The headmaster's idea of a trip to Diagon Alley came to fruition only three days later, during which time Flamia had, so to speak, adapted. Now, she was known as Flamia Nightfolk, a student from America who had come to England in the summer due to personal reasons linked to family issues. This move had been arranged long before the Ministry acknowledged Voldemort's return and could not be canceled. Her parents, on good terms with the headmaster, had asked him to immediately admit their daughter to the school for safety. This was announced to all the professors, and after a brief meeting with the relevant parties, it was decided not to conduct a Sorting for her. A suitable room was arranged close to the Gryffindor common room, guarded by the portrait of a rather gloomy wizard known as Bruce the Recluse. As Harry observed, Bruce never wandered into other portraits, and no one visited him. The room was in a deserted corridor, likely chosen so Bruce couldn't reveal the secret room to anyone.
Harry checked the Marauder's Map for about ten minutes to confirm its secrecy, and indeed, the room did not appear, meaning even the Marauders hadn't been able to find it, which was impressive. However, as the headmaster mentioned—and Harry had to agree—finding an appropriate room was only half the task. They also needed a plausible explanation as to why Harry Potter and the new girl wouldn't be sleeping in their house dormitories. Without such an explanation, rumors could be as damaging as openly revealing Flamia's nature. They hadn't found anything suitable yet, but the headmaster remained cheerful, offering lemon drops, and Harry wasn't too worried, knowing Dumbledore was a master of inventing plausible stories. Flamia, however, as the one directly involved, was not as calm, though she agreed with Harry.
During these days, much had happened. Voldemort had finally emerged from the shadows, and deaths had begun. In the Muggle world, a bridge collapsed in a place called Brockdale, splitting right in half, sending a dozen cars into the river along with their passengers. The Ministry refused to comment, but no one doubted who was behind it. Amelia Bones was murdered, with the Ministry even admitting the Dark Lord's hand in it, as he likely killed the powerful witch personally. Anti-Fudge sentiments, already prevalent, were now echoed everywhere, and all of magical Britain demanded his resignation, though the Minister clung to his position. Harry and Flamia both believed he wouldn't last.
Meanwhile, Harry received letters from Ron and Hermione. Ron, seemingly unaware of the tension between Harry and Hermione, only expressed concern and wanted to be sure Harry was all right since news of the attack had, of course, leaked to the press. Harry responded with a long letter explaining what had happened and letting Ron know he would spend the summer at school. Hermione's letter was more cautious, avoiding any mention of their previous correspondence. Harry responded to her in the same way he had to Ron. "Oh, Hermione, you're so clever, sensitive, and capable of teaching anyone tact, but sometimes you lack it yourself," he thought. Not once did he mention in his reply that he had recently told her he didn't want to talk anymore. After rereading his letter, he thought that ignoring the matter only reminded her that his words still stood.
Professor McGonagall was assigned to escort them. Harry suspected that besides her, several other Order members and perhaps some Aurors were also watching over him. It was slightly annoying but comforting, especially after he had felt the consequences of being unprotected just a few days earlier. Recently, the headmaster had advised him to always keep his Invisibility Cloak with him, just in case. Harry doubted it would be sufficient protection, but he followed the advice (after all, it didn't hurt and wasn't a burden).
They Apparated directly to the Leaky Cauldron, where it was empty, with only old Tom polishing the counter absentmindedly. His gaze brightened with hope as he saw them but fell when he met Professor McGonagall's stern eyes. The entrance to Diagon Alley remained unchanged, but the street itself was nearly unrecognizable. The usual vibrant colors and sparkle were covered by Ministry posters. Portraits of known Death Eaters and enlarged leaflets on "How to Protect Your Home and Family from the Dark Arts" were plastered everywhere. Harry had received one of these on the first day of summer, read it thoroughly, found nothing useful, and stuffed it at the bottom of his trunk, where it now remained. The street was nearly deserted, with people quickly darting from one shop to another, barely looking around. While this could partly be due to their arrival well before the students' book lists were issued, the main reason was clearly fear.
"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss Nightfolk, we are here to prepare you both for school in advance. Your OWL results, or their American equivalent, have been reviewed; you will receive them later, but I can say that your grades fit your chosen fields. Therefore, we will purchase the necessary textbooks. Miss Nightfolk, I understand that nearly all of your luggage was lost during transportation and that your wand was damaged. We will replace everything."
"And, Professor, could we stop by the twins' shop afterward?" Harry asked hopefully.
"We'll see, Mr. Potter, if there's time."
Their first stop was to buy Flamia a new wand, or rather, her "first" wand, as Professor McGonagall saw it. Although Harry knew what to expect, Mr. Ollivander's sudden appearance in the previously empty room still caught him off guard.
"Mr. Potter! A pleasure to see you. Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather, very unusual. I trust it's well?"
"Certainly, sir."
"Wonderful. Ah, Minerva McGonagall, mahogany and dragon heartstring? Very supple, perfect for Transfiguration."
"Precisely, Mr. Ollivander, and it serves me to this day."
"Excellent! And Miss…?"
"Nightfolk, sir," Professor McGonagall interjected. "Miss Nightfolk has come from America. Due to an unfortunate incident, she lost her wand and naturally turns to you, the best in this field."
"Right…" Without reacting to her flattery, Ollivander examined Flamia closely. Although he said nothing, he likely noticed a certain resemblance between her and Lily Evans. "Which hand do you use for your wand?"
