Thursday, August 31st, 1995

Severus sat down heavily on a chair in the kitchen. He waved his wand a few times, and the kettle began to boil the water; the bread started to cut itself; and the eggs jumped into the pan of their own accord. That day the Potions Master had neither time nor desire to make breakfast himself. He had just returned from the Order meeting, like he had every day for the last week.

Sturgis Podmore had been caught trying to break into the Department of Mysteries that night. Worse, he had been put under the Imperius Curse. It seemed that Voldemort was starting to act more and more openly.

Severus had a feeling that something was about to happen soon. He'd alternated the last few days between Order and Death Eater meetings, and besides that, the only place he could be found was in the lab. When Voldemort tasked him with brewing poisons and torture potions, right after that, the Potions Master would prepare antidotes for the light side. In addition, he was brewing healing, blood purifying, antipyretic, sedative and analgesic potions for both parties and the hospital wing. It was clear that the time was approaching when even a drop of them would be invaluable. Unfortunately for him, there was a small laboratory in the Dark Manor, and Severus had no choice but to spend at least a few hours a day in the building where the Dark Lord was staying. The Potions Master was exhausted, and the Dark Lord's company and stress didn't help with his temper.

Therefore, he was looking forward to the beginning of the school year. He hoped that at least then he could relax a bit. Of the two, he'd rather deal with a bunch of teenage half-wits than the Dark Lord, and since Voldemort was sure Severus was spying for him, the summons should be much less frequent.

His duties to his two “lords” left him with little free time, leaving Theo alone in the house fending for himself. He was also unable to keep an eye on Potter. He hoped the boy was fine. From what Theo had been telling him, Potter spent his afternoons out with the other adolescents from Spinner's End, avoiding his father. Severus sighed. Home should be a place you wanted to return to; it should give you peace and security. Unfortunately, Potter hadn't had so much luck.

"Good morning." Theo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. As usual, Slytherin came to the kitchen perfectly prepared for the day, as befitting of a well-behaved child from a noble family. Of course, Severus was pleased that Nott and most of the inhabitants of the Slytherin house were disciplined and had excellent manners. However, even he, a fan of all rules, thought that at least during the summer holidays, Theo could let it go a little.

"Good morning, Theo," he replied, looking up from the Daily Prophet. "You've got a letter from Hogwarts."

"Finally! It took them an extremely long time this year." Theo quickly reached for the envelope, tore it open, and quickly scanned the list of books.

"As usual, finding a defence teacher was a problem," Severus said sarcastically, still upset with the Headmaster who had turned him down for the eleventh time. Besides, both he and Minerva had tried to convince Albus that he should send the book lists at least a month in advance and that the title of the DADA textbook, which might as well have been ordered by mail, should be sent later.   The Potions Master could only imagine the crowds visiting magical London today.

"Are we going to Diagon Alley today?" Theo looked at him hopefully.

"No. There is no need for that." Severus shook his head. "We'll order everything by owl. It's going to be too crowded there." The teenager made a disappointed face, and Severus rolled his eyes, seeing it. "You know it's foolish to take a risk for no reason. But if you would like, we can go somewhere in the afternoon... We can go bowling, for example." The bowling alley was on the other side of town, so he was sure Tobias wouldn't find out if Potter joined them, and the boy wouldn't object because of that. And Severus could verify with his own eyes that the boy was okay. "We'll take Harry with us. Eat your breakfast and go tell him." Theo smiled, his smile full of satisfaction. Severus gave him a stern look. "What has you so pleased, Mr. Nott?"

"Nothing. It's just that you called him Harry for the first time."

The man narrowed his eyes.

"I assume I don't have to tell you not to flaunt your... ah, acquaintance?" That made Theo frown. The boy looked away and nodded reluctantly. "I know you two get along, and on Sunday, Potter even stood up for you..."

"And you, sir."

"Yes, but I'd rather he didn't get into fights on my behalf… Well, actually, for any reason. However, my point is that no matter how much Draco or another Slytherin insults him, you can't stand up for him. Do you understand? At the moment, you can't afford that."

