Harry Potter and the Sanctuary of Light
Chapter 11 Diagon Alley
Corin grunted as Oron's fist caught him in the stomach. They were working on unarmed fighting today which hadn't come as easily to him as fighting with a weapon. Plus the fact that Oron was the elven equivalent of a muggle black-belt. Still, he was doing pretty good considering. He sent a kick at Oron's head who caught his foot and twisted it sending Corin to the ground. As he landed, he did a backwards roll and jumped to his feet just in time to get his arm up to block another punch.
This went on for another few minutes until finally, Oron brought him down with a kick to his right shoulder. Corin lay on the ground panting and stifled a groan. He gave a glare when Oron decided to give another show of his victory to the girls and placed a foot on his back and stood there shouting 'I win I win!' At least that was what he was doing until Corin got annoyed and grabbed the offending foot and tugged, sending Oron to the ground as well.
The girls laughed at their antics and Corin turned to look at his friend. "I thought this was supposed to be my birthday? Being beat up by you is not my idea of fun."
The two sat up and shook the dirt out of their hair, but couldn't do anything about the dirt that had stuck to them from their sweat. When they had gotten up this morning and Corin hadn't known what to expect in regards to elven birthday celebrations. So far it had been like any other day in he'd gone for a run, cleaned up, had breakfast, then went out with Oron and the girls to train.
Oron turned to him after taking a drink out of the water bottle Aranel had thrown him. "So what do you want to do? Sit around all day and do nothing?" Aranel and Laurea had come over by then and were looking at the two boys still sitting in the dirt.
"You two are filthy. Let's head inside and we can talk about what to do next after you're clean again." They agreed and were soon outside again lounging in the branches of a large weeping willow discussing what to do for the rest of the day until the party that evening.
As they talked, Miri flew up and landed on Corin's chest where he lay on his back on a large thick branch. He scratched her head affectionately and gave another idea to the group.
"How about going out and doing something in the muggle world?" Silence met him at this unusual idea. Neither Oron nor Aranel had ever been outside Kalayaana and Laurea had only been to the wizarding world.
Finally 'Rea spoke, "What would we do?" Ideas flew through his head, and he remembered 'Rea's comment at the beginning of his fifth year about how much the elves liked The Lord of the Rings books.
He grinned, "A Lord of the Rings marathon!!!" The looked at him confusedly. "A couple of years ago, some muggles started making movies to go along with the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. I hear they're pretty good. The third movie isn't out yet, but we could get into my Gringotts account and change some galleons into muggle money, buy a big TV, a DVD player and the movies. We'd have to find some way to run them on magic, but I think we could do it!" He looked at them enthusiastically, they only looked confused. After explaining what a movie, TV and DVD player all were, they started liking that idea as well.
It took a lot of planning, including a notice-me-not charm on Miri who refused to be left behind, transfiguring some of their older outfits to muggle jeans and t-shirts and getting permission from Soron and Serie. Ailin wanted to come, but her parents told her this was something for just the four older elves to do and she would be able to do fun things that night.
Soon, the four friends found themselves on the street outside the leaky cauldron and Corin hesitated.
"Corin, are you sure you want to do this?" Laurea asked him, touching his arm worriedly. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"There's no way they would recognize me. It's just... going back into that world." He paused and gave a haunted look at the front of the small pub. "It'll be hard, but I can do it." He led the way to the door.
As they walked in, a couple of patrons stared at their muggle clothes, but turned back to their drinks as Corin raised an eyebrow at their staring. They continued through the pub and Corin found himself grateful that he'd thought to conceal his scar.
"Is that Laurea?" Tom the barkeeper greeted them with a smile. "Who are your friends?"
'Rea smiled at the old barkeeper who'd shown her the way to Diagon Alley on her first visit. "Tom, this is a friend of my family Corintur, my brother Oron and my sister Aranel. We're here to get some money from Gringotts and are headed out for a day in muggle London."
