I do not own any of the right involved to Harry Potter
The group's (including Lucius, who was still acting weird.) eyes widened as one.
No one could comprehend it, no one had ever known. How did Sirius figure it out?
Regulus was the only one who knew how Sirius knew – their mother was a bitch after all.
When no denials came form Harry, who had his face hidden in Sirius' shoulder, the rage set in.
'I'll kill 'em!" James yelled, jumping from his seat.
There was a flash of light similar to the one that brought them there, and appearing from the light was the three Dursleys from Harry's sixth year.
When the realization of who had appeared hit the group – they started advancing menacingly.
Petunia screamed when she saw Lily, and Dudley tried his best to hide.
Surprisingly, when they were just about upon them, Harry ran in front of the Dursleys, hands aloft to stop the advancing group – Sirius at his side.
'Harry?' Hermione questioned, glaring at the Dursleys.
'Just because they hurt me, doesn't mean you can do the same to them. It would be sinking to their level, and I know you are all above that.' Harry said – not looking anywhere near the three at the back of the crowd.
'But…' Lily tried to protest.
'Reg,' Sirius interrupted. 'You know what mum did to me, and you wanted to get revenge. This is no different. I stopped you and dad then – Harry is stopping all of you now.' The crowd seemed to consider it, Sirius being mature for once making them really think, and one last look at Harry convinced them.
With one last glare directed at the Dursleys, all but Harry and Sirius sat down.
Before they could say anything, Harry barked at them to shut up.
'We were summoned by Fate and Time to fix things in my life. We are currently at the part when Hagrid came to get me before my first year, if you know what is good for you – you will sit down and shut up!' the Dursleys obeyed silently.
Sirius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and they sat back down next to each other.
Time silently conjured some food for everyone but the Dursleys, causing Dudley to whimper,
They ate silently, contemplating the events so far.
Before long, Amara had started joking around with Sirius and Harry, breaking the tense, awkwardness in the air.
Soon enough, they were done eating and they started the next chapter.
'I'll read.' Draco volunteered.
Chapter 5: Diagonally
There was a mixture of excitement and sadness in the room. Excitement because Harry was going to the wondrous Diagon Alley, sadness because he couldn't do it with his family.
Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.
"It was a dream," he told himself firmly.
Everyone shot him confused looks.
'Why are you telling yourself that it's a dream?' Fred asked him curiously.
Harry looked at him, and found it hard to repress a wince at seeing him again. No matter what anyone told him, he thoroughly blamed himself for the deaths of everyone in the war – Fred, Remus, Tonks, Colin and Cedric especially.
'Nothing like that had ever happened to me, it was too good to be true, and I didn't want to get my hopes up.' Harry replied softly, causing those in the room to glare at the Dursleys, who shrunk back in fear.
"I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."
'Why the cupboard?' Remus questioned him
'Until I went to Hogwarts, it was the only place I felt safe.' Harry replied.
'Is that why at times, you tend to huddle into the smallest places you can find?' Ron asked in concern.
What a wimp. Was the thought of three persons.
Harry did nothing but nod. Amara went over to him and gave him a hug.
'Did you know, that when I am scared, I curl up in a ball under the covers, and clutch the closet soft toy I can find, which is sometimes difficult, because I have so many. Or if I am sad, I will look to the pictures I have on my wall, all of them 'fictional' characters, and ask them to protect me and make me feel safe,(actually know someone who does this,) sometimes I even pray to the elements. Got that one out of a book – I am such a total nerd.' Amara whispered into his ear.
Harry chuckled, glad to know he wasn't the only one who did seemingly irrational things when feeling great amounts of emotions.
There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.
There was a confused muttering around the circle.
'Bet it's an owl!' James and Sirius cried as one. When the others thought about it, they refused the bet, saying that and owl was the only logical option. The two grumbled as they settled to hear more of the story.
And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking.
Hermione shook her head in exasperation and whacked Harry on the back of his head.
'Ow, what was that for?' Harry asked in protest.
'For being an idiot.' Hermione answered simply.
But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.
'Not a dream.' James sung.
'I know that dad.' Harry said in amusement.
'How?' Peter asked with narrowed eyes.
