'I wonder how London looks now?' Harry wondered, lost in his daydreams as he stared at the door that led out of the Leaky Cauldron.
A few weeks had passed since he'd been a resident of the Leaky Cauldron now. Tom was still hesitant to allow him to help in the kitchens but he could tell the boy was beginning to get bored as he waited for his enrollment into Hogwarts. Harry had taken a new responsibility as a recipe tester - owing to his experience in cooking for the Dursleys, Harry had a decent palate; for cheap bar grub at least. He'd try Tom's new weekly specials and let him know if it needed anything else. Occasionally he'd offer ideas, but seeing as Tom's kitchen still operated with a wood stove and magic, he was out of his depth to do much more.
He'd finished the books Tom got him. Simple story books and novels to pass the time. Entertaining tales of brave heroes, cunning villains, and a moral lesson to tell. His highlights were the mornings usually. He'd talk to the stall vendors and market occupants as he did the shopping for the Leaky Cauldron. He hadn't come across his two new friends yet since that day though.
'I hope they haven't forgotten who I am,' lamented Harry.
He tossed the coin in his palm a few times. Much to Harry's own shame, Tom insisted on giving him an allowance for his help. For his part, Harry had tried vehemently denying the money, stating that Tom allowing him to stay in the Leaky Cauldron and providing meals was already more than what he deserved. The thought never sat well with Tom though. It was a rare occasion where Tom put his foot down on the issue. Henceforth, a few galleons and sickles found themselves in a pouch hanging from Harry's door knob. They amounted to five galleons and twenty sickles. He'd learnt it was enchanted to open only for Harry when he heard a sharp exclamation of pain from outside his door when one of Tom's guests tried to pocket it for himself. Harry had relented when he considered that he didn't want Tom to lose face.
Harry pocketed the silver coin and inched closer to the door. He'd been in the Leaky Cauldron long enough to know that this door led to the 'Muggle' world. Occasionally the regulars of the pub would walk in through the door, announcing some complaint about the "drab and mundane world of muggles". Tom had never explicitly banned him from going into the muggle world, but warned the boy against going anywhere in general alone and without supervision. Not that Harry particularly needed supervision with the manner he grew up.
The door was certainly enticing. It was in the afternoon and Tom had left for one of the shops in Diagon Alley, something about a last minute need for kelpie hair. He could pop out for a few hours before evening rolled in. He wondered if the gold galleons and silver sickles on his person could be used for transactions in the muggle world, although he highly doubted it. As he wrapped his fingers around the door's handle he heard his name being called.
"Harry!"
He turned around quickly, stuffing his hand into his pockets in a sheepish attempt to hide his actions. He spotted a bundle of red hair atop a tall boy for his age holding two broomsticks. Harry broke into a wide grin.
"Arthur! How come you're here?" Harry ran up.
"Mum said you'd be here mate. We came to Diagon Alley today because she had to go to Gringotts. Told me I could hang with you here while I wait for her," Arthur explained briefly.
"That's nice Arthur, but why do you have two broomsticks?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Ah!" Arthur just seemed to recall he was holding on to them, "Forgot I snuck these out!"
He thrust out his left hand holding the broom, indicating for Harry to take it, "This one's for you mate! I figured we could try flying for a while today. Y'know, practice for being on the quidditch team and all that."
Harry leveled a disapproving stare at Arthur, "Arthur, your mum would kill us if we got caught…"
"Well just don't get caught then mate. I do it all the time!" Arthur declared proudly.
"Don't you get caught all the time?" Harry rebutted.
"Fair point…" Arthur conceded.
"Besides…" Harry set the broom against an empty table, "... I don't know how to ride one."
Arthur looked at him with a frown, "Sorry mate, forgot you're kind of new to this stuff."
He slapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, bumping him forward, "I'd be happy to teach you though! Piece of cake really, just get on the broom and imagine yourself flying! Here, let me show you…"
Arthur grabbed his broom and started making his way to the entrance when Harry stopped him by pulling on his collar.
"I'll learn it at school when we won't get killed by your mum for it," Harry dragged him back with a sigh, "How'd you even sneak two brooms past her anyway?"
Arthur beamed with pride, "Simple! I snuck out yesterday with my brother Charlie and put these brooms in a bush no one would notice. I told Charlie it was for a good cause; to train the next batch of Gryffindor's quidditch stars!"
Harry sighed exasperatedly. He tried thinking of something that could distract Arthur from his determination to get himself and Harry flying today. His mind raced as he looked at his excited friend. A lightbulb lit up.
"Say Arthur… You're interested in muggle stuff right?" Harry asked.
"I bloody love it! Why'd you ask?" Arthur replied, still gripping his broom.
"Wanna' tour the muggle world with me?" Harry pointed a thumb back at the door.
Arthur looked like he'd kick the door open and sprint out any moment. But Harry picked up on his obvious hesitancy, "Mum'll only take an hour or two… If I disappear on her I might really be killed this time mate…"
Harry pursed his lips, "Mr. Tom is out for about the same amount of time too. We could just go for a quick little trip, an hour - no, half an hour tops!"
Arthur bit his lip in deliberation, looking back and forward between the door that led outside, and the door to Diagon Alley.
"Harry, do you even have a reason for wanting to head out there?" Arthur asked.
"Aren't you curious?" Harry replied simply, a small smirk plastered on his otherwise innocent face.
Arthur couldn't help himself. He gave a defeated chuckle.
"If my mother kills me for this, I'm making sure you die with me. Half an hour. On the dot and no more!" Arthur placed his broom against a nearby table and rolled up his sleeves as he marched up to the door confidently.
"Let's go then!" he declared.
Harry gave a light smile as he watched his friend's walked up behind him. He shook off the nervous jitters in his fingers as Arthur grasped the handle and swung it open.
The two boys stood in the door-way, spying an empty alleyway from just behind the threshold. The shimmer of the magic that kept them concealed was still present in the air.
"Wicked…" Arthur commented.
Harry gave a half hearted nod with a nervous gulp. He was the first to set a foot out and step into the muggle world. Arthur excitedly followed.
"Oh I can't wait to- Urgh!" Arthur pinched his nose mid sentence, "What's that smell?"
Harry kept a sour grimace on his face, "It's an alleyway Arthur… I'm surprised it doesn't smell worse."
'Guess some things just don't change about London…' Harry pinched his nose. The pungency of the ammonia was choking.
Arthur still had a disgusted frown on his face when his ears picked up a loud honk. He swiveled his head to look at the end of the alley and watched as cars zoomed past on the road. The undertone of engine purrs and shrill horns of angry drivers flooded their ears. If eyes could shine, Arthur would have had the brightest in that moment.
"That's so bloody cool!" Arthur started a sprint up the alley, eager to get a closer look at the speeding machinery.
"Arthur! Arthur, wait up!" Harry began running after the red-head, giving chase desperately.