"I know. It's just…"

"I'm not telling you to attack him. Just don't interfere."

"What if he doesn't understand it? What if he feels betrayed and resents me for it? And it won't even be surprising if he does." Theo chewed on his lip.

"Talk to him about how you two will behave towards each other at school. Potter isn't as stupid as his behaviour sometimes makes him seem."

"That's probably the kindest thing you've ever said aloud about his intelligence." The corners of the boy’s mouth finally turned up.

"Well, just finish your breakfast and go to Spinner's End. Tobias should be at work by now. Tell Potter to come here and to take his owl with him. We will send your orders for the books and school robes. And tomorrow morning, I'll take you two to Kings Cross." Theo nodded.

Suddenly, Severus felt pain radiating from his Dark Mark. He cursed inwardly. "I must go out, but I should be back around noon. If not, then order a pizza. And please, do not do anything that could get you into trouble," he said, taking money from his pocket and placing it on the counter before heading into his bedroom to put on the Death Eater robes.

HPHPHPHPHP

"Harry! Harry, hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" the boy shouted, hearing Tobias' voice coming from downstairs. He tossed the last few T-shirts that had been rolled up at the bottom of the wardrobe into the trunk and slammed the lid shut before opening Hedwig's cage and letting her out. "Go, girl. I'll see you at Hogwarts," he whispered.

All of last week, after that unlucky weekend, had been exceptionally peaceful. Tobias was still drinking, but Harry had been extra careful not to say anything that would upset his father, and when the boy had noticed the man was in a bad mood, he tried to stay out of his way entirely.

Harry also managed to do his homework finally. Between painting the flat, training with Riki, and going out with friends in the evening, Harry had little time left, so he couldn't attest to the quality of his school essays. Except, of course, for the Potions one, which he'd really applied himself to this time. Speaking of the Potions Master, Harry hadn't seen him since Tobias had forbidden Severus to contact him. However, the Gryffindor talked to Theo several times when he met him in the park. Each time Harry had to assure him that everything was fine with him, which was not really a lie. The Slytherin also brought him a potion, which he told him to put on his sprained ankle.

The most exciting part of his day was always training with Riki. The man was great, he was funny and smart. Also, he had taught Harry a lot of spells and tricks in such a short time, even though for the first few days they only focused on meditation and Occlumency because Harry wasn't at his best after what Tobias did to him last weekend. Riki had explained to him the theory of creating barriers—labyrinths in the mind that would make it difficult for Legilimens to see his memories. As for Ghost and Diana, he'd only met them a handful of times. Each time they asked him about his mother's belongings, and each time Harry replied that he had found nothing that belonged to her.

"Packed?" Tobias asked as Harry could barely carry his trunk down the stairs, it was so heavy.

"Uhmm," he nodded.

"Are you sure you took everything?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Good. You just got a letter from Hogwarts. Probably a shopping list. The morons sent it at the last moment possible." Tobias shook his head disapprovingly as he handed Harry the letter. The teen took it and opened it quickly. The content was not much different from that of previous years. "Make yourself breakfast and sandwiches for the road. I didn't have time to prepare them for you. And I hope I don't need to remind you to behave yourself at your school? I don't want to get any complaints about you. Do you understand?" Harry nodded. "I also recommend you study more."

 Harry grimaced. He had hoped Tobias wouldn't bring up the subject again. He doubted he'd be able to live up to his expectations regarding grades, but he didn't see the point in making the man aware of that now. Seeing his expression, his father added: "Look, kid, I know you're still young, and you think adulthood is a long way off, but how much you learn now and how well you pass your exams determines whether or not you'll get a job that you can live off of. Look, even Severus, he is what he is, but the lad continued his training, became a professor, and doesn't have to worry about not having enough money to do his shopping at the end of the month. You, too, have to get a grip on yourself. And I have no problem whacking you if you won't understand it when I'm telling you in a nice way." Harry shivered hearing the threat. He knew he only had a few months to figure out a way to intercept the Hogwarts term letter for his father because, for now, he didn't have the slightest idea how he could do it.

