Harry knew, without a doubt; he needed to get out of here.

Nose still stinging where it had hit the hearth; Harry made his way swiftly and silently towards it, but before he'd got halfway towards it, two people appeared on the other side of the glass.

One of them, was Draco Malfoy, and he was the last person Harry wanted to run into, covered in soot and wearing broken glasses.

Harry looked around for a place to hide, and made room inside a large black cabinet from his left, pulling the doors to, leaving just a small crack to peer through. Seconds later, a bell clanged and Draco stepped into the shop. The man that followed could only be his father. He had the same pale pointed face and identical cold grey eyes. Mr. Malfoy crossed the shop and looking lazily at the items in display before ringing a bell on the counter before turning to his son and saying, "Touch nothing Draco."

Draco, who had reached for a glass eye, said "I thought you were going to but me a present."

"I said I would buy you a racing broom," Mr. Malfoy said drumming his fingers on the counter.

"Can I get the newest Nimbus? Professor Black says that with my skills, tryouts for the team will be nothing more then a tedious task. Harry Potter got a Nimbus 2000 last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not  even that good, he almost ate the snitch! It's just because he's famous... famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead.." Draco 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," Mr. Malfoy said 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 most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear — ah, Mr. Borgin."

A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face.

"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," Mr. Borgin said in a voice as oily as his hair, "Delighted — and young Master Malfoy, too — charmed. How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced—"

"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," Mr. Malfoy said.

"Selling?" the smile on Mr. Borgin's face faded slightly.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," Mr Malfoy said, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unravelling it for Mr. Borgin to read, "I have a few — ah — items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call..."

Mr. Borgin fixed a pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list.

"The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you sir, surely?"

Mr. Malfoy's lip curled.

"I have not been visited yet. The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act — no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it—"

Harry felt a hot surge of anger.

"—and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear--"

"I understand, sir, of course," Mr. Borgin said, "Let me see..."

"Can I have that?" interrupted Draco, pointing at the withered hand on it cushion.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" Mr. Borgin said, abandoning Mr. Malfoy's list and scurrying over to Draco. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."

"I hope my son will not amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," Mr. Malfoy said coldly and Mr. Borgin said quickly, "No offense, sir, no offense meant—"

"Though if his school marks don't pick up," Mr. Malfoy said, more coldly still, "that may indeed be all he is fit for."

"It's not my fault," retorted Draco, "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger—"

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," snapped Mr. Malfoy.

"Ha!" Harry said under his breath, pleased to see Draco looking both abashed and angry.

""It's the same all over," Mr. Borgin said in his oily voice, "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere—"

"Not with me," Mr. Malfoy said, his nostrils flaring.

"No, sir, nor with me, sir," said Mr. Borgin with a deep bow.

"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list," said Mr. Malfoy shortly, "I am in something of a hurry, Borgin, I have important business elsewhere today."

They started to haggle. Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. He paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals: Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed — Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date.

Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. He walked forward... he stretched out his hand for the handle...

"Done," Mr. Malfoy said at the counter, "Come, Draco!"

Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away.

"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin, I'll expect you at manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."

The moment the door had closed, Mr. Borgin dropped his oily manner.

"Good day yourself, Mister Malfoy, and if the stories are true, you haven't sold me half of what's in your manor..."

Muttering darkly, Mr. Borgin disappeared into a back room. Harry waited for a minute is case he came back, then, quietly as he was about to slip out, he the bell clanged and the shop door open once more, revealing a tall well dressed figure that was none other then Professor Black.

Professor Black was wearing his usual long black glove covering his left arm and wearing picture perfect clothes of wealth and elegance like he normally does, today a dark blue with silver trimmings. Giving a small glance around the shop before going to the counter and ringing the small bell, call forth the shop keeper and took particular notice in Harry's direction.

"Ah, a vanishing cabinet, quiet in good condition, such a shame it doesn't come in a pair you can never quiet know what will come out—" Regulus said as his heavy footsteps came to a halt before open opening the cabinet doors, "Hello, Mister Potter," Regulus said to the boy who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hello Professor..." Harry replied in embarrassment at the sudden exposer.

"What in Merlins beard are you doing here and did Fred and George dare you to do it?" Regulus said as he fixed Harry's glasses and spelled away the soot.

"Um—" Harry began but was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Borgin.

"Ah, Lord Black, always good to see one of my favorites, coming for your daily goods?" Mr. Borgin said, dropping almost all of his oily manner he uses with Draco's father, relived, happy if even, to see Professor Black.

"Of course, good to see you again Mr. Borgin. Everything gone well

"Many sellers, not enough buyers," Mr. Borgin said completely ignoring Harry, "I'm receiving more poisons as of late, first things to go other then jewelry."

"Poisons you say? Do tell me more."

They continued on with small talking and bargaining about items as Harry stood there with his head down in awkwardness at being found out, but glad to have not been in trouble by the shop owner instead.

