Chapter Four

Morning after a visit from a giant.

"Dear Professor Albus Dumbledore,

With Harry, though he wants to be called Ace. He asked if he could change his name since he had called himself Ace D. Portgaz for a long time. Well that was what he wanted to ask. But I need to tell you something important. Ace that's Harry; he wants to be called Ace. Anyway Ace does not live with his Aunt and Uncle. He lives by himself in a forest out side of London. They kicked him out of the house when he was a child, Dumbledore. I can't believe they did that. He has built himself a huge tree house and lives in it. I worry I was thinking of having him stay in the Leaky cauldron before going to school. If you could get back to me that would be great. Hoping to hear from you soon. I will be taking him to get his supplies in the morning. He seems to look forward to it, he is a good kid. Also where should I take him?

Hagrid

Albus read the letter looking it over; he could not believe that the boy's Aunt and Uncle had kicked him out of the house. He got up needing to make a visit to the Dursleys and a few others seeing if he could find the boy a place to live. First thing first he wrote Hagrid a letter to ask him to meet up with him that evening at seven for dinner with Ace.

(Scene Break)

Ace rubbed his eyes and looked around his tree house and smiled thinking back to his brothers. He got up sighing wishing he was back home with Luffy and his brothers. He looked down and about fell out of the tree at the site before him.

"Ace, hurry up and get down here." Luffy said waving at him.

Marco was there smiling at him. "Yeah Ace, hurry up."

Ace jumped out of the tree only to stop seeing how short he was to them.

Luffy started to laugh walking up and messed up Ace's hair. "Ace, why are you so small? It is a mystery."

Marco started to laugh, "You're so adorable Ace."
Ace looked at them smiling "I have missed you."

Luffy smiled at him "We miss you too. Hurry up and come home, Ace, alright."

Ace woke up that morning and looked at the ceiling of his tree house. He sat up and stretched and looked around. He smiled thinking of his dream hoping he could see Luffy in the future. He then thought of the night before of the man named Hagrid. 'I wonder if that was a dream too.' He thought and put his shirt on. He walked to the edge of his home looking out a window he saw Hagrid and smiled knowing he was going to have a fun adventure. And just maybe going to this school will help him find a way to get back home.

Ace smiled and went to go and get food for him and Hagrid.

Hagrid was having a nice dream about a big tall woman and having a pet dragon. But was awakened by the smell of some good food. He looked around seeing that Ace had made a fire and cooking five fish on sticks and some other meat on a stick.

That moment he had an owl land next to him and giving him a paper. Hagrid paid the owl and it flew off.

"What was that?" Ace asked.

"An owl we deliver post with Owls. They are very smart. We'll be better finish eating so we can go, Ace, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Ace nodded and looked at the money he was looking at the coins he taken from Hagrid's pocket seeing them Hagrid had not seen them. Ace was now wonder having known that you had to pay for school. How was he going to get the money? He had a lot from all of the money he has stolen but knew it take a bit to get to school. And his money was British pounds not this. He looked at the wizarding coins and quickly put them back.

"Um — Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"I haven't got much money."

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But if their house was destroyed —"

"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, 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 banks?"

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Ace smiled and finished eating his meat he was holding. "Goblins?"

"Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Ace. 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." Ace followed Hagrid out onto the clearing. The sky was quite clear now and wind was blowing giving a nice cool breeze.

"How did you get here?" Ace asked, wondering how Hagrid had found him.

"Port key and flew," said Hagrid.

"Flew?"

"Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."

Ace tried to cover his chuckles as the image of Hagrid in his head flapping his arms flying over England, but failed miserably. So he started to cough to hid it.

"You ok, Ace?"

"Yeah just fine."

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Ace asked.

"Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Ace asked.

"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."

"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"

"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."

"Why?"

"Why? Blimey, Ace, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."

"You sure about that?" Ace said thinking how the devil fruits gave some amazing powers and the normal people didn't bug the users. "Also there is so much stuff we have with the technology… Oh well." He said.

At this moment they reached the edge of the city. Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the city.

Ace was glad for this meaning he would have to worry about himself as much. He thought back to him mentioning the dragon, rumors in his world about dragons. He had always wanted to see one. Along with Luffy and Sabo. He smiled thinking if he saw one before Luffy how much he would be jealous.

"Hagrid," said Ace, as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

"You'd like one? Wanted one ever since I was a kid."

"Still got yer letter, Ace?" he asked as he counted stitches.

