"The Leaky Cauldron." read Ginny.

"So do we get to hear about how you raised holy hell at Diagon Alley?" asked Sirius gleefully.

"He isn't you." said Tonks teasingly.

It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom.

"Wasn't used to getting up when I wanted, eating whatever, going out when I wanted and going to bed when I wanted. It was sort of strange, after Privet Drive and Aunt Marge." said Harry.

"I was told, in a letter from Tom, that you had gone into the kitchen and started making breakfast for the guests." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

"Why would he send you a letter about that?" asked Sirius.

"Tom was not very good about watching children, he asked for some advice. You utterly perplexed him, dear boy." said Dumbledore smiling over to Harry.

Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied.

"Aunt Petunia would choose the menu most of the time. I could choose the dish, but she would pick what the meat was." said Harry.

He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.

"And I didn't have any appointments going on for the rest of the summer, had to cancel one of them, before Aunt Marge came." said Harry.

Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests:

"Nosey little cuss." muttered Snape.

funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today;

"Getting into a debate about Transfiguration Today, can find yourself being turned into a wombat without much notice." said Dumbledore with smile.

wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava.

"Why do they cover their face?" asked Dr. Clark.

"They aren't the most pleasent to look at, and they are very sensitive about it." said Remus.

After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.

Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes,

"One of the best summers I could remember." said Harry. "Got to do what I wanted and go where I wanted."

where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ("It's a lunascope, old boy - no more messing around with moon charts, see?")

"My father gave me one those once. They're more useful in finding Humberpuffos." said Luna.

or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ("Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban").

"They were looking at me while they said that." said Harry with a laugh, kept looking around for my guardians to come for me."

Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor,

"That may explain that drop of strawberry fudge ripple on your homework." said Professor Flitwick.

"Oops." said Harry sheepishly.

finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings,

"It was his favorite subject while he was in school." said Dumbledore with a smile.

gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.

"Oh that's not fair." said Ron. "Didn't do that for us."

Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once.

"Good boy." said Lionus with a proud smile.

"Oh come on! When was the last time he treated himself to pretty much anything?" said Sirius. "I say go for it! He wouldn't have been able to spend all his money in his or the next lifetime."

He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks,

Rudolph smirked. "Not with our family vaults."

"So do you share a vault?" asked Dr. Clark.

"Actually, the money is evenly distributed. What Harry has in his vault is probably only a few thousand galleons more than us." said Rudolph with a smile.

to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones

"I have a solid gold set, if you really want one." said Sirius. "I got it from one of my Great Uncles."

(a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point).

"Those aren't allowed at our house, especially after the gobstone tournament us boys held." said Charlie.

"You can still smell it in Fred and George's room." said Bill.

He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson.

"Not even that would excuse you from taking the class." said Professor Sinstra.

"Might give me the chance to go all out on a test and get away with it." said Harry with a smile. "And Ron's grade would go up." said Harry.

But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Of course, it would be a broomstick." said Lavender.

"Ain't nothing wrong with a broomstick." said Ginny and the female chasers of the Gryffindor team.

Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.

"Then why have it displayed?" asked Dennis.

"Sort of like a brand new car model. They let you drool over it and in a few months you shell out the money to get it." said Dr. Clark.

"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.

"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"

"Awesome! You even have a World Cup?" said Dr. Clark.

"We went to it last year." said Ron.

"I can't wait to hear about it!" said Dr. Clark.

A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:

** THE FIREBOLT **

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

"Damn, that would turn any boy's head. Especially the speed." said Dr. Clark.

Price on request...Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost.

"Three thousand-six hundred and fifty three galleons sixteen sickles and four knuts." said Sirius.

Harry stared hard at Sirius. "What?" asked Harry, turning pale.

"Yeah, and you were worth every single coin." said Sirius with a bright smile.

He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already?

"That's very mature thinking, Mr. Potter." said Professor McGonagall.

Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.

"Don't blame you, I had actually bought one a few days after you left for Hogwarts, and I just kept staring at it." said Sirius.

