The Importance of Being Different

“So, you looking forward to your first trip to Diagon Alley?” asked Irwin as they all had breakfast that morning.

“Uncle Julian told me there’s a huge book shop!” she said excitedly as she ate her boiled egg.

“It is quite big,” nodded Anne, “we have to get some other things as well.”

“We need to go the apothecary, and you young lady need a cloak.”

“Can we get a pink cloak?”

“We’ll have to see,” said Anne, “but probably yes.”

Irwin noticed an owl flying towards the window.

“That’ll be the paper,” said Irwin opening the window.

He paid the owl as it dropped the paper, and the owl then flew away.

“Bugger fuckering hell,” muttered Irwin opening the paper.

“Language!” said Anne.

“Look at this,” he scowled passing her the paper.

He passed her the paper opened at a page where there were two moving photographs. One was of Anne, Irwin and Olivia at the wedding a month ago. The other photo showed Olivia in her school uniform and an irate Irwin was gripping protectively onto her shoulder.

“They’re found us,” sighed Anne her head in her hands.

“Is something wrong?” asked Olivia.

“The whole wizarding community knows where we live,” said Irwin.

“Including the bad people?”

“Yeah,” nodded Irwin, “the bad men.”

“We have to move,” sighed Irwin looking over at Anne.

“What?” she asked in shock, they had only moved into Calleg Lywn a few weeks ago.

“We have to move, you’re not safe Annie.”

“Irwin,” said Anne firmly, “we can’t just keep on moving, they’re always going to find us eventually.”

“You’re right,” he muttered.

“Are we still going shopping?” asked Olivia.

“Yes princess,” said Irwin shaking himself out of it.

“Kreacher do you need anything from Diagon?” asked Anne.

“Kreacher needs some doxy repellent,” he nodded, “also some of those things for the clothes machine.”

“Do you mean laundry capsules?” asked Anne.

“Yes.”

“I’ll try and get you some later,” said Anne.

Anne and Irwin did up their cloaks over their clothes and headed over to the fireplace in the sitting room.

“Ok princess,” said Irwin as he picked up Olivia and put her on his hip, “you ready?”

“Yes Daddy,” she nodded.

Anne held out the flu powder and he took a pinch as he stood in the fire.

“Diagon Alley!” he called clearly.

Irwin and Olivia spun from the room.

Once they had disappeared, Anne took a pinch of powder and walked into the fireplace.

She dropped the powder into the flames.

“Diagon Alley!” she called.

She spun from the room and soon found herself in the Leaky Cauldron.

“You ok Annie?” asked Irwin as she stepped out of the fire.

“Yeah,” she muttered brushing the soot off of herself.

Anne and Irwin took one of Olivia’s hands each once Anne had brushed herself off.

“Why are there people staring at us Mummy?”

All the patrons in the pub had been looking at the family.

“Mummy’s very famous,” explained Irwin as he tried to ignore the strange looks.

They walked out into the alley and he got out his wand.

“I thought it was bad enough before,” sighed Anne, “but now I’ve killed Tom it’s even worse.”

“Where do we want to go first?” asked Irwin.

“Can we get Livi’s cloak first, then we’ll do the apothecary and then we’ve just got the bookshop.”

“Ok princess,” said Irwin as he tapped the right bricks on the wall, “welcome to Diagon Alley.”

The bricks spiralled out to show the alleyway.

Olivia’s mouth dropped open in amazement.

There were hundreds of people walking around in colourful cloaks, there was owls flying around the alley.

“Wow!” she muttered.

Olivia was looking around as she held onto Irwin and Anne’s hands.

“There’s a pet shop!” she exclaimed.

“That’s where I got Diana,” said Anne.

“Woah look at all the books!” she yelled running over to look at the window display in Flourish and Blotts.

If it was possible, people were even more excited to see Anne and Irwin, than Olivia was to see Diagon Alley for the first time.

