Chapter 12:
Nobody noticed them vanish; they were all too interested in Fred and George's products. Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione squeezed their way out of the door as quickly as they could, but by the time they gained the street, Malfoy had disappeared just as successfully as they had.
"He was going in that direction," murmured Harry as quietly as possible, so that the humming Hagrid would not hear them. "C'mon."
"I really can't be bothered dealing with Malfoy this year, can't we just leave it?" Alicia asked annoyed.
"How can you not be curious?" Harry whispered. Alicia said nothing. She was curious, she just didn't want to deal with the drama that came with it for once.
They scurried along, peering left and right, through shop windows and doors, until Hermione pointed ahead.
"That's him, isn't it?" she whispered. "Turning left?"
"Big surprise," whispered Ron. For Malfoy had glanced around, then slid into Knockturn Alley and out of sight.
"Quick, or we'll lose him," said Harry, speeding up.
"Our feet'll be seen!" said Hermione anxiously, as the cloak flapped a little around their ankles; it was much more difficult hiding all four of them under the cloak nowadays.
"It doesn't matter," said Harry impatiently. "Just hurry!"
Alicia shot her brother a glance, he was much too absorbed in this, it was almost like he was gaining an obsession with Malfoy as Malfoy had with him.
But Knockturn Alley, the side street devoted to the Dark Arts, looked completely deserted. They peered into windows as they passed, but none of the shops seemed to have any customers at all.
Alicia wasn't surprised it was empty. Nowadays people had to be much more careful with things.
"Ouch!" Alicia felt a prick in her arm and turned to see Hermione had pinched Harry.
"Can you not." Alicia grumbled, rubbing her arm.
"Shh! Look! He's in there!" she breathed in Harry's ear.
They had drawn level with the only shop in Knockturn Alley that Alicia and Harry had ever visited, Borgin and Burkes, which sold a wide variety of sinister objects. There in the midst of the cases full of skulls and old bottles stood Draco Malfoy with his back to them, just visible beyond the very same large black cabinet in which the twins had once hidden to avoid Malfoy and his father. Judging by the movements of Malfoy's hands, he was talking animatedly. The proprietor of the shop, Mr. Borgin, an oily-haired, stooping man, stood facing Malfoy. He was wearing a curious expression of mingled resentment and fear.
"If only we could hear what they're saying!" said Hermione.
"We can!" said Ron excitedly. "Hang on — damn —"
He dropped a couple more of the boxes he was still clutching as he fumbled with the largest.
"Extendable Ears, look!"
"Fantastic!" said Hermione, as Ron unraveled the long, flesh-coloured strings and began to feed them toward the bottom of the door.
"Fred'll kill you for nicking those." Alicia warned
"Just say you took them." he grumbled at her. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I hope the door isn't Imperturbable —" Hermione whispered
"No!" said Ron gleefully. "Listen!"
They put their heads together and listened intently to the ends of the strings, through which Malfoy's voice could be heard loud and clear, as though a radio had been turned on.
"… you know how to fix it?"
"Possibly," said Borgin, in a tone that suggested he was unwilling to commit himself. "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"
"I can't," said Malfoy. "It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."
Borgin licked his lips nervously.
"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."
"No?" said Malfoy, and by his tone, that Malfoy seemed sneering. "Perhaps this will make you more confident."
He moved toward Borgin and was blocked from view by the cabinet. Harry, Ron, and Hermione shuffled, Alicia being dragged with them by the ears, the cloak, and Harry, sideways to try and keep him in sight, but all they could see was Borgin, looking very frightened.
Alicia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity peaking… if only there was a way to get into the shop, or get a better angle to look…
"Tell anyone," said Malfoy, "and there will be retribution. You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friend. He'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."
"There will be no need for —"
"I'll decide that," said Malfoy. "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep that one safe, I'll need it."
"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?"
"No, of course I wouldn't, you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it."
"Of course not… sir."
Borgin made a bow as deep as the one Harry had once seen him give Lucius Malfoy.
"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"
"Naturally, naturally," murmured Borgin, bowing again.
Next moment, the bell over the door tinkled loudly as Malfoy stalked out of the shop looking very pleased with himself. He passed so close to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that they felt the cloak flutter around their knees again. Inside the shop, Borgin remained frozen; his unctuous smile had vanished; he looked worried.
"What was that about?" whispered Ron, reeling in the Extendable Ears.
"Dunno," said Harry, thinking hard. "He wants something mended… and he wants to reserve something in there… Could you see what he pointed at when he said 'that one'?"
"No, he was behind that cabinet —"
"You two stay here," whispered Hermione.
"What are you — ?"
