A/n: Welcome to another edition of Fairy Dust 2- The Remake. Yes, I realize
the last chapter was rather short, but my beginnings always suck.
Hopefully, this one will be longer. Anyway, here it is.
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"Lily, dearest, I simply don't see any such place," Lydia Evans said to her daughter. There simply was no Leaky Cauldron to be found.
"Very funny, mum," said Lily with a giggle. "You can't fool me; it's right over there." Lily pointed to a place across the street. Lydia Evans looked in the direction of her daughter's outstretched finger. It was pointing to a dingy, unobtrusive pub. A wooden sign hung over the door bearing the words "The Leaky Cauldron."
Lily grabbed her mother's hand and dragged her across the street. She reached the pub and pushed open the door, pulling her mother along with her.
The interior of the pub was not impressive. Rays of sunlight flitted in through dusty windows, wooden tables and chairs were scattered about the room, some occupied, and some not. There was a bar at the opposite end of the room and a balding man with glasses was wiping it down. The occupants of the pub, however, were what caught Lily's eye. They were clad in pajama looking things, robes perhaps. One woman sported a hot pink pair of these robes.
When Lily and her mother had entered the pub, the talking had ceased and the occupants stared at the pair. A woman dressed in a navy blue set of robes stood and made her way to Lily.
"Miss Evans?" she asked. Lily nodded. The woman smiled. Her hair was auburn and pulled back in a clip.
"Hello Miss Evans, I am Rachel Jacobson," she said, "I will be your guide today and will help you get acquainted with the wizarding world." Lily shook her hand.
"Hello, I'm Lydia, Lily's mother," said Lily mother as she shook the woman's hand.
"Miss Jacobson?" Lily asked.
"Call me Rachel," said Mrs. Jacobson.
"Okay. Rachel, where are we going to buy all these things?" Lily questioned. Rachel smiled.
"I'm going to take you to Diagon Alley of course," she responded with a laugh.
"Dia- what?" Lily asked.
"Follow me," said Rachel. She led Lily and Lydia out of the pub into a small courtyard. She took out a stick from her pocket and tapped a brick on the wall three times. Lily and her mother gasped as the bricks parted to reveal a street lined with shops and swarming with people. Rachel smiled.
"This is Diagon Alley," she said. "Now, let's go to Gringotts and exchange your muggle money for wizard money."
"Muggle?" asked Lily's mother.
"It's nothing bad," assured Rachel, "It just means non-magical." Lydia Evans nodded. Rachel led the two down the street. Lily looked around in awe. There were shops with broomsticks hanging in the windows, owls fluttering in cages, slimy things on display for the public, and large books with golden writing.
They reached a large, granite building and entered it. The interior was furnished splendidly. The things that sat behind the desks, however, were far from normal.
"Goblins," whispered Rachel. Lily's eyes widened as she stared at a goblin. Lily's mother nudged her along. Rachel approached a goblin.
"Hello," she said, "I'd like to open an account."
"Name?" asked the goblins.
"Lily Evans," replied Rachel, "We'd like to exchange muggle money."
"Amount?" asked the goblin. Rachel looked to Mrs. Evans.
"1500 pounds should be enough to cover her for while," said Mrs. Evans as she handed the goblin a manila envelope. The goblin dropped it in a drawer.
"That comes out to be 300 galleons," he said. He handed a set of keys to Mrs. Evans. "Vault 244." Rachel motioned for Lily and her mother to follow her. She led them through a door. Lily looked around. This room was much different than the other room. It rivaled a dungeon. There was noise to their left and a cart pulled up on a track and stopped. A goblin sat at the wheel. Rachel motioned for Lily and Mrs. Evans to enter.
Rachel climbed in last and the cart sped off. To Lily, it felt like a roller coaster. They sped down tunnel after tunnel before stopping in front of an iron door. They exited the cart, the goblin hobbling along with a lantern.
"Key please," it said. Lily's mother handed the goblin the key. The goblin unlocked the door and opened the vault. Lily let out a gasp. Piles of gold were stacked in the vault.
"How much do you think she needs, Rachel?" asked Lily's mother. Rachel took out a velvet bag and scooped some of the gold in it.
"This should do," she said. Another cart ride later, the women found themselves back on the street of Diagon Alley.
"Let's go get your things Lily," said Rachel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rachel led Lily and her mother to a small shop with a sign in peeling letters that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC They had already bought the rest of Lily's supplies and were laden with packages of robes, books, potions ingredients, and other school supplies. Rachel opened the door and Lily heard a bell tinkle somewhere within the shop. She stepped inside, her mother close behind her. The shop reminded Lily of library. It had a fragile silence that would be broken if someone spoke too loudly. Dust particles reflected in the sunrays as they streamed through the window. Endless rows of boxes stacked on top of each other filled the shop.