People kept on walking up to them to shake their hands and to thank Anne.

Irwin gripped onto Anne’s hand the whole time.

“Miss Potter,” said a young boy tugging at Anne’s cloak, “did you really kill You Know Who with a glass dagger?”

“Firstly, its Mrs Scamander now,” chuckled Irwin, “and secondly yes she did.”

“Cool!”

“Sorry if he’s been bothering you,” said the boy’s mother taking his hand, “come on Robert, and thank you so much both of you!”

“Its fine,” muttered Anne pulling at her plait as Irwin held onto her hand.

“Come on princess, let’s go find the robe shop,” said Irwin as he took Olivia’s hand.

“We can go to the bookshop though?”

“Yes, but not until later,” said Anne, “the books are heaviest so we’ll come back later.”

“Whatever you do Olivia,” said Irwin as they passed the entrance to knockturn alley, “you never, never go down there.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s full of dark wizards who will try and hurt you.”

“Like Tom?” she whispered.

“Yes,” nodded Anne, “exactly like Tom.”

They walked into Madam Malkin’s and sat down to wait their turn. Madam Malkin was already busy with another couple who were trying to pick some dress robes.

“What kind of animals do they sell in the pet shop?” asked Olivia swinging her legs back and forth on her chair as they waited for their turn to be served.

“Well there’s the normal animals like cats, and rats, but they’re a little bit special, they have magic talents,” explained Anne.

“Like what?”

“Well Diana is a kneazle, she’s very protective of her owners.”

“Our very own sercuricat,” chuckled Irwin.

“Are there any other animals.”

“Toads, like Neville’s, and tortoises that are covered with colourful jewels,” said Irwin, “and then just the owls like Scardi.”

“Cool,” beamed Olivia.

“Is it true that the bank is run by goblins?” she asked, “Uncle Remus told me.”

“Yes,” nodded Anne, “Gringott’s is run by goblins.”

“But you want to be careful around them,” said Irwin, “they are very proud creatures.”

Anne didn’t like visiting the bank so Irwin because of the carts which made her feel sick, so Irwin had been in a few days earlier to get some money out of their vault.

“How can I help you today?” asked Madam Malkin as she finished with her first customer.

“We’re looking for to buy a cloak for our daughter,” said Irwin.

“And what’s your name?”

“Olivia.”

“Do you have a favourite colour Olivia?”

“Pink!”

“Well Olivia,” said Madam Malkin, “if you come over here, we can get you measured, and then we’ll what I can find.”

Olivia walked over to the measuring stool and watched in amazement, as the magic tape measurer measured itself on its own.

“So, we like pink, don’t we?”

“I love pink, like Sleeping Beauty!”

Madam Malkin looked at Irwin and Anne curiously.

“She’s a muggle fairy tale princess,” explained Irwin.

She nodded and headed into the back room for a moment.

“Where are we going after this?” asked Olivia as she hopped off the stool

“Apothecary,” said Anne, “that’s where they sell the potions ingredients.”

“Do they have eyes of newt?

“Strange question,” chuckled Irwin, “but yeah they do.”

“Amazing!”

“I think I’ve found something you might like,” said Madam Malkin beaming as she came out of the backroom.

She handed Irwin the cloak and he helped Olivia put it on. It was a light pink velvet cloak with a hood which had flowers embroidered on it.

“It’s a little bit long,” muttered Irwin as he looked her up and down.

“She’s only six,” said Anne shaking her head, “she need’s space to grow.”

“How do I look?” asked Olivia.

“Why don’t we take a look?” asked Anne as they walked her over to a mirror.

Anne lifter the hood from off Olivia’s head.

“It’s so beautiful,” said Olivia stroking the soft material, “I look like a princess.”

“You’re the one that’s beautiful princess,” said Irwin giving her a huge hug.

“We’ll take it,” said Anne, getting out her purse to pay.

