ISCLAIMER: I OBVIOUSLY DO NOT OWN THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER OR IT'S AMAZING CHARACTERS. ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE AMAZING WOMAN THAT IS JOANNE ROWLING.
Her first thought was about what today would bring.
She sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off her. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.
Hope scrambled to her feet, so happy she felt as though a large balloon
was swelling inside her. She went straight to the window and jerked it
open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to
attack Hagrid's coat.
"Hey!"
Hope tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at her and carried on savaging the coat.
"Hagrid!" said Hope loudly. "There's an owl.
"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.
"What?"
"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets." Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets filled with random things.
Finally she found some strange coins.
"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.
"Knuts?"
Hope sniggered at the name. What kind of name is that for money?
"The little bronze ones."
She counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Hope could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.
Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.
"Best be Off, Hope, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."
Hope was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. She had just thought of something that made her feel as though the happy balloon inside her had got a puncture.
"Um - Hagrid?"
"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.
"I haven't got any money - and there's no way my aunt and uncle will pay for my school supplies."
"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head.
"D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything? First stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."
"Wizards have their own banks?"
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."
Hope dropped the bit of sausage she was holding.
"Goblins?"
"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never
mess with goblins, Hope. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly.
"He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see. Got everythin'? Come on, then."
The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight.
"How did you get here?" Hope asked.
"Flew," said Hagrid.
"Flew?"
"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."
They settled down in the boat, Hope still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.
"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Hope another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
"Of course not," said Hope, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.
It didn't take long before they had their feet on solid land again.
Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town
to the station. Hope couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, but he kept pointing at random things explaining how odd they are.
"Hagrid," said Hope, panting a bit as she ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"
She remembered the conversation they had on the boat and she was intrigued by the thought of dragons. She adored animals. No matter how scary they may seem.
"Well, so they say," said Hagrid.
"Crikey, I'd like a dragon."
"Really?"
Hope would love to interact with dragons, but to keep one as a pet seemed like a pretty big bite to chew.
"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."
They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hope had to pay because Hagrid didn't understand "muggle money".
People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a giant sock.
Who the sock would fit, Hope had no clue as it was the size of her whole body.
"Still got yer letter, Hope?"
"Yep, right here," she said while pulling the yellow envelope from her pocket.
"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."
Hope unfolded a second piece of paper she hadn't noticed the night before.
She scanned the paper and realized she had no idea where they would get things like a cauldron or wand.
What caught her attention the most was the post scrip at the bottom.
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN
BROOMSTICKS
She wondered what idiot first year ruined it for the rest of them. Flying seemed like fun. Maybe she can get a broom and sneak it in somehow.
"Where can you even get this stuff?" Hope wondered aloud.
Hagrid just gave her a secretive smirk and a look that said "You'll see when we get there. "
Hope had never been to London before.
Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way.
He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly about how everything was too small.
"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed some stairs.
Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd like the Red Sea. All Hope had to do was keep close behind him.
They passed the kind of book shops and music stores that Hope had always seen while shopping with Aunt Petunia, but had never had money to go inside. Maybe she can get a bit of extra money and come back another time. She was just itching to buy a music player.
Finally after walking for what seemed like forever they started to slow down.
"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Hope wouldn't have noticed it was there.
The people passing by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all.
In fact, Hope had a feeling that only she and Hagrid could see it.
After a moment, Hagrid had steered her inside.
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny little glasses of green liquid. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who looked like a toothless walnut.
The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in.
Everyone seemed to know Hagrid and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping a hand on Hope's shoulder.
It took a lot of effort on her part to not crumple to the ground from the weight of it.
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Hope, "is this - can this be -?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Hope Potter... what an honor."
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Hope and snatched her hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Miss Potter, welcome back."
Hope didn't know what to say.
Everyone was looking at her and it was kinda freaking her out.
All of a sudden there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Hope found herself shaking hands with a bunch of strangers.
"Doris Crockford, Miss Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Miss Potter, I'm just so proud."
