"That dragon is adorable. Don't even try to fight me on that," Dix declared, admiring the purple-scaled plushie with a smile.

"I like my Niffler," Alex shrugged indifferently, and tapped her bracelet against the machine. The cashier handed Alex a bag and a warm smile. "Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron? The boys are supposed to meet us there in fifteen minutes."

"Sounds good!" Dix and Alex hooked arms as they exited the Magical Menagerie and turned down the road for the Leaky Cauldron. That morning, the gang had decided to take a girls and boys day, with only lunch as a meet up. Dix and Alex had already gone on another run of the Gringotts ride, browsed a few shops and obviously got caught up in the Menagerie.

With unicorns, owls, and magical creatures left and right how could they just ignore it? There was even a pink Pygmy Puff Alex had bought for Kaiden. It was a burst of colour and life everywhere in the store, every spare shelf, cupboard, and perch filled with animals. The showcasing windows outside had drawn Dix in initially because of the fire-red dragon; she'd settled on purple because it didn't look so much like her hair. The boar heads (at least Alex thought they were boar heads) on either side of the door gave way to a storm of chaos inside.

There was even a moving snake in the lower window display that hissed and sneered at anyone who went nearby. Even though the line outside the Leaky Cauldron was long, Alex and Dix received messages from the boys at the same time.

op-boy: we got a table already! Just tell the lady at the front that you're with Kaiden

You: how did you guys get there before us???

op-boy: jordan ate something before we went on the gringotts ride

You: understandable, see you soon <3

op-boy: <3

"Ow," Alex winced as someone barged past her up front. Getting to the front was no trouble for Dix, who gave the hostess Kaiden's name. She led them to their table where the other four were bickering over what to order (if it had been anything else, Alex would have been worried).

"He wants to order mac and cheese! That's like, for little kids."

Alex swiped a menu and sat down in a free seat with an exhausted sigh. Taking a moment to gaze around the restaurant, Alex was surprised at how accurate it was to the film's version of the iconic pub, and how accurate it was to her imagined version. Rustic was the best word to describe it, with clean, earth-worn stone walls, bars of wood ran overhead the high ceiling.

The walls were decorated with pictures, paintings, and photos in a higgedly-piggedly design. Workers in funny wizard hats ducked in and out of arches in the stone walls, trays piled high with food and dinks. Large windows let in light from outside and practically every table was full of chattering families and friends.

"You guys haven't really tried English food yet, and I can't say that America is the best place to start off, but..." Alex quickly ran her finger down the menu, "We could all share a bangers & mash for an entree. There's stew, fish and chips, toad in the hole, pies, eggs, salads—"

"—Toad in the Hole?" Jordan interrupted, flabbergasted. "Like actual toads?"

"No!" Alex bit down on her laugh and tried her best to explain the English dish to him, "It's a savoury pudding with gravy and vegetables and a sausage in the middle."

"Okay, uh, I'll give that a go," Jordan still looked a bit suspicious but moved onto dessert.

"I'll take the fish and chips," Dix decided.

"Er, beef stew for me," said Bear.

"I'll give the cottage pie a try," Kaiden added.

Declan shrugged, "Fisherman's pie it is."

"Okay, sounds good," Alex called over a server politely to order with only a little bit of trouble (being grown up was so hard). Everyone else rattled off their own orders along with dessert and drinks - mostly waters, sodas, Butterbeer ice cream, sticky toffee pudding - and Alex put in her own for fish and chips (fist bumping Dix for matching meals).

Kaiden, Bear, Declan, and Jordan leapt right into conversation about their busy morning.

"The lines even for fast pass were chock full for the ride — honestly, I don't know how you two got to ride it — so we went and did the money exchange," Jordan carried on, vaguely waving his hands about.

"Yeah, we traded a bunch of ten dollar notes until we ran out," Declan said, his dark cheeks flushing with embarrassment, "But hey, at least we can use them to buy stuff around here!"

"Lucky for you," Dix over-arched a red brow to the point of comedic effect. "Well, the ride was as great as the first time."

"God, I will never get Bellatrix's cackles out of my head," Alex shuddered openly at the memory of the second round. Bellatrix was a mad-woman who unfortunately reminded Alex of past mad-women. "Helena Bonham Carter acted a little too well as Bellatrix."

"Isn't she in a bunch of other movies as well?"

"Oh yeah, loads, and quite a lot of Johnny Depp. Have I made you guys watch Pirates of the Caribbean yet?" Alex frowned as she tried to remember where her friends had seen the pirate series. After all, she'd had to prepare them for so many movies it was hard to recall.

"I think maybe the first one? I just remember a lot of ocean and shouting and pirates," Delcan frowned, "Oh, here's our food."

A waiter swept by with all their pies and stews and fish, depositing drinks alongside it and chilled dessert as well. Alex's stomach, embarrassingly enough, decided that exact moment was the best to have the day's appetite growl. The fish and chips didn't have the freshest fish, but it was filling, the chips were salted nicely, and the Butterbeer ice cream was a great end to the meal. Once they'd paid and said their goodbyes, Dix and Alex were on their way again.

"The money exchange sounded pretty cool, wanna head there?" Alex peered at the map on her phone, "Oooh, there are more thingies we can use our wands at!"

"I just hope we don't see the boys swapping our generous donation of cash while we're there," Dix laughed, her blue eyes flashing as she got out her wand. "Whoever does the spell first try buys ice cream?"

