Chapter 5 Diagon Alley showdown, and its not even Noon ********************Diagon Alley*********************
August 10, 2004
10am
With a whoosh, Harry arrived by Floo in the Leaky Caldron. The combination wizard pub/boarding house was sporadically populated, mostly with late risers. Tom the bartender/proprietor waved at Harry from the bar, and went back to serving several customers a late breakfast. Unfortunately, unlike when he was younger, a simple jaunt to Diagon Alley was now a major event, with members of the Order arriving ahead of time to verify the safety of the London wizarding center. Waiting on Harry were Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Remus and Tonks. Various other members of the Order were spread throughout the area, and Remus is carrying a parchment, signed by Arthur Weasley, that states that the underage wizards present are under his "training" so as to allow them to use their talents as a last resort if necessary.
"So where to, guys?" Tonks asked from where she had been talking to Lupin, rather happily to Harry's eye.
"Well I'd like to go to Fred and George's shop, they opened it after they left, school last year, but they've got Charlie and Bill watching it part time while they are at school this year." Ron replied with a smile at the thought of the shop that still annoyed his mother. It hadn't been enough to sidetrack his mother, with the fact that Fred and George had received only three owls each, but still had a successful business. That was mostly due to Fred and George's decision to return to Hogwarts for their final year. Privately Ron thought they had just came back to play out a final season of Quiddich now that their ban had been lifted. The infamous ban imposed by Delores Umbridge on Harry and the twins, had been revoked by Dumbledore the instant he returned to Hogwarts, but it had also been ruled invalid, as Division of Magical Games had ruled, that the "High Inquisitor" may have had the power to suspend them from playing at Hogwarts, only they could impose an actual ban.
"Me too," piped up Ginny, Molly had not relented to let her daughter go see Fred and George's yet.
"How about you Harry, Hermione?" Lupin asked, as he finished his tea, that he had gotten while waiting for them to show.
"I need to go to Gringorts, I can't keep wizard cash around at the Dursleys, Dudley steals it even though he cant spend it." Harry commented while thinking about the Galleons that have mysteriously gone missing over the years.
Hermione glanced at Harry, and put in, "I have to go exchange Pounds for Galleons. And I need some books as do you Harry."
"It's only August and you are already nagging Harry, Hermione" Ron said with a grin.
Hermione gave Ron her patent pending McGonagall Glare, "Ronald, I think that you are the last one here that should question why one should study." She replied softly, raising one eyebrow. Harry knew that the reason that he had eight owls and could apply for NEWT classes, so he could be an Auror had curly brown hair and was standing next to him. Inwardly he probably lent more towards her position than Ron's. However he didn't want to take sides, so he acted to break this familiar refrain up before it got started.
"Remus let's go ok?" Harry asked quietly to his ex-professor who had been standing next to Harry as he finished his tea.
Lupin nodded slightly and "Ok then, Tonks you take those two." Waving at Ron and Ginny, and "I'll take Harry and Hermione, we'll meet at Flourish and Blots in an hour ok?"
"Sure" replied Tonks, she led the two to the back wall, giving Remus a peck on the cheek as she passed. Harry would have thought that if Remus hadn't been in his thirties, Lupin would have blushed.
He was a little flustered as they went to the back wall, Harry ended up having to tap the proper sequence of bricks, as Lupin seemed unable to do so. The three of them headed down the street to Gringorts, it's massive white marble edifice visible anywhere in Diagon Alley. Walking up the stairs, Harry saw what he thought was someone he knew in the distance, but that's impossible, she's in Azkaban.
"What Harry," Hermione asked, concerned at the expression that had flitted across his face.
Harry forced a smile, "Nothing Mione, I thought I saw someone, but it's nothing"
"Ok" she replied, with a look that showed she wasn't quite convinced. As they reached the door, Lupin opened it for her and the three of them strode into the bank. "Wait here a second, Harry I have to go convert these pounds." Hermione walked over to the shortest line and waited for the next teller. As they waited, Harry idly looked around the vast bank lobby. Wizards, goblins and creatures of all types, that were sentient anyway, walked about on various errands. The lobby where they were waiting was opulent, as it should be with a great deal of the wizarding world's wealth located here. Even wizards from America often have accounts with Gringorts of London, and in fact a couple of American wizards could be seen talking to an account manager, one of them had a Yankees cap on over his robes. Harry for his part thought this was a grand idea, he had always hated the traditional wizards hat. After a few minutes Hermione came back to them, "Ok I'm done, lets get your stuff.
