Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
By: SyncN2DS
Chapter Two: Diagon Alley
A/N: BACK and ready as ever! *gets into a Superman pose*
"So Mum, can I go to Diagon Alley with Roxy and her parents tomorrow?" Claire asked.
It was dinnertime at the Rivers' home and Claire was on the verge of asking her parents to go to Diagon Alley with Roxy. And the question managed to slip out.
"Sure you can honey. Diagon Alley is a very interesting place, in fact. Your mother and I went there just yesterday," Mrs. Rivers said.
"You didn't tell me!" Claire exclaimed indignantly.
Mr. Rivers shrugged. "Well, we didn't think you were interested. But like your mother said, 'Diagon Alley is a very remarkable place'."
"But you guys went to Beauxbatons," Claire pointed out.
Mrs. Rivers wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I wanted to go to Hogwarts, but Grandma and Grandpa wanted me to go to Beauxbatons because THEIR parents went to Beauxbatons, and their parents went to Beauxbatons because...well, it goes on to many generations. I just want you to experience Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a very wonderful school where anything can happen. Whereas Beauxbatons, well... ANYWAYS, you can go with Roxy tomorrow," Mrs. Rivers said loudly.
"YAY! Thanks Mum. Do I just go by Floo Powder to Roxy's, or...??"
"It's up to you," Mr. Rivers said.
Claire cleared her plate away and dashed up to her room. Claire grabbed her telephone as she hopped on her bed. Claire punched in Roxy's number. "Hello?"
"Hey Roxy?" Claire said.
"Yeah?"
"I can come."
"Really? Cool. Lemme go get my parents."
There was a moment of silence and then--
"Claire?"
Claire sat up. "What? What'd they say?"
"We'll meet you at Gringotts tomorrow."
"Gringotts?"
Roxy laughed. "The wizard bank, weirdo."
"Oh yeah. I knew that," Claire said.
"Sure you did," Roxy said, giggling.
"Look, I gotta go. See you tomorrow. Bye." Claire hung up the telephone.
Then she flopped backwards onto her pillow.
*The Next Morning*
"Claire, wake up!"
Claire tossed and turned over on her bed. "Whuh..."
"CLAIRE!"
Claire sat up boltright. "I'M UUUUPPP!!" she yelled.
While Claire was brushing her teeth...
Miles and miles away...
*~*~*~*~
"Harry! HARRY!" someone yelled.
15-year-old Harry Potter spun around. He spotted his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They were sitting in front of a café, waving at him vigorously.
Harry hurried toward them and then plopped down into a seat next to Ron. "Hey. I've been looking all over for you. Where were you?"
"We were in Flourish & Blotts, getting our school books. Where were YOU?" Ron asked.
"I guess I was in the Apothecary then," Harry decided.
"Diagon Alley is pretty crowded today," commented Hermione.
Ron snorted. "Diagon Alley is ALWAYS crowded, Hermione."
"But-"
Harry cut her off. "Hey look, there's Malfoy!"
Ron and Hermione looked where Harry was pointing. Draco Malfoy was a boy who had a pale, pointed face and reputation for having a generation of families in the Slytherin House at Hogwarts. (Slytherin was one of the four houses at Hogwarts.)
Malfoy was walking out of Flourish & Blotts with his parents, holding a large bag.
"What do you think he has in there?" Ron said.
Harry shrugged. "Books?"
Hermione was busy flipping through their new schoolbooks. "You know how Hogwarts never has any exchange students transferring? Guess what--we've got four this year."
"Really? Who?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I've heard two from Beauxbatons, and two from another school in Britain somewhere."
"Are they like in our year or something?" Ron asked.
Hermione shrugged again. "I dunno."
*~*~*~*~
"Thanks, Mom. Bye!"
Claire stuffed some money into her pocket. Then she threw some of the Floo Powder from a vase nearby into the fireplace in the living room. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" she yelled and walked into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!" she bellowed and disappeared within the emerald flames.
