The wall before them started to move, bricks turning this way and that
until eventually Diagon Alley appeared. Harry and Hagrid stepped through
into the Alley and were immediately confronted by an unusually quiet
street. It seemed that the events at the end of Harry's fourth year at
Hogwarts had somehow gotten out and now every witch and wizard in the
country was expecting Voldemort to attack at any time. However, there had
been no sign of Voldemort all summer.
Harry gave Hagrid a questioning look, "Why is it so quiet? Is it because of what happened. at the TriWizard Tournament?"
"People are sacred 'Arry. Worried You-Know-Who might attack at any time."
"But he hasn't so far, has he? I mean no ones seen or heard from him since. since.you know."
"No, s'far as anyone knows You-Know-Who's been keepin' quiet, no one knows what he's up ter." Hagrid interrupted.
Harry felt another pang of guilt. It was his fault Voldemort had regained his powers and his fault that Cedric had died.
"It wasn't yer fault 'Arry," Hagrid told him seeing the look on Harry's face, "no one's blamin' yeh for what happened that day."
"I know, I just can't help feeling guilty for what happened."
There was a moment of silence in which Hagrid scanned Diagon Alley. A few Hogwarts students entered Flourish and Blotts a few yards away, "Well, we ought ter get yeh stuff 'Arry, c'mon."
They made their way to Flourish and Blotts to get the books Harry would need for his fifth year. There were no Defense against the Dark Arts books on this year's list, "Hagrid," called Harry, "how come there are no Defense against the Dark Arts books on the list? Hasn't Professor Dumbledore found a replacement?"
"Not s'far as I know," replied Hagrid, "not too many people willin' ter take on the job."
A bell tinkled as Harry and Hagrid entered Flourish and Blotts. There was the familiar smell of musty books. Harry picked up a copy of Standard book of Spells Grade 5, and added it to an already full caldron. The doorbell tinkled again as Harry handed over 2 galleons to the wizard behind the desk. Cho Chang had just walked in. Harry stood, frozen to the spot; he hadn't seen any one from Hogwarts, except Hermione and Ron, during the summer. Cho looked at Harry and immediately pretended to be very interested in a book she picked up. Harry didn't blame her for not wanting to talk to him. If he were she he wouldn't want to talk to him either. Cho and Cedric had become very close last year and his death still hurt her. He supposed that she wasn't ready to talk to him yet, or maybe she blamed him for what happened.
Harry left the shop feeling quite depressed. He and Hagrid got the rest of Harry's things and headed back to the Leaky Caldron. Hagrid tried to cheer him up by talking about Quidditch - Harry's favourite sport. By the time they reached the pub, and after a very heated a discussion about who would win this year's national league, Harry was feeling much better.
They walked back through the enchanted wall and into the pub to find Ron, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley seated in a corner.
"Harry, dear," began Mrs. Weasley giving Harry a motherly smile, "How are you? How was your summer?"
"Fine thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Said Harry with a puzzled look on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought I wasn't meeting you until the day after tomorrow."
"Well, Arthur had to go away on Ministry business," She gave Hagrid a worried look, "so we decided to come up a little early."
Ron grinned at Harry, "yeah, we thought we'd get our Hogwarts stuff today and then we can have some fun tomorrow!"
"Now, Ron, I don't you getting into to trouble," Mrs. Weasley scolded, "You know how worried I get."
"We won't mum," Ron rolled his eyes as he said this, "c'mon Harry, lets go, I think mum wants a word with Hagrid."
Ron looked at Mrs. Weasley; she nodded and then turned to Ginny, "why don't you go with them? I'm sure you've got loads to talk about."
Ginny looked very doubtful of this but got up anyway and followed Harry and Ron upstairs to Harry's room.
Harry opened the door to his room and collapsed onto his bed. Ron and Ginny followed him in. Ron sat on the chair by the dresser while Ginny went and stood by the window.
"So." started Harry, "what do you want to do tomorrow?"
"I dunno, we've got our Hogwarts stuff. Got this afternoon when we arrived, so we've got all day free." Ron said as he stared into the dresser mirror, where his reflection was staring sternly back at him for not mending his torn robes.
"I've got an idea." Said Harry sitting up. "Why don't we go and explore muggle London? I've always wanted to look round London, only I've never had the chance."
Ron looked a bit skeptical, "You want to explore muggle London?" he exclaimed, "well, I guess it could be fun, what do you think Ginny?"
"I'm not sure we'll be allowed, I mean it's not really safe is it?"
"I'll go ask mum, and if she says no, we'll just go any way!" Ron grinned
"Ron!" said Ginny, "you know it's not safe for anyone anywhere right now, how could you even think of putting yourself and Harry in danger like that? Imagine if you got hurt or something, no one would know where you were!"
"Alright, alright, any way, haven't even asked yet, she might say yes." Ron retorted, "I'll go ask now." He got up and walked towards the door, "won't be a minute."
Harry looked across at Ginny. She had turned around and was now staring out the window, which looked out onto the Muggle Street below. It seemed like ages until Ron came back. Harry hadn't really talked to Ginny since his second year at Hogwarts when he saved her from being killed by Tom Riddle, a young Lord Voldemort. They just waited in silence until Ron came back.
"Mum says that we're not to leave Diagon Alley tomorrow, reckons it too dangerous for us to be wandering around muggle London by ourselves," he said disappointedly.
"Told you," Ginny said matter-of-factly, and with that she turned and left the room, shutting the door behibd her.
"Still wanna go tomorrow?" Ron asked Harry.