There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients,

"Which was twice as much as any other third year had to do." said Ron with a smirk.

and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg,

"You never would be able to tell." muttered Fred.

"Heard that." said Harry.

he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

"One one of those worth learning." said Charlie.

Professor Trelawny frowned.

Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters.

"Just what every home needs, a book that'll attack every other book in your house." said George.

"Wouldn't say no to it having a go at our Lockhart books." said Fred.

Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

"Not the book to read to children before bedtime." said Lee with a snigger.

Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet.

"Sorry, Hagrid." said Harry blushing.

"S'alright." said Hagrid with a smile.

As Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him.

"Why would he come out?" asked Emmeline Vance. "He never does."

"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"

"Yes," said Harry, "I need -"

"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.

"Well, I can somewhat see why he's irritable, but that doesn't mean he can shove people about." said Bill.

"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "I've already got one of those."

"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning -"

"Apparently no one told him how to soothe that particular book." said Professor Flitwick with a giggle.

A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.

"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility - cost a fortune, and we never found them...

"That guys doesn't have much common sense, does he?" said Dr. Clark. "If they're invisible, you're not going to be able to find them."

Well...is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."

"Ah, starting Divination, are you?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling.

"They don't sell many of those to adults. Not many people want to know their future, it never makes anyone very happy." said Remus.

A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls:When Fortunes Turn Foul.

"Here you are," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."

"Bird Entrails?" said Dr. Clark.

"Yeah, that bit of divination is nasty." said Sirius. "I told James once that he was going to end up getting eaten by a bird and turn into that stuff."

"That's disgusting!" said Hermione.

"Lily thought so as well." said Sirius thoughtfully. "James thought it was brilliant."

But Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens - What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.

"What made you look at that?" asked Sirius in shock.

"You'll find out." said Harry quietly.

"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death."

"Good advice, don't buy that book." said Mrs. Weasley worriedly.

But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar...

"You thought...that I...I was the Grim?" said Sirius frantically.

"I didn't know what to make of you that night." said Harry.

"I'm never turning back into a dog around you if that's what you think I am when I'm in animagus form." swore Sirius.

"No, I love you as dog, as much as a human, it's just, it was a bad year for that..." said Harry.

Sirius looked uneasy.

The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands.

"Anything else?" he said.

"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er - I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."

"Thought you had them already?" asked Hermione.

"Didn't we talk about this already? I donate them to a charity thing." said Harry.

"Oh, right..." said Hermione.

Harry emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.

"What caused to do that? Normally your pretty smooth about walking amongst people. You hardly touch anyone." said Ron.

He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.

"I looked really pale." whispered Harry.

"Well, at least you found out everything." said Ginny soothingly. "You didn't have to be distraught for too very long."

"A year isn't too long?" asked Harry in wonder.

"Compared to twenty? No." said Ginny with a small smile.

"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent...It was probably just a stray dog..."

He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat.

"Why would you do that?" asked Dean.

"I'm sick of seeing the scar." said Harry.

"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.

"That frightened me." said Harry with a smile. "After that, I changed in the bathroom."

"Don't blame you." said Sirius with a laugh. "Some of those mirrors can be very cheeky."

"They're kinder to children then they are to adults." said Remus. "I remember once that one of those mirrors told James to work out a bit more."

"I remember that too, he started running about, doing push-ups, and sit-ups, that didn't last long though." said Sirius. "After one month he gave up."

As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt;

"We didn't say much, just stared at it and drooled." said Seamus.

he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother.

"I've had enough shouting and telling off to last me a lifetime, didn't want to watch someone else getting it." said Harry.

Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

"Didn't want her to shout at me next." laughed Harry.

"Don't blame you." said Neville also laughing.

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express.

"That's what you think!" said Ron and Hermione.

He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.

"Harry! HARRY!"

They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor - Ron looking incredibly freckly,

"Nice." said Ron with a smirk.

Hermione very brown,

"Mom and I spent a few days on the French Rivierra." said Hermione. "Dad was visiting with some friends."

both waving frantically at him.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and -"

"Come on! He's a Quidditch player! Where else would he be?" said Sirius with a smirk.

