A/N Yes, it's largely going to be a shopping chapter. Sorry, but it has to be done. A few new characters though, so look on the brightside.
Chapter 4: Letters and Shopping
Number 4, Privet Drive, 31st July 1991
It was a month later. Specifically, the 31st of July, a special day for Harry for two reasons. First of all, and most obviously, it was his eleventh birthday. Secondly, his birthday should include his official letter of acceptance from Hogwarts, although the letter was really just a formality; it was simply unimaginable that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Saviour of Wizarding Life as We Know It and all round popular icon do anything other than go to Hogwarts. Still, it would be nice to have it in writing, particularly since it would allow him to get a wand. Theory was interesting (in some subjects), but he couldn't wait to try proper, controlled magic; his little accidents were usually to embarrassing for him to enjoy. As a result of the excitement, something miraculous had happened; Harry had got himself out of bed, relatively early in the morning. This was so rare that Petunia was overheard speculating about the possibility of an impostor under Polyjuice Potion, but he still got his delicious cooked breakfast. He also got presents, his favourite being the Encyclopaedia of Transfiguration from Remus, although he also appreciated the latest edition of Quidditch through the Ages from Sirius and the new sabre from Peter. The Dursleys had given him numerous books that he had been longing for, and a fair amount of chocolate. Dudley had given him a brand new diary, with instructions to write down each time he used magic to comic effect, so that he had something to laugh over during the holidays. And finally, just as they were polishing off the sumptuous breakfast,an owl flew through the window, concealed from the Muggle neighbours by wards that Harry didn't quite understand.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
'Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus'
Headmaster: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore;
Order of Merlin 1st Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot
Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term will begin on the 1st of September, transport from Platform 9¾, at King's Cross Station, London. Enclosed is a list of the books, equipment, and uniform that all first year students are required to bring with them at the start of the year; all equipment can be purchased at Diagon Alley at any point. Congratulations on your achievement; we look forward to seeing you at the start of term.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall; Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor
Required Books for First Year Students:
Standard Book of Spells, Grade One; Miranda Goshawk
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration; Emeric Switch
A History of Magic; Bathilda Bagshott
Magical Theory; Adalbert Waffling
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi; Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions; Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide To Self Protection; Quentin Trimble
Required Equipment and Uniform
One small pewter cauldron
Full set of first year potions ingredients
Wand
Telescope
Protective Herbology Gloves
Plain black school robes (ties and crests will be supplied once Sorted)
Students may also bring a familiar; a rat, a cat, or an owl. First years are reminded that they are not allowed their own brooms.
Harry read the letter with a huge grin on his face, while his family looked on with fond smiles. They all knew how long he'd been waiting for this moment.
"Harry?"
"Yes Uncle Vernon?"
"Go and get ready, your guardians are collecting you shortly, something about shopping I think they said, didn't sound very interesting to me, but I believe a wand was mentioned…"
Harry's grin somehow grew even bigger, and he practically bounced out of his chair before running up the stairs.
Several hours later, Harry, Sirius, Remus and Peter were standing outside the Leaky Cauldron, one of many portals into the various Wizarding settlements around the country. The Leaky Cauldron, along with several other locations around London, would take them into the 'capital' of Wizarding Britain, home of the Ministry of Magic, St. Mungo's Hospital and Gringotts, the Goblin run bank. They made a strange group; a young boy, dressed smartly if not extravagantly, with three older men, all forming, on close inspection, a protective group around Harry. Remus was lanky, with long sandy hair, flecked with grey, which covered up several ugly scars on his face and neck. He was dressed in robes that had once been impressive, but had been worn down through constant wear. Despite his shabby and haggard appearance, there was a glint in his eyes that suggested he was far more than he appeared. By contrast, Sirius was dress in the latest fashions, with long, carefully maintained black hair drawn back into a ponytail. His eyes however looked emptier than they should be, hinting at a great loss. Peter was dressed plainly, a short stocky man, with eyes that gave nothing away but were constantly moving, on the lookout for trouble, or simply, in this instance, making sure that there were no Muggles around to see the four of them vanish into thin air.
"All right, let's go shall we?"
"Excellent, let the shopping commence."
"You almost sounded sincere there Moony, well done. We might get you into some decent robes by the end of the year."
"My clothes are fine Padfoot, I just prefer to spend my money on worthwhile things, like food - "
"And books!"
"Well, of course Harry, one should never forget books. You remember books don't you Sirius, from school? Those things with paper in?"
