Rating:: PG-13
House:: Schnoogle
Characters:: Harry Potter Hermione Granger Ron Weasley Remus Lupin Sirius Black
Genres:: Action Drama
Era:: Multiple Eras
Spoilers:: Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire
Stats:: Published: 03/12/2003

Updated: 06/18/2004

Words: 105,717

Chapters: 17

Hits: 25,132

Harry Potter and the Dark Mark

venus

Story Summary:: The sequel to Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor. In Harry's 6th year, the Wizarding world is in bedlam: the dark movement is on the rise with a streak of senseless murders one after the other after the other. Harry's quest to stop the terror leads to the revelation of ancient secrets, re-visiting the past , and some old scores are *finally* settled!

Chapter 04

Chapter Summary:: The sequel to Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor. In Harry’s 6th year, the Wizarding world is in bedlam: the dark movement is on the rise with a streak of senseless murders one after the other after the other. Harry’s quest to stop the terror leads to the revelation of ancient secrets, re-visiting the past, and some old scores are *finally* settled!

Posted:: 03/30/2003

Hits:: 1,930

Chapter Four: Diagon Alley

The next few weeks were hell.

It wasn't that Dudley acted cruel to Harry, because he didn't. And there were still enough uprisings in the Dursley household to assure Harry that Dudley wasn't about to turn back into his former self. It was hell because Harry wasn't able to talk to his cousin as he had. He couldn't laugh and joke with him as he'd grown accustomed to doing. His companions now were Eddie the Terrier (whom Dudley had all but forsaken), faithful Hedwig and, of course, the regular owls from Sophie.

Sophie kept urging Harry to talk to Dudley, arguing that he couldn't just sit around and watch their friendship go to waste. Harry wrote back furiously, telling her how he tried to do just that, but Dudley would have nothing to do with him.

Harry stared at her reply for an eternity:

Then you must try harder, Harry. Show him that you refuse to give up. Sooner or later he will understand this-- he'll see that you are willing to fight to save your relationship. You have to make that choice to fight for it.
I miss you every day, Harry. I miss you every second. I can't wait to see you again.
All my love,
Sophie.

He set the letter down. He could hear her voice in that letter, and could see the urgency in her eyes. There was something in those intense brown eyes that reminded him of who he was: giving up was not something he opted for if he had a choice. And according to Sophie, he certainly had a choice.

It was enough to force himself up off his bed and downstairs. Of course Sophie was right-- she always was.

He found Dudley in the kitchen, alone, munching on a bowl of cut peaches.

"Dudley, can--"

The phone chose that exact moment to ring.

"Get that, would you cousin?"

Harry grimaced and reached for the phone. "Dursley Residence?"

"Harry! It's Sophie! Is everything all right?"

"Hi! Yeah, I guess so. . ." His stomach did a somersault and he gripped the phone tightly.

"I just got a letter in the post from Dudley-- oh Harry, is he home? I want to talk to him!"

Harry could tell that Dudley was eavesdropping because he hadn't taken another bite since the phone rang. "It's for you, Dudley."

"Who is it?"

"Sophie."

"Tell her I'm not home."

"Dudley--"

"Tell her I'm not home!"

Harry sighed and put the receiver back up to his ear. "Sophie. . . he's not home right now."

He could hear her spirits fall even over the phone. It took her awhile to say anything. "Right, then. Let him know that I'll call back when gets home."

"Okay."

"Harry-- I miss you." The phone clicked and Harry took a breath.

"Er . . . she says that she'll call you back when you get home."

"I'm guessing that she got my letter."

"Yeah, she said something about that. What . . .er, what did you say in it?"

"Nothing she doesn't already know. I dunno, maybe I should have talked to her. I mean, I'll have to sooner or later-- she is the one who's taking us to Diagon Alley."

"D-Diagon. . . you mean, you still want to come?"

Dudley scowled. "You don't want--"

"No! I mean, that's brilliant! Dudley, that's fantastic! It'll be wicked! We'll have such a blast--"

"Harry? Shut up, mate."

