xXxEDITING PROCESS 7/15/09xXx
Chapter 7: A Visit to Knockturn Alley
Harry couldn't get to sleep that evening. He kept dreaming about Ginny's glassy, hazel eyes and her agonized screams under the influence of the Cruciatus Curse. Harry found himself hiding in Sirius' room with Buckbeak, stroking the hippogriff's cool beak, seeking comfort in his intelligent and bright orange eyes and his familiar presence. It wasn't until later that Ron located him in that bedroom, feeding Buckbeak the dead rats and raccoons from his feeding pouch.
"Harry?" He looked at Ron who called his name guardedly and continued feeding the hippogriff. Ron remained at the door. "I heard you last night."
"Doing what?"
"Muttering... it was about Ginny, wasn't it?" Harry swallowed the bile rising in his throat.
"Yes..."
"Why are you acting like her death is the end of the world?"
Harry looked at him not only deeply baffled but outraged that such words had passed from his lips. He was greeted by the sight of tears in Ron's hazel eyes.
"My sister did not die so that you could wallow and fade into the background like you were already dead to everyone. She did it so you could have another chance, another chance to live. She knew how important it was that you could fight, and you act like what she did doesn't even matter!" He ran out after his passionate outburst and Harry could have sworn that Buckbeak gave him a look that stated: "Now look what you've gone and done." Harry watched him fall asleep beside Sirius' bed and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon.
Finally, he ambled out of the bedroom, stopping in the middle of the hallway. Harry pulled out Sirius's uselessknife and gazed at it... all of this... was too much. Everything was too much.
He had to get out.
Harry was on his way to his bedroom to pack when Ron and Hermione entered. As if sensing what he was up to, Hermione said the Locking Charm, and his door wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried to break it. He took out his wand in rebuttal and Hermione cried, "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew into her hand and Harry asked them begrudgingly, "What do you want?"
"To talk to you! We know you are upset but you shouldn't act rashly! Try to stay calm and just talk to us!"
"I don't want to talk."
Hermione's eyes rolled. "Please! Just once, act your age, Harry!" Harry growled.
"What are you trying to say?" Ron tried to stop them, to cut them off, but Hermione fumed on.
"I'm saying you should start behaving like you are seventeen, not seven!" Harry stole his wand back from her hands and unlocked the door by shouting, "Alohomora!"
She grabbed his arm, fingernails biting into his bare skin. "Don't you-!"
Harry looked at his reddening arm then at her with flickering eyes
"Let me go, you bossy... KNOW-IT-ALL!" He screamed into her face.
Hermione returned the scream, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, HARRY? YOU'RE A SELFISH BRAT! A FOUL, THICK, INSENSITIVE, LITTLE-!" She didn't get to finished. Harry felt his arm draw back and his fist connected with her left cheek. Her head went snapping back and she fell onto a heap on the floor, staring up at him with unbelieving eyes.
He was numb... absolutely numb... this was the first and only time he had hit her.
God... he hit Hermione.
A streak of blood shone as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand and Harry was socked in the face by Ron, who looked about ready to kill him. Harry touched the growing bruise on the side of his face and bolted, leaping off the stairs and flying out the door. I hit her...I hit her...I hit her...
Crazy thoughts and ideas filled his head- he'd move to America and change his name- escape to a asylum and throw away the lock when they shut him in- or commit himself to... to...
Blurry figures passed his view as his legs pumped faster and faster. His breath grew ragged as Harry stopped under a lone streetlight. This neighborhood was unfamiliar to him. He didn't know how long he ran but it must have been a good eight minutes at least. Harry tried to catch his breath; he was still numb. He knew exactly where he wanted to go. Harry took his wand out with his right hand to expectantly wait as the Knight Bus bounce its way over to where he stood. Stan came out of the purple triple-decker, pimples and all.
Harry shoved some gold at him and muttered, "Just take me to the Leaky Cauldron." Stan smiled with his yellow teeth.
" 'Arry Pott-"
Harry took out his wand and pointed at his skinny and pimpled neck.
