"Do you have something you want to tell me?"

Harry sat in Podmore's office and played with his fingers. "Not particularly." Podmore seemed ready to wait him out however so Harry sighed and said, "I have a reason for spending money on the alley. I'm doing what's good for business, ok?"

Podmore pointed out his window to the alley. "Do you have something to tell me aside from the overspending and mismanaging your funds?"

"What? No." Harry wasn't sure what he wanted to hear. Harry had come down the alley earlier than usual in the hopes of helping Justin paint before he had to go to work at Flourish and Blotts for the day, but Podmore had pulled him inside his office before he made it to the sweet shop. Harry assumed he was going to get on him about spending on the planters.

"I found the ladder on the ground this morning blocking my door. The work crew wouldn't have left it there so I can only assume it was you who fell off. How injured are you?"

Harry frowned at him and then played with his fingers some more. "I'm not," he said.

"So you didn't fall off a ladder?"

"I fell off the ladder," Harry said quietly. "I went to St. Mungo's last night and got my ribs healed."

"You went on your own?"

"Not exactly." Podmore didn't respond and Harry looked up. "Snape saw me fall I guess and took me."

"The same Severus Snape who is helping Albus Dumbledore put together a case to prove that you aren't responsible enough to earn early majority?"

"What do you want me to say?" Harry asked. "I was stupid and I fell. If he hadn't taken me I would have found someone else to."

"You're digging a hole for yourself you're not going to be able to get out of," Podmore said angrily. "I'm doing everything I can to get you what you want, and you're doing everything you can to get yourself put right back with your relatives."

"Well I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to do that am I?" Harry snarked, because he really wanted to tell the man he was sorry for wrecking his plans but couldn't because it was against the rules of decorum.

Podmore sighed and rubbed his forehead hard. "Instead of being sorry, tell me it won't happen again."

"It won't happen again," Harry said.

Podmore looked up and met Harry's eyes. "Why are you spending money on buildings you don't own?" He sounded tired like he hadn't slept, or maybe like he was already ready to be done with the day despite that it was only six thirty in the morning.

"I have a plan," Harry said. "The businesses I own shares in on Knockturn aren't earning much money, and I can't collect as much rent on businesses that aren't making any money. I need people to come down this alley to shop like they do the other alley. This alley is depressing and drab and run down. The first step is making it look like somewhere people want to shop."

"And the second step?" Podmore asked, as if he was afraid to hear the answer.

Harry began messing with his fingers again but then stilled them, remembering that adults didn't like it when he fidgeted. "I need some of the businesses from Diagon to move over here."

Podmore snorted.

"What?" Harry asked, feeling irritated.

"That's not going to happen. No one in their right mind would give up a profitable spot on Diagon to gamble on a plan that might make Knockturn profitable again. Silver had to have told you that."

"I haven't told him yet."

"Oh, well, by all means, go and tell him your plan. Maybe he can convince you to stop throwing your money and your case against Dumbledore away. Heaven knows I can't."

Harry waited for him to say more, but Podmore was busy shuffling through a stack of papers and seemed like he was done telling Harry off for the moment, so Harry got up and left.

He talked to Tilly for a few minutes as he helped Justin lay down drop cloths they'd borrowed from Barrow Books, and asked her what she thought of his plan.

"Theo is right," she said. "It would be very risky for businesses on Diagonalley to move over here. They could end up like the businesses that are already here struggling."

"So you think I shouldn't go through with it."

"You should try," Tilly said. "I'd like to start being profitable again, and if it worked out in the end you'd make a lot more profit having all of your businesses doing well."

Harry had to leave before he was finished with their conversation to go to Flourish and Blotts, but he came back when he was done working for the day. He found that all of his flowers and planters had been moved and went into the orphanage courtyard to see if they were in there. Mrs. Ginger and Miss Ava were in the courtyard with half a dozen children filling the hanging baskets with dirt, flowers and vines.

"These are going to be beautiful Harry," Miss Ava told him. "And when our vegetables start growing in our flower boxes the alley will be so colorful."

"You're doing a wonderful job," Mrs. Ginger said. "Barrow's shop looks lovely now and Justin said Tilly is planning on making hers the most colorful shop on all three alleys."

"I'd like to get the whole alley done but I don't have the money right now."

"These things take time Harry. You can't expect to rush it."

