Chapter II - The Small Gathering
Hermione was looking from one boy to another, as the three friends walked down the street. Ron thought that she must have suspected them. A chance to win Firebolt wasn't something that either of them would just pass by.
"Harry... why are you carrying your Nimbus 2000 around?" she asked.
"Oh, I just, umm. Had to have it checked." Harry responded then attempted to shield it from her view by putting it behind him, "But it's ok now so... No worries."
"Well..." Hermione said, "We'd better get to the Leaky Cauldron..."
"Oh, you go on ahead," said Ron.
"Yeah, we'll catch up," Harry nodded.
Hermione gave them one last measuring look before she turned around and started walking away.
Ron waited until she was out of sight and made a run for it. He looked to his left, and there was Harry, running along beside him. It seemed that Harry had read his mind. They'd need to get to Knockturn Alley as quickly as they can... They could be late for it if they don't hurry... Plus they wouldn't want Hermione to catch up and stop them.
A prize Firebolt. I actually have a chance of owning a Firebolt! Ron thought as he accidentally trampled on an old wizards foot ("Watch it! Kids these days..."). His family was very poor, and before now, his chances of ever owning a decent racing broom, much less a Firebolt, had been zero. But if he could win this competition...
And then it struck him, and he came to a halt. Harry noticed and had stopped as well.
"What's wrong Ron?"
"Harry... Just how many Firebolts will they be giving away?"
"Well..." Harry said looking down in thought, "I'm guessing only... one." He looked back up at Ron.
The mildly shocked expression on his face told Ron he'd come to the same realization. They both wanted to compete, and they both wanted that Firebolt... They stood there, looking at each other... They couldn't believe it. For the first time ever, the two best friends would be competing against one another.
Just then, Ron looked over his shoulder... For some reason he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched... He wondered if it was Hermione... He shook his head. No that couldn't be it. He figured he was just imagining things. If Hermione had caught up, she'd immediately pop out and say--
"So you are going then, aren't you? I can't believe you two."
Yes, that's exactly what she'd--
Ron looked over his shoulder again, and surprisingly, there she was. She looked a little out of breath.
"Hullo, Hermione..." said Harry.
"Don't--'hullo'--me!" she responded still breathing heavily, "You told me you weren't going to go!"
"Well, err..."
"Oh come off it, Hermione..." said Ron, "Don't you understand how important this is to us? A Firebolt!"
"So you think that a broomstick is worth dying over?"
He couldn't believe it... She sounded as if him and Harry were walking into a meat grinder!
"Now look..." Ron started.
"No you look!" she retorted, "You don't even know what this competition will be like. It could be some sort of death match for all you know!"
As if they were stupid enough to join something like that! Well, maybe for a Firebolt, but... depending on how dangerous it was...
"Plus," she continued, "You don't even know where that place is... It could be a joke for all you know and you'd be wasting your time searching for the place when there really isn't such a competition in the first place."
She said this so fast that Ron had almost lost her at mid-sentence. She just stood there, unyielding and now wore an expression saying, "If you don't come with me right now, I'm going to go straight to Mrs. Weasly!"
"Here's a deal..." sighed Ron "If we can't get to the place, then we go home quietly."
Hermione looked at him quizzically, as if measuring him out.
"But if we do find it, you let us go, and keep quiet about where we went."
She was looking thoughtful now. There was a moment of pause before she responded.
"Deal." she said finally, "But if you do go, I go with you..."
"Good thinking," said Ron, "I know you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth sealed if you stayed." He grinned.
Hermione looked like she was about to give Ron a sharp response before Harry cut in.
"Well, better hurry! We're almost at Knockturn Alley so we can use my invisibility cloak from here."
"Why would we need an invisibility cloak?" asked Hermione.
"Believe me, you'll feel more comfortable."
When they reached Knockturn Alley, they mangled around for about ten minutes... And then Hermione spoke.
"See? We can't find it. Let's just go back."
"We haven't even looked around long enough!" Ron responded angrily, "Give us at least fifteen more minutes."
"Keep quiet," whispered Harry, "People are getting suspicious."
Indeed, Ron could see passer-bys looking around wondering where the voices were coming from.
They spent five more minutes looking around, and Ron was starting to get worried... What if Hermione was right and this whole thing was just a joke? He could just feel hope slowly seeping from him. But his hope was revived when they overheard a certain conversation.
