Chapter 4: Diagon Alley
Two days after her 15th Birthday, Nicholas informed Dilandra's parents that he would like to take her shopping for school supplies. Dilandra's parents agreed, and heartily asked if they could accompany Nicholas and her as well. Feeling joyful that her parents were taking the news so well, Nicholas and Dilandra had immediately replied with a 'yes'. Now that they were actually going shopping, however, Dilandra wished she hadn't agreed so quickly. 'Dilandra, dear, I can't believe I'm actually going to a wizard's shop!' her mother would squeal every now and then. These comments made people's heads turn on the Underground. When Nicholas, Dilandra and her parents (Celeste had flatly refused to go) finally arrived at London, Uncle Nicky lead them to a place that seemed oddly familiar to Dilandra. 'The bookshop! A-And the record store!' she gasped, pointing at the buildings. She remembered this place so very well, years ago, the first time she had met Nicholas. Uncle Nicky smiled. 'Glad you remember, Dilandra.' He said They walked up to the stores, and oddly enough, Dilandra noticed for the first time, a small, weather-beaten door, painted black with a swinging sign right above it, bearing the words The Leaky Cauldron in rather faded and peeling letters. Nicholas opened the door and stepped aside to allow Dilandra and her parents to enter first. It was rather dim inside, and furnished like a very old-fashioned bar. A man was polishing several glasses with a white cloth, raised his hand signalling a hello to Nicholas. Uncle Nicky returned the greeting with a small wave and a smile. As Dilandra looked around, she saw people dressed along similar lines as Uncle Nicky - people in long embroidered cloaks and robes sweeping the floor. A faint smell of incense lingered in the air. She walked past several witches who peered good-naturedly over their glasses at her as they passed as she stared just as curiously back. Nicholas led them to the back and opened the door. A flood of sunlight warmed her immediately, and she noticed that it was very quiet, she couldn't hear the morning London traffic at all. She gave a quick glance around the simple garden: it was neat and tidy, dotted with exotic pot- plants, an odd-looking metal dustbin and surrounded by a heavy brick wall. While Dilandra was busy looking around, Uncle Nicky pulled out his wand and began counting the bricks from the dustbin. 'Two across .. Three up .' he muttered, 'Right, Dilandra, stay back.' Nicholas tapped the brick three times with the tip of his wand. Immediately, a small hole appeared which became wider and wider until it became an archway big enough for the whole of the Bryden's to walk through together. A cobbled street twisted and turned out of sight, surrounded entirely of rather cramped shops. A sign revealed the words Diagon Alley in fancy gold letters. 'Welcome to the wizarding world, Dilandra.' Uncle Nicky said, beaming. Awestruck, Dilandra looked around, almost too dazed to really believe where she was right now. The nearest shop revealed a stack of cauldrons, which glinted and winked in the bright sunlight. She read the sign above it: Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible. 'Yes, you will be needing one,' Nicholas said, nodding at the shop, 'But you'll need you're money first.' Dilandra was too dumbstruck to speak, and she merely nodded. She gazed open- mouthed at a store revealing robes and cloaks and materials of all colours. She then passed a woman who was tutting loudly at the price of this-and- that. 'Gringotts.' Nicholas said, pointing at a large white building, 'It's a wizards' bank, Dilandra.' Dilandra stared, open-mouthed at the front door, which was very highly polished and gleamed of scarlet and gold. A very short something was at the entrance, dressed from head to foot in scarlet and gold, and glaring suspiciously at passers-by. 'Uhh . Uncle Nicky. Umm . what exactly is that?' Dilandra asked, staring and pointing at the squat thing. 'It's a goblin, Dilandra. Extremely cunning and smart folk, they are, but you wouldn't want to mess with them, oh no.' Dilandra and Nicholas walked slowly inside, with her parents chattering excitedly behind her, and reached a desk where a goblin was intently scratching symbols onto a faded piece of parchment. A golden badge revealed the name Gilagon on his collar. It looked up when Dilandra cautiously approached the desk. 'Yes? May I help you?' it asked in a dry and raspy voice, looking from Dilandra to Nicholas. 'Err - Miss Bryden would like to open an account here.' Uncle Nicky said. 'I do?' 'And,' he said, a smile flickering at his lips, 'her parents are here too. I daresay they have brought enough money with them.' Gilagon hopped off his stool and beckoned for Dilandra to follow him. Nicholas gave her a quick smile of encouragement and pushed her forth. But her parents were with Dilandra first. 'Oh my goodness, honey. This is actually a bank?' her mother asked, open- mouthed. 