When Albus woke up the next day, it took him a few moments to remember why he felt excited. Then he remembered that he had been waiting to go to Diagon Alley, and today he was finally able to. Albus got up and got dressed, then went downstairs. When no one else but Kreacher was down yet, Albus realized how early it was.
"Kreacher has breakfast," Kreacher said, indicating the pan on the stove.
"Thanks, Kreacher," Albus said as Kreacher set down a plate. He began to eat when James came downstairs.
"You're already down?" James said, eating the sausages Kreacher had set down for him. "It's so early."
"So are you," Albus replied, pouring ketchup on his sausages.
"Yeah, well, I had business to do." James explained.
"Why, were you planning to put the pygmy puff on my bed again?" Albus asked.
"How did you guess?" James said, grinning.
"Because you've done it every day night for the last week," Albus answered.
As Albus finished his sausages, Lily walked in. "Hi Al, hi James. Are mum and dad up yet?"
"Dad is, but he said he had some work to do at the ministry before we leave," James informed her.
When James was talking, their mum had walked in, and then she said, "He'll be back around nine- thirty, and we'll floo to the Leaky Cauldron then."
So over the next couple of hours, they waited. To Albus, it seemed too long. He was waiting, and watched the time, and waited, and watched the time, then finally, his dad finally appeared and walked out of the fireplace.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" he yelled, as everyone was in a different room.
"Coming!" James shouted from his room, and then ran down into the living room.
"I'm ready!" Lily said as she ran down the stairs.
Ginny and Albus were already there. Albus waited for James, then Harry, then Lily, and then Albus walked into the fireplace, and screamed, "The Leaky Cauldron!" and dropped a handful of powder, then he stepped out into the pub. Ginny was right behind him, and climbed out of the fireplace.
"Oi, Harry!" a familiar voice called. The Potters looked and saw Ron, who was waving at them.
"Hey, mate!" Harry said.
"Hi Rose," Albus said.
"Hey Hugo," Lily said.
"How are you, Hermione?" Ginny greeted. Hermione was Ron's wife, and their two kids were Rose and Hugo. Rose was the same age as Albus, and Hugo was the same age as Lily.
The adults then addressed the barmaid behind the counter, named Hannah Longbottom.
"Hey, Hannah? How's Neville doing?"
James found Fred and Anne, two twins one year older than James, and their dad was George. They were with their mom, Angelina.
"Fred! Anne!" James said, running over to them.
"Hi, Molly!" Rose said. Molly was another cousin in her fifth year at Hogwarts, who had a sister named Lucy. Where's your dad?" Her dad was named Percy Weasley.
"He said he has work to do at the ministry, so we came with mum," said Lucy, indicating her mother Audrey. Lucy was Molly's little sister and was Lily's age. "Dad never lets me go in Uncle George's joke shop, so maybe today since he's gone I can go," she said hopefully.
"Now Lucy, the joke shop is for wrongdoers, you shouldn't be in there," Molly scolded. As Molly and Lucy argued, Rose, Lily and Albus spotted their Uncle BiIl with his wife Fleur and three more cousins.
"Hey, Victoire!" Rose greeted. Victorie was in her 7th and final year at Hogwarts.
"Hi, Dominique!" Albus said. Dominique was in her 6th year.
"Hello, Louis!" Lily said. Louis was the same age as Lily.
"Okay, is that everyone? Good. Lets go!" Harry announced. As they walked, Bill handed out everyone's money. He worked at Gringotts. "It would take way too long for all of us to get our money, so I got it earlier," Bill said.
"Thanks, Bill. So Hermione, you, Ron, Fleur and Bill go in Flourish and Blotts to get everyone's books. Audrey, you and Angelina go in the Apothecary to get Potions ingredients, and Ginny and I can take everyone who needs new robes into Madam Malkin's. Oh, and Rose, Albus, you both need wands. Are you able to go to Ollivander's alone?"
"Yeah," Albus and Rose said.
"Perfect. Come to Madam Malkin's when you're done, then we'll go to the joke shop after that." he told them.
Albus and Rose walked into Ollivander's wand shop. "Hello, Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley," Ollivander said. He was extremely old. "I wondered when I you would visit. I'll find a wand for you first, Ms. Weasley, just hang on a moment, Potter," Ollivander said, measuring with a tape measure from head to toe, around her head, and between her nostrils, then started searching through the shelves.
