Harry didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He stayed up, groggily, staring out his window as morning came. The sun rose in a myriad of colors but it only served to increase his exhaustion. Aura stayed awake with him, keeping him company all night.
Tilly came to wake him with a loud pop. She grumbled unhappily as she fixed up his room, moving the books he'd attempted to read in the night on the shelf and clothes scattered on the ground to his dirty hamper.
"Breakfast be ready, Master Harry," Tilly said crossly, in as much of a bad mood as he was.
He nodded, suppressing a yawn as he sluggishly got ready for the day. It felt like he was on Autopilot as he showered and dressed for the day. Aura left to hunt, as she did every morning with the rise of the sun.
As he made his way to the kitchen, however, that exhaustion replaced itself with anxiety. Inside, where he left Mara and His Dad last night had now transformed into chaos.
Mum had transfigured the table to fit all the new people which meant there was now five times the normal feast of breakfast foods than normal laying scattered onto the table. Harry was not first to arrive but he wasn't last either.
Mum was humming a diddy as she continued to cook, the dishes flying over the table as they prepared and set everything she needed.
Hermione looked at him with a smile as she devoured her bowl of porridge and sliced fruits.
Percy looked over the paper with one hand, a slice of toast in the other. Fresh tea steamed up from his cup as he spied the Weasley's basic sandwiches.
Neville on the other side looked embarrassed as the serving spoons kept adding to his now-massive pile of breakfast foods. Savory foods on one plate with cold ones on the other.
Lily Moon sat primly at the table with a huge smile, fork coated in juices as he reeled back at her carnivore plate. There was no sign of any kind of vegetable or fruit, only various meats piled up on her plate. She'd already devoured what looked to be a handful of kippers, steaks, and bacon slices from the amount of grease on her first empty plate.
Harry only sighed as he took his seat beside Neville at the table. Immediately two glasses were being filled up by the magical self-pouring pitchers. One of a classic orange juice and the other of a blue-colored drink he quickly recognized.
He sent his Mum a grateful look as she sent him a kind smile. He downed the potion as fast as he could, ignoring the bitterness at the back of his throat.
He forced down a few sips of the orange juice to chase it. He shuddered but the potion worked wonders. His exhaustion fell away and energy burst forth like an explosion. Wide awake, he dug into the breakfast food with a renewed vigor.
By the time the next kids came down, Harry's plate was cleaned and he felt uncomfortably full. Fred and George sauntered in with their identical, mischievous grins, 99% of a mother's morning stress. They took a seat at the table, looking quite proud of themselves.
Harry couldn't care less at this point. So long as they didn't cause too much damage. They'd get their comeuppance soon enough.
Ginny came next, sliding into the seat looking more awake than anyone had the right to be. She blushed when Harry passed her the butter dish, murmuring a thank you under her breath.
Harry brushed it off. It was nothing compared to how she looked when she interacted with Mara. She still hadn't said a word beyond squeaks to the Girl-Who-Lived, much to her brother's amusement.
He hoped she grew out of it. It was pretty annoying so far.
Ron wasn't far behind and seeing him appear in the doorway, Harry had to do a double-take. He realized just what Fred and George had been snickering about all morning.
Ron's bright red hair was nowhere to be found, instead replaced by an obnoxious puke green color in a very tall gravity-defying do.
At least twice his head was just the height of his new hair and Harry was strongly reminded of those popular dolls with big hair and ugly squished faces.
As Ron sat down and began piling his plate, it was clear he had no idea. But everyone else did.
Fred and George snickered across from him, enjoying themselves fully.
"Ron?" Neville asked, eyes wide and fork in mid-air. A piece of bacon fell out of his mouth as he stared slack-jawed at Ron's hair.
Ron grunted, not looking the least bit pleased to be up as he stuffed his face with pancakes.
Neville's question got Hermione's attention who gasped at the sight, slamming her hands over her mouth. She eyed Harry and he silently shook his head. Lily simply smiled down at her plate. Both Ginny and Percy simply ignored it, probably used to the twins' pranks by now.
But nobody said a thing, except for the odd stares. The elephant was asleep and nobody was going to wake it.
Mara came last, groggy as she always was. She slid into the seat next to Ginny, who turned bright red.
Mara yawned, no sign of any glow or pink as she rubbed the corners of her eyes. She stacked her plate with various chocolate-filled pastries.
"Can you pass the syrup?" Mara murmured to Ginny.
Ginny squeaked, accidentally dunking her elbow into the dish of strawberry jam. She handed over the maple syrup, not even noticing until she pulled her elbow out.
Harry snorted at the now red-colored elbow on her red jumper.
"Looks like you got yourself into a jam," Fred grinned.
"Shut up!" Ginny whispered, glaring at her brothers.
Mara without even looking up from her food said, "I like your hair today, Ron. Is Ireland playing today?"
Fred and George burst into cackles as Harry grinned behind his drink. Hermione sealed her mouth together, but even she looked amused.
Ron looked around confused, mouth stuffed full with food. "No, it's Bulgaria vs Romania. Why?"
Mara looked just as confused as he did. "It's too early for Christmas, isn't it?"
Snickers rang across the room as everyone tried to hide their smiles.
"Christmas?" He said between his food and it finally seemed to click in his brain. He reached a hand up to his hair and promptly spit out everything in his mouth to the opposite end of the table.
The twin grimaced, covered in Ron's half-chewed food as Ron tore out of the room. A few minutes, they heard a very distant screech.
