Chapter 2 – Diagon Alley
McGonagall had explained to Hermione that she had to wait another year before she could start attend Hogwarts since she had turned eleven after the school-year had already started. This first came as a huge disappointment for Hermione but then McGonagall told her that she would accompany her and her parents to a place called Diagon Alley already next month to show them how to entry the magical place and help them with exchanging their money to wizarding money.
The days went until finally the day came when Hermione hurried out to their car and they drove to the place in London where McGonagall had asked them to meet her. At first they didn't see her because she had now exchanged her robes to an ordinary skirt and jacket.
"Disguise for the muggles" McGonagall explained when she saw Hermione's look.
"Muggles?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Non magical. Your parents are muggles, this makes you a muggleborn. Of course you're still as much of a witch as someone born with wizards as parents" McGonagall explained in a hushed tone as they walked down the street.
"Well. Here we are. The Leaky Cauldron" She said and stoped in front of a small, rustic bar. Hermione noticed that no one seem to give the old building a single thought and she saw how her parents looked from the shop on the right to the shop on the left, seemingly not able to see the bar at all.
"Muggles can't see it, so you have to grab your parents hands and lead them inside" McGonagall said as she opened the door. Hermione did as she was told and together they walked inside the bar.
The leaky cauldron was filled with people in colorful cloaks, laughing and talking loudly with each other. Some people gave McGonagall a respectful nod as she guided the Grangers towards the back where they stepped into a small and almost empty courtyard.
"Now look closely, this is essential for you to remember" McGonagall said and looked strictly at them. "Maybe you should write this down" she said and Mrs Granger picked up a small notebook from her purse and looked intensively at McGonagall. She started counting the bricks in the wall and as she explained what she was doing she took out her wand and tapped three different bricks. As she did this the wall started wiggling and as it moved a large opening appeared, and on the other side was a whole other street, filled with wizards running from shop to shop.
"This is Diagon Alley, everything you could ever need for Hogwarts is right here, along with the wizarding bank Gringotts and the wand shop Mr Ollivander, top in his field" McGonagall said and started walking.
As they walked, Hermione's eyes wandered from place to place. She saw owls flying across the sky, carrying big packages. There were shops that sold cauldrons, some boiling with green and gray fluids. Shops filled with dangling heads that looked as they were alive, talking and screaming at each other. And the people, Hermione saw all kinds of people, carrying the strangest of things. She even saw a woman pushing down a whole cauldron inside a tiny handbag and then continuing with pushing down book after book.
McGonagall led them to a ginormous white building with giant letters spelling the word GRINGOTTS on it.
"The wizarding bank. Here you will change your currency so that you have wizarding money" she led them towards a massive double door in bronze that was guarded by a creature, the same size as Hermione, and who looked really old and not very pleasant.
"Goblins" McGonagall explained unaffected by the weird creature.
They went through the bronze door and then through another one that was in silver before they came to a great hall made in marble where more goblins sat at desks and went through paper works.
After they received their new money McGonagall took them to Ollivander's.
She had explained that Hermione would probably outgrow her clothes before it was time for her to attend Hogwarts and books and equipments could differ from year to year but she would have her wand forever, as long as she took good care of it. Ollivander was an old man with silvery eyes the same color as his hair and a wild, staring look.
"Ah, Minerva! A muggleborn I suspect" he said in pleased voice grabbing a measurement tape and walking straight up to Hermione without waiting for an answer.
"Yes. This is Hermione Granger, she will start Hogwarts next year and so she needs a wand" McGonagall said as Ollivander inspected Hermione. The tape was now taking measurements of Hermione on its own while Ollivander looked through the boxes on his wall.
"It's essential for a wizard to get the right wand. No wands are alike you see and someone else's will never work as well as your own" he said and grabbed a box from the shelf. "Try this one"
Hermione took the wand and immediately felt an electric shock in her right arm.
"Oh no, certainly not that one"
She tested a few ones, from some nothing happened and from others she accidentally made things broke or hover.
"I'm pretty sure this is the one" Ollivander said and inspected another wand. "10¾ inches long, made of vine wood and a core of dragon heart string. I'm sure this will choose you" He said and handed Hermione the wand. As soon as she touched it, she felt her inside being warmed up and a string of blue light poured out from the tip of the wand.
"That's fascinating. I always seem to find some of the strongest magical abilities in muggleborns" Ollivander said and inspected the blue light.