One week before their scheduled visit to Diagon Alley, Hedwig flew into Harry's bedroom and dropped off his Hogwarts letter. He ripped it open eagerly:

Welcome Sixth Year Student!
Enclosed you will find a list of the required textbooks for this term: The Advanced Book of Spells - Volume One - by Miranda Goshawk

Mythology Meets History - by Bathilda Bagshot

Unearthing the Magic - by Phyllida Spore

The New Threat of Dark Arts - by Quentin Trimble

**A Study in Reason: Why Wizards Go Bad - by Sinbad de Mourier & Quentin Trimble
**The Science of Spellcasting - by Miranda Goshawk

** - textbooks required for concentration classes

Underneath that letter, was a separate parchment that made Harry shout out loud:

We are pleased to announce the following students have been selected as new School Prefects:

Gryffindor: Hermione Granger

Hufflepuff: Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ravenclaw: Kevin Entwhistle

Slytherin: Pansy Parkinson

"What's going on in here?" Dudley popped his head in the doorway, eyeing his cousin strangely.

"Hermione! She's been named a prefect!"

Dudley remained stationary. "You mean she wasn't one already?"

"No, er . . . Ron and Hermione and I have spent a lot of time in the headmasters office. That kind of . . . delayed things for her a bit."

"Oh. Right."

Harry was determined to use the opportunity to its fullest. "Hey Dudley, want to go down to the corner shop?"

"Why?"

"Why? Well, we usually do--"

"Oh, well, sorry. I'm busy, you know?"

And once again, Harry found himself being shut out.

Mr. Banbury and Sophie arrived in their maroon Renault early on the twenty-fifth. It was an unusually clear morning, the sky a bright blue, and it had even Dudley in high spirits. Vernon and Petunia were throwing tantrums, threatening Dudley and Harry if they dared leave to go to 'that freaky place.'

Harry waited for Dudley at the front door with his Hogwarts robe folded under his arm.

"Bye Mum, Bye Dad," Dudley called as he rushed to join Harry at the door and they met the Banburys at the car.

Sophie looked like a million dollars and suddenly the past few weeks of inner turmoil seemed faraway and unimportant by the mere sight of her in her violet dress. The hour journey to London thankfully didn't rely on conversation as Roger was playing the radio at full blast. In fact, the mood in the car seemed almost . . festive! Whatever words were said between Sophie and Dudley and Harry were funny and light-hearted. It was incredibly encouraging to Harry and by the time they'd fought their way in through the horrific morning London traffic and found a parking spot, he was feeling incredibly optimistic.

"This is it?" Roger asked as Harry led the group down the always-bustling Charing Cross Road towards the entrance of The Leaky Cauldron.

"Not much from the outside, I know."

"Well it's just that-- I've been to that bookstore next door countless times and I've never once noticed this place!"

Harry winked. "You don't say!" He pushed open the door and the rest followed him inside, Roger still visibly trying to figure out how he could have possibly missed the pub, and they shuffled towards the opposite end of the pub.

"'Morning Tom," Harry said cheerfully to the bartender. Tom was deeply engrossed in the morning paper, and barely head Harry's greeting. Harry had to clear his throat, "Tom? All right there?"

Tom looked up and forced a smile. "Oh! Sorry, Harry. Yeah, all right, you?"

"Brilliant, thanks." Tom nodded and then went right back to the morning paper. As a matter of fact, everyone in the pub seemed to be quite interested in reading the paper as opposed to their usual cheerful clamor.

"What's wrong with him?" whispered Sophie, who then ran right into her father. Roger had stopped dead in his tracks and was staring upwards, mouth agape, at the impossibly large man before him.

"Good Lord," he breathed.

"Hagrid!" Harry pushed past them to greet his friend. Hagrid, who'd been standing at the bar, smiled upon sight of Harry who threw his arms around him.

Hagrid chuckled lightly, and set his newspaper down. "Well hello to you too, Harry! Everything all right?"

"All right, yeah, thanks. But what's wrong with Tom? He looks--"

"Oh," said Hagrid, a sadness coming over his face. "I take it you 'aven't seen this morning's paper."

