The Fountain of Oblivion

Chapter 4 The Diagon Alley Elf Agency

Later in the afternoon, Harry was walking mindlessly in the house, wondering if the Order had completely transformed it or if there were still rooms that have retained their original style. He wandered up the stairs, feeling the mood changing slightly the further he was going. The shadows were getting longer and longer, and the newly paint walls left place to the ancient gloomy wallpaper again. Harry passed alongside the ancient tapestry depicting the family tree of the house of Black. Seeing Lucius Malfoy's name almost make him blow it to pieces but he was able to master his impulse. He looked longingly at the place where Sirius should have been, but there was only a blasted hole there. ''Exactly true,'' he thought painfully. Out of a whole household of dark wizards, one had the courage and willingness to abandon his family and to stand for what was right, and he had been killed, whereas Lucius Malfoy was still there. Hermione had spoken of a ''Sirius amendment,'' but where was this amendments when his Godfather had been convicted and sent to Azkaban? He felt anger of a new kind pouring inside him ; visions of hooded figures and of the pale pointing faces of the Death Eaters were dancing before his eyes and Bellatrix Lestrange's piercing laugh was ringing in his ears. Violent vibrations came in his wand and a long a dreary shiver shook his body.

''Calm down,'' he told himself. ''You will get back to them, if they ever go out of Azkaban.'' Just as he was thinking this, a deep and powerful hoot filled the corridor. Taken aback, Harry moved towards it and reckoned it came from a vast chamber somewhere at the very end of the lane. Harry hesitated for a second, then walked towards it and pushed resolutely the door. It opened on a large hall, bigger in fact that Harry would have deemed possible, as if it was reaching to the roof. But even a room this size seemed cramped by the tall and haughty statue-like corpse of Buckbeak standing proudly in the middle of it, eyeing Harry from above with his two fire-coloured eyes.

''Buckbeak!'' screamed Harry in surprise, he had all but forgot the hippogriff had been cared for almost exclusively by Sirius, and even though it was obvious someone had been feeding him, Harry could easily guess the formidable animal was bored to death. He approached slowly, but Buckbeak himself made towards him, opening and closing his eyes rapidly as though he was very excited. Harry bowed to him, like Hagrid had taught him almost three years ago now and the Hippogriff bowed in response.

''I bet you miss him as much as I do,'' said Harry in a soft voice ''I wonder how long you haven't seen daylight.'' Buckbeak shook his head and blew noisily through his nostrils.

''You know what Buckbeak, now that Sirius is no more here to take care of you, I promise I will come and visit when I can. See, I will speak to Dumbledore and try to make you come back to the Forbidden Forest. You know, the ministry has more to deal with now than a Hippogriff, and Hagrid will be speechless to see you again.'' Buckbeak put his mighty head softly on Harry's shoulder, as if he wanted to stay with him, and Harry patted him nicely. ''I must go now, Buckbeak, dinner is coming soon, but I'll come back, I promise.'' And sure enough, Harry had just left when he heard Mrs. Weasley call for the supper. Harry spent the rest if the evening in a silent, thoughtful mood, remembering when Hermione and him had rescued Sirius, flying above the now lonely Hipogriff.

The following day, Ron woke Harry up quite early and told him they were going to Diagon Alley today, accompanied by Lupin. According to Ron, the Order seemed worried about something, Mr.Weasley was incredibly busy at the ministry and ''Mum seemed to think Lupin was the only one who could keep us safe there. Listening to her you would have thought Diagon Alley was the new battlefield of the Death Eaters. Anyway, we are leaving soon we must hurry up to have breakfast.'' Harry caught a glimpse of some member of the Order when he went down to the kitchen, and sure enough, they seemed concerned and exchanged dark looks when they heard Ginny and Hermione discuss the trip to Diagon Alley. Mrs. Weasley was as usual trying to cheer everyone up, and insisted that everyone took at least three toasts before letting them go.

''I hope we'll have some time to visit Fred and George's shop,'' Harry said. ''I would hate to see my money has been badly invested, you see,'' he added in an undertone to Ron and Hermione.

''We will,'' Ron answered. ''In fact, I asked Lupin if he could spend all my time there and if it would be okay if he just pretend to Mum I had chosen my text books with care, but he wouldn't agree. Just joking Hermione!'' he ended just as Hermione was opening her mouth to lecture him about the importance of NEWT classes.

