Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
A/N: Thanks so much to dance4ever95 and rebma89 who reviewed the previous chapter!
Harry sat up in his makeshift bed and Hagrid's coat fell off of him. The hut was sunlit, the previous night's storm having passed. Hagrid was lying asleep on the sofa and an owl was tapping its claw on the window, holding a newspaper in its beak.
Harry scrambled to his feet, grinning from ear to ear, obviously remembering the night's events. He walked towards the window and yanked it open.
The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on Hagrid's head. Hagrid did not stir. The owl then fluttered to the floor and began viciously pecking Hagrid's heavy coat.
"Don't do that," said Harry, attempting to wave it out of the way, but it snapped its beak at him and returned to attacking the coat.
"Hagrid!" called Harry. "There's an owl-"
"Pay him," Hagrid grunted.
"What?"
"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."
James chuckled as Harry stuck his hand into pocket after pocket of the long overcoat, pulling out random objects and flashing a range of expressions, before eventually, pulling out a handful of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.
"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid with a yawn.
"Knuts?"
"The little bronze ones."
Harry put the money in the small leather pouch tied to the owl's leg. The owl flew out the open window and soared through the sky in the distance.
Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.
"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."
"Ooh! Harry's first trip to Diagon Alley!" Lily squealed. "This is so exciting. I remember how in awe I was when I went shopping for my stuff for school there for the very first time.
James grinned, "every venture into a place that's entirely magical is special. Even if you grow up in a magical family."
Lily nodded, "some things you just don't get used to so easily."
"Don't worry about that," Hagrid was now saying to Harry inside the little hut. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"
"But if their house was destroyed-"
"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."
"Wizards have banks?"
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."
Harry's eyes widened and he dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.
"Goblins?
"All the magical creatures are a bit of a shock at first," Lily said admittedly.
"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business. He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you - gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me see."
"He's smart to trust you Hagrid," said Lily with a kind smile.
"I agree," said James. "He's also pretty funny, Hagrid is. You know, making sure Harry knew how tight the Gringotts security was. Like Hagrid expects Harry to try and rob it or something."
Lily laughed.
Harry was now following Hagrid out onto the large rock. The storm had passed, leaving a clear sky and sunlight in its path. The boat Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom from the storm.
"How did you get here?" Harry asked curiously, looking around for some method of transportation Hagrid could have used.
"Flew," Hagrid replied.
"Flew?"
"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh.
"Seems a shame ter row though," Hagrid continued, with a glance at Harry. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
"Oh Hagrid . . ." Lily shook her head.
"Of course not," Harry lit up with excitement once again at the prospect of witnessing his new friend perform magic.
Hagrid drew his pink umbrella once again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off towards land.
"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.
"Spells - enchantments," Hagrid unfolded his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons gaurdin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."
"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page of The Daily Prophet, which he was reading.
"There's a ministry of Magic?" Harry asked.
"'Course," came the reply from his companion. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister o' 'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one."
Lily and James scowled. They had heard about the new Minister a couple of years ago (they did not witness him being made Minister first-hand, because they had been watching Harry in the Muggle world, but hears from others in other Little Heavens and were none too pleased about it.)
"So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."
"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"
"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."
"Why?"
"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
With a pang of nostalgia, Lily thought of Petunia, and how they used to be the very best of friends. That is, until Petunia found out about Lily's being a witch - she had wanted absolutely nothing to do with Lily.
The boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid refolded the newspaper, and the two clambered up the stone steps onto the street.
Hagrid attracted a lot of attention from Muggle onlookers as they walked through the little town to the station.
Hagrid moved quite fast; Harry had to run to keep up.
"Hagrid," said the little boy, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"
"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon." Hagrid was probably the only person Lily knew, who could make a proclamation such as that one in such a casual, conversational manner.
"You'd like one?" Harry's vivid green eyes widened with surprise.
"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."
They had reached the station. There was a train to London leaving in five minutes' time. Hagrid let Harry sort out the Muggle money so that they could buy the tickets.
On the train, Hagrid attracted even more attention from the Muggles; taking up two seats and knitting something large and canary-yellow. Lily could not even fathom what it was meant to be.
"Still got yer letter, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he counted stitches.