"Right then," Regulus said as he took out a rather large bag of coins and placed it on the store counter, "I'll send Kreacher over tomorrow in the afternoon to pick up the items. Mr. Potter I would suggest us to head on the Diagon Alley and pick up Hagrid at the pet store; I do not feel confident in leaving him there for long periods of time with a sack of galleons at his disposal," Regulus said as he opened the door motioning for Harry to follow which he did.

"Hagrid's with you?" Harry questioned as they left Borgin and Burke's which seemed to be the largest shop here.

"Yes actually, he wanted to come and invited me along. His been working hard all summer to get a magizoologist license. Taking care of all sorts of creatures as practice," Regulus said as Harry took notice of several shady people stared, some being careful not to be taken noticed by the wizard as Harry carefully walked by his side.

"And you where in the shop because..." Harry tried asking, not really sure what to ask for his teacher who had done shady business deals in dark magic.

"I was buying a couple of items, mostly to dissect them, or to keep them out of the more undesirable hands. Better to know the worst is in good hands then others. I once had to deal with a clock that kept you reliving the same hour until you repeat everything you say in the first hour backwards. Although those are still not the worst 37 hours of my life to date."

"And the poisons?" Harry asked, more to himself then anything.

"Always good to have in the potion making business, you never know when it could be useful; not to mention that it would always be better to make an antidote before a person becomes poisoned. Goodness knows how many times I've been poisoned and needed one. Plus, Hagrid's been telling me that several flesh eating slugs have make a home in his garden," Regulus reasoned as they arrived right in front of a suspicious looking pet shop displaying large spiders in cages and a large tank filled with water and a scaly monkey with webbed hands and water on top of its bowled in head.

It wasn't long of Harry's looking did Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, come out of there with a small, old wooden crate labeled 'fireworks' although if Harry was to guess, would say it's anything but a crate of fireworks.

"Harry? What d'yeh think yer doin' down here?" Hagrid asked, catching sight of Harry.

"It was an accident, I was lost, I was using floo powder and I got here," Harry tried to explain.

"Yer could have go'den hurt or worse. This ain't the kind of place a kid should be in Harry. Dodgy place yer know, could get lost if yer not carful. Dangerous place for a kid your age," Hagrid said.

"I was staying with the Weasleys, but we got separated," Harry explained, "I've got to go and find them..."

"Then to Diagon it is," Regulus said as the three of them settled off together down the street.

"By thy way Harry, how come yeh never wrote back ter me?" Hagrid asked as Harry jogged alongside him with Regulus in a fast pace.

Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys; how they kept all his stuff locked up and chores heavy each day.

"Ruddy Muggles," growled Hagrid, "If I'd known—"

"Hagrid, you don't happen to have a dragon egg in there, do you?" Harry questioned nervously, staring at the small crate which rattled every so often. Hagrid had spent the last school year trying to raise a dragon egg which was quite illegal in the wizarding world for being extremely dangerous.

"No no, these are Occamy Eggs, heard they are quite pretty when fully grown, I got permission from Dumbledore to raise them. I finishen raisin' Fire Dwellin' Salamanders, before that a pair of Win'ed Horses, in the summer and now movin' to somethin' more advanced. If everythin' goes well, then I can go visit Norbert by schools end," Hagrid said cheerfully. Norbert, was the very dragon Hagrid had at school. Quick growing and incredibly dangerous, Hagrid seemed to have a knack of adopting the most deadly of creatures.

"Baby steps Hagrid. Focus on the Occamy for now, Norbert will still be at the Dragon sanctuary. Professor Kettleburn will be sure to agree to your qualifications after this," Regulus reminded Hagrid, "although I'm a bit worried, about this house-elf you were talking about, Dobby was it? If he was really there, disobeying his owners want, there is a very good chance you are in danger ... again."

"Do you think he was lying Professor?" Harry asked.

"Doubt it, a house-elf can never lie," Professor Black stated without continuing the subject.

Harry soon saw a familiar, snow-white marble building in the distance: Gringotts bank. They had arrived at Diagon Alley.

"I'm afraid I have to be heading to the shop for a bit, I have some customers coming in who need to get everything in order before the full moon," Professor Black said as he went off to what Harry assumed to be in his potions shop as Harry soon saw Hermione coming out from Gringotts.

Bonus
•got to love that the first thing Regulus asks Harry is what he was doing and if he was dared because you can bet your bottom that James Potter totally did dares left and right.

•Regulus tends to buy things from Borgin and Burke so that he can stop other people from using them (but he puts the more dangerous stuff in his bank vault because he has to keep them away from his freeloader or they will break or activate in his house)

•So he tends to keep records of his items so if the Ministry comes asking, he gets away with it (plus they are in no way able to piss him off)

•Also, if it was not obvious about the poison, Regulus really hates poisons...

•Regulus personally has a collection of animals at home if it was not obvious by the Puffskein(s) back in Chapter 9, so he actually is qualified to handle animals; Hagrid, whether we like it or not, can't.

•So Regulus is going to be a good boo and help Hagrid for fill his dream. (Explanation more in the later chapters)