"It's for your own good. Do you understand?" Harry almost snorted but kept his head down and bit his lip to avoid saying anything stupid. The bruises on his body had nearly faded, and he didn't want to get any more just before he left for Hogwarts. "Do you hear what I'm saying to you, or am I talking to a brick wall?" Tobias growled when Harry didn't answer.

"Yes, I understand, sorry," said Harry quickly, trying to keep the man in a good mood.

"Is Noah coming here?"

Harry was relieved to change the subject. "Yeah, he'll be here in a minute."

"Good. You can buy what you need yourself, right?"

"Yeah." He definitely couldn't imagine Tobias going to Diagon Alley with him.

"Here's the money. You'll pay Noah for the fuel," the man said, handing him some notes. "And you will spend the night in the pub at the entrance to this main, magical street."

"The Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yes, there. And with the rest, buy yourself books and clothes. And be in your room at the inn before it gets dark. I don't want you wandering around London alone at night. It's not safe at all for the lads like you. Unfortunately, I've gotta go to work now. I can't wait for Noah with you." Harry stiffened as Tobias walked over and gave him an awkward hug. "Well, see you at Christmas, then. And remember not to embarrass me. And no nonsense."

"I promise. Bye," Harry said, even though he really had no idea in front of whom Tobias would be ashamed of Harry's grades or behaviour. It wasn’t like he had to tell anyone about them.

As soon as the man left, Harry put on his shoes, waited a few minutes until his father was far enough and, with the money in hand, ran to buy Eileen's pendant. It turned out that no one else was interested in buying it, and Harry got it without any problems. He couldn't believe his luck—it was so easy. As soon as his fingers touched the necklace, a shiver ran through his body. He put it around his neck and ran back to Spinner's End, where Oasis had already been waiting for him.

"Hey, Shortie, where have you been?"

"I had to do something. Wait here; I'll be right back," Harry said, panting heavily from the effort. Impatient to open the trunk, he rushed into the house and ran down to the basement.

This was the moment he had been waiting for all summer. Finally, he would be able to find out what Eileen has been trying to hide from everyone. He slid the pin out and placed the pendant, which luckily fit perfectly into the recess. The teen heard the soft click of the lock. And then he quickly opened the lid.

Harry wasn't entirely surprised by what he saw, but nevertheless, he was a little disappointed. He secretly hoped for something more exciting—another Philosopher's Stone, Godric's sword, or even Salazar Slytherin's dagger. However, the trunk's contents looked precisely like that of the trunk of an average Hogwarts student.

There were several books and written parchments (he hoped they were at least related to the research Eileen had been doing for the Department of Mysteries that Ghost had mentioned), clothes and various other items inside. He was in too much of a hurry to look at them at the moment, so he took everything but the old robes, carried them upstairs, and put them in his trunk. He decided to go through the books and notes in the room in the Leaky Cauldron in the evening.

As Oasis helped him put his trunk into the car boot. Harry looked again at the ugly, dilapidated building at Spinner's End and sighed. Many bad, painful things had happened that summer—the deaths of his aunt and Dudley, Vernon's attack, and the Ministry hearing. Tobias wasn't the father Harry had dreamt about either. And even though Harry knew that the man cared for him in his own way, Harry had no illusions anymore—the boy was aware that his father would not change and become a kind, loving man whom he could count on.

Nevertheless, it had been the best summer of his life, apart from the short summer weeks spent in the warmth of the Weasley family home. Harry was grateful that Aunt Petunia had found his birth certificate and had given it to Tobias. Thanks to that, he'd gotten to know Oasis, Roo and Pele, played football, learned about the prophecy Dumbledore had been hiding from him, learned defence with Riki, and befriended one of the Slytherins (which he never thought could be possible). He also got to know another, better side of the horrible Bat of the Hogwarts Dungeons.