"No . . ."

"It's the Dark Mark again."

"What?"

Hagrid nodded and passed him a copy of the paper. "It's all over the Daily Prophet."

Harry practically ripped the newspaper out of Hagrid's hands and poured over the headline:

EDINBURGH OWLERY DEVASTATED
EDINBURGH, Scotland The Edinburgh Owlery, one of Britain's largest Owlerys, was devastated late yesterday night when unknown assailants besieged it. At 11:45 GMT the Owlery at 8 Westfield Road was broken into. Five minutes later, Owner Zaide Weingart, who lives in a flat above the Owlery, was awoken by a loud "crash." She went downstairs to inspect the noise and found the front glass window broken and all fifty-five, Ministry-Approved owls dead in their cages.

"It was like a nightmare," said a shaken Weingart. "All of them looked as though they were simply sleeping, but when I tried waking them, I realized they were really all dead. I can't understand how something like this could happen!"

Ministry Wizards were prompt to the scene and as of this printing, confirm that the fifty-five owls all died of the same cause: a complicated dark sleeping spell meant only to be used on humans-- use on animals is fatal. To add to the graveness of the situation, the Ministry soon began receiving urgent owls from wizarding residents all over Edinburgh, claiming another sighting of the Dark Mark not far from the location of the Owlery. The nature of this spell has led Ministry officials to conclude that the Dark Mark sightings were, in fact, in conjunction with the attack on the Owlery.

Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge is set to speak later today regarding the attack.

Hagrid sighed loudly and took the paper back from Harry, tucking it away. Given Hagrid's penchant for animals, the news must have been particularly distressing for him.

"Can't wait to hear what mad ol' Fudge has to say about this."

"Same thing he always does," Harry said, still shocked by the news.

"That's twice in the past two months we've seen the dark mark," said Hagrid gravely. "It ain't good, Harry. Ain't good at all. The poor owls . . ." Hagrid looked ready to cry.

Harry squeezed his hand and offered up a smile. "Hagrid? I want you to meet some friends of mine! Of course, you know Sophie. This is her father, Mr. Banbury."

Mr. Banbury, who was still in visible of awe of Hagrid, stepped forward and placed his hand into Hagrid's massive one.

"How d'you do," said Hagrid amiably.

Roger smiled nervously. "How do you do, Mr. Hagrid."

"And," said Harry, "I believe you remember my cousin, right? Dudley?"

Hagrid's mouth fell open. "Wha-- yer cousin?"

Dudley offered up a smile. "Yes-- it was a long time ago, but I remember you very well."

Hagrid was still struggling. "I . . . you. . . you look diff'rnt. . ."

Dudley nodded, "Yes, well, I've had that pig's tail removed since then, you see."

Hagrid was turning red. "Aye, er . . . yeah, sorry about that. . ."

"Don't mention it, really."

"Aye, but . . . well, it's just I was a bit upset that night an' I. . ."

"I mean it," said Dudley, "it's forgotten."

Hagrid didn't look convinced and Harry was fighting back his laughter.

"S-so!" said Hagrid, "you meetin' up with Hermione and Ron, I assume?"

"Yeah, but not until noon."

"Y-yes," said Roger, "I've some business to attend to at Gringotts first. This wizarding banking system still baffles me, even after all these years."

"Yer not alone," Hargid guffawed. "Well Harry, I'll be seein' you in a few days, then. Nice meetin' you, Mr. Banbury, good to see you Miss Banbury and . . . I am serious about the whole tail thing--"

"Mr. Hagrid," said Dudley, "I mean it! If you don't stop that then I will start holding it against you!"

Hagrid smiled and waved to them as Harry led the group out of the back of the Leaky Cauldron and towards the walled entrance to the alley.

Sophie was insistent that Harry let her open up the passage, as she claimed she needed the practice. Dudley muffled a gasp as the wall slid apart and the Alley appeared before them.

The streets were throbbing with the usual pulse of the shoppers, although perhaps not with the usual excitement. The streets teeming with people, but there seemed be a hush to them-- more whispering than the usual hearty laughter. And most were scouring the Daily Prophet.

