Wow… so many follows just from the prologue. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'll try make this story as awesome as possible. ^_^
Warrior Chickenz: May the imagination be with you as I write the story :3
Zantetsuken Reverse: First year. And yeah I'll listen to suggestion if they're reasonable. Thanks for the accents, I'll try.
"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to therecord shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this be -?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still, the silence broken only by the arrival of four strangers. This break in the silence was enough to set the crowd off.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honor."
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."
Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out.
Hagrid was beaming.
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."
One of the strangers who had just arrived bounded up towards him with a huge smile on his face. He shook Harry's hand enthusiastically.
"Veh~ I have no idea who you are, but everyone is shaking your hand so I thought I might try it!" he said.
"Feli you dummkopf, get back here," a blond haired boy grabbed the stranger by the collar and dragged him, whining, back to their group.
Harry studied them for a while. There were three boys who looked about his age, being talked to in hushed tones by another, taller man who was wearing a hood that shadowed his face. When he was done, they all turned to look at Harry, admiration in their eyes.
Harry, embarrassed, looked away. His hand was immediately seized by another well-wisher. While he was shaking it, the strangers slipped away into the courtyard.
#########
"You bloody moron Feliciano, I told you to stay inconspicuous!" England chided the now child sized Italy.
"B-but everyone else was doing it!" Feliciano cried.
Ludwig sighed and walked towards the wall.
"So vhy are we here?" he asked, examining the wall.
"Ah, well we need to get your school supplies in Diagon Alley," England said.
"Vell, I don't see any alley here, I just see a vall." Ludwig stated, looking around the courtyard.
England smirked, and pulled out a wand. Ludwig raised an eyebrow sceptically, but said nothing. England strode with purpose to the wall, and tapped it.
They all blinked as the wall began to move by it's own free will, turning until before them was a very crowded street.
"S-suegoee" Japan spoke up for the first time since he had arrived.
England gestured at the street proudly.
"This, my friends, is Diagon Alley," he announced, beaming at the shocked faces of his companions.
They stepped through the archway that the wall had become, into the bustling street. Colourful stores lined the streets, selling things none of them had ever seen before.
"I think we ought to get you a wand first," said England thoughtfully, looking around at the many stores.
He spotted the one he was looking for and dragged the axis towards it.
It was a very narrow, very shabby store.
The faded sign above the entrance read:
Ollivander: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
England smiled at them enthusiastically, and led them into the store. Thousands of narrow boxes, that were stacked with extreme care, were lined neatly around the store.
Ludwig kept a hand of Feliciano's shoulder to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.
"Mr Ollivander," England called.
"Good morning sir, what can I do for you?"
The axis jumped as an old man appeared from behind a stack of wands.
"I need wands, I have three children who will be attending Hogwarts this year," England explained, gesturing towards the axis.
Ollivander studied them closely, then grabbed a box of the shelf and handed it to Feliciano.
"9 inches, ivy with a dragon heartstring core. Give it a swish," Ollivander explained.
Feliciano barely had time to move his hand, before Ollivander snatched the wand out of it muttering, "no, no not that one."
It took five more times of Ollivander handing Feliciano a wand, then snatching it back again. Finally he handed Feliciano a faded green box.
"10 inches, Unicorn tail, rosewood, nice and supple."
Feliciano gulped and gave the wand a wave. Immediately, he felt a warmth spread through him, starting from his finger and spreading throughout his entire body.
"This is almost as good as eating pasta!" Feliciano exclaimed, looking at the wand in wonder.
England laughed.
##############
They left the store in good spirits. Ludwig with an eleven inch mahogany wand with a dragon heartstring at it's core. Kiku with a nine inch cherry wand using a unicorn's tail hair.
They had great fun poking around in the bookstore, and Feliciano had fun looking at the potions books, which he insisted were recipes. England was in a good mood, so he got a few books for Italy.
Japan was very interested in all the cats in the Magical Menagerie, so after much pleading and promising on his part. Kiku soon walked away with a black cat purring in his arms and a smug look on his face.
Ludwg got a quill made from the feather of an eagle, which he seemed pretty happy with.
As they sat down to get some ice-cream, most of their school supplies already bought, England proposed that they should visit Madam Malkin's next to get their robes. They all agreed, and once Italy had finished his third ice-cream, England set off towards the store.
"Hello dearies, I'll be with you in a moment, if you would take a seat, and the three of you come stand up here on these stools." A squat witch appeared from around the counter with a smile on her face. England took a seat while she fussed over the axis.
"Please stop moving your arms while you speak dear, it's hard to pin the robes when you do," she told Feliciano, who stopped talking so that he could keep his arms still.
Ludwig shook his head, but smiled at the Italian's antics. Kiku remained silent, looking thoughtfully out the window at the busy street outside.
"All done," Malkin smiled at them, and they got of the stools, and England paid for their robes while they waited outside.
"Veh~ Thanks for convincing Arthur to let us come, this is fun!" Feliciano smiled at Kiku, who nodded in return. England emerged from the store holding their new robes in his arms.
"Come along then, we need to go now, I need to get to the world conference, it's bad enough that the three of you won't be there, and I dare not tell anyone were you are. Knowing him, Alfred will probably demand to go too, and that would be a disaster," he smiled, and left them with instructions to stay at the leaky cauldron, and not to wander out into diagon alley alone.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow, when the conference is over. Then you will be staying at my place for the remainder of the month," he informed them while getting into the car, "Ludwig, Kiku keep an eye on Feliciano while I'm away."
Then he drove off, leaving the three nations smiling at his back.
They went back into the leaky cauldron and ordered some food. While they were eating, Feliciano noticed Hagrid and Harry sitting nearby. He poked Ludwig in the arm and gestured to them.
Hagrid was explaining something to Harry in hushed tones, Ludwig leaned closer so as he might be able to hear what they were saying. But the crowded bar meant he only caught snatches of their conversation.
"Everyone thinks I'm special...Quirrell… I don't know what happened with Vol….."
Ludwig frowned and glanced over at Kiku to see if he had heard too. Vol?
Ludwig shook his head and resolved to ask England about it when he got back.
Harry and Hagrid stood up to leave; Ludwig quickly turned away, and started up a conversation with Feliciano. Harry gave them a curios look, but followed Hagrid out the door. Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief and watched him go. Yes it was going to be a very interesting year indeed.