Freak Accident
Fred walks to the window and opens it to unlock the door. "Come on. Okay, come on. Shhh! Shhh!" He checks that the coast is clear then beckons the others inside. "Okay, come on."
"Do you think she'd be okay... You know if we were here?"
Ron turns to you smiling, "Of course! She loves you and Harry." He reaches for some breakfast rolls. "Do you think it’d be all right if we had some of this?"
"Yeah, Mum would never know."
"It’s not much, but it’s home."
"I think it's incredible."
"Yeah," Harry quickly agrees.
Ron looks up, seeing both you and Harry's mesmerized faces. Ron slowly smiles to himself, glad that you both liked his home.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"
You all nearly jumped out of your skin. Mrs. Weasley was blending in with the darkness of the hallway, must have been her shadow magic, and she was furious.
"Y/n," She pats your cheek, "Harry, how wonderful to see you, dear." She then turns back to Fred, George, "Beds empty! No note! Car gone! You could've died! You could've been seen!" She turns back to you and your brother, "Of course, I don’t blame you, Y/n or you Harry, dear."
"They were starving them, Mum! There were bars on their window! I think they were also taking their letters!"
"Well, you'd best hope that I don't put bars on your window, Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley starts softening instantly when turning to you and Harry, "Come on you two. Time for a spot at breakfast."
You hear some walking down the stairs and look up to see a little red-headed girl.
"Mummy. Have you seen my jumper--"
"Yes dear. It was on the cat."
The girl looks at your brother wide eyed.
"Hello. Did I do something wrong?"
"Ginny. Been talking about you all summer. Dead annoying, really," Ron says, rolling his eyes.
Mr. Weasley comes in, "Morning, Weasleys."
"Morning, dad."
"What a night. Nine raids. Nine! Ah, not to mention that poor Marietta Edgecombe," He shakes his head. "Everyone's seen the video. They've finally got the video whipped."
"What are you talking about? Raids?"
"Dad works in the Ministry of Magic. In the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Dad loves Muggles. Thinks they're fascinating"
"Well now. Who are you two?" He gestures to you both.
"Oh, sorry sir. I’m Y/n, sir, Y/n Potter, and this is my brother Harry."
"Good Lord, are you really? Ron’s told us all about you guys, of course. When did they get here?"
"This morning. Your sons flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night," Molly says darkly.
"Did you really! How’d it go?!"
You had to hold in your laughter when seeing Mr. Weasley's face change when catching Mrs Molly's face.
"Arthur!"
"I mean...that was very wrong, indeed, boys. Very wrong of you. Now, you both must know all about Muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"
"I'm sorry?"
Suddenly an owl flies in with letters.
"Well, that’ll be Errol with the post. Oh, fetch it will you Percy, please?"
"Oh, Errol," Percy says. "Oh look, it’s our Hogwarts letters. And they’ve sent us Harry and Y/n's as well."
"Dumbledore must know you’re both here. Doesn’t miss a trick, that man." Mr. Weasley says.
"Oh, No," Mrs. Weasley shakes her head.
"This lot won’t come cheap, Mum. The spell books alone..."
"We’ll manage. Right then. There’s only one place we’re going to get all of this: Diagon Alley."
You looked at your food, before finally speaking up, "Mr. Weasley?"
"Yes Y/n?"
"You mentioned Marietta Edgecombe and a video?"
"It's confidential Y/n. I'm sorry."
"I was there when it happened."
Mr. Weasley's eyes widened, "You were? I thought it was a party for Ravenclaws."
"Yeah, um... Is.. Well, do you know what happened to her?"
Mr. Weasley chews on his food, before rubbing his chin, "Well, you were there Y/n. You probably know more than me."
"The fungus on her body-"
"Fungus? There was no fungus found on the body?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry asks, and you turned to him.
You sigh, "It's a long story. But there was fungus on her body. Wouldn't the video show it?"
"The video wasn't good quality. Besides, I don't know to much about it anyway, not my department."