Harry told Mrs. Ginger and Miss Ava about his plan, and they encouraged him to do what he thought was best. They clearly had confidence in his decision making skills seeing the improvements he'd made to the orphanage already.

"You know we got a baby in yesterday," Mrs. Ginger said. "A little boy. He would have grown up in a run down old building, but now he'll have a real home, with fresh fruits and vegetables to eat and new books to learn from in a brand new school room."

"And birthday gifts!" a little girl said brightly. She was wearing a new yellow dress and Harry wondered if she'd just had a birthday. He smiled at her as he planted a bunch of dark purple flowers in a basket.

He was glad someone had confidence in him, because he felt like he needed it to boost his own confidence before he went to talk to Silver. They moved the hanging baskets out to the alley in front of the orphanage so the construction crew could hang them later that evening, and Harry went to find Silver.

* * *

"I think it would be unwise to risk lowering the profits from the businesses that are doing well now," Silver said.

"That's not the first time I've heard that today."

"My advice would be to leave things be. We can easily cover the three hundred galleons you spent on improvements in the last couple of days when rent comes in. Beyond that I think you should leave things as they are."

"So you won't support my decision?"

"You gave me a specific request to tell you if I thought you were making a mistake. I believe you are. If you do this you risk damaging a successful line of businesses your forefathers have already set up that are running smoothly."

"And if I don't do this we risk the rest of my businesses on Knockturn closing down and losing all the profit from those businesses."

"What you would be losing is trivial."

"But what they would be losing is their livelihoods."

"Theo was right Harry. You could really be doing some damage to your case with this."

"I don't want you to think about my case. That's Podmore's job. I want you to help me with this."

Silver sighed. "I'll do what you want, but I really believe you're making a mistake."

"Don't forget you told me that sometimes crazy business decisions can turn out."

"I don't think like a Potter. That is why the Potter's have always hired the Silver's as their barristers. We think differently and your forefather's have always considered that an asset."

Harry couldn't help but smiling as he said, "Maybe you can bail me out if I foul things up then."

"It is my greatest hope that I will not have to," Silver said solemnly.

* * *

Harry had personally gone to every business on Diagon Alley and Knockturn and then sent fliers to the businesses on Payne Alley asking all business owners or business managers to come to the plaza in front of Gringotts for a meeting that evening at seven after most of the businesses on the alleys had closed down for the day. Beyond that he avoided questions about the meeting, even from Basil and Bennet who wanted to know if he was raising rent.

"You'll have to come to the meeting to find out," Harry said. He could already tell the brothers were unhappy from the look they shared, but he hoped they'd be open minded at the meeting.

Harry sat at a table outside Fortescue's and ate his dinner while he waited for seven to roll around, and at six thirty Fortescue came out and joined him.

"What's this all about Harry? Everyone up and down the alley has been talking about this meeting all day."

"I have some things I need to talk to everyone about."

"Rent?" Fortescue asked.

Harry couldn't stand the look of fear on his face though and finally caved in and said, "It's not about rent. That's the only thing people seem to care about."

"This is our livelihoods Harry. Most of us don't own our businesses outright so we don't make 100 percent of the profit that comes in from them. If rent goes up that means we make even less."

"I'm not raising rent, at least not right now. I have no reason to."

Fortescue seemed relieved but still anxious about the meeting.

"I heard you've been doing more work on Knocturn Alley," he said, though Harry felt he was fishing for information more than trying to make small talk.

"Trying to make it look better," Harry said, "you know... plants, fresh paint, that sort of thing."

"But why?"

"There are businesses over there that need help."

Shop owners began to come down the street and gather in front of Gringotts, talking amongst themselves.

"Well, guess I'd better head over there," Harry said. Silver had just come down the stairs from his office above Fortescue's and Harry had spotted Podmore and Barrow come out from Knockturn.

Fortescue nodded and followed him over. Harry waited for a few more minutes until he assumed all of the shop owners and managers were present. There were quite a few people he didn't know and he wondered if managers had contacted business owners to come to the meeting.

"Hello everyone," Harry said, standing on the third step up to Gringotts so he was tall enough to see just over the heads of those in front. Harry could feel the nervous energy from the crowd and from Silver standing next to him with his folder full of papers. "I've heard people are worried about rent being raised and I want to tell you that's not happening."

"What are we here for then?" the apothecary owner asked impatiently.

