Diagon Ally

Diagon Ally was bustling with activity and the large group of friends decided to split up at Flourish and Blotts.

' Could you get my books for me Hermione?' Harry asked holding out a bag of coins.

' Sure,' Hermione said looking over the list Harry had given her. ' It looks like you need the same as Ron.

The Standard Book of Spells Grade 6 by Miranda Goshawk

Living In Dark Times by Turne Light

Everything you need to know to stay alive by the auror Stephen Ancientus

' Yeah. Look I'm just going to Madam Malkin's and then I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron alright?'

' Can we say in three-quarters of an hour? I've still got a little shopping left to do and I wanted to have a look around that new shop down the end,' Hermione said rummaging through her tan leather shoulder bag.

' No problem,' Harry affirmed.

' I'm going to visit Fred and George so I'll meet you later too,' Ginny added.

So off they went, Ron kept dawdling looking in shop windows until eventually Hermione took him by the hand and physically dragged him away. She didn't seem to notice when Ron's ears flushed pink.

Harry went through into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and the door closed with a jingle.

' I'll be with you in a moment dear,' Madam Malkin herself said, her voice warm and tuneful, ' I'm just finishing up with this young lady.'

The lady in question had her hands by her side and they were completely covered by the long sleeve of the ebony robe. Her feet were also covered but Harry could see by the vee in the top of the robe that she was wearing a white shirt underneath. She was now fiddling with her sleeves and Harry's gaze traveled to her face.

Her skin was pale like Malfoy's and her cheeks were very faintly tinted pink. She had above shoulder length hair that was very dark wine red and wavy. She flicked a lock of it out of her face and her eyes met Harry's. They widened in shock (Harry presumed it was because he was 'the boy who lived' ) and he saw that they were a dark slate grey. She quickly looked away and brought her hands down by her sides again when told by Madam Malkin that she needed her to stop fussing.

' Sorry,' she mumbled apologetically and Harry wondered idly if he was making her nervous.

When her fitting was done the girl hurriedly paid and left and Harry was measured for robes of his own.

' Grown a bit dear, haven't we? I could let down these that were just dropped off and then you'll be all set,' Madam Malkin said smiling as she measured.

Harry just nodded his mind distracted by thought. He hated how he was treated differently. Sometimes he wished that he could trade places with someone else, even if it was just for a day, to see what it felt like to walk around wizards without being stared at.

When he had bought his robes Harry looked around for a while. He found a shop called Flora's Delights and decided that this must have been where Neville had gotten his Mimbulus Mimbletonia. He had fun tickling the stems of some plants that looked like small Lilies but whose flower was golden orange not white and had been dubbed 'Singing Glories' for their sweet high song. He was thankful for the small signs on the shelves holding the plants identifying them and stating their features. Harry didn't fancy accidentally touching something and having his finger bitten off.

Thinking of the odd crooning noises Neville's plant had taken to making he spotted Neville through the store's front window. Neville saw him too, made a frantic waving motion and then gestured for Harry to come over. When Harry reached Neville he was surprised when Neville exclaimed 'Oh thank goodness!'.

' Hi Neville, whatcha doing?' Harry asked puzzled.

' Well you know how...when I Um... got my wand broken?'

Harry nodded feeling a slight stab of pain again thinking of his godfather.

' Well now I have to get a new one and Mr Ollivander...'

' He gives you the creeps?' Harry said guessing the problem.

' Well yes, now that you mention it.'

' I'll come in with you,' Harry said and Neville smiled. 'When I first got my wand he spooked me a bit too, but we're older now so we should be fine.'

Together they went into Ollivander's. It was quite dark and smelt musty inside and when Harry's eye's adjusted he had just enough warning to duck before a pot plant flew over his head and smashed on the door frame.

' Ooo...I'm so sorry!' squeaked the very same girl he had seen in Madam Malkin's and who was now covering her face partially with her hands fingers outspread and had on a horrified look.

' Oh don't worry about it...try this one,' said Mr Ollivander his eyes wild with the fervor of matching a wand to a person. He was used to having the objects in his shop upended, smashed or transfigured and didn't bat an eye. The girl tentatively waved the wand and Neville and Harry saw, trying to hide their grins, that Mr Ollivander was now breathing bubbles out of his nose.

' Ummm...,' she started.

' Finite incantatum!' Harry said when he had drawn his wand from his pocket.

' Thank you Harry,' Mr Ollivander said and then promptly whisked away to get another wand.

The girl, now realising she once again had an audience, flushed a little looking at the floor.

' Thank you...,' she said.

' Don't mention it,' he replied smiling.

' Here!' Mr Ollivander thrust another wand at the girl. She waved it in the air cautiously and Harry, Neville and Mr Ollivander prepared for some fresh disaster. Instead she was surrounded by a gorgeous moonlight glow.

' Well there you have it! Ash, nine and three-quarter inches with a dragon heartstring from a stunning pearl scaled dragon if I'm not mistaken. That will be seven galleons thank you.'

The girl handed over the money and took her new wand with a look of reverence and then once again hurried out.

' I wonder what her rush is?' Neville said.

HpHpHp

Neville's new wand was Willow, ten and a half inches, contained a hair from a male unicorn and he was now showing it to Hermione. They were all gathered at two tables and were wither drinking butterbeer or eating fantastic flavoured ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream parlor.

Hermione, who had also grown a little more over the summer, was currently wearing some nice light blue washed out jeans and a candy floss coloured tank top, since the weather was reasonably warm. She had also found a spell, which Ginny had stumbled upon, to help de-fuzz her hair so it now sat comfortably (also due to it's length) in chocolate waves that bobbed up and down every time she moved her head. Harry smiled as he saw Ron staring at her, eye's glazed, with a lovesick puppy air to him as she ate the cherry off of her 'Simply Strawberry' sundae and licked her fingers.

