Nick wanders around with his mother, Julia. They feel totally out of place within the foreign, but yet so present Wizarding World.

The boy has a list at his disposal, referred to in the letter sent to him by the school Hogwarts. This list has a series of items, ranging from equipment, such as a cauldron, or a wand, to materials, like books, which is the main subject on this story, as Nick Kingsman enters the shop Flourish and Blotts Bookseller (Pointed out by a kind old lady), to scout out a bunch of the items on the list, those being books.

He wanders around, amazed at the amount of books, all referring to magical subjects, like History of the Magic World, or Magical beasts, or spells. His mother Julia tells him to stay in the shop, as she will wander around, searching for the books, just as he should. Nick follows the instruction, and starts scouting some of the books on his own, particularly, the book titled "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" by Newt Scamander, because how could one resist the idea of beings like Unicorns or Trolls being a thing? Also, Magical History, even when being magical, was still History, and he disliked that subject very much.

While searching around, he realizes how lost he is, so he considers looking around for the owner and ask them, but before he does so, he catches a glimpse at a table, filled to the brim with both books, and readers. He calmly, but unsurely, approaches one of them, intending to ask about the location of this book he feels so curious for.

Bert sees a boy his age walk up to him. The boy looks just as lost as Bert was just 20 minutes ago. Bert had walked into Flourish and Blotts as the first store to peruse as he was always eased by books. Even these magical ones with strange new words and facts he loved. With his entire life in an upheaval unlike any he had experienced previously, the comfort of books was welcomed. He looked at the many stacks agape for quite a while until the kindly shopkeeper took pity on the obvious Muggle-Born boy.

He hadn’t even purchased any of the books yet but he poured himself into them quickly, he was afraid that there wouldn’t be anything left of him so shop in the other stores. Normally he would have kept his head down and tried to avoid the look of this boy approaching him. But life would be different now, no more moving (except for summer) and no more going to different schools. This would be his school for the next 7 years! He needed to get out of his shell and actually make friends this time.

“Hi, um... I can help you find some books if you want. The shop keeper helped me so I know where all the books we need for school are. Honestly though they only sell to Hogwarts students why don’t they just organize the books by what each student will need for each year?...” Bert Rambled. This was going badly.

Nick noticed as he approached the boy on the desk that his presence was not particularly pleasant to the kid. He intended to turn around and go away, but wanted to do it so it didn't seem like he was doing that, because that's how people work most of the time, they worry too much about meaningless things, and Nick was no exception. But it seems the boy read him, ironically, like any of the books he had at his disposal, calling him over, telling him that he would be more than happy to provide assistance.

Nick, a bit surprised by the sudden change of heart, made his way slowly and timidly to him, "Hello there... I-I don't mean to be annoying, just noticed you seem to know your stuff, and... I guess I could've asked the shopkeeper, but I...", he felt like he was embarrasing himself. "Since when I'm so bad with social interaction?!", he thought in his mind, but also knew the answer, after all of Baldwin's lies over at his previous school, his social circles decreased in size, so he didn't talk to that much people anymore, "Sorry for this, I'd normally not be like this, it's just being new on this Wizarding World I guess... You think you could show me around?", Nick didn't realize that Bert was not experienced with the Wizarding World, just like him! It was probably the stack of books he was reading with naturality that sold off the impression, again, that he knew his stuff.

** Permission to join RP by Nicholas Kingsman**

Astoria spent the entire day with both her mother and father preparing for the long journey she would have to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the only daughter to Matthias and Narcissa Middleton, they were wanting Astoria to get everything she needed to get her started on a good foot at Hogwarts. Astoria's parents were both graduates of Hogwarts and both worked at the Ministry. Her father worked in the Department of Mysteries and her mother worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She was shocked to see that her parents had both taken the day off since they both had quite pressing jobs but it meant everything to all three of them.

