Chapter 2
I came out just in time to see Harry disappearing in to a cabinet and hurried to join him getting a squeak out of him.
I put a finger to my lips "shhhh"
We watch as two wizards one older and one younger both with pale blonde hair enter.
"Touch nothing, Draco." Said the older wizard
Ah. The Malfoys. Must be. I heard Dad talking about them, unlikely there was another boy our age named Draco. He was OK looking. For a boy I guess.
Malfoy, who had reached for a glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."
"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter.
"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" said Draco, looking sulky and bad tempered.
"Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous . . . famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead. . . ." complained Draco bending down to examine a shelf full of skulls. ". . . everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick…"
"You have told me this at least a dozen times already," said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son. "And I would remind you that it is not… prudent… to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear… ah, Mr. Borgin."
I pretty much ignored the rest of what they were saying to watch Draco. Did I say OK looking? He was actually better than that. Not that I would ever admit that to literally anyone. I mean what he was doing to his hair was stupid all greased back like that but his eyes were grey. I had never seen anyone with grey eyes before. I felt my heart racing. This was stupid. I had to get a hold of myself. I was NOT going to turn into my twin mooning over some stupid boy.
Not that Harry was stupid. He was actually pretty nice. But I was still not going to run out of the room when I saw him.
And I wasn't going to run out of the room when I saw Draco either.
Not like it mattered. Malfoys and Weasleys did not mix. That was the way of things. That was my father said. I may not understand why he refuses to make the most out of what he does at work but he knows about other stuff. Like social status. They have it, we don't.
I had been musing this over I had not noticed they left until Harry tugged my hand.
Quietly we sneaked out of the place and in to a much worse place.
Knocturn Alley.
There were all sorts of frightening people around.
An old crone asked us "Not lost are ya m'dears?"
We backed away, Harry pulling me away telling her, "No we're fine." It was sweet him protecting me.
Suddenly we heard ""HARRY! ALYA! What d'ya think yer doin' down there?"
"We were lost" Harry said to a big shaggy man stalking towards us.
It was Hagrid and I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life.
He grabbed us and dragged us away from the old witch. He continued dragging us straight to Gringotts muttering the whole way.
"Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off us so forcefully he nearly knocked us into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary. "Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno dodgy place, you two don' want no one ter see yeh down there..."
"We realized that," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. "I told you, we were lost what were you doing down there, anyway?"
"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid."They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?"
"I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained."We've got to go and find them..."
"Thanks for finding us Hagrid" I said quietly startling him. Most people aren't used to me talking outside of the home.
"Errr… yer welcome Alya, we better head off and find yer folks I expect they're worried."
We set off together down the street.
"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as we jogged alongside him (we had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and
The Dursleys. I had heard the story that morning.
"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known..."
"Harry! Harry! Over here!"
Harry and I looked up and saw a girl our age with bushy brown hair waving a us standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet us, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.
"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid... Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again... Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"
"Hermione!" Harry said, clearly pleased to see her "As soon as I've found the Weasleys, speaking of which this is Alya, Ron's younger sister and Ginny's twin." Harry introduced us, we shook hands.
"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.
Harry, Hermione and I looked around: Sprinting up the crowdedstreet were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.
"Harry, Alya" Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far. . . ." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic... she's coming now..."
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.
"Excellent!" said Fred and George together.
"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not" said Hagrid.
Mum came running up her bag swinging wildly "Oh Harry my dear… you could have ended up anywhere…"
"And YOU young lady" she said whirling on me "how could you even THINK of rushing off like that?! You had us so worried! You are on punishment until further notice!"
As usual I said nothing. I just stared straight ahead. Neither apologizing nor protesting. They had learned that attempting to get a reaction from me was pointless. The more they prodded the longer it would be before I spoke a word.
We went to Flourish and Blotts to get our books. It was a freak show. There was some sort of fancy pants author with shiny hair signing books. Mum has some of his books. I can't remember his name, I am not interested in how he badgered some troll that was probably minding its own business before killing it. Jerk. He will come to a sticky end chasing off after dangerous creatures and monsters. I took a financial advisory book and went upstairs to read.
I was surprised to find Mr. Malfoy and Draco Malfoy upstairs watching the show below. Both were equally surprised to see me.
Mr. Malfoy looked at the book in my hand "Wizard Investing for Beginners".
