Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter Six

Draco's Detour

The week that followed Harry's vision of Voldemort increased the sense of unease within the walls of Spinners End. It was the confirmation that the Order had been waiting for; confirmation that Voldemort was setting his plans into action. The many members of the Order of the Phoenix were coming to Spinners End more often then they had been before thus Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were confined to the third floor.

Mrs. Weasley would check on them every hour, bringing them their meals and to make sure they were all there. They could hear footsteps often coming up from the floor below, and the frequent opening and closing of doors on the second floor. Harry did not, however, understand why they were confined to the third floor.

"You know," said Hermione, quietly, "you said you and Lupin were talking about Sirius before it happened."

"So," said Harry, as he strained his ears trying to hear what was happening in the rooms below them.

"Well," continued Hermione, "when your emotions are high, then you are more likely to connect with him. I think that is why it happened."

Harry didn't reply; he had already figured that out on his own. Below them, a door was shut.

"You want another game of wizard's chess?" asked Ron, pulling out his board.

"No," said Harry, quietly. "I am fine."

Harry decided instead to sit on the end of his as he watched Ron and Hermione play a few games. It was only until there was a knock on the door that Harry came back to his senses.

"You are wanted downstairs," said Mrs. Weasley, opening the door and beckoning them out of the room.

Harry was disappointed to see that the second floor was empty and all was quiet as they walked towards the stairs to the kitchen. Lupin was sitting at the large table waiting; his prematurely lined face looked tired and worn. He stood as they descended the stairs and beckoned them to follow. As they entered the hallway, Harry glanced at the carved wooden doors set at the end; if he strained his hearing he was sure he could hear talking just beyond the threshold. Lupin led them out into the clearing and he never had an opertunity to listen.

"With the events as of late," he said quietly, "we need to catch up. As you all have used a complete form of Apparation, we want to train you to do longer distances. I just want you to take turns trying to apparate from one end of the clearing to the other. We want to be certain that you have all mastered it before you return to Hogwarts."

The weather had once again turned hot, and Harry focused all his minds power into ignoring the heat. It took him many tries, but after many attempts, he was able to apparate successfully from the edge of the clearing to in front of the door.

After everyone had apperated successfully a few times, he beckoned them back inside, leaving them in the kitchen as he walked toward the doors at the end of the hall.

Mrs. Weasley had laid out lunch but was not anywhere to be seen.

"Well," said Ron, helping himself, "that wasn't so bad."

"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about learning it during the school year seeing as how busy we'll likely be," said Hermione quietly.

"I wonder if we'll be apperating to Diagon Alley?" said Ron thoughtfully.

"I doubt it," said Hermione. "The ministry would know and that would mean a lot more problems for us."

"When are we going?" asked Harry, as he poured himself a glass of butterbeer from the pitcher Mrs. Weasley had set out for them.

"I think Tonks said that we would be going a few weeks before term," said Hermione between bites.

"Why so early?" questioned Harry.

"Well, it will be less crowded with none of the students milling around that way," said Hermione simply.

The kitchen door opened and Mrs. Weasley entered, followed by Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley and Dumbledore. Harry also saw many more pass through the hallway on their way to the front door. Dumbledore smiled, and continued on up the staircase, presumably once more to the locked rooms on the second floor.

"Well," said Lupin, sitting down, "everything's all set."

"What's set," said Ron, with half a mouth full of sandwich.

"The arrangements for your trip to Diagon Alley," said Tonks, pouring herself a glass. "Dumbledore feels that it's best to get it done as soon as possible. You all are going next Wednesday."

"Just need to arrange disguises first," said Kingsley, lowering himself into a chair. "Seeing as you three haven't learned Human Transfiguration, and the fact that when someone else is transfiguring you it can be a very scary experience, we are going to likely disguise you in some other magical way."

"It can't be that bad," said Tonks, helping herself to a sandwich.

"Well," said Lupin, smiling. "You never needed to bother with that did you?"

