CHAPTER 3: SUSPICIONS RISING

As Harry wandered down Diagon Alley with Ron and Hermione, slurping down a strawberry and peanut butter ice-cream, he could barely focus on the fascinating shops surrounding him. Meeting Mr. Kirkland had brought all his suspicions about Alfred and Matthew back to the front of his mind. And then there was the fact that he'd run into him in Knockturn Alley, which hardly seemed the sort of place a respectable wizard spent his time.

And yet, Harry could barely bring himself to suspect Mr. Kirkland of anything bad. He couldn't quite explain it, but there was… something about him that made Harry immediately feel a deep connection between them. It was quite inexplicable. He had only seen him twice before, and both times he'd been lecturing Alfred. Today was the first time they'd actually talked, and yet Harry felt as if he'd known him all his life.

For the next hour, Harry was lost in his thoughts. He tried his best to pay attention to his surroundings, knowing how fantastical they must be, but he just couldn't shake off all these thoughts and feelings clouding his brain. When they finally started heading to Flourish and Blotts, he found that he simply couldn't hold it in anymore.

"So, am I the only one wondering what Mr. Kirkland was doing in Knockturn Alley?" he asked Ron and Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I've been wondering that, too."

Ron nodded. "Same here. Kirkland seems like an all right bloke, why would he be skulking around a place like that?"

Harry wracked his memory for every detail of their conversation. "He said he was 'catching up with some old friends' and changed the subject. I guess he realized how it must look to be hanging around with that crowd."

Hermione rubbed her chin. "It is rather suspicious… actually, quite a bit about their family is suspicious, don't you think?"

"So it's not just me?" Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. There's something weird going on there. I mean, how is it that Alfred is so strong? He was able to kick down that door no problem."

"Maybe he drank a strength potion when we weren't looking?" suggested Harry. He'd been telling himself that explanation for days.

"No, I doubt it was that," said Hermione. "Because it wasn't just that night, was it? He was able to throw that pipe pretty hard during that fight with the troll. He's far too durable, too. During Flying Lessons, when Neville landed on him, remember? Neville ended up with a broken wrist, but Alfred didn't have so much as a bruise. And during Snape's challenge he was able to just walk through that fire without using a potion… he couldn't have drunk it beforehand, the effects wouldn't last long enough… and… Harry, what kind of curse did Quirrell use on him?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. It was purple, and it looked pretty nasty. Quirrell said it should have been more than enough to kill him, but he just got knocked out."

"Yeah, and then he woke up before you did…" Ron rubbed his forehead. "I feel as if we're forgetting something…"

"Yes, me too," said Hermione.

"What could it be…" Harry had a 'eureka' moment. "Matthew! We forgot about Matthew!"

"Oh, right, Matthew." Ron looked a bit sheepish at forgetting one of his best friends.

"That's odd, too, isn't it?" said Hermione. "Everyone always seems to forget him, or not notice him… how is that even possible? Half the time we were studying together, I forgot he was there. Even Alfred seems to forget about him sometimes… It's not as if he's that forgettable. I mean, he's always followed around by a talking polar bear, you'd think people would notice that… and why is there such a huge crowd?" They had arrived at the bookshop to find a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
today 12.30-4.30

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist! Wait… what were we talking about, again?"

Harry frowned. What had they been talking about? "I think we were wondering why Alfred was so strong, right?"

Ron seemed rather bemused, as well. "I still feel like we're forgetting something… ah, well." The three of them squeezed into Flourish and Blotts, making their way through the crowd of giggling middle-aged witches. A long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of Break with a Banshee and hung back from the line (they could sneak ahead to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger when they needed to) in order to continue their discussion.

"I've read that half-giants are very strong," said Hermione. "And they're famously resistant to magic, too."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, there's no way Alfred's half-giant. He's too short."

Hermione tapped a staccato beat on the cover of Break with a Banshee. "Hmm… you're right… troll ancestry, perhaps? He doesn't look it, though, he's far too attractive…" She seemed to realize what she'd just said. "I-I mean, from a purely objective standpoint, he lacks the facial features generally found in those with troll ancestry. Something to do with dragons, maybe? They're resistant to magic, too…"

Harry put a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione. I doubt he's got a dragon for an ancestor. Just calm down. We can look into this later."

Hermione nodded, mostly to herself. "Later… yes… once we get to Hogwarts, I'll go to the library… there will probably be something there… yes, yes…" She had started twisting her hands together and there was a mad gleam in her eye. She seemed dangerously close to letting out a cackle and saying stuff like, 'They called me mad! Mad! Well, I'll show them!'

Harry and Ron exchanged identical worried looks. Ron spoke first. "Um, yeah, Hermione, you really need to calm down. Why don't we just ask Alfred when we see him at Platform Nine and Three Quarters? I'm sure he'll have an explanation for it."

Hermione glared at him. "Oh, I'm sure he will, but what if he wants to keep it secret? How will we know if he's lying just to cover up something dark and sinister?"

Harry spoke up this time. "Uh, Hermione, I think you've had too much sugar. Just take a few deep breaths and-" He was interrupted by a crash and a long stream of rather graphic swearing. They all looked around towards the source of the noise to find Mr. Kirkland hopping on one foot near them, holding the other in his hands and using language totally unsuitable for the ears of twelve-year-olds. Judging by the books splayed on the ground nearby, he'd dropped them on his foot and, like any injured adult, had started spouting obscenities to deal with the pain. It was actually somewhat comical.

Pretty much everyone else in the shop had looked over to see where all the swearing was coming from. Mr. Kirkland seemed to realize this, falling silent, gingerly lowering his injured foot, and giving the room at large a fierce glare. "Oh, bite me!" he snarled, picking up his books and storming over to the cashier.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all exchanged concerned looks. How long had Mr. Kirkland been standing there? How much of their conversation had he overheard? Did he know that they were getting suspicious of Alfred? Would he tell him? Though they didn't say anything, Harry knew that Ron and Hermione were having the same thoughts. "We'll leave it 'til Hogwarts, then," said Ron sheepishly. The other two nodded in agreement and they made their way to where the Weasleys stood in line with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

A/N: #MadScientistHermione. HUGS FOR EVERYONE! \(^-^)/ Gah, so many questions in reviews! Okay, here goes. To Insufferable Proximity: All I'll say is that England won't be a teacher for the events of Chamber of Secrets. I say nothing about what might happen after that. To freyiejj: America and Canada will be coming next chapter! To My Tomato Days: Boy, I'm getting a lot of shipping questions, aren't I? The Hetalia fandom takes shipping very seriously, doesn't it? I'm not much of a shipper in general, to be honest. My feelings about FrUK are... complicated. I can totally see it, they're practically an old married couple already. I just find it difficult to imagine them being in a healthy romantic relationship without them being too OOC. I feel like they hate each other, but it's such a familiar hate that it's come to resemble some sort of affection. They're a constant in each others' lives, and no matter how much they fight, I don't think they can imagine their lives without the other in it. So, in conclusion, I guess the answer to your question is; it's complicated. NEXT CHAPTER: America gets on the Hogwarts Express and is interrogated by Hermione. See you all next time!