Chapter 5: Confrontations And Desperations

Thoughts and fears of Lucrid, a possible new enemy of Harry's, did not deter him from enjoying his next few weeks at the Burrow. He spent the long, lazy days with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George enjoying games of Quidditch together or laying in the fields surrounding the Burrow, just talking. Ron's oldest brother, Bill, visited a few times and word arrived that Charlie was on the mend and could soon return to work. The only Weasley Harry didn't get to see over the summer was Percy who had been a lot busier at the Ministry since being appointed Barthemius Crouch's old job. Though there was not that much to do at the Burrow, the weeks flew by and soon enough it was time for the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione to head into Diagon Alley to purchase all the things they would need for the coming school year.

*

Harry stepped out of Gringotts Bank; his pockets now flooded with money, with Hermione and the Weasleys by his side. The light of the sun pierced through the clouds and hit Harry's face making him feel a sense of warmth. As he looked out over Diagon Alley he saw a number of nameless faces he recognised from school, and Harry really felt he was back where he belonged.

"Right, so what's first?" Mrs Weasley said. "Ah, the bookstore, of course."

Mrs Weasley led her children down the bank's steps leaving Harry, Hermione and Ron at the top. Hermione gave an excited squeal and skipped off after them.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked as he and Harry caught her up.

"Have you even looked at your school list? Do you even know what books you need to purchase?" Hermione scowled throwing Ron a sharp look.

"Of course I do, why? I saw nothing special on it," Ron replied.

Hermione sighed, then pulled out her school list and jammed it under Ron's nose. "Look!" she ordered.

Ron snatched the list from Hermione's hand and began to read.

All fifth year students will require:

The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5 by Miranda Goshawk

Advanced Transfiguration by Hayden Greeves

Power Of The Elements Vol. I by Olivia Kednib

Power Of The Elements Vol. II by Olivia Kednib

"So what?" Ron sighed, not knowing what he was supposed to be looking at.

"So this means that this year we'll be studying the elements," Hermione said looking incredibly excited.

"What's so good about that?" Harry asked.

"The elements are the roots of all magic, it is because of the elements that we are able to use magic," Hermione said knowledgably.

"So the elements are the basis of magic?" Harry asked.

"That's right. Oh this is going to be so enlightening," Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron couldn't believe she was getting so worked up about it.

Eventually they all reached the bookstore and went inside. The shop was full of people looking to get their copies of the books they needed. Harry looked around at the many large wooden bookshelves adorned with thousands upon thousands of books, then at the many friendly faces Harry recognised from school. Finally Harry's eyes came to rest on the face of a young boy Harry hoped he wasn't going to have to deal with on this beautiful day. The person had also spotted Harry so he knew that confrontation was now inevitable and the young boy, with slick blond hair and malicious blue eyes, made his way over to Harry.

"Hello Potter," the boy said sneering.

"Malfoy," Harry said nodding.

"Ah, Granger and Weasley too," Malfoy said smiling as Hermione and Ron came over. "Out to buy your annual 'tat'? Did I say tat, I meant supplies."

"Shut your face Malfoy!" Ron growled. Malfoy's grin disappeared and he looked over at Ron like he was a piece of dirt.

"What's going here Master Malfoy?" came a voice. A pale man wearing a long black coat came through the crowds and stood behind Malfoy. He had short brown hair, very dark eyes and stood in a manner of order and respect, just a like a soldier.

"Who're you?" Ron asked bitterly.

"This is Harkins, our butler," Malfoy said proudly. "We needed a new servant after you lost us or old one," he continued, fixing his gaze on Harry.

"Are these your friends Master Malfoy?" Harkins asked.

"Hardly," Malfoy said, a look of disgust spread across his face. "This is Harry Potter."

"Ah, so this is the famous Harry Potter," Harkins said, sounding very unimpressed.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all stared at Harkins bearing a sudden hatred for him, and then Harry dragged his eyes back to Malfoy.