"So I heard you all fully apperated today," said Kingsley. "Pretty good for only have been learning for a month. It took me 3 long months of practicing to even apparate a meter."

Harry heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to see Dumbledore descending with a grim expression on his face. He strode the length of the kitchen and left without a word.

***

As Wednesday loomed nearer, and their excursion to Diagon Alley grew closer, the mood of Spinners End had changed from the tense atmosphere after Harry's Visions of Voldemort. They were no longer confined to the living quarters and spent much of the time outside enjoying the last few weeks of summer before their return to Hogwarts. Even now, as they sat outside playing a game of gobstones, Harry was contented enough to not worry about what Voldemort was up to.

On the morning of their trip, Harry came to find that there was a larger group then normal sitting around the kitchen table, their heads all together. When they had noticed Harry and Ron coming down the stairs, they didn't bother to lower their voices.

"Well," said Lupin, calmly, "everything's set; we just have to wait for him to bring it by."

"What's set?" questioned Ron, as he and Harry sat down at the table and pulled plates towards them.

"The arrangements," said Lupin, smiling. "We are just waiting for Severus to bring the potions by."

"Snape is bringing a potion?" said Ron, over his plate of eggs and sausages.

"Because," said Lupin, "you will be using a Polyjuice potion so we can keep you disguised. Of course, from what I hear, you already have experience in that field."

Harry grinned, remembering the time in their second year when they had taken the forbidden potion to spy on Malfoy.

Harry turned at the sound of footsteps on the kitchen stairs only to see Hermione and Ginny coming down. Harry's heart sank; his curiosity about what was in the locked rooms had continued to grow since his arrival, though he did not expect Dumbledore or anyone to say anything about the mysterious contents within.

The kitchen door opened, and Harry turned to see the sneering face of his least favorite teacher. Snape strode in carrying 4 hip flasks that reminded Harry of the one Professor Moody was famous for, and that Barty Crouch Jr. had used once for the same purpose they were useing these for. He sat them on the table and left without a word.

As Harry looked at the flasks, he had a lurch in the pit of his stomach. He was not comfortable useing a potion made by Snape. However, if he had tried to poison Harry, everyone would know it was him anyways.

"Well," said Lupin, shortly after everyone had finished their breakfast. "No better time then now." he started handing out the Flasks to their respective users. "Now, I know you three have already used this potion, I doubt you need to know this, these flasks each hold enough for 3 hours. At least one of you will need to remember all of you need to take it just before the start of each hour." He looked down at his watch. "Lets wait a few minutes before you take it."

When Lupin's watch had struck a few minutes to 9am he signaled for them to take their potions. It was not as bad as it had been last time. The potion was not as foul smelling or tasting as it had been when they made it in their second year. Harry couldn't help grinning at Hermione as his skin began to bubble like hot wax; last time, she had turned herself into half human, half cat.

Harry looked up; it took him a few seconds to remember who was who. Ron was much shorter then he had been, with short dark raven hair and a fair skin that was free of freckles.

Where Hermione had stood was a girl of the same height but with shockingly silver blonde hair that reminded Harry much of Fleur's, though she wasn't as eerily pretty as Fleur had been.

Standing in Ginny's spot, however, was a tall and slender girl who had the eerie beauty that Fleur had, but with dark raven hair much like Ron's that fell to her elbows.

Turning to the old mirror that hung on the wall by the staircase, he saw that he had the silvery blonde hair like Hermione, and seemed many inches taller. He was lankier then usually, much like Ron, with shocking blue eyes and long fingered hands, which reminded him, with a jolt, of Voldemort, but thankfully he did not have the red eyes, slit nostrils, and pale white skin.

"Well, now that everything is set," said Lupin quietly. "Why don't we head out? You have everything you need?"

Harry remembering that the key to his vault was in his trunk along with his money bag, hastily he ran upstairs and fetched them from his trunk placing them into his pants pockets. He returned to the kitchen were the others were standing by the kitchen fireplace.

