Chapter 4: Diagon Alley
When Cassia woke up, she saw Harry and Hagrid talking to each other. It looked like the storm had finally blown over.
"Best be off, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school," Hagrid said.
Footsteps came close to Cassia and she opened her eyes, "I'm up." She sat up.
"We haven't got any money – and you heard Uncle Vernon last night – he won't pay for us to go and learn magic," Harry said.
"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, holding out a plate of sausages to Cassia. "They're not bad cold."
Cassia took a few sausages and ate them. It was satisfying considering that all she had a banana and a packet of crisps for dinner the previous night.
"We best be off," Hagrid said. "Got everythin'?"
Cassia grabbed her messenger bag and Harry looked at Hagrid.
Hagrid nodded, "Come on, then."
The Potter twins followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was clear and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat had Uncle Vernon had gotten was flooded with water.
"So, how did you even get here?" asked Cassia.
"Flew," stated Hagrid.
Harry and Cassia asked at the same time, "Flew?"
It was hard to imagine Hagrid flying. She looked around for something that Hagrid could fly on, but she didn't see anything.
"Yeah, but we'll go back in this," said Hagrid, motioning to the boat. "Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."
They got in the boat and Hagrid gave them a sideways look, "Seems a shame ter row, though. If I was ter – er – speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
"Of course not," said Harry, speaking for the both him and Cassia.
Hagrid took out the pink umbrella and tapped it twice on the side of the boat. Cassia almost fell forward when the boat shot off towards the land. He took out a newspaper that was called the Daily Prophet. Unless Cassia's eyes were pulling tricks on her, she saw that the pictures were moving.
There were lots of questions that Cassia had, but she knew better than to interrupt someone reading the newspaper.
"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.
Harry asked, "There's a Ministry of Magic?"
"What's a Ministry of Magic?" asked Cassia at the same time as Harry spoke.
"Course," replied Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."
"Sounds incompetent," Cassia muttered. How can someone be a minister and ask for advice every day?
"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?" asked Harry.
"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country," Hagrid explained.
"Why?" asked Harry.
"'Why?'" repeated Hagrid, "Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
The boat bumped into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper and they climbed out onto the stone steps on to the street. Hagrid looked back at the island, "Should tell someone about the Muggles on the island. They don't deserve it."
Hagrid went to go tell someone and Cassia grabbed Harry's arm. She said, "Can you believe it? There's a whole magical world out there, that's so big that it needs a Ministry of Magic."
Harry nodded, and Hagrid returned, "Let's go."
They climbed the stone steps. Harry stopped and looked in the harbour. He pointed at something in the water. "Hey, Cassy, what's that down there?"
Cassia turned and crouched down to look at what Harry's pointing at. "What do you mean? There's nothing down there."
Harry started to jokingly push her to the edge of the step, "Nothing, except you."
Cassia slapped at Harry's arms, "Stop it."
They hurried up to get to Hagrid, who seemed to be smiling at them. They hurried on and Cassia noticed that a lot of passer-bys stared at them, which, again must've truly been a sight to behold. What didn't help was Hagrid pointing out ordinary objects and saying stuff like, "The things that Muggles dream up, eh?"
They travelled on the Underground. Hagrid had taken up two seats and knitted what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.
"Still got yer letters?" he asked.
Cassia took out the envelope and found the supplies list. She looked at it:
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)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
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 Bathlida Bagshot
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Adalbert Waffling
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Emeric Switch
Magical Drafts and Potions by Phyllida Spore
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection 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
Cassia looked at the list of books again. The One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, A History of Magic, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them surely looked interesting. She was allowed a pet. She wasn't sure if she wanted an owl or a toad, but a cat seemed interesting. Harry wasn't into cats, which was fine with her, because he had his spiders.
"Hey, do you think they'll allow your pet spiders in Hogwarts?" Cassia asked.
"They're your pets, too," Harry joked.
"More like they think I'm their pet," Cassia muttered. The spiders always seemed fond of crawling all over her.
They made it to London. Cassia had never been to London before. She looked at the book shops, the music stores, the hamburger bars, and cinemas.
"This is it," Hagrid said.
Cassia was to busy looking the stores, when she walked right into Harry, making him stumble forward.
"Sorry," Cassia said. "What is it?"
"The Leaky Cauldron," Hagrid said. "It's a famous place."
The Leaky Cauldron looked small and grubby. Cassia was sure that she would've walked past it, if Hagrid hadn't pointed it out. Actually, she was sure that she would've walked past it, if Harry wasn't there for her to walk into.
