Charlie Brown awoke early that morning. He was hardly unable to sleep and he knew Sally couldn't either-he heard her pacing her room almost the whole night.
There was suddenly a loud tapping noise and it jerked Charlie Brown awake.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Alright, I'm up." Charlie Brown mumbled to himself. He went to his window and opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. "Aaugh!" He cried out. A large tawny own was rapping it's claws on Charlie Brown's window.
Aunt Pat, Uncle Neil and Sally all rushed into Charlie Brown's room.
"What is it, Charlie?" Aunt Pat asked.
"A-an owl!" Charlie Brown said in shock.
Uncle Neil walked over to the window to shoo the owl away. However the owl had other ideas, swooping through the window and through Charlie Brown's room and out his bedroom door. Charlie Brown followed it as it flew down the stairs and into the living room. Snoopy had opened the door and began jumping at the owl to try to catch it.
The owl dropped the newspaper on Hagrid, who didn't stir. Snoopy sneaked up on the owl, but Charlie Brown burst into the room just in time.
"Hagrid! There's an owl!" Charlie Brown said loudly. "There's an owl-"
"Pay him." Hagrid grunted.
"What?"
"He wants paying fer delivering the paper." Hagrid said. "Look in the pockets o' my coat."
Charlie Brown walked over to Hagrid's coat, draped over Aunt Pat's chair. He looked through the pockets, but Hagrid's coat seemed to be nothing but pockets. Charlie Brown pulled out a number of items before pulling out a handful of strange looking coins.
"Um... Hagrid?"
"Give him five Knuts." Hagrid said sleepily.
"Knuts?"
"The little bronze ones."
Charlie Brown counted out five of the little bronze coins and the owl held out its leg so he could put the money in a small leather pouch tied to it. The owl then flew to the window. Charlie Brown walked over, opened the window and the owl flew off.
"Alright, we'd best be off, Charlie. We've got lots ter do today." Hagrid said in a yawn as he sat upright and stretched. "We gotta get up ter London an' get yer stuff fer Hogwarts."
Sally walked into the room and looked at the odd looking coins.
"What's this?" She asked.
"Wizarding money. The little bronze ones are called Knuts, the silver ones are Sickles an' the hols ones are Galleons." Hagrid explained.
"Hagrid, how am I going to get my stuff for Hogwarts-and Sally too-if we don't have any wizard money?" Charlie Brown asked
"Don't you worry about that, Charlie." Hagrid said. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"
"Uh..."
"They left you both a bank account in Gringotts."
"Gringotts?" Sally asked.
"The only Wizarding bank. And it's run by goblins."
"Goblins?!" The Brown siblings asked in unison.
"Yeah." Hagrid nodded. "So yeh'd be mad ter try'n rob it. Never mess with goblins, either o' yeh." He said sternly. "An' as a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. For Hogwarts business."
"Alright, breakfast!" Uncle Neil announced. Aunt Pat and Uncle Neil brought out breakfast for everyone and Uncle Neil turned on the TV.
"Sky News only, Neil." Aunt Pat said.
"I thought you'd gone off Kay Burley?"
"I dislike Victoria Derbeyshire, you know that."
"But that's just the name of the show."
"Still, all the newsreaders act all smug and snooty and I just can't be dealing with that."
"Fine, Kay Burley it is." Uncle Neil said with a slight sigh as Hagrid looked on curiously.
"Who-who's Kay Burley?" He asked.
"A newsreader." Uncle Neil replied, turning over to channel 501-Sky News.
"Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are all set to play men's final at Wimbledon today. Meanwhile, Serena Williams is celebrating her victory in the women's final yesterday against Garbiñe Muguruza..."
"I'm sorry, what's Wimbledon and who are these people?"
"Oh, Wimbledon is a tennis tournament." Charlie Brown explained. "And those people are tennis players."
"It's the men's final today and yesterday the women played." Sally said.
"Tennis?" Hagrid questioned.
"It's a sport. My sport's baseball, but-" Charlie Brown began.
"Oh, we wizards have a sport too-Quidditch. It's played on brooms. Your father was a fine Quidditch player."
"Oh uh..."
"So Dad plays-played sports? How come you're so terrible at baseball then, Big Brother?" Sally asked smugly. Charlie Brown had no answer.
"Aunt Pat. Uncle Neil." Charlie Brown asked, after a period of silence.
"Yes, Charlie?" Uncle Neil asked, with a mouthful of scrambled egg.
"Why didn't you tell me and Sally that our parents were dead? Or that we were magic?" Charlie Brown questioned.
Uncle Neil nearly choked on his egg.
"Because we didn't want you to lose your innocence too young." Aunt Pat said.
"So why did you ignore us for a week?" Sally folded her arms.
"We weren't sure how we were going to go about telling you." Uncle Neil said. "We were discussing how and those letters kept coming and we knew we couldn't hide it from you forever."
"Well, yeh had good timin', didn't yeh?" Hagrid asked. He'd finished his food. "Started tell in' 'em right as I got 'ere."