Harry grinned as he handed his dirty dish to his Mum and gestured for the others to do the same.
Hermione got his signal first and quickly nudged Neville. Soon everyone was piling out, leaving only Harry, the twins, and Mara. Harry grabbed hold of Mara's arm and pulled her out of the room. She gripped onto her plate, fork in her mouth as he led her away, looking confused.
Fred and George were too busy picking Ron's grimy food off of them to notice, grumbling about their younger brother chewing.
Just as everyone fled, including his Mum, who laid a kiss on the top of his head and went to check on their dad, Ron came flying down, steaming.
He attempted to push his way back into the kitchen, spitting out curses but Harry put a hand on his chest and closed the kitchen door.
Three seconds later, a loud explosion burst into the room. Through the cracks in the door, various colored paints seeped from the room.
"WHAT THE FU-"
"THEY GOT US!"
"I'M GOING DOWN!"
"THERE'S TOO MUCH!"
"WAIT, DON'T-"
A loud crash fell, most likely the table and smugly, Harry opened the door.
Just as he predicted, the twins were head to toe covered in dripping obnoxious paints. Not a hint of their former colors in their clothes, hair, or skin was to be seen, except for their eyes. The twins lay on the floor, on top of the now broken table, food sticking to their clothes, laid out on the floor. The two faced Harry, looking more like horribly colored easter eggs than actual human beings.
Harry crossed his arms, satisfied with himself.
"Is this about the dung bombs?" George asked, sheepishly.
"Oh, come on! It was just a prank!" Fred complained, "Ain't this going too far?"
"No," Nearly everyone behind him said at the very same time.
"Fair enough," George shrugged.
"But this means war," Fred challenged a familiar twinkle in his eyes.
"Bring it on." Harry grinned.
On normal days, Diagon Alley was busy. One of the only shopping centers in Britain's Wizarding world, it's the go-to spot for everything magic. Wands, food, clothes, even ice cream. Everybody came to Diagon Alley for everything.
This is why navigating right before September made it all the worse. The closer to the first you get, the worse the crowds. Harry knew this.
But, they went anyway.
On busy days, Diagon Alley was pure chaos.
But navigating Diagon Alley on one of the busiest days of the year with a total of ten children?
The demons in Hell would pity you.
Thus, that is how one Harry Potter found himself squished in the middle of a pack of confused wizards as they all attempted to push their way into the same store. Between Fred and George behind him, hair and skin still covered in various colorful dyes, Neville clumsily tripping on his feet every few centimeters to his right, His twin attempting to wander off every time she spotted something shiny to his left and in front of him leading the flock of the group, his father who was looking more dead on his feet than an actual corpse.
Like any sane person, enough was enough.
Harry whipped up his wand in a frenzy, grabbed hold of his sister's hand, and dispersed her glamor.
He pulled her hand to the sky and screamed "Look! It's the Girl-Who-Lived!"
Then he let go.
Sure enough, it was like the entire alley stopped what they were doing and thousands of eyes turned to them in an instant, locking onto the red-haired girl.
"You bastard," Mara narrowed her eyes on him.
"I will remember your sacrifice," Harry placed a hand over his heart.
"IT'S AMARYLLIS POTTER!"
Harry attempted to hold onto the wall as the alley flooded towards Mara and he let himself get dragged down, out of the crowd.
"MUM!" Mara screamed, lost in a sea of people.
"Harry!" Lily scolded, from somewhere as she attempted to push her way through the swarm of people to get to her daughter, "Go with your father!"
"Will do!" Harry saluted as he watched his Mother be absorbed into the crowd, dozens of hands waving for an autograph, a handshake, and whatever else they could get.
Harry could finally breathe as the alley cleared of the majority of people, all flocking to the celebrity like sheep after their herder.
He spotted the gangle of red hair beside his father's dead look and sauntered over, pretty proud of himself.
"That was pretty mean," Hermione said as he approached.
"She'll be fine. They'll catch up soon anyway." Harry waved it off.
"And who is this lad?" A tall man with square glasses asked, a rather friendly look at him. Harry knew immediately from dark curly brown hair and perfectly straight, white teeth.
"Hello, Mr. Granger," Harry took the man's hand, flashing a charming smile that always worked on the press. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And you as well, young man." David Granger laughed, "What a thoughtful boy. Just like you said, Hermione."
Hermione's cheeks pinkened as she whispered, "Dad, cut it out."
Harry only smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Granger." He said to the woman with a striking resemblance to Hermione. She was short but no less as clean-cut, a clearly suburban middle-class mundane family.
"You as well, Harry. Please call me Emma," Emma Granger smiled and Harry winced at the blinding whiteness from her teeth.
Yup, they were really dentists, just like Hermione said.
"I'm afraid my sister would be here to greet you as well but she's currently tied up at the moment," He skirted around the real reason, hoping to get on their good side.
"That's no problem," Emma waved him off, "We met your mother. She's a very bright woman. Your father is a bit…"
"Yes, he is." Harry didn't need her to finish. David and Emma worriedly sent a gaze to his said father, who was leaning head-first onto a nearby wall, mumbling incoherently under his breath.
"He stayed up too late last night and he has a thing about not drinking coffee," Harry flashed his smile, hoping they didn't ask any further questions.
"Well, that certainly is a dilemma. I hate the taste of coffee too. Give me a good tea any day," David nodded firmly.
