Chapter 3
Harry's brief trance was interrupted by a sharp pain in the shin as something – or someone – kicked him hard. "Oi, stupid, you're sitting in my seat!" an annoyed voice growled at him. Harry turned towards the disturbance, eyes widening at a face he'd never seen before, even in dreams or memories.
A girl, roughly the same age as him, with identical green eyes and a mop of raven-black hair pinned up in a bun. She tapped her foot expectantly, looking cross with him.
"Erm…" Harry said nervously, unsure of what to say.
"Be nice to your brother, sweetheart; it's his birthday after all," James chastised the girl lightly, planting a kiss atop her temple as he passed by (which she squirmed away from).
"But I always get the seat by the window!" the girl pouted.
"Merlin's sake, Dahlia, you can sit somewhere else for one meal!" Lily groaned tiredly as she placed the last of the meal plates on the table.
"It's okay," Harry said at once, scooting his chair back. "You can have this seat." And he stood up to shift over to the other side of the table, allowing the girl called Dahlia to claim her desired spot, smirking triumphantly.
"Well, I never thought I'd see the day," James remarked as he settled into his own chair. "If I didn't know any better, Lily, I'd say our children do love each other after all."
"As if," Dahlia scoffed, beginning to pile her plate high. "Harry just knows I would take revenge later if he didn't."
Harry sat in silence, gawking around the table at his three family members as they bantered back and forth while loading their plates. He was particularly entranced by Dahlia, never before imagining that his parents might have had another child if they'd survived. He found himself staring at his sister, studying her face, the way it lit up as she raised a subject she was interested in (in this case, Herbology).
She noticed his gaze lingering on her and shot her tongue out at him mockingly, causing him to shake himself out of it and begin loading his own plate.
"Your brother got his Hogwarts letter this morning," Lily informed Dahlia. "He'll be starting in a month."
"Whoop dee do," Dahlia groaned. "Did mine come along with it? If not, I don't care."
"Yours will come in time," James said placatingly. "Just one more year, and you'll be able to—"
"Who cares if I'm eleven months younger?" Dahlia whined. "We all know I'm ten times smarter and more mature than Harry! All he cares about is stupid Quidditch!"
"Enough," Lily said sharply. "Keep this up and we won't bring you along to Diagon Alley."
That got Dahlia to quit whining immediately. In fact, her entire demeanor shifted at once to one of excitement and joy. "You're going today?" she squealed. "Please please please can I come?"
"I dunno," James sighed dramatically. "We were gonna go out for ice cream at Fortescue's after finishing Harry's school shopping, but if you're going to misbehave…"
"I'll be good, I swear it!" Dahlia insisted. "I'll even keep from calling Harry ugly all afternoon!"
"That'll be a new record," Lily remarked, bemused. "We leave at ten o' clock sharp, you two. I don't want to get caught in the afternoon shopping rush."
Dahlia spent the rest of the meal chattering non-stop about everything she hoped to do and see in Diagon Alley. Harry was growing excited himself, already thinking ahead to all he had to look forward to. A fresh start at Hogwarts...new supplies, new books, a new wand...would the holly-and-phoenix wand choose him again? Would Hedwig still be available to purchase as a pet? So many tiny decisions with rippling, long-lasting effects would be made today.
An hour later, once Harry had had his fill of breakfast (and then some, as Lily insisted he finish an extra plate), he joined the family in the living room to depart for their field trip. He and his parents wound up having to wait on Dahlia, who emerged from upstairs five minutes late, trying to look nonchalant, face obviously caked in poorly-applied makeup.
"Merlin's beard, Dolly, what have you done to yourself?" James guffawed at the sight.
"Did you raid my makeup cabinet again, young lady?" Lily groaned, whipping out her wand. "Scourgify." Dahlia scowled as the makeup vanished from her face, leaving her natural complexion behind.
"C'mon, Mum, we're going out!" Dahlia protested. "What if he is there?"
"Then you'll thank me later for not letting you strut about like a peacock," Lily huffed. Harry wondered who 'he' might be – did his little sister already have a boyfriend? But he didn't have time to ponder this long, as his father ushered him forward towards the fireplace.
Harry took a handful of green Floo Powder from the urn his mother proffered to him, and stepped over the hearth and into the chimney.
"Diagon Alley!" he announced clearly, not wanting to repeat his misadventure from his alternate second year. He dropped the powder, and felt himself spinning through the fireplace network, finally being deposited into the Leaky Cauldron.
He stepped out unsteadily, brushing himself off as his family soon followed close behind.
The bar was half-full, even at this early hour, but the barman seemed to recognize James as soon as he stepped through the fireplace.
"Ah, Auror Potter!" he greeted him. "The usual?"
"Not today, Tom, but thank you," James said with a polite nod. "Taking my son Harry for school supplies today. He's starting at Hogwarts this year."
"Harry Potter, eh?" Tom said aloud, looking down upon the boy. Harry half-expected the room to hush and all eyes to turn towards him at the verbalized name, but nothing happened.
"Good on you, lad. Enjoy the castle, and say hello to Peeves for me!"
"Will do," Harry said with a polite smile. James then guided Harry gently through the pub towards the back alley, where the familiar brick wall stood between them and their destination. James tapped his wand on the three required bricks, and the wall leapt aside for them, granting them access to Diagon Alley.