CHAPTER 20: BOYS

Julia folded up Hermione's letter and put it in her pocket. The two girls had agreed to meet in Diagon Alley that day, along with the rest of the Weasley's and Harry. Julia felt a pang at the thought of seeing Hermione again. Whilst staying with Ron's family for the week had been fun, she had certainly missed her best friend. Without Hermione to talk her out of potentially stupid ideas, she had gotten herself into all kinds of trouble at The Burrow. The first few days, she had naively allowed Fred and George to test a variety of questionable experiments on her. Ron had put a stop to it after she had sprouted nasty green boils (and Fred and George had mildly impressed that he'd stood up to them on her behalf). Still, Julia had had to endure walking around for three days looking as if she had contracted Dragon Pox, which had not been pleasant; especially when Harry and Ron seemed to be unable to control snorts of laughter every time they looked at her. Julia wasn't entirely sure how Ron could defend her in one breath, and then with the other ruthlessly take the micky.

Julia examined her boil-free face in Ginny's bedroom mirror and sighed. She and the youngest Weasley girl had initially bonded pretty well over their shared love for wizarding bands - and yet Ginny failed to utter a single word whenever Harry was in the room. This was because Ginny Weasley had a crush on Harry Potter. Ron had pointed this out in front of his younger sister rather loudly and entertainingly a few days ago. Julia had almost cried with laughter, before realizing that what Ron said had been unkind, and Ginny had blushed beetroot. If Hermione had been there, she would have persuaded Julia to apologise on the spot. As it was, she felt too awkward to say anything to Ginny about Harry, and Ginny hadn't spoken to her since, avoiding her almost as much as she avoided Harry.

There was also the tiny fact that Julia had received her first letter from the Improper Use Of Magic Office at the Ministry – for jinxing Harry's Uncle. Fred and George thought it was hilarious. Harry had assured her it really wasn't that bigger deal. Amelia, however, had not been so amused. Julia supposed it didn't reflect well on her Aunt's career that her niece was breaking the law.

Julia's reflection in the mirror turned slightly pale as she remembered the contents of her warning. If she performed underage magic again, she could be expelled from Hogwarts. Julia gulped at the thought.

The plan for the day – after a large breakfast of porridge, toast and orange juice – was to floo to Flourish and Blotts book shop. They all stood round the Weasley's fireplace (Julia shifted uneasily from foot to foot as she remembered stumbling out of this same fireplace only a week ago…neither Mrs Weasley nor Amelia had been happy about that.)

It quickly became apparent that Harry had never travelled by floo powder before (honestly, sometimes Julia forgot how much he didn't know). The twins demonstrated and Harry uneasily stepped into the fireplace and, with a cough and a splutter and a flash of green fire, choked out: "Knockturn Alley."

Mrs Weasley looked at her husband, vaguely stunned, as Harry disappeared. "Did he just say Knockturn Alley?"

"I think so," Arthur replied, faintly. Ron was stood gaping at the fire.

"Harry won't want to be in Knockturn Alley, Mum," interjected Percy, pompously. He rocked onto his heels slightly. "Dodgy types round there."

"Well obviously," snapped Ron at his older brother, sarcastically – and then appealed to his parents: "What d'we do?"

"I don't know," fretted Mrs Weasley. "Oh, honestly. Knockturn Alley of all places. That boy is a nightmare."

Julia, who had kept quiet throughout this discussion, suddenly saw a chance both to redeem herself in Mrs Weasley's eyes (stealing flying cars in the dead of night had not been the best way to endear herself to the Weasley matriarch) and simultaneously visit Knockturn Alley, a place she had been dying to visit since she'd first heard of it. Apparently you could find all sorts of people there – even werewolves.

Before anyone could stop her, Julia had bounced forward with a remarkably blithe manner and grabbed a fistful of floo powder from the flower pot. "Don't worry Mrs Weasley, I'll go after him," she said matter-of-factly; as if a twelve-year-old girl were possibly capable of undertaking such a task.

"Julia – no –" said Mrs Weasley, sharply, but – again – before any of the Weasley's could do much more than take a single step towards the fireplace, Julia was gone in a rush of green flames.

The living room was quiet for a second.

"Molly, dear," said Arthur, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I think we have a problem."

Julia stepped out of the fireplace smartly – the effect instantly marred by the fact that she then walked straight into someone.

Harry turned and looked at Julia. He looked a darn sight worse for wear than she did: covered in soot and attempting to fix his broken glasses. "Julia?" he asked, looking round the dimly-lit shop they had found themselves in. "Where are we? This isn't Diagon Alley."