"Yes." Uncle Neil said. "Oh look, is that the time? You all best be off to Diagon Alley."
"Blimey, yes!" Hagrid announced, standing up. "Come on. We don't wanna miss out." He squeezed out of the door and outside the house.
Charlie Brown and Sally went up after him and Snoopy followed.
You're not going on any adventure without me. Snoopy thought.
"Thank you, Mr and Mrs Brown, for a good breakfast an' a nice welcome." Hagrid said. "I'll have Charlie an' Sally back later on today."
"And Snoopy." Sally added.
"Oh an' yer Beagle." Hagrid added with a nod.
"It's fine, Hagrid. I need to fix this door anyway." Uncle Neil said.
"Have fun kids!" Aunt Pat called after them.
Charlie Brown had never been to London before. Well, he had, but at least not that a time that he could remember. And although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he wasn't used to going the ordinary, non magical way. He got stuck at the ticket barrier on the Underground and complained loudly about how slow and crowded the trains were. And in the street, people kept staring at them-a giant man, two preteens and a dog on his hind legs like a person-walking around London as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do. Charlie Brown though was just relieved that there was no rule against dogs getting on the Tube.
"See that, Charlie? Sally?" Hagrid chuckled, pointing at a rack of 'Boris Bikes' with chip and pin credit card terminal. "The things those Muggles think up, eh?"
"So, why would you be mad to try to rob Gringotts?" Sally asked.
"Spells, enchantments, dragons-you know, I'd actually like a dragon myself." Hagrid said with a shrug.
"Dragons?" Charlie Brown and Sally said in unison.
"So they say." Hagrid replied. "You still have your letter, Charlie?" He asked.
Charlie nodded and took the parchment envelope from his pocket.
"Good, there's a list of everything you need in there."
Charlie Brown looked in the envelope and found a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed before.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
SET BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Preservation by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"And we can buy all of this in London?" Charlie Brown snorted.
"O' course yeh can!" Hagrid said. "If yeh know where ter go." He came to a stop outside a grubby looking pub. "Well this is it. The Leaky Cauldron-it's a famous place."
"Are you sure this is it?" Sally asked. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, it would have gone unnoticed by they two. And it was going unnoticed by everyone passing by. Their eyes slid from the bookshop on one side to the record shop on the other. And so did Snoopy's.
Before Charlie Brown could say anything however, Hagrid had steered them all into the pub, which-considering it was supposed to be such a famous place-was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sat in the corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry and a man with in a top hat was talking to the barman, who was old and bald. The chatter seemed to stop when they walked in.
"Usual, Hagrid?" The barman asked, reaching for a glass.
"No, not today, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business." Hagrid said, patting the Brown children's shoulders.
"Blimey." Tom the barman peered at Charlie Brown. "Good Lord. Is this? No. It can't be." The Leaky Cauldron suddenly went quiet.
"Well bless my soul-it's Charlie Brown!" One of the old ladies cried out.
Tom the barman rushed over from behind the bar with tears in his eyes and took Charlie Brown's hand in his. "Welcome back, Charlie Brown." He looked over at Sally and took her hand in his other hand. "And you too, Sally Brown."
"He knows my name!" Sally squealed happily. Charlie Brown wasn't sure what to make of it all. Everyone was looking at him and-within a blink of his eyes-had surrounded him. With another blink, Charlie Brown found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. On the other hand, Sally was loving the attention and Hagrid was beaming with pride.
"Doris Crockford, Mr Brown-I can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"Such an honour to meet you both."
"So proud, Mr Brown."
"Mr Brown, Ms Brown, it's wonderful to finally meet you."
"I've always wanted to shake your hand-both of you."
"Delighted Ms Brown. And Mr Brown. Diggle's the name-Dedalus Diggle."
"I remember you-you bowed to me once in a shop." Charlie Brown said, casually, but Dedalus Diggle's top hat nearly fell off in his excitement.
"He remembers me!" Dedalus Diggle cried out happily.
The two siblings kept shaking hands until a young man made his way forward. He looked rather nervous and jumpy.
"Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid said happily. "Charlie, Sally, this is Professor Quirrell-he'll be teaching you in Hogwarts-well, maybe he'll be teaching you Sally."
"Why maybe?" Sally frowned.
Before she could get an answer, Professor Quirrell had started talking.
"Ch-Ch-Charlie B-Brown. S-S-Sally B-Brown." He stammered, taking their hands. "C-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."
"What do you teach?" Charlie Brown asked.
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts." Professor Quirrell muttered, sounding like he didn't particularly want to talk about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, B-B-Browns?" He laughed nervously at his own terrible joke. "Y-You'll be p-picking up all your s-school equipment I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-b-book on vampires myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.
However, Doris Crockford came back for more and gave way for everyone else. It took almost ten minutes to get away and they might not have if it wasn't for Snoopy doing his happy dance on the bar. Either people were enamoured with the dancing dog or disgusted they allowed a dog on the bar top.
"Aww, I was enjoying that." Sally moped. "Your stupid Beagle. Couldn't let me have one moment of fame, could he?"
