Enough is Enough

by walker-of-the-shadow-path

Harry has had enough of being everyone elses pawn...and so have his friends. Its time they took their futures into their own hands. Post OotP Sixth Year fic, not quite HBP compliant. WARNING not particularly fastpaced, yet! :

11. Diagon Alley

Authors Note: Merry belated Christmas and a Happy (almost) New Year? I know I said I was determined to get another chapter out earlier but I also wanted to finally get Diagon Alley out of the way. One of them had to give. Maybe you could look on this as an early Valentines? Anyway, you shouldn't be too mad at me after you see how long this chapter is. (Hint: it's rather long.)

This chapter goes out to Meggplant, for a review that was more flattering than she knew and to my sister Prue, who finally read the rest.

Diagon Alley

Harry felt eternally grateful that Remus had decided to let them walk the short distance to The Leaky Cauldron rather then flooing. After Portkeys, using the Floo Network had to be his least favourite form of travel.

Come to think of it, there weren't all that many that he did like.

The Knight bus was a nightmare, he was almost sure he'd been nursing a mild concussion when he got off it the last time, and he really wasn't keen on putting himself at the mercy of the seriously erratic driver again. Ever.

Hippogriffs were uncomfortable, Thestrals held too many unpleasant memories and the Hogwarts Express, and boats and coaches were impractical if you wanted to go anywhere except Hogwarts.

Mr Weasleys enchanted car had been alright. It might have thrown them out after the Whomping Willow incident but who could blame it for that? And it had rescued them from the Acromantulas. Acromantulae. Whatever.

No, the only wizarding form of transport he'd really taken to was the broomstick, and that would probably be a bit uncomfortable for long journeys, as well as a bit conspicuous.

Harry seriously hoped he took to apparating. It would be awful if everyone else was popping here, there and everywhere while he was so rubbish he kept splinching himself.

Malfoy and his cronies would probably laugh themselves sick and as for Snape! Harry shuddered, he didn't even want to imagine. The Potions Professor would take great delight in rubbing his face in it. Repeatedly.

Still, it couldn't be too hard could it? Not if they expected people like Crabbe and Goyle to manage it!

Suddenly tilting his head up at the older man walking beside him Harry blurted out 'Where is Sirius' motorbike anyways?'

If the random comment struck him as odd then he didn't show it; in fact a slight smile touched the corners of his lips.

'Ahh, I assume I was correct in guessing your surprise birthday present?'

'Yeah,' Harry smiled. 'I meant to tell you before but you disappeared after the party.'

'I believe it may be in Buckbeaks room.' Lupin said, which made a great deal of sense as none of them had made a habit of spending any time in there, exploring or not. No one, with the exception of Hagrid, was a hundred percent comfortable with the imposing Hippogriff.

'He certainly spent a great deal of time in there, and I remember thinking it suspicious that he was in there so much over Christmas when he could have been spending it with you.'

He dropped a hand to Harry's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

'Never think he didn't care Harry. He cared for you more than anything else in the world.'

He sighed. 'I think it was killing him to know you would be leaving again while he was forced to stay behind, unable to help you or even just to be there for you.

There were times I know he just had to get away from everyone and I believe he used those times to work on the bike. I think it may have given him some peace to be able to do at least something for you, to feel that he wasn't completely out of the picture.'

His hand dropped and he looked away into the distance, though Harry wasn't sure he was seeing anything that was actually there.

'You may not wish to hear this Harry, or to believe it, but the choice he made in leaving the house to come to your aid was probably the most at peace he had been in months.'

Harry would probably have replied angrily to that if the sudden lump in his throat hadn't interfered, but it did, and so instead he caught Lupin's quiet murmur that Sirius should never have been locked up in that house.

The Professor was right. Before, even when he'd been on the run, Sirius had still been able to do something. Letters, conversations in the fire, he'd even hidden in that cave during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He'd been able to be there for him.

To lock someone like that away, in a house they knew held far too many bad memories, forced to sit back and watch while everyone else contributed, unable to do anything to help those he cared about – it must have been torture.

Harry knew it would have driven him crazy. Bad enough to be stuck alone in the Dursleys, not knowing what was going on. How much worse to be stuck with Mrs Black and all the memories Azkaban must have brought back, knowing what was going on but still forced to sit there and do nothing.

Harry knew it would have driven him crazy too, and privately admitted that he would have done the same thing, in the end, in Sirius' shoes. He'd seen Sirius as he rushed into the Department of Mysteries. He'd been alive in a way he hadn't been for a long time. And then those final, fatal mistakes…

Harry would never stop hating the way it had all turned out, never stop wishing it had ended differently, with his godfather triumphant and probably angry as hell with him. All the same, he couldn't blame Sirius for the choices he'd made.

'So,' Harry coughed, clearing his throat, and grateful that the others were walking a little way ahead and so hadn't heard the intensely personal conversation. He wouldn't have been comfortable discussing Sirius like this with anyone other than Professor Lupin. 'The motorbike?'

'From what I could gather while Sirius was cooing over his 'baby' and cursing, loudly and inventively I might add - Mrs Weasley was not amused, the ministry attempted to seize it at Hogwarts but Padfoot's love of bucking authority must have communicated itself to the bike somehow. I wouldn't have put it past him to have deliberately charmed the thing to be rebellious.

In any case it led the young aurors who'd been sent to fetch it a merry chase and ended up living feral in the forest for quite some time.' He laughed suddenly, 'It's no wonder the people of Dufftown have legends of a spectral motorbike roaming the night!

After twelve years in the forest I wouldn't have been surprised if the damage had been irreparable but whatever else you can say about Sirius, he and James were two of the most brilliant students in Hogwarts. That machine was built to last, though it was in very bad shape.'

'So how did he find it again? If it was running wild in the forest?'

'The result of a rather clever little charm that was originally used so they would never have to remember where they had parked it when they were utterly legless, a state of being which occurred with a great deal of frequency, especially the summer after our seventh year.'

He smiled reminiscently. 'The pair of them were absolutely hilarious when they were drunk.

I remember the time we went out together to celebrate your birth Harry, your father trying to stagger into the house quietly so as not to disturb Lily. He tripped over the doorstep, tangled with a coat-rack and ended up half-on, half-off the sofa, giggling to himself and going 'Shhh!' every five minutes.

As for Sirius, he somehow managed to lock himself in the fridge, he never was that comfortable with Muggle kitchen appliances, thought they were dangerous. It took me ten minutes to work out where the muffled thumping was coming from and let him out.

Then he fell asleep in the pizza he'd insisted we had to buy and woke up the next morning with his hair every which way, tomato sauce all over his face and a slice of mushroom up his nose.'