"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Dad," said Ron simply.

Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge.

"Fudge was bragging about how he had found you in the nick of time and saved you from certain peril." said Mr. Weasley. "Nice to have the record set straight."

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.

"Nope, just ugly rumors spread around by my inflated aunt." said George.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just - lost control."

"Nice of Ron to laugh at you." said Bill.

"It was funny." said Ron sheepishly.

"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"Need we go over it again?" said Rivers.

"No sir." said Hermione sheepishly.

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"You seem to like to question authority." said Madam Bones with a faint smile.

"Only when it doesn't make any sense." said Harry.

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt.

"They'd have to wait their turn, after I've dealt with you." said Mrs. Weasley.

Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me.

Several people laughed loudly.

Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"

"Ron, you're so excitable." said Charlie.

"I was happy to see him." said Ron.

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."

"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"Poor man." said Tonks giggling.

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"

"I always wondered why you decided to take on Muggle Studies." said Professor Flitwick.

"To get a wizard's point of few." said Hermione.

"Too bad you didn't get very good marks in that class." said Ron.

"Not my fault, the books were wrong." said Hermione stiffly.

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"That backfired big time." said Ron.

"I got the last laugh though, I complained to Dumbledore on how the books were wrong." said Hermione.

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them.

"I was serious, with all those books and if every other one of them was for a class, she wouldn't have any time for herself." said Harry.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"Best thing to get a teenager. Money or a gift card to somewhere." said Dr. Clark.

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"You're asking for a nice smack." said Alicia with laugh.

"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol -"

"Not really, Errol's the family owl, after he delivers the letters to us at school, he heads home. After recuperating of course." said Fred.

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

"It wasn't Egypt that did it." said Ron.

Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

"Just be careful, Owls eat rats." said Bill.

"Why didn't Hedwig try and eat him?" asked Charlie.

"Well, she kept trying, but I told her no more attacking him." said Harry. "So she stopped."

So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing.

"Such pleasent animals." said Charlie with a smirk.

The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages.

A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies.

"Trevor doesn't like those things, I don't think. He keeps jumping into the glass when Gran and I go to that shop." said Neville.

A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window.

"That's the store pet, he isn't for sale, he's been in the store owner's family for generations." said Kingsley.

Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly,

"Those were puffskiens, they're pretty popular." said Fred.

"If only they were smaller." said George.

and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

"She didn't mean that literally." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I didin't bang him on there." said Ron sourly.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.

"They were laughing." said Hermione. "Never saw a rat laugh before."

Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.

"Poor guy." said Dennis.

"You say that now." said Ron.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"Wonder why we didn't notice that he was around quite a long time, much longer than most rats live." said Charlie.

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er -" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"She didn't sound very cross, I was amazed." said Harry.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"And he was like that when I released him from the trap." said Percy.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch.

"Well, he's outlived that easily." said Percy doing the math.

"Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Good thing you kept him." said Sirius. "Or else, I'd be up a creek without a paddle."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"

"Did Scabbers bite you?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Wouldn't have hurt as much." said Ron.

Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Here's Crookshanks' big entrance." said Ginny.

"Wish it hadn't been so traumatizing." said Ron. "I still refuse to pet that thing."

"That's nice." said Hermione.

"Hey, I get along with him, I just don't pet him." said Ron.

"You do sometimes." said Harry.

"Well, on good days I guess." said Ron.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.

"Why didn't Hermione follow?" asked Ginny.

"Well, I still wanted to find a pet." said Hermione.

"So you didn't care if Ron lost his rat forever?" said Dr. Clark.

Hermione shuffled her feet nevously.

It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.

"What was that?"

"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.

"Oh, he is not that big!" said Hermione.

"When he sits on my lap, I can't feel my legs after a while." said Harry.

"Where's Hermione?"

"Probably getting her owl."

"Should have been with them finding the rat." said Parvati.

They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.

"You bought him? After what he tried to do to Ron's rat?" said Nightstrike with a dumbfounded expression.