*~*~*~*~
"Hmm...it doesn't look like Claire's arrived yet," Roxy said, standing in front of Gringotts wizard bank with her parents.
"Well, you DID tell her we'll be meeting her in front of Gringotts, right?" Mrs. Lane said.
"YES, I did," Roxy insisted.
"There's Claire!" shouted Mr. Lane suddenly.
Claire was running up toward them, slightly panting.
"H-hi Mr. and M-Mrs. L-Lane!" wheezed Claire.
Mr. and Mrs. Lane exchanged amused smiles. "Are you okay, Claire?"
Claire nodded. "Never better!"
Roxy laughed. "C'mon, we've better go get our money from the vaults."
Roxy, Claire, and Mr. and Mrs. Lane walked into Gringotts. Mr. Lane walked up to a free goblin. "We'd like to exchange-"
"Yes, yes, GRIPHOOK!" the goblin interrupted.
Griphook, another goblin, led them toward a different hall. Griphook opened the door and whistled. A small cart came hurtling up toward them.
Everyone climbed in, and the cart began to move down into the dim lit and stony passageway.
Griphook directed them to the right vaults to withdraw their money. Then they were on their way back.
Roxy, Claire, and Roxy's parents walked out of Gringotts and then headed first to Flourish & Blotts to get their schoolbooks.
Claire walked down the many-booked shelves and aisles, skimming her school list, looking for the right books.
Soon enough, Roxy and Claire managed to find everything with help from the manager, paid for their schoolbooks, and then exited Flourish & Blotts. Their next trip was to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.
Claire was fingering a modern silk robe when Roxy came gliding up to her. "How's this?" she asked, twirling around.
Roxy was wearing a simple black robe along with an eager look on her face. Claire laughed. "It looks great."
Claire went to get fitted by Madam Malkin herself and then she bought a few. Robes, I mean.
Roxy and Claire (Roxy's parents had went to the Leaky Cauldron) walked out of Madam Malkin's and then settled themselves down on a few chairs at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"Ok, where else have we got?" Claire asked Roxy, skimming the menu.
Roxy flipped out the list of things needed for Hogwarts.
"Umm...we need a pewter size cauldron, potion ingredients, and...a pet won't hurt. But we DO need some new quills and scrolls of parchment. And new bottles of ink," she added.
Claire shrugged. "We can get the cauldron easily. The potion ingredients are at the Apothecary, and animals are at the Magical Menagerie."
Roxy raised an eyebrow. "How d'you know that?"
Claire grinned. "Instincts."
After cauldrons, potion ingredients, and new writing supplies, Claire and Roxy decided their last place was to go to the Magical Menagerie.
"Maybe I'll get an owl," Claire surmised. Claire gazed at a handsome tawny owl perched in a cage nearby.
Roxy shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting a cat!"
Roxy went to have a witch help her find a rainbow colored cat. Then she came back. "They got sold out. What a bummer, huh? Claire? Claire?" Roxy tried to get Claire's attention.
Claire was looking past the owl cage, staring at a shop across from the Magical Menagerie. "WWWhoa!!! I'm going there!"
Claire tore out of the Magical Menagerie and, as Roxy watched, dashed into the shop: Quidditch Quality Supplies.
*~*~*~*~
"Boy, this broom looks awesome," Ron commented.
Hermione peered over Ron's shoulder to look at what he was staring at. She snorted.
"Ron, that's a Nimbus Two Thousand."
"Oh."
"Nimbuses aren't that bad. Remember mine? I never had trouble with it," Harry said, almost wistfully.
Ron bit his lip. "But then..."
Harry grimaced. He remembered in his third year when the Whomping Willow, a violent tree that stood on Hogwarts grounds, smashed his broomstick to bits.
"But you've got a Firebolt!" Hermione exclaimed. A Firebolt was one of the best brooms in the world ever created.
(a/n: In my opinion though...)
"Yeah. I guess."