Ron was reasonably good-looking himself, especially when he smiled. His face was honest and caring and his eye's twinkled. He still had freckles, though not quite as many Harry had noticed as when he had come back from Egypt, just a smattering across his nose and cheeks. He was also competing with Harry in height.

Ginny was absolutely beautiful, having really blossomed. Her fiery hair was now reached under her shoulder blades and she was also taller. But still shorter than Hermione. Harry knew that Ron's overprotective attitude was going to have a workout this year.

' So Harry, are you continuing with the DA this year?' Hermione asked him now finished her sundae.

' I'm not sure,' he replied honestly to which he received disappointed cries from his companions. ' What I mean is, will we need it this year now that people actually believe that Voldemort (Ron and Neville jerked and Ginny muttered 'Honestly!' ) is back for real?'

' I was thinking that myself Harry,' Hermione agreed nodding. ' But I also think that now we might be able to make it public. Especially now that we can openly have support from Dumbledore, we could even get the teachers to help!'

Ron snorted in disgust. ' Teachers will ruin it! They'll take out all the fun!' he protested.

' I think we should just have the DA become an official club and keep Harry teaching it,' Neville said.

' Oh and if the load gets too much for you Harry you could just get some of the senior members to help,' Ginny put in.

' Well...,' Harry said looking at his friends eager and excited faces, ' I'll see.'

' Right!' Hermione said. ' Now that's sorted has anyone seen Neville's wand?' she asked.

To which followed a search of the tables, shuffling papers and moving bags until it was found, under a napkin.

HpHpHp

Meanwhile the girl that had fled form Harry twice that day had met up with a friend of her own at the Magical Menagerie and was in the process of hugging him to death.

' Thank you soooo much Paine!' she said holding the handsome boy close while he tried to keep the cage he was holding out of harm's way.

' Don't worry about it. You know I can afford it and I'll make it an early birthday gift,' Paine said detaching himself from her hug.

Paine straightened his black shirt as he looked down at his friend affectionately. He stood at roughly the same height as Harry, if less an inch or so on Harry's six feet. The girl now relieved Paine of the silver gilded cage which contained her new Raven and he ran a hand through his long-ish hair that was akin to the raven's ebony colouring.

' So what are you going to call him?' Paine asked with a very Malfoy-like smirk.

' How about Potter?' she smirked back.

' WHAT!'

' Or Daisy'

' NO!'

' Humperdink!'

' NO!'

' Mortimer!'

' Where did you get that one from?'

' A muggle book called Arabel's Raven.'

' How about something more original?' Paine asked.

' Bunnykins then!' she said with an evil grin.

' There is no way in heaven I'm letting you call a perfectly respectable MALE raven ' Bunnykins' !'

' What about Vol-,' she began but was cut off as Paine clapped his hand over her mouth. ' Ouh comm om, Iddid ee Ileriof!' she mumbled her eyes sparkling silver.

' No! If you refuse to be sensible I'll name him!'

' Oh yeah?' she said putting her right hand on her hip now that his offending hand had been removed, ' What then?'

Paine paused with his mouth partially open looking very much like a fish, so much so that the girl chuckled. Paine scowled.

' Nightshade.'

' Hmm...how about Chade for short?' she asked.

' Fine,' Paine grumbled leading them until they were in Flourish and Blotts. They looked around for a while every so often picking a book off a shelf and thumbing through it.

' You know I'm really glad you decided to come with me. You didn't have to...'

' I know,' Paine interrupted as she trailed off. ' Durmstrung was getting to dark for me anyway. And besides, you need someone to watch out for you,' he stated calmly.

' Rose?' Paine questioned.

' Malfoy...' Rose hissed.

And there he was. Lounging in an armchair with a book in his lap, but his eyes were on them. He looked as stunning as ever. His icy blue gaze narrowing as he realised they had stopped talking. He flicked his now loose blond hair away from his face and glared.

' Do you make a practice of listening in to other peoples' conversations Malfoy?' Rose asked turning away from the book shelves to face him.

' I find it makes for an interesting past time. I don't believe we've met...and you are?'

' Rose.'

' Paine Haze,' Paine said coming up behind Rose and putting a protective arm on her shoulder which Rose then shrugged off hissing quietly, ' I can take care of myself.'

' Haze...very old family but pure if I remember correctly,' Malfoy mused. ' But I thought your crowd went to Durmstrung. On holiday?' he asked with his famous smirk, ' ...With your girlfriend?'

At that both Paine and Rose stared at him completely nonplussed and Rose burst out laughing. Draco, confused, didn't know how to rectify his mistake.

' Malfoy, you don't seem half as evil as what I've heard if you can look like that...' she said, her laughter dying down. Paine had to admit, he did look comical with his clueless expression.

' We'll see you around Draco,' Rose said scornfully and left, with Paine following, but not before he had sent Draco a look of sympathy.

Draco Malfoy just sat there, stunned, trying to figure out what on earth had happened. Yes, he had been eavesdropping but he hadn't heard much since they'd been talking in low tones. He didn't understand how that girl had seemed so familiar with him. He didn't know her. Sure he had heard of the other's family from his father but ... Altogether it left him feeling quite disconcerted.

HpHpHp

Wow that was looong... O-O Hope you like. Thanks goes to Nat (my lil sis) for being my beta.

Now revieeew...press button and let me know whatcha think. Like it? Love it? Think it needs more work? Let me know.