'Because I've already lived it.' Harry answered with a roll of his eyes.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."
He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him.
'And thus, Harry Potter realized his dream, was in fact, a reality.' Tonks said in a deep announcer's voice, having conjured up a microphone.
Many in the room laughed at her impersonation.
The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa,
'I would have been surprised if the couch hadn't collapsed.' Sev said, a little disdainfully.
and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.
Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.
'You have some weird descriptions Harry.' Draco informed him with a raised eyebrow.
'Well thank you, thank you very much.'
He 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.
'I think the owl wants paying.' Ron said through a mouthful of food.
Most of the room grimaced as Lucius sneered at him –
'Duh!'
"Don't do that."
'Nice try son, but when a post owl wants its money – it wants its money.' James informed him, nodding decisively.
Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.
"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly.
'Just wake him up why don't you?' Alice said to him sarcastically.
'Oh, he was already awake.' Harry told them. 'He had his face buried into the couch, trying to stop himself from laughing.' There were a few giggles produced from this, causing Harry to pout.
"There's an owl —"
"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.
"What?"
"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."
'And how long would that take?' The Twins asked with raised eyebrows.
Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags . . . finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.
'How long did it take?' Ginny asked curiously.
'Bout five minutes.' Harry answered, ignoring the surprised looks – cause seriously, its Hagrid's coat.
"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.
"Knuts?"
"The little bronze ones."
'That's a good way to describe them.' Lily said thoughtfully, remembering how hard it was for her to remember the Wizarding coins when she was eleven.
Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry 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, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."
There were a few grins around the room at this.
Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.
"Um — Hagrid?"
"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.
"I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night . . . he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."
'The Potters are one of the richest families in the world! You don't need to worry about the money.' Draco and the Black's called out.
'We are?' Harry asked in confusion – eyes wide.
'Yep.' James said, looking a little embarrassed at the fact.
'Wait – didn't you ever know?' Draco asked him.
'No.' Harry answered. 'I thought I only had the one vault – the one I have used since I was eleven.'
'No, that's just the trust vault. You only use it for schooling needs, and anything else you want till you turn seventeen or get emancipated so you can access the entire account.' James told his son, wondering how his son didn't know.
'Who on earth would hide it from you?' Hermione asked Harry. Their eyes widened when an idea hit them, and then narrowed in anger.
"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 —"
'You thought that their money was kept in their house?' Hermione asked him.
'I never learnt about things like banks at the Dursleys.' Harry replied.
This statement caused the whole room to glare at the Dursleys. Vernon and Dudley flinched away from the glares, but Petunia blushed in guilt.
"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank.
'Yep, but it's not the only one.' Narcissa said seriously.
'There's more?' Hermione, Amara and Harry asked in surprise.
'Yeah, but they are much smaller, and usually have only the one branch. Only the really rich people have vault at Gringotts because the opening fee for accounts is quite pricey, and all that protection doesn't come cheap. It's different when just getting money converted, but to have an account – well, you get it.' Regulus explained, stopping himself when he realized he was starting to ramble.
Hermione and Harry traded a look, and their eyes held confusion and suspicion.
Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."
'Gee, that's healthy.' Lily commented sarcastically, not at all happy that Harry was eating cake for breakfast.
"Wizards have banks?"
'Duh.' Lucius sneered in disdain.
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."
'As we stated not long ago, there is more than one, Gringotts is just the one that those with lots of money use.' Sirius said, reminding everyone of the conversation a few sentences ago.
Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.
"Goblins?"
'Not the … food.' Both Ron and Peter whimpered, but were firmly ignored.
'No, they're muggles.' Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry's disbelief. She too was ignored.
"Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that.
Hermione and Harry shared a glance and smirked a little, not noticeable to anyone else. Ron looked at them and saw it though. His ears started to turn red at the sight of the two.
Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts.
'Only if you know all of the secrets Hogwarts has – but then again, that is also a bad thing.' Harry commented, glancing at Draco. Draco glance black and blushed sheepishly, mouthing an apology, to which Harry nodded his acceptance.
As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly.
'He always gets like that when someone asks him to do something important.' James commented with a small grin.
"He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you
'What? Now my godson is stuff? Important – yes, but stuff?' Sirius asked increadouulsy.
