Heyo! Chapter 4 is here! A little late but I fell asleep last night so here it is now! Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think :)
Harry and I walked the streets of London, with Hagrid leading us god-knows-where. I looked around, excited to see the city for the first time, as Harry read from our school material list.
"First-year students will require three sets of robes, a pointed hat, gloves, a winter cloak, books, (pewter, standard size 2) wand cauldron set, glass or crystal phials, a telescope set, and brass scales," Harry listed. I took a peak at the list and was most excited about the last bullet point under "Other Equipment."
"Students may also bring an owl or cat or toad!" I added, excited at the thought of owning a pet.
"Can we get all this in London?" Harry asked. He seemed much more serious about all of this. I was too enthralled in wonder to question it. If I woke up and this was all a dream, I was going to make sure I was enjoying every second of it.
"If yeh know where ta go," Hagrid replied with a smug smile. He brought us to what looked to be a rundown bar with its only sign being a metal cauldron with a chunk out the bottom. I don't think I would have even noticed it if Hagrid hadn't pointed it out. "Welcome to the famous Leaky Cauldron," Hagrid welcomed us while opening the door.
Harry and I shared a look, doing that twin thing where we think the same thing: "This place is famous? It's dark and smells…" Of course, we wouldn't say that out loud.
"The usual, Hagrid?" a voice drawled from behind the counter. Everyone seemed to recognize Hagrid, smiling and greeting him as he passed them.
"Not today, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, proudly clapping a hand on both Harry's and my shoulder.
"Oh my Merlin," the bartender whispered, staring at us. "Is this… Can this be-?"
All of the Leaky Cauldron fell silent.
"Bless my soul," he spoke slightly, "Harry Potter… What an honor!" He rushed forward to shake Harry's hand, not even giving me a slight nod. "Welcome back Mr. Potter, welcome back."
Chairs started scrapping against the floor and a line began to form, leading to Harry. My brother ended up shaking most of their hands.
"So proud, Mr. Potter. I'm just so proud."
"Always wanted to shake your hand, Mr. Potter. I'm all a fluster."
"Doris Crockford. Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last," an older woman smiled shaking her hand. She turned to me, the first to do so, and asked me, "And who are you my dear?"
"I'm Rena. Rena Potter."
"Potter?" she questioned, pondering my answer for a second. "Oh yes! The Potters did have two kids, didn't they?"
I looked at Harry in question. People were obsessing over Harry and seemed to not realize I even existed. Not that I minded too much; Harry looked bloody uncomfortable.
"Professor Quirrell!" boomed Hagrid. "Rena, Harry, Professor Quirrell is gonna be one of yer teachers at Hogwarts."
"P-P-Potters," Professor Quirrell stuttered and his eye twitched. "C-Can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."
"What do you teach, Professor Quirrell? I asked politely.
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," he pushed out, as if he'd rather not think about it. He looked about as menacing as a baby penguin, without the cute or cuddly part. "N-Not that Harry would n-need it. Eh, P-P-Potter?" he laughed nervously addressing my brother.
By the time we were able to leave Harry had shaken hands with at least a dozen people. Hagrid finally tore us away from the crowd, by ensuring we had books and supplies to buy.
"Must get on! Lots ter buy!" Hagrid pulled us out the door. "told ye, didn't I? Yer famous Harry! Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh. More so than usual."
We came to a brick wall, which Hagrid promptly tapped with his umbrella three times and told us to stand back. The brick he touched began to quiver as it turned setting off the other bricks to do the same, until there was a large archway leading to a crooked walkway lined with stores and people. Once we walked though, the brick behind us twisted and turned, reconstructing itself.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley!" Hagrid exclaimed and clapped his hands together.
I had never seen anything more magical in my life. We passed shop after shop, all of which I wanted nothing more than to run into and explore. A shop with floating books, another filled with cats roaming and owls screeching, and kids outside a third, oohing and awing at brooms hovering in a window. All of which sent shivers of excitement down my spine.
