Admiring the Merchandise

Andy walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies and a grin spread over his face. He was bummed that first years weren't allowed their own brooms at Hogwarts, but he could still stare on in awe, could he not?

He walked though the store, picking up brochures on the latest brooms they had in stock, flicking though the pages, and wondering whether anyone really purchased anything from the Cleensweep or Comet lineage anymore, espeically when the craftsmanship of the Nimbus' and the Firebolt were in stock and so bloody fantastic.

He looked on at the Firebolt thinking that he had never seen such a beautiful broom. He wondered if his parents would get him one for his birthday.... Wishful thinking came to mind. He'd have to save up his own Galleons for one. It would take him ten years, but he would get one, one of these days.

Terry was free form both of her parents! At last! She looked around the Quidditch shop, happy. She passed the Firebolt display, pausing when she saw a boy staring at it wistfully.
"I know how vou feel." she grinned, coming up to him.

"I know how vou feel,"

Andy nearly jumped a mile in the air when he heard a voice near him.

He turned his head and saw a red-headed girl there. "Yeah," he said. "Never could afford it, but it's nice to just be near it," he smiled, feeling as though just being near a Firebolt would let its awesomeness soak into his skin via osmosis. He looked at the girl, who seemed to be about his own age.

"Are you going to Hogwarts, this year too?" he asked her.

"Oh, I can afford it, but Mother seems to be picky about Quidditch. After one rose bush incident, she thinks brooms are evil... oh, and ves, I am. Ravenclav, hopefully. Vhat about vou?"
Now that she got a better look at him, she saw that he was kind of cute.. for a Brit, anyways.

Andy wondered if it was a girl thing to tell complete strangers personal stories right off the bat. He would never understand girls. So, she was going to Hogwarts, and by the sound of it, didn't know her house yet, meaning a first year too.

"Yeah, I'm a first year as well. I don't really know what house yet. My mum and dad were both Ravenclaws, so that would be cool, but I don't know if I'm clever enough. I wouldn't mind Gryffindor either, I guess."

"My cousin said that Gryffindors are very unsuspecting, but it vould be alright." The boy looked familiar, somehow. "Personally, I'm hoping for Hufflepuff."

Andy nodded. "I don't really mind what house I go into. I've heard people don't really like Hufflepuff, but I don't think it would be that bad. At least I wouldn't lose anything, if I was a Puff," he said, having heard that Hufflepuff were particularly good finders.

"So, I assume that you're a Pureblood if not a Halfblood, seeing as you know about Hogwarts?" he asked, "I'm a Halfblood. Muggleborn father and Pureblood mother."

Terry smiled. "Ves, my family are purebloods; from Bulgaria, explaining my accent." she waved a hand as if to display herself. "It gets quite annoying; vou're lucky not to have one." she thought about his comment on Hufflepuff. "Puff makes them sound like cereal." she giggled.
Oh, did she giggle? Not good.

Andy nodded, now understanding why she pronounced her "Y's" like a "V." Andy didn't know if they had any Magical schools in Bulgaria or if Terry's parents wanted her to go to Hogwarts instead. He shrugged; it didn't really matter.

He laughed, "It does, doesn't it? Puffy golden flakes of cereal." He smiled at the thought of a Hufflepuff dressing up like a large cornflake or something. Very amusing.

"Looking forward to Hogwarts?" he asked her.

"Ves, very much. Vhat about vou?" Terry inquired. His imagery on Hufflepuffs was quite amusing...maybe they dressed up as corn flakes for their Quidditch games?

Andy nodded, "Yeah. I am actually. I've heard that Defense is really good. I'm looking forward to that class, and flying class of course. That should be awesome."

He looked at her, "Will you be taking flying this year as well?" He assumed she would, seeing as she was in a Quidditch Supplies shop willingly.

Terry frowned. "Flying class? Shouldn't the students be taught by their parents or siblings? But ves, if it keeps me from detention." she shuddered, tilting her head to look at the broom in front of them. "I vonder how fast this vould go if vou cast a Rocket Charm on it." she pondered.

Andy nodded, "Yeah, there is a flying class. I suppose it's for the Muggleborns and students that haven't flown before. It's a pretty good idea, I think. I've been flying since I was knee high to a grasshopper," Andy said, using one of his father's Muggle sayings. "I love it,"

He raised his eyebrows, "I'd assume pretty fast," he said, thinking about whether they really could cast a rocket charm on a broomstick. He assumed that balance and stability would be affected, but it would fly fast, that's for sure.

"It's hard not to love flying. I often feel like a Cornish Velsh, just soaring through the air." Terry smiled dreamily. Snapping out of the daze, her eyes lit up.
"Maybe...at Hogvarts ve could try it on a school broom, as a prank." she schemed, grinning.

Andy's ears pricked at the name of the dragon. He always found them really fascinating.

"Yeah. I love it. There's nothing quite like it."

He thought about her suggestion. "That would be amazing, but I don't know how to perform a Rocket Charm.. I suppose we could research it."

