Chapter 6:To Diagon

To Diagon

"Everyone ready?" Kingsley asked, one hand on the door of the Diagon Flat as he looked at the assembled Witches and Wizards.

"Ready." Frank Longbottom confirmed, his right hand slightly tensed and ready to trigger his arm-holster. Beside him, Alice Longbottom appeared to be more relaxed, but her hand was similarly ready to grab her wand.

"Lists confirmed and money in the belt-pouches." Harry added.

"External scanners show no hostiles in the vicinity." Jor-El supplied and Kingsley opened the door, moving to place himself between the occupants of the flat and any theoretical attackers waiting to charge them with wands blasting.

"Clear." He confirmed and Harry led his friends down the stairs to join Kingsley at the bottom, looking round at the surprisingly quiet street.

"We've beaten the rush by several days." Hermione noted as she joined him. "This'll make getting our things much easier."

"Where to first?" Harry asked.

"Well, the book list is rather small this year and we won't need to visit the Apothecary, so… robes first?" Neville suggested diffidently.

"Robes." Harry agreed.

"Robes." Hermione confirmed.

"Robes it is." Frank chuckled. "Let's go."

The group made their way up the Alley to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions and while Frank and Alice flanked the three children protectively, Kingsley stepped into the shop, eyes darting round.

"This brings back memories." Alice sighed. "The last time we had Protection Detail was just before I became pregnant."

"Ironically enough, we were protecting Bagnold." Frank almost growled.

"I'd almost forgotten that." Alice admitted. "We had to escort her to a family reunion with her Squib sister, the one in the… the… the CJD?"

"CND." Frank corrected her. "You remember, that group funded by Russia? The ones who wanted to get rid of all the Nukes so that Russia could invade?"

"What!" Hermione gasped. "The CND… Oh Merlin! My cousin's a member of it… How did you know?"

"Bagnold shouted it at her sister." Alice reminisced. "I had to pull her away from Bagnold after. Bagnold always hated the Russians, both the Magicals and the Muggles. Something to do with her uncle dying in Finland or something."

Before anyone could reply, Shacklebolt re-emerged from the shop.

"All clear." He reported, then he looked at them curiously. "What did I miss?"

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From across the street, a cloaked figure snarled in the shadows as it watched Harry and his friends enter the shop.

"Soon… soon you will pay." It whispered, then the figure stalked away.

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"Lord Potter!" Madam Malkin greeted the suddenly-embarrassed peer. "Welcome! Here for your Hogwarts robes?"

"The old ones are getting a little bit small." Harry admitted and Madam Malkin ushered him onto the small stepstool. "I think I'm going to need something with room to grow…"

"Of course." The mauve-clad witch nodded as she started measuring him. "You have grown, haven't you? Looks like you'll grow to be a big man… I'd say six foot tall if you keep exercising and eating well, maybe a little bit more… What? You don't get to be as successful as I am without learning how to work these things out."

Hermione hid her smile behind a hand as Madam Malkin bustled around one of her two best friends, then she squeaked in shock as she found herself being chivvied onto a second stool. A muffled chuckle behind her caused her to glare at Neville, who only returned her gaze with an innocent expression, then Madam Malkin was prodding her to stand straight for measuring.

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"Robes, check." Hermione ticked the item off her list, ignoring how Frank and Alice were exchanging amused looks. "So, where to next?"

"How about the Bookshop." Neville suggested. "I know that even though Harry lets you read almost everything in his library, you're still twitching at the thought of new books."

"I am not twitching!" Hermione protested. "Am I?"

"Sorry, Hermione, but you kind of are." Harry smiled and Hermione sagged.

"Really?"

"Really. Sorry."

Hermione sighed as she moved out of the way of a scruffy wizard who was making his way from Gringotts to Knockturn. "Drat. Okay, Bookshop it is."

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"Did you get it?"

"Here."

The cloaked figure handed a small item to the scruffy wizard. "Here. One of my Father's re-usable Portkeys to his vacation home in Canada. The Wards there haven't been upgraded as it's a Malfoy property rather than a Black one."

"Good." The scruffy wizard tucked away the bagged item, then handed a small box to the cloaked figure. "Unshrink this at home. It'll be useful and for some of the items, instructions are provided. When the time comes, you will stand with our Lord. Until then, keep a low profile."

"I will. Good luck."

The scruffy wizard turned to go, the breeze briefly catching the sleeve of his robe, lifting it just enough to reveal a fragment of a tattoo, then he was gone, leaving only a slight pop to mark that he had been there. The cloaked figure stepped back into one of the shadows, then he vanished in the characteristic whirl of a Portkey, a strand of whitish-blond hair visible in the instant before he was gone.

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"…and done!" Hermione ticked off the last item on her list, carefully ignoring the dramatic sighs of relief that Harry and Neville gave as she said it. "That's everything on the list purchased, we're good to go."

"And ahead of schedule, too." Harry noted, glancing at his watch. "In fact, I think we have enough time for a round of ice cream before we need to think about heading back."

"To Fortesque's!" Neville declaimed and Hermione shook her head in mock-despair.

"You've been spending too much time around Sirius."

"And we'll be spending even more time with them when we get to Hogwarts." Harry pointed out.