"This will be the quickest way to get you to Diagon Alley," said Lupin, holding out a small pot of glittering floo powder. "Tonks is waiting for you there."

Looking around Harry noticed that Lupin was the only one that remained. Harry took a handful of the floo powder and walked into the fire casting it into the flame, and saying very clearly Diagon Alley. The emerald flames rose around him and the kitchen of Spinners End disappeared in a blur of flame. As the spinning slowed down, he prepared to brace himself as he felt his feet hit the stone floor. Slightly dazed he walked carefully from the fireplace to find himself in the Leaky Cauldron.

He stumbled slightly as he tried to regain his sense of balance and almost fell backwards. However, before he started to tip, someone reached out and caught him and held him steady. Behind him, in a flash of green flame, the disguised form of Ginny appeared a little more gracefully followed by Ron and Hermione. He looked up to see who had caught him, and knew it was Tonks.

Tonks had disguised herself as the tweedy old women she used when the Order members escorted them back on the Knight Bus from Grimmauld Place after the Christmas holidays.

"You guys okay?" she said as she let go of Harry's arm. "Everything ready?"

She let them out into the courtyard entrance to Diagon Alley and tapped the bricks that unlocked the archway.

Diagon Alley stretched out before them twisting and turning; in the distance stood the gleaming white walls of Gringotts. As he looked around the alley, he saw that there were very few people there, a far cry from the crowded Wizarding London street it usually was. Those who were out shopping seemed tense, and moved as quickly as they could from store to store.

If felt weird. For the first time since he had returned to Privet Drive, he was actually in the magical world. The mood was foreboding as he looked at the shoppers. Was this the result of Voldemorts return? Was everyone too scared to go out unless they absolutely needed to?

As they walked down the cobbled street towards Gringotts the silence was slightly unnerving to Harry. He felt so exposed, even though he was disguised, as he passed the shops. He looked in the windows, the shops like the street had far less patronage then he was accustom to seeing. As they climbed the steps to Gringotts Harry remembered that he had left his booklist back at Spinners End.

"I don't have my booklist," said Harry, as they entered Gringotts. Harry looked around, he couldn't help but notice that unlike the street outside, Gringotts looked as it usually did. Goblins were bustling about; clearly they did not fear Voldemorts return.

"I have them," said Tonks, as the approached the nearest Goblin.

They waited while Hermione exchanged the muggle money her parents had given her for her school books then spoke with the goblin about getting down to their vaults. As they were led to one of the doors leading off the hall, Harry felt distinctly unnerved again at the fact that the goblins were at ease when the magical community was in a completely different situation.

Harry's preoccupation carried on until, with a jolt, the cart they were descending into the depths of London shuttered to a halt in front of Harry's vault. When the goblin, which was with them, opened the door, Harry was greeted by the normal heaps of gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts that his parents had left him. They descended deeper, taking a course that Harry did not remember from the last time he had been to the Weasley's vault.

After a few minutes decent, they stopped in front of an unfamiliar vault to which Ron handed the key to the goblin. Curious as to why they did not go to the Weasley's vault, Harry watched as the goblin opened the door. Inside was a large pile, though not as large as his. He looked questioningly at Ginny who shrugged and said "its Fred and George's vault. They sent mum the key last night to pay for Ron's and my books and things."

"I take it the joke trade is still thriving," said Harry, grinning. He couldn't help but think that there would be so many people, who when they came into money, would horde it for themselves. Harry could not help but like Fred and George all the more for their generosity.

When Ron had filled his and Ginny's coin pouches, and took his seat again, the cart shuddered and began to ride upward gathering speed quickly, tipping slightly on the curves. Harry was grateful to reach the sunlight outside Gringotts as was Hermione. This had been her first trip to the vaults of Gringotts and she looked just as green as Harry felt.

Tonks paused to check her watch. "We still have a half an hour until you guys need to drink your potion," she said quietly. From the pocket of her tweed coat, she pulled out copies of everyone's book list and handed them out. "Should we get your books first?"

