortal enemies of the boy again.
"D'you know what House you'll be in yet?" asked Draco.
"Probably Gryffindor," Harry shrugged. "Both of my parents were in."
"Hmm," Draco hummed, clearly unimpressed. "Well, I'm going to be in Slytherin. Just like my father, and his father before him. Name's Malfoy, what's yours?"
"Potter," said Harry. "Harry Potter."
The trademark Malfoy scowl returned to the blond boy's face at this mention. "Potter, eh?" he repeated. "Like James Potter, the Auror?"
"That's my dad," Harry nodded.
"Didn't he marry a Mudblood?"
"Don't use that word in front of me," Harry said warningly. Draco only shrugged.
"Well, you could do worse than half-blood, I suppose," Draco sighed, as though pitying Harry's family history. "Could you imagine being raised by Muggles, and trying to keep up at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, I could," Harry said coldly. His patience was running thin, and he was quickly being reminded why he loathed Draco so much in his past life. Things were not looking much better in his new one, either. Draco didn't seem to pick up on Harry' s simmering anger, because he continued on as though he hadn't said anything offensive.
"I'm going to join the Quidditch team as Seeker, you know," he boasted. "I'll be the youngest in over a century, according to Father."
"They don't let first-years on the team," Harry pointed out.
"Father's on the Board of Governors," Draco shrugged, "and he knows Slytherin's Head of House personally. I bet they'll make an exception for me."
"Well, best of luck to you, then," Harry said sardonically, knowing that Draco would likely fail in his endeavor. It wasn't like he could really retort, though, since he'd been that exception in his old life, no doubt due to his minor celebrity status and McGonagall's light Gryffindor corruption.
Thankfully Draco's fitting ended soon after, and Harry enjoyed the rest of his session in relative peace and quiet. He wondered what kind of relationship James Potter and Lucius Malfoy had, but considering their respective statuses as Auror and former Death Eater – not to mention Draco's sour reaction to his name – it was probably not a cordial one.
Harry left the shop to find Lily and Dahlia waiting outside for him. "Your father was called into work," Lily said grimly. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Everything but my wand," said Harry.
"Shoot," Lily huffed. "Well, I was hoping to swing by the potions supply shop, but it's on the opposite end of the Alley from Ollivander's—"
"You go ahead, Mum!" Dahlia said, grabbing Harry's arm excitedly. "We can find our own way, right Harry?"
"Erm...right," Harry nodded. "I know where Ollivander's is."
Lily looked nervously between her two children. "You'll stick together no matter what?" she asked sternly. "And you'll watch out for your sister, Harry?"
"Oh please, I'll be watching out for him!" Dahlia grinned. But Lily continued to stare at Harry until he nodded his agreement.
"Very well," Lily sighed. "We'll meet at Fortescue's in an hour. And do not wander off into Knockturn Alley!" With that, she turned to hurry off towards her destination, while Dahlia guided Harry in the opposite direction.
"So what's got you so dumbstruck today?" Dahlia asked once they were out of earshot of their mother.
"Come again?" Harry asked, turning towards his sister.
"You've barely said three words since this morning," Dahlia remarked. "Usually Mum has to whack you upside the head to get you to stop blathering on about this or that Quidditch team."
"Erm...I dunno," Harry shrugged. (Was he normally more talkative in this universe?) He decided to throw a quip back in her face to test the waters: "It seems you can talk enough for the both of us."
"Only so you don't hog all of Mum and Dad's attention," Dahlia scoffed. "So what gives? Nervous about Hogwarts, or what?"
"A little, perhaps," Harry admitted. He was more excited than anything, though there was definitely an element of the unknown present in this universe that gave him a little trepidation.
"Don't you fret about it," Dahlia said in a singsong voice as she skipped down the cobblestone high street beside him. "I'm sure you'll only have a couple bullies. Besides, they'll be nothing compared to my bullying once I arrive."
"You'd really try to bully me, when I know all your deepest, darkest secrets?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.
"You do not," Dahlia frowned, a note of uncertain challenge in her voice.
"Oh, Neville Longbottom," Harry said in a swooning falsetto, mimicking Dahlia outside Gringotts. "I'm madly in love with you...kiss me, Neville, I have all your posters on my wall…"
"Shut it, idiot, before someone hears!" Dahlia gasped in a mortified tone, leaping atop Harry's shoulders and attempting to cover his mouth. Harry laughed raucously as he grappled with her, trying to squirm free of her grasp.
He'd had a sister for all of just a couple hours, and he'd already lay down his life for hers in a heartbeat. He never thought he'd have such companionship before, and it filled him with comforting warmth. It truly was a shame that she wouldn't be joining him at Hogwarts for another year…
They arrived at Ollivander's wand shop soon after, entering the dingy, dusty space cautiously. Even now Harry felt a sense of foreboding, as though this place held a secret, arcane knowledge that no other magic seemed to possess. Wandlore had always intimidated him, especially given the nefarious connection his last wand had given him to the Dark Lord.
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