Chapter 25: Furious Ferrets

Adam walked out the shop to see Sirius still leant against the glass, halfway towards a nap.

'Sirius let's go'

'Sirius' said Adam a little louder.

'Whah, not so loud man' replied Sirius groggily finding his feet.

'Oh it's you', checking his watch, 'you took ages in there, got your wand'.

'Nope'.

'Why not' asked Sirus quizzically.

'The old man is busy making it' he replied.

'Making it custom eh, well aren't you a special customer, never heard of Ollivander making a custom wand before, but there you have it, on to the rest of your stuff then'.

----

'We've got your robes, potions and equipment, so next are the books .... there we go Flourish and Blotts' said Sirius finding it before pointing towards the north side of the alley.

Adam and Sirius edged sideways through the heavy crowds, pushing their way into the entranceway of Flourish and Blotts.

Looking around Adam could see the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. One book growled and even writhed in chains to the left of Adam.

'Ok - ay that's a lot of books, but damn does this bring me back' said Sirius.

----

After acquiring all the necessary books on the Hogwarts list, Adam and Sirius perused the other books shelves for anything that might be interesting.

' Oh wow haven't seen this one since I was a kid, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, bedtime reading for any young witch or wizard' Sirius remarked, holding up a beautifully illustrated copy with the symbol of the deathly hallows adorning its front.

'Quidditch Through the Ages, damn what a book, they've updated the cover' a quidditch player moved on its cover hurling a bludger at an unseen opponent.

'I still don't get why you are so into quidditch it seems a silly game even more than the muggle football you introduced me to last week, why do you people have such an obsession with balls' noted Adam reminiscing on Sirius's attempts to introduce him to the world around him.

'You people ... you people, you just don't get it, the nerves, the nail-biting moments, you should have seen me and James back in the day, the quaffle shots were crazy' said Sirius dramatically feigning offence.

As Sirius and Adam were enjoying themselves perusing the shelves, in walked a tall blond blond-haired pale man with a cold snooty snare followed by the mans clone in training, the shop quieted down as witches and wizards moved away from the man like the plague

'Black' spat the man.

Sirius turned around only for his face is harden into a scowl as he caught sight of the man who had said his name.

'Malfoy, I see you've come to rain on everyone's parade'.

'I'm so terribly surprised to see you Sirius, I thought you'd left to consort with muggles years ago, so sad turning your back on wizarding kind ... but I guess you finally realized you weren't good enough, sad it took all your friends dying for you to realize that' said Lucius making a poor attempt at pretending to be empathetic.

'I don't need a death eater, to lecture me about my choices' replied Sirius taking a step towards Lucius.

'No need to get angry Sirius, would it not be better for you to conduct yourself, with some modicum of civility in front of children, come Draco we shan't waste more time consorting with blood traitors' Lucius span on his heel striding out of the building his cane striking the cobblestone outside the shop, Draco trailing behind putting on a Malfoy trademark sneer as they left the shop.

'Who was that man' asked Adam.

'That was the one and only Lucius Malfoy, he managed to get away with a slap on the wrist after the last war by claiming he was controlled under imperius but I don't buy it for a minute. Come let us pay for these books and then we can go pick up your wand, hopefully, Ollivander is done by now'.

After paying for the books Adam and Sirius walked back down the Alley towards Gringottsz finally coming to Ollivander's store only to see a come back later sign hung in front of the store.

'Damn' said Adam.

'Any ideas' replied Sirius.

'You ever gone down there' said Adam pointing to an unassuming side street.

'No, but we can check it out'.

Adam and Sirius walked down the tight side street being careful not to touch the soot-stained walls of the buildings on either side.

After making two or three turns the alley opened up to the entrance of an outdoor-styled indoor shopping area, Victorian wrought iron arches supporting a mass of impossibly large glass panes.

Above the market stood a sign.

Carkitt Market

'I can't believe I've never gone here before' said Sirius looking around at all the aged wizards milling around, 'It's almost like they're not sharing information about this placd intentionally' spreading his arm to indicate the crowds of witches and wizards nom of them younger than one hundred and fifty.

Straight ahead of them stood Eternelle's Elixir of Refreshment a gothic structure, but a shop caught Adams's eye, sat humbly between Cogg and Bell clockmakers and Concordia Musical Instruments, Bowman E. Wright Blacksmiths a column of smoke flowing out its chimney above the glass arches.

