Ch3: A Fine Day in Diagon Alley

Chapter Summary: The day before term starts, Hermione finds herself brushing shoulders with the gentry, meeting her friends, and picking up miniature lions.

"The ledger at Hogwarts that records the magical children in the UK..." Daniel Granger began as he and Hermione drove to London in the sleek sports car he had bought as a mid-life crisis splurge shortly after finding out the existence of the magical world.

Hermione made an inquisitive noise as she turned to look at her dad, "What about it?"

"How did your case work out? Since you weren't born here, how did Hogwarts know to send you a letter of admittance? I mean, if the other schools have the same sort of system, then shouldn't you technically be going to that school in the eastern bloc? What's it called, Koldov-" Daniel's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to recall the name of the wizarding school in what was now the Russian Federation.

"Koldovstvoretz." Hermione supplied, her own eyebrows furrowed as she considered the question. "I actually don't know. I assume that it's something the registration department takes care of. Maybe when you and mom registered my adoption papers, the magical ministries sorted it out themselves? Hogwarts is state-owned, so maybe my name automatically came up once I was registered in the system."

Daniel made a considering noise before nodding, "That makes sense. I don't suppose you could ask that Ministry officer you spoke with earlier this summer. Durmont, was it?" At Hermione's nod, he continued, "You said he works for the law department, right? I assume he can get to the registration office, if there is such a thing there."

"I think there is, I'll ask him when he replies to my previous letter." There was a small part in Hermione that didn't want to ask the ministry about it, certain that such an inquiry would not go unnoticed. It would surely raise some eyebrows and that kind of attention wasn't something Hermione was prepared for at the moment.

There was a lull in the conversation, the music from the radio filling in the silence. Daniel kept his attention fixed on the road, while Hermione moved and leaned against the window, watching the scenery as they drove by. Though it didn't last very long when Daniel spoke again, "Do you want to get some snacks in Dartford or do you just want to wait until our lunch reservation at Incanterà?"

The brunette stared at her dad from the corner of her eye, "Isn't Incanterà a restaurant in Diagon Alley?" Wasn't that the restaurant that she had heard some of the Slytherins rave about before the previous school year concluded?

"It is, yes. The new one that's pretty upscale, according to the Prophet at least."

It took Hermione a second to ask, "... Why do we have a reservation there?"

"Well, I know you've been thinking about telling your grandmère about magic and all," Daniel glanced at her briefly, "And you know her. Far better than I do. She'd demand everything about the gentry, and how can we establish a foothold in the higher echelons of society."

"She'd immediately ask too, why we haven't learned each and every etiquette rule yet, obscure or not."

The older Granger huffed, "That woman is such a terror," He paused and eyes narrowing slightly before glancing again at Hermione, "Don't tell your mum I said that." A severe frown pulled at his mouth when he noticed Hermione raise an eyebrow in challenge. "I'll let you get dessert at lunch without making any comment about the sugar if you don't."

Hermione pretended to think over it for a second before smiling widely, "What did you say? I couldn't hear you over the radio." The tiny brunette reached over to the radio and turned the volume up a notch, prompting Daniel to laugh. And that was how they spent the rest of the trip to London, discussing the eventual fallout of grandmère Brézé finding out about the wizarding world - and its politics, specifically.

/

Just before their reservation at Incanterà, Daniel ushered Hermione in the direction of Gringotts, informing her of his and Rosalie's plan to open up some sort of savings account for her.

"I honestly don't like that they kept us in the dark about your condition for as long as they have-" Daniel grumbled as they moved through the busy crowds of Diagon Alley, nudging Hermione's shoulder when he saw her roll her eyes. She understood their concern perfectly, but if she had to hear this rant one more time... "-which, by the way, if we haven't said it already, we would be more than okay to enroll you to another school." The brunette glanced up at her dad with wide eyes, taken by complete surprise. That hadn't come up at all, not once in the numerous times she's heard her parents complain about the horrendous lack of information.

"Beauxbatons would be ideal since your mum's family is nearby, so visiting would be no issue - and you can speak French. Smart man, that Mr. Baranovsky, teaching you kids another language." Hermione tried to interrupt Daniel, but he rambled on, "Of course, we'd be more than alright with Koldovstvoretz as well. The culture and language would be familiar to you, at least. And we'd be more than happy to visit."

"Dad!" Hermione whisper-shouted as she tugged on his sleeve, "We're here!" She pointedly looked up at the imposing building that was Gringotts. "And you and mum didn't tell me anything about transferring out of Hogwarts."

