The Denizens of Diagon Alley
Maya Shafiq hated the summer. There was no way to sugarcoat it. She really hated the summer. Not because of the heat, like most summer-haters probably did, but because of what it reminded her of. Or more precisely, who it reminded her of.
Jacob Shafiq. Her older brother who had gone missing in September, 1981, right before You-Know-Who's fall.
Jacob had always come home for the summer holidays. He may have missed a few Christmases or Easters, but never a summer. The months of July and August used to be Maya's favourite time of year, but now she hated them more than any other.
The pain of losing her brother had been dulled by time, but it did not become any smaller. The summer holidays seemed to amplify it by a hundredfold.
There was only one thing to do.
Maya had to keep busy. She put down the large box she was carrying and knocked on the back door of the Leaky Cauldron. A wrinkly, balding old man opened the door with a toothless grin.
"Maya! I... Good Lord, did you carry that all the way here by yourself?"
Maya picked her box back up. "Yes, I did. You ordered half a dozen fish pies, sir?"
"Psh, I told you not to call me 'sir'," said the innkeeper with an airy wave of his hand. "There's no need to use that customer-talk on me! Just call me Tom like everyone else. Here, let me take that," he said, trying to take the box of pies off her hands.
Despite Tom's confidence, Maya was pretty sure that he was more frail than she was. She insisted he let her carry it instead, and the wrinkly old wizard relented. Although Tom gave a grumpy impression, his true colours were that of a friendly old man.
Maya carried the box to the dingy kitchen and placed it on the counter. She took a moment to look at her hands and saw that they were caked with sweat and dust. "Mind if I use your bathroom, Tom?" she asked.
Tom looked quite glad to hear her use his forename. "Of course not! The loo's still in the back where you remember it."
Maya thanked the old innkeeper and went to wash her hands. She realised that her face was in a similar state, so she removed her hat and glasses before splashing herself with water. After putting her spectacles back on, she took a moment to examine her reflection as she wiped her hands on her apron.
Although Jacob's reputation as a possibly-cursed madman was the primary reason behind Maya's aversion to human interaction, her appearance played a part in it too. Simply put, Maya didn't look like the standard British girl. Her caramel-coloured skin was a bit too dark to pass as a tan and her striking amber eyes were almost orange. Like her name, both of those traits had come from her father, and were often described as "exotic" to put it mildly. The fact that Maya had also gotten a slight American accent from her mother didn't help either.
The twelve-year-old was fixing her dark brown curls when her reflection said, "You're putting on weight, dear."
"Technically, I'm getting back what I lost," said Maya. She wasn't kidding—much of the roundness in her face had been lost after a disastrous experience with a Draught of Peace.
"I meant it as a compliment," said the talking mirror. "You're building up some muscle, too."
Maya pulled her floppy witch hat back on her head. "Again, getting back what I lost." Excessive exposure to such potions could do that to a person. If the side effects of the Draught of Peace ever came up on her exams, Maya wouldn't have to worry about that question. Sedation, inactivity, lowered vision... She had them all memorised due to first-hand experience.
Thankfully, however, she was starting to resemble herself from before Jacob's disappearance. She'd cut her hair back to shoulder-length, so the only big difference was her glasses.
"The patrons really like your mum's pies," said Tom. "I reckon we'll have to hurry if we want to set up a dedicated delivery system before you go back to Hogwarts."
"Maybe Mom can repurpose the Niffler Statue?" Maya suggested. The current idea was to use Floo powder, but they were having difficulties. "Or maybe not, since I doubt it can climb up and open the brick wall..."
"Perhaps you could ask Villanelle. She's always full of excellent ideas," Tom pressed a few Sickles into Maya's free hand with a wink, "and get yourself something nice. You've earned it."
Maya beamed. "Thank you, sir—I mean, Tom." She left the Leaky Cauldron with a smile on her face and her pockets slightly heavier. She placed her box on the ground, climbed on top of it, and tapped the spot that would open up the brick wall. It was tedious, but necessary—the wall predated the Statute of Secrecy, and was connected to the wall behind Maya's home. Although the Leaky Cauldron no longer needed such a wall thanks to the magic protecting it, Kowalski Quality Baked Goods was still open to Muggles (their primary source of income). The brick wall was there to stop any Muggles who might somehow wander through the back door, despite the numerous Muggle-Repelling Charms.
