Right. I'm enjoying writing this story. Very interesting. It's the next day
and Mr. Weasleys getting ready to take the Hogwarts students to Diagon
Alley.
STORY:
"Harry! Are you up yet?" Arthur shouted up the stairs.
"Just about." Harry shouted back. He pulled on a pair of jeans and found his glasses.
Grabbing his moneybag he ran out of the room and down the stairs. Malfoy was standing against the stairs, Ginny, avoiding eye contact with any of her family, standing next to him. Ron and Hermione were standing next to the fire with Mr. Weasley.
"Sorry." He said.
"Never mind. Who's going first?" Arthur said trying to get the group moving.
"I will." Ron said.
He took a pinch of the sparkling powder and threw it into the flames. He stepped into the now luminous green flames.
"Diagon Alley." He shouted, before disappearing.
Hermione took some of the powder next and threw it into the fire. She stood amongst the green flames.
"Diagon Alley!" She shouted, before disappearing herself.
Harry took some of the powder and threw it into the flames. Closing his eyes he ducked into the fireplace and turned around.
"Diagon Alley!" He shouted clearly.
He felt as though he was being sucked up a giant plug hole. Keeping his elbows tucked in he looked up. Seeing Hermione's feet about three-foot above him he relaxed a little. The gushing noise in his ears slowed to a halt and he stepped out into half-light of the Leaky Cauldron.
Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. He smiled and walked over to them. After waiting a few minutes the rest of the group appeared in the fireplace. They walked out into the courtyard. Arthur pulled out his wand and tapped the brick three left from the dustbin. Standing back the brick wall disappeared leaving an archway into Diagon Alley.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went to Gringotts first so Harry could get some money out of his vault. They walked up to a goblin and gave him Harry's key.
"You'll be making a withdrawal I presume?" The goblin asked.
"Yes." Harry replied.
The goblin looked carefully at the tiny key and handed it back to Harry. He nodded and pointed to one of the hundreds of stone doors leading off the hall. One goblin bowed them through the door and climbed into a cart in front of them.
The cart seemed to know where it was going. The goblin was lying back across the two sides of the cart whilst Hermione and Ron looked a little sick. Harry was busy leaning over the side of the cart looking for the dragons that was supposedly living down in the darkness. He saw a jet of flame just as the cart hit a bump.
Harry was thrown over the edge of the cart, handing on for dear life by his fingertips. Hermione was shrieking at the goblin to stop the cart. Ron had peered over the edge of the cart and grabbed Harry's wrists in an attempt to pull him back in.
"Harry? You all right down there?" Ron asked.
"Oh yeah, just fine thanks." Harry replied.
He looked down but wished he hadn't. He couldn't see the floor and was starting to think there wasn't one. There were other tracks leading off in different directions. Ron's hands were slipping with sweat. Harry looked up into his face. Hermione was looking over the edge at him but didn't do anything.
"Hermione! Don't just stand there!" Ron bellowed.
One of his hands slipped. Harrys arm dangled by his side. He felt his wand dangling out next to his hand. Pulling it out of his pocket he gave it to Hermione.
"Levitate me back in." He shouted to her.
"Good idea!" Hermione shouted back. She took his wand and let out a small squeak. "Wingardium Leviosa!" She shouted.
Harry felt his body become light. He floated upwards and back into the cart. The cart slowed to a halt and Harry got out, legs shaking slightly. He, Hermione and, eventually, Ron followed the Gringotts goblin to the vault. Harry gave him the key and watched silently as the solid stone door slid open.
Scooping a handful out the gold, silver and bronze coins into his pouch he turned back to Ron. Smiling weakly at him, he scooped up another handful of gold and shoved it into his hands.
"Late birthday present." Harry said smiling at the look of awe of Ron's face.
Harry's birthday wasn't until a few weeks time, but Ron had had his birthday three weeks earlier. Harry guessed what Ron might spend the money on, knowing Ron he would spend it on getting Harry a good birthday present but Harry wouldn't let him.
"And don't bother even thinking about spending it on me." He added looking at the anguish on Ron's face.
"Harry, you shouldn't give this to me."
"Yes I should. You've been my best friend for years. I don't need all this money and you said yourself, you hate being poor."