Harry expressed some surprise when Lupin told him, Ron, Hermione and Ginny to gather around the ring-formed Portkey that would bring them directly in the Leaky Cauldron. It was the second times in a few days that he had been using this mode of transportation, yet he knew that setting up unregistered Portkeys was a serious enough breaking of the law to have someone sentenced to Azkaban. As he felt himself powerfully dragged back by the Portkey spell, he remembered what Dumbledore had told him the night he had come to get him. The Ministry was already too busy to concern themselves with underage magic. That must be true for magical means of transportation too then. But this idea made him shiver: if the Ministry had forsaken any attempt to regulate ordinary affairs, the principal beneficiary would be Voldemort's partisans, wouldn't it? Harry wished even more than usual that the Azkaban new security measures were more efficient than Dementors. Charlie had said he had come back to England precisely for that. Could it be dragons then?

''Hey, Harry, what are you day-dreaming about? I never thought the price of a Butterbeer could be something so interesting'' a clear voice said right behind him, bringing Harry back to his senses. His three friends and Lupin were waiting for him to go out of the Leaky Cauldron, with slightly mocking smiles on their faces that were easily explained by his staring at the bar billboard. He mumbled some feeble excuses and sped after them, forgetting altogether about the second war as he drowned himself in the exhilarating mood of Diagon Alley. He had seen many times before Florean Fortescue's ice cream palace, or Flourish and Blotts book store, yet it was with the same pleasure he rediscovered them each time. Lupin lead them first to Gringotts, as Ron and Ginny needed to withdraw some money. Besides, Lupin had spoken about some ''business'' he had to do there. Harry and Hermione asked him if they could use that time to walk around, but Lupin insisted that they stay together, even though nothing in the surrounding gave the slightest hint that some danger was to be feared. When Ron and Ginny disappeared in the cave leading to the Weasleys' safe, Lupin unexpectedly turned to Harry, his face somewhat sullen and worried.

''I need a private talk with you Harry,'' he said. ''Will you please forgive us for a moment Hermione?''

''What is it about?'' asked Harry as Lupin was leading him to a desk at the very end of Gringott's Hall.

''I am sorry to talk about it Harry, but you were Sirius' Godson, and therefore his closest relative. Sirius has left you his fortune, and ask me to be your legal representative in that matter, and in any else in fact.'' Lupin said. He was speaking slowly and uneasily, as if choosing carefully his words. Harry could guess he was trying to spare him more grief, and yet he was probably as sad as himself because of the death of Sirius.

''I don't need it,'' Harry said. ''My parents already left me more than I need. The Order will surely find this money useful. I don't want to...''

''I understand Harry. But it is not really up to you to choose. Sirius wanted it so, and we must abide to his will.''

For a second, Harry wished he could perform Legilimency so great was his desire to know the feelings of Lupin. James, Sirius and Peter had been Lupin's best friends at Hogwarts, only friends maybe. And now, two were dead because of the third. He paid a closer look at Lupin's torn and patched robes and felt guilty to be so rich when the people around him he liked and respected most were struggling so hard. Harry would have given anything to help Lupin, and questions were burning his lips but Lupin's quizzical look made him stay silent. The goblin at the desk made him sign many parchments and forms then told him Sirius' vault was now his, but that Remus John Lupin was the official legal tenant.

''What does that mean, Professor?'' had asked Harry, and Lupin had answered in an even voice that it meant that he was the one that would be sued should the galleons in the vault be used in unlawful businesses until Harry had come of age.

''And the same is true for the Sirius' other assets, that is to say 12, Grimmauld Place and everything that is in it,'' Lupin added. That made Harry feel even worse, if possible, he owned the money alone, but Lupin would be in trouble if he made anything wrong with it. He was therefore glad when he had signed everything and when they made their way back to Hermione, who was sitting with Ron and Ginny, all three of them intensely concentrating on a recent issue of the Daily Prophet.

''Come and have a look!'' Hermione cried at once they arrived.

''Fudge has resigned,'' Ron said.

''Or rather Fudge has been kicked out,'' corrected Ginny.

''And it is Madam Amelia Susan Bones that will be filling in until new elections are organised. Is that a good thing for us, Professor?'' asked Hermione.

''Madam Bones is all right,'' said Harry. ''She was fair with me last year at my hearing, and her niece is in the DA.''

''New elections,'' muttered Lupin to himself. ''Of course, it is time for changing.''

''Are there already candidates?'' Harry asked.

''Nope,'' said Ron. ''I wonder who will go for it, Dad told me about the influential people at the Ministry once, but I forgot everything'' and with these words they all left Gringotts to buy their new school furniture and to see what new tricks the twins had in their brand new shop.

