Chapter Four---Jerek Samsung
Harry awoke the next morning to find the record's music still playing. It really was a beautiful song. Harry cast an eye down at the sleeping Hermione. Deciding to wake her, he poked her in the side.
"Mmmph…?" Hermione mumbled.
"Thanks for that song. It was beautiful. You have a great voice you know," Harry said.
"Thanks," she said and sighed, "I love that song. The Beatles have some great songs and that was a very deep one that I absolutely adore."
Harry nodded and then, impulsively kissed Hermione on the cheek.
"Thanks, Hermione, you're wonderful."
Harry gently pushed Hermione off of him and stood up and stretched. Ron was probably thinking that they were doing something illicit down here. Well, there was nothing he could do about that.
Hermione stood up next to him and stretched as well, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked rather cute in her pajamas. Hermione caught him smiling and asked him what he was smiling about.
"You just look cute in those pajamas," Harry replied.
Hermione blushed and mumbled something about going upstairs and changing. Harry followed her and then headed up to Ron's room, where Ron was snoring in his bed. He quickly shook him awake.
"Where's the fire?" Ron asked sleepily.
"Nowhere," Harry said shaking his head.
Grumbling, Ron sat up. When he caught sight of Harry standing by his bed still in his pajamas, he grinned.
"So what happened last night?"
Harry muttered, "Nothing."
Ron raised his eyebrows, "Nothing?"
"I just don't feel like telling you now, Ron. I'll tell you some other time, okay?"
Ron shrugged and began to get dressed. Harry sighed; right now, he didn't want to tell Ron because for some reason, he felt that this was something special for him and Hermione alone. In time he'd probably tell Ron, but for now, he wanted to keep it private.
After both of them were dressed, they headed downstairs for breakfast.
Mrs. Weasley looked up, "There you two are. Everyone else is already done, except for Hermione, I think. Hurry now."
They grabbed some porridge and sat down to eat. Hermione hadn't come down yet and Ron kept shooting looks over at Harry as if half-expecting that he and Hermione were dating now.
Hermione finally came down five minutes later and Ron took to looking at her, but neither Harry nor Hermione were talking about it.
Fred and George came down, grinning as usual, "I can't wait till we pull that trick on Ginny."
Ron nodded happily, "Yeah, it's gonna rock. Hermione, just wait until we get back to Hogwarts."
She shrugged, but looked happier. Ginny came down a few minutes afterwards in a very tight T-shirt and her jeans seemed to be slipping. Ron took one look at her and stood up very angrily.
"Change from that right now, young lady," he half-shouted.
She looked at him coolly, "You're not my mother."
"Well I am," a voice called out from behind her, "and I order you to go back to your room and change out of those clothes now."
Sighing, Ginny went away following her mother's instructions.
"Where's Luna?" asked Harry.
Ron shrugged and looked at Hermione.
"I didn't see her this morning," she said.
Ron gulped down the last of his porridge and stood up, "I'm going to try and find her."
"I'll help you," offered Harry.
Ron and Harry began looking around the various rooms of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. After nearly twenty minutes, both were about to give up when they heard muffled noises coming from the basement. They looked at each other quickly and ran down the stairs.
Luna was lying on the couch and she was giving out muffled sobs.
"Are you all right, Luna?" asked Ron nervously, both of them realizing that she was probably sobbing about her father.
She rose from her chair, wiping her tears away, "Yes, I'm fine. Is it breakfast time?"
Ron nodded silently and they walked back up the stairs, Luna making no noise at all. When the reached the kitchen, Luna was back to her normal, dreamy self and began eating her porridge in her usual manner.
Hermione looked questioningly at Harry, but he just shook his head. After Luna and Ginny were finished, the four trooped back upstairs to Harry and Ron's room.
Harry suddenly had an idea and strode over to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.
"Er…Phineas? Mr. Nigellus?"
Loud, fake snoring reached his ears.
"MR. NIGELLUS? PHINEAS!"
He jerked awake very theatrically. Phineas Nigellus, an old Headmaster of Hogwarts and one of Sirius' ancestors, was in two paintings (as far as Harry knew), one in Dumbledore's office and one here. He was able to go between them and send information, although he was rather an unwilling participant in this. If it weren't for Dumbledore, he probably wouldn't do anything at all.
"What is it?" he said, "Oh, it's you. The moping, miserable little boy who thinks the world revolves around him."
Harry opened his mouth to respond angrily, but Hermione quickly elbowed him.
"Can you ask Dumbledore if he needs our help in any battle?" Harry asked.
"WHAT?" Hermione shouted, "Don't be crazy, Harry, we're not good enough to actually be of any use."
