At Flourish and Blotts
For the next three days, Luz stayed locked in her bedroom, she would only get out to go to the bathroom and eat. Camila wanted to talk to Luz, but the girl made everything in her power to stay away from her mother.
“Cariño, I just want to talk” A few times Camila stood outside Luz’s room and begged her to open it. But Luz didn’t want to talk to her mother, she was angry because Camila didn’t even listen to what she had to say.
King was the reason Luz talked to Camila again, as he refused to eat anything Luz prepared for him. In August 3rd Luz brought King to the kitchen while Camila prepared the breakfast for Luz, she was going to let in the table and Luz would eventually get down when Camila wasn’t around.
“King needs food” Luz said and Camila almost jumped “Cariño, good morning” Luz didn’t respond, she stood there while Camila prepared a meal for King. A good 5 minutes had passed when Camila finally broke up.
“I’m sorry, I’m so, so, so, sorry Luz” The woman said “I’d have listened to you, I’m sorry, please, forgive me” Luz tried to keep a cold expression but soon “Mamá” She cried.
The Nocedas hug each other for a good amount of minutes, both crying softly in the middle of the kitchen. Luz told Camila about her encounter with Kiki, The Kikimora “She doesn’t want you in Hogwarts?” Luz shook her head “She said is four own good, I don’t know it looks dubious, she apparently knows about something but didn’t tell you why” Luz nodded.
Camila thought for a while “I guess, the only thing we can do is move forward, but you should keep an eye open for problems, but this time you stay away from them and don’t charge blindly into danger” Camila said playfully and Luz chuckled.
As time went on, their relationship went back to how it was. Around the last 10 days of August, a crow came with a letter from Hogwarts, telling Luz she needed to be on platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross at 11 O’clock on September 1st also came with the list of school supplies:
Second-year students would require:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Jon De Plume
Gadding with Ghouls by Jon De Plume
Holidays with Hags by Jon De Plume
Travels with Trolls by Jon De Plume
Voyages with Vampires by Jon De Plume
Wanderings with Werewolves by Jon De Plume
Year with the Yeti by Jon De Plume
“Well, someone is a fan of this Jon De Plume” Camila commented after reading the book list “Well, never heard of him before” Luz said, though Luz felt like her mother knew more about the magical world than her.
On the next Wednesday, Camila, Luz, and King went to London to buy Luz’s books “I’ve received a letter from one Edalyn Clawthorne which said that she talked to the Ministry and now I could see the Leaky Cauldron. She wasn’t lying” With help from a friendly witch they crossed the barrier that separated the pub and Diagon Alley.
“Here cariño, the rest of the money I used last time I was here” Camila gave Luz a few Galleons “Go buy your quills, parchment, and other things, like hats and gloves and meet me at Gringotts when you’re done, I’ll get the money for the books” Luz nodded and the two part ways.
Luz hadn’t taken a dozen steps when King jumped from her shoulder and ran chasing down a mouse “King, come back!” She ran after him, she passed many wizards and witches and knocked down a couple who were holding hands and eating ice cream.
Luz took a turn, she entered a somewhat narrow and twisted alleyway, she didn’t realize but the place was dark even if it was brow daylight. Luz passed several suspicious people on her chase for King, who she found had caught the mouse and had eaten it.
“King, you never do that again, do you hear me?” Luz found herself in a place she could feel the malice “We shouldn’t be here, we need to find a way out” Luz turned to look for an exit when she saw the last person she wanted to see in that situation, Boscha, but she wasn’t alone.
A woman, Luz could only assume was Boscha’s mother, led the way with Boscha behind. Luz quickly ran inside what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop, but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a school list. A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling.
But to her dismay, the woman was coming to the same store Luz had just entered, did she see her? Then Luz, with King on her shoulder, shot inside a large black cabinet inside the store and pulled the doors close, leaving only a small crack she could peer through.
Boscha’s mother entered the store, followed by Boscha herself. Mirs. Troisoeil had green eyes and long, pink hair; she had the same facial features as Boscha, the same smug smile, the same cold eyes, but more obvious, she also had a birthmark on her forehead, that resembled a third eye.
Mrs. Troisoeil crossed the store and rang a bell on the counter before saying “Touch nothing Boscha” The girl was a few inches from touching a glass eye “Thought you were going to buy me a present” Her mother drummed her fingers on the counter.
“I’m going to buy you new Quidditch equipment, so when and if you get to the house team, you’ll show them how a real player does” The woman said “Willow Park got to play in the house team last year, got permission from Bump and all, clearly a show of favoritism towards Gryffindor” Boscha frowned.
She bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls “Everyone thinks she so special, she’s just enjoying the favoritism and the fame of being friends with Luz Noceda, and don’t even get me started in that girl” Mirs. Troisoeil simply turned her gaze from her daughter “You must have told me this at least a dozen times already” She said.