"There go my hopes for a quiet year." Hermione mourned as Frank led the way to the Alley's famous ice-cream parlor.

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"Welcome back, Barty." Voldemort looked up from the papers spread across the table. "I trust all went well?"

"It did, my Lord." Bartemius Crouch (Jr) bowed, pulling a small bag out of his robe pocket. "Here is the Portkey that Draco Malfoy gave me."

"Excellent." Voldemort almost purred. "Peter's swapped some Muggle money for that used in Canada and America and Gellert's contacts will soon provide us with Muggle documentation, allowing us to travel without risking coming to the attention of the American Aurors."

"And with my father obliviated of the knowledge that he kept me captive under the Imperius for a decade, no-one will be looking for me." Barty agreed, stroking his luxuriant beard. "And even if they were, they wouldn't recognise me."

"It is remarkable how facial hair can alter someone's looks." Voldemort agreed, stroking his own mustache. "I assume that you managed to get into your family vault and retrieved your wand?"

"I did." Barty confirmed, pulling a wand from out of his belt-holster and holding it out for Voldemort to look at. "My father had placed it with the old family wands. I also picked up some money and a few of the smaller enchanted objects that he had confiscated from your old followers, but never handed over. He had a label with each one, saying who he'd taken it from and what the enchantments did."

"He probably kept them as blackmail material." Voldemort mused as a second bag was placed by the first on the table. "If not for him discovering your true loyalties, which was highly unfortunate, he would have made a play for the position of Minister of Magic… but instead, we got that weakling Fudge."

"Very fortunate." Barty agreed.

"If all goes well, we'll be in Canada by the end of the week and in America a day later." Voldemort smirked. "I wonder how many Obscurials we'll be able to claim… and if this ritual works, we'll be able to control them, using and deploying them against our enemies. The power of an Obscurial, directed and controlled… not even Merlin could have matched the power that is ours to claim…"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Does Draco have the speaker-stone?"

"He does, my Lord."

"Then we shall have real-time intelligence on what is happening in Hogwarts." Voldemort noted, only to pause as a knock sounded. "Enter."

"My Lord!" Peter squeaked as he scurried in, a large bag held out in his hands. "You were right, it worked! I was able to retrieve the cabinet! Here it is!"

"And once the doors are put back on and the runes re-energized, we shall once again have our method of entering Hogwarts at will, irrespective of the number of Wards they put up." Voldemort gloated as he took the large bag from Peter's hands. "Well done, both of you. With your efforts, our path to victory is truly attainable despite the losses our cause has taken!"

Both wizards straightened with pride at Voldemort's words.

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"I ate too much." Hermione groaned as she carefully sat down on one of the sofas in the Diagon Flat, then leaned back with a heartfelt sigh. "Why did I ever let you persuade me to try one of those Dragonsized Chocolate Sundaes? And who knew that there were so many different types of chocolate?"

"Harry, I'd just like you to know that I hate you for your ability to eat all of yours, then finish off Hermione's and mine when we couldn't do it ourselves." Neville stated, causing Harry to laugh.

"Well, at least we're ready for Hogwarts." Harry countered. "Soon we'll be on the train and catching up with all of our friends."

"I think I'll try out for the Quidditch team." Neville mused. "If I remember rightly, one of the Beater positions is going to need filling."

"I'll be happy to let you use my pitch to practise on." Harry offered.

"Neville, we're heading back." Alice gave Neville a quick kiss on his forehead as she walked past. "Will you be back in time for tea?"

"After that enormous ice-cream?" Neville half-chuckled. "Please tell me it's going to be a light snack?"

"Nothing more than a light salad, I promise." Frank laughed as he followed his wife into the Switching Room, closing the door behind them.

"Harry, would you like to come over for tea?" Hermione asked. "It'll be rather late, but Mum's making her chicken curry tonight…"

"Hermione, for your mum's chicken curry, I'd wrestle a dragon." Harry replied almost instantly.

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"Well, gentlemen, this is it." Voldemort stated as he carefully placed three vials of a multi-colored liquid on the workbench. "Our new forms await us."

"My Lord…" Peter said diffidently and Voldemort waved for him to continue. "While this potion allows you to change into your Animagus form, it only works once. Afterwards, you need to be able to remember exactly what it felt like… how transforming felt like, how your new body works and how changing back feels like. Even then, it takes a lot of practise… Potter was the best of us, but it still took him over a month until he was able to change into Prongs at will without getting stuck partway and needing help changing back to normal…"

"Your warning is noted and appreciated, my Inquisitor." Voldemort said and Peter jerkily bowed before skittering backwards into the corner. "Gellert, Barty, let us acquire the skill which Peter has so graciously led us to, the skill that will prevent Potter from using that anti-magic spell to render us defenceless. As the old saying goes, down the hatch!"

"Bottoms up!" Gellert chuckled as he picked up the vial before him. With an expert movement of his thumb, he flicked the stopper off, then raised it to his lips and swallowed the contents as quickly as he could.

"For the cause!" Barty raised the vial as if in a toast, then he swallowed the liquid, grimacing at the taste. Peter watched nervously, his wand at the ready, as all three wizards suddenly convulsed as the potion took effect.