Alex got out her own wand with a grin, "You're on."

Already with the experience of the past day and a half, Alex was feeling pretty confident with the wand. It was just a super, super light sword that shot magic. Dix was already sprinting ahead for Wiseacres where two spell medallions were, but with a burst of handy (very subtle) Meyarin speed, Alex caught up with her best friend and skidded in front of the Dark Detectors.

With a huff, Dix turned towards the star map. Alex planted her feet shoulder-width apart on the medallion and checked her wand was pointing in the right direction. The shop window of Wiseacres displayed a stack of Dark Detectors with their detector orbs closed. Alex raised her wand and moved it slowly around the Detectors. They were temperamental little things, but if you went slowly and carefully enough—

"YES!" Dix shouted, jumping excitedly at the archer firing on the star map. Alex blew a jokingly exasperated breath out and shook hands with Dix.

"What flavour?"

"I'm thinking Butterbeer and chocolate," Dix tapped a thoughtful finger to her chin, "Or...double or nothing?"

"What, four scoops of ice cream? I don't even think the Florean cones can handle that, and they're huge."

"Oh no, I can assure you I've seen at least three kids with sad puppy-dog eyes because their four-scoop, super expensive ice cream, fell onto the ground," Dix snorted mercilessly at the thought much to Alex's disbelief.

"Okay, why not? Double or nothing. But the rules are different this time — the Pillywinkle's spell, the Scribbulus spell, and your spell of choice — from Knockturn Alley."

"Better get your wallet ready," Dix boasted, "I've been practicing with Sparkie."

"You're going to need more than Jordan's help to win."

"Since when did you get so cocky?" the princess shook her head mockingly.

"Since I stuck a guy in a painting," Alex whisper-shouted, already running, "Double or nothing, Dixie!"

Alex headed straight for Scribbulus first since it was closer, weaving through the packed crowd with practiced tourist dexterity. Carkitt Market was just another hub of discombobulating activity in the Wizarding World, but Alex knew Scribbulus' location and had it locked in. She arrived seconds before Dix who had found some crazy shortcut, nearly toppling over a decorative barrel.

In the right hand side shop window, a single white feather lay on a cushion. Alex straightened her posture and glared at the feather as if to say you better work.

Clearing her throat, Alex carefully traced the spell pattern in the air in front of her. "Wingardium Leviosa,"

When the feather - hesitantly at first - began levitating, Dix rolled her eyes and clapped begrudgingly. The practice feather hovered mid air for a few seconds before it lowered itself down and the kids in line behind Alex oooooh'ed in anticipation. Alex stepped aside so Dix could cast her own spell, and on the first try, the feather floated.

"You can have a head start this time if you want—" Alex was making a generous offer when Dix took it without answering, sprinting for Pillywinkle's.

"Oh come on!" Alex threw her hands up in the air and ran after her. Horizon Alley was less busy but still packed with people who wanted to shop and experience the magic, especially those waiting for the Gringotts dragon to breathe fire. Dix, obviously, had gotten to Pillywinkle's already and waited for Alex to draw near.

"Tarantallegra," Dix ordered, forming an invisible W with her wand tip. Red fabric swept aside to greet dancing troll marionettes twirling about the stage. Alex stepped into place and copied Dix's movements. To her dismay, the red curtains didn't open, and the trolls stayed frozen in motion behind them.

"One to me, half for each of us since tied at Scribbulus?" Dix said, giving her wand a twirl, "And the Knockturn Alley spell counts for double points."

Alex nodded thoughtfully; if she could do the next spell first try, she would either tie with Dix or end up on two and a half points. "Alright. But we let...Declan decide who to go first."

Dix shrugged and got out her phone to text the group chat.

crookshanks: dec, c or j?

spark: what for???

op-boy: are you guys okay? Is someone hurt?

deckers: j?

You: HA THAKN YOU DEC

deckers: you're welcome?

Alex decided on the Mimblewimble spell. According to Google, it was one of the hardest spells in Knockturn Alley, and that fact would either work against or with her.

Generally, they stuck to Diagon Alley, but Alex had gone looking through Knockturn Alley yesterday, and it still had that weird creepy feel to it. Someone had definitely turned up the AC here. She steered clear of the haunted shop fronts; everything in Knockturn Alley was either painted in vomit green or a grimy grey that did nothing to relieve the ever-darkness lingering around. The square was a tight, cramped space, with clunky shops bordering it.

Shady, Alex decided, trying to find Noggin and Bonce. To the left of Dystyl Phaelangers was a cadre of shrunken heads a bit like Ernier from the Knight Bus sitting on a window sill. Alex shuddered and looked away from them and their incessant chatter - it sounded a bit like all of them at lunch, bickering and arguing good naturedly.

As the reigning loser, Alex approached the barely-visible medallion in the ground and faced the shrunken heads.

"Hey," For maybe a split second, the heads glanced at her, and then, "Mimblewimble."

With a perfectly traced horizontal S, Alex ceased the endless talking of the shrunken heads. They gave her an incredulous look and after ten seconds, began talking again.

"Your turn," Alex gestured to Dix. "Get ready to pay."

Dix went through the motions too quickly, too brashly.

The heads carried on talking without a second glance, and Alex turned around to silently pump her fist.

Dix glared at them all with the force of an angry princess, rolled her shoulders and got out her wallet.

"Guess I'm paying."

A/N: :) next time folks

-dommie out