Chapter Six: The Guild Leader
Harry woke up with mixed feelings the next morning. Luna had slept in his bed with him last night and her presence had been comforting. After years of neglect, physical contact was foreign to him, but he liked it when Luna held his hand or when they walked arm in arm together. He'd welcomed her contact as she'd leaned into his shoulder and hugged him as they watched the mooncalves dance.
But this morning he'd been woken up by a pair of freezing cold feet on his back. She'd somehow shifted into a ball and then slid her feet up his shirt. After all her tossing and turning, he barely got any sleep. The girl had hardly stayed still all night and she seemed to shift into a new position every few minutes.
As much as he liked Luna and was happy for her companionship, if things kept up he'd likely never have a solid night's rest again.
He shook his head as she shifted once again, this time pulling the blankets off of him. He got up with a huff. There was simply no point in trying to sleep any longer. He walked over to the window.
The sky was a clear purplish pink as the sun was getting ready to rise. It must be pretty early still but he decided he'd just get an early start. He grabbed a change of clothes and walked towards the bathroom so he could shower and get ready for the day.
After a very pleasant shower, he was heading back to his room. He figured it was as good a time as any to peruse his father's journals. Maybe he'd find out how he'd been able to sneak into Hogsmeade. He also grabbed the book that Mrs Figg had bought him from Mundungus just in case.
It was a nice day out, but it was getting too cold to enjoy the balcony this early in the morning, so he opted to sit in the reading nook he'd found yesterday instead.
It was a couple hours later before anyone came looking for him. He'd heard Mrs Figg calling for him and he hollered to her where he was.
Mrs Figg entered the reading nook with a playful smile on her face as she said, "I see that Ms Lovegood has claimed your bed as her own. Has she claimed you as well? Your bed is an absolute messâ"
Harry's cheeks began to burn and he refused to meet her eyes. "It's not like that, I promise," he said.
Mrs Figg laughed heartily and said, "I should think not, laddie, you're only 10 years old as it is.
"From the look of things, I'm guessing you didn't sleep well last night?" She checked.
"Ruddy awful! She's a menace! Tossing and turning all night, hogging the blankets, and then finally she shoved her feet up the back of my shirt... might as well have shoved ice up there!
Mrs Figg guffawed at his distress. When he glared at her, she just laughed harder.
"After that I showered and came in here to do some reading," he said with a huff, "And since you're here just to take the mickey out of me, I think I'll get back to it."
Harry grabbed the journal he'd been reading and put it up so it was covering his face.
"Trying to find out how to sneak out of the castle?" She asked.
Harry grumbled. How did she always know what he was doing?
"Are you a mind reader or something? How do you always know what I'm up to?" He asked grumpily.
Mrs Figg chuckled and said, "I guess I just know you well enough by now to guess."
Harry grunted.
"Alright laddie, I'm sorry for teasing you," Mrs Figg said. "But you do make it rather easy."
Harry put the book down with a smile.
Mrs Figg continued, "I need to go visit 'dung about those contracts. While I'm out, I'm going to reach out to a healer from the Guild and they'll give you and Ms Lovegood a look over."
Harry nodded. He was nervous about his own exam but he knew Luna likely needed some help.
"Since she's staying with us, I'll probably reach out to Dumbledore as well just to keep him updated."
Harry went to argue that it was none of his business, but Mrs Figg stopped him.
"The more we openly share with the man, the less likely he is to go digging in our business. As long as he thinks he's on the up and up, then he won't be suspicious."
Harry thought about it for a bit. It did make sense even if he didn't like it.
"What if he tries to take Luna away?" Harry asked.
"I don't think he will. If it were the child of a dark family, he might interfere but the Lovegoods have always been on the lighter side of things," Mrs Figg said.
"But, what if heâ" Harry started before being cut off.
"Trust me, Harry, if Dumbledore interferes then I'll put up such a stink about it that he'll lose interest. I got you away from the Dursleys, after all."
"You're right of course," he said, defeated. "Thanks."
"Alright, I'll be late if I don't leave now. There's food in the kitchen. If I'm not back by dinner, go ahead and start something up without me," she said as she got up and left.
Harry finished reading the journal. He'd gotten through years 1 and 2 already. His father was an interesting kid. He definitely took the Potter name seriously and wanted to live up to his parents expectations but he went about it in rather unorthodox ways.
