An Era to Live

Chapter 1 – Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.


"'All first year students will require three sets of plain work robes, one plain pointed hat for day wear, one pair of protective gloves – dragon hide or similar – and one winter cloak. Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

"'All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk, A History of Magic by Bathlida Bagshot, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Rhyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.

"'Other equipment – one wand, one cauldron – pewter, standard size 2 – one set glass or crystal phials, one telescope, and one set brass scales. Students may also bring an owl or a cat or a toad. Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks.' Are you sure we can get all of this stuff Jacob?" Amelia said, turning up to her older cousin. He smiled down at her, taking the list from her hands.

"Of course we can. It's all about where you look," he said, smirking. His green eyes shone as he pulled her into a store, his brown hair blowing with the breeze as they walked into Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Let's get you fitted for your robes first."

The bell on top of the door rang as he pulled it open, smiling over at the small, merry woman that Amelia deemed to be Madame Malkin. "Good afternoon Madame Malkin," Jacob said. "My cousin needs to be fitted for her robes."

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked, turning her smiling face to Amelia. Amelia nodded enthusiastically, ecstatic to finally be going to off to school. "Well, come on back then – another young man already being fitted."

Jacob started to follow them back, but stopped, and smiled to someone through the window. "Hagrid!" he greeted, walking out to shake the hand of the large, unruly man that stood there.

"Jacob, is that yeh? Yeh got so tall over the summer!" he said. Amelia had always considered her cousin to be tall, but he looked like a dwarf standing next to the larger man. "Yeh be needin' a new set a robes already?" he asked.

Jacob shook his head. "No, sir. It's my little cousin. She's going to be starting her first year this term," He gestured over to Amelia, standing in the window of the store as Madame Malkin got the fabric ready that she would need to fit Amelia with her robes.

Hagrid smiled, stepping aside to let a young boy that stood next to him walk over to the entrance. "Might as well get yer uniforms as well Harry. Might make a new friend."

The boy named Harry nodded and walked over to her, smiling and holding his hand out. "Hi. My name's Harry, Harry Potter."

Amelia tried to hide her shock at meeting the legend. She was sure that he must have been used to it and tired of all the attention. She took his hand and smiled back. "I'm Amelia Warrington," she introduced herself.

"Come one then, dear," Madame Malkin said, shuffling her forward with a wave of her hand. Amelia and Harry followed her to the back.

"Are you going to be at Hogwarts as well?" she asked him. Harry nodded.

"Yes," He replied.

"I think it's exciting. I've been waiting forever to get my letter," she said, stepping up onto a stool and letting Madame Malkin throw the robe over her head and pin it in the all the right places to make it fit the best. "What about you? Are you excited?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "I suppose."

"You suppose? Hogwarts is the best school and you suppose you're excited?" she giggled. "You're really weird, you know that?"

Harry smiled, taking a seat down in a chair to wait his turn. He watched as Amelia winced, letting out an 'ow' when Madame Malkin accidentally poked her in the side with one of the pins. He watched her face and couldn't help but laugh at the strange faces she made. She had said he was weird, but she was the truly silly one.

"You two Hogwarts, too?" they both turned their heads and nodded to the other boy that stood on a stool, holding his arms out for another one of the fitters. He was very pale with a pointed face and had a strange look about him.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," he said.

Amelia giggled. "I can't wait to get my wand. My father used to let me play with his a little to light fireworks on holidays, or to put the decorations up on the Christmas tree at Christmas time, but he says that when I get my own wand I'll be able to do more than that," She let out another of her sparkling smiles. "I can barely keep myself from running down the street."

The boy smirked. "Besides a wand, I'm going to have to bully father into letting me get a broom. I think it's rubbish how first year's can't have brooms. I'll sneak it in somehow though," he said.

Amelia frowned, shaking a finger at him. "That's not good! They have those rules for a reason."

He snorted, turning his head away from her. "It's not like it's my first time. I have my own broom at home and father's taught me how to ride it."

"Still, you should obey the rules, not break them."

"Goody-two-shoes. You plan to be such a bore the entire time you're at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I certainly don't plan to be a delinquent like you."

"Why you-"

"All done dear!" Madame Malkin said, patting Amelia on the shoulder as she stepped off the stool and walked to spin around in the mirror. "How does that feel?"

She smiled, turning back to the witch. "It's perfect."

Harry stepped onto the stool and let Madame Malkin pull the robe over his shoulders and then pin it in all the right spots like she had with Amelia.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy said, turning to Harry.

"No," he replied.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No." Harry started to wonder what Quidditch was when Amelia came back over and sat down in the chair with her robe, all packaged neatly, in her lap. He felt relieved that she was back, not knowing how to stop the other boy from asking questions that confused him.

"I do – Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?" he asked, ignoring Amelia.

"No," Harry said. He felt more stupid by the minute, not knowing anything about this world.

"I don't care what house I'm in. Getting accepted is good news in itself. Besides, it's not the house that makes the person," Amelia said.

"Rubbish. My whole family's been in Slytherin, so I bet I'll be too. I think I'd leave if I was in Hufflepuff, wouldn't you?" he said, turning to Harry.

