HARRY POTTER AND THE KASTER SISTERS
By: the Kaster sisters
Disclaimer: neither of us owns Harry Potter, nor will ever be
Author's notes: my friend (Hellish) is grounded (dunno why, and she won't tell me...yet) so I'll be posting the chappies that were deleted (chaps 1-8) pretty fast. So here ya go.
CHAPTER II: Mages in Diagon Alley
'I think you're in love with Hermione...' Ron's words rang inside Harry's head over and over again. Could it be? Is he really falling for the girl he knew for almost six years now and is one of his closest friends?
'Yeah, well, it could happen,' a voice said inside his head. 'Both of you have been the closest of friends since first year. No doubt you will fall for her. Look at Ron!' Harry snorted. Ron also fancied Hermione, no matter how many times he tried to hide or deny it.
Just then, Hermione came in. "Hi guys!" she greeted. Ron shot Harry a concerned look, then turned to Hermione.
"So," he said slowly, "how was your summer?" And at this, Hermione's face lit up.
"Ooh, it was...fascinating...and a bit weird, to tell you honestly... Because whenever we're out, like in the malls or something, I think I see and hear – erm – strange movements around me. Its like...a shadow that's moving very fast, then I hear – but I'm not really sure – a creaking sound, like someone just Apparated or something... I'm not really sure, but I think someone in the wizarding world is keeping an eye on me!"
An eerie silence filled the room after Hermione's news. Ron stared, while Harry felt like he was going to burst. He couldn't believe someone would keep an eye on Hermione. Was it just because she's a friend of Harry's?
"I wonder who they were, though..." Hermione voiced out.
"Death Eaters, perhaps?" Ron suggested.
Hermione bit her thumb. "...Nah...I don't think... If it were Death Eaters, why didn't they keep an eye on Harry instead?" Hermione looked at Harry in the eye, and Harry felt like he was going to melt...
Then, something stirred inside Harry's head... Yes...he too saw those shadowy figures! He too heard the creaking sound! ...And it made sense somehow... Since they ARE friends, they must think Hermione knew the things Harry knew...and all they needed now was Ron seeing those figures and hearing creaking sounds too, to complete the little puzzle.
Harry cleared his throat, and Ron and Hermione's attention were darted towards him. "Um...Ron," he started, "Um...did you – er – also see those figures and hear the creaking sounds? ...Because...I saw and heard it too..." he added quietly.
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise, while Ron thought for a moment. "Um," he said slowly, "I... I think...yes, I saw and heard it too... But I thought it was only Fred and George..."
"Well, it's settled then," Harry concluded. "Those figures must be Death Eaters keeping an eye on us, because they think we know something – about Voldemort perhaps (Ron flinched; Hermione rolled her eyes) – that they don't."
Hermione nodded, but Ron asked, "Well, yeah, but including Hermione and me?"
"Yes," Harry nodded. "Since we're friends and very close to Dumbledore "
"They must think you have told us things they don't know, being close and everything..." Hermione cut in, nodding. "It does make sense now..."
All three of them were silent until Ginny burst inside. "Lunch is ready, you guys," she told them. "Mum's calling already. We're eating outside."
They followed Ginny down the stairs and outside towards the garden. When they arrived, everyone – the Weasley family, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin and Tonks – were seated in a very long table full of delicious food cooked by Mrs. Weasley herself.
Harry sat down beside Fred, opposite Ron, who was beside George. Hermione sat beside Harry, and Harry could feel his body heat up.
They started eating and talking. But just as when Harry was about to get desserts, there, he saw it. A black shadowy figure passed by so fast; there was a soft 'swoosh' sound. Harry was about to stand when Hermione asked, "Aren't you going to eat some desserts?"
He sat back down. Luckily, no one noticed, and as he reached out to get some fruitcake, he whispered fast but clear, "A shadowy figure just passed by..."
Hermione's eyes widened. "W-where was it heading?" she whispered. Harry pointed towards the open field just beside them.
After lunch, Moody, Lupin and Tonks were going somewhere to do something for the Order. Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie went with them.
"Mum, where are they going?" Fred asked. Ginny rolled her eyes, for everyone knew Mrs. Weasley wouldn't tell them what the members of the Order are up to.
But to their surprise, Mrs. Weasley said, "To investigate the sudden killings that happened."
