Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling, as such all rights, royalties, characters, and settings belong to her.

Author's Note: I removed the Hermione character tag from the story to appease the Harmonians that were upset by this not being the pairing, in other news…

Yes, Hermione is a bit different thanks to being Harry's de facto sister. She doesn't change as much as Harry does, as removing Harry from an abusive upbringing and giving him loving parents does much more than giving Hermione a brother.

This chapter deals a lot with economics and finances (and has Harry nodding off in the middle of it XD) but I figure I'd like to put a couple things out there for your perusal.

Harry Potter is worth quite a bit… but since the wizarding world operates in a rather old fashioned way, most of his wealth was tied up in property. The cottage at Godric's Hollow and the land the ancestral Potter home was built on (I assume it was destroyed during the first war) would put him amongst the wealthy by itself. Then there's the small mountain of galleons, sickles, and knuts in his vault.

A million galleons takes up less room then you'd think. A little math, some basic calculations (assuming a galleon is about the same size and weight as the old guinea) tell me that a million galleons will fit in a five-foot by five-foot by five-foot cube. Now, look at that pile of galleons in the first movie… I mean, that's just galleons… the book says he's got mounds of all sorts of coin.

Harry Potter – Cash on Hand? ~2 Million Galleons

With that as a 'calibration point' as it were… lets list some of the other wealthy families shall we?

Malfoy Family – Cash on Hand? ~7 Million Galleons (The bloody manor and dark arts artifacts are probably worth two or three times that in liquefiable assets)

Black Family – Cash on Hand? ~25 Million Galleons (Grimmauld Place alone is worth millions and millions… a townhouse in London with all those stories and bedrooms is worth a lot)

Then there comes the stupidity of the PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) and the five pound exchange rate. I make several assumptions… 1.) The Goblins know that 1/3rd of an ounce of gold is worth much more than five pounds. 2.) The Ministry of Magic set the exchange rate between the galleon and the pound when either it would make the purebloods wealthier or a pound could get you 1/3rd an ounce of gold. Then none of the pureblood elite bothered to check to see how much you could buy for a galleon in the wizarding world and a pound in the muggle world… as they're used to currency that's backed by precious metals.

Ultimately this makes the purchasing power of the muggleborn and half-bloods that live in the muggle world significantly greater than the rest of the population… something that further upsets the pureblood elite, who don't understand why it's happening…

The reason the Grangers seem so stiff when you see them in Gringotts in the canon is because they're trying very hard not to laugh. They're dentists! They very much know the value of gold, they work with the stuff. Five pounds for a coin that's made of 1/3rd an ounce of gold, awesome deal… say can you get me 1/3rd an ounce of gold ingots for a fiver? I've got a couple dozen crowns for fillings to make.

I've got to say, the easiest explanation for a lot of the things in Harry Potter is that the Ministry of Magic is stupid and the Muggle Government just lets them think they're in control.

Also, the goblins are devious people and since the Goblet of Fire mentions Ludo Bagman's goblin creditors, I'm going to assume Gringotts is a bank that lends out money deposited by vault holders… so yes they do pay interest.


One World


Part I: The Hidden World


Chapter 3: Behind the Leaky Cauldron


That night, Harry, Hermione, and their parents talked with the two magical people that had dropped into their lives. Mr. Black suggested that they meet that weekend in London, as there were a number of things that needed to be taken care of by him, and that he would show them the wizarding part of London hidden amongst the mundane.

For the two of them, it meant the rest of the week seemed to drag on for ages as their excitement built. By that Saturday morning, both of them were eager to get going and hastily ate their breakfast, packed up their savings and almost bolted for the 1988 Saab 900 sitting in the drive when Mr. Granger announced it was time to go.

The hour and a half drive down the M3 proved to be just as exhausting as it always was, and by the time the four of them parked near the intersection of Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road, it was clear that both Grangers were getting a bit testy with the excited pair in the back seats. Strangely, as Mr. Granger slugged the meter with a fifty pence piece a rumble echoed down the road and an old Triumph motorcycle pulled up beside them.

