They enjoyed their ice-cream cones, chit-chatting about the things they'd seen and what they'd already bought for Harry's school supplies.
When they'd finished, they continued on through various shops filled with all manner of things, collecting the rest of Harry's school things as they went. The crowds thinned as the day wore on, much to Harry's relief. All they had left to do was get a wand.
"Do you think I could get a wand too, mister Hagrid? Since we're here anyways."
"No, best yeh wait 'till next year, Rose. Yeh won't have any use for it at home, seein' as yer not allowed to use it outside o' Hogwarts."
They couldn't use a wand outside of Hogwarts? Harry had been looking forward to this the most, hoping that a wand would help them be able to use more magic and protect themselves from their relatives. He hadn't even considered that it might not be allowed.
Rose frowned. "But..."
Harry grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, shaking his head. "It's okay, Rose. We'll get it next year."
She sighed. Harry understood, of course, but if it really wasn't allowed, he didn't want to risk either of them getting in trouble. They'd only just learned of this new world, and it brought with it a spark of hope for the future. It was the first good thing that had happened to them in a very long time. He didn't expect it to last, but he certainly didn't want to have it taken away from them so soon.
Hagrid led them to a small, unassuming shop tucked away in a corner of the alley. Peeling gold letters above the door read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC".
"This is where yeh'll be gettin' yer wand, Harry. It's where all the Hogwarts firs' years go fer their wands," Hagrid said, pushing open the door and gesturing for them to enter. From somewhere within, a tinkling bell rang.
As they stepped inside, a musty smell greeted their nostrils, and the dim light made it difficult to see. But as their eyes adjusted, they saw that the place was relatively empty, except for a single spindly chair by the door, and what looked like thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly up to the ceiling. It was as if they'd just walked into a very strict sort of library.
There was a strange feeling in the air, Harry felt, as if the very dust and silence in the shop contained some sort of secret magic. Rose seemed to sense it too.
"Good afternoon," a soft voice said from the shadows. A tall, thin man with white hair and piercing blue eyes stepped forward, a small smile on his lips.
"Ah, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter."
Harry quickly glanced at Rose, who was just as uncomfortable as he was.
"And this must be miss Potter. Strong resemblance to your parents. You both have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was here herself, buying her first wand."
Rose lifted her head with interest. "You met our mother?"
"Of course," Mr. Ollivander said simply. "I meet just about every new witch or wizard before they start at Hogwarts. And I remember every wand I've ever sold, as well."
He began to pull boxes down and stack them onto the counter. "Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice for charm work. Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches, pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration."
Harry tensed, looking at all the boxes which he assumed must contain wands. "How will I know which one to pick?"
"It is the wand that chooses the wizard, mister Potter, not the other way around." The man leaned in, a bit too close for comfort, his eyes unblinking.
Luckily for Harry, Mr. Ollivander noticed Hagrid, who had taken a seat in the chair by the door.
"Ah, Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again. Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes." Hagrid nodded awkwardly.
"Good wand, that one. Though I suppose they snapped it in half when you were expelled?"
Hagrid shuffled his feet.
"Er - yes, yes. Still got the pieces, though."
Ollivander gave him a stern look.
"You don't use them?" He asked sternly.
"No, o'course not, sir." Hagrid said quickly. He was gripping his umbrella rather tightly.
Ollivander narrowed his eyes, but returned his attention back to Harry.
"Well, then, mister Potter. Let's find your wand, shall we?"
He got out a magical measuring tape and began taking all sorts of measurements. He asked Harry an assortment of questions as well, such as which arm was his wand arm. Harry guessed it was his right, since that was the hand he wrote with.
Rose watched with wide eyes.
"No two Ollivander wands are the same. Each wand has a core of powerful magical substance - we use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. And note, a wizard's wand is made to fit with one person. You'll never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Mr. Ollivander flitted over to his shelves, taking down boxes. His magical tape measure stopped measuring, and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap."
"Right then, mister Potter. Try this."
He handed Harry a wand and instructed him to give it a wave. He did, feeling foolish, but Mr. Ollivander almost immediately snatched it back out of his hand.
"No, no - here, try this one."
