"Willow!" Fred exclaimed. "Thank Merlin you're okay! What on Earth were you thinking? We just got done with the Smith family's situation, now this! Are you trying to get killed? You promised- "
"Oh, shut it already with that nonsense!" Willow interrupted. "I don't need a lecture right now, and I'm perfectly fine."
"You are not fine! I know bloody well you've made sure Harry has everything he needs, which means you probably haven't eaten in days, and- "
"Fred! I'm fine! See how I'm breathing? I'm not bleeding out, I won't starve to death for at least another week, I've had enough water to get by, and I've slept enough to kill a dragon."
George and Ron awkwardly glanced back and forth between Fred and Willow as they argued, not sure what to do. Willow noticed and finally shut her mouth. They had more pressing things to attend to at the moment.
"We'll talk this out later, Weasley," she promised. Fred gave her a stern look that meant she was going to be held to her word. "Do you want me to wake up Harry, or...?"
"Yes, that's our reason for coming here," George said quickly, looking relieved. "You keep an eye on the hallway for now. If the Dursleys wake up, let us know."
Willow nodded in ascent. She shook Harry awake, and the moment he saw the Weasleys he sprinted to the window. Willow took up her position next to his bedroom door, peering through the peephole and listening intently for any sign of the Dursleys' awakening. So far, so good. It appeared that the Dursleys were sound asleep.
Suddenly, the Ford Angelina revved. Willow whipped around just in time to see the bars come clean off Harry's window. Ron and George worked together to store it in the back seat. Listening intently, Willow put her ear up to the door, but not a soul stirred outside Harry's bedroom. She sighed in relief. The twins jumped into Harry's room, unlocked the door with their hairpin ("I told you it comes in handy! Two times in a week!"), and stealthily made their way downstairs to the cupboard. Willow crept into the hallway and stood directly outside the Dursleys' bedroom. There still wasn't a single noise. Harry appeared from his bedroom, looking frazzled and pale.
"I'm going to help the twins with my trunk," he whispered. "Please come help. It's dreadfully heavy without any extra charms on it."
Willow silently ran down the steps with Harry, finding the twins struggling to move a massive trunk. Even with the four of them, they barely managed to skip the creaky step, and they were panting heavily by the time they reached the landing. Fred, George and Harry continued into the bedroom to put the trunk in the car while Willow stayed behind to keep watch. She was glad she did, because the moment she let go of the trunk, Uncle Vernon coughed. Her blood ran cold at the same time Harry lost his color. She listened closer to the bedroom, but there was nothing. Willow put her hand over her heart, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. They were safe for the time being. Vernon was coughing in his sleep. Hopefully.
"Willow, go get Harry's broomstick, will you?" Fred asked.
"On it."
Willow dashed down the steps. She almost forgot about the bottom stair, but dodged it at the last second and rushed into the cupboard. Grabbing Harry's Nimbus, she ran back up to the landing, nearly crashing into George as he careened into the hallway.
"Oh, so sorry!" Willow apologized.
"No, no, it's fine, I should watch it," George whispered. "Someone coughed again. Had to check it out." His expression changed as he glanced at Willow's arm. "What the bloody hell happened to you already? How do you manage to injure yourself every five seconds?"
Willow glanced down to find that she had somehow gotten a deep gash halfway up her forearm. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. How did that happen? She wasn't around anything sharp, was she?
"You must have cut yourself on that broom," George guessed. "Here, let me fix that."
Willow stayed perfectly still as he ripped off a part of his sleeve, then wrapped it around her arm. A sheepish smile made its way onto her face. She hated being cared for by others, especially her friends, but for some reason, she was letting George help her. What was going on with her lately? Maybe it was the chaos of escaping messing with her brain, or the fact that she was bleeding fast. It had to be one of those.
"Thanks," Willow said, trying not to blush with embarrassment.
"Not a problem. Let's get out of here before one of these douchebags wake up." George glanced at the Ford Angelina, then seemed to remember something. "Actually...we might need you to fly ahead. Mum doesn't know about our midnight flight, and I don't think she'd be too happy to discover we're gone. If she wakes up before we get back, please distract her. I'm not sure anyone can take her wrath if she finds out we've done this."
"I'll try my best," Willow said. "Stay safe, and try not to be seen!"
"We will. Now, go, quick!"
Willow jokingly saluted George, then got a running start and jumped straight out of Harry's window. George could barely contain his snickering when Fred tried to whisper-shout at Willow for her recklessness. She laughed to herself as she fell through the air, almost having forgotten the electrifying sensation of the wind through her hair. Transforming into a falcon, she took to the sky, screeching in goodbye. Ron gawked at her from the back seat, but quickly recovered and waved. Willow turned towards the village of Ottery St. Catchpole and ascended into the clouds.
The night sky stretched out above her, velvety black as always. Diamond-like stars glittered brighter and brighter as she flew higher. Willow's feathers ruffled as a strong wind blew into her side. She kept on course and continued to stare at the constellations that glowed as clear as they did when she was in the Forbidden Forest. Willow would have sighed with content had she been in a different form; she missed a good night fly here and there while she was at Hogwarts.
Sooner than she anticipated, the sun began rising over the horizon behind her, and the village was silhouetted before her eyes. Willow cast around for the telltale chicken coop and lopsided house. With her enhanced eyes, it took all of five seconds for her to find it. Her heart warmed as a piece of it felt like it had finally come home.
That was quickly evaporated when a stout, angry woman with blazing red hair was fuming on her way out of the shed.
Oh no, Willow thought. Looks like we're screwed. Mrs. Weasley already knows.
