That morning Erika Hines had been dropped off in Diagon Alley while her mother had decided to head onto important business elsewhere - Erika having regarded this with narrowed eyes as she had watched Tanja talk, regarding each word with complete and utter scrutiny. Important business in the Hines household had always been another set of words for business in Knockturn Alley - she and Matthias had figured it out long ago when they had been no more than eight years old. She was positive that Matthias often would go about the area himself now, but Erika wouldn't get to go for many years, if at all.

No matter. Being left in Diagon Alley that July afternoon would allow her to explore the shops again on her own terms without it being overly crowded with shoppers. She still found herself shuddering when she thought back to the day she had come to the Alley in order to get her school robes fitted alongside buying the rest of her schooling equipment for her first year. It had been pure havoc and her mother had almost cursed several people along the way. Luckily....there wouldn't be any of that today and with a grin and a surprising skip in her step, Erika sought refuge from the beaming summer sun by entering one of her favourite stores. Flourish and Blotts. Breathing in, the Ravenclaw girl grinned as the smell of aged books reached her. It was quiet inside with only a few other shoppers, none of whom gave even a glance to the lithe blonde who had entered the store, which she preferred. It was difficult to browse and enjoy reading snippets of books before purchasing them if one had others talking to them the entire time.

Walking to the section which held her favourite branch of magic, Erika reached out and picked up a newly released book on transfiguration from a shelf. Beginning to skim it, a gentle smile graced her features, lifting the usual stoic look from her face and allowing her to look like the twelve-year-old that she truly was.