"Well, he needed a good home." said Hermione.

"But you didn't care if he ate one of you're friend's pets?" said Nightstrike.

"Not the wisest decision, young lady." said Lionus. Hermione looked down. "I can understand wanting to give a pet a good home, but you really should have been more considerate about other people's pets."

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

"As much as I like Crookshanks, he's not all that...pretty..." said Sirius.

That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry.

"Well, at least Harry agrees with me." said Sirius with a laugh.

The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall.

"Several times." muttered Harry.

The Rangers and Dr. Clark sniggered.

Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

"Maybe not to scalp, Ron. But he was after Ron's pet." said McGonagall.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem?

"That didn't last long." said Ginny, remembering the day Ron thought he lost his rat.

Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."

"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave.

"Thank goodness." said Mr. Weasley.

"They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"

"I'm not to sure Sirius Black would escape from Azkaban just to be caught by a thirteen year old Gryffindor." said Lionus with a laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."

"I'll unmark my words, right now." said Sirius.

At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys" youngest child and only girl, Ginny.

"Easily the cutest out of the lot." whispered Harry.

"I'd hope so, seeing as how the others are my brothers and mother." said Ginny with a grin.

Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts.

"Spot on." she said with a smile.

She went very red and muttered "hello" without looking at him. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."

Percy turned red.

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"That's nice." said Neville with a snicker.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.

If Percy thought he couldn't turn anymore red from embarrassment, he was sadly mistaken.

"Very well, thanks -"

"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy -"

"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."

Several laughed loudly at the twins.

Percy scowled.

"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" said Fred, as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand, too. "How really corking to see you -"

"How to get grounded in less than nine syllables." said Charlie with a smirk.

"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.

"Not the exciting news, I had in mind." muttered Harry. "The wining the lottery seemed to be more exciting."

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.

I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

Ginny giggled.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, I know what not to do, hows that for an example?" asked Ginny innocently over to her mother.

"Gunny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner..."

He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.

"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."

"It told you to use me as a lookout too, Ron was making sure Bill didn't see us." said Ginny.

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

"He did appreciate the leaving a set of recipes behind." said Dumbledore with a smile. "That clam chowder of yours is quite the selling item."

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

Everyone looked up at him.

"Why?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Didn't expect dad to laugh at that." said Fred.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor..."

His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.

"You are way too obsevant, Harry." said Mr. Weasley with a smile.

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"I didn't dump it." said Ron. "Don't know who it was, but it wasn't me."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy.

"Well, yeah, stupid twit thought I dumped my stuff out." said Ron.

After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.

"Still nosey." said Snape quietly.

"Why go and invade...whoever's privacy?" said Tonks.

"I learned that if I heard an argument in the Dursleys, I could mediate the damage done to me by fixing as much as I could of whatever was wrong." said Harry. "Sort of automatic."

The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing -"

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

"What's up?" asked Hannah.

"You'll find out in a few minutes." said Ginny.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.

"Hey now, I didn't take it." said Harry.

"We want to know something." said Fred.

"With us as your brothers," said George.

"That you would even think that Ron took it." said Fred.

"So's Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar -"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"Well he'll be there for a while, cause we had it downstairs." said Fred.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs.

Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys". He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing,

"I was going to sneak away once they would start up again." said Harry.

when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door.

"Harry! That's a private conversation!" said Emmeline

"That involved me, I'd like to know." said Harry.

"Good boy." said Lionus with a smirk.

"...makes no sense not to tell him," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly.

"Wow, Dad never gets heated." said Bill.

"Except when you act way too stupid, and go against your own family." said Charlie, sending a dark look over to Percy.

"Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and -"

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley." said Harry with a smile.

"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!"

"I'm infinitely happier knowing what the hell is going on." said Harry.

"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley.

"There you go." said Harry. "Best have me being careful as opposed to me running around doing dangerous stuff."

"Not that ever stops you." said Snape with a sneer.

"You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves - they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice!

"Hey! The first time wasn't really our fault." said Ron.

