An hour later Rubeus and I stood before a fireplace in the library, which had been connected to the Floo Network somehow for our trip today. I'd have to remember to read up on how stepping into a fire transported you from one location to another later.
"We gotta make a stop 'fore we head ta Diagon Alley,'' Rubeus informed me as he reached around in what appeared to be a great number of coat pockets before withdrawing a small cloth satchel with a quiet "aha!" He opened the pouch and held it out to me. "A small handful'er do yah," he prompted.
Curiously I reached inside the pouch, my fingers brushing against what felt like powdery sand, and withdrew a small handful. It was a pretty shade of green - what was it made of?
"So ter travel through tha Floo you just step in, say where you wanna go, an' throw tha floo powder on tha firewood."
"Where are we heading?" I wondered.
"Ter pick up another student," Hagrid admitted. "Cannae make it ter Diagon Alley by his lonesome, so Albus figured we could all go together. The Floo Network has been temporarily connected to the Lupin Residence." I nodded nervously.
Rubeus' warm smile beamed down at me, full of confidence. With a pat with his large hand on my shoulder and an encouraging nod he said "Nothin' ter it, Lil' Em. Jus' you say tha' nice an' clear. I'll be right behind ya!"
Stomach aflutter I stepped across the inner hearth, not even having to duck under the lintel. My shoes clacked against the ash dump as I found my footing amidst the few logs that sat atop it. It was now or never, I knew as I turned back around to face my giant friend. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me at the sight of him crouching down to peer into the fireplace at me with an overzealous double thumbs-up which I returned with my free hand.
"Lupin Residence," I pronounced as clearly as possible, dashing the powder against the logs at my feet. Faster than I could blink a bright green fire enveloped me and I felt my body twirl weightlessly through an emerald vortex. It didn't feel as though I was moving in any particular direction, but rather more like directions were moving all about me. As soon as it began it was over and I found myself tossed from a foreign fireplace, covered in ash and soot.
I barely registered a startled cry following my emergence before the sound of the fireplace flared up once more and a pair of enormous and strong hands helped lift me from my place on the cold floor. "Thanks, Mr. Rubeus," I said with a soft cough as some ash wandered into my mouth.
"Good ter meet yah, Mr. Lupin. Sorry to startle yer lad, lil 'Em here's first time usin' th'floo." Rubeus effectively brought my attention to the two other occupants of what appeared to be a tidy little living room. Before us stood a lanky man with sandy-brown hair and bronze spectacles balancing precariously on the tip of his nose. He was dressed in an off-white button up and light brown slacks held up by suspenders which were currently being clutched by the small hands of a boy who looked only a few years younger than myself, every bit the spitting image of the man I assumed was his father. Clearly the older man made him feel safe, and I wondered if the safety I felt with the makeshift family I had at Hogwarts could compare.
"It's quite alright," came Mr. Lupin's soft-spoken response with a small smile. "We're grateful to you for helping Remus with his schooling. You're sure it won't be a bother taking him to Diagon Alley? Hope was called out to work early this morning - a muggle pile-up in the streets late last night and it's got her agency in a tizzy sorting the insurance claims."
What was an insurance claim? What were the muggles piling in the streets that Hope was needed for work so early in the morning?
"We're happy ter!" Rubeus chortled, "Send my regards ter Hope, an' yer son'll be home 'fore supper!" Mr. Lupin nodded smartly with the same small smile, gently pushing his son forward from where he'd been standing shyly behind him. I didn't miss the anxious glance Mr. Lupin sent my way. Perhaps I was an unexpected addition to this quest rather than it being the other way around.
"Remus, why not introduce yourself to our guests?"
Remus Lupin was lanky, like his father, and shared his sandy-brown hair. Unlike his father's teddy-bear brown eyes, his own reminded me of the Lungwort flowers in Pomona's collection of healing plants - a soft blue that crackled with hints of darker blue here and there. He looked a pit pale and was a bit scraped up here and there, but he didn't seem bothered or frail so I assumed he was just the adventurous sort out-of-doors and had fallen from a tree or two recently.
