Chapter Four
On their way into London, Mitchell was stuck in the backseat with his children while Louise and Professor Longbottom-clearly not used to, and uncomfortable, being in an automobile-were in the front to navigate their way through the confusing streets. Finally, after what felt like hours to Cain but was probably only twenty minutes, they arrived in front of an old, shabby-looking shack. Cain almost overlooked it, probably wouldn't have even noticed it if Longbottom hadn't pointed it out to them.
Cain's stomach did a little flip, making him hesitate my the curb of the sidewalk.
"What's the matter, kiddo?" Mitchell wondered, wrapping his arm around his son's shoulder.
"I'm nervous, Dad," Cain admitted, clenching his jaw.
"Don't worry about it, bud. Everything will turn out alright."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Cain looked at his father gratefully before following after the Professor, his mother, and his sister into the Leaky Cauldron.
Inside, there was an old and bald man standing behind the bar wiping out a glass with a rag at the far end of the saloon. He waved to their group in a friendly manner and gestured for them to have a seat anywhere.
"Mornin', Professor," he said with a nod in his direction.
"Morning, Tom," he replied.
The Tenebrises nodded politely to Tom; except for Anna who grabbed Cain's hand and hid her face behind his arm.
"I'll be escorting Mr. Tenebris and his family down to Gringotts today," said the professor to Tom. "Be sure to help them in the right direction if they should need it, won't you, Tom?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Longbottom." He gave Neville a nod and went back to his glass.
The deputy headmaster nodded and lead the way to back of the pub. There were only a few garbage cans out the back door, leaned against a solid brick wall. That was until Professor Longbottom took out what appeared to be a long, thin bit of wood-that Cain belatedly realised was probably a magic wand-and counted up three bricks and tapping twice on the second one over.
Cain watched as, at first, there appeared a hole the size of a quarter, then as it spread into a large archway that led out onto a cobblestone street. There were tons of people, all wearing a cloak or robes similar to those of Professor Longbottom as though it were completely normal. Cain started to feel like his plain navy sweater, blue jeans, and black Converse were nothing but strange and out of place.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley."
There were dozens of stores and different types of vendors lining both sides of the street each with a sign telling what the shop was called, and what was sold therein. There was a sign in front of the store to their left that read: "Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self Stirring - Collapsable."
"You will need a cauldron for your Potions lessons, Cain, but first your parents must exchange Muggle money for the wizard gold at Gringotts," said Professor Longbottom as he noticed Cain reading the sign.
"What's Gringotts?" Cain asked, sounding confused.
"That's our bank. Run by goblins; I highly suggest that you never try to rob or steal from it."
"Oh," was all he could think to say.
On their way through the curvey street filled with different places to shop, Cain saw several stores that he'd like to at least visit before they returned home. There was an Apothecary that apparently sold dragon liver (11 Sickles) and beetle eyes (5 Knuts a scoop). Also, as they passed a shop called Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Cain heard all sorts of rustling and hissing coming from its depths.
"Ah, here we are," said Longbottom as a gigantic white marble building came into view. "The wizarding bank of Gringotts."
Standing on either side of the two enormous bronze doors were what must've been goblins. They each stood about as tall as Anna and wore pointed beards with a sharp face. They each had abnormally long fingers and feet. The pair of goblins bowed them through the large set of doors.
At the end of the small entrance hall, there was a silver set of towering doors with a sort of poem etched into the metal:
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.
"As I said before, I don't recommend stealing from Gringotts."
Cain could've swore that he saw one of the two goblins grin to the other in agreement to Longbottom's statement as they bowed the group through the silver doors. The professor lead them through to a counter with goblins sitting on high stools on the opposite side. Cain saw one goblin on the left side of the enormous hall weighing what looked to be an uncut sapphire gem, and another on the right side of the hall who was counting through the towering stacks of gold, silver, and bronze coins standing in front of him.
Everything in Gringotts was marble. The countertops, the walls, the pillars, the floors. Everything. Cain and Anna wandered around the hall while Neville and the goblin tending to them taught Mitchell and Louise how to use the wizard coin.
"Cain, do you think I'll ever get to go to this special school with you?" Anna asked as she looked around at all the other small children who'd come into Gringotts with their parents.
"I don't know, Anna," Cain answered honestly. "I had no idea what it even was until yesterday."
"I hope I do," she replied. "Then we could do magic together!"Cain smiled down at her with amusement.
"Come on kids," Louise called to them, motioning toward the door.
"This is where I'll leave you today, Mr. Tenebris," Professor Longbottom said, turning to Cain. "I must return to Hogwarts to finish preparing for start of term."
"Thank you for helping us today, sir," Cain replied.
"You are very welcome. Just remember that if you need any help finding anything on your list, you can always ask Tom, back at the pub, or even a patron of any shop. They will be glad to assist you."
