47. Plots afoot.

The morning was calm as Ryan walked past the enchanted post box near the front door. It glowed faintly, signaling new mail had arrived. He opened it, pulling out several thick envelopes, all sealed with the Hogwarts crest. With a smirk, he carried them to the dining table, where the girls were already seated for breakfast.

"The Hogwarts letters are here," he announced, tossing each one to its rightful owner.

Yue opened hers first, scanning the contents. "Book lists and supply requirements… the usual."

Rachel flipped through hers and frowned slightly. "We'll need new robes. We've all grown."

"And more potion supplies," Serenity added, sipping her tea. "We used up a lot during the year."

Ryan nodded. "That means a trip to Diagon Alley. Might as well meet up with Harry and Hermione while we're at it."

Serenity smirked. "I'll blend in this time. No cloaks, no lurking in the shadows."

Ryan chuckled. "Probably for the best."

A few letters later, arrangements were made. Harry and Hermione would meet them at the Leaky Cauldron before heading into the alley together.

---

Diagon Alley was bustling as usual, students and parents gathering supplies for the upcoming school year. The group easily spotted Harry and Hermione near the entrance.

"Ryan!" Hermione waved. "It's good to see you again." She glanced at Serenity, noting the unfamiliar girl in a stylish dark dress. "And you must be—"

"Serenity," Ryan introduced smoothly, his arm resting lightly around her waist. "My third girlfriend."

Hermione blinked, clearly surprised but recovering quickly. "Oh! It's nice to meet you." She smiled politely.

Serenity gave a small nod. "Likewise."

Before more could be said, the sounds of chatter and excitement drew their attention toward Flourish and Blotts.

"Looks like Lockhart's book signing is today," Harry muttered.

Ryan groaned. "Great. A man whose ego is bigger than his talent."

"I still don't understand how he's teaching Defense this year," Rachel said, folding her arms.

"Connections, probably," Yue said, unimpressed.

Despite their reluctance, they still needed books, so they made their way inside. As expected, the store was packed, mostly with middle-aged witches fawning over Lockhart. The man himself, gleaming in blue robes, was dramatically signing copies of Magical Me.

The moment they stepped in, Lockhart's gaze landed on them—or rather, on Harry.

"Ah-ha! The famous Harry Potter!"

Ryan sighed. "Here we go…"

Lockhart wasted no time, dragging Harry forward with a too-wide smile. "A perfect opportunity! A picture with both of us, Harry!" He waved over a photographer.

Harry looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, but before he could protest, a camera flash went off.

Ryan smirked. "Poor guy."

Hermione, to no one's surprise, was flipping through Lockhart's books with curiosity. "Well, he has written quite a lot…"

"That doesn't mean he did any of it," Ryan whispered to Yue, who chuckled.

Suddenly, a commotion near the front of the shop caught their attention. Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy were in a heated argument, drawing the eyes of many shoppers.

"You and your Muggle-loving ways, Weasley," Lucius sneered, his hand gripping an old book from Ginny's cauldron. "It's a shame your family can barely afford your own supplies."

Arthur scowled. "Better poor than corrupt!"

Before Arthur could react, Lucius shoved the book back into Ginny's cauldron—except he also discreetly slipped in an old, tattered diary.

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. There it is.

Serenity, already watching closely, moved the moment Lucius turned away. With a skillful brush of her fingers, she plucked the diary from Ginny's cauldron, replacing it with an identical old book she had brought for this purpose. The swap was seamless—Ginny, still flustered by the argument, never noticed.

By the time Serenity returned to Ryan's side, the diary was already tucked safely away. She leaned in slightly and murmured, "Got it."

Ryan didn't react outwardly, simply continuing to browse through books as if nothing had happened. But internally, he smirked. Step one, complete.

~~~~

As the group exited Flourish and Blotts, Serenity subtly slipped the diary into Ryan's bag before whispering, "I'll be back soon." Without waiting for a response, she melted into the crowd, her assassin instincts taking over as she followed Lucius Malfoy at a distance.

Ryan didn't react outwardly, simply nodding to himself. He knew she'd handle things quietly.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group continued their shopping, heading toward Madam Malkin's for new robes. The mood was light, with Hermione and Yue discussing the latest spellwork books, Rachel rolling her eyes at Lockhart's exaggerated poses on book covers, and Harry trying to ignore the stares he kept getting from strangers.

But the calm was shattered by a sudden, piercing scream from deeper within the alley.

People turned in alarm, whispers spreading like wildfire. A few brave souls rushed toward the source of the sound, only to stumble back in horror.

Lucius Malfoy was sprawled in a darkened side alley, his body still, eyes lifeless. His once-pristine robes were stained red, a clean, precise wound across his throat. No signs of a struggle, no witnesses—just death, swift and silent.

The gathered crowd erupted into chaos, gasps and cries of shock filling the air. Some darted away to call the authorities, while others simply stood frozen in fear.

Ryan remained composed, though he felt Yue and Rachel exchange glances beside him. Hermione looked horrified, clutching her bag tightly. Harry's expression was unreadable, but there was an unmistakable tension in his shoulders.

Aurors arrived within minutes, pushing through the growing crowd to assess the scene. The questioning began immediately, but nobody had seen anything—only the aftermath.

Serenity, of course, was nowhere to be found.

Ryan kept his expression neutral as he watched from a distance. He had no doubt in his mind that Lucius had never even realized someone was tailing him. Serenity was a ghost when she wanted to be, and now, the world had one less problem to deal with.

"Let's finish up our shopping and head home," he said calmly, breaking the silence between them. Yue and Rachel nodded, while Hermione still looked shaken.

Harry hesitated before finally muttering, "Yeah… let's go."

And with that, they left the scene behind, blending back into the busy streets of Diagon Alley as if nothing had happened.