Aleena woke early the next morning. Although she could tell it was daylight, she kept her eyes shit tight. She could feel the warm sunlight on her face.
Did last night really happen?
Am I really going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly?
Am I really a witch?
Am I really the girl who got rid of the most evil dark wizard ever?
Am I really famous?
A million and one questions ran though Aleena's mind. She slowly opened her eyes when she heard something tapping on the window. Aleena sat up and looked around. A smile appeared on her face when she was Hagrid asleep on the chair. She could feel herself getting excited, as if a large balloon was swelling inside her.
She jumped when whatever tapped on the window before, trapped even louder. She looked at the window and saw an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak. Aleena got up and went straight to the window and jerked it open.
The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up, then it flew over to Hagrid's coat and started to attack it. Aleena blinked a few times and tried to shoo the owl away, but it snapped its beak fiercely at her fingers and carried on attacking the coat.
"Hagrid!" Aleena said loudly. "There's an owl attacking you coat."
"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper" Hagrid grunted into the sofa. "Look in the pockets."
Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls string, mint humbugs, tea bags … finally, Aleena pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.
"Give him five Kunts" said Hagrid sleepily. "The little bronze ones" he added when he saw the confused look on Aleen's face. Aleena counted out five little bronze coins and the owl held out its leg so she could out the money into a small leather pouch tied to it.
She hesitated before stretching out her hand. She grinned to herself when the owl gently nudged her hand with its head. She stroked his head for a few seconds before the owl flew out of the window. Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up and stretched.
"Best be off, Aleena, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yet stuff fer school."
Aleena was turning over the wizard coins over in her hand, when she suddenly thought of something that made her feel like that happy balloon inside her had got a puncture.
"Um - Hagrid?"
"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.
"I haven't got any money, and you heard Uncle Vernon last night, he won't pay for me to go and learn magic. Harry, yes, but not me" she said sadly.
"Don't worry abou' that" said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anythin'?"
"But if their house was destroyed -"
"They didn' keep their gold in the house, Aleena! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold."
"Wizards have banks?" Aleena asked, picking up sausage and taking a bite. Hagrid was right. They were actually quite nice cold.
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."
Aleena gasped and dropped the sausage that she was about to take another bite of. "Goblins?"
"Yeah!" Hagrid chuckled at the look of amazement on Aleena's face. "I need to visit Gringotts meself actually. Need to pick something up for Dumbledore. He trust me with all the important stuff, you see."
Aleena smiled at how proud Hagrid looked when he said that. She jumped when a door to her right suddenly opened. She looked and saw Harry stood there, looking tired and annoyed. Aleena looked at him and saw that he was dressed in his new jeans and jumper that Aunt Petunia had got him for his birthday.
Harry smirked when he saw the jealously in Aleena's eyes. She looked away from her brother and looked down at her own clothes. She was wearing Harry's old jeans, which was ripped on the right knee from when he had pushed her over. She was also wearing Dudley's old t-shirt which was four times too big for her. She had to tuck it into her jeans to make it look less baggy.
"Good morning, Harry" Hagrid smiled. "Got some sausages left over if yeh want one."
"No! I don't want a nasty cold sausage!"
Hagrid raised his eyebrow at him, but quickly shrugged it off. "Right then" he said, clapping and rubbing his hands together, "got everythin'? Come on" he said, walking over to the door. Aleena followed him immediately, but Harry hesitated a little before following them. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there.
Aleena looked around, expecting to see another boat, but she couldn't find one. "How did you get here, Hagrid?"
"I flew here."
"Flew?" Harry asked, looking at Hagrid up and down. "How did you manage to fly?"
"Magic" Hagrid said, winking at Aleena, which made her giggle. "Though, I'm not supposed to use magic, but I was allowed to use a bit to get to yeh."
They settled down in the boat. Aleena stared at Hagrid. She was trying to imagine Hagrid flying. Did he fly on a broom like the witches do in the story books? Or could he fly on his own? Or maybe he has a pet dragon that he flies on. Aleena shook her head at the last thought. She wasn't even sure if dragons existed in the wizarding world. Then again, she didn't think witches and wizards existed till last night, so I guess anything is possible.
