With a few days left before term began, Rowan Mercer returned from Paris to London, settling back into his place in Knockturn Alley.
Hermione had gone home almost two weeks earlier. Her father's dental practice could only stay closed for so long. Amy returned with Rowan this time, having accepted a post as deputy director in the Ministry's Department of International Magical Cooperation. She was talented, but silent and wandless casting were not her strengths. That would have to wait until term started and she could corner Snape for proper instruction.
Amy was impressive by Auror standards, but Hogwarts professors were a different class entirely. Snape, Flitwick, and McGonagall were rare even within the wider wizarding world. As for Dumbledore, he stood alone at the summit. Voldemort might threaten the world, but in a straight confrontation, even he had reason to hesitate.
That was precisely why Rowan still attended Hogwarts.
Strip away everything he had learned elsewhere, and his mastery of this world's magic was solid but unfinished. He learned quickly thanks to parallel minds working in tandem, but true understanding took time. He could not yet invent spells the way Snape did, nor had he mastered magic like the Fidelius Charm, time reversal, advanced weather manipulation, or the deeper workings behind Portkeys and the Floo Network.
There was still much worth learning.
That did not mean he was weak. In terms of raw combat capability, even a resurrected Voldemort would struggle against him. Against Dumbledore, the outcome would be uncertain.
That morning, Rowan sat in his courtyard with tea and the Daily Prophet. The headline featured Sirius Black's escape.
"Impressive," Rowan muttered.
Black had been free for some time now. The Ministry, desperate to save face, had thrown every available hand into the manhunt, and still came up empty. The problem was simple. They did not know Black was an Animagus.
Rowan had already studied the Animagus transformation in the library. He had never attempted it. The process was tedious and time-consuming, and turning into an ordinary animal held little appeal. He was considering something else. If, one day, his counterpart in another world gained a dragon's nature, perhaps the transformation could be… different.
A real dragon. Not the brittle imitations native to this world.
"Rowan! Rowan! Are you home?"
Familiar voices rang out from the shopfront.
He rose and opened the door to find Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and the Weasley twins grinning back at him.
"This is unexpected," Rowan said. "What are you all doing here?"
"Buying textbooks," Hermione and Ginny said at the same time.
That morning, the Weasley and Granger families had gone to Diagon Alley to prepare for term, planning to stay at the Leaky Cauldron overnight. Harry was already there after his… incident with his aunt. At some point, Rowan's name came up. Someone mentioned he lived in Knockturn Alley.
Curiosity did the rest.
Fred and George had always wanted to see the place. Hermione and Ginny had their own reasons for wanting to visit. Harry had passed through once in a rush. Ron was simply curious. So they told their parents they were shopping and slipped away together.
Rowan listened, then shook his head.
"All Gryffindors," he said dryly. "Fear really isn't your strong suit."
He locked up and joined them. "Let's go. I still have a few books to pick up myself."
On the way back to Diagon Alley, Ron kept glancing over his shoulder.
"I can't believe you live here," he said. "This place is terrifying."
The shops loomed like crooked teeth, and the wizards watching them looked worse. Ron was convinced that if they hadn't kept their wands ready earlier, someone might have tried something unpleasant.
Then he frowned.
"Wait… why are they acting like that now?"
Rowan followed his gaze.
Where moments earlier the alley's residents had watched them with hunger, now eyes slid away. Wizards turned and hurried off. Several shopkeepers slammed their doors shut outright.
"They're just strange," Rowan said lightly. "Knockturn Alley attracts that sort."
The truth was simpler.
During his days back, Rowan had made visits. Personal ones. He had spoken very politely with shop owners and regular patrons alike. After a few demonstrations involving lightning and pain, word spread quickly.
The fragile slave the old dark wizard once kept was gone.
In his place stood something else.
As they emerged into Diagon Alley's bright bustle, Ron exhaled in relief.
Behind them, Knockturn Alley settled into uneasy silence.
The most frightening wizard on the street had walked through again.
And everyone there knew better than to look twice.