The Encounter in Diagon Alley
"Wake up boys," Lucius called from down the stairs. It was two days past Harry's birthday and their Hogwarts letters had arrived that past night. Lucius promised to take them to Diagon Alley that day and so they had to get up early. There was plenty of shopping to do. Narcissa and the house- elves would pack up the summerhouse and meet them at their mansion. They would spend the last two weeks there and the boys would travel to Hogwarts together. Lucius piled them in a less conspicuous car, a Bentley Rolls Royce, and lead them off to London. The trip was as short as the limo drive, even though Lucius was driving. They stopped in front of the pub behind which Diagon Alley was located. Lucius didn't lock his car, although Harry knew that it had to be magically protected. Harry wrapped his Slytherin cloak around him and walked beside his brother.
The pub was noisy and crowded. Lucius and his sons; however, cut through the crowd as easily as Moses. The conversations stopped when they saw the man and his two boys. The Malfoy name commanded much respect and fear, but Harry always upped their status. Especially when his skill as a wizard was revealed. Harry stared straight ahead as Lucius and Draco were. Occasionally a sneer would escape Draco or his father, but Harry didn't blame either one. The dregs of the wizarding world were collected in that pub and the Malfoys would always be above them. Now that Harry was a Malfoy, he was above them as well. They weren't worthy enough to be called wizards.
Lucius tapped the brick wall behind the pub to open up into Diagon Alley. A bustling alleyway opened up, filled with shops and cafes. But the shops weren't interesting Lucius yet. He was headed to the bank. Lucius pushed open the doors and strode quickly to the head goblin of the bank.
"What is your business here?" the goblin asked.
"I need to merge two accounts," Lucius said. The goblin nodded.
"Papers of approval," the goblin demanded. Lucius handed him the adoption papers and two keys. The goblin looked them over carefully and handed them back to Lucius. He nodded. "The accounts will be transferred tonight. Anything else?"
"I need to make a withdrawal for my sons," he said. The goblin nodded again and gestured for a chubby female goblin to take them to the vault. Their account number was 945 so it took a long time to get to it. Harry had to blink twice though when the goblin opened the door. The vault was twice as big as Harry's and filled to the brim with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Mostly Galleons. Lucius took out two bags and filled them with the coins. He also filled up another, larger bag. He handed the boys the money and put the bigger one in his cloak. Harry had never taken out so much money. He had no source of income so he tried to be frugal with his money so he would still have some by then end of his 7th year. But now he was holding more money than the poor, Muggle-loving Weasleys would ever see in their lifetimes.
When they got out of the bank, Lucius told them to gather their own supplies.
"I have things of my own to get. Meet me back here in two hours," he ordered and both boys nodded.
"What first?" Harry asked.
"I dunno. We're right next to the book shop, so we can go ahead and get our books," Draco suggested. Harry nodded and walked with him into the shop. And groaned. Ron and Hermione were standing in the middle of the shop looking at Transfiguration books. Draco laughed and started to call out to them.
"Don't Draco. Pretend you don't see them. Maybe they won't see us."
"Harry!" Hermione called and Draco smirked. Ron touched her arm.
"Hullo, Harry," Ron said and casually turned away.
"What's the matter Muggle-lover, scared to face the truth?"
"Harry, you still can't be friends with this weasel?" Hermione asked, her expression pleading. She walked to him and touched his arm. Draco pulled her away.
"Get off my brother, Mudblood," Draco whispered. Hermione's eyes widened. She shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked. "Did you actually think I would stay with those horrible Muggles?" Harry never could tell off Hermione and Ron the way Draco could. But that was, Draco always told him, the reason they kept bothering him.
"No Harry, but I thought that you could wait it out," she whispered.
"It's not as if I had a choice," Harry retorted, "And I enjoy being with my new family. At least they don't try to starve me." Harry stood next to his brother and they walked to the shelves together. They gathered their books and paid for them. As they walked by Ron, Harry dropped Knuts in his cauldron.
"Maybe this can help pay your way through school. God knows you need it," Harry told him. Draco snickered and they walked back through the doors.
"Good one, Harry," Draco said when they were out of earshot. Suddenly Harry turned around, wand at the ready. He looked on the ground where several coins had struck him on the head and fallen. Across the street, at the bookshop, Ron stood, his face the same shade as his hair. Harry, not wanting a duel in the middle of the street, ignored him.
"That stupid git hit me with those," Harry protested.
"Don't worry Harry, we'll get him at school," Draco promised. They both laughed and continued with their shopping.
