Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Setting the Stage
Out of all the things that could be different, Harry and Adrian having a friendly relationship wasn't something I had considered. And yet, here they are; them standing in front of the quidditch supply shop with Ron, gushing over a Nimbus 2001. Well, Ron and Harry are gushing. Adrian is simply nodding in agreement with every assessment. Boys. "It's the same one the seeker from the Falmouth Falcons had '', Harry commented. Apparently, Sirius took Harry to professional quidditch games this summer.
Adrian nods again with his arms folded across his chest as he peers into the shop window. "He did pull off some impressive feints with it". Evidently, Adrian had also been invited to these excursions. It's how he and Harry had formed a somewhat functioning friendship. Who would have guessed?
"Imagine what the Chudley Cannons could accomplish if they had them", Ron joined in with wonder etched into his tone.
Standing behind the three boys, I rolled my eyes. This was not how I imagined the day. But I suppose I shouldn't complain. Harry was safe with Sirius. We didn't have to steal Dad's flying car and no one had a reason to travel down Knockturn Alley. What's more, I didn't have to spend the afternoon standing between a terse Fred and George. They were better, but not one-hundred percent. It took me locking them both into the broom cupboard to get them on speaking terms. To get them to work together, I had to remind them of the impending peril our little sister might be facing if we didn't intercept the diary As the boys continued with their praise of a lifeless object, I was momentarily distracted by a wanted poster magically stuck to the wall of the shop next to the quidditch supply store.
The hunt for Quirrell was ongoing. In the sense that there was a warrant out for his arrest for child endangerment because of everything that happened last year. But despite the search lasting the entire summer, it never extended past the United Kingdom. I think the posters were just a response to the Daily Prophet Articles. We wouldn't be seeing Quirrell again until he wanted us to see him.
Harry, the one with manners, turns away from the window and breaks me out of my thoughts. "Holly, what do you think?" He asked. During the short amount of time Harry had lived with Sirius, he had grown in body and confidence. As evident by his waning scrawniness and referring to me by my first name. During the last school year, Harry kind of waited for me to initiate a conversation before talking.
I think it's a magical stick with twigs attached. And I opened my mouth to say just that when Ron cuts me off. "Don't bother", he said with a roll of his eyes. "She doesn't fly. Dad tried to teach her, but every time she hid behind Percy until he gave up". Ron finished with an accusatory look. In his book, it's a crime to dislike anything possibly related to quidditch.
Of course, I hid behind Percy. He's the only other Weasley kid that shares my view on flying. "I prefer to keep my feet on the ground", I answered; shrugging.
While Harry shoots me a pitying look, (apparently I am missing out) Adrian adopts a smirk. "Did Holly ever tell you about our first flying lesson at Hogwarts?" He asked Ron. Oh, Merlin.
Ron turns his full body to face the older boy. "No", he exclaimed, leaning forward ever so slightly in excitement. Brat. "What happened?"
Although he is talking to my little brother, Adrian only has eyes for me. I shake my head at him, but it doesn't dissuade him. "We were doing the normal things; mounting, hovering a few inches, and touching back down". I sighed when I realized the sharing of this story was inevitable. "Madam Hooch was having us go one at a time to grade us. Holly made sure she was the last person in line". Ron was staring at me in absolute glee. This was it. The moment he got something to hold over my head. It was a younger sibling's dream. "When it was her turn, Madam Hooch looked at her expectantly and told her to hurry up. Do you remember what you said, Holly?"
Yes. "No, I do not," I said darkly.
Adrian's smirk grew. "She said, 'no thank you. I would like to fail this class so no one can pressure me into flying for the rest of my life.' So Madam Hooch asked Holly if she was afraid of heights. And Holly said, 'no, I'm just not striving for a higher education. I don't want to put myself above others". At this point, I dropped my head and was covering my face with my hands. We all have things from when we were eleven years old that are embarrassing. This is one of mine. Adrian is smiling. Actually smiling when he continued, "Madam Hooch looked pained at this point. But your brothers", Adrian gestured at Ron. "Made it worse by yelling out, 'sorry Madam Hooch, Holly's always been a little short', and 'She's not one to rise above the situation'". Adrian breaks to snicker to himself along with Harry, who seemed to appreciate the play on words.
"What did Hooch do?" Ron asked, stepping closer to Adrian in the process.
"She made Holly participate". I groaned into my hands. "So, Holly mounted the broom with her eyes closed. She has no problem kicking off and hovering a few inches".
"Really?" Ron broke in, voice rising in pitch.
I picked my head out of my hands long enough to frown at my little brother. He makes it sound like I am absolutely helpless. "She was fine", Adrian assured him. "Until Hooch asked her to land". Adrian paused to snicker to himself. Git. Unfortunately, he was able to regain control of himself. "But instead of tilting the broom handle down, Holly leaned forward". Adrian emphasized the word leaned as Ron and Harry gasped. Who knew he was a storyteller? "Of course, she shoots forward straight at Hooch. Hooch dodged, but Holly flew dead centered into a tree trunk, and the broom she was flying snapped in half".
