Hi there! This is the customary shopping trip of all Hogwarts students, and I think it will go well. Bella won't meet anyone new yet, because I have things planned for the Hogwarts Express. BTW Bella lives in the Lake District which is a ways away from London, so I thought it made sense for there to be a smaller magical square nearby. Anyway, I don't own HP, or any of the characters except Bella, family and friends.
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Bella woke early the next morning to the ringing of her golden many-handed clock sat upon her bedside table. The sun was hardly touching the tops of her windows, but the scant light was slipping into her room through the long white curtains covering them. Bella lived in a very nice room, and she was rather grateful for it. It wasn't to large, but it was far from cramped, and the two tall windows on the far wall gave it an airy feeling. It was painted pale blue and had a matching set of varnished oak desk and bureau. The desk was against the wall parallel to her bed while the bureau was pushed against the wall on the right side of the door. Her bed's frame was a lighter oak, but the headboard fit between the wall and the frame of the window, so there it sat, looking, in Bella's opinion, rather resolute. In almost every corner of the room, there were a few stacks of book, as Bella never bothered putting her reading back in the library or the study.
But today was not a day for pondering her room, she was off to Hogwarts! One of the most respected schools in all of Europe, and Bella was about to go shopping in preparation. She could hardly wait around thinking, not today, of all days.
Bella bounded out of bed and across the cool wood floor to her bureau and pulled out some muggle clothes as she assumed that they'd get to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron. A faded purple shirt, jeans and a pair of white trainers were quickly pulled on. She then yanked most of her long brown hair over one shoulder and carefully brushed it with a silver goblin-made comb that always sat atop her bureau.
Now ready, Bella bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Aunt Elena was bustling around, making tea, and Poppy, their house-elf, was standing on a wooden stool, cooking a breakfast of bacon and eggs. The dishes were washing themselves, as they usually were, soapsuds flying and hot water pouring from the tap, and potatoes, which Bella assumed were for supper, were peeling themselves into the compost can.
"Goodmorning Mistress Bellie!" Poppy called, without looking up from her current task of flipping the bacon.
Bella grinned. "Morning Poppy!" She replied, not bothering to keep the excitement from her voice.
"Excited are we?" Said Aunt Elena.
"Of course!" Chirped Bella.
Bella sat down at the table and pulled the already made eggs toward her, shoveling some onto her plate. Poppy finished the bacon and the pan floated over, depositing two pieces onto Bella's plate as well.
Eating quickly, Bella waited until Aunt Elena was sat across from her, sipping tea, before asking her question. "Where are we going first?"
Aunt Elena looked up from her tea and frowned in thought. "Well, I always found it was easiest to get my robes first, I suppose. I got some money from Gringotts yesterday-" She turned and called out to Poppy, who was now cleaning the inside of their muggle fridge. "Poppy- could you get the money pouch from my dresser?"
The house elf nodded, her huge ears bouncing, placed the rag on the counter, closed the fridge and disappeared with a pop, appearing a moment later with a dark red pouch clinking with coins.
"Thanks Poppy!" Said Aunt Elena, taking the pouch and dropping it on the table. "Then we can go down the list - is that OK?"
Bella grinned, her smile stretching her face. "Of course! I can't wait!"
They ate hastily, as Aunt Elena hoped to get out before the midday shopping rush. After finishing their breakfasts, Bella hopped up and ran to get her list from the drawing room while Auntie went to get ready. They met in the entry hall, where Aunt Elena pulled Bella into a tight one-armed hug. "My little Seal, almost grown up!" She kissed Bella's forehead softly.
Bella laughed, nervously. "Don't worry Auntie, I've got a few years to go."
Aunt Elena nodded absently, seeming lost in thought as she reached for her purse.
They headed down the road to the bus stop, and sat on the little bench and waited. Both Elena and Bella were known populace of the village, so Aunt Elena insisted that whenever they went out, they took the local transport, since the villagers knew they didn't have a car. Generally, they waited at the bus stop, as it was a half mile away, but sometimes, they rode down the narrow road on bikes to the village and either took a bus, or, on occasion, the train, but that happened very rarely.
The wait for the bus depended on the day, week, your luck, and mainly Lester, the cheerful old bus driver who stopped the bus for long catch-ups and conversations. Normally, people didn't mind, but when you were in a hurry, it was rather frustrating. Luckily for Bella, Lester hadn't seen anyone conversation worthy, and they quickly boarded, handed him their fare, and claimed two seats in the middle of the bus. In front of them sat old Mrs. Rees, who immediately engaged Aunt Elena in conversation. "Elena! I haven't seen you in a month! How are your chrysanthemums?" Mrs. Rees had a soft, lilting Welsh accent and an obsession with flowers. Unfortunately, she wasn't very good at keeping them alive, so her front stoop was full of vases filled with flowers, which, to Bella, seemed a bit like a funeral.