By the end of year 2, his fathers group were top of the class without ever appearing to study. They'd accomplished this by using the invisibility cloak to roam the school for secret areas that they could study and practice in private.
They'd found and entered every house common room and even the teachers quarters undetected, but there had been nothing mentioned about Hogsmeade.
Their favorite place to hang out was actually in the dungeons. His father said it was the last place the enemy would think to look. They'd found a hidden room down there that was close to the kitchens and their favorite target, the Slytherins.
They would spend the whole weekend down there so they could study and practice magic undetected. Because they were never found in the library, the school population believed the four students were just naturally gifted. In reality, they worked their butts off and then used the Slytherins to blow off steam.
His father and Sirius were under the impression that all Slytherins were evil dark wizards in training. Harry thought that was likely not true, and he didn't really like how much they bullied the students, but he knew his father eventually grew out of it so he didn't let it bother him.
Harry's stomach growled and he looked at his watch. His eyes grew large as he realized it was nearly 10 AM and he'd gotten lost in his books for most of the morning.
He decided to try and wake Luna up so they could go eat breakfast. He knew his friend needed it.
He opened his door without a thought and walked in right as Luna was changing out of the pajamas she'd borrowed from Harry.
He quickly covered his eyes and said, "Sorry, Luna. I wasn't thinking."
"It's ok," she said. "It's just my body. I'm not ashamed of it."
Harry paused and didn't know what to think. Luna often said odd but insightful things that left him thinking. It would probably be a while before he wrapped his head around this one.
"I'm dressed now," she said.
Harry lowered his hands and glanced at his friend who was now dressed in her outfit from yesterday. "We'll have to get you some more clothes of your own," he said.
"I don't know about having to, but I'd like that," she replied airily.
Harry chuckled and held out his arm. "Do you want to come with me to get something to eat?"
"Oh yes, please," she said and she took his offered arm.
Harry slowed his pace so that Luna could look around at all the paintings and photos that were hanging throughout the manor.
She stopped several times to stop and look at some of them.
"Your family members all have pleasant auras like you," she said.
"You can see their auras in the photos?" Harry checked.
Oh, yes. I can sense the aura of most things and people but it's easier if they're magical," Luna said. "I couldn't get much of anything from Mrs Figg, for instance, but everyone at dinner had good auras too. If I'd picked up on anything negative I'd have let you know.
"I can sometimes read an aura of a painting, but a bit of the artist's aura usually intermingles. I suspect it depends on how well the artist knows the subject or how they feel about them."
Harry thought about what Luna was saying and he wondered if what he was doing was the same thing or similar. If it was the same then he reckoned that Luna was a natural or had mastered her gift while Harry was still working on developing his.
A lot of what Harry picked up on resonated with what Luna described. He'd had a hard time reading Mrs Figg, but Luna has been easy. He wondered why he'd picked up on Malfoy's ring, but not on Malfoy himself or on Ambrosius Flume.
He shared his thoughts with Luna.
"Hmm, it sounds similar. I suspect it has to do with your focus. You zoom in and focus on the details. You should try zooming out a bit and see what happens."
Harry thought he understood what she was saying but he didn't know how to zoom outâ his brain just worked that way, he thought.
He decided to try anyway. It was getting easier to get into his focus mode, but he still kept his eyes closed to help reduce outside distractions.
He decided to focus on Luna first because she was familiar. Almost immediately he felt like he was in a cloud again. The sadness was still there but it was accompanied by a comforting feeling of companionship. Harry suspected that that was their new friendship at work and he was happy for his new friend.
Luna giggled and that reminded Harry what he was supposed to be working on. He took a deep breath and tried expanding his focus a bit. A moment later and it fizzled out.
"Darn it," he said, frustrated.
"It's ok if you don't get it right the first time. You can always try again, but let's go eat," Luna said.
Harry nodded and they made their way the rest of the way to the kitchen in a comfortable silence.
Harry whipped up some parfaits for brunch and then they shared a small loaf of bread with some cheese. Harry was grateful for Mrs Figg stocking the kitchen.
While Harry was deep in thought, enjoying the last of his parfait, Loki ran into the kitchen. "Harry! You have to come see what I found on the grounds," Loki shouted mentally. "It's big and hairy and has creepy eyes."