But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

"If I was an evil son of a banshee, yeah, I guess that would have happened." said Sirius faintly.

"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point -"

"It was a lucky shot?" said Sirius.

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible.

"It takes an insane man to do the impossible." said Dr. Clark.

It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after -"

"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."

"About as safe as a danger magnet can be." said Harry with a kind smile.

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry -"

There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.

"There's another first." muttered Bill.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

"He meant Peter was at Hogwarts." said Harry.

"Actually, I was talking about you." said Sirius.

Harry stared at him.

"I was dreaming about you growing up and having the time of your life, with a troop of friends following you about and raising some hell." said Sirius. "But Peter kept creepign up into my dreams and I saw him once spiriting you away from Hogwarts in the dead of night." said Sirius.

"Is that one of the reasons that you left Azkaban at that time?" asked Remus.

"That and I saw Peter in the paper. Weasley's are all in Gryffindor, meaning that he would be close to Harry, so I had to get out and nab him." said Sirius.

Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead.

"I'd rather die than see that." muttered Sirius, his eyes filled with tears.

If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."

"Well we know that wasn't right, so what did you think of." said Harry.

"Getting my revenge, and wondering how you were getting on." said Sirius.

There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's Headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"

"Not much he does know." said Mr. Weasley.

"I'm finding out I know much less than I ever dreamed." said Dumbledore faintly.

"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."

"After arguing for about four hours." said Mr. Weasley.

"How do you like that, the one reason they're there is so they can protect Harry and they end up hurting him more than anyone else the entire year." said Ron.

"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"

"I'm not a fan of theirs, I believe that they should be destroyed, much like the Rangers feel." said Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that...but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"If they save Harry -"

Harry snorted loudly.

"then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up..."

Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight.

"Explains on how we didn't see anybody." said Mr. Weasley.

The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.

The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier.

"Fell out of my pocket." said Ron.

Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.

Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.

"We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."

The badge now read Bighead Boy.

"I didn't find it very funny." said Percy.

"But it was really funny, watching the cleaning lady come in and give you what for." said Ginny in a giggled whisper.

Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.

"You could have told us that the Twins had my badge." said Percy.

So Sirius Black was after him. This explained everything. Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train.

"You've been through way too much to be able to piece all those things together that quickly." said Tempest.

Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared.

Lionus and Moody looked over at the white haired lad.

Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs., Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be.

"Sorry to let you down." said Harry who had caught their interested gaze.

"Nonsense, you have enough sense to rely on stronger people to help you." said Moody.

Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him?

"That's logical thinking." said Lionus.

And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote.

"Blew that all to hell." muttered Remus with a smirk.

No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero.

"You were still worried about going to Hogsmede?" said Tonks.

"It was a freedom that I would love to have." said Harry honestly.

Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed.

"You make worrying about your well-being a bad thing." said McGonagall.

He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless...

"Such arrogance!" scoffed Snape.

"Hey!" said Sirius.

"No, he's right. I'm an arrogant prat." said Harry with a small smile. "I'm getting a bit better...at least I think I am."

"Slowly but surely." said Lionus.

"How do you know?" asked Remus.

"He gets up at the same I do, and we spar out on the grounds." said Lionus. "He gets his butt handed to him every morning."

"I still can't feel my butt since you've kicked me there." said Harry rubbing his backside and smiling.

Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming...

"Explains why you looked so worn the next morning dear." said Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.

"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.

"So much for soundling like she cared." said Ginny. "Well, that's the end of that."

"I think dinner is more than necessary." said Dumbledore, he clapped his hands and the table full of food appeared. Ginny and Harry both stood up and walked over to where the food was and began to fill their plates.

Harry took a large helping of treacle tart when suddenly the door opened and a woman had come inside the Great Hall.

Dr. Nicodemus walked swiftly over to her and spoke to her in a hushed voice. The woman nodded and turned around. Harry was watching what was transpiring, with a highly interested look. Suddenly the woman came back but she had someone in tow. It was another woman, though she was middle aged, she was still quite a beauty. One look at her and Harry did something he hadn't done in a good while.

He fainted.