Ron full-out laughs in a hunched-over position. He's forgetting that since I am older, I know more embarrassing stories about him than he knows about me. I'll have to remind him pretty soon. Harry, on the other hand, has gone red as he tries not to follow suit. "Were you okay?" He asked me, each word pronounced between strained breaths.
"She was fine", Adrian answered for me, looking pleased with himself. "She sat up after a moment, holding her head, and asked if she could be excused from flying class for the rest of the school year. Hooch refused". With Ron still busting a gut, Harry eventually breaks and the two twelve-year-olds put their heads together to laugh at my expense. Adrian steps away from the shop window to stand next to me.
"Have fun, did you?" I asked.
"Yes, I did," Adrian said. "I love that story. It's the first time I realized you existed".
I wanted to retort, because how could I not? But I don't get the chance when the adults find us. "Looks like you lot are having fun", Sirius said as he approached and took in the hysterical forms of his godson and Ron. "What did I miss?" He asked as Dad and Mr. Pucey came up behind him. The three men had left us to our own devices in front of the quidditch shop to duck into a nearby haberdashery since we had time before we had to be at Flourish and Blotts to meet up with the others.
Dad smiled at us as he rubbed Ron's back to help him calm down while Harry answered his godfather. "Adrian told us a funny story", he said, kindly leaving me out.
"Really?" Sirius asked in disbelief before he looked at Adrian. "But you're not funny".
Adrian lost his amused smile for a light-hearted scowl. It appears that sibling rivalry can last across lifespans.
"The legend of the Chamber of Secrets", I read out from a copy of Hogwarts, A History to Ginny as we stood; waiting in Flourish and Blotts for Mum to finish gawking at Gildroy Lockhart. "Is one of the most mysterious stories surrounding the founders of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." It may be foolhardy to inform Ginny about what is currently lurking under the school and to give her a hint about what may take place this year. But just in case today's endeavor got out of hand, I felt the urge to give her some sort of knowledge. Even if it was too subtle for her to pick up on.
"At the time that the school was first formed, magical folk were undergoing persecution from the non-magical world. As a careful precaution, the founders; Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, built their school a great distance away from the muggle world". I was speaking softly and reading slowly. That way I had time to pause between paragraphs and sentences to take quick peeks around the shop. Our relatively large group had broken off and were scattered around the bookstore with Fred, George, and I stationing ourselves to be on the lookout for Malfoy Sr. or his son.
"It took many years for the school to be built and students to be found. Partially due to a disagreement between Slytherin and the other founders. He wanted admittance to Hogwarts to be limited to only those who descended from magical families as he believed anyone not from this background to be a danger to the magical way of life". Adrian, Ron, and Harry had stayed together once we had got to the bookstore. I could see them standing in the sports section, looking at what appeared to be a book of quidditch world records. I rolled my eyes. With me coordinating with Adrian, Ron coordinating with Harry, and Percy coordinating with Clearwater, Granger had sadly been left out of this shopping trip. Although that might be for the best. Malfoy Sr. will have one less thing to critique our family about; giving Dad one less reason to fight him. If we encountered them at all.
"While the other founders felt that any child with magical ability required a magical education and should be given protection from persecution in the outside world". I could see Dad too. He was standing off by the till in deep conversation with Mr. Pucey. What about; I had no idea. Likewise, Mum was standing in line to see her favorite author with Mrs. Pucey. Although Mum seemed to be doing all the talking as Mrs. Pucey kindly nodded along. Somehow, I highly doubt that Mrs. Pucey gave two licks about the five-time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award.
"Gryffindor was Slytherin's biggest adversary in this disagreement. Eventually, the unwaning conflict between the two led to Slytherin leaving the school for good". I couldn't see Percy. I lost sight of him the minute he entered the shop with Clearwater. In a way, I was okay not knowing where my older brother was. He was not a part of the plan Fred, George, and I had concocted, and I didn't really want to know what he and Miss Clearwater were doing. What did concern me was Sirius standing with Fred and George at the entrance of the shop with their heads bent together like they were best friends again. This was the closet Fred and George had stood together since their spat. Fred and George were planning on standing there just in case the scene from the second book played out or in case the Malfoys were not yet in the shop. Of course, we had no way of knowing if the Malfoys would come at all. What if this was not the day that the Weasleys had gone back-to-school shopping in the book? But what I was more concerned about was what Sirius Black could possibly be saying to my brothers to make them so chummy. They were wearing the expressions that they generally have reserved for when they are conspiring mischief with Lee. Oh, bother.