With no other options, she dove down onto the Weasley's front porch and shape-shifted back into a human. Willow suddenly lurched and fell into the side of the house. Her eyes flew wide as she steadied herself, getting back onto her weak legs. She'd already forgotten how much energy flying long distances took. By the time she stopped seeing black dots, Mrs. Weasley had noticed her.
"Willow!" she exclaimed, her face slack with surprise. "What a surprise! Oh, goodness, you look dreadful! What happened? When did you get here?"
"I just flew here from Little Whinging. Um...I see you found the missing car," she chuckled. "Uh...about that- "
"Oh, enough with the cover up story," Molly said, waving away Willow's words. "I have a pretty good guess at what they've done. We were planning to rescue Harry this Friday if we hadn't heard back from him, but the boys had other ideas." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Come inside, dear, you need food, and right away! You look like you haven't eaten in days!"
Willow forced a pathetic laugh as she followed Mrs. Weasley inside. Her stomach thankfully decided to quiet itself. She sat down at the table, dreading the moment the four boys would get back. It wouldn't be a pretty sight, that was for sure.
The Burrow soon filled up with the delectable smell of sausages, fresh-cooked eggs, bacon, and homemade bread. Willow was almost drooling by the time Molly set down an overfilled plate in front of her. She dug into the hearty food with several words of thanks.
"Eat up, that's it," she encouraged. "There's plenty left, so eat as much as you like. I'm going to collect the round of eggs from the chicken coop. Ginny should be upstairs in her room when you're done."
"Thank you," Willow said in between swallows.
Mrs. Weasley exited the kitchen, leaving her alone. The Burrow was far from quiet, though, as several magical things kept up the pandemonium. It was exactly as she remembered it from before: a cluttered, controlled, chaotic mess that captured one's heart in the most unexpected way. Willow almost wished she had siblings to share her dad's mansion with, but stopped herself when she started digging up a painful memory. She was okay being an only child.
A blue speck appeared out of an east-facing window, catching Willow's eye. She recognized the flying Ford Angelina and tensed up. Mrs. Weasley was outside! What if she saw them? Willow's mind raced to find a solution, something, anything to distract the Weasley's mother, but it was too late. Molly had spotted the car and was marching around the house towards the driveway. Willow winced when the boys touched down and skidded a little in the driveway. They would be furious with her for failing. She decided not to witness the awful chewing-out that was certain to happen, and after putting her empty plate in the sink, sprinted up the stairs, hoping to find Ginny in time. Willow looked up when she got to the first landing and immediately regretted it.
A horrible vertigo unbalanced her so badly that she had to lean heavily into the railing to stay upright. There were at least five other landings above her, each one creaking and swaying with the instability of the house. If it weren't for magic, this home would have fallen apart years ago, and building it wouldn't have lasted a second. Willow racked her brain. She had stayed her last summer, but why couldn't she remember which floor was whose? Thankfully, she didn't need to ponder that question for too long.
"Oh my God, Willow, is that you?" an excited voice squeaked.
Willow turned around to see Ginny standing in the doorway to her room. The younger girl ran and jumped into her arms, laughing and squeezing her tight.
"I knew it! I knew you would end up here some way or another!" Ginny exclaimed. She jumped down and bounced on her toes. "You have to tell me everything! Well, Ron told me a lot already, of course, but you must have loads to say that Ron forgot! And I heard you're best friends with Harry Potter! I can't wait to meet him! Here, come in my room!"
Willow was dragged into Ginny's room at top speed. They both sat on the bed, and Ginny turned her full attention to her friend.
"Tell me everything! Tell me everything!"
Willow couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face as she recounted all of her first year to Ginny- leaving out all the gruesome, unfriendly details, of course. The soon-to-be first year was a great audience, laughing, beaming, gasping, and groaning exasperatedly at all the right times. She asked many times for Willow to say more about Harry, and every once in a while Willow would have to give a few basic details about her non-Gryffindor friends.
"You're really into Harry, aren't you?" Willow observed after finishing her story.
Ginny blushed scarlet. "No, not like that...I mean- well, to be painfully honest- "
"Oh, Ginny, you're obsessed with him!" Willow giggled. "But I can see why. He is quite the extraordinary character, Harry. Don't worry, though, he's just a brother to me."
"He's so amazing, and I can't explain why!" Ginny said, flopping dramatically on her bed. "I hardly even know him!"
"Well, your brothers decided to go rescue him late last night. He's here right now, so you can probably get to know him pretty well until school starts again."
"WHAT?!"
Ginny dashed out her room and down the stairs before Willow could stop her. She squeaked and sprinted back into her room, diving under the covers and burying her red face in them.
"Willow, what do I do? Help!"
Willow shook her head. "First off, you close your door so no one can hear us, and we come up with a plan. I think I've got something in mind. Get out from under you covers first, though, I don't think I can take you seriously if I'm looking at a lump under the duvet instead of your face."
Ginny shoved her covers off, shocked herself with the static in her hair, and sat up straight to pay attention to her friend. Willow tried not to snicker at her ridiculous appearance.
"Alright, here's what we're going to do," she started. "Harry's one of my best friends, right? That means I know him pretty well. I can give you hints on what he likes, dislikes, the types of people he doesn't mind being around, what he's getting up to, the whole thing. What you have to do, in the meantime, is become his friend. If you aren't his friend first, you'll have no chance."
Ginny's eyes lit up. "That's easy! I'm going to make loads of friends this year, everyone does, it will only seem natural that I want to be his friend, too, since Ron is his best friend and all, and if I get in Gryffindor, that would be loads easier!"
