The doorbell above the entrance rang out as the Ashford family entered the chaotic neatness that was Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore. The smell of old books filled the air, and the rustling pages and frazzled parents and their 11-year-old children.
"Haven't been in this crazy bookstore in years, anyway, let's take a look at the damage," Thomas said, producing the crumpled supply list from his pocket. He read it quickly. "Right, Standard Book of Spells, Magical Theory. Boring stuff." His finger reached the middle, and he grinned. "Ah! Now we're getting there! Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! Great. That's the one you'll actually enjoy reading, Isa. The rest are just textbooks; that one's an adventure. And a classic at that.
At the same time, Evelyn was already distracted by a 'Buy One, Get One Half Off' sale on Herbology books. "Oh, sweetie, look! They have a new version of Encyclopedia of Toadstools, I've been searching for that particular one for a while," she whispered, seeming tempted. "The pictures in my book are so old-fashioned."
"Evelyn, darling, the school first," said Thomas with a loving but frustrated smile. "Isa, go see if you can find the potions book from amidst the chaos over there," he pointed towards a crowded table titled 'First Year Essentials' where a small group was elbowing each other for copies.
Isadora pushed her way through the crowd and was able to get her hands on a copy of Magical Drafts and Potions. The cover of the book felt strangely warm.
Thomas led them through the crowded aisles, avoiding a few wandering ladders. "Now, from what I remember, that 'A History of Magic ' book should be... here!" He grabbed a dusty chunky book from a low shelf. "Bit of a doorstop that one literally! Also, very Good for wedging open an extremely stuck window." Evelyn came towards them from the side with a botany-related book," and then she moved towards some other section that caught her eye before Thomas could reply to her.
Lastly, they discovered the creatures section of texts. Thomas's eyes widened as he found a familiar pea-green cover. "Here it is!" He extracted a mint condition copy of Fantastic Beasts and presented it to Isadora with gravitas. "The author was a true pioneer in his profession. Your mum and I still refer to our outdated copies for work. My first edition has a bite mark from a rather disgruntled Jobberknoll."
Evelyn returned to them, this time carrying a thin book about healing herbs. "For the home kit," she said before Thomas could protest. She smiled at the pile in Isadora's arms. "Oh, wonderful, you discovered the Scamander book, that's definitely a fun one. Just be careful of the Fwoopers chapter; it's very confusing about their nesting patterns. We did a paper on that."
The last book had been The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. Thomas approached a stack that was shivering very gently. "Nasty piece of work, this one. Always tries to bite. Useful, though." He grabbed it out in an instant, and the book closed itself just one second too late. "Ha! Still quicker than you!" When they reached the checkout, they piled the books onto the counter. The grumpy shopkeeper began ringing them in without so much as a look up. When he was tallying up the total, Thomas tried to push Evelyn's book of herbal medicines aside, but she pushed it back into the pile with a cheerful yet mischievous smile.
Isadora cradled her new copy of Fantastic Beasts, following the embossed title with her fingertips. Already, it was like her favorite,
she began to wondered when could be the soonest she could start reading it, as they had paid the entire amount when they exited the store