Dated August 4th, 2023, around noon.

An excited Luke raced down Diagon Alley, wiping his forehead as beads of sweat starting trickling down on this hot August day. ‘Ooh, neat, a quidditch shop!’ he thought as he turned to his left and caught sight of a somewhat small wooden shop filled with brooms, gloves, and all sorts of Quidditch.

He had a bit of experience with flying, as his mum was a witch, but he absolutely hated it. Every time he even got near a broom (or plane, for that matter, as all heights scared him), he felt like he was going to plummet to his death.

However, there was no point in not checking it out, as it seemed like a cool place and he might be able to meet some kids he could befriend. Making his way into the old shop, he realized it was more full than he expected it to be. There were a few kids his age, but for the most part it was older kids, ages 12-17, who all looked like they knew what they were doing. Luke didn’t.

As he started to pay more attention to the actual shop, he realized just how many different types of brooms there were. There was, of course, the latest Nimbus model, a very pricy broom that only the richest families could afford, as it enhanced speed and turning precision. Luke didn’t even bother to check the price on those because he knew he could never come close to affording it (and even if he could he would pass away from fear while soaring through the air). There were a few other lower-level brooms, like the Shooting Star and Silver Arrow, which he thought were generally used for training at Hogwarts. ‘Oh, no,’ Luke realized, his stomach sinking. ‘I am going to have to use a broom in class. And I’m going to have to fly on it.’ There’s no doubt he would get a troll grade in that class.

As he zoned back into the real world, he noticed an older boy, about 13 or so, he would guess, with long blonde hair and a little Slytherin pin on his white shirt. ‘Well, I came here to make friends. May as well.’ Luke shrugged, took a deep breath, and strolled confidently over to the boy. “Hello,” he greeted, sticking his hand out. “My name is Luke Wilhelm. You?”

Attire: Usual weekend kit: Slytherin pride, kilt, no shoes, wolf fang necklace, feathers in his braid.

Reducio

July had gone by so fast! And so many things had happened in Colin's life that he could hardly contain his joy! Full moon was over --- and no one had tried to kill him! He was heading into the third year, still with Clair! Colin sighed. To top it all off, his family had come down to London for a short stay in their town house. Today, Colin had a little shopping to do. He knew he needed some stuff for his broom care kit, which meant a run through the back streets of magical London would be needed to get him over to Quality Quidditch Supplies!

"Whoa," Colin said as he got into the shop. "This place is packed!" He reckoned that what with only three weeks left before school, more kids would be in London to shop for school stuff. Madam Malkins and Flourish & Blotts were sure to be packed with firsties, but this place was mostly filled with older students and adults. There were one of two younger kids he noticed, maybe brothers of someone else already here?

"WOOO! Broom polishing paste!" Colin chirped as he found one item on his list. "Got to keep me shaft smooth and shiny!" He noticed that he'd attracted some attention. A Scottish accent and a kilt often did that in London, though Colin could not come up with a good reason why! The boy in question was actually coming over towards him! Colin raised an eyebrow. This ought to be interesting!

“Hello, my name is Luke Wilhelm. You?"

He had messy brown hair, short, and bright green eyes. They reminded him of his own. Colin smirked. He remembered how, in first year, his friend Jarael had described them as pond scum green. Colin gave the other boy a nice little bow. "Colin McCoire, at yer service!" When he stood back upright, he gave the kid an appraising look. "So, what brings ye into the QQ, Luke Wilhelm? Meself, I'm after some broom care stuff for me kit! I got the polishing paste, and a sharpened for me bristle trimming blade. But I can't find the bloody polishing cloths!"

Colin looked around the cramped shop. "This place is a mess! They don't put anything together. Um. Wanna help me find some polishing cloths?"

