Chapter 7: Diagon Alley

It was about a week and a half after the Dursleys and Harry had arrived at Grimmauld Place that Dumbledore finally found a temporary residence for the Dursleys that they would agree to use. Harry had chosen Mr. Weasley as secret keeper for them, and Order members had been back to repair the house at Privet Drive and continued to guard it. Lupin had moved into one of the attic rooms as Harry's guardian, and he had taken an interest in Harry's education.

"I still think you should take Arithmancy like Hermione in place of Divination," Lupin prodded Harry again as they worked in the study together. Harry was planning out his Defense lessons with the second through fourth years and his D.A. meeting schedule, and Lupin was looking up some information Dumbledore had requested.

"I dunno, Pro…" Harry began. "I mean…Remus," Harry responded, unused to calling Lupin by his first name, but not wanting to offend him. "Anyway, I don't know about starting Arithmancy so late. I'd be with a lot of third years and some of them will be in my defense class. It would feel strange to be fellow student and teacher to the same people," he explained.

"Perhaps," said Lupin, "but I think it would come in handy during Auror training. A lot of trainees have to learn it from scratch when they get there, and the ones who know it already get to do more of the physical training instead. Tonks was telling me about it just yesterday."

"You seem to spend a lot of time with Tonks these days, Remus. Is something going on there?" Harry teased, trying to change the subject.

"We're good friends, Harry," Remus responded to Harry's teasing question, breaking Harry out of his thoughts. "But werewolves are not allowed, by law, to raise a family, so Tonks and I, or any other woman for that matter, could never allow anything to exceed friendship." Remus seemed bitterly sad, then, and Harry was suddenly sorry he had asked.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Harry said honestly, "you deserve better than that. I can't imagine a better father figure than you. But I'm confused. How come you can be my guardian, but can't have children of your own?"

"Because, Harry, some people at the Ministry," and Harry was quite sure Remus meant people like Umbridge, "don't realize that this condition cannot be passed on from parent to child unless I were to bite my own child. Also, I'm not sure Dumbledore has actually made an official declaration of guardianship for you with the Ministry. And as you'll be of age next year, he may not have to at all."

"I see," Harry said, and smiled at Dumbledore's wisdom and generosity. "So how come you can't get away with that when it comes to Tonks?" Harry asked. "I've seen the way you look at her when you two are together." It's just the way Ron looks at Hermione! He thought to himself.

"And what about the way you look at Ginny?" Remus commented, clearly trying to divert the conversation.

Harry blushed profusely, "No fair, Remus, turning this around on me," he complained.

"Oh, I think turnabout is quite fair indeed," Remus teased him.

"OK, OK, I admit it. I have a crush on my best mate's little sister. Are you happy now? So now that I've admitted my crush, it's your turn, Remus. Or is turnabout only fair play when I get the brunt of it?" Harry pressed him.

"Yeah, all right, Harry," Remus admitted. "In a perfect world, I wouldn't be a werewolf, and Tonks would have a new last name by now. But it's not a perfect world, is it Harry?"

"No, I guess it isn't," Harry sighed, thinking about Ginny and how hard it would be just to ask her out, even if he wasn't a werewolf. "But when I'm Minister of Magic, I swear the first thing I'll do is lift the ban on werewolf marriages!" Harry added, trying to lighten the mood some.

"All right, Harry," Remus laughed lightly, "But by that time, I'm afraid I'll be too old to marry anyone."

"Nah," Harry joked, "Just watch, I'll destroy Voldemort next year and everyone will think I'm some sort of hero and make me minister against my will!"

"That's not funny, Harry. What makes you think you can defeat the Dark Lord on your own?" Remus had paled at the mention of the name.

Harry suddenly realized what he had almost revealed and tried to cover quickly, "I'm sorry, Remus, I was only kidding. I didn't mean it."

Lupin looked at Harry as though examining a student who was trying to keep out of a detention, but he let the matter drop. Searching for another change of subject, Harry thought this might be a good time to see if Lupin knew anything about Snape and Aunt Petunia.

"Speaking of marriages," Harry began tentatively, "How come Snape never got married. I'd bet he'd be a more pleasant person if he had someone to smile about now and then."

Lupin looked concerned about the question, which made Harry more certain that Lupin knew. "I don't know if that's something we ought to discuss. Snape's private matters are just that, private."

