CHAPTER 25

To Diagon Alley

"Well, goodbye, mates," James said as he and Sirius made their way off of the platform and to Mr. and Mrs. Potter. No Sprite was in sight. And next to James' parents, talking to them, was Sirius's Uncle Alphard.

"Uncle Alph?" Sirius said as they drew closer.

The balding man turned around to face him and let out a shout of joy. "Oh, Sirius! My favorite nephew. How are you?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Come to pick up Narcissa," Alphard said, pointing at a very sour looking Narcissa. "Decided I'd surprise her when Aunt Elladora couldn't make it. Has a severe chill, she does."

"Are my parents here?" Sirius scanned the crowd.

"Yes, of course they are. Come to pick up Regulus, haven't they?" Alphard said. "But I wouldn't go talking to them. They're plenty mad."

"Why?"

"That both their sons aren't in Slytherin, of course," Alphard said. "But don't you worry. I'm very proud of you."

Somehow this wasn't very comforting, coming from another black sheep of the family. Sirius forced a smile onto his face then said hello to James's parents. He snuck out of the station without being seen by either his parents or Regulus, who was no doubt telling them all of the horrible things that Sirius had done that school year to tarnish their surname.

A Ministry car was waiting outside the station, pulled up in one of the lots. Sirius found this odd, but he said nothing. They quickly jumped inside and Mr. Potter started the car.

"I've always wanted to live like a Muggle," James said. "You know, without magic? Just to see how it would be?"

"It'd be pretty boring, I suppose," Sirius said.

"Maybe." James pondered for a moment and then said, "You know what? We're passing Diagon Alley on the way home. Want to pick up those posters that we were talking about?"

"I don't know ---" Sirius started, but Mr. Potter, as happy as ever, jumped in.

"An excellent idea, James! We'll just have to make a left up here-"

"No, it's right, dear," Mrs. Potter said.

"I'm sure it's left."

"You're going to the Leaky Cauldron, right? Well, that's up here a few blocks and-"

"I am perfectly capable of knowing my way around London."

"Who's lived here all their life, dear?"

"And who's driving the car-"

"LOOK OUT, DAD!"

BEEP!

Mr. Potter slammed his foot on the brake as a truck almost collided with the driver's side. His hair was out of place, and he looked very frazzled.

"Dad, are you all right?" James asked, grabbing his seat.

"I'm fine," Mr. Potter said breathlessly. He changed the stick shift nervously. The car lurched forward. "Just ruddy fine."

"Dear-"

"Leave me alone for one minute while I try to figure this out. Diagon Alley."

"It's really not that important," James whispered.

"Be quiet, James," Mr. Potter snapped, and the two boys fell silent.

""""""""""""""""

They opened the door to the Leaky Cauldron. It smelled of tobacco and beer, and smoke flew all ways in the dingy room. Hags and wizards and witches all sat at small tables, drinking tankards of their favorite drink.

"Good evening, Potter," one old wizard said to James's father.

"Good evening, Nicholas," Mr. Potter replied, and they continued out the back door. In the back of the alleyway, he touched his wand to four bricks, and the wall dissolved to show a long alleyway filled with shops and stores.

Sirius and James ran past Eeylop's Owl Emporium and Ollivander's to the Quidditch store as Mrs. Potter shouted after them, "Ten minutes, boys! We need to get home! Sprite's cooking dinner."

Sirius and James rushed into the store and found themselves surrounded by shelves of balls packed together, five to a container. Toy Snitches on strings, as they had gotten in their first year. Chudley Cannons, Wimbourne Wasps, and Bulgarian and Irish uniforms and robes. An entire wall was devoted to old and new brooms of every kind, including the new Cleansweep Four.

"Hey, look," Sirius said, pointing to a sign. "Barny the Bat's coming this Monday to sign Ballycastle Bats merchandise."

James scrunched up his nose and said, "I used to like them, until those stupid butterbeer commercials. You know, the ones with that thing singing 'I'm batty about Butterbeer?'"

Sirius laughed, remembering seeing them a while ago, and agreed, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Hey James!"

