Took way too long to write this... Hope it's. Good!

Enjoy!

3 Chapter 3: Muggle London

When Alexis and Harry woke up the next day, they were greeted by three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious, soaring in through the window. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.

Alexis recognized the unconscious owl at once - he belonged to the Weasley family.

"Errol?" said Alexis, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Harry climbed out of bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the item, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water while Hedwig hooted in annoyance- clearly against sharing her cage.

The duo turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large spotted one, was a shipping owl. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew straight out the window.

Neither Alexis or Harry recognized the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but they knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the sky like the last one.

"Well," said Alexis, "hurry up and open them!"

Grinning, Harry sat down on his bed with Alexis and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out - a letter and a newspaper clipping.

The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:

MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.

A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Alexis scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across her face as she saw all eight of the Weasleys waving furiously at her, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder.

"Did you know, Hex?" asked Harry, grinning wildly.

"I found out yesterday," said Hex. She handed Harry the second letter but he didn't open it. "What?"

"It's just..." he started shaking his head, "last year, on the train ride, you said Professor Trelawney told you have the Inner Eye and you predicted Tails would win the lottery."

Alexis snickered at her best friend.

"It wasn't a prediction, Prongs, it was a joke. I was just as surprised when I found out but I can see the future as good as Trelawney, and she's loony."

"But she teaches Div-"

"Trust me, Harry," Alexis said, cutting him off, "you have Divnination this year, you'll see."

Shrugging in agreement, Harry picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday!

Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.

It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let me come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.

I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Remember when Hex said we would on the train? I think she might be psychic! Anyway, seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.

We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?

Don't let the Muggles get you down!

Try and come to London,

Ron

P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.

While Harry tore through the wrapping of his present from Ron, Alexis read the note that came with it aloud. It said:

"Harry - this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.

Bye - Ron"

Alexis was laughing still at the twins antics even as Harry ripped into his package from the shipping owl. Inside it, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.

I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then I found out about shipping owls! I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.

There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.

Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!

Love from

Hermione

P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.

Alexis and Harry laughed as they read Hermione's letter before Harry picked up her present. It was very heavy.

"I bet it's a collection of books," joked Harry, still laughing.

"Yeah," giggled Alexis, "Gilderoy Lockhart's."

Alexis laughed even harder at the face expression Harry made when she mentioned their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from last year.

"Jeez, Prongs," Alexis said, stifling her laughter, "I know you didn't like the guy but-"

"The phony made last year horrible!" snapped Harry. "I had to regrow my entire arm because of him, Padfoot!"

"Yeah, that was the big issue last year," teased Alexis. "A basilisk petrifying students, your best friend being possessed by the memory of Tom Riddle, and everyone thinking you were the Heir of Slytherin were just minor issues."

Harry rolled his eyes before laughing.

"No, the real problem last year was the fact that we never got to play for the Quidditch Cup."

Alexis hit him with a pillow but couldn't help but to smirk.

"Just open your gift, you git."

Still chuckling, Harry returning his attention to his present. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.

"Lucky bastard," said Alexis.

"Language," chided Harry. Alexis grinned sheepishly. Her eyes were drawn to Harry's last package. It was moving.

"Um, I think Hagrid sent you something," she mumbled. Harry only nodded as his last package began opening itself like a four year old opening presents on his birthday.

"Do you think it's alive?... or dangerous?" asked Harry hesitantly. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.

Alexis snorted sarcastically, "No, Prongs, it's a book, a monster book. Give me the lamp, I'll hit it if it attacks once you get the wrapping off it."

Harry handed Alexis the lamp off the bedside table and readied himself to grab the remaining wrapper off the... thing. Once Alexis had the lamp lifted high above her head, ready to strike, Harry counted down silently with his fingers - three - two - one -

"NOW!"

Harry seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled. Out fell - a book. Its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, now slightly dented were Alexis had hit it, knocking the book... unconscious?

"Quite making predictions, Padfoot," growled Harry. Alexis opened her mouth to argue but Harry silenced her by raising his hand. "I don't care if it was a joke, it still happened and you predicted it."

Alexis rolled her eyes and examined the now motionless book. She smiled before picking it up and hugging it to herself.

