"WOAH!" Calvin and Hobbes shouted in unison. Calvin couldn't believe his eyes. It was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen in his life,
"All righ' all righ'" Hagrid muttered, chuckling. Let's get ter work!"
As they entered the street, Calvin noticed more things. On his right he noticed a store that read "Quality Quidditch Supplies" over the door. He had no idea what quidditch was, but he hoped that it was something cool. What was more interesting was the sight to the left of the door. Three kids around his age were gathered around the window to the shop. Behind the glass was a rather fancy looking broom.
"It's the Nimbus 2001!" One of the kids squeaked, "It's the fastest broom ever made!"
"Boy what I would give to own one of those beauties!" Another exclaimed.
Calvin looked dumbfounded.
"Hey Hobbes," he whispered, gesturing to the kids at the window, "You think they're looking for a career in competitive sweeping or something?"
Hobbes glanced at the kids and shrugged.
"Maybe people are a lot more uptight about having a clean house in the wizarding world."
"Can't be more uptight than mom," Calvin grumbled.
"All righ' you two," said Hagrid, clapping his two frying pan sized hands together, "Let's see that supplies list!"
And so they set off to purchase Calvin's school supplies. First, they went to buy robes, which of course, couldn't go without some kind of problem.
"Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker searches the barren planet for enemy forces!" Calvin shouted, prancing around in the robes he had purchased. "Ah!" He shouted, setting his sights on a small blonde boy holding a camera, "A Separatist B1 battle droid!" And then he charged.
The boy shrieked, and just managed to snap a photo with his giant polaroid camera as Calvin barreled into him at top speed, knocking him into a rack of robes and toppling over the whole aisle
"The planet is saved!" Calvin exclaimed, darting away from the dazed blonde boy.
Everyone just stared at Calvin, mouths agape, wondering why there was a deranged boy dashing through Madam Malkin's shouting nonsense.
"Blimey!" Said the blonde boy with the camera, a grin spreading across his face as he laid on top of a pile of fallen robes, "The wizarding world is just fantastic!"
Hobbes tried to give the boy a sympathetic look as he followed a sprinting Calvin out the shop's front door, but the boy didn't seem to notice.
The rest of Calvin's shopping went off mostly without a hitch, besides the part when Hobbes got into a growling match with a copy of "The Monster Book Of Monsters" in the middle of Flourish and Blotts, frightening many other customers
"Well we're almost done here!" Exclaimed Calvin, "Looks like I just need a wand!"
"A wand eh?" Hagrid remarked. "In that case, head over ter Ollivander's! Best wandmaker there is!" He gestured to the end of the street.
Calvin glanced over to where he was gesturing and saw a small gray building with a sign that read "Ollivanders, Makers of Wine Wands since 382 B.C."
"382 years before Calvin, eh?" Calvin remarked, "That would mean this wand shop started in the early 1600's!"
Hobbes opened his mouth to say something, but decided it would be best if he just kept his mouth shut.
As Calvin pushed open the door to Ollivanders, an unusual sight greeted him. Abnormally tall shelves filled to the brim with little rectangular boxes lined the walls, and there was an ancient looking man with wild white hair on top of a ladder leaning against one of the shelves.
"Ah!" Ollivander exclaimed, as he began to climb down the ladder at a remarkable speed for someone as old as he looked. "First year?"
Calvin nodded nervously.
"Lovely!" Ollivander said excitedly, "Let's get started, shall we?"
"Do I just pick one?" Calvin asked curiously.
"The process is a bit more complicated than that my boy," said Ollivander as he rummaged through his shelves and pulled out a box, which he opened and removed the wand inside. "Eleven inches, Rowanwood, Unicorn Tail Hair core," he handed the wand to Calvin gingerly.
Calvin stared at it blankly, not sure what he should do.
"We'll go ahead, give it a wave!" Said Ollivander.
Calvin flicked the wand carefully and a flame shot out of the tip, narrowly missing Hobbes, who ducked and managed to only singe some of the fur on his tail.
Ollivander plucked the wand from Calvin's hand.
"No no, that won't do at all!" He said loudly, "Here, try this one,"
He picked another wand at random from his shelf and handed it to Calvin, who flicked it and promptly caused every lamp in the building to shatter.
"Absolutely not!" Exclaimed Ollivander, alarmed, "Try this one!"
As Calvin took the wand from the old man's hand, something felt different. Something just felt correct. As he flicked the wand, wisps of gold colored smoke began to waft from the tip, smelling of chocolate chip cookies.