"Business on Knockturn is almost nonexistent. People refuse to go down there because it's been dark and dingy for so long and there are rumors that only the worst kind of wizards go down there. I want to change that. Too many of the businesses down Knockturn are struggling. We've put some work into the alley to make it look nicer. It still needs a lot of work, but even after putting in that work it's not going to bring people back. That's why we're holding this meeting. I have a plan but I need help from some of you. In order to bring business back to Knockturn I need some of the businesses on Diagon to switch places with those on Knockturn."

A murmur went up from those gathered and several people made sounds of irritation and even outrage.

"Forget it!" the apothecary owner shouted. "Why should I give up my spot to move into an alley where I'll never get another customer?" Several people nodded or murmured in agreement, and a woman Harry didn't know said, "If we switch places and my business goes downhill, there's no way I'll get whoever moves into my building to switch back!"

Harry started to feel nervous suddenly as the crowd of more than thirty adults all seemed to agree with each other. Silver had warned him, but Harry just wanted people to understand and to want to help him.

"I want both alley's to be successful," Harry said. "I want everyone to make as much profit as they can. If some of you move to Knockturn people will have no choice but to go down Knockturn to get certain supplies there."

"They'll have choices Harry," Fortescue said. "If I move my ice cream parlour to the other alley, there's nothing stopping another from moving right into the spot I had before and opening up business."

"You also can't make any guarantees that any of this will work," the owner of Eeylops Owl Emporium said. "It's too risky for those of us who already have successful businesses."

Harry sighed. People were making good points he wished he'd thought about earlier, though Silver had told him it would be too much of a risk to take.

Harry listened to people bring up concerns for several more minutes before he thanked them for meeting and stepped back, effectively dismissing the meeting. He heard the apothecary owner muttering to people as he left about Harry being an ‘upstart' who was trying to change things instead of leaving them well enough alone.

"I'm sorry Harry," Basil said. "We care about the other businesses, but what you're asking is very risky. If you can do something to address the concerns brought up tonight, people might be more open to the idea."

"They're right though," Harry said. "I can't make any guarantees."

Basil and Bennet left and Harry turned to find Silver still waiting for him on the Gringotts steps. He'd yet to say a word since the meeting had started.

"You can say it," Harry told him.

"I wouldn't presume to do so," Silver said.

"But you were right."

"There's nothing to be gained from gloating or from seeing you fail."

"It's not a failure yet," Harry said. "I just have to figure out how to put everybody's mind at ease."

"That will be harder said than done," Silver said, and he left Harry to return on his own to his room at the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry had only been back in his room for a few moments and had barely had a chance to plop on his bed when there was a knock on the door. Wondering if it was Dumbledore again, Harry opened it and was surprised and wary to find a tall man with brown hair he'd never met.

"I'm Munroe McGlaggen," he said, holding out a hand, which Harry took in a shake even though he wasn't sure who he was talking to yet. "The McGlaggen's own most of the buildings on the alley's that you don't and we have shares in most of the businesses. May I have a word?"

Harry nodded and invited him in, (again very happy that he'd cleaned his room recently). Harry sat on the bed and offered the desk chair to McGlaggen.

"Well," the man said after he was seated, "what's the plan?"

Harry frowned. What did he mean? "Sir?"

He waved him away. "Munroe," he corrected. "You heard what the community was concerned about at the meeting. What's your plan to address their concerns and get Knockturn back on track?"

Harry raised his brows. He couldn't believe McGlaggen was asking him. It was like he was already taking Harry seriously as a businessman. More seriously than the shop owners took him at least.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I can't guarantee any of them that this will work out in their favor."

"They need incentive to move. Everyone has a price, you just have to find theirs. How many businesses do we really need to move over anyway? If we get Ollivander to move that will force all new parents to go down Knockturn for a wand, because no one wants a wand if it doesn't come from Ollivander's. And if we could get Quality Quidditch Supplies down Knockturn that'd bring a lot of kids."

"I'm sorry... Munroe, but I didn't think you'd be on board with this with how everyone else seems to feel about it."

He sighed. "I own six of the buildings on Knockturn," he said. "Some of them I haven't made a knut on rent in over five years, others for ten. That's just wasted property nobody wants to move into. I also own 50 percent of Grimsby and Hull, 50 percent of Luster Candles, 90 percent of Magic Mart (which we had to close down so I'm making zero profit there), 45 percent of Detect-A-Hex, 40 percent of Exotic Tea and 90 percent of Burniss Boots. Most of those businesses are doing less than half of the business they used to. That's not much profit at all. We've been losing money on Knockturn for too long."

