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Draco watched Miranda walk into the bathroom and close the door behind her. Bump – Miranda’s cat, was trying to climb up the leg of his pants.
‘That hurts you know?’ he told the cat, picking it off of his leg and holding it to his chest. Draco continued to look along the rows and rows of books Dumbledore had put in Miranda’s room and was constantly surprised. Some of the books Draco knew were in the Restricted Section and others he’d never even heard of before. He picked out a book about the Unforgivables and sat down on one of the armchairs to read it. Bump curled up in his lap and began to purr loudly. The book was quite interesting and Draco didn’t notice Miranda had come out of the bathroom until Bump stood up and meowed at her.
‘You like to read?’ Mirada asked. She was wearing a blue denim mini-skirt that came about three inches above her knees and a white tank-top with “Jail Bird” scrawled across it in untidy black writing she had her trainers on but Draco couldn’t see her socks. Her hair was still damp and Draco only noticed then how long it actually was. It hung three-quarters of the way down her back and was slightly wavy.
‘Sometimes. It’s just some of the books here I’d need permission to read any other time,’ Draco closed the book and stood up.
‘You don’t know where I could find a hairdryer do you?’ Miranda asked. ‘I hate it when my hair makes my clothes all wet.’
‘A what?’ Draco asked.
‘A hairdryer? You plug it into the wall and it blows hot air out?’ Miranda replied.
‘Oh, you wont find one of them here. Electrical things don’t work in Hogwarts because there’s so much magic, it disturbs the electrical currant,’ Draco told her.
‘Great,’ Miranda sighed.
‘I can use a drying charm to dry your hair if you want?’ Draco offered.
‘Thanks,’ Miranda smiled. Draco touched his wand to the top of Miranda’s hair and a wave of heat dried it instantly, leaving it shiny and soft looking.
‘You ready then?’ Draco asked. Miranda nodded and followed him out of the room and down into the common room.
‘Hey, Draco!’ Blaise called from the couch near the fire. Draco walked over to say hello to his friend, Miranda not far behind.
‘Hi, Blaise. How was detention?’ Draco asked. Blaise had gotten a detention the night before for turning a Hufflepuff first-year’s hair green.
‘Awful,’ Blaise grunted. ‘Who’s your friend? I haven’t seen her around before.’ He nodded his head in Miranda direction.
‘Oh, this is Miranda Sparrow. My cousin from my mother’s side of the family,’ Draco said.
‘I didn’t think Bella had kids,’ Blaise said thoughtfully.
‘Second cousin, really,’ Miranda lied.
‘Yeah. Second cousin, few times removed. You know what my family’s like,’ Draco said, shrugging it off.
‘Nice to meet you, Miranda,’ Blaise stood up and held out his hand. ‘I’m Blaise Zabini.’ Miranda smiled and shook Blaise’s hand.
‘Nice to meet you too,’ she said quietly.
‘So how long are you here for?’ Blaise asked. Draco was becoming impatient, he and Miranda had places to go and things to do and Blaise was making small talk.
‘I’m not too sure actually,’ Miranda replied uncertainly. ‘I’ll probably see you round, though.’
‘Look, we’ve got to go. See you later, Blaise,’ Draco interrupted.
‘Yeah, bye,’ Miranda waved and she and Draco made their way out of the common room and up into the Entrance Hall. ‘He was nice,’ Miranda said suddenly.
‘Blaise is always nice to the girls,’ Draco replied. ‘Particularly the good-looking ones,’ he added as an after thought. They were just about to step onto the marble staircase when Peeves appeared out of thin air. He looked at Draco and squirted water in his face then turned to Miranda and was about to do the same to her but suddenly, his face turned serious – well as serous as Peeves’s face can get – and he bowed.
‘Good morning, my lady,’ he said politely, taking off his hat to her.
‘Good morning,’ Miranda smiled with a nervous sideways glance at Draco.
‘Forgive old Peevsie for his childish acts,’ Peeves said.
