Voldemort- The Untold Truth
Chapter 6 – The underworld
"Been out much, lad in London's streets?" Asked Botallo kindly as he led the wide-eyed Tom through the Alley way.
"I haven't been outside my orphanage, Sir," The boy said and in his tone a kind of anger twinkled.
"Well now you'll get to see some of it," Armando Botallo smiled.
"Some of it, but why not all," the boy said disappointedly.
Botallo laughed. "For we have not much time to spend, dear chap, you ought to get your things and send an owl to Dippett," a worried look appeared on the older wizard's brow.
"Can't we get all the equipment in London," Tom asked, confused.
"There is a special place away from Muggles knowledge, where we can buy all that you need for your future learning time in Hogwarts."
"And whom, sir, are you mentioning when you say 'away from Muggles' and why should this special place be distanced away?"
Armando Botallo stopped in his track and looked down with amusement at the 11 year old boy. "Oh you should consider a job at the Ministry, for you'll be most useful. A Muggle is a person who has no magical skill what so ever, as for your second question, well the wizarding world is something all together different, vice versa to the Muggle world. This being the fact, the wizards or witches wish to remain a so-called 'secret community' from the Muggles, even though some Muggle-lovers wizards' folks preferred the opposite. But what I am trying to imply here, dear lad, is that Muggles should not be bothered with things 'out of the ordinary' as they call it, for they have enough problems to deal with. The Ministry makes sure their wish is made by keeping our little community hidden."
"So the wizards and witches are like a 'secret community', but here in London?" Tom blinked.
"Oh right you are, son, right you are."
***
After promising to show Tom a bit of London before attending to their Hogwarts business it was time to buy Tom's necessities.
At first Tom couldn't believe it. Out of an ordinary city, lay hidden a place they called 'the Leaky Cauldron.' Before they entered it, Botallo told him that Muggles never noticed it, ("And a good choice at that!" he'd laughed.) and so there was no real worry that Muggles will know much of the wizarding get-togethers there.
It was a tinny, dingy looking pub that could certainly be mistaken for just a space in the wall, not very noticeable at all, for it did not attract the slightest attention from the busy streets of Muggles. After saying hello to some odd looking strangers, Botallo led the boy through the pub to a brick wall.
"There is no exit," Tom said suddenly as he touched the bare wall with his pale hand. "Shouldn't we go back Sir?"
"No Son, this is the way to Diagon alley, now step back please." The older man said with a bit of a shove to make the boy move backwards a step.
Before he knew what was happening, Tom marvelled at the extraordinary sight of Diagon alley and before he managed to ask some questions of how they got there after remembering he saw a brick wall before his very eyes, Armando Botallo led him through.
It was a sight such that Tom had never seen before. People in tall pointy brim hats, and dark sweeping clocks were roaming about, shopping and chatting with others who looked not much different. Some of them were carrying a weird lot of equipment and creatures in their hands; a girl with curly dark hair carried with her a caged Owl, and a small boy about 16 with a strange-coloured lizard (or was it a goanna) and what looked like a Cauldron. There were not only young people about but old as well. One woman, perhaps at the old age of 70 with an arched back was standing outside a shop brewing something in her Cauldron which she begged for him to try, the steam of purple bubbly substance fumed out of it as he quickly passed.
After walking in silence for a while, they finally stopped before a pale looking building which towered over the other shops making Tom's neck stretch upwards to the top of it. It looked like a building held by magic, for surely, he thought it was going to fall soon!
"This, Tom, is Gringots Bank, where all the wizarding money is kept and where Goblins and other such creatures work." Armando pointed out.
"Goblins..." Tom couldn't believe his ears.
"They are the cleverest of creatures these lots, Tom, and are a nasty lot at that," and his lips pursed for a moment. "Now you wait here, while I exchange this cheque," he said and at the same time took out a paper note from his multicoloured robes, "to wizarding money."
After nodding, Tom took a lean against a wall in the corner of the alley way leading to the bank.
No sooner had he waited, did Armando come back with a warm cheerful smile on his lips as he paced quickly over with his quick, tiny feet, in his hand a brown bulgy bag.
"Now here," he stopped to breathe. "Is some money for you, boy, to buy your necessities here at Diagon alley; without it you are not able to purchase your supplies." With a quick glance at the confused and excited Tom, the wizard opened the bag and fished out a few different coins in the process.
"This," he said pointing at a silver coin in his hand "is a Sickle, while this," he showed another smaller coin bronze in colour, "is a Knut. But the most important of this lot is the gold one here, the Galleon, which is worth more than these two together."
Tom eyed the coins curiously and traced them with his finger.
