Chapter 10
"I'm regretting doing this," Allegra told Blaise as they lounged by the pool. It was the first time the sun had managed to break through the overhanging mist in weeks, and it seemed to be making up for lost time by frying the countryside.
"I'm regretting you did this, too." He said, glancing over his aviator sunglasses. Draco cannon-balled into the pool just in front of them sending a spray of frothy water over their feet. "Draco you dick!" Blaise shouted as Draco emerged, scraping his wet silvery hair out of his eyes. "Anyway, who hates who at the moment?"
"Hermione won't talk to Ron because Lavender won't leave him alone, and he won't tell her to piss off. Ron doesn't understand what he's done wrong, but it too stubborn to ask her."
"That's just three of them?" Allegra nodded as Lavender hung from Ron's neck in the glistening water.
"Then there's Ginny and Dean -"
"The couple?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "They're not speaking." Dean was with Lavender and Ron at one end of the pool, probably trying to explain to Ron that he hadn't purposely upset his sister. Ron couldn't pay much attention anyway as Lavender was like a baby monkey, clinging to him for dear life. Meanwhile, Ginny was at the opposite end with Harry, who looked pleased to be with Ginny but not in the middle of their squabble.
"Obviously," Blaise said. "What about that Fred guy, is he still in love with you?"
Allegra's eyes wandered over to where Fred was chatting with George and Oliver in the middle of the pool, throwing a fluorescent pink beach ball between them.
"No, I don't think so," Allegra said honestly, pushing her sunglasses further up her nose. Blaise watched a group in front of him with mild interest.
"What's the deal with that Irish bloke and what's-'er-name, Peverti?"
"Pavarti." Allegra corrected with a soft laugh.
"Yes her," he grinned at himself.
"Well, apparently they like each other."
"I think that's fairly obvious." The two were getting a bit steamy at the opposite edge of the pool.
"God, I hope they're keeping it PG." Blaise laughed loudly, causing Crookshanks to jump up from where he'd been napping on the large pile of towels nearby.
"Oh, sorry Cat." Blaise patted his head lightly as Crookshanks strutted past. "And what about those three?"
He was pointing at Angelina, Katy and Neville, who were sat on the opposite side of the pool chatting near Hermione.
"Neville, you should know, Angelina," she pointed at her, "was my quidditch captain last year and Katy, the other girl, is another chaser." Blaise nodded.
"So are we all making up quidditch teams tomorrow?"
"Should be."
"What are the teams going to be?"
"Dad and I discussed it this morning. Neville, Hermione and Lavender aren't playing." Blaise frowned. "They didn't want to. Team One will be Harry as seeker, Ron as keeper, chasers: Angelina, Katy and Pavarti. Fred and Seamus are the beaters."
"So you, me and Draco on Team Two?"
"Yep. Draco's seeking, Oliver as keeper, obviously. Me, Ginny and Dean are chasers, and you and George are beating."
"So basically we're going to win."
"Yeah, but in principle the teams are equal." They grinned.
The next day they all went out to the quidditch pitch. Hermione had taken one of the many books she had found to read in the Library with her to sit nearby. Everyone seemed to be okay with the teams, and once they started playing it soon became clear that both teams were strong. Both seekers equally strong minded, and although Allegra had expected Harry to be the better of the two Draco and Blaise had been training with her dad while she was away and it seemed to be paying off. Ginny and Dean put aside their argument for the game, and George and Blaise worked well together.
Allegra's team won when George sent a bludger towards Harry when both he and Draco were going for the snitch, and threw Harry off course for the split second Draco needed.
Team One seemed to take the loss well, and all Team Two won was bragging rights. When they all landed on the grass Hermione was trying to calm down a panic stricken Cassia who was hyperventilating. Once Allegra noticed she rushed over to see what the matter was.
"Cassia, calm down, breathe." Hermione said, taking the elf by the shoulders and sitting her down on the bench.
"Cassia, what's the matter?" Allegra asked, kneeling down in front of Cassia.
"Owls. Lots of owls."
"Owls?" Hermione repeated.
"She's scared of them, the post must have come for a few of us." Allegra explained softly.
"Oh, of course, our letters must have arrived today with our school lists."
Allegra nodded. Twenty owls flying into the kitchen would be disconcerting for anyone, let along poor Cassia."