"Interesting!" Said Ollivander, intrigued.
"What?" Calvin asked, enjoying the aroma of cookies.
"10 inches, Vinewood, Thestral tail hair core," Ollivander said matter of factly, "The core is rather unusual, and is rumored to have been used in the creation of the most powerful wand in existence,"
Calvin glanced down at his wand, fascinated. The wand itself was black, and featured a small sabertooth tiger head carved into the end of the handle.
"What is the most powerful wand in existence?" He asked.
"The Elder Wand," said Ollivander mysteriously, "To most people, this wand is nothing more than a legend. However, I happen to know for a fact that it exists."
Calvin flipped the wand around his fingertips, feeling a mix of pride and awe.
"So you're telling me that Calvin now has the most powerful wand in existence?" Hobbes asked, inquisitively.
"Oh no my dear tiger, the elder wand had another unknown aspect that gave it it's extraordinary power. I'm afraid that this wand, like most others, is only as good as the wizard that wields it," answered Ollivander.
Calvin found this slightly disappointing, but he found the fact that he was about to own a wand at all cool enough.
After purchasing the wand, Calvin and Hobbes exited the shop, meeting Hagrid who was waiting outside for them.
"Ah!" Said Hagrid, noticing them, "So yeh've gotten a wand then?"
Calvin pulled out his wand, showing it to Hagrid.
"Excellent!" Hagrid exclaimed, "The next step would usually be to buy a pet, as students are allowed to bring either an owl, a toad, or a cat to school, but it seems yeh've already got yerself a cat…"
He glanced at Hobbes, who narrowed his eyes.
"Now if yeh don' mind," Hagrid muttered, "I have to pick somethin' up myself."
Calvin shrugged.
"Knock yourself out big guy," he said.
Hagrid gave him an odd look.
"All righ' then," He said. "Follow me."
He paused for a second.
"And stay close," He added.
Calvin gave Hobbes an odd look, but Hobbes was too busy grumbling about how he "wasn't a pet" to notice. As Hagrid began to lead them through Diagon Alley. They took a left under an archway, and suddenly everything seemed a lot less cheerful and a lot more dangerous. Sketchy witches and wizards lurked around them in the shadows, staring at the three and whispering. Some attempted to approach Calvin, expressions of malice on their faces, but they were driven away by a mix of Hobbes's snarls and the glowering looks that Hagrid would give them.
"Uh Hagrid?" Calvin squeaked, "What exactly are you planning to get here?"
"Flesh eatin' slug repellent," Hagrid said, not even looking down at Calvin, as he was too busy scanning the streets for possible threats.
Calvin didn't know what "flesh eating slug repellent" was, but he was too scared to take his attention off his surroundings to press the question further.
Hobbes's fur was standing on end, and he couldn't seem to stop growling.
The trio finally stopped in front of a dark looking botany store. Hagrid bought the flesh eating slug repellent as fast as he could, as there were many carnivorous plants placed around the store that seemed to be taking quite a bit of an interest in Calvin, who was white faced and shaking. Hobbes just kept growling, swiping his claws at any plant that got near Calvin.
"I hate this place," Hagrid mumbled as he and Calvin and Hobbes hurried out of the botany shop, "Do me a favor and don' tell anyone at Hogwarts that I brought yeh down here. They wouldn't exactly approve."
Calvin nodded, and Hobbes just continued to growl.
"Great, now--"
Hagrid paused, as there was a crowd of people starting to form in the distance, and there seemed to be a person in great distress right in the center of it.
"No… please!" The person in the middle of the crowd pleaded.
As the crowd shifted, the person became more visible, and Calvin noticed that he had bushy black hair, round glasses that were cracked in the lenses, and a rather unusual mark on his forehead.
"Harry?" Hagrid bellowed.
The crowd began to clear, and the boy in the middle was freed.
"Hagrid!" The boy now known as "Harry" shouted back.
"What do you think you're doing down here?" Hagrid asked incredulously, "Come on!"
The boy made a mad dash towards the trio and stopped when he reached Hagrid, who began to lead the group back the way they came. Calvin noticed that Harry was slightly taller than him, and looked a bit older as well.
"You're a mess Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed, "Skulking around Knockturn Alley, don' want no one to see you there, they might think you were up to no good!"
"I was lost!" Said Harry, "I- hang on, what were you doing down there?"
"Oh uh, I was picking up some flesh eatin' slug repellent!" Hagrid said as he held up the bottle as proof. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages!"