@Luke Wilhelm

‘Gosh, I hope this goes well,’ Luke silently wished. He didn’t have any magical friends, even though he had 11 cousins on his mum’s side, and they were all magical. Most of them were a lot younger than him, ages 2-8, and if they were older, they were annoying teenagers who wanted nothing to do with him. If he could meet one person that wasn’t a brat, then he would say he has a successful start to his Hogwarts

“Colin McCoire, at your service,”the boy responded, bowing, which Luke thought was a little strange, but he shook it off. Colin also spoke with a somewhat heavy Scottish accent, which he supposed he should’ve guessed, judging from his kilt.

“So, what brings ye into the QQ, Luke Wilhelm? Meself, I’m after some broom care stuff for me kit! I got the polishing paste, and a sharpened for me bristle trimming blade. But I can’t find the bloody polishing cloths!”

“Oh, erm, I guess I’m here to meet new people. I mean, I’m more terrified of flying than vegetables, and that’s a high bar to cross! They provide you brooms at Hogwarts if you don’t have one, right? Because my family only had one, and then my brother broke it and, well… yeah.” Luke trailed off, wondering why he just shared that information with someone he barely knew, nearly including the fact he and his family weren’t even wealthy enough to buy a new broom of any kind.

When Colin offered for Luke to help him find polishing cloths, he readily agreed. He wasn’t sure if the interaction was going so well yet, and besides, he loved helping people, so why not?

Colin was glad of the help and the company. He was sure they'd turn up some polishing cloths all the quicker! If only the place weren't such a mess! Luke spoke of himself and his family a bit as they looked. He seemed friendly enough, even though his southron accent was terribly thick! Colin had gotten used to English accents, though, and had certainly come to love Clair's Cumbrian brogue!

"Oi! Luke, I think I see em!" Colin ducked down under a display of quidditch team jerseys. "Bloody hell, it's dark under here mate!" Colin disappeared under the display. The only things sticking out were the boy's bare feet and legs! "Oof! Sorry sir!" Colin's voice came muffled as a someone kicked his hand aside. Colin crawled back out next to Luke. "Nope! Twas some lad's britches! Let's look over here!"

He thought about what Luke had said. "Oh, aye! The school brooms are whack, mate, but they're free to use! I found one once with me Da's initials carved into it! I'm sure it's much older than that!" Luke said that his folks had one and that his brother managed to break it. "Oh, I know! Maybe some day you can make yer own broom! I mean, someone made all these brooms here, right?"

"What's yer favourite team, then? I don't follow quidditch, really, but my mate Luci does. He's all mad for the Bats. I'm a broom racer, meself, but I know a little about quidditch. They're an okay team, I reckon. I kind of fancy the Montrose Magpies! They're cool!" Colin led Luke over to the other side of the shop. Maybe they'd find the polishing rags mixed in with the pennants and scarves!

@Luke Wilhelm

The two boys began to look all around the shop, having to squeeze through many other students and future students. ‘Goodness, it’s rather stuffy in he-‘. Luke’s thought was interrupted by a muffled-

“Bloody hell, it’s dark in here, mate!” came from under a display of quidditch team jerseys before the older boy completely disappeared in darkness. A few moments passed before a few voices sounded from underneath the display and Colin came crawling out by him. ”Nope! ‘‘Twas some lad’s britches! Let’s look over here!” Luke was slightly startled by the randomness of someone being under there, but he shrugged and resumed looking.

After a minute or so, Colin responded to his earlier question about school brooms. “Oh, aye! The school brooms are whack, mate, but they're free to use! I found one once with me Da's initials carved into it! I'm sure it's much older than that!"

‘Huh. Well, at least they’re free,’ Luke admitted to himself. Colin continued, referring the part where Luke had talked about his brother.

“Oh, I know! Maybe some day you can make yer own broom! I mean, someone made all these brooms here, right?"