'What evs.' Harry shrugged, not really caring considering that Hagrid got him out of the horrid Dursleys, at least for a little while.
— gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see.
'Only when sober and with someone he doesn't like.' Harry and Hermione commented together.
"Got everythin'? Come on, then."
Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.
"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.
"Flew," said Hagrid.
'Flew?' the room asked in disbelief.
"Flew?"
'Seems little Harry agrees with us.' Remus said with a small, amused smile at the attitude of his cub.
"Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."
'Not supposed to use magic at all.' Alice sung happily, curiosity burning in her eyes at how he did it. She was still wondering why her and Frank were here, along with the Slytherins. It just didn't make any sense.
They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.
'What were you imagining?' Frank asked him curiously, he himself imagining him on a broom, but that would have to be a big broom.
'Him flapping his arms around like a lunatic.' Harry answered, the image flying through his mind again.
The rest of the group – excluding Lucius, chuckled at the same image.
"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
'He just learnt about a brand new world, like he was going to deny seeing more of what he could do.' George spoke up from where he was whispering to his twin.
"Of course not," said Harry, 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.
"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.
'Hmm, where should I start?' Alice murmured. 'Dragons, spells, enchantments – which really are the same thing when you think about it, or how about the vicious, wizard-hating, axe wielding goblins?' she asked sarcastically.
"Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the highsecurity 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."
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances and had to hide their grins. That's what they think!' they thought simultaneously.
Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.
'Then ask them. You are never going to learn otherwise.' Lily told her son sternly.
Harry just raised his eyebrow at her, making her wonder if the Prince's and Potter's were related in any way, because that looked so much like Severus, it was scary.
"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.
" 'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job.
'Fudge?' Those from 1976.
'That idiotic man became Minister?' Remus asked, flabbergasted.
'Unfortunately.' Those from the other two timelines muttered.
Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."
'Of course, he is nothing but a sheep – he can't think for himself,' Regulus muttered,
'Makes him perfect for me to stay out of trouble though,' Lucius muttered, Narcissa looked at him in disbelief, as did many others from the past, Hermione and Harry shared a glance, suspicion shining in their eyes.
"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."
'Well actually, that is only one department. The Ministry of Magic is actually for – well, I dunno actually,' Regulus commented with a frown.
"Why?"
"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
'Is it actually that? I always thought it was more of the fact that the Wizarding World was afraid that the Witch Hunts would start up again,' Amara said, looking curiously around, eyes settling on Lucius and narrowing slightly.
'Well, yeah. Pretty much.' George said happily, bouncing in his seat a little, before going back to his conversation with Fred.
At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.
Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station.
'Of course they stared, Hagrid is HUGE!' James commented as the others nodded in agreement.
Hermione was looking around the room, analyzing everyone's faces, Lucius had completely closed off, becoming like the man he was when they were in school; but now Narcissa seemed to be a little fidgety to be sitting near the Gryffindors and those from the future, and her face seemed to be just holding off a sneer of disgust. What on earth was going on with the Slytherins?
Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"
'That is why Dumbledore should have sent me or Minerva to you – we wouldn't have been so obvious.' Severus sneered from his spot near Harry.
"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit 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?"
Those from 1976 shook their heads – 'Crazy man.' Lily commented, looking to Narcissa, who looked at her in disdain, causing Lily to flinch just a little.
"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. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their
tickets.
'Good call, if Hagrid tried, he probably would have been kicked out of the station or sent to a mental institution.' Regulus said, as he narrowed his eyes at Lucius and Narcissa who were whispering to each other, and then to Sev who appeared to become even more disdainful.
People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.
"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.
'Okay one: Hagrid knits?' Sirius asked the group incredulously, receiving slow, shocked nods in response; Sirius shook his head – reminding some of a dog shaking after a bath. 'Two: If Harry lost his letter, I am somehow entering that damn book and pummeling him.' Sirius glared at the Harry in the room who nodded and shrunk behind Amara a little.
Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.
'Good' Sirius nodded decisively, making Harry peek out from behind Amara, causing a few giggles in the room.
"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."
Sirius' eyes widened as he realized he said what Hagrid did … will … whatever, he shook his head and forgot about the situation.
Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:
'Oh, I wonder how much has changed.' Alice squealed excitedly. Frank looked at her and raised a single eyebrow – shuddering, Alice calmed and looked to him – 'Don't ever do that again! You looked like Sev.'
There were some laughs, but Sev glared at her and snarled –
'Don't call me that!' Jumping a little, Alice apologized with wide eyes as everyone gave Severus some strange looks. Ignoring it for now, the room turned back to Draco who was watching his mother and father with narrowed eyes. Realizing everyone was waiting on him, he coughed and raised the book to hide his blush and read the list.
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 glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
'It's exactly the same!' James yelled in disbelief. 'Well, except the defence book. Position still cursed then?' James asked his son in curiosity.
'Yeah, but Hermione here is working on it.' Harry turned a blinding smile on the now blushing girl who coughed and looked at the book pointedly.
'I seem to remember one last sentence on that letter.' Hermione pointed to the book and the others looked back to Draco.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
'That rule is STILL around?' Sirius, Regulus and James demanded in fury. The others nodded and James looked to his son,
'Don't worry, when we re-write everything, we will smuggle a broom in somehow.' James winked. 'Ouch! What was that ….' James trailed off as he rubbed his head and looked into Lily's eyes.
'You will not be corrupting our son.' She said simply before ignoring James again.
"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.
'If you know where to go,' Regulus said, a little pompously.
"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.
Regulus had wide eyes as Sirius and Amara snickered at him. They only stopped after a very pointed look from Lily, which promised them a hexing if they didn't shut up.
Harry 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 that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.
'Bumbling idiot,' Sev sneered cruelly. Severus ad Lily both looked at him in shock, and after a few seconds, Severus' eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.
'Well, that one is easy. We have science.' Hermione said simply, taking in the looks of either understanding, or complete confusion.
'Well, for example, Wizards and Witches have the flu system to communicate, or Owl Post. Muggles have got a system called the Telephone which allows you to make calls anywhere in the world by typing in a specific set of numbers. Each household with a telephone has a different number. The technology even advanced to make mobile phones, also known as cell phones. They have the same capabilities – actually they have even more, and you can take it with you anywhere you go, and its small enough to fit in your pocket or purse. They didn't use to be of course – they started out the size of a brick, but they keep getting more and more compact … and…' Hermione started to ramble, so Harry put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Hermione, realizing sh was rambling blushed and looked at the table top. Grinning, Harry decided to add some more.
'There is also the postal system, which is similar to Owl Post, but it is delivered by a person/people who are paid to do the work, this system also can be used world wide, but it is rather slow. Although most of you, even the muggle-borns won't know this, there is also a device called the internet, which allows you to do all sorts of things, including shop online, but they also have a mail service called E-Mail, which stands for electronic mail, and you can send that from England to a person in Australia, and they would get it in a matter of seconds.' Harry explained, loving the looks on the faces of those in the room.
'Don't forget about texting!' Amara piped up, but Harry just shook his head in amusement.
'Let's not overload them too much? Ey?' Grinning, Amara nodded and looked back to Draco, who cleared his throat with a wide-eyed expression and continued.
Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him.
'That's one way to part a crowd.' Frank commented with a slightly raised eyebrow, which he quickly lowered when Alice glared at him.
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. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them?
'Why yes, yes there is.' Sirius commented cheerfully, shooting looks at the Slytherins from his time every now and then.
Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks?
'Of course there is baby.' Lily said softly, gazing at the cover of the book, before wrinkling her nose. 'That is a horrible picture of you.' Harry chuckled quietly, blushing slightly at being called baby.
Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?
James snorted. 'They don't have a big enough imagination for this. No to mention no sense of humor.'
'Really James, they can't have that small of a brain. No humor? How would they survive?' Remus said lightly. Everyone dutifully ignored the flustered and angry looks that now occupied the Dursley's face.
If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so;
'See, Harry agrees with me.' James said, pointing at the book in triumph.
'Why you – ' Vernon trailed off as he caught site of the look Harry shot him … and the bunch of wands pointing at his face probably helped too.
yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.
'Just don't trust him with important secrets…' Peter spoke up suddenly; looking like he had just woke up from a nap.
