Harry Potter Next Generation discussion

The shop contains practical joke objects, such as; Extendable Ears, a Reusable Hangman, Skiving Snackboxes, and Fred and George's special WonderWitch products, such as; Love Potions, Ten-Second Pimple Vanishers, and Pygmy Puffs. There is also a section of Muggle Magic Tricks "for freaks like Dad", which are said to do steady business, despite not being big sellers. The shop also sells a number of defensive magical objects. This establishment started out as an 'owl-post service' led by the twins from The Burrow, (later continued from Hogwarts), selling joke-products until the final shop was opened. It is now run by George Weasley and Ron Weasley.

"So here it is," Malcolm said, "Best jokeshop outside of Diagon Alley."

Ava looked around. "What does all this stuff even do?" She asked curiously.

"All sorts of things."

Ava snorted. "Of course," she said. "what kind of things?" she asked.

"pranks, jokes, and just all out hilariousness," he said, with a expression of mock sincerity.

Ava glared and just looked around.

"Be careful what you pick up, and always read the labels before touching stuff- Oh, hi Laurence," he called to the boy standing outside, bickering with a tall, red-haired girl outside the building.

"o-okay," Ava said, gently putting the object she had picked up down. She stuck her hands in her pocket and turned her head when Malcolm greeted a boy named Laurence. "Who was that?" she asked curiously.

Laurence turned and waved, while Nan muttered under her breath and stormed off. Laurence walked away in the opposite direction. Malcolm laughed, then turned back to Ava.
"They always argue," he said by way of explanation, "Nan is annoyed by most guys, and Laurence just likes arguing. Don't tell him I told you, but I think he has a thing 4 her. Poor guy. Poor Nan too, I guess." He laughed.

Ava laughed quietly so the girl named Nan didn't hear. "Well I've noticed when you argue with someone about stupid little things, it's usually because there are some suppressed emotions," Ava told him. "I can see why she is- after all, guys can be infuriating. But hey, what do I know?" she shrugged and laughed. "Oh let's hope that she doesn't kill him when she figures out," she teased.

"Are you kidding me," he laughed, "She'll kill him long before that- especially if he decides to go out with someone else. Biggest pair of idiots I ever met, but they make some great friends. I think I'm the only male Nan can talk to for more than five seconds without strangling."

Ava laughed. "Well let's home they both survive one way or another." She looked at something on a shelf, intrigued by it, but not enough to dare to pick it up. "Let's home he doesn't then. A bit oblivious, yes," she agreed. "I think I might want to meet this famous Nan," Ava laughed, interested in the girl.

"Maybe. I warn you, she's very...different."

Ava laughed. "We all are. Even me.." She trailed off, lost in thought.

"I think she'll like you." He laughed. Nan would definitely like this girl.
"But right now we're at a joke shop, so let's buy some fun stuff." He still couldn't believe she'd never been here.

Ava blushed. "You think so?" she asked seriously, a look of disbelief and hope in her eyes. She didn't have many friends, and the thought of someone liking her was a good one.
She laughed. "They way you've described the shop, they seem more like weapons than jokes," Ava pointed out, her smile reaching her eyes.

"You are right up Nan's alley. But I warn, you, she can be a bit...domineering." He answered her first question. The second was easier. All he said was: "So we understand each other."

Ava looked at him, puzzled. "Right up her alley?" she asked, not knowing what that meant. She had been a bit isolated from kids her age, she didn't know much slang.
She looked around at the shop and bit her lip. "Well let me warn you, I haven't really ever been pranking. Never really had the time.. Or someone to do it with. I was the only child in my family," Ava told him quietly.

"You're the kind of girl she'd like. Don't worry about the pranking, I've got you covered."

Ava laughed. "Oh okay," she told him, blushing a little. She smiled. "Well who would we prank?" she asked, her smile turning into a mischievous one.

"We could team up with Nan and take down Laurence," he joked, "Or with Laurence to take down Nan. Or maybe Ruby. Ruby is fun to prank."

Ava laughed. "Prank Nan? She seems like someone that would gladly return the favor. Maybe Laurence.." She trailed off. Then she recalled what he said. "Who's Ruby?" she asked, never hearing of the girl.

"Ruby Potter. She pranks everyone, but most people can't get her back. I've discovered a tactic to it. She always falls for them."

"Well she seems like someone I'd like to have on my side!" Ava laughed. She raised an eyebrow. "What tactic?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. A look of confusion passed her face as she wondered where she had heard that name before. "Ruby Potter. Potter," she thought, trying to figure it out.

"It's a trade secret. Come on, let's go pay."

Ava laughed. "Okay," she said. She hadn't really looked around or picked up anything, but she didn't mind. Ava didn't really want to spend her money, so she was okay with it.

"Hey get something! It's on me."

Ava laughed and picked up a boxing telescope. "This looks interesting.." she said, looking to Malcolm to explain what it was.

