Chapter 7: The Hand
It had been a couple of week since Voldemorts visit, and there had been no talk of the incident as everyone wasn't wanting to ask Harry anything, taking his condition into consideration. After the exhaustion of flying again took its toll on Harry, he spent another week in bed. As he started to feel better he was able to go for short walks without needing any help. Today was the first day that he was able to have a normal meal.
"Now, Harry," Remus started as everyone was sitting over the breakfast table that rather sleepy Monday morning. "It's back to school next week, as you probably are aware. A couple of us were going to go into Diagon Alley to get some supplies. Did you want to come with us?"
Ron, who was sitting on the other side of the table with a piece of marmalade toast in his hand yawned loudly and said, "Yeah, come with us Mate. I'm sure you'd want to get outta this house of a couple of hours."
"Ron, if Harry isn't feeling up to it, then he isn't feeling up to it." Said a shocked Hermione, wondering how some people could be so rude.
"No, I want to go." Harry said, "And I wish you would all stop making up my mind for me. I'm fine, ok?"
Hermione's face looked as though Harry had kicked a teacher. But, she waved it off muttering something about Dragon Pox.
"Great!" Ron said.
A couple of hours later Ron, Hermione, Harry, Fred, George, Sirius and Remus were all standing beside an old teapot outside in the garden. After using an old boot to get to the Quiddich world cup the year before and the Triwizard Cup that lead Harry to the graveyard where he was left to fight Voldemort. Harry knew that the teapot was a portkey. If there was anything in the wizarding world that Harry hated, it was one of these things, that; and apparating which has the same effect as using a portkey.
"Alright, everyone hold on now." Remus called kneeling down onto the ground as he spoke. Harry lay down on the soft grass that smelled delightful and put his hand onto the teapot. It was a shiny black colour that glistened in the sun; it was slippery to the touch and Harry was starting to wonder how they would be able to hold onto it when they were up in the air. Before he was able to think about it too much he felt his hand being gripped onto it as if he was a magnet and then... WHAM!
He hit a ground hard and could hear the others groan as they sat up stretching their sore arms after the fall. 'Wish I knew how to fly off one of those things' Harry thought. Sirius and Remus who were obviously experienced portkey users floated down to the ground as though they were on a cloud.
"You right mate?" Harry looked up to see Ron looking at him; his hand was outstretched to help Harry up. Harry took the sweaty hand willingly and stood up.
"Thanks" he breathed stretching his own arms.
"Right, are we good to get going?" Sirius called behind him and started walking towards a brick wall. Harry looked around; their portkey had taken them to the courtyard outside the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius got out his wand and started tapping on the bricks; just like Hagrid had done when Harry first went with him to Diagon alley. When Sirius had finished there was a slight shuffle in the bricks and then they all moved to the side creating a large walkway for everyone to walk through.
When everyone was safely on the other side of the walkway the bricks shuffled back into place as if nothing had happened at all. There was a slight *gasp* as everyone looked around. It wouldn't have even taken a wizard to notice that something wasn't right on the Diagon Alley streets. The last time Harry had been to Diagon alley was one year ago, and that was to pick up some money from Gringotts and get some ingredients that he needed for potions that year. This year though, something was different. Lots of the shops in the street did not have their usual warm glow and instead of wearing normal clothing, people were walking up and down the street in cloaks with their hoods drawn and heads facing towards the road.
"Sirius? Why-" Harry started saying when Sirius smacked a hand in front of Harry's face and whispered "Shh- Obviously, what happened between you and Voldemort in the graveyard last year has, you know, gotten around." Harry looked as if he had been kicked in the face; he just stared forward as visions from that night flashed inside his mind.
Voldemort. Cedric. His Parents. The Portkey. And GREEN, GREEN light
"Harry?" Lupin was facing Harry his hand on both of Harry's shoulders looking right into his eyes. Harry knew what was going to follow and didn't want to deal with it. He pulled Lupins hands off him and muttered "Fine" as he stalked off to Ron, Hermione and the others who were looking inside a closed shop window that was full of dead pixies.
"What happened to this place?" Ron groaned. "Though, Pixies deserve that kind of treatment, they were annoying enough in our second year."
"Ronald!" Hermione started "Just because they act like that does not mean that they should be dead!" She fumed.
As they were walking down the unkempt streets towards Gringotts which was their first port of call, Harry noticed that half of the shops were closed down or out of business. He was walking slowly behind the group as he didn't want to talk to anyone. Just as they were passing the alleyway that lead to Knockturn Alley; which was just before the bookstore 'Flourish and Blotts' Harry felt a hand clamp down onto his mouth and another on his back, pulling him into the alleyway. There was nothing that he could do, he couldn't scream for the others or thrash out, he just had to follow the hand that pulled him in.
I am sorry if the story is starting to get a bit slow, it's just, I am a little stuck for ideas. I definitely know what is going to happen with Harry and the 'person' in the alley. But, please, if there are any other ideas, I am happy to hear them.
Thanks
