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Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling, except for the plot and any unfamiliar characters.
Author's Notes: PG-13 for later chapters.
All Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley places resourced from hp-lexicon.org.
Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix

Chapter I: Hooded, Cloaked, and a Pipe Smoker
The loud ringing of laughter and talk filled the air of Diagon Alley. Smiles could be seen from every corner of the eye. Rejoicing from the news that Lord Voldemort was gone, once and for all, witches and wizards of all ages danced in the streets. Even people were purchasing gifts for others out of happiness that the Dark Lord was dead. The owls were screeching from all the noise, but in a friendly way and all the animals in the shops were doing the same.

Joy was everywhere, yes indeed. And a certain scarlet-haired lady was feeling it as well in her heart, but her mind remained lost. She was deep in thought about things while trying to focus in not bumping into anyone down the crowded street.

She smiled to herself as she let go of the thoughts and peered at the wonderful displays in the bright, shop windows. One shop in particular reminded her of her fantastic quidditch years back when she was a seeker still in school. The young woman stared up at the golden sign that bore the name "Quality Quidditch Supplies". A new broom was featured on display: THE MIDNIGHT SWEEPER. Being of course the fastest model yet, it was wrapped in a coat of black with smooth, olive-colored twigs on the end. It was very magnificent indeed that it made the young woman wish that she was still a part of the quidditch team.

Soaring through the air; the wind hitting your face, making your cheeks chill and numb. Your robes whipping behind you as you raced on your broom. Being a seeker though means facing opponents. One opponent in particular always gave her a hard time. Taunting her and trying to get her off course as she tried to keep her eye on the snitch. His green robes a camouflage against the green grass on the quidditch pitch, but his silver-blond hair a stand out feature to the eye.

In the woman's fifth year, she had fallen in love with a guy a year older than herself, but at least in the same house as her. But in her sixth year, she had believed that she had fallen in love with her worst enemy. In a velvet diary that she sneaked from her parents for she was not allowed one, on almost every page she had written:

I do not love him. I do not love him.
I do not love him. I do not love him.
I do not love him. I do not love him.
I do not love him. I do not love him.

Over and over again she'd write these words as an aching feeling irrupted in the pit of her stomach. Eventually, she never spoke to him. She was too afraid, her being a Weasley and all. Him being a Malfoy.

He still believed that she liked Harry Potter, but she had given up on him a long time ago. She wanted someone to love that didn't stand out as much to the knowing. But stood out to the ordinary.

The young woman decided to make for The Leaky Cauldron to grab a drink. As she reached the entrance doors, an elderly woman was sitting on top of a wooden cart, smiling happily and playing a lute, while singing:

The Dark Lord has gone.
The Dark Lord is dead.
We no more have a reason to be tread.
We will return to tomorrow.
We will wake again.
We will wake to the morning sun.
For the Dark Lord is dead.

She pitched a galleon into the woman's already half filled hat laying at her feet. That proved how much the people of the wizarding world were so glad to be free from all things dark and scary. Before she could even reach for the door handle, the woman softly grabbed her arm and said, "Be happy, child. This is the day that will rule history forever." She just nodded in a half smile and then the elder lady let go of her and grinned. Then continued playing a merrily tune with her lute. The red-haired woman strode into the pub. It was pretty full. People were laughing here and there. Others cheering with drinks. There was an empty seat at the bar counter, so she made her way over to there. As she sat down, she stripped off her dark ruby jacket and instantly a foaming drink in a medium-sized mug was placed in front of her.

The young woman looked up and found a skinny, dirty blond-haired man smiling back at her. Tom was no longer the inn keeper at the Leaky Cauldron. His son, Theodore had taken over instead to make his father happy that even though he was retiring from the place, it wouldn't be left in a stranger's hands to Tom.

She smiled back at him. "Thanks, Ted," she spoke and lifted the mug in a cheer to him.

"Anything for you, Miss Weasley." And to the sound of that name "Weasley", a certain stranger's ear pricked and its mind suddenly came back to the attention of its surroundings.

