At Flourish and Blotts
Disclaimer: Don't own!
Life at the Burrow was different for the entire gang. Every now and then, they would discover something new about the Weasley's home: such as a ghoul in the attic, seemingly normal explosions coming from the Twins' bedroom, also a talking mirror that yelled if something was wrong with your appearance. Percy, Kaiba and Set usually kept themselves busy with book discussions and other boring stuff, Bakura and Serenity went into the woods outside and began to explore them, Mokuba was fully inducted into Fred and George's "Brotherhood of Pranksters". Needless to say, Kaiba wasn't that pleased that his brother was involving himself with people that could get him into trouble.
Brian was seen often outside exercising, or riding Lucien with Tea, Yugi and Harry usually spent their time Dueling and Yami was often talking to Mr. Weasley about the modern marvels in the Muggle world. One morning during breakfast, they heard a hooting noise coming from outside. "Isn't that your owl, Ron?" Harry asked him.They all looked out the window to see an owl having trouble, staying afloat in the air. "Uh oh, I don't think he's gonna make it," Yugi said, right before the owl hit the window. "Ouch," Mokuba winced as the owl slid down the glass and out of sight.
Percy got up and went to window as the owl climbed back onto the window sill. He reached over and retrieved some envelopes. "It's our school letters, and Harry, Dumbledore already knows you're here," he said handing him the envelope addressed to him. "Brillant man, Dumbledore, never misses a trick that man," Mr. Weasley said smiling. Mrs. Weasley looked over Ron's shoulder to read his list. "That lot isn't going to be cheap, Arthur," she said quietly to her husband. "We'll make due, Molly, we always do," he said hugging his wife.
That afternoon, they donned their school uniforms and robes with their House Insignia Badges on them and stood with the Weasleys. "So how are we gonna get to Diagon Alley?" Brian asked them. Mrs. Weasley pulled out a pot with dust in it and threw it into the fireplace. Joey, Yugi and Brian paled at the familiar sight. "Floo Powder? Dammit!" Joey groaned. "You first, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said holding the pot out to him. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked looking at everyone. Ron slapped his forehead, "He's never used Floo Powder before, Mum," he told her. After a quick explanation, Mrs. Weasley grouped Harry, Bakura, Yugi and Brian into the fireplace and handed Harry a handful of Floo Powder. "See you all there, I guess," he said before throwing the Powder at his feet. "D-d-diagonalley!" he coughed out and the four kids disappeared in a flash of green light. The rest of them looked at the empty fireplace. "What did he say?" Mrs. Weasley asked them. "He said diagonally," Ryou told her. She nodded "I thought that's what he said," she murmured shaking her head.
The four Floo travelers were spit out of a fireplace that was boarded up and they rolled across a dusty floor in a dark shop. Bakura picked himself up and looked around, "Wow, nice place," he said smiling. Yugi and Harry looked around to find the most distubing things in the shop: skulls, hands in cases, a bloodstaineddeck of cards, bones,and other such sights. "Whatever this place is, I'm coming back here!" Bakura whispered excitedly. They headed towards the exit when the door opened and the bell above sounded. "Quick HIDE!" Yugi snapped quietly. They all ducked behind a large wooden desk with burn marks and peeked to see who had prevented their escape.
A man with white blonde hair that went to his shoulders and three others came inside. One of them with the same white blonde hair, and the other two with blonde hair and tans. "Touch nothing, all three of you," he ordered."Gotcha Mr. Malfoy," one of them saluted. "Hey Marik, Draco! Check this out," Malik said gesturing them over to a case with three weapons whose blades were made of black metal. Marik whistled "Man, that's nice," he said looking at them. "Hey, this is nice right here," Malfoy said pointing to a withered hand on a red cushion. A man who was currently speaking with Draco's father, stopped abruptly and turned his attention to the trio of blondes. "Ah! I see you've found the Hand of Glory! Insert a candle and it will give light in the darkest places ONLY to the user! Best friend to thieves and plunderers!" he told the boys.
Yugi and Brian had to restrain Bakura from popping up and taking a closer look at it. "Well, I know that my son and his friends will become something greater than just thieves and plunderers. About my dealings, Mr. Borgins?" Mr Malfoy trailed off. "Ah yes, of course sir," he said hurrying back to Mr. Malfoy. The boys kept walking around looking at the things on display, until they came across the burnt desk the others were hiding under. "I heard Muggle stories about this desk, the maker hated children so much, after he died, it became possessed with his hateful spirit and when any Muggle child comes near, it attacks," Malik said grinning. "Is it true?" Malfoy asked him curiously. "I don't know really, let's see if there's anything good inside," Marik suggested.
Before they could look behind the desk, Draco's father rolled up a long piece of parchment and turned to them. "Come, boys. We're finished here," he called to them. They sighed and left the desk alone and left the shop with Draco's father. Once the man behind the counter disappeared, Yugi, Harry, Bakura and Brian came out from behind the desk and looked around. "Ok, let's get out of here," Harry told them, moving towards the door. Yugi and Brian followed until Brian noticed Bakura staring longingly at the Hand of Glory. He grabbed his shoulder and pulled as hard as he could "C'mon Thief King," he growled yanking him away from the display case.