He handed over another, and just as before, Harry gave it a wave, and it was immediately taken back, replaced with another to try.
This repeated for a while, the pile of used boxes growing ever higher. Harry was getting worried.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry." Mr. Ollivander turned back to his piles of boxes, deep in thought.
"I wonder..." He mumbled, then disappeared into the back for a moment, returning with a rather dusty old box.
"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Unusual combination, but perhaps..."
He handed Harry the wand, and as soon as he touched it there was a sudden warmth in his fingers. He waved it with a swish, and a stream of golden sparks shot from the end like a firework.
Mr. Ollivander smiled. "Oh, bravo! I do believe we've found a match!"
Hagrid whooped and clapped, and Rose jumped up and down in excitement. Harry grinned, glad to have finally found a wand of my own. He'd been worried for a minute there that it would turn out this was all a mistake, that he wasn't a wizard after all. But now he could let out a sigh of relief.
"Very good, yes, very good indeed." Mr. Ollivander said.
Harry examined the wand, turning it over in his hands. It had a rather natural design that he quite liked.
Rose came over, so he held it out to her to look at. She took it carefully, no sparks coming out.
"Wow... a real magic wand..." She said, eyes shining. "There's a phoenix feather in it?"
Ollivander nodded, a strange look on his face.
"Yes, though not just any phoenix. No, this particular phoenix gave just one other feather - there is only one other wand in existence with the same core. And it is a very curious thing, indeed."
"You see, this wand's brother belongs to none other than the very man who gave you that scar."
He pointed to Harry's forehead, where his scar remained concealed behind his fringe.
"Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. The wand chooses the wizard, remember..."
Harry swallowed."
"Yes, I think we can expect great things from you..." Mr. Ollivander trailed off ominously.
Hagrid stood up. "Right, then. Gettin' late, le's pay for yer wand and get the two o' yous home."
The wand cost 7 galleons, which they gave to Mr. Ollivander. He wrapped the wand up nicely and placed it back into its box, and bowed as they left the shop.
"Well, tha's that, then." Hagrid said. "Oh, there's one more thing," he seemed to remember something.
He brought them to a shop called 'Eeyelops Owl Emporium'. It was a cramped shop filled with owls, cages, and other things related to owning a pet. The birds were hooting and fluttering in their cages. A few cats bristled in their cages as they passed by.
They stopped in front of a large cage in the back of the shop, where a beautiful snowy owl perched on a perch. She was pure white, with piercing golden eyes that seemed to see right through them.
"Happy early Birthday, Harry!" Hagrid grinned, gesturing to the owl. "Already paid for her. She's a gift fer yer birthday, Harry. I hope yeh like her. A wizard's owl is a very special thing, yeh know. They're loyal, and they'll be with yeh fer the rest of yer life."
Harry's eyes widened as he gazed at the owl. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he could feel a connection to her, like she was meant to be his. He'd never been given such a gift before, or even an actual gift at all, really.
"What?" He asked, surprised and confused. "Hagrid, you didn't have to do that!"
"Nonsense. It's right fer a young wizard startin' his schoolin' to have his own owl. Yeh can have her take letters between yeh an' Rose while yer at school, keep in touch an' all."
Harry reached out to the cage and delicately slipped a finger through the bars. The owl cooed softly, and happily nudged his finger with her beak.
"Thank you," Harry said softly, his voice choked with emotion. "I love her."
"Wow," Rose breathed. "She's beautiful. Thank you so much, mister Hagrid!"
The two fawned over the owl while Hagrid went and bought the rest of the things they'd need for her.
When they'd finally finished, the sun was hanging low in the evening sky. The three of them, with their newly purchased things and owl in tow, stopped for dinner at the Leaky cauldron before making their way back home. Harry tried not to let his nerves at confronting the Dursleys eat away at him, but Hagrid seemed to notice his change in demeanor.
"Somethin' wrong, Harry?" He asked.
Harry pushed a lone pea around his plate. "No, I'm fine, sir."
Rose could see that he was trying to evade the question, so she changed the topic. "Who is You-Know-Who, mister Hagrid?" She asked.
Hagrid sighed, pushing his plate away. "All right. Listen close, then. Not all wizards are good. Some are bad, very bad, and there's one that's as bad as they come. His name was V-" He stuttered, seemingly unable to say the name.
