Returning to the Wizard World.

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione Granger walked out of her house, waved her mother goodbye and then walked down to the bus stop. The new school term was starting in a week and a half and she was on her way to London to go shopping for her school supplies for her sixth year. Hermione stood in her faded jeans and a Beatles tank top, on her arm hung what looked like a jacket, but it was really her cloak, she would put it on in the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione waited for ten minutes before the bus appeared, she got on and took a seat at the back, she had forgone going with her parents, and though it might have been dangerous to go alone, especially since Voldemort was back. There was a watch on her, Ron and Harry since it had happened she knew, she never saw them but she was keenly aware that someone was always nearby, and truth be told Hermione didn’t want her parents around if something did happen.

Hermione got off the bus near Piccadilly Circus and walked from there, she new her way to the Leaky Cauldron by heart, and was there in no time. She entered the dark wizard pub, and was happy to see a few familiar faces, Tom the bartender, who waved her hello, a wizard she had met last year and a few others. She slipped her cloak around her shoulders and clasped it around her neck, she walked passed all the tables and straight for the back door and Diagon Alley. She tapped the wall with her wand and stepped through as the brinks began to fold back revealing the busy street before her. Hermione looked around, there were so many people she could hardly see in front of her, this would make finding Ron and Harry difficult.

“This is going to be interesting,” she said as she began down the crowded street, she knew what she needed by heart but she didn’t want to start picking up her things till she saw Ron and Harry. Hermione walked down to Flourish and Blotts, she would wait for them there, they were bound to pass there eventually.

As Hermione waited, she paid careful attention to everyone who passed, the crowd made it a little difficult to see anyone, but she had to keep on the look out, you never could tell what might happen. Voldemort’s return and shocked the wizarding world, though she Ron and Harry knew he was back from the end of their fourth year, but people weren’t keen on listening to Harry then. Now everyone was on their guard, terrified that the horrors of the past were going to start all over again. Hermione was scared but not of Voldemort, she was scared for Harry and what would happen when he and Voldemort would meet again.

[Ayumi]

A small bell rang as Ayumi entered Flourish and Blotts. She looked around and listened intently.
"Finally." she sighed "A place that is slightly quiet and no one is talking about that "you know who person" She looked around and began to walk around and look at the the surroundings, as she looked around in awe, she bumped in a bushy brown haired girl.
She looked up and blushed, "oh I'm sorry.. that was all my fault"

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione felt someone bump into her, she turned and looked at the person, her defences up, but there was no need to worry. She looked at the girl, a first year by the looks of it. “That’s alright. You a first year?” she asked her politely, “Hogwarts, Durmstrang or Beauxbaton?” Hermione had met people from all the schools at the inter-school competition a few years ago, that’s when she met Viktor Krum, a brilliant quidditch player and her friend. Hermione looked over the girl’s head when she saw a flash of red hair, she thought it might be Ron, but it wasn’t.

Hermione looked at the girl, her parents weren’t anywhere that she could see and Hermione was reminded of her first year. Her parents and Hermione had been taken around Diagon Alley by a Ministry worker, a rather fidgety man named, Rumes. He had shown them where to purchase her books; cauldron; wand and the Alchemists’ shop, she had been thrilled. She looked at the girl a smile on her face at the fond memory, when life was much simpler, “I’m Hermione, Hermione Granger. You are?” she extended her hand to her.

[Ayumi]

Ayumi looked up at the bushy brown haired girl. She saw her sweet smile and felt more relieved. She loooked at the girl who seemed to be intent on meeting someone here. But then before she could ask, the girl named Hermione held out her hand and asked her a few questions.
"Oh hi Hermione, my name is Ayumi. Well yes I am a first year... and I'm going to Hogwarts."
She paused for a minute and continued.
"Well, I just kinda moved to England... so this place is all so new to me, I can't believe that it's so crowded in Diagon Alley... it's impposible to find someone... heh... which reminds me, you looking for someone?"
Ayumi waited for Hermione's reply.

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione smiled down at the first year, “Nice to meet you Ayumi. I’m attending Hogwarts as well. I’m a sixth year, so if you need any help feel free to ask me. I suppose it is rather shocking at first,” she said looking around Diagon Alley, “but you get used to it. I remember when I first saw it, it was unbelievable.” Hermione looked a little alarmed at Ayumi’s question, “Yes, actually I am, a few friends of mine. I was hoping to catch them here today, but I haven’t seen them as yet.” Hermione shifted a weight a little, nervously. “You aren’t here alone are you? I mean this place is big you could get lost, or walk into Knockturn Alley, and you don’t want to go down there. How’s about I show you around the place? Help you get your things in order till my friends come?”

