Chapter 2- Diagon Alley

I own nothing but the sisters :)

'Right then, through here,' Professor Longbottom instructed them. The sisters squeezed through the narrow doorway, into a dark, dusty room. There were several dust caked wooden tables with mix-matched wooden chairs. Wooden shelves lined the walls, stacked with glasses and bottles. 'Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron,' said Professor Longbottom, 'I live here with my family. My wife is the manager, but she hasn't opened yet today I see. It's normally cleaner.' The sisters grinned as Professor Longbottom lead them and their father out the back door into a narrow alley way. As the door clicked shut behind them, the sisters realised that they were closed in by four brick wall. They glanced at each other. 'Er,' started Ava suspiciously, 'How do we get out?' Professor Longbottom chuckled and drew his wand from his pocket. He tapped the bricks in a pattern with his wand, with a groan and scratch, the bricks pulled apart to form a gateway. The sisters and their father all gasped.

In front of them stretched a winding cobbled path, walled by all kinds of magical shops. There was a Magical Menagerie with beautiful owls hanging in gold and silver cages outside. There was Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, with robes of all colours hung majestically in the window. There was a small shop tucked between the menagerie and Potage's Cauldron Shop. Its black paint was peeling and its windows needed to be cleaned. Gold letters were scrawled along the top in peeling gold paint, reading 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' Maia smiled at the children wearing old fashioned clothes and cloaks, laughing as they ran down the alley. Ellie stared in astonishment at the bright flashes of coloured light that exploded from the ends of wands. Leala gapped at a box of books with shining red covers as they unpacked themselves into a neat pile in front of a tall bookstore. Ava appeared to be having a staring match with one of the caged owls. The walls were littered with posters on parchment, advertising everything from second hand wands to wanted criminals. Owls soared through the air with brown paper packages, parchment envelopes and newspapers. Coins jangled in the pockets of passersby and a little boy giggled as glittering stars flew from the tips of his young sister's fingers. It was a wonderful place; the sisters loved it.

'Whoa,' breathed Mr. Fielder in astonishment as he tried to take in his new surroundings. The sisters caught each other's' eye and grinned, the morning's event as good as forgotten. 'Right,' declared Professor Longbottom, clapping his hands together, 'First stop; Gringotts.' The girls glanced at each other, then their father, who shrugged. 'Er- sorry, but what's that?' Maia asked Professor Longbottom. 'Wizarding bank,' he told her, 'You'll need to change some muggle money to buy your school things.' Ellie raised her eyebrows. 'You have a different currency?' Ellie said in awe. Ellie and their father were keen coin collectors, and Mr. Fielder seemed just as impressed as his daughter. Professor Longbottom nodded. 'Yes. Galleons, sickles and knuts. Galleons are gold, sickles are silver and knuts are bronze. There are seventeen sickles in a galleon and twenty nine knuts in a sickle,' he told them. You could almost see the wheels turning in Ellie's head as she internalized the new information. 'So… There are four hundred and ninety three knuts in a galleon?' Ellie calculated. Professor Longbottom just grinned.

'Now here we are.' The group was standing in front of a huge, towering, white building. It had numerous pillars and a set of gigantic silver doors. 'Well, in you go,' said Professor Longbottom, ushering them through the huge doors. They tumbled into an enormous lobby. The floors were made of cold white marble and the entire domain was lined with long counters. A huge chandelier, dripping with glass and oozing sparkling crystal, hung down from the top of tall ceiling.

The sisters stared at the people behind the counter. Or, at least, they thought they were people. They faces were shriveled an etched with wrinkles. Their noses were squished and their ears were long and pointed. They had long, bony fingers that rapped the counters impatiently, with dirt trapped under their sharp, yellow nails. There were about a dozen of them in uniforms behind the counter, each with an expression that could turn milk sour. 'Um, Professor,' Maia asked nervously, 'What exactly are those… people?' she guessed. 'Goblins,' Professor Longbottom answered in a low voice, 'Not terribly friendly. Don't worry, I'll do the talking. Mr. Fielder, if you would come with me?' Mr. Fielder nodded excitedly and followed Professor Longbottom up to the counter, leaving the sisters on their own. It took about three seconds before the suppressed excitement burst and they collapsed into fits of giggles.