That's right, Snape... The man changed his attitude towards him and, surprisingly, really treated him better. Harry had finally allowed himself to trust that the Potions Master's attitude would not change once he entered Hogwarts. The boy smiled. He wouldn't have to be terrified of Potions class anymore, and maybe, if he had a bigger problem, like the Philosopher's Stone in his first year, he could turn to him instead of McGonagall. Turn to his brother. Harry laughed. It still sounded unbelievable.

Yes, it had been a good summer, and Harry would never have traded it for a summer on Privet Drive, where he worked in the sweat of his brow, sat locked in his room with nothing to distract him from his gloomy thoughts, or wandered the streets of Little Whinging all by himself.

Harry got in the car, and they drove off. They had less than two hours to London.

"You know, Shortie, it's nice that you came to Spinner's End.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that it's been a pretty interesting summer. I'm glad I met you, Roo, and Pele." He smiled at his friend. "But not Dredd. I'd have rather not met him," he added after a moment.

Oasis laughed.

"Yeah, dude's got shit for brains. Now what? You're back for Christmas?" he asked after a moment.

"Maybe... I guess so," Harry said uncertainly. The boy shook his head, not wanting to relive the memories of the Dursleys' Christmas that hit him at that moment. Since he'd started at Hogwarts, the Christmas season had been the time he especially cherished. Every year, he spent them with Ron and sometimes even Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys, so he never felt lonely. The school was always amazingly decorated with beautiful Christmas trees and lights. There was a delicious Christmas dinner, presents and snowball fights. Unfortunately, Harry was sure his friends would finally go home this year, and it wouldn't be the same. Tobias also wished for Harry to come back. The Gryffindor sighed. He had no idea how his father celebrated it, but he doubted he would bother decorating a Christmas tree.

"That's great. I'll try to come home too."

Harry looked at him, surprised.

"Where from? Are you going somewhere?

"Yes." The boy nodded. "Coz... it's kinda coz of you... and  Theo, or even your brother. You guys are so… different from everyone else at Spinner's End. And so I thought maybe I don't have to be stuck in this place either? That I can get away from here, too?" Oasis said, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Of course, you don't have to be stuck here," Harry nodded confidently. "You can do whatever you want."

"Yeah, kinda. I mean, I don't want to stay here and be like my old man or yours. And since I don't do school very good, I thought I'd join the army.”

"The army? Aren't you afraid they'll send you somewhere to go to war?" The war in the Wizarding World hadn't really started yet, and he had already had enough. But, unlike a soldier going to foreign wars abroad, Harry knew he would fight for himself and his friends. Being a professional soldier and willingly submitting to the orders of a commander was something else entirely.

Oasis shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, if they will, that's too bad. Though I hope it'll be more peacekeeping missions than anything else. Anyway, the thing is, I, well… I want to do something important, not end up as Spinner's End loser. You get it, don't ya?" Harry agreed, nodding. "Well, homie, you'll keep in touch, right?"

"Yeah, sure. If you write too, tell me 'bout the army."

Oasis grinned at him.

Before they knew it, they were next to The Leaky Cauldron. They said their goodbyes and once again promised each other to keep in touch.

HPHPHPHPHP

When Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron, Tom greeted him like an old friend and immediately offered the same room Harry had stayed in for a month after the incident with Aunt Marge. The boy happily agreed, and when he said he had to visit Gringotts first. When the man offered to take his trunk and Hedwig's cage and carry them upstairs, Harry asked if he could just shrink them down to fit in the teen's pocket instead, remembering what Snape had done with his bag before the interrogation. Harry didn't want to leave Eileen's things, which he hadn't even looked at yet, in the room unattended. The teen didn't know what information was there, so he preferred to keep it with him at all times. Tom, of course, didn't mind.

Harry grinned as he walked over to the wall leading to Diagon Alley. For him, magical London was the quintessence of the Wizarding World. He loved this place, and in a moment—after two long months spent among the Muggles—he would be back where he belonged.