"Hello," Remus muttered shyly.
"Hello Remus Lupin, I'm Emry Myrddin," I replied with a bright grin which I was delighted to see returned in kind.
"An' I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Game and Keys at Hogwarts," Rubeus introduced, proudly tacking on a title even I wasn't aware he had. "You ready ta gather yer things for school?"
Remus only nodded quietly, clearly not being the outspoken sort, and Rubeus took that as the okay to exchange farewells with Mr. Lupin who was donning an overcoat as he prepared to set off to work himself. He mentioned something about the Ministry to Rubeus and I wondered what department he worked in briefly before Rubeus stole my attention once more.
"Alrigh' then, who wants ter go first?" Rubeus offered warmly. Exchanging a small glance with Remus, I skipped forward and gathered a small handful of floo powder from the outstretched satchel for the second time that day.
"It's okay to just say Diagon Alley, then?" I double-checked, nervous that I would mess up. Albus had been in control of the travelling to-and-from the Ministry of Magic. This was only my second endeavor to travel by magic on my own.
"Tha's righ', Em," Hagrid encouraged me. With a resolute nod I made my way into the fireplace of the Lupin's small living room and spun about to face my companions.
"Diagon Alley!" I pronounced, tossing the powder at my feet for the second time that day.
I wish I could say that my arrival was a more graceful one the second time around, but I would be lying. I emerged from the fire, limbs flailing in front of me to save my face from making an untimely acquaintance with the ground. Beneath my hands and knees was a well-worn wooden floor and all about the smell of smoke, food, and butterbeer lingered.
I stood, doing my best to brush the ash off close to the edge of the fireplace, and peered over my shoulder at what appeared to be a tavern not unlike the Three Broomsticks. The lighting was dimmer and the wood and decor were darker than within it's Hogsmeade counterpart, but it looked rather cozy - like the kind of place one would want to settle down in after a long, tiring day to sip on something sweet and read a good book.
Remus arrived shortly after, stumbling but not falling as I had, though he had enough ash in his hair to imply he'd attempted a handstand somewhere along the way.
Rubeus appeared in the fire far more gracefully than either of us, and I marvelled as the fireplace seemed to stretch to accommodate his towering form, wondering briefly what kind of magic made such an automatic change possible. "All righ' there lil 'Em?" He queried, stepping out and brushing some soot from his coat.
"Quite so, Mr. Rubeus," I affirmed with a smile. "Where are w-"
"Hagrid! Blimey it's good to see you!" From around the bar came a slightly portly man with a receding hairline despite being relatively young-looking. He wore a dark blue shirt and smart brown slacks under a white smock which betrayed his employment at the small pub.
"Tom!" Hagrid greeted him, voice booming with affection. A few of the patrons seated in the dining area looked bothered by the commotion, and I tried to hide my smile of amusement as the two men, clearly old friends, caught up.
"Do you know him?" Came a soft voice to my right. I turned to see Remus had come to stand beside me as he watched the two men chat.
"Mr. Rubeus? Yeah, he's like family," I said confidently. "Everyone at Hogwarts is, you'll love it there."
"What year are you?" His question should have given me more pause, I was sure, considering I looked like I should have been in my fourth year.
"This is my first year, actually. I'm new around here, and Headmaster Albus was kind enough to let me attend. I don't really have family so I've been staying at the castle until the Ministry can find me one."
Remus nodded thoughtfully as Rubeus told Tom he was tasked with helping us gather our school supplies. Tom didn't seem to find this unusual, so I assumed this was something professors had assisted other students with before.
We were led through a wooden door at the back of the pub while Tom returned to his place behind the bar, already busy with another patron. Just beyond the door was a very tiny courtyard, walled in with reddish-brown bricks. I observed Rubeus curiously as he withdrew a bright pink umbrella from under his massive fur overcoat. Using it in much the same way I'd seen others use their wands, he waved it around, tapping out a pattern on the brick wall directly across from us.