"Don't get too close!" screamed Harry.
Wrapped up in Arthur's eagerness to observe the engineering marvels of the modern muggle world, neither boy had noticed that the door they had stepped out from, was now just a solid wall of brick.
Bellatrix had been irate as of late. Since her last time venturing out of her mother's view to play with Harry, she'd been grounded until her mother was happy.
'As if she'll ever be anything other than annoyed,'
She fiddled with a hairpin as she stared out of the window of the room. Her parents were out for some meeting or the other, leaving her and her two sisters home alone.
It was a lavishly decorated room she lived in. Of the three girls, hers was the largest. The centre of the room was taken by a large bed, complete with white satin sheets, bed posts and black evening curtains with dark green embroidered baroque accents. The floor was carpeted with a soft rug. Her study table and chairs carved out of English oak. The storybooks in her cabinet and clothes in her wardrobe were neatly arranged, not of her own doing but her house elf Pesty. A name she naturally chose for the minute and subservient being dressed in rags that handled all of their chores and manor upkeep. The room was naturally lit with sunlight from the large window, but the candle chandelier that hung from her ceiling would brighten the room past dusk.
She traced shapes on the surface of the glass windows with her hairpin as she rested her cheek into her palm, boredom seizing her. Her thoughts wandered to the day she got caught. It hadn't been the first time she'd slipped away from her mother while she had some boring conversation for old people that didn't really like each other but had to pretend that they did. While her mother gave fake praises and snooty laughs, she ran off. The stuffy atmosphere of high society had never fit well with her. She preferred her freedom to do as she pleased.
'I'm a pureblood, I'm better than them. And I'm a Black! I'm doubly better! So why do I have to play along and be nice?! Why does mother still have to play along with them?!'
She clenched her jaw and pressed the tip of her hairpin against the window, her thumb nail turning white from how hard she was trying to press it. She huffed and relieved the pin of the pressure.
'This is so stupid! I'm so bored!' she groaned internally.
She'd tried previously to get Pesty to unlock her door for her from the outside but the house elf obeyed her mother's instructions like gospel. Bellatrix found zero success in asking the loyal servant of her parents. The most Pesty offered to do was bring her snacks and refreshments. And let her out for occasional potty breaks.
Bellatrix traced the shapes she left behind on the window as she suffered from boredom. She spotted a familiar pattern. One she'd seen a few weeks ago, carved into a certain boy's forehead. She gained a devilish smirk.
'Mother and father should be out for the next few hours…'
Her room's door was locked shut from the outside, her mother only unlocked it for meal times. But she made the mistake of leaving the windows untouched. Bellatrix undid the latch and opened it, relishing the fresh air for a moment before starting her climb out.
"Andi! Cissy! I'm heading out! Cover for me!" she yelled out before leaping onto the top of the lemon tree in her garden.
Her fingers hurt from the few splinters gained by grabbing onto the branch to break her fall, but it wasn't anything too bad for her. She poked and prodded with her foot to find the next branch that could support her. She repeated the maneuver until she slowly scaled down the tree.
She dusted off the dirt from her hands and clothes before making a run back into the first floor of her home. She spotted the mantle above her fireplace and the ornate porcelain pot that sat on it. She grinned.
A quick dash over, and she stuck her hand into the pot, pulling out a clump of green powder.
'Harry will play with me,' she affirmed with a nod, before stepping foot into the fireplace and throwing the green powder at her feet and yelling out,
"Diagon Alley!"
Harry watched Arthur, amused by his fascination.
The two boys found themselves sitting on a small stack of stairs by the sidewalk, in-front of a khaki brown car as Arthur looked at it like a child in a toy store.
It was a Ford Cortina. Harry saw its model imprinted onto the car as they passed it earlier. He'd rarely seen them on the road back in his own time. It certainly looked outdated when he compared it to the cars he'd seen. Not that it mattered much to Arthur though.
He had his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees as he stared dreamily at the car. "What a magnificent thing…"
"Arthur, it's a car… They're everywhere."
"I know that! But look… Don't you think it's amazing what the muggles can do? The stories I read show them on horse pulled carriages, but this is what they're really capable of!" Arthur gestured to the car, and around them.
"Yeah well, the magic world's pretty amazing too, you know. Riding broomsticks, casting spells, making things appear out of thin air…" Harry thought back to the first time he'd seen magic in action.
"Difference is, muggles did all of this without magic! But doesn't it seem like magic? You sit in one of these," Arthur pointed at the car, "and they just start moving you from place to place faster than our brooms can!"
Harry grinned, "Yeah, I don't really know how it works either to be honest. But I'm not sure if we can say anything we don't understand is magic though."
Arthur chuckled, "Muggles are just bloody brilliant mate. My brother Charlie told me one of the things they teach in Hogwarts is muggle studies, did you know that?"
"Muggle studies? So you just go around observing them?" Harry asked with a raised brow.
Arthur looked at him like he was stupid, "It just means we get a textbook about muggle life and behaviour mate…"
"Oh…" Harry looked away as his cheeks heated up in embarrassment.
Arthur gave a cheeky grin, "You're really new to this wizarding stuff aren't you? I got your back mate, don't worry."
Harry shook his head with a small smile, "You say that like it's worth so much."
"Hey!"
The boys shared a hearty laugh at the banter.
"You really like muggle stuff, huh?" Harry asked.
Arthur nodded, "Yeah. I get it from my dad actually."
"Hm?" Harry's curiosity was piqued.
"Dad likes muggle stuff too. He told Greg how some distant great-great-great-something or rather relative of ours was a great muggle once. Over time the family records got too difficult to keep so we're not sure about it either," Arthur explained.
Harry tilted his head, "Your mum's a Black though isn't she?"
Arthur coughed slightly, "How'd you find that out?"
Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "Some of the stall owners told me your mum used to be Cedrella Black…"
Arthur sighed, "Yeah, mum used to be from the Black family."
The unspoken insinuation of Cedrella Black's ancestry hung in the air between them.
"Does- Does she… not like muggles?" Harry finally cut to the chase.
Arthur threw his hands up in a frantic wave, "Oh! No no! Mum is fine with them!"
"That's… unexpected? I guess?" Harry was beyond confused.
Arthur cleared his throat, "Ahem, well… According to Charlie, dad used to really fancy mum back when they were in school, but mum supposedly used to be stone cold. Dad heard stories of how mum was bored of the usual attempts to court her so he wanted to do something different…"
Arthur buried his face into his hands, "... So dad asked her out on a date to the muggle world… Only dad would ask a Black of all people for a date in the muggle world. In fifth year no less."
Harry tried keeping his laughter under control, "So did he tell your brother how it went?"
"'Disastrous' was all Charlie got out of dad. Says that mum outright blasted dad away for the suggestion," Arthur laughed.
