Chapter 2
A week had gone by since Hermione had found out that she was a witch. It was now starting to settle in and making sense.
"You remember that time you fell out of the bunk bed at Cousin Frank's and didn't hurt yourself at all? That must've been the magic protecting you" marvelled Mr Granger.
"Dad we need to go to Diagon Alley and get my stuff for school" said an eager Hermione. Hermione was ecstatic about starting a new school, especially since she was usually the butt of jokes at the school she currently went to.
"I suppose we do. Well I'll get the car and we'll drive to this ... Leaky Cauldron and ask someone. Your Professor McGonagall told me that it was a magical get together there."
An hour later, an energetic Hermione and her two worrisome parents arrived at the front of The Leaky Cauldron. As Mr Granger pushed the door open all Hermione saw were bright dots from the sunlight dancing around. It took a while for her eyes to get used to the extremely dim light of The Leaky Cauldron. Once they were adjusted, Hermione saw the most unusual people she had ever seen. There were old hags with long crooked noses, old wizards with flowing grey beards and some teeth less drunks, holding what looked like drinks that were on fire.
"Excuse me sir but could you tell me how to get to Diagon Alley?" Mr Granger asked to bartender.
"And whatcha wanna know that for muggle?" retorted the bartender.
"Well my daughter is starting Hogwarts next year and we need supplies." "Oh ... then why didntcha say so. Follow me this way." And the bartender took off slinging his filthy rag over his shoulder, which was covered in a once white shirt that was now greying. They all went out into a small courtyard at the back of the school. There the bartender tapped a series of bricks in a particular order. "Did you get that?" he asked as the Grangers watched on. "Err ... I'm pretty sure I'll remember it" said Mr Granger.
"Yes I've remembered it" said Hermione as everyone looked at her. Just then the bricks started to move around and began to form a large archway into a bustling street.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley" said the bartender. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a bar to run" and with that he bowed to them and walked off.
With eyes wide with astonishment, the three Grangers walked through the brick archway in unease, wondering at all the weird and unusual objects that were abundant in the stores.
"What's with all the different currency values?" asked Mr Granger as he looked at a puffy orange flower that looked like an orange rose but made of fish scales.
"It's the money that the wizarding community uses instead of the common English Pound" Hermione told him.
"Where'd you find that out?" he asked quizzically.
"Professor McGonagall gave me a book about the Wizarding community and also a book about Hogwarts. It's called Hogwarts: A History."
"Well then, the first thing we need to do is get some of this "wizard" money ... and how do we do that?" Mrs Granger asked as she looked around for a bank sign or something that may have had something to do with currency exchange.
"At the bank. It's called Gringotts and is just over there" Hermione pointed in the direction of a huge, grand building.
Once they had exchange some of their English notes into Galleons, Sickles and Knuts, they looked at Hermione's list.
"The first things you'll need are your uniform items" Mrs Granger said as she looked at the list. "We can find all the uniform at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions." Hermione said looking at the list she also had, but with the names of all the different stores in which to buy her materials from. An hour later, and with a considerable amount of pin pricks in her legs, Hermione and her parents set out for the book store, Flourish and Blotts. Hermione stood at the entrance, her eyes wide open. Never in her entire life had she seen so many books, and all of which were over an inch thick. She was in Heaven.
"Dad can I have this book? It's called Spells for Beginners, and it's written by a witch called Alison Caildren. Please can I have it dad, please?"
"Oh ... ok then" he said as a massive smile spread its way onto Hermione's face. "Your mother and I will just go and buy the books you need for school, just keep browsing until we come back." At this Hermione ran to the second story and grabbed the nearest book. She took it and sat down at the nearest bench. She then looked at the cover The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. Hermione had no idea what the dark arts were but had the impression that they weren't altogether very good. She flicked through the book, her eyes widening at the gruesome pictures of what dark spells and potions could do to people. "Looks like someone has found a liking for the dark arts" came a cold and emotionless voice from behind Hermione. There stood an elegant man of around 40. He had shoulder length white hair and steel grey, cold eyes and wore a black coat and a staff that had a silver snake as a handle. "You must belong to those muggles downstairs" he said, his voice full of contempt. "Just so you know, Hogwarts is a school that has been letting riff raff in for centuries. Looks like nothing has changed again, especially with a crackpot old fool as a headmaster" and with this the man slammed Hermione's book shut and stormed off in a huff.
With a confused look on her face she was about to say something but then saw her parents calling her from downstairs, so she grabbed the book and made her way down, with an expectant look on her face for just one more book.