"Shut your bloody gob and get me to the Leaky Cauldron."
Stan turned to the driver fearfully, shrugging. "Better do w'at 'e says." The bus started moving and Harry clutched the side railing, not moving from where he was the entire trip.
It stopped after an half an hour and he grabbed a heavy cloak nearby, to hid his identity, and said upon exiting, "Thanks." Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron and went straight to Tom the innkeeper. The old man bared his almost toothless mouth.
"'Ello, sir, a room?"
Harry nodded, still hidden under the hood.
"Name?"
It was a second's moment but then Harry stated lowly, disguising his voice, "James. I have no last name."
The innkeeper gave him keys without any strange looks. "Ok, Mr. James, Room 5, on your left upstairs."
Harry nodded in response under his hood and climbed up the stairs to his room. To his discomfort, Hedwig was perched by the windowsill, studying him. Harry took off his hood and murmured, "Hedwig, you can't stay here or else they'll find me. I'm sorry. They'll take good care of you at Headquarters." She gave him a forlorn look and Harry stroked her feathers. "I promise to send you some Owl Treats, old girl." He kissed his fingertips and brushed them on her beck. Hedwig in turn nipped his fingers affectionately.
Harry watched her fly out the window in a sweep of lovely white feathers and felt the pit of unhappiness burrow into his stomach. He fell asleep that evening, into a dreamless void.
In the morning, Harry sulked down into the front of the Leaky Cauldron to seat himself in a nearby broken chair, hidden under the cloak. He listened to the other wizard's conversations. Two young witches were talking about what color dressrobes would be best for a Ball they planned on attending. A rather large group of twelve wizards were arguing about the results of a Quiddich match between England and Germany. A witch nearby was looking at the Daily Prophet; a short headline on page six caught Harry's eyes. He stood up and asked her, "May I take a look at that?"
The owner of it, a grizzy woman in dire need of a tissue, shrugged and handed it over. Harry read to himself:
The Boy Who Lived...Dead?
Ministry officials have declared a seventeen-year-old boy dead at the scene in the Muggle Street at eight o' clock last night. The Daily Prophet staff has not been able to get a chance to take a good look at the body and Ministry will not let out any further information on the situation. But they have confirmed that the death was murder from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who is indeed alive... see page 14
Harry didn't need to read the rest. He knew who had died. A name slipped into his mind so effortlessly. He whispered to himself, "Neville."
The witch muttered, "First it was some rubbish about the Nameless, now this." She blinked her crusty yellow eyes at him as his confusion registered on his expression, adding, "Eh, there has been some rumors going around that You-Know-Who is seeking the object called the Nameless. Rubbish...in my opinion. No one has seen the bloody thing in centuries... why would it exist now...?"
Harry was intrigued by what she said but didn't press the subject further. He gave back the newspaper and wandered out into Diagon Alley, still vaguely pondering about the subject of this 'Nameless' thing. Harry placed on his hood and walked into Magical Menagerie, looking for Owl Treats. He took a good bagful and went up to the front to pay when Harry saw in a cage a small black snake with a curious shape of a red S on its head. Harry paid for the treats and asked the woman in the shop, "Excuse me, what kind of snake is that?"
She drew out her black spectacles, staring at it pointedly, "I don't know actually... someone dropped it off a month ago. I do know it's extremely poisonous and quite wild." Harry peered at the snake as the woman went to talk to another wizard about the flaming jeweled tortoises.
He said to the snake, "Hello, I'm Harry."
It looked up with beady black eyes and murmured skeptically, 'You can...talk.' Harry smiled.
"Yeah, listen, I know you're a wild snake and probably don't want to stay coped up here in this shop. Would it be okay if I bought you and got you out of here?"
It slithered up to him, a faint hint of an foreign accent tinged to its hiss. 'How about if I help you with ssssomething and you can ssset me free. We could make ssssome sssort of a deal?'
He nodded, "Alright. It's a deal." Harry called over to the bespectacled woman who was feeding the invisible cats, "...Excuse me? I'd like to buy this snake, please." She eyed him and his worn cloak.
