'Thanks for taking me to Diagon Alley, mum. Whew ! I really have overdone shopping for all these books!' Hermione said to Mrs.Granger . 'That would be an understatement' said Mr.Granger smiling at Hermione as he entered the house after her . She grinned and took her books to her bedroom .
'It's amazing , isn't it , that a wizarding community exist along with ours ? Sometimes it seems like a dream . But its true .' Mr.Granger said after he watched Hermione dissapear up the stairs .
'Yes , but it is still more amazing that our Hermione is part of it .' replied Mrs.Granger and furrowed her eyebrows as if she was thinking hard .
'What are you thinking ?' Mr.Granger asked .
'Oh...that' Mrs.Granger suddenly sounding serious 'I think she's hiding something from us . I know that for sure .'
'Hmm....yes it certainly seems so . Why then did she ask her headmaster to put enchantments around her house ? And she has been behaving strangely since she came home and has this sadnesss on her face as if she had lost someone close.' Mrs.Granger cut in 'Mind you someone did die , Mr.Weasly said that Hermione and her friends knew the person well . I wish I knew who had died & how close she and her friends were to that person . Hermione ....I don't know but she somehow seems different , behaves different and is constantly thinking about something .'She sighed 'I wish I could help her .'
'We shall soon have a chat with her about this . She can't hide things from us forever.' Mr.Granger said after some time.
Hermione was unaware of this conversation going on between her parents. 'Oh! Just look at all these books' thought Hermione while arranging them. 'and the huge discount I got on them!' One particular book made her smile deviously . 'How slytherin of me' she commented . It was a blood coloured book and the silver letters on it shined—
'STERCES DLOTNU'
(The Mysteries of Magic)
by
MERLIN
flashback
'Mum , dad you can just pick me up in the evening on your way back from work . I will do shopping on my own . Ok?' Hermione was worried that they might know about Voldemort if they have any contact with the wizarding world and the last thing she wanted was her parents getting worried about her .
'Ok honey , take care.' Mrs.Granger said . Hermione got off the car and went straight into 'The Leaky Cauldron' , a wizarding pub (which went unnoticed by the people on the street) .
Hermione entered Diagon Alley through the gateway on the other side of the pub . She looked over various shops thinking what might interest her . As she moved forward with the crowd her eyes fell over a quidditch shop . She stopped . 'I could buy Ron some Chudley Cannon things . He adores that team .' she sighed . And I adore him . 'For heaven's sake Hermione he's your best friend !' she reprimanded herself . And he is a prat . But still..... she was lost in her thoughts when someone bumped into her . He apologized and went into the store in a hurry . Hermione shrugged and went inside the store . It was absolute chaos inside . There were so many people inside crowded in a corner . Hermione craned her neck to see what was happening but wasn't successful . She accepted defeat and went over to the counter to buy a Chudley Cannon banner , a set of small moving replicas of the team players , and a book on various strategies in quidditch . She started to go out mulling her way through the maddening crowd .
'Hermy-own-ninny!' she froze . She could recognize his voice anywhere . What was he doing here in London ? She turned around to see Victor Krum (the famous Bulgarian team's seeker ) making his way through the crowd towards her . 'Hello Victor' Hermione smiled as she greeted him . He smiled back and said, 'Hermy-own-ninny , I am so glad to see you , are you here shopping?' He raised his eyebrows looking at the quidditch stuff in Hermione's hands . 'Oh these' she said quickly ' are for Ron. You know one of my best friends.The red haired one with cute freckles? .' Victor's smile faded, ' Cute freckles I see.' he said coldly . Hermione faltered . 'Umm....Victor I need to buy some books . I am going to Flourish and Blotts . Alright? ' Hermione said slowly .
Victor suddenly grinned , 'Books always your first love, is it not? Hermy-own-ninny, vould you please have lunch with me today ?'
'Yeah that would be wonderful!'
'Ve will go to -Vot is it- yes the leaky cauldron after you buy the books needed.' Victor said cheerfully.
'LOOK .IT'S KRUM!' someone shouted from the crowd . Hermione rolled her eyes . 'Quick let's get out of here.' She dragged Victor into Flourish and Blotts .
Victor helped Hermione hold the books while they walked towards The Leaky Cauldron.
'No wonder you are the cleverest witch ever............and beautiful too.' Victor commented while struggling to hold all the books . Hermione blushed and was thankful that Victor did not notice this . He was telling her about his latest feat which had apparantly became a rage in international quidditch .
'Narcissa come we have to do this quickly.' someone whispered . Hermione jerked her head towards the voice. 'It's Lucious Malfoy's wife.' Hermione thought as she saw Narcissa and two other men ,she did not know , hurried into Knockturn Alley. Hermione was thinking furiously of an excuse to shake off Victor so that she could go inside Knockturn Alley and do some of her own spying . 'Hermy-own-ninny ! I have forgotton . I have to meet an old family friend . Vill you please vait for me at The Leaky Cauldron ?' Victor asked suddenly . Hermione was more than happy to let him go . 'Great! Now I don't have to work up an excuse !' She took all the books from Victor and watched him dissapear into the crowd . Then she hurried off to The Leaky Cauldron .'Tom....TOM....' she called the barkeeper raising her voice a bit that everybody stared at her . 'Umm..sorry' she said sheepishly . She asked him if she could book a private parlour at which Tom raised an eyebrow and replied, 'Sorry , Miss Granger , no offence, private parlours are only reserved for important people . Well if you are meeting Harry Potter here it could be arranged .' He had read about Harry Potter's friends in The Daily Prophet so he assumed that she must be meeting Harry Potter .
