Disclaimer: Don't you people get bored writing these things? Oh well, I do not own any of the characters or places in this story; they are all the wonderful work of J.K. Rowling. The only character I own is Astra Liu.
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long, I went on holiday and there was no computer. Anyway, it's here now, please don't be too mad! I am looking for a beta reader so if you are interested please say so in your review.
jaeEun- Thanks for reviewing again! I can't tell you who Astra is going to get together with but I can tell you it's not Harry! Sorry if you were looking forward to seeing if mine worked, I already know who she's going to be with and I don't want to change it. I don't think this story is going to have THAT much to do with Harry actually...
Reading Redhead- I'm glad you thought it was funny! It's been a while since I've made anyone laugh, I don't seem to have been given the gift of humour... sob Sorry, thanks for your review!
kitty minky- Lol! Yeah, summer at Uluru would be hot! I don't even want to think about it. I'm sooo happy you like my story, but is it a good thing that someone who is insane likes it? Hee hee. Anyway, luv ya! (I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I hope this cheers you up a bit.:-)
Tirtreaton- Yeah, Cho would be in seventh year when this is happening. Luna's in fifth.
This chapter is dedicated to jaeEun for giving me nice, happy reviews! Thankyou!
Hagrid led Astra out the back of the pub into a small, cramped courtyard. He seemed to be counting the bricks on one of the walls. Then he picked up his pink umbrella and tapped a brick three times. It started to melt away and doing so, the bricks around it did too until there was an archway in front of them leading to a very busy, very crowded and very magical-looking street.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "To Diagon Alley."
Chapter Five - Not a Word
"Wow!" Astra exclaimed.
"Yeah," said Hagrid, grinning, "Useful little trick. Just tap the second brick across, three up to get in. Just in case any of 'em Muggles do get in the bar, they can't go any further 'cause they don't have no wands."
Hagrid set off down the street.
"Before we get anything, you'll need some money," Hagrid told her.
"But I haven't got any money," Astra said.
"That's what you know. I know better," he said, winking.
Astra frowned, "But-"
"No buts, first stop, Gringotts Wizard Bank."
He pointed to a huge, gleaming white, marble building. As they drew closer, Astra noticed a strange looking creature wearing a uniform. He was about as tall as a 10-year old child and he was standing in front of two polished, bronze doors.
"That's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly.
He opened the doors for them and they entered the building. They were now in a short passageway; at the end was another creature wearing the same uniform and guarding another pair of doors. These were made of silver and had gold 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 these floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Mad, if you tried to rob it," said Hagrid as the goblin bowed them through the doors, "Safest place in the world, Gringotts is. Except for maybe Hogwarts..."
They entered the next room; it was a long hall with a high ceiling and a long desk facing them. Behind the desk were more goblins and short queues were formed in front of them. Astra and Hagrid joined the end of one and waited and in a few minutes they were at the front.
"Yes?" drawled the goblin lazily, stacking huge gold coins on top of each other and looking quite bored. "What can I do for you?"
"I've come to make a withdrawal from-"at this point Hagrid lowered his breath so Astra couldn't hear "-for Miss Astra Liu. I have the key right here."
The goblin nodded before calling, "Dolgoor!"
Another goblin hurried up to them. He was quite old but completely bald, though he had large tufts of white hair sprouting from his ears and nostrils. He was, apparently, named Dolgoor. Dolgoor led them through another door but this time Astra found herself standing at the start of an apparently never-ending railroad track. As soon as they were all inside Dolgoor shut the door and whistled. For a few minutes everything was quite and then a small wooden cart came hurtling towards them. It stopped right in front of Astra, who gulped nervously. It didn't look very safe but Hagrid and Dolgoor had already climbed in and Astra didn't object.
As soon as she had settled herself in between Hagrid and the goblin, the cart set off on its own accord.
It was squashy in the cart. Hagrid took up most of the space, leaving Astra and Dolgoor to squeeze up in a corner. The goblin threw disgusted looks at Hagrid the whole time they were in the cart. At one point Astra almost fell out and into a dark, apparently bottomless pit only to be saved by Hagrid (who was looking rather sick) just in time.
Finally the cart stopped rather too suddenly as Astra was almost thrown out.
They had arrived at a small platform with no railing. Astra peered over the edge as Dolgoor fiddled with the key in the door and Hagrid lent against the wall, groaning and clutching his stomach. She saw hundreds of tracks, winding this way and that and carts hurtling along them. In the distance she heard someone scream and shivered.
"Here you go miss," said Dolgoor as the door swung open. Astra turned and gasped.
