014DA It has been recorded that throughout the history of magic, whenever someone became diseased, their souls would travel up into the sky and would remain in the clouds forever.
Under certain circumstances (we've been told), some spirits may return to the Earth in the form of Maelstroms, Maelstroms are creatures with the soul of a witch or wizard. They have the ability to contract wing out of their back, and can possess many other un-natural abilities.
These Maelstroms can only remain on Earth until their task is completed. These tasks can be saying goodbye to loved ones, or telling someone that you love them.
Only fifteen Maelstroms have been allowed to leave their cloud so far in this century.
A Maelstroms' cloud is the most important part of a Maelstrom. The cloud gives them their rank and possession. Also, they tell the world how urgent their mission is and if they get into the way there could be many consequences. The three main cloud systems are Q.P. , L.M. , and R.J. RJ are the only for Maelstroms, one mission of life or death. Q. P. tend to be for a husband or wife's last chance to say Good bye, I love you. L. M are usually children that have died, leaving their parents in grief. They can sometimes return and tell them not to be sad, because they're happy where they are in the sky.
Out of all three cloud systems, RJ are by far the most powerful. Only three Maelstroms ever left an RJ cloud, only one of the three was ever discovered, his name was Crimson Straw. He was so determined to save his family that he nearly destroyed several states in the United States; Mount Saint Helen exploded when he couldn't think of what else to do. He killed hundreds of non-magic-folk, along with his own family, who joined him back up in the sky.
This information was received by us, when Mrs. Carly Malgus was aloud to drop her report on a publishers desk, who sent it straight to the Ministry to see if it was accurate.
The other two Maelstroms still known to be alive in the world are both on powerful missions which Mrs. Carly stated she couldn't give the details in her writing, she simply said, "I'll never eat Botts Every Flavor of Beans again," and, "Remember who helped the boy live."
--Anonymous

Chapter Fourteen

Back to Diagon Alley

"We said in the last week of hols we'd go," Ginny complained with her hands on her hips, "Hurry up! Mother is probably already waiting for us."

"Get off it," Ron said, messing up her hair, "Mum isn't going to care if we're a few minutes late."

Ginny threw some Floo Powder into York's fireplace and stepped inside, "Diagon Alley!" she instantly disappeared, still with a slight scowl on her face.

"She's been getting giddy about following rules. Maybe she'll turn into another Percy," Ron said, reaching into the Chinese pot with Shenlong painted on the side.

He casually threw it into the fire. It once again turned to a neon green and Ron stepped inside, "Diagon Alley!" he shouted, and he too instantly disappeared.

Harry flinched. He hadn't had the best experiences with Floo Powder. Last time, he'd ended up in Knockturn Alley, next to Diagon Alley, and it was filled with Dark Arts materials and other illegal things.

He grabbed a bigger handful then necessary and threw it into the flames. They shot up green and Harry stepped inside with a small flinch, "Diagon Alley!" he yelled, making sure he got it clear. With a tug, Harry felt himself fly into the air. The green flames around him were warm and pleasant. He tucked his elbows in, and began spinning faster and faster. When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in the bottom of a fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron.

They headed into Diagon Alley covered in soot and ash, and Mrs. Weasley ran up the them instantly, insisting on hugging all three of them.

"Where's York?" she asked, once they're sat down on a green painted bench.

"She had something to take care of, apparently," Ginny said, tossing some hair over her shoulder.

"You had adult supervision, of course?" Mrs. Weasley asked, leaning towards them slightly.

"Yes, Sirius was there the whole time," Harry lied, hoping that he had convinced her.

"Well, that's nice," Mrs. Weasley said, standing up and brushing off her robes, "We'll have to get a move on, I want to get you all home before dark."

Mrs. Weasley hurried them over to Gringotts. From there, they nearly had to run from shop to shop, restocking their potion kits and buying new books.

Harry's robes were again getting shorter, over the short months time on the highland Harry found himself growing faster then he ever did at the Dursley's. Mrs. Weasley shoved him into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, while she scurried Ron and Ginny away to look at more books.

