Forum Thread

Voldermort was dead. The Death Eaters were no more. But as long as evil exists in this world, there will always be darkness. And darkness stirred in the depths of Knockturn Alley, as a man in a long scarlet cloak made his way down the alleyway. Though the inhabitants of Knockturn Alley were nasty people, most not even human, they all gave the man a wide berth as he made his way through the alley. Something about him made those around him hurry to get out of his way. The man finally stopped at a small building, that might have looked like an ordinary, albeit old store if it weren't for the sign covered in strange symbols that seemed to be painted in what suspiciously looked like human blood.

The man rapped sharply on the door, though his cloak still covered his hand, and despite the fabric muffling the sounds of the knock, a slot in the door slid open, revealing a pair of rather reptilian-looking yellow eyes. A woman's voice spoke, smooth and slippery. "Do you have the package?" The figure spoke, his voice high and grating like nails on a chalkboard. "I know of no such thing," he said harshly, "I am simply here to observe your wares." After a minute, the eyes narrowed, then the slot slid shut. There was a series of noises, metal grating against wood, and clickings with odd echoings. Finally, the door opened, and the man slipped in, the door being shut urgently behind him.

The woman who had answered the door was tall, with long black hair that framed her face. But in the dim light that came from the badly lit candles around the room, her hair seemed to shift to shades of green. "Welcome," she said, in a voice that could have almost been mistaken for pleasant. The man did not respond, so her tone switched to a more business-like one, though it retained its oily tone. "So, I will ask again. Did you bring the package?" "Why else would I tread on your deplorable doorstep?" he snapped back. "No need for that tone," she said, waving a hand as a tea set came flying out from behind the counter that divided part of the room away, "Tea?" The old, battered tea set hovered in the air expectantly, but he shook his head, so only one cup was filled, the rest of the set hurrying away. She plucked the cup out of the air and gestured with her head for the man to take a seat. There wasn't much room in the area in front of the counter, as much of it was full of displays of all shapes and sizes, holding various strange and deadly items, the majority of it being potions, some bubbling, some smoking, and others crackling. Still, there were two chairs in the corner of the room, one red and ornate, the other looking suspiciously like it had been fashioned out of a torture device of some kind.

The man hesitated, before taking the seat in the ornate chair. Having no other reaction, the woman sat down in the other seat, sipping the tea. The man reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out a mahogany box, covered in complicated silver locks that nearly covered the entire structure. But the more impressive feature was the hand that held it. The man's hand was pale and thin, fingers like long knobbly sticks. His skin was covered in nasty burns that left almost no undamaged skin, but that didn't seem to phase the woman. She took the box from him, examining it as she held it in one hand, the other setting down the tea on an invisible table next to her. She spoke, not taking her eyes off of the box. "I trust you were paid in full?" she asked quietly. "Every Galleon owed." "No witnesses?" "None alive," the man said, and though he did not remove his cloak, there was a hint of a smirk in his voice. "Good," the woman said, "Now there is only one loose end to tie up." "What? Everything is set in motion, what could you possibly-" The woman's wand was in her hand in a flash, a long, dark, thin one. "Avada Kedavera," she barked, and with a flash of green light, the man crumpled to the ground. She stood up, pocketing the wand. "You," she said simply. "No one alive must know of this." She whispered a few words, and the man's body raised a few feet above the ground and began moving away behind the counter.

...

Meanwhile, Angelina Farrics had just woken up from a daydream. She sat straight up as if she had been asleep in bed, and that daydream, or whatever it was, was really a nightmare. Her shoulders were shaking, and she panted as if she had just woken up from a nightmare. "Alright there?" Her father called from the front seat. "Yeah," she said, taking a minute to calm down. Still, she was completely and utterly confused by what she had just seen. Well, flashes really. Only a moment before the details had been crystal clear, but now they were slipping away, leaving frustrating flashes. She shook her head, and called out, "How much longer to Diagon Alley, Dad?" "Not long," he called back. Angelina fiddled with her seatbelt excitedly. This may have only been her second year, but she was still extremely excited, and couldn't hold it in much longer, lest she burst from the thrill she got just thinking about going to one of her favorite places on Earth, besides Hogwarts, of course. She settled on staring out the window, watching the world pass by.