A breath of wonder escaped me as the bricks first began to wiggle and then shift, rotating of their own accord, rasping and scraping against one another till at last they formed an archway revealing a cheerful market street. It reminded me of an urban version of Hogsmeade's shopping district, filled with witches and wizards, young and old alike. Children gathered at store fronts to admire displays, fireworks fizzled brightly, and a confusing menagerie of aromas assaulted my senses.
The morning turned out to be one of adventure as Remus and I followed easily in Rubeus' wake, the crowds parting for the large man readily - I hardly think anyone would find it difficult to pick him out of a crowd. Our first stop was at the end of the first road which branched off diagonally to our left and right. The building was multistoried, with white stone and marble reaching up into the sky. Twenty-one steps led us up towards the burnished-bronze double doors framed on either side by several columns of marble.
To the side stood a small man - goblin really - adorned with a crisp uniform of scarlet with gold trimming. It was my first time making the acquaintance of a full-blooded goblin. He had a pinched face and dark eyes with tall pointed ears. His hair was a light grey and rather sparing, and his fingers were spindly - each having an extra knuckle as compared to my own - tipped with nails filed to points.
As the goblin opened the door for us to proceed I flashed him a smile. "Well met, sir," I greeted him. I caught the double-take he flashed me, though his expression never changed. From what I understood, goblins were a very private and secretive race so I took no offense and jogged a step or two to catch up with Remus who stood in the Entrance Hall, staring up at an inscription on the massive set of silver doors before us.
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most 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."
"I wonder," I murmured to myself, turning the poem over in my head.
"It's a warning about their security measures," Remus spoke up. "I read somewhere that they have trolls guarding some of the lower floors - there's even rumors of dragons in the most well-protected keeps."
"Dragons?!" I could hardly believe it - the building didn't seem so large as to hold dragons. Remus seemed to be loosening up and bit the inside of his cheek, amused.
"Gringotts is the most well-protected building in all of Great Britain, aside from Hogwarts, that is. It should be, considering everyone relies on Gringotts to keep their things safe."
I supposed that made sense and continued to ponder the idea as two more goblins opened the double-doors for us with ease.
"The real wonder is how in the world such massive doors can open with nary an effort," I mused, earning a snort of assent in return. Truly, though, it seemed a mechanical feat to me, though magic was probably involved.
We tottered after Rubeus' massive strides into a grand marble hall that rivaled the size of the Ministry's Atrium. The floor was a checkered marble, polished so nicely I could see my awed reflection peering back up at me. Along each side were long counters gilded with gold, and above us were massive crystal chandeliers each sporting at least three dozen candles. There must have been about a hundred dutiful goblins stationed behind the counters each engaged in their own tasks, writing with quills in massive tomes, checking currency with sharp teeth and golden scales, and assisting the several witches and wizards that also occupied the enormous room. At the end of the room was another long hall that from a distance reminded me a tad of the lift area at the Ministry.
Rubeus led us off to the side where we approached a stuffy-looking goblin behind the counter. He peered at us wearily as we approached and didn't return my smile, which I shrugged off easily enough.
"Good mornin', Master Argok,'' Rubeus greeted him politely, reading the nameplate before us. Mr. Argok's expression was akin to a grimace, pointed teeth baring from behind stretched lips. "We'll be needin' to make a small withdrawal from the student funds for this lil'un here," he continued without pause, gesturing to me with an outstretched palm.
"Of course, Mr. Hagrid. I presume you've brought your key?"
After a moment of patting about in his numerous pockets Rubeus withdrew a silver key with a handle resembling the Hogwarts crest.
"Very well," Mr. Argok sighed, waving a clawed hand to another goblin who stepped forward quickly. "Master Nagnast will accompany you to the vault."
The exchange was short and sweet, and we followed behind the goblin named Mr. Nagnast who led us wordlessly down the hall I'd spied earlier. Instead of lifts, however, at each open doorway we found rickety-looking carts with hard metal benches. When we reached the fourth to the right Mr. Nagnast took a lantern that sat to the side and hung it at the front of the cart, a light gleaming from within immediately upon its placement. Rubeus ushered us towards the second bench at the back and Remus and I clambered in, settling as comfortably as we could while Rubeus himself took a seat up front with our goblin guide.