Harry was quite relieved to forget for a moment about the war and Sirius' death for the next few hours. He spent some times discussing new broomsticks with Ginny, who was considering buying a Comet, or maybe the Nimbus Starter, the first model of the famous Nimbus brand. She had told her parents that she had made it in the Quidditch team last year and that she wanted to join this year too if she could. Since she had been made a prefect, and since Mr.Weasley had had a pay-raise Ginny had confided Harry, she thought they would agree to offer her one. Harry reassured her that he was sure she would be chosen for the team. He had seen her fly last year, and reminded her the other candidates had been overall lousy. They then rejoined Hermione and Ron, who were looking at class books at Flourish and Blotts. Hermione were gazing dreamily at a Charms advance text book while Ron was discussing loudly the respective merits of two Defence against the Dark Arts with Lupin, but constantly asking Lupin in a whisper when they could go to Weasley Wizard's Wheezes whenever Hermione where out of hear-reach. Harry himself bought Changing: An Advance Guide to Human and Object Transfiguration, Charms at Work and Fighting the Darkness, a manual which was recommended for Auror training (but he realised he had already read or taught himself most of the spells described in Defence against the Dark Arts: One Step Further). It was a good fifteen more minutes before Hermione agreed to leave one of the three Arithmancy books she wanted to buy (''Ron, I already told you twice they do not have this one at Hogwarts' Library!'') and to come with them all way down to 99, Diagon Alley.

The twins premises was at the very end of Diagon Alley, just before the crossroads between it and Knockturn Alley, the less than safe part of the purely magical part of London Harry had visited less than willingly way back in his second year. They were almost arrived there when they noticed a colourful and strangely decorated tent none of them had ever noticed right in the middle of the street. A house-elf in a most ludicrous costume that looked like a reduced butler uniform and who was wearing a pink bow-tie and a deep green bowler was solemnly standing in front of it, regularly casting a cleaning spell so that the tent and its near surrounding were kept perfectly clean. Harry's eyes were also caught by a wide red and gold banner perched on top of the tent and permanently unfurled by an enchanted wind.

''The Diagon Alley Elf Agency'' Hermione read, sounding extremely interested.

Before anyone of them could say anything, she rushed towards the tent. The curious house-elf greeted her with a small bow.

''Good day to you, Madam, and welcome to the Diagon Alley Elf Agency'' he said in a deep an serious voice very much unlike the servile cry house-elf usually used. Harry also noticed that the elf had called Hermione madam and not mistress.

''Good evening'' answered Hermione ''may I ask what is this agency? See, I am very much interested in the welfare of house-elf myself, maybe you have heard of S.P.E.W by some fellow elf from Hogwarts I have freed. And I can't help to notice you are wearing proper clothes.''

The words ''proper clothes'' made Harry and Ginny suppress a groan of laughter, but they did not dare say anything when they saw the feverish look of Hermione.

''Does that mean you are free?'' she said, looking at the elf with rapture.

''I am free, Madam'' said the elf in the same self-conscious voice ''as are all my comrades in the agency.''

''But do you any work for a particular household then?'' asked Ron.

''No, Sir, we work for a private company. It is that company which has provided us with clothes. Paid work, I hasten to say, it is of course out of question for free elf like ourselves to indulge in slavery'' the elf said. ''The Diagon Alley Elf Agency serves as recruiting bureau and also as a political force. It is our desire to have some influence on the Wizarding World through it.'' Hermione looked positively thrilled by those news.

''Exactly'' she cried. ''Elf must stand for their rights. Tell me, what is the name of this company? Is it anywhere in Diagon Alley? Can we visit it?''

''We work for the Fountain of Enchantment, 4563 Wizard Spring Hogsmead'' the elf answered immediately, but as he said the name, his voice grew noticeably louder and higher.

''Hey, I have heard of it'' said Harry. ''Isn't that you that send stupid commercials by Owl Posts?'' he said but soon regretted it at the scathing looks Hermione threw him. The elf remained silent for a few seconds, then an odd flicker passed in his eyes and he said his working duty was done in the same high voice he had used to pronounce the Fountain of Enchantment's name and turned his heels quickly to disappear inside the tent. As soon as he was out of sight, a new elf went out of the tent, wearing the same bizarre outfit, except his suit was purple, his necktie orange and his bowler lilac and greeted them with the same small bow the first one had used.

''How dare you rant this fine institution?'' Hermione bellowed as soon as they were a few steps away from the tent. ''It is the first attempt I have ever heard of to give elves the dignity they deserve. Paid work! And clothes! Do you realise this is S.P.E.W ideal! And you demeaned it in front of him! Have you paid any attention how he reacted? It was almost as though he had to punish himself for not giving a proper image of his company. I bet the elves working there are as attached to it as they used to be to their households.''

''Er, yes Hermione, sorry. I mean, I didn't want to upset him, but the thing is...'' Harry was choosing carefully his words because he knew how much S.P.E.W meant for Hermione and had seldom seen her in such a tantrum because of him ''they have been sending commercials, and, I don't know if you have seen them, but, you know, they were kind of stupid.''