Aunt Elena entertained her with a story of how Hector had torn apart part of the front garden but luckily not gotten to the chrysanthemums.
Bella, sitting next to the aisle looked around for someone she knew. Up front, Lester was talking to Mr. Roberts over his shoulder, while zooming down the one lane road, Mr and Mrs Wright seemed to be arguing about groceries, Walker Thompson, the librarian, was reading, and Ms. Clarke was trying to write on a notepad despite the constant bumps of the road. And, to Bella's delight, perched on the last seat of the bus, was Susan, her best friend's older sister, laughing with two other girls. Emily Merkel, Bella's best friend, had the biggest family that was possible. Nine siblings, including Emily, Emily's parents, and a grandmother, all living in a large, cream house right on the edge of town. And, Emily's grandmother was a witch. A real witch, like Aunt Elena and now Bella. So naturally, the entire Merkel family knew about magic, and Bella could tell them anything without breaking the Statute of Secrecy, from the latest broomstick she wanted, to borrowing Grandmother Sara's wand and trying things, she could always get away with it. Fortunately, most potions didn't need any magic from the maker, only magical ingredients, so, as each Merkel child turned eleven, they began learning to brew, and a month and a half ago now, Emily had turned eleven.
Susan, the most popular girl in year eleven at Windermere school, was better at potions than Elena and could have given a Hogwarts fifth year a run for their money. No one except for the Merkels and the Dagworth-Grangers knew this of course, but it was still worth quite a bit.
Bella waved at Susan. Noticing her, Susan beckoned her to the back of the bus. She couldn't help but grin and cautiously make her way down the aisle to the older girls. "Bella! Have you met Anna and Maureen?" Susan asked as she sat down.
Bella nodded.
"Where are you off to? We're going to the cinema to meet Vince and Matthew." Susan flashed her pretty smile.
"That sounds wonderful." Bella said earnestly. "I'm only going school shopping." She said, quietly.
The girl named Anna seemed to be remembering something. "That's right! You're going off to some fancy secondary school, a boarder?"
Bella felt herself go pink but nodded.
"Where are you going shopping? Town, or farther off?" Susan inquired.
Bella realized what she was asking: if they were going to the tiny magical square near Ingleton, or all the way to Diagon Alley.
"Further away I think. Apparently, I need to 'classic experience', but I don't really know what that means." Bella said, but knew that the real reason for going to London was Ollivander's.
Susan smiled again, eyes twinkling . "My Oma thought along the same lines. Do try to bring me a souvenir, will you?"
"And me!" Said Maurleen.
Anna grinned teasingly. "You don't need to bring me anything, unless you want to of course!"
Bella turned pinker. "I'm not very good at that, it's my Auntie who'll know what to get."
Luckily, Bella was saved from further embarrassment when the bus stopped in the town center and Aunt Elena called for her.
Bella grabbed her Aunt's hand and followed her off the bus and into the tiny one-track train station, which was currently filled with the large, dark green steam train, and the entirety of the town that needed to get to work in the city.
But, instead of boarding the train, they slipped into a small nook, and under the cover of the steam filling the station, they apparated away, Bella clutching tightly onto Aunt Elena's arm.
They appeared in the alley beside the Leaky Cauldron that had a heavy Notice-Me-Not Charm on it, and Bella promptly sat down, rather harder than she had wanted to. On the few occasions that she had Side-Along apparated before, she had vomited, so Bella counted herself lucky this time.
"Do you need a moment?" Asked Aunt Elena kindly.
Bella shook her head, getting up as fast as she was capable of.
After a minute or two, they headed around the corner and into the Leaky Cauldron. It was just as she remembered. Warm, spacious, well worn, but still semi-sophisticated, the main pub was lined with a bar along one wall while high and low tables filled the rest of the room, not entirely used at the moment, as it was still early. Around the room, a group of Scottish witches sat around a table sipping tea and gossiping about their grandchildren, a young man with a short beard stirring his coffee wandlessly while reading a muggle book, and three pairs of couples, one of whom looked like vampires, but one always had to reserve judgement. And of course there was Tom, who nodded at them as they passed out into the yard, where Elena tapped the correct bricks, opening the gateway to Diagon Alley.
