Chapter 67:
Going into Diagon Alley the next day with Sirius in order to get Neville's birthday present was manic. The papers had circulated the news, meaning Sirius was able to go out, but the crowds were horrendous. It reminded Harry of his first time in Diagon Alley with Hagrid all those years ago. Strangers were coming up to them, shaking Sirius' hand and saying how they had never believed it.
"Such a shame!"
"Outrageous!"
Some people though, Harry noticed, turned the other way. He could hear whispering about cover-ups and guilt. Harry turned dark eyes on them, and barely stopped himself from hexing the crowd. Sirius took it all in stride though, making sure to smile and ask for privacy while he shopped. Hearing the negative whispers didn't haze him, he just shrugged them off. Eventually, the crowds seemed to thin out; the sycophants got used to their presence and left them alone.
"So, do you have any idea what you want to buy for your friend?" Sirius asked.
Harry frowned. He had been thinking about it all night but he wasn't sure. He knew Neville loved plants, but everybody knew that - he wanted to get the boy something special. "No," he admitted. "I don't want to get him something obvious. I want Neville to see that I really do care."
Sirius nodded and looked at Harry with thought. "He's just a friend? This Neville?" he asked.
Harry actually blanched at the thought of having romantic inclinations towards Neville. "Ew," he said with a shudder, making Sirius laugh. The man was probably thinking Harry was still too young, when in reality Harry saw his classmates as children.
As his body was physically eleven, almost twelve, Harry wasn't yet suffering from hormones thankfully. He was not looking forward to going through puberty again; at least this time he knew what to expect and wouldn't have to stumble blindly.