Since Astoria had finished all her shopping and even grabbed her school books, she still wanted to go back into Flourish and Blotts. She wanted to find more books that she could potentially purchase even if they weren't on her book list. Maybe some fun books she could look at? Astoria always had her head in the books. Primarily fairytales but she knew that Flourish and Blotts may not have those exactly. But a book on wizarding world fairytales?! Amazing!

She stepped into the store, her parents seeing her off and meeting at the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for a special treat later when she was done. The smell of old books and parchment was amazing! She wandered the store, passing by sections that she had already visited just moments before. She found what looked to be two boys her age. Maybe they too were going to Hogwarts as well? "Hello there," Astoria greeted with a calm smile "Are you two looking for school books for Hogwarts?"

This was now getting out of hand, two people wanted his help! Bert just needed to breathe. He knew he could help them as the shopkeeper had shown him the entire store earlier and Bert had hung to her every word.

It looked like both the students weren't necessarily alone here in Diagon Alley but had decided to venture into the bookshop alone. Bert definitely wanted to clear up that he was not a know-it-all, he had learned quickly that at some schools that was a fast route to getting beat up.

"Well I can certainly help you find our textbooks (if you are first-years of course) because the shop keeper showed me, but if you want something else you will have to ask her."

Bert looked over at the elderly shop keeper and realized that while he had been silently reading his textbooks the shop had become overwhelmingly busy. Bert thought best to help her out by helping these two wayward book buyers.

"Perhaps not given the line. I can show you guys to the shelves."

As Bert directed the two he thought back to something his father used to say to him when he cared about his son making friends "Son, make small talk with people! Ask them questions! People love to talk about themselves!"

"So... Have either of you been to any of the other shops? I started here because book stores are where I'm comfortable and haven't left yet."

Eight people entered Flourish and Blotts, and they were primarily dark haired. One was a girl with her arms crossed, gazing around the room in a bored manner as she walked around. That was Lyra, and she wasn't very excited to be in a book store. Even if it was for collecting her supplies for her very first year at Hogwarts, she'd been in this exact store too many times that the excitement dulled very much, but there was still a little energy balled up inside.

She had a written piece of paper in her hand and she glanced down at it. She needed...seven books for school, and she remembered seeing three of them near the front of the store, so she figured she could start there.

Not long after Lyra had every book she needed, while her idiot brother, Ferris, only had one book in hand was being scolded by their mother about not being able to find anything. She smirked and went back to looking for that one stingy book that didn't want to be found. Of course it had to be about Magic Theory, something she didn't really care for, and her mother would think she was stalling to get on purpose.

Lyra sighed, spinning around in an exasperated motion. Where was it? She really couldn't wait to go, and even her younger twin brother and sister couldn't agree more. They kept asking when they were going to the Ice Cream Parlour, they really wanted to try one of the new flavors. Lyra felt like asking too but she still had a task at hand.

Noticing that her mother was looking around for her, Lyra ducked her head and moved between the bookshelves. She noticed a small of kids her age walking and figured they probably knew what they were doing. She hurried to catch up and when she was close, she asked, “Sorry, not sorry, for disturbing you, but do you know where the Magic Theory books can be found? I might be a bit blind if I can't find them...”

Nick was caught off guard yet again by a new face joining the fray, Astoria was her name, but he didn't know that of course (yet). Nick didn't act the same around girls as with boys of course, he always wanted to make a good impression and not screw up, giving himself less wiggle room to be himself. He smiled as best he could, "Howdy", he greeted her, Bert fading from his mind, "Ye-Yeah, well, at least me, I wanted to get a look at so-some book about beasts I saw on the list", he confessed.

Bert talking again got Nick to return to paying attention not only to Astoria, "I think school books are fine, there were some interesting titles right?", he looked at both of them, glancing at his own list, "Not to repeat myself... But "Fantastic Beasts" sounds pretty Fantastic", he pointed at something else on his list, "If not, maybe some Dark Forces? That sounds cool too", he worried that, being the newbie of the group (He still didn't figure out that Bert was not a wizard like Astoria), he felt such amazement for common, every-day stuff for the other two, "Oh and... Yeah, I went to the wand shop earlier, I couldn't resist, I mean... It's a wand!".

