𝟎𝟒 - 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬

                                    

                                          
𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟗𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟓

                          
As soon as the clock struck twelve-thirty, you found yourself standing directly in the middle of the brick-paved streets of Diagon Alley. Gaggles of soon-to-be first-year students paraded themselves all the way to Ollivanders wand shop, nervously whispering amongst themselves with an air of faux confidence that all children seemed to possess at one point or another. 
                          
You stepped back just in time to avoid getting caught in a stampede of older witches who bustled through with their arms full of potion ingredients and ancient-looking books alike. You were doing your best to stay out of everyone's way while still remaining visible enough so that your friends could easily spot you, wherever it was they were. 
                          
The Black sisters were your best friends through and through. In fact, they were the only girls in Slytherin House that would give you the time of day. While everyone else seemed to have forgotten about the scandal of your sorting, the ambitious and exclusive Slytherins had not. You were just as much an outcast in school as you were in your own home.
                          
But Bellatrix never let you believe that. She, Narcissa, and Andromeda were your honorary sisters and they treated you as such. Ever since you first met in the Great Hall after your sorting, you three were almost as inseparable as James and the Marauders. If it wasn't for Bella's deep-rooted disdain for Sirius, you all would have gotten along perfectly. 
                          
"There you are, little Potter!" 
                          
You pulled yourself out of your thoughts and spun around. Approaching from the thin gap between two shopfronts were your friends, arms linked together in a long train that started with Bella and ended with Andy, who above else looked generally displeased. 
                          
"We thought we had missed you," Cissy smiled. She was the smallest of all her sisters, which was appropriate seeing as how she was also the youngest. She had a mousy demeanor that would have matched Peter's if it wasn't for her random spurts of confidence. She waited patiently for Bella to release her hand before jumping up and hugging you tightly around the neck. 
                          
You loved Narcissa dearly. But the more time you spent with her, the more you swore you understood how James must have felt having you around in your younger years. Once she pulled away, Andy sauntered forwards and gave you a polite nod of acknowledgment. Andromeda was the most distant of the Black sisters and despite being the middle child, she was sometimes the most motherly. 
                          
Blinking back in Bella's direction, you shifted your feet uncomfortably. "This is the time we discussed in the letters, isn't it?" You would be dreadfully embarrassed if you found out that you had read the date incorrectly in her invitation. 
                          
"Of course," She chuckled, biting her blood-red painted lip and nudging Andy in the arm. "But you're going the wrong way. Knockturn Alley is behind us." 
                          
"Knockturn Alley?" You parroted, unsure if you had heard her correctly. 
                          
"Of course, silly," Bella smiled then pursed her lips, taking both of your hands in hers and swinging them between you. She was always especially touchy when she needed to convince you of something. "You'll love it. Even Cissy loves it." 
                          
"Only when Malfoy's there," Andy scoffed, earning her a swat on the arm from Narcissa who's face instantly went red in embarrassment. It was no secret that she harbored feelings for the stoic blonde Slytherin, with whom you shared a handful of classes over the years. 
                          
Lucius Malfoy was everything that his name suggested; dramatic, prissy, and just as self-important as they came. Though, to be fair, most of what you heard about him came from your brother and his band of unreliable hooligans.