Hagrid steered them inside the pub.
It was dark and shabby inside. There were a few old women sitting in a corner, drinking from tiny glasses. One of the women was smoking from a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was bald.
The barman reached for a glass, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom," said Hagrid. "I'm on official Hogwarts business." He placed his hands on their shoulders, and Cassia nearly face-planted the floor, "Just helpin' young Harry and Cassia Potter buy their school supplies."
"Bless my soul," whispered Tom, "It's Harry and Cassia Potter."
The talking stopped immediately and Cassia noticed how everyone seemed to look at them.
Cassia almost shrank back in embarrassment. She was expecting someone to yell, 'All hail, Cassia Potter, Queen of Toilets' to break the silence.
Chairs scraped on the ground and it seemed like everyone bum-rushed Harry. "Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."
"So proud, Mr Potter, I'm just so proud," someone said to Harry.
Cassia stood there, feeling a little jealous over the attention that Harry was getting. It was odd. She and Harry were treated equally, but it seemed like Cassia was just an afterthought.
Suddenly the crowd turned to her and she was suddenly getting hugged tightly by an elderly woman, saying, "Doris Crockford."
"Can't breathe," Cassia managed to gasp out.
Another elderly woman pinched Cassia's cheeks, "You look so sweet; I can just eat you up."
I hope not, Cassia thought.
Another wizard made his way forward. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" exclaimed Hagrid. "Harry, Cassia; Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
"P-P-Potters," stammered Professor Quirrell, shaking Harry's hand and then Cassia's. "C-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" asked Harrry.
"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," said Professor Quirrell. "N-Not that you two n-need it, eh, P-P-Potters?" He laughed in a nervous way. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified.
Cassia couldn't tell if he was terrified at the thought of vampires or of getting a new book. It took ten minutes to get away from the crowd at last, before Hagrid led them to the back and through the door, into a small, walled courtyard. There was nothing but weeds and a dustbin.
"Is Professor Quirrell all right?" asked Cassia.
"Yeah," responded Hagrid. "Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience…They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag – never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject…" To himself he muttered, "Now, where's me umbrella?"
Vampires are real? The things that suck blood out of people? Cassia thought, almost fearfully. She hoped that vampires weren't around Hogwarts. That was nearly terrifying.
Hagrid was counting bricks in the wall above the dustbin, "Three up…two across…Right, stand back, you two."
Cassia stepped back as Hagrid tapped the wall three times with the umbrella point.
At first nothing happened, but then a hole appeared in the middle of the brick that Hagrid tapped. It grew wider and wider, an archway appearing large enough led the way on a cobbled street. Cassia's mouth dropped right open at the sight before her.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid said.
They walked through the archway and Cassia looked at the nearest shop which had a stack of cauldrons outside. A sign hung over the cauldrons, which read: Cauldrons – All Sizes – Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver – Self-Stirring – Collapsible.
Cassia looked at a silver cauldron.
"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "But we gotta get yer money first."
There were lots of shops that looked like they shouldn't be able to stand, because they were so crooked. It was like magic that the buildings could even stand.
Cassia turned to look at Hagrid, "Wait. Uncle Vernon said that he wasn't going to pay for us to learn magic."
"Don't worry about that," stated Hagrid. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?" Cassia stared at him. "First stop fer us is Gringotts." Cassia was confused, Hagrid clarified, "Wizards' bank."
There was a snow-white building right in the middle of Diagon Alley. It towered over the other shops and it would've looked out of place, if it hadn't looked so crooked.
There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments that Cassia never saw before. There were windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spells book, quills and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, and globes of the moon…
They walked up the stone steps of Gringotts and climbed the white stone steps of the banks. There was burnished bronze door and there was a creature wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold.
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked to the goblin. The goblin was probably about a head shorter than Cassia, who was a few inches shorter than Harry.
The goblin had a swarthy, clever looking face, a pointed beard, and had very long fingers and feet. He bowed to them as they walked inside, only to face a second pair of silver doors.
The doors were engraved with a warning about taking something that didn't belong to you and how you have to pay for stealing it. It was written in what seemed like a poem.
"Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they entered a vast marble hall. There were about a hundred goblins sitting behind a long counter, writing in large ledgers, weighing coins of brass scales, or examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors leading off the hall, with more goblins showing people in and out of the doors.
Hagrid went up the counter, with the twins following him. To a free goblin, Hagrid said, "Morning. We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry and Miss Cassia Potter's safe."