Harry also let a laugh loose, "Then how'd it work out? How'd she change her mind?"
"Dad actually asked her out again. This time to some school ball, but mum was actually the one to refuse and suggest a change of location. I think it was her way of getting dad to suggest the muggle world again," Arthur explained.
"That's quite a sudden change…"
"Yeah, I actually asked mum about it and she told me after she blasted dad away the first time, she started thinking about the idea for the next few days and found it to at least be more exciting than the usual wizard-y locations."
"So did your dad get the hint?"
"Nope… Mum blasted him away again after he kept suggesting different shops in Diagon Alley. Almost cursed him to pieces when he asked her out to Ollivander's Wand Shop!" Arthur was barking with laughter.
He wiped the tear out of the corner of his eye and continued, "Eventually though, dad got the hint and plucked up the courage to ask mum out again to the muggle world. They had their date during the holidays. Mum says dad brought her to some beach at night."
"So that's how she started liking muggles?" Harry asked.
"Well… It would still take a couple more dates to shift her perspective. Even till today I wouldn't say she really likes muggles. Some habits are just hard to get rid of I guess," Arthur commented with a shrug.
"But I think it's still pretty nice how your parents got together," Harry said as he stood to dust himself off.
Arthur followed suit, "Think it's time to go back?"
Harry shrugged, "Feels like it. I think we've been here close to half an hour."
Arthur reached into his jacket and pulled out a small silver pocket watch, "... Quarter past two. Pretty close. Let's get goin'."
They continued a small chit chat as they walked. Harry had to occasionally pull a wandering Arthur back on track after he got distracted. They'd finally reached the stinking alley way they emerged from.
"Well, home sweet home I guess," Harry frowned from the odour.
Arthur pulled the collar of his shirt over his nose with just his eyes peeking out, "The sooner the better…"
They walked into the alley way. Harry could have sworn he heard Arthur gag slightly.
"Keep it together Arthur, it's just…" Harry spotted the bricks. No door. No entrance. Nothing.
"... Just right here?" Harry reached a hand out to feel the brick. It was coarse, rough to the touch. He gave it a slight push, but no give. Harry swallowed hard - despite the smell.
Arthur peeked at Harry from watery eyes, "Get on with it Harry! I'm about to lose my breakfast here!"
Harry slowly turned to Arthur, eyes wide and jaw set, "I think we have a problem Arthur… The door's gone!"
Arthur perked up, nose no longer covered by his shirt, "What?! What do you mean the door's gone?!"
He marched up to the brick wall, standing next to Harry.
Arthur gave a chuckle, but the shakiness belied the underlying anxiety in the boy's demeanor, "It's just a trick of the eyes Harry! To keep the muggles from coming in by accident of course!"
Arthur planted a shaky hand onto the wall, "See, all you gotta do is give a little push!"
To Harry, Arthur hadn't budged an inch. The wall kept its rigidity.
Arthur gulped, "W-Well, maybe it just needs a little more force. We're kids after all…"
Arthur stepped back and chambered his leg infront of him, and gave the wall a solid kick.
Thud!
Harry thought he heard a whimper.
Arthur swiftly took off his shoe and grabbed his aching foot as he bit his lips, willing the tears from falling.
"Alright, maybe it takes two… Help me out here Harry!" Arthur slid his loafers back on and chambered again. Harry listened and followed defeatedly, not in any mental state to be arguing at this point - he could barely keep himself from unraveling at the seams from panic.
Thud!
This time it was two boys holding onto sore feet and whimpering in pain.
Arthur picked up his shoe and threw it at the wall in frustration. The wall stood stoic at the footwear assault.
"We're stuck here!" Arthur finally snapped. He grabbed his hair dramatically as he traced the outline of where the door had previously been on the brick wall, unable to believe the situation they found themselves in.
"Don't lose your marbles just yet Arthur… I'm sure there's a way in. How else would the customers come in?" Harry tried to keep his cool, employing logic to dubious effect.
Arthur just wailed, "I'm gonna die! I'm a goner! A dead boy walking! Mum's going to skin me alive!"
Harry smacked his forehead with his palm and started shaking Arthur, "Arthur! C'mon! Keep it together! There must be some way in…"
Harry looked at the brick wall in desperation, and he recalled a little girl in the playground being able to move things just by pointing her hand at them, "That's it! Maybe we need to use some magic!"
Arthur broke out of his hysteria and snapped his fingers, "That's right! Brilliant idea mate! You got a wand?"
Harry stared at him blankly, "A wand…?"
Arthur stared back blankly too, before erupting in hysterics once again, "I'm really a dead man!"
"No! I know someone that used magic without a wand! Maybe we could try that?!" Harry started feeling absorbing the panicked energy from Arthur, growing increasingly desperate now.
Arthur hung his head in his hands defeatedly, "No use mate… It's hard enough to do magic with a wand. Without one, at our age? Impossible…"
"Well, if you never try you never know!" Harry crossed his arms in defiance.
Arthur stared at his friend, before giving a relenting sigh, "Alright… alright fine, we'll try it. No other options anyway…"
The two boys laid their palms against the brick wall and began focusing.
"...you feeling anything?" Arthur whispered.
"Not yet…" Harry whispered back.
"Oh! Wait- no… Nothing…"
"Maybe we have to cast a spell?" Harry remembered the play fight in the playground.
"Good idea… Do you know any?"
Harry looked at him disappointingly.
"Right. New to magic. I forgot. Sorry…" Arthur coughed.
"Let's just try saying something, it might work…"
Arthur swallowed, "Okay, on three…"
Harry counted them off, "One…"
"Two…"
"Three…"
The boys shouted simultaneously,
"Mora Loho!"
"Open Sesame!"
Harry was the first to open his clenched eyes. He looked at the brick wall in disappointment.
"Open sesame? Really?" Arthur asked.
"Hey! It's a common phrase! Not like your's worked either… What the heck is Mora Loho?"
Arthur shrugged, "I heard something vaguely similar when Charlie snuck into mum and dad's room once to get back his broom they hid away from him."
Harry sighed deeply, "Nothing worked."
"I was sure magic would have worked…" Arthur sadly commented, "Maybe we have to try again?"
Arthur walked up to place his hand on the brick again.
"Knock yourself out…" Harry stood off to the side to watch.
"So be it… If I open it, you're not hearing the end of it!" Arthur pulled his sleeves up and laid his right hand against the wall.
"Mora Loho!"
The brick, as expected, stayed as brick.
Arthur sighed, "Bloody fantastic… Thirty-minutes he says… Quick tour he says…"
Arthur was broken out of his complaining muttering when the nooks and crannies between the bricks began glowing bright. Arthur was elated.
"Harry! Harry! Look! It worked! What did I tell you?" Arthur excitedly started shouting.