Harry nodded, trying to review everything Munroe had just told him. Harry also held shares in some of the businesses he listed, but not as many as the McGlaggen's had.

"Ok," Harry said slowly. "So what kind of incentives will people want? The only thing I ever hear people talk about is rent."

"That's a good place to start. I'd be willing to offer lowered rent for a while to get people to move over."

"But how low and for how long?"

"I'll match whatever you offer on your buildings."

Harry pulled a piece of parchment out as well as his map of the current state of Knocturn. "What about free rent for a year so people can use that money to make repairs and remodel?"

Munroe nodded. "The alley still needs a lot of work."

"I know," Harry said, and then looked up at him. "Are you willing to put any money into making it better?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. If you can get two popular businesses to move over to Knocturn I'll also re-open Magic Mart for at least a year as a trial. We used to sell a lot of things Gray's Goods didn't. It was also my family's flagship business 150 years ago and we'd all like to see it re-open. It could use a remodel inside and out so I'll take care of that. I'll paint Burniss Boots, the empty building next to that and Exotic Tea as well. All three are already in good repair otherwise."

"Last week Tilly mentioned to me that there's enough room for seating at the end of Knocturn by Double Lane Clothing."

"Right between the door to Double Lane and the empty building on the corner with the big window displays?"

Harry nodded. "It would be a good place for people to sit and eat their goodies from Tilly's shop. That corner building you own is perfect for a little restaurant too," Harry said, "The thing is I don't have the funds to put into a seating area right now."

Munroe took the paper Harry was using and a quill and wrote some notes on it. "Seats and little square tables and some planters is something I can cover. Magic Mart had a little deli inside when it was open. Having some outdoor seating would be nice. There might even be room for a couple little tables and a few chairs right out in front between Magic Mart and the sweet shop up against the wall of windows."

"Is all of this going to be enough?" Harry asked. "One year's worth of free rent might not bring anyone over."

Munroe reached for the map and pointed at the building Troll Travels used to be in, and the large empty building in the corner between Magic Mart and Barrow Books. "Look at the size of those. Those are good size spaces. Some of the businesses on Diagon have been jammed into tiny buildings for years. People have been complaining for a long time about wanting larger spaces. A few years back the Ministry talked about expanding underground so people could have more space. They were going to make another alley directly under Diagon called Under Alley. The idea was nixed because there was no one to back it financially though and they were afraid too many vampires would start to gather there. If we target some of the businesses crammed into the smaller spaces on Diagon we just might get them to move over."

Harry pointed at Ollivander's, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and a few more businesses on the map that were very small. "This could work."

"Well I figured you believed in it when you stood on the steps this evening and withstood all the insults and muttering."

"I do," Harry said. He wanted to tell Munroe as he'd told so many others, that he was just a kid, but was reminded again just by Munroe's presence that this didn't seem to matter in business in the wizarding world.

"One more thing," Harry said as Munroe made a copy of their shared notes and stood up to leave. "Even if we get Ollivander's and some others to move over, we'll need to advertise their new locations and how nice Knockturn is, or people will never go down there. We could put up fliers."

"After we get some people to move over I'll pay for a couple week's worth of ads in the Daily Prophet. They're already writing an article you know. There was a reporter at tonight's meeting."

"We might also give away coupons," Harry said.

"Coupons? What's that?"

"It's something the Muggle's do. It's a piece of paper that says you get a discount on something at a certain store. Only, we could probably give coupons that are worth money at a store. We wouldn't have to give many away."

"How would that even work?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "We'd print a limited number of coupons to each store on Knocturn and put charms on them so they couldn't be duplicated and so we could verify that they're real. Then we tell the business owners on Knocturn that we'll give them the money for each coupon that comes in. So if we issue five sickle coupons that are only good for Tilly's shop, and ten people use those coupons at Tilly's, she gives those to us and we give her fifty sickles. Then we destroy the coupons. It'd get people interested in coming down the alley. If we could get fifty people to come down the alley to buy things, those fifty people would each tell one or two people how nice the alley is, and they'd come down and then tell more people."

