The late summer heat clung to the cobblestones of Diagon Alley like honey as Ethan walked beside his mother. The hum of conversation, the whirr of owls flying overhead, and the occasional pop of Apparition filled the air. Students and parents bustled from shop to shop, arms full of parchment, potion ingredients, and stacks of books. Ethan had visited Diagon Alley more than once now, but the energy before the start of a new school year always seemed particularly charged.
Chloe, elegant in her flowing grey robes, walked with the quiet poise of someone entirely at ease with herself, pausing every so often to inspect a storefront or answer a polite greeting from someone who recognized her. She didn't know what Ethan was really looking for. She didn't realize that Ethan had a very particular goal in mind besides just getting books.
There was no author signing his fans books this time, just the usual crowd of people looking for what they came her for.
Ethan's eyes darted from face to face, scanning the crowd, until he spotted a familiar mop of unruly black hair. Harry Potter. And beside him, unmistakably, were Hermione and the tall, ginger-filled crowd that could only be the Weasleys. They were just ahead, clustered outside Flourish and Blotts. Ethan's heart gave a small jolt when he saw them. This was it. If things were going to play out like last time, Lucius Malfoy would be soon nearby.
"You know what you need, so I'm going to browse. Find me when your ready." His mother said before she walked through the crowd.
Ethan, on the other hand, kept an ear out for the probable confrontation ahead and an eye on where the weasleys were at.
Some minutes later, a sharp voice cut through the hum of chatter. "Well, well, if it isn't Arthur Weasley. Still dragging your family around in that Muggle-lover way of yours?"
Lucius Malfoy had arrived, pale and severe in his black robes, his cane clicking lightly against the stones. Draco stood at his side, his sneer perfectly practiced. Lucius turned with languid disdain from Arthur Weasley to the youngest Weasley child, Ginny, who was holding a cauldron of freshly purchased supplies.
"And what do we have here," He reached inside Ginny's cauldron and yanked out her books, "Second-hand books per usual."
Putting them back in, Ethan was already on his way over.
"Excuse me, Sir," Ethan called out, loud enough for the surrounding shoppers to hear and to catch Lucius' attention. "Did you just put something inside her cauldron?"
Everyone stopped.
Lucius froze, his gloved hand still resting on the lip of the cauldron. His expression didn't falter, but there was a flicker in his eyes, surprise perhaps, quickly replaced by cold narrowed eyes. Arthur Weasley turned sharply toward Lucius, while Molly stepped protectively closer to Ginny.
"What are you talking about?" Lucius asked, his tone light, but razor-edged.
"I just saw you," Ethan said calmly, pointing to Ginny's cauldron. "When you put her things back, you placed something else in there. eached in and placed something inside. It seemed to be a very deliberate movement."
Arthur moved to the cauldron and began rifling through its contents. It took only a moment to extract the diary, an old, unmarked, black leather-bound book that didn't match any of Ginny's required materials.
"This doesn't belong to us," Arthur said, holding it up. "Ginny, have you ever seen this before?"
Ginny shook her head, her face pale.
Lucius's lip curled. "Are we really making a fuss over a misplaced book?"
"Don't you dare," Molly snapped, stepping forward. "If you think for a second we won't recognize a hex waiting to happen-"
"A hex?" Lucius scoffed. "It's a book. One that, evidently, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps one of your little brood dropped it."
Arthur was no longer listening to Lucius. He turned the book over in his hands, inspecting it with narrowed eyes. There were no markings. No names. No publisher. No clear origin.
"Why was it unmarked?" Arthur asked sharply. "You're too precise to carry random junk."
Lucius's fingers tightened ever so slightly on his cane. "Are you accusing me of trying to hurt your daughter?"
"I'm accusing you of something," Arthur said darkly. "But I'll let the Department of Magical Law Enforcement decide what."
At that moment, Chloe Wright stepped forward. She had remained silent up until now, standing behind Ethan with her hands clasped, watching the exchange with the kind of careful detachment a prosecutor might give a courtroom witness.
"I think I know what that book is," she said quietly.
Lucius turned, and for the first time in the conversation, his expression visibly faltered. Recognition passed between them, and with it, a small measure of wariness.
"You're… Chloe Wright," Arthur said, blinking. "You were behind the Lockhart trial."
She gave a polite nod. "Yes. And I don't enjoy seeing strange objects passed off to children under false pretenses."
Lucius straightened. "This is absurd. There is no law against giving someone a book."
"There is when the intent is dark," Chloe said. "Especially when it's untraceable, unlisted, and intended for a child. I suggest you be very careful with your next words, Mr. Malfoy. My son saw something. And I will be adding this incident to my report."
Lucius's jaw clenched. He glanced once at Draco, who looked far less confident than he had earlier. The tension was suffocating.
Chloe turned towards Arthur. "I'll take that, Mr Weasley." She conjured herself a glove and took the book. "Once I'm done here I will be taking this straight to the Ministry. I am glad nothing happened when you picked it up."
Arthur paled, reading that he could have possibly set off whatever enchantment, curse, or hex was on it.
"You have some nerve, Malfoy." Molly began, "But if you think we're afraid of you, think again. We've dealt with worse than pompous cowards in tailored robes."
"Oh, is that so?" Lucius said. He turned and walked away, his cloak billowing behind him, Draco scurrying to follow.
A hush lingered in the air for a moment before Molly exhaled, her shoulders slumping.
"Well," she said, "that was… something."
"Thank you," Arthur said, turning to Chloe and also to Ethan. "That could have gone much differently if not for you two."
Chloe smiled faintly. "I'm glad we were in the right place at the right time. Do yoj want to press charges if this comes back as a dangerous object?"
"Oh... no. We can't afford a trial and that man always get away with things."
"Alright then, but he will be charged with possesion, and I will be sure to do so."
They talked some more while Ethan just stood at the sideline, quiet thrilled that this school year seemed to now be void of any problems. Lockhart was gone, and the diary never made its way to Hogwarts. The Chamber of Secrets would never open.
"Well," his mother walked over, "Why don't we pick up the rest of your books? I think that's enough drama for the day."
The Weasleys dispersed, everything going back to normal. Tomorrow was the day of departure. His second year at Hogwarts.