Falling Through: Hogwarts

I found myself outside on the street. Slightly out of breath from the rollercoaster of the day so far. Much more of this and my mind would break. All those exercises wouldn't mean a thing because I would break. My brain spun with ideas on how to avoid talking in the next few shops. I could pretend I was mute. Though that would make me stand out. Deaf posed the same problem as people would probably scream at me, trying to get me to hear. I needed to convince Charlie to come with me. That way he could do the talking and we'd breeze right through. He was used to school shopping. Since he'd done it before he knew where everything was.

Looking up I started my sales pitch. "Let's make a deal. I have trouble speaking to people. I was supposed to have somebody with me but they left. I don't have a clue about any of this." Gesturing wildly around me as if to encompass the whole street. "I need an older person to come with me and talk so I don't mess up. Could you come with me? In return, I will supply anything you need no limit on cost. Your help would be more than worth anything I could spend." I finished bluntly hoping that he was as nice as the rest of his family. Looking straight into his face I tried my best to look serious and maintain eye contact. Charlie had crouched down to my level while I was speaking. He seemed to be thinking things over. A tiny line formed between his eyebrows.

Before I could even open my mouth again to try to convince him he asked me "You want me to show you around so you can get the rest of your supplies?" Nodding my head in agreement I hid a small smile. I felt like the more time I spent with Charlie Weasly the more he seemed like the big brother I had always wanted. He was kind. Offering his friendship without anything in return. He had seen a scared kid alone in a shop and talked to them. Letting me explain even though I had stepped a bit overboard. Taking in all the little clues and gestures he had filled in the bigger picture. Charlie was looking at the whole picture. People who could do that were ones I hoped to interact with for a long time. The money didn't matter to me, intentions did. I think Charlie saw that. I couldn't give much but I still wanted to make it fair. Since he would spend a good chunk of time helping me he deserved something in return.

"You know I would've gone with you regardless, right?" My head bobbed vigorously. I knew full well he would but I still insisted to pay for things. He chuckled at my strangeness but nodded along. Before I could fully relax my shoulders Charlie spoke again "But since you are being so generous in your invitation. I'll take you up on your splendid offer to be my patron. I'd be silly not too. Charlie Weasley at your service, Miss?" Tipping an imaginary hat and playfully bowing. Looking at him I could see hints of where the twins had gotten there humor from.

Stepping up next to me he turned me around by the shoulders going back to the main street. Walking forward Charlie slowed his pace so that I wouldn't have to rush my feet. "Step quickly. We need to get going to get the rest of your school supplies. What have you already gotten so I can plan out our route? Would you like to get a pet of some kind? Owls are lovely creatures, and you can even use them to send letters." Grinning like an idiot I hummed in agreement. I finally had a reason to buy an owl. In my joy, I nearly forgot to tell him what I was missing still. "I only need the things listed under 'other equipment'. Well, besides my wand." Patting my bag to show where I had placed it. Charlie continued with his merry speech after listening to me "Well then, it looks like we have three stops to make. The owl will come last. Come on it shouldn't take long to get the cauldrons." Grabbing my hand and with matching Cheshire grins we headed into Potage's Cauldron shop.

Charlie had taken to his guiding role. The interior of the shop was filled with cauldrons of all shapes and sizes. Made of various materials. By myself, it might take me a while to sort through all the different options. Charlie knew exactly what to look for though. Helping me purchase my pewter cauldron took only a few moments. The extra time spent in line was used to poke and prod at the bottom. Just in case it was imported. I purchased a duplicate cauldron for Charlie. He tried refusing it, but I was stubborn, the only thing he could do was cave. Since it was such a simple purchase we were in and out in record time.

