Chapter 2 – Meetings
Two days and no reply. My hopes were dropping faster than a stone and it didn't help that the Dursleys were being worse than ever. Aunt Petunia had me out gardening all day in the August heat which didn't do much for my temper. I was just pulling out a particularly stubborn weed when a shadow crossed over me. I look up and freeze staring at the person in front of me. It was an elderly woman with gray hair in a bun with a particularly stern expression on her face as if she was unused to smiling. What made me stare though was what she's wearing which is a long dark robe which looks like something that went out of fashion at least a century ago.
"Professor McGonagall?" I ask after snapping out of my stupor.
"Hello Mr Potter" replied the professor. "I am here to answer some of your questions and take you to get your supplies for the new school year".
"Thank you for coming professor" replied Harry "I really do want answers. My relatives don't exactly know about any of this though. Could you come in and explain this to them".
At the mention of the Durleys' the elderly woman's eyes narrowed slightly and her lips seems to almost disappear into a thin line. Her next words nearly shocked me into silence.
"Don't be absurd Mr Potter. Of course your relatives know about Hogwarts. After all your parents went there and I know for a fact that a letter was left explaining the circumstances surrounding your parents murder and why you were left with your aunt."
She must have seen something on the look on my face as her features softened which made her look years younger. She then spoke softly.
"Everything will be explained to you in due time Harry, you have my word. We have a lot to do today and unfortunately if we stopped to talk over everything we would never get around to buying your things. That being said you wait here while I inform your relatives on where you are going for the day".
With that she turned and walked into the house closing the front door behind her. I stood there unmoving for several minutes trying to calm the hoard of thoughts whizzing through my head. The fact that my relatives knew I was a wizard did not really surprise me, not after the way they treated me over the years. What was shocking was the news about my parents. I had always believed that they had died in a car crash as my relatives had described. In that instant disgust coursed through me and I realise that this was just another one of their lies. I forced myself not to dwell on that right that minute and tried to think of the implications of what I had learnt.
The fact that my parents were murdered brought the memory of dreams filled with green light and a woman's screams to mind. It was then I knew that they weren't just dreams. They were memories. This raised even more questions in my head. How were they murdered? Who killed them? Was it the creature with the snakelike face and red eyes?
I realised that this train of thought was getting me nowhere. I would get my answers from the professor in the near future. At that thought it also occurs to me that she mentioned knowing the circumstances around my placement (imprisonment) at the Dursleys. I would have to find out more about that as well. It was at that point the professor stepped out of the front door with my aunt behind looking out from behind the door. My aunt was obviously not expecting this visit, going by her ashen face and worried look. I saw her glance at me quickly and there was a look of such loathing that I had to look away. There was a time I would have tried to get her to look at me with love and kindness. I gave up on that years ago but it surprisingly still hurt to see that look directed at me. She disappeared from view and the door slammed shut quickly afterwards.
The professor walked up to me and guided me away from the house. "I see the muggles have not changed much in the last ten years" she said softly. "I told Albus that they were the worst sort but he had his reasons for putting you there".
At these words she once again had my full attention. Albus? As in the headmaster of Hogwarts? I knew then that I needed to have a long talk with this man. I needed to know what possible reasons he could have for exiling me to ten dark years. I was distracted from my thoughts as we stopped in a near alley. The professor turned to me and then explained.
"We have to go to London to get your supplies Mr Potter and the quickest way to get there is a magical form of transportation call apparition which is where we disappear from one point in space and immediately appear in another. You will learn to do this yourself when you are older however for now I will side-along apparate you with me."
With that she took hold of my arm and the world disappeared around me in a swirl of colour. I suddenly felt as if I was being squeezed through a long tube and for a few seconds I couldn't breathe. Then as suddenly as it started, it was over. I fell to my knees trying to catch my breath. I felt the hand on my arm help me to stand.
"The first time is always the worst but it gets easier and less uncomfortable with practise and now you know what to expect when you learn to apparate yourself" the professor stated.
After I had caught my breath I looked around me and saw that we were now in another alley. I saw a side out on the road which read Charing Cross Road. The professor guided us out of the alley and lead me towards an old looking pub called "The Leaky Cauldron" which looked out of place between the other buildings. What was even stranger though was that no one walking past seemed to take another look at the place. It was if they couldn't see it at all. When I voiced this to the professor she smiled and replied explained.