It was a stroke of luck that her father, though he was a wizard, was Muggleborn, since her mother was a pureblood herself, and had absolutely no idea how to work a car. They had just recently run out of Floo Powder, an event that seemed to make Mrs. Farrics extremely worried, and her father luckily had a car on hand that he kept for emergencies. His wife still seemed unnerved by it, but she was a natural worrier, nothing at all like her daughter, who loved to take risks. It really was no surprise that she had been sorted into Slytherin, having a natural inclination against rules, and being rather ambitious herself. The girl had her heart set on creating the most chaotic year Hogwarts had seen, while also keeping away from punishment. A lofty goal, especially with Professor McGonagall as Headmistress, but Angelina was determined to see it through regardless.

They finally reached the Leaky Cauldron, her father parking outside, and the two of them exited the car, walking inside. Her father stopped a few times to speak to witches and wizards that he recognized, but after the third time, he got the hint from Angelina's crossed arms, tapping foot, and the grip that she had on her letter that she was impatient to go. They made their way outside, her father drawing his wand to open the entrance, and they slipped into Diagon Alley.

---

Nico sat behind his parents as they argued about where to go first."Why don't we go see me get a wand first"I said interrupting my parent's bickering."Good idea"They said in union.They adored their child he was even smarter then them.He knew every formula by heart and could make a decent spell of healing.His parents wanted him to be a fighter a brute whatever you call it,but no fate had other things he found a book on healing potions and fell in love studying every formula.His parents then relised he was a great healer after curing his mom from a deadly snake bite and decided to cheer him on.

Nico walked in the shop.He asked the keeper if he could try out a wand used for healing.First,they tried a willow wand with a phonix feather core.Then,a elderwood wand with a unicorn horn hair core.Finally,they settled on the right wand one made of ivory with a unicorn horn shard as the wand's core.

Next,they went to get a pet he wanted a raven for he knew he would be ravenclaw and wanted a bird like an owl but those were expensive,so he settled on a raven after the group he knew he would be in.His raven was a midnight black colored raven.It's beak was cloaked in blood from fighting a snake.He knew it could attack something he couldn't,so he chose the raven to be his pet.He was so confident that he would be a raven claw.

At the cloak store he was broken in his heart.The only robes they had were to big for him.He was saddened when he walked in but knew he had to buy them today or he would have no robes to go to school in.His parents bought the robes that were two sizes to big and left Diagon Alley.

