Operation Homeward (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Thirteen

Fanged Frisbees, thought Lily, were a heaven-sent creation.

Terrified screams erupted throughout the tiny shop as they shattered the glass windows, green, jagged discs ricocheting off the shelves and sending piles of various sweets flying. It was true havoc, and Lily wouldn't have expected anything less of her brother.

Feeling Albus tugging on her sleeve, she forced herself to look away from the carnage and focus on the trap door. They sprinted as fast as they could while hidden under the cloak, occasionally ducking when a Frisbee came dangerously close to taking their heads off.

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES IS GOING ON HERE?" shouted Flume in outrage, followed by the sound of sparks flying out of a wand.

Albus and Lily were nearly to the door, weaving past the panicking customers streaming toward the exit. She once again praised their luck that there weren't very many of them today.

Just a little bit further ...

"They're Fanged Frisbees, sir!" James replied with helpful innocence - which Lily couldn't help but snicker at. "They're a prank product. I've seen them at Zonko's!"

"Isn't that just across from here?" asked Teddy suggestively. "Perhaps they'll know what to do."

"Of course!" exclaimed Flume. "I had a feeling that blasted new manager was nothing but trouble ... I'll bet you my wand that he's responsible for this!"

Yes!

Lily's chest burst with exhilaration as her knees slammed into the wooden floorboards by the trapdoor, loud enough to make her even more appreciative of James's mischievous brilliance. And with a prank so classic as Fanged Frisbees ... a whirl of nostalgia and pride filled her body.

Although she could barely hear over the complete and utter pandemonium, Albus's quick Alohomora was like a mallet to a gong. Lily's pulse quickened as they carefully rugged open the door to what very well could be a brand new life.

Or the end of this one.

————

"No wonder Dad never told us about this map," said Albus with astonishment. "Can you imagine the things James would've gotten up to then? Mum would've had both of their heads."

Lily snorted. Part of her believed that James, had he continued in the path he'd been on, wouldn't have needed the Marauder's Map to send Ginny off her rocker. Even if it did have a secret passage from Hogwarts to Honeydukes - which, she admitted over her pride, Lily was starting to have second thoughts about.

The catacomb-like corridor was dark, aged, and befouled, so much so that she was sure it was paradise for creepy-crawlies and other disgusting filth, magic and Muggle alike. The air was so stiflingly pungent with mustiness that Lily had to resist the urge to gag every ten seconds.

But the worst of it all?

Even with the light from both Lily and Albus's wand tips, they could barely see more than a meter or two in front of them; and of what little they could, there were short, narrow walls on the cusp of crumbling into heaps of dirt and mold. And suddenly, all excitement and exhilaration given by the rush of adventure bled from her body, leaving her nauseous and short of breath.