Here's chapter five. Please review; I don't care if it's good or bad. Please tell me whether you want me to concentrate on this or Order of the Phoenix.

Chapter 5

Tom walked into Flourish & Blotts, the only bookshop in Diagon Alley.

He quickly found all of his books, and brought them to the checkout counter to buy them.

"That will be twenty Gallons," the man at the counter told Tom.

"Which ones are Galleons?" Tom asked, searching his coin pouch.

"The gold ones," he offered helpfully. "Do you understand the wizard monetary system?"

"Not really," Tom answered.

"Okay, the bronze ones are Knuts. Twenty-nine of them are equal to one Sickle. Those are the silver ones. Seventeen of them are equal to one Galleon."

"Thanks," Tom replied and began to walk out of the shop.

"Say," the man asked, "are you Muggle-born?"

"No," Tom replied, disgusted at the very notion, before storming out of the shop, leaving the clerk very confused.

. . .

After getting his robes and his cauldron, Tom went to Ollivander's Wands, the place he had been dying to go to all day.

When he entered, he noticed how still and quiet a place it was.

"Hello," said a soft voice. He had blond hair and pale eyes. He shook Tom's hand.

"I'm Mr. Ollivander."

"Tom Riddle, nice to meet you."

Mr. Ollivander pulled some tape measure out of his pocket. "What's your wand hand?"

"Left."

All the while Tom noticed that the tape measure was flying around doing all of the work itself.

"All of our wands have a magical core," Mr. Ollivander explained, "either unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, or phoenix tail feather. No two wands are alike."

As the tape measure finished, Mr. Ollivander stuck a wand in Tom's hand.

"Ash and unicorn hair. 10 inches. Pliable. Just give it a wave."

Tom hesitated, but then did as Mr. Ollivander told.

He waved the wand in the air, before it was snatched away by Mr. Ollivander.

"Okay, try this one. Redwood and dragon heartstring. 7 inches. Stiff, very stiff."

Tom had barely taken hold of it when Mr. Ollivander again yanked it from its grasp.

"Pine and phoenix feather. Eleven-and-a-half inches. Springy."

Tom tried it again. And again. More and more wands were going into the discard pile, and Tom was beginning to wonder if he would leave Ollivander's with a wand.

"Hmmm… what to do, what to do," Mr. Ollivander wondered aloud. "Ahhh, try this one. Yew and phoenix feather. Thirteen-and-a-half inches."

Tom's hand grew warm, and he felt a great source of power. He swung the wand through the air, as green and silver sparks shot out of the end of it, lighting up the entire room.

"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander cried. "That's a very powerful wand you've got there, Mr. Riddle. I hope you like it."

Tom paid seven Galleons and exited the shop.

He checked his list one more time, wanting desperately to stay in Diagon Alley a little while longer. But there was nothing left. He sulkily walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

He found that he was the first one back, despite the fact that he had taken his time.

Arnie was sitting at the bar when Tom came up to him.

"Oh, it's you," he said, handing Tom a ticket, "here's your ticket for Hogwarts."

Tom looked at it.

King's Crossing
Platform 9 ¾
September 1, 11:00 a.m.

Platform 9 ¾? Tom had never heard of such folly.

"Um, Arnie," Tom asked, "how would I get on Platform 9 ¾?"

"S'easy," Arnie replied, "Just run through the barrier between 9 and 10."

Tom wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic, but decided to take his word for it; if he was lying, Tom could always ask a nearby wizarding family that could tell him.

More and more kids began to come back to the Leaky Cauldron and received their tickets.

In about an hour, everyone had returned.

Arnie was leading them out of the bar when he was stopped by the bartender.

"Oi, Arnie!" he cried, "D' any o' ya firsties wanna stay here 'til the term starts?"

"Nah, I don't think so, Earl-"

"Um," Tom chimed in, "I do."

Arnie looked at him skeptically. "You sure kid?"

"Yes."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Tom smiled. He wouldn't have to go back to 'The Creekwood Foster Home' for a whole year.