‘Why aren’t you like this to anyone else?’ Draco asked Peeves squirted him with water again.
‘Hey! Stop that, it’s not nice,’ Miranda said.
‘Forgive me, Miss,’ Peeves bowed again.
‘Okay, okay. Just stop squirting water,’ Miranda said. Peeves gave her one last apologetic look and speed off up wards. ‘Who was that?’ Miranda asked as she and Draco resumed their journey to Dumbledore’s office where they would Floo to Diagon Alley.
‘That was Peeves the Poltergeist. He’s an absolute menace. Usually he doesn’t obey any student, usually only the Bloody Barron – the Slytherin house ghost – can control him,’ Draco told her. Miranda didn’t reply and they continued until they reached Dumbledore’s office. Professor McGonagall was just stepping off the stone staircase when the arrived.
‘Is Professor Dumbledore in his office, Miss?’ Draco asked.
‘Yes,’ McGonagall nodded. Draco and Miranda stepped onto the staircase and waited until it stopped. Draco knocked on the oak door and on Dumbledore’s consent, entered with Miranda.
‘Hello, Draco, Miranda,’ Dumbledore nodded to each of them. ‘How did you find your room, Miranda?’
‘It beautiful, Professor, thank you very much,’ Miranda smiled.
‘I’m glad you like it. Now,’ he was speaking to Draco, ‘when you reach Diagon Alley, you’ll need to go to Gringotts - here is the vault number - ’ he handed Draco a piece of parchment, ‘Miranda will need a wand, Slytherin robes, and anything else you believe she’ll need.’ Dumbledore said very formally.
‘Yes, sir,’ Draco nodded.
‘You will be going to the Alley by Floo Powder, Miranda. All you need to do is throw a pinch of the powder into the fire, saying very clearly were you’d like to end up and step into it,’ Dumbledore explained. ‘Draco, you go first so she can see what I mean.’ Dumbledore handed Draco a pot of Floo Powder. Draco took some of the Powder and threw it into the fire yelling ‘Diagon Alley!’ the flames turned green and Draco stepped in. Seconds later, he fell out of the fireplace in Flourish and Blots. He picked himself up off the floor and dusted the soot off of him and waited for Miranda to come through. He didn’t have to wait long. Miranda fell out of the fire right into Draco’s arms with a high-pitched scream.
‘You made it,’ Draco chuckled, dusting the soot off of her face.
‘I never want to do that again,’ Miranda vowed.
‘Where do you want to start?’ Draco asked her, wiping soot from her shoulder now.
‘I don’t know,’ Miranda said, dusting off her skirt and flicking her hair out of her face. ‘Nothing to do with fires.’
‘Okay,’ Draco chuckled again. ‘Here, let me.’ He pointed his wand at her and performed a cleaning charm on her and then on himself. ‘ After we get your money from Gringotts, how about we start with robes?’
‘Clothes shopping? Sounds good to me.’ Miranda nodded as they walked out of Flourish and Blots.
‘Madam Malkin’s it is then,’ Draco said and led her down the road to the towering bank. The Goblins inside the bank eyed Miranda warily as they passed. Draco cleared his throat once they reached a counter and a long nosed Goblin looked at him.
‘Yes?’ it said sharply.
‘Professor Dumbledore told me you have a vault set up for Miranda Sparrow?’ Draco inquired.
‘Do you have the vault number?’ the Goblin asked. Draco handed him he parchment. ‘Very well. Follow me.’ The Goblin walked to a door off the side of the bank and Draco had to grab Miranda’s hand and drag her with him. They climbed into a cart and began to speed down to where all the vaults were.
‘Oh my God! I’m going to be sick!’ Miranda screamed. Draco put his arm around her.
‘Just don’t think about it,’ he said into her ear.
‘How can I not?’ she said back.
‘Think of something else,’ Draco told her. Not long after, the cart screeched to a halt and Draco stepped out and helped Miranda out. Draco chuckled as she tried to stand on her own.
