[flourish & blotts] hum hallelujah [alf]

Clem’s parents had insisted that they do the majority of their shopping before everyone else this term to avoid the business of Diagon Alley in its preparing-for-school state, and she couldn’t exactly blame them. Perfect reasoning, actually, and she liked school, but she wanted to enjoy the summer and just not think about it for awhile. She preferred summer -- the only downside for the soon-to-be thirteen year old was not being able to see her friends during the holidays. It was bearable for her, though, because she always had the pet store at hand. She couldn’t keep an animal out for too long in case a customer came by and wanted to look at it, but that just meant she could spend a little bit of quality time with each critter during the day. Kneazles were grumpy little things, and Clementine honestly preferred some of the friendlier species -- it was a magical shop, yes, but that didn’t mean her parents didn’t sell man’s best friend, either. Dogs were some of Clem’s favorites. She really couldn’t comprehend how some people were annoyed by animals. They were like little people, each with their own unique individual personalities, except they couldn’t talk. Often she wondered what it would be like if they could indeed talk. Maybe some of them got weary easier than she thought, getting bored of humans’ constant presence. She supposed that was a possibility as well -- the little blonde wasn’t sure that she would enjoy some larger mammal’s presence at all times, hovering over her every move, either.

Before she got to do any of the fun shopping, however, her parents had set her off on a mission to retrieve all the books on the new third year list and they’d given her some money to get them with while they went off to some lame adult bistro to get lunch. Clementine much preferred things like the end of the year picnic. Places in which she could be louder and not have to mind her manners were so much easier, and she had to be less meticulous about what she said and did. She wasn’t even technically a teenager yet, and she didn’t want to have to be worrying about putting a dumb cloth napkin in her lap or keeping her elbows off the skimpy little tables they provided you with in such restaurants; the portions were way too small, too. Hogwarts feasts were better by a mile, that much was clear to the young Gryffindor, and so she’d sent her parents off without her and gone off to Flourish and Blotts to fulfill the boring part of her school shopping.

“Okay, hmm.” Clementine muttered to herself, tucking a few strands of loose hair behind her ears to keep out of her eyes. Where on earth would she start? Flourish and Blotts wasn’t exactly well organized, only vaguely so, and it was going to take forever to find these stupid books. Being quite determined and a little stubborn, she certainly wasn’t going to ask the clerk for help. Nope. This was a task that she would tackle alone. That’s what Gryffindors did, regardless. They did things alone and didn’t need to ask for any help.. usually, anyway. Ooh, that one on the list looked interesting. She’d heard horror stories about the Monster Book of Monsters, but it was still on the supplies list and so Clementine figured that purchasing it would be in her best interests, if she wanted to pass what would likely be her favorite class. As she’d heard in the past, she knew the book was furry with a buckle and a big eye on the front. Supposed to stroke it, right.

Clem spotted something rather large and fuzzy on a distant shelf and made a beeline. The shop was nearly empty, save a few people, which was nice. She could already see that she’d be too short to reach the book based on her plain height, so she slid the stool over, standing on it -- bugger. She was still too short. That wasn’t usually a problem for her, as she was quite tall for a girl her age, but she supposed that a bookstore catering to adults as well as students couldn’t be so inclusive. Looking around her, she knew that she’d have to ask someone to get it down for her. She would have done it herself, had she had the luxury of magic, but that wasn’t for another few years. Clem’s honey brown eyes slid across the wide expanse of the shelves, perusing for people -- what? Was that a monkey on his shoulder? Raising an eyebrow, she cleared her throat and called his attention rather loudly. “Um, excuse me, sir with the monkey? Could you get that book down off the shelf for me, please?”

Alf whistled a soft happy melody as he sauntered down the streets of Diagon Alley. He’d been home for about a week now and negotiated with Gringotts to give him the summer off to help get his daughter ready for Hogwarts. They’d been reluctant until Alf pointed out that he’d not used a day of vacation or sick days in the last five years. And now here he was, going to price-scout for little Aase’s first year at Hogwarts. Just the thought of his daughter brought a warm smile to the curse-breaker’s face. It was hard to believe she was off to school already. She really had grown up far too fast, and part of that was his own fault Alf supposed. I really should have put more effort into being a father, he thought, causing a slight break in his jaunty demeanor.

