Hello esteemed readers, here's my new chapter Diagon Alley. It is one of my longest chapter as I really enjoyed writing this one and I hope you enjoy reading. This chapter is not yet beta-controlled and will be replaced on a later date. 15/01/15
enjoy! 3
Diagon Alley
No one heard the bell of the door opening or the soft footsteps of someone entering the shop. "I bet it was all a jest from madam Malkin as no such perfect guy exist in our world and definitely he would not decline a contract for Witch Weekly?" Daphne said in a whisper.
"Hey I warn you…" Madam Malkin said when she heard her whispering but was interrupted by a warm friendly baritone voice.
"That I am sure real and that our dear madam Malkin is still trying to wrap me up for a contract with Witch Weekly in Paris."
Daphne, Tracey, Astoria and the other occupants of Madam Malkin's shop turned their heads in the direction of the new voice. There, a few feet away from the entrance stands a tall, broad Adonis looking young man with messy black hair, emerald eyes twinkling with mirth when he looked at them while a crooked smile appeared on his handsome face. He wears forest green vest with silver gasps and forest brown leggings.
The girls could not believe that the matron did spoke the truth. In truth he looked much handsomer than what they imaged and the word 'handsome' gained a new meaning in the dictionary. "Oh my god, he's so handsome." Astoria squeaked, Daphne and Tracey could only nod in agreement when blushes covered their faces when he looked at them and winked, causing them to sigh.
"S…sir," Madam Malkin stuttered, trying to gain his attention and fighting his powerful aura. The young man turned his eyes to her and winked that caused the matron's face turn slightly pink. "Can you please; h…holds your magic at his minimum, p…pleases Mordred?"
The man, Mordred, stared at her for a small amount when he suddenly burst out in a merry laugh that filled the room. His magical aura flared before it slowly diminished and retreated back in his magical core.
Blink… blink… the girls were brought out of their stupor when the magical aura vanished from the shop. Tracey looked around into the shop and passed the young Adonis near the entrance when her eyes suddenly flashed back to the young handsome Adonis.
"Woweee…" she whistle low and elbowed Daphne in her side, earning a glare and smirked at her, pointing with her index finger at the young man, Daphne followed the direction of her finger and gaped.
'Oh Merlin… Madam Malkin spoke the truth!' Daphne exclaimed mentally and glanced to Madam Malkin that wears a smug face that said: "Did I said the truth or did I say the truth."
"Well did I spoke the truth girls?" She said in good-natured, haughtily. The girls could only stare at the newcomer and Madam Malkin sighed desperately as all her attention goes to her client. Diane laughed at her theatrics and waited how it would play out.
A warm, friendly baritone voice parted from his lips when he spoke and they could not miss the slight tone of mischief that was slightly hidden. "My excuses, madam for letting my magic flare freely but I could not let this opportunity pass." He winked at the youngest that suddenly has difficult to breath.
"And why could you not, Mordred?" She said with a bit of accusing in her voice, her hands at her hips as she slightly bend in the gesture of 'explain now or else'
He paled a bit, showing the others that he was a bit scared of the elderly witch what they finds amusing. "Well, to give your story more weight. I can't let my favorite person telling a lie, could I?"
Madam Malkin's face turned pink of embarrassing and she opened her mouth to yell at him. "Ha…" when she suddenly closed it immediately and glared at him. She almost reprimand in the old fashion of the three names. He only smirked at her in amusement that fueled the fire more before coming to the order of the day.
"Mary I came to get my order, is it ready?" He asked, all serious.
"Yes your order is ready, it stands in the back." she said proudly and glanced to the back of the shop. Diane that sits silently in the corner of the shop looked with watchful eyes at the pair. She has caught the name of the stranger. His name sounded a bit familiar and she remembers vague that she had read about it in a history book, she would investigate later in the library.
"Good" he smiled at her. It was not a normal smile; it was a smile of affection for the elderly witch.
"I will get it for you, sir." Madam Malkin said with a grin as a scowl formed on his handsome face.
"Mary, I believed that I said of not calling me that, call me be my name." He reprimanded, arms crossed over his chest, like a small child.
"It might be that you said something like that… I might have forgotten." She sends a sly wink to the girls that cause him to sigh, releasing the severe look that he held.