"Down there you'll get your quills 'n ink, and over there, your bits and bobs for doin' yer wizardry," Hagrid listed while pointing to different shops.
"But, Hagrid, how are we to pay for all this? We haven't got any money and you heard Uncle Vernon last night. He won't pay for us to learn magic," Harry questioned.
"Didn't think ye parents left ya with nothin', didja? Nah, first we go to Gringotts," Hagrid pointed to the end of the street, "Wizards' bank."
"Wizards have banks?" Harry asked.
"Er course! Gringotts is the only one out 'ere. Run by goblins."
"Goblins?" I questioned eyeing him in disbelief.
"See fer yeself," Hagrid smirked opening the door.
Goblins. Goblins everywhere. They were about half Harry's and my size with pointed noses, long fingers and they all had a look of cleverness.
"Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it. They have spells, enchantments, even heard rumors they got dragons gaurdin' vaults down there," Hagrid sighed at the end.
"Dragons?" Harry questioned this time.
"So they say. Crikey, I'd like me a dragon," he said dreamily as we approached a counter where one of many goblins sat. "Mr. 'arry Potter an' Rena Potter wish to make a withdrawal."
"And do the Potters have their keys?" the goblin asked peering over his glasses. Hagrid scrambled in his pocket for the keys, in which he pulled out two of them, followed by a letter.
"An' I've also got a letter 'ere from Professor Dumbledore 'imself," said Hagrid with a sense of pride. "It's about You-Know-What in vault You-Know-Which."
"Very well. I will have you someone take you down to the vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook took us into a small cart that raced down the depths of the bank. We stopped at a vault labeled 'Vault 687'.
"Vault 687. Lamp please. Mr. Potter's key please," Griphook spoke quick and formal. Inside the vault was coins upon coins, stacked almost to the top. Harry and I stood there shocked.
"Told ya, yer mum and dad wouldn' leave you wit nothin'. Yers has just as much in it, little lady. That's where we are headed next," Hagrid explained smiling, and that's just what we did next.
Vault 688 was my vault and it had just as much gold as my brother had in his vault. I filled a pouch with coins to buy all my school supplies, just as Harry had done the vault before. Once we had our pouches rattling with more money than we had ever seen in our life, we had one more stop before we began shopping.
"Vault 713," Griphook announced.
"Be right back. Gotta grab somethin'. Very secret Hogwarts business," Hagrid beamed stepping out of the cart.
"What do you think is in there, Harry?" I questioned, attempting to get a good look.
"No idea, Ren. But whatever it is, I think it's safe to say it's important…"
Once back in the cart Hagrid patted his coat pocket while telling us, "Best not to mention this little detour to no one, ye two."
As we walked back onto the street that was Diagon Alley, we went shopping for all our school needs. All we had left was-
"A wand. We still need to get out wands," Harry confirmed.
"As well as our robes," I reminded, not wanting to forget anything.
"Well that's easy. Madam Malkin's and Ollivander's shops are just across from each other. Why don't you get yer wand 'arry, and Rena can go get fitted fer 'er robes? When ye two are finish, ye can switch. Save time that way," Hagrid suggested, and so that's what we did.
I walked in to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to see a boy with vibrant red hair, standing nervously on a foot stool and a smiling witch dressed completely in mauve around him. When she saw me, she walked away from the boy as her tape measure continued to work.
"Hogwarts, my dear?" I nodded in response. "Yes of course, got another being fitted right here for Hogwarts. Stand on this foot stool right here, dear," she said pointing to a stool next to the redheaded boy. As I stepped up, I gave the boy a smile. Madam Malkin snapped her fingers twice, and the self-working tape measure began wrapping itself around me, as she began sewing at a small desk.
"You going to Hogwarts as well?" I asked the boy.
"Um... Yeah. It'll be my first year," he nervously replied.
"I'm Rena! It'll be my first year too!"