It wasn't until the man with his wild black hair removed the set of goggles that he'd pulled over his eyes that Harry recognized him. It was Mr. Black, grinning mischievously as he clambered off the bike. "Dan, Jean, Harry, Hermione..." He said as he nodded to each of them and opened his dark trenchcoat and stuffed the goggles into a pocket. "Glad you made it."

"Traffic was horrible, but then it always is on the M3." Dan said conversationally. "Your motorcycle, I honestly didn't expect a... well, a man like yourself to have one."

"Most don't..." Mr. Black said before flashing a smile. "Now... if you'll follow me. The entrance is charmed to look a bit dodgy to muggles, so don't trust your eyes." He pulled a few coins from his pocket and slugged the meter. "Wouldn't believe it, but somehow they found a squib to work as meter maid too... anyway, you see the 'abandoned' storefront across the road?"

"Yes..." Dan said as his wife squinted at the stores.

"That's the entrance... now, you two." He nodded to Hermione and Harry. "Look across the road, where Dan is looking. What do you see?"

"Umm... it looks like an old pub." Harry said.

Hermione nodded and pointed, "Look, there's a sign out front that says it's the Leaky Cauldron."

"Definitely magical..." Sirius said before grinning. "That's right. The entrance to the wizarding world in London is through there." He pulled a large leather briefcase from a tiny compartment hidden on the side of the motorbike. "Now, shall we? I'll show you the Ministry of Magic some other time."

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Hermione and her mother asked.

"Yeah, they're a lot of idiots, unfortunately." Sirius said.

The Grangers and Harry followed him across the street and up the steps of the storefront. When Sirius held open the door the four of them stepped inside. Mrs. Granger gave a gasp as she looked around the pub and shook her head. "Have we gone back in time?"

Harry couldn't help but agree. For a pub it looked dark and shabby, there were a few wizen old wizards sitting in a corner playing chess drinking from wooden tankards. A witch that could have been a hundred sat chewing on a pipe as she skimmed a tattered paper which declared itself Transfiguration Today in bold lettering. The barkeep was quite bald and looked a bit like a weathered walnut.

"Alas, no... Though we do have things that can do that," Mr. Black said as he shut the door behind them and smiled. "Electricity and magic have a rather temperamental relationship at best, so most magical homes and buildings don't use electrical lighting or appliances." He slipped past them and nodded to the barkeeper. "Hello Tom, just passing through."

"Go right ahead..." The man behind the counter said with a toothless smile. "Not very busy today, not with school started and all..." He leaned over the counter and glanced at the Grangers. "My word, muggles... must be the first to get her Hogwarts letter. What are you doing with them Black, I thought McGongall handled all such things."

"Well, one of them is my godson." Sirius said with a faint smirk before waving them forward. "Right this way..."

He led them out into a tiny little walled in area behind the bar and pulled out his wand. "Now, watch... once you've got your own wand, you'll be the one tapping this out."

Hermione and Harry nodded before watching mesmerized as Sirius tapped a series of bricks with his wand. Suddenly one of them shook and wiggled and soon a whole load of them were shuddering before wiggling out of each other's way to create a great arch through which a cobblestone street stretched out before them.

Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped at that and Sirius grinned. "Welcome, to Diagon Alley, Magical England's biggest marketplace." He lead them forward and smirked as the two children stared at the various items on display. However it wasn't long before their stares brought up a question.

"Galleons, sickles, knuts?" Hermione asked after they'd passed an apothecary that filled the air with various strange smells. "Don't you use pounds?"

"Afraid not, the wizarding world operates on its own currency..." Sirius said as he passed a stand selling various novelty charms. "There's the gold galleon, which is worth five pounds. There are seventeen silver sickles to the galleon and twenty-nine bronze knuts to the sickle. You'll get used to it..."

