James always said that if an endeavor did not start well, it wasn't worth proceeding with. It was his favourite rationale for staying in bed on a rainy day.
Yet now, for some reason, his brother's words popped up in Albus' head. Could it be because James was a pro at this kind of escapes from school and from home, and he knew what he was saying?
"Where are they?" Bertie looked frightened as she scanned the Fireplace Hall on Diagon Alley, inching closer to her friend. They stared at the fireplaces, still hoping that Brun and Marin would appear in one of them at any moment. As moments ticked by, Albus became more convinced that this was not going to happen. "You don't think that they were…?"
Al shrugged: it was quite likely that their friends did not have time to jump into the fireplace and were now standing before one of the professors. A pang of conscience – it was him, after all, who dragged them into this forbidden venture – quickly faded as the youngest Potter noticed the undisguised interest with which the few patrons of the Fireplace Hall eyed the two of them. No wonder! They are…
"Bertie, take off your cloak," Albus whispered, doing the same. They should have done it earlier, how could they forget… "Let's go, they will not come."
Bertie nodded, biting her lip, and followed the boy. It was not exactly hot outside, especially without their cloaks, but Albus was not too concerned about it now. His focus was on getting to his family.
"All, maybe…"
He smiled encouragingly at Bertie, took her cold hand, and pulled her into a side street off the Diagon Alley, where they would not be ogled by the passers-by. All they needed was to be caught and sent back to school. No, siree! Albus was resolved to reach his friends the Healers and help Bertie's mum. Isn't he a Potter?! And he does not want Bertie to lose her mum because of werewolves. Or for any other reason. Everyone must have a mum…
"What shall we do?" the girl turned the Hogwarts cloak inside out and wrapped it around herself.
"Hold on," Albus nodded, trying to decide where to go first. He knew the password to James' house, but he could not enter Rose's and Theo's residence, except through the front door, which was likely protected by spells. Xenia was likely not home, as she spent long hours at the hospital. And James was hardly home as well: he was always at practice… Unlike them, Theo was always in, since he worked from home… Also, since their houses were not far apart and they could always adjust their plans depending on the situation…
Albus nodded again, decided, and smiled at Bertie:
"We must go to my cousin Rose; Theo will not refuse to help us."
"And how will we get there? Do they live close?" the girl asked hopefully.
Albus thought some more: he had not considered that. They should have planned better; then things would not have gone awry from the very beginning. James and Scorpius would have ridiculed him for that: they always pulled such things off good and proper. At least, Daddy always called them "generals of mischief"…
"We shall take the Knight Bus!" the solution just popped in his head.
"But, Al, do you just happen to have a few galleons on you?" Bertie remarked reasonably, but the young Potter knew exactly what to do. Of course, his plan was not thought out in advance (he didn't have even a Knut on him), but what did one need a brain for?
"Why should I carry cash with me?" the boy smile. "Come. We will have everything we need."
He headed down Diagon Alley to the small park where he used to frolic while the adults were busy shopping. These days, of course, he no longer did that: he was in school now and had his own wand. He was almost a grown wizard! And imagining Dad, or Scorpius, or Theo rolling in the grass… Or Uncle Severus, for that matter…
"Of course, we could drop by my uncle at his store," Albus explained to Bertie, who hurried to keep up with him, "but he would not be happy to hear that I ran away from school, and will likely send us back. So, we have nothing else to do but…"
They quickly crossed the lawn and stopped before a big fountain with a statue of an elderly witch (Albus could not remember her name) holding a miniature copy of the Diagon Alley. Daddy had said that she was the first one to set up shop here, although her wares were of Dark Magic variety, which had not been forbidden at the time and were even quite popular. This was a looong time ago…
"Albus, why are you staring at the fountain?" Bertie shook from the cold wind and the spray that fell on her face and clothes.
"Not at the fountain, but at what is in the fountain," Albus replied, smiling, having already removed his boots. The girl bent down to look inside, and gasped. "Exactly, this is the wishing fountain; someone always throws coins in. Especially tourists…"
"And it will not be stealing?" Bertie watched her friend roll up his pants and shirt sleeves.
"I have put in close to three galleons over the years, so do not worry: I will simply take them back, as if I changed my mind. Besides, we do not need that much…"
Albus got in the water, feeling goosebumps run down his spine of the chill. If he gets sick, Theo or Xenia can cure him, no worries. There were, indeed, plenty of coins on the bottom of the fountain, and Albus quickly collected two galleons' worth. He thought a moment – and took a few more Sickles and Knuts. Just in case. If something is left over, he will return them later.
"Get dressed, quickly," Bertie was bouncing in place in agitation. Albus could easily understand her: he had never ridden the Knight Bus, either. Soon they reached the edge of the park and Albus waved his wand.
A moment later, a harsh popping sound must have made every wizard on Diagon Alley jump a foot. The purple bus screeched to a stop inches before the "Orchard and Garden" shop. A lad in a leather jacket promptly fell out of it.
"Are ye mental?!" he yelled at the children, his fists on his hips. "Got a brain on ye?! What if we done run someone over?! Who summons the bus to the Diagon Alley?!"
Albus and Bertie silently stared from the bus, whose passengers peered curiously out the windows at them, to the incensed conductor.
