CHAPTER 4

The professor had been involved in many cases, yet this was, by far, the strangest. But, no matter how strange it may be, the professor was as curious as always.

The group of five set off for the Leaky Cauldron, an inn for wizards and witches. Luke was literally bouncing with excitement.

"Wow, professor! Can you really believe that we're going to a hotel that has real wizards and witches in it?" Luke whispered. "It's amazing!"

"You don't seem as discombobulated as I thought you would be," Layton said. "Yes, it is quite the surprise."

"We are here!" Hermione said brightly.

The puzzle aficionados looked up and saw a dusty old sign, slightly waving in the wind. On it was engraved, "THE LEAKY CAULDRON". They all stepped into the inn.

The Leaky Cauldron was brightly lit on the inside. A long, wooden table sat right in the middle of the large room. On one side of the table there was a bar where they offered things such as firewhiskey, a very hot wizard whiskey, several different wines and beers, and butterbeer, a sweet, frothy drink that is served sometimes served hot.

"Five bottles of butterbeer, please!" Harry said at the bar. A short man hustled away and snatched five drinks, all cold because it wasn't winter anymore, and handed them to Harry.

"That would be ten sickles, then," the short bartender said.

"Sickles?" Layton asked.

"It's wizard money," Hermione said. "There are seventeen sickles in a Galleon, twenty- nine Knuts in a sickle, and four- hundred ninety- three Knuts in a Galleon. Each Galleon is equivalent to five pounds, or five- hundred pence."

Luke was very confused, so he just jotted it all down in his notebook.

Ron had to go help Harry carry the beverages while Layton, Luke and Hermione picked a spot and sat down. A few elderly wizards looked up from the paper and greeted the three while their wand stirred their tea. Luke waved back happily.

"Wands can stir tea better than me!" Luke exclaimed. "I need to get one!"

Hermione froze.

"You… wand… what if you were a wizard?"

Luke shrugged.

"Maybe I am!" he said casually. "Maybe I'm not."

Just then, Harry and Ron sat down by Hermione and handed each person a bottle of butterbeer.

Professor Layton accepted the drink and took a sip. So did Luke.

"Tasty!" Luke commented.

"I must admit, I have taken a liking to this," the professor said.

"Who doesn't?" Ron pointed out. "It's the best drink in the magical world."

"Harry, how about we buy a few bottles of pumpkin juice, in case we get thirsty?" Hermione suggested, eager to forget the possibility that Luke could be a wizard.

"Sure!" Harry agreed. "We can buy two bottles for Hershel and Luke."

"More drinks?" Luke asked. "YAY!"

"Luke, you must be as gentlemanly as possible on all occasions," the professor reminded him, smiling.

They finished the butterbeer and went up to the counter to purchase five bottles of pumpkin juice, which Hermione slipped into her bag with ease.

Luke was amazed by how the bottles fit into one, small bag.

"How did you do that?" he asked, astonished.

"I placed an undetectable Expanding Charm on it," Hermione explained. "I have quite a lot of things in here."

"Like what?"

Hermione took out a few books, her wand, another book, and when she pulled out a long piece of clothing, she paused.

"I think you'll like this," she said, handing the cloak- like object to Harry.

"Watch this," Harry said, grinning. He slipped the cloak on, and all of a sudden, he disappeared.

"Whoa!" Luke shouted.

A moment later, Harry reappeared in front of the bar, nearly giving the bartender a heart attack.

"Good Merlin!" the bartender yelled, clutching at his chest. "I hate charmed cloaks!"

"Whoops," Harry muttered. "I shouldn't have done that."

The dark shadow glided across the Hogwarts grounds, leaving the unconscious centaur lying on the ground. It started to quicken its pace, as it passed the entrance gate and entered Hogsmeade.

Quietly, the ghostly phantom crept into the Hog's Head.

The pub has stayed the same since I came in here a thousand years ago, the creature thought.

"Greetings, Salazar." A tall, slightly gaunt- faced man stepped into view.

As his identity was acknowledged, the ghost of Salazar Slytherin finally took a more specific form and shape. He stopped floating in mid- air and touched down on the floor soundlessly.

"Draco Malfoy," Slytherin said, smiling. "I knew you would remain loyal to the noble house of Slytherin."

Malfoy trembled, though this went unnoticed by Slytherin.

"Y- y- yes, master," he spluttered, quivering even more.

"Master?" Slytherin raised his eyebrows. "I am not your master. We are… equals.

"After all, when all other Death Eaters were killed or when they retreated, you stood your ground after that idiot Harry Potter won the Second Wizarding War."

Draco's fists clenched for some reason. Slytherin, again, did not notice it.

"I remember Tom Marvolo Riddle. Or, rather, Lord Voldemort. Oh, the fool, he thought making several tiny, pathetic Horcruxes would make him immortal. No, I am after something much, much bigger."

It suddenly occurred to Malfoy what this thing just might be, and why he, of all people, was destined to be the great Salazar Slytherin's evil apprentice and follower.

More even, Malfoy was afraid that he could do Slytherin no good whatsoever and he could be of no help.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, the professor and Luke walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, though through a different door. In seconds, Layton and Luke found themselves in front of a large brick wall.

Harry whipped out his wand and tapped certain bricks on the strange barrier. Luke heard a rumbling sound.

"Hey look, professor!" Luke exclaimed. "The wall is moving!"

There was a flash of blinding light. Professor Layton shielded his eyes. When he opened them again, the wall had gone, and instead there was a long path that twisted and winded its way down a bustling street full of shops, animals and, of course, wizards and witches.

"This is so cool!" Luke yelled in excitement. He spun around. "Professor, we've got to check this out!"

The professor was just as excited, though he kept his steady reputation as the perfect English gentleman by merely smiling and saying: "All right, if you insist."

Hermione reached out to stop them, intending to warn them how it was vital to stay on task. However, Harry pulled her sleeve and said: "No, it's fine to let them explore a bit. It'll save us a lot of explaining as well."

Ron agreed and said: "Yeah. Hey, Harry, have you noticed the disappearing people in the paper were the people who were closest to you leading up to the Final Battle?"

Harry stiffened. The Final Battle was a touchy subject for him, for he had lost so many friends and loved ones in there.

"…Really?" he asked through gritted teeth. His eyes were on Luke, happily skipping and hopping around, carefree like Harry when he was the same age. Oh, how he longed for those days, when Dudley fell through the glass in the reptile exhibit at the zoo, how he slept in the tiny cupboard under the stairs, how he didn't have this heavy burden to protect the world.

Ron looked at Luke, too, trying to think things through clearly before he made Harry lose his mind or something. He knew how much Harry hated it when people disappeared, were hurt or died because of him. But how could this be because of him? Harry always blamed himself for everything. Ron just changed the subject.

"Well, witnesses say that for a short time after the victim disappears, they always saw an ominous black shadow lingering there before disappearing as well," Ron said.

Harry didn't look so angry anymore. Instead, he looked a bit anxious.

"Your point?"

Ron drew in a deep breath.

"I think it…. it could be… I think it could be a new dark wizard."