Aleena snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Hagrid clearing his throat. She looked up only to find Hagrid looking at her. He looked a little nervous.
"Is everything ok, Hagrid?" she asked.
"If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
"Of course not" Aleena said, eager to see more magic. Harry rolled his eyes, but deep down, he too, was eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out his pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat and they sped off towards land.
Aleena looked around and smiled happily. She could see the hut on rock getting smaller and smaller. That happy balloon she felt earlier was starting to swell inside of her again. Today is going to be a good day.
"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual" Hagrid muttered. Aleena looked at him and saw that he was reading the newspaper that the owl dropped off for him. She looked at the front page and saw that it was called the Daily Prophet.
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Aleena asked, before she could stop herself. Aleena learnt from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they read the newspaper, but Aleena couldn't help herself, she never had so many questions in her life.
"'Course. They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one, so he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning askin' fer advice."
"But that 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, Aleena, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folder up his newspaper and they clambered up the stone steps on to the street. People stared at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station, which made Aleena feel a little uncomfortable, but Hagrid didn't shame to care that more.
They reached the station and saw that there was a train to London in five minutes time. Hagrid, who didn't understand 'Muggle money' as he called it, gave the notes to Aleena so she could buy their tickers. People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat there kitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.
"Still got yer letter, Aleena?" he asked as he counted stiches. She took the envelope out of her pocket. "Good. There's a list of everything yeh need."
Aleena unfolded a second piece of paper she hasn't noticed the night before and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastening)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
Set Books Other Equipment Students may also bring an owl OR a cat Or a toad PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Books of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffing
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Aresnius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered, grabbing the letter out of Aleen's hand.
"If yeh know where to go" said Hagrid, as Aleena grabbed her letter back off Harry, which made him glare at her.
Aleena had never been to London before. Harry has though. He went into London with Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley last year for Dudley's birthday. They had took Harry and Dudley to see a show at a fancy theatre. Aleena was left behind with Mrs Figg. She didn't mind though because when Mrs Figg fell asleep, Aleena left a note and went to the park that wasn't that far from her house.
Hagrid must have been to London before as well, because he seemed to know where he was going, although it was obviously that he wasn't used to getting there the Muggle way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, something that Harry found very funny.
"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic" Hagrid moaned, as they climbed a broken-down escalator which led up to a bustling road lined with shops. Aleena looked around confused. She could see book shops and music stores, hamburger bars and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand.
Was there really shops that sold spells books and broomsticks in London? Was there really a wizarding bank that was run by goblins? Even though everything Hagrid has told Aleena so far was unbelievable, she couldn't help but trusting him.
"This is it" Hagrid said, suddenly stopping. Aleena stopped just in time before she bumped into him. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
It was a tiny, grubby looking pub. If Hagrid hasn't pointed it out, Aleena wouldn't have noticed it was there. Harry looked at it and pulled a face of disgust. Hagrid opened the door and Harry and Aleena followed him inside. For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby.
A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the barman reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business" said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Aleena's shoulder, which made her knees buckle.
"Good Lord" the barman said, peering at Aleena, "is this - can this be -?" The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. "Bless my soul" whispered the old barman. "Aleena Potter ... what an honour."
He hurried out from behind the bar and rushed towards Aleena, which made her flinch and move closer to Hagrid. When the barman reached Aleena, he grabbed her hand and roughly shook it.
"Welcome back, Miss Potter! Welcome back!"
Aleena didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at her. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realising it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming at Aleena, whilst Harry stood there annoyed that no one was paying attention to him. He tried talking but no body listened to him and started shaking hands with Aleena.
She found herself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. Aleena didn't like touching people she didn't know but every time she tried to pull her hand away someone else had already grabbed it. People kept telling her that they were proud of her and that they were so happy to see her again.
