The next day, the Herd went into Diagon Alley, they had already gotten their stuff for the year ahead, but now they were visiting Fred and George's shop. Erica held the door open for them once they arrived, since she helped the twins design the place, she already knew what lay ahead. They all walked in and were immediately greeted with the same fireworks that Umbridge had to deal with last year.

"God, it's even better than what they described." Parker stated while she looked around.

"It's the twins, what did you expect?" Hermione asked, looking around.

"Nothing less than this." Parker shrugged while they all split up.

The twins, wearing their matching suits could already tell Erica had another nightmare, going by the redness under her eyes.

"What was it about this time?" Fred asked while he and George walked over to her.

Erica sighed and looked at them,"Ron."

"Remember, just a nightmare. Nothing more." George put a hand on her shoulder.

Erica smiled as she looked at them before taking out a small bit of paper they gave her a few weeks ago.

"I'm still getting a discount, right?" Erica asked them, looking at the paper.

They gave each other a look before nodding, "Don't tell Ron."

"Don't worry, I won't." Erica stated, walking off to somewhere else.

Soon enough, Ron walked up to the twins.

"How much for this?" He asked, holding up a box.

"Five galleons." They both informed him.

"How much for me?" Ron asked again.

"Five galleons." They told him again.

"But I'm your brother." Ron kept trying.

"Ten galleons." They both shrugged, walking upstairs and towards Harry.

Harry was looking at the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, "Instant Darkness Powder?"

"Yeah, it does exactly what it says on the tin." George stated, handing a pouch of it to him.

"It might come in handy." Fred told him,"Go on, you get whatever you want for free."

"Really?" Harry looked at them.

"You're the one who helped us afford this place, of course you do." George reassured them before heading to where the love potions were. Both Ginny and Hermione were there, looking at them.

"Hello ladies." They said in sync.

"Love potions ey?" Fred asked.

"They really do work." George nodded.

"From what we've heard, you're doing just fine on your own sis." Fred chuckled.

"Meaning?" Ginny asked them, sitting down the one she was looking at.

"Aren't you currently dating Dean Thomas?" George asked her as Erica's neck snapped around to face them.

Erica's overprotective mode had activated.

"It's none of your business." Ginny shook her head before she walked off.

Erica walked over to the twins,"Did I hear what I thought I just heard?"

"Just a rumour we heard." They shrugged.

"Oh, it better be or someone might be getting slightly injured." Erica stated, walking off.

The twins walked off from the love potions and walked over to Parker who was looking at the Pygmy Puffs.

"Since when could you guys breed Pygmy Puffs?" Parker asked.

"Erica helped us out, we couldn't really figure out at first." Fred admitted, leaning on his twin's shoulder.

"Do you think she'll work with you guys once we leave school?" Parker looked at them while she held a Pygmy Puff in her arms, stroking it.

"Either that or she'll go to Romania with Charlie." George told her,"She isn't really interested in the ministry stuff."

"She did say she wanted to learn more about dragons." Parker shrugged, "How much are they?"

She gestured to the Pygmy Puffs.

"Three galleons." Fred stated as Erica walked over.

"Consider one bought." Erica giggled, handing him her money before going to choose.

"Consider two bought." Parker handed them three galleons.

Erica picked up a lilac one and placed him on her shoulder.

"What are you naming him?" Parker asked, looking at Erica's.

Erica thought for a moment before looking at him,"You shall be named... Steve."

"Hello Steve, meet your friend, Kye." Parker held out her own Pygmy Puff, whom she named Kye.

"We'll leave you and your new buddies alone for now." George waved as he pulled Fred back upstairs.

"They're going to be good friends, don't you think?" Parker asked.

Erica nodded before going off to find Ron. The Herd were walking down Diagon Alley when they walked past Ollivanders.

"Should we? Just for old times?" Ron asked.

"If it'll make you feel better Ron." Hermione shrugged as the approached the shop.

Inside the shop was destroyed, the Death Eaters did a number on the place.

"It's ransacked." Harry sighed, brushing his hand against a fallen shelf.

"To think, we all got our wands here and now it's gone." Hermione sighed as well.

Erica brushed some dust off the front desk,"Do you think they got him?"

"Possibly." Parker sighed, "You never know."

She looked out a window before sitting up on the windowsill as if she was hiding something. That's when they saw Draco walking past with what they believed to be Narcissa. They turned the corner, going into Knocturn Alley.

"Is it just me or does Draco and mummy look like they don't want to be seen?" Ron asked while Harry went to follow them.

"They're going shopping, is all. We don't need to follow them." Parker quickly spoke, although she knew it would be no use.

They all followed them and watched as they entered Borgin and Burke's.

They then climbed ontop of a roof and watched from above, through a window.

"This a bad idea." Parker told them.

"Well, bad ideas are apparently all we're full of." Erica told her, still peeking.

