Of Chambers and Secrets

ii: meeting a weasely in diagon alley

Ron stared breathlessly at the infamous wizarding pub as his father ushered him out of the furnace. They had just arrived via Floo at the Leaky Cauldron.

With the exception of Bill and Charlie, their family was complete.

The older ones, the Twins and Percy, were let alone to go to their friends, or wander off on their own if they so wish. But that was not before Molly instructed them to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron so they could have their lunch together. He and Ginny stayed with their parents, because Ginny was still nervous and jittery at the same time, and he had...well, Ron doesn't have friends to go with for that matter.

Molly and Arthur asked Ginny where she wanted to go first, and the girl did not answer, but looked at Ron. Ron didn't want to impose anything on his little sister, and so, Molly decided that they were to get books while Arthur was to get them their quills, parchments and a set of robes for Ginny.

Ron rolled his eyes, seeing his mother's delight when his father agreed. She just wanted to see that man, that author whom she was reading and looking out for in the Prophet. What was his name again?

And true enough, before either he and Ginny knew it, they were now clutching a pile of that man's books- Gilderoy Lockhart was his name- and were cueing along with a hundred witches of all ages, all giggling and batting their eyelashes. Ron crossed his arms over his chest, finding it irritating.

The said man was obviously enjoying the attention, as he did autographs and posed for pictures as though he was a star. Ginny merely watched it along with Ron, the same look of annoyance on her face. With everybody busy, Ron and Ginny were bored out of their wits. It were usually the women and teenage girls who flocked and shrieked at the thought of Lockhart. The Weasely children though there would be no end to the rupture.

Just then, everyone stilled. Ron and Ginny looked to where everyone was looking, and were surprised and suddenly afraid as a big, black dog appeared, scanning the crowd.

"A direwolf!" A man in the crowd exclaimed.

The people gasped again. Direwolves were known to be wild creatures, barely tameable. They bond themselves to people, yet this was almost unheard of.

Then the direwolf began to pad through the crowd, and suddenly- oh so suddenly, in a sudden, swift motion- everyone screamed. The direwolf pounced on a girl! Ron and Ginny wanted to see, but Molly shoved them behind her back, and the others were blocking their view.

Although his mother's back was providing a wall, Ron still managed to see Lockhart. The man was suddenly on his feet, looking every inch confident as he raised his wand.

"Calm down, everyone. I'll take it from here," he murmured softly, but enough that everyone could make it out.

Slowly, Lockhart started to make his way to where the direwolf was attacking the girl.

"Stupe--"

The crowd gasped as Lockhart's wand came flying out of his hand and into the hands of a boy, whose face was obviously angry. The boy's jaw was tightening, but before he could speak, everyone started to feel even more unnerved when the Potions Master of Hogwarts came into view.

"Hadrian!" Ron's ears perked up as soon as he heard the professor and heard him calling the name of his son. They were here! Then that means that the direwolf was Snape's!

"Ron," Ginny's small voice made Ron divert his attention to his sister. "What's happening?"

Ron gave her a smile, "Shh. Don't worry. It's just the Snapes. That," he said, pointing to where the direwolf was, "is his son's familiar. You need not worry, Gin."