She sipped the foamy drink. The moment it touched her lips, she felt the stress of everything that was trapped in her mind wash away, until she spotted something in the far corner of the pub to her left. A figure cloaked in black, smoking a black pipe was, as she thought, staring back at her. She couldn't really tell for his hood shielded his face except for his mouth where smoke fluttered out every few moments.

Theodore came back. He was curious at what the woman was staring at and then she finally asked, "Who is that?" And she looked up at Theodore.

"I don't really know. He wouldn't tell me his name. He just asked for a drink and to be left alone and so that is what I have been doing. He was the first in here since seven o' clock this morning and yet here he is still. Hasn't moved since and never asked for another drink. But I swear he hasn't put that pipe down ever since he lit it up."

"…Odd," she muttered.
"I know. I took a glance at his pipe. It bore a silver dragon along the stem of it with its eyes painted red."

She glanced over at the cloaked figure once more and noticed that he was still staring their way.

"I know what that look means when you decide to use it." Theodore spoke, suddenly.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't talk to him." Theodore said firmly.

"Ted!" she whispered loudly.

"Don't."

"I won't."

"Good! You've been in deep situations where you've just suddenly talked to a stranger and then you can't get your mind off them forever. It's like it haunts you. So don't you even dare…" Theodore reminded the young Weasley and set back to work at cleaning the lower countertops behind and a little below the main bar top.

She looked at him one more time and then stood up from her stool to leave. She slipped on her jacket and reached into a pocket to take out a galleon for Ted. It was instantly pushed away. "It's on the house, hon. Don't bother. I've got enough customers to keep the business running good for today."

"Thanks, Ted," she sweetly spoke and took off out of the pub in an instant. And in another instant, the hooded man stood as well.

The woman noticed that the elder lady with the lute was gone now. She must have been singing since early dawn, the young Weasley guessed. She decided to roam the main street of Diagon Alley again and look at all of the beautiful displays in the windows and listen to all the cheery talk and laughter.

She passed Quality Quidditch Supplies once again and Eeylops Owl Emporium. As she approached Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, she noticed that many happy faces were packed in and outside of it. Madam Malkin's Robes and Flourish and Blott's was packed as well. In fact, all of Diagon Alley was packed with bustling witches and wizards.

She strode a little more down the alley way…and wished she didn't. An eerie rush of wind suddenly hit her and her hair whipped around her face a little. She turned to her left and noticed a black gate fixed between two tall buildings. Two, long boards were magically stuck to it and they read:

KNOCKTURN ALLEY ∙ CLOSED ENTRANCE ∙ TURN BACK NOW

Someone had done graffiti to the words on the boards though and instead of it saying KNOCKTURN ALLEY, it now read FORBIDDEN ALLEY. A voice suddenly shot into her mind: Go.

No! The young woman tried to fight it.

'Enter what is forbidden to those good and perfectly fine to those not afraid…'

"I will not!" Ginny mumbled between clenched teeth. But her feet had done the complete opposite. And before she knew it, she was standing in front of the iron bars of the once dark, now deserted alley, or so she thought. Suddenly her mouth muttered, "dragon scale". And to her surprise, the boards vanished and the black painted gate opened. The woman looked back at the crowd, but no one seemed to notice that it had. Her feet picked up again and lead her into the empty street. She heard a clang and the bar gates had shut behind her.

She was a little afraid, knowing that could not go back now, but yet she was fine. She started down the dark path and noticed a few shop signs hung above pitch black doors. There was a shop sign covered in cobwebs named "Giant Spiders". Another sign that looked like it had been burnt had the name "Poisonous Candles" on it. No one was to be found amongst the alley. It was completely deserted. At least, where she was at the moment.

Suddenly, she heard the shuffle of feet behind her and she quickly whipped around to find that no one was there. She stared over her shoulder for sometime and then proceeded down the street once again. The air was thick and the breeze was cool against her rosy cheeks. Then, her ear pricked and a cold voice came with these exact words:

"One should not wander so carelessly in a forbidden alleyway, Miss Ginevra."