"And do Mr Harry or Miss Aylssa Potter have their key, sir?" asked the goblin.
Cassia looked at Harry, panicking a little. What was going to happen to them because they didn't have the key?
"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, emptying his pockets of a handful of mouldy dog-biscuits on the counter.
Cassia focused on the floor, feeling embarrassed over everything. Harry nudged Cassia, who looked up. Harry pointed to the largest rubies that Cassia had ever seen. Her eyes widened at the sight.
"Got it," said Hagrid, handin over the key.
"That seems to be in order," responded the goblin examining the key.
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid.
Cassia looked up to see the goblin holding a letter and Hagrid was sticking his chest out. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven-hundred-and-thirteen."
The goblin looked at the letter, "Very well." He handed it back to Hagrid. "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Another goblin came up to them. Hagrid stuck the dog-biscuits in his pockets and they followed Griphook towards one of the doors.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" asked Harry.
"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
They stepped in a narrow stone passageway that was lit by flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there was little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart hurtled up the track to them. They climbed in the cart and they took off.
They rushed through many tunnels and Cassia saw an underground lake.
"I never know, what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?" Harry asked Hagrid.
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," replied a very green looking Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Stalagmites grow on the ground and stalactites grow on the ceiling," Cassia told Harry. "Think 'g' in stalagmite for ground and 'c' in stalactites for ceiling."
The cart stopped and Hagrid had to lean against the wall.
Griphook unlocked the door to the vault and a lot of green smoke billowed out. Cassia stepped back.
The smoke cleared and Cassia was left looking at the mounds of gold coins, columns of silver, and heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid to the twins, handing them a drawstring bag.
"'All ours?'" Cassia repeated in shock at the money.
The Dursleys had complained that the twins were expensive, especially with getting second-hand clothes and uniforms for Cassia and giving her little extra bits of food.
"The gold ones are Galleons," Hagrid said. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough."
Cassia was sure that she needed to write it down before she fully got it. She scooped out some Galleons, a bit of Sickles, and some Knuts.
"Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms; we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." Hagrid said and looked at Griphook. "Vault seven-hundred-and-thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only," said Griphook.
They got back in the cart and went deeper and gathered speed.
Vault seven-hundred-and-thirteen didn't have a keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook. He stroked the door and it melted. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there."
"So, do you check the vault often?" asked Cassia.
"About once every ten years," replied Griphook.
"Sounds…reasonable," replied Cassia. She was expecting some sort of high treasure, like the Holy Grail or something equally valuable, but instead there was something wrapped up in brown paper laying on the ground.
Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his overcoat.
"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back. It's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.
One cart ride later, they were back outside Gringotts.
"Where should we go next?" asked Cassia, looking at the shops. The bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, seemed interesting.
"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"I kind of wanted to get my books first," Cassia said.
"Listen, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts," Hagrid said.
Harry went to Madam Malkin's and Cassia went to Flourish and Blotts. There were bookshelves that were ceiling tall. There were books as large as paving stones in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books that were blank. Cassia got the books that she and Harry needed. She noticed a book that was blue and had strange symbols on the spine. It was called The Book of Charms & Spells by Samuel Journeux. She got that one too, despite it not being on the list. It wouldn't hurt for her to look at it, though.
She left the bookstore and almost ran into Hagrid. They got to the window and Cassia sat down on the bench and opened up Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She was a few sentences in, when the door opened and Harry walked out with his parcels. Cassia handed Harry his books and they followed Hagrid to Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour.
They stopped by to get parchment and quills. Cassia was interested in getting the pink and neon green Fwooper quills and some yellow sunset ink, while Harry took colour changing ink. After that, they went to the ice-cream parlour.
They sat outside while Hagrid went in to order. There were normal ice-creams like: raspberry, vanilla, chocolate, but the others were pumpkin, butterbeer, peanut butter, and jelly slug. Cassia opened up the Fantastic Beasts book to continue reading. Hagrid returned with a tray with three dishes of ice-creams. He set them down and passed out the dishes. Cassia dug into hers, which was raspberry with chopped nuts. She continued reading.
"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" asked Harry.
"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know – not knowin' about Quidditch!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told them about how he ran into a pale boy in Madam Malkin's. The pale boy wanted to know if Harry had his own broom, or if he played Quidditch at all, and that it was supposed to be a crime if he didn't play for his house team. Apparently the boy knew that he was going to be in Slytherin and that it would be humiliating to be in Hufflepuff.
