By the end of July, near Harry’s birthday, the three friends agreed to meet at Diagon Alley, to buy the supplies for the next term. Besides, they’ll be able to catch up on their holidays’ news. Ron could see all right, tough he needed glasses and kept breaking them. Fortunately, Hermione, feeling much better, was around him to mend them with the so familiar “Oculus Reparo.”
They met Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. They were sitting at the very last table, giggling and sit really close to one another, drinking buttlebeer. They almost looked embarrassed when Harry joined them. They had been trying to hide their romance for some silly reason and kept believing no one would realize.
“Was sup folks, studying or something?” And he blinked towards an even redder Ron. “I’m so glad you are both all right. I’ve also heard Dumbledore is much better” said with an excited tone of voice. Hermione added that Prof. McGonagall secretly told her the Headmaster of Hogwarts was preparing a big surprise for this year. “I cant wait really!” She was almost astral projecting out of her body out of the emotion. “McGonagall and you, yes, but, isn’t she a bit too old for you?” Ron loved playing jokes to her.
Harry ordered some muggle drinks instead or buttlebeer. He told them about his holidays, he went to San Francisco with Remus, he was working there, ever since 4 years ago, but he didn’t really know what the job was about. Anyway, he went out when he was in there a few nights, sneaked out of the hotel where he was staying and visited some pubs and drank a few things… “I got a fake ID, ha ha.”
Suddenly, Hermione realized her old time friend wasn’t looking good at all. He was drinking alcoholic drinks; he was looking tired and lost some weight. She started to worry, but something told her to shut up (probably it was Ron’s foot over hers).
“So, our last year, we are seniors, we rule Hogwarts” he had this naughty smile on his face that made Hermione start to worry… “no we don’t… we have licenses other students don’t have” and Harry gave the naughty look right back at Ron, and started laughing an almost drunk laugh.
They stayed there for a while, Ron and Hermione were preparing a birthday party at the Leaky Cauldron for the next day, and Harry kept on drinking.
Later that night Ron had to carry Harry to his room. Whatever he wanted to prove, well, he wasn’t accomplishing it. And Ron suddenly realized this was going to be the hardest year at Hogwarts.
***
“Chris, get here man” A skinny dark haired girl told a shorter blond boy. She looked weird, she belonged to the “Muggle London” or certainly looked like it. They had this strong American accent that you didn’t see much around Diagon Alley.
She was bound to call people’s attention, specially from young man on their late teen years…
Her name was Maggie, and the boy was Chris, her kid brother. She was sweet and loveable, but she also had a really bad temper. It was their first time at Diagon Alley and they were absolutely lost. Nonetheless, she wasn’t the kind of person that’d ask for directions… Unless they’d come from a Hogwarts’ uniform.
She was holding a list of supplies from Hogwarts, all she was missing were two wands; they didn’t use wands. She needed to buy them, and an owl and maybe a little kitten… And definitely some food!!! They were starving…
So, she was carrying all these parcels, so was Chris, and they were running through Diagon Alley. He was 14 or 15, no more than that, and she looked a bit older, maybe because of their hard growing up. Anyway, parcels, crowded alley, racing each other (though she was older, they were pretty close from one another). She was bound to bump into someone. Hermione, who was carrying books wasn’t pretty happy when this muggle like girl bumped into her and spread all of her parcels.
“Oh, Im sorry sweety, I was just racing my bro here and bang, crashed into ya” Hermione, unusually annoyed by this girl, replied it was okay and took off to the Leaky Cauldron. “Now, that was weird!” Marie said to Chris. She felt something weird coming from that girl, a great worry over her shoulders. She had that gift (got it from her mom), she could sense people stuff. Her mom (Anne Marie) was another kind of witch, a practitioner of the old ways, something different that what you see in Hogwarts. Still, Maggie thought it was cool.
She was lost in Diagon Alley, with a lot of parcels on the floor, no one being kind enough to help her picking them up or pointing directions to where she could get those freaking requested wands!! She was getting annoyed, over Hermione’s way of annoyed…
“I’m sorry about my friend, she’s… I don’t know” He picked the parcels up and got a thumb up from Chris. The brunette glassy guy smiled at the gesture “Hello young man, first year at Hogwarts?” Chris pointed at his big sister, who was still drooling cos such a cute guy helped her.