"Mr. Weasley, I was able to hem the length of the robe itself, but I cannot grow the sleeves to fit your arms. Are you sure you don't want a new set?" Madam Malkin asked, interrupting my conversation with the redheaded boy.
"No, no thank you. This will be fine…" the boy answered looking disappointed.
"I can offer you a small discount? Your family has been coming here for years to clothe your brothers for school," the older witch tried to sway him, but to no avail. "Yes, of course. Then, two Galleons and two Sickles ought to do it."
The boy handed over the money and walked out with his head down. The witch then came to me, after putting away the coins. She noticed I was still looking at the door, watching the red hair that quickly got further and further.
"My dear, you are all done! I can have your robes ready in just a minute. It'll be six Galleons and two Sickles." She saw my confusion when looking at my pouch of coins. "Six of the gold ones and two of the silver," she added with a smile.
I handed her the coins with a smile and grabbed my robes before walking over to Ollivander's, where Harry was just finishing up paying for his wand.
"I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great," a white-haired wizard said in a spooky tone sending Harry off with a narrow box.
"All good, Harry?" I questioned.
Still eyeing the old wizard, he responded, "All good Rena… Good luck."
As Harry rushed out, the wizard turned towards me. "Ah, yes, Miss Potter. I assumed I'd be seeing you as well. I was just telling your brother how much he looked like his father, but you? No, you favor your mother's looks. Seems only yesterday she was getting her first wand: Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Excellent for charm work. Your dad, on the other hand, favored mahogany. Eleven inches. Pliable. A smidge more power and handy for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored, when really it's the wand that favors," the wizard rambled with a glint in his eye.
"You sold my parents their wands?" I asked.
"Yes, I did. But you? It's you whom needs a wand!" he exclaimed with a clap of his hands and then he disappeared into the rows of narrow boxes. "I'll assume your wand arm is right, as well?"
"Um well, I'm right handed, if that helps," I yelled into the abyss of boxes.
"Yes, yes of course. Try this one, Hazel, phoenix feather, ten inches, pliable. Very loyal and capable of outstanding magic!" he exclaimed as he handed me a wooden wand. "Give it a swish!"
As I did, all the lights in the shop blew out, and we were standing in almost complete darkness. The only light came from the shop windows. "Well… that is not the one now is it?" Ollivander chuckled. He fixed the lights and disappeared right back into the many boxes holding wood. I tried a few wands, managing to break a vase, blast a dozen wands from their spots on the shelves, and set the rug on fire. After four wands, Ollivander let out an excited laugh.
"Yes, of course… The Weasley boy!" I heard from the back. "I thought this one would find its match within a few years! Ha! Yes, yes. Try this one, Miss Potter. Pine, dragon heartstring, ten and three-quarter inches, slightly springy." He handed me a beautiful wand that was warm to the touch. The lights flickered and Ollivander split into a grin.
"That will be eight galleons, Ms. Potter," he said putting my new wand in its rightful box. I handed him the gold coins and walked out of the shop to find my brother.
We stood there as Harry told me about his wand and how the person you gave him his scar has one with the same core from the same phoenix. As he was explaining, Hagrid came up to us, hands behind his back.
"Happy Birthday Rena and 'arry!" he smiled revealing two large cages with two owls. "I got yeh two yer animals. Toads went out of fashion 'ears ago, and cats make me sneeze. Owls are what ye be wanting. Dead useful. Carry yer mail an' everythin'."
Harry's owl was a beautiful white snowy owl, that he named Hedwig quite quickly. Hagrid got me a barn owl with a pure white face that faded down to her dark wings, spotted with grey and light brown spots. She was the sweetest little thing and seemed to love to nuzzle her head on my hand.
"I think I like the name Nova. What do you think, Harry? I asked with a smile.
"I think it's fitting, Ren," Harry said with a smile as we made our way back to the Leaky Cauldron.
There it is: Chapter 4! Longest one yet, but I did't want to split it or take anything away. The next couple are similar in lengths, but we will see if I stick to this length or not. Either way, hope you liked it!
Word Count - 2371