Chapter 8
Armando Dippet left Cogg and Bell's with a relieved sigh for two reasons. First, because his watch had been successfully fixed. Secondly, and the larger reason, because it got him away from Master Cogg's prying questions. The wizarding community was quite small when compared to the muggle world and gossip spread like wildfire. He knew the news that he had a daughter he had never revealed before now would incite gossip. However, he hadn't expected it to spread quite so fast. Master Cogg was as bad as a bored housewife when it came to gossip and he had tried prying every five minutes or so to get more information out of him about his daughter.
Well, at least that annoyance was over with. And he would make it to the fountain with about fifteen minutes to spare, which would give him a chance to rest while he waited for Amaryllis to meet him. He was certainly not as young as he used to be and would be glad for the chance to sit, before having to start running about again to finish their shopping. He just hoped that Amaryllis wouldn't get distracted in a store and forget about meeting him. He'd hate to have to go hunting for her and have an argument with her ensue.
Armando weaved through the crowd, cataloging in his mind the remaining stops they needed to make. With some luck, they might get all the shopping done today and could avoid any more crowds and gossip for the rest of the summer. Or he might just send Landey or Zabby to finish up the shopping. They were the best of his house elves when it came to money and shopping efficiently, and they knew their way around Diagon Alley because they were the ones who headed the manor's upkeep when he was away at Hogwarts.
As he drew closer to the center of the market, Armando instinctively took note of some Aurors speaking with people in the crowd. Wondering what happened, he made his way closer.
"…I think it was that Mulciber boy that did it," a plump middle-aged witch was saying to Auror Wilkins. "It was hard to tell, though, with the hawk flying all about him, trying to take it back…"
Armando felt like his old heart stopped for a few seconds. All thoughts certainly stopped except one: Amaryllis. With a discipline that had been fostered by nearly two and a half centuries as an Auror, he forced himself to remain calm and not jump to any hasty conclusions. While not a common familiar, it was entirely possible another witch or wizard had a hawk familiar that could have been attacking someone. He made his way closer while listening to the conversation, gaze searching the crowd for any sign of his daughter or her hawk.
"…And then he was disappearing off that way, and a girl with dark hair and green robes was chasing after him, yelling in a heavy accent for him to give it back. I didn't see anything else after that."
That time, Armando was certain his heart stopped for a few seconds. Especially as he wasn't seeing any sign of his daughter.
Not caring about being rude, Armando pushed himself through the crowd, towards the Aurors. As he made it past the worst of the throng, he found himself next to a small meat vendor cart. Next to it was a black luggage trunk propped up that he didn't recognize. He did, however, recognize the tiny pale puffskein on top of the trunk, standing out against the dark luggage.
"Irma," Armando interrupted the conversation. "Are you sure the girl had dark hair and was wearing green robes today?"
"Oh, Headmaster Dippet, I didn't see you there. And yes, yes I am. Is she one of your students?"
"Headmaster," Auror Wilkins said with concern. "Do you know anything about either child involved in the pick-pocketing?"
Pick-pocketing, Armando thought with a sigh of relief. If that was all this was, Amaryllis might very well have tried to chase down a thief, lost him along a street, and not made her way back to the market yet. Or she might have caught up with him and been injured. That was a thought that squashed his relief. "I very well may. What sort of hawk was chasing the boy?"
"I believe Jacob Fowl, the vendor, said that it was a merlin. He got a decent look at it before the incident."
"A merlin? Are you certain, Wilkins?" Armando asked insistently.
"I'm certain that's what Fowl said. Why?"
Before Armando could answer, he heard a familiar screech from above.
"Oh, thank Helga," he breathed in relief in honor of his house's founder, searching the sky for Zephyr.
His relief was short lived, however. A dark stain of crimson could be seen on the hawk's leg as it flew closer. He was bleeding. And Amaryllis was still nowhere in sight. The hawk screeched again as it came closer.