"Dad," Hermione interrupted, "We're going to go buy some things before the crowds get too busy again. Is that okay?"
"Of course. We'll just be here with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley was very fascinated by rubber ducks," Emma pondered, "I'd also like to ask a few questions about your curriculum. What do you actually do in Potions?"
"Thanks, Mom," Hermione hurried Harry away, pushing on his shoulders.
"It was so nice to meet you, Harry!" Emma called out, waving as her daughter practically sprinted away from them.
Harry only laughed as they went to talk to the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley commented on his weight and how he needed to eat more and he thanked her for the fudge and sweater. Mr. Weasley raved about his new theory on using magic on automobiles, only in theory of course because that would be illegal, he emphasized Molly's fierce glare.
Fred and George whispered that he had a flying car in the garage. They took it out for a test run and Molly was mad enough to put enough wards around it that nobody can get in without permission. The two only winked at him but Harry knew they'd break the wards before school started.
Mrs. Weasley fussed over Ginny, who was excited to get her new wand, though still shy enough to hide behind her mother when Harry approached.
Lily Moon, apparently disappeared, according to Neville so it was just Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione who went around to shop.
They first went to the trunk Emporium, where Hermione's eye was caught by the new trunk with an added potioneering room and library compartments. Since she didn't have enough, HArry offered to pitch in on it, so long as he got to store some of his books in it.
It worked out since Mum had already banned some of his more "unique" books. Easy way to smuggle them in and Hermione could read them too, as he knew she wanted to.
They picked up new ingredients to stock the potioneering room with whatever came to mind at the Apothecary. Hermione wanted to try making more difficult potions this year, without Snape breathing down her neck.
Ron wanted to stop by broomstix to check out the new model of brooms. Nimbus 2001 looked sleek but not nearly as sturdy as past brooms.
They stopped by Eeylops Owl Emporium for some treats for Hedwig. They spotted Fred and George heading into gambol and Japes, who were advertising their new No-Heat-Firework pranks.
Harry and Hermione of course had to head into Obscurus books where Ron and Neville managed to talk them out of buying sixty new books. They settled with twenty each.
Per the new school list, they managed to get all the new equipment, even stopping by Sugarplum's Sweets Shop for some treats.
"Harry."
Harry stiffened in place, a cold sweat dripping across his body. Slowly, inch by inch, he turned around to face the nightmare before him.
The deja vu was strong as Harry turned around, his sister standing there, a furious look on her face. He noticed with a wince that her hair was ratted like someone had been pulling on it and her clothes were rumpled.
She also looked like she wanted to burn him alive.
Ron, Hermione, and Neville all took a step back, the traitors.
Seeing the dark shadow of his mother behind his sister, he knew he was screwed.
Why couldn't karma be kind?
Harry rubbed his sore ears as the group headed to Flourish and Blotts, their last stop for today. The scolding he got was worth it but Mara's silent treatment was not.
By the time they were done, Harry's backpack containing all their purchases was reaching capacity, even with an expansion charm. Until the last thing left was the books.
And much to Harry's chagrin, they could only be found in one place.
Flourish and Blotts was unusually busy, probably due to the large banner on the upper windows.
GILDEROY LOCKHART
Will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
Today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M
Gilderoy Lockhart, the man who wrote a total of seven books on their list for this year. Fred and George have a running bet that it's either a woman who's obsessed with his books or a new teacher's way to torture them.
While Harry, Neville, and Ron groaned at the thought of having to meet the sucker, Hermione had other ideas.
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed, starstruck.
"Oh, great," Harry said sarcastically.
The parents led the group, pushing through the crowd which seemed to be made up of mostly middle-aged witches. A wizard who looked like he'd seen better days stood at the door, nearly in tears as he said "Calmly, please…Don't push… mind the books…"
Harry sent him a sympathetic look as he squeezed them in. Mara ducked her head as they passed by, not having her glamor up any longer. At the back of the shop, a huge banner with a blonde-haired man with a huge smile was held declaring this as Lockhart's book signing. While Hermione swooned at the sign, Mara made a distasteful look.
"By Merlin's saggy-" Mara cursed but Hermione elbowed her in the waist with a scandalized look.
'Sock," Mara finished lamely.
Luckily, there was a huge pile of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 through 7 all lined up near the entrance. They all sneakily took one and followed Lily and James to where further up in the line to meet with the massive area of redheads. They were quite easy to spot.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were there too.
"Oh, there you are!" Mrs. Weasley said, breathlessly. She kept fixing her hair as if the apron she was wearing wasn't covered in stains. "We'll be able to see him in a minute."
"Lovely," Harry and Ron said sarcastically.
"Mum fancies him," Fred popped over her shoulder with a grin.
"She's read all his books," George smirked.
"Boys!" Molly smacked them both upside the head and they backed off.
"Oh, What do you think he'll be like?" Hermione whispered, excitedly.
"A pompous git," Ron huffed.
"A narcissistic pompous git," Harry snorted.
Hermione shot them a glare but she didn't have time to scold them as the back door opened and out came a shiny man with bright blue clothes. The blonde-haired man sat down at a table surrounded by large photos of his own face, in various staged poses of winking or flashing dazzling smiles. His pointed hat was set at an odd angle so it didn't cover his wavy hair.
A short, irritable man pushed past the, with a large black camera, flashing photos.