Walking into the shop Adam and Sirius saw all manner of metal work, sculptures, swords, shields, enchanted hit wizard heavy battle armour, a selection of rings and jewellery.

Out of a room at the back, smoke creeped under the door beginning to spill into the room.

From the room, they heard a violent coughing coming from it. Sharing a look, Sirius brought up his wand.

Alohamora, Ventus

The door opened wind spilling in like a gale, forcing black acrid smoke out of the room. Out of the room stumbled a short but bulky man covered in soot, who doubled over making phlemey retching noises as he coughed and spluttered smoke and soot from his lungs.

Cough, Cough

'Aaaahhh' standing back up 'Thanks ... For the assist mate, I think the kindling was a bit too wet, how can I help you guys ... I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm Bowman' he said extending his hand and arm so black with soot that you couldn't see the skin beneath?

Taking him by the hand Adam, shook his hand his hand going grey in the process.

"Arrrgghh that's gross" said Calcifer.

'Woah kid that's quite the grip, you should come try your hand at metalworking, so has anything caught your eye' said Bowman impressed and slightly hyped up.

' Um what's up with the sculptures' said Adam pointing to the intricate animal sculptures made out of thousands of interlocking metal shards, their sharp edges gleaming from the sunlight passing through the shops windows' said Adam not really that interested but not quite having the heart to say that to the man.

'Oh you've got quite the eye kid. that's my attempts to produce artefacts, but they all didn't work out as planned, I was trying to create working automatons, like those I've read the ancient Cretan's were capable of making, but I'm becoming more and more certain that those tales were more myth than reality no matter how many enchantments I string together, it's seems impossible to instil in them some form of independent thought outside a string of instructions, disappointing I know but there's plenty of other stuff to look at in the shop' said Bowman looking quite sullen in his honesty.

"You just have to feel bad for the guy don't ya".

"Calcifer, you know how you controlled the train, could you do the same for one of the sculptures".

"Uh-huh YES, I mean in theory, you know what they say in the warp, if you need a deamon engine, go to Calcifer, I mean I'm proud of my work I've collected all the titans over the years from warhound to castigator" said Calcifer making happy noises.

"Well pick your ride Calcifer" replied Adam in his head, smiling.

'Arrr that's such a shame I would have bought a working automaton, how much are you selling these enchanted sculptures for then?' said Adam.

'I mean a working automaton, would be hundreds of galleons but for a sculpture I think seventy galleons is fair, which one has you interested'.

"The one with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle" shouted Calcifer excitedly in his head.

Adam pointed to it.

'Aaaah, the griffin, one of my finest works, I modelled it after a griffin a good friend of mine looked after called Grey Wing back in 1982.'

The griffin sculpture wasn't too big only 50 cm or so tall but its details seemed infinite each curve and straight line of its feathers passing seamlessly into the next like the endless microscopic fractals of a snowflake.

'This is beautiful, I'll have it' said Adam laying his hands on its beak, a near-invisible red light disappearing into the eagle's eyes as an infernal heart forging itself within the statue's metallic chassis.

'Oh excellent, it's rare to see someone of your age so taken by the artistry of iron'.

Handing over the money, Adam picked the hippogriff up, its body's plates seamlessly moving to fall over his shoulder as he laid it there to carry it out the shop.

'Thanks for the statute' said Adam walking out with Sirius who gave a smile to the man.

Calcifer, however wanting to try out her new body, now looking at the blacksmith draped over the back of Adam's shoulder winked at the man causing him to drop the hammer he had just picked up in the process of returning to his work, the mans face awestruck as Adam turned the corner leaving the store.

After Adam and Sirius were well out of earshot, the blacksmith walked tentatively up to the rest of the statues inspecting them one by one.

'OH ho ho so you all are alive you're just playing hard to get ... I truly am a genius, the jigs up you now.... you can all stop pretending'.

'....', crickets clicked somewhere in Africa.

He walked away before quickly wipping round.

'...'.

'Nothing hhhmmm, keep .... your secrets then, hhhfff' said Bowman stomping back into his slightly less smokey workshop.

----

Returning to Ollivanders Adam and Sirius sighed with relief when they saw an open door inviting them in.

Stepping in with a ding of the doorbell, Adam was greeted by Ollivander who came running up to him.