"Zephyr, where's Amaryllis?" Armando called up sharply. "Show me."
The bird gave a bob of its head and turned back the way it had been flying.
Armando shoved past anyone in his way, ignoring the glares, exclamations, and mutters; shopping bags forgotten in his concern to reach his daughter. The hawk led him out of Carkitt Market and into Martial Alley. Armando moved as fast as he could after the bird, adrenaline allowing him to jog in pursuit.
It wasn't fast enough. He wished he knew exactly where she was so he could just apparate to her. He was more than well enough versed, still remembered the counter-charms from his Auror days, that he could bypass the wards here and do so, if only he knew where he had to land.
Why did he leave her alone? He should have listened to his instincts. He had had his reservations about letting her wander the Market on her own, she had gotten pick-pocketed and disappeared, and now Zephyr was injured and showing up without her. Armando knew the hawk suffered all sorts of discomforts because it was devoted to his daughter and wanted to be with her at all times. Zephyr wouldn't leave her by herself, even if he was injured, unless something serious had happened to her and he had no choice but to find help.
Armando tried to keep his thoughts in order as he chased after the hawk past the short stretch of Martial Alley and into the twisting dirty street of Knockturn Alley. It wasn't easy. He had seen similar situations end poorly during his days as an Auror, though the perpetrators weren't school children. He had to keep in mind that this was likely the work of the inept but troublesome Mulciber boy, not hardened Dark Wizards.
Panicking wouldn't help matters, Armando reminded himself. Panicking wouldn't help Amaryllis. He would not jump to the worst case conclusions, nor berate himself with however many ways this could have been avoided. At least, not right now.
He just needed to follow Zephyr to her, and he'd find out what happened. Then he could help her. He had enough centuries of experience, whatever had happened, he could help his daughter. He had not only just found out he had a daughter to have her taken away like this. He'd find her and she'd be okay.
Zephyr wheeled around another corner and gave a screech.
Armando heard an anxious voice, a boy's voice, call back, "Took you long enough! I thought merlins were supposed to be fast?"
The hawk gave an angry screech back.
Armando came around the corner a few seconds later and found Zephyr coming to a landing next to a dark-haired boy holding his daughter in his arms. The young wizard, who was not the Mulciber boy, looked up at him with relief written on his expression.
"Oh, thank Merlin! Are you Amaryllis' father?"
"Yes. What happened?" Armando asked as he rushed over, taking note of blood splatters around the alley, yet neither child appeared to be blatantly injured. He sank to his knees next to them, letting the boy continue to hold Amaryllis, half laying in his lap, to avoid aggravating whatever injuries she had obviously sustained until he could assess them. He began running diagnostic spells on his daughter as the boy answered in a frightened rush.
"I was here practicing some spell work, where I wouldn't be in anyone's way, when I heard crackles from spells being fired off, a girl screaming and a hawk screeching. She was being chased by some boys and ended up running in here as her hawk tried to fend them off. There was yelling about them stealing money from her and her familiar bloodying one of them up. They sent some more spells at her and she didn't seem able to defend herself. I started helping the hawk and we managed to run them off, but in the process one of the boys hit her with some sort of spell that looked like a red bolt of light. It sent her flying backwards, like a disarming spell. I had stopped her from hitting the wall too hard by casting a Spongify on it before she reached it, but she said her ribs were hurting where she got hit by the spell and she was having trouble breathing. When I tried to help her from the alley, she lost her footing and didn't seem well enough to stand. She told me her name was Amaryllis and sent Zephyr off to find you because she had no idea where she was or how to get back to where she was supposed to be meeting you. I told her I'd stay with her while her familiar was gone and tried to keep her talking, or at least listening, but she passed out. She hasn't woken back up."
"Did you hear what incantation was used for the spell that hit her?" Armando asked, still running diagnostic spells. So far he couldn't find the presence of Dark magic and her vital signs were fairly strong. Her heart was beating a bit fast and her breathing was shallow and hitching, but his scans indicated hairline fractures in two of her ribs, which would explain both.
