Diagon Alley was bustling with activity that morning. The sun, high and bright, illuminated the stone and brick facades, making the shop signs gleam as if they were competing to attract customers. The air was filled with the scent of new parchment, sweets from Honeydukes, and a faint smell of dust and ink from Flourish and Blotts.
Aurelian appeared alongside Hestia and Flora right in front of the Leaky Cauldron, and the hustle and bustle enveloped them. The twins walked on either side of him, attentive to everything they could buy.
"Books first," said Aurelian, in a firm but relaxed tone. "If we don't go now, Flourish and Blotts will be crowded later."
"And if it gets crowded, it will be chaos," added Flora, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"Something I will not tolerate," Hestia finished with a grimace of disgust.
The bookstore was so crowded with new copies that the air smelled of freshly printed pages. Between the shelves, light filtered through, illuminating the spines of books on defense, potions, and magical theory. Aurelian checked his list while the twins disappeared into the aisles, exploring titles that did not appear on any school assignment.
"These," said Flora upon her return, placing a couple of darkly bound volumes on the pile, "are books on advanced barrier spells."
"And these," added Hestia, dropping a tome titled Rare Magic and Poisons of the Mediterranean.
"They weren't on the list," Aurelian commented, raising an eyebrow and smiling at them.
"Mom said to spend every last galleon," Flora replied with a slight shrug.
Aurelian smiled. They paid for everything without arguing.
From there, they headed to the potions supply shop, where the smell of dried roots and bubbling liquids filled the air. They bought fresh ingredients, reinforced jars, and a new copper cauldron for Aurelian. Then, at Madame Malkin's, they looked at school robes and some spare cloaks, while the twins debated whether or not to embroider a small emblem on the hems.
The Alley seemed to expand with every step. Each shop window offered something new: artifacts gleaming behind glass cases, cages with exotic birds chirping, and street stalls with magical objects of dubious origin. Between shopping and minor arguments over prices, the day wore on.
Aurelian was carrying one of the bags with his latest purchases when, as he turned a corner, a very familiar facade caught his eye: the GauntCorp flagship store on Diagon Alley. The shop window was decorated with a large display of state-of-the-art Noxum brooms, featuring a more streamlined design and new silver engravings on the handle.
Inside, the store was bustling with activity. A sales assistant enthusiastically explained the improvements in speed and stability to a group of young wizards, while other customers picked up the brooms to examine their distinctive design. Aurelian noted with satisfaction how the GauntCorp logo, engraved with magic to make it glow slightly, made the store impossible to ignore.
He was about to continue on his way when a figure caught his attention. From the magical creature shop emerged a huge man, easily twice as tall as anyone around him. His hair and beard were thick, somewhat messy black, and he wore a fur coat that seemed to withstand any weather. In one hand he held a cage covered with a cloth, from which faint noises of movement escaped.
Aurelian recognized him instantly: Rubeus Hagrid.
The half-giant moved with a confident and slightly amused gait, talking to the cage he carried in one hand, pushing the crowd aside as if it were nothing, heading toward the old Ollivanders wand shop.
Aurelian narrowed his eyes. So... today is the day, he thought. If his calculations were correct, that imposing man wasn't just running errands. No... Hagrid was guiding Harry Potter himself.
Aurelian adjusted the strap of his bag and mingled with the crowd, following him at a safe distance. Each step brought him closer to that long-awaited moment: meeting the boy who, according to the official story, would save the wizarding world.
The door to Ollivanders opened and the characteristic sound of the bell rang out inside. Hagrid entered, lowering his head so as not to hit the door.
When they left, the Ollivanders bell rang again, and Aurelian stepped aside slightly so as not to stand directly in the doorway. Hagrid came out first, ducking so as not to hit the frame, followed by a boy with messy hair and round glasses, bearing the most famous scar in the wizarding world on his forehead.
"Hello," Aurelian greeted him with a small smile, his eyes assessing Harry from head to toe in barely a second.
"Um... hello," the boy replied, unable to hide the curiosity in his gaze.
Hagrid, on the other hand, stayed a step behind, watching Aurelian with barely concealed suspicion. The half-giant nodded politely, though without a hint of warmth.
"Gaunt," he said, by way of a curt greeting.
"Hagrid," Aurelian replied in a neutral, almost polite tone, before adding, "Welcome to the magical world, Potter. I hope you enjoy your shopping. See you at Hogwarts."
With that, Aurelian bowed slightly and disappeared into the crowd on Diagon Alley.
Harry watched him go.
"Who was that?" he asked, still intrigued.
Hagrid lowered his voice, as if afraid the walls would hear him.
"That man, Harry... is Aurelian Gaunt."
"Who is Aurelian Gaunt?" asked the boy, not quite understanding why Hagrid had suddenly changed his attitude.
"He's a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin," Hagrid explained, his tone serious. "A very powerful wizard for his age... too powerful, I'd say. I hate to say this, but... you'd better be careful when dealing with him, Harry."