He laughed. 'It was times like that that made me almost grateful that a werewolf is incapable of getting more than very mildly drunk.'

Harry couldn't help grinning at the mental image of a pizza covered Sirius and mentally added the story to the meagre store of knowledge he had on his parents and godfather.

It occurred to him that despite all his training from the Dursleys on the subject of 'Don't Ask Questions!' he really was going to have to start trying to find out more about them before all the little stories like Lupin's were lost forever.

He suddenly realised that Lupin had stopped talking and was regarding him quizzically as he drifted along lost in thought.

'Er, so, the motorbike found him?'

'Essentially yes, although I'm not quite sure when. He certainly had it by the time I joined him at Grimmauld Place and he's been repairing and improving it ever since.' He paused slightly, then added, a catch in his voice, 'He had been repairing and improving it, I should say.'

Intent on moving past the awkward moment Harry asked him what improvements had been made.

'Well, he'd sorted out a few balance problems, improved the speed, put in a new navigational system and Merlin only knows what else.

He was tinkering with it all the time so the only way to find out everything would be to read the notes he kept. If you can read them, of course. Padfoot was never the most organised writer. Or the neatest, to be perfectly honest. I imagine he kept them with the bike.

I suppose we'll have to think of some way to smuggle them out without Molly noticing. I don't suppose you've let any of this slip to the older Weasleys have you?'

'Of course not!' Harry replied indignantly. 'I haven't even told Ron and Hermione!'

'Really?' The werewolf looked surprised. Harry looked at his feet and mumbled 'I forgot.' Lupin smiled. 'If I were you I would wait until after you are all at Hogwarts, and Molly is unable to do anything about it before mentioning it to them.

I'm not saying don't trust them, of course not',' he said hastily. 'It's just that they, and you, are not exactly the quietest of people now are you?' he added with a wry grin.

Harry grinned back at him, 'No, not really.'

The older man tipped him a wink and murmured, 'Your secret's safe with me Harry,'

before turning his attention to the rest of the group who had been walking a little way ahead and were now clustered around a shop window while Hermione attempted to explain to her pureblooded friends exactly what the electrical appliances inside did.

For a moment, before he reverted to Professor Lupin, Harry could see the mischievous Messr. Moony he had once been and smiled to himself as he waded into the conversation to help Hermione out.

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Less than five minutes later they were walking through the doors of The Leaky Cauldron. To Harry it felt almost like stepping onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters after the summer, or heading to the Burrow after weeks with the Dursleys.

There was a sense of homecoming, of welcome, to walk into a place filled with wizarding robes, noisy conversations about Quidditch or the Daily Prophet and the smell of butterbeer and mead.

The pub was quite full and it took Harry a few minutes to realise that no one, absolutely no one, in that crowd of people were staring at him or his scar. It was something of a novel sensation.

Ron came up behind him as Remus greeted Tonks and started herding everyone out and gave him a shove towards the back.

'Get a move on mate, we can't stand around all day!'

He was obviously impatient to get started and so Harry good-naturedly allowed himself to be pushed about.

It took a little while to get to the exit as people didn't automatically give way to Lupin the way they generally did for Hagrid, but at least they hadn't had to push their way through a mass of rabid fans, as they would have had to if Harry had not been in disguise.

As they left the building Harry noticed Ginny tossing her blonde curls at a young barman in a rather tight white t-shirt and jeans who was giving her a highly appreciative smile.

'You know Ginny,' he said softly, leaning down close to her ear. 'With the blonde curls, the dazzling smile and the big, bright eyes, you're really starting to remind me of someone…'

'Oh? Who?' Ginny asked, widening her eyes and batting her lashes at him.

He heaved a soulful sigh. 'Just someone I used to know. Someone really popular, someone loads of people admired…someone,' he lowered his voice huskily. 'Someone they all thought was gorgeous.'

'Really! Now this is sounding good! Tell me more. Who is it?' She socked him lightly on the arm. 'C'mon Harry I'm waiting – tell me who!' She tossed her hair again, this time at a young man Harry recognised as one of the Ravenclaw House Chasers, Jeremy Stretton, as he exited the Alley.

'Do you really want to know?' Harry asked, lowering his voice seductively as her eyes continued to follow the Ravenclaw.

'Mmmmhmmm.'

Harry leaned closer, so that his lips practically grazed her ear and murmured 'Gilderoy Lockhart!'

This was swiftly followed by a rather loud 'OW!' as Ginny squealed 'WHAT!' and punched him one in the shoulder. She really had quite a good right hook, Dudley would have been envious.

He rubbed at it, then started laughing so hard at the look on her face that he was quite incapable of fending her off when she shouted 'You Evil Git!' and started slapping him.

Hermione and Neville were staring at them in shock while Ron rushed over to wrestle his little sister off his best friend.

'What did you do that for?' he asked, baffled.

'He said,' she told him through gritted teeth, 'he said I looked like Lockhart!'

Ron gave her a long, hard look and suddenly creased up laughing. Ginny started slapping him then.

'Some support you are!' Still, at least she'd started to see the funny side, as she was beginning to laugh herself.

The boys tentatively felt that the danger was probably passed. Both of them slung an arm around her shoulders as they headed to where Remus Lupin was patiently waiting for them by the entrance to Diagon Alley.

'C'mon Gin, let's go get you a broom.'

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Diagon Alley was everything Harry remembered and more.

There were a harried looking wizard and witch trying to levitate their sticky children out of one of Florean Fortescues infamous Chocolate Pits, into which they had evidently dived headfirst.

There was a strange purple cloud that was unmistakably the work of Fred and George creeping up the street and a crowd pushing and shoving each other in front of the window to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Neville had managed to convince Hermione that it was better to leave Flourish and Blotts till last so that she could have a really good look round without being rushed off to some other shop or having to put up with Ron whining about how long she was taking.

Harry made a mental note that Neville really seemed to know just what to say to Hermione lately to make her listen to his point of view. Harry knew that that wasn't always easy, he'd certainly failed enough times, and so had Ron.

Maybe it was all the extra time they spent together when Hermione was tutoring him that meant he knew her so well.

Whatever it was, it meant that Hermione had made no complaints about the decision to head for the broomstick shop first.

As they walked down the street they passed a pokey little shop almost hidden between two larger stores. It wasn't one Harry had ever paid any attention to before, and one he was sure he would have continued not to notice if it hadn't been for the group of excited girls who were gathered about the door.

Harry could just make out the lettering on the window which said F.A Parkes and Co., in curling script around what looked to be a picture of a gramophone. The girls were all talking loudly and they couldn't help but overhear what was being said.

'Seventeen Sickles an Ounce? Not really my cup of Butterbeer!'

