Disclaimer: I think I forgot on the last chapter, but you all know the drill by now. And if this happens to be the first story you have ever read on fanfiction, let me inform you that nothing on this website is original, so don't let anyone fool you into thinking that they came up with all this stuff on their own. Of course, since it is written by fans, that should be obvious.

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Chapter Three: Shopping, Books and Mysterious Boys

Professor McGonagall and Jenna landed on white marble steps leading up to a huge set of bronze doors. "This, my dear, is Gringotts. It is here that we can access the trust fund for your school supplies." Jenna was too astonished to speak by that enormous building and the sight of the motley crowd of humans around her, though "human" only loosely applied to some. "Gringotts is guarded and kept by goblins," Professor McGonagall said in response to the girl's unasked question.

A goblin bowed us through the bronze doors, where they were faced by a second set of doors, these ones silver with an inscription on it:

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.

"Goblins do not take too kindly to robbery." The professor ushered Jenna into the building and up to a long marble counter. She told her business to the goblin that stepped up to help. Nothing would persuade her to place her person in one of those "infernal carts." No begging on Jenna's part would convince the professor to allow her to go, either, so Jenna was denied what looked to be an extremely exciting roller coaster ride. So the goblin went on the "infernal cart" alone.

In his absence, Jenna pestered Professor McGonagall with questions about everything from why the bank employed goblins to why the school was named Hogwarts (something about a bewitched Godric Gryffindor falling in love with a warty hog and Salazar Slytherin thinking it was absolutely hilarious, even though, or perhaps because, it was he who cast the spell). The professor was getting annoyed by Jenna's endless and usually pointless questions by the time the goblin returned with a bulging bag, which he handed to her. Professor McGonagall quickly ushered Jenna outside, where the brilliant sunshine had turned to pouring rain.

"Oh, lovely." Professor McGonagall muttered, and used her wand to create a large black umbrella, which covered both of them completely, and hurried down the street, which was busy despite the weather.

Much of the trip passed by in a whirl of black cloaks, wand waving, and musty shops. That is, until the last stop. Jenna caught a glimpse of the name "Flourish and Blotts" before being firmly pushed inside out of the continuing downpour. Then she lost all thought of bad weather, sore feet, and all the other complaints of a long shopping trip. "Have I died or was I just translated, because this can't be anything other than heaven." Jenna had found her true love. Never had she seen a place so wonderful, amazing, astonishing... No bookstore she had ever been in was this great. Row upon row of beautiful books, and a winding staircase drew my gaze upwards to a second and a third level, both open in the middle and lined floor to ceiling with bookcases crammed with books of all shapes and sizes. It was simply amazing.

"Girl, shut your mouth. You resemble a cow who has forgotten to chew." Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut through Jenna's wordless astonishment.

"Can we stay forever?"

Professor McGonagall looked at the only place on the wall that was free of books, which was a large clock with books forming the Roman numerals on the face. "Not forever. You have two hours until we absolutely must return you to your parents."

"Okay. Do I have any extra money?"

"Yes. I thought you might want to save it for this. Go, while I find the ones you need." The professor handed me a bag of coins.

"Thanks! Bye!" Jenna scampered off, to a bookshelf that had particularly caught her eye. It held books on magical creatures. She pulled out one that had silver embossing on a jet black leather spine- an all inclusive volume on unicorns. She took it with her.

Around the corner of the bookcase, there was a stack of baskets. Jenna took one, thinking it might come in handy. Jenna would buy several books in every bookstore she went in. Jenna gently placed the unicorn book in the basket and commenced wandering around the marvelous shop.

After choosing several different books on many subjects, Jenna browsed down an aisle devoted to divination. A likely looking binding caught my eye. She stepped forward to look more closely and her feet helpfully tangled themselves in her long skirt. The floor rushed up to meet her, and her basket went flying as she tried to catch herself. It landed clear at the end of the aisle. Jenna looked down the row at her scattered books. The basket had landed at the feet of a boy about the same age. "You know, with an arm like that, you ought to try for Chaser."

"Oh, be quiet and help me pick these up." Jenna was not in the best of moods right then. This was the second time that day she had made a fool of herself by landing on the floor. She sat up cross-legged and gathered the books within reach.

"Someone's cranky today." The boy picked up the rest of the books anyway and brought them and the basket to Jenna. He then joined her, much more gracefully, on the floor.

"Thanks for helping me. And sorry for snapping at you earlier." Jenna said, sheepishly, fiddling with the hem of my skirt.

"Of course, with grace like yours, I wouldn't trust you to remove either of your feet from the ground, so I must advise you against trying out for any Quidditch position. Maybe scorekeeper is more your forte."

Jenna felt herself blushing at her ignorance. "What is Chaser?"

The boy gasped at her. "What is Chaser? What is Chaser! Oh, wait. You must be Muggle-born." When Jenna nodded, he continued. "Chaser is a position in Quidditch." He then went on to describe the most popular wizarding game in the world. Honestly, Jenna couldn't care less. She did not care much for sports of any description, not even one played on brooms. After several minutes of complete boredom, except for the challenge of looking interested, Jenna glanced up at the clock and found that she only had about 45 minutes left in this paradise.

"Um, excuse me, but you must have lived in this world all your life. Would you mind recommending some books that would help me?" Jenna interrupted, kindly, she hoped, in a desperate attempt to be released from this sports talk.

"You don't like sports much, do you?" The boy's hair seemed to wilt a little from the disappointment. Jenna shook her head. But he brightened again almost immediately. "I know just the ones! Follow me."

Taking Jenna's basket and helping her up from the floor, the boy charged off down the aisle from the direction he had come. Turning the corner, he picked up a basket that was almost as full as Jenna's.

"Um, I can carry my own basket." Jenna reached out to take it, but he would not give in to her.

"I will carry it." He momentarily assumed a lofty tone and lost it as he began a running commentary on the subjects the pair were passing. He was charming, civilized, rather intelligent, by his knowledge of the bookstore. Dark hair, hazel eyes and somewhat long nose completed the picture of a very nice eleven year old boy, very likely of the wealthy class.

He was handing Jenna books and giving a brief summary of each. They had paused in front of a fiction section- Jenna made the boy stop- when Professor McGonagall found them. "Miss Smith, it's time to leave."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall. But I need to pay for these." The professor and Jenna turned to go. "Wait." Jenna turned back to the boy. "Thank you for helping me."

"No problem. And good luck with the Chaser tryouts, Grace." He winked and turned to leave. Jenna crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at his retreating back. She didn't like nicknames very much.

"Grace?" Professor McGonagall raised a questioning eyebrow at Jenna.

"Um, he caught me in a bit of a mishap. Like the one you found me in." Professor McGonagall smiled, something Jenna was beginning to find was a rare occurrence for the stern professor.

"Well, let's go pay for your many books." They set off for the counter, where Jenna paid and Professor McGonagall regained possession of the previous purchases, which she had left with the clerk to allow unencumbered shopping. The professor had also bought a few books for herself. Once business was complete, Professor McGonagall pulled out the key that had taken the professor and Jenna to Gringotts, tapped it with her wand, whispered "Portus," and they were off back home in a rush of wind.

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Hey you all who have the dedication to read all three chapters of my little story, please have the dedication to push that little button down there that lets you post a review of my story. It would be very nice to hear from any one reading my story.