"Oh, I've never met a talking cat," Luna said. "Lead the way, good sir." And then they took off.
Typical Luna, Harry thought as he ran to keep up with them.
Loki's description matched an endless number of creatures he'd read about. He followed Loki out of the kitchen and into the entrance hall.
They walked for a long time before they were finally able to exit the large manor.
Outside in the courtyard, Harry could see that Mrs. Figg had gotten around to trimming some of the bushes. She'd done a good job too. It was a stark difference from the ones she hadn't gotten to yet. Maybe afterwards, he'd help her finish the rest of the trimming.
Loki was running and Harry, who was now far ahead of Luna, was barely able to keep him in his field of vision at times. It was a good thing that Loki kept looping back to encourage them to run faster. The garden was much larger than it looked from the balcony and it took them a lot longer than he thought it would for them to make it to the greenhouses that Loki seemed to be leading them to.
The greenhouses were in bad shape. There were several broken panes of glass and a lot of the structure looked rusty. They'd probably need to be replaced and Harry had no idea how they'd manage to do that without some outside help if they were going to maintain their secrecy. He hoped Mrs Figg had a plan.
Inside the greenhouse at last, Harry glanced around. There were large vines growing all over the inside of the structure. It was an utter mess in here, Harry thought. Loki stopped near the back of the greenhouse and said "It was just here a moment ago but it seems it got out." Harry could tell Loki was frustrated. Loki continued, "If it hadn't taken you so long to run down here we probably would have found him!"
Harry apologized for being slow but reasoned that with the vaste size of the grounds, that he never would have been able to make it in time. They looked around for a while but found no trace of the creature. Harry was leaning against one of the tables while he caught his breath. The effort it took to get down here had worn him out and he was wiping some sweat away from his eyes when one of the vines wrapped around his ankle and pulled him to the ground.
He landed with a grunt and shouted out to Loki as the vine pulled him towards a dark corner in the greenhouse. Loki hissed loudly and ran after him. Harry watched as Loki leaped over him and started clawing and biting at the vines. He thought he was doing a pretty good job too, but it didn't seem to phase the thick vines at all. Harry shouted for Luna. He had no idea where she was but hoped she'd hear him somehow. He saw Loki run out of the greenhouse and hoped that Loki would be able to track Luna down in time.
Harry was trying not to panic. He was near the corner of the greenhouse and it was really dark. He could just see that the vines were growing out of a large hole in the ground. He was being dragged closer and closer to the black abyss.
Just as Harry was about to be pulled out of sight and into the darkness, he saw a large gray ape-like creature appear out of nowhere and latch onto the vine. It was stronger than it looked and was able to hold the vine in place, preventing it from pulling him any further. Loki must have found Luna because she came charging in a moment later with sheers in hand. She ran over to the dark corner and snipped off the vine with several quick clips.
What remained of the vine that had previously been holding onto him, shrunk back into the hole. Harry took a deep steadying breath as he sat on the ground. When he looked up, he found himself looking into the black eyes of the creature that had rescued him. "Thanks," he said, even though he didn't expect it to understand him.
Luna broke the silence and said, "Oh, a demiguise? How lovely to meet you."
Harry watched as the creature looked away from him and walked over to Luna who leaned down and scooped the demiguise up so it could hang off her shoulder, its feet resting on Luna's hip. Luna used her other hand to pat her dress down before reaching into a pocket. Harry didn't think dresses had pockets, maybe only witches made dresses with pockets. From the pocket, Luna withdrew a lollipop and offered it to the demiguise.
The demiguise reached for the candy with an eager look, quickly removed the wrapper and stuck it in its mouth with a satisfied groan.
"Mrs Figg told me there used to be a demiguise here when my grandparents lived here so I'm guessing that's you," said Harry.
Loki meowed loudly and Harry looked down. "Thanks for all your help with whatever that was," Harry said to the group.
"I think it's called Devil's Snare," Luna said. "Daddy told me about a time he'd escaped one on one of his adventures."
"We should probably leave before something else exciting happens," Harry said with a wary look towards the corner.
Loki meowed in what Harry guessed was agreement.
"You were very brave, Sir Loki," Luna said as they left the greenhouse.