That had Daniel stop, eyebrows furrowed before a dumbfounded expression took over his features, "Huh, I figured we would have told you about that. Anyway, let's go in so we can sort out this business with Ragnok then we can get lunch. I'm honestly famished." Hermione couldn't argue with him further when the tall brunet pushed past the doors to Gringotts, giving a slight wave to the impassive goblin guards that flanked the main entrance.

Daniel strode up to one of the goblins behind the long marble counters, "Good morning, I'd like to speak with Ragnok regarding my daughter's account."

The goblin stared at Daniel Granger for a few seconds before his piercing gaze moved down to Hermione, who simply bowed her head in greeting, "Name and key?"

"Hermione Granger, and here you go." Hermione reached over to set her Gringotts key on the counter, barely able to see over its surface.

It took a little while as the goblin verified her key, Hermione busied herself with looking over the other counters; there was quite a lot of people in Gringotts - no doubt getting their money sorted out before going on a last minute shopping trip. Her attention snapped back when the goblin spoke, "I will escort you to Ragnok's office, follow me."

Daniel and Hermione followed closely, the witchling having to grasp the brunet's coat so she wouldn't get swallowed in the busy crowd. On their way to the offices off to the side of the hall, Hermione made eye contact with Draco Malfoy who was accompanied by a lithe blonde woman. She gave him a polite nod to which she received a raised eyebrow, followed closely by an acknowledging tilt of his head. It was probably their most civil interaction to date.

Once they reached Ragnok's office, their goblin escort handed Hermione her key back and gestured for them to go inside. Daniel waved thank you as the goblin left them before knocking twice on the door.

"Come in." came Ragnok's voice, prompting both father and daughter to step inside. "Mister Granger, Miss Granger. Please take a seat."

"Good morning, Ragnok. Fine day today." Daniel greeted as he ushered Hermione to a seat first before taking one himself.

"Indeed it is, what is your business with Gringotts today?"

"I'd like to open a second vault for Hermione here, an auxiliary if you will."

"Of course. I will have to know how much you'll be planning to put into the vault so we can find the right vault size." Daniel fished his cheque book out of his leather bag, and promptly handed the right cheque over to Ragnok. Hermione caught sight of the amount Daniel intended to deposit, and barely managed to not gasp out loud.

"Dad…" Hermione whispered, "I can't possibly…"

The tall brunet smiled down at Hermione, winking at her before looking back up at Ragnok, "This is about half of what I intend for the vault to have - we'll be depositing the rest in increments slowly."

Ragnok nodded, "We'll sort it right out." He pulled out a contract and a key - one that seemed more ornate and detailed than the key Hermione had at that moment. "With the amount the vault will have, both of you will have to sign a more extensive contract," he paused for a second, "In blood as well, so we can confirm your identity when accessing the vault."

Hermione's eyebrows raised but the witchling didn't make any comment. While blood magic wasn't completely illegal, it was frowned upon, but then again, these were the goblins. They were prone to disregarding wizarding laws. She glanced up at her dad, who she knew read far more books on how the wizarding politics worked than she has. He didn't seem surprised and instead simply looked at Ragnok in anticipation.

The goblin made no further comment and simply pushed the contract across his desk and let both father and daughter read the contract.

Several questions and clarifications and almost half an hour later, Daniel reached for the quill offered and almost began to sign when he looked up at Ragnok, "I'd like a copy of the contract for the sake of keeping record. Is that alright?"

"That would be no problem."

With that response, Daniel didn't hesitate signing the contract hissing slightly which had Hermione looking at him in concern before she glanced down at the parchment, eyes widening. That was some seriously impressive magic. She looked up at Ragnok with a curious gleam in her eyes, "What is this quill?"

"A blood quill, Miss Granger. I'd be careful asking around about it." The warning was clear and it was heard. She had no doubt that the ministry - and surely most people - saw it as a dark instrument, considering how averse the public was to dark magic. Hermione gingerly took the quill from her dad who was rubbing the back of his writing hand, grimacing slightly but didn't make any comment.

Despite seeing his reaction, the sting was surprising and boy, was it sharp. Hermione clenched her jaw as she wrote her name, watching in fascination as the blood dried on the parchment. When she finished, she handed the quill and contract back. Ragnok placed two smaller sheets of parchment, and while Hermione couldn't exactly tell what was happening, it seemed that there was some sort of magical transfer.

