Chapter three: Diagon Alley
The morning of June twenty-fifth was a sunny one. Lily, Rose and their mother were on a train on their way to London. Petunia and the three sisters father hadn't come because Petunia was refusing to have anything to do with anything which relied on birds to deliver their letters, as she despised birds. Petunia of course was only nine years old so naturally her father needed to stay home with her to look out for her.
So here they were, Lily with her sister and mother. When the train stopped at the station in London they all got out and went into the streets. "Do you have any idea where this... Leaky Cauldron place is mum?" Lily asked "No... I suppose we'll have to ask..." Her mother said. They went to a nearby cafe and went to the man at the counter,
"Can I help you?" "Yes I hope." Her mother said. "Do you know where the Leaky Cauldron is?"
The man looked shocked and confused, "What? never heard of it and I've lived here all my life."
Her mother looked unhappy with the man's response, "Are you sure?" She asked "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry"
"Sir? Can you just tell us were the nearest book store is?" Rose asked.
"Sure, its right down the road on the left. Though it's rather shabby. If you want a better one come on back and I'll give you directions."
"Thanks." Rose said and she started walking from the cafe followed by Lily who was pulling their mother by her sleeve.
When they got to the book store Rose looked to the next shop and there was a record shop.
"Well... here is a book shop and a record shop... but no leaky cauldron." Rose muttered.
"Rose." Lily said and Rose looked at her. "What are you talking about. It's right there." Lily pointed in front of them and Rose and her mother looked and gasped at the same time. "That wasn't there before!" Her mother claimed "Of course it was." Lily said "It didn't appear until you pointed it out Lilse." Rose said Lily looked at them weird and said, "o....k she then directed them in to the pub. Lily first impression of the pub was "Wow" They just stood in the entrance for a minute or so taking in the... creatures. There were humans in crazy outfits, and then there were other things, vampires, zombies, gnomes? When they finally they got over their shock they shuffled to the back and came to the bar where an odd looking man was standing.
"Can I help you?" He grunted "Um... I think I'm looking for Tom? We need to get to Diagon Al-"
The man cut Lily's mother off obviously not caring about what she had to say.
"Tom!" He yelled. "Get in here boy!"
Tom was a skinny little boy with messy blond hair and big front teeth, who gave off an if-I-saw-a-girl-being-bullied-by-a-guy-I'd-help-her-but-get-beat-up-in-the-process look. He was all together not very impressive in his three sizes to big apron. "Help these people boy" They boy turned smiling, to Lily, Rose and her mother and Lily noticed 4 or 5 of his teeth were missing. She tried to smile back with out laughing which she found quite difficult.
" 'Allo Mrs. Ms. and Ms." He said nodding his head at each of them.
"Off to Diagon Alley are you?"
"Yes..." Lily's mother said uncertainly.
"Follow me then." He said cheerfully and began exiting through the back door. So they followed him out into the backyard which had nothing but a brick wall in it. "One of you going to Hogwarts then?"
"I am." Lily said in amusement as she watched Tom trip on a root sticking out of the ground. "Well that's good. So am I!" He said while smiling at her. He then tapped a brick on the wall in front of them and suddenly, the solid wall became an archway into the most amazing town any of the three girls had seen.
"Tom watched there reactions and chuckled a bit to himself. "Would you ladies like a guide? I don't have anything to do really."
"Well that would be lovely. Thank you." Lily's mother said off handedly to the boy.
"Great..." Tom said and then urged them forward. He brought them to a tall white stone building. "This is Gringotts. The bank. You'll need to switch some of that muggle money. It doesn't work well here."
"Alright." Lily's mother nodded. They went into the building and Tom directed them to the foreign exchange area.
"May I help you?" The dwarf at the counter asked.
"These people want to change British money into our money." Tom said "How much are you changing ma'am?" Lily's mother asked Tom how much he thought they would need though Lily found it rather ridiculous because this boy looked no older then her.
"I'd say after the wand, the books, the robes, the trunk, the other needed supplies and a pet if you so choose to get one that would be around 40 galleons unless you bought it all second hand."
"That won't be necessary." Lily's mother said shaking her head. "I'd like 40 Galleons."
"Right." The dwarf said. He told her the amount of money that was owed and she paid it. So they now had a bag full of coins.
"Well. Off to the book shop." Tom said, they entered the shop and as soon as they mentioned Hogwarts the store keeper had their books all set and they were out in no time.
They next went to the apothecary, the robe shop and pet shop where Lily purchased a Kitten in which she named Jeb. When they were finished with that part of their shopping, they stopped and got some ice cream.
"Lilse you are so lucky." Rose said while slurping her rapidly dripping ice cream.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Your a witch. I mean, if the village is this cool imagine the school! You don't even have to take math and social studies any more! instead you get to take transfiguration and charms! You have to tell me EVERYTHING about it when you get home at the end of the year."
"You're allowed to go home during Christmas break." Tom said. "Though I don't think I'll be coming home. I don't care for my dad much which I'm sure you can understand after meetin' 'im" Tom in a cheerful tone.
"Yeah, wasn't exactly the happiest fellow was he?" Lily's mother asked.
"Nah. Hates his job." Tom said. "Doesn't much like me either come to think of it." He added.
"That's to bad." Rose said. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Nope. Only me." Tom said.
"That really is to bad." Lily's mother said. "So do you already go to Hogwarts?"
"Nah, I'm starting this year."
"Ah so you and Lily will be able to see each other!" Lily's mother said, "Isn't that nice dear?"
"Oh... yeah." Lily said. She was a little resistant to Tom though. She had been the most popular girl in her school and for some reason she didn't think hanging out with Tom would keep that title in her hands. "Well." Tom spoke up. "If your all done, we have one more stop."
"Were?" Rose asked "Ollivander's wand shop."