*~*~*~*~
Claire looked longingly at the Firebolt that stood hung in a cage outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"Hmmm...I wonder how much it is," Claire thought aloud.
"A couple barrels of Galleons, in my opinion," a voice said behind her.
Claire jumped. She turned around. A boy of fifteen was standing behind her, looking at the Firebolt, looking amused.
"Er--what?" Claire blurted out.
The boy sort of smiled. "My name's Malfoy. Draco, Malfoy. What's yours?"
"Uh---Claire. Claire Rivers," she replied.
"So you're into Firebolts?" Malfoy asked.
"Um-yeah. Pretty cool, aren't they?" Claire said.
"They're okay, I guess. What kind is yours?" Malfoy asked, his eyebrow furrowing.
"I um, I-I don't own one," Claire said.
Malfoy looked surprised. "Seriously? You should try and get one then. If you're interested, Hogwarts Quidditch teams are always looking for good players."
"Quidditch team?" Claire repeated dumbly.
"Well, you DO know Quidditch, right?" Malfoy said, with a starting hint of boredom in his voice.
"Of course I do. I just-I mean, I didn't get what you meant when you said 'House teams'," Claire said quickly.
Malfoy's face cleared. "Oh! Well you know we have Houses at Hogwarts. Wait-- you go to Hogwarts, right?"
Claire nodded.
"As I was saying, I'm in Slytherin."
Claire raised her head. "So Hogwarts has Quidditch teams?"
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah. I'm on the Slytherin Quidditch team---you know, obviously," he added.
Malfoy suddenly turned, at a shuffle of noises nearby.
"I've got to be going. I'll see you at Hogwarts," Malfoy said, turning to walk away.
"Bye," Claire said softly.
*~*~*~*~
"Hey, what's that noise?" Harry suddenly said.
The three whirled around, and Draco Malfoy appeared from behind the shelves.
"Oh, it's you three," he said sourly.
"And it's you," Ron shot back, looking at Malfoy unpleasantly.
"What're you doing from behind here?" Harry said warily.
Malfoy smirked. "Well Quality Quidditch Supplies is an open place, you know."
"Then get on with your shopping and leave us alone," Hermione said.
Malfoy glared at her. "I don't need a some hideous Mudblood telling me what to do."
Harry fingered his wand warningly. "One more word out of you, and you'll rue the day you even thought of calling Hermione that."
Malfoy walked huffily away, leaving the three looking after him.
"You'd think he was trying to befriend us," Ron muttered.
*~*~*~*~
"Thirty-five Galleons, please," the witch behind the counter said.
Claire dug her hand into the pocket of her jeans, trying to fish out some gold. "Here," she said, dropping the many coins into the witch's outstretched hand.
"Thanks," Claire said, as she heaved her owl cage. The handsome tawny owl was perched on top of her shoulder.
"Well, what should I name you?" Claire asked her owl, once they got outside.
Claire grinned to herself. "Leonardo DiCaprio? Heh. Naw."
"How about...Bono. How's that?" Claire asked her owl.
Bono clicked his beak.
"I'll take that as a yes," Claire laughed.
Almost immediately, Roxy came running up. She was carrying an enormous but fluffy white-pink cat in her arms.
Claire raised her eyebrows. "So you've given up on rainbow cats?"
Roxy grinned slyly. "Forget about that. I saw you talking to some guy outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies. What's up?"
Claire smiled guiltily. "He's this guy from Hogwarts. He's in Slytherin House."
Roxy suddenly stuck out a disgusted tongue. "Ew. He's in Slytherin?? I dunno why you even bothered talking to one. Slytherin House turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other house. Did you know that?"
Claire shrugged. "Who cares? He goes to Hogwarts," she said dreamily.
Roxy widened her eyes. "Uh-oh. This is bad."
A/N: 'Tis bad, alright. Perhaps you oughta go meet Harry Potter and his friends, Claire. He'll change your mind.