'This is amazing!' Ellie gushed, 'Look at all this stuff!' Her sisters nodded in enthusiastic agreement. 'So what all do we need to buy?' Ava asked. 'Hold on,' Ellie said, rummaging in her bag. 'Aha!' she exclaimed a second later, pulling out a piece of parchment. 'What's that?' asked Maia. 'The list of supplies we need. It came with the letters,' explained Ellie. 'Well read it out!' exclaimed Ava impatiently. 'Alright, alright,' said Ellie, annoyed.

'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Uniform- First years will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

Set Books

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 Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of 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

'Whoa,' breathed Ava, 'that's a lot of stuff.' They stared at the list in curious excitement. 'Look at all these books!' exclaimed Ellie. Her sister stared at her in bewilderment. 'What?' Ellie asked indignantly. 'Seriously Ellie, we're about to get cauldrons and broomsticks and wands, and you're excited about the books?' said Ava witheringly. Ellie glared at her. 'Actually we're not allowed broomsticks,' interjected Leala nervously.

'Right,' said a voice from behind them, making them jump, 'Ready to go?' The sisters nodded eagerly. 'Where are we going first?' asked Maia excitedly as they left the bank. Professor Longbottom looked thoughtful as they step back into the busy alley. 'Cauldron shop I think, that way you can carry your books and what not- oof!' Professor Longbottom lost his balance as a blur of red flew into him.

'Oh!' exclaimed a small girl with flaming red hair, 'I'm sorry Uncle Neville!' Professor Longbottom smiled at the girl as he regained his balance. 'That's okay Lily. Where are your parents?' Lily frowned. 'I don't know. James was meant to be watching me, but I turned around and he was gone!' Lily's gaze fell on the sisters and she smiled warmly at them. 'Hi,' she said happily. Professor Longbottom laughed. 'Sorry, I forgot introductions are in order. Girls, this is Lily Potter. Lily, this is Maia, Ava, Ellie and Leala Fielder, and their father. They're starting at Hogwarts this year.' Lily looked at them in awe. 'Wow, you're so lucky. I don't get to start till next year,' she said sadly, 'but my brothers, James and Albus, go. James is going into third year and Albus into second. And loads of my cousins go too. They're all in Gryffindor.'

'Lily!' Lily was interrupted by a man's voice. The group turned to see a man with jet black hair and a woman with the same flaming hair as Lily rushing towards them. 'Hi Daddy!' exclaimed Lily as the couple reached them and the man pulled her into a hug. A boy with messy black hair and hazel eyes framed by round glasses was trailing after them, looking guilty. The woman looked up at Professor Longbottom and smiled appreciatively. 'Thanks Neville. Someone,' she said looking pointedly at the boy, 'was meant to be watching her.' Professor Longbottom laughed. 'No problem Ginny. She found us. Where's Al?' Ginny grinned. 'With Rose and Scorpius, where else? They were moaning because Lucy's still away.' Ginny caught Maia's eye and smiled at the sisters. 'Hello. I'm Ginny Potter. I take it you've met my daughter,' she laughed. 'They're starting at Hogwarts Mum!' exclaimed Lily, hopping from foot to foot. 'I'm helping them get their things,' Professor Longbottom told the Ginny and her husband. The man smiled. 'Oh, are you muggleborns? You're going to love Hogwarts, it's a brilliant place,' the man said fondly. 'I'm Harry Potter,' he said, shaking hands with Mr. Fielder and the sisters, 'And this is my oldest son, James,' he said, beckoning to the boy. James grinned a devious grin at them. 'Hi.'

'Well we better keep going,' said Professor Longbottom, 'See you lot later!' he said to the Potters. 'Bye!' called Lily and James waved. 'Bye girls. It was nice to meet you!' said Harry. 'Bye!' called the girls as they set off again. 'Right. Cauldrons,' declared Professor Longbottom.