The barrier parted, and Maya stepped into Diagon Alley. It was what Maya called the high tide; the time where the place was bustling with wizards and witches of all ages as it lived up to its reputation as the centre of Wizarding London. Maya tapped her box twice and it shrunk down to fit in her pocket, right next to the Sickles. She tugged on her hat and made a beeline for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
She wasn't going there to get herself a gift, no. She actually had a different reason to go to that shop. She'd gotten her letter from Hogwarts recently, and according to what Professor McGonagall had written there, she would need to get not only The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 but also some very warm winter clothes. The notice had made Maya wince with guilt—near the end of her first year, she had released the Curse of Ice from the trophy room on the sixth floor. While Maya had gotten what she had come for, as well as one hundred house points from Dumbledore, releasing the ancient curse was completely unintentional on her part. And now, everyone in the school would have to pay for it. Literally.
Guilty as she felt, she also felt it was worth it. The trophy room had been bearing an encoded message, the first half of which had been deciphered as 'The Ice Knight stands guard beyond the Vanished Stairs.' The second half was incomplete, but the words 'steal', 'heart', and 'key' had been made out. Maya's first and best friend, Rowan Khanna, had guessed that stealing the Ice Knight's heart would be the key to... something. Maya agreed, though the task sounded daunting. She was on the antisocial side, and if the title 'Ice Knight' was any indication, it would take Gilderoy Lockhart's level of charm to win over their heart.
"Hello there, dear!" Madam Malkin welcomed Maya into her shop, bringing the young girl back to the present. "Let me guess—winter clothes? Don't worry, I'll have you fitted in no time. Oh! Finished picking out your daughter's clothes already, Mr Tonks?"
Maya nearly jumped at the name—Nymphadora Tonks was one of the Hufflepuffs in her year, and she wasn't exactly friends with Maya. Their encounter was bound to be an awkward one should it happen.
Mr Tonks smiled at the selection of clothes in his hands as if he didn't fully understand them. "Yes, these should fit Dora's tastes," he said.
Yeah, that looks about right. Maya didn't know Tonks very well, but she did know that the Hufflepuff liked to wear bright, colourful, and somewhat tattered clothes under her Hogwarts robes. Being a Metamorphmagus, Tonks also liked changing her hair to match.
The door opened. "Ted, Dora's either ran off, Metamorphosed herself, or both."
Maya turned and really jumped this time—for a moment, she'd thought that Bellatrix Lestrange had just walked in. The lady wasn't Bellatrix Lestrange—of course not, Lestrange was in Azkaban—but Merlin's beard did they look alike. Maya felt a tinge of pity for the woman and her unfortunate resemblance to the Death Eater.
The woman either didn't notice Maya's reaction or simply didn't care. "By the time I was finished paying for the broom, she was gone."
Mr Tonks sighed. "Not even the promise of a broom could keep her occupied? Hang on for a moment, Dromeda, she's probably in Gambol and Japes..."
Maya watched silently as the couple left and made a mental note to stay away from Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. Tonks was notoriously clumsy, and Maya knew better than to approach her when surrounded by potentially-dangerous joke items.
"Alright, Maya dear." Madam Malkin rubbed her hands together. "I've got a wide selection of warm clothes that fit under work robes, so just take your pick and I'll tailor them to fit you! You like those creamy, ivory colours, right?"
Surprised that Madam Malkin remembered her preferences in clothes, Maya graciously heeded her suggestions. The kind shop owner fitted Maya in woolly jumpers the colour of cake batter and changed any red, blue, or yellow patterns to emerald green at her request. Maya paid for the clothes with her allowance, thanked Madam Malkin, and left the shop.
After getting some ink and parchment, Maya couldn't help but gaze longingly at Quality Quidditch Supplies, which was located right next door. She contemplated it for a moment, and ultimately decided she could afford to spend some of her time window shopping. Ignoring the professional Quidditch robes on display (she had little to no knowledge of Quidditch teams, so their robes were of no interest to her), she went straight to the broomsticks. There was an unusually big crowd there, even for the most popular shop in Diagon Alley. Maya remembered seeing a sign about a new model coming out and managed to poke her head under the arm of a very pale wizard with white-blonde hair and some very fancy robes.