"Word of mouth can be very effective advertising. I'll have my people work on coupons. I'll cover coupons for the businesses on Knocturn that I own the majority of shares in, and you cover the coupons for the businesses you own the majority of shares in. If Barrow, Double Lane and Podmore want coupons they'll have to make their own since they're owned outright by themselves."

Harry told him he'd notify everyone of another meeting tomorrow evening and bade Munroe goodnight. He was excited and nervous at the same time to pitch their new plan to the community. He had a feeling this could really work and was happy Munroe had come to see him and had taken him seriously right off the bat.

Sirius nuzzled up next to Harry on the bed and stuck his wet cold nose in Harry's hand. Harry absentmindedly pet the dog as he imagined what Knockturn Alley might look like in a month, or even a year.

* * *

It was Sunday morning and Harry was surprised to find Podmore knocking on his door at seven am. Groggy, Harry let him inside and shut the door, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"That was something Potter, what you did last night." Harry raised his brows and sat back on his bed. "Here's the Prophet article, in case you were wondering just how exactly this would affect your case."

Harry took the newspaper being offered to him and read the Headline, ‘Potter Planning Big Changes For Diagon Alley: Ministry Officials Wary'.

"What are they wary about?" Harry asked.

"The Ministry gets taxes based on profit, and even if that weren't the case, you might have noticed that wizards don't like change."

"Ok," said Harry, "so they don't like what I'm doing. How does this affect my case?"

"Read the paper."

‘Last night at seven pm Harry Potter, heir to the Potter businesses and holdings announced to the business owners of Diagon and Knockturn alleys that he plans on moving several businesses off of Diagon Alley and to other locations.'

"That's bologna," Harry said. "They're making it sound like I'm moving businesses across the country."

"Keep reading."

‘"The businesses on Diagon Alley are a landmark of our society," said Minister For Magic Cornelius Fudge, "For hundreds of years children have come to Diagon to shop for school clothes and books, to get their wand and to buy their first familiar to take to school with them. I can't imagine these things happening elsewhere." The Minister expressed concern over Potter's plan saying, "I'm surprised Mr. Potter has decided to jump headfirst into business at such a young age."

‘With an upcoming trial in Potter's future (details not yet disclosed by the Ministry), we are left to wonder if the stress has become too much for the Boy-Who-Lived and is now causing him to make rash and unjustified decisions regarding our community's shopping and cultural heritage. Business owners up and down Diagon Alley expressed similar sentiments and concerns to Potter at the meeting.'

"Load of crap," Harry said, tossing the paper onto his desk. "That's not what happened at all. Even Munroe McGlaggen came over last night after the meeting and told me he'd help me get people moved over to Knockturn."

"Yet the Minister, who was on our side still expressed concern to the paper about your plans. We need his support and if he pulls it out from under us that's not going to bode well for the outcome of your trial. I told you this could affect your case and you didn't listen."

"This is going to work out just fine," Harry snarked. "And they'll see that when we go to court."

"Court starts tomorrow. How fast did you think these changes on the alleys would happen? Your case could very well end by tomorrow evening and you'd be pulled away and back at the Dursleys before you could do anything further here."

Harry hadn't thought of that. He'd known the trial was coming up on Monday morning, but he'd intentionally been trying to keep himself busy with business and planning so he didn't stress out over it. It had worked, but now he wasn't so sure it had been the best idea. What if he was sent back to the Dursleys before he could finish what he'd started? He couldn't do any of this by owl, and even if he could his aunt and uncle would never allow Hedwig to come and go as she pleased. If they caught him writing letters at all there would be another beating in it for him.

"Well?" Podmore asked seriously.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You have to make up your mind. This foolhardy stunt you've been pulling on the alleys or your case."

"I don't want to go back to the Dursleys. If I do, I might not make it back to Hogwarts."

"Then stop pursuing these changes on the alleys!"

Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're right," Harry mumbled, because he knew he absolutely could not return to Privet Drive, but at the same time he felt the man was wholly wrong and that he had to finish what he started.

Tom brought breakfast up for Harry and coffee and a bagel up for Podmore and Podmore spent six hours walking Harry through last minute issues and questions that might come up in the courtroom. At lunchtime Silver showed up and Tom brought up three lunches and a tray of snacks, and Harry wondered if Podmore and Silver had asked him to before they'd come up. Silver joined in for another two hours as they rehearsed answers, went over decorum and how Harry should act, and finally charmed Harry's black dress robes and nice clothes to be clean, ironed and lint free.