An hour later, the girls had their new uniform, books and most of their equipment. All that was left was wands. 'Professor?' asked Maia as they wandered towards the wand shop, 'What's Gryffindor?' Professor Longbottom frowned at himself. 'I can't believe I forgot to explain. Once you get to Hogwarts, you are divided into four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has its own dormitories and common rooms. And you go to classes with your house mates. The Potters and Weasleys- that's Ginny's family- are all in Gryffindor, and have been for generations. I was too. And I'm the head of it now, and Frank is a Gryffindor too,' he said proudly. Ellie looked thoughtful. 'How do they decide what house you're in?' she asked. Professor Longbottom grinned. 'That's a surprise.'

The group came to a halt in front of the wand shop. 'Go ahead girls,' said Mr. Fielder, 'I'll meet you in a few minutes. Professor Longbottom is going to help me with something,' he grinned deviously. The sisters glanced at each other suspiciously. 'Okay,' agreed Maia carefully, 'We'll see you later.'

The girls waved to their father and Professor Longbottom and shoved open the stiff door with a creak. A bell tinkled metallically as the girls stepped into the dark shop. It was quite small, and smelt of must. There was a long wooden counter that was dirty and darkened with age. Behind the counter stood row upon row of shelves, bulging with narrow rectangular boxes. There wasn't a person in sight. The sister's glanced at each other nervously. 'Um… Hello?' Maia called. There was no reply.

Ava's eye fell on a dented, tarnished bell on the counter. She smiled at herself before stepping up to the counter and ringing it shrilly. In a split second a ladder zoomed through a row of shelves, making the whole place shake. A withered looking man was perched atop of the ladder, his wispy white hair poking out in every direction. His wide eyes bored into Ava's, who was still standing at the counter. His eyes flickered over the sisters. 'First years?' he asked Ava. She nodded, speechless for the first time in her life.

The man clambered down the rickety ladder and stepped up to the counter. 'Four of you? Sisters?' he asked, eyeing them carefully. Ava nodded, regaining her voice. 'Yeah. Quadruplets.' The man nodded. 'I see. I am Ollivander. Now, step up here and we'll measure you. Which is your wand arm?' The sisters glanced at each other. 'Erm, well we're… what was it? Oh yeah, muggle borns,' Maia explained nervously. Ollivander nodded again. 'Well which arm do you write with?' 'My left,' Maia answered, 'We all do.' Ollivander nodded yet again. 'Well this is convenient. I'll only have to measure one of you. Who wants to do it?' Maia stepped forward, as she always did in this kind of position. Ollivander pulled his own wand from his pocket and flicked it sharply. A small tape measurer flew to him. He tapped it with his wand and it proceeded to measure Maia's arm.

A few minutes later, when Maia was completely measured, Ollivander put the measurer down on the counter and eyed the sisters critically, his bright eyes flickering between them. 'Hmm…' he pondered. 'Wait here.' He shuffled back into the rows of shelves, and returned with a stack of boxes. He tugged the lid from one of them and handed it to Leala, who looked terrified. 'Cherry wood, dragon heart string,' he told her expectantly. Leala glanced at Maia, who shrugged. 'Well give it a wave!' said Ollivander impatiently. Leala gave the wand a small swish. A flash of light flew from the end of it, and the grubby curtains ignited in a burst of red flames. The sisters jumped and Leala stuttered a frantic apology. 'Never mind, never mind, these things happen. Not the right fit apparently,' he mused, sending a jet of water from the end of his own wand, and putting out the fire. He skimmed over the stack of boxes on the counter, then glanced at Leala and disappeared back into the shelves. Leala shot her sisters a terrified glance, and they shrugged helplessly.

'Now, I think this might do the trick,' Ollivander said, returning with a single box. He placed it on the counter and tugged the lid off. 'This one's made of rosewood. Not a wood I use very often, only two or three times. Unicorn hair, twelve and a half inches,' he said, handing the new wand to Leala. Leala took the wand carefully, worried about starting another fire.

But as soon as she wrapped her fingers around it, her hand started to tinkle, and comforting warmth swept through her entire body. She stared in amazement as the tip of the wand glowed a warm gold. Ollivander beamed. 'Perfect!' he declared as Leala admired her wand. The wood was pale, and the handle had a narrow band of shimmering white pearl at the top and bottom. Delicate floral patterns spiraled up the body. It was beautiful, Leala thought happily.

