Harry Potter and Unexpected Beginnings

Chapter Nine

Hogwarts letters arrived right on schedule, and the house was a buzz with excitement. Plans for their trip to Diagon Alley, and their first dates, was planned for later that afternoon. Everyone was running to gather shoes, brush their hair and teeth and fight around the next person who was trying to get in the bathroom. Harry had finished first, anticipating the letters and had yet to return downstairs to open his. He was excited to return to school, but in a way he was dreading it. The last few weeks had been grand, even if cleaning was a part of the daily activity. Ron and Harry had spent a great deal of the time playing Wizard Chess, and practicing their D.A. lessons they had started last year. Harry had told them of the book he'd gotten from Diagon Alley, and Hermione took to immediately studying the spells, curses and hexes. When she thought she had one up on Harry, she would blurt out a spell or a curse, and Harry would finish it, or tell her the results. He actually found it fun to antagonize her, especially when Ron was left to console her, which left time for Harry to be alone with Ginny.

"Hey, Harry, hurry up!" shouted Ron up the stairs. The house had become much more noisy with the removal of Mrs. Black's painting. Life and laughter had entered the house, possibly for the first time in history.

"I'm coming, hold your knickers on," he told his friend stepping down the stairs.

"Very funny, I don't wear knickers and you bloody well know it."

"Well, you're screeching like a girl, I just assumed..."

"Sod off Potter!" Ron snapped, punching him in the arm. The two laughed as they entered the kitchen, looking at the papers laying spread across the table.

"So, are you two unlucky enough to be Prefects again this year?" Harry asked them, pushing the letters aside to locate his own.

"You know it, mate," Ron announced proudly. "Even with that old hag Umbridge's records on us, we still get to keep the badges."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore had a lot to do with that," Hermione clarified, proudly pinning her badge to her jumper. Harry shook his head softly, glancing across the table to Ginny, who just smiled at him. He retrieved his letter, slipped the flap open and pulled out the letter welcoming him to school, as well his list of supplies. He scanned the papers quickly, noting the lengthy book list.

"Can you imagine all of those books?" Ron complained. "How are we ever going to get through them all?"

"How are we going to pay for them?" Ginny asked softly, walking around Ron. Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to his side. He kissed her cheek and smiled.

"Your supplies are on me, this year," he told her, nuzzling her ear gently, causing tingles to travel down both of their spines.

"That's gross," Ron complained, walking around them to the sink where Mrs. Weasley stood washing the last of the breakfast dishes. "Mum, tell Ginny and Harry to get a grip. They're at it again." Mrs. Weasley turned and saw the two, their foreheads leaning together, as they were smiling. She liked the idea of her only daughter being with Harry. They were happy and for the first time since she met Harry, he actually looked like he fit in.

"You four had best be getting a move on," Mrs. Weasley said, as she wiped her hands on the towel. "We'll have to be leaving soon."

"I have an idea mum," Fred said, as he and George stepped into the kitchen. They had spent the past several weeks at Grimmauld Place, between sharing shifts at their joke shop. "Why don't you let the sweethearts go to Diagon Alley alone this year, and George and I will take you to lunch in Hogsmeade." Mrs. Weasley looked at the two, blinking several times, before smiling brightly.

"You want to take your old mum to lunch?" Mrs. Weasley's enthusiasm turned quickly to suspicion as she eyed her twin boys. "What's the occasion? What did you do?"

"We didn't do anything, mum," George swore. "We just thought you'd like to have lunch with us."

"Besides, we wanted to show you our new shop," Fred commented with a bright smile.

"What new shop? What happened to the one in Diagon Alley?"

"Nothing, mum. We're expanding," George explained quickly. "We've become so busy and we're getting so many new orders, we've decided to open another shop, closer to customers."

"That's great!" Ron exclaimed. "Now we'll be able to shop at the new store when we go to Hogsmeade this year."

"Yeah, little brother," Fred teased, ruffling his hair. "And if you're really good, we'll even give you a discount."

"Knowing you, it'll be double the price," Ron grumbled, straightening his hair.

"Now, Ronald, you'll need to go to Gringott's and get the money you need. Be sure and get only what's on the list. Here's the key, now be very careful with it."

"I've gone to Diagon Alley with you since I was a baby, mum. I think I know what to do." Ron took the key and put it in his pocket, hoping the blush he felt creep up his neck wasn't too obvious.

"Make certain you help Ginny with her purchases as well," Mrs. Weasley insisted, ignoring her rambling.