"Of course," Harry said dejectedly. He didn't think he'd get anything out of Lupin this time after all.

Lupin returned to his studying, and Harry returned to his planning feeling disappointed.

Their annual Hogwarts letters showed up the day before Harry's birthday, and they made plans to visit Diagon Alley to get new school robes, books and other supplies. It was a warm, sunny Saturday when they went, and it seemed as though nothing could spoil their day. The four teenagers and Remus and Tonks sat together at Florean Fortescue's Ice cream Parlor after they finished their shopping. Harry had bought a round of Sundaes for everyone, and they were enjoying a light banter as they ate.

"The best flavor in the world has always been Vanilla," Hermione insisted.

"No way," Ginny piped up, "Chocolate, nothing beats chocolate."

"I dunno, Gin," Harry said, "Chocolate always reminds me of the time I fell off my broom because of the dementors at Hogwarts."

Everyone looked solemnly at Harry, and he felt bad having dampened the mood that way, so he said, "I personally like peanut butter fudge swirl best! That's good ice cream!"

"I'm with Harry on that one," Ron agreed, "this stuff is good!" Ron had tried the flavor on Harry's suggestion and was obviously enjoying it.

"No kidding," Hermione laughed at his gleeful expression, "Can I try a bite?" she asked.

Ron looked taken aback, "Sure," he said, picking up a spoonful and feeding it to her. Harry thought he almost saw sparks as Ron and Hermione's eyes connected, and Hermione seemed to be having a hard time looking away and back to her own cup of vanilla ice cream. "That's pretty good," she commented quietly, looking down at her spoon as though it were a text book to be studied.

"See, told you it's good," Harry said trying to pull the attention away from his two friends. He doubted they wanted everyone staring at them just then. "You want to try it, Ginny?" he asked.

"Oh, no thanks, Harry," she said, ogling Hermione as though she'd seen a ghost. "Hermione, would you like to accompany me to the rest room? I'm done here," Ginny indicated her mostly eaten cup of chocolate ice cream.

"OK, Ginny," Hermione agreed, and the two girls got up from the table and walked into the shop.

"What is it with girls going into the bathroom together?" Ron asked watching the doorway Hermione had just passed through as though willing her to come back.

"I know what you mean," Harry said. "I couldn't ask Cho to the Yule Ball fourth year because her friends were always around her, even when they went to the bathroom."

Remus and Tonks exchanged a knowing look and smiled at one another.

"I suppose we'll have to ask them sometime…." Harry began, but stopped speaking when a piercing sensation ran from his forehead to his fingertips. Harry suddenly bent over his ice cream cup, clutching his scar with both hands.

"What is it, Harry," Remus asked, sounding concerned.

"My scar," Harry responded weakly, "something's wrong. We should get back!"

"I'll get the girls," Ron said, getting up from his chair and walking quickly into the shop.

Suddenly the air around them seemed to chill and the noise of the shoppers in the alley dimmed in Harry's ears. He could hear screaming in the distance, and knew what it had to mean. "Remus," he breathed, panic in his voice, "dementors."

Remus got to his feet and pulled out his wand, Tonks following closely behind him. They stared in every direction. Harry went into the shop to find the others. They had to get back to the Leaky Cauldron immediately. He found Ron standing outside the women's bathroom, knocking on the door impatiently.

"Come on, you need to come out now. It's important," he was saying.

Hermione's muffled voice could be heard from within the room, "Something's wrong with Ginny! I think she's fainted."

It was all Harry needed to know. He rushed over and slammed his body into the door. It cracked a little but didn't give way. "Come on, Ron, push with me," he called. The two of them heaved themselves against the door, tumbling in as it opened. Hermione looked up at them, concern etched all over her face.

"I don't know what's wrong with her. One minute she was fine and we were talking and the next she just passed out. And why is it so cold in here?" she said.

"Dementors," Harry said by way of explanation, "Here in Diagon Alley. We have to get away from here." Harry scooped Ginny up in his arms and ran from the bathroom, Ron and Hermione close at his heels. Just as they were exiting the shop, Harry spotted the dark specters headed straight for them. He looked around for Remus and Tonks and saw them a few feet away, wands aloft, shouting.

"Expecto Patronum," Lupin yelled, aiming his wand. A silver wolf erupted from his wand and charged after the dementors. They fell back, but more came from the left of Lupin and began to bare down upon him.