'Ha! Her idea of music is that stupid Quaffle song!'

'Beat Back those Bludgers Boys and Toss that Quaffle here is a classic! Philistine!'

'I liked that Midnight Moon though, the drums on that were amazing!'

'Weird Sisters Rule!'

'Have you heard the lyrics though? Can't believe the fans wrote that! D'you think maybe I could…'

'What are they talking about?' asked Hermione.

'Nicole Halliwell,' said Ron and Ginny, practically in unison.

'Who?' asked Harry, as they peeled off towards the chattering girls.

'Nicole Halliwell,' explained Ginny. 'She's a singer, only a few years older than you. She was born over here, in the North-East somewhere, but her parents moved to San Francisco when she was small so she went to the Salem Institute of Witchcraft rather than Hogwarts.

She's really good. Her new song was actually written by her fan club, I entered the competition to do it but I didn't win.' She looked momentarily downcast. 'It's supposed to be really good though – it's released today.'

'I haven't heard the new one,' Ron said, 'but she did a single with the Weird Sisters not long back that was awesome. It's that one Tonks keeps humming.'

'I hear they've agreed for her and Celestina Warbeck to do a duet over Christmas,' Ginny continued.

'Oy Harry, take a look over there,' said Ron reverently, his face turning a bit pink.

'There' turned out to be huge poster in one of the shops windows which showed a young witch with long brown hair, green eyes and a naughty smile. She was wearing a flowing purple robe over a tight black top and trousers, and gave the gazing Ron an appraising look before blowing him a kiss with a saucy wink.

Ron turned even redder, which caused Neville and Tonks to laugh, while Harry made a mental note to buy Ron one of those posters for Christmas. It would certainly beat that one of the Tennis player that Dean had over his bed.

'So,' he said slyly, giving his blushing mate a poke in the ribs as Tonks escorted the girls inside to buy the song. 'Is it really her music you're interested in?'

'She's a very talented artist,' said Ron primly, sounding eerily like his older brother Percy. Then he smirked. ''Course it doesn't hurt that she's bloody hot either!'

Harry, having suffered through a school year without Quidditch, then been exiled to the barren wasteland of magic that was Privet Drive before ending up at Grimmauld Place where, even when he had got his beloved Firebolt back, security concerns made it impossible for him to fly, was feeling almost desperate to reconnect with his favourite pastime in Quality Quidditch Supplies.

He could see quite a few people clustered around the windows, as there had been back when his Firebolt came out, and he was eager to find out what all the excitement was about.

It was therefore something of a relief when the girls rejoined them and they could head off again.

This time Harry was in the lead, as Ron had paused to look over his shoulder one last time at the poster, which waved him goodbye and made him blush again.

Harry was therefore the first one to reach their destination and see the cause of all the fuss.

The store was hung with navy blue banners and instead of the usual broomstick on display in the window was a long table, around which seven people in navy blue robes emblazoned with two crossed golden bulrushes.

Harry distantly heard Ginny squeal as he focused on one particularly familiar burly form. 'Oliver Wood?'

One of the boys in front of him turned round sharply and scanned the crowd. 'Harry?' he said.

Harry froze as he realized it was Dean Thomas. His dorm mates eyes scanned the crowd for a moment before suddenly swinging back to focus on his face. For a long moment he stared at Harry, forehead scrunched in thought.

Harry was panicking. It was obvious that Dean suspected something, he probably looked familiar and, oh crap, Dean was an artist and had spent hours sketching the inhabitants of Gryffindor Tower. He probably recognised his facial features, why hadn't they changed his facial features? Oh hell, what was he going to do now?

Dean was opening his mouth and Harrys panic rocketed up, Dean was going to blow their disguise sky-high if he didn't do something, and soon.

Thinking quickly Harry locked gazes with Dean and raised his index finger to his mouth. He knew his muggleborn mate would recognise the gesture to shut up since it was drilled into them practically from birth.

However, in the wizarding world, where exasperated Mums and Dads could simply hex your mouth shut, or even hex it off if they were really annoyed, practically no one knew what it meant.

Harry only hoped there weren't too many muggleborns nearby who might put two and two together.

Dean wasn't stupid. His mouth clicked shut and he turned slightly, still keeping his eyes on Harry but making it far less obvious that he was staring.

Harry moved up behind him and whispered 'Hi Dean.'

'It is…' he trailed off and Harry nodded.

'In disguise.'

'Cool.'

'Look,' Harry said quickly, glancing round at where Lupin and the others were making their way towards him. 'I can't talk, no one's supposed to know it's me.'

'Right,' he said. 'Mate? The DA? What's happening with it?'

'Look, keep the coins on you when term starts – I'll call a meeting in the first week. We'll decide then.'

'OK, I'll let everyone know, if you want?'

'That'd be great.'

'Well, I'd best leave before your 'twin' catches up,' Dean said, looking over Harrys shoulder. 'Later.' And with that he disappeared into the crowd.

'Mate!' Ron exclaimed, clapping Harry on the shoulder. 'Can you believe it? Puddlemere United! Not as good as the Cannons of course but how cool is this? Meeting the team! It's just, just, wow.'

Harry had to laugh, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his friend so excited.

'Yeah, it's brilliant! Did you see Wood?'

'Yeah, he made the squad just after Easter, it was in Quidditch Monthly. Not surprising really, he's a cracking Keeper. Fred and George went to see the last match against Tutshill. Absolutely flattened them – first time the Tornadoes've lost in six games.'

Harry was impressed, the Tutshill Tornadoes were powering their way up the League recently and were odds-on favourites for the Cup. They'd even beaten the Holyhead Harpies although that had been a very close run thing.

'Do you think they'll sign my broom?' asked Ginny.

'I still don't see what all the fuss is about,' said Hermione. 'They're only Quidditch players.'

'Hermione,' moaned Ron, scandalised. 'You just don't understand Quidditch! And it's better than adoring some stupid ponce whose lied about his entire life! At least Puddlemere have actually done something worth admiring!'

'Ronald Weasley! Why I…'

'Enough children,' came Lupins quiet voice. 'And remember not to throw those names around. You don't know who might be listening. Do try to remember that you are in disguise, and for a very good reason, hmmn?'

'Sorry Professor,' said Hermione, shamefaced.

'Yeah, sorry Professor.'

'Now,' he continued briskly. 'If only Tonks would be so good as to stop drooling over the Chasers and pay attention then perhaps we could move this inside?'

'OY!' Tonks exclaimed. 'I'm not drooling! Am, I?' she demanded of Ginny and Hermione who could only laugh and nod.

'Oh well,' she sighed. 'That Tristan Summersby is enough to make anyone drool.'