Dan scoffed slightly at that, "Sounds like the bad old days my Grandfather talked about with the whole... guinea, pound, crown, half-crown, shillings, sovereign, florin... Wait, how much gold is in a galleon?"

"About a third of an ounce I think..." Mr. Black said with a shrug. "Or something like that, you'd have to ask the goblins."

"GOBLINS?" Mrs. Granger choked as Harry and Hermione glanced between their parents and Mr. Black.

Sirius turned to them and chewed his lip. "I didn't mention that? Goblins run our bank, Gringotts." He jerked his head toward a white limestone building that seemed to dominate the way ahead. "You'd have to be mad to try and steal from them."

Harry and Hermione followed Mr. Black to the steps of Gringotts and stopped as they saw a pair of short humanoid figures clad in uniforms of scarlet and gold that reminded the both of them vaguely of the vestments of a knight. Each held a long pike capped with a silver spear point that glittered in the dim light. Their smart faces were stoic and their ears were long and pointed, but Harry could feel their gaze follow them.

Nervously they followed Mr. Black past the guards into an entrance hall and to the front of a set of double doors. Here Black turned around and pointed over his shoulder. "Now, before we go inside... some information. Goblins are smart, you won't hear any pureblooded wizard admit it, but they basically run the whole magical economy. They coin our currency though the exchange rate with the muggle world is set by the Ministry of Magic. Many Goblins view wizards as being untrustworthy especially in the realm of finance. Gringotts is one of only two places in Magical England allowed to notarize contracts and legal agreements so it pays to be polite and respectful. They take security very seriously here."

"How seriously?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Well... I suggest you read the inscription on the doors." Sirius said as he pointed out the poem written onto the silver doors before them. Harry's eyes widened slightly as he began to read and Hermione paled.

Enter, stranger, but take heed
'Of what awaits the sin of greed
'For those who take, but do not earn,
'Must pay most dearly in their turn.
'So if you seek beneath our floors
'A treasure that was never yours,
'Thief, you have been warned, beware
'Of finding more than treasure there.

"More than treasure..." Harry muttered.

Mr. Black nodded. "You could say that Harry... my crazy mum asked for extra security for her vault, they put a dragon in front of it."

Gasps came from the Grangers and Harry swallowed, but before they could say any more Mr. Black pushed open the doors. "Shall we?"

Inside they found themselves in what looked like, well, an old fashioned bank. Goblin tellers sat behind a long counter that was high off the ground with piles of record books beside them. Many of them wore spectacles and were clad in the sort of outfit that Harry thought wouldn't seem out of place in a London bank a century ago.

Mr. Black led them to a rather tall goblin sitting behind the counter, his dark eyes focused on them. "Bogrod... I believe I arranged for an appointment."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Black... You are three minutes late." The goblin answered as he clambered down from behind the counter and walked out to meet them. "I take it from Mr. Potter's appearance that there are complications to the execution of the Potter's will?"

"You could say that, Bogrod." Mr. Black said. "Let's get to it. I think we have a lot to discuss between us."

Harry chewed his lip as he tried to understand the 'adult' things going on and glanced nervously at Hermione. He knew that some of this had to involve him... did this mean his biological parents had left him money? Surely, Mr. Black would not try and force Harry to come with him. He followed the group nervously as Bogrod led them into an office and clambered up into a seat behind a large desk.

His smart face twisted slightly into a smug look. "Muggles, Mr. Black... how interesting this will be."

"Yes well... it seems I'll need to make some seating for us." Mr. Black said as he looked at the two chairs before the desk. "With your permission."

"Of course."

With a few flicks of his wand, Sirius conjured a large chair beside the two already present and a pair of slightly smaller ones suitable for Hermione and Harry. As they sat down Sirius opened his briefcase and pulled out a long scroll of parchment and studied it for a moment. "No doubt you understand that circumstances have made the situation... well rather complicated."

