CHAPTER TWO: DIAGON ALLEY

August 21st passed by and Lily's questions were all answered. Riley had answered questions about why Sirius hated his parents, and the official from Hogwarts and answered almost everything else. It was time to go to Diagon Alley. Lily met Riley at the Rivers' mansion, and she was surprised to see that James and Sirius were there too.

"They're coming with us. Aunt Laura can't put up with both of them for another week," explained Riley, "We've booked rooms at the Leaky Cauldron."

Lily felt a little left out. She wondered if her mother would let her stay with Riley.

"Of course, to spare me from either having to share a room with the boys –she made a face- or having a room to myself, you are coming with me, and staying with me," added Riley, as if she knew what Lily was thinking about.

Lily grinned.

Riley critically inspected what Lily was wearing. She ran upstairs and came back down with a emerald-green robe. "Here, wear this."

"Why?" asked Lily.

"So you won't look so muggle!" exclaimed Riley, "You don't want to look muggle this day."

. Lily shrugged and put on the robe. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt beneath it. Riley was wearing a sky-blue robe that completely matched her eyes. She was wearing a skirt and a blouse and a small fake-fur cape over the robe. (A/N I think wearing real fur is cruel)

"Boys!" shouted Lady Rivers (Riley's family was English nobility and that was one of the reasons they were so rich), "hurry up!"

James and Sirius hurried down. James was wearing a burgundy robe, and Sirius was wearing a navy blue one.

"Alright," Lady Rivers summoned a flowerpot from the kitchen. "Riley, you go first and show Lily how it's done."

Riley took a pinch of the powder inside the pot. She threw it in the flames and they turned bright green. Riley stepped into the fire and shouted 'The Leaky Cauldron!"

Lily was next. She mimicked Riley and felt herself spiraling up the chimney. She fell out of the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. Riley was grinning at her. "Good job Lils. On my first try I got lost."

Lily giggled. Then she felt something knock into her and she fell face flat.

"Oops, sorry," James' voice sounded sheepish. Lily got up and glared at him. But he looked so forlorn that Lily and Riley couldn't help but laugh at him. Riley poked him. "Don't do that to anyone again cousin."

Sirius tumbled out and knocked into Riley, but Riley scrambled away. "What is up with you two?" muttered Riley and led Lily up to their room.

They went to Gringotts, the wizarding bank. James, Riley, and Sirius accessed to their bank accounts. Sirius was having a bit of a hard time convincing his goblin because he was using the money that his rich uncle had left him (the Black family had come close to disowning Sirius), but when the proper key was produced, the goblin took Sirius to his chamber.

They went to get their wands first. The shop was called Ollivander's Wands. Lily though Mr. Ollivander looked a bit spooky.

Lily's wand was ten and 1/4 inches long, willow, and a unicorn tail inside, good for Charms. James' was eleven inches mahogany, phoenix feather, a good transfiguration wand. Riley's was ten and 2/3 inches long, silver birch, and dragon heartstring. Mr. Ollivander peered curiously at Riley when it chose her. "This is a warrior's wand, Ms. Rivers, the best for dueling. Use it wisely, Ms. Rivers". Sirius got a hawthorn, eleven and 1/2 inches, phoenix feather

When they had their wands, they wandered into Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Their robes were all set out for them. Lady Rivers had already sent a message ahead to Madame Malkin. They gathered the robes and hats, and they left the shop with slightly lighter moneybags.

James and Sirius ran into Eeylops Owls Emporium. Riley followed eagerly, Lily right on her tail.

"Wow!" gasped Lily as she stared into the expanse of jewel-eyed and feathered creatures. Riley disappeared into the mass and came out with a Whiskered Screech Owl. "Dad and Mum said I could get a new owl since Carolyn's getting old," said Riley happily, "I thought I'd get a new species. Carol's a Great Horned."

James came out with a Snowy, Sirius a Eagle Owl. Lily picked a Short-eared Owl. Riley glanced at Sirius's. "That's cool," she commented, "Looks spooky."

"I don't think so," said Sirius, glaring.

They paid for their owls and succeeded in getting them into cages. "What're ya gonna name yours, Lils?" asked Riley.

Lily shrugged. "Mum considered naming me Mildred. Maybe I'll name my owl that."

Riley wrinkled her nose. "Mildred. Sounds like Mildew."

They all laughed.

"What are you gonna name yours, Rafaela?" asked Sirius.

"Don't call me Rafaela," exclaimed Riley, "I dunno, maybe Briseis or Cassandra. Possibly Andrea."

"That oracle or whatever in Troy?" asked James.

"Yep, that's dear old Cassie. Briseis was the person that was loved by Achilles," said Riley.

"History freak."

"Am not! I just like the Trojan War!"

"Whatever."

They went into the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, next. Lily was admiring a thick velvet covered, gold-edged book called 'Hogwarts, A History'. Riley and the others were all crowded around the 'Curses and Countercurses' section. Riley grabbed a copy of 'How to Curse your Enemies and Prank your Friends and all her schoolbooks. In total they cost twenty galleons and 5 sickles. Lily bought the Hogwarts, A History and her schoolbooks. She was getting quite worried about her parents' financial strain.

The Apothecary was next. It smelled disgusting but was fascinating. Unicorn horns, beetle eyes, slime, pickled fish, you bet, it was all there. They roamed it for a while, then bought their things. The last and final stop. Ice Cream.

Lily got a chocolate chip mint with a cherry and chocolate sprinkles. Riley and Sirius got a blue raspberry cream with chocolate chips. James got a banana split.

"Can you even eat all that?" asked Lily incredulously as she stared at James' enormous sundae.

"Nope," said James cheerfully, "But this is my favorite."

Riley shook her head and muttered something incoherent under her breath. Sitting between Lily and Sirius, she turned to Lily and rolled her eyes.

James and Sirius glanced at each other and sighed. They launched into an animated conversation about Quidditch, which Riley eventually got involved in. Lily watched the sometimes agreeing group with amusement. Atleast she thought I learned a lot about Quidditch.