There was a brief second where Hermione could have sworn the goblin's eyebrows raised as he looked at the parchment pieces, but the expression was fleeting that it might have just been a trick of the light. "Your blood and names - and magical signature in your case, Miss Granger - are now recorded in the system. These, of course, won't be accessible to the public, not even the Ministry." The last part was added almost as an afterthought that had the witchling narrowing her eyes. "Was that all for today?"

"We'll visit Hermione's original vault as well, but we can see ourselves out to the main hall." Daniel said, pushing up from his seat, "Thank you very much, Ragnok."

"Very well. Here's your key, Miss Granger." The goblin reached over the desk to hand the small key over to Hermione. "We will send a missive to both of you once the vault is properly set up."

Hermione bowed politely before she placed her second key into her bag. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Ragnok."

/

Getting money from her original vault - both for today's eventual shopping and pocket money for Hogsmeade, didn't take very long so Hermione and Daniel soon found themselves on the top floor of one of the higher buildings in Diagon Alley. Their host had lead them to a table by one of the grand windows, giving the Grangers a rather lovely view of Diagon Alley and its colorful and bustling crowd, before leaving them to decide what they will be having.

"I think the salmon looks nice. What do you think, myshka?"

"The chicken looks nice actually, I think I'll have that."

As excellent as the meal and service was, their time in Incanterà was proved uneventful for the most part. They did attract a couple of curious glances from the other patrons around them - one of which Hermione was rather certain Blaise Zabini's mother; he had her sharp facial structure, but the man she was with didn't share any resemblance towards her Slytherin classmate.

They did, however, meet Malfoy and his mother on their way out.

"Fancy seeing you here, Granger." came the drawling voice of her blond classmate.

"Malfoy." The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched slightly, almost curving down to a frown before she forced a polite smile. "Had a good summer?" She let her gaze slide over to Madame Malfoy who watched their interaction with a curious eye. No, actually, that wasn't quite right. She was watching the brunette closely, narrowed grey eyes fixated on her face.

"It's been fine, thank you for asking." This polite and civil interaction was weird, and Hermione could see that the Malfoy scion thought so too by the twitch of his brow. Whatever he was going to add, was interrupted when his mother cleared her throat while Daniel, at the same time, nudged Hermione's side. The blond flushed slightly, "Pardon my manners, may I introduce my lady mother, Narcissa Malfoy?" The lady of the house gave them a polite smile that did wonders to her features - a smile that reminded Hermione too much of Evan Rosier's smile. She couldn't quite remember off the top of her head where the Rosier's cadet branches crossed with other families. But she was brought out of her thoughts when Draco continued, "Mother, this is Hermione Granger, she's my classmate and-" His eyebrows furrowed a bit as his gaze slid to Daniel who gave him an encouraging smile.

Deciding to help him out, Hermione tipped her head, "This is my father, Doctor Daniel Granger. Dad, this is Draco Malfoy. I think I mentioned him before?"

"Slytherin, was it?" came the reply from her dad, "The house of ambition and cunning, if I remember correctly." He glanced down at Hermione before giving the two blonds a polite smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Mister Malfoy, Madame Malfoy."

"The pleasure is all ours." Narcissa's gaze, though they did study her father's face for a moment, stayed on Hermione for the most part - which had the brunette panicking slightly. Her focus was unnerving, but she might be overthinking this. Maybe Malfoy had simply complained and whined about her beating his scores? Yes, that had to be it. "I'm afraid we have to cut this short, Draco and I have a reservation."

"Of course. Have a good day, Madame Malfoy." Daniel promptly replied.

"It was lovely to meet you, Madame." Hermione chimed in after, then added, "See you on the train tomorrow, Malfoy."

"See you, Granger." With that, the Malfoys headed inside the restaurant while the Grangers made their way out.

Hermione waited until they were inside the lift before she spoke, "I think that might have been the longest we've been civil to each other."

"You said he was a bit of a little brat, didn't you?" At Hermione's nod, Daniel continued, shrugging, "Then I'm not surprised at all." There was a bit of a pause, before he smiled down at her, "So before you go, your mum and I wanted to get you another birthday gift…"

"Dad…"

/

Hermione ended up meeting Harry first in Fortescue's after she parted from her dad, who waved her off and bid her a good time. She almost tackled him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "Oh, Harry! I missed you! How have you been?"

"Whoa there, 'Mione." Harry laughed as he barely managed to catch the girl. "I missed you too." He had gotten used to the brunette being very affectionate, and soon began to anticipate her hugs.

Once they hugged their fill, the two Gryffindors found themselves sat on one of the tables outside of Fortescue's, waiting for Ron. Harry busied himself eating ice-cream while regaling Hermione with tales of his stay in Diagon Alley.