'No Tom I am not meeting Harry .' she said impatiently 'I will be having lunch with Victor Krum and-' but she was cut off by Tom as he exclaimed 'Merlin! Victor Krum?!'
'Yes Victor Krum the bulgarian seeker and best in the world . Well probably second best after Harry .' Hermione added as an after thought . She asked him to look after her things because she had to go back into Diagon Alley as she had forgotton something important. Tom immediately obliged . Hermione the went into the ladies restroom and wore a long deep violet cloak . Perfect .She thought as she looked into the mirror and left the Leaky Cauldron.
'Well. Hermione .This is it . Let's go in and do some spying .' Hermione thought to herself . She lowered her hood and entered Knockturn Alley.
It was a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up of shops devoted entirely to the dark arts . An old wooden street sign was hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles . Hermione felt cold . This is certainly not a place for children . She mused .Clutching her cloak tightly she stared into the shops around her hoping to find them quickly . She moved on slowly scrutinizing every shop for any sign of Narcissa and the two men . She passed by an aged witch , holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails . Hermione flinched and quickened her steps . She noticed a few shabby looking wizards watching her suspiciously muttering to each other . For a moment she thought nervously whether it was a good idea entering a place like this .'No' she thought firmly, 'If I have come this far I wil definitely find out what Mrs.Malfoy and those two men are here for even if it turns out to be insignificant.' At last she found them inside ,what looked like the largest shop in the alley . The board hanging on the top of the shop read 'Borgin and Burkes' . There was a nasty window display of shrunken heads, and a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders . She went inside the shop feeling jumpy and looked at the various collection of horrible skulls and unmistakebly dark objects . There were seemingly endless shelves full of books on dark arts and there she saw Mrs.Malfoy and the men huddled in a corner . Suddenly one of the men looked at her . Hermione pretended to be interested in the poisons on a shelf labled 'Dangerous Poisons' . Soon they were joined by a old wizard looking horribly like a male version of Umbridge . He was holding a large ,ancient blood coloured book looking as if it would fall apart anytime . They all started whispering excitedly . Hermione moved a bit closer to where they were standing when someone bumped into her . This was the second time she bumped into someone that day. 'Oh..I am so sorry .I didn't mean to...' Hermione started apologising but the wizard eyes had widened as if he had seen a ghost and practically ran out of the shop . 'strange.' Hermione thought but was distracted by the blinding flash coming from the direction of the book . The silver letters on the book were shining .Hermione tried to read it but was not able to . 'Mr.Bordin the dark lord will be highly pleased . You have done a good work and will be rewarded . But we also have orders from him to leave no evidence . I presume their are no other copies of this book?' Mrs.Malfoy asked the old man . He smiled evilly . 'None, Mrs.Malfoy . This is the original one , said to be have written by Merlin himself . The Department Of Mysteries know of this book and have been searching it for a long time but with no success .'
Mrs. Malfoy nodded as did the other two wizards and left the shop . Mr.Bordin left his oily manner and muttered slowly, 'Ha.........leave no evidence.........as if I would give away such a rare book......which could make me rich.........You might be a fool but I am not Mrs.Malfoy , I had made a copy of that book before you came .' He held up the book slowly turned around to go into the back of the shop .
Hermione had heard him . She quickly composed herself with a fake accent . 'Umm..are you ze owner of zees shop ?' she asked Mr.Bordin who turned to face her . He narrowed his eyes and looked at her suspiciously . Hermione felt tense and before Mr.Bordin could say anything she continued , 'Zees iss an interesting skull.Wot does it do?' Hermione pointed at the skull on the shelf . Mr.Bordin smiled crookedly . 'Ahh , Madam . It is a flesh eating skull . A masterpiece really .It has many powers you see it follows the commands of its master . It does the dirty work for its master if you get my drift . I must say , you have a wonderful taste for antique pieces .'
' Yess , I haf a liking for such antiquess . It wood make my living room lively .Pleasse pack it for me .' Hermione replied airily . Bordin was delighted . He bowed and put the book inside a drawer, sealed it with a spell and went inside to pack the skull . Now there was no such spell which she could not do . She quickly muttered the counter spell , hid the heavy book inside her robes and ran . She did not stop till she reached the leaky cauldron . 'Masterpiece?! My foot' she thought . Hermione took off her cloak and put the book inside her shopping bag .
'Hermy-own-ninny! vhere vere you ? I vos so vorried !' He dragged her into a private parlour . ' I vos vaiting for you . come let us eat . I am hungry .' They both sat down .
'I am very glad ve are having lunch together . I am here representing the Bulgarian team you see . Ve are planning to.............' Victor droned on and on . Hermione soon tuned herself out . I must soon tell Harry and Ron about the death eaters and most importantly the 'book'.She thought .
'Hermy-own-ninny are you listening vot I am saying ?!' Victor said impatiently . ' you have not even started eating . Are you even hungry or not?'
'yeah.. I am listening Victor AND YES I am very much hungry.' Hermione grinned .
They both finished their lunch . Hermione got up to go and bid goodbye to Victor . 'Hermy-own-ninny I vos thinking perhaps ve could meet again?' Victor asked .
'Sure why not.'
'I vill write to you then.'
Victor smiled happily .He watched her go through the exit and turned around to scribble something vigorously on a parchment and tied it to his owl . 'You know vhere to go Hesthia.' Victor was no longer smiling .
/ End flashback /
---To Be Contd.---
A/N: Well it was longer than the last on . I promise the next chapter would be up soon .
PLEASE REVIEW !!!!!!!!!
----- Next Chapter : 'Serious Sirius' -----