We strolled through the market in the commercial sector of magical Cairo, a labyrinth of stalls and shops that bore a certain resemblance to Diagon Alley: stores lined up on both sides of the path, vendors loudly calling out their wares, and a constant bustle filling the air.
Bill guided us through the crowd in search of clothing shops. Unlike established businesses like Madam Malkin's, modest stalls flourished here, trading in both ready-made robes and fine fabrics and cloth. Finding a good deal required patience and the habit of comparing prices shop by shop.
The environment was extremely colorful. The presence of flying carpets gliding through the sky caught my brothers' attention, while Ginny and Luna took turns tugging at my arms to point out curiosities. Even my father and Xenophilus ended up wandering off after the first few stalls.
The search for clothes was temporarily relegated to the background. Absorbed in the vibrant scenery, my brothers began itching to spend some of their saved money as soon as an item sparked their interest.
"Don't wander off!" my mother protested upon noticing the group dispersing, driven by excitement. "Everyone, get back here!"
"Come on, Mum, we're grown up now!" Fred complained.
"We're just taking a look at these magical hookahs," George added.
"Or this incense that projects smoke creatures!" (Fred)
"Look! Flesh-eating beetles!" (George)
"Absolutely not!" my mother interjected sternly. "We are in a foreign country, and it's dangerous to go off on your own."
Ron, who also considered himself old enough to have a say, preferred to keep quiet upon noticing his mother's firmness. Percy, for his part, stayed back and remained silent, still withdrawn due to recent events. On the other hand, Ginny was trying to drag Luna and me toward the mouth of a side alleyway.
"Red! Ginny! Come back here immediately! You two, above everyone else, must stay close!" Molly ordered. I decided to comply and led both girls over to her position.
"Mum, there's nothing to worry about; Red knows how to take care of himself," George remarked casually.
"He should be the last person to fear anything; after all, he's a renowned Death Eater's killer," Fred added with a laugh.
An icy silence fell over the street as my mother gave them a sharp look. Although the remark was intended as a lighthearted joke to claim more freedom, it struck a sensitive nerve in my parents. For them, the events at the Ministry were far from a trivial matter.
"Silence! One more word and I'm sending you back to the room for the rest of the trip," my mother declared, grabbing both of them by the ear regardless of the attention she was drawing in the middle of the market.
"Sorry, Mum! It won't happen again! / Let go of us, we know we messed up!" they pleaded in unison.
Molly didn't give in immediately, making sure the lesson—which was joined by a stern reprimand from Arthur—sank in. Once the tension cleared, my parents tried to address me with a few considerate words, attempting to soften the twins' comment.
"Red..." my mother began, hesitating on how to approach the situation.
"It's alright, no problem. It can even be a bit funny," I interjected calmly, causing a look of relief to wash over Fred and George, who were still under my mother's custody.
Molly sighed, finally releasing the twins. Bill and Charlie, intrigued by what had happened, seemed ready to inquire, but the shopping routine postponed any interrogation. There was still a lot to do before stopping over past issues.
We resumed our walk, exploring the market's various attractions, bypassing both tricksters intent on scamming us and street performers with unusual repertoires. After a long walk, we finally focused on acquiring the necessary clothing... and a few extra treats.
My father distributed a reasonable sum to each of us. While not a fortune, it represented the most generous allowance we had ever received in our lives in the Weasley family. Save for a reserve kept for unforeseen expenses, it had been decided to use the prize money to ensure a memorable trip.
With the money assigned and under the supervision of Bill, Charlie, and my parents to keep us from straying into areas of questionable safety, the group split into controlled smaller groups to speed up the shopping.
Ginny finally managed to pull me away from the main path toward the entrance of a side alley alongside Luna, though it wasn't as far as she had initially wanted. A small clothing shop was located there, sheltered from direct sunlight. Despite its modest appearance, my sharp eye revealed remarkably crafted garments and superior quality textiles.
My mother, set up in the adjacent shop that faced the main street directly and had a clear view of our position, allowed the move with relative ease. She wanted to foster a degree of autonomy in our purchasing decisions, though she remained attentive to step in during complex negotiations—and for complex negotiations, hers in that shop took the crown. On the other hand, the presence of Xenophilus examining enchanted spyglasses on the opposite sidewalk provided an extra margin of supervision, which calmed my mother down and left us free to shop.
Setting my mother aside, once we were alone, Ginny and Luna seemed freer to act like themselves. The shop assistant was a young Arab woman adorned in dark red veils and clothing decorated with gold filigree—the best possible advertisement for her merchandise, as it suited her wonderfully. Although my sisters and the rest of the family hadn't mastered the local language, the merchants handled English quite well, so there were no major setbacks, aside from the long arguments my mother usually got entangled in due to the language barrier. However, with me there, they had nothing to worry about: both were carrying a translation device identical to the one Hannah had used back then.
