Sych77: Ron's success in Divination is a small plot point that will crop up later on, so just wait and see! And yeah, I had to get Harry into Potions. It'll be interesting to see how he copes without Ron by his side to help him through the insults. Lol, I am JKR in disguise! (I wish.)

Marauder3Moony: Thank you for your review, it was very uplifting!

SongofStars: Hello, hehe. I'm glad you like this. Hope you keep reading!

Supervoa8610: I never said Ron was going to get new Dressrobes did I?

Alen: Come on, Harry is not being a wimp. And he's not going to chuck the Order out. Anyway, it's not officially his house until he leaves Hogwarts. He needs to live in it with adults until then.

Loonygrl90: Lol, thank you very much. Thanks for sticking with this

Chapter 8

With Voldemort and his Death Eaters still at large it was still too dangerous for Harry to go out without a large group of the Order. Harry kept these feelings hidden as the group bustled around the hallway amongst Mrs. Black's shrieking. Lupin and Moody were to be joining them to Diagon Alley. Lupin said he was getting rather bored of the house whilst Moody insisted he needed to buy himself some cleaning fluid for his large blue eye. "Still sticking since that scum wore it," he had growled over the table that morning as Mrs. Weasley had served them all breakfast.

Harry watched with small amusement as Kreacher meandered into the hallway amongst the fray of trying to get seven people out of the houses whilst trying to silence the portrait. He tried to dust around everyone's feet as people bustled to the door in a bid to get away from the murderous screeches. Mrs Weasley was speaking over the babble of voices to Lupin about the disappearances of Fred and George, wondering whether they had suddenly developed love lives. But then, suddenly..

"FILTH! SCUM! HALF-BREEDS!"

Harry bravely made his way over to the portrait, grabbing the curtains that flew up either side like there was a strong gale. As Harry arrived in front of the portrait, Mrs. Black paused in her eye rolling and stared at Harry, "YOU!" she howled, "HALF-BLOOD FOILER OF THE DARK LORD! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU WRETCHED RUNT!"

"My house!" Harry bellowed back as he tugged angrily on the curtains. He felt a flicker of anger inside his chest as Sirius's face swam into view to be replaced by the sinister smiling face of Voldemort. "ARGH!" he cried out furiously as he yanked the hangs, which promptly ripped from the wall. The metal hooks tumbled down and clattered onto the tiled floor of the hall.

Mrs. Black cackled maniacally, "FOOL! POISONOUS SCUM!" her eyes rolled madly as her mouth sagged. Harry stared in horror at the curtains, which hung loosely in his hands, trailing morosely into the floor besides the broken hooks.

"Now we'll never shut her up!" growled Moody furiously as he stumped over to Harry. Mrs. Black continued to howl with rage, her eyes popping in their pale sockets.

"Ignore her, she'll shut up when we leave," muttered Mrs. Weasley as she began to descend the steps onto the outside street.

Moody gave Mrs. Black a piercing glare with his normal eye whilst his other rolled into the back of his head to watch Mrs. Weasley, "Aye," came his growled response as he turned and nudged Harry in front of him. The group shuffled out into the bright sunshine. Behind them, the black peeling door of number 12 slammed shut, and left an echoing eerie silence as Mrs. Black was heard no more.

There was an overwhelming relief poured over Harry as he stepped into the Leaky Cauldron from the muggle street outside. It was as if he could smell the magic in the air. Or maybe he was becoming mixed up with an exploding teakettle that was currently dancing across the large centre table in the Leaky Cauldron. It spurted smoke from it spouts every so often drifting a sweet honey-tea tea smell across the air. Harry regarded it fondly for a moment before a tall young wizard rushed behind the bar and gathered it with a scolding few words.

As expected, the gathering of wizards and witches in the room had strayed their eyes upon the entry. Harry felt eyes studying his scar quite intently, and he subconsciously flattened his fringe. Moody stumped past Harry as he headed over to the brick wall that led into to Diagon Alley, he made a curt nod to the bar tender as he passed. The young wizard waved politely, eyes drifting over the gang that had followed Moody in, "Stopping for a drink, Alastor?" he asked as he petted the teakettle in his arms that kept whistling weakly.

"Sorry Reuben," grunted Moody as he peered towards the man, "Ain't got time. Maybe on the way back."

"I'll hold you to that," said Reuben with a light-hearted chuckle.

As Harry followed on after Moody, he took the time to observe the bar keeper whom Moody appeared to know. He was a tall fair skinned wizard with dark blue eyes that glittered animatedly. He had a well-built face that was slim but bore signs of stubble along his structured jaw. Atop his head was a shaggy brown style hung over his eyes in a lazily attractive way. Harry figured he was no older than Tonks, yet his eyes held a wise sharpness to them that Harry knew did not come from tending a pub. However, Harry was taken aback a moment as Reuben greeted him jovially with a wave. He managed a shy grin and returned the wave to the stranger before he headed on after Ginny digged him in the back to make him hurry.

Moody raised his wand to the stone wall, "Three up.. two across," Moody murmured as he followed the path with his wand. Then, he tapped a stone brick with his wand and upon contact the wall shuddered before the bricks began to fold back with a quiet rumbling to form a rounded arch. Sunlight spilt into the Leaky Cauldron as the entrance to Diagon Alley was opened. Sounds of busy activity mulled in with the chatter of the pub including a distance voice crying their advertisements. Slowly, the group, led by Moody and Harry, walked out onto the dusty cobbles. Familiar signs glinted at him as they swung slightly in the breeze. The peeling gold lettering of Quality Quidditch Supplies and Eeylop's Owl Emporium could be seen in the distance, such sights causing a relief to wash over Harry as the magical world bustled and hurried in front of him in the form of wizards and witches travelling from shop to shop.

"Books," growled Moody as he walked on, leading the large team through the mass of magical shoppers. Harry felt Moody close to his arm, the older wizard clearly not at ease in this place. It was a hot day too, the sun gloriously burning down on the winding street and having a wizard pressed up to your side was somewhat suffocating. Lupin appeared to have noticed for he gently pressed through Ginny and Hermione to reach Moody's side, "At ease, Alastor," he said quietly. "An attack is unlikely at this time of day. Look how busy it is, far too many witnesses."

"Didn't stop Pettigrew," Moody grunted as his eyes rolled to watch a stooped wizard pass by them.

"Alastor.." said Lupin again in a calm voice but Harry could hear the warning edge to it.

Moody swivelled his blue eye up to the other man, including his normal eye, "Fine, fine," he growled, "But don't blame me if you get 'Avada Kedavraed'."

Lupin smirked slightly as he glanced to Harry, who was pleased to have the security loosened on his visit to Diagon Alley. Using this opportunity, he slipped back from the order members to walk alongside Ron and Hermione. Ron was getting fussed over by Mrs. Weasley, much to his dislike.

"Here's your letter," she said as she bustled the envelope into Ron's fist. Ron took it from her grudgingly and began reading the list once more. Besides him, Mrs Weasley began thrusting Ginny's letter into her palm. Ginny looked at her mother shrewdly for a moment before she jerked out a hand to grab Harry by the arm. With a start, he was yanked to the back of the group.

"Problem," she hissed as she watched her mother out of the corner of her eye.

Harry glanced over to Mrs. Weasley before back to Ginny. "What do you mean?" he asked, upon noticing her worried expression.

"She still doesn't know about Fred and George and their shop," she mumbled, eyes flickering around worriedly, "We're not near it yet.. but we need to avoid it. What if she walks right past!"

Harry blanched at the words. He glanced over to Mrs. Weasley again, feeling a horrible hole burn in his gut. It was his money, his winnings that had funded the Weasley twin's dream. And apparently her brothers had told Ginny. Harry wasn't surprised; recently Ginny and the twins had been getting close than she was with any of her other brothers. Notified by her fiery attitude and enjoyment of pranks – not to mention the formidable Bat Bogey Hex. "Alright," he said quietly, "We'll just avoid going near their shop. Which I hope is possible."

"It's just before Knockturn Alley. We'll be able to avoid it.. if we avoid going close to the bank. "

"Come on!" Mrs Weasley called as she noticed that Harry and Ginny were straying behind, "We're going to Gringotts!"

Harry froze in his walk. He shared a glance with Ginny before he sighed and followed on behind Mrs Weasley. And sure enough in the distance he could see a violently purple sign hanging from a shop front displaying the words, "Weasley Wizard Wheezes." Harry though they might be lucky at first since there was such a large crowd around the shop that it might not be noticed. But just then, a familiar voice cried through the air, "Brand new products! No-Eye Glasses! Amaze your friends! 3 Galleons each, only at Weasley Wizard Wheezes!"

Harry saw Mrs Weasley come to a halt, her head turning slowly to looking at the crowd around the recently opened shop. She stared at the purple shop front, eyes scanning the gold lettering of the name. Her eyes narrowed as she read the owners names above the door. Ron turned slowly, frowning in confusing as he too heard the familiar voice of Fred.

"Mum.." he began, "That sounds like – "

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" she bellowed, storming towards the shop front, pushing through the swarming crowd.

Thank you for reading! Please review! (As from now, only 1 day to go till HBP!)