Darkness Falls

Albus looked at the small shop in Knockturn Alley, staring at the display shelf; his parents would have a fit if they knew he was down in the dark natured alley way, being grounded for the rest of the summer was a possibility for him being there, but it was worth the trouble. But yet again he was drawn to it, despite the dark nature aspect of the shop. He had no idea why, but he always figured it was because it was different than what his parents have shown him all his life. Albus was always into the Dark Arts, he found it fascinating in a way that would make his parents disapprove. Albus looked in the window, as a sixteen year old, he was not allowed inside the shop to purchase, as a matter of fact, Albus was not even allowed in the store by Ministry of Magic law. He wasn't allowed in unless he had a parent or guardian inside with him, not even a forged signed slip would let him inside. Albus wished he was seventeen, but he would have to wait another year before he was allowed in anyway. Albus stood back from the window, a few Hags were watching him, he could feel their gaze, but Albus learned to ignore them. He looked back at the window.

"ALBUS what are you doing down here?" Albus cringed at the sound of his name. The male adult voice that called him sounded all too familiar to his ears. Albus looked over and there stood his dad; Harry Potter. Albus watched his father walk towards him, the hags behind him shuffled off down the alley as Harry looked disapprovingly at his son. "What are you doing here Albus? You know very well that you are not supposed to be down here."

"… Sorry dad," was all he could say.

"Sorry? Sorry?" Harry repeated, the word was not enough of explanation in Harry's opinion. "I sure was hoping that McNeill was lying when he told me that he saw you down here looking in the shop windows by yourself."

Albus didn't say a word. He stared ahead in front of him. His heart thumped in his chest.

"Come on…" Harry said as he dragged his son out of Knuckturn Alley. "…Knuckturn Alley… My own son… of all the places…" Was all that Albus heard his father say as he was dragged by his sleeve towards the book shop in Diagon Alley. Albus blocked his father's voice out, something he learned at fourteen as Harry dragged him. "You stay right by me young man; do I make myself clear?"

"…Yes sir..." Albus said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his anger down. He normally would have felt embarrassed by being dragged from the Dark Arts shops, but that day, Albus was more like mad. He wanted to yell and scream at his father for treating him like a child, but Albus did not want to draw that kind of attention to him. Harry walked in the book shop first, followed by his son. He soon spotted his wife near the back. He looked back at Albus, half expecting him to by his side but another part of him expected Albus to have left. He spotted Albus a few feet by him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Come on," Harry said as he waved Albus to walk in front of him. They walked down towards where Ginny stood, she was alone. James and Lily were off by themselves in Diagon Alley, looking aaround in the Quidditch shop or Weasley Wizard Whizzes.

"Hey Harry, hey sweetheart," Ginny said with a smile looking at the two Potter males.

"Hey Ginny, take a wild guess where I found our son," Harry said, as he walked up to Ginny. His wife looked confused.

"Where?" she asked looking at Harry.

"He was in Knockturn Alley just now," Harry said, emphasizing 'he' to show his disappointment. "McNeill told me when he met him outside."

"Knockturn—Albus why where you down there?" Ginny said in a hushed voiced. "You know very well that place is off limits."

Albus rolled his eyes; he was starting to feel even more agitated. "It's no big deal, it was not like I was buying anything from there," Albus told them.

"You are sixteen years old Albus," Harry said, Ginny nodded in agreement. "You are far too young to be in Knuckturn Alley."

"You are still too young to even go down there," Ginny said. "And it is dangerous, you could have gotten hurt. Weird people hang around there… Hags, vampires, dark wizards and witches. Anyone could have seriously hurt you."

"I was fine mum, I can look after myself," Albus said, he was doing his best not to yell.

"I don't want you to go there Albus, I went there only once and that was it for me," Harry said, he was hoping his son would see sense and not go back to the infamous alley that sold Dark Art objects.

"I am not you dad," Albus said looking at Harry; his green eyes looked at his dad.

"I understand Albus that you are too curious in certain things about the Dark Arts," Harry said, keeping his voice calm. "But you are taking it too far. There is a healthy limit, like reading about them, but going into Knuckturn Alley when your underage is not it. It is dangerous there; your mum and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Your dad is right sweet heart," Ginny said. "Why cant you just read about the Dark Arts, that way you are safe."

