Chapter six:

Encounters of the most disagreeable kind.

"First stop: Gringott's Bank. Your mother said there is still some wizarding money left in your old vault. The bank is run by goblins, but don't stare, they don't appreciate it," said Harry.

Daniel followed Harry and did his best not to trip over his own feet while staring at the shops, the people, and the various magical displays in the windows. There were stores with clothes, stores with yummy looking treats, stores with shelves and shelves of dusty books, and stores where the walls were lined with vials and bottles of different coloured liquids.

"Here it is, Gringott's Bank," announced Harry as they entered a big important looking building.

"What vault?" asked a hooked nosed goblin perched behind a tall desk.

"654, please," said Harry.

"Right this way then," said the goblin gruffly.

Harry motioned for Daniel to follow the goblin and the walked towards a small door, when it opened, there was a small cart. The goblin scrambled in and Harry followed but Daniel hesitated.

"Come on, boy, we don't have all day!" said the goblin.

Daniel got in and sat down with one hand on the side of the car. It began to move with a groaning sound and soon picked up speed as it hurtled down a dark tunnel. Daniel was sure that the cart was going to crash. His knuckles turned white and he squeezed his eyes shut.

Suddenly the rocking stopped; he cautiously opened one eye to see they were stopped in front of a small door with many locks. The goblin hopped out of the cart muttering under his breath and took a small key out of his pocket. When inserted into the smallest lock all the other began unlocking themselves as well. One by one they opened and revealed a small pile of gold. Daniel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at the sight. It seemed like a small fortune.

"Go ahead, Daniel, take some out, you are the only one who can," explained Harry.

Daniel stuck his hand in and grabbed a handful of gold and put it in his pocket. It weighed there happily and heavily. The entire trip back, Daniel was distracted from the swaying and creaking of the cart because of the slight clink of the gold in his pocket.

"I think we should go to Madam Malkin's first. They are having a sale, and that way we can get the boring stuff over with first. You will need a set of robes for school and we can also ask for your uniform."

They stepped into a small store in which there were several other children his age waiting to be measured for robes. The children and their mother's were all talking excitedly until the door's chime tinkled at their entrance. Heads swivelled towards the door and everyone stopped talking.

Harry stood there awkwardly for a moment and then said, "Er… good morning." He stepped up to the counter behind which was a small woman with long brown hair who was shuffling some papers. "Hello, Demelza, this is Daniel, he needs a set of first year robes."

"Why, Harry Potter, so good to see you again!" squeaked the woman excitedly. At the mention of the name the other customers began to whisper to each other.

"That's the famous Harry Potter; he is your Headmaster…" Daniel heard one of the mothers whisper. Daniel was surprised that everyone knew Harry.

A short woman bustled out from behind the counter. "Harry Potter! How are you? So good to see you again!" she exclaimed. "Come this way, right over here yes!" she said ushering them into a small room.

"Here dear, stand right here. Ok, arms out, we will just get your measurements," she said as she waved her wand at a tape measure which began flying around Daniel and measuring him.

The woman turned her attention to Harry. "So, how have you been? How is Ginny?" she bubbled.

"We are both fine thank you, Madam Malkin, and the baby will be here soon," said Harry.

"Well, don't be a stranger around here!" she exclaimed. And, turning towards Daniel, she said, "I measured Harry for his first set of robes, too."

"You can pick up your robes in a few hours, they will be ready then."

"Thank you, Madam Malkin, we will come back then."

"Have a good day," said Daniel, finally starting to relax in this strange world.

Together, Harry and Daniel walked out past the women who were still whispering about Harry. Once they were in the street, Harry looked both ways and said, "How about if we go get your books next? We need to pick up a few ingredients and a cauldron for your potions class. We need to stop by Ollivander's and have him check out your wand, just to make sure everything is ok. Then if we have time we can go to a shop that I think you will enjoy. I know the owner's they are old friends of mine."