"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."
"Delighted, Ms. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."
"I've seen you before!" said Hope, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."
"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone.
"Did you hear that? She remembers me!"
Hope shook hands again and again.
She was one more hand shake away from hiding behind Hagrid to escape the mob, when a pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid.
"Hope, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
Professor Quirrell was a shaky man who you could hardly understand. Apparently he taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. He gave Hope a bad feeling in her gut.
To her relief the others pulled Hope away before he could start up another conversation with her. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all.
At last, Hagrid managed to rescue her from the babble.
Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and weeds.
Hagrid grinned at Hope.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
"Is he always like that?"
"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was
studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"
He tapped the wall a few times with the tip of the umbrella.
The last 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 Hope's amazement. They stepped through the archway.
The streets was filled with so many fascinating things. She couldn't look away from all the shops and buildings.
But the most impressive by far was the bank.
"Gringotts," said Hagrid.
They had reached the snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its doors was a creature Hope could only assume was a goblin.
As they were about to enter the second set of doors, Hope noticed a poem that read:
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.
Hope now understood the warning Hagrid gave her.
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.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin.
"We've come ter take some money outta Ms. Hope Potter's safe."
"You have her key, Sir?"
Hagrid dug out the key from one of his many pockets. But not before depositing a few stale dog treats on the counter. (the goblin did not seem pleased with this)
"Got it righ' here. An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the YouKnow-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 and Hope followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.
Behind the door was a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor.
Soon they were in a cart and on their way down the tracks.
At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Hope didn't even bother trying to remember all the turns they took. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.
Once, Hope swore she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and she tried to lean over to see if it was a dragon, but Hagrid pulled her back in the cart before she could get a better look.
When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.
Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Hope gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns
of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid.
This was the most money she had ever seen. And if she was correct this was only a trust vault. And if this was just a trust vault, she couldn't imagine what the main vault looked like.
Hagrid helped Hope pile some of it into a bag.
Hope stuffed her pockets too. She was hoping to exchange it for muggle money.
After explaining the currency to her, Hagrid turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only," said Griphook, but Hope could've sworn she saw a smirk on his face.
Now that she was used to the speed Hope was actually able to enjoy the ride. She whooped when they sped off.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground lake, and Hope leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled her back by the scruff of her neck.
When vault seven hundred and thirteen got opened Hope half expected to see fabulous jewels at the very least.
But all she saw was a little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.
Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Hope longed to know what it was, but knew that if she were to ask she wouldn't get an answer.
"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.
When they finally got off the cart, the first thing Hagrid did was brace himself against the marble wall. He gave her a gesture that she translated it.
"Just give me a minute."
While Hagrid got back to his senses Hope decided to take advantage of her minute of free reign.
She had been able to stuff 27 galleon into all of her pockets. She was lucky the pants were baggy or she wouldn't have been able to fit nearly as much as she did.
Once she exchanged the coins she had a total of 513 pounds.
AN: I know it's 5 pounds to a galleon, but I'm changing that a little bit.
She quickly met up with Hagrid who had seemed to have gotten his bearings back.
Not long after, Hope found herself blinking in the sun outside of the snow white building.
"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
"Listen, Hope, 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 Hope entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling excited to finally get some clothes that were her own.
When she entered though, all she saw were the robes that everyone in the alley wore.
Did they not sell normal clothes in this place?
Madam Malkin was nice enough as she ushered Hope into the back to get fitted. But Hope was still disappointed.
In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes.
Madam Malkin stood Hope on a stool next to him and slipped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it to the right length.
"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"
"Yes," said Hope.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
Wow, not even five minutes and she already disliked this guy.
He was like a small albino version of Dudley. Hope shuddered at the thought.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No," said Hope.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"Nope," Hope said popping the p, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.
"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"
"No," said Hope, feeling more annoyed about how little she knew about this world.
Her world. She reminded herself.
"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know
I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
"Mmm," Hope hummed, wishing she actually knew what the hell he was talking about.