"Wake up boys," Lucius called from down the stairs. It was two days past Harry's birthday and their Hogwarts letters had arrived that past night. Lucius promised to take them to Diagon Alley that day and so they had to get up early. There was plenty of shopping to do. Narcissa and the house- elves would pack up the summerhouse and meet them at their mansion. They would spend the last two weeks there and the boys would travel to Hogwarts together. Lucius piled them in a less conspicuous car, a Bentley Rolls Royce, and lead them off to London. The trip was as short as the limo drive, even though Lucius was driving. They stopped in front of the pub behind which Diagon Alley was located. Lucius didn't lock his car, although Harry knew that it had to be magically protected. Harry wrapped his Slytherin cloak around him and walked beside his brother.
The pub was noisy and crowded. Lucius and his sons; however, cut through the crowd as easily as Moses. The conversations stopped when they saw the man and his two boys. The Malfoy name commanded much respect and fear, but Harry always upped their status. Especially when his skill as a wizard was revealed. Harry stared straight ahead as Lucius and Draco were. Occasionally a sneer would escape Draco or his father, but Harry didn't blame either one. The dregs of the wizarding world were collected in that pub and the Malfoys would always be above them. Now that Harry was a Malfoy, he was above them as well. They weren't worthy enough to be called wizards.
Lucius tapped the brick wall behind the pub to open up into Diagon Alley. A bustling alleyway opened up, filled with shops and cafes. But the shops weren't interesting Lucius yet. He was headed to the bank. Lucius pushed open the doors and strode quickly to the head goblin of the bank.
"What is your business here?" the goblin asked.
"I need to merge two accounts," Lucius said. The goblin nodded.
"Papers of approval," the goblin demanded. Lucius handed him the adoption papers and two keys. The goblin looked them over carefully and handed them back to Lucius. He nodded. "The accounts will be transferred tonight. Anything else?"
"I need to make a withdrawal for my sons," he said. The goblin nodded again and gestured for a chubby female goblin to take them to the vault. Their account number was 945 so it took a long time to get to it. Harry had to blink twice though when the goblin opened the door. The vault was twice as big as Harry's and filled to the brim with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. Mostly Galleons. Lucius took out two bags and filled them with the coins. He also filled up another, larger bag. He handed the boys the money and put the bigger one in his cloak. Harry had never taken out so much money. He had no source of income so he tried to be frugal with his money so he would still have some by then end of his 7th year. But now he was holding more money than the poor, Muggle-loving Weasleys would ever see in their lifetimes.
When they got out of the bank, Lucius told them to gather their own supplies.
"I have things of my own to get. Meet me back here in two hours," he ordered and both boys nodded.
"What first?" Harry asked.
"I dunno. We're right next to the book shop, so we can go ahead and get our books," Draco suggested. Harry nodded and walked with him into the shop. And groaned. Ron and Hermione were standing in the middle of the shop looking at Transfiguration books. Draco laughed and started to call out to them.
"Don't Draco. Pretend you don't see them. Maybe they won't see us."
"Harry!" Hermione called and Draco smirked. Ron touched her arm.
"Hullo, Harry," Ron said and casually turned away.
"What's the matter Muggle-lover, scared to face the truth?"
"Harry, you still can't be friends with this weasel?" Hermione asked, her expression pleading. She walked to him and touched his arm. Draco pulled her away.
"Get off my brother, Mudblood," Draco whispered. Hermione's eyes widened. She shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked. "Did you actually think I would stay with those horrible Muggles?" Harry never could tell off Hermione and Ron the way Draco could. But that was, Draco always told him, the reason they kept bothering him.
"No Harry, but I thought that you could wait it out," she whispered.
"It's not as if I had a choice," Harry retorted, "And I enjoy being with my new family. At least they don't try to starve me." Harry stood next to his brother and they walked to the shelves together. They gathered their books and paid for them. As they walked by Ron, Harry dropped Knuts in his cauldron.
"Maybe this can help pay your way through school. God knows you need it," Harry told him. Draco snickered and they walked back through the doors.
"Good one, Harry," Draco said when they were out of earshot. Suddenly Harry turned around, wand at the ready. He looked on the ground where several coins had struck him on the head and fallen. Across the street, at the bookshop, Ron stood, his face the same shade as his hair. Harry, not wanting a duel in the middle of the street, ignored him.
"That stupid git hit me with those," Harry protested.
"Don't worry Harry, we'll get him at school," Draco promised. They both laughed and continued with their shopping.