'Well duh,' Harry commented with a roll of his eyes and a discreet sneer in Peter's direction that no one caught.
"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, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there.
'Yeah, it really doesn't look like it should be famous, does it?' Alice said with a scrunched up nose.
The people hurrying 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, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it.
'That would be the Muggle Repelling Charm.' Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. Harry looked over to her and gave her a small smile. Blushing, she smiled back, but inside she was gloating.
Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.
For a famous place, 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.
'Hahahaha, never heard Tom be called that before.' Sirius barked out in between his laughs.
The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying,
"The usual, Hagrid?"
'He bloody well not be drinking in front of my son … again.' Lily snarled viciously.
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be — ?"
'Well, yes, that is indeed Harry Potter.' Tonks commented from her spot at the table; where she was enjoying herself scare the Dursleys by changing her features and hair colour over and over again.
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter . . . what an honor."
'See, it's an honor to be near my pup!' Sirius boasted loudly. Harry just rolled his eyes before whacking Sirius on the back of his head, and motioning for Draco to continue reading, which he did with a small smirk.
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."
Harry didn't know what to say. 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, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.
'Why would they want to do that to you?' Vernon asked with a sneer.
'Because he is famous, duh!' Ron commented with a roll of his eyes.
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."
"Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."
'All a flutter hey?' Sirius asked with a grin. 'A ladies man at eleven – I'm so proud.' He finished, before being hit by all the present females and Harry himself, excluding Amara who was giggling softly. Pouting, Sirius shrunk down in his chair, shifting it closer to Amara as he rubbed the back of his head pitifully.
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."
'Ah, the man of shooting stars.' Remus commented, reminding everyone of the first chapter, and the Marauders' plan for the end of year show.
"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."
'That was him?' Hermione commented with a small, thoughtful frown.
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"
Harry just shook his head slowly. 'No, I would not remember some strangely dressed man who bowed to me out of no where. No not at all.' There were some giggles sounding from Harry's sarcastic remark.
Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!"
'That little 2nd year?' Lily asked thoughtfully.
'Must be.' Alice replied, also frowning slightly. There was something about him tingling at their senses.
said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
'HE is a teacher?' Frank asked in shock, having seen him around. Personally, he didn't think he looked particularly bright.
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."
'Why didn't he burn then?' Hermione asked Harry in a whisper.
'Maybe he wasn't attached to him yet.' Harry suggested. Hermione nodded, thinking it over.
"What sort 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.
'You have got to be kidding me.' Remus and Regulus said, dropping their heads in misery.
"N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" 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.
'If when we change things, he is still employed to be a teacher – Harry is going to a different school.' James said firmly, Lily nodding along with him.
But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.
"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."
Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time,
'Well, she's persistent.' Narcissa sneered.
and 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.
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"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 that nervous?"
'Good question Mini-pup.' Sirius said, frowning in concentration. Leaning over, Harry poked his forehead in a silent communication, telling him he was thinking too much.
"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?"
'Well, why the HELL is he teaching that class then?' Remus almost screamed in outrage.
Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming.
'Oh, it would be.' Hermione moaned in sympathy. 'That's why when Professor McGonagall came to see me, I was given a week to get my head around it all.' Harry looked at her in surprise, wondering if all Muggleborns and Muggle-Raised received that.
Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.
"Three up . . . two across . . ." he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."
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."
The people in the room, excluding the Slytherins who were acting weird and the Dursleys, but including Dudley leaned forward, waiting to hear Harry's reaction.
He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.
'That's it? Are you serious! No description at all?' Lily was the one to shout after a small pause.
'Apparently so,' James pouted in disappointment.
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."
'Bank, bank, bank, bank,' Fred and George who had been mostly quiet until now suddenly started to bounce in their seats, and sing the small tune.
Harry 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."
'That's ridiculous!' Sev and Lily shouted out, being the two potions enthusiasts in the room.
'Get use to it,' Severus commented dryly.
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 Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it.
'Ooooo, we get to know the new model before its even invented! WHOOP!' James and Sirius jumped up cheering.
"Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —"
Draco took a look at the faces of James and Sirius, raising an eyebrow at their drool, before shaking his head, and continuing – but not before a muttered 'Idiots.'