Harry glared at her, "Hermione, this is the only way I can try and redeem my godfather's death. By hurting the people who killed him."
Hermione looked back at him, tears shining in his eyes, "Harry, remember what happened last time we went off like this? Ginny twisted her ankle, Ron got hit by some weird curse and couldn't think straight, I became unconscious, and Sirius died! Please, Harry, let's just stay here."
Harry began to think. Hermione was right. They would just be unnecessarily risking themselves and Harry wouldn't even be able to live himself if his idiocy caused more innocent people to die. Harry didn't even want to think about either Ron or Hermione dying.
"You're right, Hermione," Harry said and Hermione gave a huge gasp of relief and hugged Harry.
Awkwardly Harry tried to move Hermione off him, because Ginny was glaring daggers at her and Ron looked like he was trying not to laugh. Luna didn't look interested, but even she was beginning to stare. Hermione finally moved her arms off him and Harry looked around at Phineas who was giving unconvincing snores.
"Phineas, never mind that. Go on fake-sleeping," he said.
Phineas Nigellus gave no indication that he had heard Harry.
"So what'd you guys want to do?" Harry asked, feeling somewhat bored.
"How about wizard's chess?"
Ron began beating them all in about twenty moves each. He finally beat Harry who was the second-best player for the sixth time by taking Harry's bishop with his queen and giving the king checkmate at the same time.
Two weeks later, the attacks hadn't stopped coming although they were more isolated incidents and concentrated away from London now. It seemed as if Voldemort was slowing his pace to give a chance for widespread panic to occur. The day before, Lupin had suggested that Voldemort knew that with almost daily attacks, people were growing to expect it and deal with it. So Voldemort had probably decided to hold off for a while and strike every now and then as he had done sixteen years ago, keeping every one in constant and unexpected fear of coming home to see the Dark Mark above their houses.
Since the school year started again the following week, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were going to go to Diagon Alley with Mrs. Weasley to purchase their school supplies (Luna had already bought hers.) Mr. Weasley was absent on "Order business" and Harry had heard Lupin say to Tonks that he wasn't helping out at one of the sites that was attacked by Voldemort. Hermione had suggested that he was doing that Order work that only six or seven people knew about and Harry had to agree with her.
Harry waited, his pockets full of gold, as Ginny and Ron both used Floo Powder to get to Diagon Alley.
"Your turn, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said.
Hermione gave Harry's hand a quick squeeze and Harry steeled himself for the rigors of Floo traveling again. He entered the fireplace, threw the powder down, but suddenly sneezed right as he said, "Diagon Alley."
Harry felt himself moving through several grates at once and finally he stopped, falling out into a store that was definitely not in Diagon Alley. He quickly realized that he was in Borgin and Burkes, a shop in Knockturn Alley that he had accidentally visited four years ago. Knockturn Alley was a dark underworld of a place where, in Harry's mind, several illegal things probably occurred.
He felt a sudden urge to look around this shop, even though he knew Mrs. Weasley and the others were probably going frantic trying to find him. Maybe this shop or others in Knockturn Alley could have some useful stuff for him to learn and read about.
Harry walked over to an area of the shop that seemed to specialize in shrunken heads. He began examining them, a sort of morbid fascination creeping into him.
"Looking for something?" a voice from behind him said.
Harry whirled around to see Mr. Borgin, his hair slightly grayer and his stomach a little wider. He had not lost his oily voice however.
"Not really, this is my first time in the shop," Harry replied coolly, flattening his hair to make sure Borgin didn't notice his scar.
"Anything you're interested in?" Borgin asked.
"Any way to legally cause severe pain?" Harry asked, trying to keep the interest in his voice to a minimum.
"Legally?" asked Borgin.
"I mean instead of the Cruciatus Curse."
Borgin began looking around his shop and finally pulled a spellbook out from under his counter.
"My very own," he said.
"What's in it?" Harry asked.
Borgin showed him several pages that were filled with gruesome descriptions of how these particular curses worked. This would be useful for maybe the D.A. and definitely for avenging his godfather's death.
"How much?"
They began haggling over the price and Harry soon left with the spellbook magically shrunken so it wouldn't be noticed, his pockets feeling much lighter, although he still had quite a bit of money left. Harry looked up around the walkway in Knockturn Alley, feeling slightly apprehensive.
A woman holding several intestines approached him.
"Lost, are you?" she asked menacingly.
"No," Harry said and glared at her just as threateningly. Deciding that Harry was not one to be trifled with, the witch moved on.
