Christmas Shopping in Diagon Alley
By: Darkmoore
Author's Note: This chapter takes place prior to Chapter 14 of Harry Potter & the Honeychurch Institute of Magic.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Mrs. Beagle,
Per your request to do some Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley for your son's gifts, all you need to do is return to the store front you went to for orientation at Number 82 Charring Cross Road and ask the receptionist for directions. That's part of her job to help the Muggle parents of magical children.
If you need further assistance, please feel free to write me again.
Thank you,
Harvetta Fineburch
Office of Magical Education Introductions
Department of Magical Education
Ministry of Magic
* * * * *
On Saturday morning Charlotte Beagle found herself at Number 82 Charring Cross Road, London, to ask the receptionist how to find the Muggle entrance to Diagon Alley. The slender girl, who couldn't be more than 18, if she was a day, was helpful to her and personally took her to the door leading into the Leaky Cauldron. Where she quickly found her way to the bar and asked Old Tom if he could help her with the brick wall into the alley, which he was glad to do and soon she was off down the lane of small shops to do some Christmas shopping.
Charlotte found her way into many different shops including Quality Quidditch Supply where she was completely bewildered by how grown men would carry on about a simple broomstick. However, she lingered there long enough to wonder if Will would like a broom for Christmas, but left before she talked herself into the purchase.
Her next stop was at Eeylops Owl Emporium, where she bought a package of owl treats for Merlin. She was becoming very found of the owl, as he always brought her a letter from Will, whom she had missed very much. She knew she should not allow herself to get like this, as boys often had to have adventures in order to become men, but she still missed the little boy she read night time stories to.
Soon she found the shop she truly wanted to see, Flourish and Blotts, the magical book store. She entered the musty smelling shop with its new and ancient texts sitting on shelves and in piles on the floor and she wondered through looking at subject matter and titles of books. Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Herbology and so many others, she didn't know where to start.
Soon a young clerk stopped and asked, "Do you need some help madam?" with a cracking voice as if he just entered puberty.
"Actually, yes, you probably could," she started with a smile, "I was shopping for Christmas gifts for my son, he's up at boarding school studying magic, and I was wondering what kind of books first years would like to look at. Also, I wanted something for myself, some light reading I think just to get into the magical mood."
The clerk looked her and up and down and decided that she was a Muggle, but was one of those who wanted to understand their magical child. This was quite amazing since he didn't look like he was the brightest candle of the lot.
"Well madam, for you I would suggest something over here in this section." which was the Muggle parents of Magical children section. He helped her find a title or two that would be helpful and then they turned their attention to Will's present.
"Well most kids go crazy over Quidditch, so a book about that should be in order, has he mentioned the game to you at all?" he asked with a toothy grin.
"Is that the game played on broom sticks and flying on them with balls trying to knock you off of them?" she asked.
"Yes, that would be Quidditch." he replied.
"He loves flying, but I don't think he plays the game, he has mentioned something about attending games at school though."
"He's probably too young to play, you have to be a second year and above to play at Hogwarts. No matter, this is a nice book about the game." he said as he handed her a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages.'
"I'm sorry; he bought this book, when we came in before the start of term. I think he may have worn it out before he even got on the train." Charlotte said with a laugh.
The clerk put the book back on the stack of books and went done the games section and selected another nice, but moderately priced book, which she decided to buy.
"I was also wondering do you have any information on a man named Harry Potter?" she asked without really looking at the clerk, who suddenly had a glassy look in his eye.
"Yes, madam, everyone knows Harry Potter." From the way he said 'Harry Potter' she could almost feel the respect and admiration should ooze of the young man and he continued, "Well, we have some written information about him, but it is vastly incomplete. He refuses to give interviews unless he has to and has refuted almost every word written about him. However, we do have a book about modern historical facts where he is featured."
Some time later after Charlotte made her purchases; she found herself in front of Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and decided to go into the shop. She had been very helpful to her once before, maybe she would be again.
"Hello dear, anything I can do for you today?" asked Madame Malkin when she entered the store.
