Chapter Four
The first time Hermione Granger entered Diagon Alley she was in awe. Her first interaction with Goblins amazed her as the Grangers opened up a student account for her. Surprising her when they immediately placed one thousand British pounds into the account; her parents surprised her even more when they exchanged two thousand United States dollars from their bank account into their daughter's account and then set the account up to draw another one thousand pounds on her birthday, Christmas, and Easter. They then exchanged another thousand pounds into galleons. From what the goblin that was their teller told them, a thousand British pounds translated into two hundred Galleons. The two thousand US Dollars that her parents converted to the British Pound that they then placed into the account translated into one hundred and nighty-eight Galleons even. All in all she started out with three hundred and ninety-eight Galleons in her account but because she didn't know what prices ran in the wizarding world she didn't know how much money that was but that still left them two hundred Galleons to shop on for the day.
Her next stop had been to get her wand. Finally her parents caved at allowed her to go into Flourish and Blotts. When the young girl entered she was shocked at how many books the people in Diagon Alley had managed to cram into such a small bookstore as she had seen much larger in Muggle London. She spent at least four hours poring over book after book; anything that caught her attention really. The first thing she had done was pick out her school textbooks but from there it was a free for all. When she had figured that out she began browsing the shelves pulling down 'Hogwarts A History' as well as a few general history books of the wizarding world. From there it expanded into 'Theory of Potion Making' as well as books that covered the theory of every course she was taking that year. When she found the history section she pulled down a few books on the history of the wizarding world, or at least the recent history. She figured she would cover the older history in her course History of Magic. When she found a companion to One Thousand Magical Herb and Fungi it made its way into her shopping cauldron as well. All in all Hermione left Flourish and Blotts with thirty books give or take either direction with an instruction sheet and order booklet that would allow her to owl order more as needed. They left Flourish and Blotts with as many books as they could manage and an owl order form that listed every book the shop carried as well as an order form for special edition and obscure books that they would send for an extra fee. Each of these lists updated automatically which amazed the Doctor Grangers.
Their next two stops caught her attention almost as much as the bookstore did. When they entered the trunk shop Hermione gravitated towards a trunk that was sitting in the back of the shop as the shop keeper came up to her.
"Starting Hogwarts this year?" the elder lady asked as she watched the young girl eye the trunk before her. If the shopkeeper was correct the trunk before her was meant for the young lady that just walked in; even if it wasn't standard issue.
"Yes ma'am." Was the reply that left Hermione's mouth as she eyed the dark black trunk that was right in front of her.
"This isn't your standard issue Hogwarts trunk but I want you to take a look and see if it's what you're interested in Miss. A trunk grows with its witch or wizard as they grow and if the number of books your parents are carrying is anything to go by then your trunk will grow tremendously over the years you are at Hogwarts." The shop keeper said as she tapped her wand on the trunk before it unlocked itself. Inside the trunk where three compartments which were larger than they looked from the outside. "Each compartment as an extendable charm on it which means you can place as many objects in the trunk as you desire and still shrink it down to a cartable size. The first is meant for books. To place your books inside the compartment just open the flap there, place the books inside and then close the flap. To recall a book, simply tap the flap and say the name of the book. Once your trunk adapts to you all you have to do is think of the book you desire. The second compartment is meant for clothes and hygiene products; the final compartment is meant for potions, herbology planets, and cauldrons things of that nature. Might I suggest you get double the amount of potions ingredients and a potions carrying case; you may want to practice brewing at home as it only takes the magic inside of you and not a wand."
True to their word her parents bought her the trunk, glad to be able to place her books inside the trunk before making their finally stop the apothecary. Taking the advice of the shop keeper Hermione purchased double the amount of ingredients that where required for her potions class as well as the standard cauldron, as well as a nicer spare cauldron along with the standard glass stirring rods and several sets of glass vials before she allowed her parents to drag her out of Diagon Alley, after she had found a book on the function of a wizard's trunk, promising that they would let her return the day before the Hogwarts Express left if she wanted to get further books or that she could just owl order them.
Hermione spent the months leading up to starting Hogwarts pouring over the books that had been purchased on her few trips to Diagon Alley. Her parents had caved when she finished her school books by the end of June, deciding another trip to the bookstore wasn't out of the question. This time Hermione decided she wanted to make sure she had enough books to last her until she went home for Christmas but first she would have to check with her parents.
As they were eating breakfast the morning they were to go to Diagon Alley she shyly brought up the idea, although looking back she didn't understand why she was so shy about it, they had always gotten her books when she had asked for them in the past.
When they agreed they decided it was best to just drop her off in Diagon Alley and then have her met them in the Leaky Cauldron as they knew she would be several hours as they had given her the equivalent of one hundred and fifty galleons or fifteen hundred dollars knowing that with her love of reading she would blow through the books in no time.
When Hermione entered the Leaky Cauldron with one hundred and forty books more than she had entered Diagon Alley with, and more potions supplies than most first years, or third years, would know what to do with, the young girl was thoroughly content. July and August she would more than likely fly through a few books but once school started she knew her reading would slow down tremendously due to school work, but before she could do any recreational reading she still wanted to go back over One Thousand Magical Herb and Fungi for at least a few more days, she had a feeling potions would soon become one of her favorite subjects as she had already brewed a simple Pepper-Up and Calming Draught and had yet to poison herself, for which she was very grateful.
She was excited to start a new chapter in her life, and to make new friends who had the strange childhood experiences that she had, never noticing that a blank black journal had made its way into her school trunk.