Lily heard a scuffling noise and a man with graying hair stepped forth from behind a shelf of boxes. His eyes were silvery and stared at Lily.
"Hello Miss Evans," he said. Lily gulped. How did he know her name? The man, whom Lily assumed was Mr. Ollivander. The man flicked his wand and a tape measurer rose and began to measure the length of Lily's fingers, the circumference of her head, and the width of her ear. Mr. Ollivander had moved back amongst the boxes and was searching through them. He pulled one out, opened it, and gently lifted a wand from the purple lining. The tape measurer dropped and Mr. Ollivander handed her the wand.
"Yew. 14 inches. Unicorn tail," he said. Lily had barely touched it when he snatched it out of her hand. He gave her another one and quickly snatched it away. And so it went for ten minutes. Lily didn't know what he was looking for. Mr. Ollivander had gone back to look among the boxes and Lily let her eyes roam over the shop.
Her eyes fell on a box in a far corner, covered in cobwebs. It was as if it had been forgotten. "What about that one?" she asked, pointing to the box. Mr. Ollivander looked at it and shook his head.
"No, no," he said, "That wand has been sitting here for centuries. There hasn't been a wizard or witch capable of owning it."
"May I at least try it?" Lily asked. Mr. Ollivander let his gaze rest on her for a moment before nodding slightly.
"I suppose it could do no harm," he said. He pulled the box down and blew away the cobwebs and dust. He carefully opened the box and handed the wand to Lily. As soon as her fingers gripped it, red sparks flew out of the end. Lily would have dropped it in surprise had it not been for a tingling sensation in her arm that compelled her to hold on. Mr. Ollivander seemed quite shocked.
"Well," he said, "It seems that that wand has chosen you. Ten and a quarter inches long, willow, swishy, core of a phoenix feather." He took the wand and placed in gently in the box. He wrapped it up and Rachel helped Lily pay for it.
Lily exited the shop feeling exited at the prospect of school. Rachel led Lily and her mother to through the wall and back into the Leaky Cauldron.
"Thank you for helping me," said Lily as she gave Rachel a hug. Rachel smiled.
"That's what I'm here for," she said. "Now you have fun at Hogwarts."
"I know I will," Lily replied.
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"Lily, dearest, I simply don't see any such place," Lydia Evans said to her daughter. There simply was no Leaky Cauldron to be found.
"Very funny, mum," said Lily with a giggle. "You can't fool me; it's right over there." Lily pointed to a place across the street. Lydia Evans looked in the direction of her daughter's outstretched finger. It was pointing to a dingy, unobtrusive pub. A wooden sign hung over the door bearing the words "The Leaky Cauldron."
Lily grabbed her mother's hand and dragged her across the street. She reached the pub and pushed open the door, pulling her mother along with her.
The interior of the pub was not impressive. Rays of sunlight flitted in through dusty windows, wooden tables and chairs were scattered about the room, some occupied, and some not. There was a bar at the opposite end of the room and a balding man with glasses was wiping it down. The occupants of the pub, however, were what caught Lily's eye. They were clad in pajama looking things, robes perhaps. One woman sported a hot pink pair of these robes.
When Lily and her mother had entered the pub, the talking had ceased and the occupants stared at the pair. A woman dressed in a navy blue set of robes stood and made her way to Lily.
"Miss Evans?" she asked. Lily nodded. The woman smiled. Her hair was auburn and pulled back in a clip.
"Hello Miss Evans, I am Rachel Jacobson," she said, "I will be your guide today and will help you get acquainted with the wizarding world." Lily shook her hand.
"Hello, I'm Lydia, Lily's mother," said Lily mother as she shook the woman's hand.
"Miss Jacobson?" Lily asked.
"Call me Rachel," said Mrs. Jacobson.
"Okay. Rachel, where are we going to buy all these things?" Lily questioned. Rachel smiled.
"I'm going to take you to Diagon Alley of course," she responded with a laugh.
"Dia- what?" Lily asked.
"Follow me," said Rachel. She led Lily and Lydia out of the pub into a small courtyard. She took out a stick from her pocket and tapped a brick on the wall three times. Lily and her mother gasped as the bricks parted to reveal a street lined with shops and swarming with people. Rachel smiled.
"This is Diagon Alley," she said. "Now, let's go to Gringotts and exchange your muggle money for wizard money."
"Muggle?" asked Lily's mother.