"Out of the way," He pushed Ron, stopping on the boy's foot in the process, "This is for the Daily Prophet-"
"Rude," Mara huffed.
Harry slammed a hand onto her mouth. "Don't draw attention to yourself. Do you want to be spotted?"
Mara simply glared at him but fell silent, patting down her bangs anxiously to make sure her scars were covered.
"Daily Prophet, big deal," Ron muttered irritatedly.
As Gilderoy Lockhart posed for the photos, Ron must've been a little too loud for the man's blinding smile dropped as he spotted Ron and then Harry and inevitably, Mara.
"It can't be!" Lockhart practically shouted, getting to his feet.
"Oh no." Mara paled.
Harry sighed. In a panic, he tried to spot his parents, who were at the checking land buying all their books. His Dad kept leaning against the counter to fall asleep, held up only by his mum's hand.
They were no help.
"Amaryllis Potter!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lockhart dived for the crowd and grabbed Mara by the arm, and pulled her to the front.
Mara yelped at the sudden tug and Harry lost his grip on her in surprise. He didn't expect the man to manhandle his sister all of a sudden.
Harry snarled, stepping forward as a familiar feeling crept up from his hand. Luckily he had worn his gloves today.
Ron and Neville immediately seized him by the shoulders, pulling him back.
"Don't cause a scene." Ron warned him, "You'll make it worse."
Hermione frowned now, looking between the two, doubtfully.
"He wouldn't hurt her, Harry," She whispered, but even she looked unsure of herself.
Harry grit his teeth, attempting to keep his rage under check.
The crowd burst into whispers, clapping excitedly as Lockhart pulled Mara in front of the desk, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She looked pale as the photographer clicked away madly.
"Nice big smile, now," Lockhart said through gleaming teeth, "I heard you like to be called Mara. We'll be on the front page, Mara!"
"No scar!" The Photographer said, "Well, show it off then!"
Mara's eyes went wide with panic.
She shook her head but there was no saying no to Lockhart.
Lockhart immediately reached for her bangs, uncaring as Mara struggled to get away from him.
"No," She said firmly, "I said no!"
Just as he brushed her bangs, Mara snapped with a vengeance.
In one fluid move, Mara grabbed Lockhart's wrist, stepped back, pulling him into her, and then roughly turned with her hips, planting her feet firmly on the ground.
Lockhart didn't have time to scream as the momentum pulled him over her shoulder and straight onto his back with a crash. Nearby piles of his books went toppling over, spilling over the floor as the crowd gasped, pushing backward.
With a huff, Mara's boot immediately landed on his throat.
There was silence as no one knew what to say except for the wheezing Lockhart on the ground.
Harry could pinpoint the exact moment that Mara realized what she had done.
Her eyes dilated, and she jumped back from the man like he was a disease, her boot falling off his form. Lockhart groaned in pain and Mara's hands collapsed to her mouth.
Harry, however, only grinned in satisfaction. The burn-in his hand faded, the adrenaline leaving his blood still pumping.
Hermione gaped at the fallen form of Lockhart. As multiple people went to help the man up, Mara awkwardly slinked away, face burning in shame.
Her puppy dog eyes, filled with tears landed on him but before he could comfort her, An overprotective mom pushed her way through the crowd, a fierce look on her face.
"Mum," Mara said weakly, tears spilling onto her cheeks.
"It's okay," She smiled softly, pushing Mara behind her back. Their Mum then faced Lockhart, now back on his feet with a fierce glare.
"How dare you grab my daughter?" Lily Potter snarled, stepping into the man's space.
Lockhart sputtered, clothes unruly as he attempted to defend himself, "I just-"
"No one touches my kids without their permission! You're lucky I don't take your-"
Harry barely caught Mrs. Weasley slamming her hands over Ginny's ears just in time.
"-to court! Laying hands on my daughter, forcing her to take pictures! You're lucky you just ended up on your back or else I swear to Merlin, I'd cut off your-"
Harry's eyes went wide.
Can she say that?
"-and shove it so far down your throat, you're ancestors could-"
Mara's jaw dropped.
"-taste it!" Their Mum finished with a flourish.
Not once did she take out her wand, but she might as well have held a knife to his jugular with how pale and slightly green Lockhart looked.
He swallowed uncomfortably.
"I-I apo-apologize, Ma'am," He stammered. "It won't happen again."
"You're right, it won't," Lily glared at him, then turned to Mara and Harry, going from demon hellspawn to soft, motherly look in an instant.
The two stared at her in shock but she seemed not to care.
"Are you okay?" Their Mum looked over Mara and once she touched where Lockhart had grabbed her shoulders, Mara flinched. Their Mum scowled, about to turn around again but a fierce clapping cut through the shocked silence.
Their Dad looked proud, awed, and in love as he stared at their Mum, hands furiously clapping together, a gooey mess.
Beside him, Lily Moon stood, clapping as well with a serene smile on her face.
"Amazing!" James nearly cried. "That's my wife, you know."
"Quite a performance, Mrs. Potter," Lily said.
Sure enough, their awe allowed a few more to start clapping as well, mainly the men who had been dragged to the event. Even Ron looked impressed.
Many women, however, looked disappointed or flat-out furious at their Mum. Their Mum, however, didn't seem to care at any point.
Their Dad, however, did.
"I trust none of these pictures will make it to the Daily Prophet," He said, coldly to the photographer.
