𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

The sunny outdoors was a breath of fresh air after entering Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. With your potion ingredients purchased, you and your parents proceed to Flourish and Blotts to complete your booklist.

"Who was that girl anyway?" Asked your father. "It seems like you were good friends."

"Luna Lovegood. We just met today," you respond, eyebrows furrowing. "But she said we already did before. At Ollivander's, I think. But I don't remember seeing her at all."

"Is that why you took so long coming back to the counter?" Your mother frowns. "There's not enough lighting there. Who knows what's hiding in the dark."

Your father sighs. "Dear, Black is a wanted criminal. Why would he be lurking in the shadows of the Apothecary?"

"To buy things," exclaims your mother in frustration. "Maybe potions for poisoning someone or something!"

It bothered you that your mother was almost tearing her hair out with worry. She's always been cautious, too cautious at times. And with little information provided about Black's whereabouts, she was grasping at random possibilities.

"In broad daylight? With hundreds of people walking around?" Your father places a hand on her shoulder. "Dear, he'd be mad to perform such a stunt."

He wouldn't be in Azkaban if he wasn't.

As you reach the shopfront of Flourish and Blotts, you were taken aback by the sight. Instead of publications with fine gold lettering being displayed, there was an iron cage behind the window that had torn pages flying everywhere. As you look in closer, you realize the cage contained books—hundreds of them—all moving and tearing each other apart with the ferocity of wild animals.

When you enter the shop, the assistant was already scurrying over before you or your parents could get a word in.

"Hogwarts?" He blurted out. "Come to get your new books?"

Your father blinks in surprise. "Oh, yes." He takes out your booklist. "We'll need—"

But the assistant doesn't listen. He's already putting on some thick gloves and picked up the walking stick propped outside the cage. You try to peer behind him, but he shoves you out of the way.

"Don't come too close," he warns with a nervous gulp. "They bite."

At his words, your mother grabs your shoulders and pulls you away from the cage, but it didn't stop the string of questions that left your mouth.

"Are they sentient?" You ask curiously. "Or is it the work of a spell? I've never seen books like that before. How is it possible?"

The assistant doesn't answer. As soon as he enters the cage he's already grappling with the vicious books. He jabs one of them with the stick when it chews on his foot, but he instantly becomes overwhelmed when a few more attacked. Loud tears and yelps were heard before he comes back out and slams the cage behind him, one book latching onto the hem of his robes.

"Fascinating," you mutter, scanning the four eyes on its fur-like cover and the fanged mouth over the fore-edge. "Is it—"

You jump back when it let go of the assistant and drags (crawls? Slides? It didn't have any visible legs) itself furiously over to you and your parents. Your father pushes you behind him while your mother swipes a thick book from a nearby table, lifting it above her head and ready to slam it down if it got too close.

"No, no!" Cries the assistant, armed with the walking stick and whacking it into submission. "Get away from the customers, you—"

All four of you scream when it turns and leaps at the assistant's face.