There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry 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.
'Bank, bank, bank, bank,' Fred and George continued, until Ginny had finally had enough and silenced them. Looking at each other for a moment, they shrugged and continued, despite the fact no one could hear them.
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 —
"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 Harry.
'Which, considering how short they are, is so not good.' Remus said, glaring at the Dursleys.
He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry 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.
'That … is really not that intimidating.' Harry muttered to himself. Hermione and Amara who had heard, looked at him with a small grin.
"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.
A grin was shared between the former Golden Trio, being noticed only by Remus, Severus and Amara.
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 Harry made for the counter.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."
"You have his key, sir?"
"Got it here somewhere,"
'Why the HELL does Hagrid have my son's key?' James asked with narrowed eyes.
said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblins book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry 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."
'No, it really doesn't. Harry should be being shown to his account manager, and being told about his inheritance and what it means to be the heir to a noble family in both the magical and muggle world.' James fumed.
'Excuse me?' Harry asked with wide eyes. All, but two pairs f eyes turned to stare at Harry in surprise, the other two just shared a panicked look.
'You don't know?' George asked uneasily. Harry just shook his head, and a growl was heard from James.
'Someone has some explaining to do,' he muttered darkly.
"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.
'What?' Peter asked with excited eyes. He was ignored for the fact it was a stupid question.
"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 Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.
'Your damn curiosity,' Hermione muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose, Draco, Ginny, Ron and the Twins nodded in agreement.
'Sounds like Lily,' Alice saide, nudging said girl with her elbow. Lily scowled at her, but didn't do anything else, wanting to know what was going on.
"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."
'Unless, he's drunk,' Almost every person in the room muttered with a sigh.
Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, 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.
'Yep, give us a detailed description of that, and not my son's expression when he entered the Alley – thanks, thanks a lot.' James snarked.
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. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.
'I think you got further than most though,' Regulus said in persuasive happy voice.
The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.
Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon,
'Probably was,' Draco muttered to himself, unable to believe that Harry's eyesight was that good – yet that bad. No wonder he always lost to him in matches.
but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.
"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"
'Stalactite's hang tight to the ceiling.' Alice chirped.
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid.
'Or, there is that.' Frank smirked.
"An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."
As if on auto, the entire room scrunched their noses in disgust.
He 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,
'Told you that Potter's like green,' James said, looking at Sirius smugly, who had started to whimper again.
and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.
"All yours," smiled Hagrid.
All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.
The group looked over to the Dursleys, who indeed had their eyes wide open, and Vernon had a greedy glint in them. Fate turned to face him and whispered in a deadly tone –
'Don't – even – think – about – it!' Whimpering, Vernon nodded, and scooted away from the table a little more.
How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London. Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.
"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,' the Twins intoned at the same moment.
"One speed only," said Griphook.
Although everyone looked at them, the two only snickered. When everyone turned back to the book, the Twins heard a mumble of 'Blood-Traitors', but weren't sure who it came from.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed.
'So much for one speed,' Tonks cut in sarcastically.
The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry 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.
'Cool,' many in the room breathed out, including the Purebloods, as they hadn't seen their family vaults yet.
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.
'For how long?' Remus asked in curiosity.
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.
'Thank you Mini-Cub,' Remus smiled at the Harry in the room now, who blushed slightly.
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.
'Ooh, that is nasty,' Lily said with a wince.
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels 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. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.
'Awww,' the majority of the room moaned in disappointment. The Golden Trio, Severus and Fate just smirked.
"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, its best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.
One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry 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 his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.
'How many Galleons to a Pound are there?' Harry asked curiously, never having found out before.
'Well, it changes as the currency rates change, but on average, one Galleon is about 5 ponds.' Hermione explained, watching with a smirk as the Dursleys' eyes widened.
'Huh,' Harry said simply, and then got a devious smirk, 'Unless you found a way to remove the goblin magic, and just sold the gold.' He looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows, she smirked a little too, but hit him in the head.
'The Goblins barely let you in the bank anymore, don't continue to anger them,' she pointedly ignored Harry's pout.
'No questions, you will find out,' Fate said before anyone could ask why the goblins were angry with Harry.