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell" Hagrid said when he saw him stood there. "Harry, Aleena, this is Professor Quirrell, he will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
"P-P-Potters" Professor Quirrell stammered, grasping Aleena's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you b-both."
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" she asked, as she pulled her hand out of his grip.
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts" Professor Quirrell muttered, as though he's rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" he laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself" He looked terrified at the very thought.
Harry was starting to get impatient. "Can we go?" he snapped, crossing his arms and tapping his foot on the floor. "We haven't got all today, you know!"
Hagrid was a little taken back at Harry's out burst, but he soon agreed with him. "Yes, Harry is right, come on, guys. Bye, Professor" he nodded to Quirrell, who looked a little upset that he didn't get longer to talk to Aleena.
"Bye, Professor" Aleena said, smiling. "See you at Hogwarts."
Harry and Aleena followed Hagrid through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds. Hagrid grinned at Aleena. "Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous."
Harry rolled his eyes. "It's a stupid reason on why she's famous, if you ask me. Famous for not getting killed, that's pathetic! I didn't die either, but no one is paying attention to me! It's not fair! - stupid little freak!" he added, glaring at Aleena.
"I didn't ask to be famous!" she snapped. "I don't want everyone knowing who I am. I would rather you have the all the attention anyway since you're used to it."
"Don't talk to me like that" Harry growled, taking a step closer to Aleena, who moved back a little. Hagrid put a hand on Harry's shoulder and pulled him back.
"That's enough from you, young man! I've had enough of you talking to yer little sister like that - Now, where's me umbrella?"
Hagrid went inside his pocket and pulled out his pink umbrella. Aleena looked at it, wondering what he was going to do with it. She frowned when Hagrid started tapping on different bricks on the wall above the dustbin.
"Three up … two across …" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Aleena. You too, Harry."
He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome" Hagrid said, "to Diagon Alley."
"Woah!" Aleena breathed out in amazement. They stepped through the archway and Aleena looked over her shoulder just in time to see the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop.
Aleena wished that she had about eight more eyes. She turned her head in every direction as they walked up the street. Harry was also looking around in amazement. It's better than he thought it was going to be. They passed a pet shop, a shop that sold broomsticks. Aleena wanted to take a closer look but Hagrid carried on walking, and Aleena, who didn't want to get lost, followed him.
They passes shops that sold school robes, telescopes and strange silver instruments that Aleena had never seen before. She got excited when she saw a shop that sold spell books, quills, ink, roll of parchment, and notebooks.
"Gringotts" Hagrid said. They had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little stops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was a goblin. The goblin was about a head shorted than Aleena and Harry was a head taller than the goblin.
He bowed to them as they walked inside. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large legers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people on and out these.
Hagrid, Harry and Aleena made for the counter. "Morning" Hagrid said to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta the Potters safe."
"You have their key, sir?"
"Got it here somewhere" Hagrid said, and he stared emptying hi pockets on to the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy god biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. Aleena and the goblin wrinkled up their nose. "Got it" Hagrid finally said after two minutes of looking for the tiny golden key that he was handing to the goblin.
He looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order."
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore" Hagrid said, handing the goblin a letter. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well" he said, handing it back to Hagrid. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet anther goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog-biscuits back inside this pockets, he, Harry and Aleena followed Griphook towards one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Aleena asked.
"Can't tell yeh that, Aleena" Hagrid said mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business."
"I saw you had dog biscuits in your coat, does that mean you have a dog?"
"I thought that would have been obvious, freak!" Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Yes, I do" Hagrid smiled, ignoring Harry. "He's a boarhound named Fang."
"I can't wait to meet him, that's if I'm allowed to, of course."
"Of course yeh are. You can meet him too, Harry."
"No thanks!" Harry said coldly.
Aleena looked at Hagrid and whispered sorry but Hagrid just waved her off and told her it's fine. Griphook held the door open from them. Aleena, who had expected more marbled, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor.
Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off. At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Aleena tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.