While the devastation of the Owlery was indeed sad news, the main reason for the chills that now ripped through Harry was the fact that the Dark Mark had been behind it. And it was surely the reason that the Diagon Alley shoppers were more subdued than normal.

He followed close at Roger and Sophie's footsteps, Roger saying things like "It's been years since I've been here! Oh look-- the bookstore looks just as it did last time! And Ollivanders too-- if I didn't know better, I would swear that is the same wand that was in the window display last time..."

"They tend to look alike, Dad."

"Yes, I know darling, but it's so dusty--"

A high-pitched whistling caught all of the company´s attention and cut off Mr. Banbury´s words. Harry spun around, slightly startled by the noise, and found two pretty raven haired girls leaning against a wall. They had silly grins on their faces, so befitting teenage girls when eyeing up a bloke, and it was quite obvious that they had been the ones whistling. Harry's stomach twisted when he realized that it was him they were still staring at and then. . .

Hang on a minute-- I know those girls. . . "Parvati?!?"

Harry was too stunned to move. Parvati and Padma Patil had also realized just who it was they'd been eyeing up, and their faces fell. They all looked like they wanted the floor to swallow them up!

"H-Harry," Parvati began, "I. . . I didn't recognize you! I. . ."

Padma felt the need to explain as well, "Oh Heavens, Harry, I'm sorry! I swear, I didn't realize it was you. . ."

Harry was burning from embarrassment and he was talking rapidly as well, "Never mind, forget it, it's okay, I understand, really, don't worry, just forget about it, all right?"

The Patil sisters still seemed perfectly mortified that they had just whistled at their friend of six years. Harry turned back around and found Sophie who was trying to stifle a grin. At least she thinks its funny. .

Dudley, however, didn't look amused. His expression was rather difficult to read-- but whatever it was, it surely wasn't amusement.

Parvati was trying desperately to smooth things over. "So! Er, you all came together then?"

"That's right," said Sophie calmly, "Only just. You?"

"Been here all day, you know," said Padma. "Window shopping and taking in the scenery--" she bit her tongue, "--er, I mean, er. . . taking in the sights, and all." She was turning the color of Ron Weasley's hair and quickly focused her attention on Dudley who staring was wide-eyed at the very attractive newcomers. "I remember you-- you're Harry's cousin, right?"

"Dudley," he said clearly, "I must admit, I can't remember which one of you is which."

Padma looked all too happy with the change of subject. "Oh, right! You're not the only one. Well, I'm in Ravenclaw with Sophie and Parvati is in Gryffindor with Harry."

"Oh, right."

"Er. . ." Padma was visibly fighting to think of something to say, "So! You must love it, eh Dudley?"

"Love what?"

"To have Harry showing you around, of course. I mean, not many people have a celebrity for a cousin, right? It kind of comes in handy sometimes, I bet! I mean, if anyone is ever giving you any trouble, it´s rather nice to have someone around who practically-"

"Right," said Harry quickly, cutting Padma off, not wanting to hear another word. "Well! I hate to seem like we´re in a bit of a rush, but we are actually in a bit of a rush! Have to stop off at Gringotts and you know what the queues are like in that place, right?"

Padma seemed to get the hint and looked genuinely sorry--it was as though she knew she´d said the wrong thing. And the suddenly very tense Dudley Dursley seemed to confirm that. Padma and Parvati bade the company their farewells and Harry walked briskly towards Gringotts bank, shaking his head in disbelief.

Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! What were they thinking? Obviously they weren´t thinking! Whistling like that! And then saying all that silly nonsense about me! As if Dudley didn´t hate me enough already. And Sophie--

But Harry felt someone at his side-a gentle tug at his robes that pulled him away from his thoughts. Sophie was beaming at him and shook her head at him. "Don´t worry about it, Harry. I´m not."

Harry smiled at her--if only she knew how good that made him feel.

They entered Gringotts. Dudley suddenly was at Harry's side, walking closely to him.

"Er, Harry, what--"

"Goblins," said Harry, knowing all too well what Dudley must have been feeling.

