Chapter 3- An Informative Shopping Trip
The next morning Kirsty opened her eyes, she had had the strangest dream, about magic, then meeting a fair headed enemy in a place called Diagon Alley, then a friend, a brother. As the details of the dream receded into her mind she got out of bed, wondering what she would do that day. After deciding that breakfast would be a good start she glanced down at her desk, looking for her hairbrush. On it lay a piece of heavy paper, with green writing on…
Suddenly the events of the previous day all came flooding back to her. She looked up at the clock, alarmed. It was 8:35! She got changed into some ¾ length jeans and a t-shirt, with a black kitten on the front. Then she pulled on her second sock and glanced around the room looking for her trainers. After pulling them on as well and finding a coat, she ran downstairs and made some toast.
She was just cleaning her teeth when there was a 'knock, knock' at the door.
She ran to the front door shouting again, "he's here! He's here!"
After pulling open the door in excitement and brightly smiling at the old man who was now her headmaster. She lead him through to the dining room. Where her parents were now waiting.
"Would you like a drink?" asked her mother.
"No sorry, lots to buy," answered Dumbledore politely, "However, I can leave you with something to drink through."
He then flicked his wand and a bottle appeared before them on the table, "Madame Rosmerta's finest oak matured mead. Well worth a drink, believe me."
After thanking him, her parents picked up the bottle and placed it carefully on the bottle holder.
As her parents did this, Dumbledore signalled for Kirsty to come over to where he stood. She did as he asked, then when she was standing next to him he said,
"Now hold onto my arm, tightly mind."
Before she knew what was happening. Her lungs where being squeezed and she felt like she was being forced through a very small tube.
When her lungs were released the only thing stopping her falling to the floor was a strong hand, catching her.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"My pleasure," answered Professor Dumbledore.
Slowly, as her eyes became used to the dim light of the room that they were in, she began to notice the other people that were there.
These people had also started to notice that they were in the vicinity as well, or rather Dumbledore was in the vicinity. Nobody took much notice of Kirsty as they all got up to shake his hand or to mutter something in his ear.
While this was all going on; Kirsty noticed what looked like a man sitting behind them. He wore a long black cape, made of which looked like they were made from some velvety material.
Kirsty, however, severed violently when she saw he was drinking what looked unmistakably like blood. However when he noticed she was watching him, he met her eyes and smiled politely, before again staring in the other direction.
Soon Dumbledore was leading her gently out of the pub.
"What was that place?" she asked.
"The Leaky Cauldron," Dumbledore answered while drawing his wand out of his pocket. He tapped the wall three times; then, to Kirsty's amazement, it almost melted away to form a perfectly smooth archway revealing a cobbled street.
Kirsty starred in every possible direction. She could see so many shops that sold things that you could not possibly imagine. At one shop Dumbledore stopped to look at what was on display in the window.
"Unicorn hair," he muttered to himself, "I'll need to get some more of that for Severus."
They carried on down the street. Eventually stopping at a huge stone building. They entered though doors that seemed to be made of gold. Then they passed a strange creature.
"Hello," it said, "My name is Griphork, welcome to Gringotts bank, have a pleasant day." He then bowed to them as they walked through another set of doors.
"Professor," Kirsty whispered, "What was that creature?"
"A Goblin," he answered as he lead Kirsty to a door.
A goblin then showed them into a cart. After it clambered in behind them, the cart was off, turning corners at such a speed the fastest muggle theme park rides would have seemed to go at a snails pace.
Eventually they stopped. Kirsty felt rather green, but Dumbledore just smiled happily. Then, after following him out of the cart, they arrived at a door. The door had about 20 keyholes. However, it was just 1 key that the goblin placed into the centre hole.
Kirsty assumed that this was Dumbledore's vault. However when the door opened to reveal piles and piles of gold, it was Kirsty that the Goblin addressed.
"Miss Broom this is your inheritance, from the last magical relation in your family. Please feel free to access it whenever you wish."
Staring at Dumbledore with amazement, she scooped as much gold as she could carry into the money bag that the goblin handed to her. Once it was full she and Dumbledore headed back to ground level and out into the blazing sunshine.
"So, Miss Broom, where would you like to go first?" Dumbledore asked her.
