[in process of rewriting] 𝐲/𝐧 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 - 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

10 - Y3

Harry and y/n woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that they would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. They got up, dressed, Harry went for a last look at the Firebolt while y/n was reading the Daily Prophet, following beside him. They were just wondering where they'd have lunch when someone yelled their names.

"Harry! y/n!"

They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor -- Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and-"

"We got all our school stuff last week," Harry explained as he pointed to him and y/n. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Dad," said Ron simply. "y/n, you've been hanging out together?" 

"Yeah, bumped into him at the Leaky Cauldron. We stay just next door!" y/n said.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just- lost control."

"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. "

"That's what I said!" y/n exclaimed.

Ron smiled and continued. "Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"

"That's brilliant!" y/n said. Harry smiled, he was just about to say the same thing.

"So, have you got all your new books and stuff?" Harry asked.

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books --" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, The Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"Hermione, don't you think you're taking too many classes? You might stress yourself up," y/n said, a little concerned. 

"Don't worry about me, y/n. I'm surprised you two," Hermione pointed at Ron, then Harry. " aren't taking any new subjects."

"Yeah we have-" Ron started.

"I meant additional new subjects. You guys chose the minimum. At least y/n took up Artihmancy too." She said.

"Hey hey, don't drag me into this," y/n held her hands up, surrendering.

"Well we don't want our brains to explode now, do we?" Ron complained.

"You're taking Arithmancy?" Harry asked y/n.

"Yeah, it seems pretty interesting. I could teach you some stuff," y/n suggested jokingly. Ron and Hermione weren't listening but Harry chuckled.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol --"

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. y/n smiled proudly and shared an understanding smile with Harry. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of the walls was hidden by cages. It was the smell and very noisy. The witch behind the counter was already attending to a customer, so the four waited, examining the cages.

The wizard at the counter left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er-" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these-"

She gestured to the black rats beside the counter, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much- OUCH!"

Ron yelped as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed on the floor, and then ran for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after it, and Harry followed.

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