"I think the only things Sirius remembers from school probably aren't fit for public consumption Remus."
"Well, there is always that consideration Pete, although I'd have thought he might remember at least something useful…"
"I've got lots of memories about the less respectable stuff you used to get up to Moony, never forget that!"
The group attracted curious stares as they moved through the Leaky Cauldron, still bunched as they were, in a protective arc around Harry, but engaging in playful banter all the while. Then again, the customers would attract curious glances themselves, a rag-bag mix of scruffy and shabbily dressed wizards and witches who seemed to be avoiding attention as much as possible, along with the more apparently respectable clientele, taking the opportunity for a convenient drink before apparating home. The foursome moved through to the back, where there was a high brick wall, well above head height, beyond which could be heard the sounds of Muggle London. Sirius moved over to tap a particular brick with his wand, and as he did so the wall split apart, revealing a curiously flat, almost two-dimensional street on the other side. Sirius stepped through, and taking a breath, Harry followed him, his passage accompanied by an irritating stretching feeling, as if his body was being reshaped, and then he was through, and the street they had stepped into sprung into a normal perspective. He turned to look at Sirius.
"I hate travelling through portals, I always worry that I'll get stuck!"
"And you always complain about how much you hate it. Would you rather stay in the Muggle world all your life? It'd be so dull! And a couple of seconds stretching is far better than those damn tubes your family insist on travelling on."
"I think you mean trains Sirius, and they may be slower but they're more comfortable…"
As Remus and Peter followed them through, they continued to move along the narrow alley the portal was linked to. What they saw when they reached the end would, had they been first time viewers, have left them speechless with awe. Reaching out in front of them was a town, a town that looked as if it had been cobbled together by time-travellers, bringing streets and buildings from all across time. Pride of place was held by the vast building which held the Ministry of Magic, part Gothic, part Medieval, part Edwardian in its design. Harry could feel the magic that had constructed it, and then redesigned it as required, like a warm breeze around him. It was magic at its most pure, a magic that simply could not be turned to any purpose other than that which it had been designed and cast for; magic that was, unfortunately, lost to current generations. Over the roofs of one of the small residential areas that scattered the town, he could see the top of the dome on the top of Gringotts, and he could hear the noise of dozens of children and their parents coming from the high-street as they ran round to get all their supplies for the upcoming year at Hogwarts. Harry felt a grin spread across his face; much as he loved his family, he always felt better about coming to the Magical quarters, as if a part of him was missing, or in pain whenever he was away. They set off towards the shopping area, stopping off at Gringotts to pick up some school funds. As Harry was waiting for Remus to sort out some difficulties regarding his own account, he heard a booming voice from behind them, making a valiant attempt to speak quietly and discreetly.
"I've come from Hogwarts, about the you-know-what in Vault 713." As the Goblin replied, managing to be discreet where the giant-like customer had failed miserably, Harry approached the man.
"Morning Hagrid! How's things?"
"Merlin Harry, didn't see you lot there! Just a bit of business for the Headmaster, you know. Hang about… Ain't it your birthday today? You'll be here for your Hogwarts stuff then? I'm taking a little girl round meself, some problem over at the Ministry, everyone's going to sort out Fudge's latest mess, so the Hogwarts staff got landed with the job."
"What's she like? Impressed with the extension?"
"Heh, you should of seen her jaw drop, she was astonished. Wanted to know all about how it was done, even Remus don't ask so many questions! She's just going round Flourish and Blotts and Madame Malkins with her parents while I'm here."
"Sir? The cart is ready for your trip to the vault." Hagrid shuddered, going a little pale.
"Always hated those things… Anyway Harry, I'll see you at Hogwarts!" Hagrid wandered off, while Harry wandered back over to his guardians, who were finally ready to leave.
"So birthday boy, where to first?"
"Let's get Madame Malkin's out of the way first, you know that'll be dull…"
Sirius and Harry went into Madame Malkin's while Remus and Peter skived off to Flourish and Blotts; Sirius declared he needed an experienced hand to help him make decisions about the best robes, and Remus and Peter certainly didn't qualify as experienced. As he moved into the fitting area, Sirius finally having been satisfied, he could hear voices, one male, rather arrogant and cold, and a female voice that sounded pleasant, if a little wary. He rounded the corner to see a young girl with incredibly bushy hair, and a mildly stunned expression on her face, talking – or more accurately, listening – to a pale faced boy with dark hair who Harry vaguely recognised.