She struggled to walk with the added weight of the demiguise so Harry offered his arm to the creature, which shifted happily onto his shoulders. Its arms hung over each of his shoulders and its legs wrapped around his waist like a giant backpack.
Loki then promptly jumped into Luna's now vacant arms and then perched onto her shoulders.
The trio turned quartet headed back inside. Once back inside, the demiguise unhooked itself from Harry's torso and then disappeared as it headed towards the sealed off area of the manor.
Harry was tired from his restless night, early morning, and the events of the day. He just wanted a nap so he said, "Luna, I'm going to go snooze for a bit. You're welcome to explore but maybe take Loki with you in case something else happens."
"That sounds like a grand idea, doesn't it Loki?" She said. Harry watched Loki, who was still on her shoulders, hold on for his life as Luna started skipping towards the library.
Harry shook his head and chuckled at the oblivious girl. She sure was odd, but he liked that about her.
Back in his room, Harry plopped on his bed to try and get some rest. He hoped Luna and Loki would be safe. So far, he hadn't encountered anything dangerous in the house itself but he hadn't really explored the other wing.
Loki would come get him if anything happened, so he shouldn't worry. Before long, he slipped into a deep sleep.
When Harry woke up he could see that the sun was nearly set. He hadn't expected to be able to sleep more than a couple hours tops but he must have needed it.
He wondered if Mrs Figg had returned from her errands.
He exited his room and called out to see if Luna was nearby. To his surprise, she called back out from the room next to his.
He'd been through the spare room himself but hadn't found anything noteworthy in it. He remembered that Sirius had used that room for a couple years and wondered if Luna had found anything interesting with her gift.
He walked into the room and found Luna sitting on the bed, her legs crossed. Loki was napping in her lap. She had been reading a book, but put it down when Harry walked in.
"Hey Luna," he said, "Sorry I slept so long."
"Oh, that's ok. Loki and I had fun exploring before we settled in here," she replied.
"Anything interesting happen while I was out?" He asked, "Is Mrs Figg back?"
"Oh, If she is, I haven't seen her," she said as she stretched. "I spent most of the time in the library. There are many interesting books on magical creatures in your library, but nothing about crumple-horned snorkacks or nargles unfortunately."
"What are crumple-horned snorkacks and nargles," he asked.
Luna frowned sadly for a moment before explaining, "They're creatures that my dad and I were exploring for before he died."
"Sorry Luna," he said. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Oh, there's not much to tell really. My mom liked to experiment with spells and something went wrong and blew the whole house up. I was off exploring in the woods when it happened."
Luna wiped her eyes and sniffed before continuing. "When I got home there were aurors and ministry officials all over. I didn't like their auras, so I hid. I found out what happened later in the Daily Prophet."
Harry remembered seeing a boy selling those papers in Diagon Alley. What a terrible way to find out your parents had died.
Harry walked over and gave the girl a hug. "Thanks for telling me," he said.
Luna just squeezed his torso in return.
"Anyways, I liked this room when I found it. It has a good energy," she said, changing the subject. "Whoever used it last was a very good person."
"Oh, that would be my dad's best friend, Sirius Black," he said simply.
Harry watched Luna's eyes grow big and her jaw dropped. "This aura is not the aura of someone that would have betrayed your parents... which makes sense considering what I found in this journal," she said.
"What are you talking about?" He asked. Harry was confused. "Who said that Sirius betrayed my parents?"
"Everyone knows that Sirius Black is in Azkaban because he blew up Peter Pettigrew and a bunch of muggles and he was the one that told Voldemort where you and your parents were hiding. He was their Secret Keeper."
"What is a Secret Keeper," Harry asked Luna while she was turning pages in the book she'd had.
"It's exactly what it sounds like, but the secret is sealed by a spell. Only the Secret Keeper can give the secret away to someone else after the spell is placed."
"Ah ha!" Luna exclaimed loudly, causing Loki to jump out of her lap with a hiss.
"Read this entry right here," she said pointing to the page.
Harry took the book from her and examined it. He found an inscription on the inside cover that read, "Property of Sirius Black", he said out loud.
It didn't look like any of the journals he'd found around the house. "Where did you find this," he asked.
"In the library in between a pair of sofa cushions. I only found it because I was tracing the room for auras. Your family's aura is comforting... so I'm pretty much always feeling for it, this aura stood out and I traced it back here," she said with a shrug.