Harry soon caught sight of Draco Malfoy and his mother strolling along the path, a few bags in their possession.
"If it isn't the famous Scarhead," Malfoy said sneeringly, "never thought I'd see the day where you walked Knockturn Alley."
"If it isn't Draco Malfoy," Harry shot back, "never thought I'd see you around actually [I]buying[/I] things after your father was thrown in jail."
Draco looked abashed and angry but he still whispered, "Well, my father's out now, so I don't care."
Harry smirked, "Tell him I'm waiting for him."
Harry brushed past Draco and his pretty, but strangely odd-looking mother, ignoring Draco's vile hisses.
Moving on down the street, Harry stopped in various stores, not buying anything. There didn't seem to be any bookstores on curses around and Harry wasn't really looking for necklaces that would kill their wearer.
Out of the corner of his eye, and old and dusty-looking store seemed to be falling apart. He moved closer and saw the sign. [I]Flesh and Blood[/I]. It was a bookstore.
Harry entered it, still feeling weird at the thought of walking around Knockturn Alley, a place where Hagrid had said that if people saw you there, they'd `[I]think you were up ter no good[/I].'
A skull tinkled overhead as he walked into the store, his eyes darting through the store.
There was a sudden tap on his shoulder and Harry whirled around, his wand in his hand and pointed straight out. There was nothing for his wand to meet however. He looked down and saw a tiny, sinister-looking wizard looking up at him.
"Jerek Samsung," he said, offering his minuscule hand.
Harry took it warily. Samsung barely came up to his knees. Could he possibly be a threat?
"Dean Thomas," he replied, saying the first name that came into his head while flattening the hair on his head.
Jerek Samsung nodded and gazed up at him, his large eyes seeming to swell, "Mr. Thomas, what would you like to buy?"
"I'm looking for some curse books," Harry replied.
Samsung nodded and led Harry to a section of the store that also seemed to have pictures of blood spilling everywhere and people emerging from the ground, dripping in blood.
"These are the best," he said.
Harry began to browse through them, picking up the ones that interested him. There were several books on pain, a few others on revenge, and one on how to kill a person with different types of potions. Hefting the large sack, Harry headed over to the counter.
"That would be thirty-four Galleons, Mr. Potter," Samsung said, holding out his small hand.
"Wait a minute, how'd you know---?"
The little wizard smiled sinisterly, "I know a lot about you. My friend Severus talks about you quite often. Highly critical of you, though."
Harry took a step back, "You know [I]Snape[/I]?"
Jerek Samsung simply smiled, "Yes. He and I went to school together. We are friends today although we weren't back then…For the past five years, whenever I talk to him, it's always `Potter this' or `Potter that.' It's quite tiresome, you know. I myself find it hard to believe that Harry Potter is in Knockturn Alley looking for curse books."
"With Voldemort back, I figure it's the best idea," he said, his eyes hardening, "besides, I have a little vengeance to exact on him."
Samsung nodded, "I see. Potter, I would suggest you leave Knockturn Alley now, however. Your friends are probably insanely worried about you and hear you are looking for curse books."
Harry grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, sir. Er…do you know any spell to make my books invisible to them?"
Samsung smiled and flicked out his wand. After muttering a quick spell, the books seemed to disappear in his bag.
"Thank you."
Samsung just nodded and watched as Harry walked out of his compartment, silently humming to himself.
Harry finally walked out of Knockturn Alley into the bright sunlight of Diagon Alley. He looked around happily, trying to catch sight of one of the Weasleys or Hermione.
He began walking up the street, looking left and right. Suddenly he felt his eyes being covered by someone's hand. The voice was low, but recognizable.
"Where were you for so long?" the voice asked.
"Er…er…" Harry said, trying to shake Hermione off.
Hermione wouldn't let go and Harry's eyes were still covered.
"Stop it, already!" Harry half-shouted.
"Where were you?" she repeated.
Harry hadn't thought about this. Sure, he had hidden what he had bought in Knockturn Alley, but how was he going to explain the hour of missed time? Suddenly he had an inspiration.
"I got stuck in a house on the way here," he replied coolly.
Hermione spun him around and looked at him carefully. Harry looked back at her, his expression as neutral as could be. She finally nodded and motioned for him to continue.
"Well, when the family realized that Harry Potter was stuck in their grate, they immediately treated me to some sandwiches. I also had to sign a few autographs."
Hermione looked at him and started laughing. Harry stared perplexedly at her as she continued laughing and laughing.
"What is so bloody funny?" he asked, gripping her shoulders.
"You," she replied, clutching his arms for support.
