"What is this place?" Tonks gasped, gazing in awe at her surroundings. Sirius was sniffing around, curiosity sparking from the different smells.

"Brick Wall, that's the shop name." Teddy said. "It's an underground Joke Shop that sells many things Zonko's can't. Brilliant isn't it?"

Tonks, smiling widely, turned back to face him.

"How did you find this place?" she asked

"James and Albus dared me to run down Knockturn Alley and back before Harry and Ginny noticed. But I got lost. So, wandering around I got even more lost." Teddy laughed. "Skull found me and let me stay here, I've been going there ever since then. Me and him became great friends, have a lot in common we do. Shame he won't know me now."

"Wh - oh right, past." Remus said

"Yeah, I always wondered why he already knew my name. I guess this is why." Teddy said. "I wonder where Skull is?"

Sirius, who had wondered away from the family, barked loudly in fright and ran back to the group as he felt a strange wind brush past him.

"What do we have here?" a voice whispered, tickling their ears with the softness. Remus and Tonks looked around, both had their hands on their wands, but nobody was there. Sirius was barking and whining, not liking what was happening. None of the adults noticed Teddy smiling and shaking his head; Skull did this every time someone entered his shop.

"Newbies I see." The whisper said again. "I like where this is going."

Tonks, who's hair was turning white, backed towards the door. Her free hand was outstretched behind her, hoping to grasp the handle. Instead, she backed into something very large and solid. Crying out with shock, she spun around too see a tall, beefy man with a bald and fully tattooed head looking down at her.

"You might want to watch where you are going lil miss, your hand was going near an area I prefer it wouldn't." The man said. His voice came out in a haunted whisper; the one they had all heard earlier. "Now, how did you come by my beloved shop? I haven't seen any of you here before."

"That's because they are new here, though I, sir, am not." Teddy said confidently, stepping forward.

The man eyed him with suspicion, but he did not recognize him.

"I have not seen your face, young sir, perhaps another?" the man said.

"Aye. Or perhaps in years to come you will see one so similar." Teddy "lee plied mysteriously.

The man stood there, taking it in before smiling. Thrusting out a scarred hand, he introduced himself.

"The name's Skull McDuggery. Owner and founder of Brick Wall. And can I say, it's an honor meet those of mystery." Skull said, his voice now was loud and booming, no longer an almost silent and eerie whisper. "My shop is as unique as I; not the only one of its kinda but extremely hard to find. It is a shop related to Zonkos but we sell more every lasting and serious products. Feel free to wonder, test and buy. Need help, I'll only be a shout away."

And with that, he disappeared. Stunned and confused, Remus turned to look and Teddy who had wondered off to look around already.

"Teddy, can we get a move on. As much as this place is ... interesting, remember where it is." Remus whispered in Teddy's ear.

"It's fine, trust me. They have a 'leave and you'll be safe until you get out' policy. It is rather useful." Teddy said happily, picking up a 'Magoreiums Perminant Glowing Gut Tattoos'.

"How does that work?" Remus asked

"It's pretty easy really. You just draw the ta-"

"Not the tattoos, the safe leave policy, how does it work?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." Teddy replied happily before slipping off without another word.

They spent a few hours in the shop, searching shelves, gasping and laughing at the various products. Skull noticed Remus acting awkwardly and warily around the shop, so he stared having a nice conversation with him, mostly about their pranking times at Hogwarts.

Browsing around, all of them came across various strange and rather odd items and beverages. Things like Punching Punch, Bubble Up, Lying Lynx, and Shoes Of Forever Land.

The two most interesting products were right at the back of the shop, hidden in a corner. The first item was Boingo's Bouncing Boots; does what it says, expect its sandals with springs that bounce you fifty feet into the air. The only problem was that sometimes the impact of landing broke your leg/s.

Now You See Me, was the other item. It was different coloured pills that when someone looked at you, they would see a cat, or a dog, or a lion, basically anything other than the proper you. It lasts from the moment you swallow it to as long as it is in your stomach.

