-Author's Note:
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Jane woke early the next morning. Although she could tell it was daylight, she kept her eyes shut tight. The buttery sunlight filtered through the widows and warmed the small hut, all traces of the storm had vanished but still Jane kept her eyes closed, not completely trusted her senses.
"It was a dream," she told herself firmly. "I dreamed an old wizard called Dumbledore came to tell me I was going to a school for witches and wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."
There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.
'And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door,' Jane thought, her heart sinking. But she still didn't open her eyes. It had been such a good dream.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"All right," Jane mumbled, "I'm getting up." she sat up and Dumbledore's soft, warm cloak fell off her. The hut was full of buttery sunlight, and the storm was indeed over, Dumbledore himself was asleep on the other shabby sofa and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.
Jane scrambled to her feet, she felt so happy, it was as though a large balloon was swelling inside her. She went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Dumbledore who didn't wake up. The owl then
fluttered on to the floor and began to attack Dumbledore's cloak.
"Don't do that." Jane said as she tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its
beak fiercely at her and carried on savaging the cloak.
"Um Professor Dumbledore Sir" said Jane loudly. "There's an owl –"
"Pay him," came Dumbledore' old smooth voice as he stirred from his slumper.
"What?"
"He wants paying for delivering the paper. Look in the inside pocket of the cloak, you will find a leather pouch full of coins. Give him five of the small bronze looking Knuts" instructed Dumbledore sleepitly as he countinued to rouse himself.
Jane did as instructed, she pulled the leather pouch out of the inside pocket of his cloak, and then counted out five little bronze coins and the owl held out its leg so she could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then it flew off through the open window.
Dumbledore had finally roused himself, he rubbed his face tierdly and them smiled softly at Jane.
"I think it would be best if we were off, we have a busy day today Jane. We have far to go and lots to do today, We need to go to London so we can buy your school things" Dumbledore said smiling.
Jane was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. She had just thought of something which made her feel as though the happy balloon inside her had got a puncture.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore sir?" said Jane nervously
"Yes Jane" said Dumbledore, as he was pulling on his huge boots.
"I….Well…I haven't got any money, sir, and you heard Uncle Vernon last night. He won't pay for me to go and learn magic." said Jane in a small, shy voice
"My dear girl, don't you worry about that. Oh no you don't have to worry about that," said Dumbledore soothingly, "You don't think your parents left you with nothing, do you?"
"But if their house was destroyed –"
"They didn't keep their gold in the house Jane," said Dumbledore with a small laugh, "No, first stop for us is Gringotts. Thats the Wizards' bank" he explained and then turned to the low burning fire and the bits and pieces from last night.
"Have a sausage, they're not bad cold, if I do say so myself, and I wouldn't say no to a bit of your birthday cake, neither." said Dumbledore his thought on breakfast.
"Wizards and witches have banks?"
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins." replied Dumbledore and Jane dropped the bit of sausage she was holding.
"Goblins?" she gasped
"Oh Yes, Goblins are the best sort of creatures when it comes to guarding treasures. You would have to be mad to try and rob it, I'll tell you that now. You should never mess with goblins, Jane. Gringotts is the safest place in the world for anything you want to keep safe. The only place that could be considered safer is possibly Hogwarts" said Dumbledore and then he paused for a moment. "I need to visit Grigotts myself as a matter of fact. There is something I need to retrieve"
After a quick breakfast of small sausages, and birthday cake and steaming mugs of hot, sweet tea. Dumbledore turned to Jane smiling.
"Have you got everything?" he asked and Jane nodded, "Very well then, lets get going" and Jane followed Dumbledore out on to the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.
"How did you get here?" Jane asked, looking around for another boat.
"Oh I appararted" said Dumbledore.
"Apparated?" asked Jane confused
"Yes, but we'll go back in this. It will be easier. Apparition is rathier difficult. Don't worry once we get to the shore, we will send the boat back for your relatives" Dumbledore said in a grandfatherly way. Jane smiled.
They settled down in the boat, Jane still staring at Dumbledore, ever so slightly. She was trying to imagine what apparition was.
"There is no need to row though," said Dumbledore giving Jane a happy look, for Jane had started to reach for an ore.