"No, sir," the boy said fretfully. "I'm sorry. Everything was happening so quickly. Is she going to be okay?"
"I think she'll be fine, yes," Armando said once he completed a final preliminary scan. "She seems to have just fractured a few ribs and fainted from either the pain or not being able to breathe easily. Her ribs will heal with a few potions and, as she's not showing signs of deprivation, she should wake up shortly. And are you alright? Were you hit by any spells?"
The boy shook his head. "No, sir. They didn't notice me at first, so I was able to disarm two of them before they realized I was there, and Zephyr had already injured another pretty badly. I managed to avoid the spells the last one threw at me." The boy shuddered and glanced up at the fire escape on the side of the building. He said, voice quivering a bit as his gaze went back to Amaryllis, "I'm glad I did, too. That one wasn't shooting disarming spells and knockback jinxes."
Armando glanced up and saw a rail sliced through and another gouge in a wall. He felt his stomach churn at the thought that Amaryllis could have been suffering from more than just a few fractured bones. He asked in consternation, "One of the attackers did that?"
The boy nodded, closing his eyes as he shuddered again. "One of the older boys. He was shooting that hex at all three of us. It's what hit Zephyr, I think, but he got some swipes at the boy's hand and it threw his aim off enough that I could dodge his spells. And, I don't know where it came from, if one of them had it as a familiar or conjured it, but there was a snake slithering about during the fight at one point. It bit one of the other boys, which caused some distraction too."
Armando nodded and looked around in concern, casting a spell to try locating the snake. Two pulses of light showed further back in the alley, coming from the wall of the building to their right. There was also a small haze back there. Two snakes, then, and that could be a nest or prey of theirs. Considering they were nesting in the walls of Scryvenwretch, he'd bet anything that the negligent, drug addicted poison-maker had something to do with the snakes being there. That man was a bleeding menace to society. Armando was going to inform the Aurors of this and, if he had anything to say in the matter, he'd make certain Scryvenwretch was shut down by the end of this weekend. He'd also wager that, despite the boy's guesses, the snake biting one of the attackers had something to do with his half-blood daughter being of a nymph. Animals of any sort would rush to her aid if aware she was in danger. But the boy didn't need to know that. It was safer for him to think it was one of the other wizards losing control of a familiar or a conjured snake and it biting one of their friends, or that the snake was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time and was defending itself on instinct.
Armando turned his gaze back to the hawk, who was settled on the ground, leg still bleeding. He cast a quick healing spell on Zephyr, who startled when magic came at it, but relaxed as the pain he was in disappeared. The wizard cast a diagnostic spell to check that it was only a flesh wound, and was thankful to find that the spell hadn't cut into any of the hawk's hollow bones, as that would be difficult to heal, more so than a human's.
"You did very well, Zephyr. Thank you." Armando said, stroking the bird's head for a moment.
The hawk made a small unhappy noise, but let him stroke it, then its gaze went back to his mistress.
"What's your name, child?" Armando asked, scanning the alley for anything else he might have missed. He spotted shopping bags behind the children, and the ends of three wands poking out from two different piles of trash near the front of the alley.
"Tom, sir," the boy said quietly.
"How old are you, Tom?"
"Eleven, sir. I'll be twelve at the end of December."
Armando's gaze went back to the boy, studying his features. Ollivander mentioned just this morning an incoming first year with dark features, serious yet polite, named Tom. What were the chances? Was it that same boy? "…And your last name, Tom?"
"Riddle, sir," the boy said quickly, voice nervous again. "My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. I'm sorry for not giving the full before, sir."
Armando needed a few seconds to collect himself, careful not to show his surprise. He'd really like to know how the Ollivanders managed to so accurately predict things about a wizard or witch from their wands. And Garrick hadn't been off in that this year was already shaping up to be eventful.