---

Evelyn woke up sweating. She was safe, but she could still remember the pain and flash of light. Her fingers hovered over a faint scar on her neck, a reminder of what happened. Shivering, she got out of bed and got dressed. Lynn hooted softly. Evelyn muttered an apology as opened her window. She'll let Lynn out tonight, since it was risky to do so in broad daylight, and she doubt Lynn was fully awake. The bright sunshine streamed into her room as her silvery grey eyes surveyed the mess she made in preparation for the upcoming year. Her father yelled, "Breakfast is ready," snapping her out of her train of thoughts.
~~~
The morning went by as usual, her mother left for work early while her father prepared breakfast. "Could you drop me off at the Leaky Cauldron today?" Evelyn asked softly. "Sure thing honey," he said as he put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Evelyn nodded as she pulled out a list of books and ingredients she needed for the upcoming year. She heard the engine roar with life and she quickly made her way outside. After she got into the car, she sat in comfortable silence as her father drove to the Leaky Cauldron.

---

Nuuska and Lilla were purchasing the few books they didnt already have from their older sister who had graduated only a few years prior.

“If you didn’t ruin this book last year”, Nuuska said, turning over the required potions book in his hand, “We wouldn’t need to buy this one”

Lilla scoffed “So? How was I supposed to know chopping and mincing were two separate things?” She handed over a handful of Galleons and Sickles to the shopkeep. “Besides, you hate the ones we have anyway.”

He placed the books into a bag “I don’t hate them,” he said, making sure they had all their books “I hate how you scribble insults on every other page”

Lilla fake-punched him, and by fake punch it means she punched him but at about half the strength she would of normally. “How’re you so certain its me huh” She struggled to contain her laughter “What if it was sissy?”

“Myla, unlike you, has manners.” He looked around the Alley “Let’s go to Madam Malkin’s, I need new robes after you conveniently spilled something and my robes happened to be in the same proximity to be used as a rag”

---

Margo was in the wand shop. Again. In her previous year, she had broken her first wand, made of oak, attempting to duplicate it with another wand. This time, she was aiming Not to have to pay 13 galleons for a cheap wand. She had been through 23 wands so far and was getting extremely frustrated. Finally, on the 25th wand, instead of banging and smoking, it sent out a flurry of blue sparks. Margo knew it was the right wand for her.

Now she was at the robe shop getting her robes resized. It was hard to stop from laughing at the boy who had just walked out with oversized robes. Didn't he know that you just had to ask Madame Malkin for a fitting? She shook her head, then busted up at the raven in a cage. Finally, she was able to thank Madame Malkin and leave with her robes. She explored a bit more, before heading back to her room at the Leaky Cauldron.

---

Suvansh, being 16 this year, took onto the streets himself, driving his dad's car while his mother sat on the passenger's seat. While his mother was a half-blood like himself, his father was a muggle-born wizard. Despite having gone to Hogwarts himself, he did not like revisiting Diagon Alley at the slightest. When he reached the Leaky Couldron, he gave his mum little time to talk to acquintances, as he dragged her by the wrist through the room, to the backside. He tapped the bricks in the order he saw his parents do before, and having himself done it before, it was no problem. They lived in the muggle world, so his parents had little use to keep wizard currency at home, so, they went onto Gringotts first thing.

---

Morgan Woods was excited. Why? She was going to Hogwarts! Sure, it was only her second year. Anyway, she was driving with her mum to the Leaky Cauldron, which was the secret entrance to Diagon Alley. "When will we get there?" Morgan asked excitedly. "Soon, soon." Her mom replied again. She had asked about five times already. Soon, they were actually there. Morgan stepped out of the car with a bag in hand, to carry her books, and other things she may need. Her mom went into the building, often stopping to talk to wizards and witches she knew. Morgan was impatient. "Hurry up..." she whined. Her mom finally stopped talking and went to the back, waving at the old bartender as she passed him. Morgan didn't know his name. Mrs. Woods took out her wand, and with a series of taps, opened the secret passageway into Diagon Alley. Mrs. Woods went to Gringotts to get money so she could buy Morgan's school supplies. Morgan crossed her arms, and waited outside the bank.

---

Angelina pulled her father alongside her, hurrying through the crowd of witches and wizards. Occasionally, Angelina would have to duck under an arm or jump aside at the last minute, her veering, haphazard path almost resulting in the 12-year-old girl crashing into many an annoyed witch or wizard. Shouts of, "Hey!" and "Well, I never-" and "Child!" could be heard ringing through the air, an occasional, "So sorry," or, "My apologies," as Mr. Farrics fought to keep up with his daughter. The girl seemed to pay no heed to it all, except for a devilish grin that stretched across her face. She ended her dash across the streets with a cartwheel across the stone-cut path, landing near the entrance to Gringotts. As her father broke through the crowd to hurry up to her, the rabble continued on its way, though they often threw dirty looks back at them.