Harry continued, "And he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in—"
"Sounds like a jerk," said Cassia.
"Yer not from a Muggle family," said Hagrid. "If he'd known who yeh were – he's grown up knowin' yer's and Cassia's name if his parents are wizardin' folk – you saw 'em in the Leaky Cauldron. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles – look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"
"Look what I have for a sister," said Harry with a cheeky smile. Cassia glared at him. "So, what is Quidditch?"
"It's our sport," Hagrid said, "Wizard sport. It's like – like football in the Muggle world – everyone follows Quidditch – played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls – sorta hard ter explain the rules."
"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" asked Harry.
"School houses," Hagrid said, "There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers—"
"I bet Cassy's going to be in Hufflepuff," said Harry, with another grin at Cassia.
Cassia kicked him under the table, "Yeah, right."
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."
"Slytherin can't be all that bad," Cassia said.
They finished their ice-cream and continued on. Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron and Hagrid had to pull Cassia away from the self-stirring cauldron stating that they had to get pewter.
They got a set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescopes. They visited the apothecary, but Cassia had to leave because of the smell, which was a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.
After that it was just Cassia's uniform and wand, while Harry needed his wand. Hagrid said, "I still haven't got yeh two a birthday present."
"Oh, that's not necessary," Cassia muttered.
Harry started, "You don't have to—"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal," Hagrid said.
"You do that, while I get my wand," Cassia said. "I'll wait outside for you and then get my uniform while Harry gets his wand."
Hagrid and Harry nodded and Cassia went to Ollivander's. When she entered the shop, a tinkling bell rang somewhere inside.
It was tiny inside and empty except for a single spindly chair and a man behind the counter. Cassia felt strange, like she stepped inside a library. Cassia's arms prickled, like the dust and silence seemed to hold a secret magic.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Cassia turned to look at the man. The man was old, with wide, pale eyes.
"Hello," replied Cassia, feeling awkward.
"I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Cassia Potter," the man said. "You have your mother's eyes."
"Thanks," replied Cassia.
"Her wand was ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow," the man said.
Cassia smiled, "Sounds nice."
"Your father had a mahogany wand," the man said, "Eleven inches and pliable. I do believe we're not here to discuss your parents' wands. We're here for your first wand. I'll give you one and you can give it a wave."
"Okay," Cassia said.
The man, Ollivander, went and grabbed a box. He pulled a few boxes down and opened one. He handed it to Cassia, "Pine and phoenix feather. Eleven inches. Flexible."
Cassia looked around, wondering if this was some joke, and gave it a wave. The shelves with the wand boxes fell inward. Ollivander took the wand from Cassia, "No." He waved his wand and the boxes fell back into place.
Ollivander handed a different wand to Cassia, "Apple and dragon heartstring, nine inches, supple. Give it a wave."
Cassia raised the wand, but Ollivander took it back. Cassia recoiled in surprise. What would happen if she didn't find a wand?
Ollivander went and took some more wands down. "Ebony and unicorn hair, ten inches," he said handing her one, "Rather swishy."
Cassia raised it, but it was taken away, too. Ollivander handed her another one, "Black walnut, phoenix feather, supple."
Cassia took it and gave it another wave, but the shelves collapsed again. Cassia handed it back, "Sorry."
"It's okay, Miss Potter. You can destroy my shelves all you want until you find your wand," Ollivander said.
Cassia smiled at that and Ollivander handed Cassia another wand, and she waved it, but nothing happened. Ollivander handed her more wands and Cassia wasn't entirely sure what he wanted.
"Here, try maple and phoenix feather. Nine inches," Ollivander said, "Quite flexible."
Cassia took the wand and instantly warmth flooded her fingers. She waved the wand making blue and red sparks shoot out.
"I see that you must be an adventurer and or traveller by nature," Ollivander said as he wrapped up the wand.
"What?" asked Cassia, confused.
"I had sold these wands to people who are, by nature, adventurers and travellers." Olliverander explained, "They are not stay-at-home wands. They prefer ambition in their witch or wizard, otherwise their magic grows heavy and lackluster. Fresh challenges and regular changes of scene cause this wand to literally shine, burnishing itself as it grows, with its partner in ability and status."
Cassia looked at the wand box as he handed it to her. "Thank you, Mr Ollivander. I'll do my best to make this wand shine."
"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Potter," Ollivander said. Cassia left the wand shop right as Hagrid and Harry walked up. Harry was holding the cage to a sleeping beautiful snow white owl.
"She's beautiful," Cassia said, looking at the cage.
