Chapter 2: Diagon Alley
August 1, 1991
Buffy stepped out of the fireplace in front of the largest man she had ever seen. Behind him she noticed a boy about her age.
"Hello, Hagrid."
Buffy looked up and noticed for the first time her mother standing beside her.
Hagrid simply smiled at Buffy before turning his attention to Joyce, "Good morning, Joyce. It's been awhile. How you been?"
Joyce smiled and hugged the huge man before stepping back, "I've been fine, and you?"
Hagrid nodded and looked at Buffy. "I've been fine also. So this must be Isabella," he said. "I haven't seen you since you were just a year old."
Buffy blushed and nodded, "It's Buffy actually, mom, or is it aunt now, changed my name when I was young."
Joyce smiled and looked at Buffy, "Which ever you prefer, Buffy. Both are correct."
Hagrid cleared his throat nodding towards Harry, "Isabella, err Buffy, I would like you to meet your twin brother Harry."
Buffy looked at the boy and smiled. Much to Harry's surprise she pulled him into a hug, "It's nice to finally meet you."
Hagrid suggested they get breakfast before going into Diagon Alley. So they sat at a table and Joyce and Hagrid ordered for Buffy and Harry. The twins started talking about themselves as they waited for their food. By the time the food had arrived the twins had moved on to other topics and finally landed on their families. Buffy was shocked when she heard of their Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's treatment of Harry. "They treat you like that Harry?" she asked shocked. "That's just plain awful. Maybe you should come stay with me and mom and dad… Err I mean Aunt Joyce and Uncle Hank."
Harry's eyes brightened and smiled, "I would love that, assuming they don't mind."
Buffy turned to face Joyce and smiled. "Can he come stay with us, please?" she asked excitedly.
Hagrid stifled a laugh, "Joyce, Dumbledore said they can choose where they want to live when they meet. Be it with you or the Dursleys. Personally, I would prefer it with you. The Dursleys are the worst muggles I have ever seen."
Joyce nodded not being terribly surprised, "I remember Lily telling me a time or two that Petunia did not like our kind much," she said before looking back at her daughter. "Yes Buffy, Harry can come stay with us. While Hagrid takes you both shopping for your school supplies, I will talk to the Dursleys."
Buffy and Harry both jumped up and hugged Joyce saying thank you many times over.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Hagrid tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.
The brick he had touched quivered—it wriggled—in the middle, a small hole appeared—it grew wider and wider—a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley." He grinned at Buffy and Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway.
The twins looked quickly over their shoulders and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. A sign hanging over them read:
Cauldrons—All Sizes—Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver—Self-Stirring—Collapsible.
"Yeah, you'll both be needin' one," said Hagrid.
Buffy and Harry wished they had about eight more eyes. They turned their heads in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once.
"So, Isabella, Harry do you both have your lists?" asked Hagrid.
The twins nodded pulling the lists out of their pockets. They looked them over and noted everything was exactly mirrored on the other. "Hagrid how are we going to pay for all this?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't two sets of everything be really expensive?"
Hagrid let out a chuckle, "Right there Harry is how," he said as he pointed towards a large white building with, with burnished bronze doors. "You really didn't think your parents would leave you with nothing. Your money is in Gringotts, no place safer."
Standing beside the doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was—
"Yeah, that's a goblin, and don't you go staring either they don't like to be stared at," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid, Buffy and Harry made for the counter.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Ms. Isabella Potter and Mr. Harry Potter's vaults."
"You have their keys, sir?"
"Got them here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblins book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose.
"Got them," said Hagrid at last, holding up two tiny golden keys.
The goblin looked at the keys closely. "That seems to be in order."
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he, Buffy and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Buffy asked.
"Can't tell yeh that, Isabella," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Griphook held the door open for them as they passed through. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in—Hagrid with some difficulty—and were off.
They hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Eventually the stopped in front of a pair of vaults. Hagrid leaned against the wall as it looked like he might have had motion sickness.
Griphook unlocked the doors. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Buffy and Harry gasped. Inside both vaults were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid who helped them each to fill a bag. He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only," said Griphook.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed and eventually reached vault seven hundred and thirteen.
Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there."
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.
Inside was only a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat.
One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts.
"Might as well get yer uniforms," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, Isabella, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Buffy and Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone.
Meanwhile on Privet Drive
Joyce stood looking at the door for #4 Privet Drive, she felt a little anxious about her visit to the Dursleys. Especially since she had not seen Petunia Dursley nee Evans since Lily and James funeral. She quickly rapped on the door and could hear footsteps from inside the house. A large round man opened the door, it was apparent he was ticked off at being disturbed, "Yes can I help you?" Vernon Dursley asked.
"You may not remember me as it has been ten years," Joyce said. "I'm Joyce Summers. I'm James' sister. We met at James and Lily's funeral. I'm sure your wife might remember me seeing as how I was one of Lily's friends at Hogwarts. May I come in? I would like to talk with you about Harry."
Vernon frowned as he stared at the woman. "We will have nothing to do with any of his family," Vernon spat with disdain. "You can go back to wherever you came from."