"It seems like everyone here knows you," said Daniel.

"Well, I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, it gives me certain, er, notoriety," Harry explained hurriedly. "Here we are," he said as they walked into a shop called Flourish and Blott's, "you can find all your books right here. Just give the clerk your list and he will find your books for you."

Daniel walked over to the counter and cleared his throat. The old man hunched behind the counter slowly turned and shuffled over to Daniel.

"Hogwarts book list? First year I am guessing?" he asked.

Daniel nodded and handed him the list.

"I don't need the list!" the man said. With a flourish of his wand, a dozen books flew off the shelves and moved towards the counter. "Eight galleons for the lot," he mumbled with a satisfied smile on his face. Daniel pulled the money out of his pocket and put it on the counter.

He looked at the big pile of books. How was he going to carry them all? Just then Harry walked over and said, "Here let me help you with that." Then he gave the books a poke with his wand and the books shrunk.

"Now you can put them in your pocket and not have to carry them." Harry explained.

"Wow, magic is looking more and more useful all the time," said Daniel marvelling at his miniaturized books.

"It is very useful, but you can't come to depend completely on magic. You still need to develop you own skills and common sense. Being a good wizard is all about knowing your own limits and the limits of your magic," Harry said seriously. Daniel nodded and they went back to the bustling alley.

"Let's see," said Harry as they walked into the next store. "Essence of wormwood, dragon root powder, verbena leaf, wolfsbane, the juice of a young…"

Daniel was trying to pay attention to all the things that Harry was picking up for him, but the scents and the sights were overwhelming. A musky scent hung heavily in the air, and people were still staring at Harry.

They picked out all the potions ingredients, picked out what Harry told him was a decent cauldron and moved back towards the street.

"Where to next?" asked Daniel curiously. He was beginning to enjoy himself.

"Ollivander's the best wand maker around. I want him to tell us what is in your wand. Knowing what the core of you wand is helps to know to a certain extent what it will be best at. Since the wand was your father's I want him to look at it and make sure it wasn't damaged and that it suits you well."

"I see. How do you pick a wand?" asked Daniel.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Daniel," said Harry rather obtusely.

Daniel did not understand how a piece of wood could choose one wizard over another, but decided he would ask later. The walked into a small shop with what looked like small shoe boxes lined up from floor to ceiling in a haphazard sort of way. Some piles looked as if they might fall over.

A small man shuffled out from behind one such haphazard pile and mumbled a greeting. It took him a moment to look in Daniel and Harry's direction, but he did his eyes lit up with recognition and his old frame straightened.

"Harry Potter! What brings you here?" asked the old man. "And how is that wand? I told you it was destined for great things!"

"My wand works great, as always, Mr Ollivander. I brought Daniel, he is going to be starting at Hogwarts soon…"

"And he needs a wand, eh?"

"Well, not exactly, you see, he has a wand. It was his father's, but it hasn't been used in years and we need to be sure that it wasn't damaged."

"I see. Where is this wand?"

Daniel pulled the wand out of his pocket and with a reassuring nod from Harry, handed Mr Ollivander his father's wand. It felt strange to hand it over, even though he had only just laid eyes on it the day before, it felt like a part of him that he did not want to let go of.

Mr Ollivander held the wand up to the dim light and twirled it in his fingers. He then held it between the tips of his index fingers and looked at it lengthwise. He squinted and made little noises to himself while Daniel waited impatiently.

Finally, after much peering over his glasses Mr Ollivander proclaimed, "It looks as good as the day I put the core in. Ten and three quarter inch fir wand with a core of unicorn hair. It needs a bit of polish," he said, looking pointedly at Daniel. "But other than that everything seems to be in perfect working order. Here, give it a swish."

Daniel took the wand from his outstretched hand and gingerly moved his hand around.

"No, no, no boy, do it with some conviction. Move with the wrist, it's all in the wrist!" said Mr Ollivander.

