Chapter 7

Sam had been coerced into taking Harry to buy his school supplies, while Dean went to check about a message to John from someone named Ellen who said she could help him, as Bobby thought there was less chance of him freaking out about it all than Dean, and he couldn't go because he had a lot to do at the salvage yard at the moment. Bobby had told the brothers what Snape had told him right after he left, along with what he had found out on his own, which was that Harry was one of what the demons had called magicals, who were basically psychics with more powerful and versatile, albeit generally similar among each other, abilities, not to be confused with witches who got their powers through deals, even if they too called themselves that (the women, men were wizards), they weren't inherently good or evil, and had their own hidden communities, a bit isolated from normal humans, and because of that most hunters didn't know about them, as they went out of their way not to attract attention, and had laws made to keep them secret, among with people with the job of enforcing said laws.

The entrance to the magical shopping center was in the back of a tourist shop selling crystals and other things that might hint of the more harmless supernatural, such as dreamcatchers, some herbs and some amulets, mostly for things like love or luck (and completely useless) but some in the back were for protection, and Sam recognized at least some of them as having real protective symbols on them, so while he waited for an opportunity to talk with the shopkeeper without getting overheard he found some he intended to buy, along with some useful, hard to find herbs. Finally the shop emptied a little, and they were led into the back, where there was a door they hadn't been able to see before being showed it (Sam asked how it was possible, but was only told it was a fidelius charm, and the man had no idea how it worked, but the door was invisible until he showed it to them, to prevent tourists to stumble upon it by accident), they were also told there were several other entrances and exits as well, but most needed someone with a wand to use them.

Once they passed through the door they found themselves in a big shopping center, which would have looked completely normal, if not for the clothes some of the people were wearing, the names of the shops and the things exposed in the shopwindows. "So what do you need?" Harry took out his shopping list and gave it to him "Lets see...we might as well start with the trunk, to have somewhere to keep your things...actually first we'll have to go to the bank to get the money, Bobby said that Snape guy told him you should have money in there".

They finished swiftly in the bank, Sam doing his best to be nonchalant about the goblins working there, who very obviously weren't human, as they took out nearly twice the among of money the teller had told them most first year students needed for the basic supplies, so that they wouldn't have to return there later, then they went in look for a place to buy a trunk, and found 'Lyzander's Luggage, trunks, bags and all kind of containers for the practical witch and wizard1. When they entered an old woman approached them immediately "Hello! First year at a magical school? Would you prefer the classical trunk look or something less bulky? Don't worry all our luggages are bigger on the inside, and have weight-reducing charms, the price depend on the inside size as well as other charms applied, other than the standard ones" they went to look at some duffel bags, which looked like completely normal ones, but the woman told them that they either were much deeper or wider than they looked, or there was more than one compartments on the inside, and which one you got was selected before you opened it (or a combination of the two), and the weight you felt was either that of the currently selected compartment or a predefined one, the shop assistant told them that the one with compartments the same size as the bag, and the weight of the selected one, were safe to use by or around non magicals, as there was a charm to prevent people from noticing the compartment changing mechanism, Harry bought himself one that was recommended for students, as it should be more than big enough to contain everything a students might bring, and had two bigger compartments, one made to contain the cauldron and potions instruments, and one for a flying broom, while Sam bought one each for himself and Dean with 4 compartments the same size as the bag.

Next they went to 'Students strument store', where they had everything else on the list except for the uniform, wand and books, then to 'McTobrul's:wands, staffs, crystals and other foci for all kinds of customers', this was the first place that really looked magical, the other had looked like completely normal shops if you overlooked some of the things sold, this place however was different: after entering there were 3 more doors, each marked for the kind of customer the things inside were meant for 'standard and basic', 'alternative and traditional', 'advanced and specialized', they chose the first and entered a room completely filled with long, rectangular boxes, except for a shelf holding several crystals, the shop assistant just asked "First year?" and when they nodded proceeded to take down and open the boxes, which held wands, give them to him to hold and snatch them away when nothing happened except sometimes a few coloured sparks, until one produced a veritable shower of blue sparks, and he pronounced that to be the right wand for him, then informed him it was a holly wand with a core made of phoenix feather, told him the price and offered to sell him a wand holster as well, which he bought.

Then there was a quick stop at a clothes shop, where they told the young woman who greeted them that he was going to Hogwarts, at which she produced a measuring band that moved on it's own, and soon they were done there too. In the bookshop Harry went looking for the books on the list, while Sam went in look for anything that looked like it might be useful for hunting, then when they both were done they asked one of the shop assistants if there were any other books he would recommend for Harry, and added another book with safety instructions and some beginners tips for potions.

Now that they had finished what they come for they went sightseeing a little, before leaving through a portal, which let them exit from a wall in a back alley not far from where they had parked.