At 3:50 James finally decided that they had spent enough time in Quality
Quidditch Supplies. The instant James turned to leave everyone else bolted
for the door and ran outside.
"I love Quidditch, I play Quidditch, but an hour and a half looking at brooms is just too much," exclaimed Auria as they waited outside for James.
"Tell me about it" sighed Lily, who had been bored from the moment they had walked in.
"James, hurry up, McGonagall's going to kill us if we're late" Sirius yelled.
"I'm here," said James, dashing out on to the street. "Let's go."
Everyone rolled their eyes and looked at their watches.
"We'd better hurry up," Remus said.
They ran off towards the Leaky Cauldron, dodging and ducking shoppers as they went. Just as Auria was about to turn the last corner she ran into a large group of children. She swerved to her left to try and avoid them but tripped on one of their legs and tumbled down a staircase. She lay at the bottom for a few minutes too bruised to get up. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice coming down the stairs. Scrambling to her feet she quickly limped farther down the alley, turned onto a narrow dirty street and hid in a dark doorway.
"They had to be stone stairs didn't they" she thought to herself as she rubbed her elbow. Licking her lips she tasted blood and knew that she had scrapped at least one of her knees.
The rustling of footsteps could be heard walking down her street, so Auria pressed herself even harder against the door. Holding her breath she heard them stop only a few feet ahead of her.
"What did you think you were doing?" asked the familiar voice. "Going home for the holidays?"
Curiosity got the best of Auria and she poked her head around the corner. By the dim light of only a few candles Auria could just make out the man that had spoken. He was young, in his mid twenties with long blonde hair and rich robes. Auria knew that the man was Lucius Malfoy. She had seen him a few times when her father had brought her along when he went to work at the Ministry. He had told her that he was a pure blood promoter, and was probably a Death Eater. Looking beyond him she was that there were two more strong, but dumb looking men with him and one very nervous looking boy. One of the men turned around and she quickly ducked back inside the doorway.
"Nobody told me I could not spend Christmas with my family, away from my irritating brother" replied the boy defiantly.
"And how, from the comfort of your home did you expect to keep an eye on your brother and his stupid little girlfriend. The Dark Lord is not pleased with you," sneered Malfoy. "He has been forced to resort to other, more dangerous means, to keep an eye on the girl."
"I'm so sorry to have put the Dark Lord in danger," replied the boy, his voice beginning to crack. "Please, ask his greatness for mercy."
Auria peeked around again to see the boy bent down kissing the hem of Malfoy's cloak.
"You'll have to ask mercy from the Master himself" said Malfoy coldly, kicking the boy.
He fell back onto the cobblestones with a whimper.
"Now get up, we will contact you when it is time for your meeting with the Dark Lord." Malfoy grabbed the boy's cloak and hauled him to his feet.
"Thank you for your mercy" replied the boy and began walking towards Auria.
He was just about to pass her hiding spot when Malfoy called "stop."
"Can you not feel that the Dark Lord wishes to see you now" he said striding towards him.
He grabbed the boy's hand and pushed up his sleeve. It took all the willpower Auria owned not to gasp. On the boy's forearm was a large black tattoo in the shape of a skull with a snake coming out of one of the eyes.
Malfoy pushed the boy so that he was standing directly in front of Auira. Auria pressed herself against the door as hard as she could.
"Now we shall we how truly noble is the house of Black" said Malfoy.
If Auria had not been holding her breath she would have gasped, for the boy had turned so that now she could see his face. It was Sirius' brother, Regulus Black.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The four of them marched right past Auria and went through one of the doors farther down the alley. Once they were gone Auria slumped to the ground shaking. She could not believe that Regulus was a Death Eater, especially when his brother was so kind, and didn't hate Mudbloods at all.
"Or does he" she thought to herself. "Maybe he's a Death Eater too, and is dating me so that he can give Voldemort detailed reports on my actions? The noble house of Black, are they all Voldemort supporters?" Her mind was in a panic.
She slowly got to her feet and quietly made her way back down the street. Just as she reached the bottom of the staircase she noticed the sign on the wall. It read Knockturn Alley. Shuddering she ran up the stairs and into the fading winter's sunlight of Diagon Alley.
Upon reaching the Leaky Cauldron she saw Professor McGonagall's face go from intensely angry to wrinkled with worry.
"What happened to you? Where have you been?" she demanded.
"I tripped over some kid and fell down the stairs to Knockturn Alley" she replied lowering her head.
In the regular daylight Auria could finally figure out just how wounded she was. Both her knees were cut and there was blood on her pants. Her elbow was red and sore while her lip was puffy and very swollen. On top of the injuries Auria was covered in dirty snow and dust.
"Are you alright?" asked Sirius, running over to her.
She looked up at him frightened. He reached out to touch her face and she backed away. Sirius looked at her confused.
"No, it, um, hurts" she lied.
"Oh right" he replied disbelievingly.
"Is everyone here?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Five voices muttered a yes.
"Alright, then let's get back to the school" and to Auria added "and fix you up."
She pulled out the necklace and they portkeyed back to Hogmeade.
On the way back up to the school Auria walked next to McGonagall and kept refusing help from Sirius. Once inside she was sent up to the hospital wing and looked after by Madame Pomfrey. The nurse insisted that Auria stay over night and have no visitors. Auria was secretly thankful that she did not have to see Sirius.
