What Voldemort Left Behind

Chapter 30 - Diagon Alley

AUTHORS NOTE: First chapter since i told a rather more interesting story than this one, i still think it's the coolest thing ever. [Editors note: This was just after i discovered the identity of mystery reviewer sisdaniel] Anyway enjoy the new chapter, it was gonna finish this part of the story but then i realized that it would be super long so i ended the chapter earlier than planned. Haven't proofread this one so i hope it's ok 😂

The summer had gotten off to a good start, the children had spent time between their parents' and grandparents' houses as their mother and father were both working. Ginny had a few days off and they had agreed that she would take the kids to Diagon Alley as a treat, since they were quite often cooped up in one of their houses during the holidays, for safety reasons they couldn't leave on their own. They weren't bored, there was a lot of space around their house including a full Quidditch pitch and a massive garden that led out to a small forest, all within the protective boundaries of the area. They lived far out in the country so that they weren't bothered, which could be kind of lonely sometimes so they had become very close. Harry often felt guilty for the rule of no friends invited to the house as he remembered his summers spent at the Burrow during his Hogwarts years but he needed to protect his children.
The three children were spoiled in some ways by their parents and grandparents, they would often get their own way, but they had also learned to use their fortune to help others and had become kind and caring people.

When Harry woke up that morning, he had a strange bad feeling that he just couldn't explain. Maybe he was just paranoid, it was difficult letting his children go out into the public where there could be anyone from reporters to Death Eaters present, especially without him. Of course Ginny would be there but she was only one person. He thought back to when he was James's age, forced on the run from the Ministry slowly chipping away at Voldemort's life, days spent tortured by two horcruxes at once, one inside his own head. He was fiercely protective over James and would not take away his childhood yet, he didn't deserve it. At Albus's age, Harry was forced to duel with the greatest Dark Wizard of all time who was already devoting his life to attempting to kill him, and Harry had watched Cedric die for simply being there. At Lily's age he'd already suffered a basilisk poisoning, he would always remember the acceptance, even at that young age, that he would die trying fruitlessly to defeat Voldemort. That was not the life that any of his children deserved and so everything Harry did was to protect them, to stop the horrors of his life being a part of them too.

Harry just felt like something was going to go wrong today, he didn't know what or how but he just felt it instinctively. Harry woke Ginny early,

"Gin....... Sorry I don't mean to disturb you, I know this is your day off... But I don't think I should leave today. I think I should come with you... I just have this gut feeling that something is going to go wrong today."

Ginny yawned and turned to face Harry who was kneeling down beside her side of the bed, he gently brushed her hair out of her face.
"Harry no offense, but don't be stupid, nothing is going to happen. And if something were to, I can handle it."

Harry arrived at the Ministry. to finish a meeting after a lot of persuasion from Ginny, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. He went straight to Kingsley and explained and apologized profusely.

"Harry go. Take the whole day, I trust your instincts."

Harry apparated back to his home where Ginny was still asleep.

"I couldn't leave you, I don't know why."

Ginny sometimes didn't understand her husband, his intentions were always right but he could get carried away and she wanted, needed him to relax and do things to help himself, let her handle the kids and whoever else he feels he needs to protect. There was no point arguing with him today though, he had it in his head so she grudgingly agreed to him coming along, only for his peace of mind. They were apparating, James had just gotten his license after a few private lessons in the area of land surrounding their house and at least now she only had to side along one, James wasn't allowed to side along anyone just yet.

They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and immediately upon entering they were mobbed. Sometimes, when Harry was on his own he would disguise himself to avoid the fuss but he didn't like teaching his children to do that, he wanted them to be proud of who they were. The lack of disguise, as well as the fact that the whole family was there meant that all customers in the pub quickly noticed them. A large male Auror who was stationed in the pub to keep an eye out for trouble cast a spell to drive the crowd back and Harry looked back gratefully as he exited the pub.

"Mum, Dad, could we go around the street on our own? Al says he wants to go to that old grubby second hand book shop and me and James need some new broom polish and we really don't want to come with you Mum, to get your work's dinner outfit."

Harry and Ginny exchanged an alarmed glance, they didn't want to say no but they kind of had to.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I'm afraid the second hand book store is too far away, but Quality Quidditch Supplies is only two shops away from Twilfitt and Tattings so I'll allow you to go there, so long as you promise me, straight back in ten minutes. And no Cloak," He added, glancing at James's pocket.
James grudgingly reached into Lily's backpack and handed it over, his dad could always tell when and where the Cloak was hidden. The family walked through the reasonably quiet street attracting stares from lots of passers by, one man tripped over a market stall and fell flat on his face, doing a double take as he noticed Harry.

They stopped at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour as it was quite hot outside, the old man Florean beamed with happiness when he saw them. He served them all massive cones that were most definitely held up by magic and refused to let any of them pay, even though Harry insisted. James finished his ice cream very quickly and ate most of his dad's too, he didn't seem to want it.

Finally they reached the south side of the long street and their parents led them into a wizarding clothes shop called Twilfitt and Tattings. The manager of the shop looked around as he heard the bell above the door chiming.

"Mr Potter, what an honor! Is there anything I can fetch for you to look at? We have the finest range of Wizarding and Muggle Apparel in London. I can get one of our experienced stylists to pick out whatever it is you're looking for."

"I can see the clothes for myself thanks, my eyesight isn't that bad."

The man blushed. "Erm..... yes..... I apologize.......". He tipped his hat and scurried away.

"Harry shhhh," Ginny laughed. She turned to the rest of her family. "You three'd better be back here in ten minutes or you don't keep your broom polish." Unseen by his wife and his three children, Harry pointed his wand discreetly and cast a charm.

"Fine," James answered as the three of them rushed out, wanting to maximize their time in Quality Quidditch Supplies. James sprinted towards the shop, almost knocking over a man in black robes, he apologized. He was a little confused when the man just stared back at him, normally when someone apologizes you say "it's all right", it was just common manners. He didn't think much of it as he was so excited to get to the Quidditch shop.

"Ugh another poster of Mum in here, why do they always have her doing that stupid pose?" James made a face.

Albus and Lily were over by the broom servicing kits. "Ooh look a solid gold box full of supplies, we should get this one!!!! It's so pretty."

"Lily do we really need a whole box?" Albus asked.

"But it looks so much prettier than the others. Look, it even has a snitch engraved on the lid, darting around the whole box."

"Al, Lil, check out this beater's bat, it knows to swing according to your thoughts instead of your arms, apparently it's very advanced, I think I could handle that pretty well."

Lily ducked as James imitated a practice swing with his arms, she was sure he would've swung the actual bat if he could reach through the protective glass, luckily locked with enchantments. "Maybe we could come in again later with Mum and Dad and then you could get it, not like they're going to miss out coming in here. We'd better pay and get back, we've had seven minutes and we know they're going to worry." The boys nodded seriously, they knew if they were even a minute late their parents would come to look for them, worrying about why they hadn't come back.

"Look!" Lily pointed across to the roof of a nearby shop as they strolled outside, there was a beautiful brown hippogriff walking across it without a care in the world. Nearby shoppers began to stare as the creature trotted along.

As James turned towards her he was knocked to the ground and before he could react he found himself being dragged into a thin dead ended alleyway behind Twilfitt and Tattings.