"Come on you guys," Tonks complained as she entered the room, her hair a short pale blue mass of curls, her dress simple and black and her face looking much older than normal.

"Now be careful, and Harry please watch yourself," Mrs. Weasley warned them, brushing their jumpers to make certain they were clean and neat, before giving each a kiss on the cheek.

"We'll be fine, mum. Can we go now, please?" Ginny insisted as Ron picked his cloak up from the back of the chair and tucking it in the bag Tonks had the other's cloaks in.

"We need to get moving, if we're going to get back before school starts. Lupin is already waiting by the car."

"We're taking a car?" Hermione asked, thinking back to last year and how difficult it was to get to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah. I think Fudge is trying to make up for his stupid attitude towards the way he treated Harry, last year."

"At least he believes us now," Hermione grumbled, as she and Ginny walked out of the kitchen behind Tonks, followed by Harry and Ron. They were about to leave the house, when George came rushing up behind them. He slipped a key into Ron's hand, and glanced over his shoulder.

"Don't tell mum," he whispered. "This will open up a vault we've set up for the family at Gringott's. Get everything you need, as well as a set of new robes. Fred and I want to start helping out more, but mum and dad said they can manage."

"Thanks George," Ron said, actually looking like he was about to cry.

"Don't mention it...ever! And get out extra, to get your girlfriend a treat. She needs a little something, in order to keep her interest in the likes of you." Ron blushed brightly, and George returned to the kitchen chuckling.

Diagon Alley was filled with Hogwarts students, much to all of their amazement. The mutual consensus was, now that Voldemort's return was public knowledge, many families would choose not to allow their children to return to school. From the looks of the little town, there were not only the normal students shopping for their supplies, but a great number of first years. Harry smiled to himself. It was a tribute to Dumbledore, knowing the reason so many students would return to school, was because of the faith the wizarding world had in the old wizard.

Harry followed Ron, Hermione and Ginny down the street, stopping at the Quidditch shop and staring at the newest equipment. He and Ron had to practically be dragged away from the front window, while Ginny pretended not to look at the new display. They looked into the store shop windows, inspecting the robes, the brooms, the owls, even the wands, before winding their way to Gringott's to get what they needed. Ron, Hermione and Ginny entered the bank ahead of Harry, as a woman with an elegant hat and expensive robes eased out the door, in front Harry. He was about to enter the building, when the last person he expected to see stepped out the door. They stood facing each other; green eyes fixing and holding onto gray ones. They stood as if silently challenging each other. Harry had his hand on his wand, as he knew the other one did.

"Draco, stop dawdling," the woman who had just exited the building snapped. Draco Malfoy, his white blond hair slicked back with his usual perfection. The smirk he had worn for the past five years was gone; in its place was a sneer of hatred. Harry watched the boy as he physically pulled himself away from the step, walking beside the woman down the street.

"I'm surprised he has the nerve to show his face in public," Ron said, stepping out the door of the bank to see what was keeping Harry.

"It's his father who was imprisoned, not him," Hermione said, joining them.

"Well, that wasn't because we didn't want him there," Ron argued. "He deserves to be prison, as well as his creepy father."

"The prison's empty, remember Ron?" Ginny asked joining the three on the steps. Harry didn't want to discuss this any further. Her reached out and snatched Ginny's hand and pulled her into the bank. Right now he didn't want to think about his enemies. He just wanted to enjoy their day without adult supervision, even though they knew Tonks and Lupin were nearby, it was enough to just walk around and talk without interference.

At Flourish and Blotts, Ron and Ginny made their way toward the used book section, taking their lists with them. Harry and Hermione glanced to each other, and then went to the other two, pulling them toward the new books. After a great deal of arguing about cost, the four secured their purchases, and left the store, heading toward Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. All four were in need of new robes, which they found, allowing the clerk to magically adhere their house emblems on the fronts. Harry and Ron talked together in hushed tones, while the girls tried on their robes, then excused themselves and left the store. Twenty minutes later, they returned in time to pay for their purchases, ignoring the looks from their dates. Hermione assumed they had gone back to the Quidditch shop, and Ginny was sure Ron had talked Harry into sneaking off the twins shop for treats and tricks.