Harry opened the book to the entry Luna had found and read out loud, "October 25, 1981." He noticed that it was the very last entry but that there were still plenty of blank pages after.
"I stopped by Potter Manor for the first time since the funeral. All the furniture has been covered and preservation charms are in place. It doesn't feel the same without the Potters here. I miss them.
"I just came from meeting with James and Lily about the Fidelius Charm. I got to spend time with young Harry. He loves it when I turn into Padfoot.
"I'm worried about my role in all this. I'm an obvious target as a blood traitor. Most the family has joined Voldemort's ranks, and Regulus has been missing for months.
"James and Lily want me as Secret Keeper. I'd die for them but what good would that do? If I die then the charm dissolves and with the target on my back I don't think I'm the best choice. I'm going to suggest we switch to Peter and I'll be the decoy.
"If Remus were still around, I might even consider him. He'd be the less obvious choice as a werewolf but he's in just as much danger as I am..."
Harry wiped his eyes. His emotions surprised him but he couldn't help but feel sad for all the loss his family endured.
"I think Sirius did switch the Secret Keeper to Pettigrew and I think Pettigrew is the one that gave the secret to Voldemort," Luna said.
Harry was having a hard time catching up. It was a lot of information to digest. He hadn't even known that Sirius was still alive. He assumed he'd died or something.
Luna continued, "Since he was the only one left alive that knew that Pettigrew was the real Secret Keeper, he confronted Peter in the street, killed him along with all those muggles and then went to Azkaban for it."
Harry agreed that it made sense but didn't think it mattered. Who would believe them? Would it even make a difference for Sirius? He had killed all those people after all.
Still, Harry thought it might ease some of the man's pain if he knew that Harry knew he hadn't betrayed his parents. Perhaps he'd find a way to write to him. He'd have to check with Mrs Figg.
"Come on," Harry said, "Lets go look for Mrs. Figg." He offered her his hand and helped her off the bed. Harry couldn't help but notice how light the girl was. It took almost no effort at all on his part.
They decided to check Mrs Figg's quarters first. Harry hadn't been in here since the first night here and he noticed right away that Mrs Figg had made few changes. It looked more like he remembered her house in Little Whinging. He was surprised to see several cats wandering around. He'd figured they'd have gone off to explore other parts of the manor, but here they all were.
There was no sign of Mrs Figg, but Harry found Hermes resting on an arm chair by a window. "Have you seen Mrs Figg," Harry asked the cat out loud.
"She's not been here since this morning so I'm guessing she's still on her errand." Hermes replied mentally.
"Oh, another talking cat!" Luna exclaimed happily. "Are you related to Loki, here?"
"I am," Hermes said. It didn't look like he was going to elaborate any further.
"Hermes is my father," Loki said happily. Harry was pleased to see that Loki wasn't offended by his dad's lackluster response.
Hermes went back to sleep after that.
"Well at least he talked to you, Luna, Mrs Figg says it's rare for Hermes to talk to anyone," Harry said.
"He has a pleasant voice," Luna said. Harry agreed that Hermes' voice was very striking and pleasant. He only wished the cat was more pleasant and willing to converse.
"Let's go," Harry said, "We can go make dinner or something while we wait for Mrs Figg. I'm sure she'd appreciate a warm meal after a long day."
They walked back to the main area of the house and then into the kitchen. Harry was pleased to see that Luna knew her way around the kitchen. The two made short work of preparing dinner and Harry was very glad for the company. While they cooked, Harry reflected on how much his life had changed in what felt like a very short amount of time. It had been months since his birthday at this point, but his new life was unrecognizable from his old one. He wouldn't have believed it a year ago if someone would have told him what his life would be like now.
It was then that he also remembered that it had been a very long time since he'd been able to steal something. Usually, it was like an itch that had to be scratched. If he didn't steal something then he'd get irritable and a bit reckless at times. But he didn't think he'd been experiencing that lately. He supposed he'd been so busy discovering his new life that it had distracted him. But now that he'd pointed it out to himself, he could feel the itch begin to deepen. It was like when you hurt yourself playing, but don't realize it at the time. Later, when the wound is discovered, it finally begins to hurt.