Aleena's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past her, but she kept them wide open. Once she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late. She went to ask Hagrid if there were dragons down here but stopped when she saw the look on his face. He looked a pale green colour.
The cart stopped outside a small door on the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees trembling. Aleena got out and almost fell over because her legs felt weak. Griphook unlocked the door and a lot of green smoke came billowing out, Aleena gasped as soon as the smoke cleared.
Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts. Harry frowned when he looked inside the vault. He was expecting to see Muggle money, not wizarding coins. He put his hand inside his pocket and felt the 100 pounds that Uncle Vernon had given him the night before. He thought about telling Hagrid about the money but changed his mind at the last minute. Why spend his Muggle money when there's wizarding coins up for grabs. He will save his 100 pound for the Muggle world.
Hagrid helped Aleena pile some of the coins into a bag. She took it off him and smiled when she looked inside. She's never had so much money in her life. Griphook went to close the vault but Harry stopped him.
"I need some money too" he said harshly.
"I thought Uncle Vernon was giving you some money for your school things" Aleena frowned.
"He was, but with anything that happened last night, he must have forgot."
Hagrid looked at Aleena, as if he was asking her if it was ok to give him some. She nodded. She couldn't exactly stop Harry from taking money out of the vault. It was half his after all. Hagrid put the same amount of coins into a bag for Harry and handed it to him. Harry smirked and put it in his pocket.
Hagrid turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only."
Hagrid has they got back into the cart. They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. Aleena shivered and hugged her body to try and get warm. Harry learnt over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom.
"Harry" Aleena panicked, pulling him back into his sit. "Don't do that, you could fell out."
Harry pushed her hand away and shrugged. When they reached vault seven hundred and thirteen the first thing Aleena noticed was that there was no keyhole.
"Stand back" Griphook said 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."
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Aleena asked.
"About once every ten years" Griphook answered, with a rather nasty grin. Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Aleena was sure, and she leant forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least, but at first she thought it was empty. Then she noticed a grubby little package warped up in brown paper lying on the floor.
Harry picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat.
One wild cart-ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Aleena didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money.
"Might as well get yer uniform" Hagrid said, nodding towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick me up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."
Aleena shook her head and watched Hagrid walk away.
"Wuss" Harry muttered. Aleena went to tell him to shut up, but when she turned around, she saw him walking over to the robes shop. She sighed and walked after him.
When Aleena entered robes shop she saw Madam Malkin stood behind counter. She smiled at Harry and Aleena when she saw them stood there. "Hogwarts, dears?" they nodded. "Got the lot here - a young man is being fitted up just now, in fact."
In the back of the stop, a boy brown hair and a round face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Aleena on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over her head and began to pin it to the right length. Harry yawned and sat down on the chair.
"Hello" the boy said. "Hogwarts too?"
"Yes" Aleena said.
"My father's next door buying my books and my mother's up the street looking at wands" the boy said. He had a bored, drawling voice. "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."
Harry sat their smirking at the boy. He liked this boy's attitude. Aleena thought different, this boy strongly reminder her of Dudley, so she could see why Harry would like him.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No."
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No" Aleena said, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.
"I do - 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" Aleena said, feeling more stupid by the minute.
"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?"
"Mmm" Aleena said.
"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding towards the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and Aleena and pointing at three large ice-creams to show he couldn't come in.
"That's Hagrid" Aleena said, please to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."
"Oh. I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
"He's the gamekeeper."
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lived in a hut in the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed."
"What an idiot." Harry snorted. The boy smirked at him, as if he was agreeing with what Harry said.
"I think he's brilliant" Aleena said coldly.
"Of course a freak like you would like an oaf like him" Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"Don't call Hagrid an oaf!" Aleena snapped. Harry glared at her and cracked his knuckles. Aleena went to back away but stopped when she realised that Harry wouldn't do anything in front of Madam Malkin.
"I agree with your brother" the boy said, with a slight sneer. "He is an oaf!" Aleena glared at the boy, not that the boy noticed. "Why are you two with him anyway? Where's your parents?"