"Yes, sir!" The Photographer nodded nervously, immediately throwing the camera behind him. It landed with a crash, loud enough that another stack of books went toppling to the floor and they knew the camera was broken.
"Good. Now, let's get out of here!" James said, cheerfully.
"But we don't have our books," Hermione piped up but James simply handed her a cauldron filled with the Lockhart books.
"Oh, don't worry, we bought a set for each of the kids." James gestured to the group of Weasley kids, who now all held a cauldron filled with books. Ginny, the littlest, struggled to carry the huge collection. "I'd rather just get out of here before more people show up."
"Agreed." Harry nodded.
"But we can't-" Arthur and Molly protested at the same time.
"Oh, it's fine. Consider it a present," James waved them off.
"Right. You'd be doing us a huge favor, Molly," Their Mum said, kindly.
"Uh…I guess." Molly expressed disappointment, glancing backward at Lockhart, who was now attempting to salvage his image, fixing his robes. His face remained pale but he nonetheless looked no worse for wear.
"Come on, Molly," Arthur said gently, leading her out of the store.
"Alright. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5," Molly counted her kids, nodded, and took the front stage in leading them out. The Grangers followed her, Hermione with them as she still looked stunned from the events.
"That was wicked," Fred commented. James winked at Harry and Mara as he herded Molly and the Grangers out while Percy, Fred, and George followed in line.
"I wish I could've gotten a photo of his face," George laughed.
"How improper," Percy simply huffed. "Still, forcing a twelve-year-old to take photos with him. Abysmal."
Lockhart seemed to hear Percy's comment as he deflated all at once, winning smile barely half its blindingness.
Ron snickered as he, Lily, Neville, and Ginny stayed behind to allow more people to come in.
Their Mum gently pushed Harry and Mara in front of her as they waited to clear out of Flourish and Blotts.
"I didn't mean to," Mara sniffled, "But he was going to- my scar."
Her bottom lip wobbled as she swiped her face off the leftover tears.
"You did wonderfully, Mara. Never let anyone take your choice away from you." Their Mum kissed the top of her head. "And Thank you, Harry. I'm glad you tried to protect her but ask for help next time. A fight would've made things so much worse."
"Fight?" Harry said, surprised, "Nah, I'll be sure to destroy his self-esteem verbally just like my Mom. I learned a few new curse words today."
Lily groaned, "I got carried away."
"No," The twins said unanimously.
"You're the best," Harry grinned.
"Love you," Mara smiled.
Lily wrapped her arms around them tightly. "Love you both so much."
Harry, however, caught sight of Ron and Neville making goofy faces at him behind his mother's back.
"Wankers," He mouthed.
Ron started towards him, waving his fist but Neville grabbed his robes and jerked. Ron lost his balance and knocked right into Ginny.
Ginny yelped as she crashed head-first into the nearest object, which just so happened to be a small girl with pale blonde hair carrying a huge load of books in her cauldron as well.
The two girls collided and books flew everywhere.
Luckily, traffic stopped as people moved back from the mess, the two girls facing one another on the floor.
Ginny rubbed her elbow which had collided with the floor rather harshly.
"Ow," The blonde girl whispered, her knee turning red.
Around them, the floor was covered with their various books, mixed together until there was no telling whose was whose.
"Oops," Ron said. "My bad."
"Oh, dear, Are you alright?" Their Mum, ever the altruist, leaned down to help the girls but a sharp voice interjected.
"What are you doing?"
A familiar slicked-back blonde-haired man stood there, someone Harry had never met but Mara had.
Only once but he had left enough of a hateful impression that she knew him by the sneer on his stupid face.
"Malfoy," Mara said sourly.
"Lucius," Their mother straightened to her full height, facing the imposing and obnoxious man. He looked over at them and simply snorted.
"Well, Well, Well - if it isn't the Potters," Lucius drawled, just like his son. He raised an eyebrow at the fallen redhead and then the girl at his feet.
Tears filled the girl's eyes as she shrunk underneath her father's unimpressed glare.
"Pick it up, Carina," Lucius ordered coldly.
The girl, Carina, tearfully obeyed. She swiped up book after book and poured them into her cauldron, without even checking.
Ginny, bewildered did the same, trying to pick up the new books she'd just gotten and the few hand-me-downs with tattered pages.
Carina stood up, carrying the heavy cauldron in her hands. Harry frowned, as he spotted her shaking hands.
She didn't look much like a Malfoy. More like a terrified bunny.
"Stop crying!" Lucius demanded.
"Yes, sir." She whispered.
Lucius just shot her a dark look.
"Yes, sir!" She said firmly, almost a shout.
Just as Ginny grabbed the last book, Harry picked it from her hands with a frown.
How to tame Dark Creatures: Hellhounds.
Harry showed it to Ginny, who paled at the title and shook her head.
Harry took a step forward.
Immediately, the blonde girl shrunk back from him, eyes shiny as she clutched her cauldron. Weirdly, she didn't head toward her father, like he expected, instead, towards the wall and away from him.
Harry offered the book out to her, with a frown.
Her blue eyes flickered to him and then to the book. Her face flushed as she swiped the book from his hand and stuffed it into her cauldron, ducking her head to stare at her feet.
Just as Harry stepped back, Lucius grabbed a book from Carina's cauldron, one with torn pages. Well-worn and clearly not brand new.
'A beginner's guide to Transfiguration'.
Lucius snorted and looked at Harry's mum.