"Your attitude is awesome. I'm ninety-nine point nine percent certain you're going to be in Gryffindor. We'll share the same common room, be one floor apart in the dormitory, and have plenty of places to meet and come up with plans. I'll try to be the best wingwoman I can."
"You're already turning out to be the best!"
Willow smiled sheepishly. "If you say so." Suddenly, she remembered something. "Oh my God, my dad doesn't know I'm okay! He might have got Iris's message, but he might not have, what if he thinks I've been kidnapped? What if he's worrying out of his mind right now? Merlin's beard, I can't do this to him again, he'll never let me out of the house- "
"Willow, what are you talking about?" Ginny interrupted. "Did something happen?"
Willow's stomach dropped. "Um...I shouldn't have said that. I'm pretty sure your mum doesn't know, either..."
"Don't you dare hide something from me!" Ginny said, standing up and crossing her arms in front of her. "You don't need to protect me from words, Willow. They don't hurt me. I can learn what happened, since anything short of what happened with Quirrel has to be hardly a problem, and you're had loads of problems, from what I've heard."
Willow sighed. "Fine. I went to check on Harry three days ago for his birthday, and the situation wasn't good. Did Ron ever tell you about his aunt and uncle?" Ginny shook her head. "Well, they've always treated Harry like rubbish because he was magic. They've come close to being abusive before, but this time they really crossed a line. Harry apparently was visited by a house elf that warned him not to go back to Hogwarts, and when Harry wouldn't swear that he'd stay- I mean, who'd want to stay with those monsters? I don't blame him- the house elf framed Harry for dumping a cake on a possible business partner for Harry's uncle. Apparently, it was a big deal to them, because they shut him in his room. Shortly after I got to the Dursley's house, they attached bars to Harry's window and trapped us inside. I managed to get Iris out in time with a message to my dad, but I'm not sure he got it. I hope she's okay..."
"Iris is a good owl. I bet your dad did get the message." Ginny's eyes lit up. "Maybe that's why the boys went to get Harry early! I bet anything your dad sent an owl to them, and they were up and out of here first thing."
"Maybe. But I still feel bad that he's in the dark. I should get back to him soon."
Ginny pouted. "Aw, can't you stay longer, too?"
Willow shrugged. "I bet I can stay for a little longer, at least. Just to make sure your twin brothers aren't mad at me."
"Why would they be mad at you?"
"They sent me ahead as a lookout to keep your mum from finding out about flying the car, but your mum was already storming out of the empty garage by the time I got here, so there wasn't much I could do."
"How- oh, right! You can shape-shift, can't you? Has it gotten any better?"
"Oh, it's gotten better, but I've discovered that's not the only thing I can do. Wait until you hear about this. You're not gonna believe how much I'm able to do."
Willow recounted her usage of her powers and the conversations with Cebba to Ginny. The little redhead's eyes were wide and full to the brim with images of her friend being this awesome nature-wielding witch. She asked several times for Willow to show her, but Willow shook her head each time, promising that she'd get a full show when they're at Hogwarts. They busied themselves instead with playing with Ginny's puffskein, Snuffles. Before the girls knew it, the clock struck noon.
"Lunch time!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. "Get your sorry butts down here, boys!"
Willow and Ginny raced to the kitchen, surprising Mrs. Weasley. They couldn't stop giggling in fits, as if each other's presence was fueling their crazy, jumbled up over-excitement. As the two sat down at the table, the rest of the household minus Mr. Weasley trudged down the stairs. Percy appeared first, proudly displaying his prefect badge, then Harry and Ron, which caused Ginny to knock her silverware on the floor, and finally Fred and George, who looked like they just woke up from a nap.
"Do you think he saw that?" Ginny frantically whispered.
"I don't know, but even if he did, Harry doesn't mind," Willow breathed. "He's very polite and pretends not to notice a lot. I'm an absolute mess in the Great Hall half the time, and he doesn't say a word."
"Thank God."
Mrs. Weasley set down two enormous platters of sandwiches in the middle of the table, and everyone took several helpings. Willow only ate a single sandwich before she was full. She wasn't used to eating such a large breakfast, and after not eating for three days, her stomach wouldn't take too kindly to her usual eating habits. Fred, as sleepy as he was, seemed to notice this. He put another sandwich on her plate.
"What- ?"
"Eat it," he commanded. "I know that you ate loads for breakfast- Mum always makes sure of that- but I know for a fact now that you didn't eat anything while at the Dursley's house. Harry told me."
"You're...not mad that I failed to redirect your mum?"
"Not really. She was bound to find out somehow, and I know that you would have succeeded in distracting her had you not been too late. You're really good at distractions. Snape, of all people, knows that now. You wouldn't have let her find us if you had time."
Willow half-smiled. "Thanks for using your brain and not hating me."
"You're welcome. Next time, I'm making you explain, because that's exhausting to think through."
"I thought so," Willow chuckled. "And sorry for arguing earlier this morning. I should let you be a little more worried about me. It's not like I don't get into loads of trouble."
"Good, because you can't get rid of me that easily."
Willow flicked a crumb at Fred. "We'll see about that."
Lunch finished too quickly for Willow's liking. By the time everyone had gone off in their own directions, it was one o'clock, and Willow really had to leave. She said her goodbyes, and thanked Mrs. Weasley profusely. They promised to owl her when they were heading to Diagon Alley. With one last sad glance back, Willow transformed into a falcon and flew off Northeast.
