A/N: Hi! Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate the ideas…J And anyway, sorry for the cliffy!!! I had to do it, lol! Going crazy here…it's 65 degrees and there was supposed to be a 30% chance of snow…*Tear* But anyway, maybe it will snow MondayJ Bye, enjoy the chapter!

Harry rushed to the window, followed closely by everyone else in the store. A death eater Harry didn't recognize was in the middle of the street, surrounded by Aurors, and tied up. And there was Gryffindor-colored confetti all over the street. Some of the Aurors looked annoyed by it, but others looked amused. Two Aurors were lying on the street, but neither of them was dead, and two death eaters had fallen. An Auror Harry didn't know was now speaking into his pin, and Harry heard something come out of Lupin's.

"King, call off the lock-down. We have three of them; all the rest apparated away, sadly. Moony, thanks for the warning. Who knows what could've happened… Disastrous. Good work, everyone. Three for Azkaban today. All clear!"

Harry wondered whom the death eaters were who had fallen. He hadn't seen them. Hopefully it was Pettigrew or at least one of them was, anyway. Lupin, however, seemed to be thinking along the same lines, though. He lifted his pin and spoke into it hurriedly.

"Do you know who the death eaters were? Are you sure the rest got away?"

Almost immediately another voice came through. "Not Pettigrew. It wasn't Bellatrix, either. One of them is Rookwood, I believe. I don't know about the others."

"Thanks," said Lupin wearily. He then turned to the others inside the shop. "Lockdown's over. Thanks for cooperating. Come on, you lot. The danger is mostly over. We should still be able to shop for a while. Bye, Mr. Ollivander." With that, Lupin turned to leave the shop. Harry started after him to ask about the pins, when Mr. Ollivander grabbed his arm.

"Harry," he said in a slightly misty voice. "Be warned. Lenore is part of the connection."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, but Hermione was tugging on his arm. "C'mon, Harry, let's go." And Harry was ushered out of the shop into the bright afternoon sun, with a befuddled look on his face.

The Aurors were beginning to clear the streets and frightened shoppers were emerging from the stores. The Death Eaters were being carted away as well. Lupin looked rather shaken, as did everybody else. But Harry hadn't time for that. He was very confused. What had Ollivander meant? Harry decided to ask Lenore something, and he quietly pulled her aside.

"Lenore?"

"Yes, Harry?" she asked. Harry noticed that there still was confetti in her hair and he wondered if Fred and George had been able to make up a counter curse.

"Um, Lenore, I was just wondering… What is your wand made of?"

Lenore looked confused, but only for a second. "11 inch, Holly, a unicorn hair, and it's pleasantly springy. Why?" Harry frowned. She couldn't be a part of that connection, anyway.

"No reason," said Harry brightly, shrugging. He then walked over to where Lupin was standing with the others. He decided to ask about the pin later. Lupin was talking to the teenagers about any change of plans.

"I don't see why we still won't be able to shop, as long as you have somebody with you. Bill could take one half and I could take the others, I suppose. I'll call Molly in a few moments, for I expect she'll be worried to death, even though nobody but two Aurors and two death eaters were seriously injured. Is that all right with everyone?"

All of the teenagers nodded. "I suppose we can explain about the attack later on, but not here," continued Lupin. "We will keep you informed. But no questions until we get back to you-know-where. Agreed?" Everyone nodded. "So," said Lupin on a lighter tone. "I will take Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Bill can take Ginny, Lenore, Neville, and Luna. Why don't we meet back at three for ice cream and a late lunch?"

"Sounds good," said Bill. "See you later!"

"Bye," said Hermione, Ron, and Harry. They started off with Lupin, towards the right. As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, Harry explained to his friends about Ollivander and his warning.

"What did he say, again?" asked Ron, confused.

Harry sighed and repeated himself. "He said that Lenore is part of the connection."

"What connection, though?" asked Hermione. "I don't understand what he could mean. Are you a part of any connection besides with the prophecy, that you know of?" Harry shook his head.

"Not that I know of," he said, "unless of course Dumbledore has anything else he'd like to share with me." His voice grew slightly angry at this part.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Harry," said Lupin, dismissing Harry's sarcasm. "But I will tell Dumbledore for you, just in case it does mean anything. If you ask me, though, Ollivander is kind of a nutter." Ron nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Hermione, however, did not look as convinced. Ron went on, though, and snorted. "There's about as much chance of that being true as there is of Snape taking a point from Slytherin." Lupin nodded, smirking.

"I don't think he took one point from them the whole year I taught at Hogwarts."

"No kidding," muttered Ron.

"So where would you lot like to got first?" asked Lupin, looking around. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all spoke at the same time.

"The Bookstore."

"Quality Quiditch Supplies."

"I need to get Lenore a birthday present."

"Well," said Lupin. "It is Harry's birthday… so we can go where he wants first."

"Okay," said Harry thoughtfully. "Hermione, you're a girl. What do you think Lenore wants for her birthday?"