"Yes, yes... No one could have anticipated that Mr. Potter would disappear into the muggle world." Bogrod said after a moment. "So... what shall be done now, young Mr. Potter is here and will attend Hogwarts in the next year."

"I wish to concede my guardianship of Mr. Potter in all mundane matters to the Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Sirius stated. At that moment Harry saw his parents squeeze each other's hands. Then Sirius continued after a cough. "Of course, if they allow a certain amount of visitation rights..."

"We will Sirius." Jean assured him immediately.

"As the Ministry of Magic does not believe muggles are capable of making decisions on magical matters, I will retain the rights of guardianship on those matters." Sirius said before chewing his lip. "Currently Miss Granger's magical guardian would be the Headmaster of Hogwarts..."

This left both Grangers in shock. Dan huffed, "You mean... we don't have guardianship over our daughter in magical matters?"

"No." Bogrod said. "The Ministry of Magic is very hesitant to extend any rights to a muggle-born's parents and see them as a threat to the Statute of Secrecy. The Statute of Secrecy is the legal act separating the muggle and magical worlds."

"You keep saying that word..." Dan said with a furrowed brow.

Sirius and Bogrod glanced at each other for a moment. "What word?" Sirius asked.

"Muggle, I assume it means non-magical from the context, but can't you call us something that doesn't sound so... I don't know." Jean asked.

"It sounds almost... disparaging." Dan said.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry... It's just the term we use." Sirius suddenly said. "Would... I don't know, non-magical or mundane be more acceptable?"

"Mundane is fine..." Jean said. "Though even that does sound a little..." She sighed. "We don't have magic, we're still people."

"Yes... You are people, fine people I'd say considering Harry and Hermione." Sirius said and smiled warmly. "Now... about the magical guardianship, I could apply to be Hermione's magical guardian instead of the Headmaster... keep it all in the 'family', if you'd like me to."

"Can we think about it? We really just met you a few days ago Sirius." Dan said.

Sirius nodded. "Of course, I figured I should offer." He chewed his lip for a moment. "How fiscally secure are you? There was a clause in the will that Harry's guardians were to receive a monthly stipend for his care."

"Fairly secure... We're still paying the mortgage but that's pretty normal." Dan said.

"Well, you've got nine years' worth of support coming your way." Sirius said with a faint smile and Dan and Jean glanced at each other in surprise. "That'd be around ten thousand galleons."

Dan Granger looked up at the goblin and frowned. "About the galleons, Mr. Bogrod... my wife and I are dentists so we deal in gold quite a bit. Mr. Black tells me that the exchange for the galleon is five pounds, but I know that an ounce of gold right now is worth about one hundred and fifty pounds." Dan said. "Is the Magical Government subsidizing that or what is going on?"

The goblin stared at him for a long moment before smirking. "Mr. Granger, I must say it's a pleasure to talk to an intelligent man for once... Yes, the galleon uses a third of an ounce in its manufacture and is 'backed' by its gold content. While the exchange for the metals alone would be fifty pounds, the Ministry of Magic formally instituted the valuation of the pound and galleon at five pounds to the galleon in 1818 and has been unwilling to change the valuation since. At the time this valuation forced many of those magical humans living in the mug-mundane world to return to the wizarding world and greatly impoverished those mundaneborns entering the world for the first time. In truth, that was likely their goal."

"The wizarding government, you will find Mr. Granger, is rather stupid. As so few members that make up the august body that writes the laws have bought so much as a gallon of milk from the mundane world, they are completely unaware of the circumstances their valuation of the galleon to the pound has caused. As the vast majority of the wizarding world are half-bloods who find there is no sensible reason not to buy their milk at the local grocer, money tends to flow more from galleons to pounds. Each exchange based on the Ministry's rate nets the bank a ninety-percent profit. By the flip side, each exchange in the opposite direction nets the bank a very severe loss, as exchanges occur more in one direction then the other... we have not deemed to inform the Ministry of their stupidity."