"Are you sure? It's a pretty dangerous sort of snake. I noticed how venomous the fangs were when it attempted to attack me the first day it was brought in."
Harry nodded slightly, now feeling a bit unsure of his decision, "...I'm sure." The woman rang up the snake and Harry paid for it with six Galleons.
The snake slide up his arm and wrapped itself around his shoulders cozily.
'Do not worry, Harry... I promissse not to hurt you if you do not hurt me. Thanksss for ressscuing me. I am Keandra.'
He asked curiously, "You're a girl?"
She responded with a hissy laugh, 'Yessss, you're a bright one.' Harry chuckled, leaving, as the door closed with a thud, and the woman viewed after him with an arched eyebrow.
As Harry made his way down the cobblestone street, he asked Keandra, "So, how can you help me?"
'That isss for you to dessside, Harry.'
"Well, I'm trying to find some information about a friend's death and something called the Nameless."
The snake cooed in his ear, 'Death isss never a pretty sssight. I have sssseen a lot of it in my time, although I am ssstill young.' He snorted.
"Tell me about it."
Keandra murmured in admiration, 'I sssensssse a power in you, Harry... it isss dangeroussss yet fierce and good.' He didn't speak up and the snake said suddenly, 'There.' Keandra flicked her tail towards the entrance of Knockturn Alley. 'That isss where we need to go. I do not know why, jussst a feeling.'
"Do we have to?"
Keandra said amused as Harry frowned at the sign leading into it, 'I ssssmell fear.'
He explained shortly, "Bad experience." She cuddled against his cheek.
'Don't worry, Harry... if anything ssshould happen, I'll protect you.'
"Why are you being so nice to me, Keandra?"
'Becaussse you are the mosssst trussstworthy human I have came in contact with in a long time, and I know you will hold your promissse. I have ssseen your heart and it issss true. Alssso Harry, not all sssnakes are evil. Sssome of usss jusssst like being left alone.'
He smiled, "Thank you," and began walking into the darkness of Knockturn Alley. They wandered through the streets, past many strange and dirty shops.
'Ssso, why are you out here alone? You are young. Don't you have a family?' The snake asked Harry curiously.
He said dispassionately, "Not anymore."
'My owner could not handle me ssso he got rid of me and I ssstayed in that pet sssshop. No one wanted me.'
Harry felt pity for her.
"Aren't you glad I came along?"
She whispered thankfully, 'Very.'
They walked down further into the dark. Keandra said immediately, 'Wait. Sssstop. In there.' They stood beside a poorly lit shop, the sign in the front had been ripped off and a streak of white paint was there instead. The windows were broken and the door had no handle on it. Harry eyed the door warily.
"We'll find the answers in there?"
'Yesss, a fortune teller livessss here. Sssshe will tell usss what we need.'
Harry pushed the door and they entered a dust-filled empty room. He coughed, glimpsing at purple-drape curtains shielding the entry to the back room, embroidered with gold and silver stars. A voice materialized from behind them, "Enter, ye who seek knowledge." Harry pulled aside the curtains and was hit by the strong scent of rose oil and tangerine. Slightly overwhelmed, he staggered over to a gold clothed table. Self consciously, he pulled his hood tighter over his face.
A woman observed him from one end of the round table. Her hair was a midnight blue and fell to her knees in wild curls. The fortune teller observed him some more with small chestnut-colored eyes, saying loftily,"Sit, wary traveler for I am Madam Treelily, and let me read your aura."Harry did so.
"Actually-"
Madam Treelily took his hand, interrupting, and examined his palm, "Hmm... much despair and grief. A bout of illness hovers... bravery and cunning lingers. Two highly different traits... yet they mesh..."
He pulled away, getting a keen feeling that this woman could be related to Professor Trelawney in some way. "Ma'am... I was hoping that you could give me some information about something called 'The Nameless' and a friend's death." Madam Treelily flicked her wrist and the jasmine candles on the next table suddenly lit up.