"Sally, it was twenty minutes." Charlie Brown said incredulously.
"I'm afraid Charlie's right. Must get on, we have lots ter buy. Places ter go." Hagrid muttered as he led them out through the bar and out into a small walled courtyard where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.
"See, I told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' to meet you-mind, he's usually tremblin' anyway."
"Why?" Sally asked as Snoopy followed them outside, using it as a cane and acting like a snooty posh person
"Well, he took a year off ter get some experience and they say he met vampires an' had a nasty experience with a hag... Never been the same since." Hagrid replied. "Scared o' the students an' his subject. Where's me umbrella?" He took one look at Snoopy and took his umbrella off the dog, who shook his fist in anger at the giant, complaining all the while.
Hey! I was using that! He complained.
"Oh, quiet down, you." Hagrid said. "Now let's see-two up... Three across..." He muttered, counting the bricks in the wall above the dustbin. "Alright, stand back." He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he touched quivered and wiggled and a small hole appeared, growing wider and in the blink of an eye, they were facing a large archway to a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. Even Snoopy's eyes widened.
Sign me up to study magic. The beagle thought.
"Charlie. Sally. Snoopy." Hagrid beamed. "Welcome to Diagon Alley. Now come on. Let's get yeh money first."
Diagon Alley was not like either of them expected. There was a shop selling cauldrons an apothecary, a shop selling broomsticks, since several kids about Charlie Brown and Sally's age had their noses pressed against the glass.
"Look! It's a Nimbus Two Thousands!" One of the boys said.
"It's the fastest broom ever!" One of the girls said.
A low hoot came from a dark shop with the sign Eeylops Owl Emporium-Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy.
There were shops selling robes, telescopes, books, quills, sweets, globes, ice cream, pets... Everything really.
"Here we are. Gringotts." Hagrid announced. Nether Charlie Brown or Sally had noticed, but they had reached a snowy white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing behind its bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold was...
"Yeah, that's a goblin." Hagrid said quietly as they walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was roughly Snoopy's height.
"No dogs allowed." The goblin said. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed geared and as Charlie Brown noticed, very long feet and fingers.
Why no dogs allowed? Just because I'm a different species! You're not human either! Snoopy went mad again, shaking his fist at the goblin and chattering at him, before Hagrid picked him up.
"Sorry 'bout that." He reached in one of his pockets and took out a dog lead and attached it to Snoopy's collar, handing it over to Charlie Brown, who took it.
Charlie Brown descended the steps and tied the lead to a nearby bollard.
"Sorry Snoopy. But you heard him, no dogs allowed." Charlie Brown sighed as he rejoined Hagrid and Sally. Snoopy continued his angry tirade, the goblin simply stared at him.
The three then made it to a second pair of doors-silver, this time-with words engraved upon them.
ENTER STRANGER, BUT TAKE HEED
OF WHAT AWAITS THE SIN OF GREED,
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE, BUT DO NOT EARN,
MUST PAY DEARLY IN THEIR TURN.
SO IF YOU SEEK BENEATH OUR FLOORS
A TREASURE THAT WAS NEVER YOURS,
THIEF, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, BEWARE
OF FINDING MORE THAN TREASURE THERE.
"Like I said before." Hagrid said. "Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it."
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and into a vast marble hall. There were about a hundred or more goblins at a long counter weighing and counting coins and more doors than any of them could count. Fortunately, Hagrid simply led them to a free goblin at the counter.
"Mornin'." Hagrid said with a nod. "We've come to take some money from Charlie and Sally Brown's safe."
"You have the key, sir?" The goblin asked.
"I got it somewhere." Hagrid said, rummaging through the pockets of his coat. After a short while, he pulled out a tiny golden key. "Here it is." He said, handing it over to the goblin who inspected it carefully.
"Yes. That seems to be in order."
"I've also got a letter here from Professor Albus Dumbledore about vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin took the letter and read over it carefully.
"Very well." He handed the letter back to Hagrid. "I shall have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. The trio followed Griphook down to one of the doors leading out of the hall. As they did, Sally found it for to complain.
"Wait, both vaults?" Sally asked indignantly. "I have to share with my brother?"
"Well, yer parents died before they could open an account for you, Sally. So it's a joint account for both o' yeh." Hagrid explained.
Sally huffed and folded her arms.
Charlie Brown, however, was more curious about vault seven hundred and thirteen. "Hey Hagrid. What's in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" He asked.
"Can't tell yeh that." Hagrid replied mysteriously. "Can't tell either o' yeh. Very top secret Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me more'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Charlie Brown was both satisfied and unsatisfied with Hagrid's answer.
Griphook held the door open for them. Charlie Brown had expected more marble, but was surprised when they ended up in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor.
Out in Diagon Alley, Snoopy was pulling on the lead and throwing a strop. Eventually, after much tugging, he managed to free himself by unclipping the lead. He began to look around at all the shops-Ollivanders, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Broomstix, Magical Menagerie, but Eeylops Owl Emporium caught his eye.
A/N: Happy Easter!