The next morning James woke Harry and Ginny bright and early to go to
Diagon Alley. Since James couldn't apparate, they decided to take a taxi
to the Leaky Cauldron. Once they walked in, they headed straight for the
back to a wall outside the Leaky Cauldron, nodding to Tom, the old,
familiar innkeeper, on the way. Harry tapped the bricks with his wand and
the brick wall changed into an entryway into Diagon Alley.
Harry, Ginny, and James stepped through the entryway and walked along the alley. They were to meet Ron and Hermione and their daughter, Emily, at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor at nine o'clock sharp. It was now 8:42, so they had time to browse. They decided to stop inside Quality Quidditch Supplies and look at the latest broom.
It was a Lightening Strike 5000. "It's supposed to be the latest and greatest broom around. Not that many people could afford it though. Really expensive. Just like the whole Lightening Series. The 3000 just went down 10 Galleons, but it's still crazy expensive," Dean Thomas explained.
"Dad, that's the coolest broom!" James exclaimed. He was admiring the broom, as was Harry.
They left Quality Quidditch Supplies and headed towards the Ice Cream Parlor. Harry saw Ron and Hermione right away; however, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Ron and Hermione got up and hugged Harry, Ginny, and James.
"Uncle Ron, where's Emily?" James asked.
"She just had to run an errand. She should be back in a second," Ron replied. The four adults stood there talking while James stood there silently watching them. "Let's go to Whizzing Wizbee's to see Fred and George. I'm sure they'd want to see their niece and nephew before they start Hogwarts. We just have to wait for Emily to get back." Just then, Emily rounded the corner, a box in her hands.
"Hey there kiddo," Harry greeted Emily, "and what do you have there? Something for me right?"
"Sorry Uncle Harry, but it's for James, not you," Emily said, looking quite pleased.
"Really?" James exclaimed, "What is it? Or do I have to wait until a certain time to open it?"
"You can't open it until we are on train on our way to Hogwarts." And with that said, Emily walked between Harry and Ron and led the way to Fred and George's joke shop. Along the way Harry saw Neville Longbottom with his wife and daughter, Angelina Johnson with a guy he had never met, and Pavarti Patil with her son. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stopped and greeted each one with a hug, or handshake, and then continued on their way.
Fred and George's joke shop was bustling with people. Everywhere they turned someone would be there. Harry was proud of how successful the shop was, as it was he who had given Fred and George his Tri-wizard Cup winnings to open the store. Emily spotted Fred along the back wall, restocking the shelves with Toilet Trappers (when eaten, a giant toilet would form around the person's head). When he saw whom it was he picked up Emily in a giant bear hug.
"How's my favorite niece doing today?" Fred asked, "Here to stock up on your favorite jokes?"
"James and I are shopping for our school supplies. We start Hogwarts next week!" Emily exclaimed. "I'm so excited. I can't wait to see which House I get into! And I want to try out for the Quidditch team, if there's any openings."
James jumped in, "Me too! I want to play Quidditch too. Do you have anything that will help us get through our first year? Jokes I mean."
"Sure thing James. What would you like, on the house of course. Seeing as how you are family and you deserve the best things to start the school year with," Fred replied. He could see Hermione glaring at him, but decided to ignore it.
Once the two were piled up with jokes and candy, they headed out to Ollivander's to buy wands. Just as they got near the shop they heard a nasty voice calling out to them.
"Look who it is! The Potters and the Weasleys! Can you afford to walk down Diagon Alley, Weasley?"
It was Draco Malfoy, their worst enemy. They hadn't seen him in ages, at least not since they had left Hogwarts. He had gone off with Crabbe and Goyle to help his father escape from Azkaban. And here he was, with a son nonetheless.
"In case you haven't heard, Malfoy, Ron and I are Aurors now. And Hermione is a professor at Hogwarts, and she works for the Ministry of Magic!" Harry spat. He noticed Malfoy turn slightly red, but then he regained himself.
"What jokes made the two of you Aurors? You couldn't tell anything good from anything bad." Malfoy and his son turned and walked past them with their noses in the air.
"You think he's still mad about you sending his father to Azkaban, Harry?" Ron smirked. They headed into Ollivander's to buy James and Emily's first wands.
"Ah, well hello there Mr. Potter," Mr. Ollivander said to James, "now lets see what we have for you. And Ms. Weasley as well." He walked around the shop, picking up a couple of boxes as he went. "Here try this one Mr. Potter. Just give it a wave now."
James waved the wand and sent boxes flying around the room, crashing into one another.
"No, no. I guess not. Well, try this one: Dragon Heartstring, Ash, 7 inches." James waved the wand once more, this time sending a lantern crashing to the ground inches away from Hermione's head. "Well, I guess not that one either. Let's try this one: Phoenix feather core, cedar wood, 8½ inches."
James realized right when the wand was placed into his hand that this was the one for him. He waved it and red sparks flew out and caused everything to go back in order, as if nothing had happened in the shop. "I like this wand! It fits my hand perfectly," James exclaimed.
"Now for Ms. Weasley," Ollivander replied, "Let's try owl feather core, maple wood, 8 inches." Emily waved the wand and caused an explosion overhead. "Okay, onto another wand then. Unicorn hair, yew, 6½ inches."
Emily waved the wand and gold sparks escaped, lighting the room brightly. "Yes, I believe this is the one," Emily agreed.
