Chapter 4 Making Friends?
A/N: I don't own anything that you recognize.
A tall, very tall, man on a motorcycle pulled to a stop on the side of the road just outside lower Tadfield. He seemed lost. He pulled out a map looking for someplace. It was Hagrid. He was on his way to pick up Harry and he was lost. As he looked around he saw a group of kids heading out of a field led by a golden haired boy and his Dog. The boy looked to be all of about 12, while the Dog looked to be of no particular breed other than Mongrel. The boy came up to Hagrid and asked, "Hey Mister. Are you lost?"
"Can ye tell me how ta get ta Lower Tadfield Airbase?" Hagrid asked the boy.
The boy thought for a moment and replied, "Sure. You keep going down this road until you get to the mansion. After that you turn left. Keep on that road and it will take you to the airbase."
Hagrid thanked the boy and road off. One of the other children turned to the lead boy and asked, "Adam, isn't that where you met that new boy Harry?"\
One of the Them turned to Adam and said, "That guy sure was unusual. I wonder what he's going to do at the base." Another one piped up, "I wonder how he's going to get onto the base. He must know someone important."
"Maybe Harry is more important than we thought." Adam looked thoughtful; he'd known all along that there was more to Harry than the others thought. He'd always felt a kind of kinship with Harry for some reason.
Maria called Harry in from where he was playing with a group of kids. She told him, "Harry, its time to get ready to go to Diagon Alley." With this the other children left to go explore the fields. About 30 minutes later the phone in the kitchen rang. It was the guard at the gate confirming Hagrid's letter of clearance. After confirming to the guard that yes, they were expecting Hagrid, Maria turned to Harry and said, "Hagrid will be here in a few moments."
A few minutes later Harry heard a motorcycle pull up outside the house he was staying in. Maria, Sara, and Harry went outside to greet Hagrid. "Hello Hagrid. This is Harry," Maria said as Hagrid got off the bike.
"So Harry, ready to go get your school supplies?" Hagrid asked Harry.
Harry turned to Maria and asked, " How will we be getting there?"
"A nice young sergeant will be driving us. You can leave your motorcycle here. It will be safe," Maria told Hagrid.
"Us? Who's us?" Hagrid asked as a car pulled up.
"You didn't think we'd allow Harry to go to Diagon Alley alone did you?" Maria asked Hagrid as she walked to the car. The driver, a young male sergeant, got out to open the doors for them. "Ready to go ma'am?" the sergeant asked Maria.
"Yes. Thank you, Sergeant," Maria replied as she shooed Hagrid into the car with Harry.
They were about halfway to London when the driver spoke. "So, why are you going to London today ma'am? If I may ask."
Harry turned to him and said, "We're getting my school supplies. " The sergeant continued to talk to Harry all of the way to London. Once they entered the city Hagrid gave the driver instructions on how to get to the Leaky Cauldron.
"The Leaky Cauldron? I've never heard of it," said the sergeant, but followed Hagrid's instructions anyway.
Once they pulled to a stop in front of their destination the sergeant was confused. He couldn't see anything there.
He turned to Maria and asked as she was getting out of the car, "Ma'am? Are you sure this is where you're supposed to be?" Maria placed her hand on the sergeant's arm and concentrated for a moment. As she did what the sergeant saw changed. Suddenly he could see a tiny, grubby looking pub with a sign out front the read 'The Leaky Cauldron'.
"Do you see it now Sergeant?" asked Maria as she took her hand off of his arm.
"Yes ma'am. But how?" replied the sergeant.
Sara turned to him and said, "You know better than to ask that question. There are some things you don't need to know."
"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am," the sergeant said looking contrite.
"Pick us up here in four hours," Maria told him.
"Yes ma'am," said the sergeant. With that Maria, Sara, Harry, and Hagrid entered the pub.
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light inside one of the wizards recognized Harry. "Oh my! Is that really Harry Potter?" he asked as he walked over.
"Hello Professor Rangell. Harry this is Professor Rangell. He will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year at Hogwarts," Hagrid said.
"Hello Harry. I'm looking forward to teaching you this year," the Professor said as he shook Harry's hand. As he did so pain shot through the scar on Harry's forehead. Something about Rangell made Harry's skin crawl and set off all of his internal alarms.
"Hello Professor," Harry said removing his hand from Rangell's as soon as he could. Harry had always been taught to trust his gut. It was usually right.
"Good day Professor. We must be going now," Sara said as she guided Harry away from Rangell. He creeped her out too.
Hagrid guided them out the back door of the pub. He stopped in front of a brick wall.
"How are we getting to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"Just ye watch Harry," with that Hagrid pulled out the umbrella he carried and tapped the bricks. He seemed to be counting them.
"Three up. two across," said Hagrid. As he tapped the last brick they began to rearrange forming an archway. Above it hung a sign that read 'Welcome to Diagon Alley'.
"Okay Harry, the first place we go is Gringotts," Maria said turning to Hagrid. "I believe you have Harry's key to the Potter vault."
"Right. This way," Hagrid said leading them to a large ornate building. As they walked through the large silver doors Harry could only stare in awe. Once they were inside he noticed a plaque bearing the inscription:
Enter stranger but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take, but do not earn Must pay most dearly in their turn. If you seek, beneath our floors A treasure that was never yours Thief you have been warned beware Of finding more than treasure there.