"They can't see it because of the anti-muggle wards placed around the area. I'm sure you've heard of the Salem witch burnings yes?" She asked.
When I nodded she continued.
"We leaned long ago that in order to live in peace we would have to keep our presence hidden from the muggles and that it why the Statute of Secrecy was formed by the International Confederation of Wizards. You will find that nearly all wizarding locations will have these wards. Hogwarts itself has wards that would make a muggle see only a run down castle if they were ever to get that close" she explained as we stepped through the door.
The inside of the pub was surprisingly homely looking with a friendly atmosphere. Its many tables were filled with people who were chatting merrily among themselves. As we walked through the pub towards another door, the barman suddenly called out.
"Good day professor McGonagall. I hope you are well?"
"I'm very well thank you Tom. I'm just taking Mr Potter for his school supplies." She replied.
Suddenly the bar was enveloped in silence as everyone stopped talking and started to stare at us. Or more specifically at me. I started to hear whisperings break out amongst the crowd.
"It's really him?" muttered one.
"I can see his scar" said another.
At that a surge of people surrounded me with some shaking my hand and others clapping me on the back. I had never been a fan of being touched by others and I was starting to feel quite alarmed. The professor must have seen this as she suddenly stepped out in front of me and started berating the lot of them like a bunch of naughty school children. Saying that she probably had taught most of them at one point or another. It was actually amusing seeing grown men staring at their feet in shame. After she was done she led me through the back door into the yard behind the pub. This confused me as I could not see any where else to go. Maybe we were going to apparate again.
Almost in answer to my thoughts the professor took out a stick and began tapping the bricks of one wall in a particular order. She hen turned to me and said
"Remember this My Potter. Three up... Two across. This is the entrance to Diagon Alley where you will be getting your supplies".
On the second tap the wall began to move and almost collapse in on itself as the bricks moved away on their own and soon an archway opened out onto a shocking site. It was a full alley filled with old fashioned shops as far as the eye could see.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley Mr Potter" she said with amusement.
As we walked though the Alley towards a large dome roofed building at the end she spoke again.
"First stop is the wizarding bank Gringotts to get some money from your trust fund and then onto a want I think". She mused.
"Trust fund" I asked uncertainly.
"Of course trust fund. Your father was from a wealthy pure blood family and both your parents were both powerful. You don't think they left you with nothing did you?" she stated.
With that she walked into Gringotts and I hurried in after here. I stopped in my tracks. The inside of the building was majestic in its own right however it was the vicious creatures behind the counters that stopped me.
"They're goblins Mister Potter. They may not be very friendly but they're the best bankers in the wizarding world. Now come it's rude to stare."
With that I shook myself out of my stupor and followed her up to the counter. After a quick discussion with the goblin we were led by another to a cart on a set of train tracks. I soon found out that the vault system reached far under London and that this was the only way to get there. It was an extremely quick ride which I actually enjoyed quite a lot. The Durlseys had never taken me to a theme park before and I imagined that this is what a roller coaster would be like. Eventually the cart ground to a stop in front of an old looking vault. The goblin Griphook opened the vault and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The vault was huge and it was filled from floor to ceiling in a mixture of gold, silver and bronze coins which I am unfamiliar with.
"All this is mine?" I whispered in shock.
'Yes Mister Potter. That is until you turn seventeen then you will have access to your family vault" Griphook replied.
My future was suddenly looking bright indeed. I took the pouch that Griphook had provided and filled it with the strange coins. It was a this point professor McGonogall decided to speak up.
"The gold coins are Galleons, the silver are Sickles and the bronze coins are called Knuts. There are 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. For comparison one Galleon is work five pounds" she explained.
After the journey back to the surface we stopped off at for my wand at a shop called Ollivander's. Inside we met with a silver haired old man who seemed to look straight through me.
"I knew I'd be seeing you soon Mr Potter" Ollivander stated.
"It seems like yesterday your parents were in here purchasing their first wands. Let see if we can find you a match hmm? Which is your wand arm?" he asked.
I told him I was right handed and then he was off scouring the roof high shelves collecting various boxes as he went. He then came back and handed me a wand from inside.
"Well don't just stand there boy. Give it a wave." He said impatiently.