"Really" said Jane, who was eager to see more magic. Dumbledore pulled out his wand again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat and they sped off towards land.
"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Jane asked as they made their way to the shore,
"Spells – enchantments," said Dumbledore, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They also say there's dragons guardin' the high-security vaults. And then you have to find your way. Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London. Deep under the Underground. You would most likely die of hunger trying to get out, even if you did manage to get your hands on something og value"
Jane sat and thought about this while Professor Dumbledore read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Jane had learnt from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, she'd never had so many questions in her life.
"The Ministry of Magic, seems to be making a bit of a mess of things, as per usual," , turning the page.
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Jane asked, before she could stop herself.
"Of course" said Dumbledore. "I have lost track of the number of times I have been offered the role of Minster of Magic. But personally a life of politics is not for me. I much prefer teaching", Dumbledore said "After the last time i turned down the role, old Cornelius Fudge got the job. He is a bit of a bungler if ever there was one. I often get pelted with owls every morning, asking me for advice." Dumbledore chuckled at this thought
"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"
"Well, their main job is to keep the fact that there are still witches an' wizards up and down the country, from the muggles"
"Why?" asked Jane
"Why? Jane if muggles knew about us there would wither fear us or envy us and try to destroy us or they would hunt us down in the hope that we could fix their every problem with our magic. No we are best left alone, a myth or legend. It is safer for us and for the muggles" explained Dumbledore is a serious voice.
At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Dumbledore folded up his newspaper and once they exsited the small boat, he tapped it again and it set off to retrieve the Dursleys. They then clambered up the stone steps on to the street. Passers-by stared a lot at Dumbledore as they walked through the little town to the station. Jane couldn't blame them, not really. Dumbledore was not exactly typical for a muggle.
He also kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, in an amused childlike wonder
"See that, Jane? Things these Muggles dream up, its ingenious"
"Um Professor" said Jane panting a bit as she ran to keep up with his long strides, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"
"Well, thats the rumour" said Dumbledore "here we go."
They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Dumbeldore, who didn't seem to understand 'Muggle money' completely gave the notes to Jane so she could buy their tickets.
People stared more than ever on the train. Dumbledore sat on one of the seats and began knitting what looked like a flame coloured birds nest.
"Have you still got your letter, Jane?"' he asked as he counted stitches. Jane took the parchment envelope out of her pocket in response.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "There's a list there of everything you will need."
Jane unfolded a second piece of paper she hadn't noticed the night before and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
First-year students will require:
Boys
5 white shirts (short or Long sleeved)
3 pairs of plain black trousers (long)
3 pairs of plain black trousers (short)
3 plain black woolen jumpers with the school or house crest
black shoes laces or buckels
Black ankle socks
Girls
Set of 5 white blouses (short or long sleeved)
3 plain black pleated knee length skirts
Three plain black pleated pinafore dresses with the school or house crest
3 sets of plain black woolen cardigans or jumpers with school or house crest
Black tights, ankle socks or knee high socks
Black shoes - laces, or buckles
Both
1. Three sets of work robes (black with schoolor house crest)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
Set Books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waf ling
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 glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT
ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Can we buy all this in London?" Jane wondered aloud.
'If you know where to go, yes," said Dumbledore
Jane had never been to London before. Although Dumbledore seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground and complained loudly that the trains too slow and too crowded and that the seats were uncomfortable. He did not seem happy with the customer service provided either.
"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said, as they climbed a broken-down escalator which led up to a bustling road lined with shops. Dumbledore seemed to have no problem parting the crowds of muggle shoppers, so all Jane had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger bars and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand.
This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?
Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Jane hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, and had not seen the magic that Dumbledore performed. she might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Dumbledore had told her so far was unbelievable, Jane couldn't help trusting him.
"This is it," said Dumbledore coming to a sudden halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place." he added with a smile
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Dumbledore had not pointed it out, Jane wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Jane had the most peculiar feeling that only she and Dumbledore could see it.
"Only those with magic are able to see it. It is charmed so that muggles can not" said Dumbleodre, Jane blinked it was almost as if Dumbeldore had read her thoughts.
Before she could mention this though, Dumbledore had steered her inside.