"Umm…" she murmured scanning her equipment list, "I'd like to buy my books please."
Dumbledore then headed up the street, Kirsty following him as quick as she could. Soon they arrived at a crowded shop.
The windows where covered in black and white pictures of a smiling man. With the message underneath reading, 'Gilderoy Lockhart, will be signing copies of his autobiography, MAGICAL ME, today 12:30- 4:30pm.'
As they made their way inside the shop they could hear someone shouting, "Welcome to Flourish and Blotts, can everyone please wait quietly, the man of the moment will be out in a few minutes."
As Dumbledore and Kirsty made their way as close to the stage at the back of the shop as they could, staying to the sides, a beaming man appeared on the stage suddenly.
He was wearing robes of a forget-me-not blue colour. As he waved to the crowd an excited flock of reporters clicked their cameras wildly.
The flashes might have blinded a normal person, but Gilderoy Lockhart lapped up the attention, taking it all in his stride.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming," he smiled again as the crowd clapped and cheered.
The he paused for a second, "It can't be Harry Potter!" every looked around to where he was looking.
A reporter hastily moved to let the boy pass as a women behind him pushed him gently forward. Once he was on the stage Lockhart looked excited again, "Dumbledore, would you care to join me up here?"
Nodding Dumbledore moved forward as the crowd parted to let him pass. Kirsty, however much she would have like to stay where she was, was gently pulled up to the stage by Dumbledore. Once up there Gilderoy asked, "So how are you Dumbledore?"
"Fine, fine, thank you Gilderoy".
Then the inevitable happened, Gilderoy noticed Kirsty was also on the stage. "So Dumbledore who is your charming young friend here?"
Dumbledore sifted uneasily, but answered, "Kirsty Broom."
"Hang on," came a silky voice from the back, "I recognize those eyes and face. Is she, or is she not Dumbledore, the first of her family to be a witch since the great Witch Of The West herself?"
Dumbledore again paused before answering. "Yes, she is, Lucius," Dumbledore's voice had suddenly a bitter edge to it, but nobody else seemed to notice.
The crowd where all now talking excitedly together. Gilderoy Lockhart looked stunned, Harry had a look on his face that said, quiet plainly, he understood the information as much, if not less, than Kirsty did.
The reporters however were clicking their cameras mercilessly. Soon someone had the bright idea of taking organised photos. The first had all four of them standing in a small group, then just Gilderoy and Dumbledore, then someone piped up,
"Harry, would you mind me taking a photo of just you and Miss Broom?"
Before he could answer, the reporter had jumped onto the stage and had dragged Harry and Kirsty away from the adults.
"Harry you just stand there, that's it, Kirsty come here next to him, that's it, bit closer, ok, Harry place your arm around her waist, and Kirsty your head on his shoulder. Well done."
Once they were in position the cameras again started clicking madly.
"Kirsty, your ok with this aren't you?" Harry asked.
"Yer, fine thanks," she muttered as her face grew red from embarrassment.
They stood together a bit longer before Dumbledore decided that it was time to go, but they hadn't left the stage before,
"I think this is the perfect time for me to make an announcement I've been sitting on for quite a while now," Lockhart started, first placing on arm round Kirsty's shoulders, then the other around Harry's, "these two only came in today to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me, but they and the class fellows will be receiving the real magical me, for from September I will be teaching at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
As the crowd clapped, Lockhart placed one pile of books in Harry's arms and another into Kirsty's, "Take these as a gift from me," while the crowds clapped again Harry and Kirsty were finally able to make their way off the stage.
Kirsty and Harry both followed Dumbledore to near the front of the shop.
"Kirsty, let me introduce you to the Weasley family," Dumbledore said, gesturing to a crowd of people behind him, all with flaming red hair.
Kirsty smiled and extended her hand to shake each hand of the four boys, but Mrs Weasley, however gave her a hug, then, holding Kirsty at arms length she said, "You look so much like your great, great aunt you know. My mother was friends with her at school."
Kirsty then turned to a girl with brushy brown hair who stood next to Harry.
"Hi," said the girl, "I'm Hermione by the way."
Smiling again Kirsty shook her hand. Then the youngest brother said, "shall we go find some space, I can hardly breath in here."