The Headmaster shook his head slightly, deciding he was going to take Ollivander's opinions more seriously from now on. To the boy watching him in confusion, he said evenly, "That's alright, child. I'm sure this has been quite the upsetting experience. What did you say you were doing in this alley before the fight broke out?"
"I was practicing some wand work, sir. I can't where I live, you see, as it was indicated to me that muggles can't know about magic. So, as this is the only wizarding town I know of and can reach 'til school starts, I found someplace here where I wouldn't be in the way in case I messed up a spell. I come and practice what I've been studying after I do my school shopping so I'll hopefully be prepared some when school starts in September. I was working on bluebell flames and smokescreens when they showed up."
Armando's eyebrows raised in surprise, climbing higher as the boy continued speaking. "Bluebell flames and smokescreens?"
Tom gave a small nod. "Yes, sir. I've seen people using the bluebell flames a lot, so I figured that would probably be something I should practice. And the smokescreen looked hard, so I wanted to try working on it before school started so I didn't look a bit foolish when it came to cast the spell in class."
"And how did you fend off the boys attacking my daughter?"
"Mostly the Disarming spell and Knockback jinx in our Defense book, sir. When the older boy was tossing cutting hexes at me, I cast a couple of the Severing Charm from our Herbology book at him to break his concentration, then disarmed him. And then there was the Softening Charm on the wall and ground to help soften her impact."
Armando nodded slowly, glancing around the alley again and noting where the wall and the ground were visibly changed.
"I know it was wrong to hurt him back, sir, but I got scared and he was dodging the disarming spell and I thought I needed to try something else and I don't know too many spells right now."
Armando shook his head and said levelly, "No, dear boy. It's quite alright to defend yourself when someone is using such spells against you. However, what made you want to practice here? Did no one explain to you that underage wizards aren't allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts?"
The boy's eyes widened and he gave a nervous gulp. "N-no, sir, they didn't. I just knew that muggles weren't supposed to find out about magic because my guardian wasn't told where I would be going to school, nor what for. And as I knew of Diagon Alley because that is where I was told to come for my school shopping, I found someplace out of the way to practice because I didn't want to be behind the other students when school started. Do you know if I could be expelled for it?"
Armando shook his head. "No, no. I dare say you won't be expelled. Not if you didn't know the rules about underage magic. We're not so harsh as that."
"Are you sure, sir?" Tom asked fearfully.
Armando nodded. "Yes, I am sure. Especially as you meant no harm in coming to practice, and you didn't know the rules, you would not get more than a verbal warning about this. As you being here and knowing a bit of magic quite likely saved my daughter from being maimed or killed, and you kept her ribs from being completely shattered, I can promise you, as Headmaster of your future school, you won't be reprimanded for this. You will simply need to abide by that rule now that you know it unless you need defend yourself again, though I sincerely hope such a situation doesn't occur."
Tom blinked several times in surprise. "H-Headmaster," he said in a small voice. "You're Hogwart's Headmaster, sir? The Headmaster Armando Dippet on my letter?"
Armando nodded with a small smile. "Yes, child, I am."
Both wizards' gazes darted down to Amaryllis, who was still half laying on the boy's lap and in his arms, as she was giving a pained groan.
Thank Helga, Armando thought. If she stayed unconscious much longer, he was going to have to see if a Renerveate Spell would bring her around.
"Amaryllis?" the elderly wizard said, patting her cheek. "Amaryllis, my dear, can you hear me?"
Amaryllis gave another pained groan. "Y-yes… I hear, you."
"Can you open your eyes?"
After a few seconds, her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze went between the two wizards. She said to her father in a shaky voice, "Good. Zephyr, found you. Is he, okay?"
"Zephyr will be just fine. I've already healed the wound he took. How are you feeling?"
"My ribs, hurt. Breathing, hurts, them more."
"That's not surprising; the spell that hit you caused hair line fractures in two of your ribs."
"Oh," Amaryllis breathed out. She looked to Tom. "You still, okay?"
