Chapter 3

Alex looked around the room, seeming annoyed.

Tables were knocked over, chairs were upturned, and there were broken bottles of butterbeer, smashed mugs of tea, and cracked cups of brandy on the old wooden floor below.

The Death Eaters were in a pile in one corner of the room, while the other wizards, the few that were left, were crowding on the opposite side of the room, holding their injuries to their bodies protectively as they stared at distrustfully the boy standing in the middle of the room.

And then, with a simple snap of his fingers, all the broken furniture in the room repaired itself and sat back upright in the places they had come from.

Glancing over at his old seat in the dark corner, he spotted his James Patterson novel lying askew on the floor beneath, and before Harry could even blink, that same book was comfortably resting in the blonde's hands.

He hadn't even moved.

Glancing over at Tom, who hadn't moved at all throughout the fight, Alex gave a small smile, "No damage done, right?"

Tossing him a few silver sickles, he headed for the back of the pub, "Thanks for the tea".

And he was gone.

By the time Harry had snapped out of it and chased after the boy, he was after walking out into the chilly March air in the courtyard, and was facing the wall that would lead him to Diagon Alley.

"Hey, wait up!" He yelled, running after him, but the blonde paid him no attention, instead, waving his hand at the wall, which easily slid apart for him.

Harry stopped.

Did he just-

No, no he couldn't have-

I mean… Could he-

Shaking his head, he quickly followed him into the busy street, watching as he calmly strode past Flourish & Blotts… Quality Quidditch Supplies… Ollivanders… Before finally coming to a stop at the entrance to Knockturn Alley.

Once there, he spun around to face his pursuer, a movement so quick and unexpected, that Harry almost tripped and ran into him.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because… Because… I'm not following you!" He shot back, "We just happen to be going in the same direction!"

Pleased with himself for thinking up the lie on the spot, he waited to see what would happen next.

Alex, however, merely raised an eyebrow at him, glanced into Knockturn Alley, where people in dark cloaks lingered in shadowed corners, and then turned back to him, "… Dumbledore's Golden Boy hangs out with Death Eaters now?"

Harry flushed brightly.

Damn.

"Look, I just… You're a kid!" He finally exclaimed, "But you don't use a wand, instead, you do magic without one better than Albus Dumbledore himself! You shouldn't have a tenth of the control that you do, yet alone be able to successfully use it!"

His right eyebrow rose up to join the left, "And why the hell not?"

"Because… Just because!" Harry fumed, furious that a kid, a kid, was acting more mature than he was, "It's just not possible. It's not meant to be possible".

"Yes, well, I was always one for breaking the rules" He shot back, "And now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have my room to get back to".

He turned to disappear down the side street.

"WAIT!" Harry yelled suddenly, startling a passer-by who shot him a dirty look saviour-of-the-wizarding-world-or-not.

Alex sighed, before slowly turning back around to face him, "... What now?"

"Back to my room".

"… I'm sorry?"

"Back to my room" Harry repeated, "That's what you said".

He stared at him like he was mad, "And…?"

"And that means you're probably staying in an inn" He continued quickly, "Paying for a room in Knockturn Alley".

"What, exactly, are you getting at?"

Harry stared at him, looking like a kicked puppy.

Alex stared back, looking like a suspicious guard dog.

Silence.

"Stay with me!" The older wizard suddenly blurted.

"… Excuse me?"

Well, Harry decided, it's too late to back out now.

"Stay with me, at my house" He explained, "It's got three or four floors, plenty of bedrooms, and loads of space. In return for some light housework now and again, you can have a room for free. It'd save you money, get you out of this… creepy… place, and you wouldn't even have to buy your own food!"

Alex frowned, studying him, "… And what's in it for you?"

"Nothing" He replied, just that little bit too quickly.

Another frown, "Nothing?"

"… I'm interested" He finally admitted, "In finding out more about you, about how you did all that back at the Leaky Cauldron, about how you're able to control everything… I'm curious".

"Curious… " Alex muttered, before suddenly looking up at him, "Alright. Deal".

"Wait… Seriously?"

He shrugged, "Sure, why not? Not like I've got anything better to do. I'll just get my bags, then you can lead the way".

Stepping into the long hallway, Harry shut the door behind them, "I'M HOME!"

"IN THE KITCHEN".

Alex frowned, eyeing the portrait of a sleeping Walburga Black distrustfully, before warily following his host down the corridor, passing a single door and a staircase on the way. Walking down the narrow steps of the stairs opposite, he came out into the basement below, which was surprisingly warm and roomy, though he suspected it had something to do with the large fireplace at the end of the room, the flames lit with magic.

And there, in the middle of the room, was a large table.

And at that table, sat a tall, well-built man, his face obscured by the Daily Prophet he was reading.

Alex tensed up slightly, staying on his guard as the man lowered the newspaper, and grinned at them, "Ah, Harry, bringing home strays again, I see... And not a bad looker, either".

He glanced the blonde up and down appreciatively, "Far from it, in fact".

Shoulder-length dark brown hair.

Striking grey eyes.

And a casual flirt?

There was only one person that this man could be.

Alex smirked, "The admiration goes both ways, Mr Black, I assure you".

"And a sharp tongue as well. Why Remus, you ought to start getting jealous" He stood up and reached out to shake his hand, "But please, call me Sirius. And you are?"

"Alex Rider".

*BANG*

They all quickly looked over at the other man in the room as he dropped a metal pot in the sink. And as he turned around to face them, it was clear he was startled.

Alex frowned and stared at him.

Tall.

Slim.

Light brown hair and a small moustache.

Remus Lupin.

And he knew of a one Alex Rider very well indeed.