‘I don’t think I like those things,’ she muttered.
‘Vault four hundred and two,’ the Goblin said. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door.
‘Grab some gold and lets get out of here,’ Draco told Miranda. She nodded stepped into the vault, filled a leather pouch with some of the gold that filled her vault and returned to Draco’s side, still stumbling slightly.
‘Your key, Miss.’ The Goblin held Miranda’s key out to her and she put it in her pocket. They got back into the cart and sped back up to ground level. Draco led Miranda out into Diagon Alley and down the street to Madam Malkin’s Robes For All Occasions.
‘Young, Master Malfoy,’ the old dressmaker said. ‘How can I help you and your lady friend?’ she asked.
‘We need some school robes,’ Draco told her.
‘New student dear?’ Madam Malkin asked Miranda.
‘Yes,’ Miranda smiled.
‘What house?’ Madame Malkin said, walking over to a rack of Hogwarts school robes.
‘Slytherin,’ Miranda replied.
‘Step up here, love. We need to fit these.’ Miranda stepped up onto a small stool and Madam Malkin draped the uniform over her. It fell straight to the floor. Draco covered his mouth to hide his chuckle. ‘You are a short one aren’t you?’
‘Yes. I take after my mother.’ Miranda laughed slightly, glaring at Draco.
‘Why are you just starting at Hogwarts now? If you don’t mind my asking.’ Madam Malkin was waving her want here and there, fitting the robes.
‘I just arrived last night actually. I’m a cousin of Draco’s and I left my old school in a bit of a hurry,’ Miranda lied. Their story was beginning to feel more and more like the truth every time they told it. That’s not a good thing, Draco thought. I can’t date my cousins.
‘You don’t look much a like,’ Madam Malkin observed.
‘My mother’s side of the family don’t really look anything like my father’s. Everyone has brown hair,’ Draco said convincingly. That at least was the truth. Everyone on his mother’s side of the family did have brown hair. If anyone was smart enough to figure it out, they could almost say that Miranda was Sirius or Regulus’s daughter.
‘You’re all done, love,’ Madam Malkin said, taking the robe off of Miranda and adjusting a few others to the same size. ‘That’ll be seventeen galleons and thirteen sickles.’ Miranda leaned towards Draco.
‘What?’ she asked quietly.
‘Just give her eighteen of the gold ones,’ Draco said. He waited for Miranda to pay for her uniform and the set off to Ollivander’s for a wand.

‘Students? This time of year?’ Mr Ollivander asked, stepping around the counter.
‘Yes, sir,’ Miranda replied quietly.
‘Could we possibly hurry this along, Mr Ollivander? Miranda and I have quite a bit to get through today,’ Draco asked as politely as possible.
‘Certainly, Mr Malfoy. But I can’t guarantee a time limit. The wand chooses the wizard after all.’ Mr Ollivander inclined his head slightly.
‘I know, I know. Can we just find her a wand?’ Draco sighed. Some people have no concern for time these days Draco thought. He watched as Mr Ollivander set his magical tape measure to work in Miranda. Finally it finished and the old man hurried around looking for wands of different lengths and such. After five or so minutes, Mr Ollivander handed Miranda an eleven and a half inch oak wand with a unicorn centre.
‘Very good for the rather complex charms. Oak and unicorn hair is a particularly specific combination. Often if another witch or wizard tried to use it, it won’t function properly,’ Mr Ollivander explained.
‘I’ll try to keep that in mind, sir,’ Miranda said. She paid for her wand and followed Draco outside.
‘Where to now?’ Draco asked, looking up and down the street.
‘What else do you think I’ll need?’ Miranda asked.
‘Well, you have robes, so you’ll blend in. You’ve got your wand – you need that for the charms and stuff. What else are you learning? Potions, so you’ll need a cauldron and a set of scales and supplies. We’ll do that now. Follow me.’ Draco led Miranda to the Potions supply store and purchased everything she’d need for Potions. They headed out the door.