The journey home took forever. She had forgotten just how far London was from Ottery St. Catchpole. Surrey was barely a good distance away, but a straight shot to London from Ron's house, without a break in between, was torture. Willow wanted to fly so much faster but knew that if she did, she would fall right out of the sky. Her powers were already stretched from not getting proper sleep after flying. When she reached Little Whinging again, she could have done a happy dance. Her mansion wasn't too far away.
Suddenly, Willow's form flickered. Her brain was trying to shut down. She strained to keep in falcon form, but it was no use. Willow slowly began descending as her human flickering dragged her down. She was going to fully pass out soon if she didn't get help.
Then, a flash of white appeared out of nowhere, and Willow felt claws digging into her back. She looked up to see Iris flying steadily above her, keeping her falcon form suspended. Willow wanted to hug her, but as she was flying, that wasn't possible. A last surge of energy flowed through her as the mansion came into sight. She pushed the pace, Iris keeping up, until she crash-landed through the open living room window. Carlos shot to his feet.
"Willow! There you are!" he cried, helping her up. "I got your message, and I sent an emergency letter to the Weasleys, but I wasn't sure if they'd gotten you yet!"
"Well, they did," Willow coughed. Iris tweeted from the wooden beams. "Okay, Iris is literally the best owl on Earth. She followed me to Privet Drive and even helped me make it home now."
Carlos did a double take. "Hang on, why did you fly from the Weasley's house? You could have used the Floo Network!"
Willow sighed. "Dad, I suck at Floo traveling. I always have to make Fred go ahead of me and George go with me, or I'll miss the grate and/or fall when I pop out."
Carlos shook his head. "You are always being so difficult, aren't you?"
Willow's dad pulled her close and squeezed her tight in a hug. She didn't let go for nearly a whole minute. When she finally pried herself away from him, she saw a stack of mail on the table.
"Woah, what's all that from?"
"Oh, your friends must have heard from the Smith twins about what happened," Carlos explained. "They sent you a ton of owls over the past few days. You might want to get reading."
"Thanks. I'll need some time to catch up."
"I will leave you to it, then. We'll talk later over dinner, okay?"
"Perfect. See you later, dad."
Willow's dad headed off to another part of the mansion. She sat down in a chair next to the coffee table, eyeing all of the mail she'd have to go through. Upon opening the first one, Willow realized it was from Mandy, and it was one, big rant. She groaned.
"I think I'm going to take a nap before this."
Willow leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and passed out for a long time.
"Come on, Dad, we're almost there! I could swear you're getting slower every summer!"
"Willow, slow down! I don't want to lose you in this crowd."
"Dad, I haven't seen Hermione in forever!"
"Willow, I won't see you for several months. Don't make me homeschool you!"
Willow abruptly stopped to let her dad catch up to her. Hundreds of Muggles jostled her around and glared at her as she held up the traffic flow. Charing Cross Road happened to be extremely busy at the particular time of day that Willow and her dad decided to head to Diagon Alley. The throngs of Muggles were so thick that they were spilling out onto the road, causing an enormous traffic jam of honking cars. Willow wished she knew a spell to make her temporarily deaf, because her sensitive ears were about to explode.
"Ah, here we are," Carlos announced after a short while. "The Leaky Cauldron."
Willow let her dad guide her through the front doors and immediately slammed them shut behind her. She sighed as the ear-piercing sounds from outside were sealed away. Carlos pointed to a table for her to sit down at.
"I'll be right back. The Grangers might need some help finding this place."
Willow nodded and shuffled into a small booth, which had surprisingly comfy seating. Now that she thought about it, almost everything in the pub looked like it was better than it seemed. The Leaky Cauldron seemed run-down and old upon first glance, but after a few seconds, one would realize that everything was actually polished and updated ahead of its time. She wondered how old the Leaky Cauldron was. It was definitely several times older than she was.
"Willow!" a familiar voice shouted.
She didn't even get a chance to properly greet Hermione before her friend slid into the booth beside her, squeezing her to death in a tight hug.
"Oh my God, it's been ages since I've last seen you, what have you been up to? Other than getting into trouble, of course, Ron wrote to me about everything, and the whole rescue operation with Harry- completely mental, obviously- I can't believe the things you do to keep yourself entertained! It's like you run into dangerous situations every step you take!"
"Honestly, I'm beginning to feel like I'm cursed," Willow chuckled, hugging Hermione back. "I've missed you so much! I missed everyone a lot, to tell the truth."
"Well, we're going to see Ron and Harry right now, so that should help a bit, but you're probably seen so much of the Weasley family lately that you're almost sick of them."
"I don't think it's possible to get sick of the Weasleys."
"Let's get going, then!" Willow's dad said, Hermione's parents smiling shyly behind him. "They're going to be waiting on us if we leave too much later!"
Hermione and Willow jumped out of the booth and ran to the brick wall. Carlos tapped his wand on it in a certain pattern, and much to the surprise of Hermione's parents, the bricks crumbled away to reveal Diagon Alley. Willow's heart warmed with the memories of her first few trips here. She couldn't wait to make more with her friends.
"Where were we supposed to go first?" Hermione's dad asked, still staring at all the magic around him in astonishment.
"Oh, right, we need to convert your Muggle pounds to wizarding gold," Willow's dad said. "Right this way; it's not too far from here."
Carlos lead the group past several shops, helpfully pointing out the ones that Hermione would need to go to later for her parents. The poor Muggles looked as if they were about to have a breakdown with all the information overloading their brains. Thankfully, the pure white marble steps of Gringotts came into view and they climbed up to a sort of large gathering area before the doors. The Weasleys weren't even there yet.
