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Mentions: Reducio @Kai Taylor

Quote: Reducio Curiosity always leads somewhere.

Notes: Reducio

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The brilliant orange and purple storefront of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was impossible to miss. Usually, Diana would avoid stores like these. They are always too chaotic, and Diana was a more quiet person who kept to herself. For a moment outside, Diana paused, and watched a group of wizards disappear through the door. Their laughter drifted out into Diagon Alley. Curiosity got the best of her today, and Diana would soon enter the one shop she typically wouldn't alone.

As soon as she stepped inside, she was met with shelves overflowing with colorful boxes, spinning displays, and products that seemed to move entirely of their own accord. Somewhere nearby, something whistled loudly before erupting into a shower of harmless sparks, followed by another burst of laughter from a cluster of younger children.

Diana couldn't help smiling. This shop actually wasn't that bad. She couldn't believe she hadn't entered the shop alone sooner. Diana stopped every few steps to examine the displays as she slowly made her way through the shop. Extendable Ears stretched across one shelf, while nearby a pyramid of brightly packaged sweets promised everything from unexpected color changes to amusing side effects. Every item seemed stranger than the last. The young seer wondered how the store came to be and how the prank supplies came to be as well.

She picked up a small box, turning it over to read the description before quietly placing it back exactly where she'd found it. As entertaining as everything looked, she wasn't entirely convinced she trusted half the products enough to try them herself. However, she did like the shop, in fact she thought it was pretty cool.

Eventually, she found herself standing before another display, head tilted thoughtfully as she tried to decide whether one particular joke item was genuinely clever or simply asking for trouble. Perhaps it was a little both. Absorbed in reading the packaging, Diana didn't immediately notice someone approaching until they were only a few steps away. Sometimes being a seer was both annoying and amazing at the same time.

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Word Count: 344/200

In Kai’s previous first ever visit to Diagon Alley, he tried to take in all the sights and shops that he could. It was marvelous getting his first real experience of a wizarding shopping district. Unfortunately, Kai’s parents had them on a pretty strict schedule and he only got to really see shops that were necessary for fulfilling his school supply list for his first year.

Kai, however, had made note of some of the intriguing shops that he didn’t get a chance to visit in his first trip. So when Kai’s parents were both working, he made a solo trip to Diagon Alley, determined to take in the sights he couldn’t on his first visit.

That was how Kai found himself standing in front of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, he honestly had no idea what this shop really was. But he knew no other shop seemed as busy, loud and extravagant as this one. While loud noises and large crowds were not something that usually attracted Kai, his curiosity could not resist wondering what all the buzz was about.

Making his way through the store and crowd, Kai saw all sorts of products. If Kai had thought anything else he had seen was strange in Diagon Alley, he had thought wrong, nothing compared to this store. From prank supplies, sweets, pets, security equipment, did this store just have everything.

Kai wondered if all these products actually did what they promised, he supposed they must if the store was this popular still. Kai blinked as came across a shelf full of love potions, and as with many products he’d seen so far, he thought to himself does this actually work, also is this even legal, it seemed a bit morally questionable. But then again after everything Kai had seen so far in the wizarding world maybe he should not be surprised.

Continuing to explore the shop, Kai made his way to a section that seemed a bit less crowded. Kai relieved to have a bit of break from the crowds and noise made his way to the display seeing just one other person there. A girl with dark brown hair who seemed around his age and height at least.

Kai picked up one of the boxes on the display the girl was at and examined it, reading the description. Canary cream said to turn the eater into a canary it read. Kai was suddenly wondering if he’d have to be paranoid about what he ate at Hogwarts for fear of vomiting, passing out or apparently being turned into a canary based on some of the products he had seen at this shop. Without meaning to, Kai voiced his thoughts out loud “Does this really work, do people just get turned into canaries at Hogwarts”

Reducio

@Diana Roberts

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Mentions: Reducio @Kai Taylor

Quote: Reducio Curiosity always leads somewhere.