'She has a point,' said Ginny, while Ron made retching noises. 'Come on Hermione, even you have to admit he's a bit of a dish.'

She wrinkled her nose. 'I suppose he's alright,' she said dismissively.

Harry pushed his way through the door and very nearly collided with Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was stood on the other side talking to the manager.

If he'd thought it was buzzing with excitement outside it was nothing compared to what it was like inside the shop. There were grown wizards bouncing on their toes like excited six year olds at the prospect of meeting their heroes, and young witches having group hysterics after having their photo taken with the Chasers.

Ron was shooting the players almost anguished looks as he had to walk straight past them in order to look for Ginny's broom. Harry even thought he heard him whimper.

It wouldn't have surprised him, after all, Ron was passionate about all things Quidditch. Even his intense dislike of Krum, which Harry privately suspected came down to mostly jealousy, hadn't stopped him from eventually giving in and asking for an autograph.

'Don't worry mate,' he said, patting his shoulder consolingly. 'You can talk to them in a minute.'

Soon they were distracted by the discussion of comparative broom dynamics as Ginny considered the relative merits of a Cleansweep and the new Comet 300.

They had improved the acceleration considerably from the older Comet 290 but in the end Ginny decided to get the same model as Ron, as the Cleansweep was both sturdier and more hard-wearing.

As Ron proclaimed, Comets might look flashy but they just didn't have the endurance of a Cleansweep.

Harry turned around and started. Tonks had sprouted long blonde ringlets while he wasn't watching.

She was bouncing a pouch of Galleons up and down in her hand while her eyes kept casually scanning the store. Harry wasn't sure if this was Auror protectiveness or just an excuse to run her eyes over the Puddlemere chasers. Maybe it was both.

She turned to Ginny. 'Done?' she asked. Ginny nodded and the metamorphmagus led her to the tills while Lupin ushered the boys towards the queue by the Quidditch players.

Harry was once again glad to have been given an extra few inches for this outing, as usually, in crowds like this, he was unable to see any higher than the backs of other peoples heads.

'So what d'you reckon they're here for?' asked Harry.

'Probably promoting – there's a big game against the Ballycastle Bats the weekend after next. Fred'n'George've already put their bets down.'

'Who on?'

'Puddlemere to win – said they had to support their old Captain. I think Angelinas got tickets to go see it.'

'How'd you know that?'

'Fred told me, he sounded well pleased. I think he's hoping to get invited.'

They were getting closer to the players now, passing a long, low table piled high with merchandise. There were Puddlemere t-shirts, Puddlemere scarves, posters of the team, photos of the players and more.

Harry chose one of the larger posters of the team in the air above their home ground and a copy of 'Playing with Puddlemere' to go with his much-read copy of 'Flying with the Cannons.'

Ron and Neville both chose one of the smaller posters, while Hermione, predictably, merely sniffed rather than buy anything.

When Tonks and Ginny rejoined them the young auror had an armload of shopping, a t-shirt, a scarf, a cap, a badge and a large photo of the three chasers, the one she had pointed out as Tristan Summersby prominently in the foreground giving everyone a roguish grin.

'What can I say,' she said as she almost tripped over one dangling end of the scarf. 'Puddlemere Rocks!'

Ginny laughed and bent down to disentangle the neckwear from her legs, still lovingly cradling her new broom.

Before too much longer they were stood in front of the two beaters, a pair of seriously well-muscled cousins from Kent who seemed amiable and were perfectly happy to sign whatever was put in front of them.

They were also happy to chat to Ron about the Doppelbeater Deafence they'd used to great effect against the Wimbourne Wasps early on in the season.

The Chasers, who Ginny informed him had been given an entire six-sheet spread in the latest Teen Witch Weekly were obviously the draw for most of the women there. She admitted that she really wished she wasn't in disguise so she could have had a photo taken to prove she'd met them.

Personally Harry thought the three of them seemed rather relieved that Ginny didn't want to pose for pictures, and even happier to find out that she could actually talk intelligibly about Quidditch. At least once she'd stopped stuttering.

Certainly they talked more animatedly to her than they had done to some of the other women there. They laughed when she told them about breaking into her brothers broomshed and wished her luck when she told them about transferring from seeker to Chaser.

She was almost visibly walking on air when they walked away, after the three of them had both signed her broom and written brief personal messages on her poster.

'That,' she announced, in tones of the deepest satisfaction. 'Is going above my bed the minute I get back to Hogwarts. I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they see this!'

Finally they reached the person Harry had really been wanting to see, the former Captain and Keeper for the Gryffindor House Team, Oliver Wood.

He really hadn't changed all that much from the burly fifth-year that Harry had met during his own first year at Hogwarts. A little taller, a little more muscular and a lot more tanned but still the same old Oliver Wood.

He looked up as they neared him with a practiced smile, which melted into a genuine grin, as he exclaimed 'Professor Lupin!'

'See, its not just us,' murmured Neville, which caused the werewolf to raise an ironic eyebrow at him.

'Hello Oliver, it's a pleasure to see you again, and doing so well, too. How are you enjoying Professional Quidditch life?'

Wood's eyes lit up with the old maniacal gleam as he replied.

'It's bloody fantastic Professor! Quidditch morning, noon and night! Practice, new moves, more practice, friendlies, more practice, league matches, exhibition matches, charity matches and even more practice! And when we're not practising there's books on moves and strategy and tactics and analysing the opposition.'

He heaved a blissful sigh. 'It's absolute heaven. Can't think of anything I'd rather do more.'

Lupin chuckled. 'Well you certainly sound happy enough Oliver, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it so much.'

'How's the Gryffindor team doing, sir?'

Lupin seemed a bit surprised to be asked since he had left Hogwarts at the end of Woods last year but Harry rather thought that in his euphoria over winning the Quidditch Cup Oliver wouldn't have noticed a rampaging herd of elephants in the Great Hall, let alone his DADA teacher being outed as a werewolf and forced to resign.

Luckily, Harry and the others had been quite vocal about last years ordeal with regards to Quidditch, even if, the werewolf thought, looking back on what they had revealed at breakfast, they were frighteningly reticent about the rest of it.

'Well, they did win the Cup again, much to Professor McGonnagals relief.'

'Brilliant.'

'Even though Harry and the Weasley Twins were banned from playing…'

'THEY WHAT!'

Oliver's strangled scream had his team-mates turning towards them in surprise.

'Kicked them off the team,' put in Ron.

'Took their brooms away,' added Harry.

'Harry got a life-time ban,' said Ginny, darkly.

Oliver looked like he was about to faint.

'But, but why? They were unbeatable beaters! Best Gryffindor beaters since, since the Prewett brothers! And Harry! Harry was a great Seeker, better than Charlie Weasley even! WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY TEAM!'

