Tranquility

Four

"Extreme fear can neither
fight nor fly."
- William Shakespeare

When the soft morning light flickered through the blinds the next morning, Charlie was gone. He had left early, leaving a note on the bedside table to explain his absence. This fact, however, did nothing to deter Athene's anxious excitement. There was always this feeling that resonated through the air when she was going to open Epeolatry. It was there when she first opened the store, and it was there then.

Athene rushed through her morning routine - hardly leaving time to stuff a muggle food item called a Pop Tart into her mouth. In her rush, she nearly tripped down the stairwell and dropped all two hundred copies of her new article. The store seemed brighter that morning. The shelves were dust-free, the windows were spotless, and the lights gleamed in the early morning sunlight. It almost seemed as though the store was as eager for customers as its owner was.

There was no one lining the streets at nine in the morning. There were no witches or wizards in Diagon Alley at all, save for a few shop owners and early morning shoppers. Despite this, Margarete arrived promptly at nine thirty as always.

"You're open!" The joyous cry resonated through the entire store. Margarete, who stood in the doorway with her arms spread wide, wore a grin that stretched across her entire face. "I was so worried that you'd gone and died on me."

"As you can see, I'm alive and well. No thanks to Volde-"

"Don't you say his name." The smile disappeared from the older woman's face and her demeanor was suddenly cold. "I've heard bits and pieces of what happened, but the Ministry has worked very hard to keep the details under wraps."

"I heard that they've announced his return." Athene made sure not to use his name. "And that Umbridge was removed from her post in Hogwarts."

"Yes, yes. Headmaster Dumbledore has returned to his rightful position and the Minster was forced to step down. Can you imagine?" Margarete placed a hand to her heart.

"I can." Athene nodded, plotting the perfect time to mention her newest article. "You said that the Ministry is keeping the details of what happened that night hidden?" It was feigned curiosity, of course, but Margarete took the bait.

"That's what I said, dear. The Daily Prophet did damage control, but it hasn't been quite enough for the minds of all us normal folk."

"You're in luck, then." Athene picked up and handed a freshly printed copy of Veracity to the older woman. "I was there when it happened."

"Really?" Margarete's eyes widened. "Is that why...?"

"Yep." Athene subtly glanced behind her at the counter where the stack of newspapers sat. "It turned into my longest article yet, but I couldn't cut any details."

Margarete grabbed a sheet of parchment, glanced only briefly at it, and began walking to the door. With a hasty 'goodbye' thrown over her shoulder, she was gone, probably off to gossip about this new information. That's particularly why Margarete was one of Epeolatry and Veracity's best customers. She always had a way of spreading the news and getting strangers to check out the store.

Just as Athene had predicted, the store was filled with customers not only twenty minutes after Margarete had hurried herself out the door. Most pretended to be interested in the books. They would stand by a particular shelf, staring at the multicolored covers until they deemed it would be appropriate to pick up what they had truly come for. Others walked in with their heads held high and a purpose in their steps. They didn't bother with the books, only with the delicate parchment on the counter.
Athene appreciated all of her customers, but the ones who came in simply for an article were quite boring. Those who were looking for something, a long lost story, perhaps, were her favorite. Since she began publishing Veracity, it seemed as though these customers were becoming rarer. Or it just felt that way because the store was continuously busy with other people.

A part of her missed the days where her shop was the little unknown place of obscurity. The quiet and peace that came with such a concept was incredibly hard to come by with her articles and the murderous lunatic on the loose.

The rest of Athene's day was filled with smiles, nods of appreciation, and watching as, perhaps, hundreds of people filtered through her doors. It went quickly, and, as the sun began to set, the last of her customers bid her shop farewell. The silence that followed was unnerving, but the young woman suppressed the feeling and locked up the store.

With a wave of her wand, Athene cleared the shop of any debris left by the customers and returned the shop to the order it had been that morning. There was always something satisfying about the way the books flew back into the shelves and the ladders rolled back to the sides of their shelves. Athene couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face: how nice it felt to be back.

Just as Athene was going to leave the shop and return to her lodgings for the night, the air shifted. It was cold and unforgiving, unfamiliar in the typically warm atmosphere of Epeolatry. Athene froze, her hand clasped around her wand. Someone, or something, was in her shop.

"Who's there?" Her voice was week, feeble, and her mind immediately came to the most horrendous conclusions. Silence wrapped its clammy hands around Athene and squeezed, pulling the air from her lungs. She whipped around, pointing her wand at whatever was standing behind her.

But instead of a mysterious figure draped in black cloth, she faced a glowing blue orb. It pulsed as though it breathed and cast shadows along the shelves. "Lock your doors, Athene." The voice emitted from the orb was a familiar one, and Athene's recognition eased her. "Olivander and Fortescue are missing, their stores left empty."

Author's Note:
Hey guys! Do you have any guesses as to what happens next?