"It seems we're a bit early," Willow's dad said, checking his watch. "No big deal. They'll be here very soon. In the meantime, Willow, why don't you go get some galleons from the vault? I already gave you the key."
"I'll be right back," Willow promised. She glanced apologetically at Hermione. "I would take you with me, but I'm not sure how well you'd hold up for the ride down...it requires a strong stomach..."
Hermione waved her words away. "I'm fine. Just go now so you can help us later."
Willow smiled thankfully at her, then turned and jogged into Gringotts. She had to wait for someone to go before her, tapped her foot impatiently, and finally gave the goblin her key. He nodded and hopped into the mine cart. Willow barely had time to settle herself in for the ride before they shot off, down, down, down into the depths of London. She closed her eyes, knowing that she would get dizzy if she tried to watch their ride. It wasn't until the cart screeched to a stop that she opened them. The goblin was already pressing his hand to the vault to access the keyhole. After a few seconds, the keyhole appeared, and Willow opened the door.
She never got used to the sight of her vault. There was gold beyond her wildest dreams, passed down from generation to generation on both sides of her family. The galleons nearly spilled out of the doorway. Her mother's side still had plenty of money to go around, but a satisfying chunk of their fortune remained inside the Guerrero's vault from when her mother was still a good person. Willow grabbed her leather pouch and filled it to the brim with galleons. She crossed her fingers, hoping her plan for later would work.
The goblin sealed her vault, then took Willow back to the surface. Her eyes took several minutes to adjust to daylight again. When she could finally see again, Willow curtly thanked the goblin, then almost marched out of the bank before she recognized a large family of red-haired children standing behind Hermione as her parents exchanged their Muggle pounds for wizarding money. They didn't even notice her sneaking up behind them until she shouted, "WEASLEY!"
The whole family whipped around with smiles on their faces. Ginny ran up to her and jumped into Willow's arms, squeezing her in a hug. Willow held her for a moment before setting her down.
"I missed you so much!" Ginny squealed. "Can you believe I'm getting my wand today? I'm finally going to do magic this year! I thought this day would never come!"
"Honestly, Ginny, the way you act when you see Willow, you'd think you haven't seen her in years!" Fred said.
"I don't mind," Willow laughed. "She's like my long-lost little sister at this point. She can do whatever she wants when she sees me."
"And there we have it!" Mr. Weasley announced. "Everyone has the proper currency. Let's go check off our lists!"
"You've already got your coins?" Willow questioned as they returned to the marble staircase outside, Mrs. Weasley shouting something at their backs.
"Yeah, we must have passed you," George said. "I think we went right behind you, actually."
"George, look, it's Lee!" Fred said, pointing out their friend in the crowd. George's face lit up just like his twin's. "Willow, do you want to come with us? It looks like everyone's heading off in their own directions."
Willow glanced back at her dad, who nodded. Hermione waved her away and winked at her, looking at the twins immediately afterwards. She giggled at Willow's astonished reaction. She shook her head as her friend ran off. Was everyone trying to get her to date someone?
"Are you coming or not?"
"Sorry, yes, I'm coming!"
Willow ran to catch up with Fred and George as they made their way across the street to where Lee was waving at them. He was sitting at a small table, an empty bowl of ice cream in front of him. Fred, George, and she sat down. The twins exchanged a few words with him, then caught sight of a witch entering a dark walkway and stared at it. Lee turned around to look at it too, and upon seeing Willow's confused face, elaborated.
"That's Knockturn Alley. It's supposed to be full of demented witches and wizards, home of all dark arts. I've always wondered what it was like in there...Fred and George have been trying to sneak in while their mum isn't looking for years."
For some reason, the darkness didn't strike fear into Willow like it normally would. She wondered why the place had earned such a bad reputation. What if there were truly interesting and cool things in there? Her curiosity piqued, and she stood up and walked towards the entrance. The twins and Lee got up so fast that they knocked over their chairs.
"Willow, what are you doing? Don't you know how dangerous that is?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, but I kind of want to check it out," she said, shrugging. "Do you want to come with me? Lee said you guys have been wanting to go for ages."
"That doesn't mean we have to!" Lee squeaked.
"Well, I for one have always wondered what it looks like," George said. "But I'm not sure that I want to go now, on a busy day like this..."
"Oh, come on, don't back out now!" Willow said. "You're bloody Gryffindors, right? Where's all that courage that you're supposed to have? Are you going to dismiss a perfect chance to go check it out?"
Fred, George, and Lee looked at each other, then back back at Willow. She simply smiled as innocently as she could, trying to win them over. Fred gave in.
"I never thought I'd see the day where Willow is convincing us to do something stupid," he said. "But lead the way, Willow. I'll bring up the rear to make sure no one's following us."
"Perfect!"
Willow strode right through the entrance and into Knockturn Alley. There was an immediate covering of darkness that descended upon them, but she didn't mind. They quickly passed a few hideous shops displaying gory artifacts, then came upon an interesting shop named Borgin and Burkes. She stopped in front of the window, which was showing off some ordinary looking, but probably deadly, magical objects.
"Um, Freddy? Recognize the name of this place?" George asked, obviously trying to keep himself together.
"I do, and not just because Harry told us about it," Fred responded. "This is a very dark shop, full of nasty people with equally nasty magical objects. They glorify items that kill unwary Muggles."
"Let's go in," Willow said, opening the door before they could stop her.