(sorry, didn't see this)
"Oh that," he laughed, remembering Laurence's face when he'd pulled that prank, "If you pick it up, it punches you face. They're really fun to use on your friends."

Ava looked at Malcolm like he was crazy. "You would punch your friend in the face?" she asked, appalled by his idea of humor. "Hurting someone is never funny," she said seriously, setting down the boxing telescope and exiting the store. Ava ran her fingers through her hair, keeping her hands on top of her head. She didn't understand why Malcolm would find violence funny. She closed her eyes, inhaling, focusing on her breathing. She began walking, her eyes darting around. She felt the beginning of an anxiety attack, deciding to get away from everyone. Ava didn't do well in crowds. She went a little ways, sitting on a rock. she buried her face in her hands, trying to calm down.

(It's Malcolm, not Laurence. Laurence is my other character.)
He ran after her. "Ava, I'm sorry if I upset you," he said, sitting next to her, "I should have explained better. It's modified with spells so it doesn't hurt anyone. It's just for the shock effect. Tell me what's really wrong, Ava."

Ava heard him apologize, although she wasn't paying much attention. "I have anxiety," she managed to get out, feeling tightness in her chest and difficulty breathing. She focused on her breathing and closed her eyes, thinking about her parents. That was the source of it all, her parents. Watching them being killed; ripped to shreds by animals was traumatic for her. It would be traumatic for anyone. This experience was her first glimpse into the horrors and violence of the world, which is why she didn't take the punching telescope lightly.

Anxiety. That he understood. He also had roots in that six-letter word: Trauma. "Ava, tell me what happened," he said, "What-who- made you like this?"

Ava took a deep breath. "I've been like this since I was little," she told him, avoiding his eyes.

"Tell me." Why?
Who'd hurt her? Surely no one had-No, he knew better than to think like that. Whatever it was, they'd be fine.

Ava looked up at Malcolm. "No," she said simply, resisting the urge to open up. She didn't really know Malcolm, and no one knew about her parents. Or how she hadn't had anywhere to live during the summer. She put a hand to her face, finally noticing the tears. As fast as the panic attack came, it went. Now came the exhaustion and the numbness. Ava looked away. "No one knows and no one can," she whispered.

"I know the feeling," he whispered, "You aren't the only one with secrets." He sighed, remembering another girl, one with long dirty-blond hair and sharp brown eyes, the one who'd changed his life forever. He shook his head, trying and failing to blink back his tears.
She's gone, remember? She can't hurt you anymore. But it wasn't that simple. What happened to us, Maria? Why would you change like that? The girl I knew could've never hurt me like that. Where did she go?
But thoughts like that wouldn't change the situation in front of him. He rolled up his sleeves and showed Ava his arms. She gasped, and he wasn't surprised. You could barely see them, as they were criss-crossed by hundreds of scars, in different sizes, shapes, and colors. One thing was the same about all of them though: They were all clearly made by a wand.
"Like I said, you aren't the only one hiding a secret."

Malcolm rolled up his sleeves, showing hundreds of scars. "What the hell?" she whispered. His scars were physical, like the ones on her heart. But she had some too, physical ones. Her great aunt would always leave one when she didn't do what she was asked. Ava didn't ask what his nightmare- no, she lived through one. She wouldn't want anyone knowing hers and was fairly certain that he wouldn't want to talk about it. So she stayed silent, looking at her hands. "I bet yours is far worse than mine."

She then proceeded to pull up her pant leg, showing only a part of a long scar that went from her ankle up to her hip. "This scar was a muggle weapon, but it still hurt," she winced, remembering the instant it occurred. Just like it was yesterday. Ava rolled her jeans back down, not wanting Malcolm to see it. "I have.. several more. Physical and emotional," she admitted.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said, "Would you like me to tell you my story?"
He'd never spoken a word about Maria to anyone. No one even knew she'd ever existed. If he told Ava, would that be a betrayal of the person he'd been closest to?
That girl was gone long before she...died. Stop feeling like this. It isn't a betrayal.

"Well I don't want to talk," she quietly spoke, lowering her head. "Sure, if you want to," she remarked in the same volume. "I'm fine with not knowing if you don't want to talk about it. I'll understand." Ava looked at her hands and traced the lines on her left. She itched to get away- to go back to the Castle to her bedroom. Then she could complete the day before the anniversary of the worst day of her miserable life. The day her parents left this existence without her. Without her. Oh how Ava had longed for them to come back, and even at times she had wished to join them. She was dreading the day full of tears and sorrow. Heartache, sadness, even anger. Angry that her parents were ripped away from her at the same time.

"I have- had- a sister. She was 7 years older than me and went to Hogwarts when I was 4. But for her, magic was something to be studied and explored, something that must have an explanation we can understand. She thought that Hogwarts would teach that, but she came home that year feeling frustrated. It made me sad, even if I didn't know why, to see my kind, cheerful sister so sad. I offered, in that sweet, childish way, to help her if she needed anything. Her eyes lit up, and it wasn't long before I realized I'd made the worst mistake of my life. How was I to know my sister had gone insane?"

