Disclaimer: I do not own anything of this story. Harry Potter and all of the notable characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Magnolia Crescent

Chapter Twenty

Diagon Alley

Harry frowned as he looked at the cauldron in front of him. Lupin was casually watching him work over the potion. Harry kept looking over his shoulder, trying to understand what Lupin was up to.

Sirius was sitting in the dining room, reading the teacher's book for the first years. After the Quidditch game, Sirius was true to his word and kept to his work. The house was silent most of the time, as he and Sirius were always working on something. Harry, thanks to Lupin's badgering, had already finished his summer homework. But to be fair, it often took him forever because the Dursely's never wanted to see anything related to Hogwarts. Hedwig flew into the room, landing casually on his shoulder.

She was loving the freedom, taking to the house much faster than he did. Her cage had become all but useless for the past couple of months. Hedwig's talons gripped into his shoulder as he realized she was trying to get his attention.

"One moment, Hedwig," Harry hushed, tapping the cauldron with his wand, causing the potion to bubble and simmer. Lupin walked over to inspect it while Harry looked over at the snowy owl and noticed the letter in her beak.

"It seems Dumbledore has sent you the list of school supplies. Anyone up for a trip to Diagon Alley?" Lupin asked casually. Harry nodded, looking into the cauldron. "Not bad, Harry," he said, noticing Harry. "Why don't you head up and get your stuff together." Harry nodded as he dashed up the stairs. Lupin sat before the potion, inspecting it with a critical eye. Sirius looked up from his book and yawned.

"Something catch your eye?" Sirius asked, setting the book aside. Lupin remained quiet as he tested the potion with a wooden spoon.

"Yes, Harry's grades in Potions is a relatively poor. Passable, but poor nonetheless," Lupin replied calmly.

"But Harry and Hermione helped with potion for the Pensieve," Sirius commented, perplexed. "You can't get poor grades in Potions if you're good enough to make that."

"My point exactly. Harry just finished a grade six potion. It took him awhile, but according to his grades, he shouldn't be able to do that well."

"Well, that's very interesting," Sirius replied, returning to his book. He looked over to see Lupin get a very odd smile on his face.

"I need to take care of something," he stated with a smile, getting up from his chair. "Have fun shopping." Lupin left, taking Harry's cauldron with him. Sirius opened his mouth to speak but Lupin was already out the door before he could say anything. He shrugged his shoulders, turning back to his book. Harry dashed down the stairs and Sirius got up, still reading.

"Where did Lupin go?" Harry asked, looking around the room. Sirius shrugged, not looking away from his book as he pulled out Harry vault key and passed it to his godson. Harry pocketed it as they headed to the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!" Harry shouted, shooting away and landing inside Ollivander's. Sirius walked out of the fireplace with no troubles. Harry got up, dusting himself off. "I can never seem to get my footing right," he groaned.

"I wouldn't worry about it. You'll get your sea legs eventually," Sirius replied, giving the wandmaker a wave. The wizened old man cringed behind his wands, clearly afraid of Sirius. He didn't seem bothered at all as he and Harry walked out. Harry took point, ready to pick up some galleons in order to get all of his books.

"Mr. Black!" shouted a voice. Sirius finally put his book down, looking up to see an elderly man. He had short, well-kept hair, a nice, even black color. Everything about him was will-trimmed, with naught but the occasional age line on his face. His son, who appeared to be around Harry's age, seemed just as bland, was very much like his father but with a permanent frown etched on his face.

"Mr. Nott," Sirius replied, noticing the man was sporting a second wand. It had a white bone handle, but Nott put it away before Sirius could really study it.

"Mr. Black, it's good to see you out and about," he greeted, holding out his hand. Sirius shook it wearily. It was a single, solid shake before the men relaxed. "It's good to see an innocent man been righted. Has there been any word on, well, you know," he trailed off.