"So where's your father anyway Malfoy?" Harry asked cunningly. Harry had only discovered last term that Malfoy's father was one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters but he had had his suspicions about him since they first met. Harry was pretty sure that Draco was aware of this too and Harry knew this comment was sure to make Malfoy snap. He was right. Malfoy began trembling with rage but before he could retaliate, Harkins placed his hand on Malfoy's shoulder.

"Don't listen to this wretch Master Malfoy," he said calmly, fixing an evil eye on Harry. "Come; let's leave before this boils over."

Malfoy stared angrily at Harry, then silently swept past him, followed by Harkins. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood silently for a moment as they watched the enraged Malfoy walk past the window. Eventually Ron turned to Harry and, with a slight smile, said, "Bit of a low blow wasn't it Harry?"

Harry smiled back at him, and then all of a sudden arms of Mr and Mrs Weasley reached out and pulled the trio in among the bustling crowds.

*

Twenty minutes later, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys all emerged from the bookstore complete with fresh sets of books. Mr and Mrs Weasley now set off with Ginny to help her find some more things that she would need while Fred and George sprinted off to the joke shop. This left Harry, Hermione and Ron alone so Harry decided to treat his friends to an ice cream. From the stall, Harry brought a strawberry ice cream for Hermione and two chocolate ones for himself and Ron. The three of them then went and leant against the side of the stall to enjoy their ice creams.

Harry was aimlessly slurping away at his ice cream whilst pondering his thoughts, most of what was going on around him was blocked out. He was half listening to an argument Ron and Hermione had just started having about which was better, boys or girls. How they'd got onto that subject Harry didn't know or particularly care, he was happy just to be thinking. Hermione had just made an extremely long argument as to why girls were better than boys, and it seemed to have put Ron in his place. But then a gleam came into his eye like he'd just thought of the perfect comeback. Ron opened his mouth to argue back but before he could, something, or someone, bowled him to the ground. Harry was jolted out of his thoughts and he looked down at Ron who was now sprawled out on the road, his ice cream stuck to his forehead. Ron sat up looking very angry, chocolate ice cream dripping down his face.

"Watch where you're go-" he began, but he stopped when he saw who had knocked him over. A young woman wearing a scarlet robe was hastily gathering up sheets of paper she'd obviously dropped upon colliding with Ron and stuffing them back into a brown satchel. She had long, flowing brown hair going all the way down her back and she was, in Ron and Harry's opinion, extremely pretty.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, sounding like she was in a panic.

"That's ok, here let me help you," Ron said scraping up the rest of the paper and putting it back in the woman's bag.

"Oh thank you so much," she said gratefully. "I'm sorry I knocked you over, I'm just in a bit of a rush. I'm late for a meeting you see?"

"I understand," Ron replied. The woman smiled, then flicked the ice cream cone off of Ron's head.

"Here take this," she said pulling out a handkerchief. "Clean yourself up." And with she ran off down the street. "Thanks again!" she called back.

Ron wiped the ice cream off his forehead and then looked after the woman who had now disappeared. He then turned back to Harry and Hermione smiling.

"Is there something you were going to say about women?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows at Ron.

"No, nothing at all," Ron replied beaming.

"You ok? Nothing broken?" Harry asked. Ron felt up and down his body to make sure he hadn't lost anything, then he looked up startled at Harry.

"My wand! My wand was in my pocket! Where's it gone?" he asked desperately.

"Relax," Hermione said, "It's probably just fallen out somewhere."

The three began looking around where Ron had fallen before Harry finally spotted it. It had rolled into a small dark alleyway between two shops. Ron, followed by Harry and Hermione, rushed over into the alley and pocketed his wand.

"What's the point of bringing that with you? You know you can't use magic out of school anyway," Hermione said.

"I like to have it with me," Ron replied.

Then all of a sudden, a loud clatter from further down the alleyway made the three of their hearts jump. Ron quickly span round and pointed his wand out in front of him.

"What was that?" Ron asked shakily.

"I don't know, it sounded quite big, bigger than a cat. Ron come on out of there!" Hermione said getting very worried. But Harry wasn't prepared to turn a blind eye at this. Because of all that was going on Harry had become a lot more aware and curious. He strode past Hermione and Ron and began making his way down the alleyway.