Harry didn't care for the gloating at this point, he was just relieved he had a way back. He dashed up next to Arthur to observe the glowing bricks. The light reflected off his glasses.
"C'mon Harry! Mora Loho! I knew it was the right spell! Ha! Open Sesame my foo-" Arthur's gleeful gloating was cut short when the bricks suddenly disappeared, and a wooden door swung itself open. It smacked both boys across the head and flung them backward onto their behinds in a tuft of dust.
"I knew I'd find you here!" they heard a voice shout at them.
Bellatrix nimbly navigated her way around the legs of the sea of adults as she made her way down to the Leaky Cauldron at the end of Diagon Alley. Her short skips dropped the occasional dusting of green soot left over on her skirt from the proprietary fireplace Floo Network transport system.
She picked up her pace as she passed Gringotts. There was no telling whether her parents would be waiting around the outside or not. Hard to tell what the goblin bankers considered as fair hospitality. If she got caught sneaking out, it was more than just a grounding for a month she'd have to deal with. Bellatrix didn't want to take the chance.
She slowed her little sprint down as she neared the ending blocks of Diagon Alley. She knew her way around the area like the back of her hand. Her parents had plenty of dealings at Gringotts that they had to sit in for several stuffy hours which left Bellatrix free to explore the area. At first she had to sit in with them, but multiple temper tantrums of a critically bored magically-gifted child meant that she was quickly left to her own devices outside of the bank. Her parents worried little for her safety. She was a thorough-bred pureblooded witch. Her features were distinctly that of the Black family. That alone brought her respect from most portions of wizarding society. Enough not to risk interacting with her.
She'd reached the pub quick enough. The afternoon sun glared at the residents of Diagon Alley, and Bellatrix had no interest in staying under its gaze any longer. Certainly not in the stuffy attires she was always supposed to wear. She yanked the door of the pub open to discover an empty bar.
Hardly a surprise considering it was dead in the afternoon. Patrons were really only in the pub until late morning, leaving it barren until early evening where they'd begin to pour in for food and rest. Still, she'd expected to at least see a bit of life. She scanned the surroundings for a boy.
Nothing but empty wood tables and chairs lay in view, save for a pair of broomsticks placed next to another door at the end of the pub.
"Harry! Are you in here?!" Bellatrix shouted. Silence answered her.
She walked up to the banister leading up to the rooms and tried once more, "Harry Potter!"
She crossed her arms and harrumphed. She'd snuck out and came all this way to play with him and he had just up and disappeared.
Bellatrix stomped back to an empty chair and plopped herself onto it. She rested her elbows on her knees and her face cupped in her hands as she pouted. Her eyes wandered in boredom towards the clock.
'Another two hours and mum will be home…' She thought disappointingly.
'Hmph!' She turned defiantly away from the clock and rested her gaze at the door with the broomsticks. "How dare that half-blood Potter keep me waiting… If he doesn't show up in the next five minutes I'm going to curse him black and blue the next time I see him.'
During her spiteful ruminations of what she would do to the scarred boy should he not appear sooner rather than later, a curious sight presented itself to Bellatrix.
The door with the broomsticks began pulsing with a faint glow. Small shimmers of gold light pulsed slightly. Off and on they came before stopping totally. Mystified by the sight, she walked up to the door.
She placed her hand on the inert door, inspecting the wood. She wondered where exactly the mysterious glows came from. She was careful not to push too hard against it. Her father had taught her well not to trifle with unfamiliar magics.
A sudden thump at the door spooked her. She recoiled her hand back quickly. Bellatrix had rarely been as bewildered as she was now. She decided to chance it, and placed her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything.
For a while there was nothing, and she'd almost given up on it before she heard muffled mummering. She couldn't make out any of the words but there were two voices. One of them she knew.
She put on a smug grin, 'Found you.'
A glow shimmered again on the door. Bellatrix waited for the shimmer to die off. She wouldn't risk opening the door with it still present. As soon as it did though, she grabbed the handle of the door and swung it open.
'Thwack!'
She felt the reverberation in her hands as she felt the door smack into something. As she stood in the threshold of the doorway, she saw two boys crumpled on the door; tears beginning to well in their eyes. One of them was a red-haired stranger, the other was familiar. Black hair, thick glasses and a lightning-bolt shaped scar.
"I knew I'd find you here!" She yelled triumphantly.
"Argh…" Harry clutched at his head in pain.
"Who the bloody hell…" Arthur similar had his head in his right hand and he posted up with his left arm to try and stand.
Bellatrix cockily stalked forward until she stood infront of the two dazed boys, hands on her hips.
"We're playing Aurors and Acolytes!" She declared.
"What kind of crazy idiot's going to play Aurors and Acolytes here…?" Arthur still had a pained grimace on his face as he started looking up to see who had so kindly attempted to bash his head in. His eyes widened in panic as he took in the view.
Bellatrix let her smirk grow, "Realised what a mistake it is to call me an idiot?"
Arthur quickly stood and dashed past her, shoving her out of the way, "I don't care about you, you barmy girl! Harry! The door's open!"
Harry broke out of his dazed stupor as he heard that, he only had a split second to recollect his wits and wonder why Bellatrix was with them before he too was sprinting at the door, "Keep it open Arthur!"
For her part, Bellatrix was so astonished at Arthur's rudeness towards her that she just stared at him with a slack jaw. She'd never been treated like that before by the kids around her.
As Arthur neared the door, the magics of the world they inhabited did not seem like it would give them a break. The door was pulled shut. As if a vacuum had sucked it powerfully.
'Slam!'
The door came crashing right into Arthur. The poor boy received his second head-pounding concussion from the ancient door with a resounding thud.
Arthur fell backwards on his bottom as he clutched his face in pain. The bricks began layering themselves over the door once more.
Harry reached the door as the final few bricks placed themselves. The structure was complete.
"No! No! C'mon open! Open!" Harry desperately patted and hit the brick wall.
"What are you boys so panicked about? It's just a simple bit of magic," Bellatrix shook her head in exasperation and walked up to the wall as well.
She placed a hand against the wall and let her magic thrum through. The brick however, stayed as brick. Bellatrix frowned as she peered down at her hand, not believing that she hadn't been able to overcome the simple parlour trick. She placed it atop the wall and tried again.
"It won't budge, we've tried it already…" Arthur sighed as he nursed his aching nose, it hadn't broken but it certainly hurt. The pain pulsed as his eyes watered.
"Hmph! That's only because your magic is weak! For a pureblood like me, this is nothing!" Bellatrix pushed even more of what she could into the wall.
And yet, nothing happened.
"We really are stuck outside here," Harry despondently muttered as he buried his face into his hands.
Bellatrix fumed with embarrassment. Her cheeks had coloured bright red.
"Pureblood magic eh?" Arthur sarcastically added.
Bellatrix turned on him, fists balled up. Arthur put his hands up for protection.