Roger and Sophie went to a separate window, leaving Harry and Dudley alone. Dudley's face was draining of color the closer they walked to one of the banking windows, a Goblin clerk peering at them from his spectacles in a most accusatory fashion.

"Yes?" the Goblin demanded, drawing out the 's.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal on vault 713." He pulled out his key and placed it on the desk.

The goblin examined it and then nodded. "Yes, Mr. Potter, this way."

"Oh, excuse me," said Dudley. "Might I be able to exchange money here with you?"

The goblin looked annoyed at this question and pointed a skinny, veiny hand with repulsively long fingernails to a sign just overhead: NOT A MUGGLE EXCHANGE POINT

"Oh," said Dudley. "Well . . . where can I--"

"You will need to see window number nine."

Harry and Dudley turned around to see where the Goblin was pointing: a window with a particularly ancient Goblin and a line of terrified looking Muggles.

Dudley took a breath and nodded, "Right."

"You'll be all right, Dudley?"

Dudley was already making his way towards the line. "Don't worry."

Harry was reluctant to leave him alone, but followed the Goblin into the vaults. He scooped up the needed money as quickly as possible and annoyed the Goblin by rushing him. Back in the main lobby of Gringotts, Roger and Sophie were still at their window-- Roger looking particularly flustered-- and Dudley was . . . nowhere to be found!

Harry's paternal instincts took over and he went over to the line, asking the Muggles if they'd seen where the short blonde boy in the blue shirt had gone. None seemed to know. Getting worried, he went back out onto the pavement, his eyes darting through the crowds in search for him.

"Surely is can't be young Mr. Potter!"

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly. He knew that voice . .

"Rita Skeeter?"

The tall blonde bowed slightly. "At your service."

She looked much older in the exposing bright sunlight. Harry could see lines around her eyes and mouth that most certainly hadn't been there before. Two years had obviously done a number on her, but despite her weathered appearance, she was all smiles. "My, but you've certainly changed in two years! I barely recognized you! Well . . ." her eyes flickered over his scar and glasses. "Some things never change."

Harry stiffened. "Yes. Some things never change." It was Harry's way of reminding her of everything that had happened between them.

"Touche," she said in good humor. "All ready for school, then?"

"No. . ." he said slowly, not sure what she wanted.

"I remember my sixth year as though it was yesterday. It was the year I realized that I wanted to be a journalist. It is your sixth year, isn't it? ."

"Yes," he answered. He was suddenly overcome with a biting curiosity. He hadn't heard much of Rita Skeeter in the past two years-- if anything at all. "What have you been up to?"

Rita's eyes smiled at him, though they could hide their sadness. "I've been. . .taking things slow. Nothing gives someone more time to think than being trapped in a glass jar. . . aside from being unemployed, perhaps. Actually, I'm just off to speak with old man Sid at the Prophet-- my old boss."

"Oh. Trying to get your job back?"

She paused thoughtfully. "Well. . . I'm not going to hold my breath. I know they'll laugh me right out of the office, but you never know unless you try."

Harry couldn't help himself. "I'll tell you one thing, Rita. If you were still with the Prophet, I'm sure we'd have the death-eaters back in Azkaban by now."

Harry could see those words strike gold with Rita. She beamed and suddenly looked quite ready to have a lengthy chat with Harry. "Here shopping by yourself, are you?"

"No, my friends are here too, Ron and Hermi--" he coughed back that last word, "er, and my cousin."

"Your cousin? A Muggle, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"I thought . . . " she held her tongue, fighting back what she probably really wanted to say. "I thought your family wasn't keen on the wizarding world."

"Well, my cousin has changed a lot."

"And you've left him alone here?" Her expression darkened ever so slightly. "Him being a Muggle, do you think that's wise with people like the Malfoy's about?" Rita's eyes were staring at something behind Harry. He turned around and found Draco Malfoy leaning against the a wall of Flourish and Blotts, his Hogwarts robe thrust over his shoulder. And then Harry recognized just who Malfoy was talking to. A slender fair skinned boy whom Harry would have never recognized a year ago, but that floppy blonde hair was a dead give away.