'What an extraordinary use of marble and granite!' Mark Bryden muttered, gazing up at the tall columns, 'I should like to live here!' Gilagon sighed and muttered something like, 'Muggles' before he said that he might as well bring everyone, since Dilandra's parents wouldn't leave her alone. They passed through a narrow corridor, lit with flaming torches and lamps, before they came to a halt and in front of them was a large door. Opening it, Dilandra let out a gasp. There was an endless road of rails, leading up and down, twisting and turning until out of sight. Gilagon whistled and from nowhere came a rather large wooden cart, in which Nicholas, Dilandra and both her parents and the goblin clambered in to. The tunnels were dark and murky, where huge stalagmites and stalactites rose impressively above and below them, some still dripping very slowly. The cart sped at break-neck point, where the wing howled and whistled in her ears and a funny feeling came to her stomach. Celeste wouldn't have enjoyed this at all, Dilandra thought happily, as they began to slow down. 'Vault 857' Gilagon said in his raspy voice, 'How much muggle money would you like transferred into your account?' Dilandra glanced at her father who nodded at her daughter and said, '400 pounds, I think, for a start.' The goblin pulled out a rather small golden key and inserted it into the slot. A few seconds later, the vault door opened, revealing mountains of gold, silver and bronze coins, heaped into the large piles inside. Dilandra gasped at the sight and hugged her parents around the middle. 'Oh my goodness! Thanks mum! Thanks dad!' she repeated over and over again. Meanwhile, Nicholas was busy shoveling handfuls of coins into a small leather bag. He knotted it securely at the top and handed it to Dilandra who clung to it tightly with both hands. When they walked back outside Gringotts, squinting in the bright sunlight, Nicholas pulled out the letter from Hogwarts and peered at the list. 'Hmm. schoolbooks, wand - Ollivander's, robes, quills, a broomstick - maybe.' Dilandra, who was curiously looking over the parchment, gave Nicholas a smile when he glanced at her. 'I daresay that you would like to get moving. And,' he nodded at Dilandra's parents, 'so would they.' Dilandra groaned a little and she watched Uncle Nicky walk over to her parents. A moment later, Nicholas returned to her, smiling a little. 'I have managed to convince your parents they should stay at the Leaky Cauldron until we return, Dilandra. They seem a little tired. Perhaps it's a little too much excitement for them today.' Dilandra, feeling much happier, waved a see you later to her parents who were still chattering distractedly at everything, and then followed Nicholas to the nearest shop. She read the sign. Diagon Alley - Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions Dilandra opened the heavy wooden door. A bell jingled somewhere and with a little pop appeared a tall and skinny which, her blue eyes outlined with black-framed spectacles. She looked quite nice, actually, dressed from head to foot in purple velvet. A measuring tape hung loosely around her thin shoulders, and smiled when she saw Dilandra quietly survey her. 'My dear Madam Malkin,' Uncle Nicky said, opening his arms at her and embracing her with a hug. 'Such a long time since . My dear, how well you are looking.' 'Thank you, my dear Nicholas,' she replied, 'And who is your little companion, might I ask?' 'This is Dilandra Bryden.' 'Pleased to meet you, Ms Bryden.' 'Thank you, Madam Malkin,' Dilandra almost half-whispered. She was rather beginning to like this lady very much. Madam Malkin made a stool appear from nowhere and instructed Dilandra to stand on it. Feeling a little self-conscious, Dilandra stood there, whilst the measuring tape whizzed about her, measuring her from her shoulder to the leg, her arms and her legs. It was wrapping itself around her shoe when Madam Malkin clapped her hands and the tape drooped onto the floor. 'Hmmm.' she said, 'Hogwarts, I presume, my dear?' Dilandra nodded, and stepped down from the stool, and took a good look around the shop. Rolls of material of every colour imaginable were stacked onto shelves and high up into the ceiling. A tall ladder was leaned against one of the huge cupboards. Madam Malkin disappeared for a while before she popped back, a jumble of black material wrapped in her arms. 