Hagrid noticed where Harry was looking and said, "Ye'd have ta be mad ta try an rob Gringotts. The goblins who run this place guard their treasure very carefully."
They made their way over to the main counter. Once there Maria went over to a free goblin. "I would like to access vault # 346. The Post vault," she told the goblin.
"Very well. Do you have the key?" the goblin asked in a bored way.
"That vault doesn't have a key. There is another mans of access," Maria said.
This seemed to startle the goblin for a moment. He looked the vault up in the register in front of him. What he read shocked him. "You can't access that vault. Only specific people can," he said.
"Yes. I know. I'm the one that had it set up that way. Paul is the one that transferred the funds, but I made sure that we all had access," Maria told the goblin exasperated.
This shocked the goblin even more. He left to get his superior as this situation was beyond his experience.
The superior walked up. "I'm sorry ma'am, but did you say vault 346? I'll have to ask you to verify your identity," the superior said as he pulled out a flat piece of crystal about the size of a computer screen. Maria placed her hand on it and focused her chi into the stone for a moment.
After reading her chi signature an image appeared on the stone along with some information. The superior looked carefully at what appeared on the crystal, comparing it to the woman in front of him and the information in the vault registry. It all matched.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Madame. But it was necessary to verify your identity before granting access to that particular vault," it said shooing the subordinate away to see to other customers.
"Yes. I know. As I said before, I'm the one who had it set up that way," Maria told the goblin.
While Maria was speaking with the supervisor Hagrid noticed a free goblin and went up to the desk to speak to him.
"I'm here to access the Potter vault," Hagrid told the goblin. "Vault 712 also"
The goblin replied, "You have the key to the Potter vault?"
"Yeah. Got it right here," Hagrid said pulling out a small golden key.
As the goblin began to usher Hagrid away from the desk, Maria and the supervisor came walking over. "We'll be going with you. We have a stop to make," Maria told Hagrid as they all were lead over to what looked like a roller coaster car. Once they all got in Maria turned to Harry and said, "You'd better center and brace yourself, Harry. You too Sara."
With this the cart pulled away from its starting point. When it reached its first destination it jerked to a halt. As the cart came to a halt Hagrid, who was looking a little green, asked the goblin, "Can ye go any slower?"
"One speed only," the goblin replied.
Maria stepped from the cart and beckoned Harry and Sara to follow her. As they reached the vault door Harry noticed that it didn't have a keyhole, instead in the middle of the door was a raised crest. It was a Thunderbird (A/N: No. Not the car) Maria turned to Harry and said, "Watch carefully Harry. You'll need to know how to do this." She then placed her hand on the crest and concentrated. The crest began to glow and the door opened. "It's sensitive to chi signatures. Only those who are authorized can open it. Anyone else who tries will get a nasty shock. About 50 volts worth. Not enough to kill, but still painful. If they try again, the voltage will increase. It will eventually reach lethal levels." The door opened completely revealing a vault filled with gold, silver, and bronze coins. There were also precious stones and a file drawer with land deeds and other important papers. Maria pulled out one of each kind of coin. She held them up and said to Harry, "These are Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. The gold one is the Galleon; it's worth 17 of the silver Sickles. Each Sickle is worth 29 bronze Knuts. Don't ask me where they came up with the values. I have no clue."
Sara turned to Harry after filling a bag with an assortment of coins and said, "This money is to pay for your schooling and supplies. The money your parents left you was intended for that purpose, but since we're taking care of that, we think you should use the money in the Potter vault to pay for other things and to help others. You will only be allowed to remove 25 Galleons, 55 Sickles, and 100 Knuts at a time. Think of it as your allowance."
"What right do ye have to tell Harry how much he can or can't take?" Hagrid demanded.
"The right as his legal guardians and caretakers," Sara told Hagrid.
"Harry, come here," Maria told Harry. "Place your hand on the crest with mine once I close the door," she said closing the door. Harry did as Maria said. The crest bean to glow again, then it started to get warm. After a moment it cooled and stopped glowing.
"It will now recognize you as having access to the vault. All you have to do is place your hand on the crest focus your chi. The door will then open," Maria told Harry as they headed back to the cart. They centered themselves again, and the cart got started. After another roller coaster like ride the cart came to a stop once again. This time they all got out. Hagrid handed Maria the key to the Potter vault and she unlocked it. She pulled out a bag and filled it with Harry's allowance, closed the bag, and shut the vault. After handing the bag to Harry she gave him the key to the vault and told him that he would only be allowed access twice a year unless he had permission from his guardians.
They got back into the cart and headed down. They passed what appeared to be dragons.
Harry turned to Hagrid and asked, "Are those really dragons?"
"Yep, we're enterin' the high security vault area. I need ta get something fer Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid told Harry.
The cart pulled to a stop in front of a vault whose door was completely blank. The goblin got out of the cart this time. He walked up to the door of the vault and stroked it. It seemed to melt away. Hagrid hurried to the vault and shoved something wrapped in brown paper under his coat. He nodded to the goblin and the door reappeared.
"How often do they check the vaults to make sure no one's trapped in there?" Harry asked Hagrid, curious.
"About ever' ten years," Hagrid replied. They got back into the cart and headed back up to the main floor of the Bank.