Mr. and Mrs. Tenebris said their thank yous and goodbyes and then watched as the deputy headmaster just vanished from sight with a loud sound like a gunshot. Anna let out a short screech while Cain winced and automatically moved to stand in front of his baby sister.
"You have your school list, Cain?" Mitchell asked once they'd recovered from their shock.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, it's here." Cain pulled the yellowed parchment from his sweater pocket and began to read down the list:
Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry
UNIFORM
First year students will require:
Three sets plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black)
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Droughts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Apparently, I'm not allowed to have my own broomstick," Cain tells his parents sarcastically. "I would have no idea what to do with myself on a broomstick anyways." A few boys nearby snickered in his direction. "And apparently that's not cool. I'm not even there yet, and I'm already a loser."
"You'll do fine, dear," Louise reassured him as they headed back toward the street from the front steps of Gringotts.
"I can't believe this is happening," Cain mumbled as he read through the list again.
"I'm sure this is the way most people from non-wizard families feel when they first learn of their magical abilities," Mitchell reassured his son.
"Here, this must be the place to get your uniform."
Louise lead the way to the shop across the street with a sign that read, "Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions". A bell chimed as they entered the store. Seconds later, a harried but friendly looking witch came bustling into the front room.
"Here for Hogwarts, boy?" she demanded as she spied Cain standing next to his father.
"Yes ma'am."
"American?"
"Yes ma'am," Cain answered again.
"Well, you come this way, and your people can wait in front here." Madam Malkin gestured for Cain to follow her into a side room where she had him stand on a small stool standing next to a girl of about his age. There was another witch pinning up the girl's robes up around her feet.
"Hi," he said to her with a small grin.
"Hullo," she responded shyly.
"I'm Cain."
"My name's Willow," she answered, finally looking over at him.
Willow was a bit shorter than he, with light blonde hair and bright green eyes. She wore a dark purple sweater with her jeans and grey Converse shoes. Her cheeks reddened as she studied Cain.
"Do you know what House you'll be in?" Willow asked suddenly. Cain had no idea what she was talking about, and it must've shown on his face. "Or are you a Muggle-born?"
"Uhm, I'm Muggle-born," Cain answered. "I found out about Hogwarts only yesterday when I got my letter." Madam Malkin yanked a set of robes over Cain's head from behind and started pinning them up to the appropriate length.
"Well, there are four Houses that represent the four founders of Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," Willow explained. "Each House has certain traits that they prefer over others. I expect I'll be in Hufflepuff because I'm extremely loyal and am terrible at lying, which can be both good and bad." She giggled nervously at the end.
"How will we know which House we'll be in?" Cain suddenly felt ill. What if he didn't have the right traits to be put into any of the Houses available? Would they kick him out on the spot? Would they laugh and say that it was all just a joke on him after all?
"I'm not certain," she admitted. "My older sister, she's a fifth year now, is in Ravenclaw, but she absolutely refuses to tell me how they'll sort us out." Cain's stomach dropped.
He had absolutely no idea as to how (or if) he'd be chosen for a house. What if we have to perform some sort of magic trick in front of the entire school? he thought. He only had seven days now until he had to catch the train to his new school. There was still the matter of the strange platform number.
"I don't think it'll be too awful," Willow went on, not noticing how sick Cain was suddenly feeling. "Cassie would've told me if I would need to practice something difficult, I think. After all, she isn't cruel."
"Right, dear," said the witch working on Willow's robes as she tapped on her shoulder. "You're good to go, missy."
Cain was slightly relieved.
"Well, I guess I'll see you on the train then, Cain." Willow waved and was off.
"Don't let what she said get at you, dear," Madam Malkin told him gently. "Everything'll end up as it should."
"But what if I don't get chosen for a House?"
"You will, dear. Trust me."
Cain nodded and actually did feel a little better about the situation, but still felt a little bit nauseous.
"Right then, boy." Madam Malkin tapped on his shoulder. "I'll have your robes out in a snap."
"Thank you, Madam," said Cain as Madam Malkin removed the freshly pinned robes and headed deeper into her shop. She pulled a wand seemingly out of nowhere and started flicking and waving it around. A pair of scissors began cutting some fabric on their own as Cain watched.
Cain stood next to his mother while his father went and counted out the correct amount of of the wizard coin to give to the squat little witch. She then told Mitchell that they could come back by later to pick up his sets of robes.
"Should we get my books next?" Cain asked his father as they exited Madam Malkin's.
"I guess so," he replied. "Is that the bookshop?" Mitchell pointed down the road to a dangling sign that read "Flourish and Blotts".
"I hope so," Cain said excitedly. If anything could lift his spirits, it would be a new bookshop.