The clerk was astonished to hear the two young girls "speak" flawless Arabic, as if we had lived in Egypt all our lives, which greatly facilitated the negotiations. Furthermore, I made sure to demonstrate a deep knowledge of local customs, etiquette, and culture during the conversation to find what we were looking for. Despite our foreign appearance, we projected the image of being perfectly integrated.
The young shopkeeper took my sisters away to show them all the available options. Clearly, they didn't want me interfering in their "girl shopping"—at least not for now—and I lost sight of them. I wasn't anxious about them the way my mother would be, a detail that surprised the other woman in the establishment: an older lady dressed in aquamarine tones, likely the other vendor's mother.
At first, she didn't look at me favorably. However, upon noticing our mastery of the language and, above all, when I dropped a heavy bag of Galleons onto the table indicating she shouldn't skimp on expenses and should show us the best, any animosity evaporated. The older woman now observed me with intrigue; the serenity I projected, combined with the display of wealth, suggested a certain noble origin. Her attitude changed drastically: she came out from behind the counter and offered to personally help me choose a few garments.
It didn't take long for me to notice several interesting items, though there was no need to buy too much, as everything there would eventually end up available at the [Merchant]. The only piece I kept was a hooded black robe, similar to that of the acolytes in Warcraft III, except for a vivid red stripe adorned with fine embroidery running from head to toe, both front and back. It certainly gave me a suspicious aura, almost that of a dangerous dark wizard, but it looked too good on me to pass up.
I changed into it without hesitation and, after applying a few slight modifications, the garment fit perfectly as casual attire. My ability to alter magical fabric instantly and without using a wand left the storekeeper dumbfounded. In her eyes, I became someone far more respectable and formidable, making her attitude even more subservient; she even went to give her daughter a few brief recommendations.
I waited around while examining the rest of the fabrics. The girls were taking longer than expected, but when they finally emerged, the scene left me stunned.
"What do you think, Red?" Ginny asked, trying to infuse her voice with a mysterious, alluring tone.
My gaze locked onto both of them. They advanced with a sinuous step, swaying with a certain rehearsed awkwardness. They were dressed in striking outfits that immediately brought to mind the image of two belly dancers. Without being provocative, the garments weren't modest either: they left parts of their arms, collarbones, and midriffs exposed, while the rest of their bodies were wrapped in lightweight, semi-transparent fabrics that billowed with their every movement. They wore veils covering the lower half of their faces that accentuated their eyes, perhaps enhanced by some magical charm.
Ginny wore fiery red, similar to the young vendor's outfit but in a much more blazing shade. Luna, for her part, wore an ensemble in shades of blue and sky blue. Both wore various ornaments in gold, silver, and gems: earrings, anklets, and bracelets that jingled softly.
I felt my heart stop. I went into shock and had to hide one hand behind my back upon noticing that, by instinct, my claws had begun to sprout. My blood was pounding heavily in my temples, my heart rate spiked, and I was forced to abruptly suppress the thoughts racing through my head.
"Is it not enough?" Ginny inquired, divided between annoyance at my silence and satisfaction at noticing the reaction I was trying to conceal—though it bothered her that the looseness of the robe hid any other sign she hoped to elicit.
"Do you like it, Red?" Luna added, moving with a natural innocence that was unintentionally hypnotic.
"You look beautiful," I finally said, giving them a huge, genuine smile while calming the whirlwind of emotions threatening to surface.
Reminding myself that they were my sisters was enough to compose myself, but I couldn't deny how well those outfits suited them. I even considered incorporating that style into the fiefdom's attire; perhaps requesting a group belly dance surrounded by cushions like a sultan wouldn't be a bad idea for my next birthday.
Ginny pouted slightly upon seeing me regain control, but she was pleased with the result. She could never have pictured herself wearing something like that, but she loved the outfit both for how it looked on her and for the effect it had caused. The clerk assisting them continued to gaze at them with genuine admiration, far beyond mere commercial politeness: those two girls had become truly beautiful thanks to the nourishment of my blood magic over the years, but only today did they display their full splendor.
The young shopkeeper began suggesting other products for them: dresses, fine jewelry, and perfumes. A clear misunderstanding had occurred. Seeing us so well-adapted to her culture, and noticing the stark contrast between my presence and theirs, combined with my wealth and power, she assumed I was some sort of nobleman and that the two of them were my future wives. That was why she was addressing me to sell gifts worthy of them. Of course, Ginny and Luna knew about this; in fact, they didn't deny it when they were alone with the vendor. They were simply taking advantage of that false identity to gain a bit of leverage in what they wanted to achieve, thanks to those women's experience.