Once outside the Bank Maria asked Harry what exactly was on the supply list. Harry dug the list out of his pocket and gave it to her to read. It said:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Uniform First year students will require: 1. 3 sets of plain work robes (black) 2. 1 pointed hat (black) for day wear 3. 1 pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) 4. 1 winter cloak, black with silver fastenings Please note that all students clothing should carry name tags.
Course books All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spell (grade 1) By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Albert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self- Protection By Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 wand 1 cauldron (Pewter, standard size 2) 1 set of glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set brass scales Students may also bring on owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
Sara turned to Harry and said, "The next place we go is the robe shop for your uniform." They walked down the street to Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. As they walked into the shop they were met by Madame Malkin. "Hogwarts dear?" she asked Harry. When Harry said yes she led him to a back room to be measured and fitted for his robes and cloak. There was already someone else in the room. It was a boy with white/blonde hair. He was standing on a block. Harry was led to the block next to him.
"Hogwarts eh?" the boy said. "My name's Draco," he said extending his hand.
"I'm Harry," Harry said taking Draco's hand.
"My father's across the street getting my books, and my mother's looking at wands. You're American aren't you?" Draco asked.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Harry responded.
"Well why aren't you going to an American school institution like Hogwarts?" Draco asked looking at Harry.
"My parents went to Hogwarts and wanted me to go as well," Harry explained.
"Oh, so you're a pureblood, then?" Draco said looking superior.
"A what?"
"You know. A Pureblood. Both of your parents are magical right?" Draco asked.
"Yes. Why does it matter?" Harry responded.
"Well father says that Muggleborns shouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts."
To which Harry responded, "Well, we grew out of that kind of juvenile obsession long ago."
"Well my father thinks that Muggleborns are a lower class and ought not be allowed to go to school with pureblooded children," Draco said.
Harry responded, "I think you learn more by being around people who are different than by being around only those who are just like you."
"Father says Muggles are weak stupid and helpless," Draco said dismissively.
"Oh really," retorted Harry. "Have you ever heard of a place called 'Bikini Atoll'?"
"What's that?" Draco demanded. Some place where all the birds wear two piece bathing suits?"
Harry just smiled. "Maybe you should look it up. I think you might find it interesting. You may have to look for it. Don't talk to me about Muggles until you've found it."
Draco looked surprised but agreed. "So, which House do you think you'll be in? I hope I'm in Slytherin."
"I'm not sure. I'll just have to see," Harry replied looking thoughtful.
"Maybe we'll be in the same House," Draco told Harry. "I think we'd be good friends."
"To borrow a phrase Draco 'Our friendship could be the stuff of legends'," Harry told him.
With that Draco's father came in through the door and Draco left the shop with him.
Once Harry's robes were done they left the shop. They went across the street to buy Harry's books. From there they went to buy his potion supplies from the Apothecary shop. They then went to get Harry's wand.
"Where are we going to get my wand?" Harry asked Maria.
"Ollivander's," Maria said pointing to the shop down the street.
The shop had a sign "Ollivander's: Fine Wands since 82 BC" hanging above the door. They walked into a dusty store. An old wizard came in from the backroom. He seemed surprised to see Harry's appearance.
"Harry Potter? Is that you?" he asked. "I wasn't sure I'd see you. I assume you're here for a wand."
"Maria told Ollivander, "Harry's been with us for the last 10 years. He's going to Hogwarts this year. He will be needing a wand." With this Ollivander began measuring Harry.
He then went into the back of the shop and came out with an armful of boxes. "Which is your wand hand?" he asked Harry.
Harry looked puzzled for a moment then held out his right hand and said, "I'm right handed but can use either."
Ollivander opened one of the boxes and handed Harry the wand that was inside. "Here. Give this a wave."
Harry was puzzled but did as he was asked anyway. As Harry waved the wand a spray of water appeared out of the tip. As soon as this happened, Ollivander took the wand from him and handed him another. "Here give this a try." This time when Harry gave the wand a wave the front window of the shop exploded out onto the street. Ollivander snatched the wand and handed Harry a third. Harry tried this one with similar results. This repeated itself a few more times before Harry stopped Ollivander.
"Hang on. Rather than trying every wand in the shop, let me try something," Harry told Ollivander. He closed his eyes, held out his hand, and concentrated. He began moving his hand as if he were being directed by something he was feeling on the palm of his hand. He stopped and his face cleared. He pointed to a box at the back of the shop and said, "That one. I'll try that one next."
Ollivander looked skeptical but got the wand anyway and gave it to Harry. Harry took the wand and looked almost entranced by the feel of it in his hand. It felt right! He gave the wand a wave and a series of red, gold, green, and silver sparks cascaded from the tip.
"Curious," remarked Ollivander upon seeing which wand worked for Harry.
Harry snapped out of the trance and asked, "What? What's curious?"
"It's the wand that chooses the wizard or witch, not the other way round. That particular wand is unusual. It is 11" holly, but it has an unusual core. It is the core that gives the wand its magical abilities. That particular wand is unusual because it has two core elements. A phoenix feather and a Mocking Bird feather. The phoenix that gave the feather that resides in that wand gave just one other. That feather resides in the wand that gave you that scar. Voldemort's wand," Ollivander explained.