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked
like a gummy walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Professor Dumbledore, they waved and smiled at him, and the barman reached for a glass, saying,
"The usual, Professor Dumbledore Sir"
"I am afraid not Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Dumbledore calmly, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Good Lord," said the barman, peering at Jane in astronishment," is this – can this be –?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old barman. "Jane Potter, what an honour." and he hurried out from behind the bar, rushed towards Jane and seized her hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Miss Potter, welcome back." he sobbed
Jane didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at her. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realising it had gone out. Dumbledore was beaming at Jane reasuringly.
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and, next moment, Jane found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Doris Crockford, Miss Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Miss Potter, I'm just so proud."
"Always wanted to shake your hand – I'm all of a flutter."
"Delighted, Miss Potter, just can't tell you. Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."
"I've seen you before!" said Jane as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. At these words Dumbledore's hand tightened on her shoulder slightly, "You bowed to me once in a shop."
"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me!"
Jane shook hands again and again – Doris Crockford kept coming back for more. A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!' said Dumbledore. "Jane Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
"P….P….Professor D….D….Dumbledore S…S…Sir, and P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Jane's hand, "c…c…can't t…t….t…tell you how p…p…ppleased I am to meet you."
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" Jane asked polietly
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.
But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Jane to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Dumbledore managed to make himself heard over the babble.
"Well we must get on, after all we have lots to buy. Come along Jane"
Doris Crockford shook Jane's hand one last time and Dumbledore led Janethrough the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds. Dumbledore grinned at Jane.
"Sorry about that Jane, but I wanted you to experience that while I was with you, so you knew what to expect when you meet Witches and Wizards. I did tell you, but telling and experiencing are fifferent after all. I told you you are famous and now you know what that means. Even Professor Quirrell was trembling when he met you – mind you, he's usually trembling these days"
"Is he always that nervous?" Jane asked in concern
"Oh, yes. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studying out of books but then he took a year off to get some first-hand experience … They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit of trouble with a hag – he hasn't quite been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject – now, where's my wand?"
Vampires? Hags? Jane's head was swimming. Dumbledore, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin.
"Three up … two across … rember that Jane" he muttered. "Right, stand back, now" He tapped the wall three times with the point of his wand. The brick he had touched quivered – it wriggled – in the middle, a small hole appeared – it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for a giant, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome," said Dumbledore with a smile, "to Diagon Alley." He grinned at Jane's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Jane looked quickly over her shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible said a sign hanging over them.
"Yes you will be needing one, but for now we need to go to Gringotts. We need to get your money first" said Dumbledore, noticing where Jane was looking.
Jane wished she had about eight more eyes. She turned her head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman with red hair outside an apothecary's was shaking her head as they passed, saying, 'Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad …'
A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium – Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. Several boys of about Jane's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. 'Look,' Jane heard one of them say,
'the new Nimbus Two Thousand – fastest ever–' There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Jane had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon …
"Gringotts," said Dumbeldore,
They had reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was –
"Yes Jane, that's a goblin," said Dumbledore quietly as they walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Jane. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Jane noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed
as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
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,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Like I said, you would have to be mad to try and rob Gringotts" said Dumbledore sternly.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins on brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these.
Dumbeldore and Jane made for the counter.
"Good Morning" Dumbleodre said kindly, to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money out of the vault belonging to Miss Jane Potter"
"Professor Dumbledore sir, good morning" replied the goblin "Do you have her key, sir?"
"Yes, its in my purse" said Dumbledore, he withdrew the money pouch and after a few seconds of rummaging inside it he withdrew a tiny golden key and held it up for the Goblin to see. The goblin looked at it closely.
"That seems to be in order."
"Also I wish to withdraw the object in vault seven Hundred and thirteen. I have here a letter from Nicholous Flemmel" said Dumbledore and he handed the Goblin a parchment envelope. The goblin read the letter carefully.
"Very well," he said, handing it back to Dumbledore, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. Dumbledore and Jane followed Griphook towards one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?' Jane asked.
"I'm afraid I can not tell you Jane, its very secret Hogwarts business." said Dumbledore mysteriously
Griphook held the door open for them. Jane, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in – Jane with a little difficulty –and were off.