Hardly had we all been seated before the cart took off down a track, clacking the whole way along a series of twists and turns, dips and rises, before we reached our supposed destination, hair windswept and cheeks rosy. It was rather fun, if not a bit alarming due to the speed at which we'd travelled, and I was secretly looking forward to the ride back.
Remus and I exchanged grins of camaraderie at the short adventure, prying our hands from the security bar and scooting out of the cart quickly after Mr. Nagnast and Rubeus who were already approaching a thick door shaped from some dark metal. Glancing around I could barely make out anything beyond the light of the single lantern Mr. Nagnast was toting about. It was dark down here, and it was clear that we were somewhere well beneath Diagon Alley by now, answering my question about how they could possibly have enough space to house dragons and trolls.
Mr. Nagnast knew precisely what to do, performing some kind of wordless magic with a wave of his hand to reveal a small keyhole into which the key Rubeus supplied was placed. Our giant companion turned to us, bidding us to wait a moment as the door opened and he proceeded inside to collect what I assumed were student funds for our trip today.
"If there are dragons down here," I whispered to Remus, "do you think they let them out to fly at all?"
The corner of his mouth turned downwards in thought as he contemplated my query. "I don't believe so. Dragons are very temperamental and Diagon Alley is hidden in such a big city. Can you imagine the sort of magic needed to hide such large, violent creatures from the muggles all around?"
"I suppose you're right," I admitted sadly. "Still, it hardly seems a sky-borne creature would make a fitting resident of an underground tunnel system. I hope at least the dragons aren't lonely. They must miss flying." I chose to ignore the odd look he gave me, my own frown pulling at my face at the thought. Surely there must be some sort of accommodations made for the dragons, I figured, though it was difficult for me to fathom how.
Remus' words stuck with me the whole ride back, distracting me from the otherwise exhilarating ride back to the surface. How in the world the wizarding world managed to keep a secret as large as dragons was beyond me. I'd have to read up on it later.
We ended up having a lot of fun, Rubeus not minding a bit that we took our time exploring different shops, though we only got what we needed for school - books, uniforms, potions supplies and the like. It wasn't long before we reached our final stop on the school list: Ollivanders, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
It was a narrow, three-storied shop on the south side of Diagon Alley, the peeling gold letters on the door further attesting to the shop's age. The tiny display window out front sported only a solitary wand which lay upon a faded purple cushion. As we entered the tinkling of a tiny golden bell announced our arrival. Tall, narrow shelves partitioned most of the store, piled high with thousands of narrow boxes about the length of my forearm which I assumed contained wands.
From somewhere in the back of the shop came a rustling and muttering quickly followed by the emergence of an elderly man with white hair that stuck out as though he'd been electrocuted and sparkling brown eyes. His clothes were as shabby as the rest of the shop, looking well-worn in shades of brown with muted reds here and there. Rubeus stayed near the door as Ollivander shuffled towards us with more life than before.
"New students, I presume?" He chirped, seeming so excited if I didn't know any better I'd assume we were his very first customers. Remus and I nodded and I grinned excitedly.
"I'm Emry -"
"Myrddin, I know," Ollivander assured me with a small chuckle. But how could he possibly know?! I'd only just decided on the name last week! "And you must be Mr. Remus Lupin," Ollivander continued, not missing a beat. "I sold your father his first wand, eleven inches, thestral tail hair and aspen, bendy, good with charms and defense spells." Certainly Remus' father had bought that wand decades ago, meaning that Ollivander either had a brilliant memory or some other magical way of keeping track of the wands he sold.
Remus' own eyes were wide with wonder and he nodded, seeming as dumbfounded as I knew myself to be. I felt something ruffle my sleeve and looked to find a cloth measuring tape flitting about me, seeming to take measurements - some of which I wondered at. I mean really, I was to be fitted for a wand, not a hat.
