Whoo! Thank you, angelvan105, for taking interest in my story! Here's the next chapter:
Josie walked down a street of London, her two boys looking over their lists of things they needed for the school year.
"'All students must be equipped with...one, standard size two, pewter cauldron and may bring, if they desire, either an owl, a cat or a toad.'" Harry read off.
"Can we find all this in London?" Percy asked, looking at Josie.
Josie smiled, a secret hidden in it, "If you know where to go."
They turned the corner and walked into an old looking bar, the sign reading 'The Leaky Cauldron'. It was full of witches and wizards of all ages at this time of day.
The barkeeper, an older man named Tom, recognized Josie right away, "Ah, Josephine Whimscot! Haven't seen you 'round here since the old days." Josie grinned, "Still remember your order; the usual?"
"No thanks, Tom!" she laughed. She patted the boys heads, "Just here to take Harry and Percy to buy school supplies. Also need some myself."
Tom looked down at Harry in amazement, "Bless my soul. It's...Harry Potter!" The pub went silent and all eyes turned to Harry. A man came up to Harry and shook his hand heartily.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter!" he said, "Welcome back!" Harry looked up at Josie, but she just rose an eyebrow. The next was a woman, who shook his hand as well, "Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last!"
A man in robes, with a turban wrapped around his head, was sitting at the bar. Josie recognized him as Professor Quirrell, a new professor at Hogwarts.
"Harry P-potter. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you," he stuttered out. Josie narrowed her eyes, confused. But none the less, she made herself known.
"Ah, Professor!" she said with a jolly tune. He looked up with a nervous smile, "Harry, this is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts."
"Oh, nice to meet you." Harry greeted politely, sticking his hand out. Quirrell looked down at it almost fearfully.
"F-fearfully fascinating subject," he commented, "N-not that you need it, e-eh, Potter? A-and I'm sorry. I-I did n-not catch your name." he had addressed Josie.
"Josephine Black, the new Astronomy teacher." she smiled, secretly satisfied that his eyes widened at her last name. She pushed the children along, "Must be going now. Lots to buy and all." Harry looked back once.
"Good-bye!"
They left through the door into a small back room that had a brick wall blocking something. "See, Harry? I told you you're famous!" She smiled down at her own son and winked.
"Mum, I didn't know you were a teacher." he commented with a smirk. She just pursed her lips and took out a stick of wood, which was her wand, and tapped five bricks in a clockwise fashion. The blocks quickly shifted and opened to reveal a hidden, but busy street.
"Welcome, my boys, to Diagon Alley!" she told them, throwing her arms open. They grinned broadly as they stepped into the street and walked down it, dodging the bustling witches and wizards. Nearby, an owl screeched.
"Here's where we'll get your quills and ink," she explained. She pointed out some of the stores, "Over there are stores for all your 'bits and bobs', as Hagrid puts it, for doing wizardry."
They looked around, amazed, as they passed by shops with owls and bats out for display. As they passed a broom store, they hear a boy say, "It's a world class racing broom. Look at it, its the new Nimbus 2000! Fastest model yet!"
"But Mum, how do we pay for this?" Harry asked.
"Ah, not to worry!" she waved off the question and pointed to a large white building, "The money we need is at Gringotts. It's a wizard bank and there isn't a safer place; Except maybe Hogwarts."
Inside the bank, they walked down the shiny aisle, passing many tiny creatures with large noses and varying amounts of warts. Percy grimaced, "Uh, what exactly are they?"
Josie glanced over and saw what he was talking about, "They're goblins. Clever, they are; but not the friendliest. Come on, stick close to me." They took ahold of her hands and together walked over to a counter. She cleared her throat, "Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Perseus Whimscot wish to make a withdrawl." Percy looked up, confused as to why she used her maiden name.
"And do the Messrs have their keys?" the goblin asked with a smirk. Josie returned the smirk and reached into her bag, pulling out two keys and a letter.
"And Professor Dumbledore sent me on business," she said. She glanced down at the boys, "In vault you-know-which about you-know-what." The goblin suddenly got very serious as he read the letter she had handed him.
"Very well."
Racing down the cavernous vault depths in the cart, they stopped at a black vault. Griphook, their goblin guide, climbed out, "Vault 687." he stated. Josie handed him the lamp and helped Harry out of the cart, telling Percy to stay put, "Key, please."
As the vault opened, they were greeted by a room full of coins, nearly filling it top to bottom. Josie grinned at his amazement, "You didn't think your parents would leave you with nothing, did you?" She handed Harry a pouch and watched as he scooped up just enough to fill the bag.
"Vault 693." Griphook stated. Percy filled his pouch until it was at least half full and returned to the cart. Their last stop was Vault 713, where the guide had to magically open the door. Once open, Josie scooped up the only package in it and turned to the children.
"This is not to be mentioned, alright?" she warned. They nodded.
The three were walking down the street once more, Josie carrying only a few bags full of items. Percy looked over his list, which had things scratched off, "We still need...wands."
"Wands?" Josie mused, "Well, go to Ollivanders. It's just up there. Now go ahead and wait for me once you're done. I've gotta do one more thing." She ran off towards the pet store, the kids staring after her.
"She's your mum," Harry joked when they entered the store. Inside, it was very quiet. There were shelves upon shelves of wands, but no one to be seen.
"Hello?" Harry called. He cleared his throat and tried louder. They looked towards the direction of a thunk and saw an elderly man on a ladder. He smiled towards the two.
"Ah," he said, sounding whistfull, "I wondered when I'd be seeing you two. Yes, it seems like just yesterday I was selling your parents their wands. Shall we try Mr. Black first?" He plucked a wand and held it out to Percy, who took a hold and felt a spark, making him nearly drop the wand.
"Ah!" Ollivander clapped once, "Chestnut, Dragonheartstring, 11". Quite like your father, getting it on the first try. Now..." He walked over to the shelves and picked out two wands. He held it out for Harry who, upon waving it, jumped as the shelves came crashing down.
Ollivander took it from him hurriedly and gave him the other. But when Harry waved this one, a vase on the counter blew apart. The seller tapped his chin curiously, "I wonder..." He walked into the back shelves, where rustling could be heard, and reappeared with a blue box. As Harry picked it up, he felt a connection.
"Curious..." Ollivander walked back to his counter.
"Sorry, but what's curious?" Harry asked.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter." he stated, "it just so happens that the phoenix, who tail feather resides in your wand, gave one other feather...just one. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." He pointed to Harry's forehead.
"And...who owned that wand?" Harry asked slowly.
"We do not speak his name." Ollivander shook his head, "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Mu-"
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander." Josie's voice interrupted him. Her voice had a firm tone that sounded irritable. "That will be all today. How much are the wands? Harry, Percy, go outside. Your other birthday present is outside, Harry."
Harry and Percy stepped outside and there, sitting in a golden cage, sat a snowy owl in all her glory.
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