Daniel closed his eyes and thought about the man who carried the very wand he was now holding, he thought about the afternoon in which his father had hoisted him onto his shoulders and they had all laughed together. He felt something surge from inside of him, a bit of happiness welled up in him at the thought. Without much thought he flicked his wrist and opened his eyes.

Daniel was very disappointed when only a bit of wispy smoke erupted from the tip. Harry and Mr Ollivander however stood there in shock, mouths gaping wide open.

"Was that a…" muttered the old wand maker quizzically.

"It doesn't matter, does it?" said Harry recovering quickly. "Even if it was, well, the wand works doesn't it?"

"It more than just bloody works, that was a…"

"Yes, well we don't need to delve into that. How much do we owe you, Mr Ollivander?"

"No charge, not for you and the boy, besides, I didn't do much now did I?"

"Thank you," said Daniel.

"Thank you very much, Mr Ollivander. I might be by again soon, Ginny is going to need some wand oil in a few weeks," Harry stated looking directly at Mr Ollivander. Daniel thought he saw Harry wink, but he couldn't be sure.

"Why yes of course, I will be getting a new batch in a few weeks," said Mr Ollivander in a strange voice.

"Good day then," said Harry turning to leave.

"Good bye," said Daniel, wondering what had just taken place between the two men.

The door chime tinkled as they left and Daniel was once again surprised by all the sights and sounds of this wonderful new world. Wizards and witches bustled along the street, their children ran in and out of stores, greeting each other cheerfully. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the day of shopping.

"Headmaster Potter, what a pleasant surprise!" cried a disagreeable voice in the crowd.

"Hello, Luden," said Harry in a dead voice.

"Might I have a word with you?" asked the tall, thin man who had emerged from the crowd. He had brown eyes and a tight smile on his lips. He was dressed in elegant dark brown robes and heavy boots. A young boy, a carbon copy of his father who looked about Daniel's age was standing next to him with a bored look on his face.

"Must it be right now? I still have a few things to shop for. As it is almost start of term I am in my office continuously every day for anyone who has matters to see me about."

"Well, it is rather important and has a lot to do with the Start of term. Some in the Ministry are preoccupied with the management of Hogwarts, new information has come to light and we may need to investigate further."

"If that is the decision of the Wizengamot, then so be it. Hogwarts has nothing to hide. But please, let us not discuss important matters in public on such a beautiful day."

Just then a tall, red head bobbed towards them through the crowd, calling out, "Harry! Harry!" The man and three children squeezed through the bustling crowd towards Daniel and Harry.

The tall man leaned stiffly towards Harry and whispered, "I wouldn't get too haughty Potter. We will be watching you this year. You may suddenly find you have no one to hide behind." With that the man and his son stalked off into the crowd.

"Thanks Ron!" said Harry after the unpleasant man was out of earshot.

"Anytime Harry! What did Luden want with you anyway?"

"Oh just the same old thing as always; it's not a big deal," Harry explained.

"Well, the kids and I thought we would stop by Fred and George's shop. You want to come along? I am sure Daniel would love to see it."

"It just so happens we were heading in that very direction, Ron!" Harry exclaimed, quickly forgetting the unpleasant encounter at the sight of his old friend. "Oh, Daniel, this is my good friend, Mr Weasley and his children, Molly, Brian and Delia."

"Nice to finally meet you Daniel. We have heard a lot about you from Ginny and Harry," said Ron.

Ron and Harry turned and began walking towards a shop at the end of Diagon Alley. Molly skipped along next to her father, clinging tightly to his fingers while Brian and Delia walked behind them next to Daniel. They were very much alike and even their steps seemed aligned. They both wore jeans and had on tennis shoes; their red hair matched their father's in intensity.

"You're starting at Hogwarts this year aren't you?" said Brian.

"Yes. Are you?" asked Daniel.

