Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any other relation to J.K. Rowling's books!
A/N: ok, this chapter took a lot of planning and reediting so as to move the story along, and I have to say that it didn't take as long as I thought it would. Now in this chapter, I did put in some hints of how the story will develop, but not in general and I have to say that I am truly happy with how it's turning out. ok, I don't know if anyone has noticed, but my e- mail services are temporarily not working, so I don't know if any of the reviews you send will actually get through, but I assure you that that I'm currently working on repairs...but I will inform you when it is working, so until then be patient (I know I'm asking a lot of that lately).... The sixth chapter is already in progress and almost finished, it should be out in 2 days...
Chapter 5: Return To Diagon Alley
Even the comforting, warm, green flames could not abate the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach as he spun around. His feet eventually hit the solid bottom of the fire place, making small puffs of ash and soot float to his face. He took his glasses off to clean them on his not too clean robes, and looked around when they were on his face again. It looked like an old underground storage room; it had cavernous walls and wooden crate boxes that were stack along the craggy walls. Cobwebs gathered along the candle stick that illuminated the room as they floated magically, reminding him much of the candles that floated at the Headmasters table at Hogwarts. The room was dank and gloomy and reminded him of Professor Snape's classroom, who was one of Harry's least favorite teacher.
Harry dusted and shook his clothes and robes free of the ash and soot and pushed his glasses back upon his nose properly. There were muffled voices above his head that he could not identify and brought him to the realization that Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were not there.
He turned around toward the fire place as the green flames ignited again and Mrs. Weasley emerged.
"Harry, c'mon now," she gestured toward the rotting wooden stairs, "Watch your step, now, and mind your head at the top." The stairs gave a final groan as Harry and Mrs. Weasley reached the top and stepped into the room before them. He was staring at what looked like a smaller version of the boys' dormitory at Hogwarts except there were only two beds and the room was a deep purple and gold. The walls were decorated in deep purple tapestries that hid the brick walls along with the cotton sheets that were spread across the two beds were the same violent purple. The curtains, however, went the length of the wall and were a silky looking gold that went along with the gold pillows on the beds. Harry saw to his left that there was a door engraved with the word "Toilet" and he suspected it must be the bathroom, and to his right there was a door with a plaque labeled "Lab" that stood ajar.
"This way, Harry, dear," and she walked to the door in front of them that Harry just the had noticed that had no description of any kind. She opened the door, the voices became more audible, and it creaked on it's hinges as they stepped onto the thresh hold.
"Hello, Harry-"
"-How's it going?" The twins, Fred and George, were both holding out their identical hands and grinning in unison. Harry, who was a bit taken aback, took their hands and grinned back.
"Hi-er- I'm fine, thanks... You?" Harry began to look around and stared, his mouth slightly agape.
"We're fine-" Fred grinned.
"-Welcome, Harry, to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" George gestured at the many laden shelves filled with the twins' creations.
The place looked decent; with polished, wooden shelves and counters, signs in purple and silver labeling everything in description. Hermione, Ginny, had already taken their stations at different racks in awe. Harry, in a rather trance, walked over to Ron, who was looking at Levitating Lollipops.
"I wouldn't mind having a few of these," Ron, who noticed Harry next to him, pointed to some ink bottles, "Illusive Ink... When they are opened, they spit out ink." Ron looked up at Harry, "What do you think?"
"I dunno," Harry looked over at a box labeled Shocking Quills, "Maybe Malfoy would like some of those," Ron and Harry sniggered in unison.
"This is all thanks to you, mate," Fred said under his breath to Harry as so Mrs. Weasley, who was talking to George in a stern voice, "and Bagman for contacting Derrick and his employees at Zonko's for us." Harry remembered back when Fred and George kept in touch with Bagman in his fourth year for a shop they could start their Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, "Mum thinks Derrick gave us this place for free..." Harry glanced at Mrs. Weasley who threw her hands up in the air.
