Eleanor was on a mini-vacation; it's often said that this is impossible in her profession, but after an unexpectedly busy season, she decided to close the office for a week.
She finished reading her book and stretched out like a cat after a nap. She looked out the window and around her; sometimes, "reality" didn't seem real. There were times when the thought crossed her mind that her old memories were a dream; seeing herself in the mirror no longer had an impact on her, as she couldn't recall what she'd looked like before. The functioning of the brain is one of the great mysteries; forgetting is the mind's way of maintaining a certain balance, although, as difficult as it was, Eleanor preferred to keep all her memories available to her whenever she wanted.
She slipped into the kitchen for something to eat. One thing she enjoyed about her home was its abundance. Perhaps it wasn't so for others, but for her, being able to eat whatever she wanted was great; compared to her previous life, these courtesies of her current one were appreciated.
- "Busy?" - Severus asked, entering to pour himself a cup of tea. The wizard noticed she was wearing only a long nightgown and shorts.
Eleanor smiled sheepishly after savoring her spoonful of vanilla pudding, to which she had added chocolate chips and cookie pieces that she broke with her hands. - "I didn't know you were here. I thought you were playing mad scientist in your potions lab."
- "How fun." - The wizard replied ironically. - "I have a potion in progress; it should be on the fire for a few hours. Alfred stayed behind to watch while I fetched a cup of tea."
- "Alfred could have brought it to you."
- "Yes, but I needed the distraction. And I wanted to choose which infusion to have." - Severus said, taking the small bowl of pudding from her, taking a spoon and eating a little, approving of the taste. Eleanor waited and retrieved her dessert, finishing it in two spoonfuls. - "Eat fruit, it's healthier and less fattening." - Severus said, withdrawing with his cup and a large oatmeal cookie.
- "Hey! I'm not fat, I can still tie my shoelaces." - Eleanor affirmed, following him.
Severus smiled at her reaction; he liked to tease her with jokes. He placed his cup and other items on the table; with it in front of him, he couldn't help but notice her amused expression.
- "Quite a feat," - He declared, kissing the corner of her mouth.
- "Well, you're not as thin now either, at least not like you were when we got married. You used to be a broomstick; I made you a man." - Eleanor said, responding to the challenge.
Severus hugged her and whispered in her ear, - "And I made you a woman."
- "You're impossible!" - Eleanor rebuked, to the wizard's amusement.
That day was one of the quieter ones, unhurried, without obligations. Their relationship as a couple turned out to be good. At times, they played and behaved like "newlyweds." At other times, they functioned as partners, sharing responsibilities. But they rarely argued, perhaps because they were both clear that talking would lead to fewer agreements, something Eleanor made clear to her husband from the start: "You don't get married to fight." Besides, Severus didn't want a conflictive relationship like his parents', and perhaps that's why he did his best to build a good relationship, not to mention the fact that they were both truly in love.
The children were in class. Remus would pick them up after school and take them home. They would have a sleepover. Sirius and Remus had decided a while ago to move near Harry's school. Rent wasn't a problem, and they spent weekends and full moons at their cabin in the woods.
Severus stayed with his wife for a while, talking about everything and nothing in particular, discussing routine things like when she went shopping with the children and her shopping bag broke. She could fix it with a magical flick of her fingers, but that didn't stop her from complaining about the bag's poor quality.
.
« One day, a young man visited a wise master. He needed to understand why he felt so unappreciated.
- "Master." - He said, - "I feel like I'm worthless, like no one values me. I feel like I'm truly useless in life."
The master sat up and replied: - "I'm so sorry, boy... but before I help you, I need to solve a problem, and you can help me. Thereafter, I'll help you."
The young man felt bad again. Once again, they were postponing his problem... he felt even less valued, but he couldn't refuse to help the master.
- "Okay." - He said.
Then the wise man took off a small ring he was wearing on his little finger and gave it to him, saying: - "Take this ring. I need you to sell it in the village. You can use my horse to get there faster. But don't sell it for less than a gold coin."
