Part 5

Willow had barely slept during the night since her mind had been buzzing with excitement and nervousness. She was in LONDON. The land of Giles. She had been horror stricken when Hermione had told them that Hogwarts or the Wizarding World didn't have electricity. At first she thought Hermione had been teasing them but after a few hours in The Leaky Cauldron Inn searching for a place to plug in her laptop she'd realized that there indeed wasn't electricity.

Since every time she closed her eyes they had popped back open she had given up on ever getting sleep and had spent most of the night researching through some of the books that Giles had leant her.  She had hoped to find a spell or something that would convert her laptop to run on magic.  But she hadn't been able to find anything.

With a sigh, she decided to get out of bed. She'd tossed and turned the last hour before she gave up, knowing she wasn't going to fall back asleep.  She had stared blankly at her suitcase before she finally decided on a nice long skirt and tee shirt. Hermione had said they were going to spend the day shopping for supplies and then take a train to Scotland and she'd wanted to be comfortable. The witches and wizards that had been in the inn last night had dressed as though they had just stepped out of 'David Copperfield' and Willow had thought the long skirt would kind of fit in. Yeah, okay it was rainbow bright and the tee shirt was a light green but the skirt was long.

"Are you going to wear that, dearie?"

Willow spun around at the sound of another's voice. "Who's there?"

Her eyes widened a bit when she noticed she was still entirely alone. Maybe the walls were thinner than she thought and someone in another room had spoken.

She turned back around to the mirror and took one last look.

"Well, if you're sure, dearie."

"AHHHHHHH!" Willow let out a scream as the ornate head on the mirror closed its mouth. "Holy crap, did you just talk?"

"No need to get your knickers in a twist, luv."

Willow raised a shaking hand to her chest and hoped she didn't die of a heart attack before getting to Hogwarts.

"S-sorry. I-it's just that there aren't any talking mirrors where I come from."

The mirror gave an indignant sniff and muttered, "Yanks."

"Hey, no need to get snippy. You just frightened me."

A knock on the door interrupted anything the mirror might have said,  "You all right, Willow?"

Willow quickly opened the door on Hermione's concerned face and smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry.  I just wasn't expecting to have a conversation with a mirror."

Hermione winced, "Sorry, I thought Tom had moved that mirror from the room or I would have warned you.  I guess I should tell you that paintings talk, too."

"I feel like I've landed in a Disney movie… or Oz."

Hermione grinned, "Yeah, it can feel that way a bit the first time. I'm on my way to meet the others and have some breakfast, are you ready?"