Harry glared at her, but still waited patiently for her to recover. When she finally stopped laughing, he stared questioningly at her.
"It's so funny," she said, "now, wherever you go, you get mobbed and get free sandwiches. But about three months ago, most people would've thrown you out immediately."
Harry laughed. Hermione was right. For most of the past year, the wizarding world had thought he was a raving lunatic, going on and on about Voldemort's return. After the Dark Lord had shown himself in the Ministry of Magic two months ago during the battle which cost Sirius his life, everyone had immediately warmed up to Harry again and he was once again the hero of the world.
"So, where's Ron?" Harry asked, looking around for any sign of red hair.
She shrugged, "The whole family's spread out over Diagon Alley to try and find you."
Harry looked at her incredulously. She almost looked like she didn't care whether they found the other Weasleys or not. She actually looked like she wanted to spend more time with him----away from the Weasleys.
"Er…do you want some ice cream?" he asked.
Hermione blushed, but Harry wasn't really sure why. Perhaps it was because they were going to openly spend time with each other instead of doing the proper thing and finding the Weasleys. Harry felt his stomach tighten up with guilt, but he reasoned that in the ice cream parlor they'd probably run into Ron and everything would be fine.
However, Florean Fortescue's shop was quite empty save for a young couple kissing in the corner. Looking nervously at each other, they sat down far away from the couple. When Florean came to get the order, Harry quickly ordered the large banana ice cream with gummy bears that Hermione wanted and the large raspberry with choco-nuts for himself. After he left, they looked at each other awkwardly. Harry finally broke the silence.
"What the hell is going on? We've known each other for more than five years …we should be able to talk to each other," he said, running a hand through his hair.
Hermione laughed, "Yeah, you're right."
Harry and Hermione spent the next half hour talking. Not just talking about Voldemort, but talking about a wide variety of subjects including what they were planning to do post-Hogwarts and how they were going to do it, talking about last year's battle in the Department of Mysteries, but most importantly for both of them, talking about the loved one they had lost recently.
Harry felt his face dissolve into tears as he finished talking about Sirius. Hermione daintily wiped the tears off her own face with a handkerchief and reached over to do the same to him. Harry leaned forward and felt his own tears being wiped off.
"Tell me about your mother," he said.
Hermione stared up at the sky, "She was beautiful. She was also very friendly and loving. She was always there for me whenever I needed her. Whenever I had a problem or had trouble at school at school or just anything, I could always send it to her without fear of being punished, unless I had done a really, really bad thing, or fear of being laughed at. She would always tell me what I needed to hear---not what I wanted to hear---and managed to never hurt my feelings. She always expected high grades from me, but always let me know that she would love me no matter how well or how poorly I did on exams. It's just so difficult…"
Hermione blew her nose, the tears coming out hard now. Harry let his hand rest on hers in a measure of support. This seemed to calm her down slightly and she then whispered to him, "I just can't believe she's gone."
Harry looked skyward, his brow furrowing hard. What was it that Dumbledore had said two years ago? After remembering, he decided to say the part that he would always remember and add some more of his own views. Reaching his hand out, he moved Hermione's chin up so she would face him.
"Hermione, do you think the dead ever truly leave us? You think that none of them lives on? No, they live on. Not as a ghost, Hermione. They live on almost as a spirit. Not something that is openly visible. You know where they live on?"
Hermione's eyes burned into his. Many emotions flooded through her eyes at the same time. Happiness, sadness, wanting, need, joy, death, love…Reaching out a hand to stroke her cheek, Harry whispered, "She lives on in you, Hermione. She lives on in your beauty, your love, your friendliness. She lives on in you."
Harry felt his own tears coming, but blinked them furiously out of his eyes. Hermione walked around the table and hugged him, tears soaking his shoulder.
"Hermione, I'll always be here for you. You know that, right?"
"Yes, Harry," Hermione whispered, "Somehow, I've always known that."
Harry stroked her hair as she leaned against him, her sobs coming every now and then. He suddenly was reminded of how Cho had done nearly the same thing a lot during their relationship. This time it didn't really seem as annoying, as he had often found Cho's crying fits. Hermione just seemed to feel right in his arms and he liked it a lot more. It was rather strange.
"Let's go find Ron," he whispered, after she stopped crying.
Hermione nodded and the two began walking the streets of Diagon Alley, trying to find any of the Weasleys. They finally ran into Ginny who was walking with her boyfriend from last year, Michael Corner.
"Ginny and Corner? I thought they dumped each other," Harry whispered.
Hermione shrugged, uncaring.
"Hi, Harry!" Michael Corner called out.
Harry nodded, "How are you?"