The young man did as the master asked: he rode to the village and tried to sell the ring in the market. But everyone laughed at him. - "A gold coin for this? Come on, boy, gold is worth a lot, and your ring shouldn't cost more than a silver coin...at most!"
An old man took pity on him and offered him a silver coin and a copper pot in exchange, but the order was clear, and he wouldn't sell the ring for less than a gold coin. At the end of the day, despairing, he returned to the master's house with the ring.
- "I'm sorry... no one would give me a gold coin for it."
And the wise man said: - "Well, never mind... Maybe we should first know how much it's really worth, don't you think? That way we'll know what to ask for it. Take the ring back and visit the village jeweler. Let him tell you how much he would pay for it. He's a gold expert and will know exactly what this ring is worth. But don't sell it to him. Come back and tell me what he said..."
The boy did as the master asked. The jeweler took out his magnifying glass and examined the ring closely. Then he raised his head and said. - "Tell your master I'll give him 57 gold coins for it..."
- "57 gold coins!" - The young man exclaimed excitedly.
- "Yes, I know it's not much... in time we could get up to 70 gold coins, but if you're in a hurry to sell it, that's all I can give you."
The young man returned very happy to the master's house, and upon arrival, he said: - "Master! The ring is worth a lot! 57 gold coins!"
And the wise man nodded, smiling. Then he said: - "The same goes for you. Not everyone will value your true worth. Only those who can truly see you, those who, like the jeweler, know how to value you. Don't pay attention to what others think."
The moral of this story is: "Not everyone will know how to value you. Only those who know you."»
- "Boys, you'll soon be attending Hogwarts. You'll be in a place with different people. We often get carried away by what others say about us and rarely stop to think: Do they know me? Don't listen to the opinions of those who don't know you. Just like the people at the market in this fable, you'll often hear criticism, mean comments, derogatory phrases, and thoughts. But don't let them affect you. We're all valuable; we just need to know ourselves and value our abilities and gifts. Another reflection on this fable is that helping others helps us. Did you realize that the young man who helped the master ended up helping himself? One of the lessons the master wanted to teach him is that every time we help another person, in addition to feeling useful and happy, just as the young man felt after going to the jeweler, deep down, we also help ourselves. The boy suddenly felt valuable for helping the teacher. "Making someone else happier makes us happier," - Eleanor explained to the children after reading a story.
Harry was struck by the thought of his past, remembering his need for approval and everything he had to endure from others, other people's expectations, the image they had of him, what they hoped for and invented, etc. Somehow, this story made him reflect: this time, he would try to do things differently, and perhaps that would be the case, since now he wasn't alone; his cousins would be there too.
What he always wanted was a family, to live with Sirius when he first learned of his existence. He had wished for a "normal" life on many occasions, and suddenly he had a new chance. True, he didn't have his parents with him again, but at least this time he had an aunt who loved him, the most unexpected person as an uncle, who, although fussy, was kind to him. He fulfilled his dream of living with Sirius; Remus was a surprise when he became his godfather's partner. His childhood was happy, which could be said to be a triumph so far, if the goal of giving him another chance was to improve his life, beyond remaining an orphan.
He had childhood friends, Neville and Draco, although he saw the latter more than Neville, who spent more time under his grandmother's supervision because his parents worked as Aurors. They occasionally visited Sirius, who had retired from the profession.
The letter from Hogwarts arrived in July, Neville and Harry being the last to receive it. The boys agreed to go together to get their school supplies in August, although Eleanor bought some stationery beforehand, taking advantage of the promotions.
All the letters said the same thing.
Eleanor looked for clothing "appropriate" for the wizarding sector.
- "Ancient dress or robes?"
- "I will have the same as the green model in black, red, a similar one in yellow, and a shorter one in blue. I don't know if Narcissa gave them to me on purpose or not; her dresses don't look like they're from the time of King Arthur." - Eleanor replied, looking through her options.
- "Wear the amethyst robes; they're your favorite, aren't they?"