"I have not read anywhere that the bus could not be summoned to Diagon Alley, if that is the place where you got in trouble," Albus responded courteously. Such logic and decorum usually worked like a charm even on Professor Faust.
The conductor opened his mouth and closed it again, staring dumbfounded at the boy.
"Hey, are we coming or going?" someone called out from the bus. "I am running late!"
"Aha," the conductor echoed and waved for the children to follow him. "Smartypants ye are…"
Albus and Bertie grabbed the first two empty seats and were looking around them, wide-eyed.
"Where are ye off to, smartypants?" the lad asked none too friendly, taking out a stack of tickets.
Albus did not know Rose and Theo's exact address, and so he named the town where they lived, adding:
"I'll show you the place when we get there. Or you can just let us out and we'll walk the rest of the way."
The conductor hemmed, but withheld further comments. He handed Al two tickets:
"One galleon and one sickle."
The boy paid, knowing that he was being overcharged, yet unwilling to argue – what for?
They were already heading down a country road, and the children were taking in the views, trying not to miss anything.
"Ye're next," the conductor muttered. "It's on the way."
Albus was even a bit sorry that the trip ended so soon, but he reminded himself that they were not on a pleasure trip but on a rescue mission for Bertie's mum.
They got out at the edge of the town where Rose, Theo, James and Xenia lived. Albus looked around for a few seconds, before nodding and smiling at Bertie:
"We are almost there, it's not far."
Indeed, in a few minutes they came to the picket fence around a small cottage, with a mailbox on the gate (Albus knew that no one ever used it), and a nameplate that said "T. Mancilli, Healer". Only wizards could see the nameplate, according to Rose.
"Let's ring the door," Albus pulled the doorbell rope, staring at the door. The door remained closed. Where is Theo? Could he have left to visit a patient?
"Now what?" Bertie asked quietly; she was clearly getting chilly. Al winked at her in encouragement and gave her a piece of candy stashed in his pocket.
"All right…" the boy leaned against the gate and suddenly realized that it was not magically locked. What about the protective spells? "Wow."
They crossed the yard and went onto the porch. The door was locked, however.
"Maybe they were in such a hurry that they forgot to set the spells?" Albus pondered aloud, looking around him. Then he glanced at Bertie: "We need to go to James' and Xenia's. But what if Theo comes back?"
He pondered for a minute, aware that everything, absolutely everything was not going right today. James must be right about some things. But it was too late to stop now…
"May I go with you?"
"Bertie, but what if Theo returns and then leaves again? Better to wait here…"
The girl nodded, but she was clearly uneasy about staying there alone.
"I'll return quickly, possibly with Xenia," Al consoled her, thrusting his hand in his pocket and fishing out more candy. "Here…"
Then he waved at his friend and ran off, drawing stares of the Muggles along the way. He ran and walked by turns, imagining Theo and Rose back at home, Bertie sitting in the warm living room with a cup of tea and cookies that his cousin was so good at baking.
Unfortunately, he did not have a watch, and he couldn't say how much time had passed before he reached his brother's house. He stopped by the gate, looked around, and only then took out his wand, touching it to the lock and whispering "amateur ferret". James likely was not aware that Al overheard the password when he last visited with Xenia, and his brother was discussing it loudly with Scorpius. It came in handy now, although, of course, eavesdropping was not a nice thing to do…
The boy entered the yard, ran over to the door, and was about to touch it with his wand (Dad explained to him that underage magic could be used only in critical situations, while James added that it should only be done in places where adult wizards were registered to reside), when he realized that there was someone inside. He quickly removed the spell on the front door and ran inside, delighted:
"Jim, is that you?"
Albus froze in the middle of the living room, looking at the young man he had never seen before, who was holding James' broomstick in his hands.
"Hello, who are you?"
"Albus Potter?" the man smiled, setting the broomstick next to the closet where it was normally kept.
"Do you know me?" the boy looked curiously at this stranger. "Is Jim and Xenia home?"
"They left."
"And what are you doing here?"
"I was tuning your brother's broomstick…"
"You are the broomstick tuner? Never heard of such an occupation," Albus walked into the living room and sat on the arm of the sofa. "Is something wrong with Jim's broomstick?"
"No, just minor refinements, to help your brother fly better."
"He is the best flyer as it is," Albus responded proudly, glancing at the fireplace. "When will they be back?"
"They will meet me at a café; we agreed to dine together," the man answered. He seemed like a nice bloke, with a pleasant smile. And he seemed a lot like Scorpius: not in appearance, but in behaviour. That was the best Albus could formulate it.
"Can you tell them that I am waiting here?" Al set aside his folded cloak and decided to go to the kitchen and have a snack, before going to get Bertie.
"You can go with me and tell him everything yourself," the young man thrust his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "It is not far."
Albus thought for a moment: what's faster… waiting for an undetermined length of time versus going to see his brother who could Apparate both of them to Rose's home right away and pick up Bertie… The latter seemed faster. Besides, this man could not have shown up at Jim's house without his permission and knowing the password.
"All right," the boy nodded. "We are Apparating, are we not? It is faster, and I am in quite a hurry, because my friend's mum is very ill."
The man smiled pleasantly and nodded.