The girls laughed at the byplay of the two and found it highly amusing. They did not expect him to be so well behaved and what they saw, made them swoon. Tracey and Daphne softly whispered to each other and glanced time for times to him while Astoria decided to take the bold step and loudly called.
"Hey, you, what's your name?" Daphne and Tracey's eyes widened at the blunt questioning of the youngest and hissed to her that she must behave but it was already too late. Earning the attention of the young man that smirked at her that made her weak in the legs.
"And you like to know, my fair maiden." He said in warm gentle voice that felt like the summer breeze, causing Astoria to blush heavily but she kept her eyes defiantly up. 'Ah, she has a strong will.'
"Yes" she replied in a low, cute voice.
He stepped up to her and grasped gently her hand, locking his bright emerald eyes with hers, causing her to blush deeply as more blood is pumped to her face. "My name is Mordred, what's yours, my fair maiden?"
"A-Astoria" The younger girl stammered. "Astoria Greengrass" Mordred winked at her, his fingers snapped together.
Snap… and out of nowhere he conjured a beautiful orange rose that he handed to her. "A beautiful flower, for a beautiful girl."
Astoria closed her eyes, inhaled the sweet aroma of the flower and she sighed deeply. When she opened her eyes, she saw the jealousy looks of her sister and Tracey. Daphne glared daggers at her and Tracey opened her mouth when Mordred suddenly walked up to her with a red rose in his hand, stopping her sufficient.
Mordred smiled at her and took the posture of a prince charming. The hand that held the flower was raised into the air while he holds it as a microphone. "Oh my fair lady, upon your presence, I thought of showing this flower how beautiful you are."
Tracey blushed furiously, never in her young life before has someone said that to her. And never a handsome bloke likes him. She waited for him to continue, while the others waited with holding breath of what he would say this time. Diane watched with an amusing expression the whole scene, she have seen the many blushes on her girls faces, a faith on itself as they don't show much of those in public, but here a young man was accomplice that within the ten minutes when he has entered the shop and he was not bad. Totally not bad at all…
Tracey's blush increased when the flower came up and was placed in her hair. "I believe that this flower belongs there where she can radiate in your beauty."
She turned around to face the mirror in the shop and gaped. What she saw caught her breath as a bright smile appeared on her beaming face that was reflected in the mirror. There she watched herself wearing her new Hogwarts uniform that molded against her skin, showing her lines of her curves. Her long curling blond hair flowed as a waterfall down her neck while the flower radiated a feint red aura that made her eyes brighten more.
"Thank you." She whispered in awe, still staring at her reflection. She made a decision, turning to Mordred with a bright smile, "Please I wish that you call me Tracey."
Mordred chuckled and replied with a nod. "Then please call me Mordred, milady"
Daphne stared at the young Adonis that had easily won the affection of both her sister and friend. She decided of not making it easily for the young man, deciding to play with him and put on her ice-queen mask to scare him away. It will not do well for her reputation in Hogwarts to swoon so easily under the stare of a handsome man like Mordred.
"You will not easily get me with flowers and pretty words, mister." Daphne stated when he approached her. In his hands he held something, not a flower but a small branch of a tree. He grinned and looked fondly at the branch. "Do you know to which tree this branch belongs?"
Daphne looked at the branch and took in the color of. The bark have a white marble color with yellow, green petal looking leafs attached to it. She then spotted the small white knobs that were still closed.
"If I have to guess, I think it is from the Laurel tree. So my question is what you want to achieve with that question." She asked curiously.
"Nothing much, only telling you a small story about this magnificent tree. It will surprise you of how rich your names history is and you made me think of her."
"Her?" Daphne replied surprise.
"Yes, a young woman that was stunning beyond belief, just like you." Causing her to blush. "She lived in the time of Ancients Greece when a group of powerful wizards and witches ruled the lands; they are called 'The Olympians'. From atop of Mount Olympus they watched over the people that served them, mostly common, normal people with no magical powers or gifts. Until she was born."
Astoria opened her mouth to ask when Tracey closed her mouth with her hand. "You are wondering why this girl is so special. The young girl in question grew into a stunning young woman when years passed. She was not only beauty as she was gifted with a brilliant mind and had talent in magic. She was extremely cunning that she used to gain what she wanted…" Mordred spoke with pride; his eyes radiated emerald light as it stared into the distance. To Daphne and the others he sounded older, wiser but also a little sad, as if he had experienced it himself.
