Life at The Burrow was as different as possible from life in Privet Drive.
"It probably because of the fact that the burrow is often wild compared to Privet Drive," said Cedric, "especially with the twins there."
The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasleys' house burst with the strange and unexpected. Harry got a shock the first time he looked in the mirror over the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, "Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!"
"You probably jumped a mile in the air," said Cedric, sniggering lightly at the image it provided.
The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt things were getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal. What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: it was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him.
"That shouldn't seem unusual," said Hermione sadly
Mrs. Weasley fussed over the state of his socks and tried to force him to eat fourth helpings at every meal.
"While it is good that she's trying to get you to eat, you do have to be careful, because your stomach is used to small amounts of food, and too much can make you sick," said Hermione.
Mr. Weasley liked Harry to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard him with questions about life with Muggles, asking him to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked.
"Um, I might live in a Muggle household, but I really don't' know much more than the rudimentary knowledge of how those do work," said Harry.
"Yeah, and you would have to know a whole lot more than that to explain it properly," said Hermione.
"Fascinating!" he would say, as Harry talked him through using a telephone. "Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."
No one really had anything to say to that, as the kids who grew up with magic didn't know much about Muggle things, while the kids who grew up with Muggle things didn't know much about magical things, save for what they read about.
Harry heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after he had arrived at The Burrow. He and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter.
"It seems that she's not used to me yet," said Harry.
"I think that's a good thing," said Luna.
"Yeah, this way she can't attempt to get a love potion used on you without suspicion," said Cedric, knowing that it could easily be a possibility.
Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun. Pretending he hadn't noticed this,
"At least your nice enough not to make fun of her, as others would have done," said Luna.
Harry sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him.
"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry and Ron identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry – doesn't miss a trick, that man."
"Actually, owls usually are able to find a person if they are not at the house in the address," said Cedric. "In fact, an address isn't really needed – it's just considered to be polite to put one on it."
"You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pyjamas.
"It does make sense that they do. They haven't been expelled, after all," said Cedric, shaking his head.
For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their let ters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September the first.
"Yeah, the letters don't really change much throughout the years. The only times it does change is in third year, which is when you get a permission slip for your guardian to sign," said Cedric.
There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.
SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk iBreak with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
Hermione looked like she wanted to say something – after all it did seem like Cedric was wrong about the guy if they were good enough for being a requirement for school – but she remembered that she had decided to stay silent on the matter. Plus, after reading about how Mrs. Weasley was like, it could easily have more to do with the fact that the new teacher for Defence was a fan of his.
Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Harry's.
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan – bet it's a witch."
At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.
"Yeah, that's not something to tease about with your mother – who is also a fan of the books – is standing there in the room," said Cedric.
"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive ..."
"Is that true?" asked Harry. Cedric nodded.
"Yeah, they're, like fifteen galleons each," he said.
"So, that means that there really good, then. I mean, they're really informative about their subject," said Hermione. Cedric shook his head.
"The really informative books are average price, so that everyone can get them to read," said Cedric. "Those people who write them don't do it for the money, but so that people have the information to better protect themselves. That's actually another point why Lockhart's books are considered fiction to my mother – the fact that they're so high priced. Most wizarding fiction novels, and comics, are the high priced books."
"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."
"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.
"She's starting Hogwarts?" said Hermione. Luna nodded her head.
"We both are, or, rather, will be that year," she said.
She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish.
There was some sniggering at that – even from Harry. Normally, he wouldn't be so rude, but the fact that she was not only not there, but that she was also a delusional fan girl with thoughts of grandeur had him rather unconcern with his actions.
Fortunately no one saw this except Harry, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his knitted tank top.
"What good is wearing his prefect badge doing for him, besides feeding his ego?" asked Harry. Hermione, who would normally be the first to defend someone proud of their position, thought that Harry was right about the reason why he was wearing it.
"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."
He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, grey feather duster – at least, that was what Harry thought it was, until he saw that it was breathing.
"Must be Errol," said Luna.
"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally – he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."
"So, since I talked to him, then that must mean that I at least know that the silence from you isn't just towards me, and probably not intentional," said Hermione.
He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron laid him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:
Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,
"I take it that your not sure that they were able to get him there safely or not," said Cedric.
"That, or I'm not sure if he actually got Harry there before the letter did," said Hermione.
