It had been the most eventful day in Harry's life. It all started with a letter addressed to Mr. H Potter. It even knew he was in the cupboard under the stairs. Then his aunt and uncle made them leave the house. This only brought Hagrid into his life. It was Hagrid that told him that he was a Wizard.
Now he was entering 'Madam Malkin's, robes for all occasions' to get his school uniform for Hogwarts, where we was to learn Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over Harry's head, and began to pin it to the right length.
"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.
"I can't wait to get my wand." Harry said excitedly as his arms were lifted and the sleeves adjusted. "To be able to do actual magic."
The other boy nodded but had a odd look on his face. "Your parents went to Hogwarts right?" he asked with a certain worry in his voice.
Harry remembered that Hagrid had told him that it was where they 'learned it all'. "Yeah, both my Parents when to Hogwarts." Harry said with a sad tone. "They died when I was a baby. I lived with my aunt and uncle until yesterday, when I found out about magic. They hate magic and never told me. I think it's all quite wonderful." Harry had to remind himself that other people didn't have the same opinion as him. This boy clearly grew up with magic.
The other boy sneered. "So your parents were our kind, and you were raised by Muggles?" he said shaking his head. "That's not right. Keeping a young wizard away from magic like that. With filthy muggles no less." Draco sneered at the thought. "Well if you're anything like me you'll find yourself in Slytherin. House of the ambitious."
Harry didn't know that Hogwarts had school houses, but liked the sound of a house of ambition folks. "I don't see why not." Harry said not sure what his response should be.
The boy smiled. "Tell you what, find me on the Hogwarts Express and I'll tell you all about it." He said as he stepped off the stool. "Draco Malfoy." he said offering his hand.
Harry smiled and shook his hand. "Harry Potter." The witch working on Harry's measurements squeaked and dropped the tape measure and then immediately picked it up and continued as if nothing happened.
Draco paused. "Harry Potter?" He asked astounded. "Well, I had heard you were my age, but I guess I didn't put two and two together." Draco adjusted his collar.
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, my birthday just passed a few days ago." Harry said.
Draco nodded. "Well you should consider getting an owl then and pick it out yourself, just to be certain." Draco said reaching for a his coat. "I know my father complains about all the letters he has to respond to around his birthday. I imagine you might get a fair deal of birthday wishes now that you're back in the public eye."
Harry nodded. "Like an owl for post. Yeah. I might just do that," he said liking the idea of a pet owl. "Where would I get one?" Harry asked embarrassed he didn't already know.
Draco just smiled. "Well it depends on how exotic you want. There's Eeylops Owl Emporium here in Diagon Alley." Draco said motion out the door. "But if you want to get something different." He stopped to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "There's a store called Braggart's Bizarre Bazaar in Knockturn Alley. It's not a place you'd want to go alone though."
Harry nodded and looked serious. "I'm not alone, so I should be fine." Harry said in a lowered voice. "They sell animals at this bazaar?" he asked not sure if a wizard bazaar was the same as a muggle bazaar.
"I've only been there a few times when Father is trying to sell certain things he can't be seen with." Draco said, even quieter than before. "Father made sure I didn't touch anything and I stayed away from the glass." Draco made it sound so mysterious and appealing.
"Well I must find my parents before they begin to worry." Draco said fastening the top button on his coat, but none of the other buttons. "I hope to see you at Platform 9 ¾, Harry Potter." Draco said before exiting Madam Malkin's.
Harry was rather quiet as he ate ice cream Hagrid bought him. His mind was stirring with ideas and realizing how much more will the other students know compared to him.
"What's up?" said Hagrid
"Nothing." Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills, cheering Harry up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"
"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know, not knowin' about Quidditch!"
"Another boy was getting his robes brought it up. He's starting Hogwarts soon like me. He said he'd explain it on the train." Harry said stirring at his ice cream. "Hagrid, do people usually know about these things? Am I gonna get to Hogwarts and be put into remedial classes?" Harry started jabbing his spoon at his ice cream.
Hagrid huffed and stroked his beard. "Not at all 'Arry. There'll be plenty of Muggleborn Witches and Wizards there." Hagrid said. "There'll be loads of First Years that know just as much as you. Yeh got nothing to worry 'bout 'Arry."
Harry smiled weakly. He was feeling better about it, but still wasn't completely satisfied. "What about Quidditch?" Harry asked.
"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows
Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain
the rules."
They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."
"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level." Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope.
Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).
Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again. "Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present." Harry felt himself go red. "You don't have to —"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl.
All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."
Harry was joyous at the opportunity to get an owl, but realised something. If everyone wanted or already had an owl, then his would be nothing special. He wanted something, bizarre. "That's great Hagrid, but." Harry seemed to lose his voice for a moment. "Well, what if I wanted something different from an owl?" he asked forcing himself to regain his confidence.
"Whacha' mean Arry?" Hagrid asked as they walked through the crowds of people parting way for Hagrid's size. "Yeh could get a crow or a raven, but the lack the size of an owl. Can't carry much more than a few letters. No real parcels really."
Harry nodded. He hadn't thought of that before. "Well what about Bragforth's Bizarre Bazar? Harry asked. "I heard about it from another boy starting Hogwarts. He said it would have more exotic animals." Harry instantly regretted bringing it up when he noticed Hagrid's sour expression.
Hagrid frowned and silently blustered. His mustache flittered from his exhale. "Harry, Diagon Alley is safe enough and all, but Bragforth's shop is in Knockturn Alley." Hagrid explained in a whispered tone. "I'm no stranger to Bragforth, but that's cause of me job. I've got to know dangerous creatures and the lot. I'm no stranger to a lot of them rougher creatures that surround Hogwarts and Bragforth knows his stuff."
Harry silently nodded. Hagrid had been friendly and courteous their entire journey together, Harry hadn't assumed that Hagrid might have a more dangerous job due to his size. Now that Harry thought about it, Hagrid could wrestle dragons as far as Harry knew.
Hagrid stroked his beard in frustration. "If you're dead set on going, I'll tell you what." Hagrid said clearly not liking the idea of bringing Harry into Knockturn Alley. "We'll get you your wand, and if its not too dark out, I'll bring you to the Bazar. But no promises."
Harry smiled He'd see about getting his wand as quickly as possible.
END CHAPTER