Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

44

Hermione and Harry entered into the alleyway, which was filled with shops devoted to the Dark Arts. There were a couple of shady wizards standing around, discussing about something to themselves. Lurking a few feet away from them was a sign that said, Knockturn Alley. But it didn't help Hermione or Harry finding their way out of there. They decided to go a random direction but stopped when a couple of wizards walked in front, blocking their way. They began to backtrack when Harry was jerked to the side when an aged witch grabbing his shoulder. 

"Not lost are you, my dears?" she said, showing them her mossy teeth. 

"No, we're fine, thanks." Harry told them as they began to back away. Hermione jumped when she noticed other wizards and witches began to circle around them. Harry tried to block Hermione from the wizards and witches that surrounded them. Hermione and Harry backed away till suddenly the wizards and witches seemed to all freak out and back away themselves. She didn't know what happened till she felt something hit her back. Slowly, she raised her head till she was locked eyes with a man who was about as tall as Hagrid. His piercing blue eyes stared down at her for a second before shooting up at the rest of the witches and wizards. 

"Move it!" he growled, almost in a completely inhuman voice. The witches and wizards scurried away like they rats avoiding mouse traps. Hermione felt herself being pulled away and into Harry's side as they tried to keep their distance from this man. He looked familiar to Hermione but she wasn't entirely sure. 

"Now what brings a couple of Hogwarts kids down here? You know this isn't the place for children... unless they're really up to no good." the man asked, taking a few steps towards them. 

"We just made a wrong turn. We'll be leaving now." Harry told the man before making a turn to get away. Before they gotten too far away, Hermione jolted when she saw the man grab hold of Harry's robe. Hermione turned her head to look at the man, fearful of what he was going to do. The man then motioned with his thumb the other. 

"I believe you want that way. That is after all the exit." The man told them. They shook their heads as they went to take the direction. Just as they were leaving, Hermione felt a hand grab her shoulder. 

"Don't I know you, girly?" the man asked, pulling her a bit close for comfort. Hermione shook her head violent that she did not. The man opened his mouth to speak when...

"Harry! Hermione!" They turned to see Hagrid standing near the exit of the alley, "What are you doing down there? HEY! Get away from those two!" 

The man released his hold of Hermione as she scurried on the other side of Harry to keep away from the man. Hagrid came storming towards them and pushed them behind him. 

"You keep away from them! You already ruined enough lives as it is! You don't get to ruin these two! I ought to send you straight back to Azkaban where you belong!" Hagrid shout at the man. The man just looked at Hagrid, trying to decided whether he was wanting to get into it with Hagrid, but soon decided against it. The man shot one look at Hermione, smirked, before vanishing down the street. Hagrid then proceeded to push and shove the two back the way he was till they were seeing the familiar shops of Diagon Alley. 

"You two are a mess!" Hagrid said, brushing soot from both Hermione's and Harry's shoulders, "Skulking around Knockturn, dodgy place, Hermione and Harry... Don't want anyone to see you down there--" 

"We were lost, Hagrid." Hermione told him, leaving out the part where she had been dragged to that certain fireplace. 

"Hang on! What were you doing down there?" Harry asked, bluntly. 

"I was looking for Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," Hagrid stated, "They're ruining the school cabbages. You two aren't on your own?" 

"Actually we're with the Weasleys, but we got separated," Hermione explained while they were making their way to find the Weasleys. 

"How come you two never wrote back to me?" Hagrid asked them, sounding a little hurt. Hermione didn't waste a moment in explaining to Hagrid about Winky while Harry went telling about Dobby and the Dursleys. 

"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid, "If I'd've known..."

"Harry! Hermione! Over here!" 

Hermione looked up to see Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Mr. Weasley jogging down the street towards them. 

"Harry! Hermione!" Mr. Weasley panted, "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far... Molly's frantic-- she's coming now..."

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked. 

"Knockturn Alley," Hagrid said, grimly. 

"Excellent!" Fred and George said in union. 

"We've never been allowed in," Ron said enviously. 

"Believe you and me, Ron, that's a good thing." Hermione started, still able to feel that man's hand on her. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny came galloping into view. 

"Oh, Harry! Hermione! Oh, my dear! You could have been anywhere--" Molly panted before she began thanking Hagrid for getting a hold of Hermione and Harry before anything bad happened to them. Hagrid soon told them good luck and that he better get going. 

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked Ron as they hurried up the Gringotts steps so Harry could get some money, "Malfoy and his father." 

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr. Weasley asked. 

"No, he was selling--" Hermione started when Mr. Weasley cut in. 

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

"You be careful, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley barked while they passed through the lobby, "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew." 

Soon they were going down to the vaults. Hermione and Harry felt bad as they watched Mrs. Weasley grab hold of her mere silver and a one gold galleon. But it got worse as they reached down to Hermione and Harry's vaults. They tried to hide the contents from view when it came to their vaults as they hastily shoved handfuls of coins into their leather bags. 

Back outside they proceeded to separate and decided to meet back at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy their schoolbooks. Mrs. Weasley shot a warning at the twins about going anywhere near Knockturn Alley!" 

Ron, Harry, and Hermione strolled off along the streets where they proceeded to grab their things before stopping off to get a few ice cream cones where Hermione pulled out her book on Dark Wizards and Witches and proceeded through them. 

"Here he is! The other man in the shop!" Hermione blurted when she found the man they saw in the shop, "He's name is Barty Crouch Jr. He's supposed to still be in Azkaban according to this book!" 

"That's the man who was wanting to take you!" Harry growled. 

"What? Someone is in fact trying to stop Hermione from going to Hogwarts?" Ron asked, horrified. 

"Yeah, he's the reason Hermione was even in the shop in the first place." Harry explained to Ron. Hermione turned a few pages as she gasped again. 

"And this one! Fenrir Greyback! He's the one that we met in the alleyway!" Hermione shrieked, showing them the picture of Fenrir. 

"Fenrir Greyback! You ran into him! Blimey! You guys had a run in with two of the worse Death Eaters ever! One is known for biting and kidnapping children to raise as a werewolf army!" Ron mumbled. Before anyone could say a thing, Hermione glance down at her watch to see their hour was almost up. 

"Oh, we have to discuss this another time, your mother is expecting us to be at Flourish and Blotts in a few minutes." Hermione said after finishing the few bites of her ice cream then slipped her book into her bag. They soon got up from their seats and headed down the crowded street.