"They're dead" Aleena said shortly. She didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.
"Oh, sorry" the boy said, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean?" Aleena asked, frowning a little. Why would it matter if they weren't?
"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 surnames, anyway?"
But before the Aleena could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear" and the Aleena, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool. "Right, dear, you next" she said, smiling at Harry. He sighed and climbed onto the stool. Aleena, not waiting to be around the boy or her brother at the minute, walked off to look around the shop.
"You seem a lot cooler than your sister" the boy whispered to Harry.
"Trust me, I am" Harry smirked. "She thinks she's cool, but she's just a little freak."
The boy smirked at him. "I like you, kid. I think we could be good friends."
"I think so too" Harry smiled, before he started asking the boy what Quidditch and Slytherin were.
After Madam Malkin had finished pinning up Harry's robes, he and Aleena paid for them and meet Hagrid outside of the shop. Aleena was rather quiet as she ate the ice-cream Hagrid had bough her, which just so happened to be her favourite, chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts.
"What's up?" Hagrid asked, when he noticed how quiet Aleena was being.
"Nothing" she lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Aleena cheered up a bit when she found a bottle of ink that changed colours as you wrote. After asking Hagrid a millions time if she could get it, he finally gave in and let her buy it. She thanked him and quickly rushed off to pay for it. She's going to have a lot of fun writing with that ink.
When they had left the stop, Aleena asked, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"
"Blimey, Aleena, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' about Quidditch!"
"Don't make me feel worse" Aleena said, before she told Hagrid about the round face boy in Madam Malkin's -" and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in-"
"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he's known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk - you saw 'em in the Leaky Cauldron. Anyway, what dose 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!"
"So what is Quidditch?"
"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like football in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules.
"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"
"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff."
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin" said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."
"I want to be in Slytherin" Harry blurted out. Hagrid looked at him in shock. "What? That boy in the shop told me all about Slytherin and it sounds like the best house by far."
Hagrid stared at him with a open mouth. Harry rolled his eyes. "Close your mouth before you catch flies."
Aleena cleared her throat. "Vol - sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"
"Years an' years ago" Hagrid said, still taken back by what Harry has just said. He's never known anyone who wants to be in Slytherin before.
They bought Harry and Aleena's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books. Aleena was definitely in her element. Hagrid almost had to drag her away from Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle you Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"I'm trying to find out how to curse Harry and Dudley" she said.
"No, and 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. An' anyway, yeh couldn't work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."
Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron. He wanted to buy it so he could show off to his classmates about how rich he was. Aleena got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then went into the shop next door and got supplies of some basic potion ingredients.
"Just yer wands left" Hagrid said, looking at Aleena's letter. "Oh, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."
Aleena felt herself going red in the face. "You don't have to -"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get you an animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don't like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yeh an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer post an' everythin'."
Hagrid looked at Harry, but before he could say anything, Harry cut him off, "I don't want anything from you!" he said, harshly.
"Who said I was gettin' yeh anythin'" Hagrid replied just as harsh. He was starting to get sick of Harry's attitude.
Aleena giggled, which made Harry nudge her hard in the ribs when Hagrid wasn't looking. "Laugh at me again and I'll do a lot worst, do you understand me, freak?" she nodded, which made Harry roughly grab her face. "Use your words."
"I understand" she whimpered. Harry quickly let go of her face when Hagrid turned around to look at them. Aleena rubbed her jaw and walked over to Hagrid. Harry sighed, trust Hagrid to ruin his fun. He looked around and see the boy from the robe shop smirking at him. Harry smirked back before he walked over to the pet shop where he saw Hagrid and Aleena stoop outside.
Aleena was holding a large cage which held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Aleena couldn't stop saying thank you to Hagrid.
"Don' mention it" Hagrid said smiling. "Right then, it's just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."
A magic wand ... this was what Aleena had been really looking forward to. Harry, too. The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair which Hagrid sat on to wait. Aleena looked around and saw thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling.
