Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine and I … don't own Harry Potter. Also, I used a quote in my summary by von Geothe.
Dear Readers,
I'm back! Oh my goodness…I haven't updated for… a month? (blushes furiously)
Erm…ahem. Well,here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.
And reviewers: I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you!
- Pint of Stella
– CHAPTER THREE –
Trivial Suspicions
When Harry arrived in Diagon Alley, the sun had already started to peek through the horizon. The shop windows were dark and empty, and several were even bordered up with planks of wood. The usual merriment of the town was now a distant memory. It was hard to accept; seeing the centre of wizarding London in such a state of dismay, and Harry felt his stomach twist uneasily.
Ducking into narrow alley, Harry dismounted his broom and brushed the hair out of his eyes. He had been oblivious to the cold while he was flying, but now that he was on the ground it came back full force and he shivered. Peering around the corner onto the main street, he found it empty save for a trio of bearded wizards making their way from Gringotts Bank. They were huffing loudly while they sped towards the Leaky Cauldron. On the farther side, an old, curly-haired witch wandered about, peering into the dark shop windows. She tapped loudly on the door of the Apothecary and when no one answered, she grunted and hobbled away.
The coast clear, Harry stepped out into the open.
Now where would someone start? He wondered. He needed to find a clue. Any scrap of information about the remaining Horcruxes. But exactly how was slightly beyond his grasp at the moment Harry frowned in thought at the empty shops before him. Side by side, they stood in various stages of neglect. Fallen Ministry papers littered the sidewalks. Reluctantly, he started to make his way down the street. At least, he was now off on his own and his friends were out of the line of fire.
But some good it would do if he didn't make any progress.
He sighed. True - he might not be as clever or analytical as Hermione, but he could still figure things out, couldn't he?
You always had someone helping before, mocked the voice in his head.
Harry snarled inwardly.
I CAN do this, he thought back. I just need to THINK.
He frowned as he went over his list of options. If all else failed, he convinced himself, he would abandon his plan and arrive at the Weasley's that afternoon just as he promised. No one would know a thing.
Clinging to that small bit of reassurance, he turned to the right. He was about make his way to the wizarding bank when a robed figure seemingly sprang out of no where and ran straight towards him.
In panic, Harry tried to step out of the way. His foot tread the hem of his cloak and he stumbled backwards and fell, crying out in alarm. The robed figure followed suit and tripped over Harry's outstretched foot, falling to the ground with a grunt.
Completely frazzled, Harry struggled to pick himself up and regain his balance. But suddenly his blood ran cold. The stranger he had run into had their wand out, pointed down at him. He froze in horror until he glanced up and realized who he had run into.
Standing there with his wand raised, was none other than Neville Longbottom.
"Who's there!" Demanded the other Gryffindor, eyes darting nervously around the alley.
Harry glanced down at himself and was surprised to find he was still invisible. The cloak was still covering most of him, except the very tips of his shoes; but Neville hadn't noticed that.
"Who's THERE!" Neville asked, louder this time.
"It's all right Neville! It's just me!" Harry whispered quickly.
Neville lowered his wand a bit, brow furrowing as he tried to place the voice.
"Harry?"
Berating himself for having failed at his disguise so quickly, Harry sighed and pulled off his cloak. "Yeah, it's me." He muttered, beginning to stuff it unceremoniously in the pocket of his robes.
Neville's eyes widened.
"Harry! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"
"Ssshhh!" Harry waved his hands frantically. "Not so loud!" He paused before adding, "I don't want anyone to find out I'm here. You know, with Death Eaters around".
"Right. Sorry about that." Neville nodded solemnly. "Are you here to get your Apparition license then?"
Harry frowned. Going to the Ministry for testing hadn't crossed his mind for a while. But of course, he had promised Ron that they would take their Apparition exams together.
"Er, no, not really."
"I took my test yesterday." Neville continued. "And well…" He gestured hopelessly. "It didn't go that great, I suppose."
"Oh. Well you'll do better next time. I know it."
Neville smiled slightly at this. "Hope so. Well then, why exactly are you here so early?"
Harry grew distinctly pale and turned to eye the wide, double doors of Gringotts up ahead. A flock of witches hurried inside, chattering irritably about the cold and bickering amongst themselves. He racked his brain for an excuse that wouldn't sound suspicious.
"Harry?"
"I'm just here to get some money. That's all."
Neville's brow furrowed again in dissatisfaction, but he said nothing. For a minute or so, the two wizards stood in silence, watching early shoppers apparating into the street. They came in large groups, bunching close together, for fear of any attacks from Voldemort's supporters.
"Well, I suppose I better get going," Neville eventually piped up. "I'm off to meet my Great Uncle Algie in Egypt. I was planning to apparate there, but I guess now I'll have to travel by portkey and the line ups are…"
"Right." Harry smiled, absent-mindedly. "Have a great summer, Neville."
"Er, you too." Neville waved awkwardly and shuffled away.
Returning back to his task, Harry sauntered to the heavy doors of the wizarding bank and stepped inside. At the back of his mind he hoped Neville would have a safe summer.
"This is BLOODY RIDICULOUS!"
"Alastor, please calm down."
"I am NOT calming down. This is NOT a time FOR CALM."
Kingsley Shacklebolt, official auror and appointed head secretary to the Other Minister, gave a frustrated sigh at his colleague. "He couldn't have gone far now, could he Alastor?" He attempted what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "We'll just set up a search party and he'll be back before lunch time."
