Post by Tom Scott on Aug 4, 2010 8:11:35 GMT 1
So it wasn’t completely by accident that they were here. When it had suddenly started pouring and they had wanted to find shelter, Tom could have led them to any store, but the boy had seen this as his big chance. He had of course wanted to go to this shop. Last year, he hadn’t known what Quidditch was and he had ignored the Quality Quidditch Supplies. But this year, he had built up a fascination for the game and a love for flying, and when he had become aware of the shop’s existence, he had really wanted to go inside. He just hadn’t dared to ask his mother.
They were shopping for his new school supplies and that didn’t bring Eloisa Scott in the best of moods. It was like the dark clouds that had been building up above the streets all day long, had mirrored his mother’s spirit. She hadn’t been happy to come here to begin with. Like last year, she had been annoyed that these supplies weren’t sold in Canterbury and that they had to travel all the way to London to get them. And once they were here, there hadn’t been as many second-hand goods as they had hoped. Tom had felt guilty for making her pay so much, knowing just how hard she had to work for it, but he hadn’t been able to find a solution. He needed his school supplies. In the end he had just felt very miserable and his mother’s mood had darkened.
Tom had been worried now. She had, in little remarks, been mocking the wizarding world all day long, but now it became clear that she thought this world was stupid. And Tom had known just how worked up she was getting. Tom knew his mother. When she was like this, he only had to do the smallest thing to displease her, and she would explode. And so, when he had spotted the Quidditch shop and had felt the strong desire to go there, he had just looked away and hadn’t said a word about it to his mother. She was getting very tired anyway. It was probably about time they’d go home.
But then all of a sudden, it had started pouring and his mother had looked around for shelter. Tom had seized the opportunity.
“This way, mother!” He had yelled through the clattering, and he had led them inside the Quality Quidditch Supplies. They could have entered any nearby shop, but Tom had chosen this one, wishing very badly to be able to check out the newest broomsticks.
When they had entered the shop, they both took off their partly wet jackets. It wasn’t nice to have something wet on when you were inside anyway. Tom looked up at his mother, to check her reaction. The dark-haired woman was looking around, the slightly pulled up lip showing that she disapproved of what she saw. But that was the face she had pulled for the major part of the day. She didn’t like or trust this world. And every time she looked like that, Tom felt he had to think of something to make the world seem less ridiculous. He didn’t like it when she ridiculed it.
“What kind of place is this?” The woman said, in a tone as if she was asking how long a mouldy piece of bread had been in their cupboard already. Tom felt a blush creeping up.
“It’s a Quidditch shop, mother.” But he hadn’t told her about Quidditch yet, or about flying. “Quidditch is a wizard sport and it’s -,” But his mother interrupted him:
“Oh, so that’s why you brought us here?!” Tom felt how he was becoming more red, when he realised his mother’s voice was rather loud, and people could hear. He also knew he was caught in his little trick. And as said, his mother’s mood was dark already, so the slightest thing could anger her. “Thought I would buy you something here, didn’t you?” Tom became redder, while his mother seemed to grow, and he became smaller. That had not at all been his intention! He didn’t want to make his mother work even harder for him.
“No, mother!” He threw back. “I would never ask such a thing!” But Eloisa Scott didn’t listen.
“Well, you better forget it. We’re out as soon as that rain ends and then we’re going home and leave this rotten place, you understood?” Tom looked down, while even his ears were red now. He didn’t dare to look at the people in the shop, who might have heard his mother call Diagon Alley a rotten place.
“Yes, mother...” He muttered softly.
They were shopping for his new school supplies and that didn’t bring Eloisa Scott in the best of moods. It was like the dark clouds that had been building up above the streets all day long, had mirrored his mother’s spirit. She hadn’t been happy to come here to begin with. Like last year, she had been annoyed that these supplies weren’t sold in Canterbury and that they had to travel all the way to London to get them. And once they were here, there hadn’t been as many second-hand goods as they had hoped. Tom had felt guilty for making her pay so much, knowing just how hard she had to work for it, but he hadn’t been able to find a solution. He needed his school supplies. In the end he had just felt very miserable and his mother’s mood had darkened.
Tom had been worried now. She had, in little remarks, been mocking the wizarding world all day long, but now it became clear that she thought this world was stupid. And Tom had known just how worked up she was getting. Tom knew his mother. When she was like this, he only had to do the smallest thing to displease her, and she would explode. And so, when he had spotted the Quidditch shop and had felt the strong desire to go there, he had just looked away and hadn’t said a word about it to his mother. She was getting very tired anyway. It was probably about time they’d go home.
But then all of a sudden, it had started pouring and his mother had looked around for shelter. Tom had seized the opportunity.
“This way, mother!” He had yelled through the clattering, and he had led them inside the Quality Quidditch Supplies. They could have entered any nearby shop, but Tom had chosen this one, wishing very badly to be able to check out the newest broomsticks.
When they had entered the shop, they both took off their partly wet jackets. It wasn’t nice to have something wet on when you were inside anyway. Tom looked up at his mother, to check her reaction. The dark-haired woman was looking around, the slightly pulled up lip showing that she disapproved of what she saw. But that was the face she had pulled for the major part of the day. She didn’t like or trust this world. And every time she looked like that, Tom felt he had to think of something to make the world seem less ridiculous. He didn’t like it when she ridiculed it.
“What kind of place is this?” The woman said, in a tone as if she was asking how long a mouldy piece of bread had been in their cupboard already. Tom felt a blush creeping up.
“It’s a Quidditch shop, mother.” But he hadn’t told her about Quidditch yet, or about flying. “Quidditch is a wizard sport and it’s -,” But his mother interrupted him:
“Oh, so that’s why you brought us here?!” Tom felt how he was becoming more red, when he realised his mother’s voice was rather loud, and people could hear. He also knew he was caught in his little trick. And as said, his mother’s mood was dark already, so the slightest thing could anger her. “Thought I would buy you something here, didn’t you?” Tom became redder, while his mother seemed to grow, and he became smaller. That had not at all been his intention! He didn’t want to make his mother work even harder for him.
“No, mother!” He threw back. “I would never ask such a thing!” But Eloisa Scott didn’t listen.
“Well, you better forget it. We’re out as soon as that rain ends and then we’re going home and leave this rotten place, you understood?” Tom looked down, while even his ears were red now. He didn’t dare to look at the people in the shop, who might have heard his mother call Diagon Alley a rotten place.
“Yes, mother...” He muttered softly.