At that moment, however, he remembered Snape's words about not wandering away from Cokeworth: that he would skin him alive or, worse, give him a detention at every time that Gryffindor’s team planned Quidditch training. Harry’s enthusiasm cooled down. The young wizard was well aware that the Potions Master would probably prefer him to go to his house and take him and Nott straight to Platform 9 ¾ without visiting the Diagon Alley at all. However, Harry couldn't go to school without books and supplies. The night before, he had even listed all the pros and cons. There were many more points in favour of him getting to the platform without Snape's help.

However, in reality, it was the fact that the Gryffindor just really wanted to visit Diagon Alley that was the clincher. He wanted to eat ice cream at Florean Fortescue's, check out the new brooms, and even go to Flourish and Blotts. Harry also had to withdraw money from the bank. Besides, Tobias made him go with Oasis and forbade him from contacting the Potions Master. Snape himself had told him to obey and not talk back to Tobias. The only argument against it was that Snape had warned Harry several times that if he left Cokeworth unattended, he would rip his head off.

On the other hand, the Gryffindor did not leave the city alone but was escorted by the British army (Oasis was almost a soldier by now). Harry chuckled. He knew it was very far-fetched, but he really missed the way magical London made him feel. And he wouldn't have another chance to visit Diagon Alley until next year. Besides, what could happen? He had spent a whole month here two years ago, living alone in the Leaky Cauldron.

Just in case, however, he decided to stay away from Knockturn Alley... mostly away, at least.

Despite everything, the Gryffindor hoped that Snape would just not find out about all of this, and he decided there was no point in dwelling on it any longer. Harry was already here, and he couldn't undo his decision.

The first point of the trip was, of course, Gringotts Bank. He needed some Galleons. Immediately afterwards, he decided to go to Flourish and Blotts. There were more people in the usually crowded Diagon Alley today. He shouldn't have been particularly surprised since the school letters had been sent on the last possible day, and probably all Hogwarts students were shopping now. He hoped to find Ron and Hermione somewhere in the crowd. It would be much more interesting to have some company.

As he entered the bookstore, he groaned, terrified of the crowd. You could barely walk between the shelves.

After an hour, having managed to find all the textbooks he would need for the upcoming school year, plus a few extra books on Quidditch and DADA, he stood in line. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

"Harry!" He turned to see Neville walking towards him. The boy had grown taller over the summer, and his face had gotten longer and was no longer so chubby.

"Hello, Neville!" He smiled at his friend. "How's your holiday?"

"Brilliant! How can it not be when we have two months off from Potions with Snape.” Harry smiled sympathetically. Perhaps it would be a little easier for him this year, but he doubted that Snape's behaviour towards Neville would change even slightly. "You won't believe I managed to breed Mimbulus Mimbleton!"

"That's great, congratulations," Harry said, trying to sound enthusiastic, guessing it must be some kind of plant.

"Neville! I told you to stay close to me!" Harry turned to see an old woman wearing an enormous hat with a stuffed vulture on top. She was wearing a green dress, scarf made of fox fur and was carrying a large red bag. The boy smiled under his breath, recognizing her immediately. The outfit Neville had dressed his boggart Snape in his third year was indeed peculiar.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Grandma. "

"Where are your manners? Introduce me to your friend," the woman scolded him.

"Grandma, this is Harry Potter; Harry, this is…"

"Augusta Longbottom.” The old lady interrupted her grandson, extending her hand to Harry. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Good morning," Harry shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I understand you've also come to buy your school supplies. It's so foolish of Albus to wait so long to send the list of textbooks, especially after the events of June. It's just asking for trouble. There are so many people in one place at the same time. Fortunately, we had already bought everything else beforehand. But many leave these things to the last minute."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I agree."

"Hurry up, Neville, find your books, and we're going home. There is no need for unnecessary risk. And where are your guardians, Mr. Potter? You didn't come here alone, did you?" She gave him a stern look.

"No. No, of course not. They're in the potions ingredients shop," Harry answered quickly, and only after the words left his mouth did he wonder why he had lied in the first place. After all, he had permission from his father to come to Diagon Alley, and this was the first time he had seen this woman. He didn't have to explain himself to her.