With a skip and a hop Ollivander disappeared for a moment and returned with three boxes, beckoning Remus forward to try them. The first he described as ten inches, made of beech wood with a hippogriff feather core, and pliable. Remus gave it a wave and a sad lonely spark stuttered out only for the wand to be quickly snatched away and a second wand to be placed in his hand.
"Ten and a half inches, cypress, unicorn hair core, pliable," Ollivander supplied helpfully. Remus swished the wand about and was this time greeted with a swirling of shimmering silver that seemed to sweep about him, causing Ollivander to titter to himself happily about having gotten it only on the second try. The wand was rather pretty, seeming to be darker at the base and lighter at the tip, a rounded handle fitting Remus' palm as though it were made for him personally. Remus happily handed over the seven galleons for his wand, face alight with childish wonder, which only got me more excited to receive my own wand.
Ollivander gathered the two other wands and disappeared for a few moments before returning with a solitary box. I furrowed by eyebrows in confusion as I peered up at him, walking forward as he unboxed the wand. The wood of the wand was dark and gleaming, the handle twisting about like leather straps around the pommel of a sword.
"Considering the nature of your arrival, Miss Myrddin, I have little doubt you'll find this wand a loyal partner." His cryptic comment brought my opalescent gaze up to glance at him in alarm - clairvoyant, he must be!
"But how did you - "
"Give it a whirl," Ollivander interrupted gently, giving a nod to the wand as he held out the box. With a deep breath I reached out and grasped the handle. A rush of warmth flowed through me and my heart began to hammer in my chest as the wand glowed brightly in my hand, a loud thrum echoing throughout the shop that caused anything not fixed in place to shudder, myself included. "Eleven and a quarter inches, blackthorn with a thestral tail hair core, unbending," the wandmaker told me. "It seems you have many adventures ahead of you, Miss Myrddin." I nodded dumbly, struck by the ordeal. The wand felt almost sentient, like it was reaching out to brush up against something deep inside me.
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander."
Remus too bid his thanks as I paid for the wand, slipping it up my sleeve. The warmth I felt didn't fade as it pressed up against my forearm and didn't still as we gathered our bags, bidding the kind man a farewell and following Rubeus back out into the street. By now it was nearing late afternoon, the sun having begun its descent in the sky hours ago, and it was time to head to our respective homes.
Rubeus took us back to the pub I now knew to be The Leaky Cauldron, the three of us falling into easy conversation about the upcoming school year. I learned that Rubeus had been sorted into Gryffindor and that Remus would be happy if he were sorted into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. I wasn't sure what I thought about the houses quite yet - they all seemed to have been given their own compliments in the books I'd read, though I had an inkling that Slytherin was reputed to turn out wizards of questionable morals from the way Remus described it to me.
It wasn't long before we'd dropped Remus off at home. I made the brief acquaintance of Hope, his mother, who seemed lovely and happily referred to me as Remus' friend. She was a willowy woman, tall, with apple-blossom cheeks and honey-brown hair. Her apron suggested she was already starting to prepare dinner in the next room over.
Just as Rubeus and I were preparing to leave, Remus called out. "Hey Em!"
"Yeah?"
"Want to ride the train to school together?"
The simple question brought on an unexpected feeling of delight and I grinned at him brightly as I had when we'd met earlier that day. I looked up at Rubeus who chuckled.
"Woul'nae want ter deprive a firs' year of their first ride on tha Hogwarts Express," he assured me with a smile. Looking back to Remus I nodded firmly.
"I would love to!"
So our friendship began.
A/N: I may not have a regular upload schedule, but this project means more to me than any of you might comprehend. I struggled with the idea of publishing anything earlier than I intended. It's a very personal project that spans more realities than just the one familiar here. This is an epic - a journey that tumbles beyond the boundaries of space and time, identity and belief, perception and the unknown. If you have a moment, challenge the narrative, ask questions, poke holes, and please, if you've the care, let me know what you think. Perspective is the greatest gift you could give me. In return I hope what I write changes your world.