"No, its Knockturn Alley," she said, dusting her skirt down smartly and looking round. What she saw made her wrinkle her nose in distaste. The room was full of items that were clearly made with dark magic: shrivelled hands, glass eyes – dangerous looking sets of knives and scissors. Strange animals crawling about in glass cases. Despite herself, Julia felt a small shiver run up her spine. She became aware that she and Harry were whispering.

"Nice one, Harry," she said, sarcastically, as they both picked their way through the shop.

"Well I didn't exactly come here on purpose," Harry shot back – and looked as if he were about to say something more when the door bell tinkled, indicating the arrival of two customers. Somewhere at the back of the shop there was also the sound of movement as the shop keeper moved to greet his new arrivals.

"Quick," hissed Harry, grabbing Julia and dragging her into a nearby cabinet. "In here!"

The cabinet was cramped and smelt slightly of mothballs. Harry tactfully left the door slightly ajar so that he and Julia could see who it was that had just entered the shop…and when a familiar blonde figure came into view both childrens' eyes widened.

"It's Malfoy!" Julia whispered, unnecessarily.

"Who's with him?" asked Harry, looking at the taller figure whose sleek, white hair left little doubt in Julia's mind as to what relation he could be.

"His father. Lucius Malfoy." Julia had heard a lot about the notorious Lucius Malfoy from Amelia, who had never spoken highly of him.

They both fought for space to see through the gap in the door – something that required Harry to awkwardly half-crouch and Julia to practically sit on his shoulders.

After a few moments of listening silently, however, Julia began to feel a tickling up her nose and her eyes started to water. The soot from Harry's clothes and the dust in the cupboard were causing a powerful sneeze to build in the back of the throat. Their eyes met – wide and panicky – and then Julia let out an almighty sneeze.

"Aaah – CHOO!"

The conversation in the shop halted abruptly.

"What was that?"

Julia grabbed Harry's hand and in a flash pulled him out of the cupboard and behind what looked like a coffin just as the shop keeper came to investigate the area. He peered into the cupboard suspiciously and – finding nothing – shook his head to himself. "I must be imagining things," he muttered, in an oily voice. "You were saying, Mr Malfoy?"

"Come on!" Julia whispered to Harry, clutching her wand tightly in one hand and tugging on the sleeve of Harry's jumper with her other. She couldn't care less about the Malfoy's, but the shop was beginning to creep her out. Knockturn Alley was not quite the adventure she thought it would be. But Harry was hesitating, clearly wanting to eavesdrop further on Malfoy and his Dad. "Harry!" Julia hissed in his ear and – reluctantly – he crept after her out of the shop.

The cobbled street they found themselves on was narrow and dingy, the rickety buildings seeming to close in overhead, allowing very little daylight. Harry was looking expectantly at Julia, as if she would possibly know the way out. She looked left and right, her mind blank – unable to figure out how to get back to Diagon Alley, but not wanting to admit so.

"Er – this way," she said, still nervously clutching Harry's jumper as she pulled him down the street. "I think."

"But isn't that Gringott's bank?" Harry pointed out, looking back over his shoulder at the skyline, where they could just make out a towering, smooth-brick building.

"Yes it is," Julia agreed, now marching in the opposite direction without stopping. Harry hurried after her.

"What d'you reckon Malfoy's Dad was selling?"

"Something properly weird to be in Borgin and Burkes," Julia replied, pulling a face. "They only sell really dark stuff in that shop."

"Yeah, I noticed," Harry replied, fervently.

The road was beginning to climb and Julia began to walk even faster. The two of them were drawing unwelcome attention; Harry, covered in soot with his broken glasses – the pair of them clearly lacking adult supervision.

"Not lost, are you my dears?" a hag loitering under an archway asked. Quick as a flash, a claw like hand had reached out to grab Harry's arm.

"N – no," Harry stuttered, visibly unnerved.

She leered at him, showing horribly mossy teeth – and Julia was just contemplating performing more underage magic when a loud voice broke out:

"HARRY! JULIA! What the hell 'er you doin' down 'ere?"

The hag instantly shrunk away at the sight of Hagrid. The half-human, half-giant Hogwarts game-keeper looked more imposing and frightening here than Julia could ever remember Hagrid looking. He seemed to fill the entire street – his great, black beard trembling with indignation.

"I was lost!" Harry tried to explain, as Hagrid shepherded the two children to safety.

" - So I had to rescue him –" Julia offered, feeling far braver now as they broke out of a small side-street onto the bustling, bright Diagon Alley.