Ron's eyes rounded. Ginny clamped her mouth with her hand, and Hermione let out a soft gasp.
"Really?" George asked, rather eagerly. "Does it have something to do with You-Know-Who?"
"Dumbledore reckons so. There were three wizards dead –(Ginny gasped; Hermione was close to tears)- and there were no trace on who killed them...and how they were killed."
Fred and George stared, Ron almost fell down from shaking, Ginny's jaw dropped and her shoulders drooped, Hermione gulped and Harry stared at the ground, thinking deeply.
"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said slowly, "if they were killed by magic, there should have been some marks or something, right?" Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"That's right, and that's where the mystery starts. When they found the bodies, they didn't have marks or any of that sort. It was like...they saw the eyes of a basilisk...but it couldn't have been a basilisk. For one thing, their eyes were closed, and they weren't frozen..."
"Mr. Fudge said that those who killed the three wizards were trying – or should I say – got information about Hogwarts, specifically about the headmaster, teachers, students and...their secrets." Percy's voice filled the eerie silent room. He was clutching a very long letter in his left hand, and his horn-rimmed glasses in his right hand.
"Someone was trying to get information about Hogwarts?" Harry asked, shocked by the news. "But why?"
Percy shrugged. "No idea. But Mr. Fudge says that Dumbledore reckons it has something to do with You-Know-Who..."
There was a moment of silence.
Days passed... Still, nobody knew how the wizards were killed and who were the murderers. A few days after the killings, the news about it was in the 'Daily Prophet'. The members of the Order were still searching for clues on the murderers and exactly what information about Hogwarts they got and wanted, and why they wanted it so badly.
Also, a few days before Sept. 1, they received letters from Hogwarts containing the list of books and school supplies they needed. They decided to get their things in Diagon Alley on Aug. 30, two days before their departure to Hogwarts.
They arrived Diagon Alley a few minutes after lunch. But before buying anything, they went to Gringotts, the wizards' bank, to get some money.
"See you guys later," Hermione said as she went off to change her 'Muggle money' to gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts, while Harry and the Weasleys were led by a Gringotts goblin to their underground vaults. Harry nodded after Hermione, feeling a little disappointed.
When they arrived the Weasleys' vault, however, Harry's went bug-eyed when he saw that the once-almost empty vault was now filled with lots and loads of Galleons; then remembering the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, he quickly regained his composure.
After filling their moneybags with coins, Harry, Ron and Hermione set off to buy the things they needed. They went to Florean Fortescue Ice Cream Shop and bought large bubblegum-flavored ice creams, slurping it while looking at the different shops.
They stopped by Fred and George's joke shop, and watched the twins try out their own stuffs in front of a large crowd. Lee Jordan, the twins' close- if not best -friend, was there too, as an assistant.
"Well, it's a good thing they're not students anymore," Ron said. "Hermione wouldn't have a go on them anymore." Hermione rolled her eyes.
But when they passed by the wand shop, Ollivander's, Ron tripped, and his ice cream hit the front of a girl who, together with what looked like her sisters, were about to go inside the wand shop.
"Damn!" the girl cursed. The girl to her left, who was younger, tried, and failed, to stifle a laugh. The eldest shot the youngest a threatening glare. She shut up immediately.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Hermione apologized. Ron bowed down low and said "I'm sorry!" over and over again.
The girl rolled her eyes, and wiped the ice cream with her hand. To Harry's surprise, the dirt disappeared...without a wand.
"Oh, forget it!" she said, slapping Ron's head (which made him bow down even lower), and with a last menacing look, the three of them went inside Ollivander's.
Harry gaped at the door. So many questions filled his head. Hermione had her hand on her chin, obviously deep in thought, but Ron didn't seem to notice what happened.
"Mages..." Hermione said suddenly. Ron's jaw dropped. "Wha -?"
"I can't believe it," she said breathlessly. "Mages... There are mages, here, at Diagon Alley!"
TBC
A/N: okies... its pretty boring, seeing as this was posted before...but...(sigh) anyway, thanks to those who reviewed so far! (And JAV, that was a pretty loooooooooong review... and a very funny one too! Don't worry, I'm not pissed. In fact, I was overjoyed! Except for the "you-being-grounded-and-Mr.-Potter-totally-dissing-you" part... and my life is NOT okay...with EJ, I mean. Wa na ko kita niya! ...But lyk I care... hehe)