"No, we don't start until next year. But our brother, Michael is a fourth year Ravenclaw. And that kid, Maxwell, he is starting this year too. But we don't like him."

"Oh, I see," said Daniel, disappointedly, he had taken an immediate liking to the twins. "Where are we headed?"

"Our uncles, Fred and George have a joke shop just down the street," said Brian.

"Everyone goes there to buy jokes; it's a lot of fun. You'll like it," said Delia.

"And our uncles always give us stuff for free," Brian added eagerly.

Daniel marvelled at how even the tone of their voices seemed to match. But he didn't have much time to think about it as they had arrived at a lively looking shop bursting with people. The sign outside was lit in bright colours and the words bounced on the sign. It read: Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The letters squirmed and the word 'wheezes' shot small sparks as if it were sneezing.

Just as Ron was reaching for the door, a mother burst out of the store, saying "Jack Hubert Mansfield! I told you not to eat anything in that store! How many times do I have to tell you…" She pulled her son out of the store by the hand and everyone in the busy street could see he was covered in bright yellow feathers.

"Those were a new batch of extra strength canary creams but don't worry Mrs Mansfield, he will moult in a few hours and be fine!"

"George!" cried Ron, waving to his brother.

"Why if it isn't our little brother and his children!" exclaimed Fred.

"Harry Potter! Surely there is some conflict of interest in your being here!" said George.

"I am merely stopping by to say hello to some old friends," Harry said ruefully.

Daniel was bustled into the crowded store and couldn't help but be amazed again at all the wonderful sights. There were shelves, boxes, bins, things hanging from the ceiling, display cases, and everything bursting with pranks and jokes.

There were fake mice that ran; there were fake wands that turned into rubber chickens, and quills that exploded with ink when the unsuspecting user wrote a predetermined word. There were canary creams, fake exploding snap cards, and socks that made funny squeaking noises with each step.

The group spent a happy hour looking at all of the amazing pranks and jokes. Daniel noticed many other young people who looked about his age stocking up on things for the upcoming school term. By the looks of it, it was going to be an interesting year. Daniel tried to make a mental list of all the things he would have to be careful with while at school. Soon it became too long and Daniel gave up trying.

Eventually Ron and Harry rounded up the children. Harry and Daniel still had to pick up his new robes and Madam Malkin's was due to close soon. Ron mentioned ice cream from Fortean Fortescue's and so Harry agreed to meet him there in twenty minutes.

The robes were indeed done and Harry and Daniel soon found themselves back with Ron and the children. Molly was chattering and soon she had chocolate ice cream all over her face. Brian and Delia both had the same sundaes with strawberry ice cream and sprinkles. Ron ordered the Quidditch cone and Harry asked for two scoops of pumpkin juice flavoured ice cream. Daniel opted for plain vanilla with whipped cream.

"Why did you ask for plain vanilla?" asked Brian.

"What's wrong with plain vanilla? I happen to like it," Daniel said.

Brian shrugged, "It's just so… plain."

Delia made a face at him and turned to Daniel. "Do you play Quidditch?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Quidditch?" Daniel asked.

"You've never played Quidditch before?" Brian asked incredulously.

"I, er, don't know how to play Quidditch," Daniel said sheepishly.

Brian looked at him in disbelief, but Delia recovered quickly, "Don't worry, neither did Uncle Harry when he first started at Hogwarts. He lived with Muggles too."

"How do you play?" asked Daniel. Brian was more than happy to indulge Daniel in a very long winded explanation of all the terms, positions, theories, and teams available on the subject of Quidditch. Daniel didn't understand most of what was said, but at least he was saved from having to do most of the talking.

Eventually Harry and Ron finished their sundaes and said their goodbyes. Molly gave Harry a big hug and they promised to see each other again on Thursday. Daniel was tired but happy, he was sure nothing this exciting had ever happened to him before in his life. It was a scary feeling, but it felt good at the same time.

"Come on Daniel, it's later than I thought. Your mother might be a little worried."