Hagrid flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name. This caused Ollivander to notice him.
"Is that you, Rubeus Hagrid? I remember you. Oak, 16". They snapped it when you were expelled right?" Ollivander asked Hagrid.
Hagrid clutched his umbrella. "Yeah, they gave me the pieces."
"You don't actually use them, do you?" Ollivander asked Hagrid.
"Um.no.course not," Hagrid said clutching his umbrella even tighter.
Ollivandr then turned to Maria and Sara and asked what type of wand they used.
"We don't normally use a wand. When we have to, it doesn't really matter what type of wand we use," Sara told Ollivander.
"Interesting. Usually a witch or wizard will pnly get the best results from a particular wand. How do you do magic if you don't use a wand?" Ollivander asked Maria and Sara, intrigued.
"We use a different type of magic. We learn to manipulate the magical energy directly," Maria told Ollivander. She then remembered something. "Did you get the package?"
"Yes. I have it. It's very interesting," Ollivander said.
"Just make sure you keep it safe for Harry. He'll be ready for it someday, possibly someday soon," Maria told Ollivander. She then paid 7 Galleons for Harry's wand and they left the shop.
Hagrid led them down the street to the Eyelops Owl Emporium. He turned to Harry and said, "You need a pet. Toads are dead common, and I can't stand cats me self, so an owl it is. Consider it a late birthday present."
They entered the shop. It was dark and was filled by the soft sound of hooting.
"Just pick one ye want," Hagrid told Harry.
Harry looked around at the caged owls in the shop. He considered carefully. He finally picked a beautiful female snowy owl. He recognized the type of owl as one that lived in the northern US. He pointed to the owl and said, "That one, that's the one I want." The witch behind the counter noticed which owl he was pointing to and smiled. "That's a very good choice. She's very smart." Hagrid paid for the owl and they began to leave the shop. Maria turned to Harry and asked, "So Harry, what re you going to call your new owl?"
Harry held up the cage and looked closely at the owl. "I'm not sure. What d you think? Huh? What's your name?" Harry asked the owl. "Maybe Blanca"
The owl looked Harry in the eyes and Harry heard, *My name is Hedwig*
"Hedwig? Is that your name?" Harry asked the owl.
"Hedwig? That's an interesting name. How'd you think of it?" Sara asked Harry.
"She told me. Didn't you hear her?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"No Harry. All we heard was a soft hooting," Maria told him. "It did kinda sound like she was talking to you."
"Oh. Before I forget. We need to make sure that we have the proper papers to get Hedwig onto the Base." Maria turned to the shopkeeper. "Do you have papers certifying Hedwig's health? From the local vet?"
"Papers? Sure, but most people don't bother to ask for them," the shopkeeper said as she reached below the counter.
"Yes, but we don't have time to have Hedwig put into Quarantine for 6 months," Maria told the shopkeeper.
"6 months? Why would the Quarantine be so long?" the witch asked as she pulled a folder filled with papers from under the counter.
"We live in the US and the laws require that all animals with out vet papers go into Quarantine for 6 months when coming from overseas, especially from the UK," Maria explained to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper handed the folder of papers to Maria who looked them over. Every thing seemed to be in order.
They left the shop and headed down the street to the Leaky Cauldron. After a brief conversation with Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, he agreed to store the bulk of Harry's school supplies until September 1. All Harry kept with him were the textbooks, his wand, and Hedwig of course. When Hagrid asked why they were having Tom store the supplies, Maria replied, "It's just easier than trying to get them through base security. After all, we don't want to drive the drug and bomb dogs nuts."
A few moments later the car to take them back to the base pulled up outside the pub. The driver got out and helped Harry put his books into the trunk of the car. As he opened the door to assist Maria and Sara into the car he noticed Harry's owl. He blinked slowly at the owl, and the owl blinked slowly back. He turned to Maria and said, "Um. Do you have the proper papers for the owl, ma'am?" He was not going to ask why they had an owl with them.
"Yes, Sergeant. We have all of the right papers for Harry's new owl. Thank you for asking," Maria said to the sergeant.
After a pleasant hour's drive, during which Harry spent most of the time getting to know his new owl, they were at the gates of the Airbase. As they were going through security one of the dogs noticed Hedwig and started barking.
Harry noticed the dog's barking and said to it, *Don't worry, she's supposed to be here. Your person is checking her papers now. *
This seemed to reassure the dog and it subsided with a muffled "Hrummmph". Hedwig responded with a soft "Hoooo." and Harry refrained from having the last word. Hagrid did not notice Harry speaking to the animals, and while the others might have, Maria and Sara expected it, and the guards knew better than to comment on something so far outside their duty assignment.
From there they headed back to the house that Maria, Sara, and Harry were staying in. Hagrid retrieved his motorcycle and got ready to leave. As he was about to start the bike Maria turned to him and said, "Make sure that you're far from the base before you take to the air."
"Headmaster Dumbledore explained to me about that," Hagrid said. Before he left he turned to Harry and said, "I'll see you September 1. Here's your ticket for the Hogwarts Express." With that Hagrid handed Harry a golden ticket. The information it had on it was that the train left from King's Cross Station in London from Platform (9 ¾) at 9 am on September 1. After giving Harry his ticket and saying goodbye to them all, Hagrid left.