James looked over his shoulder and saw a giggly fourth year girl waving to him, blushing. Right behind her was a head full of red hair.

"Oh God," James whispered, "It's Evans! Hide me, quick!"

But it was too late. Lily had turned around, and was looking at the two of them. A look of much contempt streaked onto her face, and Sirius smiled. He waved and Lily made an inappropriate gesture.

"I think she's taken a liking to us," Sirius said.

"Hold on for a minute," James said. "The Cannons stuff is over there, next to the Kenmare Kestrals' bedsheets."

Sirius nodded and went over to the red wall, covered in merchandise. Yet he didn't feel like looking for any posters. He watched over one of the shelves filled with miniature figures of Montrose Magpies Chasers.

James sauntered over to the two girls, the fourth year still giggling and turning a bright red.

"How are you doing, James?" she asked giddily, and James nodded as he walked past her and to Lily.

"Hey, Evans. What are you doing here?" he asked.

Lily shot him a glare and said, "I happen to be a fan, thanks. Like it was any of your business."

"Hey, all I'm trying to do is start a little chat, that's all," James said in surrender. "It isn't like I'm asking you out on a date or anything."

Lily turned to look at him, her eyes wide and teeth gritted.

"Not like I ever would or anything," James added, and Lily's expression grew to a glare again.

"How's Wetpants --- sorry, I mean Darryl. How's Darryl?"

"We broke up," Lily said sharply as she took a figurine of Meghan McCormack off of a shelf. "I guess you were too busy with your Quidditch to hear."

"Well, you should have seen it coming," James said. "I mean, I could tell from the start it wasn't going to work."

"Thanks for your support."

"Anytime." James mussed his hair, and then took a breath. "So-"

"Why are you still here?" she interrupted.

"Well, it is a smaller store, and I happen to like the," he took a tankard off of the wall, and examined its nameplate, "Pride of Portee, thanks. I was just here with Sirius-"

"Surprise there," she muttered.

"And what do you have against Sirius?" he demanded, slamming the tankard down.

Lily didn't look scared at all, but put her hands up, and shook. "Oh, what are you going to do? Hex me?"

It was James's turn to glare, and he balled his hands into fists. "You know what-"

"What?" Lily snapped, "It seems to be your answer for everything! Severus is still scarred from that nasty trick you and your lackey played on him! Yes, that's right! I know it was you! You and your stupid Invisibility Cloak, tricking him into thinking you actually had the gall to duel him! Well, I think it's a right down coward who would do something to such a person!"

"Why do you give a damn what I do to Snape!" James snapped back, "And further more, does he ever tell you what he does to me?"

"What does he do to you!"

"Well, "James gave a grin, "The stench alone is enough ---"

That's when Lily smacked him. Her delicate, long fingers molded together and slapped him across the cheek. James opened his mouth, and then closed it again. On the second time it worked, and he managed to spit out, "Forget it. Just --- forget it. Hope you and your next boyfriend have a nice fourth year!"

"We will, thank you!" she shouted back at him.

"Well, good!"

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And James, in a huff, went back to Sirius.

"How'd it go?"

"She loves me," James shrugged, and then examined the poster wall. "Here's one of Joey Jenkins, and their motto."

"Let's just keep our fingers crossed, and hope for the best," Sirius read. "Oh, yeah. That strikes fear into my heart."

"Hey, what do you expect? They haven't won since 1892." James grabbed the poster and headed off for the register. "Let's get going. My parents are going to kill us as it is."

"""""""""""""""""""""""

It was a quiet dinner. The Potters seemed to be more uptight than Sirius had ever seen them. Mr. Potter hardly spoke, and Mrs. Potter took his lead. As for James, he seemed to be staring off into space a lot, letting the gravy fall off of his mashed potatoes and to the white carpet. Sprite would clench her fork every time she saw this, but, not wanting to interrupt the silence, she wouldn't say anything about it.

That night, James sat on the whitewashed bed as Sirius attempted to tack his poster to the wall. Joey Jenkins was smiling broadly, knocking a bludger toward a Ballycastle Bats Chaser. He knew there was a reason why he liked that poster.

"Hey, Sirius," James spoke up.