The morning of June twenty-fifth was a sunny one. Lily, Rose and their mother were on a train on their way to London. Petunia and the three sisters father hadn't come because Petunia was refusing to have anything to do with anything which relied on birds to deliver their letters, as she despised birds. Petunia of course was only nine years old so naturally her father needed to stay home with her to look out for her.
So here they were, Lily with her sister and mother. When the train stopped at the station in London they all got out and went into the streets. "Do you have any idea where this... Leaky Cauldron place is mum?" Lily asked "No... I suppose we'll have to ask..." Her mother said. They went to a nearby cafe and went to the man at the counter,
"Can I help you?" "Yes I hope." Her mother said. "Do you know where the Leaky Cauldron is?"
The man looked shocked and confused, "What? never heard of it and I've lived here all my life."
Her mother looked unhappy with the man's response, "Are you sure?" She asked "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry"
"Sir? Can you just tell us were the nearest book store is?" Rose asked.
"Sure, its right down the road on the left. Though it's rather shabby. If you want a better one come on back and I'll give you directions."
"Thanks." Rose said and she started walking from the cafe followed by Lily who was pulling their mother by her sleeve.
When they got to the book store Rose looked to the next shop and there was a record shop.
"Well... here is a book shop and a record shop... but no leaky cauldron." Rose muttered.
"Rose." Lily said and Rose looked at her. "What are you talking about. It's right there." Lily pointed in front of them and Rose and her mother looked and gasped at the same time. "That wasn't there before!" Her mother claimed "Of course it was." Lily said "It didn't appear until you pointed it out Lilse." Rose said Lily looked at them weird and said, "o....k she then directed them in to the pub. Lily first impression of the pub was "Wow" They just stood in the entrance for a minute or so taking in the... creatures. There were humans in crazy outfits, and then there were other things, vampires, zombies, gnomes? When they finally they got over their shock they shuffled to the back and came to the bar where an odd looking man was standing.
"Can I help you?" He grunted "Um... I think I'm looking for Tom? We need to get to Diagon Al-"
The man cut Lily's mother off obviously not caring about what she had to say.
"Tom!" He yelled. "Get in here boy!"
Tom was a skinny little boy with messy blond hair and big front teeth, who gave off an if-I-saw-a-girl-being-bullied-by-a-guy-I'd-help-her-but-get-beat-up-in-the-process look. He was all together not very impressive in his three sizes to big apron. "Help these people boy" They boy turned smiling, to Lily, Rose and her mother and Lily noticed 4 or 5 of his teeth were missing. She tried to smile back with out laughing which she found quite difficult.
" 'Allo Mrs. Ms. and Ms." He said nodding his head at each of them.
"Off to Diagon Alley are you?"
"Yes..." Lily's mother said uncertainly.
"Follow me then." He said cheerfully and began exiting through the back door. So they followed him out into the backyard which had nothing but a brick wall in it. "One of you going to Hogwarts then?"
"I am." Lily said in amusement as she watched Tom trip on a root sticking out of the ground. "Well that's good. So am I!" He said while smiling at her. He then tapped a brick on the wall in front of them and suddenly, the solid wall became an archway into the most amazing town any of the three girls had seen.
"Tom watched there reactions and chuckled a bit to himself. "Would you ladies like a guide? I don't have anything to do really."
"Well that would be lovely. Thank you." Lily's mother said off handedly to the boy.
"Great..." Tom said and then urged them forward. He brought them to a tall white stone building. "This is Gringotts. The bank. You'll need to switch some of that muggle money. It doesn't work well here."
"Alright." Lily's mother nodded. They went into the building and Tom directed them to the foreign exchange area.
"May I help you?" The dwarf at the counter asked.
"These people want to change British money into our money." Tom said "How much are you changing ma'am?" Lily's mother asked Tom how much he thought they would need though Lily found it rather ridiculous because this boy looked no older then her.
"I'd say after the wand, the books, the robes, the trunk, the other needed supplies and a pet if you so choose to get one that would be around 40 galleons unless you bought it all second hand."
"That won't be necessary." Lily's mother said shaking her head. "I'd like 40 Galleons."
"Right." The dwarf said. He told her the amount of money that was owed and she paid it. So they now had a bag full of coins.
"Well. Off to the book shop." Tom said, they entered the shop and as soon as they mentioned Hogwarts the store keeper had their books all set and they were out in no time.
They next went to the apothecary, the robe shop and pet shop where Lily purchased a Kitten in which she named Jeb. When they were finished with that part of their shopping, they stopped and got some ice cream.
"Lilse you are so lucky." Rose said while slurping her rapidly dripping ice cream.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Your a witch. I mean, if the village is this cool imagine the school! You don't even have to take math and social studies any more! instead you get to take transfiguration and charms! You have to tell me EVERYTHING about it when you get home at the end of the year."
"You're allowed to go home during Christmas break." Tom said. "Though I don't think I'll be coming home. I don't care for my dad much which I'm sure you can understand after meetin' 'im" Tom in a cheerful tone.
"Yeah, wasn't exactly the happiest fellow was he?" Lily's mother asked.
"Nah. Hates his job." Tom said. "Doesn't much like me either come to think of it." He added.
"That's to bad." Rose said. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Nope. Only me." Tom said.
"That really is to bad." Lily's mother said. "So do you already go to Hogwarts?"
"Nah, I'm starting this year."
"Ah so you and Lily will be able to see each other!" Lily's mother said, "Isn't that nice dear?"
"Oh... yeah." Lily said. She was a little resistant to Tom though. She had been the most popular girl in her school and for some reason she didn't think hanging out with Tom would keep that title in her hands. "Well." Tom spoke up. "If your all done, we have one more stop."
"Were?" Rose asked "Ollivander's wand shop."