Waiting For Book Five

Waiting for Book Five

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Outside Flourish and Blotts, 11:50 pm June 20th.

The sign on the door read 'Midnight Opening for sales of the new Muggle book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Read the fifth book in the series showing how Muggles see us.' Judging by the length of the queue, which snaked a long way down Diagon Alley, a lot of wizards did want to read it, and as soon as they could.

Ciaran Kenachty and Byron Stark were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, as were several other wizards who were nominally in the queue. 'It's more fun sitting eating these than wearing your legs out hanging around,' commented Ciaran, taking a spoonful of his sundae.

'Obviously,' said Byron, looking round at the others 'queueing' while eating sundaes.

Danae Fishlock, a witch who'd been at Hogwarts with them, leant over from the next table. 'What do you think will be in the book?'

'I want to see the Draco character get killed by You-Know-Who,' Byron replied.

'Did you ever meet the real one?' asked Ciaran.

'Yes, I did,' said Byron. 'He's actually quite nice, and threatened to sue over how he was portrayed in the book.'

Danae nodded. 'Oh, yes, and those two friends of his -- do you remember them?'

'Vince and Greg? Those two weedy kids who were trying to read every book in the library? They'd have trouble recognising themselves, wouldn't they?' Byron shook his head and took another spoonful of his sundae. 'Rumour said that they actually paid the writer to change them so much!'

Ciaran mused, 'So far in the books, the only ones who seem to have sex are Arthur and Molly Weasley, and their son Percy with his girlfriend Penelope -- at least, they must have been up to something in that dungeon room. Do you think there'll be more of that in the new book?'

'I bet there will be,' said Danae. 'Though I don't think that the book will go as far as Harry, Ron and Hermione did in real life.'

'I'd left Hogwarts by then,' said Byron. 'I got a real shock when I heard about that from Hannah. Hermione had always seemed so quiet, hadn't she?'

Danae grinned. 'Not in her fifth year. Supposedly she couldn't decide between the two boys, so she didn't try.'

'How did everyone find out?' asked Ciaran. 'They didn't really get caught in bed together in the boys' dorm, did they?'

'Well, that was the story. They never quite denied it, so it probably is true.' Danae carefully picked out a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and ate it. 'They were certainly spending a lot of time together -- though they almost always were before then, too.'

Another of their friends from school, Sean Cooper, joined them. 'Waiting for the book too?'

'Yeah, and talking about the real people behind it,' said Byron.

'Just saw Cedric over there,' Sean said, pointing further along the queue.

'Cedric got a good laugh out of his death scene,' Danae said.

'I bet Hannah gets mentioned again, but only in passing,' said Byron. 'I don't know why the books avoid mentioning almost all of the other Hufflepuffs. I could have been in any of the first three; Percy Weasley was, and I was in the same year as him.'

'There's Ernie too,' said Ciaran. 'I don't really remember him, though.'

'He was in Ravenclaw, that's why not,' said Danae. 'But the writer thought he'd make a good friend for Justin in the second book, so she moved him into Hufflepuff.'

'How good a friend was he, really?' asked Ciaran suspiciously.

'Look, those were only rumours. Besides, I'm sure Ernie hardly even spoke to Justin really. He's as keen on pure-bloods as any Slytherin, and there he is in the books being friends with two Muggle-borns.'

Sean grinned. 'You might claim they're only rumours, but there was quite a bit of proof.'

'Why is Hannah in all the books?' Ciaran asked.

'I saw a picture of the writer once. I think Hannah looks a bit like her -- so maybe that's why,' suggested Danae.

'Have you ever seen the Muggles around King's Cross station, looking for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters?' Brock asked, with a big grin. 'I heard they keep running into walls to see if they can find it, so there're warning signs everywhere, and medimuggles are kept busy.'

'Oh, that's ridiculous. The description in the books doesn't even match the way the station looks,' Sean objected. 'It fits Euston much better.'

'Of course it does,' shrugged Danae. 'That's where it is, after all.'

'I saw a photo of the Professor Sprout they've got in the Muggle film. The actress looks about right, but they've got her dressed almost like a scarecrow,' said Byron.

Ciaran shook his head. 'Daft. No robes in three pastel shades, then? I've never seen anyone but her wearing those.'

'No, none. Just the scarecrow outfit. And Professor Snape is tall and miserable, not at all jolly.'

'Poor old Severus,' said Danae. 'Most of the teachers aren't that different from the way they are really. I wonder why he got picked on?'

'I don't know.' Byron finished his sundae and looked at the queue. Then he said, 'I know one thing about the books. They're fun, but I'm glad there isn't a real Lord Voldemort causing everyone problems. I suppose there had to be something to add an overall menace to the story, though.'

A bell sounded from Flourish and Blotts, and the people started to move, as those at the head of the queue were finally allowed in.

Byron stood up. 'Well, we'll soon know what this one's like.' He and the others joined the tail of the queue and waited.

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