"You're making money off that?" Mr. Granger said before chuckling. "Are they really that stupid?"

"Yes... they are."

"Damn, you're talking about me." Sirius muttered. "And to think, I'm better than most of the lot on the Wizengamot."

"Can we get Harry's stipend in gold and exchange the gold for pounds at its true value?" Dan asked.

Bogrod chuckled. "For a fee, of course..."

"What about Harry's schooling? Is there university in the wizarding world?" Jean asked. "I mean..."

Bogrod and Sirius choked as they started laughing. A moment later Sirius shook his head. "I'm afraid there is no university in the wizarding world, he could apply for apprenticeship or mastery but we don't have the same sort of trade or vocational schooling."

"Mrs. Granger, do you have any understanding of just how wealthy your ward is?" Bogrod asked. "While certainly not hideously wealthy, the boy's parents left everything of his in trust. His account is worth over two million galleons at present."

"TWO MILLION?" Harry stammered. "I... What?"

"Even at the five galleon exchange rate, Mr. Potter's vault contains over ten million pounds worth of coinage." Bogrod said flatly. "You must understand, in their will, Mr. Potter's parents asked that their remaining assets be liquidated and placed at Gringotts. They owned land in several areas and their home at Godric's Hollow was turned over to the Ministry to act as a historic landmark."

"Most of the Potter family valuables were lost when the family home was destroyed during the last war, but the land alone was worth a tidy sum." Sirius said after a moment. "Also, they held a Wizengamot seat. I'm not sure who Harry's proxy is at the moment. I wouldn't worry about that, it won't affect you until you're of age Harry, and then you could easily hand the proxy over to a friend."

"What's the Wizengamot?" Harry asked.

"Ah yes... well, the Wizengamot is the Magical World's governing body... think of it as a town council for the wizarding world. Also in the event you ever end up in legal trouble, the Wizengamot also acts as the jury in our court of law." Black said. "It's... a bit like the House of Lords. When it was first formed it was made up of the thirty-three most powerful wizarding families, the seven department heads of the Ministry of Magic, the Chief Warlock, the Minister of Magic, and the Senior Undersecretary of the Minister. Since then... well, the family seats all still exist, even if the families don't due to intermarriage and merging of lines, in which case the family seat's proxy is often given over to others that have supported them. It all ends up being rather wolly."

"So there's no direct democracy or parliamentary system in place?" Jean asked. "My, your world sounds more and more backward by the moment. We've had a House of Commons since the fourteenth-century."

"I think having the common people chase after us with pitchforks put us a bit off trusting the 'common' people." Mr. Black said.

"Oh..."

Harry at that moment imagined Sirius roaring through a sleepy village on his motorcycle pursued by a crowd trying to chase the 'hooligan' away. It was an odd thought, one of those absurd things a bored child comes up with while the adults are talking about things they normally don't have to worry about.

"Now..." Mr. Black pulled a key from his pocket and turned to Harry. "This is yours, pup... it's your vault key. Just don't spend it all at once."

"I... I wouldn't even know how to spend that much money." Harry muttered as he took the key.

Then Sirius pulled out a set of parchments and passed them to Bogrod, Mrs. Granger, and Mr. Granger. "This contract will formally and legally acknowledge my transference of guardianship of Harry to the Grangers. All that should be left is for us to sign it and notarize it accordingly."

As his guardians read the contract, Harry toyed with his key... Two million galleons? That was ten million pounds, or maybe even more... Maybe Mum and Dad could take them somewhere neat this summer... apparently they were going to get money for taking care of him.

"How the hell do you write with this?" Dan muttered as he struggled with a quill. A moment later, he passed the contract over to Bogrod who nodded and quickly notarized them before pressing the signatures. That done he passed one to each of them and kept his copy for the bank's records.