"Good observation," muttered Hermione, though she was smiling as she said it. "Well, I think she'd probably like a good book, that's always a nice present…"

"For you!" cut in Ron snappishly. "It's always books with you, isn't it? Get her something for her broom, Harry, it's-"

Harry sighed audibly. "What do you think, Moony?"

Lupin backed off. "No idea. I don't understand girls now, I never have before, and I doubt that I ever will." Harry concentrated hard. What on earth would she want? Then an idea stuck him.

"Hermione, Lenore doesn't have a pet, does she?"

"No, she doesn't, but she really wants a kitten. She plays with Crookshanks all the time."

"Crookshanks isn't a cat; he's a monster!" exclaimed Ron.

"What?" asked Hermione defensively, hands on her hips.

"All right then," said Harry. "I'll get her a pet. Let's go; the Magical Menagerie is this way." However, neither of his friends heard him. Harry walked next to Lupin down the street while Hermione and Ron trailed behind them, bickering.

By the time they'd reached the pet store, Ron and Hermione were resignedly not looking at each other. Harry walked over to some kittens.

"How about this one?" asked Hermione, pointing to a Siamese that was howling loudly.

"Nah," said Harry. "Too whiny."

"What about an owl, Harry?' asked Ron, looking at the cages in the back.

"I don't think so, Ron," called Harry, looking at a few garden snakes. A long black one caught Harry's attention.

"Hello," it hissed at him.

Harry looked around to be sure nobody would see him, and he hurriedly whispered, "Hi. How'd you know I could talk to you?"

"Your aura," replied the snake.

"Oh," said Harry. "Where are you from?"

"I come from Hogwartssss. I am a messenger from the passssttt. I have a messssage to deliver, from the king of snakessss himself, to an heir…"

"What is the message?" asked Harry hurriedly. "Who sent you? Was it Slytherin?"

The snake cocked his head at Harry. "You are an heir…of Godric. But she is in you too…I can senssse it…"

"What do you mean? Who is in me?"

"The traitor… we do not say the name. But you are not herssss. So I mussst deliver the messsage… Passsss it on to the otherssss. But do not tell her heir, you mustn't…"

"What is the message? And who is she? And how do I know who her heir is?" asked Harry impatiently.

"Herssss issss the evil one… They live. I ssseeeeee it, they are in your dreamsss. They livee inssside the wallssss of the school… The four…mussssst… work together… to ssssave the world….from her heir… Good-bye, brave Gryffindorrr… we may meet again…" And with a loud crack, the snake was gone.

Wow. What on earth was that? Thought Harry. Could that snake have been from the past? What was he talking about? Who was "she"? Harry thought back to his dream. Gryffindor had been talking to someone. Right?

Suddenly Hermione rushed over to Harry holding a sliver tabby kitten, with harge emerald eyes. It was purring contentedly in her arms.

"Brilliant, Hermione! It's perfect. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Of course," said Hermione. "But why are you at the snake exhibit anyway? I thought you would be looking at the cats?" But suddenly, Lupin came over, and Harry nudged Hermione.

"Later," he whispered, unsure of why he didn't want to tell Lupin right away. He supposed he would sound paranoid if he was given two warnings in one day. It almost felt like the summer before second year.

"Ready to go, Harry?"

"Yeah," said Harry, trying to smile. "Do you think Lenore will like the kitten?" He took the kitten from Hermione's hands.

"She'll love it," said Lupin, smiling. "But let's get out of here. It's beginning to smell." So they collected Ron and Harry paid for the kitten and a small wicker cage, which he asked Lupin to shrink until they arrived at Grimmauld Place. Hermione sighed as Lupin shrunk the cage and the kitten, itching to try the hard transfiguration.

After going to the bookstore and the Quiditch store, and Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, it was three O'clock. Harry, Hermione, Lupin, and Ron met up with Bill, Luna, Lenore, and Neville for ice cream and some pizza, and they then shopped around Muggle London for about two hours, until six. It was a very enjoyable birthday.

The five wizards and four witches arrived at Grimmauld Place at seven, muttering several passwords and saying about five spells to open various locks until the door finally opened into the dark hall. The house was eerily quiet, which surprised Harry very much. The moment they arrived, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna raced upstairs, saying they needed to put packages away. Bill and Lupin hurried after the group, leaving Harry and Lenore in the deathly quiet downstairs.

"Uh, let's go upstairs too," said Harry. "It's too quiet for my liking."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Lenore, and she and Harry climbed upstairs. Harry entered his bedroom to find neither Ron nor Neville inside. He walked into the hallway, feeling slightly panicky, to find Lenore already there.

"The girls not in their room?" he asked.

"Nope, not one of them. This is, like, so weird!" replied Lenore in her strange American accent.

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "I wonder where they've all gone?"

"Dunno," said Lenore, shrugging. "They're up here somewhere. Let's go to the fourth floor; I haven't been there in ages, but it's really huge. Maybe everyone's up there."

"Yeah," agreed Harry, beginning to feel slightly sick. He took out his wand as a precaution as he climbed the stairs. He looked at Lenore feeling extremely shaky and she nodded. Together, they pushed open the door, filled with dreaded suspense, not at all expecting what they saw.