"I hope so, you probably do not remember me, but I was in here over the past summer to get my son fitted for his uniform and a young man with glasses helped me buy paying for our robes and I think his name is Harry Potter. Could you be so kind as to tell me about him, since you seem to know him so well."
"Oh yes, dear, I remember you. We helped your son get an owl that day if I remember correctly." replied the elderly witch.
"Yes, that was the best thing he ever got to hear him talk about it." said a beaming mother.
"Well, I don't think I'm the best qualified to answer that question about Mr. Potter, but I do know of someone who knows him better and he knows himself. Just give me a moment." Then the witch turned and walked to an assistant and spoke in hushed tones.
A few moments later Madame Malkin returned and said "If you come with me dear, I can take you to the best place in the world to have that question answered." So the two went off down the alley to a small shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and entered. Inside the joke shop were three young men with the reddest hair she had ever seen.
"Hello boys," called out Madame Malkin, "I have someone here who I thought would benefit from coming in to meet you."
"Really?" asked one of the twins. "What can we do you for you?" stated the other.
"Well this lady here asked me to tell her all about Harry Potter and I thought there would be no better people in alley who could explain better than you." Then Madame Malkin turned back to Charlotte. "I'll leave you in their care then I think dear. This is Fred and George Weasley and over there with the customer is their younger brother Ron, they can answer your questions. Oh just to be safe, don't eat any of the sweets they might offer, this is a joke shop remember." and then she was gone, back to her own store.
"What did you need to know…" one began, "…about our good mate, Harry?" the other finished.
Quickly she explained to the twins what had happened last time she was in Diagon Alley and what he had done for them and wondered why he would do it and who he was to begin with.
"Ah for that, you should probably talk to our younger brother Ron, he's Harry's best mate."
As soon as Ron was finished with his customer, the twins called him over and introduced him to Mrs. Beagle and told him why she was there. "Hmmm, I think this could take awhile." said Ron, "Why don't we go to one of the cafés and have a something to drink and I'll do my best to explain him to you."
So before the two left for the café, Ron made a quick fire call and told the twins he'd be back eventually and he and Charlotte headed out. At the café he had barely begun the tale of the "Boy Who Lived' when they were joined by Hermione Granger. Ron and Hermione explained the myth surrounding Harry and the truth behind it. They glossed over a bit his very personal information, but explained about their school years together, the resurrection and defeat of Voldemort, taking the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations, his establishment of the Sirius Black Memorial Child Care Facility, which was an orphanage Harry had created to care for all the orphaned children whose parents died at the hands of the Death Eaters during the war and his time at the Auror Training Academy.
"He is an impressive young man isn't he?" Charlotte asked in disbelief that one so young could do so much.
"Yes, he is," said Hermione, "and the worst part of it is, he doesn't believe it himself. He goes through life thinking that after he is either tainted by the darkness he defeated or that any thing nice anyone does for him is out of charity."
"Yeah," Ron joined in with a bit of sandwich in his mouth, "I don't know how many job offers he had coming in over the summer from people dying to have him work worth them and he blew them all off as if he was a charity case. Like he hadn't really earned or deserved any of them."
"Then thankfully that job at the Honeychurch Institute of Magic opened up and he went to work for them. That job may end up being the best thing that ever happened to him." said Hermione with a bit of a sigh.
"I don't understand, why doesn't he work at his orphanage, or with the ministry as an Auror?" Charlotte asked in complete awe.
"Well you see, after he campaigned against the former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge…" Hermione began.
"Total waste of a human being." Ron chimed in, a bit rudely.
"…Harry didn't think he had shown the proper loyalty to the magical government and refused to work for them again, saying they would never trust him. This is total rubbish because over half the different departments were clambering over each other to offer him positions." she finished ignoring Ron's comment.
"I see…and the orphanage?" Charlotte asked again.
Ron looked sheepish and said, "He didn't think anyone would want to adopt the kids if he was in charge of the facility so he gave the job to my sister Ginny, but he is on the Board of Governors over it."