By: SyncN2DS
Chapter Two: Diagon Alley
A/N: BACK and ready as ever! *gets into a Superman pose*
"So Mum, can I go to Diagon Alley with Roxy and her parents tomorrow?" Claire asked.
It was dinnertime at the Rivers' home and Claire was on the verge of asking her parents to go to Diagon Alley with Roxy. And the question managed to slip out.
"Sure you can honey. Diagon Alley is a very interesting place, in fact. Your mother and I went there just yesterday," Mrs. Rivers said.
"You didn't tell me!" Claire exclaimed indignantly.
Mr. Rivers shrugged. "Well, we didn't think you were interested. But like your mother said, 'Diagon Alley is a very remarkable place'."
"But you guys went to Beauxbatons," Claire pointed out.
Mrs. Rivers wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I wanted to go to Hogwarts, but Grandma and Grandpa wanted me to go to Beauxbatons because THEIR parents went to Beauxbatons, and their parents went to Beauxbatons because...well, it goes on to many generations. I just want you to experience Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a very wonderful school where anything can happen. Whereas Beauxbatons, well... ANYWAYS, you can go with Roxy tomorrow," Mrs. Rivers said loudly.
"YAY! Thanks Mum. Do I just go by Floo Powder to Roxy's, or...??"
"It's up to you," Mr. Rivers said.
Claire cleared her plate away and dashed up to her room. Claire grabbed her telephone as she hopped on her bed. Claire punched in Roxy's number. "Hello?"
"Hey Roxy?" Claire said.
"Yeah?"
"I can come."
"Really? Cool. Lemme go get my parents."
There was a moment of silence and then--
"Claire?"
Claire sat up. "What? What'd they say?"
"We'll meet you at Gringotts tomorrow."
"Gringotts?"
Roxy laughed. "The wizard bank, weirdo."
"Oh yeah. I knew that," Claire said.
"Sure you did," Roxy said, giggling.
"Look, I gotta go. See you tomorrow. Bye." Claire hung up the telephone.
Then she flopped backwards onto her pillow.
*The Next Morning*
"Claire, wake up!"
Claire tossed and turned over on her bed. "Whuh..."
"CLAIRE!"
Claire sat up boltright. "I'M UUUUPPP!!" she yelled.
While Claire was brushing her teeth...
Miles and miles away...
*~*~*~*~
"Harry! HARRY!" someone yelled.
15-year-old Harry Potter spun around. He spotted his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They were sitting in front of a café, waving at him vigorously.
Harry hurried toward them and then plopped down into a seat next to Ron. "Hey. I've been looking all over for you. Where were you?"
"We were in Flourish & Blotts, getting our school books. Where were YOU?" Ron asked.
"I guess I was in the Apothecary then," Harry decided.
"Diagon Alley is pretty crowded today," commented Hermione.
Ron snorted. "Diagon Alley is ALWAYS crowded, Hermione."
"But-"
Harry cut her off. "Hey look, there's Malfoy!"
Ron and Hermione looked where Harry was pointing. Draco Malfoy was a boy who had a pale, pointed face and reputation for having a generation of families in the Slytherin House at Hogwarts. (Slytherin was one of the four houses at Hogwarts.)
Malfoy was walking out of Flourish & Blotts with his parents, holding a large bag.
"What do you think he has in there?" Ron said.
Harry shrugged. "Books?"
Hermione was busy flipping through their new schoolbooks. "You know how Hogwarts never has any exchange students transferring? Guess what--we've got four this year."
"Really? Who?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I've heard two from Beauxbatons, and two from another school in Britain somewhere."
"Are they like in our year or something?" Ron asked.
Hermione shrugged again. "I dunno."
*~*~*~*~
"Thanks, Mom. Bye!"
Claire stuffed some money into her pocket. Then she threw some of the Floo Powder from a vase nearby into the fireplace in the living room. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" she yelled and walked into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!" she bellowed and disappeared within the emerald flames.