'Here you are, my dear. The whole lot. Robes, cloak, dragon-hide gloves and a hat. Oh yes, and a pair of black shoes.' Madam Malkin proceeded to fold them neatly and place them into a smart little cardboard box. Although the box seemed very small to Dilandra, it couldn't have been, as the whole lot fit into it. Nicholas pulled out the small pouch full of money and paid Madam Malkin 2 Galleons and 4 bronze Knuts. Madam Malkin waved them out of her shop before she disappeared again with a small pop. The next shop consisted of various assortments of cauldrons, pots and other curious tubs. Uncle Nicky ordered her school cauldron while Dilandra had a good look around. Large jars, cauldrons and other containers winked at her from every angle. She was very much looking forward to using her latest item. Dilandra and Uncle Nicky then visited the apothecary, where Dilandra leant against the counter and stared, fascinated at the various exotic plants and the gruesome floating things in jars whilst Nicholas ordered the ingredients that was required for potions. Next was the bookshop, where they bought new textbooks for Hogwarts. Dilandra stared up at the long row of countless volumes and the small tables piled with books. Nicholas asked for set textbooks before he turned and faced Dilandra. 'Now,' he said in a very business-like manner, 'I have but one thing to ask you, and this is a rather important matter, and I wish for you to not be hasty when you answer this question.' Dilandra's heartbeat quickened, but she was very anxious to hear what Nicholas had to say. 'Would you like to do Divination, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures or Arithmancy as part of your electives?' 'Oh!' Dilandra had been wondering for a while what this elective thing was about. But she needed to hurry. Nicholas was looking expectedly at her 'Maybe . Care of Magical Creatures, err - Divination o-or Arithmancy?' she said quite randomly, in a very big rush. Uncle Nicky smiled. 'Very good choice there, Dilandra. Care of Magical Creatures - ha! the name says it all. Ancient Runes is where you study very old artifacts and such. Arithmancy - ahh. fascinating subject. Think numbers, my dear, numbers. It's my old favourite you see.' And Nicholas kept like this even after they left the shop, Dilandra's arms laden with the many heavy textbooks. Finally, his voice hoarse, he stopped and peered down again at Dilandra's list. 'A wand.' He muttered, straining his eyes against the bright sunlight. They walked across the cobbled street and faced an old wooden building. In fact, because Diagon Alley was so crowded, Dilandra almost didn't notice the tiny shop there. However, as she glanced through one of the dirty windows, she could tell that it was very cramped inside. Hundreds upon hundreds of thin boxes lay neatly piled on tall, dusty shelves. 'Dilandra, why don't you go inside yourself? I'll go and check on your parents, make sure they're okay.' Dilandra nodded and pushed the door open with a slight creak. Her first impression was that it was rather cozy for a shop. Although it was small, it had a very lived-in atmosphere to it, immediately making her feel welcome. As the door closed behind her, the noisy hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley disappeared and a complete silence fell over the shop, making her feel rather awkward. Dilandra slowly walked up to the counter and tapped the small bell. Almost immediately a man appeared. He looked rather strange, Dilandra thought, Stranger than usual, anyway. The man wore thin brown robes and brittle-looking framed glasses. He peered smartly over his spectacles in a very old-fashioned manner quietly surveying Dilandra. 'Mr Ollivander, welcome.' He offered one of his gnarled and rough hands. Dilandra shook it. 'Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Dilandra Bryden.' 'Oh, now. Would your wand arm be left or right, Dilandra?' 'Err - right. I think.' 'Would this be your first wand now?' 'Yes.' She half-whispered, slightly terrified and curious about what was to happen next. Mr. Ollivander strode over to the nearest long shelf of thin boxes and randomly, it seemed, selected a box and handed it to Dilandra. Completely nonplussed, she opened the box, and inside was the same-looking 'stick' that she had taken from Nicholas' cloak. Dilandra then lifted her chin and stared at Mr. Ollivander, wondering what she was supposed to be doing with it. 'You might want to take it out, you know.' 'Oh! Right .' She lifted the wand out of the box and was just lifting it when Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand. 'Never mind, dear . hmm, let's see .' He replaced the box and its content back to its original position on the long row of identical boxes itself and quickly selected another one. 'Here we are, try this one. 8 inches, mahogany, quite springy.' Dilandra had barely accepted this wand when it too, was snatched from her hands. 'No, no, no. Aah .. how about . this.' Dilandra reached out and felt an immediate hot surge of warmth at her fingertips. SWISH She brought this wand down, and a series of blue and purple sparks fizzled from the wand-tip. Dilandra looked excitedly at Mr. Ollivander, whose pale blue eyes were fixed intently on his newest customer. 