"Do you know who's it would be?"
"If I could tell you, I would, Y/n."
"You were at a party and someone died?" Fred asks, chuckling.
"How were you invited to a party and we weren't?" George complains, gesturing towards him and his brother, but you just rolled your eyes.
"Who let you go to that party, Y/n? That's very irresponsible." Percy scolded you.
"Well, we know why he wasn't invited," Ron jokes, causing a loud burst of laughter erupts from the table as Percy frowned, glaring at Ron.
"That's enough boys."
Mrs. Weasley picks up a pot off the mantel. "You first, Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley offers a flowerpot, which has a layer of very soft dust at the bottom. Harry frowns in confusion, before looking back at you and you shrug.
"Mom, they've never traveled by Floo Powder before."
"Floo Powder?" You and your brother ask at the same time.
"Oh, well, you go first, Ron. So that the Potter twins can see how it's done. Yes, in you go. That's it."
"Diagon Alley!" Ron yells, before disappearing.
"You see? It's quite easy, dear. Don't be afraid. Come on. Come on. In you go. That's it. Mind your head. That's right. Now, take your Floo powder. That's it, very good. Now, don't forget to speak very, very clearly."
"Diagonally." Harry speaks before disappearing.
"What did he say, dear?"
"Diagonally."
"That's what I thought." She turns towards you, "Diagon Alley dear. Not what Harry said."
You nod your head, before doing as Ron did.
Harry struggled in the area he was in. He groaned when realizing he probably said the wrong thing when using the Floo Powder.
"Mr. Malfoy! What a pleasure to see you again. If I may, just in today --"
Harry perks, peaking through a crack to see Malfoy, his father, and the store owner presumably.
"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin. But selling."
"Selling?"
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry of Magic is conducting more raids, since that girl died at that party. There are even rumors of a new Muggle Protection Act..." Lucius unravels a roll of parchment and hands it to Borgin. "I have a few... ah... items at home that might prove embarrassing if the Ministry were to call. Certain poisons and the like..."
"Hmmm... yes. I see... "
Draco reaches out to a pale hand, an angel's hand that was pale white with blue veins. Suddenly the hand grabs him and Draco shrieks, struggling to free himself. When he finally slips free, he calms down and his eyes twinkle with malicious glee.
"Can I have this?"
"Ahh, the Hand of Heaven. Insert a flower, light it with a match, and use the fire to burn a piece of someone. like their hair, of someone and they become obsessed with you. Thieves and Plunderers used it to trick the rich. Your son has fine taste. But aren't you a Fae, boy? Don't you already have that ability?"
"My son's Fae powers haven't come in yet. It comes with puberty, you should know that. Besides, hopefully, he'll amount to more than a theif. Though if his marks don't pick up-"
"It's not my fault the teachers have favorites. That Y/n Potter and her Granger friend-"
Mr Malfoy shakes his head before Borgin snarkily remarks "Your girlfriend?"
Harry snarled hearing that but keeps quiet.
"Y/n Potter is not my girlfriend. She only gets what she wants because she's the 'Chosen One'." Draco shakes his head, frustrated. Draco didn't want to mention that he wanted to use the Hand on Y/n, because that would be pathetic using magic to make someone love you.
"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizarding family beat you in every exam. Not to mention a girl who's parents are dead and she doesn't know anything about the wizard life. Pathetic waste of genes."
Draco's face darken slightly, but it was so quick, Harry nearly missed it. Harry wanted to punch that man, talking about his sister like that. Mr. Malfoy knew nothing about you, so how dare he talk about you as if he knew you?
"It's the same all over. Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere."
Mr Malfoy's face darkened, "Not with me."
Borgin checks off one last time, and then returns the parchment to Lucius. Satisfied, he nods.
"Very good. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow. Come, Draco."
"So you're dentists! Fascinating! I understand other Muggles quite fear you? Why is that?"
You finally spot your brother with Hermione. You rush over to him, hugging him.