"An interesting choice in reading material young lady. Are you particularly interested in investing or was it merely the first pretty book to catch your eye" he sneered.
"I am interested in learning to invest Mr. Malfoy, sir." I said quietly and politely.
He seemed mildly surprised. "You recognize me?"
"You are well known in financial circles Mr. Malfoy. It would be impossible to read the financial papers without coming across your name." He smiled at that.
"Reading investment books and financial papers. My, my and a Weasley too." I tried to ignore the fact that he sounded like it was interesting someone had taught a particularly dull dog a new trick "How old are you young lady?"
"I am eleven sir, I will be starting Hogwarts this fall." I was almost surprised at myself. I had not spoken this much to anyone outside of family in a long time.
"You are familiar with me it would seem, but I am not familiar with you, have your parents taught you no manners?" It was a mild censure, but I admit I had not wanted to tell him who I was.
"They taught me well sir, I admit I had wanted to keep it from you as long as possible."
"And why might that be?"
"My name is Alya. Alya Weasley. And the one thing I grew up knowing is that Weasleys and Malfoys don't mix." I watched his face carefully and noticed he was doing the same.
Draco had ignored our entire exchange until this point, probably finding me the most boring girl he had ever seen but now he turned and looked me up and down "You don't look like a Weasley, where is your red hair?"
"Draco, manners." Mr. Malfoy warned him.
I shrugged slightly "I am told I look like my grandmother Cedrella Black."
Mr. Malfoy smiled oddly "While Weasleys and Malfoys may not mix well child, I think you may find Blacks and Malfoys mix rather well. Tell me," he asked tenting his fingers "If someone gave you the money to invest what would you invest in?"
"Nothing, sir."
"Nothing?" he seemed surprised.
"Nothing sir. I would not accept it in the first place. Money is not given freely. There are usually lots and lots of strings attached." I tried very hard to sound wise.
"Where does an eleven year old little witch become such a cynic?" asked Mr. Malfoy amused. Draco had gone back to ignoring us.
I looked down at my family below. "I read the books on Black family history in our attic. My grandmother may have been disowned but she still had some things with her when she left. They offered her money to leave her family. Strings. At least that was what she said in her diary. I want anything I make to have been made on my own." I could not explain this need I had to do it on my own. I just did.
"Alright young lady, let's say you manage to earn the money to invest on your own what would you invest in?" he smiled indulgently at me I knew he was expecting me to want to invest in sweet shops or something silly.
"Hazel tree groves sir." I said confidently.
He looked at me both surprised and confused. "And what is your reasoning for this particular investment… opportunity?"
"Birch has been the tree of choice for the brush of fine racing brooms" Draco was certainly interested in this as he turned around suddenly, I became a little uncomfortable under his intense gaze "but a recent article in Seeker Weekly suggests that the Hazel tree offers superior speed and durability. There are a few growers who are working on some hybrid species. Everyone talks handles but forgets the brush is the anchor and rudder. That Mr. Malfoy is what I would invest in and my reason for doing so."
"An interesting idea young lady, if not a sound investment for your first opportunity. You may be better suited to something less risky. Are you interested in Quidditch?"
"Not particularly. I just sometimes notice things others don't pay attention to."
"A dangerous hobby young lady."
I smiled "Not usually. I don't normally talk to people this much Mr. Malfoy. Whatever I notice or don't notice rarely interests anyone but myself."
"Then I shall consider myself honored Miss Weasley."
"You are kind to say so Mr. Malfoy. I do not think we will meet one another again but I am very pleased to have done so today."
"Have you always spoken like this?" he asked smiling at me again. He seemed gentle at that moment. Almost fatherly.
"I am sorry sir? In what way?" I was genuinely confused.
"Like a cynical old man trapped in the body of a very young girl." He was still smiling so I did not get upset at what he said.
"Yes sir, I suppose I have. When I have bothered to speak at all. I don't have much practice with it." I explained.
"Much practice with… speaking?" now it was his turn to appear confused.
"Yes sir. I find that in a family of my size the less one speaks the happier one is."
For some reason this amused him greatly and he laughed before telling me good bye.
He and Draco took their leave, Draco once again taking no notice of me. For the best I knew. Whatever the funny feeling in the pit of my stomach was I needed to ignore it in favor of absorbing as much of this book as I could before I had to leave.
Which thanks to an incredibly unexpected brawl between my father and Mr. Malfoy happened much sooner than I anticipated.