A/N: I don't own anything that you recognize.
A tall, very tall, man on a motorcycle pulled to a stop on the side of the road just outside lower Tadfield. He seemed lost. He pulled out a map looking for someplace. It was Hagrid. He was on his way to pick up Harry and he was lost. As he looked around he saw a group of kids heading out of a field led by a golden haired boy and his Dog. The boy looked to be all of about 12, while the Dog looked to be of no particular breed other than Mongrel. The boy came up to Hagrid and asked, "Hey Mister. Are you lost?"
"Can ye tell me how ta get ta Lower Tadfield Airbase?" Hagrid asked the boy.
The boy thought for a moment and replied, "Sure. You keep going down this road until you get to the mansion. After that you turn left. Keep on that road and it will take you to the airbase."
Hagrid thanked the boy and road off. One of the other children turned to the lead boy and asked, "Adam, isn't that where you met that new boy Harry?"\
One of the Them turned to Adam and said, "That guy sure was unusual. I wonder what he's going to do at the base." Another one piped up, "I wonder how he's going to get onto the base. He must know someone important."
"Maybe Harry is more important than we thought." Adam looked thoughtful; he'd known all along that there was more to Harry than the others thought. He'd always felt a kind of kinship with Harry for some reason.
Maria called Harry in from where he was playing with a group of kids. She told him, "Harry, its time to get ready to go to Diagon Alley." With this the other children left to go explore the fields. About 30 minutes later the phone in the kitchen rang. It was the guard at the gate confirming Hagrid's letter of clearance. After confirming to the guard that yes, they were expecting Hagrid, Maria turned to Harry and said, "Hagrid will be here in a few moments."
A few minutes later Harry heard a motorcycle pull up outside the house he was staying in. Maria, Sara, and Harry went outside to greet Hagrid. "Hello Hagrid. This is Harry," Maria said as Hagrid got off the bike.
"So Harry, ready to go get your school supplies?" Hagrid asked Harry.
Harry turned to Maria and asked, " How will we be getting there?"
"A nice young sergeant will be driving us. You can leave your motorcycle here. It will be safe," Maria told Hagrid.
"Us? Who's us?" Hagrid asked as a car pulled up.
"You didn't think we'd allow Harry to go to Diagon Alley alone did you?" Maria asked Hagrid as she walked to the car. The driver, a young male sergeant, got out to open the doors for them. "Ready to go ma'am?" the sergeant asked Maria.
"Yes. Thank you, Sergeant," Maria replied as she shooed Hagrid into the car with Harry.
They were about halfway to London when the driver spoke. "So, why are you going to London today ma'am? If I may ask."
Harry turned to him and said, "We're getting my school supplies. " The sergeant continued to talk to Harry all of the way to London. Once they entered the city Hagrid gave the driver instructions on how to get to the Leaky Cauldron.
"The Leaky Cauldron? I've never heard of it," said the sergeant, but followed Hagrid's instructions anyway.
Once they pulled to a stop in front of their destination the sergeant was confused. He couldn't see anything there.
He turned to Maria and asked as she was getting out of the car, "Ma'am? Are you sure this is where you're supposed to be?" Maria placed her hand on the sergeant's arm and concentrated for a moment. As she did what the sergeant saw changed. Suddenly he could see a tiny, grubby looking pub with a sign out front the read 'The Leaky Cauldron'.
"Do you see it now Sergeant?" asked Maria as she took her hand off of his arm.
"Yes ma'am. But how?" replied the sergeant.
Sara turned to him and said, "You know better than to ask that question. There are some things you don't need to know."
"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am," the sergeant said looking contrite.
"Pick us up here in four hours," Maria told him.
"Yes ma'am," said the sergeant. With that Maria, Sara, Harry, and Hagrid entered the pub.
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light inside one of the wizards recognized Harry. "Oh my! Is that really Harry Potter?" he asked as he walked over.
"Hello Professor Rangell. Harry this is Professor Rangell. He will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year at Hogwarts," Hagrid said.
"Hello Harry. I'm looking forward to teaching you this year," the Professor said as he shook Harry's hand. As he did so pain shot through the scar on Harry's forehead. Something about Rangell made Harry's skin crawl and set off all of his internal alarms.
"Hello Professor," Harry said removing his hand from Rangell's as soon as he could. Harry had always been taught to trust his gut. It was usually right.
"Good day Professor. We must be going now," Sara said as she guided Harry away from Rangell. He creeped her out too.
Hagrid guided them out the back door of the pub. He stopped in front of a brick wall.
"How are we getting to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"Just ye watch Harry," with that Hagrid pulled out the umbrella he carried and tapped the bricks. He seemed to be counting them.
"Three up. two across," said Hagrid. As he tapped the last brick they began to rearrange forming an archway. Above it hung a sign that read 'Welcome to Diagon Alley'.
"Okay Harry, the first place we go is Gringotts," Maria said turning to Hagrid. "I believe you have Harry's key to the Potter vault."
"Right. This way," Hagrid said leading them to a large ornate building. As they walked through the large silver doors Harry could only stare in awe. Once they were inside he noticed a plaque bearing the inscription:
Enter stranger but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take, but do not earn Must pay most dearly in their turn. If you seek, beneath our floors A treasure that was never yours Thief you have been warned beware Of finding more than treasure there.