"Alright, was there anything else?" Dan asked looking a bit disgruntled.

"We are done... but I'd like to talk to Bogrod about the galleon valuation. Maybe he can explain it to me in small words." Sirius said.

Bogrod grinned at that. "Of course, Mr. Black, I would be happy to explain the basics of finance and currency manipulation to you." He tapped a bell and the door to the office opened. A small goblin with dark hair and a swept back face stepped into the room. "Griphook, if you would take Mr. Potter and his family to his vault."

Harry looked at the goblin who nodded, slowly the group started to shuffle out and Harry caught Bogrod start to explain as the door shut behind him. With a relieved sigh he followed Griphook through an elevator to an underground cavern. A cart stopped before them and the goblin turned to Harry. "Key please?"

Harry handed over the key and clambered onto the cart along with his parents. Hermione glanced nervously over the side and swallowed. "It's like a mine shaft, isn't it?"

"I thought London was built on a clay bed." Dan muttered.

Griphook activated the cart. "Keep your hands and feet inside, or loose them..." Then the cart shot down the rail. Harry started giggling as the wind messed with his hair and Hermione turned green. It was like one of those runaway mine cart rides at an amusement park. He even saw a flash of flames from a side cavern and thought he caught a glimpse of a dragon as the cart shot past and braked to a stop.

Hermione gasped for breath as she stumbled out and her parents looked at her in concern. "You alright dear?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"My stomach..." Hermione moaned. "You liked that, didn't you Harry?"

"Yep!" Harry said with a grin. "Come on 'Mione, it wasn't that bad."

Griphook opened the vault door and handed Harry back the key. Inside were mounds of gold coins, columns of silver sickles, and heaps of little bronze knuts. Harry just stared for a moment before fumbling with his pockets. "Umm... how much would you suggest for a bit of spending money?"

"I honestly have no idea Harry." His dad said as he glanced around the vault mentally adding up the piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins. "How about fifty galleons or so? It'd be about a pound of coins."

"Is this really two million galleons?" Harry said as he began to pickup a stack of the gold coins. "It doesn't look like that many."

Griphook spoke from the entrance. "Some of your gold is currently on loan through the bank, Mr. Potter... Still, most do not realize how little space a ton of gold takes." The goblin chuckled faintly at that.

"The way this place runs..." Dan glanced at Griphook. "Do you offer bank notes?"

"Bank notes?" Hermione and Harry asked as they looked at their father.

"We do, few use them except for the largest transactions." Griphook stated. "Mr. Potter, a bank note is much like a muggle check. Ours of course are charmed to ensure you cannot write one for more than the amount in your vault."

"Oh... I understand." Harry said as he finished grabbing the pound of galleons and glanced at his parents. "So... I should get a book of bank notes?"

"I can give you one once we're back on the surface, Mr. Potter." Griphook stated.

"You know... paper money is a form of bank note, Harry... it's just that it's not backed by metals like wizarding money but by the government." Dan said. Griphook stared at him in surprise. "What? We run our own business, knowing these things helps."

Jean smirked faintly at that and shook her head. "Now, now... lets go then."

Hermione was green by the time they returned to the surface, still not that happy with the ride on the carts. As Griphook filled out the book of banknotes, Mr. Black stepped out of the office looking downright furious. "I had no idea it was that screwed up Bogrod... You'll help me explain it to the Wizengamot?"

Bogrod shook his head. "I am afraid, we goblins are not allowed into those proceedings Mr. Black."

"Damn it..." Sirius muttered as he glanced at the rest of them. "At least help me explain it Dumbledore... the man has a soft spot for the poorer members of our society and this will definitely help them."

"Of course, Mr. Black... I'd be happy to explain it to him." Bogrod said before giving Sirius a nod. "May your coffers grow ever richer."