"Good. You're too young to wander the streets by yourself right now, and don't worry about what they say in that gossip rag, Mr. Potter. The truth will come out sooner or later."

"Thank you," he said uncertainly.

"Don't dawdle! How long does it take you to choose a couple of books?" The older woman turned to Neville.

"Just give me a few moments more, Grandma," the boy replied calmly, but he looked slightly flustered by the woman's behaviour.

Fortunately, it was Harry's turn at the counter. After paying for the books, he said goodbye to Mrs. Longbottom and Neville and headed for the door, once again hearing the old lady scolding the poor boy.

Harry's next destination was Slug and Jigger's apothecary, where he bought potion ingredients and a new scale. The old one had stopped working long before the end of the year, when a potion had boiled over from his cauldron, and he had to share one with Ron.

Ultimately, all he had left was his robes and writing utensils. He got a little hungry, so before heading to Madame Malkin's, he decided to go to Florean Fortescue's, where he ordered his favourite giant chocolate caramel sundae.

He sat in the corner, enjoying his ice cream and watching the people go by. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice again, one of a Hogwarts student. This time it wasn't someone Harry had the slightest affection for.

HPHPHPHPHP

Draco wasn't in the best mood. That summer was the worst summer of his life. Ever since the Dark Lord returned, the blond has been… bored. Yes, because his father was the right-hand man of one of the most powerful wizards who ever walked the earth, his position in Slytherin had increased even more, and at that moment, no one in his house wanted to offend him. Both opponents and supporters of Voldemort feared the consequences if they said a few words too many. But Draco wasn't happy at all. His father ignored him almost completely, devoting his days to dealing with matters related to the return of the Dark Lord. And Draco missed spending time together— horse rides, chess games, or duels. Besides, not only was he left alone on the estate, but his father was reluctant to let him leave it. Only once, in mid-July, Draco was allowed to visit the Diagon Alley.

The Slytherin's mother, as usual, was busy socialising, spending most of her time in Paris with the Parkinsons, and when she graciously showed up at home, she only was nagging him about having worse grades than Granger. He had to admit that, yes, the Mudblood had a good memory, having learnt entire textbooks by heart, but his practical skills were as good and often even better than hers. Most of the teachers were just prejudiced. McGonagall treated the Gryffindor like walking perfection. Vector and Flitwick were no better. Sprout didn't like any Slytherins. Not to mention Sinistra. But did his mother care about that? No.

Pansy also was spending her summer in France and visited him only once. Blaise just got back from Italy yesterday. Draco had been stuck with Crabbe and Goyle for the whole summer. It wasn't that he didn't like them, but they weren't the brightest feathers on the phoenix. Sometimes he just wanted to talk to someone on his level. Draco had finished his homework at the beginning of July, so since he had nothing to do anyway, he reviewed with Crabbe and Goyle the material they had so far. He was sure that if their parents didn't pay enough, they'd have a slim chance of passing even one O.W.L.

He also went for a broom ride a few times a week, but even that hadn't been very enjoyable. Flying high above the manor and seeing it small below him only served to remind him of how alone he was and made him feel even more isolated. He always returned to the ground with a hollow feeling in his chest.

And besides, nothing compared to the rush of a Quidditch game, especially one against Potter. If only he had a Firebolt to compete with him! He had no chance of defeating the Gryffindor until he got a new broom. And, of course, neither his father nor his mother cared about his problem. Yes, they promised to buy him the Firebolt at the end of the summer, but he wouldn't have time to practice on it before school started anyway.

Fortunately, the dreadful summer was coming to an end, and he would be back at Hogwarts the next day. And despite food that was no match for what was served by his House Elves, Saint Potter and the rest of the Gryffindors roaming the school, teachers treating him unfairly, and a muggle-loving nutcase of a Headmaster, Draco still couldn't wait to cross the school walls. At least he wouldn't be bored out of his mind as he was at home. 