What she saw took her breath away. A brand new racing broom from the Comet Trading Company had come out, the Comet 260. Comets were known for their flashy looks with the quality to match—and if the buzz was any indicator, this new Comet was the by far the best one yet.
Maya felt something twist in her stomach. Her mother was far too strict to buy her a broom, even though she'd gotten Jacob one (he'd broken it, one of the few things Maya resented her brother for). Even so, it was a lifelong dream of Maya's to own a racing broom of her own. From what she could see, the Comet 260 was rather beginner-friendly. Although her talent in flying left much to be desired, Maya couldn't help but think that maybe she would have an easier time with a better broom than the old Shooting Stars used at Hogwarts. But Maya knew she wasn't being honest with herself. Besides, broomsticks were expensive—Maya couldn't afford a Comet with her allowance, especially not when she still had to buy The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 from Flourish and Blotts.
Merlin's beard, it's Ethan Parkin! Captain of the Wigtown Wanderers! Is he here to buy a Comet?
Maya jolted. If Ethan Parkin was here, then there was a good chance his daughter, Skye, was with him. And sure enough, there she was, another one of Maya's classmates who couldn't be called a friend. Unlike Tonks, Skye was a Slytherin like Maya, but that didn't mean Maya had ever held a conversation with her.
Luckily, Skye was too starstruck by the Comet 260 to notice Maya in the crowd. Ethan Parkin didn't bother being discreet about putting in an order for the Comet 260. Maya left the store in a hurry, leaving the wizards and witches clamouring to put in their orders behind her. She pushed the broomstick into the back of her mind alongside Jacob as she weaved through stalls and peddlers, heading for the bookstore. Just as she reached Flourish and Blotts, she heard someone yelling.
"They're gone? What do you mean, they're gone?"
"They really just disappeared, madam!" yelled a pale young wizard. He looked very frazzled from losing whatever it was he had lost. "Not even the Summoning Charm is working anymore!"
Madam Villanelle, the charismatic owner of Flourish and Blotts, managed to keep her calm demeanour. She did look very disappointed, though, with one hand on her purple headband.
"Is this a bad time?" Maya asked. "I can come back later."
"Oh, it's alright, Maya." Madam Villanelle readjusted her hair and headband, fixing the dreads gathered at the top of her head. Maya couldn't help but find it fascinating how the witch managed to pull off the style without looking like a human pineapple. "We seem to have lost our copies of The Invisible Book of Invisibility. Quite a shame. They cost us a fortune, but we'll manage..."
The young wizard fidgeted nervously. "This is the worst," he muttered. "I'll be fired for sure..."
Maya glanced at the wilting wizard. "Just how many did you lose?" she asked.
Madam Villanelle let out a deep sigh. "Two hundred, I'm afraid. But you have no need to fret about them, Maya. What do you need?" she said, changing the subject while her employee stared at the empty shelves gloomily.
"Er, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2."
"That's it?" asked Madam Villanelle. "Your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor didn't assign you any books? Well, Trimble's is one of the best, so I suppose it's understandable."
Flourish and Blotts was roomier than usual, likely due to the Comet 260 drawing everyone to Quality Quidditch Supplies along with the missing two hundred books. It made finding the textbook much easier and allowed Maya to peruse the other towering piles of books at her leisure. Even after paying for The Standard Book of Spells, she still had some allowance left. Combined with the bonus from Tom, she had a lot of options to choose from.
Although Maya would have liked to check The Invisible Book of Invisibility for tips on finding the so-called Vanished Stairs, that wasn't an option. She tried looking through Divination books instead. She had had prophetic visions at Hogwarts ranging from seeing and hearing things before they happened to uncovering the truth behind the attempted murder of one of her friends. Her Inner Eye had been useful so far, so she had been hoping that maybe she could make better use of it with the help of Professor Trelawney.
The Dream Oracle... None of Maya's premonitions had come to her in her dreams, so that probably wouldn't help... Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks... Nope, not that... Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming... Seeing death omens was the last thing Maya needed. Plus, the Grim on the cover gave her the creeps.
But even after several minutes of browsing, Maya just didn't know enough about Divination to pick the right book for her. And while Maya would have normally asked for help, she didn't want to tell Madam Villanelle about her visions. She was well aware of how crazy she would sound, and she didn't have a good excuse to be looking for specific Divination books either. She was about to leave for another shop when a certain book caught her eye.