"Sure, let me just get my purse." 

~~~

When they had finished breakfast, Hermione reached down into her bag and pulled out a few sheets of parchment. She handed one to each of the students, "Okay, here's your list of supplies you'll need for school. First we'll go to Gringott's Bank where you'll exchange your money for Wizarding Currency then we'll go to Ollivander's."

"What's Ollivander's?" Janet asked.

"It's where you'll get your wand."

"A wand? You actually use a wand?" William smirked.

"Witches and Wizards can all do wandless magick, a wand just helps with control and aim. When we say a spell and point the wand it focuses our magickal energy and the wand that Ollivander helps you choose enhances that energy."

William mentally rolled his eyes… way too much information. Geez, she was like a miniature encyclopedia.

Willow looked down at her list. It was divided into two sections, uniform and other equipment. She glanced over at Jeremy's and noticed he also had a column for books.

"Umm, Hermione."

"Yes, Willow?"

"How come Jeremy's list has books on it but mine doesn't. Won't I need books?"

Janet and William shared a smirk. Who would ask about books if you didn't have to?

"Once you hit seventh year all your courses are aimed at what job your interested in. All seventh year exchange students will be tested to see what your ability is in each subject. Dumbledore said you'd get placed in classes depending on skill."

Willow swallowed her disappointment. She was just learning the craft there was no way she would be put in any of the advanced classes with other Seventh Years. She'd probably be put in Jeremy's class.

Hermione stood and turned toward the back door of the inn, "Gringotts should be open by now if you're ready."

Jeremy, Janet, William and Willow grabbed their parchment and stood to follow Hermione. The back door opened to a small walled courtyard.

"Right? Everyone here?" Hermione waited until the students were next to her. "You might want to stand back a bit."

She raised her hand and tapped a brick three times.

The brick began to wriggle and a small hole appeared in its middle. The hole grew wider and wider until a large archway appeared.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Hermione grinned at the looks of astonishment on their faces. She stepped through the archway and indicated for the others to follow her.

Willow glanced over her shoulder as she stepped onto a cobblestone street and saw the archway shrink back into a solid wall again. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." She mumbled as she hurried to catch up with the others.

She hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open as she followed Hermione down the street. She wanted to remember every detail so she could tell Xander and Buffy everything. There were owls in cages outside what looked like a pet store but she was sure it was probably something magickal.  An older woman was haggling with a street vendor over what looked like claws from a large bird.

"Here we are."

Willow looked up and up and up. It towered over the other buildings in the Alley and it was so white it almost hurt her eyes to look at it.

"What's that?" Jeremy whispered.

Willow looked at the doorway where Jeremy's eyes were fixed.

"That's a Goblin."

"A w-what?" Janet asked on a laugh. "Like in that David Bowie movie?"

"Goblins run Gringotts. It's rumored that there are dragons guarding the money in the lower floors."

A Goblin dressed in a uniform opened the doors and bowed deeply as they passed into the marble interior. Goblins were seated behind desks scribbling in books with quills, some were weighing gold and still others were examining jewels. Hermione walked toward a long, high counter where six goblins sat and waited until one was free.

Hermione motioned for the others to follow her, "We'd like to exchange Muggle money please."

The Goblin peered over its glasses at Hermione, "Very well."

Hermione stepped back from the counter and made room for Janet in front of the Goblin.  Janet opened her wallet and held out some pound notes to the Goblin.  The Goblin took the money, reached for his abacus and began to calculate the exchange rate.

"Right, here you go."

Janet reached for the bag of coins that the Goblin pushed toward her.

"Next."

Hermione waited until Willow collected her bag before smiling her thanks at the Goblin. "Thanks, Griphook."

Ollivander's was the next stop with its peeling gold letters over the door.  'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'

Willow's eyes widened as she stepped over the threshold. There were thousands of narrow boxes piled from floor to ceiling. A soft voice called from the back, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Ollivander."

"Hermione Granger, nice to see you again. Wand still working all right?"

Hermione smile at the kind older man, "Yes, sir. These are exchange students at Hogwarts. They're here for their wands."

"Ah yes, you lot are quite the talk of the Wizarding World. Who's first?"

Hermione nudged Jeremy forward.

"Hmm, let me see." Mr. Ollivander reached for a silver tape measure, "Which is your wand arm?"

"Huh?"

"Which hand do you write with?" Hermione said with a smile.

"Oh, my left."

"Hold out your arm." He measured from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. "Every Ollivander has a core of a powerful magickal substance. 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 the same."

He finished measuring and moved half way down the first column of boxes. "Here try this one. Cottonwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Jeremy reached out tentatively and grasped the wand that Mr. Ollivander held out. Hermione gave him an encouraging nod and he gave the wand a flick. Red and gold sparks flew from its end.

"Excellent. The wand chooses the wizard you know."

Hermione indicated that Janet go next.

Janet stepped up to the counter and held out her right hand. The tape measure took her measurements while Mr. Ollivander searched the columns of boxes for just the right one.

"Cherrywood and unicorn hair. Ten and a quarter inches. Pliable. Excellent for transfiguration."

Janet shrugged her shoulders and gripped the wand. Feeling like an idiot she gave the thin piece of wood a good wave.  Red and gold sparks flew from its end.

"Excellent. Very good, very good."

Hermione motioned for William to take Janet's place at the counter.  Mr. Ollivander mumbled as he moved from column to column until a muffled "Ah, ha" could be heard from the back of the store.

"Here. Mahogany and phoenix feather. Eleven inches. Nice and supple."

Phoenix feather? Who wants a wand with phoenix feather when you can get one with a dragon's heartstring? William reached for the wand and gave it a half-hearted swish. A small amount of red sparks erupted from its end.

"Yes, yes. Very good, very good."

Crap. He'd hoped it wouldn't work so he could get one that had dragon in its core but at least it wasn't unicorn hair.

Willow smiled shyly at Mr. Ollivander as she took William's place at the counter. She tried not to flinch when the silver tape measure began to take her measurements while Mr. Ollivander searched the columns.

He reached for a ladder and climbed half way up a stack to reach the wand he was searching for. He blew the dust off the top of the box as he made his way back to the last student.

"Here. Rowan with dragon heartstring. Nine and three-quarter inches. Give it a wave."

Willow reached for the wand and felt a warmth spread up her arms from her fingertips as soon as she gripped it. She raised it slightly and brought it down with a flick. Red and gold sparks shot out of it.

"Oh bravo. Very good indeed."