So. Many. People.

Ugh, Illowy made a mental note never to come to Diagon Alley this close to the start of term ever again. Typically, she was good at getting her supplies that she would need for the next school year early in the summer, but she'd been slacking a bit on her preparedness this year. As punishment, everything was packed as children and their parents or guardian plus apparently very possible other family member it felt like were hurriedly trying to tick off everything on their lists for school.

It was so easy to figure who was getting supplies for their very first year of school. Not because they looked so young, oh no; it was because incoming First Years had one of two very particular looks on their faces when engaging in the daunting task of school supplies shopping. On the one hand, you had the starry-eyed kids who were practically buzzing with excitement as they chatting with their friends or family about what they were expecting out the year. On the other hand, you had the kids who looked so incredibly overwhelmed and nervous it seemed like they might litter break down in tears or wet themselves at any moment as they tried to comprehend everything going to Wizarding School actually entailed as more and more items were piled onto them. Poor things. She'd also noticed the pattern that often these kids were also either Muggle-borns or had been more or less raised outside of the Wizarding World. One summer Illowy's best friend tried to teach her a bit about the Muggle World and Illowy was overwhelmed by all that after just a week; she couldn't imagine what it must've been like the other way around.

None the less, they would acclimate. She'd yet to meet a Muggle-born that didn't eventually begin to feel just as comfortable among Wizard kind as they did amongst Muggles.

Shouldering her way through the crowd, Illowy made her way towards the section of books containing more advanced books; therefore less people trying to elbow their way to the nearest copy of The History of Magic, giving herself at least a small moment of reprieve from the chaos. Never would she ever again make the mistake of waiting until the last minute ever again.

Thin fingers trailed over dusty and polished leather spines, searching for the titles on her list; Merlin , did Illowy love a good day in a book shop. She loved it even more when it was quiet, but after so many years surrounded by the incessant chatting of other people around her, the young witch had become apted at tuning out the white noise. So much so, she nearly didn't hear someone behind her trying to get her attention.

The girl turn her head, glacial blue eyes flicking down at the child behind her. Illowy's naturally cold gaze ran up and down the girl before looking up and around them as though trying to look for someone else; preferably the child's parents. Illowy wasn't exactly good at dealing with other people, especially children. Hell, people her own age didn't even really care to approach her. Illowy wasn't the "approachable" type. Between her pale and slim features that contrasted so starkly against her dark mess of confused waves and curls and her chronic RBF, it was more common for people to avoid her sharply. Her gaze itself had even garnered its own reputation over the years that when the witch looked at you, it was more as though she were looking straight through your very being; and that had a tendency to unsettle people.

When Illowy didn't spy any adults who seemed to be looking for their lost kid, the teen shifted a bit where she stood, "Um... yes?" she answered awkwardly, "Do, uh... do ye need somethin', Poppet?"