"Oh, you have no idea, 'Mione. I had to stop myself from asking for the price on the Firebolt prototype." Boys, the brunette shook her head. "You'd be so proud of me for not giving in."

"I'm so very proud of you, Harry." Hermione said with a mocking tone, looking over at him with a very grave expression. Brown eyes met green, and both of them cracked up.

It took them a while to calm down, attracting some serious side-eye from people passing by. "Seriously though, 'Mione. It looks so cool. I know you don't care much for brooms, but..."

"I'll take your word for it, Harry. Do you want to check it out again when Ron gets here?"

"We can check out Flourish and Blotts too," Harry met her gaze with a fond expression of his own.

Hermione shook her head, "Unless you're getting books, there's no need to. I'm meeting my dad there later."

Surprise flooded Harry's features, "Oh! Your dad is here too?"

"Yeah, he came with me today. He's getting some books at Flourish and Blotts."

"You take after him, huh?" Hermione just made a humming noise to which Harry took as confirmation. "I don't suppose you'll be staying at Leaky's tonight, then? Ron mentioned that they will be, so..."

"I'm staying at a hotel nearby, so I'll just have to meet you guys at the station tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll be sure to keep a spot for you." Harry shifted his gaze from the shorter brunette - had she always been that short? - "Where do you think Ron-"

Before the spectacled boy finished his question, a blur of red hair and dark robes separated from the crowd then shortly after, Hermione and Harry found themselves with armfuls of one Ronald Weasley. "I missed you two!"

Harry and Hermione laughed as they tried not to topple over.

"How was Egypt, Ron? Did you enjoy it?" asked Hermione once they righted themselves.

"Oh, it was so cool! Bill showed us around a lot. The pyramids were so cool." came the enthusiastic reply. "But, first things first, Harry…" Ron cut the boy some serious side-eye with a wide grin on his face, "Did you really blow up your aunt?"

"What?!" Hermione hissed at both of them.

"I didn't mean to! I swear!" Harry held up his hands at the affronted expression on the brunette's face, while Ron roared in laughter. "I just lost control… She was making awful comments about mum and dad…" the words came out quietly.

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione's features softened as she laid a hand on his arm.

Ron sobered up a bit as well, nodding gravely, "Good riddance, I say. Though I can't imagine my mum would be happy if I blew up an aunt. The ministry would probably have to find my body before they can do anything…" Having met Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Harry agreed wholeheartedly.

"So, what's the plan after Harry finishes his ice-cream?" Hermione asked, then added, "My dad told me to go to the Menagerie, get a pet or something, but if you guys wanted to go to another shop…"

"Well, I can go have Scabbers checked out there," Ron leaned in towards the two, showing them the rather frail rat snuggled inside his pocket, "He's been looking rough lately."

"Harry?"

"I can get some treats for Hedwig there, I think she'd like that." The bright smile on his face spoke volumes of how fond he was of the snowy owl.

The golden trio eventually found themselves in the shop a few minutes later, Ron making a beeline directly to one of the shop attendants to ask for some advice while Harry went to the owl section to look for snacks and treats for Hedwig. Hermione, on the other hand, meandered to the feline area, taking her time getting there as she looked at other animals. The brunette didn't really know what to get, not when she hadn't thought about getting a pet in the first place. However, she wasn't about to turn down her parents' gift - even if she thought it was a bit excessive, especially since they already got her a pretty hefty collection of books about the wizarding history around the world.

Once she stumbled across a litter of pretty little tuxedo kittens, Hermione knelt down and let the tuxedos sniff her hand.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, miss?" The witchling jumped slightly, caught unaware by an attendant who was feeding some of the cats, just slightly out of her peripheral before he came into view.

"Not really, no. I'm just looking around for now."

With that, the attendant nodded, "Okay, let me know if I can help you with anything."

"Thank you!" came the polite reply with a bright smile. Hermione pet one of the tuxedo kittens one last time before she stood up and looked around some more.

If anyone asked her later if she cooed at several cats and kittens playing about in their own designated pens, she would wholeheartedly say yes without any hesitation. Hermione grew up with cats, after all. One of the caretakers in the orphanage Hermione grew up in, Yulia, had a couple of cats which she often brought along with her to the orphanage so the kids could play with them. Her favorite was a beautiful Nevskaya Maskaradnaya who proved to be a wonderful reading companion, and as well as a good distraction for when her roommate had nothing else to do and Hermione wanted to read.