When they entered Flourish and Blot's a few minutes later, it was to find that there were only a few other people there. One Harry recognized as Kingsley Shaklebolt who look up from over the cover of his book giving Tonks a slight nod. He quickly carried his book to the store owner and paid for it leaving through the front door and out into Diagon Alley.

The storeowner seemed very pleased to have such a large group of customers and he looked positively delighted at the fact that the four of them were all carrying there book list. This would mean that he would be able to do make a good bit more then usual. When Hermione showed him her list, he had to try hard to regain in his excitement and maintain a professional manner. He flitted around pulling books down off the shelf, and piling them by the old register into four stacks. When he had gathered the last of the books they each paid him in turn. He carefully placed the books in there bags and handed them over.

"It is so good to see so many people venturing into Diagon Alley today," said the shopkeeper, smiling. "This You-Know-Who affair has left us quite devoid of shoppers. And to think that Potter boy had been right all along and still Fudge and his ministry refused to accept it." Harry reached up to flatten his bangs out of habit, forgetting his scar was not visible, and after a glare from Hermione he hastily scratched the back of his neck instead. "Well, that's all of you," said the shopkeeper as he handed the last bag to Ginny. "I thank you for your patronage." He said bowing them out the door into the sunlight that was shinning down upon the sparsely populated street. Harry couldn't help noticing how the light seemed to make Ginny's black hair shimmer as the gentle wind ruffled it.

Tonks checked her clock again. "Time to drink up," she said quietly, looking around to check if anyone was nearby. "You only have 5 minutes left."

After they drank their Polyjuice potion and returned the flasks to their pockets Tonks led them to the apothecary to stock up on their needed potion making supplies. Ron and Harry were both looking to become Aurors, thus they had to get a wider variety of potion ingredients, much like Hermione who had decided to learn healing magic and would need to understand poisons and their antidotes in a more intimate fashion. The shopkeeper in the apothecary seemed just as delighted as the one in Flourish and Blotts to have customers. Harry noticed upon entering that Lupin was examining a jar marked 'Mooncalf Dung' and when they entered, he looked up and nodded at Tonks and like Shacklebolt left without a word, though he did not choose to buy anything.

Harry had been looking forward to his excursion into diagon alley so much, but as they moved around, buying the supplies that they would need for the next year, Harry found the silence that greeted his ears to be almost too much to bear. Each shop that they entered, a member of the Order had been waiting, as if to confirm that they were there and let them know it was safe, then would leave to report to someone.

When they had purchased all that was on their book list and had gotten most of their supplies Tonks led them down the empty cobbled road to a shop Harry had never entered. When he looked up at the sign however, as its creaking sounded loud in the stillness and silence of Diagon alley, he knew exactly where they were heading.

The number 93 was painted on the door and the sign read 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' with what was the unmistakable flying dragon firework winding its way between the words like the one that they had, only a few months ago, released into the halls of Hogwarts in honor of Umbridge becoming headmistress, or in dishonor rather.

The shelves on the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with goods. One side was devoted to 'Secret Sweets' and 'Tricky Treats.' Harry recognized the Canary Custards that they had invented in his 4^th year and how people became wise enough to watch what they were offered. In the 'Secret Sweets' section, Harry saw the Skiving snack boxes which had made Fred and George legends at Hogwarts. He grinned, remembering their triumphant flight into the sunset. Harry knew thinking of it that way was a bit cliché, one that was often used in old muggle movies, but still, you couldn't help but enjoy that moment.

On the opposite wall there were more shelves filled with other items Harry had never seen, and in the center was a display of the magical fireworks that they had let loose during the prior school term.

"You didn't clean out the vault I hope," said a familiar voice from the door to the storeroom; Fred was leaning against the door frame grinning at the lot of them.