I hope everything went all right and that Harry is OK and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off.
I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course – "How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on holiday!"
"It doesn't mean that you don't have work to do," said Cedric. "Most teachers don't appreciate it when you don't do your homework."
– and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't wemeet in Diagon Alley?
Let me know what's happening as soon as you can, love from Hermione.
"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"
"What is there to do at their house," asked Harry.
"Well a few things, but I'm sure that by then you've already done what there is to do in the house at least. In fact, the only thing I've heard that it sounds that you haven't done is play a makeshift game of Quidditch," Cedric said. "Which, now that I think of it, is probably what your going to do."
Harry, Ron, Fred and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practise Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high.
"They can't use real quidditch balls, can they?" asked Hermione. Cedric shook his head.
They couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the vil lage; instead they threw apples for each other to catch. They took it in turns to ride Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easi ly the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.
"That sounds bad," said Hermione.
"It is. The only good thing is that he's not actually playing in a real game with it," said Cedric.
Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy. Harry had only seen Percy at meal-times so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.
"I take it he doesn't usually do that," said Harry. Cedric shook his head.
"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O. and he hardly gloated at all."
"O.W'L.s?" asked Hermione.
"Ordinary Wizarding Levels. You take them in your fifth year. They're used to decide which cases you'll take in sixth and seventh year – basically their what help decide what job you can qualify for after school," said Cedric.
"I take it twelve O.W.L.s is something to gloat about then," said Harry.
"It's the highest amount of O.W.L.s you can get at Hogwarts," said Cedric. "It's one O.W.L. per class."
"But we're only taking seven classes," said Hermione.
"You get to choose a minimum of two classes from the five elective classes at the end of your second year that you'll begin in third year," said Cedric. "Most people only go for the minimum, but there are a few who do what they can and do a sort of independent study of the electives they don't take so that can take all . exams for each class without stressing themselves about trying to get to every class, especially since some of them tend to be at the same time."
"Which ones are you taking?" asked Hermione.
"Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures," he said, "The other two are Divination and Muggle Studies, and, well, I've heard that neither are really worth taking. Those, along with Care of Magical Creatures, are usually the ones that people do independent study in."
"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Harry's puzzled look. "Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."
"It would seem bad to them," said Hermione. "I take it that Bill was just like Percy is."
"Not completely. Bill was a bit more laidback than Percy is," said Cedric. "I definitely remember that about him, as he graduated before I started, but people were always wishing that the Head Boy who I had in my first year was more like him."
Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry had never met either of them,
"They're rather nice," said Cedric. "I definitely think that you'll like them when you meet."
but knew that Charlie was in Romania, studying dragons, and Bill in Egypt, working for the wizards' bank, Gringotts.
"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything ..."
"Probably the worst thing about having a girl is that you can't just use the clothes you already have for them," said Hermione. "You have to get some new things."
Harry said nothing. He felt a bit awkward. Stored in an under ground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him. Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that he had money; you couldn't use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts in Muggle shops. He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; he didn't think their horror of any thing connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.
"That sounds extremely true, with how greedy and gluttonous your family seems to be," said Luna.
Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half-a-dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantel piece and peered inside.
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today ... ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"
And she offered him the flowerpot.
"Why is she offering me a flowerpot?" asked Harry.
"Oh, she's offering you some floo powder, which is one of the wizarding ways of travel," said Cedric. "You throw some of the floo into the fireplace, step in, carefully call out the name of place you want to go, and them your off. Of course, there are a few other things you should remember, the biggest being to keep your elbows tucked in, close your eyes, and, when you feel yourself slow down, that usually means that your about there, and you need to be ready to step out, otherwise you'll end up falling onto your face instead."
Harry stared at them all watching him.
"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.
"He's never travelled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
"I hope they give you good instructions," said Cedric.
"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"
"I went on the Underground –"
"That's going to get him excited," said Hermione, already getting how he would act down in her mind. His whole attempts to learn about Muggle things had proven that to her.
"Really?" said Mr Weasley eagerly. Were there escapators?"
"Escapators?" said Harry, confused.
"I think he means escalators," said Hermione.
"How exactly –"
"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley.
Hermione frowned a bit. While she did agree a bit with Mrs. Weasley in that it wasn't quite the right moment to ask about things like that, she did wonder what tone of voice Mrs. Weasley might have said it in, and then that made her wonder if she would have said the same thing in a less time pressing matter.
