Things weren't playing out quite the way Snape had expected.
He gave Quirrell one last, long look, then turned and swept out of Diagon Alley without a word.
Words can be dressed up, twisted, hidden behind smiles. Trusting anyone's version of events without proof just makes you a fool.
Voldemort's old followers were either locked up in Azkaban or lying low. These days the Dark Lord tended to use the stupid ones, the random opportunists who stumbled into his path.
And Quirrell… ha. Only an idiot would take that man at face value.
Sean left Diagon Alley at the same time. Professor Tela raised a hand, and a slim book Abigail always carried floated straight into Sean's grip.
A Simple Introduction to Void Runes.
"I must remind you, child," Professor Tela said softly, "caution is the only rule Uagadou wizards ever learned from the world beyond the Veil."
"I'll remember, Professor."
Sean nodded. As he turned, he caught sight of Professor Quirrell staring blankly at nothing.
Ever since Voldemort fell, Death Eaters had become the most despised people in the wizarding world. Carrying that mark…
The sun was starting to set over Diagon Alley. Somewhere in the shadows, a rat scurried through a filthy sewer grate.
Quirrell felt lost, adrift. The awkward teen who'd been looked down on, desperate to prove himself, was still treated like something disgusting.
One terrible choice years ago, and he'd kept doubling down ever since. The bustling crowds felt like an endless twilight ocean, and he was out at sea with no map and no port in sight.
"Professor," Sean's voice drifted out of the crowd, "stop looking back."
When Quirrell spun around, the Fairy Tale Workshop was already empty.
…
Sean desperately wanted to test the void runes right then and there, but tomorrow he had to come back to buy the full set of "Gilderoy Lockhart" books for school, so he shelved the idea for now and summarized what he'd learned instead.
Void Runes
- Can guide a wizard into the realm beyond the Veil of Death.
- That realm helps a wizard master their own soul transfiguration.
- Likely allows more than one animal form; deeply skilled practitioners may eventually master nearly every transformation.
- Speculation: the realm might grant limited precognition and the ability to "pull back" souls that are lingering instead of moving on.
It sounded insane, but everything had precedent.
Seers like Trelawney and her ancestors saw the future through dreams, tea leaves, crystal balls.
Even Harry had dreamed of Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley, proof that dreams and prophecy were connected.
And pulling back a soul that hadn't fully crossed over? That made Sean think of one Deathly Hallow in particular: the Resurrection Stone.
It could drag a shade back, but the dead always returned cold and miserable, still separated by that thin veil.
Lost in thought, Sean didn't notice Hogwarts falling asleep around him. High up in the tower, the summer-night wind still carried a bite. It rattled the windows until morning finally came.
Shopping day.
Diagon Alley was packed. Sean wandered past glittering shop windows. One little wizard was practically glued to the Quidditch supplies store, drooling over a full set of Chudley Cannons robes. Sean barely glanced before ducking into the stationery shop for ink and parchment.
That's where he ran into Hermione.
"Sean!"
She looked thrilled; it had been a whole month, basically forever when you're twelve.
"Hey, Hermione. Long time no see."
Her bushy brown hair bounced as she jogged over.
"Have you seen the book list? We have to buy every single Gilderoy Lockhart book!"
She rolled her eyes. "Whoever the new Defense teacher is must be his biggest fan. Although the books are ridiculously expensive… maybe they're worth it?"
The bell jingled again, and Justin walked in wearing his usual warm smile.
"Hey, Sean, Hermione! Good to see you both."
They hung out together for a bit, then headed toward Gringotts to meet the others and withdraw some Galleons.
That's when Ron came barreling through the crowd, red-faced and panicked.
"Sean! Have you seen Harry? He messed up saying 'Diagon Alley,' and now he's lost!"
"Lost?" Hermione frowned. She was used to Harry and Ron being disasters, but this was next-level.
"Let's just hope he only missed by one fireplace…" Ron muttered.
"One fireplace?" Sean asked.
