Megan didn't yet have a lot of experience of the wizarding world, but she had a feeling Floo Powder was not going to be her favourite way to travel. She was in a long, seemingly endless dark tunnel, with flashes of light which she assumed to be fireplaces, and was going at full speed, feet forwards. Something hit her shoulder as she zoomed on. She had no idea what to do now. The slide seemed to last a long time, and she was just starting to think she had no idea how to get out, when she suddenly swerved hard to the right and she tumbled out into a fireplace. She rolled onto the floor and coughed, ash and smoke still in her mouth. She got to her feet, bruised and dazed. She brushed the soot off her cloak and looked around. She immediately felt a chill through her spine as she looked. A disembodied hand sat on a dusty red velvet cushion.above that was a large set of old tattered books on a wooden shelf? A glass eye was looking out the window into the street. And the general feel of the place made her shudder. She didn't know where she was, but she was quite sure she was not in Diagon Alley. She had never seen this shop before. It was rather creepy. She didn't know for sure, but she had a feeling a lot of dark magic was at work down here. She knew one thing, though; she didn’t much fancy meeting the shopkeeper. She was sure he would probably see she wasn’t from around, or worse, think she was stealing. She peered around to check no one was watching. Satisfied that there wasn’t, she made to head to the door when she saw someone open it. To her horror, she saw someone she knew and loathed. Thin, pale and blond, with a grumpy expression on his face, was Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy was Megan’s arch-enemy at school. Unlike Megan and her friends, he was in Slytherin, whereas they were all Gryffindors, the exception being Cedric, who was a Hufflepuff. Malfoy had taken an intense disliking to her since she had turned him down. He had been insulting to the Weasleys, and wanted Megan to join his group rather than her friends’. She had refused, and he had made it his life’s mission to make their school lives a living nightmare. But he was also the worst person Megan could run into at the moment. He was with a tall man with long pale blond hair that looked too much like Draco to not be his father. They were pushing the door open, arguing about something and mercifully not looking her way. If he saw her in this place, he would ask questions, and mock her heartily if he knew she had gotten lost. Quick as a flash, Megan looked for a place to hide. She darted inside a large black cabinet and shut the door, peering through a crack. She watched as they entered, looking around imperiously. No, haughtily was a better word. Mr Malfoy eyed his son as he ambled up the shop.

“Touch nothing, Draco.” he said sharply, and turned to the counter.

“You said you'd buy me a present!” Malfoy groaned.

“I said I'd buy you a racing broom.”

Spoilt brat or what… Megan thought.

She chanced a glance at Mr Malfoy. He had the same pale skin, the same dull grey eyes and pointy nose. But his face, far from expressing Malfoy’s grumpiness, was cold and calculating, which, in Megan’s opinion, was probably far worse. He seemed a lot better at hiding his contempt than his son. Which made sense, given that his father had a lot more experience than him.

“Borgins!” called Mr Malfoy.

At once, a man scurried into view and stood behind the counter. From what Mega could tell, he was a small, man with excessively greased hair. He smiled at Malfoy and said in an oily voice:

“Ah, Mr Malfoy, and young Mr Malfoy, too, delightful, delightful indeed.”

“Enough pleasantries, Borgin, I am here on business.”

“Oh, yes, sir. Of course.” Borgin said. “To business, then. Actually, I think I have something here that would interest you...”

“Not to buy, Borgin,” he interrupted impatiently, “to sell.”

Megan listened intently. The Malfoys were hardly experiencing money problems, they were loaded, as Malfoy made a point of reminding just about anyone who would or not listen. So why would he sell something...? Because he didn't want people to know he had it, she thought immediately. She had no idea what that could be but she had a feeling it wasn't good.

“Father, can I have that?” Malfoy's voice called.

“Ah, a keen eye, young mister Malfoy. The Hand of Glory. It enables the holder to see while the others stay in the dark,” Borgins said. “Perfect for thieves. Quite a fair deal, too...”

“No, Borgin. I hope he'll do better than a life of thieving. Although, given his school results, I wonder if that may not be all he is good for.”

Malfoy’s grumpy look turned into a sulk.

“It's the teachers, they all have pets. That Granger-”

“Is a blatant example of what I was saying,” Malfoy snapped. “You should be ashamed to see a girl surpass you by far in every exam! A girl not even from a wizard family, no less!”

Megan hoped they would finish quickly, so she could join the others and tell them. Not to mention she wanted to get out of this filthy cabinet and dodgy shop. Mr Malfoy produced a roll of parchment and handed it to Borgin.

“Now,” he said, turning to Borgin again. “If my son has finished whining...I have a few... items, and it would be, er... inconvenient if they came to be found. I will expect you tomorrow at the manor to pick them up.”

“Yes, sir, not a problem, sir. A joy doing business with you.” Borgins said.

Malfoy said nothing but “Come, Draco. We're leaving.” And they did. Borgins stayed there grumbling, and then left. After she was sure he was out of earshot Megan slipped out of the cabinet as quietly as she could and crossed the room to the door and pulled it open quietly. Then, she stepped out into the open.

Megan, if she’d had any doubt before, was now absolutely certain she wasn't in Diagon Alley, now. Her first hint had been the strange shop she’d just been in, but the sight of the outside proved it. The streets were narrower, blocking most of the sunlight from above. They were also darker, and dirtier. The ground beneath her feet was flat, but as she glanced up the street, she noticed it twisted and turned, not like the straight lines Megan knew. Not to mention that the people down here looked far nastier than they did in Diagon Alley. She didn't recognise any of the shops, either. She tried to keep her nerves off her face though. She had often seen that showing your fear never helped. But she wished there was someone to help her out, though…. Suddenly, as she tried to find something to guide her, or at least point her in the right direction, she bumped into someone in front of her.