Hermione looked oddly at Harry. It was a mix of admiration and a dreamy sort of glare. Harry knew she was about to do something they both might regret so he got back in the cart. Ron followed, still looking awestruck at the pile of gold in his hands, and finally Hermione.
The goblin closed the vault and got back into the front of the cart. Ron hastily shoved the gold in his bag and the cart zoomed off up the track again.
"This time, don't go looking for the dragons." The goblin said wisely.
"I don't think I will." Harry replied wistfully.
He itched to look over the edge for the dragons but resisted temptation. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the passage flooded with light. Harry shielded his eyes for a second before following Hermione out of the cart.
Stepping into the fresh air of Diagon Alley, Harry went over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and bought all three of them a kinckerbocker glory each. Spending time pouring over the newest broomstick in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, they quickly brought their new schoolbooks and refills before going back to the Leaky Cauldron to go home.
"Good, Harry, you get everything?" Mr. Weasley asked upon their arrival.
"Yes." Harry replied.
Harry took a pinch of Floo Powder and stepped up to the fire. Sprinkling it over the flames he stepped into the fire.
"The Burrow!"
He disappeared from sight. Ron took some powder next and did exactly the same thing. Harry could see Rons red head a few feet below him. The swirling ceased and Harry stepped out into the kitchen. Ron appeared shortly after followed by Hermione. Ginny and Malfoy came next before Fred and George and finally Mr. Weasley.
"Molly! We're back." Mr. Weasley shouted.
Mrs. Weasley came running into the kitchen. It surprised everyone to see she was crying.
"What's wrong, Molly dear?"
"Thank goodness! It's started again Arthur." Mrs. Weasley wept.
Harry took the newspaper gently from Mrs. Weasley's hand and read the front page.
In the unfortunate event that happened today at nine forty this morning, the Ministry is insisting everything is fine. A young witch was seriously injured at Diagon Alley as Death Eaters flooded the upper street. The girl, who would be starting her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is related to none other than the Malfoy family. Sixteen year old Tally Malfoy, recently expelled from Beauxbatons Academy, is none other that Lucius Malfoy's niece.
"Well, Malfoy, you never said you had a cousin." Hermione said loudly after reading the clipping over Harry's shoulder.
"Say what Granger?" Malfoy asked.
"And I bet your father would have been one of those ones who attacked her. His own niece." Hermione carried on without listening to Malfoy.
"What are you on about Granger?"
"Harry, you said Mr. Malfoy turned up when You-Know-Who was re-born didn't you?"
"Uh...Yeah, Voldemort said something to him...Something about Muggle- torture and the Quidditch World Cup."
"So you father was amongst the Death Eaters, Malfoy." Hermione said smiling triumphantly at Malfoys burning face.
"Prove it." Malfoy said simply.
"Give me a few minutes and I will." Hermione replied.
She sat on the floor and pulled one of her new books out of her bag. Flicking through it she stopped on a page and quickly read it.
"Harry, give me your wand."
Harry gave Hermione his wand without thinking. She muttered a spell and a small light flickered out of the end of the wand. The lights extinguished at one and the light shone onto a plain wall.
"Master! Master, forgive us! Forgive us all!" A hooded figure shrieked.
"Crucio!" Voldemort said laughing his high pitched laugh.
They could all see the Death Eater writhing on the ground screaming in pain.
"Get up, Avery, stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years...I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?"
Wormtail was still sobbing on the ground. The scene faded and another lid up the wall. Voldemort was pacing around the circle addressing some on the Death Eaters and saying who will be punished for not returning. He stopped and looked carefully at one Death Eater.
"Lucius, my slippery friend, I am told you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius...your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay...but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?"
"My Lord, I was constantly on alert, had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me-"
"And yet you run from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer? Yes, I know all about that, Lucius, you have disappointed me...I expect more faithful service in the future."
"Of course, my Lord, of course...you are merciful, thank you..."
The light faded again and the screen disappeared with a small pop. All eyes were on Malfoy. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked utterly shocked. Hermione stood up and gave Harry back his wand.
"Well, what do you have to say, Malfoy?" Hermione asked smugly.
Malfoy was a red as any of the Weasleys. He opened and closed his mouth several times, looking like a flailing fish. Finally Mrs. Weasley broke the silence.
"Harry, Hermione, go upstairs. You too Ron." She whispered.
