"Really? Why plants?"

"Magical plants are so cool. We can make potions with them to fix all kinds of diseases and things."

"You'll learn how to, anyway. Should we get going?"

She completes the purchase, leaving her son and the shopkeeper happier.

"Yes. Do you two have anything else you need to get?"

"We still have robes. You?"

"Only parchment and quills, but we could go get your robes together."

So the four walk through Diagon Alley.

Scott finds walking around much less interesting than buying magic things. 

Melissa points out that he and his new friend can discuss their plans for the summer. He does, talking about how he's going to go to the zoo with his friend, and how his mom is going to show him how to make one of his grandmother's recipes, and the book he's reading.

"...and after we get back from London, I'll have to visit my father." 

"Where do you live? And is your father nice?"

"Worchestershire. I don't think we have any wizards there, it's too boring. My dad isn't nice, but he gave me magic, and he's an 'Auror'. It's supposed to be very important, I think." 

"So why do you have to visit him?"

He looks at his mother.

"Scott, your father loves you very much. He's doing his best." 

"That's why." 

He pets his rat. 

"What about you, Sadde, where are you from?"

"I was born in Knutsford, but we moved closer to London when my parents divorced."

"How do you like it there?"

"Knutsford? Haven't been since I was a baby. Watford's alright, I guess, but kids don't like me much at school."

"Why not? Are they mean?" 

"They're mean and I'm transgender."

"What's transgender?" 

"Scott, I think that's rude to ask." 

"It's not, don't worry," he reassures her. "It means my gender's not the same as the one people thought it was when I was born. In my case it's because it changes sometimes."

"How does it change? I thought you were just whatever you were born as, no one told me there were transgender people." 

"Well it just—does. Has since I can remember. But my first show of magic was—"