- "Right. Fine, then. I'll go change. Please go with the children to make sure they're not making a mess. I left them ready to go out and watch television."
Severus nodded, and since he was practically dressed, he agreed to babysit.
Diagon Alley is a cobbled wizarding alley, with many people passing by at this time of year. Auror Frank Longbottom had work to do, so Neville was accompanied by his mother. Unlike what he expected, Alice was courteous to the Malfoys.
The business that sold cauldrons was one of the first ones that could be found when entering the magical commercial sector, but Severus mentioned that the cauldron could be ordered and Mrs. Potage would send it to their home, which they did without delay, following the recommendations of the potions master to choose the number 2 pewter cauldron that the boys needed.
Then they went to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get their uniforms. To save time, the parents split up to go to the shops. Seeing that there were lines next to some stores, Sirius suggested saving some time by saving a spot.
- "Why should I wait?" - Lucius asked, uncomprehendingly, as he intended to enter without regard for the order of arrival to buy what he wanted.
- "Because it's the right thing to do." - Severus declared to his friend, glancing sideways at the Auror.
- "Of course, it was just a question." - The platinum-blond wizard replied haughtily.
Eleanor enlarged the Hogwarts letter.
Madame Malkin, a plump, smiling witch dressed in mauve, greeted them enthusiastically. - "Hogwarts, my lovelies? I have many here. Please wait a moment, I'll be right with you."
Narcissa wasn't pleased, but refrained from saying anything as she went to sit with the other mothers on the chairs that appeared, followed by the children.
At the back of the shop, a freckle-faced boy stood on a stool while another witch pinned his long black robes. Madame Malkin stood with another dark-haired boy on a stool next to the first, marking the final details. For a few minutes, the witches flipped through a magazine, and Malkin called them over so one of the children could come up to the stool.
- "Draco first." - Narcissa said without asking.
Then Harry came along, climbed onto the stool, and Malkin slipped a long robe over his head and began marking it to the appropriate length. Next up was Neville, then the twins. She repeated the same procedure for measuring the tunic for each one. She didn't seem to need to take the other measurements; she knew at a glance which size suited each boy.
Other people entered as Malkin checked each child's packages: three simple work robes; a black pointed hat; a pair of protective dragonhide gloves; a black winter cloak with silver or gold clasps; two white dress shirts; two black trousers; one gray V-neck sweater; one gray waistcoat; two ties; a pair of black school shoes; and a pair of heavy black boots.
All the garments had name tags; the robes were self-ironing and self-healing. The scarves were left for later, when they knew which House they were in.
Madam Malkin's shop was next to Flourish and Blotts' bookstore and a small shop called Amanuensis Quills, which sold various types of quills and inks.
- "Let's go for the books first; Sirius is in next. But I don't see Lucius." - Eleanor commented.
- "Lucius went to Gringotts." - Narcissa replied without elaborating much further.
With the list in hand, they approached the wizard.
- "There's a line!" - A witch complained sullenly.
- "They're with me." - Sirius said, and they entered, ignoring the woman's protests.
The shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as big as cobblestones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in silk covers; books filled with peculiar symbols, and so on.
- "Grab a cauldron and place your books there. Then go to the counter." - The salesman hurriedly instructed, leaving Alice speechless.
The salesman paced back and forth across the counter, calculating the final price, while the books were magically wrapped, and each package was then delivered by him to the customer who had already paid for their purchase.
The children searched for their books with help from the adults when they couldn't reach them.
- "Mom."
- "Mom." - Liam repeated in the same voice and tone.
- "Can we take...?"
- "The new book...?"
- "The Adventures of Wizard Albion?" - Chris concluded, holding up the book.
- "Yes, you can." - Eleanor replied.
- "Thanks, Mom!" - They chorused.
Sirius, next to her, indicated the next book they should look for and watched them wade through others. Sirius commented, and Eleanor looked at him indifferently.
