Chapter 48 - Dementor (1/2)

After buying necessary books at Flourish and Blotts shop, Neal and Tracey went to Madam Malkin for new robes and later went through various shops to buy all the necessary stuff. While they were returning to the leaky cauldron where Edward and Dulcie are waiting for them, they stopped near Quality Quidditch supplies as they saw a crowd in the shop staring at something.

Both of them entered the shop and heard their murmurs. Filled with curiosity, Neal edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

He heard murmurs in the crowd, ”the prototype just came out”. ”dad, it's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it? please buy it for me”. The proprietor of the shop told the crowd, ”Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!. And they are the favorites for the World Cup next year”.

Then Neal looked at the sign next to the broom which stated its description. The thing which excited him the most was its acceleration. It can go 150 miles per hour in ten seconds. For him who uses a burst skill, he can even reach that speed in three seconds if he has this broomstick.

Then, one wizard asked, ”excuse me, how long would it take if I order one?”. Hearing him, everyone turned their attention toward a certain wizard. The shop proprietor replied calmly, ”it might take a couple of months. But the price isn't fixed right now. You can only pay 1000 galleons as a deposit. After your broomstick is ready, we'll return the change after calculating all the costs”. Hearing it, many wizards threw the thought of ordering it. Neal too returned to Tracey who was standing at the back as he wasn't interested in buying that.

While walking together, she asked, ”I thought you would buy it for sure. It isn't an overprice for you”. Neal replied, ”it's not that I can't afford it. It's just my funds in the vault left by my parents are limited, right now. Until I graduate, I don't want to needlessly spend all the money and depend on Avery family later”.

Tracey grinned, ”don't need to worry about it. We can let Malfoy sponsor the team, later”. Neal knocked on her head lightly and scolded, ”Hey, you shouldn't use your friends like that”. Tracey rubbed her head and pouted, ”well, we're Slytherins. We tend to use other people”.

Neal snapped at her, ”what did you say?”. Tracey replied, ”I'm just kidding, alright”. Then she saw the Ice cream parlor and dragged him there to buy one.

As the summer vacation is finished, they board the train and sat together with Draco and Daphne. After hearing a piece of grave news from them, Tracey was shocked and screamed, ”no, it's not possible. How can Prof. Lockhart resign from his post without saying anything to us?”.

Neal, on the other hand, smiled brightly, ”it's a great news Draco. So, who is our new professor?”. Draco replied, ”not sure about that. by the way, did you hear about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban?”. Tracey stopped her moping and immediately became interested in the topic.

She asked him, ”Azkaban? But isn't it impossible to escape from that prison? No one to date managed to escape”. Daphne replied, ”yeah, I heard from my father. The Whole Ministry is in chaos and the minister even deployed the Azkaban guards to station themselves around entrances to the school grounds”.

Neal asked in a surprise, ”how can Dumbledore allow Dementors to surround the school?”. Tracey asked, ”Dementors? So, you call guards of a prison, Dementors? A strange name indeed”. Neal replied, ”it isn't some organization's name, Tracey.