No matter how many times she visited, Bella was always overwhelmed by Diagon Alley. She could feel the magic flowing around her. Aunt Elena began to walk, and Bella followed. Shops and stands lined the street that the gateway opened onto, which was only partially filled with people. The nearest shop had many cauldrons stacked around the entrance, and above it, a sign said: Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible. A little further on, an Apothecary with many strange liquids and objects stood. Outside of it stood a plump woman who was shaking her head. "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"
In front of her, Aunt Elena made a sympathetic noise at the woman.
Soft hooting came from a shop called "Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy"
Further along still, a shop was selling broomsticks. Several boys, no older than Bella had their noses pressed to the window. Bella heard one say, "Look! The new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever! -"
She jerked to a stop and stared at the broom in the window. It was beautiful, with a polished oak handle, darker twigs furnishing the end and a golden plaque dubbing it 'Nimbus Two Thousand'. Bella stared at it longingly, she loved flying nearly as much as she loved swimming, but had a broom that was five years old now, called the Nimbus Nine Sixty and -
"I am not getting you a broom. You're not allowed one in first year anyway!" Said Aunt Elena, tugging on her sleeve.
They continued on (in Bella's case, grudgingly). There were the shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and odd silver instruments Bella had yet to know what to do with, shops selling potion ingredients and plants, windows stacked with bat spleens and eel eyes, tottering piles of spell books that Bella almost made grabs for, rolls of parchment, potion bottles, and globes of the moon. But, eventually, they made it to Madame Malkin's Robe Shop, and entered to the tinkle of a bell. Madame Malkin herself was sat behind the counter, tracing lines with her wand to make a little silver needle follow and sew. Madame looked up when they came in, and immediately got up, putting her current sewing aside to bustle over to them.
"My first customers of the day!" She looked Bella over. "School robes I suppose? Anything else? We have a new style of dress robe coming in -"
Aunt Elena smiled. "Could we get Bella's school robes quickly then look at some casual robes?"
Madame Malkin smiled excitedly. "Oh, of course! Now, Miss, if you could step over here…"
Bella was led over to a large stool to stand on and robes were quickly fitted to her. When Madame Malkin was done, she turned to Aunt Elena for approval. "Are these OK?" She asked.
"Perfect!" Replied Aunt Elena. "Do you want to get a pair or two of casual robes?" She asked Bella.
Bella nodded.
"Perfect!" Trilled Madame Malkin. "What colour dear?"
Bella was then modeled in many different robes, until, they (really Aunt Elena), picked a dark blue robe that seemed to match everything. Bella didn't protest, why would she? It was going to be the perfect day, if she had any say in it.
Then, they found a pointed black hat that melted to her head, and a new winter cloak, this one with a silver fastener.
Thanking Madame Malkin, they walked down the road to the nearest apothecary, Jones' and Plugs, and got all her potions ingredients, then went next door to get her cauldron, as well as a trunk that expanded on the inside. Aunt Elena argued with the clerk for almost ten minutes about the best standard size of cauldron for first and second years at Hogwarts, before Bella finally tugged her out of the store with a standard size 2 cauldron.
Back in the sunlight of the now bustling Diagon Alley, they headed for Flourish and Blotts, resigned to the shopping rush that now crammed into every school supply providing corner of the shops. They managed to get in and out quickly, considering the crowd, and had all the required books stacked on the counter, as well as a new book for Aunt Elena and many books for Bella.
And then, finally, the thing Bella had looked forward to the most: a wand. She followed Aunt Elena down the street, to a narrow and slightly shabby shop with peeling gold letters over the door reading 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.'
A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang, somewhere deep in the shop as Aunt Elena pushed the door to let them in. The inside was just as small as Bella had first supposed, and was empty except for a counter and a spindly chair in the corner. Behind the counter, were seemingly thousands of neatly stacked narrow boxes piled up to the ceiling, which she supposed were all wands. Bella's neck tingled slightly, and she remembered vaguely what an old and secret magic wand making was.
"Good morning." Said a soft voice.
Aunt Elena stood sharply from where she had been sitting in the chair. An old man with wide, pale eyes that shimmered like moons now stood in front of them. Bella wondered if he knew how to Apparate silently.
"Mr. Ollivander!" Said Aunt Elena. "How are you?'
"I am very well. This is your niece then, is it, Elena?" Mr. Ollivander peered down at Bella questioningly.
"Yes."
