What Would You Wish For?

Ron slipped into Knockturn Alley and peaked over his shoulder. Hermione would not look for him here, he was sure, but it never hurt to be careful. She was his best friend, along with Harry but sometimes he needed to get away from her. She nagged like his mother when she really got started and he needed a breather at the moment. Besides it was alright for him to be here alone.

He had grown tall and was going into his final year with a broad frame and a strong appearance. Nobody in Knockturn Alley would think about having a go at him, he knew it. Even though in actuality he avoided fights and confrontation, he gave the image that he could more then handle anything that came his way. Now, if only he could get his insides to match his outsides.

He anticipated a hard year, tougher classes and more stress. He desperately wanted to apply for Auror training when he left Hogwarts but he was afraid his grades were far from the requirements. He needed to haul ass this final year if he was going to even qualify to take the entrance exams. He thought of nothing else since last year. He tried his hardest but even with Hermione’s help he managed to get good and passable marks, but nothing in the range that Aurors would expect from him. He needed to improve, there was no question about it.

He passed a window that had displays of what look like antique jewelry and collectibles. He gave in to temptation and slipped inside. While he wasn’t a detailed shopper, his meager earnings working for his twin brothers gave him a little something to put in his pocket, and he came to places that weren’t frequented by the masses. He had developed a habit of finding unusual items in an out of the way set up like this. His gifts to his brothers and his parents on birthdays all came from shops such as this one. It was filled with statues, figurines, music and jewelry boxes, even old furniture.

“Hello there.” A wrinkled old man spoke to him from behind a desk, looking up from his parchments. He looked like he would only rise if need demanded it, but Ron understood perfectly. He suppressed a chuckle at the image of him collapsing like a bag of bones if forced to stand against his will. “Lookin’ for something special?”

“No, I just saw the window.” Ron told him. “I thought I might waste some time before I have to meet my family.”

He gave a toothy grin. “Well, that’s fine. These are all items collected from pawn brokers and estate finds. You go have a look. If anything strikes yer fancy, let me know.” His kind grandfatherly smile was contagious and Ron returned it.

Estate finds and pawn brokers meant that these had been parted with because needed they money, or someone died and they merely sold or donated all belongings that weren’t needed or wanted. In a shop like this it wasn’t uncommon to find a treasure among the clutter.

He passed by a grandfather clock and stopped to look. It was a deep mahogany and well constructed. The gold hands, move in precision and the antique handles on the small doors had to be hundreds of years old.

“That’s a beauty.” The old man appeared beside him, putting a roll of parchment into a drawer behind a nearby curtain and pulling out a book. “A woman with a bad temper sold me that piece.”

“Why would anyone want to sell it?” Ron asked. “It’s obviously worth a lot.”

“Oh it is.” The man agreed, facing him. “She found her husband with another woman and sold the one thing he loved in the house. That clock. Seeing as how they were married, she had every right.” The old man chuckled. “He wanted to buy it back, but I raised the price so high that he couldn’t afford it.” He laughed again. “After the rung him through the ministry courts, he didn’t have much left.”

“I guess she got him where it hurts.” Ron smiled, looking back at the clock. If the clock meant more to him then his marriage he didn’t deserve a wife or a clock.”

“Yes sir, I hope he learned his lesson.” The old man whistled a tune as he walked back to his desk.

Ron amused himself looking here and there, making a large circle in the shop. Soon he was back up near the front where he stopped and looked in a glass display case that contained men’s jewelry.

Ron wasn’t nearly interested in jewelry, even if he could afford it. Jewelry, even classy men’s jewelry just wasn’t his style. Nobody would fine him with a set of cufflinks or necklaces, although he may pierce an ear at some point, he was still undecided, but there was something that caught his attention and held it.

“A nice piece that one is.” Ron looked up to see the old man had again risen and was stepping behind the case. He opened with a rusted key and took out the gold pocket watch that Ron had been looking at.

