Seeing Double
By: Red, the Feathery
Disclaimer: nada.
A/N: And the action packed, confusing as hell chapter! What happened to Harry? Or is it Harry? R/R/R (read, review, recommend ^_^)
Chapter Two: Chaos at Quality Quidditch Supplies
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Life at the Weasley house was busy at its best. The summer was rather hectic, after Percy moved out. Mrs. Weasley was realizing just how much help he was around the house. Fred and George, without anyone else to tease, were picking on poor Ron and Ginny.
Ginny was acting peculiarly this summer, also. She had up and decided she didn't want to be a redheaded Weasley anymore and changed. Everything. She dyed her hair, from red to light greenish-blue. Mrs. Weasley almost fainted when she first saw it. Her loose and casual clothes became more rebel-like. Mrs. Weasley exclaimed that next she would be dating a Slytherin. Ginny decided it was worth the change; for her parents and brothers noticed her now, she wasn't the quiet, shy Weasley any longer.
Fred and George seemed to acquire money for their joke shop, much to Mrs. Weasley's dismay. They often flaunted around the house, exploding vase, tables, chairs, and, least of all, people. All effects were temporary, thank Merlin, but it was enough to make the mother Weasley scream. Thus Fred and George had been grounded most of the summer.
Ron seemed to grow taller by the day; he now was taller than anyone in the family—even Charlie. He'd spent most of his summer practicing to be the new Gryffindor Seeker, a position secretly wanted for years. He'd been so busy flying; he hadn't even got the chance to owl Harry or Hermione all summer. He hoped they wouldn't be entirely mad at him.
Along with his father, Ron was worried about the time ahead. The Ministry of Magic's frequent denials that Voldemort was indeed not back had to stop some time, didn't they? He felt bad for Harry; he couldn't imagine what his friend must be feeling. To have the whole world thinking you're a mad nutter when you were, actually, just trying to help them. It was just enough to make Ron want to run the entire Ministry himself. He firmly believed he could be better than the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, any day.
The morning of August first, Mrs. Weasley called them all day stairs for breakfast exceptionally early. Ron, groaning about the hour, trudged down stairs in too-small pajamas and with tousled hair. His mother was placing sausages and toast on the table for Fred, George, Ginny, and himself as his father had left earlier that morning for work. "Ron," said Mrs. Weasley, "you haven't heard from Harry at all this summer, have you?"
"No," said Ron, helping himself to three sausages and two pieces of toast. "I haven't. Why?"
"Because," intercepted Ginny with a smirk. "Mum's worried about his safety."
"Actually, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley with a glare. "I was planning to go over to Diagon Alley and I was wondering if Harry wanted to come with us."
"Oh," said Ron, "Dumbledore gave Harry all of his fifth year supplies at the end of term."
"Why didn't you mention that before, Ron?"
"Because it never came up."
"Are we really going to Diagon Alley?" said Fred with a grin.
Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes. "Yes, we are."
"Good," said Ginny, "I need a new quill. Pidwigeon chewed the end off of mine." She glared at Ron, who shrugged his shoulders through a bite of sausage. Pidwigeon was Ron's baby owl. He'd received him from Sirius Black after his old rat, Scabbers, had been revealed as a traitor. But no one was to know that.
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" said George with a sigh.
"Perhaps it's because Ron raised him," pondered Fred.
"Why, Fred! You're a genius!"
"Shut up, guys," said Ron dully. The truth was, he was suddenly feeling bad about not contacting Harry. I mean, what kind of friend am I, anyway? Here he was, relaxing and enjoying his summer with his family, and Harry was rotting in what was as close as you can get to hell.
"Ron!" Ginny slapped him on the shoulder.
"Oh. What?"
"It's time to leave."
"But I'm not even finished with breakfast yet!"
Diagon Alley was the place where the Weasley's always came to restore their supplies. Unless they were at Hogwarts, and then they just went to Hogsmeade, the local village. Today, as always, the small, cobbled street was filled from end-to-end with witches, wizards and even some Muggles (non-magic folk) helping their young ones pick out supplies.
The moment the Weasleys' arrived chaos ensued.
"Mum! Can I go to Gladrags?!"
"Mum! I'm hungry!"
"Can we go to Gambol and Japes?"
"Hey! I'm hungry, can we get ice cream?"