"Don't worry, I'll go and sort it." Allegra mounted her broom and took off.
She entered the kitchen cautiously. Sure enough, inside owls sat on every work top, looking annoyed by the wait. The owls ruffled their feathers impatiently as Allegra untied their letters. She fed and watered the owls that hung around and then found her letter within the pile she'd made on the breakfast bar.
Leaning onto center worktop, she opened the pale envelope and let the contents spill out. There was a clatter and she looked down onto the table to see a shining quidditch Captain's badge. "What the ...?" Allegra picked it up and checked the envelope again to check she hadn't opened Harry's by mistake.
Noise filled the room as she found another letter tucked behind the normal list of items to purchase for the coming school year. The others had got back and were looking for refreshment.
"Oh, look, our Hogwarts lists have arrived." Lavender said looking at the pile, seeing the names and recognising the usual envelope and handwriting. "Here." She began passing them out. Allegra was looking down at the letter when Angelina appeared at her side.
"You alright, Allegra?"
"... Yeah." Allegra looked up at her and she immediately saw the letter.
"Oh, well done, Ali!" She grinned. "How come you're not bouncing around?"
"Harry." Allegra replied vaguely. "Should he have this?"
"No." Angelina said bluntly, but in a pleasant tone. "I expected it would be you. Allegra, you have behaved better than him on and off the pitch, that's how they will have made the decision. He'll understand that."
Allegra grunted. Seamus sauntered over, set his eyes on the badge and shouted: "Allegra got quidditch captain!" The room cheered, and Allegra looked at Harry who was walking towards her with Hermione and Ron. He looked genuinely pleased.
"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing Allegra's expression.
"I feel this should be yours." He shook his head dismissively.
"Don't be stupid. You're perfect for it, don't worry about it." Allegra smiled and hugged him. Thank god Harry was Harry. Really, he was probably glad to not have the responsibility.
"That gives you equal status as prefects!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "You can use our special bathroom now and everything. Not that you didn't before ..."
"Wow, I remember when Charlie had one of these," Ron said taking the red badge from her fingers. "This is so cool, you're my captain - if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha ..." Allegra laughed and shook her head.
"I got a letter from Molly," Mike said at dinner while holding a huge forkful of pasta near his mouth. "She said she'd heard that we'd got the lists and if you go with Ron after everyone leaves tomorrow, you, Harry and Hermione can stay and she'll take you all in the morning with Arthur and Bill."
"Oh, that works," Draco added through a mouthful. "Mum wrote and said she'd take Blaise and I that day, too."
Allegra nodded before swallowing. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."
Two days later at breakfast at the Weasley's, Molly served everyone food with barely a word from her. Something that was extremely rare, considering how much she loved to talk. She was obviously very tense. Bill, who had had a change of plan and was now staying there with Fleur, passed a bag of money across the table to Harry.
"Where's mine?" Ron demanded.
"That's already Harry's, idiot," Bill said rolling his eyes. "I got it out of his vault at work yesterday as it's taking hours for the public to get money out due to security reasons. Two days ago Arkie Philpott had a probity probe stuck up his ... well, trust me, this way's easier."
Harry smiled and dropped the bag into the inside pocket of his navy jacket. "Thanks, Bill."
Allegra and Hermione glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. They were stood a little way behind Ron and Harry, eating their cereal standing up. Hermione seemed to find this incredibly easy, whereas Allegra wasn't so lucky. She only managed to get two spoonfuls in her mouth before she spilt milk either back in the bowl, down herself or on the floor. Crookshanks had taken it upon himself to clean up the mess, and was sat by her feet looking up expectantly. Occasionally his little pink tongue would poke out to lick his lips.
"'E is always so thoughtful," Fleur purred adoringly, stroking Bill's nose from where she sat opposite Ron. Ginny mimicked vomiting into her cereal behind Fleur. Harry choked on his cornflakes as Allegra spit her spoonful onto the floor from laughing. Ron thumped Harry on the back as Crookshanks meowed a thanks and practically inhaled her spillage.
It was another murky day when they emerged from the house. A black Ministry car, that apparently only Allegra and Hermione hadn't been in before, was waiting for them in the drive.