Our next stop was further down the street then rest. Walking about would take a while as we also had to weave in and out of the crowd. Charlie explained to me as we walked "The apothecary's shop is where you will be able to get the last things on the list telescope, phials, and brass scales." As if a thought popped up in his head he added "Slug and Jiggers is the name of the shop. Though everybody else just calls it The Apothecary. You only need to purchase the things on the list from them and a few basic potions ingredients. That isn't listed but you'll need them. We'll just go up to the counter once we are in and ask for those. Really the only other time you purchase ingredients from the shop is if you need to self-brew something complicated. Most potions can be made with the basic kit. You might find it a bit jarring since it's your first time inside. Unlike my brothers. They always seem to have a glow in their eyes when they step in there." The warmth in his voice was self-evident. At this point, we were strolling along slowly. Our pace slowed even further by the street's congestion.

Speaking of his family I was curious as to what they were like now. "What's your family like? You said you had twin younger brothers but what about everyone else?" Tapping his chin, he prepared himself to launch into a long description" Let's see. My dad works at the ministry tinkering around with Muggle stuff. My mum spends her time taking care of the family. A very difficult task, I might say. I have six siblings. Five brothers and one sister. The eldest's name is William but everyone calls him Bill. You might run into him at Hogwarts. He's in his final year. Next up is me, Charles Weasley, the one and only." Pointing both thumbs at his c.h.e.s.t and smirking before going on." After that showstopper, my parents tried to top the act and ended up with Percy. Dear Percy is a stickler for the rules. He loves making sure everyone follows them. Bet that he becomes a prefect when he's old enough. Right after him are his opposites. Fred and George. Two bigger trouble makers you'll never find. I haven't a clue how our mum handles it. They are so full of energy and mischief. If they don't end up sharing a cell in Azkaban they'll do something extraordinary." He grumbled the last bit as if Azkaban was the more likely of the two options.

In explanation, Charlie continued."They once charmed a teddy bear into a spider. Brung Ron to tears. It was his favorite and he was holding it at the time. They had done it as payback for breaking their toy broom. He's still terrified of Spiders. Though it wasn't as bad as the time they tried to make him do an Unbreakable Vow. They were walloped good for that one." Backtracking while rubbing his neck, as if he had said too much, he changed the subject." Speaking of Ron he is the youngest boy. Right now he's obsessed with wizard chess. He's wicked good. Haven't seen him lose a match in a while. It'll be a couple of years before he comes to Hogwarts. Last but not least, the child our mother always wanted, Ginerva. She may be only seven but she's very opinionated. Hates being called Ginerva, so we all call her Ginny. Our mother always wanted a girl, so she kept having them until one came. I have always thought she would just keep going 'til she was buried in children. Luckily it only took seven tries until she got one. I don't think Ginny is what she expected but we all love her to bits." The smile of contentment on my face must have kept him talking for as long as he had. I wanted to hear more but just as he finished speaking we had cleared the busy street. He motioned his head in the new direction we were going to take and I trotted after.

We turned down one of the side streets and I found myself on the doorstep of our destination. Slug and Jiggers stood out from the rest of the shops on the street. The outside of the shop and its sign were painted in bright purple paint. They managed to make the paint look freshly applied and old and peeling at the same time. Some of the wood from the grid of the windows showed through. It seemed like no one cared about the appearance of the shop. No one had even bothered to wipe the windows down from the inside. A slight murkiness was on the glass. It could have been attributed to a brewing potion inside, but I doubted it.

There wasn't any kind of display in the window. Anyone could stare straight into the shop from the street. If it hadn't been so dim I could have seen even more. They stocked, by far, the strangest items on the street. Next to the window were bubbling barrels of sludge. I noted this down as I walked up the crumbly steps. I did not want to bump into any of them on accident. Knowing my luck it might just be their dirty mop water. It was possible considering their stairs. They might have been swept last year. Footsteps covered every inch. Not a distinguishable mark could be seen. I knew I was focusing too much on all the grime, but it really was pretty disgusting. As I topped the steps, a smell I couldn't name seeped from the door cracks. Putting on a brave face, I gripped the door handle and pulled. A cloud of what I knew now was a mix of all the ingredients engulfed me. It was strong enough to make my eyes water. I tried to only breathe through my mouth as I crossed over the threshold. Apothecary, here I was.