Harry brought the parchment envelope out of his pocket.
"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."
Harry unfolded the list and inspected it briefly.
"Can we buy all this in London?" he asked in wonder.
"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.
Hagrid got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow, though he did seem to know where he was going.
"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he grumbled as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.
They walked on for some time before Hagrid brought them to an abrupt halt in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
"This is it," he said, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place.
They entered the pub.
"Ah, the Leaky Cauldron," said James with a grin, "it's like the threshold to the magical world."
The low buzz of chatter died down as soon as they entered. Tom, the barman, as well as many others, waved at Hagrid upon his entrance.
Tom reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder proudly.
"Good Lord," Tom looked astonished as he peered at Harry, "is this - can this be-?"
The pub fell silent.
"Bless my soul," Tom seemed to be in awe, "Harry Potter . . . what an honor."
Lily couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips that the magical world was so welcoming of Harry.
He dashed out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."
Harry was looking every which was. Suddenly, people were standing up right and left, all wanting to shake the hand of the Boy Who Lived, each introducing themselves, and some even coming back for seconds or thirds or even more, to shake Harry's hand.
One man that Harry met was named Professor Quirrell, who, according to Hagrid would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts that year at Hogwarts.
"Nervous much?" James scoffed. Quirrell had an annoying stutter to his voice.
Eventually, Hagrid managed to get Harry away from them all and make himself heard over all the commotion.
"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."
Doris Crockford, a middle-aged witch who had already done so thrice, shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
Lily beamed, "I'm glad Harry's getting some positive attention for once. I just hope it doesn't get to his head."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want him to end up like me," James admitted. "Then he'll never get the girl he loves to even acknowledge him as a friend until his head finally deflates."
"Well I think that if our son ends up like you, then I'll be very proud. The way you may have acted as a teenager is no indication of what a great man you are today."
James smiled and pecked her lightly on the lips. "Thanks, Lils."
Hagrid had just opened up the archway to Diagon Alley.
He turned to Harry. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
Harry's face was blazing with amazement and wonder as he tried to take it in all at once.
"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," Hagrid commented, noticing where Harry's curious eyes had wondered over to a stack of cauldrons outside of a shop, "but we gotta get yer money first."
The two walked on until Hagrid said, "Gringotts," coming to a halt in front of the wizarding bank.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid in answer to the questioning look plastered upon Harry's face.
They walked up the stone steps towards the goblin. He bowed as they walked inside where they faced a pair of silver doors engraved with the poem Lily, as well as the rest of the magical world, was familiar with, warning thieves against attempting to steal from a Gringotts vault.
"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and into a vast marble hall filled with hundreds of goblins performing various jobs. Harry followed Hagrid to the counter.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."
"You have his key, sir?"
"Got it here somewhere," Hagrid began emptying his pockets, searching for the key.
"Got it," he said at last, holding up the tiny golden key.
The goblin inspected it closely.
"That seems to be in order."
"An' I've got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid said importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
"Oh no," Lily shook her head. "Harry will probably be curious about what's in the vault and whatever it is, I want him staying away from it - it's probably dangerous.
"Very well," said the goblin, handing the letter back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Once Hagrid restuffed his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook the goblin toward one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.
"Can't tell yeh that," Hagrid replied. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Griphook held the door open for them and whistled for a small cart which came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.
They twisted and turned through the passages in a route familiar to Lily and James, though neither of them could ever replicate it on their own - no witch or wizard could find a Gringotts vault without the help of a Gringotts goblin.
"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions now, I think I'm gonna be sick."
Lily giggled.
"What?" asked James. "That's what I would have said. Well, besides for the part about being sick."
Lily rolled her eyes.
When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.
Griphook unlocked the door. After the green smoke cleared and Harry got a good view of the contents of his vault, he gasped audibly.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid.
Harry was still blinking and looking around in wonder, still digesting the fact that he had so much money now. So many Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.
"The gold ones are Galleons," Hagrid explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe fer yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only," said Griphook curtly.
Lily sighed, "poor Hagrid.
Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.
"How often so you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked. Lily had been wondering the same thing.
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a sly grin.
Inside the vault was nothing but a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.
Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat.