But Hermione had already ducked out from under the cloak. She checked her hair in the reflection in the glass, then marched into the shop, setting the bell tinkling again.
"No! Oh she's not very good at lying or making up stories on the spot!" Alicia huffed as Ron hastily fed the Extendable Ears back under the door and passed one of the strings to Harry, and another to Alicia.
"Hello, horrible morning, isn't it?" Hermione said brightly to Borgin, who did not answer, but cast her a suspicious look. Humming cheerily, Hermione strolled through the jumble of objects on display.
"She's already lost him, no one who buys from down this street hums cheerfully." Alicia said shaking her head.
"Is this necklace for sale?" she asked, pausing beside a glass- fronted case.
"If you've got one and a half thousand Galleons," said Mr. Borgin coldly.
"Oh — er — no, I haven't got quite that much," said Hermione, walking on. "And… what about this lovely — um — skull?"
"Sixteen Galleons."
"So it's for sale, then? It isn't being… kept for anyone?"
Alicia hit her forehead with her palm. Just make it obvious!
Mr. Borgin squinted at her. Harry had the nasty feeling he knew exactly what Hermione was up to. Apparently Hermione felt she had been rumbled too because she suddenly threw caution to the winds.
"The thing is, that — er — boy who was in here just now, Draco Malfoy, well, he's a friend of mine, and I want to get him a birthday present, but if he's already reserved anything, I obviously don't want to get him the same thing, so… um…"
It was a pretty lame story, and apparently Borgin thought so too.
"Out," he said sharply. "Get out!"
Hermione did not wait to be asked twice, but hurried to the door with Borgin at her heels. As the bell tinkled again, Borgin slammed the door behind her and put up the closed sign.
"Ah well," said Ron, throwing the cloak back over Hermione. "Worth a try, but you were a bit obvious —"
"Well, next time you can show me how it's done, Master of Mystery!" she snapped.
"I'd rather do it, sorry Hermione but you're not very creative." Alicia confessed and Hermione gapped at her.
Ron and Hermione bickered all the way back to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where they were forced to stop so that they could dodge undetected around a very anxious-looking Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid, who had clearly noticed their absence.
Once in the shop, Alicia instantly ducked out and moved to find the twins as Harry whipped off the Invisibility Cloak, hiding it in his bag.
"Where've you been?" Fred asked when she appeared at his side
"Don't ask," Alicia rolled her eyes "But I think your mum wants to get going, she hates being out in the open."
"Yeah, she was worried about you lot too, you all disappeared." George said as his customer left, happy with his purchase.
"Yeah well, Harry saw Malfoy being suspicious so we went to investigate. Didn't get much just that he's given himself some sort of project."
"Like what?" they asked
"He wants to mend something. He's got something on hold at Borgin and Burkes too." Alicia shrugged "And if Malfoy's planning, it can't be anything good."
"Well you keep an eye out for mischief this year." George patted her head and she looked annoyed at him.
"Shouldn't be too hard, no Umbridge to mess things up so." the two nodded in agreement.
"I guess we'll see you at Christmas then." Fred said as he hugged her
"Well unless you can't get the time off." she said slyly and they chuckled
"We're closed Christmas day." George assured
"Good." Alicia nodded "I expect you at The Burrow then. Bright and early." she ordered and the two saluted as Alicia noticed Mrs Weasley looked around worried, the other three back outside.
"Oh, I'd better go." she said and she hugged George, kissed Fred's cheek and weaved through the crowd and out the door.
"Where have you been?" Mrs Weasley demanded
"Saying goodbye to the twins." she shrugged "Not going to see them till Christmas after all."
"You've got a magic mirror that lets you talk to them whenever you want." Ron reminded her as they were hurried up the street by Mrs Weasley.
"It's not nearly the same." Alicia said "Not nearly as fun either." she rolled her eyes. "Now are we going or not?"
"Yes yes, let's hurry!" Mrs Weasley ushered at them and only Hagrid didn't have to jog to keep up, his strides being so much longer than the others.
"By the way Ron, what are you going to do about those boxes?" Alicia whispered to her as he still had them in his arms.
"I'm going to blame you and Harry." he said
"They wont believe that." Alicia said
"They will if you agree."
"Why should I? You're the one who robbed them."
"I didn't think my brother's would make me pay so much." Ron grumbled annoyed
"You do know who we're talking about right?" Alicia asked surprised "I mean they spent their life picking on you so…" Ron grumbled all the way out of the Leaky Cauldron and was bad tempered on the car ride home. Alicia decided it best not to tell the twins anything and see if they even noticed. With so much stuff she wondered if they would.