"It's good dad can get us these again," Ron said appreciatively, stretching out his long legs as the car moved away smoothly from The Burrow. The five teenagers were sat in the roomy back seats that faced each other. Both were bench-like, but covered in luxurious black leather.
"It's only because of Harry and Ali," Ginny said.
"They've both been given top-grade security status. There will be more security meeting us at the Leaky Cauldron, Arthur was telling me about it before we set out." Hermione added.
Allegra glanced at Harry and gave him a quick smile. They'd both brought their invisibility cloaks for that reason, although they were sure Dumbledore had not given them so they could sneak off. But neither of them really fancied doing their shopping with a battalion of Aurors following them around, all of whom probably thought they could have been doing something more important than following two teenagers that had managed to get on the wrong side of You-Know-Who.
"Here we are, then." The driver said through a speaker, a surprisingly short while later, considering the muggle travel time to drive from Devon to London was about four hours.
Inside the Leaky Cauldron they were pleased to see that instead of aurors awaiting them was Hagrid.
"Harry," he said sweeping him into a hug. "Buckbeak - Witherwings, I mean - yeh should see him, Harry, he's so happy ter be back in the open air -"
"Glad he's pleased," Harry grinned. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"
"I know, just like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," Hagrid said proudly. "Let's get goin', then - after, yeh, Molly, Arthur -"
They all moved out into the back passaged and Hagrid raised his pink umbrella and rapped a certain brick in the wall. The wall opened at once to form an archway onto a winding cobbled street. They all stepped through the archway and paused.
Diagon Alley had changed.
The usual glittering, colourful window displays were gone, covered by large Ministry posters that had been plastered over the windows. Most of the posters were purple and carried blown up versions of the security advice on the Ministry leaflets sent out at the beginning of the summer, but others were moving black and white photographs on wanted posters, mostly of known Death Eaters who were yet to be caught. Bellatrix Lestrange was sneering from the nearest shop window, and Allegra glared back. She hoped this was the closest she ever got to Bellatrix again.
Other shop windows were boarded up, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. A number of shabby looking stalls had sprung up at intervals up the high street. The closest one, which had been put up outside Flourish and Blotts under a striped, stained awning, had a cardboard sign pinned to its front:
Amulets: Effective Against Werewolves, Dementors and Inferi
A seedy looking little wizard was rattling armfuls of silver symbols on chains at passersby.
"One for your girls, madam?" He called at Molly as they passed. "Protect their pretty necks?"
"If I were on duty ..." Mr Weasley said glaring angrily at the weedy man.
"Yes, but don't go arresting anyone now, dear, we're in a hurry," Mrs Weasley said nervously, looking at a list she'd made in her hands. "I think we'd better do Madam Malkin's first, Hermione, Ron and Allegra need new school robes, and you must do too, Harry, you've grown so much - come on, everyone -"
"Molly, it doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's," Arthur said. "Why don't those four go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school books?"
"I don't know," Molly said anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish quickly and sticking together. "Hagrid, do you think -?"
"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," Hagrid said soothingly, waving an airy hand the size of a dustbin lid. Molly still looked anxious, but let the four oldest teens separate and scurried off to Flourish and Blotts with her husband and daughter in tow.
Meanwhile, Allegra, Harry, Ron and Hermione set off for Madam Malkin's being shadowed by Hagrid.
Many of the people out shopping had the same worried look that Molly had been wearing, nobody was stood in the street chatting like they used to. Shoppers moved around in their tightly packed groups, no one shopped alone. No one recognised Allegra or Harry, mostly because no one looked up from the floor long enough to see their faces.
"Migh' be a bit of a squeeze in there with all o' us," Hagrid said as they stopped outside the shop and he peered in through the top of the window. "I'll stand guard outside, all righ'?"
Inside the little shop it appeared, at a glance, to be empty. But no sooner had the door swung shut behind them that they heard a familiar voice coming from behind a curtain.
"... not a child, in case you haven't noticed, we are perfectly capable of doing our shopping alone."
Someone chuckled. "Now dear, your mother's quite right, none of us are supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, especially two young men like yourselves -"
"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!" Allegra laughed at the same time as she heard another familiar voice snigger.
