Birthday Invitation

[The Burrow, 1988]

" What am I going to do?"

Ron was currently facing a great dilemma, his mother. After what happened with the Rat bastard Peter Pettigrew two years ago, it had become clear to him that he needed to get stronger and richer as soon as possible.

For that reason he wanted to return to Diagon Alley, since he'd come across a potential a potion recipe he believed would earn him lots of money. Unfortunately he sorely lacked a functional couldron and the necessary magical ingredients.

There was also the problem with the recipe itself, as the one Ron found was incomplete. Forcing him to first test out several possible proxy ingredients. Then if that wasn't bad enough, his mother forbade him from making such purchases at his age. He could possibly head their in secret but she'd made sure to hide the Floo Powder.

' I need to test out the recipe, but where can I do it? I could do it, in Hogwarts as they'll have all the ingredients needed, but thats still two whole years away. I need a way to start earning money, now!'

" Ron, breakfast!"

Hearing his mother calling, he didn't really feel like heading downstairs. He'd much rather use his time thinking off a solution to his financial situation. Nevertheless when the second much louder yell came, he gave up and begrudgingly went downstairs.

Percy had also gone off to Hogwarts, leaving behind the twins, Ron and Ginny. Fred and George had become used to his apathetic nature and would rarely try to bother him. Leading them to focus on messing with their mom and sister instead.

" Ron! Don't make me bring you down here myself!"

" Coming!"

Sitting down at the dinning table Ron began to eat when suddenly an owl came through the window. It was Eroll the families post owl delivering the days mail. Ron never received any mail, so he rarely payed attention to it, but when his mother clicked her tongue he became curious.

" What's it say mum?"

" Oh, it's just a birthday invitation from the Greengrass family. Says it's their oldest daughter's 8th birthday next week."

' Greengrass, isn't that one of the Sacred Twenty Eight?'

" Are we going?"

His mother, brothers, and sister all looked at him as if he'd just said the stupidest thing in the world. That's when he remembered that they hated all of those families to the core.

" Ronald, don't worry about such things, come on hurry up and finish your breakfast."

" They invited us right? So why shouldn't we go?"

Hearing her son, Molly thought about he last time she attended one of those parties. It ended with her husband fighting with several of the other guests after they insulted their family.

' I can't let this chance slip up, the Pureblood Wizarding families are loaded. They're basically walking cash cows, I need to get in with them.'

" If you don't want to go then can I? She's around my age and we'll probably go to Hogwarts at the same time. Besides aren't you the one always telling me to make friends?"

" That's not... what gift are you going to give her? If you don't take a suitable gift they won't allow you to enter the party."

" I already thought of that, I can get a job at Diagon Alley like many of the other kids and save up, Its next week right?"

" What could you possibly buy with that little amount? Your giving it to an snobbish Heiress not some random girl."

" Then give me the week and if you're not satisfied with my gift I won't go. What do you say?"

" Fine! You have one week!"

" Then can I get some Floo Powder and go to Diagon Alley?"

" You're not going by yourself, wait until tour dad come home and he'll take you."

" I can't wait that long most of the shops will be closed by then. How about Fred and George go wi-?"

Before he could finish, his brothers had already joined his side and were fighting for his cause.

" Don't worry mom--"

" --Well take good care of him."

" ... Fine, but I don't want you three out there past 1:00 you hear!"

" Yes, mum!"

" Of--"

" --Course."

Their mom brought out the Floo Powder, then one by one they got in the chimney and headed towards Diagon Alley.

_

Once they got there, Ron needed to separate from his brothers so he gave them 20 Sickles from his savings and sent them towards Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.

They happily accepted and made their way to the shop, while he went to Madam Malkin's. There he bought a second hanr robe with a hood and matching black gloves.

Walking back to the leaky couldron, he made a quick turn, entering a much darker and gloomier alleyway.

' Knockturn Alley, doesn't look that bad, it even looks better than some of the streets from my past life. Now I just need to find the right shop... Got it.'

Walking along the dark path several people took noticed of him, so he took out Peters wand and flaunted it. Seeing that he either was a Goblin or a some other halfbreed they left him alone. He entered a small shop with a broken wand sign, inside a rough looking man turned towards him with an angry scowl on his face.

" Whatcha want!?"

Ron placed Peter's wand on the counter and pointed to the sign behind the giant that read: We buy used wands.

" Huh, you want to sell it? Chestnut 9¼", dragon heartstring,Yew, 13½", phoenix feather... I'll give you 4 Galleons take it or leave it."

That wasn't the price he wanted but he didn't necessarily want to keep the damn thing so he took the four Galleons and walked away. As he was leaving he could hear the man snicker at the deal he'd just made.

' I'll be back for the rest...'

After selling Peter's wand he went to to another shop a few doors down, Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary. Like the last shop the person in charge wasn't the most welcoming but then again he wasn't expecting them to be.

Without saying anything he put a small list of ingredients on the counter which the man picked up and skimmed through.

" This will costs ya 3 Galleons, and 15 Sickles."

' Damn It, that's basically all the money I have, these assholes are fucking with me...*"

Since he needed the ingredients Ron took out the money while the man fixed up his order.

' Before arriving at Diagon Ally, I'd saved up two Gallons from birthdays and gifts. After selling off the rat bastard's wand, I acquired four more, totalling to six Galleons. Now half of that's gone after just purchasing the ingredients...'

A few moments later the man came back with his ingredients, seeing them all they were quite a few so he took out his father's Mokeskin Pouch (That he borrowed) and stored them all inside. Done with his shopping he exited Knockturn Alley and directly went to Slug and Jiggers.