Disclaimer: wow, I bet you REALLY thought that I own Harry Potter. That I have the creative genius that it takes to write such a brilliant series. I am flattered. But I don't. I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, Diagon Ally, Voldemort, Muggles, etc. etc. etc. They belong to either a. the creative genius J.K. Rowling B. the publishing company Scholastic or C. the annoying monopoly Warner Bros. Having said that, please don't sue.

Harry Potter and the Elements of Magic

Summery: OotP SPOILERS!!! A 6th year fic. Voldemort's quest for the weapon, which is being protected by the order, continues. Strange events start happening at Hogwarts and the students all suspect the new exchange students are to blame, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione know better... (H/Hr, R/OC)

Rating: PG-13 (just in case)

A/N: fewer reviews than last ch. But still over 10 so I'm very happy! Lol ok anyway, this chapter will focus on the usual pre-Hogwarts Diagon Ally trip and all that stuff. I don't really have much to say this time *gasp* so I'll just shut up and get on with the story.

Chapter Three

Diagon Ally

When Harry woke up the morning after his party, he immediately thought that someone was attempting to drill a hole through the top of his skull. He opened his eyes and the flaming orange surroundings didn't help the feeling. Looking around for anything that didn't look radioactive, Harry saw a pile of presents at the foot of his bed. Oh right, he thought, I had my party last night. Thoughts of the previous day rushed through his mind ending with his painful collision with the ceiling. "That would explain the headache," he muttered.

Groaning from the dull throbbing in his head, he got out of bed and started looking at his gifts. There was nothing out of the ordinary from most (the twins' gift was seemingly the most unique) until he got to the gifts from his two best friends. He opened the more crudely wrapped present first.

Harry,

16 years old… only one more year until you're of age, huh. You know what you're going to do with yourself? Auror I suppose… I'm glad you got the grades for it. Let's just hope you don't end up like Moody.

I'm sorry I've been such a prat lately. It's just that being a prefect was the only thing that made me… I dunno… not just another Weasley. Now you're gonna be a prefect and more than likely the Quidditch captain… whatever it's stupid. Isn't this supposed to be a birthday card?

Anyway, happy birthday and I hope you'll forgive me.

Ron

Harry was certainly glad that Ron was officially talking to him but the card brought up an interesting point. Would he be captain of the Quidditch team? He wasn't even sure if he was still on it. Though he was positive his ban on the sport would be lifted since Umbridge was gone, he was still off the team wasn't he? Ron probably had a good shot at the position.

After milling this around in his head for a while, Harry decided that he really wouldn't mind Ron being Quidditch captain. He deserved it and besides, he would have enough going on this year with all those NEWT classes and possibly being a prefect.

After all this Harry finally realized that he still hadn't opened the rest of Ron's gift. He quickly tore off the Chudley Cannons wrapping paper and found the book A Revised Edition Of Seeker Strategies, by Hunter Dexterity. When opened, he found the book not only had descriptions of the moves but pictures showing them being executed as well. Wow, this will come in handy. I still want to try the Wronski Feint though, thought Harry.

Harry placed the book on his trunk and shoved the wrapping paper onto the floor before opening Hermione's gift.

Dear Harry,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I do hope you're alright. I got so worried after you hit the ceiling so hard.

Wow, Hermione never struck me as a last minute card writer, thought Harry.

I know what you're thinking: "wow Hermione wrote this the night before she gave it to me? That's so not Hermione-ish,"

At that Harry couldn't help but crack up. They knew each other way too well.

It's just that I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I've been paranoid since… well… forever really but especially since Voldemort came back. I just want you to be careful and don't do anything rash. I know I must sound like a worrywart but I just don't know what I'd do if I lost you.

Well this hasn't been a very happy birthday card has it? I'm sorry. Well, happy birthday and good luck. I really do hope you become a prefect.

Love,

Hermione

Harry felt his heart skip a beat when he read the last few lines. What the heck was that? He thought, Hermione's one of your best friends, this hasn't happened before…

Harry shook his head and brushed off his thoughts. Ron was right, that cupcake really must have had something in it besides chocolate.

He opened the attached parcel and found…

"A diary?" he muttered in disgust. He opened the book and found more of Hermione's neat handwriting.