Ava looked at Malcolm, her eyebrows drawn together. "Did she give you all those scars?" she quietly asked, not wanting to pry much.

((Sorry it isn't longer! I'm on the mobile version.))

"It's a bit more complicated than that. She had me get certain ingredients than were dangerous without thinking to warn me. She haphazardly used certain spells without worrying about aftereffects. She Wasn't trying to hurt me, I was merely a casualty of war. But none of that was worth what happened to her."

((Dang this is an old rp! Haha))
Ava listened intently. "I'm sorry, Malcolm," she said with sincerity. "No one should be the byproduct of someone's ignorance or selfishness. Everyone has some... well, some shitty memories and things that happen in their lives." She smiled. "And you. Well, you decided to be better than that. You decided to be different, to be the person you wish she was..." Ava trailed off. She inhaled deeply, deciding it was time. Someone should understand her. She looked down at her hands, finally deciding to tell him why she was an anxiety filled freak. Better to tell him now and lose him than to prolong the inevitable. "I watched my parents be killed. I was taken away before anything happened to me. But my parents-" her voice cracked as tears filled her eyes. "I couldn't save them. All I could do was watch as they tried to protect me." Ava sniffed and blinked away her tears before continuing, looking up. "I was five. Old enough to remember, young enough to be helpless. I was sent to a relative who was horrible." Her voice filled with a cold intensity. She felt no remorse for hating that old woman. "So I left. When I was accepted here. I've never gone back." she quietly spoke. "So that's me," she smiled. As if she didn't just pour her heart out to a boy she hardly knew.

"It's hard, watching someone you love die right in front of you," Malcolm said with a sigh, "Because I did love her, despite everything that she did to me. Nobody, not even the most evil person imaginable, deserves todie the way she did, and she wasn't evil. She was just....insane."
He had never, ever told anyone what had happened to his sister. Not even his parents. No one would ever believe it. They would try to explain it away, any other way. Because the truth was just that horrible to be conceivably possible.

Yeah, it's hell. No one deserves to die. I wouldn't wish it on anyone." Ava was silent. "I just... want you to-to know," she stuttered out, "I won't tell anyone about this. I would like the same, Malcolm, please. You're-" she paused, "you're the only person who knows," she quietly revealed. "I don't want anyone to worry. I know how to take care of myself." She laughed. "I mean, it's just been me, myself, and I since I was, well, five. Although it wasn't truly until I was twelve. That's when I decided not to go back to my relative's house. I wouldn't be surprised if I was a missing person in the Muggle world. Although knowing my aunt, she most likely didn't report it," she babbled, wanting to comfort Malcolm in some way. And she babbled when she was anxious, which wasn't the best trait to have. She always ended up saying a bit too much.

"So where do you stay in the summer?" Not on the streets surely.
"If you don't mind telling me, how did your parents die?"
He worried that she would think he was saying it nonchalantly, as though he didn't care. He did care, He wanted to tell her what happened to his sister. Would she judge him? Of course. But before he could take that leap, he had to know her story.

Ava blushed. "I've bounced around. I'll ration my money out and stay on the night bus sometimes. I find my way. As long as I eat I'm fine," she smiled. "When I was young I had a roof over my head, but I wouldn't be allowed to eat until I was at the point of passing out. I figured anywhere was better than there as long as I was free to eat and take care of myself. I'm tough- I've been doing this for years," she reassured him. "My parents were attacked by a lion," she told him, memories flooding in. "They were exotic veterinarians trying to help. They knew the risks, but didn't take precaution. Their partner made sure I was safe and we left for help. My father was killed first- he was protecting my mother. It was almost instant. He just collapsed and bled out. My mother... she screamed and screamed and I can still hear it clear as day." She didn't quite know how to continue from there. Only to silently wait for him to call her a freak and leave.

"It must have been incredibly traumatizing," Malcolm said, "Not even being able to do anything. It sounds like you were really young, too."
He sighed. It was time.
"I wish that I could tell you that I killed my sister. That I thought that she'd really hurt me, and I attacked her in self-defense, maybe in a ast of premature magic, and then she died." He knew it sounded horrible, and she was probably just about ready to run. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her and see.
But it was the truth, and she'd understand.
"If I'd killed her, I could defend myself. I could say to myself- and to others- that it was in self-defence, that I didn’t have a choice and if I hadn't then she would've eventually killed me. I would be able to go to her grave, apologize, beg her for forgiveness," he explained, "I could talk about her with my family, and we could reminisce happy memories of her." This was so hard. How could he admit the awful truth- how could she even believe such a thing? She'd think that he was either evil, insane, or a liar.
"But I can't do any of that. Because, much as I might wish it, I didn't kill her. I doomed her to a fate far worse than any death or torture could possibly be."