"Quiet!" All four children grew silent quickly. "Ginny, go to Flourish and Blotts-get a new quill. If we have time afterwards, you can go to Gladrags." Mrs. Weasley's tone clearly stated she didn't want there to be time afterwards. "Fred and George, go ahead. Ron, I need you to come with me. Help me pick out stuff."
"But, mum."
"Come along, then," said Mrs. Weasley sternly as the other teens ran off to their other locations. Ron grumbled along behind his mother, kicking at the street with his feet grumpily.
Lucky for him, he ran into Seamus Finnigan, one of his fellow Gryffindors, half way to Madame Malkin's. With a pleading look at Seamus, the Irish boy grinned. "Ron!" he exclaimed with a thick Irish accent. "Just the Gryffindor I was lookin' for! Will you come with me to Quality Quidditch Supplies? I want some help picking out the right… er… gloves for flying! Yes, I need gloves for flying! Don't want blisters ya know." Grinning thanks at Seamus, Ron asked his mum if he could go. When she looked like she was going to say no, Ron already had a plan.
"Mum! Seamus needs my help! Look at his hands, why, they're so blistered!" Ron showed Mrs. Weasley Seamus' perfectly normal hands. "These hands need gloves!" Mrs. Weasley laughed.
"All right, all right, you can go."
"Thanks, mum!" Ron ran off before his mother changed her mind. He stopped, panting and even hungrier, in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. "Thanks," he said to Seamus who followed him.
"Nah problem," replied Seamus, "I gotta get back to me mum. Guess I'll see ya lata." With that, he turned to go. Ron entered Quality Quidditch Supplies with intention to look at the latest edition of Quidditch Quirks magazine. But someone standing near the broom section turned his attention—it was Harry!
"Harry!" he called, but Harry ignored him. Ron figured he couldn't hear him through the crowded shop. He walked over to Harry and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey," he said, smiling, and was about to fill Harry in about why he hadn't contacted him, but Harry cut him off.
"Can I help you?" Ron laughed.
"Come on, Harry, don't ignore me, I'm sorry about not contacting you."
"Who's Harry?" Ron stared at his best friend. He noticed Harry was taller, almost taller than himself. He filled out a bit, but other than that, Ron was sure this was Harry. His scar was unmistakable. "You're Harry, you dolt," said Ron, but was even more appalled when Harry replied.
"No, I'm not," he said. Harry looked at him strangely. Ron was confused. This was Harry, who else would it be? Unless Harry had an identical twin or something… with the same scar, the same eyes, the same glasses….
"Then who are you?" he demanded of Harry, feeling lame and stupid.
"I'm not sure I should tell you," Harry said suspiciously. "You could be a Minion for all I know."
"A what?"
"A Minion, silly. Don't tell me you don't know what a Minion is." Harry's eyes were amused, but Ron clearly had no idea what a 'Minion' was. "Er — sorry," he said. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."
Harry rolled his eyes in a very unHarrylike manner. "A Minion is a dark wizard who serves Morculum, dolt," he said very slowly, in a mocking way.
"You've lost it, Harry." Ron was perplexed to say the least—what happened to Harry? Why was he acting like this? Didn't Harry know who he was? Wait, he thought, trying to secure himself more than anything, of course Harry knows who you are. Why wouldn't he?
With out another word (or thought) Ron grabbed Harry's wrist and dragged him out of the store. "What the hell do you think your—oof!" said Harry, who tripped on the doorframe and had to steady himself. As soon as he did, however, Ron pulled him along again. "Where are we going?" demanded Harry. Ron suddenly spotted his mum's red hair through the crowds. He was about to call out her name when a voice from behind him spoke first.
"Well, well," said Draco Malfoy, "if it isn't potty and the Weasel."
"Bugger off, Malfoy," said Ron without looking back.
"Weasley, your comments get more original each time I see you."
"And yours get more annoying."
"I try," Malfoy smirked sarcastically.
"I'm so glad for you."
"Well, shouldn't you be?" Ron's face was beet red. He glanced at Harry, silently begging for him to save him in this conversation he was desperately losing. Harry remained quiet. Malfoy, also, seemed to turn his span towards Harry. "What's wrong, Potter," he said, "forget how to speak?" Harry eyes narrowed, as if though he was appalled to be talked to like this. He stepped forward, still not speaking, and raised his fist. "Harry!" said Ron. "He's not worth fighting."