"Who?" Rose asked.
"Well, yeh see, folks don' like sayin' his name, an' I don' either. But this is somethin' yeh really ought ter know, so I'll say it, just once." Hagrid quickly glanced around the pub, then he leaned in close and whispered, "His name was Voldemort."
"Voldemort?" Rose whispered back, and he nodded.
"Don' go repeatin' that name, now. Most call him You-Know-Who, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Some call him the Dark Lord, mainly his followers.
"He killed yer parents, on Halloween night, 1982. He'd been gatherin' up followers, and anyone that stood against him ended up dead. Yer parents had fought against him, good folk they were. They'd gone into hidin' after you were born, Harry. But You-Know-Who found them. He tried ter kill you too, but somethin' went wrong.
"See, he tried to hit you with the Killing Curse, somethin' no one's ever survived. But you did. Tha's what gave yeh that scar."
Harry and Rose listened in stunned silence, their hearts racing with a churning mix of emotions. They had never known the full truth about their parents' deaths. The Dursleys had tried to say they'd died in a car accident, but that was obviously false. He never said anything to them, but Harry could remember snippets, from before. The stories the Dursleys told about their father being a no-good drunk and their mother being an entitled goodie two-shoes didn't fit at all with the parents he'd known, however briefly he'd known them. He remembered them as loving, and kind. He could still picture his mother's vibrant red hair, the same shade as Rose's, and the shape of his father's black-rimmed glasses. He remembered the warmth of their embraces, and the melodic tone of their laughter.
He also remembered shouting, screaming, a piercing green light, and a blinding pain in his forehead. It was the last memory he had before they'd gone to live with the Dursleys.
And that was all they'd had to go on. For years, he and Rose had tried to imagine what had actually happened, trying to piece together Harry's fragmented memories, to no avail. Until now.
Now, it all made sense. The green light, the magical abilities. And the worst part was, the Dursleys must have known all along.
Harry could feel the magic rising in him as the emotions grew stronger, but Rose reached over to squeeze his hand, calming him just enough for him to regain control.
"What happened to him? To You-Know-Who?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hagrid sat back in his chair. "Well, some say he died. They celebrated Harry as the hero, the young Boy-Who-Lived, the one to finally bring down the Dark Lord. But there was no body, see, nothin' of You-Know-Who left at all to prove it. There's some o' us, myself included, who think he might still be out there somewhere, too tired to carry on. But the one thing no one can deny is that somethin' about you, Harry, is what stumped him."
Harry frowned deeply. "I don't want to be famous," he whispered.
"No, don' reckon yeh do. Folks can be downright crazy. Yeh did everyone a favor, though best to be careful, as there's still some folk out there who were on You-Know-Who's side. They might not take kindly to yeh."
Harry took everything in, a variety of emotions swirling in his chest. He swallowed thickly.
The three of them made their way back to the station, mostly in silence. The knowledge of the possibility that an evil wizard was out there somewhere who wanted to kill Harry weighed heavy on Harry and Rose. The closer they got to home, the more their nervousness for the impending confrontation with the Dursleys grew as well.
They got off the train and walked down Privet Drive. Hagrid was kind enough to carry most of their things for them. Trying to lift the mood a bit, Rose started chatting.
"This has been a really lovely day, mister Hagrid. I can't wait until it's my turn. I mean, I will get to go to Hogwarts too, right?" she asked, suddenly worried.
"O'course yeh will!" Hagrid huffed. "Yer parents were two of the most magical people I've ever met, yer their kids, 'course yeh'll go to Hogwarts."
"The Dursleys aren't magical at all, though..." Harry muttered.
Hagrid waved a hand. "Ah, tha's no matter. Sure, yer mum was muggleborn an' all, but she was still one o' the greatest witches o' her time."
As he spoke, they approached Number 4, and Harry slowed his pace. Vernon's car was in the driveway, so that meant everyone would be home.
"Um, Hagrid, before we go in…" Harry started, shakily. "Our aunt and uncle don't actually know about today..."
"Yeh left them tha' note, didn' yeh?"