Draco appeared from behind the curtain wearing a handsome set of black and green robes that glittered with pins from around the hem and ends of his sleeves. He strode to the mirror and examined himself. He was a little flushed and looked angrier than she'd seen him in a long time; it was a few moments before he noticed them all reflected in the mirror over his shoulder. He didn't say anything. Allegra had a feeling that he didn't want his mother to know who Allegra was, and Allegra couldn't help but agree. By the sounds of things she wouldn't be very pleased with her.
Allegra quickly whispered to the other three to not give anything away.
Draco was trying hard to not say anything at all, but with his mother there, and seemingly extremely angry, it was proving difficult. Madam Malkin appeared shortly after.
"I think this left sleeve could come up a bit, dear, let me just -'
"Ouch!" Draco bellowed, recoiling from the woman. Blaise snickered again. "Shut up, Blaise!" She moved over and managed to poke him again. "Watch where you're putting your pins, woman!"
Narcissa strolled out from behind the clothes racks to look at Draco's robes. She immediately noticed the four other teens in the mirror and turned around.
"Actually, Draco," Narcissa said with a contemptuous glance at Hermione, "now I know what kind of scum shops here ... we'd do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's." Draco yanked off the robe and threw it at his mother, who immediately dropped it to the floor. He strode out of the shop, red in the face and only took the time to roll his eyes at Allegra. Narcissa followed, "Come, Blaise." Blaise followed casually, saluted the small group and said: "see you at home."
"Well, really!" Madam Malkin said angrily, snatching up the fallen robe and moved the end of her wand over them like a vacuum cleaner to get rid of any dust. She was then distracted the whole time while doing Harry's, Ron's and Allegra's school robes and continually poked them with pins, which did get increasingly annoying (and painful). After she tried to sell Hermione wizards robes instead of witches. On the way out they had the feeling she was glad to see the back of them.
"Got everythin'?" Hagrid asked brightly when they reappeared. They nodded, already tired of shopping. Ron's parents arrived with Ginny only a few minutes later, all clutching heavy packages of books. Ginny looked almost half as annoyed as Draco had.
"Everyone all right?" Molly asked. "Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in at the apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's - stick close, now ..."
Allegra didn't bother buying anything at the apothecary, but at Eeylops she bought a large box of owl treats for Midnight, and also bought another one so that visiting owls could have some. They then headed further down the street towards Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
"We really haven't got too long," Molly said as they got closer. "So we'll just have a quick look around and then back to the car. We must be close. That's ninety-two .. ninety-four ..."
"Whoa," Ron said, stopping in his tracks. Set against the dull, poster-suffocated shop fronts, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display.
Passersby looked back over their shoulders at the window display and a few rather shocked looking people had actually come to a halt. A small line of children pressed their faces up against the shop front, looking closely at the display. The left hand window was full of dazzling assortments of products, glittering and flashing. The right was covered by a large purple poster, like those of the Ministry, but instead of white or black writing it had bright yellow flashing text saying:
Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who?
You SHOULD be worrying about
U-No-Poo
The Constipation Sensation that's Gripping the Nation!
Harry started to laugh beside Allegra, and she stood with a wry grin. Allegra heard Molly moan and turned to find her gazing ahead, dumbfounded at the poster. Her lips moved, silently mouthing the name 'U-No-Poo'.
"They'll be murdered in their beds!" she whispered.
"No they won't," Ron laughed, "this is brilliant!" Harry led the way into the shop. It was packed with customers, so much so they could barely move. It looked like the only place in Diagon Alley where anyone was smiling. The shelves were covered in different products; sweets covered a whole wall. Allegra noticed that Nosebleed Nougat was most popular, with only one box left on the shelf. There were pots full of trick wands, the cheapest merely turning into rubber chickens or underwear when waved; the most expensive beating the unwary user around the head. Quills came in all different types could be bought alone or in packs. Allegra followed Harry and Hermione through the crowd to the counter.
"'Patented Daydream Charms'..." Hermione read, looking at a display near the counter and began reading the information on the back of the box bearing a highly coloured picture of a handsome youth and swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship. Allegra stood at her side reading the box while she read out loud. "One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under sixteens. You know," Hermione said, looking up at Allegra and then at Harry, "that really is extraordinary magic!"