"Yeah," Tom said dismissively. "I told you, I'm fine."
"No one, came back?"
"No, just your father. You weren't out more than fifteen or twenty minutes."
Amaryllis nodded. "Thanks, again."
"It's fine, really. I wasn't going to watch someone getting attacked three to one, especially not when they were the innocent person. You don't need to keep thanking me."
"Still, thank you."
Tom rolled his eyes with a sigh.
Satisfied that she was coherent and likely not under any sort of immediately untraceable effects after observing her, especially as it was school boys who had hexed her and not full-grown wizards, Armando waved his wand at her torso and gently touched above each broken rib as he said a numbing spell.
Amaryllis gave a sigh of relief and her eyes closed.
"We're going to need to move you, my dear, so I can bring you home and give you a potion to mend your ribs."
Amaryllis gave a nod.
Armando was lifting his wand to conjure a stretcher when he heard footsteps jogging down the street towards them. He halted that movement, instead lifting himself to his feet and ignoring his joints creaking in protest to the sudden stretching. He trained his wand on the entrance of the alley, but lowered it when two wizards came into view.
"There you are!" Wilkins exclaimed with relief.
"Wilkins, Blishwick," Armando said with a nod to them as they approached.
"What happened here?" Wilkins asked, gaze scanning the scene. "You went dashing off without explanation and we've been looking everywhere for you. Is that the girl who got pick-pocketed?"
"Yes. This is my daughter, Amaryllis, and she was the one the Mulciber boy pick-pocketed," Armando explained. "I apologize for leaving without making you aware that I was tracking the victim; my concern was for reaching my daughter."
Wilkins waved a hand in dismissal. "You're a former Auror and it was family in question, I can hardly blame you for racing off to handle it on your own. So what happened here and who's this lad?"
"Apparently the Mulciber boy had three friends with him, likely his cousin's group of ruffians. She obviously didn't know that when she tried to get her money pouch back and ended up being chased down by them. They were attacking her and her familiar, but this boy thankfully came to her rescue and helped run them off. A snake also apparently bit one of the boys and he'll need treatment if he's not already getting it, as I expect it was venomous. I located a pair nesting over there," Armando pointed, "in the wall Scryvenwretch's. I suspect that the snake had the misfortune of leaving its nest to hunt for food, was caught in the cross fire, and bit one of the boys in self-defense. I expect both snakes to be safely captured and Scryvenwretch's shop to be thoroughly searched, as I would hazard the guess that is where they came from and I know he doesn't have permits to be personally harvesting venoms."
Blishwick nodded and approached the wall cautiously, casting the same animal locating charm Armando had used.
While his partner handled that matter, Wilkins asked, "Are either of these two hurt?"
"My daughter sustained two fractured ribs from a force spell of some sort. Otherwise, she appears to be fine. The boy is thankfully uninjured."
Wilkins nodded and asked the boy, "What's your name, son?"
"Tom, sir. Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Do you know the boys who attacked Miss Dippet, Tom?"
"No, sir," Tom said with a shake of his head.
"Did any of them say the other's names?"
Tom thought on that, then said hesitantly, "I think one mentioned the name Fenris or Fenrir? He wasn't in the alley. It sounded like, from what they said, that Zephyr had scratched him while defending Amaryllis before they got here. Another boy called the one who hexed her Anton? Maybe Antonin or Antonis? He was the tallest and had black greasy hair. The other two, they looked somewhat alike, and I think the tallest boy called the older one Jeremy or Jerome? The younger one, I didn't get his name, but he was the one who stole her money. He tossed it back before running off and it's in her pocket now."
Wilkins nodded with a displeased frown. "Which one was bit?"
"The one that hexed Amaryllis, the tallest one. He was closest to it and got bit just after hexing her."
"What the bloody hell was Scrivenwretch thinking?!" Blishwick exclaimed as he levitated one of the snakes out of the hole. "Eyelash vipers?!"
