Chapter Two
Shopping at Diagon Alley
The days flew by. It was time to go to Diagon Alley for the school supplies. Harry had had fun during his time away from the Dursleys but his worries with the return of Voldemort never left him. He still woke up in the middle of the night sweating and with pain in his scar. There wasn't anything he could do but wait and that's what made him angry.
"Come on...eat your breakfast" - said Mr. Weasley while he dressed his robes in a hurry – "After shopping I have a meeting at the Ministry."
" What's the matter Arthur?" - Molly asked with worried eyes. Harry watched them, expecting the worse.
"Nothing Molly. There are few rumors that need clarification"
They ate their breakfast quickly. They were quite impressed with a chocolate mousse and Mrs. Weasley told them that it was Hagrid's fudge melted. Turned out they were always good but too hard to be tasted.
During their journey to Diagon Alley, Harry noticed that Mr. Weasley was agitated. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel of the car the Ministry lent him. He also appeared to be muttering as if speaking his thoughts but too low to be heard.
Fred and George also talked to each other in a very low voice and Harry knew pranks were on the way. Ginny looked through the opened window, eyes closed, smiling, red hair flowing. Ron looked from her to Harry and rolled his eyes in disapproval. They parked the car near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and went straight to the wall that was the entrance to the Alley.
As they were leaving Gringotts they found Hermione. The trio went to Florish and Blotts while Ginny, Fred and George went to a pet shop. Mr. Weasley went to the Knockturn Alley:
"Don't follow me!" - he told his children but focused his gaze on Harry - "I won't be long. I'll meet you back at the Leaky Cauldron" - and off he went, looking from side to side.
"That's odd. He never goes there" - said Ron
"Maybe it's because of the rumors" - said Harry. They looked at each other but it was Hermione who spoke:
"No Way! You two are not getting into trouble before school starts!" - and pulled both of them by their sleeves until they got to the entrance of Flourish and Blotts. On the way, they told her everything about the book.
"And you didn't bring it to show me!" - she said, putting her hands on her hips, frowning.
"It's too heavy to carry around. Besides, you'll see it on the trip to Hogwarts" - answered Ron.
Flourish and Blotts was packed. They got their lists in hand and went to look for the titles they needed but instead found tow clasmmates, the beautiful twins from Ravenclaw. Hermione didn't like them very much. She thought them frivolous. The twins were also fifth years and the dream date of many boys. Dark hair and greenish eyes, they were once courted by Fred and George but the girls dumped them before they got the chance to introduce themselves. They saw the three approach:
"Oh look who's here! Potter and his fan club", one of them said.
"Good morning Potterets."
Hermione and Ron didn't move. Harry really couldn't care less, so he just started looking for the books he needed. Hermione, she just couldn't take it anymore:
"Wow! You actually look interested in books. Trying to get acceptable grades this year?"
"Please Granger...as if our academic development concerns you"
"Do you really believe we don't have good grades? We're Ravenclaws! The only difference is that we don't have to get ugly, like you, to achieve them"
Hermione was getting redder by the second. She was about to blow up but it was Harry who spoke:
"Tell that to Krum. I think that Hermione's intelligence wasn't the only thing that impressed him"
The anger in Hermione's face gave place to a triumphant smile. The twins left, whispering to each other. Hermione turned to Harry and, laughing out loud gave him two thumbs up.
"Where's the big deal in that? Just because a professional Quidditch player took you to the Yule Ball, saved you on a task... sends you owl mail and... asked you to spend your vacation with him...humpf...no big deal."
"Jealous, Ron?" asked Hermione, trying to hide her smile.
"ME? JEALOUS? OF YOU? HA!"
The three of them went on their search for the books. Hermione was laughing internally, Ron still pretending he didn't care and Harry finding it all very amusing. Near the Counter Curse section they found Seamus and Neville:
"Hey everyone! How was your vacation?" - asked Seamus, smiling.
"Fine. I've spent some time over at Ron's, and Hermione went to Italy. How about you?"
"I went to Greece with my parents and Neville went to research herbs and plants with his grandmother in the Amazon Forest."
"That's awesome, Neville! How was it?" - asked Hermione
"It was really hot but very interesting. I brought some specimens home with me"
"Wow...I bet that'll impress Snape." Hermione said. Neville went pale just by hearing the name of his most hated teacher.
"He can never know!" - Neville said almost in a demand. Acting as if it was the biggest secret in the world - "If he finds out he will make me brew a potion with them, I won't know how to and then he'll try to kill me."
"Calm down, lad." - came a soft voice they recognized from behind them - " Severus is mean but I don't think he would kill a student. Torture...maybe"
"Professor Lupin!" - yelled Harry, smiling
They all said their hellos. Lupin still looked kind of tired but still had that young smile in his big blue eyes.
"What are you doing here, professor?" - asked Harry
"Professor Dumbledore called me back. It seems that he was able to convince the parents that I'm safe. Also, with everything that has been going on, I'm more useful in Hogwarts. I just don't think that our old friend will like that, right Neville?" - said the young werewolf, smiling and gently tapping Neville on the shoulder. The boy, although pale, smiled. - "But I won't be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts alone. The Defense classes will be doubled and another teacher will share the post with me...don't worry Neville, Snape is still in Potions"
"So who is the other teacher?" asked a very curious Hermione.
"Not Lockhart, forget it Hermione" - shot Ron. The boys laughed quietly but she pursed her lips, fury in her eyes.
"I don't know who it is. I guess we'll find out when we get to school. Well, I have some things to take care of before the trip tomorrow. See you all at Hogwarts."
They said their good-byes and Lupin turned to leave. By the door Lupin saw the Ravenclaw twins, who tossed their long hair at him, smiling and flapping their eyelashes. Lupin just shook his head, smiling faintly as he left.
"They just hit on a teacher! How sick is that?" - snapped Hermione
"Oh Gilderoy! You are so bright!" said Ron doing a bad impression of Hermione's voice. She slapped him on the back of the head, hard. The boys laughed out loud this time.
Fred and George were already sitting by a table inside the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny was checking her list and Mr. Weasley, seeing that Ron, Hermione, and Harry were back, went to meet them:
" Did you get everything? Any problems?"
The three of them shook their heads in reply. Hermione went to sit by Ginny and Ron joined his brothers. Mr. Weasley still looked agitated. If the rumors, which had got him all worked up, were indeed true or not, Harry didn't know, but the visit to the Knockturn Alley had made the situation worse.
"Is there something wrong Mr. Weasley?" - asked Harry, not letting the others hear him.
"No, no. Rumors are rumors. We'll get to the bottom of this at the meeting. Not to worry."
Harry's curiosity was still getting the best of him. Bottom of what? Rumors about what? With everything Voldemort did, Harry had many reasons to be nervous and, apparently, he wasn't the only one.
Comforting arms around him, caressing his back, peace. Suddenly everything went dark. A flash of green light. Pain. Screams. Tear drops falling in his face. A soft and distant voice. Another flash. Pain. More tear drops. Loss. Harry woke up with his heart pounding against his chest. The nightmare again but it was getting more and more detailed. Harry breathed heavily, lying down again. The hair on the back of his neck was soaking with sweat. His forehead didn't hurt. Worries not danger. Ron snored softly as did the Quidditch players on the posters on the walls. Harry was getting control again, calming down. He wanted to remember the hugging, the voice and was thinking about them when he fell asleep again.