The interior of Borgin and Burkes was just as dreary as the outside- dark, depressing, and dilapidated. But it didn't outwardly appear evil to Willow. She got the impression that the shop was merely a place to sell evil-intended things. There weren't too many hideous, gory items for sale, but even one was too many for Willow's liking. She perused the first isle of darkly cursed traps while Fred, George, and Lee shuffled along behind her.
"Honestly, this place is not bad," Willow commented. "It's a lot cooler in here than outside, the floors look like they're mopped nightly, and everything's organized into rows."
"We're in a shop that dark wizards use to sell their illegal items, and that's your first impression?" Fred hissed.
Willow shrugged. "Yeah. Ooh, look, I've seen that before!"
George grabbed her arm before she could get closer. "Don't touch anything!"
"Hey! I know for a fact that my mother removed the curse from that idol!" Willow protested. "It used to sit on the biggest pedestal in my mum's mansion, and when I was little, I would always threaten to touch it, so she and her mum worked together to get rid of the curse."
"But what if it's gone through a few hands? What if it's been re-cursed? The possibilities are endless, Willow," Lee said. "It's best if you didn't touch it."
Willow conceded the point. She crossed her arms. "Fine. But I'm going to check out the rest of the store."
"Please don't take too long," Fred reminded her. "Mum will be livid if she finds out we were late getting to Flourish and Blotts because we were sneaking around Knockturn Alley."
Willow nodded. She continued wandering around the aisles, goggling at all the things she never knew existed. While her gut twisted every time she saw a placard that read "Useful for Mudbloods", she still wondered what use some of the items would be against the people that were the intended buyers. She could make so many inventors roll over in their graves! What if, for example, she used a cursed necklace on Alex? He wouldn't suspect a thing. She could be using all these evil-intended things for good, to knock some sense into horrible people. But it probably wouldn't do any good. Most people were fully gone by the time they reached Alex's point.
"Come on, I've had enough," Willow announced. "Let's check out some other places."
"Finally! I thought you'd never let us out!" Lee gasped.
"What's the matter, Lee? Can't handle a little exploration into uncharted waters?"
"I'm perfectly fine to let others do the exploring, thank you very much."
Willow lead the way back into Knockturn Alley. A handful of wizards bumped into them as they passed by, throwing them dirty looks as they whispered darkly with each other. Willow brushed off her clothes and kept walking deeper into the maze of dark magic shops. A few older witches cackled with each other in front of what appeared to be a twisted ice cream parlor, which, upon closer examination, was actually a poisoned food dealer. Willow caught sight of a sign that said, "We only sell the best in Muggle-killing products!" That sent the first shiver down her spine, the first of many to come. Finally, something not completely horrific caught her eye.
"Let's duck in here," Willow suggested, making her way into a well-lit shop. Fred, George, and Lee were all too happy to comply. They nearly slammed the door behind them.
"Blimey, I thought you'd take us into the very heart of the black market," George panted. He glanced at his surroundings. "Wait a second...Where in the world are we?"
"The very heart of the black market," Willow said.
George went very pale as he realized Willow was right. All around them, illegally caught and domesticated magical creatures were contained in cages, boxes, miniature enclosures, and some ridiculously shaped things that Willow didn't even know how to explain. A few wizards stared at them, so she walked at a brisk pace to the back of the shop. There were enough Class A non-tradeable goods present to give her father a heart attack. Trembling in a corner was a demiguise, half of his hair shaved off. Another corner was home to a group of nifflers. She could easily guess that those were in high demand among thieves. Willow was surprised at how healthy all of the creatures looked, considering the nature of the people taking care of them. But there was always a new concealment charm these days. Any of these creatures could be in terrible condition.
"Fifty galleons! For this? You must be joking!"
"Sir, it's a matter of supply and demand. We don't have nearly enough bowtruckles to supply everyone with."
"I don't give a damn about your bloody 'supply and demand' theory! That bowtruckle isn't worth more than thirty!"
Willow turned her eyes to the arguing men at a makeshift register. The man behind the counter, who she presumed to be the seller, was gripping a small, green, stick-like creature so hard that it was squealing. Another man was pointing at it and screaming insults at the seller, which only increased his grip on the bowtruckle. Blood boiled in Willow's veins. It didn't matter how mad someone was- no one is given permission to hurt a creature. Ever. Plastering on the sweetest smile she could muster, she marched right up to the counter.
"Excuse me?"
Both men turned to her with bewildered expressions. "What do you want?"
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and wonder, how much is the average bowtruckle worth? Fifty galleons does seem like an awful lot, but it may be worth that. I don't have much experience, see."
The man behind the counter shot a glare at the other man and smugly smirked at Willow. "Bowtruckles are selling like wildfire lately. These little guys can pick just about any lock. They work great in a pinch. Not too much upkeep, either. You'll see 'em going up for sixty galleons in some markets. Which is why fifty is a bargain," he growled, pointedly looking at the potential buyer.
"Well, let me see what I have..." Willow said.
Both men glanced at her in surprise when she dumped a handful of galleons on the counter. "I'm not very good at counting. Can you tell me how much I've got there?"
The seller dutifully counted the golden coins, then handed them back to her in the bag. "You've got forty-five. Sorry 'bout that, but I can't sell for less than fifty."
"That's alright," Willow said, beaming at both men. "Have a good day, sirs!"
"You...too?"
Willow skipped out of the shop, her bag of galleons jingling in her pocket. Fred, George, and Lee sprinted after her, wearing shocked and very confused expressions on their faces. She slowed her pace to a walk to allow them to catch up. At first, they couldn't figure out how to speak. They walked in complete silence in the direction of Diagon Alley. Then, George managed to form words.
