{Outside Ollivanders, Diagon Alley}
"Did Prof. McGonagall come back?" Hermione asked as she came out of the wand shop, her face was flushed as she was clutching her wand like her life depended on it.
I shook my head as I replied, "Not really. Let's wait at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, as she asked us to." I said as we nodded and began walking. A day of shopping had drained the energy from both of us, but after getting our wands, it was like a new burst of fuel had been injected into our veins.
"So how was it?" I asked as we passed through the doorway to the Apothecary. It still smelled horrible, so I quickened my pace a little.
"Warm, like some piece of myself that I had been missing," Hermione replied, as she looked down at her wand. It was lighter in color than mine, which complemented her fair skin tone.
"I can't wait to practice magic when I get home." Her smile morphed into a genuine grin as she clutched her wand with both of her hands.
'See, that's the reaction that a normal person must have when encountering magic. Not some bullshit like Harry's, like the boy almost put no effort into learning spells and was content with coasting through life with Ron.' I shook that thought away. I wasn't interested in following the path my predecessor was supposed to take.
We arrived at the ice cream shop, each lost in thought about the upcoming future. The building was crooked like any other, following the general theme of Diagon Alley. It was painted in yellow with the words Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour etched onto the shop.
Tables were set out front and occupied by people, and I saw Susan again. She was wearing a red dress that covered everything, yet its tight embrace left little to the imagination. Her red hair was pulled back, and the light freckles on her face gave her the girl-next-door kind of vibe.
This time, she sat at a table with ice cream in front of her, alongside another blonde witch whose hair was pulled into tight twin pigtails and whose figure was concealed in a tight blue wizard robe. I looked up at the new face to confirm her identity.
...
[Hannah Abbott]
[10]
...
'The Hupplepuff duo and niece to Amelia Bones. It won't hurt to make acquaintances with her.' I thought and nudged Hermione.
"They look like they are about our age, should we try and get some more information about the wizarding world?" I framed the question in a way that Hermione would have trouble saying no, and sure enough, her eyes lit up at that suggestion. She nodded and took the lead in approaching the two girls while I followed behind.
"Hello, are you first years as well, or do you go to Hogwarts by any chance?" Hermione asked as she leaned in.
While Hannah shyly looked away, Susan replied with a bright smile and a happy expression, "Yes! Hello, we are both going into our first year this summer. I'm Susan Bones. This is my friend Hannah Abbot, we are both proud Hufflepuff legacies." She replied excitedly and extended her hands toward the two empty seats in front of her.
Hermione took one as she introduced herself. "I'm Hermione Granger, a little new to the wizarding world. What is a Hufflepuff Legacy?"
"Oh, so you're a Muggle-born." Susan commented before she explained, "No worries. Hufflepuff is one of the four houses in Hogwarts, the other three are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. They are named after the four founders who a long time ago established the school." Susan explained, "Both of my parents went to Hufflepuff, so I'm considered a Hufflepuff legacy, that just means I'm more inclined to be sorted into Hufflepuff."
"So I'm assuming Hufflepuff is the house where all the kindered spirits are gathered?" I asked as I sat down. "I'm Harry Potter, by the way. Pleased to meet you."
The smile appearing on Susan's face and her excited nod froze when I said my name; even Hannah, who hadn't looked in my direction until now, looked back at me with wide eyes.
I shared a look with Hermione. This wasn't the first time it had happened today, and from the look of things, it wouldn't be the last. I looked around and asked, "What's with all the staring? It happens every time I introduce myself?" I asked, which made the two girls stare at one another before Susan answered.
"Well..." She started and then stopped. She looked at Hannah for help, who immediately avoided her eyes, leaving her friend to her fate. Rolling her eyes at Hannah, Susan turned back to me, and the happy smile on her face was gone. She leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed whisper.
"17 years ago, there was a dark lord who was spreading terror in the Wizarding world. No one could stand in his way, and only Headmaster Dumbledore and his order were able to save people from his attacks. Everywhere he went, death and destruction followed, countless families died throughout the long, drawn-out war before he was finally stopped."
She paused as she took in a breath. "No one knows how he died, but from what Dumbledore has shared publicly, the Dark Lord attempted an attack on the Potters." Her eyes searched for something in my expression as she continued, "Your parents didn't survive that night, Harry, but when the Dark Lord tried to kill you, he ended up killing himself."
I gave her my best confused expression, and Hermione next to me said, "But Harry would be 1 year old then, wouldn't he?"
"Yes, that's why it was celebrated as a miracle. The Killing Curse that was targeting you only left behind a scar, while the Dark Lord was vanquished, his followers scattered, and the gloom that had settled over Wizarding Britain was lifted," Susan replied. She hesitated for a moment and then added, "There was no reason to dig for detailed answers, as everyone believed Headmaster Dumbledore, and the people were already hailing you as their miracle... The-Boy-Who-Lived."
...
...
"The-Boy-Who-Lived... really, couldn't they have come up with something better?" I groaned out loud, trying to break the awkward silence for a moment as I pretended to try to outjoke my sadness after hearing my family's supposed life story.
'Alright, so acting clearly isn't my strong suit...'