- "Research supports the idea that reading literary fiction can affect the way readers think and act. Fiction offers a simulation of social life that challenges readers to discover characters' motives and points of view. It also has the power to foster empathy and change attitudes. The immersive experience of using our imagination to understand characters in a fictional world, particularly those different from us but with whom we can identify, can diminish prejudice." - Eleanor offered her "wisdom."
- "Black, why are you bothering my wife?" - Severus suddenly appeared with his youngest son in his arms, standing protectively next to Eleanor, preventing people from pushing her as they passed.
- "Severus, it's good to see you back. How did it go?" - Eleanor asked, handing the list to her children so they could find the last missing title in the schoolbooks.
- "Dad gathered all the ingredients for Draco, Harry, Liam, Chris, and Neville. I helped mark them so they wouldn't get mixed up. Right, Dad?" - Marcus answered for his father, happy to have helped. The boy enjoyed going to his father's Apothecary, especially when Severus explained information about the products sold there.
- "16 gallons." - The vendor said to Narcissa, Alice, and Sirius. - "20 gallons." - He indicated to Severus.
Meanwhile, Eleanor stood outside with all the children waiting. The bustle of wizards and witches was surprising. She saw Remus and raised a hand for him to see them. The wizard responded to the signal and walked in her direction.
- "Hello, thank goodness I was able to find you. I reserved the trunks for Harry and the twins. They'll be ready in half an hour with the additional specifications you suggested." - Remus said, showing a piece of paper to retrieve them later.
Eleanor suggested that the trunks be enchanted like the adults'. After researching the types of school trunks and recalling the options from multiple fanfics, she discussed his suggestions to see if any were possible.
- "They can't be reduced in size, but you can add a rune that can make them light in case you can't use magic to levitate them. The intruder lock needs to be customized by each child, but essentially, it's not complicated. They'll just have to hold their wand up and say a keyword. Sirius or I can help with that later."
The rest of the adults left the bookstore, Lucius swaggering along beside them.
Only Alice and Sirius went through the quills, ink, and parchment; the haughty-faced wizard had already done that part of the shopping for his son. Severus and Eleanor already had those items at home, and although Eleanor considered buying an extra bottle of blue ink, her husband declined, saying they would send more later if the boys needed it. The twins had their pens and pencils to use, and except for handing in their homework, they weren't required to use a quill.
Pettichaps, a children's clothing store, was located next to the bookstore. Eleanor wanted to look at the children's clothing they had on display, considering she might be able to buy them something else. Marcus wasn't too happy about not getting anything new, so she quickly bought a t-shirt and pants set for her "baby," and some sweaters for all four of them, including one for Harry, as well as casual shirts with small Quidditch motifs.
As she and her children and Severus set out with their purchases, they met the Malfoys, who were discussing the quality of the telescopes in Twinkle's adjoining shop.
- "Let's see what we're missing." - Eleanor whispered, unfolding a sheet of paper:
« Remaining Equipment
• 1 wand.
• 1 size 2 pewter cauldron.
• 1 set of glass or crystal flasks.
• 1 telescope.
• 1 brass scale.
Students may also bring an owl, a cat, a rat, or a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.»
- "What do you think? Twinkle's or Wise Guy's Magical Equipment?" - She asked her husband.
- "This store specializes in astronomical objects such as telescopes, maps of the moon, and star charts. I think it would be better to buy the telescopes here; they will use them throughout their school years. They should be durable and help them with their homework."
- "You're right." - Eleanor agreed, moving to get the attention of the employee at Twinkle's.
They accepted the suggestion, unlike Lucius, who wanted the most expensive telescope, believing it would be the best. However, Narcissa understood that her son needed a less flashy and professional telescope.
So, their next stop was "Wisey's Magical Equipment," where they spent a few minutes because, thanks to Remus, they didn't have to wait in line. There, they bought the set of vials, the scale with the calibration weights in a box, and a magnifying glass for each of them.
This business belonged to the Howell family, distant relatives of Remus's mother, by surname, not by blood. The Howells lived in the apartment above the store. The family's eldest son, Adoni, usually sat behind the counter, and during the holidays, they were assisted by Stella, the youngest daughter.