"Pretty good," said Michael, "are we doing the D.A. again this year?"
Harry nodded, "You bet. Even though I heard the Defense teacher's going to be good, it still doesn't hurt to have a Defense club."
Michael grinned, "All right. I'll talk to both of you later."
Harry and Hermione waved him off, both of them noting that Ginny had silently ignored them.
"Where would Ron be?" Harry asked, looking wildly around.
Hermione laughed, "Let's try Quality Quidditch Supplies."
They went into the Quidditch store and they found Ron looking at some Chudley Cannons robes. He finally turned around and saw them.
"There you are, Harry! Where were you?"
Harry quickly repeated his false story and Ron was laughing by the end of it.
"Still famous?" he asked mockingly.
Harry grinned at his best friend, "I wish I wasn't."
Hermione nodded consolingly, but Ron simply shrugged.
"So how about these robes? You think I should ask Fred and George to buy them for me for Christmas?"
"Did we hear our names?"
Fred and George had appeared out of the shadows and walked up to the trio.
"Lunch break," said George, stretching out his limbs.
"So, how about it? Let's go have lunch together in the Leaky Cauldron."
The trio agreed and the three Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione walked over to the Leaky Cauldron where Tom the bartender gave them a table in the back. After announcing pompously that he and George would be paying for everyone's meals, Fred looked surreptitiously around before speaking.
"Was it just me or was Ginny walking with that Corner guy from last year?"
"We saw the same thing," Hermione said.
"And here I thought that she would still be broken up over Dean," George said.
"Or Harry," said Ron.
Everyone nodded and Harry noticed that Hermione's soft brown eyes had gone a dark, icy blue. It was her death-glare that he'd only seen her use on Rita Skeeter and Ron a couple times. He certainly would not want to be on the receiving end of that.
"So, are you all going to do your shopping after lunch?" Fred asked.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded with Ron adding, "I think Harrykins might need new robes too. He's grown too big for his old ones."
Harry hit Ron on the arm, but nodded, "Yeah, I suppose he's right."
Ron nodded sagely, "Of course I'm right. I'm always right."
Laughing, the trio headed to Madam Malkin's to get their new robes. Harry and Ron got theirs pretty quickly, but Hermione seemed to be taking forever. Half an hour later, they were still sitting on the floor, waiting for Hermione.
"Come on Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron yelled.
"I'm getting dress robes," she replied.
"Don't you already have some?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"I'm getting new ones."
"Women," grumbled Ron. Harry silently agreed.
Finally, fifteen minutes after that conversation, Hermione came out in her normal robes, carrying a big bag. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes when they saw the bag, but Hermione ignored it.
"Where to next?" Ron asked.
They spent the rest of the day in peaceful happiness, shopping for their new supplies for the year. Harry was still thankful that he wasn't going to have Potions this year, although this was slightly tempered by the fact that he wouldn't be able to become an Auror without N.E.W.T. Potions. Harry was still wondering what his sixth subject was going to be. Ron had found out yesterday that his sixth subject was to be. To his horror, he had Divination. Ron had spent quite a bit of the last day griping about Dumbledore. Harry, on the other hand, hadn't even received a class. He had a nasty feeling in his stomach that it would be something like Divination or History of Magic.
When they returned to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Harry saw a face he did not expect there. It was Jerek Samsung. He was talking to Dumbledore in a very serious tone of voice.
"Who's that guy talking to Dumbledore?" Ron whispered.
Hermione shrugged and Harry did likewise, even though he did know Jerek Samsung's identity. Suddenly, a scary thought popped into his mind. What if Samsung was telling Dumbledore all about Harry buying those Dark Arts books? Dumbledore would be furious with Harry.
Dumbledore noticed the trio and he smiled broadly.
"Hello Harry, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Jerek Samsung. He's a member of the Order."
They all nodded a hi and Harry took it that Samsung had not revealed to Dumbledore that Harry had been buying Dark Arts books from him. Why was a member of the Order selling Dark Arts books? And if he was a member of the Order, why had he sold those books to Harry? It was very confusing.
Samsung gave no hint that he knew Harry and simply gave a nod to all of them.
"I guess we'll go upstairs," Ron said.
The trio went upstairs and Ron closed the door behind them.
"That guy seemed a bit creepy," said Hermione.
"Yeah," said Ron, sitting down, "he looked like a bit of a weirdo."
They both looked at Harry who hadn't said anything.
"Harry? What do you think?"
"Yeah, he's strange," said Harry, who was still preoccupied over his previous questions.
Ron looked quizzically at Harry but didn't say any more. The topic wasn't breached again.