“And as I said before, it’s not… Prudent to be less than fond of Luz Noceda, not when most of our kind sees her as the hero who made the Emperor disappear… Ah, Mr. Borgin” A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.
“Mrs. Troisoeil, what a pleasure seeing you again” He said in an oily voice “Delighted to see young Miss Troisoeil too. How may I be of assistance? I must tell you, Mrs. Blight recently sold me some very interesting things” He wheezed.
“Not here to buy, to sell” The smile slightly faded from the man’s face “You’ve heard the Ministry is conducting more raids” Said Mrs. Troisoeil giving a parchment to Mr. Borgin to read “I have a few… hum, items at home that might embarrass me if the Ministry were to call” She explained while the man read.
“The Ministry wouldn’t presume to trouble you, surely” Mrs. Troisoeil's lips curled “I haven’t been visited yet, the name Troisoeil still commands certain respect yet. The ministry grows more meddlesome however; there are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act, no doubt that worthless muggle-loving fool Harvey Park is behind it” Luz felt a hot surge of anger.
“You see what might look like if they saw some of it” The man nodded “I’m in something of a hurry Borgin, I have other places to be” They started to haggle. Luz watched as Boscha walked around, hands behind her back, looking at every item in the store.
“The Hand of Glory?” She read the name tag “The best friend of thieves and plunders, you daughter have fine taste ma’am” Borgin said but Mrs. Troisoeil didn’t seem to take it as a compliment “I hope my daughter will amount more than a thief or a plunder Borgin” And the man bowed apologizing.
“Though, with her school marks, I’m afraid that may indeed be all she’s fit for” She said coldly “Not my fault! The teachers all have favorites, not to mention that Amity Blight and Augustus Porter are--” Her mother turned with a severe and even colder gaze to Boscha “I don’t care for your excuses, you’re a Troisoeil, not some half-a-witch” Boscha lowered her head and preceded to walk around the store.
Boscha eventually stopped in front of the cabinet Luz was in, sweat came down Luz’s face, and her heart raced when Boscha reached for the handle “Done. Come, Boscha. I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow to pick up the items, have a good day” Said Mrs. Troisoeil, she walked from the counter to the door and left the place, followed by Boscha.
Borgin scoffed when the woman left, dropping his entire oily manner “Good day for yourself Mrs. Troisoeil, and if the stories are true, you didn’t sell me half of what’s hidden in your manor” The men disappeared into a back room.
Luz waited one whole minute, in case he came back, before silently leaving the cabinet and the shop. Luz finally got a good look at the place she was, it was full to the brim with shops devoted to the dark arts. Borgin and Burkes, the store she just got out of, seemed to be the largest.
Shrunken heads were on sale in a window across from Borgin and Burkes, in several doors down, poisonous candles were at the sale as well as giant black spiders. Luz set off, hoping she could find a way out of that place. A sign told she was in a place called ‘Knockturn Alley’, but Luz had never heard of it before.
“Luz? What yeh think yer doing down here?” Luz’s heart leaped with hope when she heard Hagrid, striding towards her and King. He guided them outside and back to Diagon Alley, Luz could see her mother waiting outside Gringotts with a bag full of Galleons.
“Yer a mess, Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno — dodgy place, Luz— don't want no one to see yer down there” Luz nodded “I got lost, following King chasing a mouse away, what were you doing there?” She asked.
“I was looking for flash-eating slug repellent” Growled Hagrid. He waved to Camila, who saw the giant man and walked towards them. Luz explained to Camila why she was covered in dirt and to Hagrid why she didn’t respond to any of his messages.
Much to Luz's surprise, she found both Gus and Willow walking around the Alley, buying school supplies “Guys!” She yelled and the trio reunited again, Luz told them about Kiki and getting lost in Knockturn Alley.
“Wow, I was never allowed to go there” Gus said. Soon a man joined the group “Very pleased to meet you, my name is Gilbert Park, my husband and my daughter told me great things about you” he had light skin, dark greenish-tinted hair, and dark blue eyes. Like Willow, he wore a pair of glasses, although his was rectangular.
After a moment of introductions and Hagrid's departure to Hogwarts, the group started to walk around the Alley, buying supplies and talking, Gilbert haply heard Camila’s doubts and answered them “Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes? Boscha and her mother” Luz said to Willow and Gus “Which one?” Willow asked “She had pink hair and the same birthmark” A bit surprised Luz answered.
“Did Simone Troisoeil buy anything?” Gilbert sharply asked “No, she just sold” A grim satisfaction appeared on Gilbert’s face “So, she is worried, Harvey would love to get Simone Troisoeil for something” He said.