"Right," she replied, trying to ignore the measuring tape circling her, though it clearly irritated her.
After a long process lasting nearly half an hour, a suitable wand was found—a ten-and-a-half-inch holly wand with a phoenix feather, though not from Fawkes. Judging by Ollivander's look as they left, he had not missed the similarity between her wand and Harry's.
"Professor, is Ollivander protected?" Harry asked, an unexpected thought.
"The entire Alley is protected by the Ministry. Why do you ask?"
"I just thought that people like him, masters in their craft—wandmakers in particular—require special protection. He'd be a prime target for the enemy."
He received no response, and it was time to turn to the books. The professor herself dictated the reading list needed for the new school year. Harry was a bit surprised that they already knew the Defense Against the Dark Arts book, "Face to Face with the Faceless." It was astonishing how quickly they found a teacher… Harry was also quite surprised that he needed a Potions book. Could it be that he had received an "Outstanding"? Snape would go mad! All the purchases were immediately sent to the school, handled by a group of elves who were overjoyed; as Harry understood, summer was always a cursed time for them since so few people remained at the school. They had no one to serve and languished in boredom.
As he left the bookstore, Harry spotted one of the Ministry guards watching over him, who, rather unsuccessfully, was trying to blend into the wall. After that, they headed to Madam Malkin's. Here, they split up; Professor McGonagall wanted to buy something herself, so Harry and Flamia were left alone. It turned out that the girl had an impeccable, though mysterious, sense of style. While picking out clothes, she admitted she didn't know why everything looked so good on her. She then started critiquing her companion's wardrobe. In the end, they bought Harry robes of a different brand and cut, which did indeed suit him better. They also purchased dress robes. Harry initially protested when he saw the silver-colored one Flamia chose for him. But he had to admit it looked great on him, even if it was a bit Slytherin-colored. The girl herself chose a fiery red dress, either just for fun or as a hint… Harry decided not to clarify.
Afterward, they went to the apothecary for ingredients and then to the stationery shop. Flamia didn't want to buy a pet, and they somehow forgot about the broomstick. Harry reminded his head of house about the twins' shop; she started to protest but quickly gave in. Harry even thought she might want to visit herself but needed to maintain the image of a strict professor.
"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" stood out vividly among the other, now gloomy shops. Instead of the Ministry's grim posters, a provocatively bright one adorned its walls. The displays were packed with all kinds of items. The shop was eye-catching; although there weren't many customers, Harry felt this was just a temporary lull, which was actually for the best.
"Yes… They know how to draw attention. Mind you, Mr. Potter, I won't let you buy anything that could throw the school into chaos like it was under our beloved headmistress." At the professor's words, Harry felt a pang of disappointment. He'd so wanted to buy something mischievous and leave it in Snape's office… Let the Potions Master enjoy himself! "Fine, if I must, I'll order it by mail!"
Inside, it was even more impressive than outside. Under his head of house's strict gaze, Harry purchased a few fake wands of various models. The professor, meanwhile, studied a shelf labeled "Daydream Charms" with interest.
"And they almost failed their OWLs because of these!" she said, shaking her head. "That's…remarkable…"
"Professor, we can only offer you one of these sets as a gift!" one of the twins, likely George, appeared beside them. His purple robe matched his red hair as well as herring pairs with milk. "I must admit, we didn't expect to see you here… But who could need these more than you! I can just imagine the teachers' meetings; I suppose Professor Binns is even scarier there than in class…"
"Mr. Weasley, if you were still a student, I'd dock twenty points for disrespecting a teacher!" the head of house exclaimed, then smiled. "But still, a set like this could come in handy…"
"Harry! And you're here too!" Fred, who had noticed what his brother had missed, joined them. "We were all wondering what you've been up to. Mom wrote that you stayed at school. Well then, we have everything you need to turn the school into a grand circus over the summer."
"Mr. Weasley!"
"Oh yes, I apologize, Professor, it's just a joke…"
"All right, Mr. Potter, Miss Nightfolk, you have exactly fifteen minutes. Keep in mind, I'll inspect everything you choose before we leave." It seemed all these conversations had dampened the Gryffindor head of house's mood.
Fred kept Harry busy while George started chatting with Flamia, and Harry had no doubt that the redhead was trying to impress her. The Boy-Who-Lived felt a real pang of jealousy… But he quickly brushed it off—after all, she wasn't his girlfriend. "Or would you like that?" a thought flashed through his mind.
Fred took him to a separate room where he detailed all their achievements and new items. Harry was especially interested in their self-defense products, such as their Shield Hats, which even received an order from the Ministry. Harry took four. Fred also mentioned they were preparing gloves and cloaks with similar properties and promised to send them. Harry initially offered to pay, but the Weasleys flatly refused to accept money from their sponsor. In addition, Harry picked up a few other minor items, like Instant Darkness Powder, various decoys, and the latest fake wand model, which paralyzed anyone who tried to use it. As Harry understood, the twins hadn't put this one on sale yet.
At the exit, the head of house indeed conducted an inspection but, finding no explosives or anything similar, relented and didn't confiscate anything. They returned to the school in high spirits, only to be greeted by news that immediately dampened their mood. The Death Eaters, possibly with the help of giants, had carried out numerous attacks in the southwestern counties…
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