‘What now? I don’t really think I need anything else do I?’ Miranda asked. Draco thought for a moment.
‘I don’t suppose so. I guess quills and parchment would come in handy.’ So that’s where they went next. Once everything was bought, they went to Florien Fortescues Ice-Cream Parlour to rest for a bit.
‘So, all this stuff that I’m learning, is it hard?’ Miranda asked, pushing her empty glass aside.
‘In the beginning I guess. But it gets easier once you know what you’re doing and you’ve accepted it,’ Draco replied.
‘I’m just afraid I’ll mess everything up, that’s all. I mean, the whole world’s like in the palm of my hand isn’t it?’
‘Not really. When push comes to shove, it’s really Harry that has to defeat Voldemort. Both of you actually. And you’ve got as much help as you can have. You’re just nervous, that’s all,’ Draco reassured her.
‘I guess. Shouldn’t we be getting back? You still haven’t shown me around the school yet,’ Miranda said standing up. Draco stood up as well and they made their way out of the store. They Flooed back to the school from Florish and Blots with Miranda’s shopping and a few things Draco picked up along the way.

*^*

Once again, Miranda toppled out of the fireplace and lost her balance completely.
‘They really need to install and underground or something,’ she mumbled picking her self off the floor and wiping the dust from the face.
‘I've suggested that a number of times, unfortunately though, the minister wouldn’t hear of it,’ Dumbledore’s voice spoke from behind his desk. Miranda froze mid swipe and looked up at him.
‘I didn’t see you there, Prof – oof!’ Draco stumbled out of the fireplace at that moment and he and Miranda ended up a tangle of arms and legs on the flor of Dumbledore’s office.
‘I think we need to install a warning system, Professor,’ Draco suggested.
‘I believe we do,’ Dumbledore chuckled. Draco and Miranda untangled them selves and stood up. ‘Did you find everything you needed?’
‘Yes, sir. We had a bit of trouble with my wand, but apparently, wands are very picky about their owners,’ Miranda smiled.
‘That they are, dear girl. I remember it took me over an hour to find a wand. My father became most irritable.’ Dumbledore smiled reminiscently. ‘However, you have everything you’ll need to begin your lessons on Monday and dinner will be at six o’clock this evening, I hope to see you there.’ Miranda and Draco excused them selves and made their way back down to the Entrance Hall.
‘How was your shopping?’ Hermione asked. She Harry and Ron had just came from the great Hall.
‘Good. We got everything Miranda would need for her lessons,’ Draco replied.
‘Tell me, Malfoy, do you ever let anyone answer for themselves?’ Ron asked.
‘Excuse me, Weas -’
‘Give it a rest you two,’ Harry mumbled. ‘There’s no point in fighting.’
‘So how did you like Diagon Alley?’ Hermione asked.
‘It was beautiful. I love all the little shops, it was so cute,’ Miranda replied.
‘You should see Hogsmeade. It’s a village just outside the school and the only whole wizarding settlement in Britain.’ Hermione grinned.
‘Do you three want to come up to my room? It’s too big for me to sit up there by my self,’ Miranda asked.
‘Where is it?’ Ron asked, looking wearily at Draco.
‘In the Slytherin common room, why? Is something wrong?’ Miranda replied. Are they afraid to go down there or something? She thought.
‘It’s just…well we’re Gryffindors,’ Hermione said gently.
‘So?’ Miranda shrugged. ‘What’s the big deal?’
‘Gryffindors aren’t exactly welcome in the Slytherin common room,’ Hermione explained.
‘Well you’re not going to be in there are you? You’re going to be in my room,’ Miranda said. ‘C’mon. It’ll be fun and it’s Saturday, you’re supposed to have fun on Saturdays,’ she pleaded.
‘I don’t want -’ Ron began
‘We’ll go. C’mon,’ Harry interrupted. ‘Lead the way.’ He gestured to Miranda to lead them in the direction of the Slytherin common room. Miranda smiled and followed Draco down into the dungeons.