The former Gryffindor recovered his stride quickly enough as he stepped into Flourish and Blott’s, Jack the monkey riding on his shoulder, tail curled slightly around Alf’s neck. Stepping briskly past a stuttering, protesting shopkeeper, Alf produced a list of books his pride and joy would need next year. “Bloody hell,” he muttered, his eyes widening in shock. “This damn thing gets bigger every year!” Shaking his head in disbelief, Alf began weaving through the other patrons, occasionally picking up a book that piqued his interest, then laying it back when he saw it was not on the list. After a few minutes, he found himself in the middle of a small crowded area, when he heard a young voice cry out. Turning around quickly, looking frantically to his left and right, Alf tried in vain to get a glimpse of the uncultured oaf that would bring a live animal into a bookshop! A slight thunk on his head gave him a sharp reminder.

“Oh,” Alf said as he whirled around to face the little girl. She was a cute one, short and stocky but probably still a year or two older than his own daughter. “Yes milady, how can Jack and I help you this wonderful afternoon?” he said with a wide grin. Ah, so it was a book she needed! Alf grinned and leaned back. “I suppose I could assist you with that request. Jack! Fetch said beastly monster book for the nice little girl.” Snapping his fingers as he commanded his friend, Alf watched Jack easily scale the shelves to grab the black fuzzy book, though it did seem to be putting up a fight. Curious, I don’t recognize that book from Hogwarts, wonder what class it’s for? the curse-breaker thought as Jack deposited the book in his hands. Unfortunately for Alf, his furry friend accidentally pulled the clasp on the furry book.

Immediately the easily agitated literature flew into a snapping fury, biting and growling at Alf’s face and hands. Instinctively, Alf did what any well-adjusted adult would do in such a situation. He threw his hands (and the book) in the air and screamed like a little girl but with a much deeper voice. The book snapped its way around the floor, making its way back towards the young student. Thankfully, Jack came to the rescue, dropping on top of the cover and holding it still long enough to re-do the clasp. Alf slowly recovered from his shocked state and gave the girl a mock-stern glare. “What the devil was that thing? What imbecile thought that would be a safe book for children? Or adults, for that matter!”

Well, the dude was friendly, at least. Maybe he wasn’t completely kooky. Maybe he’d even let her pet the monkey when this ordeal had been resolved. This wasn’t a textbook she would need for everyday class, but it was still on there, and even if it hadn’t been, Elisha and Jordi had told her enough about the debacle with it awhile ago that she wanted to have it for herself regardless. The twelve year old couldn’t help grinning at the monkey, so diligently obeying his owner’s requests. Absentmindedly, she wondered what she would be like if she were a monkey. Possibly not so compliant, anyway. She hoped that the big book wouldn’t give the little creature too much trouble, as it was quite easily his weight or heavier. Patiently, she waited, watching him plunk the book into his master’s arms and then whoa. Clem’s eyes widened and she winced at the book flying out of the man’s hands, obviously thrown on purpose, and she honestly had to try not to laugh.

It wasn’t a funny thing that he was in trouble, but listening to a grown man, at least thirty, probably older, scream like that -- well, it was a sight to see, to say the least. Clementine was positive that she would have reacted a little differently than that, but as it were, she was laughing at him anyway. The Gryffindor knew that that wasn’t polite or sympathetic, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care while the whole thing was going on. Stepping down off the stool even as it was coming towards her, she moved quickly to try and extinguish the problem, but it seemed that Jack the monkey was already on it. Raising an eyebrow and placing a hand on her hip, Clem watched curiously, the animal’s deft little hands redoing the clasp quickly and efficiently. She admired his intellect, after all, his brain couldn’t be very large for such a small head.

Picking the book up off the ground, Clem brushed off the spine and the cover, undoing the clasp herself and expertly stroking it, and the book promptly fell open. “Like that,” she explained. “It’s for Care of Magical Creatures. I guess it hasn’t been taken off the supplies list for that particular class since Professor Hagrid was teaching it.” The blonde shrugged her shoulders and closed the book again, having no reason to leave it open, and fastened the clasp to the leather belt one last time. “I suppose if you don’t know what to do, though, it could be.. er.. alarming.” She grinned at the man, extending her hand for a handshake.

“I’m Clem,” She said confidently, shaking his hand firmly, and then cast her eyes over to his pet once more. “Pretty awesome little friend you got there.” Hefting the book into the crook of her arm to support its weight, she went on to elaborate on her comment further. “My folks own a pet store, so we get some unusual stuff in there, but monkeys are pretty rare.” She waggled her fingers at the critter, making a waving motion, and grinned at them both. “How did you come by him? If I can ask.”