There was a huge chamber of white marble and in the centre three huge piles of glittering coins and an enormous pile of jewels of every type. One pile of coins was gold, one silver and the other bronze. In awe, she stepped into the chamber.
"It's all yours," said Hagrid, grinning.
"But how did I get it?' asked Astra, running her hands over the pile of gold coins. "And what are these coins, anyway?"
Hagrid chose not to answer the first question but said, "The bronze ones are Knuts, twenty-nine o' them to a Sickle – they're the silver ones – then seventeen sickles to a galleon – the big gold ones."
He handed her a bag.
"Take a bit o' each and we'll be off."
---
Fifteen minutes later they emerged into blazing sunshine and Astra had to shield her eyes. Her money bags were feeling very heavy and there was a whole street of wizard shops at her feet. She tried hard not to let herself run screaming down the street into every shop and buy all its contents.
"Right, well, Professor Dumbledore has given me this list of supplies for you. We'll go and get your books first. I'll help you. Then you can go into the robes shop and I'll go off and do my shopping. An' then last o' all we'll get your wand from Ollivanders."
"Wand? I really get a magic wand? Wow, at Radford you didn't get a wand until third year," said Astra.
"Well Hogwarts ain't no Radford," Hagrid replied and set off down the street to a shop named Flourish and Blotts.
A bell chimed somewhere behind the counter as they walked inside. Hagrid gave Astra her list and Astra read over it.
Dear Miss Liu,
This is the list of books and other equipment you will need as a student at Hogwarts. Do not worry about the cost, I have sorted that out.
Uniform
You require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat for day wear (black)
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all your clothing should be labeled clearly with your name. As you are of the same age of the fifth years you will need a set of dress robes as well.
Set Books
You will need:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 2) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phylida 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
You should also purchase:
1 magic wand
1 cauldron
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
1 potions kit
2 quills
1 inkpot
20 rolls of parchment
You may also bring a cat OR an owl OR a toad.
You may bring a broomstick though I enforce that this is very much OPTIONAL as broomsticks are expensive.
Yours,
Albus Dumbledore, Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"So we can buy all of this in Diagon Alley?" asked Astra as Hagrid hummed and drummed his fingertips on the counter.
"Yep."
"Can I help you?" asked a pretty young woman with long auburn hair who had just appeared behind the counter.
"Oh yes," said Astra because Hagrid had busied himself with a stand of books titled Advanced Alchemy and had gone bright red. Astra very much doubted that Hagrid had ever studied Alchemy in his life. "I need these books," said Astra showing the assistant her list. The assistant took it and went off to find her books and Astra headed over to Hagrid.
"How's the alchemy?" she asked, smirking.
"Very – very interesting," said Hagrid gruffly.
Astra smiled and headed back to the assistant who was standing on a stool and reaching for Magical Drafts and Potions. A few minutes later all her books had been retrieved and Astra was out in the sunshine again with Hagrid who was still looking rather sheepish. They bought Astra's cauldron, phials, scales and potion kit from a potion shop and found a nice telescope in the astronomy shop. Astra particularly liked this shop and even bought a small glass globe with all the planets revolving in it. They found a stationery shop that sold quills and parchment then Hagrid left Astra outside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Astra entered and Madam Malkin hurried towards her.
"Hello dear. How can I help you?"
"I need three sets of plain black work robes, one plain black pointed hat, one pair of protective dragon hide gloves and a black winter cloak with silver fastenings."
"Hogwarts?" she asked, "Why aren't you at school?"
"It's kind of a long story," said Astra who didn't particularly feel like sharing her life story with Madam Malkin.
Madam Malkin led her over to a stool and told her to stand on it, "I'll fit your robes now. And what country are you from? I can tell you have an accent."
"Australia, but I've been to heaps of other places so it might be a bit muddled," said Astra.
Madam Malkin began to measure her robes. Then she hurried out the back and came back with a pointed hat and a pair of gloves.
"There you go miss," she said cheerily, "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," said Astra, "I need some dress robes."
"Well come over here and have a look at these. My newest range is very colourful, these ones will suit your eyes."
She pointed to a pretty pale blue robe. Astra didn't her eyes were that colour but she liked it anyhow.
"Can I try it on?" she asked.
Madam Malkin nodded and 15 minutes later she had paid for it and her school robes and was waiting outside the shop for Hagrid. In a few minutes he emerged carrying a large circular parcel and two huge chocolate and whipped cream ice-creams. Astra smiled and waved to him. He handed her one of the ice-creams and said, "No' a word about the bookshop." Astra grinned even harder and licked her ice-cream happily. At this moment she didn't feel as though anything could go wrong.