"Where have you been?"
"Some shop-" But before Harry could finish, Molly interrupted.
"Oh, Harry. Thank goodness. We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far. Come now. We're off to Flourish and Blotts."
"Isn't it thrilling! Gilderoy Lockhart's going to be there! We can actually meet him! I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!" Hermione shines and you roll your eyes.
"Who?"
"Some pretty guy who writes books."
"Oh, he's so much more than that," Hermione correct and you shake your head.
You and Harry, along with others make your way through a chattering throng of middle-aged ladies, all craning their necks for a view of Lockhart, who sits signing books at the rear of the shop. At the sight of him, Mrs. Weasley pats her hair.
"There he is!" Mrs. Weasley says happily.
"Mum fancies him." For this, Mrs. Weasley gives Ron a jab in the shoulder. A short man with a camera pushes past you all.
"Out of the way! This is for The Daily Prophet!"
At those words, Lockhart looks up, flashes a smile, when his eyes suddenly wander. "It can't be the Potters?" The crowd whispers excitedly as Lockhart dives forward, seizing you and your brother's hand and turning you both towards the photographer.
Under his breath, Lockhart whispers, "Nice big smile, you two. All of us will rate the front page." The camera flashes brightly. "Ladies, gentlemen and creatures! What an extraordinary moment this is. When young Y/n and Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me-"
"What is he talking about?" You whisper to your brother, who shrugs, just as confused as you.
"Which incidentally is celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop The Daily Prophet's Bestseller List. They had no idea that they would, in fact, be leaving with my entire collected works! Free of charge!"
"Um.. Thank you, but we really need to go," You push, moving past the crowd, your brother close behind you.
You give your books to Mrs. Weasley, while Harry hands his to Ginny, "You guys can have these, we'll but our own."
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potters? Famous Y/n and Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Where the bloody heaven did you come from. You just appeared, like a bug."
Ginny is also quick to back you both up, "Leave them alone. They didn't want this!"
"Oh, Harry, seems you got a girlfriend," He then turns to you, "Is Ron Weasley going to defend you next, Potter?"
"I don't need anyone, especially a man to defend. Especially against someone like you," You sneered at him.
"Silence, Draco! Ah... Mr. and Ms. Potter. I don't believe we've met." Lucius Malfoy extends his hand, almost as if he was offering to shake your hand, but instead gently plays his fingers over the fringe of your scalp, revealing your lightening bolt scar. At his touch you withdrawl, ever so slightly. "Forgive me, Y/n. But the scars are a legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you two."
It is weird that he called you by your first name and you scrunched your nose. "He was a murder."
He tilted his nose up, "Yes, a pity about your parents. Curious that you yourself, and your brother, should escape with a mere flesh wound. Curious, too that you speak of him in the past. Surely, you don't think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gone forever."
"His name is Voldemort," Those within earshot gasp as you utter the word. "Besides, you can't bring back what's dead."
"You know that's not true. Also, you must be very brave, Ms. Potter, to dare speak his name. Or foolish."
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
Lucius Malfoy's eyes slide, finding Hermione staring defiantly. "You must be Miss Granger. Draco's told me about you... and your parents. Muggles, aren't you?"
You snarled at Draco, who repeated you. They continued to talk and you weren't quite listening, just glaring at Draco, who also wasn't breaking eye contact with you.
"Obviously not. Dear me. What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it."
You look over to Lucius, who was baiting Mr Weasley, but you heard Draco remark something under his breath and you turned back to him, "Got something to say, rat?"
"You don't get it do you?" Draco said, though he sounded worried, not sarcastic, as if he was actually warning you.
"Get what?"
"The danger you're in."
"Danger? What danger?"
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but he's grabbed by his father, "Come on, Draco. We're leaving."
"No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Rotten ter the core, the whole family..." Hagrid remarks, as the Malfoys left. Though Draco Malfoy knew something you didn't, something that could possibly put you in danger