Year 1: Harry Potter One-Shots

The Engaging Shop

With everything that has come up with JKR recently, I felt that I needed to use my tiny voice in the Harry Potter community to speak about her comments towards the trans community. These comments are not only ignorant but completely damaging and hurtful. Trans people are people period. I am sorry that any other opinions exist. I am sorry for the trans community, and especially trans people who are huge fans of the Harry Potter books.

Resources:

Trevor Project Suicide/Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386Info and FAQ on what Trans/Gender Identity means for some people: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/trans-gender-identity/Guide to being an ally: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/a-guide-to-being-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/A master list of Trans resources and organizations: https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resourcesKnow your rights: https://transequality.org/know-your-rights

Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, the-slayer-of-voldemort, the-savior-of-the-wizarding-world, the-boy-who-has-been-assigned-many-hyphened-names, pulled his hat down to conceal the rest of his face. Harry had made his facial features different, but that didn't stop him from getting nervous. Harry has tried not to face any sort of crowds since the Battle of Hogwarts and that was almost four years ago. The one time he actually travelled outside his house to go shopping had ended in three loose Hippogriffs, several feathered people, and a filled ward in St. Mungo's Magical Accident Ward. That one trip had happened right after the Battle, but Harry didn't want to take any chances. Normally he used owl orders, but Harry wanted to get the gift in person.

Harry wanted to make sure that what he got was perfect.

As he dodged people in Diagon Alley, Harry pondered on what actually to get Ginny. Her birthday was tomorrow and Harry had nothing for her. It wasn't entirely his fault for being a bad boyfriend. Kingsley had been calling Harry on cases at all times for the past month. Not that Harry was complaining, he just wanted a little more time with his family, that's all.

Harry dove into a shop called Sempe's Gifts. Harry breathed a sigh of relief that there didn't seem to be anyone in a shop. Being in public made him nervous. That's why he liked his Auror job, he was able to be out, but not in any sort of place where he would be reconized. Taking a look around the shop for the first time, Harry noticed that this shop seemed older than most of the shops in Diagon Alley. There seemed to be dust hanging in the air with mazes of wooden shelves. The walls were once painted orange, but have faded to an almost white.

Harry took a look around the shelves. After the first few shelves, Harry noticed that this shop sold all kinds of different gift ideas. There were picture frames that you could adjust the words on the frame, certain scented perfumes, and scarves that had different couple sayings, to name a few. Harry thought this store was a little too cheesy for Ginny and Harry's relationship, so he turned to leave. Just as he came across the front door, an elderly woman stepped out from behind some shelves.

"A customer! I haven't had one of you for ages!"

She looked at Harry with delight.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Uh," Harry stuttered "I'm looking for a birthday present for my girlfriend."

She looked Harry up and down.

"I think that I've got the perfect thing for you." she said.

The woman dove into a series of shelves, and Harry reluctantly followed her. She seemed like a lonley person, and Harry didn't want to hurt her feelings.

After taking too many left and rights to keep track of, they seemed to arrive in the Jewelry section of the store. There was bookcase upon bookcase of all types of necklaces, braclets, and rings. She led Harry to one isle paused, and shook her head muttering things that he couldn't understand. She did this on nearly every isle, and just as Harry was about to fake an excuse and leave, she immediatly brightened up and led him down an isle. Her fingers skimmed the cases, until she reached down and picked up a small, black box.

"Yes, this is the one for you." she said as she handed the box to Harry.

Harry took the box from her and opened it. Inside, there was an engagement ring.

"I can't-" Harry looked bewildered.

The woman looked expectantly at him.

Of course Harry had thought of proposing to Ginny, but the fear of getting rejected had gotten in the way. He knew how serious their relationship was, after all, they were living together.

Harry shook his head.

"I don't think that I can do this."

The woman only smiled at him.

"Don't be nervous Mr. Potter. That girl loves you more than life itself, and she would never laugh at you over something like this."

Harry only stared at the ring. Then he noticed that on the bottom that it had a saying enscribed into it

The world may be broken, but hope is not crazy

Harry looked up in surprise.

"What kind of shop is this?"

The old woman merely smiled.

"This shop has an untold story in every item. I don't know how or when someone will stumle upon my shop, but when they do they always have one thing to claim for their story." 

Harry looked down at the ring and looked up to ask the old woman a question, but she was gone. Harry looked around in confusion, before pocketing the box and going out of the shop. He would come back later to pay the woman. Little did Harry know, that he would never find that little old shop when he went searching for it again.

Harry would later wonder how the woman knew who he was, after he had concealed his face and changed his physical appearance, and how she found the perfect birthday present for Ginny.

***

The old woman smiled as she saw Harry leave her shop. He was a very nice boy, and she rather liked him, although the woman knew that she would never see him again. She looked at the bookshelves and wondered when someone of Harry's relation would come and get something next.