"Dudley?" Harry whispered.

"Dudley," Rita repeated, "your cousin?"

"Yes. . . er, excuse me Rita." Harry tore through the crowds, consumed with worry.

Now, last term, there had been a number of surprises that had led Harry to think that maybe, just maybe, there was some hope yet for Draco Malfoy. They had spent three days together, along with Ron, Professor Snape and a temporary Professor, Ariah Warwick, fighting for their lives. Running from the very evil forces that Draco's father had helped to unleash. And when Draco finally saw and understood all that his father was, Harry had seen fear in the eyes of someone he never thought capable of it. When Malfoy was faced with a choice: to remain at his Father's side with the Death Eaters, or run to freedom with Snape and Harry, Malfoy had made a break for Snape's outstretched hand, only to be pulled back by an enraged Lucius. The moment had been tremendously unfathomable.

But none of that eased Harry one bit now as he approached Malfoy-- what business did he have with Dudley? Even if Harry had seen a glimmer of hope in him-- the fact that Malfoy was talking to his Muggle cousin put Harry on edge. Who knows what Malfoy would do to him!

Harry's heart started thumping in his chest.

"Everything all right, Dudley?" he asked, placing a protective hand on Dudley's shoulder. "No trouble, I hope."

How different Malfoy's eyes seemed than last term. He started at Harry, his eyes a chilling, icy blue.

"Trouble? Dunno what you're on about, Potter. I was just getting acquainted with your cousin."

"I can see that. Dudley? It's noon, we have to meet up with Ron and Hermione."

Malfoy coughed. "Right. I'll be going then. Good meeting you, Dursley."

He sniggered, shaking his head as he left.

"Dudley," said Harry, searching his cousin's face, "you all right? Did he try and do anything--"

"Oh calm down," said Dudley. "We were just talking."

"Yes, but Dudley, that's Draco Malfoy. He doesn't just talk to Muggles unless he has a very, very good reason. What did you two talk about?"

Dudley looked unimpressed. "Harry, please. Don't start pretending that you're actually concerned about my well-being!"

Harry was stunned. "Wha-- Dudley? How can you say that?"

"Easily." Dudley turned away. "Where's Ron, then?"

Harry was still shocked. "Supposed to be waiting outside of Witchy Woman-- Dudley, you can't honestly believe what you just said." He grabbed his cousin's arm. "Look at me! I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt!"

Dudley pulled his arm back. "You've done a lousy job of it so far!"

Harry couldn't comeback because the sound of Ron and Hermione rushing towards them interrupted them.

"Harry! There you are! What, you forgot we said to meet at noon?"

Dudley turned away from Harry to face Ron. "Sorry! We got held up at Gringotts!"

"That's all right. Ran into Hagrid and he told us where you were, thank goodness. If I had to spend another moment in that shop I was going to scream."

Hermione, who was now right at his side, smacked his arm. "Oh hush." She focused her attention on Harry. "Have you heard the news?"

Harry nodded solemnly. "Yes, isn't it horrible? All of those poor owls . . ."

Hermione bit her lip. "Oh . . . er . . . y-yes, of course. Horrible."

Ron laughed. "Harry, Hermione meant the news about her being a prefect."

"Oh!" said Harry, breaking into a smile. "Yes! I'm so proud of you, Hermione!"

She pointed to the bright red and gold Gryffindor prefect badge on her robes. "Isn't it fantastic?"

"You've earned it, Hermione," said Harry. "You deserve it more than anyone."

She blushed. "Thanks. Oh-- but you haven't even started your shopping yet! Come on, then!"

Ron and Hermione were first into Flourish and Blotts, along with Dudley who seemed quite determined to speak only with them. Harry, Sophie and Mr. Banbury were trailing behind, Roger in awe at the charmingly cluttered surroundings.

Harry was searching for a copy of A Study in Reason-- Why Wizards Go Bad, and was getting quite frustrated that he couldn't seem to find it.

"Harry!" Hermione suddenly appeared in the aisle, Dudley at her side. Her eyes wide. "Quick!" She grabbed hold of his sleeve and pulled him through the crowds of shoppers.