As soon as he walked in, all Cain could see were books. Humongous leather bound books as well as tiny books wearing silken sleeves. There were even some fur covered books locked up in a cage that Cain seriously hoped he wouldn't need. Cain thought that he'd died and gone to heaven.
"Mom."
"I see them, honey," she laughed at her son's excitement.
"So many." He started toward a shelf, hand outstretched, ready to take out the first book for Cain to look through. To take them all; to read everything.
"School books first, Cain," Mitchell sternly told Cain, putting a hand on his arm and dragging him away from the shelves. "You can pick two extra books afterwards."
"Two?" Cain asked exasperatedly. "But there's thousands!"
"We are not buying five thousand books and putting them in our house," Mitchell stated firmly. "It's gotta be a fire hazard, to say the least."
"Fine," Cain huffed. "Two."
Cain's parents chuckled at him as he yanked his school list from his pocket once more and tried to concentrate on the book titles that he needed first.
"Oh, we've got the entire sets of school books all bundled up for you over in the back, if you would like."
Cain turned to find a portly man wearing a bright purple bowler hat standing near a counter surrounded by bundled up sets of books that stood eight high. Cain silently plead with his father to gather up the bundle and allow him to have a look around.
"Fine," Mitchell sighed. "Go. Pick two." He held up two fingers.
"Okay, okay," Cain threw over his shoulder as he dashed about the store.
He looked at everything, always being sure to replace every book back to where he had originally found it. He found joke books, hex books, and even a book on the magnificence of unicorns. After nearly an hour, Cain finally decided on two books that seemed like he would really enjoy.
Cain brought the books of his choice, Hogwarts: A History and Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks up to his parents at the front counter. The man in the purple bowler told Cain what great choices he'd made with his selection. As he was sliding his books into the bottomless, black velvet bag, Cain heard a frantic shout coming from the street. Recognizing the tone, he automatically put his hand on his sister's shoulder.
"Stay with mom, Anna," Cain told her as he headed for the door that lead back out to Diagon Alley.
"Benjamin!" Cain heard again. He looked up and down the street until he saw a sandy haired boy who was spinning in circles, looking in all directions as he advanced on the cobblestone pathway.
"Hey, hey," said Cain as he got closer to the boy. "Who're you looking for?"
"Ben- er, my little brother," the boy answered as he spun another circle. "He's run off somewhere and I can't find him."
"What does your brother look like?" Cain asked. "Maybe I can help you look?"
"That would be amazing, thank you!" the boy said. "Benjamin's five, really small, blond hair, blue eyes. He's wearing a dark green cloak."
"Alright. You keep going this way, and I'll head down this alley and go from there," Cain suggested. "Sound good?"
"Yes, that's great," he replied, already headed down the street. "I'm Sebastian, by the way. Just yell if you find him."
"I'm Cain," he told Sebastian. "You do the same!"
Cain started down the branching alleyway that he'd indicated and began his search, calling out "Benjamin!" every now and again. He kept a watchful eye on every nook and cranny that he thought a small boy could fit into when a sniffle caught his attention. Cain ducked his head and peered into the small space between a set of stairs that lead into a shop and the wall of the next building over. He saw a boy who must've been Benjamin, wrapped tight in his green cloak.
Well, that was quick, Cain thought.
"Hi," said Cain gently as he knelt down to the small blond boy's level. "My name's Cain. Are you Benjamin?"
He nodded after a moment's hesitation.
"Ya know, your brother is looking all over for you. He's really worried."
"Is he mad at me?" Benjamin asked around another little sniff.
"I don't think so," Cain answered honestly. "Will you come with me so we can catch up with Sebastian before he gets too far?" He held his arms open. Benjamin obliged and slipped his arms around Cain's neck to allow himself to be lifted.
"I got sick while Bastian was buying his robes," Ben said quietly. "I was scared that he was going to be upset with me."
Cain carried the boy back out of the alleyway and back out onto the main street. Standing in front of the book store that they'd just left, were Mitchell, Louise, and Anna waiting for him to return. They'd long ago accepted that Cain would help anyone that he could, given the opportunity. Cain looked up the street and could still see Sebastian as he searched for his brother still. He gestured for his father to come closer to him.
"See that boy up there?" Mitchell nodded. "Will you get him for me? I'm afraid of scaring Ben."
Mitchell nodded and jogged to a point halfway between where they were and where Sebastian stood before calling his name. Sebastian spun and nearly fell over with relief before he started a heavy sprint back to Cain.
"Benjamin!" Sebastian shouted as he came up onto them. "For Merlin's sake, you can't just disappear like that. I was worried sick."
Cain passed off the teary eyed Benjamin to his older brother and was on the verge of walking away when his arm was grabbed.