"My dear boy, I do not tell stories-" She broke off, staring at his neck as if entranced, "Is that... it tis', dear boy... you have a rare red S snake. Very rare... I've been looking for one for such a long time-"
She reached for Keandra and the snake lunged, hissing enraged, 'Get away from me, you ssstupid woman!'
Madam Treelily backed away pouting and Harry asked inquiringly, hoping to distract them, "Why have you been looking for one?" The fortune teller folded her hands on the table.
"Because, ignorant boy, I need one for a potion I am making."
"...I've got a deal for you."
Madam Treelily inclined over. He could see the gold spots in her brown eyes, "If it is about the snake... I'm listening."
"If you tell me what I need to know then I'll let you get the venom from her."
The fortune teller asked, sounding almost child-like, "How do you know it's a girl?"
"Uh... I just know."
Madam Treelily smirked, her rouge lips flattening and making her look older than forty. "Ah, I see. We have a agreement." She shook his outstretched hand and sat up straight, closing her eyes. "I must implore the spirits for assistance." After a few seconds of total silence, the woman asked in a voice unlike her own, husky and deep, "What do you need to know about the Nameless?"
Harry shivered, suddenly feeling very cold.
"Er...the history... er, why Vol- You-Know-Who would want it, and if it has any connection to my friend; Neville Longbottom's death?"
Madam Treelily made a throaty moan and said with her eyes still closed, "According to the legend, the Nameless was made in the time before Merlin. Created in the darkest place where no wanderer may travel, created by a formidable sorcerer. He used magic that was not good and pure, but powerful and grave. He produced it to destroy his enemies when the Time came to War. The sorcerer destroyed all the villages that lived nearby within seconds. Around the Middle Ages, it was said that Merlin found it and hide it in the most remote place on Earth. It had a most dreadful power. Whichever hands dealt the power; good or bad; it was only meant to destroy. The Nameless was said to burn the flesh right off your bones at the touch, and to cause the utmost evil inside yourself to emerge head on. Only one could control it, the descendant to the sorcerer."
Harry muttered, "Voldemort."
The fortune teller did not flinch at the accidental slip of the name. "He-Who-Must-Be-Named is in quest of the Nameless, to destroy Harry Potter. He seeks it to finally obliterate him. Whether he can control it, I cannot tell. The outcome between this War I cannot see. About this boy in the paper, Neville Longbottom, is he?" Harry nodded and Madam Treelily let out a deep breath, "He was murdered by You-Know-Who, and it was the Killing Curse. The boy knew something important that the Dark Lord did not want him to reveal. A simple Memory Charm could not have erased it. It was something that would have given Harry Potter an advantage in this War, even if the You-Know-Who had gotten it, he might have not been able to use the Nameless. Only the true descendant can control it."
"So Voldemort isn't the true heir?"
The woman shook her head. "I do not know... the spirits have left us." Her eyes opened and they looked usually tired. Madam Treelily sat silent as Harry cagily set Keandra down.
"Be careful with her."
She took up the snake and held her over a jar, opened the snake's mouth, and firmly, yet gently, pressed the back of her head. The fangs were exposed and several drops of clear venom fell into the jar. Madam Treelily let the snake go, Keandra traveled up Harry's arm and wrapped herself snugly around his shoulders once more. 'I told you I'd be helpful.'
Harry got up and smiled at the woman, "Thanks for your help."
The fortune teller grinned crooked, white teeth, as Harry turned to leave, she spoke, "Have a nice day. . .Mr. Potter."
His heart was pounding and if she had seen his face, she would have seen that it had grew a few shades of red. Harry exited the dusty building; stepping into the darkness of Knockturn asked out loud, "How did she know my name, Keandra?"
The snake said, sounding a bit weary, 'Ssshe knowsss all.'
Harry talked to her as they left the shadows.
"She reminded me of Professor Trelawney at Hogwarts."
Keandra hissed in disgrace, 'That old bat couldn't ssssee the future if it came up from behind and bit her in the assss.'
Harry cracked up, clutching his sides in pain.