Yes, Harry, a diary. You don't have to use it but I thought it was a good idea. You never really want to talk about what's going through your head and I know there's not just static, especially now. If you keep all this up you're just going to explode constantly like you did last year or end up like Cho. Believe me you don't want to end up like Cho. So just give it a try and see if it helps. It's just a normal muggle diary. I promise it's not possessed by an evil dark wizard.

Well, it might be worth a try, thought Harry as he clumsily got to his feet (the constant throbbing was messing up his coordination) and stumbled downstairs for breakfast.

"Harry, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked the moment Harry sat down at the kitchen table.

Do I really look *that* bad? Harry thought, I guess I must, he answered after seeing the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. "Yeah, my head kinda hurts though, do you have any potion for it?"

"Of course, dear, let me just go get it," replied Mrs. Weasley who immediately flipped the bacon and set off to the pantry.

"Told you they drugged that cupcake"

"They did NOT drug the cupcake. Well… they obviously charmed it but that's different. His head hurts because he hit the ceiling"

"You think what you want to think but that was no ordinary cupcake."

"Oh please, you're brothers aren't selling drugged cupcakes."

"Whatever you say…"

Hermione was about to retort but Mrs. Weasley came back with the potion just in time.

"Just drink the whole thing, dear," she said handing Harry a beaker of bright blue potion.

"Thanks," murmured Harry as he downed the whole thing in one gulp, the pain vanishing almost instantly.

"'Morning," greeted Ginny who had just walked into the kitchen, "did the school letters come yet?"

"Actually I was about to tell all of you. They came this morning and we'll be going to Diagon Ally after breakfast so you should read over your lists and get your stuff ready," replied Mrs. Weasley, tossing pale yellow envelopes to each of the students.

"Wow, I made Quidditch captain! That's a bit odd but I'm not complaining. Well, now I am, dress robes again? What now?" groaned Ron.

"Oh don't worry, Ron, I'm sure we'll find you something," said Harry, "hmm… I'm a prefect. Weird. Jeez there's a lot of rules… anyway, and An Advanced Guide to Self-Protection by Jorn Ontibile. I wonder who our new Defense against the dark arts teacher is," said Harry changing the subject and trying to avoid another jealous fight with Ron.

"Well, with a murderous imposter and a crazed ministry official for the last two, it'll be hard to top," said Hermione.

It had somehow taken the group an hour and a half to "get their stuff ready" for Diagon Ally. When they all managed to gather in the kitchen again, Mrs. Weasley was quite determined to keep them there.

"Ok everyone ready? Got your moneybags? Lists? Are you sure those are the shoes you want to wear, Ginny?" she asked and the fickle fifth year nodded while standing firmly in what must have been the tenth pair of shoes so far, "alright then, Ginny, you go first."

The shorter red head grabbed a pinch full of Floo Powder and stepped into the flames.

"Diagon Ally," she said clearly and spun out of site.

"Ok. Harry, you next."

"Diagon Ally," he said and was whisked away in the familiar but still unpleasant swirling sensation.

Fireplace after fireplace whizzed past him but by now Harry didn't have to close his eyes to keep from passing out. Suddenly he stopped and nearly slammed face first onto the Leaky Cauldron hearth. He quickly scooted out and joined Ginny in brushing off ash and soot from their robes. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley came out within the next five minutes and they split up from there.

"Ok I'll go to Flourish and Blott's to pick up your books, you four can split up or go together to take care of the rest of your lists. Diagon Ally's pretty safe but don't go a foot down Knockturn Ally and meet me back here at six to go home for dinner," ordered Mrs. Weasley.

Murmurs of agreement were issued all around and the five set out into the ally.

"How about I meet all of you at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to visit Fred and George around four?" asked Ginny.

"Yeah, that sounds good. See you then, Ginny," said Ron. As soon as she was out of sight he added, "and if you're off with Dean Thomas he'll never see daylight again…"

The shopping experience went by with little event. The trio got potions supplies out of the way first; the NEWT kit was massive before heading to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry and Ron ogled at the new broom, the Icarus, while Hermione stood behind them reading Hogwarts, a History… again. Once Hermione had realized she had gotten to the fifth chapter, she had had enough.

"Why don't we go get some ice cream before we get dress robes? I'll cheer us up before the rather nasty task at hand and give us a better idea of what size we should get… I don't know about you but I always seem to gain another ten pounds when I put them on…"

"Yeah ice cream's good," said Ron snapping out of his daze.