After ages, the book list from Hogwarts had come, and Draco was finally allowed to leave the Manor with Blaise and Greg to go to Diagon Alley. Of course his and Goyle's mother insisted on accompanying them. The whole outing would be better without adult supervision, but he needed his mother to buy him the racing broom.

The group had only just gotten ice cream at Florean Fortescue's where they sat for a little break, but suddenly Narcissa looked significantly at Mrs. Goyle and stood up.

"We have to go. Something has come up," his mother said, turning back to the teens, and Mrs. Goyle nodded.

"You promised you'd buy me a Firebolt. How am I supposed to beat Potter at Quidditch without it?

"Merlin, Draco, have some class." Narcissa Malfoy pursed her lips in displeasure.

"But Potter-"

"Cease your whining." Draco immediately closed his mouth, and a grimace appeared on his face. "I said that something has suddenly come up, and we have to go. Finish with your shopping and return through the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron," Narcissa said and then disappeared with her friend.

"Draco, why can't you buy it yourself?" Crabbe asked, then stuffed a heaping scoop of ice cream into his mouth.

A blush appeared on Draco's cheeks.

"Father set a spending limit for me after my last visit to Diagon Alley."

"Could a custom-made trunk with ten hidden compartments, set with emeralds and engraved in white gold initials, worth a small European country, be the cause?" Zabini raised an eyebrow.

"The emeralds adorn only the lock. Besides, why should I settle for anything less than perfect?" Indeed, his father wasn't thrilled with the purchase, even though he didn't even feel the expense.

"And yet you're still flying the Nimbus 2001." The handsome dark-skinned boy smirked cattily.

At that moment, they heard a snort. As they turned, they saw Potter sitting alone at a table.

"Potter," said Malfoy, slightly surprised to see the boy. "Where're your bodyguards?" he drawled.

"None of your business. Unlike you, I don't need anyone to bring me by hand to go shopping."

"At least I have someone to bring me." Draco sent Potter a superior look. Even though Potter was partly right and, as an orphan, he could do whatever he wanted, he didn't have to beg his father to let him go to Diagon Alley. Potter's fortune practically matched his own. The Golden Boy could visit magical London and buy a new Firebolt every day. And Draco? Because of his mother, it looked like he was again going to Hogwarts with his old Nimbus.

"Yeah, until they land in Azkaban."

"Sooner you'll join your Mudblood mother," growled Draco.

Anger appeared on Potter's face. The boy clenched his fists and looked like he was about to pounce on the blonde. For the first time since summer vacation started, Draco felt satisfied. Unfortunately, at that moment, the restaurant owner appeared, approached the Gryffindor, and started talking to him. Of course. Even in a stupid ice cream parlour, Potter got special treatment.

The Golden Boy really was an idiot, wandering around alone in a public place. Even though the Dark Lord did not officially declare his return, there were still many zealots among the Death Eaters who wanted to ingratiate themselves with their Lord and would not hesitate to kill Potter in the middle of the day. Walking through Diagon Alley alone seemed the acme of stupidity. Where was his security? Not that he cared if anything happened to that jerk.

Looking closer, he noticed that the boy was dressed in strange Muggle clothes, was pale, and had obviously lost even more weight. Knowing Potter, he was still upset about Digorry's death. Draco's father had told him everything. That pitiful imitation of a wizard, Wormtail, had killed a pureblood before the rest of the Death Eaters had arrived. And while Diggory was somewhat of a blood traitor, he hadn't flaunted his love for Muggles that much. He shouldn't have died.

"Hey, Draco!" Blaise called him, trying to get his attention. "Don't."

"What? "

"Give it a rest. As soon as Potter appears within your sight, you are interested in nothing but him."

"Shut up, Blaise."

"I'm just saying that picking on him has never done you any good."

Draco folded his arms across his chest, watching Potter. Fortescue was talking to him, gesticulating animatedly, and the bloody Golden Boy was smiling innocently.

"I just hate it when someone is so privileged."

"And on top of that, all your intelligence completely disappears when he's around."

Draco shot him a scowl, but his biting response was drowned out by an explosion, and suddenly the whole street was in chaos.

TBC