"How- what did you- Who taught you how to do that?"
"Do what?" Willow asked innocently.
"That! Back- back there! In the shop!"
"If you're suggesting that someone taught me how to be charming, you'd be mistaken. I picked up a few things during Muggle school, and one of the most important ones was how to charm your way into being treated nicely. Most mean or rude people will be at a loss for words and automatically treat you nicely just because they have no idea how to react."
"Oh," Fred said. "I guess that makes sense...sort of...But doesn't confronting people head-on and flat-out telling them they're rude work even better, since that points it out loud and clear to them?"
"In most situations, sure. In this one, absolutely not."
"Willow, why are you walking so fast?" Lee panted. "We're not in a big hurry, are we? Didn't you guys say you had an hour to be back at Flourish and Blotts? It's only been a half hour!"
"Wow, that's a lot of questions in a row."
"Now you're avoiding my question! What is the matter with you? You never- "
Lee suddenly stopped, forcibly grabbing Willow by her shoulder and stopping her, too. She smirked knowingly as Lee stared at her pocket. He blinked a few times to make sure it was real. Fred and George caught sight of it too.
"You did not," Fred breathed.
"I did too," Willow giggled, gently stroking the little green creature. "Your eyes are not deceiving you, guys. This here is a freshly stolen bowtruckle, and if we don't get going fast, those guys are going to come after me, so let's get a move on."
"No way!" George said. "Are you going to keep it? How did you even get it?"
"Absolutely, and long story short, I used my galleons as a diversion to coax it onto my arm. It's going to stay my pocket. Now come on, let's go! I don't want to get caught!"
Willow took off at a walking pace so fast it was nearly a jog. They passed Borgin and Burkes, broke into a light jog at the hideously gory shops up front, and exploded into the light of Diagon Alley. Panting heavily, they paused for a moment, letting their eyes adjust to the sun, then looked at each other and erupted in hysterical laughter.
"That has to be tied for the best and stupidest thing we've ever done!" Fred guffawed. "Which one do you think it is, George? Best or stupidest?"
"I can't decide!" George said breathlessly. "Lee?"
"Dumbest thing I've ever tagged along to do!" he chuckled. "But I think it's the best for you guys!"
"I can say I enjoyed it very much!" Willow said, gently patting the pocket where the trembling bowtruckle was being held. "Besides, I've got a new friend now. I think I'm keeping him. His name is going to be Fidget."
"Can we use him for a couple things?" Lee begged.
"Absolutely not!" Willow chortled. "The only locks he's going to pick are the ones I put him up to."
"Aw, man! Please?"
"I'm not changing my mind, Lee! And don't you dare try to bribe me. You know that hasn't worked- and it never will."
"Okay, okay, I won't...for now."
Willow shook her head. "I've got to go find some supplies for Fidget. I'll see you at Flourish and Blotts."
The twins and Lee departed, heading to a joke shop, while she headed in the other direction. Fidget the bowtruckle was now happily peeking out of Willow's pocket. She was glad she had been able to rescue the poor creature. What if that angry man had gotten his hands on it? He would have undoubtedly used it for ill purposes, most likely illegal ones. Willow shook her head. How could anyone even think about using innocent little creatures for bad things? She remembered something that her dad had told her about bowtruckles- they are social creatures, preferring large groups, and they live, defend, and die as a single unit. When a wizard comes along trying to hurt their home, they fight to the death, and capturing them instead of killing them with their comrades at their home drains the life out of them. A good, nurturing wizard can cause them to become clingy after an experience like that, and the life comes back to them. Willow smiled as she realized that Fidget would never let her leave his sight. It was a strangely comforting thought. At last, Eeylops Owl Emporium appeared. Willow cut through the heavy foot traffic and entered the shop.
The little jingle of the bell above the door woke a few owls, who unhappily hooted at her. A group of tabby cats snaked around her ankles, rubbing their scent on her, while some bored-looking toads stared through the glass of their enclosure. It was surprisingly quiet in the shop for as many customers were in it. Fidget chirped from her shorts pocket, causing some of the cats to lick their chops hungrily. Willow moved Fidget to a pocket deeper within her robes.
Let's see, what all do I need... she thought. Iris would like some more treats, Achelous seems pretty content...as content as a puffskein can get, I guess...ooh, I should find a bed for him! And Fidget needs plenty of bugs.
Willow quickly found all of her items, including a big bag of aphids and miniature crickets. She grimaced at the thought of releasing those bugs for Fidget. Despite her love for nature and all life, Willow could not learn to love insects. She could tolerate some, but if it wasn't a butterfly, caterpillar, or other friendly, cute bug, she couldn't stand it. Willow kept reminding herself that it was for Fidget. Fidget needed the insects. She could deal with them until she found a more permanent feeding solution. After paying for her items, Willow got a bag for them and sealed it shut. She checked her watch. Thankfully, there was about fifteen minutes left for her to get to Flourish and Blotts. Plenty of time to take a break on the bench outside. Sighing in relief, Willow set down her bag, counting her remaining galleons and putting them away for later. The shade cast by the overhang was much appreciated as she stretched out on the bench. Maybe she could take a five-minute nap...
Suddenly, a certain blond-haired, grey-eyed someone exited a fancy robe shop across the street. He started walking away, completely unaware of her. Willow shot to her feet and shouted after him.
"Draco!"
She barely gave him time to turn around before she ran up and hugged him as tight as she could. Draco hesitantly hugged her back, and Willow finally let go after a few seconds.
