What's at Heart

Diagon Alley

Four times being apparated around as a dog was not getting him used to the feeling, and Sirius was starting to doubt four hundred times would as the new room still spun crazily around him, or maybe he was still spinning in place until it all settled, it was impossible to really tell which. It took him the longest to recognize where they were this time, both being lowest to the floor under all the chairs and tables and never even having been here since his escape from Azkaban left his mind a blank canvas, unable to recognize the Leaky Cauldron.

It was dark, most of the stools had been knocked over from their landing and drinks of all nature had been spilled on everyone, but it wasn't until this moment it really hit them all just how empty the world around them suddenly felt. Tom the barman was not wiping down anything, there were no patrons in corners shouting at them for disturbing the piece. Malfoy tried the door once more into Diagon Alley and was barred. It truly felt as if nobody existed except them.

Ron stayed where he'd landed, kneeling on the floor with a new dent in the wall in the shape of his head. He swallowed and gazed longingly at the door with Malfoy this time as worry for what they left behind suddenly felt far more concerning than what was to come. His eyes landed on the empty fireplace and he asked of Hermione, "I don't suppose you have any floo powder on you?" Her magical ability to always have the right solution must still come in handy now of all times. "Maybe we could get to my place, breaking out of here could snap us out of this weird reality?"

"No, sorry," she needlessly whispered as she touched his hand. His eyes didn't leave the empty grate, but she felt the tension in his muscles lessen just slightly. She hated having to tell him no, but as Tonks and Remus uselessly tried to apparate, she wasn't going to lie.

"Maybe Tom has some behind the bar," Neville offered. He wasn't exactly keen on going back home and Gran chastising him about this being all his fault, but he still wished to help now.

"I doubt it would work, but we can give it a shot," Hermione said robustly for Ron, not wanting to get his hopes up, but tugging on his hand now until he got to his feet.

Nobody stopped them but instead watched their progress with mingled hope and worry as they did indeed find a tiny jar of the green substance, lit a roaring fire and sprinkled it on. The fire didn't change color. Ron upended the whole jar over the flickering logs and then threw the pot in as well with frustration as still no verdant flames leapt up to meet him.

"They're alright Ron," Harry had to believe that as he stepped up beside him and swallowed his own worry. "Ginny's probably back at school putting the finishing touches on some scheme the twins are sending her secret messages for, and your mum and dad are probably chasing them around Diagon Alley to read that premises slip for themselves. We just, can't hear or see any of it," he finished lamely.

Ron took a deep breath and forced himself not to shove his head in the fire like Mum always scolded Charlie for trying to do too fast and turned away. "Right, yeah. Let's get to that then." He found the book getting sticky under a drink and banged it on the table a few times to get the excess liquid off before throwing himself in a chair to read.

His three friends fixed chairs so they could sit around him while Sirius flopped over Harry's feet under the table.

Remus and Tonks sat at the bar, whispering in concern just how long this could go on as Hagrid escorted Harry here, and watching Malfoy in concern as he began knocking his head against the door in frustration. Softly, but still with enough pressure it seemed he was determined to bust it open with his own inflated head.

Ron felt an extra pang of unease as Gringotts was mentioned and wondered how far reaching this problem was, if Bill had still been in Africa for the bank instead of getting a desk job would he be okay? Was Dad's office at the Ministry as empty as his home? If Percy found out their whole family was missing, would he still be the world's largest prat? He flipped through Harry's first time in a place he'd known all his life, and as always when he tried to force himself to read, found his mind wandering. Especially as he already knew all of this, like what the grubby package was. He in fact resisted the urge to kick Harry and roll his eyes he just completely passed up Quirrell being in here, and unable to resist making a face for the meeting with Malfoy Harry had told him about on the train.

Draco hardly acknowledged the exchange anymore than Harry rolling his eyes, it was not a memorable experience to either of them looking back, each still seemed to see the exact person being presented there. A proud pureblood trying to show off, or the idiot kid who seemed to ask the stupidest questions as they stayed at opposite ends of the room.

It wasn't until they got to Ollivanders that Harry went stiff and uneasy in his seat and glanced down at the dog as well as his friends as he realized something he'd never told anyone was about to be broadcasted. He opened his mouth, wanting to get ahead of the news of the twin cores, but couldn't even think how to say it.

He watched the progress of Ron's eyebrows travel up his forehead only, his face bent over the book masking anything else, and tried to pretend his face wasn't as red. "Merlin Harry," Ron finally looked up in exasperation for the heavy silence as Ollivander finished speaking. "It's like fate conspired against you having a normal life, getting a wand like that."

"He has no idea," Tonks sighed for the poor lad having a whole prophecy about him and You-Know-Who as Harry burst out laughing, taking a moment to let his hand rest on the black dog's head resting in his lap before going back to the floor.

"With any luck, he's suffered all he's had to at the hands of that madness of fate, and Voldemort," Remus quietly agreed, fighting back the temptation to poor a tumbler. It was a good thing Sirius was hiding out right now, he didn't think he'd be able to restrain himself.

The last thing Dumbledore had passed on to them was the fact Voldemort had gained the knowledge only he or Harry could get into the Department of Mysteries, and with Arthur and Sturgis Podmore's recent run of bad luck they'd all gone a bit wearily hopeful the prophecy would never fall into the wrong hands, they were even talking about stopping guard duty, Mundungus had suggested at the last meeting, and nobody had really come up with a good reason to say otherwise by that point as Molly brokenly agreed.

Some who still worked at the Ministry such as Kingsley and Tonks still periodically checked down there and spent a few hours guarding under concealment charms to make sure no Death Eater's were hanging around, but all had been quiet.

Remus clenched his hand uneasily as he kept watching the boy who so resembled James interacting and laughing with his friends as they hoped to be sent along to the train next for snacks, how fate had once again wrestled Harry into its bidding and he smiled along just like his father. He swallowed nothing and apologized to Prongs again for his failure, but the boy deserved his staying out of his life. Voldemort would never know the truth concealed in the department of mysteries, they'd find a way to defeat him and Harry would be safe, but it was all he could offer.

Ron warned the chapter was almost done and they all shifted uncomfortably in anticipation for the next leap, but as he read the closing sentence no new words appeared, instead the door swung open to smack Malfoy in the face.