Mr. Ollivander nodded, still looking at Bella, which unnerved her greatly. He stared at her a while longer before starting and saying, "Which is your wand arm?"
"Left," Said Bella shyly.
"Like your father then… hm, well, hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Bella from shoulder to finger, then wrist the elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around the head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand is completely original, and no two wands are the same. As of the last hundred years, we had always used unicorn hairs, phoenix feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons, but as I said, no two are the same. Some of our older ones that have yet to be sold have more diverse cores, but they generally come from magical creatures, as magical plants don't channel magic as well."
Bella swatted at the tape measure, which was now attempting to measure her ear, and it snapped like a whip at her. As she tripped backwards, away from it, Mr. Ollivander said mildly, "That will do."
The tape measure crumpled sadly to the floor. Mr. Ollivander, Bella now saw, had taken out three boxes from the piles behind him. "Right then, Ms. Dagworth-Granger. Try this: oakwood with a unicorn hair, ten inches, bendy. Just give it a wave."
Bella took it nervously, not knowing what to expect, and waved as she imagined Aunt Elena would; smartly and sweepingly. Mr. Ollivander snatched it front her. "Mahogany and dragon heartstring, eight inches, swishy. Go on, try!"
She did. And again, and again, until the pile of tried wands was so high, she could no longer see over the counter. Not exactly sure what he was looking for, Bella did what he told her.
"Perhaps… an unusual core will suit you? Maybe…" Mr. Ollivander seemed to be talking more to himself than Bella, and she didn't want to interrupt, so she said nothing.
He opened a door she was sure hadn't been there before, and she caught a glimpse of a small room as full of wands as the whole front of the shop, before he slipped in and disappeared.
A long, silent moment passed before he reappeared with four boxes in his arms.
"Now. These are very rare, but you seem to have a much more uncommon magical core. So, try this. Ebony, mer-hair, twelve inches. Go on."
This wand was much long than the others she had tried, and the colour was a black-green. She picked it up carefully, but it too was snatched away.
"No… but it's closer…" Mr. Ollivander muttered, holding out the next wand. "Beech, mirror-otter heartstring, ten inches?"
She picked it up and swished it. She felt a little twinge of something and looked at Mr. Ollivander to see him frowning. "Well I suppose… you are Selkie, are you not?"
Bella blinked. No one had ever been told that except two Ministry officials, the Merkels, and her family. "Yes." She said quietly.
"Ah. How about this? Ocean Willow, selkie hair, eleven inches, supple… this ought to be…" He trailed off.
This was a very odd wand. It was long and smooth, except for runic carvings around the handle, and the wood was a natural blue-grey. Bella picked it up and to her surprise felt the same twinge of something shoot up her arm and fill her entire being. She raised it and then let it drop with a swoosh, and to her even greater surprise, an explosion of purple and silver sparks shot out.
She grinned, an amazing sensation of warmth filling up her core. Mr. Ollivander began to clap, and so did Aunt Elena.
"Well!" Exclaimed Aunt Elena. "That took quite a bit longer than when I got my wand!"
Mr. Ollivander smiled mystically, and rang up her wand for nine galleons.
They walked out of the shop, down the street to the Leaky Cauldron, Bella grinning wildly, her wand now tucked into her right pocket, with her shirt covering it. Aunt Elena smiled at her enthusiasm and said, "Do you want to go out for lunch? Apparently there's a really amazing Asian restaurant a few blocks away."
Bella nodded. She had never had anything except for english and traditional french food. "Anything would be amazing right now!"
And so, they made their way through the Leaky Cauldron and turned left, walking for two blocks, before finding the little Vietnamese shop Aunt Elena had heard of. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the shop, learning to use chopsticks, eating a heavenly creation called 'pho' and talking. Aunt Elena talked about her job, the goblins and the economy, and the latest of her dates, which had been a bit of a disaster, as her date had gone to the restroom and managed to get lost. Bella responded enthusiastically, and asked about classes, teachers, and houses at Hogwarts. She knew a lot about Hogwarts already, from stories of Elena and her friends like Tonks and Ella, to stories from recently by her cousin Liam, who was going into his third year as a Ravenclaw, but really, it couldn't hurt to know more. Afterwards, they wandered around muggle London, window shopping and commentating on signs and people around them. Bella convinced Aunt Elena to get two matching pairs of earrings in the shape of sea shells, so they could match even when she was away.
Eventually, when Bella's legs began to get tired, they walked back the alley next to the Leaky Cauldron and apparated back home to Poppy's dinner of steaming hot stew.