Harry smiled and Hagrid looked at them. Cassia motioned to Madam Malkin's, "Well, I better be off getting my uniform."
They split up again and Cassia went to Madam Malkin's and got fitted with her uniform. She was alone in the shop, which was kind of dejecting. She paid for her uniform and left the shop. She noticed a shop called Magical Menagerie and Harry emerged from Ollivander's looking confused.
"I want to look in the Magical Menagerie," Cassia said.
"Well, I suppose we have plenty of time," Hagrid said and they went inside the shop.
The Magical Menagerie was very small and cramped. It looked like every inch of the wall was covered by cages. There was a pair of enormous purple toads, a giant tortoise with a jewel encrusted shell, a fat white rabbit, cats of every colour, noisy cages of ravens, and a basket of humming, cream coloured furballs. Cassia went to examine the ravens when she heard, "Harvest, no!"
Cassia was briefly confused, when she felt a tug on her jeans and she looked down. A black and white fluffy kitten had climbed up to her calf. The kitten had a white chin and cheeks, with a thin stripe of white between its eyes. The kitten had white fur going down the underside of its neck and all the way down to its belly. It also had white paws.
Cassia stared down at the kitten as it proceeded to climb all the way up to her chest. Cassia held onto the kitten as it started purring. "Um…" she wasn't sure what to do as she looked at Harry and Hagrid. Hagrid seemed to be smiling and Harry looked like he was trying hard no to laugh.
A witch walked in and looked at Cassia holding the cat. "I see that Harvest chose you."
"I guess so," Cassia responded walking up to the witch. "I guess I have to take her."
"Him. Harvest is a boy," the witch corrected.
"Oh, sorry, Harvest," Cassia said taking the kitten to the counter. The witch got a cage, a food and water bowl, and a bag of cat food. Cassia had to pull Harvest away and put him in the cage. Harry paid for the stuff, probably to pay back the books that Cassia bought and they left the Magical Menagerie. Cassia was feeling quite elated as they started leaving Diagon Alley.
She guessed it was late afternoon and Hagrid decided to buy them hamburgers in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Earlier, everyone knew us," Cassia started. "Then you said something about how this guy would've acted if he knew Harry."
"So, how exactly does everyone know us?" asked Harry.
"Well, yer famous," Hagrid stated.
"How?" asked Cassia.
"Well, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'try, parts of it…" Hagrid said.
"So, just give us the rundown," prompted Cassia.
Hagrid told them that when they were a year old, an evil wizard by the name of Voldemort, at the name, Cassia and Hagrid shivered. Voldemort or as everyone calls him, You-Know-Who or He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, looked for followers, and got them. You-Know-Who killed people who stood up to him and one of the safest places was Hogwarts, because Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who feared.
Apparently You-Know-Who never tried getting James and Lily on his side, and then ten years ago, on Hallowe'en, You-Know-Who should up in Godric's Hallow and killed Harry's and Cassia's parents, and You-Know-Who tried killing Harry, but for some reason, the greatest mystery was that Harry didn't died. The curse rebounded and You-Know-Who vanished. Apparently no one lives after You-Know-Who killed them. He had rattled off a list of names: the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts, and Harry was only a baby, who survived an encounter with You-Know-Who.
Cassia wasn't sure how she lived, escaping unscathed. She remembered a blinding flash of green light and then she strangely remembered a high, cold, cruel laugh.
"Took yeh from the ruined house myself on Dumbledore's orders," Hagrid said, "Brought yeh ter that lot."
Cassia suddenly wasn't hungry.
At the train station, Hagrid helped the Potter twins with their packages onto the train. After that, he handed Cassia and Harry an envelope, "Yer tickets fer Hogwarts. First o' September – King's Cross – it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…See yeh soon, Harry, Cassia."
The train pulled out and they looked out the window, wanting to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight, but when they blinked, Hagrid was gone.
Cassia slumped down in her seat, suddenly feeling very nervous and anxious. "How can people expect great things from us? What if we utterly fail at magic? We're going to be laughed out of Hogwarts."
Harry handed a book to Cassia, "Better start studying. That's one thing you're good at."
"Yeah, they can expect the Queen of Toilets to not screw up," Cassia said, taking the book from Harry. It was A History of Magic. She opened the cover and looked at it.
"You're going to do fine," said Harry. "I believe in you."
"Thanks, Harry," Cassia said. "You'll do great at Hogwarts. I believe in you, too."
It wasn't much, but it was the best they can do.