Camila bought ice creams for Gus, Willow and Luz “Where’s Perry?” Gilbert asked “Dad’s off buying my things, he said I didn’t need to worry, and I’d meet him in the Leaky Caldron when I want to go back – So I used the time to look up some extracurricular books” After about one hour they made their way to Flourish and Blotts.
A large crowd jostled outside the door, trying to get in, the reason was “Jon De Plume is signing copies of his own autobiography ‘Magical Me’?” Luz read the giant banner in front of the store “We can actually meet him?” Gus said “The guy who almost wrote our entire school list?” Luz said. Gus and Willow seemed excited.
The store was filled with mostly witches either of Camila’s age or teenage girls. A wizard tried to organize the crowd of people entering the store but to no avail. They each grabbed a copy of Break with a Banshee and sneaked up the line to where Harvey Park was standing.
“Oh, there you are” Harvey greeted them “Luz Noceda, pleased to see you again” They shook hands. Harvey sounded breathless and kept patting his beard “He should appear any minute now”. Jon De Plume came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face.
Jon de Plume had a shaved head with a green Mohawk swept to his right. He has fair skin with a thin mustache and some additional facial hair on his chin. He wore a dark blue tunic; he wore a pair of dark purple glasses and a red scarf.
It didn’t take long for Jon to see Luz in the line. He jumped to his feet “It can’t be Luz Noceda” The crowd erupted in whispers. De Plume dived forward, seized Luz’s arm, and pulled her to the front, the crowd burst into applause as Luz’s face burned when De Plume shook her hand for a photographer.
“Nice smile Noceda, together, you and I are worth the front page” Luz tried and tried to get away from him, but the man pulled her back and wrapped an arm around her shoulder “Ladies and gentlemen” He said loudly “What an extraordinary moment this is, the perfect moment for made an announcement I’ve been sitting on for quite some time” He said with Luz clamped tightly to his side.
“This afternoon, Miss Noceda came only to buy my autobiography, which I shall be happy to give her now, free of charge” The crowd applauded again “She had no idea that she would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. Yes! Ladies and Gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing this September I’ll be taking the post of ‘Defence Against the Dark Arts’ at Hogwarts!” Luz finally managed to get out of the limelight, now with Jon's entire works.
“You can have them” Luz gave to Gus the books “Bet you loved that didn’t you Noceda?” Luz straightened up and found herself face to face with Boscha Troisoeil “You can’t even go to the bookshop without making the front page, can you?” Soon Willow joined them, caring a pile of books.
“Oh, it’s you” Willow said when she saw Boscha as if the girl was something unpleasant on the sole of her sandals “I don’t know if all the books in the world can make up for your inability for magic” Boscha said to Willow “But I guess, someone can live only with only skill in a Palismen game” Boscha mocked.
“Willow? There you are, this place is madness, let’s get outside” Gilbert struggled over with Camila “Well, well, well, Gilbert Park” Mrs. Troisoeil placed the tip of her Palisman over her daughter's shoulder “Simone, long time no see” The man smiled.
“Busy time at the Ministry, hope they’re paying Harvey the extra time. After all, what’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of the magical kind if they aren’t even paying him well for?” Gilbert’s smile flinched “We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of magical kind Troisoeil” Mrs. Troisoeil looked to Camila who was a few feet away, looking for a book she could read at home.
“Clearly. The company your family keeps, I thought you couldn’t sink lower” Mr. Park and Mrs. Troisoeil stood a few moments staring at each other, both smiling, the first in a cordial smile and the second in a cold one. Luz could feel the tension building up, a gust of wind bursting from them, a few light books fell from the shelves and the crowd turned to them.
“Cut it out, both of yeh” Hagrid was walking towards them through the sea of books. The two stepped back, the woman’s eyes filled with malice “See you around” She beckoned to Boscha and swept from the shop “Yeh should‘ve ignored her, no Troisoeil is worth listening to, come on now” The assistant, if it was in his powers, would have kept them inside, but chose not when saw the height of Hagrid.
“Right, I almost forgot it, mamá” Luz turned to the adults “Yes?” She said softly “I was thinking if I could stay at Willow’s? She was going to invite me to stay the summer there but, you know, Kiki happened” Luz asked and Camila pondered for a moment “Well, we’d be delighted to receive you” Gilbert said haply “We can even take you to Kong’s Cross” Camila looked at her daughter’s eyes, begging for an opportunity to visit a magical house.
“Okay, I’ll get your cloth and things, how far it’s your house from here?” Camila asked “I don’t think you’d be able to get there. If you can come here tomorrow with her things, we can pick up Luz – And don’t worry, I work here, it won’t be a problem” And so it was settled, Luz and Camila would come back the next day and Willow and Gilbert would pick her up and take her to their home, Luz could only imagine what magical things awaited her