'Ten and a quarter inches, willow - nice and flexible. And containing the heartstring of a particularly fine dragon. I say, well done.' Dilandra was grinning widely when Mr. Ollivander wrapped her new wand in paper and placed it back into the box. She then paid him 6 galleons and 7 sickles, and bid Mr Ollivander goodbye. Her arms laden with several wrapped packages and blinking in the bright sunlight, Dilandra scanned Diagon Alley, searching for the Leaky Cauldron. She tried retracing her steps back to it, but failed, and as a surge of panic threatened to engulf her - WHAM! Something hit Dilandra with such force that she rocketed sidewards and with a painful thump she landed on the pavement. Parcels littered the cobbled street. Whatever had hit her was sprawled on the floor as well, but judging by his height, couldn't be older than 15. Gasping slightly and feeling hurt, sore and bruised Dilandra slowly got to her feet, rubbing her elbow. 'Sorry about that, I was just.' said a voice. The boy had also got up, his face brilliantly pink (from either humiliation or pain - Dilandra couldn't tell) and his black hair messy. He was wearing broken glasses and his eyes were a brilliant green. His eyes are like mine, Dilandra thought immediately. Feeling now rather angry, Dilandra bent down and began to pick up the nearest parcels. The boy with black hair, green eyes and broken glasses also began to help. He picked the packages nearest to him and passed them to Dilandra. 'Thanks,' she said grudgingly, almost snatching them off him. 'Sorry about before . I didn't see - ' he began again. 'It's okay.' She replied shortly. A short, awkward silence followed. 'OY! HARRY!' Just then, there was a slight diversion. Two other people (a girl with bushy brown hair and a tall boy dotted with freckles and red hair) were calling, the tall boy brandishing his wand in front of 'Harry'. 'What happened to you?' the girl asked in a rather bossy voice. 'N-nothing. Just an accident -' Harry began. 'Nice work dodging that hex, but look at you. Not much better to have crashed into err-' the tall boy with red hair looked questioningly at Dilandra. 'Dilandra Bryden.' she said crisply. Dilandra didn't much approve of casting 'hexes' in public areas, but she didn't say so. She lifted her chin in what hoped to be a dignified manner. But her dignity was short-lived. As just then, Dilandra noticed something horrible. 'Oh no!' she groaned, and hurried past Harry to pick up a cracked and dented cauldron. Dilandra was extremely upset, but her distress was converted quickly to anger. 'Look what you did to my new cauldron!' she almost yelled, brandishing it in front of Harry. Several witches and wizards turned to see the commotion. 'I can fix it, just let me -' 'No!' 'Really, I can.' 'Just forget it.' Dilandra hissed, and strode past Harry and his friends, her mouth set to a thin line. She was hoping she could quickly find The Leaky Cauldron as she wanted to get as far away from this Harry as possible. Dilandra stalked away, turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
***** 'What happened, Harry?' the girl with bushy hair asked quietly, her eyes widened and staring after Dilandra. 'Can't you see, Hermione?' the boy with red hair said, 'Harry must've bumped into her, and probably her cauldron got smashed along the way.' 'But it was an accident, Ron. I didn't mean to.' There was a small silence. Then Hermione voiced what the other two were thinking. 'You didn't happen to see her eye colour change, did you?' 'Green to dark red.' Harry whispered. Ron nodded silently. ***** Dilandra was exceptionally mad! Still fuming over what had happened before, Dilandra was so angry that she hardly noticed where she was going - her legs carried her wherever it wanted her to go. So it was rather a surprise when she found herself staring distractedly at The Leaky Cauldron's back door. Coming to her senses, she pushed open the door and allowed herself inside. Dilandra's parents were chatting to the barman, who was polishing a silver goblet in his hands. Nicholas was chatting intimately to a person she didn't know. She strode over to her parents and plonked herself down onto one of the seats. 'Hi, honey,' Angela Bryden greeted her daughter, 'Had a nice time shopping?' But judging by the large scowl on Dilandra's face, her mother had taken the hint and spoke comfortingly. 'What's wrong, darling?' Dilandra refused to answer, just showed her mother the cracked cauldron. Just then, Nicholas swept over and pulled out his wand. 'Reparo!' he said, pointing his wand at the cauldron. Immediately, the dents pushed out and the cracks joined as though an invisible seam of metal and taped itself across the broken areas. Dilandra lifted her chin out of her hands and almost gasped a 'thanks!' to her wizard friend. Nicholas looked happily at Dilandra's wonderment and gratitude, then introduced her to the bartender, Tom. 'Pleased to meet you, Miss Bryden.' 'You too, sir. Tom.' Dilandra shook his hand with a warm smile. She mingled with the other customers and had just forgotten about Harry and the incident at Diagon Alley when Nicholas clapped his hands. 'Right then. Dilandra, Angela and Mark, I think we should be going now.' They bade farewell to Tom and The Leaky Cauldron, and stepped back into the Muggle world.
