Chapter 2
A Shopping Expidition
And so, Andy found herself walking down the streets of London with her mother, searching
for the place where she was supposed to locate all of the things on her list. Pointing to a pub
between a bookstore and a little boutique, Andy suggested they try there.
"Where honey? I doubt the bookstore owners know where Diagon Alley is."
"No no no no, I'm talking about the pub, I just saw a weird looking woman walk in there,
and there was a man in a cloak, I think it looks promising."
"I don't see anything darling, what time did you go to sleep last night?"
"I'm not dreaming mother, come on, just follow me." Andy led the way up to the entrance to
the Leaky Cauldron, although she did not know what it was called at the time. When they
entered Andy knew that she had been right, this was deffinately a wizarding shop. She
approached the counter, ignoring the stares of all of the other customers.
"Excuse me sir?" She said politely, adressing a bald old man behind the counter who was
filling a mug with a steaming, foaming liquid.
"Yes miss? How can I be of service?"
"Well, I was looking for Diagon Alley, you see, I'm going to be a first year at Hogwarts,
and I am not sure of how to puchase the required items." She said clearly and sweetly.
"Oh, deary me, come with me, I'll show you. And this is your mother I presume? Yes, must
be, follow me madame." He led them out back and produced a long stick. He tapped the bricks
and then, to Andromedas utter astonishment, the bricks shifted and moved, sliding apart to
reveal what must be Diagon Alley. It was a long, wide alleyway lined with the most colorful and
interesting shops imaginable. Andy and her mother thanked the man and started off down the
streets.
"Oh, mother look over there! And there. Oh, look there mommy!" Andy ran up and down
streets, staring and pointing at everything. It was all Mrs. Glenn could do to keep up. The first
stop they made was to a bank, which was easily located after the first person had pointed it out.
It was called Gringotts, and was easily the biggest building in Diagon Alley. Its bright white
marble sides stood out in the daylit streets. Andy ran to the building and marched up the steps,
stopping to read the first line of the poem that warned her against the sin of steeling.
"Enter, stranger, but take heed, of what awaits the sin of greed." By this point in the poem,
Andy lost interest, running up the steps to enter the bank. Lined up at the desks, balancing
precious stones on scales, and counting large golden coins were goblins. Andy knew they were
goblins at once, they story book descriptions were actually wuite accurate.
"Excuse me, my name is Andromeda Black-Grenn (she had solved the problem by
hyphenating for the time being) and I need to exchange som currency."
"Yes, that could be arranged." Said a soft slow voice from the area around her naval.
"Follow me to this desk please." When the goblin she had been speaking to stepped behing
the counter he was taller that herself. Assumably there was some kind of platfor back there.
Mrs. Black-Grenn approached the counter more cautiously, opening her purse as she went.
"Darling, all I have if 100 pounds, if that isn't enough I'll go back into the city and get more
from a machine." She handed the money to the goblin, who gave her the appropriate amount of
what Andy learned were called galleons and sickles and knuts in return. The money was strange
to Andy, but the pocketed it none the less. Her mother and herself energed into the sunlight
laiden with large gold hubcaps and tiny marble sized knuts.
"So, where shall we go first?" Andy said, looking around the streets. "Oh! Let's go here
mum, it said I needed robes on my supply list, this looks like as good a place as any."
"After you." Replied her mother, struggling to keep up with her over excited daughter in the
crowds. The two went inside Madame Malcolms Robes for all Occasions and waited to be
tended to.
"Hello deary, first time at Hogwarts? Let's get you settled right up here. This year you need
three sets of normal robes and a set of dress robes, yes? Let me get you fitted for the regular
set, and then we can talk style and color for the dress robes." Andy did not respond, she was
very greatful that this woman knew the routine and did not require Andy to talk. Her robes were
fitted and made in only a matter of 15 minutes. Then Andy followed Madame Malcolm into the
other room, where she saw all types of colors and designs of dress robes. "Now dear,
personally, I think you would look nice in a red fabric, it would bring out the tints in your lips and
hair." Andy fliced her hair, feeling proud of her thick auburn curls. People always complemented
her hair, and that was the feature she was most proud of.
"Alright, I like red. Would you happen to know what time of year we're supposed to be
wearing this in?"
"As a matter of fact, I believe that these robes are for the anual winter ball." Madame
Malcolm said, bustling around the room and gathering patterns and fabric samples. The next half
our was spent happily selecting fabrics, Andy ended up with a scarlet velvet material, and
patters, she went with a this strapped v-neck cut. When the dress was finished Andy tried it on.
It clung to her nicely and fell to her knees, flaring slightly at the bottom.