"Cunning is a treat of one of the houses of Hogwarts, Slytherin House that is now seen as a dark house." Diane informed the young man. The young man only nodded in understanding before he continued his story.
"She discovered new things about magic that she shared with other witched and wizards and when she returned to her place by the lake, rumors had started about her beauty and talents, wide and far throughout the country. Conquers, rulers and kings that had heard about her beauty and many talents have sends their messengers for asking her hand in marriage. She declined them all as they only wanted her beauty, talent or magic to fuel their own power. She was contended at how she lived …in the forest, near a lake where she befriended a young serpent and for a long time she led a peaceful life.
But that came to an end when her beauty had reached the ears of a young wizard that lived on Mount Olympus, Apollo. He decided to venture down the mountain in search of this beauty of the lake. Three weeks passed when he finally found her in the wood near the lake with a young serpent in her lap. Lord Apollo was stunned by her beauty and asked immediately her hand in marriage that she declined politely.
Defeated and angry he left the lake and searched for his sister Diana in the hope that she will help him in gaining the heart of the young maiden. Diana that had heard herself about the beauty of this young girl but mostly about her many talents visited her by the lake and soon they became friends. Her friend warned the girl that Apollo only wants her innocent so he could brag about it, but the warning came for naught.
One night, Apollo sneaked into the forest, captured her and took her innocent by force, as result she became pregnant with his child and vowed to take revenge of what he took from her. When she gave birth to her child, she was overjoyed with this new miracle and decided to keep the boy a secret from his father. Of course Apollo found out about the boy and planned to kidnap the child from her so that it would bring her more misery. Diana that did not trust her brother sneaked one night over to his temple and discovered the plans that lay on his desk and fled down Mount Olympus to warn her friend and together they forged a plan to protect the boy.
Full moons have passed and Apollo sneaked down the mountain in the middle of the night. He arrived late in the night in order of fulfilling his own mission. There near the edge of the lake he found a bundle of cloaks wrapped around a small object and was confident that it is the child. Without a sound he sneaked towards the bundle for picking it up when suddenly a snake lunged out to him and bite him.
Heavily wounded by the bite that is poisoned he conjured his bow with his wand and hid himself in the bushes. When the sun rose, the girls returned, expecting him back at Mount Olympus when he suddenly struck and hit the girl in the chest. Apollo succumbed to the poison while Diane tried to safe her friend, but with her last breath she led Diana promise to care for her only son that accepted her plea.
With her last remaining magic and with the help of Diana, she turned herself into a Laurel tree that watched out over the lake and the serpent that she befriended so long ago, now guarding her sacred place as did Daphne Selena Slytherin when she was alive." Mordred finished as he has his eyes closed and a single tear made his way down his cheek.
Daphne had tears coming down her cheek, as she did not expect a story like that. Her name that she was given by her birth carried a rich but tragedy history that she never had any knowledge about until now. The story carried a clear message to her, that she must fight for her own believes and that men only seek power in those that could provide it. She could see the clear similarity of the story in her life as she has someone that tried to claim her beauty and brain for himself without any respect for her.
'Would my life be like that?' thought Daphne with worry. 'A life were a man only leers about my beauty or my power that my family holds in wizardry Britain? Will they only see me as a trophy wife and never as Daphne Greengrass?'
"Milady," came the voice of Mordred that sounded far away that broke her line of thought. She focused back on the young man in front of her.
"Sorry I was sunken in my thoughts, my excuses."
"No, no it is I that must apologies of telling such a tragedy, but I thought you would like to know the history of your name."
"No apologies sir. I am glad that you told me that, while it was a tragedy it was also very interesting to learn something about my name and surprise, surprise my name was carried by the ancestor of my Hogwarts House." She laughed when Mordred raised a brow that she find quite adorable and explained. "Astoria, Tracey and I are sorted in the house of Slytherin and you gave us the satisfaction to learn more about the part of history of our founder, thank you."
"It was my joy of sharing that information with you milady, please accept this small gift." He handed the small branch of Laurel to Daphne that picked it up and a warm tingle filled her hand and crept up her arm when she touched the hand of Mordred.