"That's it then," Silver said. "We'll meet you downstairs at seven and we'll take a cab from out in front of The Leaky Cauldron. Court could go all day unless they call a recess or the justice grants an extension for evidence, which she already told us she wouldn't. After court we'll come back to Podmore's office and debrief."

Podmore left, but before Silver could leave, Harry told him about Munroe's visit and about his plan to host another meeting this evening at seven.

"Munroe told everyone on the alley to expect another meeting this evening. I heard people talking about it on my way over."

"I had a question. Munroe said his family owned a large percentage of a lot of the businesses on Knockturn. When I look at my shares I usually don't own more than fifty percent, except on a few businesses where I own 100 percent."

"And you want to know why he owns so much of so many different businesses on Knockturn?"

Harry nodded.

"As profit went down for the businesses on Knockturn they needed more and more help. Some sold extra shares to the McGlaggens so they could have money just to survive. That's how the McGlaggens went from owning just one business, (Magic Mart), to getting their foot in the door to so many. People started to need more and more help, and the McGlaggen family bought more and more shares. Burniss Boots for example used to be 100 percent owned by the Burniss family. They wanted money for a remodel though and the McGlaggens offered them money for 10% of the shares. Then business went downhill and they asked the McGlaggens to buy more shares. Now the Burniss family owns only 10% of the business." If anything this just made Harry feel like he needed to help Knockturn even more now, or else the Burniss family would lose their business completely one day to the McGlaggens.

"My family didn't do that?"

"The Potters often gave people money to start businesses, which is why you own 50 percent in a lot of businesses. The Potters would front a person 50 percent of the starting cost and occasionally would give them more money later on in exchange for a few more shares, but not often. There are a few businesses you own outright as you already know such as Magical Menagerie. Your family started that business from the ground up and hired people to manage it. You also fully own the company that makes the Cleansweep brooms and the Firebolt and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum." There were so many businesses listed on his various papers and so many figures and numbers that Harry still didn't have a handle on what all he owned, so it surprised him when he heard about the broom company. He'd been ogling over the new Firebolt through the window at the Quidditch store since he'd first come onto the alley that summer and never once thought that he might already own it.

"I forgot all about the Magical Menagerie," Harry said after a moment in thought. "I could just move that business over to Knockturn myself couldn't I?"

"You could. That is a very profitable business however and I would caution you to leave it where it is."

"Maybe," Harry said, though he didn't tell him he'd already made up his mind. Silver gave him a look that said he already knew however.

"I will see you at the meeting tonight," Silver said, and left Harry to his thoughts.

* * *

"We told you last night, we don't want to move," said the apothecary before Harry could even greet them to start the meeting.

Harry nodded. "You don't have to move. I won't force anyone to move if they don't want to. That's not my goal. Last night everyone told me how concerned they were and I listened. I talked to Munroe McGlaggen last night and we decided together to offer some incentives to any businesses that want to move over to Knockturn." There were no further outbursts and people seemed to be listening.

"For starters, anyone who moves over to Knockturn will get a year free of rent. This is partly so you can remodel the space you move into, and partly to cover any lost profits for the first few weeks after the move."

"That's not enough," Madam Malkin said.

"I'm not finished yet," Harry said calmly. "We have three fairly large spaces on Knockturn that are empty. Spaces that are bigger than what a lot of you currently have on Diagon Alley. It would be a good opportunity for some of you to move into a larger space where you can spread out or expand your inventory."

A few people murmured and Harry hoped it was a positive noise and not a negative one.

"We're also continuing to make improvements on the alleys, painting several buildings, repairing things, and putting out tables and chairs for people at the plaza on the end. Magic Mart is opening back up, we're going to be advertising the changes on the alley, and for the businesses on Knockturn we're going to be issuing coupons to random customers." Harry went on to explain what exactly a coupon was and how it worked and how it would hopefully draw people down the alleys.

"If anyone is interested in making a change in the location of your store on either alley come see me."

This time instead of dispersing, the crowd stayed and broke into small groups to talk. Ollivander came up to Harry and gave him a close looking over. "I gather you've been hoping for my support," he said.

"Yes," Harry told him honestly. "If you move to the other alley people will have to come down it."

"They could apparate directly into my shop and back out again."

"They could," Harry said, "but hopefully they won't."

Ollivander put his hands behind his back. "I went down Knockturn this morning. The changes look nice. My shop used to be down Knockturn but hasn't been since I was a boy."

