t in his room the rest of the time。
〃Wish I knew what he was up to；〃 said Fred； frowning。 〃He's not himself。 His exam results came the day before you did； twelve O。WL。s and he hardly gloated at all。〃
〃Ordinary Wizarding Levels；〃 George explained； seeing Harry's puzzled look。 〃Bill got twelve； too。 If we're not careful； we'll have another Head Boy in the family。 I don't think I could stand the shame。〃
Bill was the oldest Weasley brother。 He and the next brother； Charlie； had already left Hogwarts。 Harry had never met either of them； but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank； Gringotts。
〃Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year；〃 said George after a while。 〃Five sets of Lockhart books！ And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything 。。。。。。
Harry said nothing。 He felt a bit awkward。 Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him。 Of course； it was only in the wizarding world that he had money； you couldn't use Galleons； Sickles； and Knuts
46
in Muggle shops。 He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys； he didn't think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold。
Mrs。 Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday。 After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each； they pulled on their coats and Mrs。 Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside。
〃We're running low； Arthur；〃 she sighed。 〃We'll have to buy some more today。。。 Ah well； guests first！ After you； Harry dear！〃
And she offered him the flowerpot。
Harry stared at them all watching him。
〃W…what am I supposed to do？〃 he stammered。
〃He's never traveled by Floo powder；〃 said Ron suddenly。 〃Sorry； Harry； I forgot。〃
〃Never？〃 said Mr。 Weasley。 〃But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year？〃
〃I went on the Underground …〃
〃Really？〃 said Mr。 Weasley eagerly。 〃Were there escapators？ How exactly …〃
〃Not now； Arthur；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。 〃Floo powder's a lot quicker； dear； but goodness me； if you've never used it before …〃
〃He'll be all right； Mum；〃 said Fred。 〃Harry； watch us first。〃
He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot； stepped up to the fire； and threw the powder into the flames。
With a roar； the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred； who stepped right into it； shouted； 〃Diagon Alley！〃 and vanished。
* 41
〃You must speak clearly； dear；〃 Mrs。 Weasley told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot。 〃And be sure to get out at the right grate 。。。。。。
〃The right what？〃 said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight； too。
〃Well； there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from； you know； but as long as you've spoken clearly …〃
〃He'll be fine； Molly； don't fuss；〃 said Mr。 Weasley； helping himself to Floo powder； too。
〃But； dear； if he got lost； how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle？〃
〃They wouldn't mind；〃 Harry reassured her。 〃Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney； don't worry about that …〃
〃Well 。。。 all right 。。。 you go after Arthur；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。 〃Now； when you get into the fire； say where you're going
〃And keep your elbows tucked in；〃 Ron advised。
〃And your eyes shut；〃 said Mrs。 Weasley。 〃The soot …〃
〃Don't fidget；〃 said Ron。 〃Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace …〃
〃But don't panic and get out too early； wait until you see Fred and George。〃
Trying hard to bear all this in mind； Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire。 He took a deep breath； scattered the powder into the flames； and stepped forward； the fire felt like a warm breeze； he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash。
〃D…Dia…gon Alley；〃 he coughed。
48
It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant drain。 He seemed to be spinning very fast … the roaring in his ears was deafening …he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick … something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly； still spinning and spinning … now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face … squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond … his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him … he closed his eyes again wishing it would stop； and then
He fell； face forward； onto cold stone and felt the bridge of his glasses snap。
Dizzy and bruised； covered in soot； he got gingerly to his feet； holding his broken glasses up to his eyes。 He was …；cite alone； but where he was； he had no idea。 All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large； dimly lit wizard's shop … but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list。
A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion； a bloodstained pack of cards； and a staring glass eye。 Evil…looking masks stared down from the walls； an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter； and rusty； spiked instruments hung from the ceiling。 Even worse； the dark； narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley。
The sooner he got out of here； the better。 Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth； Harry made his way swiftly and silently toward the door； but before he'd got halfway toward it； two people appeared on the other side of the glass … and one of them was the
49
very last person Harry wanted to meet when he was lost； covered in soot； and wearing broken glasses： Draco Malfoy。
Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to his left； he shot inside it and pulled the doors closed； leaving a small crack to peer through。 Seconds later； a bell clanged； and Malfoy stepped into the shop。
The man who followed could only be Draco's father。 He had the same pale； pointed face and identical cold； gray eyes。 Mr。 Malfoy crossed the shop； looking lazily at the items on display； and rang a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying； 〃Touch nothing； Draco。〃
Malfoy； who had reached for the glass eye； said； 〃I thought you were going to buy me a present。〃
〃I said I would buy you a racing broom；〃 said his father； drumming his fingers on the counter。
〃What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team？〃 said Malfoy； looking sulky and bad…tempered。 〃Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year。 Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor。 He's not even that good； it's just because he's famous 。。。 famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead 。 。 。 。〃
Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls。
〃。 。 。 everyone thinks he's so smart； wonderful Potter with his scar and his broomstick …〃
〃You have told me this at least a dozen times already；〃 said Mr。 Malfoy； with a quelling look at his son。 〃And I would remind you that it is not … prudent … to appear less than fond of Harry Potter； not when