"Oh! Look at you, koshka!" Hermione exclaimed when a large orange cat - honestly, it was like a little lion - jumped into her arms.

"Merlin…" The same attendant from before stood in shock as Hermione cooed over the feline in her arms, "I think you found a keeper, miss. Crookshanks doesn't really like it when people touch him, but there he is."

With a warm smile, she asked, "Is that his name? Crookshanks?" At the responding nod, Hermione turned back down to the cat, "I suppose your shanks are a bit crooked, koshka. Would you like to stay with me?" She laughed when the cat purred a bit before snuggling into her arms further. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

Looking up at the attendant, she asked, "How much is he?"

"20 galleons, but he's been here for so long that I can give you a couple of extra treats included in that price."

"That's very generous of you, thank you. Can you help me pick out things I might need for him?"

"Of course, right this way, miss…"

Hermione ended up buying a carrier, a couple of toys and special treats for Crookshanks, and as well as a thin blue collar that she thought suited him pretty well. She thanked the attendant profusely, especially when he cast a shrinking charm on her purchases, before running off to find the boys. Crookshanks followed after his new mistress with his tail held high, eventually outpacing her so he was in front. The brunette had to scramble after him when he darted towards someone - two someones, in fact he was running straight for Harry and Ron with the latter holding Scabbers in his hands. Before Hermione could call the miniature lion off, Crookshanks leapt for the frail rat. Ron barely managed to dodge and hold onto his pet rat at the same time.

"Merlin! What is that thing?!" Ron held Scabbers protectively while Crookshanks circled him.

"Honestly, it looks like it could take both of us." came Harry's smart-ass reply.

When Hermione skidded to a stop beside them, she thrust the cat carrier towards Harry who, only thanks to his seeker reflexes, managed to not drop it. The brunette immediately scooped Crookshanks into her arms and began to scold him, "Crookshanks, we don't run after other people's pets!"

"Blimey, Hermione! That thing nearly scalped me!"

"I'm so sorry, Ron. Is Scabbers okay? He didn't get him, did he?"

"He looks like a little lion, 'Mione." Harry said sincerely, but also wanting to diffuse the situation.

"Hmph, Scabbers is okay. He should be resting right now." Ron carefully set Scabbers back down in his pocket while Hermione secured Crookshanks - who, to her displeasure, did try to leap towards Ron again. "If that cat eats Scabbers, I'm going to be so upset."

"It won't come down to that, will it, Crooks?" The witchling brought the cat's flat face towards her own and stared him down. Crookshanks swatted at her, which had both boys laughing. Hermione just rolled her eyes, and adjusted her hold on Crookshanks.

/

Shortly after separating from Harry and the Weasleys at Leaky, bidding them a good evening, Hermione didn't waste any time before heading towards Flourish and Blotts. Even though she knew her dad could spend an entire day in a bookshop with no qualms, they had to check into their hotel and meet Rosalie before dinner. Just as Hermione made it to the store, two rowdy would-be sixth-year Hufflepuffs ran past her, causing the brunette to stumble forward and crash into the person leaving the bookstore. She caught herself, mindful of Crookshanks sleeping in her arms.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" came out of Hermione's mouth as soon as she righted herself, "I hope I didn't hurt you, ma'am!"

"It's quite alright, dear. Are you okay?" was the quick reply from the older woman. Her features were striking; from the sharp arch of her brow, the high cheekbones to the slender line of her nose, but what truly captivated one's attention were her eyes. Blue speckled with brown, almost orange pigment in the centre. Said eyes widened in surprise when Hermione raised her head and met the witch's gaze, "Merlin, you- you're-"

The witchling's eyebrows furrowed as the woman seemed to struggle with her words while staring at her face, prompting Hermione to ask, "Are you sure you're alright, ma'am?"

That seemed to shake the woman out of her reverie; her face adopting a more neutral expression, no trace of surprise in her features whatsoever. "Yes, of course, I apologise. That was quite rude of me, but you look a lot like an old friend." As the woman spoke, her gaze sharpened with each word, taking in every inch of Hermione's face. The corner of her mouth twitched, as if she didn't quite know whether to smile or frown at the sight of a familiar face.

On the other hand, Hermione froze. Though she knew that she looked like Katerine and Evan, this was the first time someone had pointed out her familiar features - out loud, at least. Madame Malfoy had been studying her face intently earlier, but didn't make a comment. Brown eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as Hermione took in the woman's face again. She looked familiar, but Hermione couldn't quite place where she knew her from.