"What is it? What--"

Hermione stopped abruptly, smiling triumphantly before a large booth and Harry's heart sank.

"Oh."

The banner hanging on the table read:

Ministry of Magic Certification Classes--- Sign Up Here!

"Certification classes?" asked Dudley. "What are those?"

Harry groaned. "You don't want to know.

A tired looking witch was sitting at the table, drumming her fingers. She eyed the new arrivals suspiciously.

"Yes?" she said, irritably.

"We're here to sign up for the certification classes," said Hermione confidently.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

The woman sighed and wordlessly reached down into a drawer to retrieve two rolls of parchment, handing one to each. "Please fill these out completely, indicating which course you are interested in taking. Your requests will be processed immediately, however, as you are both underage, you must return this attached paper with two Hogwarts Professors' signatures within one week, or you will be disqualified from the program."

Harry studied the application form warily, Dudley peering over his shoulder at the endless tiny print. Hermione was already finishing hers and handing it in.

"Hermione, I really don't want to--"

Hermione touched his arm softly before he could finish the sentence. "Please? Do it for me?"

How could he say no to those pretty brown eyes?

"Well . . . what class are you taking?"

"Apparition," she said brightly.

Harry grimaced. "That sounds boring, don't you think? Transfiguration would be infinitely more interesting."

"So then take Transfiguration."

"But I don't want to be alone--"

"So then take Apparition!"

Harry sighed and filled out the form in his less than admirable hand.

The woman took the application and said, "That'll be twenty-five Galleons each."

Harry blanched. "What? There was nothing about twenty-five Galleons in the advert!"

The woman looked very annoyed. "Processing fee."

"Twenty-five," Harry grumbled, "that's an awful lot of money."

"Now see here, Mr. . ." she looked at the form for a name. "See here, Mr. Potter, if you can't . . ."

She stopped and made a quick double take at the application form again.

"H-Harry Potter?" Her demeanor changed completely. She sat straight up in her chair, her face lighting up. She looked around fiendishly and then leaned forward.

"Can I see it?" she whispered.

Harry couldn't believe it! Not this grown woman . . .

"Oh come on," she pressed. "I want to see it!"

Harry folded his arms-- of all the nerve! She'd been horribly rude to him and now suddenly wanted him to show off a silly scar?

Hermione cut in. "Knock it down to ten Galleons and he'll do it."

"Done."

Harry threw a look of shock at Hermione, who was beaming. Dudley was similarly interested to see what Harry was planning to go, his brow arched. Harry shook his head and, begrudgingly, lifted the hair from off his forehead. The witch gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.

He was rather embarrassed and slightly humiliated at all this, but the look of triumph on Hermione's face as she handed me over ten Galleons was well worth it.

"Oh," said the woman, "and . . . could you please?" She slid a quill and paper towards him. "My little girl. She's a big fan, you know?"

Hermione shot Harry a look that screamed You Sign That If You Know What's Good For You. Harry quickly scribbled his name and slid it back, along with his ten galleons. The witch was smiling, admiring her autograph, and absently took the money. She wrote them out a receipt and handed it to them.

"Cheers," she said happily.

"Yeah," said Harry as they walked away. Hermione was proudly folding her receipt.

"What I go through for you, Hermione."

"Ah, you love me, you know it."

"I thought that was my job!" It was Ron, coming up behind them. He was smiling, his arms full of books. Hermione giggled and pecked him quickly on the cheek.

"Yeah, you too, hon."

"Better be," he said with a wink.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Oh, helping Sophie. We've having a helluva time finding all our textbooks. It seems that someone pulled a prank on the shop and now all the shelves keep changing places."

"So that's why I couldn't find my books," said Harry.

"Where's she now?" asked Hermione.

"In the back by the exit-- I think the botany section just appeared back there or something."

"Let's go help too," said Hermione good-naturedly, pulling Dudley's sleeve.

Once they'd left, Ron beckoned Harry closer. "Hey," he said in a hushed voice, "what's going on between you and Dudley?"