"I love Quidditch, I play Quidditch, but an hour and a half looking at brooms is just too much," exclaimed Auria as they waited outside for James.
"Tell me about it" sighed Lily, who had been bored from the moment they had walked in.
"James, hurry up, McGonagall's going to kill us if we're late" Sirius yelled.
"I'm here," said James, dashing out on to the street. "Let's go."
Everyone rolled their eyes and looked at their watches.
"We'd better hurry up," Remus said.
They ran off towards the Leaky Cauldron, dodging and ducking shoppers as they went. Just as Auria was about to turn the last corner she ran into a large group of children. She swerved to her left to try and avoid them but tripped on one of their legs and tumbled down a staircase. She lay at the bottom for a few minutes too bruised to get up. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice coming down the stairs. Scrambling to her feet she quickly limped farther down the alley, turned onto a narrow dirty street and hid in a dark doorway.
"They had to be stone stairs didn't they" she thought to herself as she rubbed her elbow. Licking her lips she tasted blood and knew that she had scrapped at least one of her knees.
The rustling of footsteps could be heard walking down her street, so Auria pressed herself even harder against the door. Holding her breath she heard them stop only a few feet ahead of her.
"What did you think you were doing?" asked the familiar voice. "Going home for the holidays?"
Curiosity got the best of Auria and she poked her head around the corner. By the dim light of only a few candles Auria could just make out the man that had spoken. He was young, in his mid twenties with long blonde hair and rich robes. Auria knew that the man was Lucius Malfoy. She had seen him a few times when her father had brought her along when he went to work at the Ministry. He had told her that he was a pure blood promoter, and was probably a Death Eater. Looking beyond him she was that there were two more strong, but dumb looking men with him and one very nervous looking boy. One of the men turned around and she quickly ducked back inside the doorway.
"Nobody told me I could not spend Christmas with my family, away from my irritating brother" replied the boy defiantly.
"And how, from the comfort of your home did you expect to keep an eye on your brother and his stupid little girlfriend. The Dark Lord is not pleased with you," sneered Malfoy. "He has been forced to resort to other, more dangerous means, to keep an eye on the girl."
"I'm so sorry to have put the Dark Lord in danger," replied the boy, his voice beginning to crack. "Please, ask his greatness for mercy."
Auria peeked around again to see the boy bent down kissing the hem of Malfoy's cloak.
"You'll have to ask mercy from the Master himself" said Malfoy coldly, kicking the boy.
He fell back onto the cobblestones with a whimper.
"Now get up, we will contact you when it is time for your meeting with the Dark Lord." Malfoy grabbed the boy's cloak and hauled him to his feet.
"Thank you for your mercy" replied the boy and began walking towards Auria.
He was just about to pass her hiding spot when Malfoy called "stop."
"Can you not feel that the Dark Lord wishes to see you now" he said striding towards him.
He grabbed the boy's hand and pushed up his sleeve. It took all the willpower Auria owned not to gasp. On the boy's forearm was a large black tattoo in the shape of a skull with a snake coming out of one of the eyes.
Malfoy pushed the boy so that he was standing directly in front of Auira. Auria pressed herself against the door as hard as she could.
"Now we shall we how truly noble is the house of Black" said Malfoy.
If Auria had not been holding her breath she would have gasped, for the boy had turned so that now she could see his face. It was Sirius' brother, Regulus Black.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The four of them marched right past Auria and went through one of the doors farther down the alley. Once they were gone Auria slumped to the ground shaking. She could not believe that Regulus was a Death Eater, especially when his brother was so kind, and didn't hate Mudbloods at all.
"Or does he" she thought to herself. "Maybe he's a Death Eater too, and is dating me so that he can give Voldemort detailed reports on my actions? The noble house of Black, are they all Voldemort supporters?" Her mind was in a panic.
She slowly got to her feet and quietly made her way back down the street. Just as she reached the bottom of the staircase she noticed the sign on the wall. It read Knockturn Alley. Shuddering she ran up the stairs and into the fading winter's sunlight of Diagon Alley.
Upon reaching the Leaky Cauldron she saw Professor McGonagall's face go from intensely angry to wrinkled with worry.
"What happened to you? Where have you been?" she demanded.
"I tripped over some kid and fell down the stairs to Knockturn Alley" she replied lowering her head.
In the regular daylight Auria could finally figure out just how wounded she was. Both her knees were cut and there was blood on her pants. Her elbow was red and sore while her lip was puffy and very swollen. On top of the injuries Auria was covered in dirty snow and dust.
"Are you alright?" asked Sirius, running over to her.
She looked up at him frightened. He reached out to touch her face and she backed away. Sirius looked at her confused.
"No, it, um, hurts" she lied.
"Oh right" he replied disbelievingly.
"Is everyone here?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Five voices muttered a yes.
"Alright, then let's get back to the school" and to Auria added "and fix you up."
She pulled out the necklace and they portkeyed back to Hogmeade.
On the way back up to the school Auria walked next to McGonagall and kept refusing help from Sirius. Once inside she was sent up to the hospital wing and looked after by Madame Pomfrey. The nurse insisted that Auria stay over night and have no visitors. Auria was secretly thankful that she did not have to see Sirius.