‘What are they doing in here?’ Pansy asked.
‘None of your business, Pansy,’ Ron snapped as they made their way through the common room and up the flight of stairs to Miranda’s room.
‘Password?’ Ehlana asked, looking at the group behind Miranda.
‘A sphinx!’ Hermione shrieked. ‘She’s beautiful!’
‘Thank you, dear,’ Ehlana smiled. ‘Password, Miranda?’
‘Bump,’ Miranda said and Ehlana swung her portrait forward and they all entered.
‘It’s huge!’ Ron observed, looking around.
‘Look at all the books! These are all in the restricted section!’ Hermione was eyeing the bookshelves with an unsettling amount of awe on her face.
‘Pretty cool isn’t it, Hermione?’ Draco asked looking over the books with her. Hermione looked around at Miranda.
‘Miranda, do you mind if I, um, borrow…?’ she let the sentence hang.
‘Go ahead.’ Miranda smiled. While Hermione and Draco were looking at the books and Ron was playing with Bump, Miranda noticed Harry was sitting in front of the fire by himself. Miranda went over to him.
‘Hey,’ she smiled at him. He looked up and smiled half heartedly back.
‘Hey.’ Miranda sat down next to him.
‘You don’t talk much do you?’ she asked. Harry shrugged.
‘Nothing much to talk about, I guess.’
‘Draco told me what happened to your Godfather. I’m sorry,’ Miranda said quietly.
‘You don’t have to be. It wasn’t your fault. Besides, I guess I should be used to it by now,’ Harry replied, leaning back in the couch and sighing.
‘What do you mean?’ Miranda was puzzled.
‘I mean…it’s just…oh never mind. You wouldn’t understand,’ Harry tried to answer.
‘Try me,’ Miranda challenged.
‘Ever since I was born, I've been surrounded by death. My parents were murdered when I was one, Ginny – Ron’s sister – almost died in my second year here, I witnessed one of my friends get murdered when I was fourteen and then when I was in my fifth year, Sirius got murdered by a Dearth Eater while I was watching. Last year there was a Death Eater attack in the suburb where I live and my Uncle got murdered.’ Harry sighed. ‘I guess I’m just a murder magnet.’ Miranda was shocked. This guy sitting beside her was only a year in her senior and had already seen more death than the streets of Brooklyn (Not that Miranda had ever been to Brooklyn, but she’d seen movies).
‘None of that’s your fault,’ Miranda assured him.
‘How do you know?’ Harry asked, giving her and icy stare.
‘Because you don’t strike me as the “Move out of my way before I kill you” type of person,’ Miranda said.
‘Well that’s my story,’ Harry said. ‘What’s yours?’
‘Yeah, tell us about you,’ Ron agreed.
‘Me? There’s not really anything interesting to tell. I live in the middle of London in an apartment block with my sister Aden. I go to a public school with bad cafeteria food. That’s about it,’ Miranda said looking around at the faces of her new friends.
‘And she street races,’ Draco added. ‘And chases strangers with torches.’
‘Yeah, that too,’ Miranda nodded. ‘You know more about me than you lead on don’t you?’
‘Not really,’ Draco shook his head.
‘What do you mean by street racing?’ Ron asked, prying Bump off his leg.
‘Street racing is like drag racing,’ Miranda began. ‘You get a car and spend a lot of money on it to make it go as fast as it can with out putting rocket launchers on it and you race other people who’ve done the same.’
‘What do you get if you win?’ Ron looked eager to know the details.
‘It depends,’ Miranda shrugged. ‘Money, respect, some guy even bet his car.’
‘What’s the point in racing for respect? I mean, you don’t get anything out of it,’ Harry said, joining the conversation.
‘You do get something out of it. When I started racing, I was like my sister’s sidekick I guess. One night I got really angry with her and stole her car and went to the nearest race. I turned up and everyone laughed at me,’ Miranda chuckled. ‘I got out of the car and – being in the state of mind I was in – I challenged anyone who wanted a go. I didn’t have any money on me so I set the stakes. I win, I get the respect I deserve, I loose and I leave and never come back,’ Miranda explained.