“Oh, yeah, it’s our first year at Hogwarts, we just moved from the US” She smiled, and he smiled back.
Maybe this year wasn’t gonna be so bad after all. “I’m sorry, you’ve been so cool with us, eh, do you know where we can find some wands?” Chris couldn’t believe his sister asking for directions… She must have really liked this guy, he thought. “Wands? Well, I’d have to say Ollivander’s. Best (and only) place around. Now, let me help you with those parcels and I’ll show you where it is, if it’s okay with you, of course” How to say no to that smile?
Harry was smiling inside. Who is she? She was glowing. She had the greatest smile he had ever seen. He wanted to know all about her, and 2 blocks weren’t even close enough from enough… He couldn’t let her go, he couldn’t let her into Ollivanders just like that. “Well, here it is” and he smiled. She didn’t want to go in either, she just stared at him and he stared back at her.
"So, well, Thanks" and she kept staring. Chris looked at them and step in between "Excuse me, my sister is kinda shy, we are knew and all u know? So, what's your name?" And Maggie turned red and wanted to kick her little brother hard. He run into Ollivander's. Maggie was mumbling, making no sense at all "I, I, ahh, ehh, Im gonna kill him!" Harry started laughing "My name is Harry, Harry Potter, at your service" and he waved at her in a really funny way, she had to laugh at it. "So, Harry Potter, nice to meet you, I'm Marie Matthews, my pleasure." It was the first time someone didnt make a big fuss out of his name. He felt relief.
She wanted to get a coffee and talk to him, she didnt care about the wands anymore, or the kitten, or the starvation. She just wanted to know more about him, she knew stuff about him allright, lots actually, but she couldnt tell him.
He wanted to see her, to absorb every inch of her, every smile, every sight, he couldnt let her go. "So, bye Harry Potter, I guess Ill see you around" and she was coming into the store. "Wait" he grabbed her by his arm. "Well, today is my birthday, and my friend, the one that bumped into you? Well, her and my friend Ron are making me a surprise party at the Leaky Cauldron now... so... Would you like to go?"
Suddenly he remember when he was in fifth year, trying to tell Cho the way she felt about her. Now he was the one blushing. "I'd love to go Harry, at what time is it gonna be?" He told her and then she said bye, and kissed him on the chick and run into the store. He touched his own face and walked away.
Maybe Ron was right, this year was gonna be the best.
***
When she came into the store, Chris was already holding a wand. This old weird man was staring at her with a smile. "Hello Ms. Smith! I knew I'd see you around here sometime. My gosh! You look just like your mother". Maggie went back to earth. Her smile completaly erased when she heard her last name being pronounced.
"That's not our last name anymore, we are making a fresh new start, we are Matthews now, just like mom" She was tough. "Oh, I see, never mind then, here, try this wand" She hated the fact of using wands, she just lead energy in the old ways. But now she was gonna be a student, finally she was gonna be at Hogwarts... It was worth it.
"Okay, just wrap it up, I'll take it" She wanted to leave, she was hungry again and couldnt stop thinking of Harry's smile. "No sis, you've gotta try it, come on" She couldnt say no to her kid brother, she saw all the stars on his eyes, she just couldnt say no. "Okay, gimme that" and she grabbed it.
A thunder was heard outside. Harry docked, but everyone looked at him in a funny way, no one else heard it.
Maggie heard it, she looked outside, but when she turned, she fell. She was surrounded by darkness, a soft, cold drift was getting her face wet, she had all these feelings within. Fear, sadness, rage, revenge. She tried to shake her head and get out of there. She opened her eyes, and had Chris next to her. She woke up with a headache, her right hand hurt bad.
"Mr O. I think you gave me the wrong one, bad vibe comin from that" But Ollivander wrapped it up for her. "That was your mother's wand Ms. S-Matthews, that belongs to you. Before you passed out-" "your bluish light came out of it sis, it fits u" and she took it.
Chris knew she saw something, her mood changed radically after that.
She had no clue what she saw, but she had a feeling, a very bad feeling about it.
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