Harry led the other three to a receptionist. The goblin, Harry couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl, muttered something in Gooblydegook to a coworker then looked up at Harry. "Can I help you sir."
I wonder if I should point out that I speak goblin, though not as well as Hermione, no better not. "Yes, I'm Harry Potter, I need to get into my vault." Harry said.
"Gronk, take them to vault 117542" She told one of the security goblins behind her.
"This way gentle beings" Gronk said in a gruff voice, even for a goblin. Harry and the others followed him to a mine cart, which they all piled into, and in a high speed run similar to a seeker chase they arrived at Harry vault. The vault door they exited in front of was set directly into the rock, with other vault doors on either side. "Sir please place your key into the opposite hole. And turn." Harry and Gronk turned their keys at the same time, the massive door swung open and Harry walked in.
"Damn" Harry muttered softly, he knew that his fortune had grown with the inheritance, but the pile was absolutely enormous. Harry also noticed that on a set of shelves to one side, a set of three boxes sat, with a note lying on top of them. Curious, Harry pocketed the note, and turned back to the gold and bagged some for walking around money and school supplies.
"WOW" Hermione said from the entrance, she had not come in, so had not seen the boxes or the note that Harry had pocketed. Hermione's family unlike Ron's was well off, both of her parents were dentists, but still that was a really big pile.
Harry walked to her and signaled Gronk to close the vault which he did with a BOOM. "Yeah, now you know why I asked you not to tell Ron" He said quietly to her.
"Yes, and honestly it might have been a good idea, but you know you're buying lunch right?" She replied with a twinkle in her brown eyes worthy of Dumbledore and that did strange things to his stomach.
"Uhh sure Mione." He replied his snappy comeback suddenly forgotten.
Hermione knew instinctively that she had the advantage though she knew not why, so she used it. "Harry can we go on to Flourish and Blots so we can look, you know that Ron will want to leave as soon as he gets his books."
"Sure Mione," Harry replied. Lupin just looked away so Harry wouldn't see him laughing.
The three of them headed down the street, As they went, Harry gained a promise from Hermione to visit the Quiddich shop in exchange for the extra time in the bookstore, and they both nipped into the pet store. Harry had to get owl treats, and Hermione got a new collar for Crookshanks that gave the owner the ability to find a lost pet with a spell and a map, though as long as Harry had the Marauder's Map it wasn't a problem at Hogwarts.
As they walked down the street, "STUPEFY" rang out in a high, girlish voice and Lupin fell unconscious. Harry and Hermione dove in opposite directions and whirled about, their wands seeking a target. Wizards and witches on the street grabbed children, and hurried out of the way. A couple of owls that had been perched outside of the pet store took off to the accompaniment of the shouted curses of the proprietor.
"Umbridge" Hermione snarled with hatred uncharacteristic for her, she was the first to see their assailant.
"Yes, children, it is I your humble Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." Umbridge said in her nasally voice, dripping with false sweetness, "I see that old fool Dumbledore sent a half-breed to shepherd you, shame, shame."
Harry on the other hand started laughing, it just seemed funny, "Delores, in the past three months I have faced at least ten Death Eaters, and Voldemort," Umbridge cringed, "and walked away, go away you old hag."
"What did you say Mr. Potter, I'd expect that from your know-it-all mudblood companion, but as a pureblood..." Umbridge continued too stupid to back off.
Harry had ample experience in what happened when he did not keep his anger in check especially with this disgrace to wizards everywhere. He was determined to stay in control this time around, though the insult to Hermione for some reason was far worse than the implied slight to his parents. "Actually, Delores I'm a half-blood, just like Voldemort, who if I remember correctly you did not believe in, have you changed your mind? Fudge did just before he was sacked for his gross incompetence." Harry paused and with a slight smile, "How did you get out of Azkaban anyway, did the Dementors decide that you tasted too much like shit for their tastes, I mean you must be a come down from the Death Eaters that are there now."