"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."
'He's leaving my son, alone on his first trip in Diagon Alley to – to – to DRINK!' Lily shrieked in outrage.
'Calm down Lils, calm down.' James was at her side, hugging her, calming her to the best of his ability.
'Once we re-write everything, it will be us with Harry, and we would never leave him to go drinking.' This final reassurance seemed to calm the furious redhead, who looked up at James and smiled softly. Before she sat down, she pecked him on the cheek quickly, which made him blush.
He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous. Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."
'Aww, Harry will make a friend,' Alice cheered happily. No one notice the look sent between Draco and Harry. Unnoticeably, Harry shifted so that he was closer to Draco and able to help if needed.
In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face
At this description, Draco shot a look at Harry who grinned sheepishly.
was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry 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 Harry.
"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." Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.
'Me too pup, me too.' Sirius said, going to pat Harry on the shoulder, only noticing that his future godson had moved when he almost fell off his chair. Sirius straightened himself, shooting a glare at the snickering Harry, who just shot him an innocent smile.
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.
"No," said Harry.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.
There was a brief pause as a paper bag was conjured for James, who was at this moment, busy hyperventilating.
"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 Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.
"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?"
'Who the hell is this?' James asked incredulously. 'He sounds like a Malf….oh.' James said sheepishly, looking over to Draco, who had put the book on the table and pointedly poked his pointy chin. The others in the room had come to the same conclusion as James and ere now staring at the two.
'So I guess this is why you apologized so early on…?' Alice asked softly. Nodding, Draco turned to look at the younger version of his father, who looked at him in pride.
'You tell that half-blood son,' Lucius then went back to picking at his fingernails as everyone sent him startled looks, with the exception of Narcissa and Severus.
"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.
'So you did want to talk to me?' Draco asked Harry.
'Yeah, I just didn't know what to say.' Harry replied, a small smile on his face.
"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.
"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.
'Gee, thanks.' Draco said dryly. Harry just grinned.
"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 Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.
'So that's when I started to mess up,' Draco mumbled to himself.
"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."
'That's … pretty accurate actually,' Sirius said, pouting at the fact he couldn't say something to scold the kid.
"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.
'Well duh, setting fire to stuff is brilliant,' Fred yelled into the room.
'Brother dearest,' George said, facing Fred.
'Hmmm?' Fred asked, looking at George.
'Must you be so loud?' Fred placed a hand on his chin in thought, his forehead scrunched up in concentration, before nodding very seriously.
'Okay then,' George replied, turning back to the bewildered table. 'Chop, chop,' he baked in a perfect imitation of McGonagall, so perfect that it made the entire room obey his command without question.
"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.
"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all.
'But I was!' Draco spluttered as some angry glares were shot his way.
"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,
'Well, yeah. No magic, equals no Hogwarts.' Sirius said, continuing on with Mini-Harry's line of thought.
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?"
Harry and Draco both shook their heads in despair at their younger selves, whilst Lucius, Narcissa and Sev looked proudly at Draco.
But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy,
'Don't blame you,' Draco muttered, loud enough so only Harry cold hear.
hopped down from the footstool.
"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.
Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).
"What's up?" said Hagrid.
"Nothing," Harry lied.
'And that fooled him?' Hermione asked in surprise. 'You're a horrible liar.' She added for the benefit of others. Harry just smirked a little, and Draco continued with the book.
They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote.
'I love that ink,' Lily sighed.
When they had left the shop, he said,
"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"
There was another brief pause when James was re-introduced to the paper bag.
"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"
"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. 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! Look what she had fer a sister!"
'Aww, thanks Hagrid.' Lily beamed happily.
"So what is Quidditch?"
James closed his eyes and continued to get to know the paper bag.
"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.
'That – is the – WORST explanation of Qudditch I have EVER heard.' James exploded, running to Harry's side and babbling about Qudditch in his ear.
'Sorry Dad, I don't actually like Qudditch,' Harry shot him n apologetic look, which turned into a mind snicker as James feinted. Harry shot a look at those from his time and the time before his to let them know NOT to tell. He received smirks in return.
"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"
"School Houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"
'They are not!' Tonks shouted igdantly (can someone please tell me how to spell this word properly?).