Two days after her 15th Birthday, Nicholas informed Dilandra's parents that he would like to take her shopping for school supplies. Dilandra's parents agreed, and heartily asked if they could accompany Nicholas and her as well. Feeling joyful that her parents were taking the news so well, Nicholas and Dilandra had immediately replied with a 'yes'. Now that they were actually going shopping, however, Dilandra wished she hadn't agreed so quickly. 'Dilandra, dear, I can't believe I'm actually going to a wizard's shop!' her mother would squeal every now and then. These comments made people's heads turn on the Underground. When Nicholas, Dilandra and her parents (Celeste had flatly refused to go) finally arrived at London, Uncle Nicky lead them to a place that seemed oddly familiar to Dilandra. 'The bookshop! A-And the record store!' she gasped, pointing at the buildings. She remembered this place so very well, years ago, the first time she had met Nicholas. Uncle Nicky smiled. 'Glad you remember, Dilandra.' He said They walked up to the stores, and oddly enough, Dilandra noticed for the first time, a small, weather-beaten door, painted black with a swinging sign right above it, bearing the words The Leaky Cauldron in rather faded and peeling letters. Nicholas opened the door and stepped aside to allow Dilandra and her parents to enter first. It was rather dim inside, and furnished like a very old-fashioned bar. A man was polishing several glasses with a white cloth, raised his hand signalling a hello to Nicholas. Uncle Nicky returned the greeting with a small wave and a smile. As Dilandra looked around, she saw people dressed along similar lines as Uncle Nicky - people in long embroidered cloaks and robes sweeping the floor. A faint smell of incense lingered in the air. She walked past several witches who peered good-naturedly over their glasses at her as they passed as she stared just as curiously back. Nicholas led them to the back and opened the door. A flood of sunlight warmed her immediately, and she noticed that it was very quiet, she couldn't hear the morning London traffic at all. She gave a quick glance around the simple garden: it was neat and tidy, dotted with exotic pot- plants, an odd-looking metal dustbin and surrounded by a heavy brick wall. While Dilandra was busy looking around, Uncle Nicky pulled out his wand and began counting the bricks from the dustbin. 'Two across .. Three up .' he muttered, 'Right, Dilandra, stay back.' Nicholas tapped the brick three times with the tip of his wand. Immediately, a small hole appeared which became wider and wider until it became an archway big enough for the whole of the Bryden's to walk through together. A cobbled street twisted and turned out of sight, surrounded entirely of rather cramped shops. A sign revealed the words Diagon Alley in fancy gold letters. 'Welcome to the wizarding world, Dilandra.' Uncle Nicky said, beaming. Awestruck, Dilandra looked around, almost too dazed to really believe where she was right now. The nearest shop revealed a stack of cauldrons, which glinted and winked in the bright sunlight. She read the sign above it: Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible. 'Yes, you will be needing one,' Nicholas said, nodding at the shop, 'But you'll need you're money first.' Dilandra was too dumbstruck to speak, and she merely nodded. She gazed open- mouthed at a store revealing robes and cloaks and materials of all colours. She then passed a woman who was tutting loudly at the price of this-and- that. 'Gringotts.' Nicholas said, pointing at a large white building, 'It's a wizards' bank, Dilandra.' Dilandra stared, open-mouthed at the front door, which was very highly polished and gleamed of scarlet and gold. A very short something was at the entrance, dressed from head to foot in scarlet and gold, and glaring suspiciously at passers-by. 'Uhh . Uncle Nicky. Umm . what exactly is that?' Dilandra asked, staring and pointing at the squat thing. 'It's a goblin, Dilandra. Extremely cunning and smart folk, they are, but you wouldn't want to mess with them, oh no.' Dilandra and Nicholas walked slowly inside, with her parents chattering excitedly behind her, and reached a desk where a goblin was intently scratching symbols onto a faded piece of parchment. A golden badge revealed the name Gilagon on his collar. It looked up when Dilandra cautiously approached the desk. 'Yes? May I help you?' it asked in a dry and raspy voice, looking from Dilandra to Nicholas. 'Err - Miss Bryden would like to open an account here.' Uncle Nicky said. 'I do?' 'And,' he said, a smile flickering at his lips, 'her parents are here too. I daresay they have brought enough money with them.' Gilagon hopped off his stool and beckoned for Dilandra to follow him. Nicholas gave her a quick smile of encouragement and pushed her forth. But her parents were with Dilandra first. 'Oh my goodness, honey. This is actually a bank?' her mother asked, open- mouthed. 