"'Course you did," Hagrid replied gruffly, his eyes glinting with amusement. He looked less angry now that they were both safe.

"I was fine," Harry protested, indignantly.

"I don't know how you get yourselves inta these kind of scrapes. Yer look a right state, Harry."

"JULIA!"

This time, it was Hermione Granger who had spotted them. She flew down the steps of Gringotts, her bushy hair flying behind her, and barrelled into Julia with a bone-crushing hug. They two of them hadn't seen one another since school had broken up for the summer holidays – despite swearing they would meet.

Not expecting the attack, Julia made a slightly choked sound like she had just been stepped on. Hermione released her quickly, her expression turning from excitement to maternal disapprovement.

"Honestly you two. You're both hopeless. I'm away a few weeks and Julia gets a warning from the Misuse of Magic office and you –" she turns to Harry, "- get shut up in your room by your Aunt and Uncle and somehow end up on Knockturn Alley!"

"Hey - neither of those things were my fault!" Harry protested, hotly – but Hermione pretended not to hear him.

"Ah – here they are," Hagrid announced, looking down the road to where Fred, George, Percy, Ron and Mr Weasley were sprinting towards them.

All the boys apart from Percy were merely annoyed they hadn't been able to come to Knockturn Alley, too. Percy kept on repeating in an obnoxiously loud voice that he didn't understand how Harry had got the wrong grate, and didn't stop until George asked him loudly if it was uncomfortably having a pole permanently shoved up his –

"Alright, that's enough, you lot," Mr Weasley said somewhat sternly, cutting over the childrens excited chatter.

When Mrs Weasley and Ginny eventually showed up – flustered and breathlessly – their group had swollen to so large a number that they were effectively blocking the entire street. What, with the seven, red-headed Weasley's, Julia, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid, they drew several curious and exasperated glances from passers-by. Mrs Weasley divided the group up and Julia and Hermione took the chance to sneak off by themselves and enjoy the day.

"Where shall we go first?" Hermione wondered out loud, as they walked slowly down the road, occasionally peering into shop windows.

"Knockturn Alley."

"Julia."

"Okay – the Leaky Cauldron." Hermione threw her a look. "I'm serious! They do good ham sandwiches!"

"What was it like?"

"They do it in this really fresh white bread and they use proper ham, too –"

"Not the sandwich," Hermione interjected, laughing. "Knockturn Alley!"

"Oooohh," Julia realised. "…really weird," she said frowning – proceeding to explain to Hermione the different artefacts in Borgin and Burkes, and the kind of people she and Harry had bumped into on the streets. Julia was a good story-teller (albeit, she perhaps talked a little too much), but Hermione was always interested, and kept asking for extra details.

Diagon Alley was unusually busy. Shop-owners had taken advantage of the sunny day to display their goods outside, and Julia and Hermione often had to fight their way through stationary crowds of people. Julia had been dying for an ice-cream, but Florean Fortescue's was packed out and so the pair of them ate at a small café opposite Gringott's instead.

"Oi, I just remembered!" Julia exclaimed, setting her glass of orange juice down and looking across the table at Hermione who was diligently buttering some scones. Considering a period of two months had passed, it felt as if they had hardly been apart. "You'll never guess who has a crush on Harry!"

Hermione's head jerked up. "Who?!" she asked, with a peculiar expression on her face. Julia actually wondered for a split-second if Hermione had a crush on Harry – but even the thought it was too weird. Still, she was looking at Julia with an unusual amount of curiosity.

"Ginny."

"Ron's sister?"

"Yeah. It's really funny – every time Harry walks into the room she just goes bright red. Or, like, drops whatever she's holding."

"Nice, Julia," Hermione commented, rolling her eyes ruefully.

"It's hilarious," Julia shot back, defensively. "Especially because – you know – it's Harry."

Hermione's sigh indicated that she did know. "Yes, I expect he's pretty clueless about the whole thing."

"Nah, not clueless. He just pretends he doesn't see Ginny doing all this stupid stuff. He's actually being quite nice about it," Julia realised out-loud.

"And I suppose Ron isn't?"

Julia shot Hermione an amused look. "What do you think?"

The bushy-haired girl made a sound in the back of her throat, shaking her head. "Boys."

Thinking about the week of torture she had had to endure at Fred and George's hands, Ron's temperamental behavior and the fact that she had had to come to Harry's rescue again, Julia could only nod. "Boys," she agreed.

A/N It's a rainy day here, and I decided that I needed a dose of Harry Potter so I wrote another chapter of this story. I've seriously missed Julia!

Last Of The Lilac Wine