"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Hope and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.
"That's Hagrid," said Hope, "He works at Hogwarts."
"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"
"He's the gamekeeper," said Hope. She was liking the boy less and less every second.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the
school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."
"I think he's brilliant," said Hope coldly.
"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer and a pink ting across his cheeks.
"Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," said Hope shortly. She didn't feel much like going into the matter with this rude boy.
"Oh, sorry," he said, surprisingly looking a little ashamed. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."
"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're
just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.
What's your surname, anyway?"
Right before Hope could reach and smack the boy, Madam Malkin said, "Your done, my dear," and Hope, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the boy hopefully.
Hope was rather quiet as she ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought her.
"What's up?" said Hagrid.
"Nothing," Hope lied.
They continued to shop as Hope told him about the blonde boy.
"-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."
"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line 0' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"
"So whats Quidditch?" she asked, changing the subject.
"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like soccer in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."
"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"
"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but don't believe everythin' yeh hear."
Hope could tell that Hagrid wouldn't give her enough time to do the shopping she wanted, but after she gave him her best puppy eyes, she got him to give her extra time at the book store.
One look at her face and he couldn't say no.
Flourish and Blotts had shelves and shelves that were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.
Hope was in heaven.
Hagrid (who had been keeping a close eye on her) almost had to drag Hope away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley." Was the only excuse she needed.
Hope not only got her school books, but she also got Hogwarts: A History, Quidditch Throw The Ages, A Guid to Medieval Sorcery, Ancient Runes Made Easy, Curses and Counter-Curses, The Tales of Beetle the Bard, A True Tale of the Life of a Werewolf, and last but not least Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do With Them Now That You've Wised Up.
She was hoping to find something that was related to how her hair changed colors.
She wanted to get more, but if she stayed too long, they wouldn't have time to get the rest of her stuff.
The rest of the shopping went rather quickly. Now all that was left on the list was a wand.
"Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."
Hope felt himself go red. "You don't have to -"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer 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 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.
Hope now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Hope had instantly felt connected to her and insisted she was the one, despite the clerks warning that she was a biter.
She couldn't stop voicing her thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.
"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly.
"Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."
A magic wand... this was what Hope had been really looking forward to.
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.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.
Hope felt strangely as though she had
entered a very strict library.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice.
Hope turned. Hagrid must have jumped, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Hope with a smile.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Hope Potter." It wasn't a question. "You 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 Hope.
Hope wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I
say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Hope were almost nose to nose.
Hope was feeling very awkward.
"And that's where..."
Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Hopes forehead with a long, white finger.
Hoped leaned away. She never did like people touching her.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said after pulling his hand away.
"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..."
He shook his head and and said,"Well, now, enough of that - Miss 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 ambidextrous ," said Hope. She had never given that information to anyone before and it felt odd to share information.
"Hold out your arms. That's it."
He measured Hope from shoulders to fingers, then wrists to elbows, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head.
While he measured he went on to talk about his wands and how they are all unique.
Hope suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between her nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor.
"Right then, . Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."
Hope took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"
Hope 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."
Hope tried. And tried. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for.
The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he got.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Hope 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 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 Hopes wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious.."
Hope sighed know that she might as well ask, "what's curious?"
Mr. Ollivander fixed Hope with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."
Hope swallowed.
"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, Miss Potter... After all, He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."
Hope shivered. She would've rather gone without that information. She wasn't sure she liked Mr. Ollivander too much. She paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
Hope was silent till they had gotten to Underground.
"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," Harris said.
He bought Hope a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them.
Hope kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.
"You all right, Hope? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.
Hope wasn't sure she could explain. She'd just had the best birthday of her life - and yet - she chewed her hamburger, trying to find the words.
"Everyone thinks I'm special, but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."
Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.
"Don' you worry, Hope. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."
Hagrid helped Hope on to the train that would take her back to the Dursleys, then handed her an envelope.
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said.
"First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, Hope."
The train pulled out of the station.