"What are you talking about, Hermione, you don't look fat in dress robes… or any other time in particular…" said Harry who was confused who he felt his face go red.

"Er… thanks," said Hermione, also blushing.

"…Ice cream…?" asked an oblivious Ron.

"Of course," said Harry quickly and the three walked over to Fortescue's.

Time jumped right on by as the sat and happily ate their chocolate-caramel sundaes but soon it was time for the dreaded task.

"I suppose we should get our dress robes now…" sighed Harry.

"Don't remind me" said Ron.

"Oh, it won't be so bad…" said Hermione unconvincingly.

"Yeah, you'll just take about three hours trying to find something that 'calls your name,''" said Ron.

"I won't take three hours. We only have one before we meet Ginny and I promise I won't make us all late."

With that they headed towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Once entering the store, they nodded and hit the multicolored racks.

Harry and Ron watched Hermione in amusement as she furiously hit what must have been thousands of robes. She didn't really seem to have any idea what she was going for since she was looking at every robe from deep plum to canary yellow. Though she was doing it aimlessly, she pulled off a sense of purpose with her dizzying speed.

"Er… right then, dress robes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the manic Hermione.

"You know, I'm not really sure what color to get. Definitely not maroon," said Ron.

"I'm probably gonna get green again. It looked pretty decent last time."

"Yeah… maybe… er… navy. That wouldn't look so bad would it?" asked Ron.

"You're asking me? Er… I guess it wouldn't look bad," said Harry scratching his head.

"Ok then. I'll get… this one," announced Ron pulling what looked like a Hogwarts robe dyed blue. "Fred and George gave me this for dress robes. They said that they jinxed the sack so that if I used it for anything else, my hair would turn aqua for three months."

Harry snickered remembering his only request to the twins was to buy Ron new dress robes.

"Hey, there's some extra! I think I'm gonna get new school robes too then," said Ron.

"Yeah that's a good idea. Mine are getting a little short too," agreed Harry while pulling out some forest green robes.

The boys paid for their new garments and waited for Hermione.

"Oi Hermione, you almost done?" called Ron.

"Um," called back Hermione, "almost… why don't you go meet up with your sister and brothers and I'll meet you guys there?"

"Yeah ok see you there."

Upon arrival at ninety-three Diagon Ally, the huge crowd crammed inside its walls astonished Harry and Ron. They were in the process of forcing their way through the mass of bodies when they heard a familiar voice call them.

"Oi! Ron! Harry! Over here!"

The crowd immediately parted out of respect for the mighty Weasley twins and Harry and Ron walked over to them.

"Hey guys," said Ginny, "where's Hermione?"

"She's still off finding dress robes. She said that she'd catch up with us here though after she's through though," answered Harry.

"So how have you two been doing?" asked Ron.

"As I'm sure you can clearly see, business is booming, baby brother," replied Fred.

"We've got it all. A famous name, free samples, exceptional products, willing testers, and a connection to the Floo Network," said George.

"Why bother mentioning the Floo Network thing, you ask?" continued Fred noticing the puzzled looks on the others faces, "because we're one of the few in Diagon Ally to have it. Sure it was a hell of a lot of paperwork but it's something to brag about."

"Hey, did u by any chance drug Harry's cupcake?" asked Ron.

"No, not DRUGGED it, we just put a simple reflexus charm on it to enhance his reflexes combined with a pesanta charm to weaken the effects of gravity on the taker which combined made him super-naturally jumpy," explained George.

"Oh," said Ron looking extremely put out.

"We're not putting drugs in our products. Do we look like we want to be on the ministry's bad side?" asked Fred.

"Well no it's just—"

But Ron's reasoning was drowned out by frantic screams in the ally.

"What the bloody hell…?" muttered Ron.

George looked through the display glass in the window towards the end of the street, "Death Eaters."

"WHAT?!" yelled Harry, Ron, and Ginny in unison.

"Death Eaters," said George more firmly than before. He immediately took charge of the panicked store, "ok line up according to destination by the fireplace, we're getting all of you out of here."

"Ginny, Ron, Harry, you three first. Go back to the Burrow," ordered Fred.

"Hermione," breathed Harry suddenly turning white.

"What about her?" asked an, as always, thick Ron as the screams outside were getting steadily louder.

"She's still out there and she's probably in more danger than the rest of us. She's muggle-born, best friends with me (who they're more than likely after anyway), and alone on the other side of Diagon Ally with no Floo Points nearby. I'm going to find her," said Harry now panicking ready to leave the store.