Lupin looked a trifle lost. 'Well,' he began, shooting an apologetic glance at Harry as he did so, 'a lot of people thought Harry was delusional, the papers were saying he was, er, lying, and attention seeking by saying the Dark Lord was back.'

Oliver looked indignant. 'That's no reason to kick him off the team! Everyone thought he was going round petrifying people before but that didn't stop him being a bloody good Seeker!'

Lupin looked a bit bewildered at Olivers stance but Harry had to smile at Oliver displaying all his old talent for not being able to see past the end of a Quaffle. It had happened fairly frequently at Hogwarts, like the time in second year, when Dobby had bewitched the Bludger to come after him and Oliver had told him to 'Get the Snitch or die trying!'

Or when the teachers were checking out his brand new Firebolt for hexes and Oliver had told their Head of House that he didn't care if it bucked him off so long as he'd caught the snitch on it first.

It wasn't that he didn't care about anything else, just that in Olivers mind, pretty much everything came secondary to the importance of Quidditch.

'And what about the Weasleys?' he demanded.

'Ah, a fight. With Draco Malfoy.'

'Which Fred wasn't even involved in,' said Ron, still indignant about that particular injustice.

'Only because they were holding him back,' Ginny said fairly.

Oliver groaned and banged his head off the table. His Captain and Seeker, Hildegarde FitzSimmonds, was beginning to look concerned.

'At least they still won,' Neville offered, a touch hesitantly.

Oliver looked up, expression still pained. 'These new players, they're a good team then?' His eyes begged them to say yes.

'Ah, well,' Lupin stammered.

Ron heaved a deep sigh. 'No. Not really.'

Oliver's head returned to the table.

'Hey,' Harry spoke up in defence of his best friend. 'That Ron Weasley's a pretty decent Keeper. At least once he got over his nerves,' he added honestly.

'And Ginny Weasleys a pretty good Seeker,' said Neville.

'She's a better Chaser,' Ginny asserted.

'But the Beaters,' Ron continued, and cringed at the memory. Ginny, who had also had the misfortune of playing with Kirke and Sloper, and Harry and Neville, who had had to watch, cringed in sympathy. 'The Beaters are abysmal.'

Oliver started banging his head rythmically.

It took them a while to bring him out of his depression with the assurance that now the Ministry was discredited and Dumbledore back in power surely Harry Potter would soon be playing Seeker once more. And with a new Captain, four experienced players, (even if one of them was switching positions) and a very rigorous training regime, and even the possibility of some new and better Beaters, Gryffindor House would soon be returned to all its former glory.

In fact, by the time they left, Oliver was busy plotting a long letter, probably filled with his incomprehensible diagrams, to share his knowledge and experience of Quidditch and Captaincy with Katie Bell.

A final few minutes with the teams Seeker, who quizzed them on what they'd done to her poor Keeper and they were out in the open air once more.

'Well, that was certainly…interesting,' said Hermione. Harry had to agree with that.

Packages carefully shrunk by Lupin they continued on down the street towards Number 93 Diagon Alley, the Weasley Twins premises.

Hermione didn't even send up a token protest about how they really should get their school supplies first, she was as eager as anyone to see what the Twins had done with their shop.

They did stop off briefly at the Magical menagerie on the way, as Ron and Harry were both keen to buy some fresh Owl Treats.

Hermione, on the other hand, was distracted by the nearby Owl Office, and told Tonks she wanted to send a quick note off to her parents to let them know how everything was going, since Dumbledore didn't like them sending too many owls from Grimmauld Place.

Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes drew the eye like nothing else on the magical street.

It was a sight to take your breath away, and not just because the cloud of purple smoke surrounding it made everyone choke and splutter. Or hiccup, in Nevilles case.

It was a garish red and orange monstrosity, which stood out from the Victorian architecture that surrounded it in the same brash, bold manner as its creators.

On the central panes of the large windows that took up practically the entire store front to either side of the entrance were three interlocking red W's in a circle of gold – clear evidence that the Weasley Twins would never forget their Gryffindor roots.

Inside, the shop looked to be in absolute chaos. The windows were full of bubbling cauldrons, busy belching out colourful clouds of vapour and spitting out sparks.

A number of Wildfire Whizzbangs had evidently gone off and were noisily chasing each other around the ceiling, which was hung with what looked like strings of onions, streamers of pink candyfloss and baskets upon baskets of unidentifiable stuff.

There was a small swamp in the middle of the floor, complete with some large boulders rising from the muck, presumably to act as stepping-stones. There were a number of young boys jumping up and down on them and giggling madly.

A rope bridge was suspended in mid-air over one corner of the store, for what purpose Harry couldn't possibly fathom a guess, but there was currently a rotund little man in a turquoise top hat and a feather boa dangling his feet off it. He appeared to be fishing in thin air.

The shop floor itself, besides housing a Portable Swamp, was as cluttered as the kitchen at the Burrow. There were towering piles of boxes, mounds of baskets, some absolutely enormous clear bubbles of Merlin-knew-what, and a number of brass hat stands.

At least Harry felt fairly confident that he knew what was on them, he was pretty sure they were for the Headless Hats.

'My goodness!' said Hermione, sounding just a little shocked. 'It's like Willy Wonka's in there!'

Ron, Ginny and Neville looked blank but for once Harry understood the reference.

The Dursleys may not have let him watch much television but the film about rivers of chocolate and food that could be beamed through the TV and other such delights had once captivated a young Dudley Dursley for months. In fact, he'd thrown some quite spectacular tantrums in an effort to force his father to find him a Golden Ticket.

Along the back wall ran a full length wooden counter overflowing with trays of Canary Creams and stacks of Skiving Snackboxes. Here and there Harry could spot glass displays set into the wood, but he couldn't tell what was inside.

Behind the counter stood Lee Jordan, just handing over what looked like a bulging bag of Dungbombs to a young boy. Behind him was a mass of shelves reaching to the ceiling, cram packed with Wizarding Wheezes of all descriptions, and a set of wooden doors leading to the back.

One of the Twins was currently perched up a ladder, whizzing merrily from side to side to grab things and drop them down to his waiting brother. Or on him, even, as the Twin on the ground suddenly turned lime green and the one on the ladder cracked up.

Neville pushed open the door, which let out an ear-splitting screech, and promptly sank hip-deep into the stone floor.

Harry couldn't help but laugh as Neville heaved a resigned sigh and held out a hand for help. Really, he thought, considering everything the Twins had done to poor Neville through the years, he should have known better than to just walk straight in.

George Weasley bounded across the store, a broad grin on his lime-green face as he bent over to help heave Neville out.