Harry however turned away to look at the variety of new items he'd had never seen. It seemed that over the past few months, they had extended there trick sweets. On one of the shelves were boxes marked as 'Prank Packs' and a sign on their shelves said that they were new, it seemed only a few days old. Harry pulled one of the boxes down and read the description on the side:

'Got an acquaintance you need to put into their place for the enjoyment of others? Has someone done something to deserve a public embarrassment? Teach your pesky person a lesson with a Prank Pack and put them right in their place with a variety of embarrassing, though safe, public paybacks."

Harry turned the box on its side where it listed the many prank candies inside, all which seemed to deal with various ways ones body could betray them; Harry noted not to accept anything from anyone unless he was fine with massive cases of magical flatulence and various other bodily functions that were really not something you would do in public.

George was bringing in boxes from the backroom and setting them behind the counter. Harry continued to move around the shop looking at all the new items that they had invented and didn't hear the door when Tonks, Ginny and Hermione left to quickly stop to get Ginny the cat her mother had promised her. As Harry perused the jokes and pranks Ron chose to chat with the twins.

As Harry looked down at the display of enchanted fireworks in the window he looked up as someone walked by; he had a brief glimpse of silver white hair before the person fully pulled the hood of their robes over their head; but Harry had already recognized the pointed face before they had walked past the door. Harry saw that he was not the only one who had seen Draco Malfoy walk past the window display. Ron broke away and with out speaking they opened the door quietly and entered into the deserted Diagon Alley.

In the distance, Harry could still see the back of his robes just before he turned into the alleyway leading to Knockturn Alley. Harry's curiosity was growing exponentially as they followed Draco quietly.

Ron checked his watch, and then reached into his pocket to take his Polyjuice potion; Harry followed suit as they turned into the dark street of Knockturn Alley.

It was as empty as Diagon Alley was therefore it was very easy to find Malfoy, who was standing in the far corner waiting, staring out across toward a shop window filled with sinister tarnished silver instruments that looked like the kind of things you would associate with a torture chamber. For a few minutes they stood waiting and watching as Draco stood silently waiting for someone.

Harry heard footsteps behind him growing louder, and immediately turned to look interestedly into a nearby window which turned out to be Borgins and Burkes, the same store he had been in when he first had entered Knockturn Alley accidentally in his second year. A man who had a cloak pulled up to hide his face walked silently by; he was walking with a slight limp and passed by them without glance.

He paused by Draco and though Harry and Ron could not hear what they were saying, Harry heard the distinct sound of gold and watched as under his cloak, Draco passed what looked like a large red velvet pouch.

Harry had been watching avidly, and almost yelled when a hand reached out and gripped his should. Turning quickly, his heart pounding he soon let out a quiet sigh of relief as he looked up into Tonks face. Ginny was happily holding a wicker box in which could be heard the soft meow of the cat.

She led them back out into the open street of Diagon Alley and back to Fred and George's shop were Bill was waiting. When they had entered, Bill nodded and left, taking what was left of their bags with him and holding Ginny's cat carrier under his arm.

Tonks led them quietly to the Leaky Cauldron and through the fire back to Spinners End; all Harry could think about was who Malfoy was meeting in Knockturn Alley. His preoccupation steadily grew stronger as he walked up the kitchen steps after a short lunch.

While he walked the second floor corridor he started to feel uneasy, as if growing fearful of what would become of Malfoy's meeting when, once again, something from within one of the locked rooms made the pit of his stomach turn to ice.

Someone, a woman was screaming loudly from one of the rooms as his scar started to burn on his forehead. He immediately ran to the door in an effort to reach it, to wrench it open and help the women inside who was screaming louder still. Her shrill note pierced Harry's heart. His scar continued to grow more and more excruciating as the seconds passed.

He could hear footsteps running upstairs as he gave the door an almighty push and it burst open, sending him haphazardly into the room. By the time he was able to stand up he was being pulled from the room by Lupin; he only had a brief glimpse of what looked like a small silver basin; the screaming itself was coming from the innocent looking silver bowl.