"I am sixteen years old dad, I am not a little kid," Albus said, his voice was getting higher. "I am practically an adult, and I will keep on learning the Dark Arts how I want to. Neither of you can stop me."

"The Dark Arts are powerful stuff Albus," Harry told his son. "It is very dangerous magic and too much can change a person. I don't want you to go down that path."

"I am not a kid dad, I am doing this rather you or mum want me too or not," Albus said.

"Albus, many wizards have been corrupted because of the Dark Arts," Ginny said.

"I may not be able to stop you Albus, but as your father I am telling you that the Dark Arts are dangerous," Harry said, Albus rolled his eyes once more. He hated being treated like a kid. He considered himself to be mature enough to act like an adult, not like a kid.

"Why don't you two just lecture James, and get off my back," Albus found himself saying. "You two always lecture me about every bloody thing I do,"

Harry glared at his son; Ginny was ready to ground him until he was sixty. Albus ignored his parent's glares, and a few of the occupants in the store were beginning to take notice. "It is always me you two lecture, never James or Lily, you always treat them different, always defending them."

"That is not true," Harry said, doing his best not to yell at his youngest son. "We treat you three the same."

"We don't treat you any different than your brother and sister," Ginny added, looking stern.

"Then why did James get that new broom? What did he do to deserve it?" Albus said, he was not yelling but he was above the normal inside voice range. "I got all O's on my OWLS and not one thing from either of you, James only got one and the rest EE's and he still got that new broom."

"Enough Albus," Harry said, his voice was firm now as he looked at Albus.

"We are in public Albus," Ginny told him. Albus looked at both his parents. As always they were defending his siblings.

"Whatever," Albus said as he turned around and stormed out of the shop, he was fed up with his parents. The bell over the door ringing like mad as the door was opened and shut violently from the teenager that just left the shop.

"Al—" Harry began as he watched Albus leave, Ginny rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Let him go," she said to her husband. "We will talk to him later on."

The bell over the door chimed and James and Lily entered.

"Hey mum, we just say Albus leave," James said walking up to his parents.

"He looked pretty mad," Lily added.

"Don't bother your brother," Harry said looking at his other two children. "Your mum and I will deal with him later at home."

"Ok, but what did my snake of a brother do?" James asked, earning a glare by his mother and father.

"James do not say that," Ginny said. As she walked up to the register, carrying the books in her hand. "It is none of your business; it is between him and us."

"Do please control your son," said the shop attendant behind the register, Ginny blushed red. "He could have broken the window if he slammed the door any harder."

"I do apologize about that," Ginny said apologetically.

"It's ok Mrs. Potter, teens are hard to control sometimes," the attendant said.

…

"… Stupid rules," Albus said as he walked about Diagon Alley. "… It is always me they pick on… never my stupid brother…" Albus said under his breath. Albus walked along Diagon Alley and he turned down the street that led to Knuckturn Alley. Albus felt fumed as he walked, he had no idea where he was going to, and he just let his legs carry him on. All he knew to do was get away from his parents. His eyes noticed the darker looking shops as he walked. He walked passed different people; he passed the hags who were looking at him earlier and a strange looking couple. Albus walked until he didn't recognize where he was anymore. There was a stone wall on either side, a shop to his left side. And so far it was the only one in sight. Albus knew he couldn't go inside, not without being arrested. Albus looked up at the sky, and he could tell by the dark clouds forming that it was going to rain; Albus looked back ahead of him. He didn't care if it rained, he didn't care if it thundered and lightning struck him. Albus continued walking and up ahead he heard thunder, it was loud. Albus walked past the shop and he stopped again as he turned a corner. In front of him was a man. A man in all black, the hood of the robe was up, covering the face.

"Well… well… well, what do I have here?" the hooded man asked. Albus looked up at the figure. The black robe touched the ground, and the hood covered his face. Albus backed up. "What is a young lad such as yourself doing in a place like this?" the figure asked, Albus felt tongue tied, but also fear. He had been in Knockturn Alley before but he never seen figure before. He had to admit it that the man was frightening, and Albus was not scared easy.