"Floo powder's a lot quick er, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before –"
"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."
He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire and threw the powder into the flames.
With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.
"That would probably be freaky to see, especially if I'm not expecting it," said Harry.
"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry, as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And mind you get out at the right grate ..."
"The right what?" said Harry nervously, as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight too.
"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly –"
"Well, considering that you don't actually know where you'll be getting out at, you won't really know if you've go the right grate," Luna said. "Now, for Diagon Alley, which is where you'll be going, you'll end up getting out at the Leaky Cauldron, which means that, so long as you remember how that looked, you are safe if you recognize the surrounding."
"He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping him self to Floo powder too.
"But dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?"
"I don't think they'll really mind," said Hermione, a bit darkly.
"They wouldn't mind," Harry reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney,"
"I have no doubt about that," said Luna.
"don't worry about that."
"Well ... all right ... you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley.
"I get the feeling that she doesn't quite believe you," said Cedric.
"Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going –"
"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.
"And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot –"
"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace –"
"But don't panic and get out too early, wait until you see Fred and George."
"Okay, one, she told you to shut your eyes, meaning that you won't be able to see Fred and George, and two, they're just throwing information at you, which is just going to overwhelm you," said Cedric.
Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.
"Somehow, I don't think that's going to help you," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"No that won't," said Cedric.
"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.
"Yeah, that's not the clear pronunciation that you need," Luna said.
It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant plug hole.
"That's rather accurate," Cedric said, while Hermione and Harry wrinkled their noses at the mere idea of that.
He seemed to be spinning very fast ... the roaring in his ears was deafening ... he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick ... something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning ... now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face ... squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond ... his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him ...
"Oh, dear god, I so do not want to do that," said Harry, looking quite sick at the idea now.
"Yeah, neither do I," said Hermione.
"Well, it's not very pleasant, but more families with children tend to do that, as it's a quick and easy way of getting them to where they need to go without worrying about leaving anyone behind," said Cedric. "Of course, it's only useful for when you send either the most responsible child over first, or one of the parents."
He closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then – he fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt his glasses shatter.
"And that's why you've got to be careful to make sure your ready when you begin to slow down," Cedric said, "especially if you wear glasses and don't take them off beforehand."
Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, he got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes. He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop – but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.
"Which means you are not where you need to be," said Luna.
A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of cards and a staring glass eye. Evil-looking masks leered down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.
"You must be in Knockturn Alley," said Cedric, looking quite pale. "It's a very dark place – or, at least, that's what my parents tell me. It's not a place for kids, especially you, Harry."
The sooner he got out of here, the better. Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth, Harry made his way swiftly and silent ly towards the door, but before he'd got halfway towards it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass – and one of them was the very last person Harry wanted to meet when he was lost, covered in soot and wearing broken glasses: Draco Malfoy.
"What is he doing there?" asked Harry, a bit suspicious.
"Most likely with his father," said Cedric. "This is the sort of place where Voldemort and his ilk are most likely to be seen and found at. Of course, that doesn't mean that others can't go there who don't have evil intentions – there are some things that you can only get there that are sometimes needed."
Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet
"That sounds like a vanishing cabinet," said Cedric, "I suggest, if you decide to hide in it, you don't close the door all the way, especially since they usually come in two pairs."
to his left; he shot inside it and pulled the doors to, leaving a small crack to peer through. Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop.
The man who followed could only be his father. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold grey eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop, looking lazily at the items on display, and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing, Draco."
"Yeah, somehow, I doubt that will really work," said Harry.
"I don't know, most pureblood fanatics tend to demand respect from their children," said Cedric. "It will probably actually work, very quickly."
Malfoy, who had reached for the glass eye, said, "I thought you were going to buy me a present."
"I said I would buy you a racing broom," said his father, drum ming his fingers on the counter.
"What's the good of that if I'm not in the house team?" said Malfoy, looking sulky and bad-tempered.
"It will do a bit of good in getting you on the house team," Cedric said, rolling his eyes.
"He must not be good if he's scared about not being able to get on the house team," said Harry.
"Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore"
"Actually, it was McGonagall who gave me the permission," said Harry.
"Dumbledore still did allow you on the team, though," said Cedric. "She did have to get permission for you to be on the team."