"GEORGE WEASLEY..."
"Here we go... Mum gives us this treatment every time she comes here. She doesn't like this at all..." Fred said to Harry.
"Yeah, she doesn't think this is a worthy job..." Ron muttered. George, who looked around at the customers in the shop nervously, for they were now knew his name, tried to speak in more secrecy. Harry's stomach felt like he had a weight at the pit of his stomach as he figured it was because of him that they had this shop in the first place and George and Fred wouldn't have been getting this treatment every time she came if he hadn't given them the money.
"Don't worry, Harry... She's yelled at us before for many other things, mind you, she's not the only one who yells at us, but we don't really mind. She can't decide our future for us..." Fred gave Harry a look of triumph as George arrived at Ron's side.
"At least all of Diagon Alley didn't know my name..." he gestured at Mrs. Weasley, who was storming back into the room in the far back. Harry now felt that a weight was in his lungs as his stomach clinched.
"Like I said before, Harry... This isn't your fault, so don't beat your self up... We'll do that for you." Fred grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder. Harry, feeling a little bit relieved of the uncomfortable feeling in his chest, smiled back at him.
"Thanks, Fred," Harry nodded.
"Your welcome-"
"Yeah, yeah, well to show you our appreciation for allowing this opportunity-" George pipe in.
"Your first purchase is on us-"
"Today that is," George finished.
"Oh, thanks, but-er- you d-"
No, this is just our way of forcing you to take our offer." Fred murmured. Almost two years ago, Harry had forced Fred and George to take the prize money he had won at the Triwizard Tournament, for he didn't need it himself.
"Thanks," Harry finally took upon their offer and nodded as the twins walked over to their counter to accommodate two witches about the age of fourteen. One of them turned to look over her shoulder and starred perplexed. She was pretty, with hair the color of coal and her hazel eyes going from him in general, then up to his scar and she giggled; getting the other girl's attention from George. She on the other hand, though pretty, had a icy color of blue for her eyes, and her hair was the same color of dense coal. He had never seen the girls before, and he wondered if they wasn't going to Hogwarts, what school was she from. Beauxbatons? Durmstrang? They both giggled feverishly and waved at him mildly. He smiled and turned on his heel toward Hermione and Ginny, who were whispering and giggling in hushed voices at a rack that was labeled Appearance Shifting Products. As he approached he got fragments of their conversation.
"You'd look good... do you think?" whispered Ginny.
"Yeah... I'm tired of curly hair... different..." Hermione nodded. Harry was now able to see what they were looking at and inclined his head over her shoulder. Different arrangements of color- coded toffees, arranged from lime green to a vibrant pink that would rival Tonks, along with other boxes that were clearly labeled Straight, Wavy, Curly.
"Change your appearance for a full seven hours," Harry read the sign above his head, making Hermione and Ginny jump and wheel around, "Why would you want to do that?"
"We have another dance this year and I don't want to have to keep applying Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, it's too expensive, anyway." Hermione said coolly, "These change your hair, and those over there change you eye color..." she added.
"I think you look fine the way you are," Harry said shortly, for he did. He always thought that Hermione looked fine the way she was, no matter how her hair looked.
"T-Thanks, but I... um... just want to look different," she blushed slightly, "I want to bring out some of my brown hair color..."
"I told her she didn't need to change her hair color, just style." Ginny said to Harry.
"You looked fine at the last dance, Hermione," he smiled at her, "You never cared about this before... Who are you trying to impress?" Hermione looked as if someone had caught her in a lie.
"N-Nobody, I just... "she blushed into a deep crimson, "nobody..." she repeated to her shoes. Harry looked at Ginny, who shrugged as Hermione looked back up, her face her original color and turned to Ginny, "C'mon Ginny... Are you ready to go?" she said rather hastily. She walked over to Mrs. Weasley, who had come out of her rage in the back room, and stood there, waiting for Ginny to follow.