The chain had a slightly different look, most likely it had been replaced at some point. The dated and somewhat tarnished state of the piece gave it character and like most everything Ron owned, showed that it had been through several owners. Ron didn’t seem to mind that nowadays and the piece was classic, all it needed was a good polish and it would shine. It was a piece that was usually handed down or gifted to someone, and it made him wonder how it ended up here.

“This isn’t that man’s watch too is it?” He asked, half joking.

“No, no.” The old man said with a laugh. “This piece came from some old man who died. His family said it was his wish that his belonging be given to places like this, where others without a lot of galleons to their name could find something nice. Apparently he had been raised that way, before making a nice amount. I only bought what I could. There are other shops that took the rest.”

“It’s fantastic.” Ron said. ‘But there is no way I could afford something like this.” He held it out to the old man but he refused to take it back.

“I don’t stand on formality here. What have you got in your pocket?” He asked.

Ron shoved a hand in his pocket and pulled out his coins. He counted them out to the total of 14 galleons. “Sold.” Ron looked in shock at the old man.

“For 14 galleons? But it’s worth so much more.” Ron said, not believing his luck.

“True, but if I sell it to anyone else, they won’t value it. They would give it to some spoiled younger son who will complain about wanting one like his older brother. You see the uniqueness and class in this piece. You will wear it with pride.” The old man told him as he gathered up the coins.

“Thank you sir.” Ron beamed and held his treasure in both hands as he left. Attaching the chain to his belt loop, he tucked the watch into his pocket. He would shine it tonight.

He hurried off to meet Harry and Hermione and found them waiting with his mother. They quickly bought supplies and headed back to the Burrow. In the hurry to prepare the evening meal Ron slipped the watch into his drawer and forgot about it.

He remembered a few days later as they were all packing to leave for Howarts. He wanted to take the time to polish it properly and decided he would have more time when he was in his dorm. He wrapped it in his sleepwear and packed it away.

The trip to Howarts, the sorting ceremony, and start of term feast passed with it’s usual flair and loud chatter. Ron was exhausted by the time he readied for bed. The watch fell out of his pajama top, landing in a thud on his bed. He put it in his drawer, next to a soft cloth he used for shining his broom attachments. He would shine that watch soon, he promised himself.

The first week of term ended up just as Ron had imagined. The work load had increased, the stress had increased, the responsibilities had increased and Hermione’s nagging had increased. She went on and on about how important it was to stay on top of homework and urged them both to make schedules and timetables. She even went as far as starting to suggest that quidditch might be something they don’t need to focus on, but neither Harry nor Ron would relent. It was the only thing that would get them through the year. Ron was irritated with her already.

He threw himself in to his bed on Saturday evening. Even with Hermione’s help he had needed all day to finish his work. It was going to be a trying year if he didn’t find some way to deal with it.

He opened his dresser drawer to fetch his pajamas, thinking he would get ready for bed while he had the room to himself, when he saw the watch sitting patiently. He smiled to himself, forgetting his pajamas and picked up the watch and clothe and sat on his bed polishing away years of dust.

It didn’t give a blinding shine and the tarnish look was still there but to Ron is was just great the way it was. He fiddled with the latch but it wouldn’t give. It must have not been used in years and gotten stuck.

He flipped the watch over to look at the latch from the back and found writing etched into the piece. He looked close but he couldn’t make it out, it was too small. He ran his thumb over the words hoping to remove any dust.

Suddenly the latch sprung open and a fine mist seeped out slowly. Ron, watched as a dark red mist gathered in a cluster and began shifting about. What was happening? The mist continued to shift and then began taking a shape near the foot of his bed. A figure emerged as the mist vanished and soon Ron was face to face with a woman. She was dressed in what looked like a costume, with a corseted dark red dress and black boots. Her hair was arranged in some elaborate style with long brown curls falling about her shoulders. Her cloak was thick and warm and her smile was wide and welcoming.

She smiled at him. “Well now, you certainly are a young one.”

Ron fainted dead away.


A/N: Read and Review please. let me know what you think of the intro. I will post again soon.