'What an extraordinary use of marble and granite!' Mark Bryden muttered, gazing up at the tall columns, 'I should like to live here!' Gilagon sighed and muttered something like, 'Muggles' before he said that he might as well bring everyone, since Dilandra's parents wouldn't leave her alone. They passed through a narrow corridor, lit with flaming torches and lamps, before they came to a halt and in front of them was a large door. Opening it, Dilandra let out a gasp. There was an endless road of rails, leading up and down, twisting and turning until out of sight. Gilagon whistled and from nowhere came a rather large wooden cart, in which Nicholas, Dilandra and both her parents and the goblin clambered in to. The tunnels were dark and murky, where huge stalagmites and stalactites rose impressively above and below them, some still dripping very slowly. The cart sped at break-neck point, where the wing howled and whistled in her ears and a funny feeling came to her stomach. Celeste wouldn't have enjoyed this at all, Dilandra thought happily, as they began to slow down. 'Vault 857' Gilagon said in his raspy voice, 'How much muggle money would you like transferred into your account?' Dilandra glanced at her father who nodded at her daughter and said, '400 pounds, I think, for a start.' The goblin pulled out a rather small golden key and inserted it into the slot. A few seconds later, the vault door opened, revealing mountains of gold, silver and bronze coins, heaped into the large piles inside. Dilandra gasped at the sight and hugged her parents around the middle. 'Oh my goodness! Thanks mum! Thanks dad!' she repeated over and over again. Meanwhile, Nicholas was busy shoveling handfuls of coins into a small leather bag. He knotted it securely at the top and handed it to Dilandra who clung to it tightly with both hands. When they walked back outside Gringotts, squinting in the bright sunlight, Nicholas pulled out the letter from Hogwarts and peered at the list. 'Hmm. schoolbooks, wand - Ollivander's, robes, quills, a broomstick - maybe.' Dilandra, who was curiously looking over the parchment, gave Nicholas a smile when he glanced at her. 'I daresay that you would like to get moving. And,' he nodded at Dilandra's parents, 'so would they.' Dilandra groaned a little and she watched Uncle Nicky walk over to her parents. A moment later, Nicholas returned to her, smiling a little. 'I have managed to convince your parents they should stay at the Leaky Cauldron until we return, Dilandra. They seem a little tired. Perhaps it's a little too much excitement for them today.' Dilandra, feeling much happier, waved a see you later to her parents who were still chattering distractedly at everything, and then followed Nicholas to the nearest shop. She read the sign. Diagon Alley - Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions Dilandra opened the heavy wooden door. A bell jingled somewhere and with a little pop appeared a tall and skinny which, her blue eyes outlined with black-framed spectacles. She looked quite nice, actually, dressed from head to foot in purple velvet. A measuring tape hung loosely around her thin shoulders, and smiled when she saw Dilandra quietly survey her. 'My dear Madam Malkin,' Uncle Nicky said, opening his arms at her and embracing her with a hug. 'Such a long time since . My dear, how well you are looking.' 'Thank you, my dear Nicholas,' she replied, 'And who is your little companion, might I ask?' 'This is Dilandra Bryden.' 'Pleased to meet you, Ms Bryden.' 'Thank you, Madam Malkin,' Dilandra almost half-whispered. She was rather beginning to like this lady very much. Madam Malkin made a stool appear from nowhere and instructed Dilandra to stand on it. Feeling a little self-conscious, Dilandra stood there, whilst the measuring tape whizzed about her, measuring her from her shoulder to the leg, her arms and her legs. It was wrapping itself around her shoe when Madam Malkin clapped her hands and the tape drooped onto the floor. 'Hmmm.' she said, 'Hogwarts, I presume, my dear?' Dilandra nodded, and stepped down from the stool, and took a good look around the shop. Rolls of material of every colour imaginable were stacked onto shelves and high up into the ceiling. A tall ladder was leaned against one of the huge cupboards. Madam Malkin disappeared for a while before she popped back, a jumble of black material wrapped in her arms. 