"So, this little beauty of gold called "Galleon" is worth 17 Silver Sickles. A Sickle is also worth 29 Knuts. All together..."
"Galleon would equal 17 Sickles and 493 Knuts," Tom finished with a grin on his face.
That amused look appeared on Armando's face again. "That's right, you clever lad, correct me but did I say you ought to work in the Ministry?"
Tom nodded.
"Forgive me, but that won't do. Gringots's where you want to go."
**
Before long, Tom had purchased his Hogwarts uniform, bought the necessary books needed from Flourish and Blotts, at times drawing back in surprise at a dancing book in the window, then off to the Apothecary where the smell of weird, sickening ingredients stung his nose, making him unable to concentrate on the potion ingredients he had to get, leaving with two more places to attend to- Ollivanders: Makers of Fine wands since 382 BC- and the Magical Menagerie, Tom most wished to see.
"382 BC..." Tom whistled in admiration, "is a long time for a business."
Botallo laughed. "Oh yes, dear lad, Ollivanders have been successful even before the time of the Great Four Founders of Hogwarts Wizard School, so long they've been standing, that its time to purchase your wand."
When they entered the shop, a small bell sounded inside it like a welcoming ring even though not a sole was present. After waiting for a long while, did a young man with dark grey hair appear, thick glasses hung on his nose as he stared down at the boy looking up at him from his ladder.
"Ollivander is my name, young sir," said the man whose eyes looked right into him without a blink. There was a kind of curious look about him, as if he was judging the boy rather closely. "And may I ask what's yours?" he asked and titled his head forward to take a better look.
Tom Riddle stepped back a bit. "Tom Riddle Sir," he tired to sound confident but somehow not very. Something spooked him about this man; it's as if he was reading his mind, as if he was x raying him top to bottom. A shiver ran through him.
After a moment longer Armando Botallo cleared his throat.
"We need a wand, Mr Ollivander, if you please," Botallo said with an uncomfortable note in his tone.
"Yes of course," Olivander eyed Botallo momentarily before he climbed off the ladder.
After a few minutes he came back with a few boxes in his hands. The first wand of "9/12" inches, rosewood, in Tom's hand made the papers on the desk flutter about like birds. The next, 11" Mahogany wand, in Tom's hand, broke a bit of glass from the window. A third one 12/14" Unicorn hair wand, in Tom's hand, made the other boxes carrying their contents hit Ollivanders in the head.
And so this unsuccessful seeking for a wand continued for the best of 20 minutes, until Oillivanders disappeared to the back of the room quite frustrated. When he returned, a red rash appeared on his pale young face. In his hand he held a dark looking box which shook as he brought it to the desk in front of the Tom and Botallo.
After eyeing it with a concerned look he said slowly, "I believe I have no choice, Mr Riddle. If this wand does not suit you, I believe nothing else will."
"But Mr Ollivander," Botallo chortled, "surely there must be a wand that will!"
"I am not quite sure for certain, Mr Botallo, for you have witnessed yourself this afternoon that no wand that hither touched this young boy's hand had suited him. So we must hope that this wand, a rare 11" holly phoenix feather tipped one, will solve the problem, although I am 'fraid this one is stubborn."
The wand was handed over to Tom. It glistened in his hand as he touched it, making him feel warmness of some kind come all over him. With a quick wave, butterflies blossomed of it, and fluttered around the room.
"It's settled then," Mr Ollivanders sighed a deep relived sigh. "This is your wand, Tom Riddle; it has chosen you for its bearer, so take good care of it for it is a rare one indeed."
**
After the business with purchasing a wand was settled and the visit to the Magical Menagerie was made (Tom having purchased a tawny owl) it was time for a quick rest.
"Now since you've attended to all of your necessities, I must inform the Headmaster that you're arriving by Express to Hogwarts next month."
"How will you do that, Sir, for it is the 30th of July and surely the reply should have been made," Tom pointed out.
"Not to worry, not to worry, dear lad, I shall ask to borrow an owl to send a quick message through a friend of mine, and it should be received in a few good hours, no doubt."
Quickly Armando Botallo drew out a piece of yellow parchment folded many times in his robes, and a quill he held in his pocket and wrote a quick message.
"Be right back," he promised as he quickly paced back into the Magical Menagerie shop. And as he promised, he came back merrier than never before. "It is done, it is set, the message is sent and you'll be off to Hogwarts soon. A month still left to go."
"A month alright..." Tom said rather grubbily.
"Patience lad, you've yet to miss your Mrs Greple," laughed Botallo.
Not a chance, Tom thought. Not in the world...
**