He hadn't confided his secret to Luna. He wasn't sure how she would respond if she found out he was a thief. So far, Luna had been a great friend and she didn't seem the judgemental sort but he wasn't sure he wanted to risk it. Besides, Mrs Figg had asked him to keep her secret as well. He couldn't talk to Luna or anyone else about the Guild. Harry had never had a friend before and he hadn't realized how hard it was going to be to keep secrets from those he cared about. It felt bad.
Harry and Luna cleaned up their dinner mess while they waited for Mrs Figg to come home. They decided they'd wait a little while longer and if Mrs Figg didn't show up then they would go ahead and eat without her.
It was several hours later and Luna and Harry had eaten and were lounging in the library. He had noticed that Luna was nodding off every now and then and he suggested that maybe she ought to go to bed. She nodded and she and Loki headed to bed. Harry wasn't tired, still refreshed from his nap earlier in the day. He had decided to go and check in with Hermes to see if he thought anything was wrong. It was pretty late in the day now and he was beginning to worry about Mrs Figg.
Harry walked through the house and into Mrs Figgs quarters. There was still no sign of her. He found Hermes exactly where they'd found him earlier. It didn't look like he'd moved an inch.
"Hey Hermes," Harry said, "I'm getting worried that Mrs Figg isn't home yet."
Hermes looked up at him and blinked before yawning and stretching.
"It has been longer than we expected, but she did have a lot to do today. It's probably nothing to worry about," he said dully.
"Alright, I'm going to go look for her."
"You'll do no such thing," Hermes growled. "You're underage and untrained. It's not safe and there is literally nothing you can do to help."
"Well you can't expect me to stay cooped up in this house all the time! I'm going after Mrs Figg and you can't stop me!" Harry yelled back.
"Insolent child," Hermes replied. He got up from the chair and prowled over to a bachelor chest. "Open the second drawer from the top."
Harry walked over to the chest and did as he was told. Hermes jumped on top of the dresser and fished through the contents with one of his paws. Eventually, he found what he was looking for and flung a locket at Harry. Harry nimbly caught the locket out of the air and examined it.
"That was given to Arabella by her late husband. She tells me that you have some skill at picking up on magical signatures. This necklace is a companion piece to Mr Figgs pocket watch, which Arabella happens to have on her person. If you memorize this signature, you should be able to get a bearing for where Arabella is. I'll not have you going out there without at least a semblance of a plan."
Harry took a moment to calm down before attempting to read the object. He opened the locket and found a photo of a handsome man with a large mustache on one side and a picture of a young girl with curly brown hair on the other. The girl looked very young, maybe five years old.
"Who's the girl?" Harry asked.
"Arabella's daughter," Hermes replied shortly. "She died shortly after that picture was taken."
"I didn't know Mrs Figg had a daughter," he said.
Hermes didn't say anything in response. He simply walked back over to his chair and curled up into a ball.
Harry didn't know why Hermes was so irritated. He just wanted to make sure Mrs Figg was okay. Hermes should be just as worried as him, he thought.
Harry calmed down before his temper could rise again. He reached out with his senses and got a reading off the locket. Harry thought it felt like a warm sunny day with a cool breeze. He wondered who's aura he was picking up. Was it Mr Figg's or perhaps the jeweler that had made it? He'd noticed that he'd only been able to pick up the aura of magical objects. Mundane objects didn't seem to have an aura at all unless they'd been frequently handled by someone magical. Had Mr Figg been a wizard? Harry wondered.
Harry suddenly felt guilty for not finding out more about Mrs Figg's life, especially after all she had done for him.
Determined to find Mrs Figg and make sure she was okay, he walked out of her quarters and over to the entrance hall's fireplace. He took some floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. Green flames suddenly came to life and he stepped into them. "Diagon Alley!" he exclaimed.
Harry felt the familiar sensation of being pulled through a tube. A moment later he landed expertly out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry looked around and found that it was mostly empty. There were a few patrons sitting at the bar enjoying food and drink. He decided it was probably a good idea to ask Tom if he'd seen Mrs Figg recently. He walked over to the bar and waved at the man, smiling.
Tom's eyes widened as he recognized Harry. He walked over and whispered, "What are you doing here at this hour, lad?"
"Have you seen Mrs Figg today?" he checked.
"Aye, this morning but not since," Tom said with a nod.
"Alright, thanks Tom. I think I know where she is. Do you mind letting me through?"