Before Hermione could speak, however, someone else beat her to it, "Mother, are you alright? What are- Oh, Granger. Hello." Theodore Nott stepped from behind the woman, giving her a curious look before turning his inquisitive gaze towards his mother.

A shock of recognition then bolted through the brunette like lightning, only barely managing to keep her mouth shut as the intense gaze of Lady Nott moved from Hermione to Theodore, her eyebrows raised. As if sensing his owner's emotional turmoil, Crookshanks shifted slightly in her arms, but didn't wake.

"Ah, Theo dear, you know this young lady?" The witch's mouth curled into a smile decisively this time. It wasn't pretentiously polite, but it wasn't filled with unadulterated joy either.

Theodore straightened, which caused Hermione to stand taller and to square her shoulders. "Mother, this is Hermione Granger. She's a Gryffindor in my class." At this, Hermione ducked her head in greeting before her classmate inclined his head, "Granger, this is my mother, Lady Clara Nott."

Antonin had been very forthcoming about the friendships her mother had. From the Lestrange brothers, who might as well be her own brothers along with Evan, to the Crouch scion and Sirius Black's younger brother, who he mentioned always bickered and bantered with Katerine. Clara Selwyn, now Lady Nott, had been Katerine's closest friend and confidant. The Dolohov patriarch had likened their friendship with his and Evan's. Someone who felt like home, he had dared to describe it but ultimately said that it didn't even come close to what the friendship actually was.

Hermione met Clara Nott's gaze with a renewed vigor, barely fidgeting under her scrutiny. Mouth curled into a bright smile, the brunette spoke with a polite tone, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Nott." Her gaze shifted towards her taller classmate, "I hope your summer has been nice so far."

"And yours as well, Granger." came the polite reply. Theodore shot his mother yet another inquisitive glance as she hadn't moved a muscle since introducing the Gryffindor.

A few seconds ticked by. Hermione couldn't quite keep up the pretense of not fidgeting under the careful perusal of her person. Theodore didn't hide his bothered expression, seemingly not sure what to make of his mother's actions either.

"Are you here to pick up your school books, Granger?" asked the Nott scion. He must have been really desperate to break the tense silence since he damn well knew she wasn't just picking her books up the day before term started.

Hermione barely managed to stop a sigh of relief from escaping her though, grateful that the taller brunet broke the silence, "I already picked up my books earlier this summer. I'm just here to meet my dad. Did you pick yours up already?"

Before Theodore could answer, however, Lady Nott asked, eyebrows furrowed, "Your parents, Miss Granger… Are they-"

The brunette met Clara's gaze unblinkingly, interrupting her mid-question, "They're muggles, Lady Nott. If that's what you intended to ask."

A frown tugged on the older witch's mouth, as if she couldn't quite comprehend her answer, but she didn't get the chance to ask any further when Hermione jolted in place. The brunette saw her dad in the store, carrying a tower of books in his arms. Both Notts turned slightly, witnessing Daniel Granger trying not to drop the books.

"Ah, I should go and help dad out. I hope you have a good day further, Nott, Lady Nott." Hermione gave them a polite smile as she crossed the store's threshold, stepping around Theodore and Clara.

"And you as well, Miss Granger." Lady Nott inclined her head; the frown gone from her features, replaced by a polite smile.

"See you tomorrow, Granger." Theodore gave her a nod himself before tucking his mother's arm into his.

"What was that about, mother?" Whatever Clara Nott's answer was, Hermione didn't manage to catch as they joined the busy crowd of Diagon Alley.

Author's notes

Alright. Yes, hello, hi. I haven't abandoned this. This part was just really difficult to work with. There were a couple of scenes that needed to happen, but I couldn't be satisfied with what I had and it ended up being far longer than I anticipated. The dialogue didn't sound right, the lines felt stilted and inorganic, the descriptions weren't great, there was a disconnect between certain parts, the transitions could be done better… just a whole lot of issues with this, on top of personal problems, so yeah.

Anyway, here's a pretty hefty chapter. I hope y'all enjoy it! Thank you so much for the lovely support and for being patient as heck! 3

I still can't promise regular updates - I'm just that big of a disorganised mess. Although, to be fair, AtWC is roughly planned and outlined up until the sixth book, and I do have notes on extra stuff outside of the main story. Though to be honest, it's very unlikely that they'll come into play.

I'll try to get the next chapter up before 2020 lol. As always, feedback is always appreciated!

And yes, I know it's Koldovstoretz. It's going to be Koldovstvoretz in this fic.