Mandy was restless in the car on the way there. She wondered what her guide would look like. Would he be an old guy with long white hair and a tall purple hat on his head? She watched the countryside roll past her as she made her way to London. She had been to London many times before because they lived so close to it.
When they entered the London city border, she started getting excited. Her parents were busy trying to follow the directions to get there. She had been looking out her window when all of a sudden her dad parked. She looked over at him questioningly. He said, "Well, we're here." She darted her eyes around to try to find a magical looking building, but she didn't see any.
"What's the name of it again dad?" she asked.
He looked at the paper to make sure and replied, "The Leaky Cauldron." She looked around and then spotted it. It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. It was between a record shop and a bookshop, for some reason her eyes had wanted to skip over the small building. They got out of the car and her dad made sure the doors were locked.
Her mom let out a small groan while staring at the small building. "Honey, are you sure about this?" she asked.
Mandy nodded her head. "It probably looks better on the inside mom," she said reading her mom's concerned eyes. They walked up to the building and went inside.
The first thing Mandy noticed was that the pub looked pretty dark and shabby. A few women were sitting over in the 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 bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. Mandy's mother looked very concerned now and Mandy could feel the disappointment coming over her own face. She had expected there to be lots of magical gadgets surrounding the room and lots of wizards and witches. The people in the pub looked normal to her.
Her father walked over to the bartender and told him they were looking for a guide. At the word, Mandy saw a pale young man turn around. He walked up to Mandy's mom and asked, "Are you the B-B-Brocklehursts?" She nodded her head and then the guy spoke again. "H-Hello, I am P-Professor Quirrel. I will be one o-of your p-professors at H-hogwarts."
"How are you doing professor Quirrel?" her mother asked trying to be polite.
"R-rather well thank you," he replied.
"What sort of magic do you teach Professor Quirrel?" Mandy asked.
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. She wasn't quite sure what this subject was, but she said that it was probably going to be a fun semester anyway.
"Professor Quirrell, are we ready to begin?" Mandy's mother asked.
"Oh, sorry. Yes we are, follow me now," Quirrell said. He led them through the bar and into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trashcan and a few weeds. Mandy looked around confused. What was in this little crummy courtyard?
Quirrell was examining the wall in front of them. "Um, not to insult you Professor, but you DO realize we're in the wrong place," Mandy's father said from behind Quirrell. Mandy's mom gave him that look that told him to shut up right now.
Just then, Quirrell muttered, "Three up... two across," as he tapped some of the bricks. "I think that's it, now stand back." They all stared as a hole appeared where he had touched the bricks and it grew wider and wider until it had opened up onto a cobbled street. People wearing robes and hats were walking back and forth.
"Welcome, to D-Diagon Alley," Quirrell exclaimed to them. When they stepped through the hole Mandy looked back and saw it close behind them. She peered on the shop on her left and saw a stack of cauldrons. On the outside of the store was a sign that read: Cauldrons -- All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver -- Self-Stirring--Collapsible. Mandy had a smile that reached almost to both of her ears. She felt as if they were in a dream.
"We s-should probably go to G-Gringott's first, so you can ch-change your money." He began walking forward. Mandy was peering all around her as they passed many stores. She saw one named The Apothecary where she saw bottles of different specimens. She even saw one labeled Dragon liver.
They kept walking and she tried not to run into any of the goods that were spread out in front of the stores. They passed a shop that had all kinds of owls screeching in cages. She stopped and admired one. They walked a little farther and she saw a showcase with a lot of people admiring a broomstick. She began to giggle as she continued on.
Then they passed a shop with quills and rolls of parchment in it. The next store had a bunch of strange silver instruments, the next was full of books. She couldn't see it all well enough because Professor Quirrell was walking so fast. She saw a robe shop and an ice cream parlor. Her head was spinning. Could all this be real? Could a place like this exist? She felt a little giddy as she was walking around the streets.
"G-Gringotts," Quirrell stated pointing to a snowy white building that towered over all the other shops. Mandy couldn't help but stare at a short creature with a swarty, clever face and pointy beard, and also long fingers and feet.
"What is that?" Mandy asked pointing at the creature.
"That is a g-goblin, and t-this is the b-bank," he informed them. Mandy's parents began walking with Quirrell to the bank. Mandy starting walking with them, but they halted her and told her to wait out here for them (they didn't want her going near the goblins). They told her to stay close to the bank so they could find her when they came back. She sat waiting on the steps of the bank. At one time, a big man with wild tangles of hair and beard almost covering his face passed by her with a younger boy. The boy also had wild hair, but he had small round glasses propped on his nose too. They seemed to be carrying all the stuff that Mandy was about to buy.
She sat for a while before her parents came back out. "Honey, we've got you a lot of money." They handed a pouch with money in it to her. "If you run out while at Hogwarts, tell one of your professors and they'll contact this bank and they'll send you more."
"Speaking of Professors, where is Professor Quirrell?" she asked.
"He's not here? They said he left the bank a while ago. We figured he was out here waiting with you," her father explained.
"I've been sitting here the whole time," she exclaimed. But at that moment Quirrell walked up from across the street with some ice cream.
"S-Sorry I didn't let you kn-know I had come out, I just w-wanted some ice cream really b-bad."
They all shrugged it off and they began to walk down the street to start purchasing her school items.
