Chapter 3: Diagon Alley

In a dark alleyway, blue and white lights appeared and disappeared, leaving five people behind. Phoenix ran to the end of the alley and peeked around the corner. What she saw was mind blowing.

People, who she assumed were witches and wizards, dressed in robes of all sizes, styles, and colors. Many were gossiping, some were shopping, and others bargaining.

"Wow!" was all Phoenix could say as her family came in behind her with the same astonished faces. Shops were everywhere. They were big and small, long and wide, new and old. They all tried to take in everything, but it was all too much at one time.

After closing their mouths, they drifted back in the alley.

"Okay Phoenix, where to first?"

"Henry, we should look for some bank or something. Do we know if they use the same money we do? Or do we need to exchange it?" Questioned Paige.

"Right, Phoenix, does it show anywhere on that map where a bank is?" Henry asked, pointing to the map Phoenix received in her response letter.

"It looks like it is close." Phoenix pointed to the spot where it read Gringotts Bank.

"Okay then lets go." They nodded and let Henry take the lead.

They all looked around closer. Shops had unusual names. Some shop windows displayed items none of them had seen. Phoenix saw everything from mannequins wearing robes, a store selling equipment for "Quidditch", a shop for books, another for supplies, and some for wands.

In one of the display windows, Phoenix couldn't help but laugh. It was a shop for flying brooms. Children gathered around over one particular broom called the Nimbus 2000. 'You have got to be joking! Flying brooms!?' She couldn't help but think.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Katie, making their parents and Henry turn around.

"They are fascinating! Those children over there are drooling over this flying broom. I won't believe it though until I see one in the air!"

"You know you can blame the whole flying broomstick thing on your Aunt Phoebe." Paige said smiling.

Phoenix didn't understand and had to ask. This was a story she had never heard of or just never paid attention to. "Why? What does Aunt Phoebe have to do with flying broomsticks?"

"The elders sent all three of your Aunts to the past. They needed to save our ancestor Melinda Warren from being taken at birth by a demon. Well, when it came time for her birth they were being attacked, and Aunt Phoebe took a broom and figured out how to fly on it. Therefore, she became the first witch to fly a broom."

"And now the flying broom trend is huge in this world. Thank goodness it stopped in ours! Thanks a lot, Aunt Phoebe!" stated Katie.

Everyone laughed and continued onto Gringotts. It was not much further. All they had to do was squeeze through the bustling crowd until a huge white building came into view. The building cocked, and on the top it read Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

"Ah! Here we are!" yelled Henry over the crowd to his family.

As they walked inside, everything was quiet, except of the thudding sound of stamps hitting desks, and a squeaking sound of something Phoenix could not quite make out.

"Look Henry, there is someone that can help." Paige pointed toward a clerk waiting impatiently.

Walking closer, Phoenix noticed that the clerk was not human. The creature had pointy ears sticking strait out of the side of his head. He had hardly any hair. The fingers were long with pointy nails, and the teeth were small, coming to a point. Overall, to Phoenix, the creature was gross and ugly looking. She looked around at the other clerks and noticed they were all the same creature.

"Morning!"

Phoenix heard a man say to another clerk beside them. She looked over at the man. The man was taller than anyone she has ever seen. He almost looked like the giant that was a friend to her family. But not as skinny and a little shorter. His hair was dark and curly or knotted, she could not tell. Phoenix could sense a friendly nature about him.

"We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

Phoenix leaned back a little to peek around the gigantic man. There was a boy about her age overshadowed by the man. Phoenix tried to move before the boy spotted her, but was too late. All she could do was smile and nod a hello. The boy replied with a nod.

"Phoenix lets go!" she heard her mother yell. She waved goodbye and ran to catch up with her family.

"Hey Harry, who was tha?" asked Hagrid, nodding towards the girl. Hagrid noticed the slight wave she gave to Harry. "Did ye know her?"

Harry shook his head and responded "No"

"Well, maybe you will find out who she is at school, eh?" Harry shrugged his shoulders as he and Hagrid left for the vaults.