Then they went to the apothecary, Anne got all the items that they needed for the potion, whilst Irwin kept on eye on Olivia.

Olivia was looking into all the different barrels and jars, trying to find out what was in there.

“What’s this one?”

“Those are unicorn hair tails,” explained Irwin patiently.

“This one?”

“Dragon’s blood.”

“Why do people need dragon’s blood, did the dragon have to die?”

“It’s used in potions; no, I don’t think the dragon had to die sweetheart.”

“This one?”

“That’s a bezoar.”

“What’s a bezoar?”

“It’s a stone found in the stomach of a goat; it’s used as an antidote for poisons.”

“Have you ever been poisoned?”

“No,” chuckled Irwin, “and I hope not to be anytime soon.”

“How’s your first potions class Livi?” asked Anne as she came over with a parcel full of the ingredients they needed.

“Really cool, can I help you make the potion tomorrow?”

“Not really no,” said Irwin, “but if you really want to, you can watch.”

“That would be so cool!”

“Do my favourite girls want to go to the bookshop before we go home?”

“Yay!” exclaimed Olivia jumping up and down and clapping her little hands.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” chuckled Irwin as he took Olivia’s hand so they could go to the bookshop.

It was already three o’clock, but they had plenty of time to go book shopping.

“What the hell is that?” muttered Irwin as they walked into the bookshop.

The assistant had just finished setting up a new display of books.

There was a photograph of Harry and Anne when they were about eleven on the front cover.

“The Potter Twins- Saviours of Our World.”

“Rita Skeeter,” scowled Irwin, “you should ruddy sue her!”

“There’s nothing to sue her about,” sighed Anne as they walked away from the table.

“Is there a children’s section?” asked Olivia.

“Sure,” beamed Anne, “they’re right over here.”

“Why are you and Uncle Harry on the front on this book?”

Olivia had passed them a book called Harry and Anne Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” shouted Irwin, “what is wrong with people!”

“We won’t be buying that one for a start,” said Anne.

Olivia looked through the bookshelves and eventually picked up some fairy tale books.

“These are different from the fairies in my other books,” said Olivia as she flicked through the book.

“That’s because, these are real fairies not the muggle versions,” explained Irwin.

They eventually picked up a few children’s book for Olivia and a new Charms book for Anne.

“We got everything?” asked Irwin.

“I think so yes,” said Anne as she passed Irwin the parcel of books.

They walked back to the Leaky Cauldron and flued back to the house.

“Hi Kreacher, do you like my new cloak?” asked Olivia spinning around as her cloak span out.

“It is beautiful Mistress Olivia.”

“Mistress Anne, did you get the magic potions for the clothes machine?”

“Oh no I forgot,” said Anne running her fingers through her hair.

“Tell you what, I’ll go into town and get some now, I’ll get some fish and chips for tea for everyone as well.”

“You sure Annie?” asked Irwin.

“Yeah,” said Anne pulling off her cloak, “I want some fresh air and it’s a nice evening, I can take a nice walk into the village.”

“Don’t forget your wand,” said Irwin as he gave her a quick hug.

“I’ll be back in an hour or so,” she said as she left.

“Bye Mummy,” beamed Olivia waving from the doorway.

It was a lovely evening, warm but not too warm, she started the walk down to the town and passed the local farms, humming to herself.

She got to the town about forty minutes later and headed into the corner shop to pick up some laundry capsules and some washing up tablets in case Kreacher had run out of them as well.

She then went into the fish and chip shop and bought four portions all wrapped in paper parcels.

She walked to the alleyway by the school that they used for apparition, she was looking forward to a nice quiet evening with her family, they were going to watch The Little Mermaid.

“Just when I was about to give up for the day,” chuckled a soft voice from the shadows.

“Who’s there?” asked Anne nervously.

“Your worst nightmare,” said a man in a well fitted suit who grabbed Anne’s hand and dissaparated pulling Anne with him.