Before stepping into the fireplace at Greengrass Estate, Isabel told Harry what she felt was the secret to travelling by floo and landing without falling over at the other end.
“You need to wait for the spinning to stop once you arrive in the fireplace at the other end,” she instructed.
“Wait about a full second, and then step out with your right foot slightly off to the right to counteract the remaining effect of the spin. And then step out with the left foot right in front.”
“Harry nodded and said, “Alright then. I’ll give it a go.”
Following as instructed, he managed to only stagger slightly when he exited the floo in The Leaky Cauldron, and immediately stepped away to allow Isabel to step through.
“How’d you do?” asked Isabel after she gracefully stepped through.
“Well, I didn’t fall on my butt, this time,” grinned Harry.
“I only staggered a little bit. I think I now know how to fix that.”
She gave a little smile and nod while drawing her wand and vanishing the soot off the clothes of all four of them.
“Excellent. We’ll have you landing with a measure of grace by the time you leave on Sunday morning.”
She then led their small party out into the Alley proper.
“Where to first, Daphne?” she asked the girl.
“I said I’d check Fortescue’s first to see if Tracey beat us here. If not, I told her to meet us at Flourish & Blotts.”
“Then lead the way, dear,” her mother said with a gesture.
Following behind with Isabel, Harry was feeling at peace.
The talk, earlier, really did make him feel better about things.
And, he was happy just to spend time with the Greengrass ladies.
By the time he and Isabel reached Fortescue’s, Daphne was hugging another girl with similar length but brown hair.
Astoria was practically hopping from foot to foot in excitement looking like she wanted to just run up and down the Alley in delight.
When the two girls parted, Daphne glanced at Tracey before saying in a quiet voice to the other girl, “Remember how I told you I found out I was betrothed to Harry Potter?”
“Yes,” replied Tracey with a giggle, “Is he as horrid as you thought he’d be?”
With a blush of embarrassment, Daphne indicated Harry and said, “Trace, this is Harry Potter. And, no, he’s really not.”
Tracey stared him up and down for a bit before she said, “Well, you do look a little like all the books say you do. Different glasses, though. And you’re a bit scrawnier than I’d expect.”
“Tracey!” gasped Daphne.
Blushing a little, and also a little annoyed, Harry replied, “Well, those books are ninety-nine percent lies. And I know for a fact they don’t know the real me.”
“Hmm…” Tracey mused, standing a little straighter.
“Well, you better be good to my friend, or you’ll have meto answer to.”
“I assure you, Lady Tracey, I will both protect her and cherish her; you have my word,” he replied.
Giving Harry another once over, the brunette turned back to her friend and said, “He’ll do.”
“Tracey!” whined Daphne.
“You’re embarrassing me!”
“Alright, girls,” said Isabel stepping forward.
“We came here to do some shopping; so, let’s get to it, shall we?”
What followed was Daphne and Tracey leading them from store to store while they walked whispering rapid fire to each other and glancing back at Harry.
Isabel, while also keeping an eye on all four children, seemed to be quite amused at the byplay between the three eleven year olds.
Harry had the impression she was quite happy with what was going on.
While in Flourish & Blotts, Daphne suggested to Harry he purchase a book on potion reaction tables that would come in handy for that class, but wasn’t included on the book list.
And, when he indicated which books he had on that subject, she indicated a book on the history of the Noble Houses to augment the ones he already had.
He bought both and thanked her for the suggestions.
In Madam Malkin’s the girls pushed him into the ‘male’ side of the store, while they blushed and giggled and moved across into the ‘female’ side.
Harry didn’t want to know what they were shopping for, but had his suspicions.
While waiting, he asked about mail ordering services the store provided, and was placed on their list of names of people who wanted to receive information of upcoming fashions.
After a slight hesitation he asked to put Daphne’s name on the same list for female fashions.
Not long afterwards, after they’d left the store, Harry suggested to Daphne she invite Tracey to join them back at the Estate for a little while after shopping.
There was something he thought she’d want to see.
“What are you up to, Harry?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise,” he calmly replied.
When she moved off to again join the other girl in walking and whispering to each other, Harry walked beside Isabel and said, “I hope you don’t mind; but, I asked Daphne to invite Tracey back to the Estate for a short while.”
“Oh?” she asked.
“And why did you do that?”
“Because I think there’s something she’d like to see. But, I have to talk to Cygnus about it first,” he replied.
Thinking for a few moments while she watched him, she said, “If it’s what I think it is, then I’d say that would be a very nice thing to do. Cygnus should be in his study by the time we return.”
“Thank you, Isabel,” he gratefully said.