"Pettigrew? Nothing, but some of us like to believe that he was eaten," Sirius said dryly. Nott Sr. seemed to rear back in disgust, hands going for his pocket.

"Dad, can we get going? We need to get my school supplies," Nott Jr. interjected. Nott Sr. nodded, looking at Sirius.

"If you need readjusting, let me know. I would be more than happy to help the last man of the House of Black," he said with a wrinkled smile.

Sirius shook his head; Harry gave him a confused look. "Family issues, things I think we should talk about when we get to Gringotts," Sirius explained. Harry nodded, not sure why Sirius didn't want to talk about any of his family members.

They didn't get any grief at the bank and they easily headed onto to the tram while the goblin got it ready.

"So?" Harry asked casually, looking at Sirius. He closed his eyes.

"My parents were paranoid, never trusted anyone. They did, however, support my brother, Regulus, after he joined the Death Eaters. My parents couldn't have been prouder, despite their own desire to stay safe. My family, Harry, is filled with support for the Dark Arts. In fact, I am a bit of a black sheep in the fact that I am a Gryffindor," he explained.

"That's it?" Harry asked. He was never bothered by family issues; his own wasn't exactly a good example of Muggles.

"I didn't think it would bother you, but it was why Nott addressed me so happily. He thinks I will take up after my family after being shafted by working for the Order. Not likely," he chuckled. "I ended up running away at an early age because of all the pressures of home life. I'm not proud of it," he replied, finally getting it off his chest.

"Well, that explains why that painting screeches like it does. We are going to have to put another Silencing Spell on her," Harry reminded.

"I swear that house elf is constantly undermining my efforts," Sirius cursed. Harry smirked a bit; even though he knew he shouldn't, he was still bothered by his godfather's treatment of the creature.

"About that, I really think you could lay off Kreacher. He really doesn't deserve the abuse," Harry replied, looking at Sirius. The man didn't reply at first; instead closing his eyes.

"Why?" Sirius asked. "That damn thing deserves it." Harry frowned at his godfather.

"You're starting to remind me of how another man treated his house elf," Harry shot back, his voice a little cross. Sirius glanced at him, expecting Harry to clarify.

"And that would be?" he asked, encouraging an explanation.

"Lucius Malfoy," Harry said bitterly. "He regularly beat his house elf, Dobby, who happens to be a good friend of mine – even if he is a little unorthodox by elf standards," Harry admitted. Sirius looked like he had just recovered from a blow to the gut.

"I'll try," he replied quietly, looking forward. "My mother was never too thrilled about house elf treatment."

"You're starting to sound like my father," Harry grinned. They glanced at each other for a second before breaking into laughter. The goblin turned to give them a confused look, clearly thinking both of these wizards were off their rockers.

"Wizards," he muttered to himself as the tram came to a stop. They collected the money they needed before heading to Flourish and Blotts. Much to Harry's surprise and protest, Sirius covered all of his school expenses.

"Sirius, that was the reason I went to the bank to start with," Harry protested. Sirius waved him off, placing his coins on the table.

"I know that, but it's your money. Take a look around and see if there's anything you find interesting," he smiled, waving his hand around the store. Harry scowled but the teller had already completed the transaction. With a small shrug, he moved away to scan the many unending rows of books. Before he knew it, he was in the dueling section.

"Practical Spells for Dueling," Harry read. "By Filius Flitwick." Harry paused, picking the book up for a closer look. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of different dueling spells, as well as forms, wrist movements, even wand upkeep to help keep spells fluid. Harry smirked as he closed the book and checked the price. He nearly dropped it. "That's a lot of galleons," he murmured, glancing back at Sirius. But thanks to his godfather, he did have some extra money, so why not? Harry paid for the book and flipped open as he began to read.

His money was now low but he wasn't too terribly concerned as they headed back out onto the brick alleyway. Sirius insisted on taking care of everything and carrying it all in a small bag, even though Harry kept telling him that he could carry his own supplies.