"Oh, sod off," Harry replied coolly. Draco wore a look; clearly stating "you think you can take me? Go ahead and try." Harry did, though. He lunged at Malfoy, a look of pure fury on his face.
The crowd jumped as both boys went flying. "I – don't – know – whom – the – fuck – you – think – you – are – but – shut – the – hell – up." He growled as he and Malfoy quarreled. He snarled cruelly when Malfoy's fist hit his left eye. He threw his right fist at Draco's head, and hit.
"Go, Harry!" cried Fred from the background.
"Boys!" Said a gruff voice. Harry felt himself being picked up by the collar. Malfoy had also been picked up by the collar, though a black eye and cut lip graced his features. The man, probably a manager of a store, set them both back down. "I won't have no fightin' outside my store." He left without a goodbye, hobbling slightly off to the Magical Menagerie.
Harry glared at Malfoy, who glared back. He considered doing it for a moment—resuming their fight, but another voice broke though their thoughts. "Harry!" cried an adult women's voice. "What happened?"
"Harry beat the living daylights out of Malfoy!" said George, grinning from ear to ear. Malfoy strutted off, as if nothing happened.
"Harry!" whispered Ron into his ear. "You're in big trouble now."
"I can't be in trouble," he replied casually, "I don't know who the hell you people are."
"You knew who Malfoy was," Ron pointed out.
"Who doesn't know who Tredo Malfoy is?"
"Who is Tredo Malfoy?" asked Ron, bewildered.
"The person who just got his ass kicked." Ron didn't even have time to ask Harry further questions, because Mrs. Weasley broke in.
"Harry! What are you thinking of?" she demanded. "It's not like you to fight!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Why are all of you calling me that?!"
A red-haired boy with an identical twin smacked his forehead. "Mum," he said. "The pressure's finally gotten to Harry. He's gone completely mad." The other twin sighed. "Poor Harry," he said, "he just couldn't handle it."
"I can so handle it!" Harry exclaimed, though he had no clue what they were talking about. Probably something about Morculum, he told himself.
"Harry, dear," said the elder, woman redhead. "Why don't you just come with us and we'll figure all this out?"
"What if I don't want to?" Harry was torn between going and not going. He didn't know who these people were, but they seemed to know him. Minions had tricked him a fair few times and it wasn't supposed to happen again. Sirius would be mad.
The woman, probably the mother, looked at him, worried, the stern look in her eyes made him worried. "Harry," she spoke very softly as though angered. "I'm not giving you an option here. Let's go."
Harry had no choice but to follow her, as there was five of them and only one of them. He hoped desperately he hadn't gotten himself into something he would regret. Sirius would kill him.
*
AN: Yeah, so this chapter's rather short. Bite me. Can anyone guess what I'm planning here? C'mon! Ask me questions!! I love answer you guys' questions!! I'm telling you right now, whatever you think the plot is—prepare to be surprised.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Sue me, I'll sue back
P.S
Since I'm naughty and sneaky, I'm posting my challenges here. Shh! Don't tell anyone! ^_^
Redfeather's Challenges
These are some ideas that I had for fics that I have no time to write.
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Draco/Ginny Challenge
A past romance, spin off of a Salazaar/Rowena relationship—history repeats itself.
Rules for this challenge:
-Draco must be Salazaar
-Ginny must be Rowena
-No prophecies.
-D&G must discover the relationship of S/R in an ORIGINAL way…
-They must find it while TOGETHER
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Slytherin/Gryffindor challenge
Tells the story of a descendant of Salazaar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. They can be as direct or indirect as you want.
Rules for this challenge:
-Child must be a girl.
-She is not allowed to be a Mary-Sue
-She can be in the time of HP and co. or before.
-Must start when she is eleven
-She must live with her Aunt. You can decide the Aunt's personality.
-She must look like Slytherin w/ green eyes.
I'll let you all decide the House, friends, timeline and other such things. Nothing cliché, please!
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Percy Challenge
Voldemort is looking for a new spy after the death of Severus Snape. He needs someone on the inside of Dumbledore and the Ministry. Somebody young, willing, and controllable…
Rules for this challenge:
-Percy must be the spy
-Voldemort must use Ginny as bait for Percy
-Percy at one point must be evil, whether he stays that way this your choice
-Must have a hinted Draco/Ginny pairing.
-Must have some humor.
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Have fun with these, guys! Please email these challenges to hgredfeather@yahoo.com if you make them.