"I agree Ron, Harry you coming?" said Hermione.
"Yes I will, coming Kirsty?"
Kirsty turned to look at Dumbledore, who nodded, "yes, thank you."
She then followed the others from the crowd.
Almost as soon as they had reached their destination a voice from behind them said, "bet you loved that, didn't you Potter, famous Harry potter, can't even make it to a bookshop without find himself on the front page of every newspaper by the end of the day."
"L-leave…leave him alone, he didn't a-ask for it…" stammered Kirsty.
"O look Potter, you got yourself a girlfriend, did you enjoy putting your arm around her waist?" came the sneer.
Kirsty and Harry flushed.
"Now, now Draco, play nicely." came a voice.
"Yes father," came the answer.
Draco's father came to stand in front of the pre-teens. He stared first at Hermione, then a Ron, then at Harry, until, finally, his eyes rested on Kirsty.
He stepped forwards, holding out his hand. Kirsty, even though she did not like the look of this man, shook his hand out of politeness.
However, she could not draw away due to the fact that he held onto her arm; so tightly it hurt. Then his other hand grabbed her chin, he forced her to look into his cold, merciless eyes.
After a moment he whispered, so only she could hear, "last time I saw those eyes, the owner of them was screaming with pain, begging for mercy," His voice dripped in venom.
"Lucius…" came Dumbledore's voice, "to make my day perfect, it would be rather pleasant for you to unhand my student."
Lucius let go immediately, then he stepped back, "Good day Dumbledore, I hope you are prepared for a, umm, eventful year."
Dumbledore then smiled pleasantly as Lucius grabbed Draco on the collar and pushed him out of the shop in front of him.
Kirsty could have sworn that she saw Lucius whisper something in Draco's ear, but before she could brood on it further Dumbledore was beside her asking, "Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she answered, her voice shaking slightly.
Nodding, Dumbledore bid goodbye to the Weasley's.
Kirsty only just had time to shout "goodbye, see you at school!" before she was back onto the cobbled street.
Three hours later she found herself following Dumbledore into a shop, this shop however, seemed different to the others, it was quiet. It was strange, Kirsty would have almost gone a far as to call it mysterious.
However, her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice calling, "Good afternoon Dumbledore," it said, then somehow spotting Kirsty, "a, you are a relative a Sarah Broom, I presume?" he then paused for a moment, then, after waiting a moment for Dumbledore to give conformation, a nod from Kirsty's Headmaster caused the voice to continue, "yes her wand was 8 ½ inches. Very powerful, very reliable wand. That was the only wand she ever owned. The core came from a phoenix, a wild phoenix from the Himalayan mountains. Its claws, if I remember rightly, nearly took my eye out." there was a soft chuckle before the shopkeeper entered the front of his shop. He was carrying an array of boxes.
"Shall we start with this?" said Mr Ollivander, passing Kirsty a long thin stick.
She waved it, however nothing happened. The same happened with the next 20 wands she tried.
Soon Mr Ollivander muttered to Dumbledore, "the last time something like this happened was with Mr Potter, do you think we should give it try?"
Dumbledore nodded. So Mr Ollivander rushed into the maze of shelves that almost filled his shop. Then suddenly he reappeared; holding a fiery red box. He opened it and passed Kirsty the wand that the box contained.
As soon as Kirsty's fingers touched the smooth wood of the wand, her fingers felt warm and a smooth line of red sparks appeared in the path of the wand as she waved it. She looked up just in time to see a look pass from Ollivander to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, noticing she had seen, said, "that wand's core is a phoenix feather Kirsty, the only other feather the wild phoenix gave resided in the wand of your great aunts."
Kirsty gasped, then starred at the wand in her hand.
"Sorry to rush you Dumbledore but I have other customers waiting," said Ollivander nervously, sure enough a ginger boy of about Kirsty's age stood behind them, "that will be 12 galleons and three sickles Miss Broom."
After Kirsty had handed over her money, she and Dumbledore left the shop. The walk back to the Leaky Cauldron was silent. Both Kirsty and Dumbledore were deep in thought.
They soon entered the pub. Dumbledore had a few word with the innkeeper, then making sure that they had all Kirsty's new possessions and her new owl, they returned with a small 'pop' to Kirsty's lounge.