Chapter 2

James saw flowing robes and more wizards than ever before. He ran from window to window, pushing through the other kids, looking at brooms, cauldrons, joke stuff, and many other assorted magical items.

"Alright let's start with the first thing on the list," his mother pulled him away from the windows and they walked up to Madam Malkin's robe shop.

"Hello, I'm in the back of the store you may come," a voice called from the depths of the shop. James followed his parents to the back of the shop. An old witch was fitting a young boy with robes. James and the boy exchanged a look of curiosity.

"I'm almost done with this young one. Tell me what you need."

"Well, we need three sets of plain work robes, one plain pointed hat, and a winter cloak, all black with a silver fastening on the cloak," James mother read off the list.

"Ah, a first year. Very well. Step up there, young man," The woman pointed to a step next to the other boy. James nervously watched his parents disappear to the front of the shop to look at other things and reminisce about when they were first years.

"Hi, I'm a first year, too. My name is Sirius Black." The boy said to James who noticed that Sirius had puffed out his chest when saying his name. James had to hide a snort.

"My name is James Potter."

"What house do you hope to be in?"

"Gryffindor where dwell the brave of heart, like my dad." James said rearing himself up to full height. The boy looked away and James had a feeling that this Black kid was laughing at him.

"Well, what house do you hope to be in?"

Sirius looked around with a scared look and said, "I'm not sure."

James opened his mouth to ask how he couldn't know but then a tall and rather pudgy woman with a stern face strode in taking him off-guard. Sirius seemed to flinch and a look flickered across his face.

"Are you done, yet? We have been here forever." The woman snapped impatiently.

"I just finished. Let's get those off and you can meet me at the front of the shop," Madam Malkin flicked her wand and the robes magically disappeared. Sirius' mother turned on her heel and strode out while her son trotted after her.

"I'll be back in a minute dearest." Madam Malkin said. James nodded.

A while later James and his parents walked out of Madam Malkin's with James' new robes.

"Alright," continued his mother reading off the list, "Next, is…Flourish and Blotts." The family walked into the bookstore and James dawdled taking in his surroundings while his parents strode up to the front desk. His mother handed the wizard at the desk the list of books. The wizard nodded, returned the list, and went to the back of the store. James looked out the window and was surprised to see Sirius and his mother. His mother was obviously yelling at him. Heads had turned to look at the mother and son. Sirius' face was ghostly white. She grabbed his ear and they walked into the cauldron shop. James saw her throw something on the ground and had a sudden urge to find out what he was. He walked outside and picked it up. It was a smoke bomb. James smiled and felt pity surge through him.

"James!" He wheeled around his mother was running towards him, "Don't ever run off again, what were you thinking. Scaring us half to death." James wasn't listening he was too busy thinking about Sirius. They went back into the bookstore to pick them up.

"Now," his mother said as they walked out, "the cauldron shop." The door jingled magically as they walked in.

"Mm, he must be busy," James' mother mused when no one came to assist them, "We can find these on our own I suppose."

James went off into the shop alone looking for the boy while his parents searched for his supplies. Finally, he found him quite by accident. He was looking at the top shelf of cauldrons when he tripped over him.

"Hey, watch it –," Sirius looked up, his eyes darkened, "Oh, it's you. Are you following me?"

"No." James shifted uncomfortably.

"I bet you saw the scene outside between my mum and me." James nodded nervously. To his surprise the boy sighed heavily and sat down. James sat down next to him.

"You probably think I'm one of those snobby Slytherins, don't you?" Sirius looked at him.

"Of course not," James replied surprised.

"Yeah, right," Sirius sneered.

"Well when you act like that mate," James scoldingly replied. A corner of Sirius' mouth turned up a bit.

"Are you gonna try out for Quidditch?" This question opened up the conversation and the two boys talked and argued about all the Quidditch teams and the latest Quidditch World Cup.

"Sirius Black!" Sirius straightened up slamming his head in the above shelf. He rubbed it quickly then scrambled up and sprinted towards his mother's voice. Before he turned the corner he looked back,

"Meet me on the train, OK." James nodded then sauntered off to find his own parents.

"Finally, a wand," His mother sighed as they walked out with their latest purchases. "Yes!" James punched the air with his fist, all thoughts of Sirius washed away. The family walked up the stairs of Ollivander's wand shop. The bell on the door rang as they walked in. An old, wizened wizard looked up from behind the desk.

"Oh, the Potters." He croaked. He shuffled over to James parents and vigorously shook their hands. He turned to James and took his hands.

"Well let's start with the tape measure." He flicked his own wand and a magic tap measure floated over to James and began to measure him. The old man shuffled to the back of the store and mumbled about the wands he had sold to James' parents. James was too intent upon making sure the tape measure didn't flick his eye, which it constantly kept looking like it would do exactly that.

"Ah, let's try this one." The wizard shuffled back to James with a long wand. He put it carefully into James hand. James looked at it then at the man.

"Go on. Give it a flick." The old wizard looked at him intently. James raised his hand but then the wand was quickly taken out of his hand.

"No, that will not do." The old man had swiped the wand and he hadn't even used it. Ollivander shuffled to the back of the store and chose another one.

"Here." James took this one and felt a feeling of rightness and confidence.

"Very nice, you fit that one quite well and one of the quickest finds, too," Ollivander took the wand to put it in the box, "Mahogany. Eleven inches. Pliable. Great for transfiguration."

"Thank you, sir."

Ollivander looked up and smiled, "Why, of course, you're very welcome."

James' parents gave him an approving smile and paid for the wand.

"Finally, time to go home," his mother sighed. The family wearily walked back to the Leaky Cauldron and Floo powdered back home.