"Of course, I'll be in Slytherin, all my family has been. Which House do you think you'll be in?"
"Well, I, I don't really…"
"Hm. Ravenclaw would be acceptable I suppose, but I think I'd leave if I was put in Hufflepuff, and as for Gryffindor…" The boy virtually spat after saying this, as if the word 'Gryffindor' left a nasty taste in his mouth. "What did you say your name was by the way?"
"Granger. Hermione Granger."
"Theodore Nott, you'll know the name of course. Granger… any relation to Hector Dagworth-Granger?"
"Not as far as I know."
"Oh. Don't recognise the family name then…"
"There's no reason that you should, I'm, what's the term, Muggleborn."
"Oh Merlin, another one… Well at least you won't be in Slytherin, they don't let your sort in there…" At this the girl's face flushed a deep red, compelling Harry to voice his disapproval.
"You know, you aren't exactly painting a shining image of Pureblood society here Nott." The pale boy turned, sneering at Harry impressively.
"And why should I bother, she wouldn't be able to appreciate it anyway."
"It's dishonourable; I thought that was something that Pureblood's valued above all else, or was I mistaken?"
"It's dishonourable for me to be talking to Mudbloods. What's your name anyway? Should I be wasting my time talking to you?" Harry, who had tensed up, ready to punch the boy for his casual obscenity, relaxed with a smirk; he hated the publicity, but moments like this always made him chuckle. He ran a hand through his hair, subtly moving it away from his scar.
"Well I'm only a Half-Blood, but I reckon you've heard of me…" Nott's eyes flicked up to the distinctive scar, and he paled quickly, looking down with an audible gulp. The girl – Hermione had she said her name was? – looked quizzically at them. Without another word, Nott walked out of the fitting rooms, looking over his shoulder at Harry. Harry turned back to the girl.
"Sorry about that, there are always a few idiots. Bad luck to run into one so soon though! I'm Harry by the way."
"Hermione Granger. Thanks for the support, but I was handling it."
"Oh right, I'll remember that next time. So, what do you think of our little extension?"
"Extension? What do you mean?"
"Where we are now. The town."
"Oh! It's fantastic! I can't believe it's all hidden away like that, how do they fit it in without people noticing?"
"Well, the specific spells are lost, but from the outside it isn't any thicker than the wall you walked through. Well, walked into might by more appropriate I suppose…"
"You mean we're inside the wall right now? That's impossible!"
"If it weren't for one little thing yes."
"And what's that?"
"Magic. Basically a group of wizards maybe, four, five hundred years ago came together and created this little extension, and various others around the country. I think there's a few in pretty much every country with a Magical community. The magic creates a whole world inside a tiny space, with portals for people to get to them from. They're only really used for important places, there are plenty of communities that only have basic charms on them to repel Muggles. Hogwarts is the only major Wizarding institution in the real world, and that's only because it was set up first, before these extensions were created."
"That's incredible… the extensions can go anywhere?"
"Presumably, but nobody knows how to make them now. The magic's been lost, and besides, for all that idiot earlier spouts off about blood purity, Magical power's on the decline at the moment. There used to be hundreds of powerful wizards like Dumbledore – you've heard of Dumbledore? – and now there isn't anyone to hold a candle to him. Quite sad really."
"I've got to say, it isn't really what I was expecting; the only wizards I've spoken to are that boy and our escort's a little… unusual."
"We're a strange lot by and large."
"You seem fairly normal."
"Ah, but I live in the Muggle world. I can manage what passes for normality."
"Oh? Didn't you say you were a Halfblood? Which of your parents is Muggle?"
"Neither. They're dead."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"I'd rather not talk about it if it's all the same to you."
They descended into silence, Hermione looking rather embarrassed. Eventually they were both fitted for robes, and they made their way back to the front of the shop. Harry turned to Hermione again.
"Well, nice to meet you Hermione. See you at Hogwarts I hope!"
"I hope so too! And thanks again for your help."