"Stop it!" Harry raised his voice, getting the other two to pay attention.
He stood up from his crouched position on the floor and looked out the alley, "There must be some other way to get to Diagon Alley than just this door. We have to try and find it!"
"Surely somebody will have to open this door, either from the outside or inside?" Bellatrix asked with her arms crossed.
Harry shook his head, "This one leads to the Leaky Cauldron… Our guests usually don't show up till early evening. We'd be waiting here for hours if we tried our luck."
Arthur gulped. Harry thought he'd heard Bellatrix do the same too.
"Besides, Mr. Tom gets back in about two hours… I have to be back before that," Harry sheepishly admitted.
"My mum'll kill me if I'm not back in two hours tops too," Arthur sighed.
Bellatrix looked away from the others and pouted.
"I… need to be home in two hours too…" she said quietly.
Arthur turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "You? I thought you people did whatever you liked?"
Harry cocked his head to the side in a curious manner.
"And what do you mean by that?" Bellatrix's eyes narrowed at Arthur.
Arthur narrowed his own eyes back at her, "It means what you think it means. I've heard from the other kids about how you bully them at the playgrounds!"
"It's not my fault they're bad at the games! Or that they can't do any magic yet! They should blame themselves for not being born with any talent!" Bellatrix spat back
"And that means you can just hurt them? How about controlling yourself?!"
"Why should I?! How about they just get better?!"
"Not everyone has the same talent as you!"
"That's what they get for being half-bloods and mudbloods!" yelled Bellatrix.
Arthur recoiled at Bellatrix's derogatory exclamation. A disgusted expression fell over Arthur. "You're no different from the rest of your family…"
Harry's curiosity had reached its limit, "Mudblood?"
"It's a bad word, Harry. Refers to a witch or wizard with muggle parents. An insult used by people like her…," Arthur gestured with his thumb, "...who care so much about the purity of their wizarding blood to bring down those they feel dirty the wizarding blood with muggle blood."
Harry processed the information and a grim expression had settled itself over his face. He too took on a look of disgust involuntarily.
Bellatrix clenched her jaw. Her upbringing had instilled in her a certain poise and decorum. But mentally it had been chucked away. Any facade of noble civility had been eviscerated by something deeper within the girl.
"So what? It's true isn't it?! Father and Mother always say that the mudbloods have done nothing good for us witches and wizards! They just come in and expect to be treated like kings and queens!" She shouted at the boys.
A deep seeded malice within her had bloomed. A bud of fury had taken its hold. She didn't mind it so much if Arthur Weasley despised her. That was fine. Expected almost. But because of him, she'd lost her new playground buddy. Someone that didn't complain when they got hit or bruised or pushed around by her magic, and instead looked for ways to catch up.
"Father told me that our schools are packed with mudbloods who don't know their heads from tails in magic! While the families that have built this society have to be the ones taking care of them! And for what?! Just for them to replace us in the Ministry?! For them to tell us what to do and what not to do with our culture?!" The venomous tirade continued.
"And how would you know?! Isn't that just what your parents tell you?!" Arthur yelled back.
"Are you accusing my parents of being stupid then?! Of being liars?!"
"You think I'd believe anything about being a pureblood from the Black family?!" Arthur had enough.
"Arthur! That's enough!" Harry cut in, "You too! Both of you need to stop arguing already!"
Harry turned to look at her. He'd had his suspicions about her family. She'd been dodgy about it when they last met, but he could see the similarities in features between her and Mrs. Weasley. Arthur had only confirmed the suspicions he had.
Bellatrix had stayed quiet. The frustrations of the argument had taken their toll on the girl. Tears welled up in her eyes and she bit down to clench her jaw in a desperate attempt not to let the drops of weakness flow down her cheek. She raised a palm and pushed hard at the air in front of Arthur.
He found himself being blasted away. He landed among the heaps of trash in the alley, thankfully breaking his fall and protecting him from hitting anything important against the concrete and brick; but regretfully dousing him in the unpleasantly pungent aroma of alleyway rubbish. He shook off the daze and nearly retched at the smell.
Bellatrix started to storm off.
Harry stuck out a hand, grabbing her wrist "Bellatrix! Wait!"
She yanked it out of his grip, "Go help your muggle-lover friend, mudblood."
Harry was scandalised but ignored it for the moment, "We have to stick together! We don't know our way around this place!"
"You two don't know your way around this place. This is still London. Father visits the Ministry enough that I can guess my way there. The sooner I get there and get home, the less time I have to spend around these awful muggles," with that, Bellatrix stalked off to leave the two boys.
Harry was speechless. He wanted to run after her but Arthur's grip on his shoulder stopped him.
"Yeah that's right! Good riddance! We'll find our own damn way! I hope you get lost, you crazy girl!" Arthur yelled at the retreating figure of Bellatrix.
"Arthur! Why'd you do that?!" Harry questioned him.
"Me?! What did I do wrong?! She smacked us with a door then had the cheek to act all high and mighty just because she's from the Blacks! I can't stand people like that!" Arthur spat.
"Yeah but you didn't have to start an argument with her! We could have used her help you know?! The three of us could have probably found the Ministry together…" Harry argued.
"Bah! Whatever, I'm not keen to continue an argument… How do you even know that girl anyway?" Arthur asked.
"Let's get out of this alley and try to find our way to the Ministry first. I'll tell you how we met on the way there," Harry looked between the fork in the road, having to choose right or left.
"C'mon then, let's go this way!" Arthur began leading them to the left.
Harry was puzzled, "How do you know it's this way?"
"I don't. But it hardly matters when you're lost does it? I just did us a favour of picking one so we could get going," Arthur grinned.
Harry shook his head as he followed Arthur. "We'll be lucky to get back before midnight…"
For all her bluster and bravado in claiming she'd go to the Ministry, Bellatrix in truth hadn't much of a faint clue on how to find it. She was relying moreso on instinct than head knowledge.
Her thoughts were in a mess. She didn't expect the Weasley to put up so much of a resistance. Both the boys hadn't cared much for her respected pedigree. One lacked fear out of ignorance. The other lacked fear out of sheer dislike.
She hadn't wanted Harry to know of her family background, lest he be frightened off or seek to get closer to her cousin Sirius through her. But the cat was out of the bag now though. Surprisingly Harry had still tried being friendly after her whirlwind of anger. Even after calling him a mudblood.
Truthfully she knew Harry likely did not fit into the category of one. At least not fully. Begrudged to admit, Bellatrix knew the boy had performed wandless magic when they played together. There was no other explanation for how he caught up to her from such a long distance. To her, that meant he must have been born a pureblood. Why he was separated from his parents was not information she was privy to. She supposed he could likely be a half-blood. A Potter father and some muggle mother. In which case the term mudblood did apply somewhat. But with his talents, no one would think otherwise if he claimed purity.