'Fantom Flagstones, great aren't they! On special offer today. Yesterday it was Heat-Seeking Cream Pies. Hello Professor!'

'Hello George, how's business?'

'Absolutely booming, 'he grinned. 'We were doing pretty well even before the summer but since Hogwarts finished we've more than doubled our profits. It's still going too – we've been raking it in this last week! I reckon its going to peak just before the start of term and then level off again.'

Fred wandered over to join them. 'It's why we're looking into a Hogsmeade store. I mean, it's pretty obvious that holidays are going to be the busy times here but if we could take advantage of all those Hogsmeade weekends…'

The Twins shared a look of mingled greed and anticipation.

'Well, the sky's the limit!' they chorused.

'We're hoping to find somewhere fairly soon,' continued Fred.

'Yeah, don't want to miss the all-important first Hogsmeade trip.'

'Mum doesn't approve, says it's too risky.'

'Because we're earning enough here to pay the rent and a bit more, even on an off week.'

'But most of that goes back into the business, developing new pranks, buying the ingredients, paying the staff, etc.'

'If we get the new shop though, it's going to wipe out all the extra money we made this summer.'

'We'd need to double our output, or more.'

'Take on more people.'

'And pay twice as much rent.'

'Hogsmeade may not cost as much as Diagon Alley but it still isn't cheap.'

'So we'd be on shaky ground for a bit, till we established ourselves.'

'But, we asked ourselves, what is life without a little risk?'

'It is, we answered ourselves, boring.'

'Predictable.'

'Unimaginative.'

'Even cowardly.'

'And since we have never in our lives aspired to such absurd values.'

'And since we have the utmost faith in our products.'

'And ourselves.'

'And since time is galleons.'

'And the bigger the risk the better the pay-off.'

'We decided what the heck, we might as well go for it.'

They grinned again.

'Of course, Mum's going to kill us.'

'Or make us wish we were dead anyways.'

'But, we have a cunning plan.'

'We've already decided, once we branch into Hogsmeade we're going to take a year to consolidate our position.'

'Expand the Owl Order side of the business.'

'Invest more of our time and energy on research on development.'

'And hopefully build up a nice fat financial cushion.'

The Twins assumed their 'innocent' looks.

'We're just going to make Mum think it's all her idea.'

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Twenty minutes later and Harry was stood beside the counter, a modest selection of items in front of him. He didn't need all that many of the products in store as the Twins had taken it upon themselves to send him regular samples of their merchandise.

All the same he had picked up a crate of the Splatterbombs Super Deluxe, some Assorted Mints (BedazzleMints, BewilderMints and more!), a Creeping Eye and a rather expensive Broomstick Cheat-o-Scope.

'We're trying to get that taken up by the Deapartment of Magical Games and Sports,' Fred said, tapping it with an inkstained finger.

'It's got a pitch-sized range and starts to glow and beep when someone's about to foul you. Sort-of a cross between a Foe-Glass and a Sneak-o-Scope, only we haven't figured out how to make it show who's about to cheat yet.' He shrugged. 'We're working on it.'

There was a sudden loud BANG, and the wooden doors behind the till seemed to bulge outwards for a moment. Smoke crept out from around the edges and Lee staggered out, coughing madly.

'Too much sulphur?' said Fred, unconcerned. Lee could only cough in reply. 'We're experimenting,' he told Harry.

Ginny walked up with her own choices and smiled at her older brother. 'That and they really do just like the noise.'

'Naturally,' said George, coming up behind her. 'It adds atmosphere.'

'Well, there you go,' said Fred, handing over their purchases while Lee dealt with Tonks overflowing basket and George went to help Ron, Lupin and a little girl in pink pull Neville out of a Flowering Tanglevine which had taken a liking to him.

The green-fingered Gryffindor chose a smaller cutting in a little blue pot the moment he was extricated from its over-enthusiastic clutches and hurried over with the rest to pay.

'Do visit the next time you're in Diagon Alley, and watch out for us in Hogsmeade! Remember to mind the flagstones on the way out!'

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

'Now can we go to Flourish and Blotts?' pleaded Hermione, the instant they stepped outside. 'Please.'

'Not just yet Hermione,' said Lupin, pointing to a crooked little shop called Bitts and Bobbs. 'That's the best place to go for odd little things like your juggling balls. Come along, this shouldn't take very long and then,' he said with a slight smile to Hermione, 'I promise we'll head for Flourish and Blotts next.'

Hermione did not look terribly happy with the new plan. Obviously the siren call of the bookshop was becoming harder to resist.

From what Harry could remember Bitts and Bobbs was a sort of random little shop. It didn't specialise, like most places in Diagon Alley, in any particular thing. It wasn't a second-hand shop like Oddes and Endes, where Percy had found that stupid 'Prefects who Gained Power' book. Instead, it carried a little bit of practically everything.

There was a selection of Muggle stationary beside little potted tentaculas, trays of crystals and semi-precious stones, figurines of magical creatures, a range of candles, wizarding Wirelesses, newspaper racks, mugs with 'Worlds Best Witch' on them and sundry other unconnected items.

They soon found the juggling balls though they didn't look like any juggling balls Harry had ever seen before.

Hermione held up a set that looked like crystals, only there seemed to be a perpetual snowstorm going on inside them. Ron rummaged around in the cheaper selection and found a set that was bright orange and declared that such Chudley Cannon-esque juggling balls were clearly meant for him though he did seem tempted by a set of dark blue balls with an internal firework display.

Harry was torn – there was a wonderfully soft set that could have been made out of Owl feathers, one which contained scarlet and gold oil that rippled and eddied endlessly and a set the colour of a night sky, filled with clouds which lit up with a stunning thunderstorm.

In the end he went with the thunderstorm, because Ron insisted that that was the coolest set of the three.

Since neither Ginny nor Neville had had juggling balls on their equipment lists they were free to wander the store while the others made up their minds.

Harry was mildly surprised that Neville hadn't come back with a little Tentacula but maybe he already had one. Instead he had found a set of Magical Measuring Markers.

'They're really great, you stick them in the ground by your plants and they tell you when the soils too dry or too moist. I've been after another set.'

Ginny had bought her Dad a click-top ball-point pen for him to take apart and marvel at.

'I wouldn't put it past him to charm it somehow,' she confided. 'He still hasn't learnt from the last time!'

'See,' Ron said to Hermione as they left. 'It didn't take long at all, did it?'

She ignored him.

A stop at the Apothecary was also on their 'to-do' list, but everyone seemed to have decided not to push Hermiones self-restraint any further, and so they headed for the book-shop.

The teenaged witch let out a sigh of pure happiness as they entered and headed off towards a shop assistant, pulling a list from her pocket as she went.