Harry fidgeted, and Rose moved closer. "I did, but, well - they don't know about my Hogwarts letter. Or, at least, I don't think they know."
Hagrid turned to him, brows knit. "Huh? Now why's that?"
"They, um, they don't really like things that are... unnatural, sir."
Hagrid looked ruffled.
"Magic's not unnatural, Harry! It's in yer blood!"
"I know that, sir, I do, it's them-"
"Well, I'm here anyway'. Maybe I'll have a little talk with them myself." Hagrid said, nodding firmly.
Harry bit his lip, and beside him, Rose was doing the same.
With a giant fist, Hagrid knocked on the door. There was a shout from within, and few moments later, a red-faced uncle Vernon was standing in the open doorway.
"What's the meaning of this?" He demanded, looking pointedly at Hagrid. "Who are you?"
Catching sight of Rose and Harry, he seemed to connect the dots.
"YOU!" He shouted. "Thought you could just up and leave, did you? I read your little note."
He turned, jabbing a chubby finger at Hagrid. "Let me make this clear - we want NOTHING to do with YOUR sort!"
Hagrid bristled. "Now, you listen here, Dursley -"
Vernon cut him off. "No, you listen to ME! That boy will NOT be going to any sort of FREAK school. I simply won't have it! You can go right back and tell them he's not coming!"
"I'll do no such thing!" Hagrid shouted back incredulously. "O'course he's goin' ter Hogwarts!"
Petunia and Dudley appeared behind Vernon, nervously watching the exchange.
"He most certainly will not!" Vernon said again. "And don't go bringing any of those things into this house, boy, especially not that filthy animal!" He gestured to the packages Hagrid was holding, and the owl."
Harry clenched his teeth, standing as tall as he could. Rose tried to hide behind him.
"Tha's ENOUGH!"
Hagrid voice bellowed, his echoing throughout the usually quiet neighborhood. He whipped his umbrella out and pointed it directly in Vernon's face.
"I'm warnin' yeh, Dursley. One more word..."
Vernon paled, and took a step back.
"Harry WILL be goin to Hogwarts, an' tha's final. I'll make sure of it myself, if I have to."
Aunt Petunia gulped, and Hagrid turned to Harry.
"Now go on an' put yer things away. I put yer train ticket in with yer things. Don' lose it, now, yeh'll need it. Make sure yeh get to the station on time. I'll see yeh on the first, and if I don', I'll certainly be payin' yer aunt an' uncle here a visit."
Harry nodded tensely. "Thank you for today, Hagrid."
Rose nodded as well, but stayed quiet.
"Nah, enough o' that, now. You were no trouble at all. Was my pleasure ter see yeh." With one last stern look at the Dursleys, Hagrid made to leave, so Harry and Rose took their things from him and went inside.
The Dursleys gave them dirty looks as they slipped past, carrying their many school supplies and a live owl, but didn't comment. It took some effort, but they managed to squeeze everything, including the owl, into the cupboard under the stairs, with just enough room for themselves to sleep.
The second they finished, they heard the door lock click.
Outside of the cupboard came the sounds of frantic arguing. The stairs above them rattled and shook as Dudley ran down to join in on the commotion.
"What's going on? Why aren't they in trouble?" He demanded, his voice loud and grating even from the other side of the door.
"Now, Duddykins…" they heard Petunia begin sweetly.
Harry sighed, leaning back on the owl cage.
"I can't believe they didn't do anything!" Rose whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "They must really be afraid of Hagrid."
Harry grinned. "Too bad it's so cramped in here, though."
At that, his owl hooted softly.
Rose reached into the cage to stroke her feathers softly. "Have you thought of a name for her yet, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe we'll find something in one of these books..."
With nothing else to do, they quietly got out some of the school books, and spent much of the night reading. The noise from outside the cupboard gradually decreased, eventually fading into just the muffled sounds of Vernon's snores from upstairs.
Rose fell asleep not long after, and Harry put her book away for her and covered her with a thin, threadbare blanket. He settled in next to her. Despite his fears for what the next day would bring, or what the future would hold, he let himself just enjoy the warmth of the moment, thinking over everything they'd learned and seen that day. Soon, he found his eyes closing as well, and he drifted off to sleep.