Harry Potter and the Fortress of Darkness

Ch 3. Diagon Alley and the Budding Romance

"Next stop, Diagon Alley!' said Lupin and he reached for a pot by the fireplace. "You first Jess!"

Jess took a handful of powder and stepped into the fireplace. "DIAGON ALLEY!" she said. A cloud of green engulfed her and Jess found herself at the grate near The Leaky Cauldron. As the others arrived, they all walked their separate ways with their letters. Harry, Hermione and Jess headed to Gringotts to get their money from their vaults.

"Jess," began Harry, "I think you might want this." He handed her a key. "It's to your dad's vault. I never took money out of it. In fact, it should have been left to you, not me."

Jess took the key with a slight tremble and hugged Harry.

"Thank you," she said. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"Don't mention it," he muttered and the three of them headed to their vaults. Harry stopped at his vault and took some money out of it for the year for him and Hermione. He appointed Hermione the other keeper of his vault since it would soon be hers too.

"Vault seven-hundred and eleven!" said Griphook.

"That's me," said Jess. "Here's the key." She handed it to the goblin and as he opened the vault, Jessica's jaw dropped when she saw the contents of it.

"Whoa," she said.

"That was the same reaction I had when I first opened my parent's vault," said Harry with a laugh as Jess took money out for the school year. As they exited Gringotts, they spotted a mass of red-hair.

"Ron!" yelled Harry. Ron Weasley grinned as he saw his two best friends and caught them in a bear hug.

"Hi Mate, Hi Hermione," said Ron. He stopped and looked at Jess. "Who are you?" he asked to Jess.

"Jessica, Jessica Black and you're Ron Weasley. Nice to meet you, Harry and Hermione told me all about you," she said as they shook hands.

"Black, as in Sirius?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm his daughter," she replied. Ron goggled at her and the group laughed.

"Wicked! But, how come we didn't know?"

"Mum kept me a secret all these years. Only her, dad, Moony and the Potters knew about me. But I do believe we're cousins somewhere down the line, correct?"

"Yeah, we are!" he said. "My dad and your dad are like third cousins I think through marriage so we're fourth cousins or something like that."

"Anyone up for Quality Quidditch Supplies?" asked Harry.

"I'm game," said Jess. "I was a chaser at my old school in the states but I need a new broom after my old one got eaten by a Giant Venus Fly Trap."

"Count me in," said Ron.

"I guess," said Hermione. They walked into the shop and saw the latest broomstick model.

"Wow," said Jess. "I. Want. That. Broom!" She picked up the long black broomstick and looked at it's features.

"WICKED!" said Ron. "What's the price?"

"Whoa, it's 600 galleons. Yikes!" said Jess. She sighed. "Hey, it's worth it though!" But before Jess could give the shopkeeper her vault number to take the money out, Harry pulled her back.

"I'll buy it Jess, consider it my birthday present for you for the next three years!"

"No, you won't buy it, I am. You already gave me my dad's vault and besides, he would have wanted me to buy it myself, right?"

"You're right, I'm sorry, go ahead and buy it."

Jess went up to the shopkeeper to buy the broom while the others looked around.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to buy one of your new Hawkeye models please," said Jess.

"Of course, Miss-"

"Black, it's Jessica Black."

"Yes Miss Black, will the money be coming out of your account?" asked the shop clerk.

"Yes, it's Gringotts Vault 711," she said. The clerk wrote something down and 600 galleons were magically transferred from her account. The shopkeeper then handed her a booklet ("Instructions," he said dryly), and walked back to the safe and took one of the Hawkeyes in back and handed it to her.

"There you are. Congratulations. Oh, and since you were the first to buy it please take this complementary polishing kit as a gift."

"Thank you," said a flushed Jessica who in turn handed Harry the Polishing Kit. After Harry and Ron bought some supplies, they all headed to the bookshop to buy their books for the year and ran into Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan at Fred and George's Joke shop. Seamus stopped when he took a glimpse of Jess.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Seamus."

"Hi, I'm Jess, nice to, uh, meet you." She tried to shake his hand and nearly dropped her packages and her broom.

"Here, let me help you," he said in his Irish accent.

"Oh, err, thanks," she replied and Seamus took her books and potions equipment as the six of them headed to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Nice broom, is that the new Hawkeye?"

"Yes it is," she replied.

"Nice, very nice," he replied. Jess smiled and he smiled back.

"Is it just me," whispered Hermione as the others stood from afar, "or do Jess and Seamus seem to be getting along very nicely?'

"Maybe a little TOO nicely," muttered Dean.

"OOH, someone's jealous," said Ron, punching Dean lightly on the arm.

"EWWW, god Weasley, I'm not, you know. I happen to be seeing Pavarti thank you!"

"Whatever," said Harry.

"So can I call you sometime?" asked Seamus.

"You'll see me at Hogwarts,' said Jess.

"Can I call you before then?" asked Seamus.

"Sure, why not? You can floo over and challenge Harry, Ron and I to some Quidditch."

"Sounds good," said Seamus. Jess set her stuff on a table and wrote her number down on some parchment.

"Here ya go," said jess.

"Great, I'll give you a call later," he said. Jess smiled as he kissed her cheek and gave her hand a squeeze. As they said goodbye to Dean and Seamus, Hermione smiled at Jess.

"Someone's in love," she teased Jess.

"So? What if I am?" asked Jess.

"Nothing, nothing," said Hermione. "Five bucks says they do it by the end of term," she whispered to Harry and Ron.

"I HEARD THAT!" Jess said as she blushed. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry. They found Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Ginny at a table and introductions were made.

"Sirius was a good man," said Arthur Weasley. "I was glad to have finally pardoned him last year."

"Well, we better go," said Jess. "Uncle Moony will be wondering where we are."

"Yeah, we'll see you guys on the first!" said Harry and three of them flooed home to Arabella's.