Her real point of vexation came from Arthur Weasley. Loathe as she was to admit it - the Weasleys were a pureblooded family. They may love muggles too much for society's benefit but they were pureblooded nonetheless. Most of them at least. And yet they were so stubborn on being the so-called "righteous few" to "protect" the mudbloods.
'As if they need it! We're the ones losing out here!" she thought to herself.
Bump!
She was broken out of her thoughts when someone had accidentally bumped into her. It seems she'd run head first into the hips of a tall woman.
"Watch where you're going girl," the woman turned her cheek and continued walking.
Bellatrix fumed at the rudeness, 'These damn muggles! They're beyond rude! No apology for bumping into your superior?!'
Angry thoughts cast aside for now, she realised she stepped into a quiet street. The area looked run down quite frankly. She looked around and didn't see much sign of life.
Grrr
Bellatrix's head shot up. She hoped and prayed that she had mistaken the sound for something else. She turned her head to the noise and saw a nightmarish view.
A snarl was pointed at her way. Feral eyes stared her down. The shaggy black fur had a mangy and untamed quality to it. A stray dog, and a large one at that, eyed Bellatrix menacingly.
She swallowed hard. She slowly began her retreat, taking timid steps backward - careful not to make any sudden movements.
The growling of the dog became more guttural. It was getting more vicious as Bellatrix kept the staredown ongoing.
It barked loudly and suddenly. And Bellatrix acted on instinct, spooked by the sudden sound, and jolted her body on reflex. The dog began sprinting.
Bellatrix ran, side stepping to avoid the jaws seeking to sink into her arm. She ran like her life depended on it. A more accurate description than not.
She toppled a rubbish bin behind her as she ran, hoping to slow down its pace. The dog's size was not reflective of its agility though. It nimbly darted to the side and it was back on Bellatrix's trail.
She screamed. Hoping to attract some attention to their situation. Hoping it didn't fall on deaf ears in the quiet street.
She heard the growling get closer and closer. Her heart was already about to beat itself through her chest but she couldn't afford to catch her breath. Not at a time like this.
She focused on her palm and looked back for a brief moment, before tossing whatever magic she could build up at the beast.
It faltered, tumbling in its run like it had slipped. It skittered on the concrete as it tried to get it's bearings.
Bellatrix could hardly celebrate though. She continued her frantic run as the dog was now more angry than ever. It chased with all the might its powerful body could produce.
Her intuition told her it was about to bite. She took her chance and tried to duck around the corner into an alley. It was mostly successful. Her ankle did not partake in that success though. The dog's bite found its mark at the heel of her right foot. She screamed in pain as she shook her leg and hit it in the nose with a balled up fist.
The dog released its bite as it shook off the hit to the nose, before slowly approaching Bellatrix with its wicked snarl again.
"Oi! Get away you mangy mutt! Leave her alone!" she heard a voice call out.
She turned to look as an old woman pulled her arm out of a nearby dumpster and started hobbling her way to Bellatrix, standing in front of her defensively as she waved a walking stick in the air threateningly towards the dog.
From a back view, she could tell the woman was not in the best condition financially. Her clothes were tattered, sewed in certain spots and holes plenty in others where she'd run out of thread. Her shoes looked worn and grimy. Her hair was long, grey, and messily greasy.
The dog wasn't afraid of her though. It approached slowly with its teeth bare. Loud growls and the occasional harsh bark was let loose. The old woman was still desperately waving her cane to ward it off.
Just as the dog was about to pounce, a sound rang out.
Clink!
An empty can had clattered on the floor near the beast.
Pang!
This time a glass bottle had shattered near it.
The old woman and Bellatrix both looked up and saw two boys near the front of an alley. They were reaching into piles of rubbish to look for things to throw. All manner of trash was tossed. Bottles, cans, broken pieces of furniture, and all manner of disposed items.
The dog had sensed itself being outgunned. It retreated from the alley and sprinted off in the street.
"Yeah get out of here you stinkin' dog!" Arthur yelled after it, an empty soft-drink bottle brandished in his hand.
"Let's not cause more of a scene than we have to Arthur…" Harry put down the chair leg he'd been holding on to and looked at the female duo in front of them.
The old woman set her cane down and leaned on it. Relief portrayed itself through the wrinkled smile on her face. She was breathing heavily though. Harry surmised that standing without the cane took significant effort on her part.
"Thank you boys for chasing it off," the woman nodded at them.
"No, no. Thank you Ma'am for holding it off," Arthur rubbed the back of his neck.
Harry peeked behind the woman, "Are you alright Bellatrix?"
She was relieved that her life and the woman's was no longer in danger. She hadn't realised it but she was gripping on the lady's tattered coat very tightly. She let go and took a deep breath.
"I'm fine," she turned to the old woman that had saved her, "thank you very much Ma'am. Without you I'd be a goner…"
The old woman just smiled down kindly at her, "It's no problem dear. The strays 'round these parts are vicious! Here, have some of these…"
She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out two sweets. Hard candy, slightly melted and warped in shape but still wrapped nicely.
Bellatrix took one with gratitude. She unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. She noticed that bits of the wrapping paper were still stuck to the melted candy but she disregarded it for the time being.
"Thank you Ma'am…"
"We heard you scream… We were surprisingly nearby actually," Harry offered an explanation for their arrival.
The lady looked back to Bellatrix, "You know these boys?"
Bellatrix looked at them tentatively. She breathed a sigh and nodded her head, "Yes… I know the two of them. We got lost actually."
"Oh dear! Where do you intend to go?"
"The Minis-"
"The metro! The London Metro. Do you know where the nearest station is?" Harry cut in.
"Oh! Well… Nearest station would be out of this street, turn right over into Charles Road and then keep walking straight till you reach Charing Cross Station," The old lady guided.
Arthur joined too, "Thank you Ma'am! We've never got your name…?"
The old lady smiled, "Glad to see some of the young'uns still have manners. I'm Miriam. Miriam McDowell."
"Arthur Weasley," he pointed at himself;
"Harry Potter," he pointed at Harry;
"And she's Bellatrix Black," he concluded by pointing at her.
The lady spun around, "Such a wonderful name you have missy."
Bellatrix preened at the compliment. She wanted to try walking but winced in pain at the first step she took. She looked down to see her sock and shoe covered in blood from the bite wound.
"Ew…" Arthur commented on impulse. Harry dug an elbow in his side.
"Are you really alright Bellatrix?" Harry jogged over to give her an arm to brace with.
She looked at the outstretched arm and looked away, "I'll be fine Potter."
She nudged the arm away, delicately limping with her injured foot as she tried to walk out of the alley. She was stopped by a gentle hand placed on her shoulder.
"I don't know what happened between the boys and you Bellatrix, but try and make it up with your friends," Miriam gave an earnest plea to the girl.
Arthur coughed, "Well for what it's worth I'm sorry for starting the argument."