"If ve did manage to do that then ve vill be legends...behind every good prank is a lot of vork, apparently..." Terry trailed off, at a lost of what to say. She picked up a brochure, skimming through the words before pausing at the bottom. "Oh, they are impervious to any speed enhancing charms..." she sighed in disappointment. She had been looking forward to the experiments that would have came along with the Rocket Charm and an old school broom.

James was back in Diagon Alley and, after seeing his brother in the store eariler, he decided to go and check it out. He was jealous that Phil was allowed to have his own broom, whilst James was going to be subjected one of the old dodgy school brooms.

He sighed and pushed the Quality Quidditch Supplies door open, hearing a bell ting to announce his presence.

The first thing James did was head over to the Firebolt display. He loved this broom as much as any boy could love an object. He could spend the rest of his holidays before school staring at it, and would be quite content.

He noticed two people standing near the display as well, a boy and a girl. They both looked about his age.

"Too bad we can't take brooms like this in our first year," James said, hoping that they were indeed first years and not some other year, and thought him an idiot.

"I know..." Terry nodded at the boy who had joined her and Andy at admiring the Firebolt. "I'm Terry, by the vay. Are you starting at Hogvarts too?" she asked curiously. Everyone she had met so far was, but there was a first time for everything.

James turned to the girl who introduced herself as Terry. "Hey, I'm James and yeah, I'm a first year at Hogwarts as well."

He stared lovingly at the broom, seeing that the boy was doing the same thing. He wondered if he was a mad Quidditch fan like himself.

"How bad were the Cannons this season," James commented, hoping to spur on a conversation with the blonde boy, who's name he was yet to know.

Terry glanced at Andy, who had yet to answer. She personally only knew very few British teams, the 'Cannons' not among them.

Andy turned his head as the boy approached. He nodded, "Yeah. It's a right out shame that we're not allowed brooms in first year," he said in response to his comment. Andy had yet to meet a boy going to Hogwarts and was happy to know that the first one he had come across was Quidditch mad too.

"I'm Anthony, Andy for short," he told the boy and then laughed at his league comment.

"I know, right? Shocking. Lucky, Puddlemere didn't do too bad. Third overall, so that's alright. Could've been better, suppose. What team do you follow?" he asked him.

James smiled, "I know. I wonder why that is?" he mused allowed, 'I suppose it's to keep us firsties safe," he smirked, "Like keeping us safe is even possible. I think we're all too overeager to explore the castle and grounds to keep completely safe. No fun in safety, anyway."

He nodded, "You're a Pudd fan too then?" he asked, "Brilliant. I know the whole player list of by heart. Stats and all." James looked at the girl with the accent,

'What about you? Do you follow Quidditch?"

Terry shifted slightly at the question. "Ves, I know the Vratsa team...for Bulgaria. I'm not much of an English Quidditch fan; vou have too many rules and all." she laughed slightly, glancing at her watch..which was admittedly a one she had gotten at a Vratsa game. "Oh! I'm going to be late.. nice to meet vou all!" she hurried out with one longingl glance at the Firebolt before leaving.

James hadn't heard about the team she mentioned, but that wasn't surprising. He didn't know many teams outside of the UK anyway. He watched her leave, and then remembered that he was needing to meet his mother and father back at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Nice meeting you, Andy. I'm sure I'll see you around Hogwarts. Catch ya."

James walked out of Quality Quidditch Supplies with plans to beg his father for a Firebolt when he saw him next.

Leighton was pulled into the Quidditch shop by Alyxander. Ever since they arrived in England, Alyxander has been obsessed with it. He practically begged their father to buy him a broom. Yet, their father had refused. Leaving Alyxander very angry and Leighton throughly annoyed.
"Alyx, why torture yourself? You know father forbade you to buy a broom!" Leigh snapped when she saw Alyx reach over to touch one.
He glanced back at her, his dark green eyes sparking with delight. "He didn't tell me I can't look at them!"
Leigh smiled. Only Alyx was able to make her lose her cool exterior. He made her feel safe, something not even her parents could do. "Well, they are awfully nice. I bet its a thrill being able to ride one." Leigh sighed softly. She understood what her brother felt. It was the same way she felt about potions.
Suddenly, there was a small mew heard from Drea's cage. Alyx and Leighton both looked down, to see Drea looking up at Leigh. Her tail was tucked under her and her small head was resting on her paws. "What does your cat want?" Alyx practically spat at the cage.
Leighton looked up at him with a glare. "Don't be rude! Drea is a great cat! I can already tell!" Leighton stated, her voice full of her usual stubbornness.
Alyx smirk and leaned over to tuck a piece of Leighton's short, dark, curly hair behind her ear. "Sorry, sis, you know I don't like animals."
Leighton frowned while gazing back down at Drea who had her head cocked to the side. "Yeah, I know. I just wish you would be more excited for me!" Leighton complained calmly, her voice never raising one octave.
Alyxander laughed while looking back at the broom which had Firebolt inscribed on the end in gold cursive. "I am excited, I just really want a broom. If only Dmitri wasn't being so unfair."
Leighton rolled her eyes when Alyxander referred to their dad as Dmitri. he always did that when he was angry. Same as when he was angry at mom he would use Alastair. "I'm sure dad will get you a Firebolt if you got better grades." Leighton replied with a smile as they both continued to stare at the broom. Different plans forming in their heads.