After chatting a bit longer and promising to buy some butterbeer on the way out, they left for Diagon Alley. As the wall opened, they were met with the sight of hundreds of students shopping for school supplies. At the sight of the street crowded with Corin's old classmates, the three friends gave Corin a concerned glance.
"Corin buddy, are you sure you're alright with this?" Oron asked softly in elvish.
He hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah. I forgot about booklists being sent out around this time." He shook himself and nodded. "Let's go." With that, the four elves headed down the street towards the wizarding bank. There were several glances sent their way, but they ignored the stares and continued towards their destination.
Corin handed his key to a goblin who barely spared a glance at the elf and led them towards a cart. Oron and Aranel enjoyed the ride there and back enormously and were grinning by the time they arrived back at the entrance.
After that, Corin began to relax and when begged to look around for awhile grinned and agreed. The first stop was Quality Quidditch Supplies. Both Corin and Laurea had told the twins a lot about the game and were excited to get a look at the store. Inside was a madhouse filled with both students and adults. Many were crowded around the store window which held the next version of the Firebolt, a sleek gold and black broom which Corin drooled over before turning to browse the rest of the store.
Miri had been sleeping on the collar of Corin's t-shirt, her tiny talons grasping the fabric in a sturdy hold. Now as they entered the store with loud talking all around them, she woke up and stretched her wings. She cheeped and looked around curiously, but stayed put when Corin sent an image of people trying to catch her thinking she was a snitch if she went flying around the Quidditch store.
He was looking through a Quidditch magazine when he caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of his eye. Glancing slowly up, he was met with the sight of the Weasley family. Swallowing painfully, he put the magazine down and walked back to the others.
"Can we go now?" He asked softly in elvish. They stopped what they were doing when the heard his tone. At their questioning looks, he motioned towards the window. 'Rea's breath caught as she saw Corin's old friends. "I'm not ready." He said, again speaking in elvish, his voice was trembling. "I can't see them yet."
They nodded and made their way out the door. They skirted the red- headed family and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. After buying four bottles of butterbeer from Tom, they headed out into muggle London.
Chapter 11 Diagon Alley
Corin grunted as Oron's fist caught him in the stomach. They were working on unarmed fighting today which hadn't come as easily to him as fighting with a weapon. Plus the fact that Oron was the elven equivalent of a muggle black-belt. Still, he was doing pretty good considering. He sent a kick at Oron's head who caught his foot and twisted it sending Corin to the ground. As he landed, he did a backwards roll and jumped to his feet just in time to get his arm up to block another punch.
This went on for another few minutes until finally, Oron brought him down with a kick to his right shoulder. Corin lay on the ground panting and stifled a groan. He gave a glare when Oron decided to give another show of his victory to the girls and placed a foot on his back and stood there shouting 'I win I win!' At least that was what he was doing until Corin got annoyed and grabbed the offending foot and tugged, sending Oron to the ground as well.
The girls laughed at their antics and Corin turned to look at his friend. "I thought this was supposed to be my birthday? Being beat up by you is not my idea of fun."
The two sat up and shook the dirt out of their hair, but couldn't do anything about the dirt that had stuck to them from their sweat. When they had gotten up this morning and Corin hadn't known what to expect in regards to elven birthday celebrations. So far it had been like any other day in he'd gone for a run, cleaned up, had breakfast, then went out with Oron and the girls to train.
Oron turned to him after taking a drink out of the water bottle Aranel had thrown him. "So what do you want to do? Sit around all day and do nothing?" Aranel and Laurea had come over by then and were looking at the two boys still sitting in the dirt.
"You two are filthy. Let's head inside and we can talk about what to do next after you're clean again." They agreed and were soon outside again lounging in the branches of a large weeping willow discussing what to do for the rest of the day until the party that evening.
As they talked, Miri flew up and landed on Corin's chest where he lay on his back on a large thick branch. He scratched her head affectionately and gave another idea to the group.
"How about going out and doing something in the muggle world?" Silence met him at this unusual idea. Neither Oron nor Aranel had ever been outside Kalayaana and Laurea had only been to the wizarding world.