[Ayumi]

Ayumi listened to Hermoine and smiled, it was good to know that she could go to someone if she needed help, especially in hogwarts.
Ayumi saw that she was alarmed by her question. She brushed it off quickly, "well I'm actually her alone, my mom is always busy with traveling around, and stuff doing things that... hm I dunno, and my dad, he's a muggle ya know, so that and he's just so engulfed in his business, he's never acutally there for me, you get my drift. So I'm just doing first year shopping alone."
Ayumi's eyes light up when she heard Hermione offer for help. "Sure, that would be great."

[Hermione Granger]

“So you are a muggle born? Or is your mum a witch? I’m a muggle born myself Ayumi. My parents are dentists. Sorry,” Hermione said to Ayumi’s statement about her father. “Well then, lets get going. What’s next on your list? I have to get my books from in here,” she said pointing behind her to Flourish and Blotts, “then I need a few things from the Apothecary shop and some treats for my cat. Did you manage to get anything from your list yet? or are you now starting?” Hermione looked around once again, she really wanted to see Harry or Ron, they had done their shopping together nearly every year since their first year and it was strange doing it without them.

Hermione had an idea, “Excuse me a moment,” she said and popped across the street to a mail service outlet. She wrote a note to Harry and one to Ron, and then let the owls go on their way after paying the clerk for it. Hermione walked back over to Ayumi, “I just had to send a message. Lets go,” she said and went into the bookstore.

[Ayumi]

"Oh no, my mom's a witch, that's why she's always traveling, don't know what she does exactly though..." Ayumi said.
"Well I'm here to get the books, there's so much, didn't know first years had to carry such a heavy load. I've alrady got my equipment, later I'll get my uniforms and stuff." Ayumi said.
She pardoned Hermione's excuse and waited for her. When hermione came back, Ayumi said "Sure let's get going." And followed Hermione.

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione and Ayumi walked into Flourish and Blotts, the store had quite a few customers, most looking for their children’s’ school books. Hermione walked right up the stairs to the first floor and then again to the second, where the more advanced books were kept. She began scouting the aisles for the books she required, and on finding them she began to pick them up and tuck them under her arm. “May I help you miss?” came a voice from behind her, it was a clerk doing her usual rounds. “Yes. I am looking for sixth year books for Hogwarts please.” The woman looked at Hermione, “No problem miss. You wait over there and I’ll fetch them for you.” Hermione was about to protest, all she needed was for her to point out the right sections, but the woman was gone before she could say anything about it.

Hermione looked at Ayumi, “We’ll have to wait a few minutes for her to come back with my things. It will take a while I have a ton of books this year and they are all rather heavy so I have been told. I hope she puts a feather weight charm on them to speed things up.” Hermione once again skimmed the shelves and found one of her favourite titles from last year, she opened it and began to flick through the pages. “Do you have much experience with magic Ayumi?” she asked while looking through the pages.

[Ayumi]

Ayumi followed Hermione, trying to keep close to her heels, but not on it. When they entered Flourish and Blotts, she follwed her up the stairs and waited with her as she gathered her books.
She smiled at Hermione's look of protest on her face, but quickly rubbed it off as Hermione turned her way.
She listened to Hermion and waited a few seconds to answer her question
"Well I know Accio, Reparo, Wingardium Leviosa, Accio, and umm kinda hard to believe also Reducto... heh I guess I just learn these things when I'm on the road with mom.. we'll that's all I actually got to learn. I think I'm better with potions though. You know what I mean" Ayumi said smiling

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione looked up, “That’s very good Ayumi. You should have very little trouble, if any, with your first year classes then.” Hermione remembered first year fondly, she had been a know-it-all to most people, actually she still was in their opinion. In her first year, she had read all of her books before school began, actually she had done that every year, so that when school started she knew everything already. She smiled at Ayumi, “Well I prefer Arithmancy personally, though I don’t have trouble with anything else.”<br>
The clerk returned with Hermione’s books, “Thank you,” said and the clerk disappeared helping someone else. “I’ll be right back,” she told Ayumi, and went to pay for her books. The total was not as much as Hermione had expected considering the large number of books she had to get. She went back to Ayumi, brown packages in hand. “Wow, that wasn’t nearly as expensive as I thought.” Hermione thought for a minute, she had to get a few things for Crookshanks and she had told Ron she would pick up some treats fro Errol, “I need to go to Eeylops Owl Emporium to get some things.”