"Harry, no," said Ginny rather loudly.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because Hermione's a very capable witch. She can more than take care of herself and besides, she wouldn't want you to be a hero especially after…" Ginny trailed off regretting the last part of what she had said.

But Harry knew exactly what she had meant. The rescue mission in the Department of Mysteries last year where because of him the very person they were trying to save ended up killed. The petrified screams of the ally outside were turned into a muffled and indistinguishable rumble. If only he had listened to Hermione, the voice of reason, maybe Sirius would still be alive. Would he put Hermione in the same danger if tried to 'be a hero'?

As if someone had turned the volume back up, the shouts and now bangs from the alleyway outside came into focus and Harry made his decision.

"You're right," he said hoarsely, "was being stupid. I guess we should go now…" although when he tried to carry out his plans he found that his legs weren't working properly.

"COME ON, HARRY!" shouted Ginny halfway to the grate already.

Harry started to turn away from the door when as if on cue Hermione came running in. she looked quite out of breath and flustered with her wand clasped tightly in her hand.

"HARRY!" she yelled at the first person and grabbed him in a very tight hug. Although his mind was on the near death situation, Harry couldn't help but notice his stomach do an odd sort of flip-flop.

"Ok, corny and joyous reunions later. Right now, we all get to the Burrow," said Fred.

"Right then," said Harry walking over to the flames.

"THE BURROW!" Shouted Ron and Diagon Ally spun out of sight.

In a blur of spinning living rooms the group arrived in the Burrow kitchen already occupied by a panic-stricken Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh thank goodness you're all alright. I told those two a Floo connection would be a good thing to have. They'll be apperating back I suppose," she said in a hurried voice while furiously brushing off soot from the teens.

Death Eaters in Diagon Ally, what were they trying to pull? Maybe this whole journal thing is actually a good idea, thought Harry who's mind was racing with thoughts, how's this 'dear diary, Death Eaters attacked Diagon Ally today and that isn't the worst of my problems. I think I'm in love with my best friend.'

Harry and Hermione then caught each other's glance before immediately looking away.

~*~*~

A/N: whew that chapter took a long time to write… I'M SORRY!!! It's just that every time I sat down at a computer, I got all like "bleh. Diagon Ally." And didn't want to write anything. Oh well, it's out now. A few little inside jokey things were thrown in here and I should probably explain some of them. Feel free to skip if you don't know me, it will more than likely be unbearably boring.

The Icarus broom is actually named after that guy in Greek mythology *wink L/A hnrs. ppl* who flew too close to the sun and his wax wings melted… you know what I'm talking about right? Good ok moving on.

The aqua hair jinx was inspired from our whimsical, aqua haired, elven friend: counselor Pat at Tomato Patch (my really oddly named art camp).

And of course, chocolate-caramel ice cream. I just ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's Carmel Sutra stuff over the past 2 days. That stuff is so good! Although muggle, I feel like it's more than worthy of Diagon Ally. But now I'm all out *tear*

Ok anyway (jeez I say anyway a lot. That's really annoying isn't it? Ok I'll try to stop now) I would respond to reviews but I'm on my laptop and off the internet so I shall try to remember main ones…

Future World Dictator: yes, cake is quite good indeed. I brought it back this chapter a little too so I hope you enjoyed that too :-D

H 'DB' G: aaah I forget what you said in your actual review *sob* I'm sorry! Well, im glad you liked the scapegoat bit at least and ur emails are always amusing. Im sorry there really wasn't any Gred and Forge chaos… I couldn't really work it in :'(

Sulwen of Great Smials: *pichoo pichoo* sorry but that is the official sound of flying penguins ;-) and I do hope I am beginning to convince you h/hr ships are GOOD.

Myhrfire or something like that… sry is I screwed it up: was this ch. :-) worthy?

That's the bulk of it I think. Tell me what you think of this ch. In REVIEWS! Flames are welcome as long as you say WHY you're flaming. Personally I think the whole Hermione coming in just in time was a bit corny but I couldn't just leave her there. Ok I'm gonna shut up now, I'm babbling.

Ok I actually want to write the next chapter… HOGWARTS EXPRESS! And other stuff having to do with that. You also meet the OC (other character) I shall try to get that out ASAP!

So review-review-REVIEW!!! And maybe I'll be inspired to update sooner…

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