"Harry don't!" Hermione called.

"Come back Harry!" Ron shouted.

But Harry didn't turn back; he continued down the alley and as he did the constant clattering became louder as Harry got closer and closer. Shafts of sunlight lit his way down the passage and the closer he got to the noise, the faster his heart pounded. Finally he knew that he was right in front of whatever it was. Silhouettes of dustbin lids and old empty bottles and cans were rolling around and flying everywhere. Then Harry saw something small and hairy scraping and stirring in among all the rubbish; it didn't appear to have spotted Harry. Hesitantly, Harry outstretched a shaking hand and then, biting on his bottom lip hard, he lunged his arm into the pile of garbage, pulled out the scuffling creature and pinned it to the wall.

A beam of sunlight hit the creature's face and it gave a slight whimper of fear. Harry stared at what he was holding against the wall and he felt a slight weakness. It was a small, helpless, cowering goblin. It obviously wasn't a goblin from Gringotts; this goblin was dressed far too scruffily. He was unlike any goblin Harry had ever seen before. Whereas all the goblins Harry had seen in Gringotts had narrow, beady, watchful, suspicious eyes, this goblin and great big bulging eyes that looked like they would pop out of his head, but he still had the hooked nose and slimy leathery skin like all the others. The creature was quivering beneath Harry's grip and looking at him with terror in his eyes. Hermione and Ron came sprinting to Harry's side.

"Harry what are you doing!?" Hermione cried.

"Please... please don't hurt me!" the goblin shrieked in a high pitched gurgle.

Harry released the goblin from his grip and placed him on the floor.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm so sorry I scared you," Harry replied, brushing off the goblin's tattered black coat and looking at him with deep sympathy. The goblin silently looked from Harry, to Hermione, to Ron, and then back to Harry. He began to tremble again and then, like a rocket, shot through the air and grabbed hold of Harry's collar.

"You're Harry Potter! You are! You can help me! You have to help me!" the goblin yelled.

"Whoa! Hold on!" Harry shouted grabbing hold of the insane little creature. "I'll help you. Of course I will. I'll help in anyway I can, but you have to calm down." The goblin began breathing deeply and relaxing himself. "Right first of all, what's your name?" Harry asked.

"My name is Greeth, Greeth the black marke- I mean Greeth the goblin... just Greeth the goblin," Greeth said. He was breathing a lot faster now and Hermione and Ron were looking suspiciously at him.

"And what do you need help with Greeth?" Harry asked. Greeth began to shake again and could no longer contain himself. He exploded again and leapt onto Harry's chest, he grabbed Harry's collar and pulled Harry's right up to his.

"He's coming for me!" Greeth cried. "He wants me and he'll find me and I'll have to tell him!" Harry was trying his best to ask who was after him but Greeth wasn't letting Harry get a word in edgeways. Greeth pounced off of Harry and landed on the ground. "You must take it!" Greeth yelled. "He cannot have it! Take it! Take it!" Greeth stuffed his hands into the pockets of his worn black coat and pulled a number of strange and unusual items then threw them all at Harry's feet. "Take them! Take them all! Don't let him have the herb! If he finds you, don't let him take him the herb!"

And with that, Greeth shot off screaming through Ron's legs and out into Diagon Alley.

Harry stood in shock for a moment before he realised Greeth wasn't coming back. He bent down and scooped up all the items Greeth had left for him.

"Don't let him take the herb," Harry whispered. From the pile of items he had acquired Harry pulled out a small green herb with a number of small stems dispersing from the main stalk. At the tip of each stem was a small blossoming pink flower bud.

"Should we trust him?" Hermione asked. "He's a sneaky black market goblin, although he tried to hide it."

"Black market?" Harry asked.

"Yes, the black magic market, where illegal dark arts items can be obtained," Hermione said. "He may have been tricking us."

"No, he wasn't tricking us," Ron said. "He was terrified; you could see it in his eyes. You can't fake that kind of fear."

"Someone was chasing him for this herb," Harry whispered fixing his eyes on the herb that he was now spinning in between his fingers. "And I'll bet my life that it was Lucrid."