"Would you be willing to move?"

"I would like to see the spaces available to me if I did."

Harry pulled out the map and showed it to him. "I can take you down there when we're done here and look at the spaces" Harry said. Ollivander nodded and then ignored Harry in favor of looking over the map. Other interested people looked over the elder man's shoulder to see the map as well. As soon as Harry turned from him he found the two friends that ran Quality Quidditch Supplies waiting to talk to him. Harry often stopped in to talk to them and they were on a first name basis.

"Harry," Jack said. "We don't want to move down Knockturn, but we do want to move into a new space."

"Ok," Harry said, not sure which space they planned on moving to if it wasn't down Knockturn. Jack pointed behind Harry to the building that stood directly between Diagon and Knockturn alleys and Oliver pulled out his own map.

"That's storage right now," Olliver said. "We've had our eye on it for years. Rent is the most expensive in that spot because it's right in front of Gringotts and it has windows on three sides. If we moved in there kids would automatically be drawn to the windows on all sides, including the side facing Knockturn."

"What's stopped you from moving in there before?"

"Rent. It's double what anyone else on the alleys pay."

"So you want me to lower it." Harry looked at the building and looked at the map.

"That's technically on both alleys. I did offer free rent for a year to people moving to Knockturn."

"Then the rent would be right back up to where it was before after a year," Jack said.

"Well I'm not making anything on it right now," Harry said. He turned to find that Silver was behind him and listening and asked if Silver had the papers on what everyone paid for rent currently and what that building was supposed to be renting for.

"200 Galleons a month," Harry read. "After a year free I could put it at 130 a year. That's only 30 more than what you're paying now and you should be getting more business since you're right in front of Gringotts and that means more profit."

"Will you put 130 in writing?" Oliver asked.

"I'll put in writing that for the first year you get rent free, and for a certain number of years after that I'll charge you only 30 Galleons more than what other people on the alley's are paying."

"That sounds like a very reasonable deal," Silver said.

Jack and Oliver talked for a moment and then nodded. "Ok," Jack said.

"Just one more thing," Harry said. "The door to that building is on Diagon Alley right now. I want that door taken out and moved to the center facing Gringotts. And you have to keep the best racing brooms displayed in the windows facing Knockturn for a couple years."

"Deal," Oliver said.

"I will write up the contract," Silver said, and made a few notes that he tucked into his folder.

After a few minutes Munroe came over and told Harry that Exotic Tea was moving into the big corner building that Munroe owned and was going to start serving tea instead of just selling it. Harry told him about the Quidditch store and that he'd made the decision to move Magical Menagerie to one of the buildings on Knockturn.

Silver went with Harry and Ollivander down Knockturn Alley after that and Silver let them into the old Troll Travel's building and then into the large empty building between Barrow books and Magic Mart.

"Mr. Potter," Ollivander said, "I believe I would like to move into the building next to Detect-A-Hex at the end of the alley." Harry grinned.

"That would be great," he told him. It was just far enough down the alley to draw people down but not so far that people wouldn't venture down to get a wand at all.

Silver told Ollivander he would draw up a new contract for him as well and that he could begin the move in the morning.

"I'm kind of surprised no one from Knockturn asked to move to Diagon Alley," Harry told Silver as they made their way back to Diagon Alley alone a few minutes later.

"With all the changes you are making to Knockturn and the rent already low on Knockturn as it is, it makes sense that they would want to stay for now."

Finally back in his room and feeling exhausted from the day's events, first going over the hearing for hours on end and then trying to convince people to move shop, Harry fell into his bed. It only took a few minutes before his mind began to go into overdrive with worry and fear over the court case however. Despite the barrister's best efforts to prepare him for the case he couldn't help but feeling dread. To take his mind off of it, Harry pulled the map out and stared at it and the changes that had been marked on it. His eyes eventually found their way to Flourish and Blotts and he remembered the door he'd seen in the back of their shop. He wondered if he could convince them to have an entrance on both alleys. It would be a quick and easy way for people to get from Diagon to Ollivander's on Knockturn and would bring a bunch of people through Flourish and Blotts on a regular basis. He was sure Bennett would love that, and made a mental note to remind himself to ask him in the morning. He remembered again about having court in the morning however and spent the next hour in bed worrying, until he fell into an uncomfortable and fitful sleep.