CHAPTER FOUR-SHOPPING
Harry walked into the Leaky Cauldron and saw no one he knew. So he quickly walked to the back to the entrance area to Diagon Alley. He threw his cloak on. It switched past tables and chairs as he walked by. He found Snape was waiting for him.
"Dumbledore knew I was going to replace some of my stocks. I don't know what made him think I wanted a harebrained little boy to tag along behind. Don't forget. 5 o'clock. Should I write it on your forehead so you remember?" Snape mocked.
Snape pulled his wand from his pocket. It was a handsome wand. It looked like it was made of cherry wood. About 14 inches. He poked the bricks until the doorway formed. Without looking back, Snape walked off holding his canvas bag which looked like a large, ridiculous purse.
Harry went poking about the shops finding what he needed. First, he went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He bought all new robes. He had outgrown even his dress robe from last year. He wanted to get the same green robes that matched his eyes but then he saw a handsome navy blue one. He didn't know which one to pick so in the end he bought both. He kept his old hat. He hadn't worn it that much and it was still in fine condition. Madam Malkin fitted his robes to the proper size then took a lot of gold from his money pouch.
Harry walked out of the shop. He thought it would be best to go to Gringotts before he ran out of money. He took two pouch-fulls of money out of his vault to last him the rest of the school year and continued on his way.
It was funny. Harry had been to Diagon Alley so many times but every time he went he was amazed. He continued to walk down the street looking at all of the wondrous shops. He saw Flourish and Blotts in the distance and decided to go get all of his books.
"Why on earth am I still in divination? It is the worst class ever," Harry muttered as he picked up Deciding the Future: Use Your Skills to Make the Correct Choices by Polly Jameston.
Harry had signed up for advance potions like almost everyone else in his grade. It may have one of the worst teachers but it was really a useful subject. Harry had also signed up for magical mending along with Ron and Hermione. God knows how many times it would have been useful to know how to heal himself. He went to the counter and paid for his books. Most of them were rather large so it was a good thing he didn't have that much more to buy.
Harry walked up the street and bought the rest of what he needed. The only thing he couldn't find was dragon's blood. He checked just about every store. After giving up on the search he went to have an ice cream cone at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. He ordered a butterscotch dip, his favorite. Mr. Fortescue brought it out to his and saw the rather disgruntled look on Harry's face.
"What's troubling you Mr. Potter?" Mr. Fortescue asked gently.
"Oh nothing. It's simply that I can't find all the items I need for school."
"What are you missing? I know Diagon Alley inside out."
"Dragon's blood," stated Harry simply.
"Dragon's blood, eh? Well I haven't seen any on Diagon Alley lately but there I've heard a little shop on Knockturn Alley called Progmate's Brews. They should have it in stock. Who would make you guys go all the way down Knockturn Alley for school supplies?" Mr. Fortescue asked into the air as he noticed more customers coming into the shop.
"Snape," thought Harry silently.
Mr. Fortescue rambled on from the counter, "I wouldn't go down there alone if I were you, Mr. Potter. Wait and go with a friend. It really is a dreadful place, that Knockturn Alley. But I don't suppose you have ever been down that way. Well enjoy your ice cream. Have a good day!"
"Knockturn Alley. Knockturn Alley. Maybe I should wait until I find someone to go with," Harry said to himself. He remembered the first and last time he had been there. He saw the Malfoys selling a lot of their dark arts objects.
Harry looked around and saw no one he knew. He seemed to be one of the first doing his school shopping. It was nearly four and he needed to get that dragon's blood. Chances were that he wouldn't have a chance to go shopping again.
Taking his ice cream with him, Harry walked towards the direction of Gringotts. He stood and faced the road before him.
"Well, hear it goes," Harry said as he stepped Knockturn Alley, his eyes closed. He paused, waiting for something awful to happen. He opened one eye, seeing if there was any danger. The road was shadowy, not somewhere many would like to be. It had an eerie feeling to it. Harry started to walk at a quick pace. Dark figures stood, watching Harry as he passed by. He was determinedly looking for the correct shop.