Wilkins looked over and his eyes widened. He cast a quick petrifying spell at the furiously hissing snake. Blishwick lowered it to the ground, then they repeated the process of him levitating the next snake out and Wilkins freezing it. Blishwick pointed his wand at some of the trash in the alley, transfiguring it into a sturdy cage, and levitated the adult vipers into it. He transfigured another cage out of the trash, tossed some trash into it, and then began to carefully levitate the snake eggs out of the hole, one by one, trying not to disturb them.
Wilkins turned to one side as soon as the adult snakes were safely caged, swirled his wand and called out, "Expecto Patronum!" The glowing form of his patronus charm poured from his wand, becoming a raven. He kept his wand pointed on the patronus as he said, "Bilby, we have eyelash vipers outside Scrivenwretch's. Check Mungo's for underage wizards admitted for snake bites. Likely Antonin Dolohov. Then get Intoxicating Substances and Beasts here to search the shop. Robbins, find the Mulciber cousins and Fenrir Greyback. Hold them for questioning on attempted robbery, assault of a wizard, a witch and her familiar, and underage magic usage."
Wilkins waved his wand and the spectral raven silently streaked off at an unnatural speed to the partners indicated. His gaze went back to Tom. "I'll need to get a complete statement from you before you can go home." His attention went to Armando before the boy could reply. "And I'll need to have both children brought in once we have the boys brought in so they can identify their attackers."
Armando nodded, then asked the boy, "You live in a muggle home, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Tom said with obvious embarrassment, a blush forming on his cheeks. "Well, to be precise, an orphanage, sir. My wizard father and my muggle mother separated and I was left there when she died shortly after giving birth to me."
Armando nodded sympathetically, then said to Wilkins, "Please be discreet when you send for the boy so as not to cause trouble with his guardian."
Wilkins nodded. "Of course." He looked back to Tom. "How old are you, Tom?"
"Eleven, sir. Twelve in December."
Armando interjected when he saw Wilkins frown again and guessed why that would be. "The boy had not been made aware that there were laws against underage magic, though he did realize muggles needed to be kept ignorant of magic. He has been coming here, as the only magical community he knew of, to try practicing out of the way because he was concerned he would not be prepared for school. I've made him aware of the law and I think from what I've witnessed of young Tom, that he will follow it now that he knows. As he caused no harm to anyone during his practicing, and used very minor charms and jinxes to defend himself, my daughter, and her familiar, I should think that being made aware of that restriction against underage magic unless his life is once more in question should be sufficient?"
Wilkins looked back over to the boy, expression considering the matter. "What spells did you use today, Tom?"
"I was practicing bluebell flames and smokescreens before they showed up," Tom said nervously, gaze going between the two older wizards in front of him. "I used Disarming Spells first, but when the older cousin started sending cutting hexes at me, I used a few Severing Charms on him. Then I had to use Disarming spells and Knockback Jinxes a couple more times, until they decided to stop attacking and leave. I also cast two Spongify Charms on the wall and ground over there, before I did the first Disarming spells, because Amaryllis had been tossed back by the jinx and was going to slam into the wall."
Wilkins raised an eyebrow, expression mildly impressed, but he only said, "I'll need to check your wand to confirm your statement. Hand it over, if you will."
Tom reached into his pocket and withdrew the wand. He handed it over to the Auror without making a fuss.
"Prior Incantato!" Wilkins commanded as he touched the tip of his wand to Tom's. Flashes of ethereal light, a pale reflection of the spells, appeared. The spells the young wizard described could be seen, then they reached a point where the boy was clearly practicing the smokescreen spells he had admitted to, as nearly a dozen appeared before Wilkins decided he had checked far back enough and ended the recalling spell. He held the wand back out to Tom. "Thank you, son, for cooperating."
The boy nodded as he took back his wand. "Of course, sir."
Wilkins looked at Amaryllis. "And you, little miss, can confirm this young man only cast these spells after you had already been attacked by the group?"