"Oh, thank you so much, it's lovely!" Exclaimed Andy, twirling in front of the mirror. She
exited the store a few minutes a later carrying her parsels. "So mother, where to now?"
"Well, while you were getting fitted I saw a nice looking bookstore down the street. Let's
go there."
"Alright, sounds good to me, then we need to get my peuter cauldron, potions supplies from
the apothacary, and wand." Read Andy from her list, quivering in anticipation of getting a wand.
"Oh, and it also says I can get a pet, can I pretty please get a kitten mommy?"
"I might get you a pet if you are good, we'll see." Andy smiled and followed her mother
down the street to the bookstore. They entered the store during a lull apparently, because the
moment they walked in they were surounded by shop assistants.
"First year at Hogwarts? I see, well, let's see here, you'll need this, and this, here, better
take this too." Said a pimply shop assistant, while the others scrambled around the store
thrusting books at her. Andy was holding a mountain of books as her mom checked them off on
the supply list. They paid and exited the store, feeling slightly overwhelmed, and loaded down
with two full bags of books.
"Alright, now comes wand time?" Asked Andy, hopefully.
"No, I think we should get the cauldron and potion supplies first." Declared her mother.
Andy followed her into the apothacary, which was dusty and silent. The only occupant was an
old man standing behind the counter and sweating profusly. He mopped his brow with a
hankerchief and asked what he could do for them. Andy read him the list of necessary supplies
and bought a cauldron. She left this store greatful to be returning to the sunlight and warmth of
Diagon Alley.
"Now can we get my wand?" Asked Andy, almost falling under all her parsels.
"Yes, lets see if we can find it. Excuse me, excuse me sir?" Asked her mother tapping a man
on the shoulder. "Where might I purchase a wand?"
"Just down the street there, Olivanders is the best for wands, thats the only place you can
get a half decent wand."
"Thank you." They walked down the street and soon found Olivanders. In the window,
sitting on a purple plush pillow, was what Andy assumed was a wand. It was rather
disappointing. She had expected the wands to be colorfull and pretty, not just sticks of wood.
They entered the shop, ringing bells as they did so.
"Hello." Said a low voice in front of Andy. She squinted in the half light to find the speaker,
it was an old man in glasses. He was so close to her that their nses were almost touching, Andy
shrieked and stepped back, dropping her parsels. "How may I be of assistance? A first year at
Hogwarts? And what's your name?"
"Andy, Andy Glenn. I'm a first year, and I need to buy a wand."
"Glenn, you're lying." He said, moving closer and peering at her.
"No I'm not." How could he accuse her of lying?
"Really? I could have sworn..." He trailed off, sounding confused.
"What?" Asked Andy eagerly. Who was this man? Did he know her father?
"Well, it's just, I thought you were a Black. You aren't related to Regulus of Sirius, are
you?"
"Yes, Regulus is my father."
"Ahh. I knew it! Well, let me see, he had a maple wand, rather thick and stiff, filled with a
dragons heart string, 8 and 1/2 inches."
"How do you know that?"
"I remember every wand I've ever sold Andromeda. Every single one." How did he know
her name? She had told him that her name was Andy! "Now, let's get cracking." He ran
excitedly around the room while a tape measure measured her arm length from wrist to elbow,
fingure to shoulder, shoulder width, elbow to shoulder, finguretip to fingure tip, etc. He came
back with boxes and boxes of wands, presenting each one to her in turn. Andy did not know
what she was supposed to be dooing with the wands, and she just held them all until he snatched
them out of her hands. Two hours later she had still not found a wand, and the pile of tried
wands was mounting ever higher. "I have only one wand left Andromeda, and if this one does
not work, I do not know what I will tell you." He lifted the wand from its box and presented it to
her. It was the same as all the other wands, nothing happened. "I have no other wands, Andy."
"What about the one in the window?"
"That was the first wand I ever made, it has been on display in that window since I opened
buisness, still, it is worth a try." He went to the window display cabinet, opening the latch and
taking out the wand. He held it out to her, "12 and three quarter inches, swishy, made with the
tail hair of the single most beautiful female unicorn ever to walk on this earth. If this wand does
not suit you, I do not know what will." Andy stared at the wand, it was made of ebony wood,
she knew the look of each wood well by now. It was pitch black, except for a single streak
down the side, which was silver. She hesitated, saying a silent prayer that something would
happen, and picked up the wand.
Authors Note: Hey guys, just a few things. Firstly, I didn't give the mom a name because she is distinguished by her relationships with her husband and daughter. Secondly, Andys mom couldnt see the leaky cauldron because she's a muggle. Sorry that it's a lot like harry potter so far, I'm waiting to see where the characters take me, hopefully away from the Harry Potter story.