"No, she had to get permission to allow him to get a broom," Hermione said. "He could probably still have tried out for and gotten on the team – he would just have to use another's broom if he did get on it."
"so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good,"
"You would have never gotten onto the team if you weren't good," said Cedric.
"it's just because he's famous ... famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead ..."
"Sadly, I have to agree with him," said Harry. "I mean, it did seem like the thing people were most anxious to see."
Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls.
"... everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick –"
"Someone sounds a bit jealous," said Hermione.
"You have told me this at least a dozen times already,"
"That would definitely get annoying after a while," said Harry.
said Mr. Malfoy, with a quelling look at his son, "and I would remind you that it is not – prudent – to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear"
"That right there would tell you right now who he serves willingly," said Cedric.
"– ah, Mr. Borgin."
A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.
"I take it that Mr. Borgin is a relative of Snape's, then," Hermione said, much to the amusement of the others. The fact that she said it with such a straight face had as much to do with their amusement as much as what she said did.
"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," said Mr. Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. "Delighted – and young Master Malfoy, too – charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced –"
"Maybe we should get someone in there to spy on Mr. Malfoy," said Hermione. "I mean, from the way that place sounds, it's got to be bad to be buying anything there, right?"
"Yes and no," Cedric said. "I'm not sure if it will actually do any good, though, since not everything in that Alley is bad to get."
"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," said Mr. Malfoy.
"Now that there would be suspicious," said Cedric.
"Selling?" The smile faded slightly from Mr. Borgin's face.
"Of course. No shopkeeper wants to buy things from you. They'd rather be the one getting money from you than giving you money," said Luna.
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," said Mr. Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unravelling it for Mr. Borgin to read. "I have a few – ah – items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call ..."
"So he's basically trying to get rid of anything that will show him for what he is," said Hermione, shaking his head
Mr. Borgin fixed a pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.
"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"
"At the moment, no, but if enough people push, then it is very likely that he will eventually get raided," said Cedric.
Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.
"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome."
"Just because your name is Malfoy, it doesn't mean that you are above the law," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"There are rumours about a new Muggle Protection Act"
Hermione looked a bit dismayed. Was the wizarding world so bad that there had to be a law to protect Muggles? A surge of anger went through her when she thought about what could happen to her parents if it came down to it.
"– no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it –"
Hermione wished she could harm this person, who obviously needed some kind of head check.
Harry felt a hot surge of anger.
"– and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear –"
"There is no might make it appear about it," said Cedric. "If you've got that, then you obviously are not as innocent as you say you are."
"I understand, sir, of course," said Mr. Borgin. "Let me see ..."
"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on its cushion.
"Mr. Borgin will probably abandon Mr. Malfoy's list, hoping for to make a sell," said Luna.
"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" said Mr Borgin, abandoning Mr Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunder ers! Your son has fine taste, sir."
"Not the best thing to say," Cedric said, wincing. "He's basically saying that Malfoy is likely to become a lowly thief. Someone like Lucius Malfoy won't take to kindly to that."
"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," said Mr. Malfoy coldly and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offence, sir, no offence meant –"
"Yeah, not a good idea to offend one of your repeat customers," said Luna.
"Though if his school marks don't pick up," said Mr. Malfoy, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for."
"Oh, just what you want to hear from a parent," said Hermione, shaking her head.
"It's not my fault," retorted Draco. "The teachers all have favourites, that Hermione Granger –"
"Hey, don't blame me for your inadequacies," Hermione said. "I earn my grades fair and square. I doubt you'd be able to do the same."
"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.
"So, what's got him pissed is the fact that may parents are Muggles, not the fact that I'm a girl or any other reason a person could come up with," said Hermione.
"Ha!" said Harry under his breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry.
Everyone in the room sniggered at Malfoy's expanse.
"It's the same all over," said Mr. Borgin, in his oily voice. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere –"
Geez, Mr. Borgin doesn't know what to say and what not to say in front of Mr. Malfoy," Cedric said.
"Not with me," said Mr Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring.
"No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr Borgin, with a deep bow.
"Liar. He'd happily sell to a Muggleborn if they were rich enough," said Luna.
"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly. "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today."
"I wonder what business he has," mused Harry.
They started to haggle. Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. He paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals: Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed – Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.
Everyone scowled as they read that, wishing that Malfoy was there so that they could do some harm to him.
Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward ... he stretched out his hand for the handle ...
"Please let his father finish and have them leave, please let his father finish and have them leave," repeated Harry under his breath.
"Done," said Mr. Malfoy at the counter. "Come, Draco!"
"That is very lucky for you," said Cedric.
Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away.
"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin, I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."
The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner.
"Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's hidden in your manor..."
They laughed at that, finding it funny that Mr. Borgin didn't actually respect Malfoy as much as he had seemed to let on.
Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Harry waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as he could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases and out of the shop door.
"Wow, you were able to do that without getting caught at all. That's quite a feat," said Cedric.
Clutching his broken glasses to his face he stared around. He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads, and two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he'd be able to find a way out of there.
"Smart idea," said Luna, nodding her head in agreement.
An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poison ous candles told him he was in Knockturn Alley. This didn't help, as Harry had never heard of such a place.
"Well, now I do know," said Harry. "How far away am I from Diagon Alley?"
"Not that far away, at least, I don't think. Knockturn Alley is right next to Diagon Alley – Gringotts, in fact, basically connects the two – but I have no idea where Borgin and Burkes is, so…" answered Cedric.
"Let's hope, then, that someone comes to help Harry," Hermione said.
He supposed he hadn't spoken clearly enough through his mouthful of ashes back in the Weasleys' fire. Trying to stay calm, he wondered what to do.
"Be very careful," said Cedric.
"Not lost are you, my dear?" said a voice in his ear, making him jump.
An aged witch stood in front of him, holding a tray of what looked horribly like whole human fingernails. She leered at him, showing mossy teeth. Harry backed away.
"When I said let's hope that someone comes to help Harry', I didn't mean someone like her," said Hermione faintly.
"I'm fine, thanks," he said. "I'm just –"
"Beginning to panic, the worse thing you can do in a situation like that," said Cedric.
"HARRY! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?"
"I know that voice – or, rather, the grammar," said Hermione, beginning to smile.
"It's Hagrid," Harry said, also beginning to smile – he was just the type of person who would help Harry out.
Harry's heart leapt. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cas caded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, came striding towards them, beetle-black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.
"He'll be a welcoming sight," said Hermione, a small smile on her face.
"Hagrid!" Harry croaked in relief. "I was lost ... Floo powder ..."
Hagrid seized Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him away from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into bright sunlight. Harry saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance: Gringotts bank. Hagrid had steered him right into Diagon Alley.
"Yay, we can breathe again," said Cedric.
"What was Hagrid doing in Knockturn Alley?" asked Hermione suddenly.
"Probably getting one of those few things that are not available anywhere else," said Cedric. "I'm sure he's not doing anything bad."
"Yer a mess!" said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Harry so forcefully he nearly knocked him into a barrel of dragon dung out side an apothecary's.
"Poor Hagrid just doesn't know his own strength," said Cedric, sniggering at the look on Harry's face.
"Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno – dodgy place, Harry – don' want no one ter see yeh down there –"
"I think I've realized that, without having to go down there," said Harry.
"I realised that," said Harry, ducking as Hagrid made to brush him off again. "I told you, I was lost – what were you doing down there, anyway?"
"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages."
"Why would flesh-eating slugs be ruining the school cabbages?" asked Hermione.
"Not sure. I think that it's something I'll eventually learn about," said Cedric.
"Yer not on yer own?"
"I'm staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained. "I've got to go and find them ..."
They set off together down the street.
"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid, as Harry jogged alongside him (he had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.
"The Dursleys' are just going to love you after that," said Hermione, a bit of a wicked grin on her face.
"Ruddy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known –"
"Harry! Harry! Over here!"
Harry looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.[
"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid ... Oh, it's wonderful to see you two again ... Are you coming into Gringotts, Harry?"
"Excited to see me, are you?" asked Harry.
"Well, it does make some sense. I mean, you've not only been silent since the end of school, but you probably made sure I knew why I hadn't heard anything from you as well when Ron sent a reply back from my letter, so I'm probably very happy and excited to see my best friend again," Hermione said.
"As soon as I've found the Weasleys," said Harry.
"Yeh won't have long ter wait," grinned Hagrid.
"They're coming up right now," Cedric finished Hagrid's sentence.
Harry and Hermione looked around; sprinting up the crowded street were Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Mr. Weasley.