Ace nodded and took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Ace unfolded a second piece of paper and looked at the supplies list again, and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. 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 Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts 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 of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope set

1 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

"Where are we going to find this I have never seen a shop selling these things." Ace said, thinking of all the shops he had been too.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. Ace looked up and couldn't believe it. He had hidden in this pub a couple of times to get away from the police when they were looking for him. He noticed that the people walking by them 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. Ace started to wonder if they could not see it. And that only he and Hagrid were the only ones who could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.

The pub was as it always was; it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Which never happen most the time people paid no attention to him. He noticed that everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Ace's shoulder. If Ace was a normal boy he would have had his knees buckle under the force of his hand.

Tom looked at the boy, he seen the child use this place to hide from some muggles once and awhile. He never paid any attention to him after the first time.

Ace ran in and was looking around. Everyone in the pub was looking at the child who yelled at them. "I was never here." He then ran and was hiding behind the bar. Tom looked out the window and saw the muggle police run down the street. He had a smile on his face looking at the boy. "Hello little one. I am Tom and they are already gone." He did not care about what the boy did and he would not sell out his own kind to the muggles. He figured the child used some accidental magic and the police were after him for that.

Ace looked up and quickly bowed, "Thank you for letting me hide here Sir."

"It's Tom and what's your name."

"Ace D Portgas." The child said smiling at him.

Tom nodded and gave Ace a plate of food. Since then he would see the boy once and awhile.

Tom smiled looking down at Ace, "Well I wondered when you would be going off to school Ace." That was when he noticed it on Ace's forehead a lightning bolt scar. "Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Ace, "is this — you can't be —?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. "Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Ace why didn't you tell me you are Ace Potter…"

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Ace and seized his hand, tears in his eyes. "I am sorry Mr. Potter if I had known I would-" He was about to say something but Ace cut him off.

"Tom, don't. I go by Ace and you have always been kind to me." Ace looked at him "Call me Ace. Ace D Portgas."

Tom smiled "Alright Ace."

Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming. Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Ace found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last." Ace didn't understand they all met him before and knew him. He was being swarmed by everyone.

"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr. Portgas just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

It had seemed that a few people took to calling him his name he wanted while others were going to call him Ace.

Ace looked at everyone "Please stop." He said and then just jumped really high and over the bar to hide.

Ace looked at everyone this was strange for him he was used to people running away from him in fear. Trying to stay away from the White-beard Pirate.

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching. Looking at Hagrid who had grabbed him and pulled him back over. He was happy to see Tom had chased everyone back to their seats.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Ace, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Ace's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

"Call me Ace Portgas and what kind of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it.

"N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Portgas?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

The others tried to get Ace away to from Professor Quirrell, to meet the famous boy. But Ace gave them a look which made everyone back away.

"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Ace."

Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds. Ace been out here and did not know what this was about but let him be.

Hagrid grinned at Ace. "Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you were famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'. Though surprised that Tom knew you, how do yeh know each other?"

"I once ran into this pub." He wasn't going to tell him he was running from the police. "So is the Quirrell guy always that nervous?"

"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?"

Vampires? Hags? Ace's head was swimming. Ace smiled thinking that maybe just maybe there will be a way back to the grand line some were. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Ace."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The 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 Ace's amazement.

They stepped through the archway. Ace looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."

Ace was looking around not able to believe he never seen it before and wished he had about eight more eyes.

He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Ace's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Ace heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Ace had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was something Ace had never seen even on the grand line.

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Ace. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Ace noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

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.

Ace smirked thinking how much fun him and the Whitebeard crew would have with that challenge. And then he knew the one girl on Luffy's crew would be all over it. Along with Marco, he was even tempted to try. He smirked; thinking of all the traps that should be impossible but with his abilities should make it easy.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.

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. Hagrid and Ace made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe." He said earning a glare from Ace.

"You have his key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.

The goblin wrinkled his nose. Ace watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key. The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-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 started to follow Griphook. Ace looked at the goblin "Sir, do you know how I would go about getting my name changed."

The goblin raised an eye brow. "Yes but it will take two days Mr. Potter to get the forms. Would you be able to come back?"

"Yes, I will see you in two days." Ace took off after Hagrid and Griphook. Who was leading them toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"So what's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Ace asked.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously.

"Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Griphook held the door open for them. Ace, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Ace remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, second left fork, right, left, down second right, threw cave with the triangle above it, right, left, middle, and left, right, and left. Ace noticed with the rattling cart that it seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. Ace felt the cold air rush past him. At that moment down below he saw a burst of fire below and saw a different track lead off to a water fall. He smiled Left then right and they were plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor. They keep going and came to a fork and went right.

Hagrid did look very green, and 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, Ace gasped. "Awww!" Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

All Ace's — it was incredible. His brothers would go crazy seeing all of his gold.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms; we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

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 ravine, and Ace leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole. "Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Ace asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. Only to be surprised at the little wizard smiling at hearing that.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Ace was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels or a devil fruit at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. He knew better at that it must be something very special.

Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Ace longed to know what it was.

"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.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Ace didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in a long time.

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Ace, 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 Ace went to enter Madam Malkin's shop alone. But noticed that an owl flew over to Hagrid giving him a letter. He wondered if Albus was going to visit the Dursleys.

(Scene Break)

Only an hour ago Petunia Dursley was sitting in the kitchen with her family enjoying a morning cup of tea. She smiled while drinking the cup not thinking that anything that they had done years ago would come back to haunt them now. She thought she was rid of the magical world. There was loud knocking on the door. "Dudley, go and get the door." She said drinking from her tea.

Dudley groaned "I don't want to mum."

Vernon looked to his son, "Do as your mother says."

When their nephew had gained his memories and changed on them things had changed in the house. They were able to get Ace to still do a few chores only with Dudley doing some as well. Since then Dudley did not fight them over everything.

Dudley walked to the door opening it seeing Dumbledore standing there in a suit. "MUM, THERE IS AN OLD MAN HERE!"

(Scene Break)

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Ace started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact." 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 Ace on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Ace.

"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 look 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."

Ace was strongly reminded of cousin he had not seen for a long time, and then of the nobles from home.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," said Ace.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"Not yet," Ace said again, 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 Ace.

"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," said Ace.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Ace and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid," said Ace, smiling. "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 Ace. He was really wanting to burn the brat more every second.

"I think he's fun," said Ace coldly.

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Ace shortly.

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.

"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?"

"Portgas" Ace answered. "And I think your wrong." He said and glared at the boy.

Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Ace, 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 drawling boy.

Ace sat there not liking the boy at all it put a bad taste in his mouth. Knowing how little he knew about this world. As he ate his ice cream, he thought of the Grand Line and how much he wished he was there.

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Ace lied.

They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Ace cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Ace, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Ace. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"— 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 o' Muggles — look at yer mum! And you can already do amazing magic. I saw it yesterday."

"So what is Quidditch?"

"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 its better to be in Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

Ace went and got his school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves 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. Hagrid almost had to drag Ace away fromCurses 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.

Ace looked at Hagrid who said not to get it. Ace smirked and planned to come back soon for his name change and to get all the stuff he wanted.

Hagrid wouldn't let Ace buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Ace, Ace himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop). Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Ace's list again.

"Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Ace 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'."

Ace walked into the Eeylops Owl Emporium which was very dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Hagrid told Ace to walk around and pick the bird that calls out to him. He had no idea what he meant. And started looking around. He was looking at a black bird smirking thinking of Luffy being attacked by one that looked like this owl. He started to walk down the rows of the birds and stopped seeing a snow white owl.

Ace now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing.

Ace smiled looking at the owl. "Thanks Hagrid."

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys when you lived there. And less since you left. Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand… This was something at Ace had been wondering about all day.

He was surprised to say the least when they came to the last shop. It was very narrow and shabby looking. He thought that since they have magic at least the person would keep their store looking nice. The gold letters over the door reading Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. were peeling. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

Ace saw Hagrid walking into the store and quickly followed him

A/N: Ok sorry to all my readers... Will let you know that I am back in school and this year is really heavy on Homework. So I will try to keep posting as soon as possible. Now Hogwarts Supernova will be up next, then A second Life, followed by Daughter of shanks and I am fixing some chapter of reborn. So that should be the order. Also check out the poll on the main page.

Now please review they make me want to update faster. Tell me things you want to see happen. I promise you next chapter will lead all the way to the first day of classes. Also since he is only a 1st year havent thought of pairings yet. Tell me who you would like to see him end up with. And what friends he should make.

Any way voting is still up. I may have Ace stay at two places.

So keep voting

Forest 43

Weasley's 6

Leaky Cauldron 13

Dursley's

Longbottom 14