Before they could go of course, another person joined the group, another girl, but this time she had raven hair, just like her eyes, dark, and a pale skin that made good contrast with her hair. All in all, Nick smiled to her, "Sure, our friend over here was just about to show us too", he felt a bit more risky, "Why don't you join us?", he flashed her a smile.

The first boy (Bert Jones) spoke first to Astoria and the other boy that was present. He actually looked as though he worked at the book store but luckily for Astoria she was already taken care of. She smiled and replied with "I just came back to look around again to see if there is anything interesting besides school books." She continued, "I was hoping to maybe find some books related to wizarding world themed fairytale stories but I haven't really taken the time to look yet." The boy had then asked if she or the others had been to any of the other shops yet. "My parents and I stopped her about over an hour ago. My father told me about the books around here and I wanted it to be my first stop!"

The other boy (Nicholas Kingsman) greeted Astoria with a howdy and it made her giggle actually. He had informed her that he was looking to get some books about beasts that were listed. Astoria nodded "Ah yes! Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!" she replied remembering the title, "I don't know much about magical creatures and to be honest, I'm a little bit fearful to learn about them..." The boy had also mentioned the Dark Forces as well. Now that would be some black magic that's dangerous to get into, but perhaps it will be good self defense. The thought that the boy found that Fantastic Beasts sounded pretty fantastic made her giggle again.

Another student approached and it was a girl (Lyra Hardwick). She had asked where the magical theory books were located at. "Hmm, I think I saw them somewhere while I was in here earlier..." She turned behind the group and looked up. "Ah! There they are! Let's grab the step ladder there."

Looking at the group as she pulled the step ladder along the wall, she introduced herself. "I'm Astoria by the way. And you all are?"

"Oh! Right, I'm Bert. Though I do know the location of our textbooks I am rather unhelpful otherwise, we could roam the shelves. I'd like that as I am quite new to this all." Bert gestured widely at everything.

Perhaps this was going better than originally thought, three people talking to him is more than has ever happened at any of his other schools. Or they could just be using him to make their shopping easier and he will never hear from them again after this. Either way - at least it is practice.

He turned to the girl who came in with, what Bert assumes is, her rather large family, "I can show you the Magical Theory books before we peruse the shelves, they are just in this shelf here." Bert debated whether it would be appropriate to ask about her family and thought better of it. He wouldn't have wanted any of them to ask him why he was here alone so she probably didn't want to be asked about them.

As he was showing them to the proper shelves he asked the boy "How was it when you got your wand? I've been putting that one off the most. I just seems like... finally getting that will make this all... well... real!"

Lyra was glad that she'd caught up with friendly people. It would've been just her luck to have met some snobby teenagers who scoffed at her, but she met some pretty nice kids. She assumed that they were all going to Hogwarts by now, after they mentioned the same books and same tasks to be done in Diagon Alley. Lyra briefly wondered if she would ever talk to them again after this during the school year.

She was slightly confused between the Bert and the Astoria, who said they knew where the books were, but the step ladder seemed like a fun idea so she decided to take that to reach the Magic Theory section.

While reaching around, Lyra said, to answer the girl, “My name is Lyra, last name Hardwick. You might know of my father, he's an Auror, taking out the bad guys.” She was having trouble getting the book she wanted. There were easier to reach ones but she wanted the crisp ones further away and was leaning dangerously far from where she needed.

Afraid she might fall, Lyra got back down with a frown and looked around. She remembered seeing a rolly-ladder nearby and went to get. After doing so, she climbed up it and got the book she wanted, waving it in the air with a smile at the kids below. She was about to say something funny when she felt the ladder shake.

With a loud cry the ladder gave way and Lyra and the Magic Theory book both fell to the ground with a loud thud.