"Just between you and me," Ginny muttered in the corner of her mouth to Harry, "she's been acting weird; getting really silent or embarrassed when someone mentions you to her."
"So I've heard..." Harry added as she smiled at him and shrugged at him and went to join Hermione.
"What was all that about?" Ron had quit his occupation of looking at the shelves and was now toggling his glance from him to Hermione.
"What was what all about?" he asked bewildered.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice how she acted." Ron said incredulously.
"What about it?" Harry asked while Ron stood with his mouth open slightly.
"Are you that thick?" Ron starred at him.
"What about it?" Harry repeated, raising his voice without meaning to.
"Nothing, mate..." Ron shook his head and turned back at the shelf in front of him. Harry knew exactly what Ron was talking about; Hermione had been acting strange ever since she arrived at Privet Drive, he noticed her staring at him more frequently and talking to him less, and when she did, she blushed when he said something back. Harry had to admit that he had been feeling weird himself when he first saw her at Privet Drive, and had felt that way every time he got in starring distance of her.
Harry tried to shrug off this feeling in his stomach, for he knew what it was, but didn't want it to be noticed. He felt the same way when he was around Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw girl that Harry had fancied since his fourth year. He didn't quite feel the same way now, for she had suddenly turned nasty at Harry because she thought that he and Hermione fancied each other. That feeling that his lungs were punctured, that he couldn't breath thoroughly, that he had butterflies in the heart of his stomach, it just suddenly lingered there after that night.
The whole time they were in the shop, he couldn't help but glance at Hermione who had purchased two boxes of Hair Raising Toffees, that were now in a purple, gold, and silver bag in her hand. Ron had finally bought a bottle of Illusive Ink, and Ginny remained as she had came as well as Harry who had really no need for "prankster items." The two strange witches had come and gone, giggling ever more when they had caught Harry's eyesight. Harry really didn't like it at all when people starred at his scar, and really wished people wouldn't address him as some tragic hero. They all exited the shop after saying their good-byes to Fred and George and Harry pushed the door open and the bell above the door gave a little chime.
"Harry, wait a moment..." George stopped him at the door, "take this..." he handed Harry a silver hand mirror. It resembled the hand mirror Sirius had given him and he looked up at George so quick that he cricked his neck. He starred up at George, his mouth agape.
"What is it?" Harry asked trying to regain his composure and sounding unlike himself.
"Me and Fred, after observing the noble work of the Marauders in the Marauders' Map, have decided to start our own 'Magical Mischief Makers' products-"
"- This is the Marauding Mirror, it changes your appearance. I hope it's alright with you if we pick up where they left off, Harry... Seeing as your dad and Sirius were two of them..." George asked.
"I don't mind," thinking it was really foolish of himself to answer that question when it wasn't his place.
"No more Polyjuice Potion... Just say the person's name into the mirror; full name, of course. Harry looked down at the mirror in his hand and starred at his reflection. What he really wanted, was something that would hide his cursed scar.
"Oh, and take these, too." George took what looked like some bandages, "These are Illusory Bandages, they hide anything- including your scar- to look like they aren't there... We thought about you when we made these, and hope they help in public." George pointed at his scar.
"Thanks," Harry took them and pocketed them.
"No problem-"
"- anytime,"
"Harry, let's go!" Hermione was standing in the doorway, "We're going to Flourish and Blotts, now!" she waved at him to follow.
"See ya later, Harry!" George grinned and turned to tend to some customers.
"Yeah, come visit us!" Fred added and looked at Hermione, "Oh, and Harry... Good luck..." he gestured at Hermione and winked. Harry went along with it, not wanting to make a big deal of it, and smiled at him and waved.
"I will, 'bye," he turned on his heel and pocketed the hand mirror as he noticed Hermione starring at it. He smiled as he thought of Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs and grasped the mirror ever more tightly as he thought that only one remained of the "noble" Marauders.