At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting ried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to
know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. Jane's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but she kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at
the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late – they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.
When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Dumbledore and Jane got out and Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Jane gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Dumbledore
All Jane's – it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from her faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Jane cost
them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to her, buried deep under London.
Dumbledore helped Jane pile some of it into a bag.
"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver, Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough for all your things, and for the school year. The goblin's will keep the rest safe for you.' He turned to Griphook. 'Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please"
"Yes sir" said Griphook.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine and
Jane eant over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom but Dumbledore groaned and pulled her back by the scruff of her neck. Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Jane asked.
"About once every ten years," said Griphook, with a rather nasty grin.
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top- security vault, Jane was sure, and she leant forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least – but at first she thought it was empty. Then she noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Dumbledore picked it up and tucked it deep inside his a pocket of his cloak. Jane longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.
"Come on, back in the cart, and try to stay inside it on the journey back" said Dumbledore sternly
One wild cart-ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Jane didn't know where to run first now that she had a bag full of money. She didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that she was holding more money than she'd had in her whole life – more money than even Dudley or Daisy had ever had.
"Might as well get your uniform first, that always takes the longest" said Dumbledore, nodding towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Jane followed behind Dumbledore as they entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling slightly nervous. Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she said turning to smile and Jane after greeting Dumbledore, Jane nodded.
Dumbledore said he would wait in the front of the shop, while Madam Malkin led Jane to the back room. In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch was taking measurments, while many different items zoomed towards him and bagn altering themselves so they were a perfect fit.
Madam Malkin stood Jane on a stool next to him, and started taking measurments. Items began to zoom towards Jane, altering themselves before landing in a neatly folded pile to her right.
"Hello" said the boy, "Hogwarts too?"
"Yes," said Jane quietly
"My father's next door buying my books and Mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first-years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Jane frowned at him. She was strongly reminded of Dudley.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No, I don't" said Jane.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"Um, no," Jane said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.
"I do – Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"No," said Jane simply, feeling more stupid by the minute.
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been – imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"Um, well, Um" said Jane, wishing she could say something a bit more interesting.
"I say, look it's Dumbledore!"' said the boy suddenly, in a sneering voice, nodding towards the front of the shop. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, frowning slightly at the pale boy next to Jane.
"Yes, he is with me" Said Jane simply, she was liking this boy less and less.
"Is he?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," said Jane shortly. She didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.
"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of
Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"
But before Jane could answer, Madam Malkin said,
"That's you done, my dear" and Jane not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.
Jane was rather quiet as they left the shop, she ate the ice-cream Dumbledore bought her (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts) very quietly, she ate out of politeness, she didn't particularly want the treat due to the conversation with the sneering boy.
"Everything alright?" Dumbledore asked
"Yes thank you" Jane lied.
They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Jane cheered up a bit when she found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, she said,
"Um sir, what's Quidditch?"
"Thats an odd question Jane,why do you suddenly want to know about Quidditch?"
Jane told Dumbledore about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.
"– and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in –"
"Yes, but you are not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who you were – most likely he's grown up knowing your name if his parents are magical folk. You saw them in the Leaky Cauldron. Anyway, what does he know about it, some of the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in then, in a long line of Muggles. Your mother for intance was a mugglebonr, the first in her family and she esceptionally talented"
"So what is Quidditch?" Jane asked again
"Qudditch is out sport, its a magical sport. It's like, like football in the Muggle world – everybody follows Quidditch – played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls – its a little hard to explain all the rules."
"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"
"They are two of the school houses. There's four in total. The others are Gryffindor and Ravencalw. Your parents were both Gryffindors. Everyone says Hufflepuff is the house for the misfits, the ones who are not as good as the rest but"
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Dumbledore darkly. "There's very few witches or wizards who went bad who weren't in Slytherin. And very few decent Wizards or witches have come from that house since Merlin himself. Lord Voldemort himself was a Slytherin"
"Voldemort was at Hogwarts?" gasped Jane
"Years and years ago,"
They bought Jane's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling withbooks as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, and Daisy, who never read anything, would have been wild to get their hands on some of these.
Dumbledore almost had to drag Jane away from Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-
Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley and Daisy."