"Hey, Harry!" Ron greeted, dashing over to see his friend. Harry put his new book down as Ron gave him a look of concern. "Not you too. Please don't tell me you're turning into a book worm," Ron cried. Harry handed him the book while Ron realized what it was.

"Taking up dueling, Harry?" Fred asked.

"Then again, with your luck, it's probably a good idea," George finished. Ron handed him back the book as the rest of his family appeared as well.

"Hello, Harry," Mr. Weasley greeted. Ginny muttered something that vaguely sounded like "hello". Harry nodded, shaking hands with Mr. Weasley.

"Guess what, Harry? We got tickets to see the World Cup!" Ron nearly shouted, eyes going wide. He looked to his father. "We have an extra ticket, can Harry come as well?" he asked.

"If he wants to," Mr. Weasley replied, pulling out an extra ticket. Harry looked at Sirius; his godfather shrugged his shoulders.

"Thank you," Harry smiled, accepting the ticket. "Wait, you said 'as well.' Who else is coming?" he asked, looking at Ron.

"We met Hermione earlier, she's coming too," Ron replied, seeming more excited about the game than anything else. Harry smiled, hoping to see her as well. "Oh well, guess what? Wood is going to playing in the World Cup!"

"When, wait, what?" Harry replied, a shocked expression on his face.

"Yeah, after the game we went to see, Wood started playing and he did amazingly well. Some even think it's thanks to him that England is going to be playing against Bulgaria."

"I never would have thought. I haven't been able to keep up on it," Harry admitted. Ron's jaw dropped, making look like he had just gotten slapped.

"We'll pick you up. Make sure you're packed and we're going to be camping as well," Mr. Weasley said, cutting off the conversation. "We need to be going," he reminded, causing Ron to moan. Harry smiled at his friend as he walked away. Harry and Sirius headed off through Diagon Alley. Harry was in need of a new cauldron.

"Well, Barty Crouch, good to see you," Sirius smiled. The man froze like a deer caught in headlight. Harry looked confused, not knowing who he was.

"Mr. Black," he smiled, faltering for a second. "So good to see you." The corners of his mouth twitched as he eyed Sirius.

"So, I hear things are running smoothly in the administration," he commented. Crouch sighed, the smile falling from his face.

"Look, I get it, Black. You're mocking me. I'm sorry, I don't regret my actions but you didn't deserve the time in Azkaban. Here, I happen to have a few extra tickets to the World Cup. It's not much, but making me squirm isn't going to help," he explained, digging into his pocket.

"I don't know. It makes me feel a lot better. Your tactics wound up with an innocent man in jail," Sirius retorted, crossing his arm. Harry gave him a nudge.

"Let it go. You haven't given anyone grief and you have tickets to see the World Cup as well," Harry said. Sirius frowned, upset that his fun was now being ruined.

"Fine, killjoy," he muttered, looking to Crouch. "Fine, just do a better job from now on," he seethed, spotting Nott a little ways off. "Especially when there are better targets," he added under his breath. Sirius pocketed the tickets he was handed before Crouch all but ran off.

"Was that really necessary?" Harry asked, surprisingly calm as he looked at his godfather.

"Yes it was. Because of his rules and regulations, I got put in Azkaban without a trail. It's also the reason that some people got off with no issues. Trust me, the system needs to be shaken up a bit so people like Nott and Malfoy aren't allowed free," Sirius explained with a frown. Harry grimaced, realizing that Sirius did indeed have a point. Draco's father caused a lot of problems with Tom Riddle's diary and he still got off scot-free.

"Understandable, but it was still pretty mean," Harry replied.

"I understand your point of view, Harry, but the world isn't black and white. People in the Ministry are just as dangerous as Death Eaters if they feel like making you a villain is more appropriate than celebrating," Sirius responded. "So, be careful as you get older. Don't be surprised if people try to drag you into politics and other fun things. In fact, the reason you got a Merlin award with all the press was to make it seem like there was water under the bridge," Sirius explained.