“Oh... sorry,” she said.

Naturally, she apologised. But it didn't seem to impress the witch she had run into at all. She meant to just walk away, but it was too late. When she saw who she was facing, however, she smiled. Half her teeth were black, so the result was far from inviting.

“Not lost, are you, my dear?”

She wasn't usually this wary but she didn't trust this woman. Nor anyone down here. The streets were dark and the people looked shady.

“No, I'm fine, thank you...” she said.

She tried to walk away, but a man cut her off.

“Where you going? Not scared, are you?”

She stepped back but not too far to keep her distance from the witch as well.

“No... But I'm in a hurry... so...”

She was trying hard not to panic, but it was difficult.

“Megan?”

She looked around.

“Hagrid!”

Indeed it was. Towering over the other people, bushy black har and beard, was her friend Hagrid. Twice the size of a normal man, he had a huge heart, but a tendancy to misdjudge danger, or take in creatures as pets that weren’t suitable for that lifestyle. Like a baby dragon, for example.

“What are you doing down here? C'mon here at once!” he said.

Megan didn't need telling twice. She slid between the two of them easily before they could stop her, and hurried to Hagrid's side, who kept his arm on her shoulder all the way up the street.

“What were you doing down Knockturn Alley?” he asked sternly.

“Knockturn Alley?”

“A dark, dodgy place, only ones who go there are those with bad intentions.”

“I didn't intend to go there, I landed there by accident. I was with the Weasleys, we came by Floo Powder and I must have done it wrong, because... I ended up there...”

Then she realised something.

“How come you were down there, then?”

“I was lookin’ fer Flesh Eating Slug Repellent.” He said. “Don' find it up Diagon Alley. Ah, here we are.”

Megan looked ahead, and sure enough, they were in Diagon Alley. Bright, cheerful and colourful, and much more comfortable than the street Megan had just left. Megan felt a lot lighter in the sunlight and the familiar street. She and Hagrid moved forwards. Suddenly, she spotted Hermione and Harry waving at them from the Gringotts Bank staircase. The Grangers were there too. The woman looked too much like Hermione not to be her mother.

“Megan! Hagrid!” Hermione called excitedly.

She ran towards them followed by Harry.

“It's so nice to see you!” Hermione smiled.

She was glowing, her long bushy hair flowing down her back with a hair pin to keep it from getting in the way. She had a long deep burgundy cloak which suited her well.

“Hello, Hermione!” Megan smiled back. “It’s good to see you too.”

They hugged each other. Then, she turned to Harry. He was looking good as well. He’d grown several inches over the summer, and when he used to be about the same size as Megan, he was now taller. His black hair was as messy as ever, but he insisted it just was that way, than no matter how often he tried to discipline it, it stayed messy.

“Hi, Megan,”

“Hey, Harry! Nice to see you. I missed you guys.”

“Yes, we did, too.” Hermione said. “Oh, these are my parents Harold and Diane. Mom, Dad, these are my friends Hagrid and Megan I talked to you about.”

“Oh... you're uh... very tall, Mr Hagrid,” Mr Granger said timidly.

Hagrid, being about well over eight feet high, was certainly intimidating when you didn’t know him.

“Oh, that's uh... well uh... got a big growth spurt,” he said, slightly uncomfortably.

Just then, another familiar voice reached their ears.

“Megan!”

They looked up.

“Oh, there you are, Ron!”

He, Arthur and the twins were heading for them.

“Hullo, Hermione. What happened, are you okay?” he asked Megan.

“Yes, I'm all right. But it's thanks to Hagrid. I came out in the wrong chimney, and got lost. If Hagrid hadn’t found me I don’t know what I would have done.”

“Aah, don' mention it.”

“Molly was getting frantic with worry.” Arthur said. “She and Ginny are waiting in Flourish and Blotts', over there. Come on.”

“Where d'you end up? Fred asked.

“Knockturn Alley,” she said.

“Cool!”

“Not if you're in it,” she replied, shivering slightly. “It's downright creepy.”

“Even better,” the twins said in unison.

Megan smiled and rolled her eyes.

“I don't want you down there, boys,” Arthur said firmly. “It's dangerous.”

Hermione made the introductions and Mr Weasley beamed with happiness.

“Oh, really? You're Muggles? Oh, do feel free to come with us, I'm quite fascinated by how you get by without magic, truly incredible!”

“Uh... thank you...” they said.

“C'mon then, let's go.” Fred said. “Or Mom's hair will turn grey.”

Megan said nothing but was uncomfortable about that comment. She wasn’t used to having people worry about her… that was probably because no one ever had. But that wasn’t all. The Weasleys had been extremely welcoming without even really knowing her, and she had been touched. Although she had admit seeing the Weasleys so close, so united, made her wonder. Would her parents had been like that? Would she, if she ever had a family?

“Hey, Megan, you coming?” Harry called.

She looked up. They had began going without her but noticed she wasn’t following.

“Oh… right. Sorry, I’m coming.”

“What’s the matter?” Hermione asked.

“Nothing… just got lost in thought, I guess…”

*********************************

Phew! Megan's out of the ghastly Knockturn Alley. Let's show some love with a vote! Would you like to go see it? Tell us all!

Megan's finally in Diagon Alley. But are all her troubles over? What else is coming her way, good or bad? Let's find out in the next chapter!