"Mmm," was all Harry said.

Amelia shrugged. "I think I'd burn the curtains. I hate yellow."

The boy seemed somewhat pleased at this before his attention was drawn to the window. "I say, look at that man!" he exclaimed. Harry looked at saw Hagrid talking to Amelia's cousin. They both held ice cream cones for the two first years, smiling back at them when they realized they were staring.

"That's Hagrid," Harry said. "He works at Hogwarts."

"I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

Amelia frowned. "He's gamekeeper," She chorused with Harry. They were both starting to dislike the boy more and more by the second.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage – lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed," he said. Amelia huffed, standing up, not bothering to pick up her uniform from off of the floor after it had slid from her lap.

"Hagrid's a very smart man, for your information," she defended. Harry found that her fiery temper made him feel relieved that he wouldn't have to defend himself against the boy that seemed to know so much more than he did.

"Why is he with you anyway? Where are your parents?"

Amelia turned and pointed to her cousin, who was waving at her to come quickly, getting impatient. "My cousin's taking me. My parents are both busy today."

"My parents are dead," Harry said.

Amelia turned around, shocked that he could say it so simply. She didn't need to say anything, though, for Harry could see her sympathy in her eyes and that was enough for him.

"Oh, sorry," the boy said. He didn't sound sorry in the least bit. "They were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean." Amelia found that the subject of his parents was a very sensitive topic for Harry and wished that the other boy would stop talking to them and leave already. The witch fitting him was taking way too slow.

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same; they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Madame Malkin stood up and said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry hopped down from the stool, eager to leave; Amelia was as well.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," he said.

Amelia turned and waved goodbye to the boy before walking out of the store to meet her cousin and Hagrid. They handed the first years their ice cream – Amelia got her favorite flavor of strawberry cheesecake, while Harry chocolate raspberry with chopped nuts – and continued on down Diagon Alley to collect the rest of supplies on their lists.

They stopped to buy quills for a short while, and Amelia was pleased when Harry smiled at seeing the ink that changed color as you wrote that she showed him. His sad face was starting to rub off on her, and she wanted her new friend to smile more. When they left, Harry asked Hagrid, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

Jacob looked down at him in confusion. "What's Quidditch? It's only the best game in the world!"

Amelia leaned over and whispered into Harry's ear, "My brother thinks he's amazing at it, but he gets cut from the team every year during tryouts," she giggled.

"I keep forgettin' how little yeh know – not knowin' about Quidditch!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"Don't make me feel worse," Harry told Hagrid and Jacob about the boy that they had met back at Madame Malkin's. "He said that people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in-"

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were!"

"All the kids from wizarding families have grown up hearing stories about you Harry!" Amelia said. "If he did know, he'd never have said any of that stuff. I can tell he's all show."

"Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles – look at yer mom! Look what she had for a sister!"

"So what is Quidditch?" Harry asked again, returning the conversation to his original question.

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. Everyone follows Quidditch – played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls – sorta hard ter explain the rules," Hagrid said.

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but-"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff."

"Don't say that Harry," Amelia said, poking him lightly in the forehead. "It doesn't matter what house your in anyways. Like I said before, the house doesn't make the person."

Jacob laughed. "Amelia's been reading up on Hogwarts all summer. She knows more than I do about the history of the school. I bet she's going to take the other students – not the mention some of the professors – by surprise." He ruffled her hair. "She's quite the potions nerd."

She frowned, swatting his hand away. "Am not."

"Potions? I'm sure Professor Snape will be more than ready to challenge yeh," Hagrid said, winking down at her. "Like I was saying, better Hufflepuff than Slytherin. There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

Harry turned to Hagrid. "Vold-, sorry – You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago."

They all stopped in Flourish and Blotts to purchase their schoolbooks. Amelia was bewildered as she ran around the store with Harry, looking at all the fascinating volumes, some large and some small, some with peculiar symbols and some with nothing in them at all. Amelia, though, had her eyes on the Potions section of the store. Jacob sighed and walked over to make sure that she wasn't going to be looking through anything dangerous, mumbling something about her blowing the door off with a potion she found in a book before. Harry laughed at that, watching Amelia beg her cousin to let her get a large, leather-bound tome.

"I'm not going to get you the fifth year Potions textbook. Find something more suitable," He told her, taking the book and putting it back on the shelves.

Hagrid laughed, watching her look through the shelves. "Potions prodigy, is she?" he said.

Jacob sighed, nodding. "I have a feeling that Professor Snape is going to like her."

Amelia didn't find her Potions book, and Hagrid dragged Harry away from the curse book that he had found – and planned to use on Dudley –, saying that it was too advanced for him anyways. They both walked away empty-handed.

After getting their cauldrons, scales, and telescopes, they headed down to the Apothecary, where Hagrid got Harry a set of basic Potions ingredients. Jacob and Amelia stayed outside, on account of Amelia and her hobbies. It didn't stop her from pressing her face up against the glass and gazing into the store longingly. The shopkeeper waved to her in apology.

