A/N:

Hello! First chapter today but we are planning on speeding up the updates (no promises though). The chapters are gradually getting longer (Hooray!). Sorry for the cliffhanger on the end of the last chapter, and this chapter will start from the end of the last.

In terms of pairing, we are considering Harry x Daphne but we're not 100% yet. He may end up with no one.

As always, please review. We would love to hear any ideas for future chapters or pairings and please tell us if there are any mistakes we can fix.

17/08/23

xXxDoubleKxXx

DavidoDaVinci

Chapter 3: Diagon Alley

There was a pause…

And then several things happened at once.

James jumped to his feet. "Well, that's GREAT! We need to find him! Dumbledore, where is he?"

"Where is he, where is he? Dumbledore, I thought you were calling a meeting for something bad!" Sirius said, relieved.

McGonagall went pale. "Oh dear…" she mumbled.

Remus was the loudest, "WHAT!?"

Only Lily had remained silent. She did not like this. Not at all.

Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down.

"Well, now that everyone is quiet, I would like to discuss the matter further."

Sirius looked confused. "But, Dumbledore, what else is there to say? Harry's alive and coming to Hogwarts this year. We can finally meet him!"

"Sirius." McGonagall reprimanded. "I'd have thought the problem would have been quite obvious."

James looked just as confused.

"Well," Lupin supplied, "Why did everyone think Harry was dead?"

"Because no-one knew where he… oh!" Sirius' eyes widened. "So where did he grow up then?"

"Exactly." Dumbledore continued. "So if Voldemort didn't kill Harry…"

"...What did he do with him?" James finished.

"And where is he now?" Lily questioned. "What has that monster done with my son?"

Dumbledore nodded gravely.

xxx

Harry was waiting. A disguised Bella stood on his left, on his right: a disguised Voldemort. They were outside the Leaky Cauldron and his friend, Draco Malfoy, should have been standing with them by now.

Sure enough, only a moment later, three people apparated beside them. Draco, his mother, Narcissa and his father, Lucius.

Draco Malfoy was a few months older than Harry, tall and blonde. He was quite unpopular with Voldemort, and had, therefore, always been careful around him. Narcissa was not a Death Eater but had spoken to Lord Voldemort before. Like her son, she was tall, skinny and blonde haired and always masked her expressions perfectly like a proper pureblood lady. Lucius… well, he just looked like an older Draco.

"Draco!"

"Harry!"

The grown-ups did not greet each other.

"So… shall we enter?" Narcissa's voice shook.

"Yes, I think we shall." said Voldemort in his high, cold voice.

They walked into the bar, not stopping to say hello to Tom, the barman. Voldemort didn't care for anyone lower than him, especially anyone who shared his name. Well, no one besides…

"Harry?"

Harry turned around.

"Yes, Draco?"

"Well, when we go to Ollivander's, won't-"

"Draco, be quiet!" Narcissa hissed.

But it was the look from Lord Voldemort that convinced Draco to do so.

Voldemort tapped the brick wall and it opened to show Diagon Alley.

No one was fazed, except Draco.

"Woah!"

xxx

Their first stop was Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, where they got their Hogwarts robes.

The adults perched on seats outside and motioned for the two boys to enter the shop without them.

Madam Malkin looked up as they came in.

"Ah! Two more Hogwarts Students, I take it. Draco Malfoy," her voice faltered "and…?"

"Harry." They shook hands.

The young Malfoy was taken to be measured and fitted first while Harry was led to a bench to wait for his turn. When he sat down, he noticed he was next to a girl with bushy, brown hair. Harry could immediately tell she was muggleborn from the way she held herself and looked around at everything in amazement.

"Hello!" It was the mudblood. "What's your name?"

Harry blinked before realising she was talking to him. He sneered inwardly.

"Harry," he said, maintaining a cool tone.

She smiled. "My name's Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."

Harry nodded politely but inside he was disgusted. This mudblood had the nerve to talk to him. But she clearly wasn't done yet.

"Are your parents normal… muggles, I mean? Hmm… did I say it right? I'm just not used to calling them that…"

Harry nearly snorted but managed to keep his composure. So she was a mudblood then. He really wanted to leave now.

"No, my father is a wizard and so is my mother."

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "I mean I can understand why I might not be welcome in the wizarding world with my parents not being magical. I guess I'm kinda intruding in a different society."

Harry privately thought she had gotten it exactly right. At least she was clearly quite bright.

Hermione continued. "I didn't want to be behind so I've learnt everything I possibly can out of some books I bought yesterday and I'm going to continue studying them until we get to Hogwarts. I know there is a bunch of prejudice against the dark arts but I think they sound interesting- the magic involved I mean." She blushed realising she had openly supported dark magic in front of a stranger.

"It's alright Hermione," Harry reassured her. "I think they're interesting too." He was starting to feel that this girl, as muggleborn as she was, might be a good asset to his father's cause. He would have to pretend to be her friend for now to ensure that she wouldn't turn against him.

Just then, he caught Madame Malkin signalling for him to come over to be fitted.

"I've got to go, Hermione. I'll see you at Hogwarts." He said, standing up.

"Okay, goodbye Harry," She smiled again and went back to looking around in wonder.

They spent the next half an hour getting their robes fitted, during which Madam Malkin only talked to the Malfoys when they talked to her.

When they did leave the shop, Bellatrix immediately rounded on Harry.

"What did you think you were doing talking to that mudblood?" She spat.

Lord Voldemort turned around to face his son and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, explain."

Harry let out an exasperated sigh.

"Father, I know she's a mudblood, but she's smart. She has done a lot of research so as to not be behind this year and she's interested in the dark arts. She could be a valuable asset to your cause."

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes skeptically but the Dark Lord just inclined his head.

"I trust you will keep me updated on her behaviour when you go to school, Harry."

Harry nodded quickly, not wanting to disappoint Lord Voldemort. "Yes father."

"Right, then. Let us move on." It was Lucius Malfoy this time.

The adults rose from the bench and started to walk down the road purposefully with Harry and Draco trailing behind, exchanging polite conversation.

xxx

It was a long walk to Ollivander's.

As he walked, Harry could not help but notice all the advertisements plastered around.

'Back to School Sale - 50% off all Hogwarts robes - Quidditch, Schoolwear, etc'

'EVERYTHING MUST GO - Now 1 for the price of 2!'

Draco snorted loudly at the last one, earning a glare from Harry.

"Shut up!" He hissed in his friend's ear. "You're a pureblood, remember?"

Draco hid his grin and nodded at Harry before entering the wand shop behind his aunt.

Ollivander looked around at his customers.

"Ah… Mr Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter."

Draco looked confused.

Voldemort did not look like he liked that someone had known it was his son.

"Shall we begin?"

xxx

Later, Harry and Draco walked out holding their new wands.

Draco's was a unicorn hair core, 10 inches and made of hawthorn wood. Harry's was phoenix feather, 11 inches and made of holly. None of them were at the time aware that the core of Harry's was made of a phoenix feather from the same phoenix as Lord Voldemort's.

And none of them yet knew that that was significant.