'Now, you try this one, young lady,' said Ollivander, handing Ellie a dark brown wand. Feeling slightly nervous, Ellie obediently flicked the wand. With an ear splitting crack, the window shattered, hurtling shards of glass across the room. 'Nope,' said Ollivander as Ellie gingerly place the wand back on the counter. 'Try this,' Ollivander instructed her, handing her another wand 'Twelve and a half inches, same as your sisters. Willow wood, dragon heartstring.'

Ellie took the wand, and straight away she knew it was the right one. Her hand felt warm and fuzzy, and she was overcome with a lightness that made her feel like she was floating. The wand sent sparks of silver and white flying from its tip. 'Very good,' said Ollivander, satisfied as he turned his attentions to Maia as Ellie admired her new wand. The wood was a pale yellowish brown, and unlike Leala's, it had no handle, instead getting gradually thicker from the tip to the end. On either side, tiny detailed symbols, carved into the wood, stretched from the end to the tip. Each symbol had been gone over in silver paint. Ellie loved it.

Ollivander was eyeing Maia curiously, eyebrows furrowed. Again, he turned and wandered back between the towering shelves. After much rummaging, he reappeared with a dust coated box. He took the wand from the box, and regarded it with a look the sisters couldn't read. 'This was one on the first wands I ever made. Twelve and a half inches, phoenix I tried it on dozens of witches and wizards, but it didn't work at all. I gave up around thirty years ago, but I just have a feeling…'

Maia took the wand, and was surprised when her hand instinctively wrapped around it. As soon as it was in her grasp, Maia felt a rush of warm air rush around her, rustling through her flaming curls. A row of candles on the counter ignited gracefully and the wand glowed happily. 'Wonderful! Simply fantastic!' exclaimed Ollivander, clapping his wrinkled claws together in delight. Maia stared at the wand in awe. The wood was a deep reddish brown, and the handle, a dark brown. At the base of the wand, just above the handle, there was around two inches of a carefully carved feathery pattern. Maia couldn't stop looking at it.

Ollivander was looking hard at Ava now. His expression was a mixture of curious and puzzled. He stared silently for a good five minutes, before wandering purposefully back into the shelves. But he didn't stop there. He dove deeper into the shop, and the girls the sound a scrapping metal as he unlocked a stiff black door at the back of the room. The sister waited expectantly as he rummaged in the back of the shop. Minutes later he appeared, clutching a wand tightly; it wasn't even in a box. He held it up to the light and examined it closely.

'This was an experiment,' he told the sisters, 'It's made with werewolf hair, a core I've never used before. Twelve and a half inches. The wood is hawthorn,' he said, before handing it to Ava. Ava took it excitedly. It was smooth and black, and felt soft and cool in her hand. White sparks leapt from the tip, as though in celebration and her hand seemed to stir in excitement. It had no handle, and it was a square shape, getting gradually thicker from the tip to the end, like Ellie's. Thin, intricate silver lines spiraled over the entire body. 'Whoa,' Ava breathed.

The sisters tore their eyes away from their wands long enough to thank and pay Mr. Ollivander. 'Now remember girls,' he called as they opened the door to leave, 'Those wands are special, in ways we don't yet know, all of them. Use them well.' And with that he disappeared back into the shelves. The sisters glanced at each other and tried not to shudder as they slipped from the shop. What a strange old man.

'Look, there's Dad!' exclaimed Ellie, 'What's he doing with those…' Happy birthday girls,' smiled Mr. Fielder. The sister's jaws dropped in unison. In front of them were four owls in silver cages. A snowy white one, a jet black one, a barn owl and a tawny owl. 'Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!' they exclaimed in delight, and raced to stroke them through the bars.

Suddenly, Professor Longbottom appeared behind them, grinning. 'So,' he asked, 'Ready for Hogwarts?' The sisters grinned and nodded excitedly. 'Bring it on,' declared Ava.

AN: So? What do you think? Any good? Reviews appreciated! xxx