Harry and Sirius wandered over to Flourish and Blotts, where Remus had to be dragged away from a new magical theory book, and made their way to Ollivanders. The dingy shop was situated towards the far end of the extension, in Diagon Alley, surprisingly far away from what was widely acknowledged as the 'respectable' area of the extension, closer to Knockturn Alley than anywhere else. Ollivander didn't need to advertise to get customers; he had built up a reputation for creating the finest wands in the country over several centuries, and he refused to modernise just to appease people's sensibilities. It was a sign of the respect in which he was held that even the constant rumours about the possibility that he was a Half-breed didn't stop people buying their wands from him. Peter pushed open the ancient door, creaking as it did so, and the group stepped into the gloom. Harry looked around, squinting in the half-light. He suddenly made out two dim glows near the back of the shop, and as he focussed on them, Mr Ollivander stepped forward. He was a curious looking person, with pale skin, wispy hair and moon-like eyes that seemed to look straight through Harry. Meeting him in person, it was easy to believe the rumours, although quite what else he might have been escaped Harry completely. Ollivander turned to the surviving Marauders.
"Sirius Black… Oak, 10 inches, gytrash heartstring… Excellent for duelling – quite fortunate given your role in the war perhaps?" Sirius glanced down, as if embarrassed or offended, while Ollivander turned to Remus.
"Beech, 12 inches, dragon veins… Rather good for transfiguration I believe?"
"Its always worked rather well for me it has to be said."
"Excellent… And Mr Pettigrew… 11 inches, willow, unicorn hair… Something of an all-rounder for you. No specific weaknesses then… A fine attribute." This was met solely with a blank stare, concealing Peter's opinion of the analysis.
"And of course, Mr Harry Potter… I must say, I have been looking forward to this, the chance to supply the Boy-Who-Lived with his wand! I do hope that you're a challenge Mr Potter…" Before Harry had a chance to respond, Ollivander had whisked a measuring tape around him, and was gathering up boxes of wands for him to try.
"Perhaps this one Mr Potter, ash, with unicorn hair, nice for charms, go on, give it a wave…" Harry duly waved the wand, and was rewarded with a sharp bang as a chair behind him collapsed.
"Hmm… Perhaps not eh Mr Potter? Now… how about this one, an unusual one, redwood and dragon heartstring, but then you're an unusual customer aren't you?" This time, nothing happened at all. Ollivander's smile only became wider, as he continued to hand wands to Harry. Half an hour later, the smile was looking slightly more unnerved, and it seemed to Harry that there were more wands on the discarded pile than on the shelves; none of them worked, either wildly miscasting his magic or simply doing nothing, to all intents and purposes a useless piece of wood.
"I must say Mr Potter, this is most unusual… I don't think I've ever had a customer as hard to place as you! Now… I wonder… just wait here a moment please." He wandered off into the back of the shop, while Harry looked over at Remus, getting quite worried now. His magic had always been erratic – he really ought to have taken control of it by now, but he still occasionally had little accidents like the incident at the zoo the previous month – but nothing like this. Remus seemed to sense his panic, coming over to him.
"Don't worry, you're just being your usual difficult self. You'll get a wand sooner or later-" He broke off as Mr Ollivander came back into the room, a dusty box in his hands.
"Here Mr Potter, try this one. Holly, phoenix tail feather, 11 inches." Harry picked up the wand, and instantly felt his magic billow around him like a strong breeze. Grinning, he cast a Lumos charm, and laughed as the room lit up. Remus, Sirius and Peter all applauded, but Ollivander merely looked curious. Lowering the wand, Harry looked at him in confusion.
"That is most interesting Mr Potter… You see, the phoenix who provided the feather for this wand gave one other feather… a feather that went into the wand that, well, the wand that gave you that scar." There was a moment of silence, before Remus spoke up.
"Well, couldn't Harry try some other wand? He doesn't want another reminder of all that!"
"It's ok Remus." Harry looked him in the eye. "The wand might chose the wizard, but it's the wizard who chooses what to do with it. Just because it's the same core doesn't mean anything."
"Well said Mr Potter, and after all, the Dark Lord performed great things did he not? Terrible to be sure, but great. I'm sure we can expect great things from you as well." Harry looked away, a little unnerved by this statement, only to see Sirius and Peter looking uncomfortable as well; Sirius was presumably remembering the horrific torture he had suffered under the twin wand, but Harry wasn't certain about Peter, he never really talked about what he did during the war. All Harry knew was that there was sometimes a Dark quality to Peter's magic that he couldn't quite understand. Perhaps he too had first hand experience of Voldemort's magic. Shaking his head, he turned back to Mr Ollivander, murmuring polite thanks for his help. The group walked out of the shop, Ollivander's moon-like eyes following them all the way.
A/N Read and review as ever please! Thanks in advance.