*~*~*~*~
"Hmm...it doesn't look like Claire's arrived yet," Roxy said, standing in front of Gringotts wizard bank with her parents.
"Well, you DID tell her we'll be meeting her in front of Gringotts, right?" Mrs. Lane said.
"YES, I did," Roxy insisted.
"There's Claire!" shouted Mr. Lane suddenly.
Claire was running up toward them, slightly panting.
"H-hi Mr. and M-Mrs. L-Lane!" wheezed Claire.
Mr. and Mrs. Lane exchanged amused smiles. "Are you okay, Claire?"
Claire nodded. "Never better!"
Roxy laughed. "C'mon, we've better go get our money from the vaults."
Roxy, Claire, and Mr. and Mrs. Lane walked into Gringotts. Mr. Lane walked up to a free goblin. "We'd like to exchange-"
"Yes, yes, GRIPHOOK!" the goblin interrupted.
Griphook, another goblin, led them toward a different hall. Griphook opened the door and whistled. A small cart came hurtling up toward them.
Everyone climbed in, and the cart began to move down into the dim lit and stony passageway.
Griphook directed them to the right vaults to withdraw their money. Then they were on their way back.
Roxy, Claire, and Roxy's parents walked out of Gringotts and then headed first to Flourish & Blotts to get their schoolbooks.
Claire walked down the many-booked shelves and aisles, skimming her school list, looking for the right books.
Soon enough, Roxy and Claire managed to find everything with help from the manager, paid for their schoolbooks, and then exited Flourish & Blotts. Their next trip was to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.
Claire was fingering a modern silk robe when Roxy came gliding up to her. "How's this?" she asked, twirling around.
Roxy was wearing a simple black robe along with an eager look on her face. Claire laughed. "It looks great."
Claire went to get fitted by Madam Malkin herself and then she bought a few. Robes, I mean.
Roxy and Claire (Roxy's parents had went to the Leaky Cauldron) walked out of Madam Malkin's and then settled themselves down on a few chairs at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"Ok, where else have we got?" Claire asked Roxy, skimming the menu.
Roxy flipped out the list of things needed for Hogwarts.
"Umm...we need a pewter size cauldron, potion ingredients, and...a pet won't hurt. But we DO need some new quills and scrolls of parchment. And new bottles of ink," she added.
Claire shrugged. "We can get the cauldron easily. The potion ingredients are at the Apothecary, and animals are at the Magical Menagerie."
Roxy raised an eyebrow. "How d'you know that?"
Claire grinned. "Instincts."
After cauldrons, potion ingredients, and new writing supplies, Claire and Roxy decided their last place was to go to the Magical Menagerie.
"Maybe I'll get an owl," Claire surmised. Claire gazed at a handsome tawny owl perched in a cage nearby.
Roxy shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting a cat!"
Roxy went to have a witch help her find a rainbow colored cat. Then she came back. "They got sold out. What a bummer, huh? Claire? Claire?" Roxy tried to get Claire's attention.
Claire was looking past the owl cage, staring at a shop across from the Magical Menagerie. "WWWhoa!!! I'm going there!"
Claire tore out of the Magical Menagerie and, as Roxy watched, dashed into the shop: Quidditch Quality Supplies.
*~*~*~*~
"Boy, this broom looks awesome," Ron commented.
Hermione peered over Ron's shoulder to look at what he was staring at. She snorted.
"Ron, that's a Nimbus Two Thousand."
"Oh."
"Nimbuses aren't that bad. Remember mine? I never had trouble with it," Harry said, almost wistfully.
Ron bit his lip. "But then..."
Harry grimaced. He remembered in his third year when the Whomping Willow, a violent tree that stood on Hogwarts grounds, smashed his broomstick to bits.
"But you've got a Firebolt!" Hermione exclaimed. A Firebolt was one of the best brooms in the world ever created.
(a/n: In my opinion though...)
"Yeah. I guess."