~*~ I would like to thank Shasa Perino, Clair, and Kateri for giving me positive feedback and keeping me writing this story. You've been a great help! ~*~
When they entered the London city border, she started getting excited. Her parents were busy trying to follow the directions to get there. She had been looking out her window when all of a sudden her dad parked. She looked over at him questioningly. He said, "Well, we're here." She darted her eyes around to try to find a magical looking building, but she didn't see any.
"What's the name of it again dad?" she asked.
He looked at the paper to make sure and replied, "The Leaky Cauldron." She looked around and then spotted it. It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. It was between a record shop and a bookshop, for some reason her eyes had wanted to skip over the small building. They got out of the car and her dad made sure the doors were locked.
Her mom let out a small groan while staring at the small building. "Honey, are you sure about this?" she asked.
Mandy nodded her head. "It probably looks better on the inside mom," she said reading her mom's concerned eyes. They walked up to the building and went inside.
The first thing Mandy noticed was that the pub looked pretty dark and shabby. A few women were sitting over in the 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 bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. Mandy's mother looked very concerned now and Mandy could feel the disappointment coming over her own face. She had expected there to be lots of magical gadgets surrounding the room and lots of wizards and witches. The people in the pub looked normal to her.
Her father walked over to the bartender and told him they were looking for a guide. At the word, Mandy saw a pale young man turn around. He walked up to Mandy's mom and asked, "Are you the B-B-Brocklehursts?" She nodded her head and then the guy spoke again. "H-Hello, I am P-Professor Quirrel. I will be one o-of your p-professors at H-hogwarts."
"How are you doing professor Quirrel?" her mother asked trying to be polite.
"R-rather well thank you," he replied.
"What sort of magic do you teach Professor Quirrel?" Mandy asked.
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. She wasn't quite sure what this subject was, but she said that it was probably going to be a fun semester anyway.
"Professor Quirrell, are we ready to begin?" Mandy's mother asked.
"Oh, sorry. Yes we are, follow me now," Quirrell said. He led them through the bar and into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trashcan and a few weeds. Mandy looked around confused. What was in this little crummy courtyard?
Quirrell was examining the wall in front of them. "Um, not to insult you Professor, but you DO realize we're in the wrong place," Mandy's father said from behind Quirrell. Mandy's mom gave him that look that told him to shut up right now.
Just then, Quirrell muttered, "Three up... two across," as he tapped some of the bricks. "I think that's it, now stand back." They all stared as a hole appeared where he had touched the bricks and it grew wider and wider until it had opened up onto a cobbled street. People wearing robes and hats were walking back and forth.
"Welcome, to D-Diagon Alley," Quirrell exclaimed to them. When they stepped through the hole Mandy looked back and saw it close behind them. She peered on the shop on her left and saw a stack of cauldrons. On the outside of the store was a sign that read: Cauldrons -- All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver -- Self-Stirring--Collapsible. Mandy had a smile that reached almost to both of her ears. She felt as if they were in a dream.
"We s-should probably go to G-Gringott's first, so you can ch-change your money." He began walking forward. Mandy was peering all around her as they passed many stores. She saw one named The Apothecary where she saw bottles of different specimens. She even saw one labeled Dragon liver.
They kept walking and she tried not to run into any of the goods that were spread out in front of the stores. They passed a shop that had all kinds of owls screeching in cages. She stopped and admired one. They walked a little farther and she saw a showcase with a lot of people admiring a broomstick. She began to giggle as she continued on.
Then they passed a shop with quills and rolls of parchment in it. The next store had a bunch of strange silver instruments, the next was full of books. She couldn't see it all well enough because Professor Quirrell was walking so fast. She saw a robe shop and an ice cream parlor. Her head was spinning. Could all this be real? Could a place like this exist? She felt a little giddy as she was walking around the streets.
"G-Gringotts," Quirrell stated pointing to a snowy white building that towered over all the other shops. Mandy couldn't help but stare at a short creature with a swarty, clever face and pointy beard, and also long fingers and feet.
"What is that?" Mandy asked pointing at the creature.
"That is a g-goblin, and t-this is the b-bank," he informed them. Mandy's parents began walking with Quirrell to the bank. Mandy starting walking with them, but they halted her and told her to wait out here for them (they didn't want her going near the goblins). They told her to stay close to the bank so they could find her when they came back. She sat waiting on the steps of the bank. At one time, a big man with wild tangles of hair and beard almost covering his face passed by her with a younger boy. The boy also had wild hair, but he had small round glasses propped on his nose too. They seemed to be carrying all the stuff that Mandy was about to buy.
She sat for a while before her parents came back out. "Honey, we've got you a lot of money." They handed a pouch with money in it to her. "If you run out while at Hogwarts, tell one of your professors and they'll contact this bank and they'll send you more."
"Speaking of Professors, where is Professor Quirrell?" she asked.
"He's not here? They said he left the bank a while ago. We figured he was out here waiting with you," her father explained.
"I've been sitting here the whole time," she exclaimed. But at that moment Quirrell walked up from across the street with some ice cream.
"S-Sorry I didn't let you kn-know I had come out, I just w-wanted some ice cream really b-bad."
They all shrugged it off and they began to walk down the street to start purchasing her school items.
~*~ I would like to thank Shasa Perino, Clair, and Kateri for giving me positive feedback and keeping me writing this story. You've been a great help! ~*~