"Harry," Mr. Weasley panted. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far ..." He mopped his glistening bald patch. "Molly's frantic – she's coming now."
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"They're going to be a bit jealous of you now," said Cedric. "Especially the twins, since they're forbidden to going there."
"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.
"Brilliant!" said Fred and George together.
"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.
"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.
"Yeah, I have to agree with that," Harry said. "I'm rather happy that I will be able to avoid it this time around."
Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.
"Oh, Harry – oh, my dear – you could have been anywhere –"
Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away.
"At least you won't have to worry about being knocked over with her helping you," said Hermione.
Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand and returned them, good as new.
"I'm going to have to learn and remember that spell," said Harry.
"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.
"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father."
"That's going to get Mr. Weasley's attention," said Cedric.
"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.
"No, he was selling."
"So he's worried," said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something ..."
"I don't think anyone can blame him," said Cedric. "I think everyone who doesn't believe Malfoy to be innocent would love to get him for something."
"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as they were ushered into the bank by a bowing goblin at the door. "That fami ly's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew."
"Oh, that's…that's just mean to say," Cedric said.
"What a way to hit his manhood," Harry said, shaking his head.
"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.
"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly.
"Did Ron never bother to mention that I'm Muggleborn?" Hermione asked.
"It would seem that way," Cedric said.
"We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.
"He's not going to scare them, is he," asked Hermione, a bit fearfully.
"No. He's pretty harmless. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they became good friends," said Luna.
"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione, as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train-tracks through the bank's under ground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault,
"It probably feels wonderful," said Harry.
but felt dreadful, far worse than he had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon.
They all frowned at that, feeling horrible about that, and glad that others wouldn't be reading this. They had the feeling that it would be rather embarrassing to the Weasleys if everyone knew about it – it was one thing to say they were poor, but another to be faced with just how poor they were.
Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.
"Yeah, that would be a bit uncomfortable," said Harry.
Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill.
Cedric got a wondering look on his face as he thought about why Percy wanted to be away from the others – the new quill excuse sounded like just that, an excuse.
Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a second-hand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreat ing backs.
"Will they listen?" asked Hermione.
"Yes. They may not want to listen, but they do respect their mother enough to listen to her about places like that," said Cedric.
Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cob bled street. The bag of gold, silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamouring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams
"Oh, thank you Harry," said Hermione.
which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door.
"I must want to make sure we have plenty of it for the new school year," said Hermione.
In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on 'Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks', and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, wonky brass scales and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.
"Sounds like a lovely book," Hermione said, and, for the first time in her life, it wasn't said in a good tone.
" 'A study of Hogwarts Prefects and their later careers'," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating ..."
"Go away," Percy snapped.
"You know, I can't really see Percy reading that for pleasure," said Cedric. "I mean, I know that he's ambition, but I don't think he's so ambitious that he'd read something like that for pleasure."
" 'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out ... he wants to be Minister of Magic ..."
"It's not a bad goal, but, somehow, I don't think Percy would actually make it to that position," said Cedric. "I mean, he's be good in a high position in the ministry, but not the highest – he tends to be a follower than a real authority figure. He wouldn't be able to handle being the minister."
Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone, as they left Percy to it.
An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:
GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12.30 – 4.30 pm
"Well, I know what day I'm not going to Diagon Alley next summer," said Cedric. Luna nodded. Harry and Hermione, however, didn't make any movement, deciding to wait before making a judgement.
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
Hermione winced at that – she sounded like a fan girl. She knew that she didn't act like this when she met other authors – at least, she didn't remember acting like this, and her mother never said anything about her acting like that – so she had the feeling that it wasn't his writing skills that were the reason for her excitement. Apparently, she decided that he was good subject to crush on.
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please ladies ... don't push, there ... mind the books, now ..."
Harry, Ron and Hermione squeezed inside. A long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of Break with a Banshee, and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ..."
Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table sur rounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flash ing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue which exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.
"He sounds…pompus," said Hermione, frowning. He did seem to be concerned with his looks a bit more than Hermione thought was good for someone who was supposed to a good source of information about Defense.
A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking pho tographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.
"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet."
"Big deal," Hermione said. "There's no reason to be rude."
"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.
Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to wish I was standing somewhere else," said Harry.
– and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"
"Perhaps because he's caught sight of you," said Cedric.