Madam Malkin greeted him politely, and walked him into the back. There was another girl standing on a stole getting a set of emerald green robes fitted to her. She smiled at Harry as he entered and said pleasantly, "Hallo," She had waist length brown hair and sparkling emerald eyes that Harry recognized nearly instantly.

"York?" he questioned quietly, while he stepped up onto another stole.

"York?" she asked in curiosity, "Nein, my, name, is, Victoria." She seemed to have a trouble with English. Her words came slowly to her. Harry noticed a rather large pendant hanging around her neck in the shape of a black dog.

Harry was certain that Victoria was really his Governess Yorkshire, but didn't say anything aloud while Madam Malkin fitted him with another black robe. Besides, maybe it wasn't her, after all York was famous in Harry's memory for having bright red hair that continuously changed lengths when she was in good of bad moods. And this girl was different. Her skin was extremely dark; but not African American, more like a dark tan, her brown hair stood out strangely like it was glowing. And her eyes were green, yes, but not Yorkshire's green. And York talked with a different accent then that; Victoria sounded more German that anything.

"Are, you, at, Hog-warts?" Victoria asked, spinning around on the stool like she was wearing a fancy gown.

"Yeah," Harry said solemnly, "My fifth year."

"Auch Ja, me, too," she said, jumping slightly, "Maybe, we'll, be, in the, same, Hause."

"I'm in Gryffindor," Harry said holding his arms out while he was getting measured.

"I'm, going, to get, sorted, with the, other first, years," she said slowly, looking in a cabinet for a different colour of fabric, "This one, next, please."
She was holding a sunshine yellow circle of cloth in her arms and smiling, "Could, this one, be more, like a, dress?"

"Of course, dear," Madam Malkin said, taking the fabric from her hands.
Harry looked out the window to see Mrs. Weasley waving her arms for him to hurry up. Madam Malkin finished quickly, Harry put his robes in his hands and dashed towards the door.

"Auf Wiedersehen!" she shouted, watching Harry leave.

"Yeah, Good bye!" he yelled back, dashing out the door. Mrs. Weasley yanked all three of them down the street.

"Mum, slow down," Ginny said, jumping over a pot-hole in the street.

"Can we stop somewhere," Ron asked, jogging to keep up with his mother.

"Dears, we'll have a wonderful meal when we get home. Now lets go!" she said, heading towards the exit of Diagon Alley.

"But, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said walking next to her, "I have to go back to the highland don't I?"

She stopped and looked around, "Harry, the Minestry has been extra careful lately, apparently," she leaned a little closer so she could whisper into Harry's ear, "the ministry sensed a criminal around here yesterday, and we can't be to careful, it might have been your godfather."

She reassumed standing position. It was only then that Harry notice that everyone was acting rather shaky. The entire time seemed to be going three hundred miles an hour, as people darted from shop to shop, scampering around, getting everything they needed.

There was a tingle in Harry's ear. It felt strangely relaxing at first, then a voice echoed inside his head, "Don't worry, I'd never let anything happen to Sirius, go with Mrs. Weasley. I'll see you on the train to Hogwarts." It was York's voice, Harry began speaking to himself, and supposed that York must have heard him.

"I'll just come with you Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, slowing down a bit, "If that's all right that is."

"Oh, of course, dear," she said, opening her handbag. She took out a small and rather shaggy pouch, and handed it to him, "Arthur said he'd make dinner tonight, then we'll leave for King's Cross the day after tomorrow."

Harry opened the pouch and his stomach churned. Floo Powder nearly filled it to it's brim. He sighed as they walked into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Wait a minute! What about his trunk, and Ron's, and Ginny's?" he suddenly asked himself. They hadn't taken anything with them besides themselves.
"I'll see you on the train to Hogwarts."

York's message repeated in his head. He nodded again, understanding that she'd be taking their things to them. Harry took a handful of some Floo Powder and shouted, "The Burrow!"