"Oh, right! Even if you flub the name, the Floo Network drops you at the closest connected hearth," Ron explained quickly, then winced. "And the closest hearth to here that isn't Diagon Alley… is Knockturn Alley."
His face lit up with a weird mix of terror and excitement, like he was half-hoping Sean would lead a rescue squad right that second.
Sean had never heard that detail before, but it made sense. You mispronounce a syllable, you shouldn't end up on the other side of the planet.
"Don't worry. I'll go check," Sean said calmly.
Canonically, Hagrid would find Harry and get him out safely, but since Sean was here, he figured he'd make sure.
His Disillusionment Charm was already at Expert level; almost no one would notice him.
Still, better not to get spotted. Knockturn Alley wasn't exactly the place you wanted to flash a wand around carelessly.
He slipped away while everyone stared after him, itching to follow but knowing better than to tag along uninvited.
A narrow side path led him into the dark, grimy alley. Shops on both sides reeked of dark magic.
The biggest store was Borgin and Burkes. Across the street, a window displayed shrunken heads that looked way too real. Two shops down, a huge cage crawled with enormous black spiders. In a shadowy doorway, two ragged wizards whispered over something that definitely wasn't legal.
That's where Sean spotted Harry, looking like a lost lamb surrounded by wolves.
An old hag with mossy teeth and a tray of what looked like dried human fingernails sidled up to him.
"Lost, dearie?"
Harry froze in horror.
Suddenly two hands yanked him backward. A tall figure seemed to melt out of thin air right behind him.
At the exact same moment, two stone statues flanking the doorway jerked to life and boxed the hag in.
"I don't think he is," Sean said coolly, wand already in hand.
The hag stammered, "R-right, dearie, of course…"
Harry stared at Sean, stunned. Sean grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
"Come on, Harry. Planning to sleep here tonight?"
Harry's face went scarlet. "Uh, right, coming!"
The whole way out, shady wizards eyed them hungrily. Sean casually flicked a silent Diffindo that split a dark wizard's dead rat clean in half. That shut everyone up real fast.
Harry kept waiting for Sean to yell at him; Sean was cracking jokes, which in Harry's experience meant someone was furious.
Actually, Sean was busy kicking himself. The second danger appeared, dark spells had flown out of him without a second thought.
That wasnized a good sign.
In a crisis, a wizard's instincts take over. And his instincts clearly defaulted to the nastiest magic he knew.
If he couldn't even control regular dark spells under pressure, how was he ever going to handle the Unforgivables responsibly?
Controlling magic is easy. Controlling a wizard's survival instincts? That's the hard part.
Even Harry, sweet Harry, had once used Crucio on Bellatrix out of pure rage.
Sean reminded himself: stay cautious. That's the only sane attitude when you're swimming in deep, mysterious, powerful magic.
More than one professor had drilled that into him.
They ran into Hagrid on the way out. The gamekeeper had clearly seen the rat-splitting incident; he shot Sean a big thumbs-up and boomed:
"No wanderin' around Knockturn Alley, Harry, even with Sean watchin' yer back! Terrible place, come on, let's get you two outta sight—"
"What about you?" Harry asked, still dazed.
"Oh, I'm lookin' for Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," Hagrid said cheerfully. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages."
Harry muttered under his breath, "Since when do flesh-eating slugs eat cabbages?"
Hagrid practically shoved him out into the sunlight.
He was a lot gentler with Sean, lowering his voice. "Shh, you know why I'm really here…"
Sean just nodded. Hagrid sometimes picked up special creature food in the shady shops.
The moment they stepped out of Knockturn Alley, sunlight poured over them like warm honey.
Harry shuffled his feet. "Sorry, Sean. Got myself in trouble again."
"No big deal, Harry."
Right on cue, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys came running up, shouting with relief.
"Harry! You're okay! Where'd you end up, Knockturn Alley?"
"Yeah," Harry admitted.
"Wicked!" Fred and George chorused out of nowhere.
Mrs. Weasley came barreling through the crowd, eyes red, dragging the rest of the family behind her.