Finally 'Rea spoke, "What would we do?" Ideas flew through his head, and he remembered 'Rea's comment at the beginning of his fifth year about how much the elves liked The Lord of the Rings books.
He grinned, "A Lord of the Rings marathon!!!" The looked at him confusedly. "A couple of years ago, some muggles started making movies to go along with the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. I hear they're pretty good. The third movie isn't out yet, but we could get into my Gringotts account and change some galleons into muggle money, buy a big TV, a DVD player and the movies. We'd have to find some way to run them on magic, but I think we could do it!" He looked at them enthusiastically, they only looked confused. After explaining what a movie, TV and DVD player all were, they started liking that idea as well.
It took a lot of planning, including a notice-me-not charm on Miri who refused to be left behind, transfiguring some of their older outfits to muggle jeans and t-shirts and getting permission from Soron and Serie. Ailin wanted to come, but her parents told her this was something for just the four older elves to do and she would be able to do fun things that night.
Soon, the four friends found themselves on the street outside the leaky cauldron and Corin hesitated.
"Corin, are you sure you want to do this?" Laurea asked him, touching his arm worriedly. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"There's no way they would recognize me. It's just... going back into that world." He paused and gave a haunted look at the front of the small pub. "It'll be hard, but I can do it." He led the way to the door.
As they walked in, a couple of patrons stared at their muggle clothes, but turned back to their drinks as Corin raised an eyebrow at their staring. They continued through the pub and Corin found himself grateful that he'd thought to conceal his scar.
"Is that Laurea?" Tom the barkeeper greeted them with a smile. "Who are your friends?"
'Rea smiled at the old barkeeper who'd shown her the way to Diagon Alley on her first visit. "Tom, this is a friend of my family Corintur, my brother Oron and my sister Aranel. We're here to get some money from Gringotts and are headed out for a day in muggle London."
After chatting a bit longer and promising to buy some butterbeer on the way out, they left for Diagon Alley. As the wall opened, they were met with the sight of hundreds of students shopping for school supplies. At the sight of the street crowded with Corin's old classmates, the three friends gave Corin a concerned glance.
"Corin buddy, are you sure you're alright with this?" Oron asked softly in elvish.
He hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah. I forgot about booklists being sent out around this time." He shook himself and nodded. "Let's go." With that, the four elves headed down the street towards the wizarding bank. There were several glances sent their way, but they ignored the stares and continued towards their destination.
Corin handed his key to a goblin who barely spared a glance at the elf and led them towards a cart. Oron and Aranel enjoyed the ride there and back enormously and were grinning by the time they arrived back at the entrance.
After that, Corin began to relax and when begged to look around for awhile grinned and agreed. The first stop was Quality Quidditch Supplies. Both Corin and Laurea had told the twins a lot about the game and were excited to get a look at the store. Inside was a madhouse filled with both students and adults. Many were crowded around the store window which held the next version of the Firebolt, a sleek gold and black broom which Corin drooled over before turning to browse the rest of the store.
Miri had been sleeping on the collar of Corin's t-shirt, her tiny talons grasping the fabric in a sturdy hold. Now as they entered the store with loud talking all around them, she woke up and stretched her wings. She cheeped and looked around curiously, but stayed put when Corin sent an image of people trying to catch her thinking she was a snitch if she went flying around the Quidditch store.
He was looking through a Quidditch magazine when he caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of his eye. Glancing slowly up, he was met with the sight of the Weasley family. Swallowing painfully, he put the magazine down and walked back to the others.
"Can we go now?" He asked softly in elvish. They stopped what they were doing when the heard his tone. At their questioning looks, he motioned towards the window. 'Rea's breath caught as she saw Corin's old friends. "I'm not ready." He said, again speaking in elvish, his voice was trembling. "I can't see them yet."
They nodded and made their way out the door. They skirted the red- headed family and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. After buying four bottles of butterbeer from Tom, they headed out into muggle London.