Moody was not amused in the least. "Easier said than done, Kingsley," he snapped. "Now I want someone to be waiting for Potter at Hogwarts. A pair of aurors on alert in Hogsmeade, and Lupin on alert at the Burrow. Doge, Tonks, Jones, Diggle, Shacklebolt, we'll set up watch for him in Diagon Alley. I have a hunch Potter might want to make a stop at Gringotts."
"Honestly, Alastor," piped a stout witch. Her large, green spectacles were sliding half-way down her nose. "Do you think this is necessary?"
A sharp-looking wizard in the third row nodded and folded his arms.
"She has a point, Alastor. The boy just turned seventeen. He's probably just enjoying a nice firewhisky with his friends."
There was a murmur of agreement throughout the room.
"Are you forgetting who Potter is?" Snarled Moody. "And he can hardly be with his friends; considering when they were contacted an hour ago they still believed he was with the Dursleys."
"He still can't have gone far." A tall, yellow-haired wizard spoke up. "He hasn't even gotten his Apparition license."
Moody's eye swivelled in irritation.
"There are Death Eater raids every two hours," the young wizard continued, "you honestly can't say this is a top priority, could you?"
"It IS a top priority, Sparks. And those raids are god damn impossible to predict without a spy on the other side. Trying to stop all of them is beyond the Order's abilities. Accept that." He snarled and faced the rest of the group. "And knowing Potter's magical capabilities, I do not doubt that he would be able to apparate if he wanted to.But he wouldn't need to.Have you all forgotten thathe is the owner of the fastest broom in Europe?"
The aurors glanced uncertainly at each other.
"Potter needs to be safe." Barked Moody. "And he needs to be somewhere where we can watch him - in case he gets into trouble. Is that understood?"
The witches and wizards all nodded reluctantly. Sensing their anxiety, Kingsley hastily dismissed them.
As they departed, Mad-Eye Moody shook his head.
"Blundering idiots."
Kingsley's lips quirked. "There's really no need for name-calling, Alastor."
Moody opened his flask and took a deep swig. "Where did you get theoe bloody recruits anyways?" He raised an eyebrow at Shacklebolt, who was reviewing the long list of names.
"They simply wanted to join," he replied, shrugging. "Felt they could help out."
"All want to be bloody heroes, I suspect. You'd better make sure they can be trusted, Kingsley. I don't have time to deal with any more bad eggs."
He turned to face the silent figure sitting near the wall.
"Why are you still here, Tonks?"
Looking ashen-faced, the witch looked up. She stood awkwardly and took a careful breath.
"I'm really sorry sir."
Moody scoffed.
"I should have," She looked desperately at Kingsley. "I should have been more careful watching over Harry's house. If I knew he had gotten away, I would have stopped…"
"DON'T weep over spilt potion, Nymphandora," interrupted Moody. "Get to Diagon Alley this instant."
The pink-haired witch opened her mouth as if to say more. After a brief hesitation, she nodded solemnly and pulled out her wand.
She apparated with a pop.
Harry emerged from Gringotts with a full bag of galleons tucked safely in his robes. He scanned the rest of the magical shopping district and found it only slightly more crowded than before. There were still no aurors or Order members around, but he wouldn't take any chances. Readily, he swung on the invisibility cloak.
It was then that he heard a hoot overhead and looked up. A large, brown barn owl coasted towards him and landed on a metal railing near by. Hesitating slightly, Harry approached the bird. Upon further inspection, he noticed it was a Ministry Owl.
The owl hooted again, and cocked its head to the side. Sensing someone approaching, it extended his leg where an official-looking document was tied.
Harry reached out, removed the parchment, and quickly slipped it under the invisibility cloak. The owl clicked its beak and took off, disappearing over the roof tops.
After cautiously glancing about to deduce whether anyone else had witnessed the exchange, Harry made his way to the alley beside Gringotts. Heleaned against the brick wall, next to a row of dustbins. He unrolled the Ministry scroll and scanned through the message.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I am pleased to inform you that as of the thirty-first of July, you are legally entitled to the inheritance of the possessions assigned by the late Mr. Sirius Black (1960 -1996), as according to the written will of the deceased. For a full account of the assets appropriated to you, the beneficiary, present this letter to the front desk in the Department of Dispensation. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Esther Vogt
Department of Dispensation, Third Floor
Ministry of Magic
London ENGLAND
As he finished reading, Harry felt a wave of apprehension. True, Sirius had left everything to him; Dumbledore had told him as much during the previous summer. Everything from Sirius's vault in Gringotts, to the despicable portrait of his mother in Grimmauld Place. But he didn't know what to do with any of it.
He certainly didn't WANT any of it.
What could he possibly do with his Sirius' house, for instance?Sit by the fireplace and wait for Voldemort?
A tiny voice was nagging at the back of his mind.
And honestly, he would hate going back. There would be too many memories.
Sirius locked up, Dumbledore at the Order meetings, summer with Ron and Hermione…
I can't go back, Harry scolded himself. I CAN'T.
Though as much a he tried to convince himself that he didn't need Grimmauld Place, he knew he was wrong. And it was all because of something Hermione had taught him over the years.
Research.
And in Number Twelve Grimmauld place, there certainly was a large library. One filled with many Dark Arts books, in fact. If there was anything written about Horcruxes – it would have to be in there, and he knew it.
Harry sighed heavily. Well, here goes, he thought. Swiftly, he mounted his broom.
Time to do some homework.
Should I continue?