"What company you keep, Mrs. Potter-" Lucius sneered, looking at Ginny and Ron's ruffled clothes, "And I thought your family could sink no lower."
Both kids turned bright red and Ron dove for him with a snarl but Neville and Lily grabbed hold of his robes, pulling him back.
"We have a very different opinion, Lord Malfoy," Their mother said cooly, "I tend to dislike mingling with criminals, unlike you."
Harry cheered inwardly as Malfoy's face twisted.
"Here, girl-" Malfoy sneered with malice, "take your book. It's the best your family could ever give you." And he threw the book at Ginny.
Ginny fumbled for it, barely grabbing it.
"Carina!" Lucius beckoned, turning and leaving the shop, dramatically.
Carina looked at them, tearfully. She shrunk under their harsh gazes.
"I'm sorry," She whispered and then followed her father.
"Did she just apologize?" Lily asked in wonder. "I thought it was a rule of Malfoy's to never apologize."
"Probably doing it to get on your good side. Just like Malfoy." Ron snorted, harshly.
"You okay?" Mara asked Ginny, who only nodded, slinking her battered book in with the rest. She shuffled on her feet, not meeting eye contact.
"C'mon, let's get some ice cream. I'm buying," Mara said with a smile.
Ginny looked up at her with shining eyes. She nodded with a huge smile, her cheeks pink but it was the first time she'd looked Mara in the eyes.
"What a day," Their Mum sighed, leading the rest out into Diagon Alley to meet the rest of the group.
None of them noticed a plain, black journal had found its way into Ginny Weasley's cauldron.
"So this is the place?" Mara asked, unimpressed.
The run-down building certainly didn't look like much from the outside. Harry knew that. It was only painted a flaking black, or honestly, it might not be painted at all with a small wooden sign declaring its name on the front.
There was only one window into the place through which various objects and ingredients were seen through the tint.
Despite its ungrand appearance, Harry knew it was a treasure trove.
They'd only barely managed to sneak away from the main group, only the five of them as Harry led them down into Knockturn Alley, bellies filled with ice cream.
"If you feel like you can't breathe, don't worry about it. That's normal." Harry said helpfully as he opened the door and walked in.
"I'm sorry, what?" Mara asked, alarmed as she followed him hesitantly.
"I don't like this," Neville stammered, hiding behind Ron and Hermione as he anxiously looked around the alley.
Hermione just moved after them, intrigued as Ron followed with a shrug.
Stepping foot inside felt like walking into the beginnings of a tornado. The air was just missing like right before rainfall, it felt heavy on your skin.
"Interesting," Hermione piped up as she surveyed the various unique ingredients lining the walls, especially the shriveled-up objects on the back wall.
Hermione reached out a finger to touch one, scientific curiosity when a loud voice boomed. "Don't touch that!"
Darryl Reiner looked as intimidating as he did last year, his figure imposing over them. His eyes narrowed at Hermione, who nearly touched the merchandise.
"That's merchandise, Don't touch it." Reiner huffed, voice just as low and dark as before.
"My apologies," Hermione backed up, "I was curious at what it was."
"Dementor fingers."
Hermione blanched. Neville tripped over himself, crashing into one of the stands holding star-shaped and colorful objects. He paled as he attempted to round them up, shivering at their cold feeling as he placed them back into the stands.
Reiner growled and waved his hand. All the pieces went flying back into their rightful spot and Reiner's eyes landed on Harry.
"What're you doing back here, kid? And bringing friends too? This ain't a tea party."
"Obviously," Mara said, fascinated as she looked into the glass cases. A skull of some animal with real eyeballs moving around the sockets stared back at her. The eyes rolled back into the skull and appeared in the mouth.
"My wand, " Harry said with more confidence than he felt. Something about this place made him feel small. Or maybe it was the over six-foot height of Mr. Reiner. "I need it repolished if you wouldn't mind. And I'd like to buy custom wands for these four as well."
Harry threw a bag full of gold onto the counter, looking expectantly toward the man.
"No can do," Reiner pushed it away, "Now get you and your little friends out of here before they break my merchandise."
CRACK.
"Oops," Ron muttered, sheepishly, standing in front of a taxidermy owl. The lower beak clutched in his hand.
The owl burst to life and squawked into his face. Ron dropped the beak and automatically it snapped back into the taxidermy like it never left. The bird sent Ron a stink eye before resuming its pose and freezing in place once more.
"My bad," Ron rubbed his head.
"Out!" Reiner growled, pointing to the door.
Harry sent the four of them a furious look and then threw a second bag of gold onto the counter.
"400 coins, even," Harry said, hiding how nervous he was at how badly this was going.
Reiner stared him down, intimidating beyond even Quirrel or Snape but Harry straightened his back, not once looking away.
For a brief second, Harry thought he'd turn them away.
Until Reiner huffed and held out his hand.
"Wand." He said gruffly.
Harry cheered inwardly in victory as he handed over his wand. Reiner grabbed it, fingers running up and down like an experienced wandmaker.
"What in Merlin's beard were you doing? Dueling a dragon?" Reiner snapped in disbelief. He held the dented and singed wand like one would hold a baby animal in need of protection.
"Something like that," Harry replied dryly.
Honestly, who'd believe him if he said his teacher had been possessed by the worst Dark Lord of all time and tried to kill him so he could steal a stone to make himself immortal?
Nobody but his parents.
"You, bushy hair, you're first," Reiner snapped as he took Harry's wand to the back, "The rest you don't touch anything."