A/N: ok, this chapter took a lot of planning and reediting so as to move the story along, and I have to say that it didn't take as long as I thought it would. Now in this chapter, I did put in some hints of how the story will develop, but not in general and I have to say that I am truly happy with how it's turning out. ok, I don't know if anyone has noticed, but my e- mail services are temporarily not working, so I don't know if any of the reviews you send will actually get through, but I assure you that that I'm currently working on repairs...but I will inform you when it is working, so until then be patient (I know I'm asking a lot of that lately).... The sixth chapter is already in progress and almost finished, it should be out in 2 days...
Chapter 5: Return To Diagon Alley
Even the comforting, warm, green flames could not abate the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach as he spun around. His feet eventually hit the solid bottom of the fire place, making small puffs of ash and soot float to his face. He took his glasses off to clean them on his not too clean robes, and looked around when they were on his face again. It looked like an old underground storage room; it had cavernous walls and wooden crate boxes that were stack along the craggy walls. Cobwebs gathered along the candle stick that illuminated the room as they floated magically, reminding him much of the candles that floated at the Headmasters table at Hogwarts. The room was dank and gloomy and reminded him of Professor Snape's classroom, who was one of Harry's least favorite teacher.
Harry dusted and shook his clothes and robes free of the ash and soot and pushed his glasses back upon his nose properly. There were muffled voices above his head that he could not identify and brought him to the realization that Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were not there.
He turned around toward the fire place as the green flames ignited again and Mrs. Weasley emerged.
"Harry, c'mon now," she gestured toward the rotting wooden stairs, "Watch your step, now, and mind your head at the top." The stairs gave a final groan as Harry and Mrs. Weasley reached the top and stepped into the room before them. He was staring at what looked like a smaller version of the boys' dormitory at Hogwarts except there were only two beds and the room was a deep purple and gold. The walls were decorated in deep purple tapestries that hid the brick walls along with the cotton sheets that were spread across the two beds were the same violent purple. The curtains, however, went the length of the wall and were a silky looking gold that went along with the gold pillows on the beds. Harry saw to his left that there was a door engraved with the word "Toilet" and he suspected it must be the bathroom, and to his right there was a door with a plaque labeled "Lab" that stood ajar.
"This way, Harry, dear," and she walked to the door in front of them that Harry just the had noticed that had no description of any kind. She opened the door, the voices became more audible, and it creaked on it's hinges as they stepped onto the thresh hold.
"Hello, Harry-"
"-How's it going?" The twins, Fred and George, were both holding out their identical hands and grinning in unison. Harry, who was a bit taken aback, took their hands and grinned back.
"Hi-er- I'm fine, thanks... You?" Harry began to look around and stared, his mouth slightly agape.
"We're fine-" Fred grinned.
"-Welcome, Harry, to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" George gestured at the many laden shelves filled with the twins' creations.
The place looked decent; with polished, wooden shelves and counters, signs in purple and silver labeling everything in description. Hermione, Ginny, had already taken their stations at different racks in awe. Harry, in a rather trance, walked over to Ron, who was looking at Levitating Lollipops.
"I wouldn't mind having a few of these," Ron, who noticed Harry next to him, pointed to some ink bottles, "Illusive Ink... When they are opened, they spit out ink." Ron looked up at Harry, "What do you think?"
"I dunno," Harry looked over at a box labeled Shocking Quills, "Maybe Malfoy would like some of those," Ron and Harry sniggered in unison.
"This is all thanks to you, mate," Fred said under his breath to Harry as so Mrs. Weasley, who was talking to George in a stern voice, "and Bagman for contacting Derrick and his employees at Zonko's for us." Harry remembered back when Fred and George kept in touch with Bagman in his fourth year for a shop they could start their Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, "Mum thinks Derrick gave us this place for free..." Harry glanced at Mrs. Weasley who threw her hands up in the air.