"For that, Hermione," someone said behind them, "you can have one for free." They turned around and Fred stood before them, beaming at them with a huge grin. "Come on, you lot, I'll give you a tour. Hermione - bring your Day Dreams with you." They followed him to the back of the shop where there was a stand of card and rope tricks. "Muggle magic tricks!" Fred exclaimed happily. Hermione and Harry laughed loudly as Allegra went to have a closer look. "For freaks like dad, you know, who love Muggle stuff. It's not a big earner, but we do fairly steady business, they're great novelties ... oh, here's George ..." George came up behind Allegra and Hermione and gave them a hug.
"Is he giving you the tour?" He mocked. "Here, come through to the back, that's where we make the real money - pocket anything, you, and you'll pay in more than gallons!" he added warningly to a small boy who hastily whipped his hand out of a tub labeled: Edible Dark Marks - They'll Make Anyone Sick!
George pushed back a translucent black curtain beside the muggle tricks and revealed a darker, less crowded room, the packaging in here was less in your face as the items in the main part of the shop.
"We've just developed this more serious line," Fred said, ushering them inside. "Funny how it happened ..."
"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a decent Shield Charm," George said. "Course, they didn't have you teaching them, Harry."
"That's right ... well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a laugh. You know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing it and watch his face when the jinx bounces off. But the Ministry bought five-hundred for its entire supports staff! And we're still getting massive orders!"
"So we've expanded into a range of shield cloaks, gloves ..."
"... I mean, they wouldn't help much against the unforgivable curses, but for minor to moderate hexes or jinxes ..."
"And then we thought we'd get into the whole area of defense against the dark arts, because it's just a money spinner," George continued. "This is cool. Look, Instant Darkness Powder, we're importing it from Peru. Handy if you want to make a quick escape."
"And our Decoy Detonators are just walking off the shelves, look," Fred pointed at a number of strange looking black hooter type objects that were indeed, attempting to scurry out of sight. "You just drop one surreptitiously and it'll run off and make a nice loud noise out of sight, giving you a diversion if you need one."
"Wow," Allegra said, looking at what they'd done. Hermione was wearing the same expression.
"Here," George said, catching four and throwing one to each of them. A young witch with short blonde hair poked her head round the curtain; she was wearing the same magenta store jumper the twins were wearing.
"There's a customer out here looking for a joke-cauldron," she said politely.
"Right you are, Varity, I'm coming." George said promptly. "Help yourselves to anything you want, free of charge."
"We can't do that!" Harry said, who had already pulled out his money bag to pay for the decoy detonator.
"You don't pay here," Fred said firmly, waving away Harry's gold.
"But -"
"Harry, you gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten," George said sternly as he left. "Take whatever you like, just remember to tell people where you got it from if they ask, that goes for the rest of you, too."
"Thank you," Hermione and Allegra said in unison. Fred led them back out into the shop but Allegra hung back a second to grab a few pots of Instant Darkness Powder. The others strolled away and left Allegra with Fred.
"The shop looks amazing, Fred."
"I know, wait till you see it at Christmas." Allegra laughed softly and the two chatted as Fred guided her to the best stuff. At a purple and pink girly-looking sction where Hermione, Ginny and George were also looking, they stopped.
"What's this?" Ginny leaned forwards and took a small pink pot off the shelf.
"Guaranteed Ten-Second Pimple Vanisher," Fred said. "Excellent on everything from boils to black heads."
Ginny kept hold of the pot in her hand and after glancing at Hermione and Allegra, passed each of them one too.
"What are those?" Ginny was pointing at a number of round balls of fluff in shades of pink and purple, and just one was a sort of mint green, all rolling around at the bottom of a cage and occasionally emitted high-pitched squeaks.
"Pygmy Puffs," George said. "Minature puffskeins, we can't breed them fast enough. What's this I hear about you having five guys on the go?"
"Whatever Ron's told you is a lie," Ginny said calmly, watching a small crowd of Pygmy Puffs crowd around her finger as she poked it through the bars.
"Aren't you going out with Dean Thomas?" George continued.
"Yes, but the last time I checked, he was one boy, not five."
"What happened to Michael Corner?"
"I dumped him. He was a bad loser. They're so cute!" Allegra bent down to admire the puffballs.
"They're fairly cuddly, yes," conceded Fred. "But you're moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?" Ginny turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. There was such a Molly-esque glare on her face that Allegra was surprised Fred didn't recoil.