"That's it?" James demanded. "Just a little brown paper bag? That's the all important object that Hagrid's getting for Dumbledore?"
"Sometimes good things come in small packages, James," noted his wife.
"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He and Harry were now standing outside of the bank. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldrom? I hate them Gringotts carts."
Harry consented and entered Madam Malkin's shop shyly, unaccompanied by Hagrid.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked, upon his entrance. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."
In the back of the shop, a pale, pointed-faced boy was standing on a footstool, a second witch pinning up his long black robes.
Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.
"Looks like Lucius Malfoy," James muttered.
Lily groaned, "I never liked him. I could tell even with such an age gap between us during our Hogwarts years that he was no good. And then, lo and behold he runs straight to Voldemort as soon as he has that chance."
"Hullo," said the pointed-faced boy, "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," said Harry simply.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," he drawled. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
"What a brat!" Lily exclaimed.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No," said Harry.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No," Harry repeated with a look of embarrassment and confusion.
"Poor baby," said Lily. "He must feel so lost."
"I do," said the blond boy. "Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"No," Harry blushed deeply.
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff!" Lily cried indignantly. She knew plenty of perfectly lovely people from that house.
"Yeah," James scoffed, "I'd certainly rather be put there than in Slytherin. That kid is either really wacked up or from some old prejudiced pureblood family. I'd guess the latter."
Lily nodded, "me too. Most likely a Malfoy based on his looks and what he's said."
"Oh," the other boy was now saying, evidently referring to Hagrid who was waiting by the window with an ice cream for Harry. "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
"No he's not!" cried both Potters from Their Little Heaven.
"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."
Lily and James were positively seething in anger at this point. How dare this boy insult their friend like that? He'd never even met Hagrid!
"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.
Lily beamed with pride, "you go Harry! You tell him! Don't let this taker take away from your giving."
James grinned, "are we still doing this give two take none thing, Lils?"
Lily blinked at him, "yes, of course. Now shush," she brought her finger to her lips to silence him. "I want to hear what happens next.
The pale boy was now speaking. "I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname anyway.
James punched the air in outrage. "I can't believe it! Never listen to people like that, My Little Flower," he spat. "You were the best in our year!"
Lily smiled, "thanks, James."
Madam Malkin had already ushered Harry out and he was now eating the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).
He was rather quiet, and Hagrid seemed to notice.
Lily frowned as her heart went out to her little boy down there. James wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him wordlessly.
"What's up?" Hagrid asked kindly and Lily smiled in gratitude to the half-giant.
"Nothing," Harry lied.
They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. Lily was glad for that. When they had left the shop, he asked, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"
"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' about Quidditch!"
James jumped up and down excitedly, dragging Lily with him as he had not released his grip on her. "Please tell him Hagrid! Harry is seriously missing out not knowing what Quidditch is."
Lily brought her lips to his to silence him. James pulled her closer to him immediately and kissed her passionately.
"Yer not from a Muggle family." Hagrid was now saying. "If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"
"Damn right Hagrid!" cried James with pride, and at the same time Lily said quietly, "thank you, Hagrid for cheering Harry up like that."
"-played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."
"Dammit," James shook his head, "I think we missed part of Hagrid's explanation about Quidditch."
Lily rolled her eyes. "You know how to play Quidditch already, James! You don't need Hagrid to teach you."
James opened his mouth to speak but Lily cut him off, "and watch your language, Potter!"
James grinned cockily. "Sure, Mrs. Prongs."
"You-Know-Who was one," said Hagrid.
"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"
"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.
They purchased Harry's school books in Flourish and Blotts where Harry seemed quite interested in some of the merchandise; namely Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridan.
"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley," he explained.
Neither of his parents could help but burst into a fit of laughter at that, though they both knew that that wasn't something Harry should try.
"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level.
They purchased all of the necessary equipment, and then visited the Apothecary to buy Harry's Potions ingrediants.
Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.
"Just yer wand left - ah yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."
Harry blushed scarlet.
"You don't have to-"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful carry yer mail an' everythin'."
Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium with the most beautiful owl Lily had ever seen. She was a Snowy and was currently fast asleep with her head under her wing.
He continuously thanked Hagrid. Lily smiled at his good manners.
"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand.