"GEORGE WEASLEY..."
"Here we go... Mum gives us this treatment every time she comes here. She doesn't like this at all..." Fred said to Harry.
"Yeah, she doesn't think this is a worthy job..." Ron muttered. George, who looked around at the customers in the shop nervously, for they were now knew his name, tried to speak in more secrecy. Harry's stomach felt like he had a weight at the pit of his stomach as he figured it was because of him that they had this shop in the first place and George and Fred wouldn't have been getting this treatment every time she came if he hadn't given them the money.
"Don't worry, Harry... She's yelled at us before for many other things, mind you, she's not the only one who yells at us, but we don't really mind. She can't decide our future for us..." Fred gave Harry a look of triumph as George arrived at Ron's side.
"At least all of Diagon Alley didn't know my name..." he gestured at Mrs. Weasley, who was storming back into the room in the far back. Harry now felt that a weight was in his lungs as his stomach clinched.
"Like I said before, Harry... This isn't your fault, so don't beat your self up... We'll do that for you." Fred grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder. Harry, feeling a little bit relieved of the uncomfortable feeling in his chest, smiled back at him.
"Thanks, Fred," Harry nodded.
"Your welcome-"
"Yeah, yeah, well to show you our appreciation for allowing this opportunity-" George pipe in.
"Your first purchase is on us-"
"Today that is," George finished.
"Oh, thanks, but-er- you d-"
No, this is just our way of forcing you to take our offer." Fred murmured. Almost two years ago, Harry had forced Fred and George to take the prize money he had won at the Triwizard Tournament, for he didn't need it himself.
"Thanks," Harry finally took upon their offer and nodded as the twins walked over to their counter to accommodate two witches about the age of fourteen. One of them turned to look over her shoulder and starred perplexed. She was pretty, with hair the color of coal and her hazel eyes going from him in general, then up to his scar and she giggled; getting the other girl's attention from George. She on the other hand, though pretty, had a icy color of blue for her eyes, and her hair was the same color of dense coal. He had never seen the girls before, and he wondered if they wasn't going to Hogwarts, what school was she from. Beauxbatons? Durmstrang? They both giggled feverishly and waved at him mildly. He smiled and turned on his heel toward Hermione and Ginny, who were whispering and giggling in hushed voices at a rack that was labeled Appearance Shifting Products. As he approached he got fragments of their conversation.
"You'd look good... do you think?" whispered Ginny.
"Yeah... I'm tired of curly hair... different..." Hermione nodded. Harry was now able to see what they were looking at and inclined his head over her shoulder. Different arrangements of color- coded toffees, arranged from lime green to a vibrant pink that would rival Tonks, along with other boxes that were clearly labeled Straight, Wavy, Curly.
"Change your appearance for a full seven hours," Harry read the sign above his head, making Hermione and Ginny jump and wheel around, "Why would you want to do that?"
"We have another dance this year and I don't want to have to keep applying Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, it's too expensive, anyway." Hermione said coolly, "These change your hair, and those over there change you eye color..." she added.
"I think you look fine the way you are," Harry said shortly, for he did. He always thought that Hermione looked fine the way she was, no matter how her hair looked.
"T-Thanks, but I... um... just want to look different," she blushed slightly, "I want to bring out some of my brown hair color..."
"I told her she didn't need to change her hair color, just style." Ginny said to Harry.
"You looked fine at the last dance, Hermione," he smiled at her, "You never cared about this before... Who are you trying to impress?" Hermione looked as if someone had caught her in a lie.
"N-Nobody, I just... "she blushed into a deep crimson, "nobody..." she repeated to her shoes. Harry looked at Ginny, who shrugged as Hermione looked back up, her face her original color and turned to Ginny, "C'mon Ginny... Are you ready to go?" she said rather hastily. She walked over to Mrs. Weasley, who had come out of her rage in the back room, and stood there, waiting for Ginny to follow.
