The Marauders: Year Two | #Wattys2016

Capture from Diagon Alley

Capture from Diagon Alley

Charlus Potter was at Diagon Alley, selling crates of his Sleekeazy potion to various shops about the little wizarding district. The streets were lined by vendors selling amulets and spells to ward off evil, each claiming that their product was better than the others around them, that their product truly worked. Charlus did not spare so much as a glance at the wares they tried peddling to him as he carried his briefcase from store to store. None of their supposed fail-safe ways of avoiding the Dark Lord truly worked. Too many witches and wizards who had purchased these safety wares had already died horrible deaths.

"Aren't you the wizard that's been in the news helpin' that muggle family?" asked one shop owner, squinting at Charlus in vague recognition.

Charlus nodded, "I was, they were my neighbors and the --"

The shopkeeper shook his head and waved his palms, "I don't want any of that stuff you've got there. I can't be minglin' with folks what's got the Dark Mark in their future! Helpin' muggles and muggle-lovers in this day'n age is dangerous business."

Charlus frowned as he stepped back out onto the street, frustrated. That had been the typical response to the offer of shops stocking the Sleekeazy potion. Nobody dared to be associated, however remotely, to the man labelled as a muggle-lover. He sat down outside an ice cream shop, having bought a cup, and watched the crowds pass by him as he thought about how terrible it was that fear was beginning to control people and sway their choices. He hated it, hated the fear in people's eyes. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair. All this over one evil man and his horrid ideas of what the world should look like. All this over prejudice. What a wonderful world we might live in if there was no more of it, no more hatred. It was a shame that his boy had to grow and live in a world as broken as this, he lamented, and he hoped against all hope that one day James would live to see peace in the world.

"Mr. Potter!"

Charlus looked up to see a fiery haired wizard coming through the crowded streets toward him. He stood up as the young man approached. "Hello Arthur, how are you?" he asked, smiling.

"I'm very well!" Arthur answered eagerly. Arthur Weasley was one of several new employees at the Ministry and he had been in a group of several wizards that Charlus had been in charge of showing around before they had received their assignment to departments. "I ended up in the misuse of muggle artifacts department!"

"Very good!" Charlus replied. "Congratulations." Honestly, he was wondering what Arthur had done wrong to end up in such a department - especially at this time. Nobody wanted a job like that at the ministry, looking into backfiring teapots and mailboxes that ate the mailman's arms and that sort of thing. But Arthur seemed positively elated over the prospect of getting to inspect magically enhanced muggle stuff.

Arthur clearly liked muggles and muggle things, he'd talked profusely about a collection of spark plugs that he had at home, organized by the funny little numbers and letters on the sides. He'd become attached to Charlus once he'd learned that he was one and the same as the Charlus Potter who'd ended up in the papers for saving his muggle neighbors. Arthur Weasley it seemed was the only one that didn't see Charlus Potter a stigma these days.

"Did you hear about the giant in Ottery St.Catchpole?" he asked eagerly, "It was in the Prophet!"

Charlus nodded, "I saw."

"I live in Ottery St. Catchpole!" said Arthur, though he sounded a bit more excited than frightened. "Molly and I have a house just over the hill from where the giant was spotted, you know. Just a little cottage, but one day I plan to add on. What do you s'pose the giant was doing that far from the mountains?"