"Teddy, as much fun as this has been, you should really get what you want so we get back." Tonks said. "Before they realize Snuffles isn't there."

Teddy nodded before hurrying up to a shelf. On tiptoes, he reached up and took down an A6 sized book. Smiling happily, Teddy put it on the counter. Skull immediately appeared with a thick puff of blood red smoke.

"Ah yes, Animation Nation. Good choice ma lad, good choice." Skull laughed. "That'll be twelve galleons."

Teddy dug around in his pockets and pulled out the coins. It was only then he remembered he only had two galleons. As Teddy was about to say he didn't have enough, Tonks placed ten more of the coins in his hand. Smiling in thanks at his mum, Teddy handed the money over. Skull made sure the money wasn't fake before pocketing it and handing Teddy his purchase back.

"My greatest thanks, Skull McDuggery." Teddy said, bowing slightly.

Bowing, Skull ushered them to the door. "And thanks to you too. Now, if that must be all, you should all be on your way now." Skull said. "Take this, it lasts only until the entrance of Knockturn Alley, after that, danger from here can follow you no more."

Skull took out four tubes filled with a clear liquid, like water.

"What exactly is that?" Sirius asked.

"Short term invisibility potion. You'll be invisible to everyone, even yourselves. But only for ten minutes, that's how long it takes to get out of here. Sadly though, it doesn't work on animals." Skull said.

Padfoot whined sadly; he didn't want to be seen along in that place. .

"I hope to see you all again someday." Skull said merrily to them as they all drunk the potion. Taking each others hands and Sirius's leash before they all disappeared, the four set off quickly before they reappeared. Teddy urged them silently in the right direction, and in no time, they'd reached Diagon Alley again. Looking around, they saw that they were all beginning to become visible.

"Come on, let's go back." Remus said.

Picking up Padfoot, Remus closed his eyes and felt himself being sucked into a small tube. A second after he had landed on the step, he heard the familiar crack behind him as Teddy and Tonks arrived. Ten minutes later, all four were sitting back down in the basement, drinking hot chocolate and eating some sweets.

"So Teddy, what is an Animation Nation?" Remus asked

"It's a sketch book. And once you've finished drawing the picture, it becomes animated; like the photos here. They can also become real, but that's only if its been extremely well drawn." Teddy explained. "Something I can't do."

Sirius laughed. "I'd love to get one of those. I'll have to get one some time. Maybe next year when my name might be cleared."

Teddy's hair turned a deeper shade of blue as he chuckled weakly. "Yeah, some time, yeah."

Sirius frowned when he heard the slight strain in Teddy's voice. "You don't sound so sure." Sirius said. "I know I die but I don't die that soon, do I?"

"No. No not soon, but definitely before the war is over." Teddy replied quickly. "And anyway, you need the password and exactly location of the shop to get in. Get it wrong, you'll just look like another crackhead talking and feeling up a wall."

"So his usual self then?" Tonks said cheekily.

"Basically." Teddy said.

Sirius glared at the two of them. "You're both so mean to me!" Sirius cried. Dramatically fake crying, he ran up the stairs like a wimpy girl, fake sobbing loudly.

"He really is the biggest drama queen ever." Tonks whistled.

"You have no idea." Remus sighed. "Two years ago when I took him in for a while, he told me what happened in the Shrieking Shack when he had found Peter, before I arrived. And guess what he said to them when they first saw him standing there?"

Teddy and Tonks shrugged.

"He said, 'only one will die tonight'." Remus said. "Did he say anything about the rat and his innocence in a less sinister way? No, he made it sound like he wanted Harry dead more than people thought he did before."

"What an idiot." Tonks laughed. "But that's why I love him. He's still a funny and dramatic guy, even after all he has been through."

"He's a tough one I'll give him that." Remus agreed.

Unknown to any of them, Padfoot had snuck downstairs as he had heard them calling him a drama queen. His heart warmed when he heard all the nice things they said about him. He felt like he truly mattered to them again, like before when everything was alright.