Harry and Ron paid for the wands as Emily and James exclaimed over each other's wands. They were both extremely excited about starting Hogwarts and could not wait to see what they would learn.
Harry, Ginny, and James stepped through the entryway and walked along the alley. They were to meet Ron and Hermione and their daughter, Emily, at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor at nine o'clock sharp. It was now 8:42, so they had time to browse. They decided to stop inside Quality Quidditch Supplies and look at the latest broom.
It was a Lightening Strike 5000. "It's supposed to be the latest and greatest broom around. Not that many people could afford it though. Really expensive. Just like the whole Lightening Series. The 3000 just went down 10 Galleons, but it's still crazy expensive," Dean Thomas explained.
"Dad, that's the coolest broom!" James exclaimed. He was admiring the broom, as was Harry.
They left Quality Quidditch Supplies and headed towards the Ice Cream Parlor. Harry saw Ron and Hermione right away; however, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Ron and Hermione got up and hugged Harry, Ginny, and James.
"Uncle Ron, where's Emily?" James asked.
"She just had to run an errand. She should be back in a second," Ron replied. The four adults stood there talking while James stood there silently watching them. "Let's go to Whizzing Wizbee's to see Fred and George. I'm sure they'd want to see their niece and nephew before they start Hogwarts. We just have to wait for Emily to get back." Just then, Emily rounded the corner, a box in her hands.
"Hey there kiddo," Harry greeted Emily, "and what do you have there? Something for me right?"
"Sorry Uncle Harry, but it's for James, not you," Emily said, looking quite pleased.
"Really?" James exclaimed, "What is it? Or do I have to wait until a certain time to open it?"
"You can't open it until we are on train on our way to Hogwarts." And with that said, Emily walked between Harry and Ron and led the way to Fred and George's joke shop. Along the way Harry saw Neville Longbottom with his wife and daughter, Angelina Johnson with a guy he had never met, and Pavarti Patil with her son. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione stopped and greeted each one with a hug, or handshake, and then continued on their way.
Fred and George's joke shop was bustling with people. Everywhere they turned someone would be there. Harry was proud of how successful the shop was, as it was he who had given Fred and George his Tri-wizard Cup winnings to open the store. Emily spotted Fred along the back wall, restocking the shelves with Toilet Trappers (when eaten, a giant toilet would form around the person's head). When he saw whom it was he picked up Emily in a giant bear hug.
"How's my favorite niece doing today?" Fred asked, "Here to stock up on your favorite jokes?"
"James and I are shopping for our school supplies. We start Hogwarts next week!" Emily exclaimed. "I'm so excited. I can't wait to see which House I get into! And I want to try out for the Quidditch team, if there's any openings."
James jumped in, "Me too! I want to play Quidditch too. Do you have anything that will help us get through our first year? Jokes I mean."
"Sure thing James. What would you like, on the house of course. Seeing as how you are family and you deserve the best things to start the school year with," Fred replied. He could see Hermione glaring at him, but decided to ignore it.
Once the two were piled up with jokes and candy, they headed out to Ollivander's to buy wands. Just as they got near the shop they heard a nasty voice calling out to them.
"Look who it is! The Potters and the Weasleys! Can you afford to walk down Diagon Alley, Weasley?"
It was Draco Malfoy, their worst enemy. They hadn't seen him in ages, at least not since they had left Hogwarts. He had gone off with Crabbe and Goyle to help his father escape from Azkaban. And here he was, with a son nonetheless.
"In case you haven't heard, Malfoy, Ron and I are Aurors now. And Hermione is a professor at Hogwarts, and she works for the Ministry of Magic!" Harry spat. He noticed Malfoy turn slightly red, but then he regained himself.
"What jokes made the two of you Aurors? You couldn't tell anything good from anything bad." Malfoy and his son turned and walked past them with their noses in the air.
"You think he's still mad about you sending his father to Azkaban, Harry?" Ron smirked. They headed into Ollivander's to buy James and Emily's first wands.
"Ah, well hello there Mr. Potter," Mr. Ollivander said to James, "now lets see what we have for you. And Ms. Weasley as well." He walked around the shop, picking up a couple of boxes as he went. "Here try this one Mr. Potter. Just give it a wave now."
James waved the wand and sent boxes flying around the room, crashing into one another.
"No, no. I guess not. Well, try this one: Dragon Heartstring, Ash, 7 inches." James waved the wand once more, this time sending a lantern crashing to the ground inches away from Hermione's head. "Well, I guess not that one either. Let's try this one: Phoenix feather core, cedar wood, 8½ inches."
James realized right when the wand was placed into his hand that this was the one for him. He waved it and red sparks flew out and caused everything to go back in order, as if nothing had happened in the shop. "I like this wand! It fits my hand perfectly," James exclaimed.
"Now for Ms. Weasley," Ollivander replied, "Let's try owl feather core, maple wood, 8 inches." Emily waved the wand and caused an explosion overhead. "Okay, onto another wand then. Unicorn hair, yew, 6½ inches."
Emily waved the wand and gold sparks escaped, lighting the room brightly. "Yes, I believe this is the one," Emily agreed.
Harry and Ron paid for the wands as Emily and James exclaimed over each other's wands. They were both extremely excited about starting Hogwarts and could not wait to see what they would learn.