The five of them had been warned not to get the whole of their booklists today as it might seem a bit suspicious to have a group of young wizards and witches just happen to pick up an entire set of Hogwarts books before the booklists even came out. Not to mention that some of the younger members of staff might conceivably insist that they weren't even Hogwarts students.

Bill Weasley and the Twins had agreed to pick up the rest in the next few days.

That particular decision had been very hard on Hermione. The knowledge that she would actually have to wait for her new books was almost physically painful for her. She had decided to compensate by buying a lot of other new books instead.

Harry wasn't so bothered, so long as he got his new Defence book he figured that would keep him occupied until the rest of them arrived. Hermione, however, had insisted that he also get his Potions text, as the more time he had to read and prepare before he had to do any of it front of Snape the better.

Harry could see her point.

Neville, naturally, was most interested in his new Herbology book, though he was also keen to get to grips with the new defence material. Ron had chosen the books on Enchantment and Wandless Magics while Lupin had managed to talk Hermione down to her Rituals text and the new books for Charms and Transfiguration.

It hadn't been easy.

Of course, she was supplementing these with her advanced books on Astronomy and Runes and, considering the glint in her eyes, probably a great many more. Hermione never had learnt how to say 'No' to books.

The three boys wandered deeper into the Defence section while Tonks helped Ginny find some of her fifth year books and tried to keep track of Hermione. Lupin stationed himself by the doorway and began browsing through the bargain tables.

Harry had never really had to think much about books before, he'd just bought what was on his booklist and then wandered off to do more interesting things.

He'd browsed, of course, especially in third year, because Flourish and Blotts was a fascinating place, and because he'd needed more information for his essays, but he was far more likely to spend his free time gazing through the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

'Oy, mate, look over there,' said Ron, pointing to a lurid red book with the title 'Constant Vigilance!' in big black letters. He picked it up, opened it and swiftly slammed it shut. 'Urgh, you don't want this one, that's disgusting!'

Neville picked up one entitled 'Magic and the Melee' and turned it over.

'When you're outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and outclassed you need to know how to turn things around – Professor Vindicus Viridian, in his finest work to date, shows the way forward.'

'Sounds good,' said Harry, interested, and Neville passed it over while he bent down to pick up two copies of 'So You Want to Keep on Breathing.'

'What about this one?' said Ron, reaching up to 'Know Your Advantages and Use Them Ruthlessly!'

'An exhaustive work by one of Magical Britain's foremost experts on offensive tactics…An invaluable guide to coming out on top!' That sounds pretty good.' He groaned as he pulled it off the shelf and into his arms. 'And it certainly feels exhaustive!'

Neville pulled out a slim volume called 'Be Prepared.'

'Exercises to help you feel ready to face whatever's coming your way' – I like the sound of that.'

'That's probably enough guys.' Harry broke in. 'Remember, we're going to have everything in the library and anything the Room of Requirement comes up with as soon as we're back at school.'

Ron grinned suddenly. 'And we're Sixth Years now – NEWT students get loads more access to the Restricted Section.'

Having chosen enough defence books for the time being they skirted around the Alchemy section into Potions to pick up Harry's new book. From there, they headed into the sections on Enchantment and Wandless Magic for Ron's, which sat beside titles like 'Move it like Merlin,' 'Real Men don't Need Wands,' and 'The Grimoire Enchantica,' an enormous book with a cover of beaten gold and gems.

They ran into Ginny as they walked through Herbology, where Neville picked up 'More Magical Herbs and Funghi' as well as a book on 'Salves, Balms and Infusions, Making Nature Work for You.'

'Where's Hermione?' asked Ron.

Ginny pointed to a shop assistant with a swaying tower of books in his arms. 'Do you really need to ask?'

'Mental,' Ron said, shaking his head sadly. 'Absolutely mental. We'd better go give her a hand, she'll never manage that lot on her own.'

Ten minutes later and it was clear that Hermione had bought more books than the rest of them put together.

'A little 'light reading' again Hermione?' Ron huffed softly as he heaved about an enormous 'Encyclopedia of Magical Maladies and Mishaps.'

'Well, if I can't get my Medimagic book yet at least I can do some background reading,' she replied serenely.

'Background reading!' Ron spluttered. He snatched another book off the counter and waved it around wildly for a moment before shoving it in the bag with the rest. 'Let me guess – wider reading? And this one's actually assigned reading, and that's advanced reading – you're not going to have time for anything else at this rate you know!'

Hermione gave him a pitying look.

'Some of us are very fast readers, and some of us find reading more important than messing around on broomsticks. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time thankyou very much!'

The cashier looked up from the Calcu-Quill that was adding up the bill and asked 'Would you like those lightening for you?'

'Yes!' cried Ron and Harry at once. Carrying their own books wouldn't have been a problem but add in Hermiones and it all got rather heavy.

'I'm glad I'm not a Muggle,' Ron told Tonks as they left. 'Imagine having to lug all that about without magic! You'd end up looking like Crabbe and Goyle!' he hunched over and hung his arms like a gorilla. 'Knuckles trailing on the ground and everything!'

Lupin decided to wait just outside the door of the Apothecary as the clash of odours inside irritated his superior sense of smell. Truthfully, they irritated Harry as well so he could only imagine how awful it must be to someone with a werewolf's nose.

Ron and Neville were not taking potions at all, but Neville liked the Apothecary because it always had bits of plants in and Ron decided to go in anyway, because everyone else was.

Once inside Hermione took charge, directing people with the air of a bushy-haired general. Ron and Ginny went off to fill up her Potions kit, Neville was given the job of fetching things and Hermione dragged Harry off herself, to take his Potions purchasing firmly in hand.

Tonks escaped additional duties since she was on guard, and instead wandered nonchalantly over to the figure all draped in veils that Harry had seen earlier, in conversation with the headmaster. He still couldn't tell what it was.

He didn't have time to ponder this though, because Hermione was busy pushing him towards racks of potions ingredients.

'Now, I've read a few advanced Potions texts, so I have a rough idea on what we'll need though I think it's rather stupid to have us buying the ingredients before we've even read the books don't you? We could be missing out loads of important things, though I suppose we can always get them later but its always so infuriating when you want to make something and you realise you don't have everything you need and so you have to wait, isn't it?

Now, I know you need more beetle eyes, don't think I didn't see you flicking them at Mal…the blonde git, all last year! And another flagon of Murtlap essence, that's always useful. Do you want to go halves on a Unicorn horn? That should be more than enough for the two of us. Oh, vials!'

She had Neville fetch two sets of the reinforced crystal vials from the other side of the shop and peered critically at their labels when he brought them back.

