Run Boy Run

Harry strolled through Diagon alley, stepping into every single shop that caught his interest.

It was going to be his last time in the alley, why not spend it how he wanted?

Harry looked up at the sign of this next shop, and noticed it was a pet shop. He didn't really think he needed anything, but maybe he could get some nice owl treats for Hedwig.

As Harry walked to the back of the shop with the owl items, he heard a sudden distressed hissing.

He raised an eyebrow and turned to the section of the shop that held snakes, stepping towards the source of the distressed hissing.

“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘴𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘦?” The snake said. It was a beautiful white snake with black markings, and red colored eyes that certainly weren’t a normal-snake thing.

Harry made the impulsive choice that this snake was going to be his friend now.

“𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶?” Harry asked, leaning down to look closer at the snake.

The snake’s head quickly moved to look up at Harry. “𝘈 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳! 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦?” It asked.

“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘴.” Harry said, holding out a hand for the snake to climb up on. Harry had sent Hedwig off to go hunt for her food and do general owl things, so the snake didn't have to feel unsafe. He’d have to tell it about Hedwig, of course.

“𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦?” Harry asked the snake as he gently lifted it from the cage, and walked back over to the owl section to get treats for Hedwig.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦.” Ambrosia said, flicking her tongue out at Harry.

“𝘚𝘴𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘥𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘵.” Ambrosia said. Harry looked at the snake with surprise, and then around himself. There didn't seem to be anything there.

“𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦? 𝘪 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” Harry said.

The snake bobbed her head in a ‘yes’ motion, and Harry frowned a little. That was 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 something he should be worrying about.

But for now, Harry shrugged and walked up to the front to purchase Ambrosia and the bag of owl treats.

As he walked out, he decided it was a good time to warn his new friend about Hedwig.

“𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘸𝘭. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘴𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.” Harry said, glancing up at the sky to see if said owl was around.

“𝘈𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳.” Ambrosia said, her tongue flickering out again.

Harry went in and out of a few more shops, buying anything he decided he liked. He found an old journal about something called an obscurial in one of the bookshops.

The word seemed familiar, and he’d definitely be reading the journal once he got settled in at the manor.

He stopped by a few more shops, and decided to get some ice cream at Fortescue's before making his final stop of the trip. Ambrosia had slithered up and made herself comfortable around his shoulders, and she was asleep for now.