If any of you remember me, I have got another two chapters to upload! I am so sorry it has taken so long. I hope you enjoy. xxxx

Chapter 7

The town of Hogsmeade was bustling excitedly with happy shoppers going about their daily business.

Bellatrix and Voldemort wandered through this throng of cheeriness with an unavoidable aura of conspicuousness; maybe it was their pale faces or their dark and gloomy attire that cast such a blatant cloud of misery around them.

Bellatrix had insisted on taking Voldemort to Diagon Alley that afternoon and he had grudgingly obliged, taking care to tuck his wand carefully into his robe pocket. He gripped it now, casting his eye over the crowd.

Bellatrix pointed to a stage of sorts towards the centre of the street. "He's here every Friday. People can't get enough of him. He does magic that could blow your mind away."

She glanced at Voldemort furtively.

"He isn't anywhere near as good as you though." she smiled up at him adoringly but he wasn't paying attention to her simpering compliments; he had spotted a recognizable face amongst the witches and wizards clamouring towards the stage. It was Wormtail.

Voldemort snatched the wand from his pocket and made a move towards him.

Bellatrix, however, grabbed his wrist and he froze mid-step.

"Not yet!" she warned in a low voice, making sure not to be overheard by the many passers-by.

Voldemort half-nodded and averted his eyes to the floor. It would be foolish to enact his revenge so publicly. And it was Snape he was really after of course…

Suddenly, multi-coloured flashes of light erupted from behind the curtain on the stage and a tiny figure emerged, coughing slightly from the smoke.

At first it looked like a small child, but upon closer inspection Voldemort could see that it was a house-elf, wearing nothing but a filthy sheet draped around him like a loin-cloth and had clumsily bandaged fingers.

"May I have your attention please, Wizards and Witches!" he spluttered in a highly distinguishable and surprisingly loud squeak of a voice.

He waited a moment for the general hubbub to quieten down considerably before continuing.

"My friends, are there any of you in this crowd who wake every morning to discover your pillow is covered with hair?"

There were a few murmurings amongst the wizards and the house-elf grinned.

"Fret not, good sirs, for here in my very hands is the cure!" he yelled, brandishing a small bottle and waving it above his tiny head.

"This, friends, is Slughorn's Magical Elixir!" he cried dramatically, arousing the attention of a few more passers-by.

"Mark my words, ladies and gentlemen; just one rub of this and your hair will be so long and thick, even Dumbledore's beard will be green with envy!"

A few of the surrounding witches and wizards chuckled and moved closer.

"Want to try some, sir? It'll only cost you seven sickles!" squealed the house-elf excitedly, advancing towards a slightly nervous looking wizard by the name of Arthur, whose short ginger hair had thinned so much that a large bald patch was apparent on his head.

Before Arthur could protest, the house elf was shaking the contents of the bottle rigorously over his head.

He wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell but the house elf didn't seem to notice.

"A few more doses of that, and you'll be able to take your pick out of all these lovely witches!" he giggled, causing Arthur's wife, Molly to tut loudly.

Bellatrix and Voldemort were observing the spectacle with a certain amount of scepticism. The irritating (or so Voldemort thought) house-elf was now throwing bottles of the foul-looking 'elixir' into the crowd.

"Bella, what is that awful stench?" he said audibly, catching the attention of some of the people nearest to them.

Bellatrix smirked before quickly changing her expression into one of disgust.

"Is there a troll on the loose?" she barked.

"Try Slughorn's Magical Elixir!" the house-elf continued to shout, his voice getting higher and higher in pitch. "Even the baldest of bald heads will soon sprout curls after just one dose!"

Voldemort had managed to grab a bottle from the wizard next to him and was now sniffing at it contemptuously.

"What is this? It smells like Doxycide and…" He inhaled deeply once more. "Wartcap powder!"

Bellatrix grabbed another bottle and pretended to retch. "I wouldn't touch it if I were you!" she warned, passing it back to the wizard.

"I urge you all to buy a bottle, gentlemen! The ladies love it!" the house-elf wailed above the protests of Bellatrix and Voldemort.

"Flies do too!" retorted Bellatrix.