"Chronicles of a Curse-Breaker?" Maya wondered aloud, picking up the scarlet leather-bound book. She could see the silhouette of a witch on the cover beneath the gilded letters of the title.
"Interested in Curse-Breaking, Maya?" Madam Villanelle was watching her with a sad sort of smile. "It looks like blood truly does run thicker than water."
Madam Villanelle didn't know Maya's father very well, and Maya's mother could hardly be called a Curse-Breaker, so she must have meant...
"Did Jacob ever come here to read about Curse-Breaking, Madam Villanelle?"
Madam Villanelle chuckled. "Before you were born, he would read anything and everything he could get his hands on. Clair often came to find him after he lost track of the time," she said. "And yes, Curse-Breaking was one of his favourite subjects. He would love that book—it's the best one about Curse-Breaking I've read yet."
That didn't really come as a surprise to Maya. With all the travel and puzzles, Curse-Breaking was an obvious dream job for her adventurous brother. And that wasn't even accounting for his strange love of dusty things. Any treasure he might be allowed to keep was an added bonus.
Now that she thought about it, finding and opening the Cursed Vaults would technically fall under the umbrella of Curse-Breaking. Maya eyed the book in her hands, getting the feeling that she had just struck gold.
"Madam Villanelle, how much for this one?"
Chronicles of a Curse-Breaker landed just inside Maya's budget, even without Madam Villanelle knocking off a few Knuts for a neighbour. Maya eagerly emptied her pockets of coins, dumping silver Sickles on the counter. She would have flipped the book open right then and there if the Sickles hadn't started rattling.
The box erupted back to full size, knocking coins, parchment, quills, and Madam Villanelle's inkwell off the counter. But those objects never hit the floor—Madam Villanelle had drawn her wand and suspended them in midair.
"Sorry!" Maya yelped. She hastily patted the box, shrinking it back down before returning it to her pocket.
"Don't worry, Maya." Madam Villanelle slowly twirled her wand, returning the odds and ends back to their original place. "That reminds me, have you solved your delivery problem yet?"
"Not really," said Maya. "Casting an Imperturbable Charm on the boxes solved the soot problem, but we've still got to stop the loaves from being launched out the wrong fireplaces. And we need to slow them down so that the pies and tarts don't splatter on the wall either." It was especially disastrous whenever something ended up in the Apothecary instead of the Leaky Cauldron—Maya would never forget the look in Mr Mulpepper's eyes after an entire apple pie had come whizzing out of his fireplace and crashed into a shelf. It was even more memorable than the putrid smell, especially since Mr Mulpepper had a reputation for shady dealings in Knockturn Alley.
Madam Villanelle nodded, her eyes glazing over as she thought about the problem. "Both of those could be solved with a Summoning Charm. However, it would have to be cast from the receiving end... Perhaps if you set up an alarm to let Tom know when the deliveries are coming? Then he would be able to properly receive them."
"An alarm, huh?" Maya muttered. "That could be done with two horns and a Protean Charm."
"May I suggest bells as an alternative? Alarms don't necessarily have to be loud," Madam Villanelle reminded her.
"Oh, right. They would be easier to sound, too."
Maya had been caught up in the idea that alarms had to be loud enough to hear from anywhere, something that had been rooted in her mind ever since she'd heard a Caterwauling Charm go off five years ago. That day had been a blur of chaos and confusion, but Maya remembered how it ended; with the Dark Mark floating over Diagon Alley as Jacob held her in his arms.
At any rate, Maya had an idea of what to do now. She thanked Madam Villanelle, tucked her new books into her mokeskin bag, and finally left Flourish and Blotts. Her next destination; Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Florean was deceptively clever and talented in many fields for an ice cream man. The new delivery system was shaping up to be rather complicated, but if anyone could help with it, it was Florean.
Florean was chatting animatedly through a two-way mirror. Upon getting closer, Maya identified the other voice as Mr Sugarplum's.
"...too sweet, so you ought to reduce the amount of chocolate per sundae," Mr Sugarplum was saying.
"Yes, that should work," said Florean. "And add more raspberries for more tartness. But I reckon it still needs an extra something—oh! Hello, Maya!"
"Hello, Florean!" Maya stood on her toes to see Mr Sugarplum through the two-way mirror. "Hello, Mr Sugarplum!"