"It's kind of cute though," she sang, rocking the book back and forth when it started to move again. Harry swore he heard the book starting hum as he read Hagrid's card.

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday!

Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.

Hope the Muggles are treating you right.

All the best,

Hagrid

It struck the friends as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but Harry put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever.

"I just want to say," said Alexis, placing the monster book down on Harry's bed where it laid sleeping, "I actually said Happy Birthday on your birthday, though I was going to let you pick out your gift today when we went to the zoo."

"We were going to go to the zoo?" exclaimed Harry. He winced when the monster book started to growl but it quit once Alexis stroked it's spin.

"Were being the key word," said Alexis, "but I'll buy you whatever you want in Diagon Alley. Moody gave me some Muggle money the other day, we'll just have to convert it to galleons."

She stood up and started rummaging through Harry's trunk. Not having any clothes with her, she grabbed one of Harry's shirt, one of his many red t-shirts, to put on later. When she realized Harry wasn't get up she gave him a concerned look.

"Whats up, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, slowly getting off his bed and grabbing a change of clothes.

"I don't think if I'm ready to face the Wizard World yet. Not after... you know."

"Well," said Alexis, thinking, "what do you want to do, or where do you want to go for that matter?"

"I don't know," sighed Harry. "Fudge said not to go out to Muggle London and- and you don't care what Fudge says, do you?"

Alexis shook her head no.

"But Tom is-"

"Don't worry about Tom, Harry," said Alexis, smiling deviously. "I know how to get to London without going out the front door."

Knowing better then to ask questions, Harry grinned at his best friend.

"Well then, to Muggle London, Padfoot?"

"To Muggle London, Prongs."

Hardly an hour later, Alexis and Harry had changed clothes, taken Alexis's school supplies and belongings (Moody had dropped them off that morning while they were sleeping) up to their room, gone out the back door, scaled the Leaky Cauldron, and jumped down onto the cold cement ground in between the Leaky Cauldron and a Muggle music store, landing gracefully in an alleyway.

They went straight to sightseeing: Alexis's favorite stop being the Tower of London and Harry's favorite being the London Zoo. Alexis had even bought Harry a fascinating twined necklace from a gypsy woman for his birthday. It was made of black string, tied in and elaborate pattern with three copper beads. Harry really seemed to like it and couldn't stop playing with it as they walked around.

Finally, as their long day drew to an end, the duo stumbled into a coffee shop, giggling shamelessly.

"And Mad-Eye let you?" asked Harry, still laughing.

"He helped me get it," said Alexis, handing the waitress the money for their drinks. "I needed a wand to cast it and I can't use one so I needed him to."

Harry took a long sip of his hot chocolate before speaking again.

"But a tattoo?" he said with the straightest face he could make. "Moody doesn't seem like the kind of person to let you get a tattoo, magic or not."

"Are you kidding me?" Alexis laughed. "He probably got one right after me, and I'll admit, I'm curious to know what his familiar is."

Alexis laughed as Harry's thought passed through her mind.

"I doubt it's a bunny, Ha-"

"Hello children."

Three men stood on Alexis's right side and Harry's left. They were all smiling and the man who had talked was wearing a soccer team hat over his dark brown hair. His eyes were locked on Harry.

"Can we help you?" Harry asked politely, earning him a stink eye from Alexis.

'Don't be polite to these guys, Harry.'

'Sorry, Hex. Just trying to get them to leave.'

"Yes," said the man, his smile widening, "my friends and I were hoping to sit with you two. All the other tables are taken."

"You can actually have this one," said Alexis, quickly standing up. "We're done with it."

"Really?" said the man in a I-can-see-that-your-cup-is-still-full-so-I-don't-believe-you-for-a-second voice.

"Yeah, really," snapped Alexis. "We didn't like the tea. Come on James."

She grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him out of the shop.

"Those guys were weird," breathed Harry once they had walked a block. The sun was setting slowly and it would be dark soon. Luckily they were only a few blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron.

Alexis, however, had the strangest feeling she was being watched. When she caught a glimpse off a car, showing her two familiar faces following behind them by only a few paces, she knew her assumption was right.

'Prongs,' Alexis said telepathically to Harry.

'Yeah, Padfoot?' replied Harry

'Those two guys are following us.'

Ever so slightly, Harry glanced over his shoulder. The two of the three men from the coffee shop were indeed following them.