"Just between you and me," Ginny muttered in the corner of her mouth to Harry, "she's been acting weird; getting really silent or embarrassed when someone mentions you to her."
"So I've heard..." Harry added as she smiled at him and shrugged at him and went to join Hermione.
"What was all that about?" Ron had quit his occupation of looking at the shelves and was now toggling his glance from him to Hermione.
"What was what all about?" he asked bewildered.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice how she acted." Ron said incredulously.
"What about it?" Harry asked while Ron stood with his mouth open slightly.
"Are you that thick?" Ron starred at him.
"What about it?" Harry repeated, raising his voice without meaning to.
"Nothing, mate..." Ron shook his head and turned back at the shelf in front of him. Harry knew exactly what Ron was talking about; Hermione had been acting strange ever since she arrived at Privet Drive, he noticed her staring at him more frequently and talking to him less, and when she did, she blushed when he said something back. Harry had to admit that he had been feeling weird himself when he first saw her at Privet Drive, and had felt that way every time he got in starring distance of her.
Harry tried to shrug off this feeling in his stomach, for he knew what it was, but didn't want it to be noticed. He felt the same way when he was around Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw girl that Harry had fancied since his fourth year. He didn't quite feel the same way now, for she had suddenly turned nasty at Harry because she thought that he and Hermione fancied each other. That feeling that his lungs were punctured, that he couldn't breath thoroughly, that he had butterflies in the heart of his stomach, it just suddenly lingered there after that night.
The whole time they were in the shop, he couldn't help but glance at Hermione who had purchased two boxes of Hair Raising Toffees, that were now in a purple, gold, and silver bag in her hand. Ron had finally bought a bottle of Illusive Ink, and Ginny remained as she had came as well as Harry who had really no need for "prankster items." The two strange witches had come and gone, giggling ever more when they had caught Harry's eyesight. Harry really didn't like it at all when people starred at his scar, and really wished people wouldn't address him as some tragic hero. They all exited the shop after saying their good-byes to Fred and George and Harry pushed the door open and the bell above the door gave a little chime.
"Harry, wait a moment..." George stopped him at the door, "take this..." he handed Harry a silver hand mirror. It resembled the hand mirror Sirius had given him and he looked up at George so quick that he cricked his neck. He starred up at George, his mouth agape.
"What is it?" Harry asked trying to regain his composure and sounding unlike himself.
"Me and Fred, after observing the noble work of the Marauders in the Marauders' Map, have decided to start our own 'Magical Mischief Makers' products-"
"- This is the Marauding Mirror, it changes your appearance. I hope it's alright with you if we pick up where they left off, Harry... Seeing as your dad and Sirius were two of them..." George asked.
"I don't mind," thinking it was really foolish of himself to answer that question when it wasn't his place.
"No more Polyjuice Potion... Just say the person's name into the mirror; full name, of course. Harry looked down at the mirror in his hand and starred at his reflection. What he really wanted, was something that would hide his cursed scar.
"Oh, and take these, too." George took what looked like some bandages, "These are Illusory Bandages, they hide anything- including your scar- to look like they aren't there... We thought about you when we made these, and hope they help in public." George pointed at his scar.
"Thanks," Harry took them and pocketed them.
"No problem-"
"- anytime,"
"Harry, let's go!" Hermione was standing in the doorway, "We're going to Flourish and Blotts, now!" she waved at him to follow.
"See ya later, Harry!" George grinned and turned to tend to some customers.
"Yeah, come visit us!" Fred added and looked at Hermione, "Oh, and Harry... Good luck..." he gestured at Hermione and winked. Harry went along with it, not wanting to make a big deal of it, and smiled at him and waved.
"I will, 'bye," he turned on his heel and pocketed the hand mirror as he noticed Hermione starring at it. He smiled as he thought of Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs and grasped the mirror ever more tightly as he thought that only one remained of the "noble" Marauders.