Harry looked towards Ron to fetch from supports there since he knew he had received some too, but Ron was staring blankly to the tent and to Hermione alternatively and did not notice Harry's endeavour. Hermione did not answer and walked silently, distinctively ignoring Harry even when they entered the twins shop together.

Weasley Wizard Wheezes was a set in a nice and cosy two-storey house with several different sized windows which appeared to be scattered randomly on the facade. Green, blue and orange puffs of smoke were periodically going out of a small chimney. Harry felt some thrill crossing the threshold of the premises: magic was filling the atmosphere practically to the point one could touch it. The only room of the shop was an incredible piling of magical objects that seemed to have been purposefully messed up together. Hats, cloaks, wands, candies, broomsticks, books and many other items Harry could not name were packed up together, and to made matter worse, some of those objects could move, vanish and reappear, play music or flash lights.

''Woooow'' an awe-struck Ron gasped, standing immobile in the entrance. Harry thought he could not add anything. Of course, he had seen the twins fabricate some tricks last year, but he had not idea they could mass-produce such a variety of merchandise. Even Hermione seemed unable to make any comments, and all trace of anger had vanished on her face to be replaced by pure amazement.

''New customers!'' a hat looking remarkably like Hogwarts Sorting Hat bellowed. This was the cue for pandemonium. A wax-made model wearing three layers of cloaks and two hats animated, took a wand in each hands and addressed directly Harry:

''I am sure you would be interested by our Fake wands, this one cast spells at random, this one changes in toilet-plunger when you try to use it.''

''Bored of your pet? Try the Better Beast Biscuit, give on to your favourite animal and watch the consequences'' a clockwork told Ron, its hands pointing to a cat that was quickly undergoing change of forms, colours, size and even briefly transforming in other animals.

''So how do you like it, friends?'' a popping George asked.

''It's awesome,'' Ginny said.

''How did you do it?'' ask a puzzled Hermione ''there are hundreds of things here, I mean, you could not have possibly had the time to make everything.''

''Well, it is true we worked hard, but demands was such that we had no choice anyway, do you know we already sold seventeen portable swamps like the one we tested last year?'' Fred said.

''Sadly, we have heard it was going to be forbidden by the Ministry, too effective,'' added George in a fake desperate tone.

The next two hours were indisputably Harry's best since a long time. The twins shop was a tremendous success and Harry was greatly impressed to see that even Hermione was having fun with some of the magical tricks they had created, often asking questions about they could have devised a spell to realise what the object did. All four of them had fun trying wizard duelling with fake wands and tasting all the different Changeling Chewing-gums they could find.

''I like being Dumbledore,'' Ron said, trying to cast a summoning charm with a wand that was saying rude words every time you touched it. Despite the laughs and fun they had, Harry felt something was not completely right though, and he understood what just before they left. All the time his friends and him had played, Lupin had stayed close to the door, eyeing the street every so often, as if wary of an ominous threat. Harry noticed that Hermione had remarked it too and was about to ask him what was wrong, but just as he moved towards him, they all realised it was already late and left after having deeply congratulated the twins and Lee Jordan for their achievement. On their way back to the 12, Grimmauld Place, the interrogations he had had completely left his mind and he remembered them only much later, during the dinner, but dared not ask them in front of everybody. When everyone moved to go to sleep though, he found the chance to discuss it with Ron and Hermione.

''I have actually remarked it too, Harry,'' Hermione said. ''I wonder why he was so worried, everything went find today.''

''Maybe full moon is coming soon,'' said Ron.

''That wouldn't explain why he was guarding the door all the time,'' said Harry. ''What did Dumbledore said Voldemort was up to again?''

''Finding new followers,'' said Hermione. ''I was discussing with Lupin last week, and he told me he used the Imperius curse a lot in the first war, yet no case has been signalled yet.''

''Oh yeah, the Imperius curse,'' Ron said dreamily, as if he was reminding himself something, perhaps the lesson with Moody where he had been submitted to it, Harry thought. ''I wish I could overthrow it like you, Harry.''

''We will learn this year, I bet,'' said Harry encouragingly, ''our Defence against the Dark Arts classes are bound to be brilliant with all the new things we are going to learn. Nonetheless, I wonder why Lupin was so watchful. He was darting looks everywhere all the time we spent at Weasley Wizard Wheezes and yet nothing unusual happened today. Well, except the encounter with the elf.'' Harry knew perfectly well this was bound to make Hermione react.

''House-elf liberation is important Harry,'' she said looking appallingly at him. ''Elves are potentially wonderful allies, if only we could grant them the equality they deserve. Think what you would have done in the second task without Dobby. Think what could have happened if Kreacher had been treated properly.'' But the furious gaze Harry threw her at the mention of Kreacher made her abruptly stop with a soft ''Oh'' and she said no more.

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This document was translated from L^AT_EX by H^EV^EA.