"Angelina Messir Farrics, what...were...you...thinking?" Mr. Farrics wheezed, hands on his knees. He looked up at her, and she folded her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels. Angelina gave him an innocent look. "I was just so excited to get to Gringotts, I couldn't help myself!" Mr. Farrics managed to get up, shaking his head with a long sigh. "Someday, you are going to realize that not thinking of others is going to leave you in a pretty tight spot, especially when you don't have a friend to depend on." Angelina rolled her eyes. "Right, dad. Like I'll ever need friends." She could set off plenty of Dungbombs without help from anyone, and that's all that mattered. Causing chaos. She didn't need friends to do any of that. Some small part of her said that maybe it would be nice to have someone to depend on, but that was out of the question. Last year had proved it. Everyone who wasn't a Slytherin hated Slytherins, and the Slytherins themselves were far too stuck up to actually deal with her. Angelina would have to go at it alone.

Her father's eyes softened when he looked at her again. "Look, let's stop talking about it, okay? Why don't we just head on into Gringotts, get started on that shopping, hmm?" Angelina's face brightened, her mood now lifted by the thought of going further into Diagon Alley. Mr. Farrics chuckled and gestured with one hand. "Lead the way, then. Just, don't rush off again, for their sakes?" Angelina nodded again, not paying much attention, and hurried inside. She nearly crashed into Morgan, gave a hurried apology, and continued in, with Mr. Farrics jogging in after her, barely managing to catch up to her as she scrambled to a halt. "Please, please no more running, Angelina," her father said exhaustedly. "Alright, fine. No more running," she agreed, slightly distracted.

Inside Gringotts, Angelina spotted a familiar Gryffindor prefect, and she snickered. She was always having to skirt prefects all the time, regardless of their house, and she had run into some pretty close calls with several of them, including the Gryffindor prefect. The one time that she could remember was giving a Ravenclaw a sandwich stuffed with Pepper Imps, and nearly getting into trouble. She would do better this year, bigger and better. But of course, she did have to keep walking if she was going to actually get what she needed for her second year. Her father was speaking to a goblin at one of the tall counters, and he turned around just as she hurried up to him. "Everything in order?" she asked him. "Everything in order," he responded. "Then let's go!"

---

"Woah!" Morgan hardly had time to blink as a girl rushed past her. She wasn't too familiar-looking, but she felt like she knew the girl from somewhere. Then she got it. It was that Slytherin girl, Angelina! The girl gave a rushed apology as she darted into Gringotts. "It's alright..." Morgan started to say, but the girl was gone. Why was she in such a hurry? She thought as she started tapping her foot, waiting for her mom to come back out. Morgan checked her watch, a birthday gift from her dad. Mrs. Woods had been in there for quite some time. Were the goblins that worked in there giving her mom a hard time, like the last time they were here?

---

Evelyn stood in the streets of the Diagon Alley. It wasn’t her first time being here, but the amount of things put on display was overwhelming. Checking her list, she decided that the best course of action was to pick up her books first. After all, they would be the easiest to carry while she shopped for the things she needed for school. After making up her mind, she wandered down the streets, taking in the sights until she arrived at Flourish and Blotts. The smell of parchment greeted her as she walked into the shop. Pulling out her list, she checked what books she would need. Maybe some advanced spell books, after all, she was taking the O.W.Ls this year, meaning she’d be busy studying, especially on Transfiguration, something she never got the hang of.

---

As Suvansh skirted along in the lobby of the bank, his mother went to the goblins, doing all the formalities to get a goblin to get to their vault. He took this time to look about and sink in all the people moving about. Most, were of course, goblins, the sole workers of the bank, and then there were the people of course. Both wizards, and muggles. The magical people, of course, to retrieve their galleons, as in his case, and the muggles to merely convert the muggle money the shopkeepers would never in their dreams accept to trade with. Most people, of course, were accompanied by students, new or returning. His eyes registered many new faces, and some old ones too. He had been in this school for 5 years already, and this was his 6th year! Of course he knew faces. Though he did not spot any of his close mates, not that he actually had any, but his eyes did linger about on acquintances. His previous year as a prefect, for one, had made him come across a number of troublemakers he wouldn't have imagined to even exist before. One such person was that Slytherin first year, nay, second year now. Of course, everyone he knew were a year older now. What was the name? Angel-Angelina! He smirked towards her, though she wasn't looking at her. He might've been a prefect, but he did have a keen interest for shenanigans. He could hardly imagine what would have happened to her if she had come across some other, stricter prefect, rather than himself. As his mind wandered, his mother called to him, and dragged him into the insides of the bank, towards their family vault. It wasn't much deep, but it was not nearly empty. He surely had rich ancestors. He hadn't seen as much gold as the galleons were made of, anywhere else. His mother took bags full of the stuff, and he took a few pockets full too. His mother noticed, but didn't seem to mind.