Harry passed all sorts of intriguing shops but he doubted if he would want to go inside any. Their windows held all kinds of disturbing objects. He noticed Brogans. Sitting in its window was a lovely display of human thigh bones resting atop a bloodstained sheet. Harry paused for a moment and observed the sight. He moved on when he saw maggots lurking about the bones.
Harry was reaching the end of the road and there was no sign of the shop he was looking for. For a second he thought he might have passed it by accident. When he was just about to turn around and look again he saw it. A large oak sign that read "Progmate's Brews: All of your brewing needs." The window was always a good indication on if you should enter or not so Harry peaked over and glanced through the pane of glass. There was nothing in the display. And he couldn't see much inside either. It was rather dark for a store but it had a friendly feeling to it. Harry opened the door, hoping it wasn't closed.
The bell on the door rang as he entered. With a quick look Harry determined that there weren't any human bones about. It looked a lot like Snape's classroom as a matter of fact. Jars filled with all sorts of things stood of shelves that encircled the room. The only thing he found disturbing was the smell. It reminded him too much of Professor Trelawney's room. Thankfully, it didn't make him overly sleepy. Harry looked around for dragon's blood but he had no idea on what it would look like. For all he knew they could be out of stock.
"Humph! May I help you young Master?" said a small man with a squeaky voice.
"Er… yeah," Harry said with slight surprise. He hadn't noticed the man standing behind the counter because he was so short. "I heard you have dragon's blood."
"Well yes. We carry several varieties. What breed are you looking for?"
Harry felt rather stupid. He didn't have any idea what kind of blood he would need. It hadn't even crossed his mind. He finally noticed the awkward pause when after a few minutes he heard the store-clerks fingers rattling on the counter.
"What are you making with it?" said a slightly annoyed voice.
"I'm not sure. I just need it for school," Harry said with little confidence.
"Which class?"
"Potions I'd assume."
"Dragon's blood can be used for a variety of things. I suggest you go with Welsh because it is used in a larger variety of potions than Ridgebacks or Fireballs." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a small vial. It was hardly any bigger than Harry's pinky. "Is this enough?"
"The list said a bottle," Harry replied meekly.
"A bottle? Good lord boy! Let me see that list," the clerk exclaimed.
Harry reached into his robes and pulled out the roll of parchment. He held it out to the man and the man quickly grabbed it.
"I see…" the small man murmured. "Well, I can not sell you a bottle and I doubt you would be able to afford it. I only sell vials. The largest being one ounce. May I ask," he said with a pause, "why you came all the way down here for an item on you list?"
"I looked all over Diagon Alley, not a single place sells dragon's blood. I heard that this shop did, so this is where I came," Harry replied curtly.
"The only one? Oh my." The wizard looked absolutely terrified. "Why did no one warn me? I will be out of stock of dragon's blood by one week. Hogwart's governors know that a small shop like mine can not supply an entire class with their materials with no warning," he muttered to himself.
Harry coughed to catch the man's attention. "How much will the large vial be?"
"Oh yes, sorry young Master. It will be 80 galleons."
Harry's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Eighty galleons," he coughed.
"I warned you," was all the man said.
Harry took out one of his money pouches. He dumped nearly all of its contents onto the counter and let the man count out the proper amount.
"Now, anything else for you today, young Sir?"
"No. No thank you," Harry said, still in shock from paying for the blood.
"And thank you, Mr. Potter," the man said with a twinge of unpleasantness as Harry turned to leave.
He didn't even bother to ask how the man knew his name. He figured his scar had been visible to him. Harry walked through the door and the bell rang as he left.
He tried to walk as quickly as possible towards the welcome sight of Gringotts. Harry looked at his watch. He only had ten minutes to get back to the Leaky Caldron. He walked briskly onto Diagon Alley. The last thing he needed was Snape leaving without him. He was almost there when something caught his eye. He had almost forgotten! A brightly colored sign that read "Weasley Wizard Wheezes" hung outside of a pleasant looking shop. It couldn't hurt to take a look and say hello... could it?