Amaryllis nodded and said, voice a bit stronger with her pain being numbed, though her breathing was still somewhat labored because not being able to feel the pain didn't mean the damage hadn't been done, "Yes, sir, I can. He was only, trying to help me. He even asked them, to leave after the first time, he disarmed them. They went for their wands, again, so he had to, use the spells again."
Wilkins gave a nod then looked over to Armando. "Well, Headmaster, now that that formality is out of the way and we can confirm the boy's story, I think you're quite right that making the boy aware of the restriction is all the response needed in regards to his actions here. No need to get the Wizengamot involved as far as he's concerned."
Tom let out a heavy sigh of relief, shoulders slumping as tension left them. "Thank you, sir."
"Yes, thank you, Wilkins," Armando said with a small smile.
"Of course." The Auror turned his gaze to Tom now. "How long have you had your wand and been practicing, lad?"
"I bought my wand and books almost four weeks ago," Tom said, expression faintly confused. "I've been practicing a couple times a week when I come to pick up more school supplies. I can only carry just so much back with me as I have to travel back the muggle way."
Wilkins' eyebrow raised again. "Did you figure out the bluebell flames and smokescreen?"
"The bluebell flames, yes. I did produce those today. The smokescreen I'll need more work on. It's still staying condensed."
Wilkins nodded and smirked. "Well then. While I can understand the desire to practice as much as you can, Tom, I'd not worry too much about being unprepared for school just because you've been raised around muggles." The boy looked up at him questioningly. "Most first years would spend the entire school year trying to learn some of the spells you cast today, and might not be able to get them all by the time end of year exams come around. Never mind hold their own in a duel against three other wizards, two of whom, if I am correct in my guess to who they are, are a few years older than them, even if they had the help of a hawk and a snake. Not to mention keep Miss Dippet from worse harm with a quick improvisation of something so simple as the Softening Charm. You're going to do just fine at Hogwarts, so keep to reading your books and save the wand work for the classrooms so you'll have something to do while sitting there."
Tom smiled at the praise and nodded. "Thank you, sir, I will."
Wilkins nodded again. "Good lad. And consider joining the Dueling Club when you get in your second year if you're still learning spells so quickly. You'll be paired against opponents gauged to be at your level. Might help keep you challenged and is good practice. I know it kept me out of trouble when I was at Hogwarts." He gave a conspiratorial wink. "And who knows, maybe I'll be seeing you in seven years for Auror training if you keep it up."
Tom nodded again and said more enthusiastically, "I'll keep that in mind come next year. Thank you again, sir."
Wilkins' gaze went back to Armando. "Are you bringing your daughter home to heal the fractures? Or do you think she needs a trip to Mungo's?"
"For something this small, I can take care of her," Armando said soberly. "She'll be happier recovering in an environment she knows."
"Sounds like you have this covered then. You're at your manor right now?"
"For the time being. We'll be going back to Hogwarts in a week or so. I have some things to see to before the school year begins."
"I'll round up the shopping bags you left behind, and the things she left at the vendor's when she was robbed, and can have them waiting at the office within the next hour if you'd like to send one of your elves for them."
"Thank you, Wilkins," Armando said with a grateful nod.
"Of course, Headmaster." Wilkins looked over to the young wizard and asked in good humor, "And you, little hero. Where precisely are you going to be off to?"
Tom frowned and said abashedly, "Wool's Orphanage, sir. Here in London."
Wilkins nodded contemplatively and looked over to his partner. "Blishwick, you done over there yet?"
"Two more eggs left," Blishwick replied. "Trying not to shake the eggs up and kill the little blighters."
"Alright. Tom?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Do you know where the Auror outpost on Martial Alley is?"
"Yes, sir," Tom said with a confused expression.
"We should have the boys rounded up within the next few hours, given the state it sounds like they're in. Why don't you finish up your school shopping and then make your way over to our office around five o'clock. When you've confirmed we have the right attackers, we'll get you some dinner and then apparate you back to save you the trouble of trying to haul things back and forth."