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin.
'That is so not true!' Draco, Regulus and Severus huffed in annoyance. The others were surprised when Lucius, Narcissa and Sev didn't join in.
You-Know-Who was one."
'I didn't know that,' James breathed in wonder.
"Vol-, sorry — You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"
"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.
They bought Harry's 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. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these.
Dudley did in fact have an eager look on his face, until a look from Vernon had him sinking into his chair.
Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with theLatest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, MuchMore) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.
"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."
'Sorry Dud,' Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
'I would have done the same thing,' Dudley mumbled back, a little freaked to be talking to his cousin from the future.
"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."
'Yeah, that is normally true, but Harry always managaes the impossible,
Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"),
'But gold, is good for other potions,' Severus and Sev mumbled at the same time, shooting each other a glare, and freaking out nearly everyone in the room.
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 Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).
'Beetle eyes … again?' Remus asked.
Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.
"Just yer wand left — oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."
Harry felt himself go red.
"You don't have to —"
'Aww, hes so humble,' Lily cooed, causing Harry to blush, and Ron, Draco and the Twins to snicker.
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago,
'Hey,' Frank cried out, offended by the remark.
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. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing.
'Aww, Snowy's are the best,' Alice and Lily cooed.
He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.
Harry scrunched up his nose here, wondering how people got these thing out of his head!
"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.
-Insert death glares here.-
Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."
A magic wand . . . this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.
'It's what everyone looks forward to,' was chorused around the room.
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. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
'Wow, he's got some good magical senesces,' Regulus murmured to himself, unheard by anyone else.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.
'Didn't think the chair would hold out long,' Remus commented.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
'Okay, that is a creepy, yet accurate way to describe him,' Lily shuddered.
"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes.
'Again … already?' Lily moaned in desperation.
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."
'How does he remember that?' she asked in surprise. Everyone just shrugged.
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
'Ya think?' Ron commented, a little rudely.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration.
James also held wide eyes now.
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 Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.
There was a collective shudder throughout the room.
"And that's where . . ." Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.
'He just had to touch, didn't he?' Draco sneered.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.
The majority of the room now also held wide eyes.
"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 then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.
"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again. . . . Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
By now, they just shook their heads.
"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.
"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.
"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.
"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.
'of course he does,' Peter cheered, ignoring the various eye rolls.
"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.
"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look.
'He knows,' Hermione said simply.
"Well, now — Mr. 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 right-handed," said Harry.
'Okay, no talking!' James said sharply, at the looks, he continued in a chipper voice – 'I wanna listen to what wan Harry gets!' there were some groans, but everyone complied.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his 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, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."
Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —" Harry tried — but he 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."
Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"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"
Hermione turned her eyes to Harry, and smile grimly. He returned it, and looked at the rest of the room, waiting for their reactions.
Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his 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.
There were a few cheers in the room.
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 Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious . . . curious . . ."
'What's curious?' Lily asked suddenly, curious herself. Alice just groaned and smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.
"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?" Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. 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." Harry swallowed.
There were some very surprised gasps in the room, most not knowing about the connection between Harry and Voldemort's wand, even those who knew him.
"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, Mr. Potter. . . . After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."
Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
'That … was creepy.' Sirius mumbled, summing up everyones feelings.
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.
'That's completely understandable darling,' Lily whispered, afraid about how her son was dealing. Harry just blushed and looked to the book.
"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said. He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.
'That's true, I felt the same way,' Hermione and Lily both mumbled.
"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.
Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.
"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander . . . 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."
Tears sprung into some peoples' eyes at the fact that Harry had all this weight on his shoulders at such a young age.
'If they're like this now, I'm not looking forward to the rest of the books, not to mention the rest of this one,' Harry mumbled to Draco, who nodded in understanding.
Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.
"Don' you worry, Harry. 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 Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him 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, Harry."
The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.
There was a hushed silence in the room, as everyone thought about what they had learned.
Author's Note:
Heyy people. I am officially done, all updated! I'm sorry it took so long, but anytime I wrote this, I felt like I was forcing it out, so I actually HATE this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same! I don't know when I will update next, but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope you all have a safe and happy New Year.
I'm out!
Ciao! xx