*********
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update… exams and all. Anyway, I was going to make this chapter longer but I thought it would be better to break it into two. So I hope to update soon. 1/25/02
Harry walked into the Leaky Cauldron and saw no one he knew. So he quickly walked to the back to the entrance area to Diagon Alley. He threw his cloak on. It switched past tables and chairs as he walked by. He found Snape was waiting for him.
"Dumbledore knew I was going to replace some of my stocks. I don't know what made him think I wanted a harebrained little boy to tag along behind. Don't forget. 5 o'clock. Should I write it on your forehead so you remember?" Snape mocked.
Snape pulled his wand from his pocket. It was a handsome wand. It looked like it was made of cherry wood. About 14 inches. He poked the bricks until the doorway formed. Without looking back, Snape walked off holding his canvas bag which looked like a large, ridiculous purse.
Harry went poking about the shops finding what he needed. First, he went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. He bought all new robes. He had outgrown even his dress robe from last year. He wanted to get the same green robes that matched his eyes but then he saw a handsome navy blue one. He didn't know which one to pick so in the end he bought both. He kept his old hat. He hadn't worn it that much and it was still in fine condition. Madam Malkin fitted his robes to the proper size then took a lot of gold from his money pouch.
Harry walked out of the shop. He thought it would be best to go to Gringotts before he ran out of money. He took two pouch-fulls of money out of his vault to last him the rest of the school year and continued on his way.
It was funny. Harry had been to Diagon Alley so many times but every time he went he was amazed. He continued to walk down the street looking at all of the wondrous shops. He saw Flourish and Blotts in the distance and decided to go get all of his books.
"Why on earth am I still in divination? It is the worst class ever," Harry muttered as he picked up Deciding the Future: Use Your Skills to Make the Correct Choices by Polly Jameston.
Harry had signed up for advance potions like almost everyone else in his grade. It may have one of the worst teachers but it was really a useful subject. Harry had also signed up for magical mending along with Ron and Hermione. God knows how many times it would have been useful to know how to heal himself. He went to the counter and paid for his books. Most of them were rather large so it was a good thing he didn't have that much more to buy.
Harry walked up the street and bought the rest of what he needed. The only thing he couldn't find was dragon's blood. He checked just about every store. After giving up on the search he went to have an ice cream cone at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. He ordered a butterscotch dip, his favorite. Mr. Fortescue brought it out to his and saw the rather disgruntled look on Harry's face.
"What's troubling you Mr. Potter?" Mr. Fortescue asked gently.
"Oh nothing. It's simply that I can't find all the items I need for school."
"What are you missing? I know Diagon Alley inside out."
"Dragon's blood," stated Harry simply.
"Dragon's blood, eh? Well I haven't seen any on Diagon Alley lately but there I've heard a little shop on Knockturn Alley called Progmate's Brews. They should have it in stock. Who would make you guys go all the way down Knockturn Alley for school supplies?" Mr. Fortescue asked into the air as he noticed more customers coming into the shop.
"Snape," thought Harry silently.
Mr. Fortescue rambled on from the counter, "I wouldn't go down there alone if I were you, Mr. Potter. Wait and go with a friend. It really is a dreadful place, that Knockturn Alley. But I don't suppose you have ever been down that way. Well enjoy your ice cream. Have a good day!"
"Knockturn Alley. Knockturn Alley. Maybe I should wait until I find someone to go with," Harry said to himself. He remembered the first and last time he had been there. He saw the Malfoys selling a lot of their dark arts objects.
Harry looked around and saw no one he knew. He seemed to be one of the first doing his school shopping. It was nearly four and he needed to get that dragon's blood. Chances were that he wouldn't have a chance to go shopping again.
Taking his ice cream with him, Harry walked towards the direction of Gringotts. He stood and faced the road before him.
"Well, hear it goes," Harry said as he stepped Knockturn Alley, his eyes closed. He paused, waiting for something awful to happen. He opened one eye, seeing if there was any danger. The road was shadowy, not somewhere many would like to be. It had an eerie feeling to it. Harry started to walk at a quick pace. Dark figures stood, watching Harry as he passed by. He was determinedly looking for the correct shop.