"Thank you, sir, but you don't need to go through the trouble on my behalf," Tom said with an embarrassed blush rising to his cheeks.
"Nonsense," Wilkins said matter-of-fact. "It'd save us the trouble of having to bring you in on another day and raising questions with your guardian; and as we'd be interfering with your dinner time, it's no trouble to make up for that. And a wizard your age shouldn't have to be traveling the length of muggle London so frequently just to get all your school supplies in order. It's not safe, especially with muggle London's current state of affairs. Even if you're quick with your wand, all it would take is one muggle catching you off guard and then you're not on the Express come September."
"If you insist, sir," Tom agreed reluctantly, still frowning.
Wilkins nodded. "I do."
Armando had conjured a large stretcher, pillow and blanket for Amaryllis, set her merlin on the end of it, and was now coming back over to the children. "Thank you again, young man, for your quick thinking and aiding my daughter. I will be looking forward to seeing you at Hogwarts in September and expect to hear great things about your class progress."
Tom nodded. "Like I said, Headmaster, I only did what I felt was right. I look forward to being at Hogwarts in September, so thank you."
"Amaryllis, my dear, I'm going to levitate you onto the stretcher," Armando said. "Try not to stiffen up and risk hurting your ribs further."
"Yes, father," Amaryllis said. She glanced back up at her rescuer. "Thank you again, Tom. I'll see you at Hogwarts."
Tom nodded again, giving a small smile. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll run into each other again."
Armando carefully levitated his daughter onto the waiting stretcher and tucked the blanket around her. Zepher immediately waddled along the side and onto her pillow, then curled up by her head with his face against the side of hers. Amaryllis nudged her face to his and the hawk gave a concerned chirp and nudged her back.
Tom got to his feet and noticed the slender pale wand that had been hiding under his leg. "Oh, one moment, sir!" He quickly grabbed the rose-engraved wand and brought it over. "She dropped her wand when she got dizzy."
Armando took the wand with a nod. "Thank you again, Tom." He tucked the wand into his pocket. He looked to Amaryllis. "I know you don't care for side-along apparition, my dear, but there's a designated apparition spot just around the corner from here. We'd need to go a fair distance through the crowds to get to any of the Floo spots."
Amaryllis grimaced but nodded. "My head is already spinning and pounding, I doubt even apparition would make things worse at this point."
Armando nodded and said to Wilkins, "I'll have Landey and Zabby stop by the office in a few hours to pick up our bags."
"Sounds good. Take care, Headmaster."
Armando pointed his wand at the stretcher and a small flick caused the legs to fold up at the base to levitate above the ground. Careful to keep the stretcher even, he led it out of the alleyway. They just needed to go past this building on the corner of Diagon and Knockturn, Carrow's Cards if memory served him correctly, and then the apparition point was right there. He saw as they turned onto Diagon Alley that there was a half a dozen or so people on the sidewalk between them and their destination, and he said in an authoritative voice, "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but I need to make it through here."
Startled gazes darted to the elderly wizard, but upon noting the girl on the stretcher, the witches and wizards quickly moved out of the way. Armando gave them a small nod of gratitude and continued on to the apparition point without giving explanation, inwardly cringing because he knew that this was also going to be gossiped about.
He stepped to the platform between Carrow's and Florean's Ice-cream Shoppe and placed his hands on the stretcher holding his daughter and her merlin. This would be a little trickier because of the stretcher, but he could manage it. Amaryllis' eyes were already closed, the girl concentrating on her breathing. "We're about to apparate, Amaryllis. We'll be home in just a few seconds and then we'll be able to get you the potions needed to mend your ribs. You'll be good as new by morning."
Amaryllis nodded, eyes still closed, and wrapped an arm around Zephyr. She murmured to the bird, telling him to stay still.
Armando concentrated on their destination, and a few seconds later they were wrapped in his magic and being pulled home.