"Now I'm really confused, if he thinks he isn't good enough for an orphanage or the government, then how is he good enough for the school?"
"That's simple," beamed Hermione, "when he went for his interview, he found that the school's sports program was in desperate disrepair and he can't forgo a challenge like that. Plus the fact, even though he hates admitting it, he loves to play the hero. He knew if he took that job, he could make some changes for the better at that school. Of course, he would never take the credit for it, those things would just happen or appear and then he would pretend he had no clue as to how it was done."
"Or say a 'mysterious benefactor' had intervened, which ever happened to come up first." supplied Ron.
"Alright answer me this then," Charlotte began, "why did he help Will and me that day? Why did he just take one look at us and decide to pay for his robes and books at Madame Malkins and Flourish and Blott's? And then later on that owl from the Magical Menagerie pet store?"
"Actually, Fred and George paid for the owl." Ron said. "They told me about it when I returned with Harry when he bought the school of his two dozen brand new brooms for their flying lessons."
"He did?" asked Hermione and Ron nodded his head in response.
"Yes, but as I asked…" said a frustrated Charlotte at Ron and Hermione's never ended array of tangents.
"Honestly I would say the reason he did it, would be because of the way he was raised. After his parents died and he went to live with those retched Dursleys, he made a promise to himself that he would never let another live a life like that. That and the fact he believes that kindness is its own reward." said Hermione.
* * * * *
Later that night as Charlotte was settling into her bed with one of her new books, 'Magical History from around the World, Volume VI: the Americas' thinking about her day and what she had learned. She began to read the thick tome when the thought struck her, 'he reminds me of that boy from the book I used to read to Will.'
Slowly she climbed out of bed to look for the book in Will's shelves when she remembered that it was a library book. So instead she went to her computer and decided to look it up online. She knew the perfect thing to get him as a present for giving her that ticket to the train to see Will.
"Now let's see," she said aloud, "what was the name of that book? Oh yes, Wizard's Hall."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By: Darkmoore
Author's Note: This chapter takes place prior to Chapter 14 of Harry Potter & the Honeychurch Institute of Magic.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Mrs. Beagle,
Per your request to do some Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley for your son's gifts, all you need to do is return to the store front you went to for orientation at Number 82 Charring Cross Road and ask the receptionist for directions. That's part of her job to help the Muggle parents of magical children.
If you need further assistance, please feel free to write me again.
Thank you,
Harvetta Fineburch
Office of Magical Education Introductions
Department of Magical Education
Ministry of Magic
* * * * *
On Saturday morning Charlotte Beagle found herself at Number 82 Charring Cross Road, London, to ask the receptionist how to find the Muggle entrance to Diagon Alley. The slender girl, who couldn't be more than 18, if she was a day, was helpful to her and personally took her to the door leading into the Leaky Cauldron. Where she quickly found her way to the bar and asked Old Tom if he could help her with the brick wall into the alley, which he was glad to do and soon she was off down the lane of small shops to do some Christmas shopping.
Charlotte found her way into many different shops including Quality Quidditch Supply where she was completely bewildered by how grown men would carry on about a simple broomstick. However, she lingered there long enough to wonder if Will would like a broom for Christmas, but left before she talked herself into the purchase.
Her next stop was at Eeylops Owl Emporium, where she bought a package of owl treats for Merlin. She was becoming very found of the owl, as he always brought her a letter from Will, whom she had missed very much. She knew she should not allow herself to get like this, as boys often had to have adventures in order to become men, but she still missed the little boy she read night time stories to.
Soon she found the shop she truly wanted to see, Flourish and Blotts, the magical book store. She entered the musty smelling shop with its new and ancient texts sitting on shelves and in piles on the floor and she wondered through looking at subject matter and titles of books. Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Herbology and so many others, she didn't know where to start.
Soon a young clerk stopped and asked, "Do you need some help madam?" with a cracking voice as if he just entered puberty.