Hagrid noticed where Harry was looking and said, "Ye'd have ta be mad ta try an rob Gringotts. The goblins who run this place guard their treasure very carefully."
They made their way over to the main counter. Once there Maria went over to a free goblin. "I would like to access vault # 346. The Post vault," she told the goblin.
"Very well. Do you have the key?" the goblin asked in a bored way.
"That vault doesn't have a key. There is another mans of access," Maria said.
This seemed to startle the goblin for a moment. He looked the vault up in the register in front of him. What he read shocked him. "You can't access that vault. Only specific people can," he said.
"Yes. I know. I'm the one that had it set up that way. Paul is the one that transferred the funds, but I made sure that we all had access," Maria told the goblin exasperated.
This shocked the goblin even more. He left to get his superior as this situation was beyond his experience.
The superior walked up. "I'm sorry ma'am, but did you say vault 346? I'll have to ask you to verify your identity," the superior said as he pulled out a flat piece of crystal about the size of a computer screen. Maria placed her hand on it and focused her chi into the stone for a moment.
After reading her chi signature an image appeared on the stone along with some information. The superior looked carefully at what appeared on the crystal, comparing it to the woman in front of him and the information in the vault registry. It all matched.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Madame. But it was necessary to verify your identity before granting access to that particular vault," it said shooing the subordinate away to see to other customers.
"Yes. I know. As I said before, I'm the one who had it set up that way," Maria told the goblin.
While Maria was speaking with the supervisor Hagrid noticed a free goblin and went up to the desk to speak to him.
"I'm here to access the Potter vault," Hagrid told the goblin. "Vault 712 also"
The goblin replied, "You have the key to the Potter vault?"
"Yeah. Got it right here," Hagrid said pulling out a small golden key.
As the goblin began to usher Hagrid away from the desk, Maria and the supervisor came walking over. "We'll be going with you. We have a stop to make," Maria told Hagrid as they all were lead over to what looked like a roller coaster car. Once they all got in Maria turned to Harry and said, "You'd better center and brace yourself, Harry. You too Sara."
With this the cart pulled away from its starting point. When it reached its first destination it jerked to a halt. As the cart came to a halt Hagrid, who was looking a little green, asked the goblin, "Can ye go any slower?"
"One speed only," the goblin replied.
Maria stepped from the cart and beckoned Harry and Sara to follow her. As they reached the vault door Harry noticed that it didn't have a keyhole, instead in the middle of the door was a raised crest. It was a Thunderbird (A/N: No. Not the car) Maria turned to Harry and said, "Watch carefully Harry. You'll need to know how to do this." She then placed her hand on the crest and concentrated. The crest began to glow and the door opened. "It's sensitive to chi signatures. Only those who are authorized can open it. Anyone else who tries will get a nasty shock. About 50 volts worth. Not enough to kill, but still painful. If they try again, the voltage will increase. It will eventually reach lethal levels." The door opened completely revealing a vault filled with gold, silver, and bronze coins. There were also precious stones and a file drawer with land deeds and other important papers. Maria pulled out one of each kind of coin. She held them up and said to Harry, "These are Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. The gold one is the Galleon; it's worth 17 of the silver Sickles. Each Sickle is worth 29 bronze Knuts. Don't ask me where they came up with the values. I have no clue."
Sara turned to Harry after filling a bag with an assortment of coins and said, "This money is to pay for your schooling and supplies. The money your parents left you was intended for that purpose, but since we're taking care of that, we think you should use the money in the Potter vault to pay for other things and to help others. You will only be allowed to remove 25 Galleons, 55 Sickles, and 100 Knuts at a time. Think of it as your allowance."
"What right do ye have to tell Harry how much he can or can't take?" Hagrid demanded.
"The right as his legal guardians and caretakers," Sara told Hagrid.
"Harry, come here," Maria told Harry. "Place your hand on the crest with mine once I close the door," she said closing the door. Harry did as Maria said. The crest bean to glow again, then it started to get warm. After a moment it cooled and stopped glowing.
"It will now recognize you as having access to the vault. All you have to do is place your hand on the crest focus your chi. The door will then open," Maria told Harry as they headed back to the cart. They centered themselves again, and the cart got started. After another roller coaster like ride the cart came to a stop once again. This time they all got out. Hagrid handed Maria the key to the Potter vault and she unlocked it. She pulled out a bag and filled it with Harry's allowance, closed the bag, and shut the vault. After handing the bag to Harry she gave him the key to the vault and told him that he would only be allowed access twice a year unless he had permission from his guardians.
They got back into the cart and headed down. They passed what appeared to be dragons.
Harry turned to Hagrid and asked, "Are those really dragons?"
"Yep, we're enterin' the high security vault area. I need ta get something fer Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid told Harry.
The cart pulled to a stop in front of a vault whose door was completely blank. The goblin got out of the cart this time. He walked up to the door of the vault and stroked it. It seemed to melt away. Hagrid hurried to the vault and shoved something wrapped in brown paper under his coat. He nodded to the goblin and the door reappeared.
"How often do they check the vaults to make sure no one's trapped in there?" Harry asked Hagrid, curious.
"About ever' ten years," Hagrid replied. They got back into the cart and headed back up to the main floor of the Bank.