---

Morgan decided to stop waiting for her mom. She went inside the bank. "Mom?" She called out. Just then, she noticed the Gryffindor prefect. She unconsciously avoided him. Morgan darted around people until she found her mum. "Did you get the money yet?" She asked. "Almost." Mrs. Woods said. "I just need the goblins to go down to the vault with me. Mind waiting outside again?" Morgan sighed. "Okay, fine..." She went out of the bank and sat on the steps leading to it. Morgan rested her head in her hands, and waited, again.

---

Margo lay on her bed, thinking about life. From her point of view, it kind of sucked. She needed something to brighten her day. The mysterious ravenclaw decided she needed stunning sweet. She sighed, then dragged herself off her bed. She shuffled down the stairs, waving to the Tom, the toothless bartender.

She looked at the prices, and felt in her pocket for galleons. All she had were sickles and knuts. She rolled her eyes and spun on the spot. Margo stalked to Gringot's, and pushed through the front doors. She again read the message; Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn
Must pay most dearly in their turn
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
She smiled, and went through the doors. She was to obsorbed in her own thoughts that she ran right into somebody she recognized. The Gryffindor prefect.

---

Angelina hurried to join her father, who was discussing something with a hook nosed, narrow eyed goblin, who was currently holding the key to the family vault in his long, slender fingers. "Everything all right?" she asked him quietly, and he gave her a small smile. "Quite." Angelina felt a little burst of love in her heart, as she looked up at her father. He had always been so much more patient with her than anyone else. He had always given her a second chance. She was interrupted from her thoughts as the goblin cleared his throat. "Everything seems to be in order," he said gruffly, handing the key back to Angelina's father, "Ranlor will show you to your vault."

Not long after, they emerged into the sunlight, Angelina's father looking rather green around the gills, and Angelica skipping ahead excitedly, her excitement barely contained. "So, where do we start?" she asked. "Well," her father gasped, "In a minute, Florish and Botts." Not exactly Angelina's favorite place, but they had to go there eventually, might as well be now.

The next hour or so was a rather enjoyable one for Angelina, a curious young witch who seemed to have a problem with staying put when there were exciting things to be found, to the exhaustment of her father. They traveled first to Florish and Botts, where her father had to steer Angelina away from a book of jinxes with rather amusing affects (mostly to the caster), and to the books that she actually needed. Then, Madame Malkins, since Angelina had hit a growth spurt over the summer, turning her from short and stocky to long and lanky over the months of break. There was a trip to the Apothecary, Angelina's favorite part of Diagon Alley by far (though her potions skills certainly needed work), and so on, eventually finding Angelina and her father on the sunny steps of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
.

---

After Gringotts, Suvansh speeded through all the shops he needed to visit for his school year with little interaction. At the end, was the moment he waited for each year, when he got to do anything he wanted from the pocket loads of money he had. People might think he was being spoilt, but this happened just once a year, so he didn't care what people thought. He grabbed some cartloads of sweets and pranks from Weasley's, and went into the ice cream parlour. He saw the girl Angelica again, though he didn't really say anything. After all, they weren't really friends. He met his dormmate Rohan in the parlour, and bought him ice cream of his choice along with his own bubblegum mint sundae.

---

It seemed to take forever. But, at long last, Mrs. Woods came out of the bank with a pouch of money. "Mom! Did you get enough for my school supplies?" Morgan jumped up as her mother came over to her. "Yes, I did." Her mom replied. "Are you ready to shop?" Morgan replied with a big smile. Flourish and Botts was first. She went around the store, scanning the shelves for the books she needed. Once she got them, they went to Madam Malkins to get her robes fitted. "Mom, can I get a cat this year?" She asked her mom as they left the shop with her newly fitted robes. "I've been thinking about that, and yes, you can." Mrs. Woods said to her daughter. Morgan gave a little skip of happiness as her mom led the way to Magical Menagerie, the pet shop in Diagon Alley. Morgan entered the cramped shop with a look of wonder. Cages lined the walls, top to bottom. Cats of every colour. Rats played in a cage up front. "Hello, how may I help you?" The shopkeeper asked. "I'm here to get a cat!" Morgan replied. "A cat? Hm, let's see. I have this one-" The shopkeeper reached up and brought out a small kitty. He was a black and white tuxedo. "I have this one, why don't you see how he likes you?" Morgan reached for him. The cat purred as he curled up in her arms. "I'll take him!" She cried. Paying for the cat, she left the store. "What are you going to name him?" Her mom asked as they walked to a different part of the Alley. "Elliott. I want to name him Elliott."