"The legend of the Chamber of Secrets stems from Slytherin's departure from education. It is said that Slytherin had erected a hidden chamber buried beneath the school without any of the founders knowing. It is believed that the chamber is sealed to all by his true heir. Only the heir will be able to open the chamber and release a nightmare within- a nightmare that can purge the school of all whose Slytherin decreed as being unworthy to study magic. However, many searches of Hogwarts have been conducted and many agree that the chamber does not exist as no evidence has ever been found".
"I think it's funny," Ginny said once I had finished the passage and closed the book.
"What's funny?" I asked, calmly. But on the inside, I was celebrating. This was great. If I could have an analytic discussion with Ginny about what we just read, then maybe she would be a little more aware of things going on this school year. Fred, George, and I were unsure about what we wanted to do once we had the diary. Of course, it needed to be destroyed. But I could only remember two ways to destroy a Horcrux. One was to throw it into a fiendfyre. Unfortunately, none of us had the magical prowess to make or control fiendfyre. Perhaps, after we completed our OWLS. The second way was Gryffindor's sword made stronger with basilisk venom. But in order to get that sword, the events of the Chamber of Secrets would have to be played out. Which we were not going to let happen. Not when it was our younger brother and sister sitting in the crosshairs. So, every semblance of a plan we had at this point was up in the air.
"That the boy I like, and the boy you like are friends". Merlin! I dropped my head and thumped my forehead onto the book. When did Ginny develop a one-track mind? I must have missed it. I picked up my head to follow Ginny's line of sight. She stares into the sports section where the boys were still pouring over the quidditch world records book. "Harry's so cool that he can hang out with older boys like Adrian". She just about gushed.
"Ginny", I groaned out a complaint. "Did you hear anything I just said?" Because I surely did not just read Hogwarts, A History for my own pleasure.
"Yeah, yeah", she quickly assured me without looking away from the three boys over yonder. "There's a chamber at Hogwarts with something inside to get rid of anyone not magical, but it's not real'. Well, that was half right, I suppose. "Holly, do you think Harry likes me?"
This was proof that despite what one may believe, puppy love was not cute in the slightest. It took me a minute to respond as I searched for the right words. "Have you ever said more than two words to him?" I asked. Harry had been over a few times this summer to visit with Ron, but as far as I was aware, Ginny clammed up and disappeared into our room whenever that happened. "Ginny, he doesn't know you so how could he like you?"
Ginny persisted; logic evidently lost on her. "But if he did know me, would he like me?"
Bloody hell. With a voice lacking intonation I said, "you need a hobby".
Confused at my words, Ginny stops staring at the boy-who-lived to look up at me with a wrinkled nose. But thanks to Gildroy Lockhart, she didn't get a chance to question me. We knew the famous author had arrived when all the middle-aged witches started gasping and the flash of a reporter's camera went off. Distracted, Ginny edged onto her tiptoes to try to see around the sea of pointed witch hats. Her newly purchased, second-hand cauldron swung by its handle on the crook of her bent elbow. Being taller than my sister, I was able to just make out Lockhart's glistening blonde head. "What a lovely sight, what a lovely sight". I heard as Lockhart drew the room to order. Though he took his time about it as the reporter was still snapping pictures. I wondered if he was posing. "So nice to see so many of my fans gathered in one place". I rolled my eyes and glanced over to the front door. I had always found the appeal of celebrities, fraudulent or not, to be lackluster.
Sirius was still standing with my brothers, but their heads were no longer bent together. Instead, Sirius had his back to the entrance and my brothers as he talked to a tall opposing man with long sheer blonde hair. Game time. With the palms of my hands starting to moisten, I place Hogwarts, A History back on the self. "Ginny", I said to gain the eleven-year-old's attention. "It's going to get very crowded in here. Let's go over to where Fred and George are''. I said; already starting to inch my way in their direction.
"What? But I want to watch". Ginny interjected.
"We can watch from over there", I argued and continued to walk away, trusting that Ginny would follow me. And luckily, I was right.
Fred saw us approaching before George. He gave a subtle incline of his head. My signal to hurry up. We had gone back and forth about if we wanted Ginny to be anywhere near Malfoy Sr. Our end goal for today was to gain possession of the diary and it would be easier to get the diary from Ginny without her finding out about it than it would be to get the diary from Malfoy down the line. "-Narcissa will be interested to hear about our encounter here today", Malfoy Sr. said as Ginny and I came to stand between Fred and George, effectively blocking the shop doors. It seems we had arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the exchange between Malfoy and Sirius.
'I don't see why" Sirius snarled, angling his body slightly closer to us when Malfoy's eyes flashed in our direction.