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly. Lockhart dived for ward, seized Harry's arm and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.
Hermione frowned – this Lockhart fellow didn't even ask Harry if he wanted to be photographed or not.
"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleam ing teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
"He's an attention seeker," Harry said. "I'm going to absolutely hate him."
When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.
"Why won't he let me go?" Harry muttered.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!"
"I don't have a good feeling about that," said Luna.
"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge –" the crowd applauded again,
"I don't want them free of charge," Harry said, knowing that the only reason why he was getting them that way was because of who he was.
"– he had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"No," the boys in the room moaned, while Luna shook her head in dismay. Hermione had officially decided to wait a bit longer before giving her opinion, though what her opinion was at the moment wasn't in his favour.
The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.
"I hope she doesn't misunderstand why I'm giving them to her," Harry said, knowing that that was what he was planning on doing. "I just don't want to be treated special, and I know that she needs them, that's all."
"Unfortunately, she probably will look into that simple act as something much more than it is," said Luna.
"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own –"
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognising. He straightened up and found himself face to face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.
"Ah, it's time for a faceoff," said Cedric. "One that apparently couldn't wait for the train."
"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a book shop without making the front page."
"He probably wishes that it was him," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!"
"Anyone with a brain probably could see that," said Luna.
said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy.
"I have the feeling that Ginny would love that if it was true," said Hermione.
Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.
"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were some thing unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"Why would he be surprised to see you getting your schoolbooks?" asked Hermione.
"I think it's the Dobby situation," said Cedric. "Remember, Malfoy was who they thought Dobby belonged to. Ron probably still believes that it was done as a joke."
"Either way, it'll probably confuse him," said Luna.
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."
"A rather quick and probably effective comeback," said Hermione.
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the caul dron, too, and started towards Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Good idea. He doesn't need to be fighting," said Luna.
"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside."
"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius," said Mr Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
"They're not," said Cedric, a bit sourly. "I can already tell you that. Not only do they not consider Muggles worth much, but the Minister is pretty much more concerned with lining his own pockets along with those he considers important – meaning those who actually do their jobs, and do them correctly, are most likely to be given only the minimum salary amount than the amount of money they deserve."
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amidst the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," he said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a dis grace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
"He would know about them not paying well about it," said Cedric. "He's probably the one who convinced Fudge to do that."
Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"That's very clear," said Hermione. "It's also clear who the better wizard and who the disgraced wizard is between you two."
"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley ... and I thought your family could sink no lower –"
"Will someone please hit him," asked Harry.
There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him back wards into a bookshelf.
"Can I ask why he didn't use his wand?" Hermione said.
"Probably because there isn't a law against using Muggle fighting while there is one against using a wand to fight outside of a declared duel. Plus, Mr. Malfoy would probably try to get Mr. Weasley fired from his job had he used magic against him," said Cedric.
Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thun dering down on all their heads; there was a yell of "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backwards, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please – please!" cried the assistant and then, louder than all, "Break it up, there, gents, break it up –"
"Ah, Hagrid, let them fight a little longer, at least enough to seriously hurt Malfoy," Harry said, frowning.
Hagrid was wading towards them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old trans figuration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.
"Why did he hold onto the book?" Cedric asked, a bit suspiciously.
"Here, girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you –"
Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that."
"Isn't that the truth," Luna said.
"No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. Bad blood, that's what it is."
"Funny how others would say that they're good blood, while Hagrid's saying the exact opposite," said Harry.
"Come on now – let's get outta here."
The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think bet ter of it.
"Yeah, I would love to see them try and stop Hagrid from doing what he wants," sniggered Harry.
They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set to your children ... brawling in public ... what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought ..."
"He was probably pleased, as it would probably help get him on the front page," Hermione said. "Between Harry and that, it's a guarantee for being front page news."
"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the DailyProphet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report – said it was all publicity."
"I don't know why he's bothering speaking up," Luna said. "She won't believe him anyways."
But it was a subdued group who headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys and all their shop ping would be travelling back to The Burrow using Floo powder. They said goodbye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side.
"Can I go with them?" Harry asked hopefully.
Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.
"Yeah, she's definitely not in the mood to cater to his whims," said Cedric quietly.
Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't his favourite way to travel.
"I think that's very clear from his earlier question," said Hermione, before looking down again.
"Oh, that's the end of that chapter," she said, handing the book to Cedric.