I waved the wand and a vase in the corner suddenly blew into pieces. I knew it was going to be a long afternoon. Many wands and much damage later Ollivander came back with one more box. He carefully took the want out of the box and slowly held it out towards me.
Hesitatingly I took the want from him. The affect was instantaneous. I felt a warmth flow through me similar to the feeling of magic coursing through me when I used magic but this was so much stronger and felt right. Suddenly a bright golder light burst out of the end of the wand and I could hear beautiful music, as if sung by a bird flow around me.
"Oh yes, bravo, very good indeed and how curios!" Ollivander exclaimed excitedly. He continued on.
"Holly, 11 inches, supple with a phoenix feather as its core. I remember every wand I've ever sold Mister Potter and the phoenix who supplied the feather for yours gave just one other. It's curious that you are destined for that wand when its brother gave you that scar". He stated ominously whilst pointing to my forehead.
I am suddenly unsure if I want that wand or not but after a moment I've decided that the wand is just a tool. I've performed magic without a wand before so I know that the wand doesn't make the wizard. Saying that I will have to research the implications of the brother wands. It may provide an advantage in the future.
In the meantime professor McGonagall was looking distracted. I decided to take my chance.
"Professor now that I've got my money and wand I need to ask you something. How did my parents die?" I asked.
The old woman seemed to shrink slightly in on herself and she looked troubled for a moment before a resolved look appeared on her face.
"All right Mr Potter I will tell you however lets find a place to sit and a drink first. This will take time". We took a seat outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and the professor explained about a man named Tom Riddle who remade himself into the Dark Lord Voldemort and how he had led a blood purist war on the magical world a decade previously. I learned about his followers the Deatheaters and how they killed those whom were considered impure and of the dark mark they each bore. Finally the professor explained how he was destroyed the night he came to my parents house and that I was now famous for his downfall.
After her explanation had finished I sat there deep in thought. It didn't make sense how I could have stopped him. It was more likely that my parents had done something. Surely someone had investigated what had really happened. Maybe this Albus Dumbledore who was responsible for my being placed at the Dursleys would know? I then pondered the fact that I was now famous and more questions arose. Why was I placed with borderline abusive muggles when surely anyone would have been glad to take me in? How would this supposed fame affect my life here on out with people always expecting great feats from me?
I cast those thoughts out of my mind with practised control. I could only deal with one issue at a time and I did indeed have time to reflect on what I has learned. We then went to Flourish and Blotts to get my school books. Whilst I bought the standard curriculum books I also looked around for books on the wizarding world and was delighted to find a book which was written for muggleborns (wizards or witches born to muggles) as an introduction to the wizarding world. I also bought "Hogwarts a History". While I was buying these the professor was explainig to me the different branches of magic that I would be learning: Charms, Transfiguration and Potions to name a few. She also told me about the four houses at Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin), one of which I would be sorted into when I finally reached the school.
After this we quickly bought my potions supplies and headed off to buy my robes and also some new clothes to replace Dudley's hand me downs at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. While I was there I ran into a blond haired boy called Draco Malfoy. To say the least I was not impressed by his disparaging comments against halfbloods and muggleborns though I thought it would not do make an enemy this early on in the game. He obviously did not know who I was and I was in no rush to enlighten him. After collecting my new robes and making a speedy retreat I found professor McGonagall standing outside holding a cage with a white snowy owl inside.
"Though it is a bit late, Happy Birthday Mr Potter!" She said holding the cage out to me. I took the cage and stared at the owl reverently. My first ever birthday present.
"Thank you professor!" I said as I continued looking at the owl. I felt a suspicious wetness in my eyes that I rubbed away quickly.
"Yes well don't mention this to anyone Mr Potter. I don't show favouritism towards my students you know" she said meaningfully.
"Of course professor I understand" I replied hurriedly.
With that the professor took my arm and we were suddenly whisked away through space. We arrived outside no 4 Privit Drive with a pop. The professor turned to me and handed over a train ticket and explained.
"This is your ticket for the Hogwarts Express it leaves on the morning of September 1st at platform nine and three quarters. To get onto the platform you need to walk through the wall between platforms nine and ten. I'll see you at Hogwarts." she stated. With that she turned on the spot and vanished with a pop.
I stared at Number four and thought "My life is about to get a lot more interesting".