"I— I w-was going t-to—" but the figure cut him off.

"Speak clear boy," the figure said. Albus nodded and he swallowed.

"Just walking," Albus said, it was all he could muster without sounding scared. Albus was not the type to show fear.

"Where is your mum and dad boy?" the figure asked. The figure did not move, nor any signs of grabbing his wand from inside the robe.

"… Diagon Alley," Albus said, the figure seems to have nodded.

"Aw yes," the figure said. "You do realize that this place is unauthorized to children walking alone?"

"Yes," Albus said, keeping his voice steady as he spoke. "I do know that."

"Good, then do not let me stop you," the figure said, as Albus saw the figure walk past him. Albus felt a chil go down his spine as the figure walked out of sight. His heart was beating so rapid that Albus was sure it take off running ou of his chest. Thunder rumbled again and Albus felt rain beginning to fall. Cool rain drops falling down. Albus pressed his back against the stone wall. Something about the figure startled him. He wanted to go back into Diagon Alley to go back to his parents, but another part of him wanted to stay until he got tired… or sick, whichever came first. The rain began to pound on him, soaking his skin. He sank down to the wet and muddy ground, hugging his knees. Albus still felt anger pop up inside him again as he thought of his brother James. The rain began soaking him, his hair was now wet, dripping with rain water and so was his clothes, he could feel his feet getting damp.

All of his life, Albus remembered James getting the first of everything, while he was stuck with the hand me downs. Sure Albus got new stuff, but half of it was old things that James had. Albus got better grades, and he hardly received anything, while James, if he got a good grade. He got something new. It drove Albus crazy, it was one of the reasons Albus did not get along with his brother and sister. It also gave him the perfect reason why he was a Slytherin. It separated him from his brother. Albus's friends were different than James's friends. Most of all of James's friends, he knew since birth, while nearly all of Albus's friends were new that he met during his first year.

Albus sat on the ground for what felt like hours, his stomach was rumbling, and Albus felt cold as the rain kept pouring over him. He knew he had to eat sometime, and it was getting dark. That was when the more serious Dark Art buyers came. Albus knew that they were scary kind, the ones that came at night, and Albus did not wish to be there when it came to be dark. Albus stood, his knees popping as he stood for the first time in hours. The rain had not let up yet as he began walking towards the exit.

…

Albus walked inside the shop that had the floo network system. "I need some floo powder?" Albus said, the attendant looked up, and Albus was taken aback. The attendant looked about his age, and she was pretty. Her complexion was fair, her lips red as blood, her eyes blue as the sea, and her hair golden blonde. "…Uh- I-I- I am—"

"Here you go," she said with a smile. Albus thought her smile was amazing. "one sickle... Why are you all wet?"

Albus fumbled in his shorts pocket for a sickle and he pulled one out. "I was- was out in the rain," he said, and Albus just realized that he sounded like a ten year old. He bit his lip, wishing to take it back. "—er— I mean I got caught in it."

"Oh… Ok, you better dry off before you get sick," she said. In a way, she reminded him of his cousin Rose Weasley, but this girl was not as bossy.

"I'll be ok," he said as he fumbled to put the sickle on the counter. She smiled at him again as she put the powder in his hand. Albus felt their hands touched and he felt electricity pass through him. "… Thanks…" he said looking at her. "I am Albus by the way." The girl looked at her, her gaze bore into him.

"Aw Albus Potter, I saw your parents earlier, they warned me you may show up," she said to him, Albus felt his face fall at the mention of his parents.

"Oh, thanks anyway," he said with a grin as Albus walked to the fire place, threw the powder in and walked in the green flames. "Number twelve Grimmauld Place" he said as Albus disappeared in the fire.

Albus appeared in the fire place and the soot stuck to his wet skin, clothes, and hair.

"Albus are you ok?" Ginny asked as she walked up to him as he stepped out of the fire place. She looked him up and down, seeing how filthy he looked.

"I am fine mum," he said. Ginny tapped her wand on his head, and and Albus felt immediately dry as warmth spread over his body, he looked down and the soot was gone too.

"Harry! Albus is home," Ginny called up.