"Strange American kids..." said middle-aged wizard walking out of an eerie potions shop. He was looking down the street. Harry, Ron, and Hermione just got out of his way as he walked by.
Ron looked where the man was gazing a moment ago and noticed three teenagers arguing. They all looked to be about 15 years old. There were two girls and one boy. The thing that Ron noticed about them right away was their hair, however...
One of the girls had long green hair that extended down to her waist. The other girl had pink hair that only extended down to her shoulders and her bangs were cut short and covered her forehead. The boy was shaven at the sides and had short, spiky blue hair at the top of his head. Ron wondered what type of potions they used to do that...
"I'm telling you, I'm not lost... I've been to the place," said the green-haired girl.
"Yeah, but I'm guessing you were drunk at the time, Mellie," said the blue-haired boy.
"Shut up, Allan... I wasn't drunk and I know where I'm going."
"If we keep following your directions, we may never get there..." said the pink-haired girl.
They stopped down the street.
"So now what?" asked Allan.
"We turn right," said Mellie, the green-haired girl.
"Really? Well I say we turn left," said the pink-haired girl.
After arguing for about five minutes, they eventually decided to go straight.
"You think we should follow them?" Ron asked Harry.
Hermione was giggling.
"I guess..." Harry responded, "We could have more luck..."
"Yes... let's follow them." said Hermione gleefully. Ron could only guess what she was thinking.
And so the three of them followed the American teenagers until they reached a small gathering in front of a shop called Crany Concoctions ("Ha! I was right!" said Allen.). They went into a corner and took off the invisibility cloak. Ron could see Harry folding the cloak and tucking it into his robes while he and Hermione went to join the group of people.
Ron was now grinning widely at Hermione, who now wore a vexed expression.
"Remember our deal."
Hermione nodded grudgingly.
When they reached the gathering, Ron looked around at the crowd and knew immediately that he, Harry, and Hermione were not the only ones that were there without permission; it seemed as if everyone there looked a little nervous and were constantly looking over their shoulders. Well, it could have been the simple fact that they were in Knockturn Alley but Ron knew better.
As if someone's parent would actually let their kids compete in some unknown competition and be away for an entire day to who-knows-where. Their parents would have to be really thick and the kids really spoiled for something like that to happen.
"So you actually asked your dad?" asked the pink-haired girl to his right, "And he let you come?"
"Of course my dad let me come," responded Mellie, the green-haired one, "don't tell me you came without permission, Patricia."
"Err... Of-of course I did!" responded the pink-haired girl, Patricia, then immediately looked away.
Ron could only keep his skepticism in. The look on everyone else's faces confirmed his assumption... Most of them were looking at the one named Mellie disbelievingly.
He glanced around the crowd and as he did, he caught a glimpse of one of his Griffindor friends, Dean Thomas. Dean had noticed him as well.
"Ron!" he said, "Good to see you!"
Ron was very glad to see another familiar face.
"Hello, Dean." responded Ron, "Are you participating too?"
"Yes... Kind of exciting, but I'm sort of nervous too."
Just then, Harry came up from behind Ron and greeted Dean.
"So, do you know exactly when we start and what we have to do?" asked Ron.
"Not a clue..." responded Dean, "I've asked everyone else, but they don't know either..."
Dean indicated a balding old wizard at the front of the shop.
"That's Mister Seamson... He's supposed to be one of the hosts of the competition but he won't answer any questions... He just tells us we'll be going in a little while."
"And just where exactly are we going?" asked Hermione.
"As I said... He won't answer any questions. Says part of the competition was to face the unexpected."
The tide of the conversation changed eventually and the four Griffindors conversed for a while about Hogwarts; what their new courses will be like, how much they hate Snape, who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be, and the like. They continued this for a while, until they were interrupted.
"So," said a familiar voice behind them, "I was expecting you, Potter. Knew you couldn't miss the opportunity to try and show off."
Most of the people gasped and started staring Harry up and down. Glancing up at his scar, some with their mouths opened in shock.
No... Ron thought.
"You too, Weasly. I knew you couldn't pass this up. You couldn't get a Firebolt even if your family sold off everything they have."
Not him.
"And I see you've brought the Mudblood with you as well."
Why does he have to be here?
Ron turned around and his fears were confirmed... With his usual smug look, there stood Draco Malfoy.
End Chapter II