"It's nothing bad," assured Rachel, "It just means non-magical." Lydia Evans nodded. Rachel led the two down the street. Lily looked around in awe. There were shops with broomsticks hanging in the windows, owls fluttering in cages, slimy things on display for the public, and large books with golden writing.
They reached a large, granite building and entered it. The interior was furnished splendidly. The things that sat behind the desks, however, were far from normal.
"Goblins," whispered Rachel. Lily's eyes widened as she stared at a goblin. Lily's mother nudged her along. Rachel approached a goblin.
"Hello," she said, "I'd like to open an account."
"Name?" asked the goblins.
"Lily Evans," replied Rachel, "We'd like to exchange muggle money."
"Amount?" asked the goblin. Rachel looked to Mrs. Evans.
"1500 pounds should be enough to cover her for while," said Mrs. Evans as she handed the goblin a manila envelope. The goblin dropped it in a drawer.
"That comes out to be 300 galleons," he said. He handed a set of keys to Mrs. Evans. "Vault 244." Rachel motioned for Lily and her mother to follow her. She led them through a door. Lily looked around. This room was much different than the other room. It rivaled a dungeon. There was noise to their left and a cart pulled up on a track and stopped. A goblin sat at the wheel. Rachel motioned for Lily and Mrs. Evans to enter.
Rachel climbed in last and the cart sped off. To Lily, it felt like a roller coaster. They sped down tunnel after tunnel before stopping in front of an iron door. They exited the cart, the goblin hobbling along with a lantern.
"Key please," it said. Lily's mother handed the goblin the key. The goblin unlocked the door and opened the vault. Lily let out a gasp. Piles of gold were stacked in the vault.
"How much do you think she needs, Rachel?" asked Lily's mother. Rachel took out a velvet bag and scooped some of the gold in it.
"This should do," she said. Another cart ride later, the women found themselves back on the street of Diagon Alley.
"Let's go get your things Lily," said Rachel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rachel led Lily and her mother to a small shop with a sign in peeling letters that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC They had already bought the rest of Lily's supplies and were laden with packages of robes, books, potions ingredients, and other school supplies. Rachel opened the door and Lily heard a bell tinkle somewhere within the shop. She stepped inside, her mother close behind her. The shop reminded Lily of library. It had a fragile silence that would be broken if someone spoke too loudly. Dust particles reflected in the sunrays as they streamed through the window. Endless rows of boxes stacked on top of each other filled the shop.
Lily heard a scuffling noise and a man with graying hair stepped forth from behind a shelf of boxes. His eyes were silvery and stared at Lily.
"Hello Miss Evans," he said. Lily gulped. How did he know her name? The man, whom Lily assumed was Mr. Ollivander. The man flicked his wand and a tape measurer rose and began to measure the length of Lily's fingers, the circumference of her head, and the width of her ear. Mr. Ollivander had moved back amongst the boxes and was searching through them. He pulled one out, opened it, and gently lifted a wand from the purple lining. The tape measurer dropped and Mr. Ollivander handed her the wand.
"Yew. 14 inches. Unicorn tail," he said. Lily had barely touched it when he snatched it out of her hand. He gave her another one and quickly snatched it away. And so it went for ten minutes. Lily didn't know what he was looking for. Mr. Ollivander had gone back to look among the boxes and Lily let her eyes roam over the shop.
Her eyes fell on a box in a far corner, covered in cobwebs. It was as if it had been forgotten. "What about that one?" she asked, pointing to the box. Mr. Ollivander looked at it and shook his head.
"No, no," he said, "That wand has been sitting here for centuries. There hasn't been a wizard or witch capable of owning it."
"May I at least try it?" Lily asked. Mr. Ollivander let his gaze rest on her for a moment before nodding slightly.
"I suppose it could do no harm," he said. He pulled the box down and blew away the cobwebs and dust. He carefully opened the box and handed the wand to Lily. As soon as her fingers gripped it, red sparks flew out of the end. Lily would have dropped it in surprise had it not been for a tingling sensation in her arm that compelled her to hold on. Mr. Ollivander seemed quite shocked.
"Well," he said, "It seems that that wand has chosen you. Ten and a quarter inches long, willow, swishy, core of a phoenix feather." He took the wand and placed in gently in the box. He wrapped it up and Rachel helped Lily pay for it.
Lily exited the shop feeling exited at the prospect of school. Rachel led Lily and her mother to through the wall and back into the Leaky Cauldron.
"Thank you for helping me," said Lily as she gave Rachel a hug. Rachel smiled.
"That's what I'm here for," she said. "Now you have fun at Hogwarts."
"I know I will," Lily replied.