Chapter 2 - Shopping
You were walking the streets of London when you noticed the unremarkable signpost. Straight ahead of you was the building you had been instructed to find. The Leaky Cauldron. You walk in, out of the rain and into a warm dimly lit room with a friendly atmosphere. Walking up to the bar, a few people turned to look at you but found that you weren't anything special so turned back around.
'Are you Tom?' you question the young man stood behind the bar wiping down glasses.
'Yes I am what can I do for you?'
'Professor Dumbledore told me to ask you how to get into Diagon Alley.'
'Aaarh yes follow me'
You follow him loyally to a brick wall and frown. It was a dead end. He drew out his wand. You shudder as it looks as though he is going to attack you but he quickly taps the wall gently against an unremarkable brick, soothing your fears. The bricks around it started to shift opening up to form some kind of gateway. 'Through there' he said kindly 'You will want to check your list for the shops you need'
You walk through the arch. While Tom turns back towards the stone building. The wall closes up behind you creating a barrier between you and the muggle world. You look around you and gasp. Not one person was wearing trousers. Every man, woman and child had some form of dress on often with a cloak covering it. You spot your first target. Ollivanders. As you walk in a bell tinkles. The old man behind the counter greets you. His wise deep voice says 'I assume you are looking for your first wand.' You nod back. He starts measuring all parts of your body, finally rushing down one row of shelves and returning with a wand. He hands it to you before saying 'Go on, wave it!' You do so and all the glass around you promptly shatters. 'Oh dear, I think not' he says swishing his own wand to return his shop to its previous state. Seconds later, he was back holding another wand, you wave it and this time gold sparks shoot upwards. 'Yes, perfect, this is the wand for you! Phoenix feather core, how interesting!' You pay him with the strange coins Dumbledore had given you, with quite a lot of help. In the process Mr Ollivander teaches you the names and quantities of each of the coins. You thank him and leave the shop happy with your first purchase.
Stepping back into the rain, you find the list from your pocket and check what you need to buy next. Robes. You guessed these were what all the others around you were wearing rather than dresses. Madam Malkins that was the name of the shop you were searching for. Currently unable to spot it you walk further up the alleyway. Eventually you notice the shop, but only because you had noticed a small family leaving with bags with the name on.
Walking in an icy blast of air hits you, a shiver runs down your spine subconsciously. Straight in front of you is a youngish woman with curly blond hair.
'First year?' she asks without looking up from the robes she is pinning.
'Um.. yeah' you reply assuming it was a lucky guess.
'Follow me'
You follow her through to the back where you do as she asks.
Half an hour later you leave, new robes in hand.
Again you walk out into the rain. It had virtually stopped by now. Only small light droplets hitting your face at irregular intervals. You spot the bookshop opposite the one you had just left. As you walk in the number of students milling around talking amazes you. Spotted by the owner, he walks up to you. 'What year?' he asks unsavourily. 'first' you reply wondering why he asked. He hurries off while you stand there still taking it all in. Moments later he returns carrying a large pile of books. 'That'll be 11 stickles, 5 knuts' he said harshly. Having had enough of this bizarre atmosphere for one day you decide to leave and go back to the orphanage.