"Well, we are family", Malfoy sneered. "And I imagine that you'll need to contact us eventually to name our son your heir. Since he's the only one with Black blood born this generation". Malfoy spoke his words very pointedly, causing me to roll my eyes. Ugh, pureblood politics. "Unless, of course", Malfoy started again with a poised eyebrow. I wonder if he just likes to hear himself talk. "you are planning on procuring an heir?"
"I already have an heir", Sirius adamantly stated as he roughly nodded his head in the direction of the sports section.
Malfoy took his time as he slowly glanced over his shoulder. "Ah, yes. Your Godson, the boy-who-lived". He was quicker to look back at Sirius than he was to look away. "But still, not a Black, is he?"
Sirius folded his arms across his chest. "Neither is your spawn".
With his lips pursed, Malfoy didn't comment as he looked behind Sirius and scanned us. "We had hoped that your time in Azkaban would have reminded you what side you should be on. Though judging by the company you're keeping, evidently, you weren't in there long enough".
We never got to hear whatever brilliant retort Sirius surely had on the tip of his tongue, because Harry, with Ron and Adrian in tow, chose that moment to wander over. Harry had the book of quidditch world records tucked under his arm, and was looking at Sirius eagerly, but slowed and proceeded with caution when he read the scene. "Sirius?" Harry asked tentatively once he was in hearing distance.
Adrian must have read the atmosphere as well because he quickly lost the relaxed posture he had all afternoon for a more rigid one. Leaving Ron and Harry, he skirted around Malfoy Sr. and his brother from another life. "Everything alright?" He whispered, practically pushing George out of the book store as he came to stand next to me.
I nodded my answer, hoping that would suffice to keep him from injecting himself into the situation. No sense in risking getting him involved with the Chamber of Secrets. Especially after the end of last school year when stated he wanted to just be Adrian.
"Harry", Sirius said in a much more jovial tone, having decided to just ignore the blonde menace standing before him. "Find anything good? Should we buy it?" He asked, already reaching for the book Harry had on his person.
"Yeah", Harry answered, sounding confused as he allowed Sirius to pull the book out from under his armpit. "I mean, yes please". As Sirius looked at the book cover, Harry's eyes flickered over to Malfoy Sr. I wondered if he was able to match faces and figure out who this man was.
"Quidditch World Records", Sirius read aloud. "Sounds fun. Any you and Ron want to try?"
"Waste of money, if you asked me". A new voice broke in as Malfoy Jr. made an appearance, popping up by his father's elbow. "It's not like you'll break any", Draco said, sneering at his year mates. I glanced at Fred over the top of Ginny's head. Only to see that he was giving me a similar look. Our group was drawing more and more people. More people meant more attention. Would Malfoy Sr. even try to slip Ginny the diary at this rate?
Ever the loyal friend, Ron speaks up; offended on Harry's behalf. "You're one to talk, Malfoy. You're not even on your house team".
Malfoy scowled at my younger brother. "Neither are you. The best a nobody like you can do, Weasley, is spectate and latch on to a famous friend", Malfoy declared, practically spatting the last part in Harry's direction. Holding the quidditch world record book in one hand, Sirius placed an arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled the boy closer to him. Leaving Fred to do the same with Ron. Except Fred chose to haul Ron in by grabbing a fist full of his shirt and pulling.
"Now, now Draco". Malfoy Sr. interjected. "We have to give the Weasley's some credit". The way he says our last name makes my skin crawl. "They have been much more notable as of late with the part they played in freeing your mother's dear cousin". All of this was directed at his son, but Malfoy Sr. kept his eyes focused on us redheads. This has to be it, I thought completely focused on what was playing out before me. But not so focused that I didn't look away when Adrian's hand found mine and held on with an anchoring grip. His hand was as cold and callused as always. Serving as a solid reminder that he was unyieldingly right there. "What did the Daily Prophet say? The Wonder Weasleys?" Malfoy continued, scoffing. Not once did Adrian look away from the blonde man. So, slowly I redirected my focus back to what my fellow triplets and I were trying to accomplish today. Only to get a jolt when I realized that Malfoy Sr.'s eyes were now fixated on Adrian and me. "And I had heard from my son that the Pucey heir initiated a social pairing with one of the Weasley daughters". His eyes flashed down to Adrian's and my joined hands and back up again. "My, my we are moving up in the world". With his son smirking at his side, Malfoy Sr. moves smoothly as he reaches a gloved hand into Ginny's cauldron. "Who knows", he said as he pulled out Ginny's used transfiguration text. "Perhaps the next generation of Weasleys won't even need to buy second-hand books". And he returned it to our sister's cauldron, with a thin black journal concealed behind it and blending in with the pewter metal. Good. "Let's go, Draco" Malfoy Sr. ordered as he started to walk forward. We parted, Fred, Ron, and Ginny on one side. And Adrian, George, and I on the other as the Malfoys stalked out of the bookshop. It seems in this version, Dad didn't need to get involved.