"Thank you, sir" She said with a blush while he in reply chuckled lightly.
"I FOUND IT!" The loud voice of Madam Malkin came from the back of the shop, breaking the silent that had fallen when Mordred was finish. A sound of a heavy container and puffs reached the ears of the group, when they turned they could see, Madam Malkin pushing a large trunk to the small group.
"BY MERLIN'S BEARD!" exclaimed Tracey when she saw the large trunk that was easily three feet height and three feet wide. "What does it all contains?"
A sparkle erupted in the eyes of the elderly witch when she conjured a parchment that was rolled up that she released and rolled over the floor, she started to sum up. "Casual clothes for daily use like, robes, vests, jackets…" Mordred groaned when she heard her reading the list. He knows it is unprofessional to read it aloud when there are others but he found out that he did not mind that much as it makes them laugh, even if it is about his embarrassment.
Not far from Madam Malkin Robes for All Occasion's walked a group of friends through the alley in search for the new Zonko's Joke Shop. The shop is famous about its wide assortments for jokes and became really famous when Ronald Weasleys twin brothers started a prank war at Hogwarts.
"Hey Ron," Ronald Weasley or as his friends called him, Ron, turned around to face his friend, Dean with an annoying expression. He had forgotten the route to the new shop that Fred told him about in Egypt.
"Yay what,"
"Hey basilisk slayer, chill man." Seamus interrupted him. "We only wanted to ask, how tall that monster was that you had slain."
When they asked him about his famous deed that he performed last year and saved the whole school from that monster, his whole face cleared up, as snow in the sun. With a wide grin he thought back to the moment that the students started to call him, 'the basilisk slayer'. The calling started in the Great Hall and he was surprised that his own sister, Ginny was the one that started. For the first time in his life he was something, a hero. He, Ronald Weasley has finally stepped out from under the shadows of his famous friend Harry Potter. His spot in the light soon caused him forgot his friend, Harry and he made new friends, Dean and Seamus, both Gryffindors.
"…that monster was 40 feet long, his eyes were black and he had a purple skin." Ronald told them. The two boys listened to him in hero worshipping and gasped at the right moment.
"You really did that." Seamus asked in awe.
Ronald nodded proudly. "Yes I did."
The three Gryffindors rounded a corner when they caught voices in the distance.
"What a liar." Said a girl's voice. The girl that spoke did not even try to whisper, Ronald's eyes narrowed as his temper flared up. He increased his steps, pushing through the crowd of wizards and witches and ended up in an alley that would lead to the leaky Cauldron. Dean and Seamus that had followed him, puffed hard as the people were annoyed with their behavior and made it more difficult for them to go through. Ronald opened his mouth to retort when they heard laughter from three different persons, when the laughter died a new voice spoke up.
"That description that he gave about that monster, the basilisk was so wrong. I visited at home the library and found a clear description of a basilisk. The basilisk can have three different skin colors that are: obsidian, emerald, silvers. The eyes of the basilisk are yellow or emerald and are deadly if you look into them. That makes it impossible to beat one without looking, and beside Potter is parseltongue."
"That makes more sense than the bullocks he spread, Daph." Tracey replied and the girls burst in a fit of giggles.
Ronald felt the blood rush to his face, starting at his neck, creeping up to his ears that burned red and ended at the crown of his hairline. His eyes saw red and he stormed around the corner with his wand in his hand, pointed at the group of girl. "Stupefy!"
A red light hit Astoria straight in the chest. She gasped for air as her eyes rolled back into her head and she would have fallen ugly if Daphne did not caught her in time. With a mask of fury she stared at the group Gryffindors and draws her wand but before she could cast a spell another red light flew towards her.
"Protego!" Tracey shouted, her wand pointed at Daphne and Astoria and a blue barrier came in view that reflected the red light.
"Thanks, Trace, Stupefy!" a red light erupted from her wand, straight to Ronald that ducked narrowly under it and shot his own.
"Petrificus Totalus!" four voices shouted suddenly, two of them were boy's voices that stood in front of them that hit Tracey's shield, but the two other voices were from girls that has hit them square in the back.
"Merlin, Hermione you came just in time to teach these snakes a lesson." Ronald exclaimed, eyeing Hermione with a gratitude expression and then looked to the three Slytherins on the ground with pink mist. "Now what would we do…."