"I wouldn't know what to do with the money Bogrod." Sirius said before nodding to Bogrod and walking over to them. "Now... let's get to shopping, shall we?"

"I SAW A BOOKSTORE!" Hermione cried out. "Come on mum, lets go to the bookstore!"

Sirius snickered. "Hermione, maybe you'd like to get a wand first... they're a bit pricier then a book."

"Mr. Granger..." Bogrod said as he approached. "I believe this will be acceptable for your bank. I also set aside fifty galleons for your use today." He handed Mr. Granger a check that made Dan's eyes go wide.

"Dear..." Mrs. Granger asked before glancing at the check. "Half... half a million pounds?"

"We could pay off the mortgage... immediately and then some..." Dan Granger said as he stared at the check in his hands before glancing at Bogrod. "What was the service charge?"

"Five percent." Bogrod said simply.

Harry saw Dan slip the check into his pocket with shaking hands before taking the small money pouch that Bogrod offered. "Thank you..."

Sirius smiled at that. "Come on... let's get your wands and see about spending those galleons burning in your pockets."

He led them out of the bank and to a small shop, a single wand sat in the middle of the window atop a pillow and Sirius smirked at them. "Ollivanders, he's the best wandmaker in Europe, of course he only has got a handful of competitors but... such is the world." He pulled open the door and ushered them inside.

As they stopped before a counter, Harry glanced around and saw that there were huge shelves filled with various wands stretching out into the distance. He could feel a tingle in the air as if from some unseen magic.

"It's bigger on the inside..." Dan said and both the elder Grangers snickered at that.

Sirius glanced at them looking confused, but before he could speak up the rumble of a rolling ladder echoed in the shop and a older man slid to a stop before them. He had a shock of grey hair and the most piercing grey eyes Harry had ever seen. As he glanced among them, his gaze stopped on Harry and he arched a bushy eyebrow. "Mr. Potter, I wondered when you'd wander into my shop..." His gaze shot toward Sirius. "Sirius Black how's your wand? Ivy and dragon heartstring... rather strong wood if I remember correctly."

"It's excellent Ollivander. No problems as yet." Sirius said brightly. "But then... we're not here for my wand, are we?"

"I see that you found Mr. Potter... is this the family that took him in that night?" Ollivander asked.

"They are, and it's a bit funny... Hermione here is magical too." Sirius said as he touched Hermione's shoulder. "So you'll have two wands to find today."

"Excellent!" Ollivander said brightly before pulling out a tape measure. "What is your wand arm Miss?"

"Umm... I'm right handed." Hermione said and the tape measure began to circle her on it's own, measuring all sorts of things like it was being directed by a hidden tailor.

"Excellent, excellent... your birthday?" He asked after a moment.

"September 19th." Hermione said shakily.

"Oh, so you got your letter just a few days ago then?" He snapped his fingers and the tape measure went limp. "Yes, excellent..." He clambered aboard the ladder and kicked off, rolling out of sight. "I hope you're excited."

"Oh yes... very." Hermione said with a quivering voice. "It really explained a lot when we found out."

"No doubt, no doubt..." Ollivander rumbled back into view with a set of six boxes in his arms. He set them down on the counter and took out the first. "Vine and Phoenix Feather, seven inches rather flexible."

Hermione hesitantly took the wand and stared at him.

"Oh of course... just give it a wave, the wand chooses the wizard you see. You'll never get as good of a result from another's wand then your own." Ollivander said.

Hermione flicked it and one of the shelves behind Ollivander shattered. The wandmaker shook his head. "No... no..." He plucked the wand from Hermione's grasp. "Let's try this one... Vine and unicorn hair, rather whippy."

After she waved the wand, the Grangers hurriedly stepped aside as the chandelier overhead groaned and fell onto the floor beside a chair. Ollivander snatched the wand away and shook his head. "No, definitely not..." Hermione looked a bit embarassed before Ollivander pulled out the next wand. "Vine and dragon heartstring, 10 3/4 inches, rather firm and unyielding."