Without a word Harry, Hermione and Ron left the room, closely followed by Fred and George and finally Charlie.
STORY:
"Harry! Are you up yet?" Arthur shouted up the stairs.
"Just about." Harry shouted back. He pulled on a pair of jeans and found his glasses.
Grabbing his moneybag he ran out of the room and down the stairs. Malfoy was standing against the stairs, Ginny, avoiding eye contact with any of her family, standing next to him. Ron and Hermione were standing next to the fire with Mr. Weasley.
"Sorry." He said.
"Never mind. Who's going first?" Arthur said trying to get the group moving.
"I will." Ron said.
He took a pinch of the sparkling powder and threw it into the flames. He stepped into the now luminous green flames.
"Diagon Alley." He shouted, before disappearing.
Hermione took some of the powder next and threw it into the fire. She stood amongst the green flames.
"Diagon Alley!" She shouted, before disappearing herself.
Harry took some of the powder and threw it into the flames. Closing his eyes he ducked into the fireplace and turned around.
"Diagon Alley!" He shouted clearly.
He felt as though he was being sucked up a giant plug hole. Keeping his elbows tucked in he looked up. Seeing Hermione's feet about three-foot above him he relaxed a little. The gushing noise in his ears slowed to a halt and he stepped out into half-light of the Leaky Cauldron.
Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. He smiled and walked over to them. After waiting a few minutes the rest of the group appeared in the fireplace. They walked out into the courtyard. Arthur pulled out his wand and tapped the brick three left from the dustbin. Standing back the brick wall disappeared leaving an archway into Diagon Alley.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went to Gringotts first so Harry could get some money out of his vault. They walked up to a goblin and gave him Harry's key.
"You'll be making a withdrawal I presume?" The goblin asked.
"Yes." Harry replied.
The goblin looked carefully at the tiny key and handed it back to Harry. He nodded and pointed to one of the hundreds of stone doors leading off the hall. One goblin bowed them through the door and climbed into a cart in front of them.
The cart seemed to know where it was going. The goblin was lying back across the two sides of the cart whilst Hermione and Ron looked a little sick. Harry was busy leaning over the side of the cart looking for the dragons that was supposedly living down in the darkness. He saw a jet of flame just as the cart hit a bump.
Harry was thrown over the edge of the cart, handing on for dear life by his fingertips. Hermione was shrieking at the goblin to stop the cart. Ron had peered over the edge of the cart and grabbed Harry's wrists in an attempt to pull him back in.
"Harry? You all right down there?" Ron asked.
"Oh yeah, just fine thanks." Harry replied.
He looked down but wished he hadn't. He couldn't see the floor and was starting to think there wasn't one. There were other tracks leading off in different directions. Ron's hands were slipping with sweat. Harry looked up into his face. Hermione was looking over the edge at him but didn't do anything.
"Hermione! Don't just stand there!" Ron bellowed.
One of his hands slipped. Harrys arm dangled by his side. He felt his wand dangling out next to his hand. Pulling it out of his pocket he gave it to Hermione.
"Levitate me back in." He shouted to her.
"Good idea!" Hermione shouted back. She took his wand and let out a small squeak. "Wingardium Leviosa!" She shouted.
Harry felt his body become light. He floated upwards and back into the cart. The cart slowed to a halt and Harry got out, legs shaking slightly. He, Hermione and, eventually, Ron followed the Gringotts goblin to the vault. Harry gave him the key and watched silently as the solid stone door slid open.
Scooping a handful out the gold, silver and bronze coins into his pouch he turned back to Ron. Smiling weakly at him, he scooped up another handful of gold and shoved it into his hands.
"Late birthday present." Harry said smiling at the look of awe of Ron's face.
Harry's birthday wasn't until a few weeks time, but Ron had had his birthday three weeks earlier. Harry guessed what Ron might spend the money on, knowing Ron he would spend it on getting Harry a good birthday present but Harry wouldn't let him.
"And don't bother even thinking about spending it on me." He added looking at the anguish on Ron's face.
"Harry, you shouldn't give this to me."
"Yes I should. You've been my best friend for years. I don't need all this money and you said yourself, you hate being poor."
Hermione looked oddly at Harry. It was a mix of admiration and a dreamy sort of glare. Harry knew she was about to do something they both might regret so he got back in the cart. Ron followed, still looking awestruck at the pile of gold in his hands, and finally Hermione.