Hermione worked her way through the growing crowd, she looked back several times to make sure she didn’t lose Ayumi. When she finally was able to get out, the street was nor much better. “Excuse me, excuse me,” she said as she tried to swim thought the sea of people, “You still with me Ayumi?” she asked since she was to cramped to look behind her.

[Ayumi]

Ayumi smiled at Hermione's response, no one actually gave praise to her for her skills. When Hermione told her about liking Arithmacy better, she looked confused but quickly brushed it off. The lady had came back with Hermione's books. Hermione excused herself and went downstairs to pay for her books, Ayumi followed but then quickly departed to collect the books she needed. She already knew where all of them were so she quickly picked them out and went to pay for them. The books were paid for and Ayumi was surprised both at the price and at the amount of bags she had to carry. When she held them, her hands dropped onto the floor. The witch on the counter smiled and cast a spell on Ayumi's bags. WHen she lifted them up again she could carry them. Ayumi sighed and followed Hermione, who mentioned going to Eeylops Owl Emporium .
She found Hermione and stayed as close to her as she could. She heard her voice out on the path when they were walking, "You still with me Ayumi?" She heard hermione say
"Uhh... yeah, yes I'm right behind you." She said struggling through the sea of people

[Hermione Granger]

“Good! Eeylop’s Owl Emporium is just to your left. Do you see the sign?” Hermione raised her hand and pointed towards the shop, hoping that Ayumi could see from behind her. Hermione struggled over to the shop, but didn’t go in; instead she waited for Ayumi. After a minute or two of waiting Ayumi finally appeared, “That you’d gotten lost for a second,” she joked. “It won’t take but a minute to get what I need. Have you been in here before?” she asked as she turned and pushed the door to enter.

Inside Eeylop’s the air was strong with the smell of feathers and bird food, and snacks for pets. Hermione looked over the racks, “Owl? Owl?” she muttered as she looked for the owl snacks, “Ah, there,” she said when she’d found them. She looked at the different brands, “Mortons’ Owl Munchies; Crono’s Owl Crunchies; Dormeece Owl snacks,” Hermione had no idea what type Ron wanted so she picked up one of each. She then went to the cat section where she grabbed four bags of catnip and a few other items for Crookshanks. “I just don’t understand how he gets through these so fast? My cat, Crooshanks,” she told Ayumi.

Hermione went to the counter to pay for the items she had just picked up, when she decided to get something for Hedwig, Harry’s owl. “Ayumi, could you get two more of the owl snacks? Dormeece Owl Snacks.”<br>

[Ayumi]

Ayumi pulled through the sea of people and saw Hermione's hand as it raised towards the sign of the shop. She met Hermione at the entrance and smiled at her joke. "Well yeah I've been in here before, I bought my owl here." She said smiling. When they went inside, she followed Hermione who was buying owl food followed by cat food. "Well what exactly is in it?" Ayumi asked pointing at the package that held crookshanks food.
When they reached the register, she nodded at Hermione's request, and decided to get get some for her owl Raven too. She returned to the counter and gave Hermione the two packs of owl food. When Hermione was finished paying for her item's, Ayumi paid for hers. After everything was out in oreder, she turned and looked at Hermione, " so where we off to now?"

[Hermione Granger]

Hermione looked at the catnip, “I’m not sure to tell you the truth. It has a whole bunch of things in it that Crooshanks loves. When I got him the storeowner told me that it was the only thing he would eat, other than mice, so I bought it for him, and I have had to ever since.” Hermione was looking at the items on the counter as the cashier rang them up, she turned to Ayumi when she brought the owl food for Hedwig, “Thank you,” she said to her, “This as well,” she told the clerk, who rang in the last two items. Hermione took out some gold and paid for what she had picked up, once Ayumi had as well it was time to get out of there. Hermione hung the bag over her shoulder, “Now? Hmm…Oh, that’s right, the Apothecary, after that I don’t have anything else that I must do today.”<br>
Hermione left the shop and walked through the bustling street towards the Apothecary. “So are you looking forward to going to Hogwarts?” she asked Ayumi as they walked together. "Have you been given the heads up about the place yet?"

[Ayumi]

Ayumi pondered, what exactly could be in that snack that Hermione's cat enjoyed to eat, but then shrugged it off, it' not like she had a cat.
She followed Hermione, thinking that she needed some materials for her potions class too. Ayumi looked up at Hermione, "well some said that Slytherin's are a bunch of proud purebloods, and that I should stay away from them. And I guess that's all. And Well I'm really looking forward to going there, can't wait to meet the professors and start using magic. But then again I don't wanna go, cause Ialready gotta start my 3 weeks of deteion first day I get there." Ayumi said sheepishly.