"What?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

"No," Sirius said, "and I'm not planning on doing it any time soon."

"Do you think fourteen's too young to feel love?"

"I don't know." The poster fell on Sirius's head, and Jenkins let out a yelp. "I suppose so. Why?"

"Because I think I've fallen for it," James smiled, and he fell back onto Sirius's bed. "I think that I've met the girl."

"Which girl?" Sirius propped the poster back up onto the wall, tacks in his mouth.

"You know, the girl," James said, his smile broadening. "The one that I want to spend the rest of my life with. The one that I want to grow old with."

"Is it written somewhere that you have to go all mushy on me every time I visit you at your house?" Sirius asked, almost swallowing one of the tacks. "Last time it was 'I wonder how I'll die,' and now it's 'I want to get married and grow old.' What, do you not like being fourteen?"

"And do you know what her name is?" James ignored Sirius.

Sirius reached toward the upper right corner, over the Bats' nose. The Chaser sneezed. "Who?"

"Evans."

Sirius coughed as he choked on the tacks, and the poster fell off of the wall as he backed away. "Evans?! Lily Evans?"

"Yeah," James said, sitting up. "Lily Evans."

"Geroff," Sirius said, "I thought that you got over her in the second year. Don't you hate her?"

"No."

"Well, she hates you plenty," Sirius said, picking up the tacks from the ground.

"Nah, she doesn't," James said, sighing and lying back in the bed. "She's mad about me."

"Yeah, and I'm gonna be Head boy," Sirius snorted.

"Hey, anything's possible, mate," James said, closing his eyes. "Anything's possible."

The slam of a door was heard from downstairs. The boys jumped and James rolled off the bed saying, "What was that?"

"Dear, are you all right?" a hushed voice said.

"Quick, get the fireplace ready! Michael's been hurt badly!"

There was a groan from downstairs and a plopping noise to indicate that someone had been thrown onto the couch.

"What happened?"

"A few blocks from here, there was another attack on June's house. They've killed his wife. I was lucky enough to get him out of there before they got the best of them. They're growing in numbers. At least thirty of them were there tonight."

The groan came again.

"We ran back here. They may be on their way. We have to hurry. Sprite, is the Floo Powder in order yet?"

"Yes, Master Potter," Sprite said quickly. "Sprite has it all ready for Master Potter and Mister June."

"Why did you bring him back here?" Mrs. Potter's voice whispered.

"Go upstairs, Sprite." Mr. Potter's voice sounded strained as he picked up whoever had been on the couch.

Sprite's little legs carried her upstairs and down the corridor. James stretched out a hand and grabbed her around the throat. He threw her into Sirius's room. She shrieked and then blinked at James.

"Master James!" she exclaimed. "You are awake!"

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"From what Sprite knows, there was an attack on a man named Mister June a few blocks away. Master Potter and others rushed to save Mister June and Missus June from the attack. But the Order could only save Mister-"

"June," Sirius broke in. "It's Professor June!"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," a voice said loudly from downstairs, and James could hear the flames engulf the two men as they disappeared.

James stood up, opened the door, and slammed it in Sirius and Sprite's faces as they tried to follow him. He ran down the stairs and confronted his frightened mother.

"Mum, tell me what's going on!" he demanded.

"I --- James ---" she started, but James cut her off.

"What's the Order that everyone keeps talking about? What just happened? Why did Dumbledore tell June to secure our house? Why was June here-"

"James, dear, I-"

"TELL ME, MUM!"

"I can't," she said, starting to break down and cry. "I --- you're too young --- I ---"

James's face fell, and he felt a pang of guilt. His mother sank onto the couch, head in her hands.

"Oh, Mum, please don't cry," James said, sitting down next to her.

"What's happening to our family?" she sobbed. "I don't know what to do anymore. I ---"

"It's okay, Mum," James comforted her. "It's okay. We're going to be okay."

Sirius watched them from the top of the stairs, hands gripping the banister. His mouth formed a firm line, and he felt his throat go dry. Never in his life had he comforted his mother. Never in his life had his mother comforted him.

Maybe that's why he didn't understand James. Sirius had never been loved before.