"Sounds fun and pointless," Harry replied, disgust in his voice. "Do you remember why they gave me an Order of Merlin award, Sirius?"

Sirius gave him a pointed look. "For figuring out the truth and setting an innocent man free," he explained. "They told you this, did you forget already?" Harry shrugged, not making a big deal out of it. "Anyways, politics is probably one of the dirtiest fights you can get into." Harry was about to make a reply when Hermione shouted at him.

"Harry!" she called. Harry blinked, forgetting about the Ministry as she pulled him into a tight hug. "Ouch, what are you reading?" she asked, taking note of the book in his arms. Harry smiled as he handed her the book. "Dueling? You're going to let me borrow it right?" she asked, flipping through the pages and spotting the spells.

"Soon as I'm done," he replied as she handed the book back.

"So, did you get your homework done?" she asked, flashing a smile and revealing her buck teeth for a moment.

"Got it done in the first week," he replied, nodding his head proudly. "And Sirius has been helping me work on new spells as well," he admitted. Hermione blinked in surprise.

"Look out, Hermione. If Harry has even half of his mom's skill, your title for the brightest is in trouble," Sirius teased.

"Really?" Hermione asked, clearly more intrigued than threatened.

"Yeah, Lily was amazing with magic. I heard she even turned a flower petal into a fish," Sirius admitted. Hermione stared in surprise with Harry. "But get ahold of yourself, it's just a rumor. I doubt she was that good when she was little. I mean, even for a person who grew up around magic their whole life, it would be difficult, pureblood or otherwise," Sirius quickly denied.

"Wait, she was a muggleborn as well?" Hermione asked casually.

"Yeah, in fact, you really remind me of her," Sirius replied, nodding. Hermione blushed red at the comment.

"Thank you. Hey, did you see Ron?" she asked casually.

"Yeah, he invited me to join them for the World Cup," Harry replied, nodding. Hermione smiled at that.

"So did I. I can't wait to go," she smiled. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "I always wanted to know what they do to keep so many wizards from being discovered." Harry nodded, finding that believable; she wasn't all that big on sports. "Well, I have to get going. I still have some more supplies to pick up." Harry nodded, understanding as she went back to her parents.

"Never would have believed it if I didn't see it myself," Sirius said with a smile, nudging Harry in the shoulder. He turned to give his godfather a confused look.

"I don't follow," Harry replied. Sirius pointed to Hermione as she faded into the crowd.

"I hear some men and women go after people who remind them of their opposite sex parent. I didn't see it, but she is a firecracker and reminds me of Lily," Sirius said with an all knowing smile.

"Me and Hermione? No, no, we-we're just friends," Harry quickly denied. Sirius shrugged as they walked on.

"If you say so, but just so you know, you're going to be having a dance this year. Keep an eye out for possible dates," he said, causing Harry to think about their words. "We have three tickets. I plan on asking Lupin to come. You got anyone to invite?" Sirius asked, finishing up their shopping.

"You're not going to ask Blythe?" asked Harry.

"Why do you ask?" Sirius asked, taking pause.

"Well, you two kept me up for a long time the past few months. I figured you two were going out or something," Harry replied.

"I could have sworn I put up silence wards," Sirius swore, snapping his fingers in bewilderment.

"I knew it!" Harry shouted. Sirius jumped in surprise at having been caught.

"You sneaky devil," Sirius chided. "But to answer your question, we haven't talked in a while. Good to see you still got some James left in you," Sirius chuckled, making a mental note to keep a closer eye on Harry. "Wait, she will be playing, that's why I can't invite her."

"I know. Seems those gears are slipping, old man," Harry teased. "So, about the earlier question," Harry started, looking a little smug at getting Sirius back for his teasing. "I think I know someone who may be interested in joining us."

So Sirius and Harry decide to tease each other over girls. Boys will be boys, I suppose. Anyways, R&R as always!

~LE