'Here you are, my dear. The whole lot. Robes, cloak, dragon-hide gloves and a hat. Oh yes, and a pair of black shoes.' Madam Malkin proceeded to fold them neatly and place them into a smart little cardboard box. Although the box seemed very small to Dilandra, it couldn't have been, as the whole lot fit into it. Nicholas pulled out the small pouch full of money and paid Madam Malkin 2 Galleons and 4 bronze Knuts. Madam Malkin waved them out of her shop before she disappeared again with a small pop. The next shop consisted of various assortments of cauldrons, pots and other curious tubs. Uncle Nicky ordered her school cauldron while Dilandra had a good look around. Large jars, cauldrons and other containers winked at her from every angle. She was very much looking forward to using her latest item. Dilandra and Uncle Nicky then visited the apothecary, where Dilandra leant against the counter and stared, fascinated at the various exotic plants and the gruesome floating things in jars whilst Nicholas ordered the ingredients that was required for potions. Next was the bookshop, where they bought new textbooks for Hogwarts. Dilandra stared up at the long row of countless volumes and the small tables piled with books. Nicholas asked for set textbooks before he turned and faced Dilandra. 'Now,' he said in a very business-like manner, 'I have but one thing to ask you, and this is a rather important matter, and I wish for you to not be hasty when you answer this question.' Dilandra's heartbeat quickened, but she was very anxious to hear what Nicholas had to say. 'Would you like to do Divination, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures or Arithmancy as part of your electives?' 'Oh!' Dilandra had been wondering for a while what this elective thing was about. But she needed to hurry. Nicholas was looking expectedly at her 'Maybe . Care of Magical Creatures, err - Divination o-or Arithmancy?' she said quite randomly, in a very big rush. Uncle Nicky smiled. 'Very good choice there, Dilandra. Care of Magical Creatures - ha! the name says it all. Ancient Runes is where you study very old artifacts and such. Arithmancy - ahh. fascinating subject. Think numbers, my dear, numbers. It's my old favourite you see.' And Nicholas kept like this even after they left the shop, Dilandra's arms laden with the many heavy textbooks. Finally, his voice hoarse, he stopped and peered down again at Dilandra's list. 'A wand.' He muttered, straining his eyes against the bright sunlight. They walked across the cobbled street and faced an old wooden building. In fact, because Diagon Alley was so crowded, Dilandra almost didn't notice the tiny shop there. However, as she glanced through one of the dirty windows, she could tell that it was very cramped inside. Hundreds upon hundreds of thin boxes lay neatly piled on tall, dusty shelves. 'Dilandra, why don't you go inside yourself? I'll go and check on your parents, make sure they're okay.' Dilandra nodded and pushed the door open with a slight creak. Her first impression was that it was rather cozy for a shop. Although it was small, it had a very lived-in atmosphere to it, immediately making her feel welcome. As the door closed behind her, the noisy hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley disappeared and a complete silence fell over the shop, making her feel rather awkward. Dilandra slowly walked up to the counter and tapped the small bell. Almost immediately a man appeared. He looked rather strange, Dilandra thought, Stranger than usual, anyway. The man wore thin brown robes and brittle-looking framed glasses. He peered smartly over his spectacles in a very old-fashioned manner quietly surveying Dilandra. 'Mr Ollivander, welcome.' He offered one of his gnarled and rough hands. Dilandra shook it. 'Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Dilandra Bryden.' 'Oh, now. Would your wand arm be left or right, Dilandra?' 'Err - right. I think.' 'Would this be your first wand now?' 'Yes.' She half-whispered, slightly terrified and curious about what was to happen next. Mr. Ollivander strode over to the nearest long shelf of thin boxes and randomly, it seemed, selected a box and handed it to Dilandra. Completely nonplussed, she opened the box, and inside was the same-looking 'stick' that she had taken from Nicholas' cloak. Dilandra then lifted her chin and stared at Mr. Ollivander, wondering what she was supposed to be doing with it. 'You might want to take it out, you know.' 'Oh! Right .' She lifted the wand out of the box and was just lifting it when Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand. 'Never mind, dear . hmm, let's see .' He replaced the box and its content back to its original position on the long row of identical boxes itself and quickly selected another one. 'Here we are, try this one. 8 inches, mahogany, quite springy.' Dilandra had barely accepted this wand when it too, was snatched from her hands. 'No, no, no. Aah .. how about . this.' Dilandra reached out and felt an immediate hot surge of warmth at her fingertips. SWISH She brought this wand down, and a series of blue and purple sparks fizzled from the wand-tip. Dilandra looked excitedly at Mr. Ollivander, whose pale blue eyes were fixed intently on his newest customer. 