Outside the Apothecary, they decided to get their wands next, the only thing left on the list. "Oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present," Hagrid added.

Amelia gasped. "It's your birthday? And you didn't say anything?"

"It was yesterday."

Amelia didn't take this as an excuse. "What would you like?" she asked, giving him one of those large smiles again.

"You don't have to get me anything."

She frowned. "Are you sure that there's nothing you want?"

He nodded. "It's okay."

Amelia sighed and folded her arms over her chest, disappointed that she didn't get to go shopping for a present.

Hagrid turned to them with an idea. "Tell yeh what, I'll get yer an animal. I'll get yer an owl."

They walked over to Eeylops Owl Emporium where Hagrid got Harry a snowy white owl, asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stuttering his thanks to the large gamekeeper, who insisted that it was no big deal. Amelia also walked away with an owl, keeping hers in a smaller cage for its smaller size. It was a black owl with bright red eyes. Harry said that it looked evil, like it was out to get everybody, but Amelia playfully hit him on the arm and denied it. "You can't judge a book by it's cover. He's just misunderstood." To prove her point, she opened the cage and let the owl walk onto her arm. It opened its wings briefly, stretching, before settling down to sit on her shoulder, blinking down at her. She smiled, petting him lightly on the head.

"Just Ollivanders left now – only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand," Hagrid said.

Ollivanders was a narrow and shabby shop with the name written over the door in peeling gold letters. A lone wand lay in the window on a purple cushion. They walked in and a bell rang somewhere deeper in the store. It was a small shop except for the chair that Hagrid sat on to wait while they got their wands. Harry and Amelia both looked around in wonder, staring at the dusty boxes that were stacked high to the roof on the shelves, some piled high on the floor.

"Good afternoon." Harry jumped at the voice along with Hagrid. There was an old man before them with wide, pale eyes that shone like moons in the otherwise gloomy shop.

"Hello," Harry said.

"Ah, yes. Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter," he said. It wasn't a question as he glanced at Harry. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to the first years. Harry stared at him, feeling Amelia grab the arm of his shirt in discomfort. The man was creepy with his unblinking eyes. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, or course."

He moved closer to Harry, nearly touching his nose. "And that's where…" He reached out with a long, white finger to touch the scar on Harry's forehead. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands…well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and stood up, turning his attention to Hagrid. "Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again…Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," Hagrid said.

Mr. Ollivander moved down the line and took the hand of Jacob. "Jacob Warrington, is it? Maple and dragon heartstring. Ten inches."

Jacob nodded, smiling at the old man. "It is, sir. Works just as well as the first time I held it," he said. "Now it's my cousin's turn to get hers," he said, putting a hand on Amelia's shoulder.

She tried to squirm away as Mr. Ollivander studied her closely, moving her head from side to side. "I think I have the perfect wand for this one," he said, walking swiftly to the back of the store and disappearing down one of the aisles. He returned with a small box.

He opened it and handed the wand to her. She took it and felt a strange warmth go through her arm. "Try this, dear. Willow and phoenix feather. Nine-and-a-half inches." She gave it a small wave and a blue light wafted out of the tip, engulfing her hand. She stared down at it in curiosity before a smile broke out on her face.

"Very good, my dear," he said, taking the wand back and putting it into the box.

"I don' think I've ever seen such a quick selection," Hagrid said.

Mr. Ollivander nodded, giving Amelia the box. "She gave me a familiar feeling, the same one I get whenever I hold that wand. Use it well."

He turned to Harry. "Right then, Mr. Potter," he said, taking a box down from the shelves. "Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Amelia could tell that Harry felt silly waving a wand around, but before anything happened, Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand and handed him another. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try –" Harry went to wave it again, but it was grabbed from him and replaced by another. "No, no – here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, try it out."

Harry tried the many wands that Mr. Ollivander handed him, not sure what was supposed to happen, or what the old man was waiting for. He suspected that something like what happened with Amelia should happen to him as well, and was somewhat expecting something to shoot out the tip and attack him.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere," He reached for a box, but his hand stopped and grabbed another, taking it down. He stared at the box. "I wonder, now," he said to himself. "Yes, why not," he said, returning back to Harry. "Unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand and felt a warmth travel up his fingers. He waved the wand and red and gold sparks shot out the tip like fireworks. Hagrid cheered and clapped. Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well…how curious…how very curious…" he said, trailing off in his thoughts. His face was drawn into itself as he put Harry's wand back in the box, wrapping it up for him.

"Sorry, but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander glued his pale gaze to Harry's face. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar."

Amelia noted that Harry looked nervous.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…after all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."

Amelia and Harry both shivered at the story. They paid for their wands and left the shop quickly, walking back down Diagon Alley. They reached the end and Hagrid shook Jacob's hand goodbye.

"I expect I'll be seeing yeh with the rest of the first years," he said, nodding down to Amelia.

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir." She stood next to Harry as Jacob and Hagrid said their goodbyes, talking about plans for next year. "So I'll see you at school?" she asked him, staring at Harry hopefully.

He nodded. "I'll see you then."

She smiled and walked off with her cousin, waving back to them until they were too far to be seen anymore.