It was a cold foggy morning in North London. Muggles walked about the streets on their daily routines. The Gold's, a magical family, lived in the townhouse on Craven Street. They were seen as unusual by the rest of the neighborhood despite their attempts at attracting little attention. Most of the muggle children took to throwing rocks at the windows or ringing the doorbell in a game of chicken. All things the Golds were used to. Rumford and Belle Gold thanked the heavens that their son, Baelfire, wasn't going to school with those same children who ridiculed things they did not understand. Who knew what they would do to Bae for being different. Rum hated the thought. He turned over on his back in bed, the top of half of his body exposed and bare skinned. He instinctively reached out for the left side of the bed, nothing but a body imprint. He opened his eyes and stared at the empty space where his wife usually slept. He looked around the room, hoping to see her getting dressed maybe, but it was empty. He pulled the covers off of his body, and swung his legs over the edge. He ran his fingers through his long brown hair, and grabbed is shirt, which hung on the bedpost. He put on his shirt on the way to the door, once he opened the bedroom door, the smell of bacon, eggs, sausage, and biscuits filled his nostrils. So good. He slowly made his way down the stares, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. He could hear Belle talking to, who he assumed were, their two boys, Baelfire and Ben. Today was special anyway; Bae was eleven now and he received his Hogwarts letter two months ago, and today they had planned to visit Diagon Alley to get his supplies for the year. Rum entered the kitchen, and his two sons greeted him with a big hug; he approached Belle and gave her a big kiss, then tried to help himself to some sausage, but Belle playfully smacked his hand with the wooden spoon.
"Not yet. The boys got here first, so they will eat first," she said with a wide grin.
"Yeah, Dad, get in line," said Ben happily.
Rum looked at his son; most people always gushed over how much his sons looked like him. Baelfire was all him, even his eyes, but he had his mother's dark brown hair and her kindness. Ben had Rum's looks, his hair, but he had his mothers beautiful blue eyes and passion for books. In fact, he was reading one at the kitchen table, while he waited for his breakfast. Rum sat beside him, across from Bae.
"So when are we going to get Bae's things?" asked Ben.
"As soon as we eat, and get dressed," Rum said, as he tussled his son's long hair.
The boys could not contain their excitement, and they ate their breakfast very quickly. Belle had to warn her sons to slow down or they would get sick. They tried their best, but the thought of going to Diagon Alley to go school shopping for the first time was too overwhelming.
"Done!" they said in unison, as they threw down their knife and fork, then ran up the stairs, nearly tripping over each other.
"Be careful, boys!" shouted Rum after them. "We're leaving for Diagon Alley in an hour!"
Rum looked at Belle, who was beaming with pride. "What?" he asked with a smirk.
"Those boys remind of you so much," she said, taking his plate and putting it in the sink.
Rum had to laugh at the thought. She was absolutely right, it seemed like it was such a short time since the day he got his first letter.
Yes, I remember how excited I was when I received my letter. It was like I had made it. I got into the best magic school in the world. I felt less alone. What about you?"
"It was like fulfilling a destiny."
And she had a point, so much of the legacy of each magical family from their world upheld a proud tradition, and that is you go to school for seven years, then you get a job at the Ministry. If you didn't get into Hogwarts, you were an outcast…. A squib. To be accepted into Hogwarts was the greatest honor anyone could ask for, and now his eldest son would be the first to carry on the legacy for the new generation, and he couldn't be more proud. Belle caught him smiling, as he stared out the window. She did not wake him out of his daydream, she didn't need to, she knew what he was thinking, because she felt the same way.
Instead, Rum woke himself out of his blank stare, and hoped that Belle had not noticed. He quietly stood up from the table and marched up the stairs to their bedroom to get dressed.
The Gold Family gathered in the living room; Rum dressed in a casual suit and tie, Belle wearing a nice dress, the boys dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.
"Are we going to use flu powder, Dad?" asked Ben.
"No, I think we'll take a taxi, and enter through the Leaky Cauldron," said Rum.
"Alright, boys, on you go," said Belle, as she gently pushed them out the front door.
Rum whistled and put his hand up to hail a passing taxi. He locked the front door behind him, and hurried pass them to open the door for Belle. She and the boys climbed into the back, while Rum got in the front seat.
"Where to, mate?" asked the gruff driver.
"Charing Cross Road, sir," said Rum.
The driver nodded and sped off down the road. It didn't take them long to get there; the traffic was very light, and the boys preoccupied themselves with car games and whispering about whether Bae was going to get a cat or an owl, along with the pros and cons of both. Rum spotted the cab driver take occasional glances in his rear view mirror at the boys, but never said anything. Belle had to quiet her sons down so they wouldn't frighten the muggle driver. Rum was the first to climb out; he opened the door for his wife. Bae and Ben climbed out on the other side.
"That will be twenty pounds," said the driver.
Rum took out his muggle money and handed twenty pounds to the driver. He took Belle's hand and led his family into the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs. Longbottom, the landlady, was there, an elderly woman with a slender face, white hair, and glasses that rested close to the tip of her nose; she was wiping the counter tops and being her regular cheery self. She waved to Rum and his family, and they happily waved back.
"How are you Mr. and Mrs. Gold?" she asked with a wide smile.
"Very fine, Mrs. Longbottom. How's business?" asked Rum.
"Grand," she said.
"Excellent," said Rum as they moved to the back.
Rum and the boys entered the back yard, a dark and damp area filled with a few wine barrels and food crates. Belle closed the door behind them. Rum approached the far brick wall next to the trashcan, and took out his wand, then looked over at his sons, who were looking up at him with wide eyes that begged him to get on with it.
"Ready?" he asked, teasing them.
"YES!" they both yelled.
Rum took the tip of his wand and tapped the sequence of bricks, up three and two across. The wall shook, and each brick began to sink back, then twist and twirl out the way. Rum and Belle smiled at each other, as they watched their sons' stunned faces, just as the bustling street of Diagon Alley was revealed.