Harry nodded at this and then glanced at Calvin, who he had just noticed, and then jumped when he noticed Hobbes, who started smirking.
"Hello," He said kindly, "Who's this?" He asked, looking up at Hagrid, taking a few seconds to glance nervously at Hobbes.
"Ah!" Hagrid exclaimed, looking down at Calvin, "This is a firs' year I'm helping purchase school supplies, and his cat!" Hagrid said with a smile.
Hobbes looked positively disgusted at that comment, but he kept his mouth shut.
Harry turned his attention back to Calvin and held out his hand, which Calvin shook.
"Harry Potter," He said with a smile.
"Spaceman Spiff, galactic explorer extraordinaire," Calvin said matter of factly, smirking mischievously.
Harry raised an eyebrow, and looked up at Hobbes, who rolled his eyes.
"His name is Calvin Watterson," Said Hobbes, chuckling a little.
Harry looked momentarily shocked that a tiger had just spoken perfect english to him but he shook it off and turned back to Calvin, giving him a lopsided grin.
"I guess I can also go by that name," Calvin said awkwardly, grinning back at Harry, who laughed.
Harry looked back up at Hobbes.
"What's your name?" He asked the tiger, still seeming a little nervous.
"Hobbes, homicidal psycho jungle cat," Hobbes proclaimed, puffing out his chest.
Harry seemed slightly uneasy at this comment, but then he understood this as a joke when he noticed Calvin snickering, and he laughed as well.
"Nice to meet you both!" Said Harry, grinning.
"And you as well!" Said Calvin, performing an exaggerated bow, "And if you don't mind me asking, what's that mark on your forehead?"
Harry blushed, putting his hand over his lightning bolt shaped scar.
"Er…" Harry began, but was interrupted by Hagrid.
"That scar is the stuff of legend!" Hagrid exclaimed, clapping Harry on the back, who almost fell over due to the force of Hagrid's massive arms, "Harry here is the only person in the history of the wizarding world who has-"
"Hagrid!" Harry whispered aggressively as he gestured to the shady people around them who began to shoot looks of pure hatred at the group as they walked by.
"Oh righ," Said Hagrid, dropping his voice to a whisper, "He's the only person in the history of the wizarding world ter survive the killing curse, and in the process, take down You Know Who, the most powerful dark wizard our world had ever seen!"
"Er…" Calvin muttered, "I actually don't know who."
Hagrid blushed.
"Righ…" He said, "We do not say his name."
"Hagrid!" Harry whispered, annoyed.
"All righ' fine!" Hagrid exclaimed, noticing his voice had risen and dropping it back down to a whisper, "His name is… Voldemort." Hagrid grimaced as he said it.
"Voldemort?" Hobbes asked.
"Shh!" Hagrid shushed him, gesturing to the shady people around them who had begun looking at the group again.
"Sorry…" Hobbes whispered sheepishly.
Calvin stared at Harry in awe, a dozen questions swirling through his head.
"How…" He trailed off.
"No one knows," Whispered Hagrid, "All we do know is that You Know Who had come to kill Harry, but something backfired, causing You Know Who to be stripped from power and lose his physical form."
"What do you mean 'lose his physical form?'" Calvin asked, tilting his head slightly.
"He's still alive, but only just," whispered Hagrid, "Most people believe he died, but Harry here had an encounter with him just a year ago, inside Hogwarts, leeching off the body of a teacher."
Calvin gulped, Hobbes's fur went back to standing on end, and Harry looked embarrassed.
"But that scar," Hagrid whispered, "Is the result of the killing curse backfiring."
Calvin and Hobbes both exchanged nervous looks.
As they exited Knockturn Alley back into the bright bustling streets of Diagon Alley, Calvin saw a girl with bushy brown hair run towards them.
"Harry!" She shouted gleefully as she finally reached them, and then she turned and shouted "Hagrid!" With an equal amount of Happiness in her voice.
"Hello Hermione!" Hagrid exclaimed.
The girl now known to Calvin as "Hermione" turned back to Harry.
"It's so good to see you!" She said.
"It's great to see you too!" Said Harry, a smile on his face.
Hermione then looked concerned.
"What did you do to your glasses?" She asked, gesturing to Harry's cracked lenses.
"Oh I-" Harry began, but was interrupted by Hermione pulling out what must've been her wand and pointing it at Harry's face.
"Oculus Reparo!" She exclaimed, and Calvin and Hobbes watched in awe as the cracks in Harry's glasses mended immediately.
"That never gets old," Calvin whispered to Hobbes, who nodded in agreement.