Mr Sugarplum beamed at her. "Good afternoon, lass! Getting ready to return to school, eh? You might want to avoid Gambol and Japes—there's a pair of witches having a rather dramatic stand-off across the street."
"Avoid that area, will you?" Florean gave her a small scoop of ice cream. "Here, have a treat. Chocolate and raspberry."
Maya gladly taste-tested the ice cream. It was sweet, sour, and gave the impression of rich, chocolaty roses blossoming on her tastebuds. However...
"Missing something, innit?"
Maya nodded, and Florean sighed.
"Thought so. Got any ideas?"
After mulling it over, Maya said, "It could use something savoury. I think a nutty flavour would balance out the sweetness. Hazel, maybe?"
"Hazel's good, but peanuts are probably the safer choice." Florean started making chopping motions with his hands. "Or I could mix them... Better write it down on the menu, in case of allergies."
Mr Sugarplum clapped from behind the mirror. "Brilliant! The crunchiness would make a nice texture too. Oh, and let your mum know that the pastries were a smashing hit, will you?"
"I will," Maya chirped. "But I actually wanted to ask you something, Florean..."
"Sure, the Protean Charm would do the trick. I'll stop by and help with it once I'm done shopping at the market," said Florean once Maya was finished explaining. "Gotta stock up on nuts, after all."
"If you need some bells and whistles, stop by at Wiseacre's," suggested Mr Sugarplum. "I'm sure he's got a few trinkets to spare."
Maya thanked the wizards for their help and headed off. She slipped through the people, stopping for a moment to greet a passing group of goblins, and was about to reach Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment when she saw—
"Mr Ollivander!" Maya exclaimed. The wandmaker must have just returned from his core-collecting trip. He was sitting on a chair in front of the Apothecary while Mr Mulpepper tossed various ingredients into a cauldron and stirred vigorously.
Mr Ollivander smiled. "Hello, Maya. Good to see that you're enjoying your life at Diagon Alley again."
"I, er... Yes, thank you, but... Mr Ollivander, are you injured?" Maya asked as Mr Mulpepper ladled a bright green potion into a large cup. She recognised the concoction as a Wiggenweld Potion, though knowing Mr Mulpepper, there were probably a few oddities added in the brewing process.
"Nothing to fret about," said Mr Ollivander. He accepted the cup from Mr Mulpepper and drained it. "There was a particularly fine unicorn, so I just had to pluck a hair from his tail. He nearly gored me when I did, but I managed to get away with nothing but a sprained ankle." He sounded rather proud about that.
Mr Mulpepper laughed. "And this proves that my Felix Felicis works! I'll have to start brewing the next batch right away." But then, his face suddenly fell. "Oh, that's right... I'm out of ingredients."
Maya winced. "I should be going now," she said hastily. The two wizards waved her off as she headed for Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment. The old Mr Wiseacre was more than willing to give her a pair of old bells. Maya paid him a couple of Knuts, even though he insisted she take them for free.
As she returned to Kowalski Quality Baked Goods, Maya thought about how kind and friendly everyone was. She knew the reason behind those pleasantries, and it wasn't a good one. It had only been a year ago when her family had been practically estranged from the rest of Diagon Alley. Maya hadn't even dared leave the bakery without the protective amulet from her father. The rumours that Jacob was mad, cursed, or outright evil had cracked their relationships. Cruel whispers and cautious gazes had surrounded Maya wherever she went.
And they still did.
Though Maya was grateful to her neighbours, glad that she could call Diagon Alley home again, it wasn't the same. That tragedy—Jacob's disappearance—had left a lasting scar. People tended to ignore or cover their scars. But this scar ran deep, and Maya could sense it underneath every smile and greeting. Whether they were trying to ignore it or cover it up didn't matter. No one would ever mention Jacob. Not even Clair Kowalski, who simply tried to work herself to the bone in order to avoid thinking about him. Maya had a sneaking suspicion that the denizens of Diagon Alley were trying to accept that Jacob was gone.
She also guessed that they were trying to get her to do the same. Frankly, it was more than a guess. She had heard it.
Maya, you have to let him go.
But Maya was not going to let him go. She could not let him go. Even if it meant standing against the entire world, she would not let him go.
There was only one thing to do.
I'll find you, Jacob. I swear it.