Then I Met You [D.M.]

Year Two: Flourish and Botts

31st August, 1992

Violet Ellis had never been so excited for school to start. She had been counting down the days until the first of September, looking forward to reuniting with her wizarding friends.

As promised, she'd kept in touch with most of them over the summer holiday. Her friends Hannah Abbott, Caroline Dodd, Aimee McCall, and even Hermione Granger had been regularly sending letters. Once a week she'd manage to send each of them a response, then she'd watch out the windows of her room, awaiting the familiar sight of an owl.

The first time she'd received a letter, her parents had gotten quite the shock. They were sitting in their back garden, enjoying the cool summer night, when two owls flew down and dropped letters into Violet's lap. Her father leaped to his feet, trying to shoo them away before Violet could explain their presence. Hannah and Aimees first letters had arrived, and she'd been so excited that she nearly tripped over herself trying to get inside to read them.

The four Hufflepuffs agreed to meet on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, so that they could ride the Hogwarts Express together. She had sorely missed her friends, but almost as much, she missed using magic. She never knew to miss it before her first year at Hogwarts, but now she had learned how convenient it was to everyday life.

When the end of August finally arrived, she and her parents made the trip to the Leaky Cauldron. After their introduction the previous year, her muggle parents could see the pub, nestled between a bookshop and music shop, but they'd never entered it without Violet.

When they entered Diagon Alley, Violet was as in awe as the first time she'd seen the magical alley. Full of wizarding shops, with witches and wizards wandering throughout, she felt the magnetic pull of magic at her fingertips, itching to pull out her wand and cast a spell.

She and her parents perused the alley, first stopping at Gringotts, the wizarding bank, before completing her shopping for the years supplies. The one purchase she'd been wanting most was her very own owl. She'd chosen a beautiful barn owl, with a light tan belly and face, brown head, and brown-black wings that resembled scorched wood. It was based on her colouring that Violet chose her name, Coco. Her father carried the owl's cage, along with a tote of things she would need, including food and treats.

To her surprise, out of the eight books she would need, seven of them were written by a Gilderoy Lockhart. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, she guessed, judging by the book topics- werewolves, vampires, ghouls, and other magical beasts. She paused outside the shop, taking notice of the large gathering of people inside.

"Will you wait out here?" She asked her parents, "I promise to be quick!"

"Are you sure, dear?" Her mother worried, also noticing the people inside Flourish and Blotts.

Violet nodded eagerly, dashing inside the moment her parents said okay. Inside the shop, she pushed through the crowd. Mostly women, she realised, all waiting with the same book in hand.

"Violet?" She looked around as she heard her name, focusing on a group of kids, one of which was waving her hand in the air, "Violet, over here!"

"Hermione!" She pushed her way through the crowd, joining Hermione, Harry, Ron, and some others to the side of the shop, "Busy today!"

"Oh yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is doing a book signing, so all the mums are here doing the 'shopping' for their kids." Hermione giggled.

"That's Mrs. Weasley," Hermione tilted her head to the red haired woman fussing over Harry, who was covered in soot for some reason, "That's Mr. Weasley, and Ginny. She's a first-year this year!"