Hermione perked up at the sound of other voices and glanced at Calvin, who noticed that Hermione was about his height, but looked about the same age as Harry.
"Hello!" Hermione said perkily, "I'm Hermione Granger! What's your-" she trailed off as she saw Hobbes and gaped.
"Woah!" She exclaimed, "Is that a tiger?"
"In the flesh!" Said Hobbes proudly, winking at Calvin who rolled his eyes in response.
She looked even more astounded when Hobbes spoke perfect english.
"I've never seen a creature like this!" She shouted eagerly. "I've read fantastic beasts and where to find them several times but I've never read anything about anthropomorphic tigers!"
Calvin stared at Harry giving him a look that said "Is she always like this?"
Harry grinned and shrugged, which Calvin took to mean "Pretty much."
Hermione finally got a hold of herself and turned back to Calvin.
"Sorry about that," She said, "Got a little carried away. Anyway, as I was saying, what's your name?"
"Calvin… Boy of destiny…" Calvin said mysteriously, striking a pose.
Hermione stared at him blankly.
"Or just Calvin Watterson," He said, shrugging.
"Right…" Hermione said, giving Calvin one more strange look before turning to Hobbes.
"What about you?" She asked the tiger.
"My name is Hobbes!" Hobbes said, wiggling his tail, causing Hermione to giggle and Calvin to roll his eyes even more.
"It was great to meet you Hobbes!" Hermione exclaimed, "And er… Good to meet you too Calvin," She said, giving Calvin yet another strange look.
Calvin crossed his arms and glared at Hobbes.
Hermione turned to Harry.
"Come on!" She called to him, "Everyone's been so worried!"
The group followed Hermione through Diagon Alley and they approached a large group of people standing in front of Flourish and Blotts, all of which had fiery red hair.
"You really couldn't resist putting the moves on her could you?" Calvin grumbled at Hobbes.
"You miss every shot you don't take!" Said hobbes, smirking.
As they arrived at Flourish and Blotts, the group of red haired people began to stir and an older woman burst out of the group.
"Oh Harry!" She exclaimed, "Thank goodness! We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far!"
"I'm Fine Mrs. Weasley, don't worry about me," Said Harry, smiling at the woman.
As Harry caught up with the family that Calvin assumed must've been "The Weasley's" due to the older woman's name, Calvin caught sight of a girl that looked about his age walking towards him. She was slightly shorter than him and had the same hair as the rest of the Weasley family. Calvin found her very pretty.
"Hi," The girl said, "Are you a first year too?"
Calvin nodded
"Oh good, I need people to hang around with besides my brothers," She said with a smile, "My name's Ginny by the way, Ginny Weasley."
"I'm Bullet, Tracer Bullet," Calvin said dramatically, miming smoking a cigar.
Ginny giggled.
"Ok 'Bullet,'" she said mockingly, "What's your actual name?"
Calvin slumped, defeated, and sighed.
"Calvin Watterson," He said, extending his hand, which Ginny shook.
"That sounds more realistic," She said with a smirk, "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Watterson."
"The pleasure is all mine Mrs. Weasley!" Exclaimed Calvin, tipping an imaginary hat.
Ginny laughed, which gave Calvin a warm feeling he usually only felt while around Susie back home. The moment however, was brought to a halt when Hagrid began to speak.
"You think you'll be all righ' here then?" He asked Harry with a smile.
"I believe so, Hagrid!" Said Harry, smiling back.
"Excellent!" Exclaimed Hagrid, and he waved Calvin over to him.
"See you at school!" said Ginny, giving Calvin a smile.
"Yeah, see ya!" Responded Calvin, waving at her.
Hobbes, who had gotten held up by two boys who appeared to be identical twins, finally caught back up to Calvin and began elbowing him in the side and winking at him repeatedly, which Calvin found quite annoying.
"All righ' boys, I think it's about time ter leave!" Said Hagrid, as he began leading them back out towards the entrance to Diagon Alley, "Remember, what it said on yer letter, term begins on the first of September and-- Oh I almost forgot!" Hagrid stuck his hand into the jacket and pulled out an old fashioned looking train ticket, which he handed to Calvin. "Yeh'll be leaving on the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross station in London!"
Calvin looked down at his ticket, which read "London To Hogwarts, For One Way Travel, Platform 9 ."
"Platform 9 ?" Calvin asked, confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Said Hagrid, grinning knowingly.
"I want to know more about that girl," Said Hobbes, beginning to elbow Calvin again.
"Shut UP!"