"I am here because Harry no longer wishes to live with you," Joyce said. "I want to gather his belongings and have you sign custody over to me. As his paternal aunt I have the right to petition you and your wife for guardianship. Harry and Isabella have recently learned of each other and want to live together. And Harry was very adamant that he would prefer staying with me and my husband, Hank. Then live with you any longer than he has to."
Vernon nodded and motioned for Joyce to enter, "That is fine; we never wanted the boy to begin with. You can have him; we will sign any papers you want. Petunia go grab the boy's things; he will not be returning here."
Petunia nodded and ran upstairs as Vernon signed the papers Joyce had brought. A moment later Petunia came downstairs carrying a trash bag full of what looked like clothes, she too then proceeded to sign the papers. Joyce smiled at the pair, "Thank you, I will take my leave. You don't have to worry about Harry any longer. Your filthy rotten Muggles, Albus Dumbledore should never have left Harry with you in the first place the way you've treated him. You are lucky I don't go and report you to the local authorities. Good day!"
With that Joyce walked out of the house and down the street away from the house. When she was sure she wouldn't be seen she apparated back to Diagon Alley.
Back in Diagon Alley
Hagrid took Harry and Buffy to the very shops to get their supplies. They bought their school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts. They went and got their cauldrons, scales and telescopes. Harry had wanted to get a gold cauldron which Hagrid had talked him out of. Then they visited the apothecary where they got their potion ingredients.
Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked the twin's lists. "Just yer wands left—oh yeah, an' I still haven't got either of yeh a birthday present."
"You're not alone," Buffy said. "I haven't got anything for Harry either."
Harry felt himself go red. "You both don't have to—"
"I believe I speak for Isabella and I that we know we don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer both an animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at—an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer both an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."
Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. The twins now carried two large cages. Harry's held a beautiful snowy owl, and Buffy's a cinnamon colored owl. They both thanked Hagrid.
"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Just Ollivanders left now—only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382b.c. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Harry and Buffy.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you both soon. Harry and Isabella Potter." It wasn't a question. "You, Mr. Potter, have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to the twins.
"Your father," he said as he looked at Buffy, "who's eyes you have, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the witch or wizard, of course."
Ollivander moved even close to the twins till he was almost face to face with them. "And that's where…" He said pointing first at the scar on Harry's forehead and then the one on Buffy's cheek.
Buffy frowned at the man for even mentioning the scar. She had always been terribly ashamed of it as she had always been teased about it. "No offense sir, but if you mind, I would prefer you not delving on that particular subject."
Ollivander nodded in understanding. Unlike her brother it was not something that could be easily hidden. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"
"Well, now—Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er—well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter, Ms. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. And upon request only rare mystical items. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another witch or wizard's wand."
Harry tried three different wands, the first two were yanked out of Harry's hands almost immediately. The third Harry raised above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well…how curious… how very curious…"
He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"
Harry and Buffy looked at each other and then to Ollivander and spoke at the same time, "What's curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed the twins with a pale stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter, Ms. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, Mr. Potter, gave another feather—just one other. It is very curious indeed that you, Mr. Potter, should be destined for this wand when its brother—why, its brother gave you those scars."
Buffy swallowed hard and looked at Harry, who looked as shook up as she was, and back to Olivander.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."
Mr. Ollivander did a replay of measuring Buffy before the tape measure dropped to the floor again. "Right then, Ms. Potter. Try this one. Beech-wood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible."
Buffy took the wand and like with Harry's first two attempts found it snatched it out of her hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try—"
Buffy tried—but she had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.
"No, no—here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."
Buffy tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere—I wonder, now—yes, why not—unusual combination, one of the rare special ones I mentioned—Willow, Hair of the First Slayer, Eleven inches."
Buffy took the wand. She felt a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and like her brother's wand a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework.
"Curious yet again," Mr. Ollivander said.
Buffy shook her head, "Do you always say that?"
Ollivander smiled, "Not usually, Ms. Potter. It's curious because the core of that wand. The Hair of the First Slayer. That is a very rare, and very powerful wand."
"A Slayer, what is a Slayer?" Buffy asked looking between Mr. Ollivander and Harry. She saw Harry shrug to indicate he did not know. Ollivander on the other hand just smiled.
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Buffy and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, and into the Leaky Cauldron to await Joyce's return. They could tell she was in a good mood when she stepped through the front door of the pub. They saw she was carrying a large trash bag.
"Harry, I talked with your Vernon and Petunia," said Joyce, "and they were more than willing to let you come stay with me. In fact, they have signed guardianship over to me. You will never have to go back to them again."
Harry smiled and hugged Joyce, "Thank you, Aunt Joyce, thank you." He released the woman and looked at the trash bag, "I doubt there is anything I really want to keep in that bag. They mostly gave me Dudley's old clothes to wear. If you don't mind, I would like to get some new clothes."
"Of course, my dear, we will do that tomorrow after we get home. We will go through the bag tomorrow too just to make sure there is nothing you want to keep. But I expect you're right that there is nothing in this bag you want to keep."
With that they said goodbye to Hagrid and took everything they purchased, and took hold of Joyce as she apparated them home.
Over the next few days', changes had to be made in the Summers house. Buffy had to move out of her room and in to Dawn's room so that Harry could have a place to sleep.