That's when Fenrir Greyback appeared in the window, causing them to duck down before he pulled the blind down. Erica then did some strange hand gestures to Ron and he shook his head.

"C'mon, just a bit more." Ron whispered to her.

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked.

"It's Weasley code. It means let's leave before the werewolf comes to get us." Erica explained.

"Fenrir won't get us. But we do need to leave. It's near eleven." Parker stated.

Erica yanked Ron's collar and began pulling him away as the others followed the pair.

**

The Herd were in their usual compartment, Parker and Erica's Pygmy Puffs were getting along fine, they were sitting next to each other hopping around.

But, Harry had been paranoid about Draco ever since they left Diagon Alley, "So what was Draco doing with that weird looking cabinet? Don't you see? It was a ceremony, an initiation."

"Stop it Harry, I know where you're going with this." Parker sighed.

"I'm just saying." Harry stated as Lavender Brown walked up to the door.

She breathed on the compartment window and drew a heart while looking at Ron. Once she left, Erica sat with her arms crossed, clearly not happy.

"What the.. Fuck is she doing?" Parker asked, looking at Ron.

"She's got a crush on me." Ron admitted, much to Erica's annoyance.

"We can see that." Hermione nodded before looking at Harry, "What are you under the impression of?"

"Harry thinks, that Draco is a Death Eater." Parker crossed her arms.

"It makes sense, Lucius is one. I'm surprised that you aren't yet." Harry looked at Parker.

"Would you have a problem with me being a Death Eater?" Parker asked, "I've been your friend for six years."

"I mean, we know you're on our side so not really." Ron shrugged as Erica took out a napkin and wiped away the heart.

Harry sighed, leaning up an grabbing something, "I'm going for some air."

He then walked out the compartment.

"He just needs time." Hermione sighed.

Erica watched as he took out his Instant Darkness Powder at the end of the isle.

"What are you doing?" Erica muttered under her breath, still watching him.

They soon arrived at Hogwarts, the Herd got off the train but yet no sign of Harry.

"Where is he?" Hermione asked.

"He's not trained in spying, he probably got caught." Erica replied, arms still crossed.

Parker saw Draco come out of the train.

"I'll be back in a second." She sighed before running over to him.

"What did you do?" Parker crossed her arms.

"He was spying on me so I punched him." Draco responded.

"If it was just a punch, why isn't he out here?" Parker glanced at the train.

Draco shrugged,"He was on the ground so I left him."

Parker looked back at the siblings and Hermione, "They saw you. With everyone at Borgin and Burkes, you've got to be more careful."

"It's not my fault you chose a nosy group of friends." Draco sighed, walking off.

Parker rolled her eyes before walking back up to the Herd, minus Harry still.

"He's not out yet?" Parker asked.

Ron shook his head,"As much as I'd love to wait, Snape will literally kill us if we're late."

"Hey, that rhymes." Erica pointed out as they walked towards the gate.

"What the hell is happening here?" Hermione asked, everyone's luggage was getting searched.

"It's to make sure no Death Eaters get in." Erica shrugged.

"Well, we'll be safe then. Come on." Ron walked forward.

All four of them walked over, Filch searched their things and that was them on their way to Hogwarts. Once all inside and in the Great Hall. Ron was, as usual, eating.

Hermione then hit him with her book, "Will you stop eating? Your best friend is missing!"

Ron gave her  a shocked look before setting down his food. Erica, meanwhile, was angrily watching Lavender and Dean.

"Anymore of the death glares, you'll end up killing them." Parker told Erica.

"Good." Erica stated, not taking her eyes off them as she took a drink.

"He's here. Why is he always got blood on him?" Ginny sighed while Harry came up to them, sitting down with a bloody nose.

"Did Snaco break your nose?" Erica asked, not taking her eyes off the other two.

"No, it's just bleeding." Harry sighed.

"I don't think you should spy on him, Harry." Parker stated.

"Yeah, if you must spy, leave it to detective Erica." Hermione told him.

"Or.. We just don't spy at all?" Parker tried, "I don't want you guys getting hurt like Harry did."

"You said yourself that he wants to talk with me and we never had that chat so I can maybe just talk instead." Erica suggested, still not looked at them.

That's when they heard Dumbledore clear his throat.

"Better look at him before you can keep glaring." Parker nudged Erica.

Erica rolled her eyes before looking up at the headmaster.

"First off, let me introduce our new member of our staff. Horace Slughorn." Dumbledore announced.

The man stood up and bowed.

"He'll be your new potions master." Dumbledore went on.

"The open position for Defence Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape." Dumbledore added.

"Makes sense, he's been after that job for years." Erica whispered to the others.

"Wonder why." Parker muttered.

Dumbledore then went on about Voldemort, more as his old name as Tom though, "Now off to bed, pip pip."

The Herd said their goodbyes and off to their common rooms they went.