The goblin closed the vault and got back into the front of the cart. Ron hastily shoved the gold in his bag and the cart zoomed off up the track again.
"This time, don't go looking for the dragons." The goblin said wisely.
"I don't think I will." Harry replied wistfully.
He itched to look over the edge for the dragons but resisted temptation. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the passage flooded with light. Harry shielded his eyes for a second before following Hermione out of the cart.
Stepping into the fresh air of Diagon Alley, Harry went over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and bought all three of them a kinckerbocker glory each. Spending time pouring over the newest broomstick in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, they quickly brought their new schoolbooks and refills before going back to the Leaky Cauldron to go home.
"Good, Harry, you get everything?" Mr. Weasley asked upon their arrival.
"Yes." Harry replied.
Harry took a pinch of Floo Powder and stepped up to the fire. Sprinkling it over the flames he stepped into the fire.
"The Burrow!"
He disappeared from sight. Ron took some powder next and did exactly the same thing. Harry could see Rons red head a few feet below him. The swirling ceased and Harry stepped out into the kitchen. Ron appeared shortly after followed by Hermione. Ginny and Malfoy came next before Fred and George and finally Mr. Weasley.
"Molly! We're back." Mr. Weasley shouted.
Mrs. Weasley came running into the kitchen. It surprised everyone to see she was crying.
"What's wrong, Molly dear?"
"Thank goodness! It's started again Arthur." Mrs. Weasley wept.
Harry took the newspaper gently from Mrs. Weasley's hand and read the front page.
In the unfortunate event that happened today at nine forty this morning, the Ministry is insisting everything is fine. A young witch was seriously injured at Diagon Alley as Death Eaters flooded the upper street. The girl, who would be starting her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is related to none other than the Malfoy family. Sixteen year old Tally Malfoy, recently expelled from Beauxbatons Academy, is none other that Lucius Malfoy's niece.
"Well, Malfoy, you never said you had a cousin." Hermione said loudly after reading the clipping over Harry's shoulder.
"Say what Granger?" Malfoy asked.
"And I bet your father would have been one of those ones who attacked her. His own niece." Hermione carried on without listening to Malfoy.
"What are you on about Granger?"
"Harry, you said Mr. Malfoy turned up when You-Know-Who was re-born didn't you?"
"Uh...Yeah, Voldemort said something to him...Something about Muggle- torture and the Quidditch World Cup."
"So you father was amongst the Death Eaters, Malfoy." Hermione said smiling triumphantly at Malfoys burning face.
"Prove it." Malfoy said simply.
"Give me a few minutes and I will." Hermione replied.
She sat on the floor and pulled one of her new books out of her bag. Flicking through it she stopped on a page and quickly read it.
"Harry, give me your wand."
Harry gave Hermione his wand without thinking. She muttered a spell and a small light flickered out of the end of the wand. The lights extinguished at one and the light shone onto a plain wall.
"Master! Master, forgive us! Forgive us all!" A hooded figure shrieked.
"Crucio!" Voldemort said laughing his high pitched laugh.
They could all see the Death Eater writhing on the ground screaming in pain.
"Get up, Avery, stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years...I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?"
Wormtail was still sobbing on the ground. The scene faded and another lid up the wall. Voldemort was pacing around the circle addressing some on the Death Eaters and saying who will be punished for not returning. He stopped and looked carefully at one Death Eater.
"Lucius, my slippery friend, I am told you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius...your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay...but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?"
"My Lord, I was constantly on alert, had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me-"
"And yet you run from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer? Yes, I know all about that, Lucius, you have disappointed me...I expect more faithful service in the future."
"Of course, my Lord, of course...you are merciful, thank you..."
The light faded again and the screen disappeared with a small pop. All eyes were on Malfoy. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked utterly shocked. Hermione stood up and gave Harry back his wand.
"Well, what do you have to say, Malfoy?" Hermione asked smugly.
Malfoy was a red as any of the Weasleys. He opened and closed his mouth several times, looking like a flailing fish. Finally Mrs. Weasley broke the silence.
"Harry, Hermione, go upstairs. You too Ron." She whispered.
Without a word Harry, Hermione and Ron left the room, closely followed by Fred and George and finally Charlie.