"Bushy hair?" Hermione gaped in the offense.
"It is kinda bushy," Mara appeared behind her, fluffing the bookworm's hair on the ends. The static from her fingers only caused her hair to bush up even more.
"But it's a cute bushy," Harry added, hoping to save it with a smile.
Hermione turned pink and grumbled under her breath something none of them could hear. Except for Mara, who glanced at Harry with a sly grin.
Harry shook his head. She was getting worse every year.
"Now!" Reiner's voice yelled from the back area.
Hermione jumped and quickly followed after him, ducking behind the counter. As she passed, Harry told her "Don't hold your breath and just go with whatever is calling to you."
She nodded, still confused but he knew she'd be okay.
It took Hermione much longer than it did for Harry, or maybe it just felt that way since Harry was on damage control. Mara, Neville, and Ron were like bulls in a china shop as they attempted to touch or play with every little knick-knack they could find.
He barely stopped Mara from a glass toad chomping off her finger. Had to stop Ron from taunting the only painting in the store, of a particularly ferocious bulldog who kept trying to jump out of the painting to bite him.
Harry always disliked bulldogs. Ever since he first met his Mother's side of the family.
It still gives him shivers.
Neville almost broke a handcrafted wooden table older than he was. He did in fact break the cuckoo clock with rang at all the wrong times. Well, let's say it wouldn't be cuckooing any longer.
By the time Hermione came out, a pile of objects in her hands, Harry was already regretting his decision to bring them here.
Reiner came out after her, as she laid her three goodies on the table, looking anxious.
Reiner wiped his hands with a rag before picking up the objects.
"Ancient Acacia Wood," Reiner determined for a lighter brown wood piece, almost tan in color. But it no doubt looked very old. "And Golden Yew Wood."
The second piece of wood was a bright gold in color, true to its name. Reiner placed them down. He picked up the dark blue feather, even bigger than a peacock or emu. He inspected it and said "Hippogriff feather."
"Stick out your arm," Reiner told Hermione.
Hermione did as asked, though she didn't know why. Reiner stuck the feather across her arm from her elbow to her wrist and nodded to himself.
"Two wood, one core, 12 even. 70 coins."
Reiner waved his hand and Harry only just noticed that he had a wand hidden up his sleeve, held tightly under his clothing.
He wasn't doing wandless magic, Harry realized, it only looked like it.
The first bag Harry gave him pulled out the appropriate galleons as Reiner said, "You, carrot head, you're next."
"Carrot head?" Ron sputtered.
Harry sent him a warning look and he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he marched to the backroom where Hermione came from.
Immediately, they heard him choking.
"Don't forget to breathe!" Harry called out to him.
"Thanks a lot!" Ron shouted back, out of breath.
"All four will be ready in a week." Reiner huffed.
"I'll have my familiar pick them up."
"Noted."
Ron was quick as he came back out, gagging as he held three pieces in his hands.
Reiner threw Hermione's choices into a box, labeled it and the box went flying to the back.
Ron dumped the new pieces on the counter, breathing heavily.
"That place is a deathtrap," Ron croaked.
"Not meant for kids. You five seem to be troublemakers, though." Reiner didn't miss a beat.
He flicked through the objects one by one, calling them out evenly, "Black Chestnut, Centaur Hoof Piece, and Boggart skin."
"Boggart Skin?" Ron exclaimed, skin turning a worrying shade of green.
"Makes a very flexible wand," Reiner showed his canine teeth in a feral grin.
Harry grabbed Ron before he could faint and lowered him to the floor.
"You'll be fine," Harry told him firmly, hoping the suggestion would work.
"You're next clumsy!" Reiner called out.
Neville jumped and gulped but left nonetheless with a pleading look towards Harry. Harry tried to reassure him but he was on his own for now.
"One wood. Two cores. 12 ½." Reiner said, "66 coins."
The varying coins flew from the bag and Harry watched sullenly as his allowance disappeared.
Neville came back looking very pale but determined nonetheless. He dumped his items and stepped back.
"Ash Ebony. Basilisk Scale. Manticore Stinger." Reiner called out. "One wood. Two cares. 12 ¼. 60 coins."
"You turn, pipsqueak," Reiner nodded to the back.
With only one person left, there was no doubt who it was he referred to.
Mara saluted with a small grin, hiding her nervousness, and entered the back room.
It took a long time, long enough that Harry was about to charge into the backroom in case his sister had fainted or something worse.
But she came out, hesitantly.
With not three, but four items.
She bit her lip, unsure as she approached the counter and poured the items down.
Now, Reiner's attention was caught.
"White Laurel. Kneazle Claw. Griffin Wing Feather." He called out but the fourth object, he paused and picked it up, delicately like it was something extremely precious.
"This called to you?" He asked, determinedly.
Mara nodded. "The first thing."
"Huh."
"What?" Harry asked.
It looked like ordinary wood if a bit shiny and more well-cared-for than the others.
"This is a singular piece," Reiner started, turning the wood in his hands, "Last of its kind. No other wands have ever been crafted using this. For good reason too."
"Why's that?" Hermione piped up.
"This is Hesperides Tree Wood. From the Garden of Hesperides." Reiner said meaningfully.
Hermione only looked confused. "You mean the Greek story?"