"Leaky Cauldron?" he breathed as calmly as he could. Alexis nodded her head.

Fighting the urge to pick up the pace, the two Gryffindors mustered up their courage and casually walked back the the Leaky Cauldron. They were only a block away when Harry was accidentally bumped by a passerby, knocking himself, Alexis and the passerby into an alley. No more then three seconds later, the two men following them joined them and Alexis and Harry realized that the passerby's bump had never been an accident in the first place. The passerby was the third man from the coffee shop.

"James, huh?" crackled the man in the soccer cap. He had lifted Harry's bangs, revealing his lightning bolt scar. "You were right, Jim. Harry Potter, wondering the streets of London, unprotected."

"Told you Dav," laughed the man with the black hair.

Alexis and Harry gulped. The three men were wizards and there was no doubt about it. And if knowing who Harry was wasn't enough proof, all three of them drew their wands.

"Who's the girl, Potter?" asked the man called Dav.

"Leave us alone," hissed Alexis, stepping in front of Harry. The three men laughed.

"Letting a girl do your dirty work, aye, Potter?"

"I'm warning you," growled Alexis. "Fudge has Aurors watching us. You better get lost fast."

It was a lie but the men didn't need to know that. Unfortunately, they didn't care either way.

"Has a little bit of an American accent, doesn't she?" asked the unnamed man. "Little old for you, Potter."

The man moved towards Alexis and Harry drew his wand.

"Leave her alone," he hissed, pointing his wand at man's throat.

"You better watch it Potter," hissed the man. "You don't want to cause any trouble after blowing up your aunt, do you?"

"Lower your wand," ordered Dav. He lifted his hand towards Harry-

Dav's eyes widened. The wand that had once been in his hand was gone.

"What the -"

A flash of red light hit Dav making fall into a heap on the ground. Before Alexis realized what was happening so had Jim and the other man, revealing Alexis and Harry's savor.

"Hex," whispered Harry.

"I see him," breathed Alexis.

Standing in front of them was none other then Sirius Black. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If his eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin.

"Harry-"

"Expelliamus!" shouted Alexis.

Sirius Black slammed into the dumpster, his unconscious body sliding to the floor with a soft thump. Not hesitating for a second, Harry dragged Alexis out of the alley and the two ran faster then they had ever before back to the Leaky Cauldron. Somehow they not only managed to slip through the front door unnoticed but they also made it to their room before Tom the barkeeper even realized they were back.

"That was-"

"Yeah."

"He was-"

"Yeah."

"Do you think we should-"

"No way."

"But-"

"We're not telling anyone, Harry!"

harry nodded, realizing the trouble they would get into for being in London wasn't something either of them needed.

Both Gryffindors fell silent for a long while, replaying what had just happened over and over in their heads. Finally, Alexis spoke.

"How did he know your name?" she breathed, laying down on Harry's bed.

Harry sat down beside her and sighed.

"I don't know... Maybe he heard that other man say it."

"Maybe," Alexis yawned. She was exhausted after all the sightseeing they had done not to mention their run back to the Leaky Cauldron. She was about to fall asleep when Harry shook her arm.

"Hmm?"

"Hex, you casted magic again. You might get in trouble."

"Doubtful," Alexis mumbled. "We were surrounded by four wizards, all of which were of age. The Ministry will just think it was one of them."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, stifling a yawn.

"Remember how last year when Dobby used magic next to you and the Ministry though it was you?" Harry mad a grunting nose in acknowledgement. "Well seeing we were so close to the Leaky Cauldron, a magic area, my spell might have alerted the Ministry but all it would have done was tell them that someone used magic around a kid. They can't prove I used magic because it could have been anyone close enough to us casting magic to alarm the Ministry... Make sense?"

Harry's response was a light snore, one Alexis was mimicking in a matter of minutes.

So I made a hint at Alexis getting her memory tattoo, gave you a snippet of Sirius never seen before, and made a miserable attempt at explaining why Alexis won't be getting caught for using magic outside of school while underage. I won't lie, I wish the chapter was better but this is it. Next chapter will be better

thank you guest for pointing out my mistake on Ginny fixed it!

thank you Luna the HP fan for the review! Sorry I took so long to post another chapter!

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