"Actually, yes, you probably could," she started with a smile, "I was shopping for Christmas gifts for my son, he's up at boarding school studying magic, and I was wondering what kind of books first years would like to look at. Also, I wanted something for myself, some light reading I think just to get into the magical mood."
The clerk looked her and up and down and decided that she was a Muggle, but was one of those who wanted to understand their magical child. This was quite amazing since he didn't look like he was the brightest candle of the lot.
"Well madam, for you I would suggest something over here in this section." which was the Muggle parents of Magical children section. He helped her find a title or two that would be helpful and then they turned their attention to Will's present.
"Well most kids go crazy over Quidditch, so a book about that should be in order, has he mentioned the game to you at all?" he asked with a toothy grin.
"Is that the game played on broom sticks and flying on them with balls trying to knock you off of them?" she asked.
"Yes, that would be Quidditch." he replied.
"He loves flying, but I don't think he plays the game, he has mentioned something about attending games at school though."
"He's probably too young to play, you have to be a second year and above to play at Hogwarts. No matter, this is a nice book about the game." he said as he handed her a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages.'
"I'm sorry; he bought this book, when we came in before the start of term. I think he may have worn it out before he even got on the train." Charlotte said with a laugh.
The clerk put the book back on the stack of books and went done the games section and selected another nice, but moderately priced book, which she decided to buy.
"I was also wondering do you have any information on a man named Harry Potter?" she asked without really looking at the clerk, who suddenly had a glassy look in his eye.
"Yes, madam, everyone knows Harry Potter." From the way he said 'Harry Potter' she could almost feel the respect and admiration should ooze of the young man and he continued, "Well, we have some written information about him, but it is vastly incomplete. He refuses to give interviews unless he has to and has refuted almost every word written about him. However, we do have a book about modern historical facts where he is featured."
Some time later after Charlotte made her purchases; she found herself in front of Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and decided to go into the shop. She had been very helpful to her once before, maybe she would be again.
"Hello dear, anything I can do for you today?" asked Madame Malkin when she entered the store.
"I hope so, you probably do not remember me, but I was in here over the past summer to get my son fitted for his uniform and a young man with glasses helped me buy paying for our robes and I think his name is Harry Potter. Could you be so kind as to tell me about him, since you seem to know him so well."
"Oh yes, dear, I remember you. We helped your son get an owl that day if I remember correctly." replied the elderly witch.
"Yes, that was the best thing he ever got to hear him talk about it." said a beaming mother.
"Well, I don't think I'm the best qualified to answer that question about Mr. Potter, but I do know of someone who knows him better and he knows himself. Just give me a moment." Then the witch turned and walked to an assistant and spoke in hushed tones.
A few moments later Madame Malkin returned and said "If you come with me dear, I can take you to the best place in the world to have that question answered." So the two went off down the alley to a small shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and entered. Inside the joke shop were three young men with the reddest hair she had ever seen.
"Hello boys," called out Madame Malkin, "I have someone here who I thought would benefit from coming in to meet you."
"Really?" asked one of the twins. "What can we do you for you?" stated the other.
"Well this lady here asked me to tell her all about Harry Potter and I thought there would be no better people in alley who could explain better than you." Then Madame Malkin turned back to Charlotte. "I'll leave you in their care then I think dear. This is Fred and George Weasley and over there with the customer is their younger brother Ron, they can answer your questions. Oh just to be safe, don't eat any of the sweets they might offer, this is a joke shop remember." and then she was gone, back to her own store.
"What did you need to know…" one began, "…about our good mate, Harry?" the other finished.
Quickly she explained to the twins what had happened last time she was in Diagon Alley and what he had done for them and wondered why he would do it and who he was to begin with.
"Ah for that, you should probably talk to our younger brother Ron, he's Harry's best mate."
As soon as Ron was finished with his customer, the twins called him over and introduced him to Mrs. Beagle and told him why she was there. "Hmmm, I think this could take awhile." said Ron, "Why don't we go to one of the cafés and have a something to drink and I'll do my best to explain him to you."