"Why?" Harry asked, frowning.
Hagrid paused, fixing his eyes on Harry's.
"Because the Gaunts have a complicated history, most who crossed paths with them... didn't fare well. Aurelian may be young, but don't be fooled. He bears the surname, the bloodline, and from what I've heard, the talent of the founder. And with any Slytherin, Harry, you never know which side they're going to be on."
Harry nodded slowly, still processing the words. Unbeknownst to him, that brief warning had planted a seed of mistrust that might one day grow.
Aurelian walked away from Ollivanders without haste. His hands were in his pockets and he had a slight smile on his face. He hadn't used any visible spells, just a delicate magical vibration that allowed him to pick up Hagrid's last comments to Potter.
"Interesting..." he thought, not bothering to get angry. He had expected something like that from Hagrid.
"Aurelian!" Hestia's sweet but possessive voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to find the Carrow twins advancing through the crowd, both with bags in their hands and looks as sharp as daggers for anyone who got in their way.
"Where have you been?" asked Flora, raising an eyebrow as she examined him from head to toe, as if making sure no one had touched him.
"I ran into someone interesting," he replied calmly. "None other than the great Harry Potter."
Hestia and Flora looked at each other, then back at him with smiles forming on their faces.
"The great Harry Potter..." Hestia repeated, her voice laden with irony. "The only great wizard for us is you."
"Exactly," added Flora, taking a step closer to him. "When you're an adult, you'll surely be stronger than even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named"
Aurelian couldn't help but laugh genuinely at the comment. He always found it ironic to hear someone talk about his father as if they were talking about something forbidden.
"Who knows... maybe they're right," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
The twins smiled contentedly, as if that answer confirmed something they had always known. They naturally hooked their arms through his to continue shopping, as if the rest of the Alley didn't exist.
A motorcycle pulled up gently in front of the main entrance to Hogwarts. Hagrid stepped down heavily, carrying a small package wrapped in thick cloth and tied with string under his arm, carefully as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.
He walked through the stone corridors until he reached the headmaster's office. After knocking three times on the door, he heard Dumbledore's calm voice.
"Come in, Hagrid."
Hagrid entered, and his eyes lit up.
"Here you are, Professor, just as you requested. No problem bringing it." He placed the package gently on the desk.
"Excellent," said Dumbledore, briefly examining the object before placing it in a locked drawer. "I trust your trip to Diagon Alley was pleasant."
"Oh, yes!" replied Hagrid with a broad smile. "I showed Harry Potter everything he needed to see... a good boy, humble, curious... he reminds me a little of you when you were young, if I may say so."
Dumbledore smiled faintly, but noticed the sudden change in Hagrid's expression, as if a dark cloud had covered him.
"Did anything else happen, Rubeus?" he asked calmly.
Hagrid pressed his lips together before answering.
"Well... yes, Professor. We ran into Gaunt."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but did not interrupt.
"Don't get me wrong... he didn't do anything wrong, he just greeted Harry very politely, but... to tell you the truth," Hagrid grimaced, "I don't like that boy. At that age, he's already a powerful wizard, and we all know what it means to bear the Gaunt surname... a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. I told Harry it was best to tread carefully."
Dumbledore clasped his hands together, looking at Hagrid with a neutral expression, though his eyes shone with a glint that was difficult to read.
"I understand," he said finally, his voice so soft that it was impossible to tell whether he agreed or not.
He leaned back in his chair and looked at Hagrid with a calmness that could disarm even the most stubborn.
"Rubeus, you shouldn't judge a boy by his origins or the surname he bears. A family's history does not completely determine its descendants."
Hagrid frowned and shook his head.
"You may be right, Professor... but I don't like him. I read about him in The Prophet, his victory in the dueling tournament is said to have been overwhelming. No one with that kind of power at such a young age is completely good. I know it in my bones."
Dumbledore let out a long sigh, one that seemed to carry the weight of many decades of experiences and, above all, secrets.
"Power is a tool, Rubeus. How it is used... that is what defines a person."
Hagrid did not respond immediately; the faint ticking of the grandfather clock could be heard. Finally, Hagrid changed the subject, although his tone remained serious.
"Well, while we're on the subject, there's something else you should know. In Diagon Alley, we also ran into Quirrell."
Dumbledore's eyes immediately focused.
"Quirinus?"
"Yes, but... he was acting strange. Very strange, more than usual, as if he wasn't himself. He didn't speak nervously as he had since his return; he was different. His movements, his gaze... even his voice had something strange about it. It gave me the creeps."
Dumbledore rested his elbows on the desk, thoughtful.
"That's... worrying. Very worrying. Thank you for telling me."
Hagrid nodded, getting up to leave. Before leaving, he looked at the headmaster once more.
"Just... be careful with Gaunt, professor. I'm not saying he's bad, just that you have to be careful, and with Quirrell too. Something tells me that this year won't be like the others."
Dumbledore didn't answer. He just looked out the window, toward the horizon.
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