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” Luke agreed, standing on tiptoes to look on the top shelves of a few cabinets to see of the polishing cloths were there. ‘Nope… oh, well.’ “Say, Colin, you ever consider making your own brooms? If you learned how, you could teach me. I’m sure it’d be pretty fun. And my brother might treat me kinder,” he added, laughing. Colin then asked Luke what his favorite team was, mentioning that his was the Montrose Magpies, also adding that he was a broom racer, not much into Quidditch. Luke had never heard of someone specifically trained to race on brooms and not use it for a team sport. ‘Cool. I wish I liked flying, it would be rather fun if I didn’t nearly puke every time I got on a broom,’ he thought wistfully before responding.

“Well, I mean, I’m not a huge Quidditch fan myself, but my mum grew up in Wimbourne down south and she’s a huge fan of the Wasps. And since my father’s a muggle, he kind of went along with her. So, if I had to say, the Wimbourne Wasps, yeah.”

As Luke waited for a response, he glanced up at the ceiling, since he was feeling rather hopeless at finding the cloths at this point, when something on top of a large shelf caught his eye. A pile of red polishing cloths!

‘But… why in the world are they up there… and kind of dusty? My, that’s ironic.’ “Say, Colin, I found them!” Luke yelled, pointing towards the item in need. “Might have to get staff, though. Oh! Do you know accio? Or do you not learn that until later? I really have not a single clue when you learn certain spells, can you tell?” he asked good-humoredly.

Well, Colin found loads of scarves. "Psh! Chudley Cannons. No wonder they're so cheap --- I don't think the Cannons have won a match in a century or more!" Colin rummaged around some more. "Oo! Magpies badge! Brills!" Colin did indeed find two Montrose Magpies badges buried under a heap of assorted tea cloths. "It's amazing what ye can find in a shop like this eh mate?"

Colin saw that Luke was up on his tip toes looking. He smiled. This kid will probably end up in Hufflepuff! he thought. He seemed nice, and Colin was glad that he hadn't gone full Snake on the lad. He asked Colin if he'd ever thought of making his own broom. "Oh! Sure! Anything fast, mate! I've been reading about it too. There's a lot goes into a good flying broom right? I mean. It's more than getting some old besom only fit for sweeping the house! You've got to consider the wood itself, grain quality and where it's cut from the tree. Oh, and how properly it's been aged. And there's choice of bristles and how they're bound to the shaft. And that doesn't get into all the charms that have to be layered on before it can even wobble into the air!"

Colin gesticulated animatedly. "But I like anything fast, really! Like, me Da has a couple old muggle racing motor cars! Learned how to work on them this summer! He says maybe next year we can learn to drive them around! Those are wicked fast, even if they can't fly!" Colin gave Luke a side glance. The poor lad didn't seem to be cut out for flying --- he had that Rebecca Loops look about him. Terrified of his feet being off the ground any higher than his bed!

On the other hand, Colin thought, going back to what house Luke might end up in, Hufflepuffs aren't all sweet and sappy! Some of them can be quite terrifying! Even the nice ones! Colin immediately thought of Simon, a fellow broom racer. That boy had no qualms in throwing stones and branches at opposing racers! He'd certainly taught Colin a lesson!

Colin's reverie was broken by Luke's shout. He'd found the polishing cloths! "Whoa! Good laddie! Oo, better get them down!" Colin heard but ignored Luke's suggestion that they should get help from the shop's staff. That's why we have wands, right? Colin slipped his own hawthorn wand out of its sheath strapped to his right arm. He checked furtively, just in case any adult might descend on them. "Wingardium leviosa!" he said softly. A heap of red polishing cloths lifted off gently from the shelf. Colin reckoned he could have reached them himself, which would have been fun too, but why not show off a bit for the future firstie!

With a deft flick of his wand, he tucked it back into its sheath as the magic terminated! A good dozen or so cloths landed in Colin's outstretched arms and on his head! All but one --- and that one landed on his bare foot. Colin kicked that up and caught it in his teeth. Soon enough, Colin had everything managed and led Luke up to the counter. Once paid for, Colin said: "Come on! Let's explore a bit. Have you been to London before? Ye said yer Da's a muggle? Do you live in a magical or a muggle house? Oo! I have something for ye!" Colin rummaged in the pocket of his kilt. "Here! It ain't the Wasps, or anything!" Colin handed Luke a Magpies badge.