As Hermione took the wand, a strange wind blew through the shop sending her bushy hair blowing in all directions. As she waved it, a series of gold and blue sparks shot from the wand and Ollivander applauded. "Excellent, most excellent miss Granger!"

Hermione stared at the wand for a long moment then grinned. "I can feel tingles Harry..."

"That's the magic Miss Granger, you must be quite powerful to feel it." Ollivander said with a faint smile. "I'm sure you'll do quite well."

"Me next!" Harry said and Hermione laughed as Ollivander smiled.

"Oh yes... this will certainly be interesting." He packed away the boxes on the table and rolled back out of sight. Shortly afterward, he returned with a set of different boxes in his hands.

The first wand he pulled from the box was black. "Ebony and phoenix feather, 9 inches, rather snappy." Harry took the wand and flicked it, immediately causing a nearby pot to explode. Ollivander snatched the wand from his hand and replaced it with a wand of bright white wood. "Beech and dragon heartstring, 7 1/2 inches, a bit stiff."

This wand managed to cause an entire shelf to disintegrate behind Ollivander. He quickly swapped it for another. Soon the whole of the front of the shop was a mess from destroyed shelves and decorations. Despite this Ollivander seemed more excited by the moment. Finally he finished with his set of boxes and pursed his lips. "I wonder..."

Then the man was gone, he returned with a single box marked a series of notes. He pulled the wand out and smiled faintly before turning it toward Harry. "Unusual combination, Holly and phoenix feather, 11 inches, nice and supple."

Like with Hermione, a wind seemed to be summoned at the front of the shop the moment it touched his hand. With a wave a series of red and gold sparks shot from it's tip and Ollivander nodded. "Yes... very good Mr. Potter." He glanced at Sirius and the others for a moment as if in thought. "It might interest you to know that the Phoenix Feather in your wand came from the same Phoenix which gave the feather for You-Know-Who's wand... a fearful instrument that was, I should have known when I handed it to the boy that it would be turned to such purposes. I'm afraid I sold it... Yew and phoenix feather, 13 1/2 inches, rather rigid wood." He shook his head.

"Does that mean anything?" Sirius asked quietly. "I mean... Harry's struck me as a good boy, he wouldn't ever go down such a road."

Harry shuddered at that thought and considered returning the wand in his hand and asking for another when Ollivander spoke up. "I just found it ironic... You see, I'm a student of wandlore Mr. Potter, we study the interaction between wand and wizard, wood and core, length and arithmancy. You may have a brother core to You-Know-Who's but the wood, the length, and so forth indicate you are far different then he was. I would not worry about that Mr. Potter."

"Yes sir." Harry said carefully feeling the warmth of the wand in his hand, almost reassuring him.

"Now... that'll be fourteen galleons for the two wands." Ollivander said with a faint smile before looking at the mess that filled his shop. "Hmm... quite the destruction you've left behind, how about a quick lesson on fixing it up?"

Hermione brightened at that and Harry gave a nervous smile as Ollivander pulled out his wand. "Watch and learn..." He gave a corkscrew motion with his wand and said. "Reparo!"

A shelf shot back up into place and seemed to repair itself as they watched. A moment later both Harry and Hermione gave it a try, reassembling shelves and a clay pot while Ollivander used some other charms to clean up scattered dirt and dust. When they were finished, he smiled. "Very good, you two learn quickly."

"Thank you sir." Hermione said with a slight smile.

"Now... where to now?" Sirius asked.

Harry grinned. "Where else Sirius? The Bookstore!" Hermione flushed at that and giggled as Sirius led them out of the shop onto the streets. In just a few minutes, Hermione and Harry were inside Flourish and Blotts. Hermione squealed with delight as she dragged Harry up the stairs to the second floor where she saw a section labeled 'Welcome to the Wizarding World.'