"Course!" replied Harry, "we'll use my father's cloak."
***Ok, this chapter isn't very good; I don't really know where I'm going wioth this story yet. Any ideas would be most welcome! ***
Harry gave Hagrid a questioning look, "Why is it so quiet? Is it because of what happened. at the TriWizard Tournament?"
"People are sacred 'Arry. Worried You-Know-Who might attack at any time."
"But he hasn't so far, has he? I mean no ones seen or heard from him since. since.you know."
"No, s'far as anyone knows You-Know-Who's been keepin' quiet, no one knows what he's up ter." Hagrid interrupted.
Harry felt another pang of guilt. It was his fault Voldemort had regained his powers and his fault that Cedric had died.
"It wasn't yer fault 'Arry," Hagrid told him seeing the look on Harry's face, "no one's blamin' yeh for what happened that day."
"I know, I just can't help feeling guilty for what happened."
There was a moment of silence in which Hagrid scanned Diagon Alley. A few Hogwarts students entered Flourish and Blotts a few yards away, "Well, we ought ter get yeh stuff 'Arry, c'mon."
They made their way to Flourish and Blotts to get the books Harry would need for his fifth year. There were no Defense against the Dark Arts books on this year's list, "Hagrid," called Harry, "how come there are no Defense against the Dark Arts books on the list? Hasn't Professor Dumbledore found a replacement?"
"Not s'far as I know," replied Hagrid, "not too many people willin' ter take on the job."
A bell tinkled as Harry and Hagrid entered Flourish and Blotts. There was the familiar smell of musty books. Harry picked up a copy of Standard book of Spells Grade 5, and added it to an already full caldron. The doorbell tinkled again as Harry handed over 2 galleons to the wizard behind the desk. Cho Chang had just walked in. Harry stood, frozen to the spot; he hadn't seen any one from Hogwarts, except Hermione and Ron, during the summer. Cho looked at Harry and immediately pretended to be very interested in a book she picked up. Harry didn't blame her for not wanting to talk to him. If he were she he wouldn't want to talk to him either. Cho and Cedric had become very close last year and his death still hurt her. He supposed that she wasn't ready to talk to him yet, or maybe she blamed him for what happened.
Harry left the shop feeling quite depressed. He and Hagrid got the rest of Harry's things and headed back to the Leaky Caldron. Hagrid tried to cheer him up by talking about Quidditch - Harry's favourite sport. By the time they reached the pub, and after a very heated a discussion about who would win this year's national league, Harry was feeling much better.
They walked back through the enchanted wall and into the pub to find Ron, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley seated in a corner.
"Harry, dear," began Mrs. Weasley giving Harry a motherly smile, "How are you? How was your summer?"
"Fine thanks, Mrs. Weasley." Said Harry with a puzzled look on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought I wasn't meeting you until the day after tomorrow."
"Well, Arthur had to go away on Ministry business," She gave Hagrid a worried look, "so we decided to come up a little early."
Ron grinned at Harry, "yeah, we thought we'd get our Hogwarts stuff today and then we can have some fun tomorrow!"
"Now, Ron, I don't you getting into to trouble," Mrs. Weasley scolded, "You know how worried I get."
"We won't mum," Ron rolled his eyes as he said this, "c'mon Harry, lets go, I think mum wants a word with Hagrid."
Ron looked at Mrs. Weasley; she nodded and then turned to Ginny, "why don't you go with them? I'm sure you've got loads to talk about."
Ginny looked very doubtful of this but got up anyway and followed Harry and Ron upstairs to Harry's room.
Harry opened the door to his room and collapsed onto his bed. Ron and Ginny followed him in. Ron sat on the chair by the dresser while Ginny went and stood by the window.
"So." started Harry, "what do you want to do tomorrow?"
"I dunno, we've got our Hogwarts stuff. Got this afternoon when we arrived, so we've got all day free." Ron said as he stared into the dresser mirror, where his reflection was staring sternly back at him for not mending his torn robes.
"I've got an idea." Said Harry sitting up. "Why don't we go and explore muggle London? I've always wanted to look round London, only I've never had the chance."
Ron looked a bit skeptical, "You want to explore muggle London?" he exclaimed, "well, I guess it could be fun, what do you think Ginny?"
"I'm not sure we'll be allowed, I mean it's not really safe is it?"
"I'll go ask mum, and if she says no, we'll just go any way!" Ron grinned
"Ron!" said Ginny, "you know it's not safe for anyone anywhere right now, how could you even think of putting yourself and Harry in danger like that? Imagine if you got hurt or something, no one would know where you were!"
"Alright, alright, any way, haven't even asked yet, she might say yes." Ron retorted, "I'll go ask now." He got up and walked towards the door, "won't be a minute."
Harry looked across at Ginny. She had turned around and was now staring out the window, which looked out onto the Muggle Street below. It seemed like ages until Ron came back. Harry hadn't really talked to Ginny since his second year at Hogwarts when he saved her from being killed by Tom Riddle, a young Lord Voldemort. They just waited in silence until Ron came back.
"Mum says that we're not to leave Diagon Alley tomorrow, reckons it too dangerous for us to be wandering around muggle London by ourselves," he said disappointedly.
"Told you," Ginny said matter-of-factly, and with that she turned and left the room, shutting the door behibd her.
"Still wanna go tomorrow?" Ron asked Harry.
"Course!" replied Harry, "we'll use my father's cloak."
***Ok, this chapter isn't very good; I don't really know where I'm going wioth this story yet. Any ideas would be most welcome! ***