‘What happened?’ Ron asked eagerly. It seemed the boy was a sucker for a good story.
‘There were quite a few takers. I wasn’t really taken very seriously because I was only a kid, but I was really angry that night so, when the flag went down, I floored it and didn’t break until I crossed the finish line,’ Miranda smiled.
‘Did you win?’ Draco asked.
‘Sure I did!’ Miranda chuckled. ‘Why’d you think you got lined up against me?’
‘You’ve raced?’ Harry asked Draco.
‘Yeah. Dumbledore wanted me to watch her and I couldn’t very well miss out on all the fun could I?’ Draco laughed. ‘She beat me though.’
‘You put up a good fight. I almost thought I’d have to give up my crown.’ Miranda smiled.

The group of friends sat about talking until dinnertime when they made their way to the Great Hall. Miranda told everyone to go on without her if they wanted to and took her uniform into the bathroom. She changed into her uniform and tied her hair back into a ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror.
‘This is you now, Pooch,’ she said to herself. Pooch was the about all she could remember of her parents, it was a nickname they gave her when she was little. Aden still used it occasionally. Miranda sighed and opened the door and walked back into her room. Draco was sitting on one of the couches waiting for her.
‘I told you not to wait for me,’ Miranda told him. ‘But thanks anyway. I probably would have gotten my self lost.’
‘It’s okay. I couldn’t help but over hear you talking to someone in the bathroom. Who’s Pooch?’ Draco asked, standing up. Miranda felt herself blush.
‘Pooch is me actually. I was talking to my self,’ she said quietly, putting on her shoes.
‘Pooch? As in a dog?’ Draco asked. Miranda’s face grew even hotter.
‘Yeah. My mum and dad used to call me that. I used to have a really bad cough and they said it sounded like a dog’s bark.’
‘Oh. Okay, well, shall we?’ Draco held out his hand. Miranda smiled and took it, letting him lead her into the Great Hall.

It was full of chattering students, talking over the table and yelling from one end to the other. Miranda was particularly surprised to see there was no ceiling. Instead there was a night sky, speckled with bright stars.
‘It’s bewitched,’ Draco whispered as he led her to a table. ‘The ceiling’s there, it just looks like the night sky.’
‘This place never ceases to amaze me,’ Miranda said. She and Draco sat down at a table with the rest of the Slytherins. Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands for silence.
‘That’s never happened before,’ Draco commented. ‘Accept at the start of term and end of term feasts.’
‘Good evening everyone. If I may, I would like everyone to welcome Miss Miranda
Sparrow -’ Miranda froze as Dumbledore mentioned her name ‘- who has come to our school as a guest of mine. She will be staying in Slytherin house while she is here and I expect everyone to treat her like you would any other Hogwarts student.’ Dumbledore smiled. ‘For those of you who don’t already know her, Miranda, would you be so kind as to stand please?’ Dumbledore held out his hand in Miranda’s direction. Slowly she stood up. There were more people at Hogwarts than Miranda had first thought.
‘Thank you, Miss Sparrow,’ Dumbledore nodded to her and she sat down again.
‘That was so embarrassing,’ Miranda hissed to Draco.
‘You should have seen your face.’ He chuckled.
‘Shut up!’
‘There is also one more announcement I have to make,’ Dumbledore continued. ‘This year is my one hundred and fifty-seventh birthday, so, on the seventeenth of February, I will be hosting a party to celebrate. There will be no dress robes necessary, though you may wear them if you wish, and muggle clothes will be fine. In the true tradition of birthday parties, there will be lots of food and drinks and an immeasurable amount of ridiculously loud music. So with out further ado, dig in.’ Dumbledore waved his hands and the gold plates on the table filled with every sort of meal Miranda could imagine.