Was it that obvious?

"Dunno what you´re on about."

Ron raised his brow as if to say 'don't give me that.'

Harry buckled. "Okay, fine. . . well, really it's nothing. He just. . ." he paused and shook his head. "All right, he hates my guts. He . . . found out that I fancy Sophie and that . . . she fancies me."

"Ohhhh," said Ron. "Okay. I get it. Is he . . . okay?"

"He won't let me in. Just puts up a front, you know? When we both know things are not okay. And then today, I saw Malfoy--"

"Oh! So did I! I thought I'd take a chance and say 'hello' to see what would happen."

"And?"

"The bastard. Turned up his bloody nose to me. As though . . ."

"As though nothing happened last year, right?"

"Exactly."

Harry shook his head. "He's a real piece of work, isn't he. And, what really gets me, is that I saw him talking to Dudley!"

"What? But Dudley's a Muggle!"

"I know."

"The Malfoys hate Muggles!"

"I know."

"This can't be good!"

"I know, Ron!"

"What can't be good?"

It was Dudley, who had appeared with Hermione, Sophie and Mr. Banbury. Sophie's hair looked frazzled, and her face flushed-- it was obvious she'd been through a lot trying to get those books.

"Those stupid bloody shelves," Ron lied. "I mean, look at you, Sophie."

"I think they should give you a discount on those," said Harry, smiling at her.

Hermione laughed. "Yeah-- we'll just have you go up and show 'em your scar!"

It wasn't too much later that they bid their farewells to Ron and Hermione and left Diagon Alley. Roger sped them along the motorway back in the direction of Surrey. Apparently, Roger and Sophie were to visit the Arlingtons (Imelda's parents) that evening in Sussex, so he didn't mind the drive to Little Whinging.

Harry was bursting to know what Malfoy had said to Dudley, but Dudley had taken out his CD player and headphones and was staring out the window. The further they drove, the heavier his lids became and soon he was out like a light.

Harry sighed loudly, folding his arms in defeat. He felt a pair of eyes on him and he looked up to see Sophie turned around in the front seat, peering overtop the headrest at Harry.

She smiled.

"Poor bloke," she said. "He's had an exciting day. I remember last year when I saw the Alley for the first time-- I was exhausted afterwards."

"Me too."

Sophie kept her gaze on Harry and he understood that this small talk was not what she'd truly wanted to say.

When she finally spoke what she'd been laboring over, her voice was hushed. "Do you think he'll be okay? You know. . . with everything?"

It was the one question that Harry did not have the answer to.

"I've been wondering that for the past month."

Sophie nodded and then, silently, turned around and slid back into the front seat.

The journey home felt eons longer than their ride into London-- silence can do that. Dudley was groggy and grumpy with Harry for waking him up from his sleep. They climbed out of the car, Sophie with them.

Harry collected his belongings and thanked Roger for the ride.

"And have fun with your parents, Mr. Banbury," Dudley added cordially.

"Thank you Dudley, and please, give my best to yours."

Dudley grunted, but assured Roger he would do so.

"Goodbye, Dudley," said Sophie and gave him a hug. Dudley looked taken aback, but allowed her to do so anyway.

Harry locked on her gaze. "Goodbye, Sophie."

She winked. "Goodbye, Harry." They hugged each other and Harry was certain it was going to take every ounce of strength he had to let her out of his embrace.

"Keep in touch," she said with pleading eyes and then turned to Dudley. "I mean that, you hear?"

Dudley nodded.

She climbed back in the car and soon the car was waning away in the distance. Inside the house, Vernon and Petunia were lounging in the living room on the sofa, watching television.

Harry and Dudley said hello, but as expected, Vernon and Petunia simply ignored them.

"Dudley," said Harry, gently touching his sleeve as they reached the top floor. "Did you have fun today?"

Dudley considered Harry for a moment before finally answering. "Yeah, he said, opening the door to his room, "it was great. 'Night."

The door closed, leaving Harry out in the hall alone once more. It was murderous, this cold treatment. But Harry was prepared to endure anything if it meant keeping his friend.