@Luke Wilhelm

Colin started speaking about making his own broom, as Luke had mentioned earlier.

“Oh! Sure! Anything fast, mate! I've been reading about it too. There's a lot goes into a good flying broom right? I mean. It's more than getting some old besom only fit for sweeping the house! You've got to consider the wood itself, grain quality and where it's cut from the tree. Oh, and how properly it's been aged. And there's choice of bristles and how they're bound to the shaft. And that doesn't get into all the charms that have to be layered on before it can even wobble into the air!"

Luke nodded, his head spinning with all the quidditch and broom terminology. ‘How do people keep up with this stuff? Even make a living off of it?’ Colin then noticed him pointing upwards at the cloths, though the older boy ignored his suggestion of getting the staff. Luke supposed that was fair- he was a wizard after all, so he would probably use a wand.

Sure enough, a wand appeared from the sheath under Colin’s right arm and he raised it, whispering, “Wingsrdium Leviosa!”. Instantly, the red polishing cloths floated gracefully down towards his wand and he grabbed them (though one landed on his foot- he preceded to kick that up), then tucking his wand back into the sheath. Luke wondered where Colin had gotten that sheath- it was rather cool-looking and clearly came in handy.

The teenager then spoke up again. “Come on! Let's explore a bit. Have you been to London before? Ye said yer Da's a muggle? Do you live in a magical or a muggle house? Oo! I have something for ye!” As Luke waited for Colin to get whatever he was searching for out of his pocket, he answered his question.

“Well, I have only been to London twice, once when I was a baby, so I don’t remember that, and once when I was six, after my magic had been revealed. Mum took me as a gift. I don’t like traveling much, though, which is why it was weird driving for forever. I don’t have a long attention span!” he added, smiling. Luke wished he could pay attention longer- he would have to work on that before September came.

“And, erm, I’m not exactly sure what a magical house is. If you mean like, where the dishes do themselves and some other random things, all of my cousins have one. But no, I live in a tiny town called Redditch, and it’s quite muggle-ey out there.” Luke paused, slowing down and agreeing to explore. Why not? He had never been there before. Colin then handed him a Magpies badge, and he graciously accepted it. “Thank you! Maybe I’ll consider becoming a Magpies fan!”

Luke placed the badge in his pocket. “So, what about you? Are you a pure blood, half-blood, or muggle-born? Had you been to London before Hogwarts?”

Colin laughed as Luke talked about his two previous trips to London. It was much the same for the older boy. Before going to school, he'd only been to the City once. "I honestly don't know how people live in such a place like London! Me seanmamó always told us stories about muggle London. It sounded so grand, mate! But when we got there, it was terrifying! All the cars and the big moving houses! What are they --- boozes? --- Whatever. There's just too much noise!"

Colin nodded as they walked towards the door, Luke describing his house. His description of a magical house intrigued Colin. Why was it most kids seemed to gravitate towards dishes that washed themselves? He had begun to wonder if magical kids spent a lot of time in the kitchen watching the dishes being watched. Of course, Colin couldn't because he had been banished from the kitchens at home when he was a little kid. "Gosh, I don't think we've any muggles living near us. Not for miles anyway! I'll bet they've loads of leckitriskity things in their houses! You know, the telly box thing and figger raters and pewter boxes!"

Luke said he might become a Magpies fan. "You're welcome! Lad's got to have something to collect, right!? Do you collect chocofrog cards? Those are fun to collect, and I've got a bunch!" As Colin pushed the door open, he said: "Oh! I'm Pureblood!" Colin smirked as the sunlight washed over them. "Doesn't mean much. I reckon loads of 'bloods don't think much of me, because don't go in for all the fancy clothes and stuff. And my girl's a muggle born!"

Colin took off up the street. "Come on lad! Let's see what's to be seen!"

Colin leaves the thread.

@Luke Wilhelm