Lily and James could tell that this was what Harry had really been looking forward to - it's what all kids most looked forward to about joining the magical world.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside Ollivanders.
"Good afternoon," said the soft voice of Mr. Ollivander. Harry jumped, and as did Hagrid, the latter of which caused a loud crunching noise.
The old man's eyes were wide and gleaming through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," Harry stammered awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said Ollivander. "Yes, yes. I though I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Lily smiled brightly.
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry, his unblinking silver eyes staring directly into Harry's brilliant green ones.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and Excellent for Transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Ollivander was now practically nose to nose with Harry. Harry seemed slightly taken aback.
Ollivander brought a long white finger to Harry's forehead, touching the jagged lightning shaped scar upon it. "And that's where . . ."
Lily gulped. Mr. Ollivander had always been rather creepy.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," continued the old man, in a voice barely above a whisper. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands . . . well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do . . ." He shook his head and then apparently spotted Hagrid (though Lily wondered how he could not have noticed Hagrid up until then, but have seen Harry quite clearly, even though Harry was less than half Hagrid's size).
"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid!" the wandmaker exclaimed. "How nice to see you again . . . Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it."
"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.
"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" Mr. Ollivander's tone suddenly turned stern, his face disapproving.
"Er - yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, looking as though he'd rather not have a conversation such as that one with a man such as Mr. Ollivander. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added in an attempt to make the situation less awkward.
"But you don't use them?" demanded Ollivander sharply.
"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly.
"Hmmm," said Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.
"Hold out your arm. That's it."
He performed various measurements all over Harry's body. As he did so, he explained: "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Ollivander left the tape measurer to measure the space between Harry's nose by itself, and began taking down wand boxes from shelves.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measurer crumpled into a heap in the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave." Harry took the wand, and waved it around a bit with a slightly abashed look upon his face. Mr. Ollivander snatched it away almost at once.
He handed Harry another one. "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-" Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Ollivander.
"No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out." Again, the wand did not choose Harry.
Harry tried wand after wand but none seemed to be working. Harry seemed to be discouraged, but Ollivander only became more and more excited with each failed trial.
"Tricky customer, eh?" he said. "Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Harry took the wand from its maker tentatively.
The effect was instant. Harry's fingers as well as his face relaxed and he broke out into a wide smile. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.
Lily and James beamed at each other. They both knew that this wand was the right one. This wand would be Harry's magical companion for the rest of his life.
Hagrid clapped happily, and Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, ver good. Well, well, well . . . how curious . . . how very curious . . ."
Lily frowned. What did he mean by that?
He put Harry's new wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious . . . curious . . ."
"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar.
Lily felt her eyes widen in shock and James appeared confused.
"Well that's . . . strange," she said, pushing her dark red hair back.
James nodded. "Yes, very strange indeed. But it doesn't change who Harry is just because his wand and Voldemort's are . . . to use Ollivander's term . . . brothers. It's just, well, like you said, it's just strange."
She nodded in agreement. Of course.
Harry paid seven Galleons for his wand and Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, and back through the (now empty) Leaky Cauldron. Harry was in a daze as they walked down the road and did not even appear to notice the stares he was receiving from the various packages and magical items he had from Diagon Alley.
He and Hagrid went up another escalator, out into Paddington station.
Hagrid tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.
He kindly bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around.
"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.
Harry hesitated for a while. "Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last.
Lily frowned at that. He was special after all.
Harry continued. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander . . . but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."
Lily softened at that and saddened. James drew her into his chest and she snuggled into him.
Hagrid leaned across the table. He smiled sweetly at Harry.
"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."
Lily brightened greatly. Hagrid's words were most likely the kindest words she had ever heard spoken to her son since he had gone to live with the Dursleys.
James beamed, "you can count on Hagrid to cheer everyone up when they're down."
Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to Privet Drive, then handed him an envelope.
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me . . . See yeh soon, Harry.
The train pulled away from the station.
"Well that was simply splendid!" James remarked.
"Yeah," said Lily. "Our son's first experience in the wizarding world was great! I'm glad he'll be able to have so much fun now." She beamed and James beamed back.
The messy haired man opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Both Lily, and James whipped around quickly to see who was there.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Please please please leave a review :)