Tom looked hesitant, "I don't know if that's a good idea, lad."
Harry paused. He could see that he wasn't likely able to convince the man to let a 10 year old boy wander Diagon Alley alone at night. Honestly, he should have thought about that before asking.
Harry did his best to look and sound dejected as he said, "Alright, Tom. I'll just head back home then."
Tom nodded and went back to cleaning up behind the bar. Harry made a show of walking back to the fireplace but he had no intention of flooing home just yet. Instead, he watched to make sure he wouldn't be seen and then when the timing was right he snuck towards the back door that led to the alley.
As he passed the bar he saw someone's wand poking out of their pocket. He knew it was risky, but he slid the wand out of the patron's pocket as he passed.
Equipped with a wand, Harry hoped he'd be able to let himself through the alley's passageway. He tapped the three bricks that he'd seen Tom tap last time and sure enough the bricks began to shift.
Harry wondered if he ought to leave the wand here for Tom to find and return to the owner, but on the other hand it might come in handy if he were in a bind.
He reminded himself that he didn't actually know how to use it and keeping it was risky if he got caught. He decided to drop the wand by the door and then slipped into Diagon Alley.
The Alley was mostly vacant, with only a few people walking around. He walked down the street as if he belonged here. He found that most people ignored you if you looked like you had a purpose.
When he was standing near Knockturn Alley, he decided to try and feel for the magical signature that matched Mrs Figg's locket. He didn't pick up on anything.
He took Luna's advice and tried to zoom out. Maybe he was focusing too hard on one thing. He imagined himself as a bird soaring over the alley, scanning for anything that stood out. At first, he found himself overwhelmed by magical signatures, but then he focused on the memory of the locket. It was as if he was tuning an old fashioned radio, turning the knobs until the station he wanted to listen to was clearly playing.
Eventually, after what felt like ages, he started to pick up on something down Knockturn Alley. He opened his eyes, but tried to remain in tune with the object. It was an uncomfortable and odd sensation. His senses were overwhelmed. He imagined that this might be similar to how a blind man would feel if he was suddenly able to see.
He walked down Knockturn Alley, which had more activity than the last time he'd been down here with Mrs Figg. Without Mrs Figg there to scare them off, it didn't take long for people to start approaching him and he suddenly wished he had Mr Malfoy's ring.
Instead, he simply tried to act as if he were the most dangerous creature here. He stared down and sneered at anyone looking in his direction. He walked with purpose, but didn't run. He was the predator, not them.
Surprisingly, it seemed to work. More often than not, if he looked at someone they were the first to look away. Everyone was giving him space and he was able to walk in peace. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of 'dung's shop.
He tried to open it, but the door appeared locked. Harry could sense the locket on the other side of the door and assumed Mrs Figg was on the other side.
He knocked and waited. He could hear footsteps walk towards the door and then it cracked open just a smidge. Harry looked up and saw one of 'dung's eyes widen in shock before the door opened wider and he was pulled in.
"What do you think you're doing here!" Mundungus growled.
Harry heard Mrs Figg in the back room, "'dung, who is it?"
"It's Harry!" The man shouted back.
A moment later Mrs Figg was walking into the main shop with a blazing look. Harry was reminded of the time she had discovered he'd stolen from her and he flinched.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok." He said in his defense before she could start yelling at him. That kind of thing would sometimes work on his aunt.
Mrs Figg's expression softened slightly but he could tell he wasn't out of trouble just yet.
"Of course I'm ok, lad," she said. I was just meeting with Mr Fletcher and..." she looked towards the back room with a hesitant expression.
Harry looked towards Mundungus and saw that he had a worried look on his face too. What was the problem, Harry wondered.
Just then, another woman stepped out from the back room. She was very old and dressed very shabbily. She had liver marks all over her saggy skin. He didn't understand why they were so worried, but then she looked into his eyes and he felt a very primal urge to run away.
"Mrs Figg, Mr Fletcher, who is our young guest here?" The old woman asked in a voice that didn't match her body at all. She had an Eastern European accent and her voice was melodic and had a bossy tone to it, as if she was used to getting her way at all times.
Mrs Figg recovered quickly and said, "This is Harry Potter, the boy I was telling you about." Harry saw Mrs Figg look at him pointedly and then he remembered his manners and the etiquette lessons.
