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by hvgwcrts

by hvgwcrts

CHAPTER FORTY ONE
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH THEY VISIT SHOPS

. . .

Seeing Diagon Alley in daylight was a whole different story than what they had seen the previous night, from the half-light of their bedroom windows. Now, it was clear what an impact Voldemort was having on the general Wizarding public.

It was decorated for Christmas, but the red, green and white didn't seem as bright, the dancing elves didn't sing the same happy tune and any twinkling lights seemed as if they were about to die.

Even the fresh snow that had fallen the night before had turned to a grey slush, something that never happened in Diagon Alley - it always stayed fresh to add to that mystical feeling of the magical Christmas of the shopping area.

It seemed so lifeless in comparison to usual. Sure - it was rather cold in comparison to the summer when Tiger visited, but according to James it was strangely so. Not only was there a lack of the usual crowd of magical folk, but the strange and wonderful creatures.

The black cat that seemed to hang around in the apothecary at all times was gone, and the fairies that seemed to change according to season were drifting around with drooping wings, very almost crashing into James's head - nowhere near their usual altitudes.

There was none of the usual music that seemed to float out of nowhere, none of the jolly wizards stood on corners carolling on corners or dressed in their colourful costumes and handing out Christmas-themed goods to anyone who passed.

Diagon Alley was wilting like a flower after it had sat in a pretty bouquet for just a day too long, ready for a little girl to extract and press between the pages of a book only to be seen when she remembers to take it out.

It was almost as if the shopping area had caught a rather bad case of Mumblemumps, and was confined to a hospital bed within St. Mungo's. But in reality, Diagon Alley had only been hit with the impact of Voldemort's rising reign of terror.

Even at such a jolly time, people were scared to leave their homes, afraid to come to a place that would be considered relatively safe. But it wasn't safe - everywhere could be dangerous.

And even though James and Sirius claimed that they were not at all afraid, they followed Tiger and Peter in hurrying through the remains of the snow from the night before, moving from shop to shop as the days went on.

"It's so.. sad." Tiger breathed as she peered out of the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. Behind her, Sirius and James were pouring over several different broomstick models. James wandered over to the window, sliding an arm around his girlfriend's waist and examining the pot of broom polish in his hands.

"Which is why we're doing those lessons. So we can help it become less sad." James shrugged, squeezing her side. "Just think, all that hardwork from us and perhaps Diagon Alley can become happy again."

"I suppose the snow doesn't help." Tiger murmured, placing her hand over the Potter boy's. "Do you think it would work though? All these lessons? I mean we're only teenagers.."

"I think we've got to trust Dumbledore." James said. "He's defeated a dark wizard before and surely knows the best ways to get rid of someone like that."

"You're right.. we should go back as soon as we can - to the Leaky Cauldron I mean." Tiger said. "I feel nervous about being out now, and your mum and dad wanted to meet us for dinner."

"You're right - Pads, Pete." James called, and the four of them headed towards the checkout and then leaving the shop, walking quickly down the streets and alleyways of Diagon Alley to get back to the Inn.

They would be staying their for one more night before making their way to the Potter Manor in that tiny village in which Tiger and James first met. And there, they would spend Christmas day and the rest of their Christmas holidays, hoping that Remus and his family could make it.

Before, as James was telling Tiger, they all used to stay at Hogwarts or go to James's, sometimes even Remus's. But now, everything was complicated, they were no longer eleven and had actual responsibilites and knowlege about the world around them.

And it was just going to keep getting even more complicated from there.

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