Tonks lifted her wand deftly toward them and cried, "Expecto Patronum," a silver badger flew at the next set of dementors and repelled them, but another pair emerged from behind them and Remus directed his patronus at them just before they reached Tonks.

"Go Harry, get them out of here," Lupin called, "we'll hold them off and then apparate to you. Quickly now, go!!"

Harry and his friends ducked back down the alley toward the Leaky Cauldron. Order members seemed to be popping up all over everywhere as they went. Harry wondered why they had not seen any death eaters yet. They ducked into the pub and hurried over to the fireplace. They waited while a mother with two little children clinging to her legs stepped into the fireplace and vanished. Then Ron motioned for Harry to go in with Ginny first.

"We'll be right behind you," Ron said when Harry looked at them quizzically.

"You better be, or I'll be back here to collect you as soon as I've set Ginny down." He warned them.

"Go," Hermione commanded. Harry stepped in and said, "Number 12, Grimmauld Place," and dropped his handful of powder on the flames. With a swirl and a gasp he was gone, passing through the floo network holding Ginny's arms in so that her elbows wouldn't get bumped. He stepped out into the kitchen of the Black Manor, and set Ginny down on a chair at the table. He waited a few minutes and then prepared himself to go back to the leaky cauldron, but Hermione suddenly appeared in the flames, followed closely by a pale faced, red eared Ron.

"I was about to come after you two," Harry scolded them for their brief pause in returning. "What kept you?"

"Nothing," Ron mumbled, looking at his feet, but Harry could have sworn he saw a twinge of a smile playing at his lips. Harry looked to Hermione for an explanation, but she had turned her attention to Ginny, patting her arm and attempting to wake her.

"Ginny, Ginny, wake up, it's over. We're back at headquarters now." Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper.

Slowly Ginny stirred, then opened her eyes. She jumped back when she saw the three of them hovering over her and seemed confused about where she was. "What happened?" she asked them.

"You passed out because there were dementors in Diagon Alley," Harry explained. "We brought you here. Lupin and Tonks are still back there with most of the Order, trying to set things right again."

"Oh, my goodness," Ginny exclaimed, "I hope they'll be all right!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Gin," Ron said, "The Order can take care of a few dementors. Seems strange though, there weren't any Death Eaters there that I could see. The only spells I saw were Patronus Charms."

"It was probably a diversion of some kind," Hermione mused. "The Death Eaters were probably trying to get the Order distracted so they could do damage elsewhere without being hindered."

"I expect we'll see the real attack in the Daily Prophet tomorrow, then," Ron commented.

"Perhaps," Hermione responded. "Who knows, maybe it'll go completely unnoticed."

"Not likely," Ginny said. "If there is one thing Voldemort likes best, it's getting all the credit for the bad things he does or commands others to do," she added.

Ron and Hermione gawked at her. "You said his name…" Ron breathed.

"So what," Ginny challenged him, "Don't forget, I got to know him personally in my first year. I know a few things about how he thinks, now. And one thing is certain, if he can, he'll make sure the whole world knows what he can do before long. He can't resist making a spectacle of himself."

"Ginny's right," Harry agreed, "If it hadn't been for his showing off, I would have died two years ago. It's his greatest weakness, if he has any."

The four sat quietly for a while, contemplating what Voldemort might have been up to, and waiting for the Order members to return so they could be sure their friends were all OK.

A few hours later, Tonks, Remus, and Fred and George appeared through the front door, panting and looking solemn. Harry jumped up when they entered the kitchen, anxious for any news about what had brought the dementors to such a place.

"It seems," Lupin began, "that we've been made the fools this time."

"Mmm hmm," Tonks agreed, "While we were containing the situation in Diagon Alley, the Death Eaters were having a little party with a bunch of Muggles in a quiet suburb of London, leveled a shopping mall and some nearby fast food restaurants."

They all looked grimly at one another. "I wonder which Suburb?" Hermione voiced her concern. Harry hoped for her sake it would not be the one where Hermione and her parents lived. 'At least they are safe here, for now,' he thought.

"That's not the worst of it, though," George continued.

"Yeah," said Fred, his face looking ashen and his hands shaking, "The Ministry did a quick investigation to see who had ordered the dementors into Diagon Alley. They thought it might be Umbridge again."

"But it wasn't," continued George.

"It was Percy," said Fred, the words falling from his mouth like stones tossed into a murky pond.