"Ronald what is going on?" Hermione buttered in, staring at the petrified Slytherin and one unconscious. "I don't think that was a good idea, Ronald. We have attacked students and I know that you and Ginny blames everything on the Slytherins for losing Harry, but this is not the solution."
"No, this is not about Harry; this was about them lying about me of slaying the basilisk and saving you, our house and the whole school from that monster. Hey is that not Greengrass?" Ronald suddenly said, as he eyed her better.
"Hey, you're right, Ron. It is Greengrass. Do you think that you guys can break her in?" Ginny piped up with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"Ginny you can't mean that. They are…" Hermione started before Ronald interrupted her.
"Of course we can, they are Slytherins after all. They took Harry away from us."
"I am not sure…" She started again as the boys moved closer to the immobile girls.
"Hey I take Greengrass and then you can take her sister and you that Davis girl." Ronald said, looking at the two boys with a meaningful look. The boys nodded and were so narrow minded in doing their task and Ginny watched them with an unhealthy obsession of seeing them break that only Hermione could feel the difference in the air that suddenly approach and a shadow loomed over them.
Daphne and Tracey, while they are petrified, they still could hear the conversation that was going on and it did not grant well for them. With wide eyes they watched as their assaulters came closer until they are only a feet away from them. They poured all their hate and disdain in their glares to show them that they will take revenge on them for this dishonor when suddenly a shadow loomed over the boys and a cold chill crept into the alley.
"Ronald, Ginny something is wrong here…" Hermione said in a high pitched voice, looking frantic around her into the alley as did Seamus and Dean that had stopped in their advancing to the girls when they saw the panic in Hermione's eyes.
"W…what's g..going on?" Dean stammered, when he felt the chill intensified and Seamus clapper with his teeth. Making a rattling noise.
Ronald that has stared at Hermione when she called his name turned immediately back to the Slytherins. "You tried to ambush us here in the alley, us wizards of the light. I would have known that Slytherins are rotter than rot. So where is that slimy bastard that tried to scare us? SHOW YOURSELF SNAKE!" He shouted the last part in a snarl, looking frantic around when he suddenly was hit by a spell that blasted him against his friends. The three boys fell through the impact to the floor and Ronald opened his eyes and immediately closed it again as he had looked in two infernos emerald eyes that were locked on his.
"Here I am, boy." The voice that replied is cold as ice and sharp as the winter breeze. "I have heard and seen of what you're planning is with these girls and I can tell you that I am not amused. Finite!" he said the last part in almost a whisper when he pointed his wand at the girls that suddenly could move again.
The girls glared at the red head and the other Gryffindors and then she looked at her rescuer and they were surprised to see him again. "Mordred thank you for saving us." Daphne, Tracey and Astoria said with deep respect and gratitude while Hermione growled when she heard that name.
If Hermione would category a wizard to the Dark side then she would immediately say two names, Lord Voldemort and Mordred. Lord Voldemort is of course common sense in the wizarding world but for Mordred, he betrayed and killed the only muggle that is a role model for muggleborns and that a crazy mother did name her son after a murderer…
"It was my pleasure, ladies." Mordred replied in a kinder voice that turned immediately ice cold when he turned back to the Gryffindors. "Leave them alone if you know what is healthy for yourself or experience the consequencesss." He hissed the last part that slipped into parseltongue that nerved everyone in the alley.
The Gryffindors did not know how fast they must sprint out of the alley and soon vanished from sight while the Slytherins turned to their rescuer. Their eyes sparkled like stars and Astoria happily grasped his hand and draws him with her when he suddenly lost balance and fell with a heavy sound to the floor.
"Mordred!" three voices exclaimed in panic and silenced when he spoke again. "Diana I need you to go to Gringotts."
The girls looked in confusion to him when suddenly a snake crawled out of his sleeve and slithered with high tempo away and returned with a goblin before the girls could question him. The Goblin snarled at the group teenagers and then looked at the young man. "Lord Potter I came as fast as I could when you're familiar informed me about your condition." The goblin, Goldtooth spoke with deep respect to the young man.
"Lord Potter!" The three girls squeaked in astonishment while Harry groaned.
Thank you for reading and support, as you can see I am building a strong history for the whole story and slowly I will tip off the veil.