Harry passed all sorts of intriguing shops but he doubted if he would want to go inside any. Their windows held all kinds of disturbing objects. He noticed Brogans. Sitting in its window was a lovely display of human thigh bones resting atop a bloodstained sheet. Harry paused for a moment and observed the sight. He moved on when he saw maggots lurking about the bones.
Harry was reaching the end of the road and there was no sign of the shop he was looking for. For a second he thought he might have passed it by accident. When he was just about to turn around and look again he saw it. A large oak sign that read "Progmate's Brews: All of your brewing needs." The window was always a good indication on if you should enter or not so Harry peaked over and glanced through the pane of glass. There was nothing in the display. And he couldn't see much inside either. It was rather dark for a store but it had a friendly feeling to it. Harry opened the door, hoping it wasn't closed.
The bell on the door rang as he entered. With a quick look Harry determined that there weren't any human bones about. It looked a lot like Snape's classroom as a matter of fact. Jars filled with all sorts of things stood of shelves that encircled the room. The only thing he found disturbing was the smell. It reminded him too much of Professor Trelawney's room. Thankfully, it didn't make him overly sleepy. Harry looked around for dragon's blood but he had no idea on what it would look like. For all he knew they could be out of stock.
"Humph! May I help you young Master?" said a small man with a squeaky voice.
"Er… yeah," Harry said with slight surprise. He hadn't noticed the man standing behind the counter because he was so short. "I heard you have dragon's blood."
"Well yes. We carry several varieties. What breed are you looking for?"
Harry felt rather stupid. He didn't have any idea what kind of blood he would need. It hadn't even crossed his mind. He finally noticed the awkward pause when after a few minutes he heard the store-clerks fingers rattling on the counter.
"What are you making with it?" said a slightly annoyed voice.
"I'm not sure. I just need it for school," Harry said with little confidence.
"Which class?"
"Potions I'd assume."
"Dragon's blood can be used for a variety of things. I suggest you go with Welsh because it is used in a larger variety of potions than Ridgebacks or Fireballs." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a small vial. It was hardly any bigger than Harry's pinky. "Is this enough?"
"The list said a bottle," Harry replied meekly.
"A bottle? Good lord boy! Let me see that list," the clerk exclaimed.
Harry reached into his robes and pulled out the roll of parchment. He held it out to the man and the man quickly grabbed it.
"I see…" the small man murmured. "Well, I can not sell you a bottle and I doubt you would be able to afford it. I only sell vials. The largest being one ounce. May I ask," he said with a pause, "why you came all the way down here for an item on you list?"
"I looked all over Diagon Alley, not a single place sells dragon's blood. I heard that this shop did, so this is where I came," Harry replied curtly.
"The only one? Oh my." The wizard looked absolutely terrified. "Why did no one warn me? I will be out of stock of dragon's blood by one week. Hogwart's governors know that a small shop like mine can not supply an entire class with their materials with no warning," he muttered to himself.
Harry coughed to catch the man's attention. "How much will the large vial be?"
"Oh yes, sorry young Master. It will be 80 galleons."
Harry's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Eighty galleons," he coughed.
"I warned you," was all the man said.
Harry took out one of his money pouches. He dumped nearly all of its contents onto the counter and let the man count out the proper amount.
"Now, anything else for you today, young Sir?"
"No. No thank you," Harry said, still in shock from paying for the blood.
"And thank you, Mr. Potter," the man said with a twinge of unpleasantness as Harry turned to leave.
He didn't even bother to ask how the man knew his name. He figured his scar had been visible to him. Harry walked through the door and the bell rang as he left.
He tried to walk as quickly as possible towards the welcome sight of Gringotts. Harry looked at his watch. He only had ten minutes to get back to the Leaky Caldron. He walked briskly onto Diagon Alley. The last thing he needed was Snape leaving without him. He was almost there when something caught his eye. He had almost forgotten! A brightly colored sign that read "Weasley Wizard Wheezes" hung outside of a pleasant looking shop. It couldn't hurt to take a look and say hello... could it?
*********
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update… exams and all. Anyway, I was going to make this chapter longer but I thought it would be better to break it into two. So I hope to update soon. 1/25/02