"Here. Sycammore and Unicorn hair. Ten inches. Try-" But Rose had barely raised the wand when Ollivander snatched it out of her hand.
"No, definitely not. Here. Willow and Dragon Heartstring. Sixteen inches. Try-" Ollivander snatched the wand out of her hand.
"We're getting there. Maybe this one. Pine and Unicorn hair. Try it." Ollivander said.
Rose made golden sparks burst from the wand, flashing around the shop. Ollivander clapped.
"Well done!" he cried.
"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander! I'll see you at Madam Malkin's, Al!" Rose said, leaving the shop and looking pleased with herself.
Ollivander did the same measurements he did with Rose and looked for a wand. "Here. Chestnut and Dragon Heartstring. Ten inches. Try-" And then Ollivander snatched the wand from his hand.
"No, no- try this one. Cedar and Phoenix Feather. Fifteen inches. Maybe-" And then he grabbed the wand again.
"Definitely not. Ah... here. Sequoia and Unicorn Hair. Thirteen inches. Try-" But again, the wand was taken from him.
Albus tried many more wands, wondering what Ollivander was looking for. Albus wondered how many more wands were in the shop, and if there would actually be one that would suit him.
"Very tricky, just like your father. He took a very long time also. You know, I wonder if this would work... Willow and Phoenix Feather. Fourteen Inches." Ollivander said, giving him a wand. At once, he felt a warmth in his fingers. We waved it, and out shot fireworks, just like Rose's did.
Ollivander looked surprised. "But... this wand..."
"What about it? Is there something wrong with it?" Albus asked.
"No, but it used to belong to someone else, and it is extremely rare for the wand to choose another wizard..."
"Who did it belong to?" Albus said.
Ollivander, still looking surprised, said, "Dumbledore."
Rose rushed back in. "Albus? You've been ages. Your dad said to come get you."
Albus paid for his wand, thanked Ollivander, and left with Rose, heading to Madam Malkin's.
"You all right?" Rose asked, seeing that Albus had a vacant expression. How could this wand have been Dumbledore's? He remembered his dad telling him a long time ago that Dumbledore had been buried with his wand, then it was stolen by Voldemort. Harry had also said that after he defeated Voldemort, he put the wand back in Dumbledore's tomb. But how had it gotten into Ollivander's shop? It seemed unlikely that Ollivander would take it from Dumbledore's tomb.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Albus replied. They walked into Madam Malkin's shop, which was crowded and noisy with all of the Weasleys, either being fit onto robes, waiting to be fitted, or waiting for everyone else to be done.
"Another student? You can come over here to get robes." She led him over to a stool, while he wondered about his wand. He remembered Harry telling him that Dumbledore's wand was exceptionally powerful, but this wand had made sparks just like Rose's, no more powerful than her's. It didn't make any sense.
"Your done, dear." Madam Malkin informed him. Albus was the last one done. All the Weasleys and Potters departed the shop, leaving it much more empty. The crowd walked down to the joke shop. Even though Albus had seen it before, it blew his mind. It stood out against the other shops with the fireworks and bright lights, but Harry said it did even more so when he was younger, and all the other shops had black and white wanted posters of Death Eaters.
All the Weasley's ran inside, the fastest being Lucy, who had never been allowed in. The Weasley and Potter crowd separated to the various parts of the shop. James was grabbing Decoy Detonators, Fred and Anne were getting Puking Pastilles, Lucy was looking at fake wands, and giggling when she waved one that turned into a rubber chicken, and Albus was taking Canary Creams. When Albus had bought lots more items and others were still looking, Harry found him and said, "Hey Al, I want to take you to one more shop."
"Where is it?" Albus asked as they left the joke shop.
"You'll see," Harry told him.
They both walked into Eeylop's Owl Emprorium when Albus shouted, "You're getting me an owl!"
"Yes," Harry said. "It would be a shame if you couldn't write to us while you're at Hogwarts."
Albus picked out a brown owl and thanked his father. Harry payed for him and they left the shop, and Albus felt happy and grateful.
"Thanks, Dad."
As he looked down at his new owl, he felt, for the hundredth time, how great it was that he was finally going to Hogwarts.
