Bella and the Chamber (Book Two)

Chapter Five

"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been anywhere-"

Gasping for breath, she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot left on Harry. Ginny was staring at me, and I did my best not to look at her because I knew I would either glare at her or say something mean. Maybe both. Mr Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap of his wand and returned them, good as new. 

"There's my Harry," I smiled and ruffled his hair, making him blush. 

"Your Harry," He confirmed and it was my turn to blush. I could practically taste the jealousy rolling off of Ginny. Ha! Take that!

"Well, gotta be off," Hagrid said, he was having his hand wrung by Mrs Weasley ('Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found him, Hagrid!). "See yer at Hogwarts!" he shoots me a wink telling me he heard what me and Harry had just said, before he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked me, Ron, and Hermione as we climbed the Gringotts steps. "Malfoy and his father"

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr Weasley asked sharply from behind us.

"No, he was selling"

"So, he's worried. "Mr Weasley said with a grim satisfaction. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."

"You be careful, Arthur," Molly said sharply, as we were ushered into the bank by a bowing goblin at the door. "That family's trouble, don't go biting off more than you can chew"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius?" Mr Weasley asked indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.

"Hi!" I waved at them and they smiled at me. 

"But you're Muggles!" Mr Weasley said delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr Granger's hand. I giggled.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to me and Hermione, as the Weasley's and Harr were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin. 

Once I got my money, I met up with them outside on the marble steps, before we all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Molly and Ginny were going to a second-hand robe shop (I was thankful to get away from her), Mr Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. 

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," Molly said, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twin's retreating backs. 

Me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. My bag of money jingling cheerfully in my pocket, wanting to be spent. Harry got us all large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams which we slurped happily as we wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' where I treated myself to another book before Hermione dragged us all off to buy ink and parchment in the store next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, we met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who was stocking up on 'Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks,' and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, wonky brass scales and old cloaks covered in potion stains we found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.