Once outside the Bank Maria asked Harry what exactly was on the supply list. Harry dug the list out of his pocket and gave it to her to read. It said:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Uniform First year students will require: 1. 3 sets of plain work robes (black) 2. 1 pointed hat (black) for day wear 3. 1 pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) 4. 1 winter cloak, black with silver fastenings Please note that all students clothing should carry name tags.
Course books All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spell (grade 1) By Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Albert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi By Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them By Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self- Protection By Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 wand 1 cauldron (Pewter, standard size 2) 1 set of glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set brass scales Students may also bring on owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
Sara turned to Harry and said, "The next place we go is the robe shop for your uniform." They walked down the street to Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. As they walked into the shop they were met by Madame Malkin. "Hogwarts dear?" she asked Harry. When Harry said yes she led him to a back room to be measured and fitted for his robes and cloak. There was already someone else in the room. It was a boy with white/blonde hair. He was standing on a block. Harry was led to the block next to him.
"Hogwarts eh?" the boy said. "My name's Draco," he said extending his hand.
"I'm Harry," Harry said taking Draco's hand.
"My father's across the street getting my books, and my mother's looking at wands. You're American aren't you?" Draco asked.
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Harry responded.
"Well why aren't you going to an American school institution like Hogwarts?" Draco asked looking at Harry.
"My parents went to Hogwarts and wanted me to go as well," Harry explained.
"Oh, so you're a pureblood, then?" Draco said looking superior.
"A what?"
"You know. A Pureblood. Both of your parents are magical right?" Draco asked.
"Yes. Why does it matter?" Harry responded.
"Well father says that Muggleborns shouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts."
To which Harry responded, "Well, we grew out of that kind of juvenile obsession long ago."
"Well my father thinks that Muggleborns are a lower class and ought not be allowed to go to school with pureblooded children," Draco said.
Harry responded, "I think you learn more by being around people who are different than by being around only those who are just like you."
"Father says Muggles are weak stupid and helpless," Draco said dismissively.
"Oh really," retorted Harry. "Have you ever heard of a place called 'Bikini Atoll'?"
"What's that?" Draco demanded. Some place where all the birds wear two piece bathing suits?"
Harry just smiled. "Maybe you should look it up. I think you might find it interesting. You may have to look for it. Don't talk to me about Muggles until you've found it."
Draco looked surprised but agreed. "So, which House do you think you'll be in? I hope I'm in Slytherin."
"I'm not sure. I'll just have to see," Harry replied looking thoughtful.
"Maybe we'll be in the same House," Draco told Harry. "I think we'd be good friends."
"To borrow a phrase Draco 'Our friendship could be the stuff of legends'," Harry told him.
With that Draco's father came in through the door and Draco left the shop with him.
Once Harry's robes were done they left the shop. They went across the street to buy Harry's books. From there they went to buy his potion supplies from the Apothecary shop. They then went to get Harry's wand.
"Where are we going to get my wand?" Harry asked Maria.
"Ollivander's," Maria said pointing to the shop down the street.
The shop had a sign "Ollivander's: Fine Wands since 82 BC" hanging above the door. They walked into a dusty store. An old wizard came in from the backroom. He seemed surprised to see Harry's appearance.
"Harry Potter? Is that you?" he asked. "I wasn't sure I'd see you. I assume you're here for a wand."
"Maria told Ollivander, "Harry's been with us for the last 10 years. He's going to Hogwarts this year. He will be needing a wand." With this Ollivander began measuring Harry.
He then went into the back of the shop and came out with an armful of boxes. "Which is your wand hand?" he asked Harry.
Harry looked puzzled for a moment then held out his right hand and said, "I'm right handed but can use either."
Ollivander opened one of the boxes and handed Harry the wand that was inside. "Here. Give this a wave."
Harry was puzzled but did as he was asked anyway. As Harry waved the wand a spray of water appeared out of the tip. As soon as this happened, Ollivander took the wand from him and handed him another. "Here give this a try." This time when Harry gave the wand a wave the front window of the shop exploded out onto the street. Ollivander snatched the wand and handed Harry a third. Harry tried this one with similar results. This repeated itself a few more times before Harry stopped Ollivander.
"Hang on. Rather than trying every wand in the shop, let me try something," Harry told Ollivander. He closed his eyes, held out his hand, and concentrated. He began moving his hand as if he were being directed by something he was feeling on the palm of his hand. He stopped and his face cleared. He pointed to a box at the back of the shop and said, "That one. I'll try that one next."
Ollivander looked skeptical but got the wand anyway and gave it to Harry. Harry took the wand and looked almost entranced by the feel of it in his hand. It felt right! He gave the wand a wave and a series of red, gold, green, and silver sparks cascaded from the tip.
"Curious," remarked Ollivander upon seeing which wand worked for Harry.
Harry snapped out of the trance and asked, "What? What's curious?"
"It's the wand that chooses the wizard or witch, not the other way round. That particular wand is unusual. It is 11" holly, but it has an unusual core. It is the core that gives the wand its magical abilities. That particular wand is unusual because it has two core elements. A phoenix feather and a Mocking Bird feather. The phoenix that gave the feather that resides in that wand gave just one other. That feather resides in the wand that gave you that scar. Voldemort's wand," Ollivander explained.