Notes: Reducio

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The unexpected question drew Diana's attention away from the display. She glanced toward the boy standing beside her, noticing he looked to be about her age. Judging by the curiosity in his voice, he was probably visiting the shop for the first time. Which was exactly like her! She looked back down at the box in his hands, the picture of a bright yellow canary staring cheerfully back at her.

"I... think they do," she admitted with a small laugh. "At least, that's what it says." She paused for a moment before adding, "I've never actually seen anyone eat one, though." However, the young raven also wasn't entirely sure if she'd want to see someone eat a canary cream. She studied the packaging again, trying to imagine someone willingly transforming into a bird, even if only for a few moments. The idea was amusing, but it also sounded rather inconvenient. She recalled there being a spell to summon canary birds, but she wasn't sure if that spell turned people into birds as well. "I don't think you have to worry too much about people slipping them into your food," she said reassuringly. "At least... nothing like that happened while I was at Hogwarts last year."

There had certainly been pranks, mostly harmless ones, but nothing quite as dramatic as half the things lining the shelves around them. Plus, Diana mainly kept to herself, so she avoided all the pranks if there were any.

Her gaze wandered across the display, where colorful boxes promised everything from temporary tongue-tying to portable swamps. It was difficult to tell where ordinary magic ended and complete absurdity began. These Weasley's sure were brilliant inventors, but Diana wasn't going to buy anything for herself.

"This shop seems to specialize in making impossible things seem normal." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I'm Diana, by the way." At least she didn't forget to introduce herself. She shifted the small basket she was carrying into her other hand before continuing. "I'm going into my second year this September." She hesitated briefly, not wanting to assume anything, because for all she knew, this boy could be older than he looked. It was safer to ask than to assume, that was what her grandmother and parents taught her. "Are you starting your first year?"

If he was, it would certainly explain the questions. Looking back, Diana remembered just how overwhelming her own first visit to Diagon Alley had felt. Every shop had introduced something new that she'd never imagined could exist. Compared to everything else she'd learned over the past year, a sweet that temporarily turned someone into a canary almost seemed... ordinary. Well, perhaps not ordinary. Just... less surprising than it would have been a year ago. And though she's a wizard-born, Diana enjoys learning new things about magic. She enjoys learning period.

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Kai hadn’t even realized or processed that he spoke his question out loud until he heard the girl speak, responding to his question. “That’s good to hear” Kai answered in return. He was glad it wasn’t a common occurrence for students to start turning into canaries or puking after eating breakfast at Hogwarts. Although maybe these kinds of pranks only happened in more private settings which is why the girl hadn’t seen any. Kai realized there was already far too much to think and worry about for his first year for him to be contemplating if his food or drinks would turn him into a canary.

Putting the canary cream back on the display, Kai looked at some of the other things on display. He didn’t even want to imagine what a portable swamp was or what it could do. There were so many interesting things that even if Kai wanted to buy something he had no idea what he would buy. He’d probably just save his money for now until he could see all the shops and decide what he thought was important.

He had to agree with the girl,“I thought I had seen impossible magic related things that are considered normal, and then I saw this shop” Kai looked at a package of Peruvian Instant Darkness Power which seemed like a practical item for this shop before continuing. “I’m sure I’ll see even more things I thought impossible in the future though.”

Even though both Kai’s parents were magical and he had seen and heard about magic, it had not prepared him for all this. Magic wasn’t exactly a huge part of his early life until recent years while growing up.

After the girl introduced herself, Kai nodded. “I am starting my first year, I’m Kai, nice to meet you.” Kai then hesitated he hadn’t had many opportunities to interact with older students before he started Hogwarts, it could be a good chance to learn some information especially from a student who would have just finished their first year. He did have a thousand questions after all. For some reason however he could not think of any of them in that moment, maybe he should have prepared a list titled 1000 questions I have about Hogwarts for older students to avoid this situation.

Not being able to think of anything useful to ask, and not wanting to stand there looking dumb much longer, Kai went for something simple, “Uh what house are you in?”

Reducio

@Diana Roberts