Next stop was debated on with great discussion. Ron wanted to return to the Leaky Caldron for lunch, while Harry and Ginny wanted to go to the Creamery for ice cream sodas. Hermione on the other hand, wanted to go the Apothecary to check out some of the items they had found in the hidden room. After a long argument in which Ron insisted he would starve to death, and Harry and Ginny simply rolled their eyes, Hermione finally got her way and the four of them entered the Apothecary. Inside, they began to search the store quietly, searching for items the Ministry had declared illegal, which Ron pointed out, they weren't supposed to have much less know about. The store was quiet, since the school's students didn't need ingredients for their potions, at least not these kinds of ingredients. They could just pick up their potions kits at Flourish and Blotts, along with the books necessary for each kit.

The shelves were long, immaculately dusted and well kept. They contained a great deal of powder filled jars, boxes of chopped toad livers, liquids of every color imaginable, balms, creams, lotions and jells, and hanging above the countertop, were dead chickens, dried bats, rats and toads, along with a great number of animal parts. Harry and Ron were disgusted at the sight of a table behind an open curtain, which had obviously been used recently to create potions. Blood from an animal had run down the leg of the table, dripping to the floor and puddling on the hard, cold stones. The smell that emulated from the room was nauseating, and Harry and Ron found themselves trying to breathe around it. Hermione was fascinated with the array of spell books, so engrossed in them; she hadn't noticed when the clerk arrived at the counter.

A witch with snow-white hair, and pale complexion stood behind the counter. Her black eyes were so intense; it made anyone who looked at her feel as though she were seeing through to their soul. Hermione turned at the soft rustle of the woman behind the counter and nearly screamed. Her dark robes and pointed black hat, made her pale complexion seem nearly transparent.

"How may I help you children?" the woman asked, her tone soft and barely above a whisper.

"Um...we were just curious about some potion ingredients," Hermione began, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat. "You see, we're doing a report for school, and we are having a difficult time finding any information on what certain ingredients are used for." Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at each other, surprise etching their faces at the obvious lie. Hermione never lied, and to hear this coming from her, was a shock to say the least.

"What ingredients were you interested in?" the clerk asked. Hermione stepped forward, unrolling a small parchment in which she had written several items found in Mrs. Black's secret room. The woman eyed the list, then looked back to Hermione with narrowed eyes. "Such ingredients have been deemed illegal by the Ministry of Magic," she replied.

"Yes, I know, but our Potions Professor wants us to understand the more serious ingredients of dark magic." Hermione felt a sudden race of her heart as she stared at the woman.

"Whom, may I ask, is your Potions Professor?"

"Um...Snape, Severus Snape, from Hogwarts." The woman's eyes returned to their normal almond shape as she sighed heavily, her voice no longer sounding quite so soft and mysterious.

"Ah, yes, Professor Snape. He has always been one, interested in the darker side of magic," the woman stated, setting the parchment on the counter. "I suppose it is a good thing, he is on our side, and that Dumbledore has such high respect for him."

"Do you know the professor?" Harry asked, drawing the woman's attention to him.

"We attended Hogwarts together. Does he still have greasy hair?"

"And how," Ron added with a smile.

"I often wonder how Dumbledore could trust him, after everything that happened," Harry said in a nonchalant tone, even though his curiosity was demanding answers. The woman looked at him again, ignoring his obvious bating of the subject, than took note of the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

"You're Harry Potter," she said, more to herself than to him. Harry nodded, and the woman's dark eyes seemed to grow misty. "I knew your parents," she continued. "I was horrified when I heard the news about them, and then to find out that Sirius Black was responsible, it was dreadful. They were such good friends."

"Sirius Black did not kill my parents, or sell them out to Voldemort," Harry saw how the woman flinched at the sound of the dark lord's name. "It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed them and caused their deaths."

"Peter? That wormy little git?" The woman paused as if thinking, then nodded her head. "I can see him doing something like that. He was very jealous of the Great Three, as they were called; James, Sirius and Remus. Terrible about Remus, though. He was always so good looking; I had such a crush on him, and Sirius. But then Sirius had that Muggle he was in love with. More's the pity."

"Sara," Harry added thinking back on the photo he had found in his godfather's bedroom. The woman nod her head, her pale features seeming a bit more normal as she spoke about the past. "Did you know her?"

"I met her only once, at graduation. Sirius brought her and introduced her as his fiancé. I heard he married her shortly after school, but she died in childbirth, along with their daughter. He was never the same after that."

"Sirius was married?" Harry asked, shocked and stunned at the news.

"Sadly yes, but it wasn't meant to be I suppose."