"It ain't no story. All legends and myths hold kernels of truth, girlie. Best remember that" Reiner said harshly. "It's said The Goddess of Discord picked an apple from this tree and inscribed "for the most beautiful" onto its flesh. Then she threw it into a feast for the Gods. The result was a massive dispute of the Gods."
"But the Greek gods aren't real!" Hermione protested.
Reiner shrugged, "They're as real as people believe them to be. It's said this tree and its fruit led to one of the most deadly wars in history, the Trojan War."
"It's debatable if that war was real or not," Hermione said, "Most believe it was fiction led to be confused with fact."
"Maybe," Reiner eyed her, "But the tree was real. The city was real. The deaths were real. If Magic is real, why can't Gods be too? A Golden Apple of Discord isn't so farfetched when you can cast flames out of a piece of crafted wood, is it?"
Hermione's mouth shut with a clack.
Reiner eyed Mara, who only looked down, unable to look at the piece of wood.
"If it called to you for a reason, then it knows better than I do. Two woods, two cores, 11 even. 100 coins."
"100?" Harry gasped.
"Fair enough. Low enough price for a one-of-a-kind item, ain't it?" Reiner raised an eyebrow.
Harry grumbled but nodded.
As the money counted itself out, Reiner headed to the back. He disappeared behind the door but was back, Harry's wand in his hand.
"I used Laos Blackwood to patch up the few dents and holes. Should hold up better doing whatever you kids are doing."
Joy ran through his arm once he had reunited with his wand. It felt different, slightly heavier but just as fast as before. He grinned, pulling the wand into his holster.
"That'll be 310." Reiner nodded. The gold flashed and Reiner grinned as Harry gathered the pitiful 90 of gold remaining into his bag.
Before the group turned to leave, however, Reiner gave them some last-minute advice.
"You kids better be careful. Storms building out there. Better not get caught in it," He said mysteriously.
"We will," Mara replied, calm as can be.
"For your sakes, I hope you will be."
They left the shop and turned to the alleyway they came from only to stop in their tracks.
They weren't in Knockturn Alley anymore.
They were facing the street into Diagon Alley.
Well, that wasn't creepy at all.
The cold halls of Malfoy Manor had always scared Carina. As a girl, she'd often gotten lost more times than not.
Whenever she did, it'd be hours sitting in one of the empty rooms, crying as she begged for help.
After the first three times, she'd gotten lost as a toddler, her father had ordered the house elves to never help her when she was lost again.
'You must learn that Malfoy's are never scared,' He had commanded, the steely glint in his eyes.
But children were often afraid.
Carina feared her father more than the monsters lurking in the darkness. So she'd sit and wait for someone to find her.
Sometimes, she'd think, nobody was ever going to find her. But sure enough, before sundown, only one person always did.
Draco was not benevolent or kind like most brothers.
He was harsh, cold, and even mean at times.
But whenever the door would open and light would pour in from the room she'd gotten lost in, she knew it was Draco who had found her.
He always did. No matter where she was or how long she'd been gone.
She knew he would come.
Carina sighed as she held her new book in her hands, heading in what she thought was the right direction.
Her father always told her she was stupid but Draco said she was directionally challenged.
She wished he had been there today. Had seen the way Father had looked at her, sitting on the ground at the book store.
She wasn't sure what the black journal was but Father's order was to make sure it landed in Ginny's cauldron.
Even if that meant purposely knocking her down.
Luckily, it hadn't come to that. She was just naturally clumsy.
She hoped the journal wasn't anything malicious. She liked to believe in her Father, even knowing what kind of man he was.
He may not be a good man but he loved his family, in his own way, of course.
Father's not the problem. Carina is.
She's too defective to be loved. She needs discipline, that's what Father always said to Mother.
Carina sighed.
Today, she wasn't a complete failure, she thought, as she spotted the room she'd been searching for.
It only took half an hour to find it today.
Carina made sure to knock three times in a row, their special code, and waited until she heard the hoarse voice.
"Come in."
Carina attempted to smile as she stepped inside.
"Drake," She greeted him, happy to see him sitting up. His head was still wrapped, as it would be for a few more days.
Head injuries were tricky for the magic to heal. It was much better to heal them the natural way, then heal the scarring.
"I'm home. I got that book you asked for," Carina said.
Draco sat in his bed, a scowl on his face. But Carina's attention was on the large dog at the foot of the bed.
Most would assume it was just a large, black dog but Carina knew better.
She'd seen it that day. Had heard Draco screaming while she and Dobby made tea. She'd seen it looming over her brother, bones sticking out all over it, a misty shadow seeping from its body, like a wraith and not quite a dog.
Grim, her brother had screamed, blood pouring over the concrete.
She'd seen it morph from a graveyard creature to a normal, black dog. Except for its red eyes.
Carina smiled at it and held out her hand. A tiny piece of raw meat was revealed. The dog sniffed her hand and took the piece gently from her hand.
He gulped it down like it was nothing.
Carina only smiled, even in the face of its sharp white teeth.
"Don't feed it!" Draco scolded her. "You don't know what it is!"
"I think I do, actually," Carina said, holding up her book to her brother.
She watched his face as he read the title, saw him pale, and look over at the dog.
"Hellhound?" He asked, almost afraid to receive an answer.
Carina nodded.
"You have a Hellhound as a familiar."
Draco squeaked.
The dog opened its mouth, almost a snarl but instead, small puffs of air came out. Almost like a laugh as its red eyes gleamed at them.
A chill went down both of their spines.