Miriam smiled. She gave a gentle push to Bellatrix, who had so far kept quiet with her arms crossed, content not to look at the red-haired boy.
Bellatrix let out a long and reluctant sigh before turning to face the two boys, "Fine… I accept your apology."
Arthur shut his eyes in irritation as he mentally calmed himself down.
Harry just chuckled and shook his head, "Usually you apologise too…"
"What for? He just admitted he's in the wrong."
"Why you little…" Arthur started murmuring.
Miriam's hearty laughter nipped the argument in the bud.
"How nice it must be to make these sorts of memories with your friends… My friends and I would squabble all the time when we were younger…" Miriam wiped a small tear from her eye.
"Are they still around?" Arthur absent-mindedly asked before clamping a hand over his mouth.
"Arthur!" Harry cried out.
Miriam gave a small chuckle, "Don't worry about it. Although to answer your question, no. Sadly not."
Harry wanted to ask but he couldn't bring himself to. Although he supposed the curiosity danced in his eyes bright enough for Miriam to pick up on it anyway.
She gave a sad smile.
"My friends and I all volunteered to be nurses in Malaya during the war…" Miriam explained.
"By the time the war was over…" Miriam's voice cracked slightly.
"I was one of the only few to make it back," Miriam ended somberly.
The group had turned silent at the revelation.
Miriam looked at the group with such sad, yet hopeful eyes, "Cherish these moments you have with your friends… I pray to God every night that you children won't have to live through the same things we did."
Harry was fighting back tears. Arthur had already lost that battle. Bellatrix looked on with a stony expression though.
"Thank you for sharing that with us Ms. Miriam. Please take care, and thank you for giving us directions," Harry bowed his head slightly.
Miriam dug into her coat pockets once again and pulled out a few crumpled one-pound notes and tried giving it to the boys, "Here, you boys will probably need to take the metro right? This might be enough to cover the three of you to where you need to go. It's not much but little Bellatrix here looks like she needs the help…"
Harry tried denying it. Deep down, he knew that's all this kind woman had on her. A couple of sweets and a few pounds was all she had to her name at the moment other than the clothes on her back, and she'd willingly give both to a few kids she'd just met.
Arthur tried denying it too. He pushed Miriam's outstretched hand back. He didn't know exactly how much a "pound" was in wizarding money, but he knew those precious few was all she had. He couldn't bring himself to accept it.
Only Bellatrix was the one that reached out to take it. She had a solemn expression on her face but took the money nonetheless, "Thank you for your help."
Miriam smiled.
As Bellatrix turned to grab the two protesting boys and make their way out of the alley, she asked Miriam, "Why?"
Miriam let out an inquisitive hum.
"Why are you doing this? You need this much more than we do… Why are you being so nice to us?" Bellatrix elaborated her question.
"What's a meal compared to knowing three kids made it home safe?" Miriam responded easily, the kind expression never leaving her aged face.
"Let this old lady have a bit of dignity," Miriam joked, "Plenty of people were kind to me in my life. It's something I have to pass on. And then it'll be your turn next to pass that kindness on to someone else. Now go! You need to have that foot looked at as quick as you can!"
Bellatrix gave a heavy nod, and turned to leave with the boys. Before they turned from the alley though, she snuck a quick peek backwards. She saw Miriam hobble back to the dumpster and peer into it, and begin to reach her hand in. Bellatrix looked away to give Miriam some semblance of privacy and dignity and bit her lip. A tear had made its way down her cheek.
"Here! It's this one!" Bellatrix pointed a finger on the map at Embankment Station.
They found themselves at Charings Cross station, look at a map provided to them by the friendly staff. They had looked over Bellatrix's wound and treated it lightly. A few punctures of the skin but luckily no major damage was noted. They were already on the platform waiting for a train. The staff had declined to charge the children for tickets, instead giving it to them for free.
"I recognise it from some of the signs outside of the Ministry building! This had to be it!" Bellatrix proudly recognised it.
Arthur and Harry looked at each other and shrugged, "If you're sure…"
They hopped onto the next train that arrived. Soon enough they'd reached their station and exited from the tubes.
"It should be nearby!" Bellatrix exclaimed.
Sure enough, they had reached the ministry building at Whitehall.
"Great… Now how do we get in?" Harry asked.
"Dad told me about this actually. He says he goes into one of those," Arthur pointed at a red telephone booth, "And 'dials' 62442"
"That solves it then. Let's go!"
"Wait!" Bellatrix exclaimed.
The two boys turned back to look at her.
"We have to be careful not to be seen. My father is known in the Ministry. If they tell him I was in there today, I'll be in huge trouble," Bellatrix requested.
"Right. We'll be sneaky," Harry nodded his confirmation.
Arthur shrugged, "Sneaky or not, I just want to get back before mum realises I was gone."
"Speaking of which, how much time do we even have before we're all in trouble?" Bellatrix asked.
"Good question actually, I haven't checked in a while. Let's see…" Arthur pulled out his pocket watch.
"Bloody hell!" Arthur nearly jumped in fright, "We've got ten minutes before the two hour mark!"
The blood in all three ran cold. They sprinted for the telephone booth.
Sure enough, the numbers they dialled brought them down to a neatly polished underground building. Papers and documents whizzed by overhead in a paper-aeroplane style format. Owls clutched sealed envelopes in their talons as they hooted from above the trio. Large gold statues stood above the grand fountains in the middle. People appeared and disappeared frequently in flashes of green fire at the many 'fireplaces' they call the Floo Network.
The three kids tried to sneak by the adults in the busy atrium through crouching down and keeping under their lines of sights. It was a bit more difficult than usual considering Bellatrix's injured foot but she'd grit her teeth through the pain and carry on with it.
They had finally reached their coveted destination; the Floo Network. Jars of the green powder sat atop every fireplace. They ran for it. If they did it slowly they'd surely be recognised and it would be the collective end for them. Bellatrix hurriedly stuck her hand into the jar and pulled a clump of the green dust while Arthur bumped a man out of the way through a body slam. The man fell with a clatter of his suitcase and a loud "Hey!"
Before anyone would take notice though, the trio had dived into the fireplace with Bellatrix shouting out "Black Residence, Salazar Boulevard!"
In a flash of green smoke, the trio disappeared. Only to tumble out of an ancient fireplace. They landed with a mighty crash on the carpeted floor of Bellatrix's home. They coughed from the impact and soot as they dusted themselves off. Arthur groaned as he clutched his left wrist.
"Damn… I think it got twisted the wrong way…" Arthur grunted in pain.
"Bella! Is that you?" They heard a girl call from upstairs.
"Yes Cissy! It's me!" Bellatrix shouted back.
Bellatrix dusted herself off and pulled the two boys up, not caring about Arthur's pained expression at the moment. Her own foot was throbbing with pain but she didn't show it. Why couldn't he?