Hagrid flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name. This caused Ollivander to notice him.
"Is that you, Rubeus Hagrid? I remember you. Oak, 16". They snapped it when you were expelled right?" Ollivander asked Hagrid.
Hagrid clutched his umbrella. "Yeah, they gave me the pieces."
"You don't actually use them, do you?" Ollivander asked Hagrid.
"Um.no.course not," Hagrid said clutching his umbrella even tighter.
Ollivandr then turned to Maria and Sara and asked what type of wand they used.
"We don't normally use a wand. When we have to, it doesn't really matter what type of wand we use," Sara told Ollivander.
"Interesting. Usually a witch or wizard will pnly get the best results from a particular wand. How do you do magic if you don't use a wand?" Ollivander asked Maria and Sara, intrigued.
"We use a different type of magic. We learn to manipulate the magical energy directly," Maria told Ollivander. She then remembered something. "Did you get the package?"
"Yes. I have it. It's very interesting," Ollivander said.
"Just make sure you keep it safe for Harry. He'll be ready for it someday, possibly someday soon," Maria told Ollivander. She then paid 7 Galleons for Harry's wand and they left the shop.
Hagrid led them down the street to the Eyelops Owl Emporium. He turned to Harry and said, "You need a pet. Toads are dead common, and I can't stand cats me self, so an owl it is. Consider it a late birthday present."
They entered the shop. It was dark and was filled by the soft sound of hooting.
"Just pick one ye want," Hagrid told Harry.
Harry looked around at the caged owls in the shop. He considered carefully. He finally picked a beautiful female snowy owl. He recognized the type of owl as one that lived in the northern US. He pointed to the owl and said, "That one, that's the one I want." The witch behind the counter noticed which owl he was pointing to and smiled. "That's a very good choice. She's very smart." Hagrid paid for the owl and they began to leave the shop. Maria turned to Harry and asked, "So Harry, what re you going to call your new owl?"
Harry held up the cage and looked closely at the owl. "I'm not sure. What d you think? Huh? What's your name?" Harry asked the owl. "Maybe Blanca"
The owl looked Harry in the eyes and Harry heard, *My name is Hedwig*
"Hedwig? Is that your name?" Harry asked the owl.
"Hedwig? That's an interesting name. How'd you think of it?" Sara asked Harry.
"She told me. Didn't you hear her?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"No Harry. All we heard was a soft hooting," Maria told him. "It did kinda sound like she was talking to you."
"Oh. Before I forget. We need to make sure that we have the proper papers to get Hedwig onto the Base." Maria turned to the shopkeeper. "Do you have papers certifying Hedwig's health? From the local vet?"
"Papers? Sure, but most people don't bother to ask for them," the shopkeeper said as she reached below the counter.
"Yes, but we don't have time to have Hedwig put into Quarantine for 6 months," Maria told the shopkeeper.
"6 months? Why would the Quarantine be so long?" the witch asked as she pulled a folder filled with papers from under the counter.
"We live in the US and the laws require that all animals with out vet papers go into Quarantine for 6 months when coming from overseas, especially from the UK," Maria explained to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper handed the folder of papers to Maria who looked them over. Every thing seemed to be in order.
They left the shop and headed down the street to the Leaky Cauldron. After a brief conversation with Tom, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, he agreed to store the bulk of Harry's school supplies until September 1. All Harry kept with him were the textbooks, his wand, and Hedwig of course. When Hagrid asked why they were having Tom store the supplies, Maria replied, "It's just easier than trying to get them through base security. After all, we don't want to drive the drug and bomb dogs nuts."
A few moments later the car to take them back to the base pulled up outside the pub. The driver got out and helped Harry put his books into the trunk of the car. As he opened the door to assist Maria and Sara into the car he noticed Harry's owl. He blinked slowly at the owl, and the owl blinked slowly back. He turned to Maria and said, "Um. Do you have the proper papers for the owl, ma'am?" He was not going to ask why they had an owl with them.
"Yes, Sergeant. We have all of the right papers for Harry's new owl. Thank you for asking," Maria said to the sergeant.
After a pleasant hour's drive, during which Harry spent most of the time getting to know his new owl, they were at the gates of the Airbase. As they were going through security one of the dogs noticed Hedwig and started barking.
Harry noticed the dog's barking and said to it, *Don't worry, she's supposed to be here. Your person is checking her papers now. *
This seemed to reassure the dog and it subsided with a muffled "Hrummmph". Hedwig responded with a soft "Hoooo." and Harry refrained from having the last word. Hagrid did not notice Harry speaking to the animals, and while the others might have, Maria and Sara expected it, and the guards knew better than to comment on something so far outside their duty assignment.
From there they headed back to the house that Maria, Sara, and Harry were staying in. Hagrid retrieved his motorcycle and got ready to leave. As he was about to start the bike Maria turned to him and said, "Make sure that you're far from the base before you take to the air."
"Headmaster Dumbledore explained to me about that," Hagrid said. Before he left he turned to Harry and said, "I'll see you September 1. Here's your ticket for the Hogwarts Express." With that Hagrid handed Harry a golden ticket. The information it had on it was that the train left from King's Cross Station in London from Platform (9 ¾) at 9 am on September 1. After giving Harry his ticket and saying goodbye to them all, Hagrid left.