Chapter 5: Diagon Alley

It is finally time to leave for London, I know that we will arrive a few weeks early to be able to make the respective purchases of the letter, so if all goes well I will be able to take the opportunity to look for some information. 

As a child I had never left France, much less after the death of my parents, Alphonse would not allow me to leave the country or any other place where I would be exposed to many people, he was a strict man but it wasn't until I was older that I learned he was also fearful. Afraid of losing me, his continuous training was often contrasted with his sweet way of treating me, but all the pieces fit together once you knew his weak side, one that he only showed on his deathbed, one that only I could see.

The farewell this time was more painful, the first time I started in the previous academy I cried almost the whole trip mostly for Alphonse and prik, since with the others I had no real bond, at least nothing similar as now, I would have liked to share more with them, but I am here for another reason.

After arriving in London, we stayed in a cottage, not as spacious as my home, but quite homey, you could tell it was a place that was full of love for how things still are, even Alfonse was going from room to room with a somewhat nostalgic smile.

The house on its walls you could appreciate the decorative paper a striking and colorfully unaesthetic and had a design that broke with the aesthetics of any place where it was placed, apparently, the tastes of his parents were inherited to Alphonse since he was in charge of buying my clothes, that would explain many things of the clothes I found when I returned to this time. 

After exploring the rooms we returned to the main room on the second floor where in the center of the room there was a giant fireplace, or well for my size it looked like it.

On the walls remain different family portraits, pictures of a wedding, pictures of Alphonse with his Hogwarts Academy costume, a great amount and variety of pictures, something different from my home, where the only portrait there was going up the stairs where a portrait of my parents could be appreciated in an imposing way, a portrait in which I am sitting on my mother's legs while my father is behind us holding my mother's men, how nice it would have been to have this amount of pictures in my family.

His parents must have been very proud of him to show him off all over their home, but something broke with the aesthetics of the photo frames. On the top of the fireplace, there was a photo frame different from the others, in it, there was a photo where you could see a very happy couple and next to it a boy with crossed arms frowning obviously that was Alphonse and his parents, but on the other side of the phot,o there was only the trace of a burn on the photo, almost as if they had done it on purpose or had rescued it just in time before the photo burned completely.

I even tried to get closer to better appreciate the photo and in the mother's hand where the burned photo was, I could see a much smaller hand, almost like that of a baby. 

"Are you curious what was on that side of the picture?"-said Alphonse, breaking the silence in the place.

As I turned to look at him his nostalgic smile had faded, he had lost any trace of emotion in a matter of seconds.

Alphonse put his hand on my shoulder and continued talking. 

"It was our first family photo, that day I remember I was furious because I wanted to be the one next to my mother... but I was not allowed, since my parents wanted me to be next to my father, and next to my mother to be Elise... my precious little sister"- he took the photo with extreme delicacy, to then leave it in my hands.

Alphonse had a sister, he never talked about it with me before, this is a surprise even for me who thought I knew Alphonse more than anyone else. 

"She was quite a restless child, also rebellious, and had her moments when she thought she was the mistress and lady of the whole house, but despite being a child with those qualities she was a child full of joy and love towards my parents, even towards me when she wasn't competing for my parents' attention with me hahaha"- she laughs a little and her face becomes more colorful, almost as if she was going to cry. " she was a smart girl with more manners than anyone her age... you my lord remind me of her, I would have liked you to meet her, maybe she would have taken care of you as if you were her son." 

"What happened to her?"-he asked with a hint of impatience in my voice. 

"Elise was sick, no one had noticed this because she was always smiling and running around the house, when we found out about her illness it was already quite late, since that time I realized that there is no magic that cures all kinds of illness and that there is no magic that fills an empty heart."

After those words, Alphonse walked over to a drawer on one of the tables and opened it to pull out a brown cloth bag with a knot in the top. 

"Surely they must be happy I'm back home hahaha"- Alphonse says as he laughs again- " come on come on, we'll be late, leave the painting anywhere, and stand inside the fireplace." 

Leaving the painting on a tea table, I do as Alphonse instructs and stop right in the middle of the bonfire. 

"Very well, it's been a long time since I've done this so it's going to be a little weird at first, so try not to move from that spot," he explains as he opens the bag and takes out some kind of powder in the palm of his hand. 

Of course, since it didn't occur to me, that would explain the giant chimney, this is for traveling with Powder Flu, the magical powders capable of transporting a person from one place to another via a Flu Network. the network that connects most of the homes and buildings in the magical world.

"Well I explain, you have to be very clear with what you say, take the powder and throw it to the base of the chimney, this will take you where you indicate, so remember to pronounce well Diagon Alley, I'll be right behind you"- he says while he hands me the powder.

I don't deny that I have traveled by this means, but I never liked it, I always burned a part of my clothes, besides with time it stopped being safe to use this method to travel from one place to another since some chimneys were enchanted to take you to places where your death was already designated. 

"Did you understand?" asks Alphonse.

"Yes sir." 

As I throw the powder I shout Diagon Alley to ensure my trip without risk of getting lost, moments later a green fire appears under my feet and in the blink of an eye I'm in another chimney in an establishment full of people coming and going through different chimneys. 

Moments later Alphonse also appears behind me, shaking a little as part of his coat caught fire. 

"Nothing can be perfect, how did it go for you?". Alphonse asks as he quickly checks me out. 

"All is well, quiet."

"Very good, congratulations your first trip was a complete success my lord"-Alphonse smiles like a proud father-" now let's continue, follow me". 

When you go out to the main street you can see a considerable number of people and children coming out of the commercial establishments. 

"My lord I present to you the famous DIAGON STREET, a place where magic is in every place even in the corners you shouldn't enter"- Alphonse says while being pushed by the people around us, definitely a rather distressing presentation. 

"So here we will buy everything the list asks for?"

"That's right my lord, I will take you to the best places, my lord deserves the best of this place"-Alphonse speaks with a cheerful tone, it was very rare to see him like that, he looked like a little boy-"so let's start, my lord".

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