"Good afternoon" a soft voice said, which made Aleena jumped. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes were staring at Aleena, which made her feel very uncomfortable. She went to say hello to the man but no words came out of her mouth. It's like she'd forgotten how to talk.
"Ah yes" the man said. "Yes, I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Miss Potter. You look like your mother. It seems only yesterday she was in here buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishly, made willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr Ollivander moved closer to her, which made Aleena move back a little. She wished that he would blink.
"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr Ollivander got even closer to Aleena, and yet again, she backed away from him. He was getting to close for her liking.
"And there's where ..." Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Aleena's forehead with a long, white finger. Aleena gently knocked his hand away from her. Mr Ollivander went on like nothing happened. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. 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, to Aleena's relief, spotted Hagrid. They started talking but Aleena wasn't listening. She looked around the shop and shivered at the thought of being in the same place that Voldemort once was. She could see Harry watching her from the corner of her eye. Aleena was expecting him to say something, but he didn't.
"Now then - let me see" Mr Ollivander said, pulling a long tape measure with silver marking out of his pocket. "Which is you wand arm?" he asked Aleena.
"Er - well, I'm left-handed."
"Hold out your arm. That's it" he measured from Aleen's shoulder to fingers, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. Aleena stood there confused. Why was he taking all these measurements when she only needs a wand? Does this help with choosing the right wand?
"And you, young man" Mr Ollivander said, addressing Harry for the first time since they stepped inside the shop. "Which is your wand arm?" Harry didn't say anything and held out his right hand. Mr Ollivander started taking the same measurements that he did on Aleena.
"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragon or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Harry suddenly realised that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was going this on its own. Harry smiled to himself. He couldn't wait to learn magic, and maybe practice some spells on Aleena. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do" he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, you try this one, Miss Potter, Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Aleena took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once. He gave her another wand to try, but before she could move, he grabbed it out of her hand. He gave her four more wands, but the same thing happened. Aleen was starting to get worried that she could never find her wand.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combinations - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Aleena took the wand and felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. Her mouth dropped out when red and gold sparks shot from the end of the wand like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on the wall.
"Woah!" Aleena breathed out. "Amazing!"
"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well … how curious … how very curious …" Mr Ollivander said. He put Aleena's wand back into the box and wrapped it in brown paper, whilst muttering, "Curious … curious …"
"Sorry" Aleena said, "but what's curious?"
Mr Ollivander fixed her with his pale stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave one other feather - just one. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you your scar."
Aleena stared at him. She didn't like the sound of that. "I think we can expect great things from you, Miss Potter ... After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."
Mr Ollivander then turned to Harry so he could try and find his wand. Aleena stood there and replayed everything that Mr Ollivander has just said over in her head. Her wand was the same as Voldemort? Was that a good thing? Was that a bad thing? She didn't know, but before Aleena could think anything else, green and sliver sparks came shooting past her ear.
She looked up and saw Harry pointing his wand at her. Mr Ollivander grabbed it off him and wrapped it up. They paid seven gold Galleons from their wand and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop. Hagrid, Harry and Aleena made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, which was now empty.
Aleena didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; she didn't even notice how much people were gawping at her and Harry on the Underground. She didn't hear people whispering about their funny-shaped packages and the sleeping owl that was on Aleena's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Aleena only realise where she was when Hagrid tapped her on the shoulder.
"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves" he said. He bought Harry and Aleena a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. "You all right, Aleena? Yer very quiet."
"Everyone thinks I'm special" she blurted out. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron. Professor Quirrell, even Mr Ollivander, but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things from me? 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."
"Our parents!" Harry snapped, glaring at his little sister.
"Yes, our parents."
Hagrid leant across the table. "Don' you worry, Aleena. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine."
Hagrid helped Harry and Aleena on to the train that would take them back to the Dursleys, then handed them an envelope. "Yer ticket fer Hogwarts. First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yet ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me … See yeh see, Aleena."
The train pulled out of the station. Aleena wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; she rose in her seat and pressed her nose against the window, but she blinked and Hagrid had gone.