Visiting Lost Friends
Disclaimer: Not mine
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Chapter Two
The-One-Who-Shouldn't-Be
Ginny's POV
I sighed. What did mom want now? I finished the stupid tomatoes.
"Ginny, dear," mum asked.
"Yes," I replied sullenly.
"I need Ron and you to do me a huge favor and pick up this list of ingredients in Diagon Alley. This is extremely important. Dumbledore needs these ingredients, and well no one else has the time to pick them up. This is Order business. Do not goof off. Collect everything on the list and come directly back here. It is dangerous to go out in times like this, but this simply cannot be helped."
Yes! I thought as we walked along Diagon Alley. Finally, out! Mum hadn't let us leave the Burrow all summer, but now here we are, Ron and I, without parental supervision. The street was filled with last minute school shopping, but I didn't see anyone that I recognized. I did see a girl that looked vaguely familiar, but probably I was mistaken.
"Ron, what's on the list," I asked.
"Let's see, tail of a marmoset, three dragon claws, seven spider's legs," he gulped, "willow roots, vampire hair, and unicorn blood."
"But I thought that unicorn blood was only used in the direst of times," I muttered, "Unicorn blood can save your life if you are an inch from death, but will curse your life."
Ron looked at me sharply. "How do you know that? I know it from, well one of Harry's experiences, that he told me and 'Mione about, but how would you know?"
"Well," I hedged. He can't know that I was spying on Harry, what would he think of me? Not to mention the fact that he would most certainly TELL Harry all about it. "I read it somewhere?" I made up.
He looked deep into my eyes. "You were spying on us, weren't you?"
"NO!" I blurted out too quickly. He smirked in an I-knew-it sort of way.
We walked down the street until we saw the shop Mum mentioned to us. It was an overcast sort of day, and the sharp chill of the air was enough to force us inside. We stepped into an old shop. It was the type of shop you could walk past a million times and never notice.
I glanced up at the sign above the door. Alfred's Potent Potion Supplies, was printed in long cursive letters, which were slightly pealing on the edges.
"Ahem, what may I do for you children?" An old figure draped in a cheesy pretend-to-look-professional suit leered at us. The man had a long crooked nose, and a rough pale face. He was quite a bit intimidating, but I looked him in the eye.
"We have a list of items we wish to purchase." I quickly handed him the list that mum gave me earlier. He glanced over the list, and then turned to me suspiciously.
"What would you want with a list like this?" he asked.
"Well, I am not sure if this would mean anything to you sir, but we are running an errand for Albus Dumbledore." I prayed that the man was on our side of the war. If he was then surely the name Dumbledore would trigger immediate obedience, but there really was no way to be sure. Ron just looked around the room, dumbly taking in all of the bottles, and other slimy things hanging from the ceiling.
"Albus, eh? A good friend he is, otherwise I wouldn't be likely to trust two youngsters such as yourselves with ingredients like these. Heck, I wouldn't trust anyone, but if you're sure it's for Albus."
Ron nodded profusely, and I met his gaze evenly, not appreciating his obvious lack of respect for us. Handing over the supplies he smirked, "Good evening, and don't forget to send my regards to dear old Albus. Just say you spoke to the one-who-shouldn't-be. Albus will understand. I would say more, but you can never be too careful in times like these.
As we left the dingy shop, I caught a flash of startling hazel eyes, and a darkened image of black flowing hair. The face looked oddly familiar, but it was gone from my sight before I could place it. He winked with a mischievous glint in his eyes and I couldn't rid myself of an odd sense of forbidding. Something gigantic was happening, something I knew nothing about.