So before the two left for the café, Ron made a quick fire call and told the twins he'd be back eventually and he and Charlotte headed out. At the café he had barely begun the tale of the "Boy Who Lived' when they were joined by Hermione Granger. Ron and Hermione explained the myth surrounding Harry and the truth behind it. They glossed over a bit his very personal information, but explained about their school years together, the resurrection and defeat of Voldemort, taking the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations, his establishment of the Sirius Black Memorial Child Care Facility, which was an orphanage Harry had created to care for all the orphaned children whose parents died at the hands of the Death Eaters during the war and his time at the Auror Training Academy.
"He is an impressive young man isn't he?" Charlotte asked in disbelief that one so young could do so much.
"Yes, he is," said Hermione, "and the worst part of it is, he doesn't believe it himself. He goes through life thinking that after he is either tainted by the darkness he defeated or that any thing nice anyone does for him is out of charity."
"Yeah," Ron joined in with a bit of sandwich in his mouth, "I don't know how many job offers he had coming in over the summer from people dying to have him work worth them and he blew them all off as if he was a charity case. Like he hadn't really earned or deserved any of them."
"Then thankfully that job at the Honeychurch Institute of Magic opened up and he went to work for them. That job may end up being the best thing that ever happened to him." said Hermione with a bit of a sigh.
"I don't understand, why doesn't he work at his orphanage, or with the ministry as an Auror?" Charlotte asked in complete awe.
"Well you see, after he campaigned against the former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge…" Hermione began.
"Total waste of a human being." Ron chimed in, a bit rudely.
"…Harry didn't think he had shown the proper loyalty to the magical government and refused to work for them again, saying they would never trust him. This is total rubbish because over half the different departments were clambering over each other to offer him positions." she finished ignoring Ron's comment.
"I see…and the orphanage?" Charlotte asked again.
Ron looked sheepish and said, "He didn't think anyone would want to adopt the kids if he was in charge of the facility so he gave the job to my sister Ginny, but he is on the Board of Governors over it."
"Now I'm really confused, if he thinks he isn't good enough for an orphanage or the government, then how is he good enough for the school?"
"That's simple," beamed Hermione, "when he went for his interview, he found that the school's sports program was in desperate disrepair and he can't forgo a challenge like that. Plus the fact, even though he hates admitting it, he loves to play the hero. He knew if he took that job, he could make some changes for the better at that school. Of course, he would never take the credit for it, those things would just happen or appear and then he would pretend he had no clue as to how it was done."
"Or say a 'mysterious benefactor' had intervened, which ever happened to come up first." supplied Ron.
"Alright answer me this then," Charlotte began, "why did he help Will and me that day? Why did he just take one look at us and decide to pay for his robes and books at Madame Malkins and Flourish and Blott's? And then later on that owl from the Magical Menagerie pet store?"
"Actually, Fred and George paid for the owl." Ron said. "They told me about it when I returned with Harry when he bought the school of his two dozen brand new brooms for their flying lessons."
"He did?" asked Hermione and Ron nodded his head in response.
"Yes, but as I asked…" said a frustrated Charlotte at Ron and Hermione's never ended array of tangents.
"Honestly I would say the reason he did it, would be because of the way he was raised. After his parents died and he went to live with those retched Dursleys, he made a promise to himself that he would never let another live a life like that. That and the fact he believes that kindness is its own reward." said Hermione.
* * * * *
Later that night as Charlotte was settling into her bed with one of her new books, 'Magical History from around the World, Volume VI: the Americas' thinking about her day and what she had learned. She began to read the thick tome when the thought struck her, 'he reminds me of that boy from the book I used to read to Will.'
Slowly she climbed out of bed to look for the book in Will's shelves when she remembered that it was a library book. So instead she went to her computer and decided to look it up online. She knew the perfect thing to get him as a present for giving her that ticket to the train to see Will.
"Now let's see," she said aloud, "what was the name of that book? Oh yes, Wizard's Hall."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *