A/N: Any long part in the chapter, and the rest of the stroy, that is in italics, is a Harry POV. Kinda like a flash back...but it's written down, like you might write an interesting conversation in an actual diary...does that make any sense?
Chapter 2
A Trip To Diagon Alley
July 15-Hermione and Ginny visited several library's but they found nothing. NOTHING! We knew Horcruxes were hard to find but this is insane. Hermoine, being of age, was allowed into most areas of the library. Well, everywhere but the restricted section, and those were just for people with that career. Ron wanted to sneak into the library but Hermione said there were to many wards and such to stop just that. And no one wanted to answer any unwanted questions.
Me and Ron on the other hand went to the Wizard Bureau to look for anyone with the initials R.A.B. Too much luck. Over a hundred names. And we don't know when in the last 50 odd years the locket was stolen so we have more problems. Also another problem. We just found out that criminals and important wizards are not listed with normal denizens. Instead they have their own bureau. The problems just keep adding up! What if the person wasn't a normal citizen? What if R.A.B. was just a nick name? And what if they were dead? Or for some reason, fearing Voldemort or a Death Eater would notice the locket was gone and went searching for them and they some how got their name out of the government listings?
Suffice is to say. Today didn't solve anything.
July 16-We had quite the day today. We were running low on funds and need to eat. There is only so much you can bring with you and word to the wise; Transfigured food is NOT edible.
So we headed to Diagon Alley.
Hermione brewed a simple height potion and we all added several inches to our height. We also wore hoods over our faces. Therefore our disguises weren't the best. To make it a little bit harder we decided to split into two groups as soon as we got there because we know they are looking for four kids not two that were several inches taller. But we also knew the hoods were conspicuous so we were just picking one bad over the other. Oh well.
Hermione and Ginny headed to Florish and Blots with the rest of our money and Ron and I went to Gringrots. Hermione was a little edgy about us visiting Gringrots but I told her that goblins really wouldn't care that a run-away kid was talking out money from their account. More then likely they will let us leave without telling a soul but for an extra surcharge. She looked doubtful, but grudgingly agreed.
We did get out money and with no one the wiser headed to meet the girls at Flourish and Blots. They handed over a few books in exchange for some galleons to go buy some more. We had decided that they would buy a few potions books with the money they had and when we returned they would go buy other books, ones we couldn't find in the Black library, while we headed to the apothecary to buy potions ingredients.
They had already looked over the books and had slips of parchment marking the potions that we should buy ingredients for. (and yes, Hermione planned the trip to a T, she said is would make it quick and efficient) Our trouble really started when we were looking for powdered asphodel. There were three men talking about unicorn hairs, when one particularly tall one looked over at us. I heard "Harry Potter" then "No…Maybe…" Nothing else, we were already at the cash register. Thankfully there was no line so we made a fast exit. We also had all out ingredients. Ya for us.
Hermione and Ginny, not being famous or anything, had no such trouble. We found them just outside the book store. After explaining our problem we all decided to stick together and quickly buy the rest of what we needed. Obviously we couldn't risk another trip. Just 20 minutes later, laden with a different books, potion ingredients, owl accessories, parchment, quills, and miscellaneous things we, almost at the Leaky Cauldron, thought we were going to make a clean get away down muggle London. Alas, like the muggles say; the shit hit the fan.
Unfortunately the group of wizards we saw in the apothecary told the authorities and they were waiting for us. Just in Diagon Alley, in front of the door to the Leaky Cauldron, the men we saw in the apothecary were loitering. We thought nothing of it. Just before we reached the door one of them stuck their head in and shouted something. I assumed it was for a drink…it was a warning apparently.
We walked in and was empty save for 5 people. 3 at a table just to our right and 2 near the front door leading to muggle London. I was first to walk in and had made it halfway before Ron, who was last had passed into the pub. We were all being stupid, really. The Leaky Caldron was ALWAYS busy. Oh well. Like I wrote previously, we learned our lesson.
The wizards and witches sprung up and guarded the exits.
"You're Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Correct?" demanded a stern looking witch who was guarding the front.
"And if we were?" I replied. Well, I was trying to be civil. If they decided to get into a duel instead of letting us pass it would be there problem…not to mention them having to explain why 5 fully trained aurors lost to 4 not so trained students.
"Please, lower your hoods." asked a wizard from behind asked rather kindly.
Not taking my eyes off the witch in front I replied. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" I lowed my hood. So did my three companions.
I took the confusion to look around. There were two wizards behind us and one witch. The witch looked like a pushover…Not in the magical sense, but in the fact that she wouldn't want to hurt us. She would most likely talk as much as possible before using any physical restraint. We could probably duel and we wouldn't get more then a body binding hex from her.
The other two looked doubtful. Like they were wondering why there were 5 fully trained aurors to look after 4 students. Therein lied their weakness. Underestimating us was always a bad mistake.
The two in front, one a witch, the other a wizard, were both stern. I think the witch was the leader of this little group and she acted like it. The wizard only shows contempt for our actions. So be it.
"Come with us then." the wizard in front demanded. He started to walk forward, arm out stretched, when all four of us raised our wands.
"Lower your wands!" the witch in front said in derision. "You wouldn't want to get hurt"
I scoffed, making the two in front more angry and the three behind, when I peeked a glance look more and more antsy.
I shot a sly smile to me three companions, and they nodded.
"3..." I started
The wizard in front, obviously not used to such blatant disregard started to turn red
"2..."
The aurors raised their wands . "We don't want to duel…just come with us…"
Hermione and Ginny turned and faced the three aurors behind us.
"1..."
Curses and hexes sizzled as I dodged a binding hex and shot a stunner an the witch in front. Having no where to go, a chair to her left and the wizard to her left, she went down.
Ron cursed and I looked over to see him nursing a stung arm. "The auror sent a scorching hex at me…STUPIFY!"
Behind a chair, just having ducked an expelliramus, I saw Hermione and Ginny had taken down two of the three aurors guarding the way to Diagon Alley. Ssending a binding curse there way, it hit the remaining auror.
Shooting a smile my way Ginny called "Thanks Harry!"
I nodded and rolled away as the table in front of me exploded.
I heard a call of "STUPIFY!" and it went quite.
The dust settled and I stood looking around. We had managed to stun 3 aurors and bind the other. Other then a few scorches to our bodies and a destroyed pub, not entirely our fault, we were fine.
I laughed at the irony of the situation. The men outside called the aurors who then came here excepting to capture us, therefore giving the entire auror team praise. Instead all the auror's had managed was to cause tremendous damage to a pub that they will most likely get a tongue lashing fore…
Looking back I wonder if the Ministry will pay for the damage, or if the pub owner will be stuck with the costs…I'm guessing the owner will.