‘Do you want to go with me?’ Draco asked quietly.
‘Uh, sure. Okay. I’d love to,’ Miranda replied.
‘I need your help though,’ Draco continued. Miranda looked at him questionably. ‘I don’t actually own any muggle clothes.’
‘He said you can wear robes,’ Miranda shrugged.
‘Yeah but I don’t want to. I want to dress like a muggle for once,’ Draco said.
‘How do you expect me to help you? Where do they sell muggle clothes in Diagon Alley?’ Miranda asked.
‘That’s the problem. They don’t. I need you to help me sneak into muggle London,’ Draco said hopefully.
‘What? Why?’
‘So you can tell me what to buy. I’d end up looking like a complete idiot if I went on my own,’ he pleaded. ‘Please?’
‘Okay. But if we get caught, it’s your fault. When should we go?’ Miranda sighed.
‘When are the shops open?’
‘They’re open every day. I’d say out best bet would probably be a Sunday. Everyone shops on Sundays, so we wont attract much attention. You’d need muggle clothes to go there though and I don’t think mine would fit you,’ Miranda replied.
‘Right. So I’ll borrow some clothes off Harry and we’ll go tomorrow,’ Draco decided. Miranda held up her hand.
‘Hold on, hold on. How do we get there first?’ she asked.
‘We’ll Floo to The Leaky Cauldron. That’s in London, and we’ll get back the same way,’ Draco explained.
‘Okay, that sounds safe enough. We’ll see Harry after dinner then?’ Miranda asked, starting to eat a piece of chicken. Draco nodded in response.

After dinner, Miranda and Draco had to run to catch up with Harry.
‘I need a favour,’ Draco said gasping for breath.
‘Yes?’ Harry asked, eyebrow rose.
‘Um, I…need…’ Draco sputtered. Miranda sighed.
‘He needs to borrow some clothes.’
‘Why?’ Harry seemed genuinely surprised.
‘We can’t discus it here,’ Miranda said mysteriously.
‘Okay. Follow me,’ Harry led them up to a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.
‘Password?’ she wheezed.
‘Buttercup,’ Harry said and the portrait swung open. They went up a flight of stairs on the left of a circular room draped in red and gold. Ron and Hermione spotted them and followed as well.
‘Okay. Now what do you need my clothes for?’ Harry asked once he closed the door behind Hermione.
‘We’re going to London,’ Draco said shortly.
‘What?’ Hermione and Ron gasped in unison.
‘To go shopping for muggle clothes,’ Miranda added.
‘So you need to borrow my clothes?’ Harry confirmed.
‘So he can blend in,’ Miranda said, jerking his thumb at Draco. ‘It was entirely his idea I might add.’
‘When are you going?’ Ron asked.
‘Tomorrow,’ Miranda replied.
‘I want to go too,’ Ron said. ‘Can I come?’
‘If you want. Why don’t we all go?’ Miranda looked at Harry and Hermione.
‘Wont it look a bit obvious if we all go?’ Ron asked. Miranda almost snorted.
‘No. Teenagers always go shopping together.’
‘When do we leave?’ Harry asked.
‘Tomorrow morning at nine. Meet us in the common room. We’ll Floo to Gringotts from there, then The Leaky Cauldron. Our adventure will begin then. Don’t forget to dress as muggle as possible,’ Draco said.
‘Right. See you then,’ Hermione nodded.
‘Okay. See you tomorrow,’ Miranda waved and she and Draco headed out of Gryffindor tower and down into the dungeons. They walked up to Ehlana’s portrait.
‘See you in the morning then,’ Draco said.
‘Yeah. Good night,’ Miranda replied.
‘Password?’ Ehlana interrupted.
‘Bump,’ Miranda said nonchalantly. The portrait swung open.
‘Night,’ Draco said and he walked down the staircase.
‘He’s a nice boy,’ Ehlana commented. Miranda chuckled to herself and walked into her room. She platted her hair and changed into her pyjamas and got into bed.