'Ten and a quarter inches, willow - nice and flexible. And containing the heartstring of a particularly fine dragon. I say, well done.' Dilandra was grinning widely when Mr. Ollivander wrapped her new wand in paper and placed it back into the box. She then paid him 6 galleons and 7 sickles, and bid Mr Ollivander goodbye. Her arms laden with several wrapped packages and blinking in the bright sunlight, Dilandra scanned Diagon Alley, searching for the Leaky Cauldron. She tried retracing her steps back to it, but failed, and as a surge of panic threatened to engulf her - WHAM! Something hit Dilandra with such force that she rocketed sidewards and with a painful thump she landed on the pavement. Parcels littered the cobbled street. Whatever had hit her was sprawled on the floor as well, but judging by his height, couldn't be older than 15. Gasping slightly and feeling hurt, sore and bruised Dilandra slowly got to her feet, rubbing her elbow. 'Sorry about that, I was just.' said a voice. The boy had also got up, his face brilliantly pink (from either humiliation or pain - Dilandra couldn't tell) and his black hair messy. He was wearing broken glasses and his eyes were a brilliant green. His eyes are like mine, Dilandra thought immediately. Feeling now rather angry, Dilandra bent down and began to pick up the nearest parcels. The boy with black hair, green eyes and broken glasses also began to help. He picked the packages nearest to him and passed them to Dilandra. 'Thanks,' she said grudgingly, almost snatching them off him. 'Sorry about before . I didn't see - ' he began again. 'It's okay.' She replied shortly. A short, awkward silence followed. 'OY! HARRY!' Just then, there was a slight diversion. Two other people (a girl with bushy brown hair and a tall boy dotted with freckles and red hair) were calling, the tall boy brandishing his wand in front of 'Harry'. 'What happened to you?' the girl asked in a rather bossy voice. 'N-nothing. Just an accident -' Harry began. 'Nice work dodging that hex, but look at you. Not much better to have crashed into err-' the tall boy with red hair looked questioningly at Dilandra. 'Dilandra Bryden.' she said crisply. Dilandra didn't much approve of casting 'hexes' in public areas, but she didn't say so. She lifted her chin in what hoped to be a dignified manner. But her dignity was short-lived. As just then, Dilandra noticed something horrible. 'Oh no!' she groaned, and hurried past Harry to pick up a cracked and dented cauldron. Dilandra was extremely upset, but her distress was converted quickly to anger. 'Look what you did to my new cauldron!' she almost yelled, brandishing it in front of Harry. Several witches and wizards turned to see the commotion. 'I can fix it, just let me -' 'No!' 'Really, I can.' 'Just forget it.' Dilandra hissed, and strode past Harry and his friends, her mouth set to a thin line. She was hoping she could quickly find The Leaky Cauldron as she wanted to get as far away from this Harry as possible. Dilandra stalked away, turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
***** 'What happened, Harry?' the girl with bushy hair asked quietly, her eyes widened and staring after Dilandra. 'Can't you see, Hermione?' the boy with red hair said, 'Harry must've bumped into her, and probably her cauldron got smashed along the way.' 'But it was an accident, Ron. I didn't mean to.' There was a small silence. Then Hermione voiced what the other two were thinking. 'You didn't happen to see her eye colour change, did you?' 'Green to dark red.' Harry whispered. Ron nodded silently. ***** Dilandra was exceptionally mad! Still fuming over what had happened before, Dilandra was so angry that she hardly noticed where she was going - her legs carried her wherever it wanted her to go. So it was rather a surprise when she found herself staring distractedly at The Leaky Cauldron's back door. Coming to her senses, she pushed open the door and allowed herself inside. Dilandra's parents were chatting to the barman, who was polishing a silver goblet in his hands. Nicholas was chatting intimately to a person she didn't know. She strode over to her parents and plonked herself down onto one of the seats. 'Hi, honey,' Angela Bryden greeted her daughter, 'Had a nice time shopping?' But judging by the large scowl on Dilandra's face, her mother had taken the hint and spoke comfortingly. 'What's wrong, darling?' Dilandra refused to answer, just showed her mother the cracked cauldron. Just then, Nicholas swept over and pulled out his wand. 'Reparo!' he said, pointing his wand at the cauldron. Immediately, the dents pushed out and the cracks joined as though an invisible seam of metal and taped itself across the broken areas. Dilandra lifted her chin out of her hands and almost gasped a 'thanks!' to her wizard friend. Nicholas looked happily at Dilandra's wonderment and gratitude, then introduced her to the bartender, Tom. 'Pleased to meet you, Miss Bryden.' 'You too, sir. Tom.' Dilandra shook his hand with a warm smile. She mingled with the other customers and had just forgotten about Harry and the incident at Diagon Alley when Nicholas clapped his hands. 'Right then. Dilandra, Angela and Mark, I think we should be going now.' They bade farewell to Tom and The Leaky Cauldron, and stepped back into the Muggle world.