"What house were you in, at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, watching the woman's thin lips spread into a smile that somehow didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Ravenclaw, of course," she tapped the small emblem on the collar of her cloak, making note of the badge she had pinned there. "I was Head Girl in my seventh year."

"I'm a Prefect," Hermione said proudly, showing off her badge to the woman, who smiled brightly. "So is Ron."

"Good for you. Now, let's see how I can help you." She turned her attention back to the parchment Hermione had given her. "Most of these ingredients are used for deadly results. I have a book over here written by Paracelsus, who used such ingredients during the Middle Ages, to create medicines for the Muggle population. He hypothesized; the dose of a chemical determines the type and severity of the body's response to it. He rather enjoyed his experiments, and was quite successful in hiding the fact that he was a wizard, from the Muggles. When the Ministry caught up to him, he had created a great number of medications for both Wizards and Muggles, but at a great loss of life." She searched for the book as she spoke, until she found it on the very top shelf. She retrieved her wand, pointed it at the shelf and said, "Accio Book," holding her hand out as the book fell into it. She returned to the counter, opening the old pages, comparing them to the list Hermione had written out for her.

"All right now, let's see what we have here. Lycintus," she said, finding the first item on Hermione's list in the book, reading it as the four gathered around her. "It is usually used in healing potions although it can also be used in poisons. The part of the plant used depends on whether it is used for healing or poisoning. For a healing potion, 4-6 mature leaves are needed. These leaves are then chopped up to retrieve the sticky liquid. The stem is used to make poisons. To make this potion the stem is simply cut up and boiled in a small pot of water. The liquid is then strained and ready for use. If the plant is not disposed of by use of burning, it will kill all other plants within twenty meters of it and the surround soil will be useless to grow anything in for about ten years." The woman continued as she went down the list of ingredients, as the four listened intently on what she was saying, and Hermione was busy scrawling notes on a slip of parchment she had brought with her.

"Platypus Poiren, is a waterborne plant in which it eats pollution. It is harmless to humans so long as it remains underwater, but once exposed to oxygen, it releases fatal spores as a defence. The only possible way to kill a Platypus Poiren is to expose it to harsh sunlight. The plant has legitimate use other then to purify water."

"Monkshood is the safest and most practical use of Aconite, and is used for the relief of pain. It also is used to treat fevers. When used as a poison, it can cause severe fevers, coma, and eventually death. Sounds like the kind of plant everyone should have in their gardens," the woman added sarcastically.

She continued on in the same manner, inspecting the ingredients on Hermione's list. There was Mandrake, which all of them knew about from Harry, Ron and Hermione's second year, and Ginny's first, when she was lured down to the Chamber of Secrets by Tom Riddle's diary. There was also Hemlock, which was used to create nervousness, trembling, incoordination, depression, coma, and death; Henbane, which was used as a hallucinogenic; the Oleander Plant, which when sucked, caused death; Inkberry which caused muscle spasms, convulsions, respiratory difficulties, and eventually self suffocation; and Atropa Belladonna, which was used as a powerful sleeping aid, and when used in larger quantities caused the Sleep of Death. With all of these plants, there was one common factor; they all caused death.

"These are some interesting ingredients Snape wants you to research," the woman, who had introduced herself as Marla Mandapole, said, closing the book and returning it to its perch on the top shelf. "I hope he's not planning on trying to use any of these items, in his potions. The Ministry will certainly have his head on a platter."

"I'm sure he's not," Hermione stated, folding the parchment she had been taking notes on, and putting it in her cloak pocket. "Thank you for your trouble."

"Not at all," Marla told them, walking them toward the entrance. "I hope this was useful to you."

"It was, a great help. Thanks again." The four left the shop and walked quietly away. Once they were certain they were out of hearing range, Ron turned to Hermione with a sly grin.

"Hermione Granger, knows how to lie," he said in a tone of admiration and awe. Hermione on the other hand, offered him a look of indignity.

"I most certainly did not lie," she told him.

"You told her we were doing research for a paper. If that wasn't a lie, than I don't know what was."

"For your information, Ronald Weasley, I intend to write a report on those ingredients for Advanced Potions, once we return to school."

"Only you could think of getting out of lie by using homework," Ron told her, his voice an echo of admiration and amusement.

"Now can we get a soda?" Ginny asked, hoping to stop any argument between her brother and his date.