Once they were outside, Harry and Yugi looked around at the foreign dark alleyway that was filled with shady-looking people. "Not lost are you dearies?" came a voice behind them. They spun around to see a hag-like woman with mossy teeth with a jar of, what looked like human fingernails. "N-no, we're fine," Harry said backing away from her. They moved about three more steps when more people gathering around them. "This is no place for children such as yourselves," an oily looking man with soot on his face. Brian pushed Harry and Yugi between him and Bakura and whipped out the Gauntlet Blade, "Anyone come's any closer, loses something," he warned them.
They just looked at the group of boys and before anything else happened, a loud and familiar voice filled the air, "HARRY! YUGI! What 're you both doin' down 'ere?" Hagrid called out to them from 15 feet away. "HAGRID!" Harry yelled. The crowd of people around them dispersed at the sight of the huge man and they made their way to Hagrid. "What were you four doin' in Knockturn Alley? If anyone from Hogwarts saw ya," Hagrid said shaking his head. "Harry! Yugi!" came a cheerful voice ahead of them. They looked to see Hermione Granger running towards them. "Hello Hermione, how's your summer been?" Harry asked her. "Fine, nothing exciting happened, I've been doing my homework," she told them. Bakura leaned over to Brian "She does homework...during vacation!" he whispered. Brian shook his head, "I guess so," he whispered back.
Hagrid left them alone and they headed to Gringotts to retrieve their money from their seperate vaults. Afterwards, they met everyone else at the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. "Oh! Look!" Hermione squealed pointing toone of the windows. The boys looked and read the announcement:
Gilderoy Lockhart
will be signing copies of his autobiography
Magical Me
today 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM
"We get to meet him!" Hermione squealed again jumping up and down. Bakura rolled his eyes as they went in to see it surprisingly full. "So what's with this Lockhart guy?" Yugi asked her. "Are you kidding, Yugi? He's my most handsome and most daring wizard of our time!" she said. At the front of a long line of witches, they found the rest of their group. "Oh Harry! Yugi, Brian, Bakura! There you are! Where did you end up?" Mrs. Weasley asked them relieved they were alright. "Knockturn Alley," Harry told her, and the Twins looked at them "Seriously? AWESOME!" they said in unison. "We've never been allowed in," Ron said enviously. "I can see why not, Ron," Brian said adjusting his shades. "Oh there he is!" Hermione said pointing to a man with wavy blond hair and a dazzling smile. "Well, that's him, anyone vote for ice cream?" Brian asked looking around. The other men in the group nodded and were about to head out when a man with a camera bumped into Harry and Yugi. "Make way, this is for the Daily Prophet," he said gruffly.
Lockhart posed for a few pictures before he saw Harry in the crowd. "It can't be Harry Potter!" he said over the noise. He reached over and pulled him close to him and started to shake his hand while the photographer was clicking away like crazy. "Ladies and gentlemen, little did young Harry know, that when he stepped into Flourish and Blotts to purchase my entire series of books, he would be getting his picture taken with me for the paper! Now, for my announcement! These young people in this store will have the treat of knowing the REAL magical me, as I take up post as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" he said beaming.
Bakura, Ron, Yugi and Brian groaned. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" Yugi whined. Harry came with an armful of books and he dumped them in Ginny's cauldron, "Here, I'd rather buy my own," he said before heading towards the door. "Well well, looks like Famous Harry Potter can't even go into a bookstore without his picture being taken," came a familar cold voice. They looked to the right to see three familiar blondes looking at them. "Malfoy, Marik, Malik," Harry said nodding to each one. Ginny came up to them "Shut up! He didn't want all that!" she snapped at them. "Looks like you've got yourself a girlfriend, Potter!" Malfoy said grinning. Before anyone could react, a silver snake canehead landed on Malfoy's shoulder. "Draco, behave in public, please," his father said softly and coldly.
"Well, this is the great Harry Potter, and the infamous scar. Just as infamous as the great wizard who gave it to you," he said, moving the snakehead to move away Harry's bangs so he could see the lightning shaped cut on his forehead. "Voldemort killed my parents," he said harshly to Mr. Malfoy. "Indeed. Ah, Arthur, here for your children's schoolbooks as well?" he asked Ron's father when he came up behind them. "Lucius," he said nodding. "How are things at work? No trouble I trust?" he asked smiling. "Some," Mr. Weasley replied. Lucius Malfoy reached into Ginny's cauldron and looked at a second hand book for Transfiguration. "You'd think that working overtime would have them pay you extra, but it seems quite the opposite, wouldn't you say?".
Mr. Weasley's face was flushed, "I don't have time for office talk, Lucius, I am here to spend time with my family. If you would be so kind as to move, we can leave without causing a scene," he said softly. Mr. Malfoy smirked and threw the book back into the cauldron, "Here you are girl, it's the best your father can get you. Draco, bring your friends, we're leaving," he said before turning around and leaving the bookstore. Both Ishtars and Malfoy took one last look at them then followed Malfoy's father.
Kilnorc: Thats another one down! Hope your liking it so far! If any of you have suggestions as to what happens to who at quidditch or during the strange attacks, please feel free to say so in the review!