"Jane magic isn't to be used like that. We're not meant ti use magic to tourment or tease muggles. And underage witches and wizards are not to use magic in the Muggle world except in very special, life threatening circumstances," said Dumbledore sterntly.
Dumbledore wouldn't let Jane buy a solid gold cauldron, either ('It says pewter on yer list'), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the apothecary's, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor, jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders lined the walls,
bundles of feathers, strings of fangs and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Dumbledore asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Jane, Jane herself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).
Outside the apothecary's, Dumbledore checked Jane's list again.
"Just your wand left, ohand I still haven't got you a birthday present."
Jane felt herself go red.
"You don't have to –"
"I know I don't have to. But I want to, and I tell you what, I'll get you and animal. Not a
toad, toads went out of fashion years ago, you would be laughed at. I'm not too fond of cats, they tend to make me sneeze.I'll get you an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry your post and everything"
Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Jane now carried a large cage which held a
beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Jane couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.
"Don' mention it", said Dumbledore with a broad smile.. "Just Ollivanders left now – only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and you have got to have the best wand."
A magic wand … this was what Jane had been really looking forward to.
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindly chair which Dumbledore sat on to wait. Jane felt strangely as though she had entered a very strict library; she swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occurred to her and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of her neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Jane jumped. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Jane awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Jane Potter."
It wasn't a question. "You look like your mother, but you have your father's hair. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. Your mother, favoured a Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work." Mr Ollivander moved closer to Jane and Jane wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it – it's really
the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr Ollivander had come so close that he and Jane were almost nose to nose. Jane could see herself reflected in those misty eyes.
"And that's where …" Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Jane's forehead
with a long, white finger.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands … Well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do …" He shook his head and then, to Jane's relief, spotted Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore sir, how nice to see you again"
"Hello Olivander" replied Dumbledore with a smile.
"Well, now, Miss Potter. Let me see." Olivander said as he turened back to face Jane, he pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er – well, I'm right-handed," said Jane nervously
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Jane from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said,
"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another's wand."
Jane suddenly realised that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. 'Right then, Miss Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and
flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Jane took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try" Jane tried – but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.
"No, no – here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."
Jane tried, and tried and tried, she had no idea what Mr Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the counter, but the more wands Mr Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere – I wonder, now – yes, why not – unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Jane took the wand, she felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Dumbledore gave a small cheer and clapped and Mr Ollivander cried,
"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well … how curious … how very curious …" He put Janes wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering,
"Curious … curious …"
"Sorry," said Jane "but what's curious?"
Mr Ollivander fixed Jane with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar."
Jane swallowed. She noticed that Dumbledore, suddenly seemed lost in thought at these words.
'Yes, thirteen and a half inches" continued Olivander "Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember … I think we must expect great things from you, Miss Potter … After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."
Jane shivered. She wasn't sure she liked Mr Ollivander too much. She paid seven gold Galleons for her wand and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop. The late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Jane and Dumbledore, both lost in thought, made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; Jane didn't even notice how much people were gawping at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the sleeping snowy owl on Jane's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station;
Jane only realised where they were when Dumbledore tapped her on the shoulder.
Jane looked around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.
"You all right, Jane? You are very quiet," said Dumbledore. Jane wasn't sure she could explain. She'd just had the best birthday of her life – and yet – she paused trying to find the words.
"Everyone thinks I'm special," she said at last. 'All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr Ollivander … but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm
famous for. I don't know what happened when Voldemort…I mean, the night my parents died."
Dumbledore wore a very kind smile as he leant down and took a hold of Jane's shoulder reasuringly.
"Don't you worry, Jane. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yourself. I know it's hard. You've been singled out, and that's always hard. But you'll have a great time at Hogwarts – I did – still do, as a matter of fact."
Dumbledore helped Jane on to the train that would take her back to the Dursleys, then handed her an envelope.
"Your ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First of' September – King's Cross – it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with your owl, she'll know where to find me …See yeh soon, Jane."
The train pulled out of the station. Jane wanted to watch Dumbledore until he was out of sight; she rose in her seat and pressed her nose against the window, but she blinked and Dumbledore had gone.