*~*~*~*~
Claire looked longingly at the Firebolt that stood hung in a cage outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"Hmmm...I wonder how much it is," Claire thought aloud.
"A couple barrels of Galleons, in my opinion," a voice said behind her.
Claire jumped. She turned around. A boy of fifteen was standing behind her, looking at the Firebolt, looking amused.
"Er--what?" Claire blurted out.
The boy sort of smiled. "My name's Malfoy. Draco, Malfoy. What's yours?"
"Uh---Claire. Claire Rivers," she replied.
"So you're into Firebolts?" Malfoy asked.
"Um-yeah. Pretty cool, aren't they?" Claire said.
"They're okay, I guess. What kind is yours?" Malfoy asked, his eyebrow furrowing.
"I um, I-I don't own one," Claire said.
Malfoy looked surprised. "Seriously? You should try and get one then. If you're interested, Hogwarts Quidditch teams are always looking for good players."
"Quidditch team?" Claire repeated dumbly.
"Well, you DO know Quidditch, right?" Malfoy said, with a starting hint of boredom in his voice.
"Of course I do. I just-I mean, I didn't get what you meant when you said 'House teams'," Claire said quickly.
Malfoy's face cleared. "Oh! Well you know we have Houses at Hogwarts. Wait-- you go to Hogwarts, right?"
Claire nodded.
"As I was saying, I'm in Slytherin."
Claire raised her head. "So Hogwarts has Quidditch teams?"
Malfoy nodded. "Yeah. I'm on the Slytherin Quidditch team---you know, obviously," he added.
Malfoy suddenly turned, at a shuffle of noises nearby.
"I've got to be going. I'll see you at Hogwarts," Malfoy said, turning to walk away.
"Bye," Claire said softly.
*~*~*~*~
"Hey, what's that noise?" Harry suddenly said.
The three whirled around, and Draco Malfoy appeared from behind the shelves.
"Oh, it's you three," he said sourly.
"And it's you," Ron shot back, looking at Malfoy unpleasantly.
"What're you doing from behind here?" Harry said warily.
Malfoy smirked. "Well Quality Quidditch Supplies is an open place, you know."
"Then get on with your shopping and leave us alone," Hermione said.
Malfoy glared at her. "I don't need a some hideous Mudblood telling me what to do."
Harry fingered his wand warningly. "One more word out of you, and you'll rue the day you even thought of calling Hermione that."
Malfoy walked huffily away, leaving the three looking after him.
"You'd think he was trying to befriend us," Ron muttered.
*~*~*~*~
"Thirty-five Galleons, please," the witch behind the counter said.
Claire dug her hand into the pocket of her jeans, trying to fish out some gold. "Here," she said, dropping the many coins into the witch's outstretched hand.
"Thanks," Claire said, as she heaved her owl cage. The handsome tawny owl was perched on top of her shoulder.
"Well, what should I name you?" Claire asked her owl, once they got outside.
Claire grinned to herself. "Leonardo DiCaprio? Heh. Naw."
"How about...Bono. How's that?" Claire asked her owl.
Bono clicked his beak.
"I'll take that as a yes," Claire laughed.
Almost immediately, Roxy came running up. She was carrying an enormous but fluffy white-pink cat in her arms.
Claire raised her eyebrows. "So you've given up on rainbow cats?"
Roxy grinned slyly. "Forget about that. I saw you talking to some guy outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies. What's up?"
Claire smiled guiltily. "He's this guy from Hogwarts. He's in Slytherin House."
Roxy suddenly stuck out a disgusted tongue. "Ew. He's in Slytherin?? I dunno why you even bothered talking to one. Slytherin House turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other house. Did you know that?"
Claire shrugged. "Who cares? He goes to Hogwarts," she said dreamily.
Roxy widened her eyes. "Uh-oh. This is bad."
A/N: 'Tis bad, alright. Perhaps you oughta go meet Harry Potter and his friends, Claire. He'll change your mind.