"It's none of your business. And I'll thank you," she added angrily to Ron, who had just appeared at George's side with an armful of merchandise, "not to tell tales about me to these two!"
"It needed to be told."
"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" Ginny asked.
"A what?"
"Look, they're so sweet ..."
Mrs Weasley moved to look at the Pygmy Puffs next to Allegra and Ginny.
Harry, Ron and Hermione momentarily had an unimpeded view out of the window. Draco was hurrying up the street alone. As he passed the shop, he glanced over his shoulder and moved beyond the scope of the window and out of sight.
"I wonder where mummy and Blaise have got to?" Harry said frowning.
"Got Blaise to distract her and given her the slip, by the looks of it," Ron said.
"Why though?" Hermione asked.
Allegra stood up from looking at the Pygmy Puffs to find out what had taken the interest of her three best friends.
"Get under here, quick," Harry said, pulling his invisibility cloak out of his bag.
"What are you doing?" Allegra asked suspiciously.
"We just saw Malfoy walk past, alone. He looked suspicious. Get yours out." Harry said, expecting Allegra to follow.
"Okay, but I'm not coming," Allegra got it out and passed it to Hermione.
"What?" Harry said.
"I'm not coming. I don't want to spy on him; you can tell me everything when you get back." Harry looked annoyed. "Look, it gives you another cloak, and I'll cover for you while you're gone."
"Okay," Ron and Hermione both nodded and after a few moments, Harry nodded too, but didn't look happy about it.
Allegra went back to looking at the Pygmy Puffs. It sounded as though Ginny and the Puffs had won her mother round, and upon looking back at the single mint green one at the back of the cage, decided she couldn't just leave it.
"Oh, thank you, mum, thanks!" Ginny smiled.
The shop assistant from earlier, Varity, came over to help get their Pygmy Puffs and Fred came along only a few minutes later to roll his eyes at them.
"Allegra, I didn't think you were the sort." He smirked, looking at the small box she was holding with her Pygmy inside. Allegra was also holding a large shopping bag with all their freebies in.
"I got the green one," she said innocently, making big eyes at him. He laughed softly.
"The mutant."
"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I'm going to call it."
"Why?" He asked warily.
"Would you kill me if I called it Fred?" He laughed and shook his head.
"It's a complement, I guess."
"Good."
"Allegra," Molly said with a suspicious tone. "Where are your three best friends?"
"Oh, er," she peered around the shop as though looking for them. "Have you looked in the back room, behind the black curtain? Maybe they've gone back there." Molly looked at her for a moment longer before walking off in that direction.
"Sometimes I hate that she's known me long enough to treat me as her own."
Eventually, Hermione, Ron and Harry appeared from nowhere, as expected. Hermione handed Allegra her invisibility cloak and she hid it in her bag. They had quite a job persuading Molly they'd been in the shop the whole time, but at least she hadn't suspected Allegra of lying.
On the way back Ginny and Allegra cooed over their new pets.
"You don't think Midnight will try to eat him, do you?" Ginny asked, looking down into the white cardboard box at the fluffy green Pygmy.
"Maybe," Allegra bit her lip and glanced down at the cage to see how sturdy it looked.
"Malfoy went down Knockturn Alley," Harry began, obviously impatient to talk to Allegra about it. She frowned a little.
"Okay." Harry breathed out and looked frustrated. The other three in the car didn't look very interested in the subject, either.
"He was in Borgin and Burkes," he continued, annoyance in his tone. "We think he was buying something, and he was asking if they could tell him how to fix something."
"Why is that suspicious, other than because you've decided it is?"
"He said not to tell his mother."
"For all you know he could be buying her a birthday present. She's hardly the kind of woman you can go to Honeydukes for." Hermione and Ron seemed to think the passing countryside was very interesting, and when Harry glanced at them for help, they made sure they didn't catch his eye.
"But he showed Burke something," Harry said assertively, "something he was scared of." Allegra looked down at Fred the Pygmy Puff thoughtfully.
"So what do you think," Allegra looked up at him, "he's got the dark mark now?" Harry shrugged and looked away; he was getting uncomfortable.
"Harry, he was swimming with us only a few days ago," Allegra said with some outrage, "we would have seen it."
"Just if you get a chance to check," Harry mumbled with his jaw set, "I think it would be wise."