---

A week passed, and Angelica could hardly contain her excitement. Another year to cause chaos! And this time, it was going to be successful. But as the week went by, Angelica kept coming back to that nightmare. To the little flashes that she could remember. A face, a wand. A box, and a spell that killed a man. That was all that she could remember. And it kept tugging at her, annoying her, no matter what she did to try and suppress it.

The day finally came for Angelica to board the Hogwarts train. This time, Mrs. Farrics joined them, though she still seemed as nervous as before about Muggle technology as before. But there was no getting around it this time, not with Angelica being underaged. They still managed to arrive accident-free and entered Platform 9 and 3/4 without any trouble. When they were nearly at the doors of the train, Mr. Farrics pulled Angelica aside.

Angelica had prepared herself for a talk about behaving herself, but this one was a little different. He took a deep breath and spoke. "Angelica, I know that you like to cause trouble. And I know it's hard for you to stay focused. But I believe in you, okay? I know that you can do whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish, you just need grounding." I swallowed hard. That wasn't easy. Disappointing everyone, including her family. She knew what her father had hopes, but he would soon learn to dash them. Still, she'd leave most of the pranks at the bottom of her trunk where they were stored. Most.

"On a lighter note," her father said, reaching into his jacket, "I have one last gift for you." Angelica was curious, she thought that the outrageous amount of things she bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would be enough, but more? Her father pulled out a wriggling black rat, and she gasped with delight. "I love rats! Thank you, dad!" "I know," he chuckled. "Has it got a name?" she asked, holding it up to her face. "No, you pick." She considered it for a moment. "Hmm...Moggs!"

After a warm-hearted goodbye, Angelica boarded the train. She didn't have any friends to sit with, so she just headed for the Slytherin compartments, and vouched for the first empty one she saw. But as she slid the door open, there was someone already there. An adult, with tight blonde hair in a braid, and glittering eyes. She smiled in a way that both uneased and comforted Angelica. "Come in, I don't bite," she chuckled.

---

They were at the train station, ready to go onto Platform 9 3/4. Elliot mewled beside Morgan as she got her trolley together. "Ready?" She asked both her mom, and the cat. "Go on, I'll be right behind you." Her mother said. Morgan gathered the cat into her arms, took the trolley, and ran onto the platform. The wall rushed towards her, and she closed her eyes. No impact came and she made it to 9 3/4. The Hogwarts express was there, filling the station with steam. Morgan could hear shouts of greeting, but she couldn't see anyone. She could hardly see. Her mother came up behind her, startling her. "You have everything?" Morgan nodded. Mrs. Woods hugged her, and then spoke quietly. "If you need anything, just send a letter. Okay?" Morgan nodded again. She broke free and made it onto the train, Elliott in her arms. She pulled her suitcase behind her, looking for an empty compartment. She found one, and entered it. She put her bag on the opposite seat, and let Elliott free. The black and white cat ran around the compartment and then sat beside her, as though he was a person as well.

---

"So...what's your name, miss?" Angelica said slowly, one hand stroking Moggs, the other holding him in her lap. "Professor Emilia Privet, my dear," she said pleasantly, and Angelina relaxed a little. "That's a nice name," she said politely, and Professor Privet smiled. "Thank you, dear. And your name is....?" Angelica started, then laughed nervously. "Sorry. My name is Angelica Farrics." The two of them launched into conversation, and Angelica felt immieadiently at ease. Though she knew that Professor Privet would soon find out about Angelica's...reputation at the school, it was nice to pretend that there was someone who would treat her like more than a bundle of energy just waiting to explode and ruin everything.

Still, by the end of the train ride, Angelica's spirits had been lifted. With Professor Privet taking a job at Hogwarts, maybe things would be okay. All she had to do was make sure that she wasn't caught pranking anyone, and this year would be amazing. Maybe it was a bad idea, but Angelica would leave Hogwarts with zero regrets-including that of not making the prefects miserable. Maybe, while she was at it, that nasty Mr. Filch and his cat.

---

As the day to go to Hogwarts came near, Suvansh grew more and more restless. He went onto platform 9¾ right through the wall as he always did, bid his parents goodbye, and went into the prefects carriages as he was expected to be. He roamed about a bit, "patrolling", but spent most of his time in his carriage reading books. He was a big bookworm.

---