Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 4: Abraxas Malfoy

(*Warning: violence, discussion of war, minor language)

"Your wand, does it respond to you? Since it's not yours. Wands need to respond to you, and if it's responsive to it's previous master then it may reject you. Here, try a simple spell. Wingardium Leviosa. A swish and a flick, try on the leaf." Tom points to the dead looking leaf on the sidewalk just ahead of them. They were on their way to Diagon Ally. Unthinkingly, she performs the spell lazily without uttering it. She realizes her mistake when Tom looks at her with facination. "The wand is stolen, and you've never had any formal education? Remarkable, that you could do that non-verbally."

They slip into the Leaky Cauldron, Tom telling her all sorts if information about both the pub and the Ally, and then he demonstrates how to get into the Ally. And as the bricks shift back, she stares in awe at it.

It was, to say the least, nothing like she remembered from her past. Which is also the future. The other timeline. It was entirely packed, as it was the school season, yet she didn't recognize most of the shops along the street. There was of course Flourish and Blott's, the lovely bookstore she often frequented, and the Magical Meangerie where she had gotten Crookshanks- Tom had already expressed his distaste for her cat. There was a Quidditch shop, which was advertising swim wear for some ungodly reason, and then the potion's shop. There was an ice cream parlour and a café, as well as a restaurant that smelled like something baking. There was a few offices along the street, a lawyer, an accountant, a fortune teller, several market stalls, the robe shop- Monsier Delaney's, as apposed to Madam Maulkin's- and then near the end of the street by Gringotts was Ollivander's.

And most shocking of all, she noticed, was the utter lack of robes. The streets were filled with witches in muggle dresses and blouses, wizards in sharp suits, and several hats that had never made an appearance in the Wizarding world before. She must have looked flabbergasted, because Tom laughed at her expression.

"Isn't it magnificent? Explore on your own, we'll meet at Ollivander's around two. Just to see if there's any other wands more responsive." He disappeared into the crowd in direction of the potion shop, and Hermione slips out of Diagon Ally to a place much less populated. Knockturn. It's a curious place, one she had never been but heard rumours about. A dark place, yet likely where she could find the books she needed. Darker ones. She needed to learn about the Fae, about time, about the effects of dark magic. Hopefully she could find out the cause and causations of the burning on her back.

She stepped into the book store, Bound and Stacked, the dreary shop silent apart from the click of her shoes on the creaking floor. There was no one at the counter. Hermione already had mostly everything she needed for school brought in her trunk. All she was lacking, it seems, was a light read. Even with the stifling aura of dark magic hanging on the shelves, she could not deny her search for knowledge, and wandered quietly through the dusty, leather bound books.

"That's an awfully pretty dress to be in here. What are you doing in this part of town?" She jumps, but turns around to look at the man addressing her. She scrunches her nose in disgust. He was grimy and greasy, and she had no doubt in her mind that he hadn't bathed in a very long time.

"I'm book shopping. Isn't that obvious?" She held her wand loosely in her hand.

Curse him. Do it, oh come on, Hermione it's not that hard, you've done it before. A nice little crucio should do it.

Shut up. She thinks in reply, ignoring the voice sneering in her head.

"You must go to the school, yes? You won't find the books you need here, you don't seem the type to shop in a store like this."

"Taurin, leave the girl alone. My father has an interest in one of your books, and I'm here to pick it up. Don't waste my time anymore." She glances at the blonde boy waiting at the entrance to the aisle. Ah, almost white blonde. A Malfoy, no doubt. She wracks her brain to think of which one was in this time period, but comes up empty. He walks past her to Taurin, who must be the shop keep. The man nods swiftly.