Umbridge looked shocked, for some reason she had thought she could win this duel easily, Potter was only a child, wasn't he? And she after all had been a Professor. He should be running or at best trying to throw up a shield or attacking her because of her insults, she thought that he would have last year. "They um, hem, let me out on appeal, there was only the word of underage wizards against me, an Undersecretary. Un, hem, I expect an reappointment any day now."
Hermione for her part just looked more or less annoyed, she had been with Harry against the Death Eaters at much worse odds, let alone 2:1 in her favor, What is this crackpot idiot thinking? Though I am proud of Harry for keeping his cool.
"Delores." Harry began exasperation starting to show in his voice.
"Uh hem, I prefer Professor Umbridge, or High Inquisitor Umbridge." Umbridge replied with a fake sweet smile.
Harry just raised an eyebrow, and after letting another laugh escape, "Delores, last time you faced the two of us, you lost and we started out without wands, for the love of Merlin just leave..."
"CRUCIO" Umbridge cried shooting the curse at Harry, missing as he dove out of the way and almost hitting a child standing in the door of a store behind Harry. This action finally snapped the majority of the other wizards and witches out of their stupor and they began to point their wands at Umbridge.
Harry however, had spent the last two weeks training for combat, and had seekers reflexes faster than any of the pros currently playing. As Umbridge had fired the spell, he dove into a forward roll at her. Coming out of it he sent his elbow across her face as he rose, dropping her to the ground like a felled tree. As she fell, Harry neatly picked her short wand from her fingers. Holding it over her so she could see, he snapped it with one hand. "That half-breed is a thousand times the person you are, bitch" Harry spat, dropping the pieces of the wand on her shocked face, small magical particles slowly trailing down. He turned his back on her and walked over to Hermione, where she had just enervated Lupin.
"What happened," Lupin moaned from the ground. Only to be quickly echoed as Tonks ran up.
"What happened", Tonks began only to be interrupted by Ron.
"BLOODY HELL, it's Umbridge." Ron shouted as he saw whom Harry had defeated. "I thought she was in Azkaban."
"Harry" Tonks asked again, though she had pretty well guessed what had happened already.
But before Harry could say anything, Hermione jumped to his defense, in her adrenalin addled mind she thought Tonks was blaming Harry for some reason. "TONKS, we were AMBUSHED..."
Harry quickly crossed over to Hermione, "calm down Mione, she's just asking. Tonks..."
But Hermione went on though she was calmer now. "Tonks, that woman stunned Remus from behind" A sudden fire rose in Tonks' eyes but she nodded for Hermione to go on, "Harry and I dove out of the way and turned and she was there. Harry really tried not to fight her, but she shot a Cruciatus curse at him..."
"And almost hit a kid..." yelled an anonymous voice in the crowd.
"WHAT," Tonks snapped, "come here you." A middle-aged wizard walked from the crowd, "She did that?" The man nodded, Tonks closed her eyes for a second and pulling a business card from her robes, "I'm Nymphadora Tonks, I'm a Auror, call upon me tomorrow at the Ministry so I can get your statement, ok?" The wizard nodded and headed off. "Finish, Hermione."
"Harry dove forward with the shot, elbowed her, and took her wand, he snapped it." Hermione finished challenging Tonks with her eyes.
Damn she's fierce when she defending her own. Tonks thought trying not to grin, this was serious after all "Good work Harry, I hate breaking wands; I always get splinters." Hermione beamed at this, though Harry just gave a brisk nod.
Hermione however quickly dropped her expression at the one on Ron's. Aw hell, Hermione thought with sudden insight, Ron's got that I hate Harry for getting attention face again.
Tonks muttered into a crystal and two magical law enforcement officers apparated in and took Umbridge into custody, "Ok what now guys?" She asked with a shrug.
"Well I don't know about you three," Harry paused and helped Lupin to his feet, "but we were going to the bookstore, shall we Hermione?" And with that Harry took off towards Flourish and Blots, Lupin for his part just gave Tonks a shrug and followed. After a moment, Tonks led her two charges after them.
A/N: Don't you just love it when Christmas comes early?