"Miss me much?" Draco coughed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to tackle you like that, I'm just really excited to see you, since I haven't seen much of anyone all summer," she rambled, "and I've got loads to tell you, somehow I get into more trouble over the summer than during term, it's been a mess"
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you've gotten into more near-death experiences?"
"No, but it's nice to see that you care so much."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, that's not going to happen. You know I'd never admit that I care about anything, even if I did."
"Blonde, we talked about this," Willow groaned.
"You're right, we did. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take your advice." Draco smirked at her exasperated expression. "Is Wisp already giving up? I thought Gryffindors were the most determined people on Earth! Or was it stubborn? You do have a tendency to repeat your mistakes until something changes, after all."
Willow crossed her arms. "Draco, you know what happens when you test me."
"You get an Outstanding mark."
Willow was completely caught off guard. "What was that?"
"You heard me. You get an outstanding mark."
Willow and Draco stared each other down. Then, as if coming to a silent agreement, burst out laughing. Willow couldn't believe Draco had pulled that with her. Normally she was the one playing with his words, not the other way around. Maybe he was finally coming around. Willow had missed being with this mierdito for a while. He always knew how to cheer her up, whether it was intentional or not. She could always expect things to take an unexpected turn when with him. It felt good to shake things up every once in a while.
"I wish it were true," Willow said. "But an Outstanding mark seems to be out of my grasp most of the time."
"For Draco, it seems to be all the time," a voice sneered.
Draco turned very pale as a man with long, blonde hair similar to his strutted out of the robe shop, a staff with a snake head on it by his side. Willow gritted her teeth. She had a feeling she knew exactly who this was, and from what she had heard about him, there was no need to give him a clean slate for his first impression. This man was manipulative, cruel, and an awful human being in general.
"Dad, you know I'm trying- " Draco started.
"Be quiet when you father is speaking," Mr. Malfoy said sharply, whacking his son in the back with his walking stick. Draco winced and shut his mouth. The man offered his his hand to Willow. "I'm Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. And you are...?"
"Willow Guerrero." She shook his hand, matching his icy gaze with her own.
"Ah, yes, the troubled pureblood," Lucius said. "Draco's told me much about you. It seems...you're the first Gryffindor in a long line of Slytherins, are you not?" Willow nodded, not allowing her gaze to stray. "How disappointed your mother must feel...Her whole family, for that matter. They were such successful students."
"Trust me, I'm plenty successful where I am, Mr. Malfoy," Willow said. She met Draco's eyes. "And for the record, Draco is doing better than every single pureblood in our year. I'm proud of him. He studies much harder than I'll ever be able to. I'm surprised I even passed my exams, to be perfectly honest. He was one of the only ones staying up late to correct his study guide."
Something menacing flickered in Lucius's eyes, but he hid it quickly. "I'm aware of his habits, but I suggest you study harder, too. You'll get plenty of time together if you do the House Exchange this year."
Willow furrowed her brow in confusion. "What House Exchange?"
Lucius mockingly pretended to be surprised. "You haven't heard? I guess that's another item you can add to your list of things your dreadful father Carlos hasn't told you. Professor Dumbledore announced that in order to promote more house unity this year, there will be House Exchange. Students can sign up beginning the first day of term. Anyone who decides to sign up will be staying in a house of their choosing for one week out of each month of the school year. You should sign up to stay in Slytherin, Willow. It might make up a little bit to that dear mother of yours. Maybe she'll even be less disappointed in you."
Willow strained to keep the smile on her face. "My father has a good reason for not telling me things, and I'm well aware that my mother hates me at the moment. But I don't need her approval. She's already given me the family heirloom, and I don't want to follow the faintest trail my mother's ancestors laid down for me. They're awful people with terrible agendas that need to get a life. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to make it to Flourish and Blotts before my father gets worried out of his mind. Have a good day, Mr. Malfoy, and I'll see you at Hogwarts, Draco. It was nice to see you again."
Grabbing her bag of pet supplies, Willow turned on her heel and marched away. She couldn't believe how rude Lucius was. Didn't he at least give Draco's friends a chance before hating them? Apparently not, because even purebloods don't get second chances with Lucius Malfoy after the faintest whisper that they're blood traitors.
"Willow, wait up!" a voice called. "How do you walk so fast?"
"I get lots of practice. It helps in getting away from situations like that."
Draco was panting by the time he caught up with her. "Willow, I've tried to tell him that you're fine, but he won't listen. I've pleaded with him over and over again to give you a chance. The problem is, he's the stubbornest person in the world besides you, and I can't do anything about it. If I ask again, he'll- " Draco paused mid sentence. He shook his head. "Nevermind. That's beside the point."
Willow looked at him sharply. "I know better than to ask. But you can tell me later."
Draco nodded thankfully. "You know I won't. By the way...thanks for defending my grades back there."
"It was nothing," Willow said, though she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "You're a really good student, Draco. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Like I said, I know exactly how hard you study."
Draco half-smiled in reply. A comfortable silence fell between them. Willow could tell he was trying to work up the courage to say something, but it was taking a lot of digging. She wanted to help in the worst way. Surprisingly, before she could even prompt him, Draco said something so fast Willow could barely catch it.
"No one's ever been that excited to see me before."
Draco's face turned beet red, and he whipped around to practically run the other way before Willow had a chance to respond. She stared open mouthed after him. Then, as soon as he disappeared from sight, a warming sensation spread from her head to her toes.
He is a good kid. I knew it. And he's finally getting better.
Willow nearly skipped the rest of the way to Flourish and Blotts.