He walked over to the old woman and bowed at the waist while he accepted her right hand in his and kissed her knuckles lightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Madam..." he said, giving her a chance to offer her name.
"Oh, very well done lad," the woman said. "As the leader of the Guild, I no longer have a name."
Mrs Figg and Mundungus both flinched when she mentioned the guild, which told him that they would likely be in trouble if she thought he knew about it. He decided to play dumb.
"What guild is that, madam, I'm not sure I know what you mean," he tried.
The old woman smiled wickedly at him. "Oh, you'll do nicely after some training, I think," she said and then she looked towards Mrs Figg. "You're right that the boy has promise, but he is too young."
Harry was shocked when Mrs Figg simply nodded. Was she giving up the fight already? Harry knew he'd been on the fence about the Guild just yesterday, but now that the option was being taken away, he simply couldn't stand it.
"I'm not too young," he said defiantly.
The old woman turned on him so they were face to face. Harry could see his own reflection in her dark eyes. She pulled back and he could see an evil smirk on her face. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to look away but he refused. He returned her stare with his own and then smirked.
Her eyes widened a fraction and then she laughed. "Oh I do like this one. It's been ages since anyone stood up to me," she said to Mrs Figg before turning back to him. "But don't fool yourself, boy, nerves of steel will only get you so far. You need knowledge to understand your enemies and the wisdom to know when to act. That kind of thing only comes with time and experience."
"Try me," he said before he could talk himself out of it. He could see Mrs Figg cover her face in exasperation. Mundungus chuckled nervously.
"Oh, what a splendid idea," she said while clapping her hands together. "Mrs Figg, Mr Fletcher, it's been an absolutely pleasurable evening full of surprises, but I must be going."
She began walking towards the back room, but stopped and looked back at Harry before saying, "expect my owl soon with instructions," and then she disappeared and he heard a loud popping sound.
Mrs Figg let out all of her stress and broke into a tirade at that moment. He heard her exclaim all kinds of swear words and insults about his intelligence.
Mundungus just started laughing and then lit his tobacco pipe as he took a seat and enjoyed the show.
"What were you thinking coming here? How did you even get here? There's no way that Tom let you back here on your own, even he's got more sense than that!" She exclaimed.
Harry figured it was a rhetorical question but he decided to answer anyway. He was rather proud of himself to be honest.
He started with Hermes and the locket and then told her how he'd swiped a wand after Tom rejected him. And then he told her about getting through the mob of people in Knockturn, at which point she swore and shook her head.
Mundungus laughed and muttered, "Balls of steel on this one..."
"Stop encouraging him! He shouldn't have come! Now we're all on thin ice with the Guild leader," Mrs Figg said.
"Oh, I don't know about that. She likes him... like really likes him, I think. I haven't seen her so happy in ages. Not since..."
Mrs Figg shushed him then and Harry was disappointed not to hear what Mundungus was going to say. He loved a good secret.
Mrs Figg pulled out her pocket watch and cursed. "It's time to go," she said. "The healer is arriving tomorrow and you will need to review the contracts before we send them out."
Mrs Figg grabbed Harry by the collar and escorted him out of the shop. She didn't release him until they were halfway down Knockturn Alley.
"It was foolish of you to come down here alone," she said.
Harry reiterated that he'd only come because he was worried.
"Oh stuff it! You came because you were bored!" She hissed.
Harry was hurt. Sure, he was bored and was looking for a bit of adventure but he really was worried.
"It can be both things," he said quietly.
"Sorry," she said. "You're right and I'm touched you were worried about me but I can handle myself and you really could have been hurt."
Harry thought he understood that she was just as worried about him as he had been about her. "Alright," he said. "I'll not do something so foolish next time."
"Thank you, laddie," she replied.
They made their way back into The Leaky Cauldron. Harry saw that the wand he'd used was no longer where he left it. He braced himself for an angry Tom when they walked in.
Tom was there at the bar but the dining area was empty. He looked up as they entered and Harry heard him sigh in relief.
"That was a risky thing to do, lad. I told you not to go into the Alley," he said to Harry. "And you're lucky I found his wand lying there and was able to return it to him. I had to convince him he must have dropped it on his way back in."
Harry felt bad for putting Tom in a potentially bad situation. He apologized to Tom and then returned home with Mrs Figg.