"I really can't thank you enough," said Sebastian. "I'd been looking for ages."
"Uhm, don't mention it," Cain answered awkwardly, his cheeks burning. "I would've wanted help looking for my sister."
Cain glanced over to gesture to Anna, but he realised that his parents was watching their son's conversation with a small grin on their face. Cain chose to ignore this fact, and to continue on as though he hadn't seen it.
Sebastia gestured for Cain, who then gestured for his family, to follow him toward a shop with a sign that read: "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC".
"This here is the wand shop," Sebastian informed the Tenebrises. "I've got to wait for when my mum and dad are with me till I can get mine."
"Where are your parents?" Mitchell asked.
"Oh, they're back at the pub," Sebastian answered easily. "Me mum's been having some trouble with her back here lately and, since we only have a week till my first year starts, I needed my school things."
"This is Cain's first year as well, Sebastian," Louise stated.
"Yeah?" Sebastian asked Cain hopefully. Cain nodded happily. "Well, then, perhaps I won't be as alone as I'd thought."
"I heard that," Cain laughed in agreement. Sebastian gave him a look that said that he'd never heard that phrase before. Cain just shook his head with a grin. "This is gonna get interesting."
At that moment, Benjamin let out a groan and squirmed free of his brother's hold and ran to the nearest garbage bin. Sebastian ran after him and pulled the drawstrings of Ben's cloak back away from the mess. Cain could hear Sebastian whispering to his brother.
"Everything'll be alright, Benny, I promise. We'll get you back to the pub and see if Tom can't find a potion to help."
When he was through, Benjamin looked up at Sebastian with a look that said he'd be entirely lost without him. Sebastian reached down to lift Ben up into his arms.
"I've got to take him back to our parents," Sebastian apologized. "But I'll see you on the train?"
"Yeah, definitely." Cain nodded and told Benjamin that he hoped he'd feel better soon. Ben answered by turning his face into his brother's neck. A face that, Cain noticed, was extremely pale and gleaming with sweat. Sebastian nodded goodbye and headed toward the Leaky Cauldron.
"Looks like you've already got a friend, kiddo," Mitchell laughed with a wink.
Louise motioned for Cain's list. "What do you have left, hon."
Cain thought about it. "I know that I still need to get a wand." Cain bounced with excitement as he headed toward the front door of Ollivander's.
A bell chimed as Cain and his family entered. The shop was dark and dusty with floor to ceiling shelves filled with thousands of what looked like long, thin shoe boxes. Cain looked all around for someone who worked in the place. He was about to turn to ask his parents if they should just come back later when he heard a rustling sound coming from the back of the store.
"Oh yes," said an elderly man with snow white hair as he came into the front room. "Looking for a wand then, Master Tenebris?"
"Uh, yes, sir," Cain stammered, wondering how this man, he assumed was Mr. Ollivander, knew his name.
"Right then. Hold out your wand arm."
Automatically, Cain stuck out his right arm, assuming that his "wand arm" would be the hand that he wrote with as well. A floating measuring tape appeared and began measuring everything. From his wrist to the elbow, from fingertips to the shoulder, from knee to the floor and so on until Mr. Ollivander snapped his fingers and the measure snapped into a tight coil and dropped onto a nearby chair.
"It's not every day that I get an American in my shop," Ollivander said in his light and airy voice.
"Excuse me, but how'd you know my name?" Cain asked, perplexed. "I've only even been in England for two weeks."
"Ah, Mr. Tenebris, I know everyone that steps into this place." Mr. Ollivander stepped over to a shelf and gathered five or so of the thin boxes. He opened the first and offered the contents to Cain. Before he could ask what he was supposed to do with it, Mr. Ollivander had snatched it away and thrust in the next one.
This went on for perhaps forty minutes; wand after wand being taken away before Cain could even ask what Mr. Ollivander was looking for. The entire time, Ollivander was continuously muttering to himself about the length of the wand, the core, the shape. Cain had absolutely no idea what was going on. He sent a wide eyed glance over his shoulder to his father as he accepted what felt like the five hundredth wand of the past hour.
Except, this one felt different. He felt a sudden gust of wind sweep through his hair as blue sparks flew from the tip of the wand. Cain sucked in a gasp as the wind died down. He looked up to Mr. Ollivander who was wearing a proud smile.
"Ah, yes," said Ollivander. "Ten and three-quarter inches; spruce, Phoenix feather core. Surprisingly swishy."
"So this one is mine?" Cain asked breathlessly.
"The wand chooses the wizard, Master Tenebris," Mr. Ollivander told him with a wink. "That'll be seven Galleons."
Cain loaded in the last of his school things, as well as some extra parchment and two eagle feather quills, because apparently that's what was used at Hogwarts, then he and his family headed back to leave through the Leaky Cauldron.