They walked to the Creamery, where Harry ordered sodas for himself and Ginny, leaving Ron to order a double scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, triple whipped cream and nuts for himself, and a single scoop of strawberry ice cream for Hermione. The sun was slowly dissolving in the horizon, and they knew that they would have to head back to Grimmauld Place before long, but the idea of ending the day was one they wanted to avoid a little longer. It had been a very pleasant day, with the regards of running into Malfoy. As the four sat chatting about their upcoming school year, a voice called to them from across the street. They turned to see Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas heading in their direction.

"Can you believe the list of books this year?" Seamus said, as they joined the four at the table. "I can't imagine what kind of courses we have, if we have to get this list filled."

"I just hope we don't have Double Potions again," Ron complained, using his finger to get the last bit of chocolate sauce from the bottom of his dish.

"Have you heard who's going to be the new Quidditch Captain this year?" Dean asked, his dark eyes darting to Ginny on occasion.

"Angelina graduated last year, so it left the post open," Seamus said.

"Maybe it'll be Harry," Hermione said, pushing her finished ice cream dish aside. "After all, he is the greatest seeker in all of Hogwarts."

"I don't think there will be much of a chance in that," Harry said, suddenly no longer interested in his half finished soda. "Umbridge banned me from the game for life, remember?"

"Ah, Dumbledore will over turn that order, and you know it," Ron insisted. "There's no way any of that old hag's orders will be upheld."

"Fudge approved her decision, Ron, remember?" Harry argued.

"That was before she made such a mess of things. Now that Dumbledore has taken hold of the school again, there are no concerns."

"You could always be Captain," Harry told Ron, watching the color creep up his friend's cheeks. "You are after all, Our King."

"Sod off Potter," Ron growled, his cheeks going all the darker.

"Hey, Ginny," Dean said softly. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" Ginny glanced to the boy, then looked to Harry who seemed very interested on the straw of his soda, his eyes cast down as if not paying attention.

"Sure," she said softly, as they walked across the street to stand in front of Flourish and Blotts. Ron turned to Harry and kicked him under the table. Harry looked up with a glare.

"What'd you let her do that for?" he demanded, watching the dark look cross Harry's face. "If I were you, I'd curse him where he stands." Ron tried to pull out his wand, but was caught by Hermione.

"Don't you dare, Ronald Weasley," she demanded in hushed tones. "You can't use magic out of school." Ron opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw the look on Harry's face. He had turned in the direction of Ginny and Dean, seeing her give him a hug and brief kiss on the lips, and then they walked back to the table.

"What's going on?" Seamus asked, curious about the way Ron and Harry were acting.

"Nothing," Hermione assured him. "Just brotherly protection."

"We have to be heading off," Dean told his friend when he and Ginny joined them again. "I promised my mum I would spend the last couple of days with the family, before school starts. She's still put out at me for spending so much time at your house, this summer."

"All right," Seamus said, no longer interested in what was going on between Harry and Ron. "We'll see you guys in school," he told the four, then turned and left in the direction of the Leaky Caldron.

"What was that all about?" Ron demanded, once the two had left, turning his gaze to his sister. "I thought it was over between the two of you, especially now?"

"It's not really any of your business, Ron, so lay off," his sister told him, glancing to Harry, who was refusing to look at her.

"I should have cursed him when I had the chance." Ron turned to Hermione and frowned. "Why did you stop me?"

"You can't do magic outside of school, you know that. If you had cursed Dean, you would have run the chance of being expelled."

"We've been doing magic all summer, so why haven't any of us gotten expelled already?"

"Because we've been at Grimmauld Place," Hermione said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "The charms and wards surrounding the house are too strong for the Ministry to get through. They don't even know about the house, or where it's located. If they did, Voldemort would have found us before now."

"Don't say his name," Ron warned her, looking around the area for anyone listening.

"Why not?" Harry said, anger tinting his green eyes. "He's back, Ron. The fear is more real now than ever before. There's no need to hide from it."

"I just don't like to hear his name," Ron said honestly. "I'd like to pretend everything is normal, for as long as I can."

"Life will never be normal again," Harry told him standing up from his seat. "The war has started, remember? I'm surprised we're all still alive." Harry turned on his heel, walking toward the Leaky Caldron, and the exit waiting him.

"So much for a happy ending, to a great day," Ron said, and the three followed behind the dark cloak of their friend.

The hidden figure who watched the four depart remained hidden, a cold, evil smile etched on thin cracked lips. It was only a matter of time before the plans were carried out, and then the boy, the school and the old wizard overseeing it would fall to the dark forces of the great Lord Voldemort.