"Pesty! When will Father be back?" Bellatrix shouted to seemingly no one.
They heard a pop next to them which made them jump. The trio turned to look at Bellatrix's house elf, Pesty.
"Young mistress. Master will be home in…" Pesty looked up and remembered, "... one minute."
Bellatrix's eyes widened, "I thought we had at least another five minutes?!"
"Master called Pesty early today. Goblins made Master angry. Master is coming home earlier than usual."
Bellatrix took on a panicked expression. She pointed at the jar of Floo powder above her fireplace mantle and told the boys, "Quick! Get out of here before they get back!"
"What about you?" Harry asked.
Bellatrix set her jaw, "Pesty! Open my room door for me!"
The house elf shook its head slowly, "No can do young mistress. Mistress forbade Pesty from opening your door unless its for meals and potty."
"Argh! You useless creature!" Bellatrix walked out to see the tree that could lead her to her room. She tried to jump on a branch but her injured foot wouldn't allow her to. She winced in pain as she had to step down.
She turned to look at the boys, "What are you doing? Hurry up! Get lost before Father and Mother get back!"
Harry turned to look at the fireplace, and noticed a broom on top of the mantle. He turned to Arthur, "Arthur, can you still ride that thing?"
Arthur took a look at the broom and shook his head, "Can't mate, not with a bum wrist like this. We'd just end up breaking something."
A look of steely determination overtook Harry.
"I'm going to try it! Follow me!" Harry had read kid's books in his time that depicted ugly hags riding on broomsticks in the night. Surely this would follow the same logic. He just hoped it would work.
He picked up the broom and ran out to join Bellatrix, Arthur came too.
"Quick! Which one's your window?!" Harry shouted as he stuck the broom underneath him.
"You're mad!" Bellatrix exclaimed.
"Hurry up!"
"That one! Its open!" Bellatrix pointed.
Harry closed his eyes in concentration. He felt himself beginning to float. As he opened his eyes, he noted that he was indeed levitating with the broom. "Get on!"
He dragged Bellatrix on to the room behind him, and Arthur behind her as he pulled him broom up and angled it toward the open window.
They shot off like a rocket. In his excitement and nervousness, Harry forgot one important fact; He didn't know what the brakes were on this thing.
They crashed into Bellatrix's room just as they heard a fireplace roar to life. Harry was nursing his head while Arthur nursed his already injured wrist. Bellatrix was the first to try and stand to look presentable. Pesty popped into the room shortly after.
"Young mistress. Mistress is coming up to the room," Pesty had a smirk on its face. It vanished with a pop after the message.
"Damn it! Hide! Hide!" Bellatrix shoved the broom into Harry's hands and pushed them down under the bed.
Harry and Arthur had just managed to sneak themselves beneath the bed when they heard the door burst open. They held their breaths.
"Bellatrix! I know you've been fooling about! Why is the living room so filthy?!" they heard Bellatrix's mother yell.
"But Mother! I've been trapped in this room the whole time! Why are you accusing me?! It could have been Cissy or Andi!" Bellatrix countered with a whine.
"Your father's already very angry with those disgusting creatures in Gringotts. And now he comes back to a dirty home?! You might be able to weasel your way out of this Bellatrix! But I know your sisters wouldn't do something like this! You're the only problem child that causes me this many headaches!" they heard her yell before slamming the door shut.
Bellatrix cursed her beneath her breath as the boys simultaneously let out the one they've been holding.
"Pesty!"
With a pop, the diminutive create appeared again, "Young Mistress?"
"Is the coast clear?" Bellatrix asked.
The elf vanished and reappeared again, "Master and Mistress have left the living room and gone into the master bedroom, Young Mistress."
Bellatrix dived onto the bed and dragged the two boys out from underneath.
"Quick! While they're still busy! Get out!" Bellatrix shoved the two boys towards the window.
Harry mounted the broom with Arthur following, "Take care Bellatrix! See you around!"
The two boys zoomed out the window and back to the living room of the house. They had a better stop this time. Harry hurriedly stuck the broom back into place before taking a clump of the green dust. Arthur checked the time again "Harry! Thirty seconds for us!"
Harry pulled Arthur into the fireplace with him and whispered quickly, "Leaky Cauldron!"
The boys tumbled out of the fireplace once more. Coughing soot and brushing off dust all over the place. It was still an empty bar. They looked at the clock on the wall and sure enough. They had made it back in time.
Harry just remembered the brooms Arthur brought along, "Arthur! The brooms!"
"Bloody hell I forgot about those! How the hell am I supposed to explain those to mum?! I don't have the time to hide them again!" Arthur panicked.
Harry thought of a solution though, "In my room! We can hide them in my room!"
"Good idea mate! Help me with one!" Arthur tossed Harry one of the brooms as both boys sprinted up. Harry opened his door and they both chucked the brooms onto Harry's bed as storage for now.
They heard the tinkling of Leaky Cauldron's door chime opening.
"Arthur! You better be here!" they heard Cedrella Weasley call out.
"Coming mum!" Arthur shouted back. The two rushed downstairs to see Cedrella and Tom at the door way.
"Come, let's get going Arthur. I've got to prepare for dinner soon. Mr. Tom is also about to get busy, let's not bother him any further," Cedrella took Arthur by the hand to lead him away.
"Nonsense Cedrella, your family's always welcome no matter the time," Tom chuckled as they bade farewell.
"Bye Harry!"
"Bye Arthur!" Harry called back.
Tom put a hand on Harry's shoulder and grinned, "You need to tap the bricks in a certain combination with a wand to open it."
Harry lost the colour in his face, "H-How did you…"
Tom smirked, "No one enters or leaves the Leaky Cauldron without the old place letting me know. So when I got the signal that someone left through the muggle door and came in through the Floo, I figured what you boys had done. Cutting it awfully close, aren't you Harry?"
Tom laughed heartily at Harry's shocked expression.
"If you ever want to go out before you get your wand, just make sure someone's here to open the door for you," Tom offered a piece of advice before walking off to the kitchen, "I've got stew to prepare Harry! Help me out!"
Harry shook off the shock and confusion, "Yes sir!"
Bellatrix lay in bed.
Supper had been uneventful. Her father had an unhappy expression on his face as per usual while her mother had been giving her a mean side-eye the whole meal. She hadn't found out about what Bellatrix had done but she had a gut feel that Bellatrix had done something wrong at least.
She pulled out the crumpled notes in her pocket that she took from Miriam earlier. They hadn't needed to spend it after all.
She stared at the pounds in her hand and pondered on the kindness she'd seen and received from Miriam.
'From a muggle.'
She stood gingerly. She had so far kept her injury hidden from the family.
She opened her drawer and placed the notes in a metal box.
A/N: Thank you for the patience everyone. Life's been busy with projects. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!