'Oh good, there's a good, strong anti-breakage charm on them, that's useful, now where was I? We still need the cauldrons but we can pick those up on the way out, they're better value at Cauldrons for all Occasions anyway, now, we need some more dragon scales.'

When the basket was almost full Harry did ask if they really needed quite that much, but Hermione stood firm.

'Practice makes perfect, and if you want to be an Auror you're going to need a lot more practice, and that means having enough ingredients to practice with.'

Eventually she declared herself done and they rejoined Tonks who was waiting for them at the door. Everyone else had decided to join Lupin outside, away from the smell.

Lupin was gazing at his watch as the three of them came out.

'I think,' he began, that we ought to start thinking about heading back. It wouldn't do,' he shot a smile towards Ron and Ginny, 'to push your mother too far.'

'But what about the cauldrons and the new robes?' asked Hermione.

'You aren't, well, you right now,' Tonks said quietly. ''It'd be a bit blooming suspicious for you lot to go getting Hogwarts robes when no one would recognise you as Hogwarts students. Madam Malkin never forgets a face, and she's a gossip. Word would spread and we don't want that. Besides, once everything wears off those two,' she jerked her thumb towards Harry and Ron, 'robes bought now wouldn't even fit! No, best to sort it out later.'

'As for cauldrons, the Twins can pick them up and send them along. With all their experiments I doubt anyone would remark on their needing a few more.' Lupin surveyed the downcast features of the teenagers and smiled kindly. 'Come on, we'll treat ourselves at Florean Fortescues before we head back, eh?'

Although Harry hadn't really noticed before he was beginning to feel a bit peckish. Breakfast had been some time ago and then they'd been busy shopping. It was definitely time for a snack, just something to tide them over.

Although Mrs Weasley would no doubt have kept their dinner warm for them he didn't want to wait until they were back in Grimmauld Place. Besides, no one in their right minds would turn down anything Florean Fortescues had to offer. Ron was already rubbing his rumbling stomach and declaring himself 'bloody starving!'

Remus led the way up to the counter, where Florean himself, in a large stripy apron was piling scoops of nuts on an enormous Knickerbocker Glory.

'Remus!' he boomed. 'Good to see you! It's been a while – your usual?'

'Of course. So, how have you been?'

'Fine, fine,' said Fortescue, loading scoops of rich chocolate ice-cream into a chocolate cone. 'And yourself?'

'I'm doing alright,' said Lupin as he accepted what Harry now recognised as a large Chocolate Fudge Decadence. He bit the top off with a look of delight and mumbled 'Better now I've got this.'

Fortescue roared with laughter. 'You always were a bit of a chocoholic Remus, even in school. Now, who's next?'

Tonks quickly stepped forward to order a Pineapple Sunrise, Hermione a Five-Fruit Sorbet, Ginny a Triple-Chocolate delight and Ron a Hot Fudge Sundae. Neville said he wasn't all that fond of ice cream so he ordered a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake instead.

Harry had been studying the enormous menu that ran the height of the wall beside the counter and had decided to try a banana and ginger ice cream. It was surprisingly nice.

They walked to one of the umbrella-covered tables and sat down to enjoy their food and watch the people passing by.

Suddenly a dreamy voice from behind them said very clearly 'Hello Ronald.'

They all whipped round to see Luna Lovegood and a balding man whose remnants of hair stuck out at all angles and could only have been her father.

She was staring straight at Ron, which would have been somewhat less remarkable if he had looked anything like Ron. But he didn't.

'You, you can tell it's me?' he stuttered.

Harry could see Tonks surreptitiously pulling out her wand at levelling it at the pair of them from under the table. The young Auror was obviously prepared to use it at any moment.

'Of course. Shouldn't I?'

'Well, I'm sort-of in disguise!'

'Are you really?' She looked interested. 'I always thought the Ministry might send out its Assassins after you interfered with their Aquavirius Maggots.' She leaned forwards conspiratorially and whispered 'They won't want you to know their secrets.' She straightened up. 'Have you figured out what the marks meant yet? Dad reckons they could be some form of primitive code.'

'They weren't Aquavirius Maggots, they were brains,' began Hermione.

'And the Ministry has not sent assassins after me!' said Ron.

'Then why are you in disguise?'

'Because Harry doesn't want to be recognised!'

She tilted her head to one side and gave Harry a long, considering look.

'You really don't look all that different,' she finally announced.

He sighed. 'Yes, I know. Did you have a good summer?'

'Marvellous! We gathered a whole file of evidence on the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and we even spotted one off in the distance one night. Or it could have been a Razor-Horned Goat – we never got close enough to find out. We're on our way to the paper – we're thinking of doing a Snorkack special.'

'And we have a deadline,' said the man beside her.

'And we have a deadline,' she agreed. 'Well, goodbye Harry, Ronald, everyone. If the Minstry spies come to ask any questions I'll deny I've ever met you. See you at Hogwarts.'

Ron stared after her and then turned his attention back to his Sundae.

'That girl,' he announced. 'Is seriously weird.'

Nobody disagreed. Instead they began to dig into their deserts as they enjoyed their last few minutes in Diagon Alley before they had to return to Grimmauld Place.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Well, there you go – lots of teenagers doing teenagery things, some Oliver Wood for all the fangirls and more Ron, for Prue, who keeps scribbling 'I LOVE RON' over my notes when I'm not looking. And sometimes when I am. I can't stop her, she's bigger than I am! What can I say, she's a rabid Weasley-fangirl.

Shinigami: not this chapter I'm afraid but soon, very soon…

Jemma Blackwell: well, he did notice the blonde curls. Maybe not quite how you wanted him to but he did notice!

Jeaniebeanie33: Thanks! And sure, help yourself to the courses, I like the fact that my story sparks off ideas in other peoples heads. Go for it and good luck with the story.

Locathah: Sorry I didn't make this clearer – I'll have to go back and work on it. The Twins took only three NEWTs: potions, charms and transfiguration. They took the other courses as BATs, so they took the course, but not as a NEWT. I think I originally meant for them all to be NEWTs, but figured out that the chapter in OotP where they look at careers leaflets only mentions the same subjects you can take at OWL. As I try to stick to canon I had to tweak the original idea to get my subjects in. Thanks for letting me know.

As for the Twins, in OotP Umbridge has them cornered with their swamp and sends Filch to fetch the 'Approval for Whipping' form from her office while Harry is using the fire. He comes back, she tells the Twins she'll show them what happens to wrongdoers in her school and the Twins turn round and say 'I don't think so' and fly off. I even checked to make sure! It's easy enough to mix up fanon and canon.

And of course, big thankyous to everybody else who reviewed, I'm only sorry I can't reply to them all. Hope you enjoyed this one, let me know what you thought.

T.T.F.N Everyone! xxx